Life has a way of bringing us full circle. Recently, we moved back to the east side of the country to be closer to our parents in Toronto. Being near family has always been important to us, and now, it feels even more meaningful as our family has grown in unexpected and wonderful ways.

Two New Family Members

While settling into this new chapter, we welcomed not just one but two new members to our family. First came Angela, a resilient little Russian Blue kitten we rescued on the side of the road. She quickly became a part of our home, bringing both comfort and chaos in equal measure.

Then, the greatest joy of all arrived—our baby girl, Sierra. We named her Sierra because most of her gestational journey happened while we lived in California, surrounded by the beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains. She’s our little adventurer, already at home in our ever-moving life.

Our Ohio Home: A Gateway to Everywhere

Our new home in Ohio has turned out to be more than just a place to settle. It’s the perfect “gate” to so many adventures. From here, we’ve found ourselves perfectly situated to explore the heart of the Midwest, reconnect with the East Coast, and venture down to the South.

For example, we often head to Minnesota for doctor’s check-ups. It’s become a regular part of our routine, but those drives across the Midwest always hold a sense of adventure. Ohio also feels like a launchpad back to the East Coast, with New York just a drive away.

And recently, we set our sights on the South, driving to Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a trip to remember! We were lucky enough to stumble upon their Christmas parade, and what a parade it was—so Tennessee!

The creativity we saw was beyond anything we expected. School buses, trucks, and tractors were transformed into rolling works of art. One of the most interesting sights was a truck on another truck while towing yet another truck. A true engineering marvel! And let’s not forget the tractors pulling trailers of party seats, filled with people cheering and celebrating the season. It was charming, fun, and so unmistakably southern. We saw similar scenes in Nashville, which only added to the experience.

Talkin’ About Tennessee

Speaking of Tennessee, we once found ourselves driving straight into the eye of the storm in Dickson, Tennessee. It happened while we were heading back to California from New York. At first, everything was calm, but suddenly, around 4:30 pm local time, the sky turned an ominous dark. Within moments, there was lightning, a massive downpour of rain, and then hail—lots of it! It was an incredibly scary experience, but thanks to our trusty 4Runner, we made it through safely. That drive is something we’ll never forget!

Looking Ahead

This move, this season of life, feels like the start of something big—a time for growing, exploring, and reconnecting with what matters most. Being close to family, discovering new places, and building memories with our little Angela and Sierra has already made it special.

Ohio may be our home base for now, but it feels like so much more: a gateway to the places we’ve been and the adventures still to come.

This year has been interesting. We moved from New York to California with our household goods in a small trailer.  The journey to California was long, especially with our three kitties, a Mastiff pup, and our baby girl. We drove through so many national parks and saw the true beauty of America. 

One month later, my son joined us in California. He is so excited to start his life in a new environment until his bad experience with the school. The school had a lot of rules, even for a three-year-old. Every day when he came home, he was not happy because the teachers forced him to do too many things he did not like. This eventually led to selective mutism. At first, we thought something was going on with his head, but the MRI result was good. The doctor could not figure out what exactly is wrong with him. As a result, our family believes this must have something to do with his emotions. We brought him back to Toronto, and guess what! Kieran is talking again! Look how happy Kieran is with his little aunt and sister!

I also made a series of Christmas Greeting cards for our babies. Aren't they just adorable beyond words!?

Next week marks the last week of my second trimester. I am already so big, so I am not sure how big this time I will get. The hunger situation is real. I've been craving for peanut butter crackers and the chickens from Chick-fil-A. I have also learned to buy snacks on Amazon Fresh, which will be delivered right to my door. You see, I am expecting myself to be a chubby and clumsy mama bear soon again. 

My son is still with his grandparents. He is so happy with his auntie Emma. They are having so much fun together. My baby is a naturally civil engineer. Well, he might have gotten his talent from his great great great great grandpa, Zhan Tianyou.  He can recognize shapes very well and put his blocks together without falling apart. He is a little boy of many talents just like his dada. I am very proud to be his mama. 

Jimmy recently saved two baby sparrows from our backyard. We successfully hatched them and now we are officially their adoptive parents. Jimmy is really good at feeding the babies. I also learned how to take care of them while Jimmy is away. In the meantime, our dog is getting used to the big city. She is very gentle now. We can even walk her on the streets! Here we went for a walk in Duke. It is a quite decent Japanese garden we have nearby!