~ This posting is dedicated to my beloved niece, Thy Thy ~ Today, heaven has gained an angel, and I have lost a niece. Though I know we will meet again, it is never easy to say goodbye... Generally, April is a relaxing month for me—a time for me to catch up from the earlier months of baking and to prepare for the transitioning of the warmer months. I usually try to catch up on projects around the house or making new plans for the upcoming months. However, this year April has brought a different meaning to my life. I stopped everything for the last few weeks as I am trying to pick up the pieces of my heart, and to allow myself to accept this new concept to sink in—the concept of losing a loved one. It is very difficult. I am going to take a moment to share about my niece who has recently passed away, so unexpectedly that there was no time for those last goodbyes. It was so sudden that I could not digest the news immediately. It has been more than two weeks and I still cannot accept that this world no longer has her in it.
Thy was 5 years younger than me, and a first born of my father’s first nephew. We grew up together in the same neighborhood for the short four years. I could still remember that she was just a short-haired, 4 year-old little girl when my family left Vietnam to search for opportunities in the new land of America. I did not grow up with her, but we were re-united 3-4 times when I came back to visit my homeland. The most recent visit was just before I got married in 2010, which was also the last time I saw her (of course I did not know this). I can still recall the last lunch we had together more than 8 years ago, and the conversation she had with my husband about some computer problems later that night. She called me by my nickname "Co Nha" which means "Auntie." Although we were not extremely close, partly due to the thousands of miles apart, we started to chat online more often after she got married and had her first born. She usually sought out to consult me questions about newborn struggles, side effects of medications, and recommendations for medical problems. And just a few months ago, I was just telling with her about staying at her new house the next time I come back for a visit. Another thing I'd remember of her was that she’s a big fan of my son, as she often called him “Hot Boy” on Facebook. I am disappointed that he will never get to meet her in person.
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Has it been more than a month since my last posting? Blogging has been on hold the last month, as I am scrambling to plan our family annual vacation trips all at once. To top this with some added stress, my husband decided to take me on a mini weekend getaway. This is BIG for us as it was our first trip away from the kids in seven years! And we had never been away from them more than one night, so this was difficult as well as exciting at the same time. We endorsed that this is about the first trip we take to celebrate mid-thirty milestone. The main purpose of the trip was to try the food at a well-known three-Michelin-star restaurant on the Las Vegas strip. Though it came with a high price tag, Joël Robuchon restaurant located at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, did not disappoint us with their savory dishes. I must say that this experience was beyond expected, as the food tasted delicious--every bite was overflown with flavors. The complimentary unlimited, freshly baked breads and forty-two mini bite-sized sweets were to die for. As a friend claims, this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
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This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesAboutTristina TiepNhu Nguyen is a pharmacist by weekday and a baker by weekend. She is also a wife and a mother of two children. Free Cake Tutorials!Sign up for my newsletter and you will be the first to know about my new recipes and cake tutorials!
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