"For the first time in forever"

Our bumper crop of passion fruits have finally arrived. Can't get over the satisfaction...for the first time in forever. On a side note, don't you just love the movie "Frozen" haha

They Just Love Snow...don’t we All:)

While Daddy was away in his meetings in Seoul, mommy took the kids off to tiny adventures. We were really thankful to engage a great travel company that provided a personal guide from start to finish. And the guide, whom we called Uncle Jeff spoke pristine English as he is a translator by profession. But of course, he was a guide, porter, ski trainer, photographer and playmate all rolled up in one. I can’t say enough good things about our guide because we would have been lost in Seoul, not understanding a word of Korean - saved for “Bibimbap” and “Bulgolgi". 

We headed to a lesser known resort, Jisan because it was only 1.5 hours drive from Seoul. We were all poised and excited to start our ski experience [don’t we all look the part]....no one told us it was hard work! From renting our ski clothes, to choosing our shoes and fitting our skis on. And we haven’t even started. We were glad there were only three of us - can’t imagine doing this with an entire busload of people. 

But Uncle Jeff was great - he taught us the basics and we tried our little slopes and it was not too bad:) Sarah is a natural, she was already able to remove her skis and put them on all on her own [even that needed training], make her way up a tiny slope [that was more difficult than I imagine] and come down on her own. 

After two hours, mommy was still diligently trying to master her beginning stages, determined to make the best out of this trip. But the impatience of Sarah and Sammy was very apparent. Sammy started making excuses that his shoes were too tight. Haha...all they wanted to do was to get rid of anything standing in between them and their wonderful soft snow. 

Finally, when they had a chance to yank away all the unnatural equipment, the first thing they did was to fall on their backs and make snow angels. haha! I love that about them. 

Then it was snowballs, snowman, snowball fights.

We did finally end the day with a two full hour of sledding. It would have been longer. Thanks to Uncle Jeff who went back to a store to borrow sleds and found some abandon slopes for them to play. 

It was so blissful just watching Sarah and Samuel climb up the snow slopes with their sleds and laugh and play so uninhibitedly. They did everything imaginable because they knew snow wouldn’t hurt them. Their propensity to enjoy snow to the fullest made me chuckle many times - and I realize it was pretty infectious. That’s what kids do very well. After an hour of their play, many other snow seekers came over with their sleds and joined them. 

The joys of nature and what God has given. So blessed. 

My kids having the snow slopes all to themselves. 

19th year anniversary

Such a cheesy shot [Hado Cape, Kyushu]

First of Dec has always been a busy day for us. For many years, we have been busy with organizing events. Last year, we were flying back from Toronto and this year, we are in KL. But it still remains a significant date for us. It’s been 19 years since we first dated and we are thankful for every year of our lives we have together. Each year to sync - it takes forever you know hahah! But truly sweeter as the years go by.

Looking back, we laugh at the days we had to wait for each other at bus stops as we attended different schools, going for concerts and musicals, planning and organizing events together, and arming ourselves with our passports and heading across the causeway during our uni days... But this is a complete blessing, something that we look back and have no regrets. Absolutely no regrets. Just tons of memories, fond ones [albeit it hugs and quarrels].

Sarah and Samuel, if you eventually read this, you can date early, just let daddy and mommy know cos your date need to pass our 101 obstacle course, no kidding! 

Fly and Drive in Kyushu

Hado Cape, Kyushu Japan

What a trip ... I think we covered like 'two thousand and six’ [Sarah’s fave number for no reason whatsoever] sights and ate two thousand and six kind of food. This was the first trip for a long time that I didn’t spend hours [or days] trawling on the net, reading and planning. It really felt different...but in a good way. Of course, we did have to pay a premium for it. Nonetheless, another unforgettable experience for the mind, soul and tummy.

My dearest daughter grows up

Isn't she cute? 

Friendships Treasured and Reclaimed

Over this past year, I am glad to reclaim friendships that have been crowded out by busyness or have given way for more "noble causes". I thank God for blessing me with precious kinship and friendship - of which I am very proud of. And I am glad my kids have their fair share of this precious gift. 

With sis and friends who go a long long way back (at Jaan) 

University Kakis and our rustic seafood party

Secondary school friends at Iggy's

Cousins and friends at Legoland. 

Sarah and Sammy (I love to see them like that)

Best friends

I like Painting Faces

These faces took up a large part of my morning. But it was fun until they started rubbing it off ...sigh. 

Homegrown

These homegrown sunflowers will mark the start of updates on the go. 

On the home front, kids have been moving along well in their studies, and getting on extremely well in their playtime (haha). 

Cousins and Auntie Chiao Chyi are here which also means lots and lots of play and catching up on lost time. 

My absolute favourite - homegrown lady's fingers. 

I like this blogging on the go:)) 

We did it!

We did it together! Yay! 

Daniel was recovering from a flu that plagued him for a month, and I was feeling the onset of it. Samuel had already developed a cough and Sarah was feeling the blues of flu [you can tell from the picture:)] But we went ahead and ran the race. Haha...it felt really good:)

An memorable way to mark our 11th anniversary.

I am still loving it

I am still loving it - to wake up in the morning and take my morning jogs and have Sarah join me.

I am still loving it - to have my breakfast with my children and asking if they all had a good night’s rest.

I am still loving it - to do our reading and math together.

I am still loving it - to study our human body and pry into the genes in our family tree.

I am still loving it - to have our lunch whilst watching Magic School Bus and Cat in the Hat.

I am still loving it - to head off to a quiet afternoon of books.

I am still loving it - to do our spontaneous cooking sessions. 

I am still loving it - to pop in and out of legoland as we wish.

I am still loving it - to have the kids play along their street with their friends and neighbours.

I am still loving it - to have our dinner and talk about everyone’s day.

I am still loving it - to have our bedtime reading many books and our ESV bible.

I am still loving it and wondering if it would all have to give way to a new chapter....

God’s Rainbow: A Reminder of His Faithfulness

As we headed for our 3 monthly blood test and check, we were greeted by a full and beautiful rainbow [a full complete semi circle] that left everyone in the car awestruck. My exclamations prompted Sarah to ask: “You never saw this before?” And to that I could only reply, “No”. I have never in my life witness the full glory of a rainbow but now I have, with my beloved family. 

The rainbow is a wonderful reminder of God’s faithfulness and love in my life. 

You would think that by now, I would have gotten used to my 3 monthly checkup. On the contrary, each checkup seems weightier each time. Weightier because I want to be there for Sarah and Samuel as they grow fast and furious, I want to be there when they cackle with delight, when they throw their tantrum and fold their arms, when they hurt with sadness, when they just want a cuddle or snuggle in our beds...I want to be there for Daniel as he fights his battles. And I haven’t even started on the rest of the family whom I love dearly. I can’t deny it, the stakes get higher each time. Everything that everyone takes for granted in their life, I can’t. 

But you know what, I have come to realize that it is all for good. 

As Daniel’s text came in - ca 125 6.3. Tears of gratitude welled up. The opportunity to do the things I love and am made to do is extended yet again. 

What a God! What a rainbow!

5 years and counting

It has been 5 years - Sammy is 5 and I am is 5 + 32. There is so much to be thankful for. 

I am thankful that I have the best husband, the best daughter and the best son:) And probably the same thoughts with many millions of mothers out there. Haha.

On a boating trip on my birthday [I like our family boating shirts]

To our dearest Sammy, 

We love you so very much. You are very precious to us and we want you to know that. Daddy and Mommy laugh at how you have turned out to be a very sentimental guy - one who says "Mommy I love you” all too often [even between brushing his teeth] and one who never fails to remind mommy every night to give you the goodnight kiss that she promised you. Almost everyone who loves you holds a special place in your heart from Grandpa, Grandma, Agong, Ahma, Shu Shu Darrell, Shu Shu David, Duayi, Auntie Chiao Chyi, Uncle Dr Chua and Mrs Chua and your special Aunties [Rubi and Wilnie] We know you love us very much and we love you too. 

You are very blessed because you seem to have many angels watching over your every step, keeping you safe. One of your earthly angel is your jie jie Sarah. As oblivious as you are about your surroundings [though your awareness is improving after much training], you almost always come out unscathed. We thank God for all the angels in your life and for God whose grace and mercy has kept you well thus far.

We look forward to many more years of your little impish antics and your humor and your love for everyone in your life.

Sammy’s Birthday Cake

A post on Sammy’s birthday cake is much easier than a post on Sammy;) So for now, this is Sammy’s 5th birthday cake - Minions from Macs [bought from Silom Bangkok with zero queue hahah] stuffed into an Awfully Chocolate Cake.

The minions look like they are singing a birthday song and 
sinking in quick sand, don’t you think? 

A Beautiful Wedding - Ben and Gail

Us and our ‘dapper’ kids

Kids with parents of the bride

As much as the kids enjoyed the opportunity to walk down the aisle, the party really began after..

Chocolate Mascara

Just for laughs - Sammy’s eye lashes are so long it interferes with his yummy chocolate fondue stick.

Cycling and some stunts

Picture this - A well dressed lady in heels and a sunhat, cycling through the streets of busy Tokyo with one hand on the handle and another holding an umbrella. I am always impressed by this:) The secret - kids in Japan learn how to ride the bicycle at a very early age [by 5 according to Daniel’s colleague in Tokyo]. 

I confess, I didn’t plan to train my kids to cycle to early. But a month ago, I was looking at the children’s bicycles slowly eroding in the corner of our house and that was upsetting. Good bicycles abandoned. So armed with a screw driver, I yanked out all their training wheels and stuffed it in their faces. Go figure!

Interestingly, it wasn’t agile Sarah who picked it up first but fearless Sammy. He confronted the slight slope in our driveway with determination and in less than an hour, he was cycling. Sarah refused to be beaten by her little brother and so she was determined to conquer her fear. So in less than 2 hours, Sarah and Sammy were cycling much to Daddy and Mommy’s amazement. Of course, we knew that the slopes in our driveway had expedited their cycling quest.

Mommy is more delighted that their bicycles are no longer abandoned. Nowadays, the bicycles are the most used equipment around the house these days. And I am happy:)

Photobook - Canada

This is the rest of the 60 book page photo book. Somehow, I enjoyed creating the pages for Canada more...maybe because we explored the Canadian Outdoors more than in Philly.