sTRaNGeRs aT HOmE

2008-08-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

today is Trevor's 16th birthday.
i went to the hospital to visit his dad Jacob.
i prayed a short prayer with Jacob quoting from John 14:1-3

Jacob passed away few hours later - he was 52, same age as my older brother.

yeah!!!

2008-08-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

after many months of waiting we finally got the license for our beagle - welcome home Jack Jr.

NDP 2008

2008-08-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

we celebrated the National Day with games and food at the fellowship hall. it was really fun to watch the NDP on the big screen!

2008-08-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Rosie

after fighting Leukemia for 7 months, went home to be with her Lord and Savior today.

she was a friend that's closer than sister to me.
i miss her very much.

POWERHOUSE+ RECHARGE

2008-07-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

the kids ended the Youth Month celebrations with an extended time of worship ... everyone walked away refreshed and recharged!

POWERHOUSE+30 hour famine (July 18 - 19)

2008-07-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

An overnight fast to remember the children who die of hunger daily - the youth also raised about $1200 for World Vision.

happy birthday!

2008-07-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

my youngest one turned 14 today! His friends came over in the morning and prepared a surprise breakfast for him. The girls also bake him a cake. the day ended with a BBQ by the beach and the Lord held back the rain, it was amazing - hallelujah!

2008-05-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

cupcake decorating class

2008-05-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

happy birthday

2008-05-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

things that made me happy today:

received birthday hugs from my boys at 6am - walked the dog this morning - collected grasses for use in pressed floral art - ate nasi lemak for breakfast - baked two loaves of banana bread - had coffee with a friend - received birthday wishes from my girls - my better half cooked dinner tonite, and had nyonya kuehs for dessert, yeah!!!

homemade waffles

2008-05-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since we have breakfast for dinner and we miss Grandparents Palms!

birthday brunch

2008-05-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

for his 19th birthday, Matt's Godparents brought rice dumplings and pastries, i made quiche and my better half made waffles, topped with homemade grape jelly and honey - it was a great brunch!

PowerHouse outing

2008-04-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

a beagle showed up at my door!!!

2008-04-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

American Idol - Shout to the Lord

2008-04-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

i have always liked trees

2008-04-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

As long as I can remember I spent a lot of time up in trees when I was young.
I grew up in a house surrounded by many easy to climb trees,
You could always find me up in one of them.
High up in the tree, it was my hiding place, my refuge,
away from everyone and the troubled world below.
It was my way of escape.

"Jesus and Gravity" - Dolly Parton

2008-04-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

CG dinner @ Swenson

2008-03-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

lucky charm

2008-03-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

having been gone for six weeks my better half returned with two luggages full of goodies and among them was my favorite cereal...
the boys have their beef jerky, taco seasoning, and mac & cheese.
while chewing on the beef jerky my 18 year old said with his eyes closed: " Ah, felt like i'm in the States again."

Lifehouse everything skit

2008-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Camp Echo

2008-01-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

green power

2008-01-15T23:39:00.001-08:00

i thought there will be no place for plants having moved into the apartment but we ended up adopting plants when friends moving to China and London... and our neighbors were admiring our over night wonders.
we are into rescuing dying plants that the residents throw away and nurture them back to shape - we are all about going green, yeah!

inter CG games

2008-01-12T03:57:00.000-08:00

well done!

2008-01-06T06:21:00.000-08:00

having been gone for eight years, my sixteen year old completed his first year of school here with a scholarship award - we are very proud of him!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-30T06:02:00.000-08:00

last year we welcomed the new year with the young adults at Paterson Tower which was demolished few months ago.... tonight we had a full house! Hannah's turkey turned out beautifully and everyone had a great time!

Christmas gathering

2007-12-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

a great way to celebrate Christmas was having a meal with some old friends - there were eight families gathered at the Gohs' new home with plenty of food, fun and fellowship.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Day last year we found ourselves wandering the streets. Everything seemed foreign to us despite the beautiful light up along the main road in the heart of the city.

The boys lamented, “No snow.” “Not Cold.” “Don’t feel like Christmas at all.”

We felt a sense of “loss”, as would anyone in the midst of transition. Whatever we used to do on Christmas Day is all in the past, and the people we’ve come to know and love were all so far away. One thing we know for sure is that we need to start a new family tradition on Christmas Day!

But the true meaning of Christmas will not change despite how displaced we felt that day. The Good News of “A Savior is born” in Luke 2:10 – 12 still brings hope to many who are in despair of life.

We were greatly encouraged by the joint effort of many churches here retelling the Christmas story to the crowd that flocked to see the light up; amongst them were the foreign workers in Singapore.

Are you aware that for every four people living in Singapore today one is a foreigner?

Ginger

2007-12-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

this cat showed up on our doorstep when we first moved in to our new apartment.
she was gone during the renovation of the place.
we often spotted her at the foot of the nearby blocks and obviously someone must be feeding her.
i'm a cat person but my better half is allergic to cats - so i was delighted that Ginger make herself at home on the broken chair outside our apartment these days.

gone fishing

2007-11-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

my better half booked a chalet near the beach just to get away and fish with the boys. it was great to look out of the window in the morning and be greeted by the lush green trees! i'm a beach person too so it worked out well that the boys like fishing!

game night

2007-11-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

it's Friday night, the young adult group gathered at our place for food and fun.
my eighteen year old came back from camp earlier than usual, and he brought his army buddy along.
we had spaghetti and salad for dinner and my thirteen year old bake a batch of chocolate chips cookies for dessert - it was yummy!

summary of the month - October

2007-10-31T02:53:00.000-07:00

the highlight of the month was my nephew's wedding -
i used to babysit him when he was little, how time flies!
i was not around for the past three weddings in the family so it was nice to be home.
i just love being with my sisters, and this time round all seven of them were present - and the last time i saw my Sixth sister was 18 years ago!

sweet "chocolaty" sixteen

2007-10-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

we went to Changi Village for a very local birthday lunch - the birthday boy ordered his all time favorites chicken rice and bandung and the rest of us have our usual too : carrot cake and wanton mee with extra fried wantons. i baked the deep dark chocolate cake again as it seems like a foolproof recipe and it turned out perfectly!

in memory of george w bushytail

2007-09-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

2007-09-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

2007-09-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

three no and a yes

2007-09-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

my eighteen year old completed his Army Corporal course and is now attending a 3 month course to be certified as an Army Fitness Specialist. His desire is to be a Physical Training Instructor (PTI). He was inspired by his PTI during his first nine weeks in the boot camp. It was very encouraging to hear him shared how the Lord made the way for him to get into this course.

First, he found out that his name was not on the list.
Then he found out that there was a swimming proficiency test for those who are interested in the course. He needed permission from his Platoon Commander and it was a "No." But the training ended early that day and he made it in time for the test! He had an interview after that but was told he has little chance to get into the course.

(He came home rather dejected, and told me it will take a miracle to get in.)

Guess WHO was on his side?! Yes, and he was the only one from his platoon to get into the course. He was one of only four from his company of 200 attending this course.

but by the grace of God!

carefree children

2007-09-09T18:53:00.001-07:00

i wonder how it is like growing up on an island?

back from Tioman

2007-09-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

and here's a few of my favorite pictures!

birthday & reunion

2007-08-15T01:57:00.000-07:00

we filled up two tables for the occasion - it was the first time we had two people sharing the same birth date - a reunion with a group of friends from the early '90s.

there were a lot of laughter from the other table as our children, now teenagers interacted with each other.

we have certainly come a long way since our kids were toddlers in the playgroup!
i suppose this is part of the legacy that we want to pass on to the next generation, keeping the ties that bind us together as family and old friends.

to top it off, we had D24 durians for dinner with the Gohs, friends who are closer than brothers.

national day parade 07

2007-08-09T08:31:00.001-07:00

happy birthday Singapore! watching NDP is like a family tradition - here are some of my favorite pictures.

another get away

2007-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

we took the boys out of school and spent almost a week in northern Thailand - we stayed at a somewhat remote but tranquil resort.
the boys had a wonderful time with other kids just like themselves, finding common ground beyond boarders and nationalities.

summary of the month - July 2007

2007-07-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

a special month because Mom, and my nephews & niece from London were here for couple of weeks...beside computer games, they were very much into rubik's cube too - the teenage bonding tool in today's world i guess.

food fusion

2007-07-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

for racial harmony week, the school had a food fusion competition and we were there to taste/judge the yummy dishes created by these future chefs!

2007-07-09T02:20:00.000-07:00

my thirteen year old had a few friends over for his birthday - i made a simple cake with mango topping and they all liked it. "It's nice and warm!" One commented, "how do you make it?" I supposed having a homemade birthday cake is a novelty in this fast pace society!

summary of the month - June

2007-06-25T02:57:00.001-07:00

a rather busy month with a few visitor coming through and Le-Lah for one, all the way from SC.
she took some really nice pictures but i'll post a few she thought that were unique to this sunny island.
school reopen today and my 18 years old left home at six in the morning to report to his new posting.
we had a busy but quiet holiday.

BMT graduation parade

2007-06-12T07:30:00.001-07:00

how time flies!

he's back with atleast

2007-05-19T00:05:00.001-07:00

three loads of dirty muddy laundry, and for
two night my eighteen year old gets to sleep on his own bed.
one very grateful mother to have him back safe and sound!

for Mom & Sis

2007-05-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

oh the places i've been - 2

2007-05-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

i was up in a tower over looking the city and Luke 19:41 came to mind:
"And as He approached, He saw the city and He wept over it"

oh the places i've been - 1

2007-05-08T06:55:00.001-07:00

and you may never guess that in a big city there were quiet places like these...

home at last!

2007-05-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

now that i'm done with my travelling for the year(er, not quite yet), thought i should post the pictures of the food first -
breakfast was sweet rice w/fresh mango and coconut milk, and other yummy stuff.
lunch was beef (sweet and more like jerky) and beef soup etc...dinner was the best tho, seafood kwei tio -flat rice noodle.

happy 18th birthday

2007-05-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

dearest S.E.,
It has been such a pleasure to be your mother.
I remembered vividly the day you were born, and aptly on the Labor Day!
Most of all was that God was there even though the Gynecologist was not present.
His grace and mercy was evidence as a purple but healthy baby was delivered.

My evening devotion on that day was Ezekiel 48:35, Jehovah-shammah (The Lord is there) - What a wonderful Name and such a comforting promise! Thus your name means singing/praising God’s grace, for indeed you were God’s gift to us.

I cherish all the “first times” in your life, and I have fond memories of your early childhood. We spent many hours making all sort of things from play dough.

From an early age you like to tinkle on the toy piano or strumming on the plastic guitar. In recent years, it was always pleasurable for me to listen to whatever instruments you played. Your talents and gifts reflect God’s creativity and generosity.

I have always been proud of you as there were many occasions when you were recognized publicly. But I was proud of you too even when no one noticed the simple acts of kindness you showed ever so readily.

I still remembered when we were walking down the street in Vladivostok, the South Eastern seaport of Russia. There were old men sleeping at the bottom of the steps, under the bridge and at the side of the road. You were asking a lot of questions about them and you wondered why no one cared for them. You were only three then. Your compassionate heart shined through in many instances over the years; be it for the less fortunate or for the fawn that was ran over by a car.

My son, may your heart never grow cold or harden for those around you; for our God is compassionate, slow to anger and quick to show mercy. (Psalms 86:15)

Today marked the first time for me to miss your birthday. It is my prayer that you will remember that Jehovah-shammah is also known as Jehovah-jireh (God will provide); Jehovah-Rohi (The Lord is my Shepherd) and El Shaddai (God Almighty). May God reveal himself through his names to you as you grow into your own man.

love, mama

2007-04-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

8pm, many parents/family members gathered around the bus stop trying to spot their loved one.
one bus after another, the young boys that were sent off little more then two weeks ago got off the bus one by one; each seemed so tall and strong in the number four uniform.
my eighteen year old were greeted by his two brothers enthustically :
"Wow, you've grown taller!"
"Let me look at your muscle."
"Cool dog tags!!!"
so many questions to ask, and many more stories to tell; i'm glad he's home for the long weekend!

2007-04-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

in the heart of my heart
selfishly i want my mom to live forever

a trial run

2007-04-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

i caught a night flight to KL, an unplaned trip though.
this being my first time arriving at KLIA,
i was going around trying to find my way to the arrival hall.
no one told me that i have to take a train to get there.
i suppose i'm so used to travel with my other half and my boys and i'm lost without them!

hope i'll do better in my trip at the end of the month with multiple airports to consider .

this afternoon

2007-04-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

together with other parents and their sons,
we set out to the off shore Island - where for the past 40 years,
this place has been the rite of passage for "Singapore's Sons".

we had a tour of the facilities,
and were assured that our sons would be safe.
i fought back my tears when they took the Oath of Allegiance.
i was so proud of them all.

we dined quite differently this evening at the mess hall,
just a sample of the food our sons will be having for the next 9 weeks.
it's no surprise that theirs will be a high carb diet,
this is Boot Camp, BonAppetit!

drafted

2007-04-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

I gave birth to you, a tiny baby,
a bundle of joy
You were mine for a while
As God had made it clear that you belong to Him

While I was caring for your new born brother
You were busy copying the ABC
From the newspapers sprawled on the floor
You were not even four

As any new parents,
with you I made the most mistakes
It’s only by the grace of God you are who you are today.
And now, my first born, my eighteen year old
Is he ready to be his own man?

i guess he is, now that he is going to serve his country for the next two years.

come away with me...Batam april 6-7

2007-04-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

the alluring sea

the mesmerizing sunset

the idyllic island

a quiet moment

and who can resist the sumptuous temptations of black forest cake?

today's dessert

2007-04-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

rainbow blondies with ice cream.
yersterday's special was Campbell's tasty 2-step chicken,
it's one of their all time favotite.

ahh, my boys are so easy to please!

2007-04-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

a few more days he will be out of the house, out of my comfort zone,
a test of faith as much as is for him and for me;
"oh our little boys, how quickly they grow up!"
i suppose that's every mother's lament when her first child leave the nest.

counting down

2007-04-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

we had an early birthday celebration for my seventeen year old, almost a month ahead of his eighteen birthday. i tried a new recipe this time, the deep dark chocolate cake, and topped with generous dose of powered sugar. it was a real hit!

random pictures of the month - March

2007-03-31T01:45:00.000-07:00

we were invited for dinner and on the table among all the dishes was this plate of stuffed red chilies, it was yummy.
i was craving for buffalo wings and you can't get it here readily - my first attempt was pretty good if i may say so myself, and i miss Louisiana sauce!

felt very out of place at a recent wedding banquet, i was intimidated because i have to dress up for the posh hotel and mixed with people am not really familiar with. i wonder will i ever get comfortable in such occasion and place?

2007-03-15T01:46:00.000-07:00

we were out since morning, and it was a long day; so on our way home, my 12 year old and i gave each other the "are you thinking what i'm thinking" look and headed for McDonald. we ordered the big fries and asked for the garlic chili sauce.
we took a leisurely walk home while enjoying every bit of the fries. i hope you too take time to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.

food for thought

2007-03-09T01:49:00.000-08:00

i was at school early and was in for a shock!
it turned out that they had public canning today at the assembly.
their first in this term, today being the last day of the term.
two boys were up there, one received two strokes for smoking in school;
the other received three strokes because he was caught messing around with the toilet papers in the restroom.

spare the rod and spoil the child?

my sisters

2007-03-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

an afternoon phone call informing me that they will be on the mid-night train heading South,
my sisters arrived 8 hrs later with armfuls of new year goodies.
they brought kueh bangkit, savoury rice crispies, and my favorite childhood snacks.
i suppose in their eyes, i will always be their little sister!

my sisters, all seven of them are nurturing mothers, creative and resourceful, women of strength and character; Mom ought to be proud!

summary of the month - Feb

2007-02-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

a very healthy new year lunch at the Wans - make your own popiah.
i have yet to settle into a routine but certainly love the daily visit of these macaw in the morning.
finally, all the boxes are cleared - welcome to our home!

happy chinese new year

2007-02-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

it's our first Lunar New Year at home but we are so out of it!
we were trying to get the house ready by the eve,
but grandpa ended up in the hospital prior to that...
he's alright but will spend atleast a week there.
we were really not into any celebration, just eat popcorn and watch TV.
guess what, we popped the corn the old fashioned way and it has never tested this good!

through her lens

2007-02-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

my nieces were here, they took some rather impressive pictures during their short visit.

summary of the month - Jan

2007-02-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

at long last the younger two started school after being at home for 7 months!
and yes, we moved into our new apartment, lived through all the noise, dust and mess while the construction of the kitchen and bathrooms were going on...

the highlight of the month was when the Kanekos flew in for a short visit.

and the aparments in the neighborhood has a face lift too; these days i've been unpacking all the boxes and feel like i'm home at last!

summary of the month - Dec 06

2007-02-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

the highlight of the month was the 5 days 4 nights Youth Camp, it was a privilege to get a glimpse into the hearts of these precious bunch.
the young people also put up a wonderful Christmas Musical on Christmas eve, retelling the birth of Christ.

we ended the year at Paterson with a feast on the eve of the new year's eve,
and we had a rather big turkey too!

snap shots

2007-01-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

beautiful Heather and her boys, and many more of my favorite pictures

Lukas, "Read to me!"
and thumbs up for cookies & milk

boys will be boys

2007-01-25T22:27:00.000-08:00

Lukas took this picture,
and kai took this one.

long time no see

2007-01-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

but a box of legos reconnected the boys and rekindle old ties.
yes, the Kanekos arrived with their four beautiful boys,
and we sure glad to have them!

new home and new neighborhood

2006-12-21T22:24:00.000-08:00

we've been busy this week, cleaning up the apartment so we can move in next week.
can you imaging we live right next to a real river, a muddy river but with all the natural habitat.
a ten minutes walk right around the bend is the pony ride, and a great park where my boys used to bike around when they were little.
best of all the beach is just another few minutes walk away!!!

beautiful feet

2006-12-07T22:23:00.000-08:00

talk about good bye, i often wonder what's the good part?
jc said something like this:
we learn about God's heart,
and taste a little of His pain of our seperation from Him.
that was certainly a view from above!
so no goodbye but "see you later".

a tropical thanksgiving

2006-11-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

no turkey and stuffing but it was a great feast, and the best mashed potatoes i have had all these years!

the grand old lady

2006-11-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

was in town recently and we made a trip down the memory lane - we had a wonderful time!

2006-11-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

so - we missed the SC statefair, HillSong and Casting Crowns...but we had fried oreos!!!
thanks to Ruthie for the recipe - it was sweet and comforting.

2006-10-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

"Hi, Mom."
my seventeen year old walked into the house, dropped his backpack on the floor and sat in front of the piano began playing.
for one who learn to play by ear, he never cease to amaze me!

later that evening as i walked pass his room he called out, "Mom, listen to this," with pocket pc on one hand, he handed me the other half of the ear phone.
"One of my favorites." he said. " Soundtrack from Anime Kenshin."
(not the one that he had been playing all afternoon)

for a brief moment, mother and son sat by the edge of the bed,
lost in the beauty of "Her most beautiful smile".

2006-10-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

it rained today, the long awaited rain!
it has been so hazy the last few weeks -
as we looked out the window, everything was kind of blurry.

that was kind of like our situation since our return:
we still have no idea which schools the younger boys will be attending, and my seventeen year old received news that his studies has to give way to military service by next July.....and all the whys, wheres and hows.
but the sun is still shining in the skies - God is in control, He is faithful and Good.

Jeremiah 32:27 "I am the LORD. The God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"

happy 15th birthday

2006-10-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

it's nice to have friends over on your birthday!
they had a lot of fun with the electronic Taboo and we had a roomful of laughter.
the home-made pizza with spicy anchovy topping was my favorite even tho the tandoori chicken topping was very good.
we got a mixer so i can baked the birthday cake and m&m cookies, we have been craving for cake & cookies for quite a while already!

profile of time - Salvador Dali

2006-10-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

how to sum up the past three months in just a few words?
like my little one said, it was exciting at first:
we, like new comers were excited in getting to know the Garden City anew, moving around at ease with the excellent public transport system, enjoying the greenery, and of course, the enticing food!

but the process of getting the boys into the local schools drove us to the point of exasperation!

my fourteen year old uttered, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
my seventeen year old said, " Excruciatingly *sian!!!"

*Singlish, means boring.

a trial run

2006-10-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

we are having a pizza party for our fourteen year old this Sunday, my little one said,
"This is his golden birthday, turning fifteen on October 15!"
since this is once in the life time thing my better half is going to make a few pizzas with exotic toppings.

the trial run was a yummy success!

2006-10-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

"Mon!"
I called out to a familiar figure rushing past the door as the Sunday service came to an end.
"Hey" She replied, a little startled.
"Can i have a hug?"
I walked up to her and stretched out my arms.
"Oh, sure!"
She put her arms around me and asked, "How are you?"
I blinked back the tears and said, " I miss hugs."

Yes. Hugs. That's what i miss most since moving back to the East.
You don't get any hugs unless you ask -
and you have to know who to ask for when you really need one.

summary of the month - September

2006-09-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

we picked up a bug from our trip to Tioman, and we all have our share of sorethroat, fever and running nose for the past three weeks.

we holed up at home and watched the entire first season of Everwood and played Settlers of Catan.

another hightlight of the month was Thursday dinner with the god sisters - now young ladies in their early twenties.
the three god sisters and the three not so little boys spent a couple hours making sparkling sculptures with the sparklers in an open field.

i bet their laughter can be heard miles away!

good food -

2006-09-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

the key to a great holiday were satisfied stomachs at the end of every day,
especially with six hungry and growing boys.

2006-09-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

whatever happened to Nemo and Squirt?

this monkey entertained us in the sleepy afternoons, "catch me if you can"was his game; while Ali climbed from one tree to another -making monkey out of him!

this was just one of the many monitor lizard living in the compound, great swimmer too.

2006-09-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

good fishing day for my better half and we certainly enjoyed the catch of the day!

2006-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

when i said no to his request about taking the kittens home,
my little one said, "When i grow up, i will come back here and adopt all of them."

2006-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

no no, not our new pets, these were the four kittens the boys doted on while we were on the island - my fourteen year old said,
"They are just too cute!"

4 days 3 nights

2006-09-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

2 families, 6 boys, 9 hours trip (taxi, buses and speed boat) ...we arrived at a remote part of Tioman Island....and we had a great time just doing nothing important.

yummy!!!

2006-09-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

recently a few families from the mothers support group (and the play group) that was formed 15 years ago came together for a 10 course dinner - the toddlers of yesteryear are now well adjusted teenagers...there was a lot of laughter after the initial akwardness, but the food was great in the company of old friends.

orchid galore

2006-09-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

both of my sisters are orchid lovers, so during their short visit here we took a stroll in the National Orchid Garden - we were mesmerised by the 2000 hybrids and over 1000 species found in the Garden's collection - the largest display of orchids in the world!

a great feast!!

2006-08-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

a dear friend called up and said that she had ordered some durians for my better half to celebrate his bithday.
to our surprise she sent along a Durian Connoisseur!
Uncle Sunny sat us down and explained to us the four types of durian he brought:
here on the right you can see Uncle Sunny opened the "golden phoenix", bitter sweet with drier texture.

then he introduced us to "tekka" - the bitter type, rich and creamy, it was very good!

after that, the "merah" which was also very bitter, creamy and buttery, it was my favorite! (on the right was golden phoenix)
he said he saved the best for last, "kunyit" with a rich yellow flesh, was more sweet then bitter.
what a way to make a perfect birthday bash!

NDP 2006

2006-08-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

our island home celebrated her 41st birthday!
we watched the National Day Parade at home and managed to spot the fireworks from our window.
it's full moon tonight and i took over 100 pictures, i think i'm moon-struck!

summary of the month - August

2006-08-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

August was a very busy month with many visitors from near and far -
Jemmi was the youngest guest and she stole our hearts from day one!
our visitors came through from the first week of August and right up to the last day of the month;
and in between we also made two trips up north to visit Mom and family.

the boys are still hanging around because we haven't settle their schooling yet,
most likely they will start school in Jan 2007 -
seems like we are having an extended summer holiday!

confession

2006-08-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

just before we made the trans-Atlantic move, the first thought that came to mind was: how can we find a place that's big enough to house us all (with affordable rental),
and allow us to rent only for six months?
we shaked our head and said, "No way!"
but God thought other wise.
the apartment that we live measured 2700 sq ft, with a price tag of more than S$1,ooo per sq ft...and rent free for six months!!!

"...O you of little faith" Matthew 6:30

my sisters' garden

2006-08-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

mmm...durian

2006-08-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

we made a short trip to my home town and my sisters spoiled us with the best durian ever!!!
my boys absolutely enjoyed the bitter variety - just like me.
it's good to be home.

new neighbor

2006-08-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

when we first got the key to check out this place, our new neighbor was having a garage sale!
so for S$160 we got our selves a sofa bed, a single bed with pull out drawers, a swifver recliner with foot rest, a solid table, a computer table, a pine wood dresser drawer, a solid cupboard, a bookselves, and a display unit.
after our purchased, my little one was asked to dog sit for her for a few days because she has to go house hunting in the neighboring country.
being entrusted with such responsiblity, and with the house key in his hand, my little one felt very grown up!

(we certainly miss our beloved Jack!)