3+1=4

the past year marks many milestones for lil' luke.
from being weaned off from breastfeeding, to sleeping through the night (which is a total breakthrough!), to being toilet trained, finishing his meal by himself... accomplishments like these marks the beginning of his independence which then translates to mommy & daddy having more free time at hand.

i was told your baby's first 2 years can be difficult but after that, things get much easier and i'm glad to say it did. throughout the course of the year, i've been able to pursue my hobbies again like crafting, enrolling for dance classes, and going out a little bit later without having to worry i have to be back in time for his next milk feed!!

just as we were basking in newfound freedom & getting into our comfort zone, we decided it's time to grow the family... and you kinda get the hint it's about time when your lil one keeps saying, "... but nobody play with me wor..)

have i forgotten the intense & traumatic birth experience/operation?... the state of being sleep-deprived for 26 months because baby wakes up every 2 hours throughout the night?
(i have tried almost every conceivable method to get him to sleep through the night.. at one point, i almost resorted to bringing him to see a sleep therapist!)
And, those days when you've fallen ill... you can hardly get out of bed but baby still needs your attention & milk?!

then of course, there's the ever looming thought about finances, we work hard but would we have enough to provide for them, to give them the best we can?
the cost of gynae visits, the delivery, confinement, to basic necessities eg diapers, milk etc and not forgetting the cost of good education.
... and with inflation and the rise in the cost of living, things sometimes can look bleak.

... plus, the lifetime commitment & sacrifice which never ends until you say your final goodbye...

so, what were we THINKING??
what makes a person trade his/her carefree sling bags for diaper bags? 
comfy blissful nights for panda eyes?
evenings of live jazz music for opera wails & cries?


despite the long list of hodrum above...
the thrill when he takes his first steps,
the delight when he utters his first "I Love You" and gives you a big HUG,
the pride when you see him doing a kind deed for someone,
the excitement of seeing them grow up day by day, their giggles, antics & chatters etc...
... rewards we reap as parents which no amount of money can buy.

what about the issue on finances? 
we hold onto God's wonderful promises... that indeed the God who watches over them right from the beginning when they are woven together in the womb to the day they come into the world, He has them in the palm of His hands!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29.11


Children are a heritage from the Lord - Psalm 127:3


we're glad to welcome our new little babe... still nestling cozy in the womb... we thank God for another precious gift from above =)

Brown paper packages tied up with strings...

... one of my all-time favorite line from the song, My Favorite Things from the movie, The Sound of Music...
well.. this isn't exactly a brown package tied up with strings but without a doubt... a package filled with oodles of love & thoughts!

amidst the frustrating & draining morning sickness (ahem to be more exact... morning, afternoon, evening, night sickness) the last 2 weeks (which felt like 2 months!), hubby brought back this lovely package from my sis one blue night.

contents in the brown paper bag:
a pack of Lay's potato chips
a tube of sour cream chips
a bottle of kampai non alcoholic lemon sparkling juice
a tube of fruit flavored gummies (no coloring & preservatives) - by the time i had the energy to take a pic, it was 3/4 gone =p
.... plus a lovely handwritten note to remind me to "hang in there... that this will all soon pass..."

all "feel-good" stuff for a pukey mom!
the contents of course didn't last very long... but the kind thought & lovely gesture would be something i'll remember fondly for a LONG, LONG time..

small PEOPLE, BIG dreams...

i have a list of my favorite blogs that i visit daily for inspirations and it just dawned on me they all share one thing in common. i'm not drawn to these blogs merely because of its artistic creativity but because:

~ they are genuine, real, honest people who write about their passions & works from their hearts..
~ simple everyday people who lead ordinary lives, who has BIG dreams but doesn't paint a picture perfect persona...
~ people who strives to see the good things in life when things are not so rosy and sunshine.

my hope today for babylicious' blog is no different.
babylicious started off as a blogshop offering beautiful infant & kids wear & delightful gift packaging to go along with it. i have had incredible fun doing this.

as it went along, i developed a love for penning and sharing my dreams, ideas and thoughts and it soon became an outlet for me to fan my creativity.

so you'll probably would have realized by now the blogshop has been stagnant for some time now.
i'm not going to entirely close the blogshop but rather than getting in generic stuffs to sell, i have dreams of making my own stuff... ie cute little kids' canvases which you could make using

felt iron-on's...

(which i would definitely include a DIY but if you don't have the time to do so, you can just opt to buy it off my shelf =p) and also one-off things that are hard to come by which i would like to share with you...

and of course, future postings would include:
~ more DIYs; easy-to-do ones i promise (because moms just don't have the time & energy to run tru difficult DIY tutorials),
~ more PARTY IDEAS (inexpensive practical ideas that would equally be as much fun),
and to malaysian moms & readers... to hopefully provide you with
~ more LOCAL CONTENT ie one of my biggest challenge now is to find pretty party tools & wares which are affordable which we can get locally so that YOU can incorporate them into your kids parties.

american & australian kids publications/websites/blogs have fabulous content, amazing sources and incredible photography that makes you go goo goo gaga every time you view their pages.
but how often can you find those items here on our shores?
tools that may be inexpensive abroad are unfortunately items you can't easily obtained here and even if you did, it would be in some specialty store which inadvertently cost you a bomb... take for example these

little ducky baking cups from Wilton which costs me RM10... 

... but they came in such a cute color combo i had to get it... who knows perhaps i could bake some nice choc chip cupcakes and placed them in these adorable liners for a special friend's baby shower ;)

ok ok.. back to where i was... basically, i like this blog to feature more local content, a sources' guide to where you can get things here, inspiring ideas and periodically, my personal discoveries and experiences as i take on life in my many roles.

so to start the ball rolling, if there are any particular topics or ideas you would like to see featured, do drop me a comment below or write to me at babylicious.info@gmail.com.

My form of THERAPY

Some wish for new gadgets, others dream of splurging on a shopping spree.
Some pamper themselves with a luxurious spa session while others pack their bags for a deserving holiday.

Me?? i chose to take a day off from work and indulged in some...

baking...

and more baking...

crafting...

plus a good read ...

a chance to set aside time to do the things i love... well, that to me... is very much MY form of self-pampering.

What's yours? 

A sweet HELLO from the MAILBOX

more often than not, my mailbox greets me with nothing more than bills and bank statements... so u can imagine my utter EXCITEMENT when i received a message from a friend (whom i had the privilege to know but have never met) that something awaits me in my mailbox. it has yet to arrive but am eagerly anticipating it!

there's something about receiving a personal letter or card via snail mail.
it makes my heart skip a beat... it gives my day a fresh sunny start... it tells me that someone took the extra effort to send you a special greeting...

this got me rummaging through my treasure chest of cards - both store-bought and handmade ones i received over the years - some for special occasions and some for no special reasons at all ;).. all of which contained lovely personal messages from dear friends and loved ones...

back in school days, giving cards were quite the norm and we never really tire of it. perhaps with our allowances then, we could only afford simple gifts but a handwritten card would have simply made my day! i've never discarded any one of them as each holds a special memory, which explains my need of a bigger treasure box to store all of them =)

so my resolution for the coming year.. to take that wee bit of extra effort to send someone a card BY MAIL on their special day!

Our baby turns 3!

i can still vividly recall bringing our newborn home from the hospital.. snuggled tightly, holding this fragile bundle of joy in my arms... and in the months thereafter...the host of emotions... the steep learning curve as a first time parent, the nursing in the wee hours of the night, the first steps, his first words, his funny antics, and not forgetting the extreme exhaustion from the lack of sleep for the first 20 plus months!

i look back and i think, by God's grace, we've come a long way.
our little baby is now 3!

the past weeks has been a plethora of non stop work, events & activities...
a while ago, i blogged about not being able to decide between hosting a little picnic party at the park or calling a few of his buddies for a play gym session.
my sane mind would have opted for something which required less work & preparation as it has been a long and stressful month for me but looked like insanity kicked in and a party at the park @ 9am was decided!

our weather this side of the globe can be pretty unpredictable. instead of stressing about the weather condition, i just decided if it showers in the morning, so be it... we'll just have it indoors, at our home ;)

at 5:30 in the morning, i heard droplets of water hitting on the window pane.. oops! ok we'll just go with plan B then... my eyes were hardly opened at this hour... and here i was at the kitchen boiling hard boiled eggs to make sandwiches, cooking cocktail sausages, cutting the sandwiches into duck shapes, arranging the furniture, organizing the favors etc. Thank goodness for godma who contributed the pasta and gravy for the sausages...

lil' favors with crayon scribbled names and the mini jPops!

at 9:00am, everything was prepared and we were just waiting for our little guests to arrive... there was still a light drizzle but the weather was cool and there was a little hint of sunshine. we just couldn't afford to let this go, could we?? so there we were again... found ourselves carrying the whole works down 3 flights of stairs, down to our backyard playground under the wooden gazebo.

with my dear cousin & aunt and my poofed face... and here my mr happily 

playing along in the whole whirlwind madness

am glad we did just that cos the kids utterly enjoyed themselves at the park.. and hopefully the adults too ;) there weren't balloons or clowns to entertain the little ones but you could see from their faces they were having a ball of a time, just by being close to nature... of course, having unlimited free rides in a roller coaster wagon sure contributes to the fun!

After the flurry of activities, cleaning up, opening the pressies, the birthday boy fast asleep... the mr & i wondered if luke enjoyed himself... well.. he woke up and gave mommy a big hug and said, "thank you mommy for the party, thank you for calling my friends, thank you for the park".... i haven't been this poofed for some time now... i felt like i just finished a marathon and badly in need of a foot spa + body + head massage + a good slumber but after hearing those few little sentences that came straight from his heart... it guess it was all worth it!

an alternative to a conventional birthday cake, we got 3 boxes of jCo mini donuts, stuck with a 

combo of animal sticks + 24 candles for the all the kids to blow...

My only greatest regret... i was way too tired to take shots of the little stuffs that made up the party and a group photo but thankfully we got one or 2 decent pics to remember the occasion ;)

Picnic

Picnic-ing in a quaint French countryside... shady trees, lovely afternoon, cool breeze, warm chatter, homemade snacks, cool summer treats.... (courtesy of dollops of enid blyton storybooks and travel & living programs on tv ;)

well, finding myself at a French countryside is well, many dreams away... so a picnic at our local park is the next best thing!

so there we were... made last minute plans with the family to Kiara Park.

 

grateful for clear blue skies... good weather... fresh air... nature... monkeys... ;)

as you would know by now... i am a true believer that a little goes a long way... in this case, simple efforts that would make even an ordinary picnic look delightful. some may think it's not worth the trouble but i find delight in pretty things. so here are some ideas.

beverages chilled in individual enamel buckets with ice (buckets from daiso)

Wrap hot dogs individually in parchment paper to give it that extra diner touch. because it was such a last minute plan, i couldn't get my hands on jumbo sausages and parchment paper but hope you get the idea ;) bought heinz sweet relish & honey mustard @ carrefour but u can easily find them at any grocer. sure makes your hotdog absolutely yummy (even if it doesn't look that way here in the picture. lol!)

what's a malaysian picnic without packs of nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf?

arrange them randomly in a nice basket (purchased @ ssf)

Wooden cutlery (daiso) wrapped with pretty paper napkins (mydin) & knot it with a twine

There's a 101 things you could still do to spice up your setting, give it a little rustic feel... wooden crates, lantern & candles (if it's an evening do), a vintage table cloth...

... and some fresh flowers to prep up the picnic table {wink}

Hope you'll be inspired with some of this ideas and have a go at it at your next picnic.

The school holidays is just round the corner. Time to get your picnic basket out, pack some goodies and head off to the park! 

Thanks for the ADVENTURE. Happy 6th Anniversary!

it was an ordinary morning... i woke up with an idea to do something a little different for our coming wedding anniversary. instead of a spending an evening over nice dinner, i had this crazy idea up my sleeve.

i'm not one who likes to be on camera but i love having pictures taken with the family, my colleagues, buddies... it helps me to remember happy days, happy moments long after they've passed.

i was drawn to this gown the moment it arrived at the studio early this year. i could never have an excuse to wear the gown .... it just never dawn on me but i just realized i could just wear it for fun and get my hubby to play along with our young mr and do some fun shots to commemorate our anniversary!
it'll be funny too to see how i can try fitting into one after a pregnancy ;) and it's high time we got our family pics done.

there was a slot available the following day and i took it {thanks boss!}.. with less than 24 hrs to prepare. ;p
i didn't even have a proper heels to match the gown so i just wore my regular pair. lol!

...and i wasn't sure i could fit into the gown! ...a few tucks & pull here & there... {phew} thankfully it fitted!

had a few simple ideas for props...
i was inspired by the movie UP, esp ellie & carl's love story... hence the balloons.



picked out 5 the morning before heading to the studio.
yellow, hot pink, & orange ...bright cheerful colors that makes me all smiles =)

if i had extra cash, i would have surely bought a whole bundle but helium balloons costs!

i was looking for a portable blackboard but couldn't find any so i wrote fun messages with crayons on black cardstocks instead.

the lil' master was game for it and it certainly showed when he was rewarded by the che che's!

the session got crazy when the "family" aka crew aka buddies came into the picture.
they made the whole session so entertaining i soon forgot about the awkwardness of having the camera in front of me ;)

so back to us....in the words of ellie...
thanks darling for the adventure! happy 6th anniversary!

heartfelt thanks to everyone @ covershots for a fantastic afternoon!

ps: the photos were unedited. forgot how to use photoshop.. a little rusty... so pls bear with it till i have extra time on hand to figure it out.

My Vice...

With a million and one things to pay and save for, I hardly spend my pay cheque on myself.
But once a while, i splurge on these... my only vice... uhm.. apart from my craft gadgets ;)

They contain pages after pages of inspiration and ideas ... you'll be on cloud 9!
eg crafts, stuff you can do with your kids (some practical and others not so unless you have an angel with a perpetual halo for a kid) ;) but i enjoy the colors and layout of the magazine, it sends me to a frenzy!

From Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, i "graduated" to Martha Stewart Kids & Babies.
Unfortunately i can't get them here on our shores (also because they've seized publication some time back) so i go into ebay and bid for them. Postage is crazy so i try to get some kind soul to bring it back for me. Thank you ladies ;)

Early this year, i came across Donna Hay's special issues of kids magazine.
Major bookstores here in KL doesn't carry them and the new issue was out last month in Australia!

Any kind soul coming back from Down Under soon??

God sends ANGELS our way...

Over the past week, i've experienced the joy and blessing of angels.

While i was down and out from a bad cold & cough, totally lost all my tastebuds in the process, an angel packed home made soup, exactly like how my mom makes it, real comfort food for a weary patient ;) ...ended up finishing 2 large bowls of soup. slurp!

I have a sweet tooth and a love for pretty packaging. It's nice to know when an angel went out shopping, she had you in mind, comes home with a lovely bottle of handmade sweets reserved for you =)

When you go through a trying time, angels who readily stand & support you with loads of encouragement and prayers.

God has a wonderful way of sending angels our way... in the form of FRIENDS who "appear" just when you need a "pick-me-up" or simply to bring a SMILE to your DAY! 

Thank you Lord for such angels ;)

Terrible Two's?

When i first heard of this term, i was quite fascinated.
Wikipedia describes it as a child developmental stage which normally occurs around the age of two to three and consists of toddlers often saying no and throwing temper tantrums.

Now that my little one is two, coming to three, i'm no longer fascinated with the term, perplexed is more like it.

It takes loads, and i means TONNES of patience and love to nurture AND discipline a child, to bring him up in the way he should go.
I do not like raising my voice or disciplining in public but that doesn't mean i don't reprimand or discipline.
I believe in the phrase, "spare the rod & spoil the child" but only if i do it out of love and not out of anger.
I resort to the rod only to teach luke that bad behavior does results in punishment and for him to learn even at a tender age, that our actions does bring about consequences.

Some say i'm too soft. Others say i'm just taking it too seriously, saying they'll just grow out of it.

There are many books on the shelves on topics on disciplining a child. Different school of thoughts, various techniques but i come to understand that with scouring knowledge on this topic, i seriously need to invest the same amount in prayer, if not more.

I simply can't do it on my own... i may have all the best intentions and knowledge BUT without prayer and wisdom, all my efforts are in vain.

Lately, i've been using a different approach.
Instead of raising my voice or threatening him eg "if you play with the tap again and get yourself wet, you'll get the cane", i make him look me in the eye and speak with a stern voice and take time to explain that if he continues to disobey, punishment awaits him and somehow when he seriously looks me in the eye, you kinda see that he knows mommy is not playing a fool (or perhaps he's mighty afraid that if he looks any longer, mommy's eyes will pop out from the socket!!)


It's not merely providing them with the basics or education but it's our desire to instill godly values to our little ones but if we can't even tackle the fundamentals, how do we even dare hope for bigger things for our precious children?

Even when Luke was in my womb, we've begun praying that he'll grow up to be a man after God's heart, being a blessing to the the people around him ... apart from all the other virtues.

But honestly sometimes when we look at the present, we seriously think we've got a LONG, LONG way to go.

There are days when i think i'm seriously not cut out to be a mom!

Meanwhile....Daddy's been wonderful... while i was recuperating from the bout of fever & cough, he's been taking the little one out for night cycling.. when luke's back, he's like an angel... on his best behavior, made no fuss & went off to bed promptly. As opposed to other days when he doesn't get his dose of the outdoors, he's more likely to be cranky, or asking for attention, or just being difficult.
I'm really beginning to be convinced that little boys have this boundless energy that NEEDS to be released, and the outdoors is one of the avenues for them to do so ;) Sometimes, we just need to be more sensitive to their needs.

Luke came back and saw me in bed yesterday and he asked "Mommy, what's wrong?"
"Mommy's not feeling well" i replied, and immediately he clasped his hands, and whispered a prayer.. i couldn't make out the whole few short sentences... but i did hear, "let mommy be well, God.. take away the fever...amen"... and he ended with saying, "Drink your medicine and drink lots of water, k?" in a very serious manner.
I was utterly amazed and it sure did melt my heart.

In days like these, in the midst of feeling like you've been a parenting failure, i thank God for precious moments like these... for reminding us that in the midst of our parenting struggles, God is indeed having His hands in our childrens' lives, moulding them bit by bit... transforming their imperfections into something good... in His marvelous time :)

Party Bash VS Play Gym

I CAN'T DECIDE!

September will be a busy busy month for me so i'm putting my thinking cap earlier this time round.
The little man's 3rd birthday is fast approaching and this year, i am torn in between having a party bash for him and his pals versus taking him for an afternoon at the kids gym, followed by a nice meal.

I'm weighing the pros and cons...

Plan A: Have a party @ at the playground at our backyard
I envision a dessert table filled with delectable goodies eg cupcakes, candies, ice creams (will be a hit with the lil' ones i'm sure but i can already begin to imagine the disapproval look from the other moms around! ha!) plus mini sized finger food eg cut out sandwiches, vege sticks, drummets etc.

Those tiny feet can all hang out at the playground and drive all that sugar rush out with bubbles & water guns, slides & swings.

pictures via hostess with the mostess

I think the driving factor for the above plan probably stems out a little from my selfish ambition as you'll see below {blush}. 

The pros: i get to dabble my hands into the whole works, the invites, the setup, the favors aka goodie bag treats, the wagon ride to the bamboo disposable cutlery that i've bought some time ago which i've been longing to use.. just waiting for the right occasion!

..and it's the perfect excuse to have friends over with their babes for a casual evening =)

The cons: it'll cost a fair bit of dough and LOADS of work and not to mention moving the furniture up and down three flights of stairs (no kiddin! i mean i'm not intending to move my couch down but u know... still need to get the buffet line, the tables & chairs setup) PLUS cleaning up ;)

VS

Plan B: An afternoon at a kids play gym 
With a couple of his close buddies, they can roam freely and do the tumbles and the likes without having us parents howling and watching over their shoulders every single minute. It's pretty much a child proof area and the kids can play for hours. And end it with a nice simple meal with loved ones.

the little man's 1st trip to the gym (shot 2 years ago)

The pros: stress free, hassle free, worry free AND the birthday boy undoubtedly loves the play gym.

The cons: requires "0" creativity


I FEEL the FORCE is strongly pulling me closer towards Plan B. 
Plan A may appear to have to wait a wee bit longer :(
Well since it's the lil' one birthday (not mine!), Plan B would be the choice.
So then... can i have Plan A for my birthday?! {wink}

Friend or Foe??

Most of my buddies know my paranoia for birds. From chickens, pigeons, crows to peacocks, ostriches and all in between. Aarghh! i'm having goosebumps just typing these out!


I have yet to pinpoint how exactly i developed this insensible fear.
I used to rare colored chicks in my backyard. You know those cute little fluffy hairballs that unfortunately turns into ugly brown feathered chickens once they've grown!
But i find it really strange that i have no problems whatsoever having them on my plate or stomach for that matter. And what's fascinating is i just realized the other day that i'm almost always drawn to whimsical birdie designs. It could be a blog template, a motif on a bag or even a wallpaper.

such as these.. i got this free template by quirky-bird.com for my previous blog

or cute polka dot birdie pouch by countrykitty

and love this wall decal by HomeIdeasShop.com

But.... show me the real thing, and i'll flip!
I'll choose snakes, iguanas and even a LION over these feathered creatures!

I don't know when & how i intend to tackle this fear.
My only motivation to do so is so that this fear doesn't rub on to my little one or worse, having him know my weakness and scare the hell out of me with it!

When i was just a little girl, i asked my mother what will i be?...

Back in school, every year, students were asked to fill in a form which asks you to list down 3 occupation which you would like to be when you grow up.

My list changes from year to year.
From children storybook author to an architect (i actually had 2 books; one for me to compile stories from my imagination, and another; sketches of my house drawings), a piano teacher (didn't work out unfortunately as i lacked the important virtue of a devoted teacher = patience), a flight attendant (mainly driven by the opportunity to travel the world) and one that have stuck with me since... to have a store of my own...

somewhat like this for the exterior...

 

and this for the interior...

images extracted from summertime market

I'm thankful to my parents for giving us the freedom to choose what we wanted to do when we grew up. They've always been supportive and nurturing.

I won't say i'm far from doing what i've dreamed of doing. In fact i love what i'm doing now.
Of course, i have my fair share of work stress but I'm blessed with a wonderful boss & a great team so it makes up for it... and i get to delve into my creative side amongst my other job description and oh yes, there's the fabulous view of the lakeside right at the doorstep of my current office.

It still feels like not too long ago since i first stepped into our former office in the form of an old english colonial bungalow. I told myself i NEEDED to get myself a job here!

image extracted from covershots

I wrote in to asked if there were any vacancies and was so excited when they first offered me to work part time during college break. And a few months later, i was offered a full time job and i was ecstatic.
Time flies... and i am into my 8th year now...

So, do i still dream of someday opening my own little store? The answer is still yes... a quaint little shop by the countryside perhaps... selling wares that i love... friends & customers occasionally dropping in for tea... (ha! i foresee it's not gonna make me money!) but yeah, that's the idea of my dream job!

What's yours?

ps: i came across this dainty store and i have to say it's a little of how i envisioned my dream store to be ;)

pictures extracted from LARK

What would life be without 'em?

the shot of the 3 of us & our kids taken @ dad's bday 2009.
the kids didn't seem happy as they were happily singing their lungs out before we got them to pose for the pic above!


here below... a much happier pic of the both of them =)

My sis is 2 years younger and our growing up years were very much summed up by the many occasional "hair pulling" (and i mean literal) & "verbal fight" scenes. The polluted words that came out from our mouths eg "I wished you were never born"... "I hate you!" and we'll ask the most bizarre question like "Dad, why does she have to be born?!" were pretty much said to our parents' utter displease.
I seriously don't know how in the world we survived with our hair intact!

I love arts while she exceled in science. I'm the organized one, while she seemed to find delight in mess. She's the active outdoorsy type, and i'm the homebody, preferring burying myself with a nice book & a cuppa. I'm the dreamy one while she's the practical one, having her feet planted firmly on the ground. She was the thin one while i was the not-so-thin one.. and because she had a knack for buying nice clothes, i'll sometimes flick one or 2 from her and she'll go "Aargh!!! You've expanded my top!!"
Ahah! Now i recall that was one among the many reasons we fought!
While we're as different as night & day, i couldn't have asked for a better sis!

I find it amusing how, despite the many violent scenes that we have engaged in over the span of our growing up years, we have grown to share a deep friendship and affection for each other. And now with our kids in tow and staying at the other end of the highway (she says i live in a place that's known to be the other end of the world), we appreciate each other's company and friendship all the more.

Then came my "lil" brother who is 10 years younger! With the age gap, we weren't even thinking of prospective fight scenes. We actually adored him when he was a cute chubby baby and yes pamper him to some extent!

In the midst of preparing to move from my parent's place to my hubby's place, my bedroom was in total choas. So i moved into my brother's bedroom for a few weeks, and i remember with fondness the many late night conversations we had while looking out of the bedroom balcony. His only complaint, "Cheh... u still there??" as i was always the first to fall asleep while chatting =p
We talked about everything under the sun moon... from our fears to our hopes and aspirations and all else in between...

How our friendship sibligship (if there's such a word) developed through the years is beyond me.
I have our parents to thank for always reminding us that no matter what happens, we're always a family.
We didn't grow up in the most perfect family setting but in our imperfections, we found solace in each other.

We can just be ourselves, not afraid how the other would judge or see us...and when our family faces a potential threat/problem, we have each other as a source of support, pillar which we can lean on. There's always someone whom you know who would genuinely share in your joys & sorrows, failures & successes.

My hope is for Luke to be able to grow up with that same type of experiences (minus the fights, but i suppose that'll be inevitable some point or other)... and for that to happen, i better gambatei =p

LOVE is a many splendored thing

picture extracted from soccer92gal's album

Once a while, i love a good cry... I'm a sucker (excuse me for the pun, but i really am!) for romantic movies, from classics to teenage flicks eg Twilight to modern love stories, Notting Hill, My Best Friend's Wedding etc. Enjoyed the latest movie which i watched on dvd entitled My Name is Khan (must watch by the way!).. one wouldn't term it as a love story but i love how true love wins the day yet again!

For many of us who have tied the knot, we reminisce with fondness our first kiss, the day when the boy you fancied held your hands for the first time, the butterflies in your stomach that just wouldn't stop fluttering while you wait in anticipation for that long awaited phone call even though it's just been 5 mins since you last talked!

If we could just stop time and just hold onto those moments..
I recalled a book entitled Romantic Love i read years ago by best-selling author Dr James Dobson.
Romantic Love is a powerful emotion that can sweep you off your feet but what follows after the whirlwind of chocolates, dates & butterflies?

To me, nothing sums up true love better than Dr Dobson's letter which he wrote to his wife on their 8th wedding anniversary.
I hope you'll be blessed reading this as much as i've been.

To My Darlin Wife, Shirley

I'm sure you remember the many, many occasions during our eight years of marriage when the tide of love and affection soared high above the crest - times when our feeling for each other was almost limitless. This kind of intense emotion can't be brought about voluntarily, but it often accompanies a time of particular happiness. We felt it when i was offered my first professional position. We felt it when the world's most previous child came home from the maternity ward. We felt it when i was awarded a doctoral degree. But emotions are strange. We felt the same closeness when a medical problem threatened to postpone our marriage plans. We felt it when you were hospitalized last year. I felt it intensely when i knelt over your unconscious form after a grinding automobile accident.


I'm trying to say this: both happiness and threat bring that overwhelming appreciation and affection for a person's beloved sweetheart. But the fact is, most of life is made up of neither disaster nor unusual hilarity. Rather, it is composed of the routine, calm, everyday events in which we participate. And during these times, i enjoy the quiet, serene love that actually surpasses the effervescent display, in many ways. It is not as exuberant, perhaps, but it runs deep & solid. Today i feel the steady and quiet affection that comes from a devoted heart. I am committed to you and your happiness, now more than i've ever been. I want to remain your "sweetheart."


When event throw us together emotionally, we will enjoy the thrill and romantic excitement. But during life's routine, like today, my love stands undiminished. Happy Anniversary to my wonderful wife.

Jim