Soaking In Beauty

 

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JJ's Loose Teeth & Teeth Pouch

Within 3 weeks, JJ lost 2 baby teeth!  Both during dinner time.  We were all thankful that JJ did not swallow them with her food.  JJ got to be on her class "tooth chart" twice!  (Her teacher, Mrs. O is so brilliant!  She knows how to put a proud smile on those young faces even when they talk funny.)

F was more excited than JJ.  "You could ask mom to make you a reindeer pouch for your loose teeth!" she said.  So mom had one more chore on her to-do-list.  Thank goodness, this one was fun.  This teeth pouch was based on  this tutorial from my little mochi.  JJ wanted the pouch to look just like her sister's but with pink ears.
Now, if I could just stop playing the tune of "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" in my head...

JJ's 1st  Loose Tooth & Permanent Tooth

 

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We Have A Cat Problem...

 Two and half years have gone by since we adopted our cat, Lala.  He is one intelligent and affectionate cat who has won our hearts over these past few years.  

For 2 years, he had always been an indoor cat who had a strong desire to head out the door whenever opportunity presented itself.  It was around March this year that he finally was bold enough to share the same doggie door with Maxie, our golden.  Once he was able to get outdoors, he started to bring home unwanted guests.  We had 3 rats visiting at one point and thought we had a rat problem.  It was until we spoke to the animal control that we found out that it was really a cat problem, since there was no evidence of droppings or chewed up items.  Apparently, Lala was bringing home love offerings to show his loyalty.  Oh, how I wish he could have brought flowers or fruits instead of rats that scared the day light out of me.  

After some research, we realized that cats hunt at night.  So we figured that if we shut the doggie door at night, Lala would not be able to do much hunting.  The plan worked...for a few weeks.  No rats, dead or alive.  And then...  This morning, while I was getting ready for the Lord's day, H cried, "Come quickly, Lala's brought something back!"  

I rushed out to find an injured bird laying under our dining table with Lala right next to it still guarding his treasure.  From our research, we learned that we were NOT to discard Lala's gift in front of him, and NOT to scold him, but to praise him for his hunting ability and for bringing the tasty treat which we could never have gotten on our own.  That's exactly what we did.  Hubert quickly picked up the suffering bird in a bag while I blocked Lala's view, patted him and said "Good job, boy" (though inside, I was crying, "Please don't bring anything/anyone home anymore!")  So sorry, little bird.  I love you, Lala, I really do.  If only you understood how much we do not need extra protein...sigh.
Those of you who have indoor/outdoor cats, any advice for me?
 

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Two Weeks of Roses

Between end of the school year and beginning of summer break is the crunch time for families with dancers.  This year, our family had two.

I have been slowly convinced that most ladies, young or matured, enjoy receiving flowers.  And that's how our houses ended up with many of them in just two weeks.

 This hot pink rose was a gift to JJ from Grandma.

 This one was from F's performance company during the Tiny Dancers' show.

 This bouquet came from F's best friend, Mimi.

Surprisingly, I got a red rose, too, for being the co-chair for the flower arrangement team for the performances.

 

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Western VBS 2013

my classroom (the "walk-in" church-- with help from my two girls--pictured in the middle)

More than 120 volunteers have been praying hard and working hard to serve almost 300 kids and make this week's VBS possible.  This has been a body working together with the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
God's provision is amazing!  I had gone to thrift stores just twice before VBS and each time found great bargains on western items (an American Girl horse for $4, a cowboy hat for $3, and four stuffed animals (2 horses, one cow, one snake) for $1-1.50 each.)  I got a furry blanket, yarns and foam sheets at RAFT.  With the help of miss Nicole, miss Shirley and mr. William, I got to borrow tons of western props from their last western theme VBS.  Ms. G got three tall boxes that were just the right size for our walk-in church.  Mrs. W spotted a free rocking horse on the side of the sidewalk and sent it to my classroom.  Miss T helped me create the sign for "God's Town".  JJ & F sweated and labored a whole morning in the classroom to put up the posters and create the "church".  Even Z utilized his artistic skill and drew a snake and a scorpion for the class!  So very thankful!
The first day is done.  Four more days to go.
 

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I Love You More Than This

For a few weeks, JJ and I played the "I Love You More Than..." game right before her afternoon naps.  Then, one day, JJ asked when she'd get a special Me & Mommy journal (picture below) just like her sister's.

That's when an inspiration stroke.  I gave JJ a small 5x5 scrap book and some 3D stickers and asked her to decorate the cover (with my supervision, of course).  Then, we started taking turns writing and drawing on the pages.  Since JJ has learned many words and how to look up words in a dictionary, she has no problem expressing her thoughts.  We have had much fun doodling and reading what the other person writes on the pages.  JJ would read this book over and over during the day and ask if I like what she's done.

As I write "Dear JJ, I love you more than (this)" each time, I pray that she will grow her love for Jesus day by day.  So when He asks her, "JJ, do you love me more than these? (John 21:15)", she will gladly answer, "Of course, I do!" without hesitation.
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Beautiful Christine

Christine went to be with the Lord last April.  My letter to her upon the news remained as draft until today, perhaps I was still not quite ready to say that good-bye.  Now, Christine, this is for you.
============================
Beautiful Christine,

It was God's divine appointment that we met and grew to know each other through the Sunday school class.  Whenever our eyes met across the room, you'd give me the sweetest smile and whisper a hi.

Thank you for your genuine sharing and transparency.  You and D's faithfulness to the Lord and to each other was a beautiful testimony.  It caused me to look at myself and ask if I have the same commitment in my marriage.  You two did not allow the hardship you faced steal the strength and joy God gave you.  in the midst of your pain, you still smiled brightly.  It was evident that God was your anchor.

When you and D announced your engagement, my heart sang with joy.  The phrase "happily ever after" rang in my head that entire day.  I pictured you in your white wedding gown walking down the aisle toward your groom.

Our class had just scheduled to visit you in three days when Ester's last update of you came in the inbox.  I lost words in my prayers.  I was not ready to let you go, either.

Our God always knows best.  He sees you and He knows you.  His love for you is so high, so long, so deep and so wide.  Being in His everlasting presence is the best place to be.  You are now living the happily ever after.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."   
                                                                                                                --Revelation 21:4

With teary eyes, I am saying my temporary good-bye.  But I am looking forward to seeing you again with your twinkling eyes, sweet smile and that whisper of hi to greet me.  Say hi to Jesus for the class.  We will see you again soon.

lots of love and many hugs,
debbie

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JJ's Reflection Award

In the beginning of school year, JJ participated in the PTA Reflection program.  The theme this year was "The Magic of A Moment..."  Since JJ had been exposed to acrylic painting (started with my canvas painting for the girls' room) and seemed to get a hang of it, she happily choose her favorite colors and painted away.  Originally, she told me that she was going to paint a beautiful rainbow and our house with all her favorite animals.  But as soon as she dipped her paint brush into the paint, the picture looked nothing like her description.  I chuckled and asked, "where's the rainbow?"  With a sheepish smile, she said, "I changed my mind."
She had titled her work "Hide and Seek" (for obvious reasons--see her writing on the left corner).  Though this is a colorful painting, it's a bit far from reality.  She told me she is the tall one on the left with "golden" hair.  Interesting...
So her work was submitted.  Then, a few weeks later, when I picked JJ up from school, her class buddy Andy ran toward me and pull on my sleeve, "Guess what, JJ did something really good today!  She's the only one from our class to win a ribbon!"  It turned out that JJ was placed 3rd in the lower grade category.  I am very thankful for the favor she's received from the judges that among all the beautiful art work, they would pick her work to be top 3.  And I am also thankful for the supportive friends she has in her class to cheer her on and share her happiness.
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Spring Blossoms

JJ and I love walking in the neighborhood.  We could feel spring (itchy eyes and runny nose), smell spring and see spring everywhere.  God has created spring to be such a beauty.  Just LOVE it!

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Missing Penang

You really don't have to be a Penang baby like JJ to appreciate roti.  But it's always a joy to see her little face light up whenever she hears we are going to have roti for breakfast.
A few days ago, when I was heating up the frozen roti for JJ, an overwhelming emotion just came upon me, remembering all the friends, brothers and sisters we've met in our 2nd home, Penang.

Though we resided there for only one and half years, the beautiful people whom we came to know and love have an eternal impact on me, especially those who demonstrated their love for the Lord.

When I first landed in Penang, feeling homesick and all alone, God sent our amah, Sarah into my life to show His grace.  Her mouth-watering cooking won us over.  In her quietness, she taught me not to fear but to trust in the Lord in all things.  She had shared with me testimonies after testimonies of God's protection and provision.  She exercises discernment and has so much wisdom.  The peace of the Lord is so evident in her life.  She's a console, a dear friend, a family member whom our whole family loves.

My heart is full of thanksgiving whenever I remember my dear, dear sister, Gina.  A woman of God, with boldness, perseverance, charisma, she is in constant communion with the Lord.  She prays, but most importantly, listens to God and follows His leading and prompting.  Gina has raised three beautiful children, blessing them and guiding them to walk with the Lord each day. She speaks of truth with love.  I love her humor and sensitivity to the Spirit.    She's my mentor and a role model.

I miss Carmen, a good friend who showed pure dedication to the Lord as a new believer.  Always wearing a smile, she was a great listener with eagerness to learn more of God's word.  I appreciate her love for my family, especially my children.

The meaning of fellowship was well defined when we 1st attended the CG.  We were warmly welcomed and felt right at home the moment we walked into the meeting.  As a tradition, the CG started with worshipful singing, sharing of testimonies (adults and children alike all had stories to tell about God's work in their lives!), followed by reviewing the sermon of the week with discussion.  At 10pm. with a room full of young kids and adults, we figured it was about time to conclude the meeting (as what we were costumed to in the States--attending to the needs of growing children).  But the gathering did not end until 11pm, followed by a feast of snacks.  Just when we were about to say good-bye, brother Cheong asked, "Makan, anyone?"  At 11:45pm and right after a big snack?  I seriously thought he was joking.  But soon I realized that he was not.  Oh, how Penang folks love food!  Precious lessons I've learned were to be flexible and prioritize time gathering with fellow brothers and sisters. Without the accountability, encouragements and prayer support of the brothers and sisters, growing families are doing themselves a disservice by walking alone.
As a CG, we visited the orphanage and the children's hospital.  EVERYONE came. Under the hot sun, we played games with the kids, sang songs, put on a puppet show, hugged and talked to the kids.  And every time before we started our visit, brother David would ask God to extend us as His arms to love and to embrace.  We served as one body, empowered by the Holy Spirit and  used by the Lord.

The most memorable CG event had to be our camping trip in the butterfly garden.  My experiences of camping in the States did not prepare me for this one in Penang.  The garden was located inland, thus hotter and more humid than the coast.  The moment we stepped out of the car in the morning, we were welcomed by the steam.  It was about 38 degrees Celsius (100+ degrees Fahrenheit), but felt like over 40...  I was tamped to turn back home right away and hug my AC (yes, I will admit that I was and still am a wimp).  Once we unloaded our bags, I was melting.  Then the fun began.  We kicked off the camping trip with worship and prayers.  Later, we broke into teams for a game of scavenger hunt.  Walking up and down the steep slopes under the early afternoon sun really tested me.  Our faces were all hot red with wet hair stick to our foreheads and cheeks.  I ran into the shower several times during the day, only to find myself drenched with sweat as soon as I stepped out the shower.  It was futile.  When the night came, Z and H tried to get into the tent which was heated all day in the sun.  Of course, the tent was a boiler by then.  Thank God, there were bunk beds in the building where we stayed the night.  Trying to sleep was also a challenge.  There were ceiling fans that did not seem to have any cooling power.  There were tons of mosquito that were eager land on us for a feast.  At the end, many of us just stayed up in the front porch and chatted the night away.    But by looking at these pictures, I could only see smiles and joy of being together.  That was the worst yet, best camping trip ever.

As I stood in the kitchen looking at the heating roti, my prayers went to those dear folks.
My brothers and sisters, allow me to greet you with the words in 1 Thessalonians 1:

"...Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 

May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May His face shine upon you and empower you to continue His work.  May God be glorified through and through in your lives.  And may we keep on walking faithfully in the Lord until we meet again.
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Cooking/Baking Again

We finally had our kitchen back with all the problems fixed.  It's the very 1st time that I missed cooking (imagine that!)  As soon as I could get in the kitchen, I started washing, chopping, making soup,  and turning on the oven.  

The picture above shows JJ's 2nd baking project.  Her 1st, Zucchini Bread, was gone so quickly that I did not have a chance to document it.  Since her teacher had been under the weather for quite some time, JJ decided to bake a "get well snack" for her.  I was a bit uncertain about giving the teacher "veggie bread".  After all, the name repelled Z so much that he would not get close to it.  Good to find out the following morning that neither the name nor the bread offended the teacher since she used to bake it when she was younger.  

It's such a blessing to eat home made comfort food again.  So thankful.

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Date Time with JJ

One of the advantages of having many people in our house is that we get to create meaningful one-on-one time with each other.  Anytime that just two of our family members get to hang out alone is precious time.  Since JJ had always stayed at home with me, we went everywhere together--to her siblings' classes, to the library, to the market, to the shops, to the mommies' prayer meetings, and to my Bible study group.   It was not until the beginning of this year as I thought about her attending school in the fall that I realized that I needed to take her out just for fun.  We went to kiddie parks, zoos, and even Chuck E Cheese's and did as many silly things as we could think of.  Going on the photo booth was a first for JJ.  The pictures are now on our wall, reminding us the good times we had this year.  Kids do grow up too quickly.  I cherish the moments when I could take silly pictures with the kids before they are too cool to pose anymore.  

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JJ's Party Prize

JJ's class had a holiday party this morning.  When I picked her up at dismissal, Ms. W notified me that JJ had won a prize playing the pin the nose on the witch game.  As Ms. W turned to me to hand me the prize, my eyes almost bulged out--it was a huge pumpkin which weighted 20 lbs. Many of JJ's classmates asked how I was going to get the pumpkin home once they knew I did not drive a car to school.  I could only shake my head and hope that I had enough strength to get this baby back home.  Our usual 5-minute walk home turned into 15, as I had to make frequent stops to rest my arms.  By the time we got home, my arms were shaking badly.  I could not even steady my hands for the photo shooting.  All this time, JJ was jumping up and down for the prize she mysteriously won (she kept saying, "I didn't even know how I won the game.")  If you come by our house for trick-or-treat tonight, you will see this guy sitting by the front door.  Have a safe evening!

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Funny Friday

Garden Gift From School Friend

It's been an interesting Friday.  This morning, I managed to attend 2 meetings and finished both within half an hour.  Talk about being productive!  At noon, I was gifted with these beautiful home grown goodies from JJ's classmate (well, more like the friend's grandpa).  Funny thing is that I chatted more with the grandpa than JJ with her classmate.  Very grateful for this garden gift.

All was well until earlier this afternoon.  I realized that I MUST take down some of the pictures/posts I posted earlier in the year.  Life is complicated.  This is what I have to say about it.  I am just a simple person who loves people around me and enjoys sharing through blogging.   This is my online scrap booking. I post pictures of things and people that are dear to me.  When I learned that some pictures I posted really bothered a certain someone, my first reaction was "What about my freedom to blog?"  Then, I remembered those words from 1 Corinthians 8:13:

"Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."

 and in 13:6-7:

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

My love for others should always come before my rights.  

Sorry to disappoint some of you who might be searching for those pictures or posts on my blog.  But I have decided to take them off the blog.   

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