Paris

I've just watched a movie that was set in Paris. I really think that it's a very beautiful city. I would love to see the Louvre museum and see all the original masterpieces of the famous artists. Of course, the Eiffel tower must be a sight to behold and I would very much like to taste authentic french cuisine. Oh, Paris! Will you only be in my dreams? It's too late for Hubby and I to go on a paris honeymoon maybe we can plan to go there for our 25th or 35th wedding anniversary? ;)

Travelling

We will be traveling back home tomorrow.. and thankfully not by a human-driven cart as pictured above.. lol! but by airplane. 

Every trip that we make is truly a testimony of God's favor in our lives. As a family of 4, it's not cheap to travel back to our hometown where we need to travel to the capital (either Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok) by car or train and then from there from by plane to Manila and then another flight to our city. We really didn't plan to go back home this Christmas, but since we didn't get to spend a lot of quality time with family last year due to the tragedy that happened, we thought it's just best for us to go back and this time spend a wonderful Christmas with family. 

We're praying that indeed we will have a safe and pleasant trip back home and have a beautiful time with family, church members and friends. 

My Favorite Tea

I've never been a tea drinker until I tried Thailand's Cha Yen  or iced milk tea and Malaysia's 3 Layer Tea. I just had the 3 layer tea this morning and it was really so delicious! It's been awhile since I had 3 layer tea and  looking at my photo right now makes me want to have one. 

I have actually found out how to make this tea. It's really quite easy as it's just like making a normal tea where you'll need Affordable Sieves, evaporated milk  but it's the palm sugar ( melaka sugar) the dark colored sugar that gives the distinct flavor of the tea. A few times we went around to look for this special sugar so we can just buy a bottle and make our own 3 layer tea at home, but to no avail. Maybe next time, we have to look harder. I would really love to make my own 3 layer tea.

Bloom Where You Are

Bloom where you are.. These are the words that best summarizes my reflections for the past weeks. God has given us so much of potentials in wherever he has placed us. We just need to acknowledge that wherever we are now in our journey with God, that's where He has placed us. Sometimes, we have a tendency to look at our left or our right and desire other things. In doing this, we tend to get distracted and forget what God wants us to do at this certain time. If we cultivate what we have and 'bloom' where we are, I'm sure all the things that we do will be a 'sweet, smelling offering' unto our God. 

Overtime

A few more hours and we're leaving to the Philippines. But here I am working overtime doing my online work. I really want to finish all my pending tasks so, I won't have anything to think about when we reach home. I just want to enjoy my time spent with my family. I know I will have few more tasks in the next week,  that's why I brought my mini laptop (without the mobile computer carts) but if I could finish these pending tasks tonight, at least I could spend my first few days with family  'uninterrupted'. 

So, I better get to  work now and pay later.. ooopps.. play later.. :)

Song Composition

After a long road trip a few weeks back, our daughter was able to compose a song after being stuck in the car for hours. She was actually very quiet for a long time and when she was done, she sang to us her newly composed song. I was quite impressed as to how fast and how 'quiet' one can create a song.:)

 Here is how her song goes :

I was alone, 

not one place to call my home,

 inside a dark land. 

 I was alone 

 people passing by ,

no one caring about me

 no one loving me at all. 

 I was alone

 all by my self 

 no one with me, 

But now my feelings rise 

because Christ is with me, 

 Now I'm not alone 

I'm not alone

 I have a home.

 I now have great friends, 

 I'm gonna tell you why 

Christ is with me . 

 He has blessed me 

 with his blessings from above.

Though there might not be much rhyme and balance with with words, but since the tune of the song is good, I couldn't notice it much. Then, I asked my daughter about her song whether there was a time she felt alone and as to why she came up with the song. She told me that the song is not about her but she's just putting herself into the shoes of the people she sees who thinks they are alone and to let them know that they are not alone. I'm just glad of her answer! Praise God!

Anyways, stay tune for the recording of the song with Tricia's voice. I still didn't have the time to do a recording. Maybe next time, though I don't think we need furman power at Musician's Friend for this but I have to make sure  I can create a nice video of her singing her very first composition.

Safe from Another Flood

As you might have known, Philippines had one of the strongest typhoon last week. This time it was on the island of Mindanao and our city was once again hit. But as I monitored the situation of our city before and during the typhoon. I noticed that the people were now more alert. As early as Sunday, the people living near the river started to evacuate. My relatives who were also affected with the flood last year and are still living near the river have also evacuated. This time people were more alert in prayer and in the evacuation process. The typhoon still resulted to a flood but praise God because this time there were no casualties in our  city.  If our house were still near the river, it could have also been hit by the flood last week. But there's nothing there anymore and my mom and sisters are now staying on higher ground. I thank God that everyone's safe and even the flood didn't reach our church building. 

But still, our hearts are burdened by those affected in another province in Mindanao called Compostella Valley, New Bataan. They were the ones who experienced a flash flood last week and more than 500 lives have already been claimed with hundreds still missing. Please continue to pray for those families left behind and those people who have lost all their properties and even their loved ones.

The Piece of Land

As I was monitoring about the flood situation in the Philippines last week, I remembered my  parents' piece of land near the river where we used to lived. The house that used to be there had been our home for 10 years. My father designed and built that house and even if it was a very simple house but it has been our own,cozy home. After last years flood, that land is now barren and of no use. I wonder what will happen to that piece of land. Even if we would want to sell it, I'm not sure if anyone would want to buy it since it is now a flood prone area. I really think it's very risky and dangerous to build a house there.  People these days prefer houses situated on the mountains far from the river or seas, places that are flood-free and risk free. Which reminds me, maybe we should visit our old neighborhood and see how everyone's doing after last year and last week's flood.

our house before it got washed away from the 2011 Sendong Flood

The Rainbow

My son spotted this beautiful rainbow from our window first. He was so excited to see it since according to him, it's his first time to see a rainbow. But I do remember pointing to him the rainbow a few times when we were travelling. Anyways, we all looked out and spent a few minutes admiring the rainbow and it was only then I remembered to grab my camera. That's how slow I am as photographer. LOL! By the time I went back upstairs, the rainbow wasn't as clear as we first saw it. 

Anyways, seeing a rainbow is always a beautiful experience. I couldn't remember I time when I saw a rainbow and immediately looked away. It's just too beautiful to behold. It reminds us of God's beauty and His faithfulness. Remember, the rainbow is a sign of promise? We have truly have an amazing God. He speaks to us even through His beautiful creation. 

Barley Grass and its Benefits

I'm always on an 'endeavor' to be fit and healthy. So, I read a lot of articles on fitness and health. I have no problem reading and 'knowing' about everything on this topic, but my real problem is 'being' it. So there will be times when I will be drinking a lot of water and vegetable and fruit juices (100 % live juice from our juice extractor)  but during my 'down' times I will also be gurgling down my vitamin C, err..  Coca cola!

Lately, I've heard about the many benefits of barley grass. This is one grass that's rich with vitamins and minerals like copper, potassium, manganese, zinc. It has been said that Barley grass has more protein and fiber than spinach. Barley grass also has antioxidants, enzymes, and other phytochemicals that is said to in vitro neutralize free radicals and other unfriendly chemicals, including pesticides and food preservatives. With all these vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it has been reported that this grass may be beneficial for those having arthritis, asthma, skin problems, obesity, anemia, constipation, impotence, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and kidney problems. I even saw video testimonials of people with such diseases and being cured through regular intake of this grass. Another amazing testimonial is from a lady who was diagnosed with cancer and she has totally changed her diet with the regular consumption of barley grass juice. Amazing huh! I'm sure more research is underway for the cure of such diseases like cancer. There is even this site called cureLauncher which advocate for and fund clinical trials and medical and life-saving research for the cure of these serious diseases. Anyways, as for my personal health, I would be surely looking for barley grass anytime soon.

Desire Granted

It has always been Amma's ( my mother in law) desire to be a blessing to the old people at the old folks home. She actually has a heart for them and wants to show them that God loves them. So for her birthday, Hubby and siblings have arranged to for our family to go to an old folks home and bless them. 

The planning and preparation for this surprise took more than a month and we thank God for ordering everything. We went to one small home that's independently run by an Indian family. We were amazed as to how the people at that home takes care of the oldies. As many of them said, the people there are their family.  It's truly heartbreaking to know that many of them have been there for several years. One woman has been living there for 19 years. We don't know what are the reasons for them being there but what's important is that they seem happy and contented to be there.

As for our visit, we prepared a special presentation for them, fed them during lunch, gave them a small gift pack and prayed for them. It has been a blessing for us to be there and it is my prayer that God will continue to bless those oldies at the home too.

Life Transformed

While I was searching for contemporary christian music in Youtube, I came across a video of a heavy metal singer,Brian 'Head' Welch who became a believer of Jesus. His life was truly transformed from the dark past of drug addiction to finding love and joy through Christ. It's actually my first time to hear about this guy since I'm clueless on secular heavy metal music, but it seems that his band used to be so famous that they have to enforce best crowd control barrier during his concerts. 

Anyways, I'm so encouraged as to how God is truly working among everyone's life, transforming people out of darkness into light.

Amma's 60th Birthday Video

Last week was the birthday of Amma, (my mother in law) and our family surprised her on that day. At exactly 12 midnight we called her as if we were just at home, greeted her and told her that we wanted to visit her for her birthday but we were just so busy. But actually, we were just inside the car parked near the house at that time. A few minutes later, after lighting the candles and a little preparation we were already outside her door and singing happy birthday. She was really so surprised and everyone was in tears out of joy. Above it the video that we made for her.Indeed, we want to honor Amma as she has really been a great mother for HUbby and siblings, a loving mother in law for me and a caring grandmother for our kids. God bless her heart and continue to use her as a blessing for many!

Good Morning Sunshine!

Here is my daughter waking up 'all smiles'. She was ready to seize the day as it was their 'holiday'. That same morning, I wanted to sleep in but my son woke me up with a cheery ' It's Morning!!!' wake up call. I asked him to give me another 5 minutes to sleep since it's also 'my holiday' but he just refused to do so. He was shaking me and forcing me to wake up. After waking up and doing my morning routine, I woke my daughter up with a camera on hand and this is the smile she greeted me. Yes, no matter how tiring it was to travel the day before, it's never too tiring to wake up with the thought of  ' Swimming!'. They were really excited to swim in the pool on that day.

And it was even easier to get them ready, form them take off their sleep pants from the sleepwear collection with pajamas and put on their swim suits. Eating their breakfast has never been as quick and I hoped that it would be like that every morning.

That was just our first day of our mini holiday courtesy of our friend who treated us with a free hotel stay. We've never expected this blessing but indeed God is just full of surprises and giving us more than we deserve.

We thank God for a restful weekend and a fruitful week in Malaysia meeting our leaders, doing our visa renewal and spending time with family and friends. More details on my next post :)

Poor Fishy!

My daughter came to me teary eyed. She sadly told me that their favorite fish, Torax has died. My son was still taking his nap at that time and Tricia already told me that Lyle be really be sad if he learns about the death of their favorite fish. True enough, when my son woke up and heard the bad news he was crying so hard that it's almost like he lost his favorite dog. It was actually his first time to experience of a loss of a pet and it just hit him so hard. I was trying to console him and reminded him that he still has about 15 other fish left in the aquarium. But that didn't comfort him but instead he angrily told me that there is only one Torax and it's not the same. Oppss.. 

I'ts just sad to see my kids sad. I wonder how they would feel if they lose their rabbits or turtles. Now, I see that they can really be so attached to their pets and it'll be hard for them if they lose them. 

Of Christmas Break and Weddings

I'm literally counting the days before we go back to the Philippines to spend our Christmas holidays.Yes, that's another 33 days!! But before Christmas, our family will be attending 2 weddings. Two of my cousins are getting married next month. On the first wedding my daughter will be the junior bridesmaid while my son is going to be the ring bearer. Then, on the 2nd wedding we will be attending, my son will the Bible bearer.  My kids are excited and so am I! I'm really forward for these occasions since it'll be the first time for my son to play a role  in a wedding. I wonder how he will be walking in the aisle as he already has a tendency to be self-conscious. We've tried to let him 'practice' walking with a Bible, and he looks cute when he's feeling shy. :) In  preparation for these weddings, we have to search for unique groomsmen gifts, grooms and brides gift and not to mention the clothes that my kids need to wear on that special occasion.

Then, after the weddings will be Christmas,, Hubby's birthday and then the New Year! Wow! It's the exciting month of the year and I can't wait to go back home. 

Our Heart, Our Desire

This is one of the songs that truly burns in  my heart these days.

Here are the lyrics of the song:

 Our heart our desire

 Is to see the nations worship

 Our cry our prayer

 Is to sing your praise to the ends of the earth 

That with one mighty voice 

Every tribe and tongue rejoices 

Our heart our desire 

Is to see the nations worship you

 Heavenly father 

Your mercy showers down upon all people 

Every race upon this earth

 May your spirit pierce the darkness 

Break the chains of death upon us 

Let us rise in honest worship 

To declare your matchless worth 

 There is no power that for one hour 

Can withstand the greatness 

Of your word on tongues of faith 

So we're bold in intercession 

Claiming all of your possessions;

 Praying now that every heart will bow 

Before you lord in praise. 

 Our heart our desire 

Is to see the nations worship you

Leaking House

Even without the rainy season at its peak yet, our house is already leaking. This leakage is actually due to a broken pipe from the 2nd floor. And apart from that, we have some plumbing problem which leads to overflow of water from the sink. 

Hubby has tried to solve both these leakage problems. This time,it seems the problem is more of a complicated one and can be solved by an acrylic sealant or a  san switch . I think it's about time to call the house owner if her knows any professional plumber. It's not so fun living in a leaking house. 

Sharing With Their Friends

I'm just blessed with my kids and I truly thank God for them. 

During the holidays, a couple of our neighbor kids would usually hang out at our porch and play with my kids and the rabbit. They're actually Lyle's friends ( according to him, because they're boys) while Tricia serves as his 'official interpreter'. LOL! Anyways, after a few afternoons of playing with them. I saw both my kids, busily looking over our bookshelves. They were looking for the Thai bible storybooks to give to their friends. Since we didn't have a copy in our house, they had to wait for our friends to bring it from the center. And surely, the next they it came and they immediately gave it to their friends. From then on, they kept praying for their friends that they too would soon know about Jesus. 

Taking Care of Her Rabbits

We're glad that we got rabbits for our kids. They've actually waited for quite some time before buying them. We wanted them to be ready in having pets and taking care of them. Five years ago, we bought a pair of rabbits for her, but they died after a few weeks. Since she was still so small, she thought that taking care of the rabbits means was always cuddling them, kissing them and carrying them and I think they fell a few times.Oh, she was just heartbroken to learn that they died. 

Now since she's 8 years old, we thought that she's quite ready to take care of rabbits and so we bought for her and her brother. And true enough, we've seen how responsible she has become in taking care of her pets. She regularly feeds them herself, checks if they still have water, make it a point to let them come out of their cage every afternoon for 'exercise' and she can clean their cage now too! 

After commending her for the good work she's doing, her next question now is, ' Now, can I take care of puppies too? ' Yeah, she has been longing to have pet puppies. And she also 'wishes' to have ponies and  horses! Oh, if she only knows how difficult and how expensive it is to take care of horses since you won't only be needing horse blankets for them but a lot more.

DIY Rabbit Cage

It started with a plan to make a bigger rabbit cage since our rabbits were getting cramped in their small pink cage. Then, 3 of our friends first volunteered to help Hubby build the cage and but they ended up building a 'rabbit mansion' by themselves! Yes, they built this rabbit cage from scratch.. with wire mesh, wood, and maybe toggle bolts too.

Oh, the kids were ecstatic when they saw the finished product and couldn't thank the 3 'annehs' for making the big rabbit cage for them. Now, the Annehs have gone back home but they're still talking about the fun times they had and especially the fact that they made the special cage for their pets. 

Online Studies

Hubby and I are both doing some kind of an online study. Nothing serious and nothing formal....But I love the fact that both of us are learning things at the same time and have our own discussions and reflections. I also find it a good exercise for my mind as I really feel that my brain is getting rusted a little bit. Yes, one can obviously see it on the way I write.. LOL! But just the same, I find writing as a creative way for me to express myself and as I've said an exercise for my mind too. We have to continue to train our mind, gain wisdom and knowledge as this is all beneficial for us as as we serve others.

Intermission: Marketing Schemes

With millions of people using the internet these days, there are more and more ways to increase ones sales in the worldwide 'market'. That's why it's important for many  companies to have some sort of a social network or email marketing campaign.

This is actually a good strategy to keep in mind just in case one wants to venture into online business.

All's Well

I may have mentioned that my son was sick last week. I was also down with fever, but not as bad as my son. But thank God for his healing and we were both fine after a few days. But then on Wednesday, it was my daughter who got sick again, she had high fever and was complaining of sore throat. So, we gave her medicine and her take a rest for the day. Praise God that her fever has subsided after medication but she had low grade fever for a couple more days. 

I don't know why it seems that we're like taking turns of getting sick, it must be the virus that's just going around the house or bacteria that's contaminating each one. But I'm still thankful that it's not as serious and we are all okay after a few days. 

Now, I'm doing a lot of precaution and letting the kids take a lot of celebrate vitamins and vitamin C.

Baking Sessions

I love how my Saturdays are turning out to be. They're becoming like baking sessions for me and my local friends. Two Saturdays has passes and I taught baking to 2 different batches of friends. It's actually a lot of fun and I'm so happy to see their 'accomplished' faces as they see and taste their baked goods. They're usually first time bakers and couldn't believe that they can actually bake! LOL!

Since we have something on this Saturday, my friend and I will bake the oatmeal cookies next Saturday. Exciting!:)

The Lost Glasses

My daughter started to wear glasses when she was 7 ( turning 8). We got her first pair of glasses from the Philippines and she really liked them. But a month ago, when we went to the zoo, maybe out of too much excitement, she misplaced them. We spent quite sometime searching for them and even retraced our steps from the Seal show to the Reptile house, but to no avail. 

Since she couldn't see clearly when things are far, we planned to buy for her another pair. But to our surprise, we found that the glasses here are double the price of that from the Philippines. And these are just the very simple glasses.

But what's funny is that, when I was chatting with my Mom ( who's in the Philippines) and casually telling her about tricia's lost glasses, she told me that my nephews have actually found a pair of glasses somewhere. I think they couldn't locate the owner anymore so, they decided to keep them. And what's amusing is that the glasses are also Pink and Purple Barbie just like what Tricia has lost. It's amusing how we lost a pair of glasses in Thailand and how they found a pair of glasses in the Philippines. 

So now, we won't have to buy a new pair anymore and maybe just use  the 'lost and found' glasses when we   go to the Philippines. I lost or broken glasses will always be a part of my daughter's life now unless she decides to do Lasik Boston later when she grows up.

Puzzle Fun

A few nights ago, our family spent our nights in our daughter's room finishing the 600 pcs. world map jigsaw puzzle. It seemed a daunting task at first especially when we saw that there's so much of blue pieces which are actually the oceans, seas, bays and etc. But as we got a bit organized by doing the outline first, then oceans then countries, we couldn't help but be excited in finishing the task ( sounds like the great commission task huh?).

At first I thought that our son would just be an onlooker since he's not so much into puzzles and the pieces are just too small for him, but we were all surprised that he got to form Greenland all by himself and without looking at the box. Then, he also got to form Brazil. But I think he got bored after that and he was just playing around and sometimes disturbing us. As for my little girl, he eyes are always wide with excitement as she encounters the countries she has learned from homeschool. So far she has memorized the Scandinavian countries, Middle East and Eastern Europe. 

We really had a great family time doing our world map puzzle. As of now, we haven't touched the map yet as we will be praying over those countries during our family devotion. 

My Niece who Loves to Dress Up

This is Zane, sister's daughter. She loves to dress up and I really enjoy looking at her photos posted in Facebook. I think she's the one who chooses her clothes now and the accessories she wears. In this photo, it seems she doesn't want to let go of her purse and hair brush.

Photo credits: Judy Teves

I can't wait to take her photos and make her as my 'model' when I get back. I'll surely let her wear princess costumes and Wool Cowboy Hats. I'm sure she won't get bored to pose before the camera ( just like my present models, Tricia and Lyle) .

5 Years Old

Our li'l boy just turned 5 last Monday. Sadly, we wasn't well on that day since he had fever and cough since Saturday. But since his fever has subsided in the morning, we decided to take him out for awhile and have a little celebration by eating out for lunch and buy a gift for him. He only wanted soldier toys and so, bought him a few of those.You know those small green soldiers with flags and guns. After lunch, we also did a little painting and games at Diana. Our boy is really so easy to pleased and he was already so happy with his simple birthday celebration. He even exclaimed at the end of the day that, 'It's the best day ever!'. 

Thank you Lord of our sweet, little boy who is truly a joy in our hearts!

Shops Closed

It was the start of the Vegetarian Festival here in Thailand last Monday,so it was a holiday. I actually didn't know about it until we went out to the city center and found it to be very quiet with a  lot of the shops closed from the carpet shops to the toys shops. Now, that was actually quiet an unusual sight, since the city center is  usually very busy. It was Hubby who reminded me about the festival and it was only then it clicked it me- all those signs and food sale at the grocery stores. 

Good thing though that there were still a few shops that were opened because we wanted to buy toys for our son who was celebrating his birthday. We usually buy at this wholesaler shop near the plaza, because there's really a big price difference with their items from the malls.And to think, it's the same china brand!;) So, our kids rejoiced to see one of the toys shops opened and they excitedly chose their favorite toys. I was also glad to get a good discount with the toys we bought. And true enough, we saw the same toy that Tricia chose at Tesco Lotus the price was almost doubled there!

The Neighborhood Before and After

More and more condos, houses and apartments are now being built in our neighborhood. There's this new apartment right at the corner of our street and a few are also subdivisions being finished nearby. The real estate franchise are really booming in this part of the country as it does seem more and more people are investing on properties at this time. 

I could still remember the first time I came to this neighborhood several years back. Hubby and I rode a Tuktuk and we had truly had a bumpy ride. Our 'main road' used to be a dirt road at that time and if I remember it correctly, they were still building the road at that time. And since it just rained when we arrived, the roads were still muddy and slippery. Then I also remember there were more vacant lots than houses and it seemed that our area was not part of the city. Our house used to be so 'far' from the city proper. But as time went by, things changed. This was even more obvious after Carrefour was built. There were more houses being built in the area and more people seemed to have come too. So, our area has automatically become a 'part' of the busy city.

If It's God's Will

I was commending my daughter after our homeschool today. She did very well for our Science review which tackled the different systems in the body. I told her that she has a very good memory and has good understanding on how the different body system works.I then asked her if she wanted to become a doctor. I was actually more impressed with her answer than her performance on her science test, this is what she said, 'Yes, I want to become a doctor BUT if it's God's will.

As a parent, I do desire for God's perfect will on her life more than anything else. I'm blessed that even at her age, she's knows what she wants.. and that is God's will upon her life.It is indeed my prayer that as she grows , she will continually seek God and His purposes for her.. All for His glory!

English Service

Our church just started an English Service last Sunday. We normally just have a Thai service in the morning and that's the service we attend. Even though my Thai comprehension is not 100% accurate, but still I feel blessed after each service. But then, somehow I still long to sing songs and hear messages that I can fully understand. That's why some Sundays, we just stay at home and conduct our own worship as a family minus the electric guitars, Bugera and the piano. We have praise and worship, word (sometimes a video sermon from John Piper) and testimony time.Oh, hearing my kids' testimonies are just so cute!

Anyways, back to the English service,I'm glad that we have one now. We will still be attending the Thai service in the morning and the English service in the evening. That's a double blessing each Sunday!

Packages Shipped

We've already sent our cultural stuff with packaging for shipping to 4 families in our Worldwide Culture Swap list. This is our first time to join this program and our kids really enjoyed choosing and buying the items to be included in the exchange. As a short info, the worldwide culture swap is aimed at teaching children about the wonderfully diverse cultures and traditions of the world. So, families from different parts of the world will send cultural items with each other to learn more about each country and culture.

As of now, we're just waiting for our packages.  We will be receiving packages from Canada, US and London. My daughter has been quite interested with London lately since our geography lessons has been about the British Isles lately. 

Here is a photo of the things we sent: 

Yummy Sunday - Spicy Chicken with Basil Leaves

Phat Kra Pao Kai or Spicy chicken with basil leaves is my favorite dish at all times! I could eat this everyday.. we'll I did try to eat this everyday for lunch for a week when I was teaching an 8 day course at our center. The neighbor shop actually makes a great Phat Kra Pao Kai and so I ended up ordering it when we're at the center. 

A few times, other food shops make this dish a little bit too spicy for comfort but surprisingly I still end up finishing it as long as I have a glass of Coke beside me. Heheh!

Oh, looking at this spicy meal makes me hungry now... and it's almost time for lunch!!

This is my entry for Yummy Sunday.. Join us now at Perfectly Blended.

Numerous Calls

Ever since my daughter has learned to use the phone and memorized her Appa's number about 2 years back. She has been calling her Appa on her own and sometimes she calls him several times a day! A few times she would just call and ask her Appa what he's doing. Many times, when I'm putting Lyle to sleep she would call him and ask whether she can go biking outside, buy something from the nearby shop and etc. There were days when she called Hubby 5 times in a day asking different things. So, we finally had to control her unnecessary calles and also taught her to dial 1234 before the handphone number so as to lessen the cost of the calls. 

As of now, we're not teaching our son how to make phone calls yet. I know he too will be excited if he's able to learn how make phone calls and sure we'll end up with exorbitant telephone bills. All these hi tech stuff really excites kids so much. Maybe using them makes them feel like grown ups or it satisfies their curious minds. I wonder how kids react when they see other stuff such as video intercom systems and hi tech doorbells. Hmm.. as for my kids, there's no need for me to wonder since I know what they'd do. 

Homeschool Devotions and Intercession

Every morning, before we start our homeschool, my kids and I do our devotions. We're currently using the material called, Leading Little Ones to God. I love how this book explains spiritual things and concepts in a way that a child can understand. After our devotions, we also spend time in praying and interceding for others. Oh, how I love to listen to my children pray. They're really precious to my ears.. so honest and so full of faith. I thank God for giving them the heart to pray and intercede in behalf of others. I believe God is pleased with their prayers.

For me, this part of the day ( our devotions) are the most significant part of our homeschool time. To see them grow in their faith in God and to see them pray for others... this, I could never exchange for anything.. and I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom and be here disciple my kids.

Lyle praying for the city... this photo was taken by our friend

Tricia's turn to intercede in behalf of HY... thanks Abby for the photo

Looking Forward for Summer

My daughter is looking forward for summer. She asked me the other day, how many months before summer starts.   One reason for her excitement for this season is not because of  http://teensummercamps.com/ (she's too young for that) but  because she knows that she will be spending more time with her Thai friends during the English Summer Workshop. She has actually built good relationship with her classmates there. It's funny how she actually learned her first Thai phrases during the English summer classes. Her classmates speak Thai to her when they play and that's how she has picked up on the language. Now, she has been very confident with her Thai language and is being my son's interpreter when they're out to play with our neighbors. But back to summer, my daughter still has to wait for a long time before summer....

Do Not Worry

See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Matthew 6:28-30

I took this photo while I was waiting for my Hubby and kids to finish with their elephant ride at Chiang Mai Zoo. This flower is so small in the naked eye, about less than an inch, and hardly noticeable. But after zooming the camera, one can see the details and realize that indeed God has made this tiny li'l flower beautifully. If God can clothe this tiny flower and can take care of it, how much more His precious children.

Have a blessed week everyone!

Thai Traditional Music

We had the privilege of listening to Thai Traditional music of the North when we were in Chiang Mai last week. I love how their music sound even with the use of their hand made musical instruments. Of course power conditioner musicians friend was not needed since there was just a small crowd of people around and their beautiful music can be clearly heard.

Who Made God?

This is the question that my 4 year old ask me one day after having our devotions. My 4 year old is very inquisitive and I really like it that he's made this way. He ask the most unexpected questions and he doesn't let go of a subject until has has fully understood it. And I tell you, it's quite a challenge explaining spiritual things, concepts or ideas in a way that a 4 year old can understand.

As with his question, Who made God? I was able to explain to him that God has no beginning and has no end. No one made him.. and He exists by himself.. and told him all the attributes of God. I was a bit worried that he might ask me to define 'exist' and all the other words that I said that he might not understand.. but thankfully, I saw him nodding his head and said, 'Okay!'.. and no further questions were asked. :)

Global Puzzle Attempt

My kids and I attempted to complete this global puzzle the other week. It's a 600 pieces puzzle. I see this as a fun way of studying geography as my daughter has been keen on this subject for quite some time now. But we had to stop as my son already got bored and was throwing the puzzle pieces in different directions. I guess we have to do another attempt in competing this jig puzzle when my son is asleep or busy doing something else. I'm also learning a lot as I do this with my daughter, as I've encountered countries which I've never known has existed before.

Precious Moments

Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.

Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Psalm 112:1-2

It is truly our prayer that God will bless our children , make them mighty in the land and that their generation will be blessed.

Our children are truly God's precious gifts for us. We thank God for them and treasure every moment that we have with them. God bless them!

A Fun Afternoon at Chiang Mai Public Park

Last week, our family was able to visit the Chiang Mai city public park. It was our first time to visit the place and we really loved it. The place was kept well with a man made lake, a playground and coffee shop with rustic tables inside. As for the kids, the highlight of our visit there was getting to feed the pigeons. It was their very first time to get that close with the birds. They really loved it!

Snapshots of Lyle setting the bird free! He was so happy on setting it free.. I could always 'hear' his laughter, whenever I see this photo.

My daughter and his head as a nest.. :)

10th Anniversary

Hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary a few days back. It's really amazing how God has brought us through the 10 years of cross-cultural marriage. If you've read our love story( the link is up) , I originally didn't plan to have a 'foreigner' husband. I thought that the adjustments will be difficult especially as I already knew that I have to work on a cross-cultural setting. But looking back, I'm so surprise to realize that we really didn't go through major, earth-shaking adjustments. Many times, I tend to forget that my husband is a foreigner since we understand each other very well. All I can say is, this is all because of God's grace and a testimony that indeed God is good and has brought us together for a purpose. Glory to God!

Below is the photo I took especially edited for my Hubby for our anniversary. Those rings are our wedding and engagement rings, though they are not bellissima, but they're equally special and very meaningful for us.

Yummy Sunday - Cookie Monster

For this week's Yummy Sunday entry, I'm sharing the Cookie Monster cupcakes that I baked last week for our friends' son's birthday. I've been seeing this cupcake for quite sometime in Pinterest and so I decided to try it. My kids really had fun decorating the cupcakes, putting the eyes and the choco chip cookies. I'm glad that they turned out well, though I think it would be better if I had white choco melts to use for the eyes.

Maybe next time, we should try the Elmo cupcakes.. :)

The Surprise Birthday Party

It was our friend's birthday the other day and we decided to give her a little surprise birthday party. It was sort of an impromptu decision as we have only planned it a night before. So, that Friday before lunch, I started to prepare all the things that I needed for the party. It's good that I got a little help from my girl and also from Hubby. I was able to complete everything on time in our little kitchen. And oh, it's really great to have a small kitchen because I could work faster as everything is just within reach. If I needed anything in our kitchen, it would be those RTA Kitchen Cabinets so as to store all my dishes and baking stuff. I heard those cabinets are of good quality and easy to assemble. *

Anyways, I'm glad that our friend enjoyed her surprise birthday party! As always, it's fun and exciting to invite other friends and surprise the celebrant. Organizing surprises like these are really worth all the time and effort especially knowing that you've blessed someone who has been a great blessing in our lives as well!

Abelene, if you're reading this, we're truly blessed with your heart and with your life. We pray that in God's beautiful time, He will give you your heart's utmost desire... "HAppy Birthday to you!!" ... :)))

* a sponsored post

The 'Upside Down' Rabbit

I can't help but have mixed emotions when I look at this photo. I get amused as to how my son is handling the rabbit, wondering what he really wants to do with it why he's turning it upside down and the same time I felt pity for the rabbit being a part of my son's 'experiment'.

But I'm glad to say that this rabbit still exists and is not in any way harmed by this 'acrobatic' move from my son.

Excited for December!

I find my kids talking more about their upcoming Christmas vacation to the Philippines these days. They're indeed looking very much forward to spend time with their cousins there and of course have a lot of fun!

Oh, I'm also excited! Originally, we didn't plan to go back for a visit this year since we just went last year. But with the flood experience last year with my Mom and sister's house being washed away from the flood, it seemed that the 2 week stay that we had last year was not enough. It seemed that we were really not able to have quality bonding time with family since everyone was still unsettled as to where to live and what to do next.

But we praise God that He has arranged everything now and my sisters and mom already have houses to live in. Though these are not exactly gulf shores real estate but houses where they can live very much comfortably and without the fear of another flood whenever it rains because this time their houses are already far from the river side.

We truly praise God for His favor..and we are looking forward to spend more time with family at the end of this year.

Colder Days

It has been raining here in the city for the past days. I actually like it when it rains because it makes our house cooler and there is no need for those air conditioner phoenix . Rainy days also makes me want to just laze around and eat Champorado ( or as what my kids call as Chocolate rice). So, I did exactly just that about 2 days back. I cooked Champorado for breakfast and spent more time sitting down and reading a book. Oh, never mind if I was supposed to be busy homeschooling my kids. They were also busy reading their books or drawing on the countless A4 sized papers. There are just times that I somehow take a break in between the busyness as a stay-at-home and homeschooling mom. These are much needed breaks especially if you're attending the needs of the children 24/7.

Anyways, back to the rain... I also like the kind of rain that we have these days. They're not so heavy nor continuous. So, somehow I'm at peace that this is the type of rain that doesn't flood the city. Oh, we don't want more floods and we're really praying that we won't have to experience another flood in our lives. :)

Our Thai Mother's Day

12th of August is the Queen of Thailand's birthday and also their Mother's Day. This day is really so special with the Thais as they pay tribute to the Queen and also to all the mothers around the country.

In the church, there was a special program for the Mothers which left everyone so touched and teary eyed. And since it was a special day for the Thai mothers, we thought of baking special cupcakes for our neighbors. So after church, I hurriedly baked and decorated the cupcakes and delivered them to our neighbors. My kids were with me during the delivery and they were the one who actually handed the cupcakes to our neighbors with a matching 'Suk San Wan Meh!' greeting. Our neighbors were so happy with their little surprise and it surely brought a smile on their face. We're glad to bless our neighbors and we hope that soon they will receive the greatest Blessing of all!

Rainy Days Are Here Again

It rained the whole day today and I'm reminded the the rainy days of Thailand are soon to come. I used to love rainy days. Rainy days used to mean lazing in our living room, playing with the kids or reading a book with 'champorado' (hot chocolate porridge) on the side. Some would be wearing jackets but I'm contented with my blanket. But after several 'flood episodes' in our life (both here and in the Philippines), rainy days now means preparation and getting ready with our 'go bag'. Rainy days would also mean a lot prayers now since we don't want another sequel of that flood episode. :)

A Touching Moment

I was so touched the other day by my son's gesture. We were in the city area to have dinner with our team and since he is like all his "Annehs" ( big brother in Tamil) so much, he was with them when we were going to the shop for dinner. So, I walked ahead with my daughter and waited for Lyle and the others to go inside the building. I thought that it was because of the heavy traffic that they were not able to cross the road immediately. Little did I know that Lyle saw a beggar on the sidewalk and he asked money from his 'anneh' so he can give money to the man. And not only that, ( the boys told me later), he also prayed for the man. Oh, when I learned about that, I was so touched that my 4 year old can do all these things in his own initiative and without anyone telling him to do so. I'm amaze that even at a young age he has a heart for the poor and needy. I actually notice this already as he always includes them in his daily prayers. Oh, I'm so bless with my little one and it's my desire that indeed as he grows up, his heart for the people won't change and will do all these things to glorify God!

When They Were Babies

Oh, I can't resist to post my cute li'l niece and nephews baby photos. They were so adorable!!

The photo above has been posted by my brother-in-law in his FB and I can't help but smile while browsing through their old photos. Indeed time flies so fast! The curly girl in blue is now 11 years old, the boy in front is already 15 years old while the boy in stripes is now 10 years old. Gone are the days when sister would be looking for baby stuff like milk bottles or bratt decor cribs. Now, these kids are already in ( or almost) in their teens and have different needs as well.

My Free Hotel Voucher

God's favor is amazing! I won another free hotel voucher on one of the contests that I joined in Facebook. I just received my hotel voucher a couple of weeks ago and still yet to confirm my booking.

I can't remember how many times I've already won a contest, but everytime I win, I still get amazed by it. Oh, it doesn't matter whether the prize is a free trip to Las Vegas or 10$ from Paypal, but it's still a great blessing to win something. Oh by the way, I haven't won a free trip to Las Vegas yet, but we did win a free trip to Jakarta a few year back. But sadly, Hubby and I were not able to push through with the free trip since the tickets were only good for 2 people and our kids were still small at that time. Oh, we didn't have the heart to leave our kids by then.

Anyways, I'm just happy and excited over these 'small' ( small for others but they're already BIG for me!) and unexpected surprises. So, whenever there's a 'simple' ( one that doesn't require a lot of time in joining) contest that I come across, I will surely try to join.

Our Neighborhood

Tricia on her regular skating time in the afternoons.

This is our neighborhood. We've stayed in this area for several years now and we really love it here. We know most of our neighbors and they're very friendly and kind. On a few occasions, our clothes will be left outside to dry and when it rains ( and we're out) , our kind neighbor would bring the clothes in the garage so they won't get wet in the rain.

Our kids love this neighborhood too. Honestly, they know more of our neighbors than us since they are outside most of the the afternoons. A few times we went out to a mall and some people would be smiling at them and calling them by their Thai names. Only later, I would remember that they were our neighbors who live at the far corner of the subdivision. Oh, I'm actually quite bad in remembering people's faces.

If ever we will move out and find a new house, I'm sure I will miss this neighborhood the most. Never mind if we are not living on the prime fountain hills real estate , but I think I will love it here more that the other subdivisions in the city. That's how we like it here...

Uneven Flooring

It has rained heavily this afternoon and I noticed that the water is somehow stuck on on our porch. I told Hubby that the rain was really so heavy since there's so much of water on the porch. But then Hubby told me that he has also noticed that water is stuck there whenever it rains these days but that hasn't been the case before. He suspects that the floor has become uneven. You see, there's a big crack on the floor on the garage before our house owner filled it up with cement. It was like a 'fault' line and Hubby thinks that that must be the reason of the uneven floor on the porch. For others they might think of checking www.ritewayflooring-america.com whenever it comes to flooring needs, but as for us, we're thinking of moving to another house. LOL! But seriously though, I just hope that this house will remain to be strong and stable while we're staying here. And not to mention, there's also a large crack on the wall of our homeschool room. I didn't notice the crack until my son asked me about it. Hmm.. I'm not so sure what's the explanation of this, but I hope this house is still livable.

Yummy Sunday - My Free Birthday Meal from Sizzler

As mentioned before, my birthday was such a blessing since it seemed like the surprises and celebration lasted for a week. I was truly a happy birthday gal! And to end of the 'celebration', we went to Sizzler to claim my birthday meal. Yes, as a member of the Sizzler, I'm entitled for a free combination meal ( worth almost 400 Baht) 7 days before or after my birthday! So, I chose a the fish fillet and sausage combination. And Hubby ordered another special promo while the kids eat for free.

Our family had a wonderful post birthday celebration and somehow I wished that everyday is my birthday. LOL! :)

This is my entry for Yummy Sunday hosted by Perfectly Blended.

Fun at the Fair

The most awaited Agricultural fair has finally come and our family got to visit it on the very first day. We were actually avoiding the crowd so we decided to go there in the afternoon.

As promised to our kids, we were going to see if we could buy rabbits for them there. But before we get to buy the rabbits, we looked at the wide array of plants and orchids being displayed. We couldn't resist the cute cacti, so we ended up buying 4 for 100 Baht. There was just so much to see on the fair and it seems they sell almost everything from plants to clothing accessories. Not sure though if they sell imported Cohiba but there were surely a lot of Thai souvenirs and delicacies.

Here are a few photos that we took during the fair.

Happy Birthday Tabi!!

Surprise, surprise! I know you don't want your birthday to be published in the world wide web, but I just can't help wishing you a blessed birthday in this blog of mine. ;)

It is our prayer that God will continue to fill you with so much of His grace, presence and love! May your life continue to be used as a blessing to many! Continue to live for Him who gave Himself for you! Happy birthday Tabi!

A Week long Celebration

I think this is the longest birthday celebration that I ever had. The celebration started a few days before my birthday when my Hubby gave me my surprise birthday gift! He gave it to me few days beforehand because we were travelling a few days after and it would be difficult for him to hide the 'surprise'. I truly had the best gift from Hubby and I told him that after that gift, my birthday is already complete. Nope, he didn't give me a classic dreadnaught guitar but something that I truly prayed and 'wished' that I could have. :)

Then during the week we were there for a training, our co-workers gave surprised me with my favorite Secret Recipe cake. Then another 36 cupcake surprise from my hosts. We had dinner at my favorite pizza restaurant. Then a few days later, our friends treated us at another restuarant with another 'surprise' greetings and cake from the crew! I thought that was the end of my weeklong birthday celebration when I had few other surprises throughout the days. Still my heart is overflowing with so much of excitement and joy for God's favor and grace in our lives!

Thank You Lord for 36!

Yesterday was my birthday! And I truly thank God for the blessed 36 years that He has given me. Oh, never mind if I've just divulged my age on the world wide web, my heart is just filled with overflowing with joy that indeed God has been with me for the past 36 years. I thank God for His great love that even before I was born, He already knows who I am and the plans He has for me. I thank God for giving me my family who loves me unconditionally and for friends who are always there.

It is my earnest desire and prayer and God will be glorified in my life now and and forevermore! To God be the glory!

Thailand Grand Sale

It's the time of the year again when Thailand is having its Amazing Grand Sale! Many of the branded and signature items will be on sale with some up to 80% discount. Sometimes we can't help but be surprised with the big difference of the prices of the goods. It's always nice to shop at discounted prices whether you're looking for laptops notebooks online or new clothing accessories.

Oh, we haven't done any shopping yet, we usually shop during Christmas or when it's time for us to go back home in the Philippines. And, we're going back there soon!.. :))

A Glimpse of the Past

I can't help but be amused at looking at our old photos. I'm really thankful that my cousin got hold of theses old photos and were kept in her house. If not, then these could have also been washed away by the flood.

Without further ado, here's a glimpse of the past.... the days when we were still smaller, younger ..and err.. thinner.. :))