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!.. :))