Time Flies

As the title goes...Time Flies

Staying in the busy world, everything is fast, quick and stress. Once my nephew came to stay with us for few days told Alyssa ... why your mum always say faster lah!

Well if compare to lifestyle in some other countries, here in Klang Valley actually not that bad. We still know how to slow down. Drive slowly on a fast lane, take up all the space on a escalator, making decision what to order at the counter in a fast food restaurant.

Hubby and I love to take holiday trips. I will sometimes wonder where we went last or that place when we went. Thanks to digital age we can now store them instead of depending on our memory chip in our brain.

So I shall highlight some exciting and interesting moments (at least to me). And in this way I can also appreciate my life and grateful for all the blessings in my life.

Kindy Teacher

After being a homemaker for 11 years, I started working as a Kindy teacher teaching Nursery class 3 years old. It was fun and quite stressful. Cause dealing with this age group of short attention span and just learning to take instructions. To me it is more important to shape them in their character at this young age than having them achieve in academic. Well only for 1 year of work, after that back to homemaker status again. My girls in different school sessions so can't work lor.

Keys to New House

Got our keys on 27 Jan 2015. That means source for contractors for renovation. Finalised quotations took 1.5 months and renovation 2 months. Most furniture were newly bought. So after all the fittings we finally moved in on 13 June. Prior to that hubby and I spent a year of shopping and looking for sales on the fittings and furniture. Went to three mega exhibition.

Before

After (before moving in)



Valentine's Day

This day in year 2015 is the 4th year passing of my dad.

As a couple we normally get a gift for each other. What did I give my hubby..cannot recall. What he gave me..Blue Bunny Chocolate Icecream, yum yum! That evening we went for a makan session with 2 other families. Awesome crab we ate that night. Went to Ampang Fish Farm Restaurant.

Road trip Pulau Ketam

Labour Day. My family, my mum and the Cheah family drove to Klang in one car. Took a ferry to Pulau Ketam. It was a hot day. Food there so so only. Dinner was better, in Bagan Hailam.

Children's Camp

5 - 7 June Held in CBC Puchong but combined both SS2 and Puchong children's church. A total of 152 registered which is also our maximum number. That venue can't accommodate bigger number.

Fearless Factor is the theme. This camp is the last one I organised in this church.

Last day in CBC (28 June)

Why last camp? My family decided to leave this church and moved on to another church. CBC has been a church that I grew as an adult and mature as a Christian. Many fond memories. First went to this church in 3rd Quarter year 1996.

On my last day in CBC, the Children's Ministry threw me a farewell. A very touching occasion. One Sunday School Teacher describe me using the letters of my name.

Well I believe more is instore for me as I continue walking closely to God.

 Photo album - photos of me, SS teachers and children and wonderful messages (thanks Ann)

House Dedication (27 June)
Senior Pastor,  Pastor Intern and the Cell Group came for our house dedication.

Farewell gift from Living Fountain

(is now at my living hall)

 

Korea Trip (14-23 November)

Birthday gift from hubby. 9D8N Seoul and Jeju island. Wonderful trip. A lot of walking. Took more than one thousand photos!!

UPSR and PT3 Results

Both did well. Hannah got 5As 2Bs for UPSR and Alyssa got 7As and 3Bs in PT3. So proud of them.

Ipoh & Penang Trip (19-26 December)

My 3rd trip back to Ipoh (my hometown) this year. Spent 3D2N in Penang. Brought mum and nephew along.

God has been good to me.
Thanking God for His protection over my family. We had a car accident in August. Car was bad but we were unhurt.
Thanking God for His provision for my family. We had nothing less.
Thanking God for His love for my family. We never had big arguments. My children are very obedient. Hubby loves me and I love him so much.

Praying for a good year in 2016. Praying that my family remain following God's path for us faithfully.

Family then and now

Growing up in a typical chinese (cantonese speaking) family, we have limited sharing and caring. Well not that we don't care for our family members, but definitely not in physical showing affection neither in words. So to even utter words like "I love you" or "take care" is never heard.

However things are so different with my children or even with my hubby. We hug, kiss, say the three words, and much more. Is this the generation that changes begins or is the education we received or the influence of other means? Whatever it is I prefer our situation now then before.

Well I saw a different picture when I went back to my hometown and celebrate Chinese New Year at my brother's house. My mum moved to stay with my brother after the demise of my dad and selling off the house I grown up in.

I decided to stay in a hotel instead during that few days and only spent meal times there, which my brother sounded me a few times. So I spent most of the time in that house either in the kitchen or the dining hall. Outside at the living hall was only sound of the TV. No sound of any conversation or from the children. Except for few calls on the phone, I didn't hear anyone talking.

My girls confirmed that actually the children didn't talk, my brother and sister-in-law didn't talk. All they did was watch TV and play games either on handphone or the notebook. Wow! What family is this??? Oh! My hubby of course was with his iPad.

Well I am in good terms with my mum and my brother. Thank God. My mum and I always talk on the phone. My nephews also join in conversation when my mum and I talk. So do my brother and his wife ever wonder the openness my children share with us compare to theirs.

This trip makes me more appreciate of my family, my faith and all that God has blessed me with.

Christmas at the Park - Make A Wish

Christmas may have came and gone. All the buzyness, lots of feasting and shopping have filled our schedule to the max. But one thing for sure the light of the Almighty One shinning through will only grow stronger and brighter and always lighted up. I hope that everyone has somehow felt and experience this Light and His love and peace during this holiday season.

I have the priviledge to be part of an exciting event organised for children. The Children's Church this year had Christmas at a park near church I am attending. We invited the residents near church (by giving out flyers) and also to orphanage and the hardcore poor homes.

God is good! Weather that morning was sunny and windy. There were 91 children registered on that day and unregistered ones were more than 10 (mostly too young to join in, so they stayed close with their parents). We expected a number of 100 children. Good thing being Malaysian, we always prepare more. From the registration list, there were 42.8% not from our church.

When I took on the role to organise this event, I knew I had a problem of manpower because I am still very, very new in the Children's Ministry. So only key roles were assigned but things like helpers in each team I seriously have big problem. I sent some emails and sms out. However, that morning though there were not many helpers (only 22 adults) but each one just helped each other to get the place ready. We carried stuff, arranged tables, moved chairs, some pumped balloons, climbed chairs hanging Christmas deco and balloons. Some (thankfully) swept and mopped the basketball court. So in just 1 1/2 hours the place was set to welcome the children.

The programme of 2 hours went very smooth.

Registration - Each child was given a name tag and assigned to a group

Make A Wish - Then they can write on the 'wish card' their wish(es) and hang onto the Christmas tree.

Welcome - Passing parcel game where some 'lucky' ones got prize. 

Games (thank you Mi Lin, very well organised and easy enough yet very fun to play) - 5 stations named after countries. Altogether 10 groups of 8-10 children, 2 groups to a station to compete. In Malaysia children play football, Philippines children dance tinikling , Myanmar children learn 3 greetings in Myanmarese, Indonesia children play semut, orang, gajah and China children to build great wall.

Presentations - 'Sow Seed (sa zhong zi)' by children from Chinese Session and 'We were the Reason' by children from English Session.

Lunch - Fried yee mee with chicken and egg slice. All food pack of 150 were given out. No wastage. They were then treated with ice-cream. Even adults also lined-up for the free ice-cream.

Gifts - Children always happy to receive gift and we prepared more than enough.

All good things must come to an end and so is Christmas at the Park - Make A Wish. But the wishes of children can only be fulfilled by the Almighty One. So till the next major event (which will be in June 2012) I shall keep my head held high and heart close to my Lord.

Haapy New Year everyone!

Birthday comes early this year

Not denying my age as I am celebrating the end of thirties this year. Life has been good and very good. Having a new car to drive I thought was great and yesterday Alyssa got her trophy for coming first in class in her exams.

But I've received something so unexpected....tickets to Alam Tam Concert! (I have been a fan of Hong Kong superstar Alan Tam since school days.)

My loving hubby surprised me with the tickets. OMG can't believe this is real. Never will I thought that I will go to a concert like this. Anyway it's tonight and I am just so excited.

It gets better...I'm sailing in a cruise on my birthday! And with the most important people to me. I am so looking forward to all these excitement.

Ok back to reality...mop the floor first.

20 minutes Frustration and 5 minutes Patience!

My last blog post was more than 5 months ago!

This morning after gym I got home but couldn't find my house key in the car. Usually Alyssa locks the gate (don't have auto-gate) and 'throw' the keys to the front passenger seat. So I was looking high and low, front and back. Did she even lock the gate??? Question came to my mind.

Called hubby...confirm no extra keys at home and the gate was lock when he went to work this morning. Then immediately he called me if I need him to come back cause he was not too far away from house. Of course yes lah. Lo behold I found the keys BUT it's stuck inside the hand brake hole. Called hubby again say no need to come back.

Twenty minutes later called him again..."I can't get the keys out!" By this time he was already on the highway and probably reaching office soon. So told myself BE PATIENT. Slowly and diligently...plus some skill and lots of prayer...finally got hold of the keys. Guess what that only took me 5 minutes.

Now I know where are all the tools in this new car (less than 10 days we got it) and what I have in there.

Corrective Contact Lense

Have you heard of corrective contact lenses that can correct short sighted without having go under surgery? It's called Ortho-K (Orthokeratology) .

Orthokeratology is the design and fitting of special gas permeable contacts that gently reshape the clear front surface of the eye (cornea), so you can see clearly even after you remove the lenses. Unlike LASIK, however, the corneal reshaping effect of orthokeratology is temporary — generally enough to eliminate your need for glasses or contacts for a day or so. Then you have to wear the ortho-k lenses again to maintain the proper corneal shape. The reshaping only takes place when you wear the contact lense to sleep overnight that is at least 6 hours or more. Suitable for treatment of up to -5.00D short sighted and -1.50D of astigmatism and for anyone even children.

I have just put Alyssa into this treatment. She's turning 11 in July. It was recommended by my neighbour whom daughter has a similar situation as Alyssa. The process involved of many visits to the optometrist (you can visit her profile here). First visit is to measure all the necessities and taking a map of the cornea. Second visit is to put the contact lease for an hour trial. If no complication then can proceed to 6 hours trial the next day.

Alyssa on 6 hours trial now. Just put on for her and later will go to the optometrist. If everything goes well then she can start wearing it everynight. Initially one will still need to wear glasses even after wearing the contact lenses overnight BUT at a much lower power. This will a month or so depends on the degree of short sighted.

In Alyssa's case where her short sightedness is -6.00, her treatment might takes a longer period before she can be off the glasses. And not only that the cost of the whole treatment is also higher. Will not disclose the exact amount here but can tell you that this cost thousands. No worries cost is much lesser than LASIK. The cost is inclusive of the optometrist professional fee, contact lenses and glasses needed.

Why I don't let her undergo the treatment a year ago when I heard of it? First the cost and I was not confident that she can handle them - the contact lense. My prayer is there will no complications or infections ever happen to Alyssa.

Approaching Father's Day

Father's Day is coming. All sorts of advertisement placed in the local newspapers to promote their products especially for fathers. Some called it Parent's Day (include Mother's Day), 2 in 1...that's how to save money and ideas on promo.

For me, being the sad and grieving me, should I look forward to Father's Day. My dad has passed away a few months ago. Infact on Valentine's Day, just 4 months ago. Now both my dad and my father-in-law are not around anymore. Is there a reason to celebrate Father's Day, as I asked myself.

I have not came to this page (writing a blog post) not that I'm lazy but because I am so afraid to face myself. My father-in-law passed away just one and a half month before my dad. He was in a coma after a fall. Dealing with his loss was difficult but we made it through. Knowing he is in a better place with the Lord rather than suffering on the sick bed.

My dad's death came as a shock to me. He was supposed to go for a body check-up. He was having cough and difficulty to sleep at night. After a few visits to the clinic and and an X-ray, nobody can tell what is really wrong with him. That day to the clinic (another doctor) was an early farewell bid to all. He had water in his lungs and died of heart failure when doing treatment in the hospital.

I stay 200 over KM away from my parents and did not have a chance to say goodbye to my dad.  After his death, I was in such a denial stage and I refused to talk about his passing. An revelation came to me that I should not keep to myself anymore. God has spoken. I must speak out. In that moment I told the Lord I'm going to speak on Father's Day in church.

There is no reason I shouldn't celebrate Father's Day cause there is a far greater Father whom I trust. As the Lord's Prayer begins with 'Our Father who art in heaven...' We have a Father that see us all the time.

Life is hard, but God is good—all the time.