A Restful Trip Back to "Home".

Went down to Perth to visit my parents from Nov 23-Dec 12. Was a lovely lovely time with family and it always warms my heart to see them. This time our trip was almost three weeks but still the time flew by. really quickly. Also,  as Keziah is older now and also as I think I have become less rigid with my routine, we had more time to move around and go more places.

Most of the days we went grocery shopping with my mum and had lunches at Fremantle. My dad could only take one weekend off so it was a wonderful time having fish and chips at this place called Sweet Lips. Much better than the Cicerello one. Managed to catch some wildlife fun at Caversham Wildlife Park too!

We went down to the shop to help my dad in the afternoons and Jedi slowly learned how to serve customers and key the pie orders into the machine. On the weekends, he had some grandpa-grandson bonding with my dad and went down with him to help out in the shop. Was lovely as my dad isn't able to come back to Singapore for the holidays as the shop needs to be open.

As always the dinners whipped up by my dad was lovely and of course the fellowhsip around the table with red wine, fruits and Baskin Robins! Haven't has the luxury of family dinners like that for a long time and soaking it up was so nice. The hum of conversation at the table with loved ones, the chomping of food together and the noises of the kiddies in the family room. They would also join in here and there to snitch some food or enjoy some snacks with all of us.

Would have been wonderful if my brother was there too. I realize we haven't had the whole family together in years as we would catch up in parts when we could fly over or when he or my mum came down. Hopefully we can plan one more soon!!!

As I become a parent myself, I come to really appreciate my own parents and the time spent with them. Funny how as a teenager, I craved for more independence and time alone with friends etc. Perhpas now I'm older and I have come to see that the ones who are really there for you and who genuinely care for you are at the end of the day my hubby and my family. Blood ties are the ones that bind. Others can never replace that and will never be able to offer that sort of support. I am so thankful too that my kiddies have godly grandparents to love them and pray for them and also have their well-being and interests at heart. Who spend the time to play with them and give them lots of love and tell them silly stories and pretend play. My kids are blessed.

Till we meet again ...very soon.... :)

Our Ah Goo!

This is my dear kiddies one and only AH GOO!! :) Glad for the blessing that my kids have to call him this!

Just wanted to write a blog to thank him for being such a dear uncle to the kids! Thanks bro for:
~ coming to see the kiddies whenever you are back!
~ entertaining them with your burps and other bodily sounds (haha!)
~ letting Jedi play with your phone till the phone battery is flat
~ playing catching and hide and seek in the storeroom and even out of the house
~ watching YouTube funny stuff
~ and just being a really great and fun uncle to them!

And of course not forgetting dearest Estella Jie Jie! :)
Thanks for playing with the kids and also kindly letting your phone fall vicitm to Jedidiah! Always enjoy your visits and the catching up till late at night! Great to know a dear sister like you! Don't let my bro bully you ah! Praying you two will grow in your walk together with the Lord and in your relationship with each other. God bless you two!

(sorry ah Jon....I 'stole' a pic from you as I couldn't find a nice one of the two of you!)

A journey of faith ...

My mother gave this to me many years ago when I was sitting for my 'O' levels. I still remember she gave me a card with Isaiah 40:31 on it:
'But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.' (KJV)

I kept this figurine till today. It is a well-loved ornanment in my cabinet at home. However, it was forgotten and became just a part of the display together with other trinkets collected over the years.

However, this verse came to me when we registered Jedidiah for his Primary One next year. And I recalled this beautiful wooden carved eagle given to me by my mother so many years ago. It greatly ministered to me and is really symbolic in the whole journey of finally finding a school for our first born.

It was a divine journey from the start to the finish. The Lord's hand and leading was clear from the start to the finish and we are still marvelling at His providence and blessing.

I reminded Jedidiah when we went to settle his school administration for next year on the meaning of his name : The one that the Lord loves. I took the chance to remind him that the Lord loves him dearly and has given him His best for him.

Waiting upon the Lord is one of the most difficult lessons I have struggled with but I know that at the end the Lord makes all things beautiful in ...His Perfect Time!

To God be the Glory!

8th Birthday and Wedding Bells!

This marks our 8th year together! Can't believe that after 8 years, we have a family of 5!! Thanks dear for your love and sacrifices for our family. Thanks for supporting me too in my ministry of looking after the kiddies and also in my work. May the years down the road be ever sweeter and frutiful....*hugz*

Sunday School Graduation

Jedidiah graduated from Sunday PreSchool on 13th November! He has been attending it since he was 3 years old and I used to remember how torturous and hard it was to get him to go in when he was little as he would be crying and refusing to let me or Dan go. Thanks to the patience of the teachers and the love and care they have showered over him these few years, he settled in and really enjoyed going to to his little Sunday School. Krisalyn will miss him as he was her support and companion when she first started to go to. He saw he through her crying times too. Now it will be Krisalyn's turn to be there for her littlest sister, Keziah.

It was heartwarming that the 3 bubs had little awards for good behaviour. Jedidiah had an award for being diligent in memory verses.

Krisalyn was awarded for good behaviour....

and Keziah for having a worshipful heart!

Thank you Lord for these little fruits in these three dears!

Jedidiah, Daddy and Mummy are praying that you will continue to grow in your walk with the Lord as you embark on the next phase of your spiritual teaching. Love the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Jedi's Love of Lego and Drawing

Pee Pee and Poo Poo Days are Here Again!

Yup! just as the title said! BUT.....I'm glad its the very LAST round I'm ever going to do!It's time for our littlest one to be off her diaper and for her daddy and mummy to save $ too!

Keziah was the fastest to train among her siblings as I guess she had her elder siblings as a guide. I felt she was showing signs of being ready as she would stand in front of the toilet bowl, lift up her shirt and tell me that she was peeing. No guesses on where she got that idea from!

It took about a week to train her and after another few days of picking gold from the floor she got the hang of it that it should be 'laid' in the potty! Our youngest is growing up too!

Happy Meal at MummyDonald's!

The kids have been sick of all the spaghetti and baked pasta every time I use minced beef. I personaly have been thinking about burgers (not the most healthy thing) as I am loving the Cheese Shaker fries from Macs. So I decided to use the minced beef to make my own patties. Pan fried them after seasoning and added them to buttered burger buns with cheese and tomato ketchup. The fires were oven baked and since I had an extra packet of the Cheese Shaker fries from Macs, I sprinkled it over them. Kids were delighted! Contented tummies with a slightly healthier version of the Happy Meal at home.

Little Writer at Work...

I have been spending too much time with Jedidiah in his work as since he started K2, he has been having Chinese and English spelling. An early start and an appetizer of what lies ahead in our stressful education system! So much that I have been neglecting time with Krisalyn and helping her in her writing and reading.

Her learning style is very different from Jedidiah and she is one who needs alot of encouragement and praise to motivate her. I told her that I had bought a special exercise book just for her and that it was mummy's own book just for her! She looked so happy and really put her heart into writing her letters. The cutest part was when I praised her writing, she said:

"Mummy, its because I asked Jesus to help me!"

Am grateful for her simple childlike faith!

Fun with Lanterns!

This was the kids' very first time with paper lanterns so we decided to let them have some fun! Thanks to a very very nice aunty from church who gave the kiddies these lanterns, they had much fun especially since they were Jedidiah's favourite Angry Bird ones! Baby Keziah is missing as we snuck out for a littlel while when she was in zzzzz land! Thanks again Aunty C if you see this! :) the kiddies love you!

Jelly Hearts Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the crust-

300 grams digestive biscuits

150 grams melted butter

For the cheesecake layer-

500 grams cream cheese (placed in room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to soften)

1 tablespoon &1/2 gelatin powder

1 cup &1/4 boiling water

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 strawberries

For the jelly layer-

160 grams strawberry flavoured jelly

1 cup &1/2 boiling water

1 cup &1/2 cold water

Preparation:

1Place 150g of butter in a oven proof bowl.

2Cover the bowl loosely with cling film wrap or use a microwave oven food cover. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds at high till butter is melted.

3Dip a brush into the melted butter and butter a large rectangular pan generously. I used a 13 X 10 X 2 inch glass pan.

4Note: You can line the pan with a large piece baking paper. This will make removal of the jelly hearts from the pan alot easier. And you wouldn’t have to worry about the crust sticking to the base of the pan. If you line the pan with baking paper, butter the baking paper all over as well.

5Place 300g of digestive biscuits in a food processor. Process till they become fine crumbs.

6Place the crumbs in a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir well to combine.

7Place the biscuits-butter mixture in the pan. Using a potato masher or a large glass with a flat surface, pack the mixture tightly into the pan.

8Once the crust is made, place the pan in the fridge and chill until ready to use.

9Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin powder in a bowl. Add 1 & 1/4 cups of boiling water to the gelatin powder. Stir well till all the gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

10Place 500g of cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add 2/3 cups of sugar.

11Using an electric whisk, combine the cheese and sugar. The cream cheese must be soft otherwise it will be very hard to mix here. Whisk till the mixture is light and fluffy.

12Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.

13Add the cooled gelatin mixture a little at a time. Whisk well to combine.

14The finished mixture should be a runny smooth liquid. Like a milkshake. If there are lumps, run the mixture through a sieve.

15Remove the pan from the fridge. Using a fork, prick holes all over the biscuit base.

16Pour the cream cheese mixture on to the biscuit base.

17Let the mixture rest in room temperature for about 10 minutes.

18In the meantime, cut the strawberries. Cut them first in half. Look for the thicker side and cut lengthwise across it so that each strawberry heart is thick. Then at the top of the strawberries, slice off the white tops with the leaves and cut a deep V in the centre.

19Press each strawberry half into the cream cheese mixture. Let the strawberry sink in gently. Space the strawberries 1 inch to 1.5 inches apart. Cover the pan with cling film wrap.

20Place the pan in the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

21Use strawberry jelly powder to make the top layer. Place 160g strawberry jelly powder in a bowl. Add 1 & 1/2 cups of boiling water. Whisk well till jelly powder has dissolved. Add 1 & 1/2 cups of cold water. Mix well.

22Ensure that the jelly-water mixture has cooled. And pour it over the cream cheese layer.

23Pour just enough jelly to cover the strawberries.

24Cover with cling film wrap again. Chill for at least 4 hours.

25Use a sharp knife with a thin blade to cut the jelly hearts. Prepare a large jar of boiling water. Dip the knife into the water. Wipe it off and cut. Repeat that with every cut to get a nice clean cut with no crumbs sticking at the sides.

26If you lined the pan with baking paper, the crust should not stick to the pan. If you didn’t line with baking paper, set the pan on a hot/warm surface for a few minutes before removing the jelly hearts. The heat will warm the butter at the base and make it easier to remove the jelly hearts.

27Cut into nice small pieces of jelly hearts cheese cake.

28Store covered in the fridge.

Recipe from : http://www.foodista.com/recipe/DCQLWDBL/strawberry-jelly-hearts

Thank you for being our teachers!

Teacher's Day is here again so its time for the kids to squeeze thier creative juices! I had to think hard too about what to help them with and decided on bracelets! Manged to get a huge box of beads for kiddies to make little decorative pieces and it came with elasitc string and all for about $12 in all. Very worth the money!

The beads were really tiny so I took the initiative to help Krisalyn make her share of the beads. This was my version:

But she surprised me when she managed to string them on herself as I though the beads were way too samll and I couldn't even put them on properly. This was her's and I really think it's so much nicer and more interesting than mine!

These were Jedi's versions:

Kids are definiely MORE creative! mine look really boring compared to theirs!

Then the kids made cookies and wrote little cards and stuck them on the little containers. Was a great attempt by Krisalyn as she wrote her name on her own.

And this was the finished product for their dear teachers:

Happy Teacher's Day to all who have input little nuggets of wisdom to the minds of our little ones!