Matthias turns 7!

It seems not too long ago when I was still in SP48, giving my colleagues a blow by blow account of my sister's first labour experience way back in 2001:

21st Dec, 2.30pm: My sister has just been admitted to the labour ward! Her amniotic fluid's dried up so will have to induce labour...

21st Dec, 6pm: (Has your sister delivered?) No leh...

22nd Dec, 8.30am: (So how? Delivered already?) No... her cervix is barely dilated...

22nd Dec, 1pm: (Is the baby out?) Not yet... cervix only around 3cm...

22nd Dec, 5pm: (Update from brother-in-law) Cervix around 6cm.

22nd Dec, just before 7pm: Matthias is born!!! (Finally!)

Matthias at 7 months

Matthias at 7 years

Happy birthday my favourite nephew! :D

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Bye bye SFF801C

Although we're excited about getting a brand new car, it is with great sadness that we let our old one go. After all, we journeyed from being friends to a dating couple to finally husband and wife in this car. So many memories... SFF801C, we will miss you.

Going places.

Sad (or trying to look).

THE (my favourite!) driver.

In-car "karaoke" system, our faithful companion.

Original place of honour for Bernie.

Where family and friends have gathered (or squeezed rather).

First scratch at 2 weeks' old.

The colour, the number.

Reflections.

In all splendour.

The great exchange.

$2 deals

Here are some of what I believe to be the best $2 deals in town:

McDonald’s breakfast meal: Sausage McMuffin + Coffee/Tea
Gloria Jean’s Cappy Hour: all regular hot drinks (2pm–7pm @ Marina Square)
Nasi lemak set including fried chicken wing: various hawker stalls
Daiso shop: steals waiting to be discovered if you take the time to browse

The one that wins hands down for the BEST deal ever? $2 COE!!!

Yup, COE plunged to an all time low of $2 yesterday since the quota system started in 1990. The reason we're so excited? Our car dealer put in a bid for us and we were successful! Looking forward to a brand new Toyota Altis within the next couple of weeks...

Sweet.

The long engagement

I've been having this nagging feeling for the past couple of days that a special date's coming up.

Was it an appointment I made? Don't think so...

Was it a friend's birthday? Can't be, we've already celebrated Shieen's...

Then it hit me just as I was walking back to Haem Pharmacy after morning rounds. Two years ago today Xingmin proposed to me!

Nah, there weren't any lavish celebrations, just a simple dinner of ramen at Baikohken. Xingmin's been wanting to bring me there since he was introduced to the generous portions by his brother a few weeks back. I must say each bowl's pretty filling, and the shio butter corn's really yummy. Tad too salty though, so it's lovely to have free flow of ice cold houjicha to wash it all down with.

It's amazing how the 2 years have flown by, and we give thanks to God for having watched over us as our relationship grows in His love. Next month, we'll be celebrating our first wedding anniversary! :)

Faithfulness

Two songs we sang in church today really touched me. Thanks, Wanling, for choosing to focus on the topic of faithfulness.

You Are So Faithful
Lenny LeBlanc

Like the sun that rises everyday
You are so faithful, Lord, You are faithful
Like the rain that You send
And every breath that I breathe
You are so faithful, Lord

Like a rose that comes alive every spring
You are so faithful, Lord, You are so faithful
Like the life that You give to every beat of my heart
You are so faithful, Lord

I see the cross and the price You had to pay
I see the blood that washed my sins away

And in the midst of the storm
Through the wind and the waves
You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful
When the stars refuse to shine and time is no more
You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful, Lord

Find Us Faithful
Steve Green (Words and Music by Jon Mohr)

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

rush... more...

time, never seems enough
world, passes by
why, life begins when work stops
how, life halts when work resumes

rush rush rush...

the wonders of creation, lost
amidst the madness, struggle for survival
urban jungle

hours, minutes, seconds
ticking ticking by
by
bye

more more more...
no more

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It's funny how we always have this need to get out of the country, to get away from it all. Singapore has nothing to offer, we say. In truth, beauty lies in every corner, if only we take the moment. Not to merely glance, but truly see.

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The joy of reading

Recently Xingmin and I have been borrowing a number of books from the library, and it's now our regular once-in-3-weeks date (of cos we do go on other dates in between!). So, what are we currently reading?

The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Xingmin first saw this book at Trix's when we visited last month. Loved the book so much that he's thinking of purchasing a copy off Amazon. Meanwhile, he's borrowed a copy and has been ploughing through this huge volume whenever he has some free moments. Could this be my very own personal chef in the making? :P~

Momzillas by Jill Kargman
Compared to the Meat Book, Momzillas seems like a super ditsy option! According to the author, momzillas are "the Kelly bag-toting, Chanel-wearing, Bugaboo-pushing mothers of New York". This book talks about how Hannah, the female protagonist has to take them on, on top of having to deal with the MIL from hell and the appearance of an old flame. But hey, after a frustrating and exhausting day at work, nothing beats reading an entertaining, non thought-provoking story about "survival of the fittest, richest, bitchiest..."