LuNShiNes

3. A fruitful and first time ever family trip to Hong Kong in June with my 2 brothers (with Sheryl), in-laws, my parents, Eugene, the kids and I. I am so happy that we can really spend quality time to fellowship as a BIG family! It is always such a joy to see my in-laws and my parents getting along so well. I really love them!

4. Li’ora having Hand Foot Mouth Disease in July. It was so trying. She is so in pain with the many ulcers, she would often be crying and rolling in bed in pain, holding her mouth with her hands. Because of the ulcers, she would refuse to eat and drink. I also have to separate Li’ron because HFMD is pretty contagious, and already on the first night, Li’ron woke up more than 20 times (yes! I counted!) from his sleep, crying. Despite the doctors suspecting that 1 yr old plus Li’ron had HFMD, thank God it was not. The pain was due to an ulcer in his throat. Having HFMD at such a young age for Li’ron would be pretty worrying as it can lead to more infection to the lungs, throat etc. After 2 weeks confined at home, Li’ora could finally go to school, and I had “good” night sleep once again. It was really trying to wake up so many times in the night and to shuttle between 2 houses to take care of Li’ron and Li’ora who were placed under the care of different care givers ie. my inlaws and my parents.

5. Giving birth unexpectedly early on 15 Oct, 2011 (Sat)! I was totally caught off guard. I was suppose to have my C-section operation on 1 Nov (1.1.11) in Mt Alvernia actually. More about this unexpected early birth in another blog entry.

Birth of Li'roy…

This year has truly been a year of enlargement for me, with many transitions faced in ministry as well. But all in all, God’s grace and wisdom had seen me through and will continue to see me though. I have learnt the importance and value of love, and all that I have gone through, has reminded me once again that we must always take the time to meet the needs of others, because everyone, more often than not, do have a burden that he carries; a struggle that he is facing.

I believe that greater things are yet to come! I am believing and still confessing for revival and breakthrough in every area of my life, in LYL and ZY zone and especially in CHC!

Counting down 39 days to 2012!!!

God is always faithful and true. He will never permit the righteous to be moved!

Li’ora in Pre-Nursery!

2011-03-01T10:49:00.001+08:00

It has been 2 months since Li’ora started pre-nursery. Having just turned two years old in December last year, she was one of the youngest kid in her class. The first 2 weeks of school were trying, as her separation anxiety was pretty bad. Li’ora would often cry loudly once I leave her in her class. It was pretty amazing, because by the 2nd day of school, I was the only parent in her class! Having been so busy to try calm Li’ora down (who was clinging on to my blouse wherever I went), I failed to notice that the rest of the parents had already left their children readily minutes ago. Frankly, Li’ora’s classmates are super steady! Almost 90% of them did not cry. In fact, they were playing happily and entertaining themselves.

As I drive Li’ora to school daily, a typical conversation in the car would go like this…

Mummy: Li’ora, do you want to go to school?

Li’ora: No…. (mutters softly)

M: Li’ora, do you want to see Mrs Quek?

L: No…. (mutters softly)

M: Li’ora, do you want to dance?

L: Yes… (shows abit of excitement)

M: Li’ora, do you want to sing?

L: Yes! (gets more excited)

M: Li’ora, you will get to dance and sing in school. So, do you want to go to school?

L: No… (mutters softly again)

M: Li’ora, do you want to eat?

L: Yes… (gets excited again)

M: Li’ora, do you want to play toys?

L: Yes… (gets even more excited)

M: Li’ora, you will get to eat and play toys in school. So, do you want to go to school?

L: No… (mutters softly again)

And this whole cycle repeats again and again, until she replies ‘Yes” and gets excited when asked if she wants to go to school. Li’ora will also put her hands together and pray for herself, her teachers and friends, by repeating a simple 3-sentences-prayer after me. After this prayer ends, we will get down from the car and head to the school gate.

I really appreciate all the teachers taking such time, love and patience in helping her to adapt to school. I know that she is not particularly easy to look after. As her form teacher, Mrs Quek, had aptly put it, “Li’ora, when you come to school, don’t switch on your radio (ie. crying)”. Now, Li’ora is often looking forward to school (there are still days when she gets school blues… haha) Just 2 weeks ago, she started to eat lunch. Before that, probably due to her uneasiness, she would refuse to eat but walk around the class, only to be stopped by the teachers and be personally fed by them. Yesterday, she managed to sleep 15 minutes! This is a breakthrough, because the past weeks, she had refused to take a nap whilst all her classmates did. Instead, she wanted to play in the play ground and walk around again. PS. It is Li’ora’s favourite past time to walk around, and to touch this and that. Even her CCH teachers will confirm this!

Anyway, her Term 1 break is in 2 weeks’ and I hope that minimum transition is needed for her to get use to the school routine once again. =)

These are some pictures I took of Li’ora. See if you can spot her! She is with her favourite yellow Duck waterbottle and pink school bag…

Picture 1: Lunchtime! (This is where they will play their toys too)

Picture 2: Music and Movement/ Dance

*Spotted her? She is the only girl standing in the centre, with her 2 hands on her head.

Picture 3: Ready for Home!

Li’ora in Pre-Nursery!

Inspiring Blog Entry by Pastor Phil Pringle…

2011-01-10T09:52:00.001+08:00

What a revelation! Indeed, 2011 shall be the best year yet for us!

RESOLUTION

December… My Favourite Part of the Year! (Part 2)

2010-12-30T22:32:00.000+08:00

I have been tremendously blessed this year during my birthday. Thank God for the wonderful 27 years, and I pray with all my heart, that the next 27 (and more) years will be even more glorious, for His glory! I really want to take this time to appreciate my mentors in my life: Pastor Zhuang (my District Pastor), Pastor Kong and Sun. One of the greatest breakthroughs in my life this year is to have Sun as my personal mentor, someone whom I can account to and share my life with. And this is incidentally just prior to one of the most challenging times in my life; giving birth to my 2nd child. Indeed, one of the greatest gifts God has given to me this year, is the gift of access to the lives of these great men and women of God. They have indeed been my inspiration and wise counsel. And I have purposed in my heart that I would run together with them, in their vision, to build God’s kingdom.

God has really overwhelmed me greatly through the many blessings, especially in the form of birthday gifts, encouragement cards and Christmas presents to my children. Li’ora and Li’ron, young as they may be, have a whopping 25++ presents each! Wow! I don’t remember having so many Christmas presents when I was young. I really want to thank all parents, Staff and Church members for blessing my children. Blessing them is really as good as blessing me. =) Seeing my kids so happy, and the sense of wonder they have on their faces, when they open up their presents, just make my day!

I really want to thank every single member in LYL and ZY zone for all your gifts and cards. They are so sweet of you! I hope that I will be able to serve and do more as your leader and friend. Of all the presents that I have received this year, there are 3 gifts that really touched my heart. The first is a “Lowe” black pouch that was given to me by Pastor Zhuang. It meant alot because I know that this is not cheap and given all the financial pressures faced by the family due to Tyler, I am really so moved. (Pastor Zhuang! My family is always praying for you. You and Pastor Audrey are our heroes!)

Of course, the second precious gift came from LYL & ZY cell group leaders!!

A Sony Camera!!! Just what I needed! And in my favourite colour too! You guys must have sacrificed so much to come up with this, I am forever grateful. You guys are such a dream team! I thank God everyday for you! Your love for God has never failed to inspire me to do more for Him! And I pray that every single one of you will be ULTRA successful, fruitful and blessed in your career, family, ministry and every aspect of life!

And finally… What my dearest hubby Eugene bought for me! I actually wore one of these necklaces to service today!

They are really not cheap!! Thanks dear! And the way these gifts were presented, was really hilarious! He dropped it amongst some of the other birthday gifts in a bag, without even leaving a note. My heart ‘sank’ for a moment when I saw the SK red boxes, as I thought, “ Which individual would buy such expensive jewellery for me?” I certainly hope that it is NOT one of the youth that is in the zone, because I definitely can’t accept such an expensive present! As I was thinking this aloud, Eugene sneaked behind me and laughed cheekily, “It’s ME la!!!” Whew!!!

Of course, another great GREAT present was to see so many loved ones and friends saved during our Christmas Candlelight and Drama weekend. Hundreds and hundreds of people literally responded and came forward to the altar call. I am so encouraged. Indeed, people need the Lord and Jesus reigns! Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas!

Let me just end this post by sharing a very meaningful and powerful miracle God did for me! Actually, on the actual day of my birthday, I realised that my wallet was misplaced. The first thing that came to my mind was… “Oh no, it must have dropped out of my bag!” I was quite sad at first because my wallet was a COACH wallet bought by Eugene from America! There were also some precious photos of my family and grandparents (and of course, money, credit cards and cards etc). But somehow, despite the loss, there was this peace that came over me. Eugene even smsed me, encouraging me with these words, “Dear, don’t worry, sure can find one…” Sure enough, 3 days later, on Boxing Day (26 Dec), as I was opening the Christmas presents with my children, there lying amongst the gifts is my wallet! Like how Bennie aptly put it, it is a Christmas gift that God has for me! Personally, I really have no re-collection of how my wallet ended up in the paper bag. But nevertheless, praise God!! What a great Christmas, and what a great 2010!

December… My Favourite Month of the Year! (Part 1)

2010-12-29T21:23:00.000+08:00

5th December was a day to remember as Li’ora threw her 2nd birthday party at her grand parents’ place… This year’s party was kept a small affair, according to the wishes of her grandparents. We had a simple home cooked dinner, all prepared by Eugene’s mother (very power!), and invited our immediate family members and close friends.

Li’ora’s Birthday Party

Li’ora had SOOOoooo many presents and angbows! But there were 2 favourite toys she had… 1 was a toy birthday cake, because she simply loves blowing out candles after singing a birthday song to herself. The 2nd favourite toy was the whiteboard with magnetic letters.

Li’ora’s actual birthday was on 10 December (Friday). As her mother, I specially took leave to bring her out. Our initial plan was to watch Marina Square’s Hi-5 Special. The show started at 1pm, and after treating her to Long John Silver, we proceeded to queue up at 12.15pm. But boy! I really underestimated all the parents, the queue was HORRENDOUSLY long and we did not make it into the top 50. Sad… We did not get to catch the show. Instead, I got Li’ora this…

We quickly drove to Forum Mall to catch the 1pm show: Alice in Wonderland!

Alice in Wonderland

But Li’ora did not like the show as I had expected, because she was scared of the Rabbit! Ok, it does look huge and different from those she read in her story books. So poor Mummy has to think quickly on her feet, to keep her occupied. I decided to bring her to Toysarus in Forum…

Li’ora in ToysRus

We managed to catch the last bit of the show in the end, and celebrated her birthday one more time! =) (To be exact, we celebrated her birthday with a cake 5 times! She really loves blowing the candles!

Happy!!

Something to Ponder About…

2010-12-04T22:15:00.001+08:00

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...AND
Lazarus was dead!
No more excuses now. God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. And now here are a few points to ponder.

1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
2. Dear God, I have a problem, it's me.
3. Growing old is inevitable, growing UP is optional.
4. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
5. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
7. Faith is the ability to not panic.
8. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.
9. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.
10. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.
11. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.
12. The most important things in your house are the people.
13. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

Li’ron Knows Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!!

2010-11-16T14:26:00.001+08:00

Li’ora At Her Cheeky Moments!

2010-11-11T15:14:00.001+08:00

Li’ora at 7 months, simply love this simple game of removing and putting in the pacifier into her mouth… Watching this video bring back memories! How chubby she was last time!

This is another video of Li’ora at 22 months! With her ‘definition’ of fun changed greatly! =) My poor brother, Xin Hong, is being bullied and ‘slapped’ by her… Haha…

She is so cute! =)

God is Faithful, Always…

2010-11-10T17:55:00.001+08:00

I must admit that the past few months (ever since the birth of Li’ron this June) have indeed been the most challenging season in my life thus far. The ‘coping’ with this transition was made evident with the less than regular blog posting, with this post being the first in 2.5 months. But it is also during this period of time, my capacity is stretched, my faith in God is tested, my weaknesses are revealed and my walk in Him strengthened. Indeed, dark valleys are times when you draw closest to God and He, being faithful, draw closest to you. *Smile* And still, as always, I want to thank God for who He is. I know that there is always a higher purpose in everything that we go through.

Being a mother of 2 is more overwhelming than I had previously expected. With an age gap of 17 months, it has been really challenging to nurse Li’ron who drinks milk (and poo 50% of the time every 3 hours for the first 2 months) and play, teach, discipline, feed, read to, bathe etc Li’ora at the same time. I feel my days going past me in a flash and just trying to ‘find’ time to do other things besides taking care of my 2 kids is a great challenge. This is a great frsutration for me because deep down inside, I want to serve God and I know that surely, there must be balance that I can find, between serving Him and being a loving mother. Another personal challenge was that my C-section wound was not healing as well as I had expected, given the excessive growth of my tissues. I had to visit my gynae the next few months to take injections so as to reduce the swelling of my wound. Each time was a series of 5 to 7 injections, one after another, and boy, it was really painful. More often than not, I would not be able to walk properly that day and have to take leave from work when needed.

I was supposed to go back to work during the 1st week of August, but the unexpected happened. On 31 July, Li’ora had a fall in the living room. She hit the back of her head and even though she slept thereafter, she started to cry uncontrollably after she woke up 2 hours later. Sensing that something was amiss, I rushed her to East Shore hospital. Thank God, her head is okay, but upon viewing her X-ray, we found that her left collar bone was broken into two. It was a serious fracture. I was stunned when the doctor told me about the news. More than grief, it was really this sense of guilt which I had to deal with… Li’ora fell because she tripped over my feet. She was walking towards me (I was seated on a sofa) while I was talking to her. Even though we consulted a bones specialist at Mount Elizabeth the following day, the specialist was unable to account for the fracture, because there was no bruise or “blue-black” found on any part of her body, not to mention her left collar bone area which broke. It is puzzling how the fracture can take place and why it happened. Because Li’ora refused to wear an arm sling, we had to change the way we carried her, changed her, bathed her etc, so as not to aggravate her fracture. Most of all, we have to constantly keep watch and try our best to ensure that she did not fall forward as this would worsen the ‘break’ in her bone and hinder the recovery process. It was a very stressful period. Thank God, this fracture is estimated to fully recover in 6 to 8 weeks, with no shortening of the arm whatsoever.

Because of this incident, I had to constantly deal with this guilt of “it is my fault that Li’ora broke her collar bone”. It was not easy. I really prayed and cried out to God and claimed every healing promise in the Bible. And I must admit that there was a period of time, I did lose self-confidence in being a mother. Like how my father sharply put it, Li’ora broke her collar bone, but I lost my self-confidence. Knowing that this will greatly hinder the way I serve God, it is one battle that I know I must not lose. Prayer and confession of God’s promises in faith is the only way to go, and the one thing that I must do for as long as I live because I know that this '’lacking confidence that I am a good mother” and “constant pressure that I put on myself to be the best mother I can be” is a ‘weakness’ I have and an area that I must constantly guard against.

A month later, in end August, Eugene was diagnosed with dengue fever. His blood count was very low and I have never seen him so sick before, having to lie down and rest in bed most of the time. I took many days of leave too since I have to take care of the kids by myself most of the time. Thank God, at the end of 2 weeks, he fully recovered. Around the same time, I was also down with severe fungi skin infection, which led to me sleeping very little due to the horrendous itch. Indeed, August and September were very trying months. Currently, Eugene’s grandmother is critically ill. With her fingertips turning purplish blue, the doctors are telling the family to prepare for the worst, estimating her passing on to be within these 2 weeks.

Many have asked me, “Yi Lun, what did you do? How did you lose weight so fast?” Frankly, I am not very sure. Probably it is due to the unconscious stress and lesser sleep, given these emotional, mental and physical turmoil, plus the constant ‘trying’ to find the balance between my ministry/work, studies/assignments, family and health which can be pretty overwhelming at times.

Yet, despite all these, I experienced the presence and love of God and the truth of His word in such a tangible way, in a way that has never been more real to me than now. Like what Pastor Kong had preached, it is during times of trials and challenges, that your weaknesses are revealed and your convictions get strengthened. I have never been so sure of my calling, until now. With motherhood, I have learnt to be more patient. With these challenges, I have learnt to trust God and put all things into His hands. I am also reminded once again, the importance of being sensitive to the needs of the hurting. Every single soul is precious. Nothing that a person faces is trivial. Everyone is fighting his or her own battle and as Christ’s disciples, we are to come alongside and encourage one another. I am so blessed to have such a great hubby, wonderful family, faithful friends and amazing mentors in my life, that are believing in me and praying for me.

I know that this is not a time to stop, but to keep on keeping on, because with His grace, I will surely cross over to the other side. Indeed, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for God is with me (Ps 23:3). When I cry out to Him during my days of trouble, He shall deliver me and I shall glorify Him (Ps 50:15). I do not need to fear. God shall strengthen me, help me and uphold me with his righteous right hand (Is 41:10). Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing (Ps 34:10)

Attitude is everything. There will always be problems, challenges and crisis. But one constant passage that the Holy Spirit will remind me, whenever I am faced with the temptation to complain and give up is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Rejoice always – pray unceasingly – in everything give thanks!

I love you, Jesus! Let my life give you all the glory! =)

Li’ron at 2.5 Months Old & His NEW Hairdo…

2010-08-28T18:24:00.001+08:00

Where is Li’ron’s hair, you may asked? Well, when he turned one month old, his hair was shaved. The rationale was so that his ‘new’ hair that grows will be smoother and nicer (based on what his grand parents say). Anyway, to me as his mum, Li’ron looks cute with or without hair. Haha, call me biased!

Talking about his hair cut, Li’ron was crying mid way while his hair was being cut. Poor thing! I figured out that all toddlers have this thing about having their hair cut. In a sense, Li’ron is even braver than his older sister. Li’ora screamed and cried the MOMENT she stepped into the salon! Especially when she sees her snipped hair falling unto her hands and body.

Li’ron taking his hair cut…

Li’ora after her hair cut…Check out her long side burns!

Their hair stylist is my mum’s long time friend, Uncle Bernard, who is a super professional hairstylist. He was the one that created the ‘bob’ haircut and had gone to Japan to judge several hair styling competitions. For his regular customers with toddlers below 7 years old, he cut their hair for free! I am blessed! =) Anyway, you can check out his salon: Geraldine’s Hair Workshop at Katong Shopping Centre.

CULTIVATING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE – DAILY READER BY JOHN C. MAXWELL

2010-08-20T09:31:00.001+08:00

English heart surgeon Martyn Lloyd-Jones asserted, “Most unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself.” What kind of voices do you hear? When you new experiences, does a voice in your head say you’re going to fail? If you’re hearing negative messages, you need to learn to give yourself positive mental pep talks. The best way to retrain your attitude is to prevent your mind from going down any negative forks in the road.

To improve your attitude, do the following:

Feed yourself the right “food.”If you’ve been starved of anything positive, then you need to start feeding yourself a regular diet of motivational material. Read books that encourage a positive attitude. Listen to motivational tapes. The more negative you are, the longer it will take to turn your attitude around. But if you consume a steady diet of the right “food,” you can become a positive thinker.

Achieve a goal every day. Some people get into a rut of negativity because they feel they’re not making progress. If that describes you, then begin setting achievable daily goals for yourself. A pattern of positive achievement will help you develop a pattern of positive thinking.

Write it on your wall. We all need reminders to help us keep thinking right. Alex Haley used to keep a picture in his office of a turtle on a fence post to remind him that everybody needed the help of others. As incentive, people put up awards they’ve won, inspirational posters, or letters they’ve received. Find something that will work for you and put it on your wall.

ALLOW YOURSELF TO DWELL ONLY ON THE POSITIVE AND NOT THE NEGATIVE TODAY.

Li’ron!

2010-06-26T01:00:00.001+08:00

Li’ron in his favourite sleeping positions…

At 8 days old, he is already kicking all over the place when he is bathed and changed! A playful and happy boy! Check out his smiles!

Li’ron enjoys being kissed repeatedly by Li’ora! I am praying hard against sibling rivalry but love, love and more love! It warms my heart to see Li’ora kissing her brother at least 10 times a day, even before she sleeps at night!

Dr Phil Pringle’s Devotion (7 June, 2010)

2010-06-26T00:32:00.001+08:00

Live For Others…

“Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.” Gen 13:11

The most boring & empty life is when you live for yourself. Biggest mistake Lot ever made was to chose for himself.

Abraham had given Lot 1st choice. He should have told Abraham he would go wherever he told him. Living for God means I eat, breathe, sleep, rest, work, think, study, train, plan & dream…. for Him, not for me.

Living for God will disadvantage me at times, many times, but that’s where real life is discovered, in sacrifice for another.

Lot should have chosen for Abraham and made sure he got the best land instead of choosing it for himself. After he separated from Abraham (his source of blessing) Lot spiralled downhill. Also, as soon as Lot left, God gave Abraham the vision of the Promised Land.

Our vision can be limited or expanded by the assosciations in our lives!

Random Updates About Li’ora

2010-06-23T11:21:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: Li'ora

It is 1.5 weeks since my confinement has first started. And really, there is no better way to spend more quality time with Li’ora, since Li’ron is well taken care of by the confinement lady.

One of the greatest achievement during my confinement thus far is to wean Li’ora off her pacifier. It has been more than a week since she last used it! Yipee!

A typical morning begins with her eating her breakfast which consists of milk, biscuits or bread. Thereafter, it is watching her favourite Barney or Elmo TV series, each lasting 30 minutes each. She simply loves all the songs and dance moves. Smart Li’ora now knows how to switch on the television and even tell you which DVD she wants to watch!

One fine morning, I found her doing this….

I burst out laughing! Li’ora wanted to put in the DVD herself, without knowing that she has to FIRST press the ‘open’ button to place the DVD into the video player. What a cute girl!

Another morning, after undressing Li’ora to bath, seconds later, I found her in my study room… Looking like this!

Apparently, she found a box (which I wanted to use to keep her toys in) and IN she went! Haha! The funny things a 1.5 yr old will do!

Anyway, this is a pretty picture of Li’ora in her blue long dress bought by my mum! Li’ora sure knows how to pose! =)

Pretty!

Li’ora’s Quirky Habits!

2010-06-20T12:06:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: Li'ora

During the recent months, Li’ora has really made me tickled and amused with some of the quirky actions that she had. I must admit that despite all the laughter she has brought into my life, at 18 months old, she can also really get on my nerves when she decides to be spoilt and insistent in having her own way. That is when her dearest mummy would have to discipline her and at times, resort to caning her hand lightly (sometimes just mentioning the word ‘cane’ or showing her the cane is enough!)

Recently, my brother Xin Hong brought home a balloon which looks like this!

Curious, I asked Li’ora which one is Daddy. And without hesitation, she pointed to the hunk in the middle of the balloon. I figured it is because he is the only one with black hair like Eugene. For the rest of the wk, Daddy is that!

Li’ora also loves the nursery rhyme, ‘Row, row, row your boat’. Whenever she remembers this rhyme, she would find this camel to sit on, rowing herself away!

She even knows how to sing along the first line of the song! ‘Row, row, row…’ Okay, that’s about the only 3 repeated words she would say… Haha…

Whenever anyone comes to our house, Li’ora would hurriedly walk to me, my mum or my in law (whoever is taking care of her) and speak a series of sentences to us, indicating that there is someone at the door. Even though I am not able to make out anything that she says yet, one thing for sure, she LOVES to talk! =)

Li’ora also has this thing about fans. Every 30 minutes, she would go towards the fan, position herself in front of it and let the draft blow at her face. What an amusing sight!

There was once she chose to stand infront of a cooler which has a draft 5 times stronger than the fan we normally used, she got stunned and ran away! Haha. But for parents out there, for safety purposes, if you are using a fan that has ‘propellers’, it is important to put a safety net for safety purposes.

At 18 months, I have found that Li’ora has this tendency to be pretty stubborn and even ‘rebellious’ in having her own way, despite knowing that mummy and daddy are right and she is wrong.

In this picture, you would notice that Li’ora had placed the wrong ring, the smallest ring into the toy stem. Actually, earlier on, I have already shown Li’ora which ring should go first but still, she insists on pushing this small red ring as the first ring (despite knowing that mummy is right)! Faints!

But one thing I really thank God for is Li’ora’s love for books, music and art!

That’s all about the updates of my dearest princess! =)

Thank You For This Gift!

2010-06-18T15:58:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: Li'ron

God is indeed faithful! On 10 June, 2010, last Thursday, 8.39am, handsome Li”ron Goh Song En is finally born! It was not an easy delivery, having to go through C-section with the use of GA instead of the epidural as planned, since the epidural could not be administered due to some minor complications. But still, once again, God has proven Himself strong on behalf His people.

Li’ron is a Hebrew name, which means my joy and my song, with ‘li’ meaning ‘my’. Since Chinese name, Song En, is parallel to his English name, which means to ‘sing/ proclaim the grace of God’.

In this entry, I want to take this time to really appreciate my hubby dearest, Eugene, for being such a loving and thoughtful daddy. He is always the first to arrive in my ward and the last to leave, ensuring that I am in the greatest comfort possible, with more than enough red date water to drink. This is despite having to rush to his workplace in between. In short, he is just SUPER!!!

Many thanks to all that have taken time to visit me. Your love, prayers and gifts are such blessings to my family and I. Special thanks to Ps Aries, Ps Eileen, Ps Zhuang and Ps Audrey for laying hands and praying for Li’ron and I. Of course, not forgetting all the Assistant Pastors, Zone Supervisors, Cell Group Leaders, Cell group members and friends. You have made my longgggg 4 days 3 night stay a more memorable one!

I am now on confinement leave from 13 June to 13 July, but I really can’t wait to be back in our weekend service once again. Counting down to 11 July. Come what may, City Harvest Church would always be family and home!

Anyway, these are some pictures of Li’ron taken at delivery… He weighs 2.99kg at 38 weeks (much smaller than Li’ora at 40 plus wks, 3.25kg)!

With eyes wide opened! Thanks Siang for helping me to burp him!

Me in my operation gown and Li’ron!

Eugene with Li’ron…

In 3.5 Hours…

2010-06-10T04:49:00.001+08:00

In 3.5 hours, I will get to see Li’ron! God is a good God… Just last night, I was down with a bad cold and sore throat. Fervently, my CG members and some CGLs prayed for my speedy recovery. I was really concerned if my unwell would hinder my ability to go through the C-section operation. Praise God, this morning, my cold has become a slight one and my sore throat is gone!

Slept from 9pm to 3am and woke up to do some work before heading off to the Mount Elizabeth now =) Have not drank a sip of water since 1am since the nurses said that I was not allowed to due to the op.

Got to go! See you Li’ron! *Smile* NO fear, for God is with me and He upholds me with His righteous right hand. Amen!

City Harvest Church – My Family

2010-06-02T11:15:00.001+08:00

The Straits Times- Prime News (2 June, 2010):

“City Harvest churchgoers rallied around their leaders a day after news that Pastor Kong Hee and 16 other church members were being investigated for the alleged misusing of church funds.”

My heart lifted when I read this. Indeed, this is the church I know, this is the church that I lay my life down for. It is all worth it. No regrets.

What do I think about the recent news on CHC? Well, I believe in Pastor Kong, Sun and our leadership. I am ever so proud to call City Harvest Church my family, my church. This is a time where our church would grow even more united in faith, vision and prayer. Yes, we will emerge stronger and better people. Let us be more prayerful like never before, praying for our leaders, our church, the authorities and the media. Let us not be weary but continue to do good, to be a blessing to our nation and our community.

Without Pastor Kong and Sun, I would never be where I am today, living out my destiny in God. They taught me how to trust in God during the worst of times, to step out of my comfort zone and pursue my dreams that were once deemed impossible. Their faith in me and love for me has made me great. Pastor Kong and Sun have laid down their lives for this church, never failing to look out for the interests of God’s people above their own.

Without great trials, there will never be great victories and breakthroughs. God has a divine plan for CHC, and come what may, this church shall fulfil this calling that God has. This is not a time for the faint hearted. Let us arise in boldness, let us rally together in faith as a family, to stand in the gap for our leadership through prayer. God is faithful to bring us through us.

We believe in you Pastor Kong and Sun! And we love you both so much! *Hugs*

blogger Tags: City harvest church

Growing To Your Potential

2010-04-22T09:42:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: Motivational

Novelist H.G. Wells held that wealth, notoriety, place, and power are no measure of success whatsoever. The only true measure of success is the ratio between what we might have been and what we have become. In other words, success comes as the result of growing to our potential.

It’s been said that our potential is God’s gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift to him. But at the same time, our potential is probably our greatest untapped resource. Henry Ford observed, “There is no man living who isn’t capable of doing more than he thinks he can do.”

We have nearly limitless potential, yet too few ever try to reach it. Why? The answer lies in this: We can do anything, but we can’t do everything. Many people let everyone around them decide their agenda in life. As a result, they never really dedicate themselves to their purpose in life. They become a jack-of-all trades, master of one – rather than a jack-of-few trades, focused on one.

If that describes you more than you’d like, you’re probably ready to take steps to make a change. There are four principles to put you on the road to growing toward your potential:

1. Concentrate on one main goal.

2. Concentrate on continual improvement.

3. Forget the past.

4. Focus on the future.

5. When you know your purpose in life and are growing to reach your maximum potential, you’re well on your way to being a success!

‘MINI’ Xiao Long Bao @ Ding Tai Feng

2010-04-21T13:18:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: Family, Food, Li'ora

Last Saturday morning, after a visit to the gynae, Eugene brought Li’ora and I to Ding Tai Feng at Paragon for breakfast! The highlight of the breakfast was the mini Xiao Long Baos! Very delicious and Li’ora’s favourite as well! =) Though I must say that she is pretty ‘high class', only eating the meat and not the skin of the bao. Her poor mummy has to eat bao skin for her.

How mini were they? Around 1/3 the size of my index finger!

The way you eat them is pretty unique too. You have to dip the bao into the soup for 15 seconds, take it out and eat it immediately. Somehow, the soup will get into the bao and bingo! nice and yummy! You got to try it someday!

Oh, by the way, Li’ron was weighed at 1.566kg as of my last Sat’s gynae visit. Counting down to the less than 2 months to his arrival!

Playing In the Park!

2010-04-20T16:52:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: li'ora

Brought Li’ora to a park behind my mum’s place (just beside Kembangan MRT station) and she is loving it!

Playing at the slides, the swing and the bouncers…

Back home for dinner after a tiring play at the park… (Sorry for the bad lighting, took these pictures in the kitchen). Her favourite food: fish, soup and vegetables!

Samuel & Kristl’s Wedding (28 March, 2010)

2010-04-07T13:17:00.001+08:00

blogger Tags: wedding, friends

Last Sunday was an early start off for me. Coordinated Samuel and Kristl’s wedding, and the couple, in my opinion, are really such nice and appreciative people! Really happy to see how God has richly blessed the couple with such wonderful friends and family.

By 7.15 a.m., the 6 Ah Jies and I were gathered at Kristl’s house at Serangoon, preparing the forfeits for the groom and male entourage. Boy, I must say that they have got it pretty easy and it was tot too difficult to get Kristl!

By 7.45 a.m., the groom and his 4 strong men reached!

They were first greeted with a cup of lime juice each (following the theme of sour, sweet - bandung, bitter- bitter gourd and coffee powder and spicy – wasabi and chilli tapioca chips).

After the drink, each male entourage had to put on some lipstick and form the name “Kristl” on Samuel’s hulky chest.

Check this out! Though I can’t really figure out where the name Kristl is… LOL… It just looks like many kisses and lip marks!

Besides having to dance to the tune of “Nobody, Nobody but You!”, another “memorable” forfeit was as follows: Having to collect amongst the male entourage 5 cm eyebrow, 2 cm nostril hair, 15 cm leg hair, 16.25 armpit hair !! They were even given a ruler to ensure accurate measurement! This was what they gave us. Seriously, I am certain they cheated and gave their ‘hair on the head’ instead!

The male entourage feedback that of all the forfeits that need to be done, eating the spicy chips with the generous dose of wasabi is the worst. Just look at poor Samuel!

After fetching the happy bride, we headed to Samuel’s house for the tea ceremony, followed by Sam and Kris’ new place at Tanah Merah (nice condo!), and finally back in Kris’ house for tea ceremony.

We checked in Fullerton at 1.30pm, and boy the bridal suite is IMPRESSIVE! There was a big basket of fruits, assorted chocolates, a special baked brownie for the couple, personalized gifts for the couple (bath robes with their names) and even a prepared rose bath! What great service! So sorry, I did not manage to take any pictures as I did not have my camera with me. Sob. But I think you get the idea right? As the wedding co-ordinator (who have previously co-ordinated quite a few weddings), I must say that Fullerton really has the best management I have worked with so far. The managers are detailed, full of initiative, willing and ever so prompt in their service! If budget is not an issue for you (haha!), this is the hotel to hold your wedding!

Anyway, to end off this entry, enjoy some of the wedding pictures of the couple! They went to Paris to take their bridal pictures (how cool is that?) and are now in Maldives for honeymoon. Awww…. =)

Rejoice!

2010-03-26T12:45:00.001+08:00

There has been a great buzz in the media recently with regards to City Harvest’s co-ownership with Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

First of all, with regards to today’s article on page C6 under Home, I would like to raise a point which my father, Kiam Hiong, has raised. He currently a teacher and a director. Pertaining to ST’s take on the non-disclosure of certain items, my dad highlighted an interesting parallel: "Does Warren Buffet tell those loyal shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway Inc about the important moves he is going to make?" This applies especially when it comes to acquiring a stake in some good companies. As Warren Buffet explained, if he does it, he will either miss the deal or cause the shares of such companies to run up in prices prematurely. Disclosing certain information, though important, therefore works to the detriment of his shareholders.

His shareholders trusted him to make the right decisions as well as the wrong ones and remained loyal. That is the kind of relationship that we have, and should have, with Pastor Kong & Pastor Tan and the rest of the Management Board. That is, I do not have to know all, nor do I need to know them for I trusted them to make decisions in the interest of all members of CHC.

Now, back to some of the pertinent points raised in ST (Mar 26 article):

1. Neither CHC nor its special purpose investment holding company is involved in the daily operations of the Convention Centre. The Convention Centre is managed by Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Services Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ARA Asset Management Ltd. The convention centre is NOT changed into a church. We are leasing the 6th and 7th floors at market rate for our worship services because sincerely, we need the space. This is in substance a commercial transaction which therefore does not require the oft-debated "change of use" application to URA. Further, CHC does not have exclusive use of any areas. Suntec Singapore continues to actively market all the spaces to attract major events to the exhibition and convention centre.

Separately, the church holds shares in the consortium that owns 80% of Suntec Convention Centre so we do get dividends which will be an effective way to defray our rental cost and hedge against future rental increase through the profits made by the Convention Centre. This is sound judgment and very good for the church and clearly the leadership has thought very carefully about this and in my view has chosen the best option.

2. The Commissioner of Charities is not "questioning" the church as the sensationalized headlines suggest. As with every religious organization or charity, they need to understand what City Harvest Church is doing because that's their job. Nothing negative here. Interesting how the act of clarification can be sensationalized beyond proportion into one of questioning and investigation.

3. CHC, through a special purpose investment holding company wholly owned by CHC, has acquired and holds an indirect minority stake in the holding company of Suntec Convention Centre. The minority stake is therefore not directly held by the Church, as suggested by ST. The use of this special purpose investment holding company facilitates distinct accounting for the investment and segregates the investment from the other regular activities of the Church. It does not have charitable status and is not entitled to any tax or other concessions.There will be no undue implications on the church whatsoever given that they are both separate legal entities. Wise and sound corporate governance, I must say.

4. We are bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the Consortium not to disclose our stake in the convention centre. Truth is, individual investors and firms reserve the right to keep their positioning in any venture confidential and there are reasons for doing so - e.g. sensitivity of the information such as SWFs and mutual funds.

CHC is doing everything legally and wants to do her part in fulfilling her obligations to her partners. There’s a time-limit to Non-Disclosure Agreements. Eventually we will come to know the clauses. Such agreements are not one-sided. They are unilateral and involve other parties. Obviously, a mutual agreement has been reached with the other partners who have their own requirements as well.

5. We do have a share in the tax paid at the Suntec Convention Consortium level but in Singapore, all dividends are not taxed in the hands of the recipient as we have moved to a 1 Tier tax system as at 1 Jan 2003. It is a let down that ST writers are evidently ignorant about such matters, given that they are gatekeepers of information in Singapore.

6. The use of donors’ money to invest commercially is in clear adherence to our Church constitution lodged with the Commissioner of Charities. No big issue with this at all. Nothing wrong with making prudent investments to further advance the kingdom of God and running of the church.

7. The property is obviously not worth $310 million. Impossible! Anyway, there is no need to breakdown the $310 million cost into cost of renovations, rentals and acquisition of shares because we intend to keep our exact position in the consortium secret. That's it - live with that. Members have never been compelled to give from the beginning and should never feel compelled to give if they are not comfortable with this proposition. The Commissioner of Charities and the Government are the only parties who know what this stake is for regulatory reasons therefore things are not as opaque as they seem.

As a believer, it has been disheartening to see how ugly, negative, often naive and unfair comments are being posted on cyberspace to attack the church. I question the intentions and motives behind all these misguided postings.

This is truly a time for all of us, especially those in the body of Christ, to rejoice and praise God for the great miracle He has done! Hallelujah! Greater things are yet to come and history is in the making!

blogger Tags: building, city harvest church

2.5 More Months To Go!

2010-03-26T10:55:00.001+08:00

How time flies! 2.5 more months before the birth of Li’ron on 12 June 2010. Just visited my gynae, Dr Alex Ooi, at Mount Elizabeth last week. And we finalised some details about the delivery. 12 June (Sat) 8a.m., I would go through the C-section operation. Have to reach the hospital by 6am that day to prepare myself. Would be staying for 3 days and 2 nights, and be discharged on Monday before noon.

Frankly, I am really looking forward to the confinement break. Would really be focusing on building the bond between Li’ora and her newborn brother. I would be taking the 1 month confinement break, and thereafter go back to Trinity for my studies and Tues pastoral meeting & zone meeting. Would be taking another 2.5 month maternity leave, nevertheless after my 1 month confinement leave.

Till then, there are much to do, being a great mum to Li’ora and prepare her the best I can for the birth of her brother (though I don’t think she really fully understands me at 15 months), growing the zone, strengthening the zone members, raising new leaders, multiplying CGs, Easter, Asia Conference, preparation for June LYL camp, 8 to 10 more assignments, exams and tests to complete by mid-May etc etc. Been pretty stretched lately, and have been praying more like never before for His grace, strength and capacity. Indeed, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

The verse that I have meditating on these few weeks…

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God,

I will strengthen you.

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

I thank God for a great and supportive husband, who also has his own tough battles to fight at work too, having to end work so late and face the great stress of many datelines. Eugene is taking a whopping 6 weeks off from first week of June to July! Yeah! =)

To end off, this is a photo of Li’ron at 5 months (20 weeks), touching his nose! He was sucking his finger seconds before this image was captured.

Li’ron was really playful and the gynae had a hard time capturing this image because he was moving around all the time. Even at 6 months now, I could feel him always moving around in my womb. Seriously, I don’t remember Li’ora being so active at 6 months in my womb (but maybe because as a second time mum, I am now more sensitive to foetus movement). The nurses commented that he would be a pretty playful and active boy. Haha…

12 June, here I come!

A Delicious (But Ex….) Dinner!

2010-03-25T10:06:00.001+08:00

Monday night! Eugene is finally able to take an early off to have dinner with me at 8.30pm. With a daughter at hand, a 8.30pm dinner requires a well planned and thought out routine (that starts at 6.15pm) to feed Li’ora dinner, bathe her, read books to her and pat her to sleep.

Eugene was put in charge to find a nice dining place for his department’s dinner which comprise 50 people. He decided to check out Gourmet Plus along Frankel Avenue and brought me along with him for some ‘food tasting’. This place has nice ambience and good feel, but man, pretty high-class. The chef is Jean-Rene, a French.

We started out with a $15 appetizer, with cheese, beef and potatoes. There is a gourmet name for this dish but I honestly can’t remember what it is. Anyway, here is a picture! Verdict: Delicious, especially the cheese!

I ordered a $32 fish which really tastes uniquely different but nice! I especially loved the way the fish was cooked, crispy on the outside and tender meat on the inside. The gravy has a salty and minty taste. I don’t like to eat tomatoes, but boy, the tomato salad is really solid! I do not know what leaves/ vegs are those under my fish, but they are delicious! And yes, I finish all of it!!!

I told Eugene that I must really learn how to cook like this! He agreed but gave me a disbelieving look. Yeah, this is a desire, but not fuelled by availability and time.

Eugene ordered a $28 Ribeye with a special kind of salty cheese. The beef is really tender! I am so amazed by the Chef’s fine culinary skills!

We were very tempted to try their desserts, but the bill already stands at $70 dollars! Haha. We paid for the bill, and headed to 7-Eleven (a few shops down from the restaurant) and bought Magnum ice-cream instead. A cheaper alternative, but enough to satisfy an ice-cream lover like me!’

Anyway, Gourmet Plus is NOT the chosen place for Eugene’s department dinner, because they are only able to accommodate a maximum of 30 diners. Awww!!!!

blogger Tags: family, dinner, Eugene

Hanging Out @ The Hang Out!!!

2010-03-18T18:29:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, Prinsep Street was flooded with more than 120 youths from our zone, heading towards the Hangout! The amazing thing about this place? It was started by a group of 25 year olds!

With the theme ‘Where Great Time Flies’, we were given a pretty good package of $19.90, promising 9 Wii console stations, 10 boardgame tables, unlimited choice of board games and console game titles, free flow popcorn, drinks and dinner (spread include beehoon, chicken wings, fishballs, nuggets and Japanese curry). We had the whole place to ourselves inclusive of 3 VIP rooms.

Boardgame Tables…

Wii Consoles (with sofas provided…)

A peek into the VIP rooms…

Our verdict? Not a bad place to hangout! Given 3 hours of fun, it has been really worth our money! =)

John C. Maxwell’s The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader – An Excerpt

2010-03-10T12:27:00.001+08:00

THE POWER OF FOCUSING

What does it take to have the focus required to be a truly effective leader? The keys are priorities and concentration. A leader who knows his priorities but lacks concentration knows what to do but never gets it done. If he has concentration but no priorities, he has excellence without progress. But when he harnesses both, he has the potential to achieve great things.

I frequently meet people in leadership positions who seem to major in minor things. So the important question, How should you focus your time and energy?

Effective leaders who reach their potential spend more time focusing on what they do well than on what they do wrong. To be successful, focus on your strengths and develop them. That’s where you should pour your time, energy and resources.

Growth equals change. If you want to get better, you have to keep changing and improving. That means stepping out into new areas. If you dedicate time to new things related to areas of strength, then you’ll grow as a leader. Don’t forget: in leadership, if you’re through growing, you’re through.

Nobody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness. The key is to minimize it as much as possible, and leaders can do it by delegating. For example, I delegate detail work to others. A team of people handles all the logistics of my conferences. That way when I’m there, I stick to the things I do best, such as the actual speaking.

SET YOUR PRIORITIES AND FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS TODAY.

Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary!

2010-03-09T13:22:00.001+08:00

16 Feb 2008… The day Eugene and I got married after knowing each other for 7 years! We first met during our Temasek JC days, in our CCA- Audio Visual Club. Eugene was the ~~slack~~ chairman while I was the secretary, ensuring that the programs were up and running. It is really funny how we hardly knew each other when we first came into the CCA and later became friends through studying in the school library with our friends. I was really struggling with my A levels then, heading to the library after school lessons end, and mugging there till 9pm. Eugene was a smart guy! Always scoring As in the very papers I fared badly (had only grade Cs and Ds in TJC; have never even gotten a grade B before!), eg. subjects like Math C and Physics (which I eventually dropped in Year 2). But God did it for me again! For my A levels, I had A for Econs, A for Math C and B for Chemistry. Even though I had a proud grade of A1 for English O levels, I ‘lost’ to Eugene in General Paper. He got an A2 and I had a B4!!! Haha…

Anyway, I am so thankful to God for Eugene. I invited him to CHC at the end of 2001 after A levels, and he has never looked back since. Serving actively in Children Church ministry today as a service IC, despite his work schedule, I am so touched by the love he has for the kids. Though I must say that I do feel for the boys sometimes, when I see the way Eugene would scold them for misbehaving. But… It is good for them!!!

Anyway, married for 2 years! The best 2 years yet! Eugene is always so sweet, giving me surprises here and there, buying for me flowers (though he knows that they will be thrown away after 3 days once they show signs of dying; I cannot stand dying flowers), chocolates (though he knows that I can only eat a maximum of 3 pieces per day due to my throat and the rest would be eaten by my 2 brothers), shoes, pretty clothes from on line blog shops, cards etc etc. Thanks hubby! You are the BEST!

This year, our anniversary was on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year. In the midst of it all, we managed to have a 4 hours time out without Li’ora! We headed to a Japanese restaurant in Paragon, to eat Soba, which was previously recommended by Jessica. Wow the food is nice!

I ordered a Soba Eel… The meal was very filling. It comprised eel with rice and a big bowl of soba noodles.

I was even taught how to eat my meal…

Eugene ordered this! Yum yum!

While enjoying our meal, we were amused by the great crowd is constantly formed around the chef who was moulding and preparing the soba noodles…

Well, even though the celebration might be ‘short’, it was a great time of sharing and vision casting for our family and marriage. I am so grateful to God for bring Eugene into my life. He is such a wonderful husband, father and son! =) Thanks for always making the effort to have at least a meal OUT with me weekly despite being so busy at work. I really love you so much! Greater years to come!

Chinese New Year Updates

2010-02-28T18:24:00.001+08:00

It has been a great time of family fun time during the few days of Chinese New Yr! The main highlights, of course, were the reunion dinners and visitations.

We had steam boat at 3.30pm at Eugene’s parents’ place. It was a great time of fellowship with Eugene’s grandmother and his auntie. At 5.30pm, we then headed down to Siglap for the second reunion dinner (proudly cooked by my 81-yr- old grandmother). Just check out the spread + a family photo before we commence the dinner.

Kids eating at a separate table…

Li’ora also brought her toy along: a toy car! Which was one of her birthday presents…

On the first day of Chinese New Year, Eugene, Li’ora and I wished my in-laws, and were treated to red eggs and marble cake, which I came to realise was a tradition in their family.

This is Li’ora in her pretty pink dress. We visited several places: Eugene’s grandma, both my grandmothers, my grandaunt, aunties and uncles. It was a packed day!

On the second day, we visited one of my parents’ good friend. Li’ora had a great time playing with their dog, which in my opinion, is so cute! I am really amazed at Li’ora’s boldness to touch the dog and her various attempts to converse with him! =)

At night, we had a ‘kai nian’ dinner at Tung Lok restaurant at Chinese Swimming Club. The food was really good! And the lou hei spread was fantastic!

It has been family dinners after family dinners! Just had another last Sun at Toa Payoh, at one of Eugene’s aunt’s house. It was a potluck session, with good food (forgot to take some pictures!).

For 1.5 hours, Li’ora stuck close to Eugene’s uncle, with her busy taking out ground peanuts out of a container, putting them on a red lid, and then putting the peanuts back into the container. As her mother, i am really amused by how entertained she is with the act of putting the peanuts in and out of the container… Cute!