Experience

I had never felt so torn before. Jeannie has been calling me every night since last Sunday. This child has been so homesick that I can hear her crying over the phone. Jeannie is a tough girl and she doesn't cry for no reason. In fact, I don't even recall when was the last time she cries. I am glad that she chose to stay at camp when I offered her to come home.

My heart sank when Jeannie told me that she wasn't roomates with Liz. I felt sorry for my child because she so needed a friend at the moment. Indeed, I felt so terrible that I thought I made the wrong decision of signing her up for two camps that were close to each other.

I didn't sleep well last night... woke up around six this morning to find myself reading the Ensign, the church magazine helped calms my unease spirit. I started calling the youth counsels around 9:30am, but never got a hold of any of them. Thank goodness Johnny called home not long after and he was able to reach the head of the counselors. We wanted to make sure that the counselors are aware of Jeannie situation and pay close attention to her needs. She said she would call us again the next day.

Jeannie called again tonight around 11:00pm. She seemed to feel a little better today, but her voice still sounded shaky to me. I was especially comforted to find out her roommates tried to include her to a group prayer before they go to bed. :) I hope Jeannie will continue to make friends and stand strong in the next few days.

One positive thought came to my mind of Jeannie's experience is that she will learn to TRULY lean onto the Lord. I know my child prays, but I hope she would learn to put all her trust in the Lord in all occasions; whether they are big or small, now or in the future!

Trip to Maryland

We took mom and dad to Maryland Inner Harbor while we dropped off Jeannie at the Cheungs for the EFY camp. The weather was perfect as we walked along on the boardwalk.

Johnny and the kids went paddle boating while dad snapped a bunch of pictures. Then we went to a seafood restaurant for dinner. They had the best seafood there and the plates were fairly resonable priced. Dad loves the 1 1/2 in. prime ribs, mom and Jeannie enjoys the lasagna, Evan and I are fond with the crabmeat casserole, and Johnny of course indulges his seafood platter. We had a great time, but my poor child, Jeannie had a hard time seeing us leaving because she got homesick after the YW camp. :(

Mr. Fix It

There is a Chinese proverb saying, "The elderly is a treasure in the Family" which I hate to disagree more... Dad is a carpenter by training and he is also my Mr. Fix it handy man! :) My house wasn't in bad condition, but he enjoys looking for places to improve on (or to entertain) himself. :) He is such a funny guy! These are the projects he has finished by far...

Fixing the front wheel on our patio door. (I thought the dirt was trapped in the track, but to find out that it was actually the problem with the front wheel.)



Caulking the crakes between the ceiling and the molding. This is done in the basement room. I will have to take pictures of it when the room is done. Fixing the cabinet door. Evan let go of the door once and broke the hinge , and Johnny doesn't know how to fix it without the part (which we have no luck of matching it).



Digging up the bushes and building my vegetable garden in the back yard. I love growing my own organic vegetables , and dad built me a perfect garden; not too big, nor small... just right outside our basement where no one can see from the front! Dad is my hero!

Done Potty Training!

Jady has been without any accident for a week, and I am proud to say that she has passed the potty training test! Yeah!

We started training her on and off in May, but we did not have much success since I was out a lot. Then, I started letting her wear her panties (not the training pants) after my parents came on 6/13. Jady was misearble the first three days. She refused to use the potty because she was paranoided with the noise from the toilet. She hated herself being wet, and she got really frustrated when she sat in the potty for too long. At one point, I almost felt like I need to give her more time. But then one day that miracle came - when she did the small and the big job... we bribed her with candies. From then on, she had a dry panty everyday when she is awake.

Grandpa and grandma were especially amazed with how quickly Jady learns. We tested this child on her ability to hold while we went on a two hour trip to Maryland. The child stayed dry the whole day, and she would ask for the potty when she needed. Way to go, girl! Mommy and daddy are very proud of you!

I Miss My Girl!

It's only the first day of YW camp, and I missed Jeannie terribly! This is the second time she've been spending the night outside home. She had the school fieldtrip last year and spent three nights in Virgina. This YW's camp is a week long camp, as well as the EFY (Especially For Youth) next week. I couldn't imagine how much I would be missing her for TWO long weeks. This is just insane, and I swear that I will never schedule crazy things like this again! Never, ever again!

Jeannie did not take her cell phone with her because no electronics were allowed, but I wished I had reminded her of calling every night before she goes to bed...

I seriously hope she is having fun!

Evan's Graduation.... Card Making

Yeah!!!! Evan has successfully graduated from Elementary school! Am I excited to raise another teenager?

Forgot about making a card for Evan's birthday...

My Jeannie!

My conversation with Jeannie in the car ride home last Sunday.

Jeannie: Mom, who would be conducting over the YW while I am gone to the EFY (Especially For Youth Program)?
Me: It's normally oldest Laurel, probably Maria if she is there on Sunday. If Maria is not there, then your counselor would be in charged.
Jeannie: Well, I just feel bad when I am not there!
Me: That's okay! You will only be gone for a week!
Jeannie: I feel sorry because the girls are under my wings, and I felt like I haven't done much!
Me: (Wow, I didn't realize my child had that much love for the YWs as well... I was thrilled to hear about her comment, that shows how much she cares about the girls!)
Me: Well, you're being silly! You've done a wonderful job including Jenna (a new beehive), and her sister, Ashley (Mia Maid) into the group, and you've been calling on the girls to the activities without me asking... and include everyone in conversation! You're fantastic!!!
Jeannie: I know, but I need to watch out for my YW!

I still think my child has been hard on herself. I had no idea where this came from. As far as I seen, she has been a wonderful sprit to all these YW. In the past, I had to remind her of her duty to call on the girls of the upcoming activities, but things has changed ever since this year. Jeannie has been on top of things and did a really good job inviting all the girls to Wed. mutual according to Amy G. I've seen my girl participating more often in class, including everyone in the group, trying to fulfill her calling by attending BYC (Bishop Youth Council), and reaching out to the inactive ones. She simply did not realize how much she has done!

My prayer has been answered. I knew my child has come to realize that she can lead with love and gentle guidance. It's much easier to serve people when we love them from within, and I am just thankful that she has grown to love and serve her fellow memebers. I hope she will continue to shine and try her very best to be a true disciple of Christ. Mom loves you, sweetheart!

New Calling!

Horray! I am called to serve in the YW Presidency again!!!! I'm so glad to be able to serve the girls for another round. Kristy J. was called to be the new President, and Kim D. is the new secretary. I hate to see Erika and Kristen leaving the group, but am glad that Amy is staying with me. :) Kristy is one of the sweetest sisters I've met. Her family moved into our ward a few months ago, and have developed great relationships with many ward members. Kristy is awesome, loving and exteremly organized. She not only offer rides to Evan in many occasion, but also keep track of Evan's cub scout progress. She was one of the cub scout leaders, and she loves the boys very much. I bet Jady would be the one who miss Kristy the most since Kristy was Jady's nursery teacher, and they adore each other!!!

This is just another great opportunity to serve! I am excited and looked forward to getting to know these great sisters and to learn from their examples!

Happy Father's Day!!!

We went to China town yesterday and my parents treated us with Dim Sum. They also stocked up the whole refrigerator of grocery for us. I did not have much luck fighting to pay for the bills because dad caught both of my credit cards.... Where in the world do I find these parents???


My two favorite dads!!! The kids helped me make Father's Day breakfast this morning!


I made my dad a bottle of his favorite cherry jelly last week as a Father's Day gift, and Johnny got a rain check from me for his turtle. It's cheaper to get it in NY. :D

Another delicious dinner after church! Everyone loves my beef ribs. Oops, I forgot to write down the recipe...

Forgot about the mango pudding that did not turn out. It was too watery for some reason!

Happy Birthday, Son! (June 19, 2009)

ps. grandparents gave Evan "Lai See" - red pocket wtih money inside and have Evan buy whatever he wants. I believe he got US$80 in total. Mom and dad is too generous with the kids... since we never gave the kids more than $50 "Lai See".

Jeannie was out visiting with her friend who just came back to visit from Finland. After picking her up, I took the kids to Chuck and Cheese. They had a good time. Then, my parents made Evan's favorite shark fin soup, and steam shrimp for dinner. Too bad that I forgot to take pictures for all those events! :(

Mom's Cooking!

Okay... the competition is on! Mom wouldn't let dad bring her down. So, she is out to make us dinner tonight. Just kidding!!! :D We had cub scout and YW activity, so the kids made a special request of simple, yet delicious meal from their grandma.

This is one of my favorite dishes growing up and it's made of ground pork, mushroom, dry shrimp and scallop.

See me drooling again???

Dad's Cooking!

Truly, dad is one of the best cook in the world!!!

Here is a picture of his famous soy sauce chicken. I have not had such a delicious soy sauce chicken in years. It has the perfect sweetness to taste... and the meat was so very tender, juicy and moist. I was glad that I remembered to jot down notes and took pictures when I was nibbling on the chicken. The most amazing thing to me is that dad literally cut up the whole chicken with a pair of scissor! Since the chicken was so good, we ended up eating the whole thing in one meal. After dad was done cooking the second chicken, I was able to practice the cutting on it. Yeah!

What did we eat the next day? How about Ribeye steak, mushroom soup, and roasting vegetables???

Once again, dad cooked the best tasting steak to medium rare. I especially am impressed with his pepper sauce and mushroom soup. I didn't watch him make everything because I was taking a nap (shame on me :D ), but I knew he put a bunch of stuff to make the soup - besides LOVE! The roasting vegetables were just as delicious - with the crispiness of fresh cucumber! I can imagine myself gaining 10 pounds before they go back to HK. :)

Concert (June 13, 2009)

Last Sat was a little crazy. The Cheungs came over to help watch the kids while we went to pick up my parents at the JFK airport. The traffic wasn't as bad as we thought, but right after we pick up my parents; we drove all the way to Atlantic City, NJ to watch Alan Tam and Hacken Lee's concert. They are one of the most popular male singers in HK. We didn't have that many choice to go on a different day since they only came every few years or so, and for some reason, they only did one show this time. The concert started at 1:00am and the Cheungs joined us at the location. My parents had a great time and so as the Cheungs!!! Thank goodness that my husband still had a clear vision to drive home after a sleepless night.

Johnny and I love live concerts. We've been watching a few famous singers from HK whenever they came to the east coast. I am glad that we live close by and be able to attend all these concerts. Jacky C. is still my favorite among them all. It's been awhile since I kept these tickets and it's time to throw them away after scanning.

My Parents Are Coming!!!

My journal entry...

Ok... I am done cleaning!

I've been bossing everyone to get the house organized and cleaned before my parents' coming. Mom is head of the "White Glove", and I can't excuse myself for not doing the job right. It makes me feel good when everything is done. One thing I learned from this extensive "workout" is to use clorex wipes for cleaning the area between the window and the screen. This is the place
I would rather not touch unless I am doing the deep cleaning. In the past, I had the kids use a towel with a bucket of water to clean up that area, but I found it more efficient by using the clorex disposable wipe. I know it's not green, but I am just not into raising when I am under time constrain.

17th Anniversary

Johnny stayed home yesterday to celebrate our 17th anniversay. We went out to lunch at a Japanese restaurant for some sashimi. It's make to order but all you can eat type of buffet. The sashimi were delicious, but I have a hard time with the cost. $27+ per person for a lunch (tax and tips not included), but Johnny insisted that we should have something good on our anniversary. He loves food more than I do obviously!

Anyway, when the kids come home, they were all excited and asked which restaurant we would be eating at. Jeannie was a little disappointed when she found out that we had our celebration already. She said, "I thought we were to celebrate together!" "Well, but it's our anniversary, between your mom and I". I heard Johnny responded. We always celebrate holidays and birthdays with the kids except our anniversary.

This is the reason why my husband thinks I spoil the kids... I fixed the kids some store bought dumplings and buns, and let them celebrate with us again. :)

It was scary to me that there is no vegetables at all in the meal.... So, I asked them to save room for a "yummy" papaya drink with aloe vera juice after dinner. My family hates my healthy drinks! Oh well, they deserve the BEST!!! Haha!!!

Crazy Week (Jun 1 - 5)

It was a crazy week last week, yet very fulfilling!

We've been babysitting, cooking and giving rides for three different ward families on top of our busy schedule: Evan had scout field trip, end of year school concert, spring fair, Jeannie's seminary graduation (not graduating yet, but being supportive to her senior class member), refinancing our mortage, visiting an inactive member, subbing at Evan's Sunday school class, and the invitation of some fairly new members to our home for dinner.

I don't know why we had everything happening in one week, but it wasn't that bad afterall. Thank goodness that Johnny was able to get home early, gave me help when needed, and kept things under control.

Who Are They?

There's a website that allow the uploading of self pictures to the making of a new person (pic). Johnny and I were curious to see if any of our children's face would pop up after the transformation provided with the two sets of pictures we gave them.

Surprise!!!!! I think the first kid really looks like my husband. But wonder where the second baby is from? He/she looks a little too cute to be our children. Don't get me wrong... our children are cute too! :)

Jady's Prayer

Jady was really hungry when we came back from church yesterday. So, I offered her a bowl of spaghetti and asked her to say her little prayer. This is the first time she did it without any help. Here is what she said:

Tin Fu, *meaning Heavenly Father*
Kam tsai (pause) nai, yau mein mein, *Thank thee for the noodles*
Mama bes (don't know whether she was asking to bless mom, or mom is the best) :D
fank you velwy much!
Amen.

It is so cute! I need to record it on tape next time.

Inspiration

My friend, Angela G.'s mom had a brain surgery last week for the removal of a brain tumor. Because for the many delicate parts of the brain, the surgery took about 16-20 hours, and that 6-8 specialists attended the surgery at different times as it proceeded.

It's been a painful experience for Angela because her mom was in a coma for four days after the surgery. Bless her heart, those four days must be a torture. Upon waking up from the surgery, the mom found out that part of her eye sight, the control of her body, and short-term memory were lost. The Dr. are monitoring closely to see if these are permanent damange. In the meanwhile, Anagle's mom will have to learn the necessary skills before heading home. Angela was grateful that her mom is still alive, and her plan is to bring her mom home once she got discharged from the rehabilitation center.

No one knows what life would bring us except the Lord. We come with nothing and leave with nothing. It's just the way it is. The only thing we can take with us is our memories and skills we learned from this life. Memories of how we treat one and other, and whether we've been able to build strong relationships with our family, friends and those whom we associated with.

As I thought of Angela's mom... I thought about what I can leave to my children as I pass on?

For some reason, Evan has been asking me for a family recipe book, so I am taking this as my summer project, and hopefully combining with all my parents recipes also. This will be a perfect gift for my children. Jeannie was asking if we can autograph hers when we are done with the book. What a silly girl! :)