Here Comes Santa Claus

December 8, 2009 at 3:02 pm (Holidays, Singapore)

So which country is he coming from?????

Singapore?

Vietnam?

Cambodia?

United States?

Aren’t they awesome??

A friend here in Singapore had a couple of these Santa’s and I had to have!! Thanks, Sue! No, I didn’t take hers. I got my own. With most of our Christmas decorations in storage back in Texas, I was so happy to find these guys. I can totally see these being a highlight for years to come.

So, in the spirit of doing good with our purchases for Christmas, these did me some good. That counts, right? :)

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Christmas Giving

December 4, 2009 at 8:22 am (Holidays, Singapore)

Living in Singapore is making it a bit tough to do our Christmas shopping as we are accustomed to. Boy, do I miss Target! It has been fun, though, to shop around and find little treasures here and there.

The past few years we have celebrated Christmas differently as far as gift giving in concerned and we wanted to carry it through again this year but just found it near impossible to coordinate. Finding things here is more of a challenge. Making things is near impossible. And everything is fairly pricey. So, we came up with a plan that we think will work.

Each year we make a reasonable Christmas budget. We normally go over a little but at least we have a place to start and a goal to shoot for.  This year our budget will be a little larger just because we’re having to ship things home and things are more expensive here. We could order everyone gifts online but we’d still pay for shipping and it wouldn’t be as thoughtful. Included in our budget it normally one gift that is larger than any other. That gift goes to an organization or a group that is doing something to advance God’s work and one that we all connect with as a family. Usually, that organization is incredibly obvious to us but this year, it didn’t work out that way. Maybe we weren’t seeking diligently enough or maybe God wanted us to do something different. We think the latter.

A large portion of our Christmas budget is being spent on things that we can give and at the same time do some good somewhere in the world. We are keenly aware of what we are purchasing and whether it can help a real human being. This way, we get to give a cool gift  and make a difference in someone’s life at the same time. Money well spent, I’d say.

Below are a few links to just a few of our favorite organizations that you might be interested in checking out. It doesn’t have to only be at Christmas either!

Wherever you live, there are sure to be opportunities nearby. Through your church, a nearby orphanage, a family needing food, etc. I pray that our eyes will all be open to what we can do and that we will be thoughtful and responsible with our Christmas giving this year. It’s all God’s anyway, right?

Cards From Africa

Land of A Thousand Hills Coffee 

Toms Shoes (they don’t ship to Singapore yet so we couldn’t order from them but they do alot of good)

410 Bridge

Brightpoint for Children

Compassion International

Living Water International

All of this being said, our time is our most valuable gift. Money is NOT the key to having a Merry Christmas. Give the gift of your time serving somewhere and those rewards are the greatest! We found a cool organization here in Little India that we are checking into that serves breakfast and dinner to migrant workers who are for one reason or another not employed and can’t get back to their country.

If you have ideas or other organizations you’d like to share feel free leave them in a comment. I’d love to hear them.

Merry CHRISTmas!

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Snow Shmo!

December 3, 2009 at 8:56 pm (Holidays, Randomness, Singapore)

All this talk of snow in our hometown in Texas is really making me love Singapore all the more. NOT!

It’s hot here, and humid, and rainy. This is the forecast until February and then it will just get hotter. Tommy is in heaven but I’m longing for a cooler than ”just below boiling” degree Christmas. Honestly, it was 87 today.

I’ve recently discovered something, though. Snow can be created.

At one of the local malls, they make “snow” for kids to play in every evening starting at 7:30pm. Soap snow. The kids are all out, some in their swim suits, taking their bath before bed. :)

In Beijing, they launch iodide capsules into the clouds to cause it to snow. As if there weren’t already enough chemicals in the sky there. Many are skeptical if this truly works or not but apparently the Beijing Weather Modification Command Centre thinks it does. Check it out. It’s a pretty controversial issue and some scientists think that instead of blowing snow, they’re just blowing smoke.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8337337.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5766595.ece

So, those of you in Texas, in our hometown, where it has only legitimately snowed there twice in my lifetime, I do hope you get snow. Enjoy it. Bundle up and go play in it. Make snow angels. Mix it with Nestle’s Quik and eat it. Write dorky messages on your cars. Stay out in it until your nose runs uncontrollably and your ears are frozen numb. Do that for me, please.

Thanks.

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Here’s proof…

November 30, 2009 at 7:36 am (Holidays, Singapore)

…that it’s Christmas time in Singapore. Just in case you were wondering.


Anna made us a fireplace to go under our stockings. :)


Actually these (or at least one as the sign states) are available year-round but I thought it was appropriate since we now have a fireplace.

And the ultimate proof is in this one… okay, maybe not.   But, children, be warned. He’s an imposter. An imposter, I tell ya’!  He serves German food in China Town, shaves his beard on purpose (we asked) and we saw him smoking. GASP!!  Really nice guy, though, and makes really great onion rolls!!

And yes, we all know the REAL proof of Christmas is living and breathing and able to jump tall buildings in a… wait… that’s a super hero. Well, Jesus is a super hero so there you go!

Merry CHRISTmas!

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What’s wrong with this picture?

November 26, 2009 at 11:45 am (Randomness, Singapore)

Leave your comments. This should be fun!

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What you don’t know…

November 23, 2009 at 5:32 pm (Singapore, family)

What you don’t know is really ALOT! And what you don’t know is what you’ll never know. I’ve got so much to tell you and pictures to show you but I don’t think I’ll ever catch up. I guess you’ll never miss what you don’t know because you don’t know what it is.

My mom and sister have been here for three weeks now and the phrase “all good things must come to an end” is unfortunately coming true tonight. They head back to their homes and their families and their beds which I’m sure they’re grateful for but it will be yet another sad goodbye. Man, I’m tired of those already.

Lookin’ on the bright side, though, we have done so much in three weeks!! I think they’re exhausted and will probably sleep for the 24+ hour flight home.  With the help of a little dramamine and benadryl perhaps?

Even though we’ve been running around the world and making all kinds of memories together, the moments I’ve loved the most are watching my mom and my kids playing cards and my mom and sister making school projects together, my sister teaching Anna how to make jewelry and riding in the sky with Jakeb. It’s been a short three weeks but we’ve managed to cram in a million memories and take almost as many photos. :)

I’m forever grateful for my family and still find it utterly amazing that anyone would spend a bunch of money to get here and leave their lives behind for us.

Photos coming soon.

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Back Yard Birds

November 20, 2009 at 7:49 am (Singapore, video)

This is the sound we hear around our house every morning like clockwork from 6:20am to 6:30am. It’s a beautiful sound and a great way to start out my day. It’d probably make me mad if I were still trying to sleep but we’re up and moving way before then so it’s nice. I have no idea what the birds look like that are making those sounds. One day, I’ll figure it out. This video was taken from our back porch. You’ll hear a few cars and busses but mostly just the birds.

[7713350]

http://vimeo.com/7713350

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21 Years!

November 19, 2009 at 7:54 am (family)

I love that our anniversary falls near Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is our family’s favorite holiday. We have so much to be thankful for and our marriage is up at the top of the list for me.

We got married when we were 21. Yep, we’re old… :) Tommy and I have almost been married for half of our lives. Pretty cool! 21 years is nothing to sneeze at. Hard work, communication, knowing when to shut up, knowing when to speak up, preventive maintenance, problem solving, and apologizing are just a few of the necessary elements to having a lasting marriage.

I love my husband and I know he loves me. We do not live in marital bliss 24/7. We are human afterall. Even so, I have always known that though it is sometimes not possible, he would rather be with me and his family than anywhere else in the world. I’m so incredibly thankful for the 21 years I’ve been married to him.

This is last year’s 20 year anniversary post but I have a few new friends now that may not have seen it and honestly I’m short on time since we have family visiting from the U.S. and we have a full day ahead. Tonight we will go on a real date. My mom and sister are going to have fun with the kids at home while we go out. Yipee!! I think I’ll even wear a skirt and fix my hair. No panty hose, though!!

If you’re married, the hard work is worth it and it’s much better when Christ is the center. If you’re not married, pray for the husband/wife God has for you and wait for him/her. It’s totally worth it!!

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Vivo City Drummer Boys

November 9, 2009 at 4:24 pm (Singapore)

September 09 054

Nope, these drummer boys don’t have anything to do with Christmas. Parum pum pum pum…

These guys regularly strut their stuff at Vivo City Mall in Singapore and we happened to get lucky enough to show up just in time to see it. What a treat! The joy on the kids faces was contagious.

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Snippets or Sentences?

November 8, 2009 at 8:47 pm (Randomness, Singapore)

I am so far behind on blogging it’s sad. My apologies. We’ve had many adventures over the past few weeks but my brain becomes mush when it comes to writing about them. It is so much easier to write snippets on my facebook status updates than to write interesting and thoughtful sentences on a blog post.

So… I had the not so brilliant idea to post my facebook status updates here. They pretty much tell what’s been going on since we got back from our vacation in Nepal. Which was AMAZING!! But that’s another post for another day, maybe. They start as we were leaving Nepal to come back to Singapore.

…now that it’s time to leave, I guess I am ready for my bed. It is strange to head “home” to a place that doesn’t actually feel quite like home yet.

 …we’re back….. home to a clean house, fast internet, drinkable tap water, actual white lines dividing lanes in the roads that actually mean something, and a never ending pile of laundry. Oh, and we did not see one cow or goat on the road home from the airport. :)

… is back to the school morning routine after a week off. I sure miss my kids when they’re not with me.

… is drinking some Nepali tea in Singapore. It’s so gooooood!!! I’m definitely hooked.

… thinks it’s sad that chocolate candy melts in my kitchen.

… Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate my son going to the store for me. But $15.95SGD for 3 lbs of potatoes??? ($11.50USD) They are organic so we’ll be eating healthy ranch potatoes tonight.

… good morning, good evening and good night. Wherever you are…

….is super excited that my mom and sister will be in my house in Singapore in 16 days!!!!!

…is sipping some afternoon tea. Nepali tea, of course.

…needs to find a relatively safe, uncrowded, not in Indonesia (because we’ve already been there), Christmas vacation trip in Asia for a family of 5 to an adventurous and preferrably a cool weather place on a shoe string budget. Ideas anyone?

…loves hearing all the tropical birds singing outside. If I were sleeping, I’d be ticked but I’m not so they sound beautiful. Good morning, Singapore!

…has got to get some things checked off the list today.

…Well, nothing checked off my list yet but I got to talk to my kiddo for over an hour. December 19th can not get here fast enough! I love you, Tori!!

…really misses the $1.49 dry cleaners back home . I DO NOT like ironing. I may need to add “find a reasonably priced dry cleaners in Singapore” to my to do list.

… is thinking. And, yes, it hurts.

…don’t wish away days very often but this one needs to go. Time for a movie and maybe a nap. And maybe a few tootsie rolls from my stash. That will take care of a couple of hours anyway.

… just got a box of goodies from home!!! I will be eating a caramel apple pop very soon. Thanks, Tori!!!

 …is enjoying a quiet Saturday morning with my cinnamon crumb cake coffee.

… is struggling with a proper perspective lately. Being couped up in a house sick for a week messes with the brain.

 …Nepali tea is almost ready…..

 …was at a shopping center tonight and saw coats for sale, big, furry, fluffy coats, and boxes labeled “Winter in Singapore”. Huh???

…couldn’t finish cooking the kid’s breakfast. Ran out of gas. Literally. A warning gauge would be nice. I will be calling for a replacement gas tank for the first time. Should be interesting…..

…chicken adobo for dinner with friends from Indonesia!! Not sure what to make for dessert. Any ideas?

… just bought a couple of small “punkins”, some dried Indian corn, fall colored fresh flowers, some candy corn and a cool looking ceramic pumpkin for the outside porch. Now bring on the cooler weather……. I won’t be holding my breath.

…Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, since we can’t spend Christmas in Texas, we’ll be spending Christmas with you.

…how many grams of butter = 1 cup????? Trying to bake in metric is incredibly frustrating!

…Avast! T’ pirate be off t’ school. Arrr!!

…went to China Town today and ate McDonald’s for lunch. It was there, I was hungry and I could read the menu. :)

…Alaturka, here we come!! So excited about having dinner with John and Leone!

…Yum! Good dinner with good people.

…will be spending the day with Anna. No school for her today. We’ll be going back to our roots. She wants to go eat lunch at the first restaurant we ate at on our first day in Singapore.

…the dining table I want was $10000SGD yesterday. $8000SGD today. Just a few more trips and maybe…..

…will enjoy this Friday! Pedi’s w/ Anna. Eating Indian food with our hands (right hands only). Maybe a movie if we can find one that a 16 and 10 yr old agree on. :)

…is making a list of things for my mom and sister to bring to us from the US NEXT WEEK!!! What am I forgetting???

…is going to get out the power tools today. Time to get some stuff hung on these plain, white, concrete walls.

…thinks that the decision process of where to hang things is as hard as the actual process of hanging.

…just had our first 4 trick or treaters. Probably our last since it’s raining and we live where we live. It was fun, though.

…sorry trash guy… i’ll buy stronger trash bags next time.

…just realized I’ve been up for a couple of hours now and haven’t had to turn on the a/c. Nice!!

…so my 4.0 brilliant college daughter calls me in Singapore to ask me what time it is in Texas. hahaha!!! It’s 2:00AM, darlin’. Go to bed!!! Daylight Savings Time is retarded. Anyway, we are now 14 hours ahead of you guys in Texas. Time doesn’t change in Singapore.

…The countdown is officially on. 3 days until I get to hug my mom and my sister!!!!! And restock my almost empty U.S. stash box.

…is eating warm, homemade banana bread with pecans from my tree in Texas. Makes my tastebuds happy and my heart a little sad.

..just got home with some more “designer” storage solutions and is watching Tommy put them together. Cheap furniture. Cheap entertainment.

…is going out to learn about Singapore’s world of sculptures today.

…learned alot today. Not a real art buff but the sculptures and stories behind them were interesting. Salvador Dali was a weirdo and Merlion was nothing but a marketing tool. Who knew???

…is praying for a safe and uneventful flight from Texas to Singapore for two of my favorite people in the world. My mom and one of my sisters will be here in 24 hours!! am also praying for a safe camping trip for my youngest daughter for school and 60 other 5th graders. I sure miss my children when they’re not with me.

…Imagine an on time dr. appt. Imagine same day MRI. Imagine next day follow up appt. Imagine medical care in Singapore. Nice!!

…thinks that the best dinner is the one I don’t have to clean up after. Even better if it’s California Rolls and hot green tea.

…is up early. Headed to the airport soon!!

…they’re here! they’re here! they’re really, really here!!! and still smilin’ after that long flight in cramped quarters.

…thinks I have talked more in one day than I have in the past 4+ months. What a great day! And I had tons of fun looking through all the goodies they brought us. Corn tortillas, velveeta and goooood hairspray!!!!!

…will experience Singapore through fresh eyes today. Will be fun! Headed to the Orchard area for my foot dr appt and then wherever the wind blows and our 6 crippled feet will take us. Anna comes home today too! Yipee!!! I miss my kid!!

…dr. appt. – not a neuroma but torn faschia (?) plate (ligament) under 2nd and 3rd toes and will not need surgery. YEAH! Got a F.R.E.E. ultrasound. WOW!! Had a great time at Paragon and Lucky Plaza with my mom and sis. They definitely had a cultural experience or two today. My daughter is home safe and sound from camp. Wrote a really long status update. :)

…Where to go for dinner?? Any ideas Singapore people? I’m nervous about taking them somewhere with too much culture as it’s only day 2 but it won’t be western food.

…Tanglin food court won. It was perfect. Calm, good intro to local food, and we all left very satisfied. And we actually found several gluten free options for my mom.

…is enjoying my morning coffee and those I’m sharing it with.

…had a great adventure day. So much fun to see (and smell) “our world” through fresh eyes. And is absolutely LOVING watching my kids play Canasta with their grandma!

…wonders whose stinkin’ $1200 monthly house payment we’re paying. It’s so incredibly frustrating to handle financial mess with incompentent and unhelpful bank people and a 14 hour time difference! What a horrible ending to a perfectly good day.

…has so much to be thankful for.

We are still having our ups and downs but the downs are finally fewer than the ups. I’ve got so much more to tell you and pictures to show you but I’m having too much fun with my mom and sister who are visiting us from the U.S. right now. We are enjoying our adventures with them and it’s great to see all of our “firsts” with fresh eyes. I hope your days are filled with adventure as well – wherever you happen to be.

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