Christmas 2011

We’re enjoying our holiday in Texas but it’s very busy. Full of good stuff but busy. With graduation festivities, visiting friends and family and Christmas this and that and really trying to keep a little bit of slower pace and not kill ourselves in this whirlwind 2 week trip home, I decided not to send out Christmas cards. But then we got these great family pictures (taken by Tori’s college roommate, Bethany. Thanks, Bethany!!) and I couldn’t help myself.

So how about a compromise??? I won’t send out Christmas cards to you all but I did make one and I’ll post it here. Just pretend that you got this in the mail, ok? If I have your address anyway.

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Tori knows…

 

When Tori was about 3 or maybe 4, she and I were driving around our hometown of Lake Jackson, Texas headed to do some shopping. She sat up tall in her big girl car seat and matter of factly mentioned that she knew everything.

“I know everything”, she said. “I know houses, I know cars, I know trees.” She paused and then said, “I know Target!”

This has been a story told and retold in our family. She knows everything and most importantly, she knows Target.

Well now that she’s a college grad, there’s a bigger reality to her claim from 17 years or so ago. She definitely knows a whole lot more! And she knows a whole lot more of Target too. haha!

Congratulations, Tori!! What a wonderful experience your graduation night and celebration lunch the following day was for all who came to support you but especially for your dad and I. We keep thinking that we could not be more proud of you or love you any more but some how you keep finding ways to make this possible.

There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays

We’re home! In Texas!! We like to say that our home is Texas and our life is in Singapore. We like both. We feel like we sort of live a double life. We’re so happy to be home for the holidays and will get to see our extended families soon but for now we’re just enjoying being the Stunz Family 5.

We arrived in Houston on Wednesday evening, finally getting through immigration and out of the airport around 6pm. We went to check into our hotel, didn’t even unload, and then made a bee line for Target and Tex Mex while the adrenaline was still pumping. I used words like “free flow” and “take away” and heard words like “coupon” rather than “voucher” and “thataway” (Southerners will understand this one). Yep, two different worlds we live in.

The next morning, our jet lagged selves were wide-eyed at 5am so we got ready and ate breakfast (free buffet since we had to change rooms due to our bathroom sink being possessed and overflowing) and we headed to Denton to see our two oldest kids who attend university in Texas. I absolutely love driving the open roads of Texas. We saw the beautiful trees in Autumn golds and browns and drove on highways with FIVE lanes on each side, that’s TEN lanes if you count both directions. Ridiculous! And cars stayed in their own lanes and there were no motorcycles playing the “dodge death” game in between the cars and NO honking. It was so nice!

We arrive in Denton around lunch time and ate at Chickfila and then more shopping with all of our kids. It was a super fun afternoon. Our kids are crazy and noisy and I loved every minute of it!

We’re in the land of plenty and reverse sticker shock. You’d think we’d get used to it but we don’t. Every time we come home we’re pleasantly shocked by how plentiful the supply is and just sort of stop and stare at how cheap it is. It’s hard not to buy everything.

I haven’t taken many pictures because I’ve been too brain fried to think about it and just busy enjoying my family being together, but here are a few.

‘nuf said

Target bags within the first 2 hours of our arrival – Nice!!

Anna’s favorite – BACON!

yum!

Beautiful colors and what cold looks like

CHEAP!!!!!

There really is no place like home for the holidays. Although some of our friends will be enjoying a sweet holiday in Singapore and Bali and Australia and that kind of sounds good too.

Pre-travel Regime

hahaha! She looks SO organized and calm and put together. This is NOT how I am before a trip. I detest packing and even procrastinate up until the last minute sometimes – which is probably why I’m writing this blog post instead of getting things done. I sure wish I could take that much luggage. Can you imagine how much velveeta and fritos I could bring back??? 

I’m sure I’m not pro at this travel business but I have figured out a few things over the last couple of years that always make my list of things to do before we travel either home for a visit or will be gone for a few weeks.

Over the last few months… I’ve been thinking through family birthday gifts to take back to leave for the coming year. Saves on shipping and it’s fun to give unique gifts from this part of the world.

Over the last month… We’ve been ordering Christmas gifts and items needed online to meet us when we arrive in Texas. This saves a lot of time but will not keep me out of Target.

Over the last week… we began trying to use up items in our freezer and fridge and tried not to buy too many groceries. On two different trips to Texas now we’ve come back to a thawed freezer and complete power outage in our condo. Losing everything in our freezer and coming back to a huge mess is always a concern for me.

Yesterday… I called, texted rather, our favorite Maxi Cab driver, Mr. Ang, to schedule pick up at 11:30pm to take us to the airport.

Today… is 2 days before we head to Texas. The drinking of lots of water and eating of fruits and veggies and NO salt begins. My ankles thank me after 25-30 hours of sitting in an upright position and my feet dangling down. Check the “travel tips” post linked below for more info on what I do.

Today… I’ll give our neighbor/friends our house key so they can come in and make sure power is on and there is no random flooding or strangeness that happened. Weird things happen while we’re gone. It’s always something.

Today… I’m finalizing my list of items to shop for by priority of what we absolutely can’t get here in Singapore, then what is just going to save us money and then we go from there and buy as much as we can fit. This trip home is only 2 weeks so time is of the essence. First order of business once we hit the ground is a Target run while adrenaline will carry us through. I also need to find freshly grated coconut for a dessert (Onde Onde) I want to make for our family Christmas gathering. It’s always a challenge to cook my favorite Asian things when we’re home because I don’t know where to find the specialty Asian ingredients or I don’t have time to track them down. It was funny to see the reaction from the local Texas grocery store produce guy when I asked if they had Galangal root. This time, I’m packing my own dried Thai soup spices, rock sugar, sticky rice, gula melaka and sticky rice flour. I’m pretty sure screw pine leaves (pandan leaves) for the Onde Onde wouldn’t make it through customs and I won’t find them in Texas so I’m just taking pandan extract. It’ll have to do.

Today… I’m gathering meds and passports and money and charging ipods and computers and oh yeah… going for a hair wash/massage/scalp treatment because THAT is TOTALLY necessary.

Tomorrow… I’ll finish up the last minute packing items and oh yeah… I go get my nails done and go for foot reflexology. It saves me time in Texas for Target runs and helps with circulation before flying. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Here a couple of other pre-travel posts I’ve written.

We Are Not Superheroes

Andrea’s Travel Tips

Lunar Eclipse Singapore

We were pretty excited a couple of weeks ago when we heard there was going to be a full lunar eclipse on December 10th and that Asia would be getting the best view. Then when we saw it, we even got to see stars!! It was a beautiful clear sky which almost never happens in Singapore. It is so rare that we see stars here. Mostly just because Singapore is so lit up that the lights keep you from seeing the stars but on this night, they shown bright and brilliant and it was awesome.

Of course we did a little mini science lesson about what is a lunar eclipse and what is a solar eclipse and Anna and I learned a thing or two. Anna asked me how God could be so creative in making something like this happen. I told her that for Him, it was no big deal really, I mean look at how our bodies work. You think him making shadows with the three big balls in the sky is nothing compared to the intricacy of blood pumping from our heart to all parts of our body in a bazillion tiny little tubes. But… I’m thankful He is so creative because it was cool to get to see. Sometimes I picture God sitting up there hanging with Noah, Abraham, Paul and the gang and saying, “Hey guys! Watch this! This is gonna be awesome!!”

Here are my photos of God’s “awesome”. We went down to the pool at our condo and hung out for a while. The first moon image was taken at 10:35pm and second one at 11:35pm. Then I had to go to bed cause I’m old.

A friend and some local photographers and astronomy guru’s met at the top of One Fullerton and captured some amazing shots. Here is her blog post. Definitely worth taking a look! She and her friends have MUCH nicer cameras than I.

Our Eclipse Experience

To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40

Fashion for the Tropics

I wore a new, and what I think to be cute, top to church this morning that I bought here in Singapore. A little bit of Asian style with Christmas colors. Perfect.

When I was doing my hair I realized the handy dandy dark fabric pattern choice they strategically placed in the arm pit region. Yes, I had Tommy take a picture of my arm pit. The blouse was obviously made in the tropics for the tropics.

Sweaty armpit stains are a major problem here and the Christmas season is no exception. I can’t tell you how many white blouses I’ve been through here that I’ve tossed once the armpits turned brown. It just doesn’t come out. Gross, I know. Sorry. It’s a way of life.

I REALLY heart hearts…

My last post, I heart hearts, explained my love for the heart shape and its meaning.  Honestly, it was a little bit of a set up. While God has been placing hearts in my path for years, I decided to place one ON me forever.

Tommy and I rarely do anything without thinking it through (which involves praying) and putting something like this on me, something SO permanent, was definitely thought through. What does it all mean? Glad you asked…

The overall shape, heart and the triple Koru (Native Maori symbol), are representative of God’s love for me/us, his redeeming love and grace over our marriage, unity, and my faith in God and my marriage to Tommy, new life, new beginnings, fresh starts. So the left side of the heart represents God and the two smaller swirls represent Tommy and I, our marriage. And then there’s the little loop at the bottom which represents God uniting himself with us in all of this and taking us into the redeemed. I love that little loop.

Then, of course, the triple Koru swirly things (like my technical terminology??) represent the unity of God and Tommy and I and the new life, new beginnings, fresh starts, do-overs, that we get each day as a result of God’s redeeming love. If you notice, the swirls are all three connected but are still separate. This represents the choice we make daily, hourly, by the minute sometimes, to be connected to each other. It is a choice.

The color is green to represent the green stone, jade, that Koru’s are traditionally made from. There’s also that touch of Asia in there because jade is very predominant in this region as well. Although, to me, it’s more representative of New Zealand which we love more than Asia. Obviously we love New Zealand or we wouldn’t be permanently inking our bodies with her symbols.

The placement of it? Although I don’t care if others see it, didn’t try to hide it obviously since it’s near my wrist and will only be able to be hidden with long sleeves which we almost NEVER where in the tropical climate of Singapore, the tattoo is for me to see so to others it will be upside down but I wanted to be able to look at it and it be right to me. For reminding. For encouraging. For ever. So I didn’t want it to be somewhere hidden.

I suppose some might think Tommy and I are going through a mid life crisis of sorts. We drive a Hyundai 5 seater hatchback so, nah… If we get the fancy sports car then you can accuse away. But I think we’ve just come to the place where our experiences have welled up to become something meaningful and getting a tattoo was sort of like marking the occasion. Like our Biblical forefathers built alters. A symbol for all who pass through that place of where they’ve been and what God has done.

I love Tommy. Tommy loves me. God loves us. God is our redeemer. We choose to love. We choose to be connected. We choose to remember our past and embrace our new beginnings. And now I have permanent ink on my arm to remind me of all of this when my heart might forget.

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart  be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

final touches on the design

prep – sanitize!

transferring the design

getting all set up

mixing up the magic potions

just kidding! no needles have even touched my skin yet. :)

progress

doin’ ok!

finished

Redeemed. New beginnings. Love.

Here is the post about Tommy’s tattoo, 8 hours. I’m so thankful mine only took 1.5 hours. It was not that bad, really, but I’m sure I could not have made it much longer. And check out the artist, Moonstruck Tattoo. Thanks, Moon!! I’m so thankful that we found you! You are a gifted artist and we’re blessed that you shared your gift with us.

I really like having a tattoo. I also like that Moon was proud of his work. I think I challenged him a bit in trying to make it look like green stone (jade) but he rose to the challenge. When he finished, he chuckled under his breath a little. He was impressed. I love it when an artist finishes their work, sits back and is a bit surprised at the finished product. That is true art that comes from a passion in its creation.

I heart hearts.

I tend to notice things shaped like hearts without looking for them. They just appear. Over the years, I’ve taken pictures of a few of them. I also took a picture of bird poop in the shape of Africa too but that’s another post for another day…

Wikipedia has this to say about the heart symbol:

The heart (♥) has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past, also intellectual core of a human being. As the heart was once widely believed to be the seat of the human mind, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized depictions of hearts are used as prevalent symbols representing love.

I love (pun intended) the heart symbol and it’s meaning. Even though our real heart is not shaped like the symbol, it is what gives us life. Without our heart we would die. Likewise, without love, we could not live. Not really live anyway. Our human heart would still keep pumping but our life would be meaningless with out love.

Here are just a few of the heart images I could manage to find easily in my mess of photo folders. I found a photo of a heart-shaped durian but there’s not really anything pleasant about that so it didn’t make the cut.

Cambodia, 2011

Cenacle Retreat Center, 2007

Kenya, 2011

Lake Catherine, Arkansas, 2008

Nepal, 2011

New Zealand, 2011

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

International Santa’s

Over the last two years here in Singapore, I’ve begun collecting these awesome International Santa’s.

I wrote this post last year and called them “worldly santa’s” but I think International is probably a better word choice.

I now have ten in my collection. I like ‘em! I only buy ones from countries we’ve actually visited. I added Thailand and Malaysia this year and went ahead and added Italy this year even though we haven’t been yet. We have tickets so that’s official enough, right? I still need to get Africa and Nepal. She doesn’t make those yet so I told her I’d be looking for them next year. By next Christmas, I’ll also need to add UK and Australia. Way cool!

Thailand

Malaysia

Italy

I will always enjoy pulling these little guys out each year at Christmas time. When I’m old and gray I will take them out of their boxes and have lots of good memories of lots of good stories and will share those memories and stories with anyone who will listen.

USA

Singapore

Cambodia

Vietnam

Indonesia

New Zealand (with an upside down flag)

China

Thailand

Malaysia

Italy

One, Two, Tree!

One… Tori’s Christmas tree in her apartment. She and her two room mates did a great job. Very pretty, as expected from three girls.

Two… Jakeb’s Christmas tree in his dorm room. He and his room mate were on a major coffee high when they went Christmas tree/decor shopping. Can you tell???

TREE!! Ours in our condo. I love our tree this year. It’s our first time in Singapore to have a real tree. We’ve always had real trees but settled for fake the last two Christmases here.

If you notice, both Tori and Jakeb put white lights on their trees. And A LOT of them! Jakeb’s tree could light up the North Pole! I can’t even believe all those lights are dorm legal. Funny that in this post I mentioned how they have always made us put multi-colored lights on our tree when I always wanted white. Crazy kids.