New Addition

6th August 2013


Guess who could it be this time?

A hamster?  A fish?  A tortoise?  A bird?

Nope...

It's a puppy!!!

Mommy has finally given the green light and happily, Daddy brought Elyse to SPCA to look for a puppy.  Of course, Mommy followed along to make sure she, too, likes the puppy that Daddy and Elyse intended to adopt.  A church member, Sister Guat Chin, brought us to SPCA.  She used to help out in SPCA and am familiar with the people there.

After half an hour, we adopt a 2-month-old female puppy.  Elyse named her 'Shinny'.

The first few days was a disasters.  We tried to keep Shinny at home and trained her to wee wee in the toilet.  We have also bought a cage for her to sleep in.  But Shinny refused to stay in the cage quietly.  Worst still, she wee and poo everywhere in the house.  Finally, the Queen of the house couldn't stand any longer and gave an imperial order - Shinny is to be kept outside!!!

Mommy's nightmare has come to an end.  Shinny is pretty happy, she wee and poo at the garden.  In the evening, the children played with Shinny.  Occasionally, she bite our shoes and ran outside of the house compound if the gate is left open.  She loves to jump on people and that frightens Elyse at times.  Both children are learning to give commands to Shinny.  Is this consider leadership training?

Grandpa is the main carer for Shinny.  He feeds and bathe and plays with Shinny whenever Daddy is too occupied with too many things.  We really thank God for having Grandpa around.  As for Mommy, she's not a dog lover neither does she hates dog.  She's happy when she saw the smile of children' face when they play with Shinny.  But she groans when Shinny dirty the porch and bite things here and there.  As for Daddy, he has finally fulfilled his childhood dream!

Princess Elyse turns 5

 23rd September 2013



Finally, our darling girl has turned 5!

After attended 2 birthday parties this year, she kept asking Daddy and Mommy to organise a birthday party for her.  We managed to strike a deal with her by having birthday celebration in her kindy.

Few days before her birthday, we bought all the party gift packs and Elyse happily putting all the little presents in it.  Very diligent indeed!

That morning itself, Mommy spent one hour in the kitchen preparing all the party food.  Busy busy busy... Finally, everything was done and Mommy drove Erwyn together with the party gift packs, birthday cake and food to Elyse's kindy.  Elyse certainly enjoyed all the attention and she was filled with excitement. 

The teachers were very helpful and they seemed to know what to expect.  With a blink of an eye, they prepared the table with cake on it, presents and party gift packs were some of the decorative items on the table.  Now all the students posed for a picture.  Say 'cheese...'

Since it was break time, the children adjourned to the back of the class to fill their stomach.  Elyse sitting together with her friends...

Erwyn joined in the crowd, sitting next to her favourite sister.  Sausages and nuggets were the main ingredient in this party - break time.

Back home, Elyse received all her presents with a big smile on her face.  Some of the presents were bought under her request.  One of them was nail polish.  Mommy helped to apply it on her tiny finger nails.  

Overall, it was a great year for our princess darling.  She has grown so much!  May you continue to grow in stature, in wisdom, in favor with God and men... Luke 2:52

A sneaky creature

After 8 months in Malacca, we have a surprised visitor - Mr Snake!!!

Of course, Mr Snake is not welcomed at all.  Grandpa saw it next to the dog's cage.  Thank God Shinny was not hurt.  Bravo to Grandpa for catching this sneaky creature.  Not sure if it is poisonous or not.  We wondered anyone would like to boil a pot of snake soup?  Anywhere, Grandpa killed it in the end.  And we thought that's the end of it.

Two months later, our neighbor told us they found a snake in their house!  WOW!  Thank God that we always keep all our doors and windows close.  But that's not the end of the story.  Just one week before Christmas, our neighbor saw a snake in their garden.  They called the Bomba and they actually caught a King Cobra!  The Bomba suspected there's another one somewhere as they often come in pair.  While keeping alert, we continue to pray for God's protection.

Stolen

Do you still remember this swing?  Elyse and Erwyn love this swing.  Every time they went to Daddy's office, they would definitely sit on it and swing to their heart content.  Sadly, one Monday afternoon, when Mommy went to the office Mommy realised that the seat is gone!  When Daddy asked around, nobody seemed to know what had happened.  Finally the conclusion is, it is STOLEN!!!

Even now (at least 4 to 5 months on the date of writing), Erwyn still asks 'where is the swing' whenever he goes to the church office.  Such a pity...  :(

A couple of weeks after the swing is gone, my sis and her children visited us in Malacca.  We were so happy to have them around.  The children played at the basketball court with balls, tricycles and scooter.  A church member gave us the scooter few years back when we just gave birth to Elyse.  We kept the scooter in Subang until recently we brought it to Malacca, thinking that she's old enough to ride on the scooter.  Elyse had been trying to manoeuvre it but had not mastered the skill yet.  On the other hand, my nephew, who is 2 years younger than Elyse, could ride on it with ease.

After the fun time was over, we left the tricycle and scooter in the porch as Mommy needed to clean the wheel before bringing them back into the house.  The next couple of days Mommy was so caught up with other things that she had forgotten to do so.  A week later, we couldn't find the scooter anywhere!!!  It is gone!!!

Although it was a second-hand scooter given by a church member, we felt heartache for the loss of it.  Elyse was very sad and for the next couple of weeks kept asking us why. 

So, we lost 2 precious items in 2 months in Malacca.  We learned our lesson though.  We keep our gate closed all the time.  And we do not leave our things lying around even in the porch.  Don't worry, we still believe this is where God has called us to be and we are happy staying around here.

A sample of a scooter.  We did not even have any photos on it. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magical Journey To Enchantia

5th July 2013


Life seemed to be in a fast-paced after our trip to Australia.  Lots of activities followed after.

One evening, a church member called up suddenly and invited Elyse and I to a musical.  Of course, we accepted the invitation!  Mommy is totally a big fan of musical show.

This show was organised by BluBricks and Classic Ballet Studio.  BluBricks is a child development centre offering programmes on speech, drama and public speaking. It strive to empower students with the confidence to be leaders and future-shapers through encouraging an inquisitive mindset and developing the necessary communicative and performing skills in order to acheive this.  Whereas Classic Ballet Studio privides classes in jazz, ballet and aerobics.

The title of the musical is 'The Magical Journey to Enchantia'.  It revolved around an ordinary girl named Mimi, who lived an ordinary life and loved to dance.  She embarked on a journey to a magical world - Enchantia.  She witnesses the duel between the White Swan, Odette, and the Black Swan, Odile.  Then she moved further into the forest, hoping to find a way home.  There she met a beautiful doll named Coppelia and a mysterious bird called Firebird.  Her pursuit of the Firebird brought her to meet a sea creature called Ondine.  Finally she joined a grand celebration in a castle, there she met Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.

Elyse was very happy to watch the ballerinas dancing graciously though the storyline was not clear.  She has been wanting to learn ballet for some time.  It was a nice experience for our little girl.  And of course, looks like Mommy needs to look around for a ballet school to enrol our princess.

The White Swan and The Black Swan

Mimi, the girl who embarked on the magical journey

Perth... here we come!!! ~ Part 6

 12th June 2013


Today was our very last day in Perth.  We've decided to pay a visit to the city.

Our very first stop was the Kings Park - one of Perth's top attraction.  Kings Park offers panoramic views that extend across the city, to the outlying hills, and down the Swan River.  It is the world's biggest inner park.

Court of Contemplation: Commemorates the conflicts in which Western Australians have fallen. The walls feature the names of major battlefields. The Flame of Remembrance within the Pool of Reflection burns continuously.

Cenotaph: An 18 metre granite obelisk commemorates all Western Australians who gave their lives in the service of their country. The internal walls of the under-croft list the names of more than 7000 members of the services killed in action or who died of wounds or illness in WWI. Bronze plaques on the outside walls of the under-croft list the names of nearly 4000 Australians who lost their lives in WWII. Names of the fallen from subsequent conflicts are included here.

After loitering around in the calmness of this piece of peaceful green oasis, we drove right into the hustle and bustle of the city.

Walking around the city, enjoying the scenery and the cold air.

An Eskimo???

entering London Court

After much walking, finally we took a break at one of the shops to enjoy..... ICE CREAM!!!

The 2 strong men wearing only t-shirt and ice cream VS 1 cute freezing cold little gal

Finally we found McDonald and gave our children a taste of Aussie McD.  Elyse, on the other hand, decided to indulge in the world of ice cream.

Time to eat the beef burger specially made in Australia!

We took a local bus to travel to the ferry terminals.  The children were excited riding on the bus.  Upon reaching the terminals, we hopped into a ferry and crossed over to the other side of the Swan River.

A pleasant surprised when an elderly couple sitting in front of us shouting, "dolphins!"  Not just one, but three!!!  Since then, Erwyn has been asking us to bring him to sit boat, see dolphins.  What an experience for the kids till now (after almost 6 months on the date of writing), they still remember it.

We do not really have a specific purpose to cross over the river, just a fun experience for the children.  Turned out it was really worth it!  The locals told us that it is unusual to see dolphins at the Swan River.  

While waiting to board the next ferry, children playing at the park nearby.

Playing at the park has become one of their favourite past time in Perth.   Our outing normally occupied us a few hours in the morning.  In the evening, the children would normally visit the nearby park to have some fun.

We saw the Big Bells at the city but did not have a chance to visit.  (Maybe the next time?)  After the ferry ride and the bus ride, we took a train back home.  Erwyn was too exhausted, he felt asleep in the bus.  Though Elyse was just as tired, she walked all the way back home all by herself.  Thumbs up to our little girl.

After freshen ourselves up, we headed to Hogs Breath Cafe for our farewell dinner.

The day has finally come where we bid farewell to this beautiful land - Perth.  The past week has been an eventful week.  There were so much love, hugs and laughter, at the same time, loss of a loved one, in this trip.  We regretted unable to attend Aunt Kelly's funeral which was held one week later.  But we are ever grateful to God that we were able to see her for the very last time before she has gone to a better place.

Goodbye, Perth.  We sure hope that it won't take us another 9 years to visit Australia again!

Perth... here we come!!! ~ Part 5

10th June 2013


Many years ago Andrew's grandfather stepped into this land and God called him home.  He onced stayed in Andrew's house for many many years.  Today, we have decided to pay our respect to this honourable man.  Thanks to Uncle Llyod who took us to the cemetery where he was buried.

Many wild kangaroos nearby.  However, it is not advisable to feed them.

Andrew's grandfather's tombstone.  Surprisingly we found out that the practice is that to bury 3 bodies in a plot. 

Watch out for the tiny 'bomb' on the ground!!!  It's all over the place... As these are wild kangaroos, they are not toilet trained and they help fertilize the grass.

David n Goliath???

Looks like little Erwyn was trying to pull our dear Aunt Audrey.  Hmm... you need to eat more and grow up bigger and stronger.

After a moment of solemn, we brought the kids to their 'heaven' - amusement arcade.

wanna play with me?

Later in the evening, we visited the Trigg Beach for an awesome view of the sunset.

It was then that we received the news of the passing of our dearest Aunt Kelly.  Aunt Kelly, you will be remembered forever in our heart.  We love you!

“I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. 

They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. 

Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. 

We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love.” 

-(Leo Buscaglia)”

Perth... Here we come!!! ~ Part 4

9th June 2013


It was a Sunday morning yet we were not found in the church.  Instead, we set out to The Maze, a family fun park located in Bullsbrook.  ‘Breakfast with the Koalas’ , a unique experience at the park’s Café Iguana.  We headed into the small koala enclosure which is part of the outside deck and pat one of the koalas whilst waiting for our meal to be ready.

There's also plenty of room for the kids to run around as the café is surrounded by a 9 hole mini golf course and big garden chess game area.

Daddy used to play chess A LOT during his younger days.  He won quite a number of competitions.  Following Daddy's footstep, lately Elyse has acquired a passion to play chess.  She remembers how each chess piece moves.  So naturally when she saw this big garden of chess game area, she was excited and couldn't wait to play!

On the other hand, our little boy who is known as the mimic king, tried to follow his Jie Jie by carrying (with all his might) the pieces and moved them around.

Breakfast is served!  We ordered the pancakes, Maze fry up (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, baked beans, hash brown & toast) and a smoothie.

Who is cuter?  The koala or me?

After filling our tummy, it's time to get our brain working and our feet wet.  It was drizzing when we entered the maze.  Nevertheless, we proceeded and thank God that rain stopped and the Sun was shining brightly for the next few hours.

Do you trust the sign?

Oh no!  It was a trick!!!

Moving on... Elyse, our leader

Toward the end of the maze is a big tower that the kids can climb up and then a slide to go down. The other four mazes are fairly small but are harder (if you want to follow their brain teaser rules like 'only turn left' whereas our kids just walked through).

The kids park is fairly small but has some swings, a climbing net, climbing wall, slide, and four person spring see-saw.

One of the best things that our kids loved was the ‘jumping pillow’ which is just like a mix between a jumping castle and trampoline. It is surrounded by sand and has a huge sail shade overhead.

A helping hand to get our boy up.  Thank you Jie Jie!

There were lots of older children jumping up and down.  Whenever Erwyn tried to stand up, he fell down.  Finally he resolved to crawling around.  Well, the big smile on his face indicated that he had so much fun, even by crawing around!

There is also a walk through nature section and aviary with plenty of birds, emus and kangaroos on show.

We finished off the morning with a free round of mini golf – it is 9 holes and is a fairly easy course.  This was the first time the kids and Mommy played it.  Both children really enjoyed it as they both like to play with balls, eg basketball, and bowling.

paying attention...

big boy vs small boy

Our dear Aunty Audrey joining us in the fun game

Daddy tried to teach Elyse the proper posture but she happily following her own style

Now it's time to welcome the Queen of the house

Our recording secretary

Erwyn trying to 'help' by putting the ball into the hole

All in all we had a fantastic family day out.

Later that evening, we dressed up to attend the Kingdom City Church.  We found out that they have a branch in KL as well.  There was a guest speaker that evening, and his testimony was indeed powerful.  Elyse attended the Kids programme and Erwyn was in the baby room.

A welcome pack for the visitor

That concluded our 4th day in Perth.