Every year on the 31st December the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family Of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. And every year mumsie prayed that mumsie's family will gather round her in the church to listen to the day's reading which is so meaningful. But as this feast is celebrated on the 1st Sunday after Christmas ... normally mumsie is the only one (and now with Grandma Chu) who goes to church...cos the family couldn't get up so early to go to Sunday masses with mumsie.. Part of the reading goes like this (and incidently today mumsie was asked to read this passage infront of the whole church!!!!!)
" Whoever respects his father will be happy with childten of his own,
he shall be heard on the day when he prays.
Long life comes to him who honours his father,
for he who sets his mother at ease is showing obedience to the Lord.
Support your father in his old age,
do not grieve him during his life.
Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy, do not despise him in your health and strength
for dindness to a farther shall not be forgotten"

And the second reading was just as meaningfull....in fact most couples choose this passage for their wedding mass.

" Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated."

And after the above readings the priest will give us touching talks...and deep in mumsie's heart she keeps on thinking what a waste...cos mumsie's family is not here to hear it....
And because today being the last day of the year...it also makes mumsie thinking and planning and also praying for the next year ie 2007 as well as with a heart full of THANKS to the Lord for year 2006!!!

As 2006 draws to an end I'm sure everybody is ready to welcome 2007...As for mumsie ..she has a lot to thank the LORD for a great 2006...Now that all her little ones are 'grown up' and are not around her anymore...she finds that she has been spending (and will be spending) most of her time with dadda....not only we go swimming together we even took up cycling...yep we cycle around our taman and further sometimes...and also shopping...the only thing dadda is not willing to join mumsie is when mumsie goes to the spa...(ah well mumsie gotta pray harder!)
During our younger days..don't think we can afford a lot of things...and also we can't spend much time together like now..it is work work work (Not that we don't work work work now..the only difference is we don't need to rush around taking our little ones to tuition classes, piano classes, swimming classes, computer classes, school activities ect ect ect)

AND like anybody else mumsie too has a lot of resolutions....

1st and foremost...like anybody else mumsie wants to loose some weight so that mumsie can put on all her nice dresses and look nice..Every time mumsie goes to shop for clothes...and when she is trying on some of the dresses in the shops...mumsie keeps on saying to everybody that she will try her very very very best to loose some 'pounds or kilos' cos the four sided mirrors in the changing room really makes mumsie looks awful!!!! A few months ago mumsie was telling all her nurses...(and that was when mumsie's wt was 53 kg) she must loose at least 3 kilo..yep that's the target...and today instead of tipping the scale the other way....mumsie's wt is 57.5 kg!!! Immagine mumsie's frustation!!! Mumsie has been going without lunch ect ect for umpteen months and took only spoonfuls of rice @ dinner!!! and the scale goes the other way!!! I suppose this resolution should include jogging on the treadmill machine!!! (Ya this one will dadda happy) Ya must make an attempt to go on it at for 1/2 hour every day!!!
Wonder if mumsie should sign up with Marie France???

2ndly mumsie has been planning to take up ball - room danccing with Dadda...so hope that this coming 2007 will see us doing just that...

3rdly mumsie must pray harder....cos her little ones doesn't need mumsie to cook for them to dress them to ect ect ect...BUT This doesn't mean that mumsie's duty is over...Every day mumsie still prays for them....yup every day and the petition prayers get longer and longer cos mumsie had to pray for the little ones's friends as well ..studies, exams, work ect ect...so the bag on mumsie's back gets heavier and heavier...

Shouldn't add any more on the list cos don't think mumsie can keep them...

Today is 1/1/07 and mumsie is really pleased and happy happy happy..cos MUMSIE WAS ABLE TO GET ALL HER FAMILY TO ATTEND MASS in the church...yes @ 7.45 am mumsie was able to roll everybody out of bed and go to church...This is tradition. For the past many many years mumsie had been doing this...get everybody together to go to church on the first day of the year (and the first day of Chinese New Year too)... It is not easy when the little ones have grown up...but mumsie really prayed hard for this....Today just as we were about to leave for church the hospital rang to inform that there are 2 ladies in the labour room...and one of them is going to deliver any moment...Oh God!! Literally mumsie had to call the 'fella' up there to help...please don't let baby out until mass is over...and if it is not too much let us have a nice breakfast together...cos mumsie plan to take everybody out for 'dim sum' (ONLY ONCE A YEAR AFFAIR) And as mumsie always says...ask and you shall be given...Ya the nuses called daddy just as daddy was about to finish b'fast with us..well dadda didn't get to eat the 'chu cheong fun' cos they didn't come in time but he gotta eat the rest of the dim sum...(smile)
Well today the nurses inform mumsie that it is going to be a bz bz day...cos at least another 4 more babies to come out (3 out 4 more to go!!!)Being a public holiday today clinic is closed so dadda can still come home and spend time with us and then go out in between to deliver them one by one!!!!!

THE "CAROLLERS" CAME TO MUMSIE'S HOUSE

Amost every year the carollers from mumsie's church would come to sing But this year mumsie's church did not have carollers. But the youths from the other church ie CIC church has...so mumsie invited them.

.. They came on 21/12/06 and boy can they sing!!

Not only sing but also 'shakes'

They came all prepared with their guitar man, conductors, and even an'angel'

And mumsie was all prepared too with the trees lighted up laden with mumsie's favourites.

The tree gets heavier and heavier each year.. Mumsie adds something new to it each year.

Mumsie got this from ? Australia or Japn..Anyway it does looks beautiful in the garden

And Celine invited some of her friends for dinner that night and they stayed overnight..

Tradition is mumsie 's house will be the last house for that night...cos mumsie will cook them supper..

All the pretty girls in a row....

Mumsie hopes they're not just polite...but all of them was praising the food...

And the carollers stayed for supper!

Everybody came prepared too ...with their cameras and all

And they seem to be enjoying themselves too

Even had a conductor!!!

And they supper

The guitar man

Even though by the time they reach mumsie's house it was midnight...they are still strong! This is their third and final night carolling!!

Happy happy mumsie with daddy enjoying their singing......0 Holly Night

See they brought an angel along!!!!

And 'Ko-ko' brought his friends along...to help mumsie to finish her food!!!

Wonder if mumsie's little ones remember this...every year they too join the carollers and mumsie did this too in her younger days..... And she prayed every year that one day when she had her own family she would like to invite carollers to her house...See how prayers do work!!! And as mumsie went from house to house singing she was very 'envious' of some of those 'beautiful' houses and mumsie prayed and prayed that one day she too will be able to live in a 'beautiful house' with all her 'little ones ' and 'her husband' For the Lord says (and He IS STILL SAYING) "Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, know and the doors will be opened to you!!!" And untill today mumsie never stop asking, seeking and knocking on HIS DOOR!!!!

A NIGHT OUT IN S'PORE (ORCHARD ROAD)

Every year S'pore's Orchard Road got 'dressed up' for Christmas but mumsie never got round to see 'the lights' but this year with 2 of mumsie's little ones back home and Dr Ng (who is able to 'tear himself' away from his busy church work) to stand call for us mumsie was able to persuade her gang to accompany her for this great mission!!!!! And Daddy drove us into S'pore with clever mumsie 's guidance (mumsie only knows how to get to ORCHARD ROAD....nothing more) Acutally mumsie wants to see the garden 'decor' or 'flowerr show' which is being held during this time of the year in S'pore for the first time (heard that it is of international standard and is gooooooood) but not enough time and dunno the way.............

And now that mumsie wants to ''blog' whatever and whenever she can she will never leaves home without her camera. So here we are in Orchard road ...was able to buy something from Daka toooooo.

Dunno you can see Celine's clever 'photography creation' Took this photo with us in the Christmas decor ball ..Celine holding her camera and mumsie, Daddy and Daniel . It was one of those red ball hanging on the BIG Christmas tree in Daka....

Ya this is the tree ..see those red balls??? Happy happy mumsie....

IT REALLY IS A BIG BIG Tree Then mumsie was able to gather David (another of mumsie's little ones) and his friend to join us Dinner in Jade Garden.

And that complete mumsies night out...surrounded with mumsie's loved ones !!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOSS!!!

THE staff got Daddy a B'day cake and it has been a tradition (for the past few years we got the boss the b'day cake sang the b'day song and then cut the cake) Except that this year mumsie brought out the camera and All the nurses ran to the other end of the table . Either they are tooooo shy to have their photos taken with the boss....or dunno why they all just won't stand on this end...they are all @ the other end...exept Dr Ng. Any way someone dares mumsie to give the B'DAY BOY a kiss ..so this is it...Mumsie has been waiting for this day for quite some time....(to kiss daddy O in front of every body!!!!!! ) If this was done 10 yrs ago daddy would have fainted!!!

See the happy boss with his b'day cake!

Daddy commented that he needed a bigger cake since there are soooooo many candles!! Mr Robert Yong our 'holy ' admin officer even add in 'May the Good Lord Bless Him ' to the delight of mumsie....

WHAT A DAY!!!

Early on the 20/12/06 Daddy got his B'day present from David...(just so happen David took off from work that day.......so was able to join daddy for his birthday B'fast)


Mumsie got up @ 5.00 am that day to bake Daddy his B'day 'bread' (see gotta to time it correctly..usual b'fast time for daddy is about 8.30 am) See the bread ..it's wholemeal bread with sunflower seed, pumpkin seed (should have poppy seed too but couldn't get somebody to sell me some!) But it was really fresh and nice) See the 'chief cook' of that morning ?? We couldn't find a 'cook's hat' so a blue santa hat will do.


Ya Celine cooked Daddy's b'fast that day (with a little help from Jane our maid--Jane who is a Philipino is the family cook whilst Yati does most of the house cleaning) See gotta to tell them that this dish needs 'knife and fork' and not 'spoon and fork'

This glass kettle with its candle stand is Daddy's first b'day present of this year...Mumsie beat every body to it..cause daddy gotta to unwrap this present quick so that mumsie can 'brew' his b'fast tea....See Daddy likes his food and tea hot...So this present should please him...IT took me quite an effort to look for this quy (Part 2 of this present should come as his christmas present)

We also took him out for a b'day dinner in Mei San (Holiday Inn) Mumsie managed to get Mr Wong the manager to book a room for that day! And it comes with a birthday cake...compliments from the hotel (And this is one of the many b'day cakes he received...GOSH Daddy is really 'spoilt' ) That's why mumsie rang Nancy to stop her buying another cake when she took Daddy out the other night for his b'day (By the way we took Daddy out on Sunday night and his b'day is on Wednesday and that's the night Nancy took him out..Can't eat 2 dinners on the same night!!!) Standard Chartered sent Daddy a big chocolate mud cake from Secrete Recipe (one of daddy's favourites...wonder how they know???) The staff got him a cake too and Natalie the stem-life girl (from one of the cord blood company) bought him a cake toooooo!!

So this is the first cake that he got for his b'day followed by many more!!!

Mumsie rang up Mr Wong a few days ago to ask him to get us something special...and I must say he did quite a good job...The above lobster cold dish was not bad...forgot to take a photo before we start attacking it...that's why 'he is sitting on an empty plate...


This big pot of specially brewed chicken soup is not bad...and so are the other dishes...unable to get good pictures of them...so just these 2 dishes for mumsie to 'show off' We also had a nice fish cooked in 'Mongolian' sauce...According to Mr Wong must not have the 'chinese birthday buns' cos Daddy is still YOUNG....must be above 60 yrs...Well it's well over 2.00 am in the morning GOTTA TO continue his 'birthday do' in the clinic tomorrow...(actually mumsie only slept about 2 hours last night....trouble in the hospital...daddy was called out from 10 something till 4 am and mumsie kept on calling the ward cos we had this epileptic patient that keeps on fitting after delivering a baby...and just as he settled everything he was called out again a 5 am...another delivery...So nite nite from mumsie for the time being..(by the way daddy was called out 1/2 hour ago...not back yet...gotta call the ward and see what's happening...before mumsie go to bed....Now you know why mumsie never 'sleeps' The minute my head touches the pillow mumsie 'is unconcious' (Gotta get up early to take grandma chu to church) cause she didn't come to the Midnight mass with us Mass is @ 7.45 am to be exact!!!!)

Nancy's Birthday's present to Daddy

Behind us is the kitchen...you can actually see your food being cooked by 'the professionals'
We all fell in love with this place..so we went round taking photos
The entrance to Ming Court...mumsie and daddy thinks this is 'cool' those metal rods look like water!
Nowadays competition in the banking world is really really strong!!!! When they offer you personal banking they really mean every word.. Yes both mumsie and daddy needn't go to the banks at all!!! Whenever you want to do any banking business you only gotta call the bank and they will send you your 'personal banker' and from Honkong and Shanghai Bank they send us Nancy...who comes to your house or office to do your banking business with you...at anytime of the day (and night) This year on Daddy's birthday Nancy took us (with Celine and David) out for a 'lovely dinner' (cos she doesn't know what to get Daddy) She took us to Ming court...our first visit there...it really is a beautiful place with nice decor and goooood service...food is not bad..all in all we certainly will return and take KFC and family there this CNY for 'lou sang' AND will also recommend friends there! The above pic is one of the wall decor and mumsie's favourite
Nancy with daddy standing infront of a collection of vases
Another of mumsie's favourite...wall decor
The happy crowd !
Another of its decor....a jade ship! Daddy did really enjoy himself tonight and he broke his 'golden rule' and he ate and he ate....normally its mumsie who does that (Anyway mumsie has to watch her waiste line..cos mumsie puts on about 5 kg recently!!!!!!!

BREAD MAKING

For years Daddy has been harping that he wants mumsie to bake 'our own bread' and mumsie kept on giving 'tons' of excuses....until this thingi about 'bread making machine'...came into being!! And Daddy starts again...about baking 'our own bread' Just as mumsie thought that it might be a good birthday present for him...then suddenly this guy delivers the above 'bread making machine' to the clinic yesterday...HE BEATS ME TO IT!!! So mumsie goes round hunting for bread making 'ingredients...'unbleached white bread flour, skimmed milk powder, easy blend dried yeast, vegetable oil' AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL.....BOOK ABOUT BREAD MAKING
AND OH LA LA!!!!! Mumsie and Daddy baked 'our very own bread.....See it was 'dead easy' Just measure all the ingreadients and follow the rules of the book and ' blong them all into this machine and push the button and after 3 hours this beautiful bread came into being.....'dead easy'
Not only does it looks good it smells and taste just as good..'.professionally good' Hope all our future bread will taste this good...Daddy was so pleased with it that he wants to bake another one instantly..''.but we want to eat fresh bread so bake it when we finish this'' said mumsie...(at least give mumsie some time to gather more ingredients...wholemeal bread flour, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds....ect ect...)
See only margerine is used and it really taste good!! The crust was crispy and nice...
Only thing missing is a bread knife....maybe mumsie will get one as a 'Christmas present'