4 Years

Holy moly...Today is our 4th wedding anniversary.

Has it really been that long?
(Although I have to admit there are many times where I'll feel like we've been married FOREVERRRRRRRRRR)

We have been through a lot, moved a lot, bickered a lot. You definitely still do not grasp the concept that the key to happy marriage is a happy wife (think, "Yes, dear") But regardless of it all, I still love you. ;)

You are truly my other half. You are my rock and my best friend.

Happy anniversary, HM.

And by the way, you still owe me 9 1/2 hours worth of backrubs.

Dedication

I got a question from my girl friends recently - How do I do it all? Be a mother, a wife, a career woman.

My friends are at the point of their lives where they are slowly getting hitched. I happen to be the first one to have "crossed over to the other side".

While I gave them a synopsis of what "A Day in the Life of Steph" is like, it got me to thinking that as much as I have on my plate, I feel like it doesn't even come close to what my mom's "Day in the Life of..." was back when I was a kid. For everything I do, she does twice as much. For everything that I attempt, she manages to succeed. For all that I give, it doesn't compare to all that she has contributed.

Mie - Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being who you are, for doing what you do, and for giving yourself generously, whole-heartedly, completely.

I love you more than you know, more than I have ever shown, or will ever have the capacity to show.

And also, thank you to all the very strong females in my life who have helped shaped me to be who I am (the good me, the GOOD me!! The less desirable traits are all mine.)

To my grandmother - who represents tradition and longevity. You are classic, beauty, timeless.

To Yee Yee - who represents generosity, cheerfulness and humor - regardless of what your staff thinks! I thank you with every fiber of my soul for being there for the birth of my daughter.

To Yee Chai - who represents benevolence, fair-mindedness, peace.

To Auntie Guat - who represents the mind, thoughts and imagination. I remember - it was you who introduced me to "The Little Prince".

To Auntie Mavis - who represents light-heartedness and youth.

To all these women, thank you, thank you, thank you.

For everything.

It is my deepest regret that Isabel is not able to grow up around your love. I can only hope that I will do all of you justice in raising her to be the best that she can be.

Gone Pickin'

It's the last weekend of summer, and the weather has been beautiful. We got into the fall mood by visiting our local orchard to pick apples.

Apparently, we were not the only ones who had this bright idea.



They were waiting for the tractor....here it comes!

Look at all the trees!

I thought the apples were beautiful!!

There were a few varieties available for picking:

My husband had a grand ol time...

Isabel was mostly bored

Until she got to taste the fruit of our labor



Boy, was she into it then.



So much so that she wanted to help

There's a smile!!

There were pears available too.

They seem to have an affinity to grow in "pears"...hehehhe

We got away with about 50 lbs of fruit. Snow White wouldn't venture anywhere near our house - we have that many apples.

This is the last fruit picking season.

Next time, we'll be back for strawberries in the summer.

And we are looking forward to it.

Say It Isn't So!

Isabel turned 9 months this past weekend. NINE months...Nine MONTHS!!! Where did the time go? How did my baby grow up so fast? Before I know it, she'll be one. Then in school...and then she'll be married! O_O

I think I'm going to need some smelling salts now.

Weight: 21 lbs
Height: 28"
(90th percentile for both)

And of course, with her two fingers. Again.

Da's the Word...

Thursday was John's birthday. And Isabel badly wanted to get him something. But because she's a baby, she does not have any money (that SHE knows of anyway). So she had to scrounge around the house for something.

Good thing Daddy keeps a well-stocked supply of candy.

And Mommy just reorganized the craft closet so that paper and markers are easily found

Barely 9 months old, and she can already spell. And that's the handwriting of a genius. Or maybe a doctor's.

Barely legible.

Happy Birthday, Dad-deeee. I wuf you very much.

And there's no cake because:

a) Babies are not allowed to turn on the oven.

b) Daddy stupidly crazily idiotically decided to have a root canal. On his birthday.

Sponges and Fishfaces

My kid is turning into a fish.

And she learnt it from me.

Taking Time Off

This past 3 day weekend could not have come during a more appropriate time. After a crazy week at work, both my husband and I were desperately in need to have the time to do absolutely nothing to regroup and destress.

Good thing that this is our "backyard", about a 5 minute walk (10 minutes if you're slow, like us) from our house.

I don't know why we've never utilize it much. Probably another case of "taking it for granted".

Here's a Friday wish for you to stop and appreciate all the simple things that are waiting patiently for you.

Food For Thought

Ever since Isabel started eating solids, I've been trying my hardest to only feed her home-cooked food. But after a few months of it, I feel like I'm stuck in a rut and it seems like she's having the same thing over and over again.

Does anyone have any suggestions for baby food recipes that's delicious and more exciting than potatoes and carrots?

And since I'm Chinese Malaysian, I would love to incorporate some of those recipes too so that she will grow up to have an appreciation for ALL types and kinds of food. Ms I-Hua?

First Tomato

The First Large tomato from our garden. A little late, but better late than nothing.

Isabel quite enjoyed pretending to eat it.

The Wonders of Paint - Jumping on the Bandwagon

We found this (Mom - Cover your ears) on the curbside, waiting to get picked up by the dump truck. Other than some cobwebs, there was nothing wrong with it. Well, cobwebs and the fact that it doesn't go with any part of my haphazard decor.

But nothing that a fresh coat of paint won't fix, as demonstrated by blogland's finest DIY-ers. So with spray gun in hand, the sturdy solid wood sideboard got a facelift. And a whitening treatment, not unlike those that are all the rage back in Asia.

A close up of the distressing:

All for the fabulous price of free.

Another piece that got worked on was this chair we bought at an estate sale for $10. I don't have a before picture, but the finish was scratched up and the seat fabric was less than pristine. Now, it looks more modern and fresh . And isn't the fabric just loverly? (Quick, who can tell me where that term came from?) I have a bad crush on Amy Butler's prints - I can even be called a stalker.

I love how it lightens up the whole study. Since my husband refuses to let me repaint the walls, I changed the rug to a white one and wrapped the books with white paper. Now, it's like White threw up in there. In a good way.

Exhibit 3 is a console that my husband built. Originally stained black, I got tired of the finish. So out it came to join the party in the garage.

Now, it helps lighten the whole living room up.

See that little octopus? That's Isabel's hands! I'm so glad that her daycare does little crafts like that. Cause unfortunately, I don't have the time or the energy to do so.

So, what have YOU painted lately?