Wishes

The song Auld Lang Syne will always remind me of my dad now.

Esp. the Sex & The City version.

Cos I used it for Dad's photo montage at his funeral.

We sang it in church today at the last weekend service of 2008.

And I couldn't help remembering that Dad's not around to go into the new year with us.

I miss him.

I took my family to watch Red Cliff earlier this year.

And at the end of the show, I was dismayed to realise there was a part 2 to it.

I remember thinking, "I hope Dad gets to watch Part 2."

I saw the poster 2 nights ago.

Part 2 is coming out on Jan 9, 2009.

Mum says Dad's prob seen it, and I agree.

I think heaven would have a cinema.

Probably a drive-in one. 

Haha. 

At the beginning of Nov, I thought, "I hope we get to celebrate Dad's berfdae with him this year."

We didn't, but I think he probably had a rocking good time with Jesus.

After all, they share the same birth date :)

This has been a big year for me.

I've been to both ends of the emotional spectrum, and now I'm on the trapeze, somewhere in the middle, trying to adjust.

Don't really know what to expect right now.

At the end of 2008, I feel like relationships in my life have become a little consolidated.

Not something that I intentionally set out to do, but somehow it has happened.

My social circle feels like it has tapered into a bottleneck. 

I am grateful for those who choose to be stuck in the bottleneck with me though. 

One day, we'll squeeze through.

And when we do, I'll be happy to whoosh out in a champagne-pop with you.

For now, I just wish sometimes I had a one-size-fits-all answer for everything; that I was instantly wise and mature enough to take everything that life throws in my stride.

I wish I knew when to be gracious; and when to teach a necessary lesson.

Or when to be scrappy and press in; and when to let go & back off.

But yes, I know it's a journey.

I lurf the journey.

And JX will tell you this: Sometimes I'm so much on the journey I forget the destination...

Or I get waylaid by a bag in a store window display.

But sometimes, I just wish I was already at my destination.

I'm pretty sure I've grown since years ago, or even from last year.

I just wish I could see how much I've grown.

Or someone could put it into words.

Songs that bring out the season

As one of the songs go ... it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! :)

What are some songs you lurf in this season?

Some of my big-time faves:

(Click on the names to link to the Youtube videos)

Silent Night

The power of this song cannot be denied. :P

I've chosen a version by Sixpence None The Richer here.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

This song was made famous by Judy Garland in Meet Me In St. Louis. 

Yes, the same lady who immortalised Over The Rainbow. :)

But I also like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra's version. 

Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire 

What a picture of Christmas this paints!

It always makes me long to lounge before the fireplace, surrounded by my loved ones, with a cup of really good hot dark chocolate in my hands, while it's snowing outside.

And of course, the perennial 

O Holy Night

Chloe has such an angelic voice. :) 

While you're checking this out, catch her singing Someday.

For laughs, here's the worst rendition ever. Ever.

Hear it to the end!

One song that always makes the corners of my mouth turn up is Jaci Velasquez's duet with Alvin & The Chipmunks!

I didn't realize I kept humming it until JX asked me twice what song it was. :P

i'm so glad I'm going overseas!! :)

I'm in the midst of:

- shopping for Christmas gifts! 

- wrapping Christmas gifts!!

- organizing Christmas/Thanksgiving nite with my cell group,

- tying down HK holiday plans with my family,

- amassing money to go for the Korea prayer trip!

- finishing all the work I can/need to before I go for the aforementioned trips!

- working out my finances for 2009,

- a renewed resolve to exercise :P,

- squeezing in some visitations before Christmas,

- packing as much as I can into the rest of 2008!

For now, some comfort food to end off this post.

And doesn't this cake look SCRUMPLIDICIOUS?!

Courtesy of AC - not Asia Conference, but Awfully Chocolate. 

:P

Bobbieeeeeeeee!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

My cousin popped by for lunch with me and to deliver my Christmas gift!

She's really the sweetest....plus she's practically carrying a bowling ball around...

(Yes yes, she's pregnant...:P)

Look what she got me....

I say it again, she's the sweetest! :)

IT RAINED THE WHOLE DAY

We were supposed to go wakeboarding yesterday.

Yah ... Mum and me and Ah Ee and Uncle and Rachel and Rebekah plus JX.

Cos Uncle Robert is migrating to Canada just before Christmas.

So we tot we'd squeeze in one more session before he leaves.

Then IT RAINED THE WHOLE DAY!!

Sigh.

Change of plans.

We headed for Tekka Mall (yes...Little India) instead to go shopping for Christmas trees and ornaments.

Here's the view from the carpark.

I didn't get a pic of all the trees lined along the 6th level, a'waiting to be taken home.

But we had loads of fun posing with the ornaments. :P

We chose most happily... and all I can say is ... it's not cheap to buy a tree and all its dingly-dangly things!

After a yummy dinner at Golden Mile Complex, we headed home to put up the tree.

Alvin and Angel stopped by with Caleigh to add to the joy and cheer. 

Thanks to Alvin and his engineering mind, our tree doesn't look chopped in half when the lights are on cos he taught us to alternate our 2 strings of lights.

And of course, Ah Ee added her magic decorative touch to the whole mini-project throughout. :)

We had fun. :)

JX left for his basketball game just as we were putting up the tree, so he was hit with the ooh-lala-ness of the finished product when he came back after the game.

I'm soooooooo proud of it, but you've gotta see it 'live to be wowed cos these 2 pics don't do justice to the yumminess of the ribbons and ornaments. :)

I'm biased, but I think it looks as good as what you see in departmental store showcase windows. :P

My first 2008 Christmas gift

I've been meaning to blog about this.

The day after my dad's cremation, the postman stopped by my place with this!

How sweet is the gal who lives in Perak and whose name is Natelyne Baker?!

She went to search online for a copy of The Chronicles of Narnia that is like the old old copy that I lost and miss so very much....

Then she got the guy in America to mail it over to me.

Postage alone was USD30+! Faint.

The cover is different from my original, but the illustrations and everything else inside are exactly the same, and that's what matters for me.

It felt like I was meeting old friends. Haha.

Thanks gal. 

I'm amazed and most touched. :)

His promises are beautiful

Caught this rainbow in the midst of my dad's wake.

My mum was very comforted to see it. :)