You Rock Together

Fun Times

We are really looking forward to our trip now, got the hotels and flights booked, phew! We're visiting my brother who is living and working in Washington DC, and will take in NYC and Orlando too! It's a huge burden on our pockets but we decided to do it anyway, since the chance may not come by again! Tink, I will definitely wave! Are you near Orlando? Can you imagine, me coming so close to you all? Shawna, I wish we have time to visit Atlanta, it's so on the way!

Actually I do need some advice if any one can help:

- should I take the train from DC to NYC? how about by bus?

- we'll be in NYC in Dec, do we need something as warm as down jackets? do we need scarves, hats?

- besides the usual, is there anything you recommend we do or visit in NYC, DC or Orlando?

Right now the boys are having final exams, it is a big deal in Singapore, I do think we are guilty of "hot-housing" the children somewhat, and I try not to go overboard, but I do spend a lot of time revising with Jared especially (Ryan is pretty cool about revising on his own). I know, he is only eight, but he needs to sit through one and a half hour exams for each subject and the school streams them according to the results for the next school year! This is a huge part of my mothering at least for these few years, hhmmm, I should take some photos to make a layout...

We do take breaks and have fun of course, and I did find time to make this:

I love how the boys are really good with each other, they have always counted each other as their best friend, and I hope it continues always to be that way!

Credits: Background paper is a combination of papers fromSarah Robinson's Oct Collab kit and AmeliaScrap's pink paradise. Frames from Misty Cato, felt square, foil star and black note paper from DaniMogstad's Rock Star, "fun" tag from Brittishdesigns' daydream patches, Wire from Weeds&Wildflower's wire kit, gold alpha by dirtyfeetdesigns, and "U" by MyDigiscraps.Well, I really liked how it turned out, so I made you a template. :) Hope you like it.

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Surely Goodness and Mercy

Catching up

It's wonderful to be back at my blog, finally! Lots to catch up on! What am I busy with? Well, let's see:

1. I was away on a work related trip last week (I felt strangely free without the family with me, but I think four days is long enough rest from them!!)

2. We leave for our trip to the East Coast of USA (where many of my blog friends live, but for us it's a 24 hour flight!) in five weeks or so, and I'm struggling to get all the accomodation and flights booked - urgh!!

3. Frantically getting together a winter wardrobe for the whole family - I've been bidding on ebay, borrowing, sorting, washing - we are not used to winter!!

4. Putting together my first Shutterfly Photobook! There is a 20% discount now till 6 Nov and I'm getting all my layouts for the past one and a half years in it!

And this is gonna be my cover page!This is the back page

You may recognised that I've used Sarah's lovely Wordart from her SimplySarah blog, love your word art, Sarah, thanks! I felt that I can't find better words than these beautiful verses to express how the Lord has blessed us, for our album cover! And I've used paper from ScarletHeelMedia's new full of life kit - look at the texture! Haven't figured out if I should add any elements to them, what do you think?
Well, here's the template for the cover page, hope it comes in useful for you some time. Thank you always for leaving a word for me, they mean a lot!This is now available as a set in the store here

Blessed to Give

Blessed to Give

You're all proof that it is more blessed to give, thanks for leaving so much love! Glad these templates from my layouts are being useful to others too.. I'm receiving so much talented work that is given free this is just a little I can share.

Managed a quick layout using KsharonK's free quick page, I ADORE her work!

This is my son at a window display of Miffys! He has a love affair with Miffy! We can't remember when it started, but now our family has a collection of four Miffys - mama Miffy who is 15 inches tall, Miffy original who is no longer white, Biffy (named for his rounded beafier look), and Wiffy (the latest white addition). One or more of them always travel with us on our trips, Miffy has been to New Zealand and Hong Kong, and multiple trips to Malaysia! They are an inseparable part of our family as of today, and we think they are here to stay. We are not sure why our boys like them so much, and wonder now and then if they are becoming sissies, but those thoughts dispel every time the boys use the rabbits as "soldiers" in fearsome battles with the robots in their toy battallion. Haha! So we just accept and join in the love for Miffy-ia.

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek
Last evening dh and I played hide and seek with Jared. It was such fun he begged us to go again and again. Of course we had the privilege only because Ryan was asleep. (Ryan has to wake up at 6 for school everyday). It was hilarious, we were too big to hide anywhere, whereas he manages to squeeze hmself to impossible corners!
It is hard to avoid "scolding" Jared in the course of everyday because he just tend to get into so much trouble, so we relish every moment of "fun & happy times" with him. I thank God we're able to build his "bank of happy mom and dad time" to balance up the "bank of discipline by mom and dad time". And I think he does understand why we have to do what we do, but it still sucks in those moments when my child doesn't like me!! Well, that's my thought for the day. :)
I had been down with a sinus and throat infection for the past 5 days and am home on medical leave today. My fingers are trembling from too much medication but still able to finally stay up and scrap. heehee. I think it may be the last layout of our trip to Hong Kong. I'm really rushing to complete them, which explains so many photos all on one page!
Credits: Glitter swirl by Kim Clark, stitched border by Kim Christensen, background paper from Miss Vivi's back to school kit, word art by ShellyRae, tag from Mary's Scrapgallerie

This is now available as a set in the store here

Children's Day

Children's Day
Today is Children's Day where we live, and the children have a day off school. It's really noisy today at home! The boys are very different - in every way, but also the best of friends. It's amazing how that can be. I guess it's just the wonder of being brothers. Thank God for that!
Here's a quick layout I did for them:
Credits: painted heart by emeritt, car platae by Dani Mogstad, everything else from Oct collab kit from Style It Studio

Oh, and thanks Tink and Miyon for noticing my layout in Digital Scrapbooking magazine. It's really amazing to see it in print, I am so elated!

And enjoyed all your replies to the question what you will do with $500!

What would you do with it?

What would you do with it?

Today I read an interesting article in my new favorite More magazine. According to an Oxygen survey, if women 40 to 49 were given $500, 43 percent would buy a video iPod, cell phone, digital camera or other tech device over spa treatments or designer shoes. I couldn't believe that! Would you? As for me, no tech device nor designer shoes (though very rarely i might treat myself to a spa treatment), I would use the money to go somewhere, take a trip, travel. We save whatever we can and spurlge it on holidays. Hence the load of holiday pictures I'm always behind in scrapping!

Today was good, Jared was invited by his friend to his church's young Rangers' day out. That motivated him to complete his homework yesterday on his own (yes, friday!!) and he really enjoyed himself today. Our bible reading this evening was "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil 4:13, and he happily agreed that what seems impossible on his own (like homework) is possible with God's help. That really makes me glad in my heart. :)

Here's the layout I just completed - photos of Macau, where we visited last year:

Journaling reads: It was an odd mix of sensations.Old and new juxtaposed. Ruins of St Paul’s standing in modern Macau. The children eating Mac burgers on its steps. Missionaries’ tombs. Portugese architecture. cantonese speaking chinese. English speaking family learning about our culture and the influence of history. I hope the children captures some of this sense of history.

Credits: Paper and flower from October Collab kit from Style It Studio - it was perfect for the subdued colors I needed for this layout. I almost wished my photos were in the same color tones!


Well, this layout started out looking like this template below, although it turned out very different! I thought I'll still make it into a template for anyone who likes. Also thanks to everyone for your lovely and interesting comments, thanks for taking the time and I love to hear from you.

This is now available as a set in the store here

My Little Photographer

My little photographer

Writing the last post reminded me to scrap these pictures of my little photographer, Jared. When he has his camera with him, it's hard to catch a picture of his face. All we can get is him shooting us shooting him.. :) I say he takes after me while dh argues that it's from him. Can you tell we are very proud? Tink, I'm definitely going to take your advice to scrap his pictures into a journal with him, that will be such a terrific mother and son time!

Credits: Everything is this layout is from Style It Studio's October collab kit, to hit the stores on 1 Oct! Check it out here: http://www.styleitstudio.com/store/

Almost

Almost
My latest layout is entitled "Almost"- my older is now almost a teen, and exhibiting symtoms of it - and we're not ready! :) He lets me take much fewer pics of him now, and so I tend to have less layouts of him, but I'm determined not to let that happen!
Journalling reads: You’re growing up so quickly! These days you complain when we ask you too many questions, saying things like. “I’ve told you all you need to know..”, or “why do you need to know so much about my personal life?” What a shock at first! :)But we’re now getting used to it. You’re still any parents’ dream, obedient, disciplined, reasonable,so we have no worries. It’s just that we want to know all about your day, your friends, how you’re feeling about things, everything! You’re just growing up, we know, and we’ll get used to it by and by,.... but, take your time, ok? stay for a while our ALMOST a teen.

Credits: Paper from Sarah Robinson's Overexposed Papers from Style It Studio, Warehouse clips by Nathy Geuens from Style It Studio, bracket from Amy Teets' Sun Porch, Arrow stamp from Jackie Eckles' DingyBoy, and paint strokes from Brittishdesigns' scribbles

I just want to say a word for the fabulous new store Style It Studio where I'm CT for Sarah Robinson, the store is full of whimsical, unusual, interesting elements that I can't have enough for!
And you must go over to http://www.styleitstudio.com/blog/ to check out the Blog Challenge for this week - this week a $20 voucher is waiting to be given out to the fabulous store!
Here's the Overexposed papers by Sarah Robinson that I used.

And here's the link to the store http://www.styleitstudio.com/store/ Check it out!

Disney Moments

Good Times
We had a good weekend. The children are showing great discipline after the past week's little "talks", homework were finished early, and we all had fun for the rest of the weekend. Every time we seem to fall a step back, we do manage to take two steps forward. It's comforting. I will press on in this amazing journey of being a parent!

Been able to catch up on layouts, here's more Disney photos, this one is of random images and moments of our day at HK Disney. I like these un-posed photos a lot, look at the one of Jared pointing his camera at me while I was shooting him! When he was six, he asked for a camera for his seventh birthday. We managed to buy him a second hand digital camera with his red packet money (from chinese new year) and it's now constantly with him. A son after my own heart!! One day I must make layouts of his pictures, they are totally unusual, unexpected, and very cool, stilll-lifes of his surroundings and seven, eight year old life - I know what I must name it now - Jared's photo journal - it's going to be great! Credits: backgroun paper from Scarletheel's Dirty Kraft, tag and gold sequins from Mary Scrap Gallerie's 100% Nature, Flourish from Weeds & Wildflowers' creating beauty, alpha from MoniqueG's framboise, and border from Jessica Gorny's lush grid border.
Lovely stuff, isn't it? Almost all of them were freebies - thank you so much ladies!!
And here's my contribution to the freebie pool, template #7.

This is now available as a set in the store here

Mommy Days

Mommy days

Been getting both good and tough mommy days. The tough came by way of complaints from my son' teachers, three of them!! Normally I get upset but I realise it's better that we know the issues and are able to deal with it. We had a talk with him and he wrote a few apology letters. Hopefully he is able to improve his behaviour in school ... the teacher had been so kind to give him a chance to prove himself as group leader despite everything. Yes, that's the good - he was chosen as group leader and was given a badge - how proud he was! And we are so happy for him. I had to take a pic and commerate the occasion!

Credits: Paper, flower, arrow from August Collab kit at Style It Studio. Frame and alpha all by Sarah Robinsons at Style It Studio. Stamp from Peppermint Creative's Elementary Grammar kit. Paper dolls from MJB's Coleurs kit.Font was Echelon