Children choir and a baton

Hello...This post is a little bit overdue :-) Because after Easter was 2 of the busiest weeks ever.... Anyway.. This was taken during an awesome worship time at Living Hope Church

We have truly been blessed that God called us to go to this church.. we really needed it at that time...
The pastor has been used by God tremendously and delivered such great messages on Sundays. You can listen to the sermon here.

Oh HAPPY day indeed twas Easter morning!

For who the SON sets free is FREE indeed!

 

The Soaring Singers children choir were singing "It was a Good Day on a Bad Day"

They used paper plates for props...

 

I was looking for a baton for a while (years :-) )  But still can't make myself spend $3 for it and then $6 shipping :-) for a little stick :-)

So I used a skewer stick instead and no one notice :-) and it works well :-)

Anyway, just a little bit about teaching children choir... All KIDS are welcome to the choir.. even those who sing in a different tune :-) NO audition needed! All I need is a willing and committed heart! I grew up in a big church with a famous children choir. I made the cut into the choir by audition but my youngest sister didn't! I still remember how sad she was.

Then when I was a teenager,  I got chosen to do a solo part in one of their big production (I meant to say production)! Sadly, it is much more about performance and production than it is a ministry... Some of you may not agree with me (as many of you who might be reading this post were alumnies of that choir as well). But that was surely what I felt.

Anyway, I got chosen.. then the director changed. The former director had to go overseas... The one that took over was a very famous soprano singer in Indonesia back then... Though my dad often said ,"I don't understand why she can be that famous when people can not understand a word she sang :-)"

I was crashed! When you are a teenager that was painful! Especially since you had been practicing for months and ONLY 1-2 months away from the big day..

Don't know why in the world God made me teach children choir... My conducting teacher might be reading this as she is one of my fb friends :-).

A little disclaimer: I CAN NOT conduct properly!  I better let it out now before anyone pointed it out :-)  I am just being obedient to whatever God wants me to do and HE alone gives me the strength and ability to do it...

Anyway, I promised and said over and over again that the choir that God trusted me to lead WILL NEVER tear a child down! 

I give solo parts to whoever wants it and work with them.  Since when perfection is the standard of serving and worshiping the LORD?  Last time I check the standard was a "willing, sincere and worshiping heart"!

I make sure they know that anyone who got the solo part is NOT because they sing well!  It is because they are willing to commit! If I ever find them boast, I will take the solo part and give it away to someone else.

So that said, my choir NEVER sing like a perfectly groomed choir (I don't want them to)... Funny how in our old church a lady walked up to me once saying ," Aren't you glad you are not a perfectionist" (gee.... what ever that means)  I smiled and reply," YES! and I think variety of tune made the song even sounded more beautiful and THEY did a great job and I am so proud of them!" 

Come on doesn't it look cuter when one or two made an honest mistakes?

Many of you reading this have or will have your kids in the choir I led.  THANK you for allowing me to share my love for music with them!  They are so precious... I love each one of those kiddos..

Speaking of kiddos.. I would appreciate it if you would say a prayer for 2 girls in my choir... E & M just lost their grandpa... We have been praying with them during choir and my heart ache because I know they are really really sad! Especially the 8 year old E! I love these girls!!!

BTW... I still do expect them to strive to do everything in excellent!  As that is what GOD said.... But trying your best and striving for excellent does not always mean perfection :-)

My vintage 20 + yrs old Tvs

Just thought I give you a glimpse inside our vintage living...

We don't really watch TV much... well, onlly when 24 was one that we faithfully watch TV... Otherwise, not much time watching TV other than the kids watching cartoon when I needed time (to cook, to chill, to do anything).....PSsstt... Don't say you hear it coming from an educator  :-) But I believe that it doesn't hurt them to watch a little bit, especially if it means to keep YOU SANE!!

So here is a collection of our VINTAGE TVs..!

In the loft... can ONLY watch DVDs and CDs

In the guest room.... No one really use it.

Since the antenna is broken... you watch with a bunch of ants...

The most vintage of all!! In my bedroom!  See that antenna?  the one you actually have to hold and look for signal! If someone entered the room, the signal is interrupted..

YES... this is that OLD!

Is MY TV that I watched the Amazing Race, Bachelor, Criminal Minds

or Cats in the hat :-).... anything for my mommy time :-)

My husband's toys in the greatroom... This is mostly where we watch, and play wii  together as I can NOT turn it on if my husband is not around... It's a projecter with a DIY theater screen :-).

The projector is having problem nowdays..

So dear hubby begged me for a new TV...

But I told him I can not justify spending money on TV :-)

But I gave in!!

The NEW TV.... with 3D newest feature! The only reason why I gave in was because this was priced wrong for about 1 hour... From starting with  2.... to 1....

Dear hubby was a happy man yesterday... he said," Finally!, we can watch without closing all the windows!"

Whose idea was it to get a projector in the great room with 3 big windows the first place?? :-)

One of those crazy days

Yesterday was one of those days.....

I woke up early (5 am) so I could get ready for my research presentation (A competition against 30 others, judged by 3 professors)....

So I started early...supposed to be on campus around 9 am...

My boy woke up around 8 saying....," mommy I wee2 in my diaper" Can u change me please....
I said sure..."arggh u smell so bad :-( why do u have chocolate on your clothes?"

You see where this is going? NO CHOCOLATE in the house... He pooped in his sleep? (is that even possible?) and told me he didn't want to wake us up :-( so sweet but I sure wished he woke us up...

So without further grossing you out... My day started wrong :-( As I had to sanitized his bed, run the bed sheet, comforter, pillows, bathe him etc....

Left at 9 am instead of being there at 9 am...
30 minutes late and I  ran toward the building I was supposed to be in...

Then, I used wrong term (interchangeably) while I was being judged...
I don't do good if I prepared and unexpected thing happen... Everything left my brain yesterday....

By 6 pm as I walked out of the building I was exhausted....
Needless to say... no where near winning...
I did not expect to win...
Well honestly, I thought 3rd place would have been good...
It's just me, prideful me... but I did not get it...
I think my score is no where near any winning scores as I screwed up pretty bad in the presentation.

But as I walk into the house and all the little munchkins came running " Mommy mommy......"

Nothing else matter..... even the little morning "accident" and losing...

It was simply one of those crazy day but it was a good day!
When all that's matter is :
3 little munchkins who came running whenever you come home...
3 little munchkins who give you kisses and drool...
3 little munchkins who hugs and wrestle you to pieces...
3 little munchkins who seems to stop the time with their growth spurt

3 little munchkins that worth more than any winning presentation....

Kiddos and easter egg hunt

It was raining on Easter Sunday.... This is mei mei's first Easter egg hunt that she actually understand.
She was so cute!  At the beginning she would pick eggs and put them in another girl's basket but then she chased after her to get the eggs back.... But she quickly learned the game! :-)

A basket full of eggs...

Here comes brother.... 

I love how our church divide the kiddos by age group and do the age group one by one....

So we parents got to take pictures of each one

 

 Brother was FAST!

 Then he stood, a basket full of eggs, saying, " Daddy, no more eggs!"

Last is the big brother, "Koko" went fast too... 

He was on a mission to find a golden egg because a golden egg was special!

He found a golden egg!  He was so proud... He got a whole big bag of candy

" We don't need all that candies"

So he willingly share the candies with the LH children choir who sang beautifully in the service!

So proud of him....

5 minute after we got in the car to drive home

Perhaps we should have egg hunt every Sunday

Daddy and Mommy surely enjoyed the rare 25 min quiet drive home instead of the usual

"Can we get M...D... Can we eat out, I am hungry... Mommy!!!!!!! koko kicked me...!

All is well... What a glorious and marvelous day it was...

Indoor camping and Giveaway winners!

First of all, the giveaway winners:

 NOVA and Darlene! I will contact you guys personally so I can arrange when to give them the sauces to you!

Last weekend, we supposed to go camping with our friend and their kiddos... It has been raining cats and dogs here lately....Saturday was raining too :-(  So we decided to have all the kids (6 of them) and set up tents in our great room....

Here is the Chief of the village giving instructions to all his crews :-)

Show all

Fighting for the igloo tent... These 2 munchkins can be very territorial...Poor little missy had to fight her way into any of the tents because none of the boys wanted a girl in their tent.

One up... 2 more two go.... working together on the 2nd tent

Playing bay blade inside the tent.....

Third tent up...

This was taken around 9 pm.... when all sleeping bags are in place.. see the two little one quickly occupied the empty tents when all the big boys were out! :-)

The village and villagers

After one silly scary song later by one of the big boy, sammy cried and wanted to move upstair...

Then reasoning about turning the light on or not... One of the boy was very energy conscious and insisted we turn all the light off because each of them got flashlight...

Then 1.5 hour later around 10:30.... all the kids stampeded through my room saying it was too hot to sleep in the tent downstairs and wanted to sleep in the bedroom....

The chief said,"So much for building 3 tents  and camping... what if we were actually out in the campground? like we had planned...." :-) oh well they had fun .... :-)"

Thai Chicken Recipe & GIVEAWAY!

Here is the Thai chicken recipe.... I promise it is SUPER good!  both for American and Indonesian taste buds!  I never have leftover during church potluck and they always ask for a recipe!!! YUMMY!!!!

For fun... I am giving the sauces as a giveaway... Just do ONE of the following...You can do more than one... Each will earn 1 entry... Winner will be chosen with random number generator...

1. Like my facebook page here: Flo page
2. Leave a comment here and tell me what is the most precious moment you shared with your mother...
3. Leave a comment on on my facebook and tell me what is the most precious moment you shared with your mother

Friends from outside the States you can participate but I will send only the Thai sauce as the soy sauce is available everywhere! :-)  Unfortunately since it is a bottle I can not mail them to Indonesia... I will send it when someone is going home this summer :-).

We'll announce the winner on Monday morning!

The recipe is so simple... The bottle on the left, is Indonesian sweet sauce and the red one is Thai sauce...

Get some chicken... Poke holes on the chicken with fork so the sauces will marinate all the way into the meat..

Pour the thai sauce unto the chicken... They look spicy but I promise they are NOT at all....

Pour the sweet soy sauce too

I don't know the exact measurement :-)  Just eye ball it....
Sprinkle some salt and pepper

Mix them together.....

Let them marinate over night!

Cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 1 hour (350 degree)... Then drain most of the fat/juices....

Take off the foil...Broil on low to brown the chicken (uncovered).

!7 Days Diet update

Hi Friends....

I have not been updating the blog because all my school works due yesterday and tomorrow :-(

The Diet seems to go very well...

On Day 5 (Saturday April 30th) I lost 1/2 lbs... Not much but bring the weight down to 149 lbs...

Then another 1/2 lbs when I weighed on Sunday May 1st... so it is 148.5lbs...

It's so slow that I can not stand it... So I went a little stricter with myself and tried not to drink coffee... Gave in because I had to study... 


The weight stayed 148 from Monday (day 7) to Tuesday (Day 8)...

Today, my weight was 147 lbs !!!!! (Day 9th)

I am soooooooo happy this morning but also very tired because I have been sleeping only 3-4 hours/day  since Sunday :-(

Today, I reached my threshold of tiredness. I was on the run to go to school, did not have time for breakfast and meeting my prof on my lunch hour.  So I must eat something...

The easiest place to go that will be fast was Mc. D

So I grabbed 6 pieces chicken nuggets at McD.

Then I was too tired and sleep deprived to cook tonight so I ate my husband leftover noodles (very few bites) and few fried tofus...

I am sure I will see the effect on the scale tomorrow... But I rather see then weight gain than getting sick on midterm week.

Okay, See u later.. Going to sleep now as I woke up at 2 this morning :-(

I know I promise the recipe... I will try to do that tomorrow after I finished my research data analysis.