Jesus is the Reason for the Season

{encouragement} Relish on the free gift of life, eternal life through Christ.

Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

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Wow, today is the last day of 2013 and I haven't been good at blogging lately so my own encouragement to myself is to document the important moments. In the month of December, there were Christmas programs, Christmas parties, some date night opportunities, a family trip to San Francisco, fun with family and friends and of course food and fat galore! But I really should start with saying how thankful I am for God. He gave His Son to be our Savior so that we can be redeemed and have our sins atoned for in order to have a unified relationship with Him.  God gave His Son Jesus to be with humanity because our sins were so wrong we couldn't find Him alone, we needed a perfect mediator. From this link I found here, we can be of good cheer and full of hope because Jesus came to save us.  The number one reason why Jesus is the reason for the season is that He is the ultimate gift to the world (Romans 5:15).

On that same note, the girls were able to perform some Christmas songs to Jesus. Hopefully one day KariAnne and Babester will be looking at this blog and reminiscing on the fun times they had as little ones.

There's my little 4 year old darling KariAnne. So proud of her. Not only did she memorize her words and hand motions but she taught Babester as well.

Here is Brianna {2 years 10 months} in Mrs. Cilderman's class, front and center singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus." Please pardon my background voice, it's a proud mama talking and singing along.

Little Babester's First Time on the Stage.

Enjoying the Christmas feast

My parents

Bobby's parents

Our Dear Family

My sister, Genelle 

Proud mama 

KariAnne's First Friend, Gracie, she made at the beginning of Preschool.

KariAnne loves her baby sister oh so very much!

Mrs. Cilderman -a wonderful, God loving Preschool Teacher that I am so thankful to have in my life

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Christmas in San Francisco....

12-25-2013

I have so many wonderful pictures to share from our family trip to San Francisco but just had to share these very special ones with my Por Por (Grandma from Mom's side). She'll be 90 years old next June.  She was the one who took care of me as a baby, taught me how to speak Cantonese, walked me to preschool, took time to play with bugs on the street, gave me dollar bills even before I knew about the concept of money, and spoil me with her grandmammy love.  It was such special moments when my daughters got to spend some bonding time with their Great Grandma.  They got to hug her, help her with her walker, make some crafts for her, perform their Christmas program songs and even got to spend Christmas Day with her. They have never been around someone so old. So when we were walking slowly I had to explain to them that just like babies, grandmas need a lot of patience and help.

After eating lunch Babester decided to just sit right next to Por Por and snuggle up. It was such a precious moment.

KariAnne was showing some love too :)

Love pictures of my hubby with my loved ones

I used to be the one she would help with the walking

One thing I really treasured about our time in San Francisco is that we just did the everyday living, but with our dear friends.  We don't have to do the grand spectacles or touristy traps to have fun, it's just about the company and spending some quality time with my besties and loved ones :)

Having our starter meal of "jook" (rice porridge) before our actual lunch.  Yep, that's what we do when we vacay.... eat to eat!

Mango pudding with sago and fruit assortment

I'm really basic and simple when it comes to food.  No need for fancy schmancy stuff. This is a HK style Ham and Egg Sandwich that I was craving.  Seriously, simple but oh so yummy!

Egg Custard aka. "Dan Tat" The best in San Francisco!

Mango Ice Cream Sampler with Fruit Assortment and Sago in Coconut Milk from Golden Island Cafe on Noriega and 21st, SF. IT was an awesome place for our girls night out :) 

The girls just being girls. Hanging on 3rd street and Clement.

SF Zoo Lemur Cafe

My dear friend Rachel. The girls were just hanging in the boys' room so we decided to join them.

Dear friend Hillary and Rachel.  

Baby Rosie and KariAnne.  KA just loves these little ones so much.

Bestie Jdub :) in front of Teng Long on 3rd and Clement. The wings were fantastic!

Love these Daddy and Daughters pics! Although the Dads and Daughters are not paired correctly ;)

Me and bestie CT

Love this pic.  CT had to kneel down to get to KA's height and KA thought she had to kneel too! 

Girls group pic 

Babester absolutely LOVED the penguin exhibit at SF Zoo

Of course we had to take a picture with another penguin that we saw

CJK -good times!

Christmas Dinner with the Tams! at some Beijing restaurant on Noriega since Cafe Bakery was busy.  

My dear Kwan Yee (Aunty on my Mom's side).  I used to visit her at this same house when I was just a little one...now Ibusy was able to bring my little ones here to play!

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There are so many more pictures and moments I could share!  All in all, this year of 2013 which is now going to be a thing of the past has been filled with many teaching moments of God's love, God's grace, His undeserving merit and favor, and His saving power.  I am so thankful for the many blessings He has given to me in my life that are so undeserving.  Thank you Lord for who you are!

Happy New Year to All!  Let's see what 2014 has in store for us!

Farewell (for now) to the Brewers

{encouragement} Ask if they need help, even when you think they have enough help. 

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

With the holidays in full session, decorations are rampant.  Lights, tinsel, Christmas trees, sparkles, red and white galore!  With the holidays also come more opportunities to help others. So I've been thinking of how my family can serve together.  The girls are 4 and 2, so honestly we would be more destructive than productive when it comes to organized community programs or soup kitchens of that sort.  The bathroom runs, the snack breaks, arguing who gets to help first etc. would probably take up most of the time rather than actually being helpful. So what could we do as a family to serve others? 

Well, you know if you pray for an opportunity (that of course aligns with His will), God will surely answer. This weekend the Chien family had the privilege of helping out the Brewers with their move. They had a house packed with stuff to put into a 26' long truck. They were relocating from Lake Forest, CA to the state of Washington and they had to leave that Saturday night.  How awesome it was to be of service to our church family that needed practical, real hands on help. My hubby knew Jim from Men's Bible Study and he asked for help with the move. So obviously Hubby would be the one to physically help the Brewers. It crossed my mind that Jim and Rachel would need help watching the kids.  I don't know why but I was hesitant to ask them at first. I thought, maybe they have neighbors watching their kids or maybe some family members came to help or maybe they hired a babysitter. They don't need my help.

So lesson learned, just ask. Don't be afraid if they say no. It wouldn't hurt to ask if help is needed.  So when I made that call to Rachel, she indeed needed help. Having her kids out of the way from the packing and moving streamlined the process so much more smoother with less stress. So praise God for the opportunity that the kids and I could be helping hands!  Honestly this opportunity to serve was truly a blessing to me and my kids.  Not only were we able to physically help the Brewers by entertaining their kids, but my girls got to see what it's like to put others first and lay aside their interests for others' interests.

So onward we go with our adventure of having a 18 month old Little Karen, 2 year old Babester, 3 year old Holden and 4 year old KA.

A stroll around the neighborhood. The above picture really shows KA's joy in helping 18 month old Little Karen.  (Yep, same name as me, how special huh?) KA really stepped up and amped up her game of being the oldest one.  She's such a little mommy.  She was with Little Karen from the moment they got dropped at 11am to 8:00pm.  She would help her up the stairs, feed her lunch, push her in the stroller, help provide toys and entertainment, do silly things to make her laugh and just, be there with her. And did you notice Holden ran the wheel up on KA's foot? Yea, she's still smiling! 

Here is Babester and KA helping Little Karen finish her lunch. It was pretty darling to see Babester step up her game too and act like an older sister. She helped Little Karen with diaper changes by grabbing her diaper and wipes and asking if she needed anything else. I had cooked some "Nian Giaos" which is a Chinese dish made out of stir fry rice ovelettes made with sliced beef and bok choy for lunch. It looked like it was their first taste of Chinese food, haha.  But they enjoyed it, phew! :)

So after lunch and bike ride around the neighborhood, we cooled down with some Trader Joe's Mango sorbet and Caribbean popiscles. Ice cream brings everyone to a happy place!

After some active play and running around, everyone needed some down time. They got to watch some Word World and SuperWhy.  It's funny what television does to kids. They're zombies!

Oh Little Karen, she was such a trooper! She wasn't whiney or cranky at all when it approached her nap time.  She was such a little adventurer walking around everywhere, following the big kids, climbing up and down the stairs, but it was finally time for some ZZzzs.

Holden was such a big boy. He held up really well too. He wasn't cranky or whiney at all. I would have to say that these Brewer kids are perfect for babysitting! Didn't complain about the food, was obedient and compliant upon commands and got along with everyone! The Brewers have really done an awesome job with parenting and are so blessed! Here is Holden making a new friend and entertaining 12 month old Aiden with his ball skills while dancing around! 

I have to give props to my sister -Genelle. She came over at 5:30pm to join us for dinner and she was an awesome help.  My girls usually get ready for bed around 6:30. I was wondering how this whole bedtime routine was going to work with 4 kids and just myself.  I didn't know what time the Brewers would be done with their packing.  So by having Genelle over, I was able to put my 2 exhausted but overjoyed daughters to bed while "Aunty Gen Gen" entertained the Brewer kids.  They had quite the bonding experience as you can see from the video :)  Yes, there's music in the background but unfortunately all you can hear is my not so pretty voice! haha

So again, what it comes down to - don't hesitate to offer help to others even when you think they don't need it. Because they just might be the one who really needs it. ATAPAT, a phrase that my pastor, Mike Fabarez uses to stand for "Anything, Any place, Any time." Serving others isn't just about when it's convenient or when it would benefit selfish motives, but when it honors God and when it helps others in their time of need. It truly was a blessing and joy to be a part of the Brewers lives and have the blessing of friendship blossom among the children. 

Wishing you all the best and safe travels Brewers!  Till we meet again!

Giving Thanks and Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies

{encouragement} Give thanks to God

136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:1

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It's a no brainer that we should thank God. Thank Him for the family we have, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the job we have, the place we live in and the friends that are in our lives.  However, do we thank God for His Son, Jesus? Do we thank God for sending His perfect Son to live on this earth, take on flesh and only to be sacrificed for our sins? I do.  I am thankful that I can be here on earth knowing that I don't have to do anything to earn my place in heaven, my salvation.  Christ did that for me. He died on the cross to take on my dirt, my unholiness, my sin, so that I can be made perfect in God's eyes. If you want to see an illustration of what this means: you can see it through the Umbrella Analogy. 

A little festive project:

This coming Thursday will be the Thanksgiving feasts for my daughter's classroom.  I've signed up to do cookies and decided to make Turkey Cookies. This was a fun project because I was able to enlist the help of the little one.  Since there was some decorating involved I decided to keep it easy and not bake the cookie part from scratch. Instead I used the Trader Joes brownie mix and made a delightful Cream Cheese frosting (so so yummy!)

Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 box of Trader Joes Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix

2/3 Cup Yogurt

Skittles (Red, Yellow and Orange) for the "Feathers"

Black, Orange and Red Decorating Gel

Frosting Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions on the box for the brownie mix. But using a cookie scooper, place them on a tray instead of baking it all together in a dish. About 15 minutes.
2. After your brownies cookies cool, frost them with that delicious cream cheese frosting.
3. Place 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow skittle in a row, three times for the "feathers."  Usually people use the corn candies but they didn't have anymore after Halloween so I improved and used skittles. 
4. Using the black decorative gel, place 2 dots for the eyes, using the orange gel, draw the 2 little feet and 1 dot for the nose and a little red dot for the snood, the red fleshy part of a turkey.

This cream cheese frosting is so delicious that it's so hard to hold back and not lick it straight off the whisks.

Just having it plain and frosted is also an option, so delicious!

Here the "turkeys" are not really the most beautiful but it was worth the time spent doing it with my little Babester. 

A little blurry, but here is my Babester and her Turkey Cookie. She was enjoying every bite of this Turkey to the last crumb.

In a Hurry Muffin Tin Mini Omelette

{encouragement} Buddy Up and Do Things Together

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

It's not even been a month since starting this blog and I've been slacking! Ever since Babester started school last Tuesday I've been trying to be intentional with my "free" time. As not to waste a minute I've been trying to balance exercise, grocery shopping, house work, and making time for others by spending time with them or being in prayer.  Today I went to the Aliso Woods Canyon to do a run with my friend, and boy did that feel great! I don't know the exact statistics but she had a Nike App that monitored our pace and our distance. I think we did 2.5 miles within 30 minutes? I'll check with her and get back. But what was awesome is that having a buddy made a difference! For me, getting into this exercise business takes encouragement and companionship for the endurance to pull through.  I honestly never thought of me as a runner simply because I don't have the stamina or training. One thing I have realized is that you just got to do it. Just Do It - the Nike motto right? Finding someone to be a side companion for the common goal makes it easier to reach than my own, especially when it comes to exercising!

Another recent way I have been encouraged is to buddy up with someone to keep you accountable.  For me,true friends don't come easy. Honestly there are a ton of awesome, encouraging, strong and confident people in my life but finding people that are willing to be a part of your life, to really know you and want to know you, that's a different story. It's easy to be a part of a community, especially in church, where you know alot of people and there are many wonderful sisters but finding deep connections and having a true blue relationship takes time to build and develop. So, I've been giving thanks to the Lord for certain friendships that have blossomed in my life recently to help me get through the every day struggles and point me back towards Christ our Lord. So if you have found a connection with someone, buddy up and be vulnerable. Share your life, not just what's on the surface but what really gets in between your relationship with God. Encourage one another towards the glory of Christ and not the glory for yourself.

And thirdly, buddy up with someone and make food!  Below I'll share my Muffin Tin Mini Omlette recipe that I use to bake for Navigating Motherhood breakfasts. You can make this the night before and store in the refrigerator to be ready to pop in the oven when morning comes.  That's why I don't have a picture of the finished product yet!

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"In a Hurry Muffin Tin Mini Omelette"

Servings: 36

Ingredients:

16 eggs

1 cup milk (soy, rice, almond, 2%, etc)

pinch of salt 

Trader Joes tator tots

Trader Joes Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions

1 can of corn

8 slices of Canadian bacon/ham

4 slices of bread, diced up

Mozzarella Cheese

Cilantro

And whatever other fixings you enjoy

Instructions:

1. Scramble eggs in a large bowl, pour in milk and salt. 
2. Spray the tin with Cooking Oil spray.   
3. Fill in each muffin tin with 1-2 tator tots, corn, bell peppers,Canadian bacon/ham, diced bread. Pour in egg mixture right below line of muffin tin. Top with cheese and a pinch of cilantro.
4. When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the omelets until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 - 25 minutes.

I said to Buddy Up right?

Below are pictures of the ingredients I use, but really you can use whatever you have in your freezer and pantry. 

Finished Product! Easy on the go breakfast! Can be saved refridgerated and heated up in the microwave for the next day!