What's In Store for 2009

I guess it's all about Micah - there shouldn't be any doubt about that!

2008 is significant because Micah was born. The rest of the year was spent caring for him. Of course we did a fair share of traveling and shuttling between Kuala Lumpur and China. And finally Australia.

We will continue to shuttle in 2009 and that is the only certainty we know for now! Our nomadic lifestyle means that we don't have any fixed plans - except when there are cheap flights to any of the 3 cities we shuttle to. For instance we have booked tickets to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Gold Coast in September 2009 - it was free! So that is the only event marked off on our 2009 calendar.

Opps! There is also Micah's 1 year old birthday to look forward to. We plan to celebrate that in Kuala Lumpur and hopefully with a big party of family and friends.

Micah at 8mths and enjoying having his ears cleaned!

Blessed Christmas

It is Micah's first Christmas but sadly we are celebrating without David. The saving grace is that we are with 'family' in Brisbane. We are experiencing our first Lipscombe Christmas with Ling, Mike and Harry.

Harry went to bed very early yesterday - all excited that his last sleep will bring Father Christmas and presents the next morning. He helped Mike prepare cookies, port and some carrots and left them by the fireplace. Carrots are for the reindeers!

This morning he rushed out to find emply plates and an empty wine glass and loads of presents under the tree. I thought he told me that he could only open his presents after breakfast but when I came out after my shower and after bathing Micah, I found the living room in a mess. Wrapping paper and opened boxes strewn all over and Harry with a beaming smile over his presents.

Micah wasn't forgotten! He received a shape sorter, an activity toolbox, a rattle cum teether and a bath book. Even I got a present! Ling sneaked in some shopping and got me a set of yoga attire - we can now do Wii Fit together :)

I was feeling a little down on Christmas eve night because I wasn't in church which is our tradition plus the fact that David was miles away but I am all smiles today. It could have been the bubbly we had for breakfast - but I think it is the fact that I am with my family here in Brisbane.

There is no better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than to be with people close to us. As I rejoice this joyous day, I also remember the sacrifice Jesus made later in His life so that we may in turn have life if we believe in Him.

Blessed Christmas to all.

Christmas Lights

'Awesome' is how Harry described the Christmas lights of the 3rd Prize Winner. This is Australia's largest Christmas lights competition and it is in its 22nd year running.

We actually stumbled upon the house while house hunting. It was during the day and with anticipation we took a drive there that same night only to be disappointed by the unlit display. Tonight we went a lot earlier and discovered a wonderland. There were lots of people there and we could walk the path created and admire the whole scene up close. Harry was really excited - I was the same!.

It was very impressive! And this is not the only winner. Check out the others. Harry's parting remark as we walked to the car was, 'they must have worked very hard!' They sure did.

Here are some of the pictures I took. Not very good photos because I'd need a panoramic lens to take in the whole house.

The next door neighbour had a simple but most impressive nativity scene. It is almost life sized.

Christmas to me is special. As much as I enjoy the lights, festivities, presents and gatherings , the real meaning of Christmas is one of sacrifice. A day to remind us that God sent his only son, born on Christmas day, to redeem us from our sins.

To you, I wish, a Blessed Christmas.

House Hunting

I am in Brisbane and it is hot! A slightly nicer feel to the heat than in Malaysia because it is not so humid but the sun is scorching and we have to slather on the sunscreen everyday.

I am enjoying my time here with my friend, Ling and her family and I feel at home at their place. This is one of my many homes, at least for now until we find and buy our house. It has been a month of discoveries for me - learning the ropes in a new country. All the traveling has stopped for a while and we are settling into a routine here. Life is simple - I am busy taking care of Micah and babysitting Harry in the meantime. I spend most of my time preparing, cooking and feeding Micah. And when he is awake, entertaining him! He is crawling now and quite quickly too which means I always have to rescue him from trouble. He also puts things in his mouth so I am ever watchful.

David has gone back to China for work and is leaving me the responsibility to find a suitable house to purchase. Finding a house in Australia is difficult. In Malaysia, you'd find rows and rows of the same house design - the difference is in the finishing inside which the owners have put in or have renovated but otherwise you can expect the same layout. This also means that the price is more or less the same. And you'd expect to pay roughly the same price per square foot in a particular area. Everything is about land size and built up area. In Australia, values are totally different and the house designs vary so much together with the land area that it is difficult to gauge the price. A lot of the houses have pools too. The thought of having our own pool sounded good - I can swim everyday! Swimming is my preferred type of exercise and I really want Micah to be at home in water. Unfortunately, pool maintenance is a big headache. We are not sure if we are up to that undertaking. As it is, we'd have to do all the housework plus gardening - very unlike in Malaysia where it is common to employ gardeners and have a housemaid.

So there are a lot of things to consider and it has become a chore to view houses! My head is spinning trying to balance affordability and a suitable house for our needs. We did find the perfect house and in fact, made an offer in writing. After a day and a half, the agent calls and tells us that the owner decided not to sell! It was most disappointing.

So it's back to work - and it is hard work! It is my 9-5 job here :) besides being Micah's maid, nanny and mother!