Toot, Toot, Toot!

I'm going to be tooting the horn of one of my most adorable friends here today. She is way too busy making things like this...

and like this.....

 to toot her own horn.  Oh, and making me chocolate goodbye parties that look like this....

She is da' bomb diggity of all bomb diggities! SO it is up to me as her most adorable friend! I dedicate my 200th post to you Canesa!

She is a great party planner! Not only was mine AWESOME she has done a full Candyland theme for her oldest daughter's FIRST birthday! All the way down to a life sized map! Seriously, Canesa post the picture in the comments! Canesa doesn't just do a fruit bowl, no, she makes the WHOLE dang bowl and then bedazzles it and then decorates the fruit with sparkles. Okay, that may be overboard but take my word for it, she knows how to entertain! She also makes it look effortless. I'm the one who puts the bowl on the table and forgets the fruit and then has to lay down from all the hard work!

She just found her magnificent talent in woodworking. I think  her husband is a little jealous of her talents because he "grounded" her from making more for awhile. Jealous much Burt? LOL! And her first project was this.....

Made totally from scratch, except for the bedding! She didn't work herself up to it, she started with this HUGE project! I hear she did 28 other little projects for Christmas. I'm sure she built someone a house and is just too humble to say so!

She is my favorite decorator. Not only did she do this room, while her husband was

hunting .......

she also helped me do this room of mine...........

she was also a great consultant on other rooms in my Utah house, while my husband was gone for work. I've missed her much here in Singapore. Funny thing is she was always over at my house helping me decorate that her husband joked that her and I were married. Haha Burt, I'd totally marry her! She redoes a room in her house at least once a month! And it always looks amazing! And not only does she re-do a room but the rest of her house is spotless along with a homemade dinner, I think she is secretly

She-ra princess of power!

Have I mentioned that she is also an athlete? She has trained and ran in a triathlon, all while her 3rd child was a baby. Seriously, she found the time and did it while always looking like a goddess! And while she was training for this triathlon she also did some major biking like miles and miles of biking! I watched her kids because I'm seriously allergic to exercise. Canesa pushed herself and learned to swim during her triathlon training. Just goes to show that you can always learn something new! I love her determination.

But I think her best accomplishment is the 4 beautiful and happy kids that she is raising. And three of those kids are under 4 with one of them being almost 1! She has done this all with 3 kids at home and one a pre-teen. AND she does it with a smile and a hug and she totally loves it! Along with her immaculately kept home and home made dinners that are fantastic.

I sit here crying because I miss her. I miss her silly stories and calling me when she finds a birds nest on her door, I miss just knowing she is a hop, skip and jump away. I miss our wild shoe buying escapades. This post has been hard for me to write but Canesa, I love you. I hope this ends your year with a bang. I'm sorry I didn't get that fruitcake over to you this year. LOL. I'm so proud that you continue to be my friend when I continue to desert you for a silly job or moving across the world.

Fra ra ra ra rah rah rah rah rah....

That is my favorite line from A Christmas Story. Especially now that we are here in Singapore with Asians and we've had the duck here and it actually does come with the head attached! Plus, it reminds me just a little of my American home.

Our first Christmas in Singapore has been celebrated, toys have been played with and broken and before we can get the lights out of the trees our kids have begun the gimmes AGAIN! They're my kids all the way! It's good to want as long as they know they aren't getting everything!

Of course the kids were spoiled and got too much stuff and so did I. I got both Jewelry AND a kindle. I also got one of the cutest Santa's ever to celebrate our first Christmas here.

Not much really seemed different except that we all were wearing shorts and t-shirts instead of warm and fuzzy jammies. The groundskeeper was sweeping the dead leaves which gave a nice background noise, and made my kids sad that he wasn't celebrating like us. Instead of snow gear the kids got swimming gear. Still chuckle over that one. It just feels weird to go swimming in DECEMBER and OUTSIDE! Not that I'm complaining.

The kids played with the Chinese neighbors next door for quite a while after opening presents. My most memorable quote will be the Chinese girl asking me "can I just ask you one question? did all of this cost you a fortune?" Yes, Chloe it did. And I"m a little ashamed of it, but probably do the same thing next year. I always do. The neighbors only get one present, one fairly expensive present but as Chloe told me..."I don't spend all my money, and my pocket change is growing". Maybe she can teach me.

I think it wa a success. NO one said they missed anything or wished we would still be in the States. We all enjoyed the day playing our new family games and eating too much candy. My favorite times are the times we all spend together, reconnecting and learning about eachother. It really was just another Christmas to us no matter where we are in the world. Hope all of yours was wondorous too.

Love

This is me and my LOVE. With his love for me I have acheived things I never thought possible. This picture says so many things. It's a date night with my hubby here in Singapore in December. I look forward to my time alone with Bob. When life gets busy I sometimes forget that I really love his personality and just being with him. It's nice to go out and enjoy eachother and nourish the love that has kept us going for the last 18 years. With our love for eachother we have acheived both PEACE and JOY. 

Peace

All 3 of my kids quietly reading books and listening to my new Christmas music of Rodrigo Rodriquez. It was very peaceful! ONe of my favorite days.

Joy

Yesterday I went to a church luncheon with some new found friends, Andrea and Jennifer.That's us on the side, aren't we cute?

Since this was a Christmas type of lunch the talk was about what brings you Joy. There are many things in my life that make me happy and even more things that I like. But things that truly bring me that unadulterated JOY? I had to think about that one. Of course I started thinking about big and grand things like walks on the beach, expensive vacations and the expensive hair and clothes to go along with it.  As I continued throughout the night to think my most joyous moments are those that were small or are the little comforts of life. Here are some of the things that bring me Joy.

*Brand new socks on a cold night
*My kids laughing and just goofing off with them
*My husbands mischievous grin
*Finding an old friend
*Making a new friend
*Lazy time
*Accepting who you are
*Acquiring a new skill
*Swimming
*Music
*Snuggling, especially with the whole family

*Knowing that God created my husband just for me!

*Letting go of past hurts

*Finding something you thought was lost

*Getting lost in a good book or good movie

*Family game time

*Being needed by someone who isn't your child

*Making a difference in someones life

Joy to me are those things that I crave or look forward to. The things I want to create when I am down or need a good old pick me up. Like I said there are many things that make me happy but these are just some of the things that make me really enjoy my life. And this list would not be complete without adding one from the luncheon: Freshly cleaned sheets and cleanly shaved legs. That is very nice!

What brings you joy?

What Singapore has given me

Yeah, We've only been here a few short weeks but already I'm reaping the benefits. Let's go through that list together shall we?
* Singapore has given me the opportunity to get fresh air while doing my laundry, some days I can even get rained on while moving my laundry around.
* Singapore has taught me what that little R on my drive shaft is for. The majority of parking in Singapore is all back up, rarely do I find a one I can drive into.
* Along that same line, Singapore is given me one heck of a strong neck from always looking back, and once in awhile I move my waist too just for the extra exercise. Maybe I'll lose some inches off  my waist?
*My windshield of the car is VERY, VERY clean. This would probably be because I FORGET the blinker is on the right side and not the left side.
* Singapore has given me the chance to update my math skills by learning the metric system. I am slowly and painfully learning the difference between one kilogram and one pound. It's a difference! Who knew?
* Singapore allows me to not stick out as the worst driver in the world because I think all the drivers are bad here. If I ride the dotted line NO ONE honks at me, probably because they were too,
* Singapore has given me a new admiration for crocs. Not the animal one but the shoes. They are everywhere and you can bling them up with cute little buttons or leave them plan.  They also have high heel crocs which I may have to try out.
* Singapore has allowed me to become closer to my oldest son. Anytime I want to talk to him I get to text him to come down the million stairs we seem to have so we can have a nice little chat because he is too tired to walk back up the stairs and so he might as well talk to me!
* Singapore taught me that even if the money comes in rainbow colors and varies in size according to the dollar amount it is still real money that my cute husband has earned for me.
* Singapore has shown me that white is beautiful because they all have this gorgeous Carmel colored skin but there are whitening products EVERYWHERE!
* I've realized while in Singapore that all nude statues of women MUST show the nipples in GREAT detail and that going into a place called Talk and Cock is for singing. (okay I didn't go, I just drive by it alot and get a chuckle from it)
* I know that if I ever have another child I don't need to breastfeed because you can buy colostrum at the local cold storage
*I have also learned that babies need spa time too and that it looks more like a Build a Bear workshop with all the little tubs and dryers.
* I've learned to always take an Umbrella and a one dollar coin. The first because it's inevitable that it will rain and the second because you can't get a trolley (cart) without putting in your coin.
* I now know that when someone says  "Sure, Sure, you bet!" it means I need to re-explain because they really don't know what I'm talking about.