Sojourners

I sent this picture to a friend I haven’t heard from in a long time. I told her that this is what these two look like now and that it was taken at the playground. She responded by telling me to enjoy it now because when they grow up, they’re going to want to spend more time with their friends than their parents. For some reason, it hit me today more than any other day. For all of the constant demand for attention, endless preparation of meals and even longer time to finish the meals, nightly bath time/bedtime routines, I just realized it won’t be forever. And it made me sad. They won’t stay 2 and 5 forever. Yes, cherish this time and realize this is all temporary. After praying about it, I came to a conclusion that I am a steward of these two precious gifts. There is a purpose and a goal as to why they are with me at this time, for as long as the Lord wants them to be. My prayer is that, at the end of it all, I will have given Him back a hundred-fold of what He’s entrusted to me. Amen.

What does it mean when I’ve made all kinds of plans to be disciplined and I totally blow it? It’s not even one bite here and another there … it’s total and complete abandonment of my resolve. Now I know at what point I started to skid in the beginning of this journey. It’s still early enough that I can put on the brakes and start over. Tomorrow is a new day — with no mistakes in it, as Anne Shirley would say. May this be my attitude as the day begins again tomorrow.

I’ve seen people do this before – put their child’s baby picture next to theirs to see how much alike they are. Here’s mine and my daughter’s, exactly at age 2 and one month. I see the resemblance, although the closer I look, the less I see it. In the first place, I don’t really think she looks like me, even though the general consensus seems to suggest that she does.

In any case, I’m thankful and blessed to have this little girl in my life. She is so smart, so affectionate, so good-natured, so mellow, so playful, not to mention so girlie and sassy at times. I don’t think I was ever that extroverted when I was her age. My hope is to give her everything I never had. May the Lord grant me strength and wisdom to parent her in the best way I know how.

Our bedtime routine actually consists of brushing teeth, taking a bath, bedtime devotions/story, last drink of water, and last pee of the day. Every now and then, Daddy will indulge them in a game of horse where Papa is the horsey who throws them off into the bed. This is great fun for them.

Here they are, posing for the camera. Mei Mei has been learning how to look at herself in the mirror lately and make different faces. Ian is being his cheerful, goofy self. These two get along very well. They play together and enjoy each other, even when they fight during their play time.

I’d been holding off on her haircut for the longest time even though her hair has been unmanageable as of late. She’s been so stuck on being a princess with long hair that I was afraid to disillusion her! Today, after watching her daddy and brother get their haircuts, she agreed to sit and let the lady cut her hair, with the help of the iPhone video, of course. Here she is, being her brave self.

I must admit, I have very good-looking kids! Here they are with their fresh haircuts. Ian cried because he was so afraid of his neck itching from all that hair that gets stuck in his collar. I tried to talk him through the whole process and he eventually survived it. As for Joyanne, I have a feeling it’s going to be a lot easier not only to get her to get another haircut next time but to give her a bath before bed.

This display was at the entrance of Ikea today. Since it was also our 7th anniversary, we went ahead and commemorated our union in front of the sign. I wore my engagement ring for the occasion, too!

I said “yes” to the marriage, and thus, “yes” to the kids. What a life-changing event that was! And now, here we are, two makes four!

For our anniversary dinner, we sat atop the highest peak in our area, it seems, overlooking a beautiful sunset. This was taken at around 7 p.m., just when the sun was setting. I wasn’t necessarily feeling romantic, just hungry, but we couldn’t help but to feel the feels. It was an awesome sight.

After dinner, we went out, feeling close and cozy. The night was crisp and clear. It was also very cold (56 degrees). After this picture was taken, we appreciated the outside of the restaurant for just a few minutes before we headed inside and outside to the valet. It was a memorable way to celebrate our anniversary!

About two weeks ago, I followed this cleansing program that uses smoothies to control one’s diet. For 10 days, my body took nothing but smoothies recommended on this book, save for a few handful of snacks. At the end of the 10 days, I actually lost a little over 5 lbs. But more than losing weight, I felt I found a kind of “reset” button in my system. It was as though I was able to hold off all the bad stuff that I’ve allowed to invade body, mind, and heart. It’s been almost a week since I finished the smoothie challenge, and I’m still eating healthy and implemented a few more disciplines that I’m practicing for myself. Indeed, it’s been a lifestyle change … it’s been life-changing.