Moved

And we're done with the 1st quarter of 2015. I did not expect it to whizz by so fast! But I am glad it did because it means the countdown for Christmas is getting shorter. I am very thankful that I got to start the year together with my family in Manila. After two years of not being able to come home for Christmas, I really missed spending the holidays with my family. Time spent with them is always priceless. Gives my heart so much joy :)

We are now a family of 8 :) This was taken on January 3rd, the night before our flight back to Singapore. We had Jollibee chicken joy delivered at home. Family + Jollibee = pure, unadulterated happiness :)

I think I've mentioned it here how going back to Singapore gave me major separation anxiety. E and I were homesick during our first couple of weeks back. All we talked about was how much fun we had, wishing we could have had a longer vacation. Thank God for Facebook and Viber, which keeps us connected to our families even if we're a thousand miles apart.

I just realized that I went through two big moves this quarter. In February, E and I moved into a new flat in Ang Mo Kio (we're sharing the flat with my cousin and her husband). Yes, we said goodbye to Sengkang a.k.a. the best neighborhood ever :( It was just too far from my workplace, not to mention the bus and train fare that exceeds my monthly transpo allowance.

We have too many boxes. This is just two-thirds of them. We had to dispose a lot of stuff that we don't really need.

We were sad to leave Sengkang, but at the same time we're excited to explore what Ang Mo Kio has to offer. It was a pretty big adjustment for me, given that I lived in the purple line for the past 9 years. I have come to love our new parish, Christ the King church. Attending our first mass there made me feel right at home.

I love this charming and cozy church :)

So far, I am loving our new place. I love the privacy and peace and quiet. I love that I live with family -- people who I'm comfortable with --meaning, no need to adjust to strangers. And I love that E and I have our own bathroom. Haha :)

The second big move of the quarter was last March, when our company shifted to our new office. 

I had to say goodbye to my old super spacious desk. 

Boxes galore! I think my team and I packed (and unpacked) 100 boxes. I realized that it's easier to pack than to unpack. 

We had a little party to commemorate our last few days at our old building. Thanks to our big boss for the yummy food and beer! CHEERS!!!! :)

We just had to take one last group photo with the entrance of our old office as the backdrop. I will surely miss this place. Looking at this photo makes me feel so thankful to be part of this family :)

These two big moves made me realize that a certain place is only as good as the memories created in it. There's always going to be a sentimental value in something that you've been emotionally-attached to. It's sad to leave a place you've grown to love, but we can always make new memories wherever we settle. It's like being in a whole new getting-to-know-you stage once again, and that's what makes life more exciting :)

Questions

Today I woke up with an utter feeling of contentment. After prayers of thanksgiving have been said, it got me thinking...

What does it really mean to be content? 

Am I being too complacent? 

Do I dream big for myself and for my future family?

Do I make bold decisions?

Am I a brave risk-taker? 

Have  I become stagnant? (And if I have, is this a disservice to God?)

Is it okay to just bask in the contentment for a while? (And what exactly is the time frame of 'a while'?)

Am I exploring the abundance of options and possibilities around me?

Do I strive to be the best version of myself?

Clearly, this calls for a thorough self-check, stat. I want to be able to exhaust the opportunities for growth and self-improvement being thrown my way, and at the same time allow myself to sit back and savour the present. I need to learn how to strike a balance...

Kitchen Adventures

Our close friends and family know for a fact that in this marriage, it is E who (mostly) takes care of the cooking. I am the self-appointed dish-washer because, well, they say teamwork is key to a lasting marriage. ;-) But you know, I can actually make super delicious scrambled eggs (husband-approved!). Just putting it out there so you won't think I'm completely useless in the kitchen, haha.

Being able to wake up to freshly-prepared meals during weekends makes me immensely thankful to the Lord for blessing me with my husband. I mean, stereotypically speaking, it is usually the women who toil away in the kitchen. And yet I've got this guy who lovingly does it for me. It's one of his ways to treat me like a queen :) One day, while enjoying this act of service from my husband, I thought I also want him to feel the way he makes me feel. From there, I made it a personal goal to learn yummy (and healthy!) dishes that my husband could enjoy. Thanks to Pinterest and my kitchen diva friends, I can now proudly say that I can cook. Photographic proof below (I know I've been successful because my husband requests me to cook some of the dishes again haha):

Angel hair pasta with tuyo and spinach. I used gourmet tuyo (in a bottle) and lots and lots of garlic for this.

Baked honey soy chicken. This one's from Pinterest. I love how flavorful this dish is. It's fairly easy to make too. We ate it as a salad topping, although I can imagine how good it would be if paired with white steamed rice.

Pork steak. I had to ask my dear inay Miles for her recipe because E and I tasted her version one time and we absolutely loved it. I tried my best to follow her recipe to the T coz I was so scared to screw it up. E had three (3!!!!) cups of rice, so I guess it's safe to say that my version was a success :)

Three-cheese fusilli pasta. Okay, this one's a bit of a rip-off because I used ready-made Prego pasta sauce for this. BUT I added garlic, mushrooms, and SPAM cubes into it. Hehehe, am I a good cook or what??? Lol.

Chicken adobo. I used Cat Juan's recipe for this. It's my second attempt to replicate that recipe. I used pork in the first one (it's THE BEST, I swear). Unfortunately, it did not taste as good when I used chicken. Though the husband said it's still delicious.

Chicken spinach. Chicken breast fillet cubes cooked in garlic and butter, plus spinach. Easy peasy dish that can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. 

Roasted broccoli and cauliflower. I'm not particularly a fan of both vegetables, but I when I tried roasting it (drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese), it magically turned into something I can eat everyday. E loves this so much too! The most tedious part is chopping the vegetables into florets. Roasting time is 30-45 minutes. A bit time-consuming, but totally worth it.

Okay, this one is not exactly a dish. It's the breakfast spread I prepared for the husband on Valentine's Day -- toasted bread with sharp cheddar, scrambled eggs, tomato + agurula, bananas, and our favorite Oldtown Hazelnut coffee. I prepared all these while E was still asleep. He was smiling from ear to ear when he woke up and saw this on the dining table. I love surprising him! I need to up my game for the next surprise :)

I wish to be able to add more to this growing 'portfolio' because nothing makes me happier than seeing my husband's eyes light up in delight because of something I did for him. I know that to him, the taste doesn't matter as much as the love and effort that I put into it :)

No Greater Love Than His

photo credit

It still blows my mind how someone could be so selfless to give up his own life for the sake of mankind. I remember watching The Passion of the Christ more than ten years ago. I was bawling my eyes out because I couldn't believe that Jesus went through such kind of sacrifice. The portrayal was so convincing, that I could almost feel Jesus' pain through my skin even if I was just watching it on the big screen. 

He went through unimaginable pain to redeem us from our sins. He died on the cross so we could live and receive God's overflowing grace. It may be overwhelming to be a recipient of such great love, but that's just the way it is -- whether we deserve it or not. Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. There is nothing I can say, but THANK YOU LORD. It is an amazing privilege to be loved THIS MUCH by You. I pray that I could do something in this lifetime that could make me feel worthy of Your love. Thank You for everything.

Walk in the Park

I can’t even begin to express how HAPPY I am to be embracing the weekend right this moment! I’ve had a physically exhausting week, and I am so thankful for this day wherein I am not required to do anything, haha. I am thankful for the 10 glorious hours of sleep. Aaaaahhh, what a luxury.

E and I spent the first few hours of the day at Bishan Park where we had a morning stroll, followed by a heavenly brunch at McDonald’s.

Loooovely day! ♥ #messyhairdontcare Haha!

Grateful to have this pocket of greenery in our new neighborhood :)

Perfect Saturday morning view :)

There's a McDonald's branch tucked in a corner in the park. The reward of our long walk is our favorite McBreakfast :)

We did a bit of grocery-shopping before heading home, and we now have the entire afternoon all to ourselves. I LOVE IT! Of course, the domesticated part of me will do the laundry, change the sheets and cook something for the husband.

By the way, E’s work pass renewal just got approved for another two years. Praise God! To celebrate, we went to Jollibee for dinner last night. Hehehe :)

Thank You Lord for all the blessings :)

Good morning!

Helloooo Tuesday!! :) Faulty train at the circle line this morning. Got stuck at Caldecott station for more than 20 minutes. I was 30 minutes late for work, but that's okay.

Praise God the aircon inside the train was working. Otherwise, it would have been suffocating.

Praise God the train was sooo packed that even if I didn't hold on to a bar, I didn't go off-balance.

Praise God I didn't forget to spray cologne on my handkerchief today. #alamna Hehehe

Praise God I was wearing my most comfy flats today. My legs didn't ache even if I was standing for almost an hour.

Praise God I was feeling well this morning. (Been having headache these past few days)

Praise God I have my Joel Osteen podcasts on my iPhone. Aside from making the inconvenient and uncomfortable travel more than bearable, it was a great source of inspiration to get me through the day.

Praise God for my husband who prayed for me until he was sure that I reached the office safely.

Seeing For the First Time

It's like I'm seeing for the first time
Like You opened my eyes to show me
Everything I've missed before
And I want more

How many years did You plan this moment here
To show me how You love me