Caleb and the Impending Piano Recital (^_*)

Kids and Teacher Jenny!

For the past two days, Caleb had been antsy because piano recital was crouching around the corner. We reassured him that all will be okay, and that it's not a competition but a "sharing of sweet music" that kids have learned in the past months. So just enjoy!!

He sat on the edge of his seat until his turn came (which was not too long, since he was #6 on the list), and did wonderfully! He did his "half-hearted bows" before and after the songs, in a hurry to be on and off the 'stage'! (^_*)

Abbie had fun watching all the kids play and noticed that the newest (and youngest) piano player was the brother of her soccer teammate! You can see Janie smiling to us from across the room! Abbie was so excited she pushed "stop" on my camera, so we had to continue from the middle of the 2nd song ~ Danube Wave!

Thanks Teacher Jenny for your love, commitment and patience! We had a great time and hope Caleb will persevere, and keep playing in the year(s) to come! (^_^)

And if you want to know what he's usually like, below is a good example of "silly boy" in his natural habitat. He practiced harder a couple days before R-day!

Precious Moments with Dad! Great Gathering!

Happy Autumn! Definately this is the season of tranquility, renewal, and ... surprises! Thank you for your persistent and consistent love, prayers, and listening ears! My family gathering 48 hrs. ago can be written in a small book maybe titled "Divorce is Not the End ~ And 28 Years is Not too Long for Renewal & Change!"

When we went to a Korean BBQ place in Rowland Heights (by the way, Ong Go Jib is REALLY good! ), and we showered dad & sibs with TLC, hugs, and pretty balloons tied to gifts. They were so happy! We had a really delicious dinner and headed off to dad's new place. Though the kids don't really know grandpa Alex too well, slowly they warmed up to him and took pictures with him too!

We got to his house and as we were touring the place, he took me aside and said that he's never shared some things w/me since our childhood years, and chatted w/me for about 30 minutes. It was amazing to see his change of attitude and softening up of his heart! He was really speaking like a dad! Not 'Dr. Tsao' or 'Authority figure', but a down-to-earth dad trying to reach out and connect!


He said he felt bad too when grandparents wanted my mom to give me to mom's big bro & his wife 'cuz my uncle was the oldest son in the big family tree but couldn't bear children. At the time it was culturally unacceptable (just like Jesus' days) that oldest son(s) didn't have kids, so when I was born, I was given to them as a child in hopes of bringing more kids into their family (chinese superstition). Good thing they did eventually have a son and I came back to my family in 1st grade. Hey, so my name should be "招弟" (bring forth little brother)!! Sounds like soap opera! (*_^)


He also sounded remorseful for being consumed in the past decades with work (um...I think a little more than that ) and didn't spend time with us much. He said that he's changed a lot in the past months, and I was very happy to hear this too! He shared that he wants to spend time, now that he is still able to move around, and has freedom to do so! I was joyful sensing such a monumental change & softening of speech/heart in a man who has been very aloof and had no desire to connect/communicate (for as far back as I can remember).

We had a yummy mango brulee cake named "Happy House" to celebrate dad and brother's new house. It was wonderful to sing to the tune of "Happy Birthday" and start a new chapter in our lives!



So prayer definately moves God's hand, and we pray the Holy Spirit continues to touch his heart that one day dad will accept Jesus as his Savior! For now, he thinks religion is an emotional crutch to lean on, and that one shouldn't get "too deep into it". But we will continue to pray that God's unconditional love, grace, and salvation befalls him! I'm thankful for all my loved ones for carrying my burdens, and without your prayers, this could not have happened! So God definately turned over a "new leaf" in our family this Autumn! Let's keep on living for Him and see His miracles unfold!

Do You know that You Are Super Special?

So TOO, you and I may feel insignificant, trotting along in our  mundane daily routines. We may think that nobody sees and nobody cares about what we go through, but everything that happens to us is in fact preparing us to do more for our Heavenly Father ~ In His time! In the past months, I overlooked any signs of seed growth in my pretty flowers, but the truth is that it is patiently and slowly growing just as our Maker designed it to do! So we too, will sprout and bless others with our daily seeds of love and encouragements! 



Withered sunflower stem & leaves



Yesterday it finally cooled down a tiny bit..... And I went to the front yard to find my last 3 sunflowers kissing the lawn. As it turned out, the heat wave caused them to wither away. So I pulled them from the ground and looked at their faces. I've always known sunflower seeds come from sunflowers, but I didn't know where the seeds were.

I picked through the sunflowers' faces and lo and behold, there were tows of black 'things' in there! I was amazed to find perfectly beautiful rows of seeds, bottoms up, facing me! 



Beautifully aligned seeds inside sunflower's face!



Abbie helped me pick out the seeds one by one so we could store them and plant them next Spring. I was amazed that one tiny seed, which the plant came from, produced a beautiful sunflower, leaves, several golden-yellow petals, and 70-80 more beautifully aligned seeds! Truly, when one seed falls to the ground and dies, it truly begins to live and produces unexpectedly and abundantly more than it (or we) can imagine!

So TOO, you and I may feel insignificant, trotting along in our  mundane daily routines. We may think that nobody sees and nobody cares about what we go through, but everything that happens to us is in fact preparing us to do more for our Heavenly Father ~ In His time! In the past months, I overlooked any signs of seed growth in my pretty flowers, but the truth is that it is patiently and slowly growing just as our Maker designed it to do! So we too, will sprout and bless others with our daily seeds of love and encouragements! 

You are special, and don't forget it! Behold these seeds, and know how much your unique talents mean to me, your loved ones, and God! 

Record Breaking Heat Wave of the century ~ (^_^)

This past week was an extraordinary week.... the heat soared and seared our bodies....It was as if we lived in Death Valley! The thermometer broke (in L.A. weather tracking facility) once it hit 113F, deciding that he has done his work and was calling it quits! So we all hid in our homes, taking out loans if necessary....to keep our A/C on!

Abbie and I were so amazed that our poor birdies, Amazon Jubee and Senegal Kobee, were panting with beaks wide open when temp was 105F! We've had them since babies (10.5 years!) and never seen them open-beaked like this before! We quickly sprayed them down with water bottle and gave them extra water! Abbie's AYSO soccer practice was cancelled and Ladera's Mercantile West plaza became a ghost town (usually it was packed with customers relaxing and enjoying lunch in the patio area of Cinnamon Productions). The power grid in L.A. was so overloaded that electricity was out in many cities for a couple of days. People of all ages were admitted to the ER for heat-related illnesses.



This made me realize how fragile we are as human (and animal) beings! We can be all powerful in many areas, but if the temperature fluctuates 20 degrees in either extreme, we are incapacitated. It is humbing to know that we live and thrive in the merciful hands of God, and if we start strutting with pride at our accomplishments, a few degrees change is sufficient to keep our hot heads in check! (^_^)

Thankfully, the heat wave only lasts a few days. If it continues, we will all cease our daily activities! This made me thankful for the mild/boring temperatures we usually have (and take for granted)! Stay cool everyone, and hang in there!

(Three days later on this hubby's birthday)....I noticed a big proliferation of ripened cherry and tiny tim tomatoes growing in my back yard! It turned out that the massive heat helped ripen the otherwise slow-as-snail ripening of tomatoes! So I guess there's always a silver lining (and something to be thankful for) in every crisis!

Thank you Lord! VERY VERY sweet! Even Abbie ate it (and normally she would spit it out and I'd have to clean up the icky mess.....)!

The Plague of the Swarming Bees.........~(^_^)~

Bee on sunflower (one of a couple dozens!)

This morning hubby was getting ready to go to church w/Caleb (the boys go earlier), and he screamed after stepping out the front door. I thought he injured himself, and it turns out that he's screaming a swarm of bees out there and to CUT ALL THE SUNFLOWERS...   PRONTO!

My beatiful sunflower bed ~ B.C. (Before Cutting)!

Strangely, after planting sunflowers since April, I've never seen more than 2-3 bees at a given time. But today, perhaps it was a passing swarm or changing season/weather, they all came and buzzed all over our front porch!

Cut sunflowers = Bouquet!!

Just in time, I thought, since I've been wanting to give a bouquet to Abbie's soccer coach....so I cut and cut and soon the front yard's bloom became a huge sunflower bouquet! It was quite a sight to behold! And Abbie proudly took picture next to it after we cut it down!

Abbie & Sunflowers, before her team picture in th morning

Abbie and teammates took team picture at Founder's park, and afterwards we went to church.

~ Lining up for Blue Angels' Team Picture ~

She began chinese school (alphabet class ~ Buh ~ Puh ~ Muh)! I hoped she would sit through the class, and went off to shaved ice with my buddy while she did her 2 hour class! Good job! The homework part is the hardest for parents, since chinese doesn't come easy to our little ones. They speak mostly English at school, so this is foreign language to them.



I secretly recorded Caleb 'while he read his 2-pages of chinese reading after dinner. This HAD to be done if he wanted to play Wii, and he reluctantly agreed. Good luck to the rest of our American/Chinese school year! (^_^)

Abbie the Soccer Girl ~ Go Blue Angels! ~(^_^)~

Today is the first time Abbie plays in a soccer team....with teammates, soccer, goal and opponents! We were very excited!

This morning, we woke up with excitement and decided that we are going to have a good day! As it turned out, Abbie threw a big tantrum and had to be timed-out many times (not wanting to eat breakfast), but finally she calmed out, and surprisingly she was full of energy during the game!

They could steal the ball and change directions ~ amazing!

She ran like a bullet and made the first 2 goals of the season! We were so proud of her!



Other parents asked if Abbie played before, but I told them that she just loves "kicking"....everything and anyone around her. They reassured me that this 'talent' is paying off, and could mean the beginning of a shining soccer career!  

I'm tying my shoes! No cameras please!

She loved playing and running, and it was funny to see some of them score in the other team's goal. It was confusing to everyone, I must say, since they switch goals at halftime. Not easy for little ones (or moms)!

The girls look professionally serious!

The girls loved cheering on their teammates and enjoyed their super yummy snacks too! Thanks everyone for your love and support!



Abbie fell asleep after (a big tantrum after) the game! I guess she never ran so much/hard before! Here's the slideshow for a milestone day for her (^_^)