Christmas Season

So Hailey has started crawling now. She is also able to pull herself up to a standing position. What a strong baby. Sienna just had her last dance class of the year. All of the little dancers brought little gifts to exchange and we had a little party at the dance studio this morning. Also this past Saturday, Sienna and Hailey sat on Santa's lab and no one cried this year. Sienna also made her Christmas wishes known. She had a list, all right!

Personal Revelation from my Sunday Lesson

All through the week, I have been preparing for my once a month Sunday RS lesson. The topic is on the eternal truth (RS lesson #22). Through many personal prayers and lesson study, I was prompted to teach the lesson focusing on 3 things: (1) Word of Wisdom and why the Lord has given it to us as "wisdom" instead of commandment; (2)The LDS church embraces all truth, which means we do not exclude other church members simply believe some truth but not other truth (this is also our dear Prophet Joseph Smith's reason for founding the church); (3) Through knowledge we gain salvation, and also as members of the church, how we be able to focus on bringing souls to know and accept Jesus Christ instead of simply marking our success with the number of people we baptize. That is the ultimate focus of our missionary work.

I have always known the church is sanctified of the Lord through the witness of the holy ghost, and that's why I joined the church back in High School. But I have always some what questioned about Joseph Smith. Through preparing this lesson, I finally gained my personal testimony about the founding father of the LDS church, Joseph Smith, and the vision he brought forth through the organization of the church: to unite the Christians, to bring the truthfulness of the gospel to the whole world. I think there is a reason for every calling we received, and I just found mine.

By the way, the lesson turned out to be a success and the sisters' hearts were softened by the spirit of the Lord. Mission accomplished.

Thanksgiving Preparation

So we are staying home for Thanksgiving this year - in at any family's house or friend's house - just at home. It's kind of nice that way. So I found out that Popeye's sell Cajun Turkey, and I went and got one this year. I hope it taste good. Neither me or Jeremy are big turkey fans, but we'll have it for Thanksgiving out of tradition. I will be making a potato casserole, green beans and shitaki mushroom, broccoli with cheese, steamed corn, and rolls to go with the turkey. Then we will have pecan pie and lemon marine pie for desert. I was having a hard time convincing Sienna that we have to wait until tomorrow before we can have the pies. She was thoroughly disappointed. But she got over it after I gave her some other candy. Jeremy will have a four day weekend. We are going to pull out the x-mas decorations and get that all done this weekend as well.
Oh, and the past weekend, we took the kids to SF along with my sister in-law, Kim. Sienna loved it. She was just so amazed at the bridges, tunnels, and of course the sea lions.

Sienna Starting Dance Class

So this morning, I took Sienna to try out a toddler's dance class in town and she loved it. She is registered for the class now and it will officially start next Wednesday (once a week). They do tab dance half of the time and ballet the 2nd part of the class every time. All of the girls are between 2 and 3 years of age. The recital will be in June next year. We ordered her dance shoes today and still need to get her dance clothes at the store. She was beaming when the teacher had her walk around in a pare of tab dancing shoes.

Then we went to my friend Laura's house and she helped the kids making choclate chip cookies. It was so cute to see her help with the measuring and cracking the egg. During the activity, she cracked Laura up by making a comment that "my daddy is at work to bring home some bacon". Laura thought it was the cutiest thing. Any way, we are saving some of the cookies for Daddy tonight.

Max is doing better

So as most of our family members and friends have been informed, that Max, our Golden Retriever, is finally home from the hospital now. His health is improving speedily each day and almost back to the normal mischievous thing he has been again. We are just so relieved that we did not decide to put him down when he was horribly ill at the hospital. So life is pretty much back to normal again at home, besides the "six times a day medication schedule and 3 meals a day feeding schedule" for Max. Now since I am not dragging the kids back and forth between Tracy and Dublin (where the Vet hospital is located, about 40 min. drive from our house), and not paying the hefty Vet bills, the rest seems manageable. Sienna is really happy that Max will be around for awhile longer.

found book rental like Netflix

So I was searching online for cost of books that I want to read, and came accross this website call "bookswim.com". It's a book rental service that works like Netflix, except it's for books. I decided to give it a try. They will start sending me 2 books at a time. I hope this works out so that I don't accumulate endless book piles at home but still have new material to read all the time.

On another note, the weather is changing here. It's getting more and more like fall by the day (my favorite season of the year). So I will need to plan a weekend to go through the storage bins and pull out fall clothes for my kids soon. Hailey has outgrown most of her summer clothes any way by now. Sienna cannot continue running around in her underwear around the house without feeling cold much longer. Haha, I am such a procrastinator some times.

lots of good reading

So my friend Mimi lended out her books to me and Laura to read. They are by an LDS author named "Stephenie Myer". I am just done with first two of the four books "Twilight" and "new moon". I did not think I would like it when I started ready the first two chapter of the first book, but it got good after that, and I could hardly put the book down as I went from that point on. I never thought I would rather read than sleep or eat, but that's how good they are. I was talking to Mimi and we are thinking about making a girls day/night out to go see the movie this November when the new "Twilight" movie comes out. I don't think the movie will be as savory as the book, but I am still looking forward to it.

what I am reading recently

So my friend Michelle lended me a book to read called "The Red Scarf Girl". It's about a young girl/teen's life memory through the Cultural Revolution in China. I liked it, but still like another book that I have previously read better. It's called "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang. This book was about a Chinese family's life journey from beginning of the Cultural Revolution to the end of it, and it crosses through three generations of women in this family: grandma, mom, and the author herself. The fact that her dad was from my home town just brought me even closer to her experience.

I was actually fortunate enough to be born right after the Cultural Revolution, so I did not have to "choose" my parents or Mao. So I didn't quite really understand why my mother was always so angry and pessimistic growing up. Reading these books about stories of her era has explained a lot to me about her since she was born into a "black" counter revolutionist family due to my grandfather was a small officer in Jiang Kai Shek's army before they left main land to Tai Wan. I felt bad that I wasn't more sympathetic toward her before I left China.

6th Year Wedding Anniversary

So tomorrow I actually found someone to watch the kids so that me and Jeremy be able to go out for our anniversary. I think the last time we went out on a date was December of last year for his company's Christmas party. Crazy how time flies. It's been six years since we got married. Now I don't even remember the time when we didn't have kids.

A lot of my friends are having their own mile stone in life as well, some moved, some had baby. But thankfully all pretty good news.

Hailey just got her second tooth out now, and she has started eating some baby food and baby cereal. Oh, and Sienna ran in her flower bath towel to me, and tripped on the floor and bite her lip. She was pretty traumatized by that. Besides that, we are all doing pretty good.

Hailey cutting first tooth already

So Hailey already is showing her first tooth cutting through her bottom gum. Crazy!!! This took me by surprise because Sienna did not have any teeth until she was 6 months old. Hailey is only 3 months old. I am not looking forward to her biting me when nursing. Uh! I just hope the top ones don't come through any time soon.

Hailey's Baby Blessing

So finally, Hailey received her baby blessing today. She was so beautiful in her baby blessing dress this morning. She was kind of fussy during the blessing, but as soon as she heard the "amen", she got all quiet all of a sudden. I guess she knew what she was doing. Hehe.

The other big mile stone for us is that Sienna is now officially potty trained. She calls herself "big girl", and I am just so happy that I don't have to buy more diapers for her any more. Victory for us! Our first child goes to potty on her own now. Yeah!!!

First Time Completing the Puzzle on Her Own - Sienna

So I have been working with Sienna on these wooden puzzles that Vicki has given us in May. There are four puzzles with 12 pieces each. I have been playing with her few times a week when Hailey is down for a nap. Today, she really wanted to play with the puzzles, but I had to get meals ready in the kitchen, so I told her that she can play with them but mommy won't be able to help until I was done with cooking. So I left her playing by herself for awhile and by the time I went back to check on her, she had separated all of the pieces into 4 piles and completed 2 of the 4 puzzles on her own. I was so pleasantly surprises and proud. Later on, she finished the remaining puzzles as well, then took them all apart and put them back in the box. What a smart girl. I guess whenever we thought we were just kidding ourselves every time we push our kids to do something beyong their age (ex. the puzzles are for kids 3 and up), our effort does pay off later.

Now I can't wait to start Hailey with all of the Glenn Doman number cards and word cards. hehe. She is only two months old right now. What a crazy mom I am!!!

Turning 30

I am going out for lunch with couple of my girlfriends today since I don't have to find a sitter (Sienna is still out of town with Jeremy). We are going to eat at this Indian restuarant in town for two reasons: one, I am turning 30 this week, two, Jeremy does not like Indian food any way.

I still can't believe that I am going to be 30. It's crazy how time has flown by so quickly since my college graduation. Between getting married, work, then kids one after another, I feel like that I have been on this super fast high way and has not taken much time to reflect my life. Now I look back, I am just so happy that I married the person I did, feel so blessed to have two beautiful children with Jeremy, and am glad I don't have to go back to school to finish my college degree after the kids are all grown up like some of the other moms do.

I think the biggest thing between my last 6 years of married life and my single life is that I have learned to complain less and enjoy more. It feels good to be able to build up a family instead of tear it down. I love being a wife and a mother now. Of course it wasn't always like this. I remember how sad and resentful I was when I first had kid. All I could think of was when I would be able to go back to work. I had a hard time adjusting to motherhood. With all of the mundane daily cleaning, cooking, laundary, grocery shopping, feeding, changing, crying babies, it was far from what I imagined how motherhood would be like. But now I look at it as a service to my family and learn to love it because it makes me happy that my husband has a well cared home to come back to after a day of hard work. Just knowing that my children had a good day or bad day, not being abused by someone I don't know much about at a daycare, it makes me happy and feel secure.

As a stay-at-home mom, I no longer receive the recognition from the world as when I worked as a project engineer, nor do I receive that good size pay check for being good at what I do. But my husband loves me and appreciates what I do for the family, and my kids love me and give me hugs and kisses (I guess it's their payment to mommy). That's priceless.

So I am older now, and no longer a "twenty some year old". But I am happier than when I was in my twenties. Overall, I think I am on the right path toward greater happiness and deeper bond with my husband. "Yeah" for 30. I embrace you!

Fourth of July holiday 2008

Jeremy took Sienna to MT for a week during this 4th of July holiday. It's kind of nice that I get to now spend some one on one bonding time with Hailey without having to take care of Sienna as well. But at the same time, I miss having everyone here at home terribilly. It's relaxing and lonely at the same time, if that's possible.

The past couple of days has gone by rather quickly. I have been reorganizing my closet and the kids closets to put away things (such as my maternity clothes and the clothes that the kids have out grown or out of season) and getting rid of thing that we don't or won't use any more. I am definitely the opposite of a "pack rat". It's just nice to have less stuff and more space. I just love to have an organized space to live in.

ok, got to go, Hailey is crying now.