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Showing posts from 2012

Love and Grace Despite it all

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I am so deficient.  We all are.  We all keep on trying but it is never enough.  Some just give up others become frustrated in their attempts. It is new year's resolution time.  Do you really set resolutions?  What kinds of people do and what kinds don't? As Christians, many of us read, hear and say to each other we will be better people, better Christians.  We want to be more real to each other.  We want to serve God. But alas...it is not easy. One thing I've tried to learn to do in 2012 is to be a better neighbour to ... well...my neighbours.  I am glad to say I do know some of my neighbours a bit more than in 2011.  I can look back in the year and see how I tried to step outside my comfort zone to reach out. But...perhaps God is setting up the lesson(s) for 2013... Love and Grace A few weeks ago I started thinking about how LITTLE love and grace I really have.  Really.  When I think of it so much of what I do is conditional. It is nothing like what Go

Christmas Blessings

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Last night we invited some friends over to celebrate Christmas.  As the kids grow, I am able to do more than just feast so this year I really really wanted to sing a couple of Christmas Carols, have them give out gifts (without receiving!), read a Christmas story and learn to be hosts that focus on blessing others. We had a very enjoyable and blessed time with our friends and am so glad of the way things turned out.  More than half of our original list of guests could not make it which prompted us to reflect on who else we could share this night with.  We ended up with what we think was a perfect mix of people.  We even met a new couple that we only had heard of from church! Before the guests arrived, my son announced to me "I love to babysit".  Of course, when the time came for him to actually play with our youngest guest, an 18 month old girl, he announced he had changed his perspectives on babysitting.  It was a great opportunity to explain to him what hosting

Our Yearly Tradition - newsletters

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We have several traditions in our family during Christmas time.  One important one for me is to remind myself to stay connected with all the people we love and who have touched our lives in one way or another throughout the years. It has also turned into an opportunity for me to revisit the year and ponder on the challenges, the blessings, the triumphs and the lessons in the year. Because I started blogging this year I did not write as much on our newsletter - but some of you have already asked me when the newsletter was coming so friends, here it is... Lam Family Newsletter 2012 From our family to yours... Yes, we took a picture with "Santa" -- our first...at Stephen's company Christmas Party May this season of giving, peace and joy remind of you of the true reason for the season.  It is Jesus' birthday as my kids put it, so let's celebrate with Him in mind, being grateful for all that He is and does! "We love b

Disney Cruise Vacation - Adventures, Tips and Memories!

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I have been looking for a budget friendly way to take our family on a cruise vacation with Disney for over a year now.  This year was a special year for us (our 10th wedding anniversary) and though originally we wanted a trip of our own, later we decided time was flying too fast and we wanted to treasure the time with the kids...in an ideal world we could do both, but this was reality -- we had to choose.  It wasn't even so much 'for the kids' but I realized the memories are for us, the parents, to treasure.   I literally feel the kids are growing so fast in front of our eyes these days.  Sarah turned 4 in September and Samuel just turned 6 yesterday! Booking the Cruise Imagine my surprise about 2 months ago when, surfacing disney's cruise website I bumped into what seemed like an amazing price, within our budget, and to the ports we wanted (7 nights West Caribbean)!!!  The only 'catch'?  It was a 'restrictive fare' meaning no cancellations and no c

Dear Mrs. Thumb

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Dear Mrs. Thumb, The first time I met you I hardly noticed you.  It was 4 years ago when we met our daughter Sarah for the first time.  I suppose I noticed you only when I looked at her hands and fingers and noticed how girly they were compared to my son's at birth.  Back then, you were just a thumb, just another part of my baby daughter's anatomy. But since then we have gotten to know you more than Ms. Hair, Mr. Feet or Mrs. Eyes.  You 'stuck out' from the crowd because Sarah chose to love you and to almost depend on you when she most needed someone. We have had this love-hate relationship, haven't we?  At times I was so grateful you were there for Sarah.  When she couldn't fall asleep or needed some extra comfort.  During those long road trips in the car or in a hotel bed.  Or when we sleep trained her as a baby. But there were so many times also when I wished you were not so closed, like when Sarah had a cold and was all stuffed up.  Relying on yo

It should be 'fun'!

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How many of us have done it?  You sign up your kids to a class and send them with an encouragement: "it will be fun!" I tell my kids to enjoy their school, tennis, swimming, drawing, and piano classes.  I tell them they will love it even when they are hesitant. And yet when I see them learn in those classes a hidden evil in me creeps out and I begin to think "yikes...she has no coordination - why can't she hit the ball like the rest of the class" or "what now...why are you crying?" or "listen to the teacher son.  Listen...like the other boys" or "how did you do in your quiz today? (meaning - "how many did you get right") or "don't just paint everywhere - stay inside the line!" or "read out loud - so everyone can hear it" (maybe he is reading to himself???) The fact of the matter is that for as much as I tell my kids to 'enjoy' their classes, I am also sending them a

Little hands with BIG heart

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It is so curious to see how God reminds me with SIMPLE things about life... Last night, we tucked the kids good-night and we proceeded to just rest in our bedroom. About 5 minutes later, my 5 year old son runs out.  Both my husband and I rolled our eyes and looked at each other - our cue to "here we go again - what this time?" Samuel runs ... yes ....runs to the side of the bed where I am.  I am still staring at my laptop.  I look at him and he says: "Mom...we forgot to pray for our missionaries" Gulp. You see....it is missions emphasis month at our church where we are focusing on the needs of people globally...both physical as well as spiritual.  The kids have had their version of it during Sunday School. Their teachers told them to pray for their missionaries every day.  They even came home with a folder on what to pray for. So I put down my laptop.  Quickly looked at my husband -- we both were being given a lesson right there by

Recipe: By popular demand - hubby's beef brisket

Cantonese style beef brisket (柱侯蘿蔔炆牛腩) 1 beef belly (brisket) (牛坑腩) (approx. 1.5-2.0 lbs) 4 cloves garlic 5 slices Ginger 1 cube Fermented red bean curd 2 cubes bean curd 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 Small piece of rock sugar 2 whole Star Anise 3 cups daikon radish, peeled and chopped into cubes   1. boil water with 2 slices ginger 2. put beef brisket into boiling hot water for 5 – 10 min 3. take the beef brisket out and rinse with cold water.  Discard the water. 4. cut the beef in an 1/2 inch cubes 5. heat oil in a pot 6. Add ginger and garlic for 1 – 2 min.  Stir. 7.  put the beef into the pot and cook for a few min to brown the meat 8.  put the red bean curd, bean curd, soy sauce (light and dark), oyster sauce to the pot 9.  Add water enough to cover the beef 10.  Cover with lid and bring to a boil.  11.  add rock sugar and star anise to it 12.  Then reduce the heat to simmer, covered, for on

Recipe: Peruvian Roasted Chicken

Here is our favourite discoveries....I always loved Peruvian Roasted Chicken and had been missing it for years.  Here is the closest we have found - Pollo a la Brasa!!! Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) 4 tablespoons white vinegar 3 tablespoons white wine 3 tablespoons canola oil 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons paprika 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon salt juice of 1 lemon 1 quart cold water Preparation: Combine vinegar, wine, oil with garlic powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well to form a paste. Add lemon juice to cold water. Trim chicken of any excess or loose fat. Wash chicken thoroughly. Place chicken in zip-top bag. Pour spice paste over chicken. Coat chicken completely with mixture rubbing into every surface. Try to get the paste under the skin as much as possible. Seal bag and place chicken in refrigerator for at least 2 hours-4 hours. The chicken will have more flavor

Recipe: Peruvian Inspired Chicken Stew

So, after many many inquiries from friends about recipes from my wonderful husband-chef, we have decided to start posting them here! (yeay!?) - I'm not tech savy or I would have a page devoted only for recipes.  For now, my husband's avid fans should be happy - he has recruited his wife/secretary to type this out for all of you Happy Cooking! **Disclaimer - we do not follow strict recipes so keep tasting as you cook! :D Ingredients: 1. Chicken Legs 2.  Salt and Pepper to taste 3.  Tomato Paste 4.  Crushed or Stewed tomatos, fresh tomatos or whole canned tomatos - basically whatever type of tomatoes you find in your fridge/pantry 5.  Bay leaves, soak in water (you don't need more than 1-2 leaves) 6.  Paprika 7.  Cyanne pepper (if you like to have a kick to it) 8.  Raisins 9.  Water/Chicken Stock (we just use water) 10. Stewed potatoes, cut in big chunks 11. Carrots, cut in slices 12.  Onion(s), diced 13.  Frozen peas. General Instructions: 1.  Marinat

"They used up their monies"

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Sarah just turned 4 today.  Oh how time flies!!!  We celebrated her birthday with her friends this weekend. And so, the traditional yearly question comes up:  "What would you like on your cake?"  A dangerous question indeed but one I cannot help myself asking! Sarah, pensively, replies to me on a night before heading to bed..."Ariel - because I don't have Ariel yet". Of course.  Why am I not surprised! But deep inside I am stubbornly fighting the urge to give her a 'princess party' - you know, one of those parties where we hire a princess of choice to oooo and ahhh the kids (and parents).  Aside from the costs, and the fact that I'm just simply too lazy to rent out a place to hold the party (we did splurge on a Gymboree party for my son's 3rd year...), I just do not want to encourage her to focus on outward beauty any more than what is already occurring in her -- she notices make up and pretty things already and I am already cautiously ob

The First Day....

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What is your first memory of your childhood?  A birthday party?  A kiss from a parent?  A trip to somewhere fun? Or was it a bad experience like being timed-out for the first time?  Losing something or someone dear to you?   My first memory of my childhood was my first day of school in Peru.  My parents and I had moved from Hong Kong and on the third day after arriving to this foreign, strange land, I was sent to school. I still remember everything (and this is very odd for me - I'm one of those who remembers almost nothing from my childhood).  I remember my parents trying to explain things to me.  I remember sleeping in my uncle's home after the super long flight on Day 1, and then being pulled to go for back to school shopping on Day 2.  Day 3?  Dad took me to my new school. It was a huge school.  With strange buildings painted in bright reds and blues.  There were buildings everywhere interspersed with greenery.  Children running everywhere.  Everyone wore th