First Meeting with Cousin Mei Mei

Finally got around to letting the boys meet their new baby cousin Noelle.

At the Huang's house in Telok Blangah

Happy 70th Birthday Opa!

 

Birthday blessings to the eldest elder in the house! 

May your days be long and full and satisfying.

"Pretend Vacation" Lunch

It's high noon and the only time of day you're guaranteed that no one else is going to be at the pool so we packed up our lunch and decided to pretend we were on vacation somewhere.

It was blindingly bright out but it was very comfortable at the table under the giant umbrellas. Zac made pizza bread and I prepped salad and a few other accompaniments. 

Think we all liked the change of scenery and that we were doing something outside of our usual routine. I find myself getting boxed in by routine and The Schedule so making the mundane special really shakes things up and slows things down enough to appreciate where we are now.

Puppy Pile

I wonder when we will start going back to normal church programming. Most Sundays are spent in pyjamas learning from God's word via Elevation Church on YouTube. I am missing the corporate worship very much and noise-blocking headphones are just not the same.

YUMS: Beauty In A Pot

Getting our collagen

I forget sometimes how long we have known each other so I'm always gobsmacked by the number when we finally do the math. Always happy to have good food and good company especially when the company you keep knows all the good places to dine! 

YUMS: French Fold

Had a really nice belated breakfast treat from Weyyean at French Fold this morning. We split a sweet and savoury crepe between us. These thin little things are deceptively filling so while I harboured ideas of ordering a third just after we gave the waitress our order, I was glad I didn't.

All Dressed Up

 

Photo taken on 14 February 2020

With nowhere to go.

Covid restrictions are still on and the government is allowing for a maximum of 8 visitors per day per home. You can only dine with 8 others at a table with no inter-mingling which certainly makes reunion dinner less than a reunion. Opa had the food we booked at Crystal Jade sent to Auntie Elan's and to our place so we could have family dinner on a smaller scale. It was really good to have Debbie and Jeekoh over after more than a year of not being able to have Saturday dinner together.

Flowers from our landscaper at Nyee Phoe

The accidental suckling pig that was supposed to be a duck.

初一was spent more or less like this:

Served with a platter of this for breakfast:

Kueh lapis from Benagwan Solo and 年糕

Still, we have to admit that the break from routine was nice and we got to spend time together just hanging out.

The outtakes:

Happy Niu Year

At Paragon reluctantly striking a pose with the decoration

Chinese New Year celebrations in school mean early dismissal for the kor kors which translates to lunch out with the cousins and a lot of sushi.

YUMS: Pura Brasa

 

I think the Christmas lunch delivery we received as a treat from his boss struck a cord or perhaps it's just that Spanish food brings back memories of our time in Barcelona. It was easily agreed that we needed to go check out Pura Brasa on one of our Friday date nights.

We may have over-ordered and underestimated the potency of the pitcher of sangria but there were no regrets. My fingers were too busy feeding my face to take photos (as evidenced by the lack there of).

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Birthday blessings abound for this man as he celebrates his birthday right after mine! The boys and I hope you feel loved and cherished all the year through and not just today. Thank you for everything you do and don't do and for the very best you put into loving our family.

We love you, papa bear!