31 December 2015

Five Precious Years Together

My anniversary gift to R (with the intention of him using it in his workplace but he framed it instead!) :)

30th December 2015. It's been five years since 30th December 2010, the day we became a couple. Five years since R told me it wasn't just a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship; that he wanted it to end in marriage. I'm glad I wrote this five years ago when I told him the three magic words for the first time. Since then, every 30th has been a milestone and a blessing for us (we got married 30th June 2012). Five years together and here I am, still thanking the Lord for weaving R's life into mine.

December has been a crazy-busy month for the two of us, with R not getting any time off from work whilst I only had New Year's Eve as my holiday. But we knew we should celebrate our fifth year together anyhow. R managed to book us a table in Westbury Hotel, a five-star hotel in Dublin's City Centre (five for five, I guess it's alright to splurge!). After work, we dressed up and headed there, only to be surprised by an almost-empty restaurant. It looked as if we booked the whole place by ourselves! 


At this sweet table-for-two by the fireplace, we got to dine poshly and reminisce the past five years, giddily laughing at the fun times and sighing at the hard times. 

Thank God for servers willing to take photos of us! We never trust phone selfies; camera photos are still the best  and the clearer way to preserve moments like this. :)

We recalled the early beginnings of our love story---the cheesy moments of courtship, the goodbyes in the airports, the time difference, the long Skype calls. Then we remembered our wedding---the stressful preparation, the gargantuan expenses (which we regretted by the way; learn from us friends), the family woes, the lessons learned. We reminisced the early beginnings of our married life---when I moved to Dublin jobless and uncertain if I'd fit in, the thrifty days to get through in one salary, the first apartment with a busted boiler and no windows (literally) for imagination. Then finally, we recollected the sweet and joyful seasons of traveling to European countries, of finally landing the jobs we desired, of finally getting pregnant after two worrying years of trying, of leading a bible study group together. 

It's been five amazing years with you R. I wouldn't change a thing. Every "up season" made us stronger and closer to God; every "down season" made us wiser, gentler and bolder in faith. Everyday, I thank God that it's you I get to do this crazy life with and get to raise and love one precious little soul with. Soon enough, our lives will change and there may be no more date-nights like this. But I am all the more excited for the next season God has prepared before us and for our soon-to-be adventures as a family of three.

Happy fifth year R. :)
"I have found him whom my soul loves."  ~ Song of Solomon 3:4

More photos from our fifth year special date:

As always, R never fails to surprise me with flowers.

20 December 2015

DIY Christmas Card 2015


It's that time of the year again for some Christmas card lovin'. It's our third year of creating our own Christmas cards so I guess at this point, we may already call it a "Christmas tradition."

Some of you may ask, "Why do it when you can just buy it anywhere in Dublin?" To be honest, I asked that myself. One of the nights when R got home to a messy corner of our living room and found me in the middle of scattered stock cards, ribbons, art papers, and all that stuff getting frustrated with not just the Christmas cards but with the long list of things I needed to do for December, I asked that very same question to myself. 

But the answer I drew from within was simple---I'd like to do it because I find joy doing it. I know it's more time consuming and it requires a good amount of creative juice and energy to finish, but I do love doing it. Since R has been in his all-time high busyness at work, I did all the cards by myself this year with just enough encouragement from him. :)

Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. That time when we can give back to people in the smallest way possible. I truly believe, it's not the grandest of Christmas presents, but the amount of love that goes into it. I'd like to leave you with this quote:
"The gift of your written word could be the best gift someone gets this Christmas."                           ~ Renee Swope
The DIY Christmas Cards, 2015 edition by yours truly:


Here are most of them in one frame:


I envisioned a wrapped gift theme this time and some Christmas trees too. I used double-sided tape to make the wrapped gifts and trees pop out. Stock cards, ribbons and Christmas art papers are from last year's supplies. I still have enough for next year because I bought supplies in bulk; it's much cheaper that way. :) My finishing touch was a calligraphy-written names on a black tag using a white Dr. PH Martin's white ink.  


28 September 2015

Autumn in Marlay

One can feel it in the chill of the air and notice it in the changing colour of the leaves. There's no denying autumn has arrived in Ireland. Incidentally, the arrival of autumn coincides with the beginning of my second trimester. The change in my aura and my mood are noticeable but the best change amongst them all is the decrease in the infamous nausea, both in intensity and frequency. That's enough for me to utter Hallelujah! So hello there autumn. And hello second trimester. 

Since I'm feeling a little better and is in a better mood for sight-seeing, R drove me to Marlay Park, one of our favorite chill out parks in Dublin. I'd say spring time is still the best season to visit this vast park, but since we missed going there last spring, we figured it might be worth our while to see it in autumn.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon when we visited. The sun was up, the sky was ocean blue and since it was just the beginning of autumn, it was still warm enough for a light attire. There was a weekend market offering variety of food and snacks, so how can it not be a perfect chill out place on weekend? 

Some autumn sights for you:


The weekend market: (find R queuing for crepe and me devouring it later)


The Regency Walled Garden that you just have to see in spring and now in autumn too:


Some florals, bees, apple trees and archway at the kitchen garden:




Me at 14 weeks:



Marlay Park: