Blue Christmas…. December 19, 2006

This Christmas will be different in our family. Our beloved father who passed away last July will not be there to say Christmas Eve prayer anymore. Papi was the one who always consistently motivating us to pray at 12:00 AM sharp…to pray. I remember that sometimes I was so sleepy and didn’t want to get up, but when papi said something..it went for everybody….

I miss you Papi…I miss your caring and discipline, I miss the sweet prayer you spoke, I miss the hugs and kisses after praying wishing us all, Merry Christmas….

I have a Blue Christmas this year….without Papi….. Even I have been here in the US, but knowing that papi lead the prayer in Bogor, always made me feel at ease….

I miss you Papi…. you are in Heaven know…saying the Christmas Eve prayer with the Lord, the One who you had been seeking all these years….

Merry Christmas Papi……

(this song was sung by Elvis, papi and my favorite singer of all times…)

My 34th Birthday…. December 18, 2006

Today is my birthday…Thank you God…you have been very kind to me for 34 years. I pray that you always guide me and show me Your way.tha
So many things happened, many ups and downs….and for that, I thank you, Lord….

Reminiscing all the times….I can’t thank You enough….

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Sam got me a HDD Camcorder that turned out to be a hassle…hehehhee.. Firstly we got the Sony brand….and all the features and image were nice, the problem was it didn’t have the program for Mac unless we buy another software for it. I didn’t want to spend another $100 after we paid the ‘nice’ price.
So, because it was useless, we took it back. But the thing is, they will charge us 15% from the selling price for the return stuff (restocking). That was not good. And Sam was planning to complain to Best Buys because the very reason we got the camera because the sales people there said it could be used on Mac… even in Windows their software for editting or just viewing was lousy. But he didn’t have to do that, the Customer Service people were very nice and gave us the full refund. Then we looked for the replacement..and got the JVC. The night before we did a search and found that people like JVC camcorder. When we tried it at home, it sort of working on Mac..but when we converted it to another type of file, it took forever and the result was poor. Ohhhhhhhhh… I had this feeling that Sam will return it to get the best one he can find….because basicly he doesn’t like ‘lousy’ stuff. So, here I am…still browsing for the good camcorder. The reason I want a camcorder is to replace our old camcorder that is heavy and bulky….and I want a small and light weight camcorder so that I will just take it wherever I go…and especially for the coming trip we plan to take, it would be coming handy.

Oh gosh….there goes my present……hiks…

Muter-muter December 16, 2006

Aduh capek banget… udah beberapa hari ini gue capek dan kurang tidur (salah sendiri…). Jadi kalau siang nih mata udah sepet aja bawaannya….mana Christmas shopping belon selese lagi…muterrrr terus….
Gue paling sebel Christmas shopping…bingungnya ga ketulungan.

Untungnya tiga hari dalam seminggu anak2 gue masuk sekolah dari jam 9 sampe jam 1 siang..jadi ada waktu buat muter2 sendiri atau sama temen.

Hari Selasa yang lalu gue sama Tante Anita (temen gue disini) ke toko mainan anak2 yang di downtown. Tokonya gede dan lengkap….tapi ya gue ga banyak nemu yang gue pengenin…akhirnya banyakkan beli kado buat orang lain.
Tapi mayan dah…daripada ga ada….. dari situ kita makan siang di Surin Thailand Resto….enak banget rek dan banyak orang Indo yang kerja disitu…yang gue tahu aja udah 4 orang… Ternyata di Huntsville banyak juga orang Indo…cuma pada sibuk dan nyebar….. mayan.

Pulang dari situ seperti biasa kita jemput anak2 di sekolah. Untungnya kita bawa mobil gue jadi bisa langsung jemput tanpa pulang kerumah dulu.
Dari situ kita ke Dublin Park dibelakang rumah…ternyata gede juga…dan fasilitasnya macem2… Gue sama Tante Anita cuma neduh doang dibangku sambil dia nulisin kartu natal, anak2 seneng naik turun di playground. Mayan deh sekitar sejam kita disitu dan pulang….anak2 langsung napping.

Besoknya kita rencana mau ke Mall yang di Huntsville, tapi karena pagi2 udah kabut tebel banget, ga jadi…tapi akhirnya pergi ke mall yang lebih deket, Madison Square Mall. Muter2 cari kado buat Sam dan oleh2 buat (God willing) pulkam. Tadinya mau makan di Vietnam resto tapi buat ngirit waktu akhirnya makan di Cajun Resto di Mall, not bad….. Abis makan hunting lagi…hehehhehe Pulangnya karena pake mobil gue lagi, ya langsung jemput anak2….

Jumat kemarin Tante Anita kerumah lagi dengan niat bikin kue. Seperti biasanya dia dateng dari gym.. Rajin kali dia tiap hari jam 8 pagi udah nongkrong di Gym. Gue sebenernya member juga di Fitness Center itu, tapi udah sebulanan ini males banget kesana…mulainya itu loh. Gue biasanya ambil kelas Yoga dan Pilates…. tapi besok2 mau coba yang Dance dan Body Combat. Pernah sih nyobain yang Body Combat waktu pertama baru masuk, tapi yaolooo…. ngos2an kayak tukang becak dah gue. Besok2 gue bilang mau ikutan Yoga….tapi mostly Yoga waktunya bentrok sama nganter dan jemput anak2, ada juga yang waktunya cocok tapi Centernya di downtown…malem pula….serem ah.
Anyway…enough about fitness…hehehhehe… wish me luck to start again.

Tante Anita dateng dengan perkakas bikin kue-nya….gileee lengkap bener Tan…hehehhe… tapi dia bilang kudu jemput anaknya dalam sejam…. AKhirnya ya kita jemput Meggy dulu dan setelah itu makan siang sama2… anak2 gue hari itu ga sekolah jadi kita barengan kemana2. Setelah jemput Meggy kita ke Edo Japanese Resto untuk makan siang…janjian sama suaminya Tante Anita juga, Gerard.
Untungnya Jonah dan River mau makan di sana kali ini….River makan tempura udang banyak benerrr…hehhehe dan Jonah seperti biasa dengan kepicky’annya….cuma makan chicken nuggets. Pesenan gue sama Tante Anita lama banget dibikinnya…katanya sushi chef cuma dua orang hari itu…sigh…udah lafarrrrrr.

Pulang dari resto kita ke kantor pos dulu… ya ampun tuh antrian panjang banget…sapa suru lagian ke kantor pos siang2…:)
Tapi akhirnya beres juga..dan kita ke Kroeger (grocery store) buat beli bahan2 kue. Sampe dirumah gue udah teler, tapi masih semangat bikin kue. Akhirnya Tante Anita bantuin gue bikin kastengels…. waw..jadinya yum yum banget….gileee….ternyata resepnya lumayan mantafff… Thanks Tante…
Tante Anita pulang sama anaknya….dan gue melanjutkan panggang kue dan bebersih. Sorenya ada acara Singing Christmas Tree di Baptist Church di downtown Huntsville. Tadinya gue udah ga bisa ikut karena capek dan rada sakit badan…tapi Sam mendukung banget….it is nice to get out and enjoy the night with friends…katanya. Akhirnya Tante Anita jemput gue dan kita pergi sama2 anaknya juga. Suami Tante Anita dateng buat ngobrol2 sama Sam dirumah….. anak2 tentu aja ditinggal sama Sam…. gile aja kalau gue disuruh bawa….no way. Acara Singing Christmas Tree concert mulai jam setengah delapan malem….sampe pulang jam setengah sepuluh… Nice concert….

Pulang kerumah udah teler….. ngantuk dan capek…but fun.

Thanks Tante Anita and family for spending time with our family… God bless.

Kado ultah bingung December 13, 2006

Capek banget hari ini. Sampai saat ini gue belon juga dapet ide mau minta hadiah apa dari Sam, walau tiap hari Sam nanyain mau apa buat ultah gue nanti.
Oh well…. gue ga pengen minta apa2 sebenernya… bingung mau apa….. kalau gue lagi mau/butuh sesuatu, ga usah nunggu ultah juga biasanya dibeliin…. so, pas ultah/natal, gue udah ga punya wish list lagi… jadi terima aja apa yang dibeliin. Tapi suami gue ini termasuk yang rada payah kalau soal beli2in hadiah…. dia bisa stress mikirinnya juga….hehhehhee… makanya mending gue milih sendiri dan tinggal dia yang beliin…tapi sampe sekarang gue ga tahu mau hadiah apaan….. sigh.

Ada ide??

Children Christmas at Church December 11, 2006

Today we went to the Children Christmas at our church. We have been going to this church, Madison Methodist United Church near downtown Madison. Actually Jonah and River are going to this church preschool. They are very nice people and teachers there so we have been feeling good of putting our boys there.
As usual we were late again and sit on the back…hehhehe… but with the boys, that where we wanted to be. Usually on the regular service the boys have their own children church, but because today was special, they got to stay with us for the whole service. The service mostly were held by the children, they performed in choirs, bells group, small play…etc. It was so nice to see the little children performed. Jonah and River didn’t perform because I had been lazy of taking him to the rehearsal… but I will do better next time, Boys…;).
After the service we just chatted here and there, mingled with some people and helped them cleaned up the room. And we went home…and rested.

Just a slow Sunday….. and that was OK.

Present again….. December 10, 2006

I have been reading from the forum, people blogs…etc that they have or almost done their Christmas shopping…. and sometimes in the store people talking that they were just finishing their Christmas shopping….. and what a relief it sounded for them.

For me? I even haven’t started yet. Is it a burden for me? oh yes. I remember back then when I was still living with my parents…they were the one who bought all the presents and our job were to remain calm and didn’t open the presents before Christmas.
Up until I got married, the situation was like that. I had never bought any present for Christmas.

When I first came to the US, and had my first Christmas with my beloved husband, I didn’t have any clue that he expected me to give him a present. I was thinking that since I don’t work I don’t have my own money to buy any gift. So, our first Christmas ended up with no present for Sam and lots of presents for me. I felt strange..especially when Sam asked me where was his present. And when I told him that I didn’t have my own money, he was surprised. He said that I had my own money…the one that he have been making is our money….my own money too. He said that I could have asked him to dropped me off the mall (at that time I haven’t driven yet) and bought some presents. Oh well, I guess the new life of marriage still left me feeling powerless because I don’t make money.

But then yes I realized that I own our money…. and it is ok to spend it the way I want responsibly. From that time on, I have been buying presents for everybody on Christmas….

But still, it is hard work for me to find Christmas presents….even for my boys. I don’t want to ‘just’ buying them presents…. I can do that anytime….but Christmas present always have more meaning than just present…. The presents that we are looking forward all year round (beside birthday present). Mostly I let Sam bought the stuff for the boys…mostly toys…. since he has a higher rank budget than myself. His philosophy is, Christmas time is the time we spend money for presents….so, he bought many good and expensive (to my opinion) toys for the boys…. I like it that he mostly bought activities toys and not just a ‘toy’. So, on that regard, I don’t worry too much.

Buying present for Sam is not easy. I know that he has high taste and he is a firm believer that better to spend more money on the known good quality stuff than the ‘joe’ less expensive one. But being me who always trying to buy good quality thing with less money, not always easy.
I ended up just buying him common stuff like sweater, jacket, sandals, ….and for the big present, I asked him to buy himself a gift….hehhehehe

So, I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet….and I have a long list of people that I want to buy presents for. Wish me luck, Everybody….
Christmas is coming ….. a to give and share…… as always… ho ho ho….

Benji’s Weekend with the Downs’ December 8, 2006

Yesterday Jonah got the turn to bring home a class teddy bear named Benji. It is a task from school to spend the weekend with Benji in our house and take pictures with him doing stuff with Jonah and also write the journal on Benji’s Book. Jonah was very thrilled of the task and he was talking about it all the way home….. I could tell that he was so excited. And his brother (read: River), was a bit jealous…. he wanted a teddy bear too named Benji…. and luckily I still have a teddy bear from my former boss, when I still worked for him in Kvaerner. So, I told River that he got a job to take care of the bear (which he named Benji too by the way) for the weekend.

They are busy taking care of the bears and asking me to take some pictures of them and their Benjis…..

Here they are…..and this is only for day 1 (one). We shall see whether Jonah and River are still excited with their Benjis over the weekend…hehhehehe…

More pictures HERE

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, still in the box ;-( December 6, 2006

We are always behind when it comes to put up the Christmas tree and all the Christmas accessories. It is just so hard to start. Sam already took all the Christmas things from the storage and they are just sitting there, on the front room…waiting to be touched (well, the boys already touched them a lot….but they don’t count…hehheheh).

So, have you do the Christmas decorations at your home yet??? maybe want to share some ideas??

I will show you how we come up with the Christmas tree and decorations…but for now….still waiting for the good time to put it up….;)