Psalm 199, Slushies, & Hanging with the Boys

After our Pillars Family Retreat, I landed on Psalm 119 in my Bible reading.  I was so glad about that because I saw that I really needed to love God's Word if I want to be a godly wife & mom who displays Christ in all I say and do.  I'm still trying to meditate on it and teach it to Audrey during the day at home.

Psalm 119: 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:127 Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!

Since she doesn't know what honey and gold are, I've tried to bring it to her level.  "Audrey, you know how much you love goldfish, cheerios, bananas, and all kinds of food?  Well, we need to love God's Word WAY more than these things.  His Word is much more delicious and precious!"

Well, now I think I can also add slushies to the list.



Mommy tries to feed her whole grains, fruits & veggies, and limits juice/cookies, etc.  Daddy enjoys feeding her smoothies and cake and slushies...with 2 straws!  He gets amazed at how long she slurps and still doesn't get brain freeze.

This past month, Audrey was able to hang out with some boys & their toys.  Andrew LOVES trains!  I don't know if Audrey knows what they are yet.



Nolan jumps and climbs on everything!



She had loads of fun and I'm seeing how different boys and girls are.  I wonder if one day, Audrey will enjoy tea & crafts & cooking.  We'll see!

What Do I Do?

I just got home from my weekly Trader Joe's outing and guess who I find waiting for me right in front of our screen door?  Mr. Lizard Jr.  I had Audrey in my arms and contemplated whether to go in the house, or wait and pray in the car.  Well, I managed to get in quickly and shut the door behind me as soon as I could.  I put Audrey in her crib for her nap and now I don't know what to do.  The groceries are still in the car, but I'm afraid if I open the door, he'll be staring right at me, ready to jet inside our house right between my legs.  If it wasn't for the milk and eggs, I wouldn't mind leaving the food in there for a little while.

Just tried to get in touch with Mike to ask him what to do, but he'd probably encourage me to let him in so that Audrey can have a playmate for the day. Hmm...  I'm gonna go for it.  I need to be strong because I'm a mom now.

Simple Pleasures of Mike

Good idea, serinshin!

10 simple pleasures of Mike, my hubby, written by me.

1. Large pho with tendon, tripe, beef, with extra noodles and onions sprayed with sriracha as side dish.

2. Spring rolls made at home.

3. Playing soccer with anybody, even strangers at the park.

4. Watching soccer on any channel, especially spanish channels since we don't have cable.

5. Talking in different accents, especially vietnamese and indian.

6. Eating any meal with a huge pile of chilis and jalapenos.

7. Having jam sessions with other musical people.

8. Changing into soccer shorts and an old soft t-shirt right when he gets home from work.

9. Catching up with other men while he gives them haircuts.

10. Did I mention pho and soccer?

Life's Simple Pleasures

Tagged by xmlx.

Name 10 of life's simple pleasures that you like the most, then pick 10 people to do the same. try to be original and creative; try not to use things that someone else has already used.

1. Buying things on sale with double coupons.

2. Getting a kiss out of nowhere from my daughter.

3. Chocolate soufflet.

4. Topping off a great meal with a cold boba.

5. Hearing that our parents are doing well and that they're healthy.

6. Learning a good new song that our church will sing again and again and again.

7. Sunday mornings with the beloved...that lead to afternoons...and evenings.

8. Funny stories from the Pyos.

9. Being greeted with "just because" flowers by my husband when he comes home after a long day at the office.

10. Having a "heart to heart" with another sister.

I tag:  panijhungova, jjlees, baahlkie, jeanxbeanx, mominireland, serinshin, La Maman, durnt, sooziekim, eugene87

Forget the Wild Animal Park, Come to Our House Instead!

As some of you may know, we live in a complex with a man-made stream that runs through it. Because of this stream, we have lots of ducks and other animals that share the neighborhood with us. Well, a few nights ago, I noticed that we had a guest that either wanted to pay us a neighborly visit or needed to use our bathroom. Mike took some National Geographic footage of it for your enjoyment. Notice in his commentary, he describes it as being "little". But you've got to believe me, this guy was by no means small!

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After Mike escorted it out of our home, this was our conversation (in true Mike fashion):

Me: (Trying to stay cool, but really scared inside.) Honey, can you double check the bathroom just in case there's another one?

Mike: Oh, alright. But if there is one, it'll just bite you while you're using the toilet.

...After a few minutes...

Me: (Still scared) Can you look in the kitchen too? I don't want to find anything in there tomorrow.

Mike: Why? If you do find one, just cook it for dinner!

Our front screen door doesn't fit quite right and because of that, we've had a lizard, a mouse, and now a crayfish visit us. We've been meaning to get a new one, but I think Mike secretly wants to keep ours just to see who or what will visit us next. Oh my! Hopefully he will be home when our next guest decides to drop by.

Awkward Moments

Awkward moments #1

A)  Our neighbor right across from us is an elderly Arab gentleman.  He and his wife are a sweet and friendly couple. They consider themselves the Aunt & Uncle of all the neighborhood kids.  He absolutely adores them all, including Audrey.  When we first were getting to know him, for some odd reason, he kept calling me Jenny.  I did not hesitate to correct him, knowing that we would have a potentially long-term relationship.  It's better to correct wrong name-calling from the beginning because it gets more and more awkward as time progresses.  That wasn't too bad.

B)  Since Audrey has barely any hair, many people mistake her for a boy.  For a while, Vahik (the same neighbor), kept calling her "this little guy".  He was so sweet though.  He would always stop to tickle her and play with her when we were walking outside.  I wasn't sure if he meant "guy" as in "boy", so I tested him for a few weeks.  I knew for sure when one time, he said, "Look at this little guy, he and I are going to be good friends."  That was when I told him that she was a girl.  He looked so apologetic.  To me, it doesn't offend me at all if people mistake Audrey for a boy.  (Mike and I always say she looks more like our son than our daughter.)  I just felt bad for him because he finally realized that he was wrong the whole time.

C)  Right after that, I told Vahik that her name was Audrey.  He mentioned that it was a pretty name, but the day after, he started to call her Adrian.  That was probably 4 or 5 months ago.   I just felt too bad to correct him for the third time!  The next awkward moment came a few weeks ago.  We were on our way out and Audrey was holding her toy shovel (seen below).  On it is written her name, "AUDREY", in blank permanent marker.  When I saw him approaching us, I thought, "Should I hide it?  What if he sees it and feels bad that he's been calling her 'Adrian' this whole time!"  Well, it was too late.  He gave her his customary tickles and saw the shovel and stared at it for a few moments.  I could tell he looked puzzled.  Well, he must have forgotten about it because that hasn't hindered him from calling her Adrian to this day.



Awkward moment #2

We were at the kids' section at Barnes & Noble this week and I thought Audrey would have fun with the train set there.  Another little boy was playing there already and had some of the trains in his hand.  His mother, noticing Audrey, kindly said to her son, "Alex, why don't you give some to him."  It is not unusual for strangers to refer to Audrey as a boy, so it wasn't a big deal at all.  In fact, I didn't even correct her because she really DID look like a boy that day.  However, this mother soon noticed the pink flower in the middle of her shirt as well as the girl sandals she was wearing.  I felt bad because I knew she felt bad, but neither of us said anything to avoid further awkwardness.  I think I should make sure to put a headband around Audrey just to make it easier for other people to correctly identify her.

Awkward moment #3

After we left the kids' section, I grabbed some books (50% of paperback classics!) and headed toward the line to make my purchase.  I was surprised to notice that my cashier was a former student of mine!  I was so happy because although I don't miss working outside the home, I do miss the relationships I had with my students.  I said excitedly, "Hi Jill!!!!"  She replied, "Oh my goodness, I was JUST thinking about you!  I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice to see Miss Kim again!"  (Miss Kim was the other asian teacher at my school and many of our students mixed up our names quite often.)  That was when my happy face turned into a happy but perplexed face.  I was going to correct her and say, "Didn't I talk to you everyday of your Junior and Senior years?  Don't you remember calling me Madame Lee everyday in class?"  But I think she noticed from my face that she said the wrong name and I knew she felt bad.  So instead of correcting her, I continued to ask how she was doing in college and where she was at now.  At the end, she did confirm she knew who I was by introducing me to her coworker as her high-school French teacher.  I was glad to see her again, but felt bad because she felt bad.

Oh, what to do in those awkward moments?

Four Generations

Just thought I'd share a neat picture that my dad took of Grandma, Mom, me, & Audrey at my grandparents' place in Oceanside.  We took it a few weeks ago when my parents were visiting.



I wonder if one day, I'll be able to take another picture like that, except I'll be Grandma.  It would be the greatest thing if Audrey, her daughter, and her daughter's daughter could come to visit me and we could just talk about how great the Lord is together around my table.  If I got to see my children and their children's children grow up in the Lord and truly live for His glory, I would be SO thankful.  Wow, that means I've got a lot of work and prayer ahead of me!

If you get a chance, I'd also like to ask for prayer for Grandpa.  First, that I would be more faithful in praying for him.  Second, that God would extend His saving grace to him in breaking his heart to trust in Christ as his Lord & Savior.

Perks of Being Unemployed

As many of you know, Mike was out of work for about a month and a half.  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we got to do many things together as a family such as...

Go to Disneyland several times





Be silly at home with Cheerios



Watch Daddy play soccer



Visit Audrey's great-grandparents



Take walks in the stroller



Take a wonderful trip to gorgeous Monterey (and by God's providence, with friends who happened to plan the same trip on the same days!)





Go to the park and have crazy fun on the swings



We're so thankful.  The Lord has graciously provided a job close to home and we were able to enjoy our time together as a family.  Not only going places and doing fun things, but simply enjoying one another.  Now it's back to work for Mike and also for me as I get back into my groove with things here at home.  On that note, gotta clean the bathrooms now...bye bye!

Last Month's Trip to Hawaii

We were fortunate enough to visit my parents in Hawaii last month.  They hadn't seen Audrey since she was 2 months old, so they had a great time spending the week with her.  Here are some pictures from the trip:

First plane-ride for Audrey.



At the Dole Pineapple Plantation.



Visiting the North Shore.



In Waikiki.



My parents held a choir concert one of the nights, so we were really glad to go and see all the fruits of their hard work.  It was an extra special blessing because we got to hear my dad do a little solo.  I was in the back with tears in my eyes because it had been so long since I had heard my dad sing.  He has the most beautiful voice and I'm sure, very beautiful to the Lord.



We took Audrey to the lagoons at Ko'olina to go swimming for the first time.  She loved it!







When we go to Oahu, we stay at my parents' place, but we like to pretend that we stay at the Sheraton and lounge in their patio area while reading and watching the waves.



Just goofing around before catching a show at the beach.







Since we were out and about everyday, Audrey had to catch her zzz's in the car.  Here she is, trying really hard to squeeze one in before the next stop.  (sidenote:  it looks like she has 6 toes because they're all the same length. don't you think?)



Hanauma Bay



We got to celebrate my mom's birthday the night before we left at Sansei.  Yummy!  Thank you for hosting us, Grandma and Grandpa!

Growing Up

I was fortunate enough to see Baby Noelle yesterday.  She is a beautiful 2-week old bundle of love.  When I went in to see her, I had left Audrey in the car for a little bit because I didn't want to contaminate the Bulis home with baby snot.  So I got to stare at Noelle for a few minutes and I realized again how tiny and adorable newborns were.  After I said my good-bye, I went into the car and saw Audrey and I was shocked at how big my 8-month old was compared to Noelle.  I was like "Who are you?  Why are you so big?  Are you really my baby?"  Audrey was just sitting there, smiling at me..."Yes Mommy, it's me.  I'm a big girl now."

Gosh, time goes by too fast.  Within the past week, Audrey has learned to crawl, grown out of most of her clothes, demonstrate more of her depravity (she's got anger issues), and she's gotten 2 more teeth, which makes 4 total now.  Wow!  Everyone said that babies grow real fast, but I didn't believe it.  Now I know it's true!

A few months ago, I got to ask a godly mother of 4 what she would have done differently if she could relive her time with her young babies.  She said something so sweet and wise...that she would spend more time with them...playing, cuddling, just being with them, because they grow so fast.  I want to do that and cherish every moment with Audrey while she's still dependent on me and while her heart is soft and moldable for the Lord.  Even if she wakes up at inconvenient times or makes messes or gets sick, I want to soak up every moment of it and be thankful to the Lord for this huge privilege.

Lessons in Motherhood

This past week, Audrey was sick and it was pretty tough on the Lee household.  It turns out she had the virus called Roseola, where she had a high fever for 3 days and then broke out into a pink rash all over for several more days.  It must have been pretty painful or uncomfortable for her, because our usually happy baby was crying inconsolably day and night.  She slept little at night and didn't nap well during the day, which meant little rest for Mommy and Daddy.  I also had the stomach flu, which made it really difficult to care for Audrey, but I'm so thankful for Mike.  He stepped in and was a huge help to both of us.  He even got up at night with me to help console Audrey and still went into work in the morning.  He eventually got sick too, but now we're all healthy and SO thankful for God's answer to our humble prayers and for all the lessons learned.

There were moments when I thought that I was unfit for motherhood because it seemed too emotionally and physically stretching.  Seeing our sweet baby cry and not know how to alleviate her pain really made me feel so vulnerable and helpless.  On top of that, being fatigued myself and unable to eat very well made me feel like I was at the end of my rope.  I found myself plopped down on my knees, desperately crying out to the Lord for help.  And now that she's laughing and smiling again and life is veering back to normal, I can look back on this week and really thank God for the lessons learned and blessings received.  Here are a few that I'll got down just so I can remember them for future trials like these:

1.  God is in control.  He knows what is going on in every cell of our bodies, and even if I don't know exactly what is going on, our loving Father does.  And nothing is out of His caring hands.

2.  Being desperate and helpless is how I always should be.  I should never think that I have motherhood under control and that I know the answers to this and that.  I should always be on my knees, crying out to Him everyday.  Being weak magnifies God's glorious grace which is overly sufficient to cover over our weaknesses.  And because of this, I ought to boast in what exposes my frailty.

3.  Being sick is a good reminder of how we needful we are of Him.  Even though as moms our health is the last thing we can afford to lose, it's good to be sick and be humbled from time to time.

4.  A husband's love and servanthood are irreplaceable to a wife and mom.

5.  Praise the Lord for the fellowship of other moms (including my own) during trials. It is a comfort to ask other godly moms for prayer in difficult times and to receive sweet encouragement from them.

6.  I need to guard my heart from anxious thoughts.  Cast them to the Lord in thanksgiving rather than in fear or complaint.

Sometimes I can't believe that I'm a mom.  It's such a huge calling and so intensely humbling.  I think of my own mom and all that comes to mind when I think of her:  caring, nurturing, comforting, selfless, encouraging, a source of godly wisdom.  I can't believe that now I'm supposed to be all those things to Audrey and hopefully to several other little ones.  I've got a long way to go and I'm praying that the Lord would strengthen me to be able to be all those things to my family.

Well, now that we're all healthy, I've got a load of housework to catch up on, so I better end this entry.  But here are some pics for Audrey's grandparents...

Getting ready for a walk.



Valentine's message to Daddy.



First time at Disneyland.



Teacups!  Can you see her bottom 2 teeth?



Learning to crawl...and babble at the same time.




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