Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2025

We usually travel at the end of the year to make use of the PH and thus save on annual leave. Moreover, my office tends to be quieter at the end of the year and I would have a more peaceful holiday. That also meant that we haven’t been around for Christmas for the last few years. Well, we still see Christmas trees and lights in whichever countries (we were in), it just somehow feels less Christmasy. Maybe bcos we were away from family and friends. 

We do still make up for Christmas. We met up with the SHSS gang on the Sunday that we were back at T-junction. This year, Auntie H was the main organiser and suggested home cook food instead of catering. I volunteered to buy and bring some food but the spirit of serving is so strong in the group and by the time I checked the chat group again, all the food duties had been covered. The main chefs were Auntie H and TL. They really cooked up a storm and Auntie TL suggested that we go back to catering next year bcos it was so tiring. I know right. Hoho. 

The kids volunteered to lead worship again this year. Bless their heart. However, they barely had time to practice. The only practice at Auntie J’s house was half baked and we went to T-junction a couple of hours earlier for practice. 

The program was supposed to start at 4pm. Then there were the technical issues that took a long time to solve. 

We eventually got the tech up. While there were still glitches, it did what it needed to. 

The worship team - Zaky practised his electric guitar for a few weeks. Good effort. 

I got Nana, Zaky and T to do some sharing too. The boys prepped but it was Nana’s sharing that touched my heart. She even got the little kids to join in the role play and the message came across so clearly. Good job, baby!

Auntie S took time to put together a PowerPoint, celebrating our 32 years of togetherness and the kids growing up. Our kids really do know each other their entire life, since birth. God’s blessings and work are real in our group and lives.

The feast started and this year, we made the big kids write messages to each other. Auntie H said that I should have given the teenagers time to eat but I think they didn’t mind (I assumed and insisted that they don’t mind. Lol.). Ok, ok, I will allow them to eat 1st next year. 

The teenagers really took time and effort to write these messages. Zaky proudly pinned his up in his room and the messages were heart felt. 

So course there were the games, though we didn’t have much time left for games. 

The teenagers have become so big now, particularly the boys and the games have become a lot more aggressive and physical. We even broke a chair. I am so glad that we weren’t in somebody’s house. Even the auditorium isn’t big enough to accommodate all the big kids running. The daddies said that we should do more old people game next year. I agree.. maybe we should do chess or something. Hoho. 

The aunties took time to do our own affirmation too. There were so much complaints from the aunties, most of us having not hand written so much stuff in a short time for a long while. Lol. The messages received were very comforting, assuring and encouraging though. 

While we were working hard, the kids self entertained and played their own games. 

Time flew and it was soon 9ish. We didn’t get a group photos or get the kids to line up as per their height. Lol. Uncle C did thoughtfully go around snapping shots for our memory bank. 

We split the gift exchange to adults, teenagers and the kiddies this year. The teenagers managed their own with a little help from the parents. Success! 

Then it was the clean up. Like how we were taught as Navteens, we leave the place as clean as before we used it. The teenagers helped but I am sure they needed a lot more training. 

That wasn’t the end of the Christmas gathering for the teenagers. They schemed and the next moment, they were all running to their parents, asking for permission to do sleepover at Auntie J’s house. Nope, they didn’t have a change of clothes, or their toothbrush, but dirty underwear and teeth for a day wouldn’t kill. 

Auntie J and Uncle YJ nicely hosted the teenagers and I can imagine the noise and the mess. 

The following day, they went out for movie. I asked what they did at the sleepover and the answer is always the same - they talked. They sure have a lot to talk then. Haha. Well, I experienced a snippet myself during the chalet sleepover. Hoho. 

We celebrated Christmas with my family on New Year’s Eve. Popo made us steamboat. 

Whenever we went to my brother’s place, there is always good food and plenty of nicely cut fruits. Hohoho. Then, there was the Switch game battle. My thumb hurts so bad bcos I was pressing so hard on the buttons. Lol. 

Ah Yee had helped us to buy a Christmas present for A too. Merry Christmas to the family in Paris! We hope to get her one ourselves next year.

I had thought that the kids would want to sleepover with the Fs but Nana had other plans and went to countdown and sleepover with her youths. Without Nana, it didn’t make sense for Zaky to sleepover with his cousins, who are all girls. Zaky would have followed Nana too but the youths’ sleepover this time was also girls only event. So we sent Nana to church; her youths were still in church after some events, and then Zaky went home. 

Daddy Lim and I went to Blackbird at 10pm. Oh gosh, I was so tired. My bedtime is usually at 10.30pm. Hahahaha. Uncle C and Auntie H were there too. It was too dark for proper pictures though. The peepshow was playing. I had thought that Blackbird would be crowded and we wouldn’t get a table inside the restaurant but we were so wrong. I read in the papers about the different countdown parties in many parts of Singapore thereafter and now know where were the crowd - not in Blackbird. Hoho.

We counted down to the new year! That was an achievement; I had been sleeping through the new year for many many years already. I cannot even remember when was the last time I actually did a countdown. Uncle C said that we last counted down together about 20 over years ago. Really? Haha. 

We left shortly after the countdown, after the band had finished their last set. Uncle C asked if we wanted to do supper. No lah. It was way past my bedtime ah. Lol. 

It was 1ish when we reached home and Zaky was still up. He said that he had to countdown alone, ok, not exactly alone. He was FaceTiming one of his youths, who is now interning in Vietnam, which also meant that New Year for that youth was one hour earlier. It is alright. Even if we had been home, I would probably be sleeping at the cross over.

With that, our 2024 has come to an end and we welcome 2025. How was 2024? Well, I survived plenty of business trips and we continued to travel for vacations quarterly as a family. Nana finished her O levels and got an A2 for Chinese. Zaky is a lot more active with chuch and youth. Last but not least, Daddy Lim and I celebrated our 20 years of togetherness. Yay! 

There are misses of course, 2024 new year resolutions that were not achieved and to be tabaoed to 2025. I do hope that 2025 will be a year full of blessings and happiness and good health.

It is also time to take down the Christmas tree. Nana helped us to put it up a week before our trip and Mochi didn’t destroy it. For most time that the tree was up, we were in Beijing admiring other Christmas trees. Lol. 

I really hate to take it down now and we improvised! 

It is now a Chinese New Year tree and we will be keeping it up for another month. Hoho. We are so clever. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Mummy Lim

CNY 2024 Part 3

We finally managed to cycle on 初三. We woke up to great weather. We must cycle bcos we had done so much preparation work - pump tires, charge lights, wash bottles, pack snacks. 

Finally on our way. The plan was to do the railway corridor. We rode on the pavement all the way to the start of the corridor. 

Nobody told me that the start of the corridor is gravel track. My skinny wheels were very challenged. Luckily it was only a short portion; I was already contemplating to dismount and push the bike. 

The weather was cooling. 

Bcos it was about to rain. Lol. We ended up riding in the light drizzle. Nana was very happy to ride in the rain. The rain also helped us to chase away the hikers/ walkers, making it easier/ safer for us to cycle. 

We ended the corridor at what was supposed to be an old railway station (?). 

We exited and found ourselves near Chinatown. We saw a prata shop and reckoned that it was time for bfast. 

Nana had wanted to go to MBS and so we continued riding. 

Riding to MBS wasn't difficult and we had a lot of fun but riding home was quite bad. We rode part on the road but a lot on pavements, which also meant going slowly and navigating turns and corners and avoiding pedestrians. Then Daddy Lim said that we should take Clementi, Bukit Timah route home, which basically meant a lot of slopes. 

We finally made it home, clocking almost 50km. There were alot of whinnings about painful butt, back, hands, neck, knee, calves, thighs... and whichever body parts we have. Lol. 

It was a good ride. It would have been so much easier if we stuck to the roads but the roads weren't as quiet as we hoped they would be and Daddy Lim was paranoid with the kids riding on the road. Ya, he should; our kids have almost zero awareness of road rules and safety. Lol. 

Happy CNY!

Mummy Lim

CNY 2024 Part 2

For a while, we fret over meals during the CNY period bcos I duno how to cook. Lol. Then popo invited us to over for lunch on CNY eve . The kids headed over after school's early dismissal. My work ended at 12pm while Daddy Lim knocked off at 3pm. 

Of course lunch was good. We miss Popo homecook food. Then 鱼生. Huay ah! My very 1st for this CNY. 

We made sure to eat somemore before we headed home bcos no food at home. Hoho. 

On 初一 morning, we went to my brother's place to 拜年 and eat bfast. 

FB reminded me of this. 

So we did this. 

The sofa is growing smaller and smaller. Lol.

We went to Daddy Lim's 姑姑's house for lunch. It had been a while since we met with the family. 

We had deliberated to do our own steamboat for a while. It is OK if I don't know how to boil our own broth bcos there is always ready made de. Adding on the tomato paste from 海底捞,  all soups are masterchef soups. Tadah! 

We had quire some food left over, which we know would be put to good use. 

We visited 奶奶 on 初二. We actually planned to go for a ride in the morning but to wake up to wet roads. It actually wasn't that bad; I think I just looked out the wrong window and those roads were particularly wet. Ended up, we tabaoed pratas from the very crowded Springleaf and then I went to the gym. I am so glad that the gym is opened. We need to burn some fats away. 

Lunch was exactly the leftover from previous night's steamboat. Throw in some noodles and 又是一条好汉!

Bcos we had no programs in the evening, we decided that skating sounded like a great idea. 

We were back to Jurong Lake Garden. I rolled with Nana while the boys attempted to break some bones at the skatepark. Zzzzz. 

This is the 1st time I tried skating after I injured my ankle. We didn't do much bcos my ankle hurts and thus unstable. The diminishing light made it worse. It works better when I did tape and then guard but I ended up with numbed foot. Lol. 

Nana was worse. She was dying to exercise after all the eating. While her ankle hurts too, her calves hurt worse after the super prolong non-exercise and she gave up after the 1st round. Lol.

It is nice to be back in familiar grounds. Happy CNY!

Mummy Lim