We went away for the weekend to visit Brent and Pip (Dane's brother and his wife) at Ballina. We enjoyed the drive both to and back. Both kids were doing well during the 2 hours drive except we had to stop a few times for Jono's toilet trip. He did so well and told us every time he wanted to do a wee.

Firstly, we met up with Brent and Pip at Byron Bay. We had breakfast there and then we went to visit The Macadamia Castle on the way to their house. We did not pay to get into the actual park cause I felt it was a bit expensive. We only shopped at the souvenir shop and bought some macadamia nuts.

The Macadamia Castle

Jono saying goodbye to King Macca

Byron Bay was nice but cause its winter so we didn't go into the water. We had to stop Jono for getting into the water as he was taking his pants off and wanted to jump in the surf. He loves water since birth. At night after dinner, we had played 2 board games 'Cluedo' and 'Ticket to Ride' while both kids had gone to bed.

At night after we had dinner and both kids were in bed we played 2 board games 'Cluedo' and 'Ticket to Ride'. We all love board games and Brent and Pip are known to have a huge collection of them. Brent was the winner for 'Cluedo' and Pip scored the highest in 'Ticket to Ride'. We had a good time laughing and talking.

The next morning we went to Ballina Gospel Hall for the remembering of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The ministry was about to be a man of God like Elijah. We met some new people and had a fellowship lunch there. After some rest , we headed to North Wall for a walk. We enjoyed the walk and we saw some dolphins there. It was amazing to see God's wonderful creation. We then headed home.

Now, we are home and have to get ready for another week. I took the advice from my wonderful mother-in-law about rubbing some Vicks on Esther's feet when putting her to sleep to help ease her cold. I guess I would try anything to help her feel better soon. We are all pretty tired and it's time to go to bed. Thank you Lord for another wonderful family trip!

Had a busy day today. Firstly, I had to take Esther to the doctor this morning to get her rash checked. Thank God, Dr Mclaren was not too concerned and did not think it is allergic reaction. However, having two kids at the waiting room was painful. Jonathan did not want to sit still while Esther was not too happy in her pram. There was some crying and disciplines but in the end it was a happy ending. Jono got a jelly bean from the doctor for being a good boy and we made it home without any dramas.

Once we got home, I made lunch while Esther was asleep. Managed to feed both kids and put them down for their afternoon naps at about 1pm. Then the fun began, first it was vacuuming, then mopping, and followed by hanging out washing. Had a bit of time before they woke up so I went on the internet after reading some catalogues.

Could not remember when but I suddenly noticed there was a message left on our home phone. It was from a high school looking for a learning support teacher for next term. Even though I know I would not take it up but at least it made me feel that I'm still wanted. This is the third job offer since the beginning of this year. I have no regrets to stop working and stay at home looking after my children this entire year, but I still think about my job sometimes. It is really tempting to say yes when people knocked on your door and wanted to give you the job. But NOT YET, cause I'm staying at home for now.

OK, time to go to bed. I need to have as much sleep as possible as I'm not feeling too well these few days. Need to stay strong and healthy to look after my beautiful family.

It's more than a week since my last blog. I had been busy as usual just doing everyday stuffs, being with my children, cooking, cleaning and going out occasionally. Overall, I think I had a fairly good week. I did feel a bit down for a few days where I was easily anxious and got frustrated. I suspect it's my hormone playing up again. Yup blame the hormone, but I'm OK now. Philippians 4:6&7 says "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." We need to learn to trust God and let Him take control of our lives. I often fall into the trap where I wanted to be in control and then got disappointed when things didn't turn out as I planned. Pray that I will not make the same mistakes again.

Jono and Esther are growing up by the minute. They surprise me everyday. Jono has started counting accurately, able to explain things back to me and has a very good transferable knowledge. The problem is he is a bossy kid, he wants everyone to do it his way and he dares to tell you too. He often says "mum, do this, and don't do this...etc" and he also cracks me up big time when he tries to say some Chinese words every now and then. Last Saturday, we went to a private Christian school open day because we are planning to enrol Jono into their pre-prep program next year when he is 3.5 yrs old. Since the visit, Jono keeps saying he wants to go to school and I really can't wait to see him in a school uniform.

Meanwhile, Esther is growing into a cute little girl . She loves talking and makes lot of cooing sounds. Her smile is so heartwarming it often melts my heart. She has started to play with some soft toys and has increasing interest in everything around her. I sometimes have strangers telling to me how Esther was smiling at them and they thought how cute she is and the like when I take her go out to the shops. Admittedly she is really cute and I am enjoying the attention she attracts.

Other than my beloved children, my dear hubby has been very good too. He has lost some kilos and is still going strong. Dane is doing lots of regular exercise and wanting to keep fit. I am happy for him and is more than happy to have a healthy hubby. We have made some adjustments to life with two kids. We set aside at least 15-30 minutes each night to have a interruption free conversation time. We put our kids to bed and get a few things done around the house then we will lie in bed and just talk. There is one rule which is no talking about kids--- just about us and us alone. I am enjoying this as I know my days are full of kids stuffs and we need to have a break from it to focus on other important things. People says having kids can turn your life upside down and I could not agree more. There are so many things to think about when you have children and you just can't go out and do things as you please. It could take your attention away from your partner and you are easily to neglect the relationship. So it's very important to still maintain the relationship with your partner after having children. We are grateful for Dane's parents and sister who are able to babysit the children to give us a break and go out for dates. Having said that, we are absolutely enjoying our life with kids and could not imagine our lives without them. As to us they are not only a gift from God but an evidence of our love for each other! There is no way children are a burden to our marriage but they are one of the sources of our joy and happiness.

Our first photo as a couple 7 years ago