It was this date 6 years ago that Ammar proposed to me at Lake Winnipesauke, Maine. Wonderful memory, and we are blessed, blessed, again... blessed with the job security that Ammar has (some of our neighbors have to move because the company will be closing soon, big time company, Pfizer!!!), couple of children (both are so mellow, well absorbed, and funny!), living in a nice neighborhood, and most importantly, love each other.

I am also so proud of Ammar, that he is really a well educated, yet smart and competent physician. Living surrounded by them, I noticed that not everyone is competent and smart in diagnosing and treating diseases, and most significant to be a great one is how to treat and behave with patients and family. Having my own bad experience with my father's physician, I am fortunate to found a wonderful one.
Ammar got a phone call from our nextdoor neighbor Andrea, she got swollen foot. She asked if he could come over and check her foot, before she was heading to the ER. We came along, bringing some fresh baked brownies and of course, Nadia loved to play with them again. He came out with a diagnosis which I have never thought of it but, I am sure it is the cause. Broken metatarsal bones, due to the running she just did.
Gee, I am really proud of him. He is dislexic (I always make fun of him) and he still makes a wonderful physician. Another thing that makes me proud is that he is really down to earth, if it's not necessary, he would never mention that he is a doctor, that's what I like about him.

In September, we are going to be married for 5 years, and I have never regret to be part of his life and family. Thinking about what I have been through with those datings before I finally landed on one special boat, I am so fortunate, and God is Gracious for setting up my first meeting with him on the President's day 2000. We always talk about how we met, and we both agreed that it was God who set us up.
Actually I am planning to return all the stuffs connected to my exs, like my husband did to his ex. No memories from them anymore, welcome the current memories with my own family.

PS: Ammar, don't fly to the moon when you read this, this note doesn't come out often from me, dear.. haha.. we still need to work on your napping habits.... keep your goofiness... I like it when you are goofy.

My mother and sister left back to Indonesia. I am sad, we missed them already. My mom had stayed with us for a good 5 months and my sister came to pick her up and stayed for 1 month.
I have been away from my mother for a good 10 years and I hardly know my mom since, this trip my mother did made us got so close to each other again. The first 2 months were a disaster, we argued a lot, but then it was just like a wonderful little time we had all the time. The joy of having my family stays with us added with the visit from my sister.
I love... love them so much and I miss you all.
Now we are all by ourselves, Ammar told me that it's our first time again since November 2006 that we just the 2 of us, from the visit to Indonesia in November until the time my family came back home. He made a commitment to help me out more that every Saturdays and Sundays, no matter what the schedule looks like, he would prepare the food, while I will be in charge during the weekdays. That was the best offer that I have ever got from him. Loved it so much, knowing that he is a GREAT cook. We also decided to make our dates scheduled, not taking it by days.

The trip and the birth of our second child made us more close to each other, and we work together much more than before. I have to admit, I love him more and more each day, of course, he is the 3rd person I love after the kids (sorry, it's just so natural as a mother of 2 kids... haha.. sorry Ammar!)

Nadia's graduation party, right before my mom and my sister headed home to Indonesia.

BIRTHDAY and MOTHER'S DAY

My birthday and the mother's day are so close to each other, my husband complains about it because he has to think about 2 gifts in a short period of time.
This year, all I can say that I have the best mother's day and the best birthday ever.
I got all I can imagine I have ever wanted :
1. A precious little girl, Nadia
2. A handsome little boy, Aidan, both of them look so alike
3. A wonderful husband and great father of my children.
4. My mother and my sister are visiting and spend time with me.
5. Beautiful house.
6. First time, finally I got an electronic gifts instead of jewelry from my dearest husband... YAY!!! I got iPod!!! Nadia got so excited when they went to the store to buy it for me.
7. Underwater (diving) camera from my mother
8. iPod charger and FM transmitter from my sister
9. Wonderful Niagara Falls vacation from my family
10. Georgeous birthday dining at the skylon tower overlook the niagara and the surrounding, a revolving restaurant

Everything I have ever wished for.. it's here. Thank you God. You are so gracious.

My friend, Sara sent me this. I found it so funny, even though not all of them happens in our parenting life, but I can resemble all of them happens to some parents I know.. haha.
This is just too funny……

Thinking of Having Kids? Do this 15 step program first!

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their..
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior. Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel....
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out..
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh. 2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
1. Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a jar of paint, turn it into an alligator.
2. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of aluminum foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle.
3. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Lesson 7
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

Now:
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8
1. Get ready to go out.
2. Sit on the floor of your bathroom reading picture books for half an hour.
3. Go out the front door.
4. Come in again. Go out.
5. Come back in.
6. Go out again.
7. Walk down the front path.
8. Walk back up it
9. Walk down it again.
10. Walk very slowly down the sidewalk for five minutes.
11. Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way.
12. Retrace your steps.
13. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you.
14. Give up and go back into the house.
You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Lesson 9
Repeat everything you have learned at least (if not more than) five times.

Lesson 10
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is also excellent). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 11
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month old baby.

Lesson 12
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street, Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's "Noggin"?) Exactly the point.
(NOW, That's happening with us !!!)

Lesson 1
Move to the tropics. Find or make a compost pile. Dig down about halfway and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for at least two years.

Lesson 14
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying "mommy" repeatedly.
(Important: no more than a four second delay between each "mommy"; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years.
(This, too, happens with me... Nadia is such a parrots, who doesn't stop talking, except when she is drawing and sleeping)

You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the "mommy" tape made from Lesson 14 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
(This, too, Sara. hahaha)