domestic diva III

Domestic Diva Part III

So, my domestic divaness goes on long vacations sometimes, but this weekend, it returned... using a sewing machine similar to this:
Kenmore circa 1947, I shortened the sleeves of 3 of Karl's fleece sweater/pullovers that I got him for Christmas. We didn't think the sleeves were "too long," however approaching the end of February and discovering tags still attached, I decided I better figure out what to do with them... what's the worse that could happen?

I also hemmed 3 pairs of new maternity pants, and I was more concerned about my pants... they were good finds at a maternity consignment store ($5 and $10, new tags still on them! Do you know how much maternity clothes cost? It's insanity!). It's hard enough to find nice pants with a 28" inseam that aren't maternity, so I wrote off the chance of finding any that would fit me without hemming. I was pretty motivated to get them done, as my stretchy jeans definitely saw their last day yesterday, until at least... October? Too tight... they spent most of the trip out to Banff and back yesterday unbuttoned (and it wasn't from the visit to the candy store)!


So, I am happy to report, nothing went too terribly wrong with the sewing... measure twice, cut once... kind of like building a deck. They say. And for the record, I am pretty impressed with the competence of this sewing machine. It does normal stitches, stretch stitches, and even sneaky hidden hemming stitches. Makes me wonder if my iPod or computer or PS2 will be functioning in sixty years... they just don't make things the way they used to (I'm too young to be saying that!).

Posts and pics coming soon from Charlotte!
'Til then, all you Albertans enjoy your day off tomorrow (the joys of working for a national organization, I get to work regardless!) and

Happy Chinese New Year :)

(click to view ecard to us from Forsyths)

Going on a babymoon...

Click here to find out where we're going on our Babymoon in April!

valentine's day...

AHhh, I'm bad... no pictures of the pecan crusted salmon that I made for Valentine's supper. Karl knows that I love a good card, and also sweetened me up with some chocolate :) We had a quiet night... our last kidless Valentine's Day! Wow.

I was with a friend today who told me about her singing telegram that her husband sent her. Romantic and all I guess, but he sent the song, "You Say it Best When You Say Nothing at All." Not sure how impressed I would be with that one. She got a different singing telegram years ago (before she was married, from someone else) with song, "Brown Eyed Girl," and she has blue eyes. Singing telegrams just shouldn't be done for her. But who gets two? I've never even known anyone who got a singing telegram. Strange.

Sunday we will be celebrating Chinese New Year... the year of the Pig.

One tradition is to give and receive red envelopes, or red packets; "Cantonese: 'leih síh' (利市) are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian lit age suppressing money) during this period. The red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred." Don't be trying to get yourself written into our will... ours our generally in the "few dollars" range... and we give them too...

It's also family day weekend here in Alberta... Monday off! And we really will be spending it with family... my cousin's kids have birthdays around the same time as each other, so we are heading there for a party.

I tot I taw a ice cweam cake!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last night my Mom and Trent came by with a special surprise for us! At the risk of teasing Karl too much about his lack of Looney Toons knowledge, they brought us a Tweety Valentine's DQ ice cream cake. When I lived with mom and Trent, I added "DQ Ice Cream Cake" to the grocery list pretty well every chance I got (as well as "light bulbs" just to bug Trent... he bought them several times before he realized it was a joke... it was a long time before we had a dark room!).

Anyway, Mom also presented me with a red gift bag, flowing with heart speckled tissue paper. Hmm, it's heavy! I peek in to find ...a jar of pickles! Just to help with the cravings :) Well, if nothing else it sure made me laugh!

Speaking of cravings, they have been few and far between, thankfully... I say with all the wisdom of my 12 weeks of experience! Belly shots coming soon (not much to show yet, baby's about the size of a peach supposedly! But that peach is making the pants fit tight...) I may get to hear the heart beat on Friday at my regular appointment.

Here's a little St. Valentine history for you to peruse as you bless or curse this day. It seems it's all or nothing doesn't it? For the record, I've always loved it... even when I was single. I used to host ROTIC nights with friends (roMANtic without the "man") and indulge in chick flicks and chocolate. Good times (better now...).

What are your Valentine's Day plans?

Copy Cat III

I'm copying Melissa, who sort of copied Keri who copied Rachel ... Here's my "Favorites" list. The answers are a little faster & easier than Keri and Rachel's, and it still says a lot about me (the surface things anyway!) Maybe Karl will post a list too?!

Favorite book? Currently: "Baby Wise" and "Baby Proofing Your Marriage"
Favourite CD? Currently: Caedmon's Call; In the Company of Angels II the world will sing
Favorite website? Babyzone, What to Expect, Recipezaar
Favourite hot drink? St. Arbucks Latte (as a treat) or Tim Horton's brewed at home (daily necessity!)
Favorite cold drink? Diet Coke when not pregnant... currently: MILK!
Favorite supper food (main dish)? Seafood
Favorite vegetable? Is chocolate a vegtable?
Favourite lunch food? instant noodles... the true blue kind that come with their own little packet of sesame oil (Nissin)
Favorite breakfast food? cereal... apple cinnamon cheerios or honey nut cheerios
Favourite snack food (sweet)? Chocolate! Ferrero Roche, Almond Rocha, Caramilk, or my new favourite: Chris & Larry's Chocolate Clodhoppers
Favorite snack food (salty)? Mrs. Vicky's Salt & Vinegar Chips; Kettle Corn microwave popcorn (kind of a sweet and salty...)
Favorite ethnic food? You need to ask? Authentic Chinese of course... preferably prepared by Karl and/or his mom!
Favourite sport (to play)? Soccer
Favorite sport (to watch)? Hockey
Favourite season? Summer
Favorite toy as a child? Probably my wooden model dinosaurs for a while... then maybe cabbage patch kids?
Favourite vacation spot? Anywhere with my hubby! (anywhere WARM with my hubby)... So far the cabin at Kootney Lake comes a close second to San Francisco, if it counts to list somewhere you're planning to go!
Favorite ice cream flavor? Rolo
Favorite smell? Hubby's aftershave
Favourite car? Lexus SUV
Favorite flower? Daisy
Favorite perfume? Clinique Happy
Favorite item of clothing? Currently: Lululemon "reverse groove" yoga pants
Favourite "board" game? Pit, Catch Phrase
Favorite quote? Isaiah 40:31,
"those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

PURCHASED!

Yeah! We bought a new car! A 2001 4-door Alero...

(actual car may differ from image above)

Next stop in 3 (?) years... MINIVAN!

product review...

We've been using detergent for darks for about a year (I think we used "Woolite" last time, and this time we are using Cheer). We have noticed a significant improvement in our darks... no fading! yay! If you've wondered if it's a big ol' scam for more money... we think we've saved on not replacing faded blacks...

This blog was not brought to you by any commercial sponsorship.

SOLD!

We sold the Hyundai Accent!

We're looking for more of a "family car" now, with baby Chu on the way. Both of our cars are small 2 doors, great for our current needs but soon they just won't cut it. A few days after we had decided that we would probably have to sell the Honda Civic because of sell-ability (although we prefer to keep it), a former coworker of mine emailed, asking if we wanted to sell the Accent (we had tried to sell it last year for a while). A few emails and a test drive later... SOLD! Yay!

So, anybody out there selling a Camry? :)

January in an nutshell...

January in a picasa proverbial nutshell...

1. It turns out they not only sell samosas at 7/11 in Abbotsford, but at the airport cafe too... this one had some bite! mmmm...
2. I have a friend named Dunn. Never heard the name before I met him this fall, now it's up in lights! Check out his blog, especially if you like Calvin & Hobbes, www.areyouDUNNyet.blogspot.com
   
3. Chicago airport McDonald's. Cheater picture, it's actually from December. This little express McDonald's had 25 staff behind that counter... elbow to elbow. 25! The one in the orange vest is directing the crowd... she's number 26. I'd be vying for that position, lemme tell ya!
4. The TWU guest parking sign is meant to be inspiration for my colleagues. I have been on a lot of your properties lately... this is the type of welcome you would like your guests to receive... if the first sign that folks see on your property is, "PRIVATE PARKING! VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED," (you may or may not know who you are... go out front and check your property because there are more than one of you!), you may want to rethink your strategy. More on this at the CHEC blog
   
5. A little lighthouse from the deck of the BC Ferry last Tuesday, a gorgeous day for a ferry ride! (They also served indian food on the ferry. I had butter chicken and naan with mango chutney... not much bite to it, but it was acceptable...)
6. Me, Melanie O., and Chris R. out for supper after an all-day CCUFairs Advisory Team meeting.
7. My new haircut!
8. The view over Surrey of the mountains from my room at the Sheraton (you've gotta try hotwire for your next trip! Thanks for the tip Tim K.!)
9. Craig M. and Tim B. at said CCUFairs meeting.

I will likely have another "nutshell post" for February, as I will be in Manitoba, North Carolina, and Ontario before the month is through!

Okay, I want to visit some cool cafes and restaurants... anybody have a "best kept secret" in your town in Winnipeg area, Charlotte/Mooresville area, or southern ON? Lemme hear it!

Abbotsford...

I'm alive and well in Abbotsford... I always say you know you're in Abbotsford when you can buy a samosa at 7/11. Karl always laughs when I say that, because it reminds him of going to 7/11 in Hong Kong after school some days and getting Dim Sum. And I'm not kidding.

Other ways to know you're in BC:When did all the roundabouts show up in Abbotsford? Wow. They're everywhere now. Okay, maybe I only saw 2 or 3, but they're double-laners and everything. Don't get me wrong, I think they're great... but maybe they need to run everyone through their license tests again or something? Seemed like nobody could really "get it..." or is it just me?

Anyway, I am out here doing some promotions for the ccufairs. I will hit Missionsfest on the weekend and then head for the island for a couple of days. Making the most of my pre-maternity-leave time.

Speaking of maternity... All is going well! I had a couple of weeks of battling major fatigue... lots of afternoon naps. It seems to be easing up a bit, and I only had a few minor queasy days. I'm in the awkward "getting-bigger-but-not-big-enough-for-maternity-clothes" stage. I had to buy a couple of pairs of dress pants for this trip, since my "normal" ones pinch too tight now. All for a good cause right :)

I got to have a Legendary Triple-O burger for supper (one of my old favourites since we didn't used to have White Spot in Calgary). Maybe tomorrow I will get a 7/11 Samosa...

Do NOT try this at home...

Okay, even if you're pregnant and you're having funny cravings... DO NOT TRY Reese Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cups. Trust me.

Thank You!

Thank you everyone, for your words of blessings and congratulations. It's been a great journey so far!

FYI, the picture in the announcement (with the question mark) is Karl :)

It was fun to tell our families, especially Karl's mom, Betty. This coming Chinese New Year is the year of the pig; "pig" in Cantonese is the same word as "Chu." We wrapped up a pig stuffed animal and gave it to Betty in a gift bag. Karl said, in Cantonese, "Mom, here's a baby Chu [pig] for you!" As she was opening it, and she responded, in Cantonese "Now I want a real baby Chu for Chinese New Year!" So Karl said, "Okay, we're giving you a real baby Chu too!" The conversation was a bit lengthier, as Karl convinced his mom that he really meant, yes, a real baby. He said, "We need another red envelope this year!" and she laughed. With a wink, she said if we have two babies we could have two more red envelopes this year, so we said we would see what we could do about that!

I gave my mom a "Grandparents Magazine" that she had given me as a joke before our wedding. I still had the same copy, it was funny to give it to her dated Nov/Dec 2003.

We're not sure of the gender or the exact due date as yet, but Karl had an interesting dream a couple of years ago... we will see if it comes true!

I was pondering whether to start a new blog for baby stuff. I was thinking... is our current blog going to become a "baby blog?" and then thought, well, our current life is going to become a "baby life," so we may as well start here!

So, the first Chu baby gender contest... will baby Chu be a boy or a girl?
There's huge prizes at stake here...
which means I need to narrow the pool of winners...
Okay: Gender, birth date, and weight
your answers will all be here in virtual black & white... the closest guess wins
Dinner for two in Tuscany*!
(*Tuscany Valley Green that is... travel costs not included...date negotiable)

New Jobs for the Chus...

Yes, Karl and I are both getting new jobs this year...

We're going to be parents!



I'm seven weeks along and feeling good;
our bundle of joy is due early September

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Word of the week

Although I am a software engineer, I actually work in the health care industry. I came across this word today: Cervicalgia. It is a clinical term for "pain in the neck". So next time someone is being a pain in the neck, you can perhaps call him/her "cervicalgia".

mmmm, wasabi...

I just had to share about a new snack I discovered... can't quite call it my "new favourite," as that will remain reserved for my sweet tooth favourites.

If you're the least bit adventurous, give these Japanese Wasabi & Honey Rice and Corn Crisps a try, from "the blue menu" (President's Choice) at Superstore.

Keep an eye on your flyers... We read that the Superstore is doing a mega-inventory clearance of their "non-food" items to prepare for the entrance of the new "Walmart Supercenters" coming soon to Canada.

Snowzilla

As Dayna packs away our holiday decorations this year, most of which are some variation of a snowman, I found this article on the web. I told her we are not getting it for next year.

Our Third Anniversary!

Yesterday was our 3rd Anniversary! We just loved every minute of our wedding day. It was a really fun day. And the last three years have topped it!

We had a Chinese tea ceremony first, and then the 'western' ceremony.

lotus seed and lotus root tea, part of a symbolic tea ceremony

A true coffee fan will sacrifice her wedding day lipstick for one last latte before walking up the aisle!

We had all of our professional pictures (some below) done at Chinook Mall, the largest mall in Calgary, complete with a merry-go-round that we got exclusive use of for some photos! Our photographer had some inside connections apparently. We kind of weren't into the 'pretend it's summer' look by going to indoor gardens... it was -30* and there was no hiding it! Check out our Wedding Website for more photos (including our engagement through to honeymoon!).

we borrowed a white Lexus SUV for our wedding day!

Last weekend we went to Banff for an anniversary celebration to one of our favourite little restaurants there (Barpa Bills) then for mochas and some people watching at the "Wild Flour Artisan Cafe." Couldn't quite miss the opportunity for a little celebrating yesterday too, so we went down to the Avocado (best sweet potato fries in the west! and I had the Baja Salad, a little memory of our honeymoon!) and then wandered around Ikea for a bit. I got an 'unofficial' anniversary gift: a down-filled pillow! ahhhh... I've had my eye out for one for the last year or so. Love it!

To conclude, let me share a couple of words of wisdom that our Pastor shared as part of the wedding ceremony message; they have really stuck with us: "The golden relationship question is... and ask yourself and each other this often: 'What's it like, to be married to me?'"

Canadian Invention: five pin bowling

Karl suspected over Christmas holidays down in North Carolina that Five-Pin bowling must be a uniquely Canadian phenomenon, since the guys couldn't find any one day when they went with the kids.

Well, it turns out, he was right!

Happy New Year!

new year's eve: hong kong harbour

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year,
but they really should be worried about what they eat
between the New Year and Christmas."
~Author Unknown

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!"
~2Corinthians 5:17

"Dear friend,
I pray that you may enjoy good health
and that all may go well with you,
even as your soul is getting along well."
~3 John 1:2

Turkey and Gravy Soda?!

My sister did all the hard work on this Holiday Album, but I am using the same link anyway since I have all the same photos (Thanks Melissa!).

One of our adventures over the holidays was trying these Jones Soda Holiday Flavours (a "gag gift"... quite literally... from the Forsyths to the Chus):
Antacid, Sweet Potato, Dinner Roll, Pea, and Turkey & Gravy. You know it's bad when you hear, "Hey guys, try this one, it's the best one of them all; it just tastes like medicine!"

Next year maybe we will go with the dessert pack instead:

Flavors: Cherry Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Apple Pie, Blueberry Pie.

"Smoky Mountain Saloon"

Merry Christmas from the Gents and Southern Belles at the Smoky Mountain Saloon!

We arrived in Charlotte, NC on Dec 20 and spent the night in Mooresville with my twin sister (far right) and her family, and then packed up all 8 of us and headed to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We stayed in a condo/cabin in the "Hidden Mountain" area... near Seiverville and Knoxville. After 3 days there, we returned to Mooresville for Christmas. We went to church on Christmas Eve day, and had a nice supper and opened a couple of presents.

This morning the chaos was unleashed as Joel and Alisha (9 yrs and 7 yrs) were allowed to wake us all at 6:30 for their gift opening. Paper flew and the kids gleefully tore through each package thanking each giver if present. The grande finale was the new bikes in the garage from their Amma and Grampa (my mom and step-dad, above left).

Hope your Christmas was as incredible as ours. More pics and updates later, probably on the weekend when we get home and have pictures downloaded etc.

Blessings,
DC

Wishing you a Merry Christmas
& a blessed holiday season

Pre-Christmas Dinner

We are definitely getting the best of both worlds for today's family Christmas Dinner: We get a house full of delicious turkey smell, but aren't hosting the party!
But speaking of the party, I need to go. Just wanted to show off my new cupcake stand and some mocha cupcakes with cream cheese icing and sprinkles.
More pics to come... I head up to see my step-mom tomorrow, then return on Tuesday night... we'll see how the blogging goes. Honestly, I don't know how you gals with kidlets keep up... I bet it keeps you sane though eh? Kind of like journaling and "debriefing" with an audience...?

Anyway, off to turkify :)

D

"severe storm"

Abbotsford Weather-1

Funny how weather definitions vary drastically across the world... or say, between two provinces. I was on the Columbia Bible College website, and came across a news update, saying that today's Christmas party had been postponed due to severe weather... Severe weather? I hadn't heard anything... so I click over to The Weather Network and check out Abbotsford weather... MINUS ONE WITH LIGHT SNOW?! seriously... help me out here folks. Granted, I did then find this article on CBC regarding the snowstorm... but it doesn't defend the cause much.

Severe weather? Try an average 5-day high of MINUS TWENTY FIVE and see how sympathetic I am. For my American friends out there, that is MINUS 13*F. At least we get Chinooks... I have a hope of getting warm again by next week... Winnipeg however: Deepfreeze season, see you in the springtime!

Domestic Diva Part II

Did some more baking today... some of my gingerbread men thought they were the pillsbury dough boy (emphasis on the dough) but otherwise everybody came out okay...

Karl was playing "Winning 11" today on PS2, so I made him a lucky gingerguy player...

domestic diva

With a blazing high of minus 21 today, I decided to start some Christmas baking...


Lemon Poppyseed mini coffee cakes

The first step of chocolate caramel pecan squaresGood ol' fashioned sugar cookies (to be decorated...)


and of course... the flop... affectionately known as the "I'm-sure-they'll-taste-just-great-honey" -chocolate-mocha-merangues. And it's a good thing they do taste great, because nobody will be receiving this batch!

-Martha: over and out (or mostly just over?)

Fog Nog

Two years ago Karl invented one of our favourite espresso drinks, the "Comfort & Joy"... and I have a new one to add to the list: The Fog Nog... it's a London Fog, made with egg nog instead of milk (skip the vanilla).

All I can say is that it's perfect by the fire when it's a windy daytime high of minus twenty-something outside!

Let me know how it goes...
Dayna

You don't want to miss this!

I'm coordinating an event at my church for Home Based Business Women... Get your tickets soon, they're going fast! $5 advance, $8 door: includes dessert, coffee, seminar, and a chance to win one of 25 door prizes.

Tuesday, December 5
7-9pm
Christian City Church Calgary
(formerly Westhills Community Church)
1009 Prominence Way SW
Calgary AB

Five things that happened while I was on my road trip: Part II

1. Michael Flatley ended up in the hospital, making me selfishly fearful for the fate of my early Christmas gift... turns out things are going to be fine.
2. I ate the best bruchetta ever at Kelsey's... feta cheese and tapanades...mmm. turns out they don't really make it like that in Calgary.
3. TWO WORDS: Beaver Tails.
4. I missed out on the cutest snowman teapot EVER... I decided to go back the next day and buy it, and it was GONE :'( The blowing scarf is the handle and spout... and the top hat doubles as a mug. How cute is that? Why didn't I buy it right away? I'm a fool, a FOOL I tell you.
5. I got some wheelin' dealin' rates at a couple of sweet hotels... Sheraton 4 Points in London, and the Crowne Plaza in Ottawa. That was sweet.
   

Conversation of the Week

Trent: "Do you mind moving these couches?"
Carpet Cleaner: "Sure, they're plastic so they should be fine."
Trent: "UM... actually they're leather..."
Carpet Cleaner: "I meant the legs."
Trent: "Oh."

Five things that happened while I was on my road trip: Part I

1. Fynthia and Finnigan recovered
2. My sister and her husband went on a Carribean cruise to celebrate their 10th Anniversary
3. I ate the best chocolate pecan pie and drank the best latte of my life at "Oh So Good Cafe" in Ottawa thanks to a local tour guide (it was awesome Tim K!)
4. I drank a lot of starbucks... now affectionately called "St. Arbucks" by the participants on the CCUfairs Ontario
5. two words: new scarf

Faster! Faster!

There has got to be a Guinness World Record for everything. This one may not be the strangest... actually, it is pretty normal. A 16-year old Singaporean student set the record for fastest SMS typing. Hmmm... I wonder if the Guinness Book of Record sets the record for the most records in a book of record...

fynthia update

Well, Fynthia is not out of the danger zone yet, but she's looking much better already, after only 3 treatments (out of 6):
Finnigan has been doing strange things now though, so when the hospital room is available, he's getting a turn in there for a round of antibiotics.

Off to buy a 30GB iPod and head to Grandma Jacquie's for supper :)

Fynthia

We adopted 7 fish from Mary when my dad died. She was worried that they wouldn't do so well when she went away for a while, so I took them home with me last time I went there for a visit...

There's Snik, Nub, and Uhs (shubunkins, a type of carp/goldfish) an Finnigan, Fynthia, Dolly, and Little Amigo. We changed Uhs's name to Cal... because he's a Calico and Uhs was just awkward.
I used to make fun of people who did crazy things for their pets, like simmering boneless skinless chicken in gravy for a dog. That was until I found myself skinning individual peas and snipping them into bits so that my goldfish wouldn't be constipated. Right... and it helps to avoid bladder infection too, in case you were wondering. If your fish are ever swimming upside down, or floating at the surface, but seem to be alive, feed them skinned peas. Anyway, my excuse is that these fish have special sentimental value.

Here's a picture of Fynthia (she even looks sad...), who is now in a separate little 'hospital tank' beside our 35 gallon one... because she seems to have some version of "pop-eye" that may develop into some form of "dropsy"... Our water quality is nearly perfect and we're not sure how she might have got it. We hope she's okay, but she's not doing all that great right now. We're giving her antibiotics, but draw the line at surgery!

My Father's Eyes...

God's goodness does not change. I don't know what it means that He gives and takes away, but I do know what it means to choose to praise Him regardless.

I have a friend right now whose son is in the hospital with leukemia. Does that change God's goodness? No. I have another friend who's Dad just survived brain tumor surgery. I have survived brain tumor surgery... Does God take good care of His children? Yes. What if I had died, or if her dad would have died, does that change God's goodness? No.

If there is one thing that I have learned through losing my dad, and throughout my life for that matter, it is that God's goodness does not change. Our circumstances change, we lose those we love, God can choose to heal and sometimes doesn't... God hates divorce and cancer and sin, and no part of Him is in it... but those things are in the world.

My dad died too young. He only got to teach 2 of his grandchildren to fish, and won't meet the rest. He won't get to go camping again, head to the Yukon to visit his buddies from his gold mining days, or road-trip it in the motor home back to the island. I won't see him tug his black leather ball hat over his forehead, scarred from a motorcycle accident he survived 20 years ago. I won't hear him whistle through the gap in his front teeth, that he wouldn't let the denturist correct when he got dentures... there it was, brand new teeth and his good ol' gap crafted right in there. I won't see his handwriting on another belated-but-carefully-picked birthday card, "To my darling daughter, Sorry it's late! Love Dad." He was a good gift-picker, but I don't think I ever received one before my birthday had come and gone. My dad loved life. In a lot of ways I want to be like him; he was very generous and had a great sense of humour and a great laugh. He was impulsive and spontaneous and loved people... loved being the life of the party. Somebody at his memorial said, "Mike would give you the shirt off his back... but don't you dare take the last beer in his fridge!" That says a lot about my dad.

I can't say that I learned a lot of biblical spirituality directly from my dad, but I can say that he taught me about appreciating life... and Life in all it's fullness is what Jesus came to give (John 10:10). Genes gave me my dad's eyes, and now I pray that I will have my Father's eyes. I remember my sister loving this song by Amy Grant when we were new Christians, and I have a new appreciation for it now... here's the chorus:

She's got her Father's eyes,
Her Father's eyes;
Eyes that find the good in things,
When good is not around;
Eyes that find the source of help,
When help just can't be found;
Eyes full of compassion,
Seeing every pain;
Knowing what you're going through
And feeling it the same.
Just like my Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes, My Father's eyes,
Just like my Father's eyes.

My prayer for you is that you will also have eyes to find the good in things, when good cannot be found. God's goodness does not change.

Top 5 Christmas Gifts...

As you make your Christmas wish list this year, here's a few ideas for you...

A Goat
Mosquito nets
Vitamin A
Crutches
Hearing Aids...

There are more ideas for you here

Happy Shopping!