Dedication to my girls...

So today is Sunday and yes I go to church. Even here in Singapore. As crazy as that seems. It keeps me grounded. I am in the Young Women Organization at church which means I get to spend a significant amount of time every week with 12 -18 year old girls. At times I can get frustrated much the same as a parent does with their teenage daughter, but I love them still. Here going to church feels a little empty without getting to see their smiling faces back at me. When I hear of activities like a New Year's Dance I that the are having this weeek I think of them and wonder what will they be doing for New Years. So today I dedicate this song to my beautiful girls. Always remember who you are and that you are beautiful "just the way you are". Bruno says it much better than me I am not a writer. Don't change who you are for someone else just to fit in or be their kind of beautiful. Be your true self. Or as Lupe says in the remix be you to the fullest!

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Christmas shopping in Singapore

So we have been doing a little Christmas shopping here. Can I say I have never had such anxiety in my life? Seriously the crowds are overwhelming. You can barely walk through which is crazy considering there is like a 2 kilometer stretch of shopping malls on both sides of the street. How can it be so crowded in every spot? 5million people? On Orchard Road all at once? That is what it feels like.

Anyway we ran into Santa along the way...



or is it?



Okay...that's better. Although McKayla did say, "I know that isn't the real Santa." I agreed. Santa is way too busy to be hanging out at shopping malls.



I know it is blurry, but I didn't have my good camera on me and McKayla had to get a picture of the star on top of the gigantic tree!!



Once again blurry, but I really am hoping to go down and fight the crowds and actually take some good pictures, but the crowds are too much really.

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What's on Charity's (or really Donavan's) phone?

SO another addition and I have to say that having to use someone else's phone to take picture's is annoying!!



So the title is a lie this photo was taken from a friends phone who emailed it to me...no nap so he fell asleep on the couch during dinner. SO sweet.



This was also taken by that same friend who found Marcus' love of ribs enjoyable to watch. He seriously ate more than any of us adults did for sure!! Here he is thinking this is good, but the expression is priceless I had to include it!!



The kids at Keppel Club after a few hours in the arcade getting a snack before dinner.




And saving the best for last another food shot!! This time curry puff. Crispy goodness!



It is so super tasty. hmmmm I haven't had breakfast yet now I want a curry puff!!

Looking forward to Christmas and more yummy food.

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Ice Cream Sandwich?

Okay first I have to explain why I am posting this. See I have a great friend who watched an episode of The Amazing Race and the contestants were in Singapore. Seeing as I am married to a local I should be able to explain to her something she saw. What was it you ask? Ice cream sold from a cart on the street served on a slice of bread which is folded like sandwich. The result a Singaporean version of an ice cream sandwich. You can actually buy it in between wafers as well.

Well if you are anything like my friend you are probably thinking that it sounds disgusting and there must be some explanation as to some special bread or something. In truth I don't think the bread is very special besides it being multi-colored and longer than sandwich bread I don't know that it is any different, but it is very tasty.


This picture Marcus was diving into the ice cream so it came out blurry, but here he is saying, "That sandwich is awesome!"

So while we were walking down Orchard Road headed to see the premiere of Tron, which was really entertaining by the way, we stopped for some ice cream. One of the many wonderful things you must try when you come to Singapore. Cheap. delicious. street ice cream.


Hubby and Marcus
I still have video to edit from our walk so you will definitely get to see more. The lights are definitely special here at Christmas.

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What's on Charity's Phone?

So super excited that this linky day got a button because, well I like buttons. I am really annoyed because the phone I am using here won't cooperate with me when I want to upload pics so I have to keep borrowing from hubby. So when we aren't together all those great pics aren't being taken!


So he took this one out of the airplane on the trip over.



Ebi and Hare Tonkatsu with Japanese curry and miso soup from Tonkichi!!! So yummy and I have been craving like crazy. I finally got to stuff my face!



After= completely devoured deliciousness. You definitely can't miss trying this!

Grab a button and go check out everyone's phone on Jessica's blog!

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Halloween in December?

I know Christmas is two weeks away and I am just now blogging about Halloween, but what can I say I have been busy. For those who thought that my first blog in Singapore would be about Singapore I thought maybe this would confuse them and maybe get a laugh at my tardiness. Although I have tons to blog about from here this one is pretty straight forward and I forgot how hot, humid weather makes you lethargic. So he is just a warm-up for hopefully many more posts this week.

The kids really enjoyed Halloween this year. Especially my little guy whose favorite food is candy. We of course had our trunk or treat at church on the Saturday and they got enough candy for 10 kids, but we knew we had to go visit our neighbors who have special bags made for the kids every year. So we got dressed up again and this time I got pics. (Hubby's birthday was the Saturday and us adults went to dinner while the kiddies played. I know fun, right?)


McKayla was a witch. I think that she pulled it off very well.
She even did some really great with faces for me! After I took them she asked me if I was putting them on my blog. I of course replied, "Of course!".









Maddox then joined in on the face making. Somehow this is the face of a snake?


Daddy of course got in on the action with us! Not sure what he is supposed to be though.






I think Maddox was just told he needed to wait to have some candy. His little lip is a staple at our house. Marcus' costume wasn't very exciting and he strips it of so quickly I couldn't take a picture, but he went as Percy Jackson. I even made him wings for his converse. Which turned out to be quite tricky.

Overall it was a good year and we had a lot of fun!

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VACATION!!!

yay! I am off to sunny, humid Singapore. Leave in the middle of the night tomorrow and will be gone for 6 weeks! I know I am truly very excited. A break from making lunches and being a driver. Well pretty much from a lot of my motherly duties. I am most excited about getting to have some one on one time with my hubby. I know ewww, but seriously not having family here can really make those times scarce. So I am thankful for in-laws who love my children and can't wait to spend some good quality time with them. Let's just hope they don't get sick of us before we depart and can't wait for their lives to resume as usual.

I will do my best to keep on blogging. Especially about my trip and all the great stuff Singapore has to offer. Forgive me now because I will be sure to have lots of food pictures because that is what is most missing in my life in Canada from Singapore. Not all of it looks pretty but I assure you it tastes incredible! Twenty-four hours from now my best friend's hubby will be driving me and two of my kiddos to the airport. Why am I blogging now when I still have tons to do? I don't know I guess I am just excited and have to share the news.

Singapore here we come!

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Embrace the Camera: December 2, 2010

This week it is nice to be back. Just some quick photos a friend snapped of us at our YW in Excellence night. It was sport themed so yes I wore wore my husband's Gore jersey because well they are my team even when they are sucking!



Maddox is eating a Twizzlers so he has a funny face w/ drool!



My pretty girl...

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What's on Charity's Camera? Ed.2

That is Right!!!!! Check it out I just chopped off 10 inches of my hair!!!!! I know it was a lot. I have to keep reminding myself it will grow out. It is definitely more bouncy and voluminous. I will have to get used to it for sure!! My hair hasn't been this short since 2001!!!! I know right? I think I was due for a change anyway!! Warm weather here I come!!!





This is a photo I took of my hubby. Here he is saying, "I am not impressed." He wasn't very happy. I warned him it was going on the blog, but I don't think he remembers me actually taking the picture.



This is in the car. I wanted a picture of my monkey because he was being silly, but he just wanted me to take pictures of the Zhu Zhu pets!



"Blanket" goes with us everywhere. This time Wal-Mart!



The first snow of the season. I know exciting. Not very much of it and it is gone already, but the kids were excited to see some. All I have to say is I am thankful I will be in hot weather very soon!



Well in case you missed me we have been dealing with the flu in our house and it has definitely be the worst!!! Two weeks of back and forth. I am still sniffling. Although I did make it back to the gym today! Someone fabulous brought me soup and when that was gone I had to go and get my soup. This is a fish broth soup that sounded like it would be good, but when you are sick nothing tastes right. I think I ate maybe a quarter of it. Definitely not as good as the homemade stuff made with love!

Check out the linky party on Jessica's website!

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What's on Charity's phone?

Date night at the hockey game. Opening night against Montreal. We won! Oh yeah!
I know this is an old one, but since this is everything I had on my phone some will be old!


So my inspiration for trying to make more interesting and funny posts has started a linky Tuesday requiring me to take more photos with my phone. This week I actually have to admit I didn't get around to taking many, but I did take some. I started crocheting this week. I know who picks up that kind of hobby in their twenties. (So sad I only get to say that for a few more months!) I am weird, but it is fun. I made this fabulous hat for my monkey and decided to also make one for a little guy I know as well.






I am not a fabulous pro at it for sure. I am self taught and still working out the kinks, but I won some patterns from innerhooker on LMM's website. I know it is funny because I usually don't win things. Honestly. I am having fun. I finished the owl hat for McKayla yesterday. I guess I will post pics of it another time. I am just excited I have cute patterns to make great gifts for people! Handmade gifts haven't gone out of style have they?



Anything better than a baby who couldn't make it upstairs for nap time? I was calling him to come upstairs and he wasn't answering. I came down to discover this!
I recognize that this is old too, but as I stated above it was on ma phone!

Yesterday McKayla had to come home from school because she was sick. I really don't think it is serious, but she stayed home today as well just to be safe. Apparently I have become a weak mother and am allowing the excuse of "my tummy hurts with only a slight fever" be enough to keep her home. I guess other mommies should be happy about it. Plus, I should believe her because she actually loves school.



She couldn't have some big test thing or presentation she is trying to get out of, right?



Meanwhile Maddox is truly worried.

So I know it sucks, but that is all I have on my phone. I hope I find more interesting things for next week. So if you want to link up got to Jessica's Page after you create your own What's on _______ phone? and link up!

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Flashback Friday: Tokyo

So if you have ever been to Japan you will know how the people reflect what it is like. Cute,
little,
genius,
yummy (I haven't actually tried a Japanese person, but I am assuming if I was a cannibal the would be?),
bold,
beautiful,
smart,
navigators ( I say this one because seriously have no clue how people know their way around Tokyo. The postmen probably are rocket scientists. Our address had no street names just a bunch of numbers. I thought I was a good navigator until I went there. Maybe next time I should take a course on understanding Tokyo streets before I go. We would get maps of how to get to a job with things like turn right at the McDonald's and a left at the 7Eleven. I know craziness!),
proud,
expensive,
accepting.



Okay I know I could really go on. They are such a wonderful people. The culture is amazing. I love it! Anyway I was contracted for 2 months and I had an amazing roommate, Kelly, from where? Canada! Winnipeg to be exact. We had the best apartment, I think anyway. We were in Roppongi. Which is actually their party district. It might not have been like Kabukicho, which I never went to, but there were definitely some shady things going on. I know!! I still thought it was the best. I guess if it was in a nicer area it would have been better. We had a separate room from the living room and even a separate kitchen which was rare. Most of the model apartments were one room that had a kitchen and a bed with a separate bathroom. I remember the landlady was really strict on recycling she would get so upset with us if we didn't clean and smash and separate.

Everything was so expensive. I seriously think the people must be great at frugal spending or basically have to work until they physically just can't because cost of living is so high. Kelly loved to buy these gigantic apples the size of a small melon to eat. I actually refused because I was sure they were steroid injected alien fruit that probably wasn't good for me. They were 500 yen a piece which is equal to 5$ U.S. I pretty much lived off of 7 Eleven. I know! Not really where you think you can get good food, but they had these awesome rice balls called onigiri that were covered in seaweed for 100 yen. Which was 1$ U.S. I actually now make them for my kids lunches they are super easy and yummy and can be filled with almost anything.

Nightlife was fun. I won't lie and say I never went out because I did. I was a good girl though I never drank alcohol or smoked. One time at The Lex we ran into Barenaked Ladies! I now crazy! They didn't go to the VIP area they were just dancing on the dance floor with us. Ed Robertson made up a rap about me. It was really funny. It had things about being from Oklahoma so you can imagine the funniness that came out. They ended up inviting us to their concert they were having in some nightclub the next night. Did we go? YES!! We even got backstage passes. It was so much fun. There were a lot of Canadians there. Some people were even waving flags. I didn't stay long after because I think I had a busy day the next day, but some of the other girls stayed.


Journal entry.

Everyone told me that Tokyo was the best city to start in Asia for work because it was so safe and clean. I had already been to Singapore and couldn't imagine anything safer or cleaner than that. After going I realized the people that say that are either Japanese or have never been to Singapore. The first week I was there from my apartment window I saw a cab driver get punched in the face and stiffed. The perps just ran away. Not cool. Of course like I said before I was in the red light district. So probably not the best place for me to judge. As far as clean goes. The people are very clean but the streets and subway not so much. And you could buy beer and cigarettes from vending machines. I won't go into all of the other kinds of vending machines out there, but I am sure you can guess.

Into the second week I learned if I was walking in my neighborhood at night to walk fast, keep my head down, and keep nodding no when strangers asked you things. Oh and never window shop not even in the day. In fact ignore the windows. (only in Roppongi other places were okay)


I wish you could see the writing better here, but it is a log of the different things I did. Castings. Jobs. Expenses.

Shopping. Speaking of shopping so much fun. The fashion is incredible. Most of it I would say I couldn't pull off. I think the Japanese have there own sense of style. They way they are bold with there fashion is amazing. Harajuku is incredible. I think that you can get overstimulated with colors and lights and people and certain parts of Tokyo are like that. I wish I was amazing and took more pictures, but these links will have to do. Shibuya is amazing. You don't believe it until you see it. And the train? When you get in you think it couldn't get any more crowded and the another 10 people get "shoved" in literally and then they push until the doors can close. Not fun. I hated that! I don't like people all up in my face and touching where they shouldn't be touching. I learned not to wear skirts. Ginza was the place I wish I could have gone crazy. All of the designer brands were there. I have also learned from a good friend that there are certain brands that have a special collection only sold in Japan. Which doesn't surprise me seeing as how the Japanese there are so fashionable. I definitely felt inspired there. There is a also a district where you can buy all of those fabulous Japanese electronics that are out eons before they get released to the U.S.


The only tear sheet I ever got from Tokyo. I never got to see anything else I did.



Here is a polaroid I got from a bridal job I did.

Cherry Blossom Festival Is definitely "the" time to go. I was there for the very end but the trees were still in bloom. It was so beautiful. I don't remember exactly where, but I think it was a park or a cemetery with trees lining both sides of the street. It was breathtaking. We were always in the van so we never really got to get out to take pictures. I wish I can remember where it was.

The rain was crazy there. Like giants were pouring buckets upon buckets of water on me. It was like typhoons with the wind. The rain came down sideways. You couldn't even use an umbrella because they would just break from the wind. So many occasions I got soaked from head to toe. I was definitely envious of people who had raincoats and rain boots. I never in my life ever had a need for them. I am happy to say now I do own a raincoat and rain boots. So now I can be prepared.


My actual tickets.

Donavan actually came to visit for a week while I was there. We got to go to Tokyo Disneyland! Definitely not Disney World, but at least it wasn't very crowded!



I want to go back. I said it. I know, but it is true. I had a blast and it was definitely an adventure different from any trip I had ever taken before. I actually got driven to most of my castings! Which seeing as how complicated their roads were was probably safer than having 20 girls roaming the streets of Tokyo lost!

I know this post was super long and I apologize, but there was so much to say about Japan. I recommend it to everyone. Oh and the outer cities aren't as crazy as Tokyo, but I kind of liked all the craziness. Would I if I brought my three kids there? Probably not. They would so easily be lost in the sea of almost 13 million people. (that's right 13 million stacked on top of each in TOKYO!)

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Embrace the Camera: Remembrance Day/ Veteran's Day Edition

My dad such a handsome man.



My dad on the right receiving an award.



My dad is in the middle. I think he had a great smile. He definitely loved to smile. I remember he used to ask us how we were and if we said "okay" or "fine" he would say, "You can't be (okay or fine) I want to hear you say you are bursting with enthusiasm!"

So being in Canada today is Remembrance Day. Me. I have been thinking about all of those families who have lost someone the love who was serving for our freedom. I am American so today is Veteran's Day in the U.S. I actually like the sound of Remembrance Day better. I like that there are special assemblies on this day. I like that people around the world are observing it.



For those who don't know my dad served in the U.S. Army for 26 years. He joined The National Guard when he was seventeen. (I know!! He lied and said he was eighteen)On January 20, 1960 he took the oath of enlistment in the Regular Army of the United States. He retired the end of February 1983. I was always really proud to state that my dad served our country and fought for my freedom and rights that I have today. I remember one time talking to him about how I wanted to become a Marine when I grew up. I think I was like 9 at the time. He didn't discourage me, but he did tell me how hard it was going to be. I think he knew it was just a phase and there was no way I would join. I think he was probably pretty happy when I decided to enter a very different kind of career. Looking back I don't think I would have been very good at it. I don't think I have that kind of strength or courage to do what needs to be done. Especially when it comes to raising a family and having to leave them behind. My heart and prayers go out to all of the families who are currently without their loved one trying to survive and stay strong to support them.



So today I have some pics of my dad with McKayla. The first one is the day she came home from the hospital. I love this one because I can see how proud he is to be a grandfather for the I think 19th time. I don't think that ever got old for him. I was pregnant with Maddox when my father passed away. I actually had just found out it was going to be another boy. When I look at Maddox sometimes I can feel my father smiling at me telling me I did good. Because that is what he always said when I had my babies.

This next photo of McKayla with my dad she is wearing the princess costume he got for her. I think she liked being his little princess. That summer was a fun one for us we went camping and believe it or not my kids can still remember details about that trip which is amazing considering McKayla wasn't even 3 yet. Wow makes me think about what one of my friends said about McKayla she has a fantastic memory if it something she wants to remember. If it isn't she forgets very easily.






I don't know why I don't have a lot of photos of Marcus with my dad. I think he was always busy playing, but I am sure I have some I just couldn't find any. Mom got any? I know that my kids are going to love these pictures with their papa. Because I do.

So this post is dedicated to my dad. I love you and I love how you taught me to be strong and proud of where I came from. I learned compassion and forgiveness through you and you are still teaching me today. Thank you.

Old photos of dad I have courtesy of my wonderful sister Stephanie.

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