MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

From our house to yours.

Click here if you can't see the video.

May you have a wonderful rest of 2012 and blessed new year.

~The Prasetyas~

DAY 21 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Last day of the challenge already?  Wow, time flies.

Today, we are grateful for the positive attitude of Papahroo's mom.  Babyroo was even serenaded by her beautiful harmonica playing during the hangout earlier.  She is such a blessing!

We are also grateful for our Small Group couples.  This is our third Thanksgiving together.  And it has been our tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving together.  To have them around is like having a reliable support system, family nearby, and accountability partners.  Thick and thin are better shared after all!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!!  Hope you get to celebrate Thanksgiving with your loved ones.  Don't forget to count your blessing.  Thank you for joining our family in this challenge.

May this be a blessing!  Until next year!

Read Day 20

DAY 20 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today, we are grateful for story books and library.  Babyroo loves his story time ever since he was in my tummy.  The fussiness would instantly turn into quietness when the story starts.  The good thing is that I LOVE story telling.  So today Babyroo and I had lots and lots of bonding time after restocking our books from the library.

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!  Gosh, tomorrow is the last day of the challenge already?  Mannnnn!!!

Read Day 19

DAY 19 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only three days away?  Our family is excited for Babyroo's first Thanksgiving ... that's why we're so excited about it.

Anyhow.  Today, we are grateful for Papahroo who came home safely from work.  While walking from the shuttle stop, Papahroo got hit by a car that was exiting a shopping center's parking lot into the street.  Praise the Lord the car was from a stop position and able to stop before it got worse.  I think we will need to get a blinker for Papahroo so that he is more visible while walking at night.  This leads me to the next point.

Cold compressing Papahroo's boo boo

We are grateful for the family to cuddle with and the couch to snuggle our family at.

Though he is in pain, Papahroo can't resist cuddling with Babyroo

May this be a blessing!  And don't forget to always look BOTH ways when you're behind the wheels.  Yes, that means left AND RIGHT.  Be safe wherever you will be this Thanksgiving week.  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 18

DAY 18 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today, we are grateful for:

1) Papahroo's headache that had gone away.  We just realized this afternoon that Papahroo has not felt the headache for the past two weeks now.  The headache bothered him so much that he couldn't focus at work and had to go to the doctor.  We knew the unclean air at home was the main cause because after talking about it today, it occurred to us that his headache went away after I had sanitized the house two weeks ago.  Praise the LORD!!

2) Grocery to buy.  We are stocking up to cook for the holiday and the retreat.  The grocery reminds us that we still have family to feed, friends to share food for the season, and God who provides.

3) Papahroo and Babyroo's bonding time.  It's that time again for Papahroo and Babyroo to get their hair cut.  When working with the little one, timing is everything but speed is beyond everything lol.  So there you go.  In 15 minutes, I got both Papahroo and Babyroo's hair cut.  The next thing I knew, my two baldies were taking shower together and having a wonderful time splashing with the shower.  And then the next thing I knew again, the two of them were out and in a mission to surprise me with a dinner.  When they returned, they got a basket of KFC and big smiles greeting me as I opened the garage door.  I was too hungry by then to tell them, "no more junk food next time please."  And KFC never tasted that good to me (who could resist a surprise from two smiley baldies???).

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 17

DAY 17 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today, we are grateful for Papahroo and Mamahroo time!  Fridays are normally our date nights.  As much as we strive to honor our date nights, this week had been a long week and we had to wisely call it a night earlier yesterday.

But today, Babyroo is so understanding.  He decided to tank up and went to bed by 7PM.  So Papahroo and Mamahroo could enjoy the night to just the two of us.  What a great boy!!!  Thank you, Baby!

And now, time to say "night night, world!!!"  Hope you get yourself energized too this weekend.  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 16

DAY 16 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today Papahroo takes a day off; and we are grateful for a wonderful family time.  Both Papahroo and Babyroo love to play LEGO.  We introduced DUPLO for the first time to Babyroo when he was 5 months old.  Ever since, he always grabs his DUPLO out of the container to play on the mat.  Recently, we inherited Mega Blocks from our friend.  They're a great addition to our building blocks family.  Here's what I found them making today: an ET!  Every time I stepped away to the kitchen and came back, the ET became bulkier and taller.  The two of them kept beefing it up.  It didn't fail to crack us up.

Additionally, we are grateful for our car.  Not only that it has faithfully taken us to places, but also given us shade to play and stay dry while going out and about.

May this be a blessing.  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 15

DAY 15 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today we are grateful for Google+ Hangout.  Papahroo's mom is recovering pretty well back home.  An extra Babyroo time is definitely a boost to her recovery.  While hanging out with her, Mamahroo's sister (who sneaks out from work to see Babyroo) and Papahroo's cousin (who has been taking care of and delivering healthy juices for Papahroo's mom) also joined in.  The more the merrier indeed!  I love how technology brings people closer.

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 14

DAY 14 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

One more week to Thanksgiving?  Really?  Wahooo.

Today is another day that made me pause to be grateful for the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom/wife.  I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be a mother which was the major trigger of my staying home.  I also thank Papahroo for allowing and encouraging me to stay home while he be the bread winner.

There are so many things that make up this season in my life so much more to be thankful for:

• Preparing breakfast for Papahroo to take to the office.  Though breakfast is free and yummier at the office, Papahroo rarely gets a chance to step away from his desk/meeting room and enjoy them due to his packed schedule.  It is always my joy to get a thank-you kiss in the morning and an empty container when he gets home.
• Bathing Babyroo at different time of the day.  With an active baby who loves to move about, touch everything, and feed himself, the end of the day is sometimes a little too late to keep him clean and comfortable.  And bathing him altogether is often easier than spot cleaning him.
• Cuddling Babyroo ... who when his naps get interrupted would enjoy the endless cuddle from me.  His need of me along with his soft and fluffy body make me forget about the clean dishes to unload, the laundry to fold, and the floor to clean.
• Picking up Papahroo at the office when he misses his shuttle.  Something we could treasure because of the single car.  

The list can go on and on.  I am again just really grateful to God and Papahroo for letting me be available for my family when they need me.  Last but not least, I am grateful for Papahroo and Babyroo who allow me to serve their needs.

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 13

DAY 13 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today, we are grateful for Mamahroo's shopping buddy...

King mushrooms

and the Farmers Market.  Ever since Babyroo started eating solid, we have been going to the Farmers Market to get local fresh produces.  The first time I went to the market, I was so amazed by the many fresh produces I'd never seen before.  Now, it is my mission to pick up one new produce to try each time I go to the market.  This time, I picked up king mushrooms.  I made Tofu Donburi with them for dinner.  I will share the recipe in my recipe blog at a later date for you to try out.

How about you?  What are you grateful for today?

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 12

DAY 12 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

It's flu shot #2 for Babyroo.  This morning, we prayed for a gentle nurse to administer the vaccine.  And it's an answered prayer.  How did God answer our prayer?  Through series of events to be grateful for:

1) Clear traffic.  Papahroo had to be in the office before 10AM for his meeting.  We planned to be out the door by 8AM but decided to eat breakfast as a family first and ended up leaving by 8:30AM.  To our surprise, the traffic was very light.  OH YEAH ... it's a federal holiday to honor the Veterans Day (which fell on a Sunday this year).

2) Wrong room.  Looked like a busy day at the hospital.  Once we arrived at the parking lot, we didn't bother to put on the Ergo and just carried Babyroo.  Guess what?  The line at the pediatrician office was LONG.  We finally made it to the counter only to be told that we got the wrong room.

3) Right timing.  Now that we were at the right room, the line didn't look too bad.  Not even 2 minutes after we sat down, a group of students came lining up.  I guess because it's a holiday, schools are off too.  Good timing for the students to get their shots.  If we put on that Ergo, we could easily be bumped up from the fifth in line to the twentieth.

4) Gentle nurse.  She was so gentle and made Babyroo so comfortable.  He only fussed for 1 second; then he looked my way to ask for his Sophie.  Instantly, he became a bouncy baby again and gave the gentle nurse a big smile before leaving the room.

5) Papahroo.  Ever since Babyroo was conceived, Papahroo has not missed any of the doctor's appointment.  Even if it means he had to be 15 minutes late to his meeting today.  He has always been there to comfort Babyroo and support Mamahroo.  Papahroo rocks!!!

What are you thankful for today?  May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 11

DAY 11 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Papahroo is enjoying his Yappuccino before church this morning

Today, we are grateful for homemade coffee.  Sometimes, we can't always make everyone happy.  But for a coffee lover like Papahroo and money saver like Mamahroo, this Yappuccino never fails to put smile on his and my face.

Hope you have a great rest this weekend and ready for your new week.  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 10

DAY 10 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

It's scary how the time flies.  It's already half way through the challenge; and Babyroo is already 7 months old.  WOW.

Today is a low key day for our family.  After a long week for Papahroo, we are grateful that we can wind down and spend quality time together.  Guess what Papahroo learned today?  That the words "Popok" (English: diaper) and "Kejeduk" (English: bump his head) cause some major giggles to Babyroo.  There you have it.  The whole day full of giggle over silly and random words.

Maybe next year Babyroo can help us pick the stuff for the OCC.  For now, his not-crying-as-Papahroo-tags-me-along is the proof that he is our active supporter and participant

Every day, many children grow up having to fight for their food, shelter, family, clothing, education, life, etc.  At the same time, many people have the heart to bring some joy to these unfortunate children but they couldn't.  For that, we are grateful to be able to partake in a small part of the Operation Christmas Child (and this year with Babyroo in tow).

Have a wonderful rest of the week, Everyone!  May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow.

Read Day 9

DAY 9 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Happy Friday, everyone!  Hope you're excited about the weekend as much as we are.

Today, we are grateful for:

1) Crying Babyroo.  This morning for the first time Babyroo cried when Papahroo was about to leave for work.  He still cried even after I held him and tried to nurse him.  All that he wanted was Papahroo. His eyes were fixed on the door as he watched Papahroo left the room and the house eventually.  It made a wonderful fatherhood moment for Papahroo.

2) The chance to take Babyroo for a walk.  Babyroo loves his afternoon stroll/walk around the neighborhood.  Due to the rain, we couldn't do that yesterday.  Praise the Lord, the rain stopped at the right time today.  So Babyroo and I were able to do our walk.  As always, he would babble "a ta ta ta ta ta" (Read: "Mamah, look at those birds!") every now and then making me the best baby language interpreter ... not :-)

3) Extra strength.  The cold weather kept waking Babyroo up last night despite the heater being on.  I guess it was because Babyroo always ended up without the blanket as he rolled around the crib.  And where were the parents?  Well, let's just say that the three of us had competitions on who-can-fall-back-asleep-first.  The winner is?  Babyroo ... each time!!!!  LOL.  As for me, I praise the Lord for being my portion ... my extra strength when I needed to keep up with my growing, healthy, and active baby all throughout the afternoon.

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow.

Read Day 8

DAY 8 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Whoaaa, it's only two weeks away from Thanksgiving.  How exciting!  Last year, Babyroo was still in my tummy.  Also last year, we celebrated Thanksgiving with Papahroo's family here.  This year, we will celebrate Thanksgiving either with just the three of us or at the retreat.  Not sure yet since we are still on the waiting list for the retreat.

Anyhow, what are you thankful for today?

Our family is grateful for the rain that stopped just right when Papahroo got out of the shuttle to walk home and the warm water because Babyroo decided to play with water while accompanying Mamahroo at the kitchen.  Before long, from pouring the water inside the bucket to "bathing" himself with the water and finally dumping the water on the floor.  Within 10 seconds, I found Babyroo drenched with water and mopping the floor.  I guess the warm water made it enjoyable for him to play?  Hmmm.

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read our Day 7 of this 21 Days of Gratitude challenge.  Are you joining our family yet?

DAY 7 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Today, our family is grateful for the sun and Papahroo's mom's recovery.

The sun because we get to dry Babyroo's cloth diapers outside.  Due to the rain in the past few times we did the laundry, Babyroo's diapers had to be line-dried in the garage.  It feels so good to bring the diapers in completely stain-free and smell-free.  That's how powerful the sun is.  Thank you, Sun!!!  :-)

Resting during the treatment

This morning our time, Mom finished her first treatment.  Earlier, Papahroo got a chance to call and talk to her.  Mom sounded a lot better.  Praise the Lord.  A few more to go in the near future.  We're confident that she will recover soon by the power and grace from our Lord alone.

May this be a blessing.  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 6

DAY 6 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Day 6 already?  So fast.

Today, we are grateful for music and frozen confinement soup.

Look at our mini cruiser!  Now that Babyroo can navigate his way around, he finds a lot of things in the house interesting.  From Mamahroo's sandals, cell phone charger, rugs, to night lamps, he makes sure he stops to play with each one of them.  For most of the time, he gets OVERLY excited about his new findings making it harder for him to nap.  Today, we find dancing to the slow music calms him down.  After that, he's ready to nurse and then fall asleep.  For that reason, we are grateful for music.

In between chasing Babyroo, I also find the frozen confinement soup my mom made a few months ago a big help.  It's so nutritious and easy to eat.  Within minutes, my energy is back to keep up with Babyroo.  Now I know why my mom insisted for me to eat the confinement soup for as long as I could (I did it for 4 straight months after giving birth).  Maybe I should cook more and freeze them for days that I need an extra boost of energy like today.

May this be a blessing!  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 5

DAY 5 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Happy Monday!!!!  Hope your week is starting out well.  Quite a busy and long day for us today.  But I want to post our gratitudes before getting back to the night routines.  Today, we are grateful for:

1) Papahroo's health.  We went to the doctor this morning to check on the lump at the back of his neck and the constant headache.  Praise the Lord, they are nothing serious.  The lump was just lymph that we will follow up in a month.  As for the headache, it wasn't related to the lump and didn't require a prescription.

2) Papahroo's mom's medical condition.  Our family is dealing with mom's serious medical condition at the moment.  As of this morning, we learned about the next steps for the treatment.  We're grateful to be able to find out this soon.

3) Laundry.  The guest is now gone.  We are sanitizing our house today after series of sickness and because of bad smell.  Three loads of laundry are done.  We're grateful to still have laundry to do.  There are people out there who don't even have clothes to change to and socks to put on.

4) Teamwork at Papahroo's office.  The team had to work over the weekend and pull an all-nighter.  We're grateful that because of that, Papahroo could come home before Babyroo's bedtime routine and spend the time together.

Alrighty then.  Back to the family.  May this be a blessing.  Until tomorrow!

Read Day 4

DAY 4 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Woot woot woot?  Weekend's almost over ... already??  Ayy yayyy yayyy.

We had a great fellowship this morning and are glad to be home to wind down before tomorrow.  As for today, our family is grateful for:

1) The AC.  With the weather fluctuating all over the place like in the past few days, we are glad that the AC has helped us warm up and cool down in a matter of minutes.  Babyroo really appreciates this.  Guess who appreciate it even more?  Papahroo and Mamahroo.  Happy Baby ... Happy Parents :-)

2) Source of income.  The economic situation is not at its worst; but definitely not at its best either.  We are grateful that in the midst of it, God still provides our family with source of income.  And that leads us to #3.

3) Papahroo.  Can't thank him enough for never complaining to go to work every day even though that means he has to wake up at 6AM, walks to and from the shuttle stop, and catches the shuttle to work so Babyroo and I can have the car.  Rain or shine.  Overcast or clear.  Cold or hot.  Dark or bright.  EVERY DAY he sacrifices for the family.

4) God's protection.  It only took one split second.  ONE!  As I put the phone away after checking the missed call, there I found Babyroo slowly sliding from the bed head first.  I tried to catch his two flying-in-the-air legs; but I was too late.  Bam!!!  He landed on his forehead.  Praise the Lord, our bed and box altogether are not too high.  Praise the Lord it was a slo-mo.  It could have been worse; and I could have been more careful.  I believe God sent His angels to catch Babyroo.  He still cried though.  Papahroo came to the rescue with ice packs.  I hugged Babyroo tightly and nursed him.  He's slowly calming down.  We checked the rest of his head and body.  Within the next 5 minutes, Babyroo's back to his active mode as if nothing just happened.  This time, he tried to grab the ice packs.

See that red boo boo on his left forehead.  It was redder 10 minutes earlier.

Now you want to grab what?  Ice packs??  Wait a minute, buddy.  Come here please.  Lemme squeeze and hug you first.

What are you thankful for today?  May this be a blessing.  Until tomorrow!!

Read day 3.
Full details on 21 Days of Gratitude challenge.

DAY 3 #21DAYSGRATITUDE

Happy Saturday!!!!

Today I am grateful for my spouse.

First thing in the morning, Papahroo washes the dirty diapers

When Babyroo is up, Papahroo patiently potty trains him

He even puts up with Babyroo's silliness and wiggliness patiently

Don't have breasts to nurse Babyroo?  No problem!  He  keeps Mamahroo hydrated while breastfeeding

And once Babyroo's fully fed, Papahroo cuddles and naps with him to give Mamahroo a break

Isn't our spouse worth thanking EVERY DAY?  :-)

If you haven't already done so, come and join us in this 21 Days of Gratitude challenge.  Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.  Don't forget, tomorrow is FALL BACK!!!  One more hour to sleep, y'all!!  Wahooo.

Until tomorrow!

Day 2