Since the silent years on this blog, where our last chapter closed on rosy love, I have come to re-visit this place. A quiet space on the interweb which seems to be a cross between sitting under a tree and yelling into a canyon.

In those silent years, we have fought and made up, tried for 15 months to conceive, enjoyed 9 months of growing a child in a belly, and been put through the grinder of parenthood.

I am no longer the same.
I am older, my body is more broken.
I am less ambitious (already!?)
I am more contented, our baby's hugs are golden.
I am stiffer, bigger, baggier.
I am tired.
I want for less.
I've learnt to live with less.
I've learnt to ask for less.

Some days, I put my head down and cannot get back up.
In these times, you have still been my anchor.
You finish what I cannot
You hold us together.

I don't know where you find the strength
But I am always deeply grateful.

Thank you for being a great daddy.

the working house husband

Dennis is so sweet. Ever since I started my new job and been very tired (and currently sick), he does most of the evening meals. :D
I feel so blessed and I know it's rare to have this. Thank you God for a man who can hold me up in the most sacrificial ways (the small unnoticed ways that dont get huge thanks)- washing, getting a cup of tea for a sick wife, foot massages before I sleep.
Sometimes I feel ashamed that he is so good to me! I don't deserve it.

But thank you so much Dennis. You love is amazing.

God is moulding us in new ways.
His ways are higher, His love is greater.

My Baby Just Cares For Me

Dennis has been returned home safely. I am so happy to have him back to me. His person is so irreplacable- his voice, the way he feels next to me, and his smell when he looks sleepy in the mornings. I think after being a week apart (the necessity of the PR application) I appreciate him much more and absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder.

I've learnt a lot about myself this past week too. And I want to make sure I remember to be independent and positive, and to take care of the people I love.

She wondered what was hiding in his CK briefs

A sausage?
A gun?
A joystick?
A cucumber?
A nunchuk?
A vacuum cleaner?
A lava lamp?
A carrot?
A spray can?

It turned out to be the kind of meat you call a boner.

The Quiet World

In an effort to get people to look
into each other's eyes more,
the government has decided to allot
each person exactly one hundred
and sixty-seven words, per day.

When the phone rings, I put it
to my ear without saying hello.
In the restaurant I point
at chicken noodle soup. I am
adjusting well to the new way.

Late at night, I call my long
distance lover and proudly say
I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn't respond, I know
she's used up all her words
so I slowly whisper I love you,
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe.
- Jeffrey McDaniel

Hearing "I love you" from you still makes my heart skip a beat.

Dennis' haiku to Sara

My spy poem
Oh lovely Sara, you are the apple of my eye
I spy on you day and night
Because you are my wife
- Dennis

Sara: HAHAHAH that is so… bad… its funny!

your sex is like

Fire.

Cos I'm fly

Like a G6.

My Hubby

My Hubby is not chubby
He likes to rub my tummy.

He works hard in the day
at night he gets to play.

He's generous and kind
Even when he's in a bind.

Sometimes he acts like he's six
He likes to play with sticks.

He bangs on drums
He does every kind of dum de dum
there is to hum

He loves me with all embracing
He sets my heart a-racing

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
102,039,485,828,104...
102,039,485,828, 105...

I love you.
No matter how I might look or feel for the small and present now,
deep in the "long run" of things, I love you so much and that makes me happy.

Reunited, and it feels so good

It's the proverbial third day, and I am reunited with Dennis after having been to Singapore for Lydia's wedding. We were glad to see each other and very tired, and our conclusion after updating each other: it's not worth being if it isn't with you.

Where one is, so the other must be, or misery is the only company.

I'm glad to be home with my husband.

the WAX

3 weeks to being wed, and there can no longer be any shame in talking about the unsaintly taboos of our youth. Having shared widely with curious girlfriends on the topic of contraception, I have completely given up all pretences of ignoring the impending issue of sex, and boldly thus plod I forward. Heave ho!

Dennis requested that his bride be waxed for his first special morning (for he has deemed the night itself far too tiring). I guess you could say it is the "morning after". After what? Legalisation. And no, no morning after pill will be able to skirt these issues.

I have struggled with the idea of waxing for a while now. I've shaved and plucked in an effort to ignore the option of waxing, but I was determined to try it out since it was Dennis' request for the first time.

A friend of mine recommended Plums on Albany Hwy, and the lady was so lovely. It really hurt when she pulled out the hairs and she did a pretty clean job. She told me a lollipop would help and there I was biting on it for dear life as she poured hot wax on places I thought wax should never go. It's starting to itch already though, not unlike a shave, so I don't see what the pros of waxing can be, since I can shave for cheaper. Nevertheless, I am returning for a following up before the wedding in 3 weeks time. Which brings me to the next point- what kind of maintenance does this require? Do I have to fork out a couple of tens a month to keep this going? I could be paying for the internet bill with that money! So.. I don't know what to do after I come back from the wedding. Do I shave again? pluck with resolve? continue waxing?

Argh!

And I hate first time waxes. Horrible. I can see how follow ups are much better.

Now, what to get my bridesmaids for their presents.

The skit that started it all

This is the skit that started it all. The match making, the courting, dating, shopping and bruises.

A snipplet of our wedding photoshoot

By Sara's cousin, Avril

Pleasure State

We bought simple white lingerie on Sunday- with little ribbons. It's a pleasure state set, pretty expensive but on sale at Myer it came under $50 which is really fantastic! I'm glad we were able to pick something we were both comfortable with. I think we're really excited about our first time together. I'm so excited I want to sew a garter for myself! With pretty lace.

Wednesday Love

We're back in Perth and we're in love.

Singapore was lovely. It was hot and smeltering, filled with good food and faithful friends. We managed to eat just about everything we wanted along with meeting a whole bunch of friends. AND we busted $180+ on durians. Hur hur.

We bought some books and devotional material that we're doing together. Its really nice to do devotion with my lovely wife cake. I like hearing what she thinks about things and how she feels. Makes me feel important. Like I have privileged information.

i love her bits.

The weekend before Singapore

It's been a rush- suddenly realising that we were leaving the coming friday was a welcome relief, but it also meant I had to prepare the 10 centrepieces, the reception decor and figure out an ang bao box. This wedding is going to be full of home made goodness. Although we cannot see the point in spending a lot of money on just one day, we still want it to be nice.

We finished some of the packing and have tried to make a comprehensive list of other things that have not been packed. In between that, church and exercise, it's been so busy. I am excited.

I cooked Dennis prata for dinner.

Our eventful weekend

It is 145 days till our wedding.
We are in love.

We went out for dinner for Ashley's birthday. Sara bought a Kookai skirt and we went for dinner with Jo and Shuwen at Vinh Hong. We had a cocktail at 1907 before dinner :)
We are tired now.

We love to sleep in warm beds.

-------------

The invites are underway and being printed. We will have them in July. We don't know what they look like!! Hopefully they will really be nice. :s

love love love is in the air
and in a foot massage.

Terry and Anne's big day- us

Sleeping Together

Today marks the ideation of consummation. We bought a $800 queen sized pocket spring mattress from Bedshed along with a "Bambi" brand mattress protector. It will be delivered in October when we want it! We tried all the beds in Bedshed and Fortywinks, and decided on this Vital Posture Gently Firm one. It was on stocktake sale down from 1000.

We also bought a sake set for $15, with 4 different cups and 1 bottle. And I bought a few more random dishes to add to my collection of random dishes for use during serving dinners. I am really enjoying collecting these things. :)

Dennis has been sick for 2 weeks with a cold or flu with lots of phlegm. Surprisingly, I have not gotten sick from it as usually I come down with things first or pretty soon after. I attribute it to the exercise I have been doing more regularly?

We have just finished putting together the quiz that Rima and Michael have asked us to do and I am sitting in the study looking at my pretty Sake cups, all of different glazes and colours.

26 days to Singapore!

159 days to marriage!

Names for grown ups (eventually)

Philippa (Pippa) Tng sounds like a good name for a girl.

string

I re-strung Dennis' shorts today so he could wear it.

me: So if you didn't have me what would you do about this?

him: Er, throw away lor. Buy new one.

me: Then have girl how?

him: Ask honey to fix it lor.

me: Huh, like that ah.

I like it when the soft look in his eyes is saved for me alone. The muscles in his face and the gleam in his eye tell me what his fumbling words cannot- that I am for him, that he desires no other, and gives praise for the loan of my company for as long as life shall be. He looks so tenderly upon my that even I shy away at times inside, overcome by the love he shows. I am so grateful, and I can want no other.

Give heartful thanks to the great God who has made this be.