She talks.

I finally got around to putting some batteries into Mikaela's new kitchen set.

Here she is, jabbering away into her now "working" phone. 

She talks. And talks. Non-stop.

PS: Be sure to check out some new videos I added to my You tube channel - including the ones of Mikaela and her adorable friends doing Gymnastics and Dance.

~ Mrs. Arcfide

Almost 3

She's almost 3! I hope you guys enjoy the proofs from her portrait session this afternoon. ♥  

~ Mrs. Arcfide

Mikaela Sings!

A Birthday-Mother's Day

It's a pretty sweet Mother's Day, when

your two year old wishes you, 

"Happy Birthday-Mother's Day!!"

Never mind that my birthday's actually in September. ;-)

Le Sigh

I think of my family. Of course I do.

Especially days like today, on Mother's Day . . . when I wish I could pick up the phone, and call my mom just to hear the sound of her voice again.

I try to remember the good moments (and we had *many*) - those happy, carefree days when my siblings and I rode our bikes for hours, roller-bladed, sang together, went on road trips, and cracked each other up.

But there are other moments. Those moments laced with harsh and almost oppressive expectations, too heavy to bear. My health broke. The last year in my father's house, the dawning realization in my heart, the stress and helplessness I felt - it was all like a bad dream. I needed to get away. So get away I did.
 
On days like today, I pull up a few of my favorite links. I read again the writings of strangers, who seem like friends to me, mostly because they've walked this road before me. These "friends" took all my messy emotions, combed the dark corners of my heart, and wove into words what I would have never brought myself to say.

They know me.

They've walked my journey.

And they've learned to move on.

So now you know. Where I've come from, and where I hope to be. :)

PS: Be sure to read all 7 posts in rebuilding after deconstruction - you'll be glad you did.
 
~ Mrs. Arcfide

To every thing there is a season

Next to getting married and having our baby, graduating again this year was one the of happiest and proudest moments of my life.

I am done with classes. I truly am.

I was fortunate enough to finish among the Top 3 of my graduating class.

In 2003, when I first graduated high school, going to college - let alone graduating from college - was an untenable idea. Nine years later, I have worked full-time, put myself through late-night classes, had an amazing man ask me to marry him, moved half-way around the world, had a beautiful baby, and completed over 100 credits and two Associates degrees in 2.5 years.

My life has been one big, happy roller-coaster ride that I would not exchange for the world. I am so thankful to God, for His blessings, and to my husband, our extended family, and all our friends, for their continuous words of encouragement and support.

They were the ones who poured fuel over my fire on days when I felt like I was burning out.
I could not have done it without them.

I am thankful, too, for this little munchkin, who patiently bore with her parents all 2.5 years of her little lifetime they were in school. She was a constant reminder of the more important things in life outside of books - stuff like food, baths, laughter, dirty diapers, and play-dates.

She looks so deceptively calm and composed in this picture. ;)

 

Me walking across the stage.

Oompa and Ooma - the BEST grandparents a girl could ask for.

With My Man ♥ I *love* him so much!!!

The daughter who did not want to take pictures.

My touch of pizazz to the Pomp and Circumstance.

I will always look back on this chapter of my life without regrets, knowing I did my best for myself, for my family. Knowing I pleased my husband, and made him proud. All that sleep-deprivation was so worth it, in the end!

"So, then, to every man his chance – to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity…" - Thomas Wolfe.

Thank you, Ivy Tech!

~ Mrs. Arcfide

The Highlight of Mikaela's Week . . .

A Day to Remember . . .

Two Facebook updates today said it all:

Status #1) Done with the last exam of my very last class. No more syllabuses - surreal!! :)

and #2)  So, while I was at school taking my Finals this morning, Mikaela woke up, took off her diaper, and got dressed - all by herself! It was all good until she climbed on our bed, and peed on her sleeping Daddy. Yeeeaah. ;)

So today has been a good day, filled with cramming, testing, meetings, and other domestic sundries like washing sheets, and hosting - since a surprise visitor joined us for dinner.

I'm dog-tired, but grateful for new mercies every morning. Especially grateful to close another chapter of my life.

Hope y'all are doing well! 

~ Mrs. Arcfide

Like it?

 Here's a recent picture that one of my photographer-friends 

took of me, while we were in Chicago!

Elizabeth is SO talented - she can make anyone,
and anything look good, trust me!

More about that trip, to come . . .

~ Mrs. Arcfide

Friends . . .

How adorable are Mikaela and her friends?! :)
More pictures from our church's 2nd anniversary celebration here.

~ Mrs. Arcfide

Of ethnicity and bloodlines . . .

Some time ago, Ooma and I were discussing ethnicity and bloodlines, and trying to figure out what the cute mostly-Chinese pumpkin you see in that picture was made of.

She wrote,

I AM 50% IRISH, 25% ENGLISH AND 25% GERMAN.
THE OTHER SIDE WAS 25% IRISH AND 75% ITALIAN.
THAT MAKES YOUR MOM 37.5% IRISH AS WELL AS 12.5% ENGLISH, 12.5% GERMAN AND ITALIAN.
AARON IS 18.75% IRISH, 18.75% ITALIAN, 6.25% GERMAN AND 6.25% ENGLISH AND 50% CHINESE.
THAT MAKES MIKAELA 9.375% IRISH. ALMOST 10%.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU CALCULATE YOUR SIDE OF THE FAMILY.

I'm 100% Chinese-Singaporean. To add to the Chinese-Singaporean nationality-complication, my grandparents were Malaysians, and my maternal grandfather was Thai. That makes Mikaela 75% Chinese, 9.375% Irish . . . and - anyone else willing to do the rest of the math? ;-)

~ Mrs. Arcfide

So "Mikaela"

Dear Mikaela,

Out of the hundreds of pictures I took over Spring break,
this one ranks as one of my Favorites.

I don't mind that it was taken inside a garage,
filled with drab colors and doggy hair.

My eyes keep getting drawn towards that hot little red face
in the picture, with That Expression. Your expression.

The same one that greets my sleepy eyes each morning,
as you ask for "Apple Juice!"

The same one that faces me when you talk animatedly
about Lightning, Mator, and Curious George . . .

It's the same one that tells me, "You're so you."

I didn't think I'll actually get a good picture of you that moment when I called your name.
You've been good at blinking just when I snap my camera, lately.

Or walking right up to me for a hug and a squeeze, so I can't get your picture anyway.

But this time, you looked directly at me, and simply said, "Yes?"

And this was one of the few times I was glad you didn't smile,
because in that moment,

I finally saw a picture of you.

~ Mama

Them deceivingly bright and sunny days . . .

Photo credit to our friend and neighbor: W.L Ng

I braved yesterday afternoon driving alone in heavy rain and hail, under stormy skies . . .
hearing tornado warnings outside, and severe weather interruptions over the radio.

I've never seen anything quite like that in all our years here in B-town. Seriously.

~ Mrs. Arcfide

Mikaela can say her "ABC's"

Mikaela's been saying her ABC's for a couple of weeks now. She's learned rather quickly from watching ABC songs on DVD, and playing with the alphabet on almost every electronic toy she owns.

When she was younger, it was kind of funny to hear her call "A", "Apple". Now, it seems that "V" is "Van", or "Ban". Listen to her go, " . . . U, 'Ban', 'Double', X, Y, Z!"



~ Mrs. Arcfide

Fundies May Not Like

*The List So Far, aka "The Fundamentalist Rulebook" had me literally ROFL.

98.5% of it was accurate, as I recall from my fundie-church experiences. Well, I still attend a fundie-church. I've just learned to laugh more at our own expense. Haah.

~ Mrs. Arcfide

* Not for the easily offended. Consider yourself warned.

Our Little Woman

I do believe I just heard her shout-out a war cry!

:cough:

~ Mrs. Arcfide

A Pony Ride

Mikaela loves watching the home videos I make for her, and this is one of her favorites. It was taken back in October last year, when my mother-in-law took us to the stables. Personally, I'm amazed at how quickly she has grown since then.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to keep up with making new slideshows/videos all the time, but I sure try. :)



~ Mrs. Arcfide

A Week in the Keystone State

Last week, the latest of Aaron's talks and conferences led us to spend a couple of days in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.

Having loved history and historical fiction ever since I was a kid, I couldn't help but feel excited to see with my own eyes the meeting places and buildings that played an instrumental role in the founding of this country.

Mikaela and I explored as much as we could on foot, carriage, and taxi.

Independence Hall

The Liberty Bell ~ Picture proof that Mikaela was here,

albeit while she was sleeping. ;-)

Inside Independence Hall, where the Declaration was signed.

Our first horse-drawn carriage ride!

Be sure to check out my Youtube Channel for more videos of our trip, where Mikaela had her kind of fun at the Please Touch Museum in Philly. :)

~ Mrs. Arcfide