In a flash, we’ve come to the last day of the year.  It has been overwhelmingly hectic but God has kept us safe through our coming in and going out.  Here’s are some of the year’s significant moments through our lens:

January – Dana had her ears pierced at the Kids’ Clinic@Bishan and we’ve no regrets! Dr. Oh is excellent and we can’t recommend her enough.  Our ear-piercing experience was recently published in The Asian Parents.

January also saw Dana being enrolled in a new kindy which she absolutely loves. The teachers are fab, she gets plenty of love and room to grow, learn, explore and play!  Whenever we see how happily adjusted she is in school, we can’t help but thank God for giving us the wisdom and favor to make the transition.

February – We spent Chinese New Year in KL and returned to celebrate an early Valentines’ at the famed Ocean Restaurant. We arranged for Dana to have a playdate at my Mom’s so we can enjoy an uninterrupted dinner. After 14 years of marriage, we still look forward to couple dates, that ought to say something. We are not perfect spouses (far from it) but we make it a point to say ‘I love you’ to each other daily and these 3 simple words remind us of the covenant we owe to each other.

March – We celebrated Grandma’s 86th Birthday at Chevron’s Chalet. Her eyesight may not be as good, her gait not as strong but her spirits remain high and laughter unbridled. I love her so so much.  May she have many more good years to enjoy the company of her children, grandchildren and great grand-children. It is also my plea that she will soon say yes to accept the saving grace of the Lord Jesus.

April – Dana turned 5!  We threw her a big bowling party complete with a full dessert table set up and roving photography service from Party with Eva which eased us of many of the stresses associated with party planning.  A few friends have also used their service and found them commendable.

May – Dana mastered the art of cycling on a two wheeler from Coach Kenneth of SG Bike School.  That was the start of many leisurely sessions of evening cycling at the parks. We came to accept the fact that some things in life, you just gotta leave it to the professionals.

May was also my birthday month. We took a Mothers’ Day staycation at the rustic Changi Village Hotel and booked an additional room for my Mom and Grandma to join us. We took the chance to explore Changi Chapel and Museum and listen to my Grandma retell some WWII stories.

June – Our family’s mid-year vacation to Bali, Indonesia where we stayed at the Mara River Safari Lodge, hiked to a waterfall, gone on a wild dolphin tour in Lovina, scaled a Tree Top Park and discovered by chance a classy hotel stay in Jimbaran. If you’re considering a family holiday in Bali, check out our Bali for Kids series.

July /August – It has become one of our family traditions to catch the National Day Fireworks.  We were lucky to score a pair of NDP Preview Tickets from an online contest this year (and the 3rd ticket through a friend on that morning itself).  Nothing beats being able to watch the revelry LIVE. We give thanks for the good governance of our country.

August was also the month of Dana’s Kindy Project Open House Day. Parents were invited to classrooms to attend a mini-exhibition of the children’s project work on the theme ‘wings’. We were most impressed with the efforts, both from the teachers and the students!

September – We took a short flight up north to KL with the sole agenda to bring Dana to experience Kidzania! It was a short but good getaway; we stayed in a comfy hotel and enjoyed yummy local food at the adjorning I Utama Shopping Mall.

October – Daddy came down with the dreadful HFMD (yikes!) but thankfully, with strict hygiene and the help of Young Living Essential Oils, we managed to relieve his discomfort and contain the spread. We visited Legoland Waterpark after he recovered and loved it to bits!

November – We brought Dana to watch ‘Starlight Express‘ – her third musical at MBS.  It was a theatrical treat for the family. We enrolled her in a creative and language arts holiday camp at Kids’ Gallery and found them to be one of the best that is around.

December – An action-packed month. Dana had her first piano recital at The Arts House. Her Aussie and KL cousins came for a visit so we hosted them for a week.  We flew off to Taiwan for our year end vacation and Daddy started work at his new posting soon after we return.

I realised that apart from work, 2013 has been defined by parenting duties. We filled our schedules with activities and places that she enjoys, dined at and travelled to places that are family friendly and discussed primarily kid-centric issues.  As tiring and time-consuming as it may be, we still count it pure joy and privilege to be a parent. God-willing, may 2014 be another smooth-sailing and fun-filled year for Dana as a final year kindergartener before formal schooling commences.

I cannot write this year in review without thanking God for all His favor and blessings, many of which came about because of this blog (this happens to by my 190th post for the year!). I hope our blog will continue to inspire and motivate us to devote ourselves to make memories that matter.  Here’s wishing our families, friends and readers a great and wonderful 2014.

To God be the Glory.

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” John Wesley.