ANNIVERSARY OF A DOZEN YEARS

Yep! You read that right! We celebrated our 12th year wedding anniversary in October, this year. Oh yes ... we've been married for more than 12 years but we have been together for more than 17 years. Seems sooo long doesn't it? It also makes me seem VERY old ... haha! Yeah, I I know I'm no spring chicken but the fact that I've been with my boyfriend (now Hubby) for nearly half of my lifetime ... makes me feel kinda old. And yet it also makes me feel loved, needed, wanted, appreciated ... well, kinda!

As per our usual style, no gifts, special outings nor dinner was in order. Nope, we celebrate it our own way ... spending it like any other day, rather cheaply (hehe). It was decided the eve before our anniversary that we were having a family gathering ... in public no less (I couldn't recall whose idea it was ... probably my mum's). Thus, there we were ... in the early morning of Sunday ... in front of the majestic Sultan Mosque. No, we weren't there to pray .... but to enjoy the yummylicious food, across this place of worship - at the legendary Zam Zam Restaurant. This time round, my brother & his family joined us for the meal. The lunch was especially delicious coz it was F.O.C (kindly paid for, by my generous mum). All in all, the meal cost slightly more than 50 bucks, which was quite a deal, as if fed 13 of us, hungry fellas.

Here's Ryan & Ayra. We managed to get corner seats on the upper level, which are Ryan's favourite coz he can view the road - with all the buses, cars, etc.

Ayra, hiding behind Ryan?
Not playing hide & seek anymore.

My mum, with her trusty mineral water bottle.

Ryan decides to squint his eyes, whilst Ayra gives me a smile!

My Dad, busy ... on his handphone. We were all sitting around waiting for my bro & family to arrive ... so I snapped some pics to while away the time ... hehe!

Ayra having a sip of her favourite drink (coincidentally, also mine) - Season's Ice Lemon Tea ... whilst Ryan looks on his grandparents, on the other side of the room.

Aah! They finally arrived ... so now we can eat, ya?

Everyone's waiting eagerly for the food to arrive - Mee Goreng, Beef Beryani (dunno why the beef was rather tough that day ... undercooked?), Chicken Murtabak, Plain Rice with some chosen dishes plus Egg Prata, drinks & not forgetting, their Power Teh Tarik.
 

Hubby took a photo of the three of us. Yes, I'm in the photo ... coz it seemed only natural to get at least some photos of myself on my 12th anniversary, ya? Oh by the way, isn't black slimming??? Yes, I definitely think so .... haha!

... and since black is rather slimming, why not take more photos of the rather photography-shy lady, all dressed in black ....?

We adjourned to Marina Square & stopped by the water feature (one of Ryan's fav).

Ryan : That's water, Nenek!

Nenek : Yah ... I know what water looks like lah!

The kids liked it there.

On the upper level, there's a mini indoor playground, where the kids had some fun. Here's Ayra coming down the slide.

Ryan takes on the slide too.

Ryan stops awhile ... for Mummy to take a pic.

Ayra having a fun time hanging down the pole.

Shauqi, my nephew ... going for it!

Weee!

In mid-air?

Ayra & my nephew, Sahmi ... sitting on a ride.

Of course Ryan had to have a ride too ... duh!

Ryan wanted to maneuver the ride by himself, nope ... he didn't need help from his Daddy.

Catch me if you can!

One last round!

Well, that was how we spent our 12th wedding anniversary. And eventhough it wasn't filled with gifts or expensive meals, it was spent with the people that we love & love us in return. It was fun!

Happy Anniversary to my darling Hubby, Steven! Thank you for the past 12 loving years. Though we have our ups & downs, eventhough life can be very trying at times, eventhough we have to face a million obstacles, eventhough we never have enough money to spend ... I treasure every moment with you! Now with our mischievous munchkin with us, we have to work even harder to create a better for future for our family. I love you, now & always!

I LOVE MY NEW GOGGLES

After our latest swim (in the previous loong post), Ryan seems enamoured by the latest "toy" ... his blue, shiny goggles. When he saw me taking them out, he insisted on modelling them (at home). Oh well, what's the harm?

Giving Mummy a happy smile, whilst modelling his favourite goggles.

Looking rather cool ... if I may say so myself ... haha!

Is that a scorn, I see?!

Or are you just trying on another one of your brooding, model-like pose?

A VERY FUN SWIM!

P. S : I did a short write-up here, the other time. So here's the long version of it, hehe! This post is very long & full of cute pics (taken in mid Oct 09). You've been warned, people!

Ryan loves to swim. Ok, he doesn't so much swims, but he waddles happily in the baby pool & he splashes water all around. Yep, that's Ryan's version of swimming. He's beginning to enjoy it more these days so we try to indulge him ... sometimes. He still hates water being splashed on his head or face but that's a small "issue" to him. If being slightly wet means, he gets to splash around like a fish-wannabe & he gets to have fun with his playmates around the pool, he very well takes it like a "small" man ... haha!

I had to repeat the two cute pics in the short post, as they were too cute, not to! Ain't these 2, cuties? Ok, I'm biased coz I am related to them ... but they are really very cute, ya?

My two little cuties, getting ready to jump into the pool.

All together now .... aawwww!!!

Ayra has her 1st (head) dip in the pool.

Look at my wonder girl, jumping with joy! I'm surprised that I got such an "active" shot, in mid-air no less. It's either I'm getting better at getting candid photos or I'm just fast with my fingers, haha!

A splashing good time!

Ryan no like being splashed ... but that doesn't stop his cousin from doing it, haha!

I want to go there, Papa!

More splashes, for little Ryan.

I splash too ... but no one gets wet. I wonder why?

He looks kinda cute here.

Hubby, contemplating about life ... whilst his boy stands around.

What a happy girl, she is! Ayra is always so full of life, I'm very thankful that she's a big part of our lives! What will we ever do, without her ....?

Dunno what the kids were doing but they both had the same hand movements ... haha!

I'm over here Kakak ... come & catch me!

Hubby, repositioning his boy's new goggles, which we bought not because Ryan puts his head underwater (nope, he'll never do that). Its coz I got the idea that since Ryan hates water in his eyes, a pair of goggle would help greatly. Yep! it did! He was as happy as peaches. As expected, at first he felt weird using it but later on he kept saying he wanted to wear his "specks" ... haha!

Ayra trying to hide behind tiny Ryan ... errm, its not working, my dear.

Look at my hand Papa.

Wait here Papa, while I go & check things out.

Ryan looking into the water ... whilst (in the corner) Hubby's legs enjoy a short tan.

Hey! I can see my hand.

My little pinky model, strikes a rather "sexy" pose.

More adjustments, as Ryan tends to get water in his goggles.

Here's Ayra asking me to snap pics of her, bobbing her head in & out of the water.

Ayra : Ryan, here's my lovely armpit ... you wanna show me yours too?

Ryan : Errm ... no thanks, Kakak.

Ayra striking another mode-ly pose. She comes up with the cutest of poses, it makes me wonder if she's made for the runway ... haha!

Look at me! I'm doing the wet hair look. Hey ... where's Ryan? You think he wants to join me too?

Ryan : Arrrgggghhhh! I'm the sea monster!

Ayra : Aiyah! You don't scare me, little one!

Come on everyone ... wave your legs in the air!

Some splashes!

Hubby chuckling at his son.

Another cute pic!

Ayra doing her peace sign on Ryan. Haha ... my boy no like!

OK, its time to rest a while.

Trying to look super cool ... (Notice the by-now wet, bulging diapers in his swim suit ... haha!)

Hubby must have ... just been splashed by Ayra & Ryan ... haha!

Look at my girl ... looking dainty, for the camera!

Errmmm .... where did everyone go???

Another sweet pose from my niece. She was the digicam's best model that day ... hehe!

Ayra : This is how you swim, Ryan.

Ayra : I need a short break!

Ryan : Ok lah! Hey ... whose board is this? Can I borrow it?

On the left, a young boy joins us ... for a splashing good time.

After a good splash, Hubby had to clean his glasses.

As Hubby adjusts Ryan's goggles, yet again ... our young friend strikes a conversation with the pretty Miss, in pink.

Ayra : Are you still taking our photos?

Errm ... is this the pangs of puppy love, we see? Two youngsters ... just sitting around ... acting rather shy ...

Our young friend ... looks rather adoringly at Ms Ayra (if I must say so).

Ryan, seems to be the "in-between-third-party" ... as the two youngins sat around.

Just having a small chat ... not that Ryan understands any of it.

Ayra : Let me catch you! (Side note : Ayra was always trying to hug & give Ryan kisses when her new friend tried to chat her up ... dunno why? Maybe she was feeling very conscious & felt weird ... that another boy was paying attention to her, someone that's not her cousins or her own set of friends, maybe).

See our young friend ... always (stealing) glances at my sweet niece? Aahh! Is this admiration ... or just an innocent look?

Ryan, having a splashing good time ... sitting on his Daddy!

More wild splashes!

Ayra ... going for a short swim. (She's not really swimming though ... her feet's touching the floor. And I thought she was really swimming ... haha!)

Doesn't my boy look contented, having his Papa as a cushion ... as he splashes merrily away!

Hey! Where did Papa go?

A last chat up, before we go.

After a quick clean up & shower, Ryan insisted on stopping by the small, deserted playground. Oh well, why not?

As my two kiddies swing away, the little boy on the other swing looks on wearily ... haha! We had to "spoil" his peace, as we joined in on the playground.

Now its Kakak's turn to swing!

All tired now ... waiting for the feeder service to arrive.

What a fun day!!!

I had to mention 2 things about this day though. First, about the young friend we made in the pool. I think it was quite obvious (to me anyway) that he kinda "liked" my niece. Must have found my adorable niece quite an attractive beauty (because she is!). I guess its been a long time since I've seen (openly) such innocent puppy "love" or crush. He was just trying to chat her up & it was all rather innocent. I don't think he even knew its a simple "crush". I guess even at a young age, its inevitable that you feel a liking or admiration for the opposite sex. I guess its all sweet & innocent ... just to see. I don't remember liking anyone when I was soo young but its pretty amusing to see innocent & sweet admiration from a person that holds no hidden agenda or motive. I even overheard him asking Ayra (among other things) ... "Do you come here every Saturday?" Awww .... if that's not puppy love ... than at least its just an invitation to be ... just friends, I guess. Well, for his info. no .... we don't come here every Saturday, just that Saturday ... hehe!

The other thing was .... how late we got home that night! We took the feeder service to IMM (for a simple dinner) coz we parked our car (on a per entry basis) & decided to leave the vehicle there. Since trying to find a parking space in IMM during makan time, was extremely irritating ... we thought it would be wise to leave our car at the club & take the feeder bus instead. NOT! The stupid feeder bus was supposed to make pick-ups at the same drop-off point, every roundabout but as we waited & waited & waited ... for more than 1 & a half stinking hour, I can tell you that the bus did not come! So there we were at 8 + at night, two adults & two kids, all tired & ready to go home ... waiting like stupid goons! Meanwhile other bus passengers (at the public bus stop) came & went .... I was getting really pissed off at having to stand for more than an hour, when I pestered Hubby to just take a cab or something. Finally, Hubby could tell that I was nearing boiling point & the kids were dead tired .... so he walked all the way to the club. Why am I not surprised, when Hubby finally arrived, he said that the feeder bus was parked leisurely at the bay of the club. Arrggh! I was beyond pissed! We wasted close to 2 bl**dy hours of our time, for nothing! Ok, blame us for believing people can be reliable & keep to the (feeder) schedule. Trust us to be so trusting & gullible! - there's no next time, I tell you! By the time we sent Ayra home & reached our own place, Ryan & his parents were damn exhausted!

It was a really fun day! Too bad it had to end on a rather sour note! But if you asked the kids ... it was a damn good day! Oh well! Lesson learnt .... never depend on a fedeer service. Just walk if you have to, ya!