Christmas Eve Celebration

On Christmas Eve morning, I woke up at 9:30am. Went shopping at Coles Stud Park for about 1hr and waited in line for another 1/2hr to pay the bill! there were sooooo many ppl it was not funny!

Got home, helped parents prepare for the Christmas family lunch.... and then drove Al to the airport..

Finally came home at 3pm and had lunch with mum dad and Kev.. it was nice just to have a quiet family lunch. Before we ate, I said grace and gave thanks to the Lord for another blessed year and especially for his Hand upon our family through the year that was and finally we committed the new year in God's hand together as a family.
After lunch, rested a bit and then cooked more for my Christmas Eve Dinner party with everyone from last night plus Victor. Despite feeling sick as anything thanks to my stupid itchy and runny nose, I still forced myself to go cos I didn't want to let my cold take over a night of fun and good laughs..

So went to pick up Michael at 6:45pm and off we went to the city (the traffic was sooooo quiet!) to Chien's QV aptment.

The night was filled with lotsa food, dessert and laughs. I spent most of my time talking to aunty Judy and Gina especially of the funny stories of their memory back in East Malaysia (Sibu). They made me really want to visit East Malaysia now. So I'm determine to make a trip there in FEB. We will see how long Qantas Staff will last for.. hehehe.. **hint hint Sandy... =) The rest of the gang were playing Big Two in the lounge and laughing their heads off too.. we were all having a great time!

Before you know it, the clock had stroke midnight and I had 4 sms from Kenny, Ruth, Allan & Linda to wish me a Merry Christmas.. finally we left Chien's place at 1:30am.

So all up today on Christmas Eve, I received three presents. The first one was from Allan. He gave me this bead choker necklace (blue & black) with a butterfly as the charm (the first present he ever gave me was a pair of white gold diamond earrings shaped in a butterfly UC). The best thing about the choker was that the patterns on the beads (ie. the use of colours) is actually a mosman code that denotes John3:16. I thought 'wow! what a smart way of making a bead necklace! how original!' But I must say, the best thing I love about his present was in fact the words he wrote in his Thank You Card. It read "Dearest Vicky, You're Simply the BEST!! as my sister and my bestest friend". That has been the sweetest thing he's ever written to me!!

The second present I received was from Michael, which was a present I absolutely needed and love!! Michael is a guy who has a BIG heart for all his close friends. Yet when it comes to girls, he is clueless on what to get for them.. so like always, he asked me what do you want for Christmas? Knowing that I didn't want him to give me any more presents, I replied 'I want.. um.. you to give me a new boyfriend, can or not?' hahahaa.. So I finally just replied to him "surprise me Mike, see if you know me well or not.. as long it's something I don't just put there to collect dust & of course, it has to be the biggest present too! (only teasing him of course)" . So sure enough , tonight as he acted like santa claus giving out all the pressies he bought for everyone, mine was in deed the biggest of present of them all.... When I unwrapped it, it was a cordless touch-type keyboard and a cordless mouse from Logitech. AND it was EXACTLY what I needed! cos the one at my work is spoilt already...and I totally forgotten that a keyboard is exactly what I wanted! Yet, Mike read my mind.... You're the best!

The third present was from Ruth (we used to be best of friends until mid year this year when she accused me of so many things I didn't do all b/c she fell in love with a man that I didn't approve of who brainwashed her mind.. )who dropped my present at my letterbox. Anyhow, Ruth gave me this really beautiful hand made sculpture that read: "May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" 2 Cor 13:14. Her card read "I know we aren't as close as we use to be, but you're still in my prayers, love always, Ruth". It truely touched my heart that despite all that we've gone through this year, she is still wishing and wanting our f/ship back... and of course, even though it's not easy to forgive her.. I have learnt that life is too short to be holding grudges. Besides it is during times like this that we can truely learn to be more like Jesus.. to forgive your brothers not seven times but seventy times seven times...

It's definitely been a beautiful Christmas so far predominantly because I am in the company of my loved ones..