MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Christmas on Singapore Air

Dad in his blizzard boots

Matt on bass playing rock band

Lainey in her birthday outfit

Since we have been back State-side we have been on the go, go, go.....literally. We had a wonderful Christmas with my Dad's extended family the day after we flew into Tulsa(thanks Mom & Dad for taking us to dinner the night we got in town). It was great to see aunts, uncles, and crazy little cousins!! And it felt so good to be home. I have to admit, it was slightly stressful trying to do last minute scrambles for presents and wrapping, but we made it :)

We have had a wonderful Christmas with both our families. Made it to OKC just at the start of the blizzard and in time to enjoy a nice fire Mom had started. Good thing too, since we were in OKC for a couple days. Being snowed in wasnt the greatest for some people, but I really enjoyed the down time. Bryan & Hallie were unable to make it this year, but cant say they didnt try......they made it to Chicago and got stuck but luckily got a flight back to NYC & enjoyed staying warm there & sent silly Christmas photos for us to enjoy.

We made it back to Tulsa to see some of the Dill family ie: aunts, uncles, cousins, his grandparents, etc....What a crazy bunch. Definitely a big family & lots and lots of very active little ones :) Everyone was so excited to see Matt home for good.

This week we bought our first car together! Matt does such an awesome job at everything, he really is the smartest person I know. We are so lucky to have each other!

Amidst all the chaos of running around & trying to be 20 places at once for Christmas, and all that goes along with it, in reflection we are so thankful for our families & love them so much. We feel so blessed to be safe & warm over the holidays & beyond.

We are especially thankful for each other and our super excited to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!

ONE WEEK TO GO!

A few pictures of what are apt is currently looking like. Suitcases packed, stacks here and there, etc... Movers are scheduled to come tomorrow. I have been spending almost every day this week working on our air shipment as well as our personal suitcases coming along with us to the hotel & beyond. Lots to do. Lots of little stuff. Ugh...the little stuff gets to me....and I tend to just toss it. Last night was our very last time to spend the night in the apt...kind of weird. But we are getting more excited to come home by the day (and Matt is getting more excited for vacation by the day).

Thats all for now....still got a few things to finish up. I have some errands to run this morning, Matt is working half a day, then we'll meet up in the city & come back here to finish working on stuff together & eventually check into our hotel sometime.

Prayers for a smooth move & flights back home are always appreciated.

Until next time-probably not until we are back in the States, so take care!

MAKE A LIST OR FLY BY THE SEAT OF MY PANYS?

Frustrated!!! I had totally written an awesome blog & something happened & it deleted. Gawsh! Thats so frustrating. Really made me mad, I had worked so hard. So I will now wrap it up in a summary for you cause I cant remember everything I wrote.
We had an awesome weekend as usual. We kicked it off the New Harbour's Friday special of fish n chips...which are really awesome. Tastes so good. We had a relaxing but productive weekend. Got lots of stuff packed, moved into piles, planned, etc....
Lots to get done still. This is Matt's last official week of work. Woo-hoo. I myself have some last minute shopping to do. As well as finish packing, pulling things together, packing things to give away, etc.....walk the dog, wash the car, feed the hogs...ha!!
Lost of stuff here decorated & ready for Christmas. Some people may not like it for many reasons, but I can say it definitely puts me in the holiday spirit & I get more anxious every day to finally be home for the holidays. I think the spirit & cheer is definitely something everyone could use!

More to come later....hopefully this week and next will be blessed by God for a smooth transition, move and flights back home!!

OUR LAST FRIDAY

Today is a bittersweet day. It's our last Friday for a few things.

1. Last Friday to meet Matt for our annual lunch date. I have been doing this every Friday since I moved over here with him. So much fun getting to see him middle of the day. Always makes the weekend come faster.

2. Last Friday to live in our apt. How weird is that? Thursday night we move into a hotel. Friday the movers will be here and we will be living in a hotel for a week before coming home.

3. My last Friday to take the train out east...anywhere. Until we leave I wont be going back that way. Kind of strange.

So....lots to do this weekend and next week. We officially move out of our apt on Thursday (omg, I'm so not prepared in anyway). On Friday the movers come. Then Monday & Tuesday of the following week, we have cleaning services as well as some ac maintenance being done.

We have 2 shipments going back home, 1 air and 1 sea. So need to get those stacks sort of separated as well as any last minute gifts bought, preparing what we are carrying in suitcases, etc....Hope we dont leave anything behind!! Wish us luck!

SO LITTLE TIME....

Since Ryan has been here we have been super busy! You wouldnt believe, so I will catalog our events for you:
1. Thursday:
Picked Ryan up from the airport 3:45am
Went to the grocery several hours later to buy the last of Thanksgiving goodies and cooked Thanksgiving all morning while Ryan played online jet-lagged.
Matt came home from work & we had an afternoon of football & Thanksgiving treats (minus the stuffing because I forgot it). Then we headed to Morton's for mini fillet mignon steak sandwiches....delicious :)
Then to a restaurant called Shin...something. When we were seated at our table our waiter immediately asked "Would you like something or nothing"? We were very confused & delirious from lack of sleep, so we all burst out laughing & made jokes regarding it the rest of the night.
2. Friday:
Matt has holiday today.
Went and took Ryan on a tour of the CBD, Quays and the Civic District. He was really impressed with the city. It was super hot too. I was smart and put on sun screen, unfortunately I cannot say the same for the other 2.
Came home, took naps, watched sports on tv and then headed out to Lau Pa Sat for dinner & freaking our guest out :) So much fun!
3. Saturday:
Chinatown and Maxwell food court. Had fun at the Buddha temple just down the street. Had fun in the sun again, man has it been crazy hot here!!
The clouds were not in our favor so we came home, the boys went down to the pool and I napped. Yeah, they went to the pool in the rain. Boys will be boys.
Saturday night we headed out to Holland Village and introduced Ryan to Singapore style Mexican food. It was crazy because the place we originally go was closed (a repeat of Thursday night) so we just went next door, which was equally good.
Then we came back down to our part of town and had a nice glass of wine on a great night at Universal. I love me some Aussie wine!!
4. Sunday:
Pump Room brunch, Orchard Road, Christmas decorations, etc.... It was busy, and fun. Ryan walked around in his rhinestone shirt and cowboy boots....definitely a sight to see in Singapore :)
Dinner was the buffet at the Straits Kitchen.....a buffet of all asian foods local and regional. It was amazing!
5. Monday:
Back to work for Mr Matt.....boo.
Matt took Ryan to the old war forts at Sentosa & I stayed home & enjoyed the pace and quiet! And cleaned & did laundry etc....
But I made Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch and we celebrated our 11 monthery with Ryan at Pasta Brava....the best Italian ever!!
Happy 11th month Matt!! It's just everything! I love you :)
6. Tuesday:
Waited for Matt to come home. Then we went to Vivo & sat outside near the water & enjoyed Brotzeit german food. It was an awesome afternoon of just hanging out.
We came home, chilled out and then headed to Swisshotel's New Asia Bar on the 70th floor. There were so many awesome views....it was amazing.
Chijmes was our choice for dinner at Esmirada and it tasted delicious. Rained a little bit but luckily we were well covered.
7. Today:
Killin time before we head out to meet Matt near his work for lunch. Not sure what the rest of the day holds for us, but there is always an adventure to be had!
Tonight we'll do JUMBO for dinner and my mouth is already watering. Cant be out too late though, as Ryan leaves EARLY in the morning & Matt has his usual phone call back to Tulsa for work.

Thats about all. Looking forward to a quiet weekend working on moving & all that goes along with it. Not too long before we are moved out of this apartment.....a little over a week, in fact.
There is so much to do with the weekend kicking everything off....as I look at my calendar I realize we went settle back down until after our anniversary. Ahhh...gettin' ready to head home for the holidays!!

WHERE TO START??

1. Thank goodness I broke the old cable box and we upgraded. I love my new HD, DVR and sports channel. I am loving catching up on all things HBO.
2. Matt & Ryan are off looking at old war forts (gag and gawd) so I'm home alone in the apt. Dont get me wrong I adore my husband & like his friends, but the quiet is super nice :) I'm so excited I could take a nap (serious I might while no one is home).
3. Today is our 11 month anniversary. Ha. Bet you thought these would trail off in the posts...but definitely not. Next month will be a year! WOW! I cant believe how fast time flies!
4. Pasta Brava tonight for dinner.....oh I cant even wait! I can taste it already!
5. Just over 2 weeks left here in Singapore. We are excited to be coming home!
6. Lots to see & do in the next few days (better get my rest).
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!

Matt at the start of the race

Matt, Husein, Allen & Darrell (fr his group @ work)

Matt ran an amazing 10k race this weekend, on black asphalt, in 91 degree F weather. I teared up a little bit because I was just so dang proud of him! Nothing like waiting near the finish & seeing my sweetheart just smiling' at me & running for the finish!!

Had a great time with the group at the bbq at Husein's apt's, which were super nice. Although we did start getting attacked by some leaches the guys tried to calm me down by saying they were slugs. But I know better. Ewww...they were just falling out of the trees right after it had rained. As far as I know, slugs dont climb trees. Anyone an expert on this? Have any thoughts or comments? Oh well. Nobody was hurt & they certainly didnt fall on anyone...I think Chin may have brushed one off....I'm shivering talking about it....no more. Anyways, all the food was awesome & some people's cooking skills definitely were a pleasant surprise. And the group loved my homemade salsa and cookies :) of course. And they were really impressed with the sausages we took.

Sunday was definitely a day for lounging around the apt. We were exhausted after Saturday. I did a bit of house work(ie: cooking pancakes, cleaning and laundry) and Matt did some playing around online....looking for cars to buy when we return home.

The weekend was great as usual, which always makes Monday the hardest day of the week. I never want to get out of bed or for Matt to go to work. Hope everyone else had a great weekend. Sounds like lots of people participated in the Route 66 run this weekend as we were at the Aviation run. Congrats to all those who ran this weekend, it's definitely good to see so many people taking good care of themselves!

Cheers!

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Today being Thursday means that the weekend is just around the corner....we are so close! I am anxiously waiting. Matt has a 10k run & we are cooking out with his group from work; it should be so much fun!

We have been Christmas shopping, mostly online & have everyone's gifts planned out. Matt has done an awesome job helping out. It takes me weeks to figure some stuff out & it takes him like 30 minutes or an hour. Oh, the life of Matt & being able to do most things effortlessly.

Also just around the corner is Ryan's visit. I am in the process of making the office a home-away-from-home for him. Still a couple things left to do before he arrives next week. But at least its been in the works. We've also got tons of ideas on what to see, do and most importantly EAT!

I have also planned out a nice little Thanksgiving meal/snacks/food for all day. So much fun planning things with Matt. He definitely gets catered to when it comes to food around here. Anything for my man! And of course have to make sure Ryan is well fed too.

And then after that all the moving chaos begins. Then home. Ahhh home sweet home. Been filing out tons of paperwork. Yesterday I did inventory of everything we own in this apartment. Then hear from my husband he may have a copy of the paperwork from when he moved over here. Seriously? I just counted dishes, flatware, pots, pans, utensils,cd's, dvd's, books,etc.....and you are just now telling me that you have that paperwork?!?! Oh well. Thats ok...now we'll be able to double check the checking off of items plus things we've acquired over here together. There is definitely going to be a garage sale next spring, I cant tell you that for sure!! (as soon as I get the basement cleaned out and all our Singapore stuff unpacked & organized).

Have a wonderful end of the work week friends & a great weekend!

TUESDAY THINKING

Again. Working on packing, moving & customs forms. This is a full-time job. I cant even begin to do inventory (on what little we actually have) because I keep forgetting things, I get distracted (oh whats this or thats where this has been). It's a bit like spring cleaning I wasnt ready to do. But thats ok. I'll have even more spring cleaning to do in the basement when we get home. Stuff was thrown in the house from Matt's old house & from my old apartment & we never really have been able to go through everything & clear out all the stuff we should get rid of. Actually we did donate a bunch of clothes last winter. So there is a start!



A community in OKC is definitely in need of many prayers. Such a tragic story of a 9 yr old boy (who is in my cousin's 3rd grade class at school) was stabbed to death by his father. I cannot imagine how you can do that to a defenseless, helpless 9 yr old sweet child in the middle of the night. Not to mention that the father is a physician. I am struggling not to think horrible wishes for the Dad & how he should pay. What in the world could a 9 yr old do to warrant the onset of something like this? What is the world coming to? People throwing their babies in the trash, rape & child molesters, kidnappings, and now parents murdering their own flesh & blood?!! Lots & lots of prayers need to be said. Luckily the school has been handling this horrific situation very well, according to my aunt & the priest affiliated with the school is very good with kids, so that isa good benefit to them.



Not much else to say. Just a pretty, sunny Tuesday afternoon. I would like to go to the pool, but am not sure when I'm going to the the "urge" to do some busy work again. Better take care of this stuff while I'm in the mood!



Hope everyone is doing well & please keep the grade school community in your thoughts & prayers.

YOUNG AGAIN....

This weekend was awesome. Just like every other weekend seems to be.
We had a nice relaxing Friday night, which was much needed. I think we both went to bed before 10pm. Yikes.

However Saturday we both got up early & worked on the fitness. Matt is running a 10k this Saturday & I am so proud of him for being so dedicated on his training. I used to run with him, but am not the runner he is & I felt like I was holding him back from performing how he was able to. So I go to the gym & do my machines & stuff. It works out great for both of us!

Then we headed to Maxwell to sit across from Chinatown, watch the tourists & enjoying a cold beverage. Matt took us to eat at a bbq place called Jerry's that is owned by some Americans here. It was super yummy! Ribs & pulled pork were definitely THE way to go! Then, believe it or not, we made our way to Clarke Quay to the Crazy Elephant for some live jazz music. Ha! We stayed out until 1am!! Watch out college kids, these 2 are young again! We had so much fun!! I cant even describe it all, but its always super fun when you get to hang out & do stuff with your best friend!

Sunday was a relaxing day. I woke up early & headed over to the grocery store. Made pancakes for breakfast & cold pasta salad for lunch. Took in about an hour at the pool as well. Matt hung out & enjoyed the snacks I had also prepared. He's so spoiled, but I dont mind!

We are both definitely looking forward to this weekend. Matt is running a 10k sat morning & then Sat night we are meeting up with his group from work for a bbq/cookout party. Should be tons of fun!
Can't wait!

WIDE EYED & SLEEP DEPRIVED

I'm going to be honest....we haven't been sleeping well. So bad, that in fact, I have taken 2 or 3 naps this week. Ugh :( We miss our bed back in Tulsa. That thing is so huge we could both sleep spread eagle & still not touch!! We are being patient though....kind of.

We made a deal to fore go our budget the next month(and last one) we are here. We have done an amazing job with our budget. So much in fact, I'm almost shocked at how much we have saved. The value of saving!! Matt & I think exactly alike when it comes to money matters-such a blessing. So, no holding back anymore! Not like we are going to go hog-crazy, but if we want to eat out, we will.

And, I just realized I have some acknowledgements to make. I have 2 very good friends from the sorority house @ OSU that recently got engaged. Congrats go out to Kari & Chris as well as J. Glid & her fiance!! Love must be in the air! Not even kidding you, from Feb to May we have 3 weddings....and the 4th hasn't set a date yet, so we shall see when they pick!

We have absolutely NO plans this weekend. It will definitely be nice. Maybe we can even catch up on our sleep!!

SCIENCE, SALSA AND 7'S

This weekend we:

1. Went to see the Body Worlds exhibit here in Singapore. Totally awesome, Matt really liked it & found it to be very interesting. Even though my Mom had taken me to the one in Dallas, I still was excited to go. I was really impressed that I only saw 2 or 3 things that I had already seen in Dallas. It was a fun treat & the Science Center here is awesome, especially the kids water park outside.

2. Had Mexican all weekend long. We hit up El Patio after the science park b/c it was so close. And then had it twice on Sunday. Guess we were having a craving huh?

3. Sunday, because I am such a great wife to my husband, we went to the Singapore Cricket Club's International rugby 7's tournament. It had to have been about 90 degrees F or so & rained a couple times. Luckily we were under a tent in some stands, but somehow the tops of my feet got a tan. Not kidding. My feet had a tan-line when we left. How does that happen? Anyways, it was so much fun & I know Matt had a great time catching some live rugby (and instructing me on what was going on, who had good teams, etc...).

It was a great weekend, I'm not ready for the week to be starting, but I cant stop time, so I'll have to go with the flow :)

Hope everyone had a great week & hope my cousin Luke had an awesome 13th birthday.....cannot believe he is a teenager!!!

HANGIN' ON...

Super super super glad it is Friday :)

Matt & I could use a few prayers. This overseas assignment is about to do both of us in. There is so much going on with trying to arrange packing/moving/repatriating and it is wearing us out completely. It is definitely hard working with several people asking questions & you have no set guidelines as to what may or may not be approved. Things have been a constant struggle & we feel every day we are in some sort of negotiations, and yet our words continue to fall on deaf ears. We are also realizing that sometimes it sucks to be the nice guy, but our morals and values wont let us stray anywhere else.

With that said, we are keeping our chin up, trying to hold our heads high & thanking God more & more every day that we have each other. We are definitely hangin' on by a thin thread, but at least the thread is there :)

TO GRANDMA DIXIE:

What a sweet woman! Thanks for your wonderfully nice comments.

Ryan and Matt are such good friends & he has always been so nice, accepting and welcoming of me since Matt & I first started dating. Truly a gentleman and raised very well! Definitely a reason he was the best man in our wedding. Such a great guy all around.
We are so excited to have some company & I am planning on fixing a big Thanksgiving for us. Matt has that Friday off work for public holiday (although he is planning on taking some other time off). So it should definitely be a good time. I know Matt is so grateful to have someone come visit. We have been doing lots of planning on what to see/do/show Mr Sheehan. I'm sure he'll have lots of pictures to show you.
Thanks for the blessings....we'll use all we can get! We are anxious to get home & see all friends and family!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thanks for letting us have Ryan on this one!!
And God bless you if you have read all the way through some of those long blogs!
Gratefully yours-

GOOD TIMES

Matt & I had an awesome weekend. Friday after the electrical guy left, Matt went for a run. He somehow came home with a bottle of pre-dinner wine. How'd he do that? He's just that smooth I guess. We had a delicious dinner at Pasta Brava.....its so good. Home made Italian dishes in a cozy little restaurant is hard to beat!

Saturday we bummed around waiting to see if anyone, including the agent, was going to shop up to see our apt. It was supposed to be shown from 2-5pm and so at 130pm Matt finally called the agent, well she said we couldnt cancel b/c she had already put an ad in the paper. Uhm...thanks for calling to confirm with us. So we waited around & nothing. At least we had Quiznos for lunch.
Then we headed out to the wine fiesta. It was huge. It was 99% outdoors & thankfully they had huge tents set up because it did storm quite a bit. My legs were soaked b/c I had on a jean skirt and Matt's jeans were wet almost up to the knees.

Sunday was for sleeping. Did a bit of correspondence of FB, but other than that, it was mainly naps & eating. Just the way Sunday should be. We both got lots of rest & are ready to see what is in store for us this week!!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween weekend. I've seen lots of costumes online & everyone looks so cute. Just too bad the Pokes didnt get a win :(

EXCITED FOR THE WEEKEND

The weekend will be here at approximately 1130am today! Matt is coming home from work a little earlier than usual....we have an electrician coming to work on our hot water switch. We've had tons of people at the apartment this week & looks as if there may be more on Saturday with our landlord's agent wanting to show the apt.

Tonight we are headed to a cozy little family-run Italian restaurant. YUMMY! I cant even describe how good it is. We are celebrating our 10 month wedding anniversary. We kind of thought at least for the first year, it would be fun to celebrate the first 12months. And fun it has been (I'm sure its added to the waistline as well...huhaha).

Saturday we are attending the Denise the Wine Shop's annual Wine Fiesta. They have a huge wine tasting event with over 200 wines, 80 wineries are being represented covering 3 days. We bought a ticket for 1 day. The event goes on from 11am to 930pm (and of course we wont be able to stay that long) but they have nice finger foods and the guys at Uluru have a bbq grill type thing set up so you can always purchase a meal. Its great fun. We had a blast last year.

For the avid golfer, the Barclay Singapore Open is just across the port from us at Sentosa. Lots of great golfers. I would really like to attend but the rain is keeping me away.

Also, Happy Birthday to Mr Dill (Matt's Dad). His birthday was today (the 29th).
Hope he has a great weekend to follow, as well as everyone else.

Cheers!

THOUGHTS FOR THURSDAY

I have had some thoughts on my mind lately....
1. Why is it that when you try to be the nice guy, you constantly come in last? It doesn't seem like it accounts for anything anymore. What happened to good old fashioned manners & respect? In doing for other people, helping other people, putting others first, you always get screwed without acknowledgement or even a thank you.

What is going on in life that makes it ok not to have values, morals, practice business ethics or have belief in anything? It just seems bizarre to me. Has all that is good & notable been sucked from everyone's brain?

Why would you try to cheat someone out of something they deserve (its in their contract) so that they have to come back and negotiate policy with you? Especially when they have been saving you money?

Why is it ok for us to be selfish.....me me me me me, entitlement, entitlement, entitlement.....My life is busier than yours, I have this prestigious job, I live in a fab apt in NYC/LA/Chicago/Dallas and you only live in Oklahoma.
Why does it seem to me, that people in Oklahoma & surrounding states, are the only ones who are "getting it"?

I've just had numerous examples of this lately that have effected myself or someone I know. I just want to know where common courtesy and common sense went to?

Questions, Comments, Ideas???

OVER THE WEEKEND

Going to try to keep it short...the last few have been a bit long. Kidding.

We had an awesome weekend. Friday night I fixed some super yummy bbq beef brisket (never been done before). It was awesome just relaxing at home.

Saturday we were productive. Got up for an early jog/walk....whew kicked my butt! The police guards at the police station were cheering us on. How nice. We came home & took it easy. Then headed to the Pump Room at Clarke Quay & then to Durty Nellie's Irish pub for some chicken wings, beer and soccer.

Sunday we took it very easy. Bummed around for awhile & then headed to Haw Par Villa to check it out. Its a Chinese mythological creature themed park. Very interesting. The park has over 1000 statues & over 150 dioramas that show scenes of Chinese folklore, legends and history. Very interesting. It was created by Aw Boon Par after his brother Aw Boon Haw passed away.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haw_Par_Villa

Now its the start of the week. We have a few things going on. Maintenance of the AC, a pre-move survey is going to be done and a Wine tasting fiesta this Saturday. We've been busy over the weekend making reservations for things, plans, planning things for Christmas and the Spring, etc, etc.....

Here's to a good week!

ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE....

After my last blog, which I could hardly stand to leave up.....I dislike negativity, I decided to post a brighter blog today because....
IT'S FRIDAY!!!
A little rainy, but I'm sure the plants really enjoy it. But who cares, cause the weekend is a few hours around the corner, I can hardly stand it. All week long my days have been off....for instance, I thought Thursday was Friday. We had to go out to eat because I had nothing prepared for dinner. I was just getting anxious I guess.
I am just ready to spend time with my husband...he's had a couple phone calls back to Tulsa this week, which cuts out on US time. But thats ok. It needs to be done. And we'll have the whole weekend to do whatever. No plans as of yet. Which can be very nice.
I have a lovely brisket I am planning on cooking and hopefully we'll have a nice Friday evening at home.
Looking forward to the weekend is an understatement!
Cheers!

REALLY DISAPPOINTED AND ACTUALLY A BIT HURT

Matt came home from work yesterday, as usual. He had been to a meeting at one of the local technical colleges to discuss how Nordam can play a role in helping with the education of the kids by supplying tools or parts. Luckily he didn't have to go alone, the new HR lady also went along.
On their way back to work it was brought up about us coming home. And basically rumors around Nordam are that we are leaving "because your wife doesn't like it here".
OUCH!

I know sometimes I complain about stuff here, but that absolutely doesn't mean I don't like living in Singapore. In fact, nothing could really be further from the truth.
I am really disappointed by the individual who told the HR lady this, considering I met this person only briefly at a large event. Just barely long enough to be introduced, say nice to meet you and shake hands. So where this person got that I don't like Singapore is beyond me.
Whats even more frustrating, is that if Matt's company believed that to be true, why would anyone not say something to him?

There are many reasons we are leaving Singapore & returning home. I feel like I should go into all of them, maybe people would understand a little more what work/life has been like for us, but at this point that's neither here nor there. The important thing is we have been discussing this for several months now, knowing that Matt's contract expires at the end of this year. And ultimately, we feel like home in Tulsa is where we want & need to be. Not only for our sake, but family as well.

To clear things up. Yes, Singapore is a totally different lifestyle than the one we have in Oklahoma. But we actually love living in Singapore. Being over here has truly helped us develop such an amazing, strong base for the start of our marriage.We've taken some awesome trips to Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia. I wouldn't do anything any differently. And, if the situation were different here, we would absolutely stay. Unfortunately no one has shown any interest in keeping us here.
There are so many awesome things about Singapore. We will absolutely keep many ties close to our hearts. And I'm sure will stay in touch with the many people we've encountered here.

I just felt the need to write this. I am so disappointed & actually really hurt by the accusations of Nordam. If the people who were making these statements sat down with me for 5 minutes, I think they may change their story. And the ones who have know I love so many things about this sometimes crazy place!
Yet another example of daily life in the SGP island.....and for those who read this, please please please please please don't ever ASSUME you know something about someone. I have been a victim of this so many times & quite frankly I'm disgustingly SICK of it!
Hopefully next time I have a more positive blog you can read.
Until then-

SUNDAY SOMETHINGS....

Definitely would NOT see this guy back in Oklahoma. Couldnt miss the photo op!

Announcing the Singapore Slingers team players. Even have 2 Americans :)

The Singapore Slinger's mascot.....the Merlion!! (Mermaid/Lion). Grrrr!

The Slingers entering the stadium from the stands....where are the lockers rooms?

It's been such an awesome weekend....we both really needed a great weekend after having a rough week back in Singapore.

Saturday we spent a few hours poolside with lunch & yummy margaritas...91 degrees is hard to beat. Oh and I thought it would be funny to brag about on FB, and Karma definitely kicked my butt with this awesome lobster tan :) A lovely dinner at Esmirada was nothing a sun burn could beat though.

Today we were super lazy....sort of. I woke up before Matt & went to the store, bought a few groceries & came home to make Sunday brunch. It was so good & such hard work, we both had to take a nap afterwards. Then it was off to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for an ABL game between the Singapore Slingers and the Philippine Patriots. (A=ASEAN B=Basketball L=League....ASEAN=Assoc of SE Asian Nations). http://www.singaporeslingers.com/

It was so intense & fast-paced. Much like a college basketball game. We both has a great time. And to give Singapore & the ABL credit, the game was very similar to ones back home including dancers, t-shirt sling shots, contests during time-out, etc...) We loved the atmosphere....although the Philippine Patriots' fans were a little loud, I had to give 'em yell back. Final score Singapore 74 Philippine 69.

And now some quiet time on the couch, tv off, enjoying being at home. Hope everyone had a great weekend, took in plenty of sports & is as ready for this week as we are. Looking forward to another day with my husband gives me such great joy!

THE WEEKEND IS HERE!

No, not us....it's Matt's co-workers Scott & Mei Qi

Had a great Friday night! We went to have a couple beers with some of Matt's co-workers from Nordam. Shanice & Mei Qi from Nordam Singapore and Scott who was in town from Wales (but moving to Tulsa in less than 2 weeks) and the Dills went & had a pint or 2 at Bernies.

It was fun to get out & socialize. Shanice & Mei Qi are 2 of the nicest girls. Mei Qi does the best job taking charge & speaking Mandarin & getting everyone around & orders food for us (at the Chinatown People's Park Complex food court). It's awesome. I wish we could hire someone like her to go with us everywhere & be our translator....hmmmm.

Anyway, it was definitely fun. I think Scott does a great job helping Matt out...being an outside person looking in, but also greatly helps he is employed with the company too. And I think Matt gives him good insight on what's really happening behind the scenes. Its a great working relationship to have :)

So...no real plans for the rest of the weekend. Being lazy & takin' it easy so far!

Hope you all are doing the same & enjoying all the college football you can stand!

Cheers-

PUTTIN' IT ALL OUT THERE IN THE OPEN...FINALLY

So...for those of you who dont know....we have a bit of news thats come about in the past month or so.

1. We are oficially coming home for good at the end of this year.

We will be back just in time for Christmas & we'll be staying for good. Zai Jian Singapore!

This has really come about the past several months. Matt & I have been debating back & forth about what to do; to stay & renew his contract or to move back home & get settled in our house in Tulsa. This has been a really hard decision, but ultimately for 2 people who are very close with family & friends, staying in Singapore was a bit of a long-shot. With me not working & some other issues that have come up with family as well as work, we really feel like Tulsa is where we need to be.

So that is all the "official" news we have for now. We are so anxious to be back home. We loved our trip in September & the more we are home, the harder it is to leave Tulsa. We cant wait to get back just in time for Christmas (I already decorated....the ladies at Hobby Lobby looked at me like I was nuts buying Christmas in September, but hey, they were the ones sellin' it). It should be great :)

We'll both definitely miss Singapore, but I've done a fairly decent job learning how to cook some local dishes, so hopefully that can fulfill any longing we get.

This has been a great experience for Matt & he has really done an amazing job over here. As for me, some days have been really hard, but in the end, I would do it all over again... just for Matt. I couldnt imagine not having him in my life & my move over here has definitely been one of the best things I have ever done.

Until December, we'll keep you updated of the usual ongoings in life, love, work, and being the coolest expats around :)

THE LOW-DOWN OF OUR TRIP

So....here are all the glorious details of our trip.....

1. Went to Bryan & Hallie's wedding in Woodstock, Vt. We absolutely loved it there & would definitely go back for vacation. We ate so much and trust me, we never had a bad meal there. Matt had quite the adventure with a free golf lesson from my Uncle David (God Bless Him). The wedding was beautiful & an absolutely perfect day, the weather was amazing! The Fader's did a good job with putting on a great wedding & Mom and Dad did an awesome job with hosting the golf tournament & the rehearsal dinner was awesome.....they really couldn't have done better. Bryan & Hallie are very fortunate to have both sides of the family get along so well & be so supportive of their wedding.

2. We had a nice Fiesta get-together at our house with some close friends & family. It was definitely a treat for us to host a small gathering at our house. We cherished every minute of the day. My lovely parents even came early to help with a few things before we got started. Matt did an awesome job with his brand new grill....the fajitas tasted awesome. And after all our hard work cutting back bushes & wild growing things in our yard, the backyard was a beautiful spot to hang out. I might also add the margaritas were quite tasty. And of course, the company was the best!

3. I hosted a baby shower for my Sister-In-Law who is expecting a baby girl near the end of January. It was so fun to go baby shopping....so many cute baby things out there....goodness. Melissa got a ton of cute things and a lot of helpful advice from many ladies. It was great to have a fun happy day with just the girls.

4. We also got to hang out with some of Matt's college friends, have dinner with my college girlfriends, and spent tons and tons of time with family. We were able to spend a couple days making "connections" rounds with old co-workers and friends at Nordam as well as at Hillcrest.

5. Some friends had tickets to Dave Matthews in Tulsa & ended up not being able to use them, so they generously passed them along to us (lucky our trip got extended). We had a great time at the concert & enjoyed a great date night that Friday night. Definitely a fun time.

6. Matt's brother Jeff & his family came in from Tennessee & it was so fun watching Laney & Connor.....they are getting big fast. We also spent time in OKC invading the Ray's new house for the girls' 9th birthday party.

It was such a busy, exhausting trip. We truly enjoyed every minute. I'm sure there are things we left out, however, just because it was left out or not mentioned, does not mean it didn't matter :)

We are excited to be back in Singapore in the beautiful sunny weather. Our good friend Ryan is coming for a visit at the end of November & we are thrilled to have a visitor. Much to do before coming back home at Christmas....

Hope everyone is doing well. Wished we could have seen & spent time with everyone. I'm sure once we are finally back that will all change.

Cheers & God bless you if you read this far!

JET-LAGGIN

Back in Singapore and feelin' super jet-lagged. I'm sure it was not a great fun trip back for Matt considering I've had this sinus yuckiness going on. But what a great travel companion anyway.
We had such a busy, but great time back home. And we are exhausted.
So thats all for now, just saying we are back in Singapore safe & sound (well maybe half-sound).
Cheers.

BEEN SO LONG

Truly too much to update!
We had a crazy time getting back here to the States, darn typhoons in Tokyo delayed us 2 days in Singapore. Oh well. We eventually found our way to Woodstock (through Boston via a rental car and a 2+hr trip through the NE....not our original plan, but oh well.....ended up with 2 free round trip tickets).
Bryan & Hallie's wedding was beautiful. I have attached links to a few of my favorite pictures. And have tons on my camera to post....when I get around to it.
Matt & I both LOVED Vermont. It was very picturesque and beautiful. Easy to see why it was the chosen destination.

Back in Tulsa, we have spent quite a bit of our time working on our house...ie: curtains, a dining room table, trimming tons of bushes, a few meetings for Matt, etc. It has been tons of fun, but still keeping us super busy. We were finally able to have a little fiesta with some close friends & close family last Saturday. Our first to throw EVER. And it was great. We had perfect weather & it was a perfect day! And Matt is loving his new grill!

Now to this week, planning/getting ready for a baby shower for Melissa this Sunday. Should be fun & I know she is going to have a great time & get tons of cute, girlie things.
Matt also found out that our trip here will be extended another week. So exciting! At least we found out sooner this time. Last time our bags were about 95% packed. So getting notice is definitely a bonus.
September has definitely been busy but fabulous. Made some new friends, I think we have a new Aunt Shelley (Hallie's Aunt who is a hoot & delight), have been loving seeing family & friends, and love our life in Tulsa.
We are 2 lucky people!

Here is the link to the wedding pictures:

Go to: www.collages.net
Enter Hallie & Bryan as Usrname and enter 16266 as the password
Fill in email & name & get to looking! They really are great!

More to come later!

TRAVEL TALES

So much for leaving Singapore August 31st and coming home on time. Thanks to typhoons & tropical storms in Tokyo our stay was extended 2 whole days. Because United only has 1 flight out every day, and ours was completely cancelled, the next available flight for us was Sept 2nd. UHMMMM what happened to Sept 1st? Totally sold out. Nice. So here we are, hours before our 2nd scheduled departure & we are praying everything goes smooth this time.
10 hours at home in Tulsa then turn around (back through Chicago) and head to Vt for Bryan & Hallie's wedding weekend. I'm sure we'll be completely exhausted, jet-lagged & half drunk at appearances, but oh well. 'Tis what happens when you live in/on the "little red dot"....typhoons will do it every time!
Pray for smooth, safe flights for us. We are anxious to get home & excited to see everyone.
Cheers!

COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU....

AUG 31-Tokyo

SEPT 1-Tulsa

SEPT 3-Woodstock, Vt

SEPT 8- Tulsa and surrounding

OCT 1-Singapore

Hope to see you all soon. Please pray for safe flights as we embark on our adventure! Until we see you in person-
Cheers!

1 TO GO!

1 to go and we can hardly wait! I'm sure this week will feel like the longest week of our lives. We are definitely getting ready for our trip home. Not too much to post this week, since I am busy planning & packing, trying to keep the laundry pile at zilch, finding papers, etc....
Had an awesome weekend....just never seems to last very long.
More to come later....maybe before we leave.
Until then
Cheers!

FRIED TOFU & AIR SUPPLY (aka out trip to hong kong)

On top of the Peak

View from the Peak @ night

View from dinner

Like straight up on the funicular

Busy HK street

HK street

Bank of China tower....supposedly has bad feung shei b/c of the sharp edges

There is so much to tell....

Let's see where can I start? I think a list may help organize my thoughts

1. Hong Kong has tons and Tons and TONS of hi-rise apt buildings. Weird thing is, there didnt seem to be any nice part seperated from a bad part. The ugly poor buildings were mixed in with the brand new nice buildings. Some hotels even have what I called "the ghetto shanty town" right out the front door.

**Tip for travelers** Research exactly the location of your hotel. Nobody likes to get lost in a foreign country trying to find a hotel that is supposed to be right next door to The Four Seasons (and by right next door apparently they meant 5 miles West).

2. Ghetto Shanty town is the part of town where the outside of all the buildings are molding, taxis can barely drive down the narrow street, there are a ton of butcher shops around, you think this could be the "unofficial fish market". Also you will see a pig's head hanging in their store.

**Tip for travelers**Nobody likes the smell of raw, hot pigs head. Careful where you walk. Also shark's fin means the actual tail fin (just in case you were looking to purchase one or like 10).

3. Sometimes all there is to see is the actual building or green park. Better off going to St John's Church which was once used a club for Japanese officers during WW2.

4. The Peak tram literally goes straight up the mountain. Like an incline so bad, you are in the back, holding on, looking straight up at the front of the car. My mother would have passed out. Especially the part where it is just a ledge next to you.

**Tip for travelers**Fight to the death for a seat so you dont have to stand. Not too much fun when you're hands are sweating, feet are sweating and your hands are sliding off the pole in front of you....all while trying just to stand. God bless Matt's strength.

5. **Other tips for travelers**

*Nobody will take your HK coins back or exchange them. Suckers. Free coins from HK for the first 4 people who comment on this post. Seriously.

*Victoria Peak is awesome. A must-see must-do. Only if you are with someone who is not afrad of heights or who does not have a fear of the train just falling or coming off the tracks. Funicular.

*Sundays are days of for FDW (FDW=foreign domestic workers=maid & nannies). They are literally everywhere.

*You are definitely spoiled if you live in Singapore.

*Sometimes things are so much harder & more complicated than they need to be.

*sometimes in the hotel lounge, when having dinner, expect to be offered fried tofu (as a birthday treat) and hearing the girls voices starting to sing the words "I'm all out love, I'm so lost without you". Brought to you by the letters, W, T, and F.

* Dont be surprised if during your "fisherman's buffet" at your hotel aka the dinner that comes with the package, you see 2 Asian girls on a small stage dressed in short black skirts, mini halter-tops and lace necklaces.....they are the band and do in fact know plenty of 80's and 90's slow love songs. All I want to know was where was the pervert in the back & all the smoke lingering in the air?

All kdding aside. Hong Kong was definitely an adventure for us. We had our share of great times and times where baby had a break-down because of the lack of clean toilets (I wanted to put the hand sanitizer you-know-where). We definitely are a great traveling team. It was an unforgettable birthday & I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband that will take me on luxurious trips all over the world! It has definitely made us realize even stronger what an amazing, clean, safe, efficient, happy but crazy, little island we get to live on. So appreciative and thankful we are American getting to live in Singapore.

And God bless Matt for being such a wonderful, smart, supportive husband!!

Anyone wanting to enture to HK, give us a shout, maybe we can offer some tips & advice.

CHENG CHENG CHENG

So Matt & I had dinner last night @ a Thai place in Chinatown....they have the best cold beers (like the cold ones with ice stuck on the bottle). Anyways, a monk was walking down the street & the waitress said hi but he didnt respond, uhm because he was talking on his cell phone so she yelled out "CHENG CHENG CHENG!!!". Seriously. Then we all started laughing. I'm pretty sure she called the monk selfish or arrogant or something to that effect.

So happy today is Friday. We kicked it off by having breakfast @ Starbucks out near Matt's work. Definitely the best way to start off the morning. And the girl was really nice. She told Matt he could call early before they open & let her know his order & he could stop by & pick it up before they "officially" opened. Especially if it was something simple like regular coffee & a muffin. How nice?! That's service in Singapore for you!

Tonight we are going to have some Chili's for dinner & then we are off to the Fullerton Hotel for the chocolate buffet my parents bought for both of us for my birthday. YUMMY! I cannot wait. Not only is the Fullerton one of THE loveliest hotels in Singapore, the service & staff seemed super friendly & helpful when my parents stayed there. I cannot wait.

Tomorrow we have a 640am flight out of Singapore for a short weekend trip to Hong Kong!! what a blast it is going to be. I cant wait for that either. Hopefully we get some sleep (zzzzz) on the plane. After today & tonight, I'm sure we'll both be exhausted.

Keep tuned in for pictures after the weekend.
Cheers!

AFTER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND....

We had a very wonderful holiday weekend! National Day in Singapore was definitely nothing less than very successful! What a proud country!

Friday was a Nordam bowling tournament that Matt & his group participated in. Their team was called United Nations: Matt=American, Yanni=Burmese, Hussein=Chinese Indonesian, Chin=Malaysian, and Allen of course is Singaporean and a perfect example of that. I think they took 5th place.....We all left before the awards ceremony so we could take in some yummy food at East Coast Park. We had a few Tiger beers and some bbq stingray, bbq chicken wings, oyster omelet and of course some delicious Singapore chili crab! His group all came from bowling & were so sweet to answer all my crazy questions! They really are so sweet & nice. Such good, good guys.

Saturday we ventured over to Kampong Glam & Arab street. We just wandered the streets.....tons of fabric & carpet/rug stores. We even had a local dish called Tulang, which is Mutton/Beef Soup.....tastes like lamb stew or something. I was brave & even sucked the marrow out of the bone (GROSS) and Matt tried but wasnt quite as successful. The dish is a very deep bright red & our hands were stained for the rest of the day. The lovely woman who was working the stall definitely made our experience even better. She was so helpful & so sweet! God bless her.

Sunday was National Day.....we stayed at home a bit....not sure the crowds were going to be for us this year. So we opted to stay at home & order pizza & watch the festivities on tv. We could hear the F-16's though, so that is cool. Then after the parade was over we made it to The Pump Room to catch the Man Utd vs Chelsea game. Unfortunately I wasnt feeling too well so we came home & watched the 2nd half from our condo.

Monday we did absolutely nothing. I got up early & found some treats at the grocery, came home and we made some delicious brunch together. Then we spent the rest of the day being lazy. Which was good. I could tell Matt was getting antsy, but the wife always knows he needs his rest. So I held my ground & made sure he had a relaxing afternoon.

Looking forward to this weekend, my birthday and our trip to Hong Kong....I cannot wait. I know we are both soooo ready to get back home & its just about 3 weeks away!!

GOOD THING IT'S WEDNESDAY

It is most definitely a good thing it is Wednesday! Halfway through the week and a long weekend to follow with Monday off for Matt for National Day! Haha 4th of July suckers! Ok-that wasnt very nice, I apologize. But I am so excited for the weekend to be here. On Friday, I get a special treat & am going out to the SAFRA at Tampines to watch Matt & his Nordam team compete in a bowling tournament! And I will be baking a special Singapore style National Day cake for his team....cause they love when I bake!

In other news, Congrats to my brother! I hear he has been doing an exceptional job at UBS! He has been selected to help teach the incoming "class" or newbies the ropes. I am so proud of him & all his hard work. Tons of hard-working hours have been poured into his job & it is nice to hear that it is paying off for him. Way to go bubs!
Also, congrats to our good friend Ryan S....for landing a new job in Tulsa. Life has taken him down a different path in recent months, moving him back to Tulsa & looking for a different career & we are so excited for you! You'll do just great! We are glad you have come back to Tulsa!

Today is going to be a VERY busy day. I have a Dr's appt, we have someone coming to service/maintenance our AC, have prescriptions to pick up, and dinner with some NORMAL Americans. Matt is taking 1/2 the day so I dont have to be here with unknown crazies working in our apt (He's so thoughtful & sweet). So, lots to do, more to come later.

AWESOME

We had an awesome weekend.....(time for another list post)
1. Celebrated our 7th month of marriage Friday at a delicious Italian restaurant! It was sooo good and I had the best time with Matt. We always have such a good time together, no matter what we're doing.

2. Saw the movie the Hangover....loved it, hilarious, want to see it again already. Matt chuckled the whole way through, and to be honest, so did I!

3. Had a happy hour + dinner at one of our favorite Mircobrews called the Pump Room. Love that place! Best microbrew beer I've ever had!

4. Had a wonderful relaxing, lazy Sunday. Love spending time with Matt just doing nothing. Got lots of stuff done! And lots of planning for our Hong Kong & Tokyo trips.

Hope everyone had a safe, wonderful weekend. I can hardly believe it's August already! Time has definitely been flying by so fast.
More to come later-

ALL AROUND THE WORLD

It may look "different" but this little dim sum treat called Sew Mai is absolutely delicious. It's my favorite. And Matt bought me some during our dinner last night! Tasty, tastey!

Not sure how well you can see it, because that part of the picture is dark, but this is a WOMAN WITH A RAT-TAIL!

And because this is the ultimate of all my odd-ball posts:

1. Ahem, excuse me to a certain Sir. Kindly take your BUM off tv and try your hand at your REAL job. I'm sure I can say for certain, that you are no longer a community organizer, so therefore, get yourself off tv and into the Office!! Ps-I still think you are doing a horrible job, I hope everyone that voted for you is happy we are headed towards an even more racist, socialist society.

2. Whew......probably gonna come under fire for that one. But I do not care!

3. Also, does anyone in Singapore wonder why there are traffic jams? Last night riding the bus, Matt & could clearly see that the problem was an older gentleman, pushing a cart with loads of bags tied to the back....in the traffic line. Dear elder Singaporean gentleman, you are not a car. May be wise to remove yourself from the lane.

4. NEWSFLASH:** Travel Plans:

Aug 15: Hong Kong

Aug 31: Tokyo

Sept 1: Tulsa

Sept 3: Manchester/Woodstock, Vt.

Sept 8: Tulsa

Oct1: Singapore

November.....TBA/ Tulsa

December....TBA / Tulsa

Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

OH THE CRAZIES

A crazy=a Singaporean or any Asian, for that matter, and this is a list of crazy stuff they do
For instance:
1. Yesterday the alterations lady told me I was lucky I was from the USA & b/c we have 4 season, and especially fall and winter. It's so hot in Singapore, you have to walk around every day with sticky, sweaty underwear.
2. All the cabbies LOVE Obama but they cant really tell you why. So Matt tells them they watch too much tv (it's hilarious).
3. You aren't Singaporean if you dont love karaoke
4. You aren't Singaporean if you dont LOVE crazy game shows
5. The old man walking down Cross St. (think busy 4 lane road ie: Memorial in Tulsa or May Avw in OKC) dragging baskets on the ground half his size.
6. You aren't Singaporean if you dont sew or alter clothes
7. They eat ice cream with chopped jello & jelly on top (all kinds of flavors).
8. They eat durian( durian=the taste is the smell worse than a public toilet in a large trash dumpster). 50 million Asians cant be wrong......Oh YES THEY CAN!
9. They dig into your shopping basket and start talking about the things you are buying
10. They abuse the horns in their cars.....seriously I think some honk just to do it.
11. And much much more....this is just the beginning.
More to come later
Cheers!

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

The Thai Chef special platter for 2....so yummy

A fountain at the Bali Villa restaurant

Anderson Road Arch

Forest Walk

Looking down at the path of the Forest walk

Henderson Waves bridge

View of Henderson Waves bridge from the street

Flying the Singapore flag over the city, practicing for Nat'l Day

Helicopters flying Singapore's flag

Cannon/Gun at Labrador Park History walk

Matt on an adventure

Who gets the office in the middle?

Pick up the poo!!

There were kites flying so high, you cant even see them in the photo, but the shy looks cool that day

Labrador Park

A view from the Labrador Park jetty

View of the sea from Labrador Park

Handsome and Funny

Crackin' up at my husband....and the crazies

Lots of pictures from this weekend. Matt was in the mood for some adventures, and boy did we get into some. We ventured over to Labrador Park and Henderson Waves bridge and Forest Walk. It was really awesome. We even stumbled into a restaurant that made us feel like we were on vacation in Bali, and the had the best Singapore Slings I've ever tasted!

We also witnessed for the first time in either of our lives a lovely transaction between pimp and prostitute Friday night. We walked down the street to a local hawker to enjoy some Tigers and apparently were in some interesting company outside. I'm sure we both looked like deer in headlights when one group of girls came upon another group sitting with their men. Matt & I were sure some sort of Asian "Bring It On" showdown was about to happen, but actually nothing did.

It was a great weekend, found some new restaurants, explored MORE of Singapore, and as usual had a blast together.

We are definitely still exhausted! Hopefully we have an easy, stress-free week!