I'm grateful for

the things you did and do,

But even more,

for what you made of me!

Today, 54 years ago

My dear mother, late father,
papa Deki and kids,

These photos may not be the best photos we have ever had. But they are the the best I like, among the others.

Photos help us keep the memories of important events, love, celebrations, happy as well as unhappy moments.

I just wanted to let you know today, the same day I was born 54 years ago, how much I have owed my mother and late father for the life you gave me. The day you found baby me as small as a beer bottle as the results of my premature birth.

I was born Lie Tho Nio
(Very Hokkien name!)
The name was given by my grandpa
from my father's side

I may not even have been born alive with the poor condition. But who knows, the Divine Power above and possibly the good karma I had accumulated in some previous lives in the past allowed me to try to cry, to feel the fresh air I tried to breathe, and to enjoy the warmth of my parents arms of love holding my so-tiny newborn body. It was May 20th 1955, and it was such an auspicious day for me. Having been born to my parents and the family I grew up with, I never lived in the dearth of love, care, and affection. My parents showed me their love in their own ways; they gave me things I would need before I asked from them; they comforted me with their soothing words when I was in pain; and despite all convenience, they made my life so complete with valuable warnings, advice and reminder they gave so I would stay on the path they had showed me. They did this fully for my own sake, for my own future.

Giving them a Silver Anniversary Surprise

Mother ---

Who suffered the most when I was born?
Who took care of my personal needs the most
when I went to school?
Who stayed at my side the whole night and day
when I fell ill and inconvenient?
Who taught me how to be a refined woman,
good wife, and good mother?
Who got my wedding well-prepared,
took my hand and showed me
what a marriage would be like?
Who has never stopped worrying about me
even now when I am 54 years of age?

not-so-clear but very precious picture to me!
They wanted nothing from me
but a happy daughter.
a happy wife,
a happy mother
and later.. a happy grandmother-to-be

When we were much younger.
Mother had always been
the first one I turned to, to share things with.

Thank you, dear mother and father
for having made me what I am now.

Some people said, we were so blessed with a pair of children, boy and girl. That is actually what married couples want for children, I heard.
Thank you, papa, for the pair you gave me. I may not have been the best wife or mother, but for the last 27 years at least I have tried my best to be one.

We are getting old now. We cannot even hide the white strands of our hair, the "doubling" of our sizes, the wrinkles of our skin all over the body, and lately, our degrading memory system performance which seems to start troubling us.

But that doesn't change anything between us. It's not exaggerating if I say that the only change I feel is that I love you more than I did you in our first 20 years of marriage! You don't have to believe my words. Just see how I want to stay by your side more, to never stop sharing things with you, to take care of your meals, your clothes, everything... especially when you are not around like today, when you are somewhere else on duty. I want you to tell me to do something for you or you ask if you can help me do something for you.






Thank you, papa Deki. You have been with me for this long, and I still want to be with you and the kids, much much much longer. The years have been good to us, sure, with ups and downs. And as you are nearly 55 and that I am now 54, we will continue to love, support and take care of each other the way we have always done.

Thank you for being the responsible and caring father for our children regardless what they think of how your ways of teaching them should have been like.







Thank you, my dear kids. You have done your best to reach your goal, with pain and suffering.
Thank you for being the first persons I am always worrying about because that means you always allow me to love you. And know that LOVE is the only thing I can give you, and support you with.

I Love You ALL !!

Mirip?


Kalau hair stylemu seperti ini,
kok kelihatan mirip-mirip kak Seto,
hehehehehe

Yang jelas,
yang sama adalah
kamu dekat dengan anak kecil,
dan bayi-bayi seolah tahu
bahwa kamu suka mereka,
sehingga bayi mana saja
ketika melihatmu, serta-merta
bersedia kamu peluk dan gendong.

:))

How do people
make it through life
without a SIBLING?

(standing left-right) Deki & Herman
(sitting left-right) Lily & Yelly

When I count my blessings,
I see that one of the greatest is
to have three siblings-in-law,
my husband's three wonderful siblings.

They are my witnesses
who see me at my worst and best
and love me anyway,
the same thing I am theirs
and I do them.

I've been lacking
my biological sibling's love for a long time,
been missing and missing
having him back to my life,
but that never happens.

I accept the fact if that thing happens
because of our past karma.

But at the time I lost my brother's love,
my good karma brought me bundles of love
coming from the wonderful siblings
of my husband.

As time goes by, I could feel them
more like my OWN siblings
and not siblings-in-law

Pretend

Pretend you're happy when you're blue
It isn't very hard to do
And you'll find happiness with odd
and end whenever you pretend

Remember anyone can dream
and nothing's bad as it may seem
A little things you haven't got
could be a lot if you pretend

You'll find a love you can share
one you can call all your own
Just close your eyes she'll be there
you'll never be alone

And if you sing this melody
you'll be pretending just like me
The world is mine,
it can be yours, my friend
so why don't you pretend

(You'll find a love you can share
one you can call all your own)
Just close your eyes she'll be there
you'll never be alone

And if you sing this melody
you'll be pretending just like me
The world is mine
it can be yours, my friend,
so why don't you pretend


(Sung by Nat King Cole)

"I am very happy
when I'm in Europe
or America".

(The Haunted Mansion -
Disney Land Anaheim)

"Because that means
I look small enough!",
said Deki



The Haunted Mansion
by Halloween Festival
October 2005

I believe in Karma
of the past life

If it has not been our past Karma
we would not have met in this life.
We would not have been connected,
I would not have been close
to what you were thinking.

If it has not been our past Karma
you may have chosen another to marry
and I may have done the same

But it was our past Karma
that put us together again
and we were grateful
we found each other again in this life

I appreciate our past Karma,
and the love that it brought.

Let's just take each other's hands
and walk through this life
cherishing the love we have
and being grateful for
what we were, are, and will be
to each other

I wouldn't trade you
for anything

To some people
you may be a good compassionate man
because you care for the needy;
but to some more
you may be annoying
because you are considered
too straight forward
when disclosing someone's mistake
and easily get irritated.

To some people
you may be worth befriending
because you have qualities
of being a friend
and rejoicing for your friend's good luck;
but some more would prefer
getting away from you
because they think you could
easily offend their feelings
even though you don't do it on purpose


Indeed,
we cannot ask ALL people
to like and accept us.

But whatever you are like
I won't trade you for anything
Not by any means.
I was so blessed the day I decided
to marry you,
and I am not sharing you
with anyone else.

You will always be all mine

You love Chinese things
and traditions

Ini "raja" dari Dinasti apa?

Pernah dengar kisah bahwa
seorang raja harus mempunyai profil ini:
tubuh "tinggi-besar",
wajah bulat lebar,
jidat tinggi,
alis tebal dan berbentuk pedang,
mata tajam bersinar,
hidung lebar dan besar alias "nongkrong"
pipi tembem
dagu panjang dan lebar
dan BERKUMIS


Tampilanmu di foto banyak kurangnya:
kurang kumis,
kurang terkesan "keras"

hehehehe

I love to see you like
what you've always been like!!
Not like king,
not like conglomerate
not like famous actor or artist

but like you've always been!

Thank you for not wanting to be king!

Aging.. A natural process of life

If we had fallen in love with each other
for physical looks,
we would have left for other fresher looks
as we started to enter aging process...

We were lucky we had not!

Aging starts at the moment we are born.
But ignorantly, when we are in love,
a lot of us live under the illusion
that we and our spouses will never become old.

Until one day when we find
our body shapes, face,
skin, and hair changing,
we are often unprepared.

We cannot conceal the loss of youth.
Aging process is such a natural process
that we eventually have to accept.

As long as we don't change our way
of caring for each other,
loving each other,
respecting and appreciating each other
taking good care of each other,
and most of all,
feeling needed by each other,
why should we worry about aging?

Dear kids,
What do you think
a family is?


A family is the proverbial egg
that we were hatched from

It means to share,
to love, honor, and obey



A strong bond that should be maintained
and nurtured by each member
whose name always has a story



A family means your loved ones
who first come to soothe you
when you are sad and weep,
and to smile with you
when you are happy



It means the people
who first come to help you cope with pains
and heal your hurts




They are many things with endless words
and whose love is always near



They don't care what you look like
but support each other, and always care,
bare with and try to understand
and accept your little rudeness,
impoliteness, anger, and hateful things



When you go astray
a family will try to find you
and take you back
to the bond.



And despite your faults
your family will always put up with you,
open their arms for you
and show you what to do
to mend your mistakes



When one of you is out of sight,
the rest of the family will miss you a lot
and feel that something is missing



'Though we are not perfect persons
I can love my family
for as long as can be,
for what they are
and who they are




Our nature and nurturing
comes from our family.

Our past holds the key
to our future

If we do not learn and face
where we come from,
we will have difficulty understanding
our present and future.

Thank you for keeping
the tie of this family strong

You're My Best Friend






You placed gold on my finger
You brought love like I've never known
You gave life to our children
And to me a reason to go on.




You're my bread when I'm hungry
You're my shelter from troubled winds
You're my anchor in life's ocean
But most of all
You're my best friend




When I need hope and inspiration
You're always strong when I'm tired and weak
I could search the whole world over
You'd still be everything that I need




(Don Williams)

When you hold my hand
I feel strong to have to bear
any pain

If you were a garden of flowers

I would like to be the only bee
or butterfly
that comes to greet the flowers
and enjoy the warm sunshine
and gentle breeze with you.

And if the wind blew so hard
attacking the flowers,
I would rush in
and stay among them
because I know
I would be safe
from the harm it might cause,
and you would be content
to let me feel well-protected.

Thank you
for your unconditional love.

"She Wears My Ring"





She wears my ring to show the world
that she belongs to me
She wears my ring to show the world
she's mine eternally
With loving care I placed it on her finger
To show my love for all the world to see

This tiny ring is a token of tender emotion
An endless pool of love
that's as deep as the ocean

She swears to wear it with eternal devotion
That's why I sing, because she wears my ring

She swears to wear it with eternal devotion
That's why I sing, because she wears my ring

This tiny ring is a token of tender emotion
An endless pool of love
that's as deep as the ocean

She swears to wear it with eternal devotion
That's why I sing, because she wears my ring
That's why I sing, because she wears my ring

(Roy Orbison)

You are so foviging

I remember what Mahatma Gandhi said:
"The weak can never forgive.
Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong"

I found that in you!

So many people have hurt you verbally
but many a time as well
you have forgiven them.

If your family and friends see
some weaknesses in you,
then at least they can see
a strong side in you,
that is your capability
to forgive and love others.

And we learn from you!

Botaknya bayi
memang menggemaskan!



Baby Deki - Waktu kecil diberi julukan
"Dukke" nama Belanda yang katanya
artinya "ndut".. hehe

Baby me, botak plontos
kaya anak burung yang baru lahir... hehe




Baby Wirya, bengong..
Seneng kalau habis mandi,
botaknya diberi talcum powder




Baby Nana... botak bangeut...
Kata orang, jidatnya "jenong"
hehe




Baby Yuki... botak but cantik.



Babies are loveable,
adorable