happy chinese new year y'all! :)

i love cny.

it's the one time i have the perfect excuse to stuff myself silly with unhealthy cookies and oily bbq pork.
and play silly kiddy games with all my adorable and excitable young cousins.
yes and collect red packets and hear my aunts and uncles say "such a big girl already! last time you were only this tall..." haha. i actually like to hear them tell me stories of myself when i was a kid because they tell me things my parents never told me. hilarious stuff. HAHA!
the only misgiving i have is the excessive blaring of chingchong cny tunes everywhere. but i guess it adds to the whole festive theme, and it's only once a year, so i guess it's alright. anyway my brothers always sing along on purpose and it makes me laugh. :P

i love seeing the whole extended family together under one roof.
it's a heartwarming sight.
at least in these few months that i'm back, i've learnt that family togetherness is so important to me.
relationships are so important in life and living becomes somewhat meaningless if you have no loved ones to live for.
i am so lucky to have people around me who love me and my new year's resolution is to love them as much as i can, especially my family. especially especially wonderful you. <3

my grandad is a quiet man and usually likes to sit alone in a corner during our family gatherings.
once i asked him if he would like to do something instead of sitting alone.
he said, "no, i want to look at all of you."
i didn't quite understand so i asked my mom what he meant.
my mom said my grandad just enjoys watching his children, his sons-/daughters-in-law and his grandchildren all mingling together and having fun in one another's presence.
it's something so simple, yet it makes him happy and content.
maybe that's what i will do when i am as old as my grandad.
i'll sit beside my husband and hold his hand as we look on at our cute chubby grandchildren as they crawl around and amuse themselves.
i would be a very happy old lady. :)