Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Our Christmas Day


We always try to make our day simple on Christmas Day. Yesterday we started our day by going to church. And then we went back home to get ready to open all the presents. But before that, we sat down together.. we said Happy Birthday to Jesus and talked about what we love about Jesus (so precious!) and then we prayed together.. we thanked God for his blessings, but we also prayed for others who are struggling at the moment and having hard times 🙏


After opening all the presents, we let the kids enjoy and play with their new toys (we keep half of the toys for the next day, haha..) The kids watched some videos of Christmas stories.. and we ended our day by driving around to see some Christmas lights :) Simple way to celebrate Christmas, but meaningful..



This Christmas God reminds me to think and pray for those who feel lonely, alone and have no family around.. those who just lost their loved ones and in the process of grieving.. those who don’t have enough money to buy food and presents.. those who just lost everything because of disaster.. those who are struggling with trauma and grief after the Bondi attack recently 😢 My heart is heavy for them..


Christmas Day is not about celebration, party or presents.. because Jesus was born in an inconvenient situation, in a lonely manger.. So many baby boys also killed after Christmas and so many families went through grief and sad times.. This is not a happy season for everyone, but Jesus came to bring hope to everyone and light into the darkness ❤️


I pray that Jesus will be the answer for everyone who is searching for hope this Christmas.. Amen 🙏











Merry Christmas 2025 🎄

​

We didn’t take any family photos for Christmas this year, but I want to share our latest family photos that were taken in autumn, in Macedon, by our friend (AW) from Indonesia when he came to visit us.. Thanks AW! And Merry Christmas 2025 to you all!








PS: I also want to share this very cool video..

The Lego Christmas Story !






Christmas Project 🎄

We did something special this Christmas! :)


Usually I only write Christmas cards by myself, but this time I included kids’ drawings in every cards (I think we have done more than 50 cards!) And not only that.. at first we only did cards for our friends.. but after that we got an idea to give cards to all other people around us: bus drivers, train staff, postman, rubbish truck drivers, police, librarian, neighbors, shop keepers, trolley guy and so many more!





It was such a joy to see the kids excitement in giving and how brave they are in approaching and talking to those people.. and also to see people’s reactions when they received the cards (we also added a chocolate / a lollipop for them 😋) 

Last week Glenn gave a card to one of the train staffs, he opened the card and showed Glenn’s drawings to everyone in that train.. They clapped their hands and gave appreciation for Glenn.. He said that this is his first Christmas card that he ever received since he works at the train.. It was such a sweet and special moment 🥰

Here are some photos of their drawings:

(Thanks to Art For Kids Hub Youtube!)









I hope through this project the kids will learn to care more about others and also many people will be blessed through their simple actions of love 💕 


The kids gave the card & lolly to the policeman 👮‍♂️ 



Merry Christmas!




Eggnog Recipe

Eggnog, or egg nog, is a sweetened dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or cream, sugar, and whipped eggs. Eggnog is traditionally consumed throughout Canada and the United States around Christmas. - Wikipedia


This was my first time making Eggnog, and it's very easy to make. I got this recipe from my friend and my cousin in law, Felix, hehe.. Thank you for sharing the recipe! It reminds me of my Christmas time in America 4 years ago.. :p

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! *cheersss* :D



EGGNOG RECIPE
(+ 10 servings)

Ingredients:

900 ml full cream milk
450 ml heavy cream
10 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
450 ml baileys
200 g sugar (or without sugar)
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 grated nutmeg

How to make:

* Mix the milk, cream, baileys, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg.
* Put on the heat (low heat) until simmer.
* On other bowl, put the egg yolk and sugar. Mix it through.
* Pour the milk mixture very slowly to the egg mixture. Mix it constantly.
* Transfer it to other bowl or container (use the strainer).
* Ready to serve.




Little Candles: Farewell & Christmas

Wuah.. sepertinya ini bakal jadi post aku yang terakhir tentang kegiatan Little Candles :( hiks.. hiks.. Minggu depan aku udah berangkat ke Aussie and bakal kangen berat sama anak-anak ini..


Hari Minggu (22 Dec) yang lalu, ada 8 anak Little Candles (4 girls: Dhika, Agnes, Friska, Clarissa and 4 boys: Cope, Ryu, Ian, Rangga) yang nginep di rumahku sampe hari Senin :) Bisa kebayang gak, ada 8 kids dalam 1 rumah and aku tidur bareng mereka semua dalam 1 kamar, hahaha.. Rusuh pastinya :p

So, kira-kira ini dia gambaran kegiatan yang kita lakuin dari Minggu siang sampe Senin siang:

Day #1

Mereka dateng ke rumahku siang, ada juga yang dateng sore (after lunch). Acara bebas, main-main, makan snack, mandi, and sempet latihan bentar buat Natal (nyanyi & drama). Anak-anak lumayan tertib, udah bisa ngurus perlengkapan masing-masing juga waktu mandi and bisa ngantri (karena kamar mandinya cuma 1, hehe..) And seperti biasa, mainan favorite kita, apa lagi kalo bukan Dutch Blitz! :p


Nah, abis itu malemnya, aku ajak mereka keluar dinner di Warung Pasta.. Ada cici Elvira and koko Andy juga yang ikut :) Seru pokoknya, hehe.. Abis itu pulangnya, aku bisa relax bentar karena ada cici Elvira and koko Andy yang temenin mereka maen, haha.. But pas mereka udah pulang, aku musti take care mereka lagi satu-satu, suruh pada sikat gigi, siap-siap tidur, doa bareng and sebelum jam 10 semuanya udah harus tidur.. But namanya anak-anak, apalagi tidurnya rame-rame gitu (wkwkwk..) ada yang blom bisa tidur, ada yang masih isengin temennya, ada yang kelaperan tengah malem, what a night deh pokoknya! Haha.. Aku juga gak bisa tidur pules.. But seru sih, precious moment banget, hihi.. ^^


Day #2

Paginya, semua bangun jam 5 buat saat teduh.. Masih pada teler, but karena banyak temen, jadi pada cepet segernya, haha.. Kita baca Bible bareng-bareng dari Mazmur 91 and doa bareng (yang mimpin doa itu selalu mereka, jadi ganti-gantian) sayang gak aku foto ya :p Trus abis saat teduh, semua sikat gigi, cuci muka, kita tunggu matahari muncul, baru kita keluar, jalan ke lapangan belakang buat morning exercise :)


After exercise, kita balik ke rumah buat bikin pancakes! Buat mereka breakfast :) Pertama, ceweq-ceweq dulu yang masak, abis itu baru cowoq-cowoq.. Dari situ mereka bisa belajar kerja sama, bagi tugas and belajar tanggung-jawab juga (kalo gak mo masak, ya gak makan, haha..) Then, abis makan, mereka bisa relax and nyantai.. Pada mandi, main-main, pada ngebantu aku beresin kamar juga (thanks kiddos!) trus buat lunch-nya, aku pesenin pizza (bisa liat di foto yang paling atas :p)


Wah, seru banget pokoknya.. meskipun cape, but happy :) Pas siangnya mereka udah pulang, rumahku langsung berasa sepiiii bangeettt.. hahaha.. langsung kangen sama mereka rasanya.. :(

Jadi itu deh kegiatan Little Candles yang terakhir, sebut aja namanya "Farewell Night" hehe.. But masih ada 1 lagi sih, pas Christmas kemaren (25 Dec) mereka semua tampil di ibadah Natal gerejaku, sama beberapa anak Little Candles lainnya.. Ada yang drama, ada yang nyanyi, ada juga yang nari.. Great job, kiddos! So proud of you all! :D


So, I think this is my last post in 2013.. Just wanna wish you all..

Merry Christmas 2013 and Happy New Year 2014


With Love;
Cella & The Little Candles :)



Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

It's a perfect time to make Christmas Cookies! Yay! I love December, hehe..

Kemarin ini aku kepikiran untuk bikin Christmas Cookies yang banyak, biar bisa buat dibagiin ke family, ke temen-temen komsel and ke anak-anak Little Candles.. So, kali ini aku coba bikin sugar cookies with royal icing dari resep ini: http://www.joyofbaking.com/SugarCookies.html 

Bikinnya gak terlalu susah, but kalo mo buat dalam jumlah banyak emang capek juga sih, haha.. That's why I asked my little helper, Clarissa (one of my Little Candles) to help me yesterday :) She really did a good job!

Mo coba bikin juga? Ini dia resepnya, yang udah aku modif dikit.. ^^



Ingredients

Sugar Cookies:

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large (60 grams) egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
food coloring


How to make?

For Sugar Cookies:


In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.)  Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you can sprinkle the unbaked cookies with sparkling sugar. 



Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing, if desired. Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing. (This may take several hours or overnight.)

Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.

Makes about 36 cookies.



For Royal Icing with Egg Whites:

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice / vanilla extract. Add the sifted sugar and beat on low speed until smooth. If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more sugar or water. Add food coloring, if desired. The icing needs to be used immediately or put in an airtight container as it hardens when exposed to air.



MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Ho ho ho...



Woman of God

Semalem aku and temen-temen komsel WB alias Wanita Bijak abis adain Christmas Dinner bareng di restoran Carnivor, Sunter Icon.. bagus tempatnya.. but penuh perjuangan banget buat ke sana, soalnya kemaren Jakarta macet parah plus ujan gede.. Tadinya mo mulai ngumpul jam 7, eh kita malah baru sampe jam 9 malem! haha.. But luar biasanya, semua tetep hadir, bahkan lengkap :)


Selain makan bareng, kita juga saling tukeran kado and dapet banyak gifts tambahan dari pembina kita, ci Maria.. Pokoknya full of food and presents! hehe.. Nah, salah satunya ada gulungan kertas yang isinya statements about woman, yang mo aku share di sini nih.. Tadi pagi aku abis baca lagi, and bener-bener jadi kekuatan :) Hope u'll be blessed!


Dear: Marcella Flaorenzia

When I stopped being doubtful & learned how to wait;
That's when I became a Woman of Faith.

When I stopped being angry & my calm increased;
That's when I became a Woman of Peace.

When I stopped feeling depressed & was able to cope;
That's when I became a Woman of Hope.

When my sorrow ceased & my smile wasn't destroyed;
That's when I became a Woman of Joy.

When I stopped being weak & kept fear at arms length;
That's when I became a Woman of Strength.

When I fell out of favor & was put in my place;
That's when I became a Woman of Grace.

When I stopped hating my self & felt an embrace from above;
That's when I became a Woman of Love.

When I stopped being silent & my voice began to raise;
That's when I became a Woman of Praise.

When I let go of old ways & a new path I began to trod;
That's when I became a Woman of God.

With Love,
Maria Lestari




December Surprise! ♥

Many people think, something like this only happen in a fairy tale or Korean drama (haha..) but you know what, it does happen in a real life.. especially when you surrender your pen of life into the hands of Jesus, the Greatest Author of love story ever! :)


10-12-12

He came here, from Melbourne to Jakarta
to give me a surprise..

He didn’t tell me..
He bought the plane ticket
and paid the price for me..

Suddenly he appeared right beside me,
with purple bouquet of flowers in his hands.. (my fave color!)
What a sweet surprise!
It feels like a dream.. :p


Thank you for all that you’ve done..
I really appreciate it..
(buat bolak-balik dari Karawaci ke Kelapa Gading juga, haha..)

and have a safe flight back home! :)

What a great feeling to know that someone has paid the price for you.. Always remember what Jesus has done for you on the cross!

John 10:10 - Jesus came so we can have real and eternity life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of :)


12-12-12

Finally, we got a chance to take a picture together!
That’s the joy of LDR.. LOL! :p
so, here is our first picture...


“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him
(1Corinthians 2:9)



Little Candles: Making 3D Christmas Cards!

Ini adalah liputan aktivitas terakhir Little Candles di thn 2012...


Hari Sabtu, 8 Dec 2012 kemarin, ada 7 anak yang dateng ke rumahku untuk belajar bikin 3D Christmas Cards! Kali ini yang ngajar adalah cici Cinthya, plus ada koko AW juga yang dateng untuk bantuin, hihi.. (special thanks to both of you..!)


Ryu, dateng paling awal.. and daripada bengang-bengong nungguin yang lain dateng, akhirnya dia bikin kreasi sendiri deh di dalem ruangan Little Candles.. kaget juga pas aku masuk and saw what he did.. so proud of you, Ryu! :)


Kita ngajarnya dibagi 2 session, karena ada 4 anak yang dateng di awal and 3 anak agak telat.. but all of them did a great job! Semuanya bisa selesai bikin and keren-keren hasilnya.. sorry to Ian, karena kamu ga kefoto.. hiks.. :(


And seneng juga, karena mereka bisa tulis pesen and kasih card ini ke ortu mereka masing-masing.. nothing more special than handmade gifts! hehe.. Kapan-kapan bikinin buat cici Cella yak, haha.. *ngarep* :p


Selain itu, aku juga siapin Christmas cookies buat mereka (yang aku bikin and bisa kamu liat resepnya di post sebelumnya) biar makin berasa suasana Natal-nya, haha.. So, wow.. gak berasa yah Little Candles udah berjalan setaon! Kita juga udah punya beberapa plan activities buat taon 2013.. so excited!! woohoo!! :D


MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012
AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

From: Little Candles :)



 
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