Celebrating 10 Years of Living in US

August is a special month for me.  This year, in August--last month--I celebrated 10 years of living in US. No special party but I'll make something different tomorrow--on Sunday night.  I'll have time off--no work on Monday (Labor Day).  My husband and my little daughter also don't go to work and school, so I'll make something special on Sunday night.  I'm going to cook Snow crab legs with its dipping sauce, then we will have popcorn and watch movie together.  It sounds good, doesn't it?

Below I try to track what have happened during that period.  I would like to write them below as treasure of my memory:

- August 2002, I arrived in US.

- October 2002, I married and had a new family.

Married couple, October 2002.

- March-April 2003, I noticed that I was pregnant.

My baby in my womb, in 10 weeks pregnancy.

- January 2004, a new family member was born.

First night with our new family member.

Three months old baby girl.

- August 2005, we moved to our first new house.

Front Porch

- November 2005, I--with St. David's Adult Choir members (Episcopal Church)-- sang at Washington National Cathedral for the first time and for the last time.  We were lucky to be chosen and invited to sing there because it would happen again in the next 50 years.  It means every year they will choose a choir from a state in US.  That means maybe they would choose St. David's Adult Choir again or other choir in PA for the next 50 years.  You can imagine how lucky I was.  I joined with that choir group in the right time.  I ever imagined to present to Washington National Cathedral when I was watching US president came for a special service to celebrate something special in there when I was still in Indonesia.  I was so amazed with the cathedral's interior design and imagined I would be there someday--that was impossible for me at that time.  But for GOD nothing impossible happen if HE plans for us.

In this month I also started to join as a citizen journalism at www.kabarindonesia.com.

- February 2006, I started blogging: personal blog with its address: www.fidaabbott.blogspot.com (this blog you're reading).  I had been awarded as a finalist of Christian Indonesian Blogger Festival in August 2008 and in February 2009, I had been awarded as an Honorable Mentioned Blog by BlogNet Awards.

In this month I was being offered to volunteer as an editor at www.kabarindonesia.com.  My husband was happy and asked me to accept it.

-  June-July 2006, I was chosen as Managing Editor at www.kabarindonesia.com after they saw how I worked in around 4-5 months.

- August 2006, I got my first part time job as Walmart associate. God gave me that job in the right time.

- Around April-July 2008, I had been chosen as a Director of Online Writing Course at www.kabarindonesia.com (PMOH: Pelatihan Menulis Online Harian KabarIndonesia.com, www.pelatihanmenulis.com).  In around couple months I had worked hard to prepare for the first class.

- December 2008, I launched my first e-book: What Prayers Does Mommy Teach Me? (First Action in the literature world)

- February 2009, the first class of  PMOH began (General Class).  In 2011, for the first time I opened Fiction Class. With great mentors I had, we had done great job for our students (from Senior High School to College students, workers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and professionals).

In this month I also planned to start writing my first cookbook and several months later, I launched my first cookbook titled: Fabulous Leftover Turkey.

- March 2009, I started to write a novel.

- February 2010, my first novel based on my own true story, titled Enthusiasm was published. In April 2010, my book won Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the category of novel for Spring 2010.

- March 2011, I got my second job as Adecco Associate for CTDI (Communication Test Design Inc).

- September 2011, I was in the list of one of the winners of 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading.

- December 2011, we moved to a small--full renovated house--good size for 3 members of family.

- February 2012, my book was published in Indonesia (Enthusiasm in Indonesian version: Antusiasme by YKBK--Yayasan Komunikasi Bina Kasih)

Now I am  busy with my 2 jobs and several online works/activities, including my writing projects besides doing my routine activities as a mom and a wife.  I'm excited to look forward for the next 10 years.  What's going to happen???  One thing I've known that I would keep enthusiastic everyday and wish one day my family and I would say "Hello" to all family and friends in Indonesia, not via cyber world but face to face. (*)

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Getting ready for evening work. 

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