Mid Autumn - season of gatherings

I don't remember when I started "celebrating" Mid Autumn festival (a.k.a. Mooncake / Lantern festival).  I think it was during my previous job where 99% of my colleagues are Chinese and one or two of them really make special effort to buy Mooncakes for their in-law families and I got caught up in the festivities.

2012's lanterns.  We had more this year, but lazy to take pix :D

It started small, with just a lantern for Noel and when Del came along, a lantern for him too.  But it got bigger and bigger.  Last year we had a full blast family gathering just so that the kids can have fun playing the lanterns.  This year even better - we had three family gatherings over two weekends!!  Absolute fun, not just for the kids, but for the adults as well.  We had a gathering with the Tans on the 14th Sept, with the Ganangs on 15th Sept and another with the Tans on 21st.  How awesome!!

One of the rekindled relationship with Dad's side - never met this Aunty and her family before.

The gathering on the 15th was totally unexpected.  We were walking around in Serikin on the 14th (something we rarely do!) when we bumped into Dad's nephew who stayed with Mum and Dad during his bachelor years and we have not seen for the longest time (10 years at least).  So we invited them over for dinner and was thrilled that they (he and his family) accepted.  We had the greatest time catching up.

One of our family gatherings - at Pantai Pasir Panjang - "Clove".  The family happily sitting under a tree.

Did not take any pix of this year's celebrations but putting in some photos of the gatherings that we have been having with my mom's side of the family.  

Our kids exploring new things - not only lanterns but also flying kites!

2nd cousins happily playing water together.

Oh! But wait!!!! I had more than just 3 gatherings that weekend!!  I had one great time over breakie on the 14th with these two lovelies as well.  So aunt-ish of us to be up early and to have breakfast so early in the morning!  Yeah, we met at 7am!

Not really morning persons,but we made a point to get up and have our rare meet!

And on the 20th night, our cell group also had Mid Autumn dinner, which turned out to be just 3 families - with our parents joining and we had 2 different groups fellowship-ing - the kids (errr.... 30 above "kids") and the parents (60 above!).  We even had our own "kids" table!

This year have been a season of kindling family ties with both sides of the family.  I have been blessed to get to know more family members and I pray, come 2014, when things gets hectic for me, I will still have time to enjoy this beautiful tie.  Yes, it was a great time to sit back (pile up on the kilos!!) and catch up over the Mid Autumn.  It is after all about family ties.