Day 9: Hanging out at the movies...

Even though I know that one day you will have peers of your own to hang out with, I wish you will still find it "cool" to hang out with me and your dad as much as you do now.

Day 8 : Rainbow

Yes, we joined the Rainbow Family.

This is the product that goes by referral system and IMHO does not need a lot of marketing.

Eight years ago, we were already impressed by what it can do in puryfing the air within your home and not to mention the water based technology it uses compared to dry vacuum systems. And yesterday, we were even more impressed.

The guy showed us how much it can clean the flyscreens, furnitures, light fixtures, exhaust on the ceiling, mop and dry the porcelain tiles, clean the mattresses and corners that are hard to reach.

So today, when our new unit arrived, my excited hubby used all of its "might" in cleaning the entire house including the area behind the fridge and under the fridge.

The photo below shows hubby cleaning. And inset, shows how much dust and dirt he has already collected after vacuuming the carpet in the master bedroom and its furnitures, the boys' room and their mattresses.

With Rainbow, I know I will never have to buy another vacuum again.

Btw, tell me if you're interested to see it for yourself...

Chopsticks

You used to be a slow, picky eater, always challenging our patience. But we won't seem to have that problem anymore. I see that you like taking upon yourself that challenge of trying various cuisine. 


So, one lunch time, we decided to eat at the newly opened Thai resto in Castle Tower's Piazza. It's called Red Spoon. And not only did he like all the spicy dishes but he also used the chopsticks throughout his meal like a pro. 

Day 7: Bananatella Crepe

I can never let down my boys when they asked me tonight to make crepes. Luis isn't much of a banana fan but when mixed with Nutella, he instantly fell in love with it. Leon loves banana and nutella. So no surprises there when he came back asking for a second serving.

This is my first attempt at banana crepes and even hubby liked it over the usual mango crepes I make.

Filling: Bananas, Nutella spread, whipped cream

Crepe: Made from Pancake mix. (I just added more water and instead of two eggs, I only used one egg. And I added a tablespoon of vegetable oil)

Day 6: Breathing through the Breeze

I couldn't stand my migraine today that has been bugging me for the past few days. This was just what I needed. To relax by my fave lounge and let the breeze soothe the surging pain in my head. 


Let it blow! Let it blow! Let it blow!

Day 5: DIY Wardrobe Shelves

This is hubby's first DIY project for the year. Woot! Woot!

We have to start moving out Leon's clothing from the nursery room. Since he is sharing room with his Kuya, for now, it just makes sense to build shelves in the existing built-in wardrobe. Everything to the right is Leon's and the rest is Luis'.

Still moving and sorting more of their clothes tomorrow...

Project 365 - Day 4 : Who Said Corelle Is Unbreakable?

While cooking crepes tonight, the Corelle plate I was using to stack up my cooked crepes suddenly gave a loud "tick".And this is what I saw...

A plate broken into two pieces and they looked like a couple kissing. Amazing :)

TRANSITION

A few have come to ask me not long ago, "So are you no longer a Catholic?". But I neither reply with a yes or no - because I believe I was and still am a Christian. One must remember, the Catholic church of Rome is of Christian denomination. We all are believers and followers of Jesus Christ. But only us ourselves can really tell that and not the religion you belong to.


So if I can describe in the simplest way what my water baptism last 30th August 2009 was about, this is what I went through: 

Not a conversion or change of heart but a transition.

My Catholic upbringing taught me about Jesus Christ. But thirty years later, my desire to have a deeper and personal relationship with him is born.

From TRADITION to TRUTH

From EARNING to ACCEPTING (salvation)

P.S. I was actually 7 weeks pregnant with my current child when I took that "plunge" (water baptism) in HillSong church. I was spotting/bleeding for 2 weeks before that and thankfully, on this day "it" was clear.

Project 365 - Day 3 - "Lemons"

What benefit does one get when he/she puts lemon in their drinking water?  Got a bag of lemons yesterday from Steph's backyard and this what I thought making use of them...

Day 2 - Can't wait for Christmas...

... because I just got a bargain from the Christmas Warehouse.

When I arrived at the store today, the floor was almost empty. While all items were substantially marked down, most of them were also marked "SOLD OUT". My heart was thumping as I approached the Christmas tree display at the back. And I was right! The tree that I was intending to purchase and was already on special at $199 just before Christmas had a mark down of $89.95, BUT was already SOLD OUT. It would have perfectly fitted my budget. 

So I looked around and though I wasn't planning to spend more than $100, I ended up getting a "more" majestic tree. The original tag of this one is $569.95 and I know that just before Christmas it was marked down to $379.95. And today, I got it for $169.95. But because I am a VIP member, I was able to get additional 10% off that special price. So hubby only paid $152.95. 

And so the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait".

Project 365 - Day 1

My 2010 will sparkle in full circle. BECAUSE I BELIEVE SO! :)

A quick note...

It’s been months since I last blogged. I must admit Facebook became a mini blog to me.

I will try to resurrect my passion for blogging now that I am past my first trimester. Yes, that’s right! In case you’re out of my FB list, we are expecting baby #3 aka “La-Li-Lo”.

So let me end this quick note with our latest family photo. (Although, it may be hard to notice my baby bump from this photo taken during the October long weekend at Canberra’s Floriade festival, trust me, I’m growing bigger each day!!!)

God bless!!!

Color Me Olive

I've always considered the bedroom as my ultimate place of sanctuary within our home.

This is where I get to spend "me" time after a long day's work.

This is where DH and I spend most of our undistracted moments with each other *wink* enabling us to give another undivided attention provided both our laptops have been turned off.

And it's my little piece of haven every waking morning where I find the most important people in my life, under one sheet. Yes, our boys never fail to "arrive" in our bedroom every 6am to "continue" snoozing after a toilet break.


Anyway, last week I pondered about giving my sanctuary a new look. It has been looking dull for the last 17 months and I thought it's about time we add "life" to it - like a feature wall.

The colour had to go with my natural/earthly colours around the house. I love purple but I had narrowed it down to shade of red or green.

DH was leaning towards green and I thought "red" was too warm. (I mean, the two of us are enough to make the room "hot". *Haha*). And the final choice was olive green!

So here's the new look and feel of our bedroom. I painted this wall for more than 3 hours. Made my back and legs damn sore for two days.
Like it?

We just love it!

See how my olive shirt assimilated with my new wall? Hehe!

It's Summer in Manila!

... and how I wish we're still there!

Just like to share this good find in San Juan, Batangas. It's the Acuatico Beach Resort found along the stretch of Laiya. It's a three hour drive from Makati.

Overnight stay (for a couple with 2 young children) was Php 5,500 that includes breakfast.

It is more expensive compared to other Laiya resorts (such as La Luz) but after our stay, I would say, it was worth every penny. Because it is fairly new (soft opening, I believe, was last May 2008), everything was CLEAN. The room we had was the smallest unit but it had its share of plasma TV, split A/C, modern toilet/shower.

My children adored the infinity pool.

The beach was a plus.

Lunch and dinner buffet meals are Php500 per head. I guess price is reasonable for a resort. Anyway, the food was always good.

We will definitely go back on our next visit!!!

Little Einstein Rocket Ship

I have to make at least 60 pcs of this cupcake topper in less than two weeks. Tonight I created a sample just so I can get the right measurement, shape when I decide to do a mass production. So far, I am contented with my experiment. :) Next thing to do is the larger version of this rocket ship. I'm on a roll!

A Breath of Heaven

Watching my sons go hand in hand as they approach the waves on the beach...

Away from the oven...

After a three week cupcake marathon, I can say that I am bake-free until the next fornight. Woohoo! I am keen to join my boys play basketball in our backyard and attend to their extra curricular activities.

I'm thinking of having a hair-cut soon - shorter this time. But that's at the bottom of my priorities. I have to pay dues to my three boys first. And those DUES spell TIME.

3 stars and a sun...

I did these cupcakes just before the Manny Pacquiao - Oscar Dela Joya match started last December. This cupcake represented me cheering for Pacman to win - and he did!!!

(My friend, Yay, looked for the 3 stars. But never got around putting it.)

Anyway, with the sudden demise of the Man from Manila, I feel like doing another batch. It's just unfortunate that I am cheering him on a different way.

This time I will make sure I don't forget the 3 stars. Godspeed to Kiko!

Message for FrancisM...

Thank you for being consistent in proclaiming through your craft your love for the country. I will be forever a fan of yours and your music!!! (My husband is a fan of your clothing design too. We will definitely visit your FrancisM Clothing Co on our next visit!)

Anyway, I know you're in a better place now. Good on ya - I know you made Him sooo proud with your bravery and your FAITH.

A Night to Remember...

This is the dress I bought this week. It felt like it was waiting for me because it was the last size on the rack and it fitted nicely. This was how our 10th anniversary celebration went...

All along I thought we were booked to have dinner at Wildfire restaurant. That was my suggestion, having heard from a friend that food was good and their website is a real stand out when I checked it out.

But it was Friday and traffic was heavy going to the city . So I volunteered to call the restaurant myself to move the time. But he was quick to stop me from ringing directory assistance. Apparently, the dinner is booked in a different place. Somewhere more exquisite!

And so the secret has been revealed. This is the view from our table at Shangri-la Hotel's Altitude restaurant, 36 levels above the ground where you can see a full view of the harbour while enjoying a 7 course degustation menu. NICE!

Actually, he made more plans but ran out of time looking for the "gift" he had in mind. He even booked a room for the night but thought we wouldn't be able to "maximize" it if we were arriving late at night. So he just cancelled it at the last minute. He made $528 savings just by doing that. Good thinking!!! I'd rather throw that into the "gift's" budget.

And I don't know where he got the idea of taking a chance at asking the Head Chef to pose with us. He kinda made up a story that it has been our tradition to have a photo with the Head Chef everytime we enjoyed the food at a resto. And he prodded the wait staff about three times. Well, we were really enjoying the food and wine. We raved course after course. And I think we will be making this a tradition from now on.. Hahaha!

After that heavy but sumptuous dinner, we took a walk down at The Rocks for some fresh air to rid a few percentages of alchohol content. :) We even walked past Wildfire restaurant :) while we shared strings of laugters.

Loved the view, loved the good food and loved it sharing with my DH. This day has been made special once again by both of us. I know our marriage is not perfect. But it's the willingness to make it perfect, for our children to see and learn from, is what I am proud of. And I am also proud that we are now blessed with a stronger FAITH, that we know we can rest our HOPE at the helm of His grace, and that we are able to give another true LOVE because of these two blessings.

10 years...

I bought a hallmark card in Manila last January. And I am giving it to him today.

It says

"The earth turns.

The sun rises and sets.

We're still in love.

All is right in the world.

Happy anniversary."


There are many things I wanted to say. But imbetween shopping for the right dinner dress and getting my hair done, my heart only managed to type in the following, (Printed on an A4, cut down to the size of the card).

---

We normally do not treat this day as special as our church wedding.

But now I do.

I still remember the same night, ten years ago, when someone called upon me as Mrs. Reyes, three times before I even acknowledged. I didn't "get it" straight away!!! Haha! Forgot that it's not just a paper we needed to submit to the embassy that time. It was (in Luis' favourite expression) "for real life". Truth behold, we legally started as husband and wife on this day.

It never dawned on me what this legal status entails. All I had was a vision of a happy ending. Why, who would have thought, after all the bickering we had in our younger years, after being apart for more than half a year, it would still be us? We both had that faith in us - a FAITH that in these ten years was shaken a few times.

I remember when we went to Europe; when a tour mate, an old American widow commended us on how we two looked so good together. But I choked in silence and made me ponder on her last statement, "I miss my husband... Getting married is easy, staying married is not". If she told me this ten years ago, I would not have understood.

But now I do.

Life is good and through the highs and lows I am thankful that I now understand! With the experiences I had along the way, I can proudly say that I now have in me, what was ideal to have had ten years ago - a RIGHT MIND and a RIGHT HEART in keeping a marriage alive. God is good!

I know you've thanked me enough in the past for being stronger when you couldn't take the lead, for having the patience when you were too weary, and for having the tenacity when things got a bit uncertain. But really in those moments, I have you to thank for! Because you've let me, who was once a young girl who bravely travelled a thousand miles to be with you, shine so brightly in the darkest room where love was almost impossible. You gave me the chance to love you back the way you love me. With you I learned the true meaning of LOVE and I will be forever grateful!

I decided a long time ago that I will love you for the rest of my life and yours. Today, with much happiness I want you to know that I still honour that commitment - forever and always! That even when parts of us make another cringe or fume, I promise not to attack or cocoon in resentment. God has joined us to be together in marriage. And believing this is knowing that all is right in the world. That He'll always guide us right where we're supposed to be - ready to fall in love all over again!

Happy 10th anniversary Babes! And I look forward to making our dreams come true and creating more beautiful memories for our family… together!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Love at First Post

Geeze, we're already halfway through the first quarter of the new year and I haven't posted a single thing since we came back from our holidays in Pinas.

There have been shortcomings from my end and I acknowledge that. Forgive me for being remiss in updating this blog and for being delinquent in responding at all to tags and comments. I repositioned my inner compass when the year began. I was very busy before our holidays that I felt the urge to be with my husband and children every chance I get. TIME is really a demanding word! But it is much of my pleasure when I cherish my treasures in life.

Anyway, as simple as it can get, our Feb 14th was spent by simply exchanging cards. Love is in the air as we shared it over a bottle of red wine and a plate of fish balls (hubby's comfort food), while watching Body of Lies in our theatre room. Hmmm, only the wine complemented the commercialism of Valentine's Day but we found ourselves more than contented to be "celebrating" with the whole world in this way. Cheers!

(I had to make cupcakes on this day and so we skipped doing anything special. After all, we hardly did, even before. To my DH, thank you for bearing the joy and pain of making cupcakes with me... Love you to bits!!!)

My Newest Kitchen Buddy...

This is my kitchen... where my cupcakes are made.

See what's been added???

To my DH, merry Christmas Babes! (Btw, you still have the rest of my Christ-MUST wishlist, right? :) Kaluguran daca!)

Worthy Cause

STOP. RACISM.

I am supporting my friend's cause. Please pass on and keep spreading the word.

I've called Australia my home for the last decade and wouldn't wish to have my sons experience the same cruelty. As a parent, I know I can only do so much to shield my children from such attacks. I want them to grow up - proud of their heritage but without feeling that they should be treated like second class citizens in their own country of birth. Let us continue raising them to have a solid character so in any case that we will not be around to protect them, they will always be able to stand up for who they are.

More importantly, let us practice what we preach. Let no one or any similar bad experience transform us to become "racists".