73 Days Before Christmas and I'm 33!

We are nearing the half of October and before we know it, it will soon be Christmas! Well, there's 73 days more left before the awaited Holiday arrives. This last quarter of the year certainly fills up my daily life with fun and excitement.

I turned 33 yesterday too! I didn't get to celebrate it with a party or the like, budget was just tight nowadays that it would be impossible to throw a party for friends. Sad as it may seem, it was a happy one anyway since I have my family with me intact. They greeted me first thing when they woke up and it was already overwhelming. My daughter gave me a card she personally made and that made my birthday all the more meaningful.


I could certainly say that this is the first time I haven't celebrated my birthday. Well, it's the first time I haven't invited friends over, or made a treat for everyone. I then realized that celebrations don't really matter, as long as you are happy and satisfied from within. I was worried at first because I very much wanted to invite friends or treat them but financial constraints prevented me from doing do. Nonetheless, a lot of friends have greeted me through text messages on my cellphone and wall/private messages on my Facebook account. Those greetings were enough for me to feel blessed with good friends and be special on my birthday. I feel like I've gotten myself a short term insurance already!

Well, my kids still have the party they wanted since my cousin and her baby (whose birthdays fall just like mine) decided to celebrate their special day at my parents' house. So off we went to our former abode and had a blast with the children's party. The kids enjoyed the games being played, what with their countless prizes received. It was indeed so fun-filled.

Life could very well be so meaningful as long as the people that matters to you are there for you too.

Say Hello To The 'BER' Months!

September is here once again and do you know what that means? The last quarter of the year is gradually nearing, and before we know it, we will bid goodbye to 2010. This is the time when we have to expect cold weather to surface in our midst, and I am quite glad about it since we won’t be using air conditioning units that often then. Although not massive, we can thus be able to save on energy bills.

The 4th quarter is something that I look forward to because it promises a lot of events and activities which I am sure would be enjoyable and memorable.

As soon as October hits the atmosphere, there goes my son Justin’s 6^th birthday; and my 33^rd birthday as well. The United Nations celebration also falls on this month and I am quite excited for my kids to have the full exuberance of participating on varied activities.

Come November, as we celebrate the All Soul’s Day, we will also be celebrating my mother’s 60^th birthday. This is special since this day will mark her 1^st day as a senior citizen, lol! Moreover, this humble blog will turn three years old on this month, to which I am contemplating of availing its own web hosting.

I know I am not the only one who is so thrilled about December. A very considerable percentage of the world's population is looking forward for this month since it is the time of merriment as we scurry around the area doing Christmas shopping, preparing for Christmas parties, and other Christmas endeavors. This surely is a very busy month ~~yet happy!

Are you also excited?

Off To A Conference

Finally, I have received my authority to attend the 19th Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Joint Mindanao Regional Conference. This conference will be held on August 19-21, 2010 at Cagayan de Oro City.

I am excited about this event for several reasons: (1.) our chapter will be participating in the cultural night dance contest and I am one of the dancers of the said delegation; (2.) it will be my first time to attend an event held at Grand Caprice Hotel, which is just a few walks away from CDO's famous Limketkai Mall; (3.) I will be able to update myself with current issues and trends relating to my accountancy profession, considering that one of our big bosses from our Central Office is the speaker; and (4.) I will be off to a Nokia Center and have my cellphone's camera repaired when it got corrupted few months back.

To all CPAs in Mindanao who will be attending, see you there!

Our Marriage Turned 9!

Today is August 4, 2010.

Well, you probably know the date today but I would just like to emphasize it here this important date of my life.

Today marks the 9th wedding anniversary of me and my husband. I am so overwhelmed that we have reached this stage, considering the fact that our arguments and misunderstandings were ceaseless. A lot of common friends have made negative predictions long ago but at this moment, I am proud to say that they have been wrong. We are looking forward for a celebration next year, which will be our 10th year.

The year 2001 was not yet a digital era (well, certainly here in our area), so our wedding pictures were taken using a camera film. I scanned a few of them to make a collage and thinking of sharing it here. Here it is:

To hubby, thank you for all the wonderful things you have shared with me. The joys, sorrows, thrills and anxieties that we have gone through just molded us to be strong and together. Thank you for making me the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. I love you always.

Back Again

I am back again . . . well, from being on hiatus for about a week or more. I was away from the blogosphere for a bit because my laptop got repaired (I had a new windows system installed) and of course, there's my brother's wedding that made the family busy and frantic few days before.

The wedding (last December 4) went very smoothly, although there were minor details which came as unexpected for us. Anyway, it is over now and those are placed behind our backs already as part of the past.

What made the occasion very special for me is the reunion with the relatives. My uncles from Luzon flew their way here to celebrate with us. It is also very delightful to see their happy faces as they see each other (the old ones, lol!) after a long time.

The official wedding pictures are not yet available at the moment as the photographer has yet to give the complete set of pictures. But I will be sharing here some images which we have taken during the special day.

my family

with my sister

I have no photo yet of the wedded couple, and so to give you a preview, I am sharing some pre-nuptial pictures they took few weeks ago. They had a vintage concept and it's really nice.



Congratulations to my brother and his wife.

Music Monday: In Your Eyes

It's a beautiful Monday today, not only because the weather here is good, but because it is my mother's 59th birthday. She is one year shy from reaching the age of retirement, but I am pleased to say that she doesn't look her age. To her:

Another reason for this beautiful Monday is the Music Monday, which I have not participated for two weeks I guess. I will be sharing with you a classic song from George Benson, called In Your Eyes. I love this song because of its wonderful lyrics and melody as well.

Lyrics | George Benson lyrics - In Your Eyes lyrics

Enjoy the song! Have a great Monday and wishing you the best for the week ahead!

Honeymoon Ideas

It is already about a month away and my brother would soon be married. I am also quite busy in the preparations, with all my kids taking part of the entourage. I am still not done looking for my two sons' green long sleeves polo and my daughter's silver sandals. As for me, I still haven't figured out the design of my dress.

My brother asked me to shoulder for the wedding singer, as my wedding gift for him. This is not hard for me since my brother in law is a born singer and has been singing on weddings and other events on part time. There would be no cash outlay on our part. Hubby suggested we give my brother something of value, and since there already is someone who would sponsor for the wedding cake, we thought of giving him the honeymoon trip perhaps.

However, a trip to luxurious hotels at this time would be financially demanding especially for the coming holiday season. This gave us second thoughts on our decided wedding gift and fortunately, I came across a great hotel deal with Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific. There would be one million hotel rooms available at amazingly affordable rates. With this 3 day sale, going to Singapore or Bali is no longer a problem as far as place to stay is concerned.

Booking the travel between today until October 30, 2009 would surely get them the room sale for stays from December 2009 to April 2010, very timely since my brother's wedding is on December 4.

My Birthday Celebration

I have previously mentioned that I turned 32 last Monday. I started that day hearing mass at the church with hubby and breakfast at a coffee shop right after. Then I went to office since I did not take a leave of absence (I planned to have my last special/privilege leave on my brother's wedding).

So I practically spent the major hours of my day at the office and a mini celebration was made during dinner at home. I had no guests then and it was an intimate family event ~~ well, my brother's girlfriend was there but since she's already considered a family, she's no longer a guest, lol! Here's what we had last Monday night . . .

Spaghetti and a bottle of champagne

The day after (Tuesday that is) is another day at the office and our office's volleyball team have decided to dine out and talk about updates of our lives. It was a very jolly occasion since all we did besides eating is laughing! The food was plenty that we left the place with full stomachs and satisfied palates.


Believe me, these food in the picture are tastier in actual!

Pearl Earrings

While I am on my pursuit of weight loss in time for my brother's wedding, I am also in the hunt for the perfect dress to wear. I really wanted to wear a halter or spaghetti strap dress, but I doubt if that would be possible since my arms are so huge, I would look like a boxer.

Anyway, whatever the dress may be, I realized that I have to get the right accessories in order to have the elegant look. I may not have the chance to wear some revealing clothes anymore; so I have to make it up by wearing fine pieces of accessories, like freshwater pearls. Pearls are very exquisite material and I am sure they really make one look great. So I browsed through the net for pearl jewelries and stumbled across a site that offers different kinds of pearls for sale - - direct from their pearl farm! That would mean they have the lowest cost than others since no middlemen were involved. Plus, they assure that their clients get the best pearls since their purchases are packaged with certificates of authenticity. Look at those pearls above and they are just marvelous to behold.

Well, I would like to wear pearl earrings during my brother's special day. Even though I won't look very grand with my dress, I may look exquisitely lovely with the pearls then.

So how do you like these pairs?

Another Family Affair

The following weeks to come would be very busy for our whole family. It is because my brother would soon wed his long-time girlfriend of eight years. Finally, they have decided to tie the knot this coming December, since they are not getting younger anymore - - they are both 29.

Of course, I am excited for this event because all my three kids would take part on the ceremonies. Although my daughter has been a flower girl so many times, it will be my two boys' first times to walk on the aisle bringing along the rings and Bible on their arms. I wonder if they would really finish the walk through the altar - - - that remains to be seen yet.

Since the wedding is just two months away, I am now striving hard to lose weight so that i could put on some stylish and sexy dress during the wedding. This event is a venue for reunion of the entire family and relatives, so I have to look my best as photo sessions would be highly expected. It is such a struggle to have a diet since I am so much of a rice eater. But then I have to try and reach for my weight goals. I also enrolled at the gym and hopefully sweat out those extra pounds away. Well, good luck for me!

Music Monday: The Birthday Song

Yay! It's Monday once again... time to feature another lovely song. The song I am sharing is a birthday song by Corrinne May. Thanks to a friend who sent the link to me, I am listening to this song right now with a big smile painted on my lips.

In case you were wondering about the song feature for today, well, I just felt it is the best song that describes my day. . . I'm turning 32! Thanks to all my friends and loved-ones who greeted me either through text messages, email, or posts at facebook and friendster!

Here's my treat for all of you, haha!

My Son Turned 5!

My second kid, Justin, turned five years old yesterday. There was not much of a celebration happened but I know he was very happy during the moment. All he wanted was a small birthday celebration inside his classroom and that was granted. Being a cake lover that he is, the celebration wouldn't be complete at all if there was no birthday cake. And so, we never passed the moment to have one.

It was the happiest moment of his life yesterday when he blew the cake's candle. I could see his big smile as his classmates gathered around him to witness that very special moment of his. I am sharing here a short clip for you to witness too.

Happy Birthday Justin!

Mother's Day

As I look at myself, I can't help but feel overwhelmed that I am already a mother of three kids. I still feel young, but when I look at those three angels playing around, all I could do is smile and thank God for giving them to me. Motherhood is a lifetime commitment for me, an ongoing challenge I have to take, and a skill I have to forever master.

"A mom's heart is the biggest, a mom's smile is the sweetest, a mom's hug is the warmest, a mom's love is the best." HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all moms!

Belated Greetings

My absence during the past week has disabled me to greet some people on very special occasions. Well, it's better late than never, so here goes my delayed greetings to concerned individuals:

Happy Birthday to my youngest son! He just turned three years old last April 29, which was sad for me because I was in Davao that time. Hubby told me they went to church and had a very simple celebration. The kids were very happy with cake and ice cream hubby got for them. If only I could bring back time and spend the day with them, I could have witnessed their jolly faces!

Next special occasion was the National Labor Day last May 1. Wishing all workers, both in the private and government sector, a continued motivation for excellence in everything and increased incentives too.

Lastly, just before lunch time today, Manny Pacquiao fought against Ricky Hatton of England. It was a fight deemed by many as the fight of the year but Manny proved otherwise since the bout only lasted 2 rounds. And in these two rounds, Hatton was downed three times! Congratulations Manny for another exemplary boxing performance. Truly a world class individual and the number 1 pound for pound boxer!

Here's a video of their reently concluded fight:



Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

The Lord has risen! Let us be merry and grateful for He loved us so much!

"The stone was rolled away from the door, not to permit Christ to come out, but to enable the disciples to go in."

Retirement Party Ideas

My mother has already contemplated of retiring when she turns 60. She reasoned out that it is about time to take a permanent rest from work, what with all her kids already through with school and are financially capable to support themselves. Well, that 60th year of hers would happen next year, since she was born in 1950, lol!

I guess that would be a great move for her to do, since she has been constantly suffering high blood pressures and other infirmities brought about by so much hard work. Oh well, it's all in the package really - - higher positions do come with great pressures.

Again, her 6oth birthday would be next year. One more year should not be taken for granted and as early as now, we should be already thinking of wonderful retirement party ideas for her. Being the eldest of her three children, I am overly excited for this important event of her life, when we could detail all her achievements and interests. Hoping we could make it a memorable one for her, such a welcoming stage to a new milestone. Of course, we should not miss out inviting all her friends, who would be great witnesses for this occasion.

Walking Down Memory Lane

No matter how stressful the circumstance around right now, I am all smiles today. You see, 11 years ago on this exact day, I said 'yes' to a cute and wonderful guy who was a classmate on one of my accounting major classes. Yes, meaning - - I got a boyfriend last February 17, 1998 and that lucky ~~ geez, I hope he's not reading this ~~ guy turned out to be my husband for 7 years!

It is really funny to note that we take this day on a special note, much more special than our wedding anniversary, haha! We never fail to highlight this date, as one of the special occasions of our family.

Now, I am walking down the memory lane once again. It was one moment of my life when I felt genuine happiness and somehow my being young at that time, added more spice into it. Well, not that 20 years old is still young, but the feeling of a young girl having a boyfriend for the first time seemed like the grandest day of her life. What was funny about it then was that it all happened on the wake of our friend's father. He was mustering all his courage while I was still inside participating on the prayers. All his courage has been spilled out on our way home and when we got to my house, I said 'yes'.

Well, that certain 'yes' led to marriage 3 and a half years later, and produced three wonderful kids.

Hubby is 32!

My ever dearest hubby is already 32 today! Too bad he won't be with us today because he is out of town having their semestral performance review and evaluation. I do hope he could make it home tonight, no matter how wee the hours would be. But nonetheless, I am wishing him all the goodness of health and happiness.

Happy Birthday and we love you Daddy!

Sushi On Valentines

There is no stopping Valentines Day anymore. In just hours, January would be over and we would soon embrace February with open arms. February is a special month for me, since there are three special events that comes with it - - hubby's birthday, valentines, and our anniversary (not the wedding though, but as a couple BF/GF).

And since most of us are anticipating for the coming hearts day, we are now on a lookout for the best places to go and celebrate. Well, I wished for a sushi dinner this coming valentines, but I guess that would be difficult since our place is so poor of great diners and restaurants. I could just imagine how full I would be at my heart's content if I could be able to munch some of those sumptuous rolls, like the one above. That is a Hawaiian Roll with tuna at the top, which could be ordered at Yama Sushi on the Lake - - a famous catering in Mission Viejo.

Mmm . . . the food looks tempting enough and I hope hubby reads this post so that he could make one like that, haha! If only we are in CA, he wouldn't have to go through the preparations and we'll just go straight ahead to this wonderful restaurant which also offers food catering in Mission Viejo/Japanese food.

Do you love sushi? You can have the best valentines party ever and order now from the party catering in Mission Viejo, that is, if you are within their vicinity *wink*.

My Prom

I still have not recovered from the infliction Twilight has made upon me. I bet this will still go a long way, especially that the sequels to the first movie are yet to be released - - or even filmed. Anyway, Twilight has a lot of scenes that I fell in love with, and that includes the prom scene. Who wouldn't love a very romantic night with your loved one with a great music and atmosphere, right? Not to mention the wonderful prom dresses you get to wear for the occasion.

Watching the movie just turns me back in time. Well, I may not have a love life in my early years but my heart was not made of stone either. And I have to admit that the most exciting part of being a high school was the prom. It's been 16 years since I went to my first prom. This was when I was still a junior in high school. We did not get the chance to wear beautiful prom dresses because we were made to wear a gala (for uniformity, said our administrator). But that did not stop us from having fun, as we danced the night along with the favorite songs and tunes that we had way, way back. At least we were not having a competition then, as to who would emerge the grandest. I remembered very well how shy I was, especially to the seniors but I happen to overcome it as soon as fun and thrill were painted all over the venue.

Prom is only just around the corner. January would soon be over and before you know it - - it's prom night! I just can smile every time thoughts about the past come to mind. I wonder how I would like if I have just worn those classy prom dresses. Would I be beautiful and breathtaking? Haha, in my dreams! I could have worn something like this.



Well, I also realized now as I matured that we only get to experience those kind of things once or twice, so better enjoy them to the fullest while you're still there. Be the best of who you can be and wear a prom dress Jovani, if you must. The internet offers a lot of great prom dresses and prom advice, so I guess anxieties over these ocassions should be erased to thin air then.