First Post For 2008

I , actually , have nothing substantial topic to write but just for the sake of the New Year I thought it would be nice to have an entry for the first month of the year and also kinda like bringing good vibe to my blog .

Jan 31....midnight pacific time...I heard 4 maybe 5 pops of fire works from our neighbors.What a pathetic attempt to welcome 2008. Grant stared at my face for a couple of minutes. Perhaps he's waiting to see if I'll burst into tears and storm into the bathroom and luck the door...just like I did last year. No more drama this time.I'm used to it. Its never gonna be like how we celebrate it in the Philippines where you'd feel like your in a middle of a battle field and your nose is black from the fumes..It just the exact opposite. Too quiet...in fact I could here our next door neighbors opening & closing their closet.

Peaceful...I guess is the word I would describe our New Year's celebration and perhaps that would be my wish for our family too and the whole world.


We did watch Harry Potter the Order Of The Phoenix ( yes I am obsessed )As the main stars of this very popular movie has gotten mature so is the plot of the story and it is even more ( to me atleast )because you can kinda relate . The also enjoyed Goblet Of Fire but this latest sequel of Harry Potter made me cry .Ok , I wont reveal the story for those who hasn't seen it yet.
I am just so taken by the character and the whole story that I am planning to get me the entire books collection ! Yey...that would be something that I can look forward to this year.

Speaking of "something to look forward to ".....My husband gave me another surprise for xmas......a new "vacuum cleaner" hahahha :D

It was something I have been wanting to buy but I just could not find the right one ( and right price tag). Imagine not being able to vacuum your home for a few months...well, I used the small handvacuum that my MIL gave to us but it was not powerful enough to get all of the dirt ,crumbs and hair (gross , I know) For the sophisticated taste of the Domestic Diva..( that's moi!! ) this was a perfect gift for me because I have been wanting to get a really good quality vacuum and boy did I put the thing to the test immediately hhahhahaa. With 2 active kids and my long hair , an ordinary vacuum cleaner wasn't enough so even though we spent a little bit more if we had gotten something at walmart or Target , this one will sure to last and it has 4 year warranty . No more kneeling to clean the carpet using the handvac ( coz I broke our upright vac few months ago).I have been vacuuming joyfully since and I just love the feeling of clean floors .

New Year Resolution...??????
If you guessed "to lose weight"..you hit the jock pot ( dingding ding!!)
maybe I should have wished for a one year supply of " motivation" hahahah.. We'll see.. I have to make friend with my scale again and cardio equipment :)

Till here for now....


BTW..I got another cool awards from Tess and Bless ( nice rhyme)...Thank you both for your sweetness.I apprecaite it very much :)

Bitten By The Shutterbug

Xmas Eve, after the rocus and the almost-ended-up-in-the-ER incident ,we had our dinner ( instant noodle soup....my sister would not believe that we didn't have a feast just like in the Phils) .Kids went to bed quietly.I took a quick shower and got ready to watch tv before we go to bed. DH pointed a box sitting on our ottoman and he told me that "he thinks it's for me". My husband is not very good in giving surprises to this is a big deal for him. The box was not wrapped ,actually it was an old box.....but it was heavy when I lifted it....so I thought " hhmmmmm..must be a brick and he wants to play trick on me ......." Inside the box was another paper bag..a more christmassy looking box and so then I got really excited and I thought " hhhhmmmm maybe a brick wrapped inside this paperbag..."
The "brick" was wrapped with those thin colored tissue papers so I could not really make out what was inside and my brain was going " if this is really a brick I hope he could dodge fast enough coz its surely will land on his face"....
Slowly I unwrapped the thing and voila!!!......a new digital camera!!!!!
At 11:30 pm I was jumping up and down like a kid ...I was really surprised!!!
I didn't asked for anything this xmas because I figured he already spent so much money helping my family in the Philippines but he knew that I wanted a more powerful camera coz I love taking pictures. I think this is one of the best Christmas present I have ever had so far..

So what do you do with your new toy???!!!
You play with it till you learn all the tricks and make the full use of it.

I'd like to share some pictures that I took with my new cam.Pls. click on the images to make it bigger.

The picture quality was so good you can see the details of the xmas tree so clearly

Santa Said She'd Been Really Good So She Got Her Wish

Shinjo Wont Be Left Behind.He Got Some Nice Presents Too

Trigger Happy Mommy Captured Shinjo's Goofiness

He Luvs Modeling For Mommy

Practicing With The Color Effect. Shinjo In Sephia

Soo Busy With Her New Gadget She Wont Even Look At The Cam

Happy New Year Indeed To All!!!

5 Days Before Christmas

Shinjo had their xmas party at his school today and he wont see his classmates & teachers till next year, January 4th. Princess have until Friday at school and then she'll have a two-weeks long winter break.

When Do I Get A Break???
....in your dreams Mel...

I talked about ordering toys online and so I did...and guess what??
I returned most of it because I didn't like the toys when they arrived...very disappointing...so no choice but to head out to the store before it gets emptied by the eager shoppers. Whew....thank goodness we found all of the toys on our list.

We got our tree too..but not as big as last year . I think my dear husband was distracted about something because he was obviously wasn't paying enough attention when he bought it.The tree was not perfect ( according to my taste) but I didn't want to say anything. I had to re-do the decoration because the tree was leaning so much it looked like its gonna fall over my head. ...patience....patience......and with a little bit of trick the tree stood perfectly straight & still. I just love real tree...I know that with all this "environmental issues" that it's probably more ideal to mother earth to juts have a fake tree but I thought...come on....I don't pollute ( not too much) and I recycle so its not like I'm not doing anything so I think I can be forgiven for having a real fresh cut tree for xmas.


My MIL came and help put up the ornaments so it was fun. Kinda like our family tradition as well , to be together , helping each other decorate the tree and have the same holiday spirits. We also discussed about what are we gonna have for Christmas dinner and I dunno if it was clear on my face that I was a little disappointed . I explained that I just missed the holiday feast that we have in the Philippines where we have so much food and desserts for the whole family ,friends and neighbors to enjoy.

Mas masaya ang Noche Buena sa atin!!


I hope all of you guys will have a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!!

Here are some latest pics of my little kiddos.

Ang Mga Mahal Ko Sa Buhay

A Wish Come True

Sunday night , I got a text from my brother Mark. He was scheduled to leave for Abu Dabhi the next day and that his flight had been confirmed. I felt a sudden rush of emotions and couldn't help the tears.Half of me was happy and proud of him.He'd come a long way from being a hard core punk to a grown up man. The other half was sad and I couldn't explain why. I felt like he was leaving me too. What a silly thought I told myself. He's heading to world unknown to him and there'll be no parents or sisters who's gonna tell him what to do...he is on his own. He's 22 but I think of him still as my little baby brother . I couldn't thank my dear husband enough for helping Mark all the way through and even making sure that he's enough money to survive till he gets his first pay check. What a great kind soul my husband is. He'd made such big difference to peoples lives and had given my family a brighter future. If not for him my sister would have not finish college and my brother getting a job in the middle east. His next plan is to help rebuild my parents house.

It is always been my prayer ever since my younger brother started having problems at school and hanging out with some less desirable bunch of teens that he would take life seriously and think about his future....Well, that wish was finally granted and I could have not ask for anything else...now I pray that he continues his journey to a better future and don't look back . I miss him already.

My brother Mark (The guy on the right)

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We still have not gotten a tree because of the rainy weather las t weekend .
This Saturday for sure ,come rain or shine , we will get our tree :)
My xmas shopping is half done. I think I bought enough for the kids. That's the
beauty of shopping here in the states, you can always return stuff so I'm not too worried about the kids presents. This Saturday I have to find presents for the adults and I know I am a little late but I already have an idea of what to get so it shouldn't be a problem.

I think this xmas will top off the previous year . There's a number of great things that happened to our family and I am so Thankful to our good Lord.


I will add more about the rest of our pre-xmas events.
ta-tah for now.

Have a good one everybody!!!

Anticipating,Online Shopping And An Award

Could you believe it??? As I am typing this post there is only less than 22 days left before Christmas!! That fast huh!!
Like always I have it all planned ...find the perfect tree, take the holiday ornaments out of the storage closet, surf the net for the right toys for the kids , plan for the xmas dinner etch etch...but I had to put my plans on hold for a while because of some major events that is going on with my family in the Philippines.

First, our youngest sibling got a job in Saudi Arabia and we've been scrambling every ways to make sure that his first flight out of the country will go smoothly. I must say I am a bit nervous coz he's only 22 and still very immature but come to think of it , I had my maiden voyage when I was 16. I guess I'm worried coz I know that it's not as easy as they think with all the adjustments that he has to go through.I have been texting him so many time giving him advise & tips on what to do , what to bring , what to expect. Part of me was so proud how he came around from being the problem child of the family to being a grown up with all his wonderful plans and hopes....another part of me is sad because he is going away just like me and I know that this will break my parents heart. But , we all have to make our own choices for our future.

Another major event is my sister's board exam (BS RN ) scheduled today and tomorrow. This is her second try and I am praying so hard that she make it this time. I know how much pressure it is on her especially now that our brother is going over seas ahead of her ( napag iiwan na sya). I trust her and I know that she will do everything she can to pass this exam...its for her own future....its for her own good.

I miss my brother and sister so much most of all during this holiday season.
When we were small kids , my father would bring Andok's Fried Chicken and some hot pandesal and call it "noche buena". No matter , the excitement for the coming of xmas and the New Year were not dampened by the meager amount of food on our dinning table , we still celebrated the joyous occasion as if we were chowing down expensive ham and other fancy dishes. We were still happy because we were together.

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My anxiety and restlessness is off the roof so I thought maybe surfing the net for toys would help me relax......NO...it didn't..it just made me more edgy. I guess I must have forgotten how it is to shop for toys. Last year was stressful because they were no longer infants nor toddlers..they are now "younger kids" or so the toy websites categorize their ages. Within an hour of looking I realize that it even more agonizing this time ( and the next years perhaps) not only because of the kids different interests but also the kind of toys that are out there. Not to mention the prize ( expect to shed a few hundreds if you have more than 1 kid ). Our DD requested a Nintendo DS and I tried to explain to her that if this is what she really likes then that's the only gift she's gonna get because Nintendo is expensive. She graduated from Leapster Learning Center which she loved so much that she accumulated 10 different game cartriges. Seems like she'd made up her mind so Nintendo it is for her. Our DS on the other hand is just starting to learn ABCs and he loves to color and paint and he is so interested with all kinds of animals.He also likes songs, music and books. My Amazon.com wishlist is full of options just for Shinjo .Me and my DH will have to sit together and pick the ones that we think are best for him.

We're doing all of our shopping on line and taking advantge of Free shipping. I don't think I could take the kids to the store and let them pick the toys they want then expect them to wait till xmas. That's just turture to them , I think.I mean , its hard even for grown ups to wait . If we have a babysitter , I would shop by myself or with my husband, but definitely not bringing the kids. And besides,I'm comfortable sitting infront of my laptop, in my flannel jammies and a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Here are some good websites for educational and unique toys.
1.Baby Universe
2.Wokits
3.ELC
4.Kaplan
5.Sensational Beginning
6.One Step Ahead

Happy Shopping!!!!


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My friend Tess and Bless gave me and award. You guys are so sweet. I'd like to give you a big bear hug if I could. Thanks to both of you.

I'd like to share this award to every one on my friends list coz you all deserve it too!!!

Post Thanksgiving Update

I've managed to get my butt up and do something that doesn't require using too much muscles and effort, just my fingers.....blogging. After the Thanksgiving , I was just so tired and satiated that I ( we ) spent the entire Friday doing absolutely NOTHING. We ate the left over ,surf the net ( no fighting over the laptop coz he has his own) and watch tv till 4m of Saturday. It was the laziest day ever.Kids wore their jammies till they took a bath before going to bed. I was so exhausted from prepping , cooking and cleaning that I didn't have any energy left to go shopping on Black Friday. 'Sides, you can shop online too if you are really desperate to buys something and wants to save a few bucks. I guess I wasn't crazy enough to brave the crowd that are waiting outside of the mall before the break of dawn. The turkey must have altered some chemical in my brain coz all of my excitement to go shopping was gone!!! I was so content to just sit in front of our projector screen TV or look online for my favorite store.Me and my husband both just spent the whole Friday cozied up in our sofa with our legs propped up the ottoman with only our eyes and fingers moving and only getting up to go to use the bathroom or get drinks and food in the kitchen.....The Best Friday Ever!!

I just like to add that my Thanksgiving Menu was a success.
All the trouble of brining the turkey over night and making 3 different kind of pies were totally worth it. I would definetly brine my turkey every thanksgiving because it made the meat so tender and juicy .DH commented that if "he can cut the meat with his spoon , then it means that the meat is very tender". You don't even need gravy coz the meat was so tasty ( saves you some extra calories). The veggies was fresh and crisp that you can hear it snap in every bite. My kids surprisingly loved the pumpkin pie. Last year they wouldn't even dare take a tinnie tiny bite. Pecan pie was also turned out perfect and MIL gave it a thumbs up!!!

My Center Piece.The Only Souvenir Shot On Thanksgiving

So how was your Thanksgiving??

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Hooked On Heroes

What a great show!!!. Me and my DH watch this together and we just started last week. It was so good we would watch 3-4 episodes in one sitting .If you have a NETFLIX account , you can go to their website and click on Watch Now.They have a huge list of movies,TV shows,Documentary etch etch.
This show is like our current " Alone Time Together" activity coz we want to watch every episodes together and we are almost done with the first season. The writer/creator of this show , Tim Kring also wrote Crossing Jordan , which I'm also a big follower. If you are in to real suspense and sci fi flicks, then you should not miss this.
I'm still loyal to House MD and LawAndOrder SVU/CI but Heroes is special coz my husband loves it too.

In A Festive Mood

I am partially done with my Thanksgiving dinner shopping.
Saturday morning at your favorite warehouse store ( such as Winco or Costco)on the week before one major holiday is like being in mad house with shoppers all armed with their crumpled shopping lists and a serious look on their faces that I could describe as "Get Out Of My Way Or I'm Gonna Run You Over With My Cart And I'm Not Kidding". Emotions run high as every one has this unified mission : To Find The Perfect Turkey. For a foreigner like me , it is a daunting task .The whole process of planning the meal ,shopping,cooking and clean ups and most of all , the one thing that only worries me is " Are they gonna be impressed with the meal that I make?" That is my ultimate goal : To deliver a satisfying and delicious meal for my family at Thanksgiving. So in order to achieve this goal , I made a game plan and menu for Thursday dinner.

Saturday till Wednesday : 17lb frozen turkey will be thawing in the fridge till ready to be prepared and roasted.
Monday: General Cleaniing.Vacuuming , dusting, putting away clutters , checking all the bathrooms are clean and supplies replenished and make sure that all the dishes , serving platters and silver wares are good to go.I also have to get haircut.
Tuesday: Go to discount store and find good deals with holiday decors such as wreath,candles etch etch.Whatever I could find to make the house looks very festive.
Wednesday : In the morning,get all the fresh ingredients such as veggies,fruits , dairy and must not forget drinks and wine.At night start baking the desserts and the brining of the bird.

I do hope that I could get everything set to go before Thursday so we could all just relax and feast all day Thursday.

My Menu is simple and traditional but I always want to add a little bit of extra touch so I am brining my turkey the night before to guarantee flavor,tenderness and juiciness. I've never tried this process before so I'm nervous but hey, there's always the first time. My MIL is bringing the stuffing and mash potatoes so that's saves me a lot of time to do other meal.

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu:

Appetizers : Cheese platters (Gorgonzola ,brie,swizz and sharp cheddar)
Assorted Olives , pickles , crackers and some fruits
Side Dishes :Broccoli Casserole with Mushrooms and cheese
Asparagus wrapped in bacon and souted with some shallots & sprinkle of
toasted almonds,Creamy Mashed potatoes and corn bread muffin
Main Course : Roasted Turkey with Gravy , stuffing and cranberry sauce
Desserts : we have 3 different pies .Pumpkin ,apple and pecan pie. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

We have movies that we plan on watching after dinner. Movies for us adults and for the kids so I think its gonna be a fun and relaxing day.My alarm clock is set to go off at 4am and you know why?? Black Friday!! yes, in deed. My dear sweet husband agreed to babysit the kids while me and girl pal Sonia go shopping without interruption. That should be lots of fun.

I hope you guys have a fun and exciting Thanksgiving.


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Got Some Awards

I'd like to thank Bless for giving me these awards. Its really sweet and thoughtful.Don't know if I deserve it but I gladly accept it :)

A Trip To The Clinic & Some Funny Story. : Part 2

This one is about my son's recent visit to see his new pediatrician and also to get his Flu shot. God knows how I hated to be in the waiting area much more surrounded by sick kids w/c made my misery 10x worse but this was my little peanut's annual check up so I was a little ok with it.

His new pedia , lets call her Dr. H , is a giant . I figured she's tall when I read her resume on the hospital's websites about her being a former member of her collage basketball team .I was wearing a pair of boots w/ heels but I still looked like a midget in front of her towering height which probably over 6 feet tall.

Dr. H is nice and she asked many questions about Shinjo and told me plenty about herself . I like the fact that she didn't look like she's in any rush to be done talking with us and Shinjo kinda liked her and comfortable around her which is very important to me.

Time to do a quick examine of Shinjo's vitals and some other routine check ups.Laying down on the bed ,Shinjo was made to take off his pants so the doctor can look at his genitals . The little bugger was making a fuss so Dr.H gave him a tongue depressor to keep him busy while being examined.
Dr, H :" Hmm...seems everything is ok...2 testicles....no bumps or anything.... OH NO..I think we should take that away!"

I swear I thought I was gonna pass out after hearing what Dr. H said and she caught my gaze and read my pale and scared expression. I was so shocked I couldn't open my mouth. That's when Dr. H said " Oh I meant the tongue depressor because he was chewing it "
I gave out a big sigh of relief and we all had a big laugh even the student doctor who was there accompanying her. Gosh , how would you feel if the doctor tells you that your son might never have any children because there's a problem with his manhood?! Beside, I wanna have some grandchildren too.

Luv Ice Cream!!

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Daughter is now in first grade and her level of curiosity doubled up.
Everyday she looks at the calendar and ask me what date is it or how many more days before Xmas. One day she even asked how many minutes before her birthday which is not till June next year. So my solution was teach her how many minutes in an hour , an hour in one day , a day in a week etch etch and we do this while driving to school or while I'm doing something in the kitchen. She's still confused about it and I think it will take a while to understand but at least she's not gonna ask me how many hours more before my birthday.

Being such a social kid , she's now asking me about "sleepover" and I was like " how about a sleep over in the Philippines FOR GOOD"...No , I didn't tell her that but it just bothers me how a 6 year old kid get this idea? My 1st guess are her classmates and they are all about the same age. I can't believe parents would allow their kids to spend a night at their friends house at that age. NO WAY!!!

Another one of her many inquiries is "Why do girls have pepe and boys have wiener?"
I just couldn't be honest with her so I had to lie and simply said "so we could tell w/c one is a girl or a boy" and quickly change the topic.
An article at Parenting magazine written by Julie Tilsner says that it's okay to lie as long as it wont do any harm to them. Little white lies are justifiable according to the experts because young children can't understand complex or scary situation such as when your child says " Mommy , will you be with me forever?". Would you tell them no??? There are downside of course but I think it out weighs the results of when you try to explain to your kids too serious stuff that are beyond their grasp. Just make sure that your little white lies are age appropriate coz they will soon learn them later on . The experts also advise that when it come to thing that are happening at home or in the family such as divorce,illnesses or death that we should be honest with them about it. They may not care if you lied about why their favorite toy got broken but don't lie about something that they will care about 10 years from now.

Her 1st Permanent Tooth Popped Out

Her Hair Is Now Long Enough To Make French Twist And Made Me Promise To Never Cut Her Hair Again

My Two Little Devils ~ Halloween 2007

'Twas a perfect night.The sky was so clear with the stars shining bright.Cool wind that was gentle enough to keep the little trick-a-treaters relax and comfortable with their Halloween costumes.Such contrast from previous years when not only it was freezing cold but also drizzling rain all day long.This year the kids flaunted their cutest costumes and never needing to put on any heavy jacket or raincoats.
I had fun taking pictures and the kids were just in h-e-a-v-e-n!
Here's some my two kiddos' Halloween pics:

LakeView Farm Where We Got The Pumpkins


Our Jackolanterns.Mommy Was So Proud Of Her Carving Skills Lols


Princess Dressed As An Evil Witch.2nd Pics With Madisun As TMNT

Shinjo As Count Dracula Coz He Likes To Count Them Treats

Now, mommy gotta hide their stash before this little monsters devour them lols.They got so much sweets & candies to last them till next Halloween.

Not Enough Days In A Week :)

It's been a busy week yet again.
Sunday we went with our friends to this huge farm for a pumpkin patch trip for the kiddos and boy did they had a blast!!.It was their first time and so was mine . Personally, I still couldn't completely embrace the idea of a "celebration" for this particular event because to me as a filipina ,it's a time to remember our relatives & loveones who passed away and also I was quite sure there were more bigger ,prettier & cleaner pumpkins at Costco or Winco so why in the world we were in the middle of a farm , all muddy and cold I would never understand but who am I to spoil the fun. Kids were just ecstatic to see all the activities in lined for them such as petting zoo,corn maze,haystack maze,train ride, pumpkin patch , boat ride and some delish food kiosks. For less than 15 bucks the four of us gets to do all of these stuff and bring home the best pumpkin that we could find for the Halloween.In the end I thought that it is indeed a fun holiday coz it's about family sharing activities that everyone enjoys. I'll try to remember to wear rain boots next time.

Boat ride,The Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo

Monday was spent general cleaning coz the next day is a special day for my MIL and I want to make sure that the house is impeccable in all corners . I was in such a mood for cleaning , I even clean my car that has been begging for some TLC :)
Tuesday , we celebrated my MIL's birthday.
Times like this when I'm not really in the mood to cook especial dishes, we just ordered take out from Red Robin. I am just so glad that we are so easy & predictable.We order same food everytime and everyone is fine and happy with it which makes life so much easier and we still had lots of time left to enjoy a movie.We had Baskin Robbins ice cream cake btw..how easy is that?? No fuss , no huss and MIL was happy with her bday celebration.

Shinjo school had their own little pumpkin patch on Wednesday at school too and they painted their own pumpkins & brought it home. It was so cute what my son did , he turned the pumpkin into something that looks like the globe because of it's bluish green color . I'll post pics of the pumpkins that we got after they've been carved.

Thursday , my daughter had a Parent Literature Night. I'm not actually the most social type and prefers to be on the back stage but I didn't want my kid to be left out and so I went. It wasn't as bad as I thought and many parents came with their kids and I got to meet some of them and they all have one thing to say about my daughter, " Oh my gosh your daughter is such a talker"...lols but I already knew that. There were book reading , family games & activities and the most fun of all is the free pizza and refreshment....oh actually it's the ruffle draw and the free books which I love tremendously coz there were no limit , only your guilt , coz you can take as many as you want!!!

Friday , I wanted to go window shopping for holiday outfit for the kids but I got so much stuff to do at home so I decide to re-sched my mall trip. I couldn't believe I spent 4 and a half hours ironing our clothes that afternoon. Heck I even ironed DH's boxer shorts , I think. I was just on a roll with loading up the dirty laundry & ironing the dried ones. Whew , what a day. While I was swooshing my arm with the hot steaming flat iron back & forth , I was in front of the TV watching new episodes of Law and Order SVU that I recorded , some old episodes of Scrap booking from DIY channel up to the evening local news. I was so glad when I was finally done.I think I've ironed half of our entire wardrobe. Dh felt bad so he ordered Japanese take-out for diner.

Speaking of scrap booking, I have made a few pages but I had to put them away for awhile coz I get to immersed with the whole process and as a result many of my daily chores piled up undone such as the laundry,dusting , bathroom etch etch.It's funny when my husband goes to work with crumpled shirt,his co-workers assumed we had a fight lols. Anyhoo..here are some of the pages that I have done. I will finish the whole album which means I still have maybe 300 more pics to go.

Some Of My Finished Scrapbooking Project

Saturday we went to the newly opened Ikea .About 20 mins drive if we didn't got lost.The navigation couldn't find the entrace to this humongous mall that sits amongst other big stores such as Staples,Marshalls ,Bestbuy etch etch. Ikea was so big and since it only opened in July this year a lot of people are still curious at what they could find in this popular Swedish store. The driving and the immense size of it got me so tired I totally lost my appetite to buy anything. I was contented on just looking around ,scouting and kinda making mental note at what I'm gonna buy next time. We had to stop by at Target on our way home but I was just too exhausted otherwise I would have gone inside Target to check out their dollar only section but instead I just stayed in the car .Hmmmmmm sign of aging :)

Sunday,we just stayed home. I think even the kids have had enough fun for the whole week. We watched old movies and I made toasty Philly Cheese Steak sandwich for lunch and when I'm done with this post , we are gonna watch The Pirate of The Caribbean:At Worlds End and have some nice rum and coke drink...ahhhh...relaxing.

Ta ta for now and have a fun Trick'a treatin' :)

A Tag From Sarah

Our Better Half

The rules are:

1.First name:
( if he doesn't like his name plastered all over the net a pet name will do.)
2. How and where did you meet?
3. Characteristics
4. Your plans 20 to 30 years from now.


To explain our story better , I gotta post a few pics of him and if you are gonna be talking about the man of your life, then it has to be atleast a good 5 paragraphs long lols....expectedly :)

#1

Younger Grant

#2

We met in HongKong in February 2002.He was sent there by his company to do some work. He said he kinda felt that he's gonna meet someone during his short stay so when him & his colleagues went to a Buddhist Temple & saw a Lucky Pan he touched it & made a wish, for him to meet the ONE!!The next day , after enough cajoling by his friend , they went out late that night to a bar & unbeknownst to him , the ONE that he was waiting for was sitting next to him & introduced herself as "Jenina" ( I lied..I usually do ,esp if it's just the 1st meeting coz it's always the last that I see those guys anyways. I also lied about my job..I told him I was a secretary lols). It was just a casual "hi! how-do-you-do" meeting , just 2 strangers making Innocent conversation....till he asked me to dance ( blushing....I think even if I retold this story when I'm old & wrinkly , I would still be blushing and giggling ).The song was "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You".How fittingly so coz I felt like I was on a daze and suddenly regretting why I gave him a false name .I remember secretly praying that he wont vanish too soon juts like some regular tourist. We danced all night & talked till morning.

February 2002,HongKong

We spent the following day together and I told him the truth , my real name and my profession.He heard me sang for the first time & told me that I shouldn't lie again about my job. Prior to our meeting I just rebounded from a nasty break-up & getting into another relationship was not on my mind .Never was I particularly attracted to Americans neither , just their music. There were a few numbers of men foreign & local who showed interest but only a a handful of them came as close as to sending flowers & gifts.I had to turn them down coz I wasn't ready. I thought about the same when I met Grant that's why I gave a phony name but something happened & changed my mind. All of a sudden ,here's this guy that I couldn't wait to spend the next seconds with. I fell in love & so was he.

It all happened so fast and all we could ever think of was we can never spend our lives apart no matter what. It wasn't smooth sailing when we started my visa process.It was a real test of commitment to each other coz it was really tough.The whole experience that we survived made us realize that if we can pass the immigration hurdle & long distance relationship , then we are strong enough to outlast anything.

#3 Characteristics

If you read about Taureans, then that's almost exactly what he is.He is such a gentle soul that wont hurt a fly but beware if you cross him coz he can be very resentful. He is the kind of guy who will pull over the side of the road to help a stranger in need.He is such a loyal and a trusty friend. very conservative and honest and very respectful. When it comes to his family ,his devotion is without question by far the best I have ever seen.To his wife he is loving,passionate ,understanding,considerate and romantic. He knows how to flatter his wife and make her feel special. His work ethics is truly admirable.always making sure that he gets the job done and more.All in all, he has everything that I wanted in partner although he can't cook ,he can do many other things that always impresses me

#4 Future Plans

Ooohh..I got a long list for that but realistically , our plan is to raise our kids the best possible way we can, make sure they get the best education & always be there for them. Our kids are our number one priority . Comes next is for me to go to college,have a career that I like ,build our dream house, save for retirement, travel the world & grow old & gray together. But that is looking too far ahead.For now we are thankful for everyday that goes by that we have each other.
I'd be forever thankful to God and for that friend of his who forced him to go out that night or we would never have met.I've found my soul mate,my best friend ,the king of my heart.

I'm guessing this tag has been done by most of my friends but who ever wants to do it, feel free. I know how much love to talk about your Knight in shining armor.

Thank you to Mareng Sarah for this tag.

A Song For Me

I wouldn't have signed up for a Friendster account if it wasn't for my sis. I have one too many online account sometimes I forget what password I use. I've actually closed a few other accounts & just kept a small numbers that I actually use.Today there's a new comment on my friendster & usually I'd skipt looking till I get around to it but this one was from my sister & I thought , hhhmmmm another flash shockwave thingy that she loves to post so I said fine ,let's see what she has for me and it was this song from Brandy called Missing You. I said "what...why is she posting a luv song , she must have made a mistake, maybe this was ment for her crush or bf".Being a music lover AND a hopeless romantic ,I was intrigued.I wanted to hear what she intended the lucky guy to hear but I was surprised with it's lyrics......it was really ment for me. I was so touched but I didn't tell her. I listened a few times & I felt sad coz I miss her too & happy because I have a sweet loving sister that cares for me .

If you haven't heared the song yet, I am sure you will love it too.

Note: Sorry I posted the wrong link earlier . This the right one. Hope U like it. For everybody who has siblings :)

Missing You
~ Brandy


1-Though I'm missing you
(Although I'm missing you)
I'll find a way to get through
(I'll find a way to get through)
Living without you
'Cause you were my sister, my strength, and my pride
Only God may know why, still I will get by

I would've known, that you had to go
But so suddenly, so bad
How could it be, not a straight memory worthy of
All that we had made
Now that you're gone, every day I go on (I go on)
But life's just not the same (life's just not the same)
I'm so empty inside, and my tears I can't hide
But I'll try, I'll try to face the pain
(repeat 1)

Oh, there was so many things
That we could have shared, uh-huh
And time was on our side (time was on our side)
Ooh, yeah
Now that you're gone, I can still feel you near
So I'll smile, with every tear I cry
(rpt 1)

How sweet, were the losses to spare?
But I'll wait for the day
When I'll see you again, see you again, yeah
(rpt 1)

I'm missing you