Bombay and Filipina

It's funny how some people refer my husband as Bombay, Turko or InJan here in the Philippines. Even if we're already married and with kids, we still get those stares from people in the jeepney or in the malls. Of course, I don't mind that anymore since I'm already used to in and it's part of of parcel and package of cross cultural marriage. But what's funny is that I sometimes forget that my Hubby is of a different nationality and I only remember it when I get those stares. heheh!

I can read on their minds that they must be asking where I've met my husband so on and so forth. I'm sure they must have thought that I've met him online or through a Local Chat Room. ;) Yes, many have found their love life through the internet and as with any relationship, one has to be careful.. seek and ask God for the perfect mate for you!

Birthday in the Philippines

My hubby just turned 33 and he celebrated his birthday here in the Philippines for the very first time. Of course, we all made his birthday very special. His celebration started at 12:30 midnight. We were already asleep ( or I was pretending to be asleep) when family members gathered outside our room bringing cakes with candles and sang a birthday song. My Hubby of course didn't expect it since it's not in our ( Filipino ) family tradition to do that. It was so sweet of everyone to stay up and all our nieces and nephews were the ones who were so excited and stayed up to sing Daddy Jesu's birthday song. My brother-in-law who's a pastor prayed for him and we all had our midnight snacks with giggles and laughter. It was a very nice time of fellowship.

Then, the following morning, we left our kids at home ( Tricia was very reluctant to be left behind but thank God she agreed the last minute) and had a date at SM. We had a special lunch at Yellow cab and proceeded to do our groceries for the dinner which we were giving to friends.

My Hubby and I cooked Indian Chicken Curry and Chicken Kicap for dinner and surprisingly our (Filipino) guests loved it! We didn't expect our indian meal to finish up fast but we're glad that our family is getting indianized.hehehe!

So, that was my Hubby's special day.. a day spent with family and close friends. We also thank our family and friends from Malaysia and Thailand who didn't forget to greet him on his special day.

Thank you Lord for the years of your grace, protection and unfailing love for my Hubby's life. I know that you'll continue to bless him as you make him a blessing for our family, friends, loved ones and other peoples. Amen!

Love at First Sight

After not seeing each other for 68 days, I found myself amazed and awe struck at how handsome my Hubby looks. (LOL!) It was like I was a teenager again that got struck with Cupid's "Love at First sight". The first few minutes of seeing him, I immediately saw something has changed in his appearance. Hmm.. He didn't gain or lose too much of weight, Hmm... he still had his Indian color... but something changed so drastically that made me just stared at him and thanked God for giving me a handsome husband. ( No objections, please..) So, what has changed? he wasn't wearing his eyeglasses but was wearing contact lens!

Yeah, eyeglasses can totally change one's look. So, I guess, it's really best to look for the best eyeglasses or frames that can fit you. So, are you looking for the best frames? Zenni Optical haas a wide selection of Holiday frames. Yes, you'll have so much of varieties to choose from that it would be impossible not to find the perfect pair that'll fit you.

It's the same thing with me, I have a difficult time looking for the perfect glasses for me since my face is round and chubby. So, if I were to choose my own eyeglasses, I'll have to choose the one with big frames like this.

A Blessed New Year to ALL!!

A few more hours to go and we will all meet the year 2009! I just want to wish everyone to have a blessed and fruitful 2009!

I'm excited to meet the year 2009. It is going to be our Sabbath Year or our year of rest and refreshing. We had some big travel plans for 2009, but as my hubby and I reflected , we felt that it's not yet God's perfect time for us to push through with that Big Trip. So, we are now intently praying to what's God's best plan for the year to come. We are sure that God's plans are far much better than our own plans for indeed He has a greater purpose for everything. Amen!

Let us meet the coming year with a thankful heart to our God for the year 2008 and an expectant heart for God's miracles and blessings for the year 2009! We are blessed to be a blessing!

Photos..Photos...

Oh, just a few days ago, I realized that the thumbdrive where all Lyle's new born photos was stored is missing! I guess, this is one of the disadvantages of high technology huh? Would you believe that we have hundreds or maybe thousands of photos stored in thumbdrives, cds and SD cards but then, we haven't printed out a single photo yet? Yeah.. not good huh? I have to make that one of my projects for 2009, creating a scrapbook for Lyle and printing out some of our photos. I did a scrapbook for Tricia when she was still a baby but stopped before her first year. Now, Lyle has passed his one year and I haven't done anything for him yet. I just hope I'll find that missing thumbdrive. huhuh!

It would be also cool to get a digital frame and have all the kids' photos stored in there. I went to a site and tried out downloading my photo. In the video, it showed how the photo looked like inside the CEIVA Digital Frame. It looked so cool! It would be nice to have one. Imagine, all your photos will be stored and kept nicely in a digital frame. Then, I don't have to worry about missing sd cards, thumbrives and cd since all will be safe inside the frame.

Anyways, there's a contest that's open to all US residents where you can get a chance to win 500$ daily. If you got a wish this Christmas, then better check out this site and join the fun!

Yummy Sunday

Finally, my Hubby and I were able to go out on a date last week. We went to Bigby's Cafe in Lim Ket Kai and this is what we had. Yum!

I had this, it's called something like Bruscetti de Rosa ( not sure of the name )



while my Hubby had beef. Oh, I'm so bad with remembering the names of the dishes , so please forgive me..heheh!

Anyways, the food in Bigby's Cafe is nice. They have other dishes that I want to try out too. Maybe, on our next date with HUbby. But, I have to find someone to take care of our kids first. Any volunteers??? hehehe!

Dream Toys

After the opening of the kids' piggy banks, all of us went to Toy Kingdom last Saturday for them to buy their dream toys. Tricia bought the Mega Sketcher which she truly loves and Lyle has a Winne the Pooh Xylophone. The others got a Barbie, remote controlled cars and etc. Wow! The kids has a great time choosing their own toys with a big budget. The parents also enjoyed, knowing that they won't be spending a single cent in buying those expensive toys. Thank you Lord for the blessings! Thank you Lord for Granny's life too.

It's really great to see the kids' happy faces bringing their dream toys. It's really like they had their wishes granted. What about you? got a wish for this season?

We have been praying and wishing for a laptop this month. Unfortunately, we don't have a laptop anymore since we have to leave it in Thailand. So, that's in my wish list or rather prayer list for this month.

Anyways, there's a site that's hosting a contest. If you win, then your wish might come true. Too bad, I'm not a US resident so I"m not qualified. But anyways, I tried their site for fun. I just uploaded my photo and I was surprise to see my photo framed inside the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame. They've got cool frames!

The Piggy Banks

Granny has been saving all her coins in the piggy banks for a few years now. Inside her room are 4 piggy banks. One piggy bank to be shared for each family. The piggy bank savings are to be used by the kids to buy for their dream toys.



So a few nights ago, the grandchildren gathered together to break all the piggy banks! They were so excited gathering all the 1, 5 and 10 peso coins together. And finally, there was a total of 5,300 Pesos worth of coins gathered. Wow! That means Granny saved up all that! The kids thanked Granny for a very sweet gesture of saving up her coins for the grandchildren. Thank you Granny!(Actually, there's still 1 piggy bank left unopened because my brother's family is still in Vietnam. )

Chocolate Brownies

We have already planned out our Christmas Eve Supper and I'm excited for my sister's special lasagna. Yum!!.. She's also going to bake our family favorite , Chocolate Moist Cake. I'm so tempted to share the chocolate moist recipe here but then, she has told me years back that it's a secret recipe. So, anyways, I'll just post our special brownie recipe. This is also very yummy , you might want to try it out.

Yummy Brownie Recipe

3/4 cups unsweetened chocolate powder
1 cup shortening (butter or oil)
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 pcs of eggs


Cream butter and add sugar gradually. Then add the eggs one at a time. On a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together ( flour, chocolate powder, salt and baking powder). Then mix all these gradually to the egg and sugar mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes on medium heat.

There you have a simple, yummy brownie recipe. It's really sweet to give some goodies and chocolate for Christmas. You might want to check out Gertrude Hawk chocolate to give out to your loved ones too.

Below are the Christmas Goodies we gave out to our friends last year.

Have a blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year to ALL!

Appa's Here!

It has already been five days since Hubby arrived but still our li'l ones still cling to him as ever. Once Lyle is with him, he refuses to come to me and so with Tricia. There were times that both of them wants to be carried by my Hubby at the same time. So, he ends up carrying two kids. :)

Almost everyday our Li'l girl will tell my Hubby , " I'm so glad you're here with us, Appa" or " Don't leave me, Appa". Yes, that's a bit heartbreaking for me to hear. I mean, our kids must have missed their Appa so much for them to react like this. That's why I'm just so glad that finally the waiting is all over and we are all enjoying our time together. Thank you Lord!

All About Bathtubs

I've never really appreciated 'bathtubs' until my friend , Janet taught me how to do body spa. From there on, I would be excited if the hotel we will be staying for holidays or conferences has bathtubs. I would then be bringing all our essential oils and other materials for the baths or spa. For a rose bath for example, I'll only need some rose petals and a few drops of rose essential oil. Put all that inside the warm bath tub and woolahh, you can dream your way to a nice relaxing bath.

There were times that we would go to Home Pro in Thailand and see all there display of whirlpool bathtubs and jacuzzis. I would be so amazed with such beautiful designs and the prices as well. I could just imagine how it would be inside those bathtubs. Heheheh!

Anyways, if ever we get to have our dream house come true, I'm sure there would be a bath tub in it! Hahah! Anyways, if you're also fond of bathtubs or looking for one. You might consider getting clawfoot tubs. It's such a cute tub that would be great for bathrooms that are not too spacious. I even found a great site that offers discount walk-in bathtubs. Anyways, I should not be checking these things out as of this time since, we're still not planning or even thinking of building a house yet. :)

Disconnected?

The last time I've been online was on Monday, a few hours before fetching my Hubby from the airport. From there, we went to the hotel and since we don't have a laptop anymore, I still couldn't get online even if the hotel has wifi. So that means 3 days has passed without me doing my tasks. Then when we went home on Wednesday, I thought that I could go back to my 'writing business' but then I was disappointed that our internet connection doesn't budge. It was only later on that I've learned tha Globe Broadband, our internet provider is having some problems.

It's already Friday today, and here we are.. in one of the internet cafe's in the mall and writing my tasks that are almost due. I just hope and pray that our connection in the house would soon be available because I'm already missing so many opportunities online.

Finally!!

The Countdown has finally come to an end! My Hubby has finally arrived and it was a sweet and memorable reunion as we all met each other at the airport. We were a bit late in going to the airport as our transport has some problems. So, when we arrived there my hubby and our cousin were already waiting outside. Oh..

One of the proofs that our Li'l girl miss her APpa so much was that, she cried when she hugged him and never let go of him anymore. Lyle also clung to his Appa immediately after seeing him. It was such a pity sight. I mean, they all felt the same and missed their Appa terribly. I hope that this will be the last time of being away for each other for so long.

Anyways, right after we fetch Hubby from the airport. We 'kidnapped' him and brought him to a hotel in the city. We thought that our family needed the time together before settling down in the house. I also felt that Hubby needs some time to rest first after traveling from Thailand to Malaysia and then Philippines. We truly had a nice 3 days together at Country Village Hotel. The kids enjoyed the swimming pool and the playground.

The Hotel was good and it was one of the cheaper hotels that I saw. They had free breakfasts in Alfonso's Bar. It was a nice, quiet and cozy bar with nicely designed bar stools. It made me wish we have those kind of kitchen counter stools in the house. It would be a nice touch for the kitchen. I've seen a site that offers discount bar stools.

Anyways, it's just great that Hubby is back home. Thank God for bringing him home safe and sound.

My Little Helper

One afternoon, my Mom and I were just in the room and talking. Tricia was outside 'playing' so we didn't really mind her. Then, suddenly she came inside the room with an armful of clothes! We asked, "What's that?". She proudly told us that she took all our dry clothes from the clothesline. I couldn't believe that she did that by herself because our clothesline is too high for her to reach. Then, she said, " Wait, there are still more clothes there!" and ran back outside. Then, my mom and I looked out from the window to see how she took out the clothes. There she was! She would jump to get the clothes and when it's too high for her already, then she'd climb up from the side. We were just watching her until she successfully finished taking all of our clothes out! Hahaha! Great job Girl! I guess I have a little helper in the making. :)

Of Maternity Benefits and SSS

Yesterday was the due date for my SSS ( Social Security System) payment. Even if I don't have an employer and not permanently residing here, I voluntarily paid for it because of its benefits. When I delivered my baby through Cesarian Section, I was able to get almost 10 thousand pesos benefit. That amount has indeed helped us and blessed us. I also didn't stopped paying my Philhealth Insurance and after the same operation, I also got my benefits even if I delivered my baby in Thailand. After submitting all my documents and forms, I just waited for a few months and I was amazed by the amount that was refunded to me. It was more than half of my total expenses! And what was more amazing was the the money came a few days before our airfare tikets to the Philippines is due. We really praise God for the favor and the blessings.

Speaking of Social Security System, do you know that in the US they have this Social Security Headquarters? With this site, it is easy for you to check on the legitimacy of any social security number. As with me, I don't even memorize my Social Security number. I guess it's not as important here in the Philippines as it is in US.

Leaving Thailand

At this very time, my Hubby is already in the bus and leaving Thailand, his home for 8 years ( mine for 6 years). It's now officially the start of our 1 year break and we're thankful to God for this opportunity. We feel that we really needed this break if not, maybe we ourselves will breakdown..:) kidding.. As what King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, "There is a time for everything under the sun". So, we feel that after several years of being in the 'field', it's the time to rest and be refresh for more years of work ahead.

I thank God for the next year that is before us. Though we're not yet so certain of our activities for the following year, but it is our prayer that wherever we are, wherever we go, God will continue to bless us and use us as a blessing for others.

Happy Sabbatical Leave for us! heheheh!

Of Digital Frames and Fun Contests

I've just browsed through a Christmas site for fun in which I watched a video, made a 'wish' and then uploaded a photo of myself. I chose a photo that was taken with my Hubby. And a little later, I was surprised to see my uploaded photo already inside a CEIVA digital photo frame in the video itself. Cool! The photo inside the digital photo frame looks very nice , crisp and clear. That's how the CEIVA digital photo frames are different from the other. Anyways, I'm really amazed by such digital photo frames which somehow reminds me that we are now truly in the hi tech age. Imagine, your photo frame changing images by itself every few seconds? And not to mention the different designs your frame can have. Anways, if your a resident of the United States and/or Washington D.C. and 18 years old and above, you can try the site not just for fun but you can join the contest too! Well, you got a wish for the holidays? you can join the contest and who knows you might win. The entries are randomly selected everyday and a prize of 500$ can be won. And who knows, your 'wish' might come true. Too bad I can't join the contest since I'm not US based. You might want to try it out!

Wonderland

I found a new hang out for my toddler now. It's Wonderland in Lim Ket Kai Center or SM City, Cagayan de Oro. At first I thought that he was too young to play inside but then I was proven wrong when I saw him so happily playing, touching and tinkering with all the toys. Indeed it's a place where he is very free to explore without all the "no no's" and limitations. Of course I still have to closely supervise him as there are toys meant for 3 years above but then, being freely to move around and play is already more than enough to make my toddler happy. Hmm.. I wonder when's our next trip to Wonderland again.

Of Insurances and God's Provision

Before, I was not a very big fan of life or medical insurances. I saw it as an added expense and couldn't see the real importance of it. Not until our oragnization got a Company that Offers Life Insurance for us as well as medical insurance and the rates were good. And then, my Hubby got admitted in the hospital and the insurance paid for that expense that could have totaled up to 2T Ringgit. I saw that as one of God's way of providing our needs.

Too bad, our insurance plan didn't cover my Cesearian operations that cost a huge amount of money too. But even without insurance coverage God still provided in amazing ways. I could still remember the time when we received an envelope from a friend that contained a gift that could cover more than half of my operation. Oh, how we drove back crying and thanking God for such an unexpected blessing.

Yummy Sunday - Mango Float

I made this last week, and it was already halfway finished, before I took a picture of it. The photo doesn't look so appealing I know, but who can ever go wrong in making Mango Float? .Even the novice and first timer can make a very delicious mango float as it is indeed very easy to make. :) For those who haven't tried making one yet. You might want to try it out for your Chrismas dessert.

You need: Graham crackers, 1 Can of condensed milk, 4-5 pieces mango, 2 boxes ( 250 ml) of All purpose cream.

1) Mix the condensed milk and all purpose cream in a bowl. ( If you don't want it too sweet, you can lessen the condensed milk)

2) Layer the Graham crackers in a pan.

3) Pour the cream you mixed

4) Arrange the thinly sliced mangoes

5) Repeat steps 2-4 until you reach the desired thickness.

And woolaahh! you got your yummy dessert.

The New Healthy Me ?

For the past days, I haven't been feeling very well. I see some differences and changes with my health and I'm thinking that maybe this must be the result of my unhealthy diet of sweets, fatty and oily food. I went back to my 'normal' eating habits 2 weeks after I arrived here in the Philippines. Before I left, I was a bit conscious of my food intake especially after my test that showed that my cholesterol level is quite high.

Anyways, I've resolved once again to be mindful of what I put in my mouth and not to simply gobble all the sweets and fatty food available inside the fridge. Aside from that, I'm taking some dietary supplements which are said to help lower down cholesterol like the Psyllium seeds and doing a bit of exercise too. I've also read that Green Tea is also a good antioxidant and is helpful to lower cholesterol. The latest one that I've heard is Acai Berry. I don't know if that's readily available anywhere but even this diet called Acai berry diet. But anyways, my research continues on how to lower down my cholesterol level. It's my aim now to really take care of my health- the life that God has given me. Thank God for good health and I must continue to strive to be healthier so that my life will continue to be more useful for HIs glory! :)

Lyle's First Haircut

Oh, the joy and blessing that children give can neither be measure by gold nor silver! Thank you Lord for adding sweetness in our lives by giving us these precious gifts - our children.

It's just amazing how kids bring joy to a mother's heart that even a simple hair cut can be a cause of celebration. Yes, Lyle had his first hair cut in the barber shop last week. I was already prepared for whatever his reaction may be : cranky or active. But he surprised me indeed as he sat still in the barber's chair, giggled when he felt the shaver on his head and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Please forgive me but as a stage mom I can't help but say, "He looked so cutee!" Hehehe!

His haircut just went like a breeze. I even didn't realize that it was already done. Thanks to the barber who I think is an expert in handling kids. He also did his part to distract Lyle from chewing on the clip from 'robe' and entertained him when he was becoming uneasy. Thanks Salon de France at Limket Kai Mall.. :)

Home Improvement 2

Our home improvement project is halfway done! Thank God for the provision and the blessings! We can now imagine how it'll look like once it's done. But my Mom and I haven't decided yet on what type of flooring to put : ceramic tiles, vinyl tiles or red cement. We are considering the budget and at the same time easy maintenance for the floor. Ceramic tiles would really be so easy to clean but then, of all the 3 options it's the most pricey of all. While the red cement is the cheapest but it requires scrubbing and thorough cleaning for it to be shiny. But anyways, before we decide we have to check out one shop here in the city because my bro in law said they sell very cheap tiles.

I do hope we can get very cheap tiles so we can have a floor that will be easy to clean and maintain. With just a sweep of the broom and a mop, then we'll have a clean floor! :) Speaking of floors and cleaning, I've heard that EZ Vacuum is offering 10% Off Coupon EZVAC10 on vacuum cleaners bags belts filters brushrolls machines Coupon code is EZVAC10 and is applicable on all orders over $20. I've heard they very low shipping charges compared to other merchants and have deep discounts on vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaning supplies. Too bad, we can't use vacuum cleaners since we don't have carpets in our home. :)

13 Days!!

Wohooo!! The countdown continues.. another 13 days to go and Hubby will be coming to the Philippines. Wow..as the days come nearer, it's also coming faster. It's my prayer that everything will be in order as Hubby leaves the work behind. We are assured that even as he leaves and be away for a year, God will indeed be control of everything. We thank God for the faithful people who'll take care of the work in behalf of us. Thank you Lord!

Now, we can rest, take a break and enjoy God's provision, protection, refreshing and rest for the whole year!

Disneyland in SM

We went to SM last Sunday and we had a 'taste' of Disneyland when we found a small section where kids can take pictures with their favorite cartoon character. It's not a mascot actually but just like a cartoon character on a stand which looked like banner stands . The little Disneyland was set up like trade show booths and the kids enjoyed looking at all the characters in different settings. They didn't have Pipe and Drape style of setting or display products on table skirts though but the Disney exhibit was really a hit with the kids.

Look at their smiles , they look so happy and it seems like their posing with the real Disney Princesses. I wonder how the kids will react when they see Mickey Mouse and the Disney Princesses for real!

Cake Business: CLOSED

Oh, we even haven't started our cake business yet and now we're closing it down already. hehehe!! After our househelper left, my sis and I decided not to go on with it anymore as we won't have an extra hand to help us. You see, both us has has 2 kids (1 toddler and 1preschooler each) so, it'll be a bit difficult if we get too busy with baking and stuff.

We also realized that it'll be my Hubby's first Christmas, birthday and New Year here in the Philippines, so we be not so busy or else we will end up baking all the way through Christmas and New Year. I remember the time I also had this bake business about 7 years ago,and I literally slept on Christmas Eve. I was too tired baking 5 days before Christmas eve that I wasn't even able to wait for our family Christmas eve meal ( at 12mn) anymore but dozed off at 10pm. So, I'll never let that happen again and make ourselves free and relaxed this Christmas Season. Never mind if we won't have extra income for the month, there's nothing more important and special than quality time spent with the whole family.

* Image taken from google