Julia's baby shower...

Last Saturday was a big day for our little Julia as we gather together her ninongs and ninangs for a night of food and fun.... it was basically a simple and quiet evening, enjoying the chika time as we munch on benjie's blockbuster laing and buco salad (yummi talaga)..... and yes, he prepared it himself ... we had to wake up early to prepare for the big event but everything was worth it as we saw the smiles and the thumbs up signs after the first bite. The only regret we have is people had to come and go becuase of their sked / work for the night. if only we could have more time together so that Julia's godparents would get to know each other better. These people are very dear to benjie and i, that's why we'ved handpicked them to be our Julia's second parents. We know that whatever happens, they will always be there for her, like they've always been there for us....

Again to Ninangs Agatha, Vanette, Bel, Ayi, Marue, Tina, Kakai and Ninongs Rex, Boyet, Nonoy, Tetay and Direk Jerome.... Thank you for making our baby shower special and memorable....

Baby Shower

Benjie and I are getting ready for the big day and to start the ball rolling, we're hosting a baby shower at Ninang Ruth's house on December 3, 2005 (that's next saturday !). Hopefully all the Ninongs and Ninangs will be there for a simple get together. For sure it will be an afternoon of riot and fun...

wait for the pix and details next week ...... :)

Growing Old

i just read my friend's journal a few minutes ago and something really struck me with her last line.... she said she didn't mind growing old because she found the perfect person to grow old with....

it got me thinking .... true growing old is something most of us are afraid to face and accept especially if you're all alone, but if you have someone beside you to hold your hand, then this growing old phase is something to look forward to. just imagine the anniversaries, christmases and other events you'll get to share with the person... and now that we're waiting for the arrival of our little julia, that gives me more reasons to be excited about our future. don't get me wrong, my life right now is far from perfect (especially if you think about all the "financial obligations/challenges/problems") but i'm happy and that's all that matters....

Baby Things .....

Benjie and I started to buy baby things for our dear julia and we had a great time looking at the small and cutie clothes... we just bought a handful, the basic things first since we have enough time to shop for the rest...

wala lang, just wanted to share the wonderful feeling and the excitement of waiting for the arrival of our little angel.

our little bundle of joy...

Benjie and I shared a wonderful experience last Monday..... it was his 28th (???) birthday and the highlight of the day was when we had our first ultrasound... for the first time we saw our little baby in my tummy.... you could imagine the happiness we felt when we saw our little girl..yup, IT'S A GIRL !!!! she looked so small and fragile. The proud daddy was smiling from ear to ear, and the smile remained long after we've left the clinic. i was deeply touched when he said this was the best birthday gift ever...

well, the countdown begins.... two months to go and we'll finally have Julia Samuelle in our arms..... :)

WEEK 02... THE WAITING

you know how it feels when you're waiting for something and you can't do anything except watch the time tick away as you wait for things to happen ????

i remember the first time i tried the pregnancy kit test... it was early morning, my mind was barely working as i wait for the results... and when i saw the two lines, i didn't know what to do. i knew somehow what to expect before hand but when it was right in front of you, you can't help but ask "if its really true". well, now six months later i couldn't help but smile as i recall that memorable morning. i know i still have three months of waiting before i could really hold my little angel, and here i am, waiting....waiting..waiting... (in excitement =) )

but before the big day arrives, i find myself waiting for my "other baby" to unfold ... MY EVENTS PROJECT. I've done my homework, did the project plan and forwarded it to friends for evaluation and waiting for response. everyday i would check my email hoping to hear something from them regarding this endeavor and sometimes this "waiting game" could really get to you. there are days that i am positive about things but things change when i don't get any response in my inbox. i guess this is part of the process my project has to go through, just like having a baby, this events project of mine must go through different stages so when i start to launch it, everything will be fine.... let's just put it this way, no one wants a premature baby, diba?

i just hope things will work out just fine for me, my little angel and my new project. i know with determination, hard work and prayers everything will fall into place.

PREPARATION 101

WEEK 1 Business Preparation ...

i have my "buy and sell" ads paper right beside me, list of possible suppliers, internet hooked up for couple of hours and i could feel the adranelin rush...... i've been like this for days now, trying to contact as many people as i can to help me out with my new project - the events business....... there are times i'd wake up earlier than usual and find myself thinking of how i can start this new project of mine. it's like a spell that i couldn't get out of my system. well i have to admit there are days that i get cold feet and ask myself if i can do it considering the fact that i don't have the finances to start this ..... but then i would bounce back to visualizing things, setting up meetings with clients, going to divisoria to buy the supplies, dressing up for the event and all that stuff.... things that would pump up my adrenalin level once again. I guess this is what you call gut feel. And like what they sometimes say, just follow your gut feel, you'll never know where it'll take you.....

i'm back !!!

it's been a month since i last posted something in my blogsite..... wala lang, i've always wanted to scribble something pero i just couldn't organize my thoughts well... siguro nga yun ang problema, instead of doing free writing, i was too busy conceptualizing things i ended up not writing at all. ... thanks to ate paz' email message, here i am again.

there are a lot of things in my mind right now and there's one thing that i couldn't shake off....
i'm thinking of putting up a small scale "events planning business", something similar to the wedding planner thing but not limited to that.... actually i'm still on the early planning stage, still thinking things over plus the fact that i don't have enough finances right now, but its an idea that keeps popping in my mind. maybe because its something i know i can do and would love to do. and who knows, eventually things will work out fine and start something big. big things start with small steps as they say. hopefullly soon i can officially make that first step. wish me luck on this .... i'll keep you posted !!!

changes....

its a quarter past 6pm, and here i am in front of my computer trying to pour my thoughts in this corner as i wait for my turn in the shower to get ready for work.....

"wala lang....." i couldn't help but think about my friends who are in line right now in UP Diliman to watch CineMalaya, a showcase of experimental films by amateur writers/directors. i have to admit, i feel a little "inggit" when i learned of their gimmick and i know they'll trek to the nearest starbucks after the movies for coffee and chika while here i am, feeling domesticated after cooking my signature "gatang hipon" dish..... don't get me wrong, i do enjoy playing wife and home maker, its just that there are times that i miss the good old days. Things really do change once you've decided to settle down but you know what, i would never exchange what i have right now.... so what if i smell like sauted garlic..... or miss out a good cup of coffee.... nothing beats having a wonderful afternoon with the "luv" of your life, chatting the time away over silly/funny stories.

besides, there will always be CineMalaya next year... and who knows next time, i might get to participate in one :)

MONDAYS .....

Mondays.... a lot of people hate Mondays because it simply means they have to trek the morning traffic to face the terror professor or get back to work. its also the start of hectic week for most of us.

But for me (and my other half) we welcome Mondays with a big, big smile because its our precious rest day... its the day of the week wherein we can sleep in late, do our errands, play badminton, eat pancit after and watch the late evening news. I know it may not sound exciting but for us, its something to look forward to every week.

When we decided to "settle down" there are a lot of changes we had to go through, and now that we're expecting our first angel, i had to forego a lot things too... what i miss most is my daily dose of coffee. Its been three months since my last cup and i have to admit that there are times i am tempted to get one but when i think about my little baby, i have no choice but to stay away from the caffeine. I have no regrets though, just like mondays, i look forward to seeing my baby .....


in a couple of hours, my rest day will be over and when i wake up tomorrow, i know i have no choice but to get ready for work.... well at least i have a few days to go till my next rest day....
and weird as it may sound... thank God for mondays !!!!

The Art of Cooking "Monggo"

Have you ever wondered why you usually see "ginisang monggo" in the menu of cafeteria/eatery every Friday ??? I don't know what's so special about Fridays and Monggos but promise, hindi kumpleto ang menu pag wala yun..

I couldn't help but smile as i try to remember eating Tito Val's Abelgas' famous monggo for breakfast on our way to Pasadena City College. You see i was never of fan of the said dish but my bestfriend/roommate Pia introduced me to her dad's specialty and i have to admit, that was the best " Ginisang Monggo (with chicharon) " i've ever tasted. When i started working, i met chiechay who later on became my best buddy and housemate... she too was a big fan of Monggo. I remember sending her some to her workplace whenever I chance upon it in the Office Cafeteria. I will never forget the look on her face after eating her special treat.

So last Friday, i suddenly found myself in a pensive mood while cooking " Ginisang Monggo" for dinner...... It's been a decade since eating a bowlful of it at the back of the Tito Val's Sentra while trekking the 101 Freeway, and a lot of things happened since then. i met and gained new friends in Norwalk... Went back to Manila with a heavy heart..... started my first job, gained new friends as well and had my first major heartbreak ...... shifted careers... Met new friends again and found a new love and started a new life....

i know the Monggos/Fridays tandem are far from over but one thing is for sure, i will always have that special smile whenever i see another bowl of ginisang monggo....

and by the way, my version of ginisang monggo was a big hit... you should try it sometime!!!

Seasons...

Seasons are often associated with changes..... and this is what i'm going through right now.

its true that when God closes a door, He opens a window .... just when i've decided to take a sabatical from my writing job and start a new career, a new life grows inside me. I'm excited about this wonderful change but at the same time i couldn't help but worry about the future for me and my little one. I'm just lucky that i have a good man beside me to hold my hand and drive away my fears...

i know its still a long journey, and I hope you'll come along for the ride ... :)