Aquino Acquainted

I Heart Faces: Smile

2011-01-11T11:47:00.000-05:00

Jakob, my first born.

He's got the most pictures out of all my kiddos.

We have a lot of videos of him, too

(unlike Jethro, my third, who I believe doesn't have one single baby video from our old, chunky video camera).

He should have been trained by now on how to smile naturally in front of the camera.

But it's always the same, posed smile.

I think he likes his pictures like this than the all-gums-and-teeth-smile he sometimes give me.

I have a few of those and I am planning to use it on his wedding day!

This smile will do for now.

Click for more smiles

A Day Of Anticipation and Disappointment

2011-01-07T23:24:00.006-05:00

Got an email from Starbucks early this week telling me that

Tazo teas are half prized from today until the 16th from 2-5 pm.

So much anticipation came over me.

My dollars (or gift cards) would go a loooonnng way!

I even requested a text message from Starbucks on my phone just to make sure I remember.

And…I forgot all about it until 4:55 pm.

I told hubby I wanted to go and get a Chai Latte.

He said go and hurry

but I am sure I will not make it to the nearest Starbucks in five minutes or less.

Big disappoinment!

Sudden changes in my mood, I'm tellin' ya!

I Heart Faces: Best Face Photo of 2010

2011-01-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

I photographed this baby in 2010 when he was only ten days old.

He is a big boy and surely doesn't look like a newborn - no wrinkly newborn skin at all!

Loved it when he gave us a pout.

Such a cutie!

I am entering this at I Heart Faces' Best Face Photo of 2010.

Find more best faces at

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T23:59:00.004-05:00

I was just getting used to writing 2010 and now it's already 2011.

I think I will write 2011 one hundred times today

so I will not feel the same disappointment come net December 31st.

Some New Year lines for you…

– Here’s to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old; here’s to things that are yet to come and to the memories that we hold.

– May all your troubles in the coming year be as short as your New Year’s resolutions.

– May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.

– May the road rise up before you, and the wind be always at your back, and the good Lord hold you in the hollow of his hands

My favourite…

Christmas at our house

2010-12-30T23:25:00.002-05:00

There are broken and new things around here...

Broke the pyjamas as gifts on Christmas Eve

(good thing because they were given lots of pjs from families the next day)

Made two (or three) new traditions this year.

Number one, the whole family will buy a significant ornament every year to celebrate our Saviour's birth.

We bought this one this year.

Our tree this year

special ornament from two years ago

I see me and hubby

special ornament last year

Number two (and three), we will recite the Christmas Story on the eve of Christmas,

and sing Christmas carols after.
All before opening presents.

Our stockings-for-Christmas-morning tradition was kept.

Goldfish - always a hit!

Mario calendar (free from Nintendo!)

My sister and my funny girl!

Hats for everybody..and hubby's awesome new winter coat!

"Octopus" Prime for Jethro

This year's annual Christmas Day's family gathering was held at our house.

The house was filled with goodies

and with things that will continually remind us the reason for Christmas.

We decided to repeat the Christmas Story and carol-singing.

Wished I made copies of the song before the guests arrived.

Jakob did a great job with his violin.

I hope and pray that he can use this talent to glorify God even more.

And because I am sure our families are waiting for the pictures…

Here they are…

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T23:53:00.003-05:00

We are so thankful for the realizations that we have reached while reflecting on the birth of our Saviour.

It is not so much the gifts - though we have been showered with many.

Not so much the food - though we have more than enough food and leftovers that could last us for another week.

Not so much the company - though we had a great time with friends and family gatherings.

It is the significance, the importance, the greatness of God's gift.

It is the giving of His Son to us.

He came and lived so he could die and save us from our sins.

So great a gift.

Only God can give.

So to all of you, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

And that we may all never forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Let us celebrate Him, not just on Christmas Day, but everyday.

His Name

2010-12-25T02:38:00.010-05:00

"For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas to all!

He is the reason for the season!

PIC OF THE WEEK: I Love Snow

2010-12-05T21:50:00.003-05:00

She's been waiting for snow to come since her birthday :P

The Fir 2010

2010-12-04T23:16:00.002-05:00

It's our fifth year of our annual Christmas-Tree-cutting tradition
and we were a week late.

We always go tree-cutting on the last Saturday of November…

but not this year.

It was so cold last Saturday

and NO snow just like last year
so we decided to wait one more week

~~and I am guessing hubby was too tired from his trip to Ottawa.~~

For the tree-cutting this year, we were surprised to explore a new area of the tree farm.

We have been going to Horton's Magic Tree Farm for three years now

and this is the first time we were taken here.

I wonder if they were saving this area for December visitors

and not when there are only a few of us on a November weekend.

It is such a nice area.

Large lots full of trees.

Nice bonfire area to warm us up while waiting for the tractor ride.

Not to mention a much longer tractor ride with great scenery.

I am now debating if we should always go on the first Saturday of December

instead of the usual November weekend.

Cousins

2010-12-03T04:15:00.000-05:00

Our family got together last Sunday for hubby's ~~not so~~ surprise birthday celebration.

And with pretty clothes on, we agreed to do a photoshoot for these crazy bunch.

The setting up of the studio probably took more time than the actual photoshoot.

Angelina, the youngest in the bunch, was very cooperative at first.

But when it's time to take group pictures,

…

let's just say she did not want divided attention.

Here are the outtakes (unedited)…

"Let me go!"

"I am not facing the camera!"

"The pink necklace looks better on me!"

And this one is... priceless!

(I love how Virginia, top right, is posing for the camera yet looking strangely at her sister;

and how the girls behind are posing away while the boys are struggling to keep Angelina calm.)

You can find the "better" photos at Nostalgia Photography

though if you ask me, these outtakes are the better and normal ones :)

The Nutcracker March

2010-12-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

My kids have been enjoying the classical music lately.

They have a Leap Pad cartridge with lots of classical composers and their music,

and they love listening to it…all the time.

At home or in the car, they would always request for the classical music to be played.

We bought a Christmas Classical music cd last year at Wal-Mart

and it has been the kids' favourite Christmas cd.

Hubby and I are amazed at how our kids enjoy classical music.

Jakob likes it especially with his piano and violin.

Beata loves to hear them either from the cd or from his brother practicing his music lessons.

Jethro loves it, and can identify The Sugar Plum Fairy from the cd

(and that's only after hearing it twice!)

One of his favourites is The Nutcracker March.

Though he can't seem to put together the right name.

He'll either say..

March of the Crackernut…or

Nut of the Cracker March…or even worse

Nut of the March.

He'll soon get it.

If he can't say the right name, I'm quite sure he can hum it for you!

Married for 12 years

2010-11-22T23:59:00.001-05:00

God gave us a very special weather for our anniversary.

We headed downtown Toronto right after the kiddos' school for our anniversary date

( no, we did not wait for them so they can come, we left them at home :P )

12 degrees weather even after 9 pm.

And even after it rained!

Wow!

I believe this is the first time we celebrated our anniversary without the heavy scarves, jackets, mittens, hats on us.

We ended the night downtown with a trip at Starbucks to get…

a cold drink

because we are thirsty after walking around downtown for a good two(?) hours.

Who needs the peppermint mocha at that kind of weather!

note: not a lot of pics because it rained and

because we are busy staring at each other's eyes.

Happy 12th anniversary, hun!

You are still and always will be the bestest!

Studio snapshots, mother and daughter

2010-11-15T14:49:00.000-05:00

Had a wonderful time snapping photos of this mother and daughter.

Believe me, they love each other.

See what I mean?

More at Nostalgia Photography

Christmas Photo Outtakes 2010

2010-11-13T23:46:00.004-05:00

We all know my children have the wiggle worm.

Can't sit still, can't stay quiet.

Always funny, always animated.

It's all shown here in their 2010 Christmas photo outtakes.

click photo to enlarge
then click again to supersize!

Though I think it would be nice to put one of these in our Christmas card

because it is SO them!

PIC OF THE WEEK: The B-I-B-L-E

2010-11-07T22:53:00.000-05:00

Missions Conference on World Evangelism at our church this week.

The students were asked to create a poster with this year's theme of "That All May Know"

Since we have two children who are required to do posters this year,

I needed hubby's help.

He will help Jakob, while I help Beata.

And at the final day of the conference,

Beata's poster was chosen amongst the Grade 1 entries.

Her tears paid off since we had a bit of drama while making that poster.

"Fear and trembling" --

Hubby knows what I am talking about.

She was awarded a Bible

and I promised her that I will take pictures of her with her new Bible once we get home.

Here are our pics of the week.

We are proud of you!

The Bees

2010-10-28T23:14:00.000-04:00

They have invaded my living room.

Yes, these Alien Bees.

Quite powerful for a little thing.

We cannot underestimate these bees.

Have I lost it?

Or am I just really weird?

Don't worry!

It's not what you think it is.

It's these really great strobes from Alien Bees.

Love their affordability and versatility.

And they come in cool retro colours too!

Big thanks to hunny for getting me these bees.

I am spoiled!

Somebody is a decade old

2010-10-24T00:13:00.003-04:00

My boy.

My happy, smiley boy

is now 10 years old!

I cannot believe it.

He'll be a teen-ager soon,

then he'll be going to College and start working,

then he'll marry,

have children

(~~I'm going to be a grandma~~).

How can I stop this boy from growing?

We love you very much, Jakob!

We are excited to see what God has in store for you.

A little note

2010-10-20T13:30:00.003-04:00

Dear Blog,

I am sorry for neglecting you for almost a month now.
I miss you.
I have not forgotten you.
Things just got busy here.
I have this little photography business that I am launching
(which took me almost two months to finalize thanks to my indecisiveness,
and to the government for turning down my business name application twice
after having ordered business cards! Hmp!
Although that incident could be another interesting post but I am not going to dwell on that.),
and the crazy two weeks of showing our house to potential buyers,
then the which-house-are-we-moving-into-after-we-sell-our-house stage
(you know, the "exciting" house hunting).
I have been spending time on these things lately that's why I was not able to blog.

I will come back to you very soon. Please be patient.

In the meantime, let me leave you with a picture from the hike that we did on Thanksgiving
~~while I finish up the "little things" that I need to do to run this new business of mine.~~

Until next post,

PIC OF THE WEEK: Home Studio

2010-09-26T23:53:00.001-04:00

Chillaxin after helping me set up my home studio.

He's the bestest!

PIC OF THE WEEK: Hobby Train

2010-09-19T23:58:00.046-04:00

I am sure you all know by now how I love shopping at thrift stores.

From children's clothes to my skirts, to hubby's suits, to furniture and decor, to toys, etc.

I was in every single thrift store in my little town for a whole week and a half

(literally since school started;

that's why Jethro knows every single thrift store there is in Ajax

because he has become my shopping buddy).

I only had one mission --

to find a nice wingback chair that I can reupholster for use as props for my photography.

Sadly, I ended up buying stuff other than the elusive wingback chair

(which I was able to find last Friday, but not in my town, but in Oshawa).

The many treasures you could find at these thrift stores are innumerable

like this hobby train I got at Goodwill.

$19.99 (no tax at these thrift stores!)

A big box full of hobby trains complete with tracks, trains and controller.

I had to call hubby before snatching this deal just to make sure it's okay with him.

And with no hesitation, he said yes.

We only had to buy $23 worth of add-ons to make this train set work.

That's less than $50 for a hundred dollars worth of hobby trains!

Do I hear a choo-choo from you?

Louder!

Choo-choo!

PIC OF THE WEEK: Labour Day Picnic

2010-09-12T23:57:00.025-04:00

My favourite activity at our annual Labour Day Picnic…

the hayride!

I thought this would be a great Pic Of The Week.

But this one is my fav

Can you see us?

Here's a closer look!

Now that's a Pic Of The Week!

Birthday Outtakes

2010-09-10T12:08:00.014-04:00

Our funny little princess

who likes to make faces

and pose in front of the camera.

Here are her birthday outtakes.

This girl can be a comedian when she grows up!

You need two hands now

2010-09-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, my dearest Beata needs two hands now… to count her age, that is!

She is now 6 years old, and needs two hands to count up to six fingers.

First five years really flies fast.

She is now in Grade 1, and in school every. single. day.

Tonight, when I tucked her in, she gave me a big smile before I left her room.

And I don't think I'm ready for her to grow up.

(Insert big, fat tears here)

……..

Happy 6th birthday, Beata!

You will always be my baby girl.

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-07T12:10:00.031-04:00

Always looked forward to with much anticipation, our first day of school was bittersweet.

One, because I can't stop my kids from growing.

Jakob is in Grade 5, and will soon be a two-digit-aged boy.

Beata is now in school everyday.

No more spending-two-extra-days-in-a-week-with-mommy,

and no more nap times for my little girl.

And number two, because Jethro was lonely because his big brother,

who he likes to play cars and wrestle with,

and big sister,

who he likes to bother one minute and be best buddies the next minute,

will all be in school for six whole hours.

Poor boy stuck with mommy.

I am thankful for our Christian School,

but I am missing the little voices at home.

Good thing Jethro is never out of stories.

We'll see how he does with our little homeschool program.

PIC OF THE WEEK: MAC

2010-09-05T05:42:00.001-04:00

Sweet!!!!

Oh, sorry. Were you waiting for something?

2010-09-03T23:39:00.000-04:00

I thought I was ready for the reveal this week but it seems that I have to leave you hanging for another month.

I am the kind of person who doesn't want to giveaway instalment info so to be safe, we would have to wait another month so I will have everything prepared.

In the meantime, I am posting pictures of our day at the Buskerfest at St. Lawrence Market in downtown TO.

Lots to see, lots to do, and lots to eat! Yum!

My favourite would be the corn roast.

The kids' favourite would be the funnel cake.

Our city

The skyscrapers downtown

The motorcycles at the street of Toronto.

Period.

Buskerfest

The CN Tower just peeking behind the TD Building

Beata and Jethro's favourite part of Buskerfest…NOT!

Apparently, they did not like these over-nine-feet-tall dinosaurs.

I think they are cool.

They even make cool ~~and loud~~ realistic dinosaur sounds.

Oh, sorry. Were you waiting for something?

One month.

PIC OF THE WEEK : Before August ends

2010-08-29T23:50:00.001-04:00

I want to make a third blogpost entry before August ends.

Things have been busy lately mainly because I am venturing into something new

(nothing too new, but I still consider it new news).

Hopefully, I can post it here early this week, so stay tuned!

Now for my post,

My kids and I have spent a day last week taking pictures by the beach.

Mostly to update my header picture here because it is already over a year old.

But again, I am not ready to share so I am just leaving you with this...

And I also noticed that it is my 250th blog post,

so happy 2-5-0 to you (whoever is reading this)

and don't forget to check back this week

because who knows I might be ready to do the big reveal.

Lights, Camera...Shoot!

2010-08-11T02:42:00.003-04:00

I have been playing and experimenting with lights lately

and trying to shoot on manual mode.

I have found a new way to use my hotshoe flash

and a camera feature that I did not even know exist.

I bought a softbox.

Thanks, hun!

I have no other models so I shot a self-portrait while experimenting

aside from using Donkey Kong.

Here's what I got...

Not bad.

But I need more practice.

And more willing models

aside from Donkey Kong!

PIC OF THE WEEK: Princesses?

2010-08-08T23:41:00.001-04:00

Look who's been playing with the dress-up bin...

Rhianna, Beata and Virginia playing dress-up on Saturday afternoon after fishing at Trenton

PIC OF THE WEEK: Family Of The Day

2010-07-25T22:01:00.036-04:00

Taken a little after 9 am after sleeping at midnight the night before

hence messy hair and puffy eyes

Photos taken by Auntie Tess

This is my vote for Pic Of The Week

although I think Raymond would disagree

and would want me to choose the photo from Niagara Rapids

~~which I am not posting ever~~

as the Pic Of The Week.

Sorry, hun.

(It's my blog!)

Double Three

2010-07-24T21:01:00.098-04:00

Happy 33rd to me!

We decided to go back to Great Wolf Lodge

for a fun-filled, early-weekend

birthday celebration.

We came with some of our relatives this time and that's double the fun.

Triple the fun would be all the blessings we received that birthday weekend.

Upon check-in on Thursday at GWL, I mentioned that it was actually my birthday.

I asked if we get any special deals since it's my birthday.

The lady behind the front desk said she'll she what she can do.

And few check-in signatures later (I had to make three since we booked three separate rooms)...

we were given five bags of arcade coins!

Then, they had this "Family Of The Day" contest everyday for guests staying at the hotel.

We filled our ballots and placed them in the box, hoping that we would be up early the next day
to be able to attend the draw that's held before they open the waterpark.

With at least ten entries, our room number was picked and we got to be "Family Of The Day" on Friday.

(Complete with a special orange F.O.T.D. seats for the whole day

with bar fridge on the side supplied with bottled water and an appetizer plate,

six mini-golf passes, more arcade tokens,

free pack of GWL palying cards, free photo from Niagara Rapids slide,

a GWL drink container to keep, and an extra 10% off at the craft store.)

Saturday morning, we got a good start of the day from the free hot buffet breakfast

(because the manager of this little hotel at River Road was so nice

that he did not only fixed the problem with our rooms for our overnight stay,

but gave us complimentary breakfast coupons for four adults, too,

and the server at the restaurant did not charge us one single kid breakfast!)

We are so blessed that weekend, don't you think?

Not to mention the extra coupon booklet handed to Raymond by a stranger while waiting at the lobby of GWL...

And another coupon booklet that he found by the bushes while we were playing mini-golf...

And another free round of mini-golf because Raymond got the bonus shot at the end of his mini-golf round!

(Insert VERY big smiley face here)

Easy Bake

2010-07-17T23:52:00.001-04:00

It's my birthday month.

And hubby surprised me by telling me last night that we can go yard sale-ing in the morning.

Happy am I but not hopeful.

I realized that the best of the yard sale stuff are available in the Spring,

not on a hot mid-Summer day.

Hubby excitedly bought a huge set of Playmobil toys for the boys.

$50

Ouch!

That is not yard sale deal for a frugal me-oh-me.

But I found a great toy for my little princess chef.

Easy bake oven for $1.

Complete with box, manual and 4 packs of sugar cookie mix.

Mmmmmm!

My budding chef who likes to help in the kitchen now has an ovenof her own.

I think the boys like this deal than the $50 toys.

Splish, splash

2010-07-16T23:21:00.047-04:00

Summer is definitely here!

Two weeks of heat.

Great time to dip in our pool...

even if the pool heater is not functioning.

Beata and Jakob gave me some good jumps

but it's either I was too fast in pressing the shutter

or they are to slow to jump when I say, "Now!"

I thought you might want to see the good jumps

even if the neighbour's house is sharp and my kids are out of focus.

Okay,

the good focused ones now.

Splish,

Splash,

Lady with the camera...

run away!

Summer School

2010-07-15T21:51:00.017-04:00

We are two weeks behind our Summer School schedule.

No, my kids did not fail their grade levels.

It's my way of making Summer ~~fun~~ interesting.

Just an hour or two a day to prepare them for their grade level.

Jethro is really liking it so far!

I can see clearly now...

2010-07-14T22:49:00.024-04:00

New flash for my dslr.

An early birthday present from hubby and kids.

Thanks to our yard sale which paid for most of my SB-600.

Another bonus...a 2 GB Professional SD card inside the flash bag.

Happy birthday to me really!

I can see clearly now lalalala!!!

My very willing models for my new flash minus Jakob

(he's having a "heart-to-heart" talk with dad)

Tickets please

2010-07-07T22:07:00.005-04:00

~~Hot~~ Warm day, perfect for a backyard party.

Happy 1st birthday, Angelina!

Happy 5th, Virginia!

Welcome to the circus everyone!

PIC OF THE WEEK: Hat's Shade

2010-07-04T23:03:00.001-04:00

Taken July 3, 2010
(face with food and face paint and all!)

Wolf and Birds

2010-07-03T23:44:00.001-04:00

We surprised the kids to a three day vacation at Niagara Falls earlier this week.

We were blessed to be able to get a $179/night rate at Great Wolf Lodge...

(and with a $150 gift card from Lani, we only spent around $30 for the hotel).

It's great to be back at GWL.

Kids enjoyed it a lot.

And Jakob was tall enough for all of the slides!

Raymond and Jakob got to go on the Vortex and on the big blue slide

(but we forgot to scan their wristbands for photo).

On our third day at Niagara Falls, we went to Bird Kingdom.

I am sure I promised myself never to set foot on this attraction since I found out that there are lizards walking around the floor of the reptile section...

but a half-price Canada Day weekend deal is sure hard to pass.

I did skipped the reptile floor and just waited on the platform to meet the rest of the family

but honestly, my heart was racing and my eyes are constantly scanning the area

just in case that lizard comes right out of the exit door...

or a staff walks behind me with a lizard on the shoulder...

you'll never know.

(I thought I escaped that reptile part, only to find out that they have a new "exhibit" at the nocturnal section...
a monitor lizard.
Yuck!
Even though it's behind a glass display, I can sense that it's looking at me...
can't even continue this story, it's giving me goosebumps!)

We crossed the border after the Bird Kingdom to do some exciting "one hour" shopping

but before that, we ate at Perkins restaurant
and an elderly man whom we met at the door,
came to our table with three stuffed toys for the kiddos

We were definitely showered with blessings those three days!
It was a very nice ~~(and cheap)~~ getaway.

(notice Raymond's eyes?

no glasses!

He lost it somewhere in the hotel.

He drove home for four hours with no glasses)

Canada Day 2010

2010-07-01T23:45:00.002-04:00

Happy 143rd Canada!

The same beaver who appeared at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

(note: no autographs, beaver was a bit tied up)

The crowd and the bouncy castles

(note: we do not know the itchy man in red shirt)

Reptile Show

(note: Jethro is bored!)

Walking to the "exciting" reptile show

(note: the boy with the balloon hat -

I watched the clown for a good forty-five minutes while she's doing her balloon art and face paint.

She is offering classes, too...but I decided to save my change and just watch her)

RED

2010-06-30T23:42:00.002-04:00

In remembrance

Daddy, my hero.

2010-06-20T21:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Father's Day

to our one and only,

funny and entertaining,

loving and caring,

hardworking,

God fearing and God-loving

Papi!

My Little Graduate Cutie

2010-06-14T11:13:00.001-04:00

My middle child,

my baby (as she wanted me to call her, just no diapers involved),

my princess,

my cutie pie,

my graduate.

Can't believe my Beata is now promoted to Grade 1.

Many thanks to the teachers for helping her in her Kinder years.

They worked hard and helped her accomplish a lot of things...

including being able to read and write WELL!

Happy Graduation, Little Miss!

And congratulations to Jakob, too for his piano recital

and first violin recital

and making it to the "A" Honour Roll.

And this is for Jethro because...

we don't want him to be left out.

Good job, guys!

We are so proud of you.

I apologize for the long absence.

Been very busy preparing for a yard-sale-that-would-end-all-yard-sales

that suddenly became "House for Sale"

PIC OF THE WEEK: Washer and Dryer

2010-05-23T14:35:00.002-04:00

Our good ol' dryer broke.

We have been drying our clothes on the clothesline for two weeks now.

It smells good actually, but it requires lots of work...and lots of sunshine!

We found this front load waher and dryer combo at kijiji Oshawa for almost less than half it's original price.
Only one and a half years old but it will not be available tuntil the 21st of May.

So we waited, and anticipated the coming of our "new to us" front-load washer and dryer.

It was more than we expected!

It is in very excellent condition, no scratches! All hoses and manuals are present.

(Thanks to our dear friends for helping us pick up and set-up!)

And the couple who sold these are very interested in visiting the church.

Talk about double blessings!

And it also makes a great entertainment for the kiddos!

Round and round it goes.

When it ends, nobody knows!

He got the crown!

2010-05-17T11:53:00.001-04:00

For three months now, Jethro has been attending a Sunday School class that gives a crown at the end of their class to the most behaved girl and boy.

I've always wondered when Jethro will get that crown.

He's a wiggle worm, you know!

My husband jokes that he is a whale -- he would die if he does not move!

I told Jethro if he gets the crown, we will open the Star Wars toy he got for his birthday way back in January.

He said he doesn't want the crown, he just wanted to listen.

Ah! Excuses, excuses!

Well, to my surprise, he got the crown today.

And he was wearing it with pride all the way to the parking lot.

I just have to stop my hubby's bus to show him the surprise. To Raymond's delight, he invited Jethro to ride with them in the bus.

~~I just have to post this milestone because it may never happen again!~~

Sunday Selah: STILL

2010-05-16T23:48:00.001-04:00

STILL

Craig Curry

Broken, needy, You know my heart

Tired, wounded, torn apart

Shattered longings I place in Your hand

Kneeling, unable to stand.

Still I will trust You

Still I will sing

Songs of thanksgiving to my King

My eyes are failing

Your promise fulfill

And till then, I'll worship you still.

Hungry, thirsting, longing for more

Desparate, crying, pain outpoured

Lonely, struggling, I look to Your cross

You bear my grief, shame and loss.

The prayer of my heart in the midst of the storm

Is to see the Morning Star

I will heed His call to follow Him

Even though I journey far.

I will worship You still!

Let's Go Fly A Kite

2010-05-15T22:27:00.003-04:00

~~Cold and~~ windy Saturday afternoon is the perfect time to fly a kite.

I was dressed ~~in my Emu boots and long winter jacket~~ appropiately to enjoy the kite flying.

Other than Jethro's-kite-almost-flew-away-by-itself-because-the-string-holder-slipped-off-his-hand-and-the-wind-started-blowing-the-kite-away incident
(thanks to Raymond's handy-dandy slippers, we were able to retrieve it from the tree),
and the occasional kite landing on the grass,
~~and the tangled strings, and the flies everywhere~~

it turned out to be a real fun time with the kiddos.

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height

Let's go fly a kite

And send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go fly a kite

Let's go fly a kite!

Can we get a dog?

2010-04-25T00:56:00.002-04:00

My kids would jump for joy if I tell them we are getting a dog.

I said, "IF".

I don't think we can handle a dog for a pet yet (we can't even keep a goldfish alive!)

When Beata saw a dog in the park one time, she was was totally smitten by the dog.

Who wouldn't?

It's a very friendly, gentle, loving Golden Retriever.

Just like Beata's stuffed dog that she would take anywhere!

Say goodbye to the doggie.

Sorry, kiddo.

You just have to wait to get a dog for a pet...

~~until you have your own home~~.

Sweet victory

2010-04-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

Jakob's first ever church hockey league ended their season.

Playing for third place, they played their best of the season.

It was like an Olympic feeling for us watching on the sideline.

Overtime winning goal by his good friend, Joseph gave them a sweet victory.

I think Jakob's supporters that night has the loudest cheer ~~(thanks to Tita Lani!)~~

Beata and Jethro played with their friends most of the time during the game,

but they were as excited as Jakob when he finally got to wear the medal.

Good job, team.

See you next season!

1800 feet above the ground

2010-04-15T01:13:00.034-04:00

Our kids' first time at the CN Tower

(not counting Jakob's first visit while still in my tummy at six months)

Regular CN Tower experience picture?

Wrong.

Hint: Look at Beata.

It was a WINDY CN Tower experience.

Amazing what hair can do!

I think they enjoyed chasing the birds more than the height of the CN Tower.

The fee to go up 1800 feet above the ground can be a bit pricey.
We did not have enough money left for a Blue Jays game or a trip inside Rogers Centre so we just peeked through the glass doors.

But we had enough change in our pockets to buy ice cream!

Ice Cream = Happy Kids

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag

2010-04-09T01:01:00.000-04:00

We are loving this great bird feeding park about ten minutes away from our home.

Very cheap parking fee, no entrance fee required, plus lots of things to see
(and do if you use your imagination as seen here
---Jethro trying to copy everything his big brother does)

We've visted this park about three times already and this is the first time we walked around the trail.

It was a long walk but a very nice, scenic walk indeed.

And, Jakob and Beata got to feed birds for the first time

(didn't get a picture of Beata, though because she moved right away fearing that she might get biten)

This is one nice (and did I mention cheap?) activity for the whole family

...not to mention the exercise we get from walking.

The Great Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T01:00:00.003-04:00

Perfect...just perfect!

2010-04-01T06:32:00.002-04:00

Day four, Lancaster, PA

Our hotel at Lancaster is just too perfect.

Lovely and cozy hotel.

Free breakfast.

Indoor pool.

Free cookies and coffee/tea at night at the lobby.

Great room rate.

And most of all...right in the middle of two outlet shopping centres.

Ahhh! This is vacation!

STOP!

We are here for the Sight&Sound Theathre to watch Joseph.

Silly me, I almost forgot.

There you go.

Our five day, get-away-for-less March break vacation.

Next year, I'll keep in mind that it's still officially NOT Spring on March breaks.

~~Aaach~~oooo!
Where's the kleenex?

Philadelphia, PA

2010-03-31T11:42:00.002-04:00

Day three, Philadelphia, PA

We decided to stop by downtown Philadelphia before we head to Lancaster, PA.

It was still a cold, windy, wet day.

We parked our cars and decided to walk around downtown Philadelphia with the hopes of seeing the Liberty Bell.

You know what happened next.

Yup!

We missed it.

Doors close at four in the afternoon, and we arrived at half-past-four.

Looking at the bright side, we still have the buidings and lovely architecture to take pictures of

(though it did not last long because it started to rain again.)

It's definitely a nice place to visit, and I would like to go back and visit again someday when it's not raining
...and maybe arriving there before four in the afternoon.

Next stop, Lancaster, PA.

To be continued...

iheartfaces: Dramatic B&W

2010-03-30T14:01:00.000-04:00

My firstborn, Jakob.

My happy, happy boy.

It takes a bit of convincing before he would pose for my camera.

But this one occasion, he was more than willing to pose for mommy.

This is his "lonely/serious" pose.

I love how the eyelashes are focused, and how you can see the details even in the mole below his brow.

More drama in Black and White at iheartfaces.

We're back!

2010-03-30T13:35:00.008-04:00

Actually, we've been back for more than a week now -- thirteen days to be exact.
We were sick after our trip, well, mostly mommy. I chose the bed and rest than to sit in front of my computer and download and edit pictures.
My apologies for the (very) late post.

It was a very memorable long drive across the border.

Wet, cold and memorable.

It was raining so hard when we left for New York. Our windshield wipers are on it's maximum speed, I believe, because it was pouring rain. Our drive to New York was longer than we anticipated because of the poor visibility due to the heavy rain.

Day one in New York.

We reached our hotel a little after four in the afternoon. After having an early supper at the hotel, we headed Midtown, New York for some sightseeing (hopefully, some shopping, too!).

It has not stopped raining! We were all soaking wet from walking for a block or two, and we have to stop and warm ourselves inside a sports store. We eventually ended up at McDonald's while waiting for the rain to stopped-- which did NOT happen by the way.

Back at the hotel, I have to do an extra load of laundry coz our clothes and jackets were soaked and smelly. Eewwww!

So, my excitement to take nice photos at Times Square with all the neon lights has to take a back seat.

I did take some pictures, but they were all from inside our car.

Day two in New York.

We tasted a bit of sunshine but it was drizzling most of the day.

We tried to visit the Statue of Liberty in the morning, but to our surprise, the ferry that takes you to the statue was not operating that day because of a problem with the ticket printing.

Lost our hope of a great visit to New York?

Not really.

We were able to go to the Liberty Park and see the statue. Though all we see was her back, it was still a good and close view.

I was not feeling well at this point, so I chose to take pictures while sitting at our car's trunk. I was too cold to walk closer to the water. Thankfully, I have a zoom lens with me.

Then we went to Jersey Gardens for some ~~serious~~ shopping. Though I was empty handed at the end of our "outlet shopping" (too sick to even shop and think), I was still glad because..we are going to eat dinner at Jollibee. How I msssed Jollibee! It is one of the famous fastfood store in the Philippines. It's our counterpart for McDonald's.

Snapped a few pics of the Empire State Building along the way, too.

It's a bit tempting to say that our visit to New York did not go well.
But I am looking at the brighter side.
It was actually a really memorable one...plus, since we did not get a good stroll around Times Square, I have a good excuse to ask for another visit to New York City.

Next stop, Philadelphia!

To be continued tomorrow (I promise)...

Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today...

2010-03-13T00:39:00.000-05:00

We are headed to our first ever long drive.

It's March break, and we decided to team up with friends and get in our cars and drive across the border to New York City for two days, then to Pennsylvania for three days, and we are excited and nervous at the same time.

It's our first time crossing the border (Buffalo, New York doesn't count, okay?) and driving for six to nine hours.

I am writing this just a little after midnight.

(I am still not done packing, ugh!)

I am trying to pack light this time

(making room for some goodies to bring home from our trip, maybe?)

This is just a short sweet note to tell you that I might be missing in action (yet) again.

With that, I want to leave you with a couple of pictures from my new lens.

(courtesy of my hunny!)

Until then,

New York, New York!

I'm still here, y'all!

2010-02-27T23:50:00.001-05:00

Just been trying to avoid my computer for a reason, but I am still here.

Lots of things happened around here that I missed blogging about.

Like Jethro's first visit to the dentist.

Forgot my camera, so I have to use my phone.

The couple's retreat. Lovely hotel.

No pictures again. Thought I would be busy listening to the speaker, so why bother. But I forgot all about the free time we get after the sessions. Hmp!

Great Valentine's Day.

It's when you get a renewal of commitment from hubby, instead of a dozen roses or chocolates. Ray-mond!

My three kids' fist visit to the eye doctor.

Forgot my camera again, I have my phone but did not bother taking pics. Hmp! Hmp!

What happened between now and my last post?

Lots.

Some I forgot.

Some I choose to forget.

Most of them, I cherish.

But I need to post at least some pictures, because blogging isn't complete without pictures, so I am leaving you with these...

Yes, my boys finished Mario Wii.

I won't giveaway the Secret World.

C O I N S

Ooppps!

iheartfaces: We heart kisses!

2010-02-09T13:35:00.001-05:00

Kisses for his brother to thank him for his birthday gift to him.

He likes it, don't you think? ;)

More kisses at

PIC OF THE WEEK: World 8

2010-01-31T23:44:00.006-05:00

Super Mario Bros. (Wii)

Yes, my boys (that'll be Jakob and...Raymond) are now in World 8.

It's the last world, and they are now on the last stage.

Then, we'll get to see Princess Peach (for Beata!).

Honestly, they are good players.

I even force them to play so we can watch and scream in excitement.

I promise to take a picture of Peach when she's all rescued,

but until then,

we'll keep screaming.

Fix It Friday @ iheartfaces

2010-01-29T16:48:00.001-05:00

My first time joining iheartfaces' fix-it-Friday.

Orginal:

My fix:

For more, please visit iheartfaces here.

Art Attack

2010-01-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

We love watching Art Attack.

We even have a book of it that I bought from a yard sale. Sadly, it was in French and we could never understand a word (but pictures work fine!)

My Beata loves to draw, and colour, and cut, and glue things together.

My boys like it too but they would choose playing Wii over art. Boys.

Our little arts and crafts table is in our kitchen, and my kitchen is full of her creations.

Sometimes, I would put them away when Beata is not looking because seriously, there is a LOT of them.

But I like it a lot when she draws mommy.

Or when she makes a card or letter for me.

Or even just watching her while she draws, and colours, and cuts, and glue things together.

iheartfaces: Texture

2010-01-25T13:38:00.000-05:00

My entry for this week's challenge at iheartfaces

I was trying to find the perfect picture to do my texture overlay at photoshop, but I think this photo has the best texture by itself.

No texture overlay, just the lovely wrinkled face of my four-year-old!

Have a ~~wrinkly~~ textured photo?

Come join us.

To infinity and beyond...

2010-01-21T23:40:00.004-05:00

Our Jethro is now 4.

And because he is the biggest Buzz Lightyear fan out there, I decided to make him a Buzz Lightyear cake for his fourth birthday.

And I could have taken a million pictures of it because I had help since hubby was home for Jet's birthday...but sadly, I did not.

Please, don't ask me why.

To infinity and beyond--- and not just for his birthday.
This will be his line from now on because our little Jethro got saved last Saturday.

A VERY happy birthday to you, Jet!
We love you!

PIC OF THE WEEK: Are we done with these pictures yet?

2010-01-17T23:06:00.001-05:00

Beata being tired from having to pose for mommy for the iheartfaces' best face contest.

Sorry, darling.

Thanks for all your help.

I love you.

iheartfaces: Best Face Photo

2010-01-11T18:08:00.001-05:00

Taken January 7, 2010

I wanted new photos for my new picture frames in our living room so I dressed my kids in white and made them sit in my blue and white oversized chair. These were taken late in the afternoon, and my kids are hungry (as always), so they were not quite happy with my photo session, so I made them tell me a story...and this is what I got from my princess while doing her favourite thing -- TALKING.

PIC OF THE WEEK: My trio in B&W

2010-01-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

Sunday Selah: When Answers Aren't Enough

2010-01-10T20:26:00.002-05:00

You have faced the mountains of desperation,

You have climbed, you have fought, you have won,

But this valley that lies coldly before you,

Casts a shadow you cannot overcome.

And just when you thought you had it all together

You knew every verse to get you through,

But this time all that sorrow broke more than just your heart

And reciting all those verses just won't do.

When answers aren't enough there is Jesus,

He is more than just an answer to your prayer,

And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge,

When answers aren't enough, He is there.

Instead of asking why did it happen,

Think of where it could lead you from here.

And as your pain is slowly easing you can find a greater reason,

To live your life triumphant through the tears.

BROTHER

2010-01-09T22:17:00.000-05:00

Mischief Maker
Protector

Tormentor
Tattletale

Hero

Best friend

BROTHER

Happy Birthday, i heart faces!

2010-01-08T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hooray for i heart faces!

And to celebrate with them for their first birthday...

“I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

Is it 2010 already?

2010-01-08T19:28:00.000-05:00

Just as all the other blogs I know and I read are now into their 2010 blogging groove -- with new layouts, new resolutions, new ideas, even photo-a-day posts, I am here, blogging my very first post of 2010, seven days after the new year.

Way to go!

What a way to start my blogging year!

NOT!

I am not so happy with it.

So what if I've redecorated my living room...

and hang frames and pictures on the wall after four years living in our first home.

So what?!

I slept the first week of January; and I even wanted to do that photo-a-day so SO badly.

Maybe I'll cheat and change my post dates?

Naaahhhh!

(Am I that desperate?)

Well, I am really desperate.

Maybe I'll just do a complete fifty-two "pic of the week"?

But the first weekend of the year is already gone.

Boo-hoo!

I guess I'll scratch that on my resolutions, and just concentrate on the other things on my list

like losing weight perhaps?

Sunday Selah: Lion Of Judah

2009-12-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

Messiah would come

The earth would rejoice

The people start to sing

For they would behold

As Scripture fortold

A mighty King of Kings

But He came as a child

Not like they had planned

Lion of Judah

Lamb of God

Glorious Conqueror

Suffering Son

Lion of Judah

With nails in His hands

The Mighty Redeemer

Was meek as a lamb

No elegant robes

No glorious throne

No armies at His side

Could this be the One?

A carpenter's son?

A man condemned to die?

But a lion roared

Deep inside thie Lamb

Inside this Man

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2009-12-25T15:06:00.000-05:00

Measure, Mix and Meltaway

2009-12-21T23:13:00.002-05:00

I was invited for a bake exchange. It's my very first bake exchange and I am excited...and intimidated.

I have never baked a cookie before from scratch. (Well, maybe I did once but it was a failure!)

Sure, I can make cakes (but still from a box) but the thought of having to share it with friends seems uneasy for a perfectionist (?) like me.

After the invite, I did my research right away and searched for an easy, no-fail, crowd-pleasing holiday cookie over the internet. And there's lots out there. In fact, too many that I can't decide.

I chose two recipes (so I'll have one back-up in case the other fails).

But one problem, I became so sick the start of the bake exchange week that I was not able to bake them ahead of time. Hubby ordered that I sleep and rest so I can feel better sooner. I was planning to bake the goodies the night before but the commander said no!

Friday morning came. Hubby stayed home and took care of the kids while I slave away in the kitchen making these treats.

First, Kris Kringle cookies.

It was actually good.

Just the right amount of sweetness, and the cranberries are awesome!

Except I think I left it in the oven too long, I ended up with crunchy, burnt Kris Kringle cookies.

But some people like burnt cookies...I think?!

Next, Chocolate Crinkles.

These are delish!

Just ask my Jakob and my sister. The leftovers did not last a day in our house.

I had fun making these cookies. It was a great experience, and it gave me enough courage to try and bake cookies more. Though I would like to perfect the Kris Kringle cookies first before I entertain other recipes.

Cleaning up the mess...well, that's another story.

PIC OF THE WEEK: CN Tower

2009-12-19T23:38:00.002-05:00

Was in downtown yesterday for Disney On Ice with my camera this time, and after the show, walking to our parked car, this is what we saw...

Beautiful Christmas colours on the CN Tower!

Low, low, low

2009-12-14T13:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the Sunday School Participation Sunday in our church. We have been helping our kids rehearse their lines and verses for this special day.

Jethro behaved so well this time (unlike last year).

He sang wonderfully.

He even gave me a thumbs up before getting out of the auditorium (but I missed taking a photo of that! ugh!)

Beata was ~~loud, funny and~~ great.

She recited their verse perfectly with her big, low voice.

And sang her song with the same alto voice.

I love it!

You'll get your own...I promise!

2009-12-12T23:00:00.002-05:00

"Can we help you decorate our tree, mommy?"

"No, thank you. This is my tree. I'll get you your own tree, I promise."

I know, I'm a horrible mommy. But I want to decorate my tree. It's like a Christmas project for me. I felt bad too for not letting them help that's why I promised to get them one.

My kids have been good waiting for me to get them their own tree. I was going to buy it from the thrift store but it seems that it has all been taken. I tried the dollar store but they only have a small six-inch tabletop tree. I want something taller and bigger than that for them.

And praise the Lord, I found one at Zellers for just 60% of the original price. And since I have a store credit of $18 there, I did not spent one dime. But, I have to buy lights. I found one for $4.00 which is still very cheap for a 100-tip lights.

But with three kids and one small tree, a good 10 minutes (or less) is what it took for them to decorate it.

But at least they have one their own tree with an angel on top!

The case of the panicking mommy

2009-12-11T01:31:00.004-05:00

Here I am at one in the morning, trying to figure out what to do with the few photos that I have . I am deciding on what to include in our Christmas cards that we send our loved ones overseas.

It's my first year with my dlsr and I only have a few decent photos to edit, to choose from.

And it's only two more weeks before Christmas. And I only have this week to mail my cards for them to get to the hands of my beloved families.

I. Am. Panicking.

I. Want. To. Cry.

I have been so behind in everything on my "to do"since the start of November. I've edited a few photos but I am not satisfied with any of them. I am going to stop now.

Maybe I can get maybe a few more nice ones in the next couple of days. That will give me time to edit and mail them so it can arrive at least before the new year.

So, goodnight y'all...

I mean, good morning!

It's here!

2009-12-09T17:32:00.007-05:00

December is here and the days seem to be passing quickly...maybe because we are always busy any given day in December before Christmas (okay, and the last week of November for this blog's sake).

Jakob played goalie in his hockey team, and made twelve saves and $10.

Raymond promised to give him a dollar for every save less the score on him. He had twelve saves, four goals on him.
Yes, you're math is right. Eight is the answer but Raymond was pleased with Jakob's performance that he decided to give him $10 instead.

I want to be a goalie, too!

We got our fresh tree on the last Saturday of November as usual. But there was NO SNOW! It feels weird going to a tree farm, choosing a tree with no snow on the ground -- just mud. On the other hand, it was an advantage too because we were able to take our time choosing the perfect tree.

And no gingerbread cookie (apparently, the lady who supplies the cookie did not make them this year so no cookies in the munch house at the farm).

It turned out that this tree is about the same age as Jakob.

And it took me a week to decorate that perfect tree. Talk about procrastination.

Raymond turned 22 for the eleventh time that day too.

On December 2, Jakob played violin in church for the second time.

Can you see the intense concentration?

They all did great!

Time really passes quickly.

Nobody can deny it.

Christmas is here, and I'm excited.

It's my favourite time of the year!

Winter is here as well.

Not too excited about that!

We got our first snow storm today :(

Proof

2009-11-27T12:51:00.002-05:00

Here's the proof of my kiddos' cooperation to my beloved camera last Wednesday night.

No complaining.

No hiding or running away from the crazy lady with the camera.

No fake smiles (okay, maybe a little!)

Just very willing subjects, posing away for mommy.

Especially Jakob.

I find it hard to take a picture of him coz he is either too zealous or too lazy (or eyes are always closed) when I have my camera on hand.

But that night was different.

He was even requesting for more.

I guess it's official -- they now welcomed my D90 to the family!

Awww, thanks!
*sniff, sniff*

Unusual

2009-11-26T23:24:00.001-05:00

Told the kiddos to go take their nap today and they obeyed right away. No complaining, no bargaining. No giggling, no extra playtime in their room when I am not looking. Beata and Jethro slept right away. Unusual? Let's just say most of the time.

Picked up Jakob from school this afternoon and we saw a nice big rainbow on the way. I asked them what's the rainbow for, Beata said it comes after the rain clouds. Not really getting what I wanted to hear, I changed the question to "Why did God make the rainbow?". She answered the same answer, but Jethro with his hand raised, said, "God will never flood the world again". Unusual? Definitely.

And another unusual thing happened last night --- my kiddos willingly and happily posed for my camera with not one, not two but lots of pictures.

Now that's really, really unusual!
I will show you proof tomorrow.

I was wrong

2009-11-25T17:11:00.002-05:00

So whatever happened to my "awake, arise...and write" post? I thought for sure that last post should have triggered the reset button on me to get back into my blogging routine. But I was wrong :(

Knowing myself, whenever Raymond is away, I always bury myself in "things-to-do" so I can forget about time and his absence. But that week after my awake post I did not write one single blog even after after being alone in bed for three nights. I must have anticipated Raymond's return so much...or was it the date night that Friday? Probably!

Yes, you read it right; that Friday night, we went on an early anniversary date downtown (11 years. Woohoo!). We went to the Princess of Wales Theatre to watch Sound of Music. It was great. Love their voices. Love their performances. Love the stage. But boo to me for not bringing my camera that night. It would have a been a great photoshoot with all the lights downtown. (I even got to see a nice landscape of the city when we went to Raymond's office to print the tickets --- don't ask me why we're printing it just minutes before the show!) Then a nice dinner at Baton Rouge. Ahhh! And it was a perfect night. Not too cold for a November night. Wished I had my camera (don't ask me why I don't have it; long, sad story).

Too late for this drama (Raymond promised we will visit downtown again for a date, and this time I AM BRINGING MY CAMERA!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, let me blog about my princess' field trip that Friday afternoon.

I was able to join her again at that field trip (thanks to hubby for working from home). We went to a nursing home and the kids prepared a program for these beloved seniors.

We also have a little ministry for the seniors in nursing/retirement home somewhere else once a month but this is different. Not only do they get to hear poems and special music...

and Scripture recitations...

but they get to see a whole crew (twenty, I believe) of little boys and girls.

Somehow, the presence of children always brings a smile to these grandmas and grandpas.

Plus, they got to eat treats together.
Now that's a real treat!

Thank you to their teachers and helpers. It was real blessing...to everybody.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh!
It's Wednesday?
I am supposed to do a rewind, right?
Well, this will do.
It's a rewind of what happened last week!
;)

Awake, arise...and write!

2009-11-16T00:47:00.000-05:00

I could never understand why I am always behind my house work (or blog for this matter) around Jakob's birthday.

It could be the weather. I tend to delay on grocery shopping or other errands when it starts to get cold outside. I am still not used to this cold weather even after 10 years in Canada. Or it could be the Halloween. I tend to avoid stores especially when I am with my kiddos (they are terrified by the things displayed and sold in stores) at this time of the year.

It could be the excitement around Missions Conference in our church which is after Jakob's birthday; I tend to forget that I have other things waiting for my attention (like my blog!). I love Missions Conference though. This year, Beata was in the Parade of Nations. I think her dedication to it was too intense that she ended up with a bad cold and cough after it.

So many things I missed blogging.

Like Beata's first field trip, for example.

A memorable moment for her (and me)...eventhough it was freezing cold

I even volunteered to help.

Ahhhhh! I should be blamed for this I'm sure.

So many other things I can blame but whatever it is, I have to awaken...arise...and start blogging.

(Apology-introduction ends)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jakob's bowling birthday party was a bowl! (get it?)

I am pleased with the outcome of this family birthday activity. Though I was not really able to watch and play with my family member (was busy looking after Jakob's guests/friends), every time I glance over their lanes, I see smiles, giggles and cheers. I believe they are having fun. Definitely recommending bowling for a family activity (though I may be thinking twice doing it around Halloween because Beata was so scared of the bowling alley decoration).

Bowling, family, friends, pizza, cake and presents - I am sure Jakob is one happy birthday boy.

9! He's 9 today!

2009-10-24T05:00:00.006-04:00

My firstborn is 9 years old today.

One more year and he'll have a two-digit age.

4 years then he's a teenager.

8 years then he'll be in college.

Time freeze please!!!

(Though he said he never wanted to leave home, even when he's all grown up.

Don't know if he'll change his mind, but until then, I'll cherish every minute with him.)

Fear and Trust

2009-10-22T23:31:00.002-04:00

Fear grips every individual in small or big way. Fear of spiders, fear of death, fear of failure, or maybe fear of losing a loved one. We all have fears. But we not be afraid if we trust God (Psalms 56:11).

Two weeks ago, hubby was away for five days for an orientation in Ottawa for his new job. We praise the Lord for His great provision through this new job. But we were all heavy hearted to say our farewells because this was the first time we will not be complete as a family for more than a night or two. I can sense my firstborn, Jakob, and his uneasyness knowing daddy won't be around for almost a week. I have to fight my tears as I saw Jakob quickly wipe his tears away when he said his goodbyes to his daddy that Sunday afternoon he left for Ottawa. I cried myself to sleep for two days, and tried to accomplished my To Do list for the reamining three days just to keep myself occupied. When I asked them to make a card for Raymond on the morning of his return, I was surprised to find Psalm 56:3 in Jakob`s card. When we asked that night why he chose that verse, he explained that he was afraid - afraid that something might happen to his daddy, his plane might crash and we might not see him again. All those days Raymond was away, Jakob was trusting God that He will take care of his daddy.

And last week, Beata started having nightmares. She dreamt of something that she was too afraid to even describe it to us. What she wanted to do is to say Psalm 56:3, and sing `Precious Jewels` everytime she felt the fear. And I can totally see her peace every time she does these two things. She was able to overcome that fear the following day.

What childlike faith!

We can always learn something from our children.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Psalm 56:3

FabFind Friday: Polly Pockets

2009-10-09T09:22:00.001-04:00

Last month for Beata's birthday, we bought her an additional gift of her own choice from Toys R Us.

She chose a pack of one Polly Pocket doll with about 10 or more outfits.

There was no price on the shelf. I was expecting between $12-$15.

I was so wrong.

$19.99 +tax!!!

I told myself, "That's the last Polly pocket for the year, Miss!"

Then came Saturday after that splurge, you know...yard sale day.

We saw a box of more than ten Polly Pocket sets with tons of dolls and accessories for...

are you ready for it?...

$10.00

Ka-ching! We scored a deal!

Last Polly Pocket for the year?

I guess I spoke too soon.

Smart Cookie!

2009-10-08T11:53:00.001-04:00

"Are there beds in Ottawa?"

When she realized that her daddy is not going to sleep with us at home for five days but in Ottawa.

"Do we speak Spanish when we eat Spanish bread?"

When given a Filipino type of bread called Spanish bread.

"What does that say?"
I said, "AMERICAN STANDARD"

"Oh! So we have to stand when we flush the toilet?"

When she asked about the writing on the flush handle.

"We're doing "difference" in school like Kuya Jakob!"

At first, I thought they are doing subtraction in school already. So driving home, my mind is going overtime thinking of ways to teach her subtraction at home. When we got home, she excitedly pulled out a piece of paper from her backpack and handed it to me. It says, they are going to make a poster (just like kuya Jakob; she's right about that!) with the theme..."MAKING A DIFFERENCE!"

You'll have to agree...

She's a smart cookie!

WEDNESDAY reWIND: To Infinity And Beyond...

2009-10-07T14:44:00.004-04:00

Blah, blah,blah...Buzz Lightyear.

The blah...

I blah...

My blah...

Buzz Lightyear.

You might be wondering what those lines were.

That's how Jakob used to talked when he was about 3 or 4 years old.

You would not understand anything but the words Buzz Lightyear.

(Just ask his Sunday School teachers that time and I'm sure they'll tell the same story)

He loves Toy Story 1 and 2, Disney Store and anything that has to do with Buzz Lightyear.

With Toy Story 3 coming next year, here's a little tribute to our favourite Space Ranger...

From Jakob...

Taken October 27, 2004

and from Jethro (who loves Buzz Lightyear just as much!)

Taken July 1, 2008

Monday Match: Orange

2009-10-05T12:25:00.004-04:00

It's October!

Pumpkins and leaves everywhere!

And so is the colour red, brown and orange...

Thought this would be a great "we like to match" post.

Happy "Orange" season!

Sunday Selah: He Who Began A Good Work In You

2009-10-04T23:47:00.001-04:00

He who began a good work in you

Will be faithful to complete it

He'll be faithful to complete it

He who started the work

Will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you're facing

Is slowly replacing

Your hope with despair

Or the process is long

And you're losing your song in the night

You can be sure

That the Lord has His hand on you

Safe and secure

He will never abandon you

You are His treasure

And He finds His pleasure in you

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 1:6

PICs OF THE WEEK: Jethro's Naptime

2009-10-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

Sleepy.

Time for his nap.

But he just wouldn't ...

Just wanted to play...

Trying to fight it...

But lost!

I Love You, Mommy!

2009-09-24T23:32:00.000-04:00

There is nothing sweeter than to hear your children say "I love you, Mommy!".

We have a ritual of goodnight kisses and I love yous at bedtime when we tuck our children under their blankets. But I must confess, sometimes, after a long day, my I love yous are not so sweet and meaningful. (bad mama!)

I am just so thankful that my kids never get tired of their I love yous either expressed verbally, or through hugs and kisses, or in writing.

These are just two of what I got yesterday and today from Beata .

Thanks, baby girl.

I love you, too! (from the bottom of my heart)

Angelina

2009-09-21T12:45:00.002-04:00

As godparents for her baptism, it was quite a big decision to make as to what we would give little Angelina.

Of course, it has to be special; it has to be meaningful; it has to be from the heart.

So I decided that editing her pictures taken from ~~kidnapping~~ borrowing her the moment she arrived our house two Saturdays ago would be perfect.

A bit intimidating, I guess, because this is the first time I will be presenting a photgraphy project to people outside of my immediate family.

But I am so glad they like it...love it!

I was so happy watching faces light up with smiles as they look at the pictures I carefully mounted in frames.

It was encouraging both for me and my hubby.
{I love him; he's so supportive of my hobbies.}

Here are the said photos...

This could be the start... ;)