HAPPY BIRTH to my BE!

i took a day off since it's the man of the house's birthday today... so hard to plan anything these days coz of his schedule at work. like today, he's working 2nd shift and we're still unsure what time he'll be coming home. made some late reservations for tonight, but hopefully we won't need to cancel it.

anyway, i did manage to get him something he would really like. i finally got him a basketball system... can't wait for him to open it before he goes to work. i think my boy, ayre and my nephews are more excited to play with it... hehehe

well, today's my best friend, char's birthday celebration at sound bar, although i'm not into clubs i still sure won't make it since it's my hubby's birthday too. anyway, char... wishing you the brightest birthday celebration and God's abundant blessings! i'm sure i'll see you before or on your birthday. love you!

i know i've been slacking with posting pix... so here's some compiled pix of the love of my life!

(great! there's a problem uploading pix right now so here's links to the pix till the site is back up and running)

part I

part II

as an added bonus: here's yanna's version of "omega kawaii cloud" song. i caught her on camera... i was hiding by the office.

blessings to you all!

BucKet list

remember the song i mentioned on my blog for father's day? the "say what you need to say" by john mayer? well, my husband surprised me with the movie "bucket list" where this song is played. listen to it and hope you'll love it too: My Rhapsody Playlist

although it was already pass midnight, we made it a movie night for me and him. wow! we both loved the movie! if you haven't seen it... i encourage you to watch it. just as much as the song already brought a new perspective in our lives, the movie added a better picture of how important it is to live life to the fullest... when i say to the fullest, that includes having your faith in God guide your days & your ways ... instead of the wrong perspective people have when they live life to the fullest.

well, just wanted to share that with you and hope you all will have a blessed weekend!

blog you later =)

Questions 3 & 4

i'm so late, but hey better late than nevah!

julie, thanks btw! visit her page @: greenbucks

What were your favorite books as a child, specifically in your elementary school years?

this should be easy... NONE! hahaha i wasn't really into books when i was a child. i think i even hated reading hahaha, but as an adult i've come to appreciate them. if you were to ask me what are my faves now, i would say, "The Bible, Just Walk Across the Room, Parenting is a Heart Work, Purpose Driven Life & my all time favorite... God's Power to Change Your Life".

These books have guided my journey as a child of God and it continues to do so. Thank God for the resources huh?

k, next question please...

What valuable lessons have you learned from your father?

this is a tough one, only because i grew up away from my father. he was here in US working while my mom played the role of both mom & dad in our lives. i was almost a teen when my family migrated to US and even then my relationship with my dad was not at all that great. however, i may say that even if i had some not so good incidents with my dad (he was overwhelmingly strict), i thank the Lord for those experiences for if not for them, i don't think i would be wiser now that i'm a parent myself.

forgiveness played a big role in my life and in the lives of my family. and by the grace of God, i now have a better relationship with my dad. although he has a different family now (no kids with the other party tho), my siblings and i will still be here for him until the end of time.

i would like to add tho, that there is my heavenly Father i would like to boast about. now i've learned and continue to learn great valuable lessons from Him.

i've learned:
- to love others even when they seem to be unlovable
- to look at the big picture instead of being narrow minded
- to be compassionate
- to be sensitive to others
- to decrease myself and increase the Lord
- to appreciate even the small things in life & what others do for me
- to accept and consider it joy even in the midst of trying times
- to be available to others even if i have to go out of my way
- to remove negativity & remain optimistic
- to accept others and pray for their well being
- to have quiet times with the Lord and just listen
- to pray for others
- to glorify the Lord in everything that comes my way

i'm sure there's more to it, but so far this is what i have in mind. hopefully i'm not having short term memory hehehe

well, that's it for now... blessings to all!

feeling STreSSed?

I hope that this 36 Godly Ways to Reduce Stress will help all of us get through a stressful day. Remember, God has a way of turning things around for you and me. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) In other words, “When GOD is for us, it doesn't matter who is against us.” And so I thought I’d share this with you so you can use it as a tool when facing a circumstance. You either instill it in your hearts or print and carry it with you to help remin d you on how to respond to problems of the day. May you be blessed!

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No, to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.,
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Child in You everyday.
16. Carry a book of scriptures with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough exercise.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write thoughts and inspirations down.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to GOD on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you, Lord!"
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

Not one time in the Bible that Jesus ever promised us that life will always be easy and filled with calmness and joy. However, He does promise to be with us, no matter how stressful life may seem at any given moment. During times of stress and fatigue in our lives, we can turn to Jesus for comfort and reassurance.

Friends, take time to be quiet and to pray. I have found that by taking the time to pray and as I’m reminded that the battle is the Lord’s, I am refreshed and once again able to tackle the problems of the day. Friends, when you’re faced with stress, fatigue or even anger, make a 911 call to the Lord… it’s never busy. Recognize that you need to take time to be alone and to pray. Believe me, even when you think you don’t have time, everyone has time to pray. Recognizing His presence gives us peace. And I assure you; in prayer you can find peace.

Have a JOYFUL day!

what in the w0rLd?

something's wrong with blogger... i've published my last two posts, but were un-viewable till i had to re-upload it again. thankfully it didn't erase.

well, just wanted to do a quick hello to all of you! hope this day will bring you all hope and peace in Jesus Christ, our Lord & Savior.

start your day knowing that you are loved by many, including Jesus and moi!

have a blessed day!

happy PAPA's day!

i'm getting leg cramps... been out all day and i think coz of the cleaning i did too!

oops! but before anything, just wanted to greet all the cool daddies a happy father's day! and of course to my one and only HEAVENLY FATHER... you rock Lord!

we were so blessed with today's msg., besides the yearly "dad fest" at willow (showcasing different vintage cars, a helicopter & an army jet, with lots of free grilled food at the parking lot) i could see the Holy Spirit stirring every dad's heart along with families who came to celebrate this special day with them. with my husband alone, i felt the sincerity and yearning of his heart to really feel the presence of the Lord yesterday as we held hands and prayed for all the dads. he was especially touched when all of our kids laid their hands on him and his face was filled with awe and thanksgiving. there was also a song that was sang for the first time at willow that really stirred a good conversation in our family... i believe it's called, "say what you need to say". i wish i could find a link to that song so i can post it here... i'll try later tomorrow. but that song really gave us something to think about... that none of us really know what lies ahead and so take every moment you have to say what you need to say, for none of us will ever know if it's our last.

well after the service, the boys went to check out the dadfest while the girls waited for the boys to get our rides hehehe

we met up with my brothers and my dad at thai pavilion II in skokie... rated 5 stars for food and friendly staff. we did enjoy everything about it... plus they served us some great desserts (for free!).

after stuffing ourselves with thai food... we went to see "kung fu panda"... aww! such a cute and funny movie... great way to add more laughs for the day. went home, gave my hubby his gift, gave the kids their bubble bath and had fun sculpting balloons.

and now as i come to the end of my blog for today... it's time to bond with my husband alone. it's funny how we both feel like we're at a courting stage again... you know, butterflies in your stomach, holding hands and hugging like there's no tomorrow and of course the rest is history...


thanks for spending time reading today's blog... hope all the fathers out there, including you (if you're one), be showered with blessings from above. a family is not complete without your help.
happy father's day to my dad and to my loving husband, noel!

God speed!

coming home =)

i'm so excited today... my hubby's coming home! i've been prepping the house so that when he gets home, he knows what he missed.... a nice, cozy, clean and relaxing home sweet home! we were both teasing each other earlier since we haven't seen each other for 3 long wks! ugh! never again... pls! so really we're both anxious to see each other... k, i'm getting butterflies in my stomach! hehehe

if i have yet to mention, i rearranged my furniture in the family room. i reupholstered my decorative pillows and pretty much general cleaned the entire house. the kids are not here right now, well except for my lil' 2yr old, coz my sis took the big kids for a day of fun, fun, and did i say, fun? (swimming, golfing, movies and oberweis) i'm tired, but hey... it's worth having a clean house and having my loved ones yearning to come back.

today's my brother's bday too, but he's closing at work today so can't really celebrate, so we planned a lil' something for him tomorrow along with father's day of course. so, for now HAPPY BIRTHDAY tony! muah! muah! muah!

i'm just blogging real quick before i get ready to pick up mr. miranda. he was scheduled to arrive around 11p, but thankfully he just did a light work early this morning and he's now headed back home... so i guess that's it for now, gotta make sure every thing's just perfect!

blog you later!

great news!

been wanting to share to you all about the upcoming baptism at my home church on june 22nd. my husband's been waiting for this. he will be baptized by immersion which symbolizes the “dying to sin and arising to Christ and new life", a celebration of a life changed through Christ Jesus. i'm so excited for him! to find out more about this, click this link willow's baptism.
Lord willing, i'll be able to tell you more details later.

well, on another note... i got a hold of some old friends yesterday. it was a joy to talk to them again. hoping there will be more to come. i shared a certain topic on our conversation for today's odb and i'd like to share it with you all since most of you are not on my dist list.

but before i do, there's one more thing i'm grateful for (for today at least) - i found some more old friends on facebook... looking forward to kit with most of them (if not all) and of course i'm so humbled to hear from all of you who takes time to drop me a line... for that, i know i'm so blessed to have awesome friends like you!

ok, here's today's odb:

I was delighted to get in touch with an old friend yesterday. We were able to catch up with a few things that’s been keeping us occupied lately.

Later in our conversation she asked me… “Why do you often say, “Lord willing we’ll see each other”, “Lord willing I’ll be able to do this, etc… Are you sick or something that’s why you’re sounding like you’re unsure whether you’ll still be around or not?”

I chuckled a little bit, but quickly composed myself and kind of explained to her that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He is my time keeper; who holds my tomorrows. I simply put everything in God’s hands so if it’s God’s will that we see each other, then great!

These following scriptures helped changed my perspective in life.

In James 4:13-15 it says, “You who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit – yet you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

In Acts 18:21, Paul reason with the Jews and said, “I will return to you if God wills”.

And in Proverbs 27:1 it says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

Because of these verses, I learned to lean on God and hand my burdens to Him. The Lord has the blue print of my life and so He has my best interest. He’s so ready to fill my heart with streams of life living water and so worrying myself to death is not something He would want me to do. See, I’m a person who used to worry a lot, but as I grow in the Lord I have come to realize that my plans are nothing if I don’t put it in God’s hands… for I will never know what lies ahead no matter how much I pound myself in the head or no matter how confident I am with my plans, but if I put my trust in Him, He will guide me and direct me to the right path.

Friends, yesterday has gone and today is a gift from God… none of us will ever know what will happen later. And it’s good to understand that God never wills ill for us. Bad things happen in our lives, but we can be sure God has not willed them. The judgments and decisions we make… sometimes even life's natural course of events… affect our lives for good or for ill. But God does not cause or want bad things to happen to us. And the good news is that in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, God is with us. When bad things do happen, God is there to reassure us and help us through those rough times.

And so today, I willingly give my best to Him. Tomorrow is another story and again if it’s God’s will… I look forward to what He has in store for me then. Friends, you can rest assure that you can find peace in trusting God.

Till my next email, Lord willing.

Have a JOYFUL day!

i love "kirby"

last friday was cleaning time for me. i just had to get those nasty stains on my carpet in the family room. thankfully i was off friday. i was really planning on bringing the kids to the river fest in st. charles, but it was just too humid to go!

thankfully, kids will always find a way to have fun. besides watching movies almost half of the day at the media room, they jumped in the trampoline, played xbox and ate like there was no tomorrow. in the mean time, i ran some errands then my sisters helped me get rid of the hard stains while i shampoo the whole thing. i may say that we did an awesome job! my carpet looks new again! thanks to my sis and kirby... mission accomplished!

my whole fam were over at my house yesterday... just chillin' while i reupholster my decorative pillows. i needed to tone them down a bit and make it more contemporary rather than traditional.

while i was already in the mood to do all this... i rearranged my furniture in the family room and incorporated my newly inherited recliner (i bought for my mom while she was sick - she couldn't sleep in her regular bed and so i thought it would be better for her to have a comfortable recliner). when my mom went to be with the Lord, my sis brought the recliner to her house as a memory of my mom... now, it's my turn... this recliner brings back memories and i'm happy it's finally home =)

k, gotta get ready for church... will post some pics later!

God's grace is enough for you and ME!

The Lord has proved to me in many ways that His grace was more than enough to see me through thick and thin. He has opened doors of opportunity for me and I know that God will see me through the new challenges that will come my way. Let’s face it, sometimes we think that God will speak only at certain times and in certain ways in our lives. We think "If God wants to speak to me, He’ll do it during my morning devotional time, or if He wants me to do something for Him, He’ll put it in my heart right when I’m at my best." This thinking would seem to be appropriate for us, but what if God wants to speak through circumstances in the middle of our day? Would you be willing to accept it?

Just like Elijah, he was expecting to hear from God just the way He spoke to Moses, but instead God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. Friends, maybe you’re in a situation where you’re running out of excuses as to why God let an unfortunate situation come into your life. Maybe it was something you over estimated and now you’re facing such a difficult situation that is hard to comprehend. Sometimes, our ears are often closed to the many ways God comes into our lives. We expect God to speak at certain times or in certain ways. But see God is not concerned with clocks and calendars. He’s not concerned with your time table, but He calls us to trust in Him, to focus only in Him. God calls us to forget our time markers and develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's nudges, any time, and any place.

Our problem is we tend to believe that nothing is happening if nothing appears to change. But friends, God is always at work. Instead of praying for God to do what you think is best or to remove the stumbling blocks from you life, I pray for God’s grace to enable you to walk among them and to understand that God’s grace is enough for you to keep on… all this, for the glory of God.

Instead of focusing on the circumstance, I suggest for you to surrender the illusion of self-sufficiency and instead rejoice in the gift of God's grace and focus on how big God is!

may you all experience the unconditional love of Christ that is available to us at all times =)

important info: travel advisory

just received this from my cousin and i thought i'd post it since this is very informative. pls, take time to read this esp if you like traveling from country to country - let others know about it too!

U.S. Immigration , US Dept. of Homeland Security & TRAVEL ADVISORY

This information is very alarming and I think it's worth sharing to save you from trouble and embarrassment.

A Filipino friend shared this email. His friend who works for Homeland Security as Immigration Inspector at LAX ( Los Angeles International Airport ) called him yesterday to share the information that happened last weekend.

A FIL-AM citizen who was flying to the Philippines for vacation was apprehended by an Airport Immigration agent while she was checking in her baggage and going through the X-ray machine. For some reason, she was randomly checked and was told to open all the envelopes inside her carry-on Coach bag. They found 10 envelops addressed to different people in the Philippines. When all the envelops were opened, a total of $11,000cash was discovered.They asked the traveller if she knew the contents of the envelope. She said no, because all the envelopes are just 'padala' and the senders didn't tell her whether or not there was money inside.

Immigration agents showed her a Policy and guidance stating that it is illegal to import and export over $10,000 in any Asian countries to prevent the possibility of supporting terrorism. She was fined $500, her name was 'red labeled' by Immigration (means every time she enters and exits the airport, she will be searched 100%), and she also missed her scheduled flight to the Philippines for being held almost 5 hours.

Hard to believe that departing passengers from the U.S. are also subject to the policy but looks like it is being strictly enforced now. The lessons learned is before you accept any 'padala', make sure the envelopes are open and you physically see the contents of it or just plainly say 'sorry but I can't accept any padala' for your own safety.

This email came from a former U.S. Embassy employee and this could be useful to all balikbayans

Subject: TRAVEL ADVISORY FROM AMERICAN EMBASSY MANILA
Please share this with your friends and relatives.

Please be informed of the recent travel advisory to the United States. However, not only pirated VCDs/DVDs are on the hot list. Customs officials are also looking into fake bags like Louis Vuitton, Coach, etc. Please be informed that the American Association of Publishers(AAP) has also alerted the American customs officers to check out for pirated books. This information was given to me by Patricia Judd of the AAP. Please warn all nursing graduates who plan to take the NCLEX and CGF exams in the States not to bring in these pirated books because there will be a penalty of automatic deportation as violation of intellectual property rights. If you know anyone going from the Philippines and coming back to the USA , with 'pasalubongs' and 'padalas,' please read this important enclosed advisory from the American Embassy in Manila.

Please share with your friends. Just a friendly reminder: if you have plans of going to the U.S., please take precautionary measures on all 'padalas,' especially those containing fake/pirated compact discs/DVDs. US Embassy employees have been given an advisory that as US Gov't employees, we should abide by the U.S. laws, including Intellectual Property Rights (anti-piracy) laws.

As an additional incentive, the Consular Section recently received a report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) searched the bag of a Filipino entering the U.S. on NW 72 in Detroit. During the search, 70-80 compact discs, 30-40 empty DVD jackets and 10-20 DVDs were found. Since the travellers were not American citizens, their visas were cancelled and they returned to the Philippines. If they had been Americans, they could have been subject to arrest and criminal prosecution in addition to civil fines and penalties.

Please remember even ONE pirated item can jeopardize your trip. Also, the finger printing system has successfully been instituted in all port of entries. I suggest you bring extra identification cards in addition to your passport to facilitate your entry in the US Immigration.

I hope this is helpful to you all. Thanks and regards.

weekend update

can't sleep again so i thought i'd blog about this past weekend. been keeping myself bc with the kids... since we all have been missing my husband already.

last friday, i took them to oberweis - gotta start the weekend with some good shake and ice cream you know what i mean? hehehe

sat: i took them to an indoor water park... so happy my lil' one is getting used to swimming. see, i'm not a swimmer myself. i drown in a kiddie pool - yeah yeah yeah go ahead and laugh! trust me, i've embarrassed myself too many times that i just gave up learning. it's ok, i like watching my kids enjoy while i chat with friends and family hehehe

it was past lunch time and they were finally hungry so i took them to pizza hut! wow! their new chicken alfredo is not bad at all! when the whole gang was full, we drove an hour to gurnee mills... haven't been there for almost 2yrs now. just got a couple of things for myself and everything else were for the kids. my teen just can't get enough of hollister so we were there for a while... i think she got the shopping disorder from me *wink* thankfully everything she got were on sale... whew!

sun: finally feeling some leg cramps from all the walking at gurnee. went to church with an absolutely great msg of "dying to self and living for Christ"... i'm always in awe with the way bill hybels delivers the Lord's msg with clarity and just straight to the heart. well, after church we bought my daughter's hair formula. she wanted me to dye her hair again (got permission from her dad already). pretty much i was exhausted over the weekend, but always great to spend some quality time with my family. my day won't be complete without it.

i thank God for another wonderful weekend!
gotta hit the bed... i'm gettin' my photo taken for my school id tomorrow. wow! can't believe i'll be back in school after a loooooooong time - pray for me?

nitey nite and God bless you all!

weekly question #2

okay, here's #2 question by greenbucks:

Let's say it is possible to have that one chance to be another person for a day,
who would you choose to be and why?

i would have to say, my mom. see, my mom was never a selfish person. she never put herself in a pedestal for her good works even if i believe she deserves to have known that. she never put herself first than anyone. i call her "the proverbs 31 woman" that's why last mother's day, i just had to dedicate the mother's day video i made for the walk2remember mother's day special.

my mom was a woman of faith. her life demonstrated a life lived for Christ. i believe her to be one of God's great followers. even at her death bed, she remained faithful to her Savior, serving others in prayer than worrying about her pain and suffering. the Lord's light was shining through her even at her last breath... now that's the person i want to be... a faithful follower of Christ even in the midst of a storm.

here's a link to the video i made this past mother's day as a tribute to my dearest mom: proverbs31woman

so what about you... who inspires you the most?

potty training =)

i planned to blog about somethin' else, but i only have a short free time at the moment so i'll make this quick.

although i have 3 kids... sometimes you tend to forget how you dealt with the older ones when they were younger so here i am trying to potty train my lil' one (2yrs old). how did i do it before? um, i have no idea!

although, i have a feeling she'll be easier to train coz she believes everything i say and obeys right away (of course w/ a lil' bit of whining... hehehe). like when i had to get her off of using binky... well, it was when she had the urge to bite the silicone and it almost came out... well, i secretly pulled it out totally and showed her that it's already broken. she was shocked to see it, but was smart enough to know that she can't use it anymore.

so right now, i felt that it's time for her to get out of the diaper world... so i put on her undies and she asked where's her diaper? um, i had say... "there's a spider on your diaper, honey" - well, again she whines a lil' bit, but after a short time, she comes to me and says, "mom, mo-more (as in no more) diaper coz there's a spider." hehehe yikes! am i cruel?

well, so far she's doing great! she set up a blanket for her to lay on and she's just drinking her bottle (another one to get rid off... hehehe) here in my office (home).

now, i gotta get myself ready for accidents... oh goodness!
k, blog again later!

missin' my baby

it's almost 1am and i can't sleep. i just finished IMing w/ my hubby and i began to cry. if i haven't mentioned it to my previous blogs, he's in MI right now. he's been there for almost a week now and he won't be back for another 2wks. this has been the longest time away from him. goodness! i can't believe how hard it is.

you know what's amazing though? every time i feel something, particularly something emotional... the Lord never fails to quickly teach me a lesson. whether the situation has something to do with me or a story i just heard from a radio... the Lord would instantly reveal something to me. like with this experience, as i go through it, i can't help but to think of couples who have no choice, but to have a long distance relationship. say for the cause of employment or something else. wow! must be really hard. i'm already having a hard time dealing with this and to think that my husband will be back (Lord willing) in 2wks! you probably think that i'm nuts hehehe, but hey, i can't help it. i'm missin' my baby =( now i feel like singing "miss you like crazy" by natalie cole... hehehe

okay, if you have experienced or currently experiencing a long distance relationship with your significant other, i want to hear from you... what's it like to you?