My dearest Honey,
I always hated saying goodbyes to loved ones and I particularly hate saying this to you every time you have to spend nights and days away fro home. When you left this morning, I was fighting tears off because I didn't want you to see me cry since I know that this separation is also hard for you.
We have been so used to being together every night for over a year that these three nights when you will be out of the country is taking a toll on me.
I miss you already, my honey and I will be missing you until you are safely back and I could hug and kiss you again.
Please take care.
See you on Friday night. I have started counting the hours until you are home.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Our Beginning
I still don't know to this day how a casual conversation about shopping as a stress-reliever ended up with me being asked out on a date for that weekend. One moment we were talking about how stressed we are at work and the next moment he asked me with "how about going with me to the mall this weekend?" and I said yes. Later, he told me that when he left my office he said "Yes!" to himself and I told him that after he left the office I thought "Why did I say yes?".
From the time I said yes to the date up to the last hour when we were supposed to meet at the mall, I was having second thoughts. I took the phone several times and attempted to call him to cancel but there was always something that stopped me from completing the call. That something was "what if...?". What if he is the one I've been bugging God about for the longest time? So, I went to the mall and met with him and the rest, as they say, is history.
On that first date, I was at first uncomfortable but as the night wore on, I found myself talking with him so easily. The conversation just flowed smoothly - no uncomfortable gaps, no sudden silences. It was simply fun. Then he asked me out again and my "dilemma" about going through the date or not started all over but I ended up going out with him in the end and for every date that came after, it became easier. Until one evening, he asked me to be his wife (less than a month after our first date). Like at our first date, saying yes to his proposal came easily but this time, there were no misgivings, no second thoughts. It just felt right.
I will not write about the complications and the challenges that we had to go through as we were trying to get to know each other and building a relationship together. The important part is that we came through these stronger as individuals and, more importantly, as a couple. These challenges became the foundation of what we want and what we don't want to be and become in our journey together. The more some people tried to keep us apart, the more we became closer. Call it stubbornness, I call it Love. And that Love produced someone whom we call Baby-bo.
From the time I said yes to the date up to the last hour when we were supposed to meet at the mall, I was having second thoughts. I took the phone several times and attempted to call him to cancel but there was always something that stopped me from completing the call. That something was "what if...?". What if he is the one I've been bugging God about for the longest time? So, I went to the mall and met with him and the rest, as they say, is history.
On that first date, I was at first uncomfortable but as the night wore on, I found myself talking with him so easily. The conversation just flowed smoothly - no uncomfortable gaps, no sudden silences. It was simply fun. Then he asked me out again and my "dilemma" about going through the date or not started all over but I ended up going out with him in the end and for every date that came after, it became easier. Until one evening, he asked me to be his wife (less than a month after our first date). Like at our first date, saying yes to his proposal came easily but this time, there were no misgivings, no second thoughts. It just felt right.
I will not write about the complications and the challenges that we had to go through as we were trying to get to know each other and building a relationship together. The important part is that we came through these stronger as individuals and, more importantly, as a couple. These challenges became the foundation of what we want and what we don't want to be and become in our journey together. The more some people tried to keep us apart, the more we became closer. Call it stubbornness, I call it Love. And that Love produced someone whom we call Baby-bo.
Monday, September 12, 2011
What is friendship?
I was rummaging through our personal files looking for Michael's birth certificate when I saw an email that a very close friend of mine has sent me on the day I left for Switzerland. My then-fiancé has printed it for me and this was the first thing that I read the moment I stepped into our flat, straight from the airport.
As I was re-reading it this morning, I was overwhelmed with the love and friendship that are very much evident in the email, so overwhelmed that I decided to post the entire email for everyone to see.
I am not sure if I have replied to Pie but I am taking this chance to thank her from the deepest part of my heart for her wonderful and unconditional friendship over the years.
Her email is below:
dearest julia,
as i write this, your absence hasn't sunk in yet. in a way, i am quite thankful that we didn't spend together your last few weeks here. otherwise, i would definitely feel the "hole" you created in my everyday life. i know how difficult it is for you to leave your family behind. this feeling is, i guess, a shared sentiment both by us (being left behind) and by you (who is leaving). it is very difficult to see someone go and say goodbye, especially if this person is "family." i will not attempt to speak for your family. i speak for just myself ---- i will miss everything that we shared, our time together, our talks especially!
but when i think about your journey to motherhood, to marriage, to family life, it'd be very, very selfish of me to entertain (my own) sadness. despite venturing into the "unknown" and possibly being homesick non-stop, your decision to join Michael is truly admirable. i know that we both strongly believe that "the best measure of success is a happy home, a peaceful family," and you are blessed to have that within reach.
sis, i cannot thank you enough for being my friend. no adjectives (in its superlative form) could describe our bond, and if i attempt to even describe how close we are, i might not even give it justice. just the same, thank you for being my friend!
i need not emphasize anymore the lessons we learned from our past, the past that we both shared and spent as individuals. what we should always remember, i think, is God's hand in every tear, every smile, every achievement and every failure we had. when i think about it, He has blessed us with so much! so despite the trials that come my way, i know that He is there. even when there are times that i seem to surrender to my (own) weakness, in the end, i know that i should be strong because He is there.
and you were there too! in every tear, every smile, every achievement, every failure --- you were there for me. thank you so so so much julia! when i give it a thought, i may have needed you more than you ever needed me. our talks were more about me, the problems we talked about were more about me, yes, me me me!! but unlike others, you never took "my self-centeredness" against me. you were patient, frank, honest and always ready to listen. and that was what i liked most about you, you were never afraid to speak your mind, and you were sincerely protective of me.
thank you julia for being a friend to aries too! especially at times when i was away, and he was bugging you with his mushy-ness. even if we say that we can actually live with a happy lovelife sans friends, it is ALWAYS an extra blessing (and a lot more peaceful!) if our friends are friends with our sweethearts! it's less complicated that way, isn't it? likewise, i am more than glad that i am friends with michael.
sis, i pray for your good health always and your family's (michael and baby colin in your tummy). i will be here for you despite the different time zone. take care of yourself, and never worry about us here.
enjoy your new home. and write!
(michael, please take care of julia. she only has you there. she is, without a doubt, a stranger in a new place. and be extra patient with her. her humor is extraordinary, and she doesn't cook! but heck, she loves you so much, and you love her as well!)
sis, i'm so happy and thrilled for you! God bless, and don't forget to pray!
*hugs*
love you,
Pie
As I was re-reading it this morning, I was overwhelmed with the love and friendship that are very much evident in the email, so overwhelmed that I decided to post the entire email for everyone to see.
I am not sure if I have replied to Pie but I am taking this chance to thank her from the deepest part of my heart for her wonderful and unconditional friendship over the years.
Her email is below:
dearest julia,
as i write this, your absence hasn't sunk in yet. in a way, i am quite thankful that we didn't spend together your last few weeks here. otherwise, i would definitely feel the "hole" you created in my everyday life. i know how difficult it is for you to leave your family behind. this feeling is, i guess, a shared sentiment both by us (being left behind) and by you (who is leaving). it is very difficult to see someone go and say goodbye, especially if this person is "family." i will not attempt to speak for your family. i speak for just myself ---- i will miss everything that we shared, our time together, our talks especially!
but when i think about your journey to motherhood, to marriage, to family life, it'd be very, very selfish of me to entertain (my own) sadness. despite venturing into the "unknown" and possibly being homesick non-stop, your decision to join Michael is truly admirable. i know that we both strongly believe that "the best measure of success is a happy home, a peaceful family," and you are blessed to have that within reach.
sis, i cannot thank you enough for being my friend. no adjectives (in its superlative form) could describe our bond, and if i attempt to even describe how close we are, i might not even give it justice. just the same, thank you for being my friend!
i need not emphasize anymore the lessons we learned from our past, the past that we both shared and spent as individuals. what we should always remember, i think, is God's hand in every tear, every smile, every achievement and every failure we had. when i think about it, He has blessed us with so much! so despite the trials that come my way, i know that He is there. even when there are times that i seem to surrender to my (own) weakness, in the end, i know that i should be strong because He is there.
and you were there too! in every tear, every smile, every achievement, every failure --- you were there for me. thank you so so so much julia! when i give it a thought, i may have needed you more than you ever needed me. our talks were more about me, the problems we talked about were more about me, yes, me me me!! but unlike others, you never took "my self-centeredness" against me. you were patient, frank, honest and always ready to listen. and that was what i liked most about you, you were never afraid to speak your mind, and you were sincerely protective of me.
thank you julia for being a friend to aries too! especially at times when i was away, and he was bugging you with his mushy-ness. even if we say that we can actually live with a happy lovelife sans friends, it is ALWAYS an extra blessing (and a lot more peaceful!) if our friends are friends with our sweethearts! it's less complicated that way, isn't it? likewise, i am more than glad that i am friends with michael.
sis, i pray for your good health always and your family's (michael and baby colin in your tummy). i will be here for you despite the different time zone. take care of yourself, and never worry about us here.
enjoy your new home. and write!
(michael, please take care of julia. she only has you there. she is, without a doubt, a stranger in a new place. and be extra patient with her. her humor is extraordinary, and she doesn't cook! but heck, she loves you so much, and you love her as well!)
sis, i'm so happy and thrilled for you! God bless, and don't forget to pray!
*hugs*
love you,
Pie
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
An emergency
Last evening I accidentally cut my ring finger while preparing dinner (I was about to cook my version of Spaghetti Bolognese). The knife just slid off the carrot and went straight for my finger (oh, okay. So it doesn't have a life of its own for it to just go after my finger but that's how it looked to me).
The moment I felt the knife on my finger, I immediately yelped and kept on saying "aww! aww! aww!" while putting it under flowing water from the faucet. Michael, who was in the shower at the time thought that I was just playing with Colin because he didn't hear me panicking.
It was considerably a deep cut and it took a while for the bleeding to stop. When Michael asked me if I wanted to go to a doctor, I thought about it but decided against it because although the cut is deep, I didn't think it would need stitches. I just cleaned the wound and Michael put a disinfectant cream on it and wrapped it with plaster (lovingly I should say).
For me, the highlight of this experience was when Michael told me that what he loves about me is the fact that I did not resort to histrionics when this happened. He said that other women would have already cried and screamed and acted like a drama queen while I was laughing and cracking jokes. I told him he should have seen me when I chopped (yes, chopped) my fingers (one of them was the same finger I cut yesterday) twenty years ago. I was crying hysterically at that time (it hurt like hell then!) and that laughing about it is how I deal with stress so I laughed.
However, despite the pain and inconvenience of having a wound, I still feel thankful for the following reasons:
1. a husband who lovingly looked after my wound, told me to sit and relax and patiently told me to follow his instructions regarding my wound (I wrote patiently because I have tried to disobey most of what he told me to do. When he told me to lie down on the sofa, I moved around the flat trying to put things away. When he told me to keep the cotton pad on my finger, I tried to peek under it to see if my cut was still bleeding. In other words, makulit ako)
2. a reliable restaurant where we can call our orders and pick our food up within 10 minutes.
3. our baby behaved throughout the commotion.
4. Michael and I were still able to laugh through the experience
5. The cut was not that serious that it would merit going to the Emergency Room for some stitches (I'm afraid of needles). After all, it did not stop me from fb-ing and telling the world about my stupidity.
6. We have a first aid kit at home.
7. Most important of all, the accident did not happen to Colin who was standing beside me while I was chopping the carrots (he loves to watch me cook while pretending to do the cooking). I'd rather see my own blood flow than those of my loved ones.
The moment I felt the knife on my finger, I immediately yelped and kept on saying "aww! aww! aww!" while putting it under flowing water from the faucet. Michael, who was in the shower at the time thought that I was just playing with Colin because he didn't hear me panicking.
It was considerably a deep cut and it took a while for the bleeding to stop. When Michael asked me if I wanted to go to a doctor, I thought about it but decided against it because although the cut is deep, I didn't think it would need stitches. I just cleaned the wound and Michael put a disinfectant cream on it and wrapped it with plaster (lovingly I should say).
For me, the highlight of this experience was when Michael told me that what he loves about me is the fact that I did not resort to histrionics when this happened. He said that other women would have already cried and screamed and acted like a drama queen while I was laughing and cracking jokes. I told him he should have seen me when I chopped (yes, chopped) my fingers (one of them was the same finger I cut yesterday) twenty years ago. I was crying hysterically at that time (it hurt like hell then!) and that laughing about it is how I deal with stress so I laughed.
However, despite the pain and inconvenience of having a wound, I still feel thankful for the following reasons:
1. a husband who lovingly looked after my wound, told me to sit and relax and patiently told me to follow his instructions regarding my wound (I wrote patiently because I have tried to disobey most of what he told me to do. When he told me to lie down on the sofa, I moved around the flat trying to put things away. When he told me to keep the cotton pad on my finger, I tried to peek under it to see if my cut was still bleeding. In other words, makulit ako)
2. a reliable restaurant where we can call our orders and pick our food up within 10 minutes.
3. our baby behaved throughout the commotion.
4. Michael and I were still able to laugh through the experience
5. The cut was not that serious that it would merit going to the Emergency Room for some stitches (I'm afraid of needles). After all, it did not stop me from fb-ing and telling the world about my stupidity.
6. We have a first aid kit at home.
7. Most important of all, the accident did not happen to Colin who was standing beside me while I was chopping the carrots (he loves to watch me cook while pretending to do the cooking). I'd rather see my own blood flow than those of my loved ones.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Ten Things I Love About You
Blogging about a loved one is hard for me. I can write about my and other people's boo-boo's and/or kalokohan, rant about anything or anyone, and rave about the weather or anything that pleased me BUT words escape me whenever I try to write about someone very close to my heart.
However, to mark the birthday of the person who has my heart, I will do my best to express my love inspired by the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You" (with a little twist of my own). I just hope I get to finish and publish this before the day ends.
* * *
Ten Things I Love About You
1. I love your sense of humor and the way you laugh at my jokes. I love your smiles too and the way you let me bug you when you are already too tired or have just woken up in the morning.
2. I love your sense of order yet you let me get away with my messy ways.
3. I love the sacrifice that you made to your career when you left your former job because leaving means less travels and more time spent with your family. Even if personally, you think this was no sacrifice and that you love and enjoy your new job, I still say thank you and I love you too.
4. I love the way you play with our son after spending a tiring day at work. You could have just said that you are tired and would just relax with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine but you insist on your bonding time with C so that I can have some time on my own.
5. I love your eyes. They are not just beautiful but they also shine with love and honesty. I love it that every time you look at me, you make me feel pretty and sexy and that there are no secrets between us.
6. I love your body and your sexy ways but I won't describe them here. To say anything more might result in me being banned from blogger for adult content (is there such a thing?)
7. I love how you tolerate my addiction to facebook and bejeweled blitz but you never fail to give me a gentle reminder whenever you think I had too much.
8. I love your generosity. Beyond the material things that you have given me, I love the fact that you are never selfish with your time.
9. I love the way you listen to my rantings and ravings and the way you put up with my noisy ways. I know how much you value peace and quiet and yet these are now luxuries since C and I came into your life.
10. Lastly, I love you for who and what you are, no conditions and without reservations. You may not be perfect (you do have a temper, honey, hehe) but you are perfect for me.
I know that what I have written are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more things that I love about you but I have to keep to the title of this piece. haha!
Happy birthday, Honey. Here's to getting old with you.
I love you.
p.s., I also love the knowledge that you will forgive me for this public display of affection despite the fact that you love your privacy. hehe
However, to mark the birthday of the person who has my heart, I will do my best to express my love inspired by the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You" (with a little twist of my own). I just hope I get to finish and publish this before the day ends.
* * *
Ten Things I Love About You
1. I love your sense of humor and the way you laugh at my jokes. I love your smiles too and the way you let me bug you when you are already too tired or have just woken up in the morning.
2. I love your sense of order yet you let me get away with my messy ways.
3. I love the sacrifice that you made to your career when you left your former job because leaving means less travels and more time spent with your family. Even if personally, you think this was no sacrifice and that you love and enjoy your new job, I still say thank you and I love you too.
4. I love the way you play with our son after spending a tiring day at work. You could have just said that you are tired and would just relax with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine but you insist on your bonding time with C so that I can have some time on my own.
5. I love your eyes. They are not just beautiful but they also shine with love and honesty. I love it that every time you look at me, you make me feel pretty and sexy and that there are no secrets between us.
6. I love your body and your sexy ways but I won't describe them here. To say anything more might result in me being banned from blogger for adult content (is there such a thing?)
7. I love how you tolerate my addiction to facebook and bejeweled blitz but you never fail to give me a gentle reminder whenever you think I had too much.
8. I love your generosity. Beyond the material things that you have given me, I love the fact that you are never selfish with your time.
9. I love the way you listen to my rantings and ravings and the way you put up with my noisy ways. I know how much you value peace and quiet and yet these are now luxuries since C and I came into your life.
10. Lastly, I love you for who and what you are, no conditions and without reservations. You may not be perfect (you do have a temper, honey, hehe) but you are perfect for me.
I know that what I have written are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more things that I love about you but I have to keep to the title of this piece. haha!
Happy birthday, Honey. Here's to getting old with you.
I love you.
p.s., I also love the knowledge that you will forgive me for this public display of affection despite the fact that you love your privacy. hehe
Monday, April 11, 2011
Kitchen Adventures
Lately, I have been posting recipes of the meals that I prepared for my family. This blog is not going to be transformed into a food blog although I just wanted to share my "little triumphs" in the kitchen as part of my daily life as a stay-at-home mom and wife.
I count all the meals that I prepare as "little triumphs" because for someone who, for most of her life, believed that she cannot cook, these simple but delicious meals (delicious according to my loving husband) are truly something to be proud of. I have also taken note of my growing confidence in the kitchen. When I first started cooking two years ago, I always chose the easiest recipes to cook and follow them to the letter. Now, I have enough confidence to not completely follow a recipe by changing/substituting an ingredient or two and, sometimes, even using a different technique found in another recipe.
But beyond my growing confidence in the kitchen, what I found amazing about myself is the realization that I enjoy cooking when before I couldn't be bothered. I also enjoy my kitchen adventures aka disasters like the time I had to redo my batter for crispy chicken strips since the consistency did not match the one I saw on the recipe I was following. It turned out I put 8 scoops of flour since the recipe said 8 tbsp. but I forgot that I was using a 2 tbps. measuring spoon. Yes, there were days when I feel too lazy to cook but most times I enjoy cooking especially when I see the appreciation and enjoyment on my husband's face while he eats.
Last week, Michael told me that his workmates suggested I should try selling my food to the students at the University after smelling (smelling!) Michael's lunch that he was reheating in the microwave. Wow! That is really funny and ironic. The woman who was always a disaster in the kitchen is suddenly cooking for profit. haha!
Seriously, though, I don't think I am that confident yet to do this. Maybe in a few years when people other than my husband and son have tried my food.
I count all the meals that I prepare as "little triumphs" because for someone who, for most of her life, believed that she cannot cook, these simple but delicious meals (delicious according to my loving husband) are truly something to be proud of. I have also taken note of my growing confidence in the kitchen. When I first started cooking two years ago, I always chose the easiest recipes to cook and follow them to the letter. Now, I have enough confidence to not completely follow a recipe by changing/substituting an ingredient or two and, sometimes, even using a different technique found in another recipe.
But beyond my growing confidence in the kitchen, what I found amazing about myself is the realization that I enjoy cooking when before I couldn't be bothered. I also enjoy my kitchen adventures aka disasters like the time I had to redo my batter for crispy chicken strips since the consistency did not match the one I saw on the recipe I was following. It turned out I put 8 scoops of flour since the recipe said 8 tbsp. but I forgot that I was using a 2 tbps. measuring spoon. Yes, there were days when I feel too lazy to cook but most times I enjoy cooking especially when I see the appreciation and enjoyment on my husband's face while he eats.
Last week, Michael told me that his workmates suggested I should try selling my food to the students at the University after smelling (smelling!) Michael's lunch that he was reheating in the microwave. Wow! That is really funny and ironic. The woman who was always a disaster in the kitchen is suddenly cooking for profit. haha!
Seriously, though, I don't think I am that confident yet to do this. Maybe in a few years when people other than my husband and son have tried my food.
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