Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!!!

As we leave the old year and meet the new year may headaches and troubles be gone too! Look forward with optimism and hope that things will be better. Just do your best and don't get scared. In our journey, we will meet the new year with great cheer. For sure we will get there!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

SpitzTunes -- Bring on that New Year!

I love music do you? It just make my day. Find out how others feel about it.

It's About the Wicking!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Connecting with family and friends

I connect with my friends with either online or thru the phone. I have seen my friend online and said hi to her and she called me back because she was busy preparing food in the kitchen. Nowadays we are lucky to have a lot of ways to get connected with friends but we should be willing the price. Getting online would be the cheapest, that way we can see them on the webcam and talk to them on the microphone. The monthly bill for the internet connection is not as high as phone bill. A telephone comunication was the oldest so far and effective means of communicating with people. We can also connect with friends and family using wireless phones. It is not the cheapest but nowadays thru cellphones we can use the text messaging that comes with it that is cheap and very affordable. I have lessen our phone bill since I have strive my best getting connected with family and friends in the Philippines thru the internet. Before I cannot really help it but call on the regular landline. I am glad I can now manage to use the computer. With the sky rocketing bills on every basic commodity we have to find a way save.

Friday, December 19, 2008



Christmas is around the corner. Yes it is just five days away from now. Have you completed you gift shopping for your family and friends? If not you can always check out a long line of gift ideas at www.amazon.com. It has affordable products that can be shipped to you right on time. I love this time of the year when we can give gifts. Giving always gives me peace and contenment. I choose Amazon shopping because of its affordability.

I'm so excited because even if my husband is not a Christmas fanatic I grew up celebrating Christmas. The occasion is a celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. On that day He was born in the most humble way, in a manger, where the animals eat and rest. It was a symbol of humility. It was one peaceful night and the wise men who were not really mentioned in the Bible of the exact number brought gifts for the baby Jesus. It is the beginning of the gift giving idea. Since Jesus has already risen and went to live with the Father we will be giving our gifts for the people we love even to some friends or strangers. It makes me happy to be giving gifts to my family and friends. I am not really expecting anything, well if something comes in the way I am fine with that if not it is also fine. What I really want to do is make someone happy this lovely season.

Most of the time I buy gifts for my kids. I have suggested gifts above that is interactive one that would really make your child happy this Christmas. Hope you enjoy the holidays guys!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Take a Survey that is Worth Your Time Now



I am so so glad that I got my check a week ago from Opinion Outpost. It is a survey company affiliated to Western Wats. I am really happy because this is my first time to be receiving money from some work I did online. Opinion Outpost is an online survey that pays good amount of money. Each 10 points is worth a dollar. Usually every survey take 10-25 minutes. You can have the option of requesting your payout when it reaches $5 or more. My other check is also on its way already. Every survey usually gives you 20-25 points unlike other survey that will just give you a cent or two. The nice thing about it is you will also be rewarded for doing your profile. Membership is free and they don't send you a lot of emails that in unnecessary. How about you, do you want to earn money? Take a survey that is worth your time and effort. So what are you waiting for? Try it out yourself now. Get Paid to take Surveys!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Friends



Man is a social being by nature. We all want to have a friend no matter where we are in this world. We always want to belong in a certain group. I have missed my friends in the Philippines a lot yet what can I do now they are too far away from me. I wonder if they missed me too. It's not really easy to be somewhere far away. I wish I was home but actually there is no turning back now, this is my new home. Oh well. This is my life now. I have to face reality. That's why I am glad I am starting to have new friends here. I will be going to dinner to my new friend's house tomorrow. She has other friends who will be there too. Her name is Menmen, a straightforwarded girl who knows what she wants and who she is in life. The first time I talked to her we just kept on talking like we were old friends. I know I'm gonna like her. I really do not wish for a lot of friends, as long as I have a few who are nice and real, who will be there for me in as much as I will be there for them I will be happy with that. Do you have real friends in life?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Wanna try this?



Do you love cooking? I do too! Kitchen is the most important part of the house for me. A lot of miracles happen in that place. They said "that a way to man's heart is thru his stomach", well maybe when he's not choosy when it comes to food.;-) I have created a new recipe called Maja Blanca. A dessert that a lot of filipinos love. May it be a special occasion or simply a family get together you can always prepare this. Try this out. It's easy, quick and simple to make.Click this link to see the very tasty recipe: Maja Blanca

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Organizing Home Sweet Home

As a mother of two growing up kids organizing the home is a big issue. The clutter around the house seemed endless. Pick some up of the toys and they leave more papers. The kids love to pull out their stuff toys and bring them to almost just everywhere. When they get home from school they bring a lot of papers and scatter them all over the floor then ask for more papers so they can draw, color and cut. Aside from that we have a lot ad papers around the house. Paper here and paper there, there are papers everywhere. Cleaning with all of these mess is just overwhelming.

As I watch Clean House on TV I realized that I do really have to clean the house and not wait for others to come in and clean it for me. Thanks but no thanks to the free insults, humiliation and funny faces of disgust. A person as sensitive as I am I dont think I will have the courage to do that. Yet the show is really inspiring to me. I like watching it.

So where do we need to start? I was inspired to create a hub that might be useful to every mom, soon to be moms and those who really like to organize the house. http://hubpages.com/hub/Organizing-Home-Sweet-Home

Get inspired and love your home sweet home!

A long life for you my friend



Here's a recipe I am at present enjoying to prepare in the kitchen at least once a week. This is filipino food of chinese influence. Do you love noodles? They said you have to eat some on your birthday to prolong your life. How true could this be? I eat noodles because I simply love it. Pancit Bihon Recipe
Pancit Bihon Ingredients:


1 8oz. pack of bihon noodles/ rice sticks

1 cooked chicken breast cooked and shredded

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 lb. pork diced

2 pcs. sausage sliced thinly crosswise

1/4 cabbage sliced into strips

1 medium sized onion peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic crushed and minced

1/2 pc. red bell pepper sliced into strips

2 pcs green onion stalks sliced

1 carrot sliced into strips

3/4 cup sliced celery

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 cups of water

1 pork /chicken buillion cubes

3 pieces calamansi or 1 lemon sliced

a pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Pancit Bihon Cooking Instructions:


1. Soak the rice sticks to 2 cups water for about 10 minutes.

2. Heat the pan and grease it.

3. Saute garlic, onion and bell pepper.

4. Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken and the remaining cup of

water, bring to boil.

5. Add the vegetables to the broth.

6. Mix the pancit bihon or rice sticks.

7. Put soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

8. Then top with green onion and sliced calamansi. Serve hot.

Note: calamansi or lemon is to be squeezed over the pancit before eating.


Hope you will try it out. Good luck!

Monday, December 1, 2008

We visited my husband's uncle Don and sister Elaine in Hanover,Pennsylvania last Saturday. His uncle has collected a lot of pets. He's for sure an animal lover. He's got more than a dozen of kois, two white catfish, five turtles, a bunny, a frog, a ferret, a skunk and three dogs. Looking at their home decoration alone you could tell how much they love animals. Even their home decors are all different size and shapes of animals. My son was even amazed of the home decors. My husband talked to his uncle while the girls were having a chat. His uncle's husband showed us all their pets and the kids really love it. After that we went to Elaine's apartment. She has a pomeranian dog. The dog kept on barking when we came but she hides away if we go and see her. I saw Ogie the dog in the kennel and tried to touch her. The kids did the same too. I let her get out of her kennel. This time she was not barking anymore. My husband called the dog and she jumped right into his lap. His sister told him that he's so lucky because the dog don't really like boys. The kids were amazed and followed him on how he did that. Elaine made some pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll, homemade strawberry and blueberry jelly for us. We all love her food.Homemade food has always been so good.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Wawa Coffee

Coffee gives you a boost in the early morning. I like its warmth and smell. I have tried coffees from different franchises but it is nothing compared to the good coffee in Wawa. At first I was just wondering why a lot of people go there. Their coffee is selling like pancakes. When I started going there I can never stop. It's amazing to look at people come and go in this place. Nothing compares to the different flavors of coffee that Wawa is offering. I have it as a treat to myself. If you love drinking coffee you should try it.

Jared Jewelry

A year ago my fiance bought me an engagement ring from Jared. I had it appraised just for the curiousity of it and the jeweller was impressed of the kind of diamond my husband now bought me. He told me that it was one flawless stone. I was shocked because it really looked rather simple but it was really of great sentimental value to me. I have been wearing it since and never remove it from my finger. We had it cleaned for free three months ago. I was really impressed because after the cleaning it really looked like brand new. I am so glad that my husband has really good taste with jewelry. With so many competition in the world of jewelry no wonder Jared never goes out of style. It has always kept its promise.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Adventure Aquarium

We had an awesome Friday. My husband finally decided that we should bring the kids to the adventure aquarium in camden, new jersey. It was a really educational experience for the kids. We took a lot of pictures of the giant aquarium. There were a lot of sharks and exotic species from the deep sea. The touch a shark experience was really awesome for my six-year old boy. My daughter didn't touch the shark but she took the courage to touch the manta ray and the star fish since they dont seem to scare her. It was a worthwhile memory for the kids and to me as well. We also saw some penguins and seals. When we went to the shark tunnel, Heaven couldnt seem to bare the sight of the shark above us and all around us. We seem to be submerged into the water only we didnt get wet. It was really a beautiful, beautiful experience. Although we didnt see any dolphin but next time we will go to Baltimore Aquarium where the dolphins are.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Updates

Long time that I have not scribbled here. A lot of things has happened to my life lately and one of them happened to be teaching on a once in a while basis. It could never sustain a family, good thing I am not the breadwinner, hehe. I was thinking how come I am not working full time when thats was suppose to be my target. I need to help augment the family income since every commodity has been skyrocketing. There must be a way on how to do it. I need to upgrade my certification since I have the right education and experience. I am now busy searching online what to do with my life particularly on how to get the teacher's license here. Looks like I am starting all over again, back to zero folks. Gosh, I was already spending so much with my sub-certificate but it seem to be no good because it can never be able to help my family. As I researched online I stumbled upon the exact things that I need to do thank God I was enlightened. The process seem to be a little scary because I have to start all over again but well life is a work in progress if I stumbled once I take it as a learning experience.
I thought this one's interesting....
You Are Apple Red
You're never one to take life too seriously, and because of it, you're a ton of fun.
And although you have a great sense of humor, you are never superficial.
Deep and caring, you do like to get to the core of people - to understand them well.
However, any probing you do is light hearted and fun, sometimes causing people to misjudge you.

Friday, October 17, 2008

One of love and life's hindrances is the lack or absence of communication between people. A lot of us women tend to keep the anger and pain inside and not talk about our thoughts because we get scared that the people around us might get affected or misinterpret things. The funny thing about it is that is what is most likely to happen. A lot of people come to me for advice but I would rather listen more than say more. My guidance counselor trained me these things when I was in college. Back when I could remember how inferior I was about people around me. I could say I am not who I really was before- shy, timid, scared and all. As I facilitated my peers in guidance sessions, I gained the strength that would equip me to become a better friend, a better teacher and a better mom for my kids. I came to understand slowly but surely a lot of things in life. However you may call it I call it realization. Funny how it comes naturally that people talk to me openly about their fears and dreams in life. I could even talk to them on telling the truth about their deepestr darkest secrets. I don't hypnotize, I just listen. The secret on how to do this is to build relationship of trust. We open up when we feel the trust.
Women in particular are overly sensitive about things because of a lot of factors may it be inside them or outside them. Especially with filipino girls, I think we always put the gap around us between others when we don't feel safe anymore even to our closest of family and friends. We call that gap "silence". A time out to ourselves. I think it is more of cultural background that we tend to follow the trend of not talking to our spouses and friends when we don't understand them. But in a way how can we understand them in return? Or how can we be understood if we are scared of the encounter? Ahhh. There we are, we are scared that people might not understand how we feel and think. They might find us cruel instead of nice if we say things. If we feel bad inside and just keep it will be like molten lava. One of these days it will still come out. It will still explode. So while we are not in verge of anger it would be better to express how we feel now.

Monday, October 13, 2008

I received the letter last Saturday that I passed the interview and they welcome me to the school district. It's a wow for me and I really felt good about it. I finally made a step to help my family. I am just waiting now for the x-ray result. I will be able to start work as substitute teacher soon. In this time of economic crisis we all need to contribute in the family's income to make through the days. There will always be a way in every thing. I thank God so much for his love and enlightenment. My hubby was happy about it so he bought me a bag for my subpack. I got a big brown bag for all the things I need for school. Filling it up for my needed things. Im excited for my first day in school.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Thank God I am done with my teaching job interview today. I was a little bit nervous because I have to drive myself to the administration building, nevertheless I made it on time. The questions were rather easy for me and I was only there about 10-15 minutes. I felt my voice was so small when I answered her questions but I am glad I was able to respond. Job interviews are always challenging to me as a person. I just hope I was able to answer them to their heart's content. Now I have to wait for the doctor's appointment to write me a script for my x-ray. I hope I will be able to get it on time so I can submit it.

Monday, October 6, 2008

I have not been writing here for a while since I was busy preparing a lot of stuff for my job. Getting biometrics, fiding a doctor to write me script for an x-ray, amntoux tb test, and the list seem to go on forever. I am applying for substitute teacher in the public school and there seem to be a lot of papers to prepare but at least I'm almost at the end of it. I will have my interview on the 8th. Gosh, time flies like lightning. I reall wish I could get a job to help my family.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

If you want to be happy stop looking around and comparing yourself to others. Instead evaluate your life by looking within yourself. Find peace and happiness in a world you may not always understand. How? By appreciating what God has given you because He has given you everything possible that you have just forgotten it because you were too busy looking at what others have. Imagine how boring life can be when we are all the same that is why God made us all different. Stop being envious and erase that self-pity that is growing in your heart. Those negative emotions will become incurable disease- it is called CANCER!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008





The kids woke up early today but we wondered why the school bus wasn't there to pick them up. They've been waiting outside the house long enough so I decided to drive them to school. I was a little bit nervous because I didn't expect to be driving them to school. I drove them without changing my clothes. I really don't drive a lot most of the time I prefer to stay home. I called the school office asking them why the kids were not picked up and they told me the school bus went to pick them up early. Hmm, I wonder how early. It sounds crazy but what can I do. Later in the afternoon we went to H Mart to buy rice and some other groceries after we ate our dinner. We also got some slimming tea called Ballerina. It's a good alternative for slimming because it can help regulate your body without any side effects.


I started a new hobby yesterday called digital scrapping. At first I downloaded the free software but I didn't know what to do. I got tired of going around in circle in the site so I went for a nap. When I woke up I studied on how it works after a while I finally found out how it works! I was so happy. I have made 4 scraps since yesterday. Scrapping is really fun be it manually or digitally. It always feel good to be able to have a positive outlet. I'm learning a lot each day about the things I love blogging, scrapbooking, photography, flowers, designing and the list goes on and on. I made 2 scraps today that made me feel good. Designing from scraps can really help you forget your frustrations. I am learning a lot from other bloggers. I have gained a lot of friends day by day on the web blog. Each one has unique styles in writing and designing their blogs but it is nice to read and learn from each and every one of them.

Monday, September 22, 2008

My Children's Scary Experience

One of James teeth fell off today. He told me to keep the windows open so that the tooth fairy can get inside and do some magic and make his tooth grow again. How funny this kids are. I just remembered their dental appointment last Friday.
We went to my kids' school last Friday. We picked them up for their dental appointment. Both of them were scared. When we arrived at the dental office, they seem to like the place because it was full of stuffed toys. We filled up some forms for them. James was called in first. His tooth was checked and the assistant kept on praising him for being brave. I have to accompany him and he seem so restless. An x-ray was taken for his teeth about 3-4 times. He was crying at the last one because he thought the dentist was forcing him to open his mouth. I think he was just real nervous. He got his reward from the treasure chest. Then came Heaven who looks more scared than James. The dentist instructed me how to hold her. He said we will make it easy for her. But the way I was holding her made her seem uncomfortable. I have to hold her hands and feet tight and the doctor checked her teeth while the assistant wrote the observation. Then they took x-ray for her teeth teeth too. Then after that he told us to go back on Tuesday of this week to discuss on what to do with the kids next dental appointment. It's a long and boring process but we have to do because its mandatory for the kid's school requirement. Our teeth also is very important to be taken cared of to protect complications. Would you believe that it can cause heart disease? I hope one day they won't be scared to face the dentist that it would be a happy experience for them.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Oh I Love Taking Pictures!

Anything that has is related to art is really appealing to me. Cooking, garnishing, singing, dancing, writing poems and taking pictures too. Yes! I just love taking pictures of just about anything around me. I really love viewing at each picture specially that of my kids. They always bring sweet memories of the past. They seemed to have grown so fast that I cannot stop looking the sweet innocence of their faces when they were toddlers. They are simply adorable. For sure a picture tells a thousand words but I just want to view each and everyone of them. I used to leaf each album page but it seem to be a great task and so time consuming. The Digital Photo Frame Central has caught my attention as I searched on the internet for quality frames that could help me save time in leafing the pages of my album. They have a wide variety of latest models to choose from. There are portable pocket size to big ones. And best thing is their 10.4 digital photo frame is on sale for $30 off. I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to tell my husband that we need to purchase this item in as much as I really would love to have one.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Precious and Rare Beauty



Our first anniversary was really a memorable one for both of us. Twelve months and counting of our blessed life as one. I gave him a simple and unique gift. Simple because it was just a card, unique because I handcrafted it myself. What matters most is its the thought that counts. My husband wanted to buy a gift for me but he thought that it would be nice if I will choose my own gift since I'm very meticulous when it comes to jewelry. Well at least he is practical about it. His nice may not be nice to me since he is not into jewelry. So we went to the Moorestown Mall to look for what I really like in Boscov's but I didn't like any of their jewelries there. We hopped in to Macy's and looked at their jewelries. Finally I found what I was wishing for. At first I was hesitant to get it because of the price but my husband said he's gonna buy it for me if its what I want and if it really will make me happy, so why not. I chose to have a medallion coin pendant which has lady liberty engraved in it. It is such a rare beauty and it is a lasting gift. How lucky I am to have a very kind husband.

Then we went to Mikado Japanese Restaurant for dinner. I really enjoyed our dinner in their habachi room where the chef grilled our food right in front of us. A lot of people there were celebrating their birthdays. The table staff sang at 4 times on different tables. It sounded rather funny because they seem to be out of tune of such a very simple tone but at least they had the guts to sing. Well serving was their career not singing so that was fine. I am looking forward to dine there again. I like the food and the ambiance.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

My Anniversary Gift To My One & Only



I was having a hard time sleeping last night. I wanted to give something to my husband on our anniversary day today. I was already in bed but my mind was still fully awake so I crawled out of bed and handcrafted an anniversary card. I took a picture of it and hope he's gonna like it. My stepson was still watching tv while I was busy doing the card. At least, someone is there to keep me company. I was happy and contented that I got something for him today so I went to sleep around 2AM. I stuck the card between the mirror in the bathroom but he didnt notice it;-( So I let my son hand it to him this morning and he was so happy about it. I believe each one has an artist within us waiting to be explored. I couldnt even believe that I was able to make the 3D card.
Wow! Never have I thought that I'm already a year here. If you were to ask of the first time encounters and experiences I'll never forget I'm gonna tell you and these are (not arranged in chronological order):
1. first time to be in the USA
2. first time to drive
3. took the first driving exam and passed
4. got my first car
5. got our first house
6. celebrated our first anniversary
7. first time to bake
8. first time to see snow
9. first time to line up and wait outside at 5am to shop and it snowed
10. first time to experience winter, spring, summer and fall

The Joy of Being a Mom




Yesterday we decided to go and buy some toys for the kids. We looked for the nearest toys r us and we found it in Cherry Hill which is in Route 70. The kids got so excited with choosing their toys. Looking around James got more anxious and could not even decide what to get. He got a toy guitar in the Barbie aisle, well as long as he is happy with that. He got a batman toy and a so called Vincent, Im not sure what it is but it looked like a big wristwatch. Heaven got excited with her toy register, maybe she wants to be a cashier someday lol. She also got a boombox cd player, a bag, a camp rock cd and a flashlight.I helped her make her choices but I was having a hard time helping James with what he should get. I told James that next time he should make a wish list so that when we will go to the store he will not get confused on what to get. They both shared the cd player and both listened to their camp rock music. It makes me so happy to see them overjoyed. Kids are kids when it comes to toys. Amazingly I too have a kid in me maybe that is why it was easy to help Heaven chose her toys. How lucky that they are able to choose what they like. When I was young we only get new toys on christmas. But well that's how we want our kids to give something more than what we have had experience. I'm grateful that life has been kind enough to them. I am constantly doing my best to be a good mom to them.


Friday, September 12, 2008

These Long Time Blossoms






The sight of flowers makes me happy. One of the flowers I have loved collecting is the orchids. Yes, collecting orchids is fun. With utmost love and care they will produce the most beautiful flower for the longest time. How would you like that? When most flowers grow for a day or two and die thereafter not these orchids for their flowers stay about a three to four weeks. To grow them you have to water them every other day and feed them vitamins once every week. You can even sing to them or talk to them to make them feel loved. It sounds funny but most gardeners do that to their plants.
At first I thought they don't have smell but I have also collected a rare one- one that has a very nice fragile smell. Some of my collections are white denrobium that has a blush of baby pink on their petals, yellow danicing lady, an orange fire-like color orchid, beltius, waling-waling. I have more than a dozen orchids in my garden. I have posted some that I have taken pics of. They are a bit pricey but when I have learned to love them and they are a priceless collection to me.

Riding On a Specialized Bike



Biking is a form of exercise that is enjoyable. It is pretty fun especially if you got one specialized bicycle. Before we left Wheaton Illinois, our 15- year old son asked his dad to buy him a bicycle for passing ninth grade. He told us that he did is research and saw this specialized bike that he fall in love with that cost around five hundred bucks. Five hundred bucks? That seemed pretty expensive. But he asked us that how come we can afford to buy a brand new car for me and cannot afford the bike. We were almost tongue-tied. What a question! Well he was able to convince his dad about it so he got his bike. He left to Texas for a vacation a day after they bought the bike. I tried using the bike. It was really nice. One, two, three pedals off you go so fast and smooth. Never had I tried riding a bike moving so smoothly before. It was like riding with the wind. It was rather expensive but I tell you it's really worth the price.

It's Barbecue Time!



I love barbecue, do you? We went to the nearest Ace hardware in Marlton last week to look for a lawn mower. We can't find any lawn mower but we saw the grills displayed there. While we were looking at them, one guy told us that he used to have propane barbecue grill but when he got one charcoal grill as a father's day gift he liked it even better and never used the other one anymore. We bought our heavy duty Weber charcoal grill for the love of barbecue. I was so excited that I tried to carry the grill all by myself but I can't even lift it. One nice guy in the store offered to carry it to the trunk for us. We used it once and planned to use it again this weekend. The barbecue tastes a lot better using charcoal than using gas propane. Do you think so too? Some people don't like using this because it takes time but if you want good food you would always opt for something better. It seemed pretty old way of grilling but still more effective than anything I can think of.

Hip Hop Dance Aerobics

I finally opened my hip hop party dvd and used it yesterday. We bought it two weeks ago and never dare opened it, without any reason at all. I used it and had fun doing the hip hop dance aerobics right at home.I used to go to the gym but since I'm new here I don't know if they have a park district like the one in Wheaton, Illinois. So it's either I take a walk or do aerobics at home to keep myself in shape. My family has history of deaths of heart failure which that scares me a lot. Keeping physically fit is really important. I watched some movies too since I was just alone in the house after the kids went off to school. I like the first movie but the second one was too scary for me that I turned the tv off and went to sleep. What a boring day. I didn't even bother to write anything at all.
My husband's ex-wife called up later in the afternoon and we talked for about an hour on the phone. Seldom you would find friendship like this but yes it exists and we are friends. She lives in Texas but they are not from Galvestown where the hurricane is supposed to land. We talk about anything on the phone. We laugh at each other's jokes and my husband couldn't believe that we can talk for hours on the phone. Well, I am pretty flexible with most people and I think she is too. She is grateful that I am taking care of her son who is living with us. Why not, the kid is my husband's son so he's as good as mine too.
Today seemed cloudy outside. The hurricane Ike is on its way to Texas and people get panicky about it because they were told to evacuate just in case it will blow hard and cause much damage. Things get a little bit scary yes because its an open gulf with no sea wall at all. They are expecting the waves to be 20ft. when it reaches the shore that is higher than a two-story house. I hope everything will be fine there.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Slippery when wet

Today I started my day with a hike even if it was cloudy outside. I wanted to go to the store but it seem rather far. I like walking since its not too hot. I just went to a store nearest us to get some stuff then head back home to take a shower. I talked to my niece on the phone for an hour or two just about anything we could think of. I waited for my husband for the kids' dental appointment but he called up telling me it was cancelled. I heard the pour of the rain outside, got tired of sitting here all day so I went out for a little while. The road was slippery. I was on the intersection when I turned left and the rear tires slipped. I was nervous because that was my first experience. I did not run fast but I seem to be racing, I heard screeching on my tires. I went to the store and my nerves were still tense. I was scared to go home because I might have the same experience again. I was nervous and hungry all at the same time. I bought some food but never ate it. I was worried because my kids will be home and I need to be with them so I have to conquer my fear. I headed home safely thank God. I told my husband about the experience and he told me not to drive after the rain because when the heat and cold collides on the asphalt it will produces a slippery film that I should avoid. It was a learning experience. I will be careful again next time. Well, I think I was careful but scared.

Hibiscus aka Gumamela

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Hibiscus rosa sinensis is the scientific name of this tropical flower. It is also known as Gumamela. Its beauty and variety captures the eyes of many. They brought this type of plants here and amazingly they found out that it can survive the winter. When a lot of people call their kids after Rose, Daisy or Magnolia, my mom named me after this flower. Yes, she named me Gumamela. I have taken these pictures from my garden. I have collected around four to five different shades. Aside from these colors, I also have pink and white. The nice thing about this plant is it always bears flowers. I like to see the flowers every morning when I wake up. If you want to plant a flower in your garden choose this perrenial type so you will always enjoy the beauty of nature.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Entertwined Passion

Funny it seems when you remember things. When I was in my elementary and high school days I used to keep a journal. Writing has always been a passion of mine. I have joined some contest about essay writing, feature writing and editorial writing in high school and won. Then just all of a sudden it all stopped. Maybe because I studied Education in college and not Journalism. I could have continued what I have started then but well I wanted to always learn new things and have always dreamed of becoming a teacher. A dream come true for me. Who would have thought I would finish college. With my mom telling me she can't afford sending me to college whether public or private, I pushed myself to find alternatives of her not spending for my college tuition fee. Having finished high school was all she could financially afford. So in the process I ended up searching for scholarship programs and took series of exams and interviews. The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Scholarship granted me a scholarship not just a in public school but a private school of my choice. My mom was so happy about it and supported me to the best of her ability. She worked doubly hard to feed us and to give me my everyday allowance. She has been a widow of five kids since I was five years of age. Raising us alone was no easy task. She has no educational qualifications for that but she strived hard to keep us intact, the five of us in one home. Motherhood needs no educational attainment true, but being a breadwinner as well is a different story. She was a father and a mother to us all at the same time. Our being so poor never discouraged me to finish my education. To learn with love, tolerance and perseverance I moved on. To make the story short, I graduated in 1995, got a job, got married, had kids and so the journal writing was long forgotten. I think I completely forgot about it because we were asked to make Lesson Plans everyday for so many subjects- English, Science, Math, Filipino, Social Studies and even P.E. Not just that, I also need to make visual aids. Too many things to do, my journals became lesson plans. Set objectives, make materials, evaluate students and record results-that's the life of a teacher. How would you love that?
Someone told me about blogging and it really rang a bell to me. I felt the urge, the connection so I started writing down here. I taught four years in the private schools and seven years in the public school. I have learned so many things when I was teaching but I stopped for a year because I have to relocate and settle down my family. In those seven years of teaching I managed to study Master of Arts in Teaching English every weekend but shifted to Special Education. I have learned to love Special Education so I really was able to finish my master's degree. I wanted to finish my master's so my income would elevate in the public school but then the process seemed to be slower than a turtle. I got frustrated with my first marriage and told myself this is not the life I dreamed to have for me and my kids. I want to rear children but rearing a husband seemed impossible so I let go. I had my annulment in 2006. It didn't stop me from loving. I met Terry online. We talk everyday since I met him. He is a passionate person and he patiently pursued me. He truly knows what he wants. He's sense of humor and wits captured my lonely and aching heart. Can you believe my aching heart has the capacity of loving again? If I didn't my heart would possibly stopped beating. It took him three visits(which happened every year), half the world away every time before we got married. One time we were sitting on the couch he asked me what took us long to get married, look what we had missed. I just smiled lovingly at him. We are married for a year now and we seem to pretty get along well with each other. I have always been persistent with love and life. And my love for writing? Always will be.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Home's Comfort







Our living room came alive with the brand new couch and loveseat set. The living room was really very bare before. The old couch we have been using from Illinois was placed in our family room. Terry thought of throwing that away because bringing it here would be too bulky but I told him that we should just bring it with us since the moving will be paid by the company where he is working. It was rather old but still useful. But we finally bought a brand new living room set. I was so glad about it. Not just glad but very glad. I remembered that my husband wanted to purchase the furniture from Direct Buy because he said its cheaper there but every time we go there it would end up chaotic. He don't seem to like what I chose for a million reasons. He manages our finances and he is a good spender. For all I know he wanted to buy a one dollar worth of living room set. But I am so happy now that he bought the living room set that of my choice from another store. It has an exposed wood with details carved on it. It is medium brown in color and had a little burgundy accents on the throw pillows that come with it. We bought a love seat and a couch . What I love most about it is the comfort it gives you when you seat on it. When we were at Direct Buy I was wishing even just a couch or a loveseat will be fine because of the price tag. My husband told me before that he will just purchase the items(the furnitures) for the house when I will be here because he is afraid that if I'm not gonna like it I will just end up getting another one to my liking and that would sound like a waste of money. How sweet. Thanks for the consideratin hon. I'm grateful that my love finally gave me what I want for our house.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Tornado Watch

We have a tornado warning up here! We only knew about it when we turned to the weather channel. They said it will last up to eleven tonight. I hope everything is gonna be alright. Gosh! It's been raining on and off since last night. The grass and trees have been drenched to quench their thirst. The ground has been pretty dry for the last week.
We had the chance to go this afternoon at BJ's Club. It's like Sam's Club where most of the items are bought by bulk. We went to the customer service counter and waited for a long time with so short a line because one guy was stuck in front of us. When it was our turn, we had our picture taken for our identification card. Have you ever tried your picture taken using an item scanner? That's how they took our picture there. Sounds funny but true. The card seem ugly but at least it's useful for us. The kids bought toys but James changed his mind. He returned his toy because he wanted to buy the Wall-E leapster which cost much more than we expected. I got my toy too, a porcelain doll that I started collecting. Now, I got two of them. Terry wanted to go to Super Fresh but I told him that it's raining and I don't want to go there so he dropped us home and went to the grocery store with Caleb. They actually went there to buy some food for Caleb. I told him to buy ice cream for me. When they went home good thing they never forgot to bring my ice cream! Woo, ice cream on a cold day, have you ever tried that?

Friday, September 5, 2008

What's up....

I finally got to see how the social spark works. I'm gaining friends in no time. I have read a lot of blogs and reviews. Nice thing about it is the opportunity is right there. Most of all I have claimed my blog. That was fast. ;-) Can't wait to take opp. Hehehe.

researching

I joined social spark yesterday but my gosh i didn't know what to do with itk stuff their talking about. I just hope how I did it works. I'm reading some blogs and reviews. Ouch it's giving me a headache. A lot of people can write blogs and there are beginners too. Well I'm one of the so called neophytes but I'm loving it. I'm waiting for my friend to help me change my layout. I hope she is already awake now, hehehe.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Driving...



My husband thought I will never drive again. He's confused of what's the point that I have my own car and driver's license yet I stay at home most of the time. Since we moved here I stopped driving the car he bought for me. Why not? I am not working. I am pretty much new in this place making me so uncomfortable in driving around. But without his knowing, I started driving alone the other day, back and forth, back and forth. Just last week, he bought me a gps so I will really be guided and I will know where to go. Cool stuff it is. He uses it too when he drive somewhere far. He bought it for me actually but I have never used it. I stil need time to get used to it telling me where to go. I am starting to drive around and I am getting familiar around the place.

Here Comes Autumn



Autumn is one of my favorite temperate season. Soon it will be autumn here. It's the season between summer and winter hence it will not be too hot or cold. It's the time of the year that the trees and animals will be busy preparing for the very cold season that would follow. You would see golden leaves, red and neon green ones too. It is also harvest time for crops. Some people call it fall because leaves start falling.
I took a picture of my first autumn in Wheaton, Illinois one beautiful day in the park. Illinois is one place which has harsh winters. It would not just be cold there but breezy too so it would always feel doubly cold. The trees would surely prepare themselves in hibernation by displaying their grand beauty before they sleep. That is why they have beautiful autumn there. It's a season full of colors and I really love it. It's also the best time to go to the park even if dusk hits the corner of the day a little bit early. I hope you like the picture I took. For me, it's just awesome!

First Day of School





Today is Heaven and James first day in school here New Jersey. They woke up very early and we waited for the school bus at the corner of Lincoln Drive but the bus driver said she will just pick them up right in front of the house which is a good thing for me and the kids. I followed their bus to school. I went to see them in their classroom and dropped the check for their lunch at the office. I met James teacher in their classroom and talked to her for a little while waiting for him. James came along with his ESL teacher who was kind enough to lead him to his clasroom. He was happy to see me there. He said hi to me and to his new teacher and went in his room looking for his name on the table. Then I went to Heaven's room, at first I didn't recognize her among the kids so I felt a little worried about her because she's a scary little girl. I asked her teacher if she was in there and she said to get inside for a little while and I did. She looked a little bit teary- eyed. She told me she doesn't have a pencil. I told her she got a pencil case in her bag with pencils in it. She was relieved upon hearing it.
It looked like an international school because a lot of the students and parents have different colors and talked differently t their kids. Well that doesn't really matter, what matters most is they will feel at home in their new environment. I think they will like it in Frances De Masi Elementary School.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

September more...



September seem to be a pretty important month for me because a lot of things happen to me in this month. One: On the twenty- second will be my mom's birthday. Happy birthday mom! May you have many more birthdays to come. Stay healthy so can go here and visit us. Two: I will be celebrating my first year here in the US of A with Heaven and James, yeah its their first year here too. Wow! Way cool! And last but most of all it will be our first wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary hon! Thank you for always being supportive, loving and caring me and most of all for spoiling your filipina. Hahaha.

Who is the captain of my ship???

A lot of things happen in life. There are some things that happen in a moment you least expect and sometimes you feel life is moving so slow that you want to push it harder. What matters most is the the way you handle things. Because of work, my husband wants to relocate somewhere. So we prepared and conditioned ourselves in the moving. Yet some people suggested he'd rather stay. Sometimes it gets confusing. My head is splitting. Conditioning yourself wouldn't be easy but once you're into it what would you rather do? And all of a sudden, when everything is packed up, somebody says now we stay. Oh my... oh dear.... Please make up your mind. Because now, I do not know what to do and I do not know what to say...Tell me who's the captain of the ship?

I am thinking...

There are times that life would be a little bit kinda boring. Maybe this is one of those days. I hate it. I have nothing to do, no one to talk with. Haha. Everybody's sleeping and I'm the only one who's still awake. I sleep late. With not much to do, most of the time I stay home,dude it's awful. The more it would be awful when the kids will be in school for the whole day. I have not worked for almost a year now. Its some kind of a pause from working and adjustment period for a new life for me or shall I say for us. At least the kids are doing better and better now. I wouldn't really be that worried that much about them. I'm gonna miss them when they will be spending their whole day in school. No one will be bugging me, haha. Well, what can I say. Summer is almost over so its now time for them to go back to school. School here starts on 4th of September. A week more kiddos and off you go. The schools in Illinois started a week ago. Well maybe because it gets colder there when fall and winter come. I wish I have work now. I have started to search for some work online. I'm excited to hear from the employers. I have worked almost 12 years in my life. I stopped last year to relocate and help the kids adjust. I hope and pray that work will be around here for me. Life is boring... can you I go driving?

Happy Birthday Mama



You are a person more precious than gold to me
Selfless, hardworking and patient always will be
I have learned a lot of things from you
Things worth living and remembering for a lifetime
Sometimes you're too frank yet I adore you
Of your honesty and sensitivity
Sometimes people wonder where I got my intelligence
And they praise me for such diligence
All of these I have learned from you
For all of these I am where I want to be
You have given up a lot of things for us
Thank you Ma for everything

Thank you Mary Ann

You could have chosen to be selfish but you didn't
You chose to share your life and expertise with me
And I greatly appreciate such kindness in you
I was amazed and I salute you for that Ann
A lot of things I have done today
You have helped me make my time purposeful
I can see your potentials my dear
I know one day you will do good in you field of endeavor!

Reaching my Dreams

Life's simple beginning has pushed me to dream big. I worked hard to reach my dreams no matter what. Hard work is always important to be able to realize all your dreams. No pain no glory, they say. I can always prove it right. I have burned my midnight candle. I have always been kind and humble and forgiving to people. My eyes were focused on my goal which is a life of contentment and simplicity. When can one be happy? Happiness has a broad definition, to each his own, but for me happiness is a life full of love, optimism, simplicity and contentment. Sure you can always define happiness to your own nevertheless I define mine the same. If I look back to the things I have done just to be where I am now I would never regret it. I thank God for giving me focus in loving and living for the people whom I love and value most. I had my own share of tears and sorrows with relationships yet it is in those experiences that I have learned to be strong not only for myself but for my children. I have served the public in my most simple way with no regrets and that is teaching. As I moved on with my life everyone was happy for me. I know some are jealous but what can you say. To all the people who have shared their life with me in one way or another, I thank you for giving me a chance. You made me strong and you have given me strength to reach for my dreams.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

You are who you are

You can't hide away from me. I can see your real color. Your gestures will always be seen as action speaks louder than words. You are who you are as much as I am who I am. If I stop talking and start listening don't be scared that doensn't really mean I am not supporting you. If there's nothing good to talk about then I am sure it's not worth talking. I am an absorber of some sort that's why I can listen well.

A Place Called Home

We have just purchased a home here in New Jersey. We rented an apartment for almost a year in Wheaton, Illinois. It was nice but the place was really a bit too small for a family of five. I'm so happy that we have finally settled down after a month of looking for a place to live. We live about ten minutes away from my husband's work place. The house is some sort of a townhouse type. It has a community pool and playground for the kids. At first I thought I'm not gonna like New Jersey I didn't like it for more than a couple of reason but at least now I am slowly learning to love this place. I really don't have a lot of friends here yet but I'm glad my husband and kids are always around me so I never really have time to be depressed.

Going to the farmer's market

We went to Berlin farmer's market in South Jersey. The place was not really hard to find. There were a lot of stuff from gently used items, cheap stuff , food, plants and even furnitures. I think if you name they got it there. They said the place existed pretty much long ago. The place is so big that the kids were complaining that they were tired of walking around. Nice thing about it was there was an indoor and outdoor market of your choice. A lot of cheap stuff. Woo. I felt like I was back in the Philippines. We bought some toy binoculars for the kids. We also bought some fruits and vegetables which I found a pretty good price. It was a little bit way down from the house but my oh my still like it there. That was how I spent my Sunday with the family. After that we went to Arby's for dinner. Then went home straight and relaxed.
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