Our Fishy Fish are Going Bye-bye...

Tomorrow, my husband will be taking our 6 pet fish to PetCo to have them find a new home for them since there is no way they'll make the 4-day trip up to the Mid West. We want so bad to just take them with us because they're part of the family now, but we'd rather leave them here than have them die while we're on our way. It's not an easy thing to do, trust me. I have been feeling bad and sad at the same time since that day we've talked about them. We love having pets and it's a shame that we have to leave them and give them away because they've been with us for almost 8 months now. If only there's a way where we can take them with us without worrying that they might die :(

Well, that's just one of the many bitter parts of this "big move". We're leaving the place that we love, our friends, and now, our pets. What else could be more worse than that? But, that's how things are meant to be right now so, we'll just have to suck it up and move on. After all, I don't think 3 years would be that long knowing that we'd be busy with so many things. Before we know it, we're back here in California again. We're being positive right now. We know God will never give us something He knew would never work for our own good.

My husband said we'll get another pet fish the moment we get settled in at our new place. It might take a little while, but I am already looking forward to it :)

Saturday 9: Goodbye To You

Here's to start my Saturday posts with.. [Planning on posting some more today. Hope I can accomplish this task..I'm far behind when it comes to updating my blog and it's a sad truth that makes me feel bad :(]


1. Have you had to say goodbye to a good friend or lover because they were moving? - Yes, a lot of times already. I've said so many goodbyes to some of my college friends because they had to transfer to a different school.

2. Have you ever wanted to use personal information about someone to sort of "blackmail" them? If yes, tell us about it. - No. That's something I definitely wouldn't do. I will never debase myself just to prove something to somebody in any sort, such as mentioned above. Only a person who looks down on him/herself that low would so such thing.

3. What two things influenced the choice of your present job or to stay at home? - Right now, I am a Stay-at-Home-Mom/Wife and the two things that influenced my choice are:
1.) We have a baby to take care of and another one on the way and it's not cheap to pay for daycare here or hire a baby-sitter. And even if it is cheap, my husband and I won't take that option to have somebody else take care of our kids when I can do it at this time.
2.) I've only been here in the US for a year and there's still so much I need to learn. First of, learn how to drive.

4. Do you like warm weather? How warm does it get where you live? What is the best way to spend a hot, summer day? - I like warm weather because it's warm where I am from - Philippines. Here in San Diego, sometimes it can get as warm as 87 degree. For me, the best way to spend a hot summer day is, doing outdoor activities with the family - either at the beach or park.

5. What do you find "hot" in a man/woman? What is the first thing you notice about someone who is hot? Do you ever think of yourself as hot?
- For me, a man is hot when he knows how to carry himself well.
- A man's eyes always attract me first than any other part of his body.
- As a matter of fact, I don't know about myself. [hahaha] I know I feel "hot" when I am pregnant. To me, that is me at my sexiest ;) But, why don't you ask my husband about it? ;)

6. Are you quick to anger? How do you react when you are angry or frustrated? What do you do to cool down? - No. It takes a lot to make me angry. I can get upset but it easily goes away. When I am angry, I [try to] keep quiet because I know it will get worse if I open my mouth and fuel my anger more. I listen to music or I stay away from the person I am angry at, to calm myself down.

7. In your family, who is the least like the rest of you? - My Grandfather. That's why how I wish I could even be at least half of what the kind of person he was, the kind of life he lived, and the pureness of his heart. I am way far from who he was and how well he lived his life that he was able to touch so many people's lives and left a legacy that no one will ever forget.

8. What are a few great books that you've taken along to the beach or on vacation in years past? If you aren't a big reader, what do you do to while away the lazy hours? - Left Behind Series, Wild at Heart, A Rekindled Passion, Love's Abiding Journey

9. Do you like going outside during a thunderstorm and watching the lightening? - A big NO WAY!! Thunder will probably knock me out even before I reach the doorway. Thanks, but NO Thanks!!

Friday Fill-Ins #3

This is a late Friday Fill-Ins post. I didn't know I had it saved instead of published [hehehe]. No wonder why I couldn't see this post on my blog. Anyway, better late than never, right? ;)

And...here we go!

1. To know that you are loved by the people you love feels great.
2. The solution is within yourself. No matter how big your problems seem to be, look deep in to your heart and you will find ways to overcome them.
3. When it's raining, it feels great to fall asleep.
4. How about a slice of white cake?! Hmmm..sounds yummy, but too bad, I have no cake here at home [hehe].
5. Free yourself from stressing out too much, is something I highly recommend!
6. Imagine life without love..
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting enough sleep, tomorrow my plans include staying at home and getting more rest and Sunday, I want to rest again..As much as I want to go out, I just can't do that right now..I have to be extra careful because I am almost about to pop!

"I Want...." Wednesday

This week's questions are:

• What do you WANT to get started on?

To be honest, I really don't know. I have been advised to slow down on doing a lot of things due to my condition, and because of that, I haven't had the interest on starting anything but get as much rest as I possibly can right now...

• What else do you want this week? Share it all.

All I want is for things to work out fine for my family. I want my pregnancy to continue smoothly and I'm praying that the baby will stay inside until he's at least 37 weeks. I'd be happier if he'll actually stay till full term. God's will be done!!

More of "I Want...." Wednesday here:

Change of Plans

Truly, God works in mysterious ways and His ways are not ours, though they work for our own good. Things may not work out according to how we've planned them, but God always sees to it that when He changes some things, the end result is always way better.

We are suppose to start driving to our new place this Friday, but that is not going to happen now. On Monday, when we went to my OB appointment, the doctor found out that I already have started dilating (1cm at 36 weeks). On when it started, I don't know. She told us, tough that it's still would be safe for me to travel, but having a background in medical field, I kind of questioned that inside my head. I know she didn't mean anything bad by still saying that I should be good because some pregnant women can actually still last for weeks without them progressing into labor even if they have started dilating before reaching their full term. But, I knew I needed to talk to another doctor just to be very sure about that. So, I called my Aunt, who was my OB-GYN in the Philippines, and told her about my condition. Guess what? I was right!

She strictly advised me not to risk anything at this time, most especially that I am not even at least on my 37th week of pregnancy. She told me that anything can happen really fast now that I have already dilated and she worries that I might give birth on the way and the baby would still be premature. Not only that. Because my body hasn't really recuperated that well since my first pregnancy, something wrong could also happen to me. That's why we had to reschedule everything again because I need adequate rest and we're waiting for the baby to reach 37 weeks before we can even make any decisions regarding the move. Right now, I am only at 36 weeks and 1 day - 6 more days to go.

I try my best not to stress myself out anymore since I think, stress was the main reason that triggered my early dilation. But sometimes, I really can't help it. We have to think of my husband's job as well because if he doesn't report on time, that could get him in trouble and he needs to be there no later than the 24th of this month. But what can we do when it's not up to us now to decide on when the baby wants to come out? Putting my life and the baby's at risk right now is so not an option.

On Naming Our Boys

Naming a baby, probably, is one thing I can say I am not good at especially when it comes to baby boys. So, just imagine how tough it has been for us to come up with another boy's name since we already used the names for our first son that we actually both love. It wasn't even me who came up with those names. It was John. I just put them together [though he still thinks he deserves all the credits..hehehe]. And now that we're having another baby boy, looking for names that have good meanings took us months before we sat there and finally said, "we like these names (for first and middle names)."

Like our first son's name, I won't disclose right now what the second baby's first name is. And even after we have him, I won't post our kids' full name because of certain reasons I cannot tell. Right now, the only thing I will leave you with are the initials - KG. Yet again, it's my husband who came up with the first name and the second name actually was suggested by my Mother-in-law, which, coincidentally happened to be the only name I've thought of that would fit perfectly with his first name. So, baby boy #2's name would be KG :)

We all can't wait to welcome him into this world. Though Skyler is really still a baby to us and it's just too early for him to have a younger sibling, we know he's going to be a great big brother. There's no doubt about that.

I'm almost due. I feel nervous, though this isn't my first time anymore. But, knowing every pregnancy is not the same, I just can't help but feel that way sometimes. I can only pray that things will go smoothly and that me and the baby will be just fine.

See you soon, Baby K!! :)

Saturday 9: If I Had a Hammer

My first post under Saturday 9. I don't really have much to do right now, so I thought of blogging instead of just watching TV. The little boy is busy in his own world, anyway and I know he'll be fine in there for another couple of minutes :) For now, it's "Mommy Time"...

1. Are you handy with tools? - Yes, I am :) But, I won't say with every tool there is. I actually grew up doing small carpentry with my Grandfather. He taught me well :)

2. What was the best thing that happened to you this week? - Well, it's pretty obvious that every single thing I do that's spent with my boys, for me, is the best thing. But, materially speaking, the best thing that happened to me this week, so far, was when I got a new iPod Nano with video that my husband bought for me :) We both knew I didn't really need a new one because I still have the one that he gave me as a birthday gift 2 years ago, but he said it's an older version, so he still went ahead and got that new iPod for me. Thank you, Mahal! mwaaah..

3. What was the worst thing that happened to you this week? - Few days ago, I had a really bad back pain that I thought I was going into labor. Braxton Hicks contractions really can be scary sometimes..Whew!!

4. Do you think you act your age? - I do my best to, but I don't think I really act my age most of the time. I think I act my shoe size [which is 7], not my age!! My husband often teases me that I am like a little kid with a baby..hahaha

5. Describe an item of clothing that has definitely seen better days but that you refuse to dispose of and still wear. Why won't you toss it? - It's a pink skirt that I got from my Mama. It looks like the skirt worn in the early 80s. I don't want to toss it because it's a gift from my Mother and it means a lot :)

6. What is your favorite summertime beverage? - fruit smoothies.. My husband and I love smoothies so much..not just refreshing, but also healthy :)

7. Have you ever lied about your age? - Honestly speaking, No, I haven't. It's probably one of my personal information that I wouldn't lie about. I am proud of my age! It tells how long I have been on this earth [probably] making other people's lives as miserable as hell!! hahaha [to those who cannot even stand the fact that I actually exist..]

8. What was the most memorable birthday party you've attended? - My husband's birthday last year :) Because not only that it was his first birthday celebration that we were together since we've become a couple, we also celebrated it with our first born!! The first ever birthday celebration as a family :)

9. What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life? - Thunder. I was still in grade school at the time. We were sent home early from school due to a typhoon and on my way home, I heard this really loud roaring sound right above my head and then right after that, a lightning struck and hit a tree that was right in front of me and set it on fire! Since then, every time I hear thunder, I couldn't help but remember that day and it still scares me up to now. If the lightning had struck any lower, it probably could have hit me instead of that tree and burned me alive. I just stood there watching the tree all ablaze. I couldn't remember what happened next. The last thing I knew, I was home but with knees buckling with fear.

Friday Fill-Ins #2

And...here we go!



1. Beach is my favorite place to travel to.
2. When I think about my childhood, I often remember how blessed I am for having to go through everything I did that made me who I am now.
3. Being trustworthy makes for a good friend.
4. The wind in the trees, the rain on my skin, reminds me of how wonderful it truly feels to freely dance in the rain like a child - carefree, not worrying about a single thing - just there, dancing happily.
5. Traveling is so exciting!
6. My best friend knows everything about me.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending as much time as we can for this is our last weekend here in California, tomorrow my plans include going out with my family, hang out with our friends and Sunday, I want to go to the beach and let our son play in the sand - for the first time! [I can only hope it won't be overcast again. It has been like that for the past weekends and how it totally sucked!]

What's Keeping Me Busy?..

Been really busy these past few days and will remain busy till I don't know when..Our upcoming big move has really been stressing us out, but I think we're dealing with it just fine now. This will be my husband's first big move since he's been in the military and I know how tough this is for him. Not only that he needs to worry about almost everything in the house, but he also needs to make sure his family is taken care of and that we got everything we need before we start the long drive up to our [will be] new place. I know it won't be easy on him especially that he's the only one who can drive and not to mention that we have a baby, two dogs, and I am pregnant and will be close to my due date by that time. This fact actually makes me feel bad inside because I know there's only so much I could do to help him out. I really hope I could do more...

Yesterday, somebody from the Household Goods came over to do the survey/inspection as to what things need to get packed out and what they will need to pack each of them with (i.e. box sizes and everything). We had to reschedule the packing date because I still have my last OB appointment here in San Diego on the 7th of this month. So, instead of them coming out here today, they'll be here on the 8th. That's when they'll pack all our stuff out and then come back on the next day to take them.

I do miss blogging and I have so many things to write about. But unfortunately, I just don't have that much of a time right now. Family matters come first. I will be checking posts still, though but I don't think I will be able to write anything till I get extra, extra time.

So many things still to take care of. Now, I have to get two diaper bags ready [our suitcases not included, yet..] and make sure our kids' stuff are good to go. We need to have the new baby's things ready, too just in case. I am on my 35th week of pregnancy now and considering that I had Kai at 37 weeks and 4 days, I don't want to take any chances this time. Better ready than sorry, right?

One of the many advantages of having another boy is, we didn't have to buy a lot of new things except for the ones that Kai had overused and now are too stretched out already for the little one. Most of which are the smaller items [hats, mittens, socks]. We might be needing more bibs but I think we'll just buy them when we get there. So, that basically just saved us time from buying baby stuff. And because we already had our first born, it's a lot easier for us now to know what to expect, what things we need to take with us to the hospital, and more. All we need to worry now is, the long drive up to the Mid West.

We're praying that God will watch over us and get us there safe and sound. And I really am praying that at least, the baby will decide not to come out, yet till we're actually there and at least had a couple of days rest. I know God will be there to help us out and when things get tough, I know He will make sure we will be well taken care of. We trust in Him and believe that everything will work out just fine.

Just Busy...

These past few days, I have been so busy with a lot of stuff that's why I couldn't update my blog as much as I wanted to. There's just so many things to think about right now, and just like what I said on one of my postsWe're Moving...Soon!!, us moving to a totally different place is starting to take its toll on us.

The Campbells

Couple's Corner: We're the Best of Friends

Ever since I have known John, aside from my Grandparents, he's been my best friend ever. As a matter of fact, even before we got into a relationship, I've always had that feeling that I can confide in him and tell him just about anything without having any worries that he might think differently or misjudge me for whatever I've revealed. He's always been open-minded especially when it comes to me divulging my even "worst opinion". John is a great listener and he can give you just the right advice and comfort when you need one.

Us being the best of friends is just beyond words. The feeling of joy, love, respect for each other in spite of the fact that we are two very different individuals and we will always have different views and opinion on things, and the fact that we're given the chance to be able to do stuff together as a couple are what I am truly grateful for.

John is my strength when I am weak. He picks me up every time I fall down. He puts back the smile on my face whenever I am sad. He takes care of me when I am not feeling well and makes sure that everything is fine.

I love times when we just sit back, relax, and talk. Doesn't matter what topic, we never run out of things to talk about. It can be about a news we saw on TV, show we're watching, a movie we watched, about our day -- his at work and mine here at home with our son -- just anything. We both enjoy and love sharing ideas and exchanging opinion. And I believe that it's great for a couple to have this type of bond where you both aren't scared to tell each other everything you want to say. Communication is very, very important and I thank God we communicate well with each other. It's a big help in our marriage. Reaching out to one another has never been this wonderful and easy!

My husband and I share no secrets from each other. We've made a promise that never again will one hide something from the other. We've learned our lessons from the past and we realized that we got nobody else but each other, so we take very good care of everything that God has blessed us with - most especially, the gift of FRIENDSHIP!!

We value our being husband and wife and every single thing that came along with it when we got married. And if there's one thing we truly give our all to take care of and make sure it never will be broken is, the bond of Friendship.

It's such great of a feeling when you know you can call somebody "a friend". So, how much more when you actually have someone you can call your "Best friend"?!...

Come, Join The Fun!!

I got this invitation from a very nice person who left a comment on one of my posts. I clicked on the blog and started reading about the Blog Party and I found it appealing and fun. I decided to join because I want to know more about the other blog owners out there. I think it's an awesome idea to get to know a person more behind every post we love to read on a daily basis. Not only that it'll give us the chance to gain more friends here, we'll also get to learn new things, lessons, experiences, and a lot more from these people who are so dedicated to share their lives to everybody.

To me, blogging is a great pastime. But, there's more to it than just unmitigated writing and posting whatever you please to. To some people out there, your simple posts may have just enlightened them, inspired them, or changed their perspectives in life -- you just don't know. That's why I want to keep on sharing whatever I can, in any way I can, hoping that our story will inspire somebody. It may not be today, but I know, it soon will happen....

So, if you're interested to join, just click on the badge below and be redirected to the Blog Party!!

HAVE FUN EVERYONE!!

Campbell's Weekend #1

Well, we didn't really get to spend the weekend at the beach like I've been wanting us to. Saturday turned out to be overcast and it can be chilly especially once it starts getting late. But, we didn't let it stop us from going out and spending quality time as a family. Here are some of what we did this weekend:

1. Saturday.

• My husband ended up driving us to Camp Pendleton, along the beaches in San Onofre, San Clemente, and there's another one I forgot the name. [Oopss, getting old!!]..We wanted to get out of the car and take a short walk but, we couldn't find a spot to park the car. The places were so packed that we just decided to leave and plan on going back on a weekday.
  
• Of course, --I fell asleep in the car on our way back and was awaken by a gentle touch on my face -- it was my husband trying to surprise me with something. And it was indeed a sweet, sweet surprise because when I opened my eyes, there it was, right in front of me, "Baskin Robbins" baby..Yey!! He let me have one scoop of ice cream, of my choice [Gold Medal Ribbon]. Believe me, he always wants me to pick the "no-sugar added" ice cream and I don't like it!! hehe I want it to be sweet!! I am just happy that this time, he let me do the picking.
• Then, we went to Target to do a little grocery shopping. And before we knew it, it was time to go home...

1. Sunday.

• Today, we didn't really get to go out. I started not feeling good around afternoon time and we decided to just stay at home and relax. We kind of wanted to go out again but, my tummy was tightening up and there's no way I could last a drive without feeling uncomfortable and even end up having that back pain I really hate the most when I am pregnant. Hopefully, we could do more next weekend.

Friday Fill-Ins #1

Thank God it's Friday..again!! Looking forward to a wonderful and fun weekend with my boys!!

And for today's Friday Fill-Ins -- read on...

And...here we go!

1. I'd like us to go visit my family in the Philippines soon.
2. One of my most favorite romantic memories is seeing John for the very first time back in 2007.
3. Last night, I had rice, egg, and spam for dinner.
4. Sorry for the inconvenience?!.
5. Can we get Baskin Robbins now?
6. One of my worst temptations is eating food high in sugar; sweets are just so hard to resist!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to an early bedtime, tomorrow my plans include us going to the beach and Sunday, I want to go out for a drive with my boys!

"I Want...." Wednesday #77

My first entry... And this week's questions are:

What do you WANT for yourself today?

I want to fly back home -- if I could -- even just for a day to see my family again. I haven't seen them for almost a year now and this is the very first time that I've been away from them for so long.
I want to eat "Ensaymada" from Goldilocks. Been craving for this for months now ;( Too bad I couldn't drive to get it myself. Wish I am in the Philippines so I could just go to the nearest store and buy as many as I want. *sigh*
And oh, before I forget -- get to eat some Baskin Robbins!! sooo yummy, I miss it a lot! Being pregnant is not allowing me to have as much as I can eat. And when I say "as much as I can eat", I mean a looooooooooot of ice cream ;)

What else do you want this week? Share it all.

This one is not for myself, but for our son. I wish we could get him a convertible seat this week because his infant car seat is already small for him.
I want us to spend the weekend at the beach. No swimming, yet because I bet the water would be cold. I just want us to hang out together, spend quality time as a family, get some fresh air, and hopefully tan!! hahaha

How about you? What do you want for today and for this week?
Read more interesting answers on:

Couple's Corner: When We Watch Movie Together

Watching movies is one of the many things my husband and I love doing together. We can watch almost any type of movie. There's just one movie genre that sometimes, I can't stand watching without me making so much noises -- war movies -- especially those that are based in real life and involve military people. I don't know why, but since I met John and him being in the military, I cannot bear watching movies like that anymore. I guess it's because I am scared of the "fact" behind that. It's just me. I am a military wife and I know I am a tough one, but that doesn't mean I don't have fears.

Anyway, it's been almost a year now [May 2009] since we last went to a movie theater and the last movie we watched was A Haunting in Connecticut. It was also my first time to watch a movie here in the US. But, now that we already have a baby, we can no longer go out and watch movies like we used to. We just can't take our son with us, yet. He can be so loud! So, we always watch here at home. John rents movies from Redbox and we have Netflix so, we never worry about not being able to watch nice movies on the big screen. [Though it could be great to do so, especially if the movie's in 3D.]

Between the two of us, I'm the one who talks a lot while watching. I mean, not that I talk all throughout the movie, but every now and then, I voice out about my feelings or opinion on a certain scene. It kind of gives us chance to exchange different ideas about the movie we're watching, especially if it's something we both really, really like. When we're watching war movies (he makes me watch with him..hehe), I ask him questions. Not that I am totally unaware of everything, but I like it when he shares his knowledge and when he gives me answers more than I was expecting out of him. I love it when he "educates" me about life in general.

I really love moments like this when we just sit back and relax while enjoying a good movie at the same time. I love resting my head on his shoulder or just us holding hands. Nothing compares to the happiness that simple moments can bring. And though our little buddy here gets loud at times [and most of the time, he chooses to scream at the top of his lungs on the best parts of the movie], we still love having him around us while we're watching. It's our family time ;)

And last but not the least, here's one thing that my husband did for me that I will never forget. He watched High School Musical 3 with me!! He never likes movies like this, but because he knew I've been wanting to see it, he gave up the movie he wanted to watch so bad so we could go and watch the movie I want! To me, that was just way beyond sweet ;)

Read more stories here:

I finally joined the weekly tasks ;)

Yesterday, I posted my first ever weekly task under the Mellow Yellow Monday meme. I had such fun doing it that I decided to join almost all the weekly tasks that I found on my friends' blogs. So far, I joined 4 weekly tasks already but I haven't posted about the rest, yet because the topics follow a certain date as to when they should be written and published.

I find this fun and helpful in times you really don't know what to write. It's not just a simple task, it somehow serves as a guide for you to come up with something worth writing about. Not to mention that they have cool and fun-to-write-about topics. I'm just glad I finally made up my mind to join when I did. Now, I always have something to look forward to almost every day of the week.

Mellow Yellow Monday #1: Kai's First Toothbrush

This is my first time to join the Mellow Yellow Monday meme. I found out about this from my friend, Ate Anne. I decided to join because it looks fun!!

Enjoy my first entry...

Our son, Skyler started teething at 6 months but the first tooth didn't show up till he was almost 7 months old. And now that he's got almost 4 teeth, as parents, one of our many responsibilities is, to make sure they get cleaned at least twice a day - morning and before bedtime. We just started training him so we really don't do the twice-a-day-cleaning right now. His Dad got him a toothpaste as well, but I am not using it, yet. I'll start when he's comfortable using his toothbrush and he can at least take its taste. He can be picky sometimes. When he doesn't like something, he won't take it no matter what you try to do to make him. Period. It's even always a battle between me and him every day when it comes to his vitamins. He simply doesn't like the taste.

The first time I tried brushing his teeth, his upper gum bled a little bit. I felt so bad! But, I guess it was from him trying to block my hand and turning his head to get away from it. He doesn't want anybody touching his gum right now, probably because it's still sensitive due to his teething. I'm just glad that he's already starting to get comfortable with it. He still gets a little "hardheaded" when it's 'brush time', but I am more than determined to not let him get his way and instill this habit or else he'll grow up not giving any importance in oral care.

Keeping your baby's teeth clean is more important than you may realize. Baby teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth and are more vulnerable to the bacteria that cause decay. Decay in a baby's tooth is swift and destructive; it quickly penetrates the enamel, then the dentin, and then infects the nerve.

Baby teeth eventually fall out, so why should it matter if they are lost early? Most dentists believe that baby teeth should remain in the mouth as long as possible, to serve as placeholders for the adult tooth that will follow. When baby teeth are lost early, the surrounding teeth often tilt and move toward the empty space. This can cause the permanent teeth to come in crooked.

We're Moving...Soon!!

Here soon, we'll be moving out of California. Sad, but true. Both I and my husband feel the same way about this matter, but there's nothing we could do. That's the life of a Military family! Where it sends us is where we'll go.

We'll be moving to the Midwest. That's where we'll be for the next three years. Good thing is that, Skyler and the next baby are still too young to remember this or else it would suck moving the kids from one place to another and having them start from scratch all over again. To me, that's the only thing I really don't like about this [except packing and unpacking, literally, a whole house!!], even for us. We feel sad because all of our good friends are here in California. My sister and some of our relatives are here as well. The new place we're moving to has totally nobody that we know, none at all!! John has to start from zero, too. He said he probably won't see anybody at his new workplace that he knew from his previous "jobs". I can somehow feel what he feels. It's not easy to establish trust and make people like you right away, especially when you're new to them. But, I have no doubt that he'll be just fine. One thing that I've always admired about John is, the way he associates with people around him. He can make them laugh, enjoy a great conversation with him, and he makes friends with people easily. And that means them actually liking him for just being him -- just the way he is. He doesn't even have to try. It comes out of him naturally - every time.

One thing, too that we look at this is, a plan that God already set for us. Maybe we need some changes; new place, new job, new everything! As a family, we probably need this. And we have this hope that this, too will help John's career in the Navy. Well, we all know that everything works for our good, according to His will. So, we're keeping our faith and hopes up and we're praying that no matter where He sends us, He'll always be there to help and guide us.

To the Greatest Grandfather in the World: HAPPY 81st BIRTHDAY!!

April 10, 2010. Today would have been our Grandfather's 81st birthday. Back at home, they celebrated his first death anniversary and birthday at the same time and held a family reunion and thanksgiving as well (for my cousins; Alisa [M.D.], Ice [RN], Steven [Culinary Arts], Jasmine [RN], and Dreidelle [RN]). They chose this date since it's vacation time there so everybody can attend. His first death anniversary was on March 9, but because almost everybody and half of the family live in the city, they had to reschedule it.

How I wish we could have been there to celebrate this day with our family. I know it won't be a very happy birthday celebration since the "celebrator" is no longer with us, but it's family time and being with them gives enough comfort to each and everyone of us. Right now, that's all that matters - being there for each other. I honestly am wondering how our Grandma's doing and dealing with this right now. I am sure, above anyone else, she's the one hurting the most and how I wish we could make it better for her. But, she's a very brave and strong woman. I know she'll be fine.

I want to write so much about how grateful I am to God, that for 23 long years, Grandpa was a big part of my life - and even if he's no longer with us, he will always be a part of our lives. All I could say right now is, he was the greatest man I have ever met in my entire being, the greatest Grandfather anyone could ever have, and the wisest man I have ever known.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDFATHER EZEKIEL!! WE LOVE YOU AND WE MISS YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!!

Thursday Thoughts: Missing Home!!

Every time I miss home, the first thing I do is look at our photos. It hasn't even been a year, yet since I left Philippines, but to me, it already feels like forever. I miss my family so much! I miss just spending time with them. True, there's no place like home. But, where I am at now is my new home - with my two precious boys and another one on the way. I can never complain. There is absolutely no reason to. And I have enough blessings to be grateful to God for.

Though missing home makes me sad, the fact that I am never away by heart is enough reason for me to still smile and face each brand new day with hopes that we will be together soon. Oh, I can't wait for us to go home so they can finally meet our boys. Everybody back home has been wanting to see us all, especially the kids now. I can't wait to take Skyler to the beach and let him get a tan!! [hahaha] Both my boys need to tan!! And me, too...

There's just so much I miss about home. Friends, food, beautiful places and beaches, and a lot more.

So, Philippines/Samar, see you again .. very soon!!

Here are some photos I would like to share. They're taken 2 nights before we left Philippines. Just a small family get-together.

view/hide photos here

(click on photo to enlarge)

[guess they were trying to be funny ;)]

[with Papa, Mama, and my sister, Hazel]

[they're watching Pacman's fight from our neighbor's TV. LOL!!]

[I miss them so much!! ;( especially the kids..]