A Little Update, and Happy Holidays To All!

I know, I've been away for quite awhile now. With everything that just happened (the death of my Grandmother), I still find it hard to sit here and focus on writing, though, I have a lot in my head to say.  I just don't know how to start right now.  It feels like, I still don't have that energy to do the usual things I was doing before that sad news.  I miss her terribly, every moment!  On the day of her funeral (December 21, 2012 - Philippine time - still December 20th here), I did nothing but cry.  I wanted to do things to hopefully keep my mind busy, but I couldn't.  I sat there and watched a funny movie on TV.  But while the people were doing crazy and funny stuff on the screen that normally would make you laugh, I was crying my eyes out.  Except for taking care of the kids, I didn't do anything else.  I attempted to write on this blog, but I only ended up making 3 different rough drafts of some things I really had no idea about.  I don't even recall why I started writing them in the first place.  That's how mentally blocked I was.  And, oh, I even forgot that the day of Nana's funeral was supposedly "the end of the world" as well.  Well, whoever said that probably now is planning on rescheduling it to whenever they feel like it's "time again".  (I'm kidding...)  I just wish people would stop doing that.  If you read the Bible, there's no such thing that says a person can be able to tell when Jesus Christ is coming again.  Nobody knows.  Not even the Son, only our Heavenly Father.  All we're certain about is, He is coming again and it's going to happen.  Let's just not create false stories just to have something for people to talk and worry about.  There are other things going on that need more attention than this.

I feel somewhat better now.  Not completely all right, but getting there.  I don't know if I'm grieving the right way, but I am allowing myself to go through the process.  It's hard, but I need to.  I need it.

 

Anyway, so much for me rambling.  I didn't write this to make the readers feel bored about me going through the same thing over and over again.  I am also here to greet each and everyone of you, Happy Holidays!  May you all feel the truest spirit of Christmas, and may our good Lord bless and keep you!  

I'm greeting you all in advance because my Mother-in-law will spend the holidays with us.  She's arriving today, as a matter of fact.  And just in case I find no time to greet you on Christmas Eve, I better do it now.

I still plan on writing blog posts even while she's here.  If you're a reader of this blog, you'd notice that most of my posts were published early mornings between 12 - 4AM.  That's because I get to work and focus on writing when everyone else is in bed.  But since my Mother-in-law would be here for a week, I really don't plan on staying up late just to write, and keep her up.  Plus, we need to spend time with her, so you would hardly catch me online during her stay.

Well, that's all for now...

Wishing everyone A Blessed and Joyous Christmas! 

Another Tough Part

Here comes the other tough part that we all need to go through for Nana - the eulogy.  Though the date of her funeral remains unclear right now (they haven't decided yet whether to have it held on the 20th or the 22nd of this month), seems like some of our family members have started making their eulogy already.

When Grandpa passed away, at his funeral, the ones given the chance to give their last words, one by one, were his eight children, apart from the other closest friends he had.  To save time, because there were a lot of us, when it came to the grandchildren, only my sister, being the oldest, gave the eulogy in behalf of all of us.  What we did was, each of us (14 grandchildren) wrote something about our Grandpa and the fondest memories we had with him, and my sister read them.

This time, since the older grandchildren couldn't make it to Nana's funeral, the 8th oldest grandchild, our cousin, Dreidelle, will give the eulogy in behalf of us.  I talked to her earlier on the phone and she said she's starting to make hers, and that we can just send her ours when we get done.

Having to write something about Nana and remembering all the beautiful memories I had with her, it's like taking a knife and stabbing my own heart with it with every word I have to write.  Oh, trust me, I can write an article about her, and I can go on and on and on.  D even reminded me not to write something too long.  She knows when I write, I say a lot.  I just don't know where to start again.  It's as tough as it was for Grandpa.  They were two great people!  As a matter of fact, the greatest I've met in my entire being, and writing something short won't even come close to giving justice to who and what they really were.  I wish I can write a short message with everything important I want the people to know about her.  And for sure, the minute I start writing, I'm going to end up crying till I probably get done.  But like what my Mama always tells me, cry if you want to.  Just cry it out.  It's all right to cry.

I will devote time writing my euology later on today.

It hurts!  It still doesn't seem real to me.  I can still hear her sweet voice and laughter in my ears from that very last time we talked.

Nana, why did you have to leave? :( 

Why Business Cards are Important

My uncle who lives in our province is starting a gas station business (franchise). I don't know when they're actually officially launching it, but I know it was in the process.  I have seen photos of the place being built and looked like it was almost done.  Here soon, once they start operating, he will need some type of business card to help him attract more costumers.  Business cards in VA would be a big help if he only lives here in the US.  Business cards will help him a lot in our province since we really don't have any other means to spread the news, except of course, through words being spread by mouth.

Another helpful thing a business card can do is, if you like traveling, which my uncle does due to the type of job he has, carrying business cards with you will help advertise what business you own by giving them out to people.  Business card also allows people to know something about you.  If you have a well-presented business card, people will give out that first impression of you being a really responsible, dedicated, and hardworking businessman.  It might actually even attract other investors.  Who knows, right?

It is on a business card, too where one can present or highlight the type of services they provide to costumers.  A business survives because of its regular costumers, and adding new ones will definitely help out a lot.

I hope my uncle will be able to find a place where he can get the type of business card he will need for his business.  He will need the help of the expert so he won't have to worry about a single thing when it comes to that.  All he will need to focus on is, selling his product to the people.

I wish him well!  I know he will do great in the business he chose to manage.

I Need An Eye Appointment

It's been what, 6 years since my last eye check-up!?  I cannot believe I've lasted that long without having my annual eye appointment with an Optometrist!  I should have gone every year because with the type of eye problem that I have, an appointment every 6 months to a year is a must.  But, I haven't been diligent when it comes to that, so I really have nobody to blame but myself.  Now, I think I'm finally taking a dose of my own medicine.

The other day, because of lack of sleep as well, when I got out of bed, I started feeling dizzy and I saw the walls in our room started rotating.  I had to lay back down for a few minutes till I began feeling a little better.  At first, I thought it was all because of me staying up late and crying at the same time.  Then, I thought, oh, I might just be hungry.  So, to take that suspicion off my head, I went to the kitchen and fixed me something to eat while the kids were still asleep.  I felt even more better after that, so I was like, OK, maybe I was just hungry.  Then, I turned on the computer to check on my blog and FBF for the daily threads.  For a few minutes, I was still fine.  Until, I started feeling dizzy again.  I was reading a post on Facebook when I noticed the letters were bouncing up and down.  I rubbed my eyes twice just to clear them, but nothing.  I stopped and looked around me, and that's when it started again - the walls were moving around me, as if it were part of a movie scene.  I felt nauseated, but I fought the urge of wanting to throw up.  I closed my eyes for a few, and when I opened them, my sight was blurry.  It was as if I was standing behind a stained glass window looking outside.  It didn't feel unfamiliar because I've had those kind of instances even when I was younger.  It just felt weird to have to experience it again after a long time.  That's when I knew I was feeling that way because of my eye problem.  The symptoms were the same.  And, of course, the remedy was the same as well.  I went into the bathroom, took the kids' wash cloth, soaked it in luke warm water, rinsed it, and I placed it on top my eyes while I sat and relax.  I did that for a few minutes, then, I started feeling better.  I think I overtired myself from staying up so late the night before-and the night before that, too.

Funny, I even told my Grandma about this the last time we talked.  I told her I was beginning to have poor eyesight again and that I was having the same symptoms I used to have years ago.  And she said, "Your sight has always been poor.  You probably haven't been taking care of it like you're supposed to, have you?"

It was her who actually said that I might need to start wearing eyeglasses again.  She told me to go see a doctor immediately.  I told her I will, and this time, I will do it.

I don't know if I like the idea of wearing eyeglasses again.  I've stopped using it like 5 years ago.  I would only wear it back home when I was having a hard time reading.  And at the time, I was into reading books.  But I have never really worn one like I used to do when I was in grade school and high school.  I know it will definitely feel weird on me again.  But, if that will help me, by all means, I'll do it.  

I think a pair of eyeglasses is better than using an eye drop again that used to give me that burning pain in my eyes that I hated.  Ah, I hated that!

Compilation of Music for Nana's Burial Service

My sister plays the piano. She's really good at it. Well, why wouldn't she be?  Her first teacher was none other than our dearest Grandma. She devoted her time in teaching us how to play piano (I didn't go all the way because I was interested in a different instrument that time that's why I'm not as good as my sister is.  In fact, I'm don't even come close).   And now, it's our turn to return the favor.

I spoke to my sister yesterday and she told me she's creating a compilation of some of Nana's favorite hymns, and she's going to send them home so they could play it on the day of her burial service.  I think she came up with such a brilliant idea.  Because we couldn't go home, she wants to make sure she gives something back and to let Nana know that even though we're too far, in our hearts, we are with her and our family back home.

I don't know what my sister is going to use to create the music she plans on recording for Nana.  I think if she has something like an ni maschine she could use to create a computer-based music, she might come out with even better music quality.  With how well she plays the piano, I have no doubt, she'll do great.

As far as what I want to do, I plan on recording a song and send it, hopefully, together with my sister's music compilation.  I will sing one of our favorite hymns that I loved singing while our Grandma played the piano for me.  I actually already practiced today, but I didn't get to finish the song without me sobbing almost in between lines.  I will have to make sure I learn how to control my emotions while making the video, or else, it won't come out good.  I can't promise I won't cry, but I will do my best to at least make a decent one for Nana.  I hope we get to send it on time!  And I am sure Grandma will love them! :) 

Half Day Off from My Boys

Yesterday, my husband decided to take the boys with him to work.  He said he wanted take them outside, and I think he did that, too because he wanted me to have more time alone.  He probably could have taken all 3 kids if only he can manage all 3 of them all by himself.  I couldn't thank him enough for doing what he did.  I did get some time because all I had to take care of was our little girl.  My boys were gone the netire afternoon.  They came home at around 8:30 last night.  My husband said, the boys had a blast!  He let them play in his office, took them to the Navy Exchange, let them walk around base, and they even went to get the car washed before heading home.  The funny thing was, when they got home, my husband came to me and said, "You probably won't like what I have to tell you."  In the back of my head I was like, "Oh, now what!?"

He told me that he let the boys play with dry-erase markers, and they've marked their pants and coats.  He said, they even wrote on his couch.  Well, not a really good thing because today, when I did their laundry, I had to hand wash their pants and coats first with marks on them before throwing them in the washer.  I had to make sure the stains were gone.  But while I was washing their clothes, I was smiling.  With everything that my husband told me about, I know my boys had a fun day just the three of them.  They needed that - Father and Sons' Day Out.

Anyway, yesterday, at first, I tried taking a nap a few minutes after they left.  I wanted to catch up on some sleep because I haven't had any decent amount of it since the day I found out my Nana passed away.  But it's been tough!  Every time I am alone and in a quiet room, I break down.  I cry all the time.  I couldn't help it.  It's even harder for me right now because I cannot make it home to see her even just for the last time.  Tickets are ridiculously expensive!  There's no way we can afford it right now if I want to make it home in time for her burial.  Every time I think about it, my heart dies a little  inside me.  I want to go home so badly, but I can't!

That's what I've been thinking a lot about yesterday.  If only I can make it home...

My husband is more than willing to let me go home, if only we have the money to cover all of the expenses.  He said, if we only have the money, I can go home any day I want now.  He will take care of the rest as far as the kids are concerned.  There's no way I can even take at least one of our children with me.  With how sudden things happened, we had no time to prepare for the stuff they will need (e.g. passport and kids' stuff).  Passport alone can take weeks.  So, even if we really had the money, I'm the only one who can make it home.

Maybe Next Winter?

We are experiencing a really weird weather this year.  Looks like this is the first year, in a very long time, this place hasn't had snow yet till now. It's almost in the middle of December, and it feels just like spring.  I'm kind of sad because I really do want to experience a white Christmas this year.  Although I really am not looking forward to celebrating Christmas, I just want it to snow.  I know I have said it so many times before, that I hate it when it gets too cold because I am not used to it, but I didn't mean for it to actually not totally snow when we're already supposed to be getting some.  What is going on in the world?  It seems like it's changing every year - and the change is actually scaring me.

Anyway, I was kind of hoping to get a really nice winter coat this year since I really haven't bought one before.  I decided to hold off because I was pregnant during the first winter, and last year, I still had some "baby weight" left, so I chose not to buy something yet.  I didn't want to go for a bigger size coat knowing that I could still lose some pounds, which I had, that's why I'm glad I held off when I did.  I was looking forward to getting one this year, but looks like I might not be needing it at all.  Too bad because I was looking at this  patagonia tres parka coat, and it's really nice and durable one.  I know it's a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.  I mean, it's perfect for the coldest times of the year because it's waterproof and windproof.  And the Wind Chill factor during winter?  Oh, that's the killer right there!  The wind is what makes it even more colder, especially when it's snowing, that's why a really nice coat is a must.  And if you want a nice one, you know you have to really spend on it.  But, I honestly think it's not splurging money if you want to buy something nice because you actually need it, not because you just want to have it for other purposes.

Well, if not now, maybe some other time.  Or, I can still go ahead and get one and just hold on to it till I need it.  Yet again, maybe not.  For the meantime, I'll settle with what I have.  Anyway, like what I said, we still haven't had snow yet, and looks like we're not be getting any, so I really am not worried about going out in layers of clothes right now.  We'll see here in the next couple of weeks, though.

That's It For Now...

Can you see any difference?  (Hehehe.)  I still am not done editing this blog, but I need to go to bed now.  It's almost 4:30 in the morning, and I'm suppose to wake up early because I'm going out with a friend to get a haircut.  Yes, hubby will be staying at home with the kiddos.  I need to get out of the house.  It may not be for long, but I'm sure it'll help.

So, I will see you all again later on.  I've got posts to write, and I need to get those done before midnight tonight.

Goodnight!  And, good morning!

I'm So Indecisive!

Please, bear with my messy blog right now.  I'm in the middle of "renovating" the entire page.  You might have noticed that I changed the background, banner, and color theme.  And you may even see me switch my template back and forth till I finalize everything.  I really don't know what color to use right now.  I'm just trying on anything I can think of.

Yes, I am being indecisive.  I think it's also because my mind isn't a hundred percent into what I'm doing.  I think I'm only just looking for something to keep my mind busy right now.  If you haven't read my previous post yet, then, you will not understand why.

I've had my old template for more than a year now.  I think it's my turn now to change everything and create a new look for my blog. I've seen other blogs that had undergone changes already, and I want so badly to edit mine as well.  But with what just happened, I can barely focus.  So, if you see my design bouncing back and forth, it's me tweaking the codes.  I kind of know what I want, I'm just not getting there yet.  I have found a background I want to use, but I still can't find some stuff to go along with it.  It's tough when I hardly know how to use Photoshop.  So much I want to do... (sigh)

I probably am going to stay up again tonight.  I will try my hardest to get as much work done as I can on this blog.  Besides, I keep calling home (Philippines) every couple of hours anyway, so I need to stay up, regardless.

So, let the "renovation" begin -- all over again!

In Shock... In Denial... In Pain from Losing a Loved One..

First and foremost, I am crying while typing this, just to let you know.  It's almost 4 in the morning, but I'm still wide awake.  I can't sleep.  I don't want to.  Right now, the only thing that'll make me want to go to sleep is, if someone would tell me that everything was just a dream.  That if I wake up in the morning, she'd still be there - alive and well.  But, no!  She won't.  Because today, Wednesday, 12-12-12, at 1:30 AM (Philippine time), our dearest Grandmother went home to our Creator.  She died peacefully at 91, due to aneurysm of heart.

I should be in bed, but I cannot stop myself from crying, and I don't want to wake my husband up because he still needs to be up early for work.  He has done nothing today but comfort me.  When I found out the news from my Mama over the phone, I immediately called my husband at work and told him about Nana, and he rushed home to be with me.  I have been crying for hours now.  I try not to.  I try to get myself busy by doing stuff I don't even need to do just so I don't have to think about it too much, but with every attempt I made, I failed.  She was the only one we've got left, and now, she's gone, too.  (Grandpa already went home 3 years ago.)  And before Christmas?  Do you have any idea how much I am hurting right now?  How much I wish I have the power to fly and be there beside her right now?  I don't care if she can't see nor hear me anymore.  I just want to, for the last time, hold her, talk to her, and tell her how much I love her.  She was my best friend.  The only one who knows me inside out.  The one who always knew the joy and pain in my heart even before I could tell her.  So, do you have any idea now how much I am dying inside because I know she will never be there anymore when I need her?

I haven't even gotten over my Grandpa's death completely, and now, I have to let all of this sink in - and I can't!  That's life?  Right.  Who am I to question God for His timing, His plans, and everything?  But, I cannot help but ask Him, why too soon?  Why couldn't You at least let her live a little longer for me to at least see her one more time?  To have given her the chance to see my kids even for the first and last time?  Was asking for her to be with us longer, too much to ask?

In all honesty, right now, I couldn't even look at our Christmas tree.  Two weeks before Christmas. Two weeks!?  Did God need her to be back with Him so badly that He had to take her now?  Did God forget that we needed her more than He probably does?

I want to go to sleep right now, not because I am tired or my body needs it.  I want to sleep hoping that when I wake up, everything was but a dream...

What Should I Ask for this Christmas?

I honestly don't care whether I get something this Christmas or not.  I think my husband has already given me enough as far as gifts.  I got a new phone as an anniversary gift, the new Just Dance 4 game, a portable Magic Wand Scanner, and some other stuff.  I never asked for any of those, but he bought them anyway.  He said he knew I'd like them, that's why he got them for me.  And, I cannot be more grateful to him for being thoughtful and for doing things that he knows will make me happy - big or small.

This past Saturday, the iPod Nano case and screen protector that he ordered arrived in the mail.  While putting the case on, he came into the kitchen and showed me what he got and said he would like to get me the same iPod Nano, if I want to.  I told him I don't need a new one since I still have the iPod he gave me 2 years ago.  It's still in perfect condition.  Then, he popped the question.

"Baby, what would you want for Christmas, then?"

I told him the truth, that I don't need anything anymore.  I already got a lot and I'm happy with what I've got.  He said I've got to at least have something.  And that left me thinking whether I'd say yes, or no.

Well, I'd be a hypocrite if I said I don't have a Christmas wishlist.  I mean, regardless of me not wanting to get any presents, I still made one, just for the idea of it.  Who doesn't love making a Christmas wishlist anyway?  And if I say yes, here are some from my wishlist.  No, I am not asking for all of them!  Just one.  And I'm not going for anything expensive.

Korean rice spoon and chopsticks set only $10 on ebay

I love watching Korean TV shows and that's where I got this idea from.  I like watching them eat using this type of spoon, and I want to try it as well.  After all, I'm a Filipino who eats rice every day.  Perfect excuse. (Hehehe.)

4-piece canister set $49.99 on ebay

And this canister set, I've been wanting to get one for a long time now.  I think it's about time I get one for the house.  I want to have containers for the flour, pasta noodles, sugar, and anything I could put in one of them.  I have canisters here, but I would love to own something that matches.

My wishlist, really, isn't just for me.  It's like me asking for something that we actually all can use.  The rice spoon, well, I'd probably be the only one who'll use it.  But the chopsticks, my husband can use them.  He uses chopsticks when he's eating sushi, so he can have that.

But, I was just thinking...

If he said he'd buy me an iPod Nano if I want one, then, maybe I can ask him for something that isn't as pricey as the iPod, but is more useful to me than that.

I'm talking about a new computer desk - the one I can put in the corner.  I've always loved the corner computer desk; how it's designed and that it has rooms for your stuff.  Because of our limited space in this house we're renting, the computer is sitting in the corner next to the wall. But since it's not a corner desk, it doesn't seem to fit right.  Besides, we've had this desk for a while now, and it actually has some loose screws due to it being moved when we got here.

this is not the style I want.  Just showing this as an example I saw on ebay.

The photo above is something I found on ebay while I was browsing around.  This isn't the one I've been looking for, but it's close enough.  I have a friend who bought a new corner desk from Walmart and it was cheap!  I saw the photo and I fell in love with it!  And the price?  Oh, way CHEAPER than the iPod Nano!

So, what do you think?  Which one should I go for?

So Exhausted!

I finally started cleaning our kitchen today.  I also rearranged some stuff to make more room to move around.  My Mother-in-law is arriving in two weeks and I want to get the whole house ready for her holiday stay with us.  Our house is not a big house, but it definitely takes time to clean everything.

I wanted to write more blog posts tonight, but my back is hurting.  I moved the computer desk to a different location, and pushing it back and forth till I finally found the right place for it, made my back hurt and my arm muscles sore right now.  I think I will just write tomorrow.  I really need to hit the hay now.  I am so exhausted!

Wishing everyone a fun-filled weekend!  We have no plan for this weekend as far as going out because the forecast said (I don't know if it'll change or not) we'll be getting snow today.  About time we get snow this year!  We're almost in the middle of December and we haven't gotten snow yet.  If the forecast was right, I might actually wake up to a nice white morning -- for the first time this December - and I'm looking forward to it.  I really want snow because it's our last winter here.

So, please, Mother Nature, if you're reading this, WE WANT SNOW, A.S.A.P.! Bow!

Goodnight folks!  See you all later on today! :)

Loving My New iPhone5!

Exactly a week ago, my new iPhone5 arrived.  After almost 4 weeks of waiting, I finally got it!  I love the new look, the bigger size screen, the lightness and the thinness of the phone!  I chose white this time because the 2 previous iPhone I had were both black.  I really didn't like black as much as I like the white one because sometimes, the phone case that I liked didn't really match with the black iPhone.  With white, any girly phone case would match perfectly.  And the case I have on my phone now looks very cute.  It's transparent, but the sides are pink, and I love it!

I still am playing with the phone and trying to find out how some new apps that are on there actually work.  Its got new cool features and I barely know how to use them.  Right now, I just am having fun downloading apps from the App Store and learning how to use them at the same time.  But no, I don't buy apps, unless I need them.  I only download free ones.

One cool feature I love is, Siri.  Who doesn't know Siri!?  (Hehehe.)  I love using it when I feel too lazy to type something, like update my Facebook status.  But most of the time, I use it just to play with it.  Siri is simply entertaining, that's all I can say.

I also tried the new Panorama feature on the camera.  I only used it once, and I loved it!  Here's the photo I took using panoramic view with the iPhone5 camera.

Now, I can take even better pictures just using my phone.  I love taking photos!  But most of the time, I don't like carrying my big camera when we go out because it's bulky.  I only use it when an actual camera is necessary to take certain pictures.

I'm so thankful that my husband got me this phone!  I love it and I enjoy using it a lot!  I couldn't ask for any better phone in the world! (Hehehe.)

Goodbye, TFC?

Here soon, we will need to start getting our stuff ready for another big move.  We're looking at an entire household goods that need to be packed.  Although, we're not going to be the ones to pack most of our belongings (the military provides movers who will do most of the packing and stuff), we know we still have so much to do as well.  Only a couple more months, and we're officially out of here.

A few days back, my husband and I had a talk about whether I want to keep my Filipino channel, or if I want to just cancel it since we're almost about to go anyway.  At first, I was left speechless. I didn't know what to tell him.  And though, I rarely watch all the shows and channels, I still felt a bit sad about the thought that I won't have any Filipino shows to watch anymore.  To be exact, I only watch 5 different shows; TV Patrol (news), KrisTV, The Buzz, ASAP, and MMK.  The rest, I really don't pay much attention to them.  So, when I came back to my senses, I asked myself, is it really worth keeping right now knowing that we're about to move out in a couple of months?   At this very moment, I honestly don't know.

My husband would let me keep it, if I chose to.  Right now, he kind of left the decision to me.  He said, either one, he's fine with it.  So, here comes my dilemma.

If I say cancel it, I won't have any access anymore to the Filipino shows I mentioned above.  And months without Tagalog shows?  Hmm, I don't know.  I know I don't watch TV that much anyway, but still, thinking about not having some sort of "being-in-the-Philippines" feel in our home, makes me sad and empty inside.  You know how we are, Filipinos, living abroad.  Being able to at least watch Filipino shows somehow lessens our homesickness.

But, when I look at the bigger picture, not only will it save us extra money for the last few months of our stay here, we won't have to worry about canceling it later on.  We will have so much on our plate to take care of, and I think it'll help if we start knocking down things one at a time, as early as now.

I told the hubby to keep TFC until New Year because I want to watch the Philippine countdown to 2013.  And after that, I can give him my final decision.  For now, I'll just have to enjoy it while I have it.

Kaibelle's Comfort Toy

Kaibelle with Pooh-Pooh bear and Percy the Train

Our daughter's comfort toy is none other than her Pooh-Pooh bear.  Her Papa got it for her last Christmas.  Since then, it's been her favorite toy.  She couldn't sleep without it.  She must have it with her all the time, or else, she'd lose it.

The other night, while she was in her crib, she kept tossing Pooh-Pooh out and she'd laugh every time I picked it up and handed it back to her.  It was like her game of "fetch".

While we were doing that, I noticed that, when I picked the stuffed toy, it didn't feel "stuffed" anymore.  It's like something drained the life out of it.  The head won't even raise without support anymore.  There's no more stuffing from the neck to its belly part, thus, making it look soggy.  But, she still loves her Pooh-Pooh no matter how it looks like now, or, even if it stinks a little. (Hehehe.)  I honestly love the baby smell of her stuffed toy and I don't want to wash it just yet.  She's had that since she was 6 months old, and every time I smell the toy, it reminds me of that little baby she once was - who I miss so much!

She plays with other toys when she's with her older brothers, but at the end of the day, she'll look for her Pooh-Pooh bear.  And, oh, she has one other favorite toy, Percy the train (from Thomas & Friends).  She likes to hold on to it.  She'd play with other trains, but she always has Percy in one of her hands.  Her older brothers would hand her like Thomas, Molly, and some other trains, but she'd play with them for just a bit and then, she loses interest in them.  If you take her Percy away from her, she'll go after you and she won't stop till she gets it back.  And yes, she goes after her Kuyas (older brothers) if they mess with her.  She may be a sweet little dolly, but she can be ferocious, too, so watch out! (Hehehe.) 

My husband already asked me once to wash her Pooh bear, but I told him not now.  I am preserving the baby scent of her that's left on it.  When I'm ready, I'll wash it - maybe.  I just find it so cute every time she's asleep and I watch her and how she holds her Pooh bear so close to her.  Or, when she's playing and talking to it like it's talking back to her.  She can say "Pooh-Pooh" now, and when you tell her to "go get Pooh bear" or, "where's Pooh-Pooh? Go find it!", she'll actually do as what she's told.

She definitely is different from her older brothers.  Our two boys, they both have their comfort blankets.  Both of them can never survive right now without their blankies.  With Kaibelle, it's her Pooh bear.  We actually didn't expect she won't be into blankets like her two older siblings because both of our boys love having blankets to hold on to all the time.  When she had Pooh, every speculation of her being attached to a comfort blanket, went out of the window.  It was like an instant bond between the two of them.  When we saw her held Pooh bear for the first time, we knew it was going to be her "comfort toy", and that she'll be keeping it for as long as she wants.

His Early Christmas Gift for Himself ;)

My Big Kid finally got his new Wii U!  He's been wanting to buy one since it came out.  He tried getting one on Black Friday, but all stores that had them ran out of stock, so he had to wait.

connecting his new "toy" to the internet

On Friday, he came home with a big plastic bag that has the label GameStop on it, so I knew right then and there what was in the bag.  He waited for  that for like 2 weeks, and now that he finally has it, he said he's happy.  He admitted he kind of splurged on that thing, but he according to him, that will be his early Christmas present for himself, and that he doesn't need anything else.  When he told me how much he spent on that "toy", I was a little taken aback.  It did cost some $$, but he deserved it, so I'm not going to say anything against it.  And besides, he really doesn't spend a lot on himself.  It's only when there's something he really likes, and it's very rare.

I'm not going to lie, the Wii U is pretty neat!  My husband and I love playing Wii games together, and I am pretty sure we'll even enjoy doing it more now that we got a nicer Wii to play games with.  We haven't tried it yet, though, because he's been busy trying to familiarize how it really works.  I hope, this weekend we can finally start playing games.

this GamePad looks more like a mini TV to me =D

Well, he's got his gift for Christmas, what about me? (Hehehe.)

I really am not worried whether I get one or not.  I'd rather have my kids get more than me having one.  I don't need anything really anymore.  All I want to buy for the winter is, a new pair of boots.  My old one needs to go bye-bye.

But, on a second thought, I might not even need one.  Looks like we won't be getting any snow this year.  It sucks, though, because this will be our last Christmas here, and we would love to have a white Christmas again.  It's actually weird that it's already December, but it feels more like it's Springtime.  It's up in the 50s right now.  In 2010 and last year, we were already getting snow during this time.  I don't know what's up with that, but I'm not really happy at all!

We Celebrated 5 Years of Marriage - and Counting...

 (This video was my gift to him - that he loved!  It's a compilation of our photos from the very beginning of our journey...)

Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary.  Nothing too extravagant, but enough for both of us to know and feel that each other is truly loved and appreciated.

He had to work that day, but he came home early to spend time with me.  He didn't have to say it, but still he said sorry to me for not being able to give me the kind of anniversary he must have thought I wanted.  I hope he knew I never wanted anything too big.  All I wanted was to spend time with him.  He said, he wished he could have taken me out to have dinner, just the two of us.  But we didn't have anybody to watch the kids, so we had to stay home - again.  I hope he knew I wasn't worried about that, either.  That a simple dinner with him at home would definitely do.

Since we couldn't go out, my husband asked me instead what I wanted for dinner.  He said, anything I wanted and he'll get it.  You probably won't believe what I answered -- Chinese food.  Yes, Chinese food for our anniversary dinner date at home.  I could have went for something different, but I wanted Chinese food that day.  (Does food even have to matter at a time like that?)  I mean, for me, anniversary is not all about receiving gifts, or eating out in an expensive restaurant.  It has a different meaning for me, and that is, for the both of you to celebrate it together and be thankful for everything you've gone through, and above all, for all that you've been blessed with.  Being able to do things together with just the two of you is just a bonus.  What's more important is, you get to have time together - regardless of what you do and don't get to do at all.

In our five years of marriage, I have learned so much.  I've come to know that marriage is an every day journey, a challenge, an adventure, and a learning process.   It's something you need to work on every day for you to grow into that person you believe each other deserves to have.  It's not true that the more you know about your other half, the less effort you need to give into your relationship to keep it working.  You must never stop giving it your best!  Relationships grow cold not because of what we do.  More often than not, they grow cold because of the things we failed to do and show.  Love, if you don't know, is an action word.  It grows more beautifully in a relationship where it's given wholeheartedly, shown, and felt.  You just don't say "I love you" and leave it at that, expecting your partner to get everything those words convey.  If you don't show it, it's as good as having to not say it all.

I've also learned that no matter how long you've been together, or how much you think you know each other, there will always be things that you continuously discover about each other as the days, months, and years go by.  I honestly believe that a lifetime is not enough for you to fully know your better half.  I have been with my husband for 6 years now - 5 years of being married - and I still have so much to learn about him, and he, too has a lot to learn about me.  That's why no relationship is ever perfect.  None will even come close to being one.  Because no matter how much we think we know and love each other, we will always be two very different people.  And for us to establish a good relationship, we first must learn how to respect those differences.

Accept your spouse's flaws.  Love them even more in spite of the negative things you have found that they possess.  And when you feel like you are so upset and you just want to let everything go, close your eyes.  Let your mind relax, and let your heart do most of the thinking.  If you let love rule over your anger, you'll realize that disagreements and arguments are easier to fix when you let love control you - and not your anger. 

In our marriage, coming from two different sets of culture, beliefs and upbringing, not everything was easy.  We have been through a lot of ups and downs.  For us to get to where we are now, our relationship has been put to test so many times, and I cannot even tell you how many times those tests almost tore us apart.  Adjustment period was never easy!  Small things can tear you down if you don't know how to handle them properly.  And, I have learned to do that along the way.  American and Filipino cultures put together - not so easy of a thing to deal with during our first couple of years, believe me.  We were both raised differently, and with that came a lot of disagreements.  We had to master how "compromise" actually works for things to get better in our marriage.  And I cannot be more thankful to God for allowing us to go through those trials!  Without those trials, we will never be where we're at right now.  Those trials made us realize each other's true value, and how much we love each other.  Looking at my life right now, I will never take a single thing back!

A Busy Friday for Me

Well, so much for me saying today's not going to be a very busy day.  I have spoken too soon again.  Oh, life of a domesticated mother and wife!  What more can I say?

I initially planned on posting on this blog today, and visiting other blogs for FBF ABH and COMEX threads.  But I only got to finish ABH, then, seemed like chores started piling up.  I saw something that needed to be wiped clean - did that.  Did the laundry.  Saw the floor needed to be vacuumed - did that.  My phone case arrived today, so I took some time to put it on, finally.  Then, baby bottles needed to get washed - did that as well.  (Which reminded me that I really need to wean Kaiblle off the bottle before my Mother-in-law gets here next month.  My boys stopped drinking milk from a bottle by the time they turned one.  I just don't know why it's a bit harder for me to let go of my baby girl as far as her not being a baby anymore.) 

Anyway, I took care of the kids, of course, did the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen counter.  By the time I wanted to take a break, like right now, it's already almost time to prepare for dinner.  So, after this post, I'm going straight back to doing chores.  After that, time for the kids' bath, then, dinner for them, and bedtime.  I always wait for my husband to get home so we could eat dinner together.  He's been working  late these days, and it's hard for all of us to eat dinner together during weekdays.  But I always make sure I sit down with the kids when they're having meals.

Oh, I also wanted to take a nap for at least 30 minutes, but didn't get to.  I had to start making a grocery list.  Hubby asked me this morning before he left for work.  I even almost forgot about that.  Thanks to the cooking channel I was watching while putting on the phone case!  It reminded me about groceries.

I can already tell, it's going to be an early night for me.  (Wait a minute... I think we have a movie to watch together tonight.  Well, I think I can stay up a little late for that.  And if I end up not being tired after watching, I might blog again.  We'll see...)

Well, I better get dinner started.  I don't even really know what to fix for tonight for me and the husband (Hahaha..)  I think it's whatever I find in the cupboard.

So, see you later, I hope... Wishing everyone a great and fun weekend!

I've Spoken TOO Soon...

My new phone and some items we purchased online got delivered yesterday, except for my phone case.  I honestly am disappointed right now because it said at first that the delivery date would be November 28, which was yesterday, but it wasn't in the mail!  Excluding the phone, that case was purchased ahead of the other 2 items that already arrived.  And to think that it's coming from a place that's just 2 hours away from here, just makes it even more disappointing.

I chose a US seller and someone closer to us because I already knew the phone was going to be delivered this week and I want it to be protected right away.  But with what's going on right now, I think I should have bought from the seller who's in California.  I purchased something before from CA and in less than a week, I already got the item.  Now, I'm thinking of not giving this seller a good review/comment at all.  Or, if I ever leave one positive feedback, I'll just make sure I won't buy anything from them anymore.   You just don't sit there and tell your buyers an item is expected to be delivered on a date initially given, and all of a sudden, it got changed.  That's not how things should work, especially when you're doing business.

I'll give it time till tomorrow.  If that case still won't get here, I will have to e-mail the seller and just tell them to give my money back because I no longer am interested in doing transaction with them - ever!  I'm not going to buy the reason that it took them this long to send it off because of the holiday (Thanksgiving, Black Friday).  If that's their reason, then, how come the other item that we bought on Black Friday and was from the other side of the country, got here way ahead of time?  You know what I'm saying?

Just ridiculous! (*sigh...breath in, breath out..)

Finally, It's Up and Ready for The Holidays

For the last time in this house, our tree will be up for the holidays.  Yes, you read it right.  This will be our last Christmas here.  We'll be moving out next year to wherever my husband's next duty station would be.  I honestly can't believe we've been here for almost three years now.  It feels like we just moved in a few months ago, and now, it's almost time to leave -- again.  Oh, the life of a military family!  I'm excited about the move, and I dread it all at the same time.

We lost internet connection on Monday, for a whole day, because we upgraded from DSL to Broadband (U-verse), so I really had nothing much to do.  And even if I wasn't feeling too good, I decided to start putting up our Christmas decor.  I got bored just laying down playing games and watching TV.   I was in the mood to do it anyway, so I grabbed the chance.  Not to mention that my husband has been asking me to start decorating the house already.  And so I did.  (I just didn't put up all the gel clings on the window.  Yesterday, when he got home from work, he put up the rest of them.  He knows how much I really don't enjoy doing it, so we made a deal.  Whatever he put up, he'll take them down. Hehehe.)

I didn't realize until I was done, that it took me almost 4 hours to put everything up.  The hardest part was trying to figure out where to put the Christmas tree.  We don't have a large living room space and my husband didn't want the tree to be placed where it blocks the TV when we're watching (that's the only other space for the tree we have in the living room).  We both kind of want it near the big window so it's visible from the outside, but we have a shelf underneath it and a fish tank to the right.  I really worked on moving some stuff somewhere for the mean time so I can make room to put up the tree where we initially wanted it to be.  I worked my way around the shelf and the tank, and I can never be more glad of how things turned out in the end!  And, when he got home from work that day and saw the house decorated, his reaction was priceless!  The best part was when he said, "Baby, the house looks colorful and pretty!  I love it!"   That made all of my effort worth it.  I even forgot I wasn't feeling good that day!  

And one more thing, our oldest, Kai, while I was putting up the tree, was singing the song "Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree" in the background.  I guess he was cheering me on because he knew Mama wasn't feeling good.  It was so cute!  He definitely kept me going!

Even if I felt sore the next day (from lifting and moving things around), I was still happy!  Just thinking about how my loves loved the work I did, it was enough to make me feel better inside and out.

Next part, putting presents underneath the tree.

I'm so excited... and I just can't hide it!

We're expecting some stuff we bought online to be delivered within this week, and I'm so excited I could hardly wait!  I've been waiting for weeks for those items to arrive, and my wait is almost over.

photo source: Google

The one that I'm excited the most about is, my new iPhone5.  My husband ordered it online a month ago.  But because it shipped from overseas, it took almost 4 weeks to finally get here in the US.  On Saturday, when we checked on the phone's whereabouts, it was still in South Korea.  But when my husband checked the tracking number again yesterday, he told me it was already in Kentucky.  So, that means any day now, my new phone will be delivered to our house.  I went for a white iPhone this time.  My two previous iPhone were both black.  I really love the white color because it can go with any case, and would still look cute.

Speaking of phone case, this is another item I'm waiting for to get here.  This is from eBay that was purchased on Black Friday.  Anyway, I find it kind of funny because the seller actually is from a neighboring state, but it's taking this long for it to arrive.  It said, estimated date of delivery is November 28, which is tomorrow, so we'll see.  I honestly was expecting it would only take like 1 to 2 business days since it's not too far from here.

Here's a photo of my first iPhone5 case.  I chose a transparent one because I like its color and design, and for a change.  This one came with a free stylus pen and screen protector.  Not bad of a deal, was it?

And last but not the least, our very first holiday-decorated table cloth.  Yes, our very first one since we never really had a big dining table before.  We bought it online as well and is expected to be delivered either tomorrow or Friday.  I will take a photo of it once it's already placed on our table.  My husband and I picked the design together.  And it's a good thing that we got one now because my Mother-in-law will be spending the holidays with us.  Now, our table will be more presentable.  (Hehehe.)

There's one more thing that my husband bought for me but I don't know when it's going to get here.  I'll tell you more about it when it's already in hand.  I still need to play with it before I could really say something.  But one thing I know is, it's a really cool gadget.  I'm excited and looking forward to using it the minute it gets here.

So, hopefully tomorrow, I'd get my phone so we can send off my iPhone4 and get the money back, and the phone case all at once.  (*crossing my fingers*)