Memory Lane: Our Malaysia Vacation

When my husband got deployed in 2008 for almost 7 months, we were blessed to be given the chance to see each other halfway through the deployment.  When he found out they were going to have a stopover in Malaysia for a couple of days, my husband immediately talked to me and asked me if I want to fly to Kuala Lumpur to see him even just for 3 days.  Of course, why would I say no?  I haven't seen him for almost four months that time, and we both missed each other, so I said yes.  I had school that week, so I had to write an excuse letter.  I left Sunday, so technically, I was only absent from my classes for two days.

Anyway, we talked about the trip through e-mails, and the next day, he bought me a round trip ticket.  He said, that was one of his birthday gifts for me.  And since I will be arriving at the hotel before him, he arranged a hotel transportation for me to get picked up from the airport.  When everything was ready, that Sunday, after attending church service, I went home to grab my stuff, and headed back out to go to the airport.  I believe, my flight didn't leave until past 7 at night.

At the airport, I started feeling anxious, excited, and nervous.  It was my first out-of-the-country trip, and I was all by myself.  I was worried that I might not be able to get into Malaysia because the immigration might not grant me VISA.  I was praying that everything will turn out just fine.  That all I wanted was to be with my husband.

Thanks be to God, everything went well.  When I arrived in Malaysia, the immigration officer only asked me one question, "How long do you intend to stay here?"  I answered, "Three days."  Then, she stamped my passport and told me I was good to go.  I let out a huge sigh of relief.  I felt bad, though, because the other lady I was with on the same flight, got held at the airport.  I asked her why before I had to tell her I needed to go because the car was waiting for me outside.  She told me, they thought they found something in her suitcase through the x-ray scanner.  But she assured me that there was nothing, so she'd be out there soon enough.  I said goodbye to her, and proceeded on my way out.  Good thing, the driver had a piece of paper with my complete name on it, that's why I was able to find him right away.  He was an Indian national, and he was very kind.  I remember his name still - Nabeel.

The drive from the airport to the hotel in Kuala Lumpur almost took 2 and a half hours.  So, by the time I got there, I was so dead tired.  I checked in, went to our room, and passed out.  The next thing I know, I was awaken by a phone call, asking for my identification, and if I was in the right room.  I kind of felt nervous because I didn't what was going on.  My husband wasn't there yet.  Then, the hotel receptionist said that they will send someone over to verify my information.  I got scared.  I wanted to cry, but I held back.  I knew in my heart I didn't do anything stupid for me to get in trouble.

When I heard the doorbell, I slowly walked my way to the door and looked to check who was outside, through the peephole.  To my surprise, nobody was there, so I slowly opened the door, leaving the safety lock, just in case.  I almost passed out when out of nowhere, my husband showed up!  It was him all along, playing prank on me.  He made the receptionist call our room just to see how I'd react.  Heavens, I almost wanted to kick his cute butt for doing such thing.   But, the minute he held me in his arms, I felt at peace.  I couldn't contain the happiness and love I felt at that very exact moment.  We held each other tightly, and he gave me kiss.

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!

Couple's Corner: On Me Being a Mother & an Aunt

Here's a little something to all Mothers out there. Cheers to all of us - the beautiful, smart, and sexy!! hehehe

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love. ~Mildred B. Vermont

I actually don't ask my husband about me as a Mother. Most of the time, he'd tell me on his own about how thankful he is that I am the mother of his kids and that he couldn't imagine anybody else being their Mom. Though I don't feel that much comfortable asking him if I am doing a great job or not, him letting me know that I am, makes me feel needed and appreciated and it feels good all the time! I'm happy as well that with him doing that, it only means that I am not left unnoticed and all the things I do for our family, most especially for our children. Not all husbands are like that and those wives who have husbands who never fail to recognize their worth at home are indeed, blessed.

When it comes to me as an Aunt, he once told me that I am a wonderful Aunt to my nephew and niece and that they are lucky to have me in their lives. He knows that I loved taking care of them when they were babies (that was before we got married..) and he said, if we were to have kids of our own, no doubt, I would be a great Mom - because if I could take care of my sister's kids the way I did, how much more with our own children? And I love being an Aunt! My sister's kids were my very first babies and I love them to death.

I must admit, hearing simple and sincere compliments every now and then help make us become even better at what we're already so good at. It's kind of like a "driving force" that makes you want to do more and always be that person they can be proud of - may it be as a wife, a mother, an aunt, a daughter, or a friend. It's always good to show people how much they are appreciated regardless of how big and small the things are that they have done.

Read more stories here:

My First Weekend in San Diego

Adjusting to a totally different environment could have never been this easy for me if not for the help of my loving husband. He really makes sure all the time that I am taken care of. Though I'm left alone every time he goes to work, he makes it up to me by taking me out for a drive when he comes home.

My first Friday night here was spent at his buddy, Fred's house. He also invited a couple of friends, and there, I finally met John's chief, Mike and his buddies' wives, Sandra and Amanda [Fred's wife]. It was basically a "Boys' Night of Drinking", but we, the wives who were there had fun, too :) They prepared a delicious meal for us; grilled steak, pork barbecue, and for the first time, I got to taste shark!! Yes, they grilled one, too and I must say, it tasted really good. But, I only had a small bite. Mercury content found in big fish is not good for pregnant women. Oh, well -- there's always a next time ;) [hehehe]

We only stayed there until 22:30. We needed to sleep early because we still had to drive up to Rialto early morning of the following day to pick up some car rims that he purchased online.

As early as 7am, both of us were already up. We took shower, ate breakfast and by 8:30, we were already on our way.

The 1-hour-and-56-minute-drive to Rialto was fun!! I got to see different places here in California. We drove past Temecula, San Bernardino, and Riverside to name a few. The mountain view was so breath-taking that I couldn't help but admire its beauty. Behind that remarkable feeling I had at that very moment, was a silent sadness deep within me. Everything I saw that day made me miss my family back home. I wished they could have seen those places, too. I wished they were here so they could have felt the same way I did. If only they're not too far away. If only ... for sure they could have enjoyed it as well like I had.

We only stopped once at a gas station to use the restroom and to get something to eat. The lady at the counter was so nice, she gave me 2 free candies. She said, for our baby ;) But, I must say, I wasn't happy at all when I went inside of the restroom because of what I saw. I won't mention it anymore, but I am pretty sure you know what I'm talking about. I had no choice but to hold back for a few more minutes till we got to the house of the person we were picking the rims up from. Matt, [the guy's name who sold the rims] and my husband had a short talk before we started driving back home.

Wait..Our little adventure that day didn't end there :) On our way to Rialto, we saw this museum in Riverside - the March Field Air Museum. So, on our way home, we decided to stop by and see all the aircrafts being displayed there. Too bad we didn't take our camera with us, but since John's phone can take photos, we used that one. We only took a couple photos. It was so hot out there that I had to use an umbrella while walking outside and taking a look at the aircrafts. It was fun and I wished we could have stayed longer, but I started feeling unwell so we had to leave. But, like what we always love to do - every time we visit a place for the first time, we always stop by at the souvenir shop to get something. I bought a wristband for myself that says "Support Our Troops" and John got himself a postcard for mom, a freeze dried ice cream [first time we ate it], and a small photo frame of an F14 jet. And of course, Daddy and Mommy got something for our little angel as well - a small Uncle Sam rubber duck ;)

The heat got in to me and caused a slight headache, so I slept most of the way back home. But it was indeed a fun road trip and I really enjoyed every minute of it :)

I Am in San Diego, California Now!!

So happy that finally, I am here in the US now to be with my husband!! We flew in with CAL and had a supposed-to-be 4 hours of layover in Taipei. But since the flight going to Taiwan got delayed for an hour, we only stayed there for about 2 hours and some minutes before we had to go and board the plane again going to LAX. The 11-hour long flight from Taipei, I must say, is something I know for sure, I'll be dreading here to do ever again. [Hahaha] As if I have any other choice.

Anyway, we just got here about a couple of hours ago though we're still up, we're trying to get some rest since we weren't able to get enough sleep on the plane. Plus, the time changes is slowly getting in to me and it's kind of making me feel even more tired right now. I'd try to get some sleep here in a few. Staying up, I know, won't be good for me and our baby.

We're so thankful to God for our safe trip. :)

Will update more soon..

VISA RECEIVED: Leaving in Two Weeks!!

April 17, 2009. Just exactly two days after my interview, I finally received the packet from the Embassy that has my Visa :) Thanks to God!! We knew it won't take too long for me to get it, but we never expected it would be that soon. I still can't infer that much that I actually have my most-awaited Visa in hand. We're just so thankful to God for being with us the whole time. I'll be leaving with my husband which is a good thing because I've always been worried to travel alone with my condition. Another blessing to be thankful to God for! :)

I already started packing some of my stuff, but I don't think I'm even half way to getting things done as of the moment. There's still a lot to pack especially the things that I won't be taking with me that need to be shipped back home to Samar. We only got so much time left and right now, we just want to make the most out of each day with my family and whatever is there that we want to accomplish while we're here. It's not going to be easy leaving my family behind, but I know everything will work out fine.

I'll update more here soon :)

Just Two More Days

Yes, you read it right. Just two more days and my husband will be here!! :) I can hardly sleep at night now knowing that I'll get to spend time with him again. Baby C, I know is happy that Daddy is coming home :) It really brings joy to my heart every time I feel our little angel moves inside of me when I talk to him/her about Daddy coming here. And how it brings smile to my face every time I feel our baby reacts to Daddy's voice on the phone :) Oh, how I so love the feeling of it!! It's just beyond what I can express right now.

I feel sad though that I won't be able to pick John up from the airport this time because of my appointment. It was supposed to be my cousin, Dreidelle but today she told me she couldn't make it. She needs to go to her school on that same day to have her TOR signed. Now, I'll have to ask Nanay Lonie to be the one to pick my husband up since there's no way I could do it myself. We've agreed that I'll give him the other phone and that we'll keep in touch once he gets here. I'll just call him and meet him at the lobby of the hotel right after my appointment. He said he'll be fine and he can go to the hotel by himself. There are airport services available that will take you to your destination, but I said 'No'. I know my husband will be just fine by himself, but I want to make sure he's taken care of and I don't want to take any risk at all and be confident enough that nothing will happen. I still want him to get to the hotel safe and sound. Better sure and safe than sorry :)

Just two more days -- I and Baby C will be hugging and kissing Daddy once again :)

Checklist Ready!!

Right now, I'd say that I've got everything ready for Wednesday :) I got my husband's flight information, got the voucher/itinerary of the hotel that he forwarded to my e-mail, and everything is ready for my big appointment on that same day. I'm kind of nervous and a little bit stressed out about this appointment, but I'm hoping and praying that everything will turn out fine. I mean, this is it!! Like what my husband always tells me, we're on the last legs of the race. Too bad he's arriving on the same day. I was hoping he could come with me, but it's all right. At least I've got a wonderful thing to look forward to once the appointment is over - I know he'll be at the hotel waiting for me by then ;) [*wink, wink]

Application Approved!!

Our application for I130 has been approved!! We just can't thank God enough for all His blessings - for answering our prayers and for helping us make our dreams come true - one at a time :)

My husband received a notice e-mail from the USCIS. Here's a part of what the e-mail contains.

Application Type: I130 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN

Current Status: Approval notice sent.

On February 5, 2009, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service.

We're incessantly praying that God will help us through this process and that everything will work out fine, according to His will :) God is good all the time!!

Saturday Thoughts

For this whole weekend, my husband will be in a camp somewhere up north California. It's part of their training for their upcoming deployment. I'm kind of worried about him because he still isn't feeling completely fine. But he had to go. I just pray that he will be all right the whole time he is there.

I still am a bit unhappy about this upcoming deployment. But we both know that things happen for a reason. We both had prayed to God about this - if whether he'll be deployed or not - that whatever His plans are, so let them be. We know they're sent for our own good. And now, we're starting to see the bright side of this. And this reason, somehow is what makes this whole thing a little lighter to bear for me now. We know now why God let this happen - for our future :)

Though I know this one is yet another obstacle that we both must trounce, we know everything will work out fine. There's a lot of things we need to really start working on now - a lot of them we need to accomplish. I made it through my first deployment and that was a tough one. So, who said I can't make it through this time?! ;)

I Need More Sleep!!

I'm just going to post a short one right now. I am hoping this will help me fall asleep. I need it so badly right now. Last night has been a disaster for me!!

I made sure I'd be in bed before 23:00 which I was able to. But I never expected it would take me until 3 AM to really finally go to sleep :( I've been turning in bed from side to side, probably like every second. I couldn't sleep no matter what I did. I think I've tried every position I could possibly think of just to make myself comfortable, but nothing worked. At around 1 AM, when I finally realized it was impossible for me to fall asleep, I decided to get up and talk to my husband. I messaged him on yahoo and we talked for almost an hour. He was on training that time so his replies were a bit late, but that didn't bother me at all. I was so up and about and feeling queasy at the same time. Something was keeping me up and my breathing pattern wasn't normal. I told my husband all about it. His words gave me comfort though he's away and that was all I needed :)

Anyway, I just hope it won't happen to me again tonight. Though I was able to sleep this afternoon, I still feel so drained and I need more sleep. All I can say is, I don't want to go through the same thing I went through last night!! Period.

To my husband and me, GET WELL SOON!! -- Both of us -- Seriously!! [hehehe]

Weekend Photos: Back to November 2007

These are some of our first pictures together...

The first one's the very first photo of us actually together - in person :) This was taken in my room on the same day he got here for the first time from the States [November 9, 2007]. Every time we look at this photo, we just smile :) It has a lot of memories stored in it - a lot :) It was on that same day he said to me, "Welcome to womanhood!" [winks*]

The second one was taken inside Snow World at Star City on November 12 of the same year. Still, it holds memories of us. It always reminds me that it was the first time after a very, very long time, my husband rode on a roller coaster -- again!! I was able to convince him to..Yipee!! ;)

They were just ordinary times that we were able to turn into a great and happy moments with each other :)

Another Deployment!!

When my husband first told me over the phone that there's a possibility that he might get deployed again this coming March, for I don't know how long, my heart stopped beating. I went completely silent then burst out crying. I was in Samar at the time. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I was like, he just got back and they're sending him away again? I thought it just wasn't fair. I felt so devastated and that all our plans would end up crashing on me any moment. We already made plans for this year and we both are so looking forward to making each of them happen. But with this impending deployment news, I admit, I almost gave it all up. I was worried I might not get through this one since I'd just gone through our first deployment and it wasn't easy. Although he didn't confirm yet if he'll be sent or not, another deployment?! -- I don't think so.

That was my first reaction and how I handled the situation. I know I was totally wrong. I think nobody would have expected me to react the other way around.

That night before I went to bed, I sat and prayed to God. I asked for guidance and help to get us through this, especially my husband. That if this is His will, let it be done. We both know God won't allow something to happen if it isn't for our own good. If they ever send him to go on deployment, I prayed that God would sustain me more strength, not just for myself alone but for the both of us. This will be tough once again, but after I prayed, I felt a different kind of comfort engulfing me. I knew then that it was Him letting me know that He's got everything taken care of and that I don't have anything to worry about.

Today, my husband confirmed that it's definitely a "go". In March, he'll be deploying again - for the second time within a year. I can't be specific as to where he'll be stationed at, but he assured me that this deployment isn't going to be like the first one; that he'll be doing a completely different kind of job this time. I didn't say much. I just said OK. But deep inside me, I was praying that he was telling me the truth. That he didn't just say what he did just so I won't have to get too worried about him while he is out there. I was half crossing my fingers that moment he was talking on the phone about this matter. I could only hope and pray. The past deployment hasn't been easy for the both of us, especially for me because it was my very first one. I know I should be a lot stronger now because somehow I already have an experience as how to handle or survive a deployment. But it didn't work that way for me - at least not right away. I just couldn't take in that my husband would be leaving again when he just barely got back. I can only imagine the hassles he's about to deal with again making sure everything is taken care of - from his dogs down to all the things he just started getting out of the storage. Good thing somehow is that he's staying right now at his friend's house. He doesn't have a lot of things to pack compared to last year. He had to move all his things out of his apartment to the storage basically doing almost all the work by himself. I feel sad that I am not there to help him in times like this :( I know how much he needs me. If only I am with him...

To be honest with you, I did cry today when I found out he really is going. A lot of emotions ensnared me. But the one that really made me cry a lot was the possibility that we might not be able to see each other before he leaves!! I don't think I'll ever take that. I mean, we hardly are together. All I want is to even spend a couple of days with my husband before he gets deployed. I don't think that's too much to ask and hope for. But I know things in the military don't always work that way. That's one bitter truth I have to start accepting now. It's too hard to tell you in all honesty!! But because I love my husband and what he does, I am willing to endure everything for him. I am just here for him no matter what. No matter how hard things turn out to be, I always want him to know that he's got a wife here who will always back him up and will always love him no less than how much I do now. I don't think I ever need to make promises to my husband when it comes to life in the military. For me, doing things for him especially when it comes to his job is more of a commitment I willingly and lovingly put myself into when I decided to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him. It's such an honor to be a military wife! This is a tough, tough job. But to even think that I'd trade this for something else in this world - that is the very last thing I would do!!

Mahal, I know it disheartened you when I cried on the phone today. But still I want to thank you for giving me that time to let out my emotions. For understanding how I felt. You know I will always support you no matter what. I just felt sad that you have to leave again and even if we're not really together right now, every time I know you have to go, I always feel like you're getting farther away from me. I know you have to do this. Orders are orders. And you have my full support and all my love. I know everything will be fine :) I will do my best to stay strong for us. I am so proud of you, my sweet husband and I always will be!! I love you much more than I can even begin to tell you. You are my life, my world, my everything!! We're going to get through this :) God is always with us...

This will be hard, guaranteed. No deployment is ever easy, I guess. I think I will always dread times like this for as long as we are in the military. But I know, with my husband and God with us, I will get through this one just as I did with the first deployment. I will just keep myself busy around here. There are things for me to do ;)

We may have made plans for ourselves for this year, but God's plans are always way better. We may not understand fully everything at first or all throughout the way, but in the end, He'll let us see how things worked out for our own good - the reasons He let those things happen instead of the plans we had set for ourselves. Like what the quote that mom sent me says, "God's grace won't put you where His love won't support you", I know and believe that things will work out perfectly fine.

Catching Up!!

It's my first post again after quite some time of being away from the blogging world. I don't even know where or how to start this right now. I just feel so out of words yet, deep within me, I have so many things to share.

A lot of things had happened. Some of them are just mere protraction of what has been going on in my life in the past 3 months. I feel so ready to let my thoughts out. I feel like I've been doing nothing but heap them inside and now they just can't wait to find their own way out of that seclusion. I am feeling helpless. I want to give in. I want to let this all out of me this instant!!

But before we get to that, I just want to do a little "warm up" first. I have been away for almost a month, haven't posted anything since then, and today, I feel so new again - so new, like I feel as if I'm typing now my very first post ever. I guess this is how being away for so long makes you feel. My oh my, I have so many things to catch up with!!

In the mean time, I want to say Thank You to Ate Janis for giving me a beautiful award. I'm sorry I wasn't able to post it here, but I placed it together with the other awards I got on the lower part of the left sidebar. Thank you very much! :)

I think I will end this for now. Time for me to get some sleep. I still have a long day tomorrow. I have a lot to take care, especially that I only have so much time left to get things done before I leave back home to Samar this Saturday.

And by the way, my husband is back in the States now. He left on the 24th of November. I miss him so much that it hurts every time. But this is our life at this time. No other choice but to deal with the distance and being far away from each other. We believe that here very soon, God will bring us together and no one has to leave the other to go back home, because we will then be home in the arms of one another - to start our life together, forever :)

So many things to tell ;)

We're Together Again!!

My J arrived here at 1430 on Sunday. It was a quick flight compared to the 13-hour long trip from LAX to Taipei and from there to Manila. We're together right now and we're staying at a hotel. I wasn't able to write anything about his homecoming because I made sure my time will be spent entirely for my husband. I am just so happy he is home now!! We'll be checking out tomorrow and will fly to Samar on Thursday. We'll be away for a couple of days but I will be taking lots of photos this time ;)

I won't be staying long. Still going out with the husband tonight ;) Hope you all had a nice day!! See you soon..God bless!!

Our Unforgettable Malaysia Trip

Again, my husband left me a surprise on our Multiply. When I hopped online to see if he's still on, an e-mail popped up and the only word I uttered was "Wow!!" when I finally got to take a look at what's inside the e-mail - a link to the photos taken during our trip to Malaysia on August 17-20, 2008.

It took this long before J was able to post our photos because he got so busy with work. I'm happy that he took the time today to do this. He knows it will surely put a smile on his wife's face ;) Mahal, thank you so much and I appreciate this a whole lot!! mwah mwah mwah I love you bunches and bunches, kiddo!!

Here's what he wrote on Multiply for the album description.

This was a miracle in the making as I was able to fly my wife out to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Even though it was short lived because of how the flight schedule was from the airlines it was the best time I think we have had yet. Being able to see my wife during deployment was the best thing I have experienced yet in my career. We were able to eat at Malaysia's only revolving restaurant and it was very romantic, well at least I hope it was for my wife ;) The experiences I have been able to have with her will carry on to our children when we have them. Mommy and Daddy have definitely went to some places and we have many more to journey to. Mwah mahal ko!!!

And here are our photos. They're not much, but each surely does hold remarkable memories that would last us a lifetime.

The beautiful Petronas Twin Towers at day time and nighttime
[view from The Federal Kuala Lumpur, Revolving Bintang Restaurant]


These were taken on our way to the Petronas. I think we walked a good 2 miles to get there!!

[John and the giant soda!!] & [KC at the Revolving Restaurant enjoying the moment with her husband]

That's us...Enjoying the great meal and romantic ambiance of the place...
Taken hours before I had to leave back to the Philippines...

J's right when he said "The experiences I have been able to have with her will carry on to our children when we have them." It's true, we capture photos using our cameras, but the real images and the memories behind them are forever kept and treasured in our hearts :)

Our trip to Malaysia was truly a miracle, a wonderful blessing that we will forever be grateful to God for. We didn't even have enough time to plan for it. J just suddenly asked me on August 8 if I would like to fly out to see him and get to spend time with each other during their port visit. I thought he was just joking at first, but later that afternoon, I went out to print a copy of my flight itinerary :) He even forwarded to my e-mail the copies of the hotel reservation and the hotel transfer voucher that I also printed out together with my itinerary. I knew then, he was really serious.

We almost didn't make it because of some card problems we encountered while J was trying to purchase my ticket. And at the airport, on the night of my departure, I almost ran out of money because I didn't know I had to pay for the Tourism Tax with an amount of P1,620.00 aside from the P750.00 at the Immigration. I had to convert my money [in USD] back to PhP just so I'd be able to make it through. At the time, I already had converted my money to USD for the hotel deposit. You can't imagine how nervous I was at that very moment when I looked into my wallet and found out I may ran out of cash. But God saw right through our hearts the desire and longing to see and be with each other even just for a short time and that we weren't giving up, so He made a way where there seemed to be no way!! All in all, I only had a total amount of P200.00 [$4] left in my pocket. I even only bought a cup of noodles and a bottle of water on the plane. But, everything was worth it :) I stayed up the whole flight, reading and listening music. I couldn't sleep. I was just too excited knowing that I was going to see my husband again and in a country we both had never been to before. In other words, it was both our first time in Malaysia!!

The whole flight to Kuala Lumpur only lasted 3 and a half hours. We left here at exactly 2100 and arrived there at 1210 - that's 20 minutes ahead of the actual time of arrival. After filling up the disbursement form, we then went to wait for our turn to be asked by the Immigration officer regarding our purpose of travel. I got asked by a lady and the only question she asked me was, "How long are you staying here?". I answered right away, "Three days." Then, she stamped my passport [I got 30 days on it] and off I went!!

When I went out of the airport, the hotel transfer was already outside waiting for me. I didn't have a hard time looking for him because he was right outside, in front of the exit way and was holding this sign with a big, black print that read "Mrs. K.A.C. The Federal Kuala Lumpur Hotel". I was greeted by his warm and kind smile, and although I was already starting to get really tired, that simple gesture of his brought me back to my senses and somehow made me smile as well. He took my suitcase and escorted me towards the waiting car. One thing I will never forget about that night - that was my first time being inside a right-sided car. They drive on the right side of the lane. I was a little bit intrigued as to how it would feel, so when the car started moving, I realized I also started liking it :) In fact, I enjoyed all the way to the hotel. I forgot about being tired and all that. All throughout the whole travel, I was wide awake. I didn't want to miss a thing. Though it was early in the morning and dark outside, I still got to admire all that were in front of me. I said to myself, "Finally, I am here. Oh, so this is Malaysia?! It looks so much like Philippines!" Honestly speaking, everything that I saw there reminded me of my own country. I didn't compare the two because I know each is unique and beautiful. There were just some things I wished we have here as well, at the time. They got really wide lanes there, not-so-heavy traffic, clean air and surroundings!! I admired how disciplined they are for keeping their places clean, air pollution-free. I loved the whole time we were walking outside. In fact, we even decided to just walk all the way to get to the Petronas Twin Towers instead of riding in a cab. It was hot, but still it felt great.

I talked to the driver the whole time. We introduced each other by name. His name's Nabeel, a Malaysian. But for me, he looks more of an Indian. He was so kind for answering all my questions. That was my way, too to at least break the ice and make the whole travel comfortable for both sides. We had a nice and sensible conversation that night that we almost didn't notice we were close to the hotel. My oh my, the whole trip from the airport to the hotel was close to one hour!! Yes, that's how far. There was no traffic and Nabeel was driving quite fast, yet it took us that long to get to our destination - The Federal Hotel in Bukit Bintang.

Anyways, after checking in, I went straight to our room. The moment I was inside the hotel, I suddenly felt so tired again - and at the same time, really sleepy. John was not supposed to arrive till later on that day, so I spent the whole time alone in the room. I wasn't able to fall asleep until, I think, 0330. The room was huge and I felt so alone and empty. All I had in mind the whole time was my husband. Oh, how I couldn't wait at the time for him to be there next to me!! I couldn't wait to see him, hug him, talk to him, and above all, I wanted him so bad, but I know I had to hold back all those emotions. He was on his way anyway. It required a lot of patience out of me, though convincing myself he'll soon be next to me. I was just so over excited to finally see my dearest husband again!!

J arrived at exactly 1330 later on that day. Not on the actual time he first told me he was coming. Supposed to be, he'll be at the hotel at 1000, but he said that the ship was an hour away from the city and he still had to take an hour-long bus ride and a cab to get to the hotel. Mind you, when I realized he wasn't coming yet, I cried. I was crying because I was wanting so bad to see him and I was ... hungry!! You read it right. I haven't had my breakfast and lunch. I wanted to wait for him. So, when he rang the doorbell, I ran to the door and opened it - and there he was!! I kind of acted as if I wasn't that happy to see him - the heck, I was!! I just felt so relieved that he was finally there with me that's why I was in my quiet mood as what he calls it. But the moment J pulled me close to him and hugged me, I gave in to all the feelings I had been holding back since the night before. When I heard him crying, I automatically cupped his face with my hands and wiped his tears away telling him it's all right, we're together now - and then ... we kissed :) We kissed so passionately, neither of us wanted to stop. I loved that moment. And I love how he smiles when we're kissing. I'm sure you already have an idea as to what happened next ;)

We stayed in our room till 1630. We went out for a little walk and looked at stuff and bought some items from stores/shops just near the hotel and we went down to the Delaney's Irish Pub to meet up with his buddies from work at 1700. I was a bit nervous but so excited that I was going to finally meet them in person :) They were all so nice and funny and I must say, I enjoyed my time with them.

After that, we left the group. J and I went to this Indian restaurant and had dinner there, then we went to the Salsa Havana just inside the hotel and played pool. We made a bet - loser will do whatever the winner says or asks ;) I LOST!! Well, yeah, tell me about it!! We went back to our room after finishing the game and to make the loser pay ;) We both went to sleep with a wide, wide smile on our lips...Aww!!

The following day, we went out to look at some more stuff, bought souvenirs, and had lunch at the Planet Hollywood. Then, we went to the Petronas. We didn't know it was that far, because from our hotel, it looked so close, so we decided to walk all the way there. We only found out that we actually walked 2 miles when we were in the cab on our way back. But we had fun, though. We got to see the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and really nice places along the way. We bought souvenirs from the Petronas Souvenir Shop. Later that evening, we had dinner at the Revolving Bintang Restaurant on the 18th floor of the hotel. It was a very romantic dinner - a memorable one for us. Everything was perfect that night, I didn't want it to end. But I had to leave back to the Philippines and J had to go back to the ship. We were still planning on going out that night after our dinner, but we decided to spend our remaining time in our room for more intimate moment together. At 2130 that night, J took me to the airport for my trip back home. It was his first time to experience having me flying out and leaving him behind. And on the phone the following day, he told me how it made him feel after I left and he went back to the hotel alone and I wasn't there anymore. Well, I told him, that's how I always feel every time he leaves back to the States. Now, we both know how it truly feels.

Leaving is hard, but sometimes it is even harder for the ones who are being left behind.

The whole trip was truly a blessing!! Everything could have remained dreams if God wasn't there to help us through. It was an experience that we'll truly remember for the rest of our days. We may haven't gotten a lot of time together, but God made sure we'd get the best out of our short vacation - beautiful memories that are worth-keeping for a lifetime.

That's how the whole trip went. Kind of long, isn't it?! I should have posted about this a long time ago, but I couldn't because there were no photos yet to go with the story. I hope I didn't bore you or anything. And thank you for your time reading :)

My Soldier is Coming Home Very, Very Soon!!

I'm just so happy that in a couple of days, my husband will be home with me!! He was able to take his leave ahead of time and we're so thankful to God above for allowing this to happen. J worked so hard on having his leave request approved and God has rewarded all his efforts. I can't thank my husband enough for doing everything he did just to be with me and for us to be able to celebrate our first wedding anniversary together. Although he didn't get to have a longer time with me, at least we were given more than what he had when he came here in April-May before he left for deployment. This is such a wonderful blessing that won't be possible if God hasn't been always there for us :)

We still haven't decided where we should spend our anniversary, but we did agree that we'll talk about it when he gets here. At least, I got our plane tickets for Samar taken care of ;) I've got a story to tell about that one. I mean, what I had been through just to make sure I got us our plane tickets. I'd say, it was a test for me as to see how determined I was to get it done. And I'm thankful I beat that one. God made sure I won't give up just like that - without me fighting and doing my best to get what I needed.

Gracious, I'm so excited!! It's sometimes hard for me now to sleep at night knowing that in a couple of days, I'd be sleeping again next to the man I love the most and just the thought that I'll be waking up with him laying next to me, just gives me this joy I can never put into words. I can't wait to finally hold my soldier in my arms and just be held in his for as long as we want to. And above all, I am just happy and thankful to our Almighty Father that he's coming home safe and sound :)

I'm happy for those who will get to see their love ones, too very, very soon. They're all on their way home :) God has been so good for keeping them all safe and for guiding them while they were out there doing what they needed to do. He has never left their sides nor allowed anything bad to happen to each of them. I know not all will get to go home just yet, but I'm sure God will stay with them until they're able to. And to those who lost their loved ones out there, my prayers are with you. I know God will send them to continue looking after you, making sure you're all fine and doing well. They didn't leave us with nothing. They left us with something we'll always be grateful for and proud of - we are living a free life because of them who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for us. We will always be so proud of each of our heroes and they will always be remembered!! Thank you for fighting still for our freedom!! We can never repay you just as much, but our prayers are with you always.

A countless thank you very, very much to all soldiers out there - from a Proud Soldier's Wife :)

Uh-oh, My Bad!!

Last night, I got a bit upset right away when I saw my husband's Yahoo messenger popped online and he never messaged me!! He got disconnected at first so I thought maybe it was just the connection or something. Then, after a few seconds, he hopped online again and still it looked to me as if he ignored me though he didn't stay long because he then signed out in less than a minute.

I repelled that thought because I was avoiding to think of things against him. It wouldn't be fair, especially that he's not around to tell his side of the story. But out of my stubbornness, I got upset with him thinking he didn't even leave me with a single word to at least let me know he saw me online - that I was there. That was how I felt at the time until ...

Before I went to bed, I decided to check stuff online one last time. I had no plan on staying up late, so I said to myself, I'd check my blog only and that would be all for the night. But as I was browsing the internet, I thought I heard a tiny whisper at the back of my ear telling me to - check our Multiply account!! I was a bit indecisive if I should go on and check or not because I already was starting to feel really tired. Not to mention that sometimes, I can't open Multiply without me encountering the "Problem Loading Page" most of the time. But still, I gave it a shot. I said to myself, all right one minute - not a minute and a half, just one. The moment the page loaded up completely, the very first thing that got my attention was a post entitled, "Hello my darling wife!!!" and dated 3rd of October - that was last night and my husband wrote it!! He did come online but he got reasons I'm sure, that's why he couldn't stay longer. He just stayed long enough to leave me with this message:

Well mahal another surprise for you. I took a trip to one of the oil platforms and guess what they had internet out here so I thought I would send you another surprise message on here. I just want you to know that I love you with all my heart and your D is almost there. I can wait to spend our first year anniversary together mahal. You mean so much to me and I can't thank God enough for blessing me with you. You have completed my heart and me baby ko, thank you. I need to get off of here mahal ko but you remember how much I love you and that you are my everything and my world. I can't wait to hold you in my arms sweetpea!!! Mwah, Mwah, Mwah!!!!!!

After reading what he wrote, I felt so ashamed of myself right then and there. I wanted to berate myself for jumping into conclusions and for almost making up my mind that I wasn't going to talk to him until he called me and explained himself why he did that - ignoring me on YM. I felt so bad for thinking that way about my husband. Here I was, feeling upset about something that didn't happen, while he was out there doing his job and actually was thinking about me the whole time. He just let me know that when, during that free time that he could have just spent for himself relaxing and getting a quick rest, he chose to hop online to at least surprise me with something he knew would make me smile. For minutes, I was out of words. I was wrong and I admit my faults!! DiDi never fails to show me how much he loves me even through the smallest and simplest ways he knows. If not, then what do you think he did that for? :)

I just knew it - I am Missing Him!!

I already tried getting more sleep since I only slept for like 5 hours last night, but I simply couldn't. For some reason, even the ticking sound of the clock which is even a few meters away from me, seems to be a bother. I couldn't make myself fall asleep. I tried reading. I drank a glass of milk. I even tried listening music, but none worked on me. I just laid in bed, half of my body aching to get some rest.

My husband left the ship yesterday afternoon to begin their mission. One thing about being a military wife is, sometimes, you're not told about where your husband might be at. He only gives me slight and safe ideas on his whereabouts, like the time. Other than that, I know nothing more. Of course, he would tell me but when it's already safe to do so. In between those times, I am left with no other knowledge about him, but the time and his condition.

I miss him so much - more than what I can even begin to tell. There is not a single minute that goes by that he doesn't occupy my mind, my heart and every time I close my eyes, I can see the look on his face on that night he dropped me off at the airport in Malaysia. It breaks my heart into pieces. I just can't get the look on his face out of my mind as he watch me walking away from him. Now, I wish I had more time at the airport to hold him. When he hugged me before I went inside, I never wanted to let go. Though it hurt us both just the same, we know things have to be this way for now. It won't be long, I know he'll be with me again. I would feel better right now if only I'd get to hear from him that they're okay. At least I will know they made it there safely.

"Mahal, I miss you!! Please, be safe out there. Watch your back. And like what you always tell me, never let your guard down. I will wait to hear from you later. I love you with all of my heart and may God be with you all."

My Husband's Goodnight Message

This has made me cry right after I read it. I am more than glad to share this one to all of you. While he's out there, every single e-mail he sends me brings tears to my eyes. Tears of mixed emotions; love, joy, relief, longing, and some others that I can no longer put into words.

Mahal always remember this before you go to sleep every night. Your
D loves you and you're his angel, a prayer that was answered. You
make me so very happy mahal and remember that you're an amazing wife. I love you forever and ever my princess!!

This deployment may have taken so much time away from us that we could have spent together, but it has made our marriage even stronger and opened our eyes to how much we really, truly care, need, and love each other. Though marrying someone who's in the military has never crossed my mind once before, I am still proud to say that I am now married to one. Things may be hard on us most of the time, but because I am in love with my military husband, I am dealing with it. I knew that once I marry him, I'd be marrying the entire military as well and everything that comes along with it. I knew, too that it won't be easy living a life as a military wife, but I never had second thoughts. I am proud of my husband and what he does and I will always be so proud of him!!