Ruby Tuesday: Our Belle

Our little Fruitcake at 7 months old, on board Thomas the Train

Two weeks ago, our youngest, our little Princess Kaibelle, turned 2 years old.  I cannot believe it's been two years since she popped out into this world and finally completed our family of 5.  She is our little girl, and oh, how much she is loved by all of us!    

It's her "terrible twos stage", but it's not like it's something new to us now.  We've been through that stage with our two boys, and we did just fine.  Though we don't know what this little Fruitcake has in store for us, but I think we can handle it.  They say boys are different from girls.  We really have no idea about that yet, but I just hope she won't give us a run for our money. (fingers on both hands, crossed)

We love you, Belle!  Be that little adorable girl that you are.  Go ahead and explore.  Learn.  Play.  Laugh.  Cry.  Do whatever makes you happy.  Just one thing -- don't grow up too fast on us, will you?

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Gone But Never Forgotten

Our dearest Sophie taken almost 2 weeks before she passed away

I can go on and on right now explaining why I have been away for so long, but I still won't be able to tell you everything that happened.  The past couple of weeks had been tough on us.  I got so busy taking care of 3 kids and a very sick dog.  And as much as it breaks our hearts to say this, but our dearest dog, Sophie, passed away almost two weeks ago.  She was battling with stomach cancer, and she finally gave up the fight.  Her body got too weak to fight back, and at 11:06 PM Wednesday, June 12, she went to a better place.

I still find it too hard right now to talk about losing her and how much we miss her since she was gone.  She was the greatest, nicest dog I've ever met in my entire life.  And, I honestly believe we'll never have another dog like her ever again.  Sophie was one of a kind.  She was special.  She was loved as much as she loved us.  And she will always be remembered.

To our little girl, our first baby, Sophie Marie, we all love you and we will always miss you!  Thank you for the wonderful memories and for filling our lives with so much joy when you were around!  Thank you for protecting us, especially when your Papa goes to work!  Thank you for being with us till the very end!

You will always be loved!  

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.

Halloween 2012: First Trick-or-Treating with the Family

For the first time as a family, we all went tick or treating on Sunday, October 28.  In our area, it was held from 3 to 6 PM. We went out a little later because it was so cold and the wind started picking up.  The two little boys walked alongside their Papa, while I carried our little girl.   I wanted to let her walk as well, but the cold was just too much that I decided to keep her close so she'll stay warm.   I put a sweater on her, but because it was windy, I knew she'd feel cold eventually.

We all had a blast regardless of how cold and windy it was outside!  It was actually cute because both of them can talk now, so they were able to say "Trick or treat", "Thank you", and "Bye" after they were given candies. We probably just went to 7 houses before we decided to head back home.  Our oldest, after almost 30 minutes of being outside, finally said he was feeling too cold. And our second little guy, when we walked past our house going over to our neighbor's, pointed at it and said, "I want to go home!".  So after that, we just went to 2 more houses, then we took them home. Their faces were so red because of the cold.  And inasmuch as I wanted to cover them all up in warm clothes, I could only put so much on them because of their costumes.  But I still made sure the clothes were enough to keep their little bodies warm.

As you can see in the photo, my boys had their own costumes.  Papa was a Hotdog Man, Kuya Kai was Wolverine, Kuya Kaden was  Batman, our little Princess was Little Red Riding Hood, and as for me, I wore a Vampire's costume that my husband picked for me.  But of course, it got hidden underneath my jacket.  There was no way I'd be out in that cold without anything to keep me warm.  I couldn't stand the cold for as long and as much as they can.

We only had 4 groups of trick-or-treaters who came by our house this year because we were outside doing our own little thing as well.  And if you wonder why it's our first time to go outside and actually did trick-or-treating, it's because last year and the previous ones, our kids were still too little to even really care what's going on.  We decided to start this year because we no longer have an infant to worry about, and the 2 older ones can talk and enjoy themselves walking around like big kids do.

We're both so glad we did it as a whole family.  For us, it really wasn't just about celebrating Halloween and giving and receiving candies.  It was, above all, a memory we just created for our kids to remember and cherish as they grow older.  I cannot wait to do this again next year!

Fresh Surprise ;)

My husband reported back to work today after his 2-week long leave.  I must admit, I missed him a lot, and it it were not for his job, I would've asked him to stay home and just go in on Monday.  But you know, that's not how the military works.  If you got to go, then you got to go!

Anyway, I honestly thought that he might be home a little late today like what he already told me last night.  He was informed that the results for the new Chiefs might be out today, and him being a Chief now, that means he must stay there till everything gets done.  I don't know what they really do.  All I know is, when he made it last year, he stayed at work till late at night.

Well, he came home early today.  He got some stuff for us and the kids, and then he told me to go grab another bag he had left in the car.  And so I did as I was asked to do.  To my surprise, when I opened the back door of the car, there it was, a bouquet of fresh flowers sitting in the backseat!  What more could I say about that?  It did put a big smile on my face.  And when I went back inside the house, I thanked him, gave him a big hug and a kiss for such a sweet gesture.

Thank you so much, Mahal!  No words can ever express how much I'm grateful for having you in my life.  Not because of things like this that you do for me, but because you complete me, and I know that without you, I'd rather not be here as well!  I love you with all of my heart - to infinity and beyond!

I AM BACK!!

So glad to be back after a week-long vacation in Oklahoma with my family!  We all drove down to visit my mother-in-law, and for the kids and I to meet the rest of my husband's family.  I must say, it was a blast!  We all had a great time!  In fact, the kids (the boys) didn't want to leave yet, and I know it must have been so hard on their Grandma, too to see us go.  I know the feeling.  My husband and I felt the same way as well.  We all wished we could've stayed longer, but my mom-in-law only had a week of leave, and my husband needed to be back, too because his 2-week leave was already almost up.  He actually already reported back to work today, which sucks because, like usual, we missed him and we got used to having him around with us 24/7.  But duty calls, and he needs to go back to work, whether we like it or not.

We left Oklahoma last Monday at 2:30 in the afternoon, and we didn't get home until Tuesday, the next day, at almost 10 in the morning.  That's right, we were on the road for almost 20 hours including our stopovers.  The trip coming back was a lot harder than going there because the kids were uneasy,especially the little girl.  She didn't even want her Papa to stop driving, or she'll wake up from her sleep and would lose it!  It was, no lie, a tough one, but we still, we cannot thank God enough for watching over us and keeping us all safe all throughout the drive back and forth.

It definitely was a vacation to remember!  As a matter of fact, it was our first family trip, too, and God willing, we've already talked about going on another family trip sometime in November.  We're praying that things will work out according to our plans so we all could enjoy another family time in the outside world before the crazy cold winter season comes.

Happiness Is: First Trip to Baguio

Campbells at The Mansion

This photo was taken at The Mansion in Baguio City. It was both our first time there, and we had a blast!  We only stayed there for 2 days, but we were able to visit a lot of places.  We would love to go back there someday with the kids. 

Here's to More Happiness Is...

A Weekend-like Tuesday

May 8, 2012:  My husband came home early from work, and since it was so gorgeous outside, we both decided to take the whole family out for a walk, then bring the kids to the nearby park so they could play and run around.  We put the boys in their wagon, the little girl in the baby carrier, dogs on their leash, and we walked a good mile for about 30 minutes, then we took the kids to the playground.

I called it a weekend-like Tuesday because we got to do stuff that we only normally do during weekends.  With my husband's ever-changing schedule at work and him being the only afternoon Chief in-charge, most of the time, during weekdays, he gets home usually at around 6PM, or later.  So we don't get to do much during work days.  But every time, like that last Tuesday, he gets off work earlier than usual, he always makes sure to spend time with us.

The boys had a blast, running all over the place, climbing up the slide and sliding down, and above all, they met a new friend.  Unfortunately, we never got to ask for her name, but she was so friendly and nice to the boys the whole time.  Not to mention that she was so pretty as well.  How I wish I could've at least asked her what her name was.  But it looks like she lives around the neighborhood, so there's a pretty big chance that we'll see her there again.  And if we did, this time, I won't forget to ask what her name is and how old she is.

 

Papa, too, had fun -- chasing after the little ones ;)

Anyway, we only stayed there for about 40 minutes, then we decided to walk over to a small restaurant called, Standing Only to grab something to eat before we headed back home.  We all had dinner together, then I got the kids ready for bed.  They definitely got so tired from playing and running around that they went to bed early that night.

That Special First Year of Being Together

My  husband and I have been together for almost six years now, and I still remember what it was like when we celebrated our first year of being together.  If you happen to not know our story, well, we technically didn't spend our first anniversary in person.  I was in the Philippines and he was here in the States.  But distance never stopped us from making that day an extra special one.  We spent time on the phone and we talked online while we were both on webcam.  I can't even remember how long we talked, but I'm pretty sure I went to bed way too late.

It wasn't the ideal first anniversary anybody would want to have, but at the time, that was all we could do.  He just got back from deployment and he had no time to take leave off work because he had so many things going on that needed to be taken care of right away.  But one thing, though, he never failed to send me gifts on our first anniversary.  He went online and sent me fresh flowers with chocolates and a pink stuffed teddy bear that were delivered to our house on the day of our anniversary.  Not only that.  He also sent me a box with lots of stuff, including a book series, Left Behind.  He bought me a diamond ring, too that came in a different package, among other things.

I'm not into material things.  I never asked any of the things he gave me.  For me, it's the thought that counts the most.  The thought that he went out of his way to make me feel very special on our anniversary, that's what matters most.  He truly proved that he didn't need to be with me in person at the time to make everything perfect.

As for me, I still wish I could've prepared any first anniversary with boyfriend gifts ahead of time.  I was so focused on doing school at the time, and on top of that, I really had no money to send him any gifts like what he did for me.  But, I still got him a card.  I poured my heart out to him on every single word I wrote.  I made sure it was the perfect first anniversary card for him.  And when he told me it was more than he could have asked for, I knew I did a great job.

All in all, it still turned out to be the perfect "online anniversary celebration".  We may haven't had the chance to do our first dance, or that sweet first kiss, but the experience and the memories we created in spite of the distance are something I'll never trade for anything else in the whole wide world.  It was and will always be the perfect first year for us!

A Weekend Surprise!

My husband came home today with a little surprise for me! After giving me a hug and kiss, he told me he got something for me and handed me a small blue paper bag. I opened it right away, and when I saw the small box in the bag, I almost cried. It's a set of white gold Hello Kitty earrings and necklace with diamonds. I had no idea he'd come home with something like that for me because there's no occasion or anything special going on. I asked him what it was for, and he told me it's a gift. He said I really don't have anything fancy like jewelries, so he thought of getting me a set. And since I love Hello Kitty, that's what he got for me. I actually joked around and told him that I hope it wasn't an advance Mother's Day gift, and he laughed.

Well, honestly, I already got an advance Mother's Day gift from him when I asked him to buy me a set of square plates and the next day, he came home with one. So I'm not going to ask for anything anymore for Mother's Day. As long as I have my whole family to celebrate it with, that's more than I could ask for.

It's definitely a great Friday the 13th so far, and it couldn't get any better! I'm just looking forward to a relaxing weekend with my loves.

Happiness Is: First Family Portrait

As my first post for Happiness Is, I chose something that's extra special - our first family portrait. Yes, it's the very first one with all of us. We never really got to have our photo taken before because we weren't complete yet. We waited till our youngest was born.

We still plan on getting new family photos. We only went to get this done because we wanted to have something for the house and for us to send to family members. Plus, it was tough getting these photos taken because the boys were all over the place. I can't even count how many times the photographer tried taking a decent photo with all the kids looking at the same direction. A would-have-been-twenty-minute-session that lasted almost an hour!

But I still want to give credit to the photographer for a job well done! She did great with the kids, too. She was so patient and nice. If we'd still be here by the time we decided to have another family portrait taken, we'd definitely go to the same place.

Here's to More Happiness Is...

In Fitness and In Health

My husband and I started working out together about six weeks ago. It's a type of workout that not all people probably like, but definitely is a good and effective one. We are both dedicated and we promised we'll finish the whole thing together. (I'm not going to disclose what type of exercise we're doing because I am not here to advertise for that or something.)

Anyway, my husband already leads PT at work, so pretty much, he does two to three workouts a day. Two at work, and he always makes sure we get to workout together when he gets home. It's our other way of spending time together. We get to have fun and at the same time, we're doing something to keep us fit and healthy.

(taken right after we did our workout)

I do look up to him when it comes to stuff like this because he really is a workout junkie, and he does push me through all of it every time. Believe me, our workout is crazy and if you don't have that motivation to achieve your goal, you won't make it. I have almost wanted to quit a couple of times, but because I had him to help me through, I made it - and I'm still on it!

We're like three weeks away from getting the whole thing done, and I must say, I have lost a lot of baby weight (fat) that I gained from my pregnancies. And believe it or not, my clothes that I wore before I got pregnant, fit me again! I'm glad I didn't go crazy on wanting to buy new clothes after giving birth. I think that decision motivated me even more to really get back into my pre-pregnancy size, or even more fit. I have never felt so much better in my life as far as being fit and staying healthy like I do now.

I cannot thank my husband enough for the support and the motivation that he never fails to give me! In fitness and in health, we work as a team because we share common goals - stay healthy and strong, and be good example to our little ones.

I love working out with him and, though we get to do it late because of his work, I still wouldn't want it any other way. As long as we get to workout together, it doesn't matter if we end up finishing at midnight, we'd still go for it. Sore or not, we got to push through. And I must say, everything we've done in the past 6 weeks is paying off. Definitely worth the saying, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN!".

Anxious and Excited

Khaki Ball (Navy Ball) will be the very first ball I'll be attending in my whole 26 years of existence.

Watery Wednesday: The Military Part of Us

This photo was taken during John's deployment back in 2008. I can't remember if this was taken within Iraq's territory or Iran's. That deployment is special because it was our first as a married couple. He was gone for 6 long months and those months were the most difficult times we've been through so far. I don't exactly know what they did because that's just how some things are, but I know they did something that had me so worried to the point where I hardly had sleep for nights. My husband did special operations and that's as far as I know about his job during those times, and as a military wife, I was scared and worried to death the whole time I knew he was out there doing mission. I couldn't even remember how many times I've found myself praying to God day in and day out to keep them safe and bring them back home alive and in one piece. It was so tough not knowing completely what was going on and even a lot harder knowing there was nothing I could really do. During those times, I have never stopped longing to finally hold him in my arms - to know that he indeed was all right. I couldn't count how many times I've cried not just because I was missing him, but because of the fact that I might not get to see him alive again. There was fear in me all those times and I don't think there were words comforting enough that could have taken that fear away, even if they tried. The agony of going through every day life without him next to me was too much to bear, but I had to deal with it. I had no choice. It wasn't something that came out as a surprise. I already knew the type of job that he does before I decided to marry him, therefore, I must live by that decision and just be there to support him no matter what. I already knew it won't be easy, but I shook that thought off and followed my heart. I love him and everything that is him, so even if it meant I have to forget some things that are me just to be with him, I still chose the path that led me to him.

Being a military wife is not easy, but I love everything about it. We may not be in line of duty like they are and we may not do the stuff that they do, but we play a very crucial role in their lives. We make their houses a home and we serve as the arms that hold the family together and closer, and we keep it from falling apart especially during times when they're not around to physically do their job as the head of the family. Our strength, our loyalty, our devotion, our love for our husbands are our weapon. They keep us going especially during times when nobody can really understand what we need to go through or what we're going through. I believe that by remaining strong, showing him my love and support, and just being there for my husband helped him to push through with that deployment and kept him alive knowing that in the end of it all, he's got me and his whole family to come home to.

I will always be so proud of everything we've went through and the things that are yet to come because those things are part of who we are as a military family. Big or small, it doesn't matter. As long as we know what we do can help make a difference, that's all that matters the most.

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Ruby Tuesday: Mother's Day Cookies

These were my Mother's Day 2011 cookies that my boys gave me. Every time I'd come across this picture, I can't help but smile. It reminds me of how funny but sweet my husband really is.

On Mother's Day, he got me a small cake just enough for one person (he didn't bother to buy a bigger one because of me still being pregnant at the time and he didn't want me eating too much sugar). Then, he went back out again to grab something and when he came back, he handed me these cookies and asked me to choose one. I was like, "Why? Aren't they supposed to be all mine?" Then he answered me, "Because I also want to have a cookie." I chose the one at the bottom and he took the yellow piece. The whole time he was eating it, I was laughing because I thought it was just too cute to watch my husband munching on a cookie that says, Number 1 Mom. No wonder why he bought two pieces - so he, too could enjoy as well.

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GT: Our First Summer as Husband & Wife

My most memorable summer was in 2008. It was our very first summer as husband and wife. After my husband's month-long training for his deployment that year, he flew to the Philippines to spend time with me and my family. He only stayed for 3 weeks but we got to do a lot of things. We were able to go visit places and we even got the chance to go home to my province where he met my grandparents for the first time.

Here are some photos of us taken during his April-May 2008 vacation:

Me and my husband together with our cousins: Kuya Ice, his wife, Ate Carren, and Kuya Ice's younger sister, Shineth

With our cousins
at Manila Ocean Park
Corregidor Island
at McArthur Park (Palo, Leyte)
with my Grandparents (at home in Samar)
[In loving memory of my Grandfather, Ezekiel 1929-2009]
at The Mansion (Baguio City)

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