What a Wednesday!

Having no helper for 2 months now (after getting used to having one since my two boys were born) took me out of my comfort zone. The change gave me unexpected twists and turns some almost make me cry but most are just priceless moments. Like these ones I will share with you today.

Yesterday morning,  I forgot that every Wednesday, Kuya’s school bus comes an hour earlier. Totally missed it so I had to be the one to bring him to school (thanks to Uber!). I lost 2 hours in my schedule but anyway, problem solved.



Next concern:  to rush back before Miguel gets  home but just couldn’t so I called him to meet me at the mall. He waited for me at the food court. This was what I saw.



My youngest one making his homework while waiting for me. The sight made me teary-eyed and happy. The feeling was priceless.

So the day went on with the usual Wednesday stuff. Until after dinner I remembered it's children's day the next day and I had nothing planned and I couldn't just shrug it off because Miguel's expecting gifts for his classmates. We have been doing it since nursery.

Guess what happened.

Hubby helped me! After putting the boys to sleep, we did our  last minute project. He ran to the nearest store to buy some chocolates while I prepared the paper strawberries. Turned out to be a fun experience for us. We only didn't make 40 little presents, we actually had our date for the week!

What a wonderful day it turned out to be!

i don't want to forget...

...that my valentine's day was sweet and simple and one that I won't forget.

... that I was happy and kilig. I woke up to dear husband's sweet message and an this leather wallet ... I thought that was it. I went to send Miguel to school and did my morning walk. When I got back home, I saw a white paper bag.... with a leather bag inside! 

... that my Miguel is still a baby. I insist.  Sometimes I forget that especially when he starts to open his mouth. He talks like a grown up! But now that he is sick, I saw how baby he still is. He made me his nurse, Daddy as doctor and our bedroom as the "hospital" and I enjoyed it very much. I am pretty sure he did too :) 

... that I need to pamper myself once in a while, even if it's just sariling sikap :) 

:):):) See yah soon!

Wordless Wednesday

blessed.

Dear husband, 

With our simple but less ordinary, always happy but often chaotic life... I thank God for everything. I am blessed to share such life with you and our two boys. Here's to many more years of challenging but fulfilling journey ahead... I love you BB!

Thank you for the flowers before bedtime and I hope you like my heartfelt gift. 

Let's to go the beach! 

Love, 
Wife

{How I made this poster:  I took our selfies with iphone. Made a collage via Collage Maker iphone app. Edited in picasa to achieve the B&W look. Made a poster via Pages app in my Mac.}

Ten Years

My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving to God for on May 31st, it's gonna be our 10th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long time since I vowed to love this man until death. With all the ups and downs of our married life, I can say, it is truly because of God's loving guidance and protection. It is not because we are both awesome to each other because we aren't. After ten years, we both know our "off" qualities. There are a lot! Seriously! You may not even believe if I tell you because we are good in hiding it. LOL! But with strong conviction that we both stay accepting and loving despite imperfections because breaking each other's hearts, or not choosing to love would mean we are also breaking away from the love triangle --- me + husband dear + God. 

Being married to Benjo Rulona is one of the best manifestations of God's love for me. I couldn't imagine life being with anyone else. I love you BB! Thank you for everything.  You are not just my husband. You are my bestest friend. Well, next to God :) 

 I'm gonna share with you how I made this layout in the Robin's Nest Blog. It's my turn to design and blog today so see you there! :) 

mother's day rant

If not for the fact that for some reason I haven't talked to my mother today (and it makes me very disappointed) this day would have been so good.

My boys (with Mae's help) made me a "giant card" as they call it. Last night  when hubby and I got home from the grocery and they fetched and helped us with the bags, Migs said: "when we get inside the house, you will close your eyes, and we will shout SURPRISE! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!" and when we got inside, he did and I pretended to really be so surprised. hahahah. So I enjoyed mother's day a few hours in advance...

I'm sharing this precious artwork with my mother, MIL, sister and SIL. All the mommies in the clan are thought of! Some close-ups...

Mae earned 1000 ganda points here.  She even documented the process and sent these precious behind-the-scenes photos to me!

By the way, have your heard about the recent put-an-end-to-boring-photos campaign in Facebook? Here's my share... 

Hahaha! EPIC mother's day lunch scene. The hair. The faces. We were rushing for the Block Rosary so we never had the chance to take a better one. Thanks Mae for this jinga-juice-drinking-contest photo BWAHAHAHA! 

We can make everyday a mother's day so I will stop feeling sorry why my mother  never went online and didn't have a minute to pick up her phone today. I will stop complaining that in this special day in her honor she is extremely busy in the shoppe because people are getting married. If God allows, we will all still be here tomorrow and the next day.. and the next... and I can show her how much I am grateful to her for being my mother. 

I will say goodnight now by leaving you this song we sang with the POSAP Rosary Crusade earlier today. Loved it so much (and helped me divert my useless emotions to good ones) so I googled the chords and sang. Husband dear didn't know I was recording it. Take a glimpse of our unguarded moments :D 

Happy mother's day to all of us mommies and to all our moms! I will be back tomorrow to announce the winner of this giveaway. Ciao. 

Thankful Tuesday

I thank YOU for everything. For the patience, for your understanding, for the love, for the listening ears, for the laughters, for helping me carry my crosses... 

And for asking me out yesterday! :D

{just us} and a Good News!

Hello! Blogging live from Le Grandeur! 

God gave us this chance to spend 4 days without the kids.. It's a lovely time and place for a retreat but I miss my two rascals so terribly. Thank heavens for Skype, we managed to enjoy some make-believe tickles, hugs and kisses. I can never imagine doing these silly kiss-the-screen thingy for more than 4 days though.  I can't wait to get home...

However, I really believe hubby and I need this time. Just us. With God. I feel so blessed. Sometimes a little bit unworthy for everything I have been getting from this retreat. It's just too much of a blessing to know the truth about His perfect love for an imperfect sinner like me... 

These photos are not the "blessings" and the "everything" and the "Perfect Love" I was talking about. These are nothing compared to what I really meant. It's much much more deeper and substantial than that. I can't describe it! It is my prayer that you will know about it in His time :) 

Next topic! OMG! I have been keeping this for weeks and I'm glad the time has come to share the news...

My fellow scrappers know that I have been, since the very first time I used these rock stars, an avid fan of Dew Drops. I use these in almost all my projects and I am soooo happy and grateful to be part of the Robin's Nest Design Team! Congratulations to my fellow DT members!   Thank you Terri and Robin! Can't wait to start creating with you all =) 

date night @ Arab St.

... it was one of my most favorite among our date nights :) Thank you BB! :)

Azkals in Singapore

I'm not a sports fan.  I only get to watch some sports shows when I know somebody playing in one of the teams, or if it's Manny Pacquiao's boxing match. I don't know much about any sports. But this time, hubby asked me out! :)  He hadn't asked me for a date for a long time and I thought it would be exciting to watch Philippines' Azkals vs. Singapore's Lions here in a foreign country!

Although our team didn't win, indeed it was more than just fun! It felt soooo good to see thousands of fellow Filipinos in one venue, cheering together for Azkals. At one point, I kept silent in the midst of shouts and cheers, realizing how much I love and miss my country.

Here is a nicely written article about that event.

My date and I ... most of the time he was busy taking 

photos of the game which is just fine with me because...

 I was also so busy staring at these hunks! LOL! =)

8 years ago...

I got married to Benjo Rulona. May 31, 2003 *flash back with Jim Brickman music* it hasn't been an easy life. For people closest to us, they know we are happily married. Blessed. But we have struggles. Major ones. The hardest struggle is having a child with special needs (that would be a different story, I will blog about it when the right time comes, ok?) But all in all, we are very blessed. It's because of the 3rd person in our love triangle.

God has been our first love. When trouble comes, we look up to HIM. Not immediately all the time. For there are times we falter. But sometimes, even when we fail to be faithful to Him, He is always there to rescue us. He has done so many miracles in our life. I can only look forward to many more challenging and happy years with my family, without fear, knowing that we have a mighty and loving God, taking care of everything!

So as remembrance of our 8th year,  I made this special present for Him and Benjo... A book containing not just photos of our guests, but precious memories of our family, friends, loved ones who witnessed our union and were one with us in sealing our love triangle with God. Can't thank them enough!

Here's a slideshow of what's inside.... 

Happy 8th anniversary Baby! I love you very much! :) 

this day, a decade ago...

It was a sad valentines evening for me. All my three sisters had roses from their boyfriends who were also there, while I got none because --- I had no boyfriend at 27! So I made a bargain to God which I cannot share because it's just between me and Him :) hahaha! And it seemed He liked my bargain because the day after, February 15, I met Benjo for the first time.

About a  month after ... he visited me in my hometown. An 8-hour bus trip from his place.
He became my boyfriend the day after (lol). And he kept on visiting me every other weekend. Until he got tired.... (of that 8-hour bus trips?)

So...

A few months after he asked me to marry him via SMS. How unromantic! (lol)
A few months after he and my mom-in-law visited our hometown to formalize our wedding plans.
And we got married May 2003 :)

And we lived  happily ever after?

Nope. Because we have challenges everyday just like every couple on earth. Like last night I cried of frustration because our son refused to sleep and I very much wanted to blog. And my younger son kept on waking up because he wanted his blanket and PJ's fixed.  While the Daddy was snoring hahaha. It was so not in a valentine eve mood in the bedroom. I know God understands me when I hate such situations. I just pray. And sometimes walk out. Then go back to bed. And pray some more.

I am blessed. It's not a perfect life nor a perfect marriage. But its good. I love it. I believe its because God is my number one valentine (there, I'm giving you a hint of the bargain). I love you Lord! Happy 10th valentines Day to us!

And to my second valentine, the manifestation of God's love for me in this world, here's for you... I love you BB. Sorry that I was a bitch last night. I hope you like the socks I gave you hehehe... Happy 9th valentines day to us! :)

For this mini, I used Websters pps and trims, Sizzix (keys, heart, circle, tags, envelope and pep squad for the alphas), glimmer mists, paint, ribbons, handmade fabric flower, prima, brads ... and lots and lots of foam dots.

cheap date :)

lucky plaza
lutong pinoy (Filipino traditional home cooked meals)
barbecue
bulalo
haircut
window shopping
nonsense jokes
walking (hhww!) without any plans
thoughts and talks of K & B
fun and sweet date nights need not be complicated :)

Have a sweet weekend y'all! :)

March 29, 2002

So happy to finally make a layout of this precious photo I have been keeping for more than eight years. Notice the date on the lower right corner of the photo --- March 29, 2002. That was when Benjo (now my hubby) travelled 8 hours by land via Ceres bus, to visit me in my hometown (you see, Philippines is made up of 7 thousand and more islands. He lived in an island so far away from where I lived). I was more than happy to show him around and introduce him to my family and friends, all of whom liked him so much. I want to believe it was not because of the many "pasalubong" (gifts one brings when he visits someone or comes home from travel). I still remember he gave each of my sisters an expensive Adidas wallets and my parents a bag-full of goodies, to my father's delight because "hopia" is his favorite! "pogi points! hahahaha! Makes me love him more reminiscing all these.

Had a fun time making my "secret" journaling written on vellum, rolled and tied with a bakers twine, and the handmade flower using zipper in  this pink-yellow-orange page. Pink means love, yellow and orange are happy colors! Just like BB and me. Trials are inevitable but we always end our day thanking the Lord for the happiness, the love, the meaningful  life we have with our two sons Rujim and Miguel  :)

This is my entry for Pencil Lines sketch 199, Color Combos Galore challenge 154, Create, and American Crafts punch week challenge. Wish me luck! :)

Supplies used: AC papers,AC glitter cardstock, felt, prima flowers, Choc Chips alphas, dew drops, doilies (a gift from Sookie, thank you!), bakers thread, MS punch, buttons, pearl, and a pink zipper for the handmade flower.

Is it too late?

I used to be really intimidated with paints. I grew up seeing and smelling paint in the house because my parents' livelihood is designing and selling handpainted fabrics and dresses but  I didn't really give it a thought that one day, I'd be loving paints too!

If someone asked me then what I'd be when I grow up, .I'm sure I didn't have a sincere answer. (I think I was asked one time in a beauty pageant lol! yes I joined but that's another story for another post?), I so confidently answered: to be a humanitarian lawyer, because that sounded too cool and that made me land into the final 5 hahaha) I was to unambitious. I was too easy to please, too shallow. Very small things make me happy. I easily get satisfied. I think I was always too contented of life... Hmmmn... I wonder if it's all good to be that. I can never recall in my life that I wanted to be the BEST. When I joined contests, It was for the fun I had with friends and the prize money  I could get (I grew up poor but always felt very happy and loved by parents). Maybe that's the reason why I was always second place, vice president, assistant, 1st runner up). I didn't really strive to WIN. Didn't study so very hard before exams. I was always happy-go-lucky.... but not very lazy. Just did things to survive but not to be the excellent one.

But I'm blessed, because I believe it's  not yet too late for my DREAMS, for trying to be really GOOD at what I do. For knowing what I really want and what really makes me happy :)  I believe it's not too late to want to learn painting (already told my father I'll learn when we go home for vacation soon and he laughed! because he'd told me so many times before to do it!). I believe it's not too late to say that I love being who I am now: wife, mommy, daughter, sister, friend, teacher, artist (wannabe!). I still need and want many things, but If this is all that I am, and all that God wants me to be, I am happy and so grateful. I wanna be the best at it. I thank God. He is enough.

So inspired by these thoughts... and inspired by my father, Jimmy Badilla my number 1 idol in painting and a lot of things,  and Donna Downey, one of my idols in scrapbook world, I made 3 projects --- using PAINT!

... for Maggie and Sherwin's wedding anniversary

... for Momi Evev's birthday.

... and for Mare Cathy and Pare Noy's wedding anniversary.

Is it  too late to wanna become an ARTIST? *shy* :):):)