Thank Heavens

My sister and I spent a couple of days at Davao Doctors Hospital and I'm thankful that her laboratory result is negative. The doctor informed us that nothing is wrong with her kidney. We suspected something is wrong with her kidney because she had a hard time in going to the comfort room.

I was worried too because I see and feel how bad she felt thinking about having an illness and leaving her family. Her daughters are still young.

I thank the Lord for the positive news we had and that we didn't have to stay longer at the hospital. She has to continue her medication though.

Bliss (^_*)

I'm too busy this month to update my blog.I might activate mobile publishing so I can continue writing.Bliss is the word I can define for my December this year! God gave my family and I many reasons to thank the Lord for all the blessings we enjoy.

I feel so great when this photo was taken

Family reunion is the best thing I expect at the end of the year.Thank heavens I  have family who loves one another.I would like to thank my relatives as well who are always with us in making it possible.Although they're out in the country they still make us feel as one.I expect greater things as we welcome 2011!Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!

I'll be writing the things I did  and those that happened to me as soon as I can.Swear!

Sa 'yo Lamang

Sa 'yo Lamang (Only for You) is another heart-breaking film by star cinema.It's a family drama movie that features a typical Filipino family with issues and struggles. The events that happen in their lives test them. In the greatest battle of their family, their strength to stay together as one is challenged.

The movie talks about a father (Cristopher de Leon) who left his family.He was gone for ten years and had another woman.During those times, his family had a miserable life.The mother (Lorna Tolentino) and the first daughter (Bea Alonzo) did all they can to feed the rest of the members.When they're having a good life, the father is back home and hungers for acceptance.The eldest who acted as the father to her siblings had a hard time forgiving her dad for she gave up her dreams and boyfriend to help her mom.The twist is both the parents had an affair with another partner.But the father didn't tell his children their mother's transgression.The mother bore a child and had to separate the baby away from her family hoping for a new start.That's the reason why the mother welcomed her husband again with open arms in which the eldest daughter couldn't accept at first.When the mother died due to cervical cancer, reconciliation happened.

Sa 'yo Lamang is a grand movie bringing the big stars of today on big screens.Coco Martin, Enchong Dee, Miles Ocampo,Shaina Magdayao, Lauren Young and Empress are also part of the film.From the director of Tanging Yaman, Laurice Guillen has brought another touching movie for us.The official soundtrack Sa 'Yo Lamang is sung by Juris Fernandez of MYMP.

I watched the movie yesterday with my cousins and granny.

Happy Birthday Sarah

Today my cousin Sarah is celebrating her 12th birthday! She's not here with us but we remember her special day. She was two years old when we first met in the Philippines with her family. She lives in Germany and last July was our second meeting. We met in Manila to attend our cousin's wedding and we were together again in Davao and enjoyed swimming with our relatives.

I had a great time with her. She's funny, very active and "sipat". Sipat is a Filipino word that usually gives a negative meaning which is naughty.But Sarah is not a bad girl."Sipat" can also mean playful and always do things with unusual acts. We mean her that way! She loves to do funny faces and that makes her really funny! She gave everyone a tag since my younger sister initiated for calling her "sipat" in Manila. Sarah thought about this tagging thingy when we arrived home after playing bowling with our cousins.

• Inin softy
• Mimi dancer
• Bob player
• Ai ai crazy
• Lisa gaga
• Tne jollibee
• Poloy Motorcycle
• Jayvee Istoyahee
• Inda house

Here are some photos of us:

An Emotional State

I had a serious conversation with granny while staying in her house.Yesterday morning we had a cup of coffee together and  I was surprised to know that she wanted to become a teacher! I didn't know it! We were both quiet when she suddenly opened up. She told me she's happy that my younger sister and I are teachers.According to her, she's happy that she has grandchildren who were able to accomplish what she wished for when she was young. Although she didn't become a school teacher, she's still thankful to God and happy for what we've become.

I want grandma to live longer.She helped us a lot in the darkest pages of our lives. I always remember her for supporting us. She encouraged us to join different school activities and she was always ready to give what we need for being a part of a program.She even made our costumes! In our village, she let my cousins and I to offer dance presentations to the crowd in every celebration.

I'll never forget her birthday because it's the day after mine.I put a smile on my face when I saw her first in the morning at the bedside holding my gifts and money as my presents for my special day.Those were inexpensive yet very memorable.Before we celebrated our birthdays together but when I turned sixteen I started having my own.The words that came out from her mouth are still fresh to me. She said I had to have my own celebration since there would be visitors in my age coming.She added that it would be more enjoyable for me to invite my friends and had fun together.When we had a joint celebration we only invite our family and relatives. She believed it was necessary for me as a teenager.

I love my lola as much as I love my mama.

Decisions

At times I know I don't have the ability to make choices quickly. One thing I hate about myself is taking decisions too long.It takes me a long time to make up my mind.On the contrary, being this way allows me to commit minor errors.I don't feel good while making this post. I just talked to my mom and we end up having separate thoughts.I don't want to upset her. I don't want her to dump my suggestions either. I'm certain we have a common goal- to give what's best for the family. However, I think about leaving it all to her so not to have arguments.I admit I felt bad during our discussion because I wanted her to think more.Rushing on things is such a bad idea for me! Why do things fast if we still have enough time?There are favorable and unfavorable factors with our own viewpoints. My mom and I are very opposite. She makes a decision right away. No not fast, but very fast.  It's important to try to understand and respect what we disagreed with anyway.

There's one thing that I want to do now. That is to leave home,start on my own, learn by myself and grow in the process of searching myself without them. I'm not rejecting my family though. They're still part of who I am.My ohana will always be my family.

I've been planning to get a job outside Davao so I can start on my own. I need to get rid of some people in here to help me grow. My older sister has been telling me to get out of my comfort zone.I hope I can get the job I'm applying for as soon as possible.

Godspeed!

Den @ British School

The nature of my brother-in-law's job allows his family to move from place to place.Sometimes my sister prefers to spend a few months in the country.Now, that they're currently staying in Mildenhall,England my niece is now enrolled in a British school.

The school year has just begun and Denise is happy to meet her new teacher.When they arrived in Britain a teacher suggested to my sister to send her daughter as early as possible though the school year is about to end.The purpose of doing so is to give my niece early exposure to the new environment she's joining.That's to help my niece to be familiar with her fellow learners and recognize some teachers as well.

Denise is going at St. Mary's.It's a Christian school which is located near their household.Being in that learning institution reassures the parents that their children are not only filled with academic excellence but molded with proper teachings when it comes to spiritual life.

Since she's with the British kids she needs to practice and work on her speaking skills.We don't worry much about it though.After all people tend to adapt to its environment.Though she needs adjustments, I know she can do it!

My first niece (on the left of the above photo) is a smart and pretty little girl just like her mom.My mom is happy to know that she likes her new home,her new school and new friends.I feel good about her current situation.In their videos we learned that she wants to stay in England and just pay a visit in the Philippines.They keep sending us photos and videos so we are updated with their activities though we're miles away.I'm certain that she finds happiness that she's together with her own family.

I'm Going to Miss my Ohana

Things will change on this day forward.Our house is quieter. I don't understand myself right now.I'm bored that I don't feel like doing something.I feel emptiness somehow. Five people temporarily said goodbye to us today.I've got two sisters and three nieces.The kids are now joining their parents.They had left to be with their dad again.As I was fixing my room I'd come to realize that starting tomorrow there'll be no anybody to enter it and do some mess.My nieces sometimes like to stay there and play with each other.They're not going to leave my room without touching or destroying anything!Well, kids are kids (^_^) Here they are-my three lovely angels. I'll surely miss how they call my name, the way they eat, and our bonding time.After work they're excited to see me when I promise that I'm going to stroll our village with them.They'd love to ride their kiddie tricycle and see other children outside home. As of this moment they're at Ninoy International Airport in Manila.They're waiting for their boarding time.To kill the time after we dropped them at Davao International Airport I did the washing-up,cleaning the rooms,and tidying up everything. Mom didn't come with us at the airport.She told us that she doesn't want to show them that she's crying as they leave. She kept herself busy upstairs just like what I did downstairs.However, now that the kids' vacation in the country is over she can go wherever she wants and do what she pleases.This weekend my boyfriend's family is inviting us to visit their place.It's a two-hour ride.So I'm tagging her, my sister's boyfriend and his brother as well. I'm praying for their safety and I hope that they'll have a pleasant journey on their way back to England.God bless them all.

My Mom's 52nd Birthday

Mom's birthday is special to us.We are not here and nothing in this world without her.She is the strength in my family.Though my father is not strong enough she was there in times of great storms.I didn't see her giving up.She makes us feel that everything will fall into place.When she sees us trembling with fear due to shaking problems she heals us and takes away our worries.We're loosing hope but she's hopeful.We see things negatively most of the time but she's always optimistic.Moreover, I notice that she sees things apart from us. She teaches us to stay calm so that we can think on best ways to find a solution.

Today we celebrated her 52nd Birthday.We had some lechon which is Filipinos' favorite viand at parties.Somebody brought an ice cream for the kids.We had much fruits and I offered a cake.My older sis who's now in England called and greeted her.In addition my aunts, friends and the rest of the people who know her send their wishes and prayers for her. My mom is very passionate and she showed us how to persevere.She instilled in us the thought that there's always hope.Whenever we are down, she taught us how to stand up and become firm.She doesn't want to have a party at home.All she wants for her birthday is for us children to be happy and thankful all the time.Another year which is added to her life is a great thing for her to celebrate and thank God. Her teachings will always stay in our hearts forever.

My Parents’ 26th Wedding Anniversary

Today my parents celebrate their 26th Wedding Anniversary.Mom prepared some food and we’ve got visitors.Relatives and friends came here to be with us.They got married last March 19,1983.A year after, my mom delivered her first child.We are four children in the family and my brother is our youngest.

I wish and pray that our family will stay strong, happy and blessed.Arguments and misunderstandings are inevitable.It can happen to every family.It now depends on how each member will take it.

Last year was their silver anniversary and the most unique gift was from our childhood friend name Jed.He’s an artist and he really made an effort. His present was extremely unique.He conceptualized a stuff that has something to do with my parents.The whole output was really a piece of an art made by an imaginative and unique person.I got a photo of it and I posted it in my other blog site.

My Uncle and my Cousins

Last Wednesday my uncle arrived here in the Philippines from Germany and he treated me out for lunch. I met him at noon and got back to work.I thought that he'll say something important to me but I heard nothing surprising in meeting him. Lately I chatted with my cousins and they told me that they got a video for us to see. Unfortunately their cousin Sam who's living in Manila left it there. She and her dad visited Davao also and yesterday they went back to Manila but she promised to send it to us.She's isn't our first cousin but we like the way she treats us. We feel that we are somehow close to her.Surely we will be at the beach with the clan. My uncle will be staying here until the 23rd. It's the day after grandma's birthday. Grandma's birthday is special for everybody.It's one of the most-awaited occasions in the month of December for the family.He'll spend his Christmas with his family as what he had promised to her wife. All of us call him "tatay" which is father in English. We used to call him that way since we were young. We consider him as our second father.He gave us presents and I hope that he'll enjoy his stay here.We thought that my cousins are coming home too but they broke the news and told us that they can't make it this year.The moments that we had years ago was so great and all of us hope that it'll happen again. Shop together, eat together, swim at the beach together, see movies together, play together and so much more! I want to flash it back!jejejejejeje. I still have more cousins living in Germany;Sandra, Andrea and Sarah. We saw them in person long time ago and now they're all grown -ups!We're excited to see them too now that they're ladies.This post is for my cousins. Love and miss ko kayong lahat (^_^).Dankeschon for everything.

Betrayal,Trust and Life

image courtesy of www.outdooralabama.com

Lately, I realized something in life. I learned that we need to open our arms again to new beginnings no matter how painful our past experiences were. Last month's revelation was truly a form of betrayal to my family. Among the members, I'm the most broken. Nevertheless, we are still standing firm. When big waves are coming our way, mom is always reminding us to be honest at all times and stick to whatever we believe are right.

In spite the bitterness that fate is giving us, we are always told to be thankful with it. That we should be glad when troubles come because at the end of the tunnel, there will surely light. Our mother is our great teacher and great adviser. She's reminding us to have that welcoming spirit and open our hearts again. Trust is such a treasure that we can gain from genuine people. Yet, the sad fact is, it's hard to win it back when integrity is lost.

Other people's experiences in life allow me to feel life as well.The last few statements will explain it further. "It's not ideal to trust only 3-5 people in your whole life. What will happen to you if they're gone in this world!? Life is complex and full of unexpected events that will surely shake us for Life is indeed full of surprises. Therefore, we need to become a fighter, a conqueror, a believer and a survivor to understand life fully and enjoy it."

Alexandra Marie's Birthday

Yesterday was Alexandra Marie's birthday. Her dad took her out and just like Sophie's birthday their mom baked a birthday cake for her. Time passes unnoticeable. My niece is now two years old! She's the last celebrant of the month! Her and her 2 siblings Sophie and Denise are also June celebrants. I'm pretty sure that she enjoyed her birthday! I miss you Lexi...muahhhhh Kisses from Davao, Philippines.

Sophia Marie's Birthday

My niece Sophia Marie celebrated her first birthday two days ago. Her mom baked a cake for her. Thank heavens that she had lived this far without being sick. Perhaps she had colds and cough but it's not that worst. See the pictures below? That's her dad's family tradition! When a baby turned one, he/she's allowed to touch and eat the cake all by herself. Her older sister Lexie had done the same when she turned one last year. We witnessed how Lexi enjoyed the cake so much!jajajajajajajaja. We had two cakes then. One for the visitors and one for the celebrant!A baby would like to touch a smooth, colorful and sweet creation for her! Ate Jackie sent us the pictures below.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!!

I like this one.How lovely!

Is it slimy??jejeje

Hmmm how does it feel Sophie?Satisfied?

The Hackers in London

Ate Jackie's family is currently staying in England. They left Philippines last year and I don't know when they're coming back in the country. Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law visited England and they roamed around in London together. She sent us the following pictures:

I made two more post about London in my newest blog- RHAPSODY. Click it and take a look at it. THANKS!!!!

• London, England
• Fly With Me in Europe

June Celebrants in the Family

I can't forget the month of June not because it's an ideal month to get wed or the start of classes in Philippine Education System. The main reason is because my 3 nieces celebrates their birthdays on the same month! Cool ya? Denise just turned 6 two days ago. She only had few visitors. We just invited her close friends to have an ice cream and cake in here. It's her first time that she hadn't have a party. Since she's leaving for England, her parents are saving money for her plane tickets. Four days from now, the youngest of baby Hackers, Sophie will celebrate her 1st year! She's a chubby, cute and lovely baby. Her physical features look closer to his dad Justin. She was unwell last week because of the changing weather in England. Their granny is absolutely happy to see them again. Lexi's will be on the 21st. It's been six months that I haven't seen this curly-haired baby. She's turning 2 this month. Aloha said that Lexi loves the movie Happy Feet very much. Everyday they play it for her. There was something that Aloha shared to us that made us all laugh. Lexi was caught throwing her chewable vitamins in trash cans! She's just like me when I was still young!jajajajajajajaja I can still remember how stubborn I was for not taking it. I was throwing it outside through the window!Well now, I'm the only skinny in the family. So is Lexi *sigh

Paradise Beach Park and Resort

The entire family went back to Samal Island. This was our last beach outing. My tita will leave for Germany this Sunday so that also served as her "despidida". This time we were in Paradise. I've been here many times already. Since I was in elementary we were going in here to bathe at the beach under the heat of the summer sunshine.

Tita helen on the 3rd spot from L-R

To reach the island you have to ride this motor bancas which will take you to Samal Island or IGACOS.

You can do a lot of things in Paradise Beach Park and Resort. It has a Nature Park where you can take a tour. You can see animals in there like turtles and different kinds of birds. They offer trekking and massage.There's volleyball and basketball court. You can also play table tennis, pool and do some water sports like scuba diving and jet skiing. You can rent aqua bikes and the likes.

my cousins

Denise on the water Mom and Aloha

Accommodation is not a problem. There's non and air conditioned rooms. Hot water in specific rooms. Moreover, they prepare delicious and fresh food for their visitors. Cleanliness is maintained. When you're in the water you'll have no worries because it's crystal clear and the administration is really making sure that it is always sanitized. When in comes in security, you're travel from the land of Davao City to Samal Island is monitored. In your way going to Paradise, a report is given on how many people are coming ;who are the passengers in the motor bancas and they will check if all those people are able to cross the see safely.

Denise in her swimsuit

I had fun yesterday. The sun was up so we did use sunblock lotion to protect our skin from cancers and sun burns. At night mom had a dinner with her siblings.

Denise was tired after swimming My bro Bob Aloha,Aireen and Me Aloha-Jasmine there's still lotion on my neck LOL Our relatives