Blessed.Loved.Surprised

I never thought the husband will be able to pull off a surprise party for me because like what I've said before I always end up knowing it beforehand but this time I failed...My sister Rina is the one who initiated the surprise party actually and  she was helped by friends and my husband of course..

The surprised party happened the day after my birthday (february 09). On the eve of February 08, we also had a party for our Pastor (we have the same birthdate) but it's his 50th so we gave him a party not knowing that while I am busy planning for our Pastor's party, they were also had a party in mind for me :) So sweet!

The party is not that grand if you compare it to others party, no caterer or other party stuff but it was special because well, it's my first ever party in the church, first surprised party ever in my whole life..I never thought, even in  my wildest dream that they will be able to surprise me ( because It's the other way around-I do always plan for parties-for my friends and family, surprise party or not)

Anyways, that day-Thursday was our devotion day for the worship team which my husband leads, we were supposed to go out and have our devotion  in a nearby park, hubby said we will not push through with the going out but doing it instead in our church..and so..when I opened our church gate, I was "surprised" is an understatement..I can't believe my sisters are there and so is my dear father..I'm teary eyed but all smile :)

and then the husband gave me the flowers, my sisters were holding the cake :)
I was ushered to the front and I can't believe the husband made this banner (hehe!) friend said looks like an album launching banner :)

I was so impressed because they prepared all my favorite food :)

And my husband sang the song he composed for our wedding day :) it is so nice to hear that song again after such a long time. My husband may not bring home basketball trophies but nonetheless I am and will always be proud of him!

My niece g& nephew gave me a special song too!

I just feel so blessed and happy, the people present in that simple dinner gathering are the people closest to my heart. Thank you Ate Rina for such a very good evening :)

And oh..I should not forget..the gifts!! the gifts..I should say is the faith..it's my family  and friend's faith that someday soon, we will have our own child. I received feeding bottles and newborn clothes and diaper bag..I looove it!! My own faith in believing that yes..we will have a child was renewed :)

I am overwhelmed!

Anyways, it took me long to post this because I don't know why I'm having a hard time attaching pictures, but I'll edit and put some more pictures when  blogger or rather my net is not acting up anymore.

A happy birthday indeed

Last night, family and my closest friends gave me the biggest birthday surprise ever in my life :) And I must say they all did a good job of keeping it secret and unknown to me until last night. What can I say? I am loved and I am blessed!

I'll post pictures and the full story this weekend, for the meantime here is the bouquet of flowers the husband gave me..

and the card with a note from everyone :)

Stay happy everyone!!

Beach and my birthday soon

I'm praying, wishing, dreaming, hoping or whatever you call it of going to beach this month as a birthday gift to myself. I have no beach trip last year which is quite sad so I'm aiming for an early contact with the beach this year.

(my Anawangin sunset picture)

I saw a voucher selling Anawangin trip and I wanted to buy one but I realized doing it on our own will be a lot cheaper. I've been to Anawangin twice and for me that is the most beautiful beach nearest to us. Though it's not for those who wants comfort while beach bumming because it's a camping beach site. Anyways, here's an entry I made about our Anawangin adventure few years ago. If I have to go back there again, we will be needing a tent because we only borrowed the one we used before, although you can also rent from there for a minimal feel but I gues sit would be better to invest in a good tent like the kind of nemo tents perhaps...so I can have can have more camping trips with my husband and friends.

Going back to the beach and my birthday- Please let me have that simple wish. I so miss the sand!!

Remembering our trip

This was taken February of last year. I just thought of it now because oh well..it's February again and it's bringing back memories from our Singapore trip. I thank God for being so good to us. We didn't even thought we can go to Singapore then not with my earnings and all but God is our great provider.

I pray this year, God will bless us again so we can go to Thailand for the Global Intercessors conference and then cross border to Cambodia and Vietnam for a short mission trip.

Thank you Lord!

Where to buy Novuhair?

If in case you still don’t know what Novuhair is-it's the latest hair loss treatment being endorsed by none other than Fanny Serrano who is a well known celebrity in the beauty industry.

Now, hair loss is a major concern to anyone (including me) and I know we all fell to that  tv commercial about shampoos that prevents hair fall..didn't we? I read some good reviews that this one actually works and people are asking where they can buy this product. Here is where you can get Novuhair ;

Novuhair is available at all Mercury Drug, Watsons, Rose Pharmacy, South Star, Manson and Cory Quirino World of Wellness stores, and online on www.regaloservice.com.

You can also visit www.novuhair.com or you may call 413-6570 or 0922-883-0575 for more details.

Great time

My husband and I had a great time tonight. We had one of those few spur of the moment "let's go somewhere quiet where we can sit down and talk". Right after the prayer meeting in our church, I wanted to share something to him about what the Lord said or is trying to impress on me, so we thought we needed to be in some quiet place.

We then went to Legazpi Active Park in Makati which is 10 minutes away from us, we stopped at the nearby convenience store and bought something to munch on and drink while talking/sharing.

After sitting down for a while and finishing our food, we held hands and walked around the park and then we prayed.....and prayed....and prayed......I lost count on how many times we encircled the park and we didn't even notice the time :)

But oh..sorry we are joykillers (KJ) because before heading home, we reported a group of people having a drinking spree inside the park. I saw the big bottles of beers and I thought isn't it prohibited to drink (Alcohols)in a park? We went to the guards station and reported it and didn't leave until we saw the roving guard reprimanded them and confiscated their beers. It was nice that we have that kind of park here and we don't want anybody ruining it :)

Legazpi park is quiet at night and really it is a good place to talk or walk or run. Sad that I didn't have my camera with me so I can share my own picture but nevertheless here is a picture taken by biyaherongbarat :)

It was a great time indeed. An unexpected date with the husband and we only spent less than a hundred pesos :) And the calories burned while walking is a big bonus!

His love for music

My husband is in love with music, given the chance I know he'll take up music lessons and buy all the music instruments he wants and maybe even buy a whole music recording equipment so he can record on his own all the songs he has made.

For now, his ultimate dream is to get on to a recording studio and record all the songs he and the rest of the music team in our church have made. One of the many reason why he resigned is to pursue that dream. Most of the songs are already being sung in worship services in our church and I pray that one day, other congregations will be singing it also.

One of my favorites though is the song he specially composed for our wedding which he sang while I was walking the aisle,which he kept secret until our wedding day. I wish he'll include that song in his future album someday :)

Right now, he wants a keyboard and I pray the Lord will grant the desire of his heart which I'm sure He will because after all he is making music for HIM.

Pork Pochero

Because I didn't go to work yesterday, I had the energy to cook dinner and remembering that one of my personal goals this year is to learn to cook new dishes I tried pork pochero with the help of the internet of course.
Here are the ingredients: (sorry I don't measure )
pork
canned pork and beans
tomato sauce
carrots
saba (banana plantain)
cabbage
green beans
pechay (chinese cabbage)
onion
here's how I prepared mine...

I boiled the pork with the onion until the pork is tender and added salt

After 30 minutes or so, I added the carrots then the green beans

and then the pork and beans and the tomato sauce

 

The banana and the remaining vegetables after

 

I also added some pepper :) I know I added too many vegetables-I love it! and just like my pork binagoongan and other dishes, my husband enjoyed it! We ate without rice and that explains the many vegetables :)

 

Till my next cooking adventure!

On reading books

It's been a while since I last read a good  book. I still haven't finished Nicholas Spark's The Guardian and it's been stashed in the box for quite sometime now. Last year I mostly read ebooks, that was the time I seriously thought of buying a kobo ereader for me but I've changed my mind. I still want the traditional books and I want them in my mini library someday :)

Anyways, I thought of books today because I recently watched "message in a bottle" also by Nicholas Sparks and realized I do not have that book yet meaning I haven't read it. I know the book is much better than the film so I'm hoping I can buy even a pre-owned one.

I wish I could read a book often and encouraged my husband as well. I think I should add this to my personal goals for this year :) What you think?

Happy 75th birthday Tatay!

It's been 2 days since we celebrated my Tatay's 75th birthday. It was a simple, no fuzz celebration but we all had fun. My Nanay is extremely happy because we were complete and she got to see her siblings which happens only once in a blue moon.

I insisted for this celebration because our parents are getting old and I thought we should celebrate every occasion and make more memories before it's too late. And I know it's worth it. Money can't buy me back time and I don't want to regret not doing things that makes my parents happy if ever God decides to take them from us.

Here are some of the pictures.

 (all of his grandkids-making faces and poses)

(all of us girls in the family, my mom, my two sisters and 2 grandkids with the celebrant)

(and with all the boys-we need more girls in the family :)

(my Tatay with his best buddy-they can only have red wine now)

And the foods!!!

 I wasn't able to take pictures of the leche flan which my nanay made specially for her grandkids and my Ate Rina's buko-pandan and oh we also had rice cakes (bibingkang kanin and biko) and the evr present pancit and spaghetti for kids.

Thank you Lord for giving my father a long life and good health -although he can't do now the things he used to do when he was younger and he's on medicines, I am still very very grateful that he never got any serious sickness and he was never hospitalized and for that i am so thankful.

We love you Tatay!!

First 2012 photos

Taken January 1 at Tagaytay City by no other than my 9 year old niece Rachel :)

Yesterday Food Trip

Yesterday was such a long day for me and my husband. We decided to visit the kids (nieces and nephews in his side) and treat them to Jollibee and since our pastor is officiating a wedding on the same place we went to ride with them. Thanks to Cavitex (the new cavite expressway) travel to Cavite is far more lighter now than before.

The Jollibee treat was nice but I was worried this little one nearly got lost :( My husband found him with the Security Guard and sobbing. Too many kids to handle. I promise I won't be doing that again.

After that, we invited ourselves to the wedding due to the same ride with our Pastor :) It was a simple wedding with only the people in the church (whom we are all acquainted with specially my husband) Others thought we were really invited..hehe! I'm so ashamed of my self because I was wearing shorts :( Anyways, we enjoyed the food there.

(the gatecrashers)

Then, someone from that church invited our Pastor again (and so are we) to drop by at their house and visit after the wedding (it was already past 7PM) but we all gladly went and were all amazed on how beautiful their house is. And it's like we haven't eaten at all, we nearly finished 1 gallon of ice cream and 2 bags of loaf bread. Mine was coffee lang and the bread ( no ice cream)

 (the husband fell in love with the painting)

After lots of picture taking and praying for the host we left for Manila at about 10 PM.

And guess what? on our way home, my husband and I decided to drop by at Distrito- a food market on its last day and yup! we ate again. :)

This is bibingka (native rice delicacy that is mostly available only on December)
Mmy husband bought his favorite kebab

A strawberry drink capped our night. Imagine how full we are yesterday :) No wonder why we can't wear our wedding bands now. :)

And today..we have no food at all..hahaha!! At least we enjoyed a lot yesterday.