Green leafy vegetables

Now that health is being discussed more often in our house because of my brother in law’s recent hospitalization, everyone is saying” we should really take good care of our health.”

We’ve also now keen into cooking more healthy food such as green leafy vegetable because these veggies are rich in iron which we all needed. Now we are bracing ourselves for dinner that is full of green veggies. And besides it could be our natural colon cleansers too. We know for a fact that there are many health benefits you can get in eating vegetables. Although the problem lies on how many recipes can we prepare for many kinds of green vegetable which abounds in the supermarket. If you know some please feel free to share it with me.

The following are the ones I can easily buy so mostly I will get them so if you know variety ways on how to cook them, let me know please.

1. Ampalaya tops
2. Kangkong
3. Pechay
4. Mustard
5. Malunggay leaves

Hubby's blood donation

For the love of his brother who was hospitalized and needed donors..

And even if he was tired too and had only 6 hour sleep the previous night, he donated blood (of course I made sure he really is fit and can do it) for his brother. I was there with him at the laboratory and I tell you it’s me who felt weak upon seeing the needle and the blood bag. It’s more than full of 5 custom shot glasses for sure, it’s 450cc if I am not mistaken.

He rested for few hours after that and back to taking care of his brother again.

Rain..we welcome thee

Manila was in its hottest temperature yesterday, the news said it was 37 point something. But the good news is, it rained last night and it cooled down, I was able to sleep without complaining of the heat. And it rained again tonight so it is way cooler to regular summer days.

When we were in the hospital, I noticed that a lot of old people are being rushed to the emergency room and most of the problems are stroke, high blood or having difficulty breathing and I heard a lot of doctors and nurses said probably it's because of the heat. Who needs warmer and montecristo cigars or anything like it at this kind of weather. I've been slurping ice cream almost everyday for one week now (and I am not a big fan of ice cream) because of the heat.

So rain, please rain some more, we need you and we welcome you here.

Sleepless,Chaotic,Hospital

Life has been chaotic for since yesterday actually it started 2 nights ago, when my brother in law texted us and asking for help, he had severe abdominal pain and we had to bring him to hospital, initial findings was appendix but an ultrasound ruled it out. They found out that he had  internal bleeding and the possible cause was the pain reliever he's been taking for the tootache. It was also the cause of the abdominal pain and vomiting. He had blood transfusion already and we are hoping he will be recharge today.

It was nerve wracking when they couldn't find what's wrong at first, good thing it was not that serious and life threatening like asbestos mesothelioma cases that is so rampant today.

I'm home for the moment to have some rest, been absent from the office since yesterday, am exhausted and I haven't had a proper sleep. Rudolf is also resting because he will be giving blood later.

It's hard but we are keeping on. A prayer for us will mean a lot. Thanks everyone!

beautiful wedding favors

I'm in the wedding mood today :) probably because we just had our 4th wedding anniversary and as usual that brought me back to thousand of memories during our wedding. Our wedding preparation, our wedding vows, our rings and all. of course I love everything about our wedding, love your own siempre. I love our invitations which I personally laid out and wrote all the Tagalog wordings. And now that a friend is getting married soon, I am into look out of new and beautiful wedding favors. I saw this and I said oh I would have love this for my wedding because I am a certified coffee addict :)

and these bamboo inspired favors are nice too! perfect for our Filipiniana theme wedding :)

Hongkong Disneyland

I'm actually dreaming of going here.

We've been to Hongkong last year but we did not visit the Disneyland, first because we have not enough funds, second our visit was a ministry visit and we only have few hours free for leisure.

But this year, I've already booked for us a one way ticket to Hongkong on September. An airfare ticket from Cebu Pacific that is almost free. P72.00 for both of us. The thing is we don't have ticket going back to Manila yet. At least I'm one step closer to that dream.

I've also looked into Disney World hotels and that's another big dream for us. You see, an overnight stay in the Hong Kong Disneyland hotel will cost us P14,700.00 and that's super expensive for us. But who knows? I might get a cheaper rate or someone out there with a good heart might gift us with that right? September is still 4 months to go and a lot can still happen.

Anywyas, for those planning to go there, here is the arte I got from their website :

Room Rates (January 2010 - March 2011)

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
Find the dates and accommodations that fit your family's needs as you experience the Disney heritage in this magical hotel.

Room Type	Value	Regular	Peak
Garden View	HK$1,800	HK$2,100	HK$2,400
Sea View	HK$1,900	HK$2,200	HK$2,600
Sea View with Balcony	HK$2,100	HK$2,400	HK$2,900
Fantasia Room	HK$2,400	HK$2,700	HK$3,200
Kingdom Club Room	HK$2,900	HK$3,200	HK$3,800
Kingdom Suite	HK$6,000	HK$6,000	HK$6,500
Dream on Raquel..after all..dreaming is free!

4th Anniversdary picture at Mandarin Hotel

That's our sort of 4th anniversary picture :) taken yesterday at the Mandarin Hotel.

Nope, we didn't have anniversary celebration  but I was there for work and hubby came to just see me and have lunch there.

The stressful week is finally over and thank God it's weekend. I can sleep all day tomorrow and rest. For next week will be another stressful week with all the work I left at the office for two days. This afternoon, I actually thought if I can do sales because of the product launch that we did in Mandarin, although I do not have backround in marketing and sales but if I learn how to talk and quote I think I'll be bale to do it. I'll see if I can learn from insurance quote I read and do the same for the products that we launched today and yesterday.

Wow..been talking about work again here while I should be resting.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Headache

I have been silently wishing for the last two years that I should have studied Law way back in college. It was actually a dream when I was growing up but back then I though it was expensive to go into Law school and we we’re not even sure the if I can go to college or not. But I really wished I did pursue that.

Because right now at work I am swamped with loads of court cases and just reading them gives me major headache everyday.

I even attempted to see if I can get an online degree with regards to becoming a lawyer not that I can afford it now but who knows.

Ah..the thick folders in my table are waiting for me and I don’t even want to open them.

Too many headache on our special day.

4 years ago

and still

GOD'S BEST GIFT TO ME EVER. Happy 4th mahal!!

I. AM. OLD.

I feel old.

Oh well, I'm old. or I am getting old.

The signs? the fact that I am always on the look out of best anti wrinkle face cream, best anti-aging cream and many more kind of cream means I am old.

My body clock is telling me I won't be able to conceive anymore. I might but I am already on the high risk if ever. But I would still welcome it whatever risks it maybe. The question is will I have or will I not get pregnant?

I know it's becoming frustrating to read about my rants on pregnancy issues here but please bear with me. This is where I let out all those frustrations.

Again, I am not losing hope. I don't want to lose hope. And I put my HOPE in GOD because isn't it true that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM?

Photobirth announcement

How I wish I am making one for myself but sorry I am not. I am dreaming wide awake of how am I gonna announce to my world if ever I get pregnant soon and oh I have loads of ideas for the photo birth announcements also, and it won't get hurt to order also if moms don't have the luxury of time to DIY their announcement. Although here in my place it is uncommon to send photobirth announcement, in fact I have never received any from my friends so I would love to do that when I get pregnant. Anyways, do you do pregnancy announcement too? hehe! just curious because if ever I want to do that too :)

Below are images of photobirth announcement from naptimecards.com.
Enjoy them and help me pray I'll do one soon for me please :)

Smart Parenting

Weird me.

• I recently chanced upon the smart parenting website and I thought I wanted to register as a full member. BUT I AM NOT A PARENT YET.

• I wanted to register because I want to join their recent contest where you can win a big tote bag for moms (obviously to carry all the baby stuff you need when you go out). BUT THEN AGAIN I DO NOT HAVE A KID YET.

Funny me.

I realized though that I frequent some mom blogs and some parenting sites too which I know is not bad because I got to learn something which I share to my friends who have kids already. So I guess it’s not weird huh?

But I think I should visit and read more sites and gather more info on how to become pregnant or how to effectively lose weight or what diet pills are safe to be taken or better yet how to get rich quick.

~~~~~~~~~

It’s only Wednesday and I am dead tired of office work already. I wish it’s Friday na tomorrow.

Cool weather today

Good morning!

I was late for work today because I did not want to get up this morning. I think all I want to do is sleep until noon or late afternoon. Why? I was dizzy the whole day yesterday for reasons I do not know, nah..am not expecting so cross that out. And it can’t be some side effects of diet pills because I am not taking one in the first place. Probably it is because of too much reading and too much time in the computer screen and hope it is not heat stroke.

Anyways, I feel a little better now and I hope It would last the whole day.

And oh..we have a very good and cool weather today, did you notice it? It was actually raining (although not heavy rain) when I come to office this morning. What a relief from the hot weather we are having.

Today is cooler so today’s gonna be a good day.

Do not work too hard

I actually got this on my email few months ago and while cleaning my inbox today I saw it and thought of sharing it to my fellow bloggers and to my readers.

I do not know if that news is true or not but I guess the message is loud and clear.

~Have a life besides your office or work life.
~ Build relationships, invest on it, have friends in and out of the work place.

and do not work so hard that you think your life ends when work ends. If your job is killing you then by all means get a new job,I'm sure you'll be able to find a job where you don't have to kill your self like philadelphia airport jobs or anything that you'll be happy with or you may opt to stop working at all, always remember that you are working to live rather than you are living to work.

A very good reminder to everyone out there.

HAVE FUN! LIFE IS SHORT!!

Smile

Hey! How was your long weekend? I hope it was as good as mine :)

Yup..it was good mainly because I've got to baby sit my nephew Caley in Cogeo for 2 days and I enjoyed it, the last time I saw him was last Christmas and boy he has grown so big and so cute!!

Look at these beautiful highly contagious smile :)



And to say that hubby enjoyed it too is an understatement because he loved it!!


Thank God for digital cameras that let us capture each moment to last forever!!

And of course I have my special moment too!

He is so adorable and I'm looking forward to seeing him again!!

My Dear RYAN

Today is my eldest nephew’s 13th birthday, I called him on the phone and greeted him and now I am being sentimental aunt.You see, first born child (even if some won’t admit it) are always treated special. And Ryan (my nephew’s name) being the first grandson in our family has always been special to us.

I remember how our world changed when he was born 13 years ago, I remember the many sleepless nights cuddling him when he’s sick. I remember buying him all the Joliibee and Mcdonalds toys that comes with the happy meal for kids. And I remember how his eyes light up whenever he opens every toy. I remember how excited we were on his first day in school and how proud was my Tatay (his grandfather) to bring and pick him up from the school with his pedicab (tri-bike) everyday.

I remember every birthday celebrations he had, from first birthday party to his 7th. I remember how happy we were when he first walked and talked. Last year was another milestone for him, he graduated from elementary and as always I am one proud Aunt.

(With his mom who cried on his graduation day)

This month marks also the end of his first year in High School and I know he did well, he said competition is tough and very different from elementary but he did his best and that’s what we want from him. To just do his best in everything he does.

Ryan is one kind soul, I also remember vividly when he was young he used to play inside our small church which is beside our house and talk to our pastor and his wife and he said one day when he grows up he wants to be a Pastor. He first learned songs from the church instead of nursery songs and now at 13 he is very much involve in the church together with her Mom who is now also a servant of God.

I still wish I could take from him the pain and hurt of life but I couldn’t and I know young as he is, he has his own shares of painful chapters also especially when his parents marriage was put to test, but I am even more proud how he journeyed through tough times, how he has grown up, how he love his parents and how he loves us.


I LOVE YOU RYAN AND YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SPECIAL TO ME!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

New tires

We do not need an auto repair right now (because we do not have an auto hehe!) but we definitely need a new set of tire for our motorbike. It has been 3 years since we had that bike and hubby said it needs replacement already.

But if someone out there reading this needs an auto repair for their ford escort or a water pump replacement for their autos, you might want to check repairpal.com. They will give you repair estimates so you would have an idea how much the repair cost will be, of course I’m sure it depends on how big the repair will be, maybe it will not cost you an arm and a leg if you only need a new timing belt.

But as for me, I need to know how much will it cost us for the new tire. I hope we can get it soon, having flat tires in the middle of the road often is a headache.

So true

Saw this at my facebook wall and just want to share it :)

Kota Kinabalu-Last day

From left to right

1. Just before we board the plane at the airport, it was raining hard when we left KK.
2. Signal Hill Observatory- from there you can almost see the whole city of Kota Kinabalu
3. We met a very good soul there and he treated us for dinner at Warisan Square, that's his wife nad his daughter, we will never forget you Bro. Ezra and hope we will meet again.
4. with new friends in KK..that's Ginger from US, they are also working in Sabah and they provided us a place to stay overnight when we arrived and just before we leave Sabah. Good thing we don't need allergy bedding but the place is so nice and so good!!

Random pictures from the signal hill

Praise God we were able to at least walked around the city after the mission trip. It was as my good friend Carmel said challenging but an absolutely amazing trip!!

APRIL

It's our wedding anniversary month. We are officially "four" on the 21st. And guess what we did tonight? oops..not what you think..hehe!

We watched our wedding DVD. What a way to start the celebration of our wedding month.

And as we are watching, we started laughing how everyone looks that day and oh I can't believe how skinny my husband was. And he was serious through out the wedding ceremony.

As usual the most touching part was the exchange of vows where I cried first. And I teased him when I heard his vows and reminded him of what he promised to the Lord and to me. Like his hands might get hurt in repairing and making our home comfortable for me to live in ( as far as I remember, he was hurt once when he did install faucets and water pipe in our old sink). You can see our whole tagalog wedding vows here.

It was nice watching that. It was nice to see that once in my life I was beautiful and all smile not to mention I was 35 lbs lighter. hehe!

We still have long way to go, we still have adjustments to do, we still have to go through many fights and disagreements, there is still lot to be learn about married life but we are not afraid as long as we are going there together with our hands and heart entwined by God's love.