The Big 2011 Recap

I haven't been able to update this blog as much as I want to. Either I am too busy or just plain lazy. There's so many things I want to write about because there's so many things in my life worth writing about- hahaha! I do feel important sometimes, and there is this urge to share my story to the world...like me thinks people can learn a thing or two from my experiences. Lol! Feeling jud!

Warning. I will be blabbing so you may spare yourself the trouble and stop reading right now.

But Mama Inday, I know you will patiently read this so here you go...

The biggest blessing this year would have to be managing to get members of our family to come over to look after the boys and help us at home. What a big relief this has been. I've been struggling with the fact that the boys are spending so much time in childcare while Armand and I work.  You  know, the usual guilt working moms feel. I will be eternally grateful to my inlaws and my sister Ck who have shared their time with us even if it meant giving up their own plans for awhile. I owe them big time!

"P" has become my favorite letter in the alphabet. From passing Audit and Assurance and Financial Reporting to passing the actual driving exam. Never has the letter "P" sounded so sweet! This year has been a busy year of worthwhile learning, exams, acquiring life skills, readings and self-learning. My stress levels were at their highest, I think, but I can now say I am glad I made time for these things.

There's been plenty of travels this year. We've been to so many new places and revisited our favorite spots. We've done a lot of mini-vacations which I know have created wonderful memories for our boys. And the best trip was visiting the home country and spending quality time with my parents and sisters. It is my prayer that we will be given the means to visit home more often.

Work-wise, it's been a very rewarding year for the hubby and me. He's been promoted at work and would have been promoted again in barely two months but we both felt it was too soon. We have other plans for the family still. As for me, losing my other job at DC proved to be a blessing in disguise. It was a reminder that there are so many opportunities out there and it affirmed the reason why I am actually killing myself doing my CPA exams :)

As in all years past, I am most grateful that I am blessed to be a mom. It is heartwarming to see my boys grow up before my very eyes. Amazing how much they learn everyday. Rafa has learned plenty of words and phrases. I would say the best is "This one's really good!" Hahaha! Murag korek! Kuya Vince, on the other hand is now 8 and is growing up to be more like his Papa. I am both happy and a little apprehensive with that. Haha Kidding! Of course, I want him to grow up idolising his dad!

There have been bad days, too. But I choose not to dignify them here. As they say, "What you focus on multiplies." So I am only focusing on the good things.

Four days to a new year. It's time to RE-ORGANIZE, RE-CHARGE, RE-ARRANGE and RE-PRIORITIZE.

Bring on 2012!

Two Faces of Christmas

I am having mixed emotions this holidays.

I am crushed with the floods that have affected two of my homes- Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. It's been several days since it happened but I can't seem to shake off the sadness this tragedy has brought. It doesn't help that everyday, there are photos and vids of the devastation posted on Facebook. There are just so many of my friends and relatives affected that although we are so many miles away, it feels like we are there, experiencing this tragedy with our kababayans. I have spent four and a half years of my college life in Iligan and established a home in Cagayan de Oro for ten happy years. I just can't begin to imagine the devastation, much more the pain and uncertainty people have been facing back home. It is massive beyond belief. 

I watched Philippine news this morning and I am amazed and very proud of the resiliency of the victims.  I haven't seen anyone blame God. Instead, there is just gratefulness to be alive despite having lost everything and more importantly, there is hope that they will rise above this tragedy. Makes me proud to be a Filipino, really. We are truly among the happiest people in the world. Praise God for that!

And I take my cue from the flood survivors. To be grateful and count our blessings because whether the world has turned upside down around us, there is so much more to be thankful for.

Gifts under our tree this year.

I am grateful for the tremendous love in my life. Everyday, I am reminded how blessed I am to have so many people who love me- my husband, my boys, my parents, sisters, in-laws, relatives and friends. Yes, friends who are very dear, they are like family.  As cliche as it may be, at the end of day, only LOVE matters really. The rest are just a bonus. 

So I praise my God for this big, powerful gift of love. If there's one special wish I can give out to you all, it will be that all of you may have so much love in your life. Let's all spread the love. Only that makes a real difference.

Saturday Afternoon in Cronulla

With exams done, I finally get to hang my feet and spend lazy weekends.

Two saturdays ago, we went to a secluded beach in Cronulla, put up three hammocks under the trees and spent the afternoon reading, eating, sleeping.

Me in my hammock with a very good book. Bliss!

We were in dreamland when this bridal party arrived to take some photos.

Hubby just 2 meters away from the bridal party.

They were very apologetic for disturbing our peace and quiet. But I would say it was a very nice distraction.

It was my perfect Saturday afternoon. With summer here, we might just have more of these.

Are you kidding me????

One piece of pandan leaf for $ 1.99 (P 90) !!!

Back in the home country, we grow these in our backyards. It doesn't cost  a cent. You didn't even have to buy a seedling. There's always some well-meaning relative or friend who would have been only too glad to share. Those who don't have backyards get it from their neighbours.

It is when I see how insanely expensive Australia can be that I fleetingly entertain doubts about my decision to move here. Nothing here comes for free. I miss free tanglads, malunggays, avocados, silis.

Aaarghhs, some things you just find so hard to let go. But as they say in Australia, you just have to suck it up, baby!

Last day @ DC

Today is my last day at DC after a full year of working here.  When I joined this company, I thought I was retiring here. Haha! But the  universe had other plans and as I have now come to accept as an essential truth in my life, I am again moving on.

I will miss DC and the relaxed environment of vibrant young people. I will miss having lunch with my friends who are working in the area. I will miss hitching a ride with Carol every afternoon and getting a loaf of bread everyday. I will miss meeting with Gracy at the round about, sharing latest updates and me getting pancakes from her :)



Gracy's and Carol's building at the back of the tree where Gracy and I meet for short mid-day updates.



That's the view from the other side, where DC is.

Beautiful tree in the spring.

I will miss this place a lot and the people that I associate with North Ryde. But as the flowers bloom this spring, I know I am headed to a better place. I have been blessed abundantly, so much earlier than I had planned. Change is always good. I am humbled and deeply grateful. Thank you, Lord.

Barely Keeping My Head Above Water

"If you want to move to a new level in your life, you must break through your comfort zone and practice doing things that are not comfortable."

CPA Exams
Trading
Driving
 
All difficult but just thinking of future rewards keep me motivated.
 
Good luck to me!

Big Holiday 2011

I know, I know… I deserve a big whack in the head for not writing about our three-week holiday back in the home country. Three weeks, baby! And I thought, three weeks was long enough! Apparently, we need to stay longer if we want to squeeze in everything we want to do. Perhaps we might just need to live there again then? Geez, what am I saying? I need another whack! Hehe


Like in our previous holiday back in 2009, the hubby and I prepared our itinerary a month before we left. The big list included the things we needed to do (i.e. pay advance property taxes, renew licenses, visit Pag-ibig office, sort and dispose of old stuff), things we need to buy, people we wanted to see and places we wanted to visit. The “to do’s” and “to buy’s” were all ticked but too bad only about 20% of “places” and “people”. There is just not enough time.

There are so many things to remember from that trip:


• Getting items from the Duty Free shops at 10% additional discount because A works at the airport. Yey!


• Stop over at Brisbane International Airport. We left a very cold Sydney and arrived at a very humid Brisbane but couldn’t change our winter clothes because everything was checked in.


• Meeting the Kuas and Acuins in Manila despite the very short lay over. I also got to see my very good high school barkada, Badah, after 11 long years.


• The many trips to the spa with hubby for the massage that’s aptly called “hagod”- wash out jud tanan kakapoy and worth more than the measly P600 charge.


• Filipino food- lechon, mud crabs, fresh prawn kinilaw, chicharon, mangoes, suman, native chicken, and the list goes on


• Food again but this time our favorite kanding. Papa Nick got one for us which he and the hubby made into papait, kaldereta, sinigang and adobo. I’ve never had too much goat meat in my life! All so yummy—all cooked from the heart.


• The many hours spent at the duyan in Tubod and the never ending exchange of stories over extended meals with my family.


• Trip to Davao, for that unexpected cash (weee!blessing!) and seeing good friends from our military days. We also made a quick visit to hubby’s cousins who have made big businesses in Davao, inspiring us to dream some more. Haaaayz! Big thanks to the Dongail family for being our gracious host- for organizing two dinners with the mistahs and their families, for lending us their Pajero so we can visit Tagum and even go all the way up to Mawab. Grateful for the mistahs who came to see us and stayed until the wee hours of the morning for the big catch up. And if you’re reading this Marnellie, thanks to you and Julien, too 


• Visits to MOA, Divine Mercy Shrine and Dahilayan. Short but really memorable.

• Short drives on hubby's big bike- adrenaline rush!

• My boys bonding with their relatives- priceless! I took a lot of photos so the kids will always remember their family back home.


• Boating inside the fish pond, Kuya Vince learning how to paddle and Rafa doing his bit by putting more water into the boat. Haha!

• The boy’s excitement over seeing real eggs hatch from Lolo Nick’s chickens.


• Crosswind XUV 2011 Moroccan Gold (big, big smile and big thanks to you oh, Lord!)


• Short meet ups with old friends. I promise to see more next time.



We squeezed in as much as we can in those three short weeks. I am grateful most of all for time well spent with family- the very reason for the holiday.

And now I’m counting the days to retirement so I can go back. Haha C’mon y’all, give me a huge smack!

Move over Manny P!

Remember how I wished i was Manny Pacquiao? Well, I know I will never be.

But my boys might...wehehe!

Starting 'em young :)

Firm, strong punches

Determined to win.

I'm kidding, of course!!!

He's just too cute to go into boxing.

Mag-artista nalang. He! He! He!



Speech

Vince arrived from school last week with a huge announcement.


Vince: Mama, guess what? I’ve been chosen to represent my class in the school’s speech competition!!!


Mama: Hey, that’s great! Well done, kuya! That’s amazing!


I gave him a tight hug. Deep down, images of the huge task ahead was spinning in my head. Three weeks ago, I guided him in making his speech. I put an emphasis on “guided” because it was actually Vince who came up with ideas for his speech. I just made a few tweaks, coached him when to pause and stress words and he was ready. He was sad when he came home…

Vince: Mama, Ms Garrity said I made a very good speech. She liked that I waited for everyone to get settled before I started. I made it to the next round!


Mama: Yey! That’s great, kuya! I knew you’d make it!


Vince: But I don’t want to do it again..Ah! I know! I will not make a good speech next time so I don’t win!

How does a mom react to that? Of course, I made a long speech about how we’re all supposed to do our best all the time, blah, blah, blah.

I think he put my ‘speech’ to heart because he prepared his speech with his Papa with so much gusto and practiced with his Tita Anne over and over again.

And so he came home today with news that he’s been chosen to represent his class.

What a proud moment! And I am happy that he’s overcome his shyness. He’s more confident now and enjoys school so much.

He’s come a loooong way from his prep days at Pineapple Country School.

At Pineapple Country School when Vince was only 3 yrs old.

Credit is good…

…when it relates to your rating in the CPA exam! (Big grin and doing the silly dance)

For those who do not know, rating in the CPA exam looks like this:

HD- High Distinction

D- Distinction

C-Credit

P-Pass

N- Fail

DNS- Did not sit

RW- Result Withheld

I know I should be aiming for HD but with my current state where I have to juggle so many things, I would have been over the moon with a humble P!

My boss’ reaction: “You got “C” for Audit and Assurance?!!! My God, you’re good! I know a lot who failed that subject!”

Hmnnn…never has the letter “C” sounded so sweet!

To God be the glory!

Tale of the Rusty Ski

We came home from our much anticipated trip to Mt Selwyn over the Queen’s Birthday weekend with so many stories to tell. But I am not going to tell you how fun it was to be with four other families with eight overly eager kids between us. Or how much food we brought, complete with a very yummy Pavlova and coffee brownies courtesy of Carol. And how the dads sneaked our magic kalans to the back of the motel so we can cook a complete breakfast and re-heat left-overs. I won’t even go into the details of how hubby threw up a whole day’s worth of meals at 3am. I’m sure you’re not interested  It will probably bore you if I say we had such a long trip, driving over deserted mountains I was beginning to think we got lost and was about ready to call for help—except there was nary a trace of signal. No, I’m not telling you that. Aaaah, did I just tell you that? Teehee!


There was one story from that whole trip which stood out for me…


When we first moved to Australia three years ago, we went through the usual ‘pulot’ phase. I don’t know about you but most of my friends who just landed in Australia experienced this. It’s when you get excited and all pumped up when you see a pile of rubbish on the street-thinking about the possible treasures just waiting to be unearthed - TVs, old computers and printers, components, dvd players, clothes, bags, beds and the list goes on. More often than not, this phase could be born out of sheer necessity or as how my cousin and good friend call it- ‘sa ngalan ng pagtitipid’!


Anyway, on one such ‘pulot’ day, hubby excitedly came home with a pair of rusty skis and made a promise that the skis will have it’s day in the snow as soon as we can afford it. I just shrugged him off. He’s got the weirdest and most impractical ideas, I tell you. After more than 10 yrs of being together, I know when he wouldn’t budge. And this is one of those.


I have totally forgotten about the skis until last Sunday, when I saw it packed along with our snow gear at the back of the car as we were unloading our things. I must admit there was a slight tug in my heart. The look on hubby’s face as he carefully placed the skis on fresh snow was priceless. I was sucked by the drama of it all. It was like the skis coming full circle.


We all took turns having our photos taken with the skis, coming up with every imaginable pose and pretending we actually went skiing.

Hubby trying on the skis

Vince's turn...

Rafa loved it so much!

The skis with our snowman.

When it was time to go, hubby carefully placed the skis on the snow under an old tree. It will sit there until the next “pulot” guy takes it to it’s next adventure. Who knows where that will be? The possibilities are endless.

Egs-ker-syen

That's how Vince says the word "excursion".

Yesterday, his class went on an "egs-ker-syen" to the local train station. He later came home with these goodies.

Thomas and Train story and coloring book.

Coloring pencils.

Water bottle.

Asked what he learned from the trip, among other things, he said they were taught what to do if they get lost in the station.

I love that Australia has these programs. Every year, police and fire brigade officers also visit child care centres and pre-schools to teach childrean safety and which numbers to call in case of emergency. It's mandatory they memorize the emergency hotline Triple 0.

Isn't that great?

Quick Reminder

Copied from Bo Sanchez' blog...

Savor life.


Simplify pleasures.


Strengthen relationships.


Show gratitude.


And share generosity.

Way Behind

I just realized that I am way behind in fashion when I read this blog entry.

This expert in bags was talking about what was cool in the 80's and the list included Benetton bags, anything Guess and Esprit- brands which I am only able to afford NOW :( In fact, I just ordered a few Benetton bags online two weeks ago and went shopping at Esprit last Sunday...like there's no tomorrow! Oh NO!!! And I was kinda proud of myself pa naman for crossing them off my list..Gosh, i feel so pobre! 

Eh ano naman kung behind na nga ako. Nobody really cares 'coz nobody considers me a fashion icon anyway. Buti nalang!

Anyways, I've been following this blog for a few months now and the more I read, the more i am grateful that i am not a bagaholic like some of my friends. (C'mon, raise your hands. You know who you are! :P)

I've been racking my brains for any addiction in me but I couldn't think of any. Not to shoes, to bags, to clothes, to gadgets. No nothing. Except books maybe? But I don't "die" if I don't get them so maybe not.

Think, think, think! Wala jud lagi. Maayo nalang!

3 years

On our third year anniversary in Australia last June 1, i came home to this feast. Hubby decided to celebrate by cooking pancit, pork liempo, adobong kambing and calamari.

Thank you, Lord for three wonderful years. There are so many things to look forward to.

Thermal Boots

Check.

All set for the Snowy Mountains.

We also bought brand new ski jackets and pants for the four of us.

It will be our first time to see snow so we're pulling out all the stops. Hold up na kung hold up!

Weekend Get-away

We've been putting off the trip to Port Stephens for the longest time..err, lets rephrase that. I have been going against hubby's suggestion of a holiday at Port Stephens since we bought the car. You know me. I'm an accountant, I was running the costs in my head :) Ang pagkatihik!

One Saturday in May, the hubby announced we'd go for a picnic at Nelson Bay. The kids and I hopped on the car, me not realizing that Nelson Bay is a town in Port Stephens, a two and a half hour drive from where we live. I was too lazy to care, really. All I wanted was an escape from the autumn chill.

It was a good full hour into the trip when it hit me from the road signs that we were actually heading towards Port Stephens. Again, I was too lazy to complain.

Actually, I couldn't find a reason to complain.  Look at these photos :)





Vince and Gab at Nelson Bay- nice and quiet and very clean.

 

Kuya can't get enough of this outdoor shower.

Rafa wanted to swim but was having a bad cough so he played with the water fountain.



and goofed around..



An older couple waiting for the sunset.

Mum and bub playing on the sand while a few men were fishing on the dock.

the original excuse for the trip- a picnic! yummy food!

and this- beautiful sunset. i love!

It was only when we were watching the sunset when I realized we were not going back to Sydney for the night. Hubby planned for an overnight stay! Geez, and I was the only one who didn't bring extra clothes. I enjoyed myself too much so I didn't complain and just went with the plan. We grabbed some things from the shops and proceeded to our accommodation.

Admiral Nelson Motor Inn where wer stayed for the night.

After checking in, we grabbed dinner at the marina where everything happens at Nelson Bay come sunset.

We had an early start the next morning...

First stop- light house at Nelson Bay.

Installed in 1892!

1

The view from the top. Awesome!

What's a trip to Port Stephens without checking out the sand dunes.

Camels! Dubai in Australia!

Sand as far as the eyes can see.

I can't say I hate spontaneous, unplanned trips. I want more :)

Oliver

Our good friend, Mike was part of the play Oliver which was running in the Red Centre Theatre at Wentworthville for three weeks in May. Mike played the role of Dr. Grimwig and also appeared in various other supporting roles throughout the play.

That's Mike in the centre with two other actors.

 I’ve always thought theatre is boring but Oliver changed it all for me. From the resulting performance, it was very evident that the cast gave it their all. The boy playing Oliver was so good, his rendition of the songs moved me to tears. And although the venue was quite small, there was a full orchestra playing and the costumes were great.



As for dear Mike, I am impressed! I was a bit surprised when he invited us to watch his play. I did not have a clue that he was into theatre. I met Mike a few months after we arrived in Sydney. I was waiting for my bus after work and was calling Noemie. Mike heard me speaking Bisaya and was too eager to meet a fellow Bisdak. We’ve been good friends since then. We are just so proud of him and looking forward to seeing more of him on stage.

We came in full force to support our dear friend :)

Ever the gracious host, Mike bought us pizza after the show which we shared while catching up with each other at the parking lot. We then all headed to Rouse Hill to get some goodies from the Pinoy store.

Great day!

Buhi pa ko

Buhi pa ko but after my exams last May 10, i got so busy with the things I missed during those few months I had to study. Things like reading books. As if wala pa nasumhan binasa sa CPA materials no? I've just started reading Oprah’s highly recommended book- The New Earth. I found this book at Vinnies a few months ago. Unfortunately, this failed to hold my attention. I think it’s because lalum kaayo ang writing ani nga book. Dili pa nako matugkad so I started on an ebook by Bo Sanchez- Turning Thoughts into Things. So far, so good.

We’ve also been going out a lot to show my sis-in-law more of Sydney’s tourist destinations. She’s been helping us out so much and is great with the boys. The least we can do is tour her around so she can post photos of Sydney in her Facebook. Haha!

Speaking of Facebook, medyo this is getting a bit boring for me. Thanks to the few days off FB when I had to study, I’m losing interest. Pwede man diay mabuhi nga walay FB and life is so much more peaceful. But I do still check regularly to keep in touch with family and close friends. Daghan na sad ko gitangtang sa akong account.

I’m spending less time on FB, but more time surfing the net to research on my new endeavor. This deserves a separate post so I’ll save it for later.

Just want to post something new on the blog kay gababag akong blue nga kuko.

Blue

I painted my nails blue and I'm loving it!



Back in the Philippines, I hated painting my fingernails, much less paint it blue!


You have to understand, I have a very "goody-goody" image back home. Kanang magulang nalang sa pagka-MANANG gani. I don't want to call attention to myself, so I stick to conservative get ups. But look what Australia has done to me. I am doing things I would not normally do. I guess this says a lot about the way of life here. Nobody cares what people wear. Which is good! I have worn my skirts and shorts (which I very rarely have the guts to do in P.I.) and I don't even have to worry about crumpled clothes. The best part was strutting my two-piece bikini at Bondi. Feeling jud kaayo! Too bad, I'm not brave enough to post the proof here. Hehe

I wonder what's next for me....




Nindot ang blue. Nindot sad ang green ug orange..hmnn...mao na ni ang sunod!



Sleepy Head

I often hear about mums who complain how hard it is to bring their kids to sleep. On Facebook, my friends post status in the wee hours of the morning, still singing or dancing their babies, hoping to get a few hours of rest before going to work. Lucky for me,  I've never had the same major problems with my boys. With Vince, I sang "You Are My Sunshine" very slowly and quietly and he'd dose off. With Rafa, it's "Oh Holy Night" all nights of the year, kahit hindi pasko. I'm beginning to think I'm a pretty good singer. Nyahaha!

Nah, I don't actually know what is the magic formula here. I guess I just have two sleepy heads with me.

Look at Rafa, he sleeps everywhere.

on the floor while playing

On the couch, feet dangling and holding his favorite blankie.

front view. so deep in sleep, hey!

And this!!! Oh how i love this. Hehe Off to lala-land after eating a bowl of mashed potatoes and pumpkin!


Really, I am not surprised. They have a dad who can sleep in between firing canons in Jolo. Nyahahaha!

Summer Bay/Palm Beach

My sister in law arrived on April 9. Yey! She's staying with us for a few months to help look after the kids. What a relief! 

On April 10, we brought her to Palm Beach or Summer Bay which is where the famous Home and Away soap opera is set. Going there, we passed so many picnic and fishing areas which hubby and I vowed to visit next time. The view was great, winding roads overlooking the beach, huge 'mansionic' houses, beautiful people in skimpy swimsuits. Hehe 

The photos were not great though because it was cloudy that day but here are some of them, anyway.

The sister in law  was busy chasing the kids on the beach.

Kuya Vince trying his tumbling stunt.

Rafa busy picking flowers. Should I be concerned? 

Nah...because he picked them for Mama. Sweet!

The boys took out the kite.


So, where was I???

Here. Sitting on my favorite blue picnic chair, trying to get some readings done :)