Barefoot

Last week, I left home wearing this pretty pair of sandals which I got from a cheap store in the Philippines for around P200 ($5).

Put on my favorite nail polish.

But two minutes from the office, I broke the straps.

I ended up moving around all day walking barefoot.

Flowers galore!

I am loving my morning walk to the office. Whatever the season, there are always beautiful flowers in bloom. Sadly, I don't know their names but I always feel being cheered on as I walk past these flowers to face another full day at work.

This time being spring and heading to summer in Australia, the lovely Jacaranda tree is once again making people stop with it's charming display of purple petals.

In some suburbs, there are entire stretches of streets lined with these gorgeous trees. It could very well be the equivalent of Japan's cherry blossoms.

Me stopping to take a photo

Walking on petals. Love! 

My bus stop

Under this lovely tree, enjoying the soft drizzle of purple petals, who cares if the bus is late?

Tender Moment

Because I had to write something to remember this moment by

Well, hello there!

Life has taken over again, thus the blogging hiatus. So many stories to tell, so little time.

But, I am taking a short pause to just savor this moment.

Busy, stressful and full-on days ahead but our hearts are filled with gratefulness.

Thank you, dear God for blessings big and small.

Lunch to Go

This was last week's packed lunches cooked on a Sunday evening, placed in containers and chucked in the fridge ready to take to work.

Beef stroganoff, Humba and Bistek

And this week's....

Roast pork with gravy and bistek again. Not in the photo are Stir Fry veg and chicken curry

Now we have more time to spend with the kids at night. We are also trying cook-free breakfasts with me just eating oatmeal and Vince, bread or cereals. I must admit though that with all the walking we do in the morning, I am already starving by the time I arrive at work.  So I have to eat my bread. LOL!

Fingers crossed we can sustain this.

Deadly Combination

Durian and Chardonnay.

We had this in the middle of a crazy week.

Worked so much quicker than sleeping pills and more effective than the heater, too!

Sinugba

Sinugbang ulang. We had this at The Entrance the weekend after our CPA exams.

Brought back so many wonderful childhood memories of weekends spent at our bungsod with relatives and friends. Of nights when we would eagerly wait for Papa to come home from a fishing trip with his uncle, excited about the night's fresh catch. There's usually enough for fish tinola, sinanglag na crabs and grilled prawns, my sister Fran's favorite.

A, had similar memories of his childhood, being raised in a seaside home and with a fishing dad to boot.

Thanks, A for giving me what I have been craving for. How did I get so lucky that you always know how to please and irritate me all at once? LOL!

I agree, these tiger prawns marinated in Thai lemongrass paste is the best this part of the world :P

4/6

Finished my fourth CPA subject three weeks ago- Strategic Management Accounting. 


And so I have now invested two years in this endeavour, costing me countless hours of unrecovered sleep, possibly cancer cells caused by stress levels at their highest, hard-earned dollars that could have given me quicker returns from the stock market, millions of expletives flying out my mouth and the saddest bit- wrinkles fighting for a place on a face already crowded with pimples.


Hoping against hope and calling on my sweet angels in heaven that, as with the past three subjects, I can get away with the cramming and half-hearted studying I put in.


Can't wait for this to be over in 2013. I have marked my calendar. Bahalag mangabungi, fight!

To Riches!

It's amazing how a box of fortune cookies can put things in proper perspective.

At 6am today, Vince insisted I try one cookie from a box his dad bought him last night. I obliged just to shut him up and look what message I got!

A financial investment will yield returns beyond your hopes.

Aha, the assurance I needed after buying more shares the other day! 

When the hubby came home at 6pm, he too tried a cookie to find this...

All your hard work will soon pay off.

Whoa! Cheers to $3 worth of motivation!

Did they really say that?

Me: Vince, we should enroll you in karate. It will be good for you. You know, for self defense.
Vince: Why would I need that? I can use a gun or a knife.


Aguuy, anak jud ka ug sundalo oi!

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Vince: Mama, are we rich?
Me: Yes...rich in love, my dear!
Vince: What?????!!!!!! 


He had a very funny smirk on his face. Bida jud ning bataa.

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Jumping on to bed, getting ready to sleep..


Rafa: I want to sleep here. (Squeezing himself between his papa and me)
Me: No, no! I can't sleep without Papa beside me. (Nag-inarte lang ko to see his reaction)
Rafa: (Hugging me) It's alright, Mama. You can sleep now. 

Australia Day 2012

Pouring rain cancelled our plans to go fishing in Kiama today. Instead, we were stuck at home, watching tv and surfing the web. Bummer!

So as not to totally miss out on the celebrations, the hubby grilled sausages and beef patties indoors, plopped them into burger buns and added cheese, lettuce and bbq sauce. Not that bad.

We watched the celebrations in Canberra on tv and I couldn't help but tear up during the citizenship ceremony. Bittersweet. We will be doing ours this year and I often wonder how that will make me feel.

Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minister, said it very well in her address to the new Aussies," For whatever is left behind, there is so much more to be gained."

Bring it on 2012! :)

Hammock na Di Hamak

Excuse my title. That's the first thing that came to mind while writing this :)

This being summer and with temperatures just right (still feels like spring), we've been taking every chance we get to go out. 

And wherever we go, the hubby never forgets to pop into the car's trunk two hammocks. 

In December, on our way to the Hunter Valley, we stopped over for bbq lunch at The Entrance and took a short nap. Yes, on the hammocks, where else?

Note that one of the hammocks is in camu, obviously he misses his days in the military. Hhhhmnnn, not!