Friday, August 30, 2013

And today we just turned one.

After wedding portrait, as shot by master lensman Noel Salazar

This day last year, we swore before God, family and friends that we will love each other and stick together until death do us part.

Fast forward to one year later, and here we are, celebrating our first year of togetherness as husband and wife.  We can't thank God enough for His grace that sustained us throughout the year.  Like any normal couple, we do have our own share of LQs and snubbing.  After all, what would you expect if you put one sinner plus another together, right?  Life isn't perfect, and we have tons of anecdotes on failure and heartbreak.  If it wasn't for God's goodness, and the love of our family and friends, I wouldn't know how we could have survived the first 365 days. I know I owe you all stories (I haven't even done a single wedding supplier review!) and snippets of what went on during our first year as Mr. and Mrs. Sibayan.  I'll be doing that little by little.

In the meantime, let me leave you with a very beautiful mission statement that Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife and kids made together.  It's a beautiful picture of what I envision for our own family, and by God's grace, I know that He'll help us create this kind of home.

You can order this sign from here.

Have a blessed weekend!

Friday, August 31, 2012

Mrs. Sibayan

Finally...the day we were praying for.

Words escape me now as I look back to this day when God gave us beyond what we actually wanted. I will write my reviews soon, but in general, we only had good words for all our suppliers. For now, let me get used to being called Mrs. Sibayan. :-)

 Here's our same day edit video by the very talented VJ Matias. Be blessed!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

32 more...

At 32 days to go before our wedding, we have so far....


  1. paid almost 95% of our fees for the flowers and gowns
  2. paid our cake supplier in full
  3. fitted our barongs and bridal gown, respectively
  4. asked the entourage to also fit their gowns
  5. finished meeting with our officiating pastor
  6. started distributing the invitations
  7. filmed our pre-wedding video
At 32 days to go before the big day, here are my realizations...
  1. Communicate, communicate and did I say communicate?  I had a slight miscommunication with my invites printer, but because we had our invites printed earlier, we had elbow room for delays.  Thank God!  Don't get me wrong.  My invitation designer, Joy Rosales-Tifles of The Monogram Hub and my invitation printer, Print Divas, did an amazing job with our cherry blossom / Japanese-themed invi.  I think I just assumed my printer understood me when in fact my instructions were not that clear.  
  2. Always allocate for a miscellaneous fund.  I think we went a little over the budget even if we allocated some slight increases in some of our wedding expenses.  Plus, we didn't foresee that we'll be spending some extra amounts (ie, additional fees for bringing the designer over to our home instead of us bringing the entire entourage to her shop).  I just thank God for His provisions because we are far from being negative, financially-speaking.
  3. As fellow W@Wie Ivy Mae Vitanzos-Cervantes perfectly puts it, "There's a perfect wedding for every budget and style."  So true.  I was just so tempted to grab every item on my "want list".  It helps when you have a budget and stick to it.  Just stick to it.  Spend money wisely because there'll be more expenses after the wedding.
And now, for the wonderful news...
  1. My generous sister and brother-in-law gifted us with a ref, gas range and LED TV!  As early as January, I knew they'll be giving us a ref and a range, but I didn't know they're adding a TV!!!!! Thank God, and thank you to my sis and brother-in-law!
  2. We're done fitting our respective wedding attires, entourage included.  We are just soooooo happy with the outcome.  Excerpt for very minor glitches with the flower girls' gowns, everything, including my own gown, was perfect!!!!! Thank you to Ate Vangie Suva who did an amazing job with our gowns!


Friday, June 29, 2012

Updates as of June 29, 2012

Sixty-two days to go 'til our big day.  Wow.  Crunch time, this is it!!!!!!

To date, we have accomplished the following:
  1. Paid almost 85% of our food and beverage expenses at Enderun Colleges
  2. Gave the go signal for the production of my customized bridal footwear by Miss Mari of My Perfect Shoes.  I'll be claiming my shoes around second week of July.  Exciting!  In the end, I had it done in my favorite color, pink.
  3. Sent Sweetie's barong and pants to our ever-reliable uniform supplier in the officer.  I will post the pictures once I get them.  I gave the barong and pants around two weeks ago, and they finished everything in just a little over a week.  I am sooo confident that this supplier will deliver excellently, like they always do.  In fact, they sew for major companies in our city like Mercury Drug, PLDT, Banco De Oro, among others.  Abangan.
  4. Finalized my monogram and invite suite courtesy of the talented Miss Joy of The Monogram Hub, and sent them to Print Divas who will be printing my invites.  Yey!  I'm so happy with our monogram and invitations, plus all the other extra stuff I got from Sis Joy.  She's super nice and super talented too.  Even my AE from Print Divas was so impressed with her work.  
A sneak peak of what Sis Joy of The Monogram Hub came up for me :-)


Oooh, and let's not forget the other things I need to do:
  1. Draw up song list for the ceremony and reception
  2. Follow up the officiating pastor 
  3. Decide whether to get a host or not
  4. Draft the program for the reception (if any)
  5. Create the AVP of prenup pics
  6. Make a mood board of our stage and table set ups
  7. Send to Sis Joy the size of our tarpaulin backdraft
  8. And so much more!
Panic time! :-)

Monday, June 11, 2012

Dressing Up the Groom

Whoa!  It's only 80 days to go before our wedding, and I can already feel the pressure :-p    I think I don't have any reason to worry about my and the entourage's gowns, or the flowers or our invites, but every so often I am reminded about how close we are to the date, and how much more still needs to be done.  Every time I feel this way, I just do whatever I could with whatever time we had, since we are both neck-deep with our work.

So last Saturday, M and I went to Divisoria to buy his barong and some materials for decors which I'll be needing for the reception.  I never liked the idea of having my groom wear a tux, so I was more than happy to know that M feels the same way.  He did tell me though that in case I want him to be in tux, he'd gladly don one (I twitterpated with this!!!!!!)    :-)

Since he's dressing up for me on this day (hahahaha!!!!!!!), I tagged along with him to Divi.  We knew beforehand whom to go to, because M and I and this supplier, Brian, had been church mates since 2008, though we are not close to him at all.  One night while sharing the excitement of wedding preps to his small group, Sweetie mentioned about my preference for barongs.  That's when we found out that Brian's family is one of the major suppliers of Onesimus (yes, that trusted, classy brand you see in malls!), as well as other barong retailers and gown makers in Divisoria.  So it was only natural that we go to his shop when the time came for us to purchase my beloved's wedding attire.  Don't be fooled by Divi.  Yes, the place doesn't look nice at all, and sometimes I just want to declare my latest visit as the last time I will be there, but it's really a good place to find everything you can possibly ask for.  I must say that for the love of Sweetie, I'd gladly go to Divi again and again so we can spend wisely for the wedding :-)  

Here's the piña cocoon barong I chose for him.   Why did we opt for piña cocoon (the 2nd best type of fabric for barongs) instead of piña (the best type), especially since their difference is only Php 500 (cloth only)?   Well, I wanted something that Sweetie can still use after our big day.  Piña barongs are usually worn during weddings or oath takings.  If he'll be attending another wedding in the future and wear a piña barong, he might outshine the groom (and irk the bride!).   Sweetie won't be having any oath taking activity anytime soon (or maybe none at all).  So if we bought him piña, he'll end up using it only once.        

awesome details!

To add a Filipino twist to our cherry blossom-themed wedding, I picked a lavishly-made embroidered piña cocoon barong with coconut tree details.  The entire front of the fabric carried this design.  Happiness!

excellent craftsmanship!

I tried to find out how much a piña cocoon barong costs in Onesimus and SM Kultura, and I was shocked to know that they command as much as Php 6,000 (and to think, that was the lowest priced piña cocoon I saw)!  What a big blessing Brian was to both of us!  We only paid Php 2,500 for Sweetie's barong!  Throw in around Php 600-1,000 for the tailor who will sew it, and still we are way below the price you normally pay for a piña cocoon barong from the mall.  Thank you, Lord, for blessings like this!

Brian's company sells barongs of all types, and not just the top of the line.  If you need piña jusi, abaca or other types of barongs (even kimonas, women's barongs, uniforms, embroidery, logo/label, and RTW), they have them all.  I think grooms and brides who intend to shoulder the cost or buy barongs for their entire entourage would be happy to know that a ready to wear piña jusi barong from them starts at an outrageously low price of Php 900 (and mind you, it's a very, very good design and excellently sewn at that!).  

If you need a reliable supplier for barongs from Divisoria, chances are they are being supplied by Brian.  So please contact:

Brian Ong of Mychelyn House of Barong
Tel # 313-8093 / 986-5005 / 585-5034 / 0933-5880322
Email: mychelyn_barong@yahoo.com

Pas D-60 Ilaya St., Binondo, Manila
819 New Ylaya Textile Market (Beside BPI Savings)

Branch:  Stall 2K-15 2nd Floor, 
168 Shopping Mall, 3 Soler St., Binondo, Manila

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Prenup: Round 2

As you know, we had our first prenuptial photoshoot last February courtesy of Imaginenation's Liz Ranola and Angelene Ong when we attended the Before I Do Pre-wedding Workshop.  The seminar-workshop was really very practical and insightful, and we highly recommend it to all who are getting married.  As an added bonus, we were given a free prenuptial photoshoot which was a truly memorable and fun experience.  Even if we started at around 2PM and ended at almost 8PM, we enjoyed it so much.  So imagine our happiness when our main photographer offered to do a second shoot with us --- free of charge!  Wow!!! Thank you so much, Lord, for this additional blessing!

So without further ado, here's our second prenup shoot taken at our beloved UP Diliman :-)  Why UP?  Well, we are both alumni of the university.  This is also where we first met.  :-)

Enjoy, folks!


at the Academic Hall overlooking the Amphitheater
Hahaha I felt like a politician's wife here.
With the oblation as a background
M + I
Props we didn't get to use last time
A must-read :-)
My favorite photo from this set :-)
Check out the "vendor"
Cheese flavor!
Did you know that we first laid our eyes on each other on a UPD Ikot jeep?  We were supposed to meet around 4PM of April 18, but then we both arrived in UP a little earlier.....
Check out the sign board :-)

My make-up artist (no, it's not Rae, who did a wonderful job with our first prenup and who will do my wedding make-up) didn't arrive, so I ended up doing my own hair and make-up.  But I think I looked okay with very light foundation and just lipstick, plus Liz was really good in coaching us with the poses, considering we are soooo shy.  So I just let it go and posed anyway :-)  When I finally got my CD of the pictures, I was really glued to the screen of my pc.  The pictures were really vibrant and great, and the outcome was more than what we had expected ---- not because of us, but because we were in the hands of a very artistic and talented girl behind the lens.

I didn't expect that God would give us a second prenup through Liz.  So thank you, God, for this wonderful surprise, and for blessing Liz with so much talent :-)

Next on my blog backlog:  my gown and other updates! Yay!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Inspirations galore!

I wrote a while ago that Sweetie and I tried to look around for my wedding shoes.  And I ended up broken hearted with the price (as steep as Php6000 a pair) or the design or fit.  So I just scoured the net for some inspirations.  Here are the ones that made it to the final cut:

Stella Luna pumps in fuschia pink

Another Stella Luna creation

Perfect Match in gray

Perfect Match in white

Nine West jack peep toe

Because I saw a lot of good designs on the internet, I got all the more confused as to whether I'll have a closed pair of shoes (original idea) or a sandals-type (plan B).  Waaaa!!!!!! :-D

My peg for our wedding day :-)

I will decide soon what design I will have custom-made by Perfect Match :-)
Yey!  Thank you, Lord!


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

At 92 days...

at the Meijijingu, Tokyo, Japan
May 2012
Hello.  I'm back.  I was on Japanese language training for much of the summer, afterwhich we went to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and Saitama for the immersion program.  It was a fun and very fulfilling training and one that deserves a future post.  Abangan.

Being soooo busy this summer meant having to shelve for the meantime some preps work.  As I type on my keyboard, I am both excited and nervous at the same time to be reminded that as of today, I only have 92 days to prepare for our wedding.  Whew! 92?  I had 200++ just a few months ago!

Last Saturday, Sweetie and I tried to scout around for my wedding shoes (yes, I do have a hands-on groom!).  To my dismay, I always end up with the perfectly-fitting shoes but very very high heels, or a pair with the perfect height but ill fit.  So we dropped by The Wedding Library and met with Ms. Mari of Perfect Match.  I'm 70% for having my shoes custom-made but with a design I can use after the wedding.  Hmmm....let's see......
Last Sunday, I tried on my gown, while my entourage including our moms, had their measurements taken.  All I can say is that the gown was beautiful, and that I need to lose weight.  Hahahahaha!!!!!!

Because I couldn't post my gown here, I'll just leave you an image I will use as inspiration for my flower girls...

Last Monday, I submitted our marriage license requirements which we can claim on June 8.  Yehey!

So this is how it feels to have your wedding only 92 days away.  Next stop is the invitation, monograms and decors.  Whew!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

(Unsolicited) Advice for the young and unengaged

My work and ministry have given me the wonderful and rare privilege of meeting women from all sorts of backgrounds and stations: single, married, legally separated, annulled, divorced and solo parent. One night, as I was having dinner with some older and same-age women, the topic inadvertently turned to stories of infidelity, childless unions, marital violence, separation of properties and possible remarriage. As the women poured out their heartbreaking tales, I wonder how many more ladies were crying over the same plight.

From where I work, I get to engage in a lot of conversations involving love, too.  Women of various age brackets waiting for the time when they will finally get proposed to.  Ladies complaining about boyfriends and husbands who aren't sensitive enough.  Why, even students' eyes would just light up at the mention of L-O-V-E.  My students' #1 topic whenever they approach me is about matters of the heart.  Oh, how I wish I could have all the time in the world to talk to them about waiting for God's best, praying for one's future partner, staying pure in all their dealings with the opposite sex, and so on.  Some would come away agreeing with me; others would just simply insist on what they want to do and just need me as a sounding board.  Love and intimacy --- these are two things we all need, no doubt.  But it's how and from whom we get it that's also important.

Love and the wrong person
One time while I was in a singles’ retreat, a church elder and his wife, both of whom I look up to, did a back-to-back talk on marriage, with our elder giving a word of advice to the men while his wife handled the women. Among the things they discussed were: Can you trust the girl? Can you respect the guy? Is she a suitable helper, especially in your areas of weakness? Does he bring out the best in you? Will she be willing to submit to your leadership? Are you prepared to accept everything about her --- warts and all, literally and figuratively? How well does he treat his family members --- because that’s probably how he’ll treat you? Are you ready to give her your unconditional love and godly leadership? That’s quite a lot of issues to deal with and be sure about!

The women I know whose marriages have been blissful tell me that it’s their spouse’s character that contributed a lot to why their union has been happy. They didn’t have second thoughts marrying their husbands because the guys have proven their trustworthiness, sense of responsibility and maturity. Likewise, the men tell me it depends on the kind of women they married. Women, after all, build their homes under the able and loving leadership of their spouses. These have been true to all the enduring and happy marriages I know about.

On the other hand, the women I know whose marriages have failed confess that they must have been naïve to think that they can change their spouses with the passing of time. Marriage for some is like a reformatory institute where the women take charge of subjecting the men to a series of “programs” in an effort to transform the guys into the lads the women imagine them to be. My heart still breaks over a dear friend who married a man she thought she could help successfully reform. One week into the marriage, the guy, who had an inclination toward violence, was already physically and verbally abusing her. The marriage ended less than a year after their whirlwind romance.

To commit oneself to someone whose integrity and disposition are questionable is marital suicide. To place one’s life and well-being in the hands of someone you’re not sure of is a death sentence on the marriage. It will definitely take much more than brazen promises and sweet nothings to fulfill a lifetime commitment.

Love and the wrong reasons
It pains me to hear about ladies going through all sorts of surgical procedures for the nth time, or men whose girlfriends make total fools out of them --- all in the name of love. Nothing can be farther from the truth than to believe that a makeover can attract the best suitor or that a sexier physique can win back a philandering husband. A bigger bust or a flat midsection can not guarantee fidelity. Turn on the tv and there’s a host of beauty queens and great-looking men, who possess more than their fair share of physical splendor, whose partners abandoned them and left their hearts broken. Love isn’t about a towering height, macho built, shinier hair, toner muscles, deeper eyelids, or a higher nose.

Love and the wrong foundations
What is it upon which the bond was built? A relationship based on lust would eventually fizzle out. A union founded on lies would sooner or later collapse. Foundation matters, and trust, kindness, respect and maturity are foundational and fundamental to any relationship. I know of a woman who married a guy who could lie as if that was his profession. To get back at her fraudster and chronic womanizer of a husband, the wife started to do the very same things her husband did to her. I couldn’t help but cry as she told me of her many years of misery, but then I couldn’t keep from asking why they decided to get married when from the start they were lying to each other. It has been decades of lies upon lies, and I wonder how they could ever sort themselves out of the mess of untruths their home has been built upon!

Do the length of years matter? I believe it really depends on the persons involved. It took my sister barely a year to know that her boyfriend at that time was the one she would like to spend her lifetime with. They’ve been happily married for a decade and blessed with twin sons. Not too long ago when I myself was going through counseling over heartache, a pastor-friend, who never had a girlfriend before he got married, confided to me that at the age of 17, he knew that the girl he saw descending from the stairs would be his wife (this was on the very first day he met her!!!). He knew from that moment that she was the one who would complete him. The case may be different for some people. My own brother has been best friends with his wife for more than a decade before he realized that this was the woman he’s been praying for. They’ve been married for four years now and are proud parents to two wonderful children who are their carbon copies.

Any relationship entails hard work, and more so with a spouse who is of a different background, different temperament, different habits, different preferences, and yes, different gender! A successful relationship is sustained through the years by two people who deliberately, consciously and incessantly exert effort on making it work all the time. As Pastor Ed Lapiz said, "Love is not automatic; it is always on manual mode: it must always be renewed, refreshed, revived, nurtured and guarded for it to last."

Love and the wrong expectations
Where is God’s place regarding matters of the heart? Does His sovereignty extend to a man’s choice for a lifetime partner? Should we date or enter into a courtship? Which is better: a short or a long engagement? When is the best time for two people to get married? Should we postpone the wedding until all the parents have given their approval of the match? Is there a purpose in getting married? Should there be one? How much thinking and how much feeling should be involved in taking the plunge? If people can be so prayerful and methodical over mundane matters, shouldn’t they be all the more so in regard to their selection of their significant other? Until we all settle these matters and be clear about them, I don’t think it’s wise to enter into such a life-changing decision.

It disturbs me to hear of stories of guys and gals who do not know what they’re getting themselves into. Yet it also saddens me to listen to older ones unburden themselves regarding their miserable love lives. The young talk about love as if they know it best. The older ones talk about it with so much regrets.

Perhaps, the movies and the novels are to be blamed. They’ve fed us with the notion that one can find the perfect girl or the so-called Mr. Right. But in truth, we are all imperfect people, perpetually under construction mode and forever in need of patience, forgiveness and understanding. It’s so easy to fall in love; but to stay in love --- I guess it’s an altogether different story.

Is she supposed to follow you blindly? Is his voice the only one that should be heard in the union? Should he call the shots all the time, or can he also seek your advice? How much should she know about your past? Do you need to confide everything to him? Love sometimes involves expecting the unexpected, and you’ll need to settle the gaps between reality and assumptions.

Love and the wrong notions
Sometimes when I attend parties, I hear married people talk of different kinds of rings: engagement rings, wedding rings and suffer-rings. Hearty laughter would usually follow after the punch line, but judging by the looks on their faces and the sarcasm that go with their chitchats, the punch line very much reflects reality.

Why the grief and misery? Aren’t love supposed to be wonderful, and a spouse and a home a joy and a blessing? When people complain that theirs has been a monotonous marriage, shouldn't they blame themselves, being part and parcel of the tandem?

Some people would just throw the most basic caution to the wind and put up with anything and everything for the pleasure of the ‘love’ they seek. I’ve had my share of counseling sessions with young girls who got pregnant out of wedlock, and were just too agreeable to anything and everything that their boyfriends would put them through just to be with the ‘love’ of their lives. I have met quite a number of guys who are also martyrs of their own making. They were just too amenable to be henpecked, shouted at and bossed around by their ladies. My goodness, I even met guys who were almost suicidal all because their relationships were on the rocks! I could only shake my head in sadness at the sight of such unhappy, pitiful situations.

To the young and unengaged, never be in a hurry for love.  Pray for your God's best, and pray to be God's best, too.  Stay pure --- as much as possible do not kiss.  Never compromise your values.  Let your parents, family and friends know about your courtship, and get them involved as you cultivate your relationship with a potential partner.  Go out on group dates more often than you go on one-on-one dates.  Test his/her sense of responsibility (especially on job and money matters!), faithfulness, patience, reliability, leadership/submission, etc.  Discuss your faith.  And most importantly, get God's (and your parents') approval.  Make sure that if you are in a relationship, it is with the right person.  The more time you spent with the wrong person means less time you will spend with the right one.  And accept the fact that not everybody ends up with another.  A relationship with the opposite sex does not necessarily make you happier.

Love is a gift, yet it can also be a curse. And we ourselves are the gift or the curse we offer to the people who are in a relationship with us.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Adjustments

A hundred and plus days or so, and I will be Mr. M's wife.  The thought makes me giddy, but I know that that excitement should be matched with a clear picture of reality, too.  To be a girlfriend is far, far different from being a wife.  They have very different demands and responsibilities.  I remember last October, we already started talking about maintaining bank accounts, applying for credit card extensions, and delegating responsibilities.  I said to myself, this is really it, I'm really going to get married ---- not that I never thought we would, because since Day 1 Mr. M already made it clear that he had marriage in mind in pursuing this relationship ---- it's just that this is a whole new level, and I want to do things rightly.  

Then we got engaged, had the pamanhikan, and soon, we started talking about attending marriage counseling.  Pretty much after that we drafted a timeline of our wedding-related activities, and talked about our wedding budget.  But you and I know that the wedding is just Day 1.  The first day of marriage isn't as important as the last.  Planning for a great wedding is good; but planning for a solid, Christ-centered and God-glorifying marriage is what we both pray for our own.  This is the part that makes me want to learn as much info about, because whatever happens to this marriage, we will be both accountable to God, to our families, and to ourselves.         

As the big day gets nearer and nearer, I think about the many changes and adjustments I will have to make as a future Mrs.  Marriage isn't a walk in the park, and the more prepared we are for this, the better.  I've got to know and accept the cost, because this is going to be for a lifetime, and there'll be no turning back.  

One of the things that I want to do once we get married is to learn how to plan for delicious yet nutritious and well-balanced meals.  If you know me, I like to cook, but the irony is I do not know that many dishes.  I grew up in a household where we know everything ---- from ironing, to washing clothes, to repairing some things ---- but not cooking.  The kitchen was reserved for my mom or the house help, because my dad had a very discriminating taste, and he likes food to be consistently delicious with this distinct balance of all the saltiness, sweetness, bitterness and spiciness that only he, my mom and our house help can understand, and not some kind of experiment that one of his children whipped up.  At least it was easier dealing with dad.  After many years of learning mama's recipes, our house help would whip up any dish, and my dad would happily eat.  When he was struck by cancer, he obediently ate all the healthy food my mom put on the table.  His only request was that it be prepared by mom or the house help.  Mr. M is a different story.  He loves the unhealthy type of food ----- eeeekkks!!!  From burgers, fries, shawarma, to softdrinks ----- my sweetheart loves all the oily and greasy stuff!  Plus, I have to keep on controlling his softdrink intake because seriously, I am afraid he'll develop diabetes.  He doesn't mind who prepares the food, because if he likes it, he'll help himself to a very, very big serving!

The irony of it all is that even if he has a huge appetite, he doesn't like a lot of food, like pusit, hipon (very good because I have allergies to shrimps!), and veggies like eggplant, tomato (when served ensalada style), itlog na maalat, and green mangoes.  The list is endless, but the names of the food items he doesn't like just escape me now.  But see what I mean?  Maloloka ang lola niyo mag-ready ng daily meals nya!  Early into our engagement, I had dreams of learning how to grill meat, and serve it with ensaladang kamatis, sibuyas at mangga, which unfortunately, he just doesn't eat.  He's also particular with chicken and beef, and prefers only certain methods of cooking.  He likes spicy meals, while I hate too much spice!  And oh no, he shares my love for sweets, and that's why it's doubly difficult to be disciplined because I am disciplining myself, and at the same time watching over him too!

After a rice meal, my beloved suddenly ordered an extra Sumo burger.  I thought we'd split it between us, but no, he ordered us a burger each!  
Just like me, he loves Starbucks.  Oooh, Java Chip!
My foodie of a sweetheart won't pass up a chance to dine buffet style...and even plans to go back again!

Sometimes I feel guilty whenever I call his attention over our eating habits and food choices.  It's as if I am depriving him of something he really enjoys --- which actually isn't of course.  I tell him I want us to love long and healthy lives for each other, and for our future children.  But since he works so hard and maintains a very crazy work schedule, all he takes comfort in is a nice meal after a long day in the office (read: eating to his heart's delight, which is more often translated to indulging and over-eating).  I can relate to this because food has become a plan B when I can't get enough sleep (or when I don't sleep at all) and to avoid contracting illness.  But I know we should put a stop to this habit because really, it's very unhealthy.

If this isn't crazy enough, I do not eat or rarely eat some of the food he actually loves!  Take hito for example.  I hate it, because it's very delicious and yet every time I eat hito, I always end up with a very, very upset stomach.  But he loves hito, and actually requested me to learn how to grill it.  I would gladly do this, but I won't ever touch it.  If I cook hito for him, I'll have to think of another dish for myself.

So now I'm done with the concerns on food.  Next is how will we do life together?  We never lived in, so we never had any inkling on what each would do on a normal day.  Of course I do have ideas, but only on a kwento basis.  I know that since he works long hours, he sleeps until lunchtime on Saturdays, eats breakfast cum lunch, watches Dog Whisperer and other features on NatGeo, Discovery, BBC, Al Jhazera, and CNN, naps again, and wakes up late in the afternoon.  But how about when we already live together as husband and wife?  Is he tidy in the house (I think not.  Gasp!!!)?  Does he have weird sleeping habits?  Can I rely on him to do some house work (Yes, he said so.)?  Oh, the list of adjustments now begins to get longer.

But the biggest adjustment ever that I will have to make is to live with dogs and learn to like them, because M is a dog-lover, and fervently wishes for us to raise dogs and let our children experience the joy of caring for these four-legged pets.  Now, I don't only dislike dogs; I'm actually so scared of them.  I had on many occasions been almost bitten by our neighbors' dogs, and that's why I grew up not liking them at all.  When M walked into my life, he completely changed my perspective of them.  He grew up with dogs, and as the future head of our family, I had to submit to his decision of us raising several of them (Gasp again!!!!), even if I have several allergies and even if I am afraid having dogs in the house will further trigger them.

Now before you think what a heartless and inconsiderate fellow he is, he actually is not like that at all, because before we bring dogs into our house, we'll have to go see an allergologist and have him check up on me to make sure that having those pets around won't be harmful to my health, or to our children's.  That was the easy part.  But imagine me cleaning up the dog's poo poo, enduring the smell of his wee wee, and being always on guard because I always fear the dog will climb up on me, or just bite me.  M was always fascinated with our neighbors' dogs, and actually befriended them --- Zohan and Odie --- but me?  I never even went nearer than four feet away from those mutts.  I only warmed up to Odie because he never barked nor showed climbing tendencies unlike all the dogs I met before.  This to me is a super major adjustment, because not only does my sweetheart want one dog, he actually wants three (Gasp again!!!!!!)!

M and Zohan, a neighborhood labrador
Odie, our neighbor's cute and playful pet dog
I must have loved this man so much to a point when I readily said yes when we he told me he wanted dogs in the house.  Of course, I had some comprises (i.e., no dogs until the second baby is born), but I myself was shocked by my own willingness and submission to fulfill his wish when all my life I avoided dogs.    

I must confess there are times when I want to take back my yes (hahahaha --- I'm so bad!), but seeing the genuine happiness he has in playing with the neighborhood dogs is enough to convince me to just stick to my promise that at the right time, we'll welcome dogs into our own house.

This was taken before my grad ceremony.  Did you know that Sweetie doesn't like posing for too many photos?  A few shots are enough for him, unlike me who wants every angle covered.  Hahahaha!!!!!  He'd rather be the one behind the camera.  But for the sake of me on this day.....ah, the beauty of adjusting to each other! :-)

I wonder what else are the adjustments I'll have to take.  Will they be big or small?  Will they make me happy or sad?  Will they be life-changing (such as this decision to take care of dogs), or very minor in detail?

Whatever they are, I pray that God would give me the right attitude in adjusting to my future husband (and all his idiosyncracies), help me in submitting to my Sweetheart's authority, and enable me to compromise with him in way that makes the decision in favor of this marriage.

What about you?  What adjustments do you think you have to make with your future spouse?

Friday, April 27, 2012

Updates on an April Afternoon

Hello.  Wow, it's already almost the end of April, and I haven't even moved a single bit forward in my wedding preps!  Oh noooooo!!!!!!

March was a killer month for me, because I finished all the requisites and requirements for my graduate studies.  Thank you, God, because now I can marry M.  Hahahaha!!!!!  Years ago, my mom and dad told me that I have to finish first my degree before they give me their blessing.  Well, I kept my end of the bargain, so......LOL :-D

My beloved M (in blue shirt) taking a photo of me :-)

When April went by, I only had about 10 working days, and then I was off to The Japan Foundation Manila again for training.  It will end on May 22, 2012.  It's a very intensive training, but we're glad about the pressure.  Sometimes a little more pressure speeds up the learning process and helps us retain information hehehe :-)

posing at the new JFM office 

I'm really beyond blessed, and I can't thank God enough for all the blessings He has given me this year.  2012 isn't even halfway over at this time, but it already feels like it's the best year of my life so far.

But as for wedding preps, I have to rush many things.  This is the first time I am cramming.  When I looked at my calendar, wow, it's now only 4 months and a few days to go before our big day, and I haven't even settled our invitations, seat plan, menu (!), music play list, and a whole lot more.  Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the papers for our marriage license!  Gasp!  :-p

By May, I will be fitting my gown for the first time.  I hope I could still shed some pounds before I fit the dress.  Vangie already warned me that it will be very difficult to adjust it once it already has the beadworks and lace.

My, oh my, how time flies!  How's your own wedding preps?

Friday, April 6, 2012

Dreaming of a house on a hill

Warning:  This is a picture-heavy post.  :-)

See the waterfalls behind us?  
Even before holy week, I was already making plans with my mom and big bro to go for long walks and jogs.  You know, a bride-to-be has to lose weight (Has is the operative word!), and my arms and tummy are glaring indications that I have to shed off so many pounds (Ouch!).  When they suggested Antipolo, I readily agreed.  We know of a place where we can walk around and breathe fresh air, and actually enjoy our exercise (as opposed to being chased by dogs here in Pasig). It's this exclusive subdivision with a golf course which my mom and big bro are also brokering, and I've been here a couple of times already.  I really love the place, so off we went to Sun Valley Estates yesterday.  Here's what it looked like:

Serene and lovely.  Who wouldn't be lured into walking everyday with a view like this?
More of man-made and natural lakes like this throughout the subdivision cum golf course.
Lovely, lovely view!  The sound of the water falling and flowing through is sooo refreshing.
I actually went ziplining with my sister and nephews and this is the view just below the zipline.  Cool!
Swimming ba kamo?  There's around 5 more pools throughout this humongous mountainside subdivision.
Below are some photos of the place which I took way back in 2008.  Check out also a blog post from my other site, Scribbing Angel.

I'd love to go walking with a future dog(s) and children beside this lagoon.
I love how the owner landscaped the pockets of places like this.  It's one huge subdivision with everything that's lovely in it.
Golf? Dito na lang.  Hindi na kailangan pumunta ng Cavite!

18-hole golf course.  Astiggggg......
I can lose track of time as I read my favorite novels here :-)
I wish I had enough moolah to buy a property here!
Go fishing or canoeing in this lake :-)
As you know, M and I are getting hitched in a few months' time, and we're currently looking for a place we can rent as we're still saving up money for our own crib.  So when I saw my aunt's own house here at Sun Valley, I suddenly remembered a long-standing dream of mine since childhood:  to build a house on a hill, surrounded by trees and beautiful gardens.  Well, my aunt did even more.  She and her husband built this massive three-storey house on a hill overlooking a man-made lake, and is just about 5 minutes away from the nearest clubhouse!
This is the lovely lake I'm talking about.  To the left of the lake is the clubhouse.  To the right of the lake stands my aunt's white house.  Children and their parents sometimes go canoeing here.  See that small boat over there?
This is the facade of my aunt's house.  It looks like it's a two-storey house, but it's got a basement.  It was constructed by my brother, Robert Eric.  PM me for contact details.
This huge house stands on a 750 square meter lot.  Whew!
This is the front door of the house.
If you noticed, it's got a white and chocolate brown color scheme.
I told you it's huge.  As you enter the house, you'll immediately see the living room and dining room.  To the right side is the stairs leading to the bedrooms on the third floor.  To the right side of the stairs is the TV room and a powder room, and to its front is the kitchen.
The view of the front door from the living room :-)
The living room is spacious and looong.  The doors behind the aircon lead to the veranda overlooking the clubhouse and lake.
This is the dining area.  See the roof of the clubhouse on the left side of the picture?  The lake can't be seen here, but if you step out onto the veranda, you can easily see it.   
This is the powder room on the second floor, on the same floor as the living room.  I love the shade of brown!
Intricate metal work.  The steps are made of mahogany wood.  This house has many windows, taking advantage of the cool breeze that living in the mountainside offers.  Check out the ceiling fan.  It's a native abaca fan with a flourescent lamp.  Very Filipino.
This is my aunt's bedroom.  Very roomy with a commanding view of the lake and the clubhouse. I like her orthopedic bed! 
See the clubhouse's roof from my aunt's balcony?  That's a langka tree in front.
Take a dip.  I love my aunt's bathroom.  It's huge as a room!  It's got a bath tub and a walk in closet all in one room!
Chocolate-colored cabinets for the walk in closet
I told you, the theme throughout the house is white and chocolate
Check out another ceiling decor.
And this.  L-O-V-E-L-Y.
I love how my feet walked on these mahogany steps.  Let's see the basement.
The basement houses the laundry area.  To the right is the bathroom.  To the left is the storage room, and the rooms for the house help and driver. 
Open door is storage area.  The door next to it is the househelp's room, and the room next to it is the driver's.
In keeping with theme, the kitchen is also done in white and chocolate.  I love this kitchen!  Look at the island table!
I love this!  This is my brother's design. Sorry for the dust.  The house is still under construction.
The sink!  The windows above the sink provide a beautiful view of the lake and the clubhouse.
Chocolatey cabinets!
Check out the house on the upper left portion of this picture.  This is the playground portion of the clubhouse.  
Beside the playground area is this pool area.
See that man-made lake and garden and the house?  I shot this photo near the pool.
House on a hill overlooking the lake and the clubhouse.  
How about you?  What does your dream house look like?