"Grow Old with You"

Just last week, October 3 to be exact, we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. I can only say we are blessed and so grateful. Blessed with two wonderful kids and grateful, in spite of the many challenges we are facing,  God has been pouring his loving favor upon our family. We started another journey of our marriage life and we can't wait for our 15th anniversary next year.

We make it a point to have our annual family picture taken during our anniversary month. We all have grown bigger literally but more importantly more loving and understanding of each other's needs.

A lot of friends keep on pushing us to make another baby.  I always say, it's for the Lord to decide if he wants to bless us with another child. For now, I am just content with our two sweet and adorable kids.  O, how I love them both, so dearly!

I am including my favorite photo below because Matt looks so happy here. Belle will be a little mad at me if she sees this! She's so disappointed and keep on asking why all three of us were smiling while it was supposed to be a wacky shot!  

Since it was a school day, we celebrated it quietly.  We just planned for a dinner date and later watched Phantom of the Opera.

Matt kept on announcing our anniversary in his school so I baked some Oreo-Chocolate cupcakes for everyone.

I also baked Matt's favorite chocolate cake. A bribe, so we can leave the kids at home and go out for a date.

She just loves flowers!

Flowers from Daddy!

It was a stormy night but we just have to brave the heavy rains for our date because I purchased our Phantom tickets weeks ago. Thank God, the streets were not flooded.

Quick dinner at Yakimix, Macapagal

Photo taken after the show

Grand and awesome production of The Phantom of the Opera! 

A dear friend greeted me thru text.

"May our God warm your hearts with His fire and may He fill your marriage with peace and joy, surrounding you with His wings of blessings."  Yes, this is the desire of my heart too!  

Happy 14th anniversary, Daddy! Thanks for everything! Looking forward to grow old with you.

Inspired by Peggy

I started collecting books after I enrolled in a cake decorating class late last year. Two of my favorite cake decorating books were written by Peggy Porschen. A little bit expensive but so worth it! 

To date, I have created two cakes inspired by her designs.

Valentine's Heart

My Valentine Cake (Feb 2012) Surprise for hubby

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Vertical lines using royal icing and flowers made with gumpaste)

The next one is a combination of Peggy's White Spring Posies and very nice creations from The Designer Cake Company.

I made this green and pink cake for a good friend's birthday last month.

Moist Chocolate Cake covered with fondant topped with ribbon roses

I used a fondant extruder for the green stems

My cakes may not be as nice as theirs but they're not so bad for an amateur. Practice makes perfect and I intend to do some more hopefully when I have the chance.

Amazing Teacher Cynch!

I have high respect for educators because my own mother served for more than 30 years as a teacher.  I have seen how she dedicated herself to us her children and all her students.  I have met so many teachers these past years and I can say they are God's precious gifts to everybody especially those who would like to learn. See related post here.

One of the teachers I admire is Matt's class adviser.  She's also his Science, Math, Social Studies and Filipino subject teacher.  I think she can teach anything and everything under the sun! 

Presenting, the very talented, the one and only Teacher Cynthia Manlulu a.k.a. Teacher Cynch. Her transformations are amazing!  Even her co-teachers do not know what to expect whenever she changes "character." Her creativity is endless and she makes learning entertaining and lots of fun for the kids.

Mother Nature (Nutrition month)

Inang Bayan (Buwan ng Wika)

Ms. Global (United Nations)

Super V (Valentine celebration)

Ms. Sunshine (Outdoor fun)

Ms. Girl Scout (Summer activities)

Master Chef

Farmer Jack

See how amazing she is!  We all look forward to many more transformations in the coming months.

On a personal note, thank you Teacher Cynch for your endless patience and understanding for Matt. You and all the teachers from Optimal Academy are angels here on earth. God bless you all!

Busy as a Bee

I always plan of blogging again but I just can't find the time and energy to sit and write a post. I've been so busy since the school year started last month. 

Thank God I found time today, classes are suspended because of Typhoon Gener. So here's my first post for the month of July.

MATT 

My Grade 7

It's a challenging year for Matt since this will be the first time he is on his own without a shadow teacher. He is determined that he will do his best to be independent and to do things by himself.  He's always happy and excited to go to school. He patiently and diligently accomplishes whatever task is assigned to him. So proud of you, Kuya!

Enjoying their outdoor PE

I'm happier whenever Matt is happy!

He continues to enjoy being with his teachers and classmates. Although, there was a time he mentioned to me that he's sad because he misses his best friend Kyle who already transferred to another school.   But he's also happy that he found a new best friend, Cyril.

BELLE

My Grade 1

Belle is such a model student.  She wakes up early without complaining and looks forward going to school everyday.  We just had our PTC with her class adviser last week and I'm very pleased with her feedback.  My little girl has a positive attitude towards her work, a very obedient child and shows leadership among her peers. She's able to adjust easily to the new environment and new set of classmates.  She's in school by 7:20am and finishes at 3:10pm.  Her energy is still high by the time I pick her up and she still finds time to play with Kuya Matt and study spelling at home.

During the Parent's Orientation

She's back in ballet and looking forward to her 3rd recital in December

I still enjoy baking every now and then but I will drop everything just to be available for these two beautiful kids!

Life is Like Coffee

I happen to read very inspiring story about life that I would like to share here.   

 

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

 

Author Unknown. Source: http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

 

A nice video of the same story can also be viewed here. Pictures below are also borrowed from www.flickspire.com

 

Proverbs 19:23

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(NIV)

 Proverbs 10:22
“The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” (ESV)

The Parable of the Loving Father

Father's day is celebrated every 3rd Sunday of June. So today, June 17 is their special day.  Let me share a wonderful Father's day message that we heard from church today.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son or the Lost Son is a very popular story in the Bible but I like how our Pastor focused this time on the loving-kindness of the father rather than the sins of the son.

The Parable of a Loving Father 

Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” 

What a wonderful story showing the amazing forgiveness, grace, and love of the father just like our God the Father in heaven!

 

There are four qualities of a good father the bible wants him to be. He should ... 

1. Presents to his children the model of what kind of life should be. Children follow what they see, so fathers should show to his children a good example of being a good man. This is called imitated modelling which is the most powerful kind of modeling.

2. Prepares for the future of his children. A hardworking father provides education for his children and saves for their future.  Blessed are the children if they have parents who are willing to deprive themselves for the sake of their children.

3. Perseveres in his love for his children.  Children may be stubborn but a father should always love unconditionally.  He should be always be available whenever his children need him.

4. Provide the children with second chance in time when they made mistakes.

The son got all his inheritance, left to squander everything and after realizing his mistakes came back to his father.  The father lovingly welcomed his son back and gave him a second chance. 

Our children will make mistakes and we should always be willing to forgive and start all over again.

My own father, Tatay Romy passed away many years ago.  He was such a generous and loving father to us.  I thank God for him and for all the things he has done for us.

Unfortunately, not everybody is blessed with a good father. But it is not a valid reason to waste your life and dwell in your problems.  Go on with you life, walk in the ways of God and soon you will be rewarded.

This day, I am dedicating this special post to the father of my children.  To my beloved husband for being a responsible, hardworking and loving father to Matt and Belle.  Daddy, I always pray for God to bless you with good health, wisdom and  protection every minute of the day, all the days of your life.  Happy father's day! We love you very much!