after my meeting last Sunday, i went out with the girls to celebrate Candy's birthday. :)

we took a studio pic together (with a not-so-good and impatient photographer), and had Razon's halo-halo afterwards. :) the time we spent was short, but i still enjoyed it. :) in August, Candy's gonna work in China already. i sure am going to miss her. :)

***

today is not a good day. im so frustrated and sad with my grandmother. she's been nagging the whole time since yesterday. i hate it! i hate whatever's gotten into her! :( i can't imagine how to deal with it if this continues the whole week. im going to DIE.

nagging + noise + overcrowded = DEAD inside

***

look! i think this is a cool calendar. ;) found here.

goodnight :)

This week - In a Glance

Sunday: i went to World Trade with Aileen and Hans for the food expo. :) bought some goodies too.

:korean dinner at Maru. :)

Monday: i was surprised to see my cousin Sherlock who came to my office to visit. he's all grown up now! he's taller. im older. haha. heard some news about our guakong and guama (maternal grandparents), who sold their business already and finally retired. livin' the good life :)

:made mashed potatoes tonight and played UNO cards! :)

Tuesday: i finally got my yearbook! :) my college yearbook is here, but my high school yearbook is nowhere to be found. seeing my name and picture there reminds me of one thing - im getting old! my school days are over. but it will always hold a special place in my heart. :)

Wednesday: attended an orientation for Hannah at St.Stephens.

:my cousin Joy got herself a DSLR for her photography class at school. :)

Thursday: Manila Day! :) watched Toy Story 3 with my cousins and Erwin. :)

Friday: lovin' Kaspersky. :) i bought an anti virus for my computer because i need it badly. viruses are everywhere and the old one i have isn't able to detect and delete it properly. so im glad to have this, even though it's a little bit pricey for me since i always use the free ones i get to download from the net.

:this afternoon, i was given a chance to share in our Gospel Meeting at church, together with Koo. :) im so scared up until the last minute i feel like im going to puke. but the Lord was there the entire meeting and im thankful that He carried us through. :)

:rained so hard! i love it! :)

Saturday: after tutoring and picking up the groceries, i went to see Alda. :) it's been so long since we last saw each other! :)

:lunch with Dustin. :) then he went back to work and i just watched DVD at home - Forrest Gump. :) loved the silence and privacy i had even for a short while. :) sometimes, it's good to be alone too. :)

:tonight, i got some news and i don't know what to feel about it. i know i should be happy, but im really scared because i know what im capable of, and i think i can't make it. please pray for me. :) thanks!

and for TOMORROW:

Happy sweet 27th to my dear friend CANDY! :)

i love you, you know i do. thanks for all! :)

Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3

today, my cousins and i watched Toy Story 3. :)

as with the past two parts, they have similar plot lines such as having the constant fear of being discarded and unwanted when one turns old, or to obsess with the thought of being forgotten and unappreciated, and almost always comes up with a distance to conquer. that continues here in stronger terms given that it's been some 11 years years since the last Toy Story film. here, Andy is going to relocate to attend college, and he had to leave his toys. parting is such sweet sorrow. :)

this movie is a must see. it's a sequel done right, and a tale with a lot of heart. :) with elements encompassing what essentially is a fitting tribute and farewell to beloved characters that have blazed for computer generated animation to take centerstage.

with people like me, who grew up with this film, it's perfect. and worth the wait. :) Pixar has done a great job, and i love that they always come out with solid stories to tell. :)

Lion King

Lion King. This is the first movie i saw with my parents when i was a little girl. Oh Rafiki. You are one wise baboon.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best man i know...

the one who'd love me no matter what...

who was there from the beginning...

and sticked around...

my Dad. :)

i love you ♥

The Karate Kid

"Life will knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to get back up."

watched The Karate Kid today. :) it was a great movie. action, drama, comedy, it's all in. :) no wonder it's still in number one this week. :)

here's a synopsis from Click the City: A young boy moves to China with his mother, and runs into trouble with some bullies. He is taken in by a kindly old man, who helps him by teaching him the ancient art of kung-fu, and forces him to confront his fears by entering him in a tournament.

i ℒℴѵℯ it! :)

Life Today

hello all. just want to share this beautiful video i found today. :)

LifeToday Video

just click on the link above. :) be blessed! goodnight! :)

Sunday School Teacher's Outing

on Monday, June 14, our Sunday School teachers and some of their families gathered together for an outing at Subic. :) our call time was 6am, but our bus arrived at 6:30. anyway, we boarded the bus immediately and off we go. we got there around 9:30am already. it was a long drive. we stayed at the Camayan Beach Resort. :)

Beach Entrance

Admission Rates and Rentals

Atsi Eunice and Bro. Jesen

Clear Water

on the floor...

Judith, Ruth, Rachel, and me :)

Omega brought her two sweet kids along. here's Belle :)

after lunch, some of us went to Zoobic Safari. :) while some stayed at the beach. there was an animal parade where we saw some donkey, buffalo, camel, porcupine, python, horse, pony, eagles, and many more.. :)

Judith and me. :)

Animal Parade

Coke - the little monkey's prize

Argentine Black and White Tegu

Green Iguana

Ostrich

Dromedary Camel

origin : Middle East, Africa, Australia

Ruth feeding the camel with dried leaves :)

in the Rodent World

Trivias...

look up :)

Mr. Owl

it was so hot and exhausting. here we are, waiting for the bus to take us to the next stop and enjoying our ice cream sticks. :)

Tiger Safari

Safari Jeep

in the Tiger Safari, our group was divided into two. we rode a safari jeep where we entered an enclosed area with live tigers roaming around. :) we also bought one chicken and the guide in our jeep fed the tiger. :)

after the safari, we went to two more spots, then left and went to the beach again to meet the others. :)

"The greatness of a nation is measured by the way it treats its animals." - Mahatma Gandhi

Ruth and me :)

His Creation :)

it was almost sunset when we left. :) i heard it rained in Manila but it didn't rained there. until we were in the highway. and stopped over at a gasoline station to buy our dinner at KFC - Omega's treat! thanks friend. :) i was so tired when i came home, knowing i still have to work the next day.. i think everybody was; but all in all, it was a great trip! :) it wasn't just the place nor the experience, but it has more to do with the people who made it even more special. :)

school opening

a lot of schools open today...

including my brothers and cousins here at home.

as i walk to my work today,

i can't help but think of the old times.

makes me miss my school.

heavy traffic.

long breaks.

laboratory.

seminars.

corridor.

car park.

cooking.

selling.

food trips.

thesis.

library works.

just the place i want to go back to.

where life is simpler.

happier.

I Will Carry You

i just finished reading I Will Carry You : The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy. i found Angie's blog from someone i don't know, and since then, i've been following her blog and have written her twice too. i knew some about Audrey and their family, and i love her open honesty and how she shared her family with all of us.

Angie is someone so committed to the Lord, so dedicated to His purposes. her faith is incredibly strong, and i am encouraged in my faith by her example.

when i knew that she was going to write a book, i can't help but find a way to get a copy. and when i got it on Friday night, i started reading over the weekend whenever i get the chance. it is a beautifully written, honest, touching, and strong story. it is intimate that you really feel like you are there in the waiting room with her, standing at Audrey's funeral with her, talking with her sweet girls with her, crying in the middle of the night with her, and crying in the bathroom floor until she gets weak with her. i don't think i have cried so much reading a book before. the book is breathtaking. you will weep. you will be challenged. you will question. but in the end, this truth remains - despite our feelings, our God remains unchanged. another thing i love about this book is the part where Angie's husband, Todd, wrote a chapter from a man's perspective. i highly recommend this book not just to people who have experienced the loss of a child, but to everyone. because all of us will one day find ourselves the grandmother, mother, sister, aunt, and friend of someone grieving.

In Him and only Him, i stand firm.

Toes in the water, staring out into the great landscape He has painted for me, i bravely step out farther every day. i know that as soon as i reach the place where my feet no longer touch the ocean floor, He will carry me into the distance, all the while reminding me He has never left me.

I hope that you believe these words, and that your soul is resting in the joy He brings in the midst of the storm.

Now walk, love.

He is waiting.

-Angie Smith, I Will Carry You

Summer. 2010.

My Sunshine. :)

Today...

A Love For Books

i didn't have had a great day today. many things / people / events made me sad and disappointed. but there are still some things that made my day -

1) finally having a copy of Angie's book I Will Carry You

2) my brother Hans surprising me with Nicholas Sparks' A Walk To Remember

3) seeing my brother Mark again after three long weeks

4) thank God it's Friday :)

i love my little brothers. :) no matter what happens, at the end of the day, i know i always have my family. and that's more than enough. :) Mark and my stepmom went for a three week vacation to US. and as a present, i asked them to buy me Angie's book because it's not available here. im glad they found it. :)

i've read all of Sparks' novels, but i don't have my own copy of The Notebook and A Walk To Remember. and tonight after visitation, i got one. last one left. i'll buy the other one soon so i can complete my collection already. :)

im excited to start reading my new books. :) maybe tomorrow. i hope it'll rain. then i'll stay at home, read my books, with a cup of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows. wow. i love that. :) tomorrow! i'll sleep now, because my head hurts. goodnight everyone! :)

may we all have a happy weekend and a happy June ahead! :)