http://instagram.com/p/iljr3SmsXW/
Dec 31, 2013
Dec 30, 2013
Housewarmed and leased
http://instagram.com/p/ijRI5LGsaE/
With the two elder sons now in DLSU for college (4th year and 1st year), I have to admit that funds are really stretched. Fortunately, we were able to rent out a second property (a 2-br unit in a mid-rise condo) to a Fil-Am couple who decided to move in on January 1! How very timely!
Dinner with a view where it's several degrees cooler
http://instagram.com/p/ijPn0OmsXs/
We were treated to dinner by Achie and her sons at the Lantaw Native Restaurant, which is located high up in the mountains of Busay, Cebu. After negotiating the winding mountain road and steep approach by car and then on foot, you see the resto perched on top with a lovely view of the city. The best time to be here is before sunset when one can enjoy a sweeping vista of the city below just before the lights come on.
We enjoyed the native food while a relaxing Matt Bianco tune wafted in the air. The weather here is cool, pretty much like Tagaytay's, which makes it perfect for the holidays and for escaping the city's year-round beach weather. It was a first visit for me and probably not the last. Good food and cool weather within a short drive away are just a few of the many things I love about Cebu.
Dec 29, 2013
Dec 26, 2013
Dec 25, 2013
A Christmas Prayer
"A Christmas Prayer
Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake.
Amen."
A blessed Christmas to all!
Dec 24, 2013
Dec 23, 2013
Dec 22, 2013
Dec 20, 2013
Dec 19, 2013
He used to sign his autograph on the kids' hands
http://instagram.com/p/iGhMEgmsbW/
I would occasionally see him walking at the grand lobby where kids would flock to him to get his hand, say "hi" or regale him with their stories. He would flash a big smile and would proceed to engage them in small talk, pretty much like how a doting grandfather did. Heartwarming. Just seeing that gave me the impression of how kids were drawn to his gentle persona.
The two photos above were from a teacher-friend and the one on the upper left shows our son standing with wide open mouth next to Bro. Tremblay and other kids. What an honor, my son probably thought. I remember sometime ago, my grader ran to me to show me a signature on his palm. He requested me to take a picture of it, like it came from a celebrity, before it got erased. He excitedly told me it was Bro. Tremblay's. :)
With Bro. Tremblay's passing, his endearing qualities would truly be missed. His handwritten signature may be long gone but his memory would surely remain for the kids whose lives he has touched.
Never a failure, always a lesson
Has it ever happened to you when you went after something and fell short of getting it? It's not a total failure because you gain lessons from it. Foremost of which is seeing the bigger picture in a new light and making you appreciate what you already have, and that whatever it was you were going after may not have been meant for you at all. Because you believe that things happen for a reason, you know in your heart that you are probably where the Lord wants you to be. If not, then the best is yet to come. #haveFaith
Last day of school for 2013 and still cramming for 6 tests at 5am!
http://instagram.com/p/iFLP47Gsey/
Hang in there kiddo!
Dec 18, 2013
There will be 6 tests tomorrow... the last school day for 2013 😳
http://instagram.com/p/iEBOyFGsS_/
Due to the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda that hit the region, there were several days when classes were suspended, thus, significantly shortening the third grading period. Because of this, there wouldn't be periodical tests. Instead, all activities, seatwork, speak-up, reports, projects, and short tests will be the basis for the final grade.
Today he had 2 tests. Tomorrow there will be 6. One giant heave and all these will soon be done. Breathe-in... breathe out.
Dec 16, 2013
Tinkered with my photo during traffic and changed my face to a goblin
http://instagram.com/p/h-u45pGsUC/
Ok, the Perfect365 app is quite amusing especially when stuck on the road between points A and B.
Arrived early for day 1 of Misa de Gallo
http://instagram.com/p/h9IrfsGsc5/
We were actually early for a 4am mass. The funny thing is, mass was at 5am! LOL
Dec 15, 2013
Dec 14, 2013
Dec 13, 2013
Dec 12, 2013
We enjoyed the food except that they ran out of rice
http://instagram.com/p/h0heYkmsY-/
We only waited for a few minutes though... So the whole dining experience was still 2 thumbs-up. :)
Dec 11, 2013
I couldn't wait for throwback Thursday to post this. :D
http://instagram.com/p/hxPxvZmsR-/
Everytime I see a large mirror I just literally drag the boys to it. That was exactly what happened last weekend when the boys were in town for their Pa's birthday.
The one on the upper right was at the Penshoppe while the one below that was from the newly-opened Topman in Ayala Center Cebu. Oh and... this is not a paid post, by the way. Just saying...
Do you recognize the young features of the boys on the left in the present family selfies? :)
Morning School Run
http://instagram.com/p/hwsN6dmse5/
It's very convenient that we could drop him off inside the campus and right by the school lobby. To avoid traffic we bring him really early. And it matters a lot because, the earlier we leave the house, the faster we are able to get back. A lot of parents have caught on with this routine so the school is not really empty.
Another good thing is that their school cafeteria is already open at this time so parents and students alike could take their breakfast there instead of having it at home. This saves time and takes away much of the stress caused by having to battle rush hour traffic.
Dec 10, 2013
Tea of Spring
Birthdays for this family are usually celebrated with a simple potluck lunch or dinner, nothing extravagant really. In Chinese tradition, we celebrate it a notch more special when the person's age ends with a "9". Thus, for Jerry's 49th, we opted to have it at the Tea of Spring, Shangrila, Mactan.
Though Shangrila is synonymous with expensive, our food bill was surprisingly lower than what other fancy restos back in the city would have cost us for the same spread. Thanks to the discount coupons we previously bought, we literally cut the cost by 30%. Hehe... I just love discounts and markdowns. Anyway...
By Cebu's standards, even without traffic, the 30-45 minutes on the road is actually a long drive, but that already takes you from the city to some of the nice beaches in Mactan Island. That Saturday morning, traffic was not so bad and the weather was lovely.At Tea of Spring, though our meal was discounted, we still received five star service plus more. The manager and the crew were very attentive and ready with their recommendations and some freebies. In my book, these little touches are what set Shangrila distinct from all the other wannabe 5-star restos/resorts.
Family and a few friends completed the small entourage. And the chit-chat in between some dimsum and delicious Chinese fare stretched our lunch to almost 4 hours! It was the perfect cap to bid 48 goodbye and to welcome another blessed year for our dear Jerry. :)
Dec 8, 2013
Dec 6, 2013
Side A and Freestyle
http://instagram.com/p/hlJkOomsdv/
How often do you get to watch a concert top-billing both Side A and Freestyle? And if ever there is one such concert, you could expect it to cost you a lot. Back in 2011, a ticket for a back-to-back Side A / Freestyle concert was at P1000. In 2012 it was as high as P2000. And in the US, their ticket ranged from 55 to 75 USD.
When the Cebu organizers decided to hold a concert for the benefit of the Yolanda survivors, we thought it was a good way to help. It was just admirable how both OPM bands, Side A and Freestyle, waived their talent fees. God bless their generous hearts! For a mere P400 per ticket, we got to donate to a very worthy cause plus we got to sing along and dance to old favorites and covers of current tunes. Because the organizers were friends, we even had choice seats (1st and 2nd rows). Score!
Freestyle
Our sons listening to Freestyle's ballads :)
Joey Generoso seemed to serenade our group here.
He recognized our friend M and my hubby from way back...
Joey was trying to shake hubby's hand here...
Dancing to Side A's "Tuloy Pa Rin Ako"
The groupies with Joey G.
I mentioned about Joey Generoso recognizing hubby and his friend M, because there was one time in the 1990s that the Jaycee chapter that hubby and M belonged to produced a Side A concert. M's family owns the beach house where the following pictures were taken with the band in 1996...
Hubby was with our eldest son here on a banana boat together with Side A's manager
Lito Fugoso and friend J. Friend M is at the background.
Side A's Joey Benin and Lito Fugoso (1st and 2nd from left), hubby right in front of the group
The concert producers...
Side A members at the center and that's me on the right wearing yellow.
I was preggy with our second son here. Eldest son is the one in red at the foreground.
Ernie Severino, Joey Benin and Joey Generoso bidding the group goodbye.
Amusing how a P400 ticket not only benefited super typhoon Yolanda's survivors but also brought us to a perfect night of cool music and reminiscences!
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