My bestfriend since highschool days is a dedicated mom to her 3 children. She will do anything to protect, train, support them on the things that they want to do as long as it is for their own good. A mom, wife and a career woman is not an easy job. Imagine juggling all those roles everyday for the rest of her life is a noble thing.

I see her kids grow and my friend is supportive in their studies and even on their extra curricular activities like playing musical instruments. Her son is even spoiled (in a good way) when it comes to music. She lets him play musical instrument and will do anything even if it means that she will buy used martin guitars online to support her son's hobby.

As long as they will do good in school, their hobby and other interests will be supported by their mom. I just admire her for being with her children when they need her and it only shows that a mother's love is priceless.

Just the other weekend, a family drama surfaces. It's just one of  those days when people become crazy, over sensitive and lose their temper. My aunt and my older brother got an argument that happened once again. My bro is not the usual confrontational kind of guy by means of speaking or yelling but his own way is to throw things. It's his way to release  and show his anger when is is really pissed of. I'm not really on the scene when that happened but according to my SIL and some family members, the argument started because my aunt is asking my bro to clean the mess that he left on the garage. I guess my bro is already fed up with the constant nagging and repeated talking of my aunt that is why he lost his tempter. Mom overheard the commotion and he came to the scene and asked both to be calm. Argument sprouted again between my aunt and my mom (both are sisters) and that is not good.

Hearing the yelling, my nephew came and told them to stop yelling and arguing at each other that made mom and other adults to tell him to shut up and he  must not join the adult arguments. Ahh.. family issues and drama happens to any family. Our family is not perfect and I think there's no perfect family anyway.

When family drama arises, sometimes I just want to keep mum and don't want to meddle with their arguments so that issue will not become big anymore. I'm just wishing that kids should learn how to honor and respect elders and they should not interfere with the adult conversation.

I had some time to blog hop the other day and I can't help myself to be in admiration to all the moms that I came across. I have a lot of friends that are moms already and just thinking all the sacrifices that they have done for the family makes me realize that being a mother or a parent is a 24/7 job and needs a complete commitment. I also admire working moms both wahm or those that work outside their homes because they can juggle their work and family obligations.

A friend of mine is working 9-5 and when she gets at home, she still need to take care of the kids and do household works. Aside from that, she still needs to work on her online jobs that can take her working till midnight. She's been sacrificing a lot just to give good and comfortable life to her family. With that, I salute you all great moms out there.

I grew up with a strong family ties and I’m so happy about it. I guess we all aim to have a happy family where there is love, respect and support for each other. Sure there are times when there is misunderstanding or arguments but those are really normal for every family. Each member should be open for reconciliation because at the end of the day you’re still a family that will help each other in times of trouble.

As a family, you need to learn how to bond with each other. Here are some few things to strengthen family ties.
1. Spend more quality time with each other. Read books together, sing, laugh and talk to each other.
2. Create memories. Make a project together. Draw, make clay pots or anything that can keep you all bonded.
3. Eat together at the same time so you can catch up on each other’s activities.
4. Watch movies, shop etc.
5. Travel as a family and you’ll see the beauty of the place more and you’ll create more beautiful happy memories.

We should also learn to forgive each other’s misgivings. Teach your kids good values so when they grow up they will do the right things that you teach them.

I’m just so happy and thrilled to know that my niece is driving already. She’s already 17 and turning 18 this July and her parents bought her a car. Of course, she had driving lessons first for it’s very strict in Australia before she can even get her learners or new driver’s license she still needs to take the exams. Right now, I think she’s a P-plater and she can drive on her own though there are times when her parents need to be with when she drives for more support, advice and instructions. I guess you know how 1st-time drivers are on the road.

Now that she has her own car, I hope she’ll be more responsible in taking care of it and of course she needs to be careful while on the road. Owning a car comes with a responsibility and I’m sure her parents also got her car insurance for her protection. Actually, getting a car insurance is quite fast these days. You can even a quote in less than 2 mins if you're in the US using AutoInsuranceNC.org website.  

With her ability to drive now, her parents will be spared from sending and fetching her to and from her dance rehearsals and part-time work. I just hope she’ll not break the trust that her parents gave her.

Kids were so excited to open the gifts they got from Santa on Christmas morning but it was our family tradition to open our exchange gifts after dinner time on Christmas day. Kids (but also adults) could not contain their excited to see what’s inside the wrapped gifts. My youngest niece would even find the gifts with her name written on it and then guard it ..lol She so funny! She would also try to guess what is the gift and would giggle with so much delight.

Christmas is a time for giving and even though there are times that money is hard, giving just a small present to each of us is already big enough. We don’t need too much expensive or glamorous gifts for what matters most is that you share and remember your loved one during Christmas day.

We’re looking forward for the next Christmas and I’m sure we’ll all enjoy opening them once again. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all!

Few more days and 2012 is here already! Wow, time sure flies so fast. Another year will end and a new one will come. I have so many blessings received this year and I’m so thankful for that. I just want good health for my family this coming year. Mom will be operated next month because of her gallstones so I’m praying no complication will arise.

Speaking of my mom, she’s now very busy with her outdoor cleaning for she wanted our place to be clean and neat before the new year starts. Actually, she just finished her recent project. Mom already asked our helpers to changed our roof gutters before the rainy seasons will start. I’m pretty sure she still has lots of projects next year and I will not wonder if one day she’ll buy one of those outdoor thermometers and put it on our place.

Her new plants are also growing healthy plus she was excited to see some fruits on her mango tree already. Harvest will be on summer time. She still plans of planting another fruit tree in front of the house as she loves seeing her trees bear fruits. She definitely has a green thumb.

Aside from having online friends who are also going to give birth in few months time, my distant cousin S. is also going to have her new baby girl by the end of this month or early November. It’s their 1st baby and just like any new mommy, she and her husband are pretty much excited to see their gift from heaven. A dream that they wanted to have since they got married 5 years ago. Now, that she is coming not only the couple are excited but also us their relatives.

Anyway, I’m praying for her safe delivery and I know that the baby will make them more happy and complete family. I guess I’ll send a cookie bouquet when they arrive home from the hospital and I’m sure she’ll love this unique gift of mine that can be eaten. 

It's been a long weekend here at our neck of the woods since Saturday up till Tuesday and the kids are enjoying their mini-vacation once again. We didn't plan for any vacation getaway since it's also a stormy day in the country. Out of the blue, my 'lil 8 yr-old niece asked her mom to go on swimming at the nearby resort in our place. Of course, we didn't agree because it's been raining on and off everyday and it's not very conducive to go out esp. swimming. For sure the pool waters will be very cold and I don't think there are pool heat pumps to keep the pool warm. Again it's also impossible since it's raining.

My niece has been nagging her mom about it all the time and to appease her, we just told that we’ll go next summer and that made her smile.

I got a message at my Facebook account from my uncle who is in CA right now and he is advising me to tell my older brother to pick them up at the airport come 1st week of September. Yey, he is going back home again with my aunt for a vacation and I’m not sure yet how long they will be staying once again. Mom and bro will be fetching them at the airport using our van and they’ll go straight to the province. It would also be nice if we have an RV especially if we’re going to the province for a visit, but just thinking about the rv repair and it's maintenance, then I guess it would be impossible for us to acquire one.

Anyway, tt seems that my uncle and aunt  are going back and forth from the US to PI most of the times now that they are already retired. I will not wonder if in the future they will also retire and go back home here in their native land as they are saying that life in the US is kinda hard already and staying here will be a good choice. Hmmm.. I’m waiting for the chocolates and some other pasalubongs (gifts) hehe..

The reason I bought a new 32" samsung lcd last April was to enhance our viewing times. We love watching TV all the time and it’s great to watch Tv shows and even movies in a bigger and clearer TV so I decided to buy a new TV for us. Mom and bro accompanied me to buy one last summer and thankfully, a store is having a sale on their appliances so I was able to get a decent discount for it.

Now, watching TV is more pleasurable and if it’s movie time, the fun and excitement is doubled. Recently, I’m also back to watching movies on DVD and I can’t wait to watch all the old movies that I weren’t able to catch on the big screen.

We all can’t wait for my nephew to finish his course in IT. Actually, it’s been taking him quite a long time already because he’s been missing some of his subjects due to his work. Yeah, he’s been studying and accepting works as well and maybe that’s the reason why he can’t take full load on his subjects.

I know that by the time he’s graduate, more works will be pouring on him but we all just hope and pray that he needs to concentrate on his studies first and let the work be the second choice. In fact, when he’s already an IT professional, he can even enroll an mba management technology online to get more good credentials on his shoulders. It can also be the key to a position that he could not even imagined once he has a good edge.

Well, we’re all hopeful that he’d be more focused on his studies and not let the work, game developing and even computers games hinder him from attaining a college degree and an mba management technology degree.

Teenage nephew is already hooked on computer games and I don’t think he’d stop doing that. After coming to school and on his free time, I always see him in front of their computer either browsing Facebook or playing games. The usual games that he plays are Cross fire and Special Force which are tactical games and I’m not sure if there are eotech 512 holographic sights feature included in it. Though he plays those games, he’s not abandoning his studies for his parents will definitely ban him from using the computer. Worst is he can be grounded for few days if he’ll not follow his parent’s advices.


Sad to say though that there are some students who are already addicted to computer games that sometimes they are already skipping school, lying to their parents and doing other bad vices. I hope they’ll realize that playing computer games is only a pastime and should not become their way of life.

It was 3 days ago when my sister and her husband came home from Riyadh for a month long vacation. They sure miss the country and of course, their 3 children and now they are making sure that they’ll spend quality time with them. What I like about my sister when she comes home is that, she never fails to give us tons of “pasalubongs” gifts that she bought there. She is very generous when it comes to that and that what she is known for.

I just hope that that she’ll not just give money or spent much on their vacation but hoping that she’ll have also an interest investing in something more practical. I know she has heard that gold is a good investment and that United States Gold Bureau is one of the leading sources of gold and other precious metals. It will be no surprise if one day, she’ll just go for it.

I’m not sure if I’m going to be alarmed with the eating habits and behavior of my nephew. At 13, he is just fond of eating rice only with soup (no meat or veggies) or sauces for his meal though he can eat some portions of spring rolls at times. We often told him that what he is eating is only fitted for babies and he can’t get lots of nutrition from that.

Others advised my SIL to just leave him like that and for sure in no time, he’d learn how to eat rice with chicken or meat in it. No doubt, that’s why he is so frail and thin for his age. He’s not also into sports as he finds playing computer games much more exciting. Ahh.. how’d I wish I can see him play basketball, soccer and other sports. It would be nice if he’d be interested in them and if that happens, I’ll be more that glad to give him basketball or soccer gifts on his birthday.

Oh well, I know that every kid has his own likes and passion and I don’t have to impose to him what to like.

My usual routine in the morning before going to work is to read my personal/work mails and browse my Facebook account. I was surprised to see a photo of my niece holding a very cute dog whom at that time has no name yet. It was a cavoodle dog, mix breed of King Charles Spaniel and mini poodle. He was only 6 weeks old and her mom bought it at the dog shop.

They named it Prince and now, he is the new addition to my sister’s family. I know he’ll be spoiled and I learned that he’s been sleeping at my sister’s bed at the moment as it was too cold in their place right now. Wintertime is coming so putting him on his bed alone will only make him cry. Ahhh.. poor doggie. I hope they’ll love and take care of that dog like what I’m doing with my own baby dog Sophie. I’m sure they’ll become pet lovers now that Prince is in their home.

Initially, my sister doesn’t want to get a dog because her son is allergic to animal’s fur but she changed her mind. With their new spacious house, Prince will have a big space to run around. I was even more surprised when I learned that my brother-in-law was crazy about the dog and his project of buying a billiard table and other billiards supplies for his recreation area is put on hold bec. he found Prince to be a good companion.

My brother, his wife and I were excited when summer finally arrived this year. Not only it was the start of school break for their kids but also it was the time for us to go back to our “once a year exercises routine”. It was during these times when we can wear our shorts, hop on our bikes and cruise along the neighborhood very early morning or before evening. We could also play badminton in front of our house to stretch our muscles and sweat a little bit. We always do this every summer.

There’s also one Saturday morning when we all hopped in our van with our bikes in it and went to the nearest village where we called it biker’s haven. Our dog Sophie was not left behind for we carried her and let her run around. It was a great morning for us biking and jogging around the village. We promised to come back but funny this is; it never happened again.

Summer is about to end and we’re actually getting lazy to go biking, jogging and play the badminton. My brother’s promise to buy one of those men's running shorts for himself so that he can be more inspired to run was already buried in the deep sea of promises..lol . Anyway, there’s always next summer…

Thanks to YM and social networking sites that let me communicate faster to my relatives most especially those that are already living in other countries. Not it can only made communication easier but it makes it more affordable since we can minimize calling on the phone because we can talk via Skype or YM chats for hours.

Anyway, talked to my cousins one weekend and I was more than happy to see them once again and talk about our lives. It’s always heartwarming to know that they are still much Pinoy inside even though they have lived there for over 2 decades already. Some have changed careers, from a corporate employee to a nurse. It was amazing to know that they have found their passion already.

Another cousin has been working in a company is also thinking about shifting too. It looks like that she loves fashion and beauty and that she wanted to go back to school. I’m sure she’ll do good on it most especially if she’ll put her heart and mind over it.

 

While waiting for more works this afternoon, I decided to take some photographs outside to keep my occupied. I've never done this for a while so it was good to do this once again. I immediately downloaded those photos onto my EHD and took the time to put some watermarks on some photos.

I also browsed my photo files and I enjoyed the time looking at some old photos of us that dates from 2008 up to present. I was also amazed to see how my niece with a clearer face free from her acne. I remember seeing her with lots of acne on her face on the photos that her mom shared to me. Fortunately with the acne treatment that the doctor gave her, it was gone already. Thankfully there are minimal scars that was left.

The photos of my other nieces and nephews also made me realize how they really have grown so fast and thanks for my efforts in taking pictures of them because we can see how they grow just by looking at their photos.

Wow, my uncle just bought a new car for their family before Christmas last year and of course how'd we wish we can afford to buy the same. We have no budget right now but my mom is really dreaming of buying a replacement for our van just like what I've been blogging here the past months. A second-hand van is good enough as long as it is in good running condition.

Owning a vehicle these days has become a necessity rather than being a luxury. Car owners also will not find it hard to find car insurance quotes for they are now available online. My uncle who also has a small business can now deliver his good faster and that only means more productivity.