..and so these are what had happened on my 26th♥

I do not usually celebrate my birthday with a big bang. It's enough for me to go to church and dinner with my family thereafter. This year was totally different (well maybe, this is just one of the turning points for someone who has lived a quarter of a century,lol)

Sunday, 17th of July
Location: KFC



Lunch treat at KFC Harbor Square

My sister and her friends from caring group organized the event. They are supposed to bring kids from He Cares (one of Bro. Bo Sanchez's ministries) to a fast food but then Daryl Tamon, the caring group leader suggested that instead of taking the kids out, why not the much lesser fortunate. I have no objections of the plan.

When they entered the fast food, my sister related to me that the guard questioned them. Maybe he was thinking that because these people don't look pleasing and descent, they were misconstrued as someone who would beg for alms from the "pleasing and descent people" inside the fast food. Nonetheless, they were able to pushthrough. It's just like the Israelites were able to walked unharmed from the parted sea=)

This teaser is comfortably suitable for our theme: Sharing God's love!



And I would like to thank these people, God's humble laborers for sharing their time and energy. It was indeed a blessed  Sunday, a party of God's tremendous love!


20th of July

I woke up late on my birthday. I was awaken by my flatmates. They made breakfast and we ate together. I updated my status and gave my personalized thank you for all the greetings I received both in Facebook and text messages from my family and friends from Pinas. It was so overwhelming. The rest of the day, I just stayed home trying to ponder all the blessings I received for the past 25 years..And well, trying to internalize that I'm really indeed 26, LOL

This is the most surprising and sweetest gift I ever received on my 26th! When I arrived from work the night before my birthday which is of course already morning in the Philippines, I scanned through my messages and goodnes I feel like my hands trembling and I want to rub my eyes when I saw this video just to challenge reality!. This is really, is really, and is really so real,hahaha. I can't get over this madness that I played it over and over again. Many thanks to my one and only sweetest sister Robz. And of course to the man on the video,.You're the man Bro Bo.!=) I just understand and feel how it is to be a.. VIP?haha

22nd of July

TGIF

It was our Independence day!!! We went for a 6-hour outpass in Exit 8. This was the very first get together of our flat but unfortunately 3 of our flatmates were on duty. As what they've said, my birthday has always been a trendsetter for the next birthdays to follow=) This was also the first outing of our ward team.



before we went out of the bilibid..all dressed up..

my 1A family..



with my three super cute VIP guests( L-R): Hannah the bonana ( 9mos.), Mikko (4 mos.), and Mazem (1yr.)

@26..thank you for the good health, loving family, good friends, and wishing for more blessings to mirror Your greatness Father!



..there's more to a TGIF!..

  This will not be a long read article. Since I'm so fond updating my Gratitude Journal and listing and ex-listing goals and activities to do, I'm so happy I was able to finally did the very exciting shopping thing in the world--buying baby clothes! It's really so true that there is no more fun than having to choose small dainty stuffs to a precious creature we all once are. So on Friday morning after I had taken roughly 3 hours of slumber, I, being an impatient mommy-to-be (3years from now) went out to search for the most cutest things for our adorable babies at Grace To Be Born. And this what made my Friday more than a TGIF: 

flowers and butterflies' prints for our precious baby girls

giraffe and elephant for our little brave soldiers

because there are cold days in Pinas, got these froggy suits as well..

babies here are big sizes, even those of  newborns. hand-picked these to suit the average size of Filipino babies..

this one's of my fave picks..because I so love travelling=) to our future pilots, long way to go..drink your milk first sweethearts!

and this one's for our future veterinarian..

Since i haven't met them yet, I assumed after  a year they will be able to wear these little t-shirts..

I love pastel colors, suiting for hot weather..

Hugging the first baby stuff I bought..wish I was the bottle=)

Ready for packing..

Before I left for a 2-day off, my colleague informed me that she will be donating some baby clothes for girls not used by her baby who happened to be a baby boy. If it was fun buying stuffs for kids not of your own blood, I'm wondering how much more if I'm already buying for mine=) Just a thought on a 38.2 C temperature going back home.

P.S. these were the very first photos used in my blog using my own DSLR..Uhm, better to be a mommy than a photographer,haha

..what a sick insomniac can do..

Night duty was never a problem to me. In fact, I love night shifts because of the following reasons: 1. No doctor's rounds 2. No scheduled operations (unless stat or urgent operation (s) 3. Patients are resting (so we have an ample time to eat and have coffee=) 4. I have great time of silence--which means hundreds of ideas provoking my brain on what to write 5. Seeing the moon and stars everytime I visit the pharmacy to get my medicines. I am no less than an insomniac so it is an advantage having to go through a 17-day of night duty. 

But lately though, I'm having an altered sleep pattern. I'm wide awake at dawn until the chants of the nearby mosque can be heard which signaled that it's about 5am in the morning. Good thing my appetite's not affected, which is still the main reason for my chubby cheeks,grrhhhh Even so, I'm having sore throat and runny nose--which are the indicators of an impending attack of the immune system. As a nurse, I do not resort to medicines. I am afraid of medicines! When you are experiencing these indicators, you can try the followings tips: 

1. Drink fluids in any form--water is at the top of my list. You can also try fresh juices. My good friend made a carrot shake this morning. To conceal the tingy fiber-taste of carrots, you can add pineapple juice for a twist.

2. Sleep whenever you can. Hormones are usually release during sleep, specifically in the morning. (Ask guys if you're in doubt=).. It's not how long you had slept but the quality of sleep you had. Well, this one's hard to achieve for someone who has an abnormal working hours. There's no hard in trying though.

3. Take daily supplements. It's good if your vitamins contain Vit. E which is a known anti oxidant. I used one before given by my mom but it's not available here=(

4. "Think healthy-Eat healthy". I got this idea from Bo Sanchez. He said in one of his emails that sometimes our sickness is brought about by lack of forgiveness, hurts, greed, etc. So therefore, we have to free our mind with these "toxins". It will eventually give us a good appetite--and when I say good appetite, it should come hand in hand with healthy variations of food (ouch, tinamaan ako dun,lol) Ok, ok I'm trying though :)

5. Use stairs,hahaha It's a some sort of exercise for me. Because we are always busy to reserve time for exercise, I often remind myself to use stairs so I will not be guilty of having no exercise at all. (I used to go to the gym for weight-gaining program and some firming activities but unfortunately, gyms here are for the boys only).

6. Love at all times (makes us look younger and live longer, agree?--so beware of people we call "stressors". They are your heart-murderers. And in return, don't also be a heart-breaker,lol

7. Be a giver. No amount of wealth can replace the words "thank you". So we ought to be grateful of our blessings at all times--no matter how big or small it is!

P.S. This is what a sick insomniac can do so bear with me=)

..looking forward for August..

I know I'm a spoiler for wishing August to come without having fully experienced the month of July. I love July, it's the month my mom's tummy was sliced just to bring me out. It's the same month that my two favorite high school teachers  are also July celebrants: Sir Jessie Jayme who happened to be not just our mentor but a very good listener and friend and Miss Cleah Ramos who inspired me and trusted me so much. 

However, I have a very good reason to look forward for August. My sister and I were talking about having a good travel. We both love travelling; in fact as I am writing this down, my sister had already booked a Singapore vacation with her friends sometime in October. But because I am on my noble job here in the East, we planned to give my mom and tita neng their grand escape! And yes, it will be happening this coming August! The plane tickets are all set, the hotel reservations all paid and the itinerary courtesy by my sister. This will be the very first time my tita will have her first air trip,haha I feel nostalgic at the thought that I will not be there but happy in a way that this is a wish granted for me--ex-listed one wish from my wish list =) This is just a one of the hundred things we want to do as a way of giving back to them the pampering they deserve so  much. I thank God for all the provisions He continually giving us. Hopefully next time, it will be an out of the country vacay with me around. For the meantime, let August come!!!

..siamo tutti fratelli e sorelle..

Seeing the crescent moon  more often when I have my night duties reminds me of the fast approaching Muslim tradition called Ramadan. It usually starts at the 1st day of August and is a month-long celebration of prayer and fasting. During these days, we Christians here in muslim soil are also one in their celebration. In fact, we are adjusting with their schedules of eating and waking up. It's hard having to wake patients up at dawn to give their medicines just before their fasting hours start. The day duty seems like a night shift and vice versa.

Though it is less than a month before Ramadan, I had experienced this what I called pre-Ramadan syndrome. I have a patient who just came back from the operating room. Concerned that all our post operative patients should be pain-free and which I believe is the highest priority, I started his pain medication. While turning the drip on, a woman sitting on the floor asked me "sister, are you a Muslim?". "No", my short replied. "But why?", she insistently asked. "I am a Christian", I said as I continued manipulating the bottle of paracetamol. "Haram". Though I am not fluent in speaking her language, I fully understood that word which means "prohibited". She did n't stopped from there. To add on, she also mentioned that they do Sawm or fasting (they are prohibited to eat, drink, or touch their wives-and well, their husbands from dawn to sundown)  Hajj or pilgimage (Muslim should do this once in their lifetime to Makkah or their Holy Place) and Salah or prayer (they pray five times a day, washing their body first after they did some bathroom privileges or sexual contact). And she mentioned all these to me as if saying that her religion is better than mine. I just kept my silence though I wanted to speak out and defend my own beliefs. 

I have high regards on how Muslims religiously abide with their responsibilities to their Allah. Just as I have high regards on how Christians do theirs to God. But I guess, it's how we live our life that reflects  and speaks who we are. It's not our religion that makes us being labeled as a Christian or Muslim, it is our actions and how we treat each other despite of our hundreds and one of differences.

To answer her question why I am a Christian, I just gave my best caring shot in taking care of her patient. The least I can do for a Muslim brother from a Christian care giver. As what our Red Cross t-shirt campaign says before ".siamo tutti fratelli e sorelle"..We are all brothers and sisters!