Streawberry Shortcake Picnic Party

Finally! The day to celebrate Little Sophie's 2nd Birthday...

The most important person has finally arrived to take part in her celebration... Daddy Brian :)

HOW COLORFUL and JOLLY
-the perfect theme for a girl
that brings joy and happiness to
everyone around her...

Mommy Sab took care of all the Strawberry Shortcake details for the picnic party... Balloons, Plates with matching tissues and plastic spoons and forks that match the pink and reds and purples of the whole party...

FRIENDS in VANCOUVER :)

KIMI and SOPHIE has their CAKE MOMENT
...just like a newly wed they had to feed each other the sweet icing
to seal off the moment :)

FAMILY PICTURE

To Sophie Belle :) We wish you all the best. We are always here for you- Love Ninong Karl, Ninang meL and Cousin Kimi

The Park is our sandbox...

With the park just a few walks from our home. This is a favorite place for the kids to spend time at especially if the weather is good. With a new pail and shovel from Auntie Sab and Uncle Brian. Kimi was excited to dig up small pebbles at the playground area. Sophie and Kimi busied themselves by filling up their pails with acorn that were scattered all over the grass area.

DIG THAT! How CUTE!

MOMMY and KIMI
I DIG YOU, BABY!

THE BALANCING ACT
Kimi and Sophie shares a seesaw

UNCLE BRIAN BLOWING BUBBLES

The sun was pretty hot that time and we had to head back inside for Kimi's nap but she was really happy to be able to roam free at the park to play and explore even for just a few minutes...

Weekend at White Rock

We spent Saturday at White Rock Pier. It was the perfect day to stroll hand in hand with a love one or even to push a stroller. It was a long drive compared to what we used to go to for a regular weekend but with Brian to tour around we didn;t mind driving the extra mile for him to see a new place...

WHITE ROCK MUSEUM & ARCHIVES

HOUSES OVERLOOKING THE PIER
-Wouln't it be heaven to have a vacation house here?

Daddy Karl, Baby Kimi and Mommy meL

Have you watched them sleep?

An Email forwarded from my Brother...

HAVE YOU WATCHED THEM SLEEP?
Article written by Shakuntala Devi

I received a message on my Friendster account the other day. It was one of those forwarded messages, the type I would usually scan briefly before hitting "delete".

But this message, written in Bahasa Malaysia, started with a simple question that caught my attention A rough translation of it goes like this:

"Have you ever watched your parents as they are asleep? Your father's body once big and strong but now, the big is withered and the strong weakened. Wisps of grey peek out of his hair, wrinkles now "scar" on his forehead and face."

"This man works hard every day and would sacrifice anything to make sure his family is provided for and his children get the best education possible."

"Or what about your mother, whose soft hands once cuddled and held you close when you were a baby? Now, those hands are dry and rough, bearing evidence of the challenges she faced just for us."

"This woman takes care of our daily needs, constantly nagging and scolding us because of her love for us. But sadly, we often miscontrue her love as control and unfairness."

I have never thought of watching my parents while they slept. I've watched my cousins sleep when they were babies, all round and cuddly and sweet smelling. But watch my parents? No way!

But after reading this message, I realised that there is indeed much truth in it. In fact, my parents don't have to be asleep for me to realise that they have aged.

Just looking at my mother walk tells me that her legs are not as strong as they were before. Or hearing for her to ask me to help with that flowerpot in the garden, the one she used to be able to push and drag around the garden without my help.

Or watching my dad lift a 10kg bag of rice. I can easily carry that now. I am young. But to him, it is a struggle.

What do all these observations tell me? Yes, my parents have aged. They are ageing, as I am ageing. But as I age towards my best years and become stronger, they in turn are becoming weaker. They were once the caregiver and I the receiver. In time, I know our roles will reverse. Like it or not, want it or not, this is life.

I suppose I have always subconciously thought that my parents would always be with me, never growing old. It took that message to make me realise that my parents are not immortal. That they, too, will one day leave the world and me. Until then, I will make good use of our time together.

By the way, I am forwarding that message to all my family and friends to remind them to appreciate what they have now. It will not last.

Soup from the Heart

Ever since we started cooking our own meals downstair, I am always on the look out for recipe that is simple and tastes good...

K decided to help me out since I have already started working and he was really considerate to make soups for me since he says that I need more liquid since he believes I don't drink enough for the day...

NILAGANG BABOY

TINOLANG MANOK

I am really touched that he took the time to cook even after a tiring day at the office but to cook something that would be healthy..for me, is much more appreciated....

Spice Rack...

It's all lined up neatly and more counter space for other items...

We are finally maximizing our counter space.


Yey! We are finally really living downstairs and is becoming self sufficient in our own place he he!

It is not always easy but I guess in time we will become much more easier...

Help me remember...

A scrap-pageI did on the Mother's Day we spent at Swiss chalet.

The feeling of being overwhelmed with all the chores and sadness has been flooding me more and more lately. With the shifts in work that makes K and I eat dinner just a few days a week...together. I miss the simple joys of being... well, "together", for a simple dinner and just spending time talking while eating. Then lunch is no different, I eat lunch with Kimi a lot of days in a week and it doesn't help that I can't have a conversation with her as well...

I miss my family in Manila and the eating at the dinner table. I wish I am back home.... Sigh*

It doesn't help that Kimi can sometimes be difficult... :( so Lord, Help me Remember...

Help Me Remember

Lord, help me remember, when I feel It's a chore,
the time will come when I'll hold her no more
asleep on my chest (the crib refused,
the blanket, the pacifier, gone unused).
What better place is there to lay her head
than against my heart, my arms her bed?
For infants grow up and leave us behind
with only memories left to remind
us of midnight walking and predawn rocking,
of soft, helpless babies unable to sleep.
So, Lord, make me patient and keep me awake
while I cradle this child, and don't let me take
for granted the moments I spend in the night
with this baby--Your gift, my joy, my delight.

by Jan Dunlap

Destressing by creative outlet

Whenever I feel stressed or sad, I always do scrapbooking when I was young and whenever I see or cut out those pictures for my scrap page, I remember all those wonderful memories in the pictures and I feel better.

Now that digital scrapbooking is easier without scissors and glues, just a click of the mouse and a program and voila!

Our C.G. Brown pool adventure in a digiscrap page :)


...the best part? I feel oh so much better afterwards :)

Brownies for my Sweet niece

Happy 2nd birthday... little Sophie...

I know that your real birthday celebration is a few weeks from your birthday so that daddy can be with us to celebrate but auntie wants you to have something special for your birthday....

...so for my first attempt at baking brownies.... :) NOT BAD :)


... I am so excited for ur Strawberry Shortcake Picnic Party.... Mwaaaaaaah Little Shortcake :)

Seattle Trip

I was not expecting to go to Seattle that weekend and was surprised when an invitation from my in laws to spend Victoria Day at Tulalip Casino, Seattle for lunch


It was a struggle not to get out of Premium Outlet almost empty-handed but we have to budget our money now that we do have additional expenses this past few weeks :( plus we don;t have much dollar onhand since we were only told about the plan 2 days before the date.

I am hoping my next trip to Seattle would be more fruitful ;)... Maybe on Canada Day? Who knows? I might have save enough to treat K to an overnight stay for the both of us (",)

Richmond Park Family Fun

Up and down
Sky and ground....

Little Kimi enjoyed the seesaw ride

The First Swim

Kimi's first time to try out the waters...

We decided to try an indoor pool at C.G. Brown. With mom and dad fully supporting her in her first swim, we outfitted little Kimi with the adorable flower bathrobe mommy and daddy bought from Zellers. Both mommy and daddy decided to take a dip in the baby's pool as well to make Kimi feel safe for her first swimming experience.


Mommy got Kimi within arms reach all the time...


Daddy hold out his most precious sea princess proudly for the camera...


After the swim... A change to a fresh new clothes from Auntie Honey...

Lumpia... A Labor of Love

This was the first time we ever attempted at making Lumpia pinoy style... Armed with a page from an old Food Magazine. K and I set out on the endlewss cutting of vegtables for the lumpia.... Cut cut cut...cut cut cut... fry and then wrapping. It was almost 8pm when we finished everything....


I was not quite sure whether all those vegetable would tastes good but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it does taste good and I would probably eat it even if I wasn;t the one who cooked it he he!

Dinner date (oops!) at Anducci

K has never been a fan of Italian food so I was happy when he decided to go with me to Anducci's for lunch... I was really craving for pasta after talking to an Italian co worker of mine as to where is the best Italian place to try out.

We tried the Anducci's near the Lougheed Mall

Caesar Salad

House Bread... YUMMY!

POPEYE

.... a really full meal, I didn't have enough room to try their dessert.. :(

Desperately Seeking SWEETS

Now that I am finally trying my hand at working the oven and cooktop, I am always in the search for a quick recipe that makes good results....


With a simple dessert of just grilling a pineapple slice and topping it off with a caramel vanilla ice cream and finishing off with a drizzle of caramel topping.

It's as easy as 1-2-3 and satisfies my sweet tooth for the night :)

Moms Day at Swiss Chalet

It is finally another Moms Day and some sort of a deja vu came over me as I entered Swiss Chalet this year. We actually had mother's day last year at this same branch... I guess you can say that Swiss Chalet is officially our favorite Mother's Day lunch place he he!

Since it is partly my day, I decided to treat myself to the sugar treat I have been craving for...



A shared plate of Tender Ribs and Chicken... with a helping of Caesar Salad

A yummy buttery corn to fill Kimi up


Little Kimi with a long flower for mommy.... Aaaaww!


I love you little one... Words can't describe how much... but I hope you do feel it...

To my mommy...

Being Apart only makes me miss you all the more
you have shown me over and over just how reliable you are near or far

It is by being this far apart that I realize just how much having a mother near me
makes me happy each day.

I just wish you were here just a drive away...

Someone I can lean to at my most saddest...
and to share with at my my most joyous moment...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Ikea Cooking Essential Shopping

We went to Ikea to buy some kitchen essentials for our cooking needs. We finally decided to make use of our kitchen by cooking our everyday baon and daily eats ourselves. Now that out kitchen is not just there for display but is being use everyday, we realized just how much items were lacking. So off to Ikea for the best budgeted pots and pans as well as whisk and kitchen paraphernalia to fill up the spaces of our small kitchen.

Just by the entrance, little Kimi wanted to walk on her own and just hold on to papa's hand...

Little Kimi... Papa's little princess
Little Kimi do get hungry too...
It was a tiring day... after Ikea, we had to goo home and cook our own dinner. Welcome to real CANADIAN motherhood...

Get Diaper...

It has been awhile since I've posted a video of Kimi's latest tricks...

she has improved a lot since her last video but now she can be asked to fetch her own diaper
and lie down for mommy to change her stinky weewee :)

Visual Gratification

The reward in getting a job is getting..... the PAYCHECK!

I got a temporary high when my first paycheck was handed to me last week. I am finally part of
the workforce....and at a recession period! I am so grateful to be having a job in the first place...


I am hoping that I will be able to continue giving good results doing this job. I am not an expert doing phone sales but I am willing to work hard at it. For the meantime, I am not going to let anything dampen my temporary bliss he he! To more paychecks! ...and higher hourly wage :) If the pledges go up, so does the income...

All contained...

Now that Kimi is getting way too active for her own good, Daddy K decided to invest on a safety gate to keep her safe inside the sanctity of her colorful room...


We had to poke some holes on her door jamb but I was ok with it if it meant that Kimi will be able to play safely... :) ...

Now she thinks that she has a bigger playhouse and she loves swinging her door back and forth and going in and out of her bigger dollhouse.

Leche Flan Trial 1

I finally just had to have my sweets... and one of my most favorite dessert is my mom's leche flan. It is not just the taste but also the good memories that comes with eating the dessert when I was young. We always have mom's leche flan on the moset joyous occassions and when I taste one of her leche flans. I just feel.... HAPPY :)

Maybe being in Canada for a long time with my parents and brother far away from me makes me a little bit more sentimental than ever but I just had to try my hand at making this sweet treat... So armed with a custard pan and my mom's texted instruction, I began to work on my dessert.


It was a long process but before I got it ready for steaming I couldn't help but take a spoonsful of the mix to taste if it does taste familiar. To my utter delight, it really did. It was just unfortunate that it was a little too soft in the center on my first attempt but I finally know what I did wront and I sure will make another one till I get this perfected.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC :)

I am not much of a writer and I don't think that words would express the love I felt for both of my brothers. Eric, the brother next to me is someone that's always there from the moment that I learned to think. He was there every step of my childhood. He saw me grew up from the shy girl to the mother that I am right now.

JUNE 12, 2006

What I regret is that we had to go our separate ways after I got married. He has to follow his dream and work in Europe, while I try to raise a home in Canada. My parents and youngest brother continued life in Manila.

MAY 14, 2006

I miss those simple times wherein we just see each other after work and school. Those carefree days of just getting through the school year and thinking where to spend our vacation.

NOVEMBER 26, 2006

I Thank God for giving you as my brother. I would like to tell you that you made me oh so proud of the achievements that you have accomplish and how you grew from someone who would just follow me around to someone who is his own man. I sure miss you a lot though and wish that sometimes you were just there within arms reach but I am glad that you are making a life on your own.

Just remember that I am always here for you... your atchie, I'm still the same girl I was before and you can always count me anytime and anywhere...

DECEMBER 24, 2006

I love you so much....hug* MISS YOU and have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

JANUARY 01, 2007

...to more memories...