...to my Valentine

It's not the numerous little things that we are different,

but the few important ones that we are the same.

It's not the sweet words uttered,

but the actions that comes with it.

Thank you for being my partner

but most of all thank you for being my best friend as well. 

I love you more and more each day...

(and) Thank you for loving me despite all my imperfections(sssss).

I can't thank God enough for bringing you into my life...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY BIBI

I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH

For Better or For Worse...

Six years ago, I walked down the aisle towards my soon to be husband.

As soon as the door to the church opened for my grand entrance, I marched with uncontrollable tears in my eyes (sobbing loudly) as all the thoughts of going far away after the wedding finally dawned on me... Everything will be really different and my source of comfort (family) will be too far away. I'm so glad though that those fears were just that, a figment of my overacting mind.

I did the traditional vow and everything I've said back then was just that- words that has been uttered by countless brides to their soon to be husband.

...but now, I have come to understand what those words meant and reading those traditional vow were actually harder to live by when real life does happens. I can assure you that married life is not a bed of roses and it was a lot of work and compromising but all those fights were well worth it, for it was those fights that changed us and made us who we are today.

So on this sixth year, I'd like to post those vow once again... to remind me about what we promised one another...

Grant us, O Lord, to be One Heart and One Soul

From this day forward

For better, for worse

For richer, for poorer

For sickness and in health

Till death do us part.

* * * * *

Happy 6th 

Wedding Anniversary Bibi

I Love You so much

Our Engagement- 6 years ago...

2006.05.14

We got engaged.

Customary Chinese traditions were followed.

I wasn't much into blogging so I'd like to collage document it in my blog this year to remember that important event in our life.

A strong relationship starts with two brave people who are ready to sacrifice anything for one another.

-unknown

* * * * *

Karl and Mel Engagement

2006

Life as an Architecture (Fine Arts) Student...and more

One of the best times I had when I was younger was my college years.

The best of both worlds, I got a bit of freedom and  a lot less responsibilities to worry about than now. Those carefree moments when life was stretched out right in front of you. 

I was a student of Interior Design, University of Santo Tomas then, and like Jerald, I can perfectly relate as to what he was talking about regarding plates and endless sleep. Sleeping over at a friend's to finish a plate to be submitted the next day. The cramming. Actually, sleeping over is not actually sleeping but trying to listen late at night on the radio while finishing our plate with cups after cups of coffee to keep us awake. Alarming our mobiles to make sure that we are informed when the time is almost running out or in case we accidentally slept out of sheer exhaustion. 

Graduation was both a happy and sad occasion. Happy to see that we are somewhat in the finish line for school days but sad when we realized that we won't be seeing as much of our friends as we were used to.

I didn't have someone significant during my college years but I would really be swept off my feet if my boyfriend did this during our graduation...

It was a real treat to see Beato Angelico in the video. It was quite new when we left for graduation. The familiar hang out tables and chairs as well as the new uniforms. I feel like it was so long ago... Thanks for this video, it somewhat transported me back to my yesteryear as a Fine Arts Student.

* * * * *

To Jerald and Angela, I don't know you but I definitely wish you all the best 

* * * * *

Everybody deserves someone 

who makes them look forward to tomorrow

-Anonymous

The Vow

I used to watch a birthday movie when I was still single. Not every time but it was my treat when a nice sappy movie or a Leonardo Di Caprio movie was showing.... (Romeo and Juliet, Titanic etc...)


Here, it is not so easy... I am happy though that I finally got to watch a movie on my birth month this year. This is a rare treat for me especially here where everything like someone to leave the kids with are also a part of the process to be taken care of before you can say yes to a simple movie... 

The movie ending was not as nice as I've hoped but it was a good movie.

* * * * *

Life's all about moments of impact, and how they change our lives forever. 
But what if one day you could no longer remember any of them?

-Leo

* * * * *

Source: Ohsam-movie-quotes.tumblr.com

And a word of wisdom from Paige's mother when confronted why she didn't leave her husband when she found out about the affair...


* * * * *

I chose to stay with him for all the things he's done right; not the one thing he's done wrong. I chose to forgive him.

-Rita Thornton

Great things come in small packages...

I wasn't expecting anything sparkly...

...so I was surprise when hubby handed me a small box

* Some sparkly for my ears :)

THANKS HUBBY

Somewhere in Time...

I have gone sentimental again and spent a morning watching the classic, "Somewhere in Time"

It was shown in the 1980, the year I was born but I have heard about this and watched it before when I was a kid... I really love the songs in this movie and how love transcends time, and that true love is really worth it.

yeah yeah, hopeless romantic... even at this point of my life ;)

I love the lines said by Jane Seymour...

* * * * *

The man of my dreams has almost faded now. 

The one I have created in my mind. 

The sort of man each woman dreams of, in the deepest and most secret reaches of her heart. 

I can almost see him now before me. 

What would I say to him if he were really here? 

"Forgive me. I have never known this feeling. I have lived without it all my life. 

Is it any wonder, then, I failed to recognize you? 

You, who brought it to me for the first time. 

Is there any way that I can tell you how my life has changed? 

Any way at all to let you know what sweetness you have given me? 

There is so much to say. 

I cannot find the words. 

Except for these: I love you". 

Such would I say to him if he were really here. 

- Somewhere in Time

* * * * *

* November 2006

Our Wedding :)

To my hubby,

I love you...

thank you for being a dream of a husband...

the nice thing about you is that you are real  :)

...mel

HAPPY HEARTS DAY :)

Love..Love...Love

There is something about February that makes me sentimental than any other month of the year so bear with me this month if there are going to be sappy entries following

To love is nothing...

To be loved is something...

To love and be loved is everything...

1 Corinthians 13

Source: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13&version=NLT

Love Is the Greatest

 ¹ If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;^[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

 

* 2006 *

 ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

 ⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages^[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ⁹ Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! ¹⁰ But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

* 2006 *

 ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.^[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

 ¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

HAPPY HEARTS DAY :)

Looking through the Eyes of Love...

Ever since I was a girl, I love this song from Ice Castles 1978, "Looking Through the Eyes of Love"

I love the simplicity of the song and how love makes a difference in how we see everything...

That is the reason why I wanted to be a figure skater as well and enrolled little Kimi to learn the basics... My frustrations passed on to my little girl :)

* Avery, Kimi and Caitlyn (2011)

Then, I came across the remake of the movie and got the chance to watch it. I cried buckets as I watched and heard the song played over and over throughout the movies. 

every now and then, we stumble, 

it takes love and courage to get up and see who are really there for us when we did fall.

* * * * *

Now, I need to get back and see the original one.

I left my copy of the original one in the Philippines :( It was a VCD back then he he!

Looking Through the eyes of Love

Britt Nicole

Please, don't let this feeling end

It's everything I am

Everything I wanna be

I can see what's mine now

Finding out what's true

Since I've found you 

Looking through the eyes of love 

Now I can take the time

I can see my life 

As it comes on shining now

Reachin' out to touch you

I can feel so much

Since I've found you 

Looking through the eyes of love

And now I do believe

That even in a storm, we'll find some light

Knowing you're beside me

I'm alright

Please, don't let this feeling end

It might not come again

And I want to remember 

How it feels to touch you

How I feel so much

Since I've found you 

Looking through the eyes of love

And now I do believe

That even in a storm, we'll find some light

Knowing you're beside me

I'm alright

Now I can take the time

I can see my life 

As it comes on shining now

Reaching out to touch you

I can feel so much

Since I've found you 

Looking through the eyes of love

5 years...Forever to go

 Five years ago, I walked down the aisle towards my future.

* Toward the end of the aisle, a new start

A million things raced in my mind as I marched down to meet my parents then finally towards the end toward my soon-to-be husband. I instructed myself to distance myself from thinking emotional thoughts, knowing that I am quite emotional. As the big door opened for me to start my moment, the floodgates to everything that is going to happen rushed through my head and needless to say, I cried from step one to the last step :(. I thought about the new life I am going to embark. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to start that journey but more than scared for I know that I will starting my married life in a  country far, far away. Away from the comforts of the country I am used to, away from all the friends and family that has been my security blanket since forever.

* My new husband comforted the crybaby of a wifey

* Time for the pictorial

So much has happened after that wedding. The ups and the downs. The conflicts and differences that made us more stronger as a couple and made us much more united now more than ever. The emotional journey of being new parents and the discovery of the best way to rear our kids in a whole new country.

* A Dozen of roses for me :)

Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration, love and strength to me and our babies. 

We love you

HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY

I can feel the love :)

Thanks to everyone who greeted me on my birthday...

I really felt the love even if I miss my family from back home...

* Flowers from Karl, Kimi and Kenzo

Thanks to Sarah for buying the makeup essentials for hubby

You just save him from going around sephora....clueless!

* Thanks for all the wishes...

* From Little Kimi

* From my ever thoughtful sis :) Sabbie :)

* Thanks Glenda :)

Lip smacking! Mwaaaah

Sweet Siblings

It's hard work to have 2 babies without a yaya- True!

BUT it really warms my heart when I see how much my kids love each other and  how they are becoming day by day- and knowing deep down that it is because of our efforts that they are what they are now.

WE LOVE YOU KIMI and KENZO

Mommy and Daddy will always be here for you...

I'm sure you guys are awake a couple of days(nights) for this...

I know my mom drinks coffee pretty regularly... BUT just at home...

...my youngest brother Ken, was not a drinker at all

So, I am pretty sure that it was an EXTRA effort to go to Starbucks just to order coffee in exchange of,

Thanks Kapamilya!!! I really appreciate the thought...

MWAAAAAAH

IT IS SO NICE!! LOVE ITTTTTTT

Source: Psychologytoday.com

Soooo Agree...

10 Basic Truths About Keeping Your Relationship Healthy

It's easy to make relationships more complicated than they are.

Published on September 20, 2009

I think it's easy to make things more complicated than they need to be. Here are some basic rules of
the relationship road that will keep you headed in the right direction.

* The Young(er) 'US' :)

...Love to look at the old pictures, bring out those memories once again

1. Successful relationships take work. They don't happen in a vacuum. They occur when the couples in them take the risk of sharing what it is that's going on in their hearts and heads.

2. You can only change yourself, not your partner. If you love someone and think that after a while he or she will alter behaviors you find uncomfortable, think again. If you want changes, put them on the table, so your partner knows what you need. ,<--- so so correct! You can-NOT expect to change someone, change yourself and maybe the rest will follow...

3. All arguments stem from our own fear or pain. When upset occurs, check out what's going on inside you rather than getting angry with your partner. Truth is that we usually aren't upset for the reasons we think we are.

4. Understand that men and women are very different. We're not from Mars or Venus; we're not even in the same solar system. Understanding and celebrating our differences will make living together more peaceful, interesting and fun.

5. Honor each other in some way every day. Every morning, you have the opportunity to make your relationship sweeter and deeper by recommitting to your mate. Feeling respected and cherished by the one you love makes life much nicer.

6. Anger is a waste of time. Anger also is a relationship killer because it makes you self-absorbed and won't allow you to see the good. If you are annoyed with your mate, give yourself some time to calm down and then gently discuss what's going on for you.

7. Get regular tune-ups. Go to a couples workshop, talk with a counselor or read a relationship book together at least once a year. Even if you don't think that you need ideas, and the process alone will strengthen your connection.

8. Find a way to become and stay best friends. For some, this sounds unromantic, but for those who live it, most say it's the best part of their time together.

9. Be responsible for your own happiness. No other person can make you happy. It's something that you have to do on your own. If you feel that it's your partner's fault, think again, and look within to find out what piece may be missing for you.

10. Give what you want to get. Our needs change with time. If you'd like to feel understood, try being more understanding. If you want to feel more love, try giving more. It's a simple program that really works.
There are no guarantees, but couples who practice these techniques have longer and stronger relationships than those who are not proactive in their love.

LOVE THIS ARTICLE... I agree and do most of these tips except for the # 7 Tune up... Just want to share and CHEERS to a Healthy Relationship

10.10.10 things that I appreciates from my hubby

In time for the 10.10.10...

You may think that I don't notice the little things, but... I certainly do. Thank you baby :)




* Our first baby before the real baby came...

10. My hubby always makes it a point to wake up extra early to clean up the sink and dining table to welcome us every morning.




* Tagaytay

9. My hubby always prepare a nilk bottle by the bedside to make it easier for me (Breakfast by the bed for shoti yey!)




* Tagaytay

8. My hubby also makes a pot of boiled water mixed with warm water for shoti's milk every morning (I almost thought that our thermos was magical...it never runs out of water he he!)




* Wacky shot

7. My hubby always volunteers (yes, he volunteers) to clean up after the kid's poop and always washes them up nightly for bed time.




* Feels so long ago...

6. My hubby doesn't let me commute, he always fetches me from the office "everyday" when in fact he has already settled at home and can finally rest.




* Angel Bar Photo shoot

5. My hubby buys crab (even if it's not on sale) and cooks it the way I like it without any occassion at all.




* Boracay

4. My hubby never fails to make me feel loved even if he is busy at work. He still asks me if I am awake, asks if I ate already, and what I am doing...etc




* Lonsdale Quay Canada 2007

3. My hubby loves to buy but he restrains himself...and splurges it on me and the kids instead.




* Our Wedding 2006

2. My hubby knows how to apologize after a misunderstanding.




* Sanctuario de San Jose 2006

1. My hubby lets me have my way in the end he he!

I love you very much :)