Day 76: A New Decade of Twogetherness

2012 marks a milestone in our marriage. This year, we are entering our 2nd decade of being together as husband and wife.  Back in 2001, 10 years seemed such a long time and looking back, that first decade went by so quickly. It marked so many firsts for us and we experienced many challenges and trials during that time. 

As our family grew, so did we, as a couple. There were a lot of issues that we had to settle as well as storms to weather. In every challenge, we took with us precious wisdom and learning.

In reaching our 11th year, the challenge that we are faced now is fortifying our relationship to ensure that we provide a good and loving example to our children as they grow up. Another facet of change would be working as a couple to inspire others to value their relationship and continue to work on being committed to each other.

For my dear hubby...may this simple gift express all of the love and gratitude I have for you for all of the love you've showered upon me and our children. No amount of words can suffice to thank you for all of the sacrifices you've made for me and our family. 

Happy 11th Anniversary Ga! I'm excited to spend the next decade and many more decades to come with you...

Day 128: Being a Mother

Right after my class last night, my son asked to use the computer. I thought he was just going to play his fave computer game or what.

After about half an hour I saw this photo posted on my Facebook wall...it had the caption "Happy Mother's Day to my best Mom ever - (tagging my name)" It was a post from my son, Jarred.

This is why I love being a Mom...why I'll do it over and over again despite the challenges, sacrifices and hardships...because little things like this make everything else so worth it.

It was truly a wonderful Mother's Day for me. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all mothers, mommies, mamas, nanays and inays!

Day 111: Reflecting on God's Amazing Love

Today is Maundy Thursday and it's an opportune time to ponder on God's immense love for us. He sent His only son Jesus Christ to redeem us from sin. From the very beginning, Jesus knew that He was going to give up His life for us - for our redemption.

God has given us the chance to spend eternal life with Him. The only thing He's asking from us is repentance and belief in His word.

We only need to think about Jesus' passion and pain to realize how much God loves us.

May the spirit of the Lenten Season fill our lives with the true meaning of love and sacrifice.

Have a blessed Holy Week!

Day 75: A Decade of LOVE

TEN YEARS

...of love

...of passion

...of respect

...of understanding

...of continuous learning and re-learning

It sure seems only yesterday when I vowed to love, cherish and respect that one person I chose to spend the rest of my life with.  Then, ten years seemed light years away...

...and yet, here we are a decade later

...in love

...bumped and bruised

...bitten without being shy

...a hundredfold blessed

...modeled and shaped

...to continue living and loving

...to share God's love

...and inspire others to do the same

Time flew so fast and I enjoyed the wild ride immensely...

I can't wait to spend countless decades more with you...my only ONE...Jerome.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Our Ten Years of being TWOgether

Day 46: Love Overflows

As the two girls and I picked up Kuya from school yesterday, he proudly presented us with a Valentine craft he did during English class. Two hearts mounted on a popsicle stick, it was such a beautiful Valentine's gift knowing that he poured out his heart and love into it. 

Before I could take a photo of all of us with it, little CeeJae already took the liberty of "tasting" the heart by biting off a teeny weeny piece off one heart. Maybe she thought it was a chocolate heart or something eh?

Day 45: I Carry Your Heart

Today is Valentine's Day and since hubby and I won't be able to spend it together, I'll venture out of the obvious romanticism associated with this day and instead focus on the other meaning of Valentine's for me and my family. 

Here is a 5-year old blog entry on my old blog which paid tribute to my sister on her birthday. So on her Valentine birthday today, I re-publish it to let her know that I continue to carry her heart with me...I carry it in my heart, always.

Day 2: Mommy Dearest

Today is Mommy's 65th birthday. She's going on her 4th straight year in Canada so we'll be missing her so much on her special day. The last time Mommy went home was when I gave birth to my first daughter, Caitlin which was in 2006. Since then, Skype and Google Talk has been our main means of communicating with each other. 

As I journey in my life as a homemaker, I begin to realize how difficult it was for Mom then...raising three children while juggling her very busy life as a pediatrician. She has made so many sacrifices for her family and I wish she could spend more time here in the Philippines and with my kids. 

Words can never be enough to express the gratitude I feel for all the love, care and sacrifice Mom has showered on me...ours may not have been a smooth-sailing mother-daughter relationship but I'm glad I was able to realize how greatly misunderstood Mommy was all these years. I wish I could make it up to her by spending more time being with her.

I love you MOMMY!!! Happy Birthday! May the Lord continue to bless you with good health, joy and peace!

Day 1: Looking Forward in 2011

The year 2010 marked my first time to embark on a 365 project and although I was unable to complete all 365 entries for the year, I still had a pretty good compilation of life events from last year. It was challenging but quite fulfilling. Doing project365 became a second wind of sorts - I was able to get my groove back in terms of writing, my photography skill was definitely improved and I have so many images and memories captured in daily doses of my life story. 

On the family front, the past year was all about bonding and being together. It also marked the deepening of our faith and trust in the Lord. Somehow, 2010 was in preparation for greater challenges ahead.

Twenty-eleven will bring many changes, most would probably test me personally but I know that these are all part of God's plan for the family. I haven't fully accepted what will happen in the future but I know I need to eventually and when that time comes, I will be ready.

"Dear Lord, 

Thank You for strengthening our family ties the past year.  We give You glory and honor for all the blessings You have bestowed upon us every single day. May we continue to serve You the best we can this coming year.  We offer You all that we have and all that we are...And everything we do, we do for Your glory. Amen."

Day 361: A Reunion with Friends

I always look forward to reuniting with my ex-Aboitiz 'family' in Cebu. In my 3-year stint in the Queen City, these ladies became my family. Living away from home was indeed difficult but being with my gal pals made it easier and quite fun. We've been through a lot, our friendships tested and we've all passed with flying colors!

Having our own families and other interests have made meeting up far less in between and so whenever there is an opportunity, we grab it and make sure we make time for each other.  Due to some scheduling conflicts, our ISM Queen and her brood couldn't make it and we surely missed her this time around. 

The night was filled with good food, great talk, much laughter, amazing issues and Guinness  records of sorts (all revolving around degrees and women's handbags). Even the kids had a blast getting to know each other and bonding. By the end of the night, my kids refused to go home and were asking if they could still play with pals, Elle and Jaz. 

As with our usual get togethers, time is always too short, where stories were abundant and lengthy...it was a wonderful night filled with so much fun, camaraderie and love. There's so much to look forward to this coming new year...I'm sure we'll be given more opportunities to meet and catch up stories.

Day 359: A Roden Family Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to remember the birth of a very special baby...the Messiah, our Savior Jesus Christ, who was sent by our heavenly Father to redeem us from our sins. In years past, I've been engulfed by the commercial value of the season, only looking at the lovely decors, lights and presents and never truly understanding the real reason for celebration. 


In recent years, I've been gradually stripping off the material girl in me and trying to live sufficiently on the most basic of necessities. I find that I can be happy as long as I can make my family happy - by simply being wifey and Mommy. I find joy in preparing gastronomic delights for them, seriously looking forward to their verdict ala "Iron Chef". "You're a good 'cooker', Mom!" is always music to my ears. 

This year, there is no tree, no decorations, lanterns nor garlands...in fact, you won't find wrapped presents anywhere. Even the kids were conscious about prevailing economics and did not ask what they were going to receive but focused on what they could give.  On Christmas day, the most they got were loot bags of candies and small party favors. Their Titos gifted them with shirts that they were obviously very thankful for.  And yet, their joy was not any less compared to Christmases past. If, at all, they seem to have more fun this year, being surrounded by family.



It is all about family...love and togetherness...the very reason of Christ's humble birth. May your own Christmas holidays be filled with Christ's love, joy and peace.


From our family to yours....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Day 353: Bonding with Mama Lola

Upon our arrival in Cebu, little CeeJae quickly took to her Mama Lola. I guess she shares a special closeness and bond with Mama since she was there during her birth almost two years ago. I believe this is the same bond my two older children have with their Mommy Lola who was present during their respective births.

Seeing CeeJae safely tucked near Mama's side was such a poignant sight that I couldn't help but click the shutter on my camera to preserve the memory.

I'm glad that CeeJae, along with her older siblings will soon have many more bonding moments with their Mama Lola.

Day 339: Free to Follow the Lord

Almost five months after our graduation from BCLP-12, we gather once more for the first of our formation talks in our journey to becoming faithful servants of Christ in the BCBP community.

For half a weekend, six out of the ten BCLP-12 graduates, joined by other brothers and sisters who haven't completed their FTFTL, came together at Embassy Hotel to listen to a series of talks for continued discernment about God's plan in our lives.

*** credits to Bro. Jeff Dellosa for most of the photos that appear on this post...thank you Bro!!!

I shall not delve into the details of the talks as I may preempt the expectations of those brothers and sisters who haven't undergone the course.  On a personal note however, I would have to say that God has shown His mighty presence and power once more as most of the topics discussed were direct answers to my existing predicaments in life. The Lord has answered my numerous questions, calmed my troubled heart and enlightened my confused mind.  The highlight of the day was being able to invite back the Holy Spirit in my life which humbled the heart of this lowly sinner.

To our brothers and sisters in BCBP-Butuan who made this great day of learning, discernment and empowerment possible, my deepest gratitude goes to you all! I know that everything was made possible by our ever-merciful and loving God. To Him be all the glory!!!

Day 250: Family Royalty

...meet the family's tag team of mischief and street smart antics - Cailie & CeeJae, the two princesses who can wrap everyone around their little fingers. These two can be loud, boisterous and certainly attract attention wherever they go but both are also gifted with so much wit and charm, they never cease to amaze us. These two little girls love music, they adore singing and dancing, in whatever form and style. In our family, these two own the throne to royalty. 

Day 235: Hero

Growing up, I always looked up to my Dad as my own personal hero. To me, he was invincible, there was nothing he couldn't do. I was always confident that he'll be around to save me from danger and pain. So it wasn't a surprise that from the time I was a teenager, I knew that the man I would eventually marry should be someone just like Daddy. 

Well, that journey of looking for Mr. Right was such a long and arduous one...no one seemed to get past even first base of the requirements. It wasn't until I was well into my very late 20's that I met and eventually married my true hero. Although he wasn't exactly like Daddy, I'd like to believe that I chose someone who was a very close replica of Dad and at the same time, a very well-upgraded version of him. 

Daddy will always be the hero of my childhood and teenage days but hubby is and forever will be my life hero. 

Who's the hero in your life?

Day 232: We Are Family

It wasn't too long ago when it was just hubby and I starting out our life together...that was in early 2001. A year and a half later, we were blessed with our firstborn, JARRED ANDREI. And for quite a number of years, it was the three of us, living a simple life in down south Philippines. In late 2006, we welcomed a new addition to our family...our princess, CAITLIN ALYSSA. Five months after she was born, our family packed our bags and moved to Northern Mindanao, in the city of Butuan, which we now call home. Our family received a surprise blessing in early 2009 with the birth of the "bunso" of the family, CATHLEEN JANELLE. 

Life at home is rarely quiet and serene, most of the time it's filled with shrieks and laughter. The zen design hubby and I have always aspired to have in our home has taken a temporary backseat to the pieces of toys, books and thingamajigs that the kids manage to strew all over the place. There's wailing, crying and quarreling but there's also a whole lot of loving, caring, understanding and praying. 

Whenever I look at my family of five, I never cease to wonder how everything turned out to be this way...it seemed only yesterday when it was just hubby and myself. My life now revolves around what I call a HAPPY CHAOS...filled with laughter and tears, ups and downs, fighting and making up, misunderstanding and understanding, trials and blessings.

I thank God for placing me amidst this wonderful and crazy bunch I call family...it's His most wonderful gift to me. 

Day 212: Our First AGM

Having graduated recently from BCLP Batch 12, we became the newest Action Group (#6) of BCBP - Butuan Chapter. Being neophytes, we were oriented into the role of an Action Group and what goes on during regular meetings. With the guidance and support of our AGL's (Action Group Leaders) and Course Leaders, we enter into the BCBP AG life. Our regular meetings will serve as the anchor of our continuing struggle to follow Christ in this mad temporary world. With a supportive group like this, carrying the Cross will definitely be a shared sacrifice. 

Day 184: Miracles and Renewal

REBIRTH...RENEWAL...RECONCILIATION...Our very first Christian experience was the baptism we received as infants. At the time, our parents and godparents stood as "witnesses" for us. As we grew older in our walk of faith, we experience many challenges and reach numerous crossroads and in many instances, we lose touch with what it truly means and takes to be a Christian. Sometimes we get lost in the hustle and bustle of life or get lured by false contentment given by material things. 


Hubby and I were blessed by God to have been given an opportunity to renew ourselves with Him through the loving support of our BCBP community. Like doubting Thomas, we needed to see to believe and when we did, God's promise of eternal life became true and alive. Through our Baptism in the Holy Spirit, we were able to receive gifts of outrageous proportions. We were unworthy and yet the Lord poured out His bountiful blessings into us. 


It is life-changing...and it is indeed a true rebirth into God's loving arms. Praise Him now and forever!!!

Day 179: Dear Mom

I was up early, raring to start the day by preparing the family's breakfast and my son's lunch pack for school. Being used to multitasking, it wasn't unusual that I had a lot going on in front of me: fried rice being sauteed on the pan, toast for sandwiches heating in the toaster oven, water for coffee boiling in the heater and juice to be made. I was happily juggling all of these tasks when the image of Mom suddenly crossed my mind...and I remembered with poignancy how Mom used to do the same for us when we were younger. Well, maybe not on a day-to-day basis since she was working full time as a pediatrician then but I can distinctly remember that she made the effort to do things for us when she had the time. 

I've been a hands-on Mom for the past 7 years and I realized that many of the tasks I do were the stuff I saw Mommy did for us then. In fact, it was even more difficult for her because she had to juggle a very demanding career of taking care of young children's lives and health while overseeing the welfare of her family. As a pedia, Mom was the best! Many of her patients (most of whom are all grown up now) and parents can attest to the loving care that she gave as a doctor.

Looking back, my siblings and I always had that resentment about Mom's job mainly because it ate most of her time and there were several instances in the past when outings and family activities had to be postponed or canceled due to some medical emergency at the hospital. It is only now that I realize how important Mom's job was...to most of her patients it meant the matter of life and death.

When Mom finally had more time to spend with us, we were older and had developed our own personalities and quirks already. Unconsciously, we turned her away and didn't give her a chance to get to know us. We failed to acknowledge all her sacrifices and difficulties in balancing family life...that was all she wanted. Rejected by her family, Mom tried to seek acceptance elsewhere which led to the bad habits she has now formed. Somehow, we had a hand in that.

I hope it's not too late to let her know how important she is in my life and how grateful I am that she is my mother. I love you Mom...everything about you...the good and the bad, the sacrifices and the headaches...the understanding and misunderstanding. I thank God that He made me resemble you in many different ways...I love that I have your face, hands, fingers and even nails. I share your taste buds, mannerisms and stubborn streak. I will keep in my heart all of the memories I shared with you especially those times when you were here to assist me in childbirth. I pray to God that He will give us the opportunity to spend more time together so that the rest of my family can experience the purity of your heart. I love you, Mom and I miss you so much!

Day 178: Beautiful Eyes

What a lovely sight

So much innocence

And beauty in those eyes.

Twinkling like stars

Bursting with joy

With each smile.

Day 176: Japorms

All grown up....(sniff, sniff)


Before I know it, he'll be the one putting his arm around my shoulder already...


Time sure flies so fast these days...


Just take your time growing up, son...Mommy will surely have a hard time letting you go.