Canon event

Everyone meet the new Selphy ES 1, a user friendlly pritning machine all set to change a scrapbooker's life. I print pics hoping i can get them done - but with this machine I can print my pics 60 seconds flat!
We had to demo an accordion album/simple scrapbooking to non scrapbookers who were loyal Canon dealers and invited media groups. And how surprising to find the men more creative than the women.We had to relate the idea of scrapbooking and how the Selphy can change our scrapbooking habits. In all honesty if I have 1, I will reduce my printing bills by half. I can print my pics anytime when I need it.
Here is April and I posing with the different groups. The first picture on the left is Michelle Simone, the host of Canon's Selphy ES1 Launch. Overall, despite the long day, April and I came home happy that even technology is catching up with our scrapbooking bug. The world listens !

Love your eyes dreamy layout

An old set of papers shouldn't be a hindrance to doing a layout you once dreamt about.. At first glance when I got this I knew one day I would take the time to create something for it but at the time there was no photo that felt like a match to my planned dreamy layout.... Its Basic Grey's Urban Couture ---- it was a challenge I have to tell you because the design of the pattern paper is very intricate and I knew I would face a few hours cutting them. I know I am sucker for cutting but you guys know this is my passion technique wise and I really feel this accomplished energy... I sigh with relief... Call me crazy, call me anything -- I just love this layout and jorel is sure such a cutie !

Another layout for Jacob

I have to thank Jeff Lopez for snatching this great shot of Jacob,.. he wasnt so into the pictorial when we had it but this shot,.. hay I just fall in love with my boy talaga over and over again ! I cant believe he is 4 now and wont listen to my choices anymore.. he always has something to say and he always reasons out to me now..gone are the days that I am the dictator.. now he mimicks what I say all the time.. at times I lose my temper!

Happy Results !

umI am happy because after taking to heart a friend scrapper's advise 'do layouts that make you happy'.... I did it! I was able to produce layouts that gave me joy. No stress to find the right combination of scrap materials to use on my layout. And noting my layouts are very cost effective because most of the time I use one pattern paper's design...., I give life to papers that are say muted colors like this one from Basic Grey - Stella Ruby ' Tea with jane'. I resurect them to become alive 3d diecuts.. in the end they help shed light and color to my layouts. I am proud to say my cutting prowess can leave 3d diecuts on sale a run for their value/money!
Another thing now too, I really try to find pictures that inspire me.. they may not be as crisp or better termed as 'wow' pictures but they are photos that mean something to me. It also helps me to journal better because things I want to write down or remember -- the words just seem to flow without any stress or pressure..
I am so happy that these BG papers Honey of Buzy Bee gave to me, I was able to do justice to it... and I am not ashamed to say this is my best work to date....My newest layouts are so ME, and it has journalling that I want to remember... It has the same paper tole dimension that I love to do ......I think I am deadset on using this as my formula for making layouts that I know I will be happy about.. I am glad I have this mindset now...Scrapbooking needs to be created for artistry, for enjoyemnt, for pleasure and for remembering beautiful memories,... I think I am going to stick that now.. because if I become as prolific in turning over layouts as much as I have the past days -- then sooner or later -- i can fill up the 3 albums I just ordered online.. I was really super inspired to do this layout because its a first decent family picture we had in years... Our family is spread out in Singapore, Sydney and Sta Rosa... so when we got together for moms 60th surprise bday bash in OZ,.. It was a happy time for the family,.. pity the Yap boys were left in Roxas city.... Best of all my mom will really be so happy to see this beautiful creation!

Materials Used:

Stella Rubys' Tea with Jane, Morning on the heath, Chestnut Roan Chalk ink, Scrapbook Adhesives 3d foam. Ek Success Corner Adorner, Sizzix Funky Brush diecuts for ttitle, Bazzill Chocolate Cardstock, Derivan Kindy glitz (from OZ)

Scrapbooks exchange

When we began, I was preggy with Jerome and I had Jacob who was bearly 1 year old then... I was shopping blindly and didnt know what was good to buy,... It was Ann Imperial who was back then our shopping diva/adviser for products.... Now its someone else -- sino kaya -- bato bato sa langit -- matamaan man wag magagalit!

I was lucky to host few of the EB back in Rockwell when I stayed with my brother and boy the Rizal units were big ! HUGE.. and my house in Pilar Village too!

Its nice to reminisce how far our scrap group has come... how friendships blossomed, how talents have bloomed on their own. Now its a duly noted day off of moms to be with scrapping friends, to chika, to learn, to hang and to eat too.. I am so optimistic we will get bigger one day and that Scrapfests wont be just 100 ppl but say 500 to 1000 ppl,.. Lord if you hear me, thats my fervent wish GOD!

If only I can wave my magic wand and hypnotize ppl to start scrapbooking and show them the great benefits 10 to 20 years later, dont you think ppl will take notice....


Or if I can convince the suppliers of the US to take notice of the talents here because there so many innovative and eye popping layouts that turn up during challenges.. At times you think -- how in heavens name did she think of that !

So i began writing this post with nearly 2 kids right -- Jacob and Jerome -- hahah in this last pic hosted by My little Attic -- i was preggy with Jorel !

Haribon event by MSW

I had to attend the MSW Haribon Event and do their scrap challenge,.. boy, it wasn't easy -- nakaka pressure then you have to sit with colors experts Ria and Pia who are better than me with mixing colors, haaay and so I was even more tense to come up with a good combination. (nakakatakot katabi si Pia -- she is a different person pag pressured wahhhhhhhh!)

I even did a Miriam Quiambao trip and fell on my chunky easy traveller suitcase (I didnt know what to bring) because earlier when I passed by the exhibit the only thing that called at me was a photo grasshopper on a flower,.. Carrie's husband Din who took the photo was around too so all the more presured to justice on his beatiful shot !

And when they announced my name to draw my pic and get my shadow box and I had opened the envelope just before my desk and suitcase -- I freaked out!!! The grasshopper's eyes were staring at me ! hahahha oh di ba comedy pa ako ! Of course, everyone saw that...... good thing Mr Jeff Lopez didn't see me and snap a pic or else its super embarrasing !

It was a challenging activity alright and I am happy to have joined,.. thank you Iris for vacating her spot and letting me fill her place,..

I met a new friend....

I am so lucky to have met a new friend who has the same passions, children and scrapbooking. I am sure she can some how help our scrapbooking industry gain ground in the metropolis,... at first meeting I was a little nervous, after all I had wanted to work with them in our Scrapfest event and secondly I wanted so much to have paper craft or scrapbooking on magazine spreads locally. You can say that it was my way of helping also those untapped scrapbookers who dont know where to begin and create more awareness that we can create beautiful scrapbooks and altered art pieces even with a budget (since there is a minsconception that it is an expensive hobby).

Everyone meet my new friend. Mrs Dedet Reyes Panabi of Working MOM (an ABS CBN Publishing mag). I submitted some work for her yesterday and I was again nervous and when her face lit up with simple thing I did, whoa! I felt my heart leap. Little things make me happy you know! What's more I was asked to do a project and I could have done cartwheels right there and then ! This is a happy day.... and we are shooting it on WEDNESDAY!

I am also happy to get reply emails from so many groups I have sent information to about the Scrapfest. And whether accepted or rejected they took time to read my email. I guess I just have to keep at it and keep letting them know about us here in the PHILS. Lord give us the strength to organize our event and help us source generous hearts that will provide success and enjoyement in our event!

highs and lows of life

Lets begin with my rollercoaster of emotions, a friends kid was operated on and recovered, a friend's dad died, then my friend's cutest son ever -- has left us and I know he is heaven now.. my oh my,... how can ones' heart bear such pain.. no parent should ever see their kids suffer... endure intense pain, face adversities at a young age.. if only we can just take the pain away, if only we can catch whatever sickness that inflicts them.. if only we just let them smile all day and not let them sob uncontrollably.... if only we could be the 'sieve' to rule out all bad experiences so they just merely enjoy life as children... However, that's the natural course of life, we should be thankful we are given the chance to be with our loved ones.. we live on borrowed time yes and for our kids, we act as mere stewards until such time that God reclaims them as his angels, as his own.. we take comfort that they are ok and living in paradise.

I guess everything is a match if you feel so sad for few days, then there are days that we get to feel fulfillment and unexplainable happiness... I wrote this because of some fantastic developments in my scrap group, Scrappin moms, our on a roll (sheer excitement) preps for Scrapfest and the rallying of my egroup Scrapbooks Xchange (during our darkest week),...... I hope for their sake it gets published(submitted it in magazine abroad),.. that the world (U.S.) knows how well our scrapping community here has developed,... both on a personal level and on a creative level.... I hope people will not think this is to brag or to give myself prestige,.. If it gets published -- it would tell that we, here in the Philippines are fantastic scrappers and that we belong in a community that truly has heart and we care...here's what I wrote....

When I try to think of how far my scrapbooking has gone and the great relationships I have formed, I sit here and say to myself "WOW". I am Filipina girl who grew up in Australia and coming back to the Philippines in 1997 (upon meeting my then boyfriend now my husband of 7 years), I had nobody to rely on here in terms of close relationships. I had no immediate family or a close set of friends to help me adjust.

Having been married in 2000, it didnt help my social life since it was only a Newlyweds group that I belong to and of course, that being virtual -- you hardly see this people you read about.

But now as I write this, you can say I am simply flabergasted to think that I can help contribute to a thriving industry of scrapbooking here and at the same time, meet lovely ladies. Some of these ladies became my 'kumares' a Tagalog term you use to say that your girlfriend is your child's god parent. We hold sacred that kind of relationship because as Catholics we choose them to be like second parents to our children.
I never get days off having started building a family in 2003 when my boys Jacob, Jerome and Jorel came year after year. However, my husband Patrick had to accept my self imposed 'time out' from domesticity, to attend my scrapping EB (eyeball) day, where we gather in one club house at a location, center to all members of Scrapbooks Exchange egroup. Every month we hold this meet-up as a venue to learn more techniques, share our new layouts, teach others, and even share our wealth of die cutters and dies. We live in a country where scrapbooking isn't as common yet nor do every scrapper own the latest scrapbooking tools. And so our so called 'day off'', we share what we have with friends. Its amazing, these monthly meetings started in my own house with 6 friends and one little girl Gaby (I have pictures to prove it). Now our egroup has blossomed 20 over 200 members. Thank GOD too, our scrapbook suppliers have mushroomed to be online resellers and another egroup too exists, Pinoy scrapbookers which is thriving in passion and talent in scrapbooking.
I cannot credit myself for singlehandedly strengthening this hobby in our country. However I feel that I have been deemed an 'accomplished scrapper' because my passion for scrapbooking has in fact rubbed off on other people. I have inspired people to make time for their families' legacies. Amazingly, I have inspired others to open up their own online scrapbooking stores. Personally, I would go as far as giving away free supplies to new scrappers, helping them choose materials or merely helping them do a first layout. I sit on the computer using a messenger, talking scrap talk and helping people edit journalling, or adding pizzaz on their pages. I guess scrapbooking changed my life because it made me more generous at heart than what I was 4-5 years ago. I guess I term its as my 'pay it forward' act, because a lot of those I have helped, has in turn helped others... As a mother, it made me more attentive to detail, to ensure I keep those important milestones of my family's life. And not even that, you can call me a magician too,.. some of my kid's shots are not so great pictures but they are now presented better because of the scrapbooking skills I have learned.

My writing has even improved and I have dabbled in writing for local magazines doing craft tutorials (in English and Tagalog) or design. With the formation of my group, www.scrappinmoms.net with three other mommy friends, Mia, April and SL and I are even able to provide an online magazine on our website called 'Scrapbytes' geared for new scrappers. I contribute articles there alongside other generous and talented scrappers. We hold scrapbooking conventions for scrapbookers here twice a year.. and all this for our love for scrapbooking.

What's more, scrapbooking gave my being 'stay at home mom' more dimension. I can play host during scrapbooking events on weekends, initiate virtual scrap talk on chat. I even have been featured with my group on tv, talking about our beautiful hobby. I was even part of a make over feature of my scraproom with a local magazine. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think paper would let me do that as mommy who is just crazy over he boys and crazy over papers and embellishments.
Best of all, I have also helped bring the scrapbookers closer, bridge gaps and help in providing a support group where people commune in good and bad times. We share so many experiences as first time parents, as married women and as women of substance. If I was to say what I love the most about scrapbooking, its the friendship that has blossomed in my quest to be the historian of my family. For that I am thankful to GOD, because scrapbooking might just be a hobby to others but to me, its a life mission to preserve memories and catalyst to build beautiful friendships that would last a life time. WOW!

A time out for Patrick and I

Our Singapore trip March 1-7, 2007
WE never go on vacations without the kids, if we did it was only a few days,... its our first real time out more than 4 days away from the kids.. it was our time out to celebrate our fruitful 7 years... nothing planned, we just went out together, ate together, talk and spent quality time, just me and him..
Funny we tried to shop today and was reminded our tax refund years ago now we can't even do that because we hardly shopped. Hhahaha either that or we just gone thrifty!


We just bought the kids a few things and me a few pair of pants from G2000' U2 line but Patrick didnt reach the Takashimaya sale when we went there that day,.. but being the no frills guy he is, its ok he doesnt have anything new or branded. I guess its really the OC in me that really wants to sink my teeth into bout his dress sense...hahhahahaha!


We had a relaxing time just lazing away, we enjoyed hearing our kids on the phone too because its a change now because they try to converse now when they hear our voices.. goes to show how time has flown by and how grown up our kids are!


Thank god for this time together.

Details of our pics:
First 2 are pics of our nice hotel room at Royal Scotts just off Scotts and Orchard.
Third shot was when Jovy, Joanna, Sarah, Julia and Mom visited us at our hotel (not in picture is Jovy's hubby John and Patrick.
The rest are my younger brother's beautiful condo, his view and his living room
he recently bought in Singapore -- it felt like being a hotel still !

Finally layouts with only ME in it !

Thanks to My little attic, I delved into my single and carefree days pictures and finally found the reason to scrap them.. Its monumental for me because I swore I would only get to touch them when my kids are in HIGH SCHOOL....
It was a great challenge for me because I only had 3 papers I bought from Nettes earlier event and only had the BOHO chipboard to use for embellishment. So I had to think fast and get something going. I did my journalling and hid it behind one of the flowers. The down side to my 2 papers was that it was carrying huge figures in flowers and paisley... thank god the color scheme was perfect. You cant see here but I was going mad over the eyeletsetter and did holes every where for added effect/dimension. There was only so much you could do with the limited materials I had. The cardstock I used complimented the PP ensemble I had and I just added decorative brads to accentuate my cutouts.. I didnt pierce the brads this time,.. My mind was wondering, make it look like nose ring hhaahahhaah
Journalling reads: Once I was this sassy girl, carefree and spendthrift.. its one time in my life I only had myself to care for, however glad that I was given such chance to enjoy the fruits of my labor. To be be able to express myself without any fear of rejection. Yeah it was all about what was outside that preoccupied my world. I didnt really know that real beauty lies within. We all are made in his image and likeness and once you accept how he made you, then everything else seems to follow.

The second page spread took forever to put together. I was doing a cop out and thought to flip the 1st page spread but nahhhhhhhh i just picket up the wavy pattern and made use of the paisleys and floral patterns. Thank god for Digiprint I didnt feel the need to go out print my pics..I just upload them and walla I have my pics. (hubby now notice extra charges on a regular basis on our credit card on my printing). I included the journalling for this layout and took a closer shot. Journalling reads: "Nobody would have known these images of a once sassy girl with full on make-up and a fashion addict would become QUEEN BEE one day. I was so hung up on aesthetics and getting the right look each time that I never figured one day, I would become less enthusiastic about dressing well and looking perfect every time. I guess when husband and children entered my life, the ME in the equation became less important. I am now more in love with making sure my boys were okay, looking good and always happy. You can say I am more selfless now. I am more accepting of who I am and how GOD made me because my family certainly loved me for who I am. I chuckle when I remember the days when it took me 1 hour to get ready for an event. Now if I had 5 minutes to spare then I count myself lucky. My family has become my first and only priority. They bring intense happiness into my life. Now they are what keeps me going, they bring so much gladness into my world and they keep me young and beautiful. They have a given me such a life I never thought I would ever have. I thank the LORD for blessing me with my children and my husband. And nothing can ever match that!"

Its not my best work but I am happy I was able to put it down on paper and let the Lord hear somehow, how grateful I am to be where I am today

My Xmas picture layouts from 2003 to 2005

The Basic Grey papers really enthralled me when I bought them in OZ last December. Its like I was salivating how to massacre the PP since its been a while now that I have been pining over doing our xmas family shots. It may not be the best pics, but the memory of having babies every year, pregnant every year. Not to mention how difficult it became to go to Roxas city with infants every year,.. I loved the idea of finally completing that project that was in my head.

check this out,.. to date this I feel is my most accomplished layout because I followed what I had want to do and my cutting skills was put to the test. It may have not made the BG cut but I was in full smiles when finished this and I will be ever so proud to show you these layouts.

Check out my Slide Show!

My scraproom evolution and tidbits

Scrapbooking has become a passion and becomes a third in the order of important things in my life.. GOD, family, then scrapbooking...

And among my passions, one that takes topnotch is collecting my scrapbooking materials... Checkout my accumulated scrapstash since 2002 and the changes my scraproom has gone thru... (and to think I started with a corner ok). Its a pain to let go of materials I have passionately searched for and bought with hard saved money... I dont even buy clothes now you know... my mom would always say, you are wearing the same clothes, this money has to be spent on clothes,.. I say yes with a smile but I would turn around spend big during EBs to add more stuff in my already growing scrapbook stash.

Its tidbits like this that would make you laugh.. here's some things you would like to know about me and my scrapbooking...

* I have some envelopes of cut diecuts I have bought years ago when I started, classified to shapes and letters. To date its still there in perfect order.
* My children enter my scraproom and my voice already say on auto pilot "look but dont touch ok" and the boys says "dont touch its mommy's".
* My kids only get to touch a few things, my diecutters (I have 3 to date), my creative memories templates and some of my albums. I have trained them to look and turn pages and they have to do it on the floor so its no event of creasing or damaging my pages.
* The maids clean my whole house except my scraproom, Yaya belle only sweeps and throws my trash.
* I dont have a trash can, but a box from Scrapbukan.com, carton type. Ask me why, I dont know.
* I stole my 20k breakfast table to be my work table, my husband comments but I am Queen bee, he lets me pretend that i am and I get my way!
* I am a clutter freak, I start projects simultenously and when i lose direction or inspiration, i move on others and so some layouts take out longer to be completed! So at this moment my table is a mess! You could see my stuff previously now my racks have hooks and conceals my stuff, its not as organzied as before but it has great function for me, I suddenly see everything I need instead of stashing them into folders.

Dont you think this resembles a Hurricane just past my table.. I cant even see the darn table anymore!

* Everytime my mom travels, I make her visit scrap stores to buy me anything. Now she is going to Korea, is there scrapbooking in KOREA? I better google it.
* To my non versed scrapping friends, they comment when i break scrapbooking into conversation, they would tell me "so you are still into it, grabe its such an expensive hobby".
* I am a stay at home mom, and my husband supports my hobby but my siblings/family finances it hahhahah!
* On my last trip to Singapore, I visited practially every store there -- but I didnt buy much cause its so expensive. I visited Oz last December and I bought heaps there!
* Believe it or not, not all my layouts I believe is good.... I am the worse critic of my own work... but I do take comfort that one day, the best affirmation would be when my kids tell me how much they love their albums.. For now am tickled pink to hear them recount memories as they glance through their pictures,.. what more when they verbalize their happiness of having a very well documented life,.. lucky boys!
* I havent found my scrapbooking style but I am always falling in the massacred layouts look or the 3d/paper tole type layouts.. some one teach me how to deviate pls.
* I hate using paints or anything that needs real embossing, not because I dont find it nice, but I hate taking so many things out, cleaning up and packing up.. LAZZZZZZYY!

yeah just call me crazzzzzzy scrapper why dont you !

My moms precious mini book

I am not so fond of mini books because I feel it cramps my creativity with the limited space I have. However my trip in OZ needed a prop and I love my mom, I would do anything for her so I collated messages from our family. The question was who loves you Lourdes and each member had their pages/section they share to tell her how loved she is. and here is the results of that

Just in case you want to give it a go....... I posted this in our Scrapbytes ezine for our website, www.scrappinmoms.net. This site is to help people learn to scrapbook without leaving their own homes.
Create a Mini Book Gift

Yuletide season is fast approaching, and a phone call from my father for my mother's 60th surprise bash in Sydney was in the planning stage. Yes, I will have to fly out Down Under for it and so I’m rushing a special gift, a mini album, which will contain messages from the Figueroa family of who loves Lourdes, my mom. There is one husband of course, 4 children, and 9 grandchildren. (Credit goes to Maybelle Ngo who gave me the direction of this mini book)

Thanks to Babette Geronimo for inspiring me to make my mini books. For this project, K & Co Neopolitan line will dominate the album. It’s a perfect birthday and Christmas gift for my mother, she will be reduced to tears reading this I’m sure! I will just call this the Neo 8x8 album. Give it a go girls, a great Xmas gift for your loved ones!

Materials needed:

2 pcs 8.5 x.8.5 illustration board, for your minibook cover & base
2 pcs 9.5 x 9.5 patterned paper (paper pps ideal for folding ease), to adhere to your cover & base
1 pc 8 x 10 solid cardstock (for spine to coordinate with patterned paper used, excess is for book holder to disguise spine). For the spine, use 4.5 x 8 of the cardstock
4 pcs 8 x 8 patterned papers
2 pcs 8 x 8 coordinating cardstock
double sided tape
UHU glue or BIC glue
Cutting tools: Scissor, 12x12 trimmer, mat
Procedure

1) For cover and base

• trim pattern paper cover on the corners. Note: only cut sparingly on corners to ensure 100% coverage of illustration board
• if folded sides wrinkle upon folding/adhering, you can cut patterned paper slightly for folding ease
• if using glue to adhere all sides, use glue sparingly/small double sided adhesive strips because a cardstock/paper will eventually hold this down.
  
  2) For Spine
  

• using a coordinating cardstock, score lines using piercer or needle with lines that are ½ an inch in interval
• this minibook needed 4 pages so you would need to score another 6 lines and the 10th line is where you cut the cardstock (leftover cardstock, set aside to be used for book holder).
• fold down those scored lines, folding the first scored line towards you.
  adhere double sided tape every second ½ inch gap
  
  3) Page attachment to spine
  
• Peel double-sided tape on spine & align first page on first gap. Continue till you finish all the pages.
• Note if pages don’t align perfectly, don’t fret, those uneven lines are not what matters!

See picture below three to show adhered pages on the spine. Now you are ready to atach the spine & pages next!

4) Spine with pages assembly unto cover and base

• Lay down flat the cover on the left & base on right, adhere 2 double-sided trips in the middle of cover and base.
• Begin with your cover, attach the front part of your spine & pages unto adhesive strip, repeat the step with base. Align evenly on all sides.
• Cover with 2 pcs 8x8 cardstock the exposed backs of illustration boards on cover and base.
  Use leftover cardstock (4.5 x 8.5) as book holder and adhere on left side of front cover and base cover to hide the spine. Again, double sided tape was used to attach cardstock/pp onto cover and base.
  
  You may use UHU glue here to seal off edges and give your mini book the book bound look.
  
  Alternatively, if you are stickler for neatness, a double-sided tape is ideal to use. Since our cover is measured at 8.5 x 8.5, you can also crop a bigger cover to hide the folding of the patterned paper on the cover and base, but again this is only for people who want the more professional looking mini books!
  
  This finished mini album has patterned paper as book holder, instead of cardstock as per material’s list. It’s the scrapper’s choice. You can add ribbon or ricrac on cover or prima flowers to give it a softer feminine look.

preparing for Jacob's 4th & Jerome's 3rd bdays at Jolibee

We went to Sweet home bake shop to order the boys cakes today,... 12x16 of justice league figures --- choc cake.. and then we ordered 2 4 inch satelites to house their names and the number candle of the kids ages,.. so i envision the cake blowing to be together of course and snap they blow on queue and i get my scrapbooking pic moment,.. h ahahah over yeah I know,.. but one day they will want me to recant al the parties we had right so -- they will thank me then and pat me on the back and say mom, you're so OA but we love that you took so much time out to plan these things for us (mothers wishful thinking ok!)....

Its strange the week before when we saw the Jolibee place they asked if the kids are twins since we were having 2 boys celebrate on the same party (tipid no!) but I said 'no they are 11 months apart"... then when we attended kitkats christening and we stopped over after at SPIN and BIG and Small for the kids prepared bday outfits and woman was grinning the sales ladies and at me,.. I wasnt sure if she was annoyed bec of the loud sounds my children were making but later when I was casually saying --- sorry for the racket -- she said 'I have 2 as well' and.. then I asked 'do you lose your cool too',.. she eagerly said 'YES'.. I realised "wow, I was darn normal"... I did tell her "there is another boy, I have 3 aged under 3". Her eyes popped and she said "oh I thought 2 was a handful but 3.. how do you do it?"... I just said to her "with a lot of help!"

Jerome has those 'i love the floor' episodes and I'm praying this year he gets over that faze.... Patrick says, I hope he gets over that kasi patay tayo sa OZ,... I did remind that he neednt worry because it will me that would have to care for them and put up with bad tantrums,... but on serious note.. Lord pls let Jerome get over this 'i chuck fit stage'.....

here's reminiscin of the kids pics when they were babies..

its a few weeks till our 7th year anniversary

Its going to be just a month or so before our anniversary -- its our 7th year and boy -- in that time we have travelled, remodeled our house, shopped till we dropped and enjoyed life -- not to mention have 3 kids! God has been good, we may not be filthy rich, but he gave us a great time and he gave us enough resources to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

My wish for our family is good health and happiness from this day on..

I love my life, and even if we dont have everything, i still feel lile ots heaven on earth when I am with my boys!

thank you lord for all the blessing and our 7 blissful years

tell me how i am supposed to feel

I am on my 10th year in Manila and the main reason I came back was because of my husband Patrick. He was meant to take up studies in 1996 in oz but because of promotions lined up in his job in Manila, he changed his mind (it was after all a great decision because he had 2 promotions lined up). Of course we were so in love and we couldnt bear to be so far away from each other. We had to make a decision so I was the one that had to pack and leave. On my part it was great learning experience because I grew more independently and realised I can live without the comforts of home. I finished my teaching degree and I learned the real value of living being back in Manila.

Now we are facing my most fervent wish to go back in to OZ to live and yet why do I feel unexcited (if that is the right word for it, if a word does exist),.. Maybe because I was starting to regain my independence, realised my worth as a woman and mother and now I have to go back to Sydney to singlehandedly care for my kids, set up home somewhere near mom and start over.... WE are leaving Manila by Sept with our clothes, household items and no debts to our name.... its like starting over.. Buying a house (and hopefully doing this with no mortgage pls) and getting our van for the boys, buying car seats, setting up schools for them to go to.. I know I will pull my hair out for the first 6 months but I guess its ok -- I will endure the sleepless nights, the days when I will disappear into my family because of all the things I need to do for them...

I am just whinging, I should count myself lucky to have great parents, inlaws and no debts -- great friends who have been with me forever..... pardon me if I am venting this out right now, I just need to let it all out...

now the quest begins to ship by air or by sea, whats better, whats more affordable, what could let me ship my familys things and my scrap stuff in the most cheapest way.. so god help me I need to catalog and list all the stuff in my house and the boxes in my house,... can I do this? I guess I can..

oh well,.. good luck to you jo!