Angel

     About two months ago, I received a comment on my Pbase photo hosting site.  Lar, owner of the Philippine Travel Photos website invited me to be part of her website in promotion of Philippine Travel.  But due to recent events, I have only replied about two days ago and it is an honor to be part of it.  

     I have always loved to travel the islands of the Philippines, but due to some circumstances and me being thousands of miles away, I have only been to a few wonderful places in the Philippines.  Sad to say, I have been in more places here in the United States than my own country, but in my opinion, of all the places I have been to, the Philippines is still the most beautiful paradise one can see.  When I get home, I promise my self to visit more places, and capture each and every nook for the world to see.

     Please visit her site at Philippine Travel Photos

Greystone Park, Beverly Hills, California

   Lots of places, lots of pictures, soo little time.  It has been more than a year since I got to manage all the photos I took from all the travels we’ve had… and now that I have soo much time, I went on to face the hundreds of pictures lying around in my hard drive untouched… here are some of the pics…

Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona

For more pictures, please visit my photo hosting site:  kayjay\’s photo galleries at Pbase

     It has been quite a long time since I have had a fave in the hit TV series  American Idol.  Daughtry was an idol alright, but David Cook has by far exceeded my expectations of an American Idol wannabee.  I have been watching year after year, not religiously, but often I record it on our DV-R and watch when I’m able, and year after year, I have developed quite a few faves, including, but not limited to Daughtry.  The singer-songwriter magnets me the most, and by far the best is David Cook.

     His rendition of Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey made the most impact for me, that hair raising version is 1 million times better than the original one and I couldn’t resist putting it in my blog. So for all those who didn’t see, enjoy. 

  I ran into Mia’s blog and was reading her tags and found that I’m eligible to post this in my own blog coz I’m one of five siblings, and am a Voltes V fan, 2 of her requirements that is… so here it goes

5 Things Found In My Bag
:: Wallet
:: Cellphone
:: PDA
:: iPOD
:: Keys

5 Things Found In My Wallet
:: My Grad Pic
:: Cards (License, Credit, and Insurance)
:: Bunch of business cards
:: Receipts
:: Cash (sometimes)

5 Things Found In My Room
:: Portable Closet for dresses that won’t fit the closet

:: TV
:: Printer
:: Lots of unread magazines
:: Bedroom Furnitures

5 Things I’ve Always Wanted To Do
:: Become a successful career woman
:: Get married on a beach
:: Go to Paris
:: Become a good mother
:: Have a son/daughter who goes to any Ivy League School

5 Things I’m Currently Into
:: currently expecting (7 more mos to go)
:: October Road
:: Finding good recipes
:: photography and graphic editing
:: reading pregnancy books

5 People to Tag for This Meme
:: If your birthday falls on June
:: If your name has six letters
:: If you are currently pregnant
:: If you are a Gilmore Girls fan
:: If you are one of 3 siblings

well, feels good to write just nothing this days….

I still cannot believe it!

It has been two weeks since I found out, but I just wanted to make sure, and the news hadn’t sunk in just yet. 

I’ve told my family of course, and a few friends, while some of the closest one I’ve got are still unreachable, I would’ve wanted them to know first before I wrote this blog, but after 2 weeks of contacting them(still trying to), I can’t wait to tell the world.

It’s a reality that I haven’t come to grasp just yet, it’s the biggest, most emotional thing that has ever happened to me, the only thing that topped the feeling of knowing I passed the entrance exam of the University I attended, I know I should have said that feeling when I was getting married, but I got married so quickly that I haven’t had the time to digest the emotions.  This is such a nice gift for Christmas, finally something to call my own.

Yes, I am pregnant, 12 weeks (and counting), and it is the best news I have heard for the entire year  all the years that passed by since I got married.

There have been a few changes since we (hubby and I) found out, my tummy’s a LOT bigger now, and one by one, I am saying goodbye (temporarily I hope)to my wardrobe, slowly putting them away to make room for a new set of maternity clothes. 

Well, that’s probably all for now, I just wanna tell everyone the good great news.  Ciao!

     It’s kind of a back to reality thing for me… those two and a half months of vacation was a blast that I almost didn’t want to come back. I miss the meals I had with my family. I miss my nephew and niece whom I will be seeing in three years time. I miss my nephew’s charming beautiful big eyes and the way he responses to the command “bye”, the way his hand waves at you while his eyes are looking at you kind of like saying “can I go with you?”. I miss the way my niece hugs me when I carry her and sings along with me when I sing to her to make her stop crying, most of all I miss her infectious smile. They are two wonderful little children that made my vacation really well worth it .

     So now am back to reality, kinda like the song carrying that phrase. Back to housewife that I am, only now with her husband more than 1,100 miles away, oh yes, in the same country, just at the far end of it. I’ve been packing for 4 days now, by myself, and lifting and carrying all the boxes from here and there to the storage for safe keeping for a month. I am tired, but I have to pack some more before I leave for my flight to Sanfo tomorrow. And every now and then, amidst the packing, lifting, carrying and driving, I break down and cry… have I gotten used to my husband doing all the hard things for me? Or do I just miss him so much…. And I am so scared being alone in a strange community where I don’t know anyone and people are looking at me from head to foot while carrying big boxes. Friends are more than 20 miles away, just 20 miles away but I couldn’t get myself to go to them because my schedule of packing, lifting, carrying and driving won’t allow me to.

     In these 4 days, I have no one but Christ to strengthen me do all the things I need to do… and amidst all of the things that are keeping me busy, I find myself praying to God for help, for guidance and for peace of mind. I won’t be able to do all these things by myself, it’s Christ who have strengthened me. And hopefully after all these things are done, I will come out as a better person, a better Christian.

     So now, back to work.

     It has been almost two months since I went home here in the Philippines, am not complaining, it’s just a matter of fact-ly, in fact I am enjoying every bit of the time I have, and I am thankful that I am here now, not anywhere else in the world.

    The past two months have been busy for both hubby and me.  We took the opportunity to spend time with our family and friends as we have not seen them in over a year. 

    We spent two months going from here and there.  It’s either spending some quality time with my family with a bonus addition of Izzy and Kiel, my two cute little pamangkins…

Izzy playing with flowers at the Residence Inn Tagaytay Zoo

Me and Kiel overlooking Taal

…or an overnight with friends out of town..

From L-R: Ferdz, David, Helen and me at Mines View Park, Baguio

From L-R: Mhay,Xtian,Rac,Mike and Me in Subic.

… or just plain spending the vacation with my hubby…

At the Grotto

Island Cove, Cavite

Leslie’s Tagaytay

SBMA, Subic

    It has been quite a vacation, but wait, there’s still two weeks left before leaving, and with my birthday just around the corner, who knows what’s in store for me?

  Hi everyone!  Please visit my gallery at http://www.pbase.com/karrenjune for new photos from my recent trip to the Philippines. Don’t forget to post some comments for my improvement.  Thanks!

  It has been two weeks since I got home — YES, finally after a year and a month of wailing, hubby finally allowed me to visit my family and take a vacation in my beloved country — the PHILIPPINES. 

  I know! I know!  I should have been blogging for a few months now, I have been procrastinating, and I have been busy running errands too.  A lot have happened, and surely a lot more will in the coming weeks since hubby is also coming here today, as in today, I’ll be in the airport in about 4 hours to come and get him.

     I have been in 2 places since I got here, Tagaytay and Baguio, in search of a colder weather — unfortunately I failed!  Tagaytay is just as hot as it is here in Cainta, Rizal, minus the humidity.  Baguio is a bit colder, but still hot to my standards, but the wind gets cold (still hot for me) during the night.  Anyway, I still don’t have time to make kwento with all the happenings,  I’d still make an entry after all the happenings here in the Philippines during our stay.

     To all my sistahs in NC, miss you a lot, hope to see you next month!

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…..one old love
she can imagine
going back to…
and one who reminds
her how far she has come.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
….enough money within her
control to move out and
rent a place of her own
even if she never wants
to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…. something perfect to wear if
the employer or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…. a youth she’s content
to leave behind…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…..a past juicy enough that
she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…..a set of screwdrivers, a
cordless drill, and a black
lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
….one friend who always makes
her laugh … and one who lets
her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…..a good piece of furniture
not previously owned by anyone
else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…..eight matching plates, wine
glasses with stems, and a recipe
for a meal that will make her
guests feel honored.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
…..a feeling of control over
her destiny…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
….how to fall in love without
losing herself…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
…how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
….when to try harder …
and when to walk away…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
…that she can’t change the
length of her calves, the width
of her hips, or the nature of her
parents…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
…..that her childhood may not
have been perfect…
but its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..
….what she would and wouldn’t
do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
….how to live alone… even if
she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
….whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t
take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
….where to go…
be it to her best friend’s
kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
…. what she can and can’t
accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…

Share these thoughts with the women in your life. Even if you don’t, you will know that you are truly
loved and thought of by the friend who sent this to you…and that she only wishes the best for you and your life.