made me smile

Love times like these when you run into funny tidbits of life. Just made me smile. Good thing I had my camera with me.

On July 25, 2010

On July 25, 2010, my new life began. Thank you, Lord for being there for the past 30 years. Looking forward to another 30 or more with my new half in life and love. May your name be glorified as in the generations before me. May we be blessed by the legacy that speaks more boldly than anything that You are what we were, are and will be. After 17 years, You answered the prayer of my heart because you know you are my delight.

Mrs. Syching... gotta get used to it now :)

Moving in

July 16, 2010:
The day I move most of my stuff to our new home. Well, not me exactly. I just did the packing, Joey and Richie did the lifting and hanging, Pam and Martin took the pictures and was there for moral support. I was left home wondering and checking on my facebook account.
Chinese traditions we followed included me bringing in a week's supply of new things (from underwear to toiletries) and everything had to be in even numbers. Then all wrapped and stuck with a special red and gold sticker. 2 flower cases with flowers, 2 food holders with candies in them and 2 lanterns. Interesting yet stressful at the same time.

I will be indebted to these guys for a very long time. Our place is on the 3rd floor and they had to go back and forth to do it more than once! Lunch was definitely on us!
They had to take my stuff out and hang them, too! Talk about spoiling me. I just made them all promise that none of them would be touching my underwear. I will just be so mortified and die!

My hubby did a pretty good job, don't you think? The rest of the space is just wonderful and I can't wait to move in officially. 8 more days to go and still counting :D

Dorlyn & Rayjay

Their relationship may be one for the teleseryes but I'm glad these two made it to the altar at last! On July 14, 2010, Dorlyn Allares and Ray Jay Palmos are finally Mr. & Mrs. It was a civil wedding so I'm looking forward to the church wedding very, very soon. Never realized Dorlyn and I would be married on the same month almost 1 week apart!

feeling the rush

I never knew how stressful invitations could be! But now I know. First, I couldn't sleep because they weren't done yet. Then I couldn't sleep because I had to write down the people I had to send them to. Then send them. And now I'm stressing because the couriers are saying they can't send some of them because its "too far" or they need a contact number for the ones that are to be sent out of the country. I have only 12 days left!

But I am excited about this one. My best friend Elena will be singing Lea Salonga's "Two Words" during the reception. All those years of seeing her in competition, I'm thrilled that she said yes to my wedding.

Hello July!

I can't believe it... Its finally July. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that one day the month of July would hold this much weight on my life. The month that my life will change forever. Exciting. Daunting. But might as well take the leap.

The things Bryan and I have been going through in June has been more than we have ever expected. But I appreciate it because we get to see each other in a different light. We do work well together. He's the sane and I'm the SLIGHTLY insane/paranoid :D That's in my blood I guess and you can't mess with the gene pool!

30 AND FINALLY!




Funny how I used to dread birthdays. Really. I did. I dreaded it more because it sorta meant getting older and still alone. I know, must be all those Sweet Valley and Sweet Dreams books I read as a kid. It messes you up, apparently.

But now its different. I'm 30 but I'm also engaged. A bit off schedule (make that 3 years off), but glad I'm in this point in my life wherein I'm 98% sure I'm ready and raring to go.

Partying on my birthday was always a thing for me and my friends since we didn't have anybody in our lives then (single ladies inc.). Now its more chill and mellow and just enjoying the company of family and friends. I know who my real friends are so I'm blessed and every time spent is never a waste.

The messages on my Facebook page has been more than I could have ever dreamed and its very humbling. I'm actually worth something to these people for them to take the time to message me and greet me. Little things like that we most often take for granted. But right now, it gives me encouragement and hope that I'm not as messed up or a loner as I thought I was.

The people at work surprised me AGAIN! Can't believe how much they can come up with and still do it almost every single year. Love them and at the same time they can raise my blood pressure just like that. But Hercor won't be Hercor without them.


To top it all off, I have family... As nuts as we all can be.

Friends, too. Although we weren't complete that day, but we are in our 30s! No more sunggod2 :D Its all cool :)

I'm 30! :D

Girl in the white dress

Still hasn't hit me as much. But I do get teary eyed thinking about what my dad would say during his speech. How my dad would be when he walks me down the aisle. Seeing the man I waited for 30 years finally next to me. How everything you dreamed and hoped for, crammed into that single moment that would change the rest of your life.

I always imagined being married. I was one of those girls who always hoped for it and PRAYED for it. I remember Tita Geline teaching me to pray for it specifically since I was 16 years old. And I did. I can still recall moments, like when I would be stuck in traffic on my way to school, I would find myself praying for my future husband and hoping that everything's okay wherever and whoever he was.

Then in one split second, after waiting for so long, he's finally in front of me. One of the miracles that God has up His sleeve that is just too amazing for words.

In all this chaos, I find myself picking out fonts for our invitations, wedding bands, giveaways... I have to pause sometimes and think, "Is this really me?" "Is this really my turn?"

In our barkada I always thought it would be Elena. I always thought I would be one of those really late bloomers. I guess I guessed wrong.

My destiny was almost literally right around the corner. How could I have missed someone who looked like this?

Love this picture! Awww... My dad surprised me when he saw this picture and said, "If this is how my grandkid would look like, I wouldn't mind at all." Awww... I get tears in my eyes again just typing it.

PICTORIAL TIME:
Had our pictorial this weekend with Bordoy as our photographer. Funny how we ended up having it in Talon. But I wouldn't have wanted it anywhere else. Besides being the family's property, this was my family's legacy. My great grandfather, grandfather and father walked this land and made it their pride with all the sacrifices that went along with it. My best childhood memories are from that place. The people there I consider my family.

It was an experience in itself. I am still the kind of person who prefers to be behind the camera. Having all that attention on us was one thing. I am also not a PDA person either. Having tricycles and jeeps go buy at certain locations made me want to sink under the grass we were sitting on.

The experience taught me to appreciate family even more and the family that I will be having soon.

IS THIS ME?
Fitting my wedding dress for the first time. Well, the lining anyway. What an out of body experience it was.

The same place where I had all those bridesmaid dresses made. I think I might have every color already. Then all of a sudden, here I am before a mirror, in white. Is that really me?

What an amazing feeling. What an amazing time in my life. Its not perfect and far from being one. But its mine. No one else's.

Here's to more updates!

Midway Day

Midway is found in Passi City right next to the main highway from Iloilo to Capiz. You can't miss it! Fruits in season and the best Halo2 around! Its my Abuelita's recipe so I'm kinda biased. But its worth the stop and lets you experience the simple yet beautiful life in the country side. Love the green bags, too. Helping the environment as well.

love this dress!

Can't believe this is by SM! Cool dress! Wonder if they have it in Iloilo :D Love!

mga amiga

From Left to right: Elena, Jb, Cathy, Kat2 & Michelle

Got to get together with some highschool friends last May 19 at Sandbar. Interesting how we got together and looking back at how we all used to be and do.

Elena then: The classical singer. Very girly. Glasses and long straight hair.
Elena now: A nurse. Helps out in her family's bakeshop. Still very girly. Still sings. Different shades of contact lenses (love her brown and gray ones!). Hair depends on the season. Still single and looking.

Jb then : the honor student. Leader. Always spoke her mind and knew what she wanted. Popular.
Jb now: Its Atty. Jb now. Teaches in between cases. Married to another lawyer. Still speaks her mind. Currently trying to have a baby.

Cathy then: the school knock-out. Popular. Life of the party. Tallest girl in our batch. Was into modelling and being fiesta queen.
Cathy now: Wife and mother of Amaya. Bakes and joins bazaars. Based in Boracay in her husband's resort there and lives in Manila in between.

Kat2 then: a bit on the boyish side but a such a sweetie. Always a friend to everybody. She had her own clique in highschool but always got on everyones good side. A leader.
Kat2 now: a certified PT. Still a good friend and keeps in touch almost everyday. Still always ready to help out. Single.

Michelle then : quiet. Chess champ. Content with just being in the background. Known her since grade school.
Michelle now: a Doctor! Still rarely get to see her. A bit more outspoken now. Good for her! Still single and looking as well. Wonder if she still plays chess.

Wow its been almost 14 years since highschool. I guess these are the days wherein I can really look back to the life I had already.