It is Thanksgiving Day! :)

For my salvation, my family, for true friends, for your abounding grace, for your unconditional love... Heavenly Father, I Thank You! :) ♥

Campus Connection 2010: 1 Friend Request

You are all invited! :)

View the teaser at our Facebook Page: Bethany Makati Youth Ministry.

I'm a proud Tita!

I love my pamangkins so much that is why I try to be present at each and every important event. 

A few days after my trip to the mountains, we celebrated Monnesa's 10th birthday.  As usual family and some friends gathered to have fun and eat!

with monnesa, the birthday girl! :)

This is daddy john's and my gift to monnesa. 

Tito John with Monnesa and Leslie with A

Soon after, it is my Andrei's graduation from the Learning-to-Read Center!  We are happy and excited for him.  Congratulations Andrei! :)

Andrei & Monnesa with Tito Jeck, Tita Ine and me

with Mom and Dad. 11.13.2010

with my Andrei :)

A Memorable Baguio Trip: Part 3

Last day...the best day...the most memorable day of the trip

Day3: My Tweet- tutann is being a good ate to @McSeason and @janm_ark ! :) enjoy kids. <3

We were suppose to be having breakfast before 9AM, but since JM was late, we ended up having brunch instead at Half Moon Cafe located in Minesview Park Hotel.  Many friends recommended the bibingcrepe there so I really wanted to go.  Casey and JM agreed to go with me.  Apparently it was all hyped up.  The bibingcrepe was ok, but we really didn't like it that much, my drink, green mango basil was nice though. :)  

at halfmoon cafe with Casey and JM

bibingcrepe

This particular day seemed to start very slow, it took us a while to decide what to do next after brunch.  Casey and JM, being the sporty kids they are decided to play badminton so we headed back to GreenValley.  After the game, we headed back to meet JM's parents, brother and nephew for early dinner at SM.  I told Casey that it was okay for me to not join them for dinner, but she said it was ok and at the same time I could see how great JM's family is.  And great and warm they are! Specially JM's mom. 

Next order of business, to leave the kids alone and be a good ate. hehehe.  I told Casey that since they have plans of meeting her college friends as well, that I'll go with James and Maui for coffee.  The Lontoc boys met me at SM Baguio and after walking around Session Road finding a local cafe we ended up at Cafe Veniz.  I had Benguet coffee that I liked a lot since it has a bold and strong flavor.  After coffee, we were suppose to return to SM to have some froyo at White Hat, but the mall was closed already.  So they took me to this local resto (I forgot the name) where I had the best puto bumbong ever!  

TutAnn with the lontoc boys-Maui and James

I had a good time with James and Maui, they shared a lot of kwentos with me.  It has been a while since I last saw them, especially James, so bonding with them was really nice.  Plus we were really cheering for JM and Casey to be together so 50% of the whole conversation was dedicated to them; how we wish they will end up together and stuff like that. =D   We have been having this kind of conversation since I arrived in Baguio, teasing, guessing and wishing for things to happen already. 

We were suppose to transfer to another resto since the boys are still hungry, when we got a text message that Casey and JM are on their way to meet us already.  Maui and James wanted to go to McDo so we went there.  As the boys were eating, Casey and JM were acting really funny.  I was looking at Maui and James and they were puzzled with the behavior of the two as well.  When we asked them what's up and why they seem to be giggling all the time, JM announced that he already has a girlfriend.  Our first reaction was like this: "weh, hindi nga. niloloko nyo lang kami eh".  We thought we were being punished for teasing them the whole 3 days we were together.  But, it wasn't like that. Casey confirmed that they indeed were a couple already! :) Yey Yey Yey!  We were all soooooo happy for Casey and JM.  :)  Nobody expected it to happen like this.  Apparently when I left the two, they went back to Forest House and there love happened! :) 

JM and Casey, the couple! Congrats!

I know the details but that story is not mine to share.  I am just happy to be recalling the past 3 days, how unexpected things happen, how things fall into place as God has planned. Up to now I still smile remembering what transpired.  It has truly been a memorable trip in more days than one.

A Memorable Baguio Trip: Part 2

The trip continues... 

Day 2: Sunday, the Lord's Day it is and Danny's birthday too.  

We went to JM's church at Grace Baptist.  Not only did we had a great time of worship but we also got to see more friends there.  I was happy to see Jonathan, Josh, Tita Lani and other friends there. Since it is Danny's birthday that day, he treated us (JM, Casey, Maui, James and I) for a lunch buffet at Kamayan. It seems like I've been gaining weight every second I was up there.  We've been eating and eating and eating everywhere we go. :) 

Maui and the birthday boy, Danny

Casey and JM

James and Tutann

The celebration continued at GreenValley where we were suppose to play bowling but ended up playing billiards instead.  Actually, the boys played billiards, Casey and I just watched. It our first time in GreenValley, Casey and I.  There's a view deck where we can see Foggy Hills a place where it seems like you can actually touch the clouds.  According to JM, if it wasn't that cloudy that day, we may have seen South China Sea too from where we are.

foggy hills

boys playing billiards

the billiard game that took forever to finish! ;)

After the church service in the evening, JM, Casey, Danny and I decided to have dinner together.  The Lontoc boys-Maui and James-needs to be home already.  First thing that came to mind-Forest House!  We haven't tried the food there yet, all we got yesterday was sweet treats.  Sadly, we have no reservations and the house is full.  Dinner happened at Starbucks, Camp John Hay. Yey! my favorite Starbucks branch. :)  As usual, we talked over dinner exchanging stories and stuff.  In the middle of it all, JM called me-"TutAnn" a nickname that only closest friends call me; it is what Casey calls me.  Hmm...somebody is getting comfortable already.  Is he gearing up for something???

On a different note, a not-so-funny thing happened as we were walking down hill to wait for a cab.  A van stopped, we thought they were going to ask for directions. The person beside the driver seat said, "Ate, Ate".  When we looked at her another person in a very scary costume appeared at the back of the van.  Casey and I screamed and got really scared.  We kinda forgot it was Halloween too and was reminded through a prank! =(

We got home that day fairly early.  It was only 10PM, there's nothing to watch on TV so Casey and I ended up talking and talking and talking until 2:30AM.  One more day, our last day in Baguio is right ahead...who knew it will end the way it did?

A Memorable Baguio Trip: Part 1

"There's something about new beginnings that make me hopeful"

It started on one Friday night, little did we know what was in-store ahead. I was with friends the whole day, a prenup shoot in the morning with talit and paul, followed by a dinner and coffee treat from Candy Rhea. (Read more about this here).  Casey, on the other hand, was with friends too for a buffet dinner in Ortigas.  We were having fun with friends that we ended up feeling nervous about making it to the bus terminal for our 11pm trip.  Thankfully Casey got a really fast cab driver which took her from Ortigas at 10pm, to Makati to fetch me at Starbucks by 10:20, then at the bus terminal by 10:45.  To add to the adrenalin rush, the cab driver failed to go to the right lane taking us to the Magallanes bridge going to SLEX!  We almost panicked, well okay we were panicking already, but we remembered that there is a street at Paseo de Magallanes where we can turn and go back to the right route. Just right before we go down, I asked Casey for our bus tickets to look for the bus number so we can hop right down from the cab to it.  This was when I noticed that instead of 11pm, the ticket said 11am!(Casey's mom, booked our trip and she was certain that it was for the 11pm trip, we don't know what happened here.) Waaaaaah!  Talk about everything almost going wrong.  11pm, we boarded our bus going to Baguio.  Casey used some magic thus the 11am ticket was honored and we got front row seats which allowed for more room for stretching our legs. hehehe. From Pasay to Tarlac it was non-stop kwento about personal life, work, church and other interests. It helped with the 6 hour trip.

We arrived at Baguio at around 5am.  It was sooooo cold! My feet froze and refused to move for a while.  But boy was I loving the cold weather already!  JM fetched us and took us to the transient house where we will stay for 3 days and 2 nights. Day 1 of our Baguio adventure begins! :)

Day 1: Surprise Surprise!

Casey is the mastermind of this whole trip.  It was her plan to go up to spend time with her special friend, JM.  She opened the invitation to friends, and originally Dino and Saraah will join us too but failed to do so.  From the very start Casey already has a plan to surprise JM.  She asked help from JM's close friend, Maui to help her do it. Today is the day we execute everything.

We slept/tried to sleep for a few hours after arriving in Baguio and agreed to meet JM for brunch by 9am.  But instead we met with Maui at Chowking, Session Road to finalize everything for JM's surprise.  It took us like quite a while to finalize everything.  So here's the plan:

Step1: Casey will text JM she has meeting with her boss and ABS CBN Baguio for a possible shoot at Tarlac and to meet Tutann at Cafe by the Ruins for brunch

Step2: Tutann to text JM saying she left Cafe by the Ruins to get Casey's stuff to bring it to her meeting thus hinting that she will go to Tarlac for the shoot instead

Step3:  Maui to go to Cafe by the Ruins to meet JM, tell him that Casey went to Tarlac.

Step4:  Casey to come from the back, cover his eyes and then say "surprise" and give him the happy donuts!

Okay, so that was all set and Step 2 was accomplished already.  Casey, Maui and I proceeded to Cafe by the Ruins to execute Step 3.  We arrived there and decided to check out the place when I saw JM across the street leaning on a tree, listening to music patiently waiting. Panic strikes again! Good thing he didn't see us. We went inside the Cafe hurriedly.  Maui got a table, Casey and I hid at the farther end of the cafe.  To make the long story short, JM arrived, Casey came from behind and did what she planned.  It was successful for 5 seconds until JM said that he smelled her cologne and instantly knew it was her!!! That was really funny!  All the planning boiled down to just a 5-seconder surprise!

That was the highlight of Day 1.  We had brunch at Cafe by the Ruins, went to SLU, and then went to Tamaw-an Village.  After that, we decided to go to Forest House for coffee and dessert.  We fell in love with the place instantly.  It was cozy, and since Christmas is near, it is already adorned with Christmas decors and a very nice Christmas Tree.  I loved that place, but I am having a feeling that Casey and JM loved it more than I do. :D   The day ended with a trip to SM Baguio where JM got a haircut and where we met the Baguio boys-James, Maui and Danny.

the 5-second surprise!

At Forest House with JM and Casey

Maui, surprise accomplice number 1

tutann and casey

It's Friday I'm In Love

The fun and loving started last friday and overflowed until today. :)  

Who knew Friday, October 29, 2010, will end up being one of the most hectic and most fun day I've had.  Days prior I have been Tweeting that that day is packed with events here and there but I did not expect it will end up the way it did. 

It started with Talit and Paul's PreNup Photo Shoot:

At first Talit was fussing a lot about the prenup poses because she doesn't like to be cheesy!  Eventually she warmed up and ended up doing sweet poses with Paul.  Thanks to the "Wedding Team" (from the photographers to the hairstylist and makeup artist) for being really supportive and for cheering the couple as they did their PreNup.  I am tempted to share all the fun details here but I shall save this one for my wedding blog. :)

the couple with the wedding team

Behind the Scenes: Paul taking Talit's photo before the actual shoot

The day went on with Candy Rhea's birthday treat. 

Right after the PreNup we headed for Talit's home (where I saw Chai again after sooooo long) for some more wedding work when Candy Rhea texted asking if we can come over their place because she prepared food (a.k.a. fiesta) for her birthday the previous day.  We all agreed to go especially since we haven't seen each other in a long time.  We had a blast!  It is so nice to catch up again and to laugh and just be with friends.  Thanks again to Tita Cita for the sumptuous meal we had and to Candy for treating us at Starbucks! 

at Starbucks, Columns

parang nung highschool lang ha... 

As the day ends there's one more in store for me, my trip to Baguio with Casey.  

Did I mention earlier that this particular Friday is a pay-day-Friday and the "Undas" Friday where a lot of people are everywhere except their homes.  Yup, this is that Friday.  So as I am having fun with my friends at Starbucks, Casey on the other end of the Metro is having a great dinner buffet with her friends as well.  It is true that time pass by so quickly when you 're having fun.  Casey almost forgot the time and ended up rushing for our 11PM trip.  Thankfully we just made it in time.  Baguio here we come! Little did we know that this trip is only the beginning of something really wonderful.  Do you smell love in the cold, fresh mountain air??? :) Love is bound to happen and it started on one Friday night. ♥

Happy 6th Birthday Andrei!!!

Yup, our baby boy is now 6 years old!(His birthday is actually last October 25, Monday and he actually shares the same birthdate as his mom.)  We had a small celebration with family and Andrei's special guest, Raya, at their home in Pasay.  He was actually surprised that his parents, Ate Agnes and Kuya Mon, prepared something last Sunday, because he was looking forward to having his birthday party at school.  I can't forget how his eyes widen when he saw his birthday cake and all the food prepared for him.  Of course, the party theme is still Disney's Cars, which has been his party theme since forever!  The food was great, we all had fun, and the birthday boy enjoyed an evening playing with Raya, Cassey-his cousin, and Monnesa, his sister.

andrei with special guest, raya

andrei's handa and birthday cake- Cars pa rin

naks, ang saya saya ni andrei! :)

 Imagine that.  It feels like it was just yesterday when we went to the Nursery Section in that hospital in Las Piñas looking for "baby boy Baluyot".  It is no secret that Deidei holds a special place in my heart.  Everybody teases me that he is my favorite pamangkin, I will not deny it, because he is! :)  Don't get me wrong, I love all my pamangkins, but this boy makes my heart melt all the time.  His smile makes me smile too and he knows how to "make bola" tita ann. (I have an old post about him as an example, read it here)  He knows how to make me lambing and is a constant source of joy for me.  Now that he is 6 I am afraid that he is growing up too fast!  I am not ready to see him all grown up yet.   

"Happy Happy Brithday my dear, Andrei!  Tita Ann loves you soooooooo much!"

Eat Pray Love

This post is one week too late, but nonetheless I am including it here. 

I had a great time with friends-Casey, Dino, Rea, and my brother-Chester last Saturday.  This movie date scheduled months in advance because we got excited about the book. Casey, Rea and I have read it and was really excited to see the movie. We all wondered how the characters looked like or if they looked liked how we imagined them while reading the book. :)

Best part about the movie:
-I love Italy(same as with the book)! I love the food! That part really made me hungry.  I love the place! I love their language. It reminded of the time I really wanted to study Italian too! :D
-I like Richard's character very much, though he didn't look the same as I had imagined him while reading the book.  I love his sarcasm and his wisdom too.  It is sad to know that he died already because of his heart ailment. (Read more about it at Elizabeth Gilbert's Update on EPL at her website).
-I love Ketut and his toothless smile. He just seems happy and peaceful all the time.
-I love Tutti! Just cause I love cute, little, smart girls. 

What I don't like:
-They kinda changed the ending, it felt like they didn't know how to finish the movie or that they wanted more drama so they changed it. Sad.
-Some parts of the book I thought would be in the movie is missing

 Best quote from the movie:

 “You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.”

Quote for Dino from the movie: 

SEND HER SOME LOVE AND LIGHT EVERY TIME YOU THINK ABOUT HER, AND THEN DROP IT!

Well, in general it was a good movie. I am just really glad to have spent time with great friends. Till our next movie date. :)

P.S.
Thanks to Dino for the Dairy Queen Ice Cream Sandwich and to Casey for catching up, coming from a shoot in QC!. :)

it is the small things

I don't want to fail mentioning my appreciation for my brother here in my blog.  What he did may be a small thing but i truly truly love him for doing so.  Here's a big shout out to you dear brother...

Thank you for waiting for me to finish my meeting.  Thank you for spending time with me last night and treating me to a movie and my fave Mcdo meal.  love kita! :) 

movie was so-so for me, but i enjoyed watching it with my brother!

 

 

of birthdays and babies

haay…parang field trip kami today with the family! :) parang tour ng bulacan to see relatives today. we were all tired, but definitely we had a great time.

happy birthday to Deuel and Tito Noel, and congrats once again to Cuzin Dunhill and Lorie. we were very happy to see baby ethan luis! :)

nice to be with ama and ina too. i’m sure they were the happiest people.

thank you Lord for our family!

rekindling my love affair with weddings

after a long hiatus on any thing related to weddings, today i took time and rekindled my love affair with all things beautiful and dreamy and visited the 17th Wedding Expo at SMX.

an added bonus was that i got to see one of my best friends-kitten- and her lovely daughter-sky-there. :)

thanks to casey for giving me a complimentary pass and for my sister, rachel, for tagging along with me!

i had a great day! :)

p.s. thanks dad for commuting with me! ;P

another day with Anya Babe & Kuya @ the 17th PR Congress