Jane's First Run

When we were first starting, Jane doesn't know how to cook but now she really can cook (and very good at that) and she even make her own recipes. She can lose weight if she wants to. And I believe she's one of those people who can fulfill their bucket lists because she can do anything she puts her mind and heart into.

A few months back she said she would like to join a marathon. She signed up, trained before the event, and finished her run.

She participated in Shape Run 2016, an all-women run held at the Marina Bay area in the early morning of July 24, 2016.

Well done, Mahal! 

I pray that our daughters would look up to her for inspiration, to grow up strong and decisive, to be hardworking, to be lofty dreamers and great achievers, just like their mom.

My Birthday 2016

Three days after Father's Day was my birthday. Being born on the third week of June, the two celebrations will always be one after the other and when my birthday falls on a Sunday, it will most probably be Father's Day as well.

MyGirls were so busy that day because it was the kids' checkup with the doctor in the morning. And all this time Jane has been, for days, planning a menu, crafting banners and labels and doing grocery shopping. She had three of our closest friends as accomplices and had me came home a little late that night to have ample prep time.

Funny how it all connects like a puzzle right now and how I can see all the reasons of what she said and asked me to do that day. Now, we can tell for sure that women are better liars. :)

The night of my birthday, after delivering a package to a friend (Accomplice No. 1), she still asked to run errands. And when I came home, the mantel was decorated. There was a spread on the dining table and our daughter's dressed to the nines. It was a surprise birthday celebration! The other two accomplices were also present.

Jane, inspired with my current obsession which is cacti (and succulents) did a Mexican-themed party from the banner to the dining table to her presents. We had savory beef and spicy chicken tacos with mouth-watering dips and sauces, fried chicken, and a very fluffy chiffon cake.

It was indeed a pleasant surprise! Thank you Jane. You did it yet again.

I can't help but think of my next birthday because next year, my life begins.

Father's Day 2016

It was Father's Day yesterday and I got some nice surprises from MyGirls. Aside from Ashrie's little somethings the day before, I woke up with a bunch of goodies with the most adorable tags. See the tags below:

And Ashrie gave me a handcrafted key chain together with the most heart-warming notes. I love it!

And to cap the night, I booked 3 tickets (because Lia enters for free) to watch Finding Dory. It was Lia's first time to be in the cinema but she slept more than 75% of the film, actually even before we entered. But it's a good start as we can now watch more movies as a family.

Ashrie on the other hand has lots of LOL moments. We loved Piper, the short film feature before the movie starts. And both Jane and I agreed that Finding Dory can end on a more cheerful note. Nevertheless, it's a must-see. 

Here are the trailers for both Piper and Finding Dory.

All in all, I had an "unforgettable" day yesterday. Thank you MyGirls for making it more special. 

Lia Ahryn's Second Birthday

Lia's birthday is exactly one month away from her Ate's. And we had a little celebration at the casa last weekend. It was a dinner with her Ninangs and Jane prepared a simple spread of baked dishes and desserts. Here's the menu that evening:

And here's Lia with her lovely white dress and signature pearl necklace on her second birthday. I am really pleased that she can now compose sentences ranging from two to four-worded phrases. She loves to sing, knows the alphabet and can now count 1 to 10.

She is still very active, loves to run, and enjoys riding cars (or in our case, the cab). She is now sweeter, hugs us a lot and wants hugs more often than when she was younger.

We pray that God will bless her with better health, watch over her and keep her safe from harm. We hope that she will continue to grow in beauty, love and grace.

We love you Lia and a happy, happy birthday!

Ashrie's 7th Birthday Party

Better late than never. The statement is true for Ashrie's 7th Birthday Party. We held it at the casa last weekend graced with a few invited friends.

We planned a simple menu this time ~ Spaghetti, Fried Chicken, and Fruit Salad and Leche Flan for dessert. We do not prepare cocktails this time but served ice-cold soda instead.

    

The activities were for kids but everybody was welcome to join in. There were temporary tattoos, a nail art station, and paint-by-numbers (most of which became abstract works because the little kids have just no regard whatsoever of the numbers and the lines and just painted with whatever they fancy.

   
 Ashrie's 2-tier vanilla cake was baked and fondant-wrapped by her Ninang Diane. We just decorated it in-situ with exquisite gumpaste flowers. The result was amazing.

We started at 5pm and the gathering goes well into the night. But to cap it all, it was what Ashrie said that makes it more special. She said it was her best birthday party ever.

As their birthdays are exactly one month apart, it's time to plan for Lia's 2nd Birthday Party.

See you soon!