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| Tuesday, 4-Jan-2005 00:00 |
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Spending Time With Family (Part 3)
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Image taken by a low-resolution Nokia 7650
Last Jan.1, on the final stretch of the holidays and vacation of the kids, we all agreed to spend an afternoon at the man-made lagoon in Ma. Luisa. We didn't have grand plans of going fishing though, since it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We just went there to while away the time chit-chatting as we munched on bola-bola siopao and some junk food. Yep, all three generations of us. The 2nd-gen adults were happily listening in on the quick-wit banterings of the 3rd-gen kids. The weather was just right, the view was great and all of us had a good time.
(It would have been super perfect if I didn't forget to bring my digicam...) 
@--->---
If you've got cable, you must have seen the funny show on the Disney channel entitled My Wife and Kids aired every weeknights at 9pm. Like clockwork, when the kids are done studying and doing their homeworks, we all park ourselves in the living room to watch and laugh our hearts out at Damon Wayans and his tv family. They're hilarious!
To some degree, watching the show has become a sort of family bonding time for us. The kids' laughter resonating with ours is just music to our ears. 
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| Saturday, 1-Jan-2005 00:00 |
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Happy New Year!
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2004 Highlights
* Manila trip for the New Year reunion with my side of the family (January)
* Opening of our ladiesâ?? tees stall (Teeâ??licious) and Mexican food stall (Otras Cosas) at the Maze in Ayala Center Cebu (February)
* Birth of Jake (March)
* 80 days maternity leave (March â?? June)
* Circumcision and Christening of Jake (May)
* Paparazzi, Mamarazzi, brother Junnie & sis-in-law Mitziâ??s trip to Cebu (May)
* Lola Medingâ??s 90th birthday (May)
* Our trip to Manila for Mayâ??s wedding (May)
* P100,000 plus in maternity benefits (June)
* Matt & Kyleâ??s gold medals for last school-yearâ??s academic performance (June)
* Mattâ??s 11th birthday (July)
* Our trip to Manila for the send-off get-together for Junnie & Mitzi who were migrating to Toronto, Canada (August)
* Kyleâ??s minor surgery for a 4cm gash on his chin after he fell in school (September)
* Simple celebration of Kyle and my birthday (October)
* Mattâ??s bronze medal in the Milo Olympics (Visayas) for the 4 x 100 m. relay (October)
* My voluntary resignation after 7.5 years of working with my previous employer (October)
* Jerryâ??s trip to Japan for the JCI congress (November)
* Contract signing for our 2nd ladies tees outlet (Teeâ??licious) at the Banilad Town Center (November)
* Kyleâ??s First Holy Communion (December)
* Jerryâ??s 40th birthday â?? Life begins at 40! (December)
* The white Mitsubishi Pajero bought after arriving at a sweet deal with the supplier (December)
* Almost P300,000 of final pay net of all taxes (total of commuted leaves, salaries and bonuses)
Looking back at the year that was, we could only pray in gratitude for all the wonderful blessings that came our way, and pray for the same in the new year and the years to come.
I see not a step before me as I tread on another year;
But I 've left the Past in God's keeping,â??the Future
His mercy shall clear;
And what looks dark in the distance may brighten as I draw near.
-Mary Gardiner Brainard (1837-1905)
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| Thursday, 30-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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Spending Time With Family (Part 2)
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Kyle, Anna, Michael and yaya :)
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Jenny, Mymy, Jake & Cathy
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In pic too are John, Juju, Timmy & Ting
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Matt and cousins planned to spend the afternoon playing basketball. It's heartwarming to know that inspite of the wide age difference (from 8 to 20+) among them, they still find the time to bond and grow closer to each other.
3 of my 4 boys - Jerry, Jake and Matt
My other boy Kyle was having a pizza break with cousin Michael
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| Wednesday, 29-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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Spending Time With Family
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The central message I got from the disaster that hit Asia is one about love of family. Life is short and uncertain and no matter what happens, we just have to make the most out of it. Thus, it is in doing good and in spending time with family that we get life's meaning.
So when Mymy texted to invited us to join her and Mom-in-law for snacks at the Laguna Garden Cafe, we went and even brought 9-month old Jake along. It turned out that sis-in-law Any, niece Jenny, nephews Timmy and Ting were also there making the afternoon doubly delightful.
Jerry, Jenny, Any and Mymy
Nurse Cathy, Jake, Mom-in-law, midwife Lilimar, Ting
Endearing Jake tried to clown around as Mom-in-law was happily looking on.
The food was all native - bibingka, puto bumbong, suman at manga, pancit palabok, and fresh lumpia. Yum!
Good food and wonderful company are just the perfect combination for the holidays... 
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| Sunday, 26-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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Pssst!
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Jake seems to be asking: "Have you got your 2005 resolutions ready?".
I just want to share with everyone what I emailed my brother a while back (it's one of those forwarded emails which he re-sent to me for my last birthday). Though its all about slowing down, I think the list could make for a good set of resolutions, especially for most of us who lead harried and hurried lives...
Read on...
Slow Down Therapy
1. When you talk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them.
2. Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside you.
3. Create a place in your home...at your work...in your heart...where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.
4. Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits without becoming one.
5. Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.
6. Work with your hands. It frees the mind.
7. Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.
8. Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell.
9. Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, the invitations. Less really can be more.
10. Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do - but often it is the best.
11. Take a walk-but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking.
12. Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first.
13. Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't luxury; it's a necessity.
14. Listen to the wind blow. It carries a message of yesterday and tomorrow - and now. NOW counts.
15. Rest on your laurels. They bring comfort whatever their size, age, or condition.
16. Talk slower. Talk less. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words.
17. Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling.
18. Listen to the song of a bird; the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but only if you are willing to receive them.
19. Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull.
20. Make time for play - the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner child needs recreation.
21. Watch and listen to the night sky. It speaks.
22. Listen to the words you speak, especially in prayer.
23. Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders.There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.
24. Divide big jobs into little jobs. If God took six days to create the universe, can you hope to do any better?
25. When you find yourself rushing and anxious, stop. Ask yourself "WHY?" you are rushing and anxious. The reasons may improve your self-understanding.
26. Slow down; God is still in heaven. You are not responsible for doing it all yourself, right now.
27. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savor.
28. Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it's OK to tell them they're pushing.
29. Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow.
30. Taste your food. God gives it to delight as well as to nourish.
31. Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.
32. Quit planning how you're going to use what you know, learn, or possess. God's gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.
33. Take time to read the Bible. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
34. Count your friends. If you have one, you are lucky. If you have more, you are blessed. Bless them in return.
35. Count your blessings - one at a time and slowly.
~author unknown
If you have your own set of resolutions, feel free to share your list. We might be able to pick a few good ones...
Happy Holidays!
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| Saturday, 25-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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Christmas Day Grand Opening
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December 25, 2004 is a red-letter day for my sis-in-law who chose this auspicious date for the opening of their 2nd Mother's Fried Chicken outlet at St. Patrick's Square (near the Redemptorist Church and at the back of St. Theresa's College).
The facade before the preparations for the grand opening...
My sis-in-law with Fr. Javier as the latter officiated the blessing...
Kyle, the tallest kid in red, is next to cousin Michael. He is also with my brother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-law.
Mom-in-law, 2 sisters-in-law and some nephews and nieces...
Jake and I are with mom-in-law, sis-in-law, nephew and niece. At the background wearing green and dark blue is my eldest, Matthew.
Jake with cousins..
Jake toasting to the success of Mother's...
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| Thursday, 23-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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December Slap Stick and Merry Greetings
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Last Sunday I wore black jeans to church. I noticed it became a bit faded than the last time I had it laundered. Hmm, this is the bane of having your clothes professionally machine washed. Their life span is somehow diminished.
As I hurriedly put it on, I silently reminded myself to lose some weight lest I end up having to buy new wardrobe. And so the day wore on with us attending mass at the sports club, visiting my in-laws for lunch, and then going home by mid-afternoon...
That evening, as I did my usual sorting of laundry, I noticed the same black jeans neatly hung together with the rest. That's strange, I thought. I ran to the bathroom to take off what I thought was my jeans, only to confirm what I initially feared. *Gasp!* What I was wearing was one size smaller than what I owned.
I wore somebody else's jeans that day! Ew! Just great...
Jerry received a late text message today. Apparently, M (sis-in-law 1) wanted to have her purchased Tee'licious shirt exchanged. She couldn't believe her eyes when L (sis-in-law 2) brought out the clothes she would be wearing tomorrow for the Christmas Eve dinner. It was the same as what M bought for L as a gift! Among the many prints and designs we sell, they intuitively bought the same. Talk about having the same Tee'licious taste!
To my loved ones, Paparazzi, Mamarazzi, Junnie & Mitzi, May & Rommel & Zia, we may not be together this year to celebrate the birth of our Lord, but we are certainly including you all in our Christmas Thanksgiving prayer.
Merry Christmas to my family, relatives, and online/non-online friends!
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| Thursday, 16-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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My Other Friends
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The whole family with Paparazzi & Mamarazzi
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I was beginning to get the hang of being "retired" from employment, until our househelp of more than 5 years, left due to health reasons. And since then, we haven't found a reliable replacement, even after trying to contact several agencies and relatives for referrals. Nada. People say it's hard to find househelps at this time of the year when they all make an exodus to their hometowns for the holidays.
Because of the absence of a reliable help, my routine changed drastically. I used to get up early to go with Jerry as he drives Matt & Kyle to school, then attend the daily mass at 7 and be back home for Jake by 830 (or 930 if I have to drop by the supermarket). Now I wake up early to have breakfast with my boys, kiss them goodbye, clear out the table and wash the dishes. After which, I fix the beds, wipe the thingies, sweep & mop the floors, clean the toilets and sort the laundry.
Aside from my nurse who extends extra helping hands when Jake is asleep, I have to thank my (new) friends for making things a lot easier around the house...Mr. Clean dishwashing liquid, Mighty toilet bowl cleaner, Band Aid alcohol (for the toilet seats & telephone mouthpiece), the "walis tambo" and dustpan, and numerous disposable rags (P1/each).
Blame it on my OC (obsessive-compulsive) mentality, but I have never seen our house this antiseptic.
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| Friday, 10-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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Happy Birthday Papa(razzi)!!!
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No other Papa would put up with all our impossible requests (well almost, except one about the car though, hehehe). He may be way over the hill at 60+++ years old (just teasing!  ), but he feels he's never too old to see the world with loved ones, to learn surfing the internet and peep into our blogs to see what his kids and grandkids are up to and to give precious bits of advice. Hehe...
To the best Papa and Grandpa in the whole wide world...
HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS!!!!  We love you!!! 
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| Tuesday, 7-Dec-2004 00:00 |
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Bye Toyota, Hello (again) Mitsubishi!
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We initially wanted this....
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...but settled with this...
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The CEO and the CFO at the office I used to work for, called last week to ask when I was going to turn over the Altis 1.6 G. Though I was expecting this any time this month, I found it strange for them to press me into turning over the car before the date of my resignation (December 31, 2004 yet). There was a bit of tension here and I got confused as to what my rights were as a former employee, so I went on to request Jerry to consult a lawyer.
Atty. Tolentino gave the assurance that it was okay for me to hold on to the car until I was agreeable to the final pay I would be receiving. This was my cue and my consequent reply through SMS to the CFO.
Last Thursday, HRD, Accounting and Payroll worked overtime to compute and send me the details. When everything was okay, I then brought the car to the office last Friday for the turnover. It was kind of sad looking at the car that provided us convenience for the last 20 months or so.
I sent an SMS to the CFO when the turnover was done and even texted him the last odometer reading (lest Ed the Director fancied using it just as he used Mike's car on a whim. I heard he even hinted on swapping his lower model with mine! The nerve...) Shortly I received an SMS reply from the CFO stating that he would do everything for the release of my final pay not later than Wednesday (that would be tomorrow).
It was a good machine, and it still is. As I let go of it, I'm about to put closure to this whole employment thing.
(As a replacement, Jerry and I initially thought of buying a Ford Everest. However, due to practical reasons, we opted to buy a Japanese SUV instead.)
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