2011, Here we come!

I know I've been a bit remiss in writing. I was so busy launching my etsy store, filling Christmas orders for my chocolate bark, and preparing for winter in Virginia!

As my first year here in the US comes to a close, I'm amazed at everything that has transpired this year.

Of course the first thing that comes to mind is that this is the year we got married! And I moved to the US!

It's been an exciting time full of new things, new places, new people, and I learned so much as well. I've come to love living in California and I am super excited about the New Year ahead, with all it's possibilities.

But yet, the hardest thing of all, was leaving home and moving away from family. I sorely miss them and I think about them every day but I know that it's part of life and I have more than one place to call home now. I once read somewhere that home is where your family is and I am blessed to have had my family grow exponentially.

We do have so much planned for next year though, including not just one, but two trips back to the Philippines! Hooray for that! And January already looks like it's going to be jam-packed and time is GOING TO FLY. Just thinking about it boggles the mind!

So here's to another year full of exciting possibilities, wonderful moments, and beautiful memories. Here's to a Happy 2011 and beyond!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

On Giving Thanks

My family celebrates Thanksgiving in the Philippines, it's a great reason to cook up a huge turkey and have friends over. That was something I truly missed this year.

But Gerard and I were lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with some members of his family and their extended family. For the weekend, we took a quick trip down to L.A. and got to see the lovely sights of Redondo Beach.

Our contribution to dinner was of course... dessert! Truly a Gerard & Maita collaboration, teamwork at it's best. (It's great having a chef on call to help you with baking goodies!) Please excuse my not so great photos. (Perhaps there is still a DSLR in my distant future somewhere!)

Chocolate Oreo Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

There's a whole bag of double stuffed Oreos in that thing!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting.

The fabulous Thanksgiving spread.

The chef carving the turkey.

Family and Extended Family

Aside from the copious amounts of food, Thanksgiving of course was also a time to reflect and remember the many blessings we have. Life often seems difficult and its easy to forget we have so much to be thankful for. Health, Family, Friends, to name a few. And technology! Because it allows me to not feel so far away from home.

Thank you Auntie Nell, Louise, Billy, and Miguel for having us!

Blessings

Just a short post because today I'm reminded to count my blessings and that I have much to be grateful for. Family, friends, and a kind and loving husband.

Though there are days that I'm homesick, bored, and lonely, days like these remind me we are very blessed.

It was a good day.

Marking One Month

So how'd I end up in California anyway?

When Gerard and I got engaged, I wasn't sure where we'd live exactly. But I've always loved San Francisco! So a few months before our wedding, Gerard got promoted and relocated from New Jersey to work in... California! We don't exactly live in San Francisco, but we do live in Concord, a city about 40 minutes away from it, and we're still in the Bay Area. It's close enough that I could actually work there if I wanted to! Not to mention there's a Bay Area Rapid Transit or BART stop only two blocks from our apartment!

Yesterday marks my one month of living here and my emotions are mixed. Yes, I really love where we live. I love the weather. I love the convenience of everything. I love that we live in a small city with a big metropolitan nearby and that we have friends and family nearby. And I love that we're married.

But of course, I miss home (Cebu!) and I miss my family. And I miss the people at our house, I miss my friends, and I miss my dog, Akira.

I read somewhere that it takes about six months to fully adjust to living somewhere new. This first month was filled with a lot of firsts, learning experiences, adjustments, great memories and some goodbyes. I think I did pretty well though! One month down, five more to go!

Here are some great moments from my first month here.

Lining up for the San Francisco Cable Car

Reunited with the Rocky Mountain Bear

 Siblings at Pebble Beach

Disneyland with the Family

Rayvin + Louanne, The Perfect Blend

Over the weekend, my whole family drove to Dumaguete to see my cousin Louanne marry her longtime sweetheart, Rayvin Pinero.

It was a lovely morning full of love, joy, and tears, as the eldest daughter of a brood of four officially tied the knot. Yes, I said morning! They had a beautiful ceremony at 7 AM at the grounds of the South Sea Resort in Dumaguete. The weather was perfect, windy, and not too warm nor humid. A yummy brunch followed, held at the hotel as well. (I loved that we could eat lechon at 9 in the morning!)

As you can see from the photos, Louanne and Rayvin chose the cheerful colors of yellow, orange and brown as their wedding motif and coffee as the emblem of their wedding as they got to know each other over many cups of coffee.

Here are some photos from that beautiful day.

My mother's magic. From this...

To this!

With the maid of honor, my cousin Issa

My parents getting to ready to march as Principal Sponsors

The beautiful bride being escorted down the aisle by her mom and uncle. And while she was walking, her groom was singing "Bless the Broken Road." I couldn't help but shed a few tears!


Welcome to the Family!


Issa, maid of honor, got picked for the garter!

Beautiful shot taken by one of the groomsmen, Meltoy Ferrero. How do you like the dresses I designed? The secondary sponsors dresses were orange and brown as well! I love how the colors came out!

Congratulations to the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Rayvin Pinero! So happy for you guys! It was a beautiful wedding!

Season's Greetings

Wishing everyone a Wonderful and Blessed Holiday Season!

May your days be merry and filled with joy and love!

Merry Christmas!

First Shots.

Shots from today. Tomorrow is Nanang's (my grandma's) one year death anniversary. In preparation for tomorrow's activities, Dad and I went around doing errands.

I must say, a smaller camera is so much more wonderfully convenient to capture important, everyday moments.

IMG_0001

Flowers from Nanang's "suki"

Father and Daughter

We miss you, Nang.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Just a quick post during my lunch break. I wanted to enumerate all the things I've got to look forward to this holiday season.

1. Aspire Training Team Christmas Dinner on Saturday! It's going to be a fun evening with great food and great friends. Zubuchon, squid ink paella, pesto pasta, and that's just for starters!
2. Going to Dumaguete this weekend and spending quality time with Mom and Dad (even if the reason is sad. We miss you, Nang.)
3. CIS grand reunion on December 17, Thursday, at Formo!
4. Two weeks off from work (even if it is unpaid :p) This gives me the opportunity to spend time with my family, catch up on wedding stuff, work on paper stuff, and maybe even ribbon stuff!)
5. Speaking of which, my ribbon printing machine is working! And I'm looking forward to tinkering around with it over the holidays. Personalized ribbons, here I come!
6. My new baby is arriving! I'm looking forward to capturing more moments and blogging more. Thank you, hun :)
7. Spending time with friends who are home for the holidays.
8. Celebrating my last Christmas a single girl with my family. I'm out to cherish this time and make the most out of it.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Boracay Bliss

Last weekend, my whole family and I went for a quick hop to Boracay for some quality family time under the sun. Considering all the typhoons that have been passing by, we were really blessed with good weather!

We stayed at this wonderful hotel that my sister had gift certificates for, Discovery Shores. After that stay, I can honestly say that I am spoiled for life! The first thing that really impressed me was the staff. They were so hard-working and they were prepared for anything! From magazine for guests to arranging your beach stuff to even having wipes for your sunglasses and camera lenses! They were extremely helpful and polite.

Next thing I totally loved were the rooms. The beds were just so comfortable and they were well-stocked. Complimentary bayongs, complimentary snacks, even personalized cupcakes for little ones, which is what Ela had waiting for her. Their brownies were so good, I can still taste them. (I think they might have been made from Callebaut Chocolate, where Gerard works, since I found a box of it on the grounds haha.)

The grounds itself were beautiful. Discovery Shores is something of a two-level hotel. When you enter the complex, you are met with a splendid view of an infinity pool and the beaches of Boracay in the Horizon. Take an elevator down one floor and you're at the beach level only to find out the infinity pool was actually the top of a cascading waterfall! You have the pool before you, the restaurants, and beyond that, the blue waters of Boracay. The rooms are situated on both levels of the complex.

There was even a playroom for the kids that has daily activities. Ela paired up with her dad and Niki paired up with her Papaton to go on a scavenger hut which they thoroughly enjoyed.

All in all, this is a hotel that I really want to go back to. With most things, it's the little things that count. And Discovery Shores had a LOT of little things that added up to one great hotel.

Aside from our wonderful hotel, I was so glad I had the Boracay Staples of Jonah's Shakes as well as Myrna's Chori Burgers. Yes, we went on a banana boat ride (which Ela claims is actually a pencil, not a banana!) and we went shopping at D'Mall. (I'm so jealous that the swimsuit store, Nothing in Water, has a branch in Boracay but not in Cebu.) What trip to Boracay would be complete without doing these things? Kite-Surfing and Parasailing also looked like a lot of fun but maybe next time :).

Though the trip was short but sweet, I'm really glad I got to spend time quality with my family in the beautiful place that is Boracay. A lot has changed since my last trip there and I'm definitely looking forward to going back for a mini honeymoon.

Princess Party Time!

Yesterday was the Princess Party! And what a Princess Party it was! All the girls dressed up in pretty princess dresses (including yours truly *ahem.) What can I say, I'm a big kid at heart.

So we had games, clowns, glitter tattoos, animal ballons, a cotton candy stand, and a puppet show! And of course, a very happy birthday girl in a beautiful princess dress. What a party. What a day.

Happy Happy Birthday Ela! You're four years old already!




And the biggest kids of all....