A new home for us

Hi, guys! I just want to share with you a very happy news -- we already bought a townhouse! Oh, I am so excited! After being "houseless" for one and a half year, we are finally moving to our new home this September 2018.

March 4, 2018

Ibang-iba ang pakiramdam na sa wakas, magkakabahay na uli kami. Mas masaya kaysa noong una kaming bumili sa Edmonton. Dati kasi bumili lang kami ng wala kaisyu-isyu. When I already decided to follow my husband in Edmonton, ayun naghanap na siya ng townhouse na mabibili para pagdating ko may matitirahan na kami (he was just renting a studio-type apartment then). Walang problema sa budget, the real estate situation was normal. Ibang-iba sa situation ngayon na talagang nakaka-stress bumili ng bahay kasi nga napakataas ng presyo. Lakasan na lang talaga ng loob at sobrang pagtitipid ang kailangan.

Iba rin ang pakiramdam ngayon kasi nga na-experience namin tumira sa apartment namin ngayon. It is old and truly uncomfortable. Napaka-humbling tumira doon kasi nga galing kami sa isang bago at mabangong bahay haha. Even my son hated living there. Ayaw na nga niyang bumalik sa Canada eh.

Kaya talagang looking forward kaming lumipat na. Yun nga lang in half a year pa kasi ginagawa pa (yes, it's brand new!). Pero di bale na, iba yung may tinatanaw na, hindi ba?

Ooops by the way, we'll be extending our vacation here in Pinas. Instead of returning in Canada on April 13, sa June 8 na. Thankfully walang rebooking fees/charges sa EVA Air. Since wala rin naman kaming gagawin pa sa Canada (no more house-hunting kasi nga nakabili na), we might as well maximize na lang our stay here. Para less time na lang ang ipag-aantay namin for September. Saka to be honest, malaki ang natitipid ng asawa ko sa pagbabakasyon namin sa Pinas haha! Sponsored kasi kami ni Nathan dito ng ermats ko kaya wala syang gastos lol. Eh syempre ang dami-daming magagastos sa paglipat namin (lawyer's fee, moving expenses, new things for the house like washer-dryer, etc.) kaya dapat magtipid lol. My mother doesn't mind, syempre mas gusto niyang nandito kami kahit nagagastusan siya. Kung gusto nga raw namin eh wag na kaming umalis.

I'll share more details of our new townhome soon! =)

A New Beginning in British Columbia

We arrived in Surrey at around noon of October 2, 2016. We had lunch at Guildford Town Center (the mall just across our new place) then proceeded to the apartment to meet the building manager. We've managed our expectations naman kaya hindi na kami nagulat upon seeing na old building na talaga siya. Medyo nadaaanan na rin naman namin yung area during our August visit eh.

Sobrang kaba ko habang papunta na kami sa unit, I was hoping na sana maayos naman. Imagine, we would have to live there for at least a year as per our contract. Or we could leave earlier but w have to pay $1500 yata as penalty.

The unit was actually big (malalaki ang units sa mga lumang buildings) but it only has one bedroom. Wala kasing bakanteng two-bedroom. The stove and refrigerator are old, really old. Gusto kong umiyak talaga. We came from a brand new modern townhome, malaking adjustment talaga ang lumipat doon. But I chose to be grateful, at least nga makapapagsimula na kami. Inisip ko na lang din na pansamantala lang naman, na bibili uli kami ng bahay. Isa pa, pauwi na rin kami ni Nathan sa Pinas in a month (for a five-month vacation) kaya saglit lang ang ipagtitiis ko.

Ford took some of our essentials on the storage para may magamit muna kami. Haha, para kaming mga basang sisiw. Grabe, ang hirap palang magsimula uli. Again, the experience was so humbling. Pero what mattered naman was that magkakasama kaming tatlo. Through thick and thin.

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A few days later, Ford submitted his resume na in an engineering consulting firm in Langley. He chose to apply there first because of its proximity to our current apartment. Mas ok daw doon, pasaliwa sa traffic kapag rush hour. Last option na niyang mag-apply sa Downtown Vancouver kasi at least one-hour-per-way commute doon. Tapos mahal pa ang parking fees kaya dapat mag-skytrain na lang. Sobrang hassle.

Luckily, he instantly received a reply from the firm, asking him of his availability for a personal interview. After the interview, he was asked to produce some things and submit copies na rin of his previous project reports. Sinabihan na rin siyang ayusin na niya ang paglipat ng professional engineer's license niya sa BC.

So basically, he already knew that he'll get hired. Very positive nga kasi ang interview. In fact, instead of him convincing the interviewers that he's fit for the position, it was the other way around pa. Yung mga bosses pa ang nagmemention sa kanya ng mga benefits and how fun it would be to work in their company haha. Siya pa ang hinikayat!

The hubby received the good news (via email) on that beautiful morning of October 21st. May trabaho na siya! And with a salary that's way way higher than what we were expecting! Sobrang saya talaga grabe! Ang gaan-gaan sa pakiramdam kasi tapos na ang 9-month "ordeal" namin. And I love seeing his confidence back. Ibang-ibang aura ang nakita ko sa kanya.

He was asked to report to work on November 1. Ang bilis talaga ng pangyayari, many were surprised kasi nga nakakuha siya agad ng target job niya. Tapos after a few more days, licensed professional engineer na rin siya sa British Columbia.

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So there, it's been more than a year since we moved to BC and we are doing ok. I am back to being a stay-at-home mom and the hubby's back to being an engineer lol. Pero madalas nagbibiruan pa rin kami on how we miss those days na nagtatrabaho ako at siya ay panood-nood lang ng TV sa bahay. Looking back, I think that episode in our life had truly made us stronger. And humble to the core. Mas naging appreciative din kami sa kung ano ang meron kami sa ngayon. 

Just a couple of months ago, Ford told me: "Ok na tayo dito noh? Bahay na lang ang kulang."

Yes, bahay na lang talaga ang kulang. Pero hindi "lang" yun ha, given the real estate situation dito sa Metro Vancouver. Ginto ang presyo ng bahay dito haha. I've already accepted the fact na hindi na kami magkakaroon ng malaking bahay dito nang kagaya sa pwede naming mabili sa Edmonton. Basta ang gusto ko na lang ay magkaroon uli kami ng sariling place, kahit na condo na nga lang, para totally makapag-move on na kami. We decided to stay na lang din muna sa current apartment namin kahit lagpas one year na kasi nga ang hirap maglipat na naman. Gusto namin kapag lumipat kami, sa talagang amin na.

Hopefully mangyari iyon this year. Sa pagbalik namin ni Nathan sa Canada this April, sisimulan na talaga namin ang house-hunting. Please wish us luck.


--- To Be Continued ---

Two Years Ago in Edmonton (Part 2)

Sa una biru-biruan lang: "Tara lipat na tayo sa BC! Malapit ang Jollibee doon!" But on April 2016, we found ourselves talking to a realtor. On the first week of May, for sale na ang house namin.

I've always wanted to live in (Metro) Vancouver. When I first visited Canada in 2012, dumalaw kami sa Tita ko sa Surrey at nagandahan ako sa place. Hindi gaanong malamig (bihirang mag-snow) saka ang daming pwedeng gawin at pasyalan, hindi kagaya ng Deadmonton. Tapos cross border ka lang, Washington na. May Seafood City doon at Jollibee, Red Ribbon, at Chowking. Isa pa, mayroon nga akong Tita doon (na sobrang ka-close ko dati) kaya talagang na-engganyo ako.

Pero syempre hindi kami pwedeng lumipat noon kasi settled na si Ford sa Edmonton. May magandang trabaho siya, may bahay na kami, at may malalapit na kaibigan na rin. At mahirap din kasing iwan talaga ang Alberta kasi nga mataas ang sweldo doon (prior to recession) kasi nga mayaman ang probinsya. Tapos 5% lang ang sales tax  (sa BC ay 12%) kaya mas mura ang cost of living.

Pero by April, we realized that we had to leave Edmonton already. We already knew for a fact na matatagalan pa bago maka-recover ang Alberta. Ford's employment insurance will only last until February 2017. Sure, we could get by later on kung maghahanap muna siya ng kahit anong odd job tapos tuloy ang work ko, pero we had to consider his career. Hindi siya pwedeng ma-stagnate nang matagal. Yung ex-officemate niya na nalay-off din, nagrelocate na sa Ontario and found a job there.

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It took a while bago nabili yung house. Again, recession. Sino ang bibili ng bahay sa mga panahong iyon? Medyo skeptic nga ako eh, pero sige lang, wala namang bayad sa realtor. Magkakaroon lang siya ng commission kapag naibenta na niya.

At dahil matagal nga inabot, medyo naipit din ang job-hunting ni Ford. He couldn't apply in Vancouver kasi nga paano ang bahay kung hindi pa naibebenta? Hindi naman namin pwedeng iwan syempre. Hindi rin naman pwedeng mauna siya sa Vancouver, paano naman kami ni Nathan sa Edmonton? Ni hindi ako nagda-drive doon. So we had no choice but to wait.

My cousin in Toronto once asked me, "Buti hindi umiinit ang ulo ni Ford? Buti hindi siya nai-insecure na ikaw muna ang nagtatrabaho?"

Actually hindi naman. Hindi talaga. Una, mas malaki pa nga ang nakukuha niya sa insurance kesa sa sinusweldo ko noh. So mas malaki pa rin ang share niya sa household expenses namin haha. Pangalawa, mataas talaga ang EQ niya. He knew na temporary lang naman ang sitwasyon, that everything will be back to normal once na nakarelocate kami at nakahanap na uli siya ng work. At pangatlo, I would like to believe na hindi ko naman kasi siya dinown during those times. It wasn't his fault na nawalan siya ng trabaho, usaping ekonomiya yan. I reminded him that when he was earning well, he's been so good and generous to me. Kaya walang rason para maliitin ko siya sa puntong iyon ng buhay niya.

Pero minsan nang sabihin ko na pagod na ako (physically tired), he said: "Sana magkatrabaho na ako uli. Kasi pagod ka na." I assured him that I wasn't complaining, na wala naman talaga sa akin yun. Pagod lang talaga ako kasi may physical aspect din naman ang work ko.

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After what seemed to be an endless home viewings, we finally got an offer on August. Syempre we didn't get the amount that we initially stated, nagtawaran pa kami. In the end, break even lang kami. Pero ok na rin, at least makakapagsimula na kami uli sa BC. Saka two and half years pa lang naman kami doon, kaya wag magexpect ng equity. Masuwerte pa nga kami kasi nabenta, ang dami-daming properties (both old and new) that time na nakatengga kasi nga walang pambili ang mga tao ng bahay.

By the way, ang nakabili ng townhouse namin ay isang matandang mag-asawang Intsik yata. They used to live with their child (and his/her family) in one of the units din in the complex, pero gusto na nilang humiwalay. Kaya bumili sila ng unit (cash ha) doon din para malapit lang din sa anak nila. We were thankful kasi nga kung hindi sila tagadoon din, I doubt kung bibili sila ng second hand house. There's a new array of townhomes just across our street na marami pang vacant units, pwedeng doon sila bumili kung tutuusin.

We agreed to turn over the house on the last day of September. We thought that should give us ample time to look for an apartment in BC, pack, and bid goodbye to our friends.

Pero kaloka ha, mid-September na eh wala pa kaming malilipatan. On my birthday weekend (August 27-29), we drove all the way to Surrey to check a townhouse-type rental apartment that's big enough to accommodate all our things. Akala namin makukuha namin, given my husband's good credit history and our savings (that will prove that we are capable of paying), kaso we got declined. We were shocked, ang sakit palang ma-reject. Ang only reason na naisip namin is because Ford was jobless at that time. Our savings (plus the sale of our house) didn't count. We really never saw it coming, we were too confident na walang magiging problema sa paghahanap namin ng matitirahan.

We searched and searched online pero walang vacancy sa mga apartment complexes sa Langley, Delta at Delta (iyon kasi ang mga target cities namin). Mukhang booming talaga ang BC, naisip namin. Marami nga rin kasing naglipatan doon from Alberta simula nang mag-recession. I tried emailing / text messaging yung mga homeowners na nagpaparent ng basement but nobody replied. Mukhang hindi ako sineryoso.

We were getting desperate. Malapit na kaming maging homeless. Ang tindi ng pressure. Thankfully, meron isang nakausap si Ford na apartment manager who was willing to take us in kahit na hindi na namin ma-view ang apartment. When Ford informed her na wala pa siyang trabaho, enough na daw that we email to her our bank's statement of account para lang masigurado na may pambayad kami sa mga susunod na buwan. I guess she took us in when she learned na Filipino kami, marami raw kasi silang tenants na Filipino. Gusto siguro nila ang Pinoy kasi maayos sa bahay.

The only problem though was that we could only move by October 1. The only solution was to rent a huge storage in Surrey (hay, gastos!) and dump our things there at least a week before September ends kasi we needed to clean the townhouse pa before the turnover.

My parents-in-law came over in September and helped us pack the house. I quit from my job na rin (my last day was September 17). Then Ford rented a truck and they brought all our things in the storage on September 21.

We stayed at our good friend's (Mylene and Obet) house for a couple of days before the townhouse's turnover. We spent those days with our distant cousins and closest friends who became our family in Edmonton. It was bitter sweet. We were excited because a new adventure awaits us, but it wasn't easy to leave the life that we've built in Edmonton.

With a heavy heart, we left on the night of October 1st.

---- To Be Continued ----

Two Years Ago in Edmonton (Part 1)

Want to know why we left Edmonton?

It's because my husband lost his job there two years ago.

January 26, 2016 (Tuesday). Ford went home on lunch time, as usual. But when he mentioned that two officers from their Saskatoon head office were in their office, I suddenly felt nervous. Alam ko may male-layoff na naman. Marami-rami na rin kasing nalay-off the past months, yung iba matatagal na sa company saka matataas din ang puwesto.

In less than an hour after he left the house to go back to work, I received a shocking message from him: "na-lay off ako." Biglang umakyat ang dugo ko sa ulo. I was hoping na nagbibiro lang siya, pero alam kong hindi. Hindi siya nagbibiro ng mga ganyang bagay. Saka alam kong may problema na sa office nila, wala na silang masyadong projects. I just didn't expect na male-layoff siya ahead of other employees. You see, he's the MOE (most valuable employee) in the office. He's the owner's "right hand" in Edmonton Office (that owner unfortunately died just four months prior). Akala ko mala-last man standing talaga siya sa opisinang yun. Yun din ang akala niya.

It was a world-shattering text message. Sobra ang takot ko. Ang nareply ko lang: "Paano na tayo?" I remember crying so hard while waiting for him to come home. My then one-year old son was somewhat aware of what's happening. He quietly sat on my lap and hugged me while I was sobbing.

What made the situation worse was that my parents-in-law were already in our house that time and in three days, Ford's sister from California and brother from Qatar (and his family) are also coming for vacation. Ang gara talaga ng timing.

Ewan ko ba pero parang nase-sense ko na rin na mawawalan ng work ang asawa ko. Just a week before it happened, nag-blog pa ako on how scary the Canadian economy was na that time. Alberta was badly hit by recession because the prices of oil continued to drop in the world market. Fully dependent ang economy ng Alberta sa oil kaya talagang bagsak na bagsak ang probinsya.

My husband is a licensed Professional Engineer (a Geotechnical Engineer to be exact) at talagang apektado ang industry nila. Bagsak ang ekonomiya kaya no new projects, no new constructions. Many engineers, who were being paid well, were laid off.

Ganun pala yun. Uso pala talaga ang lay-off lay-off na yan sa North America. At yung recession na nababasa ko lang dati, na-experience talaga namin.

I was so scared that time. Paano na lahat ng bayarin namin? I suddenly looked around and regretted buying so many things that I didn't really need. Bigla akong nanghinayang sa pera. To be honest, hindi na ako sanay maghirap. When I came to Canada, everything has been served to me on a silver platter. Hindi ako nahirapan. My husband has been a very good provider, naibigay niya talaga lahat ng gusto ko. Ang komportable ng buhay namin and I took pride on that. Imagine, we were living comfortably on a single income. Not many families in Canada could afford that.

Then I realized na kung mabigat para sa akin ang nangyari, mas mahirap para sa asawa ko who has taken pride in being a good provider as well. Mas mabigat ang dalahin niya, sa balikat niya nakasalalay ang pamilya namin eh. Of course hindi niya pinakita pero alam ko na sobrang naga-alala rin siya. Sino ba naman ang hindi?

As a wife, all I could do was give him words of encouragement. That everything will be ok. That we will get through that difficult situation. But as two realistic individuals, we knew that it might take some time. Again, recession eh. Hindi naman basta nagclose lang ang company at nawalan siya ng work. Kung ganun lang kasi ang nangyari, ang bilis niyang makakahanap ng bago given his credentials.

I mentally assessed our finances. Kahit paano medyo kumalma ang pakiramdam ko kasi aside from our savings, meron naman siyang makukuhang severance pay from his company tapos may Employment Insurance (o EI) naman where he paid the highest contribution so he'll get the highest benefit din.

I called my mother that night and cried on her virtual shoulder. She said she'd send us money (initial reaction syempre) but I assured her that we're still financially ok, that we could manage in the coming months.

The following day, I remember modifying my husband's resume. Di ko talaga maisip na balik na naman kami sa paggawa ng resume. Nag-apply na rin siya agad sa mga nakita niyang openings online (na parang mga old posts na) tutal wala namang mawawala.

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The next three weeks was extra difficult because we had a put up a brave front in front of my husband's family. It wasn't easy to smile and laugh when all you wanted that time was mourn and wallow. We also became cautious na of spending siyempre. Before his siblings came, sinabi na niya that he's lost his job kaya sila na muna ang bahala sa gastos. Syempre as the manong (or kuya) and host, that was so hard on his ego. Kaso no choice, we had to preserve whatever money we had for the rainy days ahead. Biglang naging mahalaga every dollar. Buti na lang nakapamili na kami ng groceries and other things bago nga ang lay-off.

Thankfully, money was no problem naman with his family. His siblings generously shouldered all the expenses sa mga trips and dine-outs namin. They also offered us financial help just in case we need it (na sobrang na-appreciate namin siyempre).

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Even before my in-laws left, I already toyed with this idea na ako na muna ang magtrabaho while Ford is under EI. You see, when you're receiving insurance benefits, lahat ng magiging sweldo mo from any other part-time job ay ide-deduct. My husband that time had a part-time job in Lowe's (he applied when Nathan and I were in Pinas for our first long vacation and he got bored) but he had to quit dahil nga ang useless lang kung yung kikitain niya doon ay ibabawas pa sa monthly cash benefit na makukuha niya sa EI. Parang nag-aksaya lang siya ng pagod at gasolina.

The best solution was really for me to work muna para may pandagdag kami sa EI at nang hindi maubos ang savings namin. Nang sabihin  ko yun sa asawa ko, I felt his hesitation. Syempre pride pa rin kahit papano. But after explaining to him na susubukan ko lang bumalik doon sa dati kong work at talagang gusto kong makatulong sa finances namin, he gave in.

I immediately contacted my former co-worker-turned-good-friend Cristy and asked her if there's an opening in the store (I worked there pala for only six weeks in 2014 kasi I got pregnant na). She excitedly said yes, kulang daw talaga sila ng keyholder/supervisor kaya mag-apply na ako agad. Sabi ko pagkaalis ng in-laws ko, pupunta ako agad doon.

After Ford's siblings left, sumunod na rin ang mga biyenan ko. They rebooked their flight a week earlier, probably para makapagsimula na kaming makadiskarte sa bagong sitwasyon namin. Before taking them to the airport, hinatid muna nila ako sa store early morning so I could submit my resume.

Cristy accompanied me to the assistant manager (the manager wasn't there that time) so I could personally hand to her my resume.

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To cut the story short, I got rehired and started working on February 29 (just over a month after Ford lost his job). It wasn't easy at first kasi nasanay na ako na pahiga-higa lang sa bahay but I got used to it eventually. After all, sabi ko nga kay Ford, I may not be masipag in the house pero masipag akong magtrabaho. Lahat ng extra hours kinuha ko. Kapag may absent, willing na willing akong sumalo ng shift.

Ford became a house husband for several months haha. Tapos personal driver ko pa kasi hatid-sundo niya (nila ni Nathan) sa trabaho. Sa totoo lang, nag-enjoy pa nga ako. Finally, I was able to work again!

Ang drawback lang siyempre is the salary. Maliit lang ang sweldo sa retail. Saka hindi naman ako full-time kaya hindi malaki ang take-home pay ko. Pero ayos na rin kasi at least nakukuha na ang pang-grocery at gas namin. Yung insurance ni Ford ang naging pambayad ng house mortgage, car, and other bills namin. Saktong-sakto lang talaga.

I am telling you, it was the most humbling time of our married/family life. Kinailangan din talaga naming magtipid kasi we weren't comfortable na mabawasan ang savings namin. Kung dati panay ang kain namin sa labas, syempre hindi na pwede. Walang shopping (except for essentials), walang luho, wala lahat ng nakasanayan namin. Nanahimik kami sa bahay. Buti nga one year old lang si Nathan noon, hindi pa demanding sa toys at McDonald's.

Kapag inisiip ko na minsan yung isang araw na sweldo ko ay isang oras lang dati ng asawa ko, napapailing ako. Malalaman mo talaga ang importance ng isang bagay kapag wala na sayo. Basta, nakaka-humble. Nakakawala ng yabang. It took a while pa nga before we informed our closest friends in Edmonton about our situation. Syempre ayaw namin ng "awa" o kahit na anong judgment. Pero hindi naman sila ganun. They, of all people, will understand our situation kasi nga taga-Alberta rin sila at nakaka-experience ng impact ng recession.

Ford continued to apply pero wala talagang hiring (yung mga nakapost online ay parang joke lang talaga).  He's had one job interview from a relatively "new" company pero sobrang weird daw ng owner. Ang taas ng vision, ang daming demands, pero $18 lang ang offer sa isang professional engineer. Sobrang shocking, really. It's expected na given the bad economy, hindi talaga makakapag-offer ng malaki pero $18 per hour lang talaga? Mataas pa ang sweldo ng cleaner? Big joke talaga kaloka.

Then one time, he contacted his former officemate who was then employed in a bigger engineering firm. That officemate promised to help him, tutulungan daw siyang makapasok kapag may opening. Sadly, only after two weeks, he got laid-off, too. More than half na pala of professional engineers in Alberta have lost their jobs.

Fortunately for us, may trabaho ako kahit papano kaya hindi na masyadong nakakapressure on my husband's part. But for his ex-officemate, grabe ang pressure because he just had a baby and the wife couldn't work. And because it was futile to look for work in Edmonton, he tried applying in Vancouver where he received an instant request for interview.

That's how we got the idea na lumipat sa BC. Mukhang madaling makahanap ng trabaho doon.

---- To Be Continued ----

Christmas Eve 2017

My aunt invited us to spend the Christmas eve with them but I graciously declined. I told her Nathan won't make it till 12 midnight because he's been sleeping quite early lately. While it is half true, the real reason is that I really just wanted to stay at home for noche buena. We may not have the best Christmas decors nor the most delicious food this year but I want to be comfortable with my two boys. Ok na yun.

December 24, 2017. After having lunch with friends, we spent the rest of the afternoon at Metrotown Mall killing time. We shopped a bit and left at around 3:30pm to pick up the cake that I ordered at 4pm. We went home after that and tried to make Nathan nap so he will be awake later that night. But he couldn't sleep. Ford got a call from Grandt Kitchen (a Filipino restaurant here in Surrey) and was requested to pick up the food that we ordered earlier than 6:45pm, so he did.

At around 6:15pm, he's back and complained that he's hungry. So instead of waiting for 10pm or 12mn (my original eating time plan), we had early dinner na. Mabuti na rin para bumaba na ang sugar level namin later that night at nang makakain uli.

Ang hirap mag-isip nang ihahanda for a party of three, lalo na kapag hindi pa kumakain yung isa at diabetic yung dalawa. We just ordered food sa Pinoy resto because it's practical and economical.

Our handa -- pancit canton, beef caldereta, pork sisig, and pork barbeque.

We ate in front of the TV watching news. Our plan was to watch all night.

As expected, the little boy only ate apples. I was hoping that he'll eat pancit kaso ni ayaw tikman. I'll do a review of our food on my next post.

Then at around 8pm I brought out our ultimate holiday cheat foods na. Big time cheating talaga ang plan lol.

We ordered this cake from a Filipina home-based baker. Si Jesus pa ba ang mawawalan ng birthday cake?

Nathan joyfully delivered a birthday song for Jesus.

Family groufie after.

And the little boy couldn't wait to open his gifts! Ang alam nya kasi pagkatapos magblow ng candle ng cake ay gift-opening na haha!

I am thankful that we bought several gifts for him. Enjoy na enjoy siyang magbukas.

Here are his three major gift requests -- "animals,"hugas-hugas," and "toilet." Paniwalang-paniwala talaga siya kay Santa (I don't remember believing in Santa when I was growing up. Siguro kasi poor lang kami noon haha!).

Ford and I also opened our gifts from Juris and Tess. Haha, we didn't have gifts for each other kasi nga wala naman kaming separate money/bank account. Basta I buy whatever I want and tell him gift na niya yun sakin lol.

A little past 9pm, we started watching Seven Sundays na. We rented the movie @TFC.TV for $7.99. Medyo pricey pero ayos na rin kasi I've always wanted to watch this film.

Carbs overload!

Pero mukhang mas nag-enjoy ang asawa ko sa palabas haha. Plus he kept on saying "Ang gwapo talaga ni Dingdong" kaloka!

I think we'll do this na every Christmas eve, watch Filipino-themed movies. Sana lang palaging meron.

Halfway through the movie, nakatulog na ang bagets (not that he was watching lol). Sabi na nga ba eh, hindi nga kasi nag-nap nung hapon.

Pack-up na kami around 11:30pm. I had my red day din that night kaya I wasn't feeling well. It was the husband who washed the dishes, salamat naman.

My major wish that night was for us to have our own place na (be it a condo or a townhouse) by next Christmas para mas bongga naman ang celebration. Pero kahit simple lang ang naging noche buena namin, I was happy and contented kasi kasama ko ang asawa at anak ko. Iyon naman ang pinakaimportante.

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By the way, I am glad that that morning, I was able to talk to my Mamoosh and Tita Oya via Facetime. How I wish na magkakasama kami on Christmas kaso hindi naman palaging posible. Buti na lang talaga may internet. =)

Merry Christmas!

Finally, Christmas na rin samin dito sa Vancouver! Advanced ng 16 hours ang oras sa Pinas kumpara dito kaya medyo corny, tapos ng magbatian lahat ng kaibigan at kapamilya namin sa Facebook lol.

Anyway, makikiuso na rin ako kahit gasgas na gasgas na.

From our family to yours, have a blessed Christmas!

Ford's 11 Days in Pinas (Holidays 2016)

It wasn't planned. But because his new office has holiday shut down pala from Dec. 23 to January 2, he's decided to come here in Pinas to be with us. Never mind the cost (ang mahal ng plane fare grrr!), kikitain din naman uli yun. Ang importante, magkakasama kami ng Pasko at Bagong Taon.

Here's a short recap of what we did on the 11 days that Daddy Ford was here:

Day 1 (December 24, 2016). Daddy's here! I didn't pick him up at the airport anymore. We had a bus that dropped off passengers in Pasay City on the night of the 23rd so I just asked our driver to fetch Ford in NAIA 2. Haha, naloka si Manong Coblancs kasi bus talaga ang sumundo sa kanya!

I was expecting them to arrive a bit late kasi nga uwian ng mga tao sa probinsya. Pero super bilis ng naging biyahe nila pauwi.

TanTan was so surprised upon seeing his dad. Super happy ang bagets!

We immediately went to SM Marilao because I wanted to buy Crema de Fruta from Goldilocks for Noche Buena. Unahan pa naman doon kaya dapat maaga.

We were supposed to attend the 9am mass but Mamoosh was feeling sleepy (note: we had no househelp that time) so hindi na rin kami tumuloy. We just had a simple noche buena at home with Tita Oya and my cousin MacMac.

Day 2 (December 25, 2016). We weren't able to attend the mass because we woke up late. Nagchill-chill pa ang mag-daddy before and after lunch.

We proceeded to Meycauayan to visit Auntie Doc Ely (Ford's aunt) in the afternoon.

We had early dinner at Kenny Roger's Petron NLEX Marilao before heading home. Saka Starbucks.

Day 3 (December 26, 2016). My aunt who lives in Surrey requested Ford for some quezo de bola for pasalubong kaya inuna na namin para matapos na. Walang Marca Pina brand sa SM Marilao (at wala ring malaki) so we went to Landmark Supermarket in Trinoma.

We did a mini shopping at Trinoma na rin and some food trip.

Day 4 (December 26, 2017). I had a quick agreement with Raxie the previous night for a meet-up. Kaya ayun, dahil madalian, nakalimutan na namin ni Ford na coding ang sasakyan namin. We were already in Camachile when we realized that. We were so nervous. Ford's Philippine driver's license was expired pa naman (though he can use naman his Canadian license). Awa ng Diyos, nakalusot naman kasi early afternoon noon at walang nanghuhuli sa kalsada.

We ate at Pizza Hut because sobrang miss ko na ang sausage stuffed crust pizza! Then we had desserts at Iceberg's.

Day 5 (December 28, 2016). The original plan was to visit Luna then spend a night or two in Baguio. Kaso hindi natuloy kasi nga nawalan kami ng kasambahay and we couldn't leave Mamoosh alone nang matagal.

We left for Luna at around 5:30am and around 3pm na yata kami nakarating. Super traffic anywhere grrr. Less than 4 hours lang kami sa Luna.

But at least we were able to visit Auntie Nen, Uncle Sicing and Auntie Celina (who passed away last January 1), Auntie Eden and Uncle Romy, and Auntie Grace. Past 1am of the following day na kami nakarating ng Marilao.

Day 6 (December 29, 2016). Raxie brought us at Chef Laudico Guevarra's for a sumptuous buffet dinner. We were there as early as 5pm because we had no reservation (puno na raw kasi). We waited for more than 2 hours but it was worth it. Masarap ang food grabe at ang ganda ng ambience.

Thanks for the treat, BFF!

We had coffee pa muna at Starbucks syempre. Ayun, nakakuha na rin ako ng planner sa wakas.

Day 7 (December 30, 2016). For the nth time, tinreat uli kami sa buffet dinner ni Tita Dap (Ford's favorite cousin) sa Manila Peninsula. Sobrang busog na naman as in!
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I am thankful because Nathan was so "nice" to his Ninang Daphne. Sumama talaga siya, nakipaglaro at nakipagkulitan

We took Tita Dap home to her new condo in Muntinlupa. 

Super enjoy ang bagets sa playground. 

Day 8 (December 31, 2016). We just stayed in Bulacan kasi magpuputukan na. We Went to SM Marilao to buy some for food for media noche kaso ang haba ng pila sa Hypermarket. Nag-Rosalie's na lang kami for some pastries. Then we proceeded to Bocaue to get some paputok and pailaw.

Ok na sana ang set-up namin kaso masama na pala ang pakiramdam ni Daddy the Pooh. Ayun di tuloy nakapagpaputok.

Except for some luces nung midnight na.

We were really thankful to be together that night. Magkakasama kaming sumalubong sa bagong taon.

Day 9 (January 1, 2017). We went to Lolomboy after lunch to watch the annual new year's day parade. Haha, jologs na parade lang naman. Pero part talaga ito ng childhood ko.

Sa wakas, nakainom din si Coblancs kahit papano.

Then we had dinner at where else -- Jollibee! 

Day 10 (January 2, 2017). We went to SM Megamall to buy some Philippine mugs for Ford's officemates. Meron naman sa SM North pero nag-Mega kami para maiba naman. I planned on having a nice family photo kasi last chance na namin noon kaso di ako pinalad. Hay, sa Canada na nga lang!

Day 11 (January 3, 2017). Ford just went to Meycauayan for a short ride in the morning, then to the dentist in SM Marilao for teeth cleaning. Tapos before we knew it, bye bye time na.

Our Navara pick-up truck is 'coding' so Pod had to use their old Fuego. Sumama na rin sa paghahatid sina Doc Ely and Manang Loleng. Buti na lang me nakuha siyang driver kasi I hate bringing people to the airport hehe.

It was sad, of course. Pero we'll see him in 3 months naman so keri lang.

So there. Eleven short days. Not that exciting sa totoo lang kasi wala naman kaming interesting na nagawa o napuntahan. Pero happy na rin kasi kahit sobrang pagod kasi nga nagkasama kami during the holidays. We spent quite a fortune sa 11 days na ito pero sige lang, it was worth it naman.

We miss you, Daddy!

Hello, 2017!

Happy New Year!!!

Sorry for my nanggigitata look. Init na init talaga ako lol!

 
I can't believe it's 2017 already! Geez, I am so happy that I got to celebrate the coming of a new year with my mother in Pinas! At kumpleto talaga kami. Ford was able to come here (albeit for only 11 days) to spend the holiday with us.

We've had a very tough 2016. Up to its last days, talagang chinallenge pa rin kami (read: Nathan was hospitalized tapos nagkasakit pa si Pod during media noche). Pero sige, keri lang. A new year signifies hope. Ahh basta, optimistic ako na magiging  ok ang 2017 namin. Nating lahat!

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At eto na naman ang promise ko na magiging active uli ako sa pagdo-document ng buhay namin through blogging. Haha, sana lang matupad!

A beautiful morning

It was a beautiful, beautiful morning. Our hearts were full of gratitude.

October 21, 2016

Finally, everything is falling into place. Maraming salamat Po.

We will get through this

I am so sorry for the lack of posts. I feel bad, really bad.

But you see, our family is facing through a tough time right now. Our life has changed in just a blink of an eye. =( If only I can blog about it, hay!

Picture taken from Instagram @snoopygrams

Anyway, I know that we'll be ok. Soon, hopefully. This is only a challenge, a test of our family's strength.

VDay 2015 with my boys

All occasions are more special now because we have this little guy who always tags around!

Valentine's Day 2015 fell on a Saturday so we really long planned on eating out. But I wasn't in the mood on the day itself, sobrang malamig kasi. I slept the whole day. However, Ford woke me up late in the afternoon and insisted that we go out.

Ford suggested that we eat at Chili's but upon checking on their menu online, I kinda 'backed out.' Sobrang namamahalan kasi ako. With a baby, hindi rin naman namin mae-enjoy ang ambiance eh.

Then I remembered Swiss Chalet. We haven't eaten there and their food seemed reasonably priced naman.

We went to their Windemere branch.

Just as I expected, there were many diners. But the restaurant is quite big and there were still many vacant tables. We had to wait for a few minutes for a booth though. Meron nga kasi kaming dalang baby.

Our order took long to arrive so we had plenty of time to take pictures.

Our server was a Filipina so nakipa-picture na rin kami.

Nathan got hungry na haha!

Here's what we ate. Ford and I each had a soup and chicken-ribs plate. In fairness, masarap naman. Hindi nga rin ganun kamahal.

Valentine's Day now has a deeper meaning because of my son. Our love story has produced a very cute offspring!

Cheers to more Valentine celebrations!

Puro snow ang paligid. I admire my husband for being so patient in bringing us out kahit na sobrang mahirap sa part niya. Thank you, Dear!

Ang sarap magtampisaw sa malinis na snow!

We went to Walmart after to buy diapers for Nathan. Haha, very unromantic! Iba na talaga ang buhay namin ngayon!

I just had to end Valentine's Day with this...

I wasn't able to give my husband a gift. It's so absurd if I buy something for him kasi using his own money haha! He asked me if I want something but I said no na rin kasi kabibili nya lang sa akin ng iPhone 6 a few days before.

I really am beyond grateful. Sa bawat okasyon na kasama na namin si Cheeky Boy, tumataba ang puso ko.