My 1st US Christmas

Christmas really is a big event. It brings people together.

It's my 1st Christmas in the US and my in-laws are so nice to me that they celebrated the midnight Philippines' Christmas with my family thru Skype. We watched them open gifts and stuff, we saw eat the feast and they even gave me, and Llyr gifts open with them. :)


Everyone's camera shy xD
I got a selfie stick so I took photos with my sister who was on the big screen Skype.

The next day which was the 25th, we had our Christmas morning, and my family saw that thru Skype too! We opened family gifts and ate breakfast together. I got lots of gifts, it was unbelievable that there were only 6 people gifting each other, okay 6 and a half (Llyr)

In the afternoon, we got together with my father-in-law's side of the family and had a big Christmas party. People played table-top games and board games, and lots of food since it was a really late lunch potluck.

My husband and I made some desserts.

I think they liked it. I think xD

After eating came the opening of presents! But I wasn't able to take photos of that.. :( Next year I'll do better (when I'm prepared haha). The only thing I wish we did was play team/group games with everyone and karaoke like in the Philippines. All in all it was a fun day!

I've had 3 Christmases so far, and I will have the 4th one on Sunday! Yay, Christmas!

Credits to Stacy for this picture. We forgot to take a family photo with the huge tree in the Sanctuary.

I hope you're having a blast with your Christmas holiday!!

God is really good.

posted from Bloggeroid

---edited on the laptop---

Now, we have a week before the New Years, and people are already asking me what I want for my birthday.

It was already really hard thinking of what I wanted for Christmas haha.

I got most of what I wanted, and more.

There really are things I want to have, but they're not really practical stuff?

It's so hard to give a wish list because I feel I should worry about the person spending too much on me.

Hahaha.

In a week it'll be 2016.

A days after that I will turn... secret for now. xD

PH Christmas: I will miss you.

This will be my first Christmas in the United States, and frankly I can't stop but think it wouldn't be the same.

I don't want that to be a bad thing for my in-laws and all, but it's just going to be totally different right?

I've been here in KY, USA for about 6 months?
(Kyle said 5 months and a half, okay Mr. Math Wizard.)

There has been so many things to keep me from getting actually homesick.
{4th of July, Summer Bible School, Llyr's bday, Karaoke nights with Dad-o, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, taking my Permit test, the urgency of learning how to drive, new food, new places, being with my in-laws with work and play, being volunteered for stuff, haha}

But, with Christmas coming, this will be hard blow.

I REALLY love Christmas! It's not like I'm going to hate it this year, but it would be just -- different.

(click read more..)

8 Days to go!

OMG. The wait is so long x.x
I'm really excited for Christmas!

My baby turned 15 months yesterday, and it was an awesome day.
This blog though is not really about that. That was just something I had to cram in the post xD

I'm in a new world, and the way they celebrate Christmas is different from my home country. I will miss our kind of party, so much. I am already missing lots of things, but this is a huge thing. Christmas has always been the most fun family thing. (´д⊂)

Anyway this is not meant to be a sad post. I want to show off my Christmas decoration a bit. ＾∇＾）

First off, the outside of the door:





Then the inside of the door:

Don't you love my stars? ♥

Here's the door way to the kitchen:

Can you spot the mistletoe?

Now here's the door decor to our bedroom:


My second favorite is the bookshelf:

♥♥♥

My favorite is our Christmas tree:

♥♥♥♥♥♥

And oh, I also want to show off my in-law's tree!


Our Christmas trees are REAL, they smell so good, it's awesome! Check here when we bought it.

Don't you just love the festive decors for Christmas? Mine's mostly paper and origami since I don't have work and money to get them... for now. (*´▽｀*) Love how many things you can make with paper, glue, and a pair of scissors!

And in other news, someone passed the permit test today! Thank you Jesus!

Hurr hurr hurr. 

1st try failed, but passed the 2nd try! 

Hurrah for not getting disowned!

╭(°ㅂ°)╮╰(°ㅂ°)╯

　　 ∧＿∧

　◯(＾∀＾)◯

　 ＼　　　／

　_／ ＿＿ ＼_

（＿／　　＼＿)

I AM SO BLESSED!

Christmas come sooner!

posted from Bloggeroid

107,200 minutes as Mrs. Walker

Wow, it's been 730days already? Or 603 (minus the days we were apart 'coz of the visa thing, haha) but who counts? XD

Anyway it's been 2 years. Wow. Finally, we now have our own home, and Llyr's 1 year old, and we live as a family together. God is good.

Today was a lot of fun, I learned how to skate for the first time!!! It was a bit harder than roller blading but I'm sure I'd learn this well!



Also I was part of a parade for Christmas!



Oh btw, it's my father-in-law's bday too! ;)

(⬇pic related)


How blessed I because I am the child of God.

posted from Bloggeroid

1st Experience of BLACK FRIDAY

This was the craziest shopping thing I've ever done. I'm from the Philippines and I go to Divisoria for Christmas shopping, but, gosh Black Friday was insane!

First of all, I live in KY so it's probably not super crazy like NY or CA. Some people do camp outside the stores though @_@ but we didn't do that.

We went to Oprymills in TN for this. It is the biggest sale of the year after all. I have never shopped til' dropped ever. From noon to night, and then next morning 'til 6pm?! Shop after shop, we visited not even the whole mall! There were so many people, I couldn't believe I was sweating at the mall, in AMERICA, IN AUTUMN. Like, really?

The best part of the trip though was the company, the people I was with. The discounts were awesome, but nothing beats having fun with the people you love.

posted from Bloggeroid

It's late but... My First Thanksgiving Day

Yes, it is a late post. Sorry, I've been swamped by so many things! I didn't know November can be a busy month! >< I've not experienced a November such as this before. In the Philippines, Nov. 1 and 2 are called All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively. But only 1 things happening really. October is my Christmas shopping time, so by November, I'm pretty much, relaxed. In the US though, they have Thanksgiving Day. Turkey Day as other people call it. Well, it's my first time to experience it and oh my.. it's busy busy. Many people are busy to have their after-Halloween stuff.

It's funny because some people have asked me, "How do you celebrate Thanksgiving in the Philippines?" I cannot answer, really, and just smile. Thanksgiving Day is a holiday ONLY in the US. It is a part of their History, which I only know very little about. Only that the pilgrims ate dinner with the land's natives. (I gotta learn about this)

Here, normally people have dinner with the family, but in our case, we had brunch!

Anyway, here are some pictures!

OH there's also Black Friday!

But that's for next time! xD

Halloween 2015

This was our (my baby and I) first experience to get candy for Halloween!

Halloween is getting bigger everywhere but it the Philippines, it's not really celebrated, since the country is mainly Catholic in population.

Now Llyr and I are in the US, we can trick or treat! Yes, me too. XD


Llyr as a pumpkin!
This was what he wore in the morning. :)


Kyle and I as Mad Hatter and Alice from the videogame American Mcgee's Alice.

Sadly, because of rain the trunk or treat becamr indoors. Antway, we were still able to get sweets!


Candies!!!

posted from Bloggeroid

My 1st Pumpkin Carving Experience!

I've always been interested in Fall. I think there's so many things to do! A lot of good food to eat since it's harvest season, and there's Halloween!

2 weeks ago, I experienced my first Turkey Shoot -- which is on my Youtube Channel, and then I went to Holiday World last Saturday (my first amusement park experience in the US).

Anyway, this post is about Pumpkin Carving, so here goes!!

I've never imagines that I would be able to have this experience, and I didn't expect it to be technical, to be honest. O_o It's a good thing my father-in-law was guiding me through it, and was helping so that my baby wouldn't go to where I was working because -- I have to use a saw! xD

I picked the pumpkin, with a good face. (They told me to have one in a bit of an angle so it would look good with a face on. xD)

The process:

My father-in-law, Bob, cuts the top off in an angle, so that it won't fall inside.
Also leaves a square cut so it won't move or swivel.

Who knew. xD

This is me gutting my pumpkin!!

It was a bit tiring, coz it was my first time. 

It took me 13 minutes to have a smooth inside.

Pumpkin fully gutted!

Then I chose a design and pinned the pattern down.

Onto the poking!

I used a pencil to poke the stencil!

16 minutes.

Now, onto the actual carving!

I used a small saw, from a carving kit, and I started cutting the design.

My father-in-law gave a lot of advice on how to make it easier to carve.

I did it for about 20 mins!

I'm a beginner.

This is the finished product!

Of course we had to test it, so we lit 2 candles inside of it and~~~

Do you know who this is?

^_^

I'll give you a hint:
He likes Christmas time! xD

Today's the DAY!

OMG. I have been waiting for so long to have a snack like this!
The only thing not ideal is me being at the park, under a tree.
(I can do that .. but I didn't know it'd be so cold for me during Autumn)

Yes, it's my first Autumn! The tree outside my house is FINALLY turning red!

Anyway, this blog is about ---

Finally, I can have my matcha latte and taiyaki <3

I know, it seems so childish, but I have not eaten Taiyaki until today! So I'm super excited! I love it! Every bit of it! And I also made the matcha latte by myself! :)

See you again for the next blog!
I promise I will write more!

Things You Never Knew You Would Do

Have you ever just woken up, and stare at the ceiling, thinking "What am I doing?"

I mean, there can be a lot of things you'd swear up and down you would not do, or even the things you would do (and you think it's the exclusive thing you would).

Then reality kicks you in the butt, and presents you something you would never even dream of.

From when I was 11 years old, I have set plans for myself:

• I will get married when I'm 24-25
• I will have twins. Boy first then girl will come out. xD
• I will go to Japan and live there (study)
• I will be a comic illustrator and writer
• I will work with my favorite mangakas from Funny Komiks.

You know, things like that. Then it was a little change from when I was 13-16:

• I will go to Japan to study, then I will work there, and get married to a Japanese man.
• I will have twins.
• I will go to Hogwarts.
• I will be a novelist.

Turns out, things don't work that way. Haha.

Because God has plans for you, and no matter how much you run away, it will chase you! xD
Then you'd know it's a great plan.

I have accomplished some stuff from my list.

• I got married when I was 24 -- about 3 weeks before I turned 25.

• I may not have twins (right now), but the boy did come first! And he is a beautiful baby boy!

• I have made a comic, and a novel -- it might be kid-ish, but I can say I have started somewhere. AND I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MY 2 FAV. MANGAKAS. Gosh, you guys do not know how giddy I was! I could not breathe!
  
• Now, I live in the US with my husband, and son. I may not be in Japan (YET), but we have our own house, and we are blessed. I will still go to Japan though. :D
  
• I went to Hogwarts.

So here I am now, blogging about broken plans (or so to say), but I only think that way because I keep putting my own in front of God's. But when you learn to accept, you'd discover how much better His plans are. They always are.

But.
I will still go to Japan.
And.
I will have a baby girl.

Just because.

٩(⸝⸝⸝◕ั ௰ ◕ั⸝⸝⸝ )و

I am God's daughter.

He's not so little anymore!

Llyr is a year old!

He's been wonderful! He's sleeping longer, he's playing by himself (for like 10minutes), and he's drinking more from cup with straws than bottles. He's been a really good boy. He loves to cuddle at night, which makes weaning him a bit hard -- but he is just so adorable.

I feel a bit guilty because for his birthday, I was a bit busy. Last night, I lie awake, and think about how I didn't spend the entire day with and for him. I had something to do around lunch, and didn't see him until 2:30pm, and then we went out and at night, I did something for the weekend, so I was not able to play with him until he went to sleep. He was put to sleep by his daddy so I can finish what I was doing. T^T

Today, I shall play, cuddle, dance, sing, run, bike, and feed him.

1 Month

Oh wow it's been a month since we moved to the US. It feels like it's been so fast. The days went by crazily quick. Probably it feels like so since I've also been watching how my son just suddenly grew so big o~o

I need a downtime ;~; with everything so quick I actually feel like I'm losing time.

So much back log on reading, blogging, unpacking (yeah 2 bags left unpacked), laundry, vacuuming, organizing, like WAAAAAH @_@

I miss my family so much, I miss the food, I miss the humidity too! I don't feel so homesick though since we have skype, and also since my in-laws are just taking care of us so nicely.

No complaints (except the car seat law which makes Llyr so mad everytime, and the fact that to go anywhere I would need to drive ;~;)

posted from Bloggeroid

I can POST!

Today, I can finally post this.

I'm now at the gate to board for my flight to U.S.A.
I'll be leaving my home country and going to a foreign land. My blog will probably have more updates compared to before. Follow my adventures on this platform.

I will also update on youtube (maybe).
Send your prayers for me and my family.

posted from Bloggeroid

Anxiety

Have you ever felt so anxious before?
You feel sick to your stomach that you're not sure if you're about to puke or have really loose bowel.
(つд⊂)

Well, that's how I feel right now. I can't sleep at all. It's been a week or more that I just cannot sleep. Many ask me, even mama, if I'm just excited.

No. This is not excitement. This is me entering my panic mode. I'm anxious, nervous, scared.


Oh yes.

Lord, I know everything will work out because You are working in my life right now.

I will be still.

posted from Bloggeroid

What have I done..

I entered a world of no return...

Dun dun dun..

Organizing and packing.

Anyway, try as we may.. I can't bring my entire house x.x I'm a sentimental freak and I want to bring everything. We now have 4 huge bags of trash cough because I have been not taking care of my stuff over the years.

We planned to pack within the time limit of an hour and a half.^{didn't happen.}Why?

Because:





That's why. (╭☞´ิ∀´ิ)╭☞

For some reason we ended up with 2 luggage bags with 20kg each in about 3 hours, and my clothes aren't even packed yet!! (╯⊙ ω ⊙╰ )

We're probably redoing stuff :(

posted from Bloggeroid

SLEEPLESS WORLD

I'm supposed to be doing 2 things right now.
1. Sleeping
2. Relaxing
But I can't. xc

1. I can't sleep because I have to take care of my man, and my little man. They both have a fever T-T

2. I can't relax because I'm so anxious about the changes that I am and will be encountering in my life. Getting worse because I can't talk about it (yet).
So yeah. My sleepless nights are far from over. Anyway, I've signed up for the sleepless world when I decided I will be a mom. And that's the good part to all this. :.ﾟ٩(๑˘ω˘๑)۶:.｡



(:3)っ⌒つ

posted from Bloggeroid

PARENTING

I have taken my Professor's advice about letting time have my emotions die down a bit before writing stuff down. So that when you read back on it -- it's less yucky, and tormenting. Having a clearer perspective on something that you are subjective about so you can be objective about it.

My husband and I (I finally got used to saying this without cringing xD) -- 

attended a parenting seminar.

READ ON

▼↓↓↓▼

Almost the end of the month!

In 3 days, the month of May would be ending, and come June there will be a lot of things that will unfold. God has a lot of great plans for me. I am His daughter, and I claim all those in His name.

I have been writing on my journal, calendar, and a notebook. So blogging was something I stopped for a bit on since I got really busy last week. That's why there's a skip in my blog (since I wanna blog every week).

Last week was so busy and hectic, and I so want to badly post about those stuff, but I will let it slip for a while, until such time that I would NEED to do it.

My baby's check-up is coming soon, and wow recently all I can think of is food. Isn't that always? I have to exercise though. I just wanted to have my blog not dead for over 2 weeks.

I will be posting something nice soon. :D

Happy 8 Months Baby Kristofer Llyr

It's so fast!

Whenever I played Sims 3 (a lot) I was always so bored at the unmoving potato on the crib until it magically transforms into a toddler! Holy gosh that escalated quickly!

So on to the actual post.

My heart is exploding!

I WANT TO WRITE!

I feel like my heart is really about to explode, and no, it's not because of caffeine. Maybe it's the sugar. 

No really I want to write.

I don't have a lot of time to write -- and that sucks. I make do with what I have. I really want to be able to regularly blog. I do -- so much, and I want to have time to sit down and write on my journal, and my newly unearthed notebook without having to worry about my baby. My husband is a good husband. I have told him that. He needs to work on his daddy skills though. (I've told him that too. Bluntly, I might add.) He's been a house husband for a while now, I know he's been getting itchy to work again, and well, not be a home stay dad. I know he LOVES to play games, and he wants time alone with that too. So it's really a give and take situation.

It's MAY!

SO remember my last post about my New Year's resolution. It was broken the next day. xD; I kind of didn't start my year of writing quite well. I've been in a writing stump for 6 years or so now. I really wanted this blog to have me write more, but I guess I have unfinished business in my early years. Anyway, as I try to overcome that hurdle, I bring good news! I officially have a VISA interview schedule now! Woots!! Please continue praying for my VISA so that I can settle down with my family in the US. Of course, I would be honest and say, I don't really want to leave. Who wants to leave family right? But I know God has a plan for me, Kyle and I were picked for each other for a reason. There are a lot of great opportunities set out for me because His plans are always the best. This blog post officially starts "God's Plan for MY Year." I claim it. I receive it. In Jesus' name! Yes, I will find a regular time to blog from now on. "Not to Write, for many of us, is to die." Ray Bradbury, Zen of the Art of Writing