31 Weeks.

Dear Bean and Bun,

Today I was able to take a break from work and go on a walk (yay!) like a good pregnant mama. Even though this song is relatively new, it reminded me of my college days - We are Young by F.U.N. It makes me think of songs like Closing Time by Semisonic (that's definitely more my era):
Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

This song reminds me of college because it talks about how we are going to take the world by storm. There is a time in your life where you will feel like the world is your oyster and you can and will accomplish anything! My babies, you probably wonder why I'm even bringing this up. When you are old enough to read this, or better yet, understand where I'm coming from, you will see me simply as "mom". You won't think I was ever cool enough to go out bar-hopping, flirt with guys or basically capable of having any fun. It will hurt, but I get it. I still question if your Nana ever had the kind of fun that I would consider my kind of fun.
I decided to write to you guys instead of my normal writing to no one in particular because as I was walking my two miles and listening to this song, I thought, "Man, my life is different." Keep in mind that I was walking pretty slow and it felt like my uterus was going to drop out from under me at any moment. No, babies, I don't blame you at all. I feel absolutely blessed to be pregnant with you, Bean. The discomfort just comes along with the territory.
Anyway, I was listening to the song and rubbing my sore belly thinking about how different my life was 12 years ago. I reminisced how much smaller my body was and how I wish I appreciated it more. I thought about how my belly (while never hard) was taut, my figure was cute and why didn't I work it more? I was self-conscious about how it was more soft than muscular but I shouldn't have cared! I also thought about how I had a lot less worries because my world was smaller. I didn't have a mortgage, big bills or other lives to think about. Your papa and nana were strong and healthy so all this enabled me to be self-centered and concentrate on things like graduating, boys, friends, going out, and getting my first real job.
Babies, I admit, I do miss that body I had. Just because it was so small! A size 4, thank-you-very-much! But everything else ... see, babies, if I could have that life all over again over what I have now, I wouldn't. Because while I have such fond memories, I wouldn't have grown as a person. There is something to be said about youth. Being young is lovely! But I'm also so very happy now. There were parts to my early 20s I certainly don't miss. I hated dating! I was terrible at it. I feel so blessed that I met your daddy when I was just 22-going-on-23 years old. Not everyone gets to meet their soul mate so early in life. Some are blessed to meet their life partners at a younger age. But I believe God introduced me to your Dad when he did because I needed  a few hard life lessons to appreciate a good man when one was finally introduced to me. Otherwise, I might have taken him for granted.
I also appreciate you grandparents more because of you two. I regret to write that even now, I think I take Nana & Papa for granted at times but I try very hard to always appreciate them. That's what happens when you have fantastic parents - that level of awesomeness becomes an expectation. Well, when you, The Bun, came into my life, I realized just how selfless and giving my parents were and are to me. They were and are always, always there for me. I had no doubt that when I needed them, I could count on them. I thought that's how everyone's parents are but, sadly, this isn't the case. I never, ever needed for anything. They always provided.

Thirteen years ago, I thought I wanted to go into broadcast journalism. In fact, that’s what I was studying when I met your dad. Fast forward to now, I work for a Catholic college preparatory school and currently have 10 years of non-profit work under my belt. What?! Back then, I had no interest, whatsoever, in mission-based work. Yet here I am. And I love it. I tried going back into for-profit briefly but it wasn’t for me. My career has had many twists and turns but I am very happy where I am now. Who would’ve thought? Certainly not me but I am absolutely content.

What I’m trying to say is that I think back to my youth fondly. And maybe you will find me reminiscing when I’m elbow-deep in poop, tears and/or dirty laundry about my good old days. I will also always wish and strive for the body I had in my early 20s. But, and this is the most important and biggest “but”, know that you two, Daddy, the pups, Nana & Papa and our wonderful family and friends make up what I believe are the best days of my life. I feel absolutely blessed to have as lovely of a little girl as you, Bun. You are so amazing to me because you are just filled with love, goodness, sass and good humor. Bean, we’re excited to get to know you! But for right now, I feel so blessed to be able to carry you because I didn’t think I could have a baby again.

You both are miraculous. And, even when I’m irritable or upset, never doubt that you are loved. Utterly and completely. 

Bean, your big sister is so excited for you to join our family.

I hope you two will be lovey dovey and each other's best friend.

- Posted using BlogPress via iPhone

Valentine's Day

You either love it or hate it. And a few people are indifferent.
That's me.
I think any holiday that makes me relieved that I'm in a relationship just so I don't feel the pressure of not having a significant other is a questionable holiday. But when I get to see it through my daughter's eyes - the fun of receiving Valentines from everyone in the class and having a potluck - it reminds me of a simpler time. She just gets to enjoy passing out and receiving cards and candy! That is the nice part of Valentine's Day that I haven't seen in a long time.
I'm also blessed to have a husband who is super sweet. The photo doesn't do it justice but he had two dozen + 1(to grow on? We don't know why the florist offered 25) red roses delivered to my work. I know that it's a splurge and can be viewed as a frivolous expensive so I didn't expect them. But it was so nice to be surprised with beautiful roses. Admittedly, it made me feel special and loved. Not only did they look gorgeous but their fragrance was absolutely lovely. I took them home so I could enjoy them over the long weekend.

Happy Birthday to The Man

“What do I love even more than being married to you? Being married to you and raising our beautiful family together. Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband.” (Thanks, Carlton cardsJ)

This card is perfect for you because it’s absolutely true.

A long time ago, I was content simply being a couple. You had other thoughts, however, and convinced me we should get a dog. So we did. Then, so that pup wouldn’t get lonely, we got another one. Piko and Pili immediately won me over. Well, Piko did. Pili won me over after she stopped covering herself in her own poop. And then they both completely had my heart when they both stopped eating poo! (My gosh, they were disgusting creatures.)

Then my dreams came true when you proposed and we got married almost a year later. I thought that was the best of the best. But then you said that our parents weren't getting any younger. How about we try getting pregnant sooner rather than later? Well, all right.

So we did. And very easily!

Our lives aren’t effortless. Sometimes it can be very hard and it can feel like we have no time. And while I fondly remember a period in our liveswhen it felt like we had all the time in the world, what we have today is beautiful. I’m so glad you had faith that we would be great parents and have more than enough love to give all our babies. Our home is filled with love, laughter … and poop.

I’m so thankful your parents had you. I’m so thankful you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me. And I’m thankful you had the vision to see just how beautiful of a family we could be.

I love you.

 

Mother's Day

By far, the best one. From start to finish, it was the kind of day I appreciate.
We leisurely started our day, in no rush. The entire family then took a stroll to our nearest Starbucks. Here's the thing: when it's just me, I can only handle taking The Bun on a 30 minute walk. When the pups come along, there are too many bodies to look after and it isn't so much fun as it stressful for this mama. So, unfortunately, the two pups stay behind on what would have been a very nice walk for them. Sad face. More back story: The Man is not fond of walks. He says it's because he walks all day on his job, up and down stairs, ladders and multiple trips throughout the job site. When he gets home, he doesn't want to do anymore walking! But on this day, he entertained my request and went along for the walk. This meant the pups could go too. I can't explain how happy this simple trip made me. I love walks and was so happy everyone could enjoy it.
Admittedly, the trip from Starbucks back to our home wasn't as relaxed because I made the fam hustle to get back. Mama had a date with a friend to go wine tasting! I used to be a member of a wine club but, when we moved, I realized that it was better for me to end my membership because I didn't drink that much wine. It was really the easiest thing to cut out of my budget. That doesn't mean I wasn't a tad bit sad. This winery (technically, wine company but I like to call them an urban winery) is my favorite because it's only 30 minutes away and has a cool view of San Francisco. Plus the place itself is really pretty and I just feel happy when I'm there. I had convinced my friend to go there when my complimentary wine tasting benefits were coming to an end (membership had its perks) and she fell in love with it too. So my friend proposed we wine taste on Mother's Day sans children. Oh, how nice it was! The weather was gorgeous, just perfect. We sat outside, drank wine and ate a delicious lunch. This is one of my dearest friends and we have such a difficult time getting together so it was a great three hours of catching up, laughing and enjoying fantastic wine.
We parted ways happily so we could enjoy our own Mother's Day dinners. While it was great to have some grown up time away from the home, it was nice to reunite with The Man and The Bun. They were ready for dinner by the time I came home! We went to this local place that has become one of the hippest places in its small town. So hip that we waited an hour and a half to be seated. Surprisingly, I didn't really mind that. What I minded was that they seem to have outgrown their space and their no-reservations policy but don't have a system that's working for them quite yet. While I vowed to not go back for a long while (I adore the place but I need a break from their growing pains nonsense), it was fun way to end the day.
The Man topped off the day with a very nice gift. This mama also cut pampering out of the budget because it was the second easiest way to save money and, quite frankly, I don't have the time to trek out to the salon that houses my favorite esthetician and massage therapist. He asked me what I would like as a gift and I told him that I would love a treatment or two at this salon. The Man gave me a gift certificate so I can get a facial and massage. Whooohooo! I don't know when I'll be able to use it but it's really wonderful to know it's there.
There you have it. Nothing crazy, nothing over the top but it was fantastic and lovely. My hubby went a-walkin' even though it's not his favorite thing to do, watched The Bun and then treated us to a nice dinner. I'm very thankful for all my blessings.

The Bun and me entertaining ourselves while waiting for dinner.

Love

I don't need no stinkin' Valentine's Day to feel the love.
It does, however, remind me how blessed I am. Here's the thing. I know myself. I'm happier in a relationship. I'm terrible at getting out there and I'm awful at dating. But I also would rather be by myself than be in a relationship for the mere sake of having someone. I was a late bloomer - I didn't date in high school and then I was in two serious, long-term relationships. Since my current relationship is the second one, and since this year will mark a decade with The Man, one would argue that I've never been by myself or only very briefly. But I have, for the first 17 years in my life and roughly two years between my two serious relationships.
This is why I count myself blessed. I know how hard it is to find a person. And as someone who doesn't believe in games, or in complicated, torrid yet romantic relationships, I very well could still be single if I hadn't met The Man. Because he has taught me a lot. Our relationship has taught me a lot. A few gems:
1. Love isn't complicated.
I don't care what anyone says. You figure out a way to uncomplicate it. You stop seeing other people. You don't keep other relationships that would enable you to cheat. You make time if you really want to make time. You truly can figure it out. And if it's that complicated, is it real love? Because very rarely is it the two of you against the world. It's you two against each other that makes it heart breaking and exhausting.
2. Falling in love is easy. It's staying in love that take work.
Love takes a lot of effort whereas falling in love can almost be effortless. Love takes patience, consideration, forgiveness and a plethora of other things that require you to rise above and be a better person. You have to figure out how to be content without taking the person or your relationship for granted. This is pretty tricky and, honestly, I work on this constantly. Why? Because love takes work! Like how I brought it back to my hypothesis?
3. When you're in love, the person still turns you on & simultaneously melts your heart years later
I'm hoping that this stands the test of time. I think The Man is quite hubba-hubba and after all these years, he still floats my boat. I still sometimes look at him and am amazed I captured his interest because he surely could have had anyone. He's smart, kind, handsome and successful. Come to find out, he's an excellent family man, too. I am over-the-moon in love with The Man.
So, on this overrated holiday, these are my thoughts about love. It's uncomplicated but it takes a lot of work. And if it's true, it's for life.

What's a new year without a little resolution?

Some things I want to do or be in 2012.

I resolve:
- to be more loving, patient, helpful and generous to my loved ones.
Boy, this one is a doozy because it's general but it's asking a lot! I try my hardest to be all these things but, sometimes, I think I get too lazy or selfish. This means being a better wife, mother, sister, relative, and friend. I think I also want to extend it to those I don't necessarily love but deserve a better: employer, employee and even acquaintance. Such a tall order.
- to be in the moment and make time for those that I love.
Kind of similar. Time flies by so fast. LIFE just passes by in the blink of an eye. Now that I have a child, I see how the days, weeks and years just slip away. While I want to be in e moment and enjoy the now, it's a fine and difficult balance to also make sure I make the effort to be with all those that I love and appreciate. Because we aren't all here forever.
- to get to my goal weight!
Yah, yah. What would be a resolution without this? Well, I'm roughly 5 lbs away. I've lost 15 lbs (give or take 2 from "holiday happiness") and want to get to goal weight by THIS MONTH. Will power with food is not my strong point but I'm resolving, dammit!
- go to the Philippines either this year or next.
I have so much family there and haven't been for a visit since 2006. Entirely way too long ago. I've gotten married and have had a baby since then. My parents (shoot, everyone!) has gotten older and it means so much for my folks to have me & my family accompany them to the Philippines.
- stop being a weenie when it comes to The Bun.
I just blogged about this in my last entry. I worry about upsetting the delicate balance we have in our household. I don't like to go places if it means disrupting the Bun's sleep (if you lacked sleep for a year, you know why this is so important.) But I want to live life too. I don't want to make decisions because I'm scared of the unknown. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be reckless but to be "in the moment", I can't be scared. So, among other things, I want to travel with The Bun and not worry about how stressed I will be or if it's just better to stay at home than do things w/ her. Moms before me and after me have done it so why can't I? Plus I really really want to visit Sister. I miss her.

I'm sure there is more but this is quite a lot. I mean, the first one is a life long process! But I will try. Because my hippie self wants to be about love, gratitude, generosity and patience. And more yoga. Yup, I am SUCH a Californian:) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Because I have to be all-around mushy, not just Mommy mushy

I think I’ve written a little about this before. I like certain movie genres. I won’t watch romance, tragedies, romantic tragedies, thrillers or depressing documentaries (well, PBS does suck me into those unknowingly) because I want to be entertained. And by entertain, I mean laugh and feel happy at the end. I don’t want to bawl buckets. I probably wrote this already but I outright REFUSE to watch The Notebook.
That leaves romantic comedies, comedies, and action. I’m sure there are more but those are the ones I will watch. My favorite, however, are the romantic comedies. I’m a sucker for those. But they have to be good. They have to be smart, not so predictable yet generally happy movies. I recognize that this is hard to achieve without being formulaic. But that’s why they get paid the big bucks, right? Here’s the thing. I’m also the person who generally dislikes love songs. I find them sappy and just a bunch of noise. I have exceptions like anything sang by Boyz II Men but I think that’s more nostalgia than anything else.
“You’re picky!” you say. “That doesn’t make any sense!” Well, it doesn’t have to because I know what I like and that in itself makes perfect sense to me. It’s just my preference, my taste. As I get older, however, all romantic comedies don’t cut it anymore. I think it’s the whole predictability factor. Here is a list of the ones I love off the top of my head:
• Waitress
• Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
• Stranger than Fiction
And thanks to The Man, I’m adding one more to the list:
• Crazy Stupid Love
I love this movie! It’s smart, funny and unpredictable. Best of all, it left me feeling good about life. THAT is entertainment to me. The best part? I saw a bit of my relationship in this movie. And maybe that’s why I love certain movies – I can identify with aspects of them and it makes me appreciate what I have even more. Without giving too much away, I will say, no, it wasn’t the cheating part. It was the scene in which two of the characters talk the entire night. They stayed up and instead of just getting down to business, they end up getting to know each other and laughing almost the entire time. And yes, start to fall in love. It is a romantic comedy, after all.
I had that. I still do. Minus the staying up the entire night because sleep is a valuable commodity in my household. But the laughing. Oh, we do plenty of laughing. Our life couldn’t be labeled exciting and there are plenty of mundane tasks we do. But The Man makes me laugh a lot. And I know that I make him laugh with my antics. I can honestly say our house is filled with a lot of love and laughter. I treasure that. I don’t take it for granted and, if anything, I’m paranoid we will lose it one day. Life can be difficult. There are many challenges and stressful situations and they can cause two people to forget to appreciate and love each other.
In addition to the good writing and acting, this is why I love the movie so much. It reminds me why I love The Man and why I love and treasure our life together. Those moments, those talks and laughing fits, are so important and desired enough that they were put into a movie. And I have that. Of course, having a hot hubby also helps. (This will only make sense if you’ve seen the movie.) When Emma Stone’s character says Ryan Gosling’s character looks photoshopped, I remember thinking almost the exact same thing when I saw The Man. Mmm-hmm, I have quite a few things to appreciate in my life. I’m not bragging, I’m appreciative.

Internet is a necessity, not a luxury

I've decided. Because being without our lovely wireless Internet and catching glimpses on my phone is not the same.
We are STILL moving and will probably be moving for weeks to come. I'd estimate we have about 75% of our stuff at our new home. But little things that we need to pack remain at our old house, things that we don't need but, boy, do we miss when we realize it's not here! Off the top of my head: our cutting board; soy sauce; muffin tins; Pine Sol; Windex; fax/printer paper; things like those.
Oh, and Happy Tax Day! On that note, the note of things that take your money or cause you to be broke, our first mortgage payment is on May 1. Oh dear!
As for everything else ... well, our one year anniversary is tomorrow. Wow, it's been a year. So much has happened, though, it feels to me that it's been longer. We aren't doing anything at all fancy. I requested that, instead of buying a gift, we have a very nice dinner out and he give me a sincerely written (not written on the way home in traffic!) card. As for my gift to him, I wish I could have taken him on a trip. Or even treat him to just a weekend getaway. But we need the weekends to continue to move. And we aren't comfortable spending that much money until we see if our budgeting goes according to plan and find out if we have as much as we estimated after bills. What to do, what to do.
He's not a spa guy (I've tried, ladies, oh lawdee how I've tried!) but I do know The Man needs a massage with the kind of work he does and the extreme stress he's been under lately.
If you read my blog at all you know I LOVE spas and I truly believe massages are sacred. So I certainly have reservations about places that give me the impression of a factory churning out massages. OF COURSE it has to be a good massage. But I'm also very much about the ambiance, the relaxation and basically, basking in the massage after glow glory.
Quite a few people I know have been singing the praises of Massage Envy. From what those folks have said, ME sounds like it's a great place to get a massage. But what about all the other aspects I love so much about spas? I am a big fan of Yelp so I checked out the reviews of the local Massage Envy. They had overall great reviews and many people recommended the same therapists. They also had great things to say about the location.
While I will probably always love spas, ME sounds like the kind of place The Man would enjoy. He thinks the prices spas charge are ridiculous and he is very uncomfortable trying to relax among strangers. Besides, ME prices are pretty fantastic! I booked a 60 minute massage for him and a prenatal massage for me for the price a 60 minute massage for ONE would cost. I think he will appreciate getting all his knots and kinks worked out, especially after the stressful week he's has so far. And I will certainly benefit from a good massage - my first prenatal one!
It's not a trip to Hawaii. Hell, it's not even a trip to Monterey! But, over all, I think it's a very nice way to celebrate our very first anniversary - in our first home together, with our two pups, and a bun in the oven. And it is better than a trip to, say, Reno :)

Um, hopefully I didn't offend anyone with the Reno comment!

I love this little blog group so much!

You guys have made me laugh with your comments regarding the last post. THANK YOU. I'm seriously okay. It really was a good thing that it was kind of drawn out (two weeks is a long time for Miss Impatient over here!)
We looked at ELEVEN houses today. Just to see our options. And to narrow down which homes we actually wanted to view the interior with our realtor. Truthfully, none were as spectacular as the first house. But you know what? They were less expensive which is something we can certainly be thankful for and happy with!
But let me tell you the gifts Piko and Pili gave us today ...
I scheduled their vet visits today because I figured not a lot of people would be going because it's the weekend and it's Valentine's Day. The Man and I took them for their annual check ups and shots. Afterwards, we decided to look at the homes we found on the internet. We chose 11 to drive past and check out from the car ... just to see.
Well, I know it's not safe but the pups usually ride with us in the front. But they started behaving badly after the third house, whimpering and wiggling and wanting to stick their heads out the window so we put them in the back seat.
On our way to the fifth, The Man glanced back and yelled, "Oh no, Piko!"
She pooped on his baseball hat in the backseat.
He knew it was our fault for not picking up on her whimpering so we couldn't really get mad at her. The Man found the nearest park and I took them for a bathroom break walk while he cleaned the mess. His seats are cloth. The pups and I walked around for five minutes and when we got back to the car, he pretty much cleaned up everything ... it didn't even smell anymore. Great! He said that although it was soft, it was still hard enough to pick up easily. It might be TMI but, I think, an important piece of information nevertheless.
Although we're a bit grossed out, we decided to keep on keepin' on. We were on our way to the next house when I glanced back and BAM! Pili's little body was hunched over and she was in mid-poop in the exact spot where Piko just pooped! I yelled, "Pili's pooping now!" and The Man, shocked that this could happen again, slammed on the brakes. Because it would be our luck, Pili's poop is totally wet and basically a puddle. To make matters worse, because oh yes, they can get worse, she was slipping and sliding on her own poo when he slammed the brakes and tried to get her balance back by stepping all over the backseat.
The Man immediately pulled over and it was now MY turn to clean up the mess. I almost gagged because it was a lot messier and stinkier than Piko's. (The Man got Piko's nastiness in one pick up. I had to use many, many, many napkins and babywipes to pick up her sh*t puddle.) In the meantime, The Man attempted to clean Pili's paws because they were all soiled. They sure taught us a lesson. We went straight home, washed Pili and continued looking out homes without them.
I swear, it was bowel movements galore today. Happy Valentine's Day to us :)

Honeymoon stage

I went through this honeymoon stage when I first "got with" The Man. It was all sunshine and giggles. No, seriously, I had a huge fat crush on him and he nearly walked on water ... to me. I carved out this big ol' pedestal just for him and gleefully slapped his rump upon it. Of course, it faded. I mean, it turned into true love and I love him madly. But the stage was over when the relationship had to deal with real issues like going through the second year hump. Or accidentally walking into the restroom immediately after the love of your life blew it up. You know what I mean.
Then there was our real honeymoon after we got married. Well, for me, it was the time when we got back from Hawaii and had to live in the real world. Spending three weeks together, all day every day reminded me of why I fell in love. And it probably helped that we shared this life changing moment in our lives like a wedding ceremony. But I had this crush again and I even kind of disgusted myself. I remember thinking on my first day back at work, "Holy CRAP. I really miss him. Like high school crush, can't think of anything else because I miss him too much missing him. Ugh!! What is wrong with me?!" And I was so happy when he came home and I just wanted to cuddle the whole evening. Of course, we acclimated to the real world and that slowly faded away. And that's OK. Because I know that I love him and he loves me.
But every so often, he does something that makes me slip back into that honeymoon or crush phase where I just want to kiss him all over and cuddle him like he was my own personal teddy bear. Like when I got a text this morning from him while he was staying at his mom's house that read, "I kept waking up to look for you next to me. Love you."
Yahh ... like THAT.

THE video

We finally have our wedding video! This was the last piece we were waiting from our photography/videography company and we were so excited to finally receive it. I've been kind of a lazy blogger ... I want to write about our honeymoon because it was our first time in Kauai (and at a five star resort!) but The Man keeps making videos so it's just easier to post those. Of course THIS video is from our videographer. He separated into three parts – highlights, ceremony, and interviews. I won't post the footage from the ceremony because it's about ten minutes long and it's embarrassing for The Man and me to watch. The first clip is highlights from the entire wedding. The whole sha-bang in four minutes – I love that :) The second clip, the interviews, may be interesting to just family members. We asked that people tape messages to us. We had quite a few shy people in the bunch, my parents included, but the folks who did get on the video were really sweet. Be warned, my friends affectionately used the words, "VJJ" and "poon" .. and I didn't expect anything less. (Yes, these were the women I used to say exchange inappropriate words with on a daily basis.) Jon was a little confused on how they used these words. He had thought he understand what they meant but then they used it them in a completely different context. I had to explain that not only are they synonyms for lady parts and replacements for curse words but also terms of endearment. Hehe. Anyway, all messages were all touching and The Man's mom at the end was probably the only one who almost made me cry. About that - the slideshow, the photographs and even the video didn't make me shed a tear. The only reason I can think of is that although I am usually a weeper, the self-conscious side of me was stronger. I couldn't help notice how I sounded, when my make up got smeared, and the unflattering shots where I looked chubbier ... so no crying for me! I'm just a harsh critic of myself which, I think, prevents me from getting completely mushy over anything. Despite that, I have to admit that I am over the moon about everything our photographers and videographer gave us and I am so happy we chose them to document such an important day in our lives. I think The Man looks absolutely handsome and I am just beaming with happiness and love. See? Mushy :)

Wedding highlights:


Interviews:


**Please let me know if it's difficult to view footage on vimeo. The Man likes it because it's a whole lot clearer than YouTube but I don't know if it's a pain to view things. 5/25/08 update: I've gone ahead and changed to YouTube. I can't be having stuff cut out at the end! :P

The Man's on a roll ...

he's gone and made a couple more videos of our wedding and honeymoon. What's great about posting it on this blog is that you can choose to to view them rather than us sitting you in front of our TV and making you watch. All the while watching you watch them so you have to then pretend you are captivated. If you want to see them - great. If not, we'll never know :) They aren't nearly as crazy as the "Death March Monday" video but if you've got some time ... check them out.
The first one is highlights of our honeymoon and has an upbeat tone. The Man, for whatever reason, chose a Michael Jackson song. Cracked me up. Then the second is a little more sappy (his words, not mine.) I think it's sweet but it may be a bit slow for anyone that wasn't there. Or just doesn't care. Unless you're emotionally invested, it just may not mean as much. Anyway, here you go!

Gil and LizaDawn's Honeymoon snippet from Gram on Vimeo.


More of the honeymoon from Gram on Vimeo.

The day we tied the knot

I'm going to just post our DOLs and not describe the day because I could never do it justice ... at least, in my eyes. I loved every moment of it and couldn't have asked for a better wedding ceremony and reception.
I had written my declaration of love a while back because I didn't want to have to worry about it as the day drew closer. The Man used a different approach and finished writing it the night before. But you'll find that mine cracks a lot of jokes while his was pretty deep. He worried that it would be too sappy and didn't really like it. He had no idea that he would have many of my female relatives in tears! He didn't make me cry but it wasn't a bad thing. We have good communication in our relationship but rarely are we completely serious with each other. So all those pictures of me smiling are actually because of his declaration of love - it was very different and special from how we usually talk to one another. (The one time I cried during the ceremony was when my declaration because a little more serious - that's what I get for showing my softer side!) Anyway, I will post mine first and then his because I think his is better :)

My Filipino Matt Damon, happy six year anniversary. What better way to celebrate than getting hitched? I think I’ve been pretty good about making sure you know you are loved. And I do love you very much for so many reasons. I love you for your sense of humor. You make me laugh so much. I always tell you that I wish I wrote down the funny things we say to each other because we always seem to forget. But I always remember that you make me smile. For instance, you make me laugh because you can never remember more than five words to any song and all the melodies sound exactly the same. Yet somehow I can usually guess what song your singing. Also, your imitation of Korean, Japanese, Mexican and Australian accents get muddled into one indistinct accent. How? I don’t know. But they do. What’s even funnier is that your imitations of Filipino and Indian accents are even worse – they sound exactly the same. I also think the voices you give to Piko and Pili are funny. Thank you for letting me know in their own words that they are neglected by me. These are just a few of the many things you do that make me laugh.
I love you because you are patient. For example, goodness knows that you and I clash when it comes to home repair. That’s what I get for being involved with someone who is so handy around the house. It’s a blessing because it’s so wonderful to be with someone who can repair things, build things or make things better. It’s a curse because I don’t remember ever signing up for an apprenticeship. Which brings me back to you being patient. I know you expect only as much as you expect from yourself. But what you get from me, especially regarding home repairs, is far from perfection. But I give you credit! I see the vein bulging in your forehead. I see your brows furrowed in frustration, but then, with a strain your voice, you just tell me yet again that I need to watch how you paint a door so I can copy your method to ensure there are no streaks. Which leads me to another reason why I love you …
You know how to compromise. I no longer have to do home repair because I am in charge of cleaning the house. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love you for that! I love you because you are comforting. When I am sick, you either buy or rent a romantic comedy because you knew they made me feel better. Even though you don’t enjoy them nearly as much as I do. When I was having a really hard time with work, you would make me hug a puppy because you said it would make me feel better. It did! And when you know I am feeling really down, you would make me drop everything and go to the beach. Going to the beach almost always cheer me up. Other times, it was just your company that would soothe me and make me feel better.
What you may not know, because we joke around so much and are very sarcastic with each other is how much admiration I have for you. You are a wonderful person. I admire your values, morals, intelligence and overall character. You are amazing. You have so much goodness in you and you continue to amaze me. You are so devoted to your family and loved ones. And that has even carried over to my family. You probably don’t know this but when you show concern for my parents’ well being or worried about something in their home, I see how you share your love and concern for those who are so very important to me. And that inspires me. You make me want to be a better person. I see how you express your goodness through your actions and you make me want to strive to be just as an amazing person as you are. I think you are truly an exceptional person. There are not enough words to express just how much I am in love with you. I have loved the six years we have been together and I look forward to the 100 more years of joking, laughing and loving. And no home repair.
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I still remember the first time you and I met at a friends house. You walked in and I thought you looked so much different from anyone else. A few minutes after arriving, you told this funny story about a cockroach in a way that only you could. Your eyes lit up, your hands danced in the air while you talked and your body shook with laughter and excitement. That cockroach story did it for me. You had this personality that really drew me to you and I had hoped that I’d run into you again. When we eventually began our relationship, we would talk all night long about everything and anything. I looked forward to knowing everything about you because we had so many things in common. We made sure to make time for one another every day. Each night, you wanted me to give you a new and different reason that I loved you. So every day it became a tradition that I end every nightly conversation with “I love you because”.
I love you because you’re my best friend. I love you because you make me a better person. I love you because you believe in me more than I believe in myself. I love you because you know how to comfort me if I start to turn green with anger. I love you because you’ll never let us walk without holding hands. I love you because you’ll never let us go to bed angry. I love you because talking to you makes a bad day feel O.K. I love you because it makes me laugh when you can’t stop yourself from eating chocolate. I love you because you’re beautiful, hardworking, intelligent and driven. I love you because you’re still humble, modest and reserved. I love you because you accept all my faults and compliment all my strengths. I love you because you still look at me the way you did when we first started dating. I love you because I can always trust you. I love you because I can depend on you to constantly remind me to do things that I may be putting off. I love you because we can laugh at so many things together. I love you because you take of and respect your family. I love you because sometimes you slip and talk to me like I’m one of your girlfriends but I know you do that because you’re so comfortable with me. I love you because you are willing to get your hands dirty with me even though I know you’d rather be knitting. I love you because you are the first to forgive, the first to want to communicate and the last to hold a grudge. I love you because I have so many reasons to love you, to appreciate you and to be thankful for you. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, sharing my thoughts with you, caring for you, protecting you, laughing with you, appreciating you, having kids with you and growing old with you.

Our wedding at Turtle Bay

It is our last day in Hawaii! Our photographer gave us this slideshow yesterday. There are a few photos that I'd rather do without (like me crying! Or me pointing at The Man and laughing!) Jon also pointed out that there are A LOT of photos of me, definitely more than him. Hehehe. But I guess all photographers do that, right? Take a lot of the bride and not so much of the groom. Anyway, we have TONS of photos that we need to go through once we get home. We really liked our photographer and can't wait to see the album. And the video! So here is a very small peek of our wedding day.

A sweet birthday

I had a very nice birthday yesterday. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary but it was still a really good day.
The Man didn't know what to get me and considering how much he/we have spent and how much we are going to spend on the wedding, I told him I wanted a Christmas Tree for my birthday (we haven't had the time to get one.) I wanted a tree that was smaller than five feet because the house is kind of small plus the pups might freak out and knock it over ... because they're mischevious like that. Anyway, I had a glorified bush for a Christmas tree last year that I set on the table but the damn thing died before Christmas. A Christmas tree would make my day.
Jon was so nice - he got off work early so he could spend time with me. Unfortunately, I had meetings all day but I was able to see him in between when I worked from home. I came home at lunchtime and he had the tree all set up. It was so cute! It was a little taller than me but it's still a small enough tree to fit perfectly in the corner of the living room. I love the smell of Christmas trees!
My dad knocked on the door shortly after I came home for lunch. I was surprised because I didn't expect him to come by - he wasn't puppysitting and I was going to see my parents later for dinner. I opened the door and he handed me a tree stand. How did he know Jon bought me a tree for my birthday? I thought that was really cute and gave him a big hug, thanking him for his thoughtfulness.
He had no idea what the hell I was talking about.
So I walked him to the tree, happily showing off more Christmas cheer in my home. My dad's brows shot up as he exclaimed, "I bought you a tree, too and it's in the truck!" My dad, knowing how much I love Christmas and remembering how I wanted a tree back in October, took the initiative to buy me a four foot tree.
Yes, I have TWO CHRISTMAS TREES for my birthday.
My dad is so sweet. He didn't know what to do. He just shook his had and said he wish he had known Jon was going to buy me one. I told him that I loved having two trees and that I'm making up for the fact that I had none last year. Now I have two! He laughed and told The Man that they needed to communicate more. Fat chance. I didn't mind the predicament. Of ALL the problems a person can have, figuring out where to put two Christmas trees wasn't a big deal. And a gal who LOVES HERSELF SOME CHRISTMAS can certainly figure out what to do with two Christmas trees.
The challenge was that my house is a lot smaller now. I have two bedrooms out of order - one is in the middle of being repaired and even The Man doesn't know the timeline and we had to move everything into the guest bedroom so that's why two rooms are "out of order" - so while I live in a three bedroom home, it's more like a one bedroom apartment. After a great deal of thinking (and me failing to convince myself over three hours that it wasn't weird to have two trees in one room,) I moved the smaller tree into my bedroom. It fits there comfortably and it's very pretty at night with the white lights. I go to bed and wake up smelling a Christmas tree! Perfect.
So that's my little birthday story. I feel loved because the two VIM (Very Important Men) in my life both knew that a Christmas tree would make a perfect birthday present.

Engagement Pictures

Scanned at work so it may not be the best quality ... but at least you can see them!

Just click the X twice on Stevie if he is distracting (he won't go away but he'll minimize.)

It's all about timing

I worked a long day yesterday. It was fun. But looong. We were at the first 49ers pre-season game and out in the sun for about five hours, handing out giveaways, soliciting donations, and raising awareness of our organization. After the first quarter, we all splurged a little, buying garlic fries and other yummy ballpark treats, and enjoyed some of the game. We all decided to leave early, in the third quarter, because it was getting very cold. I stopped by my parents house to pick up the pups. Yes, they puppysit! But I didn't stay long because I was exhausted. So I said a quick "hello-thank you-goodbye" and headed home. The puppies, used to being picked up earlier than 8:00pm, were eager to go home too. I parked, entered through the garage, walked into the kitchen and saw this-

I thought two things: "Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH!" and "Oh no. OH NO. I smell like the outdoors and have garlic breath!"
I followed the white path lined with candles and rose petals. I couldn't believe it. It was really very romantic. The path lead through the kitchen into the living room hallway and ended in the bedroom: There Gil was, on one knee, with a ring, a bottle of wine and two dozen red roses. His proposal was short and very sweet. And of course I said yes! So he slipped the ring onto my finger.
What touched my heart and just confirmed that this man is the PERFECT person for me is what he said next. He told me that just a few minutes ago he had been on his way to my parents' house to ask for their blessing. But he saw my car in the driveway and was sure I had seen him drive past in his work truck. (I didn't.) He realized that I was an hour early and raced back home because all of the petals and unlit candles were laid out. He knew he had only a few minutes to light all the candles and finish setting up. After he told me this story, he asked me to take off the ring because he wanted to show it to my parents. I said, "Oh." (Just kidding, I understood.)

I gave him a kiss, a big hug and wished him luck. He went off to ask for their blessing and pretended that he had not asked me already. Poor guy, he was flustered because he had dressed up, wearing a barong (traditional filipino dress shirt) and slacks, ready to meet with my parents but had to rush and beat me back home! He still looked very handsome, though :)

So he went to my parents' house with my ring and a gift for each of them. My dad, ever the serious person, asked him his plans (oh goodness!) but both my mom and dad were happy and, of course, they gave their blessing.

I apologize for the informal announcement but you know me, I'm a terrible storyteller, especially if I have to repeat it more than once! I tend to leave out all the good stuff. And he had worked so hard to make this a special and memorable proposal. And it was. I love him very much and we are very happy to be engaged!
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Here is a picture, Kim:

I learned my lesson

I sent a mass text to my friends, wishing them a Happy Valentine's Day. More specifically,

"Have yourself a happy VD! Hehe, I know."
Just my way of wishing everyone a nice day on a holiday that may not be fun for all.

I got a few, "hee hee, that's funny!" and "Happy Valentine's Day to you, too!" and all that good stuff.
But then I got three or four messages back, asking, "What do you mean?" or "Haha, what?" or "What do you know?!"
So then I thought, "Oh, SNAP. Some of these people may have a little somethin'-somethin' that I don't know about that they now think I know about." I mean, joking about an STD is all fun and good until someone has one. Or maybe not.
So I learned my lesson.
Only joke around about venereal diseases if you are positive the person you are joking with does not have one.

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On a completely different topic, The Man came through and showed me some love at work, even though I wasn't there (I was at an offsite training.) These were on my desk when I came back the next day -

He sent me two dozen red roses and a box of truffles (because this girl loves herself some truffles.)
JonJon, thanks for keepin' the romance alive!

The Man bought me smut

*That's the word he uses to refer to my celebrity juice.

Knowing how much I love "Pink is the New Blog," he surprised me with a subscription of People Magazine. (Now that I don't work at a gym, I never get to see the magazine anymore. It's been rough!)
What a great guy. It was just because. Isn't the nice?!

I give it a month and a half until he realizes how much it costs to give me a magazine that comes out weekly instead of monthly.

But what a sweet and loving gesture. I'm telling you, it's the little things.

Got my drink on

I haven't been in the best of moods. My boyfriend has been really great. He has made weekends a time to hang out with our pups. Piko and Pili make me laugh so much. The three of them, along with my family and friends, have been my saving grace. I don't like to talk much about faith, just because people seem so touchy and judgmental about it, but I've been praying regularly, too. It's nothing severe, just needing a little guidance! Anyway, enough about that ... I bet you want to know the juice so that's what I'll give you:)
I knew it was going to be a good night when the bus drove up with the logo, "USASIA" was on the side. (Keep in mind the crowd I was with was predominately Caucasian.) I had jello shots and a little bit of rum & diet coke. But earlier that evening I had very good Mexican food with The Man so barely any of the alcohol affected me. I had a nice buzz, though, which is much needed when dusting off some old ho clothes and going to three clubs when I haven't even been to one in almost a year.
As far as any scandals, there really weren't any. My dear friend, the main reason why I went on this party bus bonanza, said "cooter" repeatedly to the big boss who just smiled uncomfortably. (We love saying different vagina words - it's a healthy outlet. I just don't share it with anyone at work.)
Oh yes! At our third and final club, we saw three fights, one being a girlfight and one with a tazer. We wanted to board our safe bus but guess what? It. Wasn't. There. I was truly scared for our white folk. We hid them around the corner. I kid you not! OK, it's funny now. Of course, our bus finally came and I have never been so happy to board a friggin' bus.
The cops came after all the fights were over and actually came onto our bus (which couldn't have more suburban people than if it were from the Midwest) to see if anyone had blood on them. You know, in case anyone participated in the three fights. I guess they overlooked the guys that were running away from the club. Good times. Really. But I'm happy to be back in my home with my frou-frou dogs and my tough looking boyfriend.