Logan turns 1 on Tuesday, hence the weekend celebration for my Bubba.
Who would have believed it’s about to be a year when this smart and gorgeous little fella made his grand entrance to this world? Definitely not me! It’s just like yesterday when my nephew Logan (or Bubba as what I call him) was born. And in a snap of a finger, he’s one ☝️. Crazy how fast time goes by these days!!!
Yesterday, we celebrated in advance. A life that started. An addition to our growing families. A great blessing for our hearts and lives. Logan is intelligent despite his moody tendencies. Yet he’s just as loving, adorable, and playful. Sneaky sometimes, to be honest. But in a funny way. Stranger danger is something he knows very well of even if no one taught him so. A picky one with who he goes to. If he’s not familiar and used to you, he wouldn’t go to you and let you hold him. My Bubba is that type of kid.
Happiness is what he always bring to all of us. Because of him, I gained another child. It’s something I’m both proud and thankful for. As what I claim, I have two kids. In my heart, Logan is more than just a nephew to me. He’s my other baby.
Marc, my uncle turned cousin who is just like my brother.
It still comes to a shock and disbelief when it comes to thinking and knowing that my cousin Marc is now gone. It’s been almost two months but the pain and disbelief are still fresh. There were no last goodbyes or last talks or anything. The loss of an amazing family member is tragically sudden. None of us were prepared and honestly, I don’t think anyone can ever be close to being prepared for a loss of a loved one.
Marc is my mom’s first cousin through her father’s side, technically making him my uncle. My grandpa and my aunt are siblings. Due to our age gap, closeness, and the modern times, we chose to opt out to having the uncle and niece relationship. Instead, we referred to each other as cousins. That wasn’t our relationship though.
Growing up, he was there for me as how a loving and caring older brother would be to his younger sister. He watched out for me and let me be under his supervision as he guided me with the outcomes of my actions. I remember when I first started drinking Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Though it is a light alcoholic drink, I wasn’t used to drinking back then. Of course my mom was the one who started tripping about it while my aunts were fine with him. Marc being Marc, oh let her be so she can see it for herself how it is if she gets drunk. She’ll be fine. I was fine alright. He kept a close eye on me as I drank myself away and checked up on me after the fact. We hung out a lot, coming over to each other’s place. A lot of times, I would spend nights at their house whether it is just for fun or that I needed a break from my mom and sister. Those times, he and his family stepped in. I suddenly became their daughter/sister. He’ll come up to me or call me and say hey, wanna hang out or watch a movie? How about some games? Yes, he loves watching TV and would often play games. My first time in the snow was because of him. I just got back home from spending the weekend at their house when he calls me and invites me to spend Thanksgiving with the family at their family cottage in Lake Tahoe. Sure enough, he came over to pick me up a couple of days later and we all spent a few days in Tahoe enjoying the holiday with food, laughters, and snow. This is Marc, the fun-loving brother bear I always longed to have. He fulfilled that role with such greatness.
Knowing and feeling that, it makes it harder for me to believe his sudden death. But I know I have to accept the fact that he’s now physically gone. That doesn’t mean he s completely gone because he still lives on in my heart.
October 14 is Marx’s birthday. In just a few minutes, he would have been 44 years old. As we celebrate his birthday, I’d like to acknowledge again the great memories I have of him. Happy Birthday in heaven Marc! You’re now my brotherly angel and I know you’ll be watching over me to guide me just as you did here on Earth. You are finally reunited with our Uncle Jie and my Papa Boy. Just know that I love you and I miss you everyday.
The Newell Fire in American Canyon, CA. Too close to home.
Another wildfire broke out just about an hour ago in the east part of American Canyon, CA at Newell Preserve. American Canyon Road is currently closed due to the fire. An evacuation warning has been given to those in the area east of Broadway.
Please pray for our community, that no one will be affected by this. Hopefully, it’ll be contained soon.
Do you want to know what I love about Pinterest? The tons of ideas I get from the site is one of the two things I love about Pinterest. The second thing is how these ideas I find on the site spark inspiration to my daily activities and potential new projects. With so much ideas and inspirations all in one place, I tend to find myself stuck with which idea I’m going for or what new hobby am I going to start next.
Pinterest isn’t just about ideas in projects, DIY, and such. The platform also have plenty of “pins” that are more of recommendations as well. I find tons of useful stuff on Pinterest about organizing skills and ideas, recommended sites about different topics, quotes, teaching and study materials, and more!
I’ve been using Pinterest for a few years now and have been utilizing it – very helpful. Finished projects inspired by Pins that I’ve done are crocheted winter necessities, blogging and journaling ideas, additional class notes for my daughter and her class, plus more! – I just noticed how much I used the word more on this post. Forgive me, I couldn’t help it – Pinterest really has a whole universe full of ideas and inspirations on their site!
It sure is fun to be surrounded with people, especially our loved ones. A social life is one thing that a lot of us have and enjoy having. But sometimes, it’s okay to be alone – a “Me Time,” as what I like to call it. There is totally nothing wrong with it nor is it a sin to step back a bit from our social life to have some time for ourselves. It’s actually important for us to do so.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have some time alone? Some time of peace an quiet. Time when you can do anything you want where you when you want to without having to think of others around you from time to time. Enjoy some time at home catching up with your favorite shows while enjoying some take-out food. Treat yourself out for a spa or go to the salon. Read a book. Relax. Unwind. Get some extra rest. Breathe.
We spend so much time doing things we need to do, worrying about everything. When we have some free time, we often go for socializing and all that that we forget to take some time out for ourselves and the most important people in our lives. Take a break because it wouldn’t hurt. Take a break from things and treat ourselves, love ourselves. Give yourself that, not only because you want or need to, but for you.
Who remembers that famous Taiwanese television series, Meteor Garden? For avid Asian Drama fanatics like myself, of course I remember! The series is based on the Japanese shojo manga series titled Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio. The series was so popular that Netflix released a Chinese remake of the said series. Let me tell you, the remake version is so much better than the first! It’s cuter, more romantic, and funnier all together!
The story revolves around an ordinary girl named Dong Shancai, who got accepted into Ming De University, the country’s most prestigious school. She comes from a loving and tight-knit family who barely make ends meet. She clashes with F4, an elite clique composed of the four most popular boys in the university, especially with Daoming Si, F4’s spoiled, rich, and arrogant leader. As the story goes on, Daoming Si realizes that he’s falling in love with Shancai only to find out she actually likes one of his best friends, Huaze Lei. The group refers to her as “a weed that can never be brought down.” She begins seeing the good personalities of each of the F4 members and slowly became friends with them. She and Daoming Si eventually falls in love with each other but is opposed by Si’s mother due to Shancai’s social standing being totally different from theirs. Facing many challenges in their relationship, the love and bond grew stronger and only one can guess what the ending would be.
A Netflix Original worth watching, I would definitely recommend Meteor Garden to anyone up for a great Rom-Com series, especially to those who enjoy watching Asian Dramas.
Remember that you are in charge of your life. You can do anything that you set your mind to. Get in the right frame of mind, set some goals, and attack the week. Be proactive and take charge. Always remember that YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!
Celebrating 🥳 Papa Boy’s 80th Birthday 🎂 over lunch at one of my aunt’s house. Food not in the picture.
Just because someone leaves our world and enter the gates of heaven, it doesn’t mean they’re completely gone and deceased. They are very much alive and around in our hearts as ling as we believe in our love for them. My grandpa, for example. It’s been about 27 years but in my heart, he’s still alive and with me. In spirit.
Papa’s birthday was on October 1st, but our family celebrated it on October 2nd this year. He isn’t just my grandpa, he stood as a dad to me too. It’s a shame he and Sophia weren’t able to meet personally but it’s a must she knows about him.
October just started and we somehow survived its first day. What would you want to accomplish this month?
This October, I would like to be able to finish reading at least one novel, find some kind of a source of income, and to get better at driving. Now, your turn to answer the question.
My first love is definitely my grandpa. While he was alive, I was showered with nothing but pure love only a grandfather could provide. I have a dad but it was like I didn’t and still don’t since my father chose not to be a part of our lives in a positive way. My Papa was there. I was still young when he past away but I can still feel his love for me up to this day.
I have nothing but wonderful and priceless memories of Papa Boy, as what I call him. He took care of me with so much love and attention the same way my Mama, his wife, still showers me up to now. Yes, I felt spoiled both my maternal grandparents. They took me everywhere with them and provided me what my dad could not plus way more. I knew where they worked at and who they work with because I went to work with them too. My papa used to work for our “barangay,” or as what we call town hall. There, all his coworkers played with me and gave me treats endlessly. At that age, I definitely was on cloud 9. The time I spent with Papa, all I felt was being his favorite princess. He was a pro with showing me that. How I wish I was able to spend more time with him and that he lived to see my daughter Sophia and my nephew Logan so they could see how great of a man he is.
October 1st is is his birthday. He would have been 80. In my heart and in my mind, he’s still around with me all the time. I’ve felt and believed that since and would never stop believing that. His memory is so alive in me. Happy 80th Birthday 🎂 in Heaven Papa Boy. I miss and love you so much.
