February 2013 – Page 2 – Chasing Dreams

Day 18: Real food, sleeping routine, and a timely reminder

February 6, 2013June 19, 2019 Rhiza1 Comment

1. Real food. Today we had chopseuy for lunch, a huge improvement from the cans of tuna, spam, and corned beef we’ve been eating the past days. With our pantry and ref replenished with goods from our recent grocery shopping, we have two weeks worth of real and healthy menu in place. I wish I could say I’m the one cooking, but I don’t have 8 hands. Thank God I can leave the cooking to Ate Sally (our yaya) while I look after the twins.

2. Sleeping routine. One of the many challenges in raising twins is getting the two babies to follow ONE sleeping routine. In the afternoon, they almost always take naps alternately. Meaning, one sleeps while the other is awake, and just as the other one starts to fall asleep, the other one starts to wake up. Which makes it impossible to take a break and do other things because you always have at least one baby to feed, or entertain, or carry.

But in the evenings when the lights are out, ahhhh, these two sleep like a baby! (I know, they are babies.) Looking back to those first few days when each of them (EACH!!) would cry within 2-3 hour intervals, and now, they sleep through 5-6 hours straight (sometimes even longer), we sure have come a long way in the sleeping department. #happydance

3. God is in control. What a timely reminder, when suddenly some things in our life are not certain, and fears start to creep back in. It’s reassuring to know that, just as there’s food in the ref, and we have a warm bed to sleep in at night, God is in control.

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 18.

Day 17: No time to blog, grocery therapy, and 13 days left

February 5, 2013June 19, 2019 Rhiza2 Comments

1. No time to blog. I’m not sure what made this week different from the week before it, and why I couldn’t find time to do other things besides alternately and/or simultaneously watching over our twins. Days have been fast, and no matter how I try to set aside time to write, I always find myself wondering at the end of the day where the past 24 hours have gone. Frustrating as it may be to not have time to blog (or do anything else!), it also means I’m spending time with my girls, and nothing could be worth more than that.

2. Grocery therapy. After several days living on canned food, my husband and I finally got to do grocery-shopping Tuesday afternoon. What I love about buying groceries is, not only do we get an important errand out of the way, we also get to spend some quality time while practicing our budgeting and decision-making skills.

3. 13 days left. It’s been 17 great days counting blessings and being thankful for the big and small things this life has to offer. One thing for sure, when this 30 Days of Gratitude project is over, the gratitude continues.

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 17.

Day 16: February, Alias marathon, and missing my Dad

February 4, 2013June 19, 2019 Rhiza1 Comment

1. February. I just looooove Februarys. I love that it’s 2-3 days shorter than the usual month, and I love that it’s the month of love. This blog has been a witness to some of my happy February days. Click away: February 2010. February 2011. February 2012.

2. Alias marathon. My brother gifted me a complete set, and my husband and I have been watching it every chance we get. It’s the TV series of my time, back when there wasn’t Grey’s Anatomy, or Suits, or How I Met Your Mother. It’s fun watching younger versions of Jennifer Garner and Bradley Cooper, and seeing Gina Torres pre-Jessica Pearson days. It’s been a while since I was addicted to this TV series, and now I watch it like it’s a new story.

3. Missing my Dad. It’s weird how an old forgotten TV series can make you miss a person you used to watch it with. Alias reminds me so much of my Dad. I remember sitting through each episode with him, years ago. We would watch it on cable and then talk about it with a passion; and when the series was over, he even bought DVDs so we could watch the episodes again.

Incidentally, the story revolved around the relationship between father and daughter Jack and Sydney Bristow—how, in spite of the complexity of their jobs as double agents, they loved and protected each other to the point of death. My Dad didn’t tell me then, but maybe that’s why I’m the one person he would watch it with.

I miss him.

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 16.

Day 15: Lost and found, catching up, and Sunday nights

February 3, 2013June 19, 2019 RhizaLeave a comment

1. Lost & found. Sunday morning, I happened to be given a chance to welcome and get to know two first-timers in church. One of the girls described herself as feeling “lost”, and we discussed in length how we can find direction and purpose if only we would let God take over our lives. And then I prayed for them. At the end of our prayer, they both attested to accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior, and wanting to know Him more. It struck me what this “lost” girl said, that she still doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be or what the future has for her, but at least now she knows for Whom everything is supposed to be and Who holds the future. I guess she’s not that lost after all.

2. Catching up. With family and friends volunteering to watch over the twins on Sundays, I was able to take a break last Sunday and catch up with some of my friends. Lately it feels like I’ve been away for a long time and clueless about what’s happening around. It’s good to finally get some updates on what everyone is up to. I love that it allowed me to zoom out for a moment and see in a bigger perspective how God is constantly working in everyone’s lives.

3. Sunday nights. The babies were tucked in early and I had no work to do. Husband and I camped out in the living room to watch some movies and just enjoy the night. This is our life now, we keep telling ourselves these days. Which is usually followed by us smiling like lovesick highschoolers who still sometimes can’t believe that this is our life. Ending and starting something—a day, a week, a month, a year—with the one you love makes you feel this certain warmth that just.. never gets old.

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 15.

Day 14: Hello sunshine, home-baked cookies, and missing my husband

February 2, 2013June 19, 2019 Rhiza1 Comment

1. Hello sunshine. If Rain likes taking baths, Dawn likes waking up in the morning! (I mean, really, can their names be any more prophetic?) It was Saturday morning and Daddy was leaving early for the last day of Men’s Encounter. I can’t really remember how he managed to leave while this little girl was doing her morning round of cuteness! Interestingly, Dawn is not this happy any other time of the day. She would be smiling randomly alright, and would respond when you try to make her smile. But her best, widest smiles are always in the mornings. So yeah, if you want to start your day right, come visit us around 8am everyday to see this little darling’s good morning show. Email me for ticket prices!

2. Home-baked cookies. Left alone with the babies and our yaya, and in need of some form of change in our Saturday routine, I knocked on the door of our favorite neighbors and invited myself to bake some cookies. Pics or it didn’t happen, I know! But I wasn’t able to get any remembrance of our oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, aside from the memory of its yumminess. Ehem. Ask her! I enjoyed baking, and it was gratifying to eat something you worked for.

3. Missing my husband. During the Men’s Encounter, D would leave early in the morning and come back home very late at night. I know it was just two days, but I still missed him! It’s funny how you live under the same roof as this one person, and you share the same bed, and you still miss him when he’s away even for just a while. Is that normal? Or am I being totally clingy? #thismarriedlife, what can I say.

Day 13: Bath times, solitude, and another encounter

February 1, 2013June 19, 2019 Rhiza3 Comments

She was waving her hand! Hello! :)

1. Rain and bath times. If there’s one thing about Rain, she’s the twin who knows what she wants and gets it—I’m loving that about her! So last Friday she spent the whole day almost like scolding me for not being able to figure out what she wanted. She cried when I wasn’t carrying her the way she wanted to be carried. She cried when she woke up hungry and her milk bottle was not ready. She cried when I couldn’t put her to sleep. I was starting to get frustrated! But as the day was nearing its end, and I was getting her ready to take a bath.. alas, her first smile of the day! I found out that Rain is happiest when I’m giving her a bath. I don’t know why I didn’t notice this before, but now I’m aware of how comfortable and happy she is when she’s submerged in a bath tub full of water. I think she’s starting to live up to her name!

2. Solitude. Solitude is hard to find these days, but I’m thankful for times when the babies are asleep, and for extra sets of hands (my husband’s, our yaya’s, or whoever’s available) which give me time to breathe. I hardly have time to go out these days since I work at home too, but stepping out to walk for a few minutes a day, or at least plugging in my earphones so I can zone out for a couple of minutes, works wonders for me.

3. Encounter Weekend. It’s the Encounter Weekend in our church and D was, again, one of the speakers and counselors. He came home tired from the whole day, but as he took time to tell me stories about the Men’s Encounter, my heart swelled with that familiar feeling of joy, knowing that he’s doing what God calls him to do and that he loves it. Another batch of men and women are encountering God these first two weekends of February. I’m excited for them! They may not know it yet now, but their lives are never going to be the same again.

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 13.