Sweet Novembers

And so the past month ended with us attending a beautiful garden wedding, and I knew we couldn’t have said goodbye to November any better.

My husband and I doubled as dessert buffet suppliers and invited guests to a friend’s wedding, and we have loved the excuse to take out his coat and my gown from the back of our closet and dress up for an unusual Saturdate.

It almost felt like stepping inside a different world!

Fernwood Gardens has changed a lot since the last time I was there. The glass garden is still as lush as ever, but they also opened a lounge area with a country feel in it, complete with a collection of vintage things. (I was completely blown away seeing an Underwood up close!)

It was the same venue of my brother’s wedding in 2008, and I remember inviting my ex-boyfriend to come be my date, but he was halfway across the world and naturally, was unable to make it.

Five years later, I was back in the very same place, this time, with him.

Can you tell I’m still swooning? 

Sweet Novembers

Timehop time! I can’t help it. November is one of my most favorite months of the year. I have to do a little a massive throwback!

• November 2012 – It was our first month as parents, thus the beginning of the “Mommyhood” category in this blog. We took the twins home from the nICU, I blogged about my birth story, remembered my Dad on his birthday, and flooded Instagram with bazillion pictures of the twins. I have not slept longer than 4 hours since. :)
• November 2011 – As we were adjusting to married life, I did a 30-day blog challenge where I chronicled details of our wedding. There were lots of beautiful memories from this year—like putting up our first Christmas tree as married couple, our Boracay honeymoon, and learning many many many things as husband and wife.
• November 2010 – I began my 2-month vacation in New York. Oh what else can I sayyyy about this particular November? Photographs from Central Park, Downtown Manhattan and Staten Island highlighted this month in beautiful Autumn colors. November is a beautiful time to be in New York.
• November 2009 – “Christmas is the saddest of all holidays”, I wrote. I blogged a lot about my solo living, my frustrations, and my love-hate for Christmas lights with a passion. (I’m so glad that phase is over, haha.)

You want to go further down the lane with me? Dare.

• November 2008 – Another one of my favorite Novembers. Touchdown Sydney! I enjoyed Australia too much I only managed a single blog post. Still, it was no doubt one of the best times of my young, single life.
• November 2007 – I blogged about breakups, and cook books, and Kendall Payne, and my office mate’s shih tzuh. It was the first November after my Dad passed away, and I was trying to keep myself busy to alleviate the pain of missing Dad.
• November 2006 – I blogged, “It’s a funny coincidence how Novembers have given me both the happiest and the most painful experiences in my 23 years of existence.” Well, 23-year old Riz, the best is still yet to come. ;)

Further? I found archived posts from as far back as 2003 (eek), but I stop posting links here. Because really, you don’t want to go there. Let’s just say..

• November 2005 – I was going through a bad breakup.
• November 2004 – I was as lost as any girl battling with quarter life can be, and I took to my blog all my juvenile angst and drama.
• November 2003 – I was on a job hunt, crushing on Paolo Valenciano, watching SATC like a fan girl, and daydreaming about the guy who’s going to sweep me off my feet.

At this point I want to give my 20-year old self a big hug and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Because there I was, 10 years later, wearing a long gown, in a beautiful place, on a date with my husband who sure did sweep me off my feet.

He may be 5 years late for my brother’s wedding, but he’s here, and that’s all that matters now.

Toni said it best:

It’s healthy, I believe, to look back and see where you once where and how you got to where you are today. A brief flashback, a brush of a daydream — these are little indulgences I permit myself to have. What’s important is not to dwell and be sucked into the ‘could’ve beens’. One way to avoid that is to be grateful for where the journey has taken you today.

Like Toni, I take pleasure in looking back once in a while, because it inspires me to keep moving forward.

Above all, it reminds me that the same God who took me from that place ten years ago to where I am now, is the same God who’s continuously at work in my life.

Sweet Novembers, what more can I say?