Chasing Dreams

2/52: Cuter than Minions

January 22, 2014July 21, 2020 Rhiza1 Comment

Photographs of Dawn & Rain, once a week, every week, in 2014. Week Two.

Dawn & Rain: I can’t remember how their Daddy got them to react that way. Too cute.
Rain: Likes riding baskets and boxes lately.
Dawn: Likes making faces. Ha! This girl!

With Despicable Me 2 being the twins’ current favorite movie, I was so sure that this photo set was bound to happen. It’s the only movie that captures their attention from start to finish, although it seems that Frozen is becoming the second most-watched movie lately.

There’s this specific scene in Despicable Me 2 that Rain is crazy about. THIS ONE, where Minion Dave falls in love with Lucy. Watch it. The moment Dave jumps out of the table and takes a lovesick look at Lucy, Rain starts giggling like a high school girl who has a crush. She’s 15 months old, mind you. Sometimes we would fast forward to that scene just to see Rain’s funny reaction. It never fails.

Seriously. I sometimes wonder how a 15-month-old could be that attentive.

On the other side of the twindom, Dawn is starting to learn how to smile and pose for the camera. Yes! And this Mommy right here is absolutely smitten.

Where my trust is without borders

January 17, 2014June 28, 2019 RhizaLeave a comment

We’re on Day 15 of our 21 Day Prayer and Fasting, and at this point I’m feeling very weak and tempted to devour the chocolates in the ref already! Chocolates and sweets are my greatest weakness, so are my worries and fears, so I decided to give those up along with food, taking only juices and soup, in order to hear God’s voice clearer during these 21 days.

And you know what? It feels good to be vulnerable. To be stripped off these things that give me comfort (yes, worrying comforts me the same way chocolates do) and allow God to speak to me and mold me during this time of inconvenience.

The lyrics of this song captures the prayer of my heart this 2014. Every now and then this song would play in my mind, and I’m immediately brought to a place of rest and profound assurance.

Oceans by Hillsong. Listen. You’ll love it, promise.

To be truly honest, I’m not sure if I ever stopped being a coward. I may have taken bigger leaps and bolder steps these past couple of years, but sometimes it feels like the coward in me is still lurking somewhere inside my chest ready to jump out every time I’m on a crossroad.

And yet, here I am, committing myself to a life of passion this year, something I couldn’t possibly live up to unless I let go of my fears and stop being a coward.

God is teaching me to let Him be God

You see, we thought we got pregnant at the start of this year. My period was 3 days delayed, and 3 days may sound a little too paranoid for you, but not to us. I never miss my period. Never. It always comes on the dot, and the last time I missed it, we found out the very next day that I was pregnant.

That’s not to say that we don’t want another baby (babies!), we actually do. It’s just that, we don’t feel like we’re ready at the moment. We worry about the financial, physical, and emotional preparations we have to go through, to think we haven’t fully recovered yet from birthing twins. We decided to wait maybe another year before having baby #3.

I know that may be too much info to divulge, but I find the need to share an important lesson that took me about 72 hours of delayed menstruation to learn. I needed to learn to let Him be God. To allow Him to hold my timetable, and to leave it to Him to decide whether I’m ready for another pregnancy or not. My readiness is not my call but His; my job is to simply trust that He knows what He’s doing and His timing is perfect.

Long story short, I got my period the following day. My husband and I sighed in relief not because I wasn’t pregnant, nope, but because I knew that I got the lesson I needed to learn.

15 Days down, 6 More to Go

We’re sprinting towards the finish line of our 21 Day Prayer and Fasting. A part of me does not want this to end yet, but the other half of me is excited to celebrate milestones and answered prayers, and to receive clarity on important decisions we have to make as a family this year. God is going to make things happen in my life this 2014, and I’m confident that He will make me stronger and wiser in the process.

1/52: Project 52 Starts Today

January 12, 2014July 21, 2020 Rhiza4 Comments

Photographs of Dawn & Rain, once a week, every week, in 2014. Week one.

Dawn: Two chubby little hands shoving a biscuit into her cute little mouth. Nomnom.
Rain: Eyes on Veggie Tales while munching on her afternoon snack.

Yesterday I put closure to my unfinished 52 Week Project. Today I restart the project, together with hundreds of parents from all over the world who committed to posting portraits of their children every week this year.

Seeing everybody’s posts makes me feel like stepping inside a room full of kindred spirits. We may not know each other, but we are all Mommies who are obviously smitten with our kids. I feel right at home. Thanks Jodi, for spearheading this project!

One down.

52 Week Project, 2013

January 11, 2014July 21, 2020 Rhiza18 Comments

On February 2013, I started a 52 Week Project where I took (and posted) photographs of my daughters, once a week, every week, for the whole year. I don’t count the pics we post on Instagram and Facebook as part of this project, only the ones I took with our DSLR. Posting on IG is too easy, and I wanted to exert a little more effort than that.

Sometime in September (backtracked July), I stopped posting my weekly portraits. I continued taking photos still, some weeks more than I should, other weeks none at all.

And then, life happened

I have no excuse other than the classic “Well, life happened.” Except now, for the first time, I’m not just using it as an “excuse”. Life really did happen. And most times, it’s not just about not being able to find time to do things. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I could find time, like when the girls were sleeping, or on Saturday mornings when it was their Daddy’s turn to play with them.

It’s just that.. life has become too big for words (and photographs). And often it has left me paralyzed. Sometimes there’s nothing else I’d rather do but stare at these two little darlings and marvel at their beauty (while wiping the goo that keeps coming out of their mouths and noses). They’re growing up fast, and I feel that I would miss it if I’m away too long.

Just the same, I looooove looking back at the posts that I managed to publish for this project. You can check them out here. They remind me why 2013 was such a beautiful and meaningful year, and how awesome God has been to our little family.

As I put some form of closure to last year’s 52 Week Project (and so I can start anew this 2014! Ha!), here are some of my favorite photographs, including ones I never got the chance to post, in reverse chronological order.

DECEMBER: Christmas Greeting Card Material (Not!)

We wanted to take photos of them to put in Christmas cards to give away to family and friends, so we DIYed a little photoshoot at home, and had them wear their Christmas dresses.

I guess you can say it was a failed attempt because we never got around to printing greeting cards. Plus, none of the shots we took were greeting card worthy. Most of the pics that came out were like the ones above, and yes, the one we posted on IG was actually the best one from our set of family pics. But how can you not be happy with these photos just the same, right? :) What can I say, I’m a proud little mommy. LOL.

NOVEMBER: Fourteen Months

These were taken on the day they turned 14 months old. We just got home from church, and the two were in the mood for some clapping and praising the Lord.

OCTOBER: Praise the Lord

You’re probably familiar with these next ones if we’re connected in FB or IG. We used them on the twins’ birthday invitations and giveaways.

When they were younger we taught them to raise their hands when we say “Praise the Lord”, and well, they never forgot. Sure, it’s just one of their default “tricks”, but I’m so excited to see these two learn to really praise the Lord as they grow.

AUGUST: Tiger & Piglet

Someone gave them these Tigger and Piglet headbands as presents, but surely we enjoyed them more than the girls did. ;)

The next ones are some of my favorites from the ones that made it online. Continue reading “52 Week Project, 2013” →

My One Word for 2014: Passion

January 5, 2014June 28, 2019 Rhiza2 Comments

I’ve been making lists my whole life—on paper, in digital notepads and Word documents, even in my head. I find that making lists makes me more organized and productive, which allows me to accomplish more. This year is no exception. Somewhere on the pages of my journal I wrote down my dreams and goals for 2014, and if I would sum up in one word how I want 2014 to look like it’s got to be this word: passion.

It’s a scary word to use, I know. Passion is such a heavy word, and it scares me that I may not be able to live up to it. Ohhh but I’m ready.

This year is going to be the year I will pursue what I’m passionate about, in the same way I will rekindle my passion for what I already have.

Embracing new passions and chasing new dreams

The truth is, for the past 3 years I feel like I’ve given up some of the things I’m passionate about: Travel, photography, gadgets, collecting pretty things, adventures. The other thing I’ve given up is my disposable income, which is not exactly a “passion”, but something that funds my passions. Being a mother now and raising a family, I have to be purposeful in the way I use time and money, and my “passions” have to take the backseat. No more travels, no more impulsive splurges, no more unnecessary spending.

But hey, how can I complain about losing so much when I’ve gained so much more? And then it hit me. It’s not that I’ve given up my passions. It’s more like, the things I’m passionate about changed for the better. And surely I wouldn’t trade what I have now with what I used to have.

Soon as I wrapped my head around that obvious truth, it became easier to focus on what matters most, and to know what I’m truly passionate about. Everything else I desire to do is hinged on those important things.

#21dayfast

My husband and I are on day 4 of a 21 day fast right now. Yesterday as we were talking about our vision for this year, my eyes were suddenly brimming with tears. Happy tears. Expectant tears. Tears that come out from eyes that have seen in the past how God can make impossible things happen. Tears that bring forth clarity and assurance that God can make things happen again.

This is the year that I am going rekindle my passion for everything that God calls me to do. This is the year that I will pursue the things that make me restless at night, things that wake me up early in the morning eager to start the day. Anything short of that is not good enough.

Hello, passion. Let’s do this.

Oh hello, 2014

January 2, 2014June 28, 2019 RhizaLeave a comment

And so 2014 came faster than I could say “goodbye 2013”. I feel like there’s still so much I haven’t really processed about the past year, and I need more time for closure. What a year it has been! I’m glad, though, that time doesn’t wait for us, and that God’s timing does not depend on our pacing or our (in)ability to catch up. Oh my, if time waited for me, I wouldn’t have moved forward so much.

First sunset of 2014.

Our yaya took a week-long holiday to end the year, and so the time I would normally spend reflecting and making year-ender lists was spent doing chores. Not complaining at all, I have loved serving my little family, and attending to Dawn & Rain’s cries and needs. My husband and I learned a lot about teamwork, and while we’re already missing our yaya by now (LOL), we welcome times like this where we can be on our own and enjoy quality time, just the four of us.

The last week of the year felt like a loooong day! A meaningful one at that.

From the rising of the sun to the setting of the same (Psalm 113:13)

I took a picture of the sunset on our way home from Island Cove, where we spent New Year’s Eve with some close family friends (the ones I talked about in this post). It was a good time to catch up and relax, away from the noise and pollution of the city but still close enough to watch the sky lit with fireworks.

By the way, Thank you Salvios, Cabanbans, and Escanos, for letting us crash your little NYE party. We enjoyed every single moment of it. :)

The end of 2013 and the start of 2014 felt just like that moment on the road. Ninang Vi and Kuya Mike took us home. We flew by the Cavitex highway, witnessing the sun as it set on the first day of the year. And then we were stuck in super heavy traffic in Baclaran, which I took as another opportunity to ask questions, listen to stories, and learn. And then EDSA was a breeze (oh you wish EDSA was always like that!), and suddenly we were back in our messy, yaya-less home. Everything was the same as we left it, but we were the ones that changed.

We were sooo tired and yet so full. Being around people I love and respect, I always look forward to learning bits and pieces from their life and taking mental notes of things I can apply to mine. I enjoy meaningful conversations. There’s so much to learn, especially from people who have experienced God’s miraculous work in their lives.

More importantly, starting the year with my little family, even with a messy house, my heart swells with so much love and renewed strength like I can take on whatever 2014 has in store.

The first day brings momentum while the second day brings reality

This brings me back to my January 2, 2012 post. I love the simplicity of “the day after”. There’s quietness and calm in it, when the confetti and wrapping papers have been cleaned up and the noise have died down.

Today is January 2, 2014, and my husband and I woke up to the sound of Rain and Dawn babytalking with each other. They were quietly playing in their corner of the bed, and soon as they saw me open my eyes, they gave me the sweetest smile. They crawled up to me, Rain leaned her head on my chest and Dawn touched my face.

Ahh, this is the life.

And then my husband and I spent the first hours of the day working on our 21-Day Fasting Journal. I’m so proud of the girls for staying in their crib and quietly watching their Veggie Tales while Daddy and Mommy have some quiet time.

I’m excited! 2014 is the year of the Lord, and I’m looking forward to what He has in store for me and for our little family this year and beyond.