X-Archives – Page 9 – Chasing Dreams

One year and one month

November 24, 2013May 13, 2019 Rhiza3 Comments

How do you blog about your baby’s first birthday? I totally missed doing that, and it’s weird because I was so sure that I was not going to miss out on blogging about that milestone.

I was going to write an open letter to Dawn and Rain. I’d tell them how much they’ve changed our lives and how thankful we are to God for this beautiful first year. I was going to post lots of photographs from their birthday party, which would be beautifully styled and DIY-ed like the ones you see on Pinterest.

But then their first birthday party happened, and all I could think about doing after weeks of preparations was to lie down in bed the whole day with the twins and their Daddy, and laugh at how silly these two are becoming. Which was pretty much what happened.

And then the following days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to a month,

and here we are.

The open love letter I imagined myself writing became a short cover photo caption posted on Facebook, which simply said

Dear Dawn & Rain,

You probably didn’t care so much, blowing your first birthday cake. But for me and your Daddy, it was a beautiful moment, a milestone, we’ll remember forever. Thank you for giving us reasons to celebrate life everyday.

Love, Mommy

I meant it with all my heart, no doubt about it, but it was about a thousand words short of how I imagined their first birthday love letter should be, and what I really wanted to say.

And these photographs, haha.

When we had Isaac‘s first birthday party, there was not a single photograph of him smiling. I thought to myself, when I have babies, I would make sure they were smiling on their first birthday photos.

I guess even that is beyond my control.

Life is just too big for words

The truth is, I stare at blank spaces a lot these days. Blank WordPress screen, blank Facebook status field, blank pages of my journal. All waiting for me to pour my heart out.

Time is flying swiftly and most of my reflections these days remain in my head (and my heart), unwritten. Dawn & Rain are growing too fast, and I’m sometimes scared of missing out on that. As much as I want to capture every moment so that someday I can relieve them, God is teaching me every day to live each moment as they come, and then let them go.

Lara Casey blogged about this so eloquently, and for lack of better words, I quote (emphases mine):

As a creative, I am compelled to create because I want to mirror back to the world God’s goodness. I want to create with every fiber of my being. I try so hard. I try to share and create what I think will help. I try to share what I hope will inspire Grace one day to know and love Him. I try, but sometimes I get really tired trying to pour the ocean of life into a little cup. Most of my favorite moments don’t get photographed because I’m completely immersed in them. And sometimes life is just too big for words.

Well there you go. I bold-faced phrases for emphasis, and then underlined some words in those phrases for even more emphasis. I laugh at myself for being such a weirdo sometimes. On a serious note, that’s how much her words resonate with how I feel and what I really want to do around here.

Go ahead, read the whole thing.

Today marks Dawn & Rain’s 13th month. Oh wow, I’ve been a Mommy for 13 months!

And like a broken record I would say it over again, it still often feels like I’m living in a dream.

Happy 13 months, my loves.

Thoughts on Yolanda, and the little ones

November 23, 2013May 13, 2019 Rhiza1 Comment

It was hard for me to blog about Yolanda. We posted a massive list of resources on the aftermath of the typhoon in our company blog, but as far as blogging how I felt about what’s happening, I was at a loss for words.

That’s how I usually feel, watching the news or browsing Facebook. At one point I even wished people would start posting selfies again, if only to get a break from the sad news that seemed to never end.

Young girls stare at the full moon outside a makeshift shelter in Tacloban. (CNN)

Ondoy (2009) moved me to act, Sendong (2011) caused me to reflect, but Yolanda.. Yolanda made me feel weak in the knees.

Yolanda came on the weekend of my Dad’s birthday, and while we celebrated the life of my Dad that day, we knew at the back of our minds that somewhere, people are grieving the death of their loved ones.

Even more devastating, that some parents are mourning the loss of their children.

My heart breaks the most for the children.

They’re too young! They’re not supposed to go through something this tough. They’re not supposed to die.

And the babies! My heart bleeds for them. Dawn & Rain came out prematurely at 35 weeks and they needed incubation. I can not, for the life of me, imagine how those premature babies would survive without the aid of incubators.

Will they make it? Are their mommies going to be okay? Are they going to live to tell the story?

When I think about these children, a song plays in my mind like a gentle reassurance,

“..suffering children are safe in Your arms, there is none like You.”

God has a special place in His heart for the little children, and the thought that He knows what He’s doing ends all questions and doubts.

It’s ironic how, the sight of these young typhoon survivors can easily break your heart and give you hope at the same time. Continue reading “Thoughts on Yolanda, and the little ones” →

Hello, it’s been a while

November 2, 2013May 13, 2019 Rhiza3 Comments

(Back from an unplanned blog hiatus.)

One of the best practices in keeping a blog is consistency. Whenever we pitch Blogging and Content Marketing to potential clients or present monthly reports to existing ones, we would always emphasize to them the importance of updating blogs consistently. We would tell them to strictly follow an editorial calendar, and to create a blogging habit.

I’m obviously not practicing what I preach. Oops.

Instagrams from the past month.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been blogging a lot (quite a lot, actually).. just not here at Chasing Dreams.

It feels a little weird to be blogging for a living now when it used to be just my time away from work. Not that I’m complaining. I’m happy to see the WordPress dashboard everyday. I really just have to find a slot for Chasing Dreams in my super hectic editorial calendar. Which I intend to do. One of these days.

Where oh where did October go?

The past month was full. We set up candy buffets. I was featured at Dainty Mom’s Mom Bliss. I joined Martine’s Brand Bliss Workshop. I signed up in Darrah Parker’s LensMama. I started a new instagram account, specifically for this blog. I attended some sessions at the recently concluded Search Engine Marketing Conference 2013. We spent time with a cousin who’s visiting from New York.

And there’s the usual: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in Makati. Thursday nights with our bible study group. Sundays in church. In my interview with Martine, I shared in detail what a day in my life looks like. Feel free to visit her blog to read the feature. ;)

On top of all that, October is Dawn & Rain’s birthday month

The twins turned one last week and last Sunday was their first birthday party. The week before that was spent DIY-ing decorations, working on the guest list, inviting friends, coordinating things. Step a little further back and the past 2 months were spent working on extra-income sidelines to save up for the costs of the party.

Remnants from their first birthday party.

And then the day of the party came, and I didn’t get to take a single photograph! Big deal, for someone who takes photographs of practically everything. Good thing a friend brought his camera, and volunteered to cover the event and capture moments. It feels liberating to let someone else do something I would have insisted doing myself.

No regrets

I missed a lot of deadlines this month. I had to turn down opportunities. I said no to some invitations. I had to let go of some personal effects to accommodate more important responsibilities.

All in exchange for limitless smiles, screaming duets, new tricks, small hands that pull my hair in the morning, and tiny yawns that smell like pancakes at night—fleeting moments of bliss that affirm to me that I am right where I’m supposed to be, and everything else I plan to do in my life can wait.

And that.. is where October went.

No regrets. No regrets at all.

Tuesdays with Normi

September 19, 2013May 13, 2019 Rhiza2 Comments

Tuesdays. It’s an unusual day of the week to go out with girlfriends but for some reason, Normi & I keep seeing each other on Tuesdays. Totally unintentional, in fact I just thought about it now. Reminds me of Mitch Albom, who learned life’s greatest lessons on Tuesdays (with Morrie, yes!), except that I’m not seeing an old terminally ill professor.

Instead, I’m seeing an old friend whom I happen to journey this mommy life with.

Normi announced that she’s pregnant with baby number 2 on Facebook the day before we saw each other, and our usual Mommy date became a celebration of sorts. We pampered ourselves with a pedicure at Dashing Diva, and had our afternoon coffee at Cafe Breton. Correction: coffee for me, crepes for the preggy. No caffeine for you, little one.

Normi and I have come a long way. We grew up in Sunday School together, shared an apartment in our heydays, got engaged on the same month of the same year (September 2010, woot!), got married in the same year (2011), and now.. traversing this motherhood together. Having been friends with someone that long, it’s beautiful to witness another person grow inside and out. Conversations become more matured, and dreams become more for others than for ourselves.

It’s rare finding such friendship, and I’m happy to have this one with Normi.

That said, you know what else was birthed from these Tuesday afternoon dates?

We launched a mommy blog and called it “This Mommy Life”

One Tuesday afternoon, after rambling for hours about our new “career” as Moms, we went home and launched a blog for new moms like us.

Continue reading “Tuesdays with Normi” →

Rainy days and Saturdays

September 14, 2013May 13, 2019 Rhiza3 Comments

I thought the sound of rain I was hearing a while ago was from RainyMood. Turned out it was really raining outside.

There was this particular rainy Saturday a few weeks ago when Lolo Tatay (from my husband’s side of the family) took us up for the twins’ first Tagaytay trip. I didn’t take a lot of photos, but here are some moments captured with our phone camera.

We didn’t know we were going to Tagaytay that day, which explains why the twins were not dressed right for it. Thank God for their jackets, which we always bring with us wherever we go. For the first time, the effort of carrying those hoodies around finally paid off. The rain poured while we were on our way, and it continued to pour while we were having our lunch buffet and afternoon coffee at Taal Vista Hotel.

I don’t like the traffic, the inconvenience, and the floods that often come with rainy days. Not to mention the horrible news about people evacuating because of the floods. But I can’t deny it—I love days like this. I love the sound of rain (it inspires me to write, or do something creative), the cool breeze, the smell of rain, the sight of rain water on wet pavement.

And I love rainy days especially when they’re spent with family, a cup of coffee, and maybe a good book.

“Rain” is an illustration of blessing and abundance in the Bible. Back when we didn’t know we were going to have twin girls, in fact on that particular day we found out we were pregnant, we already knew that we were going to name our firstborn “Rain”.

I can continue listing down reasons why I love rainy days so much, but to make this post actionable, here are some unusual suggestions on how to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon:

Go on a roadtrip.

For real? For real! I suggest you don’t go too far, but go somewhere. If you’re in the south area, go ahead, go for Tagaytay. The point is, get out of the house. Note that this is applicable on rainy Saturdays only, and more specifically, not when there’s typhoon ha. Go on a roadtrip when most people would rather tuck themselves in and curl up in bed. Rainy Saturdays often mean empty establishments and less traffic.

Eat some ice cream.

I know the usual thing to do is to grab a cup of choco or a bowl of soup on a rainy day. But magnifying the cold by eating something cold works too. Back in New York, my husband loves eating ice cream on a winter day. Just for the thrill (and the chill) of it.

Get married!

Two of my friends had their garden weddings rained out. But the rain didn’t ruin their weddings, in fact, the unexpected rain made the experience even more romantic! So instead of planning your wedding to fall on a summer day, why not totally plan to have it during the rainy days. Take it from this girl who’s wedding got rained out. Rain could be the best thing that can happen on your special day. ;)

However you’re spending these rainy days, I hope you’re doing it with people you love. Have a great weekend! :)

Still So In Love With This Guy

August 21, 2013January 19, 2020 Rhiza2 Comments

Two years married and I have some things to report. First, married life is still as awesome as I thought it was a year ago. And second, I’ve never been happier, and you know I don’t use the word happy lightly.

I thought I should apologize for the next paragraphs, but nah, I’m not sorry. So I’ll warn you instead: Cheesemaxx ahead. :D

Photos from our anniversary date at La Creperie Boheme

Five years of on-and-off LDR and 2 years of marriage later, I’m still so in love with this guy.

Two years ago I married my best friend, my most avid and loyal suitor, the guy who wrote me love songs and spent too much dollars on overseas calls.

Last year I found him to be the kindest and sweetest person in the universe, a loving husband, a ministry partner and leader I’ve grown to look up to and respect, my personal nurse who held my hand through pregnancy, childbirth, and all the big and small milestones in between.

We’ve seen each other through ups and downs, and I have to say, even in his bad days I sometimes find him adorable still, knowing that his crankiness can easily be solved by one thing—food.

And then he became the cutest Daddy ever, a hands-on caregiver to our twin girls, their favorite playmate and Veggie Tales buddy. I didn’t know it was possible to love him more until I saw how he’s like as a father. It feels like getting to know a new side of him, and I realize that it really is possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again.

He’s the one person in the world I can tell my dreams and thoughts to without the fear of being judged. He’s my voice of reason, my prayer warrior.

He’s the person I dream with, laugh with, pray with. Nothing has felt more right than him.

On the day of our anniversary

..he came home with these:

And although I’ve told him many times to not buy me flowers anymore (the simplest bouquet costs almost as much as a pack of diapers or a box of formula), I realized that it still made my heart flutter the same way it did 3 years ago, when he was sending me flowers from half-way across the world.

The flowers have already dried, but this small card that came with it remains tucked in a place where I could always see:

Dear Riz, Thank you for loving me for the past two years, and the time before that, and the time after today. I love you then, I will love you always. Bud.

I didn’t write him a card. Unlike him, I couldn’t put it all eloquently in one sentence, how thankful I am that he chose me, love me.

After our anniversary dinner the night before, we spent the rest of our anniversary at home, no time and budget for an out-of-town getaway like last year, but mostly unable to celebrate too far from the girls. Still a beautiful day, nonetheless.

The fondness never ends

Last Sunday we went out to buy diapers. He left me in the supermarket to pay for the diapers while he crossed the street to buy us some take-out food. I waited for him to return, and as I watched him cross the street, under the rain, holding an umbrella with one hand and a brown paper bag with the other, I held my breath for a moment and my heart leaped in its cage.

This is the guy I married? Di nga, I’m married to this guy? Wait, I’m married? To him? I smiled, mighty proud of my good taste (ha!), but mostly relieved, and thankful to God that I ended up with this guy and not with anyone else. The fascination, and the occasional disbelief, never ends.

Happy anniversary, ex-boyfriend. You’re awesome. I love you.

2nd Wedding Anniversary, Part 2.