Category: 30 Days Vol 2

Day 24: I remember how happy I was that day

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24/30: Something pink. We finally got a copy of our official wedding photos from Exquisite Photography. Kuya Bim, our dear friend and Kuya who agreed to take our photos, did a really good job with them. There were hundreds of beautiful photos but the MacBooks were stolen even before we found time to choose which ones to upload on Facebook. I guess uploading them is not going to happen anytime soon.

EP uploaded some on their official FB account though. And this photograph is one of my favorites, yay! I looked really happy in this, no? (: That’s because I was. I am.

This reminds me that no matter how stressful, sometimes heartbreaking, the days were leading to our wedding day, I still woke up on the morning of August 13, 2011 with so much peace and hope in my heart. I’ve waited for that day for so long, and when God finally made it happen, there was nothing or no one who could take away the joy in my heart.

We’ve been heavily warned about getting married. Some people even questioned our decisions and challenged us to reconsider, while others gave us their full blessing and support.

We were told that marriage isn’t all love and bliss, that it involves a lot of work, and that it can be a painful thing if not done right. You might think that I’m not the right person to validate these claims as I have only been married for 3 months, but if you’d take my word for it, I say, yes, married life can be really challenging, but the fact that it’s a God-given gift does not change. I say, it’s truly worth it.

Day 23: That spot where Dad would have been

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23/30: Sunflare. 23 photographs down, 7 more to go. It’s a challenge blogging the past days without the MacBooks. I’ve been a blogger nomad since Friday, blogging from other people’s computers and laptops. Yesterday, I even blogged from our Ipod Touch. Right now, I’m in Xaris‘ workstation. Hello from Xaris’ MacBook! Ahhh, feels good to hold a MacBook again.

Ok, posting this quick.

First photo: Mom and Kuya Nikos walking me to the altar and giving me away. Second photo: Mom and Kuya Nate watching us as we had that first kiss.

These two photos make me think of two things:

(1) I know my Mom and my whole family are truly happy for me, but I wonder how it feels to be a mother (or a brother!!), and to watch your only daughter, the one you loved and took care of for 28 years, finally get married. Hmm. I’m glad I don’t have to know, at least not in the next 20-30 years. Haha.

(2) I wonder how my Dad would feel if he was still around. I had mixed emotions about this. On one hand, I wish he was there to walk me down the aisle and to have that one last dance with me. Dancing to Butterfly Kisses with my Dad on my wedding day has always been my dream. It’s sad that I never saw that dream happen in this lifetime. On the other hand, a part of me was glad that he didn’t have to experience the pain of letting her little girl go and all the drama that came with it.

I miss my Dad everyday, but how can I not be thankful when I have two brothers (and a bunch of surrogate fathers here and there) who lovingly took Dad’s place, doing what they think Dad would have done the best way they know. So thanks, Kuya Nate & Kuya Nikos. I know we don’t say it often because we’re macho, but I love you two. :)

Day 22: People around us are getting married

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22/30: Hands. Here’s one last solo picture of my pretty engagement ring. Shortly after this picture was taken, a wedding ring has taken up residence on the same finger. Since then, you’ll never see me wear one ring without the other.

I’m not sure when it started to feel like everyone is getting married! College org-mates, high school friends, cousins, relatives, colleagues, friends of friends, and childhood barkadas are suddenly taking the highway to marital bliss, one after the other. There’s an entire wedding industry, with thousands of wedding suppliers, that does not run out of things to do! In our office alone, 3 ladies got married in a year. Normi got married about two months before I did. Ivy is currently planning her wedding too.

When we were in Boracay, we received news that our friends Jasper and Darlene officially got engaged. We knew that Jasper was planning to propose in front of family and friends but even though we weren’t there to witness the proposal firsthand, we were truly happy when we heard that he finally did it! And then there was another friend/in-law, Ate Che, who got engaged last week. I can’t forget the smile (and the blush!) on her face when she showed us her ring, it was lovely.

Marriage is such a beautiful thing, and I’m really excited for our friends. I’ve always had a thing for engagement and wedding stories, each one unique and different from the rest. Just like I said in the past, I love how they remind us that love is always at work, and that God is who He said He is — Faithful, Perfecter of our faith, Author of love, Maker of all things beautiful.

Day 21: It’s those moments when, you know, you grew up a bit more

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Day 21/30: Moment you won’t forget. So David and I have said our vows, placed wedding rings on each other’s fingers, and signed our marriage contract. One more thing left to do before we were declared husband and wife: the honoring of parents.

It’s probably the part of the ceremony where I cried the most. I stuttered with my thank-you speech, sniffing and wiping my tears the whole time, and I embraced my Mom and held on to her for as long as I could. I know it’s not like I was saying good bye to my Mom, after all, she will always be a huge part of my life. But there was that inevitable moment of closure right then, like we suddenly grew up in that second, and we just knew that a lot of things were never going to be the same again.

It’s been almost three months since then and we continue to learn and grow in small doses each day. Sometimes it feels like we’re just playing house. We live in a small apartment that’s just enough for *exactly* two people, and I guess it’s the fact that our place is like a cute little doll house with a pretty view that makes us forget that hey, this is the real world we’re living in now.

And then there are moments when it feels like God is giving us an accelerated course on adulthood because we need to learn something and grow-up quick.

Like last Friday when David and I came home to an apartment with a broken window.

Someone broke into our home and stole our two Mac Books (an MBP and a white 13″), leaving us wondering if there’s still a safe place in this world. Within the next 24 hours, we had to deal with police officers and investigators and worried neighbors. It’s quite a traumatizing experience for a newly married couple, but we knew that it was a moment of profound awakening for me and my husband—something which God allowed to happen for reasons that are beyond us. Our eyes were opened to the realities of life, and we learned a lot of things we never would’ve learned otherwise.

At the end of the day, we still find joy and peace in our hearts, believing that there’s beauty in trusting a God we can’t see and often can’t understand. It’s that faith that cushioned us from all sides, protecting us from the impact of the incident, and allowing us to still sleep soundly at night.

As for the Mac Books that were stolen, well, those were the same Mac Books that got us through our long-distance relationship. I guess they already served their purpose, it’s time we let them go.

Day 20: Work of art + labor of love = Treatbox

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20/30: Bokeh. Christmas lights make for beautiful bokehs. (:

When my cousin, Ate Dots, confirmed to me that she and her husband were flying in from Sydney to attend our wedding, I just knew that I wouldn’t want anyone else to do our wedding cake but her. Ever since the launch of Treatbox, I’ve been an avid fan of their creations and have often wished they shipped their treats internationally.

Needless to say, our wedding cake was beautifully made, even better than I imagined. Ate Dots captured the color palette perfectly and the details were so intricately designed it was an instant subject of many of our photographs. She even captured my hair, my dress, my bouquet, my dimple and Bud’s mole. I still have the cake topper kept in a jar, but the cake has (obviously) long been gone. Just the same, it’s gifts like this that leave behind beautiful memories and photographs, ones you’d keep looking at for years to come.

Thanks Ate Dots and Kuya Mitch (and Jonah!) for bringing Treatbox right to our reach, and for not missing our wedding for the world. (:

Shameless plug: If you’re in Sydney, specifically in Paramatta, Blacktown and Eastern Suburbs, do check out Treatbox! They specialize in custom-made, eye-candy fondant cakes and cake pops, and I heard Ate Dots’ silvanas are really delicious too!

Day 19: Feels good to be alive

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19/30: Something purple. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away,” says Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

 There were lots of elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets and centerpieces in our wedding, but these wild flowers that Sheila happened to have found somewhere in the venue, in all its simplicity, has got to be the best looking set of flowers there was that day. Great capture, Sheila!

(Note to self: Give the Catilo couple one huge thank you and one huge link towards the end of these 30 days, for being a major sponsor to this 30-Day Challenge.)

Today I was reminded to appreciate the simple things. I woke up this morning a little bit late, but feeling a lot better than I’ve ever felt the whole week. I realize that for the first time this week, I actually had 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep, no longer awaken in the middle of the night by my incessant coughing. The feeling of weakness is gone and I know that soon enough, I’ll get my voice back too. God is awesome, and it feels good to be alive.

Tonight we’re going to an intimate Gary V concert at Crossroads77. I’m all prepped to be inspired. <3