Tag: pinas

The Paradise that is Ephrathah Farms

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Ephrathah Farms

Ephrathah Farms

Summer has long been over but we still keep looking back and reminiscing our time at Ephrathah Farms. Located in the quiet town of Badiangan, Iloilo, the farm has been there for a while, growing organic produce that are sold at SM Iloilo Supermarket.

With hectares of land and natural resources, it makes sense that the family who owns this piece of property would develop it and welcome others to enjoy this paradise; after all, you won’t really keep a place this beautiful to yourself would you? :)

And so early this year, the hotel and the resort were opened to the public; and in May, just as summer was about to end, we had the privilege of coming over to stay there for a couple of days.  Continue reading “The Paradise that is Ephrathah Farms” →

Unusual Monday Morning

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Tune Hotel

Tune Hotel

Tune Hotel

Tune Hotel

Tune Hotel

There was this moment, waking up in a room at Tune Hotel on Monday morning, that was strangely familiar. It happens every time we’re in an unfamiliar place, and I look around to see my little family, and I suddenly have this overwhelming rush of emotions, and I know right then that home is right there with me.

Power went out at past 7:00pm Sunday night, in the middle of a storm, and we found refuge in a nearby hotel where we evacuated for the night. Have you ever tried out Tune Hotel? Very affordable and impressive, I must say. Even though we only stayed half-a-day, the price was very reasonable and certainly worth it. The room was small but very clean. There weren’t a lot of amenities, but the pillows, sheets, and towels were top quality. For an emergency accommodation, we sure got our money’s worth.

We heard the electricity was restored in our area at around 2:00am, but D and the girls were already sleeping soundly by that time.

I woke up on Monday morning, sunshine coming through the glass windows of our small room, and I knew I just had to preserve that moment. I said a quick prayer to God, thanking Him for keeping us safe, and warm, and dry; and for being our shelter in the time of storm, both literally and figuratively.

I looked at my family, still sleeping, squeezed in a queen-sized bed which was our home for the night, and my heart swelled with so much love. Will I ever get used to this (not so) new life? The girls have grown so much, and D and I have been living together for over 3 years, and yet, it still sometimes feels like it hasn’t really sunk in yet. (Are they really my daughters? Is he really my husband? Is this really my life now?)

Anyone can relate to this feeling? Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Rainy days and Saturdays

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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.

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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! :)

There’s No Easy Way to Say Goodbye

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Normally, when you keep doing something over and over again, you get better at it. It’s the reason why musicians practice all the time, and athletes go through regular trainings. Repetition does wonders in honing a skill.

Sadly, saying goodbye doesn’t work that way.

No matter how many times you watch someone leave, the process just doesn’t get easier. And no matter how many times you said “good bye” in the past, the next time breaks your heart worse than the last.

Few weeks ago, our friend Robert (the guy I was talking about in this post) left the Philippines to be with his wife in London. I’ve gotten so used to having him around all the time—knocking on our door in his pambahay and unbrushed hair (sometimes unbrushed teeth! lol) as if our house is an extension of his living room. He’s the “older brother I never had” as I would always tell him, and when my husband was adjusting to life back here in Manila, he was one of his first few friends.

And suddenly, he left for good.

Last week, another friend Joana (one of the girls I was talking about in this post) left the Philippines to migrate to California with her family. I’ve always wanted to have a sister, I guess that’s why I channeled all of that energy to girlfriends like J. She’s my prayer partner for years, she’s one of my bridesmaids, a part of my cell group, my nephew’s godmother, and now she’s my daughters’ godmother too—that’s just about the list of titles she’s claimed in my life.

And now she’s halfway across the world.

In a span of a month, two people who are huge parts of my life left for good, taking pieces of me with them, and I’ve been struggling with their (physical) absence and the finality of their departures since.

But how can I not be happy for them? 

Robert reunited with his wife Tin, and they finally started their married life together after months of LDR. As for Joana, her family’s immigrant visas were approved after decades of waiting and praying for them. These are all good news!

The funny thing about saying goodbye

To be sad about people leaving is almost like selfish. And to be happy about their absence feels wrong too. On one hand, you’re sad to see people go, and you know that life (as you know it) is never going to be the same again. On the other hand, you’re happy to see their prayers answered and their dreams come true!

So you find yourself in between two strong emotions that pull and tear your heart apart in two extremely opposite directions.

What I learned about saying good bye

As one who experienced a lot of moving around in her younger years, and went through a torturous long distance relationship, saying good bye to places and to people I love is the hardest. At one point I thought I’ve gotten used to saying goodbye, but as I grow older, I often wish I would never go through that kind of pain ever again.

But things change. Time flies. People leave. That’s just the way it is. Change involves pain, and pain forces us to grow. It causes us to see situations with eternal eyes and teaches us the art of letting God do His thing. It helps us loosen our grip off tangible things—people, places, routines; and causes us to embrace the more important things, the ones that last forever—friendships, memories, lessons.. and that kind of love that transcends space and time.

When we look at saying goodbye that way, it’s not such a bad thing after all.

Canyon Woods Batangas Baby Moon

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From our anniversary weekend. Here’s more, just because we have tons of them. :)

The resort was huge, and we had it all to ourselves! Because the place was so huge (Have I said that yet? Oh yeah.), we had to take a shuttle to go around from our cabin to the clubhouse to wherever in the vicinity we want to go.

The clubhouse. We had meals at their empty lounge, with a beautiful view of pine trees and the sky. The food can be pricey in the lounge though, so we had one of our lunches in Tagaytay proper, more or less a 30 minute drive away.

The casitas. Although the rooms and the facilities are old and a little worn out, I think it adds to the rustic and country-feel ambiance that Canyon Woods is all about.

And I just looove the floor-to-ceiling glass doors/windows!

The indoor pool. The highlight of our stay has got to be the indoor pool, which we had all to ourselves! They turn on the heater only in the weekends though, so if you’re planning to come here for the indoor pool, definitely schedule your trip on a weekend.

Say hello to my huge belly, at 26 weeks. :)

I think swimming really did me well, especially for my muscle cramps and back pains. 

The outdoor pool. It was pretty much ours during our stay, too. Although it wasn’t heated, the sunshine on our backs evened out the cold water, which made our outdoor swim a really nice experience as well.

Canyon Woods is always mistaken to be in Tagaytay, but it’s basically in Batangas already. We love it and we definitely recommend it! Like I said, we seemed to be like the only guests at the time, but they’re not under-staffed and we were taken care of really well.

A tip: Best if you go there with coupon deals, we got ours from Cashcashpinoy. ;)

I’d love to come back soon, but my tummy is getting bigger and bigger, and we’re getting closer and closer to our due date. I guess this is my last trip, at least for now.

This weekend on Instagram: our first wedding anniversary

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Obligatory instagram post of our weekend at Canyon Woods Resorts:

(1) For the first time the whole week, the sun was shining brightly and we spent our weekend without a hint of dark skies and rain! (2) We woke up on our first morning with sun rays through our room’s glass windows, what a sight! (3) We had our breakfast of eggs and bacon with a beautiful view on the side; (4) ..and we can’t help but stare at the two empty seats in front of us, thinking that soon enough, two little girls will occupy those seats; (5) I’m so thankful my husband is a good swimmer. I’ve always loved swimming, and I’m glad to have someone who’s game to swim anytime! (6) The indoor pool was practically the highlight of our stay, we had it all to ourselves the whole time we were there! Seriously, no other guests but us! (7) My big bulge didn’t stop me from swimming, yeah! (8) Posing by the highway, just because; (9) Pretty casitas by the lake, one of which was our love nest for the weekend; (10) Gotta love having a husband who’s ready with a camera all the time; (11) Waiting for our ride back home, after 3 days of rest; (12) Pasalubongs from Tagaytay.

We couldn’t help but compare how different this August was from last year. How we were surrounded by lots of people, family and friends, on our wedding day and on the days before and after it. This time, celebrating our first wedding anniversary, it was just two of us. And it was really just the two of us, literally, as it seemed like we were the only guests in Canyon Woods that time. The only times we’re reminded that we’re not alone were those moments when I feel tiny kicks in my belly, and we realize that we have two little girls tagging along wherever we go.

The place was beautiful, the moments were precious, and it was just the kind of weekend where we keep marveling at how huge and how wide God’s love is. And yet, in His Greatness, He’s still mindful of the personal details and the little things in these small and short lives we live.