March 24, 2008

ian & sam's wedding

january 12, 2008

there are a gazillion pictures stored in several of my dad's cds of my brother's wedding last january. & if i continue to search for candidates to post here, i might not be able to finish this topic this year!*:)

the wedding was grandeur! it was held at the enormous 'big tent' at don antonio quezon city, just 5 mins away from our place & the location was far from traffic & the ambiance inside was super romantic. but, the rent is way expensive! tried it once while i was canvassing for my daughter's 1st bday. way way over my budget.
back to the wedding, which was the first unconvential wedding i've attended where ceremonies was held in a catholic church then guests proceed to a nearby restaurant for the reception. for ian & sam's, the ceremonies & everything else was held in the same venue. sam, is practicing a non-catholic religion w/c allows blessings on marriages, baptisms, etc, outside the church. when i heard the priest preach though, the teachings were but basically the same.

anyhow, it was obvious, my 'new' sister-in-law dreamed herself a really big wedding. *:)

prior to the main event, we all went to the imperial palace suites in timog, qc where my brother & sam stayed overnight to prepare. when we came there, the place was jump-packed w/ photographers, make-up artists & ofcourse, relatives from both sides of the family.

i forgot to mention, that my aunt from canada visited manila w/ her canadian-french husband who brought along their doting little daughter danika, just a shy 1 year older from own. my aunt & new uncle were chosen amongst the sponsors & danika, one of the flower girls as well.

senator panfilo lacson also graced the occasion. he was listed as one of the major sponsors alongswith senator chiz escudero who wasn't available on the said date but promised the couple dinner in the future.

my daughter played a part by the way. she was one of the flower girls & i was so worried she might mess up her gown, her walk down the aisle, etc etc... my niece nicole volunteered to guide my little princess so as to prevent her from wandering away from the aisle. as expected, she messed up her flowered head frock right before she was about to walk! but i'm still very proud of my daughter, even if she kept on stopping in the middle of her walk impressing everyone w/ her gorgeous little smile!
with nicole at the aisle
here's my little cutie after her walk trisha was assigned as the 'little bride'. she's posed here w/ alex
the de guzman family
w/ senator lacson
my canadian-french uncle, tita thelma & my doll-faced cousin danika walking the aisle
little bride trisha & little groom justine the cuties posing w/ the newly weds. ofcourse this pose was a complete chaos hahaha!
sam, ian & their son, tylord salad buffet finally, dinner!
bride & groom parents kidding aside
the happily married couple...jeez, i'm jealous!

it took us all sometime to register that these 2 people just actually got married. i mean, it didn't happen just because they had a kid when they were both 19. my brother actually loved sam despite all their major fights (we always hear them quarrelling over the phone hehe). & that is so fantastic! oh how i wish there's someone who can 'love' me despite everything else. someone who will keep believing on reform. a man that will be by my side through thick & thin. & one who would specifically love my kid like his own w/o hesitation. sigh. wishes...

ok ok. back to the topic. it was an incredible start of of our 2008. every minute before january 12th was so much fun! the planning, the shopping, the non-stop family dinners! i may have not served enough assistance to sam in the planning due to my tight schedule at work, but at the last minute, i volunteered to take charge of the cake. mind you, it was a daunting task! from the # of layers, the color, the toppers, what doesn't tip off my budget, etc etc. i got them a 3 layered fondant cake, w/ light blue icings, old rose-colored decorations & a charming seated side-by-side couple cake topper from red ribbon.
the wedding finished around 7pm then we went back to the hotel to change clothes & we all went out to party while my little toddler & nieces went to sleep w/ my daughter's yaya to guard them while we were all gone.
in the morning, the kids spent time at the hotel's small pool. we all went home at noon. back at home, another party awaits for the newly weds & to celebrate as well my niece trisha's 12th birthday. till next post!

a candid picture of my princess w/ her prince. hehe. their cousins so that can't do

2008

new year's eve

what else should we have waited after christmas but the new years! it's but the 2nd most blissful & blessed occasion in my life!

apart from the non-stop family gatherings, food, gifts, the christmas season also gives me a diversion from all my hardships, my problems, keeps me outside of the "real word" for 2 nights. now that's definitely gratifying.

anyhow, my daughter finally celebrated new years for the 2nd time around w/ her dad too. finally. hoping he'd be there too for the next hundred years? i don't know...

my bestfriend alex celebrated new years with us so it was double the fun!

welcome 2008!
ate anna & nick; alex
my baby rayne; w/ her lolo lighting up a "lusis"
ate anna & trish; trish & dad

dad & ian; nick & mom

christmas 2007

december 24, 2007

i still managed to buy a handful of gifts to give that xmas. i barely had the time to but was blessed w/ enough days off before the holidays to tackle my long xmas checklist.

i've completed my 2 starbucks booklets for which i got my 2 starbucks journals which eventually landed as xmas gifts for my niece & sister.

our celebration during the eve of xmas was as typical as it can get. overflowing banquet of noche buena, alcohol aside, tables & chairs set at the backyard & my dad & uncle exchanging expensive wines as early as 5pm in the afternoon.

by 9pm everyone's outside. by 12mn, gifts were exchanged.

oooh i love playing santa every christmas! trish opening her gifts nicole's all smiles! my darling got her dora from her favorite tita! playing w/ tito micotito norbie giving out a few pennies for his kids & granddaughters w/ dady & anna. dad's obviously drunk by 10pm. hehe my beautiful nieces

surrounded by all the people i love, most particularly celebrating the season with my child was divine!. christmas is just the happiest moment of my life.

March 9, 2008

redbox

december 28, 2007
we had a quite expensive arrangement last december to compensate the lack of "fun" from our recent department's xmas party celebration.

i don't normally gimmick around makati coz first, i know it's expensive everywhere, second, it's far from home.

they suggested "redbox", a classy karaoke bar at makati's posh greenbelt mall. i just had to get along w/ the plan & bear w/ the harsh peer pressure.hehe

we went there past 10pm & shelled out our P500 each. as we settled in our rented room, we ordered food & drinks & started scrambling for the microphone for our turn to sing, whatever the song maybe, just to at least satisfy our almost empty pockets on redbox' food, drinks & entrance tickets.
khaye, brigs, cel, myself & jenny
w/ pope & allan at the corner right

the 'symphonic' night ended w/ me when i had to go home at 12 mn hehe.