I can just write a summary... but i will not

Without my tweets here and there and our Facebook status updates, you would probably think that Carl and I have drowned under our respective piles of things to do... Like I said on my last post (which was, unfortunately, almost FOUR MONTHS AGO), we would be under the radar for a while...with school and work and other stuff, it was indeed a very busy last quarter of the year...

But with fall semester winding down now (though I have yet to defend my prospectus - HOPEFULLY before the last day of finals) and the reorganization over at Carl's department getting more settled as the year comes to a close -  AND THE THANKSGIVING BREAK that we are always grateful for... I finally found the time to update the family blog... 

I have thought of just writing a summary of the last four months in one post... but I realized there is so much to share and I do not want to drag anyone into a novela... so please bear with me, the next couple of posts will cover each month that we've missed sharing...

so - let the stories begin!

Neophyte College Instructor needs your prayers...

Fall semester starts on Monday. For most students, back to school is pretty literal - back to homework and papers and projects and long sleepless nights for studying. This semester though, its not that basic for me. 

This semester, I will be on both sides of the classroom scenario. Twice a week, I am the student. Three times a week, I am the instructor. Yup -  And I am freaking out! On top of that, I am also a researcher 10 hours every week. And I also need to shape up my thesis. Yup! I am CRAZY.

This teaching thing is part of my program. Its optional, so only those who want to do the practicum do it. Why did I get myself into this then if it's optional?!?! Two things - I really want to be a professor [particularly in the Philippines] someday, and make a difference in young people's lives (here I go again saving my country one kid at a time), and I only get to teach at BYU once (who knows, but lets not get there for now). So I am doing this even if it takes more of my very little time. I know its crazy, and in the next couple of weeks I might not be in the zone, but I am grabbing this anyway.

I actually have 34 students only as of yesterday... still, this class is a FULL HOUSE!

So I need your prayers everyone... and I mean a lot. Last night, I had a dream about one of my students asking me a question I couldn't answer, not because I didn't know the answer but because I could not understand his British accent. I know... I am so anxious I am having NIGHTMARES!!! 

Carl is super excited... and very supportive. He said he's willing to eat on disposable plates or have microwaveable meals for the whole semester if that's what's going to make our life easier! Of course, he is going to be super busy too, with added responsibilities and the church websites expanding to localized versions. So if you guys don't hear from us in the next couple of weeks, don't worry because we're still alive - just buried under piles and piles of school work and job demands!

Oh, we have a crazy life!

We Heart San Francisco

Last weekend, we took our 5th out of town trip of the year - and 3rd trip to California (so far). Together with our friends Jayson and Norman, we drove to and spent the weekend in and around the city of San Francisco.

Reason number 1: PASSPORT RENEWAL. I know. I already attempted to do this last summer. But due to some complications with processing time, I ended up getting an extension of passport validity instead. This time, it was all smooth and easy. The Philippine consulate at Sutter St. in San Francisco opens at 9am, but you can get there early and put your name on the EARLY BIRD list. After 9, they take that list down and you would have to FALL IN LINE to get a number. So we got there at like 8:30 am and I put my name on the early bird list. We finished everything before 10 am! AWESOME... Now I have to wait for 6 - 8 weeks for my new passport (that means OCTOBER). I will have an official ID with my married name on it!

Reason number 2: RETURNING MISSIONARIES. Carl and Norman were companions when they served in San Francisco. Jayson served in Oakland. Now, those two missions have merged, and it is now called California Oakland/San Francisco Mission. It was crazy driving around Oakland and Daly City and San Francisco - on every corner, about every two minutes...I would hear something like: "That's where we did our laundry!" or "We biked this slope once and we were so tired!" or "Didn't Sis/Bro so and so live there? right?". They were having a blast... It was so fun to watch them drive by memory lane in a very literal way. They took a picture at the mission office (which used to be just for Oakland). They didn't take a picture at the former San Francisco Mission office at Sneath Lane, dunno why... but we attended church with the Serramonte Tagalog Ward saints - where Carl served his whole two years... YUP! You read that right, he never left the place!

Reason number 3: JAYSON &NORMAN'S VACAY. Well this was kind of how the San Francisco trip idea  came about. Jayson scheduled a vacation to the Philippines and Norman is taking a trip to Hawaii - with both trips, they could fly out from San Francisco and cut down the cost of an extra flight  from Salt Lake City. Were we jealous? You bet we were... Carl has not been home for 3 years now, and we miss Hawaii so bad! Its summer time everyone, who doesn't want a cool dip at Hukilau?!

Reason number 4: FAMILY & FRIENDS. Like I've already mentioned, the guys spent their missions in the area, and we did visit with some of the families they became really friends with. We also stayed with Carl's cousin and her family, and they were really awesome. Of course, I wasn't left behind with all these family and friends reunion sort of thing. I met up with college bud/org mate/ batch mate/ UP SocAn blockmate May. She is attending graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but she has been spending the summer in California where she has family. We all had lunch at MoonStar in Daly City and we had seafood overload. My sister in law also told the staff that it was my birthday (well, it was a couple of days ago) and so all of a sudden 3 staff members where playing a happy birthday drum song at our table complete with complementary cake and a picture of me and Carl! How about that?!

We love San Francisco. It sure is a very busy city, but if there is one place I would love to live in based solely on the weather - it will be San Francisco. It is my perfect weather over there. (Now I am daydreaming of a PhD at Stanford hahahaha!). And Carl - he surely did leave a part of himself in San Francisco, most especially with the Filipino Saints. 

3 years and a Silver... part 2

I am very blessed to have Jerevie in my life, knowing that we are now celebrating our 5 years of  togetherness (2 years of exclusive dating, and 3 years of blissful marriage) :). It was truly worthwhile to look forward each day- receiving the blessings, enduring the trials and a whole lot of lovin'. 

As she celebrates her 25th birthday, I cannot think of anything to give her but a simple and happy life - together. To be with my Cheeky (absolutely crazy in love with her when her cheeks turn red), is like skateboarding in the park. The day goes by as you skate and enjoy the breeze, take the ramp and you
have some bandages and a couple of sprains, then do your aerials and grinds again. This is life!
I ultimately savor the thrill and excitement that I would want to do it all over again!

To my lovely wife, thank you for being mine. Have a sweet birthday! :)

Steve Carrell - the man!  date @ The Gateway	Juicy Berry - u guys hav mochi? Enjoyed our fave yogurt
JV's fave - Red Chucks Got her a new pair of sneakers	animal style baby! a very healthy dinner

3 years and a Silver... part 1

WARNING: 

This post is going to be lengthy.

This is, after all, about something beautiful...

Carl and I have now been married for 3 years...

It was a Saturday morning on a beautiful Hawaiian day - August 9th 2008. Carl and I were sealed for time and eternity at the Laie Hawaii Temple... it was the beginning of forever.

A lot of things have transpired since that day, and looking back... we are literally astounded at how we were able to cope with the many challenges we faced. We are, at the same time, equally overwhelmed with the many blessings that we have received. It seemed as though the Lord gave us only what we needed, no more no less, as if He was trying to teach us the valuable principle of humility and dependence upon the grace of God. As our family and many of our friends might know, we've had our own share of trials... and there were times when we thought we just couldn't get through anymore. But our present circumstances proved otherwise. This is not to say that we have already been granted everything we ever wanted.... Its just that, looking back, we would have never thought we'll be where we are right now.

I guess it was about taking each day at a time, one trial after the other, and cherishing each blessing as they came. From our simple beginnings in Laie, the Lord has taken us to Provo after our taste of real life in Los Angeles. The Lord had, indeed, His hands working miracles in our lives more than we were aware of. While in Laie, I applied for a graduate program at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. While I was granted a scholarship, I was denied admission to the program I applied to. That, and Carl's graduation from college and promising prospects in Los Angeles, had us packing and we headed to Southern California. While there, Carl took consulting jobs one after another... and project after project he would usually go back to looking for a new one. It was during that very trying time when Carl turned in an application for an IT position with the Church Headquarters... and one night, while Carl was at work, I started my application for BYU graduate school instead of finishing my application essay for CalState Long Beach. What ensued in the next couple of months were truly miraculous.

We now live in Provo... Carl works as a Content Analyst for mormon.org and I am completing my Masters degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development at BYU. Even then, we still think about the future and what will happen next, or rather, what we should do next. Its not easy, its just proving to be more challenging over the years. And at times when we couldn't figure out what's next... we remember the days when the Lord literally carried us through some very strong waves and landed us where He wanted us to be... Carl and I strongly believe the Lord will do that to us over and over again, we just have to keep our faith and stay close to Him. Again, maybe that's why the Lord never gave us more than what we need - so that we continue to believe in the power of His grace.

On the eve of our anniversary, Carl and I watched our wedding video. It brought back so many wonderful memories - beautiful ones. It is heartwarming to look back where we started - how we started we almost nothing. Our bank only had $90. I vividly remembered what Carl told me while we were waiting for our wedding reception to begin: "Wag ka malungkot kung hindi maging kagaya ng plinano mo ang reception, kahit walang taong pumunta... ang mahalaga mag-asawa na tayo." (Don't worry if the reception doesn't go as you have planned, or if no one shows up... whats important is were already married.) He was absolutely right - and we were absolutely blessed. We have the most amazing family and friends. 

We have established a tradition that every year, on our anniversary, we will have pizza for one of our meals. That being reminiscent of our first meal at our first home... When we got back from our honeymoon and moved into our first apartment in TVA (BYU-H's married student housing), we ordered a box of pizza from PizzaHut. We had no pots and pans and the fridge was empty... we had pizza in the middle of our luggages and boxes in our tiny studio apartment. We've had so many wonderful meals together since that day... some more fancier than others (and I now have pots and pans and more!).... and our fridge has never been empty again. I was once told that the first thing you bring into your home when you move in is rice and water, that way that home will always have food for everyone. Honestly, I have always done that... but more than coincidence or superstition, I believe the Lord has His hands on whatever abundance we have had. I brought Carl food on our anniversary and we had lunch at their cafeteria. It was something simple, but very special. I love making meals for Carl...

In the past, we celebrated our anniversary with something a little extravagant. Our first year, we went to Universal Studios. On our second year, we spent the weekend at Hilton Garden Suites in Salt Lake City. This year, we decided to keep it close to home - very close. We decided we wanted something more memorable, not a fleeting feeling of joy and celebration. We worked on a project. We redecorated our apartment - nothing big, but the thought was that every time we come home, we are reminded by something that we have worked on together - something that signifies our efforts to work on our eternal marriage. We had a reasonable budget and we worked around it... we bought a coffee table, a TV stand, hung new wall decor, and fixed our couch (instead of getting a new one as originally planned). We also redefined our floor space and added a little decor. Not everything we planned in this project worked out as planned - but as Carl told me the very first day of forever: "ang mahalaga mag-asawa na tayo..."

Carl finds a new hobby...and this one's no mini

One day, while we were driving, Carl said, "I want to go golfing sometime..."

My response was like, "we can go mini-golfing if you like..."

He was almost upset, and said, "No, I want a real golf course..."

And so he did...

Thanks to our friend Louie who took Carl out golfing! Carl is really excited about his new found hobby!

Carl's Birthday Weekend

It has been a tradition that we greet our birthdays at exactly 12 midnight... It doesn't matter what it takes, it has to happen! Before the strike of midnight, we had some visitors to celebrate the tradition. But when it was just the two of us again... it was time to bring out the surprise. While Carl was at work, I baked some banana cupcakes and kept them inside the oven (a place Carl never checks). After dinner, Carl was commissioned to stay inside the workroom while I worked my magic in the kitchen... and so Carl's birthday weekend started with this:

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
topped with semi-sweet chocolate shavings

On the morning of his birthday, we had a BIG BREAKFAST! Carl and I seldom eat breakfast together because he usually packs his breakfast and eating breakfast too early gives me tummy problems, so on most days we have brunch hahaha! But this is CARL's day - and its got to be special!

Birthday Breakfast: Garlic Rice, Bacon, Spam,
and Mushroom Frittata with Cheese and Scallions

If there is one food Carl is willing to travel for, it's a warm serving of Jollibee Spaghetti and Crispy Fried Chicken. Believe me when I say that I have never seen him crave so much for something! But then again, the closest place to get this favorite is a 6-hour drive away from home - in Las Vegas! If it was a weekend, I bet Carl would just pick up the keys and we'll drive to Vegas! So I made my version of Jolly Spaghetti (complete with sweet sauce and hotdogs!) and crispy fried chicken for his birthday lunch!

Birthday Baon: Home-made Jolly Spaghetti Meal :)
PS. It was served on a serving platter we got from Jollibee

For weeks, we have been planning on watching the last installment of the Harry Potter series, and where to have dinner after the movie. Again, we can not say this enough - we are seafood lovers! But we live in a place that is no way close to a coast, and we've never found any good place to satisfy our seafood cravings. So in the end - Carl requested I make dinner myself! And so we bought tilapia and some shrimp from the store - and prepared one awesome seafood dinner!

Birthday Dinner: Garlic Shrimp, Fried Tilapia, Corn on the Cob,
Tomato & Mango Salad, and UNLIMITED Rice

...and we watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after...
it was a great culmination to an amazing series!

Saturday was gym day, and laundry day, and most importantly TEMPLE DAY! Since the Provo Temple was closed for maintenance, we went to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and grabbed a burger from Carl's Jr. on our way home...

Sunday was Carl's birthday party... It wasn't a big party - just friends and family... the biggest thing about Carl's party was his CAKE - his BART SIMPSON birthday cake. You see, Carl loves me so much he thinks I can do anything in the kitchen - including baking and decorating molded/sculpted cakes! So high his expectations hahaha!!! So anyway, I went ahead and bought a molded pan from eBay because Wilton has discontinued the Bart Simpson cake pan forever ago. I baked the cake on Sunday morning, cooked the rest of the menu while the cake was baking and cooling, and when everything was cooked, I started frosting the cake (which took forever I ended up missing church).

Happy Birthday Cake!!!

At the end of the day, everyone was full, and everyone was happy - especially Carl. Our friends even brought food!!! We ate and laughed and talked stories... and it was an amazing birthday weekend! Carl definitely had a blast!

HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE!

the story behind "One Courageous Day..."

You guys have probably seen the album One Courageous Day in my Facebook page. So here's the story behind the photoshoot...

Early last month, I received an email from BYU's International Services that the Women's Resource Services are  looking for some sort of "models" for their "I am Beautiful Because..." campaign. So basically, you finish the sentence "I am beautiful because..." and if they like your statement, they give you a free photoshoot, and in return they use your headshots and portraits for their campaign (i.e., website, ads, posters, book). It was pretty interesting because, traditionally a person has to be seen first (hence, the term go-see for aspiring models) before they are chosen for a particular job. But for this "gig" they base their decision solely on your perspective about beauty. Actually, the deadline was past due... but they sort of extended it to get more responses. I haven't even heard about the thing until I received the email. So, I responded...

I always believed that true beauty is skin-deep. It is something that transcends Hollywood - that sort of thing. I had my time with the beauty pageants back in the day... it was no way a big time stint, but it makes you feel the pressure of keeping up with appearances and all the superficiality. I have nothing against them though, I still am a follower of pageants, but the part that I always look forward to is the brain picking portion - I mean, what use is your fair skin, long legs, and tiny waist if you don't know anything beyond your beauty regimen or your exercise routine?! After high school, I stopped joining pageants - because I don't meet stricter height requirements and I wanted to focus with school anyway. And I am so glad I did...

I strongly believe being beautiful is a matter of perspective. Mind over matter... Personally, I have had enough people telling me how much weight I have gained since graduating from high school, or since I moved to Hawaii, or since I got married... But I still feel gorgeous you know, with all humility. Because the weight gain is something that I have come to understand as a part of biological make-up, I can only do so much about it. Carl always tells me how much he enjoys hugging me... because there is actually something to hug in me... Whenever he tells me that, I feel very, very special and BEAUTIFUL. One of my pet peeve is tanning/bleaching/whitening. I mean, what is wrong with your color?! Healthy skin is beautiful skin... not pale, not tan. Love your color people - I know I love mine :) There is so much about ourselves that make us beautiful, and it is more than our size or shape or color... it's our soul, our principles, our divine worth...

So a couple weeks ago, I got another email, now from BYU Women's Resource Services, inviting me for a 20-minute photoshoot... I couldn't be happier, and honored :)

The full article about my response and the rest of the photos can be found in the WRS website, and of course in my Facebook album.

Stay beautiful everyone :)

P.S. Brooke Schultz is an awesome photographer, a really nice person. Check out her photo blog and see for yourselves how talented she is

food, fairs, and fireworks

Before I even start talking about what we did for the 4th of July holiday, I am just gonna say how much Carl and I are thankful for America. Carl's been here for eight years now (including his mission), and I have been here for a little over five. Uncle Sam has definitely blessed our lives and the lives of our families, and while being non-citizens have its downsides we are still grateful that we are able to live here and work toward our dreams. It is absolutely a life changing experience to live in the land of free, and the home of the brave! To America, thanks for letting us stay :)

So on to our 4th of July Weekend...

We spent most of our weekend in Provo - at the Freedom Days County Fair. Being there was so reminiscent of strolling through town fairs during fiestas in the Philippines! There was so much food and fun and eye candy!!! We decided to do some food tripping instead of going on the rides. At first I wanted to try one of the rides, but when I learned that 1 ticket costs $5, I decided I'd spend that on food instead. So on the first day we went there (July 2nd), I bought corn on the cob. I know I can make this one at home, but they had a fancy corn roaster, and I haven't had corn on the cob from a street vendor for FIVE LONG YEARS!!! Carl ended up with a Carne Asada Burrito. He said it was really good... Carl's been having an affinity with Mexican food lately. We also tried a non-alcoholic colada, i forgot the flavor but its one of the mango/peach/orange combination.

Reunited with my all-time favorite MAIS!!!

The burrito is almost all gone!
(Thanks for holding my food while I took your picture!)

 After feeding ourselves, we headed to the open field in front of the Provo temple to watch the fireworks. The Stadium of Fire concert was ongoing at the football stadium on the night of July 2nd, but the cheapest ticket was still not affordable, so like many others we just waited for the fireworks from outside, which was probably a better idea viewing-wise. The fireworks were great, but both Carl and I thought we've seen the likes of those before. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful sight!

Happy Independence Day, America!!!

The fair was closed on the 3rd because it was a Sunday, but we came back on the 4th before the day ended to grab some more food!!! It was actually a fun weekend - and after being in the States for quite a while... I think the holiday is starting to grow on us!

a pasta machine and some yummy ravioli

When Carl and I first moved into our apartment here at Wymount, a neighbor was moving out and was getting rid of stuff. Our intention was just to buy their dining table that came with a bench, but when we went to their apartment to pick up the furniture - the lady decided she'll GIVE everything she couldn't take with her - TO US. Apparently, she has accumulated lots of stuff in the last 5 years and it wasn't very practical for her and her family to take all of their things to Indonesia. So there - we "inherited" a couple of things (ala TVA style) from our neighbor. 

This thing is one of them. The lady said somebody gifted her a pasta machine, but she's never used it at all. Me - for the longest time I had wanted to learn how to make my own pasta. I like how the Iron Chefs make pasta... it makes me feel like a pro. I was so excited to finally have one. But sadly, the little equipment sat in storage for almost a year - like the lady who used to own it, I never found the time to make pasta... Until now... Lately, we've been trying to do things we've never done together before... we brainstormed and I suddenly remembered my lonely pasta machine!!! 

So we decided to go Italiano and made ravioli for dinner two Saturdays ago (I know, the post is late). I honestly don't know much about making homemade pasta - so I did a little searching and found a very helpful article and recipe. The recipe called for semolina flour but I know I can use regular flour (my little sister had done it before for one of her classes). We didn't have a mixer too, so I kneaded the dough by hand on my table top. Kneading, rolling out, and cutting the dough was quite a work-out, I must say, but Carl was a very good helper, as you can see! 

Meet Carl, the Sous Chef, rolling out the dough a little
bit before running it on the machine

For the ravioli filling, I decided to just make a basic meat filling. (Now that I know how to make pasta for ravioli, I will have yet to improve my filling recipes!). I originally wanted to make alfredo for the sauce, but I didn't have heavy cream and parmesan cheese on hand... so I just made a mushroom sauce fake-out. It turned out pretty good too!

Beef Ravioli in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

 It was a great dinner and we totally felt great about cooking it together and learning something new!