ITS CHRISTMAS MORNING

This year, we got to have NOCHE BUENA twice!!!

We were at the Catubays in South Jordan with some friends for a hearty pot luck noche buena! There was an abundance of great food, and we had to be careful not get too full because we still have something for ourselves at home!

"early" Noche Buena at the Catubays in South Jordan

We were back at our humble Wymount apartment in Provo at around 10pm. We have some pizza and soda and stuff, like a midnight snack sort of noche buena part 2! we also exchanged gifts, which was really fun. I got a vanilla cinnamon scented candle from Jasmine and Carl got an emergency car kit from Scott. Carl gave Norman new bath towels, and I gave Scott a Japan Mission t-shirt. Of course, we gave little Keana a very cute sweater dress from Gymboree!!! The Milburys had to be home too, so they went ahead a little after midnight... but the rest of us watched SALT (and that movie is now on Carl's favorite movies list).

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

With love from the extended Canlas family

But our favorite part was CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!

Carl opening his humongous gift!!!

Opening the FedEx surprise :)

winter winter wonderland?

Winter has officially come - which means SNOW has touched the ground. This is our first REAL winter, and we tried our best to prepare for it - sweaters and jackets and coats, and snow boots, and lots of blankets! And we had to "winterize" our car too :)

a very white courtyard

playing outside hoping not to get frozen

And while Carl is not a very big fan of the very cold weather, he found himself trying a very cold sport

learning how to snowboard!

soaking wet and almost frozen at Sundance

a glimpse of Fall

We better start savoring the beautiful colors of fall before they're gone and replaced by white powdery snow!

Here's a couple of things that happened this Fall

October 2010 General Conference with Wonderful Friends from Southern California

BYU Homecoming Weekend 2010

Halloween at the Bybees

Thanksgiving with the Dixons in Brigham City

Time went by so fast, and its almost the end of the year... and so its time to put up that CHRISTMAS TREE!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

i was in the mood (and more enthusiastic than most days) to cook

as you all know, i love to cook... but even though i love cooking, some days are just plain and boring in the kitchen. but last night, i was so psyched and overly enthusiastic that i decided i will make our weekend meals more interesting...

so...

last night became BURGER NIGHT...

last night i made Mushroom Burgers with Potato Fries, and instead of serving it with pickles i made Mango-Cucumber salad.

Ingredients: 1 mango (i like it when it's not quite ripe), peeled and cut into cubes; 1 cucumber, cut into cubes; 2 tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into cubes; 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped; 1/2 cup green onions, juice of 2 limes, salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients and season with salt and pepper. CHILL before serving!

Carl was ecstatic - and I think I heard him say "This is the best burger I ever ate!" He was actually watching a re-run of Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" and they were featuring the 'best burgers"... so I hope my burger was really good and he wasn't just having a hang over what he just watched. :) Sorry we didn't get the chance to take a photo of my burger and fries... i guess you've already figured out why...

It was quite time consuming to create our Burger Night, because I made my own beef patties and cut my own fries... but I guess that's what makes home-cooked feasts really yummy - all the love and the time that goes into the food!

So my awesome mood was carried over through today, and for dinner tonight i made Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Honey-Lime Sauce, Garlic Roasted Asparagus, and (Fake-out) Java Rice.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops: Wrap each scallop with a strip of bacon (secure it with toothpick if you want), season with salt and pepper, and sear both sides in butter, then continue cooking in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Honey-Lime Sauce: Whisk together 2 tbsp honey, juice of 3 limes, 1 tbsp. pineapple juice, 2 tbsp. water. and 2 tbsp. sugar. Cook over medium heat and stir until thick. Serve drizzled over scallops!

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus: Cut the tough ends of the asparagus, wash and pat dry, then arrange in a baking sheet. Mix coarsely chopped garlic, scallop/bacon grease, and salt and pepper together and drizzle over asparagus. Broil in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

(Fake-out) Java Rice: Saute onion, garlic, and chopped ham in butter. Add cooked rice, ketchup and soy sauce. Season with pepper. Cook until fluffy. Serve warm.

I am a HUGE scallop fan, and today Carl said, "Ok lets go grab some of your scallops from Costco!" When he said that, my eyes just went 5 times bigger than normal!!! Ha Ha Ha! (I am literally laughing at myself right now, because I didn't care if Costco's scallops were not really the ideal kind that I'd prefer, I just want some scallops, period).

I just have to say that we had a really hearty dinner. Try it sometimes, food doesn't have to fancy. Its the effort that matters most :)

HAPPY MONTHSARY

To my one and only JV,

I can honestly say that I have made the greatest decision ever, in spending eternity with you.

Thank you for just being there, 24/7. Look forward.

I love you.

Carl

our little cougarette

carl and i are in love with this little angel

last saturday, we watched the BYU Cougars' football game against the Nevada Wolf Pack with Jasmine, Scott, and our super duper cute niece Keana.

it wasn't a win game, but it didn't matter. in fact, all i cared about was Keana's cheerleader outfit! I wish she grows her hair already so we can put bows and headbands and all the pretty girly stuff on her!

oh Keana, you are such an angel!!!

XD means interaction designer, CISCO is a fish, and MOSTLY STRAIGHT is a sexual orientation

breathing deeply...

so here's how our study table looks like...

Carl sits on the yellow chair, and those papers under the table are mine

carl and i sit on opposite ends on of the table... i do my thing and he does his, and sometimes...we sometimes take our deep breaths together without doing it on purpose... he usually says... its like being in the middle of deep water - we stop and get some air from above the surface, and then we dive again...

and tonight is one of those very rare weeknights when i get to stay above the surface for a little longer, because:

1. i have no class tomorrow and i have no homework due on a friday, and

2. i decided that i'll be spending my friday in the middle of deep water - so i can appreciate our WEEKEND (yup, rather be knee deep on homework and readings on a friday than drag myself through the weekend thinking about how to catch up on a sunday afternoon).

so anyway... its been 3 weeks since Graduate School Day 1 (at least for me)... for Carl, its been almost 7 weeks. here's a glimpse of how my USUAL WEEK looks like... I'm not including Carl's version of this calendar because I don't want to traumatize anyone, because his planner has actually lost its lines and boxes already...

yup, and that's just the first couple of weeks

It's been a pretty interesting couple of weeks though, and Carl and I are both slowly getting the new routine. We're enjoying our own little apartment here in Provo, and our new ward (family student ward, that is) is full of little kids. Our laundrymat is open 24 hours except on sundays, we have a huge "christmas tree" (as carl refers to it) in front of our balcony, Carl carpools to Riverton everyday, and I walk about 3 miles to and from school each day (about 1.5 miles each way). I am reunited with Food Network and life is a lot better after a long day in school and you come home and you GULP super cold water while you watch Giada de Laurentiis cook a frittata.

We are both enjoying graduate school. We've been borrowing books from the campus library, and I think its pretty cool that I can loan a book for 3 months. Here's a couple of interesting things we've been learning from each other lately through our individual classes:

1. The amount of money Lowe's make annually is equal to the amount of money Walmart makes in 3 months.

2.Walmart's supplier's delivery trucks have a 10 minute interval... no two trucks can unload at the same time.

3. XD means interaction designer

4. Read a book, interpret what was written, then cite the authors - NO EXCEPTIONS

5. On IT management processes: You can solve problems as many times as you want, but you might miss an opportunity to capitalize

6. CISCO is actually a kind of FISH.

7. Research methods is not as intimidating as it sounds... and a patient mentor makes a lot of difference.

8. Structural functionalism has been considered a dead theory, but its ghost is ever so present in the current social theory paradigms.

9. Families are so complex - so deal with it.

10. Research suggests that its better for couples to confront each other's issues than to keep their mouths shut - because in so doing they learn how to deal with confrontations with their teenagers' issues later... that is if their relationship is strong enough to last despite of the confrontations until their kids become teenagers. WE FIGHT, WE LEARN, WE MOVE ON.

11. On Filipino's being Asians: Some institutions actually debate whether Filipinos should be categorized as Asians on grounds of language and cultural processes. (Example, on one of my classes, our professor said..."this is the first time I've taught this class with no Asians {then looking at me], oh wait, do you consider yourself Asian? [and I said yes]... Oh well, don't you speak like what languages? and then the Spanish...and, anyway... [moving on].

12. A sexual orientation called "mostly straight" actually exist. Sexuality is fluid, whether you accept this or not is your own free will and choice.

so there you go...

and oh, we bought a scrabble and Carl's been winning because he keeps getting seven tiles that he can use at one time which gives him 50 bonus points...

until i find time to write again :)

BACK IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS - THE SECOND HONEYMOON

this post won't have much words...

because, I am not spilling the beans...

instead, I'll let the pictures help you figure out

the effect of six weeks of separation

thanks Hilton Garden Inn for the accommodations!

IT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME WEEKEND!!!

ps. Carl is the best husband one can ever wish for!!! love you Hon!

THE WHOLE SIX WEEKS

This blog update is extra special... and will be sort of extra long... i hope you can bear with us. As most of you know, I took an emergency trip to the Philippines and had to stay there for about six weeks. You must have read my post early in July which I wrote while at the San Francisco Airport wait for my connecting flight via Philippine Airlines.This post will basically give details of those six weeks in the Philippines, mostly from my point of view... and then the two weeks that followed after my arrival in Salt Lake City...

THE HOMELAND
Mama and Papa and Carl's parent's met me at the airport and we spent the whole morning in Paranaque. Ezra was overjoyed to have his Thomas the Train toy and Esther absolutely loved her little stuffie! Later that day I took the 6-hour bus trip with Mama and Papa back to La Union. I can honestly say I was still out of my head... of course I was extremely glad that I was home...but my mind kept wondering and worrying about my visa interview...because if worse come to worst...my 6-week vacation can become 6 years or more. I spent 2 days in La Union visiting family and friends, especially my sister whose been staying in Baguio City attending school. And then it was time to face the music at the US Embassy.

THE GATEWAY TO AMERICA

We were there really early. Mama, Papa, and I - just like the first time. It was sort of a deja vu... except that I know it will be harder for me to bear the consequences of any unpleasant outcome this time. I was inside the embassy for probably 4 hours, and I only spent more or less 5 minutes explaining my reasons why I should be granted a new student visa. I honestly thought the consul was going to deny my application. At the back of my mind, I was praying, Amen after Amen...I was asking Heavenly Father to please, more than anything, reunite me with Carl. And then the answer was YES. I can almost hear Carl whisper, "Welcome Home."

THE VACATION
I spent a week with my new extended family. I truly enjoyed cooking for them - from Garlic Shrimp to my Lumpiang Shanghai! Ezra and Esther were the perfect playmates... and I love love love them to pieces. Ate Ruth and I took them to the mall and we all had a blast as the two little munchkins joined other kids participate at a kid's show mall tour. Being shy certainly doesn't run in the Canlas' blood - that's for sure. Mom took me to Divisoria for some budget friendly shopping... and with Dad they showed me their house where Carl spent most of his younger days... I should have taken a picture of it, but I was so overwhelmed I forgot all about it - but that particular house of theirs has the Laie Hawaii Temple engraved on its main door. I also met up with some of my college girlfriends including Carl's cousin Ann. For me the highlight of my whole stay with Carl's family was Carl's birthday - Mom and I went to the Manila Philippines Temple together.

Ate Ruth and her babies, Ezra and Esther, at SM Bicutan

UP Baguio Girls - Love (UPB Econ '04, Davao Mission bound),

En (UPB Econ '03, career woman looking for Mr. R)

JV (UPB SocAn '03, happily married), and

Ann (UPB Comm '04, Baguio Mission bound)

Mom and I at the Manila Philippines Temple on Carl's birthday

FAMILY and FRIENDS
A day after I got my passport/visa in the mail. Papa picked me up in Manila. During the 4 weeks that followed, I was able to spend some quality time with my family. On my first weekend, I actually went out with my High School friends and we visited our good friend's grave who died from bacterial meningitis in 2008. I also went out on a date with my big little brother and watched a movie, and I also attended his first baptism ever. Papa took us out and we had a feast at Shakey's. I met up with my good friend Angela in Baguio and had a great lunch at VOCAS with ate Chona. Angela was also leaving the Philippines for graduate school... she'll be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a Fulbright Scholarship. I know.. its great to have friends as smart as Angela! Mama and I also went to Baguio a couple of times, mostly to do some shopping at the famous Ukay-Ukay. On a normal day though, I was just at home, with Lola and two little kindergarteners who make life interesting for everyone - Ydian and Ylyzza. Carl and I talk at least twice a day. I spent a lot of time talking stories with my lola... she has lots and lots of stories... and I can never have enough :)

Ylyzza and Ydian: BATH TIME PINOY STYLE!

THE WEIGHT..THE FOOD... AND ALL OTHER REASONS.
I know... I gained 25 lbs over the last 4 years. And everyone seemed to notice... And almost everyone told me I should lose weight so I can get pregnant. In reality, its like the other way around... this whole weight gain is an effect, not a cause, of a medical condition I didn't know I have ... it's called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Because of PCOS, conceiving will be a challenge for Carl and I... it won't be impossible, but it will take a while (and some medical intervention). And according to my OB-GYN, one of my condition's side effect is weight gain. So there... everytime some one said I've gotten HUGE, I just dismissed it... knowing that its not entirely my fault... and so I continued to eat like I usually do. HAHAHA! I ate A LOT of veggies and fruits - ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES STYLE! Can't beat that!

THE BIRTHDAY and THE ANNIVERSARY
I received a birthday card and an anniversary card from my only love Carl. Can't ask for more... My family organized a simple gathering for me - to celebrate my birthday and Carl and mine's 2nd anniversary... and for many more reasons close to the heart. We all had a great time catching up, realizing how kids have grown up so fast, and seeing what the future has promised to all of us. Families are awesome - no matter what size and shape they come in. I am ever glad to have a family like mine. I wish Carl was there.. I know how much he wished he could. Friends from my home ward also came, and my very good friend Joreen came down all the way from Manila to spend time with me over the weekend. It was good...and it felt great to be 24!


THE MOST NEEDED TIME FAMILY TIME
A couple of days before I had to leave for the US, we had to be in Manila to pick up my aunt's family from the airport. We visited our family in Pampanga on our way to Manila.Tita Jen's family arrives from Texas a day before my flight. and we spent some time with them in Subic before driving back to the airport for my flight.. We had a blast at Zoobic Safari in Subic, feeding tigers and all that fun stuff. We stayed at the Grand Seas Resort in Olongapo, and enjoyed their pool's cool water and their yummy breakfast. We had a late lunch at Gerry's Grill with the super uncle in the world, Chammy. It has been a while since our family was able to have a "get-away." We were always a busy family, and we usually don't go very far. My aunt's family was so nice to include us in their budget ;) Seriously, the last family trip we probably had was 10 years ago... It was really heartwarming, and again, I was wishing Carl was with us...

TIME TO LEAVE

After an exhilarating day at Zoobic Safari, we scrambled to get back to our hotel and get ready to leave for Manila. The trip from Olongapo to Manila was about 3 to 4 hours, plus traffic because it was a Friday. We left Olongapo at around 3:30 in the afternoon, and you bet we got caught in traffic. My flight was at 10, we arrived at the airport at 15 till 8. Awesome. Carl's dad was there with more stuff for us. And then, in a whirlwind, I was inside and checking-in my bags. Mama and Papa, oh yes those two were teary eyed, as they always are. After i checked-in my stuff, I went out again to spend a couple more minutes with them since I still have time. Papa wasn't able to give me a blessing, so he just lead us in a family prayer. It is going to quite a while before we will become a family of five again. Later this year, Yken will be leaving for his mission... so lets say, the next reunion for this awesome family will not be until 2 years from now... and yeah, Papa felt awkward to give his big baby girl a hug, not because he's not affectionately expressive, but because he doesn't want to cry...

one last time... before five becomes three (for the next two years)

UP IN THE AIR
There's nothing much to say about my flight back to the US except for the fact that I was afraid my flight was gonna be cancelled because of the airline's issues with its staff and crew. Seems like international flights weren't as affected as the domestic ones... And so, every couple thousand miles, my heart felt closer to my one eternal love... Carl.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ONE AND ONLY

ISANG MALIGAYANG KAARAWAN SA AKING

MAHAL NA ASAWA!

#24

Jerevie,

I have always loved you, and i will always love you. I was

thinking of you, seeing your face in my mind , every

second that i was away. When i told you i didn't want

you, it was the very blackest kind of blasphemy.

- Carl Lorenz

(ang totoo ninakaw lang ni edward ang linya na yan sa kin! haha)