Tag Archives: family

Dear Diary

White Dress

So my brother got married last Thursday.

My brother proposed to his girlfriend during the Chris Daughtry concert back in 2008. They were supposed to get married last year, but because of budget constraints, they decided to push the wedding to the following year, which was a blessing, too because of what happened to our family last year.

Anyway, so I was supposed to give a surprise message to my brother last Thursday. It was supposed to be a surprise, but because both of them were stressed out, he somehow read the program and found out about it. It was timely that I was writing my “speech” in the hotel room that night, and tearing up on it slightly. Hah.

I was supposed to blog the night before the wedding, but of course there has to be no Internet at the hotel. It’s okay, though. I wrote the speech, but it’s in the other computer, plus I didn’t even read it in full. Of course, I did it extemporaneously even with that. So here’s the gist of what I said:

My brother and I were not close when we were kids. I think people who have siblings can attest to that — when you’re still kids, you just don’t get along with your siblings.

I think my brother and I started getting closer when I was in second year in college. That was the time when his ex broke up with him. I remember the first time his ex asked for space. I didn’t see him cry, but my mom said my brother cried, and for some reason, I immediately teared up! When she finally broke up with him, I didn’t see him cry, either. I did see him have that generally sad air — he would tear up at random times, hear mass almost everyday and finally, he would play The Art of Letting Go CDs in the car every single time. Yes, he was broken-hearted all right.

When he took cooking classes near my college, that was when we started talking more. He told me about more of his life, his ex, and his friends, and in turn, I started telling him stuff, too. That’s when we started growing closer, and I think that helped a lot because when he started courting Ate Liza, I was also one of the first to know. I think I was also one of the first to know when they were finally official — I remember a very jubilant text message from him that night. :)

My brother and I are hardly sentimental to each other, and usually, we joke around when we say “I love you” to each other. But allow me to be slightly sentimental tonight: I’m happy that you’re happy now, Kuya. Thanks for being my brother. :)

And to Ate Liza: welcome to the family! I meant what I said in your wedding guestbook: I’m really glad it’s you. I finally have a sister! :)

Congratulations and best wishes, and I love you both!

Oh, and I can’t wait to be a tita. :)

It was definitely a beautiful wedding. Thank You Lord for all the people, for everyone who helped, for the good weather, and for all the love that we felt that night. :) It was actually quite nice to see my brother tear up when he saw his bride. ;)

And I mean it — I can’t wait to be an aunt. :P I think I will be one of the most excited ones when my sister-in-law (woooh got to get used to that!) starts taking prenatal one multivitamins. :)

Oh and the night was even more awesome because of my really awesome friends:

Thanks, friends, for being there to celebrate the night with us. :) So who’s getting married next?

One more thing! Sharing my brother’s same-day edit video made by his videographer friends. Beautiful video, beautiful song (White Dress by Ben Rector — contributed by yours truly!). And you’ll see my brother cry here. Haha. Love you Kuya. :)

[vimeo 15892161]

I never knew that I could love someone the way that I love you… ♥

Greetings

Siblings and Birthdays

Last year, I remember that I was doing a 30-day blog challenge at this month, which I ultimately failed because of the flood. But as I was browsing through old entries, I saw my birthday greeting to my brother last year, and how I “complained” that we don’t have any decent pictures together.

Well, a year later, and I’m happy we have pictures together now! It’s not always decent, but hey, pictures are pictures!

So let me take a break from working (so much work left to do!) to take the time and greet my favorite and only brother. :)

Happy birthday!

It’s not my best picture (look at that oiliness!), but I thought it was a really nice picture of us. The jacket is my birthday gift to him (nay on the best weight loss supplements for him, haha), and it’s been a while since I last gave him something I knew he’d really like. :)

He’s getting married in less than a month, too! But that’s for another post, I think.

Happy birthday, Kuya! Alabyu! ♥

Dear Diary

Quality Time (and Splurging)

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Today was sort of an extremes day. I was extremely stressed at work (well, okay, not that stressed, but stress levels were high), and what was really annoying was I was stressed at the end of the day, the worst time to be stressed ever. Bah. I’d rather not elaborate on that, but I swear, I am looking forward to my leave on September, and I will not let anyone stop me (hello, flight’s booked and will be paid tomorrow, plus we found an awesome place to stay among all the hotel deals). De-stress! I need it!

On the upside, I had dinner with my family tonight (by family, it now includes my soon to be sister-in-law. Which reminds me, I haven’t blogged about my brother’s engagement heh), and because I was the one who asked for the dinner, I paid for it. After picking up Ashley (more to her in another post!), I treated my family to Pasto and we ate and talked (about ghosts, of all things!), then went to Dairy Queen to eat dessert and finally home. It’s my dad’s last week for his leave and he will be back to Saipan soon, so there’s some kind of separation anxiety going on (at least for me, and probably my mom).

Even if I splurged today (and believe me, I really splurged), and I’m still somehow stunned with all my expenses today (and in the coming weeks),  I’m actually happy. :D Maybe it’s retail therapy talking and I’ll regret it soon, but I realized, after missing Sydney and all the other stress I’ve had for the past weeks, I deserve this. And because my Sydney trip was postponed, I also believe I deserve my upcoming trip, yes?

Please just help me not to lose focus on the other important things I need to focus on, not just my personal life. I must strike a balance.

Whew.

Tomorrow’s a looong day at work so I better call it a night (and did you notice how many parenthetical comments I have in this post? Major writing no-no, I know). Good night!

Dear Diary

Making Sense

I don’t really know how this day turned out, except that I didn’t went out, and I think I just had a fight with my mom over a totally shallow thing that could have been avoided if proper words and emotions were chosen to be acted upon.

I hate how things could be blown way out of proportion here when unpleasant emotions can be avoided by the way one react to things. I’ve been taught in serving in YFC that while my emotions are entirely valid, it’s not an excuse for you to treat another person badly. It’s not an excuse to take it out on another person who, even if he/she might have done something that isn’t right, is not the cause of your moodiness. Yes, you may feel sad, annoyed or not in the mood, but it is no excuse to treat other people badly.

Argh, sorry. I’m just a bit pissed how the mood was taken out on me when it couldn’t have been that way. I know I did something wrong, but is it such a big deal that you have to shout at me again? That you have to say the same lines used before, Alam ko matalino ka naman, bakit ka ganyan? ((READ: I know you’re smart, but why are you like that?)) It’s so annoying. Why didn’t you just tell me to clean it and I’ll gladly do it without you having to be angry? It would’ve saved you from the anger and me the tears.

Okay, shut up now.

Hay nako. I don’t want it to be a big deal anymore.

And speaking of big deals, I think one of the reasons why I am making such a big deal out of this job thing is because the choice for the next step is with me. I have the power to choose if I would stay in this job or choose a different career path, or just take a break altogether. Whereas when I was still in school, the only choice I have is the one right in front of me — studies. I can complain about it all the time but at the end of the day (or the start), I still have to study. Period. Being restricted of the choice on what is the next step makes life easy than having to decide what to do with the rest of your life on your own. Yes, on your own. Let’s face it: no matter how much you consult people, no matter how much you talk (or in my case, blog) about it, the choice is still yours. You will still choose what path to take — to stay or to leave, to look for a new way or stick to what you are doing.

That power is both liberating and frightening, and truth be told, I’m having a hard time facing it. I’m having a hard time using it which is why I keep on talking about it ((Defense mechanism, ahoy)). I need to make up my mind. I need to make a choice.

Wait, I think I have. Now I have to act on it. But when?

Haaaaaay. Stop blabbering, you need to sleep. Tomorrow is back to work (gulp), and you have to deal. As always.

I’ll be okay. I always am. I just wish I could be more than okay (or as Switchfoot sings, more than fine, more than bent on getting by, more than fine, more than just okay…) soon.

Dear Diary, Quotable Quote

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Today has certainly been one of my favorite days since I started working. :) I think it’s because of the entire “dress down” atmosphere today at the office; everyone just feels so “loose” and young and so college-like. :)

Today was also chicken day. Reg, Anne, Jane and I ate one whole chicken from the grocery. After waiting for thirty minutes, we ate and then talked about dogs and Philippine showbiz. :P Then we went back upstairs to resume work and around 2:00pm, the electricity went out, so we spent some time talking and waiting for the computers to go back on. The generators went back on, so we resumed work and then it went off again when electricity went on. I got trapped in the CR again (ProxCard, when will I get youuuuu?), and on the way up from the 28th floor, Sir Armand was there from a yosi break and then it was time to tag along for another meeting. The meeting had me laughing because of all the side comments and then I got to be formally introduced to Ms. Rox and Ms. Aileen, and now I’m formally known as the “colleague”. :p

Then it was time to go meet my parents for my brother’s birthday celebration so I said goodbye to everyone who are all heading to the opening of the Sportsfest for the company. I met my parents and on the way to SM Megamall, my boss sent me a message: By the way, good job on the competitor reports. We were commended by Ling.Ãœ Talk about happiness.

Then it’s eat-all-you-can-buffet at Saisaki for my brother’s birthday. He got to read the birthday greeting thanks to my dad’s WiFi laptop. We spent half the time laughing at each other and how embarrassed he is when some people sang songs to him as a greeting. :P

All in all…today is a good day. :) Plus it’s FRIDAY so that makes everything even better. :) Yeahbah.

So before I go to bed and go to dreamland, here’s a quote I got from one of the blogs I visited today. Perfect for today. :)

Stop for a second, breathe a quick prayer, and ask God to interrupt your plans, agendas, schedules, and to-do lists sometime this month to simply thrill you. As audacious as that sounds, it is not a daring request. You don’t really think that if you asked your Father in heaven to throw you a surprise party that He would give you a “White Elephant” exchange instead, do you? Can you dare to believe that God will get an even bigger kick out of delighting you than you will by being the recipient of His lavish love? God is bigger and sweeter and funner and wealthier and huge-r than you could ever imagine. But try anyway. Then ask boldly with expectation of His extravagant grace. (Lisa Whelchel)

Good night world! Have a great weekend! :)

Dear Diary

Cousins

You know how in movies or books, where the main character is close to his or her cousin/s? Like in Sweet Valley Twins and Friends, the twins Jessica and Elizabeth share a particularly close friendship with their cousins Robin and Kelly. But that doesn’t only happen in books; I know a lot of people who are close to their cousins. They not only share the cousinhood, but their cousins also act as their best friends sometimes.

I want that.

I came from a birthday party of a younger cousin earlier at their house. Her elder brothers are some of our cousins who were close to our (my brother and I) age. The party was fun, and not that I didn’t like hanging out with my mom, but you know the scene where the “younger ones” within the family tree — ones who are not exactly kids but not exactly grown up yet — get “placed” in a place where they could socialize amongst themselves and then the parents would come later on and get their kids (sometimes even forcibly) home? I want that.

Continue reading Cousins →