Pinay in Oz

Sweeter

2010-05-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today I had a beautiful day. I went to a job interview in the city, and had a lovely chat with two wonderful people. I'm not sure about the outcome of that interview, but I know that I had a great time chatting with them. After the interview, I ordered coffee at the nearby coffee shop, where I was served by the most lovely baristas, while I listened to another customer tell everyone in the cafe about her recent trip to Melbourne. I started to walk back to the train station, and as I mindlessly crossed the road, the kind taxi driver braked, gave me a big smile, and waved at me to pass. The weather was perfect and there I was in the middle of a busy street, holding on to my coffee and admiring the landscape on the park just beside the road. I got to the station, and I found out that all the trains were delayed, and my train back home won't come till another hour. I sat and waited while I drank my coffee and ate my lunch. I've barely bitten into my sandwich when a train comes and an announcement was made that it was a Macarthur train - my train going home!

I couldn't contain the joy in my heart. I knew God was behind everything - without a doubt. And it couldn't have been any sweeter. Only God knows these little things that I love. Only He knows the secrets of my heart.

Life is just so much sweeter when you're in love with the Creator of the universe :)

My Little Worshipper

2010-04-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

My Gabe loves to worship!

Gabe's First Birthday!

2010-04-17T05:21:00.001-07:00

I'm a proud mommy. My baby turned 1 today! I'm so excited but at the same time worried that he'll grow up faster than I thought.

Gabe's first 12 months with me has been nothing but love and joy. I still can't thank God enough for entrusting us with such a precious little man.

I'm excited for the years to come!

I love you my little bum-bum!

A Happy Aussie Easter

2010-04-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying a totally different Easter. Back in the Philippines, Holy Week for many people is a time of mourning and penitence. Others won't even dare come out of their houses on Good Friday and Black Saturday because those were the days when "the Lord is dead." But of course, as more and more Filipinos get to know the word of God better, many have come to see the truth about the Holy Week - that it's a time of joyfully remembering Jesus' victory over sin and death, and of His love for us.

But I can't help but feel the big difference between the atmosphere of Holy Week here in Australia and in the Philippines. It's kinda like Christmas - before the weekend comes, families rush to the groceries to get food to prepare for the Easter Weekend. Mummies are busy buying Chocolate Easter Eggs for the kids (and the kids at heart). And of coruse there's the Easter Shows, where there's rides and food and fun for the whole family. Best of all, after Easter Sunday, there's Easter Monday! (Talk about long holidays!)

I'm not saying that the happy atmosphere makes it a better Holy Week here in Australia. After all, it's all about remembering what Jesus has done for us. Some people might not agree, but I definitely find the joyful spirit of the people more appropriate for the season :)

So, Happy Easter everyone! (Take it easy on the chocolate eggs!)

Gabe and his 1st Easter Eggs & Bunnies!

What A Week!

2010-03-31T03:07:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since my last post. Things just happened one after the other and it's been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me and my family. It all starts on Pat's birthday...

Last Tuesday, Pat turned 29, which is equal to 30. He's already got salt and pepper hair anyways :P We are blessed to have Karl, his brother from UK, with us. We had an awesome time with close friends and family :)

Pat's 29!

Gabe and Papa.

I made Pat a cake! :P (ooh, sounds like a nursery rhyme..)

The next day, Gabe had a high fever. He was so sick that Pat had to stay home to help me take care of him. The poor bubba wasn't the cheeky little destroyer that he usually is. He had no energy and just wanted to be held. We were so relieved when he was up again fishing out the DVD's from the DVD rack before the end of the day.

Sick bubba.

That night, while having dinner with the whole Velasco family present, we received the news that Pat's grandpa, Daddy Hermes, has passed away. That became a night of mourning. Pat almost flew to the Philippines but decided to stay in the end.

The next day, Friday, my cousin Mariecris, her husband Benson, and their cute and cheeky son Richie arrived from their Melbourne trip. They live in Hong Kong and have come to Australia to watch Lady Gaga and to visit us. Boy was mourning turned into fun (and funny) times! We spent the next 4 days eating, eating, eating and some sight-seeing. I KNOW I gained a couple of pounds but I wouldn't dare go to the scale to check it. No thanks.

On their last night in Sydney, we met up with Mariecris' other cousin Tania (whom I know as well and should have met-up with long before) and her friend Dana. We spent the whole night catching up, reminiscing and telling jokes, it was so much fun.

Mariecris in Oz!

Gabe with cousin Richie.

With Chef Tania!

We are still at the Aguderas accompanying Joe and Phoebe while Johanna and Susie are in the Philippines for Daddy Hermes' wake and funeral. Tomorrow, we're saying bye to Mat as he heads once again to the Philippines to visit the love of his life, my sister.

Whew. Even this blog got me tired! With all these ever-changing events and emotions and challenges around me, I'm so glad I have an unchanging almighty God to run to. He makes everyday a joyful day :) Goodnight everyone!

PinayInOz.com

2010-03-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

Finally! I got my own URL. My new blog is now accessible at www.pinayinoz.com :) Makes life so much easier...

Meanwhile, I decided to revisit my old blogs. I just realised that I've been blogging for 5 years now. Reading through them, I can see how much I've grown and changed throughout the years. So if you want to get to know me a little bit more, feel free to browse through them :P (Click the links on the right...And notice how I patiently designed every button-link on my blogroll in my old blog...)

P.S. I put air in my own tyres today with my newly polished fingernails! I miss the gasoline boys in the Phils. Although I must say it was kinda fun..... and scary :P

Ikea To Clear!

2010-03-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I love Ikea (this is my 2nd blog about them in a month), and this week is their yearly clearance sale. So yesterday, Pat and I decided to go and brought our good friend Nick with us (because of his HOT car with a BIG boot to fit Ikea flatpacks). In my list was a new cot or junior bed, a new highchair to replace the high chair that Gabe broke (what a terminator) and a shoe rack.

After 2 surprisingly short hours, we came out with a highchair, a side-sleeper pillow, a kids room organiser, 2 tins of thin gingerbread cookies, a soft soccer ball and a moose hand puppet which my hubby just bought to tease our friend Caspar.

We decided we should buy the cot from a more reliable Baby Furniture shop and also thinking if we should buy him a junior bed instead. No interesting shoe racks either. And we almost bought a big red bookcase until we decided to just buy it another time.

What a bargain! This easy to clean high chair is very practical and only costs $39.99. The detachable tray comes at only $10.

No aussie baby shouldn't have one of these :)

Perfect way to tidy up the room of Gabe's small toys.

These traditional Swedish christmas cookies is best enjoyed all year round! Gabe just loves them :)

The Ikea clearance sale ends on the 17th of March.

Pretty Sweet Things.

2010-03-12T04:47:00.000-08:00

I love all things sweet - whether by taste, by smell or by actions. And this week, I received them all! Here are just some of them:

OPI nail lacquer Alice in Wonderland Collection from Mat and Sasha. Flower studs from Hawaii from Leah. Victoria's Secret Strawberries and Champagne Body Lotion from Cindy. CHOCOLATES CHOCOLATES and CHOCOLATES from America from Leah and Cindy. And of course, this month's cosmo is always a treat for myself :P

It's the little things like these that make life sweeter.

Bub in the Tub

2010-03-10T01:31:00.000-08:00

Gabe is now 10 months old and he's an active and cheeky bubba. He can also do the actions of some songs such as Twinkle-twinkle Little Star and Clap Your Hands! He can also stick his fingers out when you start counting "1, 2..." I'm having so much fun with Gabe. I can't believe I have to leave him soon to work! :(

Anyways here are videos I took just today while I was giving him a bath, one of his favourite things to do :) Enjoy!

I'm 26 :)

2010-03-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm 26! It's my second birthday away from my mum, dad and sisters. But it's also my second birthday with my husband, and my first with Gabe! So, it was very special in many ways :)

Ate Karen took me out to lunch. Hubby took me to dinner and the movies to watch Shutter Island (thanks to Ate Karen who looked after Gabe once again!). And because I really really miss having themed dinner parties with Kat, Char, Voica, Mel, Carla and Dar, I decided to host my own Chocolate, Strawberries and Champagne dinner for my family here in Australia. I also got a cake delivered from my family in the Phils!

Here are some photos I took during my birthday week..

Lunch with Ate Karen and Gabe with a band aid.

Date with Mr. Hotshot.

Gabe's photo of the week.

My strawberries, chocolate and champagne dinner.

My birthday cake from my parents and sisters....and boxer.

In my 26 years I've never felt this blessed. God makes every year better than the last. He's never failed on his promises and I've seen them all come to pass. He's also given me new dreams to conquer and new relationships to grow.

My birthday prayer is that I never ever forget my first love, and that I live for God and God alone.

By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me...
Psalm 42:8

Purple and Fuchsia

2010-03-01T04:20:00.000-08:00

Spent the last weekend of the month of love in color :) Just sharing my other bargain faves and attempted timer-shots with Gabe. Also, realized that I enjoy wearing high heels in Australia, where I don't feel very tall :P

I heart my peeptoe platforms from Schu (Philippines).

Clutch from Valleygirl DFO for only $6.50, and bronze ring from Diva for only $2.50!

Also, did I mention that I'm wearing a size 8(UK) dress?! Goodbye preggy weight!!!

(dress from Dorothy Perkins, Philippines)

Cheeky Little Gabe

2010-02-24T04:58:00.000-08:00

As Gabe grows older, I try to introduce to him new food, especially children's snacks. Yesterday, I tried giving him some chocolate Tiny Teddies (little teddy bear cookies) and this is what happened to him...

Ikea Tastes Good

2010-02-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Ikea not only for their beautiful and affordable furniture, but also for their yummy-yummy ready-made frozen food!

Their meatballs with mashed potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam is simply delicious (and easy to prepare!) Perfect for lazy Sunday nights when you just couldn't be bothered to make dinner :P

Singing Mum

2010-02-20T21:38:00.000-08:00

Today was an awesome day. I decided to ditch the stage fright and finally sing at church. I almost forgot how much I loved worshipping God on stage, but He really reminded me today. I felt his presence all the way so I wasn't nervous or scared like I usually do. It felt great to be able to sing for God again.

Anyways, my baby is growing up so fast. He's now 10 months old and has become very very curious. He also ate a moth this week. Yep, he's still alive :P

Snip-snip!

2010-02-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

Cutting your hair short is addictive. I first cut my hair short last September, and this would be my 3rd haircut since then. Thanks to my friend Sherilyn, who introduced me to her bestie Kelly, I now have a hairdresser I can trust! :)

Oh, and I finally got a photo of Gabe with his 2 new front teeth!

Post V-day

2010-02-18T03:12:00.000-08:00

Monday after Valentine's, I had lunch with my Mummy-friends. I say "Mummy-friends" as opposed to the usual girls I hang out with, who are mostly single except for the newly married Mrs. Mary Anne Edano (woohoo!). It's refreshing to hang out with them because I get to talk about things that only mummies would understand. I also get a lot of good encouragement and advice. As a matter of fact, I have been thinking about joining the work force soon, and talking to them gave me a lot of information to make good choices regarding what kind of career to take, and how to manage care for my little boy Gabe. Because of their experiences, I can make the right choices (hopefully!). It's good to be surrounded by wise women. :) (Feel free to let me know what you think as well!)

That day, I also got to wear 2 of my recent super-bargain finds: sunnies (FREE when I purchased Marie Claire magazine) and a chain bag ($6.50 from Valleygirl DFO).

Love and Cotton

2010-02-13T05:54:00.001-08:00

I have developed a love for Cotton On stuff not only because they are such a reliable shop for basic casual clothes but also because of their very affordable prices. Here are some of the purchases I've made recently and none of them cost more than $10.

Plain tank tops

White and gray super-comfy cardigan

For valentine's day my hubby and I went to see Avatar! (He already saw it, but didn't mind watching it again with me). Thanks to my cousin Karen who volunteered to babysit Gabe, I am able to go to the movies with my hubby again. I originally wanted to see Valentines Day, but due to the bad reviews I decided to just wait for the DVD copy and watch something more worthy of the big screen - thus, Avatar. Boy was I glad I chose it! It has made itself to my favorite-movies-of-all-time list.

I love valentine's day because I love seeing all the love around me through roses and cards and movie-dinner dates and what have you. It's also a great time to celebrate and remember our greatest lover of all - Jesus :)

First 2 Years.

2010-02-10T04:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a year and eight months since I first came to Australia. I can still remember the first time I stepped out of the plane and smelt the crisp Australian winter air, just 8 hours after saying teary goodbyes to my family in Manila. That day, I officially migrated to Australia, to marry the man I love.

From that day to the present, it has been an amazing ride. In less than two years, I migrated, got married (twice!) and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. I've also moved to a new loving church (which was a big deal to me) and made new friends. It's practially a new life!

Here are some of the highlights of my life in the past 2 years:

My girlfriends threw me a bridal shower just before i left Manila. Oh i miss them so much!

my first shopping day in Australia! Had to start it right.

Checking the sites with my new neice, Susie. She's a darling.

Wedding #1 in Australia.

New friends from my new church, FCF Macarthur.

Wedding #2 in Manila!

Our baby shower (8 months pregnant!)

Little Gabriel Knox was born!

Gabe visits the Phils when Pat's grandma passed away last September :(

Our first official family photo.

Australia Day 2010.

Whew. After all that, I can say I'm pretty much settled and have adapted to many Australian things - understanding what the people are saying despite the thick accent, enduring the 2 to 3-day oven-like heatwaves, adding "U" after "O" (as in "colour") and using "S" instead of "Z" (as in "organise"), and that a "jumper" is not overalls but a sweater and that "devon" is actually bologna. I have also started to like a number of Australian TV shows like Thank God You're Here, The Morning Show, Masterchef, My Kitchen Rules and all of the channel 7 news, and I also have become a fan of some Australian celebrities like Delta Goodrem and Larry and Kylie of the Morning Show! Most important of all, my wardrobe and style has started to take its form (I had to re-develop my sense of style due to the change of climate) and I have shorlisted the shops that I like.

This year is starting really well and I can't wait for the rest of it to unfold. It will definitely be a whole new adventure.