Thursday, June 30, 2011

Show and Tell Friday

Last year, we went to Australia to visit my husbands side of the family. We had a precious time together. I am so blessed to have such sweet and generous sister in laws who loves us dearly and we love them too. They showered us with their expressions of love. A token to remember them always :). Here are few of them...



This is used to be a kitchen towel, but my very creative dear friend Cindy @ Oakview Cottage turned it into an awesome pillow case. She is so sweet. Isn't it beautiful?  She cut the "Sydney Australia" at the bottom of the towel and sewed it on the top. I never thought of making this towel to a pillow case, but my friend did. My daughter keeps bringing it to her room :(



decorative silver spoons that I can display in my china cabinet


Key holder frame


Tissue covering with two cute koalas and coasters




My sister in laws are both excellent cooks. They gave me this apron with the picture of famous harbor bridge and Opera house in Sydney in it. I might rub off some of their delicious food when I wear it while cooking.


A pretty decorative plate



and a commoda purse :)

I will treasure these things as we will treasure them forever! We'd love to visit them in the future again.

I am joining...

Show and Tell Friday

Cindy  @  My Romantic Home



Monday, June 27, 2011

Special Places To Go

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day today :)

I am scrapbooking again. I really hope that I will be able to finish organizing these photos :) I cannot believed how much photos we have, not included digitals that needs to be printed.

Well, as I am browsing. I didn't realized that we do have  lots of photos travelling from far away places. If given opportunities, I would love to travel all the time. I think it is important to venture from your own backyard and go places, it helps broaden your perspective in life that there are more out there to discover and learn. Travelling to different places fascinates me.
There are always few places that leave a lasting impression, so much that they last your entire life. Those places that leave you with not just a visual picture but an actual feeling when you conjure up images of days and nights spent there.
While some of our favorite and most relaxing adventures have taken place here in a beautiful Canada, which become our home,  many of our favorite travels have taken place far away. Here are some of few places we've been that leave a lasting impression on me. However, we have plans to cruise and travel places to Europe in the future.


  "Zai zhege difang di meihao huiyi" means "good memories to remember"

Hongkong is a special place to me. We lived here for 5 years. This is where our 2 sons, Josel and Jason was born. We had a fast pace life here but full of fun. I remember spending lots of time walking along Silvermine view in Lantau Island with Josel in the stroller. Everyday boat ride to HongKong site for an hour. Bargaining in night market places of Mongkok, Kowloon, Sangley and Tsuen Wan. Relaxing time in Discovery bay whenever we want to have a little peak of western houses and foods. Visiting small villages. Enjoying Yam tsa and dim sum and authentic chowmein, choisam and chasiw :)Learning their language and cultures. People we've met that become our special friends till this day. Riding bicycles to our bible study in the mountain. But most specially, this is a place where we're able to be a part of the growth of God's  work. Seen many lives changed, souls that's been saved by the power of God. I consider this place as one of my home. My sons have a privilege of studying and live here when they reach 18 if they choose to.


Macau. It's a place of our second honeymoon :) We had so much adventure in this place. We discovered that the origin of our family name "Fortaleza" came from this place. Macau is a Portuguese territory till 1997 when China took over. We went to "Fortaleza du Monte" which means "The Strong Tower". This is a place of refuge during world war II. Macau is known of their historical heritage like the famous Ruins of St. Paul.


We spent time here with our family in Boracay Island, to escape from the busy life of Manila whenever we were in the Philippines. Such a beautiful place to bask on God's beautiful creation. I will not get tired of coming here over and over again. It's a magical place! If you love water and pure white coral sand, this is a place to be!



I will not forget Mt. Rainier in Washington because this is the place where I first touched a real snow lol... ok you can laugh, but that's true haha..I was so thrilled. I had no idea God will brought us to the place where snow is just right outside our door :) This place is beautiful. I want to go back here someday.


California is the first place we travelled in North America. Our loved ones migrated here also.  We love going to this place to visit them. I love Daly city, the weather here is perfect! 15 degrees C all year around. Bay Area is like home, aside from high percentage of filipinos living in this place, you can buy any filipino foods you need, filipino restaurants are all over the place. Eating out at Pier 49 in San Francisco where you can taste the best clam chowder in bread bowl and seafoods ever! Delicious humus, cheese and Italian bread in Napa Valley. Entertainments and amusements in Los Angeles.
This place is special because we've seen God's hand worked in us in a miraculous way! and lead us to the place He wants us to be.


Wow Lake Tahoe! I want to live in this place lol.. A lake 10,000 feet above sea level. We rented a cute cottage beside the lake here for few days. So beautiful and peaceful. It was one of the memorable time of my life.


What can I say about Niagra? Magnifico! Wondrous work of God. We celebrated our 17th here. We surely love the place and the memory it brings.



I always wanted to go to Australia and last year, it came true. We spent Christmas and New Years with our loved ones there too :) Beautiful, beautiful place to visit! Many new things learned and discovered in this place.



Now it's your turn! What is your favourite place to go?
  

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Heart Spa




I got foot spa as a gift from hubby few years back. I barely use it, but today I had an opportunity to just spent time for myself after a crazy week without hubby :(   Kids had their own agenda and our littles had a quality time with their mom and dad. So just by myself even for few hours only. 
I got my foot spa, pampered my face with homemade avocado, cucumber puree mask. A book in my hand, a ginger hot tea and a soothing, relaxing background music. So peaceful and quite :) 
I promise myself that once in a while I will pamper myself no matter how hectic my schedule in a week is. We all need it.


I come up with the theme as "Heart Spa" for our ladies fellowship in the future to do. If we are able to pamper our physical body, how much more we need to rejuvenate and refresh our soul, spiritual body in the Lord. We need to take time alone time with God and be refresh with His spirit no matter how hectic our days. 
We did it already few years back I believed. We had sleepovers in my place where we had devotional, sharing and then facial mask and foot massage lol. I think I want to do it again, but not in my place but some place that are more relaxing, maybe along the lakes and spend overnight. A time to treat ourselves women to a retreat experience for the Heart. A time to relax, to make connections, and rejuvenate our spirit. A time to focus on our personal growth and learn practical skills that will help us embrace life with renewed sense of spirit, joy and purpose for life!


I'm getting excited!


I am halfway with this book, the DNA of Relationship by Gary Smalley. It's an excellent book about relationship. According to him,  "You are made for relationships. You are made with the capacity to choose and you are made to take responsibility for yourself ".


I will share this to you sometime :)


But for now, I'll talk to you later and got to go pick up hubby in the airport :) this is more exciting! hehe...


Hope you had wonderful sunny day today! just like mine.

Monday, June 20, 2011

My Baby girl's 12th :(

Time flies so fast, and my little princess will be 12 on Wednesday, June 22.

She celebrated her birthday today with her school friends because her dad will be leaving tomorrow to Missouri. Then she said that she will be celebrating her birthday again on Saturday with her church friends in Red river X .
Well, I gave her a little cute party today and she is a happy girl :) 


We made cupcakes and cake pops instead of ice cream cakes. She enjoyed decorating it.



White Chocolate with raspberry icing


Butter cream


Raspberry Lemonade



12 candles :)


Praying for Jessica and for the food

enjoying the food


Reading cards



These are her give aways - headbands with ribbons. No more goodie bags lol...




Jessica's school friends. They are all wearing their headbands



Happy 12th Birthday Jessica! Love you much :)
You are our little girl! and God's little girl !

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Outdoor

I finally done planting :) I planted few vegetables in my garden like tomatoes, bittermelons, green peas, eggplants and chillis. Few roses survived and the rest just died. Perennials plants are starting to bloom. Can't wait to see them all in full bloom.

We are enjoying the weather, we had barbeques and dine out in our backyard once in a while. We had to, while there's not a lot of mosquitoes and flies yet. My fly swatters and mosquito coils are ready lol!

Purple Irish



tomatoes


grapes showing its leaves now


I found this chair planters. Isn't it cute?


Not only one but two




One beautiful day...



Now I can relax in my hammock



pansies


my climbing rose started to climb :) 


This beautiful flower basket is a gift from a dear friend :) Thank you



My roses that survived the winter.


Eggplants


green peas




flyswatters are ready!


Hope you all have a wonderful summer!