Turning 37

Week before my birthday, my husband and I had a fight and was on cold war the entire week leading to my birthday. It was a petty thing but pride and unnecessary anger get in the way as always. I really didn't have any grand plans for my birthday except to escape the city for a bit while nursing a broken heart (*insert Whitney Houston song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?") hehe. 

A day before my birthday, I raised the white flag and said sorry. I don't want to be brokenhearted forever, you know. Still, he failed to greet me on the morning of my birthday and even went out for a long ride with his bike. Again, my heart broke and proceed with the plan of escaping the city. 

With my daughters Alex and Zabbie, sisters Anne and Matet and nephew Leon in tow, we went for our greatest adventure and roadtrip so far. We took a v-hire from Mactan and another v-hire to our first stop. 

my adventure crew

First Stop: Simala

I've lived in Cebu for 20 years now and I haven't been to Simala ever. Entering Simala is like entering a different country or world. You'll be met with castle-like structure. Thousands of tourists and pilgrims flock to Simala to pay homage and offer petitions to the miraculous Virgin of Simala. It was a perfect opportunity for me to offer my gratitude to the Virgin Mary for another year in my life and for the blessings received all these years. I also raised my personal petition of letting me patch up differences with my husband.

Simala

Simala

Second Stop: Tingko Beach, Alcoy

Since we've been on an adventure mode, we decided to head further down south to Tingko Beach in Alcoy. Despite being very accessible and just along the highway, I haven't been to this beach as well. Tingko Beach boasts of powdery sand and crystal clear blue waters. The weather was cooperating as it was really bright and sunny. While there are a lot of locals and tourists hanging out by the beach, we still enjoyed the beach nonetheless. The kids had a blast playing in the sand and was even complaining why we have to leave early like two hours after. 

quick dip

having a blast

At around 4pm, we decided to end our adventure and waited for the next ride back home. If not for the almost 3-hour traffic in San Fernando on our way back, it would have been really an awesome roadtrip. We reached home past 10pm and celebrated what's left of my birthday with my parents. 

My husband? He had other plans on my birthday and celebrated on his own. Duh!

Happy 37th Self!!! Here's to more roadtrips and adventures!!!

TITAN

More than three months ago, we added a new member to our small family. At first, there were some hesitations especially coming from the husband. My daughters have been begging to have a pet dog since time immemorial. After nonstop prodding from Alex and Zabbie, husband finally gave up and we welcome the first family pet named Titan.

Titan is mix breed of Dachshund and Yorkshire Terrier according to her previous owner Tina. He came to us when he was still a month old and our life totally turned upside down from then on. At first, we thought that it was a bad idea having a dog. Aside from the additional expenses for vaccination, dog food, dog shampoo, accessories etc., Titan is quite a handful. He nibbles almost anything from slippers to furniture and even the grocery bag lying on the floor. My favorite pair of shoes was one of the casualties.

But despite that, we learn to love him and considered him part of our family. In fact, we sometimes spoil him like a baby and bring him along to family bonding at Parkmall or to Granny’s house.

Here are 5 of the best things that Titan has brought to our home:

1. He has brought so much happiness at home. His antics are so entertaining we always ended laughing our hearts out. Playing with him is even better compared to watching a movie. 

2. I totally forgot about stress at work. I would usually come home before midnight and he’s always there to welcome me furiously wagging his small tail while the rest of the household are already in dreamland.

3. He guards our house when we’re away. He has this habit of barking at any person or vehicle that passes through our house.

4. Since Titan came to our lives, my daughters have become responsible. They always find time to walk him after school and during weekends. They also take turns cleaning his poop and pee.

5. Since some of our friends know that we have a dog, it has become an instant topic during conversations. It’s always good to share experiences and tips on caring for a dog and eventually developing better friendships.

Titan has grown really big and our love for him also grows every single day. There may be times that we want to wring his neck or kick his ass but most often, we just want to embrace him with so much love. We couldn’t even imagine what life would be without our Titan.