Because sometimes we have to stop and smell the flowers...

Sometimes we have to pause for a moment and appreciate life's simple gifts - the blooms in the garden, the children's laughter, a baby's giggles, the beautiful sunrise, the breathtaking sunset, the sound of thunder and raindrops, seeing an old friend, a hug from a loved one --- all these and more make life's burden a lot less lighter.

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Photos: Blooms in my yard

Proud of You, Sis

"To be more than a name or face in the crowd..." David Cook

Now that you finally finished college, another pride will be prominently displayed in that wall of our humble Ramirez home - the third at that. I'm sure papa and mama are mighty proud of you. For the past four years, I have been a witness of how much you value your studies more than anything else. At first I thought you're some kind of a geek but then I saw the motivation behind being a "trying hard" student. I've watched you persevere and really gave your best despite the lack of resources. You even stood out among your fellow graduates with ready employment waiting for you in the midst of global recession. You deserve every bit of success that comes your way because you worked hard for it. When you went up that stage to receive your diploma, I cant' help but shed a tear because all our efforts and hard-earned money just to send you to school didn't go down the drain. Spread your wings my dear sister and reach for your rainbow.

We're all proud of you!!!

something to be thankful...

I made a promise to myself that I would write down things that I am grateful about --- no matter how little it may be. Because it is in being grateful that I begin to appreciate life and the people I'm sharing it with --- could be my husband, my children, my relatives, my friends, the boss or even a total stranger.

I already said "thank you" to the giver of this gift but I fail to blog about it. What's special about this gift is that it was totally unexpected coming from my big bosses (JF, AW, CK and EO'D) all the way from our Philadelphia office. Inside were Mrs. Fields' goodies which we devoured in just one day. It also comes with a cute card signed by the 4 bosses welcoming my newborn Izabella.

Hubby's good friend who is based in Las Vegas send this over for me. I never get the chance to really know him personally but he was generous enough to give me this Paris Hilton Just Me perfume. Thank you Archie. And thank you for Earl's double-pedal...send them over please coz he's super excited to use them.

Welcome to the Christian World...

Zaab was finally baptized over the weekend which was attended by the sponsors and some close friends. We weren't really planning a lavish celebration. What's really important is that our little girl will officially be embraced by the Catholic religion. My apologies to those we didn't invite... but we still welcome your gifts if there's any. **grin**

first family picture

with the entourage

with my closest friends in the world (Alvie and Cathy)

Couple Tag

Found this tag somewhere in facebook and in my bloghop. I find it really interesting and heartwarming. Give it a try if you want to...

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What are your middle names?
mine is Ramirez and his is Alazas

How long have you been together?
7 years this August

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We were introduced by a common friend then after that he started stalking me in the office. I think it took me weeks to say “yes” to his invitations. hahaha

Who asked whom out?
He asked me out despite the rejections.

How old are each of you?
I just turned 30 and he’s 31 going 32 this year

Whose siblings do you see the most?
mine because except for my brother, my sisters are all here in Cebu. One lives with me and I often meet-up with the other two every Saturday.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
there were really a lot of challenges as a couple I couldn’t say which one is the hardest but I think we’re able to pull it through together.

Did you go to the same school?
no. i finished college at STC and he finished his degree at USC.

Are you from the same home town?
no. I’m a promdi from Mindanao and he’s a pure-bred Cebuano

Who is smarter?
we’re both smart and Alex is the smartest hehe.

Who is the most sensitive?
I’m the one who’s overly sensitive.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Home – either I cook or we bring in food. We eat out sometimes but not as a couple.

Where is the farthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
as far as bantayan island and cagayan de oro… pathetic but our dreams of traveling together has reached as far as santorini, paris, Ibiza, new york and the beautiful palawan

Who has the craziest exes?
I do if you call a sourgraper crazy. I’m not sure about hubby’s exes.

Who has the worst temper?
he has but it’s just temper --- not really that worst

Who does the cooking?
the helper cooks most days but i try to cook decent food every weekends. When he’s in the mood, he also cooks a recipe or two

Who is the neat-freak?
we both are comfortable with a little chaos but from time to time, it’s me who often applies the 5S but that wouldn’t qualify me for a neat-freak, right?

Who is more stubborn?
Both of us are stubborn at some point.

Who hogs the bed?
he does… he could zzzzzz the entire weekend uninterrupted.

Who wakes up earlier?
that would be me no matter how late I sleep the night before I still manage to wake up 6 or 7 am.

Where was your first date?
redemptorist church then moon café in guadalupe

Who is more jealous?
I admit it’s me but it’s always with a reason you know and there’s always proof from text messages and hacked friendster/istorya accounts… I’m a certified hacker eh!

How long did it take to get serious?
I think it was serious right from the start but it became more intense when we learned that I was pregnant --- that was after more than a year of being steady. We always had this roller-coaster relationship (kiss-makeup-kiss) and finally makeup when we got married.

Who eats more?
both of us --- we’re certified foodies and it shows in the body haha

Who does the laundry?
anna – our all-around yaya and housemaid.

Who's better with the computer?
me, I guess. I’m facing the computer everyday and he’s dealing with doctors and medicines more often.

Who drives when you are together?
he drives because I still don’t know how to drive dammit!