WEEK 26: 27-28 june 2009

28 june 2009
spent the whole afternoon buying stuff for the kids. most stores were open, i guess it was because it was the first weekend of the summer sale. anyway, i just realized when we got home that me and my husband were wearing christmas colors!!! hahaha...

27 june 2009
the mini cooper store is very near our house. i just want to share with you this picture... they displayed a car on the side of the building.oh...the tail lights do light at night!

MY THOUGHTS....

so i am writing another post again...
me and the kids are counting the days til we fly home to the philippines. we are looking forward to spending time with our family there....and spending time with my dad. early this year my dad is diagnosed with bone cancer and during that time the doctors said it was really serious. my dad was given 2 months. i immediately flew home (sofia came with me) to be with my dad. even my brother from canada went home. it was actually a happy get-together!!! my dad was happy to see all of us. we stayed there for a month...my dad became better. after a month vacation was over. we left dad in a better shape...and things got better as months passed by.
just last week, news came from my brother and sister in the philippines. my dad's situation is not good...and the doctors said he may have only 2 weeks (but of course we don't want to believe that!!!). this is actually the second week from the time the doctors checked him, and so far my dad is holding on. me and kids will be flying home on july 5. and i am just praying that my kids will get to spend time with my dad.
sometimes i don't know what to pray for...what to ask from God. this situation is not just about my dad,..it is also about my mom and the whole family. are we ready? are we prepared?...can we handle it if it happens? i really don't know.
i wish i know exactly what dad is going through... if he is scared, if he is ready...if he is contented...if he is happy. and then i think of my mom. how is she handling all of these?
as for the moment... i am just lookingn forward to seeing them all and spending time with them in the philippines.

WEEK 26: 24-26 june 2009

26 june 2009
Michael Jackson died at the age of 50.
we were watching cnn last night when the news of jackson being rushed to the hospital was announced. then l.a. times announced that he was dead, cnn couldn't confirm it. then this morning, it is confirmed the he died of heart attack. it is all over the news. even though i am not really a fan, somehow i feel a sense of lose. come to think of it, 50 is still young!! it made me realize how short life can be. that we must spend every minute of it on something that is important, something that matters to us, and something good. i guess it is not how long you can live you life (for it can end anytime...) but how WELL you will live it.

25 june 2009
second day of the summer sale!! i went out to buy some stuff. the other photo is the candy stand at the center of the tiny mall in passy. i had to stop and buy some for me and the kids...hehehe. rafael's favorite is the cola and mine is the red and black stuff, and for isabelle... any candy for her is good. we didn't show sofia the candies..hahaha!!

24 june 2009
finally i'm on the third book!! i need to buy the last book when i get to the philippines.

WEEK 26: 22 - 23 june 2009

23 june 2009
while i was folding clothes, sofia got isabelle's pencil case. i thought she was quite because she was drawing or something. but when she turned to me, she showed me her fingers with all the pen covers!! hahaha...

finally rafael got his grades...and he is top of his class (again!!) i am so proud of him. he has really worked hard for that. everyday as soon as he gets home he does his assignments before playing or watching tv. he reviews alone (because i really don't understand french...hehehe). but without any help from me or nitz, he managed to be number 1. he deserves it!

22 june 2009
its rafael's birthday...he is now 10 years old! he had an early celebration last saturday. but today i asked him to dress nicely because it is his birthday. and when we got home from school, i took some photos of him. this is my favorite!!

LAYOUT: week 25

a week does pass by quickly!!!
sharing with you my layouts for week 25.

WEEK 25: 21 june 2009...father's day!!

went to the park again!! (can't get enought of it...hahaha) had lunch there -- we had crabstick sandwiches, salad (tomato, cucumber, pickles and olives), melon and ham!

sofia loves the slide and she goes up and down by herself (of course her papa is always right behind her..).

she has really grown!!

and here are the gifts of the kids for my dh! isabelle made the card at school. her picture has this magnet thing at the back so we can stick it on the ref. rafael made the puppet thing...hahaha i find it really funny!!

WEEK 25: 20 june 2009... Rafael's birthday celebration!!

i am making this a separate post because i will be sharing lots of pictures.
rafael celebrated his birthday at the park. he invited 3 of his friends (actually he invited 5 friends but only 3 could come...). it wasn't really a perfect day to be at the park but we couldn't cancel it anymore. it was cloudy..it drizzled every now and then, but it didn't stop the kids from having fun! actually since the weather was not that good, not so many kids were at the park!! so we kinda 'owned' the park!
they played at the playground...

then they played foodball...2 other kids joined them!

then badminton!!!

isabelle had fun too!!

we left the park at a little past 4pm and then we went to church. after mass, we had dinner at this nice resto! the food was really good!!!

it was almost midnight when we got home. rafael opened his gifts. and just before they went to bed, i took a photo of all three of them.

we would like to thank charles, jason and frederick for coming and celebrating with rafael. thank you to bobot (jason's mom) for staying there to assist us with the kids. thank you to cecile for being there inspite of the weather.

WEEK 25: 19 june 2009

showing-off my new accessories!! thanks again to janmary for this beautiful set. i love them!

WEEK 25: 15 - 18 june 2009

18 june 2009
early this morning as i finished watering the plants, i took some pictures of the beautiful flowers! i couldn't believe i have kept them alive this long. i really haven't taken care of plants this long. these plants were given to my by the Carmelite nuns we visit in st. maur (still a place in france) every now and then. i will be sending them these pictures.

when i picked up the kids from school, rafael immediately showed me his test results (controle). perfect scores!! before our arrangement was a book for every perfect score or every 'A' on his report card. but since he has completed the collection, we agreed that i would just give him 1 euro. i gave him a jar where he can put the money he earns. and the condition is that he is not to use the money without letting me know. it has to be spent for important things... or he can just keep it til we can open up his account in the bank. i am so proud of rafael...
(after this photo, he complained why i needed to take a photo of him with his test papers...sigh. i wanted to take a couple of photos but never get the chance. fine... just one photo).


17 june 2009
we went to our family doctor for our medical examination. while i was busy filling up forms, i was wondering why sofia was quite...then i turned and saw her 'reading' some books. i took a quick shot of her! then right after i took the picture, she started running around!! gosh... did i ruin her concentration??? so much for quite and peaceful moment...


16 june 2009
our philippine embassy!! it is just a couple of blocks away from our house. i went there to get some needed documents and i thought of taking a picture of it!


15 june 2009
monday...monday...monday! another week ahead.
another motorcycle photo for me! i just think this one is 'odd'...or rather 'different' and at the same time 'interesting'. i don't know if they wan to be a one-seater 2-wheeled car or a covered-bike! well, it is bmw so i guess it is good.... but a little weird....

LAYOUT: week 24

it is incentive weekend at w&w!!! i am so excited on the surprise of gina for all of us!! anyway, here are my layouts...

WEEK 24: 13 & 14 june 2009

14 june 2009
what beautiful day!! i wore the sandals that my niece gave me. at first i was a bit hesitant because i felt my feet were too 'bare' but when my dh said they look fine, i decided to wear them.

we went again to our friend's house for our fellowship. isabelle enjoyed having her nails done by her friend katelyn (i don't know if i spelled her name correctly..). we shared a wonderful meal and we played badminton afterwards.

when we got home, rafael made his birthday invitations. his birthday is next monday but we will be celebrating it on saturday. i offered to make his invitations but he insisted on writing them by himself.

and of course sofia wanted to do draw too....hahaha.

13 june 2009
shopping at louis vuitton!!! hahaha...but it is not for me! my friend just asked me to buy some stuff for her. i was suppose to buy it next week but since our friend, she-ann, is going back to the philippines on thursday, we decided to buy the stuff and send them through her. she was kind enough to agree.

WEEK 24: 11 & 12 june 2009

12 june 2009
isabelle performed in a chorale. they sang all the songs they learned during the whole school year. we were all very excited!!
so here you can see the kids entering and going to their assigned spots. isabelle was hopping when she entered.she was really happy!!

the principal introducing the kids...
isabelle was sitting at the right end of the formation.

i couldn't take photos of isabelle singing. most of the time she was blocked by the kid in front of her. too bad...
moving out now!! good performance....bravo!!

our guests!! she-ann used to be nitz officemate in his first job. her husband is now base in basel (switzerland) and she and their baby will be moving there next year too.

11 june 2009
finally we had some sun!!on our way home i thought of taking some photos of the kids being funny and silly...hahaha. look at how they have grown!

WEEK 24: 8-10 june 2009

10 june 2009
these are bracelets and earings i ordered from my web-friend, janmary!! i specifically requested for a red bracelet and a matching pair of earings. she went to all the trouble of ordering the beads just to make me one. the blue one (still inside the pouch) is for my niece. i really love them!!! if you want to see more of her creations, visit janmary designs.

9 june 2009
jake's package arrived!!! those shirts and perfume i asked her to buy from a&f. she also sent books for the kids, she sent me a wallet for mothers' day (i love it so much!!!) and a pair of new sandals (same as what she has..!). i was amazed she was able to fit all of these in a small box!!
well, thank you again, jake!!

8 june 2009
it has been raining most of the day. i was hoping that when i go pick up the kids from school the rain would stop...but it didn't. it was difficult to push the stroller and hold a 'big' and heavy umbrella. i had to bring that big one so all of us would be covered(more or less...). it wasn't really raining that hard but enough to get one wet. anyway, i still did manage to get a picture of the kids with the umbrella..had to do it quickly because of the rain.

LAYOUTS: week 23

the weather is not so good here. since yesterday it has been raining on and off.
anyway, here are my layouts for week 23.

WEEK 23: 7 june 2009

we celebrated mothers' day in france yesterday. i thought of creating a separate post of this day since i have lots of pictures to share.
we didn't wake up too early, it felt good. after breakfast we had to get ready for our 'household' (prayer meeting). as we were waiting for the bus, we saw this longines bus for andre agassi's foundation. i have seen the commercial on tv but i didn't know the bus actually exist! so i took a picture of that.
if you want to see the commercial click here.

then we rode the bus going to our friend's house who was hosting the 'household'. it was a bit far but it was just one bus ride. sofia just loves holding on the handles..her papa taught her that. and every time we ride the bus now, she would ask to get off her stroller and hold the handles..( we will only do that when papa is with us...!!)

our friend, haydee, who hosted the 'household' made some buttons for us, and this is mine. it was really sweet of her to make the buttons.

and these are isabelle's gift for me!! she made them in school. i already saw it last friday but she insisted that i open it on mothers' day. it is a small plant (which i think they planted with the help of their teacher), and a card which they made. when i opened the card, isabelle insisted on reading it (but i know she couldn't read yet...) and she was able to say the first few lines! i think they tried to memorize the poem in school.


and here is the card isabelle made. let me share with you the poem:
POUR MA MERE
il y a plus de fleurs (there are more flowers)
pour ma mére, en mon coeur (for my mother in my heart)
que dans tous les verges. (than in all the gardens)
plus de merles rieurs (more laughing birds)
pour ma mére, en mon coeur (for my mother in my heart)
que dans le monde entier. (than in the whole world)
et bien plus de baisers (and much more kisses)
pour ma mére, en mon coeur (for my mother in my heart)
qu'on en pourrait donner. (that we could give)
- maurice careme


and here we are... me with my kids. i'm very happy to be their mother.