edrei & randy: at last!

Dalawampung Hakbang

2006-01-24T22:17:00.000-08:00

This really doesn't apply to our relationship, but I thought it was cute. Got it from my college classmate through e-mail...a bit long, but really cute.

Isa... Dalawa... Tatlo...

Alam kong gasgas na ang linyang ito pero anu't ano pa, hayaan mong sabihin kong walang anumang salita mula sa kahit ano pang lenguahe ang magbibigay kahulugan sa pakiramdam ko ngayon.

Ikakasal ka na.

Mula sa kinalalagyan ko, habang dahan dahan mong binabaybay ang gitna ng simbahan, hindi ko mapigilang lumuha ng maliliit na patak.
Ikaw ba talaga yan? Makailang pikit na ang ginawa ko, tinatanong ang sarili kung ikaw nga ba ang babaing nasa traje de boda. At kahit anong pikit ang gawin ko, ikaw nga iyon.

Parang kailan lang, kalaro kita kasama ang ibang bata. Alam ko pa ang itsura mo noon; tisay pero bulok ang ipin, naka-ponytail ka na palagi noon pa, at chubby. Bibo kang kalaro sa piko, pero kapag pikon ka na sa pang-aasar nila dahil sa lagi kang natutumba pag isang paa na lang ang gamit sa number 3 o kaya 4 na box sa piko, sa akin ka iiyak at aawayin ko sila. Madalas nila tayo tuksuhin pero wala lang sa iyo yon. Natutuwa naman ako noon dahil sa akin ka lumalapit. Para sa akin, ikaw na ang bestfriend ko.

Apat... Lima... Anim...

Binibilang ko ang mga hakbang mo sa altar. Ilang segundo na lang ay hindi ka na single. Masaya ka kaya habang naglalakad? May luha ka din sa mata, nakikita ko. Pero ang tanong na bumabalot sa isip ko ay kung luha ba yan ng kagalakan o kalungkutan.

Hindi kita naging kaklase sa grade school. Palibhasa palagi kang nasa star section. Sa service lang kita nakakasabay, at habang kumakain tayo ng cotton candy ay nagkukuwentuhan tayo tungkol sa mga nangyari sa araw natin sa school. At alam ko, nalulungkot ka noon kapag bababa na ako sa bahay namin. Magba-bye ako sayo habang aandar ang service at magtititigan tayo. Close tayo noong elementary. Ako ang bestfriend mong lalaki at ikaw naman ang tangi kong bestfriend na babae.

Pito... Walo... Siyam...

Mahal na mahal kita. At habang pinagmamasdan kita sa maganda mong gown ay parang natutunaw ako sa kinalalagyan ko. Nasa kalagitnaan ka na at maya maya pa ay magsisimul a na ang seremonya.
Nag-high school tayo sa parehong school at sa kabutihang palad ay ka-section kita. Lalo pa tayong naging close kahit pa parating magkaaway ang mga barkada mong babae at ang mga barkada kong lalaki. Pero di gaya noong mga bata pa tayo, sa iba ka na tinutukso.

Sampu... Labing-isa... Labing-dalawa...

Pakiramdam ko, palakas nang palakas ang tugtog ng kasal habang papalapit ka sa altar. Nakangiti ka at kung minsa'y naititingin mo ang mata mo sa ibang taong nagagalak habang pinagmamasdan ka. Nasa sa iyo lahat ng atensyon.

Nagkaroon ka na ng maraming boyfriend. Ako namam ay umasa lamang na maibig mo. Wala akong naging ibang inalayan ng pagmamahal kundi ikaw. At tuwing pinapaiyak ka ng mga magagaling mong ex, telepono ko ang kumikiriring. Kaya nga noong nauso ang kantang "Halaga" ng Parokya ni Edgar, ay sobrang tinamaan ako.

Labing-tatlo... Labin g-apat... Labing-lima...

Maligaya ka sa panahong to, alam ko. Ikaw pa, kilalang kilala na kita. Bestfriend kita eh. Mula ulo hanggang paa, kilala kita. Kakatawa pero naaalala ko pa noong mga bata tayo, alam ko na ang mga panty mo ay yung may burdang Monday, Tuesday, hanggang Friday. Alam ko na noong elementary ay galit ka sa Sibika at Kultura at sa Principal nating tinawag nating Miss Minchin. Noong highschool, alam ko pa kung sinu-sino ang mga naging crush mo. Kabisado na kita. Alam ko kung mainit ang ulo mo, kung malungkot ka, kung hindi maganda ang pakiramdam, kung nae-excite at lahat lahat.

Alam ko din kung maligaya ka. At kung hindi man ako nagkakamali, nararamdaman kong masaya ka ngayon habang patungo sa altar.

Labing-anim... Labing-pito... Labing walo...

Basta maligaya ka, masaya ako. Yun naman ang gusto ko parati, ang maligaya ka. At ang tanging hiling ko s a panahong ito ay ang panghabam -buhay mo nang kaligayahan.

Ayan na malapit ka na sa altar.

Labing-siyam..

Eksaktong ikalabing-siyam na ang ang hakbang mo, nabilang ko sa isip.

Congratulations. Masaya ako at alam kong masaya ka rin ngayong ikakasal ka na...

Dalawampu...

... sa akin.

Happy Holidays!!!

2005-12-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

Randy & I

wish you all a very

Merry Christmas

& a

Prosperous New Year!!!

Our Recent Photo

2005-12-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo taken last night when we had dinner at Garlic di Pasta in Pleasanton. This was our first time in this italian restaurant, food was good..at least the ones we ordered - Chicken Gorgonzola for me & Chicken Pesto for Randy. However, I must say they need to have more servers especially at dinner time.

My question is, "Bakit si Randy pumapayat, ako hindi?" (Why is Randy losing weight & I'm not?)

Arggh!

You're Invited!

2005-12-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here's an article of John & Benz Rana's (of www.weddingsatwork.com) wrote that originally appeared on 12.03.05 on About Weddings. Hope we will all learn from it...hehehehe.

Questions & Answers
Q. I got an invite but have no plans of attending; should I still send a gift?
A.First thing’s first. If you won’t be able to attend for whatever reason, please RSVP. A big chunk of the wedding budget goes to the reception and it will be utterly inconsiderate to just give up a reserved seat without letting the couple know. Give them the chance to assign that seat to another guest in their “waitlist.” Having that out of the way, let’s get to your question: YES, it is customary to still send a gift.

Q. The envelope bears only my name. May I ask if I can bring a date?
A. Don’t bring a date unless your invitation specifically says “and Guest.” Bringing unexpected guests is very impolite. Neither should you ask the couple’s permission if you may bring one or not. Don’t put your friends on the spot. We Filipinos don’t really like turning down people. So how would you know if their “Yes” means yes or not? Spare them that trouble.

Q. The invite says “Mr. & Mrs.” Could we bring our kids?
A. Never bring the kids unless “& Family” is indicated. Soon-to-weds don’t usually invite children for a good reason. Kids get bored or cranky during hour-long masses. Their tantrums might disrupt the solemnity of the ceremony. Weddings are usually formal events typically not appropriate for the little ones. To be blunt about it, inviting a child at the reception means added two mouths to feed – the kid’s and the yaya’s.

Follow-up Q. But my son/daughter is the bearer/flower girl. I’m sure it’s understood that my other child is invited.
A. Which part of the answer above didn’t you understand? Seriously, if the couple wanted to invite your other kid, they would have specified that on the envelope.

2nd follow-up Q. But I’m breastfeeding, I’m sure my friends will understand, won’t they?
A. Granting that it’s an infant and he or she won’t eat at the reception – let’s even assume that your baby won’t wail at the church – the answer is still NO! Not even if you’ve perfected the art of being a cow in a long gown. Four words: Breast Pump and Babysitter!

Q. I don’t have a clue what gift to give them. Any ideas?
A. The average Pinoy soon-to-wed would always prefer monetary gifts more than any other gift. It is the unspoken fact. We’re telling you now to make it easier for them to let you know what they REALLY want; unless they indicated that already in their invites which, by the way, is a very tacky thing to do.
If you’re not comfortable giving cash, you may ask the couple where they are registered (Gift / Bridal Registry) and choose from what’s listed under their names in the store. You can also ask them where they’re residing after the wedding and take the cue from there. If you know that they’ll be migrating abroad or living with their parents for the time being, a ref or another oven toaster may not be the most practical and logical gift.

Q. I’m convinced. So how much cash should I give them? I don't want to give too little or too much.
A. That’s a hard thing to answer. It’s really a case-to-case thing. Try to put yourself in the couple’s shoes. How much should a guest of your stature give you without being branded a cheapskate? Also consider your relationship with the couple. If you're good friends of the couple's parents, you'll probably shell-out more than if you were simply the bride’s Girl Friday.

Q. Could I skip the ceremony and head straight to the reception?
A. You can… BUT you shouldn’t! You are invited to THE wedding -- that’s the part where they exchange their “I dos.” The reception is where the Receiving Line is. You can’t be ‘received’ if you are already seated in the hall, right? “Patay-gutom” is too harsh a word and we assure you that it’s by no means what anyone would think if indeed you decide to go straight to the reception. But admit that it struck a nerve just mentioning the word in that context, isn’t it?

Q. Speaking of the Receiving Line, what should be the proper greeting?
A. Here’s the rule: Say “Congratulations” to the groom and “Best Wishes” to the bride. The reason behind is that "congrats" implies that someone has caught something or won a prize, and it is rather improper to imply that the bride “caught” the man who married her. If this rule gets mixed-up in your head come wedding day, just say the two phrases together and look at both of them. That usually works!
Likewise, saying “Good Luck!” no matter how pure your wishes are will also sound very inappropriate for obvious reasons.

Q. Nice try, but what if the couple makes a Grand Entrance and left the Receiving Line to their parents? What then should I tell them? Note that I don’t even know which sets of parents are whose.
A. Didn’t we tell you already not to skip the ceremony? The bride and groom usually walk alongside their respective parents at the very start!
Anyway, make your pleasantries short and sweet. Shake their hands and say "Hello! I'm (your name) and I went to school with (name of bride/groom) in (school’s name)/an officemate of (name of bride/groom) at (name of company)." They usually respond with "Nice meeting you." Just smile, nod politely, and move on to the next person. If one replies “Hi! I’ve heard so much about you!”, simply smile and nod just the same. No lengthy conversation; just make small talk at most. If you can’t find the words to say, just smile again, nod politely, and move.

Q. During the banquet, is there anything I need to know?
A. Nowadays, the Reception Program usually have the guests on each table stand up and have their picture taken with the couple before being led to the buffet. This is done to resolve two issues of past weddings: (a) for the couple’s convenience and skip the tiring Table-Hopping ritual just to have their picture taken with all their guests; and (b) for the guests’ convenience so they won’t have to wait very long for their turn in the buffet line.
Keep in mind that Buffet is NOT synonymous with “Eat-All-You-Can.” Do not pile your plate full. Be courteous of those who have yet to be served. Don’t worry. You can easily go for seconds.

Q. I’m used to a Buffet setting, but what if it’s a formal Sit-Down Dinner? Which fork do I start with again?
A. You’re on your own, pal. Watch “Pretty Woman” again.

Read the full article here.

Maecy

2005-12-09T23:22:00.000-08:00

It was my youngest sister's birthday yesterday Dec. 8th. (All 3 of us were born on the 8th...I was born on April 8th and Micah, March 8th) Good Lord, she's 18 already!!! Which makes me insanely old.

Anyway, Happy birthday. Maecy! I hope you had fun yesterday. You can now buy cigs, watch porn, vote, and buy a lotto ticket!!! yay!!! Seriously, here's wishing you the best and may all your hopes and dreams come true. I love you baby!

Love,
Ate Edrei & Kuya Randy

W@W Christmas Auction

2005-12-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

Last month, just before Thanksgiving, W@W had a Christmas Auction to raise funds for their Chritmas Party in Manila and also to help charities like God's work in Progress. Please click here to read about it.

Guess what I won?

Trial Make Up by Madge Lejano...

a Photo Shoot for Pre-Nup Pictures (aka Engagement Pictures) by John Mateos Ong...

and a Spa Package at Nurture Spa in Tagaytay!

Magsing-Irog Couple's Massage (1 hour), followed by Mutya Natural Facial (1 hour) for two persons. Includes Spa Set Meal, Snacks plus Half Day (6 hours) Use of One (1) Ifugao Hut.

Hopefully, we'd be able to use it when we go to Manila in January. I'm soooo excited!!! Can you tell? Hahahahaha!

Lastly, I'd like to thank John & Benz Rana of www.weddingsatwork.com for making this possible. It was fun guys!

DIY Save the Date Magnets

2005-11-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here's my try on DIY! I used my phone to take these pictures because I couldn't find the usb to upload the ones I took from my digicam.

I'm almost done with our Save the Date Magnets. I still have to make around 25 magnets, insert them in note cards, print address labels and mail them. This was a 2-month project which is not so "me", but things got really busy the last few months for Randy & I.

The caricature idea came from a w@wie, Haidee. I showed it to Randy and he said he likes the idea, only he wanted it in black & white. So I surfed the net to find the one who can make a nice caricature of us.

Last September, thought of Paulo, my youngest sister's (Maecy) boyfriend. He said he'll try. I understood, he's in college now and I know he's very busy. I wanted a filipino to draw us because i doubt if a non-filipino will understand a barong tagalog, unless a picture is shown. I don't wanna go through the whole ordeal of explaining that I Randy should be drawn in a formal filipino wear and not a tuxedo or a suit.

Randy & I got very busy and almost forgot about the caricature.

By mid-October, Paulo sent me a pic he drew. I was laughing because it really looked like us! Ang galing. All I did was enhanced the drawing by inking the hair, and adding details to the barong & the gown.

By early November, I was already a "suki" at Kinko's figuring how to print a nice image to a nice paper so I can put it on an adhesive magnet. Found a glossy paper (sort of like a photo paper). Then kinko's offered me to do the magnets, it was tempting but I said no. I know I can do it but I just need to find the right materials. See, the magnets I like are the thicker, sturdier adhesive ones...and I only found thin ones at Michael's (1' x 2'). Then at Officemax, I saw the magnets I like...only in a business card (2 x 3 1/2) size. My Save the Dates measurement, by the way, is 2.5 x 3.25. Arghhh!

I inquired at Kinko's about their lamilabels. They are a laminate material with a sticker at the back. I figured, If I use this lamilabel, my image (on a glossy not so thick paper) will be thicker then I can stick it on the thin magnets I saw at Michael's! So I asked how much per piece (8.5 x 11). 2 freaking dollars!!! Out of my budget. (note: by this time, I can hear Randy's voice, we have to stick to our budget, Drei!). So shempre, parang nakokonsensya naman ako.

Finally, I just decided to go with the ones at Officemax. My resourcefulness, creativity (ha!) and best of all...patience will just be tested once again, I thought. I'm not really Martha-Stewart-crafty-kind-of-person but I can, when needed. Besides, I can spend time doing stuff like this since I'm at home most of the time anyway.

I also bought these blank notecards at Target. Bright Pink cards with orange envelopes AND orange cards with bright pink envelopes.

Last night, after we came home from church I started doing them. I was soooo focused that I didn't notice the time. Well, at least I finished 77 pcs (for July 7...hehehehe). I ran out of magnets, that's why. Otherwise, I know I wouldh've finished all 100+ of them magnets! Ha!

This will be the end result of my labor of love...and stress, by the way! (That Kinko's Union City manager drove me nuts! Good thing other staff were very very helpful.)

I will use this stamp...it's pink & orange too!

Note: Thanks to Paulo Santiago for the caricature. Also to Haidee (fellow w@wie) for a cute idea!

From Church to Reception

2005-11-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

The map from All Saints Church (Hayward, CA) to San Ramon Marriott Hotel (San Ramon, CA).

It says estimated travel time is 19 minutes. But on a Friday late afternoon, with the rush hour, I doubt it will only take 19 minutes.

We have decided to make our wedding at 4PM. Fr. Carl said it's about an hour & 15 minutes with the pictorials in the church. Our guests can leave to go and have some cocktails at 6PM. That's 45 minutes for them to travel. While Randy & I, with our Bridal Party can take pictures. Dinner will start at 7PM.

Note: Map/Picture was taken from the San Ramon Marriot Official Website's Driving Directions.

Miles

2005-11-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

It's so obvious that I'm a stage ninang, huh? I don't have his latest picture in his bumble bee halloween costume, though. (Rose, send it to me, please?) I will make a new collage when I get it.

Miles is the son of Rose & Raoul. Rose is considered one of my true friends. She is also one of my bridemaids. Raoul will be taking pictures..hehehe!

The Pictures of Us

2005-11-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit. I got a little bit excited with Picasa. Since yesterday, after Gloria taught me know to do collage, I've been playing around with it. After I showed Randy what I did (the previous posts), he asked me "How about our pictures?".

Honestly, we don't have much pictures. Just a few months after we started dating, he moved to Las Vegas...I followed. But we didn't have time to have fun in LV. The restaurant was taking much of our time & energy to even appreciate the Strip! We were only able to enjoy it after we closed the business. The only pictures we have are from cameras of friends and family...and those that were taken by me using my phone. See, it has only been 2 1/2 years.

I'm enjoying this Picasa thing and look what I did...Colored, Sepia & B&W!

Fuschia & Orange...Raspberry & Mango

2005-11-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures that I saw in the net. With the help of a fellow w@wie, Glo (hi teacher glo!), I've made a collage of pictures with our wedding colors! If I've copied your pictures, let me know so I can give you credit.

Andre

2005-11-11T00:28:00.000-08:00

I received an e-mail from my Ninang Ellen (my mom's sister) with pictures of her youngest son, Andre, who is my godson (and cousin, of course). He just turned 5 last November 4. Incidentally, that was my 1st kidney transplant anniversary.

He's so gwapo and I couldn't help it...I needed to make an entry about him! Bourne Andre Aguilar Victor will be one of our bearers - coin bearer. They live in Manila but I hope & pray that my Ninang will be able to take him with her next year for our wedding.

Here are more pictures of Andre...

Reception Site...Check!

2005-11-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Since August, we were looking for the perfect place to hold our wedding reception. We wanted it to be close to All Saints Church, but we found no options in Hayward area. San Francisco, for me, was never an option for a good number of reasons:

I do not want our guests to pay extra $3.00 for bridge toll.
Parking is very hard (and/or expensive) in San Francisco.
It is much more expensive to have a reception in the city.

We then looked around the Pleasanton-San Ramon-Livermore area and narrowed our choices to 2: The San Ramon Marriot & The Bridges Golf Club, both on Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon, CA.

The Bridges Golf Club is beautiful with it's mediterrenean villa sitting on the golfcourse with a majestic view of the fairways & hills. It's main ballroom (garden pavillion) is very nice. The windows are so big, you have a very good view of the outside and it can actually be the backdrop of the reception. However, our wedding is in the summer, thus, long days. At 8:00 in the evening, it's still bright, and you cannot actually use the nice chandeliers, candles, luminaries (which are free by the way) and how can we possible show the AVP? we have to wait till it's really dark right...and what, risk the fact that our some guests have gone home already? No way! Besides, we will be seated by the window, so how would our pictures look like? Sorr, but details like these are very important to me.

On the otherhand, San Ramon Marriott speaks for its name already. Although, it doesn't have a majestic view, you can never go wrong (i hope) with the hotel's food & service. Aside from the fact that the cost is very close to that of The Bridges, well, we get a free room...a group rate for our guests...and a pre-reception area with an access to the courtyard! woohoo! See? And, I so love their chandelier.

With correspondents between Marriot & us, we were invited for a Taste Panel (Food Tasting) with how they will set up the ballroom, a band, a photogrpaher. This Taste Panel was actaully for those who booked their companies for Christmas Parties at SR Marriott. We were invited because I insisted that I want to see their set-up (at the very least) before I sign the Sales Agreement. As usual, food was great, although they served the Holiday Package which we, of course won't be getting.

Finally, I went to SR Marriot and paid the downpayment that would reserve the date for us...DeLeon-Soriano Wedding, July 7, 2006.

Now, I can move on once again with the wedding preps. It feels so good to have accomplished something and to take a major vendor off my To-Do list.

Reception Site...Check!

Note: Pictures courtesy of San Ramon Marriot Official Website.

On Wedding Colors...Again?!?

2005-11-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, before you hit me with a broom...You have to hear my side. I have been in so much confusion, yes even after my previous post AND have had sleepless nights (ok, i may be exaggerating on this one) BUT, i have changed my wedding color once again.

Yes, from Shades of Purple, to Red, to Orange & Pink, to Tiffany Blue, to Monochromatic Aqua/Turquoise...now it's Fuschia & Orange with a hint of Caramel.

I've always thought that Pink & Orange would look gorgeous in summer. These citrus shades would make our summer wedding more vibrant & festive. So when I showed this the first time to Randy, my mom, and some of my female entourage, they didn't like it. So turquoise it was.

But for some reason, I felt that something's wrong and that although Turquoise is a lovely color, I am somehow not yet sold. So after searching the net, I found Leslie's (a fellow w@wie ) pictures with her bridesmaids.

I also saw this picture of my friends, Dojie & Elaine Hipolito and I am really amazed on how these colors register well in pictures!

Here's another one I found while surfing the net. It's a Jim Hjelm bridesmaid's dress.

Armed with lovely pictures, I showed Randy and then e-mailed them to my mom. And guess what? They liked it! I e-mailed Veluz, my designer and told her I have changed my wedding colors. She then made me feel happier (& prouder) when she said that Blue, actually, doesn't go well with barong. Blue is a cool shade while a barong being a beige-y/off white-ish shade is a warm tone. Having Orange & Fuschia is a good choice since both are very warm colors. To lessen the brightness/intensity of these two colors, Veluz said adding a hint of Caramel as an accent color is essential. She said it would be nice...promise daw!

if you notice, I started using orange font too. I can't find the right shade of pink-- that's why!

So they you go...til the next color choice. hehehe. I hope not!

How We Met: Edrei's Version

2005-11-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

I've always known that there is a "Randy Soriano" in SF Days with the Lord, but I've never met the guy. I met Randy the first time in a party back in October 2001 but he never noticed me (and he would tell you he doesn't remember) because he was in a relationship at that time.

After a year (2002), we met again, same place, same party, same celebrant...this time he was alone. I, on the otherhand, was single but not looking at that time. I saw him again a month after but I was not paying much attention.

The next time I saw Randy was at Stef's Bar in downtown SF around March 2003 . It was a SF Days with the Lord Fundraiser. Someone told me in passing that Randy was asking if I have a boyfriend. Since then my girlfriends would tease me everytime we'd see him. Unfortunately, he was semi-kinda-sorta in the dating scene.

The end of all the "once a year meetings" and the beginning of the many days together was during the Holy Thursday of 2003, when the Days with the Lord had the annual Visita Iglesia. I hitched a ride from Maybelle (a good friend of mine & one of my bridemaids) that night. After the mass (our first church), Randy asked me if I drove, and I said no and that Maybelle picked me up. I asked why. He said he was wondering if there's someone who can ride with him since we're doing a convoy going to the churches. I volunteered our friend George. After our second church visit, Maybelle & George had this brilliant idea. For some reason, I just heard them saying that George needs to talk to Belle and that he will ride with her and that I should ride with Randy.

I guess you can say that it was the start of our constant journey together. Since that year, we have been doing our Visita Iglesia and hope to do many more together as husband and wife.

Porto's Cheese Rolls

2005-10-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...they're to die for, really!!!

I have this love affair with Porto's cheese rolls eversince I've tasted this about 5 years ago. They are so divine. It's a flaky pastry dough coated with sugar, with a cheesecake-style filling and baked until it's golden brown. Yumm-O!

My second favorite is the Spinach & Feta Empanadas.

And tonight, for some unknown reason, I am soooo craving for it. I searched in the net to find out if I can order and if they can ship it to me. They're in Glendale, CA...Southern Cali. And i'm here in the Bay Area. I think I'm going to call them tomorrow.

Ha!

Never Existed Before

2005-10-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

When Randy & I were just starting to go out on dates, I would always, always hear this song in his car. (This & SOS' You On My Mind). Na-memorize ko na nga! And to think i didn't know this song then. Sung by Minnie Riperton, who sang "Loving You" (is easy coz you're beautiful)...yeah that one. I don't know how to put music on this blog, if only i could, it's a very nice song. Cute, i should say.

NEVER EXISTED BEFORE

(Minnie Riperton)

So you ask me what do I see

When I look into your eyes

I see things that have never existed before

Shall I tell you all that I find

In those beautiful eyes

I can try But it never existed before

A silvery moon... a will in the park

The tunnel of love... a kiss in the dark

The light of the stars... the clouds in the sky

The fireworks on the fourth of July

And you ask me what do I hear

When you whisper my name

Music plays that has never existed before

Oh, and I don't know why

But it's there just the same

And it's plain that it never existed before

The song of the rain on flowers in spring

The wind in the willow trees murmuring

The laughter that falls the children at play

Like church bells that call all the people to pray

So you ask me why do I glow

Well, I think you should know

I'm in love and I never existed before

Wedding Motiff

2005-09-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make.

Since Randy's proposal (which was 7 months ago), I have been so fickle-minded with the colors that we will incorporate in our wedding. Seriously, I pity Randy everytime I tell him, "Hon, what if we change the motiff to..." because he gets more confused!

I've always dreamt of "my" wedding motiff to be purple. Well, not really purple-purple, but more of plum or deep merlot because of its richness and elegance, plus purple has been my favorite color.

However, I was told that deep colors like plum, or burgundy, don't register good in pictures. Ok, so maybe victorian lilac? It's like a smoky lavender. But I've been to 3 weddings with that kind of motiff.

Then there's the issue of BLUE with Randy. Well, I totally agree that I don't want "our" wedding to be too girly, so pink is really out. Randy is a True-Blue-Blooded Atenean. So that anwers the "why blue?" question. I am also a Scholastican (& a Paulinian, which by the way, the school color is green & gold) so Blue is a great compromise. However, we do not want to the Midnight Blue as once again, it's a dark tone and it won't register well in pictures.

Green is a lovely color...sage, celery, celadon. Nice! BUT we cannot use that since shempre, alaskado naman si Randy, di ba? Hahahaha! He said any color but green.

I would love to use Orange & Salmon (or Pink) since it would look gorgeous in our summer wedding. Ang ganda talaga! But, no one agreed with me. Boohoo!

So we go back to BLUE, and one day I came across this flower girl dress in Tiffany Blue & White and I found it very cute! Malamig sa mata and will look good in summer (which reminds me of the clear sky & the beach).

Now, all I have to do is make sure the entourage will not look like Mama Mary! (Sorry po, pero kasi yan ang sabi ng mommy ko..hehehe).

I've searched the net and found these fabric swatches that are close to what I want: Monochromatic Aqua Blue (Light Aqua, Tiffany Blue, Turquoise)

These last four colors are our favorite mainly because of this gown.

(A picture of my high school batchmate. Imee if you see this, I'm so sorry if I posted this, pero I really like your gown for my entourage!)

So what do you think? Maybe you can help me out with my wedding color dilemma. I want sana to incorporate all 4 colors, sort of like bridesmaids will wear one shade while the junior bridemaids will wear another shade. Haaay, Sa color pa lang, i'm so confused na. What more pa kaya with the rest of the preps? *Sigh*

My Maids of Honor

2005-09-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

I've been writing stuff about our wedding but I haven't posted anything about my two sisters who both happen to share the roles & duties of a Maid of Honor....Micah & Maecy!

(Micah on the L, Maecy on the R)

Micah Elaine, who we used to call Mykee when she was younger, and I are actually 9 years apart. I remember praying hard for a baby sister, and when I was 8, she was born. Although we're not that close before because of the age difference, we're trying to sort of make up for the lost "bonding" moments. Micah (or CuyCuy to my Dad) loves to cook and I hope one day she'll be able to enroll in a culinary school..after becoming a nurse, that is! I love her so much & I am very proud of her with all the things she has accomplished. From cooking & baking, to make-up & clothes, to taking care of kids...she's such a pro, and she's only 20! She's now in college and also working. She's started driving and I'm glad she's able to do so, taking Maecy to school in the mornings, running errands, and so on. I have retired from that task and it's her turn now!

Marianne Ezra or Maecy is the youngest but the tallest! Bakit kaya pag bunso, matangkad? She's turning 18 this December...how time flies! I remember when she was still a baby...and bald! Oooops! Usually the youngest is the joy (and the bratinella) of the family... and Maecy (or Chuchay to my Dad) is one. Not that Micah & I are not the joy of the family too, but this young lady has her way of putting smiles on our faces, especially when she was younger. If you can just see our family pictures back then... haaay, all of us always try so hard to put our best smiles while this bulilit always puts on a funny face. She's so mischievous...calling Dad a "Lolo" when she's picked up from school, and calling me "Mom" when guys look at me when we go shopping. She is my mom's look-a-like and also got my mom's passion for dancing. I love her so much and I want her to know I am so proud of her for all the things she has accomplished so far, especially since she will be graduating in high school in June.

Although Micah & Maecy are closer because of the age (they are 2 years apart) and well, they've shared rooms since birth, there are things that i cannot take away from them...such as treasured moments, stories, and secrets. Ahhh secrets! Well, let's not go into that anymore! But like what I've said, I love them and I want them to know how special they are to me & their Kuya Randy that is why we have decided to include them in our wedding party as my Maids of Honor. I'm sure they will do just great!

I'm tagged again...this time by Marla!

2005-09-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Seven Things That Scare Me
1.) Cats
2.) Birds (pigeons and those black ones hanging out on the telephone posts/wires)
3.) Barney, mascots & clowns.
4.) Our neighbor's huge poodle-like dog (It's so huge it looks like a pony & I'm so afraid it will talk to me!)
5.) The funky smell of cows & their poop on I-5 near Coalinga.
6.) Dark, eerie places.
7.) Rejection of my transplanted kidney...and going back to dialysis.

Seven Things I Like The Most
1.) Singing
2.) Cooking
3.) Watching ER on TnT's primetime in the Daytime
4.) Trader Joe's Belgian chocolates
5.) Chocolate Mousse
6.) Porto's Cheese Roll (only in Glendale, CA *sigh*)
7.) Target

Seven Random Facts About Me
1.) I was diagnosed of Kidney Failure at 26, and had a Kidney Transplant at 28.
2.) I was an only child for 9 years.
3.) I smoked for12 years before quitting.
4.) Cooking is a therapy for me.
5.) I love purple!
6.) I pamper myself with manicure & pedicure every 2 weeks.
7.) I'm addicted to Bejeweled2, Zuma & Jewel Quest.

Seven Important Things In Our Bedroom
1.) Bed with our (new) Egyptian 300 count sheets (Us too Marla!)
2.) TV & DVD player
3.) My bedtime medications on my nightstand, TV/DVD remote on Randy's side
5.) Sto. Nino
6.) Framed picture of Randy & Edrei
7.) Phone

Seven Things I Plan To Do Before I Die
1.) Marry Randy Soriano
2.) Buy a house
3.) Go to Europe
4.) Go to Hawaii
5.) Have Margaux & Matthew (can't wait!!!)
6.) Put up our own restaurant
7.) Lose weight (this i plan to do before i get married! hahahaha)

Seven Things I Can Do
1.) I can sing.
2.) I can be a brat.
3.) I can eat ampalaya now (thanks to Randy)
4.) I can spend 3 hours at Target (yup, that's how I love that store)
5.) I can talk to my mom all night long (we're best of friends)
6.) I can be very anal and OC. (and it annoys Randy)
7.) I can cook for 1 - 200 people.

Seven Things I Can’t Do
1.) I can't go on camping trips (yes, i tried but i don't think i'll be able to do it again)
2.) I can't eat seafood (i'm allergic)
3.) I can't take ibuprofen (i'm allergic)
4.) I can't take benadryl (i'm allergic)
5.) I can't last the day without being on the computer
6.) I can't stay mad too long. (i'm also guilty, Marla!)
7.) I can't think of anything else...hahaha!

Seven Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex
1.) Eyes
2.) Intelligent and smart
3.) Great sense of humor
4.) Good Hygiene
5.) Sensitive
6.) Love for his family
7.) Love for God

Seven Things I Say The Most
1.) I know!
2.) Oh my gosh!
3.) Ganon?
4.) Really?
5.) Hon...
6.) Mom...
7.) Dad...

Seven Celeb Crushes (Whether Local or Foreign)
1.) Hugh Jackman
2.) Colin Firth
3.) Brad Pitt
4.) Bruce Willis (i know...i know)
5.) Andy Garcia
6.) Simon Cowell (i know...i know)
7.) Michael Vartan

Seven People You Want To See Take This Quiz
1.) Cathy
2.) Marj
3.) Heidi
4.) Aggie
5.) Meng
6.) Layah
7.) Rocks

Fr. Carl Seewald, svd

2005-08-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

We finally met our officiant early this evening. He is Fr. Carl Seewald (Society of the Divine Word) who is one of the Associate priests of All Saints. This is the first meeting so it was pretty much getting-to-know-each-other type.

We also filled the Form A, which basically is the application form. He interviewed me first while filling out my form, then Randy had his turn.

He also explained a few things they do during weddings which are not commonly done in outher parishes. All Saints is pretty much a very "different" parish compared to others in the area. Just to make a point of how different this parish is, we don't have a Parish Priest. Instead, we have a Parish Life Director who is a lay person.

Anyway, we will meet again next month, September 8th. And I'll be able to share some more by then.

On reception sites...

2005-08-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

After Miles' christening last Saturday, Randy and I went to our 3 appointments. At 3:30 we went to Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville, Ca. This is about 15-20 miles away from our church. It has a very nice antique-looking bronze door and immediately you will see the foyer. After that you will be in the grand ballroom. It has a nice view of the golf course. They have a very good wedding package for friday weddings. =) I was particularly impressed though with their restroom, may mouthwash pa! hahahaha!

We then went to Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, Ca. This is about 8 miles farther than Crow Canyon. I like this one particularly because they have a "Breezeway" where in guests can hangout for cocktails and then they have a separate ballroom. They also have a very good wedding pakage for friday weddings, very similar to Crow Canyon. However, Randy didn't like the fact that it's a bit farther because we have guests coming all the way from San Francisco & San Jose.

Finally, we went to see The Bridges Golf Club in San Ramon. Now, this is my favorite! This is a mediterranean-villa-ish country club with a fabulous view of the golf course, hills & mountains! They also have this fountain- great for pictures! They don't have this friday wedding-package that the first two offer. It's a lot more expensive too! But it's my favorite among the three.

The following day, we went to check out 3 more places. 2 golf course...but i'm not going to elaborate on this anymore. Talo sha! Ayaw namin ni Randy. Tawa nga kami ng tawa kasi alaskado kami! Since we were in the area and we've already consumed gas, we decided to check out Marriot San Ramon and oh my....fantabulous chandelier in the ballroom!!! I like!!!

I just called Marriot and requested some information/wedding packet to be sent both through mail & e-mail. I can't wait to see it...we'll see.

Miles' Christening

2005-08-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Randy & I attended the baptism of Miles Jacob Roque, my 9th godchild. Haaay, i'm really getting older. I don't have pictures yet though. Promise, once i gather everything, i'll post them. I was so touched to see the people who witnessed this event. Truly this child of God is such a wonderful blessing.

I say it is because I felt very blessed that I was there to witness and profess my faith for him. I I felt blessed that once again I am reminded of my duties as a Catholic to bring Jesus to others. Miles is just one of them.

After the baptism at St. Thomas More in San Francisco, we went to the luncheon reception at Dominic's at Oyster Point in South San Francisco. My gosh, it's so nice there! Since it's in the marina, the view is spectacular! Aside from this, it was very nice to see our friends especially from Days with the Lord. Funny, my friend Woody jokingly said, "Ganito na ba talaga ang Days ngayon? Dati pagandahan ng kotse, ngayon pagandahan na ng stroller!"

We gave out the favors that we've made and honestly, I knew it was a hit! Trader Joe's belgian chocolates are the best!

Randy & I had to leave early though because we had 3 appointments that afternoon. Although I must saym it was a very good party...Thanks to Rose & Raoul Roque!

Congratulations baby Miles! May this event just be a start of the many blessings from the Above.
-Love, Ninang Edrei

For Miles Jacob...

2005-08-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was pretty hectic. at 9:30am, randy dropped me off at the Castro Valley BART station to go to San Ramon. Rose (one of my bridesmaids) picked me up from the Dublin/Pleasanton station and we went to Denny's for breakfast. Today, we planned to do the favors for Miles' christening this coming saturday...since i love doing favors, and Miles' will be my inaanak, i helped her.

We went to Joanne's for a few more sheer ribbons and to Safeway to get bottles and bottles of wine for the reception. Picked up Michelle (& her daughter Chelsea almost 2 months old) who is our "scrapbook friend", since she will do the guest book.

Finally, we went to Raoul & Rose's house to start everything. We managed to do a few but wrapping chocolates (belgian chocolate bars from Trader Joe's) was a very tidious job. At 4:30pm, Michelle & Chelsea were picked up by Felix, while Rose & I left for San Francisco. We met Roaul (Rose's hubby), Sharon (another ninang, mom of our flowergirl Shariz) & Woody (one of the ninongs) to attend the class for parents & sponsors for baptism. the 1 hour class became 2 hours because the priest showed us his collections from Isreal, Bethlehem, Jerusalem...and then the class!

By the time we left San Francisco, it was already 9:30pm. We were supposed to come back to San Ramon to finished the favors but just called it a day.

Today, I will go there again to hopefully finish everything. I'm not complaining though, it's a good bonding with Rose (my very dear friend, kumare and bridesmaid) who has been very true all these time. =)

Besides...all these just for Miles Jacob...

I love you baby Miles...don't grow up too fast ok?

what kind of bride am i?

2005-08-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! You are a traditional bride!

What Kind of Bride Will You Be?
brought to you by Quizilla

i came upon this article from Jane's blogsite. i just wanted to know what would it say about me. i wasn't surprised at all when it said i'm a traditional bride. you could probably tell by our wedding anyway...Traditional Church Wedding & Reception with a Modern Filipiniana Theme.

Highlights of my day...

2005-08-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

1.) I noticed the pain on my left leg had significantly subsided today. I hope my "tendinitis" goes away soon.

2.) Cooked my homemade beef tapa and found it's better to use Beef Chuck Roll than Beef Brisket. Randy said two-thumbs up!

3.) I was looking for something sweet after dinner and found nothing in the fridge nor the cupboards. Finally, I saw my Chocolate mousse style Yoplait yogurt sitting behind the butter. Aha!

4.) Finally, I received an e-mail from Veluz, my designer. Inspite of my wedding date change, we're still ok. Thanks so much Veluz!

By this time, i feel like jumping for joy, but remembered my left leg is still in a bit of pain. So, my other option was to write it all down here!

So, how's your day?

On childhood games...

2005-08-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

During my younger years, I've always loved playing games...with or without playmates. I was an only child for 9 years and so aside from my cousins who i would play with during weekends and my yaya, my frequent playmate is myself. Yes, I have mastered the art of playing by myself. It's fun because I never lose. hahaha!

There was the jackstones, which i love to play even just by myself. I particularly like the metillic plated ones or the plastic ones with neon colors. I remember i always choose the ball...no, not the brown one that doesn't bounce high enough. I like the almost gel-like kind sometimes with glitters inside.

Chinese jackstones came. These little pillows (almost the size of a tea bag) with monggo beans or rice inside. I don't particularly remember how many pillows..3 or 4 maybe, plus another one with a different fabric to be used as your ball. I've played both...complete with exhibitions pa ha!

Street games were always fun. Sure. Sadly, I don't have much memories of patintero, habulan-base, cops & robbers, habulan line, and tumbang-preso in our neighborhood. But i remember playing langit-lupa (langit lupa impyerno im, im, impyerno) and monkey monkey in school though during recess and lunch break. But the most fun, for me is taguan (hide and seek). Remember the phrase we recite/sing..."Wala sa likod, wala sa harap, wala sa gilid. Pagkabilang kong sampu naka-tago na kayo..1..2..3..and so on." Even when our friends were older we would still do it! Funny how we would secretly assign one person on that day, and when he's "it" already, we would just go home and call it a day (which he doesn't know, btw). poor guy (or girl), gabi na hinahanap pa kami!

Now, who would not forget the "bato bato pick"...and "kampihan"..or the "pendong kotseng kuba" days? And who can forget all those games we call "bahay-bahayan", "tinda-tindahan", "bangko-bangkuhan", "teacher-teacheran", etc. I love to play bahay-bahayan with my cousins but only if i play the katulong. yung tipong inaapi-api. hahahaha! those days were so fun & funny!

How about the chinese garter & 10/20? Fun di ba?

As I grew older, we found these games too childish for me thus looking for more mature games. Remember Game & Match (octupus is my favorite!)? How about Tetris? Frogger?

I cannot relate to Playstation, XBox, etc. though.

I wrote this because for months now, I have been very addicted to Bejeweled 2. My goodness! I could spend hours just beating my old score! Very contradicting nga kasi the game gets stressful but i feel it's a stress reliever for me. When my mind is tired, I'd just play it. I used to play Zuma & Rocketmania too, but Bejeweled2 is the best!

How about you, what is the one(or two or three) childhood game/s you love most? How about now?

I've been tagged!

2005-08-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Passing a tag from Heidi:

1. What are the things you enjoy doing even when there's no one around you?

Oh, a lot of stuff from house chores to just being a couch potato. hahaha!

2. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level?

Let's see, i have hypertension (high blood pressure) which caused my kidneys to fail (but i've had kidney transplant already last year, so no more dialysis!)...so what lowers it is hydralyzine 100 mg 3x a day. other than than, i enjoy manicures & pedicures, a cold bottled water and a massage from Randy! Cooking is also a form of therapy for me.

3. Tag 5 friends & ask them to post it in theirs:

i dunno if i can come up with 5. this TAG thingy has been going around for some time now and the only 2 people from my list who hasn't been tagged (at least i didn't see it on their blog posts) are...

cathy
rocks

Totally hilarious!!!

2005-08-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

I saw these pictures from my w@wie friend Cathy's blogsite. It's sooo funny and honestly, i can relate..hahaha!

And then there's Veluz...

2005-08-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've had these sketches made by Veluz Reyes for a few months now, just around the time when our computer crashed. When we're able to finally fix it, i had to look for them but i felt stupid because it was in my yahoo!photos all along.

Sketch A - corset bodice with spaghetti straps with V-shaped boning on center front. Detachable sleeves and panuelo to complete the filipiniana look. A-line skirt. Optional shrug or bolero for the reception. Detachable fully embroidered train, main gown will have a short sweep.
Sketch B - very similar to sketch A but the corset will be straight instead of V-shape. Main gown will have a low square neckline with shoulderline straps, not spaghetti straps like in A.
Sketch C - still detachable panuelo and sleeves. Main gown with straight skirt. "Medyo oriental and dating, retro, very actually", Veluz said. No more sweep on the main gown and once train is removed, will look like an evening gown. A shawl can be worn during reception.

I showed it to Randy and as expected, he couldn't visualize the sketch. Malabo daw...eh kaya nga sketch lang eh. hahaha! I showed him the description and the more he got confused. can't understand daw yung mga "bodice", "corset", "sweep", "panuelo", etc. It's so funny.

I showed it to my mom & 2 sisters (Micah & Maecy) who will be my MOH, and we all decided we like Sketch A. Mainly because of the V-shaped bodice which, i read it one of the bridal magazines i have, will elongate my body. I just e-mailed Veluz that I want additonal beading in front by the calfline. Veluz said she personally likes Sketch A too!

And after seeing the sketches, mom asked me, "so anak, nasaan na ang sketch ng gown ko?". hahahaha! nakakatuwa naman because she's very excited and supportive.

Even though i've already told Veluz that i like A, comments & suggestions are still welcome. So what do you think? A, B, or C?

what a cutie!

2005-08-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Don't you think this flower girl dress is sooo adorable? This dress is actually for toddlers, but we only have 3 flower girls and their not toddlers anymore - Shariz is 4, my neice Isabel is 5 & Chesca, who's 6.

What we will do is make the skirt part a little longer for our cute flower girls. Same color applies.

Oooh, I can't wait until the little ones are wearing them already!!!

All Saints Catholic Church

2005-08-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is the church where Randy & I will exchange our vows.

We chose All Saints because this is where we go to church every Sunday. We love its interior charm. We go to the 7pm mass and enjoy the music of the choir - acoustic, soothing & very inspiring. We hope to be able to book them for our wedding.

Here's another shot of the church exterior.

The stained glass detail of the church's facade.

Finally, 07.07.06!

2005-08-13T02:11:00.001-07:00

this morning, i called all saint's church to find out if we can change our wedding date from august to july 8th 2006. i explained the situation to fr. carl (that my ate steph is getting married on july 1st and that we want to get married the following weekend so that it will be convenient & practical for our relatives especially from out of town -- mostly from the east coast). fr. carl said he'd check the master calendar and would call me back, however, suggested to think about having a friday wedding, too...just in case.

i called my mom and ask her how would a friday wedding sound like? if you will ask why i called my mom instead of randy, well, randy's at work and he calls during his break and it was too early to bug him so i called my mom. first my mom said, "bakit?" and so i explained to her. (refer to side kwento below for explanation).

after a few minutes, my cellphone rang and it was fr. carl! ang bilis ha! i was crossing my finger that something will be available. well, there is actually, but it's at 10am of july 8th. the 12 nn is pencilbooked for a quinceniera and the 2pm which is my preference is already reserved. friday the 7th is very free though. i agreed to pencil book our wedding for 5pm of friday the 7th! he then scheduled an interview/meeting with us on august 25th. my gosh! i hung up after i said goodbye to fr. carl & was so excited!

randy called and i told him about it..shempre he got excited too. for weeks now, he's been upset because the church has not called yet. yun pala may dahilan kasi we will have our wedding date move to an earlier one.

i called rose, one of my bridesmaids, who will be going to manila in july next year for her parents' 50th wedding anniversay just to make sure she knows that our wedding will be before she leaves for manila. initially, she said they will just leave early july and come back after the 50th wedding anniversary celebration in time for my august wedding. she said my 07.07.06 is even better that way everything will be done before they leave and that they can spend their 3rd wedding anniversary (august 16th) in the philippines.

i also called my youngest sister Maecy to tell her. My other sister Micah (the one next to me) was at work so i couldn't talk to her. I have to tell them, of course, since they are my Maids of Honor!

Tomorrow, i will contact Ate Kaye, Jaziel, Maybelle & Cha...my bridesmaids.

Finally, 07.07.06!

*Side Kwento:
My cousin Ate Steph & Kit are also getting married next year. They wanted to get married in June while Randy & I wanted August. Then, she moved her wedding date to July 1st because all saturdays of June in her choice of church were booked already. I asked her if it's ok with her if we get married the following week. My reason is so that our relatives will not have a hard time flying to Cali for her wedding then fly back to the east coast, then fly again to Cali for my wedding the following month. Too expensive for their part & besides it's not really easy to take off from work. So she said it's fine with her and she liked the idea. We can actually plan something for our relatives during the week after her wedding/or before my wedding..since it's 4th of july!!! nice!!!

i also asked her if she would still like to be one of my bridesmaids, she said yes but she can't help me obviously. i said it's ok, i just want her to be part of my bridal party. i like her, we were playmates before they moved to US when she was 4 (and i was 3). she taught me the alphabet song (up to the ceiling...) that she learned from school since i was not yet schooling back then. she's nurse now and when i had my kidney transplant last november, she called her friends from UCSF where she used to work and where i will have my transplant and told them to take care of me. she's friends with my kidney transplant surgeon and was e-mailing him before & after my transplant to make sure everything is ok. that's why i want her to be one of my bridesmaids along my my other cousins Ate Kaye (my best cousin), Jaziel (my little cousin), Cha (my bestfriend in manila since HS), Maybelle (good friend & rector in SF Days), and Rose (my good friend and kumare here in US).

*Side Kwento Part 2
My mom asked me why I was considering a friday wedding so I told her all the pros:
*easier to book for a venue on fridays & sundays
*cheaper deals on fridays & sundays since saturdays are in demand
*church has nothing scheduled on fridays so i can choose whatever time i want, in my case, i want a late afternoon wedding.
*if we start the wedding on a late afternoon, there will be no lull time for guests to wonder what they will do between church & reception; short time needed for photographers and videographers, and since they charge by the hour, it ill be a lot cheaper. i can probably get their 6hour package instead of the 10hour one!

back to blogging...i hope

2005-08-07T01:45:00.000-07:00

it's almost 2 in the morning of sunday (august 7th), but i'm just about to enter saturday's events kasi ang haba ng may, june, july updates ko. =P

this morning, i was so excited to go to the bridal fair at the Pleasanton Hilton (thanks to myra, a w@wie who forwarded the email to me last week). randy & i had waffles & bacon for brunch and started to get ready. around lunchtime, i check myra's e-mail once again. OMG! bukas pa pala yung fair! hahahaha! so randy & i just watched "when harry met sally" which was playing in channel 48.

around 230pm, randy said he's going to have the car washed. so i said i'll just stay home & start cooking na our early dinner. i cooked menudo today. miss na ni randy yung cooking ko kasi since last week we have been eating out or like sandwich lang kasi sobrang init para magrice. lol.

anyway, i'm alone tonight. no, randy & i didn't have a fight. he's actually staying with his mom in the hospital. sha ang naka-sked tonight to make bantay. mama was admitted in the hospital last week (july 28th) because of an extreme abdominal pain. she had tests including a ct scan and found diverticulitis. a few days after, her appendix ruptured. kaya we're taking turns in staying & helping her in the hospital.

i miss randy...that's why i'm still here blogging kasi i know i won't be able to sleep right away. nagpapaantok muna ako before i go to bed. funny, parang sanany na yung katawan ko na katabi si randy (hello? more than 2 years na kaming magkasama, hehehe). i noticed this the other night when he slept in the hospital the first time. as in i can't sleep talaga and every hour i kept waking up. 5am na ata, gising na gising pa ang utak ko.

*sigh* di bale, tomorrow, we will go na to the bridal faire. i told him to be home around lunch time para hindi sayang yung araw (& the entrance fee!).

may, june, july updates...

2005-08-07T00:39:00.000-07:00

ok, so the last entry was last may when we went to LA for my kuya tim & ate claire's wedding. haaay, super tagal na talaga and i dunno where & how to start all the kwentos!

memorial day weekend (may 28, 29, 30)
we left the house saturday the 28th and drove to fresno to chop & maia's house. chop is randy's ka-batchmate in ateneo. we were so late and when we got there everyone was already outside waiting to go to church. tapos we went na to Kings River for camping & white river rafting the following day. it was my (& randy's) first camping trip. sobrang fun kasi reunion nila randy yun and i get to meet them & the wives. we spent the night there tapos the following morning (the 29th), they went rafting na. i was left at the campsite with phil, who was advised by his doctor not to go & nel, a fremont cop, who have had a lot of rafting escapades na. i didn't go kasi it's only been 5 months (at that time) since my kidney transplant.

naku, good thing i didn't go rafting! randy's boat tipped (actually nagparang "L" yung boat kasi super plunge yung nangyari) and 4 of them were thrown off the boat. 1 almost got thrown, while 1 was left alone on the boat. randy was the last one to surface and unfortunately, hit his head on a rock underwater. one had a busted lip. luckily this happened near the campsite and patapos na yung rafting trip nila. we packed our stuff and chop drove randy, kiko (busted lip) & i to the ER. i was sooooooooooooooo worried to death! you could imagine the feeling, being the hypertensive that i am pa! he had a head ct scan and it was a minor concusion. i was asked by the doctor to wake him from his sleep every hour that night and watch for any seizures. we stayed at chop's house and went home the following day, the 30th).

Michelle's baby shower
June 5, we threw a surprise baby shower for Michelle & Felix at the Macaroni Grille in Dublin. I made the favors, of course, because i love doing them! This is their 2nd baby na. Joshua Theodore is their panganay.

Welcome Miles Jacob Santos Roque!!!
My, my! June 06, I receieved a text from Raoul that Rose is in labor already!!! Miles, shocked us because he's due to come out June 19 pa. Rose is one of my bestfriends here in the US and also one of my bridesmaids. Miles is their firstborn. Congratulations Rose & Raoul!!! Warm welcome to my inaanak, Miles Jacob!

Randy's aunt passed way
Auntie Baby (Giselda Aganon) battled lung cancer and died at the age of 77 last june 17th. she was randy's mom's oldest sister (mama is the youngest at 64). she was going to be one of our ninang pa naman sa wedding, but i'm glad she's up there where there's no more pain, just peace.

she's actually a very funny lady. i have only met her recently but it was a great pleasure. she likes to eat a lot (she love food and yet so skinny, i'm jealous!). she tells us, "wag kayong magulo, kumain lang kayo jan, maraming pagkain!"...she walks fast at 77 ha!...she is very religious and goes to quiapo to visit the poong nazareno...she loves the poor so much...she loves her family...no wonder she wasn't afraid of death.

i'm glad i was able to cook for her too! during the time when she was already sick but is able to eat pa, i brought her baked boneless bangus, which she loved! i truly miss her.

juan & emily's wedding
juan miguel (or john boy) as we call him, is paulo's (my youngest sister, maecy's boyfriend) brother. magulo ba? basta he is Tito Abel's (one of our principal sponsors) eldest son. last june 25th, him & emily got married in mill valley, california. it was a very intimate wedding, with a garden ceremony (emily's wish) and an indoor reception. emily is white...and is actually taller that johnboy, but it didn't matter. they looked perfect for each other! emily wore a pina gown and johnboy, barong tagalog of course.

randy was able to wear his pina barong tagalog! hahahahaha! sobrang pinakamimithi nya yan! he looked so handsome & dignified. i love you honey! i just wore a black dress with an apple green wrap and matching strappy sandals. mom & dad were there of course. my baby sister maecy was there with paulo (best man & baby brother of johnboy). my sister next to me, micah wasn't able to make it because of work.

Welcome Chelsea Carolyn Aquino Antero
Ang galing ni Felix & Michelle! as in exact due date talaga when Chelsea was born, June 29th. Congratulations parents& kuya josh... & welcome Chelsea! incidentally, i was asked to cater the baptism on Sept. 11th.

Ateneo Alumni Assoc (in the Bay Area) Summer Picnic
Last July 2nd, we went to Santa Clara University for the picnic. well, we were late as usual kasi mainit. hahaha! Randy & i were assigned to bring the famous Inihaw ni Randy...it's grilled pork, actually. but since i marinated the pork the night before, and Randy let's me because I know he knows i do it better (ehermmm), it's now called Inihaw ni Edrei! with matching suka pa yan as sawsawan ha!

we picked up mama (randy's mom sa SFO airport) who came from manila for the funeral/burial of auntie baby's remains in loyola. yahoo, i finally got my metro weddings from my high school bestfriend & one of my bridesmaids na si Cha! (thanks Cha!)

Since then, i've been having this pain on my left leg. doctor from the transplant cinic said it's tendinitis. argghhh! told me to take advil but i'm allergic to ibuprofen, so he gave me another pain meds kasi i don't want vicodin. ang sakit talaga. on friday the 12th, i'll see my primary care physician. sana mawala na ito. in the mean time, i'm taking my meds & put hot&cold patch to relieve the pain. btw, i'm using crutches so i won't strain my leg, but i feel embarassed so d2 lang sa house, paglumalabas kami...i limp. how pathetic. tsk tsk tsk.

back to civilization!

2005-08-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

finally our computer is fixed!!! clap clap clap...

weekend in LA

2005-05-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

my cousin, Kuya Tim will be getting married this Saturday to Claire (they were civilly wed last year). my family (mom, dad, micah, maecy, randy & i) will be driving to LA tomorrow morning. i'm so excited! finally, my relatives from my father side will meet randy! most of them kasi are from the east coast so they haven't met him yet. randy & i will also talk to our soon-to-be principal sponsors who will be there at the wedding. besides, this is another reunion of the deleons! last we had was when my other cousin got married. next year we'll see each other twice - my cousin stef's wedding and of course, randy & mine!

today, randy & i picked up the SUV that we rented. imagine, $20/day lang, unlimited mileage of course! good deal na yun! randy went to work and i went to get my nails done. haaaay, sarap talaga ng manicure & pedicure! randy knows that's my favorite pampering - aside from his massage of course. =)

i'm just waiting for him kasi we will pick up his suit from the alteration store. oh and we'll get a tie to match my dress. i'm not part of the entourage but i will be singing in the church. i'm really worried kasi i haven't practiced with the pianist pa, kasi nga it's in LA. we just decided to be at the church early to practice.

i have yet to pack! good lord, so much things to do! but once again, it's all worth it.

not wedding preps, but something equally special!

2005-05-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

i've been busy this month! randy's birthday is this coming may 16th. yea, it's the big 4-0! so we're making this year a special one for his birthday. we've decided to make it on the 14th, since we will be out of town for my cousin's wedding in LA on the following weekend. we're expecting around 30-40 people, from relatives to friends. our dazer friends are coming too! i hope his atenista friends will be able to make it...if not oh well.

this morning, i ordered na the food - roast beef, chicken pastel, crispy chicken, pancit miki-bihon, and lumpiang shanghai. i asked my mom to make the molo soup & rellenong bangus. i also asked mama (randy's mom) to make leche flan.

randy & i will go to the market maybe on friday to buy the "inihaw" food -- sisig, pork inihaw (randy's favorite, as in hindi nawawala sa menu yan kahit anong party!), and maybe osyters. i'm still thinking about oysters kasi i don't want naman to delegate someone to handle the oyster grilling. mashadong hassle. we're also getting the ingredients for the easiest most loved filipino dessert -- the filipino ambrosia a.k.a. fruit salad!!!

randy's sister naman is in charge of renting out the tables, chairs, tiki torches, ice tubs, patio heaters, and buffet table! oh and of course, randy's request -- the KEG!

i'm soooo excited!!! wala lang just wanna share.

all saints church called!!!

2005-05-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

yesterday (05.04.05), randy & i received a call from all saints church. they called because they saw in our wedding registration/application that the priest who will marry us is Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ. since Fr. Manoling is not their parish priest, they wanted us to ask Fr. Manoling a letter stating he's OK to celebrate the mass for our wedding, and also handle the pre-wedding counseling.

unfortunately, we found out Fr. Manoling is leaving for the Philippines for good. he was based in boston for schooling for a few years now, but i guess he's finished already. i feel bad. He is randy's good friend & batchmate in ateneo. besides, i love his songs together with Bukas Palad Music Ministry (tanging yaman, so 'yo lamang, take & recieve, prayer for generosity, etc.)

so, we decided to get na lang fr. carl from all saints. they told us to wait for his call so we can set up a date to meet him. yay! maybe we can finally choose a date by then!!!

*praying...crossing fingers*

our first wedding fair

2005-05-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

randy & i went to the hilton in newark/fremont last sunday, 05.01.05. we were so excited because this was supposed to be our first wedding fair. i found the info in the internet and since it's very close to where we live, we decided to give it a shot. besides, it said it's a multicultural wedding fair and i remember so well they included filipino suppliers on the ad. so off we went.

omg! puro indian ang nandoon! there were a few chinese & american suppliers but my gosh, it was dominated by indian with their colorful costumes! alaskado ako kay randy! he was laughing (and a bit annoyed) the whole time. he said "why did you bring me here?".

we got a few cards & the summer edition of www.herecomestheguide.com magazine then left.

we went to goldilocks and got sylvannas (sansrival was too big for just the two of us), para pampalubag-loob. hehehehe.

Six months to wait before a wedding date

2005-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last sunday (4.24.05), Randy & I registered at All Saints Catholic Church. We're finally parishioners!!! We also registered for the Sacrament of Matrimony. We were told that we have to become parishioners for 6 months before we can pick or choose a date. Ugghhh! For any consolation, the wedding coordinator said sometimes the office will call before the 6th month. On the form, we were asked to put a proposed wedding date. Since Randy & I wanted August 2006, we write down 8.12.06 or 8.19.06. I hope we can get that date. Nothing significant, it's just that we want to get married in August because it's summer (not too cold, and bay area summer is fantabulous!). It's also school break for kids, meaning our relatives from other states will be able to come.

We don't have a wedding date yet, but we have accomplished one thing which is the first step: to register at the church that we want. =)

Some facts the church's wedding coordinator said:

church fee -$250 (i wonder if the officiant's fee is already included)
wedding coordinator fee $125
music -$150
vocalist - $150
altar servers - donation
we can have our other priest other than the parish priest.

the proposal

2005-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

It was our usual saturday, or so i thought:
Randy sleeps in on weekends kasi pagod from the week's work. I, on the otherhand, gets up earlier than him (although it's not early, mga an hour earlier lang san kanya) because I prepare our brunch and will watch "maalala ala mo kaya" on channel 8. I know, I couldn't believe I wrote it down here, but we don't have TFC so I feel so deprived. Hahaha! So kahit na super delayed na, I still watch it.

Feb 26th was a little weird. First of all, Randy wanted to go out that day. In fact, naka-shower na sha. Ako naman, I just wanted to hang out sa house and probably go out na lang in the afternoon. But randy said the magic word, "c'mon honey, let's go to Target!". Ooooh, Target! I love Target!

So i got ready na. Then i noticed randy's all dressed up -- as in naka slacks & polo pa! Eh Target lang naman ang punta namin. (btw, he also said we're going to have the tires of the Benz changed ren kasi it's time na talaga...as in kalbo na going back & forth to las vegas and all). So I looked at him and asked, "why are you so porma?" he said, "i'm not porma" without looking at me. Hmmm....

When we were at the tire store, he mentioned something like if I wanted to get my nails done. I said not today kasi busy sila sa salon. And then he kept saying, "let's go to the city"...meaning downtown San Francisco. Honestly, if randy wants to go to the city, the only place he'll go to is Virgin Records. It would take him hours to listen to the cds. so I said, "no, I don't feel like walking"...as you know, downtown SF requires a lot of walking. He even tried to convince me by saying, "we can have Tad's for dinner." Tad's Steakhouse , by the way, has I think the best steak in SF(thanks to Rose & Raoul!). But I said, no again. (Argggh! Hon, I wanna go to Target!!!) hahaha!

So after the tire change was done, he asked me where I want to have dinner. I said I want Mimi's Cafe in Foster City. (note: Target is right across).

It was still early so we went to my beloved Target! I went straight to my favorite aisle...candles, while randy, of course went to his beloved dvds.

Dinner at Mimi's Cafe:
Yum! I like Mimi's Cafe because it's like a house with homemade meals cooked by grandma..only this grandma is not filipina. It's very casual, typical french bistro with red & white checkered table cloths. besides, I like their french onion soup! For some unknown reason, our conversation started to get sort of deep...basta bottomline, we thought our current living-in together situation is starting to get pretty complicated. (i.e., reasons like: not a good example to my younger sisters aged 19 & 17, and to his niece who's 14. and that our parents would ask us every so often where are we headed?. to facts like we're not getting any younger and our friends have settled down already. )

Then, my friend Don called inviting us to go to his mom's house in Daly City. I said, "wala naman kaming plans, sige we'll drop by." Funny, I didn't even ask Randy if we have plans after.

When dinner was over, Randy asked me to wait for him in the lobby because he needs to use the restroom. on our way to the car, I asked him if he still wants to go to Daly City. He said "let's talk about it in the car, it's freezing out here."

The moment:
We were both inside the car when he said something like, "since pinag-uusapan rin naman natin yung live-in live-in na yan and all it's complications, i guess hindi na tayo mamromroblema..."

I was looking at him, waiting for him to finish what he's trying to say, when I saw him looking at his hand. I followed his gaze and saw his hand was infront of me. On his hand was a small box. Randy opened the box and everything after that was completely undescribable! I was in total shock! I think my mouth was just open for like 2 minutes and no words were coming out! Then Randy held my hand saying, "Will you marry me?". Aye naku, "Yes!" was all I could say at that moment.

It fits perfectly

Then he said, "Wow, honey parang sinukat!". I was still not saying anything, but I know I was blushing, and smiling at the same time. Randy drove and said, "let's go see your friends and tell them the good news." And then, it happened. I cried. I was so happy that things are starting to fall into place.

side kwentos:

after going to Target, we put the stuff we bought sa trunk. i noticed his peacoat was there, "so i said bakit anjan yan, baka magka-lint." he said something like baka may magnakaw ng coat and basagin yung window ng car. errr...okay. yun pala asa pocket ng coat nya yung ring!
after dinner randy said he had to go to the restroom because he was so nervous. he had to calm himself daw muna, and check the ring if it's still inplace doon sa box.
when he held my hand to ask the magic question, i noticed his hand was really cold!
no wonder he was so porma!
no wonder he kept insisting we go to the city!
no wonder he suggested i get a manicure...para sa ring! hehehe.
buti na lang hindi sha sa Target nag-propose!
confession: from the moment he popped the question till we got home after hanging out with friends, i couldn't stop smiling!
of course I called my mom to tell her that her "panganay" is finally getting married!
my friend rose knew it all along....and didn't tell me!
friends were thrilled and said stuff like, "magpapapayat na ako" & "magpapahaba na ako ng hair!".
ako rin!!!

first blog ever...

2005-04-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

So, I have finally created my first blog...yay! Honestly, I have attempted to create a blog in my friendster account but got lazy. However, now I have a better reason to start one: I'm getting married! I feel I might as well use this as part of the wedding preparations -- y'know like all the things I find out while browsing the net or from one of the many bridal magazines I bought since I got engaged. Hehehe.

(confession: I even bought a few even before Randy proposed. I told myself that if he asks, I'll tell him my secret dream is to be a wedding planner. But the hidden agenda is also for him to actually think of the "M" word). Sshhh....

So yeah, I got engaged last Febuary. No, not on valentine's day! It was febuary 26, 2005. Well, I'd like to tell you how the proposal went but I think I should make a separate post for that one, don't you think?