DRESSED UP, NOWHERE TO GO

COOKING, HAIRCUTS AND MY YUKATA

It's wonderful having to cook for Ruther once more. I know it's more challenging because he only likes to eat certain kinds of food but still, it's nice to be able to cook for him again. I already made his favorite beef stew, adobo, beef steak, fried boneless bangus (milkfish) and pork binagoongan. I need to check my recipe guide for others but I'm glad that he's enjoying my cooking so far. Tonight, we're not having dinner at home though. If the weather stays fair we're planning to have some ramen. Mmmmm... Yummy! Am looking forward to it. ;)

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I trimmed the boys' hair the other day. When I saw the photos I took at the beach, I noticed that the boys' hair were too unkempt. So I gave them a trim which was not an easy thing to do in the small kitchen. But as always, I managed and now they look a whole lot better. This coming weekend I'm planning on dyeing Ruther's hair because he has a lot of white strands and it doesn't look too nice. So we might do that this Saturday. Ruther should be paying me for all the beauty salon services I do here at home! Hahaha!

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Last Friday, we went to Uniqlo to get my very own yukata (summer kimono). Ruther said that there were some on sale there and he did promise to get me one. So we got this really cute, really pretty pink one and I was so ecstatic. We were supposed to attend a matsuri (festival) the next day (Saturday) so Ruther said I could wear my yukata then. I found out that day that owning a yukata and putting one on is a different matter entirely. It took me more than an hour to figure out how to wear it and to tie the obi. Oh yes, and a "how to tie an obi" video from YouTube. Really really tricky I must say. The yukata came with a paper that had pictures on how to tie the obi but I could only figure out so much. Anyway, by the time I got it right, I was sooo happy and felt really fulfilled. I did it myself! I wore my yukata by myself! Of course, I'm sure it wasn't 100% perfect but still, it was quite an accomplishment. I was so happy that even when it rained and we decided not to go to the matsuri I was not at all disappointed. Ruther just took my photo wearing my beautiful yukata and I'm sure that I'll be able to wear it again next time. And for sure when that happens, it won't take me more than an hour to put it on. :)

THE BOYS

Ishikawacho Station. This is where we get off when we go to church. We have to walk some (hilly) streets to get to church which isn't a fun idea when it's summer because by the time you get to church you're all sweaty. Good thing they turns the AC on during summer.











Inside Landmark Tower. We passed through here on our way home from watching the hanabi (fireworks). When I saw these artworks, we just had to stop. I think they are so cute!








Fun in the tub. The boys missed this so much. Since we don't have a tub in Manila, the only time they could take a dip is when we go to a pool or inflate their inflatable pool or when they get inside a big pail. :) But I'm sure as long as there's water involved they won't complain.

RAIN

It unexpectedly rained today. It was quite strong and the rain even came into the room when a gusty wind blew. I had to close the windows completely which was a bummer because I always want to feel the cold air enter the room on a rainy day. The only good thing about the weather this afternoon was that we didn't have to turn the AC on to make the boys comfortable. The fan was sufficient. The unfortunate thing though, was that the rain lasted only about an hour or so. So now it's quite warm again.

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I love those handy umbrella bags. You know, those long plastic bags you insert your umbrellas into once you get out of the rain and into a mall or supermarket or establishment. I think it's very neat. Of course, the downside there is that it's made of plastic and well, there goes the environment, but the first time I came to Japan and used those bags, I thought it was quite inventive. Umbrella bags aren't a common thing in the Philippines where you usually have to leave umbrellas either on an umbrella stand (and go back for it at your own risk - it might not be there anymore) or package counter (where it's safer). I don't think umbrella bags will be a hit in the Philippines. Aside from additional production costs, our weather bureau pretty much sucks so the only time you'll know it's going to rain is when droplets of water hits you from the sky or when a typhoon is right smack in the country. So people make do with what they have and even banana leaves come in very handy. It's biodegradable too.

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I've been thinking of getting my mom one of those cute cloth umbrellas here. I've seen a lot of women go around with those cute umbrellas and I'm sure she'll love to have one of those. She's really an umbrella person. If the sun would hit her for a mere 5 seconds, she would still use her umbrella. Come to think of it, I should get my sister a cloth umbrella too. She's so much like my mom I'm sure it will be a perfect pasalubong for them.

HANABI

This photo was taken last July 20 when we watched a fireworks display (hanabi) near Ruther's office.

DAY AT THE BEACH

We went to the beach yesterday. We were invited by Ruther's friend and since the boys love to swim in the water (rather float in their floaties) so much, we decided to go through with it (after much debate I must add).

Anyway, we met up with Ruther's friends at Yokohama station. Then we transferred from JR line to Yokosuka line and then got off at Kamakura. Then we took another train (Enoden line) to Yuigahama and walked from there to the beach. It was quite sunny so after we picked a spot near the water's edge, we rented an umbrella. Then the boys quickly changed and made their way to the water. It was warm and delightful. Pretty soon, they were frolicking and having fun. I also changed into my bathing suit and then later, Ruther and I joined them. It was nice playing with the boys. The last time we were at the beach was when we went to Bohol, which was last January. It was also a good thing that the water yesterday was warm so I didn't have to worry about Ethan getting sick again. We took photos, Ruther got me a snow cone (which was so yummy and refreshing by the way that I wish I had another) and the boys had a blast. There were a lot of people at the beach but fortunately, it wasn't too crowded. We stayed there until around past 5 and then we went back to Yokohama. We had dinner at Friday's and Ruther enjoyed the baby back ribs. I loved the fries. The boys found the chicken yummy so everyone was sated. After that, we came home and of course, I had to find ways on how to get rid of the sand from all of our stuff. But it was fun and I'm glad we had a day to ourselves. Already, Nikki wants us to go back next month and why not? We all had a fun time. :)

SNACK

Snacktime in the plane.

ALMOST A WEEK

Ethan was sick a few days back. I was worried about that because he was hospitalized a few days before we left the Philippines. I really didn't want him to be dehydrated again and be confined. He did vomit like 3 times one day (I think it was last Tuesday) and I got so worried. I thought of calling my sis. Ruther even stayed home to help monitor him. It was a really good thing he got better the next day, started eating and by Wednesday afternoon, his fever went away. I was so relieved. My mom gave me this prayer to pray over Ethan and I think (and believe) it helped. So now Ethan is well and hyper and noisy again and well, I wouldn't have him any other way... God is truly good...

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Summer has just begun in Japan. I just can't believe the festivities, the many events and celebrations planned. There are fireworks (hanabi), festivals (matsuri), trips to the beach, package tours to summer locations, etc. It's wonderful to see people happy and excited about the celebrations. I would want to see the beach though. I think it would be a nice experience. Maybe one of these days Ruther would take us.

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Ruther has started going to the office with short-sleeved polo shirts these days. Now that it's become so warm and humid, they could opt to wear those instead of their long-sleeved shirts and suits. Which I think is a good idea lest the people suffer from heatstroke. I also gave Ruther a trim the other day. His wavy hair was starting to become unkempt and messy so I just trimmed the wavy ends and now, I help him style his hair every morning. You must think he's such a vain person but here in Japan, people are so fashionable and take pains in looking their best so if you don't want to look drab or plain, you must try to be more fashion-conscious. In Manila, I would always be comfortable going out in casual clothes and no make-up. But here, I didn't/don't want to look losyang (dowdy) so yeah, I always choose my clothes and accessories carefully and wear make-up from time to time. I suppose Japan has that effect on me. Also, it always looks nice in the photos when Ruther, the boys and I are all dressed up. :)

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Am going to be cleaning and cleaning and cleaning today. Ruther says there's going to be an apartment inspection this Sunday and since we'll be out the whole day tomorrow we won't have time to clean. I already did the kitchen, the living area, and I also cleaned the microwave, the ref, the washing machine area, and dusted most of the things around here. I have yet to clean the bathroom but I'll do that later. It'll be difficult cleaning it when we keep on using it. So I'll do that later. For now, I'm going to grab my book, make myself a cup of coffee and rest a bit. :D

IN THE NEWS

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080724/ap_on_re_as/japan_earthquake;_ylt=AlsFh5uDhsvsElNEPVUPriSs0NUE

Powerful earthquake hits Japan, dozens injured
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer

TOKYO - A powerful earthquake rattled parts of northern Japanese early Thursday, injuring nearly 100 people, triggering landslides and cutting power to thousands of people, officials said.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said the temblor, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, struck shortly after midnight at a depth of about 65 miles near the coast of Iwate, 280 miles northeast of Tokyo.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the temblor, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8. It struck shortly after midnight about 65 miles underground and centered just off the coast of Iwate, 280 miles northeast of Tokyo.

At least 99 people were injured, mainly cuts and bruises from broken glasses and falling objects, said National Police Agency official on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. No one had life threatening injuries.

The earthquake caused strong shaking of up to 40 seconds in large parts of northern Japan, official said.

"Everything has fallen off the shelves, scattered all over the floor," grocery store owner Tomio Kudo told national broadcaster NHK from the town of Hirono, where the shaking was most violent. "Even a big refrigerator has moved about 30 centimeters (1 foot)."

Several nuclear power plants in the region continued operations after inspection by plant workers found no problems, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statement.

The quake caused a blackout at more than 8,000 homes, it said.

Japan's "bullet" super-express trains were suspended in some areas, according to operator East Japan Railway Co.

The earthquake also triggered landslides at several locations, the police agency official said. Details were not immediately available.

Relief workers and local officials hit the streets to take a closer look to the affected areas in daylight Thursday. A team of government officials headed by Disaster Minister Shinya Izumi also arrived in Iwate.

"We must grasp the extent of damage as quickly as possible so that we can immediately take necessary steps," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told reporters.

Police said some of the more serious injuries included a woman in Hirono who broke a leg falling down stairs and another woman in Aomori city who broke her hip fleeing out a window.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake is capable of causing serious, widespread damage. Last month, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck sparsely populated rural areas in northern Japan, killing at least 12 people, leaving 10 others missing and injuring more than 300.

Meteorological Agency official Takashi Yokota warned of possible aftershocks from Thursday's quake.

EARTHQUAKE

As I was nodding off to sleep last night, I felt the floor shake. It actually felt like an invisible hand was shaking me. The first time I experienced an earthquake in Japan was not like this. I just felt like I was dizzy. I didn't realize that it was an earthquake until Ruther mentioned it to me. The second time was stronger (a lot stronger than I would have wanted it to be) and it was side-to-side. It occurred when we were lying in bed early morning (Ruther was fast asleep while I was so scared) and I saw the lamp above me sway. I waited for the shaking to stop. Okay, to be honest, I was waiting for people to run out (maybe panic-stricken) of their rooms because I was going to get Ruther and the boys out of the apartment in 5 seconds when that happened but everything was quiet and so I thought to myself, "This must be a pretty weak one for people not to care." So, I went back to sleep. Or tried to. Last night's earthquake was strong and it took a long time to stop. I was almost fully asleep when I felt the earthquake and I snapped out of my stupor just in case some of the things in the room would start falling. Well, a few things did fall but there was no harm done. I just a bit of difficulty going back to sleep after that so I just read my book and then after a few minutes, I nodded off.

When Ruther checked the earthquake location and affected areas this morning, this is what we saw:



Really a lot of affected areas, huh. I have yet to post the legend of all those colored dots but at least you have an idea of where the earthquake hit. It's just too bad the boys were asleep when it happened. It would have been a learning experience for them to feel an actual earthquake.

Anyway, I'm glad nothing serious happened. Of course, I mean in our area. I'm not sure about the other locations but I still hope there weren't any casualties.

MY APOLOGIES

I just want to say sorry for not having the time to reply to all your messages and comments to me. Really and truly, I appreciate every thought, every little visit you make here but sometimes, i just could not find that extra time to sit and reply to each and everyone. I hope you understand. Also, to those who have been inviting me to add their sites and blogs, I will get around to doing that, I promise. Just please give me some time, okay? And hopefully, when things are less crazy here and less hectic, I'll be able to drop by your sites soon.

Again, sorry and always always, thank you for taking the time to drop by here, keeping in touch and just making your presence felt. Really appreciate that. Take care all and God bless!!

FINALLY

So, we're here again.

Unlike last time, I was not as excited during our first day. Don't misunderstand me. I WAS excited to see Ruther, to see Japan and to embark on another adventure. But last Saturday, I was just a bit too exhausted to be too excited about the trip. Also, Ethan had some weird episodes. First was when he didn't want to get into the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport). He was screaming and protesting. Then, when we were about to get into the plane, he acted up again. I knew he was sleepy but I still cringed when an attendant asked me, "Ma'am, is this your son?" Sigh. Of course he is. Anyway, we boarded the plane, tried to settle down and before we even took off the boys were asleep. A few minutes after take-off it was snack time and we were served drinks and chips. I ate a bit then went back to sleep. Then a few minutes after that they served lunch. It was quite yummy. But the boys were not interested in the food and I could not finish everything so it was disconcerting to see all the wasted food. Anyway, shortly after that the flight attendants started submitting the immigration and customs forms for passengers with Narita as their final destination. So I was not able to sleep after that because we were told that we were going to land soon. The whole flight took around 4 hours by the way. Anyway, when we finally landed and stopped, we made our way to immigration (of course we still took photos before getting there) and we didn't encounter any problems. Then we claimed our bags (which were a LOT!) and shuffled towards customs. I was a bit nervous about the food I brought with me as pasalubong but the man took one look at our many bags and, perhaps he was overwhelmed or perhaps he just found our many MANY bags hilarious, he simply let us pass. I was quite happy about that. We took more photos and then I went to the limousine bus counter and bought our tickets. I just got 2 seats: one for me and one for Nikki (at half price). I just let Ethan sit on my lap so that he's free. He didn't mind which was a relief. When we got to Yokohama City Air Terminal (YCAT) an hour and around 20 minutes after, Ruther was already there. Since we were seated on the front, the boys saw him immediately and so they went to him and left me to bring down all our handcarries. =P Then after claiming our bags, we got a taxi to take us to Tokaichiba. It was traffic so it took some time for us to get home. When we got home we had just a bit of time to change and then we had dinner at a nearby restaurant. Then we took a little stroll and bought milk for the boys. Then we went home.

It was nice being together again. Actually, it's a whole lot more than "nice" but I'm sure you know what I mean. That night as we were all lying in bed and saying good nights, I couldn't believe that we were all together again . It was such a lovely feeling to fall asleep with the realization that when I open my eyes the next morning, my family will all be there.

Sigh. Finally.

BLAST OFF

At SM Mall of Asia. I love this photo. It looks really fun and candid. :)

80 KILOS AND I'M GETTING NERVOUS

So it's just 2 more days. I can't even begin to express how rattled I feel right now. I just can't sit still and I have a thousand thoughts running through my mind at a single time that I feel that even in sleep, I'm all tensed up and really feel so stressed. I just told Ruther a few hours ago that I feel as though I haven't rested in 10 days! I just feel as taut as a wire that's ready to snap. I check and recheck our baggages, I check and recheck my list of things to do and buy, and I just get so scared that I'll be over our baggage allowance OR I won't be able to make full use of the kilos given to us. Argh! This is crazy! But so far, our bags are about 96% packed. I just have to check our handcarries, the documents, the tickets, passport, money and all those necessary things. Ruther and I agreed that we will be meeting at Yokohama City Air Terminal (YCAT) instead of the airport and that's okay with me. I just will know that I will be a bit sad when I get out of the airport and remember the time he met us there. I'm just silly that way.

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So for the nth time, I weighed our bags and we're close to 80 kilos. That means, we only have around 10 more kilos to pack into our bags but I'm going to add just a little bit more stuff tomorrow. I'm going to buy some pasalubong (and those will be food) tomorrow and when that's done, I could finally lock our bags and set those in the living room so that I'll not be too stressed on Saturday morning. I just want everything to be okay on that day because I just know the slightest problem will really stress me out. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

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It's been raining a lot for the past days. I was worried because mommy said there was a typhoon in the country but today we had a lot of sunshine so I'm relieved about that. Hopefully, it'll be clear on Saturday and a typhoon alert won't be in effect until we're well out of the Philippines. Sigh...

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Remember my recent visit to the dermatologist? Well, all those black scabs finally fell off! I swear I didn't pick them. I just applied the ointment as prescribed and I was happy to see some of those scabs fall off! Yay! I now have just a few on my neck area but I'm no longer worried about having black spots on my face on Saturday. I would just look terrible in the photos! So yeah, I'm happy that I won't be having "moles" (as Nikki calls it) on my face this weekend. :D

3 MORE DAYS TO GO...

Only 3 more days to go. I suppose my current situation is a perfect example of time going at a snail's pace...

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I am 90% packed already. Just a little bit more and everything will be ready for Saturday. I just have to weigh all the bags again because I'm getting a bit worried about the weight. I'm not sure if the weighing scale here at home is busted or if it's really as heavy as the scale says they (the bags) are but so far we're still below the 90 kilos alloted for us. I'm definitely keeping some kilos off (maybe 6) just to be sure though. I remember the previous time, our bags weighed in at 89 kilos. Wow. Lucky break. But it was so close and I hope this time my packing pays off. :)

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We spent the day at the mall with mommy. I was hesitant about going at first because it rained so hard this morning. Good thing at around 1030am, the rains stopped so we got ready and left for the nearby SM Sucat. The boys had fun and mommy enjoyed her shopping. I was pretty tired by the time we got home 5 hours later but I had to go out again after the boys napped because I had to go to the pharmacy/drug store to buy some medicine to bring with us to Japan. I needed a bottle of the boys' vitamins, analgesics, folic acid, etc. There was a queue but the pharmacists were efficient so I didn't mind. Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to accompany mommy to Baclaran. I won't be buying anything anymore since I pretty much got everything I needed last Monday but I just want to make sure mommy will be safe when she goes there tomorrow. Wouldn't want her getting lost. Besides, she'll need me to help carry her stuff because she's not allowed to carry heavy stuff. We'll leave early in the morning so that the boys will still be asleep then.

MY DAY

Marking my day and using Nikki's Daily Planner. :) Of course, Ethan had to join in the picture.

58 KILOS AND COUNTING...

Yeah, I'm almost done with the packing. I'm just a bit nervous about missing something or leaving something behind. Hopefully, that's not going to happen. I did a preliminary weight-check of our bags. So far we're close to 60 kilos. That's pretty good considering we have 30 kilos more in our alloted baggage allowance (90 kilos total). I would have to weigh everything again on Friday just to make sure. I still have to buy the pasalubong and I'm sure all those will occupy a separate bag. :)

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Our flight is at 9am on Saturday. That means we should be at the airport by 6am. I'm so excited. Hopefully we won't encounter any problems with our check-in and flight. I went to Baclaran today to pay for a mass for a safe trip this Saturday. I just want everything to be A-OK.

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Mommy will be arriving tomorrow morning. I'll be very glad to see her. We will only have 4 days to bond before we depart for Japan so I hope she'll spend as much as she can with the boys. I know she'll really miss them once we're away.

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Ruther is having second thoughts about picking us up at Narita. It's not that he doesn't want to (he told me) but he said that we could save if we won't spend for his bus fare from Yokohama to Narita and vice-versa. Although saddened by this, I understand the practicality of it. Besides, I know the employees at Narita speak English so I'm not worried about getting lost, or getting on the wrong bus, or being misunderstood. I just hope that the boys will be cooperative and behaved that day so I would be less stressed.

BEAUTY AND BONDING

Yesterday, the boys, my siblings and I went to SM Mall of Asia for some bonding time. It was my brother's birthday yesterday and today is my sister's so we thought of spending the day together. I also had an appointment with a dermatologist there to clear my face and neck of black spots, skin tags and small warts. He's my sister's pal so from that I was assured that he would be competent. Anyway, when we got to Mall of Asia, the boys were excited. We first had lunch at Chef D'Angelo and I had the platter which had a slice of pizza, caesar salad and chicken. Of course, the boys attacked the chicken with much relish. After that, I went to a bookstore to buy a magazine that would keep me occupied at the waiting room at the clinic. My sis told me that after applying the anesthetic cream, I would have to wait for around 45 minutes before being treated. So I got one of the local mags and bought the boys a Little Einstein book. Then we went to Toy Kingdom and the boys had a blast. The good thing about my boys is that they would play with the toys on display at the toy store but you wouldn't hear "Mommy! I want this toy! Buy this! Buy this! Waaaah!" or something like that. Even Ethan, who especially likes tinkering with the baby toys (gears, hammering toys, shape sorters, noise makers) doesn't protest when I tell him it's time to go. So yeah, I'm glad my boys aren't spoiled at all when it comes to these things. But I got this small and inexpensive stair-and-slide toy which Nikki had been eyeing for weeks but I told him that I would get next time. So I finally got it for him and I got a sponge painting set for Ethan. Hopefully that will make everyone happy. :) We got some ice cream after that and while the boys ate that, my sis checked out some of the shops. Then it was time to go to the clinic for my treatment. While there, the boys slept and so I didn't have to worry about them making noise or running around or getting impatient. After the doctor applied the anesthesia and I waited for 45 minutes for it to numb my skin, the treatment began. I think I have a relatively high pain threshold because I could feel some of the burning but it was tolerable. Maybe after experiencing child birth my pain chart has evolved in a way. :) Anyway, the doctor told me the burns would darken and I would look like I have a lot of moles on my face and neck and yeah, he was right about that. Sigh. Today I looked in the mirror and saw black spots on my face. And we're going to attend a birthday party later! Fortunately it's just a kiddie party so I suppose it's all right.

Anyway, I have to go get ready for church so I'll try posting again later. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!!

7 DAYS TO GO

Well, I have started putting stuff into our bags already. I know it's a bit early, but we're bringing a lot of stuff with us so I figured, I better start now rather than panic later. Our bags are getting pretty heavy, I must say. I will have to weigh them later on to make sure we don't exceed our baggage allowance. That will be hard to do, but well, I'll try to find a way. :)

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Today is my brother's birthday. I got him a book. I'm sure he'll love it because it's filled with a lot of trivia stuff. He likes things like that. Anyway, my birthday passed by uneventfully. Ruther says we're going to "celebrate" on the 19th and I really don't mind. There are just more important things in life for me right now than parties and such. :)


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Ruther got his iPhone yesterday. I suppose that's all I can say about it because I don't know much about gadgets and stuff. But I told him that'll be his phone for the next 10 years already. He didn't care. He was happy. Trust my husband to get his hands on the latest gadget.

ALL BETTER

Ethan loves his cereal - without milk. He likes it crispy and crunchy. :)

PLANS AND UPDATES

Ethan is a whole lot better now. He's starting to eat again and is drinking as much milk as before he was confined. I'm still keeping careful watch though. I wouldn't want another repeat of that, that's for sure. Now, I'm just trying to let him gain back the weight he lost last week. He's still very picky when it comes to his food but at least he's drinking his milk again. :)

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Ruther has some activities already planned out for when we get to Japan. I was pleased to hear this. That means he's excited to see us. Well, I know he wants us there but well, he's really not the giddy-and-cloud-9 excitement kind of guy. When he's excited, he's just "excited", period. When I'm excited I'm breathless, giddy, overwhelmed, tingly, and super psyched. Go figure. Well, Ruther told me that he also got some stuff for the boys and that he's planning to bring us to a matsuri (a festival). I can't wait. Of course, it would even be more wonderful if I wore a yukata (a summer kimono) but that wouldn't be practical at all because it would be just too expensive if we buy one just for the festival. But wouldn't it be exciting to wear one and feel so Japanese? Well, anyway, I'm just all tingly with anticipation. I can't wait to get on that plane!!

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My mom will be arriving on the 15th from Zamboanga. I'm quite pleased about this because it would be so nice to see her before we leave on the 19th. I'm sure she's just as glad to be seeing the boys as well. I remember last February, she was here in Manila and accompanied Mama to the airport to pick us up. I suppose she really missed the boys while we were in Japan. Anyway, another reason for her coming is our birthday: my siblings' and mine. We are all July celebrants. My birthday is on the 10th, my elder sister's is on the 13th and my brother's is on Saturday, the 12th. So it's pretty cool that we celebrate our birthdays together. Anyway, I wish my dad could come as well but he's swamped with work. It doesn't matter really. I'm sure he'll be calling us on our birthdays. :)

HAPPY WORKING ME

And so the packing begins.

Well not really packing as in packing. I meant I already started picking and setting aside the clothes I plan to bring with us to Japan. I also made lists. Yes, lists. I needed a list of the things we are going to bring, another list of the things I need to buy, another list for the things we plan to give as pasalubong, and another list of the things I'll need to pack the day before we leave (camera, cellphone, passports, etc.). I'm still not sure what other lists I would have to make but so far, I've been preoccupied with these. I've also gone through the boys' toys and removed the batteries in them. This was a bit difficult to accomplish because the boys wanted to play with the toys while I was taking the batteries out. Anyway, I did a general cleaning of the bedroom and the boys' room. I changed the curtains, bed covers, pillowcases and dusted and swept and mopped. I suppose I just wanted things to be in order when the boys and I leave. I also sorted through our clothes and shoes and toys. Those clothes which no longer fit the boys I placed in a box along with the toys that they've outgrown and gave them to my mother-in-law to give away to those who needed them. My no-longer-fitting clothes, I gave away to Mama's helper who was so happy to receive them since she has 2 daughters. I also had to organize the toys in the boys' room downstairs since I didn't want any of them to get lost when visitors come (of course, I'm talking about those with kids). Sometimes, relatives come over with the kids in tow and we let the children play downstairs. I really don't mind the sharing. It's just that some of those kids don't take care of some of the more expensive toys so I have to keep those out of reach. I also sorted through the boys' books and workbooks and rearranged those as well. A very few of them I will be bringing with us. Naturally, our homeschooling continues wherever we are. :D I still have a lot of other things to do. It's pretty overwhelming but I really don't mind. I like that I'm busy. It's good that I'm preoccupied. I won't have to think about the days and the hours. I just have to focus on not forgetting to bring the essentials, keeping our baggage within the allowance given and just getting on that plane on time. I just can't wait for next Saturday. But for now, I'll continue on with my Happy Working Song. :D (Picture me in a white dress with forest creatures surrounding me...)

STILL HAPPY

I have to admit, I am definitely more excited this time than the first time I found out we were going to Japan to see Ruther. I suppose back then, I was just too scared to be too excited because I always thought that even if we had our visas, something could still go wrong. So it was not until were were going to land on Narita Airport that I allowed myself to let go and be excited.

But this time it's different. This time, I know we're going to see Ruther in 16 days and really, I am so excited. We've been talking about taking the boys to places, about reconnecting and just spending a whole lot of time together. Really, we could just stay in the apartment all day and I would be happy still. It really doesn't matter to me where we are. As long as my family is together, is healthy and happy, I'm perfectly content.

I've been making a list of the things we're going to bring to Japan. I also have to make another list for the stuff I would have to buy for the trip. Fortunately, some of our winter clothes are still in the apartment so I don't have to worry about bringing a lot of those this time. Also, since we already spent 6 months there last time, I now have a better idea what to expect, what to bring, what not to bring and what things we might need that are not available there or are too expensive. Yeah, I'm pretty excited. Last night, although I was tired, I just couldn't sleep immediately. I suppose the realization that we were going to Japan in 2 weeks just filled my thoughts. I didn't mind the restlessness. I was just too happy to care. I'm still floating in my cloud and I don't think anything is going to ruin my mood for the next 2 weeks.

That's a guarantee.

GOD IS GOOD...TRULY

Remember I said that the visa processing would take 7 working days? Well, Ruther and I talked about it last night and he asked me what I was thinking. I told him that I was trying not to think about it or be hopeful or what not because I said I really didn't know what I'd do or how I'd feel if our visa wasn't approved. I felt that if I think too hard about it, I would just be so disappointed and depressed if we were not going to make it to Japan.

Anyway this morning, as I was proceeding through my usual chores, the doorbell rang. Taking a quick peek from our bedroom window, I saw that it was an Air21 (a courier) van. My heart leapt and I told myself, "It can't be the passports! It's too early! The woman said it would take SEVEN working days!!!" But the delivery and the package was indeed for me and when the man told me that I needed to show him an ID my knees felt so weak as I climbed the stairs to my room and back down again. I cannot even begin to express the anxiety, anticipation, nervousness and all the other emotions running through me like electricity. I just felt like I was going to faint any second. Anyway, the man handed me the parcel and I clutched it tightly. I went upstairs to the room and said a quick prayer before tearing the seal open. From a brown envelope, out tumbled our passports. I was so nervous my hands were shaking. I opened the first passport and it was Nikki's. I slowly scanned the pages and there on page 9 was his visa. I was soooooo happy I cried and cried. Nikki came toward me and wondered what was wrong but I told him he was going to see his daddy soon and told him I was happy so he wasn't to worry. I cried some more and really thanked God for this wonderful blessing. I got my cellphone and rang Ruther. I knew he was still at work but I didn't care. I wanted to tell him immediately. He answered and I burst out crying again. He quickly said, "What's wrong, sweetie?" and while sobbing, I told him, "We got our passports today... (sobs) It came today...(more sobs) Love, they approved our application! We have our visas!" And Ruther said, "That's great!" and then "You scared me! I thought something bad happened!" Of course he was worried. I was crying like someone was in a coma or something. But I told him I was just so happy. He told me that it was a wonderful birthday present and I blurted, "But I wasn't even thinking about my birthday at all!!" Which is actually true. I just had one thing in my mind: Will we get to see Ruther this month? That was all. I didn't even care if it's going to be my birthday in a few days. It's just not important to me. Anyway, after we chatted a bit more, we said our goodbyes and I could have danced the whole day away (think Giselle in the movie Enchanted). I was literally on Cloud 9. Today I feel as if I was breathing once more after holding my breath for such a long time. I'm just soooo wonderfully happy today. Thanks to all who helped pray for this (Becky, thanks!). You helped make this happen and you are all great friends! Mwah!