4 miles today!

Sick but I wanted to keep the habit. So just took it easy. =)

One-month-old

Our precious son is here!!!!

He was born on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 6:49 a.m. weighing 7 lbs 5 oz, 21 inches long (Lakeridge Oshawa).

Daddy and baby time. Oh how we long to hold him in our arms! I will miss this though the intimacy of having him inside of me. I especially will miss being able to share in the daddy-baby time when hubby and baby would play together. Hubby would rub my tummy and I love how baby knows that it's his dad. They would play this game of hubby tapping a rhythm and baby will tap back and, sometimes, in the same rhythm. 

What precious life I carry! I'm so thankful that God gave this blessing to us. It's a little scary...it's been so long but oh so welcomed! We had our first son when we were so young. We are much older now and I pray God gives us the wisdom and strength to change the things we need to. I'm just thankful for both our boys!

hope

I honestly don't know how my mother lived through and survived the teen years with my sister and I. Particularly that I'm not exactly an angel. lol. Far from it. My son is actually a better child and student than I was. I didn't much care about school and alllll that. But he does, most of the time. :)

Oh but I so was not prepared to parent a teenager.  I knew he was getting to that age but it just crept up on me. And dang... it's HARD!!! lol. I feel like running to my mom and say "I'm so sorry I was such a pain in high school!!! I'm so surprised you didn't kill me!!!" lol. I cringe at the memories of my attitude and back-talk and all that. 

In all seriousness though, my struggle with my son isn't a bad attitude or rudeness (mind you that there's a bit of that with the mood swings). It's getting him to switch priorities and see the bigger picture.  Granted, he is  young and well...immature but we feel that if he is able to switch priorities and build good habits now, he will enjoy his teen years much better.

We, of course, recognize that it is hard for him. Especially, that most of his friends if not all, just care about video games, skyping, chilling with friends, girls and just doing whatever feels good. We understand all that and isn't against those things but within the right boundaries. We want him to have time to hang out with friends, to play games and to talk to girls but all that comes after God, family and school. In it's right place, all those things are good but the problem is the priorities of most of the kids these days are all jumbled up and wrong. And for some reason, real hard work is something this generation is allergic to!!! 

I didn't realize that there is this very tricky balance of understanding him and allowing him to self-discover but at the same time helping and guiding him exist! Sanity and guidance for this momma, please!!!

Man, I used to think high school is brutal for the high schooler but it's even more so for the parents!!! But, praise God, we have Jesus and hope because if our parents came through it alive...so are we.

Hormones much?!?!?!

Woke up this morning feeling melancholy. Had crazy Braxton hicks ALL night and early morning. I had all these mix emotions about wanting the baby to come but at the same time feeling like I'm not ready. This emotional roller coaster is frustrating.

It's my third day home but I still check in at work for an hour or two. Today's the last day that I do that. I've been cleaning here and there at home. A lot of the things I really want to tackle I can't do which is frustrating.

I'm recognizing though underneath all the emotions that God knows when the best time is for the baby to come. He has set a time for everything. And He has deemed it necessary for the baby, for me and perhaps even for Allen and Allen Jr. that we wait for a little while longer. Perhaps to spend more time together.

I'm anxious but I must remember to wait upon the Lord. <3

14 more days till baby's due date. That seems forever. lol. It's getting tough to be in any position...lying down, sitting or standing. I'm ready to have him but he clearly is not ready yet. lol.

Countdown begins...

I have 6 weeks to go before the official due date.  I'm anxious to meet this little one.  I still can't believe we are going to have a baby again.  It will be 15 years ago this weekend that we had our first boy.  Oh what joy our first born brought to our lives.  And I guess, at some point in the last 7 or 8 years, though hopeful, I really didn't think I could get pregnant again.  Perhaps that's why God didn't "answer" our prayers to have another baby all those years.  It wasn't that He didn't want to give us another one but rather my faith was lacking... I didn't really believe He was going to give what we were asking.

I'm excited and a bit nervous as the time approaches.  This definitely change things for the family.  A great blessing, that's for sure!!!  Another addition to the family will definitely create changes.  We'll have to navigate through the changes and discover how to blend the new and the old together.  I am slightly worried how this will affect Allen Jr.  He has been used to being the centre of our attention and love for so long, I wonder if he will feel neglected and rejected when we or I don't have time for him.  The one thing I know though is that he has prayed for this baby since he was 6 years old and he is looking forward to being a kuya (big brother) for real.  I have to make a mental note to get him involved so he doesn't feel like an outsider.  Perhaps he can burp him or hold him in the rocking chair while his brother sleeps.  He has such a gentle and sweet spirit that I have no doubt that this baby will adore his kuya and look up to him.

Praying everyday for the health and safe-keeping of this baby and his kuya.  :)

6 1/2 months pregnant <3

Blueberry. ^_^

Weighed 138 lbs!

All booked!!! It's official we are going to Paris! ^_^

Me with my baby. :^ Love this boy!

On another note, I love fitting into my smaller clothes. <3

Waaaahhh...in the 130s!!!!!!!!!! 139.5 baby!

<3 this guy!

Here with my little nephew...spending a hot day at the Zoo. ^_^ Love this boy!

2012 Pathfinder Camporee

A summer isn't complete without pathfinder camping! This year's Camporee was held in Guelph.

I was truly blessed by the way the kids pulled together...supported each other and bonded with other clubs. I've been involved with Pathfinders since I was 13 and so it's been a long time but this was the first Camporee where there was more unity and interaction with almost all the clubs. I love it! I hope it continues and a beginning of something powerful.

So it was a great Camporee with the kids really blessing us with amazing positive attitude and perseverance. The icing on the cake was winning 1st place for the drilling competition. And a personal pride for me that Allen Jr (along with co-captain, Gino) was invited to be in the Ontario Drill Core. So awesome! Proud of him!!!

Another Allen Milestone

Our son graduated last week from Grade 8. I still can't believe how fast time went that I now have a high schooler!

Hubby and I are so thrilled for him and so proud of our baby!

Progress

Weighed myself this morning and the scale says 146.5 lbs. Half a pound loss. Yay! After being stuck at 147 for months, I'll talk the half a pound loss.

Oh a side note, we have our church trip to Montreal and well can you just imagine how challenging eating well will be this lonnnggg weekend? I reckon by the end of the weekend that 0.5 loss will be gone and perhaps more. Hoping to counter the food challenges with lots of walking. :)

2011 in review

Church Winter Retreat at Camp Frenda - Filipino Canadian
01.30.11

   

Cooking with FYYA

They make really good food!

Youth Week of Prayer - Ghettolympics
During March Break, when all the kids are off school, we had youth week of prayer which they called
Ghettolympics.  It's a very interactive study of how God is relevant to us today.  The end each evening
with a speaker.
03.2011

Music and Worship Conference at Andrews University, Berrien Springs MI
03.29.11

 

All the delegates enjoyed the conference, the fellowship with Michiana Fil-Am Church and of course,
the Chicago side trip on the Sunday before heading home.  I especially enjoyed hearing the praise team sing wherever they went that weekend.  God set ablaze the fire for praising Him in their hearts that weekend.

Attended my first Minister's Spouse Retreat in Gananoque, Ontario.  It was so beautiful!
This was taken after our 1,000 Island cruise tour.
05.27-29.11

            

My first Treetop Trekking.  It was so
much fun!  Challenging but fun! :)
06.13.11

Our son preaching his first sermon.  He was nervous but very good
for his first preaching!  Praise God!

Orion Pathfinders

My boy attending his first formal banquet.  Grade 7 & 8 Banquet.
06.2011

Friends dinner with the Lees and Adaps.
06.13.11

Migrino Family vacation
Vermont, USA
07.01-06.11

Hiking our 1st mountain together.
Mt. Ascutney, Vermont

2 1/2 hours later, we reached the peak of Mt. Ascutney.  Praise God!
What a beautiful view.

Celebrating the 4th of July
Independence Day 2011

Migrino grandsons
Love these boys!!!

Family picture at the Quechee Gorge.  Papa took the picture.

Us at Quechee Gorge

                            

Us at one of the many hikes we did in Vermont.  Loved it!

My husband was invited to be the chaplain for tween camp at Camp Frenda.  We both absolutely loved it!
07.2011

   

Proud of this kid! He did great drilling
with his club for the Pathfinder Camporee in Quebec.
08.2011 

Orion Pathfinder Club

   

Praise God for He is so amazing and good!  Several of our pathfinders decided to give their lives
to Christ at the end of the Camporee.  Wow, that was such a beautiful unexpected gift!

Good friends from Seminary visited with us for a week.  It was such a joy being
reunited with friends and had a pleasure of taking them around Toronto.
08.2011

Anniversary weekend in Montreal, Quebec.
We enjoy walking everywhere especially around Old Montreal.
11.25-27.11

Mont Royal

Celebrating 11 years with my dearest love.  Thanking God for what He has given us.
11.26.11

FilCan Church Choir after our Christmas Cantata
12.24.2011

  

Decena family vacation/reunion
Orlando, Florida USA
12.2011

Decena boys.  Love them!

Love these boys.  Cousins doing what they love... singing and being silly.

Montanano (Decena) Family Reunion
Photo taken by: Dot Ramirez