Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts

April 28, 2025

Junior High School Moving Up

I had no blog post for the past few weeks because I was busy with my offline life and had no time to craft or blog. I have so many things to share about our travel trips, but for now, let me start with “Moving Up”. 

School Year 2024-2025 is already over, and I’m proud to say that my son finished this school year with a bang. My son won 2nd place in the General Knowledge Contest and 1st place in Aghamatika Contest. He also received the Leadership Award because he was part of their Student Council. And during the Moving Up Ceremony, he received four medals. 

Seventh Honor 
Gold Eagle Award 
Best in Information and Communications Technology 
Special Recognition in Research. 

This is a big achievement compared to his previous years, so I am proud of him because he really improves every year. So when I was making his Junior High School Memories video, I chose the “This Is My Now” song of Jordin Sparks as the background song. I like the message of this song.


This Is My Now 

There was a time I packed my dreams away 
Living in a shell, hiding from myself 

There was a time when I was so afraid 
I thought I’d reached the end 
Baby that was then 
But I am made of more than my yesterdays 

This is my now, and I am breathing in the moment 
As I look around I can’t believe the love I see 
My fears behind me, gone are the shadows and doubts 
That was then, this is my now. 

Had to decide was I gonna play it safe 
Or look somewhere deep inside and try to turn the tide
Find the strength to take that step of faith 
And I have the courage like never before, yeah 
I’ve settled for less but ready for more 
Ready for more 

This is my now 

I just hope na hind maburn out sa kakaaral and he will have the same passion sa pag-aaral until he finishes college. 

Dinner at Italliani’s 

After the Moving Up, we went to Italliani’s for a quick celebration. We ordered Spaghetti Vongole, Margherita and Garlic and Cheese Zeppole.




Lunch at NIU by Vikings

The following day, we were supposed to eat in a hotel because I found a 50% off buffet promo, but it was already fully booked when my husband called to reserve. Grabe lang ito, fully booked agad kahit 5 days before kami nagpareserve. So I suggested to my husband, sa NIU by Vikings na lang ulit so he called the restaurant to reserve. 

My mom was not able to attend my son’s Moving Up because natapat na flight nila from Boracay to Manila yung event so delayed Moving Up celebration na lang with the Senior Club. Hehehe! Good thing we made a reservation kasi punuan and marami din kumakain because of Recognition, Moving Up and Graduation. 

Fortunately, there was an ongoing Graduation Promo when we dined. We did not know about this promo, good thing na kagagaling lang namin sa school to get the School Report Card and Moving Up Photos, so we were able to avail of this promo. In our case, aside from the Moving Up Photos, they still asked for my son’s school ID bago naapproved yung FREE BUFFET. Sayang nga kasi we are only seven people, so dalawa sana yung free kung walo lang sana kami. 

Anyway, I already blogged about our “Lunch Buffet at NIU by Vikings” last January and halos same naman food and marami rin tao so hindi na ko nagtake ng marami pictures. 






NIU by Vikings Promo 

Graduation Promo

1. Promo duration: March 5, 2025 to July 31, 2025 
2. All graduates of the Class of 2025, including Kindergarten, Elementary, High School, College, and Post Graduate students, are eligible to avail of a FREE Buffet when dining in with 3 Full-paying adults.
3. Applicable Graduates: Only graduates and moving up students of the class 2025 (Kindergarten, Grade 10 Completers, Elementary, High School, College, and Post Graduate) can enjoy this exclusive offer. 
4. Required Proof of Graduation: 

Diploma 
Completion Certificate (Moving Up) 
Graduation Photo 
Graduation Program with the Graduate’s Name/Graduation Invitation 
School Registration Form supported by a Valid ID 

Celebrants Eat for Free 

Bring 1 full-paying adult on the day of your birthday. Bring 4 full-paying adults on any day within your birthday month.  

Celebrate Big! Up to 30% off.  

Discounts will depend on the day and the number of guests. Available Weekday Lunch only. Not valid on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or holidays.  

NIU by Vikings - SM Aura Buffet Rates  

Weekday Lunch 

PHP1,138 - Adult  
PHP438 - Kids 3-4ft/4-7 years old  
PHP748 - Kids 4’1 - 4’6 ft/ 8-10 years old  

Weekday Dinner/Weekend Holidays 

PHP1658 - Adult  
PHP538 - Kids 3-4ft/4-7 years old 
PHP848 - Kids 4’1 - 4’6 ft/ 8-10 years old 

NIU By Vikings  
6/F SM Aura Premier, 
26th Street corner McKinley Parkway,  
Bonifacio Global City 
Contact: 478-3888, 0917-586-6888, 0919-999-6888  

Open Daily  
11AM to 2:30PM  
5:30PM to 10:30PM 

Congrats Cake Topper and Gift Tag




Of course, a celebration without cake is not complete. Here is the congrats cake topper and the congrats gift tag that I made.
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January 06, 2025

Highlights of 2024

Time flies so fast, my son is back to school and my husband is also back to work. Just like that holiday is over and my alarm clock is on again. We were busy after New Year because we still had get together events kaya sa totoo lang, feeling ko need ko pa ng bakasyon sa pagod. As an introvert. nadrain yung social battery ko. Hehehe! 

Anyway, before the year 2024 ended, I reflected on how my year went, and even though there were sad moments, overall, I am thankful for 2024. 


1. I am thankful for God’s provision for our construction, home, medical, funeral and travel expenses. I had no idea na magastos pala magpagawa ng bahay, to think home improvement lang ito pero feeling ko bumili na kami ng bahay sa laki ng gastos. Yes, kapresyo na ng nauna naming bahay yung expenses namin. Grabe lang sa inflation. Nakakapagod at masakit sa bulsa maglipat ng bahay, we purchased new appliances and furniture kasi to match our new house.

My mother-in-law passed away last May and before that, pabalik-balik siya ng hospital hanggang sa naggive-up na talaga ang katawan, We all know, magastos mahospital sa Pilipinas. 

With all of these expenses, I thought we could no longer travel so I am really thankful because we were able to travel pa and I just realized, majority pala ng travel trips namin, hindi ko pa naibablog. We’ve been to different resorts, hotels, Bohol, and Melbourne. 

2. I’m thankful because this year, we had more family get-togethers. When my father passed away, it was the only time that we reconnected with his family. After two decades, it was our first time to attend the annual family reunion last January 2024 (father’s side). Imagine, 23 years have passed and a lot has changed. Ang konti na lang namin sa reunion, marami na nawala at mayroon na rin nagmigrate sa ibang bansa. We also attended my uncle’s 90th birthday. 

Last March, we had our first family outing sa side ni hubby but sad to say, yun na rin pala yung last outing with my mother-in-law. 

My mom and aunt went home last summer and we had a family get-together too. And that time mas complete kami. 

Since we already moved to our new home, I was able to invite my family, college, and mommy friends to our new house for a get-together. 

3. I’m thankful that my husband has still work, nagtanggalan na naman kasi sa company niya. I’m thankful that my son was part of the overall top last school year and became an officer of their Student Council. 

4. And lastly, I am thankful because I already have my own craft room. It may be small but I am glad I can craft whenever I want. Hindi ko na iisipin kung may telecon ba si hubby because I have my own space na. 


I was thankful that I became part of Bee Happy Crafts Guest Ambassador Quarter 2. And sa dami ng sinalihan ko na challenges and contest, may napanalunan naman ako. Yey! 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” Melody Beattie 

Sharing our food trip and travel trip in the year 2024 







Birthday Celebration in Bohol 


Family Outing at Solana Resort 


Family Reunion at Jim's Home Private Pool 


Family Outing Cayets' Cabin Resort 






8 Day Trip in Melbourne Australia 




In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 
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January 01, 2025

New Year Photo Props

Hello 2025! Happy New Year! 

Wow, first day of the year and may blog entry ako. Baka sipagin na ulit ako magblog kung magstart ako ng January 1. Hehehe! 

As I looked back, I felt happy and relax this past holiday, feeling ko hindi ako stress ngayon compared sa ibang holidays. Maybe because, maaga ko bumili ng gifts and even yung mga handmade gifts ko, hindi naman ako nastress sa paggawa. I did not cook this holiday, nag-order lang ako food and bumili ng potluck. We did not travel except for our Christmas Staycation in Pampanga. Surprisngly, hindi kami natraffic sa biyahe kahit holiday siya. 

And for our New Year Eve’s celebration , my husband was the one who prepared for it. Simple dinner lang naman since ayaw namin ng maraming leftover. My only contribution is my New Year Photo Props. Gumawa ako ng props para hindi ko makalimutan magpicture. Last year, wala kaming picture.



The New Year Sunglasses are from SVG Nation and the 2025 is from the Printable Cuttable Creatables website.
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June 17, 2024

Father’s Day Celebration

Another long weekend but we did not travel kasi every weekend na lang kami wala sa bahay so we wanted to stay home naman. And yesterday was Father’s Day too pero wala din handa, parang gusto na namin magdiet because since last month, puro buffet at kainan kami.

I made a Father’s Day Cake Topper but I was not able to use it because my husband doesn’t want a cake. For the cake topper, I just used one of the SVG designs from the Father’s Day Greeting Quotes Bundle. 


I also made this Father’s Day Layered Card using the Me and Dad Layered Card Design of The Bearded Housewife. I like this card because it reminded me of the the days when my son was in toddler years, lagi siya nasa shoulders ng Daddy niya kasi ang bagal maglakad or ayaw na maglakad. hehehe! "On Dad's Shoulders was the best place to be" Happy Father's Day! 




Akala ko hindi na kami aalis but I remembered that my mom gave money to my son so he can watch “Inside Out 2” movie. His cousins watched this movie na kasi kaso hindi siya nakasama kasi naman malayo kami so para no FOMO, I suggested na manood na kami. I checked the schedule at Southwoods Mall and buzzer beater kami sa 4:10PM na movie. 

I was checking my blog post and yung last movie na pinanood namin sa big screen was Avengers: Endgame and sa Norway pa. Hindi na kasi ko mahilig manood ng sine, hinihintay ko na lang sa Netflix. PHP380 x 3 persons, mahal din ha, buti na lang may free popcorn and water na yun. Hehehe! 
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June 14, 2024

Recognition Day 2024

In my previous post, I mentioned na parang nakakaloka yung emotion namin kasi up and down. On the second day of my late mother-in-law’s wake, it was my son’s Recognition Day. While we were waiting for the program to start, I saw my teary-eyed husband so I told him to clear his head for a few hours because this moment is for our son. It is hard when we are in pain but we need to show up. 

When my son made it to the overall top last year, I told him that maintaining to be on top is not easy but my son proved to us that he can do it. Actually, my son told me na 5th honor dapat siya but extracurricular is part of the final grade computation so he ended up with sixth honor. Regardless of the ranking, we are still proud of him because he worked hard for it. 

This year, my son received 3 medals; Sixth Honor, Gold Eagle Awardee, and Special Conduct Award for Male. I was not surprised with this award but happy kasi na notice na rin yung pagiging good student niya ng teachers. Introvert kasi anak ko so madalas hindi naman siya kilala ng mga teachers except for his subjects teachers. 

After the Recognition Day, we just went to the mall to eat lunch and buy cake. We ate at Ben’s Halo-Halo x Meshiya and ordered Classic Spaghetti PHP174, Shio Ramen PHP230, BBQ Ribs P280, California Maki PHP230, and Iced Tea PHP50 each. Cake is from Contis which is Banana Dream.
 





We are in a hurry kasi we need to go back to the wake. May mga ex-officemates nga si hubby na nakiramay kaso nasa Recognition Day pa kami. Yung Recognition celebration, sa wake na rin nangyari and we just ordered a Family Feast Bundle from Shakey’s. 

Of course, I made “Congrats Cards”, using one design but different cardstock. For the Congrats Cake Topper, I used Birthday Verygood Font which I also used in my graduation cake toppers. 



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June 13, 2024

The Day That We Fear Has Come

No blog post for the last few weeks because so many things happened in our family. It was a series of events, how I wish happy lahat but it wasn’t. It was like riding a roller coaster, up and down ang emotions. In one moment you feel sad and then one moment, you need to push yourself to smile because it is a happy celebration. Nakakaloka! 

The day that we fear has come because a few weeks ago, my mother-in-law passed away. She was one of the strongest people I know and hindi ko nga alam kung saan siya humuhugot ng lakas. She raised 6 children, unfortunately, my two sisters-in-law passed away.

It was year 2010 when my eldest sister-in-law passed away because of colon cancer and in 2019, my sister-in-law lost her battle to uterine cancer. Then, in 2020, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer. 

My late mother-in-law survived uterine cancer so we also hoped that she could fight the colon cancer. She underwent colon cancer surgery and finished all chemotherapy and the results were good so we thought, okay na. But in 2021, she went back to the hospital for a cholecystectomy. Oh no, another surgery again, and unfortunately, it is also the start of her dialysis. 

So since 2021, she spent most of her life going to the hospital for dialysis, check-ups, surgery, and confinement. I can’t imagine kung paano niya kinakaya ang lahat. Imagine nagkauterine cancer, may diabetes, nagkacolon cancer, nagkagallstones, nagkacataract and nagdadialysis pa. 

I witnessed how she tried to be tough and hold on even in pain. Maybe that is the reason why God took her home, she experienced so much pain in this world. We were sad because she was gone but we felt relieved because we knew that she was in a better place, no more crying, fear, or pain. She will be missed and Christmas gatherings will not be the same without her. 

I found this poem and I don’t know who is the original author but this is the exact words that I want to tell her because I am forever thankful to her for raising a loving son and blessed me with a wonderful husband. 


You are the Mother I received 
 the day I wed your son 

And I just want to thank you, Mom 
for the things that you have done 

You have given me a gracious man 
with whom I share my life 

You are his lovely mother
and I, his lucky wife
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May 16, 2024

Mother’s Day Celebration

The alarm clock is now off because my son’s final exam is finally over. Yey! It is almost summer vacation na, almost pa lang since my son would go back to school pa, kapag may schedule na for Recognition Practice. I just hope, sandali lang yung practice at hindi na one week. 

Last weekend was Mother’s Day and we don’t usually celebrate Mother’s Day kasi depende yan sa mood ko. Most of the time gusto ko lang magpahinga sa bahay. Inisiip ko nga kung nagcelebrate ba ko last year, parang wala naman ako pictures and yung last blog ko pa yung Mother’s Day Celebration in Norway. 

Anyway, my mom is here for a vacation, I suggested a family outing, an overnight or day trip just like our Day Trip in Laguna last March pero this time with my family naman. But the plan did not push through kasi hindi magkasundo sa schedule, may Saturday class yung iba and may hotel staycation. 

So my husband and I planned to go to Tagaytay na lang, this time with my mom and parents-in-law. We already informed both parties but unfortunately, it was cancelled because of my husband’s family emergency, hindi pwede parents niya and he needs to visit her mom. 

And dahil minsan lang naman ang Mother’s Day na nandito mama ko, kailangan may ganap. So lunch na lang ulit sa bahay but I already warned my family na Amber’s lang ang ipapakain ko. Hehehe! Nandito na kasi family ko nung first week of May kasi dumating nga mama ko. Amber’s pinakain ko sa kanila kasi yun ang madali para sa akin na iorder. Favorite ko iorder yung Party Favorites Bundle for potluck or panghanda. 

PHP3415 + Delivery Fee (Good for 15 pax) 

Pancit Malabon 
5 Pcs. Fried Chicken Drumsticks 
10 Pcs. Crispy Chicken Wings 
30 Pcs. Lumpiang Shanghai 
30 Pcs. Pichi-Pichi Cheese 
15 Pcs. Pork BBQ 

Hindi ako nagbibiro nung sinabi ko na Amber’s ulit pero this time, I checked Amber’s Menu and after so many years, ngayon lang ako nag-order ng hindi bbq at chicken. We are just a group of 11 persons so I ordered the following. Supposed to be lunch kaso 1:30PM na yung earliest na schedule na pwede madeliver. Sa isip-isip ko, magdessert na lang if late dumating. We have ensaymada and leche flan naman. 

Spaghetti PHP1,050 (16-20 pax) 
Pichi - Pichi with Niyog PHP280 (40 pcs.) 
Roasted Beef with Gravy PHP1250 ( 8-10 pax) 
Lechon Kawali PHP1,080 (8-10 pax) 





But God is so good kasi sabay dumating yung visitors and food so walang waiting time. And we all liked the food so mukhang mababago na ang order ko sa Amber’s. hehehe! The only downside nitong meal na ito, hindi pwedeng Cash On Delivery, kailangan paid na yung orders. Tumawag si hubby kasi nag-error sa online, so need pa niya magwait para sa payment details. 
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February 26, 2024

18th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

This month, we celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary and 21 years as a couple. Just like that, we’ve been together for 21 years already and that is almost half of life. Ang bilis ng panahon, parang kailan lang and ang tanda na rin pala namin. Hehehe! But I’m glad that we’re still together. 

My husband mentioned on his anniversary card that for the last 18 years, we shared both the happiest times and saddest times. And that is true because, for the last 18 years, he lost his grandfather, two sisters, aunt, and uncle while I lost my aunt, grandmother, father, and sister. During those times, we leaned on each other, and even without a word, we understood each other’s pain.


Despite the saddest times, we have a lot of happy memories. That is why, we also try our best to make time and celebrate our anniversaries because life is so short. There were a few times that we were not able to celebrate because I was not feeling well, he was out of the country, and when my grandmother passed away. 

Moving on, sharing our anniversary celebration this year. To be honest, if money is not an issue, it is so easy to plan but of course, since we had so many expenses for the last few months, need magbudget.

Our initial plan is to eat at the hotel because last month, my husband ate at Corniche and he said, if I want we can celebrate our anniversary at Corniche and we can take advantage of the 40% discount (credit card promo). I was considering that option but out of the blue, I experienced acid reflux for almost a week so I changed my mind. Sabi ko, hindi ko maeenjoy ang buffet kung wala ko gana kumain or isusuka ko rin. 

Then we went to the 31st PTAA Travel Tour Expo so we could check different promos but unfortunately, we did not see good deals. 

Breakfast at Cafe Agapita


We had a breakfast date at Cafe Agapita to celebrate Valentine’s Day and our couple's anniversary, I already shared our experience in my previous post. 



We were supposed to celebrate Valentine’s Day here pero late pala opening hours nila every weekday but fortunately, we were able to visit this restaurant on our way to Nawa Wellness. They are open as early as 7AM during weekends so we had our breakfast here. 

Staycation at Nawa Wellness

Since we did not score any promo when we visited the travel tour expo, my husband did his research then he discovered Nawa Wellness. It just started operating last January 24, 2024, and so far good reviews naman nabasa namin. We wanted to take advantage of the long weekend but unfortunately, fully booked agad so we changed our travel dates. 


We enjoyed our anniversary staycation at Nawa Wellness and this deserves a separate post. By the way, when we checked out, they already informed us na mag-iincrease na sila ng rates by March and I’m sure, mag-iincrease pa yan kasi so far naka soft-opening pa lang sila. Buti na lang nakapunta na kami habang mura pa yung rate nila. 

Wedding Anniversary Craft Projects 

I already shared my Valentine’s Craft Projects in my previous posts but here are the craft projects that I did for our anniversary. 



I used the Wedding Couple Card SVG, but I tweaked the design and I changed the “On Your Wedding Day” to Anniversary. I used the Wedding Gnome Couple for the second card. Lastly, I used the wedding truck SVG for our cake topper, I just replaced the flower with an "18" number, you can also find this truck on the Craft with Sarah website. 
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January 09, 2024

Highlights of Year 2023

If year 2022 was our best year because we were able to spend more time with family and we were able to travel every month. I consider the year 2023 as an unexpected year. Unexpected because…


1. We expected that we could move to our new house last year but there were so many delays. But at least on-going na yung house renovation, slowly but we are getting there. 

2. My son made it to Overall Top last Recognition Day, it was his dream to be part of it. It was not an easy journey because 240+ students ang kalaban niya. So to be part of the top 10, is really a big achievement for him. 

3. Nasira yung eyeglasses ng anak ko so kahit hindi pa namin schedule magpacheck ng mata, napaaga. I thought it was a simple check-up only but I was wrong, ang daming ganap. Wala pa one year yung last check-up namin pero ang laki ng tinaas ng grade niya, almost double. They they saw something on my son’s optic nerves so he needs to undergo Glaucoma Test. Then after the test result, the doctor advised to have quarterly test of OCT of Optic Disc/Optic Nerve, BE and Humphrey Visual Field Perimetry, BE. 

My son is back to pedia-ophtha again, we stopped going dun sa pedia-ophtha niya sa Asian Hospital since pandemic kasi ang hirap kumuha ng slot so sinama ko na lang sa doctor ko last year pero nirefer siya ulit sa pedia-ophtha and another doctor for glaucoma specialist. Just like that, 2 doctors na yung pupuntahan namin for his eye check-up. 

4. Almost one year of planning, natuloy din get-together namin ng college friends ko. We went to Borro and Kandle Cafe. Also, after so many years, nakapag family get-together din kami sa mother’s side, 2019 pa yata yung last reunion namin. 

5. I wanted to try different hotel buffet restaurants but I observed na pataba ako ng pataba. In fact, paulit-ulit yung mga sinusuot ko na damit kasi konti na lang kasya and I noticed that when I made my year-end video. But I still managed to eat a few buffet restaurants last year, may pagpipigil pa yan. Hehehe! 

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Fresh Internation Buffet- Solaire Resort & Casino Manila. We also celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday and my mom’s Despedida at Teppanya Evia 



6. I’ve been meaning to visit IKEA Philippines since day one but it took me a long time. But finally, nakavisit na rin because I spent my birthday at IKEA. 

7. Since nagtravel kami nung birthday ni hubby and birthday ko, gusto ko rin sana magtravel sa birthday ng anak ko, pero hindi ko nagawa kasi yung weekend na yun, wedding ng brother-in-law ko so nag food trip lang kami sa Yurakuen. Disappointed ako sa food trip namin kaya hindi ko pa rin nabablog ito. Ang taas kasi ng expectation ko because of our first buffet experience at Yurakuen too. 

8. I went back to crafting when the pandemic happened but I always consider myself an occasional crafter but this year, I made time for it. I started joining craft summits, craft countdowns, and giveaways. Fortunately, sa dami ng sinalihan ko meron naman ako napanalunan. I was so happy with my crafting life and I thought it was a happy community pero hindi rin pala. I had a negative experience before the year ended and I shared it on this post. 

9. When we welcomed the year 2023, we had no travel plans at all because we knew that we needed to save for our house renovation and house improvement. No travel trip during Holy Week, Summer Break, and Christmas break. But despite that, we were able to visit a few places and super unexpected yung Sydney and Davao Trip. 

We spent our first week of January in Sanctuary Batulao. 


We celebrated our wedding anniversary at La Chevrerie Resort. 


My husband celebrated his birthday in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar 


I celebrated my birthday at Casalay Boutique Villas & Dive Resort 


I spent my summer break preparing our documents for our Australian Visa Application. 

During my son’s semestral break, we went to Sydney, Australia. The third continent that my son and I visited. 


My mom went back to the Philippines pero dahil busy kami, hindi ako nakakapunta sa Valenzuela so when we went back from Sydney and time na niya magbakasyon sa bahay, I made a last minute booking to Davao for our bonding. It was our first mother-and-daughter trip. 


10. Lastly, I was almost stuck at home during the Christmas Break because we got sick so I really didn’t feel the holiday. The advantage is, I didn’t feel the stress of preparing food or attending get-togethers because we were sick. The disadvantage is, we were not able to travel kahit beach trip lang. Nagdaan lang talaga ang holiday. 

I was checking my photo gallery, nakalimutan ko pala magpicture ng New Year’s Eve. Unexpected yan since lagi naman ako nagpipicture. 

The best things in life are unexpected because there were no expectations. - Eli Khamarov
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