lucky number 7

"Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you"

that would have to be my mom!

she is my personal life icon! she lost her husband at the age of 25, leaving with her 3 children ages 5 (me), 3 and 1.  She was just right at the beginning of building a career that time, fresh out of college..so naturally she was unemployed..inspite of that, she persevered and was able to get hired then rose from the ranks while taking up her master's degree. She got an early retirement and decided to start her own business while taking up Law. It may seem ordinary but what she was able to accomplish was admirable to me - because she did those all by herself (of course with moral support from her parents but minus the financial aspect since she's also supporting them). Up until now she supports us in any way she can,name it..she believes that a parent will always be a parent no matter how old one's child has become. She is also a giver..she has a big heart. she was able to help a lot of people and still continues to do so.

i would love to tell you more about her (my list is quite long) but i'm weak right now, emotionally that is.  i'm going through something and she is the person i really need a tight hug from right now (unfortunately we're thousand miles apart). =(

number FIVE...

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

if it's up to me, i'd rather be in the comfort of my own home watching tv, reading a book, thinking of decorating ideas or probably redecorating a portion of our house. but all my four boys love the water..so i would like to share pictures from a beach trip we had last January 2010, few days before my husband went back here in Riyadh ahead of us..

here are pics from Caylabne Beach, Philippines...

i practically fell in love with the place!



the kids were excited!


what i love about the place is that it's semi-private so there's not much of a crowd which i tend to avoid (crowded places usually make me shy and uncomfortable).


isn't it so serene? i can actually read lots of books here =)


my husband and i..


me and my mom..she's the one who treated us to this place, hehe =)


marveling at the wonderful scene...


already taking a dip! (the little girl is my only niece and is a "mini-me", haha..)

here comes four..

"Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have"

When I was younger I used to dream about the same thing over and over..that i would place all my ten fingers in front of an electric fan and watch as my finger nails grow ..

weird, huh! well that's because i used to nailbite.. i still do but no longer on a regular everyday basis, hehe! i think i stopped when i was in college..to this day i nailbite whenever i'm bothered..and i focus on only one finger nail unlike before when i would bite off all my nails until blood comes out (gross! i know). I'm thankful that my husband is there to stop me everytime i'm about to put my finger in my mouth.. =)

what's your bad habit? ;)


(http://www.fotosearch.com/IGS021/is900-981/)

ready for three...

"a picture of you with your friends"

it may sound very simple, but i find day 3 quite difficult (i want to post pics of all my friends)..
though i'm not really miss congeniality, i realized just now i have so many friends - in different aspects of my life..they are not just 'friends' but people who are really close and dear to me..i have quite limited pictures since i didn't have a back-up when my laptop broke down and i lost most of my photos..

here are some of them..

my college "best" buddies (up to know we still get together whenever possible..the other one (included in the 2nd pic) was in Dubai that time..


actually, i have quite a number of college friends (around 10 or more) but because of physical distance and changes in family status, i don't get to see them..but we still do keep in touch..


these are my friends in school when i was still teaching..most of them are older than me..i have the best company at school..these peeps are for keeps..most of them are godmothers of my sons..the picture was taken the last time we got together (i was in the Philippines that time)


one of my co-teachers and is a very dear friend of mine..i consider her my best friend at work..


two of my church friends (they are sisters)..we have been friends since i was 13 or 14 years old..we rarely see each other but we do keep in touch..


new friends my husband and i have made here in Riyadh and we're looking forward to more happy times with them..

I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends..i know they are all true to me and they love me and my family..

task #1

So here's day 1 (or maybe I'd change that to TASK #1) of the 30 Day Challenge..
"A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself"

this is my recent photo with my husband (taken last July 16 at a friend's pizza party)..very glamorous indeed, hehe..it's not a very good picture of me but i don't wanna cheat and take a profile/headshot just for the task..

I don't know if these are interesting but they sure are facts as far as I know, haha!
1. i love anything sweet.
2. i don't eat rice (but i will and i can if a have to).
3. i don't eat beef (because i have a slow metabolism).
4. i can eat 1 whole cake in a day.
5. i learned to eat bell pepper only last June 2010 and I'm loving it (thanks to my husband).
6. i'm super scared of ghosts and other supernatural stuff but i love watching horror flicks.
7. i love to shop (yet i'm not shopaholic).
8. i couldn't sleep alone up until now.
9. i get goosebumps everytime i see a kitten - i don't know why..
10. i love to sing.
11. spaghetti is my comfort food.
12. i learned to REALLY cook only 2 years ago.
13. i got married at 22 and had my first child at 23.
14. i didn't dream of becoming a teacher/educator yet i taught for about 7 years (i find it tedious yet very fulfilling).
15. i didn't like coffee until i got married to my husband and now i'm a certified coffee-addict averaging 4 cups a day! =)

Kalas! (finish)
Now i'm excited for the next task!!! =)