This was one of the most productive, fun Sunday mornings for me and my family. Led by our new Christian friend from Liberia, who’s now studying here to become an evangelist in his country, we welcomed the beautiful morning with a prayer before heading to the Philippine Army grandstand to run and play.

It was an awesome day! Indeed, God’s love and mercies are new every morning!

Let these pictures speak for themselves.

Daddy and son doing some warm-ups

I finished my 6K run feeling great and recharged. Thank you Lord for the gift of strength! Apart from You I can do nothing!

We miss you, Ayesha! Sleep early so you can join us next time! Hehe.

Greggy finished his firsk 1.5K run with Tito Gerald. Good job, baby!

Having fun at the playground

I love you, daddy and kuya!

Meet our guest from Liberia, T-boy!

Racing at the footbridge with my little boy

Pancake breakfast at Mcdo, Mckinley Hill

One last shot before going home. Click here for more pictures!

Leo and I finally signed up for the Yakult 10-Miler Run at Mizuno, Bonifacio High Street a few days ago. I was a bit worried that there would be no available slots for 5K, but it turned out there were still lots. Thank God!

The singlets come in two colors – white/red and red/green. Not bad for a very affordable registration fee. The fabric is a little rough on the skin though. Pero keri lang! Hehe.

Anyway, I took a picture of our race kits.

Our race bibs

Our running singlets! The white one is mine; the red one is Leo’s

I am so excited because….

1. I am a big fan of Yakult. I really wish there was 1 liter being sold somewhere.
2. My husband, my favorite running buddy, decided to join me despite his heavy workload in the office. (Lord, give him enough strength to finish the race!)
3. I heard when we finish the race, we’ll get a pack of Yakult! Haha!
4. The registration fee is very cheap. It’s only 300 php for all race categories — 3K, 5K and 16K (10 miles).
5. This is the first fun run I’ll be joining this year. I’m planning to join more running events in the coming months! Done marking my calendar with all the fun runs that will be held around Global City.
6. This is our first run outside Global City.
7. 7 of my officemates are joining us too.
8. Lastly, I don’t wanna gain weight. ever. again.

You see, it’s only been two weeks since I went back to work, but my stress level is already at its peak. Ugh. Don’t ask me why!

Okay, enough said.

See you at CCP on March 27! Feel free to view the race map below.

Click on the image to read the Rules and Regulations

Click on the image to view the race map

When our little girl turned one and started walking, she didn’t want to sleep in her crib anymore. She now insists on sleeping with us in our queen-sized bed and likes being cuddled as if she were some grown-up kid. LOL.

One night, she screamed at the top of her lungs when I put her down in her crib. But to my surprise, she stopped crying as soon as I picked her up, looked at me straight in the eye wearing her sweetest smile, and landed a loud smack on my lips!

Whoa! She’s a real drama princess!

I loved the kiss though.

If there’s one thing that you enjoyed doing the most when you were a kid, what would it be?

For me, riding a bike definitely tops my list of most-loved activities when I was a kid. Not only did it help me stay slim, it also helped a lot in terms of making pa-cute with my crush during those days. LOL. But don’t get me wrong, okay? I was never the type of girl who would approach a guy that I liked. Making “pa-cute” for me simply means being content stealing glances at my secret crush while passing by. Haha! I grew up with very conservative values, so making the first move was a big no-no for me.

I’d rather die than get caught red-handed staring at a boy!

Taking a stroll down memory lane never fails to put a smile on my face. It’s always good to be reminded of the good-old-days!

Anyway, husband suggested that we ride a bike once in a while, especially at times when he’s too tired to jog. And since I miss riding a bike, I agreed without batting an eyelash! We decided to buy two mountain bikes. For long road trips, we might consider getting yakima bike racks too.

I feel proud that women today are more career-oriented. They know what they want in life. They’re wiser. They’re go-getters. They’re more focused on achieving their dreams. Climbing the corporate ladder of success is what fuels them. They think before they speak.

And more often than not, they don’t let their heart rule their mind. Building a family is simply out of their league. They consider marriage as their last priority.

Read this — LAST PRIORITY.

Until they reach the age of… uhm…what? 35? 38? 40?

I know a few good women who are successful in what they do, but still feel empty inside. What’s sad is, they’re way past the marrying age now. True love came knocking at their door once, but they let it slip away thinking that “it wasn’t the right time.” Now their days are filled with anxious thoughts.

Will I ever get married? Or am I only meant to wear those bridesmaid dresses at a friend’s wedding year after year?

I guess everyone reading this blog will agree with me that none of us wants to live alone. We all want to have our own family. There’s nothing wrong with us women to desire more for ourselves. But let’s not forget the fact that we are God’s creation and we shouldn’t live a life conforming to this world’s standards, but His.

Somebody asked me before, “Why did you get married early? Were you pregnant?”

Seriously, this question shocked me. But what I found more shocking was the fact that this person just sees marriage as a worthless piece of paper – a legal contract between two people who didn’t have a choice.

I see marriage as a covenant with God. A lifetime commitment of two people who truly love each other.

I was 23 when I got married. And I wasn’t pregnant. I wanted to be a career-woman, too. But when I met my husband, I changed my mind. LOL.

Anyway, this was my answer to the question. “When you’ve already found the one that God made for you, why would you want to let him go?”

The thing is, God chose to bless me with this gift at an early age. Shouldn’t I feel very blessed? Others spend all their lives searching for a man that has enough guts to marry them, but couldn’t find one.

Now think about it!

I’ve been working in our company for several years now. And yes — there have been times that I wanted to quit and look for a home-based job, so I can be with the kids 24 hours a day.

But I guess one of the reasons why I haven’t resigned until now is the fact that our company pays well and provides benefits incomparable to other call centers out there. Insurance coverage (accident, death, disability insurance, etc.) and health benefits are great.

Above all, I have a great boss too! I love her just as much as I love my teammates. The thing is, they’re not just my colleagues — they’re my dear friends!

One day, I’ll be saying goodbye to the corporate world. But for now, let me enjoy these “sweet benefits”.

Baguio Trip – May 2009