Winter, it is!

Leaves are starting to fall off the ground. Another season is about to begin. Thank you, Autumn!

Along Victoria Parade

And it is time to put on your pair of boots..Hello winter!!

After the Sunday service

Melbourne, the place to be!

Awwww!! At last! I am on sick leave today due to dysmenorrhea and headache. So I am just home, getting some rest and yeah yipeee!! this is my chance to update my blog. Ang dami kong utang na kwento! Waaah!!!

Ok, let's start with the most recent one and I am too much excited about this. New year, new place. We're moving to Melbourne!! Wohooo!! Believe it or not, I like it more there than Sydney. I had this moment while traveling to City and then going back to the airport, there's this "I am home" feeling. I don't know why. It's the atmosphere perhaps? It's true, pampamilya ang Melbourne (or feeling ko lang?! hehe). Basta nagustuhan ko ang Melby ;-)

Last week, we flew to Melb to watch the Australian Open and stroll around the City. Well, that was the original plan four months ago before the announcement. It was in October when they announced that Finance will move to the main office in Melbourne. The idea of moving out was not clear then. We have prayed for this, if it is God's will for us to live to another state. Life is already comfortable in Sydney, we have frienda and spiritual family. But then, His plan is getting more clear each day as the date of the transfer is approaching. Since November, we heard about the "do not be afraid", "be courageous", "getting out of your comfort zone" messages. God is even sending people to be our contact in Melbourne, He is providing the resources. It's definite, that He is preparing us and making a way for the transfer.

Change of plan. For three days, we did the house inspection, watched tennis, and met the families who are our soon-to-be fellow Melburnians. Here are the photos of the houses that we viewed last Saturday and Monday. Sana ma-approve ang aming application :-)

House #1

House #2

House #3

House #4

Snapshots of the AU open and our side trips to the Dela Cruz, Montana and Caina family. Thank you for welcoming and accommodating us. See you again soon!

konting practice pa dy sa pagbuhat ;-)

serena williams and roger federer sa background :-)

hisense arena

sydney friends

with kuya matthew

ganda ng bahay nila myla

with the Montana family

with the Caina family

family picture ahihi

Almost 7km

I ran and walked this morning. Getting ready for the 10.10.10 Run for Pasig river. For this week, my plan is to run 30 minutes on the threadmill everyday. Focus. Focus. Focus. I am not a serious runner though. My goal is to finish the 5k run strong. I have learned my lesson from the last Figaro run. It's like getting into the battle without having any preparation. No exercise, no stretching, no running on the threadmill, no gearing up at all! Though I finished the race, I suffered the consequence of not having enough training. I brought home my certificate of completion and aching muscles. For the whole week, I cannot walk and move my both legs properly. But not this time, not anymore! Three words to meet my goal:

Focus. Discipline. Perseverance.

thanks jenny for the company!

Then, I just thought, if only I could reach you by running and walking, though it will take me hundreds of miles, I will do it just to be with you. Because I miss you so much.

Bruises

while watching glee this morning, louie sat beside me. then i touched his face and softly massage his head not knowingly that he will attack me. i don't understand what triggered him to do that because i always do it and he is calm. whatever he was thinking, i suppose it was not intenional to hurt me. i got bruises. with his two hands and two feet, he grabbed my right hand, then locked his two feet so i won't be able to move the upper part of my hand, scrabbled his nails and tried to bit me. ouch!!! i felt the pain when he released my hand. i didn't scold at him. this was not the first time, i know the wounds will suddenly heal..i saw louie peacefully sleeping at the corner. i smiled. though he brought me physical hurt, he is still our joy. hindi ko kaya magalit.

since last week, i always check my yahoo account as i am waiting for an important email. two weeks have passed, still no advise. nalulungkot ako..i played the hillsong dvd and sing songs of praise to him. i trust his timing..and will keep on praying and waiting..praying and waiting..i fell asleep again and woke up late. eto na naman ang aking struggle - to go or not to go to work. since it is my holiday naman tomorrow, i decided to go. while traveling to work, i can't help myself not to think about the thing that i am waiting..then i received a note. the message was like louie's scratches on my hand. ang sakit..i went to the ladies room to wipe my tears away. lilipas din 'to. nasaktan ako pero hindi ako galit. hindi ko kaya. walang nagbago, i still love the person.

this made me realize how god loves me unconditionally. no matter how many times i hurt him because of my sins, his steadfast love never ceases; his mercies never come to an end and they are new every morning (lamentations 3:22-23). i am still his daughter and he is my heavenly father.

enough for today..tomorrow is another day and i am excited to my date with my two mamas :-)

You may already be there!

Good Story, read till the end.

A tourist boat arrived in a small fishing village.

A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took to catch them. "Not very long" they answered

"Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more" asked the tourist.

The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.

"But what do you do with the rest of your time?", asked the tourist.

"We sleep late ,fish a little ,play with our children, and take a siesta with our wives. In the evenings we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, sing a few songs. We have a full life".

The tourist interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?".

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?"

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.

"And after that?".

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

"With all due respect Sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point of wasting twenty-five years?" asked the fishermen

And the moral of this story is:

Know where you're going in life . . . you may already be there!

Work-life-balance

nowadays, i am enjoying it's truest sense..WORK. stress-free workload (it is more manageable now), going home on time (yeah! good bye overtime!), i blend well with the people i work for and work with (the positive atmosphere i love), and the favorable working time (i've tried different work shifts, this is the best, i would say, so far)..LIFE. for the record, since i have started working, my sleeping hours now is 6 to 7 everyday; 9 or 10 is just right to wake up in the morning and have my quiet time; then i still have time to bond with mama (most of the time thru cooking) before going to work; (this is something new) i can allot at least one hour to work out in the gym; and i can chat with hubby at night during break or even while working :-)

i will stay put and enjoy this balance while i am waiting. this is a time to rediscover me, nurture relationships, relax and think well, regain strength, and delight more in his presence (na hindi nagmamadali).

wow! thank you, lord, for my life and my work.

photo via tea&coffee