December 14th : San Francisco aka hello family!

After Thanksgiving hubby and I did nothing but cleaned the apartment every weekend and bought few things for my family's room. We prepared everything from the room, food, clothes and the car that we rented on the day we picked them up in San Francisco airport. It was also our first long drive before we got married. It was 14th of December when my family arrived here. And we thought we weren't able to make it in San Francisco because it's been snowing even before Thanksgiving. I actually felt dizzy throughout the travel because I didn't have enough sleep and driving through the mountains wasn't my thing too. 

Unluckily, we got hit by a car. For a moment I thought we were going to spend the rest of the day worrying about the rental car or if the man will call someone up. But we were able to fix it and we enjoyed the rest of the day and we had spare time to do side trips while waiting for their arrival. Thought one thing I don't like about big cities is that there is always traffic. Coming from the Philippines, I'm used to being stuck in traffic but this was different. Driving for four hours and having to deal with traffic - I didn't like it at all. But I didn't let it get into me. I just slept through it. Lol. 

We went to Ghirardelli Square and of course, the Golden Gate bridge. We were supposed to go to Fisherman's Wharf but we had to leave early because of traffic. But it's okay I've been there once. I was just happy I get to revisit these places with hubby and his dad. Sadly, it was cloudy/rainy day in San Francisco. I told hubby the next time we are going to travel somewhere I want to try the best foods in the town we are visiting or anything that is nice to visit besides those tourist spots. I want to explore and experience the place by visiting the heart of it and know its history. 

So there, after Golden Gate and Ghirardelli we headed to the airport and while stuck in the traffic I couldn't help but think how it's like to live in San Francisco. Besides the busy and fast pace life in San Fo, I wondered what it feels like living there. I saw many cafés, museums, the list goes on and some of the streets are narrow or uphill and the cars are parked outside I mean, even in our place but it's very close to the main streets. It's different from what I saw in Los Angeles and Carson. I like the houses that is for sure and the city during the night. I think that is when it is more alive! So long San Francisco, I will be back again to explore more of you! 

If you any thing to suggest on where is the best food, store or things to do in San Fo please comment below! I would love to visit them someday! Thank you!

Thank God, we made home safely! We waited for almost two-three hours in the airport. I believe we left San Fo at 10 pm and got home at 2 am. It was windy when we reached Carson city. Good experience for my visitors. Haha. Lol ;-) 

Never is an awfully long time.

Hello earthlings! How are you all doing? Winter is finally here and I'm quite excited for new year. Well, in our city it seems like winter arrived very early. It's been snowing even before Thanksgiving unlike last year. 

So for the month of November I didn't blog so much because I didn't have the energy to sit down and write everything has happened. There was so much anxiety and stress but you know I think of it as a challenge for me to be a stronger person as I can ever be. There is just so much people around me that I think judge me for something I am not at all. I don't know I just feel like every time I speak to them they trash talk me behind my back even the adults. That's one thing about me I always worry about what other people would say to me. But you know, everyday I'm fighting and doing the best I can to be kind, respectful and still loving to them. 

November 13th

Mon amour and I drove to Virginia to witness the supermoon. We wanted it to be special because according to my research the next supermoon will  be on November 25, 2034. So we packed our dinner, chairs, hot cocoa, blanket and to my disappointment when we arrived to our spot I found out I brought the wrong camera bag. I was so frustrated with myself. It was too late to go back and get it. We just went ahead and ate our dinner. It was still a romantic night with him. Ahhhhh, I will never forget that night ;') After our dinner, we headed back home and grabbed the camera and went uphill to capture the city lights and the supermoon too of course. I tried my best to capture the city lights.

Winter is finally here

November 20th

Most of our weekends were spent cleaning the front yard. But you know it was actually fun and someday we will have our own yard to maintain buy ourselves. After our chores, we drove to the lake and to our surprise road was packed with snow. It was pretty freezing up there. It was a fun road trip to the lake, we just went sightseeing and take more pictures. As always! 

Thanksgiving dinner set up

Sweet Potato casserole

November 24th

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! This was probably the best Thanksgiving dinner yet. It was my first time to spend it with his family. I was so honoured to help his sister prepare our dinner. It was also my first time to make these dishes. Haha. Really delicious dinner. My favourite was the corn, turkey (lol), mashed potato and the stuffing. We spent our night at his sister's house and went Black Friday shopping (well more like window shopping) with mon amour's nephew and his girlfriend. We watched Fantastic Beasts. I will never forget the experience I'm the type of person who likes to watch movie from afar because I tend to have really bad aches when I watch very close but you know surprisingly, I even liked it more! Or is it because it was a J.K. Rowling movie? We got the love seat. I really like the movie. I wanted more of the movie! I can't wait for it!!! Great movie and story! 

November 26th and 27th

So this time mon amour and I brought gifts to our families. Not so much though just enough to make them happy. And we woke up to a very cold morning, it snowed all night. We attended the first advent mass. I cannot believe we are only a month away before 2017. What?!!! GOSH. I wish and pray that everyone will have a great year. I know we all have problems and trials never stops but what is life without them, right? It makes us learn about how to play the game called life. I think that's what makes life beautiful. Let's hold on and don't give up especially with our dreams. Never give up until you reach your destination. Problems and trials are temporary only. I hope your December will be filled with more love, faith and happiness. 

Faves for this month:

Song   - Atlantis by Bridgit Mendler

Movies - Dear Frankie and The Letter Writer
Gadgets  - Fujifilm SP2 printer and Sunpak TravelLite Pro Tripod
Make-up - Sonia Kashuk Eye On Neutral Palette

A Light Beneath Their Feet

Lord Byron once said the art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist even in pain. 

The question is how long do we need to endure the pain? There are days when you just want to run away from the reality you are in and build another world of yours. When no one knows your story or your past. In that way, we might take a shot of feeling endlessly alive and like the world is finally at peace with us. For once, there is clarity and light in our lives. 

It's just another day when I feel very down but you know I learn for the past months that no matter how uncertain or challenging our lives can be. We must always see the goodness in it. We must always choose to be happy and continue to live because we never know, our existence might be meaningful to other people. I read The Secret and what you whisper to the universe, it will come to you in the right time when you are ready. Be patient, my love. We can do this.

Miss Peregrine's Date with Mon Amour

"Let me glimpse inside your velvet bones."

- Edgar Allan Poe

What is more exciting thing to do than to start the month watching Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children with mon amour? I started reading the first book five years ago and was jumping out of joy to find out Ransom Riggs was publishing the second sequel and the same year they announced Tim Burton was directing the film. Oh myyyyy! What caught my interest to read Miss Peregrine's were the vintage pictures and the peculiar children. I love children. They never lie and they speak through their hearts. Always happy! I also like stories that took place during the war time. It's when you see how people or the characters develop and get through hard times of life. Just like today. The world is facing big problems and it's sad that one of them are the children they are the ones who have to deal with these terrible things. They deserve a great childhood memories not these bombings, terror and guns. 

I'm glad that Malala Yousafzai exists (she reminds me of Anne Frank - I love her). She is helping the children get the education they truly deserve and doing her best to give inspiration to people. You may want to read my post about it.

Going back to the date with mon amour.

It was October first. 

We went shopping. I bought sweaters in Old Navy and make-up goodies in Sephora. I got Tarte products. I may write a post about it in the future. 

After hearing a mass I told him if we could have soup for lunch and since it's starting to get chilly. We had viet pho. Yummy!! Though I really wish they serve ramen :'(

After roaming around the mall, we stopped at our favourite store, Whole Foods Market, we love their sushi there. Since we don't want to dine in at Japanese buffet like what we used to do last year. We just buy the $12.99 sushi. Not bad at all. Right? 

And ended our night with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.. I have a love-hate rating with the film. The casting was good and Burton didn't fail to establish peculiar ambiance but the plot was a little off. Downside of it was it felt they were rushing the story. This wasn't the best Burton film I would say. I wish they could have focus on making the story sequence better. I don't know it's just my opinion. The first half was great but the rest was like, "Eh? What?". From the person who read the book, they kind of stepped back with plotting the story. (I don't even know if I make sense at all. Lol.) Overall I give the movie a 7/10. Good thing mon amour liked it. 

Kawaii desu ne?

BLOG UPDATE:

Do you like my new layout? It's not much but I wanted more cute and simple. It's time to have a new one. 

Previous layout

Now that we're in fall season let me just share to you what I have been binging on t.v. 

Ever since middle school I have been watching and getting crazy over Japanese tv series!! Though not until now I started watching one again. In between, I like watching Japanese animated movies. I love all of it!!! 

First off let's start with my current obsession. 

1. Mischievous Kiss - (イタズラなKiss～Love in Tokyo, Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo )

You can watch both seasons on Netflix now or if you don't have Netflix. You may watch it on Crunchyroll.

 

I don't want to spoil everything and I'm too lazy to give you a good summary. Hehe. I'm still on season one episode five. I would admit Naoki Irie-chan is a one charming guy. He's a little introvert though, serious and smart man. Not so bad after all. Hehe. And Kotoko-chan is such a positive, sweet, and happy girl! Kawaiiiiiiiii is all I can say ;-) 

Watching Mischievous Kiss made me want to go back to Japan so much!!!! Ahhhhh, hearing their accent (if you may call it that way) is very satisfying in my ears. There's something about it that I like so much and their cute expressions. I miss everything about Japan especially the food and my relatives. I just realised that I can still understand a few words and phrases while watching. Someone please buy me a plane ticket now. Haha. Times like this I wish I have a Japanese friend who can teach me more of Nihonggo. 

I know most of you guys might not like this kind of series. It's too predictable, boring?, or cliché but I really want to watch something light and cute. 

2. Boys Over Flowers - (Hana Yori Dango)

Read more here : IMdb - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489597/

Photo from : https://www.cinematerial.com/tv/hana-yori-dango-i489597/p/vxwyu4ec

This is like the first Japanese series I have ever watched and first one I have loved. The genre is the same with Mischievous Kiss. 

Makino Tsukushi played by Mao Inoue is very attractive and pretty out of all the actresses I have seen and same with Dômyôji played by Jun Matsumoto. 

Let me just say I fell in love with Tsukushi and Dômyôji's chemistry. It was a love-hate relationship. 

I was probably 13-15 years old when I first got hooked with HYD and probably the age when I was exposed to J-pop and J-doramas. It was also the age when we kept coming back to Japan. How I terribly miss Japan! I want to go back as soon as I can and take mon amour with me.

I even remember my older cousin and sister were raving about Jun Matsumoto and other Japanese singers. In fact, he is a member of a group in Japan, ARASHI (嵐). I think it's like One Direction of Japan. And one time when we visited Japan during Christmas holidays, my cousin really wanted to meet Aiba also a member of Arashi. Unluckily, he was not there but we met his mother. 

Okay enough.

3. Flower Boy Ramen Shop - (꽃미남 라면가게 - Ggotminam Ramyeongage) Korean series

Read more here : Asianwiki also download the DramaFever app in your app store for free and you may watch it for free.

Photo from : https://jediprincess.wordpress.com/tag/flower-boy-ramyun-shop/

Ahhhhh.. another love-hate relationship. Yang Eun-Bi and Cha Chi-Soo are my first Korean couple I ever like and probably this is the first Korean series I have watched also. Love the casting and acting. They're very cute and funny. Though the story could have been better. Very light series I would say. 

*Sorry if this entry sounds like just ranting.*

I just hope that you would try to watch them or at least one of them and let me know what you think.

I barely watch series but I can take 16 episodes or less. 

ALSO, I LOVE LOOOOOVE 

Stranger Things! I cannot wait for season two.

Goodbye Summer

Ohh, another month has passed by and you never it's already 2017. Let me just give you the last snaps for summer 2016. Mon amour and I had a last dip in the lake last August. Though I was a little frustrated with myself that day, we were supposed to go hiking at the Eagle Lake which I wasn't able to see last 2015. I only had four hours sleep and woke up very early to watch the sunrise unfortunately I threw up and felt very dizzy in the morning. We slept for five hours and woke up 1 in the afternoon and decided to continue with our day. Since I wasn't able to swim last time. I took this opportunity to swim in the lake. It was my first time and the water was freezing cold! I had to temper my body every six minutes. Haha.

It was fun especially it was my first time with mon amour.

We parked a mile away so we had to walk under the scorching heat. So much fuuuuun though. I got a little darker. Still I enjoyed so much. I never thought I'd be doing these fun things with him after a very long years. There are still days when I ask myself if I'm dreaming or what. I'm very grateful - having someone to go to beautiful places such as Tahoe makes my heart melt. 

I hope everyone is excited for fall though! 

Till next time, earthlings!

Your Hand In Mine

I don't want to forget. I want these special moments to remain. 

I want my future children to read what I wrote here and see photos I took.

I want them to cherish every moment they will have with their special ones.  

---

Two weeks ago the family and I attended a company party. I was quite disappointed because mon amour and I have been planning to paddle board since last summer and I had a period. Ugh, why?! So I just sat all day and waited for the sunset because it's the perfect time to take pictures. Well, we played bingo with his dad and I almost won. I really enjoyed, it's been a long time. 

There's nothing to tell but share pictures with you again.

Sorry for a really short post ;-)

South Lake Tahoe

I cannot believe we're already passed half of this year. Where did the time go?

Besides being able to travel again, spend summer here for the second time and after finishing my internship. It feels great though I haven't been successful with my career but I'm happy and I know this is just the start of another unforgettable journey ahead. After all we deserve a break after our hard work. People these days are busy focusing with work and forgetting that there is another side of life where we can have fun and discover more of the world and ourselves and experience what it really means to live. Let us not forget about that, okay? Though even I is still working on that. 

As the birthday celebration of mon amour and his mom continues and before July ends. We drove to the lake and had a lunch picnic. It was a spontaneous picnic though. We brought Chinese take-out, chocolate cake, crackers and ice cream (let's talk about being healthy?!).

This would be the first birthday celebration we are both together after eight years (no work or whatsoever) Last year, we celebrated it but not on the exact day. So I'm extremely grateful and stoked! I hope we will celebrate more birthdays together in the future. 

I really love weekends.

It's the time to be around with the people you love, try new things and eat good food. Go fishing, go to theatres and what I love the most is grocery shopping all year-round. Haha. There are lots of things to do during summer and can it please slow down because I haven't done most of it. 

As this month ends, I hope that it will all be great month ahead and the remaining months. I hope this time things are better and we will be happier earthlings. 

Together Again

Penpal update:

Few days before I left, my friend's letter from Spain finally arrived after four months. We thought it got lost but I was relieved when I saw this on our doorstep. Thank you so much, dearest Chelo! I shall write back to you very soon.

After six months of not seeing mon amour, we are finally together for the the rest of this year. Until now we can't still believe where we are right now. How we grew up together not physically though but I was on his side since junior high school. Since distance was our number one enemy it made us stronger. It helped us build the important foundation of every relationships - trust.

We have been through a lot of problems, fights and the list goes on. I never regret any of it. In fact, it made me love him even more and God being in the center of our relationship I know we can overcome any problems. 

Months felt like years when we are apart and days felt like minutes every time I am with you.  

So there I hopped on my sixteen hour flight. I can't wait to see him -  spend summer and holidays with him and the family. While I was in the plane I can't help but stare at the window and watch over the sun sets and moon rises. I can't help but think of him and us, wondering what would be our destiny. "I can't wait to see him", is what I always say to myself. As usual, my flight was exhausting and I had to go through a lot of things before I saw him but thankfully it was a safe journey. Thank you God.

And there while waiting for my baggage, a guy walked towards me and it was mon amour carrying a bouquet of roses. I almost cried of happiness and excitement upon seeing him. He is very handsome and his smile is my favourite thing ever. I was melting inside. I finally held hands with him and we drove home.

Mon amour did this welcome home surprise for me. How sweet! He decorated the room with our pictures and balloons with messages on it. Awwww.... I was like, "Is this really happening?" 

Two days after my arrival, it was his birthday so we decided to make our favourite cake and past time -  making refrigerated cakes! We spent the whole weekend re-organizing the room and buying stuffs for me. It was indeed the best days ever yet! I miss doing things with him. I miss grocery shopping with him. I miss everyone here! It's so great to be back home. Home is not a place but a feeling.

Green apple we found in the neighborhood

Cheers to more adventures and happy days together!