Just Because...

a prayer for patience

2010-02-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Heavenly Father,
Praise be given to Your Holy name for
Your forbearance and mercy.
You have dealt gently with Your children in love.
You have been patient with me
in my humanness and stubbornness.
Lord, through the work of Your Spirit,
prompt me to be more jubilant in hope,
more patient in times of trouble,
and more consistent in my prayer life.
Teach me, Lord,
to wait with faith and expectancy,
and may my trials be seen as times for growth in grace.
Through Christ our Lord, I pray. Amen.
___________

Rejoice in your hope,
be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12 (RSV)

- - - - - - - -

Isn't that beautiful? I have found this in the net when I most needed it especially at this time of my life. I admit that I am not the most patient person in the world, and I am really trying to be especially with a daughter which will be in school pretty soon. Hubby and I have been in the waiting stage for years now and sometimes, I can't help but get so discouraged. For that, I always ask forgiveness when I am in this state of mind. Well, I am only human, right? But despite everything, hubby and I just can't stop hoping and wishing for the best. We have that HUGE Faith in HIM, as always... Have a fantastic day you all!

on ladies' night at American Idol

2010-02-24T05:39:00.003-07:00

Have you seen the girls' performance at American Idol last night? How did you find it? I don't know if I liked it but oh well, it was only their first night. I am sure that as the show progresses on, it's going to be more magical. I just wish that some of the girls had performed playing piano chords. Nobody did, just guitar, right? But as I have said that it was only their first night performance so I am sure we can see some American Idol contestants play piano chords or other musical instruments.

I am really looking forward for the men's performance tonight. I hope that not only they will perform well tonight but they will also deliver. I wonder if some of them learn piano chords? I will be watching out for that tonight. I don't know but I really like a contestant who can play piano just like Kris Allen from last season. It will give one an edge over the other, right? I really think that this season is going to be awesome, don't you think so?

what an amazing performance!

2010-02-12T12:46:00.001-07:00

My, my, my! This remarkable performance by my favorite, Pink at the Grammy's last month never cease to amaze me every time I watch this video. It is just so breath-taking! It is truly a wish of mine to see her on concert one of these days. I have been hoping that she will have a concert tour here in San Antonio but unfortunately, no US Tour scheduled yet for this year. Hopefully by next year and for sure, hubby and I will never miss it for the world. My gosh, I am just so blown away by her performance. Totally amazing, don't you think?

happy with my new pair of boots

2010-02-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

me in my new boots and my girl window shopping at Tanger Outlets

Gee, a new pair of shoes for me again! I just bought a new pair of brown suede Sketchers' boots yesterday and I am lovin' them. I like them because they feel so comfortable and I am just so sure from my experience that with this brand, there will be no sores because that's how comfy they are. I have been wishing for a brown pair of boots for a long time now and I am so happy that I have them now.

We went to Sketcher's the other day to get my bug a new pair of shoes since she is outgrowing her one pair. While we were there, I just can't help but notice a nice gray pair of suede boots which had been calling my name, LOL. And I wasn't able to resist them but unfortunately, they were out of my size. Bummer! But hey, I didn't stop there. We went to the another Sketchers store and there I found my brown boots. They didn't have the gray ones that I liked so I got myself the brown ones. My, this pair is my fourth in less than two weeks. Good thing, Sketchers were on huge sale that time so I only paid $20.00 for my brown suede boots. How cool is that!

my birthday dinner treat

2010-02-04T10:55:00.002-07:00

Yeah, we went to Maggiano's Little Italy for my birthday dinner last February 02, 2010. A friend of mine gave me a gift card for this restaurant that's why we went there. Good thing we did have that gift card for their food is a little bit pricey. But boy oh boy, they are so delicious. The place has a very warm ambiance and the service is awesome, too.

We ordered the Chef's Choice from their Family Style Dinner. We had two appetizers, two kinds of salads, two kinds of pasta, Medallions of Beef, Lobster in their special sauce, and two kinds of desserts. Did we have lots? Dear Lord, we were so stuffed that we ended up boxing up lots of food and our desserts. They were all delicious and just awesome!

For my drink, I had their Classic Margarita. Gee, I love my margarita this time. The taste is just perfect for me. It is more fruity and lesser alcohol.

All in all, we had a great time and I had an awesome birthday dinner. For sure, we will be back in that restaurant in the future.

Happy Love Month to All!

2010-02-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

YAY, the LOVE month! One of the months of the year that I really love. Who wouldn't, right? Every where you go, you can see all the LOVE motif. You can definitely feel that LOVE is in the AIR. I just wish though that everyday is a day of love for everybody. It should be that way anyway, am I right? Anways, Happy Love Month to all! Fun, fun, fun and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

what a mess!

2010-01-28T20:44:00.002-07:00

We went to Target pharmacy the other day to get medicines for my daughter. She is out of her allergy medicine and what a relief that we already got our new health insurance card from hubby's work. Imagine if we don't have said card, my daughter's allergy medicine costs a whopping $150.00, but with medical insurance card, it's only less than $50.00.

However when we got there, we were informed by the pharmacist that our daughter is not included in our health insurance plan. What a big bummer! Hubby was really upset because he has been paying for a family plan. Geez! Well, what can I say? I am no longer surprise because it's been always like this with health insurance companies, don't you think? I just hope that they will correct this mess soonest for my little girl really need her allergy medicine.

all in my little girl's day

2010-01-28T09:37:00.004-07:00

I found out that my little girl likes the glue. Who wouldn't, right? We have been doing her school works every morning and she likes activity work like coloring, cutting and pasting/gluing and stuff like that. She cares less of writing, hehehehe. I guess that's typical for a toddler, right?

This is how her day goes:

8:00 AM Breakfast and Bath
9:00 School Work
10:30 Snacks (usually fruits), Reading, TV time, Sing and Play
12:00NN Lunch
1:00 PM Nap time (usually she take 3 to 4 hours of nap everyday)
4:30 Snacks, Reading and more play time
7:00 Dinner and down time
8:00 Getting ready for Bed time

See, how hectic her schedules for the day? Of course, we really don't follow it to the dot. But at least, we have some outline to follow. Now, she is watching a movie on Disney Channel while eating her grapes. Her and her fruits! Hubby and I are really happy that she is really doing and feeling well. We hope and pray that she will continue to do so, so she will be ready for Kindergarten this school year. Whhhoooaaaahhhhh!

off on our dream vacation

2010-01-26T20:53:00.002-07:00

Well, I was dreaming of what our dream vacation in the West Coast would be and I always wanted to go to San Diego to the Sea World and to see the beaches there. I learned about it from a friend of mine that just came back from there. They said it was a great vacation but their Ford F-150 broke down. They were just driving along and it had a check engine light on in the dash. They didn’t think much of it because it was running fine. They went on their vacation still enjoying 3 days and 2 night stay in San Diego at the Sea World Hotel Resort there. Things were going so well and they were having so much fun that they forgot about their truck and its light being on. Well, you can only guess what happened next? The truck quit right in the middle of the highway on them.

I know that must not have been too much fun because I’ve heard how bad the traffic is down in Southern California. I bet they were wishing that they had found a San Diego auto repair shop before they were in the problem that they had that moment. They were able to pull over and get the truck started again after a bit. They said that without any delays they are going to find an auto shop like Repair Pal to fix the truck right now, and they were so lucky because the auto shop they found was a good one and the repair was a simple one to. Something in the wiring came loose and with their computers they were able to locate it right away. That was so good to hear because if we go on vacation, we will know now that if the lights come on in the dash, we have to get it checked out right away. You never now when a problem might come up with your car or truck and heaven knows you don’t want it to ruin your vacation.

on Ke$sha's Tik Tok

2010-01-22T15:19:00.001-07:00

I truly like this song on our car's XM radio. My little girl and I will always try to sing along with it. We do love the beat. So, I just can't help but have to check the music video of it and what a huge disappointment it is! It looks like a dump as you can see! Forgive me for saying that but the concept of the said video is just absurd. In fact, I don't want my little girl to watch the said video. Oh well! We will just be happy and contented to hear it on the radio for this song.

worried sick...

2010-01-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to sleep last night upon knowing that my niece, Marcy has been admitted in the hospital due to dengue. Good grief, I just can't believe it! My mother told me that the doctor in the government hospital recommended for my niece to be brought to Davao City for they don't have the right technology to treat the said dengue. To make matter worst is that my niece CBC count is getting lower by the day. I have been told that she's at 70 right now; and the normal count is 150 if I am not mistaken.

However, I have been told that Marcy is actually feeling a little bit better. At least, she can take in food without barfing it all out. My family has also been giving her some liquid that they can get out of a herbal medicine called "tawa-tawa." I don't know what's the English word of this plant. It has been known to be really effective towards treating with persons who has dengue. I really hope and pray that my niece gets well soon. Oh please, dear Lord heal my niece.

happy to reconnect on Facebook

2010-01-14T19:35:00.004-07:00

I am just so glad that I've found a lot of my batch mates in High School on Facebook. Wow, it has been more than 2 decades! Can you believe that? Geez, neither can I! Many of them I have not seen ever since; and now, here we are catching up with what's what. I am so amazed with some of my batch mates for they already have 20 -year-old kids. I was like: "Are you serious?" Wow, they really started that early, huh! But I am truly happy for them. I am just so overwhelmed and happy to see and to be reconnected with them. Hopefully, we can have a grand reunion in the future. Have a good one all!

My Disclosure Policy

2010-01-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

I hereby disclose...

This policy is valid from May 8, 2009.

just because... is a personal blog written and edited by me. It accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

It abides by word of mouth marketing standards. The author believes in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner of just because... is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though I receive compensation for some posts or advertisements, I always give honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on the topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

just because... does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content will always be identified.

just for window shopping

2010-01-13T13:53:00.007-07:00

These are pictures of my little girl taken during our mall hopping one weekend. The first picture was taken at Tanger Outlets in San Marcos, Texas. It is about an hour drive away from our place and this is the biggest outlet store that I have been by far. It has more than a hundred brand name outlets which includes Gucci, Tory Burch, etc. Love this place.

The second picture is of my girl in The Shops at La Canterra. Of all the malls here in San Antonio, this is the one which hubby and I like most because it feels like you are walking in the park when you are hopping from one shop to another. It has a lot of water feature which is just so lovely to see. We usually go to this mall not because we want to buy stuff but just for an enjoyable stroll.

Last image is at Round Rock Premium Outlets. This outlet store is by far the smallest one I have been to. It is located near Austin, about two-hour drive from San Antonio. What I like here is is that it is not crowded, probably because there is not much in here. But guys, guess what I found in this store? The outlet store for Burberry! I was like: "My, oh my!" That's why I like this store, harharhar. Have a wonderful Wednesday all!

to shape our child's future

2010-01-11T20:26:00.002-07:00

Raising our daughter has now made us come into deciding how to shape her future. Will she be a dancer, singer, artist or be into sports? Will she be a piano player which will require piano lessons or into martial arts? What we do as her parents really will shape her ideas on what she will be when she grows up. The hard part at times is not letting our ideas about what we think she should be in the future, be a part of what we do to send her and teach her in that direction.

What we have truly decided to do is to watch her and try many different things; and present her with options to grow by. We feel it is the best way to really find out what she enjoys and from that, we will be the best at providing her with the things she enjoys; and hopefully she will find her way in the future. I’m sure no matter what she does she will make us proud. We will always do our best to be a great example to her, encouraging her in what ever she wants to do.

my first Margarita ever!

2010-01-10T22:08:00.005-07:00

Cheers, my bloggerfriends! That's me and my first Margarita ever in the picture above. This was taken during our fifth wedding anniversary dinner at Saltgrass Steak House last Friday(January 8). I am not sure if I like this drink for I find it too sweet for me and yet, the alcohol taste is still too strong. Maverick Margarita is what it is called and this was recommended by the lady who was serving us that night. Though I really don't like it, but I will still be looking forward to tasting other Margarita flavor until I can find the one. I can actually say that I still like my Chardonnay mixed with Sprite better. Odd huh, but I really like it!

So my dear friends, CHEERS to the BLOGOSPHERE and to LIFE! Have a good one all!

busy traffic in San Antonio

2010-01-08T10:12:00.005-07:00

Traffic here in San Antonio, Texas is worse compared to Denver, Colorado. It's mainly because this city is more populated, which means more commuters on the road. Hubby and I notice, too that there has been a lot of road repairs and constructions here, which of course make the traffic worse than it is. I am pretty sure that the builders are using high strength fasteners for highway. It would be a waste if they will not utilize industrial bolts and other components such us hex coupling nuts and threaded rods for extreme endurance with constant usage; so as to ensure maximum utilization of the final product which is the paved roads. Oh, well so much for that. I know the builders know what they are doing.

I just wish that with this busier kind of traffic, I will be able to traverse on my own smoothly soon. I truly need to drive since my little girl will be in school this next school year. I just wish that by that time, all the road repairs and constructions are done. Have a good one all!

celebrating fifth wedding anniversary

2010-01-07T21:22:00.003-07:00

YAY! FIVE (5) years of marital bliss - how does time fly so fast? Anyways, I will just share with you an article I found here in the web about gift suggestions on 5th Wedding Anniversary. I already bought hubby his and I am kinda surprise that the stuffs I got and will give him tomorrow coincide with the gift suggestions. I was like: "Are you serious?" So without further ado, here is the said article from about.com.

5th Wedding Anniversary

By Sheri and Bob Stritof, About.com Guide

Wood, representing strength and a solidified relationship, and silverware, representing connectedness, are the traditional and modern gifts associated with your fifth wedding anniversary. Here are more gift and celebration ideas for your fifth anniversary.

5th Anniversary Traditional Gift :

Wood. The strength of your marriage bond is represented by the traditional gift of wood for your 5th anniversary. Wood is strong and long-lasting.

5th Anniversary Contemporary/Modern Gift:

Silverware. The modern gift of silverware is a reminder of the connection the two of you formed as you shared meals with each other and your children.

5th Anniversary Gemstone:

Sapphire or pink tourmaline.

5th Anniversary Color:

Several colors are associated with the 5th anniversary: blue, pink, or tourquoise.

5th Anniversary Flower:

Daisy. In the language of flowers, daisies represent innocence, loyal love, I'll never tell, and purity.

5th Anniversary Wine:

A Port wine.

Ways to Celebrate Your 5th Anniversary:

Plant a tree together. You can plant one in your yard, or at a park, school, or church.
- An oak tree represent solidity.
- A pine tree represents the evergreen character of your love for one another.
- A flaming red maple represents the flaming passion you have for each other.
- A flowering crab tree represents love eternal.

Toast one another with hope that your love continues to grow and prosper like the trees around you.

Purchase tickets to a show, movie, sports event, concert, theatre, etc.

Gift Suggestions to Purchase for Your 5th Anniversary:

Purchase a framed share of stock in a major company that has meaning to the both of you.
Wooden baskets.
Shaker boxes.
Magazine subscription.
Wooden jigsaw puzzle.
Wooden paper weight.
Bookends.
Art print of trees.
Wooden name plate.
Wooden salad set.
Wooden wine rack.
Fireplace kindling.
Silverware.
Wood sculpture or carvings.
Wood shelving.
Wood curio cabinet.
Willow twig furniture.
Small wood folding tables.

Croquet set.
Wooden quilt rack.
Ping pong table.
Wicker furniture.
Bentwood rocker.

Cruisin' on New Year's Day!

2010-01-02T21:00:00.001-07:00

Can't you tell how happy the kids are especially my little girl? This pictures are taken during our trek at my sister's property on New Year's day. The weather was so perfect that we can't help to spend it outside. We were so glad we did for the kids, my Kate and her cousins had a ball with their powered vehicles.

The moment we got there, my bug just can't wait to try her car that we gave her last Christmas. Actually, it is not a brand new one. We got it from hubby's co-worker's daughter who outgrew said toy. It was still in a very good condition, so we took it thus saving us lots of money. Imagine, we got it for $75 only instead of paying $300 or more for this type of toy. What a great find, right? I was kinda impressed how deftly she maneuvered the toy car on her first try. So glad we bought it for it made our little girl sooo happy.

sharing a New Year message to all of you...

2009-12-31T10:17:00.003-07:00

I would like to share with you this New Year message that I have found here in the web. I think it is just perfect wish for 2010. Here it goes...

It's New Year!
It's like a New Sunrise... of Hope, of Prosperity, of Happiness.
It's like a New Beginning... of Thoughts, of Words, of Actions.
It's like a New Day... of Energy, of Strength, of Ideas.
It's like a Bunch of New Things... of Prayers, of Friends and of LOVE.

Monday appointment

2009-12-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

Whew, my appointment with the Immigration Office for my finger printing went by without a sweat! I am so glad about it. I can't believe that we were done in 30 minutes. Can you believe that? I truly hope and pray that my application of citizenship will continue to go without a hitch.

My appointment was at 1:00 PM today and here I am eating my lunch now. I am glad hubby swung by Carl's Jr. to get me a Guacamole Burger for my lunch. Have you tried this kind of burger, guys? It is really yummy! Mm, mm, mm... Okay, have to enjoy my meal. Have a good one all!

my christmas wish to all

2009-12-24T09:59:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone!
May we enjoy the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
with all your loved-ones.
May Santa be good for you this year.
Enjoy the celebration, guys.

just talking to myself

2009-12-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Gee, are you ready for Christmas? To tell you honestly, I am not! Not just yet. I still have to send out Christmas cards to some of our loved-ones. I apologize that we can't send out cards to everybody but I promise all of your are in hour hearts, thoughts and prayers this Holiday Season.

I am also at my wits end as to what to give hubby for Christmas. Think, think, think Cindy! Well, I am really thinking hard. Though, I am considering things to give him but I still have to think of a special one for his Christmas gift. I am really at a loss! Am I stressed out, you think? Well, I am but I know I can think of something special for hubby. He is an easy-to-please person anyway. So, no fret Cindy, okay?

making myself more skilled?

2009-12-18T14:09:00.002-07:00

I’ve been really thinking about what it is I will do if I get to go back to work soon. I’m hearing that San Antonio is full of office and internet related jobs. I used to work in a doctor's office as a patient care representative. I always wondered how people would find out about us and how to contact our office. Seems we had a lot of them. Did they use search engines on the internet, or was it the internet yellow pages. I can’t remember the last time I seen a telephone book on our door step. Well anyways when we did get the phone book, it seemed like hubby would just let them collect up.

I’m thinking that I should put all my skills to use and also learn about all the things required to make myself more useful in the office so that I can stand out and be the one to score a job over others. I will learn about incorporating internet skills and learning about online directories because a successful business will keep their employees, which means years of usefulness in me and the work I’m seeking.

Food is much better here in Texas!

2009-12-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

One thing we noticed right away when we moved to Texas is there are tons of places to go to eat. I’m hoping that doesn’t mean we gain that much more weight. In Colorado, they had Mexican food restaurants that we frequented. Well once we got here, we found out that the restaurants we are used to eating at were not really as authentic as they are here. There are so many to try, that I’m sure we will never know of some of the good ones. There are so many that my husband one day counted Mexican restaurants between his work and a favorite one that we go to often and there were 28 of them. Can you believe that?

That’s 28 of them in less than a 5 mile stretch. I’m not really sure how they all stay in business but it must be a good sign that they still are open and people seem to always be eating at them. We have really found many places we like including Philippine restaurants too. There is even a Filipino Buffet here! And what a great find it is especially if you are craving for pig roast. Mm, mm, mm! I really hope we can keep a healthy lifestyle and not get too fat of all the good places to eat. Tough luck, huh!