On our way home from MV Doulos, the world's oldest floating bookstore, I put the cd that came with iola's new book into the car's player.  iola listened intently, the way she does whenever she hears a children's song for the first time.  When the third song played, iola's eyebrows met.  The song went like this:

                          I am a C, I am a C-H, I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N

                                   and I have C-H-R-I-S-T in my H-E-A-R-T

                                and I will L-I-V-E   E-T-E-R-N-A-L-L-Y

While I was wondering what that look of confusion meant, the second stanza played, with exactly the same lyrics. When the line

                                  and I have C-H-R-I-S-T

came, iola, with a eureka look on her face, suddenly blurted out "U! V! W! X! Y! Z!"

now all's right with iola's (alphabet) world again :)

One day, iola was running inside the house and looked like she was headed straight for the electric fan.  Her lolo, alarmed that iola's fingers might get caught between the fan blades, yelled "HEP HEP HEP!!!"  The little girl stopped in her tracks, looked at her lolo, raised her arms and said, "HOORAY!!"

(how I wish I had Big Brother's cameras around to capture moments like these!)

The following are the steps I went through to get my Tax Identification Number (TIN):

2 months ago:

• searched for the BIR office in an abandoned building, only to discover that the office had been transferred to another building 4 blocks away

• waited in line and was given a 1901 form, only to discover later that i needed a different form
  

Last week:

• waited in line and was given a 1904 form, went home to prepare the documents needed

Today:

• walked 3 blocks to get a barangay clearance
• walked another 3 blocks to get to the BIR office
• waited in line while reading a good book and then...

after 5 chapters, it was my turn. I smiled at the frowning, phlegmatic, stereotypical government-office-lady-employee. I reminded her that we met before and happily handed to her the documents she asked me to prepare. To my dismay she tells me she needs another certificate of so and so, while turning to her computer and clicking away at the keyboard. My smile fell as I agonized over the thought of having to go back there again. Why is she giving me a hard time when all I want to do is just pay my taxes? Before my agony could turn into frustration and anger, she turns to me and asks,

"is Baldonado your maiden name?"
"Yes."
"Is Baviera your mothers' maiden name?" was the second question.
"Yes," I answer again.
"You already have a TIN, while you were still single. You don't need to apply again."
"Whaaat??!!"

She writes down 9 unfamiliar digits on a sheet of paper as I sit there, dumbfounded.

As I walked back home, I pondered about all that has happened. Did I just go through all that trouble for nothing? But maybe it was for something. Maybe God wanted me to learn about patience. Maybe God... maybe it's not...wait, it is! I suddenly remembered my prayer as I sat in line minutes ago:

"Lord, please let me get my TIN today. May I not have to come back again for this. Thank you, Lord."

The Lord has answered my prayer! Not in the way I thought He would, but the point is, He did!


P.S.
Unbeknownst to me, it was lola's secretary who got me my TIN years ago, for a corporation that lola formed that had me as a signatory.

Though Christmas is just around the corner, summer is not yet over for this favorite celeb couple!  Aj, Joanne, and baby iola were spotted last week having sweet family fun at the pure shores of gorgeous Boracay!!!


Sources say that its baby iola's first time at the beach! Well, it sure looks like this baby doll has the makings of a beach babe!  Here's a photo of iola looking simply adorable in a summer cotton dress:

These pictures were taken during one of the family's leisurely strolls. They were also seen swimming in the afternoons, sipping fruitshakes, shopping, dining casually, checking out the night life, simply enjoying their lovely family vacation.

Aj looks hot hot hot in his white beach shirt, cropped cargo pants and oakley shades...

While Joanne goes for her usual understated glam in a blue tunic and oversized chanel shades...
Our cameras captured this tender family moment...

Sigh. This family sure knows how to have a vacation! Hugs and kisses!!!

(sorry, i couldn't help it :) i'm just really loving these paparazzi-ish pictures that ate yvette took of us. Thanks ate!!! official boracay post coming soon)

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

A few years ago I spoke to a group of women in Florida about Jesus Christ being "Lord of All Seasons." The topic was their choice, and I found myself, as usual, tested along the very lines on which I was going to speak. During the previous week, Lars and I had learned that all twenty-eight of the nice new (and very expensive) windows we had installed in our new house leaked. I was anxious about many things--my mother's health, my coming grandchild, a new word processor which I wasn't sure I was smart enough to learn to use, and (alas!) a tooth which seemed about to fall out. What a list of varied things to worry about.

But Jesus died for me! He's risen and coming again! He has given me an inheritance that nothing can "destroy or spoil or wither" (1 Peter 1:4, NEB) and a Kingdom which is unshakable (Hebrews 12:28). That's the gospel. Has it anything to do with leaking windows, computers, grandchildren, teeth? Well, I told myself, if it hasn't, you've got no business getting up in front of those women and opening your mouth at all. If I can't give thanks, trust, and worship the Lord in every "season," in the face of any set of facts which may touch my life, I am not really a believer. It is here, in my corner of God's earth, that I am assigned my lessons in the School of Faith.

P.S. Later: They fixed the windows for us, but then we found that all four of the outside doors needed to be fixed. God hadn't finished with us yet.

www.elisabethelliot.org

Thus, the sky is blue, and the grass is green  

iola doesn't get why her nanay kept screaming in front of the t.v., or why she was teary-eyed a few moments ago.

Bravo, ATENEO Blue eagles! You deserve it!!!
it was truly ONE BIG FIGHT!!!!

"I will never cram again!"

I said to myself in high school.  I said it again in college. And over and over again in med school.  Now its 3 in the morning and I'm cramming again, slaving over my biostatistics homework that's due in a few hours!  And this is already graduate school!!!

Hayayayay.

I still have one more homework to go for this sem, one more chance for me not to cram and wait til the eleventh hour...

(wala lang. just trying to keep myself awake :) )

It's the one word I now regret having taught iola.

A few days ago I taught iola how to sign the word "more."  During our bedtime ritual of singing her favorite songs (which excite her rather than make her go to sleep), I'd ask her if she wanted to hear another song by signing and saying the word more.  One very sleepy night for me, I sang our first round of twinkle twinkle little star (which she always demands to be a duet with aj) hoping that she'd be content with just one song. I was wrong. Right after the last note, she looked me in the eye, joined her fingers together (as if in a kiss) and simply said, "MOWH." Surprised, I asked her, "What did you say, iola?" She repeated the sign and said, "MOWHHHHH." "Do you want more?" I replied.  She smiled and bounced, and happily I obliged, excited that she has learned the word.  After "read your bible, pray everyday," there was "MOWHH." After "eensy weensy spider," there was "MOWHHH." Poor nanay exhausted all animals she could think of for old macdonald had a farm, and yet there was still "MOWHHHHHHHHH!" This one year old made me sing til my throat was dry.  It's okay for now, she has the flu.  But tomorrow I shall teach her the meaning of "No mowhh!"

My prayer is that as she grows she would not forget the word more.  May she go the extra mile and give more than what is asked of her.  When life gets tough, may she trust God more. May she not be content with whatever life throws at her, but always seek the more that God has in store for her. 

iola loves our big pambahay T-shirts.  Actually, its the shapes, colors and pictures on it that she's crazy about.  She is quick to point out every star, flower, square and circle of each shirt of every member in the family. iola's twinkling eyes and infectious glee whenever she touches a favorite shirt have turned these tattered clothes into priceless couture for us.  Here are some of my favorite t-shirt stories:

1. We all awaited the time when iola would take more than 2 steps. She was such a sigurista with her walking - never taking a step more than she knew she could handle.  One day, she was practicing her 2 steps when my sister jayjay walked into the room. iola suddenly became excited and walked (more like ran) 8-10 steps towards her! Was jayjay her new favorite? We looked at jayjay and realized what made iola walk that far.  She was wearing a blue shirt with a huge black star (iola's favorite shape) printed on the front.  Now everyone in the family wants to have the same shirt!

2.  One day during breakfast, my sister tracy came down wearing an old pink shirt with a big snoopy's head embossed in the front.  This excited iola and she kept pointing at tracy's shirt. "Yes, that's snoopy," Tracy said as iola touched her shirt. After much pointing and poking, iola became restless and mama and tracy couldn't figure out why.  Tracy picked up iola and carried her around the house, pointing to her favorite things. Still iola was restless, grunting and pointing and poking tracy's shirt.  It wasn't until they came to the ref that iola quieted down.  After making sure she had tracy's attention, she simply pointed to a magnet on the ref, and then to tracy's shirt, with a look of satisfaction on her face.  The magnet on the ref was a picture of snoopy, a different version though - full body, with glasses on, and a smile that showed his teeth.  It was as if iola was telling tracy, "See, tita, the snoopy on your shirt is the same snoopy on the ref!"

3.  Last night, I came out of the shower wearing a boracay t-shirt with carricature-like palm trees printed on it. As iola touched a palm tree, to my amazement she said softly, "treee." It was a word I never heard her say before, and I don't remember consciously teaching her about!

Who'd ever thought t-shirts would make great teaching aids?

As i write this, our new househelp is on her way to us from the beautiful land of Bacolod (thank you, kay. thank you, nang bebing).  What a blessing!!!  So much has happened in a month's time since our previous househelp left us:

• start of school for me (9 units, 3days/wk) and my first long exam
• creation and submission of a proposal for potential part-time work for me
• busy weeks for Aj as G.R.O. to expat clients
• damages and start of repairs on our nest
  
• series of crucial events and decisions in our family business
• iola's first fall (praise God she did not hurt her head and had no other injuries)
• iola's increasing vocabulary (go, no, ayt(light), kway(square), baby, mimeem(milk), flour(flower), sss(star), tatatata(tatay), nanana(nanay), loh(lolo))
• iola's first steps!
• discovering that iola could read (more on this soon)
• a corneal abrasion on my left eye
  
• my painful back muscle strain 

And I cannot help but recount how God has sent His very present help to me the past month:

• mama takes care of iola while i'm in school
• kay came over a number of times to babysit iola while i worked on my proposal
• we discovered a laundry service that we could afford
• jonas took charge of our household repairs
• inday, mama's help, graciously lent her helping hand from time to time
• when lolo and tito and titas come home from work and school, i have extra time to do other chores as they play with iola
  
• aj washed baby bottles, brought and picked up the laundry, woke up in the middle of the night to help me with iola, and did not complain not even once about the mess, or his lack of sleep or his mismatched black socks, and never failed to encourage, affirm and love his struggling wife.

Now a lump has formed in my throat and my cup runneth over. I am grateful for this amazing experience of God's grace in what seemed like an impossible month.  The precious realizations and lessons I've learned have given me something that is far worth than the backache or the missed internet surfing time.  God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22). God's strength is made perfect in my weakness (2Corinthians 12:9). No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him (1Corinthians 2:9). And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2Corinthians 9:8).

Today is the first day of school for most Filipino students.  That includes my niece, who'll be starting Kindergarten. And my sister Jayjay, who'll be a sophomore in Medical School. And myself, who'll be a freshman in Graduate School (again).

Going back to school was not part of my plan.  But as iola was about to turn one, I wrestled with my calling.  Am I to continue in being a full-time housewife and mom? Or should I now consider working as a physician? Can I do both? As Aj and I prayed about this, and sought God's direction for us as a family, the Lord opened doors that were new to me.  I was able to attend the  Postgraduate Course in Occupational Health and Safety last April, and it opened my eyes to see the numerous opportunities and wonderful possibilities in the workplace. Occupational Health is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations by preventing departures from health, controlling risks and the adaptation of work to people, and people to their jobs. I could finally see myself in a field of Medicine that I could thrive in and be passionate about, a place where I could leverage my strengths and enjoy both the training and the actual practice.

I applied for the Masters in Occupational Health under the College of Public Health, UP Manila, and got accepted by God's grace.  Through this, God made what I thought was impossible, possible:  to get further training in Medicine without the tough demands of an in-hospital Residency Program, while spending majority of my time at home. What a wonderful, wonderful blessing!!!

I am scared and I tremble -- when I look at myself.
But I am awed and humbled -- when I am reminded of God's abounding grace towards me.
And I am grateful and inspired -- when I see myself through Aj's eyes.

UP Manila, here I come!


"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

may 21, 2008. a typical day for iola.

tomorrow, she will be a toddler.
but in our hearts, she'll always, always be a baby. our baby.

and my heart is glad! :)

I've never been hooked on American Idol til Season 7.  And its been a great one! I've never seen so many talented singers on AI. When it all boiled down to the two davids, though I think both are equally talented and deserving, I've been rooting for one David in particular. If I elaborate further, I might spoil it for all those who'll be watching the reruns tonight. Let me just say that my sisters and I are ecstatic! And I'm so glad America made the wise (and better) choice.  Wahooo!!!!

I was taking pictures of iola while she was in her car seat earlier today when she yawned. And then I noticed how her eyes glistened with tears... and I was able to capture it! Aha! Evidence! This little girl takes after me after all :) If this happens to you as well, here's an explanation that I found:

1- During a yawn, there is a slight increase in pressure inside the skull (likely caused by slight increases in the amount of oxygen taken in during a deep yawn). This causes the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that surrounds the brain and flows through the brain's ventricle system, to be forced out faster than normal. That fluid enters the lachrymal (tear) system. That increase in fluid pushes out the tears.

2 - the more simplistic reason may be that when you yawn you scrunch up a bunch of facial muscles. That causes the tear glands and ducts to be squished, forcing out some tears.

Yawning yet?

thanks for praying!

iola is doing better, praise God. She has no more fever, and no signs of cough and colds. So its either she's hit by a different bug or this bug has a different effect on her. Thank God it did not progress. Today, Kateh (jenny's college best friend) came over for a photoshoot with iola. And though iola wasn't her usual perky, talkative self, she had great pictures still. I guess the one behind the camera makes a huge difference (thanks kateh!!!). We had so much fun! And I'm so glad we were able to capture a lot of iola's moments... which I know will soon evolve as she grows and grows. How time flies! I don't have time right now to upload the album, but I can't help but post this one photo. Mother and daughter pictures are rare for iola and I, since I am almost always behind the camera. And how Aj and I love this one! Thank you, thank you, kateh! Mabuhay ka!

There's a bad bug that's been going around in the house.  It came with my sister jayjay when she went home from work one day. Then jeeboy gets hit 2 days after.  And then yesterday, my nose became a dripping faucet while iola is hot with fever!    This is the first time she's had fever-fever.  Last night her temp went up to 38.9 (but i'm sure its higher than my inaccurate thermometer registered).  She hates the taste of calpol and poor baby endured sponge bath after sponge bath during what was supposed to be sleepy-time.  Now its morning and she's sleeping and resting. Thank you Lord she's not as hot as last night.  And even though I know how uncomfortable it must be for her, she was still her ever funny, playful, talkative self.  I hope this doesn't affect her appetite.  Please uphold her in your prayers. Thanks!