Nothing Is Impossible with God

In my devotion this morning from Mark 6: 30-44, it reminded me of how powerful and compassionate Christ is.  When he saw all the people gathered around like stray sheep without a shepherd, He started teaching them.  And when His disciples were planning to turn the people away because they didn't have any food to give, Christ did the impossible.  He fed 5,000 men (women and children were there too!) with just 5 loaves and two fish!

How does this apply to me right now?
Well, where my family is traveling today (FL), there is a tropical storm named Debby.  It dampened my spirits when I head about it=(  But God can still blow it to a different direction or just make it disappear all together.  I really hope it stops raining and flooding there so my family can enjoy the amusement parks... but if it's God will for us to get more wet than planned, then so be it.  I just have to accept it and trust God.
I'm gonna keep on praying, though!

~Nothing is impossible with God

♥♥♥

Finally Summer Summer!

Summer 2012 Photo by Katie G.

I ended school 6 weeks ago but I then took a summer class (geography) for 6 more weeks and now it's officially summer summer [summer actually calendarlly started 2 days ago]!  Yay!!!
I had my first finals today (we had our midterm 3 weeks ago).  There were some  questions I didn't remember studying... (Mrs. P. said they were on the hw but we never got hw on that chapter) but overall I think I did pretty well.  I had a [relieved] laugh during the Australian section because it said to label all the cities on Map A but she didn't give us a Map A, and I was really confused and nervous cus we didn't study the cities.  And then when I asked the teacher she smiled and said we're skipping that part and I'm like, "Oh yeah!... you told us that in the beginning-.-' lol I was just really nervous and antsy about the whole exam." in my head.  SO RELIEVED^^'
After the one hour exam, I got my eyebrows waxed for the first time (embarrassing I know... but my mom made me wait till now=/)  and they look nice and neat.
And then we went to Target (which I was dreading because as I have told you before, if I see something cute, I must buy it; good news: I got out without buying anything except for a $1 clip)  and my mom wanted to buy me a $60 waterproof cam for vacay cus I wanted one but I finally persuaded her that I didn't need it.  I just thought they were selling nice disposable ones for cheap.
After grocery shopping, I exchange all my loose coins at Publix and I got $76!!! (after the machine removed 8% from the $83..)  Ahh, I'm rich! lol
Wow, today went well^^ God is so good!
We even had delish salmon, broccoli & cheese soup, and rice for dinner.  Then my family took a moonlight stroll... scratch that, that sounds too perfect, it was actually a swatting-gnats-out-of-your-face evening walk, lol.
I'm planning to stay up late and finish my thrilling book, The 13th Reality (2nd book: Dark Infinity).
And then waking up late-ish to pack for Florida on Monday!
Au revoir now my loves^^
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

♥♥♥

Happy Fathers' Day!

Sorry my greeting is late:p been buzzy!
So, yesterday was fathers' day... My mom got my dad a mug with our citizenship picture on it (sweet)...but I didn't get my dad anything:(  I usually make something cheesy but I'm getting too old for that and when I asked my dad what he wanted he just said, "Just your love and obedience."  Ughh, how helpful is that?  I guess I'll just HAVE to do my best to behave, Daddy^^
Other than being fathers' day yesterday, my former Sunday school teacher and her husband, who moved to Canada, came to visit with their 2 month old baby girl, Vanessa!  She was the very first baby I have ever carried (I get really tense and nervous when people ask me if I want to hold their babies so yeah... but my teacher insisted that Vanessa is a fighter).  She was actually sleeping when I carried her so it was easier... I was still a little tense though.
~~~
Today:
Ahh, so excited for Florida next week!!!  I just watched House Hunters International where the couple bought a vacation home in the Caribbeans and I was totally jealous (oops)... I really long for some white sand and ocean right now.  Most of my friends who take summer school with me are even having fun!  Some are working out, hanging out at the library with friends, and swimming!  ME= homework and tv.  I have no social life whatsoever-.-'  My friends invite me but I'm always worried about having enough time for homework and studying.  I promise myself after summer school that I will get a little tanner (I'm already tan but a little more won't hurt, right?^^), swim a lot- pool near my house and maybe with friends, go do something adventurous (amusement parks),  and do something other than watch tv and go online.
Gotta go now and study (see what I mean?)

PML;)

♥♥♥

Wreck It Ralph

I just saw the trailer today (view here:http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/ ; this site also allows you to play the arcade game) and it looks so cool and cute!
Wreck It Ralph is an animation film by Walt Disney.
It's about a "villain" named Ralph, based on Donkey Kong, who destroys buildings in the arcade video game, Fix-It Felix Jr.  Felix is a twist on Mario.
In the movie, Ralph decides that he doesn't want to be the villain anymore and goes into the video game, Hero's Duty.
I don't know the whole plot but you can read it on Wikipedia;)
I'll tell you this though; there's a lot of video game characters in it!  I'm not a video game junkie but I love watching things that kids fantasize about (like Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs and the awesome falling foods!).  Go here to view some of the characters featured in the movie: http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/09/the-familiar-faces-of-wreck-it-ralph

Wreck it Ralph comes out on November 2!  Can't wait to see it (when DVD comes out)^^

Candy Land!!! (I love the ice cream mountain- just like in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)

Crossing the Niagara

Last night, I watched one of the craziest things ever [LIVE on tv]- tight roping across the Niagara Falls.  Do you know how dangerous that is?! I went to the Niagara Falls in summer 2009 and it was cold, wet, and dark.  It looked like an endless pit of gushing water.  Nik Wallenda is the very first person to take on the challenge of crossing the Niagara on a tightrope.  He did it at 10 pm!  He went through the thick wet mists and swirling winds.  To practice for the Niagara Falls' length (I think it's 6 football fields long) and power, he tight roped double that and got firetrucks to douse him with water and giant fans to let him get used to the wind gusts.  He seemed so calm o_e  My heart was pounding like crazy... When he finished the downhill part, I was really relieved, but I kept "telling" him mentally, not to get cocky cus he could still fall at the "easy" uphill part.  I couldn't believe that he stopped at the Finish point, kneeled and pointed to the crowd.  If that was me (which will never be!- I am very jittery and probably would've fallen at the start^^), I would have kept going to safety.  I'm just glad he didn't fall.  Thank you Lord!

How to Modestify Dresses w/o Sewing Skills

Wow, Sarah from Welcome to the gOOd life is so amazing!  I love that she's Asian like me ^^.  I love her DIY's that save you a lot of money!  I love her style (classy and fun) even though my style is a bit different- actually, I don't really know my style... I have 2 sides?  My mature side insists on clean classy Sunday-bests (♥tops tucked in and wedges/heels) but my teen side loves "earthy, ragged"...I don't know how to explain it, but I just love "vintage in modern"- not exactly vintage vintage but modern vintage like vintage "my-grandma's-couch" flower prints and lace.  I love American Rag purses- that kind of "ragged & worn".

~ (I got this idea from Grace F. who was in my P.E. class a few yrs. ago)
I bought a blue flower print dress from Belk 2 yrs. ago, and I wanted to wear it today but somehow it was smaller and shorter... okay, it wasn't the perfect size when I bought it but it was cute and okay (I dunno if I grew...cus I'm still the same height!= Asian-.-').  So what I did was put a white skirt under my dress- the white a-lined skirt has frills on the bottom to blend the skirt and dress together.  Make sure the skirt you put under your dress is 1- longer than the dress, 2-same color or nice contrast, 3-same shape as the dress as in if it's a pencil dress then get a pencil skirt with it (I've only done this trick with a-lined dresses though...)

To modestify the top part of your dress, just grab a cardigan or jacket- different jackets suit different events; denim or plain cardis (Old Navy has tons) work great for school and collared or more detailed jackets are good for special events.  If you don't want to wear a skirt under your dress, you could pull your dress down to the modest length and wear a tank top and a jacket to modestify the top section.

If you know any other non-sewing skills required fashion tricks, please comment away;)

♥♥♥

About to Explode...

T^T We have our 10 map project due on Monday and I'm only on map #6.
I even messed up on map #5 (but I'm not redoing it cus it's not major... I hope she won't count off).
I am really anxious for our trip to Florida!  I wanna pack my suitcase already.  I just want to lay around and do nothing- no homework.  I just want to relax... but God doesn't want me to drop out now;)  He wants me to keep doing my best.  I have a goal to beat my 1st sem. grade and only God can help me with that.
I wanna scream with joy right now but my project is dampening that=p
Hey, at least our quizzes this week are only maps (so far so good^^) and those are easier than questions.

Pray that I will have patience and diligence!

♥♥♥

Nursery

Today was my second full on nursery (without moms involved) at church!
I love baby J.  He is so adorable;)
I do really silly things in the nursery to keep him calm and happy.
When he starts crying and looking at the door, I know now how to get his attention-  just give him his baby blanket and give him my phone.  Lol, he loves my phone (little kids these days-.-' when I was little, I had a toy Barbie cell phone and now some kids have real iPhones!).
He also likes shiny and sparkly things like my glasses (it's so cute when he tries to grab them off my face) and my jewelry (be careful not to give babies little jewelry pieces).
Baby J. is the youngest of 3 boys and I actually got to help take care of his big brother when I was younger.  It's cool to see all of them grow.
Baby J. also likes it when I juggle (he tries to juggle too but ends up just throwing the toys on the ground lol) and try to balance things on my head.
I'm so glad I'm the only one in the nursery room because I look so silly.
The boys' mom wants me to babysit them but I don't know how!  I might take a class...
I don't feel like changing diapers!  And I'm not even that good at carrying babies...
Hope I learn how to soon!

Next week, my former Sunday school teacher is coming to church with her newborn baby!  Can't wait!  (actually I can't wait to see the baby when she turns 1+... I think toddlers are more adorable)

♥♥♥

Friday

Yesterday, was pretty great;)
We had a mini party during our break-- the Reeses Pieces Cookies you brought, Anne, were amazing!  (available only at Walmart)
I dunno why I had fun yesterday... maybe it was because practically everyone was hyper  (especially Lauren and her water bottles).
When I told Lauren that my Style & Co. top was only $15 (actually it was $25...I forgot haha), she said that that was expensive!!!  I think tops and bottoms are only expensive if they're $35+, depending on brand and style.  My mom got me a really expensive $60 skirt by INC for my bday this year and I couldn't believe it.  She said we'll never find a modest skirt for school so that's why she got it.  It's chic but I wish I could return it now cus I'm seeing tons of flowery summer skirts out.  I'm an only child so I guess it's okay... I just hope I don't grow a big head.
My friends couldn't believe that my mom bought me that skirt.  Connor even said if he was a girl, and his mom bought him $60 skirts, he'd be in heaven.
I hate spending a lot of money for clothes though... but you have to do what you have to do, right?
Yesterday, I didn't want to go to the mall with my mom because I knew I was gonna spot something!
And I did.  At Gap, they had the shorts I had been waiting for!  Right length (right above the knee), right color (coral), okay price ($30).  They also had some mint capris but for $70=P
I can't wait to wear my new shorts to Florida-- I can't wait to wear my entire new wardrobe to Florida -.-'  (I got carried away at shopping for new vacation clothes that now I have too many... oh well)

♥♥♥

Enjoy your weekend!

I Scream for Ice Cream!

*spoiler alert*

I just finished Rocky Road by Rose Kent last week.  [Yes, I like to read younger kids' books because they are fun and contain less cussing.]  It was pretty good- I loved Tess's strong determination.  I  would be so thrilled if my mom opened an ice cream shop unlike how Tess was in the beginning.  I guess I can understand- I mean her mom had Shooting Stars (great ideas that don't work out and eventually crash down and burn) all the time!  I think she should have tried to help in the beginning though instead of dreading her mom's idea.  I'm just glad that the Cinco de Mayo grand opening was a success even though Tess's Ma had Shooting Stars on that day. And thank you Ms. Perkins for not exposing A Cherry On Top's turtle incident!  

♥♥♥

ICE CREAM FLAVORS and THE INNER YOU

What does your favorite ice cream flavor reveal about you?

•Chocolate: You are creative, lively, and flirtatious.  You also like being the center of attetntion and become bored with the same old routine.

•Vanilla:  Don't believe the myth.  The vanilla lover's choice is never boring- you're colorful, impulsive, expressive, and a risk taker.  

•Mint Chocolate Chip:  You have strong morals and you always giht for what you believe in.  You are ambitious and confident too- and truth be told, a little stubborn.    [I am a little stubborn! lol^^]

•Butter Pecan:  You are devoted, orderly, respectful, and fiscally conservative.  Odds are high that you make your bed every day and never have a messy desk.

•Chocolate Chip:  You've got a competitive streak and you work very hard.  You're also generous with time and money.

•Coffee:  You thrive on the passion of the moment and you throw yourself into all that you do.  Friends know you as adventuresome and dramatic, but you tend to overcommit yourself. 

•Strawberry:  Thoughtful and logical, that's you.  You deliberate long and hard before making decisions.  You can also be introverted and shy, but always a loyal friend.

•Banana:  You are easygoing, well adjusted, and honest, and empathetic.

•Rocky Road:  You present a balanced mixture of charm and practicality.  You are outgoing and goal-oriented , and you appreciate the finer things in life.  [I have my goals;)]

*taken from Rocky Road by Rose Kent, pgs 291 & 292

Putting the Pieces Together

Yay!  The sun is out ^^= flip flops and sandals!
In geography class, we're having a puzzle competition (sounds nerdy lol but anything for candy right?) and whoever has the lowest time wins candy bars.
I'm so glad I'm with Andrew and Candace cus they're really good=)
Today, we did South America (easy since we've already learned where the countries are) and we got 2:02 minutes! WIN= so far we're first...I'm trying not to get too cocky lol cus "Pride goeth before a fall".
And when we did Europe, we got 2:14/ 17.  Wouldn't that be awesome if we won both puzzles? ^^

♥♥♥

mood: GOOD;D

-.-' now I have to do my 10 map project

RESULT: we didnt win at all! T^T the other ppl got less than 2 min...

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Yes, God created rain to replenish the earth and bring things back to life.  But today, I just wanted sunshine and happy puffy clouds (not everything we want is good and His will) .  I had to walk to school this morning and it was just drizzling so I didn't wear my rainboots.  I like wearing my pink and green floral rainboots to add a pop of color to my outfits but today just wasn't "Big Clunky Boots Day".  I went for my ballet flats instead but later this morning, it started pouring-.-'  And I had to share my small umbrella with my friend,Hope  = soakage (wasn't that bad but still...).  And worms were coming out!!!  Eew...eew..  Worms are the grossest things on earth.  Hope thinks worms are better than spiders---?!   When I was little, we used to get spiders and let them fight on a stick so I'm used to spiders.  Plus, spiders are easier to squish (sure, they might crawl around a bit but at least they aren't all wiggly and =p).  Worst thing today, Lauren (-.-*)  got a worm and planned to throw it at me (she said she planned to make me eat it...put it in my sandwich!).  FORTUNATELY, Mrs. P. was in her little office and I told her about it and she made Lauren stop (yay).  Rainy days also make me feel sad... gloomy skies and cold or yucky humid climates.  I only love rainy days when I can stay inside, safe and warm, and read a good book while drinking hot cocoa, or hibernating^^

I hope it's sunny tomorrow!

♥♥♥

Waiting for Summer Vacation!

Ahh, I'm really excited to go visit *Ate Angelica in Florida this summer= 3 more weeks of summer school!  I haven't seen her since I left the Philippines (she's visiting) so I will probably be shy around her, but I'm going to try to be friendly and open.  I was actually loud and mischievous when I was little (hard to believe right?) so she might be shocked;)
I can't wait to go to my first amusement park in America!  I have never been to one here in the States, unless you count the state fair in New Jersey.  I'm going to try be daring and ride a flip roller coaster...okay, maybe not...  I remember going on a giant ship swinging thingie called Anchors Away in NJ.  It was pretty fun but scary and it made my stomach churn in excitement.  I'll try to find that;)

In the Philippines, at my grade school, they would take us on awesome field trips to big amusement parks like Star Kingdom and this other place I can't remember.  I remember just being wild and free, going everywhere by myself (I don't even think someone was keeping a close eye on us... It's that awesome!..and dangerous lol.).  I loved loved the giant rotating swings where they take you up high and spin you around and around.  
The field trips here at my new school aren't that exciting=P  We did go to this place last year where they had a giant swing (epic), water activities like tubing, inflatable jumping thingie, water zip line, and a hike to the falls.  That was fun but not as wild lol;)  
Back to Florida>  I hope we go to the beach, because last year, we did but we only stayed for 15 minutes-.-' and I even got a new swimsuit then!  And then, hopefully, they'll have a cute beach side boutique nearby with TOMS shoes for sale.
Ooh, I just can't wait to travel!

* older sister or older friend who's a girl; Kuya is older brother or older male friend- Tagalog

♥♥♥

♥Shopping

Okay, I only love shopping when I have $ or my parents or friends want to buy me something.  I like saving a lot...so I try to limit myself (not working!) and use coupons off coupon sites, newspapers, mags, and Facebook pages.
My favorite stores are Old Navy, Macy's, and Target.  Other good stores are Gap, Belk's, and stores like T.J. Maxx and Ross.  I used to not like those type of stores because everything is scattered all over the place, but if you're really patient, you'll surely find something cute and chic for a low price!  I tried not to shop today since I have already gotten new clothes every weekend for the past 2 months but I just couldn't help myself!  I actually already saw the tank top I wanted last Saturday but it was a little too big and the wrong color, but today at T.J. Maxx they had a different color which I loved and had to get even if in the same big size; my mom promised to alter it^^.  It was a good deal of $10 from $16.  They have a lot of other things too like shoes from $45 to only $13 (I think I even saw some Coach shoes there- not for $13 though lol) and Home decor!  You just have to be patient;)

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1st sem. over

Heh, we just got out first semester geography grades and I got to my goal!  But some of the test grades said I missed some but I thought I only missed 1 =p  Oh, I hope I just made a mistake in transferring everything to my scantron... If not, then I'll just have to kick myself and thank God for what wanted me to have.
I'm so happy we don't have anymore homework!  Well, until Monday =/  Pray for me as I finish up geography!

♥♥♥

The Things I crave from my Homeland♥

I miss my homeland, the Philippines!
I miss all my friends, the things I did, and the foods I ate.
Now that we live in the U.S., my mom still cooks Filipino dishes and the Asian store here has some food from the Phil.
When I visit the Philippines in the future, I would love to go to these places and eat all these things again.

Foods and Restaurants I crave for:

                                                             
•Dynamite Mint Candy!!
You have to try these.  I love mints and these are perfect.  They have a hard candy shell with  chocolate or other flavored fillings (they have a lot of different ones).  


•I loved Tender Juicy hot dogs when I was little. They don't taste anything like American hot dogs.  American hot dogs are too salty... Tender Juicy are juicy and "sweet".  

•I know fish for breakfast probably doesn't sound yummy to you, but fish and fried rice is a very common Filipino breakfast.  One of my favorites were Century Tuna (canned fish).  They were so good with steaming fresh rice.   

•Max's Restaurant had some of the best fried chicken in town.  One of the things I really enjoyed from there was their Caramel Bars.  They were so delectable (now I really want some!).  They weren't hard candy bars; they were little pastry bars with caramel.  


•love ko' to/ i'm lovin' it!  McDonald's was like kid haven for me.  Every time we went there (which was a lot) as soon as we got inside, I would run to the playground, put my shoes in the little shoe bin, and race the new friends I met there.  I loved collecting Happy Meal toys!  Back in the Philippines, you get to choose the toy you want from the collection.  Here in the U.S., they make kids cry by giving them the same toy over and over again-.-* McDo in the Philippines is very different.  They have McSpaghetti and Chicken McDo!  Oh my word, I can practically taste the crispy chicken and the rice "ball" right now.  Here in the U.S. I always get a cheeseburger because the burger is boring.. but in the Philippines, the hamburgers have this different sauce, like mayonnaise but not; it was pinkish.  I miss McDo!  

•Jollibee!  I didn't really go there as much as I did at McDonald's but I remember their Chicken Joy and their Mais con Yelo (corn and milk over ice).   Oh yeah, and I remember when my friend had a birthday party there and the giant Jollibee mascot asked me to dance, but I said no so my bgf had to do it!  Embarrassing-.-' but funny!  I also liked their kids' meal toys like the Bugs Bunny automobile with a hidden pen and notepad=) 


•Greenwich pizza was pretty good;)  And I loved their pandan gulamans (I think that's what they're called).  My friends and I always went there before going to Storyland, the indoor amusement park at mall. 


•After a school day in the city, my mom always took me to the Robinsons mall.  There, we usually got these little waffle "balls" filled with cheese or Tender Juicy hot dogs= delish.  I think the China Mall we went to in Canada had them too cus I could just smell them! 


•Oh my word, I really miss all the chips I loved in the Philippines.  Back when we lived in New Jersey, most of the foods I craved were there at the Asian stores but now the only chips here at our new place are Cracklings (salt & vinegar chips).  I wish they had Chippy here (my fave was Chili & Cheese)!



•Other goodies I miss:  -Ovalteenies -mamon and Spanish bread -taho -fresh pandesal -Goldilocks and their polvorons;) -that bread that has different flavors like chocolate, ube, pandan, stik-o, mango graham cake, and basically eveything! SARAP and lahat!

Places I would like to visit:

•When I left for the U.S., they were just starting to build the Mall of Asia and I missed it=(  My geography teacher was boasting about how the Mall of America in Minnesota has an indoor amusement park and in my head I'm like, "We have an amusement park [Storyland] in our regular malls in the Philippines.  We even have full ice skating rinks."



•I would like to visit the world's smallest volcano, Taal.  It's in my home city and I didn't even get to go there.  (Actually, we went close to it but I wanna go on the volcanic island.)

•I also miss where my dad grew up, the island of Ricudo in Batangas. 

PML

♥♥♥

I hope you can visit the Philippines and enjoy these beautiful sites and delicious foods and help the people there;)