Author: Mary Jane Lopez

Report of Birth (ROB); PH Consulate San Francisco,CA
Since I gave birth to our first wonderful baby girl we were so happy of the thought that she is already an American. At the same time we knew that she can also have the chance to be a dual citizen because of us, her parents. We got so excited to register her to be a natural Filipino that’s why we went to the Philippine embassy in San Francisco here in California to apply for the report of birth.

REPORT OF BIRTH

What is it about?

It is a declaration of the birth of a Filipino child born abroad or overseas. This is a legal process done in the consulate by both Filipino citizen parents or one who is not naturalized yet in a foreign country. This process should be done immediately in order to register such birth with the Office of Civil Registrar General in Manila.

Why is it important?
1. It’s a legal responsibility of a Filipino citizen parent to duly register the birth of a child to the consulate immediately.
2. The report of birth is a proof that a child born in a foreign country is a natural born Filipino. This means that the child is accepted to have dual citizenship or dual nationality.
3. As a natural born Filipino, the child will have the rights of a dual citizen. See all details and read all the benefits of a dual citizen here: http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/consular-services-2/dual-citizenship-ra-9225
4. When the child is already registered in the consulate, he/she will be able to practice the benefits of being a Filipino in the Philippines such as land ownership.
5. The child will have his/her own Philippine birth certificate and will be eligible to have a Filipino passport too which means traveling and staying for long in the Philippines won’t be any problem at all.
I started to search online about the requirements for the report of birth application. I found the official website of the consulate (Phil. Embassy San Francisco CA http://www.philippinessanfrancisco.org/) and the information I needed was so easy to be found.

What are the requirements for Report of Birth?
- First and foremost you have to check if the birth you want to report is under the jurisdiction of the consulate through the consulate’s finder site that can also be found on the official website (if within U.S). In this way when you apply to the right consulate the process of any legal documents will be faster.
- Fill-up the report of birth form
FYI: The child’s place of birth should be the city and the state where she was born. As stated in the form all details of the parents should be based at the time of child’s birth. All the required documents are listed on the consulate’s website, you can print it as your guide or checklist. This is the preview of the lists:

FYI: The cover letter is not necessary if the applicants if parents will go personally to the consulate or walk-in application; Don’t miss to read the “note” that was included on the pdf file found in the last paragraph of the page “how to file a report of birth” consulate’s website; Follow strictly what it says on the list depending on your case for example if it says 5 copies for each legal document then complete each.

What are the ways of filing the report of birth?
- Walk-in application or personally apply (bost husband and wife) to the consulate/embassy.
- Through mail or courier
- Getting a scheduled appointment to the Philippine Consular Outreach event assigned by consulate.
How much does it cost?

Both report of marriage and report of birth cost $25 each application

We live in Solano County in California so we went to the Philippine Consulate General base in San Francisco. The consulate which is located in 447 Sutter Street,San Francisco, CA 94108 is 24 miles away from where we live and we drove off for about an hour to get there. We made sure to arrive as early as possible so we can be first in line.

What is the Consular’s Service Hours?

Check the official website of the consulate before going and make sure to bring every necessary required documents for any of your application.

What are the process in filing the report?

The consulates flow chart procedure when filing a report of marriage in San Francisco, California can be found easily on their website.

The Experience

I have to edit a lot of things from the form I submitted like the place of birth of my baby, I’ve included the county where I gave birth but according to the consul they needed the city and state only. Its very convenient that I separated all the requirements for the report of birth application to the report of marriage application in a separate folders, it was easy for the officer to segregate each copy to verify it to the original document.

Read full experience in the Report of Marriage post.
March 15, 2018
Report of Marriage Application (ROM); PH Consulate San Francisco,CA
One of the legal process a Filipino immigrant should do after getting married and after giving birth in a foreign country is to apply for report of marriage and report of birth to Philippine Consulate General/Philippine embassy that has the authority over the locality where it took place. It applies to whether married to a foreign national or to a fellow Filipino as long as you got married abroad or overseas.

I’m a Filipino and was married to a U.S citizen early last year 2017 and on the same year I gave birth to our first baby here California. So with all these things that had happened, we decided to report our marriage and to report the birth of our baby to the consulate before our first anniversary and before our baby reached her first birthday. We wanted our marriage to be registered legally in the Philippines and be able to change my status in all my records there as well. We also want our baby to have her own legal records as a Filipino citizen too.

These are all about the report of marriage application from the definition, importance of filing the report to all the requirements needed. A separate article will be for the report of birth.

REPORT OF MARRIAGE

A Legal Document Application

What is it about?

It is a legal registration requirement for a married Filipino citizen overseas to report marriage that had occurred in a foreign country with the Consulate General/Philippine Embassy. This is mandated by Civil Registry Law Act 3753 and also covered on Family Code of the Philippines (sec.664). The Family Code states that “records of marriages whether performed by the Philippine Consular Officer or by the local religious or civil authorities shall be kept and transmitted to the Philippine Civil Registrar through the Department of Foreign Affairs”.

Why is it important?
1. Filing the report of marriage is the way to register the marriage in the Civil Registry of Philippines Statistics Office formerly known as the NSO. This means a change of your status and records in the Philippines.
2. Once you filed this report you will have a record or a certificate of marriage registered in the Philippines so whenever you need to change certain things in the Philippines such as insurances that require a marriage license then you can be able to provide one.
3. The report of marriage will be one of the evidence in changing legal documents such as renewing a Philippine passport. A change from using maiden surname to your married surname will only be possible if you filed this report.
With all these in mind, I started to search online about the requirements for the report of marriage and report of birth applications. I found the official website of the consulate and I was surprised that the information I needed was so easy to find.

What are the requirements for Report of Marriage?
- First and foremost you have to check if the marriage you want to report is under the jurisdiction of the consulate through the consulate’s finder site that can also be found on the official website (if within U.S). In this way when you apply to the right consulate the process of any legal documents will be faster.
- Fill-up the report of marriage form
FYI: The last name of the wife should be the maiden name; The information of the witnesses should be written in both boxes of husband and wife; All the required documents are listed on the consulate’s website, you can print it as your guide or checklist. This is the preview of the lists:

FYI: The cover letter is not necessary if the applicants, both husband and wife will go personally to the consulate or walk-in application; Don’t miss to read the “note” that was included on the pdf file found in the last paragraph of the page “how to file a report of marriage” consulate’s website; Follow strictly what it says on the list depending on your case for example if it says 5 copies for each legal document then complete each.

What are the ways of filing the report of marriage?
- Walk-in application or personally apply (bost husband and wife) to the consulate/embassy.
- Through mail or courier
- Getting a scheduled appointment to the Philippine Consular Outreach event assigned by consulate.
How much does it cost?

Both report of marriage and report of birth cost $25 each application

Since I and my husband have no any records of marriage before and didn’t have any kids we only need to submit certain documents that applies on our case. We live in Solano County in California so we went to the Philippine Consulate General base in San Francisco. The consulate which is located in 447 Sutter Street,San Francisco, CA 94108 is 24 miles away from where we live and we drove off for about an hour to get there. We made sure to arrive as early as possible so we can be first in line.

What is the Consular’s Service Hours?

Check the official website of the consulate before going and make sure to bring every necessary required documents for any of your application.

What are the process in filing the report?

The consulates flow chart procedure when filing a report of marriage in San Francisco, California can be found easily on their website.

THE EXPERIENCE

We arrived in the embassy at 9 a.m and we were asked to head to the 2nd floor going straight to the separate lane for applicants with baby or senior applicants. I took a blue ticket number from the stall in the front of the waiting room and we waited for almost 20-30 minutes before an officer called our turn. By then I informed her that we’ll be filing both report of marriage and report of birth so then she asked first about the requirements for the report of marriage. I handed down the folder of the requirements which I prepared separately from the other application. As per the rules of submission, only copies shall be given or surrendered to the consulate but all original document is a must to bring for validation of each document copies. After everything has been validated, the officer asked us to proceed to 6th floor for the next step. I submitted the document to the cashier window and I was instructed to wait until the document has been verified before I pay the fee. After 20 minutes or so I was called and informed to edit some of the information which I missed to fill up. Then after I completed editing I submitted it back and an officer checked it before I was told to pay the $25 fee. After paying I got the receipt with the information of the time of release of the document, at 4 p.m basically 4 hours after.

We went for a walk and took our lunch. As we walked around the city, we discovered things that were new to us like the public painting expo and the lady monument in San Francisco which symbolizes one of the historic events of the Philippines. Our waiting time was indeed well spent.

Thirty minutes before 4 p.m we went back to the embassy in 6th floor, I was about to call for the officer when I read the label in a box near the cashier’s window stating “place the receipt for document release and wait for your name to be called” and so that’s what I did. We seated and waited for their call. After probably 15 minutes the officer called my name and gave me the document. I was expecting to see a Philippine certificate of marriage but it wasn’t what I expected, it was a copy of all the forms I submitted just compiled, stamped and signed by the Deputy Consul General. The officer told me that the consulate will send our filed report to the Civil Registry in Philippine Statistics Office in Manila and then after 6 months I can request online for the true copy of our Philippine marriage certificate.

We filed both report of marriage and report of birth that same day. The process for report of birth will be in a separate post. Have you ever filed a legal document to any consulate? Its one of the experiences that is worth to share for others who are on the same boat to gain knowledge and background of the process.
March 5, 2018
What to See in San Pablo, Laguna Philippines
San Pablo City Laguna is located in south Luzon Philippines. Known to have beautiful “craters of Seven Lakes” these natural blessings became one of the city’s source of ecotourism. These lakes are large wide craters surrounded by forest. All seven lakes are as follows: Lake Bunot, lake Kalibato, twin lakes of Pandin and Yambo, lake Palakpakin, lake Muhikap and lake Sampaloc. The most pristine and the most visited one for tourists and adventurers is the twin lakes of Pandin and Yambo.

Take a sneak peak on what to see in these places through this photo story travel blog and get ready before taking the hike for a new adventure!
- PANDIN LAKE & YAMBO LAKE
One of the attractions of Laguna is the beautiful Lake of Pandin. Almost 3 hours car drive from the main city of Manila. There are also public buses in Buendia, Cubao and Alabang that are bound to San Pablo, Laguna if you wish to travel through commuting. From there commute by jeepney or a tricycle going to the exact place where the lake is. Take a little hike going to the lake, passing through a farm and a hill. Tour itineraries will be introduced by officers officiating the ecotourism of Pandin Lake once you reached the lake. Different options of activities are available for groups to enjoy. Entrance road and view of Pandin Lake.
1. Bamboo Rafting and Swimming in the Lake: One exciting activity here is riding in a bamboo raft and enjoying different options of food while touring around the pristine lake of Pandin. Swimming is allowed after you reached the opposite side and have fun in the swing where shades of trees are.Bamboo Rafts with huts for lunch picnics touring around the crater of Pandin lake. The gang in the bamboo raft.
The raft was pulled by 2 men using the rope that was attached to the other end or opposite end of the lake. Swimming after reaching the opposite side of the lake. Tourists are only allowed to swim with life jackets. Jumping off the raft together with the group. A tire made swing in the shades of a tree located where the raft ducts at the opposite side of the lake.

2. Another fun adventure is to hike towards the twin lake of Pandin, the Yambo lake. Just after you reach the opposite end, take a little hike in a narrow stiff road going up a hill in order to see the crater view of Yambo Lake located on the other side of the mountain.

Climbing up a steep hill going to the view of lake Yambo’s crater. The view of Yambo lake from the hill top.
- BATO SPRINGS
The spring resort located almost 10 miles away from Pandin Lake in San Pablo City, Laguna. It is situated in the mountains of Mt. Banahaw and Mt.Cristobal and it offers pools inspired by a natural spring. There’s an admission fee and accommodation for overnight stay is available. Room’s price differs depending on the type and the area. The resort allows guests to bring their own food and cooking wares. There’s also a grilling station already provided for guest to cook near the rooms. It is suitable for families and big groups who seek affordable place to spend quality time to bond and a place to relax,unwind and cool down during summer. Small Cottages for rent. These are small rooms that have 1 bunk bed, convenient for a small group. Large size cottages are available for big groups.

The resort’s features are the following:

– Pools with a cold spring flowing in a manmade falls

– A videooke station (for rent)

– A pavilion

– A store and a restaurant

One of the pavilion of Bato Springs One of the pool of Bato Springs for kids and adult. A A pool inspired by natural spring; Man-made falls and cave in the jungle.

Travel tips:
- It’s more convenient to bring your own food and snacks.
- Extra clothing is a must and bring your travel gears such as waterproof shoes or sandals and a handy backpack.
- Carry power banks and extra batteries to capture every single moment of your experience.
- Book for a reservation if you are planning to go on holidays or during summer which is the tourist’s peak season.
- Best time to enjoy all activities are from 9 a.m onwards so the earlier the better.
OTHER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

There are several side adventures to discover just few miles away from Pandin Lake:

– Sampaloc Lake which is about 4 miles away

– Bunga Falls which is only 9 miles away located in Nagcarlan, Laguna

– Liliw the slipper capital of the Philippines; where you can visit the historic red church of Saint John the Baptist.

There’s a lot to see in this beautiful country, you just need a good background about the place and know what to expect and then you’re off to go for your next adventure!

Are you planning to visit Philippines soon? have you been to San Pablo, Laguna or in any places I’ve listed here? If so, how was your experience? I would appreciate if you want to share your story in the comment.
February 27, 2018
A Day In Oakland Zoo: Experience Review

Last week our family planned a day trip to Oakland zoo, an hour car drive away from home. Since many of our family members have not been to a zoo before and its Mia’s 4th month birthday, we thought it would be a perfect time of the year to go and discover real animals that we only read in books or watch in t.v. That was just our only thought why we decided to go to the nearest zoo in our county but what we have experienced was a total surprise for all of us and it was indeed more than what we expected.

OAKLAND ZOO: THE BRIEF HISTORY

It was known before as Knowland Zoo located in Southeastern Oakland, California. It’s a 100 acre zoo and the home of natural and exotic animals kept well maintained in their natural habitats. Founded in 1922 by naturalist Henry A. Snow and was established as a non profit organization by Alameda County Botanical and Zoological Society, what was known now as East Bay Zoological Society. The zoo has been operating under the organization as a non profit organization for the city of Oakland since 1982. In 25 years of existence, the zoo has been awarded a lot of times, being recognized for its animal management and endangered specie programs. Over the years, the zoo went through major improvements from animal care to visitor’s experience.

There had been public support from the City of Oakland and East Bay Regional Parks District which contributed to the zoo’s operating budget. Others funds came from different community including private sectors, individuals, foundations, corporations, and memberships. Yearly public support from all these sources sustained the low cost of admission and keep the zoo affordable and attainable too all economic levels of the community.

THE EXPERIENCE

We want to give you a tour to the zoo from the entrance way, the rides and the zoo proper. We want to share our experience and be able to give you a first impression if you ever want to plan your visit one day. Let’s go and explore Oakland Zoo!

[video_embed url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnz1qx1OKd4″ embed_style=”default”]

FINAL INSIGHT

I must say that Oakland zoo is a lovely place to visit, perfect for families and friends, a fun and a wonderful place to bond with the kids.

We loved it especially when we have our baby with us to experience everything even the rides, it was really amazing. It was really memorable and its worth going for sure, we had a lot of fun and we enjoyed the animals as much as what we expected and the rides gave us a new unique experience too.

Our baby is still very young to remember all the precious moments we had in this place but we will definitely come back when she’s a little bit bigger and when she can be able to recognize and enjoy the animals more.

Are you looking for an educational adventure and a fun getaway in Oakland? This is definitely a place for you to explore!

February 13, 2018
The History of a great man

A Humbled Man

He was a child of a poor couple living in a barrio, a small village far in the mountains of Romblon. He was a brother, later on got married to be a husband of a humbled woman and eventually became a Father. He gave his family a best father can give; a life full of love, hope, happiness and anything life could offer. He built his family a home not in elegance but in simplicity and contentment. As a father, he worked with all his might in all the ways he tried, to earn money and gave his family all the support he could. He had struggles and difficulties facing all the challenges in life but he became courageous to overcome them as he stood firm with his whole faith against each of these burdens, he became the strength of the home he built.

For his family, he became a man he never thought he could be. He became their hero, a hero who they looked up to for being so strong yet very humbled despite all the struggles and difficulties that life had given him. He never lost his faith, he never stopped moving his feet forward, he never gave up when he was already suffering. As a human being he sometimes felt weak but his bravery to protect his family against pitfalls of life was undeniably astounding. Though his life had been tough, he stayed well-founded and motivated to lift himself up whenever he felt frail. A man who had given his whole life working hard just to provide a better life for his family became a real father, a loving husband, a generous brother and a very caring son.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in faith; be courageous; be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:3

A Real Father

Unlike any fathers who worked in companies and offices with stable income to feed their family, he was different. He was not born with a golden spoon but he tried to gain education by himself, he worked and went to school at the same time. Due to their economic situation and life’s circumstances, he didn’t finish studying and never got any degree in college that would help him qualify for a stable job. At first, he had no money but he was very passionate on working, on learning, and discovering everything on his own. Financial scarcity was real during these early times but with his eagerness to work made him be a jack-of-all-trades man which helped him bring money home, he tried everything he could possibly done with his skills and that made him a good responsible provider for his wife and children.

Being a father of 3; two sons and a daughter. Being a father was a tough and very good challenge in life for him. He taught them proper manners, right disciplines and good guidance, he gave them freedom to seek the goodness of life on their own. Even though he had guided them well, there were situations that required him to be on his strongest state of being a father for the sake of love and comfort of his children. When one of his child lost his path, he was hurt and saddened but he didn’t despise him nor tolerate him of his wrongdoings, he had hope for his son to be better again and so together they struggled and succeeded. From his own words “If I turned my back on my children, what kind of a father I am. If I lose hope on my own son, who will be patient and willing to guide and be there for him?”. He was tough but at the same time he was kind and forgiving.

“Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death” Proverbs 19:18

For his kids he was more than a father, especially for his only daughter who spent most of her younger years with him until she became a woman, he was her first best friend and the first man she loved with all her heart. He was her living protector and knight against harm and danger, he was her safe comfort when she felt scared, he was her great listener when she needed someone to talk to, he was her travel buddy wherever she felt like going to an adventure and more importantly he was her inspiration of life. She had gained all her values from him, had grown into a well mannered woman, and had built her strong faith because of him and his disciplines. He had shown her how to value life and how essential it is to appreciate everything about life. He was not a perfect man but in her eyes, he was the perfect man and that made her dream of her own prince in the exact character image of him. She had witnessed him gain success with his patience, bravery and courage in life and that is what made her admire him the most.

She knows she loved him so much but her father’s love for her was far more than she could ever give back. He loved his children unconditionally more and beyond the love that his children gave him.

A Loving Husband

    Marriage life has lots of ups and downs but their own journey as a couple was an inspiring tale. As a husband he was always there for his wife from all life’s hardships and adversities. He stood as her man in all life’s uncertainty and stayed loyal and worthy of her love. They lived and worked together for decades of years but his love for her was as fresh as the first time they committed themselves to be one in marriage.

He was not the man a woman might be dreaming of, good-looking, wealthy, and appealing but for a woman who became his wife, he was humble, gentle, loyal, compassionate, generous, hard-working and a selfless man. From the hearts and thoughts of his children, he was a loving husband to their mother.

    His thoughts would always include his wife, how she is and what would she thinks. He would care with all her thoughts and feelings toward a decision to make or to a certain situation especially when it’s concerning their family. He was considerate with all her decisions and respects her in every way, as his wife and as the mother of his children. He never fail to appreciate his wife’s love, he kissed and hugged her every time he got a chance. When she felt sad and moody, he would dance crazily in front of her just to make her smile and laugh.

He made sure to show his wife that he valued and appreciated everything that she was doing for him and for their children.

“Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” Ephesians 5:28

A Generous Brother

    He was not wealthy but his generosity to offer his help and share whatever he has cannot be denied by many. He helped a lot of people in his own simple way from his needy workers and friends to his family members, brother, sister and relatives. He shared the small amount of money that he had just to help with the needs of one. He also shared work with them to help them earn money and that way feed their families. He was generous enough to share his knowledge and ideas to someone who was willing to learn and work with him so that they could earn money together.

    He always had his big heart open to his brother and sister whenever they needed his help, either with money or moral needs. Even though he could not offer a full financial support to them, he tried to give as much as he could, on top of that he was a good listener and adviser whenever they needed to share their life issues with him.

“Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.” Psalm 37:16-17

A Caring Son

He was not young, he himself was an aging parent but he was also a child and a son of a 90 years old couple. Even if he had aged as old as he was and despite of being busy with life, he cared so much for his parents all his life. He managed to visit them everyday after work even to his most tiring day. Like a small kid, he shared his stories with them and laugh together with his jokes. He frequently had special time with them by gathering the rest of his family to eat together and talk about life. This was his way of showing his parents his love and nowadays they still appreciate him of what he did for them and that always brings back memories which makes them miss him so much.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

The special man that I am talking about was my beloved father. I have described him as best as I could but words will never be enough to express how much I admired him. I cannot be more proud and grateful of him than I am now. I thank God for blessing me to have him as my father. I know that my life will never be the same without him but as we all know life just goes on whether we like it or not. But one thing I’m sure about is that no matter what my dad will always be in my heart and that he is now my angel in heaven, I know that he is still watching over me, my mama and my brothers, praying closer to God for our safety and guidance in the journey of life.

February 1, 2018
Embossed Word Home Decor
Kick start 2018 with a craft, a DIY embossed word home decor can suit on top of your dresser or in any table top in your bedroom, living room or hallway!Isn’t it fun to have your displays at home customized and self made? For me its a big YES! Its unique and you can have all your imagination come to life into an awesome craft! Having an authentic house decor doesn’t have to be expensive, it only takes some creativity to make that wonderful idea into reality and transform it into a beautiful masterpiece. I thought that it would be the perfect time to start making DIY displays after redesigning our room last new year.

I love all things unique but I don’t want to spend much for it lol and so that’s where my crafty mind kicks in. I thought of a word template that would be perfect on top of the long dresser we have in our room and I found one in 99 cents store, its a “welcome home” word template.I’ve selected paint colors that would make it look like its wooden and vintage or antique. It will only require few materials and the procedure is simple and easy, it will only take you some time to turn that empty blank template into that real thing you imagined it to be, vintage and unique.

EMBOSSED DIY WORD DECOR

Materials Needed:→ Newspaper

→ Word template (Welcome Home)

→ Glue Gun

→ Extra glue stick

→ Chalk Paint/ Any Paint (Brown, Black)

→ Paint brush

→ Wax (Dark) (optional)

Choose your desired word template and paint colors depending on your preferred design too. The wax is optional, if you want to use a standard paint then you don’t need it but I chose to used chalk paint instead. In order for me to achieve the antique design I want, I have to use dark wax instead of the clear one. Now for the steps and procedures, I started off by designing the template with the hot glue gun and the glue stick.

Steps:
1. Cover your work area with newspaper so that whenever you use paint, your table or any of the surface you’ll be working on will stay clean.
2. With the glue gun, design the template in your desire. In my case I want it to look like a leaf or flowers so I swirled the gun and glued down one layer of circles and let it dry.
Tips: When using the glue gun, make sure to take off the extra glue thread or web that it makes so that when you apply paint on top of it, the embossed design will look clean and neat. The word template will looked embossed with the embossed effect of the design from the dried glue that was applied.

3. Apply first coat of desired paint color on the front side of the letters using the paint brush and wait for a little while until the first coat dries up.

Tips: If you are using different colors and you only use 1 paint brush, make sure to wash it well with water so the paint don’t mix with another color. The paint brush will also be used in the application of the wax so before and after make sure the brush is cleaned well.

4. I chose a different color for the base so after I painted the front side of the letters I followed the base, I painted it in black color. Let it dry.

5. Next step is to apply the second coat of paint on the front side of the letters and let it dry. This will be your background color.

6. Then apply the dark wax on the side and the entire back side of the letters using the paint brush.

7. Finally, when the brush has less wax on it, you can direct your paint brush unto the front side. The embossed design made by the hot glue will be highlighted by the wax and will stand out on its vintage look.

Tips: When brushing the dark wax on the letters, make sure that the brush has only very LESS wax on it because the wax is black and if you have a lot of it in the brush it will make the letters so dark and it will cover your first paint color which is your background.

After the final step, let it dry and Viola you have your masterpiece! Its easy and inexpensive, your creativity will bring everything into life. A video of making this will be available soon!

You can do it, make it possible! just put in your wildest imagination and leave it to your crafty hands! Are you crafty too? Have you tried this before? or you want to try making one like this? If so let me know in the comment or tag me on facebook: @ifillLife and I’ll be happy to see it and learn some tips from you too!
January 13, 2018
Turning Back the Pages of Life Greatest Memories Last Year

With lots of graces and excitement, year 2017 has been a journey of unforgettable memories. I have made big decisions, created new relationships, met new people, formed a new family, learned a lot of new things and most importantly received the greatest blessings I ever had, my very precious baby. Listing everything would be possible but the gratitude we have from these experiences cannot be measured by words. These memories will be forever treasured and the lessons that I learned on each will serve as my stepping stones to grow and mature and take on new challenges that will for sure be a very rewarding journey of my life. Here is my 2017 story book:

BIG DECISIONS

Early January of 2017- settled into a true relationship and made a big decision in my life to get married. Decided to leave my family in my home country to migrate with my fiance in the U.S. Then I arrived in U.S the very first time and met my new family. It’s indeed a life changer, one big life turning point for me stepping in another milestone of life. I’m a Filipina and living abroad for the fist time was not easy because I had to adapt to several changes that I’m was not used to from a total environment change to certain practice changes. It is really true that great things come from the big things that we make, just sometimes you have to risk it all to see the possibilities to know what awaits ahead of you.

MARRIAGE

Started life with my partner as husband and wife. Yes it happened last year, 2 months after my U.S arrival, We had a simple civil marriage but was a very special event that we both experienced. Since that day my husband and I faced the beginning of a blended family life and thrive for a lifetime commitment.

PREGNANCY

This was a truly unique experience especially going through the roller coaster of emotions and all the discomfort that pregnancy brought to me as a first time mommy. During this time of my life I realized my worth of being a woman and realized how my Mama loved me so much that she too endured all the consequences of being pregnant with me before.

HOLIDAY SEASON

First time to celebrate America’s special holidays like 4th of July and thanksgiving. We have it simple but very remarkable, small family gathering full of fun and laughter and lots of food! For every occasion, nothing could replace the joy that our family brings and nothing is much more special than the memories we made together.

TRAVELS

First time visits to several places in California; have witnessed the beauty of California in different spots, enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities and a long fun joy ride while traveling with the whole family. Traveling is our escape from our daily routine, breathing fresh air and taking time to relax and enjoy the company of each other , we wish to go to numerous places this new year with our little one too and we hope to make it a reality.

BLOGGING

Started blogging in the middle of the year and it was not as easy as I thought. It was a challenge to figured out how to set up a blog and establish our own website. It was a struggle to gain traffic in the first months but little by little we gained experiences and insights that helped us learn how to manage our blog properly and productively.

How about you? How was your year 2017? I would love to hear it. Feel free to let me know below. Thanks for reading and I wish joy, health and success in this new year!

January 6, 2018
Lake Temescal, Oakland CA: Baby Mia’s 1st Outdoor Adventure

CATCHING TWO BIRDS IN ONE STONE

Mia was about a month old and some days when we took her to an outdoor adventure in a lake in Oakland. As a new mommy I kinda was worried about taking her out of the house because the outside world was all new to her and her skin was so delicate that it’ll be hard for her to combat the type of weather outside. But then I realized that we already had been inside the house for a month and she looked healthy and maybe it was time for the both of us to get some fresh air outside so that we could expose Mia to the natural light and have her experience a different pace too. To make that happen all I needed to do was to get everything ready and be mindful of necessary precautions so that baby would not get sick.

The following questions that I had in mind before leaving home with baby:

1. What are the MUST HAVE’S that baby needs when she’s on an outside adventure?

Of course her formula milk, bottles, thermo container for her hot water, diapers, wipes, blankets, bibs, extra clothes, hat, mittens and the most important thing; the carrier and the stroller.

2. How should I properly dress her?

I told myself that it depends on the weather outside and the time we needed to go to the Lake it would be early in the morning and it was obviously cold so I dressed her appropriately by making her wear a pinky hoodie. I did not want to overdress or under-dress her but just fine that she would not feel cold at all. I made sure to dress her in layers and covered her head, hands and feet. After I prepared all her things and everyone in the family packed everything from our food to the other necessary things we needed, we headed our way to Lake Temescal: Temescal Regional Recreational Area in Oakland California. It is located next to the junction highways 24 & 13 in Oakland. It is an urban oasis where big trees and the panoramic view of Lake Temescal can be found. It is a very convenient place for family picnics and other recreational activities such as fishing, biking and hiking.

HOW FAR IS IT FROM HOME?

It took us an hour drive from where we live (Vallejo, CA) to get to Lake Temescal. We arrived in the place early in the morning around 9 a.m and we parked the car for free (there’s a mini wood tent with a poster about details of parking fee but nobody was there). There were already numerous cars parked and we saw some families like us have their own baby too with them in strollers. There was a cold breeze of wind coming from the trees and leaves were falling on the ground while kids started to run back and forth playing and parents were busy pulling out their things from their cars.

WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF LAKE TEMESCAL?

Our baby Mia was always asleep after a car ride as expected, when we arrived she was still asleep when No, my husband took her carrier from the car seat. We headed to the lake and we passed through a lot of picnic tables and some of them were already occupied by families or group of students gathered together to eat. There was a big kids playground and available restrooms were next to it. As we walked through the pathway we saw big trees along the sidewalk. We started to look for space with a picnic table but for our surprise some of them were already marked as reserved and there was one that was reserved for a wedding celebration which had a lot of chairs and balloons lined up with the flowers. We did some walking until we found an available space for us. We really liked the one we found because the lake was just foots away. It was a spacious picnic table under a tree with a grill on the side and its near to a fishing dock. We had our food grilled for our lunch while having very happy moments of laughter and talks. Under the tree where we sat, I held Mia in my arms and gave her milk. Her eyes winked when the tree leaves moved and swayed because of the wind.

After our lunch, we went to see the fishing dock and there were men with their fishing poles patiently waiting for a catch. We saw that they have their nets too and they have already caught some fish. We didn’t have our fishing poles so we just watched and those men were friendly enough to talked to us about how they fish. We took baby Mia with us and she loved the cool wind blowing from the lake and her eyes wondered when she saw the fish in the net. But when we went back to our table she had fallen back to sleep in the shoulders of her Grandpa. Lake Temescal is a dog friendly park too. We saw a lot of people walking with their dogs and some stopped in front of us to introduce them to us. We loved dogs and we enjoyed talking with strangers, those dog owners who passed through us and let us play with their lovely pet for some time. There was also this student who had his drone and so friendly that he happily talked to us about how it works.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

It was indeed a fun day for all of us even to our little Mia. She had her first outdoor adventure, different environment, got some fresh air and enjoyed the natural light of the day. This lovely place will always be a part of her sweet memories as others would say “First times are always unforgettable”.

December 7, 2017
How It All Happened: The New Beginning

A Milestone of New Beginning

Marriage is the base ground or the strong foundation of our commitment to the love that would last a lifetime even in the most challenging times of life. We are now moving ahead with our lives as one body and soul in the journey to forever.

I am an Asian and my husband is a Latino, 2 different people of different race, different culture, different principles and beliefs and a total different well being. We have met as strangers in a social network back in 2009, built a constant communication from 2015 and through this we have known each other well. We offered each other friendship but the continuous talks and sharing of everything became a special connection between me and him that eventually resulted to that special feeling of love that we never really expected. Even us didn’t believe with this kind of relationship before but as it happened to us, I could say now that it’s true. Love has no boundaries, its a magical thing that can happen even to the most unexpected way, it was real and it did really happen as the reality of the beginning of our love story. From then we made sure to introduce each other to our families even only through tools or by technological means of communication. Despite the doubts and questions that they have, we were blessed to have their happiness for both of us and their approval to our relationship.

As we knew the sea of life has lots of waves, the challenges and trials are inevitable and through this we tests ourselves how strong we are as a human being. We, at the same time realized how strong is our relationship to the people who truly love and care about us. This is how we build the foundation of our relationship to each of our loved ones especially to our partners in life.

We were in the delight of love when life strikes its strongest storm to one of us. My father got a motorcycle accident and after a day he passed away, it was the hardest struggle I’ve been through and with the pain and grief, sorrow had drowned me. At first I thought I would reach my weakest point but I stood firm because of the unconditional support and love of my partner/boyfriend. He slowly lifted my spirit from sorrow and despair of loss, he had offered me the unconditional support I really needed in those darkest times of my life. Love has been so powerful that even though he was in the farthest place away from me and with the difference of time, it never became a hindrance to communicate and be with each other in those times of suffering and hardship.As I try to accept the process of healing, he became one of my inspiration and motivation to move ahead with life and see another light of new beginning. He had came to visit me in my country, had talked to my entire clan of family and brought me to some places I could unwind to freed myself from all the thoughts of the painful past I’ve been through.

From our trips, we have shared our own special moments together in which we have known each other’s character and stories of identity. Our love for each other had developed into maturity and more serious state until finally we have decided to settle down into a decision of getting married. By that time my fiance had to go back to his country to let his family know and I’ve done the same, I have talked to my mom and brothers about it as well. As normal reactions of concerned parents, the acceptance was not easy. Due to the fact that we just met on the web and we came from a total different race and culture, doubts and hesitations from our families cannot be denied.

The decision of getting married means the acceptance of the whole family from our both sides, despite all the risks and in whatever situation of life we are in. It was a tough decision to make considering that those risks might result to a total success or total failure. Concerns about the possibilities of “what if’s” and “if only” were a risky truth to take and a courageous matter to be conquered. Doubts and hesitations from our families have been addressed well and known to us for the assurance of understanding all the consequences of our decision and the risk we would want to take. But our love had overruled everything, it was brave, courageous and strong, it had been our assurance against the uncertainties, our only reason to believe to the success of our relationship. 23rd of March 2017- Wedding day. Simple but very joyous day to celebrate when our relationship was finally in the legality of lifetime commitment. Being young and married is quite a blessing and a blissful start for both of us. As a couple who started from a very distant commitment, it was a true joy to be in each other’s arms after the sacrifice of being apart for a year. Having been in a long distance relationship is quite a long journey of communication, the only way to build the force of our relationship into reality and to see the truth behind the distance that sets us apart. When I say communication, it was not just through words but the feeling of being fully related with your special someone. As if he was always present beside you consciously listening with his whole being, all his concerns and care. Individually, we have our own separate stories of storms in life but through the power of connection that we have created in our commitment, each of us became the strength of each other.19th of September 2017– We are now happily married and with the love and grace of God, we are blessed to have our most precious little girl. Stepping up to the milestone of family life, a new beginning with full of hopes and prayers to a love that would last a lifetime.

December 1, 2017
Thanksgiving Full of Love and A Joyous Holidays

September 19th, 2017,

“Here at the hospital with mom waiting for my daughter to be born.

My wife is suppose to be due on September 29^th but it looks like our baby wants to come out of her mother’s tummy soon. My wife woke up around 5 and started to feel false or initial contractions whatever they call them. Then an hour passed and she had to get up and see if the pain could lessen or go away. The whole family was already up getting ready to go to work and for school. We told them the news that the baby is giving signs to come soon. We had to change our plans and I had to stay home and be there in case the contractions get worse. Another 2 hours passed by and the contractions just got worse and that was simply because the time of labor was approaching and I had to call mom to come back home from work so that she could be with us. She came back and ask about the symptoms and from her experience she was able to tell that it was time to go to the hospital.

So we headed to the hospital and since it was during day time we had to go straight to the lobby and check in instead of just going to the emergency room. There was a guard right in front of the entrance checking who goes in and out and when we told her that she was about to give birth the guard immediately told us to come upstairs and that is exactly what we did and they started to check her and run some test about the contractions and from their understanding the baby wasn’t far. Her cervix was already opened enough for them to tell that the baby might come soon. My wife was then admitted immediately and we were transferred to another room while all the nurses prepared all the medical supplies for baby’s delivery.

I saw my wife with lots of pain with the contractions getting stronger and stronger every single time but we were very thankful that with the Epidural that they have done for her (spinal tap) the pain was gone. As I asked her how she felt after the shot she just smiled and said that she can only feel the pressure now and with that I felt relieved of worrying.

We thought baby will come out soon after the epidural but its been almost 8 hours since we got here in the hospital and baby is not coming out yet. My wife was asleep for now as preparation for the pushing later. According to the nurse the epidural delays labor longer so probably we have to wait few more hours until baby is ready to come out.

I am very excited and I can’t wait to see her soon!”

This is a draft made by my husband the day I’m about to deliver our very first baby. He was my strength against pain of labor and he was my all time support after delivery too (blessed wife me lol). When we finally see baby, the tears of joy just flowed in our eyes. The realization how blessed we are to be a new parent for such a wonderful blessing was instant and undeniable. Words couldn’t describe well the feeling we have experienced that very first second we saw our baby. She just made us a family with me as Mommy and with Daddy. She was our biggest gift this year, our greatest blessing to be thankful for this thanksgiving and our bunch of joy this coming Christmas.

How about you what’s your greatest blessing this year? Have you ever wonder how blessed you are with the things you have right now?

For sure, there’s always a reason to celebrate and to be thankful for each year! A Happy Thanksgiving and a Happy Holidays in Advance!

November 18, 2017