What a great dog he turned out. My baby boy is a year old now and I don’t have enough words to express how happy he has made me and my family. He is a big dog, he weighs a good 102 lbs but he is gentle. I have gotten used to being around Rio, I have learned so much from him this past year. There are so many reasons why I love my dog, things that I would never give up for anything in the world. I would go on and on writing about the reasons why I love Rio  but I’ll just list a few that stand out he most for me.

He greets me every morning.

The moment I open the door of my room my furry friend is there circling around me with his tail wiggling from side to side. he sits and I bend down to pet him and tell him good morning. Before I can do anything else to start my day, I clean Rio’s food and water bowl and give him his food and water afterwards. Already he has given me a good start to my day and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

Knowing when I’m about to go out.

He knows when I’m about to go out when he sees me grab my bag and my keys and waits beside me to take him with me. Depending on the day, there are times when I can’t take him with me, regardless he makes an attempt to convince me to take him along. He begs me with those adorable eyes, sniffs on his leash which is usually hanging on the hook behind the door. I pet him and tell him that I can’t take him with me and assure him that as soon as I get back I’ll take him out. He understands, he moves away from the door to sit down and watch me as I leave. As I get inside my car I look back to the window to see him standing there as to say “see you soon, I’ll be here waiting for you”. This never fails to make me happy.

 

He loves to play soccer, he makes such a great goalkeeper.

My little Brother Brad is a soccer fan, he plays with his soccer ball on the backyard all the time. One of the reasons we got Rio was because Brad convinced mom and dad that he needed a pet that he could play with. Rio definitely did not disappoint him, almost every day I see the two of them playing on the green grass on the backyard. Rio stands waiting at the goal stand as Brad prepares to shoot, both are panting and when Brad calculates where the ball might get in; he kicks and Rio immediately dashes towards the ball to prevent Brad from scoring, Rio grabs the ball between his teeth as Brad falls on the grass with his hands over his head in dismay. They continue paying until both are tired. I love watching them play, it is such a warm feeling to know that Brad has found a true friend for so many years to come.

 

Looking at passing cars or people walking on the sidewalk out the window.

One of the things that Rio does is lean on the back of the couch to look at passing cars on the street. Every once in a while he wiggles his tail when someone with a dog walks by stopping only until they disappear behind the bushes. He even greets the mail man when he slips the mail in the mailbox. He watches him intently as he makes his way to the house next door. I believe this is what Rios does all the time when he is left alone for a few hours in the house. He know how to entertain himself while he waits for a car to pull over the driveway.

 

He lets me know when he is hungry by rubbing his paw on his food container.

Before I get close to the food container Rio is already there sitting next to it. He rubs the lid with his paws a few times telling me that it is time to eat. I proceed to open the lid and pour two cups of his food in the bowl, Rio just watches, waiting for me to finish and once I am done he looks at me asking me if it is OK for him to start eating to which I reply “go ahead boy”. He jumps up and starts eating.

 

 

Playing hide and seek.

I throw one of his toys outside and he goes to fetch it by the time he comes back I am already gone, hiding somewhere inside the house. Once he reaches the front door he leaves his toy on the ground and goes looking for me. Sometimes I hide behind the door, under a desk or next to the couch. At first it took him a while to find me but he has gotten so much better. Once he finds me, he wiggles his tail in excitement and goes back to his toy waiting for me to throw it on the backyard again.

 

He likes to sleep with a pillow under his head.

Ever since Rio arrived to live with us he has always slept with a pillow under his head. When he sleeps on the couch he makes himself comfortable and places his head on the arm of the couch. Rarely I will see him sleeping without a pillow but that is when he is laying on the carpet when it is hot for him to sleep on his bed or the couch. I just think that is so cute, he truly brings a smile on my face when I see him sleeping like a little baby even though he is a big dog.

 

Rio lets me know someone is at the door when I’m somewhere in my room.

One of the benefits of having a dog is that they let you know when someone is about to knock on your front door. Sometimes I am sitting on the couch when Rio suddenly jumps up and walks to the window. I can tell from him when it is someone that I know or if it is a stranger. If it is an acquaintance he will incessantly wiggle his tail and his pointy ears pull back, he goes to the door to meet that person. If it is a stranger, he will bark, he will still want to go to the door and see who it is but he doesn’t stop barking. When it comes to a stranger his goal of course is to warn me, my best friend lets me know to be careful and stands next to me as I open the door. Sometimes it’s just the pizza guy or the UPS guy wanting me to sing a paper for him before he delivers a package, Rio calmly looks and relaxes. He is just a perfect dog, that will be there for me no matter what.

 

 

He makes me happy!

Oh what can I say, Rio is the perfect definition of happiness. One year has gone by very fast and I don’t know why it took me so long to finally make the decision to have a dog. I don’t know why I even doubt it, I’m just so happy to have Rio in my life.

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.

First Time Job Hunter

I was about 18 years old when I seriously considered getting a job, I was about to graduate from high school and by then all I was thinking about was ways to help my dad with the money. My teachers of course had told me to go straight to college unless I wanted to end up flipping burger patties my whole life but I didn’t’ heed their advice. I would have continued school had I had it sorted out, had I known what I wanted to do then. I decided I would take a year off to figure things out, get a job, try something new while bringing some money home.

For a very long time I have wondered what it would be like to get a proper job, how it would be like to help my family and feel useful for once in my life. That was all that was in my head, I had convinced myself that by getting a job I would be treated with respect and it would make me more mature and maybe through the course of time I would learn what I truly wanted to do with my life. So with that in mind I started the job hunt. I decided that I would apply to some retail stores, fast food restaurants or wherever an inexperienced teenager would be hired. I mostly applied online thinking it would be easier and because that made the whole process less daunting. I tried to go inside some stores and ask if there was any opening available, I even rehearsed what I would say. During those unsuccessful tries I realized that I was shy and I was so certain that that was the least quality that an employer wanted to see in a candidate. Especially in retail stores where all you have to do is socialize, you have to persuade people into buying a product. After a month as I was beginning to lose hope I received a call from a McDonald’s manager asking me if I could stop by for an interview on the afternoon.

Surprisingly, I got hired right on the spot. I didn’t know then that that was the first of three interviews that I would have for the next 4 years in which all I got hired. All three jobs where different from worst to better, each taught me something but none of them I felt comfortable working in and I realized that I couldn’t quit job after another because that would lead me to nowhere.Job #1

I didn’t know what this job was going to lead to. At the time I thought it was a good start, it was by all means a job that didn’t require any experience. How bad could it be right? I never expected to end up working in the kitchen, I was completely unaware of how ruthless some people could be to a person who’s never had a job before. They made themselves feel superior just because they had spent half of their lives working in there. I guess they had forgotten that it was part of their job to train others too and not be mean to them. I don’t know if working at the front counter would have been any better than the kitchen but I kept insisting the manager to let me try it. In the end I worked three years in the kitchen, making burgers and cleaning. I abhorred the idea of being there, working relentlessly, coming home every day tired and not feeling like doing anything else. One night as I was working one out of three day  graveyard shifts I did every week I wondered deeply if it was all worth it. All the scars on my arms from the hot oil, the excruciating 15 minutes that I had to endure in the freezer filling up my cart with frozen food just to have it ready for the morning shift. I had done what I could here and it wasn’t working. I did what any sensible person would have done in my situation. I quit. 

Job #2

I guess I had  taken this journey to find myself, to feel worth it. It is good, advisable even, to tell someone to go out there, try something new until you are reconnected with what you really want to do with your life. I gave another job a go. I had gotten so used to keeping myself busy that I felt weird staying at home. I applied at 7-Eleven, a day later I was called for an interview. I have to say that working here felt like opening my eyes for the first time in so long. I learned to use a cash register, I learned to interact with people and most of all my shyness was slowly ebbing away. I found it comfortable and fun working with my coworkers. This job was stressful on days when I had to work 8 hours shifts by myself and I was always scared that someone would come in the store and rob me and it was quite disappointing that they wouldn’t even give lunch breaks, not even 10 or 15 minute breaks. On days when I was scheduled to work with one person, especially if it was with the people that I had a blast working with the stressful days seemed bearable. The day I left that job, my coworkers organized a surprise party for me, that’s how nice they were. They told me that they appreciated my hard work and my commitment to the job. I wanted to prove my strength this time, I didn’t want to feel chained to this job and having the decision to quit this job whenever I felt ready was another way for me to take control. Control to guide my life to where it’s supposed to go. I knew my coworkers understood this and they supported me all the way. Job #3

There I was at the entrance of another store ready to start a new day at my new job. Payless seemed very convenient for a part-time job. I had made a conscious decision to find a job that would leave time for school. Out of the three Payless was the least stressful job that I had. I didn’t even know such thing existed, I was told to run the cash register, clean and fix shoes. I had to learn to use the stick that is used to bring shoes down from the stack above the shelve. Balancing it with just one hand was a pain in the neck, having a bunch of boxes hurling on my head was pretty embarrassing and genuinely annoying. My coworkers were friendly, they always had my back whenever I needed them and most of them were working part time for the same reason as me. I got a 30 minutes lunch break and two ten minutes break. There were always two people working every shift which I was grateful for because like any other store there were a lot of shoplifters. Coming home from work everyday and still have the energy to concentrate on school felt really great. But one morning as I was driving up the parking lot there was a “Store Closing” sign plastered on the big windows of the store. I did not see that coming, I had heard rumors about Payless filing for bankruptcy but I thought that they were just that, rumors. It was disappointing, I had planned to stay there for a little bit longer until I finished with school. Things happen, this was bound to end like this and for once I was OK with how events turned out.

School is my main priority now. Yet again, it is another adventure worth living and recalling. I have learned so much working for the past four years. It feels good to have finally gotten to this point in my life. There are still challenges and I still struggle to find my place in this world but I take every experience at heart for that is what this life is all about.  

My name is Lizett and that is my story. Feel free to comment below and you are welcome to share your experience with me. Thanks for reading and God bless you on whatever your journey may be.

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!