Thankful Thursday 28

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week I am thankful this week for having joined my son in their school's Parent-Child Book-Making Competition. It was the perfect bonding activity between us because it was an artistic challenge that we were both up to doing. The activity was meant to reinforce reading and learning in kids of all ages, while further strengthening the bond between child and parents through creative thinking and teamwork. The contest run from 830am till 1130pm, which meant we had 3 hours to write a story (had to be about an animal), decide on the page layout, draw the characters and the scenes, cut them and glue them, and create an entire story that actually made any sense. Parents arrived the contest venue with their 'weaponry' -- plastic cases containing their scissors, rulers, pencils, glue and colored markers, rolls and rolls of lace, cloth, wrapping paper and kraft paper, and stacks of colored art paper. I thought it was an amusing sight because it was my first time to have ever participated in such a school event. Of course, Nicky had to put the pressure on me by saying, "We have to win this mommy. You're the artist, so we have to win!" GULP! I smiled at him and said to him that we will just have to really do our best given the time limit that we had. And that if we didn't win, what mattered was that we had fun together and we could proudly said that we made our first ever book. It didn't take us long to decide what the story was going to be about. We agreed before hand it would be about him and his new baby sister. So when the contest emcee announced that the story had to have animals in it, we quickly agreed that his favorite dinosaurs will be the leads. Anyway, below are a few pictures of the book pages we did. We were able to make a whole 10 pages in the amount of time we had, but I only got the chance (and the space) to take 4 shots of it (i only had my camera phone with me...darn it). We still do not know who won the contest, as the judges are still reviewing all the entries. It would be cool if we did win any prize, but for the first time, knowing how competitive I can get, I feel ok if we didn't because I actually had fun and was just so glad to have shared this moment with Nicky. :-) Our book cover Nicky's drawing of his favorite T-Rex toy Nicky shown here with Clifford of Scholastic Books and his favorite Elmo book Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Mabuting Balita.Net Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Reverberate - My Echo Gabrielle

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I'm Dreaming Of....

Rain just SUCKS*!

*There's a typhoon here and classes were suspended for the past 2 days. I hate rain, I hate wet and I hate gloom. Bring out the sun!!!!

Thankful Thursday 27

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week I am thankful that my son Nicky has been doing extremely well in his new school. He not only perfected most of his first post tests for Science, Social Studies, English and Civic Values subjects (i hope he keeps this up!), he also has adjusted to his new school environment and has made new friends. I am also really appreciative of the fact that he looks out for my well-being and safety all the time by praying for my health and Keira's every night, and offers to do stuff for me when he knows that I am tired after a long day. Thank you Lord, for giving me such a wonderful son! Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Reverberate - My Echo Gabrielle

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Hormones, Work and Other Feeble Excuses

I've been a walking box of emotions these past days. I am attributing it to my pregnancy... again. I am either really hyperactive and excited... or I'm very nostalgic and anxious. I guess it's partly because I'm already in my last trimester, and the realization that the baby is REALLY coming soon is finally sinking in. I even sometimes have nightmares at night. I have tons of things I still need to get done -- work, fixing the baby's room, preparing Nicky for his school activities and his upcoming exams, OB GYN check-ups (I have to see my doctor 2X a month now...), more work -- aside from having to take care of my son's needs and watching my own well-being (which I have been guilty of failing so many times). The only thing that keeps me steady and grounded is prayer. At any moment in the day when a thought of the future comes to haunt me, I try to stop it mid-way and pray for the Lord to help me deal with the concern. I am just really blessed to have loving, encouraging and supportive people around me to remind each day just how wonderfully blessed I am and how I should remember to trust the Lord to see me through all my doubts and fears.

Anyway, I saw these quizzes earlier and I thought it would be fun to share. It lightened my mood a bit (rainy weather really does crazy things to my brain...), and got me to think about how I can better deal with my emotions on a day to day basis (no, I didn't think cocaine use was the answer either....hehe...)

Your Personality Is Like Cocaine

You're dynamic, brilliant, and alluring to those who don't know you. Hyper and full of energy, you're usually the last one to leave a party. Sometimes your sharp mind gets the better of you... you're a bit paranoid!

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?

You Are 60% Control Freak

Generally, you are in control but not a control freak. You life is usually in order. However, sometimes you get too obsessed with making everything in your life picture perfect.

Are You A Control Freak?

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Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week I am thankful today that I got to see my baby girl again in my latest ultrasound, and to find out that she was healthy, active and in proper birth position already :-) She faced the ultrasound camera again today and showed me her beautiful face to give me a glimpse of how she'd look. I feel overjoyed because my baby is healthy and well. God is good to me and my family, and having her is truly a wonderful blessing to all of us. Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Reverberate - My Echo Gabrielle

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Super Wonders

In between my frazzled schedule, I was rewarded by my family with an afternoon off from work to watch the movie Superman Returns in 3D IMAX. I was really excited because all of us (Allan, Nicky and I, along with my parents) spent the afternoon together to bond and enjoy a childhood favorite together -- something we rarely get to do nowadays. I must say that I enjoyed the movie quite a lot for several reasons -- 1) I thought the new Superman, Brandon Routh, is HOT, 2) I thought the flow of the movie, although less packed with the action that comes with crime-busting, wasn't at all boring (my dad is my meter in measuring just how dull a movie is. If he didn't sleep through any part of it, then it must be ok), 3) I think the shots and the effects were already made exciting by the film's director, but it really made a difference when we got to watch it in 3-dimension on an 8-storey-high movie screen! I think Nicky enjoyed the movie as well. He is not one to look for a lot of action and fighting and stuff anyway. As long as he sees Superman flying around using his superpowers, he's ok. He was all the more fascinated in fact, when he saw Lois' son use his super strength to save his mom (I had to remind Nicky that it was just a movie, lest he tried to take his shot with our fridge).

On my way home, I went through the scenes of the movie in my mind and tried to see how modern-day writers tried to improve on patching some holes in the story's cinematic details. A few questions that kept coming up as we rode back home in the car were:

1) How could a pair of glasses make all the difference in Clark Kent's disguise? Put on a pair of thick-rims, place a small curled wisp of hair on your forehead ala Betty Boop, and voila! You are magically transformed just as you would have if you underwent a total facial plastic surgery!
2) Just how many pairs of pants, shoes, socks, ties and shirts does Clark Kent have on stock everyday? Whatever happens to all those clothes he leaves behind in an elevator, in a phone booth or wherever else he drops them while he runs off to fly? What if somebody finds them lying around and decides to steal them or throw them away? Will Superman look for them still or does he have a fresh new wardrobe waiting for him when he gets back?
3) Does Superman ever take his supersuit off from beneath his normal clothes? Does he have it laundered? Does he even take a bath? How in the world does he pee? Or does he even need to use the bathroom at all?
4) Seeing that he fathered Lois Lane's child (for all those who haven't seen the movie yet ---ooooooops!), did this mean there was actually a moment were he slipped out off his supersuit (well, unless he had super sperms darting out of him in a speed of light) and hung it up on Lois' hanger in her room or something? Just so it won't get wrinkled in the morning?

Makes you wonder, right?

And while we're on the topic, what about the movie Spiderman?

What happens to all the webs he spews from his wrist when he swings from building to building? Who cleans them up after? Are there street cleaners on standby for when Spidey passes through the city? Or are the webs just left hanging there looking as nasty as an old Halloween movie set?

I bet there are a few more super "wonders" that are still left hanging that people dared not ask about (unless they want to get the usual answer -- "because they're superheroes and this is just a movie, that's why"). Maybe famed comedian Rex Navarette, who did the hit video animated material "Maritess and the Superfriends", could create new material about them. It's about time that somebody took notice of these questions, and possibly shed some light to the mysteries behind them. Eh? :-)

Thankful Thursday 25

As you all may have noticed, my two consecutive posts are my Thankful Thursday ones. Sadly, it is only today I had the chance to blog as I have been tied down to work (and to bed rest) for the past 6 days. Tsk...tsk...

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week 1. For the grace that the Lord gives to each and every one of us who have crosses to bear (particularly in the area of health). It can be very frustrating for me to be limited in movements, since I am known to always be on the go and to endure long work hours if needed. But since the fall, I've become very careful with how I move around and I had to "force" myself to take a bed break during the day, for the baby's sake. It can get frustrating, but the Lord provides me the grace to get through the day without getting irritated or upset. My limitations help me to understand and sympathize with all the other people close to me who are sick and are helpless because of their incapacities. 2. For the opportunity for Allan to attend a prestigious advertising and marketing conference (ASAP Conference 2006) despite our tight schedules. The past weeks have been really crazy for us, especially for Allan, due to our ongoing office construction and the legwork that he had to do (since I had to stay in bed a lot). But this conference came up -- and it was a perfect opportunity for him to get out of the office for two days, learn new things that are happening in our industry, and meet new people -- that it was too good to pass up. Thankfully, the Lord allowed Allan's schedule to loosen up a bit, and even provided us the money needed to register for the event. 3. For the Lord's protection -- I cannot ask for anything more than to be reassured that my heavenly Father loves us so much that he has kept us from diseases, danger and harm. I was so touched last night when I saw Nicky's letter to Allan, after he complained earlier in the evening that he wasn't feeling well. The letter wrote: Dear Daddy, I am (feeling) dizzy. Can you please protect me? I love you. Love, Nicky I have never met anyone who adored his father more than Nicky adores Allan. I am so in awe at how freely Nicky expresses his feelings of love, and how freely he accepts the comfort he receives from his dad. I always attribute it to the fact that Allan and I have been ever visibly present in his life while growing up, and it has made him confident that whatever happens to him, good or bad, that we will be there to help and protect him. I am partly envious of his relationship with Allan, as I grew up seeing my dad every so often only because he was usually assigned to work in far places. But still, I've made the effort to open up to him my feelings as I was growing up and somehow I was able to re-establish a bond with him despite our physical distance. It makes me think of how rarely we express our love, appreciation and surrender to our Father in heaven, who is with us every second of the day to make sure we are alright. Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Reverberate - My Echo Gabrielle

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Thankful Thursday 24

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week >> For Nicky's successful show called "Jeremiah Goes Home". We recently helped in the production of an original musical by our Ligaya community, and Nicky is also a part of the kids ensemble. He had so much fun doing the show, and I was so proud of how dedicated he was in attending all the rehearsals (1pm-5pm on a Friday and Saturday is no joke for a 7-year old!). All tickets were sold out on the actual day of the show, and we had a really great reception from the parents and from outsiders who watched. This is our 2nd show, and we look forward to next year's production! >> For God's protection over me and baby Keira. I FELL two steps down the auditorium steps on the night of Nicky's show! Yup, it was a scary spill and I was so glad that my friend Keith was behind me to catch me before I rolled down the steps. There was a nasty gap between the auditorium seat and the step down, and my foot went straight in which caused me to lose my balance. I had contractions an hour after and I was so scared that the baby might have been hurt, or that I would go into premature labor. Good thing my doctor was able to prescribe medicines immediately. I went straight to bed to rest after the show. I'm ok now, and praise God that He didn't allow anything bad to happen to us. Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Reverberate - My Echo Gabrielle

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Preggy Postings: Full Maternal Glory

A quick (big!) peek of me in my 26th week. Nicky loves talking to Kirsten (Keira is still his nickname for the baby) a lot now.

Ad Aware

I managed to escape from my sketchpad and my open Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator pages to go online. While searching for stock photos I could use for my ad studies, I stumbled upon this blog called Advertising / Design Goodness which features the best and the worst ads around the globe. You guys might want to check it out, too. I really enjoyed studying these ad concepts and I'm posting a few of my favorites.

Listerine Ad
Copy: "Here I am. What were your other two wishes?"
Extreme Breath Confidence. Cool Mint Listerine Pocket Packs

Tekken - Playstation 2 Ad
Copy: "Fun, anyone?"
Playstation 2

Toronto Plastic Surgery.com

Listerine Ad
Copy: "You know, under these clothes I'm naked."
Extreme Breath Confidence. Cool Mint Listerine Pocket Packs

RealHipHop.com.br Website Ad

Outdoor 3D ads for an office products shop called FedexKinkos.com

I didn't get the brand name of this stain removal product but its an ad made by TBWA Thailand

Thankful Thursday 23

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week A new graphic designer. I finally hired help in the design aspects of the company! I think it's a wise decision based on the applicant's qualifications and, of course, prayer! She starts on July 15 and I am hoping it will be a great start for the company as it slowly expands its business. Support of friends and people in community. I have not been able to be around for a lot of events due to work and my pregnancy. I have friends who I know are in a crisis of some sort in their lives right now and whom I would normally meet out to talk and to give counsel. Unfortunately, time is against me in this aspect and I try to stay present still by text messages or emails. This is true also to a lot of activities and bible study sessions which I've begged off from attending. I am just thankful that they've been understanding of my situation at the moment. The Lord's refreshment and strength -- which he pours out upon me every morning to give me more than an extra dose of "kapow" power to meet the requirements of the day and allows me still to enjoy my family's presence. Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Gabrielle

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Upside Down, Inside Out

These past days for me have been really CRAZY. My schedules are really unbelievably full, that I can't believe that there are only 24 hours in a day. I am partially to blame for all the commitment I made, and maybe because I should learn when to say NO to some things. But a part of me believes that if I just commit all the things that I have laid ahead to the Lord, He will make things possible for me to accomplish and He will make sure I (and the baby) get the rest that we deserve.

I have no complaints with the work that our company has. In fact, the Lord has been faithful in answering our requests for certain projects to be awarded to us. So faithful indeed, that He gave us all the projects we bidded for, and more! I guess what makes it all overwhelming to me are the other things around and in me that I have to do still apart from the work at hand. I committed to help our Friends of Jesus Children's ministry in the production and marketing aspects of their musical (which will be showing already this Saturday evening -- Nicky is part of it, too!), which kinda shares a few of the working hours that I have during the day. I also had to make time to visit the wake and burial of my aunt who just recently passed away. It's not easy to shift from being an emotional wreck to being in work mode all in one day, but I had to do just that for me to get things done. Then of course, there's the everyday meeting with client that I need to attend to, the business trips, and the fact that I am limited in movement due to my being pregnant (I am already in my 6th month! Imagine the load I am carrying around by now!). Now add to this equation all the emotions that come with being pregnant, and the physical pains of the baby kicking at night as well as the sleepless nights that come with it. I think you get the picture by now...

And through all of these, I try to apologize to all the people and friends who I have neglected to spend time with (I know quite a few who are going through rough times right now and who who have wanted me to be with them), as well as all the readers of this blog who may have noticed that I have limited my posts to at least twice a week. God has blessed us with His provisions and I am gratefully accepting all that comes our way because I know that He knows I can handle it. When the work seems too much for me to handle in a day, He "postpones" a meeting or moves a deadline for me without me even trying. He even gave me a new staff (a new graphic artist) for my company to help out in the workload, and gave us the means to expand our office to accomodate our growing team. God is good to me always, and I will always acknowledge this. So in the midst of my crazy world right now, I am kept grounded by His presence.

Thank you to all my blogging friends who come by still despite my erratic posts. I am still around, don't worry. Hopefully in a week or two, things will be back to normal and I will be granted time to rest. As for now, I will just do the work that is sent for me to do and know that wherever I am now is where He wants me to be. :-)

Thankful Thursday 22

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week For the life that was given to one of my aunts, Minerva Chavez, who passed away just last night because of cancer. I am also blessed to have known such a great and inspiring woman in this lifetime, and to have been a niece of hers. I wrote a post about her sometime last year. I'm re-posting it as my tribute to her, and just so you'll get to know a little more about her. Heard Any Bells Ringing Lately? Posted December 30, 2005 To give you an idea of who my Auntie is, she's an 82-year old sweet, soft spoken and joyful woman who out of pure love and generosity just loves to give to others and finds pure joy in doing so. She has 10 children, all successful in their respective fields, and now lives with her youngest daughter's family blessed with everything and anything an old lady could ever need -- family, friends, good health and material comforts. I got the chance to visit her today to drop off some long-overdue Christmas presents, and in return was blessed with an outpouring of her love and affection through endless hugs and kisses. She shared with me this write-up, and in the process she gave me a piece of her heart. I would like to now share this with all of you, in hopes that it would bless you, inspire you, touch you, or maybe just to simply bring a smile to your face. We all need to be reminded time and time and again just what the spirit of the season is all about. THE BELLS IN HEAVEN ARE RINGING Do you have bells ringing for you in heaven? If you are not sure, start this year by doing something nice for a poor and needy family. If you do not strive to do good this year, you may never get a chance to do so. What is the reason for our existence on this earth? Just to live? Therefore, is it ok to be selfish, uncaring and deaf to the cries of those who are needy and near you? We should have the unconditional love of God in our hearts. God is forever helping us with no strings attached. Do we ever stop to say "thank you"? Why is it that we only remember the Lord when we need something? Yes, at times people can be so ungrateful. There was a time when I visited a friend. I saw her lying on the floor with a baby by her side. She was so haggard. Unfortunately, I only had P100 ($2), and I had to pay for the fare downtown. So what little money I had left, I bought a small can of milk which was about P20 ($.38) and P5 ($.09) worth of sugar. I talked to somebody who owned a small store and asked a favor to boil water so I can mix the two. When the milk was ready, I picked up my friend and held her in my arms. She drank the milk as if it were her first time to be fed! I told my mother about it and she said "child, don't you know that the bells in heaven are ringing for your good deed?". I was overflowing with joy for what my mother said! I promised then to let the bells in heaven ring for me a lot of times as long as I lived on this earth. Now, I do have children who let the bells of heaven ring most of the time, and I do hope the bells would not be destroyed. I am so proud of all of them for they have understood the true meaning of "unconditional love". I owe this good trait to my parents, and I believe I have passed on this trait to my children, as they will hopefully pass it on to their children. So let the bells of heaven be ringing for you also forever! - Minerva Chavez Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> A Child of God A Revision Anna's Place As My World Turns EPH2810 Friday's Child Imagine Bliss Journalling Through the Valley Momma's Life Mommy Does It All Mommy Needs To Vent Nightingale no_average_girl Show Them Through Me Uzi's Musings Blog Charm Russell And Aine's Haven Gabrielle

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