Thankful Thursday 13

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week 1) A friend of ours who owns a chain of boutiques all over the Metro has agreed to carry our T-shirt brand, BUBBLEWRAP (to the uninformed, I co-own a company that designs and produces vintage tees), in his stores and help sell them. It will be a great opportunity for us to get more exposure for the brand, and for us to create a following of loyal customers (his family been in the t-shirt business for 20 years!). 2) We were also offered a deal to design a totally unique brand and line-up of shirt designs (10 designs a month!!) exclusively for the #1 mall chain in the country! 3) Holy Week! In our country, Holy Week is equivalent to vacation week for most. Vacation starts on Holy Wednesday (for some) and ends on Easter Sunday. It gives most of us the opportunity to slow down, take time to re-charge, pray, and re-fresh before facing the gruelling months ahead. A lot of people go to the beach, go home to their toens and provinces, or take a trip to another country. We plan to participate in a few of our Christian community's activities and grab the chance to just kick back and rest. 4) Cable TV. During Holy Week, local programs switch off entirely to prevent people from being distracted. Thank God for cable TV! On with the shows! 5) Beef Sukiyaki. Strangely, I've been craving for this Japanese dish for the past week. I'm so glad that there are tons of Japanese restaurants nearby :-) 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

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Think! Share! Save!

I've been attending the Purpose Driven Life Bible Study Series for the past 4 weeks already, and have been pastoring a group of single women through the sharing sessions. This weekly gathering has proved to be a healthy exercise for me because I not only gave book reading a good workout, it also allowed me to connect with young women who are going through the difficulties and challenges I experienced at least once in my single life. I've read the PDL book as far already as the 28th chapter, but one line has so far struck me more than any other that I've read.

"You'll never know that God is all you need, until God is all you've got."

This is a very powerful sentence for me, and it hits home really hard because there are so many moments in my life that I can think of where God has led me through circumstances, and I had nothing else left to hold on to but Him. I have always been a woman of full control of my life and destiny. In the past, everything I set out to do I did and accomplished to the best I could. I never really took into account a God who was a major player in the scenes of my life.

Back then it was all about my life, my decisions, my consequences and my achievements. Glory and credit of course were entirely mine as well. I had full control of the steering wheel, or so I thought. It is only when you've gone completely off-course and ended up in unfamiliar or unwanted territory that you realize that you are not entirely in control. It is when you've been stripped off of all material possessions, all dignity, all confidence and self-worth, and when you've been completely exposed of your weaknesses, flaws and shortcomings, that you realize that it all boils down to you... and God. You may lose your dearest friends, you may be rejected by family, you may lose your job, your clients and everything you THOUGHT were valuable to you. But it is during these times when you realize, face pressed down on the dirt, that you have no one and nothing else -- except God. He is constant. He is consistent. He is immortal. He is all-powerful. He is all-knowing. He is all things people aren't. People who we prefer to call in times of trouble. People who we set out day in day out to please. People who we run after for business and money. People who we adore, idolize and mold ourselves to become. People who hurt us, disappoint us, leave us and die. Yes, we choose people over a God who even at our lowest and our worst moments, remains faithful to us by loving us, by comforting us, by healing us of our hurts, by forgiving us, by nursing us back to health and by blessing us far beyond what we could ever even hope to achieve on our own! Praise God for when we need Him the most, "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." Isaiah 59:1

This Holy Week, join me in reflecting on this phrase. Think about all the times in your life where you felt that the whole world has turned its back on you -- when you had no one to reach out to and nothing left to hold on to. Has there been any circumstance in your life that has left you to realize that God is all you've got? Share them and let others be blessed by your story of how God has been faithful to you in your life. Let this be our way to "save one more for God".

God bless you all today!

Winding Down

Saw this on Ribbiticus' site and thought I'd give it a shot. I tried the Yahoo version, but the colorful Google logo just seemed to fit my personality better. Just something I decided to do on the side to wind down another toxic Monday. Two more days till Holy Week vacation!

In My Stables: ADVENTURES IN PARENTING

This week, Valerie Winthrop of Adventures in Parenting is staying over at my stables. Please give her your warmest welcome! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Her blog is filled with her 3Ms -- motherhood, marriage and mayhem. Just by these threes, most of us can already easily relate to the contents of her site. She is a full time wife , mother and hotel clerk. She is married to Tony, and is mom to Terrell who is almost 3 years old. Terrel is in his potty training phase, and Valerie is currently helping her son with the transition from diapers to big boy pants. Ah, the joys of having a three-year old. :-)

Please drop by Valerie's by trotting over to my right side bar and letting her know that Chrixean whispered her name to you. :-D

~~o:o:>O<:o:o~~

Other bits I wanted to share....

Today is
Day!
Please don't forget to march over to Carol's of A Revision to find out what time our rehearsal schedules are and to get the marching route ahead of time to avoid traffic (it's especially harder for me to be lugging around my piano when there are other instruments being dragged ahead of me).

Also, my dear blogging pal, EPH2810 is in need of encouragement today. She's been feeling a bit unwell and so a visit and some words of encouragement from you may lift her spirits and bring a warm smile on her face. Will you do that for me?

Lastly, I am supposed to be posting my First Friday Blind Contour.... but my day was really crazy and I found out about the theme from Niff just this morning (Theme is Outside Your Window). Ergo, I have nothing to post....yet. Hopefully I can squeeze this in tomorrow... But in the meantime, please visit Inkfinger to see other marvelous Blind Contour Drawings!

Thanks, all! Have a happy weekend, folks!

Thankful Thursday 12

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week I am thankful this week for the Lord's faithfulness in my life. 5 years ago, I made the decision to leave the corporate world to be full time with my son Nicky who was then only 2 years old. I was at first hesitant to leave my comfort zone of being a 9-to-9 employee, with a good paying job and position. But seeing that my son was delayed in a lot of his motor skills and in his speech development (it turned out that my nanny NEVER spoke to him nor even tried to teach him to do anything the whole day she was with him), it worried me deeply and moved me to make the decision to choose him over my job. It was a scary move since Allan and I were just starting out, and badly needed all the financial support we could get. But coming home late at night and waking up early without having the chance to spend the time with my baby boy was definitely not what he needed at that time. I prayed earnestly to God that He would honor my decision to be with my son full time, and asked that He provide for our needs. And He did honor my prayer. He gave me a design business which I could do while taking care of my son. It was a small graphic design company I put up on my own, which allowed me to work when my son was asleep, and allowed me to play with him or go to the mall with him when my schedule was lighter. In fact, the Lord God not only blessed me for my "leap of faith" by giving me a business, but He also made our business grow and prosper that it even allowed my husband Allan to leave his full time job as well to join me in my business. This gave both Allan and I the opportunity to raise Nicky together as full-time parents -- something that many parents, especially the working ones, are not privileged to do. We earned our keep during the day, and in between the day we get to spend time playing with Nicky, attending to all of his school activities, and being thoroughly involved in his lessons and study sessions. Nicky practically saw us 24/7, and it has been this way for the past 5 years. Praise God for his faithfulness! Today, Nicky is 7 years old, and his development mentally, emotionally and physically has far exceeded our expectations of him. We have been blessed with an exceptional child and we would like to attribute this to the fact that we chose our family over our career growth in the corporate world, and TRUSTED IN HIM entirely with our career and finances . We may not have "managerial" or VP positions in multinational corporations, but we are the presidents and general managers in the eyes of our son. And knowing that we gave our child ALL of us is more important to me than a 6-digit monthly paying job which will steal my time from my family. I will forever be thankful for the Lord God, for my answered prayer allowed me to have precious quality times with both Nicky and Allan. The bonus is that His faithfulness still rewarded us with a financially fulfilling business which has provided for both our needs and wants for the past 5 years. :-) 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

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A Shining Silver Moment

Last week, Nicky graduated from his preparatory level with a silver honor medal honor and 4 other academic awards. Allan and I are so proud to have such an industrious and intelligent child! I'd like to share some of our dear boy's shining "silver" moments as he says goodbye to prep school and takes his first big step into "big school" at the San Beda College Alabang this coming June.


Nicky addresses the crowd with his opening speech. We were so shocked to watch him because we didn't know he MEMORIZED his speech! We saw him go up the stage, let go of his cue card (which we thought all along he needed to read off from), and did the speech on his own. That was for us already a big achievement for that day! :-)

The proud parents of the Top 4 graduates with honors. We were surprised that Nicky (along with the 3 other graduates with honors) was featured in the city's monthly newsletter!

All smiles!

I've got five!

Nicky's farewell photo op with his "girl-friend" of 3 years, Bianca. Bianca and Nicky will be going to different schools for 1st grade, so i have no clue if they will ever see each other again. He begged to stay behind just so he could have his moment alone with her! Again, Nicky is only 7 years old... I have no idea what goes on in his head, but Bianca seems to feel the same. Her whole family jumped in to take photos of these two kids, and were waving sadly at us like it was a real "break-up" of some sort.

Hehehe...kids!!!

Thankful Thursday 11

I'm so sorry for this REALLY late post. Allergic Rhinitis can really suck..... the life out of a person. A throbbing head, swollen sinuses and a dripping nose is NOT what I am thankful for....

Anyway, here are what I am....

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week Our Purpose Driven Life Ministry - I meet wonderful people who share their lives with me, and I am able to be a source of inspiration to my group (I pastor a group of single ladies) whenever they may need guidance or advice. Airconditioning! - Summer is here. It's REALLY hot.... Really Hot and Really Pregnant don't seem to agree with each other. Thank God for the airconditioner! Chocolate popsicles. Loving them right now. As in, loving them.... Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> PLEASE CHECK OUT MY THANKFUL THURSDAY BLOGROLL ON MY RIGHT SIDE BAR. THE LIST HAS BECOME QUITE LONG ALREADY SO BEST TO CHECK THE UPDATE ONE THERE.

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In My Stables: SHOW THEM THROUGH ME

Renting my stable this week is a woman who also happens to be my bloglord! Well, I'll be.. so does this mean we swapped homes for the week? Because if I'm living in her space for a week, and she's staying at my stables for a week.... and one plus one equals two.... and... oh well, never mind. Let's just all welcome Annette Burkett of Show Them Through Me! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Annette is a work-at-home Mom who is a publisher in the graphics / commercial arts industry (we'd make a perfect creative team), and she has two girls -- ages 12 and 15. She's been married to her hubby for 5 years, and they have 2 dogs, Hansel and Schatz -- both Malteses. Her blog is a predominantly Christian blog which I find really inspiring to read. She also happens to be one of our weekly participants in Thankful Thursdays (she just recently joined last week, so visit her blog even after the week's rent to read more about her thankfuls).

Give Annette's blog a click and see just what a great site she has. C'mon, you all know the drill! Just trot on over to my right side bar over there, click it, and leave a comment telling her that Chrixean whispered her name to you. :-)

See you all tomorrow for Thankful Thursday!

May I Pick Your Brain?

I need to pick your brain for a few minutes.

I'm doing a project for a new client which has to do with emergency rescue operations, and I need to get a survey of what people's perceptions are to certain visual images related to said topic.

Will you help answer just three questions for me?

QUESTION #1:
In an emergency situation (e.g. car accident, chest pains in the middle of a mall, drowning in a pool), what COLOR do you want to see to make you feel calm, reassured and safe? (e.g. on an ambulance? on a paramedic or rescue

QUESTION #2:
What single-word object, symbol or image comes to mind when you think of rescue and safety? Why?

QUESTION #3:
Please state your nationality and what age bracket you fall in -- teens? 20s-30s? 30s-40s? 40s-50s? 50 and above?

That's all the information I need! The feedback I will be getting from different people, different age groups and diverse cultures about their views on rescue and safety will definitely contributea great deal to my research on this topic.

To all those who will be leaving their answers, thanks so much in advance! It'll be Monday again here soon, so have a great week ahead! :-D

Thankful Thursday 10

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week My darling little boy, Nicholas Keith is who I am thankful for today. He will be graduating from Preparatory School tomorrow with 4 medals. I will watch him as he makes his opening speech at the ceremony and I will be by his side when he receives his awards. I will give God back all the glory for Nicky's achievements, and I will continue to honor Him by helping Nicky be all that he could possibly be in his life. Everytime I look at Nicky, everytime I hear his voice, and I stare into his beautiful innocent eyes, my heart melts with joy. He is God's most precious gift ever. I am thankful for just how much God loves me to have sent me a precious boy who has brought me so much pride and happiness. Thank you so much, papa God. Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> (Check out the Thankful Thursday Blogroll on my right side bar!) A Child of God Anna's Place Friday's Child LadyBug Crossing Momma's Life Nightingale no_average_girl Sting My Heart Uzi's Musings Yellow Rose's Garden Journalling Through The Valley (If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)

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Preggy Postings 4

I just came back today from my OB-GYNE monthly visit and brought along with me the results of my recent Hepatitis screen tests, my Diabetes tests and several thyroid-related tests. The doctor was quite happy to see that everything turned out normal, particularly the thyoid results since I was diagnosed a few years back with three thyroid cysts. I was actually more anxious to hear about what she thought of my weight gain, considering that I've been eating quite frequently during this past week, and had gained almost 3 pounds already since my last month's visit. Happily, she wasn't bothered at all. She still considered 3 lbs a month normal and just warned me about going beyond that figure.

And then she asked me how I was feeling physically and emotionally lately, and boy did I unload a ton on her! I explained to her the emotional roller coaster ride I've had these last 2 weeks, and how easily irritable I get with people (flashback to recent post). I also told her how difficult it was for me to sleep at nights due to my nausea attacks coupled with my allergic attacks, and how I'd wake up tired and even more irritable in the mornings. Fortunately, I didn't get the mouthlashing (on what a whiner I was being) that I expected. She said she understood how I felt very well, and how I could look forward to relief next month when I hit my 2nd trimester. My hubby Allan reminded me of how "kinder" and more "manageable" I was now compared to my first pregnancy. That came as a shocker to me and my doctor, considering just how expressive I was these past few days of my real feelings. Turns out I was far more worst when I was carrying Nicky! Geez, people, you actually have it easier with me now! Haha!

I also got to hear my baby's heartbeat today, which made things calmer and exciting for me. On days when I feel really awful, i totally forget that there's a child growing inside me and I tend to focus on me and me and more of me. Moments like today remind me that this pregnancy is not about me, rather, it's a life that God's bringing into this world THROUGH me. Hearing the baby's heartbeat took the glaring spotlight away from my eyes and onto this little miracle inside. It was a happy morning. :-)

As a disclaimer, I will not promise you won't be hearing anymore rants of my discomforts. But I will promise to bite my tongue harder, or in this case, curl my fingers further away from the keyboard, and try to be "kinder" with my sharings :-P

Sunday at Friday's!

My dear son, Nicholas Keith celebrated his 7th birthday last Sunday at T.G.I.Friday's at the Alabang Town Center. It was a really fun and surprisingly packed event -- with friends, family, blogmates and kids filling every seat in the house! It was our first time to have a party at T.G.I.Friday's, and we were pleased with the service, the food and the party package they prepared for Nicky. Kids and adults had their fill of yummy Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Fingers, French Fries and platters of Stuffed Baked Potatoes Skins, Chilled Veggies, Baked Mozzarella Sticks and Spicy Buffalo Wings. And the best part of all, the iced tea flowed endlessly! It was a welcome treat to all those who braved the summer heat to get to the venue.

Apart from the food, T.G.I.F. provided really good entertainment -- lots of kiddie games and prizes, a cool host who led balloon twistings, a magic show, and the highlight of the event, a bubble show! Check out all the fun-filled pics:

Nicky's Spongebob Party

My clan

Friends from all over

My Ligaya pals

My mom-in-law, my aunt and my big smile!

Kids watching the magic show

Nicky's fantastic cake -- thanks to my hubby Allan

Friday's fare

Nicky with his cousins -- they all coincidentally wore the same Lacoste shirts! Really!

Nicky blows his candles

Bubble show!!! The kids went crazy over it!

Nicky trapped in a bubble

More kids in bubbles

Hanging out with my high school buddies and their kids

Our family portrait

The happy birthday boy in front of his opened gifts

It was an overall successful event, and I'm glad I decided to do it at a restaurant rather than pretend to have all the time to do the planning and the set-up ourselves. Not only was I spared the hassles of talking to several different party suppliers, I also got great reviews from our guests who said that the food and venue of T.G.I.F. was the absolute best choice for the party. The fun and the smiles last Sunday more than made up for my past days' crappy afternoons (as you may have already read previously).

I am once again, filled with joy and thanksgiving for the provisions that God has sent our way. A year ago, we would not have imagined how we could have afforded such a celebration. But His faithfulness remains, and He is greater than all of our concerns. From Him all things are made possible. Including this 7-year old's birthday party :-)

To Him be all the glory and praise!

Just CRAPtastic!

I feel like C-R-A-P.

I have no apologies for it because I do. I feel so damn sick.

My head feels like a fat woman just sat on it.

My forehead is pounding so hard, it's making my teeth hurt.

I want to stick my head down the toilet and flush it...and flush it...and flush it.

I can't breathe. I have "morning" sickness AND allergic rhinitis happening at the same time. And because of this, I sleep on my bed SITTING DOWN.

Acid has been running up and down my throat every 5 minutes.

I bet real crap feels much better getting flushed down than what I'm feeling.

So I won't pretend that I feel nice and cheerful because I am not.

And I don't want to hear anything about it being "normal" as being part of pregnancy because I know that and I'm not stupid.

And I don't expect people to understand that I can't feel like dying AND think about being nice and not hurting their feelings at the same time.

I will not pretend to NOT feel like a bitch, because I do.

If you think I am, then tough luck. I'm the one feeling bad.

This too shall end. Tomorrow will probably be better, and you guys won't have to bear reading more posts like this. If you don't have anything nice to say about this, I suggest you hold back from pressing the comments button. This is my blog so I will say what I feel.

But for now, this is me. This is how I feel.

And I'm having one helluvah CRAPTASTIC time.

Thankful Thursday 9

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week I am combining my Wednesday Preggy Postings and my Thankful Thursdays post because it contains one and the same thing: I am thankful to the Lord God, for answering my fervent prayer -- for sending me this awesome miracle and for trusting me to be a new parent to this wonderful tiny human being. It's my baby's first ever photograph. Isn't God marvelous? :-) Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> (Check out the Thankful Thursday Blogroll on my right side bar!) A Child of God Anna's Place Friday's Child LadyBug Crossing Momma's Life Nightingale no_average_girl Sting My Heart Uzi's Musings Yellow Rose's Garden Journalling Through The Valley (If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)

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Darn Busy Signal

I am busy. Which explains why i haven't been posting these past days. Hopefully the blogosphere will be able to suck me back in within the next few hours. So many things i need to talk about!

In the mean time, instead of sending out a busy signal, I'll leave you with an interesting kiddie conversation I had with my son. It's one of those talks which would qualify a spot on Art Linkletter's Kids Say The Darnest Things (ok, ok, so it's Bill Cosby who last hosted the show. I just prefer to mention the original).

~~oOo~~

Nicky and I sit in front of the TV set watching the National Geographic's feature on pyramids and mummies.

Nicky: Mommy, what are those?

Me: Pyramids

Nicky: What are pyramids?

Me: They are sort of like buildings where the Egyptians used to bury their dead Pharoahs. Pharoahs are what they called the kings or rulers in Egypt.

Nicky (watches as they show mummified Pharoahs): That's how we will look like when we're the dead? (eyes growing bigger and bigger)

Me: No, baby. Those are called mummies. The kings back then were preserved by their people and they used wrappings and oils to keep them together. They look like those now because several years have passed.

Nicky sat silently as he tried to absorb the show.

Nicky: Oh no, then that will happen to you, too!

Me: And why is that?

Nicky: Because you're a MUMMY!

Me: No baby, I'm a M-O-M-M-Y. That's a M-U-M-M-Y.

Nicky: Oh.

Nicky stared back at the TV deep in thought. Then turned to me again with one eyebrow up.

Nicky: Then the kings are all girls, right?

Me: No, why did you say that?

Nicky: Well if the kings are boys, then they should be called DUDDIES, right?

Me: Uh, ya, I guess you're right.

I smiled, gave him a big hug, grabbed the TV remote and silently kicked myself for not watching the Disney Channel in the first place.

What is the darndest thing your kid has said to you recently? I'd love to hear it!

In My Stables: COFFEE CROCHET

In my stables this week carrying with her a ball of yarn, a hand sander and a spatula (you'll get it soon) is Tara of Coffee Crochet! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Tara just happens to love coffee and crocheting (duh..). Kidding aside, going through Tara's blog will definitely not leave you with a bored look. Aside from posts about her loves (like i said, crocheting), she also writes about her other creative interests like cartooning and drywalling (not exactly a hobby, but something she likes doing anyway). She also writes really cool TV reviews, my favorite being on the teams of the Amazing Race (click here for a preview). She seems like a really cool gal and I encourage you to visit her site because we all know that i don't accept tenants who I feel will not be worth your trip!

So go over and trot to my rented stable found on my right sidebar! Give Tara's thumbnail a click and tell her that Chrixean whispered her name to you.... :-)

Thankful Thursday 8

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week 1) Nicky's silver medal award. My son garnered 2nd honor this year and will be receiving a silver medal on his graduation day from pre-school. I am so proud of him! I know school has been really tough for him this past year (what with trying to learn Filipino, when I myself did really poorly in it when I was in school), and for him to make Silver is a great achievement for me :-) 2) The start of The Amazing Race! It's one of my favorite reality shows ever (next to American Idol) and I look forward to every episode for my thrill fix for the day (I just love watching all the bickering that goes on! hehe). 3) This really great book I found (AGAIN): It's from the same author of "What To Expect When The New Baby Comes Home" (which I talked about in this earlier post), Heidi Murkoff. I realized that at this stage, this book was a more appropriate read because it prepared Nicky of the baby's coming as early as the 1st month of gestation. It explained everything a young 6 year old needed to know (and could understand): Where's the baby? How did the baby get there (This was a toughy. Explaining sperms and ovums to a 6-year old just didn't seem right yet...)? How did the baby fit inside mommy? It's a great series which I highly recommend to moms-to-be! 4) I didn't have as bad a week (the afternoon-to-evening-sickness) as last week. I enjoyed eating a lot more and I even enjoyed a night out with a close friend without wanting to run to the bathroom every other half hour. Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> (Check out the Thankful Thursday Blogroll on my right side bar!) **A Child of God** **Anna's Place** **Friday's Child** **LadyBug Crossing** **Momma's Life** **Nightingale** **no_average_girl** **Sting My Heart** Uzi's Musings **Yellow Rose's Garden** (If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)

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Please Save Gaia Bianca!

My friend Trina sent me this email this morning.

Our HS teacher is in dire need of your help... they were just blessed with a baby girl after 12 years of waiting...but sadly, they found out that she needs a liver transplant ASAP...please try to visit their website: http://gaiabianca.com/index.html when you have time and hopefully you can spread the word!

Thanks!

Being a pregnant mom, I couldn't help but be affected so deeply by this call for help. So I am asking everyone to please visit Gaia Bianca's site and offer whatever you can to help save her young life.

What's Your Personality DNA?

Encouraging Designer

I took this Personal DNA test which Viamarie sent me earlier today. The results say I'm an Encouraging Designer. I'd say that majority (about 80%) of what is said about me is true, and so if you'd like to get to know more about who i am (even I got to know more about myself!), here are some of the traits of the Encouraging Designer:

• As a DESIGNER, you are receptive to ideas and experiences, and enjoy the beautiful things in life, yet you are also grounded and realistic about yourself and the world.

• You have a quiet appreciation for beauty in all its forms – in nature, in people, and in human creations from architecture to movies.

• Instead of only focusing on functionality, you try to incorporate your good sense of style and taste into your choices.

• At times you feel unsure of yourself, especially when confronted by other people.

• You aren't the kind of person who insists on having things your way all the time – you are willing to go along with other people's opinions, even if you disagree.

• Others may not know this about you, but you are very interested in new ideas, thoughts, expressions, and experiences. You enjoy learning and trying new things.

• Although you are practical, you are anything but boring – you have depths to you that others cannot see.

• The idea of doing the same thing every day for the rest of your life scares you – you need more excitement and challenge than that!

• You have a remarkable eye for detail and precision, noticing things that others miss.

• You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

• You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.

• You are a fashion maven, up on trends, but distinct in your own style. You don't follow trends, you set them.Your outgoing nature, understanding of others, and directness make you ENCOURAGING.
  

• You want others to do well for themselves, and you generally believe in their abilities.

• You often know what's good for people because of your caring nature and your worldview.

• When you care about someone, you don't keep it to yourself: you are good at letting people know that you're thinking of them.

• Because you trust people, you take violations of that trust very seriously.

• You thrive in large groups of people, and even though you know who you like and who you don't like, you can interact well with many different types of people.

• You have a healthy respect for people who have earned what they have, and you strive to be similar to successful others.

• You are a loyal friend, and a good listener.

In My Stables: POND PERSPECTIVE

I am so excited to announce who my new tenant is because she's a good friend of mine, and her site is one of my absolute favorite reads. I would like all of you to welcome Ribbiticus of Pond Perspective into my stables! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Ribbiticus and I have known each other for quite a number of years (we were introduced by our dear friend the White Rabbit), and as far back as I can remember she has, as she aptly describes, "a bordering-on-the-absurd collection of amphibians". Yes, folks, she loves FROGS. No, not the bullheaded, warty kind that sticks to your wall and freaks you out when it suddenly decides to spring onto your bright green blouse in the middle of the night. Think Kermit The Frog and Kerokeropee. Don't believe me? Well, go ahead and take a look at THIS! It's amazing how she's managed to gather (and maintain) this extensive collection!

But Ribbiticus' site is not just about croaky amphibians. It's a fun place to hang out because you will never get bored once you're there! There's just so much interesting stuff to take in -- there's the Umbiquitous Thursday Quizzes, the Wordless Wednesdays, interesting finds of the net such as this post (as well as funny anecdotes of her day-to-day encounters) -- the list just goes on! You'll just have to see this enchanted lilypad for yourself!

Enjoy this magical experience by trotting over to Ribbiticus' pond found at my right sidebar. Give it a click, and tell Ribbiticus that Chrixean whispered her name to you! You won't regret it.... :-)

Blind Contour First Friday : HOT!

Blind Contour First Friday topic is HOT! I'm posting my Blind Contour drawing of what i relate HOT to. Nothing like a packet of red heads to keep the nights warm and toast :-)

To see more Red Hot BCDs, go to Inkfinger now!

Thankful Thursday 7

Thankful Thursday: What CHRIXEAN is thankful for this week 1) Friends who are generous and kind enough to lend me maternity stuff (maternity clothes are SO expensive here! So I definitely welcome any clothes that are lent out to me), and who call me to let me know that they are GIVING me their baby stuff like their crib, stroller, playpen and baby clothes! The latter I mentioned has invested in really nice and new baby furniture because she decided she wanted to foster babies who were up for adoption. Sadly, the stress and depression that came with parting with the babies on the day they got adopted was too much for her to handle any longer (it affected her deeply), that she decided to give up on foster-parenting altogether. 2) Opportunities to evangelize through our Ligaya ng Panginoon (Joy of the Lord) community. The community just recently announced the start of our Purpose Driven Life Series (yeah, yeah, i know it's kinda late for this. But better late than never!), where we will all go through the 40 days of teachings and learning about our purpose here on this planet. What I am most thankful for is the opportunity for us to bring more people to know Jesus, our Lord better. I know a lot of friends and relatives who will definitely benefit from this series, and I am glad that it is our sector who is in charge of hosting this big event. 3) American Idol and The Amazing Race -- both of which keep me so entertained that at least 2 hours in a week I forget I am pregnant. 4) Good health. Despite my hectic hours, I am thankful that God has protected me and the baby from any kind of sickness. I am due for my Hepatitis screening soon, so hopefully that's clear. I also need to meet with my Endocrinologist to check on the status of my thyroid sickness. but in general, I feel fine (details of my NOT being fine can be seen in my weekly Preggy Postings :)) 5) Provisions. To afford a really nice and affordable birthday party for Nicky. To pay for Nicky's tuition in his new "big kids" school. To pay all our credit card bills. To hopefully make improvements in our office and hopefully to hire new assistants. 6) Internet connection. How will I survive my crazy day-to-days without it???! Links to other Thankful Thursdays --> (Check out the Thankful Thursday Blogroll on my right side bar!) (If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)

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Preggy Postings 2

WARNING: This weekly post is meant only for readers who are actually interested to read about what goes on during my pregnancy. If you are yawning right at this point of my post, I suggest you come back tomorrow when my hormones have settled.

Ok, it's week 9, folks! My belly has somewhat grown in just a week's time. It's definitely "showing" now, and if I don't try to dress myself well, people might mistake it as my beer gut! I "feel" really fat. Of course, my hubby and some kind friends of mine have said otherwise. Bottom line is, I feel big.

For the longest time I've been trying to achieve a slim and slender figure. But I guess it's pretty stupid to started thinking along those lines NOW that I'm pregnant. I must start accepting to myself that i am not one of those gifted girls out there who, when pregnant, don't seem to increase in size anywhere else other than their bellies. They manage to stay thin all over, and yet their tummies just seem to keep pushing outward! Amazing! I, on the otherhand, increase slightly proportionally in all areas. Blame it on genes? Or the fact that I have a thyroid disorder, and getting pregnant is definitely not a way to be kind to my hormones (I was found to have three thyroid cysts in my neck 7 years ago. They're still there, probably asleep inside me.).

I promised myself I'd try to eat healthier this time around. Since rice is a staple food here, I decided early on that I will eat only brown rice so that I can lessen the effects of sugar that comes from white rice, and get better nutrients from it. Well, thanks to my afternoon-till-evening-till-early-morning-sickness, the sight of brown rice now sends my tummy into a spin. So that's off the list. Since i don't eat fruits (ok, you can close your dangling mouth now and stop yourself from hurling curses at me..), I've been drinking a lot of smoothies and fresh fruit shakes. I've tried taking the ones my dad's been making me, but the pulp bits that get into my mouth make me want to gag. I know, these are good for me. But I'd rather enjoy my first three months, rather than struggle to survive it!

I also went on another shopping spree yesterday, this time for underwear. My current brassieres (ok, men, time to bloghop!) are killing me! The underwires have been digging into my ribcage these past days, and much as I'd like to keep the "pushed-up" look, comfort is still foremost in my list of fashion essentials.

Lastly, I'm a bit upset that my skin is breaking out. I was lucky in my first pregnancy to have a clear and acne-free complexion. This time, I'm growing zits left and right, and it's absolutely grossing me out. So if any of you would know of a remedy (which doesn't require me to eat gross food), just let me know will you?

That's it for now. Come back tomorrow and watch how I magically turn my whinings on a Wednesday into Thankful Thursdays! :P