Daybook

FOR TODAY


Outside my window... Right now it is 56 degrees with winds from the NNE at 5mph. The low tonight is going to be 42 degrees. The highs are in the 50s for the next 12 hours. Why does it FEEL so much colder????

I am thinking... Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.  Please Santa do not bring me a lump of coal. I have been a very good girl.

I am thankful for... friends who are prayer warriors and are always there to offer prayers when you need it. Thank you so much to Sharon, Kathy, Pat, Laura, and Maria for praying over me last night when I really needed it. Prayers have helped tremendously and I am on the road to a clear mind.

From the learning rooms... Although we do not have children yet, there is always learning going on. I am learning every day how to be a better wife and someday a Mom.

From the kitchen... the sink is full of dirty dishes, the dishwasher needs to be unloaded, the stove needs to be cleaned… There is so much to be done!

I am wearing... my pajamas. I love pajamas. They are so comfortable.

I am creating... a home with my husband. A home that will someday be suitable for children to laugh and play. A safe home full of love. A home they can always come to and find a warm hug and gentle kisses from Mom and Dad.

I am going went... to buy the last cards we needed for this year including one for my darling's birthday. I love to send and give cards. They make someone feel they are loved.

I am reading... Currently, House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I do not have the time or sometimes the motivation (it comes and goes) I only have ¼ left and I do not want to put it down when I get the chance and motivation to read.

Reading list for 2011:

Six books for learning and growing

1. Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey

2. Graced and Gifted : Biblical Wisdom for the Homemaker’s Heart by Kimberly Hahn

3. Life-Giving Love: Embracing God’s Beautiful Design for Marriage by Kimberly Hahn

4. The Body Reveals God : A Guided Study of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body by Katrina J. Zeno

5. The Authentic Catholic Woman by Genevieve Kineke

6. Good News about Sex & Marriage : Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic Teaching by Christopher West

Six books for leisure and pleasure

1. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

2. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

3. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

4. The Shack by William Paul Young

5. Fireproof : Never Leave your Partner by Eric Wilson

6. The Equation that Couldn’t be Solved : How Mathematical Genius Discovered the Language of Symmetry by Mario Livio

My original intention was to alternate between book of learning and leisure but I have decided that these are the 12 books I would like to read next year. They can be read in any order but all 12 must be read by the end of the year.

I hope also to do more Bible reading and praying on a daily basis to keep myself spiritually connected.

I am hoping praying... May everyone have joy, peace, and love that the Christ Child brings this Christmas season. May everyone always have happiness, good health, and prosperity throughout the coming year.

I am hearing... the sound of the washing machine and dryer. There is ALWAYS laundry to be done!

Around the house... there is much to be cleaned and organized. There is so much to do for our house to become a home. We have papers to be filed and organized and a whole room that needs to be cleared. We are in no rush as we know it takes a lifetime of love to make a home complete.

One of my favorite things... is warm fresh, crisp laundry. I love warm soft clothes as they come out of the dryer. Sometimes I just want to put it on right there. I do not mind washing it because the washing machine and dryer do all the work. I dread folding it and putting it away.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Clean and organize the house
Saturday: Christmas day with the in-laws
Sunday: Hubby’s 35th birthday and the Feast of the Holy Family

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged. Then have my lips the sin that they have took. Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
The Simple Woman's Daybook is a brief outline for women/mothers who blog to use as a way to compose thoughts, plan the week, and keep a grateful heart. It is typically published once a week on Tuesdays.

Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... it is way too cold for it to be Florida. Temperatures are supposed to drop into the 30s with highs only in the 50s. Someone please tell Mother Nature that this is STILL Florida. We prefer it to be a bit warmer or ask that it snow.

I am thinking... it better warm up pretty soon. Late night drives to check on the rental in the cold are not very much fun. Having to drive up every 3 days or so are not fun either.

I am thankful for... a heater that works, warm blankets, and someone nice and warm to snuggle up with at night.

From the kitchen… the only things I have made recently are finger foods or treats. I need a new recipe or two to get the creative juices flowing again.

I am wearing... sweat pants, a long sleeve tee shirt, and socks and I am STILL cold.

I am creating... more holiday memories. This first Christmas is turning out to be a very special one.

I am going... on an adventure with my hubby to check on the rental and make sure the pipes do not freeze. I have to wonder if this is still Florida when you are talking about a hard freeze warning.

I am reading... House Rules (still) and thinking about the reading list for 2011. I want to alternate every month between a book for pleasure and a book that helps me to be a better wife and someday a mother. Our goal is one book a month for 2011. I want to exceed it and read 18 books.

I am hoping praying... for warmer weather and for all those who do not have a roof over their head or proper clothes on their back to keep them safe and warm this winter.

I am hearing... the sound of the computer working hard.

Around the house... not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. (Well, maybe the cat but she just may be too cold to even scamper around the house)

One of my favorite things... a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter’s day.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Check on the rental, Quality time with my husband
Thursday: Prayer group
Friday and Saturday: RELAX
Sunday: Baptism, Simbang Gabi

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Feast Day: December 12

Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

San Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe

http://www.sancta.org/juandiego.html
http://www.catholic.org/about/guadalupe.php

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Holy Day: December 8

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

The Magnificat
Luke 1: 46-55

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
The Simple Woman's Daybook is a brief outline for women/mothers who blog to use as a way to compose thoughts, plan the week, and keep a grateful heart. It is typically published once a week on Tuesdays

Holiday letter 2010

2010 Holiday Season

Brief summary of 2009

May 2009: Engaged
September 2009: Set April 10, 2010 as the wedding day.
October 2009: Vacationed to New Orleans, LA.
December 2009: Shoulder surgery, Purchased their first home

Highlights from 2010

April 2010: Wedding and honeymoon to Rome, Grandma Rosa’s 90th birthday
May 2010: First family gathering at our new home
July 2010: Became godparents to Ella and Owen Neumann.
August 2010: John and Sharon's 40th Wedding Anniversary
September 2010: Labor Day barbecue, Vacation to Savannah, GA
October 2010: Victor and Charry’s 39th Wedding Anniversary
November 2010: Mexico cruise

This has been a very busy year for both of us. With a wedding in April and keeping up with a new home, this year has been full of more excitement than either one of us have had in both our lifetimes.

The end of 2009 kept us both so busy that it spilled over into 2010. We ended 2009 with the purchase of our first home and much needed shoulder repair for me. This complicated the start of 2010 and made planning a wedding more difficult than either of us expected. Since we moved the wedding from August to April and surgery was in December, it was necessary to hire a wedding planner to be my extra hands and feet all over Orlando. Thank God for our wedding planner, Shannon Humphrey. She made it easy to balance work, physical therapy, and our new home with planning our wedding.

I counted the early days of 2010 until our wedding, and it came upon us very quickly. After nine years together, we finally were married on April 10, 2010 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando. Father Kenny Aquino officiated our traditional Catholic Filipino wedding. Our reception was at held Mystic Dunes Resort in Celebration, FL. After I made the big move, we spent a week in Rome for our honeymoon. We enjoyed visiting the Vatican and all the sights throughout Rome despite a small volcano eruption in Iceland that affected most of the airports in Europe during our stay. Fortunately, we did not experience any delays in our return flight home. After our return home, Grandma Rosa celebrated her 90th birthday, and my parents held a double celebration for both of us. We enjoyed greeting family and friends as newlyweds for the first time.

In May, Kris’ brother Paul and I celebrated our birthdays on the same day. Paul turned 29 while I celebrated 29 again for the eighth time. This was our first gathering in our new home. We did not think we would have our house ready. We still had a lot to unpack, and we only had three short weeks to prepare after the excitement from the wedding died down. We managed to pull off a successful party for fifteen people including a toddler and twin babies.

In July, we became godparents to Kris’ sister’s twins Ella Christina and Owen Christopher who were born January 2010. They are the first godchildren for both of us, and we now have five nieces and three nephews between the two of us.

We hosted our second family gathering in our new home on Labor Day. The family barbecue turned out to be a big success. We managed to fit 20 adults, 4 kids, and the twins in our new home with enough places to sit and enough food for everyone. We even had leftovers for all to take home. Everyone had a great time and we received many compliments from all that attended. 

We are blessed between both of our parents there is almost 80 years of marriage experience. They have provided us with an excellent example of marriage. They have had their difficulties, but they have managed to stay together. They give credit to their faith and trust in God. In August, Kris’ Mom and Dad celebrated 40 years of wedded bliss. We hosted an anniversary dinner at Gigi’s Italian restaurant in St. Petersburg for family and friends. I made them a small scrapbook showing just a brief history of the last 40 years. In October, my Mom and Dad celebrated 39 years of wedded bliss. Mom and Dad enjoyed a weekend in Orlando remembering their own day by attending a wedding of the daughter of close family friends.

Besides our honeymoon to Rome, we enjoyed two other vacations. Our first vacation was a three-day trip to Savannah, GA in September. We saw the tallest lighthouse in Georgia in Tybee Island. We rode the trolley around Savannah to see the historical sights. We even ate lunch at Paula Deen’s famous restaurant, Lady and Sons.

Our second vacation was in November. Neither of us had ever been on a cruise, and Kris was looking forward to a vacation where he did not have to drive. This was the perfect opportunity. We enjoyed a 5-day cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. We saw the Mayan ruins at Kohunlich in Costa Maya. We climbed to the top of a few of the ruins. I was able to climb to the top of two of the ruins, while Kris enjoyed climbing to the top of couple more. I could definitely tell the steps were steeper than the 138 Spanish Steps in Rome. We enjoyed a walking tour and shopping in Cozumel. It was a nice relaxing time for both of us.

Here we are now at the end of 2010 and a new year is fast approaching. We both are looking forward to the many adventures 2011 has in store for us. We cannot wait to share with you all our exciting news of the upcoming year.

We would like to send you and your family the love and blessings of our Lord this holiday season. We hope you find the joy of the Lord this new year and many years to come.

With lots of love,
Kris and Eileen Mae

Our 2010 Christmas photo card -- for family and friends

Our 2010 Christmas photo card -- for local friends

A tour of our first home

Our First Home

Welcome to our first home. Take your shoes off and take a tour of our home. Please excuse the mess. We are still working on the details and turning our first house into a home. These pictures were taken on the day of inspection. The previous owners were still in the process of packing and getting ready to move. The house looks much different with our furniture and some of the do-it-yourself home improvements we have done.

Welcome to our home.

As soon as you enter our front door, you enter a large front foyer. Today you will find a few wall decorations and a old bench that once belonged to Kris' parents. There are three name tags on the bench with each of the children's names engraved on. We store all our family board games that we hope to use someday for family entertainment nights at our home.

Take your shoes off and take a tour with me.

Right in front of you as you enter the home is our living room. Today we have three large bookshelves against the wall on the right. This is our library. There are many old text books of different subjects. There are books of all genres. You can find just about anything from a literary classic to a recent New York Times Best Seller.  There is also a desk filled with paperwork from past and present that still has to be sorted. There is a chessboard set up for anyone who thinks they have the wits to be our resident Bobby Fischer (that would be my husband) Against the back wall we have our DVD and VHS video collection. There are over 200 movies of various genres for our date nights at home.

Our living room with library and study.

Turning left as you enter, you will see what I used to think was a sore thumb but is actually a large pantry. It divides our dining room from the breakfast nook in the kitchen. We have a nice China cabinet with old Bavarian China that once belonged to Kris' Grandmother given to us by my in-laws. I have yet to complete the display but I hope to someday display the old hand crafted China for all to see. We have a small glass table that we use when we have company over for dinner.

Come over and join us for dinner.

The dining room looks out into the living room

We have an open kitchen with a low bar area that looks out into the living room. I can see the entire living room wall as well as any children who might someday be sitting on the couch watching TV. I can even see the dining room very well so I can continue to prepare dinner and entertain guests from in the kitchen.

A nice open kitchen gives me a view of the whole living room and dining room.

There is plenty of counter space for kitchen gadgets and to prepare meals.

There is a nice mural of Venice, Italy painted on the wall in the breakfast nook. There is a small kitty door that leads to the garage and is Gracie's personal space. She can go there whenever she wants for some peace and privacy from the humans.

Our kitchen with the breakfast nook

Our breakfast nook...

...that included a painting of Venice and Gracie's personal apartment.

Down the hall you will find all the bedrooms are on one side of the house. You will find our laundry closet with a brand new washing machine and dryer and a linen closet on the left as you are walking down the hall.

The hall leading up to all the bedrooms.

My favorite feature of the house

The master bedroom suite is on the left. It required some new paint to make it easier to go to sleep at night. There is a small desk in the corner with our computer. We have a removable fireplace with our TV on top. I love our master bathroom with an extra big shower. There are double sinks which was a must when looking for a house. We have a small walk in closet that we had to add an extra set of shelves up high to make room for all of Kris' clothes in the closet, too.

What is behind door number 1?

Our master bedroom suite

The master bathroom is big enough for both of us to get ready and for the cat to sit and watch.

Looking out into the master bedroom suite from the bathroom.

The middle bedroom is currently being used as our storage and junk room. As we began to unpack, we shifted all the boxes that we did not unpack into this room. It makes a nice den or office but we hope someday to use it as a nursery.

What can be behind door number 2?

Our future nursery

The third bedroom is our guest room. It must have been used a child's room as the walls were painted blue and yellow and the closets have soccer balls as handles. We gave it a some fresh copper paint. There is a desk and an extra computer. We are currently using the closet and dresser as extra storage.

What is hiding behind door number 3?

An extra room just waiting for you.

We have a nice guest bathroom that has a nice low bathtub perfect for bathing filthy kids after playing outside in the dirt and mud.

We have a nice fenced in back yard with a large oak tree just outside our fence. It shades most of the backyard in the summer and kids can run and play as much as they want in the safety of our own backyard. The landscaping is a little less to be desired but we hope to work on that starting in the spring. We are happy that here is a play set but we are probably going to take it down as some of the parts are rusted and unsafe for children to play on.

A backyard for hosting family barbecues and kids to play.

There is a nice small screened in lanai where I can sit and watch the kids with a tall glass of lemonade and a book.

A great place to sit and enjoy a cool drink and a book.

We have a nice two car garage which fits both our cars nicely. We set up Gracie's personal apartment in the back left. We have to put many objects in her way though so she does not wander into the garage and get hurt. There are many things there now that are not very safe for a little one like Gracie.

Always a work in progress but there is room for two cars and some storage.

We have managed to make a small room just for our little Gracie.

Thank you for coming and visiting us in our new home. Please do stop by and visit again. I will be sure to have everything cleaned up and organized when you come again to visit.

In retrospect: Our First Home

My husband had been following the real estate market where he was living for several months before we were engaged. He knew that he was ready to buy a new home to prepare himself someday for a wife and a family. Although there was not the housing boom of years past, the market was looking better and better for first time home buyers. He wanted to make sure he had a house that he could call his own and have ready for a wife and family.

He did not realize that the wife was sooner than later and the hopes for a family would be following not much longer after. He became more serious about finding a home when we rekindled our re-new-ed relationship in March. He started looking at homes and asking my opinions on what kind of house we wanted and what kind of neighborhoods we would like to live. It was not just looking for a home for him and someday a wife. That wife was beginning to look a lot more like me and we began to look at homes together. We started looking at homes in the same neighborhood he was already living and a few other homes in nearby neighborhoods as well. I did not know much about the area where I might be soon calling home so it was up to Kris to pick a safe neighborhood in a nice part of town that we could afford to live.

Shortly after we were engaged, he found a nice house for sale in the same area where he was already renting. It became apparent that we had to make a move fast if we even wanted a shot at buying the house. There were already several bids on the house and it only been listed for a couple days. He followed the listing very closely throughout the day and he soon realized that he had to make a move that day if he was to have a fair chance at purchasing the house. The only problem is I was nearly two hours away and had only seen the house in pictures. I was not comfortable with him making a bid on a house for both of us to live that I had only seen in pictures. It was a two hour drive and I was still at work for a few more hours. I was not sure I could make it be able to see the house. He already made an appointment to see it later in the afternoon and was ready to make a bid if necessary. I was just was not too sure. I wanted to see the house. I wanted to make sure that we both could live there and someday raise a family. I wanted to make sure that we could make the house into a home.

After a few hours of back and forth, I was finally able to make some arrangements to get off work early to meet Kris and the realtor. It was a long drive for a just a few hours to see Kris but I knew it would be worth it if this turned out to be the home of our dreams. Kris was almost certain that he wanted to bid on the house but just had to make sure I approved. I could not do so without having seen the house myself.

When we first saw the house, Kris was certain that this was the home he wanted to buy. For the price they were asking and what he had now seen in person, he knew that this was the house that he could make a home with his wife and raise a family. For me, there were so many uncertainties.This was only the second or third home that we actually had seen together. I was happy to see that the house seemed to not need much work as far as repairs and the previous owners had taken pretty good care of the home before trying to sell it. There was a nice fence in the backyard and was large enough for children to safely run around and play. The kitchen was nice and open where you could see out into the living room. It had a large pantry but the red paint made it stick out like a sore thumb between the breakfast nook and dining room. The painting in the bedrooms were a little bit less to be desired. The yellow faux brick and Egyptian pyramid feel made me think I might be lying in a sarcophagus. Kris was amazed by the detail and was hoping I would grow to like it. The house was smaller than I hoped although I knew we could make it work for a few years before needing a bigger house.

After looking at the house for the first time, we had only a few hours to decide whether we wanted to put in a bid. There were already three other offers and we had to make a pretty impressive deal in order to catch the eye of the bank. We both were still uncertain. I was not certain it was the house of my dreams and Kris was not certain he could bid on a house that I where I would not be comfortable. We decided to go out to dinner and weigh out the pros and cons.

Dinner seemed to last forever. We each laid out all our concerns. We each laid out pros and cons. We took every matter into consideration. We knew as a short sale this would be a long wait and we could wind up disappointed in the very end. We knew we could have to begin all over again with the same results if this was to not go through. In the end we decided to make a bid. We made a fair bid over the asking price with a fair amount to be put into escrow. We were not privy to know the amount of the other bids but Mike our Realtor did tell us that we put in a very good bid that stood a fighting chance even though one of the other bids was cash. All four bids were submitted to the bank the next day and we just had to sit and wait to see if our bid would win out although we came in at the very last minute.

It was a long wait for us to hear from Mike or the whether our bid was going to be accepted. We heard relatively quickly that our bid was the only bid being considered but it was long wait to hear if it would be accepted. The two banks who had liens on the house were trying to figure out how to settle both loans and it left us to just sit back and wait. Several months went by and we continued to check the market for available houses. There were not many houses that compared to both price and size of the house we were already considering. But more than once we considered walking away and starting over. We did not want to have to start the whole process over and wait again but we both were getting frustrated and wanted to be certain we would have a house to live in after we were married. Despite not wanting to start over, the frustration of waiting and not knowing had us almost walk away up until a few weeks before closing. We tried to make a few other offers to try and sweeten the deal for whichever lender was keeping our hands tied but our realtor told us to just keep hanging in there. Finally after waiting nearly four months, we were able to have the house inspected. We thought things would move a little faster but we waited another 6 weeks before we were finally able to close on the house.

On December 7, 2009 after nearly waiting 6 months to finalize the deal, we closed on our very first house. We started very quickly on changes and repairs that needed to be made on the house. The first two were to paint the master and guest bedrooms.

Our first home

Looking back on our journey through purchasing our first home together, I realize that even though this was not house of my dreams it was to become the home that I would come home to after I got married. It was the doors of the first home we would walk through together as husband and wife. It was the first house that we would make a home together. It will always be the first house we called home together. It may not have been everything I wanted but it is more than I need and less than what I want. It is our home sweet home.

Daybook

FOR TODAY


Outside my window... there is the appearance of sun and warmth but it is bit chilly outside. Highs in the 50s and lows in the upper 30s today. We are not used to it being this cold. It definitely is not your typical Florida weather.

I am thinking... about my Mom and Dad. I miss them and hope I can see them very soon.

I am thankful for... a roof over my head to keep me warm and safe.

From the kitchen... I hope to be baking very soon. I found a new baking cookbook and look forward to trying out a recipe or two.

I am wearing... sweat pants and a long sleeve tee shirt with my socks and Mary Jane slippers to keep me warm.

I am creating... nothing at the moment but hoping to get back to our scrapbook. I have a long way to go until I am caught up to the current events. I am still working on the early years.

I am going... nowhere in particular today.

I am reading... House Rules -- the same book I have been reading for the last month. I am about halfway and thinking about what to read next. I am also thinking about what books I want to read next year for our book a month goal.

I am hoping praying... for my husband to fight off this cold and be on his feet again very quickly.

I am hearing... the cat running between the bedroom and living room playing with her mouse.

Around the house... there is so much work to do be done. Not just our daily chores but there is so much work to be done to continue to transform our house into a home.

One of my favorite things... the smell of fresh baked cookies.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Wednesday: Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Thursday: Early Christmas with Mom and Dad and Grandma Rosa
Friday: Anna’s Christmas concert and dinner with my sister and family
Saturday: Social and dinner with Young Adults in Christ at Church

Trump card: Hubby is fighting off a cold and I am spending the next few days taking care of him.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

One year ago…we bought our first home.

Kris enters our home for the first time as an owner.

The master bedroom before....

...looked like an Egyptian pyramid inside.

We changed the color...

...and added new carpet.

With a new color La Fonda Tortuga and carpet...

...it was almost ready to be our master suite.

The guest bedroom was painted...

...yellow and blue for a young child.

With the new Copper Hyde color...

...it was almost ready for visitors.

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
The Simple Woman's Daybook is a brief outline for women/mothers who blog to use as a way to compose thoughts, plan the week, and keep a grateful heart. It is typically published once a week on Tuesdays.