Milestones and Memories

Hello hive friends! It's been quite some time since my last blog. I miss sharing my experiences, thoughts, and feelings to this community. Unfortunately, things got hectic at work a fortnight ago and I even got sick on my birthday week.😷

The good thing is that I feel quite better now and I am able to slowly adjust to my work routine. Classes have already started and I am glad I survived the first week. Now, I am glad that I can post a blog again. I would like to share to you a beautiful milestone in my life--getting another year here on this beautiful Earth. 💜

_{I used to cringe when I think about getting older. Now, I just feel thankful to have been given another blessing.}

Yes, you've read it right, I celebrated my 35th birthday last Saturday, on August 26. What made it special and a little bit different this year is that I celebrated it in Lapu-Lapu City, where my sister's family lives.

We were supposed to visit my sister a week before my birthday but since things were hectic in school (with all the preparations, moving stuff, and a lot of cleanup), I suggested that we visit her on the weekend before classes start. I also wanted to celebrate my birthday somewhere else, for a change.

Hello Lapu-Lapu City🙌

We travelled on a Friday morning to Lapu-Lapu City. This was to avoid the rush of passengers that travel on buses on Friday afternoons and even during weekends. It was a half-day travel. It was extra challenging for me because my son kept vomiting and complaining about the bumpy ride. I wasn't in my best mood during the trip because I was worried and exhausted at the same time. However, when we finally reached our destination, things thankfully went well.

_{My son quickly bonded with his cousin, baby Hafi.💜Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law and congratulations on having recently moved to this abode.👏}

After resting for a few hours, we finally went out to LG Garden Walk--a new commercial area in Mactan. We took a jeepney ride and this was actually the first time I rode on a jeep again since the pandemic.😅 And it was my son's first ever jeepney experience. 😊

_{He looked eager and amazed on his first jeepney ride. He wanted to befriend all the kids we commute with.😅}

We reached LG Garden Walk and went straight to Mr. DIY on the second floor. We surely had a great time there haha. I'm glad I was able to stick to my budget while I was inside the store. Afterwards, we took quick snaps on the 7-Eleven Coca Cola Concept Store nearby.

_{A 7-Eleven Store with a Coca Cola Concept 👏}

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A Cozy and Sumptuous Family Dinner 🍴

It was dinner time and we looked around for a restaurant that was not too crowded. We found this dining place that serves sinangag meals and more.
_{"Sinangag" means "garlic fried rice" or "garlic rice".}

We didn't expect the food to come in large portions and servings since their meals were affordable.

_{This sinangag combo meal had more than 7 slices of fish fillet only for 160 Php (around $2.8 based on current exchange rate),and their batchoy was only 90 Php ($1.6).}

_{My order--Sinangag with Spanish sardines only costs 120 Php ($2.1).}

We still managed to bring home some of the food we couldn't finish eating. We surely had a heavy meal that night. Before leaving, we took some pictures on the decorated aisle.

Our first day on this visit to Lapu-Lapu City has ended. We were so tired. Deep inside, I was eager to face the next day--Saturday, my birthday.

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Prayers and Wishes at Thirty-Five 🙏✨

What I realized, after 35 years on earth, was that as you get older, your birthday celebration preferences change. In my case, I just wanted to celebrate with family over a special meal. Morning came and my mother woke me up by playing some "Happy Birthday" song on her phone. My son also woke up because of the loud music and kept giving me greetings, hugs, and kisses. We all talked about our itinerary for the day during breakfast.

Our first stop was the Virgen De La Regla Shrine. The last time I've been here was when I was still in college. I'm very thankful to have finally come back and start my birthday celebration with a visit to this shrine. I did have a lot of wishes and prayed for good health, guidance, and blessings.

_{Thank you to my mama for taking a photo of me while lighting some candles (photo used with permission) and for the taking a picture of my son and I with the Virgen De La Regla.}

We stopped by at the nearby Rizal Park to let the kids play. We also wanted to relax a bit before having my birthday lunch treat.

My son had a lot of fun playing with other kids. He had been experiencing many "firsts" since we came here and I just feel glad that he gets to experience a lot of things.

_{He is still developing his social skills and experiencing new things. Sometimes, he seems afraid to do things he hasn't done before like doing a lot of climbing and walking on the ropes. I hope I get to give him a lot of experiences that will make him braver.}

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Birthday Lunch with a Surprise!🍰💜
My plan was to have a special lunch with my family (insert my husband). No balloons and no cake. So, I asked for recommendations from my sister and my brother-in-law. We had a delicious lunch at Labuyo Native Restaurant. They serve Filipino food. I noticed that most of the customers at that time were Koreans.

_{Little did I know, I was in for a sweet surprise.😊
(Thanks to the waiter who took this photo for me, using my phone.)}

We had just asked a waiter to take a photo of us when the restaurant's music started playing a "happy birthday" song. I did not mind it at first, thinking someone must also be celebrating his/her birthday. But the restaurant staff started lining up and they brought out a cake and started walking towards our table. I really did not expect this kind of surprise from my family. This was my first.💜😊 Later, I found out that they had planned this the night before. Thank you very much especially to my mama and siblings.💜

_{My family chose this cake because they knew my favorite color.💜}

Afterwards, we took the children to Kids' Paradise at the Island Central Mactan, a shopping mall. My sister and my brother-in-law have recommended places we can go to and this was one of our stops. I had also planned to have a quick meet up with my college friends living in Lapu-Lapu City. I had already communicated with them the previous evening and we agreed to meet near the mall during the kids' playtime.

_{It was time for my son and my niece to enjoy the day. Thank you mama for watching over HK while I have some "me" time. 😊}

I had to leave at around 2 o'clock to meet my friends at a nearby coffee shop. There were only two who were available that day but we really enjoyed our time together. God knows how much I miss my friends.

_{Thank you K.T. and Auggie for your time, for braving the traffic jam to meet me.💜}

_{Rewarded myself today. It's my birthday anyway.💚}

After a two-hour date with my college friends, I went back to the mall.Then, we went to visit the Mactan Shrine. It was actually my first time.

<sub>There were people preparing the shrine for the visitors on National Heroes' Day on August 28.

My son was already tired of walking.😅 Thanks to my brother who took this photo for me.</sub>

_{Still trying to strike a pose even at my age and my mom bod.😅 Thanks to my sister who took this for me using my phone.}

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La Vie En Rose 🌹
We wrapped up this special day with a visit to the 10,000 Roses Cafe in Cordova, Cebu. The trip took quite a while due to the traffic so we reached the place later than we intended. The place was really packed with guests.

<sub>That fading sunset is relaxing.😊 Thanks to my sister for letting me use the photo above from her phone.

It's my second time here. I still find the glowing roses beautiful.</sub>

_{I'm glad the entrance fee was only 20Php ($0.30) per person but it was just so packed we couldn't even pass through the center aisle.😅}

Our day trip has been successful. All plans, achieved. I am grateful to have been given this life and be able to celebrate my birthday with my family and with some of my friends. 😚

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Birthday Thoughts
Another year had been granted to me by the Almighty and I am more than grateful for this gift of life. I can't say I have always walked on sunshine. There were storms, of course. But reaching this age, achieving goals, and still having a lot of positive goals, were just some of my wishes many years ago. Life isn't perfect but I see and think differently now. I know I will keep changing as years go by. I will continue to pray and wish for more years ahead, more time to spend with my family, and more positive experiences that I will surely treasure for the rest of my life.

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This has been a long post but thank you Hive friends for taking the time to read. I hope we all get to spend a lot of birthdays and a lot of happy moments with our loved ones. 💜

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Note: All photos in this blog are personally taken using my phone, unless otherwise stated. Some of the photos were taken by other family members and are used with permission.