Mary Jane Veloso - to be executed on April 28

Breaking news at GMA NewsTV, 7pm, April 25, 2015...

Mary Jane Veloso:  Nakatakda ang pagbitay sa Abril 28, Martes ng hating-gabi.

Mismo si Mary Jane Veloso ang tumawag sa kanyang kapatid para ibalita at kumpirmahin ang pagtatakda sa pagkitil ng kanyang buhay.

Nakakalungkot.

May the good Lord be with her, her families, friends, and loved ones.

Papal Visit 2015: Pope Francis Mania in Manila

(9 a.m.) Hubby and I decided to see and feel the People's Pope on January 16, 2015. Early today, we went to Manila Cathedral. 

(mid-day) Lots of people were there waiting for the Pope. Everybody seemed to be so nice, calm and blessed. It's indeed a very nice feeling to mingle with people who have the same desire and goal as ours - see His Holiness.

(1 p.m. onwards) Since it rained a bit hard, Pope was then riding on his black, elegant limousine. We again decided to walk ahead, survived barriers, kilometers and hours of walk, tons of sweats. We ate, held hands, had fun, rode a pedicab, and walked again to go straight to Roxas Blvd. 

(3p.m.) We stood and had some happy moments with our fellow pilgrims, and of course, with the 'unsung' heroes, the police officers. They were all nice, accommodating and fun to be with. They never complained even if they were standing for more than eight hours everyday; instead, they would answer our queries with smiles, crack some jokes, and have some interesting chats with all of us. We also admire volunteers from different local government units, parishes and other organizations. Everything went well - organized, disciplined, and overwhelming - napaka-good vibes! 

(at exactly 5:05 p.m.) We finally felt goosebumps as His Holiness, Pope Francis was coming - on his way to SM MoA Arena. A simple wave and smile from the Pope, blessed by the Father and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, poured our hearts out. It was really a very fulfilling and unforgettable experience. We didn't stop there. We decided to stay a bit longer and wait again for him for the third time. 

Hubby and I were shaking and in tears while continuing our walk to look for a better place as we were advised that he would be back around 7 to 8 in the evening. We then looked for a place to freshen up, pee, have some stretching, and dine in comfortably. After a long walk, there was nothing to be found except convenience stores and 'carinderias'. And so we decided to sit down and have dinner with the police officers. They were again very nice and we had a great time eating with them. We also went to a convenience store to buy water and chips to enjoy and share. 

In these times, you would get to experience lots of things and appreciate God's love in many ways, even from little things that we tend to take for granted most of the times. 

(at exactly 7:25 p.m.) The Pope again was coming and everybody shouted and yelled, pouring their hearts out just like us. We felt more intense as this time, the Pope was just a meter away from us, halos abot-kamay lang siya. It's really a very powerful experience, memorable indeed. Our eye-to-eye contact, that angelic face and sweet smile from Lolo Kiko made me cry and shout for joy, one of the happiest times ever!

Tama nga, yung halos isa hanggang tatlong segundo na pagdaan nya at pagtingin sa amin ay sadyang nakakapagpaligaya ng puso, nakakapangilabot, nakakaiyak!

Everyone is so blessed and has become a blessing to others. We paused for a while, praised and thanked God for this wonderful gift and blessing, and most of all, said our prayers. We also whispered prayers from our loved ones, families, relatives, and friends. 

To GOD be the Glory. God is good!

Pope Francis is indeed the Pope of the Firsts, the People's Pope, and our very own Lolo Kiko.

#AllForEieoAndEiea

Love lots,

Mommy Mai and Daddy Ren

Thank GOD It's December - A Story of a Blessed Woman

December has always been so special for me and hubby. We both celebrate our birth dates, every 4^th and 13^th, his and mine respectively. We commemorate our anniversary every 14^th and on the 16^th, our wedding anniversary. Being together for 12 years as happy lovers and getting married for eight years are more than a million ways of thanking God and praising His name.

With God’s grace, we are able to sustain and survive life’s trials and tests of faith but as we always say, these tough times were outgrown by the billions of blessings that we receive each day. Miracles are felt and witnessed every time we wake  up and see how beautiful life is, seeing Eieo next to us, happy, witty and healthy.

Many people say that we are perfectly blessed as we have always become a blessing and inspiration to many lives. But you know, though I feel that I really couldn’t ask for more, hubby and I would always love to hope and pray that EIEA will be handed and given to us soon, very, very soon.

Yes, all we want now is a lovely, smart and healthy daughter…

As I end today’s post, I would like to thank my husband and lifetime partner, Ren, for his unconditional love and support, our marriage is so wonderful that would make me fall in love with you over and over again... 

Eieo, for his love and for making us feel God’s blessings every day and of course, for having us experience the perks of parenthood; for our families and friends, for making us feel loved and special each day. 

The power of my three F’s: Faith, Family and Friends, has always been an inspiration… thank you very much. All these things I owe to you and all.

Happy holidays, everyone. May the yuletide spirit bring us the gifts of love, joy, peace and prosperity. 

Season’s greetings from our family to yours… God bless us all.

Thanks be to God Almighty.

Forever blessed,

Mommy Mai

Photo credits go to the links provided. Thank you...

Lutong Pinoy (Recipes) FB Group : A Great Virtual Place for Foodies

Lutong Pinoy (Recipes) : My New Addiction on Social Network

This group, LP, has inspired many moms, housewives and career women alike, to cook and bake for their families and loved ones. News feed is jam-packed with good vibes, shared recipes, and helpful/useful tips to make each

It felt so humbling and overwhelming to see many women from different walks of life, united to be one, working towards one goal – to prepare something delicious and enticing for their families, and most of all, stepping out of their comfort zones and starting a business that would make them feel their self-worth as a mom and as an entrepreneur even in their own little ways. 

To this group, I believe that everyone has found in many ways to appreciate life and live such to the fullest.

Truly, LP has touched many lives including mine, making me get so hooked and addicted to this group. This LP craze has changed my daily routines on social networks.

Thanks to my sister April for letting me know of this group, to the admins and members for sharing goodness and love through their simple culinary masterpieces.

Muli, maraming salamat mga Ka-LP. 

Mabuhay tayong lahat! Cheers!

God speed.

xoxo,

Mommy Mai

Photo credits go to where it is accordingly due. Thanks!

Picture A
Picture B

Eieo's First Field Trip with JVCMSI Family

Happiness is a choice, a gift from God that we shall all savor and be thankful for. And seeing our unico hijo feel so happy makes the rewards of parenthood more special. 

He always finds ways to enjoy his schooling and academic experiences with his friends, classmates, schoolmates and mentors.

Since I have already blogged about how hubby and I are both feeling blessed to finally find a good school for our kiddo (read my blog HERE… JVCMSI, our newly found ‘gem’), I intend to write something about his new experiences this time.

One of our child’s academic milestones is to participate in educational tours. During his first grade at JVCMSI, hubby and I joined him on this fun-filled learning experience. 

Enjoying good times, doing playful actions, and feeling very excited and enthusiastic over each ride at Enchanted Kingdom, we know that this has been a priceless experience.

November 28, 2014 @ 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. 

JVCMSI Educational Tour Itinerary:

Intramuros, Manila and Fort Santiago

Luneta (Martyrdom of Dr Jose Rizal)

Blue Wave

Nuvali

Enchanted Kingdom

Field trips like this can always be fun and entertaining, such a great learning opportunity for everyone.

Activities like this give students educational experiences away from their regular school environment, a good way to break monotony and routines. Kids can look forward to and prepare for the trip for several days or weeks. Then, they get to spend the day in a different learning environment and can complete a lesson on the topic covered after the trip is over. Learning in different ways can appeal to varied learning styles, helping children to succeed whether they are visual, auditory or kinetic learners.

Students visiting different educational facilities learn in a more hands-on and interactive manner than they do in school. And when done 'right', field trips can be a powerful component of a well-rounded instructional program.

Just keep in mind that safety of everyone, especially the students, is strictly observed; itineraries are relevant and educational, most of all, objectives are met.

To sum it up, everybody had so much fun, a perfect time to bond with families, friends and all.

xoxo,

Mommy Mai