We received our Cathay Pacific plane tickets today in the mail from Apex Travel, yey! We are all set to go for our Philippine trip this October! Also, I was able to buy our domestic tickets from Philippine Airlines via e-tickets online for our trip to Iloilo.
Apex was suppose to do our domestic plane fares, but I told Craig to skip it this time because it's more expensive. I suggested I can just buy online tickets which is way much cheaper. The difference is $100 cheaper, so we can still use that for shopping, LOL!
This is a big trip event worth looking forward to once again. As much as we are able, we want to have a Philippine trip planned at least once a year. That's how we love our second home ;).
Please continue to help us pray for stable finances. God is giving us more than enough which is also a big help to always spend some R & R with our families back home in the Philippines every year.
Today, I received a thank you gift from Western Union in the mail. They are 2 Visa gift cards with $100 worth each ;)
It finally paid off with all the money we are sending back home in the Philippines every month. The gifts were one of those selections out of the points we earned from Craig's Western Union gold card!
It's good to use anywhere in the world. I tried using it to shop online, but it doesn't work.
Hhhhmmmm...I can use it in the Philippines as well. :)
We're giving back our thanks to WU as well. And above all else, we thank Him up there for throwing another blessing amidst financial turmoil.
Last Saturday, (February 19), Craig was invited to speak about "Blame and Forgiveness" at the SDA (7th Day Adventist Internat'l Church) in Pikesville, MD to a marriage club group. He usually teaches about this topic at work, but that time, he spoke about the topic through Biblical perspective.
He said he wanted me to come since it was mostly for couples. There were at least 10-15 couples who came, and Craig and I were so blessed that they were touched and impressed about how Craig delivered the topic above well.
The people were heartwarming as well and many were blessed.
Of course, Marlon, their photographer requested us to pose for a souvenir photo as a humble gesture ;). Thanks, Marlon. He didn't charge us for the portraits. Remember, sharing everyone's blessings is free, right?
It was truly a wonderful blessed evening!
I am not actually a morning person. I usually wake up around 11am or later depending on what time did I go to bed :).
Anyway, I woke up this morning and I found this on the doorsteps!
It's still 3 days early before Valentine's Day, but here is one husband who is thoughtful enough to remember it early!...so touched! Thanks beloved. No words can express how I treasure you and the love you're giving me. Mwah!
We're a bit sorry to say we are way back lagging behind on our updates. It's really tough when we do have big trips such as our trip going to and from the Philippines.
Anyway, we had good moments spending our holidays with our family in the Philippines (Christmas & New Year) at our new house.
We had to postpone the housewarming as planned due to heavy construction outside the house though. We decided to put a fence surrounding the house, and so there were so much diggings around the house making it impossible to have visitors around.
We are rescheduling it for October this year. Hopefully and God willing, all repairs and constructions will all be done by that time.
With all the financial constraints, headaches, pressures, tensions, argh!!! ....but in the end it will all be worth it!
My old SS Card with restrictions.
My new SS card without restrictions.
Today, I received my new SS card with its restrictions removed. I applied for removal of restrictions last October 20, at SSA's district office in Westminster which is just 20 minutes away. I and Craig actually was thinking of going to Baltimore which is where the SSA headquarters is located, but it's a 45-minute drive going there. So, it was really a smart idea to go and do it at the district office. Besides, when we reached the office only couple of costumers were there, so it wasn't really busy. I was done in 20 minutes or so :).
Last Thursday (September 30, 2010), I finally was able to pick up my Philippine passport at the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C. It was all a breeze as there were no crowds inside :).
I just gave my receipt to the lady at the window, then she let me signed through the computer. I got to repeat it 3 times because I got confused and forgot what signature did I use, LOL! The lady told me I have to sign the same signature I used on my passport. I told her I wasn't sure what signature I used. Luckily, my passport already has my signature stored in it. The passport has somewhat like a computer chip installed in it like my US passport, so both passports are now digital-scan capable :).
All is set and complete for my documents in time for my upcoming trip to the Philippines this November.
Our third box was dispatched last September 4, 2010. This will be the last box we will be sending before we go to the Philippines. It contains mostly stuff for the home, curtains, border wall papers, etc.
I still have so many things in mind to send but 3 boxes are more than enough for now, lol!
Praise the Lord! Finally, Ging was able to take her oath to re-acquire her Filipino citizenship last Wednesday (Augut 25) at the Philippine embassy in Washington DC. She was originally scheduled to have it in August 11, but we decided not to because we both can't make it that time. Thank God that it was only a week wait before she was rescheduled again for the 2nd time and so, we made it!
The only challenge left is that Ging has to apply for a new Philippine passport because the one she recently renewed was issued to her before she became a dual citizen. The passport takes 4 weeks and we still have to wait for a call from the embassy for the passport pick up.
Anyway, here are some photos we had during and after the ceremony.
Our second box was dropped by at the Filipino store (Tampakan Market) in Glen Burnie. We didn't had time taking photo of it as we were in a hurry sealing it. So, two boxes are on their way to the Philippines!
There is still one left, and we're planning to send it either last week of this month or early September. Hopefully, they could arrive there in due time.
RSS Feed