My Greatest Miracle this 2014

At the start of this year I was challenge with a question,  "What kind miracle would you ask God to happen this year?"  This was the first challenge I've heard during our Sunday service and I did ponder what would it be.  I couldn't think of anything I can ask for but I did expected that God would do something spectacular not only for me but for my whole family.  We had a series of studies in the Bible about the miracle working God.  As we study the word of God, my search of discovering and asking the miracle I wanted to receive was changed.  God talked to me and showed me how blessed I am.  I started to carefully examine every little thing in me and the things happening around me.  From there I learned that I no longer needed to ask for a miracle.  It is because I am already having miracles everyday that I failed to see and thank Him for. My eyes were opened to see and realize how God is continuously doing miracles not just out of the blues but  He does miracles everyday of my life.

Homeschool Room

Setting up a study room is very important when you decide to homeschool.  In my experience, my children needed to identify a space where we would conduct our classes.  It doesn't have to resemble a traditional school, but I chose to do my best to make it look like one.  I use decor that isn't expensive.  I don't need to spend a large budget on this.  What matters is keeping the room organized. Over the past two years since we started homeschooling, I can't remember how many times I've reorganized our classroom.  One of the main reasons I do this is to break the boredom of looking at the same room. A new look adds excitement to our classes.  Classroom themes are also helpful when introducing new lessons to them.  It really takes time, but I enjoy doing these things for my children. I also have to admit I'm still not doing everything perfectly, as I have limited time and energy with many other tasks to accomplish aside from this.    

I will show you the latest look of our homeschool room.  This is also to document our homeschooling so that my children can look back at it after a few years.

Getting Ready for our New Baby

We're glad to be back home from the hospital.  It was around 6pm on October 30 when I started feeling contractions.  I have worked hard over the past few weeks to get things ready before delivering our baby. I must say, I still have a lot of work left undone until these contractions began.  At first, I really wasn't sure if these contractions would continue.  Upon monitoring, each contraction was at a 25-minute interval.  I consulted my doctor, who advised us to go to the hospital. In the back of my mind, I felt unprepared to give birth, worrying about the tasks I should have completed.  Pakner4lyf had many scheduled appointments the next day and had to cancel them all because he needed to take me to the hospital.  It took us a long time to leave for the hospital. My husband needed to stop by the supermarket first, and from there, unexpected incidents caused further delays. Meanwhile, I continued to  monitor each contraction I was experiencing.  

My husband finally arrived, and he immediately pulled out the groceries he bought for our bakeshop. Then he loaded the things I needed to bring to the hospital, and off we went.  We were fortunate not to encounter heavy traffic on the road.  When we arrived, I was about 2 - 3 cm dilated and was having contractions at 10-minute intervals.

Clay Modelling and Play Pretend

Does your child love to play with clay?  Do they also enjoy playing pretend?  My children love making things out of clay and they love to engage in imaginative play too.

Today, I have granted their request to let them play with clay.  We have bought a guidebook teaching how to make figures out of clay, and they are excited to try it.

Can't Stand the Heat...Stay out of the Kitchen

My husband took a photo of this poster in one of the baking supplies stores we visited this month.  I agree with the message, but before good things happen at a bakeshop, we bakers need to withstand the heat in the process.  Lots of sweat, labor, and hard work are required before achieving the sweetest result.  Below are the recent cakes I made, and I faced some troubles while making them, but I didn't even know why.

Bible Verses That Means Much To Me

I have many verses to remind myself, no matter the circumstances I face, so I can keep going. The photos above feature my favorite verses, particularly because I often feel depressed and rejected.  To combat these negative feelings, I will focus my heart and mind on what God communicates to me through His words.

Having Bible verses to ponder on, especially when life hurts, is a great remedy.  The words from this book are certainly our definitive guide on what to do in every situation.  I am reminded of the B-I-B-L-E acrostic saying: Basic - Instruction - Before - Leaving - Earth.  As Christians, our Creator has already given us life's manual, so we may use it and live our lives to the fullest.  The only thing we need to do is open up and read the instructions written therein and follow what it says.

Do you have Bible verses means so much to you?  Feel free to share and comment below.

Mt. Maculot, Cuenca, Batangas

I was reminded of my childhood days after watching a video clip on Facebook.  You can click here to watch it.  It was so nice reminiscing about the moments I had, especially those times when my brother and I would spend our vacations in the province.  I was born in Cuenca, Batangas, where my grandparents' house is situated in the mountains of Mt. Maculot.  I am glad and proud to have experienced life on the farm, and I also want my children to have a taste of what it is like to live a very simple life in the province, something that most young generations no longer experience nowadays.  Games and toys are very different now as technology advances, but  I believe that my children can enjoy both the privileges of the latest technology and nature.

Villa Escudero Day Tour

We are glad to have our children being homeschooled; this gives us the freedom to take trips more often and to schedule them freely, even on weekdays. Homeschooling has provided us with an opportunity to save extra money for these activities, and it is cheaper to travel during weekdays without having to deal with large crowds.

A day full of celebrations...

I want to express how grateful I am for another year God has given me.  Today, I am celebrating my 31st birthday and want to take this opportunity to announce that we are expecting the fourth member of our family this November. Indeed, life is a blessing from the Lord!

Land and Water Formations Plus Volcano Experiment

Our study on "Land and Water Formations" is one of the most enjoyable lessons we've had to date.  If you are looking for activities related to the lesson, this post might help you. A homemade clay recipe is also included in this post.

My Jewelry Crafts

Whenever I make crafts, I always use available materials from our house rather than buying new accessories to finish my projects as much as possible.  I have used old fabrics, buttons, beads, stones from broken jewelry, marbles, wooden clothespins, and handmade paper beads.  See more photos below this post.

A Bright Sunny Day

I am so happy to finally see the sun this morning after Typhoon Glenda.  Up until today, I am still loaded with a lot of clean-ups because of the typhoon.  Seeing the rising sun early this morning and feeling its warmth suddenly reminded me that it's a great opportunity to have our beds and pillows exposed to the sun.  I never thought I would miss the sun this much.

Door Hanger - Time to Pray

This is a perfect craft for teaching children about prayer.  This was our craft activity last Sunday for our Sunday Schoolers.  Their Bible story was about Daniel in the lion's den.  Below are the materials you'll need and the steps to make this door hanger.

Turning Cups and Saucers Holder into Jewelry Organizer

Cups and Saucer Holder that has been abandoned for years.   

Cake in Blues

It's been a long time again.  I am having a hard time creating posts for my blog due to computer and connectivity problems.  I have missed posting my stories here.  To sum up all those important events, I will simply post the cakes I have made over the past few days.

 JC celebrated his 6th birthday.  He requested a Lego-themed cake.  I tried topping his cake with a Lego-shaped fondant.  I didn't like its look, so I washed his blocks and used his toys instead for the cake decor.   Our church was also preparing for its 9th anniversary, so we had many guests (co-church members) during his birthday, and they needed to sleep over at our house for 2 days.

This is my first fondant wedding cake.

 This car cake is my gift for Pot-Pot.

My parents celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary last Friday, and they treated us to lunch.

These blue-themed cakes will add more fun to your celebration.  I am happy I didn't turn out blue while making these cakes.  Each time I am requested for a cake design, it brings me challenge and excitement, with crossed fingers hoping that the cake I am creating will turn out well in the end.  

 

How To Make a Basketball Cake

This post is dedicated to all basketball fans. If you are planning a basketball-themed party, then this cake will perfectly match the celebration.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Do you have any fears?  Let me rephrase the question: what are your fears?  Fear is a product of our insecurities.  Being human places us in situations where we cannot control everything, and ultimately, this makes us anxious about what we face or what is about to happen.

This made me smile...

If you're a housewife, you definitely feel like losing your sanity most of the time.  Our everyday lives are tied up with never-ending chores and responsibilities.  While many husbands and some narrow-minded people think that being a housewife is easy, I want to prove them wrong.  These people say that we don't have to work and that all we need to do is stay at home.  What makes you say that stay-at-home moms don't have to work?  You'll never know how tough it is to be at home.  Why not try doing my responsibilities for at least a day and then tell me how easy it is to be a housewife? 

 

Housewives don't complain about the mountains of laundry or cleaning the house every hour, which seems to make no difference at all.  We are also forced to think of ways to earn money that will help sustain our financial needs, as we know the real state of our budget.  We are willing to sacrifice our wants just to provide for the needs of our husbands and children.  We love what we do and can bear the greater challenge of taking care of our children.  It hurts to hear other people belittle us as "housewives," and it is even more painful when our husbands come home and voice complaints instead of asking how our day went and offering some help. What we need is support, especially from our husbands, family, and friends.  We want to feel appreciated and loved. At times, we want to feel special; we desire to hear encouraging words rather than complaints about what we should or shouldn't do. We need someone to take care of us too. 

Gift Ideas for Valentines Day

Cake Bouquet

As promised, I am now posting the photos of the gift ideas we had in the bakeshop.  Attending to all the customer demands was very tiring indeed, but I am glad to have accommodated all their orders and special requests.

Minion Cake for SJ's Birthday

SJ celebrated his second birthday yesterday.  We didn't have a big celebration. Many people asked me, "anong handa?" (what's the menu).  We have already drained our pockets because of our bake shop's renovation, so I could no longer afford to throw a huge party for him.  We cooked spaghetti and fries for a simple celebration and, of course, designed a cake for him.

I decided on a Minion design since we always say he looks and acts like these minions.  SJ not only makes me smile but also laugh.  His actions truly reflect this, so this cake design suits his personality.  He really loves his cake.  

Currently, I am too busy creating special packages for the Valentine's Day celebration.  I feel a bit tired of multitasking, but I have to do it - we need more income! I hope to post photos of them here in the coming days. 

If you are looking for a detailed instruction on how to make the minions out of fondant here's the link that I have found.  How to make Minions using Fondant.  Happy baking.

 

Mixbook: Online Photo Book and Calendar Maker

We've visited my parent's house on the first day of the year.  Pakner4lyf with Pastor Eric had a scheduled of Bible study in a neighbor's house.  The children and I stayed at my parent's house and while we are waiting for them the children watched movies and I find myself enjoying some time browsing on our photo albums.  I find a photo and remembered how we used to celebrate new year. What a lovely memory captured in this photo - childhood memories reminisced.

My First Time Experiences

Whew, what a relief!  Now I can finally make my first post for 2014.   I had a very busy month.  Bakeshop owners like me experience the busiest days during the holidays.  We have been loaded with work and activities from the second week of December to the first week of January.  We can't take a vacation during Christmas and New Year because the nature of our business demands a greater workload during this holiday season.  The good news is that we can take our vacation anytime we want, before or after the holidays.  Last week, pakner4lyf and I had to fill in for our bakeshop staff's absence, which added a greater load of work for us.  I am glad and thankful that our staff has already returned from vacation and completed their tasks yesterday (and I am also hoping for the return of our bakers).  This allows me to sit in front of the computer and type this post that I could have published a few weeks ago.  I still have a lot of work to accomplish, including renewing our business license.