The Shape Of You

Two Sundays ago, we received a very unexpected news. A news that my father in law suddenly collapsed and was critical in the hospital. My husband had to fly immediately to the Philippines but my mother in law told me that it was the same case as Uncle Nilo's. Tatay has always had hypertension and was diligent in monitoring his BP and was very careful with what he eats. He refused however to take his maintenance medication because he felt his BP would worsen/shoot up if he failed or missed a day to take them. But then it was too late for that... :(

Tatay passed away last Tuesday due to high blood pressure aneurysm. What it is, and how it can be diagnosed and prevented you can find here.

It was such a sad and bitter day for us, especially to his two children who are both based abroad: my husband who is Germany-based and his brother who is UK-based. I guess it must have been a very long journey for my husband. I honestly wished we could be with him when he flew to the Philippines or that my brother in law can also fly back home to see Tatay for the last time but certain circumstances prevented us from doing so.

My heart still grieves at losing him... It was barely five months when we last saw him. He was always so happy and always laughing, making jokes and always tickling our little girl. Making sure his granddaughter is comfortable and happy. He always puts the needs of his family first before his needs.

Now he is gone. Finally resting and no longer feeling pain. I pray that you are now resting in peace Tatay. And I pray that the Lord will comfort the loved ones you have left behind: Nanay (my mother in law), Kuya Leo and Ate Ann and Luis, Hanhan and us.

Coincidentally, I found this song from Jewel entitled "In The Shape Of You" which perfectly describes how I felt with your passing away... I am thankful for the time given me to get to know you more. Thank you for everything... Coming home to the Philippines will never be the same again without your laughter. :( Indeed, there's a hole in our hearts in the shape of you.

Your passing was unexpected Tatay... May you find rest in the Lord, our God.

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A Series of Beautiful and Unfortunate Events

It was a nice fine Saturday. We wanted to go hiking again before it gets too cold for our little girl so we decided to go mountain hiking up in Nebelhorn in Oberstdorf. The drive from where we live normally takes just two hours but we got stuck in traffic due to the high volume of vehicles who also wanted to do a "last day out" before the summer break ends.  The long drive got the husband irritable. We got to our destination at around two in the afternoon. We only have at least two and half hours left for our hike before the cable cars stop running. Of course we could always hike on the way down from the peak but we also had to consider the temperature and the terrain. It is okay if it were only me and my husband... but if you are with a little girl who likes to complain if she doesn't feel like doing something, then that is another story.

The cable car of the Nebelhornbahn leaving the Gipfelstation (peak station)

We reached the peak of Nebelhorn via cable car and then hiked our way down to the next station of Höfatsblick. It was only a kilometer stretch but with the steepness and the loose stones along the trail, it took us over an hour to hike as we stopped here and there for some photos. There was also a lot to see: alpine flowers in purple, yellow and white, and the  The hike down from the peak also saw us discovering the home of marmots. We spied four marmots in total and the little went nearer the rocky formations to get a closer look.

As we were moving on towards the Bergstation, I then noticed that my sunglasses were missing.. And that's when tempers flared... It's unfortunate really so my husband had to hurry and climb back up, tracing our tracks. It was nowhere to be found. I just hope it went to better hands.

Although the trip didn't turn out as wonderful as we expected it to be, I am still thankful. For the beauty of nature that we were able to behold. For the time given to spend with one another. For the memories albeit not so good....

 

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CC: Lost In The Black Forest

It has been a while since I made an update and a CC entry for this blog. It's high time that I start blogging again, don't you think? Yesterday's theme for Couple's Corner is just the right timing and although late, here I am typing my entry away.

 

Us before we got lost in the middle of the Black Forest.

It was June, the summer of 2009 when we went for a drive and visited Baden-Baden, near the Black Forest. Because we had a navigation system, it was quite easy to get to our destination even if it was our first time to go there. We went sightseeing the entire day and booked for an overnight stay at a Gasthaus (local hotel) near Freudenstadt, a small town south of the Black Forest. And because it was summer, the sun would usually set at around 9:00 PM so we had ample time to drive through the forest for our hotel.

 

The hotel where we stayed for the night. 

We were finally able to check in at around 11:00PM. Whew!

We were almost near our destination when we made a wrong turn. Perhaps the GPS can no longer recognize the dirt road that was leading up the mountains so it just kept saying, "Please follow the arrows on the display." And followed it, we did. We saw a billboard showing the vicinity map of the area and that was when we knew that we were lost. And it was in the middle of the forest! It was getting dark so we still continued to drive. I started to panic when it was already really dark and all we could see are the logs piled at the side of the road and the trees and the road that were made visible by the car head lights. We went back on our way and luckily found a local restaurant in the middle of the forest. Strange, huh? Good thing the staff can speak English and told us which road to take. They also told us to come back if we still can't find our way so that they can call a taxi that we can follow.

It was really a very scary experience. Hubby and I could only look at each other's eyes as if in agreement that we had an invisible passenger that night who wanted to be dropped off in that area. Thinking about that incident still gives me goosebumps.

And that is my share for this week's Couple's Corner.

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Me Wants A Baby Boy!

My little girl is now 2 years and 8 months old. The time is just right to have another baby. But because I am still at the beginning of my graduate course, we cannot have another one just yet. Hubby and I have agreed that we will have another baby after my graduate studies.

And I do hope that God will bless us with another healthy baby, and the next time, we pray for a healthy baby boy. Although two years is a very long time, I find myself already searching for baby clothes and planning up our little boy's name. I have also imagined how my pregnancy would go, with my little girl being able to feel like she is also a part of the pregnancy. Why, she would of course accompany me on my regular check-ups, listen and feel her little brother in my tummy, sing songs and talk to him, all those stuff that I know she will enjoy. Even now that I am not pregnant, I would sometimes joke to her that there is a baby inside my bulging tummy and she would kiss it. Ain't she a sweet little thing. And I know that she will be a very wonderful big sister to her little brother or little sister, whichever God will give us.

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CC: When We Were Sick

I can say without any hesitation that I am as healthy as a horse because I am not a sickly person. And even if I am sick, I cannot afford to show weakness or be seen in bed unless I am totally ill because I have a little one who is dependent on me and a husband who does not need to go through more stress when he comes home from work. Even now that I have a toothache that seems to go on forever, I cannot afford to have a break. It is my personal choice. I am calling the dentist in 30 minutes to see if they can squeeze me in for a quick check up otherwise, I will have to tend to myself. But that doesn't mean that hubby doesn't take care of me. He does, when he really sees that I cannot bear the pain anymore. He would willingly look after our little girl and let me rest while he prepares food. After all, there's only the three of us here.

My hubby is asthmatic but we never really had problems with attacks when we were still in Japan. It came back full blast though when we moved here in Germany, especially in the winter season. When he is sick, I had to be strong for him. I don't know how it feels like when you have asthma but hearing his wheezing gives me goosebumps. We had to store up on his medication so that he could get fast relief when the attacks come. Although he could be a baby at times, he keeps to himself until he couldn't bear it any longer and asks for my help. I do take care of him and see to it that he is comfortable,and allow him ample time to rest.

It is very difficult to get sick when you have no one to turn to but yourselves so that it is important for us that we live a healthy lifestyle. I guess our only vice is not getting enough sleep because we watch movies or tv series until the wee hours of the morning. Our daily prayer - that we always be blessed with good health so that we can live our lives normally. And I am thankful because the Lord kept us away from sickness.

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Do First Impressions Last?

Maybe yes, maybe no.

I met my in-laws even way before we were engaged.You see, Hubby is my first and last boyfriend. :D I first met his Nanay when we were still in college. Then I met Tatay when I had my first job interview in General Santos City. Who would even expect that they were to become my in-laws nine years after right? I guess it was meant to be.

My first impressions of my in-laws? I thought they were all both nice. Nanay is approachable, soft-spoken, warm and is the kind of person that you easily warm up to. Tatay on the other hand is the type of person who loves to talk about politics and religion and his sons and will never fall short of giving his fatherly advice. He is always the one who is telling me to be patient with my Hubby.

As of this writing, both my PIL are on board Singapore Airlines bound for Frankfurt, Germany. Their plane will land tomorrow morning and we are very eager to see them after more than a year of not seeing one another. They will be here for three months for a vacation. I just hope that they will enjoy their stay here with us and they will also come to know and understand our life here abroad.

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Father's Day Plans

Father's Day here in Germany has come and gone. We celebrated it last May so that there's no Father's Day Plans. Lol! I will just relate to you how our Father's Day went though and when it is celebrated here.

Father's Day is always a national holiday here because it is celebrated every Himmerfahrt (The Ascension). And because it was a holiday last May 13, the family along with a good friend went to Switzerland to visit friends. I was not the one who rendered service to Hubby but the other way around on that day. He didn't mind driving though because he loves it. A week before that, I ordered something for him online and it arrived the day before Fatehr's Day. It was supposed to be a surprise but since he was the one who received the package, it was no longer a secret. So much for my surprise plans. But I am glad he liked my little gift. It was a Lacoste shirt, to add to his short-sleeved shirt collection because it was getting warmer.

The next day, we visited Zürich for a post-Father's Day celebration. We didn't really plan much for our outing in Zürich and just went with the flow. We just walked to where our feet took us and found lots of interesting sights. It was a stress-free one too because there was no need to rush.

Then we went back to our friend's house and met more new friends there.

I guess Father's Day need not really be a grand celebration. For as long as you appreciate what your father / husband for your family and let them know about it, I guess that is what counts the most.

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Meet Our Fathers

This week's theme for Couple's Corner is Meet Our Fathers in honor of our fathers.

I will start off with my Papa: Marcial Pahimalan

My Papa was born to a poor family. He lost his father when he was only a kid and never had the chance to finish primary school. Determined to have a better life, he left his hometown in Liloan, Southern Leyte and headed South in the island of Mindanao. He worked as a laborer in various companies until luck smiled down on him and he got hired in a multi-national beverage company in Davao. While we were growing up, my Papa worked very hard just to send all four of us to school. He was the disciplinarian type and when we were smaller, he would discipline us when he can. A very responsible father who wants to provide for his family, I can say that he has really done his best. I am very thankful for everything that he has done for us although I miss the times that he could have been there but he cannot because he has to work. Now, he just retired from work. I hope that he will be able to enjoy his time with my mother, now that all of us are grown-ups and have families of our own too. I miss my Papa. I hope that we will be able to see him again one of these days.

Meet Hubby's Tatay: Vergilio Pera

Tatay hails from Calauag Quezon and migrated to Davao City to find his luck there. Tatay is a very responsible father too and he loves to talk about politics and religion. He is a big fan of Erap and he would always defend on our various conversations. He also loves to share his advice. Like my Papa, he also came from a poor family but was able to send his two sons to school. I am excited to see him and Nanay soon. I hope that he will enjoy staying with us for three months.

Both of my fathers are now old. I regularly pray that they will always stay healthy. And that we will still have the time to enjoy each other's company.

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Hubby As A Father

I have decided to officially write my Couple's Corner entries in this blog beginning this month. And I know that I am late yet again so I will get the ball rolling.

They say that there will always be a first for everything... and like all firsts, they are more often than not, turning points in our lives. I knew that my Hubby would fare well when it comes to raising a family and a child for the first time, and so it is no surprise when the first time he became a father, he became exactly like one.

Although he grew up in a normal family, he spent most of his childhood with his grandparents because he was sickly and his parents had to work. He was surrounded with cousins and relatives so that he was close to them and a fond affection for his aunts and uncles.

Because of the environment that he grew up in as a child, I knew then that family would always be a priority for him. I am blessed because whenever he can, he would spend time with Samantha. He sees to it that we spend weekends together as a family. He also tries to vacate his schedule whenever I ask him to accompany us somewhere. Although work is important, he would request for a day off to be with us for let's say, Samantha's regular check-up at the pedia. I am just happy though that Hubby's company work hours here are very flexible so that he can always adjust.

Although I find it odd that Hubby hasn't ever given Samantha a bath because he is afraid he might do her harm, he would happily change her diapers. And while I am usually the one sending her off to sleep, he would happily wash and sterilize her feeding bottles and change her clothes. Hubby knows when to give in to Sam and when to be firm with her. He sees to it that he is there especially when Samantha and I have our moments. And he speaks to her like an adult, explaining to her what she did wrong when I get mad at her. Yes, he knows how to handle her daughter most of the time and I am happy with it.

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Mary Did Not Complain

The Pieta at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican, Rome depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus Christ.

She said YES to the call of God despite her fears and gave birth in a manger.
Yet she never complained.
She worried over Jesus and had to give him up for the sake of others who needed him most.
Yet she never complained.
She witnessed the suffering and death of her son during His passion.
Yet she never complained.

I had dishes to do, a baby to attend to, a house to keep, laundry to wash and press, bed to make, blogs to write, budget to manage and all other mundane things that a wife and a mother has to do in this world and I (most of the time) COMPLAIN. And I should be ashamed. Because compared to Mary, all my cares and troubles are miniscule.

Meditating on the life of Mary through the Holy Rosary made me realize how selfless, how loving, how giving she was. She didn't care much for herself and served God with all her heart and with all her soul. May I be able to do all these things and more with love and happiness knowing that I serve my family and the Lord for His greater glory. I admit I am no superhero, but for the sake of my family, may I be the Supermom and Superwife that they deserve.

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