Three Weddings and a Reunion: A Planner's Lessons

While I have never seen the movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral, it is the inspiration for this post's title. (I just think it sounds catchy!) And also, there is the fact that this year in our family, there are three weddings and a reunion that has happened and will happen in the next few months. (I have mentioned in my earlier post that this is supposed to be a January entry, but since February is the "love month", it fits much better in the theme of the season, don't you think?)

Being unemployed, I have expected a rather uneventful life at home without much pressure, but because my cousin is marrying my church friend (and they're both not here in the city where they plan to tie the knot) and because the Cresenciano-Natividad Gerada apos (grandchildren) are in charge of the up-coming grand reunion, I have been kept busy! (See, I almost missed writing a blog this month!)

 I don't know about you, but I L.O.V.E. weddings! Ever since I got married four years ago, I've been hooked with the lovely rush wedding preparations give. (You may now shake your head and say, "Stressful rush you mean!") I am no expert at wedding planning, but helping my friends when their turn came was as natural as breathing! So, is this post about wedding planning? Well, not particularly...I want to share with you the things I learned in the process of all our preparations for these happy events!

The year has just begun and I have been inspired to be on top of everything that needs to be done. So, I armed myself with my planning besties: my notes and pens! This is my number one lesson: Planning ahead means writing everything down and scheduling your things-to-do, otherwise you will miss some and procrastinate. It actually feels good to be able to tick off every little detail I'm done doing, and it keeps me on track with what I still have to do. If I don't do this, I'll be wiling away my free time, browsing through Facebook or Instagram! (Guilty face here...because the dishes haven't been washed and the clean laundry hasn't been folded...shhh!)

Second, I learned that clear communication is key. Hurray for emails, Facebook, Pinterest, unlimited calls to Sun and free texts to other networks! I am currently talking to several people who are either abroad or in a different city. And if you know wedding planning, it is NOT easy to come up with decisions especially if the participants are far far away from each other! You need to be ready to keep in touch a lot, so that means you have to explore your communication options that would also be pocket friendly. (Come to think of it, even our reunion planning is dangerously coming close to becoming a Skype activity even when most of us are within traveling distance!)

Third, research, research and research. Now, this is handy not only in the academic field, but also in all things party-related! The internet has made a lot of information within our reach (from theme ideas down to wedding program details), and we should take advantage of it. And recently, perhaps because Multiply has closed as a platform for business, Facebook has been really helpful in finding service providers. Yey! It is now possible for the stay-at-home-mom-who-isn't-very-mobile to search for contacts from the event stylist to the seashell-shaped chocolate vendor. Aside from the net, I learned to be a nosy visitor :) to different events by asking others where they got their beautiful cake for their birthday or where they ordered their balloons! Word of mouth is still an important source of valuable information! Keep your eyes and ears open!

Fourth, don't be shy to ask for help! This might not be a problem for you, but I am S.H.Y. (Some of you might not believe this, but really deep down I am absolutely shy.) I do not want to be a cause of inconvenience to anyone, so that as much as possible I do things myself. But, I have learned that when you tap into your connections, your work gets done more efficiently. You see, I have just been in my new place of residence for over a year, and so I have not learned the ropes as to the best places for receptions, ordering of cakes and flowers, a good but reasonably priced seamstress etc! I badly need help from others to keep me in the loop. (Surprisingly, once I'm over the jitters of grabbing someone else's time, I find them quite willing to be of service!)

Fifth, patience is a verb! Well, it may not be a verb literally, but being patient is an

on-going process, an action you have to keep doing until you've reached the finish line because planning an event can be exasperating (like duhhh! hahahaha!). You deal with different personalities and viewpoints that can sometimes clash against each other. Sometimes, unexpected changes come up and you simply need to cope with it. And then there are times when it puts you in a tight space with little room to maneuver. Through all these, patience should be your best friend!

Sixth, let people comment but don't let it get to you! Haha! In other words, peel off your onion skin. I have learned that people will give comments, either good or bad. They might not agree with the decision reached and that is OK. I remind myself that they do not know the entire story like you do. They have not gone over options over and over again, nor have they discussed the pros and cons like you did. So, if they say in an offhand way, "Oh, it would have been better blah blah blah..." simply listen to them and consider whether the comment helps or not. If not, sing Elsa's song...Let it go! Let it go!

Seventh, I have learned the importance of commitment. (Yes, commitment is not only for the bride and groom here!) Weddings and reunions take a lot of time and effort to prepare. There are days when I'm just kinda tired of it all, and don't feel like doing anything. However, we will never get to accomplish anything if we don't see them through till the end. We can't allow our emotions to take over our actions. So, once again I'd go back to lesson number one: Where's that checklist again? And (sigh) what do I still have to do?

Lastly and most important of all, I learned to pray about every detail. Sometimes, we forget that God is in the details. We pray about the overall big event, but not about the small details. It's not about asking God for favors all the time, but about consciously acknowledging that all these are ultimately under His control. I take time to pray for the individuals involved too because a wedding is a life-changing decision and must not be taken lightly. A reunion is also an avenue for much-missed fellowship and a declaration of God's goodness in our lives. Both are grand occasions for celebrating the greatness of God! Let us entrust each step to Him, and worry less! Whew!

The Cresnat Gerada Clan during our last reunion in 2007....

A cousin of mine got married in Dubai and enjoyed a cruise. Another one is planning to say their I Dos in front of the judge. Then, there's my other cousin and my church friend getting hitched up on a hill overlooking the sea, and on top of all that is our reunion where we all finally come together! Each has his/her own story to tell, but all are bound by one common tie: family. We are all imperfect beings, thus mistakes, clashes and what not! But, like Anna and Elsa (Frozen again nyaha!) our acts of true love for each other make everything better!

Have a happy month of hearts dear readers!    






 

Hansy and the Orange Balloon

Yesterday, we attended the first birthday party of our neighbors' son, Shan. It was just like any other birthday with cake, food, and loot bags :); however, while waiting for other guests to arrive, my little Hansy was handed a wonderful orange balloon. And so, I scrapped the original post I was supposed to write (and make that a February entry) to make way for this little story told in pictures and quotes! I hope you enjoy reading this little post as much as Hansy enjoyed his orange balloon!

A balloon is a wonderful thing! It can be a metaphor for your ego (like an inflated balloon), your imagination (a helium balloon flying up and up the sky), or your life (wanting to soar but tethered to earth by strings attached). But for Hansy, it was a round orange wonder that drew out the tinker, the philosopher and the adventurer in little him.

At first, he said to Daddy (as interpreted by Mommy teehee), "Look! An orange ball! On a white stick!" And he continued to show it off to the rest of the people seated on the terrace. He bounced the "orange ball" around, and showed it to another man who told him, "Yes, balloon!" Then, he handed it to a lady, but quickly took it away again! Oh, was he excited to have such a wonderful thing!











He was not only excited about this orange balloon, but also really rather curious! He shook the white stick, and carefully examined the orange "ball". How did it get stuck to the stick? Perhaps I can take it off. So he tinkered with the "thing" in between the stick and the orange balloon. Hmmm...curiouser and curiouser! Nothing was too simple for his little open mind that was ready to absorb the world one little detail at a time.
 

 But after a while, he stopped his bouncing and tinkering. He seemed to have fallen into a deep reverie. For a full minute or two, he simply stood there, holding the orange balloon with a far away look in his eyes. Is he contemplating how life is like his orange balloon? How we can seem to be there, but our mind is somewhere else -- floating high up in another sky. Or, how life is as fragile as his orange balloon that with one pin prick we can burst in an instant--shattered by small words, small acts, small neglects. Oh, I really don't know what went on as he froze in our time! Perhaps, he took a wee trip somewhere else--carried away to a secret haunt by his lovely orange balloon.



Snapping out of his daze, Hansy raised his orange balloon and seemed to quote Winnie the Pooh.
Yes, who wouldn't be cheered by a bright orange balloon, especially on a gloomy day? Nobody can be too serious for so long either when someone hands you a bright orange balloon:)! It must be the little people's talent to find joy in the little things in the simple things...something that we, big people, often have to rediscover.

And so, it's time to work it! Not one to mope, our little man danced a jig, hence the blurry shot...
His antics brought out a smile on everyone's face. His glee was so contagious that we forgot our grumbling tummies! (We were waiting for the birthday lunch if you remember.)  Imagine how a little sunshine cast by an orange balloon is magnified by our little mirror of a cheerful boy. If only we could always remember that our lives are individual mirrors, reflecting what we choose to focus on, then perhaps we'd choose to be more radiant with what is good and pleasing (in the eyes of our Father).
But why did he dance? I could only guess! Perhaps, he remembered the movie, Up, that he watched last year...May be the orange balloon triggered the words: Adventure awaits!


Perchance, he imagined exploring the world in a hot air balloon! And every time he raised the white stick, he might have made a promise to some day soon when he is older, he'd set out on his own  grand adventure...

Sadly, just this afternoon in the course of writing this post, the wonderful orange balloon popped with a bang and was no more...But, hopefully when Hansy is older, he'd get to read his mommy's musings about his orange balloon and remember...all his plans for a great adventure!

Beautiful Beginnings

Happy New Year one and all!

I like the sound of "one and all" as opposed to simply saying "everyone" :)...If this was an article in the newspaper, that would probably be edited to "everyone" to save space, but since this is simply an unemployed momma's musings, it would do just fine! Oh, I could go on with why I like that "one and all", but this post is not about that! (So, I tell myself: stop please.)

Why does a start of a new year feel so fresh? Doesn't it just give you that tingling feeling of endless possibilities? It's like you are at the brink of opening a closed door without exactly knowing what you'd find inside, or like grabbing a pearly white bond paper to draw an elephant (that may end up looking like a hat). You can never really tell how exactly things would go and how your thoughts and actions will be received. There it is...the start of the year when you haven't broken any resolutions as yet (or have not even made one), when all your wonderful plans for the march of the months are still possible...isn't it beautiful?

Yes, it is beautiful! It is breathtaking! And I savor the moment...

           Check out the seven habits!

This new year, perhaps because I have set out to start writing down my thoughts out loud through a blog, I am more aware of the potent driving force of beginnings. (And perhaps because after almost 2 years of being unemployed, I have stopped thinking of the year starting in June and ending in March.) This reminds me of Sean Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Habit no. 2 says to begin with the end in mind. (I know I am not a teen anymore, but the original 7 habits book written by Sean's dad is for adults. Sean's is just more interesting with all the pictures and the great stories!)

So let us begin with the end in mind...These are not new year's resolutions, but are the mental visions of the end results I want to see this year ;)...

1. I have an organized schedule of cleaning parts of the house.
2. I have started giving tutorial sessions on a regular basis. (Not exactly a real job here...but an income generating project. Hurray!)
3. Our meals are planned ahead of time. (We can save time and energy.)
4. Hansy is potty trained.
5. I am on the way to becoming a "real" gardener.
6. We have a regular family devotions time.
7. I sleep earlier and wake up earlier. (Hmmm...as of now it's 2:22 am...tsk! tsk!)
8. I have read  one book a month (or more).
9. We are always early for Sunday School.
10. Hans' scrapbook for his first year of life is done and done.
11. I post a blog at least twice a month.
12. I have finally stepped foot in Boracay! (Imagine that! After 8 years in Iloilo, I. haven't. been.to.Boracay...sad really.)

Oh neat! 12 visions for the next 12 months!There you have it. I have written them down and announced them to the world...so help me God! :)

(Another list in a post...Will this be a trend? We shall see...)

P.S. They say that thoughts written down are more powerful than simply kept in the head because you are forced to put them into words and are confronted with them visually.
Have you written yours?

Here goes...

For the longest time I had wanted to start a blog, and more so when I found myself conveniently unemployed. I started with researching "how to's" in blogging, which unfortunately discouraged me from starting one! But then, after hearing from a previous co-worker and good friend  about starting a travel blog and stumbling upon another college classmate/dear friend's blog, I told myself, "What the HEY! (haha) Just start one!" So here goes nothing...

When I graduated from college, I feared unemployment because no. 1I thought it would be embarrassing not to be hired while almost all my other classmates were hired, and no. 2 I wanted to start earning for myself. But well, I ended up unemployed for a whole year after graduation, and surprisingly I totally enjoyed it! Then, after 7 years of hurried breakfasts and late night checking of papers, I find myself once again unemployed. This time because I became a mom! During the tedious preggy days of being cooped up in the house, it was hard for me to see the bright side of my unemployment, but now that I have my wriggly, table-climbing baby out and about, I have this mental list of "Reasons Why I am Thankful for Being Unemployed":

1. I can sleep longer hours. (Yes, now I can since my baby has stopped waking me up in the wee hours!)
2. I can read more books!
3. I can work on my scrapbooks.
4. I can organize my beautiful mess of papers.
5. I can start a garden.
6. I can cook meals for my husband. (He said I am improving!)
7. I can take care of my baby myself.
8.  I can play with my baby.
9. I am available for any vacation trip (as long as we have the funds...teehee!).
10. I can watch my favorite daytime soap operas (just like a typical housewife so says my typical husband).
11. I can chat more often with my Mamaski, Papaski, and little sistah via FB.
12. I have more time to be quiet and reflect.

13. I have discovered cloth-diapering, baby-wearing and online shopping.
14. I can create more Christmas cards and write more letters to dear people far away.
15. I can start blogging! ;)

Well, that's it for now! There are more floating around my head that I have not captured in words as yet...

Disclaimer: I have not forgotten the downsides of my unemployment too...Like missing having a Christmas party to attend (haha), carefully going over our one-income budget to make ends meet, and feeling left out the career growth path! But, overall I just want to enjoy this stage in my life...I would probably be back in the work force in the future and would start missing all these!

So I'll end with this thought in mind: Keep Calm and Enjoy Life One Day at a Time!