catching up series: birthday picnic

Once again, it's Papi's birthday on the blog. And once again, I will mention that Papi and my cousin, Yags, share the same birthday. Paulit ulit ko tong sinasabi every year. Hahaha! And if there's one birthday that we wouldn't fail to celebrate, it's Papi's birthday. He's obviously everyone's favorite in the family because aside from the fact that he's so old already, he's always been the gentle and very loving kind -- especially to kidsss! (I must have gotten it from my papa!)

And because it's been a while since I was last acquainted with this blog, I did check our previous celebrations for papi. On this blog, it started 2011. It was during that time when I was trying to learn how to cook. So I cooked carbonara for him. How was it? Pwede na rin! Hehe! For the record, I never really learned how to cook. Haha! But at least I tried, no?

2012 - we had dinner at Max's, had a studio pictorial, and shopped polo shirts for him. 2013 - we had dinner at KKK, and then fooled around at an amusement center. 2014 - mommy baked a cake, we visited our favorite church, Grotto, and had dinner at a resto nearby. Finally 2015 - we did exactly the same thing as we did the past year. Hehe! Except that it was a lot more special because it was his first birthday that we finally have Mithril, ang kanyang unang apo.

So for this year (yes, I'm referring to 2016), we went to La Mesa Eco Park. Maiba naman! But as usual, we have Yags' family with us to celebrate his special day too. At this point, we have three babies in tow already, ate Faye, ate Avie and finally baby Mithril. The last time that we visited Eco Park, we only had baby Faye then. At iba pa ang jowa ng kapatid ko. HAHAHA!

But the more, the merrier! It was such a blast having picnic with our extended family once again and with more babies in tow now. As for Mithril's outfit? It was my idea yet again. There was even a time that I was using the hashtag #styledbysuperauntie on Facebook. Yep, I was that dedicated! And I love taking photos too! So I am warning you, more family and baby photos are coming up really, really soon! Meanwhile, the snaps below were from Papi's birthday celebration at the park. 

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catching up series: this one's for the dads

Excruciatingly long series, I know. It's just that there's no way I won't finish this. By hook or  by crook, everything will be written here. There's not much happening actually so that's exactly the point. Kaunti na nga lang hindi ko pa ba maisusulat lahat?

So where are we? There, Papi and Yags' joint birthday celebration. I might have mentioned this before but whatever. My father and cousin happen to share March 1st as their birth date. Oo, March. March pa 'to. Hahaha! Pero sabi ko nga, pasasaan ba't makakahabol din tayo. :P After this, there's my niece's birthday celebration and then days out with friends and the traditional mid-year photo dump dedicated for the kiddos. End of the year's first half. Catching up series over. And then I'll laugh a celebratory evil laugh dahil sa wakas tapos na.

my brother's mini family ❤️

But wait, because I'm in the mood to blab non-sense, I have a trivia! Hehe! Ready? Did you know that I haven't been going out since the second half of the year started? Of course there are chapel visits and occasional trips to the mall, alone or with the sister, but that's that. I stopped meeting friends on purpose just because I feel like everything's a mess when my blog is neglected aka not up-to-date with my life. HAHAHA! I.am.that.weird! Para bang pause muna until I get to settle my unfinished businesses with the blog. I shake my head at the thought pero ganun talaga eh. I didn't choose the weird life, the weird life chose me. Hahaha!

I have so many other irrelevant things to say but it came to me that I was supposed to blog about a certain birthday celebration so I'm going back now. In 3, 2, 1.. let's talk about our family day out.

It was the usual visit to Grotto but nonetheless, for the lack of a better term, special. It's actually nice to have that church as something that binds us as a family. I tell you this, my other sister {the one next to me? the chubby one, remember? hehe! ✌️} can go on weeks without visiting the house {'cause she's independent like that!} but when our father says we'd go to Grotto, she cooperates in a heart beat. Dali dali din syang uuwi partly because she has no choice and partly because she likes the idea too.

So anyway, first things first syempre. We ate at a nearby diner before proceeding to the church. We brought cake and ice cream as sweeteners -- literal sweeteners. We sang the birthday song much to my mom's disgust {hehehe!} and we took lotsa photos much to my mom's disgust again. Moms are Debbie Downers and I won't let anyone say otherwise. I love my mom though, don't get me wrong. {pero KJ pa rin sya. hahaha!}

❤️❤️❤️

them birthday boyzzz

granny's special appearance :P

plastikan with the mother haha!

❤️❤️❤️

At the church, we forced the birthday boys to light their birthday candles 'cause again it's their birthday which makes them birthday boys which forces them to light birthday candles. Hehe! Too bad there was no mass and the church closes early when it's a weekday. But I was able to squeeze in a short photo shoot for my products. Yep, I sell boho bags over at @shopteepee. Again that's TEEPEE, Instagram @shopteepee. Again, that's.. joke lang! Hindi ko na uulitin pero paki follow naman. Haha!

the girlzz

haha! love this photo!

Teepee's mowdel ❤️

And oh, that was Mithy's first official lakwatsa too! Excluding of course her regular checkup and vaccine trips. She was just three months then and we barely felt her presence. Pero ngayon, nakoooo, she makes our whole world go round. Every single day sya ang bida because of her crazy antics and God-given cuteness. It's amazing what babies can do, right? The joy they bring, the stress they take away, the sakit ng balakang, the pinong kurot, the sampal sa mukha..  Haha! Kidding! But no seriously, if a baby can't melt your heart, hindi ka tao! Hahaha!

I guess this is where it ends for now. I'm blabbing too much. Somebody stop meeee! :P

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never gets old

'Sup, guys?! I'm currently babysitting my nephew here in Rivercreek and while he's asleep, I'm giving you my attention, albeit divided. So.. Remember I told you I have more stories re: papi's birthday? Here it is!

The next day, we did what we originally planned and that's to visit our favorite church -- Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. It will never, ever get old for us, I swear! I can't exactly tell what's so special with that church. Maybe it's the childhood memories, maybe the seclusion, maybe the calm no other church has, maybe the fact that it makes a good backdrop, or maybe it's simply one of the glues that stick our family together. I'll never know. But whatever that reason maybe, I'm pretty sure it's here to stay. And we're gonna be infinite. Okayyy, maybe that last line didn't make any sense at all. Haha! Just let me get away with it. :P

#annoyingselfie #sorrynotsorry

We got there around dinner time. Yess, that late! We quickly took photos outside 'cause it's already getting dark. We then proceeded inside the church to say our prayers and of course, thank the big Guy up there for papi's another year. He's already 64, by the way, and I know you will all agree when I say he doesn't look like it. Parang 63 lang noh? Hahaha! Kidding! We didn't stay long inside, well, as usual, 'cause papi never had enough patience to wait for a mass and actually finish it. Praying has always been enough of him. I'm sure He understands how non-conformist my father is. 

After church, we were supposed to head home and prepare a nice dinner when I {okaay, my brother and I} thought of a bright idea. We brought them to a 'posh' carinderia near the church. I've been there last year with my best friend and my brother frequents the place with his barkada. We assured them that their food is good but my mom was sooo hesitant. She was so funny; her interrogation was FBI-worthy. Haha! Nevertheless, we were able to convince her.

As soon as we got there, mama said the place was fine. Whew! Thank God there weren't boozing groups then or else, we could have backed out. We were also impressed with their menu. I didn't get to see it last time 'cause I was sick and the best friend ordered for me. It was her treat din kasi. But the ultimate reason why it passed my parents' standards was the fact that their food is good. Syempre naman noh, yun ang ipinunta namin dun eh! And I already said they like lutong bahay, right? I'm certain we will visit the place again. Like really soon.

Before we went home, we checked out the name of the place and it was.. Da Best! Hahaha! Medyo korni. But at least, the mystery of the century was finally revealed. Anyway, if you're near Grotto, check out Da Best. Hehehe. The best talaga sya. Haha! :P

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first of march

Can you guess what's so special with the first day of March? Anymore guesses? Yep yep! It's my father's birthday! ❤ He also happens to share the same birth date with my cousin so that makes the day a lot more special.

March 1st was a Saturday and my brother had a school commitment so we planned to celebrate the next day. Nothing grand, just a visit to our favorite church and probably a nice dinner at home. But mommy {my cousin's wife} was unstoppable as usual. She's done baking three cakes and tons of cupcakes by Friday night. Saturday morning, Dana and I were forced to help in making icing and designing papi's cake. My niece joined too so it was triple the riot. Haha! Mine and Dana's cake turned out looking like a wedding cake and Faye's, a Valentine's cake. Heehee! Only mommy's designs were decent enough for a birthday celebration. 'Nuff said!

We really didn't have the chance to sit down and eat together like a happy family celebrating a birthday. Mommy and daddy had visitors but we didn't bother joining them. Each had their own businesses -- Gigi and Anit {my brother and sister, respectively} went out of the house, Dana {another sister} was busy looking for papi's old photos, and I.. I was busy trying to give my eyebrows a good shape. Hahaha! Of all days, sa birthday pa ng tatay ko! I'm the bombbb, yeah!

I was about to leave the house and meet Jhov when they suddenly thought of taking photos, and eating too of course. I knew I was in trouble 'cause they didn't know I was leaving. Hehehe. I managed to join for a couple of photos and taste uhmm.. nanay's {mommy's mom} lumpiang shanghai and the pancit malabon they ordered from idunnowhere. I had to escape when Jhov was already turning into a mad monster. ✌

teenagering couple #1 :P

teenagering couple #2 :P

I was Jhov's personal shopping assistant, yet again. Check out these posts from September, December and January. There's actually one more that I wasn't able to 'document' 'cause we were in a hurry. This time, we made the most out of the midnight sale and she literally shopped til we both dropped. As in pagod na pagod kami and even after stuffing our tummies, di pa rin namin kaya tumayo. Hahaha! It was worth it though, she gave me this gift card she got from work {supposedly her Christmas gift for me but was forgotten countless times :P} and I got myself a knuckle ring. Woohoo! I'm scared this will start a new obsession but whatever.. Thanks Jhov!

I still have more stories re: papi's birthday but that would have to wait til my next post. I knew it! This month's gonna be amazinggg. ❤

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