One of my blog readers named Jessica arrived at post this week. We’re hoping to meet up for the first time in person once she and her family get settled in. In the meantime, she posted a few of...
Philippines
This is a collection of posts from our tour in Manila, Philippines from July 2009 to June 2011.
On Saturday Nick and I had the pleasure of accompanying 25 kids from Friendship Home to a local water park (along with a few other adults thankfully!). As I’ve mentioned before, these kind of...
Sarah Jansen arrived in town late last night for her two-week visit! Of course, the first two things on our docket were a great new haircut and a 90 minute massage. Both were raving hits!
This is a big day! The first-ever Guest Blog post from my current visitor and dear friend, Sarah Lynn Gasparick. I hope you enjoy the varied perspective. Today I got to join in the adventures at...
Our last two days have been pretty bi-polar. Friday was devoted to our first (of two) day trips. We were off to see Hidden Valley Springs, a stunning rain forest paradise a few hours from Manila...
Nick recently started physical therapy for an old/back neck injury he got 10 years ago, so part of our Saturday routine now includes him going to therapy for 2-3 hours (for the unbelievable cost of...
It’s been a fun-filled 48 hours for Jenna in Manila. We didn’t waste any time jumping in, going directly from the airport to the American Women’s Club monthly shopper’s bazaar...
Those of you who have known me a long time know that Sarah & Singing just plain go together. I think the best way to explain it to you would be that I have my own “Pandora” station...
Hi Readers- I’m feeling very revealing this week, so here’s a big announcement that I’ve been hanging on to for awhile, waiting for the right moment to share it…. and...
Turned out to be a BIG party weekend for this girl. Felt like I was back in my early 20’s, not one month away from the big 3-0! Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I went out for...
So, you all know that I’m a big fan of my husband and the time we spend together. But once and a while it just so happens that I’m on my own for a few days when he’s on a work trip...
As I wrote yesterday, Nick has been gone for the past five days on a work trip to the Southern part of the Philippines. During his visit he got to give a speech at a University, visit a prisoner, and...
I. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. A. Veteran. Expat. Zoom in on me kicking and screaming as I’m metaphorically pulled to the one year mark. “Noooooooo, we just got here! Am I really saying good...
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. These kids derive so much joy from the simplest things in life and it is so amazingly heart-warming! I just love being with them. Screw...
Wow, big day for this girl. First ever Acupuncture treatment! Truly, I’ve been wanting to do this for years, but never had the courage. Maybe I was just being cheap too because now that...
Since it’s become obvious that I can’t stop time and prevent the one year mark from happening, I’ve decided that for today’s one Year Commemorative Post we’ll take a...
Note: The following post is a guest post from my visitor Karolanne. It details her experiences with the various treatments we tried. I should begin by telling you that I’ve only had a couple...
Guess what arrived in the mail as my very first Birthday gift??? The biggest box of Retro ’80s candy I had ever seen!! Thanks to my oh-so-hip in-laws, I was the recipient of an assortment of...
You are all well aware of the fact that I don’t really believe in doing anything small, especially when it comes to milestone birthdays. All it took was five months of hinting on my part before...
Like the picture above, I’m at a place with my coaching where certain elements are crystal clear and others are just beginning to come into focus. Ever since I found coaching three years ago, I...
Typhoon season came in with a bang last night. The weather service had predicted the typhoon to hit north of Manila, so no one was really prepared here for anything more than a few heavy showers...
Once upon a time a girl named Sarah went out on a second date with a boy named Nicholas (a rare occurrence indeed). When the boy named Nicholas arrived at Sarah’s door, he delighted her by...
I have the most heart-warming story to share with you today! Back in April you’ll remember that Nick and I accompanied the Friendship Home kids to the Water Park (CLICK HERE to read that post)...
WAHOO! I’m thrilled to announce the the INSANELY ADORABLE couple are finally making it official. Yup, that’s right. Emily Miller (#2 in the long line of Miller gals) will be tying the...
If you’ll think back to mid-July we talked a bit about Getting Ready to Be Ready. The act of writing that post was very freeing in and of itself and I noticed an immediate shift in my...
As most of you know, I am less than 30 days away from my visit to Minne-SOH-ta. My energy has been ramping up for weeks and I’ve found myself talking non-stop about all the things I’m...
One of the fascinating things about living overseas is realizing the little things you’ve taken for granted for the majority of your life. Many of these realizations are fleeting and merely...
It’s that time of year again folks. The big social event of the year is just around the corner – The Annual Marine Corps Ball! Last year, as you may remember, I was forced to choose...
This morning I had the pleasure of joining my friend Barb (and 2 other lovely ladies) for a shopping adventure at Divisoria (which is like Greenhills, only more chaotic). Our mission: To spend $150...
When Friday evening rolled around this week, Nick and I looked at each other and agreed that we’d spent one too many weekend in Manila recently. We were already planning to make a drive down...
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Nick and I took a trip down to San Pablo this weekend, both for a little R&R and to capitalize on potter Ugu Bigyan’s Birthday Sale (see previous...
Went to the bank this morning to get some cash and stumbled upon something I’ve never seen before — a dog in shoes! Now clothes I had seen, but these shoes were a first. Not what I was...
It was an exciting day at Friendship Home. We did a fun science project exploring thermodynamics by making ice cream from scratch using only ice and zip lock bags. While the entire process was fun...
After a year of watching construction, we were delighted to see our building’s amenities finally open a few weeks ago. As you might expect, there is a nice-sized pool and a gym. But there were...
I’ve noticed that despite having seasons, my body still senses when changes are supposed to be happening (even when they’re not). Never is this more true than around the start of school...
It’s hard to believe, but the day has finally come when we’re holding our bid list in our hands. For those of you that are unfamiliar, it’s a listing of all the open posts around...
Hello blog readers- Sorry for the posting delay! I have a good excuse – I was busy getting myself to Minnesota! I’m getting settled in nicely now and enjoying spending time with my family...
Ahhhh, home sweet Manila! Boy does it feel good to be back. Don’t get me wrong, I had a sensational trip, but there’s just something SOOOO sweet about arriving back home (especially...
LIMA, PERU!!! We just got the news – Novakistan is officially moving capitals come spring 2012! We will be there for 2 years after Nick completes language classes in DC. He’s also...
Cebu Pacific is the exclusive Philippines airline of Novakistan. Remember when they won our hearts after the dramatic “Kindle Episode” in Shanghai? Keep the singing, dancing and in-flight...
Ok, let’s start with the facts. I adore Christmas. Not just any old Christmas, but the snow-covered, sweater-wearing, eggnog-drinking, fireplace-roasting type. Perhaps some would call that a...
This week I have the privilege of meeting up face-to-face with Christine, one of my long-time blog readers. This is the 4th or 5th time that I’ve converted an online friend into a flesh-and...
I don’t usually post videos two days in a row but this parody is so hilarious that it merits some rule-breaking. Nick and I couldn’t stop laughing – highlights of the video...
One of the many volunteer hats I wear is that of Worldwide Recruitment Specialist (my self-appointment title) for the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University (CSB/SJU) in Minnesota...
On Saturday Nick and I were graciously invited to join a group of Filipinos who were traveling two hours North to Pampanga to experience the food, churches and handicrafts of that region. It was one...
As is the tradition, we put on a big ole Halloween Party for the kiddos this week. Man was it fun! Their energy is especially infectious on ‘special days’ like these when we go all out to...
It was a joyful week here in Manila. I had the privilege of hosting a recruiter from my Alma Mater, the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. She was only here for five days, so we...
As many of you remember, last year was a VERY tough Christmas for me. After those challenging few days, Nick and I made a pact that we would change things up for Christmas 2010 to ensure we...
Until I have a kid of my own, I’ve officially adopted baby Leni as my surrogate daughter. In real life, she belongs to our good friends Andrea and Brian, who are also in the Foreign Service...
WE DID IT! Presents for Pinoys is fully funded with over $1000 being generously given by this blogging community! All I can say is WOW – I am humbled and totally in awe of how you stepped up to...