Mommy and Me Monday; MYM & RT#5: UST Quadricentennial Anniversary

As an alumni of the University of Sto. Tomas, the oldest Catholic University in Asia and to show my gratitude to the school that taught me more than scholastic knowledge, I, together with my family attended its 400th Anniversary.

It was a week long celebration, but since I am a working mom, I decided to join the festivities on the 27th, the eve of UST's anniversary and attended the Thanksgiving Mass on the 28th.

To welcome it's 400th year, UST gave it a bang. At exactly 11:45, the pyrolympic show started which lasted for at least 20 minutes. It was said that the King of Spain donated an amount for this purpose. All of us enjoyed the spectacular show. UST grounds were filled with not just current students but also alumni and their families.

After the fireworks display, we still went around the campus to experience more of UST's celebration.

behind us is the quadricentennial balloon

behind us is the Main Building that houses administration,
the museum, College of Science, College of Pharmacy and
UST Law School
I'm just so proud to be a Thomasian!

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Project 365/30: Candle for Prayer

Went back to UST for the QThanksgiving high mass.
I consider myself and fellow Thomasians to be fortunate to
being able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event.

A Thanksgiving mass was offered by the UST community
continuous blessings we all receive.


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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

Project 365/29: Proud to be a Thomasian

Too proud to be an alumni of the Royal and the Pontifical University of Sto. Tomas.
We've visited UST once in a while but for this Quadricentennial event,
I was too delighted to have seen my alma mater so old yet so new.
All landmarks where refurbished for the anniversary.

The Main Building were I finished my college degree
looked so elegant and regal.
With all the statues of saints, philosophers and scientists
cleaned from dusts and dirt that accumulated through the years.

They've decorated it with lights for the occasion



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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

Mommy Moments: New Family Photo

Another year has passed and it was a good one for us. It was the year the our family became complete. As often mentioned in my blogs, Maia's arrival completed us.

Since Christmas season was the time for family gatherings, it is also a good venue for having a family photo shot. Since then, I make sure that we have a photo as a family in whatever occasion there is.

Here are some of our latest Family Pictures:

Wedding of M's cousin

Christmas 2010
New Year's Eve

Christening of Alex Gabriel
(son of M's high school friend)

Sunday Dinner at A' Veneto
Pajama night in January

and the most recent,
during UST's Quadricentennial Anniversary

my share to:

Couples Corner: Our Promise

I missed out posting this last Wednesday so here's my share to this week's:

As always, and even in the beginning, our promise to love each other remains to be our promise until present time, hopefully until the day we die.
Our love for each other is the root of all other promises we make to each other. The promise to respect and care for each other, to be faithful to one another and to be able to provide well for the family.

So far everything is in order and we believe love will flourish more as long as we have Christ in the center of our relationship as a couple and as a family.

Project 365/28: Flora and Fauna

You'll see this on one side of my office desk.

A water plant
A flower message clip
and a Lady bug paper clip

An effort to put life in an inanimate environment

...ooops, forgot about the Budda,
I found it in one of the boxes when we transferred
to our new office 4 years ago.
Since then it's been sitting peacefully on my desk.


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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

Project 365/27: University of Sto Tomas' Quadricentennial Celebration

Today January 27, 2011 is the eve of the Quadricentennial Celebration of
the Royal and the Pontifical University of Sto. Tomas
in Manila, Philippines

Proud to be a Thomasian!


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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

Project 365/26: Office mugs

We have office mates and office mugs



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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

Project 365/25: Silly Bandz

Leon got two sets of silly bandz from my office mate
one set is of Dinosaur designs
while the other one are fruits

Project 365/*24, RT#4: I Spy Ball

After a serious conversation with Leon, we've finally succeeded in convincing him to give away some of his old toys, those that aren't of his use anymore. We've explained to him that there's plenty of street children waiting for toys, even old ones since they are not capable of buying for themselves. Same with his old clothes.

After segregating his toys, allowing him to choose which ones to give away and which ones are to stay, here's the picture of his crate with toys to stay.

Oops, Maia's Bu doll is in Leon's toy crate.

my share to:

I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

Project 365/23, MYM#4 : Flowers and Raindrops

Was trying to capture the rain falling from our roof
and I was able to capture this,
droplets amidst the flowers


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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

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New Year Countdown 2011

These past 3 days, especially today, I've been worrying about what to post for Krystyn's meme, Mommy and Me Monday. I was kinda worried missing a post since it's one of the weekly memes I'm having fun joining in.

Looking at our photos and my blog archive, I've noticed, I have not post about our New Year Countdown experience. So this will be my share for this week's Mommy and Me Monday meme.

In the Philippines, it's customary to spend for Christmas and New Year. Definitely, both occasions deserves quite a lavish preparation. Lavish in the sense that most often than not, we spend beyond our limits to celebrate both occasions. From gifts, to clothing, to food and to welcome the new year, Filipinos generally spend much for fire crackers and fireworks. This phenomenon is backed by our belief of welcoming the new year with a bang will bring forth more blessing in the coming year. Likewise, the belief of making noise with the use of firecrackers is one way to drive off bad spirits and bad elements that caused us a not-so-good current year. Thus, almost, if not all households set off firecrackers and fireworks. Can you just imagine the noise and pollution each one of us produce every new year's eve?

Unlike in other countries, generally speaking, fireworks displays are contained in a specific area where anyone is free to go to watch or experience it or just stay at home and watch the new year countdown on television.

This year, even before the yuletide season, my husband suggested that we attend a new year countdown instead of the usual practice. I was a bit hesitant because my mom was quite negative on the idea of driving that late in the evening with kids on tow. It was a last minute decision for us to go to when I told him that I was able to convince my mom.We wanted to join the group situated at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City for the grand new year countdown but leaving the house a few minutes past 11:30 didn't give us enough time to reach the venue. Instead, we decided to proceed to Ayala Center in Makati expecting there will be one. Unfortunately, the media outfit that usually holds its countdown there decided not to spend on countdowns instead they shared their blessings to less fortunate citizens of the Philippines. It was so late that we learned about it. We arrived at Makati just a few minutes before midnight, just enough time for M to park the car nearby. Once parked, we ran off towards a posh hotel nearby that we knew would show off a good fireworks display to welcome 2011. Although a little disappointed because we weren't able to experience a grand countdown, experiencing it together as a family is way more important than any lavish countdown there is. Both Leon and Maia were looking attentively to each fireworks display. Leon was amazed at each display and was still expecting for more when the display ended. Even our nanny who hails from Davao has as much fun. By the way, Davao City is the only municipality in the Philippines that does not do fireworks.

And since most Filipinos are more aware about the current state of our environment with it's pollution index soaring high, experiencing a new year countdown instead of doing it in our homes helps in lessening air pollution brought about by the smogs of the fireworks and firecrackers.

Happy New Year to all!

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?