Love

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October 5, 2011

I always wondered what this day would be like…

Posted by GraceFace under Love
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It was an ordinary Friday on August 12th, 2011. Traffic was bad, the week was long. All I was looking forward to was a good meal that I didn’t have to cook. As soon as 6:30pm came, I left work, jumped in my car, and drove across Los Angeles to start my weekend. My boyfriend, Michael and I, briefly talked about our dinner plans and decided we will go out to eat and enjoy a bottle of wine. We went back and forth with deciding on where to eat and if we should go out and do something after dinner. Within a couple minutes of debate, our Friday night started to turn into a spontaneous date night!

We quickly changed gears into date night, spruced up our clothes, and got ready to leave for our spontaneous hot date. As we were about to leave for dinner, Michael told me that he updated our adventure book (based on “UP”) and he told me to read what he wrote.

I was surprised and excited to read what he wrote because he hasn’t written anything in our book since I gave it to him.  So with the biggest smile on my face, I read his first adventure book post, which I read aloud:

“When I think of all we have done together, a huge grin stretches across my face, from the luscious green landscape of Seattle, to the concrete slabs of New York, to foreign lands of Costa Rica.  So how do we top each adventure and make it even more exciting than the next?  This didn’t take long for me to think of but it did take time to plan.”

In my mind, I’m thinking…. “Ooooo he’s planning a cool trip for my upcoming birthday!!!  I wonder where we are going!”

“I can’t wait to experience the next adventure trip with you…..Turn the page for your surprise adventure……….”

STILL, I am thinking….Where are we going???

Then…I turned the page…..

WWWHHHHAAAAAATTTTT?!?!?!?!?!  I broke down in tears and Michael got on one knee and proposed with a beautiful ring.  It was by far the happiest day of my life.  The ring fit perfectly and we hugged and kissed each other while enjoying the moment.

Then………….the truth came out.

He came clean and listed out the different times he lied to me in order to plan his proposal like he wanted…like the time he said he was swimming with a friend, or hanging out at happy hour with co-workers.  There was a night that he changed his plans last minute on me and was running late, and I got really upset…he was actually having dinner with my mom to ask for her blessing.  Another time, he said he was going to go for a run but he really went to another ring store to find the right ring.  The list of white lies goes on and on…..but I guess this time I’ll let it pass since it was for a really good reason.  Ha! ;)

So here I am, in the last year of my 20′s, finally engaged to the man whom I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.  I’m happy, blessed, and loved.  I’m definitely looking forward to our life together.

 

 

 

May 10, 2011

What They Had

Posted by GraceFace under Family, Love
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True love.  Does it really exist?  Sometimes we question it’s existence, and sometimes we think it’s impossible to attempt to gain.  There is no real answer or real definition of what it is, but I know it exists.  So despite the tragic statistics of divorces and marriage separations, I have hope that there are couples out there, young and old, who are sticking together, and still in love.

My grandparents have been married for over 65 years until my grandmother was killed during a robbery at their house a couple years ago.  At 90 years old, my grandfather has gone through some minor health problems, but still remains to stay strong and alive.  Months after my grandmother passed away, my grandfather called on her, looked around the house for her, and almost went mad because she was no where to be found.  It took a while for him to register in his mind that she was really gone but it finally sunk in.  She is gone.  And since that time, he would frequently sit in his chair, and gaze at his wedding photo with his wife of 65 years.

My mom told me that story the other day when I called to greet her Happy Mother’s Day.  We both cried.  That’s what she had with my dad, and that’s what I hope to have with my future husband; to keep a love and a marriage alive until death parts us.

Can you believe that at 90 years, you can still be in love with the same person you married 65 years ago?  I believe it, and I want that.  Do you?

 

November 26, 2010

Day !@$%^&!

Posted by GraceFace under Food, Friends, Love, Projects
1 Comment 

OK, I am WAY behind!!! :(   Obviously I had more important things than keeping up with my project.  Eeeek!

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/ being with in the future

Wow, straight up.  Well, I can’t lie to myself and say I don’t see Michael in my future, otherwise, why are we still together then?  Right?  So hopefully we are both in it till the end, God willing.

 

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

FOOD!  Especially FREE food!

Grace is grumpy?  Feed her with some food!

Grace is bored?  Feed her with some food!

Grace is moody?  Feed her with some food!

:)

 

 

 

 

 

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

I am not ashamed to say that my poo smells.

Done. Next?!

 

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

Oh this is easy.  Expensive caffeine.  I don’t know why but it’s SO addicting and although it burns holes in my wallet, I make necessary sacrifices to make sure I get my daily dose.

 

Day 24- A letter to your parents

Dear Mom,

I’m sorry I’m not the best daughter you want me to be.  I will try harder to make you happy and proud.  I will visit you more often because I know we never know what is going to happen next.  I love you and I will see you soon.

Love,

Grace

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

iPhone 4, keys, flash drive, girly necessities, hand sanitizer, wallet with NO money, check book, pen, chapstick, and eye drops.
Day 26- What you think about your friends


I think my friends are the greatest friends I could ever ask for.  They are super intelligent, frikken hilarious, and cool as ever.  I’m glad I have such great taste in friends.  :)

 

 

October 8, 2010

Can’t lie that I was Daddy’s Girl

Posted by GraceFace under Childhood, Family, Love, Tennis
[2] Comments 

I don’t remember much when I was younger, but I DO remember taking this picture with my dad.  It was a cool spring day in the city of Orange.  I can remember for the LONGEST time that we would go to the tennis courts EVERYDAY and he would play until it got dark.  As I got older, I got better in tennis, and I was rallying with my dad in no time.  It’s sweet to see that my dad introduced me to tennis when I was so young.  I never understood why, but now that I’m older, I understand that it was his way of spending time with his only daughter.  I’m grateful that he wanted so much for me and him to have the same passion in tennis.  I will never forget the unending weeks and months of playing tennis and getting donuts after a good tennis lesson.  No wonder I had so many cavities!

I’ll admit that I don’t think of him much (since he passed in 2001), but I guess we all have our own ways of grieving…but when I do, the memories of him still feel so vivid and fresh in my mind, almost like I just saw him yesterday. I always wonder how my life would be now if he were still around.  I wish I had more time with him.  I was 18 when he started to get sick, and within 3 months of learning that he had cancer, it was his time to go.  If only I was more mature about my relationship with my dad, things would be completely different.  Now, I feel like I could have done so much more to show him how much he meant to me.  I hate thinking of the “if only’s” and “what if’s”, but if I had one more chance to say my last words, I would definitely take that opportunity to tell him how great he was.

Now that I feel like I’m more mature than I was when I was 18, I can understand why my dad beat the hell out of me.  I was his girl, his ONLY girl…his youngest!  But now I understand why my home was a piano/tennis playing prison.  He just wanted what was best for me and he didn’t want anyone to hurt his daughter.  I was never able to thank him for loving me so much, so…if it’s not TOO late, thank you, Daddy…I love you too.

 

 

August 29, 2010

A Wedding Marathon Weekend

Posted by GraceFace under Family, Love, Weddings
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Last weekend I had an overload of weddings.  My cousin, Mark got married last Friday, and Michael’s coworker got married last Saturday.  Both weddings were so beautiful.  And more importantly, both weddings had open bar.  Score!

Mark and Kelly had their wedding at this cute house in Orange called, The French Estate.  The ceremony was held on the front lawn and reception followed in the backyard.  It was a very small wedding, only select cousins and their spouses or significant others were invited.

I’m truly happy for my cousin and his new wife.

Welcome to the family, Kelly Modino! :)

I love this picture.  These are the Modino boys.  We all grew up together when we were younger.  Our parents did a good job in making sure we spent time with our cousins.  I’m glad that I am still close to all of them.

(L-R: Andrew, Robert, Roland, Cairo, Michael…then Mark, the groom)

I didn’t know the couple at the second wedding.  I was just there as Michael’s plus 1.  It was a very nice wedding, outdoors also, and well planned.  The ceremony was so beautiful that for some odd reason my eyes were watery!  My favorite part of the wedding was when the couple greeted their parents and exchanged words and hugs.  Ahhhhh, I tried so hard to hold back the tears.  It was so touching.  Man, I don’t even know these people!

I’d have to say, this wedding is going to go in the books for one of the best weddings I’ve been to.  The guest book was like nothing I’ve seen before.  They took a Polaroid picture of you and your guest and posted it next to your name in the book.  How cool is that idea?  Hmmm…I think I want to steal that idea for my wedding.  Hehe.  Their wedding gifts to their guests were tea cups!!!  Genius idea!

So of course we sat with other coworkers from Capital Group.  Interesting group, I must say.

Here’s a fun fact:

My mom worked for Capital Group 10 years ago, and she was there for about 6 years.  Weird huh?

Congrats to Austin and Sharon Lee.  It was definitely nice meeting the lovely couple.  I loved the filet mignon, pinkberry yogurt, and your guest book idea. :)

 

August 18, 2010

“Without you, things go hazy”

Posted by GraceFace under Love, Music
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Finding new [GOOD] music is like finding gold. Thank you, Doug, for sharing this song with me.

…because sometimes, all you want is to know that the one you love will be there for you when you’re at your absolute lowest.

 

August 12, 2010

He likes me, he likes me not?

Posted by GraceFace under Childhood, Love
[2] Comments 

Telling someone that you liked them seemed so much easier when you were younger, didn’t it?  I remember writing my first “do you like me” note when I was in the 3rd grade.  Of course I was shot down with a circled “NO”.  I felt pretty stupid and ugly, but I didn’t know any better!  I just thought that meant I wasn’t pretty.  I remember telling my dad that the boy I liked didn’t like me back.  I’m sure that made my dad’s heart sink.  How could his little princess be shot down by some stupid boy, right?  Then, that is when my dad told me to wait for the boy like me first, or in filipino terms, wait for them to “court” me.  WTF?  I was confused. As I got older, I sent a couple more “do you like me” notes and never had one return with a big “YES”.  I finally learned my lesson after the 3rd time of rejection.

I wonder how that would work out today if we used this note system instead having a guy propose on ONE KNEE asking me to marry him.  I’d rather have this note instead of the one knee gesture.  But that’s just me. :)

I guess it’s already happening….on twitter.  Whatever works.

 

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