enjoy!

here's a treat for all you crafters out there! but, then again you probably already knew about this. :) anyways, hope you can use it.

i am loved...

by my students, my coworkers, my friends, and my family. i am even loved by the japanese waitress who called me "Duhnnnah" today. i am loved.

today started off like any other ordinary day -- waking up to an alarm that had been snoozing for an hour, showering, making coffee, and getting ready for work. when i got to school, i walked up to my classroom to find the outside of my door decorated so beautifully! a couple of bday elves had been there the evening before to do this for me, and it was probably one of the best gifts i received!

each one of my jr. high classes sang "happy birthday" to me. it was so sweet...and weird hearing it 3 times in a row! they were so well-behaved today, too! they said it was their "present" to me...haha!

Some funny quotes from today...

me: hey, so what are you getting me this year for my birthday?
david: i'm buying you a house...what more do you want from me?!

me: there's no way that no one is coming through the office after school.
student a: that's a double negative, miss h!
student b: give her a break, it's her birthday!

student a: how old are you today, miss h?
me: guess.
student b: 33??
student c: 17??
me: i'm 27...and i'm old. (ms. h makes a sad face)
student d: you're not old, you're young! and beautiful!
me: why, thank you, student d!
student d: you're welcome. can we not have homework tonight?
me: gives student the evil eye

as the day ends on this bday of mine, i reflect upon the events of my life thus far. i've been through a lot, and i know that there is so much more to come than i can ever even try to imagine. i'm actually sad to be entering my late 20's, but i can honestly say that i'm content with where i am in life. sure, i could be thinner, a better teacher, a more faithful servant, and a better fiance...but i know that my imperfections are made whole in God. i'm so thankful to even just be alive.

lots going on with me recently...lots more going on with the double d's. still wishing, and hoping, and praying that all will be answered the way it is supposed to be.

looking forward to this friday's PARTY BUS!

good night.

114 days until....

i can't wait!

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

forbes.com rated san francisco #8 on its top 10 best cities to buy a home list. just thought all of you who have ever considered moving up here should know. remember the cul de sac, people!?! anyway, we need more friends up here, so think about it! :)

fading fast

a couple days ago i realized that i only have ONE MORE MONTH of summer left. can you feel my heart breaking? i'm so not ready to do anything more than sit at home watching tv and surfing the web. pitiful, i know, but oh so true.

don't get me wrong, i do try and get a daily dose of exercise in and go to the gym. i've been really into taking classes -- mostly cardio, some dance and the ocassional pilates session. most of the instructors use certain types of music to get people all hyped up, and sometimes they'll throw in a hip-hop song that i really like. when this happens, i totally sing along (well, more like lip-sync) and in turn will miss a step or totally do the wrong thing because i'm really just listening to the song and not the instructor. people look at me like i don't have rhythm, but really, it's because i'm so into the song.

i've been working out pretty regularly now and haven't seen too much of a difference physically. i figured out (with the help of my bro) that it's because i still am not eating as healthy as possible. i stay away from fast food most of the time (except when david insists on getting it!) and i totally cut soda out of my diet. but aside from that i'm not counting calories or anything. i hate dieting! i wish you could just work out and not have to control your diet and still lost weight. grrr...

so there a a couple new things that are going to take place in my life in the next few weeks. if you're interested, read on:

1. i'm joining my bro, sis, and cousins in dancing for their halau. my bro and sis have been dancing hula/tahitian for a long time, and my cousin, pj, just joined. i've been wanting to join for a long time but was either too busy or lazy. i'm so excited!


2. i'm meeting up with my church's young adult group! many, many months ago they passed out a survey where parishoners were to write down what they think the church could improve on. i made the comment that i hadn't seen the young adults active in the church, and that while the youth group was strong, the young adults were nowhere to be found. someone from the church contacted me and is coordinating a meeting with some other young adults and myself. we'll see what comes about from all of this. i definitely feel God's hand working...i wonder what he has planned!
   
3. i'm going on a cruise! to mexico!


4. i'm moving in with david. (more regarding this to follow later...)
   

so there you have it. life around these parts is never boring. oh, on a side note, check this out for your viewing pleasure! my david has invested in a very, very expensive camera and has been working on his personal portfolio. he's getting better and better every day at taking shots, and i'm really proud of how he's progressed.

here are just a few random photos from my good ol' point and shoot cannon!

the newest addition to the dioneda clan...noah douglass! he was a day old in this pic, which was taken about a month ago. the number of guys in our family are increasing!

my cousins and i at the most recent cotillion

mi familia...with all the s.o.'s included. this was at billy and pj's bday celebration at horizons in the city. my friends told me to hold my arm away from my body so it won't look fat...then they laughed when they saw this pic. suuuper posed.

and the following pics were from a night in downtown fullerton. that weekend was one of the best weekends i've had all summer. i'd almost forgotten how much i missed being around all my old friends...it's always good times with these people!

starting off sloooow...

you know how much we looove to dance!

i love this pic. except i don't like how derrick's hair looks. oops, i mean...i looooooove derrick's bangs in this pic. they look hot.

goodbye, fullerton. until we meet again...

did you know...?

i was tagged by my good friend *reen* to give 6 random factoids about myself. here they are, in no particular order:

1. i harmonize to songs i hear on the radio. just typing that sentence made me laugh. whenever a song comes on that i like, i randomly try to harmonize with the melody. sometimes i can pick out the harmony if i listen real closely, but most other times i fail. miserably. in fact, i think this random habit of mine has made my singing worse. and, if my harmony is really bad, i can practically hear joyce laughing at me in side my head.

2. i hate doing laundry. so much so that when i run out of stuff to wear, i go shopping. yup, i'd rather spend money to buy new clothes than wash the ones i already have. i think my old roomies can attest to this. actually, it's not only laundry that i hate doing -- it's any kind of housework -- dishes, cleaning, cooking. man, i am so NOT the homemaker.

3. while living in irvine, i visited a dance studio 3 times with the intention of taking a class. i chickened out all 3 times. the first time i just drove by and didn't get out of my car. the second time i made it to the clear glass window that looks inside one of the rooms and became a spectator for an hour. the third time was the same as the second...pitiful. my old roommate melissa even offered to come with me after i told her the story. alas, i think the opportunity of my career as a dancer has long passed.

4. i (secretly) wish i could be the mother of multiples. twins, triplets...sextuplets, maybe? see, i've been really into watching jon & kate plus 8 on TLC. i practically watch it anytime it's on! everytime i watch the show, i get this overwhelming desire to have kids. i realize that it's a reality show and that they probably make it seem more fun than it really is, but i guess i just loooove the idea of a big family. i always have. now, all this is coming from a woman with no kids yet. we'll just have to see if the desire remains the same after i have a couple.

5. i am very much an introvert AND extrovert. i love to be social, meet new people, be in the spotlight, and hang out with friends. i like hanging out in big groups, as well as small ones. at the same time, i need my moments alone. there are days (weeks even!) where i am perfectly fine staying at home or not talking to anyone. that's why whenever anyone asks me to describe myself i never know what to say, because i am so much the walking contradiction.

6. i love playing board games with my family. we first got into playing cranium a few christmas' ago. i introduced it to my family after playing it in irvine. then we became addicted to taboo. david and i also had a period in time when we would play sequence multiple times a night. (i was introduced to sequence by the very person who tagged me to write this post!) catch phrase made its way into our family parties -- and we have had some pretty funny catch phrase sessions. this summer, the name of the game is monops! 4 hour monopoly sessions are not uncommon in our household!

YOU'RE IT!:
1. david
2. franchu
3. regina
4. emely
5. derrick
6. gian (again!)
7. angie
8. kirsten
9. kathee
10. wing

let's see who responds FIRST!!!

oh, the joys (and tears) of television

as much as i hate to admit it, i love to watch tv when i have the time. i think at the end of a long day at work, it's my only stress reliever when i come home. besides the usual grey's anatomy (april 24th!!!) and desperate housewives, i have my regular dose of reality tv...the hills, the bachelor (this season sucks, though), american idol, and survivor: micronesia. which brings me to my next point...

goodbye, ozzy.

this guy is/was like the king of survivor. i think he was born in the jungle in another life. i sort of don't even want to watch anymore because he's gone. everyone else is so blah.

and wasn't the don't stop the music performance on idol the best or what? i loved it so much that i downloaded it on itunes. i know, what a loser-y move. i cannot wait for so you think you can dance! everytime i see dance numbers like that i get the urge to quit teaching and become a full-time dancer. haha! oh, pipe dreams...



oh, and what about the idols' rendition of shout to the lord?! it was a little weird at first but nice to see, really.

speaking of shouting to the lord, the pope is here! i've been following his journey somewhat on tv with my students. in order to be one with the festivities, i took out my vatican flag and waved it around as if i was watching him arrive at the airport. my students didn't even know what the flag was. =/ but it's ok -- i enlightened them.

wow. this post makes me sound like a tv fanatic.

okay already!

well, you convinced me. here i am taking some time out of my not-so-busy saturday afternoon to re-enter the blogging world. i do have to say that i've been wanting to blog so badly -- for the past month to be exact. there have been so many things happening in my life. finding the time to write them down is another story.

the holiday season was wonderful! we had the usual dioneda family gatherings, with an added member -- david. this was the first christmas he spent with us and away from his family, and it felt nice to have him there. my vertigo woes put a bit of a dent into the fun, but i got over it and for now, i'm all good.

work has been...interesting. let's see here -- one fight, two suspensions, week-long detentions, sudden headaches, upset parents, recommendations, transcripts and failing students. i think that just about sums it all up.

wedding planning is now fully underway. i was issued a gag order the month of my engagement from my soon-to-be husband so that we could enjoy our engagement before the craziness begins. already this year we've been to 2 bridal shows and numerous venues. i even had a quick consultation with my wedding consultant, francia. i'll be starting a wedding blog soon to record all our adventures during the process! after all, not everyone (including david... ;P) wants to read about wedding this wedding that all day long.

the fam is getting ready for our yearly trek to the philippines. so excited about this. david and his mom have decided to come with, and i am sure it is an experience we will all remember. i love the philippines so much and am truly blessed to be able to go again. luckily, my principal let me take a few days off from school! he was hesitant but recognizes how many hours i work on a daily basis and said that i deserved a break. i'm scared, though. the last time i called in sick the class got all their cell phones taken away and were threatened to have their sacramento trip cancelled.

so, those are just a few highlights of what's been up with me lately. and now, for some photos!







i have more pictures to post but they're on the other CD. stay tuned! :)

update

the teacup ride is slowing down, thank God. hopefully it will come to a complete stop one of these days, but for now i am thankful that i can now move around without feeling uncomfortable. thanks to all of my friends for their thoughts and prayers. they have done wonders.

lots of things on my to-do list -- catching up is hard to do after coming back from being sick.

1. find a venue
2. send out thank-you cards that i've had for about a month now
3. send out christmas greetings
4. draft ideas for an upcoming project with lfm
5. work on these & these
6. grading, grading, and more grading
7. shop for gifts

december, where have you gone?

in the meantime, i have this for your viewing pleasure. my brother put it together. enjoy!

S.O.S.

CALLING ON EVERYONE WHO LOVES ALL THINGS RANDOM:

my school is participating in a trivia contest and scavenger hunt and we have until MONDAY to turn in the items listed below. do you think you could help?

- a business card with a picture of a donut on it
- a post card with a 2006 postmark from paris, france
- a red san jose sabercats cow bell
- a ticket stub from a professional athletic event played on 7/7/07
- a cracker box whose back panel contains a photo and signature of rachael ray with a copy of her recipe for "spinach and garlic vegetable dip"
- a "blue chip savings book" which contains one or more blue chip redemption stamps
- a cereal box which includes a picture of an athlete who attended a northern california four year university or college
- a postcard from disneyland postmarked during disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration
(francia....kathee....em....any chance you have this?)
- a receipt for a playstation 3 purchased during 2006
- a twa frequent flight bonus card

these are only some of the items...the ones i think peope will have the hardest time finding, and therefore the reason why i'm using my resources. :)

your prize? a free dinner and place to stay anytime you are in the bay area!!!

you can send these items to me ASAP (email me/comment and i'll get you my address), i'll return them to you after MONDAY, 10/22 and send you a reimbursment for the postage you paid. as you can tell, i want to WIN.

thank you.

multi.racial

http://www.myheritage.com

wow. black, white, & asian! what a great mix! :)