Tribute to my mother at her Funeral Service in Twin Falls Idaho.

January 06,2017

Thank you. The support we have received these past months from family, friends, medical staff, neighbors and my mothers ward family has been substantial and essential. We cannot sufficiently express the gratitude we have for each of you. Memorable moments that will always be cherished. The answer to our prayers, a blessing to us and the rays of sun in the path of our lives. Our dear mother, and we, her children, wanted you to know this and I know that our father is grateful to you as well.
My mother came into this world in a beautiful island in the Philippines called Samar on September 24, 1930 Her parents loved her and spoiled her with things she need and wants. She was smart, dedicated and beautiful. She was a loving friend, a sister and a caring daughter.
She met our Father on a date. A common friend set them up. They told them that they match and should get married.  My mother fell for father as he was a man with  good looks, and was working as a health personnel administering vaccinations in rural areas, she probably thought that he being a medical personnel was a good catch. My father fell in love with her as well, as she was such a beautiful woman with a Mona Lisa smile as my father would fondly sing that Mona Lisa song to her as all of her children remembered that wonderful voice of my father while mother joins with him singing that beautiful melody.

Mama's dreams were fulfilled through the sacred calling of motherhood. She was a wife and a mother. She accomplished that goal. She was sealed to my father for “Time and All Eternity” in the Manila Philippines Temple. Mother knows in her heart that families can be forever. She knew that every child sealed to her could be with her in the next life.
We believe in forever, not just “till death do us part.”  Mama will always be our mother, here and in the next life, hand-in-hand with Papa. She did not just believe it, she knew it, and would never doubt that her family would be united in the eternities. We know that families can be together forever.
When my father died in 1984 my mother became a widow and instantly had to take care of 10 children.  She was 54 years-old and was immediately faced with the burden but she pushed forward, and accomplished the task with the help of her older children who stood with her emotionally and financially.
When Papa passed, 4 of her 10 children served LDS missions and 4 other grandchildren served missions and 2 currently serving.
In March of 2011 mother migrated here in the USA.
A year and a few months later she went back to visit the Philippines. She had a heat stroke and had paralysis. My siblings and their families back in the Philippines nourished her back to health and was able to walk again.

Her health fluctuated from good to bad.  Her heart condition; an obstructive thyroid, white blood cells abnormalities, cataract, hearing loss and old age were contributing to mothers health declination, but she was a fighter and she loved life and even loved shopping. She worries about grey hair, and a couple of times I was her hairdresser, buying and coloring her hair, and never complained no matter how messy my hairdressing services were. All of my siblings and their loved ones served mama well. From doctors appointments, her health needs, financial and emotional support  all things that a mother desired from all of her children were met. Her health was failing, but her mind was well and active, always yearning to be with children. We are so grateful of the two life changing events that happened to my mother while living here in Twin falls. From Dr.Jason Halverson for enabling my mother to see perfectly once again after cataract removal and enjoyed to see the beauty of the things around her. To Dr.Gregg Schroeder for making her hear earths life beautiful sounds. For that she was and we as a family will forever be grateful for their unselfish love and for their perfect understanding of the word charity. To all of our brother-in-laws, to Bishop Seals, whom my mother calls Brandon, Jim and Randy whom she enjoyed all of their companies yet get embarrassed when she's caught in moments when she needed help. My siblings and I will always be indebted to these worthy priesthood holders, who supported their wives a hundredfold. To my brother-in-laws in Australia, who supported their wives of their unfailing love for mother, my sister in laws, and to all of mothers grandchildren and great grandchildren who loved her and misses her now more than ever.

Our families are always in contact with each other, even on a day to day basis. We thank this technology that has made it possible for us to communicate from around the globe and update us on what is happening among our families. Even mother learned to use Facebook messenger.
when my sister Venus called that very night while I was driving my son to ER, I thought it was just another episode where her lungs had filled up with water again, and that in a couple days she'll be back home., only to find out a day later that she had a heart failure, and medical personnel tried to save her but her organs were failing.

She was fighting until the end. The day Brandon took my mother to St Luke's, she could hardly breath, and Brandon had to carry her to the car, in spite of her condition she even managed to laugh because she was embarrassed that Bishop Seals had to carry her to the car.
There is always hope for a miracle, we prayed for miracle, but as always it's our Heavenly fathers will, and His will be done. A few days prior mother told my sister Tess to prepare her temple clothing, and told her that they will have to cloth her when she passes away. Perhaps a sign that the heavens door had started to open for a heavenly daughter to come back home, where a Heavenly Father and Mother is waiting.
How quickly everything changed.
Within a day or two that mama was in the hospital. Things have changed and has drawn Mother's earthly life to a close.

We are on this earth to have joy and we had many blessings to count.
She was not scared to die, but she loved life. She fought a good fight. She endured to the end. She knew her Father in Heaven had accepted her life's work. I can only hope that her example, for even just a moment.
We her children are honored to carry on our parent’s legacy of faith, they expect nothing less. We miss them terribly, but don't worry, we'll be with them again.
To close, I am going to read the words with you my mother’s favorite hymn:
I have a family here on earth
They are so good to me.�I want to share my life with them through all eternity.�
 • 2. While I am in my early years,�I'll prepare most carefully,�So I can marry in God's temple for eternity.�
 • Chorus�Fam'lies can be together forever�Through Heav'nly Father's plan.�I always want to be with my own family,�And the Lord has shown me how I can.�The Lord has shown me how I can.�

face of a champion

It's been a while

I want to be a millionaire!

  Work is sometimes a drag. You wake up, get ready for work and you see the same stuff every single day. Then you have to deal with people you don't like very much. You wish to get another job where there's not so much drama. Then you dream about winning a lottery and come to work and starts cussing at people you've always wanted to cuss, wishing to get fired, and then announced " I am leaving all of you witches.. I'm a millionaire"! Then you shake your head look at your table- more stuff to do. Reality hurts!  You'll probably retire doing the same work, and will continually pay your bills until your last breath.  What a cruel world. Unless you're way too smart, and start searching for that "get rich formula" good luck- by now just take a ride in the same boat I am in. It is hard to get rich. Reasons 1. You're not super smart. 2. You don't have the resources 3. economy is bad 4.Too many people depend on your meager income. 5. You've got so much bills to pay- just thinking how to pay all your bills, takes everything you have in your brain!
    What's the best solution to all these paranoia~  I will try not to be sarcastic in any way but this is probably  the reason why Religion was invented...No, don't get me wrong.. I am not an atheist.. I truly believe in God, just not devout.
    Well, as we all  have been taught: we should lay our treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt, and thieves do not break through. I believe that this is the best way to keep your sanity in these trying times. If you can't be rich and famous through hard work and lottery.  You have a chance to be truly rich in the eternities.  You don't have to work your way up to become a CEO, to cheat and destroy other people to get to the top! In fact you build a character where you will be admired and emulated.
     Believing that saving up your wealth in heaven, is the best way to keep your sanity-then do it this way. Truly there are couple hurdles, but the key to wealth in heaven is "humility". That's where everything starts with. With that virtue... comes Faith- or believing in things you haven't seen or touch, but knows deep in your heart is true! If you develop that faith in God, then, there's a creepy little thing that will try to get out of your system called "sin". This is where Repentance comes in- a desire to change, to quit those old and ugly habits, to forsake that which is bad and to become a new person. Now, do you need to be a believer or a follower of a religious figure or icon to attain this level of peace? I believe so, but you don't have to, but as a believer myself following Christ is a must. Then  there is a need to be baptized which symbolizes, cleansing, Christians believe that baptism is not just a symbol but a key to enter heaven, then comes the anointing or the receiving of a companion which is the Holy Ghost- one who will guide you in your decisions in life. These are the four portals for each one who wishes to be rich, wealthy and be happy for eternities. The portal of Faith, the repentance portal, the baptism portal and the receiving of the Holy Ghost portal. These are undeniably the only way to attain wealth- that is more powerful than all wealth combined on earth.
    Live a normal life, try to pay your bills, be contented of what you have, don't spend more than what you earn. Get involved in helping others, try to be happy, and seek guidance from the most powerful being we all call "Father" 
    Be happy!!

Child's safety

    I have not been in a very good mood since friday due to a flu.  I tried to be cautious about not to be in direct contact with my kids ,and sprayed Lysol on everything that I touched. Washing hands was more frequent than ever.  I skipped church on Sunday. Then  Monday, I heard my youngest son started coughing, not a good sign, I'm hoping he will get over it soon. Driving my way to work I saw a mother crossing the street with two of her kids lagging behind her, the kid was probably about 5 years old, and he was about eight feet away from his mom. I wanted to yell at the mom and wanted to tell her to watch over her kids especially crossing a busy street. Please don't have anymore kids if you can't even watch one or two, or better yet give it to people who will protect them the way they should be protected.

   Kids who are 6 years old and below, still don't have a good perception on a lot of things. Guidance is at stake. There's a lot of things that red flags are raised.  Leaving them on the playground while you get busy talking on the phone with somebody, or chatting to someone else in the park, isn't a very good idea. Check on your kids every minute of the day. There are so many crazy people out there. Even in your own yard, you have to check them every now and then. a little squeal or a thud you hear from inside your house, go and run, and see what's going on.  There's nothing wrong with being watchful, than not being one at all.

   Never leave your kids inside your car, even if you think that it's only going to be a few minutes away from your car. The car can be a huge oven especially on summer days. leaving your kids can cause extreme dehydration and even death to your loved ones.
    My house has a basement where I have my gaming station set up, of course my kids would normally spend a lot of time playing xbox games. I don't have time playing games, so I'd go about doing other fun stuff like cleaning the house, laundry, preparing food and other things in the main level of my house. Even though the basement  is safe, I still call their names constantly and asks them how they are, and I'd go and check them out every now and then, while I am doing all the joyful tasks on weekends.
    Never leave them to baby sitters that you don't know very well. If you have to pay baby sitters, check on their backgrounds and ask people who knows them very well. If you have the money to install security camera's, the better. Teach your kids to call 911 or  teach them safety drills , like getting out of a house when there's a fire, how to use the phone, how to defend themselves by screaming out loud, or  when a stranger is trying to hurt them kicking hard, and kicking body parts that will let go of them.
    When it comes to eating food, they'd always want "something tasty" or "something good". You have to teach them what and how to eat right Always check your food's expiration dates, before giving them to your kids. Sometimes we just make pancakes without checking expiration dates, ready mix pancakes are bad when it's expired, bacteria starts growing in those nasty expired pancake mix. So when it's expired, throw it away. Anything that's expired is garbage. Do not attempt to donate it to boy scouts or girl scouts food drive. Be a good neighbor.
   My thoughts are overwhelming and I'll be writing more later or perhaps organize this blog a little bit more.... just not feeling well. Hope to see you soon in my next blog. Don't get sick.

The Great Recession part 2 of 3

   It's summer time and you see your neighbor's beautiful yard. Envy starts to mushroom, and keeping up with Mrs Jones begin!  To Home Depot you go, and start shopping for plants that will be the envy of your neighborhood. Cashier rings up the total:   $ 625.00 for a few plants and a few bushes. You swipe your card and the excitement of a beautiful yard comes into view-in your mind. Then you plant all the things you bought at Home Depot and come to realize that not even a quarter of your yard is landscaped. You look at Mrs Jones and her yard, and you see the grin on her face-then you cuss and check your bank account- all you have now left is $ 245.09, and the yard still look bare!!! What do you do? Use your credit card? OPPPS!!!   I'd say NO! keep your credit card and your hard earned money, spend a little fortune for yard beautification.
   Recession is still here and you've got to spend your money wisely.
   My sister just bought a couple hydrangeas, hanging petunias and have spent quiet a fortune.  I went to home depot, and bought couple plants that were half price because they were almost dying, I got a Japanese maple tree that was damaged from excessive wind for 12.00 bucks, the original price of which was 45.00. I bought some seeds and a couple more plants at discounted prices at walmart, then bought a few hanging baskets and two bags of potting soil. Now I am able to watch my plants grow. With a little money and  TLC, you have a nice garden. Always think of ways to save. Before you buy, think a couple of times if you really need it, and if you did buy it and later on realized that you don't need it-return it. 
    My sons, wants me to buy them things that they really don't need. A lot of times I give in. I remember buying a bunch of gifts for Levi on his birthday, thinking that he won't have enough birthday gifts just like what happened last time. I end up spending close to 600 dollars for his birthday celebration and gifts. I know that I would give everything for my kids. But the best thing is to save the money for their future.
    Never spend more than you earn! If you really want to buy that nice TV, save up that money, don't use your credit card. If it gets to be really itchy, you can probably forgive yourself from using your no interest for twelve months credit cards. Just make sure to pay it before it's due, or the interest will be on after a late payment.
    Life in America is all about credit. You have a house mortgage, a car on credit, appliances on credit. You work to pay interest to companies you owe money with. It's a crazy life, but, there's a way to minimize all these spending.
    Do not buy a new house, if you can't afford the payment. Fixer uppers are the best way to start with. You can always sell it later and you'll be surprised you'll make some profit.  Always offer the bank a little lower than what they're asking for. Buy used cars, but if you do want to buy used cars from a private owner bring a friend with you who knows about cars, and test drive it before you buy it. Make sure that there's no transmission or engine problems.  Buy used appliances as well. These can all be replaced as you get through life with less and less difficulties. You can always buy a new refrigerator later, and replaced your old one.
     Lastly when in conversation with friends, mention you need to buy a few things for your house, some friends have a few things they need to get rid of. Their junk can be your treasure. Post your need on public bulletin boards or on craigslist, you'll be surprised to find out that there are always people who are willing to lend a helping hand. Good luck!

What is Father's day - yul saba

    It is simply a day where we can give tribute to Father's individually and collectively.
According to Wikipedia: Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in many countries and on other days elsewhere. It complements Mother's Day, the celebration honoring mothers.
   How do we celebrate father's day? Most children surprise their fathers with lavish gifts, others with whatever they can afford. It's always the thought that counts.
   As for fathers who are older and mature the gift doesn't really mean much but more so on the giver who has exerted effort in showing their love by gift giving. As a father myself, I'd rather spend money for my kids to a nice dinner in a nice restaurant or maybe at home, watch a good movie, or maybe camping and fishing. If we don't have the luxury of doing anything expensive, we can gather as a family and have dad tell you stories down memory lane with some home made cookies or snacks. It can sometimes be emotional, but this will free him of the burden thinking he might have not shown his love for his kids. Take some old pictures of your family as visuals Let him talk and let him tell you of the joys and pain your family went through. Let him tell you  that he is the man who will lay down his life for your sake. He is the leader of the pack, who will protect, sustain and nourish hand in hand with your mother. Love for daddy can flourish even more. Men can be very emotional, though this is not normally shown so as not to be branded as weak individuals, they also want to reach out. They can be cry babies too.  When a man cries-that's his strength.
    When you loose a father, it feels like you have lost a foundation in the home. It is a burden that mother's take upon their shoulders, that is why both parents are equally yoked in rearing up their kids. Neither one of them can take credit all by themselves, both have unique characteristics that molds up individuals especially in character building. Thanking both parents and celebrating life with them is totally priceless.
     When my father died, I was about 19 years old. My mother was left with 10 children, although there were only 4 left in the home to take care of, she was in no way could take care of the family due to financial restraints. She has always been a house mom. She tried to sell food or whatever she can do to alleviate our poor condition. Luckily we have siblings who were older, who helped us goes through life with less difficulties. I remember we were in debt, but not much. The LDS church helped us in those difficult times. I still recall my mother would sob and call my father as if summoning for help.
      I didn't understand back then, neither of my younger siblings about my father's medical condition. He had a weak heart condition ever since he was a kid. But he always have something planned for us. The park, the beach a hike to the farm and many others. We all didn't know that this was all crucial to his health but he did it anyway.  He had a by pass surgery at the Philippine Heart Center, and was told that he'd be lucky to live for another year. He lived for another 10 years and continued supporting us, until his paralysis, and succumbed.
      We will eventually loose our parents, and If we don't believe in the life hereafter, everything that we have enjoyed, the memories, the love we have been showered with will all be void and nonsense. Wouldn't it be exciting to know that we can be with our love ones once again someday somewhere? It depends on your faith and your belief. I know and I believe that God certainly has a plan. He didn't create families and destroy them. He wants us to share the same love once again and to continue in the eternities. There is joy... an eternal happiness that we all can look forward to.
       Happy Father's day my friends..