Dancing Queen's Facemask Third Monthly Check-Up

This third check-up is a crucial, sort of like a "make or break" thing for us. Since last year, we prayed about this day to the Lord, that it will be favorable for us and for Gina. We know that He has already, long before we did, seen what is in store for Gina today, so we have claimed it, and believed almost a hundred suns and moons ago since November, that we will receive it.



We give the Lord all our gratitude and praises. For our specialist gave us the go-signal to put Gina back to school. Dancing Queen is very very excited about the idea of going back to school, and being with her friends and classmates.

Her jawbone moved to where it should be... Not that treatment is already finished -- because we are just done with the INITIAL 3-month, 1st phase of it -- but her upper jaw started to overlap the lower, and progress is good.



Gina still needs to wear the Facemask, but for a shorter number of hours each day, especially at night, for the next 9 months. By then, we have finished and COMPLETED the 1st phase of Facemask and Palatal Expansion Treatment for her Class III Malocclusia. And then, 3 or 4 more years to go...



So we continue to pray, until we reach our end point, which is years from now. Diligence, hard work, and patience is what we always need to achieve success. We are proud of our Dancing Queen. And we are thankful of her cheerful heart. She loves the Lord, and understands His ways. His thoughts and ways, which are always higher, and different from ours... But if we walk in His ways, only then will we accept and understand, and see things differently in a beautiful way. These are just some of the lessons we have been shown, and which, we are holding on to, until we finish Gina's treatment.



Thank you to our prayer partners, and to family members who are praying with us in our "journey". 'Til next month's update...

Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Taylor Swift Is Here!

Dancing Queen had the time of her life this evening when we watched Taylor Swift in her much-awaited, jam-packed, scream-filled concert in the Philippines.

Yes, DH and I had to accompany our dear, darling Gina at the Araneta Coliseum, to catch her favorite pop star, Taylor Swift -- IN THE FLESH!

Just like I said in my FB status, I felt so old sitting beside thousands of screaming little (and not so little) girls, like my favorite girl, Dancing Queen. I think I only knew the lyrics of a handful of TS's songs. Compared to my little girl, who knew them all, haha.

We thank the Lord for the provision He has given us to be able to get expensive tickets to this concert. And for the opportunity he has also opened for Taylor to visit my country. :)

Every day is an opportunity
to make a new happy ending.
Author Unknown

Valentine's Day Happenings

This morning we brought DS to school early. He will be leaving for a school study tour in Ilocos, a province up North this side of my country.

It is the very first time that Migs will be travelling alone, and via airplane at that -- WITHOUT us! He will be with some 80 other students (grades 4, 5 and 6 or what we call Level II kids in a Montessori setting) plus several teachers, who will be staying there for a week. Accommodations will be at The Fort Ilocandia Hotel.

He is very excited and so are we, because we know that he will definitely have a lot of fun and learn a lot about being independent from this trip. Here is a photo of Migs aboard the tourist bus that will bring them to the airport:



I will definitely miss my favorite boy this Valentine's Day, up until the whole week ends!

Moving down through the rest of the day, DH treated me and Dancing Queen to a sumptuous late lunch cum early dinner (because it wasn't until after I finished my class that we had the time to celebrate this Valentine weekday) at Banapple near my work place. We ate a lot of good food, and took home 3 kinds of dessert cakes to cap the evening later still. Food in this resto is always delicious, not to mention inexpensive. It's really value for money.



So this is how we all spent this year's Valentine's Day... Got 3 red roses too from DH, and beautiful homemade cards -- one each for me and DH -- from Dancing Queen. We're missing Migs for sure, but we know he is in good hands. Our prayers are with him, wherever he is enjoying now. :)

Love puts the fun in together,
the sad in apart,
and the joy in a heart.
Author Unknown

Walking My Way To Health

Getting fit this year is one of the best things on my mind (okay, every year, that is, haha). A major department store held 3 days of glorious mall-wide sale and DH bought me a pair of Skecher's Shape-Ups -- my first ever (you better believe me!) walking shoes. Because I don't have the time to go to the gym. Here is a photo of my shoes, which I've been using after my class, when I walk around my alma mater's academic oval... :)


Image courtesy of Bargain EZ

It is indeed built to be used as a walking shoe, and to post a review from About.com Guide, Wendy Bumgardner, here is what she has to say about Skecher's Shape-Ups. Her review is pretty much closer to what I also think and have to voice out about this fitness shoe. Read along...

Skechers Shape-ups Walking Shoe

Skechers Shape-Ups walking shoes are designed to stimulate more muscles and balance with a rocker sole with a soft kinetic wedge. The rocker sole enhances the natural walking motion of rolling through a step from heel to toe. The sole is designed in three layers with a firm midsole for support and a super soft foam kinetic wedge that absorbs shock with each step and simulates walking in soft sand. This combination seeks to activate more muscles to develop balance and posture and tone leg and buttock muscles.

Rocker Sole Shoes

The Skechers Shape-Ups are similar to the Swiss Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoes, with a rocker sole designed to activate and tone more muscles during daily activities or fitness walking. The Skechers Shape-ups stress their soft kinetic wedge sole. This sole provides super shock absorption and a slightly unstable walking platform. This makes the body compensate, activating core muscles and balance training.

The rocker sole enforces a good heel-to-toe walking stride with roll through the step. The extra rear extension exercises the leg and buttock muscles in new ways, which can lead to toning.

I found these shoes to be extremely comfortable right out of the box. The toe box is wide enough for my wide feet. I think these would be great shoes for people who must stand for long periods each day, where cushioning and the slight instability would help prevent fatigue.

However, these are heavy shoes, as are the Swiss MBT shoes. They are simply too heavy for me to wear comfortably. With a short stroll, I appreciated the cushioning but felt strain in my knees. I could immediately feel my quads working trying to pick up my feet. Some walkers will like that extra workout. But those of us with any knee, ankle or hip problems may have them stressed in ways we would rather protect them from. I am generally opposed to heavy shoes for this reason.

Skechers recommends using Shape-ups only for shorter walks of 25 to 45 minutes per day until your body has adjusted to them. Skechers Shape-ups come with a training CD.

Bottom Line on Skechers Shape-Ups

Skechers Shape-ups are about half of the price of the Swiss MBT shoes, but are still in the $80-$120 range. They come in both athletic and lifestyle styles. I would suggest using them as crosstraining shoes rather than using them to train for walking events. A walker might wear them for a shorter walk each day or every-other day in addition to walking in athletic walking shoes. They provide a different workout from regular walking. Be aware of any joint pain developing that can be a sign of overuse injuries.
And now from Skechers, here is the Shape-Ups Instructional video, a CD copy of which is included when purchasing a pair for yourself. Enjoy!



Walking:
The most ancient exercise
and still the best modern exercise.
Carrie Latet