What I've learned so far...

Being married means re-discovering your partner all over again in some ways, even if in our case, Vin and I have been together for a decade. Living together in one roof will show you little things that you never saw before. And I think the keys to make things work are love, communication, adjustment and compromise.

We lovingly adjust to each other's little quirks and OC-ness. Vin doesn't like spillage on the lids of ketchup bottles or peanut butter jars, so I keep them clean. I'm a messy cook, with dishes strewn all over the sink and peelings piled on the countertop. Vin cleans everything up, so my kitchen remains spic and span. When eating toast, he simply scrapes the surface of the butter lightly to keep its rectangular shape, so I follow suit. I eat ice cream straight from the tub and cake straight from the box, and he now does the same. I cook, he cleans, I wash the dishes, he wipes the table and the place mats and refills the jar of lemon water and takes out the garbage. He picks up after me, I pick up after him, without so much of a grumble.

At the end of the day, when the lights are all turned off, we whisper a prayer together and hold hands while we sleep. It's wonderful. The greatest challenge now is to keep our marriage this beautiful as time goes by. We're taking things one step at a time, learning things by the day, enjoying each moment and celebrating every little progress. Our adventure is just beginning and so far the ride has been terrific. I believe the secret is to let God take the wheel and trusting His itinerary.

:)

Becoming Mrs. Carilo

September 8, 2010 was our Big Day. After being boyfriend and girlfriend for ten years, Vin and I finally tied the knot and are now officially Mr. and Mrs. Carilo.

It was the perfect day to get married. It was Mama Mary's birthday. And we were blessed with such lovely weather. We were surrounded by our families, relatives and friends, mostly people who loved us and cared about us. They say one can never have a flawless wedding. True, ours had some minor glitches. But all in all, everything was absolutely beautiful!

More wedding photos to be posted soon.

After a quick mini-honeymoon (our REAL honeymoon is scheduled next month), Vin and I finally moved into our new home. How does it feel like? Not so different. Only now I get to wake up next to the man I love every single day of my life.

I'm going through a bit of an adjustment phase though. I've lived with my parents for 31 years. Now I'm super missing my Dad and Mom, and my siblings, too. I miss the noises in our old home, my Dad's booming voice, my Mom singing in the kitchen, my sisters and my brother making kulitan. I find it quite lonely sometimes, being away from them. To comfort myself, I remind myself that the old house is a mere stone's throw away, just a 3-minute drive away (5-minutes if you get stuck in Don Antonio traffic). I know I'll eventually get used to this new setup. It's gonna take time, but everything's going to be alright.

Thank you to everyone who helped and supported us during the months and weeks leading to our Big Day. A lot of my friends "sponsored" the wedding by giving free services. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! And I know it was a working day, so thank you to everyone who took a leave just to be part of my Big Day. God bless you! :)

This girl is married, and oh-so-happy, in every sense of the word.

:)

Check out more wacky shots at www.litratojuan.com