And this entry is aptly titled! I hope you have the time and energy to finish this long post!
A Neglected Blog
That’s what this has been! I am so sorry for being a slacker in updating this blog. To my two or three readers, I promise to be a good blogger this year. Promise. LOL!
The Super Duper Nice Christmas Vacation that Was
For the first time, our small family flew to Manila on December 21, 2006 and spent the holidays with the other Villanuevas in Pampanga. It was my and Therese’s first time to meet Ima and Tatang along with Shelley, Asley, Markley, Dudley and Tedley (I met Jeff when Bingay got married last June 2003). Yep, they have interesting names. LOL! We got to meet some of Wes’ relatives too, like Auntie Rose who baked a Power Puff Girls cake for Therese. Yep, complete with candles while Mark provided the gifts. There was Auntie Pin and kids, Auntie Cora and kids plus Ate Ederlyn (Wes’ cousin) and Ken came all the way from the Oz. Pictures will follow soon!
We did not only meet Wes’ relatives but also some friends in Manila. It was a delight to finally see the ladies I have been talking too for some time now. Liz and I have been friends for about two to three years now (and it all started with an e-group for parents). While we met Ate JennyL in an e-group for scrapbookers and she eventually joined The Scrapping Garden as one of the fantabulous kit designers. We had a superb lunch at Dad’s and coffee at Starbucks on the day after Christmas, courtesy of Liz’s wonderful dad. Ahyee (Liz’s hubby) was also there. I can’t help but laugh with Liz’s comment: “Ang tangkad mo! Bakit hindi ka mag-model?” As if tangkad lang ang kailangan sa pagmomodel! LOL!
I was able to also meet Bingay (my childhood friend and super best friend) with Nana (her pretty daughter and my goddaughter), my super long time online friend, Rita (who happens to be Bingay’s officemate) and Atty. Lawrence (one of Wes’ super friends from his college days). It was a fun afternoon with yummy food, budgeted shopping (LOL!) and good company.
We were also privileged to meet up with Ninang Cora and her lovely family. They generously shared with us a sumptuous lunch at their beautiful home, toured us at UP Diliman and Ateneo de Manila (where Therese intends to study according to her. No daycare for her, she proclaimed. LOL!). We got to visit a very dear Ninong too, Fr. Joe Galdon, SJ who is now a resident of the Jesuit Retirement House inside the Ateneo. It was sad seeing him in such state but we are happy that there are very lovely people who are taking good care of him.
I don’t think that the word “fun” is enough to describe the enjoyable experiences that we had. Everybody was nice, the food was great and the places that we went to were just great! Therese did not like going “home”. She prefers Pilar Village now! We were (and I believe still are!) truly loved there. We love and cherish every moment that we spent with them. The years of waiting finally paid off. They are truly nice persons and I am so lucky to have a family in-love who is so loving and kind and sincere. Even before we left, a person I know was already shedding tears. When the airplane finally took flight, I can’t help but sob too! Wes and I agreed to save up so we can go back for this year’s holidays. Yay! I can’t wait!
We’re Back?
And who likes going back after a super happy vacation! Not me! LOL! But we have to work and save up so we can have another grand vacation again towards this year’s end! Unfortunately, Therese got sick (viral infection) on the 7th of January and I suffered from flu too on the 8th (when she got better). I was telling Wes that maybe, God heard my prayer when I asked Him to make my daughter well and it was okay if I get sick as a substitute. I finally got back to work on the 5th. Joy.
So, you're still reading up to this point? Good! Allow me to continue:
Scrapping. Scrapping.
Who? Me? Oh, I am totally overwhelmed by the number of photos that we took during our vacation that I do not know where or how to start! I got the Brag book Templates by Michelle Rodriguez and the December Mega Kit, both at The Scrapping Garden. I hope that those stuff will get me working soon!
Happy Birthday to me!
Okay, that was a month ago but hey, let me write about it here. Now. LOL! It was a busy day. It was the eve of our trip, remember? And of course, I was cramming! I had my hair styled on the 19th and I had limited time so I had my nails done on my birthday. That was after I treated Therese with her favorite chicken and rice at Greenwich. There were pasalubongs to buy and pick-up (thanks to Mamitz for the yummy pastillas) plus Christmas cards to be delivered. Unfortunately, some of those cards are still with me as of press time. Bad me! Anyways, I was not able to cook (as if I cook!) or buy anything to celebrate the special day. We (or I) did the packing of stuff that night. It was a jam-packed but fun day though!
I got my birthday present from my super duper loving Wesley aka Babester earlier. He gave it to me on a particularly super rotten day, December 14. When he arrived from work, I was surprised that he handed me his bag which was unusual. I can’t remember what prompted me but I opened it and found this inside a box:
Saying that I was overjoyed is an understatement. I was ecstatic! We have been saving up for this. Scrappers can totally relate to my joy. It is not a DSLR (okay, I have no patience to tinker with a super high-tech camera!) I am totally loving it though I still need to learn how to work with apertures and shutter speeds. It is great to know that the Net is abundant with resources and tutorials. However, I need time to browse and read. Can someone hand me more time? LOL! We also tried recording some video and it was fun!
I turned 28. I am very much loved by my husband and daughter. I have a rewarding hobby that justifies my endless hours working on my laptop, owning a laptop plus a super cool digital camera and spending some precious time online. I have super friends, relatives and a family in-love who make my life cooler. I have a very loving family in-love. Indeed, I am blessed.
The end.
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