THE YOUNGER GENERATION...

...MORE CHRISTMAS PICTURES

My Ate Virgie with her new van waiting for the arrival of Uncle Lito, Tita Mari-ou, Tita Lydia, Tita Angela and Tita Lourdes maybe in February, 2009. My sister Legie wanting to swim at the fish pond hehehe while Minette smiled beautifully. Marlon and Marvin are accessing their internet, my nieces Irene and Gelyn with my sister Legie were chatting.

CHRISTMAS PICTURES

CHRISTMAS DAY WITH MY FAMILY

We all spent our Christmas here in Manila because my Mom was hospitalized more than a month ago and she has to stay here for her regular check-up and recovery. She's doing well now. All my brothers and sisters, in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and apo's went to our house where my Mom stays. The place is completely jampacked with the kids playing almost everywhere inside the house and it was fun. Then we have decided to transfer to my Ate Virgie's other house just a walking distance from our place. Cynthia, wife of my brother Joji, arrived before lunch today from Russia where she is working to spend Christmas with her 2 boys (Jolo and Renzo). The day was filled with so much fun...eating as usual...and exchanging cash gifts (Filipino tradition). I have to rush cooking some more foods because my family is quite BIG. We started the Christmas celebration last night(Dec. 24) by having dinner. Then I attended to Christmas eve mass where I was a lector. My nieces (Gelyn, Minette, Joan, Rady) and some of my apo's were there too. There was an occassional rain last night and today(Dec.25) too. Christmas is the most-awaited event in the Philippines during the year. We have a long holiday vacation which formally started today. We will go back to work on January 05, 2009.

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MERRYL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY(DEC.22,2008)

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Every year, my sister Virgie is sharing her blessings to a lot of people here in our place in Manila. Last night, she distributed bags of rice to poor people near our place. It is indeed feeling good to make other people happy even for a while. My sister is well-loved here by those people who know her. Christmas is really really very much in the corner and everyone seems in a hurry for Christmas shopping. We will have our Christmas dinner(Dec.24th) in my Ate Virgie's house. She' is inviting our cousins Vicky, Daisy, Janeth, Taufer and Monching including their families to join us. Merry Christmas to everybody...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MERRYL

Merryl is turning one year old tomorrow(December 22, 2008). She will have a big party especially prepared by her parents, Marvin and Cindy and of course, her Lola Virgie. Maria, daughter of cousin Paul and his wife Tesa from Minnesota, is also celebrating her birthday on the 22nd of December.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA

Happy birthday to you Maria. You will be turning 7 years old tomorrow(Dec. 22, 2008). We all miss you and looking forward to seeing you and your family again. Enjoy your party tomorrow. Tito Edel loves you

MARIELLE

She is Marvin's first daughter. She loves wearing beautiful clothes hahaha. This picture was taken when I visited her last week-end. She's very charming and smart. Her sister, Merryl will be turning one year old on December 22, 2008. Marvin and Cindy will be holding a big party for her.

FIRST DAY OF ANTICIPATED DAWN MASS

December 15, 2008(Manila Time) marks the first anticipated dawn mass in preparation for the Christmas day. There are two masses being offered for nine (9) consecutive days until December 24. First is at 9:00PM which is the anticipated dawn mass and the second is at 4:00am. Also today, Christmas lights were put-on inside and outside the church where I am actively serving as Lector/Commentator. Merry Christmas to all!!!

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There were dance numbers, parlor games and raffle draws. I won a wall clock with the Heart of Mary as the design. It was my nice to experience my first Christmas party with the church servants...most of them are senior citizen hahahaha.

MY CHURCH MINISTRY

Today is our Christmas party for our Church ministry...the Lector and Commentator Ministry.
I joined this group since September, 2008 and presently serving in our Parish church and other chapels during regular masses. It's spiritually fulfilling to be part of this ministry. I learned many things about my relationship with our Creator from my involvement to this church service. Unlike before when I was just attending during Sunday mass. I wish I could bring my whole family closer to HIM and eventually open their hearts for our LORD.

AGAIN...THANK YOU!!!

THANK YOU COUSIN MISSY

I received today the photo album Missy personally made for me. It is very beautiful. I never get tired turning each page to look at the pictures she put there. Thank you Missy for this. I will show this to my family as soon as possible. I am sure they will love it too.

I AM NOT FEELING WELL...

I am not in a perfect health right now. I am experiencing short-breathing and recurring palpitations for the last three weeks. There were some chest pain. My medicine helps a bit but what I am presently experiencing gives me worries. I have to visit my Cardiologist ASAP. I have a heart problem many years back and it has been controlled by my medication. Maybe because of too much stress and pressure I had few months back. Perhaps I need some rest...away from work...away from problems...But how could that be??? hehehehe...GOD KNOWS!!!

IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS

Everybody here is getting excited for this coming Christmas despite of the global crisis. Filipinos are really waiting for this occassion. For all of us here in the Philippines, we make preparations for Christmas as early as October. Christmas songs are played on radio stations and Christmas decors are already brought out. Almost all streets and main roads in Metro Manila have Christmas lights. Truly, Christmas is very much in the air here.

WATCHING A CONCERT

My sisters Ate Virgie, Ditseng Ledgie and Malou together with other relatives will be watching a concert tonight. I will be staying home to be with my Mom to administer her intake of medicines. It was a very busy day because we left Manila at 6:00am for Bulacan to attend the birthday of my Cousin Chaveng. It was also a Thanksgiving day in that place where my Mom was born. We had lunch there with lots of foods...and we brought home some foods hahaha. We left the province at 12:00 noon and arrived in Manila by 3:30pm in preparation for the concert. It's already 5:00pm here(Manila time) and they are all excited to leave for the show tonight because it will showcase the singing prowess of four (4) local popular lady-singers in the Philippines. I heard tickets are sold-out and quite expensive. My friends will also be watching this. Sad that I can't join them because I have to stay home...I AM A CAREGIVER FOR TONIGHT!!!

MY MOM'S ANCESTRAL HOUSE

This is my Mom's ancestral house. She was born here. It's almost a condemned structure. The son of my cousin stays here. But prior to this, my Auntie was staying here. This was our favorite place to visit during our younger years. The whole family and my cousins usually spent our week-ends and vacations here. It was indeed a very big house before it was remodelled many years ago. I remembered how my grandparents prepared plenty of foods for all of us. There was no electricity yet during those years but we can still play in the night. They had backyard animals until now. Very provincial indeed.

BARRIO FIESTA

This is the place where my Mom was born. The name of the place is BUBULONG MALAKE. Every year, people are offering Thanksgiving for the good harvest. They prepared foods for their visitors. You can also see how these were cooked. They hired a band to parade in the whole place the whole day. Special program is being done in the evening to mark the end of the celebration. It's always a happy occassion.