A Wish Come True

Sunday night , I got a text from my brother Mark. He was scheduled to leave for Abu Dabhi the next day and that his flight had been confirmed. I felt a sudden rush of emotions and couldn't help the tears.Half of me was happy and proud of him.He'd come a long way from being a hard core punk to a grown up man. The other half was sad and I couldn't explain why. I felt like he was leaving me too. What a silly thought I told myself. He's heading to world unknown to him and there'll be no parents or sisters who's gonna tell him what to do...he is on his own. He's 22 but I think of him still as my little baby brother . I couldn't thank my dear husband enough for helping Mark all the way through and even making sure that he's enough money to survive till he gets his first pay check. What a great kind soul my husband is. He'd made such big difference to peoples lives and had given my family a brighter future. If not for him my sister would have not finish college and my brother getting a job in the middle east. His next plan is to help rebuild my parents house.

It is always been my prayer ever since my younger brother started having problems at school and hanging out with some less desirable bunch of teens that he would take life seriously and think about his future....Well, that wish was finally granted and I could have not ask for anything else...now I pray that he continues his journey to a better future and don't look back . I miss him already.

My brother Mark (The guy on the right)

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We still have not gotten a tree because of the rainy weather las t weekend .
This Saturday for sure ,come rain or shine , we will get our tree :)
My xmas shopping is half done. I think I bought enough for the kids. That's the
beauty of shopping here in the states, you can always return stuff so I'm not too worried about the kids presents. This Saturday I have to find presents for the adults and I know I am a little late but I already have an idea of what to get so it shouldn't be a problem.

I think this xmas will top off the previous year . There's a number of great things that happened to our family and I am so Thankful to our good Lord.


I will add more about the rest of our pre-xmas events.
ta-tah for now.

Have a good one everybody!!!

Anticipating,Online Shopping And An Award

Could you believe it??? As I am typing this post there is only less than 22 days left before Christmas!! That fast huh!!
Like always I have it all planned ...find the perfect tree, take the holiday ornaments out of the storage closet, surf the net for the right toys for the kids , plan for the xmas dinner etch etch...but I had to put my plans on hold for a while because of some major events that is going on with my family in the Philippines.

First, our youngest sibling got a job in Saudi Arabia and we've been scrambling every ways to make sure that his first flight out of the country will go smoothly. I must say I am a bit nervous coz he's only 22 and still very immature but come to think of it , I had my maiden voyage when I was 16. I guess I'm worried coz I know that it's not as easy as they think with all the adjustments that he has to go through.I have been texting him so many time giving him advise & tips on what to do , what to bring , what to expect. Part of me was so proud how he came around from being the problem child of the family to being a grown up with all his wonderful plans and hopes....another part of me is sad because he is going away just like me and I know that this will break my parents heart. But , we all have to make our own choices for our future.

Another major event is my sister's board exam (BS RN ) scheduled today and tomorrow. This is her second try and I am praying so hard that she make it this time. I know how much pressure it is on her especially now that our brother is going over seas ahead of her ( napag iiwan na sya). I trust her and I know that she will do everything she can to pass this exam...its for her own future....its for her own good.

I miss my brother and sister so much most of all during this holiday season.
When we were small kids , my father would bring Andok's Fried Chicken and some hot pandesal and call it "noche buena". No matter , the excitement for the coming of xmas and the New Year were not dampened by the meager amount of food on our dinning table , we still celebrated the joyous occasion as if we were chowing down expensive ham and other fancy dishes. We were still happy because we were together.

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My anxiety and restlessness is off the roof so I thought maybe surfing the net for toys would help me relax......NO...it didn't..it just made me more edgy. I guess I must have forgotten how it is to shop for toys. Last year was stressful because they were no longer infants nor toddlers..they are now "younger kids" or so the toy websites categorize their ages. Within an hour of looking I realize that it even more agonizing this time ( and the next years perhaps) not only because of the kids different interests but also the kind of toys that are out there. Not to mention the prize ( expect to shed a few hundreds if you have more than 1 kid ). Our DD requested a Nintendo DS and I tried to explain to her that if this is what she really likes then that's the only gift she's gonna get because Nintendo is expensive. She graduated from Leapster Learning Center which she loved so much that she accumulated 10 different game cartriges. Seems like she'd made up her mind so Nintendo it is for her. Our DS on the other hand is just starting to learn ABCs and he loves to color and paint and he is so interested with all kinds of animals.He also likes songs, music and books. My Amazon.com wishlist is full of options just for Shinjo .Me and my DH will have to sit together and pick the ones that we think are best for him.

We're doing all of our shopping on line and taking advantge of Free shipping. I don't think I could take the kids to the store and let them pick the toys they want then expect them to wait till xmas. That's just turture to them , I think.I mean , its hard even for grown ups to wait . If we have a babysitter , I would shop by myself or with my husband, but definitely not bringing the kids. And besides,I'm comfortable sitting infront of my laptop, in my flannel jammies and a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Here are some good websites for educational and unique toys.
1.Baby Universe
2.Wokits
3.ELC
4.Kaplan
5.Sensational Beginning
6.One Step Ahead

Happy Shopping!!!!


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My friend Tess and Bless gave me and award. You guys are so sweet. I'd like to give you a big bear hug if I could. Thanks to both of you.

I'd like to share this award to every one on my friends list coz you all deserve it too!!!