Towards a better year...

I look forward to a better 2010. I thank God for 2009, but there were events that brought some sadness in the past year...

One: our first grandchild was finally delivered, two months after his/her heart stopped beating while in our daughter's womb. The baby was named Sari. Of course we felt sad, but we understood that there is a reason why this happened. We prayed for a healthy, normal child, and when the baby turned out not to be the one we prayed for, God took it back. One happy note is that Hanna and Sam now have an angel in heaven.

Two: Ondoy and Pepeng came, and most of Luzon went underwater... Binan included.Our community is near the Binan river which drains onto Laguna Lake. Our house is less that two kilometers from the delta. Ondoy brought a lot of rain, the river overflowed, and our house went underwater. It was neck deep in our garden! (my neck - - height is 5' 3.5") and chest deep inside the house. The days / weeks that followed saw us cleaning and helping out in the relief operations.

2009 also had its special moments!

In November, we played hosts to my balikbayan sister and brother-in-law who came home for a 3-week vacation. My sister primarily came home to attend the first ever grand reunion of RPN 9 (she used to work with Dolphy and Nida Blanca in John & Marsha; Nora Aunor in Superstar and Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora; Armida Siguion- Reyna in Aawitan Kita, to name a few).

We went to Cebu and Bohol, courtesy of my brother-in-law, who celebrated his 60th birthday last Nov 26. Thanks, Conrad!

The holiday season came and went too fast with a lot of parties and food, hay!

As mentioned earlier, I welcome 2010 with a positive outlook. I hope this new year will bring blessings to all.

I will continue whatever I have been doing in 2009. I will continue to be a wife to Ross and a mother to Hanna; I will continue to play badminton with my badminton buddies (Yummies and Smashers' group!); I will continue to volunteer for the Open Heart Foundation (advocacy is women's and children's rights), Parenting Foundation of the Philippines (advocacy is alternative childcare for abandoned, abused, orphaned, homeless, children in conflict with the law, etc.. we're a licensed foster family) ; I will continue to spend my weekends in Tagaytay; I will continue to touch base with my friends from grade school and high school.

And finally, I will try to eat and stay healthy. I will appreciate life more than ever, and be a blessing to my family and friends.

PS. Will get involved in this coming elections: GO GIBO!