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Sunday, December 31, 2006

Our First Noche Buena

Seems like its been ages since I last posted here! I thought I'll be able to come back after dinner on my last post but it took me 12 days to do so! Haha! :)

Anyway, after my last post, we've been busy with the holidays. Had our first simple Noche Buena (Christmas Eve dinner) in our own home with the family. The preparation was fun. Everybody helped out even my husband! He wanted to have Chicken Pandan on our menu but everybody's busy working on each own's menu so he helped out wrapping the chicken with pandan leaves! :)

While we were busy on menu preparation, I gave the kids paper clay art to work on. They had fun. Even my son, Vcoy, managed to finish his project which I never though he will coz he's not the type who loves working on intricate things. But his pre-school teacher once told us to engage him in beading, play dough and other projects that would require the use of his fingers to improve his fine motor skills. No, he's has no problem whatsoever, but i guess kids, especially boys, are born with really bad penmanship and they write letters sooo BIG! :) Anyway, we were happy to see that they enjoyed the project and are looking forward to our next!

Our Noche Buena was simple but I felt very thankful for everything God has blessed us. I can feel the joy, peace and thankfulness in our home from each and every member of our family - Vic, Vcoy, Loui, Ate Letlet & Kuya Toto. Its more than the gifts each has prepared for us but the gift of a healthy relationship is what matters most. I miss my family so much (my parents, brother and sister) coz our Christmases were never complete since 1991 after my sister went to the US and now all of them are there already! :( But having my own family enjoy the Noche Buena brings back the memories I had in this home. That's enough for now.... someday we will all be together again one Christmas.

Christmas day went out just the same - we heard mass in the morning, had lunch with my inlaws then went home in time for dinner. The kids were excited with their gifts. I told Vic this is not the kind of Christmas I had when I was a kid. It was happier then maybe because we have our grandparents, lots of cousins & relatives. Or maybe because we are just getting older! Haha! Or maybe just a different joy....

Christmas now, for me, is all about remembering the ReaSON why we are celebrating it and being grateful for what we have been blessed. Its not about the material gifts that we have received but the blessings our hearts feel. Christmas indeed is happy.

Airees
"Live life creatively."

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