A Celebration of FRIENDSHIP

The holiday season has always been a time for reunions and gatherings not just among families but also with friends. This year, I had the chance to rekindle old friendship and celebrate the recent ones..

MY COLLEGE FRIENDS

It's not hard for us to get along the moment we entered college. After all, most of us have been friends in the past. We were either high school classmates, elementary classmates or pre-elementary classmates. One of the kikay groups in college known to party on weekdays and weekends, never a visitor of the library except when we're sleepy, most often seen in the canteen doing the assignment, eating and yes, powder sessions. It's not hard to find where we're seated becoz it's always at the back so we can paint our nails, eat, sleep and hmm cheat?hehe.. But we all made it in college and in life as well.. A lawyer, a CPA, businesswomen (Wade shoes, fashion finds, Chemical corp), a biggie in a BPO, an owner of a grade school, a banker, a savior in PhilHealth and happy Singapore dollar earners..

MY USC JUNIOR JAYCEE BUDDIES

As I was setting off to Ayala to meet my Sci-Hi Buddies last December 31, I got a message from Vee telling me that the JJC buds were in Postrio at the Terraces. I had to hurry and drop by because I could not pass up the chance to meet old friends from Junior Jaycees. USC Junior Jaycees was my first and ultimate school organization in college. Ryan Villaflores (guy to my left) was one phenomenal president who was the incumbent when I joined the org way back in 1st year college..he was succeeded by Tonite Adle (lady at the right). Junior Jaycees made up my best years in college, it also taught me a lot of things, in love and life :)

MY LAW BUDDIES

Yes, indeed we are lawyers though we never act like one when we are together, that is. Whether it's by a stroke of faith, luck or we really did work hard for it but yeah, we all passed the bar and made it. I see them more often these days and nothing has changed since law school..we're still noisy, the men still drink a lot, us ladies like to talk a lot and we all love to eat a lot!

MY HIGH SCHOOL BUDDIES
CEBU CITY NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL BATCH 94

15 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP AND STILL THE BEST A.K.A ULTIMATE BATCH :)

Despite the realization that we are not so young anymore, still it didn't actually matter. Being together made us all young again.. After 15 years, we've become our own persons but yet, we still remained to be the kids that we were way back in high school where the fondest memories have been built and kept by us all these years..

So here's to all my friends who have been part of my life.. I would not know how I'd be without you... to celebrate the good times, to keep the happy memories of the fun times, to be there in bad times and for all times.. here's to a long and lasting friendship, Cheers!

This seat is taken

Last year, my big brother thought of having a Kris Kringle in the compound plus the Fernandez family (my sis-in-law's fam) for Christmas dinner which turned out to be one happy family gathering and one of the best Christmas celebs ever. Back then, daddy was still around to celebrate with us. Little did we know that it would be his last Christmas with the family, physically that is.

In my previous blog, I have particularly mentioned dreading for Christmas to come because I would not know how to face the day knowing that it's not going to be like the Christmases I was used to. But somehow, when the day came, i realized it wasn't so bad after all.

On the 24th, I woke up early to fetch D from work because we had to deliver gifts. First stop was the flower shop. I had to buy dad a present from all of us. Then went on to his resting place to give him the present. I still could not believe he is spending Christmas in there (or up there) and here I am, giving him flowers and lighting candles, the only present I could give him. My heart ached at the thought of it and at that moment, more than any other time I wish I could hand over my gift to him in person so I could plant a kiss on his cheek and hear him say "thank you" with his oh-so modulated voice. But that didn't happen and from now on, I know it never will. I left his resting place with a heavy heart and had to satisfy myself with the thought that, DADDY was the first person I spent Christmas with.

Days prior I had dreamt of DAD for the first time since he left. In my dream we were all gathered together (in a place i can't particularly remember) and all of a sudden DADDY began singing along with the Christmas Song playing in the background. Ate Lida told me that it simply meant DAD wanted us to be happy on Christmas day.

And so we proceeded with our Christmas dinner/party at big brother's house which again turned out to be one fun evening for everyone. We had Christmas head gears, games, prizes and food (ofcourse). And to keep the memories of a good night, we all had our pix taken. One particular picture caught my attention after browsing over the uploads in facebook. It's the one posted above. That's us five siblings (Kuya Boyette a.k.a big Brother, Ate Lizzie a.k.a Dyosa of the Night, Nolan a.k.a. The good Son, Minnie (mouse) a.k.a Bright Girl and Moi a.ka. The Favorite (hehe) with MOM. This is the first family picture (sans DADDY) after dad left. Funny I noticed an empty chair right beside MOM with KIFI (daddy's fave dog) sneaking from behind. We didn't notice the empty chair when it was taken, we only saw it last night. It's as if the chair is reserved for someone.. DADDY, ofcourse!

I believe that it is DADDY's way to telling us that we should be happy this Christmas and in the coming years because even if he is not with us physically, he is celebrating with us spirit. And so, we shall continue to save you a seat, DAD.

Merry Christmas! I miss and love you.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I always find shopping therapeutic. Whether it's the real deal or just plain window shopping (which i do almost always) or even online shopping, it doesn't really matter. Fact is, i like the feeling of exploring new finds, new trends and the latest fashion craze. It keeps me balanced after long days..or weeks of work. It's like coffee, it perks me up!

Today is the exception. After class i went straight to Ayala to finish my Christmas shopping for my family and i was darn determined to buy them the things they wanted in their wish list so i could begin my long list of shopping for my "inaanaks". And so it became some sort of marathon which meant long walks, long lines in the cashier and mind boggling-brain racking analysis on whether the size would fit or the color would match. And my wedgees weren't of any help today. In as much as I was happy to find it yesterday while looking for a gift for my sister, i realized it was not fit for long walks and prolonged standing. The only breather i got today was my doze of Toffee Nut (thank you D) and some blush-on finds which wasn't as pricey. Overall, shopping today was a bit of a torture for me physically.

Coming home I checked on my family list, I felt good becoz I only have one more gift to buy which i can do for later when big brother comes home and gives me a more affordable/realizable wish list. And so i can begin shopping at the kids department this week. Hopefully I get to finish shopping for gifts this week and hopefully i still have money left for me and then i'll shop again.. weeeee!

IT'S bEGiNnINg to LoOK a LoT LiKE CHRISTMAS

I have always loved Christmas and i look forward to the Christmas shopping and our family's traditional Christmas dinner and opening of gifts. I look forward to the quality time we spend in decorating the house, putting up the Christmas lights, filling up the tree with gifts, shopping for gifts and posting of our Christmas wish list.

We usually get the Christmas kick after we put up the decors which is around middle of November. However, this year we were a bit delayed. Thinking about it, i suppose it could be because everybody's been busy but then again, truth be told even if we dont say it out loud, its because this Christmas and the coming ones will not, make that never be the same. We are no longer complete and this will be our first Christmas without dad. I honestly dread for Christmas day to come because my heart aches just by the thought that it is fast approaching but then again, i know life must and has to go on and dad would not want me sad either, i am sure of it.

We were used to the traditional red, green and gold color motifs for our Christmas decors, but all of a sudden, mom said she does not like red for Christmas this year. Whether its because its too happy a color, or it reminds her of dad or maybe she really does want another color for a change, i do not dare ask.

And so, im saying goodbye to the reds this year and will welcome the tangerine gold and green color motifs along with my credit card bill from the decor overhaul. Our Christmas will change but dad will remain in our hearts..our decors will change but it will still be filled with the same love our family has shared all these years.. And so I look forward to the holiday season..and yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.