Christmas is Here!

Christmas is definitely just around the corner. September and October passed by too quickly I didn't  realise, it's November already!

Well Kuya Liam has been very excited because he knows that Christmas time not only means presents, but also his birthday.

He kept on bugging me to put up our Christmas tree for weeks, but I was just too busy with work and catching up with house work and Sam's party.

I wanted to put it up mid November, but my little boy is one persistent kid. The result? We put it up last Monday and he was very, very happy!

The presents have been wrapped hehehe (I started wrapping presents as early as July! I didn't know then we will go home by December, buti na lang kung hindi cramming ako!) and are now under the tree.

A lot of decors are still waiting to be put up, but Christmas has arrived -- the feeling and the spirit of the season is definitely present in our home!

my Christmas tree :) it's not as fabulous but i'm very happy with my output this year.
finally got what i wanted

pinwheel for the garden and garland :)
 

hanging Santas

more Christmas decors

trying to be creative and using our old Christmas decors

prayers granted

I told you in one of my previous blogs that I will be updating you once something comes up...well, for one, Santa (oh the good Lord!) has granted my Christmas wish number one! Last Thursday, Alvin received the good news that his contract with BAT was extended! Thank you Lord, another answered prayer! And just like what I have written, once wish number 1 has been granted, wishes 2 to 4 will most probably be granted as well. But I am in no hurry. Even if I receive those gifts after Christmas, it will be perfectly fine with me.

Now my focus is to just give birth. All is set on Monday, the 22nd, 8am Sydney time (5am Manila time) and I know that once I step on the hospital grounds on Monday morning it will be the start of a whole new adventure! I have prayed that Sam comes out early, I was thinking that since Liam came out two weeks in advance, she might as well do the same. But no, I think Sam has decided to stay and wait for the day. Sometimes I find myself why this is taking too long and honestly I have been grunting already! Well, it was only in the last two days that I became cool about this whole waiting game...a little voice was telling me that I have to rest my worries first. Yes, up to this point, it is a struggle for me to rest my worries especially for the people whom I will be leaving at home, while I'm at the hospital. I worry for them, I worry for my son, I worry for my home. Talk about being a worry wart all over again! Well, can you blame me? I'm a mom and a wife! It was a good thing that was finally able to release my worries to my husband last night, I shared to him my thoughts and feelings of going to the hospital. His assurance that they will manage and they can live while I'm at the hospital made things better for me. Him telling me to make the most out of the time I'm at the hospital has assured me as well.

Well, so far so good. I think this Christmas will be a different Christmas and I better get ready as I officially start another colorful phase of my journey!

Christmas Wishes (and Prayers)

Hmmm, who ever said Christmas wishes are only for kids? Well, if my Liam wants a toy piano this coming Christmas (which he will get), why can't I share my Christmas wishes as well? It's actually somewhere in between a Christmas wish and a Christmas prayer. As an adult, I do know that I may wish and pray all I want but I have no assurance that I will get all -- and I am very much okay with that. After all, it's free to wish, right?

So here it goes. I only want four things for Christmas:

First, a new job or an extension of my hubby's contract with BAT. His present contract expires on 19 December and there is a possibility that he will get another extension (as per our discussion last night), which we are both thankful for. If this thing does not push thru, there is another job offer waiting, still with a big and a well-established FMCG company, which is very near our place, unlike BAT. Now, whichever of the two will be given to us, we will be very thankful and grateful.

Second, another car for my family. Yes, the family is getting bigger and by the time Sam comes out, we won't fit in our car anymore. We are thinking of buying our first family car -- a seven-seater car -- which we can use with the Lolos and Lolas when they visit here. Of course, we'll still be keeping the first car that we have. It will be of great help to us, and to me especially, if I get to use any of the cars available, especially when my in-laws are back in Manila. A brand new car or a second-hand car? Does not really matter, it will all depend on God's (oh this is Christmas wishes right, so I better use Santa :D) answer or decision on wish number one.

Third, a new cam corder. Liam is fast growing up and Sam will soon join us. Yes, our mobile phones comes in very handy in documenting the milestones of our children during unguarded moments but I would want to document special occasions like school programs and the like using an appropriate equipment. Of course, Alvin wants a good quality of cam corder already which he can use with his hi-tech LCD TV. This area I leave it all to him, being a tech-ie guy. We can actually buy now, but we wouldn't want to touch on our savings, yet, until we have received a definite answer for wish number 1.

Lastly, a piece of jewelry for myself. I have invested a couple of pieces but everytime I see the catalogues, almost every week, I can't help but I wish I can buy one and add to my collection. I don't have much because even if they are a good investment, my heart tells me, in the end, I can't bring them all when I die. It might even be a cause of arguments or conflicts when I die. I would just like to add a piece or two on my collection for special occasions. Again, I can already buy one, but priorities will have to take place. And who knows, hubby might surprise me with one (but I doubt it, he is also not keen in investing on pieces of jewelry).

There you go, my four simple Christmas wishes. As you can see, wishes 2 to 4 all depend on wish number 1. If God grants wish number 1, there is a higher chance that I can also get the three other wishes. So bottomline, I hope Santa grants wish number 1! hehehe

Will I get all? Let's wait and see :D

Celebrations!

The past few days have been joyful and busy...and the comings weeks as well.

Last Saturday, there were many reasons to celebrate. One, it was Halloween and Liam was again in his costume. Last year, he was an angel. This year he was a Dracula.He was so "game" as shown in his pictures, he knows when to act in front of the camera and have his monster face! I loved taking his photos!




Two, last Saturday, it was a triple celebration -- Halloween Party for the CFC kids, my baby shower and my 32nd birthday. The weather cooperated. We were thankful that even if it did drizzle a little, the weather was not as rainy as they predicted it to be. And even if our home was just too little for all the well-wishers, I think everyone enjoyed the celebrations.










Third, the next day, Sunday, it was my Kuya's turn to celebrate (and treat us). We went to Parramatta and ate at Carne Station, a Korean BBQ Buffet Place. Ate a lot! Burp! The gang of 6 had a blast!




Now, it's November already! Christmas is just around the corner and on the first day of November, we decided to put up our Christmas tree and some Christmas decors! Liam is sooo excited!





And finally, 21 days froms now (or less), we will have our second bundle of joy, Andrea Samantha! No pictures to be posted yet. But as soon as she's here, you'll see her right away.

I am happy because these celebrations are all reflections of God's blessings! Looking forward to the coming days and the future celebrations!

Christmas in August!

Yes, I know, we still haven't reached the "ber" months, which for most Filipinos signals the start of the Christmas season, but for me, preparations for Christmas has begun already!

I am due to give birth end of November and since I'm under the C-section, I don't expect that I would be physically capable of doing the Christmas shopping when December comes. And besides, I hate cramming. So as early as now, I have started with my Christmas shopping. I have my Christmas list and it is updated everytime I get to buy a present for somebody. This year the list became a bit longer as our circle of friends based in Australia also grew. In the same manner, we plan to send some simple gifts to our families and godchildren who are based in Manila. Doing my Christmas shopping this early, I think, is financially rewarding, because I get to see and purchase good gifts which are on sale, which in effect allows me to save. It also allows me to choose the perfect gift for the friend, godchild, or family member, without the time pressure. I'm pretty sure I'd end up giving generic items if I start shopping by October or November. For this, I hope that the recipients of our gifts would be happy of our presents as they were carefully chosen. Next, I get to go and comapre and shop among different shops. I'm not limited to the shops around Western Sydney, which I think is another plus for me.

I have also given my hubby his Christmas present, a GPS, which he thinks would be useful when we go out on long drives. Well, he asked me if he can have his Christmas present in advance. I gave in becuase there was actually a ale on GPS last last weekend. But aside from this, I also plan to give him an RC Helicopter which I know he'll love playing with our son Liam. I'm done with Liam's gift as well, a Piano toy and for his birthday, tickets for the Wiggles concert in December.

Now, I still have a lot of people on my list, but I already have an idea what to give them. I just need to go to this shop and majority of them will be gone from the list already. The harder part is finding the right present for my immediate family.

So there, that is how I have started my CHristmas 2010 preparations and I just can't wait to finish shopping for all my loved ones!

The Hardest Part of Christmas

Since I have started writing about Christmas the other day, I might as well continue with it. But this time I’ll be sharing about the things I do to get ready for Christmas.

Come September, I already make my list of family and friends whom I should and would want to buy a gift. To make things easy for me, I do it per category. I start with immediate family of course. Next are my closest relatives. After family and relatives I start listing down the names of my and my husband’s godchildren. I should not miss out on these kids, especially that we are considered as their second parents. It is just sad that most of them don’t get to see us anymore because we have lost contact with their parents. So to our godchildren, we may not see you that often anymore but rest assured that you are not forgotten in our Christmas list. After our godchildren, friends are next. Friends is quite general so I still list per category, they are classified as friends from work, from college, or even from high school. After listing everyone, I still double check it because I might have missed someone. And I wouldn’t want to be on that person’s shoes.

After the listing of names, now comes the listing of possible gifts and the budget allotted. Of course, family members get the highest allocation. I need not elaborate why.
Since the bazaar season has started as well, I grab that opportunity to buy some of the gifts. I start buying the gifts of the people whom I will not be able to see because of the Christmas break. So basically that refers to my friends at work. Slowly thru my frequent visits at these bazaars and malls, I get to complete my Christmas shopping. By the first week of December I am already done with my shopping and now ready to wrap them. By the time the calendar hits the second week of December; my focus has already shifted from gifts to the family activities for the Christmas season --the Noche Buena, Media Noche, the Christmas parties, the other events like weddings or birthdays and the dawn masses. This may also include visiting relatives, gift-giving to the less fortunate, or having an out-of-town trip.

These are just some of the things I usually busy myself with during the Christmas season. I find myself lacking sleep at times, but what the heck, everyone is on the same boat as I do! But sometimes I get to think that people, myself included, usually fall into this kind of trap. This is how we prepare for Christmas. Gifts, parties, reunions. We may find all of these activities as the reasons why we love Christmas so much. But I believe that this is a sad fact because we know that there should be more than just buying presents and reunions. Getting ready for Christmas in the truest sense of the word is the harder part...is the hardest part.

Christmas Blues

I have been getting emotional the past days knowing that Christmas is just around the corner. This will be my first Christmas away from my parents. This will also be my first Christmas away from home. Home as I define it now is Manila. I will have my first Aussie Christmas. Friends and family who have been here in Sydney has been warning us that Christmas here is different from our “Paskong Pinoy.” Well, I agree with them. Even if my family didn’t migrate here in Australia, I must say that the spirit and the entire celebration of Christmas in the Philippines is truly one of a kind. What makes it truly unique? Well, for one, we start celebrating it by the time our calendars hit the first day of September. Yup, the “ber” months is the signal that soon we’ll be hearing the choirs sing Christmas melodies, the radio stations playing the Christmas songs, tiangges in every nook and corner of the city, puto bumbongs and bibingkas. Second, it is unique because of our Simbang Gabi or dawn masses. Who cares if people really didn’t understand a word the priest said in his sermon? As long as they can tell my friends that they were up and about at 4am to perfect their attendance in the Simbang gabi, they are in. Third, people are becoming unusually generous. Well, it’s sad that people’s generosity is just seasonal, but then again, let’s be thankful that even if for a short period of time, more people cared, more people shared, and more people loved.  Now who wouldn’t miss celebrating Christmas at home? No wonder almost all OFW’s would want to book a flight back to Manila by December.

Well, I have to face the harsh truth that this year will be different. I gave in to my emotions a couple of days ago, but I have to snap out of it, soon. Yes, I will terribly miss celebrating it with my closest friends and family, but I also have to move on. So now, I am actually thinking of ways so I won’t miss our Paskong Pinoy. Here’s my list:

1)      Busy myself with a lot of work. That means household chores, mommy duties and wifey duties.

2)      Finish the teacher’s manual for the textbook I co-authored with a friend.

3)      Look for work or a part-time job.

4)      Improve my blogsite and hopefully earn from it soon.

5)      Get in touch with old friends thru FB.

6)      Catch up on my reading.

7)      Organize all pictures taken for the year.

Oh well, I can’t run away from it. Even if I’m here in Australia, the Christmas bug will definitely hit me, so just the same, I’d do some things that are Christmas related. So to continue with my list, I will:

8)      Play my Christmas CDs on the radio.

9)      Start shopping for Christmas gifts for family and new friends based here in Australia.

10)   Wrap presents.

11)   Put up the Christmas tree

12)   And hey, my son is turning 2 as well, so I might as well start preparing for his 2^nd birthday party

13)   Eat and be merry.

Yup, I’ll eat my heart out and celebrate! I have to be happy with what I have now. There’s no use if I continue being sad. Now to fully convince myself, I have to realize and tell myself that the fact of the matter is Christmas is all about Christ. It doesn’t matter where I am or who I’m with. Christmas should go beyond the “feeling”, the gifts and the superficial things. The harder question now is, can I convince myself? =D