Just Beautiful: My BIG, Happy Family

Isn't it beautiful to be part of a Christian family? There are many benefits and blessings which come from the Christian home- Prayer, Bible study, and family worship that keeps us together. I have happy memories of childhood experiences in my big happy home.

Last month, we got the chance of meeting my grandparents, parents, and my 13 siblings (plus the fiancees and nephew and niece)! What a grand reunion we had!

Family

I think about those I do not see,

Sensing that they too think of me.

So many miles I have strayed,

When I could have simply stayed.

Merely to expand the bond,

To make new memories far beyond.

Life's choices find us miles apart,

Ever close with the beat of my heart.

To relive in my minds eye,

Keeps them close and always near by.

Memories gathered from the start,

Forever alive within my heart.

My message is so simple and small.

Those three words most important of all,

I LOVE YOU!

~© Terri Napoleon~

You're the reason I became a mother

Dear Hyzyd,

The moment I gave birth to you, a "mother" in me was born too. I thought it's in me already but I was wrong. It's only a "woman" in me all along, never a mother. I'm glad that God blessed me to your mother. I care for you my child so deeply. . I will always be there for you especially on the moments you need me the most.

Because of you, I was able to celebrate Mother's Day with gladness in my heart since last year.

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day 2010

Happy 22 months my dear son! I love you so much. Mwaaaahhhh.

It's raining "birthdays"!

Yesterday was my hubby's 30th birthday, my sister Zereth's 11th birthday today and my mom's 51st birthday tomorrow! It's indeed raining "birthdays" this month of JUNE for our clan.

My hands are so full since our class started this month that I don't even managed to greet my hubby in blogosphere. If last year we're able to organize a surprise birthday party for my hubby with my friends, this year is different. My hubby just wanted to spend his natal day in a very simple way with me and Hyzyd. We dined in Black Canyon Coffee with salmon steak and Black Canyon's Special beef Steak. Day before his birthday, my hubby already warned me not to spend lavishly for his birthday especially that we're still on tight budget, we're saving for our "visit Philippines" project and I'm on diet (LOL!). I thought his birthday could be my way out to eat all I can! I was wrong! It seems that it's my hubby who's more determined to see me on my old slim and sleek figure than me.LOL! Anyway, I'm grateful for that. I'm hoping to see a slimmer version of me in the near future.

My gift for him? The unique gifts I've been planning to buy for him is not materialized yet but I will as soon as I get hold of our budget*grin* coz as what 'mama Mia" commented, I should buy those to make the both of us happier...LOL! I will let him choose his gift tonight if we're not tired. We'll visit Diana Mall. It's better to let him choose his gift so that he'll be more satisfied and contented with my gift to him.

As for my sister, I ordered a coin purse for her with her photos and my birthday greetings for her but my order doesn't arrived yet. I plan to order online a Greenwich meal package for my mom's birthday but I'm late already. I should order this 10 days before her birthday...tsk...tsk...so I don't have other choice but just to send the money intended for her birthday. It's what I did eversince but this year I plan to make some changes and surprises but I'm late for that so I'll make it up to her next year. I'll just send over mail the customized cosmetic bag I ordered for her.

It's my prayer that the birthday celebrants will always be happy not only on their special day but all the days of their life. They may always be loaded with God's blessings in every aspect of their lives.

I love you dear!

Happy birthday dear sis Zereth and to you mama!

Happy Birthday Eugene Rijn!

Eugene Rijn (read as RIN) is my brother and he's celebrating his 27th birthday! He's the third in a row of 14 children, a teacher by profession but currently enjoying a computer geek's life and happily engaged to his long time girlfriend.

This is "us" about 22 years ago

A brother is a little piece of childhood that can't ever be lost.
Thanks for being there for me through the years.
A brother is a special gift.
I'm so glad that God gave me a brother like you.
There is no other brother like you.
A brother is a friend for life.

Happy birthday, bro! May you have more years to come. I love you. Stay blessed and happy with your chosen career.

Thankful Thursday- I am God's Daughter!

Perceiving and understanding the love of the Heavenly Father isn't hard for me because God gave me the BEST father in the world! He's been there for me through thick and thin. He's my special friend-I could talk to him anything under the sun, school stuffs, dreams, faves, and crushes to having a boyfriend...I had my first and only boyfriend (which became my hubby)when I'm 20 years old. I'm so grateful to have a father who prayed for me and the commitment I made one early morning that I relied to him that I got a boyfriend! Hmmmm..my father is so sweet.

My father is my speech/poem writer, my essayist, and my trainer in oration and declamation when I'm still in elementary. He's the one who encourage me to perfect...hmmm..almost perfect my penmanship.

He's very supportive! Once, I was offered a teaching job in Day-asan, Surigao City, my father sent me there (the transportation going inside this fishing village is so hard). When life gets hard (having my first job is not easy, we only receive minimal salary), he's there to offer me allowance. When I came here in Thailand, I missed preparing his coffee and reminding him of his schedules.

I am his sweet daughter...I miss you and I love you Papa Ben

He's the one who design our wedding invitation. Isn't it nice and unique? My father and mother were God's instrument in making our wedding blissful and successful. I thank God for my everloving parents.

Even when I get married, my father's love for me never changed. God bless our desire that they'll be able to come over in Thailand to be there for me when I gave birth to their first grandchild. My father helped my hubby took care of me during those two-nights stay in the hospital.

my father with Hyzyd

Through my father, I had personal relationship with our Heavenly father. I thank God for making me His precious daughter and experience His immeasurable love for me.


These are other things I wanna give thanks to God:

1. God is doing great in my family (Great news from my 8 sisters and 5 brothers!)

2. God gave me trusted friends here in Thailand. It's a real blessing to have loyal, supportive, loving and kind friends whom I'll also give that loyalty support, love and kindness back in return. They're one of the many blessings in my life that make my happiness in life.

Ate Ate Yheng, me, Nonz (my sis-in-law now) about 3 years ago when we're still single....

The three of us were called the "three musketeers". You can't see either see either of us without the other. We're inseparable. They're the kind of friends that listen but never judges, help you out of a jam, tell it to you straight, and often forgive a debt (he..he..thanks friends). I could lean on their shoulder. They didn't fidget impatiently if I need to talk about personal troubles, family problems and other stuff. They are there for me sitting quietly while I venting my spleen without getting judgmental or offering too much advice. I wanna hold onto them for dear life for I can't find friends like them.

Mommy Gigie and me wearing wigs

Mommy Gigie makes me feel at the top of the world and pampers me like crazy (he..he..). That's why I called her "Mommy". She treats me like a baby...LOL!.... The affection she showers on me overshadows all trivial issues.

Ate Josephine and me

Ate Eng (as I fondly called her) is a friend that does not hesitate to confront me and has the courage to risk hurting me and spoiling the relationship, but will say and do what is truly best for me..hmmmm...yeah and I salute her for that. She's fun to be with (with that sanguine personality) though almost all the times. I read once "A true friend is one who believes that sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind, much like the surgeon". All of us require a mirror to reflect our true face and what better mirror than an honest friend who always reflects our blemishes clearly to us, comes what way.

3.God is with us all the time. I constantly praise Him for giving me to a loving husband and blessing our marriage with a precious 5 month old son.

4. I won a pretty layout for my blog.


You'll discover more testimonies of how good our God is at Laurie's place.

Great news from my 8 sisters and 5 brothers!

This morning I received the letters from my siblings (Ate Yheng brought the letters from the Philippines). I was laughing while reading their letters because of the jokes and cool reminders they added on their letters like what my 7th sister named Zereth who's in Grade III wrote..."Guess what Ate (older sister)...I'm the first honor again in my class....please take care of Hyzyd." The 8th sis, Temeni, who's in Grade I told us the good news that she's the fourth honor in her class. I'm amazed of how well she constructed her English sentence. Meizona, the 6th sis, is also fourth honor in her Grade V class and wrote that when our parents will visit us this year, she wanted them to bring Hyzyd to Philippines and that she'll take good care of him. The 4th sis, Yvonne who's in 2nd year high school detailed on her letter that she's not able to buy a good paper to write her letter because she slept so early...it's early because she slept at 12:30 am!....Our youngest, Doxa who's in K-3 scribbled also a love letter for us. She's so sweet. She wrote that she loves us so much!..I missed the letters of Mae, Beighty, and Zizah. I haven't asked my parents yet on why they forgot to send their letters for us. I missed them so much.

My mom sent an SMS message early this evening informing me that they're out for my father's speaking engagement (he's a minister) and that she'll be starting her summer class next Monday (she's a pre-school facilitator). She's glad to inform us that there will be 4 college students next school year. My bro Benzene will graduate from his Material Science Engineering course on October as well as my sis Mae who's taking up BS Environmental Science. My other bro Jasper talked to my parents and decided to take up 3-year Electrical course and the other one Rogne will take up the same course just like Benzene. My other bro is with her fiancee having their vacation somewhere in Cebu and that after that they're going to visit some of our relatives in Bohol...wow, it's so good for them to maximize their vacation.

Yes!!! I belong to a BIG, RICHLY BLESSED and HAPPY Family!!! I'm the ELDEST and I'm proud of this rare opportunity...WE are the living testimony of how GREAT is our God that He is able to provide all our needs. We lack nothing in His name...

My family...on my wedding I see to it that all my brothers and sisters will be part of my entourage. Beighty is not around. She's outta there eating...he..he..she missed our family pics. My brother who's next to me was not able to come for he and his wife were in Thailand.

These are my ever-loving and ever-supportive parents. I love you so much!

These are my sisters ( except the flower girl on the farther right-she's my cousin). The Brides' maid/sis L-R Yvonne Xyzelle, Geebei Mae (the brides' sis and the brides' Maid of Honor), Beighty Aivee (the one missing in our family pics) Zizah Neil, and Meizona Charin. The flower girls L-R Zereth Tirzah, Temeni Rezin and Doxagennes Keilah.


with my loving sis riding on a bride's car...oppps...sorry...it's a golf cart


the groom with my brothers (except the one next to my bro who wears red Barong Tagalog) L-R My hubby, Eugene Rijn, Benjamin Jasper, Benzene Jay and Rogne Keith

Gagay