31 Reasons to be Thankful
- My awesome husband Mike Juan, who puts up with me, makes me laugh everyday, inspires me to be a better person and enjoys giving me things I don't need but want. I thank God everyday for the blessing that is him.
- My super smart and talented Lia who rarely hesitates to perform for friends, family and strangers. She makes sure she is buckled up whenever we ride the car, and tells her Lola to stop giving her sweets.
- My super sweet and adorable Desi who likes to play teacher, sing songs, and give many many kisses. She likes wearing her Cinderella costume as pambahay and she eats her gulay everyday.
- My super smiley, super bait Ramon. He doesn't do much yet, but he makes me happy just by existing. I love him from the top of his mohawk to the tip of his baby toes. I love him to itty bitty bits!
- Our house. It keeps us safe, and dry and warm or cool depending on what we need. The parties we were able to have, friends and family we have welcomed, the space that allows us to take them in. Most importantly, it keeps my family together, so we can go home to each other everyday.
- My parents who are forever young, at heart and in looks, which are the only aspects that matter anyway.
- My siblings who allow me to invade their lives once in a while, redecorating their room, making them play farmville, and making them treat me to a movie date. :) I love them! And that Carlo is well even if he's far away and we get to talk to him almost weekly, and that he'll be coming home for Christmas.
- Still four living grandparents, all of whom I get to visit every week.
- Michelle and Luis! Because of them, my family is big and noisy, just as I always dreamed it would be.
- My parents-in-law for being generous to a fault. They remember to buy mosquito repellent and fruits and desserts which I keep forgetting to do.
- That my pregnancy and delivery was uneventful and my recovery was quick. And that I have plenty of milk to nurse with, and that I didn't have to pressure myself to maintain a freezer full of milk.
- For our yayas past and present. They don't only make sure our kids are fed and bathed, they also genuinely love our children, and our children love them. And our househelp and drivers, as well as Michelle's, they make our lives easy and convenient and they do their work with a smile.
- Our Dr. Lolo Tito Jojo who takes care of all the kids in our family (including us older kids), and our generous and skillful pediatric surgeon who made Ramon all better.
- The non-stop parties on the day of my birthday, thanks to the people who had other reasons to celebrate, but invited us as well, and my whole family out to dinner that night, even if it was short notice (as in organized the day itself), we were complete.
- Luis's super bongga first birthday celebration, and my being able to invite and see old high school friends and meet their spouses and children. It was a special birthday treat to get to spend time with them.
- Mike's high school friends who can't seem to get enough of each other, they bring us wives along and we always laugh a lot when we're together. And my chix and other movie-watching friends who participated in Aliwin ang Buntis outings. If not for them I'd forget how to behave around adults.
- Lia and Desi's school here in the village. My kids have friends, and their friends parents are now my friends, and their teachers are clearly dedicated to their growth, not just their education. It is a very good school.
- Lots of weddings! It meant lots of chances to dress up fancy and spend time with people we only see on special occasions. (Also I'm thankful for formal dresses that fit me when I was pregnant and still fit me now that I'm not.)
- Lots of new babies! Barkada for Ramon as they grow up and lots of fuzzy wonderful joy that new babies bring.
- The fast new laptop, the iPad and the GF1. The latest Terry Pratchett novel, and the old ones I've acquired and am re-reading.
- Our redecorated office, messy but functional, and I found a new avenue of creativity as I was fixing it up.
- Trips to Baguio and Pampanga with the family, and to Batangas with the Rosenbergers.
- Getting to meet Neil Gaiman and he remembered my tweet and he hugged and kissed me and I almost gave birth right there and then. Haayyyy...
- That Mike got to go to the UK. Even if we spent all that time apart, I know he learned a lot from meeting people from all over the world and living in a foreign place. For this, and the daily skype conversations, I am grateful. AND that he can knowledgeably take me around the UK when we go next year. Yesss!
- Plenty of chickens. And more chickens. And a new house for the more chickens.
- Double cable, faster broadband internet.
- Clean roof gutters and no floods. Segregated garbage, reusable bags for the supermarket, and biodegradable garbage bags.
- Ninang Michelle's new house with a swimming pool. (and no more house-related drama)
- That PNoy was elected and that this inspired a lot of good people to be in the government to serve our country nobly and selflessly.
- That everyone in my family is well and healthy (despite the best efforts of some of them to the adverse), we eat well everyday, have everything we need and many things we don't need. And we have each other and can rely on each other no matter what.
- That I am inspired to accomplish things in the future, and I know what I want to do. But that I can take it easy for now and be a full-time mom in the meantime.
Bitin na naman. I have so much more I want to be thankful for. Good thing I get to add another number to next year's list. And thank you to YOU for reading all this. :)