Christmas is LOVE at the Children's Home! :)

December 9th, 2012 - I thank the Lord for this day! It's the big day at the orphanage (related post here...) and it's my hubby's birthday! :)

We started the day right with a holy mass at Sister Maria Bertilla Vangelista Children's home, celebrated by Father Serg.  We were extra grateful that Father Serg made it to the event despite his busy schedule this month. It was a fun-filled celebration as kids were enchanted with Father Serg's comical stories and antics.  

After the mass, we started with the kiddie party hosted by two of Jollibee's crews.  The orphanage was filled with laughter as the first half of the day was swept away by games, dances, Christmas tunes and nothing else but fun!  Kids were all thrilled to participate in each and every game.  They all compared prizes, kept them aside and then played some more...

Prepping for the next game!

All eyes and ears...

Little kids can do the cup dance too.

Kids enjoying the cup dance! 

The twin = Partners in crime! :)

Showing off the prizes!

Newspaper dance

My nephews, Rap and Gab

A kiddie Christmas party wouldn't be complete without the showcase of talent from the kids.  My nephews and niece showed their moves in front of the 17 young girls and the cheering nuns.  Well, it's been a long time since I've seen them dance so I consider it the highlight of my day as well.  Behind the rolling camera I was holding that moment, I can see my Nanay and Inay laughing and enjoying their performance as well.  It was priceless!

"Everyday I'm shuffling" - From my nephews, Gab and Rap & my niece, Zak

Of course, kids at the orphanage also prepared a special intermission number for us.  It was a joy to see all of them on the dance floor!  I can tell the nuns were so proud of them, too, being their parents. :)

The young and talented kids at the orphanage

After an hour, a long table was set up for a sumptuous lunch.  Everyone feasted on Jollibee's crispy fried chicken with gravy, cheesy spaghetti, steamed rice, peach mango pie, and the oh-so delicious dirty ice cream in 2 flavors -- pinipig (roasted rice flakes) and cheese. It was also the best time to enjoy the Christmas songs in the background, the calming view and the cold breeze of the place.  To add, it was the perfect time to enjoy the company of my family!

Inay and Nanay

The happy bee!

Thanks to my friends Manel, Genica, Rod and Jason for sponsoring the ice cream.  Everyone enjoyed it! :)

My sistah with my nephew, Hav

My brother in law as "Mamang sorbetero" with the kids queuing up and all excited for their turn

And who doesn't love "The Jollibee" himself? The kids went gaga over the presence of Jollibee the mascot, especially when he danced with the crews.  He still proves to be the ever graceful and most famous mascot in the country. :)

Jollibee and Havvi

After a couple of snaps with Jollibee, we ended the party with gift-giving.  We gave each kid a wrapped toy and green eco bag with sandals in it.  You can just imagine the genuine joy as each of them opens their gifts.  Of course, we never forgot to bring presents for our beloved sisters, too.  After all, they've taken the noble responsibility over these kids and they love them as their own.  We also left the orphanage with two sacks of rice courtesy of my four besties, whom I'd never get tired of mentioning here - Manel, Genica, Rod and Jason.

My brother in blue, with my brother in law, nephew and niece

To my family and to my dear friends who made this event a success, thank you for making my Christmas extra sweeter this year.  To the nuns and kids of the orphanage, thanks for welcoming us!  I hope we will all be in this together again next year! :)

12.12.12

It's 12.12.12 and I'm in the Philippines!  I promised to start my own legacy to be at somewhere special doing something special on such a historic date.  In fact, I captured my promise on this blog. :)

Well, being in the Philippines for a short, pre-Christmas vacation is already a blast.  Although I did not wake up in a fancy hotel at one of the tourist spots in the Philippines (not what I initially planned), I am thankful to be here in my hometown when this historic date hits.  After all, there's still a lot of things to be thankful for; and being alive and kicking today is one of those many things!

What made the day extra special is my visit to Divino Amor Redemptorist Church at Lipa City.  The church is well-known to be the place of profound devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for most Batanguenos.  On Wednesdays, the church is packed with devotees from all walks of life.  In fact, today's scene is not far from what it was like when I was still a kid.  The church's structure may have already been renovated but it is still the same place where people would squeeze in to light candles or would rub hankies on Mama Mary's portrait.  I'm glad, most Filipinos continue to believe in Mary's intercession.  The massive presence was amazing!

Snapped after a powerful novena on 12.12.12

It felt great to attend an all-Filipino version of the novena once again.  It's been awhile since I celebrated this devotion with fellow Filipinos 'coz in Singapore, I normally do the novena alone. In here, the rites are familiar, the tunes are familiar and I sang out loud! 

And oh, did I mention about the puto-bumbong and bibingka stalls just outside the church? Yummy! Only in the Philippines... :)

Perfect for the cold December breeze.