Happy New Year

Or maybe I should say, Happy 4th day of the year! lol!

Ugh, I have been so busy... resting! Yes, I've been resting and I'm glad I got to sleep as much as I wanted to during the holidays. Last year's Christmas and the New year was joyful as always. I guess everything is extra special now since Micah came to our lives.

Usually, our Christmas celebration starts on the 22nd - Our Anniversary! It's our 7th year this year and we celebrated it, like always, as a family. We went to Rainforest Cafe, which I think is our favorite restaurant ever! It was a great night and a great way to start our Christmas festivities.

So, Christmas eve was spent with MB's family, indulging ourselves with too much food and opening presents. Micah loved all her presents, but found the ribbons more appealing at the end of the night. She collected a box full! Hahaha!

Christmas morning was spent with just us - and it was great! Micah opened the gifts she got from Santa (new kitchen and princess baking oven) and the rest of her presents from mommy, daddy and her aunts and uncles from work. We had a great morning assembling all her toys. When we finally got hungry, it was already brunch, so we went to Mimi's Cafe. After a very hearty brunch, we went back to home to assemble the rest of Micah's gifts. As an added bonus to MB's blue-ray player, we got ourselves a subscription to Netflix, so we had an endless supply of Christmas movies the entire day! Thank God for Instant Play!

We greeted the New Year with my family via the videophone. It was great to be able to ring the new year with them even if we're 5,000 miles away. It was fun to celebrate with them as they welcome the new year's with super loud fireworks - apparently, in HI, it is not illegal to light up their streets with their own firework display. As for MB, Micah and I, we just sat back and enjoyed seeing my family go ga-ga with their karaoke as we eat our greasy chinese take-out! It was a great night of laughing, sharings stories, and eating too much again. Thank God for the videophone! It eased my need to be with them on special days like this.

January 1, we spent it with MB's family once again. We went to Ikea since I have to buy something to help me manage and organize Micah's heap of toys in her room. I settled to buy the Trofast frame with 3 big bins. My SIL was laughing at me since I call every product in Ikea by name. Ha! Anyways, it was a great shopping day!

So, today, January 4, I would like to share with you the things that I am most grateful for, for the past year:

I am thankful for...

... Jesus - for being my Savior! I thank Him for another finished year of so many wonderful miracles and blessings! And I thank Him for His friendship! There is nothing like the intimacy I have with my Savior.

... my husband - for always, always being there for me amidst all the monthly mood swings and demands of being a husband and a father. He is really the best! Hands Down!

... my Micah - for being the best daughter anyone can ever have! I thank her for the joy she has brought to my life. Everyday is like being is Disneyland with her! I love her so much!

... my parents - for loving us and being there for us despite of us being all grown-up now. I thank them for their friendship and for the countless times I've called them during the oddest of hours and still pick up.

... my sisters Gem and Hannah, for being my sounding board when I need to vent. The best friends any girl can ever have!

... my brother Nate - for being so wonderfully complex! Just like Ditche...

... ACN - for providing for us a plan B that's for sure to be a plan A

... every one else that I am forgetting but I know has enriched my life for the better

TO EVERYONE, THANK YOU! I love you all!