Chinese New Year 2012

A few months back, one of the soon-to-be-grandpa's told us that his first granddaghter will be born on the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Papa Rene said this is a very good and lucky animal sign.

Last Monday, January 24, 2012, was the Chinese New Year . (And for the first time, this day was declared a holiday.)

I know it was too early but I hoped that the Chinese New Year will pass and Euen will still be inside my tummy. Now, she will be officially born in the year of the Water Dragon.

And you know who is else born in the year of the Dragon, Water Dragon to be exact? This only happens every sixty years. And who's turning sixty this year? The other soon-to-be-grandpa, Papa Chime.

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè Everyone!

Photo credit here.

Papogs' opened gift

Christmas this year was a little different. It was the first Christmas eve in my sisters' new house. It was the longest time that Papogs stayed there. We had to make the most out of the time that Lij is here. It's like everyday is a weekend for three weeks, aside from the fact that I couldn't get away with the usual Christmas traditions: cooking spaghetti (five times for the whole month of December), making refrigerated cake (six times) and mommy's fruit salad recipe (twice! we ran out before New year's eve!).

A highlight this Christmas is our gift to Papogs. Just like Ikoy, a couple of days before Christmas, he had been snooping under the Christmas tree to see which wrapped gift/s is his. But his gift wasn’t there! Until the night before Christmas. At the stroke of midnight, we sat around the big and colorful Christmas tree and started giving gifts to each other. He sat at the corner, impatiently waiting for his gift. When there were no gifts left under the tree, he said he was tried and wanted to go the sleep. It was then that we took our gift from the car and gave it to him. Can you see the smile on his face?

He waited until the boys got it out from the box, and set it up. And he said he was sleepy.
But we were happy.
Disclaimer: my share on Papa’s gift is just a fraction, it was mostly from Lij.

Noche Buena

This is the first Christmas in our new home. I was happy because Papogs agreed to spend the Noche Buena with us. Though we didn’t have the usual “Sopas na Tadyang”, we setteld for just the ham and Queso de bola sandwich, and the hot Tsokolate E. With our cute Belen transferred on the dining table, we were all happy to be together celebrating the birth of Jesus.