Holidays with the Diazes 2016 - Part 2

Sadly, we were unable to accomplish majority of the activities on the second half of our 25 Days of Christmas Activities. It was during this period that we went to Negros and then our little Queen B got sick. Also, I got swamped with other chores that I didn’t get to prepare the materials needed for some of our target activities. Here is what we were able to do:

Day 11: Read the Story of the Nutcracker Ballet

I have watched a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet back in college for our Humanities class but I must admit its story didn’t really register on me. I guess I was more excited, like my classmates, on our Star City tour which we will have right after the ballet. I did enjoy the dances though. So when I saw a book about it I didn’t hesitate to buy it for my little Queen B. Hopefully, in the near future we will be able to saw a live performance of it.

Honestly, our little Queen B didn’t respond that well to the story. Maybe in the future she’ll appreciate it more.

Day 19: Follow the Christmas tree pattern

I used some washi tapes to create a pattern of a Christmas tree on the floor then I just showed to her how to follow it. She liked it so much she kept playing with it for days.  

Day 21: Bake Christmas cookies/ bars

Actually, I was baking blondies and brownies all throughout the month of December. My sister Joan was selling them at her workplace. My earnings from this little side business paid for the blondies and brownies we baked for personal consumption.

My little Queen B’s task was to decorate the goodies with sprinkles which she certainly loves as she gets to taste some of it after. She also enjoyed having the blondies as her snacks or dessert.

Day 24: Christmas Eve Lunch and Dinner

At lunch time, Georgina’s Ninang Che and Ninong Bobby paid us a visit to bring their gift for our little Queen B. It was also our opportunity to give to them the batwan fruits we promised to them. They have been to Iloilo before and have tasted cansi. Bobby has always wanted to recreate that dish in his kitchen but does not have batwan so we brought extra batwan for them from our recent Negros trip.

As always, it was fun catching up with them. Hopefully, someday we will be able to push through our plans of travelling together.

Afterwards, J and I became very busy with the preparations for our early Christmas Eve dinner (We scheduled it at 7 in the evening so the kiddos are still awake and can join us.). Unfortunately, we discovered a leak in our kitchen sink which resulted in a major clean up of the cabinet under our sink. It was a very stressful afternoon for us!

I am still thankful that God had given me enough strength to finish all the preparations just in time. And here is the result of our hard work:

 Our Christmas Eve spread

 Roast Chicken ala Turkey by Gordon Ramsay. I used Gordon Ramsay's recipe for his thanksgiving turkey for our chicken. A turkey won't fit in my oven so we had chicken instead. 

 Baby back ribs as requested by my sister Joan. 

Another request from my sister Joan is this creamy macaroni salad. 

For dessert, we made this fruit salad ice box cake whose recipe I got from the December issue of Good Housekeeping but instead of using eggnog cookies I used  bañadas, a Negrense cookie. 

 I also prepared a make-your-own hot chocolate drink. 

 

The holidays are best spent with our family. My brother TJ and his family also joined us later that night as they attended a Christmas Eve mass first. 

Day 25: Celebrate Christmas!

Since there were still so many leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, our family decided to bring all the leftovers for lunch at our Mama’s house on Christmas day. This gave our little Queen B more time to spend with her cousins. They played together and even took out their bicycles which were our gifts to them for a ride.

 Our little Queen B with her Ate Bella who is exactly 2 months older.

As for me, I spent my whole Christmas day in bed as my body fight a very bad case of the flu. It took me almost the whole week before I felt myself again. That experience really taught me the value of good health which is why having good health is a priority for me and my family this 2017.

Aside from our 25 Days of Christmas Activities, we were also able to do other Christmas-related activities. One of them is my attendance at the Thanksgiving Fellowship of WOW (Women of Worth). WOW is composed of all the ladies of our local church GCF-Santa Rosa. Our Thanksgiving Fellowship which also doubled as a Christmas party was held last November 30 at Laguna Technopark Hotel.

 Sis Joji Villanueva shared to us the what, when, where, why, and how of thanksgiving according to the Bible. Image by Sis Leslie Paet. 

 Definitely, the star of the afternoon was Sis Gina Codina who showed her prowess in singing and acting. Image by Sis Leslie Paet. 

 

 My group and table mates. Image by Sis Leslie Paet. 

The ladies of GCF-Santa Rosa. 

It was an afternoon of studying God’s words and having fellowship with the wonderful and beautiful ladies of GCF-Santa Rosa. I am blessed to be part of this group of women who uplift and empower each other and whose main goal is to live a life that abides with Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that I’ll be able to attend our monthly gathering regularly.

For the second time since our little Queen B was born, J and I were able to have a "real" date night (the first one was just last November when we attended J’s Awarding Ceremony at work). Last December 3, we attended the Christmas fellowship of LAVLife. LAVLife is the monthly fellowship of married couples in our local church GCF-Santa Rosa.

 As one of the first couples to arrive, J and I helped out in the preparation of the venue. Images by Sis Leslie Paet. 

We won in the first game of the night which was newspaper dance. Thank goodness, J can still carry me! Image by Elder Francis Cruz. 

Of course, the most important part of the night is the studying of God’s word as lead by Elder Raymie Villanueva. Image by Elder Francis Cruz. 

The married couples of GCF-Santa Rosa. Image by LAVLife. 

It was an enjoyable evening for J and me. As a married couple of only 4 years, J and I still have a lot to learn from our brothers and sisters in faith who stayed true to their marriage vows for a much longer time. It is our hope that we’ll be able to attend LAVLife’s monthly fellowship especially now that it will be held on a Saturday night unlike its previous weekday schedule. 

We also got to have some meet-ups with our treasured friends during the holiday season.

 Coffee date with our former co-teachers at AMA. 

 Get together with Mich, Rick, Candy, Nins, and our kids who were busy playing when this photo was taken. 

 Dinner date with our little Queen B's Ninong Mandy. 

We spent our New Year’s Eve at my sister’s house. I was still not feeling that well to prepare an elaborate dinner for us so I’m glad she invited us. J and I binged-watch some movies while the rest of the family prepares our food that night.

 Our New Year's Eve dinner spread. 

 Facing the new year happy and optimistic. Our little Queen B can't wait to taste the sparkling juice. 

The holiday season is about love. Love for our family and friends who are there for us no matter what. Love for our children who need to be taught the real meaning of this season. Love for our spouses who support us and are source of strength during difficult times. Love for ourselves which is why we need to take care of our bodies. And lastly, love for our Savior who had shown to us how we should love. I am grateful for our meaningful and yet fun holiday season last 2016. It is my hope and prayer that our family will always have a Christ-centered holiday celebration.

May we all have a Christ-centered 2017! - from our family to yours

#xoxo