Christmas Day 2007

It’s Christmas time.

My most favorite time of the year is here again.

Like in the previous years, we spent our Christmases with our relatives in Project 8. This year, we spent Christmas at my parents’ home at Administration St. My family hears the evening Mass held at the GSIS Village Plaza on Christmas eve. A Catholic Church parish was established where there used to be only a chapel. The Misang Aguinaldo (Christmas Eve Mass) this year was well attended. I remember some years back when the number of mass goers during these evenings considerably dwindled probably opting to hear the morning mass on Christmas Day itself.

The extended Mendoza family

Baby Faith is beginning to appreciate the significance and joy of the season. She probably has no memory of her two previous Christmases but this one is sure to be sketched in her mind. Gifts are a major attraction but knowing Christmas as the birthday of Baby Jesus has been the most important learning she has gained at this point.

The three boys on the other hand more or less know what the Christmas season brings in. During the last Kids for Christ Cluster Christmas party where they all participated, I hope they at least somewhat realized that the season is not only about receiving but giving and sharing one’s self as well.

Joshua is the first to open our gifts to the kids on Christmas morn

Joshua seemed the most excited about opening his share of Christmas gifts. Maybe it really is during these years as a young kid that one is very excited about what Santa Claus will bring him at year’s end. I should know. I was like that kid for a very long time.

Now as a parent, I want to make sure the children experience the same joys I felt before. As they say, you can’t put a tag on your children’s happiness.

Toy: A few hundred bucks

Joshua’s patented sheepish smile: Priceless

The kids enjoy their gifts

The older brothers show off their new cool rock & roll shirts

Merry Christmas Lovey!

Faith joins my brother Eric, his wife Phoebe and their baby daughter Rainbow

That Christmas day, we were joined by my brother Eric, his wife Phoebe and their young daughter Rainbow. We don’t get to see each other often especially now that his family is based in Angels City, Pampanga.

Our other brother, Minmin works and has been in California for the last 8 years. Our only sister, Inas, the youngest of the siblings lives with our parents.

I guess our lives have gone on very different paths that we rarely have the time and opportunity to be complete together as before.

Christmas is then made more special by the fact that majority of us get to reconnect again with each other on this day, if only for a few but memorable moments.

The children play on

Junior reaches for Santa’s gift in old worn out stockings

Santa gives him a pair of drumsticks for 2007

Faith opens her Dora the Explorer gift

A successfully built road network

Late in the afternoon, my extended family prepares for a much anticipated family reunion. But that is the subject of another blog post.

Thank you, Lord for coming to the world some two thousand years ago.

Thank you, Lord for loving us.

Thank you, for this season of hope and joy.

It’s Christmas time again.