Guys, as all of you pretty much know, the kids and I are now in Manila for our annual home leave.
During this time, will just take time off from my blogging duties as I savor “life as I know it”
so pardon my self-imposed blogging hiatus. Promise I will more than make up for my absence when I get back to KSA in August (waaah! 
).
Till then, will just relish my “lurker” role and stay in the blogging sidelines. Keep those posts coming!
Yup, as many of you may have already read from Keith\’s blog, we\’re left with only a week till we plane in to our beloved Manila – woohoo!
We just finished our pasalubong shopping earlier tonight and my next problem would be how to fit all the stuff in into our suitcases
without going over the weight limits (thank God for the additional 10kg per person courtesy of our Gulf Air frequent flyer membership)… Please note though that I am worried about exceeding the weight limit not because marami kaming pasalubong but moreso because maliit lang suitcases namin – hahaha! Sorry guys…
Papa, Ayn and Ivy, I so miss you and your world-class packing skills!!! What\’s more, with three kids in tow all by my lonesome, am sure my trip back home will be, to put it in the most politically correct manner, \”most interesting\”…
I am very sure this coming week will go by so fast that my head will surely spin but am definitely looking forward to my \”abaya-less\” two months . After 10 months here in the kingdom, going back home even for a short while is such a welcome treat.
Bring out the vintage Hotdog music and join me in singing \”Manila, Manila… I keep coming back to Manila!\”. Sa lahat ng aming mga minamahal na kaibigan at kamag-anak, kita-kita tayo! Mabuhay!
To my dearest baby daughter Marga It’s been exactly a year now since we welcomed you into this world with so much anticipation and joy. I remember being quite anxious (forgive me, as you may have already sensed by now, this is one of Mama’s least-liked traits J) when Wowo and Wiwa had to bring me to Asian Hospital so we could already have you – exactly 14 days BEFORE your expected due date and 6 days BEFORE Papa could fly in from KSA to be with us for your birth… I guess even then you already had a mind of your own and the makings of being a strong-willed, independent “woman in a hurry” (can’t deny you got this from almost all the women in our family – especially Mama and Grammy J). God has been very good to us, my dear baby, since even without Papa being physically present for your birth, everything went smoothly and any worries I may have felt before you were born were gone when I saw you for the first time – my, as an added bonus, you even had your father’s hairline! I have always said that you are our “bonus baby”. Why so? Papa and I never really expected that we would still be blessed with a daughter after 6 years. We honestly thought that your Kuya Luigi and Kuya Rafa were going to be our only children. Truly, the Lord cannot be outdone in His generosity since He has given you to us on top of Him blessing us with two already wonderful sons. With your birth, our cup truly “runneth over”! Since we have been so richly blessed, we can only pray that we also be blessings to others and reflections of God’s goodness and generosity. Aside from being our dear “unica hija”, there were also many firsts that Mama experienced when you arrived. For one, you are the only child whom Mama took care of full-time without any yayas (since we had to move to KSA to be with Papa when you were just 2 months old). Also, you are the only baby that Mama has managed to breastfeed for a longer period of time. True, this tested Mama’s resilience and patience at times – especially during times when you were sick or when you would cry for no obvious reason – yet I still feel that this has brought us even closer. With you, Mama has had the chance to truly feel how it is to be “hands-on” and despite many challenging instances, feel truly fulfilled to be a mom. For this, my dear darling, I thank you very much. Today, as I look back on the past year, my heart is truly full. You have enriched our lives in more ways than you can ever imagine. Your innocent smiles, precocious laughter, silly antics and even your “now-and then” tantrums have made me see that there is so much beauty in living. Every milestone that you reach in your young age does us proud. Being with you most of the time has certainly lessened the loneliness and homesickness that our being away from home brings. I cannot say it enough – you are truly one precious gift that the Lord has lovingly entrusted to Papa and I. I pray that you grow up to be a loving, responsible, charitable and God-fearing woman. Know that we will always love you and that we will always be there for you. Happy, happy 1st birthday, dear Marga! Your number one fan and “fashion stylist” J Mama
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