Aside from being free and having more space at home, I am very glad to have shared some of our stuff which we haven’t used to other people who need them more. Old clothes, shoes, household and kitchen stuff are some of the things that we’ve shared with others. I actually have some more left here and are waiting for new owners.

I also was able to send out some gifts to friends. This is something that I really like doing and I plan to continue doing it the whole year through. I love giving gifts – whether small or big gifts – and I want people to know that they are special.

I pray that this good start of the year will continue on the following weeks and even months that will follow.

I thank the Lord for  a great way to start the new year!  A clean house with a new sofa.

I am joining Girls Talk again this week. We are going to talk about something new we’ve done this year. Something new that I’ve done this year is to leave my kids overnight with their dad and attend a retreat by myself! I went with a group of pastor’s wives and the place we went to was Balai Isabel. It had a great view of Taal Volcano!

It was also my first time to watch a live football game of the Philippine Azkals! It rained really hard at the beginning of the game but we finished the entire game drenched – it was truly memorable for me! The euphoria of being in a stadium where everyone was cheering for the Azkals to win against Sri Lanka and we were so glad that they did! More about this on my Azkals post at The Mommy Journey.

So far, these two are the ones on the top of my head. Did you do something new this year?

I have always wondered whether I studied the correct college course and if the path I have taken is the right one. You see, this course that I took wasn’t my first choice. In fact, I only got this course as a last option. I know it is too late to do anything about it but once in a while, I like to reflect on how my journey in life is going.

I definitely know that God has other plans for me. But I am grateful that God has given me another opportunity to explore all my interests again. Blogging has given me an avenue to express my thoughts, share my insights and experiences. Postcard collection has allowed me to know more people from different countries.

As Proverbs 19:21 say “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Even if my life has turned into different paths, God has a way of bringing me back… I am so thankful He is in control of my life.

> It doesn’t matter what my vocation is, as long as I do everything with the purpose of glorifying God.
> I am a stay at home mom for the past 7 years and I do hope to become more involved in giving back to my community, through foundations and organizations which focus on helping educate the youth and the orphans.
> I don’t have to create systems like those of ach check processing but I would want to be able to help other people create and administer systems in their organizations.
> I really would want to study other languages specifically Korean or Japanese.
> I hope to visit other parts of the world either through a missions trip or as a tourist. I have always been fascinated with other cultures.

There are many more on my mind… but these are what’s on my mind as of now.

I am joining the $500 Budgets are Sexy giveaway, sponsored by Life Insurance Finder!

How about you, do you have any comfort food?

I came from a Chinese family and I have studied in a Chinese school since I was 4 years old until 16 years old. I never really appreciated it much before but now that I am older, I do miss the Chinese language and I regret not being able to use it after school. Now that I have kids of my own, I really want them to learn it too but I just haven’t been able to find a curriculum that I can use with them. Hopefully soon, I would be able to teach them the basics.

By the way, here is my Chinese name:

Anyway, as I was looking though the stuff I have left in my parent’s house in Manila, I saw all the cards and letters I have received before I got married. They were plenty! I looked through each of them and saw that majority of them were holiday cards I have received through the years. It is a joy to know that at one point in your life, people actually thought well of you and appreciated your friendship. I also think that a “real” card is still better than those e-cards or FB messages.

So I have decided that I will start sending out cards again to the friends and relatives whom are important to me. Hopefully, before the holiday season comes, I would have listed everyone down and prepare something for them this coming Christmas season.

Best birthday gift?
It has been a long time since I last received birthday gifts from people who are not related to me. So receiving a bouquet of flowers and a cake from the marces that I have met online are a surprise last December!

It was truly a wonderful experience to have met these people who consider you as “close” friends even when we only met online. Thanks so much for the friendship and the love marces! *wink*