These days...

Been enjoying my last weeks for this year with my family here in Illinois. Squeezing in a lot of activities, barbecues, shopping and just basically hanging out.

I'm trying my best not to be sad leaving them again to fly back to Manila. I'm making myself extra busy not just with Hunter but also with my little projects. I'm excited that my Charmed Life accessories will have a home here in US. I'll be linking the shop's website here and also in my multiply account hopefully very soon. =)

I was talking to my three-year-old niece...

Cheska: I think you are really old.

Me: Really? How old do you think I am?

Cheska: Six years old!

Hehehe, really old nga!

My birthday is coming up in three weeks and my boys gave me my "push" gift...

Best gifts come in small (blue) packages. ;)

Hunter's Baptism

Hunter's Baptism was one of our most memorable days this year. It was a beautiful, beautiful solemn service, just the way I have hoped for.
Paolo and I promised ourselves, we will be more conscious with our spiritual life as a family and we hope and pray to be good examples to Hunter.
This is the start of his Christian life. May our little one grow in the knowledge of our Lord.

Paolo offered a prayer to his son. I just wanted to share his short, beautiful prayer.

Dear God,

You have blessed us with the most beautiful gift, a manifestation of your love for us and we thank you for this, for the blessing of our son, Hunter Elias.
We also thank you for the gift of our wonderful relatives and friends that strengthen us as a growing family.
Please Guide us Lord, as parents, as family to always remain devoted to one another and to you.
Lord, surround our child Hunter with goodness everyday. Protect Him and watch over him always.
May he grow up brave in pursuing all his dreams and may he grow in the knowledge of your love.

Amen

We had an intimate gathering at my sister's house with all our close friends and relatives.

I made all the party favors. I included handwritten notes to make them more personal and charming. =)

It was such a lovely day, another reason to be thankful. =)

I was making a prayer for Hunter’s baptism as required by our Church here in Illinois...

The prayer requires us to list everything we want and pray for our child.
It got me into thinking.

We wish and pray the best for our child always, but really how do we define “best” for us?

I don’t want to spoil my son. This is quite a challenge but
I realized, although it is nice to have a room, a roomful of the best toys clothes and gadgets…these are not for my little boy. At least, not just those.
It will be nice to have really beautiful things but I wish more for him.
I would rather he see the world, literally and figuratively.

I don’t want him to grow up snooty, arrogant, entitled and too sheltered.
I want him to witness the opposite poles in life. May he be empathetic and understanding yet secured and quietly confident afforded to him by his circumstances.

I pray that he grows with the privilege of seeing and living in two very different worlds, that it will mold him to be more compassionate about the struggles of other people yet competitive in the super fast world.
May he inherit his papa’s temperament and his mama’s tenacity and definitely not the other way around. :/

I want the world to be his playground. May his little toes touch the sand of his Papa and Mama’s beloved Roxas in the summer; May his little hands delight in playing with the snow in winter in the other side of his world.

And someday when he grows up, I pray that he will live up to his name in pursuing his dreams. May he chase them with passion.

I realized I don’t want to give my son the best “things”; I just want to give him the best of me and pray that he will turn out at least okay because of that.

Oh my Hunter, the places you will go. I just pray you will not make mama’s heart ache too many times.

My Hunteroo

Sharing some photos of my baby from his first "photo shoot" care of my brother-in-law, Kerwin.
Hunter's a real ham for the camera!

Oh goodness, I can't believe its April already! Its the start of the second quarter of the year! I've been busy planning Hunter's baptism, finishing my dearest friend Therese's wedding favors and making all the jewelry orders and requests.
Whew! No wonder I don't notice the time and days passing by. =/