Tragedy made our hearts ache!

Tweet

What I am about to tell is a very tough situation in our family, but I need to let it out. So this is how it goes.

This picture of me and my younger  sister made me cry. Remembering how happy we were many years ago when we met during her oldest daughter wedding. Little did we know that tragedy will hit the family with such a force that makes our hearts ache so much.

This is the picture from the wedding of my sister's eldest daughter Lindsey.

From left: me, my sister Lida, her adopted mother ( our aunt) Tracy, Cecilie, and the bride Lindsey (my sister's daughters)  and to the right, Lourdes, our older sister.

the story (Tromsø: The wedding)

Again, a very memorable moment with my younger sister.

This picture was taken during my sister's second grandchild's baptism. It was memorable and happy  moments for us week before my sister was diagnosed with a deadly diasease at the age of 49.

Look how happy they were. My sister with her children, grandhild Vilde and my daughter Kamilla.

Vilde's parents served mouth watering cakes and sandwiches for the occasion.

This is the gift table for my sister's grandchild Vilde on her baptismal day. 

We were blessed with sunshine that day, so we walked the short distance to the church!

This is how it looks like inside the church. What touched my heart was the performance of the children who sang beautifully during the  baptismal. They helped the priest during the baptismal and the preaching of the word. Beautiful!

Afterwards, walking back again and saying goodbye to Vilde! Isn't she sweet?

My sister then toured me to the city although I know that she was already tired. She was coughing almost non stop. She just wanted me to enjoy my visit there.

Although my sister was diagnosed with a deadly disease, her faith in God is so strong that she believes for her healing. I salute her and I do believe too! This picture shows her beautiful hair. 

Now she lost all her hair because of the chemo, but still she is beautiful. She covers her head with scarf and wears a hat and still smiling. An inspiration. I just want to tell you my dearest sister how much I treasured our moments together when I visited you. You made it very special for me although you were not feeling well that time. Together we can claim God's miracle healing in your life. You are precious in God's eyes.

But the story does not end there. Another tragedy. Her mom ( adopted mother) our aunt was diagnosed with the same disease and the doctor had given her up.  My sister although her situation is critical too will be leaving soon to be with her mom  in the Philippines during her difficult moments. A decision that really takes faith and courage  on her side. Me, our older sister and her children here in Norway understand the situation, but  our very concern is her health. So, we really need strength from God and to put everything in his hands. Take care my sister. We love you and hope and pray that everything will be ok. And to our aunt: "Thank you for all the help that you had given us.  May you find rest for your body, soul and spirit and be sorrounded by God's presense and find comfort in Him. 

                                                                  JOY

Three + two in one!

Tweet

                                                     

You might think that it is a mathematical formula  I am talking about here. But no! It about special days for me in the month of August. Three + two in one means…

August 23 1978, I was 16 years old then when my son Brian was born. Too young to be a mother, but it happened. You can read the details of my story as I continue to share it in my blog later.  

Anyway, I wrote about my son's story in " My Cinderella man" which inspired many. 

Now after almost 35 years, he is a grown - up man and a father of three kids. He climbed to the ladder of success through patiece and hard work. I admired him for that. 

         Then in August 23 1982, my second daughter Michelle was born. Same birthday as her brother!

She has become a mother too and doing a nice job. Athough she suffered a lot in her childhood days,  she managed to surpassed all the hardship. I salute her for being strong. Of all my children, she is the best in organizing and economy. She is my assistant in everything I needed to be done in the Philippines.  The one who inspired me to blog.

She wrote me a letter on my 50th birthday which I posted before, but  it described my relationship with her that is why I am posting it again so that you can get to know her through her letter to me.

This is her letter to me:

Happy golden birthday to my mom!

Happy Golden Birthday to you! It was sad that we can’t be with you on your special day for obvious reason, plane ticket is so expensive and I guess its 3 years’ worth of our house amortization. =) Thank God for technology because I can greet you in my post. 

I just want to let you know that I am really grateful that God gave me a mom like you, though we’ve only been together for seven years and we never really grow up with you. We are still thankful because we know that across the miles you are always there to support, pray, care and love us.

I know you’ve been through a lot and if there’s one story na pang MMK (Maalala mo kaya) that will be your story.  You suffered and sacrificed a lot just for us so even though we we’re not able to live with you, we’re still happy for you because you truly deserve to be happy.

Growing up without a mom beside me is not easy but it also taught me how to be strong, independent and responsible person. I always think that you’re not with me so I have to learn to fight my own battles, run my own race and achieve my dreams.

I salute you for achieving all your dreams; you got your degree while taking care of our youngest sister and at the same time working to support us. When I became a mom, you serve as an inspiration to me because I know that you had 3 kids at the age of 20 without nanny and househelper and I only have one son so I know I can do it too.

You taught us to have good relationship with God so when life is so tough, when we’re about to give up and we can’t run to you for help because of the distance, we can always call God to strengthen and comfort us.

I’m proud to be your daughter and I hope that I can be like you. I want to be a good mother to my little one and I hope that I can raise him the way you raised us, they say that the first 7 years is the most important phase and I hope I’m on the right track.

Happy birthday and I really pray that you will have more birthdays to come because I can’t imagine the future without you! Jeg elsker deg! ( Means I love you in English)

( Made me teary eyed again)

This is us now, Michelle me and Brian. Picture taken last March!

After so many years, my son’s first daughter Candice was born on his birthday August 23, 2004.

This is Candice now: A very sweet girl. One of my princesses.

  

Therefore, my son, daughter and one of my grand - daughters is celebrating birthdays on the same day. August 23! What a coincidence.

Two in one is....

My youngest daughter here in Norway is going to be twenty years old in August 30. Under is a picture of her and her father twenty years ago. Her father is my prince and will always be and Kamilla is our love child.
When I met her father, I already have three kids and was ligated. But he married me anyway although there was a little chance that I could give him a child. But thanks to the modern tecnology. A doctor sewed my fallopian tube together again and I got pregnant. Kamilla was born. A much awaited child and she brought joy to us. I was so thankful to God for giving me such a sweet daughter who han been my comfort especially when I was missing her brother and sisters so much.

   Then after   almost twenty years later! She is now a young beautiful  woman! She is now beginning to climb her own ladder of success. It will be hard work alright, but I know that God is helping her too just like what he did to my other children. Don't forget Kamilla that we will always be there for you too!

 Kamilla has the same birthday as my daughter- in- law Joan. Brian’s wife and mother of Candice. 

Joan with me and my son with their children.

Sad to say that I can’t be with them on their birthdays because Brian, Michelle, Candice and Joan are in the Philippines. In the 29th of this month, my husband and me are going to Barcelona and won’t be at home in our daughter’s 20^th birthday. Anyway, I just want to make a greetings to them by this post.

Since they are all born in the month of August, I am going to use the letters in August month as a base for my wishes to them.

                                            A-U- G- U- S- T

      A-     Ascend in every area of your lives

U- Do not be unconscious of God’s presence in your lives. He is the source of every blessings.

G- Be good to others as God has been good to you.

U-  Unveil the truth from God’s words. There is much treasure to be found.

S- Seek God’s kingdom first before everything else,  with all your heart, soul and spirit.

T- Be tenderhearted always and trust God’s unfailing love

Happy Birthday to you all and I really wish you all the best! 

                                                 Mom!

Precious moments with my mother!

Tweet

Yes, I said precious because I can seldom be with her. I am missing her much now. 

Last March, I went to the Philipines to visit my family there and celebrated my 51th birthday.  My daughter fetched my mother from her home and drove her to Max Restuarant where the whole family gathered. She was surprised of course to see everybody. I believed it made her happy.

My mother is  a person that really don't talk much, but we can see her love through her gestures. What strucked me though was to see my mother getting older and weaker. I was used to see her strong  who worked like a man to support us when we were young and took good care of my children when they were small while I work abroad. My heart ached for her. Longed to make her happy although for a short time.

This picture was taken from my birthday celebration with my mother and three of my 5 sisters.

After that we went to La Luz in Batangas with the whole family again. You can see how happy we were. But then our mother told us that she believe that it will be the last time that she can go with us in out of town trip because she can barely walk now.

Then after that, we visited my father's grave. It is not often my mother can do so because she lives in the province of Laguna now and our father's grave is in Valenzuela. It will take 4 to 6 hours drive.
 In the picture is my oldest daughter, me, my mother and four of my six grandkids.

Then we went home to Laguna and visit a resort nearby as you can see. My older sister was with us too!

                After visiting the resort, we ate our dinner in " Isdaan Restaurant"

                                  My sister, mother and two grandkids!

And now, this is where my mother lives. Me and my sister spent some days there and loved every minute of it. To eat our mother's cooked meals which we missed so much and to relax and just be with her. Precious moments!

My grandchildren came to visit their great grandma too!

the view at the back of the house

 Our mother loves flowers as you can see in the pictures.

                                  

                       She loves fruits too. So we bought  a lot!

In front of the house. The neighbors was drying the rice grains under the sun!

my mother''s papaya tree

                  Saying goodbye with this sunset taken from my mother's veranda!

It reminds me of my mother's life. I hope I can prolonged more of her life with many years more so that we can spend many precious moments together. I just want to thank my mother for everything that she had done for me and for my children.  I pray that God will be with her eveyday to give her strength and be sourrounded  with his protection.  I love you mother and miss you. Until we meet again.

                                                         JOY

Witticisms!

Tweet

Putting smile on your faces!

** Witticisms **

#I started out with nothing...I still have most of it.

#I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.

#Funny, I don't remember being absent minded.

#If all is not lost, where is it?

#It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

#If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.

#The first rule of holes: If you are in one, stop digging.

#I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway through.

#It was all so different before everything changed.

#Nostalgia isn't what is used to be.

#Old programmers never die. They just terminate and stay resident.

#I wish the buck stopped here. I could use a few.

#It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.

#Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip round the sun.

#The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.

#It's not hard to meet expenses...they're everywhere.

#Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the preservatives they can get.

source 

http://www.guy-sports.com/humor/jokes/jokes_thought_day.htm

JOY