Blessed with Joy

We attended a family reunion early this month. It was the first in many years for the clan. The ones who were most evidently looking forward to it were those who were the oldest in the group. Presumably we all develop a longing for some sort of homecoming of the heart as we age.
One of our elderly uncles, Tito Ber, has a habit of getting emotional during these gatherings because he always remembers his second son whom he lost in a fatal car accident around a decade ago. As usual, he broke down while addressing the attendees.
But what was striking about his speech was his expression of gratitude for being blessed with his patient and forgiving wife who stuck by him throughout their life-struggles. His wife, Tita Nette, was visibly touched, although also somewhat embarrassed, by her husband's outpouring of emotion.
The same story is true about most of the other elderly couples present: Families founded on the sincere and enduring love between husband and wife, actively nurtured throughout the years are blessed with abundant joy. And the blessing comes not only to the couple, but also to their children and their children's children and so on....
We wish the same for all families who happen to come across this blog.

"Homies"

We published a post on 8 July 2009 about close family friends whose occasional visits we value greatly because of how much they encourage us to stay "home for good". Here are a few other encouragements we received through personal messages from other friends:

You definitely have a knack for writing...and from what I've seen of your girls, you & Cathy have a great talent for parenting, too. Keep up the good work! -- Brian Weninger (Wisconsin, USA)

i love your house bound dad article! good for you [both] that you're in control of your time and can be there for your kids. i agree that makes all the difference in their formation. -- Rufi Parpan (Alabang, Philippines)

Wow, a home library. I do believe that's the best "playground" a child can have. Kudos! :)
Good values and wisdom are among the few riches we as parents can pass on to our children... -- Jessan Catre (Davao, Philippines)

Malalaki na pala 2 chikiting ninyo. It's nice naman that they like to read. Mana sa mommy and daddy nila. :) -- Elaine Ymbol (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines)

i just read your blog and some other posts on the blog....i'm glad that i got the gist of where life has taken you; or in your case, where you've taken life. i absolutely admire what you [both] have done and continue to do. -- Rica Bolipata-Santos (Quezon City, Philippines)

I will be reading your blog posts after I send to you this message. I am interested applying the healthy lifestyle but I know that it's easier said than done. I am planning to create a blog regarding my family life as inspired by your blog so we can check on each other's blog as a sort of update din sa mga buhay natin. I am also a full time wife, mother and last year a homeschool-parent teacher din to my son. -- Jaysarie Chee-Gundran (Maguindanao, Philippines)

an insightful blog on family and family life... -- Ingrid Daba (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines)

I read your blogs. Really impressed by both of you home schooling your girls. -- Marizza Tangcongco-Catre (Davao, Philippines)

Your children are so fortunate that you're so involved in raising them, particularly in Manila where child-rearing is automatically entrusted to yayas. Looking forward to reading more about you and your family. I'm particularly interested in how Faye and Noelle develop through full-time parenting and homeschooling. You're the first set of parents I know who are doing this. What an admirable vocation--it no doubt involves a lot of patience, planning, and perseverance. Well done, you two! -- Melissa Salva-Ramos (Singapore)

I am so happy to know that there really are people who make conscious efforts to make this world a better place to live in...e.g. homeschooling the kids. All my respect to the both of you. :) -- Mabel Olegario-Rodenburg (Tilburg, Netherlands)

More friends including Yve Paredes, Mark Rivera, Stef Soriano, Jong Pimentel, Joy Maulit and Joey Valdez said they like the blog.

We hope this blog can help develop a community of families that inspire and encourage each other as these friends do us.

We welcome comments from anyone visiting this site. Also, if you would like to become a "homie", please go to the "Become A Homie" section on the upper right corner of this blog. Please click on the Follow button found there. You can also Request Updates by clicking on the button of your desired update content in the section of the same title also on the right. Then just follow the instructions that will be shown.

Family Friends

Last weekend, we had a couple of house guests from Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City. Jong Pimentel and Ingrid Daba are former colleagues in the Campus Ministry Office. Jong is a veteran campus minister and is widely respected in the university. Ingrid is now the Campus Ministry Director (Congrats, Ing!). They are also among our daughters' godparents.
They come to Manila almost yearly in connection with their work. This time it was to attend a spirituality seminar sponsored by the Emmaus Center for Psycho-Spiritual Formation. It has become our custom to always invite them to stay at our house at least on their last day in the city.
We consider them two of our most precious friends. Although our circumstances have diverged, they were with us during a time when we were at a crossroads in our family life at which we struggled to discern how best to proceed.

We are so grateful to have been able to spend some time (short as it was) with them. Aside from being an opportunity to catch up with each other, their occasional visits are a time for us to remember what brought us together in the first place and how we have tried to be faithful to it throughout all the twists and turns of our lives.
Salamat, mga higala. Ug padayon.

Kitchen Duty

The girls volunteered to help in the kitchen today. That's not surprising. They're always looking for a chance to help out getting our meals ready. What's remarkable is how serious Noelle is about food preparation. One of her favorite aspects is assembling the food on each diner's plate. Here are her masterpieces:

She even names her creations. The one that has the tomatoes encircled by the lettuce is entitled "Flower" while the one with the rows is "Garden". She dreams of putting up a restaurant some day.
Faye's contribution was in cleaning up after the meal. Sometimes she helps in plating the food, too.
Every aspect of home life is a potent opportunity for learning. We take it upon ourselves as parents to seek out and take advantage of each opportunity. And the benefits are maximized when we move with the momentum generated by our children's interests. It's a lot like slow-dancing -- with the kids leading.