Happy New Year!

I ditto Rob's entry...Emeline wrote an AWESOME blog entry about the trip to Florida and did a great job capturing all of the highlights. Vacation with family is always so much fun...it was a super-busy two weeks because Gary, Meleana, and I left for San Francisco the day after I got out from school. We stayed with his Auntie Mila for one night, then drove to Vallejo to visit his cousin Nelson and family, watched nephew Neil play for his freshman basketball team, stopped by cousin Robert's house the next day for lunch after Mass at St. Catherine's, went back to the City the next day and met his Uncle Tony from New Jersey, saw Dad and had lunch with Nelden on Monday and visited cousin Janet and family in Danville. Then we drove with Nelden to Merced to see Mom and Papa Ben for a day with chicken tinola, fried fish, and TFC waiting for us, as usual.

We headed back for SoCal on Christmas Eve and took the 101 instead of the 5 because we thought there might be snow on the Grapevine and didn't want to get stuck on the freeway. It took a while, but at least we got home safely at around midnight. On Christmas morning, we got up to help Gary's coworkers prepare food for the homeless on Skid Row and went with them to drop off the plates in Downtown. It was a good starting experience for our family because that's a tradition I always wanted to start during the holiday season. On the way to Mass at St. Anastasia, Gary and I were already planning next Christmas...getting everyone together to cook on Christmas Eve and sending the food out in the morning...we were really excited about it! After Mass, we had to repack for our Florida trip (going from chilly 50/60-degree weather to a warm 75-80 degrees in Palm Coast!)...then we met Em, Rob, Lyn-Lyn, Mike, and the kiddos for dinner with yummy food from Sam Woo's.

We had to leave for the airport at 9:30 so we said our goodbyes and drove back to LAX for our red-eye flight out. If you read Em's entry, she says something about traveling with Santo Nino. This is actually where it all started. My mom insisted that we hand-carry her pink Santo Nino from the BP house and bring it to Florida. We were wondering why she couldn't just bring it with her when she returned to Palm Coast in July, especially since we weren't sure if we'd have enough room for it, but we decided to take it with us anyway and somehow make space for the statue. I kid you not...with all the problems we were saved from, Santo Nino took care of us during the trip across the country, rather than the other way around...even upgrading us to first class on the second flight! I tried to follow the sequence of events in my mind - this happened because this didn't happen because we were sent to this person to talk to that person - but in the end, I just thanked Jesus that the "complications" actually worked out in the end. So when Em, Rob, and Jacob arrived in FL, we told them what happened and said we should always travel with a Santo Nino. There's much more to the story, but we too bought a little pink Divine Child from the Queen of the Universe Gift Shop to take with us whenever we drive or fly.

It really was a great trip. I was brought to tears when we were at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for Mass because I remember going to the Blessed Sacrament late at night praying to God to tell me what His will for my life was. The last time I was in that church was during the summer of 2003, feeling very confused about the path He had planned. Never did I imagine that I would return with a husband and children five years later. It was the most amazing realization of His goodness and love. Since it was the Feast of the Holy Family, the pastor Fr. Jim told a story in his homily about a stay-at-home mother whose child begged her for more "stuff" like the other kids had. She looked at her son and said, "If you want me to go to work like the other moms just so I can buy you more things, I will...but that means that I won't be here with you anymore to take care of you." The little boy didn't say anything to his mother...he just threw his arms around her and gave her a big hug. We have been discerning lately about the direction to take with our family...not so much what do to but when to take the next step. That homily hit home for me, and I knew that it was God's way of reassuring me that we are making the right decision. Now it's just a matter of trust that things will work out in His time...

Yes, it was a great trip.

Time spent with God...time spent with family...that's just irreplaceable. We had such a good time in each other's company, and I'm very glad that Meleana got to hang out with Jacob. They're so funny, giggling and laughing with each other. I was pretty surprised at how quickly Meleana felt at home in Mommy's house and how fast she warmed up to her Lola, who she hadn't seen in six months. I'd been watching her try to adjust to all these people and places we'd been visiting during our vacation and it would take her at least a day or two to feel comfortable...but it was nice to see her so happy and at ease in Palm Coast. I think the city itself just lends itself to a more relaxed and laid-back attitude.

So here I am, back home with my little girl asleep on my lap...one more day of vacation left. Ah, such is life. And Baby Dyogi is kicking once again telling me to eat something. =) Until next time...

+AMDG+

"The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will."

– St. Elizabeth Ann Seton