Warm New Year Greetings

Hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas celebration.  Sending you warm and heartfelt New Year wishes. May your hearts be filled with love, joy, and hope this 2013! God bless.

Yohan's Recollection and First Communion

I'm thankful for family and dear friends who took time to write Yohan letters for his first recollection.  Jules and I also wrote him one.  Yohan told me how touched he was by everyone's kind words.

Yohan received his First Communion last Friday. It's another significant milestone worth celebrating. The boys wore traditional barong while the girls donned their beautiful white dresses and veils.  The children lighted their candles and prayed for guidance. During the Offertory, Yohan offered fruits as symbols of good life and thanksgiving. 

I was assigned to read the Prayer of the Parents. Together we humbly asked God to guide our children in their journey in life and to protect them from the temptations that surround the world. 

Witnessing Yohan receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time gave me a sense of happiness and pride.

Significance of Accuracy and Precision in Industries

Different fields like medicine, engineering, architecture, landscaping, astronomy, and many others rely on accurate and precise measurements. Many things around us are products of careful measurements. The house where you live, the school that you go to, or the building where you work have all been built using different kinds of precision equipment. Tools Used for Measuring are significant instruments in ensuring quality performance and output. Various fields and skilled trades depend on vital measuring tools to produce products and build structures that meet proper and safety standards. Professionals like engineers, builders, architects, and designers use different types of measuring tools in their respective line of work. Good measuring tools help eliminate or lessen the margin of error. For example, the Laser Distance Measurer calculates precise distance and height. This measuring tool is very helpful in large sites especially when there are obstructions that hinder engineers from making direct measurements. The Land Surveying Equipment is the perfect aid when it comes to leveling applications. This tool helps builders construct sturdy and safe houses and buildings. There are many more measuring instruments that ensure reliable results. Establishing accuracy and precision are very important especially when it comes to safety of the public.

A Pirate on Halloween

Yohan is a reluctant trick or treater this year.  He told me that he didn't want to join the Halloween village party this year. I respected his decision to stay home but he gave in to my request to go trick or treating. Jules and I went to the clubhouse to show our support for the event organizers then went back home to pick him up.

Yohan was already dressed up as a pirate when we arrived. He has always been fascinated with pirates, particularly Captain Jack Sparrow.  He never gets tired of watching the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Yohan even brings the DVDs whenever he rides the car.

Jules and I accompanied Yohan around the village for Trick or Treat. I noticed that he wasn't that excited to collect sweets like he used to when he was younger.  I guess my little boy or rather my young man is growing up fast. 

Yohan's Gift

I was so touched when Yohan gave me this stuffed toy giraffe last Saturday.  He won it at Shakey's Fun Zone. 

After lunch, Yohan asked me for some money to exchange for game tokens.  He usually plays his favorite car racing arcade game but he told me later that when he spotted "The Claw" in one corner of the room, he suddenly thought of me.  He gave up his favorite game and used his tokens to win me a stuffed toy. 

I named her Mara. It's a long story but the name is not inspired by the soap opera Mara Clara. ha!ha! Anyway, I will always cherish this sweet gift from my son.


 

Learning Online CPR

Knowing how to perform CPR is a great advantage because you have the ability to save a person’s life. Emergency situations can strike at any time. It’s always good to be ready. An individual capable of performing CPR can increase the survival chance of a person while waiting for professional help to arrive. Time can be critical. A few minutes can make a huge difference when a person’s heart suddenly stops beating or an individual stops breathing. It’s very important that the person receives immediate CPR to prevent permanent damages. If you’re interested to learn the basic course of CPR, you can visit www.cprcertification101.com to earn an online CPR certification or standard CPR certification. A hectic schedule at work doesn’t have to stop you from learning basic CPR because busy individuals can take up online CPR classes.

Boost for Words With Friends

Words With Friends is a fun and challenging interactive game. You can play with real friends or have a word match with a random opponent. Putting words together out of the limited letters that you have on hand is a great exercise for the brain. It’s a game that requires careful thinking and a bit of strategy to get high scores. If you want to have some advantage on the game, check out www.topwordswithfriendscheats.com. The site has a remarkable solver that helps the player determine the words that can get the most number of points. A table featuring some of the toughest and highest scoring words can also help boost your game score.

Invitation for Story Telling

I was recently been invited by my son's former preschool teacher to be part of the Reading Festival in school this coming October 25. I have been requested to read a story of my choice to Kindergarten students during the festival. I love reading to my son but this is the first time that I'll be reading to a whole class. The parents of the Kindergarten students are also invited to watch. I admit I'm a little nervous but excited at the same time. I'm still looking for the perfect story. Something short but interesting enough to capture the attention of the kids. I might ask Jules to help me make some props for the story.

Basics of a Retail Clothing Shop

A retail clothing shop has become a lucrative business in this modern society where fashion plays a significant role in day to day life. If you’re interested in fashion, putting up your own retail clothing store is a promising business venture. Take time to create a business plan to study the different aspects of the business such as store location, store concept, product lines, marketing strategies, competition, and other important factors. The location of the store can be vital in the success of your retail clothing shop. Choose an area with high traffic to easily attract potential customers. Remember that the type of goods that you choose to sell will have a great impact on your store image. It is essential to choose quality clothing products to earn a good reputation among customers. If clients are satisfied, they are likely to return to your store to make repeat purchases and they may also refer you to their family and friends. Customers appreciate a clean and organized store. Countertop Retail Displays can help enhance the look of the store and give clients a better view of products offered in the shop. Give shoppers an opportunity to browse through your product lines with ease and comfort. Customers can conveniently look for clothes that they like if they have easy access to clothing racks and display tables. Train your staff to be courteous and helpful to customers.

First Honor

Congratulations Yohan for being First Honor in class again. I'm very proud of your achievements. Thank you for studying hard and always doing your best. Keep up the good work!

Quality Home Entertainment

In this modern world where competition between products and services is so high, quality becomes a defining edge for end-users. It is important for customers to determine what products and services are worth their hard earned money. When it comes to enjoying high definition television programs, the best investment for the home is satellite dish television. Unlike typical cable TV, Dish TV utilizes signals from a satellite which produces high quality picture and sound.

For movie enthusiasts, the Dish Network Blockbuster is a great opportunity to enjoy unlimited movies in the comfort of your own home. Think of it like a limitless movie pass that allows you to choose over 100,000 amazing movies, television shows, and even video games. You can take advantage of new releases and revel in unlimited online streaming. It’s great entertainment in the palm of your hands. The great thing about today’s Dish TV technology is its portable HDTV system. For people who are always on the go, the Dish Tailgater is an ideal solution. You don’t have to miss your favorite program or game because you can conveniently bring your portable dish antenna with you.

How to Make a Cub Scout Flag

This is Yohan's second year as a Cub Scout.  Last year, he had his Cub Scout Investiture.

Yohan is more active in scouting this year.  Last quarter, he was chosen as Assistant Patrol leader of his group.  He came up with their patrol name Dragon and volunteered to make the group's flag.

Making the cub scout flag became a family activity.  Yohan requested white and red fabric from his grandma while I searched for a simple dragon graphic online.  As soon as I found one, I printed it and Jules painstakingly cut the outline.  He placed the stencil on top of the fabric and used spray paint to fill the spaces in the pattern. We made two flags, a white and a red one.

Yohan and I worked on the outlines of the dragons. Yohan decided that the red one will be the official flag of Team Dragon. To complete the flag, Jules attached it to a long bamboo stick.

Earlier today, Yohan went home to share some good news. He had been promoted to Patrol Leader this quarter.  I'm so proud of my young cub scout.

Yohanism #40

After reviewing for three make-up quizzes that Yohan needs to take on Monday (after being absent for two days), he suddenly goes into Pirate lingo mode ...

Yohan: "I'm so tired of reviewing Mom.  I need a break. If I was out at sea and I was a pirate, I would make my crew walk the plank for entertainment."

I laugh at the thought.

Yohan: "I feel like sinking into Davy Jones' locker."

Me: "Huh??? What do you mean?"

Yohan: "Davy Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea. That's how deeply tired I am."

I was dumbfounded. ha!ha!

I made this pirate hat for Yohan several months ago using black cartolina for the hat and bond paper for the skull.

 

Benefit of a Home Inspection Report

Buying a house is an important family decision. Finding the perfect home is something that should be given careful consideration. When you find the ideal place, do not be impulsive in making the purchase. Make it a point to get a reliable home inspection report to determine if the house that you want to buy is worth the investment.

An inexperienced buyer can benefit from the help of a home inspector to survey the house and the surrounding area. You can use Home Inspection Report Forms to guide you in making your decision. A home inspection report will tell you if there are potential concerns such as vital repairs that might be needed before you can live in the house.

Knowledge and experience can be very helpful when getting into a real estate transaction. First time buyers can ask guidance and suggestions from friends and relatives who have previous experience in purchasing real estate or home construction. Getting professional help is also a good way to ensure that you understand the different pros and cons of buying or constructing a house. Do not hesitate to ask if there are things that you are not sure of. It is vital that you understand all the real estate terms in the contract before signing the deal.

Linggo ng Wika Presentation

My son's school celebrated Linggo ng Wika (National Language Week) on the last month of August. Each level in Preschool, Grade School and High School prepared their own Linggo ng Wika presentation.  Yohan, who is now in Grade 3 were assigned to recite a Filipino poem entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata" by Jose Rizal.  The children looked great in their costumes. The boys wore barong tagalog while the girls wore ladies barong.

I'm very proud of Yohan and his classmates for memorizing the long poem.   I know everyone worked very hard for their Linggo ng Wika presentation.

The performance went well although I was a little sad that Yohan was at the back the whole time.  There were three rows and the taller kids were positioned at the back. It would have been nice if there was a little choreography involved that allowed the kids to have some sort of rotation.  I'm sure many parents would have appreciated if all the kids had a chance to go to the front at one point or another. 

Tips for a Successful Retail Store

The success of a retail store depends on the how well certain factors work together. Here are some tips in operating and managing your own retail store:

1. Quality products – If you sell quality products, there is a great chance that customers will come back to your store to make a repeat purchase. Loyal customers are drawn to stores that they can trust. You can also get referrals from satisfied customers. Ask yourself this question, if you were a customer, would you buy your own products? If the answer is no, then it’s time to consider changing your product lines.

2. Clean and organized store – Keep your store clean at all times. Over-all store cleanliness is a good indication that the store’s products are well maintained. Use essential Retail Store Supplies to organize store merchandise for the convenience of shoppers. For example, if your store sells T-shirts and sweaters, you can use folding boards to fold and refold top garments with ease. Use color coded hangers to distinguish different garments. For example, use blue hangers for the male section and pink ones for the female section. Provide garment bags and covers for delicate and more expensive pieces. Keep display garments looking new and fresh by using garment steamer.

3. Quality customer service – It is easier to sell products when the store has friendly and knowledgeable staff. Train your staff to be easily approachable and courteous to clients. The staff should also be ready to assist and answer possible product-related questions of customers.

Paper Airplanes

When I was young, I used to make paper boats and paper planes.  I enjoyed folding pieces of paper until they transformed into familiar shapes. I'm glad Yohan recently discovered the simple pleasure of creating paper planes. His Dad taught him how. When Yohan mastered the folding techniques, he made two planes and presented them to me. He said the black one belongs to him and red one is for me. My red plane has a heart and the letter "M" that stands for Mom.

Home Safety Tips

Every home can benefit from access to tools and equipment. Always prioritize the safety of your loved ones by securing your home from unexpected emergencies. General Tools and other significant equipment can increase safety and security in more ways than one.

The following are some vital things that you can consider getting for your home:

• First Aid Kit – Every home should have one. Accidents and injuries may happen at home. It is important to have a First Aid Kit at home so you can administer first aid when needed. Quick response can help save a life.

• Fire extinguishers – It is not enough to have a fire extinguisher at home. It is also important that you know how to use it. Dealers of fire extinguishers usually provide a demonstration to inform clients about its proper usage.

• Smoke alarms – Many lives have been saved because of warning devices such as smoke alarms. Homeowners can be alerted by the presence of smoke and likelihood of fire inside the house. Warning signals can help members of the household to react quickly and seek best safety options.

• Carbon monoxide detectors – Homes that use gas range, gas heater, charcoal grill, and other forms of fuel operated equipment face the risk of possible carbon monoxide leakage due to appliance breakdown or lack of ventilation. Carbon monoxide detectors can warn homeowners when carbon monoxide levels become hazardous.

• Microwave Leakage and AC/DC Voltage Detector - This useful tool can be used to check wiring connection. Ensure your home against faulty wiring by making a thorough check of all areas. This handy tool is also ideal for static radiation and microwave leakage.

A look back at last school year's highlights

It's a brand new school year. Summer is long gone and rainy days are here again. When I think about the past school year, I realized I have a lot of things to be thankful for.

•  Yohan won a bronze medal in the school Math and Science Quiz Bee.  He was a little sad when he  came in 3rd but I told him that I felt very proud of him the moment I found out that he was chosen as a participant in the Quiz Bee.  Winning a medal makes me twice as proud.

• I'm happy that Yohan met a new friend in class. J and Yohan clicked immediately because they realized that they share many things in common.  They both love to read, draw and play video games. Yohan's adviser told me that she immediately noticed that both of them are wide readers.  They both excel in class.   J and Yohan have become best of friends.

• Yohan had his Cub Scout Investiture last school year.  I witnessed the kids light their candles and recite their oath. I went up on the stage to put Yohan's cub scout neckerchief to symbolize his formal acceptance as part of the Boy Scout of the Philippines. 

• I'm so proud of my son for earning an Academic Achievement Award at the end of the school year.  I'm very happy because has been a consistent 1st Honor since pre-school.  Last school year's Recognition Day was very special because my mom was here on vacation.  It was her first time to see her grandson go up on stage to receive a medal. 

• I found out on Recognition Day that Yohan was Ranked No. 1 in the whole Grade 2 level.  I was teary-eyed when I heard the official news from the school administration.  The Top 3 students were given corresponding discounts on the following year's tuition fee. Since Yohan was Top 1, he received the biggest discount. I'm proud of Yohan's academic achievement and thankful for the big savings.

Fight stress and regain energy

We all wake up to a brand new day to face regular tasks and fresh challenges. We constantly deal with duties at home and at work. Multi-tasking has become a normal way of balancing the daily obligations given to us. There’s a limit to what the body is capable of accomplishing. It is important to maintain a balance between work and recreation. The body needs to rest and relax every now and then to rejuvenate.

Keep in mind that too much work can be stressful to both the body and the mind. A good way to fight stress is to ease the tension from the body through a relaxing massage. The massage therapy has been used by many generations to ease the tension and bring back the energy lost by the body.

Busy people who do not have time to go to the spa for a massage have the option of calling home massage services. Certified massage therapists are trained to conduct home spa services complete with massage tables, towels, creams, essential oils and aromatherapy oils. A good massage has many health benefits. It can help ease body aches and pains; relieve stress; and improve blood flow circulation. A relaxing massage can also help an individual sleep better.

You'll Be Missed Beyond Words

My father-in-law passed away last week. He fought with Alzheimer's disease for 15 years. Sadly, the disease robbed him of his memory. It had been tough on the family seeing him deteriorate through the years. It was sad to see him go but I know that he's in a better place now.  My husband and I dreamt about him. He was smiling in both our dreams. It must be his own way of letting us know that he's happy and at peace.

Importance of Children's Vitamins

Good nutrition is vital to our children’s health. Teaching our children to eat a healthy and balanced meal can boost their physical and mental development. It’s important to teach kids to eat different kinds of fruits and vegetables at a young age. Vegetables and fruits have essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that can help the body become stronger. They also aid the body to build better resistance against diseases. Sometimes, kids especially picky eaters do not meet the daily nutritional requirements vital to growth and development. Deficiencies in nutrition can make a child susceptible to health problems. Parents can give their kids supplementary Children's Vitamins to support their children’s nutritional needs. Proper vitamins bought from a reputable company such as Invite Health can help kids develop better vision; stronger teeth and bones; and better immune system. Nowadays, kids are often exposed to unhealthy diet of junk food, processed food and fast food. Avoid giving your child junk food such as chips and soda especially as school snack. Refrain from buying processed foods like hotdogs, ham and bacon. There are many healthy school snack alternatives that children can enjoy such healthy sandwiches and natural fruit juices. A healthy diet supplemented with vitamins can help provide a healthy future for your child.

How to Make an Easy Diaper Cake

A diaper cake is a lovely and creative gift for expectant mothers. It's perfect for baby showers. A diaper cake looks like a traditional layered cake but instead of cake and icing, it makes use of baby diapers and other baby essentials.

I took some photos of my first experience in making a diaper cake.  Let me share the following easy steps in making one.

Ingrdients for the diaper cake:

• 47-50 newborn baby diapers (This will depend on the number of rings and layers that you will make. I used less than 50 diapers.)
• regular rubber bands
• large rubber bands
• 1 or 1/2 inch wide decorative ribbon
• cardboard or plastic cake holder (You can buy this from baking stores or you can make your own using an illustration board.)
• 1 8-oz baby bottle
• 1 4-oz baby bottle
• long wooden stick
• assorted baby things for cake decoration

Step 1 - Roll the diapers tightly (see example below) and secure each one with a regular rubber band. Make sure the decorative part of the diaper can be seen.

Step 2 - To make the 3rd (lower) tier, get the cake board or holder and place the 8-oz bottle in the center. Then place around 7-8 rolled diapers around the baby bottle and put a large rubber band around the the circle of diapers.  This will serve as the inner ring.

*Don't worry about following the exact number of rolled diapers because it may vary depending on the thickness of the diapers.

Step 3 - Next form the outer ring by surrounding the inner ring with 14-15 rolled diapers. Secure the entire circle of diapers by putting a large rubber band around it. 

* If you have a bigger cake board, you can make 3 rings to surround the baby bottle but you will need more diapers.

Step 4 - To make the 2nd tier, make another inner ring. Surround the topmost part of the baby bottle with 

 around 5-6 diapers then put a large rubber band around it. Make an outer ring using 10-11 diapers and secure it with a large rubber band.  

*The diapers used in the 2nd tier were rolled tighter compared to the lower tier.

Step 5 - To make the 1st tier, position the 4-oz bottle on the center of the 2nd tier. Surround the baby bottle with around 6-7 rolled diapers and put a large rubber band around it.

Step 6 - To attach all 3 tiers, insert a wooden stick in the middle. Make sure the stick is long enough to reach the lower tier.

Step 7 - Decorate your cake. You may add baby things like baby spoon and fork, pacifier, bottle cleaner, socks, rolled onesies, rattle and others.

Add a topper of your choice. For my diaper cake, I chose a small Ernie plush toy. Make sure that you secure the topper on the baby bottle cover peeking through the 1st tier using a rubber band, string or ribbon.

Cover the rubber bands with decorative ribbon. You may cover the whole diaper cake with a big cellophane or netting before giving it to the expectant mother.

This is the finish product. 

Thankful for Successful Surgery

I was jittery when I woke up Monday morning of last week. I knew it was the day of my minor surgery to remove the sebaceous cyst on my back. The surgeon suggested that I be sedated because it was too big for local anesthesia. The surgeon assured me that it was an easy procedure but deep inside I was still worried. I couldn't help but feel a little frightened. After all, I've never had an operation before.

I acted brave when hubby drove me to the hospital but deep inside I was trembling. I didn't know what to expect. We arrived at the hospital around 7:45 a.m. At the E.R. I was told that it was standard procedure for patients to ride the wheelchair going to the operating room (O.R.). It felt weird riding the wheelchair.

I had to say goodbye to hubby as I entered the O.R. Two young, friendly nurses greeted me. They helped prepare me for the operation. They also made it a point to check up on me every now and then while I waited for the surgeon and anesthesiologist to arrive. The latter arrived first. He asked me some questions like if I have any pre-existing conditions, drug allergy and food allergy. I must admit my ego was hurt when he said that I was probably not allergic to any food because I was fat. Ouch! He was trying to be funny but I didn't find it amusing at all. In fairness, despite that seemingly insensitive comment, he was kind to me during the whole procedure.

It was past 11 a.m. when the surgeon arrived, he apologized for letting me wait. He gave the nurse the go signal to bring me to the O.R. I felt even more scared when I saw another nurse lining up the operating tools. I just had to focus on something else. I said a silent prayer to God to keep me safe during the operation.

I was told to lie on my side. The anesthesiologist told me that my eyes were going to feel heavy. Then without realizing it, I was out cold.

When I woke up, I was a little disoriented. I thought it was already morning and it was time to wake up my son for school. After a few seconds, I realized I was in the O.R. The doctors were still there. I asked the surgeon if it was over. He smiled and said yes. I didn't feel a thing. I'm thankful that there was no pain at all. I thanked both doctors for taking care of me.

The doctors told me that I needed to rest for a few more hours before I could go home. My surgery was an out patient case. I looked at the wall clock and it was past 1 p.m. The doctors advised me to sleep for a while before they left. I tried but I couldn't sleep. 

Two other patients, a woman and a young boy were brought to the recovery room to join me.  The young boy was accompanied by his father. He was around 5 years old. I felt a pinch on my heart when I saw the little boy beside me. I remembered my son back home. I prayed that my son will always be blessed with good health.

I heard the boy beside me whimpering. His dad tried to comfort him. He told him not to cry anymore but the operation was over. When the boy heard his dad's soothing voice, he stopped crying.

It didn't take long before I was declared ready to go home. After putting on my clothes, I was wheeled outside where hubby was waiting. He kissed me and asked how I was feeling. I smiled and told him it didn't hurt at all. The doctor gave me prescription for antibiotic and pain reliever before leaving the hospital.

When I got home, I was so happy to see Yohan's face. He wanted to hug me but he knew he couldn't because of my operation. He told me that he prayed for me several times that day. I was really touched.

It has been more than a week now since the operation. I had to go back to the doctor several times during the past week for dressing change. I'm happy to say that my wound is healing well.

I'm very thankful that everything went smoothly. Thank you Lord for taking care of me.


 

Revisiting 2011: Singapore Trip part 2

Night Safari

Night Safari, the world's first wildlife night park was just a few steps away from Singapore Zoo. It was a unique experience to see nocturnal animals in action.  We rode a tram and embarked on a fascinating adventure.  We saw leopards, tigers, lions, hog badgers, Malay civets, tapirs, deer and many more. Flash photography wasn't aloud so I didn't bother taking photos.

The Thumbuakar Performance was amazing. It was a spectacular display of dance and fire-eating stunts. The human torches could blow flames up to 5 meters high! Imagine that! We could feel the heat from our seats.

 

We were entertained by the Creatures of the Night Show. It was a 30-minute show featuring trained animals such as otters, raccoons, snakes, wolves, hyenas, owls and many more.

Revisiting 2011: Singapore Trip part 1

Let me begin the year by filling the void I left on my blog.  Last year was a good year and I would like to take this opportunity to share some of those memorable highlights.

I'll start with our family trip to Singapore last summer of 2011. It was a very memorable vacation because it was Yohan's first airplane ride and it was our first trip out of the country as a family.  It was an adventure from the start because we didn't go on a tour. The tour packages we reviewed only featured selected places so we decided to go on our own.  It was a great decision because we were free to choose our destinations. I booked our airline tickets and hotel accommodation online.

Our Singapore trip was tailored fit for Yohan. We know how much he loves animals so we put the top 3 zoos in Singapore on our itinerary.

Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo was so amazing! It was an adventure in a tropical forest. We came close and personal with different animals. Just imagine 2500 animals living in that 28-hectare sanctuary.

The animals in Singapore Zoo enjoy living in wide and lush habitats. They have a taste of freedom unlike the animals from other zoos that spend all their time in small cages.

 Some of the animal attractions in the zoo.

Here are just a few of the animals we encountered during our walk ...

It was a pleasure to see 3 beautiful white tigers, also called Bengal tigers. walking, swimming and playing in such a spacious habitat. 

One of the majestic white tigers at Singapore Zoo.

Yohan and I rode on the back of a beautiful Asian elephant. We also saw several other elephants playing with a huge ball and spraying each other with water. I've always been awed by the intelligence and strength of elephants.

Fun elephant ride.

  

There were free-ranging orangutans on top of the trees. It was so cool to see them swing, lounge and play right above our heads.

Swinging orangutans.

It was Yohan's first time to see a giraffe. We wanted it to be truly memorable so we let him feed one of the giraffes.  Just look at that long tongue!

Feeding the giraffe with carrot sticks.

At that time, Angry Birds was at the height of its popularity. It was funny because a foreigner approached my husband and offered to buy the shirt he was wearing. Jules politely declined. :)

The zebras were so close.

Before going home, we bought several furry pals and shirts as keepsakes.

At the souvenir shop.

Embracing 2012

Happy New Year! Looking back at 2011, I could say that it was a good year for us. My family and I have been truly blessed. I peacefully bid 2011 goodbye and I welcome 2012 with open arms.   I hope that this year will be another great year. I pray for happiness, good health, peace, great opportunities and never ending inspiration.  I know that there will be challenges along the way. I pray for strength and courage to rise above small and big hurdles that I might encounter.

Cheers to a great year ahead!