Thank You, 2013!

2013 was a great year for me. While I never ran out of challenges from time to time, I believe this year has been a wonderful journey of achieving milestones. I experienced a lot of breakthroughs as an individual and a wife and partner to my Husband. I appreciate my moments of awakening as a person. I seem to know myself more, of my needs and wants, of people and moments that matter to me. Some of my biggest learnings include: 

• go back to my core when I feel uncertain 
• that I take a different path from others...my journey is mine and I shouldn't be pressured to do anything I don't want
• that most of the time, I don't owe anyone an explanation 
• to think, feel and speak kindly towards everyone 
• that it's okay to ask for things to be easy instead of asking for strength or patience (God listened to me a thousand times and more often, he's made things lighter for me when I'm getting weak)
• to walk away from anything or anyone that disturbs my peace and happiness
• to find joy in the ordinary
• to spend on experiences instead of things (because when accumulation of things are mismanaged, they just create clutter)
• time is the greatest gift that one can give to a loved one
• to love more and live more

My "Thank Yous"

Thank you for the abundance of blessings that 2013 has brought me:

…the gift of courage to stay away from unproductive things and negative people

…the gift of discipline to give up habits that doesn't do me good

…the desire to always learn, whether it involves my job or personal interests

…the opportunity to have a job that I love and one that loves me back

…the passion to do things as best as I could; be more proactive and think of results instead of excuses

…the gift of forgiveness and healing, to acknowledge my faults, forgive myself and forgive others

…the gift of peace and acceptance

…the chance to travel and experience another country’s food and culture

…the gift of coming home to our motherland, the Philippines. 

…the gift of time spent with loved ones, of friendships that re-connect and hearts that reunite.

…an abundance of indulgences in the form of material things, good food and great company

…the gift of friends; their friendship is food to my soul

…the gift of good health and a safe home

…the gift of faith that never waver, for a God that always listened and gave

…my family, their love is the most valuable thing in my world

We have done well, 2013. Thank you, dear God. Thank you, Universe.

Most Liked Photos In Instagram for 2013

I think this statigram is cool as it gives you the five most liked photos from your instagram account. 

Here's mine:

I love the turnout of this video as it showcased all the things I love: travel in Seoul with family, the icons of my beloved Sydney: Opera House and Harbour Bridge, making good food and being underneath the Cherry Blossoms with the love of my life. 

To all my IGmates, thank you for taking time to look at my instagram photos and for giving generous likes. 

December on Ibyangram

Ibyang + Instagram = Ibyangram

While my instagram photos are shared on my twitter page and sometimes on my tumblr and fb page, I would like to have a monthly dump of ibyangrams on AWCL too. It is thru instagram that I share everyday moments and random finds. I use instagram as my real time mini-blog. Every end of the month, I'll be choosing a couple of photos from my instagram and share it here because I have something more to say about a certain ibyangram.

We had a sad start to December as we said goodbye to family living in America and the Philippines. There is that sudden silence when family reunions end. And the only way for things to go back to normal is to go back to the usual daily grind. The Husband and I went straight back to work and eased in slowly to our normal. December is always a festive time and it helped a lot in easing sadness we felt at the start of the month. Work has winded down but it is temporary. The last week of December, we focused on relaxing and getting ready for the new year. 

There's more to my December than just Christmas celebrations and I've got my Ibyangrams to speak for it...

Christmas 2013 Celebrations

The start of December meant the start of Christmas celebrations. While we're still busy finishing tasks at work, our free time were spent preparing for meeting up with loved ones. Our Christmas was a balance of simple merriment and quiet moments, making this year our most relaxed Christmas. 

I realized that having a relaxed Christmas is all in the attitude. Instead of thinking how Christmas is always a busy time, the Husband and I just went with the flow and didn't care about crowds in the malls or panicked that we haven't completed gifts for loved ones. We just did what we could with the free time we had after work. On Christmas week, we're happily eating out and leisurely hung out at the shops in the midst of shoppers. It also helped that get-togethers with loved ones were organised in advanced. 

Below are a few snippets of how we spent Christmas:

Our annual get-together with Kolokoys (the name of our group) was an afternoon of catching up and playing games. We alloted one Saturday so we can have enough time spent with each other.

Our Sydney Tweethearts get-together was a breakfast party in the city. 

Drinks after work with my team was a good breather for all of us. It was also a celebration for the great year we had at work. 

Christmas date with Hubby in the city. We walked inside Strand Arcade and I had a photo of my favourite Christmas Tree in the city. Before we went home, the Husband indulged me with a cup of Toffee Nut Latte. 

Last day of work was on the 24th. We had a festive breakfast at work as the boss grilled some bacon, eggs and sausages.  It was a chance for the whole office to sit down and enjoy a meal for one last time before 2013 ends. After work, I met up with Hubby for late lunch.

We spent Christmas morning at church and then had a lovely lunch with family. It was an opportunity not just to spend time with family living here in Sydney but we took time out to video call family living in the Philippines and America. Technology these days are such wonderful help in getting connected to loved ones around the world. We had lots of yummy food that left us full and satisfied but made room for the grand finale, a Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato Cake. 

Boxing Day, the 26th is when some parts of Australia come alive with malls opening and offering big discounts on their merchandise. A lot of people troop down to malls and shop to their hearts content. The Husband and I took a quiet route of watching a movie instead of go to the shops. We enjoyed the second Hobbit movie. 

Last Sunday of 2013 was Yum Cha lunch with friends. A solid 4-hour of eating good food and catching up. A great way to end our Christmas week.

This Christmas, the Husband and I decided not to give gifts to each other. We wanted to focus on spending time with loved ones and true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus.