Gracias por todo, 2016!

And just like that, 2016 has gone. It felt like the second half of last year went by quickly, and now, we're welcoming 2017. Can you believe that?

The past year was full of memories, both great and challenging. I try as much not to dwell on the mistakes I or others have done, and on the things I have lost; so whenever I look back on the years that have gone, I would remember the good stuff. Surely, there were unpleasant memories we cannot simply forget, best thing to do is accept them as part of our human experiences and pay attention to the lessons they taught.

I am grateful for all the experiences this 2016 and I hope I've become wiser, kinder, and more caring because of facing them. I'm sharing here some of the fondest memories of the past year, that I hope to experience and live through more this year.

Knowing that I am appreciated with the work I do. When I left the school early this year unsure if I would return to teaching the Nursery class, some parents told me about how their children told them stories about our class and how they would miss me. It was a sweet thing to hear! I couldn't share photos of the kids, so I hope this one would do.

My kids enjoying the trampoline in the playground

Meeting and traveling with good friends. When we traveled back to the Philippines for a vacation, my husband, nephew, and I went to Baler with my friend Arlene to visit Chai and her baby. I think this was the first time that I traveled far with Arlene. Arlene and I talked about traveling together for a long time and I'm glad we did it. I'm looking forward to more travels with them.

Baler with Michael, Janus, Arlene, Chai and her baby Casey

Spending time and exploring new places with family. After being away from our families for more than a year, we finally had the time to go home and go places with them. My husband and I went to El Nido, Palawan and Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro with our families. It was summer when we were in the Philippines, so going to the beach is a good idea. The tours we had were quite tiring but worth the views and experiences.

Beach with family!

Experiencing the Antioch Weekend Formation once again. Another reason why summer is fun back home is the annual youth formation in our Antioch community. We were fortunate to catch this event and helped our brothers and sisters in the community. Much have changed in the community in such a short time that I've been away but I believe it's all for good. Talking and catching up with friends in the community meant a lot to me and made me feel that I'm still part of something good, of something with a purpose that will stay on.

Sing Alleluia to the Lord

Visiting different churches. Since we missed the Holy week in the Philippines, we just visited different churches near Cavite. We went to the National Shrine of Padre Pio, Caleruega Church, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Pink Sisters Convent. Aside from visiting new churches, it's also good to hear mass celebrated by a different priest - listening to different views and ways of delivering God's messages.

National Shrine of Padre Pio

Discovering new places in Riyadh. Going to malls and checking out sales become uninteresting after some time, especially when we're saving and avoiding to buy stuff we don't actually need. Checking out places we've never been to here in Riyadh has been the alternative to those. We went to Wadi Namar, Ushaiqer Heritage Village, and Khararrah lake last year. They say travel to somewhere new once in a while, that's what we did and it was a good routine breaker.

Top: Ushaiqer Village; Bottom: Khararrah Lake

Traveling to another country by road. Yes, we made it to Bahrain by road! We enjoyed our short time in Bahrain. I hope to write a separate post about crossing the border, finding a decent hotel, the places we've been, and the crazy experiences we had! Good job Michael for our safe drive there and back home.

In the parking lot of BH National Museum

Celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. Our wedding felt like yesterday, but yes, we've been married for two years! I'm grateful for our relationship, and I pray that we grow more in love in the years to come. Having someone so selfless, sometimes annoying, in my life is something I won't trade for.

Gracias por todo, 2016, for all the happiness and the challenges, and for all the people that I got to spend you with. I now welcome 2017 and hope to invoke more dreams! ♥

(Sharing this wonderful song, too!)