Start of something new

Sharing of interests, stories of where I've been and what I did. Insights, thoughts, learning that may be applicable and helpful to anybody in this world!
Showing posts with label Reunion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reunion. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

My first "Mrs Santa" stint: Diaz Family Reunion 2013!

Every time that we have a reunion more often than not I am always the masters of ceremony.  Don’t know why but maybe because I am so talkative that my family don’t need to push me to do it!  Last January 1, 2013, we had our Diaz Family reunion at Calamba City Laguna and of course I was the MC.
This time dressed as Mrs. Santa Clause and I was all in with this idea! (ako pa! Game ako lagi).  My Tita-Ninang even helped me with my make up!
I hope that I was able to make them happy with what I did! Hahahaha!!
Even I was laughing all the time!

This was when I was posing and dancing to entertain my relatives! Dancing “cha-cha-cha”

 
This was when my father in law and my tita ninang was singing their hearts out! It was very relaxing actually only when I am not the one singing! Hehe!



The meal was prepared by all of my relatives! Thanks for the burp!
Sadly we were not able to take a shot of the festive food!

After lunch we then proceeded to the program itself.
I have prepared three games and one of which was the “Guessing Game”

-    - There were two teams (1) Boys (2) Girls
-    -  I will mention a category and each team will tell a letter.  The letter should be present in the word / phrase that they have to guess.
-     - If one team guessed one letter from the word / phrase, then the same team will continue guessing until they are able to guess the word or the phrase
-     - Each team has only three lives!  If they guessed three letters wrongly then they are “out”

My husband was my game co-host.


This was Gboy guessing the letters!  “Is there a letter A?”


After 6 categories it was the Boys who won! Hehe! No bias at all! :D
The boys getting their prizes - care of Tita Ninang Judy! 


Another game was the "Eat that Oreo".
Pretty simple, just put the Oreo in the forehead and try to put it in your mouth without touching it.  The fastest person to do it is the winner!

And the winner was! Kuya Gil Jun!


We also had another game called “Dance like Gangnam”.  We called all the boys in the house and they all danced Gangnam Style with the help of Camille leading the steps!  Whoever was the best dancer based from our board of judges wins!

They initially started with this group!


Then towards the middle of the song, it was only these four boys! The others got tired of dancing.


They were the only ones who completed the entire song and they were very thrilled with what they did!  Now on to the judges – since there were only four of them, they can either take the prize and divide them into four or the judge will choose one from them.

After much deliberation, they decided to split the prize!  Ohh! So sweet of them!

Of course we will not end this reunion without our gift giving!



This was when I was introduced to the “White Elephant Concept”
This is how it goes:

1. Each person will bring a gift worth Php200 (depending on what you have agreed on)
-  You can have a small gift but with a big box – up to your creativity
2. The organizers will place a number to each gift and will create small papers with the numbers.
3. The organizers will also create small papers with one star, two smiley faces, the rest are sad faces
4. The gifts will be placed at the middle of the room and all participants will sit around the gifts
5. Each person will pick a number
6. The organizers will then call out each number, the one holding the number will get their gift
7. Once everyone has their gift, they will open their gifts all at the same time – now everyone knows what everyone got!
8. Then the organizers will then ask each one to pick another paper (they will either get a sad face, a happy face (2 pcs) and a star
9. For those who got the sad face – better luck next time
10. For the two individuals who got the smiley face – they have the power to “TAKE” any gift that they want – Yes this is true! They can get anything!! 
11. Now for the one who got the star! This person can also “TAKE” any gift that he/she wants and he/she has the ultimate power to even get the gift that was taken by the individuals with the “happy face”!

Interesting right! Now that is how our gift giving worked!
For this particular session – my husband got one “Happy Face” and I told him that I wanted the steamer!! When he got the steamer I was very very happy!!! Hahahahah!! Power!!!

 
Then on the person who got the “Star” it was Mama Loida!! Then Mama took the steamer from my husband! I was like ---- “Whaaat! Cannot!!!” but since Mama has the ultimate power then I do not have authority to take it back! :(

Then when we were about to leave, Mama gave the steamer to me! Yey! She said that it’s her birthday gift to me and I was so so so Happy!!!!

Then we brought it back to Malaysia! Yey! We cooked Siomai!


Some photo opps with my brothers and sister! Goofing around!! ^_^




Til next reunion! I am sure it will be more fun!
This was us!  Yey!


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Xoxo

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Day 3 of 16: "Sweet 16 days in PINAS"




One celebration that we all anticipate every year is our:

"Hernandez Christmas Party"!

Well this is a Christmas Party / Reunion in one and every December all kids (even adult) look forward to it.

A few years back, we used to celebrate our Christmas Party in any of my relative's houses.  However, since the family is growing and growing, we opted to rent a place instead on where we can celebrate this awesome Party!  Normally we rent a private resort in Calamba City, Laguna.   

For last year, we celebrated in one of the private resorts in Calamba City, Laguna. It was at Piscina de Jillen and we rented the place for 8 hours, 9am - 5pm.  


Majority of us arrived at lunchtime (okie I admit Filipino time)! 
Yay! Just in time for eating!!



Normally, we have pot luck every occasion. It depends if we want to buy per family or we want to cook.  

For this specific event I don't think we bought any food :D

Nevertheless, we were all full because of the food that was prepared.  I thank all my cousins and tita for preparing the food!









Before we formally start the program, similar to what we have practiced before, Tita Baby gave her opening remarks.


We (Hernandez Family) seldom see each other.  Since we live and work at different places, it's quit difficult for us to gather often.  Therefore, we take advantage of the Christmas season to have our yearly get together.

Then the program ran as follows:

1. GAMES, GAMES, GAMES
2. Gift Giving

I enjoy being in front of everybody and thus I volunteered to be the MC for this event! Yahoo!!

One of the games that we had was care of Ate Tina.  It was the Oreo Challenge!  I don't think there is a need for me to explain, it was clearly shown in the image below. :D



We had several games sponsored by Ate Tina, me and Mama.
It was good to see that we all had a lot of fun!

Ate Tina, being the host for this year's celebration, gave all of us a personalized shirt!  We even had a very nice tarpaulin only for this event.  It was like an instant photo booth! (pressure to the next host!)

Here comes the Big, Bubbly and all-out-energy Hernandez Family.


Herbano, Tolentino and  Family 

 Hernandez, Garcia, Fandialan and Antazo Family

Aizel and Family

 Hernandez Family

Bautista Family

Hernandez and Ellerma Family

 Diaz and Fernando Family

 Aside from the eating, games and get together, the most awaited time of this event was the "Gift Giving".  Where once a year we share our blessings to the entire family. 


Whether big or small the important thing about gift giving is the spirit of Christmas. It will always be the thought that counts!

To my cousins and titas who gave their time and effort for the gift-giving, a big "Thanks" to you all!

You made the little ones (even the adults) even more excited about Christmas!

This is one of the reasons why I love to spend Christmas in the Philippines.  One of the reasons to keep me going and bring happiness to my family. :D










Xoxo
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Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Our Sweet 16 days in PINAS!

 


With this poster, everyday is a holiday for me and my husband.  However, nothing beats a TRUE Holiday in the Philippines.

What is the best thing to be an OFW? To have the chance to go back home!! And when we do, we make the MOST of it!  This is exactly what my husband and I did when we went back.

Last 2011, we did not celebrate Christmas in the Philippines.
Last 2012, was different.

We flew back to the Philippines last December 21 and we made each moment of our stay there memorable!

This is quite a story so please bear with me! :D

December 21
- Sweets immediately went to LTO to renew his driver's license
- I had my "mani-pedi" then immediately went to meet up with my insurance officer
- I went to CG2, to meet up with my BFFs, Anna and KC
- Read more Here :)

December 22
- Our yearly tradition to go to Excelente to buy our bacon, ham and queso de bola 
- Sweets and I went to Cainta to visit our BFF Betchay!  Leah and Ning - Ning was also there and we had a lot of fun over lunch and merienda.  Beth even taught me how to do my make up!
- Read more Here :)

December 23
- Sweets and I left early in the morning to go back to Laguna and prepare for our "Hernandez Family Reunion".  One day of laughter and fun and energy games!
- Foot massage!! 
- Read more Here :)

December 24 
- Spent the day at home in San Pablo Laguna and did some errands here and there! Went to market early that day to prepare for lunch.  My BFFs are coming over and I need to make sure we will have a hearty lunch and a lot of laughter.
- Mass before Christmas day and celebrated Noche Buena at Tita Marilou's house.
- Read more Here :)

December 25
- Christmas Day!!! Woohoo!! I am no longer in the young age where I will go to my Ninong and Ninang's house to ask for "aguinaldo".  Instead, I bought some chocolate cakes and personally delivered it to some of our Wedding God Parents!

December 26
- All day in San Pablo Laguna and spend the rest of the day outside to buy food not seen here in MY.  
- My husband met with his high school friends. 


December 27
- On my way back to Angono, Rizal. Would you believe that while I was in the bus, I was writing the Wedding Program for my cousin? Well yes and it worked out very well at the wedding.
- Had my mani - pedi again =)
- I met with my closest friends and had dinner at Banapple, Ayala Triangle.  We were able to see the lights but not full blast.  

December 28
- Up by 4:30am and went on the road at 5:30am to attend a wedding in Sta. Rosa Laguna.

- Read more Here :)

December 29
- Another wedding! This time in Novaliches!

December 30
- Thanks Giving with our family friends
- Dinner with Sweets' bestfriend, Jepoy

December 31
- Lunch at my favorite cousin's place in Antipolo
- New Year's celebration in Don Benito, Angono Rizal

January 1
- Up at 7am and went on the road at 8am to go back to Laguna.  This time in Calamba for the "Diaz Family Reunion" - More Story Here :)


January 2
- Lunch and merienda with our very dear family friend Zach and Cecil.

January 3
- I went back to Laguna to prepare for my birthday celebration! Really now, what is it to prepare??
- My husband went to meet up with his college friends - unfortunately no one turned up and thus my husband went and buy his MANILA shirt 


January 4
- Very special day for me and my sister!  Yes we both celebrate the same birth date!  Before the dinner celebration, I accompanied my father for check-up.

I was very happy and glad to celebrate this day together with my family!  There is nothing more I can ask for

- Read more Here :)

January 5
- Did some last errands before finally flying back to MY
- Mani - Pedi "again"

Everything sounds easy, but mind you, it was not!
Prior to coming back last December, I had to make a lot of planning and meeting arrangements with my friends and family to come up with these schedule.  

I thank of the my friends and family who was patient with me in my arrangements.  I was very happy that all of the schedules went as planned.

Til next Christmas, New Year and Birthday Celebration in Pinas!
Watch out for the individual stories here!

Xoxo

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