But now – there is the WordPress blog, and although I am not a prolific writer by any measure – it does contain a few highlights of our year.
I came to learn however, that my youngest (Jessica), came to dread my yearly ‘family report’. “How is dad gonna summarise my year?”, she thought. – Well, she did something really interesting this year, she painted her room! She removed the Disney characters in the window, the glow-in-the dark stickers in the ceiling and even painted a feature wall. She also redecorated her bedroom, bought new bed and bedroom furnitures to have a Marie Antoinette theme for her chair, mirror, table and bed frame. What even made this special – is that she worked and saved up for this project, planned and executed it. If only I could paint her sense of satisfaction when she completed it.
Next year, Jessica has set her mind to travel, with her friends, to New York, Washington D.C. and Vancouver. They have already secured their tickets and frantically saving for pocket money – not a very easy task with our shrinking Australian Dollar.
The highlight of Celine’s year – of course, is her trip to Chicago and Los Angeles. She even saw a bit of Shanghai during the Beijing Olympics.
We can not thank enough Tito Emil and Tita Vangie for looking after Celine and her friends in Chicago. Tita Neng-neng made her feel welcome and managed to get Celine to sing over the phone.
A big thank you to our college pal Bernie Floresca for taking Celine around Chicago for an afternoon.
We are also very much humbled by the generosity of our good friends Jing and Elpie Advincula, who not only housed the 3 girls – Celine, Linda and Kirsty in L.A., they treated them for the musical “Wicked”. That treat is very special to these girls – and you may have just planted a seed of generosity in their hearts as well.
As for me and Jeanne – this year made us realised how grown-up our daughters are already. On some level, we can’t even call them our dependants any more. We are not at all immune to what is happening all around us, we do have our own share of the crisis currently sweeping the world. We wish, however, that everyone of us get through these tough times and face a brighter New Year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
On the right column called ‘RANDOM PHOTOS’ are pictures we’ve taken throughout the year. You can view all of them at this Gallery. It include the Easter Egg Hunt with our neighbors, Jeanne’s inclusion on the Blacktown mural. Photos from the visits of Annie and Johnny, the visit from Cesar Madrid and family, visit from Mark Go. Some travel photos of Celine and our short break at Canberra. This year’s Music by Moonlight, World Youth Day, Spring Cycling, City-to-Surf, Seven Bridges Walk etc.
Rommel Pascual is the Web Administrator of the SEAWIND Network
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Wow Pasky, web administrator of Seawind-Network! Very nice Yuletide greetings on this web site! We’re so happy to see Jessie and Celine having accomplished so many at their young age. Their upbringing clearly shows in their achievements! They are so well focused with their friends and environment that looks to help well.
Our warmest greetings and best wishes to you all this Yuletide Season! Much love from all of us!
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Rommel Pascual reply on December 14th, 2008 6:01 pm:
Thank you for being the first to comment Manong Benny. I will add your Blogspot in my blogroll – to give you extra credit in Google search
I hope this encourages others to post their replies in this site as well.
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Grace Gordo Imson reply on December 31st, 2008 12:52 pm:
Wow, Rommel…..I’ve seen all the pictures….how fast -Time Flies! All the kids are taller than us now! I miss you all…I hope someday we can schedule to be together in the Philippines.
You’re so high-tech! Maybe you can fix my website too!
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Dear Rommel
Wishing you and your girls (including Jeanne!) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love
Tricia, Ralph & Tom
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rommel reply on December 15th, 2008 10:51 am:
Thanks Trish – Happy Holidays to you and your family too.
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Hi Pasky … I actually look forward to your annual family newsletter. But times are a-changing and everything’s going virtual ….
Hey, I’m so amazed by what Jessie & Celine can do! Little girls no more talaga …. Jessie has done what I always have been dreaming of doing… DIY projects at home! I can imagine you & Jing’s pride for these 2 ladies! Has Celine’s trip anything to do with stage? or her singing? Ang galing-galing naman ..really!
Thanks for sharing and staying connected … it’s because of this that we do not really feel like we’re worlds apart. Our love and kisses to everyone!
Love you all!!!
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rommel reply on December 15th, 2008 10:27 pm:
Hi Ate Ditz,
Celine’s trip in U.S. was for fun. She worked and saved for it for awhile. She attended a Harry Potter Convention in Chicago – a group of young adults dressed up like students of Hogwarts. If you could imagine the first day of school in a Harry Potter movie – that’s basically what the atmosphere was.
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Nice newsletter, nice video, Cousin Rommel…Looks like the Christmas spirit is alive and well in your neck of the woods, too. Have a blessed season from Ronnie, Emma, Chessa and Melanie Lu
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Rommel Pascual reply on December 16th, 2008 6:26 am:
Thanks Emma – What a nice looking family you have. Everyone, here’s Emma’s Christmas photo collage in Shutterfly.
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What more could I say but kudoos to the 2 girls. Being related to you makes us proud.
Merry Christmas to you too and have a great year ahead
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Rommel Pascual reply on December 16th, 2008 6:28 am:
Thanks Manang Khorz – Talk to you soon.
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Grace Gordo Imson reply on December 31st, 2008 12:54 pm:
Hi Khorz!
Email me too – dspaceslu@yahoo.com! Send me your family pics! Let’s plan to be home in the PI – then we get together!!!!!!
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Rommel Pascual reply on December 31st, 2008 1:51 pm:
Hi Manang Grace,
Jeanne and I will be in the Philippines on Dec 2009 for our high school 30 years re-union. Perhaps you can time it around that time too
I tried to post a comment unsuccessfully.
Anyway, I am very proud of the girls’ accomplishments. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.!
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Rommel Pascual reply on December 16th, 2008 6:29 am:
Hi Tita Neng. There – I posted it for you
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Rommel, Jeanne and kids,
Maligayang pasko sa inyong lahat. Sana’y patuloy kayong patnubayan ng biyaya ng ating mahal na Panginoon. Man, that is deep tagalog. Merry Christmas to you all from the forgotten post of Camp Mujuk, Pohang, Korea.
Frank
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rommel reply on December 17th, 2008 6:45 am:
Ang bigat naman ng Tagalog mo – man
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Dear Pascual Family,
What a great year for all of us! Thank you for the special mention in your newsletter. We are excitedly awaiting lovely Jessica and her friends next year. Hope to see you all when we come visit your beautiful Australia.
Much love,
Jing n Elpie
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Hi Pascual’s
Best wishes of the season to you all as well. Hopefully we can catch up in the near future for a few quiet ones (before they start getting into rowdy ones!)
Attached is a photo of the kids taken 16/12/08, when Emily attended the school formal.
Merry Christmas
Flaxys
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Dear Rommel,
Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!!!! From Grace Gordo Imson
You are awesome!!!! I am so impressed…..I looked into all the photos ….so kids have grown so fast…..and flew very far too!!!! You are so blessed!
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Rommel Pascual reply on December 27th, 2008 10:13 pm:
Hi Manang Grace,
Merry Christmas to you too – I hope that one day you can visit us here Down Under
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ang galing naman — kudos to your girls, at sempre kudos to you parents, too! parang gusto ko tuloy hilahin ang panahon para maging dalaga na ang mga little kengkays, pero parang gusto ko rin na namnamin muna ang pagiging bata nila
merry christmas!
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rommel reply on December 21st, 2008 7:06 am:
Hi Kengkay
Kami naman, kung minsan, gusto naming hilahin pabalik ang panahon para maging maliit ulit sila
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To All of us,
I wish you and your family the very best of the Christmas Season.
And wishing you a bountiful and prosperous year in 2009.
GOD BLESS
CAESAR PASCUAL & FAMILY
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Happy New Year Rommel and Jeanne, Great weblog, lovely news of your family.
All well with Robert and I, not managing Camp Creative this year, in fact saxophone playing sadly not enough, will rejoin the band this year. Meanwhile swimming going well and trying the Bondi Classic 2 km open water swim in Feb. Love Jill
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rommel reply on January 2nd, 2009 3:52 pm:
Hi Jill – Wow – 2km Open Water. That’s one event you just can’t turn up and have a go. I might come and watch though and be cheering you and Robert from the other end.
Jeanne and I will not make it for this years Camp Creative. Next year does not look likely too. I’ve put back my tenor and alto sax to its cases this morning, I figured that I’m not blowing them enough to be constantly on its stand. One day I’ll get back to it, but for now I can’t commit to a band.
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