Happy 2009!

It's been a while since I last wrote, and what a crazy month it has been! I was so happy to finish fall semester (finally). And I am very proud to say that I surprised even myself and earned straight A's! I wasn't expecting that result at all; I knew I was going to at least get two A's, and two B's. What a pleasant surprise! This is the first time I've received such good grades, and all the glory goes to God for helping me to focus and prioritize my studies. He showed me my potential in a time when I doubted my abilities and proved to me that I can really do anything through Christ who gives me strength.

I was, and am, so humbled by this, and I am so grateful for His faithfulness. :)

After school ended, I started looking for a part time job so that I could make some extra money over the holiday break. I ended up getting a job at Michael's through a friend of mine, Grace. And as much as I may moan and complain about my terrible hours, I realize that I'm lucky to even have a job, especially in these tough economic times. Besides, one of the bonuses at working at an arts & crafts store is that it's really inspired me to be more creative. Every night as I walk through the aisles I get another cute idea. I love it. :)

The holidays this year were especially enjoyable. For Christmas, I participated in MBC's annual Christmas Eve service, singing in the choir with Paula. After two months of rehearsals, I was happy to finally perform for my family and loved ones, and celebrate the birth of Christ. After the service, I made my way home, where we had some family over for Noche Buena. Later on, I went with Gabby to his church's Christmas Eve service.

Christmas morning was exhilarating! I felt like a little kid again. This year, I went to Gabby's house first, because my mom and brother wanted to sleep in a little, since we had gone to bed late the night before. I wanted to get to Gabby's house early, because all of us (his siblings, sister in law, and myself) had a surprise for his mom, and I wanted to be there for the big reveal. Early in December, we took some group pictures with Janet's cousin, Monica, who owns her own photography company. We took some pictures of all of us, put them in a collage frame, and presented it to Gabby's mom, who was caught totally off guard. She started crying, and was so happy that she finally had a professional picture of all her kids. I was glad to be a part of it. :)
Here's one of the pictures from that session:



After Christmas at the Medinas', I returned home and eagerly woke my mom and brother so we could open presents. I was pleased with my gifts this year, not that any of it is really that important or anything. My favorite gift of all though, is my new iPod Touch! My mom bought it because of my good grades. I was so surprised; if you know my mom, you know why. She is notorious for giving typical "mom" gifts, like socks, clothes, and other practical items. Never gadgets. She placed the iPod box in a Nine West shoebox, so I was already excited when I unwrapped it. New shoes! Yay! I opened the box, and I see this bag with an apple on it, and I was so stunned I didn't even know what to say! I thanked my mom a million times over. I was really grateful for all of my gifts, and I was grateful for spending time with family later on that day at my cousin's annual Christmas Day brunch. Her sister in law's son, Rocco, stole my heart. He has these huge grey eyes that are just going to break so many hearts someday. He was teething, so he put almost anything in his mouth. I think I'm in love with him. :)






The holiday break brought a new, albeit temporary, addition to my family: my uncle's
dog, Pisa, came to visit while he was out of town for 10 days. She's a trip. It was great to dogsit, and my uncle just came back and took her home. I told him he could leave her with us whenever he wants.




Finally, for New Years, we went to a party hosted by a family friend of Gabby's family. They have a humongous home, and went all out with the party. The theme was black and white, and I have to admit, I really wasn't looking forward to the party until the day of the event. I bought a white blouse and googled some cute hairstyles and makeup ideas. We had a wonderful time. I was so happy to be rid of 2008! It was a pretty bad year for me and my family overall. Hopefully, 2009 brings much more laughs and fun times than tears and grief. Also, I'm returning to Quick Weight Loss Centers tomorrow! I'm looking forward to what this year has to offer. I can't wait to see what God has in store! :)






Also, I must make this shameless plug for my new favorite show, LOST. Season 5 starts on January 21st! If you haven't watched it, watch it! It's amazing.