Sweetest Sunrise: Bonjour 2009

And the negligent blogger is back. My days since I got back home have been a blur of days and nights out, dinner dates and chilling at the house, food tripping, shopping, beach bumming, eating, and more eating. Now I get a little time to breathe and sneak a quick entry. 

So many events happened in 2008. At dawn of the year that passed, I celebrated with family and friends and looked on to the new year with great hope and faith for good things to come my way. To get to the gist of it, the best things did happen to me in the past year.. of course, as most things, it came with hard work and called for immense responsibility -but I guess that's part of the grandiose of it all. To balance the Yang, I've also had my share of Yins. 2008 showed me some of the best times of my life, and let me experience some of the worst pits I've had to get out from. Through it all, I've been blessed with enough encouragements and love from the best people in my life. But even more than that, the hand of my Lord was always there to uphold me and give me peace amidst moments of such confusion and pain, reminding me that I have a BIG God. A God bigger than all circumstances, all the problems this flawed world can ever throw us. And the assurance of that makes me look forward to just this: the bright future of God's perfect will brewing on realization. And with new mornings and a promising year, I know I am on my way there. 

[II Corinthians 4:8-9 

8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.]

It's so easy to praise God when everything in your life is going as it should be and everything feels so ecstatically perfect. But praising God when you're experiencing mind numbing, heart crushing pain.. that's only achieved by grace. It has been an incredible 2008. I laughed my heart out, cried my heart out, dreamt dreams so big it was almost impossible, had some of those dreams come true, had my faith attacked and then strengthened, learned how to live (somewhat) by myself, and loved with my whole being.. It was the year I grew up. Lots more of growing up to do: spiritually, emotionally, and career-wise.. and 2009 sounds like a pretty good year to do just that. :) 

Celebrated New Year's Eve and countdown in true Philippine fashion of setting off fireworks one after the other. We had a good show of fireworks (and so did the neighbors) which started and lasted about 30 mins before and after 12m. Everyone is affected by the global financial crisis! In the past years it usually started at 11pm (new year's eve) and ended way past 1am. 

Our beloved tradition of pandesal, hot chocolate, ham, and assorted coldcuts after the fireworks followed suit in my grandmom's dining room. 

  

  

Caught my first sunrise of the year with my bestest friend ♥ It was the perfect way to start off the year.

Wishing you all new sunrises and never-ending beginnings.. may 2009 be the year for growth, hope, and unceasing love. Here's to a most fabulous year ahead.. ♥

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**more more more outfit posts to follow! from days in between Christmas and New Years.