Missing My Home Country

My mind has been busy lately thinking about my life here in United States. Frankly speaking, I was very happy for the past seven years living here with my own little family (of three). With my very supportive, responsible, hardworking, caring, loving and thoughtful husband, I can never ask for more. The birth of our second child, Jacob has made our life more meaningful and eventful. We love him so much and he is our pride and joy! He is now seven year old, turning eight this July. I am still happy when I think about how God has blessed me with such a wonderful family (of my own). But lately, I feel very unhappy and incomplete. Something is missing and I couldn't figure out what it is that would make me the happiest person alive. I realized now, that I am just missing my family overseas. I am missing my relatives, friends, and the country where I was born and raised. Believe it or not, but I still feel homesick, longing to spend my life in the Philippines. Yes, I have all the things that I need, except my parents, siblings and their families and the country and its culture. I am active at church, magnifying my callings as a teacher in Sunday school, trying to live the gospel, but no real friends in there. I don't feel like belong there anymore. But I have no choice, but be active and keep God's commandments. Then today, I was reminded that I don't need many friends to be happy. The quote below made me realized that I have few friends that I can call "real friends". I love them and they make me happy. They don't belong to the church I go to, but they are my real friends, who appreciate me for who I am; and I am so grateful for that.

"Surround yourself with people who know your worth. You don't need too many people to be happy, just few real ones who appreciate you for exactly who you are." ~Unknown~

I know this is the way how God is telling me that I am of worth. I am important to Him and His plan. Now, the thought of not going to church anymore diminished. I realized that it is Satan who is there trying to discourage me to keep doing what I am doing. I am so glad with the Holy Ghost who always help me make right choices....thus guiding me through good and bad times of my life.

A Good Start and Signs

My son started his school this week and so far he is doing well. He loves going to school, meeting new friends and teacher and most of all is very excited to learn new things at school each day. Hubby and I are very impressed with him, Jacob for he wakes up early in the morning preparing himself by dressing himself up, and making sure that everything is in his backpack before leaving home. It's been four days now, and he still has the same excitement ever time he goes to school. I love that his school is just a walking distance from our home, there I don't need to drive him off to school or pick him up. He loves to go home without us picking him up..... for it make him feel independent, confident and boosts his self-esteem. Everyday, he learn new thing sand we are indeed also excited for him.

CC: As Mother and Aunt

I don't know about you guys, but every once in awhile, I have this moment where I blame myself when Jacob misbehaves. For instance, there were times when I feel like he is not listening to me or he is ignoring me. I said this because I would repeat the same thing everyday to him otherwise he wouldn't do what I asked him to do like putting away his toys, brushing his teeth, tidying up his room, and so forth and so on. I don't want to yell on him, and so I would just leave the room and cries. Hubby keeps on cheering me up and tries to assures me that "I am a good Mom to Jake and he is couldn't find a better mother for his son than me." It was like a music to my ear every time he says those words...and I feel better again. He also said that Jacob's success at school was because of me. That is how my husband sees me as the mother of his only son...and I love him for that!

As an Aunt, Matt knows that I love my immediate family and they meant the world to me, too! The way I depend, support and take care of them show how much I love them. And so, he never complain when I send "care packages" to them every now and then. Hubby loves me for my selfless love to our son, to him, his family and my immediate family. He knows my generosity and our strong family ties. I always get compliments from him for my selfless love, generosity and thoughtfulness to my nieces.

Building a Strong Family

Family Meal Time. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "The time a family spends together eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children's [success]. Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children's smoking, drinking, or using drugs." (Dallin H. Oaks, "Good, Better, Best)

Working Together.

Family Prayer. Doctrine and Covenants 68:28. "And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord."

Family Home Evening. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "This program [of Family Home Evening] was begun back in 1915, when President Joseph F. Smith urged the Latter-day Saints to set aside one evening a week devoted specifically to the family. It was to be a time of teaching, of reading the scriptures, of cultivating talents, of discussing family matters. In the increasingly frantic rush of our lives it is so important that fathers and mothers sit down with their children, pray together, instruct them in the ways of the Lord, consider their family problems, and let the children express their talents. I am satisfied that this program came under the revelations of the Lord in response to a need among the families of the Church. If there was a need 87 years ago, that need is certainly much greater today." (Gordon B. Hinckley)

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. Mosiah 13:16. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."

Learning About Ancestors. President Thomas S. Monson said, "I admonish all families: search out your heritage. It is important to know, as far as possible, those who came before us. We discover something about ourselves when we learn about our ancestors." (Thomas S. Monson)

Family Scripture Study. Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "I promise you that daily family prayer and scripture study will build within the walls of your home a security and bonding that will enrich your lives and prepare your families to meet the challenges of today and the eternities to come." (L. Tom Perry, "Back to Gospel Basics," Ensign, May 1993, 90)

LDS Living Magazine

Preventing Summer Brain Drain

Even though my son is only at Pre - Kindergarten, I am worried he might suffer brain drain because of the long summer vacation; I am glad to have found these tips that can help him avoid it. With my help, he will still learn using these tips.

Summer is a much-needed break, but with all that time off it can be difficult to jump start again in September.

According to Sylvan Learning Center, students often forget new concepts within 24 to 48 hours after learning them unless the information is reinforced or applied immediately. And the Journal of Educational Research found that the average child loses 2.6 months of grade-level math skills alone during summer break!

Everything around you can be used to reinforce critical thinking concepts. Here are a few ideas to incorporate into your summer fun that will help prevent that dreaded summer brain drain. Your child will be off to a great start come fall.

Stories in Space

Create a space themed room as you go through summer. A good amount of satisfaction and motivation can come from seeing what you've accomplished. Displaying all the books your child read over the summer helps them retain the stories and the desire to read more. Use a black marker to write titles of the books your kids have read on glow-in-the-dark stars and tack them all around their room. Use planets when they've finished a series.

Talk the Talk

Ask questions about anything and everything, but not the kind that elicit "yes" or "no" answers. Instead, ask "What did you like about . . . ?" "What was your favorite part of . . . ?" Get kids talking and you'll find wonderful opportunities to turn life's normal experiences into teaching moments. Encourage them to write their thoughts as little essays in a summer fun journal.

Got Game?

Hosting neighborhood game nights can be a fun way to get to know people, and can help the kids stay mentally active. Games like Scrabble, Uno, crossword puzzles, Sudoku or basic card games can make for a fun night and reinforce memory, concentration, logic, and reasoning skills.

Smart Vacationing

Take advantage of the knowledge you can gain on summer vacations. For every new thing your kids learn about the vacation spot, put a certain amount of money in a jar for their vacation spending money. Use the library and Internet to learn about the destination's sights and history. Study maps, books that feature the area, and plot mileage.

Add It All Up

Start at the grocery store to reinforce math skills. Teach kids how to add up coupons, discuss decimal points, and stay under a budget! When you get home, help them use the measurements in a recipe to decide how many cups of finished product it will make. Then figure out the nutritional value per serving.