Birthday Week

Showbiz Mom and child
Originally uploaded by cathyguballa.

I turned 42 exactly a week ago and it was day spent in the love of family and colleagues at work. It was a working birthday for me as I motored to work very early at 6:15 AM. In the afternoon, my angels and other colleagues from our unit had a fun merienda in the confines of our office feasting on the usual Pinoy birthday party fare - pansit, barbecue, lumpiang shanghai, ice cream and pichi pichi. E, one of my angels at work also celebrated her birthday belatedly so we had a fun double celebration :)

Leaving work at 4PM, I then got ready for a small gathering of family at home. Showbiz mom and brother, together with showbiz grandchild number 4 (mine are numbers 1, 2 and 3) came to help celebrate the evening. There is nothing like spending time quietly with family to mark a very special day. This year's birthday was really meaningful to me and my family because it marked a second lease on life. Check out our pictures in this family album

Friday evening was spend in the company of old and dear friends. View our fun photos here while Saturday evening was for a dinner date with roomie at Le Souffle at the Rockwell Club savoring my favorite comfort salad of greens, goose liver (super sinful! but heck, it's just once a year...), scallops and shiitake mushrooms.

Because of my recent illness, it had been quite a while since roomie and I had gone on a "date" so this was a welcome treat - a belated birthday dinner of sorts. Yes, in spite of all the downtimes I have had this year because of one health problem after another, there is so very much to be thankful for. The times of stillness have lead me to know HIM more and to places in my heart that I would never have discovered if I had not had that time of quiet and reflection. I thank God for all those moments and for the privilege of seeing HIS hand upon me through every circumstance of my life.

And thank you to each special person who made this year a truly memorable one - here's to friendship and to turning 42!