NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS...AGAIN!

Okay…here we go again…it’s that time of the year when we HAVE to make promises that we must do for the year and hope against hope that we get to fulfill it one way or the other. I know, it truly is an exercise in futility but I guess I am the type of person who just has to do it because even if I didn’t get to accomplish it all…at least the intention was there right? In fact, my new year’s resolutions do not really change from year to year and yet I still persist in writing them down… I guess, what I need to do first is check out the list I did last year and do the ones I failed to do. Let’s see …the first item on last year’s list was travelling – but I wasn’t able to accomplish this because of budgetary constraints (the usual!). Still no air travel for us but one new thing we did was visit some places/nearby provinces like Tagaytay and Bataan with the entire Bahaypare clan…pretty neat huh! These are places we had been frequenting already as a family and as part of office outings but the hubby’s relatives had not been there yet and so we endeavored to take them there even if just on a picnic or a swimming trip and boy…oh boy did they enjoy the bonding/get-together. This year, we hope to visit more nearby places with them (but this time we want to have a smaller more intimate group so that we could use more decent forms of transportation) maybe Subic or Quezon…I am still not planning on any air travel for my family but maybe this year we could push through with my long-overdue trip to Sagada/Banaue/Bontoc. I just need to work out the schedule and the budget, of course! Next item on last year’s list had something to do with cooking, baking to be more specific and despite my best intentions I am afraid I truly failed on this one since I did not get to bake anything at all last year! Well, I am writing this resolution once again this year and this time I hope to accomplish this na talaga! Of course, I would continue with my ‘baon’ experiments since the kids so gamely and willingly partake of my attempts to imitate the superb cooking prowess of my fave online chefs/cooks. The third item is watching more films and reading more books and I guess given the hectic schedule that I have (especially on weekends) I have been able to accomplish more or less what I had intended to do. This year, I intend to continue watching more movies, especially the ones I have downloaded but still haven’t found the time to watch. Furthermore, on our scheduled weekends at home (and without impending exams for the kids!), I want to make it a regular movie/bonding time for the family – complete with popcorn, chips and fizzy drinks! Also, with regards to reading, I want to finish those books that I have already downloaded on my tab and also buy some ‘real’ books this time…I know, I know my bookcase is already full but I intend to do some redecorating too so that I could get the hubby to do a bookcase for the room naman! (hehehe) I guess I also want to do more ‘girlfriend activities’ and regain connections with my old friends. I know I missed out on a great opportunity when I failed to attend the Stella Maris Batch 87 Silver Jubillee reunion…but that’s ok I may still find the time and the opportunity this year. Same thing goes with family…I hope to spend more time and be with them more often – like my parents, especially Mama whom I only get to see thrice a year – on Mother’s day, on her birthday, and for our Christmas get-together. I guess we should visit her more often and maybe push through with that planned trip out of town so I could spend more time with her. Last on my 2012 list is to strengthen my (also our family’s) relationship with God…I know I have been remiss in this aspect and in fact, it may be the great contributing factor why my son wanted to become a born-again Christian…in fact, he already asked my permission but I said no…I allowed him to attend masses but I refuse to allow him to be baptized as a born-again. I was thinking kasi na he may just be influenced by his high school friends (and now I learned even the girl he courts is a born-again Christian) and so I want him to take his time to decide if being a born-again is the right decision for him. Maybe, if he finishes college and he still wants to become one then I will acquiesce. Truly, it doesn’t really matter to me whether you’re INC (Ditse and her kids belong to this religious sect), born-again, or a Catholic…what’s important is that you worship one true God and do everything for His greater glory. Okay, so now that’s five items that are carry-overs from last year’s list. But here are some more things I hope to do in 2013: 1. Redecorate the bedroom – well, I am already quite satisfied with the way the hubby put in some tiles and more cabinets for our bedroom but I still want to do more – maybe buy new sheets and pillows or even paint the bedroom a cool blue color just to get that fresh but cozy look. 2. Buy that hanging kitchen cabinet I have long been hankering the hubby to make – it seems he does not want to make me one so I guess I’ll just have to buy one that’s already ready-made and just have him affix/attach it to the wall. 3. The reason why I wanted to buy new kitchen cabinets is because I want to buy new glass diningware (like Luminarc or Correll) and silver cutlery for guests who come to visit or even for our own use on special occasions. 4. Next item I want to do is to have the living room finally tiled – well, after thirteen years living in San Jose it is high time that we finally have our floors done right. We had initially planned to change the tiles when we moved in (because we both didn’t want the original cream vinyl tiles the house had) but then thirteen years later…we still haven’t done it. Maybe this year, if money and time permits we’d be able to get this done. 5. Lastly, since we also have a new house being constructed at BP… I also intend to spend some money and decorate our ‘rest house’ in the way we wanted. I know we only spend two weekends there but at least, during those times that we are home, we spend it in the comfort and relaxation of a place we could call our own. 6. More date nights with the hubby…I know I planned to do this every year but there isn’t always the time or the money to do so… maybe it doesn’t have to be expensive even a Burger King or Tokyo-tokyo dinner for the two of us will have to do. What matters is that we spend some quality time alone together! I know… I know…all these things that I want require a lot of money and a lot of patience and considering the fact that we are already up to our necks in loans just to have the house constructed, it would be a very serious problem for me to find the money to finance all that I want to do for this year…well, I guess I’ll just try to find a way… Here’s to a happier and more fulfilling 2013 for all of us!!!