An Eventful Month of March

There were a lot of beautiful things that happened in March...

We had birthdays, milestones, missions, baptisms, and conference posters to name a few...

March 12th was Mama's 49th birthday - yup, she doesn't look her age at all!

March 22nd was Mara's 19th birthday - this is in fact her last teenage year... :)

March 25th &26th - Yken went to the temple to receive his endowments with Mama and Papa, and it was a very spiritual one. The next day, he entered the MTC in Manila and officially started his 24-month mission. It was a very special day, our hearts are full and we all feel blessed that Yken has made the righteous decision to work on the Lord's sacred errand.

March 27th - Ricky entered the waters of baptism - FINALLY. It was a very beautiful rainy Sunday. It was an amazing feeling. Carl confirmed him the gift of the holy ghost that same day, and the spirit was so strong. It was indeed the right time. We pray that Ricky and ate Lei soon attend the temple together, and will be sealed for time and all eternity

last week of March - Carl and I (mostly I) spend a total of 54 hours at the MFHD Graduate Lab running Structural Equation models for my Mary Lou Fulton Conference project on Asian-White Intimate Relationships. I ate my breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the lab for almost 3 days, and Carl is the most awesome husband one can ever have - he brought me meals, stayed with me at the lab, and stayed up late with me...

ELDER MALIG

This is my big little brother, Yken

Today is his 21st Birthday!

Today, he also got his mission call...

...and he will be serving for 24 months in the PHILIPPINES BUTUAN MISSION

We love you dear brother!!! We know you've been preparing for this all your life! We are proud of you!!!

MY GIRLS

Coming to Hawai'i gave me the opportunity to be a big sister to two awesome young women. I have grown to love them so much and in fact, I sort of transformed to a "mom" to them. Both of them call me "INAY," the Filipino word for mother. I don't exactly remember how it all began, but I know the bond that I have with these girls will always be special... and now that they've left Hawai'i to return to our homeland for a great cause, I just miss them so much and how I wish they would feel my love for them across the miles...Maricar and Liahona are both in the Philippines and they will be there for at least 18 months or so.

Here's a picture of me with my girls during my wedding!

CanCan (Maricar) was called to serve to the Philippines Cebu Mission. She has already reported to the Philippines Missionary Training Center on January 17, 2009. I am really excited for her... I was able to be there during her endowment at the Laie Hawaii Temple on her 21st birthday. It was really a special day! CanCan is my cooking buddy...she is a wonderful person in the kitchen - and in everything else that she does! She knows how to cook up the right ingredients and she'd come up with something delicious - and with that as her talent, I know many hearts will be delighted with her very own "home-cooked" testimony. Knowing CanCan, I know many souls will be filled!

This is me with CanCan on my wedding day..

Liah (Liahona) was called to serve to the Philippines Olongapo Mission. She will be reporting to the Philippines Missionary Training Center in February. I am really happy for Liah and I know that she will be an amazing intrument of the Lord in spreading the gospel. She is a very sweet young lady and she has so much kindness in her. She is a very talented girl - sings and dances and all that stuff! I know that Liah will touch many hearts with her well choreographed testimony...

Here's a picture of me and Liah on my wedding day...

And so you have met my girls... I really miss them a lot. By the way, these girls kept the "mission thing" a secret, at least from me, their INAY. So I never knew about it until CanCan got her call. I sort of knew Liah wanted to go, but she never told me until she turned in her application papers. I was thinking how I'd get back on these two - how about not telling them I am expecting a baby - LOL maybe not. I'm not expecting yet anyway.... :)

Maybe I'll write to them out of the blue - that still counts as a surprise right? Hmmm... And maybe you can write to my girls too! To CanCan and Liah - Share the love my dear "daughters"!