December 23. St. Victoria’s Feast Day (Yena’s second name). Yena turned 5 Dec. 22.

Yena, our very own Christmas blessing, five years ago. Sigh…. so fast!

She’s sweet, and precious and so pilya (mana sa mommy). She’s a hugger and a kisser and she can be totally affectionate and nice one moment, and bossy and demanding the next (yup, again, mana sa mommy). She’s extremely funny:

This year’s Advent we tried to go to Mass daily (we made it to about 6 or so). One morning I thought we were running late and kept saying so on the way to Church. Turns out we weren’t, I had just forgotten that the clock was ahead 5 minutes. At Communion time, we stayed in our seats because we grabbed a bite on our way out and so couldn’t receive Jesus physically. Yena asks, “We can’t because we’re late?”

Every evening when we say our family’s night prayers together, we choose a few prayers to say after the praise-supplication-thanksgiving-petition pattern that we follow. In the beginning we’d choose a bunch of prayers to say, but more recently we’ve only picked 3 prayers (each child gets his/her turn at picking what prayers), so we can say them more slowly and meditate on the words more as we pray them. Father was in the middle of Consecration at one of the Advent masses, when Yena turns to me and says, “He’s talking too fast.” Thank goodness it was a whisper.

After attending Advent masses several days in a row, Yena asks me, “Why does Father wear the same clothes all the time”? (purple vestments)

Thanks so much for the laughs this year, Yena! And for your wonderful music (she plays piano by ear). And for all the other ways you bless us. We love you!

Princess cake recipe and instructions to be posted next week at Baking Delights. I’ve got a closeup there right now of the cake, but too tired to write anymore.