Bittersweet

There are good weeks, and there are bad weeks in life. And every once in a while, you have a week that is both. Why does life work this way? Who knows? Perhaps it is God's way to test our resilience. Or maybe it is gentle reminder that as easily as much as he gives us, it is a universal truth that he will eventually take it all back. And what should we do in between the two bookends of birth and death? Naturally, we should strive to write the greatest novel possible, by living a full and happy life, and touch the lives of as many people as possible. Pardon us for the moroseness of this entry, but it truly was a bittersweet week.

Saturday the 2nd of August, was a big day for Jackie and James, Marvin's sister and brother-in-law. They celebrated the 1-year old birthday of their daughter Jiannah Faith. It was a delightful gathering of many families, and featured lots of food(what filipino party doesn't?) along with the fun and laughter that comes with the joy of celebrating a birthday as significant as this one.

Here we see Jiannah trying to figure out what purpose a birthday cake serves. Is it a toy? Is it food?











Oh...I see...it's facial moisturizer! I've seen mommy do this before with that Shiseido stuff...I know what to do!



More photos from Jiannah's birthday picnic party:


Happy Birthday Jiannah!



Saturday the 2nd of August, was also a solemn day for our family. Marvin's Uncle Alex on his mother's side passed away due to cardiovascular disease. While it was a tough week for the entire family, we did our best to be strong for Mom and our cousins, who all flew out Wednesday night to attend the memorial services in the Philippines. Alexander Buenviaje was an honorable man, who served his country as a member of the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. He will be dearly missed, and is survived by wife Elvie, daughters Elizabeth and Kimberly, son Alexander, granddaughter Kaemarie, and son-in-law Federic. Rest in peace Uncle Alex, and we will all pray for God's blessing of strength and courage during this difficult time of mourning.