Family Affair

No, this isn't a Mary J. Blige post.

Then again, why. not?

"Family Affair" is one of those songs that fall under the "What?! This song is 25 years old now?!"

But I digress.

This post is actually about Toni's bazaar in Gateway this weekend. Mom, Dad and I went there today. As expected, the lines were long and there was a clamor for Toni's yummy cakes and Dubai chewy cookie. 

Because the lines were consistently long, we did our little parts to help out. Suddenly, Dad became a line manager, directing people in line and calling the next customer.

My duty was to buy food for the group, and pitched in with the packing.

Another successful bazaar for Sweet Tones! 

The family is so proud of her!

Sweet Start

It's the first day of Toni's bazaar in SM Megamall today.

And as the supportive Tito, being there was a non-negotiable.

Even before 10am, Toni and her team were busy setting up. And even as they were setting up, the people started to gather.

At 10:01am, this was the line!

Looks like another sweet and successful bazaar run for Toni! 

And we couldn't be prouder of her.

Cool Cousin

Unprompted, this feature suddenly popped up on my FB reel.

What makes this reel special is that it features my cousin and their family restaurant in BCN.

Cristy is part of the 3rd generation of Bofarruls who are running Los Caracoles. And it's great to see how much they've embraced on-line marketing and advertising, but in a very authentic and organic way.

Proud cousin here.

Kuro Kids

Spent Saturday night supporting Kurt & Cza's latest Meraki pop-up.

Of course, Kuro was there.

The event had such a young and laid-back vibe. And staying there for a few hours gave me this realisation.

I'm definitely old.

Ancestral Home is where the heart is

Even as a kid, this Ancestral Home in Tabaco always had a special place in my heart.

It's not just because I'm a fan of old Filipino homes and architecture. It's deeper than that.

It's because this ancestral home was once owned by my great-great-grandfather, Mariano Villanueva.

Now, it's a National Heritage site, though it's in a state of disarray. But looking at it, both from afar and up close, you can feel the stories and traditions behind these walls.

Gosh, if I had the means, I'd buy this home and restore it.

Fam-meal-ia

Nothing beats the feeling of a hearty meal shared with the family.

What makes it even more special is the fact that we're with Biboy and Liz, both who just flew in from the US.

We should really have more of this.

Ultimate cuteness!

Can't get over how cute this photo of Sab is!

Asked if she was praying when this photo was shot. Apparently not:

"She was pooping."

Gosh. That makes it even cuter!

Six decades of Love

My parents' 60th wedding anniversary was such a festive, nostalgic and heartwarming event.

Festive because both Mom and Dad love to celebrate and party. Dad insisted on having the band to liven up the venue with retro music, line dancing and ballroom dancing. 

Nostalgic because of the videos done by Kurt. The video of their 1966 wedding in Malinao, with "We've only just begun" in the background was such a beautiful way to open the event. The videos of both the 40th and 50th anniversaries, as well as the old family photos were like time machines that brought us back to the past.

Heartwarming because of the family and friends who took like out to celebrate with us. Dad's high school friends were there. Our relatives who were there during the 50th anniversary also came. The Park Avenue group also came in full force. It just shows how much my parents are loved by the people around them.

So, yes, this was truly a celebration of love. Not just of my parents, not just of our family, but everyone who mattered.

Happy 60th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Never grows old: the marriage

Nope, not the marriage of Jul & Jen. But that's going to  hit a decade in a few months.

The wedding in this case is my parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary. 

Yes, that was already 10 years ago.

And this is still one of my favourite photos from that celebration.

It's Kevin's selfie. And I've said this before and I'll send it again, it's genius!

This moment - just like love - never grows old.

Never grows old: the engagement

Found this photo from Jul and Jen's engagement party.

That's when it hit me that this photo was already taken a decade ago!

Amazing how fast time flies.

Celebrating Sixty!

Wedding anniversaries are always worth celebrating.

Much more so if it's a 60th wedding anniversary!

And that's what Mom and Dad are celebrating today.

Of course, the fam was in full force to celebrate. Including Princess who's visiting from Canada.

Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary!

Suddenly Six

Here's a case of Christmas history repeating itself.

These photos were taken on the same day - Christmas eve - but 6 years apart!

So much has happened since 2019, and the world is a lot different.

But Ate Bullet and Toni still look the same.

Christmas at the Park

Park Avenue, that is.

From our family - both in Park Avenue and in Texas, Georgia and Toronto - a Merry Christmas and a blessed Holiday Season.

Pretty little Jinbei-by

Immediately thought of Baby Sabers after seeing a Jinbei at Donki.

Eventually bought it as pasalubong.

And seeing this confirmed my hunch that it was the right decision.

So much cuteness in one photo!

Well Dan

Luckily, my Bicol trip also coincided with the Bicol visit of my cousin, Dan Dan.

When we were kids, the 3 of us were best buds - Dan Dan, Maricel and myself. Since we were almost the same age, we gravitated towards each other. We'd be the ones hanging out, reading comics, playing outside, or just hanging out by the kalachuchi tree in Malinao.

It's been a while since we last saw each other. When we were trying to recall the last time we met, we figured out that it was during the golden wedding anniversary of Uncle Coye and Auntie Mila. So, this reunion was long overdue.

Well, that's a great way to wrap-up my Bicol visit.

All grown up

Gsoh! Kendra is all grown up. 

And she's one of the faces of Penshoppe!

It's kind of surreal to see her this grown up. After all, we've seen her as a baby, as a toddler, as a little girl, and now this.

But one thing is consistent. Even as a kid, she's always been a stunner.

Major Tom

Tomas was always part of our growing-up memories.

As Lolo Iking's driver, he would always be there whenever we'd go to our weekend family day outs in Greenhills. He would be there when Lolo and Lola would go to the commissary at Camp Crame. He would be there when Lolo would go to Napolcom to get his checks, or to the hospital for his check-ups. He was really a constant presence in the family.

Even if you look at our childhood photos, Tomas was in a lot of them. This photo is one of my faves, showing the 5 of us with Tomas, taken at the house across ours in Morato.

(Yes, I'm the one with my back turned against the camera.)

Even as adults, he would always be there - for big occasions, for small occasions, for random events, for birthdays - he made it a point to be there and make his presence felt.

Tomas was really a huge presence in our life. He was an honorary Morales.

That's why we were both shocked and saddened to hear about his passing. It feels like just yesterday when he last visited the house, and now, he's no longer with us.

In person, at least. Because in our hearts and minds, his presence will always be major, and will always be felt.

The graduate

What?!

It's been 11 years since Migs graduated from high school? 

This feels just like yesterday. 

Cue in "I'm getting old" feels.

Seven. Up.

Couldn't help but smile after seeing this post that was upped by FB.

It's Baby Noah's baptism!

Can't believe this was 7 years ago. 

Hopefully, we'll see Noah and the whole TX crew again soon.

Style Mousse

As it is customary, the fam dresses up and welcomes the New Year with Pantone's Colour of the Year.

So, we all had different style iterations and hues of Mocha Mousse during tonight's New Year's Eve festivities.

Ready for the coming year in 3...2...