For my first blog entry for the year, I’d like to start it right. And what a better way to begin the year than to count my blessings for 2008 and make my wish-list for the New Year.

For year 2008, I’m thankful for the following blessings:

•    My family is intact and complete. I thank God everyday for this wonderful blessing!
•    Strong support group. Having a steady set of loved-ones, relatives and friends who provide spiritual, emotional, physical and financial support is something I can’t trade for anything.
•    We’re still living in the Metro. Early last year, I thought my family would be uprooted to Palawan because of my hubby’s work. That gave me a good scare.
•    I had a smooth D&C procedure. My endometrial polyps were finally removed and thank God, they’re all benign. Gave me quite a scare, too.
•    Matt is enjoying preschool. I’m truly happy to have found a good school for my son within our village and even happier to know that he’s thriving and having fun!
•    Having old and new friends. Through chat and networking sites, I’m able to reconnect with more old friends last year. Friends are definitely something I treasure and I’m glad to have gained new set of friends from hanging out in the school daily, and through blogging.
•    Additional source of income. We were finally able to get a tenant for our old home late last year. The additional income gave our monthly budget ample breathing space.
•    More funds for gadgets. For more than two years, I set aside my addiction to gadgets simply because it’s the wisest and most practical thing to do. But last year seemed the perfect time to give myself the well-deserved break. So I finally got myself a new mobile phone and upgraded my desktop into a notebook. Plus, I gave up my dial-up internet connection for the faster wireless broadband connection.

And here are my wishes for year 2009:

•    Love, happiness, good health and a safe place to live in for all my family members, relatives and friends.
•    Stronger, smoother and more loving family ties.
•    To finally get the inspiration and the will to start my own home-based business.
•    For my hubby to experience less stress at work.
•    To have an opportunity for a family getaway, preferably in a nice beach down south.
•    For Matt to learn to speak the Filipino language (so he can get along better with his peers) and overcome a big chunk of his shyness.
•    To have more time for blogging and reading books.
•    To finally learn to truly forgive and forget, and spare myself the unnecessary heart palpitations and migraine attacks.
•    To have a deeper and more meaningful spiritual life.
•    For love and peace to reign all over the world.

Have a blessed new year!