And finally… DECEMBER 2011

1. Xavier Days - A lot of crazy things happened during the five-day event. One of those things are having a truth or dare game. It wasn’t just an ordinary one since most of the dares were pretty much… a nerve-wrecking dare. We also watched the invitational games which meant, our attention was divided by how handsome the players were and how good the game was. The Party XV thing during the last day was pretty cool. Too bad we had a low tolerance when it comes to crowds hahaha :D. But what made the whole thing even more awesome is watching the fireworks display with friends, while munching on a stick of pork barbecue :)
2. NSTP Outreach - It was fun to see kids with mental disabilities perform their song and dance numbers during our NSTP outreach. Even though I was pushed to join the event since it was required for our NSTP class, I still regret nothing. Seeing those children smile after receiving our gifts was heartwarming. 
3. One for CDO - Two days after Bagyong Sendong (typhoon Washi) hit Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, my friends and I went out to offer our strength and energy to help the victims. We folded clothes, packed rice, and carried them to the jeepney for distribution. Even though we didn’t get to distribute them ourselves, it’s still good to know that we have done something to help out. Every little effort means a lot. 
4. Putik Adventure - Two days after our volunteering, my friends and I went to April’s house which was one of the affected houses because of the flood. We had to go through muddy roads and withstand the rotten smell of animal feeds and rice which was exposed under the sun. But it was a good experience. All that was in our minds were, “We should get used to these things already because we’ll never know, we’ll be the next flood victims!”.
5. Post-Christmas Celebration - A day after Christmas, my barkada and I had a post-Christmas lunch with some of the food we had for noche buena. Then we went to the mall to watch Shake, Rattle, and Roll: 13, which is kind’a nice.
6. Last Pizza Day for 2011 - Even though we didn’t get to take a picture of yesterday’s pizza date with my friends, still it is one of the things that I am thankful for this year. 

I am very thankful for everything that has happened this year. I was never wrong when I said that 2011 was going to be an awesome one. Of all the things I have gone through this year, I learned to stop regretting and live life the way it should be lived; to the fullest. I have learned that sometimes you have to break a few rules to fully enjoy life. Freedom is one of this year’s big words. But then again, I have also learned that you are responsible of your own life. You make or break your own self. And you most certainly don’t need a boyfriend to be whole. No one in this world can ever satisfy you but Him alone. I know those things are pretty much a cliche already but it’s undeniably true. 

2011 went by so fast. We’re pretty much living on the fast lane these days but keep in mind that we all need a time to slow down and just enjoy life’s amazing blessings. This year had been so full of beyond amazing blessings. And I have to thank everyone who had been a big part of my 2011. I won’t mention each and everyone of you because you know who you are and the beautiful things you have done to me. All I’m just wishing for next year is that, I wish you guys never leave by my side so we can make 2012 even a million times better than 2011. 

God, the things you have blessed me this year was beyond amazing. You are beyond amazing. Thank you for blessing me with another year full of happiness, life lessons, and love. Thank you for being our strength when hard times came this year especially during the times when we were greatly devastated by Typhoon Sendong. There is no one else in the world we trust but You. Thank you for letting things happen the way they are because it made me learn a few things about life. And it made me realize that you already have a beyond brilliant plan for me. I just need to trust you fully and I will.

Come 2012, I hope you will still bless me strength and energy to do the things you have planned for me to do. I will continue to be a woman for others; setting aside my selfish wants and plans just to reach out and help other people. I hope that you will bless me with wisdom and inspiration so I could write more and inspire other people. I fully surrender myself to you, Lord. Let my life be a life of purpose and that purpose is to glorify You.

Cheers to 2011! Another awesome year has ended but 2012 will be so much better. May this coming year be a year full of hope, love, happiness, and all the good things there is. Happy New Year lovies!  

NOVEMBER 2011

1. Sembreak Beach Outing - After months of being busy with school, my high school friends and I, finally had the chance to see each other. It was good to see Fatima (@iammai10), Raven and George after months of studying in Manila. It was also Dave’s (@heyitsdavevon) late birthday celebration and she was in-charge of the food! Hahaha :D The boys enjoyed getting soaked while the girls were busy exchanging stories and taking tons of pictures. 
2. Fun Shoots - One of the many amazing things I am super thankful of this year are the chances of doing fun shoots with my friends. Not only did I practice my sort-of photography skills, I also had the chance to hang out and have fun with my friends. I am not really that serious with photography yet but maybe this coming 2012, I will do more of these fun shoots. Experiment and practice is the key raw kasi :D. 
3. Celebrating Freedom - November meant so much to me. Why? It had set me free from a big responsibility called relationship. And to celebrate a year of freedom, I heard mass with my family, took pictures for a family Christmas photo, and went to Charlie’s house to hang out and watch Growing Up. We also went up to San Lorenzo Ruiz church to enjoy the breathtaking view and the solemnity of the place. Lucky enough, we witnessed a classy wedding! Mini Cooper for a bridal car? Classy! 
4. Fons’ Birthday - After another successful fun shoot with my friends, we went straight to Fons’ house to celebrate her birthday! Our simple gift made her smile :) We just gave her eight cupcakes with ApChaFoMaPeKeRy in every cupcake. We had another videoke session again and Kelly was giving out her all to every song she sang! Pinakyaw niya lahat ha! :D

OCTOBER 2011

1. Two-Day Lakwatsa - I have never been so lakwatsera in my entire life! October was pretty much the good month for lakwatsa and to prove that, I even hung out with my friends two days in a row! We did anything there was as long as we’re together. Picnicking in SM’s fountain or just hanging out at a friend’s house and watch movies together. The food wasn’t much of a problem since we were blessed with enough money to cover that up! Hahaha :D
2. Janitor for a Day - Since it was almost the end of the first semester, everyone was working hard to get their clearances signed and before mine was signed, I had to do constructive labor due to my absences in seminars and in the intramurals (like I said, I went out with my friends more rather than stay in school and participate. Pffft). It was quite a fun experience since I was with my other college friends. We turned the whole thing into a one big comedy skit. Seriously, we were pretending like we were in a musical comedy while we were cleaning the comfort rooms! :D
3. P.E night - One of the things I’ll never forget this year is the time when I performed a dance number along with my other college friends just to get a flat one in P.E. You know how much I hate dancing. It’s one of the last things I’d ever do. But still, it was pretty successful and fun. Good thing my college crush wasn’t there to witness it all! Hahaha :D
4. Pre-Celebration - Two days before the official end of the first semester was spent on a bucket of Tanduay Ice. And we never regret a thing ;)

SEPTEMBER 2011

1. Cielo’s Eighteenth - Cielo was the first to turn 18 among the girls in our high school batch so it was pretty much the most-awaited celebration for the whole month. It was just a simple celebration as requested by the debutante herself :). Food was not a problem since the buffet table was never empty until the end of the program. Cielo’s family had delivered speeches for her and our batch was represented by our then-class president. Things like those always move me to tears but of course I had to hold them all back or else I’ll look like a freak Hahaha :D. After the program, Kelly, Charlie and I went to The Bridge to chill and to dissolve the food we had ate. 
2. More Lakwatsa! - Whether it was just meeting up with the gang to stroll around the mall or watch a basketball game, whenever there’s a chance to meet, we grabbed all of them! :)
3. CU Intramurals - As what I have always said, I was never into sports and intramurals was just a chance for me to hang out with my friends more. We just watched the dance sport competition, which made me realize how much I dislike dancing. We also watched the Cheer Dance competition that Charlie, a kabarkada of mine, joined. Although it was for the sake of being an audience, just to watch Charlie’s performance, it also made me realize how much I dislike physical activities like those.
4. Horror House - Since it was my school’s intramurals, booths were busy everywhere! But everyone’s favorite was the horror house. My friends and I went through hell twice! We walked through the second and third floor of the nursing building and god, it was like we were in a real haunted house. I couldn’t really remember all the characters we saw while walking through every classroom because I was shutting my eyes and screaming most of the time. But I can remember this scary woman wearing a white hood and two black ladies. She was blocking our way and it was quite difficult to pass by her. The additional scary stories after experience was even more hair-raising. Why? Because we didn’t know that there are some scary characters there that are actually REAL. And we just passed by them @_@
5. More Cheer Dance Competitions - September ended with a loud cheer when we watched the cheer dance competition that two of my awesome friends were a part of. Rygin and Dave (@heyitsdavevon) were awesome! They won first place too :D

AUGUST 2011

1. Seventeenth Birthday - Of all the birthday celebrations I ever had in my seventeen years of existence, my seventeenth is probably one of the best ever. Although it was just a simple celebration in Moonsbar with the best people, just being around them makes the whole thing complete. Spending the morning with my family is a big factor too. One of the big plus was the fact that I managed to bring almost all of my high school batch mates together. It wasn’t really a themed celebration but I just used the Keep Calm thing as something to make it a bit unique. If for some people, eighteen is the start of a million possibilities, seventeen was mine. LOL. 
2. Fading Deathly Hallows - Although the henna was gone, I will always stick with Harry until infinity. It will always be in my heart.
3. Football Madness - Ever since news about the Younghusband brothers staying in Cagayan de Oro for a football tournament, my friends and I were there to witness their games. We had tons of attempt to get up close and personal with them and the rest of the team but we always end up with haggard faces and failed attempts until the last day of the tournament. The last game that they had was against Global FC and we grabbed every chance there ever was just to see them in person and have a picture with them. AND WE DIDN’T FAIL. Yes. I’m proud to say that I survived the crowds of people and the haggardness just to see them in person. I will never forget the day and the week that I fell in love with Global FC’s Misagh Bahadoran. I will never forget the night I met the rest of Smart San Beda FC’s players, Paolo Pascual, and the Younghusband brothers. It’s true what they say that when you want something so much, the universe conspires to help you achieve it. Luck was definitely on our side that day ;)
4. City Fiesta - Of all the years that the famous sea dragon ride was in Cagayan de Oro, we never had the opportunity to try it. Although we were like a few meters away from it, because of the dreadful rain, our attempt to ride the beast, failed. It was still fun though because of how we got through the rain and bought slippers because of it. 
5. Raven’s not-so Big Comeback - My friends and I watched a volleyball game played by our high school varsity team. It was actually my first time to seriously watch a volleyball game. I am never into sports ever since God knows when and watching something I was never interested of, always bores the hell out of me. But it was good. It was also Raven’s not-so big comeback from Manila. It was good to see him after the Dahilayan trip :)  

JULY 2011

1. Upbeat - It was my first time to join such an event hosted by a youth religious organization (the YFC community) and attended with kids my age from different schools. April invited us to join and I never regret a thing. The praise and worship part moved me. Although I feel like I want to join organizations like those, a part of me feels like I don’t deserve it. 
2. Freshmen Orientation - Since I took a course that has the least number of enrollees, we were like the underdogs. But I don’t really care too much about that. I mean, I’m just studying a shitty course. That’s it. I don’t care about all the other extra shit. Because I know I won’t last too long with the course LOL. Anyway, the whole freshmen orientation thing was pretty much more of the “be proud of your college department” thing and I wasn’t proud. So yeah.
3. Barkada Studio Photos - The whole month of July was filled with school-related shit but I still get to see my friends as often as we wanted to since my schedule wasn’t that fucked up yet. There were still some pizza dates although we don’t get to eat a whole pizza, still I was satisfied with the pizza dates I still had with my friends even after high school. But what made all those things memorable was the studio photos we had after going through a rough path with the gang. 
4. Trolling in Starbucks - I spent hours and hours in Starbucks with two of my friends, just trolling around. It was after school and curfew was not in my dictionary anymore. We had this tissue game. There was a specific question on each tissue and we had to fill the whole tissue with our answers. Our answers were beyond hilarious and we tried so hard to control our selves from bursting in laughter. 
5. Deathly Hallows Henna - One of the things I’ll never forget this year is the day I got my DH henna. Why is it so unforgettable? Well mainly because it speaks how much I have stuck with Harry until the very end.
6. After-School Lakwatsa - Since our schedules weren’t that fucked up yet, April and I spend all the free time we have to meet up with the rest of the gang for lunch and lakwatsa. We have done almost all the crazy things there is. Trolling around the mall or making a one peso coin stand up on its own; been there, done that.