Morning, Noon and Nighttime

These were taken over a few days.

It was morning in the Netherlands.  

They were having breakfast when we caught them.

It was noontime in Hong Kong.

Although HK is in the same time zone as Manila

I don't get to catch Sister Deer as often.

Am always happy to find Eldest Sis and Mindy online.

It was nighttime in Taiwan and Manila (and Sydney).

A particularly warm spring day for us and GI was shirtless.

Young Taiwanese lass was NOT pleased at seeing my topless boys.

(RD had likewise come around during the conversation without a shirt on.)

GI tried to appease her by recreating his "fabulous" look as a 5-year old.

Catching Up

I caught more family members last Sunday.

Mother logged in using her MacBook so that we could have video.

I said I wanted to take some group shots.

(Yes, this is what group shots look like if you are in three different countries.)

Mother goes, "Wait.  Here is your father."
Calls father first. Then she calls Z.
"Ok, here is your sister."

I take these two screenshots.

"Wait, wait.  Here is your brother."

I fumble between Skype and Paint but manage to get this one.

Right after I took the shot, 

Mother says, "We have to go now.  Bye!"

... and disappears!

Oh well, we still have each other, right?

For the ones not in photo...

... we missed you!!!

Bridging the Time Zone

Sunday morning in Australia.  Saturday night in Virginia.  

Different place.  Different time.

No problem!

Thank God for Skype!

(with our bunso [youngest])

with our son

with our daughter

Ten Years

Today is the 10th year death anniversary of MacGyver's dad.

MacGyver shared these pictures today in FB.

He wrote, "One of Daddy's greatest legacy is his passionate love for kids."

That is the truth.  Nobody can deny that.

We miss you, Daddy.

08 November 2004 was a Monday.  Daddy had been hospitalized since the Saturday prior. We had been able to visit him that Saturday evening.  He seemed to be improving and we were happy and hopeful.

Daddy was scheduled for a test on Monday and I don't remember if there was a call to advise that something was amiss but I do recall that MacGyver left to go to the hospital early that morning. MacGyver said I didn't have to go with him, knowing that I had something scheduled at the office at 9AM.

Don't ask me why, but after mass I decided to take a bus to the hospital, instead of taking a jeepney to work.

I will always be thankful that I listened to the voice inside me telling me to go for the longer trip to the hospital instead of a shorter one to the office.  It was the single, most significant bus ride decision I have made in my life.  It is the one ride I will never regret taking.  

I arrived at the hospital and joined other family members at Daddy's bedside.

We prayed the rosary together as we listened to his heart monitor beep.

Daddy was with us until the last mystery.  

At least that is what I thought on that fateful Monday ten years ago.  

I know better now.  Now I know that Daddy is with us everyday.

Going Home

(This is from 11 November 2004.)

"I want to go home on Monday."

This was Daddy's request on Saturday, 6 November 2004, as he lay on his hospital bed at Medical City General Hospital. He had been there since early that morning, when he was rushed to the Emergency Room. He was scheduled for an upper GI examination on Monday morning, which we'd hoped would shed some light on the cause of the deterioration of his health.

He had not been well. We knew he was sick. In 2001, he experienced a swelling in his tongue, which affected his speech and caused difficulty in swallowing. He was diagnosed in April 2002 to have amyloidosis**, which is a very rare disease. Although the disease is not called 'cancer,' the treatment and prognosis are the same. Over the next two years, Daddy underwent chemotherapy which seemed to slow down the progress of the disease.

Daddy increasingly had difficulty in swallowing, so Mommy would lovingly prepare osterized meals. A few months ago, he complained that even if he hadn't finished his food, there was a sensation of being full. He was diagnosed to have liver cancer. There was a 10 cm liver mass exerting pressure on his stomach. He was experiencing a lot of pain. Standing up and lying down required a lot of effort on his part, and careful assistance on the part of his companion.

Over the past few weeks, his health deteriorated rapidly. A peg (a feeding tube straight to the stomach) was inserted to supplement his food intake, which was low, and was worsened by frequent vomiting. When traces of blood were noted as he vomited last Saturday morning, they immediately set for the hospital.

Daddy was able to rest on Saturday and Sunday. Medical City was like a second home to Daddy. His spirits were lifted when Dr. Alran Bengzon visited him on Sunday afternoon. He and Dr. Bengzon were friends from way back.

However, Daddy turned for the worse on Monday morning. He requested for his last rites, and received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction at about 5 a.m. 

Daddy died peacefully at 11:00 a.m., 08 November 2004, in the presence of his family. (God granted him his request.)

Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of my father-in-law, Antonio. He was 73 years old. He was a simple man, a very kind and caring man. I will miss him a lot.

=================

**Amyloidosis is "a generic term for a collection of diseases that results in the abnormal deposition of amyloid protein throughout the body." In layman terms, the bone marrow produces proteins in the blood that the body is unable to break down and excrete. These proteins get deposited between cells of organs, causing it to swell until it fails. Common organs affected are the tongue, heart, liver and kidneys, although virtually any organ of the body may be affected.

Car Trouble

Good Hair Day

Hope this plays.

Smile and Wave

I have to bring the camera out more often

so I can take more shots of these precious angels.

After I added these pictures in FB,

the system automatically asked

 if I wanted to tag the people in the photos.

On MyGirl's box, the question was,
"Want to tag yourself?"