Christmas (with the Mendoza's)

As far as i can remember, all 28 Christmas(es) I've had are spent in Pangasinan; from the time we barely can talk until now that I have daughter of my own who barely can talk, too. I remember my parents struggling to load us in a provincial bus since going home before is as difficult as it is now during the holidays. Everyone wanted to get inside the bus that even if the bus was still trying to park people were already trying to get in. We didn't have a car back then and the only way Papa and Mama can reserve seats was by dropping us one by one (we are 5) through the window.

Basically, the practice became a tradition. We go home on the 24th, cook lunch (as we always get there by lunchtime), we sleep (while papa and mama go to the market and grocery), we cook dinner, prepare the salad for the noche buena, eat again, cook again for the noche buena, rest a little then attend the Christmas Mass. Apparently, Christmas masses were always the same, although we have changed churches in the past years. We used to hear mass at St. John Cathedral but in my several years of attending mass there i was always so sure I can never be seated. It was only 3 or four Christmasses ago that we started attending mass at St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Masses are not really celebrated inside the Church but in a nearby gym owned by the school beside the Church.

The place can turn pretty crowded as the mass progresses. the mass starts as the lector reads the long list of mass offerers and petitioners -- from passing board exams to those who wanted to find jobs. I wonder why they wanted to tell the world what their petitions are. I think God knows what our hearts desire the most. Instead of reading the Gospel, they usually have a Christmas program depicting Mary and Joseph's journey towards parenthood. It never changes. I wish they can change the concept maybe instead of role playing they can have a film showing, or quiz bee show...imagine the possibilities. heheh...

Anyway, my little angel slept on our way to the church and woke up at the start of the program. She was cranky and I think she hated the fact that she woke up at the middle of her deep sleep and she can't even go around since the place was packed. I had to urge jaims to leave the gym as I couldn't breathe. We stayed outside.

We got home a few minutes before 12. we have spaghetti noodles with tuna mushroom sauce and meat sauce, fruit salad (made this one), cdo ham (courtesy of XSPA), leche flan, tasty and coke. I forgot to take pictures since i was too sleepy and tired to even join them for the noche buena. i wanted to use Sofi as an excuse so i could sleep but I got some scoldings from the man of the house. At 1am, Sofi and I were ready to call it a day.

Merry Christmas everyone!
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Fruit salad

ingredients
Fruit Cocktail
Red apples
Del Monte Fruit Cocktail
Nestle Cream
Condensed Milk
Cheese

instructions
Drain the fruit cocktail from its juice. Set aside the juice. Cut red apple slices (bite size) and drop them in the fruit cocktail juice. Apples must be dip in liquid to avoid discoloration. Dice cheese. Mix everything together. Add Nestle Cream and a few spoonfuls of Condensed Milk. Bring out the fruity taste by adding more cream instead of condensed milk. Place in chiller and serve cold.