A Blessed Weekend with Blessed Friends

August 8, 2008. On this date we witnessed the opening ceremony of the 2008 summer Olympics, which is hosted by China. At the comfort of bro Kicks & sis Shonie's unit of one of the freehold properties in International City, Dubai.

No, it was not the viewing of the Olympics opening ceremony that we were there. It was the day of dedicating their beautifully dressed up abode. What else can you expect from a couple who are both architects?

Present of course is our dear Pastor Edward and his family, sis Marlyn and their daughter Sally Joy. My family and other friends were there to witness the dedication.

We then proceeded to the Dubai Festival City where bro Kicks and Sis Shonie treated us for dinner at Chili's restaurant. We stayed their until the shops closed. When we get back to the couple's newly dedicated unit, it is time for us to greet them their 5th wedding anniversary.

The kids and the not so young went to sleep the couple invited me and my wife, Rose to a nearby joint for juice and coffee while relaxing to the unique ambiance. The place was so unique that its interiors are decorated with different form of artworks, and as we learned, it was sourced from different parts of the world.

We enjoyed the juice and coffee while exchanging stories and testimonies until it was time for us to fetch my sister-in-law at the airport. It was already 4:00 am when bro Kicks, sis Shonie, my wife Rose, and I went to call the day.

The Kids creating so much noise at 6:00 am woke us up. Sally Joy and two of my 3 daughters were so eager to go swimming at the pool. They went swimming indeed, but before they proceed to the pool, Daddy Jun, sis Shonie's loving father cooked breakfast for the kids.

How about us and the not so young, in the person of Sis. Nina, Sis Precy, Sis Marlyn, and Pastor Ed? We also treated oursleves with sauna baths before we went to Outlet Mall for shopping without burning out our wallets. It is a matter of disciplining ourselves to buying unnecesary things, a good character of being a faithful steward.

After hours of walking around the huge area of Outlet Mall, we dined at the mall's foodcourt where we feasted the delicious barbecue of Chowking restaurant. As we had our fill, we drove back to Al Ain where a sandstorm and then a downpour greeted us.

It was indeed a blessed day around some blessed family and friends while celbrating the goodness of our Lord Jesus.