Bavick's 8th Birthday Party (Theme: Barbie)

Meet our youngest daughter Jorin Viktoria "Bavick" C. Revil. 

                               

We recently celebrated her 8th birthday with a Barbie Themed Party. 

Here in this blogpost are just some of the many photos taken then.

                  Yes, you read it right,  she is our "youngest daughter" for there are no middle children in our brood of four, only eldest daughter, youngest daughter, eldest son and youngest son. <3 

I'm sure you get it why we prefer it that way. We do not want to play favorites as we love them all equally. They are our dear children whom God entrusted to us to nurture, love, protect and grow. Children, just like any of us have their own special qualities, faculties, talents and desires. They differ in so many ways, yet the bond that we have with them as their parents shall be the common ground. All of them have God given qualities that not only give us delight but even pride and fulfillment. They have their sweet ways and surprises that tickles the heart which no amount of material thing could ever compare. Our children are our treasure and we must take care of them. Hence, we make sure that the love we give is not only that of pampering them but also that of giving discipline and instructions, the kind that gives the wisdom that they need. 

So here are the photos of the party and my random thoughts as a mother of four wonderful children...

 Bavick  was born January 15 of 2004 in the City of Masbate, Philippines with the aid of Dr. Cathy and Karl Pilapil (my husband's best friend) and Dr. Bette Bajar (our sister in law, wife of Dr. Severino Bajar, my husband's brother). 

Bavick knows that she is the one among her siblings who was born in Masbate and for that even during the time that we were based in Manila, she would always exclaim that she wants to be in Masbate, because she really feels like a real Masbatenya. 

                 When she was in my tummy, she was such an active baby that we thought her to be a baby boy. So while we were expecting we already gave the name "Jonvik", short for "Jon Viktor". When I had the ultrasound, we found out that she was a girl and with that we were very happy too because we knew then that our eldest daughter Jovi will be having a best friend and playmate. 

                   We retained the nickname "Jonvik" short for Jorin Viktoria.  When she was born however, Jovi who was then going 2 years old could not pronounce "Jonvik" and calls her instead "Bavick" and all of us did the same. 

                   Jovi and Bavick are the best of friends yet they fight a lot too. I remember one time when I bought for them one Barbie each. I chose two different kinds. When I got home, I excitedly exclaimed "Jovi! Bavick come over I have a surprise for you!" Then I flashed the 2 beautiful Barbies in their beaming faces, then there was silence, each staring from one Barbie to another and together they reached for the same one.  You know what happened next. =)

                  So since then, I thought I learned a lesson, so next time I told myself I will buy the same or better yet just buy one so they will just share it.  Until the time that I did so, I realized it wasn't a very good idea too for they didn't even want the same thing all the time or that if it's only one thing, the dilemma of who gets to use it first or use it longer arose. 

Did I learn a new lesson? Perhaps. What is it? Well...that there's no easy way to perfect parenthood. I know that the example I gave is on a minor matter but thinking about it,  in the greater scheme of things, there's indeed no easy equation to raising up children. 

We have our ways yet sometimes despite our best efforts we fail. We are a work in progress. There's no quick solution to matters concerning our children. Each instance is to be handled on a case to case basis. 

But in all these, we must be guided by faith in God, our very own Father who can lead us on how to be the best parents that we could be.                       

Truly, there is no perfect manual or guide to parenting children. We as parents would always want what's best for our children. Then again, our best may not be what they think is best too. They have their choices, personal desires or even their preferences over a lot of different stuff, from toys, to clothes, to favorite past times, goals in life, aims for the future and the like.  So, as parents, do we stop in guiding them because they have their own lives to lead and free will to choose? 

The answer is a big NO! For we are here to guide them. As having gone through the stages in life that they are just going through or that they will be going through, still, we know better. We shouldn't stop from being their counselors, for truth is, God gave them to us for that reason, to be their counsel. As long as we are aligned with the will of God, we will also be able to fulfill the purpose that He set for our lives and that of our children as well.

As parents, it need not be a duty to protect, love and nurture them, for we would do that without being obliged. We love our children. We would do what we can for them to grow well. Their best interest is always in our hearts. They might not realize that now, but later on for sure they will. Some realize that early on and they are the ones who are obedient and have a big chance of being successful in life. Others, they wait until they become parents too before they'd realize. 

My prayer for you if you're a parent and you're reading this right now, is for you to find it in your heart to never get tired of teaching your children the right values, good morals and conduct that they will treasure and later on even pass on to the next generation. Wisdom is a legacy that we can hand over to them.

Knowledge and education that they gain can help them lead a good life, but to have a joyful good life, they need the wisdom that is possible through God's teachings found in the Bible. As parents, I hope that  we can lead them into having a relationship with God. Let us teach them the value of knowing God and deciding to follow Him.

Their success is ours and in their failures we get bruised too, but with God as the Father of all who accepts as for whatever we are, all things good and beautiful are possible for us and for our children.

Let us choose to live with faith. 

Choose to do good, be good, not so we can inherit His kingdom but rather because we love Him as our Father and we want to honor Him as our God. 

We are God's children. He died for us so we can have our salvation. It is through His grace that we have been saved. It is through faith and grace. It is not through our own works. It can never be through our own efforts. It has been done by Him when He died for us. Our salvation has been given so that we can have life and live it to the fullest.

No matter who we are and what we are, God loves us. This we must know and this we must tell our children too. Does that mean then that we can continue sinning because He loves us anyway? NO! For once we accept Him as our God, the fruit is also good works. Since we love Him we are to follow His ways, our old selves are gone and we become new creations through His grace.  

If you are not a parent and you are reading this now, know that your parents love you so much and they are at the pursuit of a good and joyful life for you. The sacrifices of your parents are all so you can have what they didn't have or that so you can be what they were not or that so you can fulfill dreams that were once for themselves or that simply because they want what's best for you. Some might disagree as in the case of battered, abused, neglected, abandoned children and the like, but here's the good news, God is our Father. We must not lose hope. If our earthly parents are not perfect for us, for truth is no one is perfect, God is perfect. He loves us and He promises to us the good life that we deserve. Let us have faith. 

Because once we do, it is an invitation to Him to be in our homes, in our hearts and in our minds so that in all things we are guided and once we are, we will go through life as if we have conquered it all too just like He did. Let us believe in Him all the time for in Him all things are possible. Truth is He is in our hearts always, we just need to hear and listen to what He says. Life is good once we have Jesus Christ as Lord, regardless of our situations and circumstances. Once we know that the God of the universe is in us and with us, nothing is impossible.

Just believe, have faith and love for God is love. 

As for our children, only God knows what will be and we put our faith in Him. We lift them all up to God. He knows best. We will forever seek for His guidance and for His grace to be upon our family always. 
We pray the same for you too!

God bless us all!




Acknowledgments for the Party:


God, thank you for everything!!!
Thank you also to all those who joined our celebration and prayers. The weather was perfect on that day by the way. Also thanks for all the gifts, love and care for our children and our family.
Thank you most especially also to Tinz Catering Services of Tina Zafra-Anonuevo.
Photobooth c/o Wishbone Services.


For photo booth pictures click here!!! =)




God bless everyone!!!