Turning 25:The big thing...or is it?

I heard a few people talk about how turning 25 is a big thing because...well... you're a quarter century old. Aabot ba tayo sa 100?!. A few months ago, I did feel that I needed to do something different with my life but not necessarily something major. I saw this website and started writing things down that I would eventually want to accomplish in life. Ika nga nila, a goal that is not written is only a wish. Not a career or school or anything along that line but just things that I don't have to do but I want to do. Few weeks before my birthday, I followed some tips from that blog and wrote activities that I want to do for this year. I'm keeping those things to myself for now but so far, I'm proud to say that I'm pretty much on top of it and it feels really good to be able to accomplish a lot. The question is, did I need to turn 25 before I reflect on what I wanted in life? Of course the answer is no, but I think that age creates a nice balance between childhood and adulthood; we aren't too young to play around or too old to take life too seriously.

There are just too many reasons to be grateful for aside from being alive 25 years on this earth. Come to think of it, my most treasured blessings are the ones that I didn't even plan!  In fact, the day before my birthday, a job offer that I genuinely wanted so bad was withdrawn. There's a first time for everything right? I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed and irritated at all but I guess I just know that things will be better. It really does help that I have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life to know that there is more to everything than how it appears to us now. I may have plans for myself but His plan is always better. Now at 25, I certainly know that to be true. There are just too many events I've experienced to say otherwise. When I was in high school, I was so competitive academically and wanted to see myself as a career woman. We all know that did not happen (or it has not yet happened) but I am living in a city I love, married to an awesome Botchogers eternally and couldn't be much happier with the family I belong to. That is why I asked Emil from now on, I don't want any material things on my birthday (though he still got me Kara's cupcakes and I got myself a gold bracelet---cheater!). So to celebrate my birthday, Emil surprised me with a trip to Seattle for the weekend since we were both working on the 24th. I told him that I just want to travel to see how other people experience everyday life.

SNOW FIRST TIMERS

Two days ago, our youth, with some of the parents went to Soda Springs for a snow activity. It had been postponed too many times so we decided to push through it despite the rumors that there wasn't enough snow at Tahoe. It was a little over 3 hr drive from SF and because we trust Google maps so much, we decided to go on our own and just meet the rest of the ward at the venue.

 After 2 hrs., I decided to take a nap so I will be ready to play with our very active youth once we get to the venue. I don't know how long I was out when I heard Emil and Ate Lira say that I decided to take a nap when the view was already filled with snow so I woke up. Take note, I have seen snow before but neither have I seen it falling from the sky nor played with it so I excitedly woke up from my nap. Upon waking up, I saw a terrain covered with snow but it looked like it lead to nowhere. I was used with these kinds of roads because in the Philippines, some resorts were like it.

We decided to keep driving forward but the snow on the ground was getting thicker and thicker as we moved on. We even heard it scrape the bottom of our Camry! It was getting scarier and scarier so we decided to turn around. Emil managed to back up and we decided to just go back to the snow-free terrain. The sound of the hard ice damaging our car was just too much to handle. I was trying not to get nervous but I just can't help it! If you know me, I am the last person to get nervous at these kinds of moments but this was REALLY bad. Finally, we were just feet away from the ice-free ground when the left front tire slid off and got stuck on a deep hole almost near the cliff. Emil decided to floor the gas so we can get out of it as soon as possible but we couldn't move! We can even smell the tires burning so it added to our anxiety.

A  lady walking her dogs showed up from the end of the road and saw us in our predicament so she decided to help us. Imagine 3 ladies, two of which are Filipinos just 5 feet short, pushing a car. I can remember the image in my head and can't help but smile. To top it off, there was no signal so we could call the rest of the ward for help. We managed to rock the car and move it a few feet off the hole so we were kinda relieved but it wasn't anywhere near success. Even though we were making progress, the back of the car was nearing the cliff so we really needed to call the rest of the ward. Thanks to ate Lira's AT&T service, we got a hold of Seini to rescue us. Four of them came: Kuya Benny, Seini, Bishop Pineda and Bishop Jubinal. Upon their arrival, we looked somewhere in the car to attach a rope so they can just tow us but little did we know a Camry doesn't have any! It gets towed by lifting it and carrying one pair of wheels on the tow truck (minus points for Toyota). We then resorted to what we did before, rocking the car, flooring the gas and pushing the car again and again. We did a couple of pushing and we weren't going anywhere. We then decided to say a prayer.

Check out the video below. Around more than 10 times doing that, we managed to get the car off the hole. Thanks to our rescuers! This is indeed an experience to remember.