Every night Ronnie and Angelie Celio put their two children - Ronin and Renee, ages 7 and 4 - to bed in a single room that the four of them share. It has been 12 years since Ronnie arrived from the Philippines, intent on building a life for his family. Angelie and Ronin followed in 2001. After Renee was born and their children began to grow, Ronnie and Angelie knew they needed a place of their own.

Two and a half years ago, the Celios applied for a Peninsula Habitat for Humanity home in Brisbane, but were disqualified because they were not residents of the city.

"Don't lose hope," said coordinators at Peninsula Habitat, so Ronnie waited and applied again. And now, after more waiting and praying, says Ronnie, "Our prayers have been answered." The Celios were selected for a new Peninsula Habitat home in South San Francisco, completed in February 2008.

"Before my wife and I heard about Peninsula Habitat, we were considering moving to somewhere else where the houses are kind of affordable," said Ronnie, his voice brimming with relief. He remembers the day the call came that they had been selected for the Peninsula Habitat homeownership program. He was at work - as Vessel Operations Manager at the Port of Oakland - just days before his birthday. "I was with this customs officer and I just stopped and couldn't speak. I told the coordinator from Habitat if she could 'call my wife because I'm out of speech right now.'" said Ronnie.

To wait, to hope, to trust - those were the hardest things. When it came time to fulfill their sweat equity hours, the Celios took to the job gladly. Ronnie had saved up all his vacation from the last year, and worked weekends so that he could take additional days off from work. He used up his emergency leave, instead spending those days working on the Peninsula Habitat site. Angelie, a full-time mom with no construction experience, was soon climbing exterior scaffolding with confidence. Ronnie's brother-in-law also pitched in, helping them to complete the 500 hours over six months between May and October of 2007. Because he had worked significant construction jobs in the Philippines for his mother, the sweat equity came easy for Ronnie. Site Manager Dawn Adams sometimes even put him in charge of leading small work groups.

Ronnie says it was a wonderful way to learn more about building a house, but also a great experience working side-by-side with all the volunteers on the construction site, being part of something really special together. Still, it was the image of Ronin and Renee running around on the South San Francisco site of the home they would finally have, voices shining with unbridled joy that softened Ronnie's voice with tenderness and pride.

"This is the American dream. We'll have this house for many, many years and we won't be scared of losing it one day," he said. "I saw in them the happiness that a father and mother can give. I think this is the one great gift that we could give to them, to have a place of their own."