Cente turns 20 - April 2007

Birthday dinner with friends at Georgetown.





With girlfriend, Kelly Thomas

Kenneth and Jorell's 5th Birthday Party

The twins turned 5 on April 16, 2007. How time flies.

I just wanted to share this picture with you.

Some pictures form my trip

I would like to share some photos from my last trip. Paris is such a nice place to see. If you love art and fashion...... it might be the best place to visit. All you have to do is walk.......and you will be amazed........medyo mahal lang nga, and the hotel rooms are really small. If anyone's going, please stay in the Latin Quarter.......you will experience more of the local flavor.

I'll post pictures of NYC next time.

Enchanted Kingdom

These are shots of the family at Enchanted Kingdom. Hindi talaga siya Disneyland but it's the closest we have to it. Ok na din. Nicole's photos were taken on Saturday, on a trip with her friends, while the photos with Bebop, Dani and Josh were taken the next day, a Sunday. On that day, Nicole was at Splash Island with the same friends. Bebop & I rode the bump car & kiddie roller coaster (wimps!) while Dani and Josh tried everything including the Space Shuttle, a tall loop roller coaster. Bebop passed on that. He just didn't pass, it was a No-Way thing for him. Nahilo na kami doon pa lang sa Rialto Theater (where your seat buckles left and right in coordination with the movie visuals). Nagmamadali ako to get to the park early, but as it turns out, we got there at a very bad time, 12:30noon. The heat sapped our energy. Hay. When dark came, the lights came on as well, and the breeze turned cool. Ang ganda ng weather. By that time however, pagod na kami. So before 8pm we were on our way home. Nicole and friends entered the park a little past 10am, & they stayed the whole day, but aside from a sunburn, they seemed to just take the heat in stride. Hindi na kami ni Bebop pwede sa ganoon nang hindi napapagod. Pero ang galing, may fire blowing number (a group of performers blow fire about 6 feet into the air) & pirate dance number.

Easter Brunch

Easter this year was new to us. And though I miss the Philippine out-of-town trips, the fasting and abstaining (but with delicious seafood), the Visita Iglesia, Stations of the Cross, and vegging out with no activities until 3pm on Good Friday, we learned new things that I plan to make into new family traditions.

We experienced the church community washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday. Someone washes your feet and you wash the next person's feet in mass. It was a new take on humility and privilege.

Easter Sunday Mass was the culmination of the Holy Week, I'm glad. We started with Easter Mass and then, I prepared Easter brunch. No tapsilog and longganisa this time! My special menu included: Quiche Lorraine (eggs, cheese, cream, bacon, onions--on a pie crust), Ham and Asparagus Toasts, Ricky's Sausage and Peppers Pasta, Breakfast Sausage, Pancakes with homemade fruit syrup, fruit salad.

My mom and UJ came. Maui had some friends over. Mukhang success, naubos yung food. I forgot to take pictures becaue everyone came in hungry. Here's what I managed to take, while chewing my food!






We also staged a mini-Easter Egg hunt for the younger kids. Maui and Nico hid the eggs. Selena found the $10 jackpot egg. Magu found 2 $5 eggs. Monica found cash eggs, and many candy-filled ones.



I think this has been the most fun Easter we have had as a family in a long time.



Happy Easter everyone!

Tita Bing in my mind

How strange that even in her passing, I feel Tita Bing more so in my life. She lent me formal clothes when I needed them and gave me unexpected tokens she thought I would like. She taught me how to refine my crocheting skills and so when I am stuck, I talk to her while crocheting. Sometimes, I talk to her when I am nervous. Sometimes, I feel her thinking about me, about us--in a good way, like she were blessing us.

How wonderful that the memories you have of someone lives on. These immortal memories will not die with the body. In her honor, let's paint more memories that we will want to keep, even to the next life. Let's remember her generosity of heart and share our homes as tambayan to those who need a place to rest, in her memory. (Now that we have our own homes, in different places in the world, we know that opening our doors is not an easy thing to do all the time.)

And to her loved children: Tonito, Rocky, Carmela, their spouses and kids, and to tito Raffy, and lola, tita Ditas, tita Pempe, tito King, daddy, tito Boogie, I join you all in prayer on this special day.

Happy Birthday, tita!

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY MAMA BING!

Dani Grauated from Grade School

At St. Scholastica's College Westgrove, there's no Grade 7, so Nicole and Dani both graduated when they were Grade 6. Dani's Ceremony was last Saturday, March 31, 2007. Bebop and I were expecting to watch her graduate, and we would've been ok with that. But I found out that she would be given a medal for high honors. That was a big bonus for us. God has been good to us.

San Francisco Zoo

We took the younger 3--Magu, Selena, and Monica--to the San Francisco Zoo. The weather was good and there were many new animals to see:




gallivanting giraffes



chilean flamingos


magu and the lions




south american penguins


thank goodness for $8 rental strollers!


did you know that chimps are closer to humans in DNA than they are to apes?


a very willing peacock likes to model herself

The highlight of our zoo visit was the Children’s Zoo, where Magu and Ricky delighted in exotic spiders—like the Goliath tarantula or the Black Widow, along with giant walking sticks, millipedes, centipedes, and scorpions at the Insect Zoo.

Meanwhile, the girls and I headed out the to the Family Farm, where they giggled as we petted and fed the Swedish rare pony, English Jacob sheep, Mary’s lambs, Mediterranean miniature donkey, pigs, West African Nigerian dwarf goats, chicks and ducks.

Should you find yourself in the Bay Area with your kids, a visit the SF Zoo is highly recommended.

Rhea's blog

Hello Cousins:

Check out the blog addition Siblings On the Go and check out our Rhea, Reena, Rammy, Ur, Ryan, andTintin and their spouses and kids' happenings!

See you there!

First Holy Communion and Confirmation Ceremonies

Josh, 8, had his first Holy Communion with his Grade 2 classmates of the Learning Child School at the nearby St. Jerome Church on Friday, February 23, 2007. It being a weekday, his sisters couldn't join us. So it was just Bebop, myself and Josh. We treated Josh to his favorite restaurant, Pancake House, afterwards. The other pictures are of the Confirmation Ceremony of Nicole, year 2, & Dani, grade 6 (who were confirmed with about 80 schoolmates), at the St. Scholastica's College Westgrove (Sta. Rosa, Laguna) gym on Saturday, March 10, 2007. Nicole's Ninangs were Gem Manosa (Bebop's sister) & Kristine (didn't show up, had a fever, so my Mom stood in for her). Dani's Ninangs were Reena and Mia Sun. We had a lunch celebration at Gloria Mari's Restaurant at the Alabang Town Center afterwards. The pretty little girl in green is Sabina, Gem's eldest daughter. Jomi (Bebop's eldest brother) & Sandra's (Concio) son Diego had his confirmation that same morning, so they met up with us at Gloria Mari's.

Ricky's Manila Visit

Ricky went home to Manila last February 8 to hatch his many business plans. Here are some pics:



Street 13 band members Paoi, Pochito, and Nico Sun




Cuenca reunion



Zen Japanese Resto renovation






Serendra at the Fort












Robinson's Tower

Kenny's Award

We are so proud to announce that Kenneth received a Scholarship Award today. Guess what he wanted as his prize?...Gummy bears!

Kenneth is in pre-school at Valley View Elementary. He is 4 years old.

Monica

It's always a good idea to keep posting new pics of the kids. They grow up fast and their faces change a lot. Here is Monica in McDo Antioch, CA. She is 3 years old and 7 months.

Her brothers call her a brat. Although Ricky is more firm with her, I am what I would like to call "patient," in other words, a sissy. (E, with a face as cute as this naman, I know Lia is gigil kurutin!) Pag pasensyahan nalang nila at matanda na yung mama niya--wala ng stamina for hard discipline. I believe her kuyas will help us out in that department as they have been trained well.

Parenting a toddler at 40-plus is a challenge I do not highly recommend. How old will I be when her homework comes?? Oh well, I have many designated tutors for that--her kuyas.

Please note lang, pag si Monica na ang nag-dalaga at naka-prom dress, please remind me that I was young once!!

Updates on Blog Account

I have upgraded our Blogger Account. We have been having difficulty with the Old Blogger account. Please check tilamsik groups e-mail for details.

Hope to see new posts, specially from my assigned correspondent, Ricky-tix.

Keep posting!!!

Minotte

Aina goes to the Assumption Junior Prom

Aina had her Junior Prom last Saturday, Feb. 10. It was held inside the Assumption College grounds in San Lorenzo. Her date was Paolo Loanzon, a junior at La Salle Greenhills. He is the son of Jojun Loanzon, a former colleague of Rinnah and me in McCann, and Patty (Ong), also a former colleague in McCann and a batchmate and friend from Ateneo College. Her dress was made by Nora, cutter of the late Joe Salazar and her hair and make-up by Huelgas. Magastos! She was invited to go to the La Salle prom also on Feb. 24 kaya gastos na naman!





I feel fulfilled seeing Aina grow into a lady. But, she will forever be my baby.

- Franco

Carmela's 18th Birthday

Carmela celebrated her 18th Birthday last January 27, 2007 at the C3 Events Place in Greenhills. There was a lot of fun, music, dancing, food and some drinks. The party started at 9pm and ended at 2:30am.

tilamsik3

tilamsik3: "Friday, February 02, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Nine

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?

Levi's, Ralph Lauren, BangBang

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.

Rich boy

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?

mentally 110%, physically 8

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?

my underwear

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I love to smoke when it is cold.

Guess who?

Friday's Feast for All of Us

Check out Friday's Feast--a good chance for those who haven't posted in our blog to do so.

While our questions may sometimes be related to food, the main idea here is to feed your mind by asking thought-provoking, mind-stimulating questions.

Each Friday when you visit this meme, you will find 5 enticing courses for your mind to gobble up.

Join in na! (Just copy and paste on a new page, with your answers)

Friday, February 02, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Nine

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I love to ________ when it is _________.


Hope to hear from many of you soon. . . .