In Napa

Pinot Noir? Merlot? Cabernet Sauvignon?

Now we can tell a good wine from a not so good one.

Swirl, Sniff, and Roll around the tongue. Spit or Swallow? Now, that was our question.

Check out the pics. After drinking through 4 vineyards and several wine tasting afterwards, wala na akong maalala. . .

Paoi and Maia in SFO

What a fun reunion the kids had--Enrico, Magu, Paoi, and Maia. They met up in San Bruno, in their hotel, we had dinner in Kadok's BBQ Place, and the kids decided to sleep over at our place.

They spent the whole hour-car-trip chatting and giggling. Paoi slept with the boys and Maia slept on the top bunk of the girls' room. The next day, they lazed around playing PS3, almost like Broadway. But we all missed the rest of the Justice Squad: Pochito, Pepeton, Nico Sun, Chiara, and Gaby.

Moving Out. . .But Up

When our landlord mentioned that he was increasing our rent, Ricky and I took it as a sign to look at our options. We found a couple of (our minimum requirement) 4-bedrooms for even cheaper than we were paying. But the homes were older and smaller.

Then we found a gem in Craigslist. Also in Antioch, about a mile away from our old home. A real beauty with FIVE bedrooms and 3 baths, a patio and the most beautiful rose garden for only $50 more than what we were paying in Amberwood.

We can't believe how lucky we got with all the upgrades. Plus, it is 2 blocks away from the community pool--another great bonus in the summer when it hits the 100's here--ang init!

2036 Tupelo Way,
Antioch, CA
(925) 753-1678

Lakasan nalang ng loob--even if Ricky is still nursing his business. We realized we rented Amberwood also when Ricky didn't have a job yet.

Ang hirap palang maglipat dito! We rented a U-haul and hauled everything out ourselves. Ricky was at the helm of everything. Buti nalang kargador na yung mga binata. Maui suffered a nose bleed (ayaw magpa-picture) and Nico hammed it up, of course. And without Y. Syrel and Mama Pila--we would be so lost!

















I will send more pics of the new home when we are more settled. Medyo magulo pa and Ricky's parents came to stay. We look forward to more visitors--specially Lia, Mon, and Mayoy by end of May.

We are sill rubbing our eyes, (partly because of the allergy season!) as we settle down in this newest blessing. And though we spent almost 2 yeas in the old home and have many fond memories there, and even if we had no intentions of leaving, we are excited to move up to where the Lord leads us.

Sometimes, the Lord has a definite way of moving us along.

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.