Dude…totally!

Remember Crush and Squirt?  

You know…just keep swimming, just keep swimming.  Finding Nemo.  

My jaw dropped when I saw these HUGE sea turtles at the Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach. Actually, my jaw dropped the first time when we passed by the Komodo Dragon.  I thought I could skip the reptile exhibit since we are going to the "Aquarium", but nope!  It's there, and I think it was actually waiting for me.  Eewww!  

Anyway, from Washington, we headed to Virginia Beach for a week-long stay with my hubby's relatives.  The real purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding of Raymond's cousin, Jake.  (More on that on my next post!)  It was a "short" drive; we even had time to stop by Maryland where Raymond's other Auntie lives.  

Since we were going to be busy helping with the wedding prep, we decided beforehand that we will do something special with the kids amidst the busyness of the event.  So we braved the crazy Virginia Beach weather (hot and humid one minute, raining on the next) and headed for the Aquarium.  A little costly, if you ask me, but totally worth it with the sea turtles. 

Enjoy the photos! :)

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A "Long" Blogpost

A "long absence" blogpost. That's what it is.  A long absence from the blogging world.  Not totally the whole blogging world, just this blog in particular.  Not that it's not important to me.  It's actually the most important blog, at least in my hubby's eyes.  And I have been slacking (neglecting!!!).  No excuses.  Just stories of what happened to us while we were not blogging for those three long months.

Now, how can I squeeze those three months of absence into one post?  Answer:  I can't!  So we will do a few blogposts this week to catch up :)

In today's post, we have Washington, D.C. as our subject.  We have never driven past Pennsylvania, so driving there was an adventure already.  Twice the fun, too because we were with Raymond's sister and her family.

We got a 4-star hotel Downtown Washington, a block away from the White House.  Such a huge blessing especially because we have kids in tow, so walking around DC will be so much easier.  Got the deal from Priceline's Negotiator.  Gotta love them!  3 days, 2 nights at J.W. Marriott Hotel.

Our hotel

Downtown Washington at night…and day :)

World War II Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Strolling to find a food court :)

Extremely hot day.  Perfect day for popsicles, except it ended on the ground :(

Three days and two nights are not enough to enjoy what DC has to offer.  Hubby already promised that we will definitely go back there.  

Oh, and on our way to DC, we got lost.  We missed an exit, and wanting to stay on course and be in-sync with our printed Google directions, I decided to be the expert and told hubby we can take the next exit and I will navigate to get back to I-29.  Bad idea!  We drove around for 45 minutes, uphill and downhill, looking for that elusive interstate.  Forget the map and GPS!  I turned on my iPhone and checked the maps, and we got back on track.  It was actually a good thing because we were able to meet with my sister-in-law for lunch, and we drove together from then on to Washington.  All went smooth after that.  But hubby made up his mind that we are taking the fastest way next time; no more scenic, "shorter" way.

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A Mother's Day To Remember

Beata has been thinking about getting baptized for quite a while, since last year actually!  We have gone from "Yes, this Sunday" to "You are not ready yet, darling!" stage.  We just needed to make sure that she is ready and that she knows the reason for being baptized.  Baptism will not save you.  Your salvation is not determined by your baptism.  Baptism is a way to show others that you are following Jesus' example, and your way of telling others that you are saved and you trusted Christ to be your Saviour.

She has been ready since mid-April, but her grandparents are away on vacation in the Philippines and she wanted them to come to church and watch her get baptized.  So we waited for six weeks until they return.  And they came and watch on Mother's Day.  And not just them, but the whole family on Raymond's side of the family.

She was excited.  She kept jumping while she wait to get in the baptistry.  I kept asking why, she said she doesn't know.  She's just happy.  It brought a smile in my heart.  It's amazing what faith little children have, and how much we learn from them.

I am sure the last picture says it all.  

Though she's out of focus and my flash did not recycle and fired on time, 

I just have to post the picture. 

It's certainly a Mother's Day to remember.

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Shoot…sac

Got something in the mail back in March that I missed blogging about.

Something…

No, it's SOMETHING!

My shootsac.

My very, very early Mother's Day gift

from hubby and kids to me.

I coordinated all the ordering and stuff without them knowing it.

I'm smart, just like that!

Ahhh!  Love it.

Will put it to the test today at the wedding.

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Jakob's best Easter pictures ever

Good thing we had just about enough time for natural light before sunset before I almost forgot about the kids' easter pictures.

Hurry, kids and put on your matching clothes.

It's a bit windy and chilly but just pretend you're okay.

One, two, smile.

Okay, back in the house.

Let's do more pictures, one kid at a time.

Back in the house.

More group shots.

Jakob, smile!

Huh?

What?

note: 

unedited, straight out of camera photos.

I did not even bother editing them.

Well, maybe I'll do and save it for his wedding slideshow :)

In case you missed the last one, here it is up close.

Lesson learned:  

Cooperate with mommy when she is taking your pictures

or you'll end up on her blog.

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SOLD!!!! Plus a million other things.

Two and a half months of silence.  What's going on?

Well, there was a LOT that went on.  So much that blogging has to take the back seat.

- After pulling our house on the real estate market for a Winter break last year, we decided to put it back on the market this Spring.  Why?  Because after deliberation and calculations, we figured that it would be cheaper and wiser to move than to renovate.

- We spent March Break at home :(

- One week after we activated the listing, our house got an offer with conditions to be met and finalized in ten days with closing date in six weeks.  Yikes!

- We went crazy looking for houses so we will not be left homeless after six weeks.

- Seven days after the signed offer, the buyers released us from the contract because their condo unit is not "officially" sold because of some condo fund issue, which left us with no sale.

- That same night of release, there was a couple waiting at our dining table; waiting to give an offer to our house that they so badly wanted since they saw it last year before we puled it out of the market.

- Five days after the signed offer, they did not proceed with the sale because they were too worried about the roof condition, and their mortgage appraiser has not shown up.

- All through these, Raymond was having sleepless nights.  Anxiety, worries and panic.  NOT GOOD.  So we got out of private selling and we hired our realtor friend, Greg Brown to list our house on MLS.

- Craziest five days ever!  Buyers were constantly viewing the house.  We were hardly home.  No cooking, no messes, no clutter…nothing.  We were supposed to keep it "buyer-ready" all the time.

- Five days after being active on MLS, we had multiple offers!  Praise the Lord!

- Three days after the offer, we had a deal!  Praise the Lord!

- Our realtor was busy during the week, so we were initially reserving viewing houses on the weekend.  But we managed to squeeze five visits in two nights.  We found the perfect one.  Perfect location, perfect set-up, but price is a little more than what we were allowed to borrow from the bank.

- We made an offer the following day, praying that they will accept.

- The next day, Friday, they accepted the offer but negotiated on the price.  The asking price is exactly what we have been praying for.  Praise the Lord!  We got a deal!

- Insurance, financing and home inspection all in just two business days.  Deal was closed and closing date is June 3.

- June 3???  That's just 3 days after our trip to Virginia Beach.  I will most definitely have not enough time to pack in three days.  

So purging, organizing and packaging started ASAP.

- I've been buried in boxes since then…and I'm still not done.  

- All these plus two location photoshoot and one in studio…plus hours of editing…plus getting ready, practicing and educating myself for my very first wedding on Saturday.

- There are probably more that I have not written down, but I am already overwhelmed :(

See, I told you "a million other things."

We are still here.  Somewhere behind one of the boxes in the house.

And before I go, I'll leave you with a proof to show that we are still here

because a blogpost is boring without a picture!

The kids' Easter picture.
There is a story behind it…I'll tell you tomorrow.

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Apple Addict

There has been a change of heart here in our house.

For so long, we have had an affair with PC.

But all changed since hubby bought me my MacBook Pro last year.

Yeah, I had an ipod nano before,

(Second generation and it still works even after more than 3 years of use and abuse)

but getting the MacBook Pro changed my hubby's heart.

He said he's now an Apple convert.

Proof?

Aside from this laptop that I am using to write this blog, 

he bought me an iphone for Christmas,

and now he has his own ipod touch.

Now, if I can only get him to buy an iMac!

Taken using my iPhone with the Instagram app.
My Nikon feels a little jealous these days.

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I Heart Faces: Phone Photo Challenge

From my iphone.

Taken by Raymond.

Beata and daddy.

Side by side.

Same smile.

Same mole…

Same spot!

Edited using Instagram App

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I am cool

Big brothers can be really bossy.

But I find that the younger two would almost always do something that big brother says just for them to have a chance to play with him.

This is specially true with Jethro.

Maybe because he's a boy and he likes to play boy stuff with big brother Jakob.

This is what I found last night.

Jethro willingly stood there with a ball of some sort on his head

while Jakob aims at it with a nerf gun.

Oh, the thing boys do!

What can Jethro do?

His 'big brother says he's super cool" anyways!

Notice the drool on his chin.
Apparently, he's having SO much fun!

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I did not even notice that

Valentine's Day was spent at home doing little reno at our house.

Sad, I know!

But I was able to find a special gift for hubby for Heart's Day.

Actually, I already bought one a week before but felt that I need to add something else.

I went to Winners looking for decor around the house, and not hoping to find the perfect gift for hubby.

(Winners have a "Final Clearance" going on now until the end of February.

And also Home Sense since they belong to the same company.

Great sales.  You should go!

Wow!  I feel like an endorser for this company.  

Wonder when I'll get the big bucks for this advertisement.)

I found an iHome iPod Dock on clearance for $40 (regular Winners price was $70, compared to $140).

It's in perfect packaging (as opposed to most clearance items having missing parts or broken packaging).

Hubby loves it.  Great for his newly acquired iPod Touch.

It even glows in the dark! Ha!

I have to take at least one photo for Valentine's Day.

Instead on a photo of us tired and sleepy from all the work that day, we chose the iHome.

The iPod dock was better looking.

Taken using iPhone

Look, 2-14 (aww, Valentine's Day!)

And look again, it reads 11:22 (time to retire for the day)

It's our anniversary, November 22.

And I did not even notice that (hubby did!).

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I Heart Faces: Red

This week's challenge is perfect for the picture I had planned to post for Valentine's Day.

He cooperated well for this photoshoot.  

But I am sure he'll "appreciate" it when this picture comes out on his wedding day.

Oh, the joy of having a photographer in the house!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

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Chai-ching!

picture taken using my iphone

$7.?? at Wal-Mart

I found a cheaper way to enjoy the Starbucks Chai Latte at home.

Just heat your milk, add an equal amount of Tazo Chai Latte concentrate, then add hot water

(and a little chocolate powder sprinkle on top)

and you'll have your homemade Chai Latte.

Honestly, it taste like the one you buy at Starbucks

and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune to have a cup (or two) everyday.

You should try it!

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Where is Big Dad(dy)?

I am so thankful for hubby's work.

It allows him to work from home

…when kids are sick, so I can leave them at home with him when I have to get out of the house.

…when I am not feeling so well, so he can help me around the house.

…when I have important appointments, so he can take care of the kiddos while I do my business.

…when the weather is bad (which is the case lately), so he doesn't have to brave the cold and the snow. 

…when he is sick, so he can take it easy at home.

He has been working from home lately because of the weather and some health issues at home.

The kids are always excited when they wake up in the morning to see daddy in the kitchen making breakfast.

They love it when he's home, and when he gets to spend lots of time with them.

But he cannot work from home all.the.time.

He went to work (very early) this morning.

Beata came in my room to snuggle before we started getting ready for the day.

Jethro came in ten minutes later with the question

"Where is big Dad?"

I have no idea why he called him Big Dad.

He sometimes uses words that are too big for his age.

Like when he says "You smell beautiful" instead of "You smell good."

Or when he says "I apologize" instead of "I'm sorry."

Raymond's work of art (and sense of humor!)

He must be trying to compete with Beata's fifty-thousand-words-a-day routine

and trying to beat her with his BIG words.

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I Heart Faces: Hearts

Valentine Heart Straw use no. 253 : Funky eyeglasses

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Storm Trooper

Multi-coloured Storm Trooper.

I guess, they look better like this than the plain, old, boring black and white.

It's Jethro's new favourite thing to do.

Though lately he's into shading them in just plain pencil.

C'mon, buddy!  

What happened to the colours?

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Magnified

Back home in the Philippines, if you wear glasses, you're a genius!

Not a geek, but genius.

Students would show up in school wearing eyeglasses just to look smart.

I remember hubby wearing one in college.

It made him look smarter.

He later confessed that those were just show-off glasses.

Now, he wears glasses for real.

I don't know what happened but his vision is not as perfect as when we were in university.

He needs his glasses almost all of the time.

In fact, we were so nervous when he lost his glasses at Great wolf Lodge last year 

and we have to drive for two hours on the highway.

No more showing off this time.

He needs it for real.

And I am convinced.

Just look at how it magnifies the computer screen.

Fake or real glasses, you are still a genius to me.

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Three new for you

I love graphic shirts for kids.

Those with cute drawings and words.

Those with vibrant colours.

Those that are on sale.

Yeah, I'm cheap!

I was at the Superstore last week and found three cute graphic shirts for my lil' lady.

Perfect size for her.

Perfect prize for a cheap-o like me.

Perfect shirts for what I had in mind for Valentines Day.

Notice the fake smiles on photo one and two?
She's into those fake smiles lately.
I should device better ways to get a genuine smiles.
And how about photo number three?
Ahhh!  A genuine "are-we-done-yet-cause-I'm-hungry" smile!

One light photos only.
I was too lazy to set up a fill light…
or to even pop out the reflector.
Yeah, that's me - cheap and lazy!

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Pucks and PJs

My boys like to use the basement to play hockey.

And to play the goalie, it is mandatory that you wear the goalie suit.

While we were watching the All-Star Exhibition games last night, Jethro got all inspired!

He put on the goalie suit, all of it, by himself.

They are playing on the "office" part of the basement,
between two computer tables.
I love those computer tables.
Got them at a cheap price from Liquidation World.
It's my favourite black-brown colour.

It has lots of dings now, thanks to my boys.

Love the monkey pjs, btw!

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Found the evidence

Buddy, you should have wiped your mouth after eating snacks from the cupboard without me knowing

because I can see some evidence right there around your mouth.

I should have a lock for that cupboard…

or maybe not so you can eat all the calorie-ful (that's a word, right?)

snacks there so I will not be tempted to eat them just because I don't want them to go to waste

but then they go to my WAIST!  Ugh!

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I Heart Faces: Innocent Wonder

This little boy is a boy through and through.

He likes cars, swords, guns, soldiers,

balls, Lego, video games,

…and books!

Whenever we visit Value Village or Goodwill, 

books will keep him occupied.

Well, the toys, too but I prefer the books.

And he is more than happy to browse through the books section

and pick out Spiderman, Star Wars and other boy books.

Though he likes to flip through the pages of Anne of Green Gables, too.

I'll blame this influence on me and my little girl, Beata.

Here is a photo of him with the Hardy Boys books that hubby got from a yard sale.

My boys (that's including hubby!) have never actually read any of it.

It makes a good display because I like how vintagey (is that even a word?) it looks.

But for sure, they will soon get their hands on one of these.

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May The Force Be With You

Build-A-Bear Darth Vader

with Star Wars sound

How cool is that!

Our kids like Star Wars.

They can even name the characters.

But they have not watched one. single. episode. of Star Wars.

It's all because of the Star Wars Wii.

Have I given the boys too much time playing this Wii game?

I just realized, I myself have not watched a single episode of Star Wars,

or have played the Star Wars Wii.

That's why I get lost when we talk Star Wars in this house!

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