Landscapes

I first fell in love with photography when I used to take landscape photos of places I've traveled.  I am always amazed at the beautiful scenery before me, and would try to capture them with my camera.  It is overwhelming to know that God's mighty hand created these beautiful landscapes.  Our most recent trip to the beautiful Sedona and Grand Canyon in Arizona, the breathtaking Valley of Fire in Nevada, are proofs that God is an excellent sculptor and artist.  I was in awe of the beautiful rock formations that surrounded us.

We left home and drove for Las Vegas on Christmas Eve, exactly at 12mn.  We arrived in Vegas by 10:30am, rested and laid low on Christmas Day, and had dinner at Rainforest Cafe.  The next day, the 26th of December, we were up early to drive to Sedona.  Along the way, this beautiful sight inspired us to get going:
   

   
We got to Sedona around 1pm (2pm in Arizona because it was on Central time).  We dropped by Sliding Rock State Park and stretched out to this amazing scenario:

 
We stayed for the night.  Thank God that we found affordable lodging even without prior reservation.  We had dinner and retired to bed early, to be able to rise up early and explore more of Sedona before heading to the Grand Canyon.

After a couple of hours or so, we reached the Grand Canyon and explored these breath-taking sceneries:

We left the Grand Canyon with a heavy heart, but with a promise that we'll be back to explore more someday, when the kids are a little more grown and wouldn't complain from walking too much.  After all, it was a bit chilly when we were there.

We returned to our hotel in Las Vegas and made plans to visit the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada the very next day.  We were in shock that even with the Valley's unmistakable charm, it was only a State Park.  It would've passed as a National Park in our standards, except it was a bit small.

These are even similar rock formations to those of The Arches National Park in Utah:

So, in a span of 5 days, we've managed to go through 3 states - California, Nevada, Arizona; one National Park - The Grand Canyon; two State Parks - Falling Rock in Sedona, AZ and Valley of Fire in NV.  You'd think we were done for this leg of the trip.  Uhm, not really.  On our way home, we decided to visit another National Park in California - Death Valley.  There really wasn't much to see, though we have only visited for a day.  We spent the night a couple of hours outside the park before heading home the next day.  If I've shown you proofs that God is truly a marvelous sculptor, you will be even more amazed at the paintings He created with the sky as his canvas and the setting sun as his pallette with the following images:

I am not truly an outdoor type of person, but these sceneries converted me.  When we were planning this vacation, it was a toss between theme parks and national parks and we were grateful we decided to go with the latter.  It gave us a sense of peace, tranquility, and appreciation of the beauty that surrounded us.  It humbled me, centered me, and made me realize the power that made all these possible.  We wanted our children to share this deep appreciation of nature, to instill in them the importance of taking care of their environment so their offsprings will be able to enjoy the same sceneries.

I know that this blog has been silent for a very long time, but what better time to post an entry with images like these?  I am definitely in love with photography, and the love affair with my camera continues.

A blessed new year to all of you from our family to yours!

Lastly, to my beloved first-born, happy, happy birthday 6th birthday K!  The day you were born, you brought with you joy beyond imagination and challenge beyond comprehension.  I cannot believe how fast you're growing.  We love you so, so much!

On our last day in San Diego, we were greeted with a temperature of low 70s so it was a perfect day to go to the Beach. We decided to go to Moonlight Beach in Encinas upon the resort recommendation - being a family friendly beach and all.

The waves caused Calix to fall down a few times

So Kail, being a great brother that he is, held Calix's hand

Calix finally decided he didn't like the beach too much - water is cold, he kept falling down, and the water tasted funny, so he left

His kuya, on the other hand, had a lot of fun in the water, despite being carried by the waves a couple of times

while Calix tried to figure out how to fly the kite instead.

When Kail decided he had enough of the water, we rinsed the boys off and moved to the nearby playground where Kail had a blast with the slide and the monkey bar

While Calix was content on the swing

Here's a new layout fresh from Photoshop, LOL! The photos were taken from our camping trip at Avila Hot Springs Resort in Avila Beach at San Luis Obispo. It was Calix's first camping trip and Kail's second. It was a fun but exhausting weekend!

Credits: Template - Simply Yin Template 365 Set 9; Papers and Elements - Nature Kit by Jackie Eckels for Memory Makers

A New Year, a New Post!

We just got back from our 13-day vacation on Friday, Jan. 9. We were practically living by the suitcase as we travelled from Las Vegas on Dec. 28 to Jan. 1, to Disneyland in Anaheim from Jan. 1 to 5, to a Carnival Paradise cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico (courtesy of a very generous sponsor) from Jan. 5 to 9. Here's a little rundown from our travels:

• Talk about spending the New Year in Vegas with style - we did just that! They closed the strip down for cars so we were basically walking down the streets - LOVE IT! We also witnessed lots of people overdrinking and some were even lying on the streets - couldn't get up - drunk! The fireworks were a disappointment though. Unlike the previous years (or so we were told), they decided to launch them at ground level. Thus, those of us already at ground level couldn't see anymore... :(
• While in Vegas, we also visited Red Rock Canyon and Rachel, NV. Rachel, NV is the town closest to the infamous Area 51 where a top secret government location exists focused on studying, researching, and discovering lives beyond this world (aliens). We had some photos taken at so-called Extra Terrestrial Highway. Passing through this said highway is so eerie because it looks deserted - you could drive miles and miles without encountering any other vehicle on the road! Makes you think what'll happen if your car suddenly breaks down in the middle of nowhere - no cellphone signal as well, and the nearest gas station is hundreds of miles away! The temperature dipped as low as 19 degrees Fahrenheit when we were there. In fact, there was snow on the ground.
• On Jan. 1, we passed by Mt. Charleston on our way to Anaheim. Kail had fun playing on the snow that he doesn't even want to go. When we finally convinced him to leave, we witnessed a helicopter rescue from the ski resort up on the mountains. We gathered from the grapevine that a kid broke his neck skiing or snowboarding. A helicopter came to rescue him and take him at our ground level for first aid before finally taking him to the hospital. It was the first time I ever witnessed a 911 rescue at work!
• For three consecutive days from Jan. 2 to 4, we went to Disneyland to fulfill our promise to Kail that we'll take him there to celebrate his birthday. The lines were horrendously long everywhere we went! We waited a couple of hours before we finally got our tickets, and then there were more lines for the rides and even for the photo op with the Disney characters! What's good is that It was Kail's first time there and though Calix coudln't care less, Kail was, on the other hand, so giddy at seeing his favorite characters come to life! He had a blast having his photo taken with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Lightning McQueen and Mater, seeing Woody and Buzz Lightyear pass him by, watching the parades, watching Fantasmic, seeing fireworks, watching Playhouse Disney live! Good thing we had 3-day park hopper tickets so we were able to fully enjoy the parks. We even went to California Adventure on Jan. 3 and wondered where all the people were! We capped off his 3rd birthday with a character dinner at Goofy's Kitchen in Disneyland Hotel.
• We left Anaheim for Long Beach on Jan. 5 to take the Carnival Paradise cruise. Hubz was already getting stressed hauling suitcases whileI was pushing a stroller with the two kids in tow. Travelling with two small children is NOT an easy feat. Aside from our luggages, we needed a great deal of patience to handle the tantrums and meltdowns along the way. Good thing we can leave Kail at Camp Carnival most ofthe time and Calix on specific times. This allowed us to get a bit of a rest. Kail enjoyed himself immensely at the Camp. They always had activities for kids, and tons of toys to play with, even movies to watch. When I picked him one time, he had face painting on, a crown on his head, and an artwork of his hands. This made us realize that he's truly ready for preschool. And oh, talk about food - there's tons of food - 24 hours a day. We can order room service without having to pay anything. The sit down dinner menu is delicious. There's buffet available if you don't want to sit through dinner. We'd truly recommend this experience to everyone. We were so pampered at the ship! When Calix would fuss and it was dinnertime, the dining room staff would carry him just so I can continue to enjoy my dinner. If Calix would fall asleep in my arms, the dining room staff would slice my food into manageable pieces so I can continue eating. It's service par excellance! Thanks to J for recommending this trip and giving us tips. Of course a big shout-out to our very generous sponsor!
• It's home sweet home for us on the evening of Jan. 9th, and after a great deal of unpacking, tons of laundry, and a little bit of rest, I'mback to the grind at work!

So, what's the plan for 2009? Well, I'm embarking into a new challenge - the Project 365 by Becky Higgins. I was one of those unlucky ones who didn't get my hands on the kit. Nevertheless, I am taking a photo a day to document our year. I'm taking photo of even the most mundane of things and documenting such at Shuttercal with bits of journalling. I'm still hoping CK will offer more Project 365 kits in the future. But if not, I have an idea forming into my head as to how I'll be able to turn them into layouts. What's good about this option is that itwill make good use of my stash. I'm only on Day 15 but I'm already having fun with it. I take photos even with my iPhone so as not to miss a day! I challenge you to try it - it's fun, and a very good way to document everyday of the year.

Happy New Year everyone! Looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year as well because the next one's Year of the Ox and it's my year!The last time the Year of the Ox came around, I left for the US so yes, I'll also be celebrating my 12th year in the US come November!

We came back from Vegas on Tuesday at 1am. The traffic along Hwys 15 and 58 were terrible!

So, what did we do while in Vegas? On Saturday morning, we went to Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. In the afternoon, we walked along the strip and watched freebie shows. On Sunday, we went to Mt. Zion National Park in Utah. In the evening, we let the kids loose at Circus Circus' children's play area. On our way home on Monday, we dropped by Hoover Dam. Productive and pretty tiring I'd say... ;)

Kail enjoyed playing with my friend's kids (ages 11, 7, 5). The way they treated each other were like siblings. Even up to this day, Kail would do a roll-call - ate? uya (for kuya)? tita? My friend L said her kids also miss Kail a lot and have been bugging her when they'd be able to see my little guy again. Cute!

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I have been very open about our journey through Infertility in the past. It took us 2 years to finally conceive. Hubz and I were both in tears when the pregnancy test came positive. I had tears in my eyes when I saw Kail and held him in my arms for the very first time. Now that I'm pregnant again, we are excited but not so much like the first. This time, there's a little bit of apprehension mixed in. Would we be able to handle raising a toddler andan infant at the same time? How would Kail react to a new addition in the family? Will he feel jealous if our attention is suddenly divided in two? But this video made me realize that we are so blessed to have been given another chance to become parents. There are couples who have been longing and are still waiting for this miracle to happen. We know the feeling - we've been there before.

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There was a thread on one of my e-groups about living with in-laws and though I didn't get the chance to sharemy point of view, I thought I'd post my two cents on my blog.

There is a reason why leaving one's parents to be one with the spouse is biblical. I firmly believe that couples should be given the chance to work their marriage out and live on their own. Having in laws or parents in the same household complicates matters and might even rock the marriage in the end. I should know because I grew up living with my paternal grandparents and siblings. There would often be disagreements between my mom and my dad, between my mom and my dad's siblings, between my mom and the grandparents. That might have caused (in part) the break-up in their marriage. It was then that I vowed to myself that I wouldn't put myself in the same situation when I have a family of my own.

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I'd like to blog about my son's new pediatrician. With Kail's former pediatrician, the wait time is unbelievable and when we're finally seen, she would check on him as fast as she could. I feel that she can't wait to get us out the door! When Kail developed horrible rashes on his face and skin, she kept giving him creams to help withthe itching, but it doesn't make those rashes go away. I have asked over and over for a specialist referral but she would shrug my concerns off. Only after 7 or 8 months did she finally cave in and gave us a referral to an allergist. Kail was diagnosed as allergic to eggs and nuts!!!!

If she didn't take her sweet little time on thereferral, we would've immediately known and I would've stopped giving him anything that has eggs on it (bread,cakes, etc). When I was breastfeeding, I would've refrained from taking in anything with eggs. If only those things happened, the rashes might've been controlled and my poor little Kail didn't have to suffer.

So, after years of looking for a realiable pediatrician, a friend finally recommended Dr. M who holds clinics in Vallejo, Benicia, and Fairfield. She's heaven-sent! She doesn't make us wait any longer than 10 minutes. She's always very attentive to what we tell her, and she's good at pacifying our concerns and making our worries go away. She takes time to look and examine Kail when sick. She would even give us tips on raising a toddler like discliplining him. I just can't imagine why it took us this long to find her!!!

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Happy weekend everyone! Stay dry if you're in NorCal!

I got the result of my glucose tolerance testing a couple of weeks ago and I was told I tested positive for gestational diabetes! This was a surprise because I didn't have one with Kail. I guess age may have a lot to do with this since I'm turning 35 this year! I have friends who didn't have one on their previous pregnancies but was tested positive on their recent ones. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a nutritionist for the prescribed diet. I also have to prick myself a few times a day to check my blood sugar. Bummer! All those sweet stuff I ate during the holidays finally caught up on me!

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I need a new cellphone. My treo 600 isn't bluetooth capable so soon, I wouldn't be able to use it while driving.Here are the phones I'm eyeing:

The Blackberry Curve 8310:
The Palm Treo 750:

The Apple iPhone:
We visited The Apple Store last weekend and I heart the iPhone! My only concern is the price.

So what do you think bloggers, if you were in my shoes, which would you choose?

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I am surprised to find myself actually working on fulfilling my goals (others call them resolutions) for the year. I won't divulge them yet until I've completed them so as not to jinx a good start. Wish me luck to be able to complete one of them before I give birth, and the other one before my birthday in September... ;)

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We're off to Vegas on Friday with some friends. I am in need of this break because I've been stressed thin on our Feb. 22 install. Yes, I am taking off before we go into Production for a much-needed respite. But no, we're not going to Vegas to gamble. I just think that we needed to get away as a family before I give birth in May, otherwise, we may not be able to go at all. Besides, we have our timeshare week expiring this year so we might as well use them since we're paying for a very expensive maintenance fee anyway.

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I got tagged by Gem! I'd post the reply when we get back. Sorry Gem - things have just been pretty hectic!

'Til my next sari-saring post, possibly when we get back from Vegas!

Our East Coast photos are finally up. You can browse them here. Just be warned that there are lots of photos!

We're Back!

We're finally home from an eventful trip to the East Coast. We were living by the suitcase for 2 weeks as we trotted from New York to Canada to Chicago.

When we got back, it felt summertime in the Bay Area when compared to the weather in the East Coast. It was already in the 30s when we were there!

Kail was harboring a fever on our flight back. Thank God the Tylenol kept him sleeping all the time. I was really afraid we'd get a repeat of our trip home to the Philippines where he cried the whole 12 hours! I guess the weather really got to him. Stubborn as he is, he refused to wear his bonnet, nor his mittens, and he doesn't even want to wear socks at times!

Hubz aunt gave me an LV bag as a birthday gift. She took me to an LV store and asked me to pick any bag I wanted and she'll pay for it. I was beyond shocked. She has done too much for us. She paid for our hotel the whole 6 nights we were in Chicago. She lent us their van so we could get around. She would take us to dinner on most nights they're not busy with their business. And then she took us shopping! After too much prodding, she got me this bag (the Tulum). After all, if it was just me, I couldn't imagine myself spending that much money for a bag.

Funny thing is that my husband was so shocked of the price that on our way back, he kept checking if I have the box at hand. When we were boarding the plane to San Francisco, we left the box at the boarding gate. My husband ran with Kail in his arms to get it. In the midst of all the flurry, the flight attendant at the gate asked where he was going and he blurted out in Tagalog "may kukunin lang ako". He said he was so worried that he couldn't think how to translate that in English, hahaha! All's well that ended well because he found it just sitting where we left it - whew! Hubz said that bag's going to give him a heart attack, hahaha!

I still haven't uploaded the photos. Will hopefully do that one of these days!

Taking off on a jetplane...

I'm sooo in need of this break that I can't wait to leave. We're going to exciting places starting tomorrow until the 10th of November.

The Big Apple... The City that Never Sleeps!


Niagara Falls

Chicago

I'm so out of here... if only our stuff would pack itself!

Ciao!