It's Mother's Day!

This is me holding my Mother's Day gift:


Yup, an iPhone! Whoohooo!

I think I was making Japa edgy because I didn't rip apart the package first thing in the morning. Well, we woke up at 850 am and we decided to catch the 930 mass. Yeah. Hahahaha! But we made it in TIME! Whoohooo! Anyway, the packaging of my gift was pretty great! Totally creative, especially for Japa if you ask me. The pics are still in the camera; but I'll be scrapping those sometime soon, hehehehe.

After mass, I had my Mother's Day breakfast at Starbucks with the kiddos (sans Ranger) and Papa. It was relaxing and fun, with the kids eager to tell stories of what's been going on in their lives. Yes, we see them everyday, but for the past several days, they've been sleeping over at Apitong. Peace and quiet at home, but God only knows what a madhouse it probably is over at Lai's house! Bwahahaha!

After mass we headed over to Ayala where the kids spent a good part of the afternoon just cuddling the new puppies:




And here's the biggest "kid" of them all, playing with the puppies' mom:


Dinner was at some Japanese restaurant where we ate 'til we were stuffed!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms out there!

Last Day of the Meet

It was a lonely taxi ride in the early morning. It was just Raegan and me in the taxi, and we were at the Sports School by 635 am. It was DARK when we got to the pool, and were definitely the FIRST ones there!

And so at 645 am, we had set up the team's place by the pool:


Perfect eh?

Two events for Raegan today, completing her EIGHT events in the meet.

The 100m breaststroke is one of Raegan's favorite events. She says she can skip the 50m, but she rules the 100m, lol!


She was first in her heat and 11th overall (out of 28). Pretty good numbers I'd say!

The second event was the 50m freestyle. This event across ALL age groups had TONS of entries....because it was the 50m freestyle! We had to wait forever for each of the kids' age group to be called!


Raegan's 2nd place finish in her heat gave her the 16th overall spot, out of 33. Still the fastest swimmer from the Philippines in her age group! Whoohoo!!!

And that wraps up the 7th Asean Inter-Club Age Group Swimming Championships.



Oh wait. In all competitions, there will be laughter.......


and tears.......


Reese was pissed and sad that she didn't beat her time of 0:33 at the 50m freestyle.


Danelle was crying in this pic because Reese was crying. In another photo, Leny was crying because Danelle was crying! Hehehehe.

And how was YOUR weekend?

Happy Easter!!!

Lent Starts Today

Ash Wednesday. Start of Lent, and days of repentance, in preparation for Easter.

A short history of Ash Wednesday, and what it stands for, courtesy of Wikipedia :)

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter.

Well, no WONDER we always count it as more than 40 days of sacrifice! LOL! See what a little bit of research can do? We definitely learn more everyday! I never knew that we shouldn't count Sundays as part of the 40 days of Lent! Hmmmm...

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance.

At masses on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads of the faithful. The priest marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown. The priest or minister says one of the following when applying the ashes:

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return - Genesis 3:19

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. - Mark 1:15

Repent, and hear the good news. - Mark 1: 15

We attended mass at the office, where Father Al of PACEM said mass. Then it was a relatively light lunch, since we all mark the day with fasting and abstinence.

What are we giving up this year?

Japa - just fruits and protein during the weel
Me - no beef or pork and no really bad swear words (trust me, this is sooooo hard for me!)
Ate - no rice at dinner
Kuya - not doing bad things (this is from him. We'll see how it holds, lol!)
Dete - No seconds (rice) at all meals
Ranger - well, he's a baby, so he doesn't understand the concept yet.

Technically, the kids don't have to do anything since they're all underage for fasting and abstinence, but we did give them a choice if they wanted to do some form of sacrifice or not, and they all chose to do something. So that's good :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ahhhh yes. The day of L.O.V.E.

Traditionally, lovers express their love for each other by sending gifts, cards, flowers and/or chocolates (yummm!). We haven't celebrated this particular day in the truest sense since it has been way too commercialized everywhere. Restaurants are always full AND traffic is just horrific!

Besides which, if you really think about it, do we honestly need this day to remind us to tell the people we care about we love them? I didn't think so. :)

I did, however, scrap a page in honor of today, hehehe.

MY HEART

We all gathered at La Vista for dinner. Tito Rey had ordered lechon baka and it was delicious! Mom of course, arrived late, coming from the hospital. Dad was in pretty good spirits because he was in his "regular" room, so that made Mom feel pretty good as well.

As usual, it was eat-til-our-insides-were-full time, and we pretty much rolled out of La Vista going home! :)

Nerdy Candy

I left work early so that I could wrap gifts for the kids' teachers; not only is Valentine's Day happening this weekend, but it was Teachers' Day at school. For all FOUR kids. With a minimum of 2 teachers each.

I rummaged through my stock cabinet and stock boxes and surfaced with some Pooh and Friends little bean bag dolls. Whew! The day was saved, hehehehe.

For the kids' classmates, I was able to buy Valentine's Nerds candy before we left the States. Good thing Walmart was selling these early:

They had space at the back with a To: and From: and the kids wrote their classmates' names on there. Not an easy task, with close to 90 names to do, but I made the kids do the writing since I was wrapping gifts for their teacher.

As usual, I did NOT have the time to do something creative and artsy :) Sigh! I keep meaning to do a project for this particular occasion, but time somehow always eludes me!

Maybe next year! :)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Or...Kung Hei Fat Choi!!! (there are a host of other spellings and pronunciations for the Chinese New Year, this is the one that I know...whatever dialect it is, lol!)

This snippet from Wikipedia gives a background as to how this celebration came about:

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or "Year" in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, the Nian never came to the village again.

Explains some things, eh?

We didn't do anything exciting to celebrate the Chinese New Year. With the exception of Bang, none of us are true blue (red?) Chinese. But hey, we still look on it as an excuse to eat out! Which we did, at Causeway.

It's a time to look at all our horoscopes for the coming year, depending on your zodiac animal sign.

Wondering what your sign is? Check this chart:


Ours are the following:

Rooster

Get ready for an outstanding year. Aside from the Snake, the Rooster has the best prospects in the year of the Ox. This is the kind of year you have been waiting for, as everything seems to go your way. You have been diligently working towards some long term goals that finally come together this year. Your relations are felt at new levels, as you find a sense of satisfaction that you may not have experienced in a long time. Things you may have thought not possible will become a reality for you in this positive year.

Rooster Rating - 72% (10 favorable and 2 neutral months)

Rooster Career

Determination and diligence are two key aspects that put the Rooster over the top this year. 2009 is a year that you should promote yourself: Your ideas and your talents will be highly regarded and you will be recognized for past and present efforts. Give it your best this year and seize any opportunity that presents itself. This year will certainly be a landmark for years to come, as you will remember it as one of your most productive times in your life.

Rooster Relationships

Domestic matters will fare well for the Rooster this year. You will find comfort in the support and encouragement of family members and friends alike. Seek advice from your seniors, as they may provide information that opens doors to areas that are not known. The social life for the Rooster is a busy schedule. You will enjoy the company of others in many social functions and parties. Romance is highly favorable for the unattached Rooster, so flaunt your feathers.

Rooster Health

Health issues are minor for the Rooster this year. Though exercise and diet are not an issue, you may have a problem maintaining the discipline of a steady routine. Take the time to get the exercise you need and everything should work out fine for you. Being somewhat of a risk taker, you may want to try something new that holds your interests. Consider surfing orparasailing to indulge your fancy.

Rooster Wealth

This a great year financially for the Rooster. If you have any available funds, you may want to reinvest it in your work. This could prove to be highly favorable and you will reap the benefits in your return. One key issue is your spending habits. Make sure you don't spend the money before it is in the bank or this could pose a problem with your budget. Receive professional advice for any large investments in areas that you are unfamiliar.

* * *

Tiger Overview

From the outset, 2009 may present some true challenges for the Tiger. The year of the Ox presents an overwhelming influence upon the Tiger to maintain a steady and well disciplined pace. That is not to say that there won't be opportunities for achievement, but it would be more precise to say that this is a year that would benefit the Tiger in the areas of experience and possibly lay a solid foundation for the year to come. You will have to be resourceful and rely on your boldness and quick wit to ascertain anything in the year of the Ox.

Tiger Rating - 27% (3 neutral and 9 unfavorable months)

Tiger Career

It would be beneficial to be cautious and careful when it comes to career decisions in the year of the Ox. It would be wise to be aware of the views of those around you, as this is not a year to be too independent in your actions or take any unnecessary risks. Be persistent in your responsibilities to impress others, as this will lead to progress towards your future. For the Tiger seeking a career change, tread through the rough spots and your relentless efforts will be rewarded in surprising ways.

Tiger Relationships

The Tiger's relationship may be one of the more favorable areas this year. You can look forward to some happy times with your loved one this year. Though your domestic life may be busy, it can bring you much satisfaction. Be aware of the fact that those around you hold you in high regard and you may not want to jeopardize these relations by your independence or by being too stubborn. Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings of others in your life and everything should work out well for you.

Tiger Health

The Tiger will not have any serious health problems this year, but there may some minor issues that you may want to pay attention or they could become much worse than originally anticipated. One area of concern is stress. There may be some situations this year that could escalate your stress levels and you may want to find some ways to alleviate this issue. The Tiger enjoys outdoor activities and this could provide an outlet to relieve your stress.

Tiger Wealth

Take caution when it comes to your finances this year, as it is not a time to speculate or take any unnecessary risks. Plan your large purchases carefully and avoid impulse buying. The best advice is to monitor your spending throughout the year and you won't have any problems. This may sound like simple advice, but due to your generous nature, it may not be as simple as it sounds.

* * *

Rabbit Overview

The past year may have provided the Rabbit with many challenges and difficult situations, but this year will be a relief. The Rabbit has a very favorable outlook this year. Though it is not part of your usual plan, you may find that being assertive and bold will allow you to achieve unforeseen success. Your attraction to the finer life may lead you to living it. Personal relations are of great value to the Rabbit and will be emphasized throughout the year. Put your best foot forward in the year of the Ox and you will reap many benefits and rewards.

Rabbit Rating - 67% (7 favorable and 5 neutral months)

Rabbit Career

This year is one of change. Though the Rabbit is not prone to taking risks, you may benefit greatly from taking bold new steps in finding the career you desire. Complacency in your current job could lead you to such actions. September and October are two months that are favorable for a change. You may want to seek a position that allows you to utilize your social skills and your abilities to relate to people on a personal level. Set your sights high and you will get what you want in this highly favorable year.

Rabbit Relationships

The Rabbit's family and friends will be a source of great pleasure for the you this year. They will offer support, encouragement and will be the wellspring for meaningful and enjoyable times. Personal relations are held in high regard and could be taken to a new level. Rabbits seeking new friends or romance should make an added effort to go out more and come in contact with others-you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

Rabbit Health

The Rabbit should not encounter any major health issues this year, but you may want to take precautions during certain times of the year. The Rabbit's sensitive constitution may leave you vulnerable to colds and flu during the winter months. You may want to get a flu shot during this time and make sure that you get plenty of rest to avoid any setbacks

Rabbit Wealth

The Rabbit should enjoy a new level of wealth. If you are inspired to make a career change, this will prove to be a successful venture financially. You will be particularly pleased with some of your purchases this year, as many could relate to redecorating or changing the appeal of your home. Beware of any risky investments and continue to do the things that accumulate your level of savings.

* * *

Dragon Overview

The year of the Ox may slightly hinder the Dragon's independent spirit. There will be gains, but you may have to adapt to situations with different strategies than your usual style. There are three favorable months to provide periods of substantial progress and you would do well to take notice of these times and make the most of the opportunities offered. You will have many situations socially that provide great joy throughout the year. The single Dragon will be happy to know that romance is favored this year, so you may find someone to share your experiences. Be conservative in your spending or it could result in problems next year.

Dragon Rating - 67% (3 favorable and 4 neutral and 5 unfavorable months)

Dragon Career

The Dragon's career may be one of the more positive aspects of the year. This will be a year of reasonable progress. Even though the Dragon may have some distinct ideas on what you want to accomplish, 2009 will disclose conditions that you will have to adapt and overcome. You may have to adapt and work with others to gain what you want, rather than doing things in your own independent style. With care and effort, you can make considerable progress and improve your position, but your true gains will be with experience and skills you acquire this year that will prove invaluable in the future.

Dragon Relationships

The Dragon is a social creature and you will invariably relish in the company of others adding enjoyment and pleasure throughout the year. Your family life will offer the support and encouragement you need. You will have to pay attention to your family members feelings by using tact and discretion in vulnerable situations. By not doing so could deteriorate close relations. There will be a number of occasions that will allow you to add to your circle of friends. The single Dragon will be pleased to know that romance is favored.

Dragon Health

The Dragon has an active spirit and it is important that you involve yourself in a number of physical activities to maintain your health. You enjoy being outdoors and you might want to get involved with something that tests your skills and provides a change of scenery, such as rock climbing or hiking. Failure to remain active could result in added stress and emotional swings that could effect your work, as well as your personal life.

Dragon Wealth

The Dragon would do well to pull in the reins on lavish spending and take a more conservative approach this year. You may want to avoid any risky ventures or speculative investments in the year of the Ox. Failure to take care and caution this year could result in future problems. Keep a close watch on your financial situation throughout the year and you may find that you will have times when you can make purchases that coincide with your budget.

* * *

Monkey Overview

This year offers the Monkey some opportunities to go far with your talents. The Monkey's generous nature may leave you stretched in several different directions, so it is important to stay focused in order to achieve the goals you have set for yourself this year. You will be given the opportunity to impress the right people both in business, as well as in your personal life. Don't hold back this year, for this could be one that will leave an impression over the course of the next few years.

Monkey Rating - 49% (4 favorable and 5 neutral and 3 months)

Monkey Career

Great strides can be made in your career this year. Timing is everything and in your case, time is on your side. You will be in the right place at the right time to impress the decision makers in your career. The steady Ox rewards those with strong work ethics and the Monkey will surely reap the benefits of your labor. Don't hesitate to do anything that will aid your skills and benefit your position.

Monkey Relationships

This could be a busy year for you domestically. Look to your family for the encouragement and support you need. On the same token, it is important for you to listen and heed the advice of those who care. Your social life is active filled with plenty of opportunities to make new friends. Don't forget the ones that have been with you through the rough times, as it is just as important to offer your time with your existing relations.

Monkey Health

Take note that there are several high points to your year. With such a busy social year, you may stretch yourself thin with your health. Be aware of your energy levels throughout the year, as you may need some added rest to counter your affairs. It would be wise to take an active part in your health, taking up a new form of exercise that follows your interests: martial arts or dancing are two good possibilities.

Monkey Wealth

This could be a great year for the Monkey financially. You will possibly make great gains in this area throughout the year. Due to your generous nature, you may have a difficult time refraining from giving to others. Be mindful of this and make sure you give to yourself every once in a while because you deserve it.

* * *

dfgsfgfg

My Christmas Poem

Yeah, well, Boydee came up with this idea that everyone in the family sit down and scribble at least 8 lines on paper and deliver it in front of the entire family (plus some!) before Christmas dinner. Ooookay.

Not one to shirk from a challenge, here's one I came up with:

Christmas is Family

C - is for the Christ,
whose birthday we celebrate today.
We try to be like Him
each and everyday.

H - is for the Home
where we all gather.
Doesn't matter where it is,
just as long as we're together.

R - is for the relationships
we have with each other.
The closeness, the love,
the way we care for one another.

I - is for the Inspiration
that Mom and Dad give us all.
Their love, their faith, their marriage,
enduring everything big and small.

S - is for us Siblings
who come together and unite,
always looking for an excuse
to feed our incredible appetite!

T - is for Team,
which perfectly describes our family:
bonded, close, helping all members,
dedicating everything we do for the Almighty.

M - is for the Miracles
that we have witnessed through Dad;
living proof that prayer works
especially in this season of Feliz Navidad.

A - is for the Angels
who watch, guide and bless,
keeping us sane and patient
through all the holiday stress.

S - is for our Savior
who we always ask to be in our midst.
For His presence completes our Family
and we know we will always be blessed.

Not bad for a few hours' work eh? Hehehehe.

I've asked the rest of the family to submit their poems to me and I'll post them as I get them.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Spent the day with dad at the hospital, but for some reason, he was very agitated. He would insist on getting out of bed (which I totally refused of course) or even sit up and hang his legs over the bed (no orders from the doctor yet). Then he'd mouth off, mumbling under his breath about people's stupidity and thick heads. Aaaargh! Yup, Dad sure is feeling better! hhehehehe. These are all good signs, signs that he really is feeling much much better! :)

Thanksgiving, a time to give thanks for sure, most especially seeing Dad getting better. It's a slow process, yes, but like I keep telling him, at least he IS progressing and getting better, getting stronger. It's okay if it's slow-going, just as long as it's happening.

In the early afternoon, Mom figured correctly that Dad and I were at loggerheads, hahahahahaha! A very correct assumption for mother dear! I tried explaining logically, pleadingly, sarcastically....nothing worked! Ack! This is what happens when he doesn't get proper sleep the night before!

We finally sat down to dinner with Mom at 9 pm. Stef and Noj were there to complete our table. We had turkey (Mom did a decent job for her very first turkey!!!), prime rib (Roc surprisingly came out with a winner, hehehehe), salpicao (courtesy of Noj, who poured on the garlic for a totally delish dish which I used on my salad), some fish, mashed potatoes, salad, yams (Roc burnt the marshmallows the first time around, so we scooped those off the yams and tried a second time, hahahahaha!), cranberries, the works! We finished off with chocolate cake from Christina (Stella's cousin from here).

All in all, it was a GREAT meal, I was stuffed! Aaaaaahhhhhhh. The only thing that would have made it perfect? Dad at the table and our entire family together for this meal. Not that we've EVER been complete for Thanksgiving, but it would have been nice to have the kiddos there :)

Ok, off to SHOP. Yup, you read right. Shop, not sleep :)

At the Garden

The Garden of Memories is where we all gather to commemorate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. It has always been a pain in the neck, truth be told, because it is soooooo hooooooot and we seem to stay in the cemetery the whooooooole day!!!

However, in the past few years, we have all noticed that we our stay in the Garden has been getting shorter and shorter. No idea why, but hey, we're definitely NOT complaining! We've also avoided bringing the kids here, since I really do NOT want to deal with their incessant whining of "it's so hot!" and "when are we going to eat?" and "what time are we going home?" You know what I mean.

We did leave early to go to the Columbarium though. Great excuse was that we were going to attend mass there instead of at the Garden. Give me the columbarium anytime! It's airconditioned, lesser people and the mass is in English! hehehehe.

As expected, the columbarium had a lot of people roaming around. I took notes of things amiss or things to do or improve for next year and passed those on to our people. It was a teensy bit of work, but at least I commented on stuff, right? :)

Went home, relaxed, and scrapped:

U ARE MY INSPIRATION

Not my usual style, but I kinda like the clean look here, eh? :)

Happy Halloween!

Just some random pics, totally unedited, straight from the camera:





Here's some of our food:


Not the greatest pics, I know, but they ARE straight from the camera and reduced in size for posting. These'll be better displayed once I scrap them, I'm sure! :)

Last Minute Halloween Shopping

No, not for costumes, the kids have those. They're wearing what they wore during Literacy Night, of course. Last minute shopping for loot bag stuff for the kids. We had sent Nora out to buy el cheapo snacks, pencils and toothbrushes to give away to the trick or treating kids on Halloween. But Elizza and I needed to put together loot bags for our kids, as well as plan our Halloween menu!

So off we went to the SM Marikina supermarket, bright and early. At least we practically had the place all to ourselves! We tossed in oreos, some chocolates, snacks, crackers, candies, and jelly worms, among others. We decided to go with plastic bags again this year for their loot bag, since we couldn't find a plastic container big enough to contain their junk food.

Then it was off to the office....Elizza did actual work, but I finished editing and printing Japa's The Amazing Race:Halloween edition for the kids! Talk about last minute, sheesh!

Oh, I scrapped Rogan's Literacy Night costume:

RED RANGER ROGAN

TTFN!

Hybrid Project Day!

I was a busy bee today. Well, for the better part of the morning. Since this was the last week of the kids before their semestral break, it was also going to be Literacy Day/Night time for them. For Literacy Night, they get dressed in their favorite characters and parade through school, decorating their classrooms, and collecting candy. In other words, Halloween, a couple weeks early, hehehe.

And traditionally, I like to make their little loot bags. Personalized of course, wink wink! I wouldn't be Miss Crafty if I didn't right? So anyhoo, I took what Halloween kits I had ---mostly Royanna Fritschmann's--- and made little Loot Bag Toppers for them. Originally, I was just going to make 2 kinds, one for the girls and one for the boys. Well, I guess my scrapping mojo was inside of me, and I quickly churned out FOUR toppers!

Check them out:





Pretty cool, huh? Hehehe.

I used a large size ice bag to stuff the candies in. Not a lot, just a few; we had to be extra careful with candy now, what with the melamine scandal emanating from China. Anyhoo, here are pics of the raw loot bags. I took photos of these with my handy dandy phone and it's uber hi-tech camera that stores the images in a micro sd. For pics in a cinch, especially those that I can easily upload (download?) straightaway via bluetooth to my laptop, my phone's the next best thing to a DSLR!





And I am DONE!!! At least, as far as school is concerned! Halloween itself is another whole new (HUGE) project to plan!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt....

Nah, not literally. Just the title of the book by Michael Rose and Helen Oxbury which Ranger's class is going to use for their Literacy Night mid-month. A few parents met at Pancake House to discuss options for decorating the Juniors classroom to make this book come to life. It was a nice way to spend a rainy morning on this holiday, talking to the other moms and just having a great, productive meeting :)

The quickest---and easiest--- way for us really is to have someone do it. And just pay them. Hehehe. But we need to use recycled materials and have some family involvement in the entire project, so we had a few things to discuss like what project to do (snowflakes, for the snowstorm), how much we were willing to spend, etc. It should be a fun project for the next week or so!

***

It's a holiday today, to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Another excuse to have a holiday eh? Hehehe. The kids are glad, of course, and so are we adults! Time for relaxing, starting reviews for the kids (exams are next week) and time for scrapping non-stop!

Mom called last minute to say that we were going to have a thanksgiving mass for Dad in La Vista, and to celebrate first Wednesday too. Yup, yet another excuse to eat, eat and eat! We were all glad for the chance to gather at La Vista for dinner, though, instead of some restaurant at the hospital!

***

Here are a couple of Disney pages that are going in the album:

BELLE & AURORA
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR & RANGER

TTFN!

The "-Ber" Months

The start of the "-ber" months (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER and DecemBER) usually indicate the start of the Christmas season. Too early? Sounds like it but can you believe that September is almost DONE?!?!?! Yikes! Where did it go?!? Man oh man! So much stuff to do 'til Christmas, too!

Time to start panicking? Maybe not. I have written my list, so I know that's a start. An even better start? I've already shopped for the Christmas gifts the kids are giving their classmates. I have 3 out of 4 classes done, so I'm in pretty good shape. For now. I also have a few small gifts that are probably going to be going to the various maids and drivers of the different households. Some, not all, but definitely a great start! Now, the wrapping is a different story, hehehe. I'm hoping NOT to leave that at the last minute this year!!! Gotta start putting it on the calendar, I guess, just to make sure. Little by little, slowly but surely.

Breathing in, breathing out. Looks like I'm still ahead of the game. For now :)

Just a quick post today. It's tired and I'm late. One catch-up page for today, from the 40th Wedding Anniversary:

SIBLINGS COMPLETE

I love this picture of all of us. We all looked good (hehehe), especially us girls. We had pretty skin, looking quite flawless, really. Seems like we had the best acne treatments ever....thank goodness for the power of make up and great make up artists! :) A pimple here or there, a blemish, a sunspot...everything erased!

Time for some sleep, otherwise those facial blemishes would be appearing on my skin tomorrow!

My ME Time

It's actually all about ME today! No work, no school. It's National Heroes Day today. Randy and Stella took the older kids with them to Lago to go wakeboarding. Stella---don't forget to give me pics, please!!! I need to scrap those :)

Meanwhile, Japa took Raine and Ranger to the Shrine for a photo shoot for the Columbarium. They met Rodney (who would play Ranger's dad) and Boots Anson-Roa (who would play Raine's grandmother), the face of the Columbarium. Japa took lots of pics, but the lighting wasn't all that great because he couldn't use his flash because it would have triggered the slave flash of the professional photographer.

Here are a couple of my faves. Just a couple, since these files are just HUGE!



Boots did say that Raine was a natural. To which, my dear daughter replied, "Yuck! I don't want to be an actress!" Sigh. What to do??? Grrrr! This girl needs some manners, man!

And what did I do with myself all at home? Why, I reveled in my ME time! I alternated between reading and scrapping of course! I enjoyed myself thoroughly and I told myself that once in a while, it *is* good to have some time just by yourself, for yourself. Yes? Yup!

LAUGHING SO HARD
VIRGINIA

Ok. I hear the kids. Time to put away my toys :)