A Shopping Adventure

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Weekend greetings to all of you! I hope that life is treating everyone out there with kindness!

Another adventure this week. Yesterday I went out shopping with some of my friends. It doesn’t sound like much, does it? The adventure part comes with where we went shopping. We went to the Czech border!

We all met up at the local store, and broke into smaller groups for the trip to the border. After settling in and getting breakfast, we started our little voyage. We didn’t eat right away, we drove about an hour first, talking and chatting. I rode with Christy and Luella, what a time we had! When we stopped for a rest break at an A-bahn McDonalds, we dug in and filled our little tummies! Then it was back on the road for another half hour. It was a much quicker trip than I thought it would be.

Cheb is a lovely little town on the German-Czech border. It has lovely churches, a castle, and many other sites to see. It also has the “Dragoun Bazar” and the Asian Dragon Bazaar. These “bazaars” were the real destination of our trip. Vietnamese run the Asian Dragon Bazaar and they will really bargain with you! The selection at both shopping areas is incredible! There was crystal, ceramic, clothing, foods, and about anything else, you could name! There were restaurants for every taste there, as well.


Here I am taking pictures of the dinnerware and myself.

I bought a couple bags. Of course, handbags are a requirement and were the first stop. I got a Chanel bag for me and a “Lesportsac Tokidoki” bag for my little princess. Her bag has the Pirata design on it, which is somewhat cartoony! Great for her to carry and enjoy. I also bought princess some really nice outfits. They even had some shirts with “Hanna Montana” and “High School Musical,” which I just had to get for my little Jasmine. I bought a couple crystal pieces for display. Always a good choice.

Granted, even the “brand names” are often knock-offs, but it’s nice to spend the time with friends and to pick up some things to show where we were. After all, there is nothing like a shopping trip with close friends! I even bought hubby a lighter. I thought he would like to use it, but when he saw it, he said that it’s for display. I thought it said something about Czech, but it turns out that it said Temujin in Czech. It said TieMuzhen 1162-1227, and has art of Genghis Khan on it. Hubby loves the history of the Mongols and considers Temujin an incredible leader. He says that the Mongols actually conquered all the way to Salzburg, and were the largest empire in history!

Hubby and Jasmine stayed home so they could have daddy-daughter day together. They played and watched some DVDs together and went out for pizza and pictures. Hubby worked on some more photos and video from the Asian Pacific celebration. They had a lot of fun over the course of the day, too. I hope that by the end of the week hubby will have finished all the DVDs he’s making of the celebration.

Well, as you’ve probably guessed, it’s time to go. I’ll be posting some photos at, Bavarian Angel, as well as some more photos of the celebration.

I wish all of you a magnificent week ahead. May God bless you with love, joy, and peace!
Ciao!

Party Time!

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Warmest Greeting to everyone out there!

Yesterday was a nice day! We had a big get together. A friend, Cheryl, is moving to Hawaii, and yesterday was her going away party. It was also her baby shower, as she is pregnant with twins! Going to Hawaii is a big blessing and joy, but being pregnant really makes it special. It was also the birthday party for Miss Bernie’s twins. They are such a handful for her, but you can see how great she is with them. They even learned all the moves from the Asian Pacific Heritage dances.

Jim and Cheryl’s hubby, Ron, ran the grill and cooked up such wonderful meats. There was chicken, pork, pork belly, bratwurst, and the list goes on. Everyone brought something to eat. I brought rice and bico. There was potato salad, mac and cheese, vegetable platters, salad, corn, and so much more! It truly was a feast.

Of course, the best part was all the friends and fun. Hubby, Jim, and Dave spent a lot of time together. Hubby said he told them some jokes and they talked about grilling. Hubby spent the biggest part of his time watching and taking pictures. Jasmine, our little princess, was so happy! She loves the twins and had so much fun being with them. She also loved hanging out with Joy, Heather, Kayana, and the big girls. The girls were so nice to Jasmine and made her feel so nice playing with her and all the other kids! I’d like to thank them all for being nice and playing so well together!

Hubby even had a couple beers! That’s unusual for him. But, it was a nice place and a nice time with such wonderful folks. Jasmine broke out into dance when they played the song “Umbrella,” by Beyonce. It was so cute! One of the guys gave her a dollar tip for dancing and entertaining them. It was silly and at the same time so cute!

Finally, the big moment arrived! First, the boys “blew” out the candles, and then it was gift time. They were excited with every gift they received. It was magic to see! Then it was Cheryl’s turn. She and Ron seemed so happy. It’s a bit sad to see a friend go, but it’s nice to see them going somewhere so nice and with so much ahead of them!

We cleared out about 7:30 in the evening. It was chilly for most of the afternoon, but we had so much warmth, sharing our time and friendship.

Well, hubby fixed up some pics. I’m posting a couple now, and the rest will be posted later. I'll also post this same one at Bavarian Angel.


Posing on the play bridge.


Cheryl and hubby. Congrats!


Miss Bernie and the twins. Happy birthday, guys!


The gang!


The girls in the group.

Wishing you the very best and looking forward to your comments. God bless!
Ciao!

Happy Memorial Day

Just to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day.

This is a time to remember and honor the sacrifices of those who paid the highest price for our freedom.

Remember to pray for them and their families today and every day. That deserve so much more. We owe our liberty to their selfless dedication to freedom, and to the principles that make men free.

God bless and have a great week.
Ciao!

Celebrating the Month

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! As many of you know, May is Asian Pacific Heritage month. This is a time to recognize the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders, and a time to celebrate our cultures. Here is Hohenfels we celebrated on May 14th, with a gathering of our community to celebrate.

The celebration opened with comments recognizing our cultures and the many ways we contribute to society. From there, we celebrated our cultures with a wonderful feast that volunteers had cooked. There were many dishes, food from the Philippines, China, Japan, Hawaii, really from all over the Pacific and Asia. There was even a whole pig, cooked in an Imu, Hawaiian style. The guys did such a great job cooking the pig! I made Chicken Adobo. The whole two pans were gone after the first few minutes! It amazed me to see how people loved the Adobo.

After everyone sampled the variety of foods and enjoyed some time to learn about the cultures represented, there was a show. I have to say, the show wasn’t a big fancy thing. There was no band singing, no professional dancers, and no fire show. It wasn’t like anything you’d find at a bigger place. But, honestly, in my opinion, it was even better. Several girls from the community volunteered and practiced so hard to dance several numbers. Also, some of the local men did a couple numbers as well. I know how hard everyone practiced. They had a wonderful woman, Miss Bernie, who volunteered to teach the girls to dance. She’s so patient and skilled at both dancing and teaching! The girls worked so hard for 2 months to get ready.

At first, the smaller girls were going to dance to “Otso Otso.” But none of us knew the steps to do it right! Miss Bernie rescued our girls from being left out. She integrated them into ALL the dances with the big girls! This is one woman with so much patience. She has twins, who were running around playing, Jasmine who is easily distracted (especially by the twins!), and all the others who were trying their best to learn the steps!

Hubby made it to almost all of the practice sessions. He missed a couple because of work, but he made it to the rest. He even stayed after I would arrive from work! He also took lots of photos. I think he stayed mostly for Jasmine and partly because of the music. Hubby loves Polynesian music. He misses all the music from his 10 years in Hawaii, in fact he misses everything from those years. For him it was a little bit like home. Once hubby got a copy of the music from Miss Bernie and discovered whom the groups singing were, he played them a lot and even bookmarked some on YouTube! Whenever he played the music, Jasmine would come in and show her dance to us. She really took the lessons to heart and amazed us both! She was dancing so well at home. Of course, dancing with the group, she felt as if she had to watch the others to do it right. She still did great, though. Jasmine and hubby still listen to the songs and Jasmine still dances to the music.


The lovely Miss Bernie. She is a wonderful teacher and someone who is a real inspiration. To Miss Bernie, your dedication and commitment are an example to all.

I know this post is late. Hubby has like 900 pictures from the practices and show. So far, he has done about 150. He also has nearly an hour of various videos from the practices and show. He edited one video and it took 3 hours to do a 3-minute clip. He finally finished one DVD, but it’s slow going to process everything. He’s trying so hard to get it all done so we can share with others who were there and involved in the big event. We both feel so grateful to all the participants and volunteers who made this year's event such a success.

Things here have been so busy. Not only did we have that going on, but hubby works a lot and so do I. Having a job is a great thing. I also go to the Gym and fitness center with my friends. We have been attending Zumba fitness classes and going to the sauna! Nothing works to take the weight off like exercise! My dear friends were the motivation to start. They said you don't go to the gym to lose weight, you go to take care of yourself. They're right. Now, several of us get together to go as much as we can. Hubby is even getting in on it. He doesn’t go to the gym, but he goes out walking and playing with Jasmine. I’m still doing play dates for Jasmine with our very good friends. And our little princess has started going to ballet again!

Of course, Mother’s Day was very special. We had a big barbecue with some dear friends over. We cooked up some ribs, chicken, Bratwurst, and hot dogs. We also grilled up the potatoes and corn on the cob. It made for a lovely holiday and some extremely fond memories. Life is busy, but with so many rewards and blessings, it’s truly a gift from heaven to live with such fullness.

Of course, I’ve posted some photos of the Asian pacific Heritage Celebration. My other site, Bavarian Angel, has some others. I’ll be posting to my Bravenet account, also. I haven’t posted there in a long time! It’ll be good to get back to my original blog.

Here are some of the pictures, I hope you enjoy them!


The dancers. These girls put so much effort into this event! I really would like to thank everyone involved.


Our "Pineapple Princess!"


Such poise!


The guys worked very hard, too!


They were awesome!

Below are some pics from the gym.


The new fitness center. I'm loving it!


More machines. It's fun to excercise.


The "Sauna Girls" posing for publicity!

And the last picture below is one that Jasmine took herself. She used my camera and set it up herself. She even said she wanted to see the clouds in the photo! She amazes us more every day.


Smile, guys!

I'd like to take the time to thank all the participants for letting me post their photos here. I was impressed by your kindness and good will. Jasmine loved everyone who worked with her on the dancing and hopes to spend time with all of you again. Thanks again! Mahalo!

I send my warmest regards to all of you, and look forward to reading your comments here, and your posts and stories at your sites soon. May the Lord bless each of you with happiness, peace, and love in all you do!

Ciao!

Happy Mother's Day

Just wishing everyone a happy Mother's Day!

A Small Change. AKA The Fest.

Aloha and greetings to all! This is a long post with many pictures because this week was BUSY! We had the annual German-American Volksfest. What fun it was to see our princess experience the joy of fest season!

Jasmine went every day to the fest. It started Wednesday and ran until Sunday. After hubby got off work Wednesday, he picked up Jasmine and took her to the fest. He said she was so excited that she couldn’t even decide what to do first! It looked like rain, so he didn’t bring the camera, which was somewhat disappointing, but the rest of the fest he had it firmly in his hands.

Thursday, they went again. This time I was able to pick up Jasmine and bring her. Hubby met us there. We had some dinner together, and strolled with our dear friends. It was a blessed evening for one and all, especially the princess. She went on so many rides, that she was happy to take a break! The rest of the days went about the same, enjoying friendship, food, and fun. Friday, it rained on Jasmine and daddy, so they left early. But not before getting some great pics and enjoying some of the rides.

Saturday, we met hubby there and after a break at home, we all went back. It was a lovely evening, warm with light breezes. The rides were lit up, the smell of food was everywhere, and the music was blasting. It made for some great memories of friends and fun. Then it was time for the fireworks! Hubby took pics as usual, and we watched the show. Our daughters were ooh’ing and aah’ing the whole show. Even Jasmine was able to get in on it! After a few more rides, it was time to go home.

Sunday was the last day. We went a little early so we could use up the tickets we bought and have a longer day together. After joining our friends, we spent a lovely afternoon. Jasmine got a little cranky because she didn’t have a nap and hubby gave her lots of ice cream. In fact, they shared a whole pint together! After giving her some time out and letting her gather her wits, we went back. On the way in, one of the guards gave hubby a ticket for a free roasted chicken. I was happy to taste the roasted chicken again! One of hubby's coworkers saw Jasmine and gave her a Sponge Bob toy he won. His daughter is grown up, so he likes to see our little girl smile and have some fun. She was so polite, she said thank you and even wished him a good night. Then we had dinner. Jasmine ate some currywurst and we chilled out at the fest tent. Hubby had a ticket for a free beer, so he got a Spezi. It’s not beer, but they let him use the ticket. It came in a huge beer mug! After eating, we spent the evening riding and playing until we were out of tickets! It was a late night for us!

This morning was back to the norm. Jasmine misses the fest, but she’s excited about going around and exploring the various little treasures that Bavaria has to offer this fest season. Hubby went back to work and I had my exercise class with my friends. A little bit of excitement makes the craziness of life seem so welcome!

Well, it’s been a long post. I’m adding the pics of Jasmine that hubby finished. The pics of him and Jasmine and his beautiful photos of the fest are at Bavarian Angel. Here they are.


Welcome to the fest!


Get along little pony!


The Princess and the Queen.


Going for a drive.


Fishing for ducks?


Loving the lens! What a cute pose.


The Three Amigas.


Cruising!


Playing with a prize. She's so beautiful!


Happy girl at the fishing game.


Eating with daddy while the rain is falling.


Beep, Beep.


I'm stuck in traffic!


Yummy. I don't care if it's cold!


Riding my tractor. This is slower than the Flintstones!

I’d like to thank you all for visiting. And to Art, you are such a wonderful person. Thank you for your kind words and comments. I always look forward to hearing from you.

May God bless you all with every joy and success in all you do!
Ciao!

Announcing...

Just a little note to let you know that more pics are online at Bavarian Angel!

I hope all is well for everyone out there. God bless!
Ciao!

Springtime Greetings!

Aloha and spring greetings to all!

It’s been too long since I’ve posted. I have visited everyone, though. Things here are busy as usual. Work keeps me busy during the week, and family keeps me busy all the time. Jasmine is such a little busybody. She goes to the school, has play-dates, dance practice, and of course we do what we can during together time.

Other than the usual, we have managed to spend some quality time together in so many ways! We went to the pool in Burglengenfeld, our favorite place for swim time fun! We went out to Amberg, which is such a lovely town. Of course, Jasmine had her cheerleader party to celebrate the end of the season. She got a trophy and medal for her season of fun! How great is that? She’s so proud of her accomplishments! I’m posting some of those pics.

One day when we went swimming, we stopped for hubby to take some pics. We saw a lovely swan swimming on the river. Of course, we couldn’t resist feeding her when she swam up to us! Our little princess was overjoyed to see and feed the beautiful swan!

Jasmine and hubby have had a couple daddy-daughter days, which they’ve been enjoying. Hubby brought her to the Kinderfest, a giant children’s fest. She hung out with her friends, went sliding, met some of her favorite characters from the TV, and ate some shaved ice! What a time they had. Daddy has also brought her to dance practice a few times, which is amazing for him!

Hubby got tickets to the big event of the year here. The tickets sold out almost instantly, and he still managed to get some. We’ll be having a nice family vacation over the July 4th weekend. I’ll tell you more about it later.

To my dear friend, Art, thank you. Your comments are always a welcome spot of brightness in our day. Indeed, to all my dear friends who left their tracks and comments, I have to say thank you for the warmth you continue to show me and for your visits.

Don't forget to check out the photos at Bavarian Angel, my other blog.

Well, it’s been another long day, so I’ll let you go for now. May God bless all of you with happiness, sunshine, and the warmth of springtime, in your hearts and in your lives!

Ciao!

A Short Update

Aloha, my friends.

I'm sorry for not posting in so long! Things here are so busy! I haven't forgotten anyone out there. You are the friends that make life so rich and the fuel that makes our lives worthy of sharing. I have been trying to visit your blogs whenever time allows me to.

I have been busy with my work, raising my darling princess, Jasmine, and trying to raise my other kid, hubby, to be a good boy! Ha-Ha! Seriously, things are busy, but the time we spend as a family is so rich and rewarding! I usually get one day off, and that I spend with Jasmine and catching up on chores and such. We also have playdates with some of our great friends, and Jasmine loves that! The kids enjoy their special time together as much as us girls!

I look forward to reading your blogs, and that gives me a little boost through the busy days. So, don't worry if I don't leave my little paw prints, I'm still passing by!

Well, it’s time to go for now, but look for more post with the return of the beautiful weather!

Wishing you all a happy spring, and May God bless you this Holy Week.
Ciao!

Another Milestone

Greetings to all!

Well, this marks post number 200 for this blog! Wow, 200 posts. It seems like so many, yet I know it's not. I would like to thank Carlota for encouraging me to make this blog, and all her help with the layouts. I'd also like to thank hubby and princess for all their support and help.

It's been a busy week. Hubby took Jasmine to the last basketball game of the season, where the girls cheered their little hearts out. It's kind of sad that the cheerleading is ending! Friday he took her to Kinderfasching, but they ended early, as an ice storm was expected to sweep over us. She still had fun!

Well, the ice storm never came, so Saturday we hung out and enjoyed some family time. Today I'm taking Jasmine to a play-date with some of our friends, and hubby is chilling out at home. No doubt, he's just playing his video game, but it's nice to give him a break, too.

I've posted some photos from last week end and the Fasching at my Bavarian Angel site. I hope you enjoy them!

Well, I'm signing off for now! Thanks for your comments and visits! God bless everyone with joy, peace, and health!
Ciao!