An Angel's Journey

A Link

2011-12-30T18:59:00.001+01:00

Hohenfels Volks Is a great place for photography, keep them in mind when you want to learn!

Updates from the past month or so are coming up in the next few days! Keep your eyes open!

Ciao!

Seasonal Updates

2011-12-03T13:28:00.012+01:00

Maligayang Pasko! Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Well, since our last update a lot has happened. Halloween gave us some wonderful parties, great friendships shared, and lots of spooky sights! Then, of course was Thanksgiving, special day set aside for to give thanks for our blessings, a day spent with those close to our hearts. Another great dinner and lots of warm spirits. That week we also had the birthday bash for one our great friends. She did an 80’s theme party, what fun!

Hubby's first Christmas pic this season!

The Christmas season is now here. The tree is up, hubby’s first seasonal photo is taken, and of course, the first Christmas market visited. This year we made our first trip to Nuernberg for their Christmas market. Such a great way to start off the Christmas season, hot bratwurst, hot chocolate, warm cocoa, and the majestic sights of the season in a wonderful old city with a dear friend.

Last night was the community tree lighting. Of course, Santa was there with Rudolph and Mrs. Clause. After the lighting and some festivities, we attended another birthday party. Lots of birthdays this month, lots of parties, and lots of seasonal warmth.

Here are some photos from the past couple of months. I hope you enjoy them.

Daddy and Daughter

Hubby's world famous turkey. Everyone's fave! MMM-MMMMM!

Zombie Michelle!

80's pop princess

Big haired babe!

Hubby’s photography blog is running along nicely. He has lots of tips, tricks, and information for anyone who wants to learn photography. Check out his blog, it will make you think, help you learn photography, and give some information on the local area, too! It's called Hohenfels Volks Photo club, THE place for Our Place. Check it out here.

To my dear friend, Art, thank you for always reading these posts and leaving your kind words. Here’s hoping you’re blessed with a great season ahead. For all our loved ones, family, and friends, we wish you all the warmth of God’s love this joyous season and beyond!

Time to go. God bless and have a great weekend.
Ciao!

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club: Around Hohenfels- Bamberg

2011-11-12T12:23:00.000+01:00

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club: Around Hohenfels- Bamberg

Hubby's newest post about Bamberg and photography. Hohenfels Volks- a great place for pics!

Tool Talk?

2011-11-08T07:15:00.002+01:00

Hubby's latest blog post over Hohenfels Volks is about gear.

Check it out, it's good stuff! Hohenfels Volks

Wishing you a great week!
Ciao!

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club: Ride Along Shot

2011-11-05T11:55:00.000+01:00

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club: Ride Along Shot

Another great one by hubby. Check it out and enjoy a couple great pics.

Hohenfels Volks

2011-11-02T04:48:00.001+01:00

Here's hubby's newest post! Great stuff...

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club: Photography and Quotes

Jasmine's Big Day

2011-10-29T09:51:00.005+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our wishes are that this little post finds you well!

Well, It’s been a long since I last wrote here. I hope things have been keeping well for you!

Last week was Jasmine’s birthday. She’s 7 now! Time really does fly; it seems like just yesterday our princess was a tiny little baby! Even hubby commented about how much she’s grown, and how he kind of misses when she was a baby!

The princess in all her 7 year old Glory!

Hubby took some time off from work, as he’s been going non-stop for a couple months now, and we celebrated her big day! Friday hubby cooked up 4 big racks of his world famous smoked ribs. I cooked so much, pancit, lumpia, rice, and all the usual dishes. Our friends brought over lots of food on Saturday and everyone proceeded to greet the princess!

The party lasted into the evening with talking, singing, dancing, and CAKE! Of course, no birthday party can be complete without a big colorful cake. This year Jasmine chose to have a Tangled theme, and the cake was no exception. She got some great gifts from some great people, for which she was so happy! Our friends really made her day special, and the kids really had some fun. She even got a real guitar! Look for the little rock star soon! Our friend Michelle came over early on Saturday and helped cook and she pampered Jasmine, getting her hair done and so on. Later that evening Michelle entertained us all with her singing. She has such a great talent for making you feel like She did the song originally, her voice is incredible, and she has way of making everyone laugh that brought so much life to the party.

Then it was back to life as normal. Hubby was back at work, Jasmine to school, and of course, I went back to being mommy and honey-ko. Things returned almost too quickly to normal, but with Halloween and Thanksgiving, and Christmas to go, things are going to be busy soon!

Last night hubby took Jasmine to a local Halloween party, and they had so much fun. My friends were there, too, so everyone got a chance to reminisce and something to think about for the weekend. Today is another big Halloween party, so we’re going and I’m sure hubby will get some more of his great shots, for my blogs and for his.

Monday will be another fun time, with trick or treating and a great time with our friends again. We can’t wait!

His photography’s getting really good, folks are asking about him teaching a photo class, offering to pay him for portraits, and just sharing their love of photography with him. He does his blog almost every day, he says it’s good to share his love with others, and it helps him unwind after a busy day. Check out his blog, it will make you think, help you learn photography, and give some information on the local area, too! Hohenfels Volks Photo club, THE place for Our Place.

To everyone who attended, and all those who sent their greetings to our princess, THANK YOU! Thank you to Virgie Werner and her family, Nanay Margaret who cooked so much, Joyce, Michelle, Melith and Jim, Angie, Cherry, Maria and Joe, Monica, Bob, Joy-Joy, Anna Beth, Ryan, Kayana, Bidek, and everyone else. It wasn’t hubby’s ribs or my pancit that made her birthday so special, it was your wishes and greetings. Your friendship and help really made this day special for her! Thanks again!

Here are some pics of the fun we've had over the last week.

Videographer!

Such a magnificent group of ladies!

I got the look!

Look guys!

Outside in costume!

Don't forget to visit A Bavarian Angel for this post, with different pics!

Also pay a visit to Hohenfels Volks Photo Club, hubby's blog. It's worth a look!

To my dear friend, Art, thank you for always reading these posts and leaving your kind words. Here’s hoping you’re blessed with a great season ahead.

Time to go. God bless and have a great weekend.
Ciao!

What's on the Menu?

2011-10-19T19:47:00.000+01:00

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club: What's on the Menu?

Hubby new Hohenfels Volks Photography Club post! Check it out!

Hubby

2011-10-04T16:07:00.001+01:00

Hubby's blog is up and running.

He's really diving right in. Check out his photography tips and tricks section!

Here's a link to his blog- Hohenfels Volks Photography

Hohenfels photography- it's a hobby worth having!

God bless, may the week ahead be grand!
Ciao!

Hubby's New Photo Blog

2011-09-11T09:22:00.001+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our wishes are that this little post finds you well!

Just a note to introduce hubby's new photo blog.

Hohenfels Volks Photo Club

Intro to Photography Here hubby writes stuff of interest o beginners and folks trying to learn photography!

I hope you like his blog!
Wishing you the best of days!
Ciao!

2011-05-08T08:01:00.018+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our wishes are that this little post finds you well!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. We especially want to wish our moms, Mom Edna and Mom Ellen, a very wonderful Mother’s Day. You did wonderful things bringing us up and teaching us to be good people and we would like to thank you for all your love and the sacrifices you made for us. This day should really be for you! Motherhood really is a blessing.

Hubby got me a large digital frame, Jasmine got me a scrapbook, and together they got me flowers and a cake. Then came the Manny Pacquiao fight. Go Manny!

Things here are always busy, as usual. With work, school for Jasmine, and everything else, it gets quite hectic at times! But, seeing Jasmine grow into a proper little princess makes it all worth the effort.

Hubby has had some folks offer him money for his photos. He’s really getting good at taking wonderful pictures, and Jasmine has become his photo assistant and number one model. It’s nice seeing her and daddy share an interest in photography and work together at it.

Jasmine is doing so very well in school, her teachers are great and she loves them! Her report cards have been great and she is reading on her own and writing sentences on her own. She knows how to sound things out and she is able to follow through on her ideas and thoughts. Of course, she still loves singing and dancing, too! She practices them and makes great use of her ever-growing list of words to make songs that make sense!

Well, here are some pics taken by hubby. I hope you will enjoy them!

Posing together for a Mother's Day photo shoot

More together

Me with the flowers from hubby and princess

Lovely princess

In color

So pretty

Pretty princess! Notice the lighting in this one.

Proud and pretty

Another one in color

Nice picture of a lovely little girl.

I'm such a pretty girl!

Look at me!

With the digital frame

In the yard

Mommy and princess

To my dear friend, Art, thank you for your kind words and wishes. I always enjoy your comments and words of encouragement. We hope all is well for you and your family and that this spring is going incredibly well for you!

Time to go. Here’s praying that god will bless you with wonderful things in your life and great weather to enjoy them!
Ciao!

WARMTH

2011-03-21T11:27:00.007+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Things have been quite busy here, as usual!

Jasmine’s going to school full time and doing so well! Her reports are incredible. We are all so proud of our little princess! She’s making the rounds of birthday parties and learning so much. Hubby helps her with homework after school, and gives her some little tips to doing it better, and then they play and do little project stuff.

Of course, they also do photography together. She’s become hubby’s photographic assistant. She loves helping him with his flash and with lighting scenes. Now that he has a new camera, and learned so much, they are having a ball with it. After hubby’s last camera finally died, he spent some time learning more about lighting and techniques to make better pictures. Now that he got the Canon EOS 7D professional camera, he’s really doing great stuff with what he’s learned. I’ve posted some small pics of Jasmine he took with the new cam and lighting. Some interesting stuff!

Spring is finally starting to rouse from its deep and long winter sleep, and bringing blue skies, puffy clouds, and color! It’s nice to have some warmth. We can’t wait to smoke up some ribs, grill some steaks, and cook up new barbecue recipes.

Well, that’s about it for now. I’ll let you go. Enjoy the pics!

Doing her Yoga/Zen pose. I like the way the tone matches her pose!

The world's next supermodel!

Posing pretty!

Woo-hoo!

And GOD said...

BOOOOOOO!!!!

Hubby's favorite, because it shows how pretty our little princess is. He loves the way her eyes really come alive!

May God bless you all with joy, love, peace, and warmth this beautiful spring season!
Ciao!

Happy New Year

2011-01-06T09:14:00.020+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends. Happy New Year to all!

To my dear friend, Art, thank you for your kind words and wishes. I pray that this year brings many blessings for you and yours!

The holiday season was quite busy! We had a couple parties, dinners, and community events that really brightened up the winter!

Happy anniversary to hubby! It’s our 11th anniversary, so we had a good time celebrating it. Hubby got me a gift I really wanted for a long time! For Christmas, hubby and Jasmine got me an HD video camera. I’m hoping to play with that some!

Jasmine was able to get everything she wanted this year, again. Her and hubby really enjoy the Wii she got this year and play it together quite a bit. She even beats hubby at some of the games.

Jasmine was on vacation from school for 2 weeks and hubby was on vacation during her school time out for one of those weeks. They were able to spend some fun times together and enjoy the daddy-daughter days of winter. The next week, hubby was doing errands that he needed to do on his vacation and got everything finished.

Life is back to normal. We are busy, life is hectic, and the princess amazes us while filling up our time. She had her check up with the doctor, and is doing really well. She read us a book last night all by herself; we couldn’t stop telling her how proud we are! She always brings such amazement to life and really encourages us with it. And, hubby even lost 75 pounds over the course of the year! We're really proud.

Well, here are some pics of the season. I hope you will enjoy them!

Crab and pasta

Yummy crab legs!

Pasta salad

Shrimp

Pancit, mmmmmmmmm

Shrimp

To light the way

Cheers

Letson

Christmas Letson, home made!

Yummy.....drool.....

The prettiest little princess

WOW!!

Yay

My new Carousel, mommy!

MMM-MM

What's this?

More, woo-hoo!

Waterworks

Our town nativity

Happy anniversary

Family portrait

St Nick

Jolly St Nick

Vino

I wonder what it is. I love the angle hubby got on this one!

Christmas lights!

Light speed!

St Nick in a different costume?

The town

More of the town lights

The town tree

Looking the other way

Pretty girl

OOOOOHHHH

Through the tree

Angel and princess

Princess

So so pretty

Another portrait by daddy!

I wish he was really here!

Cheers

New Year Partying

More cheer

A toast to all of you this New Year.

May God bless you all with joy, love, peace, and success this wonderful New Year.
Ciao!

Holiday Greetings!

2010-12-02T19:04:00.001+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

May this holiday season bring you every joy, love, and success!

A toast to you, Cheers!

Maligayong Pasko!
Ciao!

Bold Colors!

2010-10-09T18:59:00.016+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

I thought about closing my blogs, but decided to keep them open. I mostly do Facebook, it's easier to update friends and family. I'll post updates here once in a while, though. A special hello to our good friend Art, whose visits and comments are always a pleasure to see.

It's Autumn! Jasmine is in Kindergarten now! How time flies, it seems like just last week she was still so tiny! I'm so proud of our little princess.

It's also time for some great colors. Hubby went out taking pictures lately, and got some beautiful ones. Jasmine goes with him when they are both off. It's nice to see!

I also have to say I'm very proud of hubby. He lost 60 pounds this year and his waist is now 3 or 4 inches smaller! He didn't need diet pills or tricks to do it, either, that's why I'm proud!

Well, I'll leave you all with some pics.

Fall colors

Autumn leaves

The Vils

Mommy and princess

A priceless bond!

A Pinay princess in Bavaria!

The girls

An old gasthof

I'm going to put a copy of this on my Bavarian Angel blog, also.

Well, I'll let you go for now. Wishing you all the love and joy we share every day, and all God’s good will!
Ciao!

Easter Greetings!

2010-04-04T13:43:00.017+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends. Spring is here!

Easter greetings to all! Sorry for the long time between updates. As usual, being busy keeps me from updating regularly.

The princess, with a poem by daddy!

Today is Easter, the most important day in Christian lives. We are celebrating; Jasmine will be opening some eggs and candy, if she can find them. Hubby is working on some pics, and we are just enjoying some family together time.

Jasmine and daddy are going to her Asian Pacific hula dance class 4 times a week. She’s really learning the moves, steps, and timing. Our little pineapple princess is growing up!

We took a lot of pictures this weekend of the little one hunting for and opening her eggs! The local community had a great big egg hunt for the kids! They had games and prizes, too. Jasmine enjoyed hunting for the eggs. Really, it was just picking up eggs at the local soccer field! They laid out over a thousand eggs! The kids were broken into age groups and sent on their way to collect up the eggs. It didn’t take too long before ALL the eggs were found! We spent some time with our friends during the event, and the little Princess enjoyed being with her friends, too. She was so excited and had a blast! We enjoyed watching her so much. Today we hid some eggs throughout the house and she went on another egg hunt, this time for her own little treasures. She dressed up so pretty and looked so hard for the eggs we had hidden. She managed to find them all! This was one of her big days!

We bought Jasmine a new laptop PC, as hubby’s old laptop is worn out. She goes online and does her art, learning lessons, and games. She’s into that stuff! She’s really learning computers and knows more than some adults about how to use them.

Hubby has a new interest in photography again. After the event yesterday, hubby and Jasmine went out to take pictures. They took 700 photos! Hubby will be working on that for some time to come! He’ll probably post them on his site and enter some contests. He won 3rd place in a flowers photo contest for “International Women’s Day.” He’s won like that a couple times, and is an “award winning photographer.” He’s proud of his achievements with photography! He’s been posting a lot of photos on his DeviantArt account and getting some good reaction and feedback. He always loved photography, now he’s getting into editing pictures more. He’s trying to learn effects to make some great pics of the princess! He’s also been losing weight, and feeling good about it.

Here are some pics, enjoy! I'll upload some more later on my other blog, Bavarian Angel.

Precious princess!

See what I'm coloring.

Back to work.

My prize.

The haul!

Where could they be?

Collecting eggs!

Fishing for duckies?

Angel and princess.

The Easter bunny paid a visit!

Let's get these eggs decorated.

The egg hunter

Ready to go!

Hunting eggs is hard work!

Is it here?

Here's one.

Mom, you do great work, thank you!

Chocolate, the reward all egg hunters crave.

HHMMMM.. what's that?

I'm so pretty!

Watch me save, mommy!

I love my little piggy!

More loot!

I love Dora!

Flowers by hubby.

Lovely spring flowers.

Wow!

Another wow!

The princess holds court!

Well, it's time to go for now! I hope the pics make up for the lack of posting. I really have to say “thank you” to the lord, who has blessed our lives with so much. I wish you all the blessings, love, and joy the lord God has to offer!

Ciao!

Delayed Update

2010-02-07T20:17:00.018+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

First, I'd like to say hello to Art. Thank you for your visits, even though I don't update a lot lately. Your kindness anad friendship mean so much to us! Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you again, soon!

Sorry for the long time between updates. We’ve been so busy. When I get a break, I’m watching TFC or doing Facebook. Putting TFC on the big screen got me even more hooked! I had thought about shutting down the blogs because we’ve been so busy, but I want to write about our little adventures for Jasmine to remember and our friends and family to share in our lives.

Wow! Things have been somewhat hectic here. With winter storms, work, play, and all the little adventures that give life meaning, things have been moving right along!

Aside from the day-to-day things that fill our lives, we’ve been quite blessed with friendship, joy, love, and work. I’ve been watching TFC and working. Hubby’s job is going along quite nicely, my main job is doing well, and I’ve got another part time job on my day off. I get 3 days off from work, so hubby’s very good friend offered me a part time job. I only work a couple hours a week, so I still get all the time with Jasmine when she’s out of school, and I get to get out some more and experience new things, plus he’s talking about more work for me! That’s great.

We had a busy holidays. Hubby took 4 weeks off from work, and we took advantage of some good time together. Hubby spent a lot of time with Jasmine, playing and learning. Hubby likes to teach Jasmine, and she loves to ask questions and learn. She asked him about everything in the body! He taught her what he could, and she was so happy telling me all about it. She won’t remember it for long, but the time they spent learning it will be something she always treasures. (Hubby, too!)

The parties seemed like they’d never end! It was so wonderful spending time with our friends. We had several showers for the soon to be mommies, Thanksgiving of course, and Christmas parties, too. For New Year’s Eve, we had a nice dinner for some friends and those close to us, and then we watched the fireworks. It was a nice dreamy time for us. We also got a new refrigerator that's twice as big as the old one! Wow, we can really stock up, now!

Of course, hubby took thousands of pics! I’m posting some here and others on my Facebook. Hubby has been working on his Deviant Art gallery. He signed up on vacation, and spends a lot of time posting pics and viewing the great artists that go there. He has 130 pictures online there right now! Wow!

Here are the pics.

Guitar shopping princess!

Awaiting the Dentist.

Excited about the dentist and her "makeover!"

Mommy, don't take my picture!

O.K., mommy.

Pretty girl!

Hubby's Christmas gift to me.

Our new refrigerator!

Enjoying the pics

The girls

Another shot of us.

Look at that one!

That's funny

Cheers!

A toast!

The family.

Oh yeah, I'm almost there.

The prettiest little girl around!

Here I come

Yummy!

And away you go

Ready?

Hubby's world famous turkey! The vegetables survived to be soup!

It's not cold...

More!

MMM, MMM...

Posing

Give me a push, mommy!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Logs on a little used road.

Well, I’ll let you go for now! Don’t forget that I’ll also post on Bavarian Angel soon.

Wishing you all the love and joy we share every day, and all God’s good will!
Ciao!

Pinoy Pride

2010-02-07T10:04:00.006+01:00

Here are a couple of pictures done by Dranzerlei. He's a great Filipino artist. You should check his stuff out!

The original!

Version 2

They're both on my sidebar, so you can look anytime. Please, check his stuff out!

God bless!
Ciao!

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T00:38:00.001+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year to one and all! May God give you love, peace, joy, and prosperity this year and always!

Ciao!

Christmas Greetings!

2009-12-25T22:08:00.012+01:00

Maligayang Pasko! Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Just a short greeting to all our friends and loved ones. Wishing you a joyous and Merry Christmas this year!

Here are some pics. There are a lot and I hope you don't mind them all!

Early morning tree

Another shot.

Our lunch time meal

Jasmine and her new camera. It's 12MP!

Our singing princess

My own laptop!!!

Shoes?

Nintendo games!!

My new camera

Mommy and Princess, doctored by daddy

Original

The girls

Love you, mommy!

Mommy posing

A pretty smile

More of hubby's pics

What a scarf!

Lovely tree

Oh, Tannenbaum

Our dinner of duck and other treats!

May God bless everyone with a joyous, loving, and bright Christmas and New Year! I'll write more later, right now we're still busy!
Ciao!

Thanksgiving Joys

2009-11-30T21:41:00.000+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Well, it’s time for another big post.

First, a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope everyone was able to enjoy their friends, family, and feasting! This has been a year to be thankful for!

We planned to spend the day with our friends and family, as usual. We got a head start on the day with hubby cooking up a turkey, and Jasmine and I doing the decorations. We expected a lot of folks, so hubby got the biggest turkey he could find. It was 24 pounds of gobble-gobble goodness! I thought it was overdoing it a little, but hubby said even if not all our guests can make it, when you count in folks bringing a plate and everything else, it was just right. Once he got started, things went pretty quick. After popping the turkey into the oven, and a little break, he started in on the stuffing. Hubby used to work in a restaurant, so even though he uses Stove Top, he manages to bring out a great turkey-ness in his stuffing.

After another break and some playtime with Jasmine, he moved on to the mashed potatoes. He did a garlicky potato this year. He roasted vegetables inside the bird for his famous turkey noodle soup again this year. This year hubby made his gravy from scratch. He whipped up about 4 cups of this wonderful turkey gravy.

While this was all going on, I made up 2 pumpkin pies, a bunch of chocolate cupcakes, and 2 trays of lemon bars. Doing this all in a tiny kitchen can be quite tough, especially with hubby’s clumsiness, but we were able to make it work!

Everyone brought something to eat, so it was a nice feast. There was green bean casserole, a vegetable platter, and more. Dinner was a lively and warm time, a time to cherish. Jasmine called this Thanksgiving “Awesome! The best Thanksgiving ever!” Of course, she likes to call things awesome all the time now. But she did like the turkey, and said hubby’s “is really the yummiest.”

After dinner, chatting, and some wonderful times together sharing our holiday together, it was time to call it a night. Everyone parted ways for the evening, and clean up went quickly. Then it was some family time and off to bed. Jasmine was tired from all the excitement, so she bundled off to sleep a little before us.

The next day was shopping time. We went out shopping and did a late lunch/early dinner, and then we headed home for some rest. After doing some playtime, picture editing, and watching some TFC, and since Saturday was an early day, so we went to bed early.

We began our Saturday at 4:30 in the morning. We found out about a special one time only sale, so we got up early and drove to the store. We arrived about 30 minutes before opening, and people were already shopping! Even in Germany, it’s the start of the shopping season! The sale we went for was on flat screen TVs and Blu-Ray players. We got a 40-inch flat screen with built in world wide digital tuner. It’s full HD, so the image is so, so, clear and sharp! You can even see single hairs! We also got a Blu-Ray disk player with full HD output. Watching the Blu-Ray disks was like going from old black and white TV to DVD! It is so amazing!!!! Jasmine was the first to commandeer the TV. She watched Tinkerbell, Up, and Ice Age 3 and just didn’t want to stop.

Sunday was a day for us to rest. A couple friends came over to chat and we had pizza for dinner, while their daughter played with Jasmine. Everyone had a great time! We spent the rest of Sunday relaxing from our big weekend and enjoying our family time. We talked about what a wonderful Thanksgiving day we had, and how great the weekend was.

Monday, it was back to normal, except I had a baby shower for my friend, Josie. All the girls got together and had some yummy food, and some good times. Josie was happy being with friends and we were happy to share in the joy.

Well, this post was entirely too long! I’ll let you go for now. Remember to check Bavarian Angel for pics.

Wishing you all the love and joy we shared this weekend, and all God’s good will!
Ciao!

Party Pics

2009-10-28T21:33:00.016+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Warmest greetings and big hugs to all our loved ones and friends.

Well, I promised you pics. Here they are. I hope you enjoy them! Our little princess enjoyed making them!

Playing a game on my new computer

Turn on the computer.

My new pet and our telephone!

Some of my gifts

Playing with my toys

Look at all these wrappers!

More of us girls!

The cake is so pretty...and YUMMY!

Don't forget, you can view even more pics at Bavarian Angel. This weekend I will try to add some more pics.

Well, I'll let you go for now. May God give you a joyous week!
Ciao!

Party Time

2009-10-25T13:11:00.012+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Well, it’s time for another big post. A big post about a big celebration for a big girl!

The birthday princess!

Wednesday was Jasmine’s birthday, so we spent a little family time together celebrating the joyous moment. She got a gift and we had some cake and dinner. It was some much enjoyed time together. Her joy at being the center of attention was really infectious. And her joy at the gift we gave her was something powerful! Of course, earlier in the day, I went to her class and brought goody bags and cake for them to share. She loved being able to share with her classmates, and they loved it that she thought of them. Everyone was able to enjoy the day!

After a couple normal days, things took a turn toward the crazy! Friday I worked, and then it was time to prepare for the party! Hubby helped some by running errands and fetching supplies all day. He tried to smoke up some ribs, but the off and on rain prevented him. I spent half the night cooking and getting things ready for the morning.

Saturday morning came a little too early, as we had to cook and prepare for the big day! I spent the morning cooking lumpia, pancit, potato salad, pasta, salad, chicken breasts, and roasting 2 whole hens. It was a serious cooking adventure! Hubby smoked up 2 racks of ribs and cooked up some skewered pork. He calls it “monkey on a stick” from his Navy days, how silly is that? He also cooked up a whole bunch of chicken legs. Then he fetched the birthday cake and the 6 ft sandwich we ordered from Subway, as well as some essentials to finish. Jasmine did her part by getting in the way and being under our feet the whole morning. She actually wasn’t that bad, but she was so excited! If you’ve ever done a huge party in your house, you know it can be frustrating. Of course, you also know the joy and reward of having all your loved ones there to share the rewards with.

As usual with these things, the guests starting arriving. Our fist arrival was Princess’s classmate, Jazmyn. These 2 girls are best of friends, so our princess had someone to play with. What a joyous sound, children playing happily and without a care.

Their joy carried over into the entire evening. As folks arrived and starting talking, eating, and enjoying the evening, things changed to a more fitting mood and the excitement started rising. Soon it was time for the cake and candles. Wow, the buzzing of the kids was so rich in happiness and excitement! One, two, three BLOW! Out went her candle and another birthday wish was about to come true. Hubby had printed out a wonderful picture for the cake, but the baker couldn’t get it on the cake right, as it was the wrong size for their scanner. They copied the picture by hand to make sure Jasmine had her princess cake for the birthday party.

With all the food and all the guests, I forgot to take a lot of before pics. Hubby got some really great pics, but no before the party started. Our house was full from one end to the other! I loved being able to share our special time with all our loved ones, with new friends, and with long time friends as well. The night wore on with so much fun and play! Jasmine loved all her gifts, and having everyone here with our giant extended family.

As the evening wound down and people had to make their way home, the aura became even warmer. We all knew more times like this were to be had, and more gatherings were in the works. Sharing special times brings strength and warmth to all our friendships, and fills our hearts with joy and love.

Jasmine received some of the best gifts this birthday from all her loved ones. She was so overjoyed and wants me to thank everyone who came and gave her gifts! So, rather than list everyone here, I will say thank you to all who shared some love and warmth with our princess this wonderful birthday and thanks to all for your magical gifts!

To Miss V and Miss M, even though you couldn't attend, you were here with us in spirit and in our hearts. All our love to you and yours! To my Kumare, Marietta Jasmine loved your cards and always looks forward to talking with her "Godmother."

All that was left was the clean up. It didn’t take long! Hubby called it post-party depression, but I just said let’s just do it! It didn’t take long at all, and we were able to play with Jasmine and her gifts. She was delighted! In the words of Jasmine and her friends "This is the best party ever!"

Well, That’s about it for now. I’ll have more, with pics, pics at Bavarian Angel later.

Wishing you all the love and joy we shared here, and all God’s good will!
Ciao!

Happy Birthday!

2009-10-21T12:29:00.001+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Ni Hao! Our heartfelt greetings to all our loved ones and friends.

Just a birthday wish for our little princess, Jasmine. Today is her birthday. She’s 5 now, and a big girl! We would like to wish her the best birthday ever!

Happy Birthday, Princess! You are our treasure and our joy!

I'll post the pictures from today and her party after the big party, Saturday! God bless!

Ciao!

Quick Hello

2009-09-19T09:23:00.006+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Warmest greetings to all of you! I hope that life is treating you well!

Well, this is just a quick post to send my warmest to everyone and to load a picture hubby made. It reminds us that Halloween is right around the corner.

"Supergirl" showing the world she's here!

Well, it's too short, but I'll post an update in a couple days! Busy, busy! May God give you all peace and joy!
Ciao!

Too Long...

2009-08-21T20:02:00.013+01:00

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Warmest greetings to all of you! I hope that life is treating you well!

Well, another week has gone. It’s actually been about a month since my last post. Or, as the title says, Too Long. I’m sorry for the long time between posts. Our life is so full and busy, that the opportunity isn’t always there to post.

Since our last post, we’ve been busy!!! We’ve attended quite a few birthday parties, Jasmine got her teeth fixed, hubby’s been working like crazy, my birthday, and now Jasmine is getting ready to start real school sessions next month! She can even write her own name without our help, she can write numbers and letters, and she can read some words. She knows yes, no, and a couple others she encounters regularly.

She and daddy read together and daddy is helping her to learn reading. When hubby isn’t reading to her, I am, so she’s learning to love reading and telling stories. Daddy just started to teach her “2 plus 1 equals 3” using finger counting. She sure learns quickly!

We went to the Schmidmuehlen fest a couple weeks ago, and it was great! Hubby bought a couple old beer steins, I got some nice porcelain, and everyone had fun playing, eating, and riding. We went with a group of our friends, which always makes things more fun.

Of course, every time we go somewhere, hubby is our official photographer. He loves to sit at his computer and work on the pictures. He finds so many different ways to make great photos look even better. He’s been finding all kinds of new techniques and trying them out on his own. He loves to read some of the photo magazines and try what they teach to make some artistic effects. You can see some of the pics both in this post, and at Bavarian Angel.

Sunday was my birthday. Hubby secretly saved up and bought me a laptop so I can watch TFC all through the house. He wired everything up and made sure I can see my shows everywhere. The biggest surprise was that he could save up and not let me know! We went out to Josef’s, are favorite little Gasthof here in town, for my Birthday dinner. A lovely day spent with both family and friends.

Tuesday was the birthday of hubby’s mom. We got her a digital picture frame and loaded it with almost 1000 photos and some songs that she will like. Even though it’s a little late, we’d like to wish you a happy birthday, Mom!

Here are some pics, mentioned above.

A great composition by hubby

My new laptop. Thank you my wonderful hubby and princess!

King and Queen, photo by Jasmine

This is yummy

A nice shot of the cake they bought me.

This is interesting. It's like a pen and ink. Joy and Jasmine, BFF.

Another interesting one. Our princess showing her beauty.

I'd like to thank Emily for the wonderful birthday surprise. I will treasure it always. To VK, thank you for the lovely birthday greetings. To Marykay, also thank you for the birthday greetings. It means a lot to have such good friends. Of course, my heartfelt thanks to everyone for their wonderful birthday greetings. I love every one of them, and all of you. And I can't forget to thank Art for his visits and support.

Well, it’s bedtime. Time to let you go and time for us to rest. We have another birthday party in the morning!

Have a great week. May the Lord bless you in all you do.
Ciao!

Landshut... A Lovely City!

2009-07-12T19:42:00.016+01:00

HALLOOOOOOOO!

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Warmest greetings to all of you! I hope that life is treating you well!

As promised, here are some more pics from the Landshuter Hochzeit. Enjoy...

A carving in St Martin's

The main crucifix in St Martin's, it's 16 feet tall

Perfect capture of a perfect jump

Pikes and flowers

Rose on a pike

A lovely shot of roses and a traditional pike

A flag bearer

Ladies in waiting

Another lady

The princess in her coach

Greeting the crowds

The princess approaches.

Falconry among the court ladies

Riding ahead with the news

Representing their cities

A guard prepares the way

Wow, he's so tall!

Princess with her King.

More night games

One princess awaits another

How sweet is this?

The fountain in town

Taking a break from a long day

Well, that's it for now. It's been a busy week, bu it's been so happy and active. Being busy and spending time together always make life a rich and rewarding thing. May God give you all a great week ahead and bless your lives with peace and joy!
Ciao!

Hallooooo Landshut!

2009-07-08T16:38:00.011+01:00

HALLOOOOOOOO!

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Warmest greetings to all of you! I hope that life is treating you well!

As promised, here are some pics from the Landshuter Hochzeit. What a wondereful and memorable trip! Enjoy...

Here comes the princess

The festive games, flag wavers that did amazing tricks!

Bonfire at the festive games

St Martin's in Landshut. The highest brick building in the world!

Burg Trausnitz, overlooking the games.

A princess holding court.

Schweinebraten dinner. So yummy!

Playing games while waiting for dinner.

The Imperial Escorts posing with the princess.

The Emperor and royals watch the dance.

Mommy posing for jasmine to shoot a picture.

For more pics, visit Bavarian Angel, and Lily's Bravenet, my other blogs. You can see a lot more there.

Well, I do hope you enjoyed the pics as much as wee enjoyed taking them and posting them!

May God give you all a joyous and peaceful week ahead!
Ciao!

HALLOOOOOOOO!

2009-07-07T22:18:00.005+01:00

HALLOOOOOOOO!

Aloha! Talofa! Mabuhay! Maayong adlaw! Gruss Gott! Warmest greetings to all of you! I hope that life is treating you well!

Well, it's been a while since my last post. Since then things have been rolling right along. Work has been busy for both of us, and "school," as always, has been very very fun for Princess Jasmine. Saturday was the 4th of July, the time we remember and commemorate the independence of America. I hope everyone out there had a Happy Independence Day.

This weekend hubby arranged for us to take a little vacation. We went to the Landshuter Hochzeit. It’s Europe’s largest medieval celebration and it only happens every 4 years! We went to the last one in ’05, but our little darling was too young to do much. This year, we were able to see the knights, the princess parade, the medieval dancing, and the festive games. Hubby was very lucky to get tickets! He called around January and they were sold out! But, thanks to Ms. Ursula, a wonderful young woman who works at the Landshut office, he was able to get tickets and a hotel reservation. She went out of her way to get him tickets and reservations, and worked so hard to ensure our vacation would be a success. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our friend, this wonderful lady who made our time so abundantly enjoyable.

We started off Saturday morning. It was cloudy and rained some on the way. As usual, we went a little slow so we could enjoy the drive. Once we arrived. The wonderful staff of the Goldene Sonne Hotel, who were so helpful through our whole time, greeted us. The entire staff made us feel so welcome and like a part of the family. And the restaurants served such delicious food! The hotel is very old and has such beautiful furniture and decoration.

Well, after settling in and cleaning up, we were off to see the town. It’s been 4 years since our last visit, and it is still the most beautiful city! The center of town, the Altstadt and Neustadt, has the most beautiful buildings and colors. You have to see it to believe it!

After wandering around and seeing the costumes and some of the sites, we headed to the Rathaus for our first event. It was the Tanzspiel. The folks dressed as princes and royalty performed medieval dances to music played on traditional instruments. Jasmine was in heaven! The show lasted for over an hour and was the most amazing display of dance and music! They were performing like it was a typical night in the royal life, so it gave the dance even more style! After the show, we walked and chatted about how lovely it was, and then it was off to dinner. We ate at the outside terrace in the hotel. What lovely weather that evening for dinner and small talk. The waitress even cleared off a reserved table for us! Hubby, of course, had the Cordon Blue, which he loves. Jasmine had some soup. And I ate schweinebraten. It was truly delicious! It was in the top 5 ever! Of course, Joseph’s in Hohenfels steals top place for me. Followed by Goldene Sonne, Eckmeder’s in Schmidmuehlen, the Hirsch in Parsberg, and the Gasthof Schoell in Hoermannsdorf.

After dinner, it was time to head to the Turnierplatz for the Festive Games in the Night Camp. Oh my! Such a spectacle. People dressed in costume waving flags, dancing, performing acrobats, and horses. Yahoo! Horses, mommy! Our little princess was in her stride during the whole show, which lasted about 2 hours. She was excited with every little thing being done on the field. I took her out for a quick bratwurst when she got hungry, but aside from that, she sat watching the show. She was in awe of the tricks and stunts, the dancing, and riding. Oh the joy of seeing her so happy will live with us forever! After the show we wound our way back to the hotel and to our room to soak up the atmosphere and finally, to sleep.

The princess and her mommy.

Sunday morning, we had brunch at the hotel. After wandering around some more, we went to our reserved section for the parade. It really was so lovely to see all the actors and participants’ parade through the town and perform such a lovely re-enactment of the procession. Jasmine was so excited to see the princess and yelled “HALLOOOOOOOO!” in reply to all the participant’s shouts and cheers. She really was so engaged with the town’s people performing for our pleasure. After chasing the parade a bit, we visited with Ms. Ursula, who was such a gracious host and is such a wonderful lady.

To the people of Landshut, we send our thanks and admiration for doing something so wonderful to preserve the culture and history of your amazing city. We will be visiting your lovely town for some time to come and hope to return during the next “Landshuter Hochzeit.”

Now that I’ve bored with our story and the details of our weekend, I’ll let you go for now. Of course, there will be photos on all my blogs. Don't forget to click the home button above to see more pics, posts, and stories! Hubby took over 800 photos during our trip. But before I go, I would like to say a special “Thank you!” to our landlady, Mrs. Schaffranka. You have made us feel like family since day 1 and we look forward to another 5 years of being here.

May God bless you all with a great week and wonderful fortune.
Ciao!

A Shopping Adventure

2009-06-07T12:27:00.005+01:00

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!

2009-05-31T21:45:00.003+01:00

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

2009-05-25T20:57:00.002+01:00

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

2009-05-24T13:40:00.023+01:00

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

2009-05-10T07:38:00.003+01:00

Just wishing everyone a happy Mother's Day!

A Small Change. AKA The Fest.

2009-05-04T21:35:00.011+01:00

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...

2009-04-28T20:17:00.002+01:00

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!

2009-04-26T20:04:00.009+01:00

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

2009-04-07T18:36:00.003+01:00

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

2009-02-22T18:10:00.003+01:00

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!

Our Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-17T20:24:00.005+01:00

Aloha to all!

First, I'd like to say hello to Art. Thank you for always leaving your cheerful notes and brightening our day! It's refreshing to hear from you and to know that you're still there!

Well, I didn’t get to wish you Happy Valentine’s Day. I was busy with work and life. I pray you all had a great day and a great weekend.

Saturday I went to work in the morning. Hubby and princess had daddy-daughter day, which is nice for everyone. They played games most of the day. Hubby is playing one called “Persona 4” on the PS2 and Jasmine is playing “Petz the dog edition” on her Nintendo DS. Daddy bought it for her last week. About 4:30, they called to tell me to meet them at our favorite little Gasthof here in town.

I went there at 5:30, but they weren’t there yet. I waited a couple minutes at the house, and they showed up. They were delayed at the store; Jasmine wanted her own “Happy Valentine’s Present Like Mommy!” Hubby bought her 2 movies and 2 big posters. Then they went home to meet me. Well, we went out for a nice cozy family dinner at Josef’s. We all had our favorites; Jasmine had her currywurst, hubby had steak with mushrooms, and I had Jaeger schnitzel. It was all so yummy! We talked, played, and enjoyed our meal, basking in the glow of love and togetherness that we share as a family, and then we had desserts. Hubby and I were going to split 1 Apfel struedel, but Jasmine made each of us have our own. Princess, meanwhile, chowed down on a sundae of strawberry sauce, whipped cream, candy tarts, and ICE CREAM! Her favorites! After sipping down a cappuccino and finishing our dessert, we went home for a nice evening together. Oh, when I first got home, they had left me a gift and card waiting for me on the desk! How sweet!

Well, as if that wasn’t enough, Sunday we went out again. This time hubby took us out of town to go shopping. For my Valentine’s gift, he bought an Apple iPod, in candy apple red, and a docking station/FM radio/Alarm clock/Speaker set to go with it for when I use it at home! He even bought me some Tagalog music downloads from iTunes store! It was a long day, with the driving and shopping, but very special for all of us! What made it special more than anything was sharing some precious time together and the bonding we shared finding new routes to travel and new scenery!

Monday, hubby had the day off, so we went out to Regensburg! I love going there, they have so much to see and do. We went to the Donau Einkauff Centrum, which is a big mall. It was too cold to go around the old town, so we went through the mall, shopping and eating! Hubby found a couple old British coins cheap, which he did buy. He says coins and stamps are great ways to touch history, and he likes to view them and let Jasmine hold them while he talks about what was happening in the world when the coin was made. It’s cool to see them bonding over something like that. He also bought a new battery for his D-SLR so he can have a spare one. We got a carrying case set for Jasmine’s Nintendo that had Wall-E and came with a stylus, stickers, and decorations. She was so thrilled she wouldn’t even put it away! I got her some Fasching costumes for her pretend time and her play dates with our friends. She insisted on the witch costume, and the big pointy black hat! She loves dressing up, this little treasure of ours. She even got a recorder flute and started playing it with daddy’s help. I found a nice coat and some shirts for me, so everyone got something.

All in all, it was the perfect Valentine’s weekend. We had romance, family time, dinner out, and lots of bonding!

Today was back to the norm for all of us,it's amazing that the weather was sunny during Valentine's day and today, Tuesday, it's back to snowy days, but still a good day for all of us, Jasmine back to daycare and hubby and I back to work. After my work, I did some errands, while hubby and princess played there favorite games and had fun together. I have to say, with them bonding and enjoying each other now, life really is full! It’s a great full, where everything is a happy sigh and smile!

Well, I’ll let you go for now! I’ll post some pics on Bavarian Angel soon.

God bless and have a great week!
Ciao!

Incredible Carlota!

2009-02-07T11:44:00.003+01:00

WOW!

It's been a long while since I've posted, as I've been busy at work.

I want to say thank you Carlota for the beautiful new layouts. You always make such beautiful designs that capture so much of what my blogs are about. Thank you for being such a wonderful person and friend. I always love your blog layouts and designs. Of course, hubby loves them also and says thank you! Jasmine even thought she was a cheerleading star when she saw the new layout.

Work has been a real joy, as I get a break from the house, Jasmine gets a break from being at home, and hubby gets to spend more time with our princess. Hubby brings her to her basketball cheerleading and they also play the Playstation together a lot. During the day, she spends time at the preschool and has so much fun! She has friends there from ballet and cheerleading and gives everyone a little break.

The downside is everyone is very busy. I don’t even get that much time to blog! But, now weekends will generally be free for family and blogging time. We’re even planning to take a trip to the Landshutter Hochzeit this summer for the weekend! They have knights, princesses, and so much more that will make Jasmine happy. We went when she was almost a year old, so going this time will be a thrill for her. It’s only held every 4 years, so for us it’s a landmark of our 5 years here in Germany.

Jasmine is turning into quite the rocker! We got her a play guitar with a mic, and she only stops long enough to do dress up or play video games! Here and daddy are crazy about rock music and video games! At least they can share some interests which helps bring them together!

Well, it’s time to go. I’m loading some pictures on Bavarian Angel.

Here’s wishing all of you a glorious and blessed week ahead! May God watch over and keep you all.
Ciao!

The First Game

2009-01-09T19:41:00.007+01:00

Wishing a fond aloha to all everyone out there!

Wow! What an exciting week it’s been. Tuesday was Jasmine’s first day in daycare. She really enjoyed her time there. The teachers love her! They all comment about how well she behaves and how bright she is. They are also impressed with how mature she acts and the mature way she speaks.

This week was great for all of us. I got to work, Jasmine got to make new friends and play with her old ones, too. Hubby had a lot of time to hang out with Jasmine and got his car fixed. All around great!

Another great thing happened this week. Jasmine had her cheerleading practice twice. Not so exciting, but wait, there’s more. Jasmine had her first basketball game. She was a cheerleader with her class for the basketball game. All the girls worked so hard to make the game exciting and fun. They were so cute in their outfits and cheering their little hearts out. Hubby took many photos and Jasmine managed to perform all the cheers without any trouble. The girls have been working so hard to learn their cheers and moves, so it was great to see them finally put to use and see the results of their work. You should see how cute they looked! Oh, wait, you will if you visit Bavarian Angel. I’m posting some photos tonight, so keep your eyes open!

Hubby gets to enjoy more time with Jasmine, which he is so happy to have. They seem to have fun together a lot more now than they used to. After the basketball game last night, hubby took Jasmine to eat dinner, and they had a good evening together. When they got home, we all had a nice time looking at the pics daddy took and chatting about our day.

Bedtime came around and hubby and I reminisced about how blessed we are to have Jasmine. The little adventures and frustration are what add spice to life; they are the salt to life’s buffet. She and hubby have given me so much to be thankful for. I can’t wait to see Jasmine cheering at the game next week and go out for dinner as a family! Friends and family are a real blessing and add joy to life!

Well, my friends, the time has come to say good evening. I wish you all happiness. May God bless you all with a great weekend and a great week ahead!
Ciao!

Her First Day

2009-01-07T22:35:00.001+01:00

Aloha to one and all!

Well, yesterday was Jasmine's first day at day care.

The day started well, with a nice wake up and some breakfast. Of course, the princess was too excited to eat much, but she tried. Daddy took his lunch break at 9am to bring us in to school and work.

Our little girl was so excited! She went out after we got ready and decided she was waiting for the bus. Of course, day care has no bus! So after I explained that to her, she waited anxiously for her daddy to pick us up.

Daddy finally arrived and we bundled into the car. Away we went, zooming our darling to her first day of "school!"

When we arrived, we checked her in and talked with her teacher for a few minutes. While we checked her in, she watched the fish tank and begged us to go to her class! Our arrival at her class was greeted with shouts of joy from our little sweety! She was so happy and eager to start the day at "school" and more than happy to jump right into the swing. After our little chat about her allergies and what to expect from everyone, we said goodbye to our little "big girl!" She didn't even notice when we left.

Daddy dropped me at work and went about his day. When his workday was done, he picked Jasmine up from school. Our little "angel" was anything but! She threw a big tantrum about leaving school before the end of the day. Daddy just offered her some candy and they left together to go get daddy's car a new battery.

When they picked me up from work, Jasmine had passed out in the car from her excitement! What a day for everyone!

I saw some kids who were only a year or two old. I was amazed by how busy things were at the center! So, after giving it some thought and reflecting about the events of our day, hubby and I realize we are both so lucky, first because we have our princess, Jasmine, and second because we waited to put her in day care. Having the chance to bring her up ourselves gave us a bond that makes even the smallest things seem so wonderful and makes us able to share every bit of her excitement!

Well, I'll close for now. Look for the pics from her first day of school on Bavarian Angel. I'll also be posting some of hubby's prize winning photographs!

Wishing you all a lovely week filled with all of Jasmine's excitement! God bless and thank you for visiting, my friends!
Ciao!

Wishing you...

2009-01-01T15:47:00.014+01:00

The happiest of years. May God bless the new year with love and joy for you and all your family and friends.

A Toast, to you and to the year ahead.

Well, another year is gone and a new on has started. This New Year we're not going to waste the day, we're going to seize the day! We're going to all we can to make this our best year yet! That's what it means to seize the day!

We started the day picking up some games. Last weekend, we bought a Playstation 2 for Jasmine, so yesterday hubby took us to get a couple more. She now has Dora, Diego, Shrek, and a couple others! Even hubby bought one for himself. Hubby thought we should get something else because the Playstation 2 isn’t the new one, but then realized that with Jasmine being 4, it probably won’t last too long. We can always buy her the newer kind when she's a little older. She’s a little rough still with things. Believe it or not, she beat the Dora game in only a couple hours! This girl is better at games than her daddy, who mastered all his games and got the best trade in value for them when he finished! Jasmine is such a blessing in our life, we want to give her everything we can!

Last night we went to our friends for the New Year celebrations. We had a lovely dinner with some great friendship and company. We saw some fireworks, watched a little bit of the ballet and concerts on TV, and talked about the past year, and our hopes for the New Year.

We’re hoping that with some hard work and God's help, we can fulfill all our plans.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Christmas dinner pics and the ones from last night! I'm posting them all on Bavarian Angel.

And to our families, we would like to send all our love. We hope to see you all soon and pray that this year will bring you joy, love, and success more than ever before. You are always with us in our hearts and we are always with you!

Again, we wish you and yours every joy and success for the New Year. God bless.
Ciao!

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-01T09:35:00.003+01:00

Wishing everybody a happy new year!

Merry Christmas~ Our Events.

2008-12-25T20:19:00.010+01:00

Merry Christmas to all!

Today was a busy one. It started with Jasmine wanting to open her gifts. She amped herself up on Christmas excitement. We had so much fun watching her open her gifts! Every gift accompanied by the exclamation that it was "The best ever!" Of course, there were gifts from mommy and daddy, our wonderful landlady, friends, and of course, Santa Claus himself.

After the initial rush was over and the family fed, it was time to finish the cleanup from last night. Then hubby spent the rest of the day fixing up the photos.

This Christmas has been one so full of blessings and friendship! I have to thank God for all that he has given us. For hubby, who is my best friend, inspiration, and a good husband, for Jasmine, my beloved little princess and pride, my friends, who never stop inspiring me, and for so much more than I can name. His goodness, grace, and love are abundant in our life and made this season even more joyous than ever.

Well, here are the photos.

Hubby's famous roast turkey. The vegetables made it to the soup this year!

Some Christmas cards

Such a pretty princess!

My new house, mommy!

Angel Queen and princess!

Opening a gift, with mommy.

Look, daddy!

Be still, my heart!!!!

A TV cooking set!

What is it?

Thank you, mommy!

WHOOOOOOO!

Wow, mommy!

I'm posting some more on my other site, A Bavarian Angel, along with the story of last night. I'll also post all the pictures to my Bravenet Blog, Angel Journey.

Thanks for sharing your time! God bless you all!
Ciao!

Scrapbook Christmas

2008-12-24T15:21:00.012+01:00

Aloha!

I just wanted to share some scrap pages I made up. I hope you like it.

Merry Christmas and God bless to everyone out there.

Ciao!

Christmas Blessings!

2008-12-22T18:41:00.004+01:00

Mele Kalikimaka! Here’s wishing a very Merry Christmas to all.

Well, another week has come and gone. Thursday is Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our lord and savior. It’s also a time for reflection on the past year and our lives. A time to take stock of the blessings and gifts God gives us year round!

This year has been a good year for us. Friendship, family, and Jasmine combined to make a lovely year seem all the more magical, magical because we see God’s love every day. I feel so much magic this time of year, maybe because that’s the way I remember it. Maybe it’s because of the blessings we have, but really, I think it’s a combination of things. Things like memories, family, friends, friendship, and so much more! Carlotta is one friend who's kindness and friendship have helped make the blogging world a little better. Thank you, Carlota, for your friendship and goodness. I also would like to thank our wonderful landlady for being a part of our life. Over the past few years, she has become a part of our family, and continues to be someone we will always have in our hearts. And to my dearest friend Marietta, my kumare, thank you for your friendship. No matter how far we are from each other, you remain the best of friends. Throughout all these years, your friendship has been a joy and inspiration. I would also like to say thank you to all my friends online, my companions in this internet world. Thanks to all of you for keeping me company in this blogging world. There's so much to be thankful this Christmas and every day.

Hubby has been working toward some certifications and taking some training when time allows. He feels that even just getting the training without certificates is a blessing because learning is a gift. Jasmine has been learning so much this past year. She’s learned ballet and is now learning cheerleading. She already is so wonderful, but hearing her speak politely and treat others well is even more amazing! Wow, what a gift it is to see her grow and learn. Learning and knowledge are great gifts. I’ve learned so much from Jasmine, which I never thought a child could teach her mommy, but she does it every day!

Friday, we had our work party and gift exchange. I earned a little money, and had a blast sharing great food and fun with a wonderful bunch of coworkers. My coworkers make work fun and they manage to make it feel like home. I’m blessed to work with such great folks! My gift was an awesome travel valet, it’s so beautiful and handy. My heartfelt thanks to everyone for all the fun.

We went shopping Saturday, which can be quite frustrating this time of year. We looked everywhere for the gift Jasmine has been asking every single Santa she sees to give her. We spent all day looking and couldn’t find anything remotely like it. I was ready to give up, but hubby said it’s early and let’s try one more place. Jasmine was asleep in the car, so I waited with her. Hubby came out with three big boxes! It was everything Jasmine had asked for! It was a huge Barbie house, a Barbie horse with long hair and a Barbie doll, and a big barn for the horse. I felt so blessed that we were able to find everything she had asked for. Christmas morning will be a joy for her, and seeing her excitement will make it a magically wonderful time for us, too. Hubby even managed to get it on sale! You could see how excited he was bringing out this bundle for our princess. He gets so excited doing things for us. Hubby got his gift early. I also told him that instead of buying me a gift, he should get his car fixed up. It needs some minor work, so I told him that could be his gift to me.

This month really is full of blessings! Hubby took his vacation to watch Jasmine so I could work some and save up. Then day care folks called and offered a slot for Jasmine starting January 2. That means I will be able to work more, help around the home, and save some for a trip. Hubby is excited that Jasmine will get to be with other kids more, and so is she! She asks me everyday when she will get to start.

Yesterday, hubby went shopping for our Christmas dinner. We’re having some close friends over on the 24th, so hubby wanted to make sure we have everything we’ll need. He’s going to make his delicious turkey again this year. It amazes me how he makes it so juicy and moist. I think that’s part of the reason I keep him around! (Ha-Ha!) I’ll be making potato salad and pancit, and hubby will make some stuffing to go with the turkey. Of course, hubby will take photos and I’ll post some.

I’m posting some now from last Tuesday’s Christmas party over at Bavarian Angel, my other blog.

Anyway, I just wanted to share our blessings. We pray that everyone out there will have a merry Christmas and that their lives will be filled with joy and blessings.

Mele Kalikimaka e Hau’ole Makahiki Hou!
God Bless.
Ciao!

Another Tale.

2008-12-17T19:39:00.000+01:00

Well, hubby started his vacation this Monday. Christmas time is really here!

He spent all last week in class all day, and came home to study all night. It left him so burned out and tired! It’s O.K., because soon he will have a certificate. When Monday came, it was really a nice start to being on the road to relaxation. He went to the class to learn and came away with so much knowledge. Then we spent the day chilling out! It was a great time and a wonderful start to the weekend.

Tuesday night was our Christmas party. We had it in Velburg this year. It was a magical night for everyone, especially the kids! Santa came to visit and pass out some gifts and we won a $25.00 Visa card! WOW, what a wonderful night it turned out to be. When you get to spend good time with great people, life is well worth ALL the little downsides. We had a lovely dinner; there was pork roast, roast beef, cordon blue, salads with carrots and cucumbers, and potatoes and knödel. The venue was a lovely little Gasthof in Velburg. Velburg is a beautiful little town near where we live. The town is so quaint and cozy. It really is kind of Christmasy. Hubby stayed up late to finish the pictures he took so he can give them to his co-worker. She will print them out for the families. They do such a nice party for the families.

Tuesday, I was called to work for a couple hours. That was great, I got to go earn a little and spend time with my co-workers. I also found our plans had to change a little. Hubby and I had planned to go to some Christmas Markts this week, but I have to work until Sunday. We’ll be going next week, because they truly are glorious. Hubby will take some of his beautiful pics and I’ll post them here and on my other blogs. At work, we are going to do our own little party Friday! You know I’ll be cooking for that.

Jasmine and hubby had daddy daughter day today. They went out shopping a little and had lunch together at the little pizza place. Hubby won a nice little travel bag and Jasmine won a Christmas tree decoration. They seem to have learned that being together can be fun. Jasmine was so excited and hubby bragged about how nice Jasmine was all day. Of course, there had to be some bad in every one of their days, today hubby forgot to bring her to cheerleading practice. After I reminded him! I guess they had so much fun together they both forgot.

Well, it looks like time to end. I would like to take this time to say a huge thank you to Carlotta. I was really surprised by your package. Thank you. You have been such a wonderful friend! Thank you so much.

To everyone out there I send my best wishes and pray for a wonderful Christmas for all of you. May God grant you peace and love during this holiday season. Thanks for visiting!
Ciao!

Feliz Navidad!

2008-12-07T20:32:00.003+01:00

Aloha!
Mele Kalikimaka and Feliz Navidad to all!

Here's a video of the Parsberg Symphony Orchestra performing "Feliz Navidad." We really love this song and this version is really great, too.

I hope you will all enjoy the music and video.

And here is "Jingle Bell Rock."

I hope you all will enjoy the music and video. We wish you a wonderful week and all of God's blessings.
Ciao!

Our Week. Cheerleading, yeah!

2008-12-06T22:25:00.007+01:00

Greetings to everyone out there! It’s time for another update on this blog of mine. It’s Christmas time and that means holiday cheer and our little girl’s adventures in life.

Our little princess and ballerina joined peewee cheerleading. The first day in cheerleading was a very exciting day for her. She met new friends and saw new faces, and I met new moms and as well as a couple from the ballet class of our little girls. They truly enjoyed the first day and learned two cheerleading songs. It was great that they memorized them so quickly.

These past few days kept our household very busy, as we went to many activities going on our community. Yesterday was the annual Christmas tree lightning, plus Santa visited and listened to the children’s wish lists. They also had the Parsberg symphony orchestra. It was a very special event, we enjoyed the whole time we were there, especially our princess Jasmine. She got to see Santa twice already. Of course, she seems so happy to tell Santa her wishes for this year. After the Santa pictorial, we headed to the concert. We were a bit late, but it’s ok, we still got to see the amazing concert. The orchestra really impressed me, and I shot video of most of the concert. Even though my hand was sore from doing video, I still made it until the end before my camera battery died on me. Lucky enough that I got 1 GB, on my camera, to allow for longer videos. I am going to share some of the videos, but hopefully you guys won’t mind the blur and shake. Jasmine kept bothering me and plus my hand was sore already from holding the cam. Next time I should bring tripod, it would help me.

This weekend we plan to attend the b-day party for our friend’s daughter. Actually, it would be two b-day parties, but we can only attend one party. They held them at the same time and the same day. Plus, hubby has to study a lot for a big test next week. That means he has no time to go around these days.

The weather this week has been screwy. One minute it’s snowing, then sun, then clouds and rain. I’m glad I don’t have to spend too much time outside! Hubby did some time outside trying to fix the car. It runs and is good, but the battery died and he had to get it jumped. Now he bought a battery charger that you charge and keep in the car for emergencies. I’m glad he got it. With this weather, it’s a good idea.

Hubby starts his vacation next Monday! That means I’ll get to work a little extra. He’s somewhat scared; everyday will be daddy daughter day! I wonder what kind of adventures they’ll have while I’m at work. I’ll keep you informed.

Well, that’s enough rambling for now. Don’t forget to visit Bavarian Angel to see the video and some pics!

Have a great week, God bless you with a great week and plenty of great weather!
Ciao!

At the tree lightning ceremony.

A big Thank you to Carlota!

2008-11-30T20:49:00.012+01:00

Aloha,

Good day to all. It's been a busy weekend. Yesterday, I went to work as usual, and it wasn't too busy. I think everyone is recovering from their feasting.

Hubby and Jasmine picked me up. They were a little late, but they arrived and we went home. When we got home, hubby surprised me with a night at our favorite restaurant. We had a nice evening eating our favorites and chit chatting about all kinds of little things. Jasmine got a little hyper, but did ok.

After our fun filled evening we went to bed and got some good sleep. This morning we got ready and went to Parsberg to see the fest, but they were finished and we didn't get to see anything. We did drive around a bit and find a couple places to take some pictures. All in all, a nice weekend and some good family time!
In addition finally done with my Christmas tree with the help of our little Princess.

I'd like to offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to you, Carlota. The web layout and header are so amazing. You have done so much for my blog and really inspired me to pursue it even more. Again, thank you.

Finally done with our x-mas tree

Well, I'll let you go for now. Have a great week! God bless you all!
Ciao!

Happy Thanks Giving!

2008-11-27T08:12:00.005+01:00

Good day to everyone.

Here's wishing all of you a Very Happy Thanksgiving. May your day be filled with joy and your life with so much to be thankful for this year.

I myself am very thankful for all the blessings I have received, and for the family and friends I have.

Enjoy this holiday! Take care and God bless.
Ciao!

Enjoying the snow!

2008-11-26T08:58:00.004+01:00

Aloha!
Just wanted to share this short clip of Jasmine sledding. She's having so much fun!

Mahalo to all! Here's wishing everyone a fun and enjoyable winter season. Stay safe always.
God bless.
Ciao!

Jasmine's wish come true!

2008-11-23T08:24:00.027+01:00

Heartfelt greetings to all my friends and family out there.

How is everyone doing this weekend? Mine is not bad at all. It’s busy as usual, with Jasmine growing up. I spent most of my time with princess during the day doing many activities together. When she's taking her nap or watching her favorite cartoons, I’m busy with cleaning, cooking, and all those other things around the house that all mothers do.

Friday was the start of our snowy weather. It started early in the evening and accumulated very quick. When Jasmine saw it, she was jumping for joy. She ran and told me "Mommy, Santa sent a lot of snow." It was so cute; she told me Santa answered her wish. :-) I was a bit sad about the snow, but mostly happy for our little girl, Jasmine. I was worried about working in the snow, but it turned out great. I thought it would be harder going in and out with the groceries, pushing carts, but I was shocked to find it was not as bad as I thought. People even gave me better tips. :-) I guess they felt bad that we baggers were working in a snowstorm.

Well, after work hubby and daughter picked me up, we went to pick-up our family portrait. I was glad our family photos turned out great. The sales clerk even gave us a big discount on our photos for making hubby walk in the blizzard to get cash(they dont accept card cash only). I was quite thankful for his generosity. Now I can start making some Christmas greeting cards for all our friends and family.

After picking up the photos, Jasmine wanted her favorite kid’s meal in burger king. After she had her dinner, we went out and found out it snowed badly again. As usual, Jasmine was enjoying it and had so much fun playing in the snow.

We woke up this morning with about 6 inches total snow. Jasmine’s still over the snow and asked me if she could go out early in the morning. :-) I can’t believe how happy and excited she was with winter and snow. She told me she wanted to go sledding, so I promised her we would go to have some fun, and bring her to a place where she could do some sledding.

I posted some pics on Bavarian Angel, my other blog.

A view of our town during winter

Stolen shot of me waiting for Jasmine by the hill

That's it for today. Wishing everyone out there a happy weekend, stay safe this winter season. God Bless!
Ciao!

Dance...Recital.

2008-11-10T21:39:00.017+01:00

Aloha! Greetings to everyone out there!

How was everyone's week? Mine was busy. Friday was Jasmine's ballet recital, and last Thursday was Halloween, so we were running! I managed to tell the tale of Pirate Princess Jasmine and her Halloween adventures, now it's time for the story of ballerina Jasmine.

All week long, she was so excited to be the star of her ballet. She couldn't wait to be on the stage. She's not like daddy, who hates getting in front of groups, she's a little spotlight lover. She practiced her ballet steps and went to her rehearsal like a good little ballerina. She worked extra hard to be the star of the night.

Friday, the big day arrived with no troubles. First hubby got his haircut, and then came family portraits. Jasmine laughed so much and had such fun with the photographer. She seems to be a natural model. Then we had lunch and did a little shopping. Finally, it was time to get ready.

I got Jasmine showered and cleaned. Daddy cleaned himself up without my help! Then with time to spare, I did Jasmine's makeup. (And my own, too.) Daddy hustled us to the car. So far, everything was going according to plans.

We arrived and started to get ready. I changed Jasmine into her costume and chatted with some of the other moms. Daddy wandered around taking photos, of course. We were getting our dolls ready for their big day, and hubby’s off taking pics. I guess it’s true that mom’s want everything perfect and daddies want to get the memories right. Honestly, I appreciate him taking all the photos he does, it provides stuff for scrapbooking and albums, so Jasmine will have memories of her younger days. And I can pass them on to you through this great world of blogging!

After getting everyone ready, a photographer took some portraits of each girl, and a class portrait by class groups. All the little princesses looked so sweet! Everyone was excited and nervous. It was quite noisy and wildly busy.

Wow, this is getting long!

We all sat down, as Miss Jodi made some announcements and the show began. Hubby had staked out an area to take photos during the show. I was manning the video camera. The lights dimmed. The music rose. Miss Jodi narrated the story being danced. Out came the dancers in costume. WHAT? Overcoats on ballerinas during a show? Oh, wait, it’s part of the dancing. Oops, never mind. As they took off the coats, the girls revealed a beautiful costume that really was part of the dance! As the evening progressed, we both were enjoying our roles and the beauty of these sweet little girls giving their all to the audience. You could see how hard they had worked and practiced. It was amazing.

Finally, it was time for Jasmine’s group, the 4 year olds to perform. Miss Jodi had them lined up and started marching them out. Jasmine was in the middle. Suddenly one of the girls said “Hi!” It was so cute. Wait, OH NO, now Jasmine was doing it. AAARRRGGGHH! Jasmine was saying hi to… mommy! Then she played peek-a-boo while doing her dancing. Then she traded places with the first in line during a spin! Wow, what a show. Hubby managed to photograph her antics and I got it all on film. All the girls were saying hi to their moms and everyone tried to dance the way they had practiced. The entire audience loved it! Seriously, though, all the girls in her group did such a great job, even with the distractions. I was so proud of all of them, especially Jasmine.

As the recital progressed through the groups and their dances, I was impressed not only by the girls dancing, but by how hard Miss Jodi had worked to teach our girls and put this show together. This show would never have been possible without her caring, her commitment, and her hard work. The love the girls have for her is a statement of what a great teacher she is. I’ll be dedicating a post to her later.

After all the performances, their was flowers and certificates for the girls. The night finally ended, and the magic spell was washed away by the swirling of the dancers. We mingled and shared our congratulations and small talk. We went home and relived the night in our hearts. Jasmine was, and still is, so proud of her hard work and time on the stage. So are we!

Here's a pic of her certificate

Well, I’ll let you go for now. Look for the photos on Bavarian Angel and my Bravenet blog

Have a great week! God bless and thanks for visiting.
Ciao!

Happy Birthday, Carlota!

2008-11-08T20:54:00.006+01:00

To my dear friend Carlota,

Here's wishing you a happy, happy, birthday. May all your wishes come true and may God grant you good health and more many blessings to come.
Enjoy this special birthday of yours.

Our Haunted Halloween

2008-11-01T21:57:00.007+01:00

Aloha and spooky greetings to all!

Well, Halloween is actually over. Now it's time to sit back and coast until Thanksgiving. Hubby has a tradition that we can't put up the Christmas tree until the day after Thanksgiving. I told him “When the 'Ber months are here, we need our tree,” but he just doesn't get it.

Anyway, last night was Halloween. We picked hubby up from work and went to our library's party. Wow, they know how to do a Halloween party. Everyone was in costume, and the decorations were amazing. Jasmine was so excited, she ran off to join the other kids playing and running. It was so loud with the kids, the music, and the recorded screams and haunts. We ran into my friends Monica and Evangeline, and their children. Jasmine was so happy to see her friends and to be able to play with them without anyone restraining her!

Hubby wandered around taking random pictures of the people. Of course, most of his photos were of our little pirate princess, Jasmine. He always seemed to be missing or lost, yet he managed to get some great shots of our darling. He even got a couple of me!

After the library party, we went trick or treating in the local area. Jasmine managed to pull in quite a load of "pirate booty!" We ran into a couple more friends while we were out and about, and managed to arrange to meet up at the local activity center. The activity center was abuzz with kids playing, parents chatting, cooking, and other general sounds of a community enjoying the fruits of life and labor. Jasmine and her friends went off to play the games, and managed to get even more candy and prizes! We ate some good food prepared for the occasion. Hubby loves his hot dogs, so I got him a couple. He insisted hot dogs should only have mustard and relish, never ketchup! But he ate them anyway because he appreciated my effort. (He also got a couple more by himself without the ketchup.)

All the time, hubby was taking photos of everything, Jasmine was running and laughing with her friends, I was enjoying the time spent with my friends, and the whole community was having a truly wonderful night!

I'd like to take the time to thank everyone involved for all your hard work and dedication. It was really appreciated. Your houses were so nice, the party was so beautiful, and all the people were a perfect joy.

I'll be posting some photos tomorrow on Bavarian Angel and my Bravenet Journal. But here's a pic to get you started.

Jasmine and I posing at the "spooky graveyard"

As always, Thanks for visiting. May GOD bless you all with a great and bountiful week ahead.
Ciao!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-30T21:16:00.003+01:00

Just to wish everyone a happy Halloween. Saturday I'll update with pics of Jasmine's adventure "trick or treating," and her rehearsal for their ballet recital.

Take care and fun spooking!

God bless!
Ciao!

Birthday Pics

2008-10-21T21:54:00.007+02:00

Aloha! Well, her birthday is over. It's time to post some pics. I've put a slide show here, and posted the individual photos on my other blogs, Bravenet Angel Journey, and Bavarian Angel.

I plan to split them up between the 2 other blogs, as there are 42 photos. I hope you don't mind.

So, here, without further rambling, is the slide show.

Wishing you all the best of times this week! God Bless.
Ciao!

Happy Birthday Princess Jasmine!

2008-10-21T06:43:00.006+02:00

To our princess,

We wish only the best for you. Thank you for being so great, we love you with all our hearts. HAPPY HAPPY Birthday!
Enjoy all the fabulous fun of being four.

Love you always.
Mom and Dad

Party Time!

2008-10-20T20:39:00.010+02:00

Aloha to all my friends. Warmest greetings to all! Time for another update.

Tomorrow is Jasmine's birthday. Our little princess will be 4 years old! Wow, time really is flying so fast!

We threw a party for her yesterday so our friends could attend. Jasmine really had so much fun with the other kids! But, let me start where all good stories do, at the beginning. You'll find the photos at my Bavarian Angel site.

Jasmine woke up at 7AM. She was so excited that she couldn't sleep any longer! I dragged myself up at 6, so when she came to find me, I was already hard at work. I really was excited and that spread to Jasmine.

Hubby finally woke up at about 9AM. Lucky him. After he woke up, he played with Jasmine and they got ready to go out for some last minute things. They had to get ice, the cake, some Mt Dew, and other assorted items for the party. When they returned, I dressed up Jasmine and daddy got ready for the party. After we were ready, we got Jasmine cleaned and dressed up. Hubby set up and we took some family photos and pics of princess.

Well, the guests turned up, bearing gifts and best wishes. (To all of Jasmine's guests our; heartfelt thanks for your gifts and wishes.) Boy, she sure was happy! She couldn't stop laughing and smiling. So, while we ate and chatted, I set up some games for the little ones. The first game was like "Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” only with Barbie Island Princess and tiaras. After 2 games of that, we played statue dancing. The last game was musical chairs. We had to stop playing because Jasmine was getting cranky from lack of sleep and not winning. Daddy took her in the room and explained to her that her guests should be able to win, too. It turns out that she thought we were giving away her gifts. I had wrapped the prizes, which made her think that.

We decided to do the cake so she would see that it was still her day. She and hubby decided to get a cake with a printout on it. The local bakery made the cake design from a picture we printed out of Barbie. Goodness, that cake was so yummy and colorful!

After opening the gifts, and some play time, our guests headed home. It was such a perfect day for Jasmine, and for us! Any time we can make her smile so much, is truly rewarding for us! We love what she brings to our life, and making her smile just makes it even more rewarding.

After everyone went home, daddy set up her computer accessory for her to play with. That really made her so excited and happy. She didn't even want to sleep.

When we finally went to bed, we both had to say that the day was a near perfect success. Another happy day for our princess, another great weekend for daddy and daughter, and the joy of seeing my family warm, cozy, and happy. It doesn't get better than that. Having our little girl is so great, she makes life so exciting and fulfilling for both of us!

Just a reminder, don't forget to visit Bavarian Angel for all the exciting pics.

Well, I'll sign off for now. I wish you the best of weeks ahead and all the joy we had this weekend! God bless you and your families.
Ciao!

Note to all.

2008-10-18T23:13:00.002+02:00

Aloha to all my friends!

I just wanted to post a note to let you know I've put up photos on A Bavarian Angel.

I put a few from last week, and of course some of our princess. And, another batch of hubby's work. Feel free to comment!

I'll be busy with Jasmine's party tomorrow. Her birthday is Tuesday, but the party is tomorrow. On the 21st, it'll be a family day for just us to celebrate.

I look forward to reading your blogs this week, and pray that all is well for everyone out there!

God bless and have a great week ahead.
Ciao!

Butterfly award!

2008-10-12T08:51:00.013+02:00

Aloha, my dear friends, here's wishing you all a lovely weekend!

I’d like to start this post by saying thank you to Carolyn for this lovely and wonderful award, a butterfly for my blog. It’s an award I try to live up to, and one I will treasure. Thank you, Carolyn, for the award, and for thinking my blog deserves it.

I am passing it on to;
Honey
Carlota
Angel
Robelyn
Loloy
Malou
Vickie
Ethel
Faye
Twinks
If you already have it, I'm sorry I didn't pass it sooner.

I’m sorry, folks, if I haven’t updated my blogs regularly. My days have been so full, taking care of our lovely daughter. We usually spend our time doing many activities, walking outside is one of the big ones, going to the park, playing in the backyard, and now she is busy helping Oma, our landlady’s mother. She has so much fun cleaning the backyard and messing around with Oma. It was fall and all the leaves are now on the ground, and it’s perfect because Jasmine loves the leaves and playing with them. We drive around lately, too, just to take some photos of the very beautiful landscapes and scenes of fall. We see many lovely and bright autumn leaves; it’s amazing how nature works. It’s pretty to see the changing colors of the leaves. All I can say is that everything is perfect. I love all the seasons!

Here are a couple pics of our little princess. I'll load some on Bavarian Angel, my other blog.

Our "Autumn Princess"

Princess Helping Oma.

Princess and Oma working together.

Shiver Me Timbers!

2008-10-04T19:59:00.037+02:00

Jasmine's pirate flag!

Ahoy, me hearties! Avast there, ye fellow travelers!

Well, it's October, that magical month when Jasmine has her birthday and that mainstay of childhood trickery, Halloween.

This year, Jasmine wanted to dress up like a pirate, and I really thought it would be very cute. Hubby, well, he doesn't seem to mind, either. He secretly enjoys Halloween, but won't admit it. I think for him, it's all about having something interesting to picture. He wants to photograph everything in sight!

Well, we received Jasmine's pirate costume and had to try it on. Wow, she fell into the role quickly and without hesitation. (Her daddy must have some pirate blood in him.) The only thing she said was "Ahoy, me hearties. I'm a pirate princess!" Well, daddy got to work on photographing her in her costume and making up a couple neat pictures. It was great to see her having fun with her costume and pretending. She is so amazing; it makes us so happy to have this little bundle of God's love in our life. Children really are a gift from heaven.

Anyway, here are the pics daddy took and made.

Hubby whipped up this little number using 3 photos! I love how it came out.

The base picture for daddy's creations.

I simply love this headband, Mommy!

Avast, ye landlubbers!

Ahoy, daddy!

Pretty pirate!

Doing a pirate jig.

Blowing bubbles last week.

Bubbles, yay!

Proof that we are loved!

This week was a great time, and what joy it gives us when we see our little treasure smile and prance about. Daddy took her out today to see a movie; I'll post about that on my other blog, A Bavarian Angel, along with some of hubby's pics. He's been using some new software, so here we go again.

In addition, this week, a friend just gave Jasmine some winter clothes from her daughter. It's always great how we can come together like that! I hope I'll be able to pass on some of Jasmine's clothes, too.

Finally, to Art. Thank you for your lovely comments, and for reading my blog. Your comments are a real inspiration and prove that good people are out there. Thank you for visiting my blog, and for the chance we had to meet this summer!

God bless everyone out there with a glorious and happy week ahead. May happiness follow you everywhere!
Ciao!

A wonderful week-end!

2008-09-13T08:37:00.007+02:00

Aloha,

With heartfelt wishes for your well-being, greetings, my friends!

Just a small post about the day-to-day adventure of living our lives. The main point is that Jasmine’s ballet class is going to have a year-end show coming up this November. I am, as a mother, excited about it! So is our little ballerina, Princess Jasmine. It really gets the children excited to know they will be ballet stars, even for one night! I am excited because they are going to have real ballet costumes for the event and even have their own little parts in the whole thing. I can now see that they are going to be so pretty and cute with there outfits and make up.

This session has been nice, as when I’m there waiting for Jasmine, it seems we mothers pass the time talking about life in Germany, where to find the best places for sight seeing, and places to relax without spending too much money. It’s great to have time with like-minded mothers, especially in a place that you enjoy being.

We’ve also been making sure Jasmine gets to enjoy the summer while it lasts. We still do the same routine every day after our brunch- we go walking, feed the fish in the canal, and then go straight to the park. Every afternoon it gets full of kids, and Jasmine is so excited mingling with them. She is getting good at making friends and playing nice. She even acts as if she’s their age too. Being a mom is a blessing from GOD and Jasmine is our treasure from heaven. Having her is a true gift, and such a great adventure.

Today, I’ll be uploading some photos at Bavarian Angel. I hope you will check them out and enjoy them.

May your week be filled with sunshine and joy! God Bless!

Ciao.

It's a long one!

2008-09-01T11:00:00.008+02:00

Wishing warmest aloha to all my friends and readers.

Wow! Time truly flies, it’s already September! Speaking of September, I just watched Boy and Kris, and they’ve started there Christmas countdown! It makes me miss the Philippines. There’s not much I can do, except talk and chat with my family and friends as much as possible! I love chatting with my family. I am so amazed by how there life is starting to improve, and I’m glad to know that they all are doing well. I’m so proud of them for striving and working hard to have what they have right now.

Hubby’s been working a lot lately. He even had to work a couple overnights away from home! I missed that old hubby of mine so bad, so did our little princess, who kept asking me “Where is Dada?” I’m glad he was able to learn some more and work a little extra, but the loneliness of even one night apart was so hard on us. I am also glad that he’s back and finished, now I can go back to work part time again. When Jasmine gets the spot in daycare, then I can go back to full time work again.

Last weekend we went to the Herbstdult in Regensburg. It was a perfect day, sunny and warm with a light breeze. Jasmine got so excited seeing all the rides, and couldn’t even wait to go on them. It’s always great to bring our little girl to places where she gets excited and enjoys the time together. We plan to bring her out more to places like the zoo and museums. They’re great fun for kids and wonderful places to learn.

The Herbstdult in Regensburg!

Monday, I got a chance to chat with all my friends back home. It was very exciting, especially since we hadn’t had communication for a year or two. It’s good to know about their lives and share our stories. Friends are almost as big a blessing as children and parents!

Well, that about wraps it up for now. I’ll be posting some of hubby’s pics of our town and travels on "Bavarian Angel,” my other site. He’s done some great things with his pics; he manages to carry his vision through the whole photographic process. I hope you’ll all check it out!

I wish you all the best week ahead, and pray that GOD will bless us all!

Ciao!

Happy TGIF!

2008-08-29T09:03:00.002+02:00

Aloha,

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who keep passing by my place. I appreciate it a lot from the buttom of my heart.

Wish you all an enjoybale week-end with your friends and family. take care and God Bless us all!

Ciao!

I already Miss the Olympics!

2008-08-25T10:37:00.008+02:00

Aloha, my friends!

Well, the Beijing Olympics finally ended. I really enjoyed watching the events and entertainment. It was quite a spectacle. It’s the most amazing sports show, and I followed it all the way. Thanks to our satellite, I got live coverage of the show. It really is amazing and remarkable to me that we can see it half way around the world, live! I’ve never been an athlete, but I have been a bit of a sports enthusiast. I love all the games, but most of all I love basketball, swimming, kayaking, and gymnastics. I’m very inspired by all the athletes who participated in the events; they are truly an inspiration to all.

To all the athletes who made to the Olympics, I’m proud of all of you. I am so amazed how fabulous the opening show was, and awed by the closing ceremony. I was amazed again at how good the performers were and the incredible displays they created.

Thanks to the Olympic host nation for all the hard work and all the wonderful shows, it really was amazing.

On another note, hubby will be posting some photos this weekend to Bavarian-Angel, my other blog.

Well, friends, I hope to see you all again soon. Don’t forget, I always look forward to your comments!

God bless and have a marvelous week!
Ciao!

Che-che this is for you!

2008-08-22T16:03:00.010+02:00

Aloha!

Sorry this post is in Visayan. It's a message to my dear friend, Che-Che. We go way back.

so bisaya sa ni akong post. kay aron inig mag online siya balik mabasa niya akong message. miss na man gud nako ni sila nga pamilya my second family, as I consider them.

Hi Che grabeh...surprise gyud ko nimo dah, mingaw na kaayo ko nimo karon lang gyud ka nako ni bilin og tunob sa akong balay. kumusta ka na dinha my dear, dugay dugay na gyud bitaw ta wala nagka istoryahanay unsa-on man gud imong number di na ma reach so pasensya na gyud ha kong wala nako ka tawag nimo or txt nimo or chat nimo. ako ning gituyo nga mag post para nimo incase nga dili nimo mabasa akong msgs. sa tagboard. sige lang one of this days tawagan tika ha. basta I regards ko ni Nanay,Yaya Bebing,Sally sa tanan tanan. miss na gyud nako mong tanan ingon man akong pamilya sa probinsya,Mama ko,Papa ko and the rest of my siblings. Che-che you make my day brigther thanks for leaving your footprint. appreciate it so dearly.

Hope na mabasa nimo ning akong post. ym me ha incase nga online ka otro.

To everyone passing by in my blogs and leave there footprints, thanks for all your visits. I appreciate them all. Take care and wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
God bless!

Ciao!

Hubby's Pics

2008-08-19T16:33:00.005+02:00

Aloha, everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that I've posted some of hubby's pics on my Bavarian Angel page. Give it a look. He's been doing a little playing around with his photos and came up with some really good ones.

Thanks for your visits! God bless!
Ciao!

Happy Birthday, Mom Ellen!

2008-08-18T17:54:00.002+02:00

Hi, Mom!

Here’s wishing you an extremely happy birthday! We’re sending along our wishes for a happy, healthy, and wonderful year ahead. We love you so dearly, and miss you a lot. I hope that someday soon we’ll get to spend time with you again, and enjoy those magical moments of having time together as a family.

Take care and have a blessed day!

With all our love and best wishes,

James, Lily, and your darling granddaughter Jasmine.

A Record Falls

2008-08-18T10:13:00.003+02:00

Hello to all my friends and family!

I've been so busy watching the Olympics thanks to satellite. It's great to see the competition and pageantry! But now, I just wanted to make a post recognizing Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps is an amazing swimmer who just broke the record for most gold medals in one olympics.

Hubby remembers when Mark Spitz set the record in 1972! The joy and enthusiasm back then were incredible according to him. If it's anything like I feel because of Michael Phelps, then I know what he's talking about. I feel proud to be a part of America!

Michael Phelps seems so young! I thought that he's a kid! But he makes all Americans proud, and really he should make everyone feel good. He proved that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Congratulations on your new record! And congratulations to the rest of the world class Olympians for your medals and victories. Just making it to the Olympics is a real victory you should be proud of!

God bless to you, my readers.
Ciao!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-08-17T15:04:00.007+02:00

Aloha, my wonderful friends.

I'd like to start by saying thank you to everyone out there who greeted me with birthday wishes! , but all of your greetings live on in my heart. To my Bisdak Friends- thanks for all your wishes. I'd also like to thank my family and hubby's family for their greetings. Mama,Papa, Lorena, Ben, Jun, Rolando- thanks to all of you for your warm wishes, it means a lot to me. To Mom Ellen, Frank, Charlene, and Nana- wow thank you for your love! We miss all of you and hope to see you soon!

The day was off to a slow start. Hubby was at work, and Jasmine and I had a nice morning and afternoon. Hubby got home at about 5 PM, and we had a nice spaghetti dinner, followed by a nice birthday cake. Of course, our little princess had to blow out the candles. She insisted that it was her birthday, too! Our little gift from God teaching us to share our special days!

Hubby didn't buy anything fancy. I've been asking him if I can get a perm and hairstyling, so that was his gift. I'll be going tomorrow and will update the blog with some pics! He swears that I look perfect the way I am, but I just want to do something different. I miss the bounciness of my hair when it's curly. I also get the TFC channel thanks to hubby, and I really love the tele-serials! I’ll post about some of my favorites later.

Well, here are a couple pics of the day.

Jasmine posing for daddy!

Mommy, look!

Here I come!

My cake and I posing for you.

Thanks for your visits, everyone. I'll see you soon!
God bless you all with happiness and fulfillment.
Ciao!

I love my TFC!

2008-08-15T21:57:00.007+02:00

Aloha and Hello! Hi, Friends. I’m sorry for not doing any updates in my blog for a while. As many of you know, hubby subscribed me to TFC! Now, I’m hooked on teleserials like "Iisa pa lamang" starring Claudine, Diether Ocampo, and Gabby Concepcion. Then, there's "My Girl,” which I’ve been watching since I subscribed. It’s now very exciting and gosh I can hardly wait for the next episode. I think having TFC is really worth of your money, as you enjoy all the serials, news, and events in Pinas. I highly recommend it to all pinays out there; it’s a taste of home for the heart! By the way before I end my update, I would like to say Mahalo to all my friends who pass by my little web home. I appreciate it a lot. I would also like to say thanks to my dear Mom Ellen and also Nana for visiting my site and for your lovely e-mails! We love you Mom and we miss you so much. Hope to see you all soon.

God bless every one of you!
Ciao!

Happy Birthday.

2008-08-12T13:40:00.001+02:00

Aloha, my friends!

Time to share another adventure. Sunday we went to a birthday party for a friend's son. It was Jeffrey's second birthday, and some of us had a little get together.

Jasmine made the most of it, playing with Jeffrey, Masha, Stephen, and the others. We adults talked and enjoyed our young ones playing so excitedly. There was music, games, and FOOD! Lots of yummy food and glad friendship to be had by all. The best part was all the merry making of our darling children. Jasmine was having so much fun, especially with Brian and Stephen. She had so much fun, that when it came time to bid our goodbyes she refused to leave. I had to tell her that it was late already and that we needed to be home so that we can say goodnight to daddy. Anyway, she finally did calm down and got into the car while waving goodbye to everyone. (Like a beauty queen riding in the parade!) So, without farther ado, here are some pictures of the festivities.

The birthday boy and friends!

Cake time!

This is so yummy!

Blue cake is better than lipstick!

Playing with Brian! He's a great kid who the kids all love.

Jasmine looking at the sand!

Cheers, mommy!

MMMM!

Running around.

Snack break, as much fun as play time!

Children really are a gift from heaven, a true treasure from our loving creator, and the source of so much joy and spiritual wealth! Yes, sometimes they fill our lives with frustration and worry, but the gift from above always increases the love and joy you feel.

Well, that’s enough for now. May God give you all a great week ahead.

Ciao!

Our Little Star!

2008-08-12T09:30:00.007+02:00

To Grandma Ellen,Grandma Edna,Grandpa Luming and relatives,

Here's our little starJasmine, dancing and singing. hope you guys enjoy wacthing the video of our little star. she loves singing and dancing to the tunes of Avril Lavigne and some other music,I guess this is the age where she love's discovering and learning more. she's still much into ballet up to now.

Anyway wish you all a very great week and hope to see you all someday. take care and know that we love you all. send our love to Nana and a kiss from her little star. hopefully soon we would be able to spend time with you all.

Inday di-a na imong hangyo, Im sure malingaw gyud ka ni jasmine. ayo-ayo dinha sis.glad to know ur doing great and the rest of the family.

Lastly I would like to say thanks for everyone who visited my site. you all have a great week.

Mahalo!

Photos of August 08,2008

2008-08-08T17:38:00.012+02:00

Aloha to all,

Just wanted to share some of our adventures, hopefully soon I will be able to update more on my blogs and my other blogs. I would like to say thanks to all my friends online and offline for all your visit's in my blogs. you all have a great time and enjoy the week-end.

Books I got from yard sales

Having a great time playing

Infront of the church ,just across our place

The Church near our place

Jasmine by the fountain enjoying the water

Trains!

During the feast in shmidmuhlen

With Jasmine's friends enjoying the fountain

Her new buddy she called Lyka(from Lobo)

Week-end escapades!

2008-07-20T11:21:00.003+02:00

Aloha to all my friends; online and offline,

It’s been a while since my last update. I’m sorry for the slow updates, being a working mom is no easy task. After a while, you figure out time management, but I’m still learning. I do enjoy both work and taking care of our family, though. I figure that’s a big reward, when you can enjoy what you’re doing. And, I am proud to be doing both.

Well, enough about that. Last weekend started slow. Hubby was off so we all spent some time together. Saturday was a slow day. Sunday we went shopping at the mall. I managed to get a printer and some printing supplies. I was all set to print up a batch of printers, when hubby discovered the printer was the wrong voltage. That figures, hubby picked the wrong one! Yes, it was hubby who picked it. Oh well, we managed to pick up some other things we needed, so it wasn’t a wasted trip.

Monday the girls got together. We decided to on bowling, as they have a $7.00 per person special. That’s for the whole evening! We really enjoyed bowling and eating. It was our quality time chatting and just hanging out together. No hubbies, just the girls and kids. After bowling, we said our goodnights and went home, tired from bowling. It’s always a treasured memory when friends can get together and do something fun. Bowling, picking fruit, swimming, or having a party, it’s always the being together that makes the memory a treasure.

I just want to thank Rachelle for being so generous. I really like her attitude, she‘s very friendly and sweet. I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all my friends, for all the fun time we spend together, you guys are amazing. And, of course, I would like to thank my online friends. Your visits to my place, even when I haven’t updated, are really special to me also. You’re always there to visit me. I hope that my posts are something you enjoy!

Well, I’m off now. I have to go to Chelsea’s birthday party. Poor hubby, left alone again. I think he secretly likes it, because he doesn’t complain and tells me that I deserve a break. Anyway, I’ll have some photos from bowling and the party at my other blog, Bavarian-Angel, tomorrow.

Keep the visits and comments coming. I love when you add your comments about my posts. It helps me to write a little more tailored to your interests and lets me know where I need work. God bless everyone out there with joy and a great week ahead.

Ciao!

Life in Hohenfels, Germany.

2008-07-10T18:12:00.003+02:00

Here in Hohenfels, Germany, life is OK. Hohenfels is in the Oberpfaltz part of Bavaria. It's beautiful here. The town is small, the people friendly, and the surrounding area is absolutely gorgeous!

Greetings to everyone. I introduced this post with a note about Hohenfels, because I didn't post yet about our Hohenfels visitor.

As many of you know, I have posted some pictures here of our little village. Hohenfels has some tremendously picturesque and quaint locations to get some good photos. Well, back in February, after a round of photos, I got a comment from someone named Art. He asked for some pictures of the village and his old hang out. I was really glad to hear from someone who was here 40 years ago and was reading my blog.

After a couple more photos and posts, I got a comment from him saying that he was going to vacation here this year! "That," I thought, "is amazing! I hope he's not coming over just because of my picture!" Well, I realized that after 40 years, the heart misses places it remembers. Events become a part of us, as do places, so he most likely wanted to see into his past and show his heart that its memories were real. I have been known to feel like that about the Philippines, so I understand.

Well, I didn't think much more about it, except to feel glad that I had been able to be here to show him some nice pictures. One Saturday in June, Jasmine and I were outside waiting for that eternal slowpoke that is hubby, to get out and go for a walk with us, when a stranger came up and told me he knew me and said my name. I was shocked and thought, "Who is this stranger, and why does he know my name?" He was so nice and introduced himself as Art.

I was shocked to finally meet this man who had left such nice comments on my site and who had come here to touch his past. We had been conversing some time, when hubby finally dragged his B**T out of the house and said hello. We all spoke for a while and hubby took a couple photos. (He almost lost them! How can that happen? Doesn't he know how to important protect things like that?)

Well, after spending some time in pleasant conversation, Art and his wonderful wife had to get back to their hotel in Regensburg. We said our good byes, and as I watched them drive off, I was left with such a wonderful feeling of happiness. I had written something about my life and it, in turn, had brought someone in touch with their happy memories of the past.

Wow, life throws these little adventures at you, and always uses them to gift-wrap a little lesson or thought as an added bonus. I hope to hear form Art again, and would like to wish him and his family the best!

Art, his wife, and me.

Jasmine saw us posing and insisted on being in the shot!

Anyway, I just wanted to share that with everyone.

To all of you reading this- thank you and thank you for your comments. I'll be at your blogs and hope you'll keep reading and commenting!
Ciao!

Great for Mommies!

2008-07-09T19:27:00.002+02:00

Greetings to all my friends and readers. As many of you know, I’ve been doing some paid blogging for SocialSpark. I’ve posted about 5 times. It’s not a lot, as I’m usually busy and don’t really want to turn this blog into the “Infomercial” blog. It really is a great thing for those of us who have children, though.

I used to do the at home mommy thing, and just do my blogging. I really enjoyed spending all that time with Jasmine here in Hohenfels; I still enjoy our time together. With SocialSpark, I was able to make a little fun money for myself, and still spend a large amount of time with my little princess.

It was the perfect thing for me. I love blogging, and writing about our little adventures. I also love learning how to write, so it provided me with some good experience, and let me be a mommy, wife, and partner. Hubby loved that it helped me have a little me money and allowed me a little outlet for some of my ideas.

Of course, now that I have a few posts under my belt, I love taking opportunities even more. I get excited when I find one I like, and keep watching it until it’s my turn. Then, when it’s my turn to post, my creativity goes into overdrive! One cool thing about it is the chance to be at home, and still get a little break from Jasmine. I usually do the posts when she playing her game or watching her Dora show. It’s a great way to spend a little free time for mommies, because they get money and even more, they get to make friends with others in SocialSpark. It’s a nice community, and increases your readership.

Anyway, enough rambling. Check them out; you’ll be glad you did!

Thanks for visiting and reading this post. I really appreciate all your visits and comments, keep them coming. God bless you all and grant you a miraculously wonderful week.

Ciao!

Weekend Pics

2008-07-08T23:13:00.004+02:00

Here are a couple pics from the weekend. I hope you enjoy them!

4th of July fireworks display.

More of the fireworks

Mommy and Jasmine together in Hohenfels at Rachelle's house.

You can see the rest at Bavarian-Angel, my other blog. Hope to see you there.

Ciao!

Monday, again...

2008-07-07T21:07:00.008+02:00

Aloha! Greetings to all my friends, both online and offline. I hope this update finds all of you well and in the best of spirits. I’m terribly sorry about the delay in updating my blogs, I’ve been running non-stop the past couple weeks. And, it's another Monday in Hohenfels.

Last Friday, the 4th was no exception, as I had to work until 5 while hubby and Jasmine had daddy daughter day. After work, I picked her up and headed to a small party with some good friends. Hubby was to follow in time to view some fireworks. I felt that it’s really a good time to spend with friends and family. Indeed, a good time chatting and joking was had by all. Of course, Jasmine had an accident so hubby had to come early. He was primed to do his little manama-na comedy routine when some friends arrived. He had them in stitches and tears. After hubby’s clown show, we went ahead and watched the fireworks display. It’s a great thing to spend time with your good friends.

Saturday we went to another party with some other Pinay friends. As usual, we really enjoyed the time. Jasmine enjoyed playing the whole time we were there. As usual, we went home a little late. Hubby met some folks he talked with the entire time we were there. He seemed to hog the whole conversation, so I’m sure they were happy to see us go. I’m joking of course, but he even had fun with the folks he met. It was nice all around.

Sunday we went shopping. We were supposed to go see Lea, but we got back too late and it was raining when we got back. We decided to see my new friend, Rachelle. My dear friends Lucille and Emily joined us. Rachelle has two dogs that our little girl loves so much, she enjoys playing with them, and their “dogginess.” she always gets upset every time we leave. She doesn’t want to leave the two adorable dogs, Kira and Bailey. (Plus Rachelle has an X-Box and karaoke microphone that Jasmine can’t get enough of!) Well, anyway, hubby rode along hoping to take some photos. Of course, the photos thing was just a nice way of tricking him into watching Jasmine while we girls had a little us time and relaxed. He was a big help with Jasmine and deserves an award for his efforts. I won’t give him one because he might start slacking up a little, and we can’t have that! (Ha-ha-ha!!!) Again, we went home late. Poor hubby didn’t get to have a lot of sleep before going to work this morning. Thanks, honey-ko, for all you do!

Well, I’ll be posting some more tomorrow and adding some pics to my Bavarian-Angel blog.

I hope everyone out there in blog land has a wonderful week, and some great adventures of their own! I'll be passing through your sites soon, so keep your eyes peeled and keep your comments coming. I love hearing what you think on my posts and in my tag board. God bless, and take care.

Ciao!

Happy Fourth

2008-07-04T16:04:00.004+02:00

Greetings from Hohenfels, Germany! Just a note to wish everyone a happy Fourth of July. Remember, it's about more than barbecues and fireworks, it's about the freedoms we enjoy!

Have a great day everyone. Enjoy your celebrations and freedoms, we will here!

I'll be updating this weekend, with another long post! I'll also be updating Bavarian-Angel with a few pics and maybe a video, and I'll make sure to get in a long round of blog hopping, too. Check it out.

Keep the comments coming. God bless you all.
Ciao!

A Magic Night at the Ballet!

2008-06-20T21:42:00.005+02:00

Wow, what a week it’s been.

Monday, I had a swollen gum and puffy face. I went to the local dentist, and he said I had and abscess. I wound up getting my tooth pulled. He was good about numbing it up, which appears to be something they don’t usually do here. After pulling it, he cleaned it out and told me not to work for 3 days. I missed 2 days of work, which I didn’t want to do! I actually felt like I could work Monday, after taking some Advil, but I didn’t want to take the chance of complications.

So, after 2 extra days off, I was getting a little stir crazy! I did, however get to explore Hohenfels a little bit. Yesterday was a real relief, because I had hubby at home to help a (very) little with Jasmine. We went out to the local thrift store and I found a couple nice things to get, including a porcelain car and a pair of beer mugs from 1965. Hubby saw the beer mugs and said we should get them because he was born in ’65. I thought it was a good idea, too, as they were only a dollar for the pair. After a little shopping, we went home so we could prepare for the reason hubby was off.

Hubby worked Sunday, which was Father’s Day, so he could have yesterday off. He only did it so that he could go to the ballet with us!

Now, before you go asking “What ballet?” I should mention it wasn’t like a real ballet. Jasmine’s ballet teacher, Miss Jodi, planned a nice party for the end of the dance terms. She teaches a lot of different dance classes, including ballet, Irish, and tap. I cooked some “Barbecue Chicken a la Pinay” and some lumpia, as everyone was bringing some food to share.

Of course, we arrived early. Jasmine was already dressed, so we just had to remove her street clothes, and she was off to the races. Because she’s only 3, her group was only doing some warm ups and a couple things at the bar. She’s with the 4 year olds because there are not a lot of 3 year olds. Once everyone settled in, it was time to start the show. Jasmine’s group came up first to do their warm ups with the “wheels on the bus” and “ducky feet.” Then came the older students. Of course, our princess turned into a nightmare, much like Stitch in “Lilo and Stitch!” She refused to sit down again, and proceeded to do warm-ups with the older girls! Miss Jodi, who has the patience of Job, let her stay with them. She actually did quite well with the older group. We finally got her seated after their warm ups and the show went on.

All the dancers were amazing, even the littlest girls there. Everyone seemed to be enjoying there part of the show and seeing their parents clapping for them. Jasmine wanted to be the star of the show so very much and became so excited. That’s why she didn’t want to sit down. Of course, part of that is our (hubby’s he-he) fault for encouraging Jasmine to be happy and excited about the show. After the show, we came home to a nice quiet evening together. Hubby worked on the photos some and captured the video to the computer.

During the course of the show, I ran the video camera and hubby photographed everything. I’m posting some of the photos at Bavarian-Angel. I’ll also post some here over the weekend, and try to throw in a video at both blogs. The video needs some editing, but we’ll get some to you!

I’d like to thank Miss Jodi for her hard work setting the evening’s events up, and encouraging Jasmine, and all the girls, through the trying times in her classes. I’d also like to thank hubby and his boss for working out a way for him to be at her first event!

To hubby- thanks for the great job, to Jasmine- you’re doing so great and going to go so very far, and to Miss Jodi- THANK YOU!

Moreover, what would a post be without you? I’d like to thank everyone for their comments and for joining us on yet another of life’s magical journeys!

God bless, have a great weekend, and I’ll be leaving my footprints at your sites, soon!
Ciao!

My newest thoughts and 150

2008-06-16T17:44:00.003+02:00

Well, folks, this is a big milestone. With this post, my blog turns 150! No, not 150 years! And, no, not 150 days. Actually this makes post number 150 in this little old blog o' mine! 150 stories and adventures that we have shared, you and I. 150 little snippets of our life in Hohenfels, of Jasmine's growing up, of hubby being wierd, and of my rants and rambles. I'm really happy that this blog has become a part of my life, and that you have been here to share it with me. Thanks for being there with me, and for your comments encouraging me.

This post is actually about the blog, it's not meant to announce 150, just thought it was interesting to note. Actually, I've decided to use this blog for the long stories and adventures. The posts that really share the little events and the big events. (And of course more ramblings and rants!)

I'm going to use my Bavarian Angel blog for posting pics and little sidenotes. For the occasional notes and highlights worth seperate mentions. Things like that. Of course, I'll still take posts from SocialSpark on this blog, too. I hope you wont mind my doing that. I try to choose post that might interest you.

Well, I've rambled enough! I'll visit everyone over the next few days, just because I love all your blogs!

Please let me know what you think. I appreciate all comments and suggestions, they really do encourage me to keep at my blogging.

I hope god blesses you in all you do, and look forward to what you have to say. (In your blogs and in your comments!)

Ciao!

Strawberry... Shortcake?

2008-06-16T08:40:00.000+02:00

Aloha and good day to all,

Well, I have some time to post some more with hubby at work. Poor guy, he had to go in at 5 am and it’s Father’s Day!

I’m just going to blog about “Ma-na-ma-na” day and our strawberry picking party. Early yesterday, I woke up to do my chicken barbeque as my part of our pre-planned picnic lunch. Boy, hubby didn’t know what he was missing! We planned to meet at around 9 am, which left me a couple hours to cook and get ready. After we met up at the local “convenience” store, we drove to our friend Vita’s to buy some Pinay food. She’s the only local Pinay who has a small shop to get our PI fix. We got there and I became excited to see Vita again. Before leaving her shop, we had a good chat, she prepared a pandesal (which made me drool), and we made some purchases. I haven’t tasted pandesal for such a long time, which will be a memory to keep, as she makes it so delicious. It was so good; I even forgot to take some pictures of it.

We soon departed and drove to the strawberry picking location. Everyone got excited specially the kiddos; they couldn’t wait to get there. Our guide was Manang Vita. It’s quite a big farm for just a strawberry place. I love the scenery around there; it’s so much like the province. Jasmine and the group left me, as I was busy taking pictures. Jasmine was picking every color and size; she just enjoyed and had a blast picking them. We had to tell her to pick only the red ones and not the green ones. She got it quickly, though. She still went for the small ones instead of the big ones. I couldn’t figure that one out. So after taking a lot of pictures, I had to do the serious picking for my little girl. Then when her pail was almost all the way full. She kept dropping a bunch of them. I had to pick them up again and again. Finally, I told her that I should hold the bucket instead of her. She told me “I’m strong, Mommy, I can carry it.” LOL :-) hahaha, kids. After all the eating and picking, we finally got tired and complained about our back pain. Luckily, Jasmine's bucket was not that big. We paid 5 euros for our strawberries, not too bad. After paying, we went to Vita’s and dropped her off. We bid goodbye to her and told her we are going to visit her again.

We continued our adventures at the local swimming pool. It was an outdoor pool, which left some issues, but it was still fun. They have quite a big outdoor swimming pool. It impressed me with the size. The kid’s swimming pool was huge and they had this wave effect that Jasmine just loved to pieces. She told me it was fun. But, my goodness, it was cold as ice, they don’t have a water heater, as it was an outdoor pool. The kiddos didn’t care at all, the moment they saw the pool, they all went in and had a splash. They told me it was ok when your body was just below water, because then it’s warm. But when you get up, and your body hits the air, then it’s ICY cold. The best thing about this place is that they allow you to bring you your own food. We ate our picnic lunch and after about three hours of spending quality time together, we finally packed our stuff and headed home to take some rest. We still plan to go back for our summer get-togethers.

All in all, it was quite an adventurous day for Jasmine and me. We had so much fun, and some really good moments with great friends! For the pictures of this story, please see A Bavarian Angel. (My other site!)

I would like to thanks my friends for making this a very enjoyable weekend; Emily, my co-worker, Vita for taking us to the strawberry fields (and those yummy pandesal), Melith for the juicy watermelon she brought, and my newest friend, Rachelle for paying our entrance to the pool. Guys, we really had a great time, and I appreciate all the time we spent together.

Of course, I can’t go without thanking you for reading this. And for visiting my little home in the cyber-world. I love to read your comments and look forward to reading more. Please keep them coming! To Lou and ABC Blog Learner- your comments have been so nice! I hope to see you around here, and at your blogs. To everyone else- thank you and rest assured I will be visiting you all over the coming days.

God Bless!
Ciao!

Happy fathers day!

2008-06-15T10:24:00.003+02:00

Another day, another adventure!

2008-06-14T21:09:00.014+02:00

To all my readers, my warmest regards on this cold June day!

Well, the greeting says it all. Yes, it’s June, and yes, it’s COLD! So cold, in fact, that there was ice in places overnight. In Germany, they call the cold spells that come in June “Schafkälte.” It means sheep cold because their wool is just cut and it’s dangerous for them if it’s too cold.

But, enough of that. This week was another good week. Hubby was off yesterday, so we had daddy daughter day early. They had such a good time! Both of them acted like little adults! I was a little surprised to hear that bit of refreshing news. I’ll be posting some of the photos here, but most of them at my Bavarian Angel site. But let’s go back in time to last Sunday.

The day started nicely. Daddy didn’t have to go in to work until late, so we had a nice little brunch and some family together time. I always love when we spend time together. Hubby likes it, too, because we always grow a little closer and a little warmer. Jasmine just loves to have us both to play with, as if we’re toys she can chose at her leisure. Daddy went to work, and Jasmine and I went to a friend’s for a little birthday get together. The adventure that followed left us both tired and filled with great memories. To sum it up, Jasmine played in their sandbox almost all day. The sand was wet, and she wouldn’t stop playing there, so I wound up going through all the clothes I brought! Between that and her playing with Masha, Steven, and the rest, she was one little ramped up princess! For her, playing with other children is the high point of any day, so I always like to let her have some leeway. But, I had to borrow some clothes from my friend, Leera, so Jasmine wouldn’t ride home cocooned in a blanket and not much else.

In the sandbox

Friends getting sandy!

Daddy got a DVD of “Torchwood: Series 1” from the library for the week. He watched it all week! He gets into some strange stuff some times. At least, I think it’s strange, as I only know what he told me about it. Something about time-space rifts and “Dr. Who,” and guys who live forever, with a dash of aliens… It just sounds too silly to sit through, yet sit he did, through the entire series! And he still managed to play and spend time with Jasmine and with me. I know that even though he can be a bit sloppy sometimes, he really does love us, and strives to make our life as nice as possible. A big hug, kiss, and my heartfelt thanks go out to hubby!

This brings us up to last night. After I got home from work, hubby took us out to Josef’s. What a great little place for a peaceful dinner. We had a lovely dinner, and such a nice time. Then hubby had to go and ruin it! I bet you’re asking how he ruined it. I know you are… just say it! He-he-he! Anyway, he bought Jasmine a cup of cocoa, and some ice cream! Two sugary things together make for a parental nightmare. Can’t he figure that out? The cocoa came with lots of whipped cream, which Jasmine devoured like she’d been on a remote island for the last 3 years! Then the ice cream came. Ice cream covered in whipped cream and candy… Oh yeah, a disaster waiting to leap out at the unsuspecting, scaring them witless. Aiyeeyaah! She became so hyper from the sugar that she spilled 3 big glasses of Spezi, an orange-cola blend, drink all over the table. I was so embarrassed! Hubby made up for it by getting Jasmine to calm down, but the damage was done! She didn’t want to sleep until midnight! He said he was trying to reward her for trying to poop in the toilet without help and for being so nice all day. Next time, reward her with a hug!

The wrong reward! (But still SO cute!)

Today, hubby stayed home to finish his show and relax. He needed some “me time” for himself. He has been so good, taking care of Jasmine, and helping with the little things. Plus, it was “ma-na-ma-na” day for me. Jasmine and I went out with several of our Pinay friends to do some strawberry picking. It was great fun! Then we went to the outdoor pool for a picnic. We had a blast! It was so cold when you went into the pool, and even worse when you came out, but it was nice. I’ll tell you more about it later. Here are some of the pics.

See, Mommy!

A princess picking!

I’m going to end here for now. I know I get long winded sometimes. I hope you’ll bear with me and keep reading!

To all my friends, I send you hugs and thanks for your visits. All your comments are an inspiration and appreciated. I hope you’ll keep visiting, and keep commenting on my posts. This blog isn’t just about me; it’s about you, too. So keep the comments coming.

God bless you all, and have a lovely weekend!
Ciao.

It's Time!

2008-06-08T09:26:00.006+02:00

Hey there, fellow time travelers!

I just found this new clock designed to teach your kids to tell time. I’m definitely buying this for Jasmine.

I love this clock for Jasmine.

The clock is a real alarm clock. It has many features, too. Like the ability to set it to change colors when it’s time for Jasmine to get up. You set it the night light and the “OK to get up,” (known as green to go.) then let it work its magic. Of course, you can disable this function is want to.

It even has a built in game to teach kids to tell time, with five difficulty levels, and works like this; first press the left button to display a random time, next press the right button and the clock will say the answer and display the time as a digital clock. It’ll get you and your child talking about time, which allows you both to set the pace.

Here is the control panel.

It uses A/C power, and has batteries for back up. The A/C can be removed and it can run on batteries while you play the game, too. The fully functional alarm clock even comes with three different colors for the front. We’ll be setting Jasmine up with the pink one, as that is her favorite color.

Here is the night light mode, when it changes to green it's time to go!

I’d recommend this to anyone, and as I said, we’re getting one for Jasmine. You can check out the Teach Me Time Clock here.

Thanks for your visit and your time. I really do appreciate your comments and visits.
God bless!
Ciao!

Teach Me Time Clock

A Ballet Birthday

2008-06-05T18:00:00.000+02:00

Thursday was a great day. I had the day off, and hubby didn't have to work until 3pm. That meant a little extra together time for us. We spent the morning together relaxing and having a little family fun time.

At one o'clock was Jasmine's ballet class. We arrive a little early, so I got Jasmine ready for class. After that, I went to our local thrift shop to do a little "me time" shopping. Daddy stayed behind to watch Jasmine perform with her class.

Miss Jodi was running a little behind, so was rushed while getting ready. It really wasn't a problem, as she had time to spare. She passed out some fliers about the end of the class session in 2 weeks. They will have a little party with food and a little performance by each group. This is going to be so great! Even hubby is excited to see it. He really does love to see Jasmine's excitement when she's into something like ballet. He went and got that day off from work, just so he could go! The class has gotten smaller, but they are learning more from the extra time Miss Jodi can give them. It's really nice.

Well, anyway, we found out that it was Miss Jodi's birthday Thursday. We wanted to wish every joy and happiness. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISS JODI! I've posted some pics of various days in her ballet class. Even Jasmine got excited about her birthday and said she wanted the same day for her birthday. She loves having Miss Jodi as a teacher, and she loves Miss Jodi.

Well, after ballet class, we went for lunch. Then we dropped hubby at work. Jasmine and I went to my friend's house, but that's another story for another time.

We just wanted to wish Miss Jodi a very happy birthday and great year ahead. Thank you, Miss Jodi!

Now for the pics.

Miss Jodi helping the girls with their excercises

Dancing to the song "Dem Bones"

Hula Hoop time!

Circle time

Another "Dem Bones" dance.

The doors on the bus!

I'll also be posting this at my other blog, also. Please give it a visit! Also, to all my visitors, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your time and comments. I love to read your comments and ideas. I'll be leaving my footprints at everyone's site in the next day or so, so keep an eye out.

Take care and God bless!
Ciao!

Undercover blues

2008-06-02T18:04:00.012+02:00

I’ve been thinking about what city I’d like to start over in lately. Hubby got me into this line of thinking when he asked me where I would like to go. I stumbled upon this post opportunity at SocialSpark, and thought “Wow, what a great idea!”

So, here I am, blogging about the city in which I would like to start over. After a lot of thought, I decided upon any city or town in Hawaii. Of course, hubby’s all for that, too. He spent 10 years there! Wow, what a dream come true.

I finally settled upon Kaneohe, Hawaii. I have friends a short flight from there and it’s a decent place to live. As an added bonus, the weather isn’t too bad and it has some decent schools. I love the ocean, so I can to the beach any time I want, I can get fresh seafood, which is very important to me, and they have a strong Pinay community, too. Jasmine would love to bask in the sun and play at the beach, hubby would love to be home, and I would feel at home again. How great is that? We’d get to teach Jasmine about Polynesia and Hawaiian culture, and she could learn to hula. Our family loves everything Hawaiian, so that would be our new home. I've added some photos from our time in Hawaii, They're actually Waikiki, but you can see how perfect it is for us!

The Marina at Waikiki

Downtown Waikiki

Anyway, enough rambling, this post is really about this new show, USA Network's new original series In Plain Sight. The show looks really cool from what I’ve seen. It’s about a marshal in the witness security program. She can’t tell anyone about what she does for the marshal service, not even her family. I can’t imagine hiding anything from my family, can you?

It's something to think about...

Until later, thank you to all for your visits and comments. God Bless!
Ciao!

USA Network's new original series In Plain Sight

A sandwich, a bouquet, and a geyser!

2008-06-01T17:56:00.003+02:00

Our weekend began quietly enough. After work Friday, we had a nice dinner and settled in for the night. Daddy watched his TV show, “Numb3rs,” Jasmine watched her Winnie the Pooh, and I watched some ABS-CBN. It was quiet and we occasionally got together and chatted during the evening. It was very pleasant.

At bedtime, we told Jasmine about what to expect at our “dream time magic picnic party.” Yes, we trick her into going to bed. Hubby uses it to help her sleep well and have good dreams. Sometimes she has dreams that make me wonder what’s going on in her pretty little head, so hubby came up with this. Let me tell you, it really does do the trick. We tell her who’s coming to the picnic or party, and what fun things we’ll be doing together in our dreams. She loves it, and it helps with the dreams.

Anyway, Saturday morning was more of the same old routine. We got up, I made breakfast, and everyone started their day. I went in to work, and hubby and princess started their bonding time. Trust me, when it comes to their time together bonding, I’m afraid to leave the glue where they can get to it. Seriously, I expected to hear some details about Jasmine acting naughty, and “Daddy didn’t let me…,” but they actually arrived at closing time to pick me up.

They told me all about their day. They went and found a Subway and had sandwiches. Jasmine loves the meatball sub, and so do I. They even brought me one. They went and took some photos and played a little. The rest was pretty much spent relaxing. I am so proud of my kids when they act nice to each other!

Jasmine did plug up the toilet with TP, but other than that, nothing bad. WOW! We went to do a little shopping and relaxing out together. Jasmine was excited because I found a clock with a rooster on it for the kitchen. I love the chicken/rooster theme thing, so we were both happy. While we were in line, Jasmine was spinning around with the clock, and apparently bumped into the guy ahead of us. He didn’t say anything, but a few seconds later, the blood was just pouring out her nose! I started to panic, telling hubby to wipe it, wipe it. Thank God, hubby is good at keeping a level head. I took her into the bathroom and cleaned her up. She had bitten her tongue, which only had a little blood and she didn’t even notice, and bumped her nose pretty good.

After several trips to the car to get clothes for her, hubby finally got it right. He keeps a level head and doesn’t panic, but somehow he is either totally deaf, or suffered some serious brain damage. He can’t follow simple instructions! I asked for her clothes. I actually said “blouse,” he heard “blouse,” and he brought a “blouse.” Duh, doesn’t he know that if a blouse is changed, everything else should be, too? Especially as all her clothes had blood on it?

It ended up not being too bad, just a little bump. When we were leaving, the florist gave me 2 bouquets of beautiful flowers. They were gorgeous. For those of you in the area, if you’re looking for flowers, check out “Blumen Reindl” in Teublitz. Their website is Blumen Reindl. My thanks to the gentleman for the flowers.

When we got home, Jasmine just had to help our landlady water the garden. She got so wet “helping” with the watering. Our landlady just loves Jasmine, and does so much for her.

I posted some pics of the flowers and Jasmine’s playtime on my other blog. You can check them out at A Bavarian Angel.

Well, now that I've bored you senseless and plugged some florist because he gave me some flowers, I guess I better call it a day.

Thanks for the time you spend here, and thanks for the comments. Your visits really pump me up. I'll be visiting everyone soon, and leaving my little footprints, too. Thanks!

God bless.
Ciao!

Daddy Daughter Day Part 2

2008-06-01T13:01:00.001+02:00

We now present “Daddy Daughter Day Part II”

Saturday was shaping up to be another bad one. I was afraid to go to work, but I told hubby to be a good boy, told Jasmine to be a good girl, and began my trek to the job. After an arduous morning, I was looking forward to the peaceful insanity that is work. It was so much better than being home with my 2 kids fighting all day long!

Well, carrying on, the day for me was uneventful. I did my job and we had a great time working, chatting, and joking. Then, of course, the bubble burst and it was quitting time. Time to pay the piper for my day of peace.

I trudged on home and found my place… undamaged. Jasmine was asleep, and daddy was relaxing on the computer. “What,” I thought, my mind frantic, “did daddy finally snap and feed to my darling little princess to make her sleep?” I should have known better. Daddy and Jasmine had played, taken photos, and just had an all around great day. I was more than shocked; I was astounded and blown away! They both have a way a surprising me all the time. It seems that if Jasmine listens, daddy doesn’t try to control her too much, and they both have a lot of fun. I just wish they would be like that all the time. I love to see them bonding, and they love to bond, but daddy’s so hard headed! (At least, I think so!)

The rest of the weekend was a load of fun for all of us. Hubby got his days off, I got my work, and Jasmine got to play with both of us. She even got to play with our landlady, who she just loves. This lady is so sweet and always let Jasmine “help” her in the garden. It really is so nice to see Jasmine trying to help out.

Well, enough for now. You’ve all heard about my new car, so I won’t bore you anymore.

Thanks for the visits and the comments; they always give me a smile. Please keep them coming.

Also, head on over to my other blog to see some cool pics taken by dear hubby. I hope to see you there!

I’ll post about the rest of the week later.

Ciao!

An intermission

2008-05-27T20:54:00.007+02:00

Now for our intermission, brought to you by Fah Vee.

For those you unfamiliar with the German language, Fah Vee is the way Germans say… you got it, VW. The reason I’m bringing this up should be apparent soon.

As many of you know, this last January I had to get rid of my 23-year-old Mercedes 190E. That car was great. It ran like a charm, and it was so comfortable. There was almost no rust in the engine area, what a nice car. Of course, it was old. It wouldn’t pass inspection without ALL NEW brakes; pads, rotors, everything. And the rust on the door struts. Oh, well, we mourned her.

But mourn no more! I’ve been saving for a car to replace that one, and with hubby’s assistance, I finally made it. Monday we went to a used car dealer in the local area. We bought the Mercedes from him, so knew it was a good choice to go back. Lo’ and behold… my new baby. A 1991 VW Jetta 4 door sedan. And best of all, it’s maroon!

Hubby made an offer and it was accepted. We insured the car and registered it. Amazingly, we got it all done in one day!

This morning I took it in and washed it at the car wash, and gave it a nice coat of wax. Wow, I bought my very first car! With my own money! It’s great to save for things, and have a goal. I just hadn’t expected to be able to buy my own car so soon. What a great feeling. And the best part, no more getting up at 5 am with Jasmine to drop hubby at work! Here's a picture.

My new pride!

Now for some blessed sleeping in! Thanks to everyone for your visits, they really make the blogging world nice! I’ll try to visit everyone after I wake up, very late!

We'll return to "Daddy Daughter Day" part 2 tomorrow!

Ciao!

A Daddy's Tale.

2008-05-27T19:16:00.004+02:00

This weekend was a nightmare for hubby. 4, count 'em 1...2...3...4..., days off. That meant he had to watch that little horror show that is our daughter, the princess. Actually, while she had some bad moments, it was a great time for us.

It started with "daddy daughter day" part 1.

Daddy and Jasmine dropped me at work Friday morning. And what a lovely morning it was. It was warm, but not hot, and clear, without being blinding. They went around the store and daddy bought Jasmine a "Little Einsteins" DVD. When it comes to some high quality bonding, they were "cooking with gas!" After their little jaunt in the store, they went to BK for lunch. Daddy said Jasmine had an appetite bigger than his! (I find that hard to believe!) They sat there a while enjoying their together time and their lunch. Now this is great, Jasmine didn't act up, and daddy didn't get frustrated. They sat there laughing and eating and looking at passersby without any problems.

Driving on... They left BK and went out to take some pictures and explore our little village some. What better way to bond, than sharing time doing something you both love? Apparently, anything is better than that. That's when Jasmine excitement motor went into overdrive, sending daddy's frustration meter into the red zone. Jasmine was throwing these old cuttings of weeds and grass all over herself and wouldn't stop. She loves activities like this. Well, daddy tried to stop her, with his warnings, to no avail. When he asked her if she wanted to be punished, she defiantly told him "Yes, punish me!" That was it! Daddy bundled her into the car and home they went. He put her on time out, and she told him "No!" I guess she discovered defiance and rebellion. We had hoped to put that off a couple more years.

Well, after they got home, daddy put her on time out for a while. She refused to listen and told him to go ahead and punish her. Finally after a couple hours of sitting, acting up, and sitting some more, she was daddy’s sweet little princess again. They finished off their together time playing games and pretend. I was happy to see them playing nicely when I got home. “What” I thought, “a nice time they must have had, bonding and playing!” Hubby filled me in later. I had nightmares about their day! Oh, well, they’ll get used to it. I’m just glad I’m not as stubborn as daddy. (Of course, daddy says Jasmine inherited her hard head from me, but I doubt it!)

There’s a little more to the story, but first, an intermission.

Ciao!

Boating and safety

2008-05-27T18:33:00.004+02:00

I ran across this "spark" opportunity on SocialSpark. It's not sponsored, but hubby and I feel very strongly about this. Hubby spent 10 years in Hawaii and, of course, we Pinays are from islands, too. We all know the importance boating and water safety, and with summer upon us, and lots of fun to be had, I hope you'll take the time to look at the videos posted below. They really are a good reminder about water and boating safety.

After the videos, I hope you'll click the links below for more information.

The following links give you a lot of good information. Some of it may not be the law where you live, but it's still a good place to start.
Boating Operating Under the Influence
Arizona Boating
Boating Education Online

I hope you guys don't think I'm being preachy, I just wanted to share some good information.

I'll be posting some pics and maybe a tale or 2 later.
Ciao

Photoshoot!

2008-05-25T22:15:00.002+02:00

Surveillance by daddy!

Ready for my photo shoot!

See, I'm pretty!

How's this one?

My close-up

Hey, all!

Just wanted to share some of our princesses pics. I hope you like them. She is so much the little model. Of course, she also wants to be the photographer. Figure that one out!

Thanks for your visits.
Ciao!

Surprise going away party!

2008-05-24T21:51:00.006+02:00

Hello peeps!

I just wanted to update my blog with some of this week’s happenings. I’m busy with my full time work now. I thought I could still manage to update my blogs more often, but I guess that sometimes it’s hard to do both. The job I do is very tiring, but rewarding.

For the past couple days, we had very good weather. I buy Jasmine a surprise mini-pool so she can enjoy the summer days. She loves splashing and playing under the sun in her “swimming pool.” that's how I spend time with my sweet little princess. I am off every Thursday for her ballet class, and Sunday we have family day. Monday our local grocery, where I work is closed, so that’s mommy daughter day. I end up working every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. It’s a nice little schedule, it allows me to have some money for myself, and gives me a break from full time mommy duty.

Friday, my friend Emily and I planned a surprise going away party for our co-workers who are leaving next week. One is headed for San Francisco, and the other one, Girlie, is going home in Pinas for 3 months. We are going to miss them a lot since we worked together for couple of months now. Emily and I prepared some yummy food that we brought in to work for our coworkers. Even the cashiers loved the food we had. Almost all the workers there enjoyed the food we brought.

Today at work, we talked about how we’re going to miss them, and that we hope someday to meet again. It’s not that busy today, but not bad either. Time passes by so quickly when you are busy working or talking to your friends lol :-). Manang May gave me a memento, a polvoron mold and some colored tissue paper for wrapping it up. So, maybe I’ll make some polvoron and see how it tastes. Maybe, someday I will make some for sale. Anyway, talking about business, I already had many orders for egg rolls, but no time to make them now. I guess I will just have to take serious time to do it. I just want to relax after work and during my off time, too. I still have to do chores, but that’s O.K. I’m glad I took time to cook today before heading to work. Hubby loves lasagna, and I love beefsteak Pilipino style. So, now I don’t worry about cooking. That’s why I have time to sit here and do my update about our adventures.

Before I end this, I would like to thanks all my visitors for passing by and leaving some footprints in my blogs. I’d also like to thank Manong Romeo for encouraging to work, which helps some, too.

You all take care, and wish you all a beautiful weekend with your friends and family.

Ciao!

Our Surprise foods

The Bagger's

Soon to be in San Francisco

Girlie and Manang May we gonna miss you guy's.

Our little girl enjoying the mini pool

With her water gun

As Promised; PICS!

2008-05-17T22:45:00.000+02:00

Well, I promised some more pics. Here they are. Each photo will open in its own window or tab. I went this way so you wouldn't have to keep hitting the back button. I hope that's O.K. Well, I'm going to start with Miss Jodi, and go from there. I hope you enjoy!

This picture is of Miss Jodi. Miss Jodi, as you probably already know, is Jasmine's ballet teacher. She is incredibly gifted and patient. The children love the way she teaches. She makes learning fun, while making it interesting. Even after disciplining a couple of the girls, they still loved her and wanted to be in her class. She has been a godsend, just by making our princess feel so comfortable and energized about ballet. Every week, Jasmine looks forward to going to class, and talks about Miss Jodi and what she learned all week long. Thank you Miss Jodi!

Serving up the yummies!

Some of the yummie food!

Friendly volunteers

Some more

All together

The big man!

A long line

Philippines display. Hubby's still upset his barong wasn't as nice as this one.

Mommy and Jasmine chowing down.

My little chow hound

Yeah, me too!

In front of the display.

More of the display

Explaining the Philippines.

Samoa.

The Sandwich Islands, AKA Hawaii. My beloved islands.

And Jasmine at Ballet.

My heartfelt thank to all my visitors for your trips to my little place. I've started getting caught up on my blog hopping. And again, to Miss Jodi, thank you and keep it up!
Ciao!