Goof Balls

Sorry the blog has been put on the back burner for a few days. I've been BUSY with editing and designing a wedding album. I think this will be my busiest season of the year!!!

Here are me and the goofballs!!!

Sweet, Happy Boy

He is just the sweetest, happiest little guy!! Smiling so big every day... and looking more and more like a toddler than a baby.
(taken with Peter's iPhone)

more happiness

I think I am in a very optimistic mood today. We went outside for a walk after it rained a few days ago. The sidewalk was all wet and the kids had fun jumping around in the wet grass.

We have a plant out in the front that has the most beautiful, delicate flowers in some of my very favorite colors. Ryenne picked her favorite and I got this shot of her smelling it and also a close up of the flower itself. And of course... Kai Boy walking. What a big boy!

And this last one is at Mom and Pop's house. These amazing, white flowers came up after the rains. And deer love to frolic in them. Isn't it beautiful?

things that make me smile today

... waking up to a breeze and a cool 73 degrees and hearing Ryenne say "Mom, it feels like Winter is coming!"...

... Ryenne slept in her toddler bed last night with her "magic quilt" and I didn't even ask her to ...

... Kai boy saying the following words: Mom, Dad, Yum-Yum and now giving me a kiss when I ask for one ...

... Peter staying up to help me get the kids ready when I know he's more tired than I am, but doesn't even mention it ...

... knowing that even though things are tight financially, we still have fun together and things always work out ...

... my morning iced coffee ...

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Funny Names

I have a free subscription to Parenting Magazine. I wouldn't get it if it wasn't free because basically it provides me with a good laugh every month into a world of germaphobe parents and anal parenting skills. Sometimes there is an occasional good article or idea.

Anyway, this month the title on the cover says there are 685 baby names listed inside... sure to get ideas... Okay so I was very curious. Good thing I wasn't drinking any chocolate milk cause I surely would have spit it up. Some of these names are HILARIOUS. Now no offense to those that have these names or like these names. I just find them... well... out there. I realize that some may feel the same way about the names I picked for my own children... to each their own is what I say!

But here's a list of the names that I had to giggle at:

Girls: Dove, Whitman, Rhodes, Teal, Carter, McKinley, Coco, Collier, Baker, Turner, Jamaica, Agatha, Gertrude, Atara, Clove, Vena

Boys: Birch, Leaf, Crane, Falcon, Finch, Hamilton, Princeton, Stanford, Navy, Royal, Moss, Harold, Jagger, Monroe, Jefferson, Lincoln, Ralph, Ford, Ranger, Gardner, Fenton, Beckett, Langston, Kipling, Valerian, Burnet, Sorrel

Now clearly I cannot be the only one who thinks these are strange? The funniest one was that Ford and Ranger were listed nearby to each other. Was the author thinking of trucks at this point? And VALERIAN? LOL. Seriously funny.

pajama day!

Two sets of images in this one post. It's a rainy, glorious day today. I feel like I haven't seen good rain in a really long time.

Actually, one of things I was talking to my mom about was the fact that I can no longer hear rain falling upon a metal roof. Rain falling on a metal roof was one of those soothing noises from growing up. And here in Texas the homes are so insulated you can barely hear what's going on outside.

Last night it was raining so hard that I could actually hear the rain pelting our roof and I woke up, opened the shutters, and sat and watched the rain fall at 4am. We've been in such a drought that it was a welcome site to sit there in my jammies and just watch as the street gushed with water, the trees blew in the wind, and the drops fell above my head on our roof.

This morning me and the kids declared it "pajama day" and none of us got dressed. It's been nice sitting around in the PJ's and watching the rain fall outside. The "cool" 71 degree weather is so welcomed after months of 100+ degree days. I hope this is the beginning of our Fall. Welcome Fall... we've been waiting!

I took the camera out this morning to capture some of the beautiful droplets of rain. Here's what I got.

Our bird and squirrel friends will be happy to see their bath full of water!

My "Hawaiian Christmas Tree" on the front porch was wet with dew...

I am also really excited to post these new pictures from Ryenne's first day back at school last week. She was so excited to go back to school and see her friends! Pictured here are Ry and her very good friend, Jackson. They love to play together and are soooo adorable. It's crazy she sat on these very same steps last year and was two years old and so tiny. My oh my she has grown! You can see the post of her first day last year here.

I'm actually a little afraid to go buy her some winter-time clothes because she's on a growth spirt right now. She has been wearing 2t clothes and all of a sudden they were all too small and she's in 3t now. Crazy!

Here is my gorgeous girl on the playground before going to play. She has remnants of a "Rock Star" tattoo on her arm.

we will never forget...

9/11.... It's one of those days where you can imagine exactly where you were, what you were doing, what you were thinking... as the world seemed to stand still... as our hearts were torn at the thought of how many were lost.

We will never forget...

the cutest hula girl... ever

Oh how I adore my princess!!

We took these at Martin and Debbie's house in Ka'anapali. Her skirt didn't close all the way in the back and her little booty was sticking out when she did a turn. It was sooooo dang adorable!! She loved being dressed up as a Hula Princess. It was so nice of Grandma to make the skirt and let her borrow Auntie Jean's hula accessories! She was on cloud 9!

Me and Martin were going crazy shooting pictures of her. He got some really great ones too! I will post those soon.

Kai's Ocean Baptism

Just a little note that this post is image intensive!! I sized them all for the web so hopefully it won't take too long to load...

Kai was baptised at Baby Beach, our favorite spot. Peter collected the sea water and Uncle Earl blessed it. It was important to us that he be blessed for the water in which he was named as Kai means "The Sea" and in this very special place.

Peter and I aren't overly religious... we're trying to figure out exactly what we are, but we do believe in a higher power - a good higher power - and wanted Kai to be blessed just as his sister had.

Here's our entire group

The Dagupion Family (minus Uncle Patrick and Landon)

The beginning of the blessing

Kai was very curious!! He was such a good boy through the entire thing.

Baptized with the Sea water

Group shot with Uncle Earl

Then Auntie Shayna did a beautiful Hawaiian chant for Kai. I wish I had a recorder to tape it. It was beautiful.

Kai enjoyed it too!

The challenging this about being at the beach is that Ry and Kai desperately wanted to play in the water. Ryenne skipped along and she and I checked out a washed up coconut.

Kai is definitely a Mama's Boy!!

We decided to get some shots of us walking together. This is my favorite one.

And then we figured, "Well why not just get all the way in already?"

Another of my very favorite images from our trip. I think this one is going on the wall!

Isn't this light amazing? He was touching his reflection.

Our wet family on the beach for a beautiful sunset. Hard to beat...

A big, HUGE, GIGANTIC mahalo to Debbie and Martin Wyand for coming out to be a part of Kai's special day and for photographing this for us. We are so happy that you both are part of our lives and our kids' lives!!

There's Just No Substitute

There is just no substitute for the beach. We love our pool in the neighborhood, don't get me wrong, but the beach is just something magical to behold.

As I'm editing the pictures from our Maui trip, I get a happy feeling knowing that Kai boy has gotten his little feet wet, has been flung into the Maui air, and that Ryenne has gotten to run around like a wild child with sand in her nose greeting each new wave that comes in. Just can't help but smile!!!

A very happy little boy and his daddy (above)

Kai being thrown in the air and Ry looking for the next wave to chase

She got it!

A great capture of me and the boy by Auntie Jean!

A beautiful ending to our evening at the beach with my baby girl in a great mood.

An Easy Halloween

Ryenne and I had the conversation about Halloween last night. Costumes are already starting to show up places. Once we hit October we can start thinking about pumpkins and her school's Fall Harvest celebration.

I think this year will be quite easy as she explained that she would like to be Super Ryenne again. And her costume does still fit her. AND it just so happens that Kai has a little "super" pajama that says "Sidekick".... so I think that will work out nicely.

I know we've barely even started September and here I am speaking of Halloween. I think I'm just ready to be done with the summer months and (hopefully) welcome some rain and cooler weather. Get outside more.... It's such a challenge to go play outside when it's over a hundred degrees. If we can just get down to 70 I'll be a happy camper!

A Very Special Moment

I think that this image deserves to the be the first on the blog that posts at a good viewing size. I still have images from Maui that I'm going through and it's a process for me.

But this image is very special. When we went to visit Nana and Pupu, it looked like he had been waiting to see Peter. I said hello and gave him a kiss but I wasn't sure if he totally knew who I was (or maybe didn't care). But when he saw Peter, he lit up. And he grabbed his hand. It was very special to witness!

The New Look

I've been wanting to do this for quite some time! Today while the kids were napping I sat down with some web tutorials to update the look of the blog. I love it! Howabout you???

Catching Up: The Dagupion Family

Our last night on Maui with all of us together!!
Bottom Row L to R: Jean, Peter, Me & Kai, Grandma Marissa
Top Row L to R: Patrick & Ryenne, Lisa & Landon, Jao, Papa Eugene
MISS YOU GUYS!!!! XOXOXOXOX

Catching Up: The Westin

Daddy and Kai waking up and sleepy with the amazing view

The kids' first waterfall!

Koi fish in the pond. Ryenne asked if she could go fishing. This from the kid who watched Nemo and asked if she could eat the fish. Can you say... Filipino?? LOL

Our amazing view from our room. The room was tiny. I'm serious... TINY. But the view totally compensated for it!

catching up: The Sugar Cane Train

When we got on the train Ry was sitting so cute and she was so excited. I just couldn't help myself... I had to snap a picture of her feet. They are just so cute!!

Anyway, these uploaded out of order... sorry!!!

Grandma and her girl!

The cousins eating banana lumpia!!

Mommy and Kai boy... we were both hot LOL.