My birthday

My sister Hazel organized a girly birthday Luau for me. Thanks so much Tetel and thanks Ate Honey for having my luau at your lovely home and at Yanca's big backyard! ;)

New post, new post!

I had been busy the past few days that we got home to my family in Chicago. So many things had been happening lately. I'm so happy and I love every minute spending time with my sisters and brother. My nieces and nephews are a riot and I can't get enough of them! I can't believe how much I missed my papa and mama, I regressed to a little girl just sleeping the hours and basically enjoying their company. It's a big plus too that most of my relatives from both sides are in Chicago. Yes, we basically took over the city. =/

Seriously though I had also been busy...with my work! Sometimes its really a bit awkward to say its work because its really not. Honestly, there's not a single moment that I feel that its real "work" work though there are sleepless nights and long days. All I know is I'm doing something I absolutely love and getting paid for it. There is nothing better in this world than to wake up each morning eager to do something you are absolutely passionate and in love with--and get paid good money for it.

It's also a treat that my mama can see me these days doing my thing. I love how she likes everything and seeing how excited she gets and how proud she is with my creations and designs. Sometimes I still get teary-eyed and really touched when I see her get so excited with my jewelry. This, my mama who has always been a bit snooty with the jewelry she wears.

She has been supportive of me even from the start. I know I'm so lucky to have such supportive family because not everyone who is in the same position as I am would have that. Looking back, if I didn't have this much support, this would have been just a hobby or a maybe phase in my life. I had always expected them in the beginning to scoff at me and to tell me to get a real job considering I graduated with two college degrees.
BUT NO. That fueled me from the start. When I have kids someday it is my utmost hope that I can help them to realize too whatever they dream to be.
I will let them be whatever they want to be, I will encourage them when I see even the tiniest of inclination to something if its something that makes them absolutely happy. =))

Grandeur of the Grand Canyon

There's something about Grand Canyon that makes you feel so young and old at the same time.

Young, because you see the grandeur, the enormity of it and that somehow makes you feel so small, so insignificant and so humbled.

Old, because you know somehow right where you were standing marveling at the sight, another person has stood at the same spot, seen the same thing and felt the same way hundreds of years ago... and there will be countless more in the next hundred years.

Hoover Dam

Visiting the Hoover Dam was a treat. More that seeing the ingenuity of man and an engineering wonder...the treat was seeing my husband like a little boy, wide-eyed and awed, marveling at the most boring things for me: Construction and Engineering.

Las Vegas Trip

I am so attached to my laptop. I do my work with it, talk to my family and basically stay in touch with the world with my laptop from the confines of my little nook. But lately, i had been deliberately tech-free hence the late updates. I guess that's what vacations are all about. =))

We went to Vegas last week. Last time I was there was 15 years ago with my parents and sister. I was a little kid and I remembered how grand Vegas was and I especially remembered the Pirate show in Treasure Island Hotel. I kept telling Pao about it and when we watched it again---it was totally different: Girls in skimpy pirate suits gyrating in the showboat. Vegas is so sexified these days. :/ We loved the energy and sexy vibe though and the fact that we can kiss anywhere, anytime and be excused for it, it's Vegas, baby!



The hubby and I savored just walking around and watching Vegas shows every night with our Tito Rudy and Pao's aunt, Tita Vito. Pao was even called up stage in the Russ Merlin segment to be the one of the four assistants. He wore the clown mask. =) I wasn't able to get pictures since it wasn't allowed. He won the balloon popping relay and was able to score two extra tickets for the Beatles show.




Pao wanted to go in every single hotel at the strip and although I absolutely hate walking around and doing tourist-y things, I obliged and we spent two full nights just going through the vegas labyrinth. My fave hotel btw is the Bellagio. =)









My fave thing to do in every place we visit: lazing around at the hotel. After all, that's what vacations are all about!

Happy Mothers' day!

...to my beautiful mama and to my sisters and all the wonderful moms out there!

I have so much to share from our trips the past few days but I'm still wading thru the photos and whatnots. Pao was so trigger-happy shooting everything, I end up spending so much time organizing and deleting photos. =/