I almost forget to mention...

...we officially launched our baby line! Our book is currently on display at Posh Paper! Yeah!!!





Wish us luck!

I'm addicted to...

BALDUR'S GATE: DARK ALLIANCE II
I know I'm a nerd. But every now and then I like to waste time and play video games. My game of choice right now: Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II! I am seriously addicted to this game. Paul and I play together and it's a way to escape the reality of life (i.e. laundry, chores, work, etc.) without going out and spending money!
I'm so addicted, that I'm up right now 1:20am in the morning because I want to keep playing, but since it's 2 players, I can't play without Paul and he fell asleep on me! Boooooo!!!! LOL!

We also watched the free UFC fight...

...love that Rampage won against Dan Henderson! He's such a down to earth guy. I met him a few times back in the day when Paul used to train. It's crazy how the UFC blew up! I remember being able to buy tickets like a week before the fight in Vegas for $35.00! It was like UFC 34...or something in the 30's...we used to go all the time. Now tickets are like $400...trippin...it cost more to watch it on cable now! LOL...it's blowin up! Now I can't wait for Ultimate Fighter when Sera and Hughes go down as coaches! (Ok...I know I'm really a nerd)

...hmmm...what was the point of this blog entry? I feel like Jamie and Auts are the only ones that actually read it, since they're the only ones that leave me comments!...Except for the occasionally drop ins from Kati and Mihan...Hopefully some day I can look back and remember all this crap, and say to myself,"Self...that was some dumb sh*t you blogged, why did you waste valuable time 1-2 o'clock in the morning talking about video games and the UFC"

And that's my que.

To talk about more important things like the real reasons why I started this blog in the first place!
OHHHH...BTW...Alexa takes 4 steps on her own without persuading from either parents! Yeah!!!
I know that this pic is blurry but I love it anyway!


And Sam started school!She's in her last year of elementary!
She made it on the list! She's in the 4th/5th grade advanced class, with the rest of the popular crowd! She tells me all the time that it's cool to be smart "now-a-days". And I know what she means by that (she's indirectly calling me OLD!), but I choose to ignore that. It's a good thing I wasn't "cool" at her age! ha! Her and her girlfriends at school are so funny. But I love that ALL her friends at school are really smart. It matters who your friends are growing up. They 're a big influence and Sam is surrounding herself with a good crowd.
It's good thing, because I know I'm in for it in another 3 years when she goes to high school! (ouch!)
Let me go back to playing video games so I don't have to think about that! :)

Arizona vs. California

For labor day weekend, our family went to Arizona to visit my sis-n-law, Jeanne.
She just had surgery and we wanted to surprise her with a visit. We've been horrible and haven't visited her since she moved to Arizona around 3 years ago! So Friday night we head to the desert with Paul's parents and my other sis-n-law, Joyce! I was really hoping that Anthony and Alina were with us, but they stayed behind. Another road trip! This one wasn't that bad. The 5 hour drive down the 10 fwy was a straight shot and went pretty quick.

Jeanne has been telling us to move to Arizona for awhile now. But it wasn't even a thought in my mind to move out there! I would always answer her with a, "hell no" or "heck no...it's haaaauuuut (hot) out there!" Here we are 2am and it's 100 degrees outside! So of course the following day, they take us to some model homes! What a change in tune I had. The houses out there are beautiful! I started doing the math. I can get a house out here that's 3 times bigger than my house for how much? Less than what I pay for my house her in Long Beach! It just surprised me that I would even consider. I mean, I know that I am blessed that Paul and I are in the position that we can really relocate where ever we please. The business gives us that flexibility. But the desert? I've lived in California all my life! I barely survived northern California!
I just started thinking...who's really here. My parents are going to retire in less than 3 years and moving to Vegas. My brother has another 2 years at LaJ olla then he will probably move to another state because he doesn't think that he can afford the cost of living...ahhh...especially in La Jolla (my #1 place to retire). And let's say he stays there...he just has to hop on the 85 to AZ and it's only 4.5 hours away. More like 4 hours the way he drives.

I'm getting older, so my cousins and I don't really hang out anymore. Tone is busy doing his thing in Hollywood. Jess is going through her 20's and partying like a rockstar (too cool to hang out with my old fart!), Carl and Cal are getting older and Cal should be off to college next year. I barely see Dan, Celisse and the twins. We're only with each other on holidays, which I figure will happen if I move anyway.
(Am I trying to convince myself?) I guess with age, I'm starting to think that I'd rather be financially free. Eleanor and I always talk about how we miss our apartment in Cypress because it was less than $1000 a month and if something broke we made a phone call to fix it! No problems with home improvements, or the yard, or silly homeowner stuff. Then there's the whole mortgage payment that creeps up every month, not to mention the HOA and the HO Insurance, OOOOHHH and don't forget the property taxes that get paid twice a year...It really sucks to have all these responsibilities. Now, AZ is sounding really good. I get to be 5 minutes away from my sis-n-law. Sam will have cousins in the same school. But there's also cons. Sam just got into dance, she'd have to start again. And of course, she's leaving her friends since she was 5 years old in Long Beach. And of course, I don't even know what kind of a hard time Sam's dad is gonna give me. WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING? I think that I've got a lot of thinking to do. I guess that's what adults do...think. A lot. I remember when living spontaneously was the norm. Now, things have to be planned and before I start the day I have a schedule to follow. (Do you see why my best friend's names are Kettle and RedBull?)
If we move to Arizona...IF...All I know is that I will miss home a lot. This house especially has so many memories for me. Paul proposed to me here. This is our first house. Paul has done so much to this house. There were a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this house. I never thought that I would be so attached to this shack at the Beach (what I like to call it). Is this what happens when you get older? The people that you were the closest to, siblings, cousins, good friends...they all start they're own lives and grow apart?...NOOOOOO! I refuse to think that way. I know that where ever we end up, the relationships that we developed stick. Now all I have to do is get everyone out there to one of those model homes that look like the homes in MTV's Cribs and tell them that they're mortgage payment will be less than their car payment! I know I can sell like at least 4 of them to join me! (fingers crossed)

DOUBLE DIGITS!

Yep...my girl is now the big ole TEN! I can't believe how time flies. I only seem to really notice when she cleans out her closet and there's still 5T dresses that we hung on to. Seems so cliche to say, "Time flies when you're having fun", but it's true. Maybe all the hard times and blessings on the way made the time pass so fast. Sam still remembers the 1 bedroom Cypress apartment we lived in. It was a pretty small apartment with just Sam and I. We had chicken and rice almost everyday. I weighed 108 because I was on the broke diet. We took walks to the Cypress College swapmeet on the weekends. We crammed like 50 people there for her birthday parties. We really had some times together, her and I. And I'm so proud that she's grown up to be such a well behaved young girl.

So for the big 10, we had to do some special stuff for her. We threw her a surprise birthday slumber party with her 2 good friends Julia Dorsey and Julia Chaay.

I picked up her friends while she was at dance practice and decorated the dining table and the window behind it (thanks Jame for the idea...once again). I even did rice crispy treats (one of Sam's favorites) and when she came in the door we yelled, "SURPRISE!!!" She screamed and was so happy and excited to see her friends. She's known Julia C. since 1st grade and Julia D. since 3rd. She hasn't seen them all summer. She was filled with smiles, followed by a non-stop of cackling.

And on her birthday DAY (24th), we got up had pancakes and omlettes for breakfast, then opened up gifts!

She loved her HOT PINK ipod from Uncle Alex! Isn't her reaction classic? O-M-G!!!!

Then off to the happiest place on earth...DISNEYLAND!

Check out Alexa staring her sister down. She's thinking,"ummmmmm...can you get your hand off my ride"...LOL
Seriously though, Alexa doesn't mess around. She throws some mean stares! LOL

It was Alexa's first time at Disneyland and she did really well. She loved all the rides and said "hi" to all the passing people! Sam had so much fun with Julia and julia and even ditched them on the rides to ride with me! (tear) Thanks to dad...he stayed aside with Alexa for the big kids to ride the roller coasters and big kid rides. These dang girls got me to go on the water raft ride. And of course whos the one that gets soaked? Me of course. The one whos trying not to get wet!

All in all it was a good day.

We did 12 hours, 11am to 11pm! Now we're prepared for annual passes!

The next day (Sat) was her big performance at Citrus College! GO TM TOTS! She did so well!

She's on the far right hand side. (Thank you Nancy for the video)
And here's a good one with Kasey (Alex's girlfriend, roommate, co-worker, classmate). She helped us get Sam motivated and into dance.


And one with the boys...can you believe how big these kids are now? It's so cute how Devan and Sam are in the same dance company!

Alexa's WEEK-AND-A-HALF long birthday EXTRAVAGANZA!

OK...I'm gonna attempt to do the abridged version of our trips and everything in between. Before we left for Cancun, we celebrated Alexa's 1st birthday at Boomers in Fountain Valley.
Gosh that was so worth it! You get in, they feed you, the kids are entertained, there's no cleaning involved, you give them a credit card and it's done with. It was especially nice to see my cousin Jenn there with Jaeden and of course the Waters' rep., Caleb :)Even Nancy, Ni and Devan joined us for the party (did you guys know that Devan and Sam are in the same dance company TM? Performance on the 25th of August!)

And one with her Grandma Del...
And another with her Grandma Ely and Grandpa Poli...
My good friends (more like sisters) Tina and Christine were there to celebrate with their families...
Paul took Alexa on the rides. I'm so blessed to have such a family man...
Charlize loves to play with Alexa. I love that they will grow up together like Sam and Jenalyn...
Didn't see Sam most of the day. She was out and about. When I saw her she was drenched from the bumper boats with cousin Alina...
The party was on a Sunday. The following Wednesday early morning we were off to Cancun for Eleanor & Shawne's wedding!
This was Alexa's first time on a plane. She did fabulous on the way up...not so great on the way back. We land, get checked into our rooms and head to go eat and drink. Sushi and sashimi along with Miami Vice (pina colada with strawberry daquiri) and some stir fry! Yummy! Alexa learned how to drink out of a straw that very evening and helped her sister polish off a whole virgin strawberry daquiri by themselves!
The following morning we wake up to this...
It's hard not to just be in awww every morning! The view was absolutely gorgeous and just breathe taking. How do you go from this to long BEACH? right? Sam was the one to remember to take a picture of it.
Then off to the Oceana to eat, again. This is where the menus, or what my brother calls "tablets" are bigger then Alexa.

And Alexa with yet another strawberry daquiri...

Now it's time to head to the beach! Sam and Paul had a blast. Paul is seriously a fish. He can't get out of the water! I stuck around under the palapas with Alexa waiting for my cervezas!
Of course what's next to do but EAT!


The following day was...

...ALEXA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

How cool it's gonna be for her to say that she was drinking strawberry daquiris in the Mexican Carribbean on her first birthday. And of course, my mom and I had to celebrate Alexa's birthday by buying a gift for ourselves! :)
Which Alexa will inherit on her birthday many years from now. So I consider it an investment, hahahahaha.

...ELEANOR AND SHAWNE'S WEDDING.

It was so beautiful. I burned that day in the sun. Can you believe that? As dark as I am I can still burn...LOL. I took a lot of pics! I wish I took more of the whole group. I took a lot of couple pics for some reason. But for the most part these were the VIPS at Club Chess (you'd get it if you were there, and that's all that matters)











The following day was a day of rest and relaxation. But it was more like party mode.
Alexa tore up the ice cream cones. As you can see, we moved on to chocolate.



After a really bad hangover and learning to say, "AN ORRRCHRA SIR-VASAHHH POOR FAVOR" (another beer please) another day passed and a big group of us went on an excursion to Xel-Ha and Tulum.

XEL-HA


I was not feeling Xel-ha at all. I was grumpy, gassy, hot, sticky, and just plain cranky from the 2 hour bus ride. So Paul took over with the picture taking and I'm so thankful that he did.

TULUM

In Aug of 2003, Paul and I took a trip to Cancun, and visited Tulum at that time (20 lbs. lighter and full of energy). This pic was taken 2003 on the cliff of Tulum. It's now roped off and you can't stand it the spot that we were standing at.

I'm so glad that we are able to take the family back to experience this beautiful place. Although it would even be more beautiful without the mosquitos!
It was a nice place to go, especially since we are set to leave paradise the next day. One last dip in the pool...

...a yummy lunch...

...and a last family pic after...

It's time for some SLEEP!