Mom & Dad in the Philippines

We are so grateful that my parents were able to visit us here in the Philippines! We all were so anxious for their arrival & of course, sad to see them go.

While here, we were able to show them so many beautiful people & places in and around Subic Bay. Here is a sampling of their 3 short weeks with us...

Welcome to our home!

We were lucky to have Mom & Dad here while we also hosted our Up With People girls, Molly & Neele. Mom & Dad had the opportunity to get to know both of these lovely girls, as well as attend the outstanding performance the cast put on at the convention center.

I was thrilled Mom was able to attend the December Bunco get-together with me & meet some of my wonderful girlfriends in Subic! And, as an added bonus, Mom LOVED her White Elephant gift!

We had the chance to visit an hours old foal at the El Kabayo stables, thanks to Heather. The kids & adults alike enjoyed petting the soft pony... when mommy horse allowed us near.

Mimi & Papa enjoyed watching Nick's Lower School Christmas program. Nicholas was so proud to have them there on such a special day for him. And, of course, the little kiddos were adorable!

One Monday morning, after we dropped the kids off at school, we relaxed on a hanging cable car journey amid the tall Subic trees at Tree Top Adventure. We ended that outing with a thrilling zip line run, called The Superman. It was a great way to see the jungle of Subic Bay.
(Dad is showing off his big guns here!)

We all visited Ocean Adventure & had front row seats for the amazing dolphin & whale show. We also had fun "talking" to some rescued monkeys. Amazingly, the kids spoke their language!

The sunset at Punta de Uian beach resort was amazing, as always! And, the kind owners of the resort were so sweet to offer us a complimentary full spread meal for dinner. We love this place!!

Punta de Uian Sunset - Gorgeous!!


One of the most special opportunities I have had while living in the Philippines happened at Punta de Uian resort while my parents were visiting. We were lucky enough to be at the beach the day they decided to release over 100 endangered baby sea turtles. The Pawikan Conservation Project works hard to ensure these little creatures a good start in life. We felt blessed to be a part of their amazing journey!

Thanks to my friend, Jen, we took Mom & Dad to the beautiful resort at Anvaya Cove. We spent the entire day collecting seashells, lounging in the sand & playing in both the pristine swimming pools & the ocean waves. We had such a great day!

Mom & Dad were also entertained by a crazy kid wearing monster teeth!!

After I showed Mom & Dad the new Texas Instruments facility that Sam is working on, we had a very nice dinner at delicious C's Italian in Angeles. They probably have the best food outside of Manila! YUM-MY Panizzas!!

On their last night in the Philippines, we stayed at The Peninsula hotel in Manila. The hotel proved to be a great end to their 3 week Philippine vacation. The Christmas tree was a beautiful sight! We ended the evening lounging by the pool, enjoying the cool night air while the kids & Sam swam nearby.

And, I wanted to throw in one last picture... just for fun.
A Male Urinal on the side of the road in Manila! These are sparsely scattered along the main highway that runs through Manila, EDSA. And, while it's nice that there is semi coverage... you still know the reality of what's going on. Ewwww!
(I was trying to explain these urinals to Mom & Dad. So, this picture is for you guys...)

Mom & Dad, we all thoroughly enjoyed your visit. And, we all agreed that it was WAAAAAAY too short! But, we were so thankful for the time we had to spend with you both. Thank you for flying halfway across the world to come see us! We love you both!