Playing in the Rain

Subic Bay Ultimate Frisbee Team!

Every Sunday evening, my friend, Heather, gathers a group of adults & kids to play team sports at the school soccer field. We meet at 4:30 and play until dark... about 2 hours or more. Rain or shine! We have played soccer, flag & tackle football and ultimate frisbee. This has become such a fun family gathering that we all look forward to attending. The kids stay busy playing on the covered playground while the adults (mostly) play on the field. Several big kids join the fun on the field & the younger ones run back & forth doing just about whatever they want! We all get great exercise & the children, of course, are completely worn out by the end of the evening!

Even Typhoon Frank can't spoil our fun! In fact, I think it was even better playing Ultimate Frisbee in the rain! We were quite drenched & muddy when the game ended, though. Fun times...

Gathering together on the field

Sam making another awesome catch

Samuel, Cade & Michael

Our Father's Day

We had a nice & relaxing Father's Day last week. Sam only asked for a day of doing whatever he wanted, so the kids & I tried hard to stay out of his hair. He slept in, he watched TV, he went for a jog, he played video games & he read some of his book. While he was relaxing inside, we decided to make him a Father's Day card outside on a cement slab located on the side of our house. We worked hard & used up all the sidewalk chalk we happened upon one day at the store. (Sidewalk chalk is almost impossible to find here & is currently not sold anywhere nearby, but we are waiting on a care package from my mom with a new bucket of sidewalk chalk inside! YEA!) Here are some pictures of our wonderful artwork!

Nicholas was excited to go inside the house & get Daddy to come see his "card"

Our cement card

Mommy & Nicholas pose in front of our portraits

Sydney & Samuel pose on their chalk outlines

Summer Summary II

Needless to say, I won't be typing up a daily summer recap as was my goal. But, I will do my best to remember all the fun we have had so far...

* I have taken the kids to the Fontana Water Park in Clark twice so far this summer. Now that the SCTEX toll road that runs between Subic & Clark (where the new Texas Instruments facility is being constructed) is complete, it takes me a mere 45 minutes to make the drive to the water park. It's clean, it's fun & it's cheap! We are enjoying every minute while the sun is shining before rainy season engulfs us!

* The kids have spent countless hours playing with their friends: John, Ciaran, Rowan, Eva, Cade, Melissa, Min Seo and others that are also staying here throughout the summer. Thank goodness for friends!

* We spent one Sunday afternoon in downtown Subic Bay watching several teams of 8 players participate in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament. Our friend, Heather, was playing so we cheered her on from the sidelines. The kids loved every single action packed minute! You can see pictures here.

* Sam & I have been able to sneak away for a few dates here & there. We enjoyed some live music at a little outdoor restaurant called Pier One. However, neither of the two rotating bands knew any of the songs that we requested. It was a bit of a reality check... we're definitely not in America anymore! Afterwards, we found a new videoke hangout. (Did I mention that my purse, which was holding Sam's wallet, was stolen from a previous videoke lounge back in May? I returned to get it less than 10 minutes after I left & it was already gone! Oh & we were the ONLY customers there! So, we have since boycotted that evil place!) This new lounge is even better, though, because they also provide tambourines we can play while Sam sings. Because, as all of our friends are learning, Sam is definitely the microphone hog! I know what you're thinking, but I promise... he is!

* We have also seen a few movies. I took the kiddos to see Kung Fu Panda a couple of weeks ago. Such a funny movie! We all loved it! We also saw Ironman. Sam & Samuel really liked it. Nicholas wasn't too interested at the time, but has now been asking to see it again. Sydney could take it or leave it. There were no princesses in it, so it doesn't get any stars in her book. And, last night, Sam & I went on a date to see M. Night Shyamalan's new movie, The Happening. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!! It was completely NOT worth it! Probably one of the stupidest movies I have seen in quite a while.

* Samuel & Nicholas also started taking taekwondo lessons. Samuel has been begging for months to go & now that we finally started, I'm not sure that he's too crazy about it. Nicholas, on the other hand, LOVES it! He is the youngest in the class & doesn't take it too seriously like many of the other kids, but kicking & punching are right up his alley! He is able to release tons of pent up energy! Sydney also started tennis lessons last week. She was pretty nervous about her first lesson, but was quick to tell me afterwards how much fun she had. She was so proud of herself every time she actually hit a ball over the net. Samuel will be joining her next week, so maybe this will be a sport they can play together one day.

* On Sunday afternoons, we typically meet a few other families at the school soccer field to play a variety of sports... ultimate frisbee, flag football or soccer. Ultimate frisbee has become a favorite among the kids & adults. I am completely worn out halfway through the game. And, we only play to 10 points! The younger kids play on the jungle gym while the older kids & parents get some much needed exercise. We really look forward to these fun outings & especially to the early bedtimes they create for our energetic kiddos!

* Sydney, Samuel & Nicholas recently completed a 2-day camp at Ocean Adventure. Ocean Adventure is similar to Sea World, but on a much smaller scale. They learned all about marine life & about taking care of our earth; they had the opportunity to interact with a variety of sea creatures; they picked up trash & debris along the coastline; they enjoyed fun crafts designed to help teach them about our ocean; and, last but certainly not least, they had the opportunity to kiss a sea lion & to swim with a dolphin! They absolutely LOVED their 2 days spent at Ocean Adventure. It was the best investment I have made so far this summer!

Here are a few pictures:

Samuel & Dolphin

Sydney & Dolphin

Nicholas & Dolphin

A sea lion planting a wet, sloppy kiss on Samuel's cheek

And, Nick's head

Shaking Sydney's hand

More pictures here

Dallas

My wonderful parents are currently caring for our beloved dog, Dallas. We rescued Dallas soon after our 2nd wedding anniversary, so she has been a part of our family for over 8 years now! She was our 2nd "child". (We inherited my other rescued dog, Mystery, when we moved to a home with a yard in the D/FW area. Unfortunately, we had to put Mystery to sleep almost 4 years ago. She was our 1st "child".) Although we miss Dallas terribly, we know she is completely happy & in the best of care with her grandparents in the country. She has so much room to run & roam. And, now, she gets to run alongside my parents while they ride their bikes up & down the dirt road. She is loving every minute of her looooong vacation in Central Texas!

Mom & Dad, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking such special care of our high maintenance baby! She is so lucky to have the best Mimi & Papa!!

Look at this great smile!

Air Supply

They're old, but they can still rock out to those sappy love songs! Here are some pictures from the concert we attended Thursday night. We all had a great time!

Groupies

There they are - young at heart!

We sang every song with them!

Espinosas with Tammy & Steve Davis
(Tammy's brother, Dan, in background)

More pictures here

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DILLON!

My youngest nephew celebrated his 11th birthday today, June 13! (Well, it's the morning of June 14th in the Philippines, but it's still Friday the 13th in Texas!)

Dillon, we all love you so much & we hope you had an exciting day of celebrating! You are such an awesome & fun boy!

Happy 11th birthday, Dill Pickle!!

Dillon & Sadie (Mimi & Papa's dog)

Pictures of a younger Dillon from our family camping trips:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

70th Birthday Morning

Today is my Dad's birthday! And, not just any 'ol birthday... but his 70th!! My Dad is 70 years young & is the best looking grandpa around! In honor of my wonderful father, here are some pictures of him in action with a few facts about him thrown in...

(The picture above was taken this morning. Our family has a tradition of making a special birthday pancake on the morning of the lucky person's birthday. Mom & Dad continue this tradition even without any kids at home.)

Proud of his "Grandpa" shirt!
(And he definitely is a very proud Papa/Abuelo to all 8 of his grandkids!
5 of his grandchildren call him "Papa" & 3 call him "Abuelo".
He loves both titles!)

Soaked at the Frio River!
(He LOVES the Frio River, but he HATES being cold!
And, he really likes his "Grandpa" shirt!)

Dad & Mom at Frio River - June 2007
(Standing with Mom beneath the flood line on the tree at the Frio River.
The river rose that much just the day before.)

Amberly holding Nick & Papa holding Samuel at edge of flood water
(We were evacuated from our cabin & still couldn't get to it yet at this point.
The boys were still in their pajamas since we had to leave so quickly.)

Papa mowing with Samuel

Papa mowing with Sydney

Amberly (pregnant & swollen with Nick) holding Sydney, Dad holding Samuel & Mom
(Mom & Dad spent DAYS painting the beautiful red wall behind my sofa since I was huge & pregnant! Dad & I realized we probably should have taken the advice of the Home Depot paint department when they suggested we use a primer. We learned the hard way... 7 coats later! Sorry Mom.)

Dad & Sydney "fishing" at the City of Richardson Great Fountain Plaza Festival
(Dad enjoys fishing & especially enjoys taking his grandkids out fishing. Even in fountains!)

Papa holding newborn Nicholas
(Dad's nickname for Nicholas is "El Milagro", meaning "The Miracle". I was diagnosed with a complete placenta previa early on in my pregnancy, then diagnosed again with vasa previa one week before Nicholas was born. We were all thankful for my miracle boy that decided to stay nice & comfy in my womb until a safe c-section could be performed.)

Papa & his turkey feeding crew
(Mimi & Papa are very proud of their wild turkeys that visit the house in the evenings. The kids love throwing corn with Papa & watching the turkeys come for a feast.)

Happy birthday Dad & Papa! We all love you very, very much! You are the best & you deserve the best! Have a wonderfully special birthday!

One Word

I'm a sucker for surveys & the such! On this particular one, you are supposed to answer each question with one word only. Here are my answers... let's see yours on your blog!

1. Where is your cell phone? Counter

2. Where is your significant other? Kitchen

3. Your hair? Up

4. Your mother? Young

5. Your father? Birthday!

6. Your favorite thing? Family

7. Your dream last night? Gone

8. Your favorite drink? Lemonade

9. Your dream/goal? Debtless (I will not stoop to using TWO words!!)

10. The room you're in? Family

11. Your hobby? Tennis

12. Your fear? Unknown

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Adventure

14. Where were you last night? Manila

15. What you're not? Skinny

16. Muffins? Nope

17. One of your wish list items? Australia

18. Where you grew up? Kingsville

19. The last thing you did? Drive

20. What are you wearing? Clothes

21. Your TV? Movie

22. Your pets? Dallas

23. Your computer? MacBook (one word... I promise!)

24. Your life? Busy

25. Your mood? PMSing

26. Missing someone? Family

27. Your car? Leased

28. Something you're not wearing? Shoes

29. Favorite store? Online

30. Your summer? Beginning

31. Like someone? Absolutely

32. Your favorite color? Blue

33. When is the last time you laughed? Today

34. Last time you cried? Saturday

35. Who will resend this? Sisters

Summer Summary

We had another fun day on Friday. I'm thinking we need to pace ourselves. I can't keep this going all summer...

Friday, May 30

* I met 2 girlfriends to go on a hike Friday morning. One of the ladies is a very outdoorsy type & hikes all over the Philippines. She has actually paid a few men to clear a hiking trail in the jungle. They clear out the bamboo & vines so that we can enjoy the challenging & shady trek. However, there were a few fallen tree trunks that we had to climb over and some very tall grass at certain areas. All in all, it was a fun form of exercise! We hike different trails every Friday & it's a great way to see parts of the Philippines one wouldn't normally see.

* The boys had 3 friends over to play. And, Sydney went to a classmates house for the day. The kids are staying happy & busy... which makes me happy!

* Several of the ex-pat ladies here got together for lunch. One of the Fed Ex ladies is moving to Hong Kong & it was her last luncheon with us. She & her family have lived here for 5+ years, so it was quite an emotional afternoon.

* Yesterday evening was date night for Sam & I. Before meeting some friends at a Japanese restaurant for dinner, we stopped by another couple's home to say goodbye. They are in the plane now as I type heading back to the states & Canada for their summer vacation. The wife is a teacher at Brent & her husband is the principal. Their youngest son & Nicholas are classmates & good buddies. We have all become great friends & it was sad to see them leave for 2 months. We enjoyed chatting with them for a while. Afterwards, I was finally able to convince Sam to eat at the Japanese restaurant with me! (He is not a fan of unfamiliar food.) The food here is delicious & I constantly crave it, but have never been able to drag Sam along with me. However, I think he really liked it last night. I hope to have many more date nights there!

* After dinner, we went to an outdoor area called Pier 1. They have live music on the weekends & it's fun to just sit & enjoy the music. We enjoyed visiting with friends & enjoying the cool evening breeze.

Today, we have fun afternoon plans. The great thing about living here is that the lifestyle really requires you to rely on friends and neighbors on a daily basis. There is no mall here. There is nothing much in the way of convenience. So, we spend our time with friends! We play outside. We go to the playground. We ride bikes. We go to the pool. And, we get together with lots of other people to keep life fun & interesting! Which is what we're doing again this afternoon. It'll be great!

Our Summer So Far...

My goal is to type up a daily recap of our summer activities, but I seriously doubt that will happen. There are days when I don't even see the computer, much less have time to spend blogging on it. But, I do want to remember what all we did while living abroad, so I will give it my best shot.

Since Friday was our last day of school, I will start with Saturday...

Saturday, May 24

* A friend & I went on our Saturday morning walk. About 3 times a week, we walk the neighborhood loop, which equals 5 miles. It's great to have a friend that is willing to commit to this with me. The sad thing is that her family is moving to Canada in mid-June. Makes me sick to think of them leaving!

* After lunch, Sam & I took the kids to the school pool. It was a beautifully, sunny day & the pool was completely empty! Both of those instances have been very rare lately. We had a great time! The kids learned to dive from the diving blocks. Nick mostly did belly flops & with his large tummy, it must have really hurt! Samuel & I raced down the pool trying to stay right along the black lines painted on the bottom. He almost beat me. Lap swimming is definitely not my strength! After we had been there for a while, most of their classmates started showing up. The pool got crowded very quickly. So, Sam & I enjoyed sitting out under the shade while the kids played with their friends.

Sunday, May 25

* Sam had to go into work Sunday morning, so the kids & I enjoyed a lazy day around the house. I read for most of the afternoon. Around 4:30, we joined a few other families at the school football field to play some sports games while the little kids played at the playground nearby. We had such a great time! We played tackle football with a varied group of people... men, women & teenagers. It was so fun! After football, we decided to play ultimate frisbee. My first time to play, but I had a blast. Lots of running, though! Whew... I was exhausted! The kids brought their bikes & showed off their riding skills all around the playground. We finally left close to 8:30, sweaty & tired!

Monday, May 26

* I walked my 5 mile loop in the morning.

* Nick went to a friend's house to play. Five of his classmates all got together & he had a great time!

* I had a group of ladies over to play board games. We do this every Monday & it is so much fun. My games are finally getting lots of good use! I can't wait until my kids are old enough to play board games with me.

Tuesday, May 27

* I took Samuel to the optometrist only to find out that we can't get what we need here in Subic. So, we will have to make a trip to Manila this weekend to replace his glasses for the 3rd time!

* After lunch, the kids & I headed out to the beach to meet friends there. We stayed until 6 pm. It was another beautiful day! Perfect beach weather. Right before we left, we listened to a local band play some tribal music on their goatskin drums. The kids danced around on the sand & created quite a show of their own.

* Sydney's friend, Rebekah, spent the night with us after the beach. We were all exhausted by the time we got home!

Wednesday, May 28

* I picked up Nick's friend, Griffin, to come spend the day playing at our house. He & the boys had a great time running around outside.

* Sydney, Rebekah & I decided to spend some time in the kitchen. We made grape Jell-O and chocolate chip cookies! And, I probably undid all that walking I had done earlier in the week!

* Later that afternoon, I met up with a couple of girlfriends to walk our 5 mile loop again. One of the ladies will be leaving Saturday for the summer, so it was great to spend some time with her before her family leaves.

* The kids & I spent the evening outside riding bikes & waiting for Daddy to arrive home from work. They love riding their bikes these days!

Thursday, May 29

* My friend, Julie, and I met to walk again this morning. It was HOT today!

* After showering, I headed out to do my grocery shopping. In Subic, you can't find everything in one store, so you have to visit multiple stores to get all you need. It's such an ordeal. I went to 3 different stores, then finally headed home with a car full of groceries. I don't like doing that very often, so I try to stock up as much as I can each trip.

* At 3, I took the kids to a birthday party for one of their classmates. They had a little magic show at the party & the kids were thrilled by it! I think 5 and 6-year-olds are the perfect age to enjoy a magic show.

* We got home at 6 pm & enjoyed a relaxing evening.

We'll see what tomorrow & the rest of the week holds...

Disobey

A bit ago, Nick & I went to pick up a friend of his that was coming to spend the day at our house. I was waiting in the car for Nick who decided to do anything but obey me. I finally asked him:

"Why can't you obey me?"

He responded:

"Because I'm not supposed to."

On days like this, I wonder if all my kids think that. 3 days into summer & counting...

Daniel in the Lion's Den

The kids' school holds a 30 minute chapel service each Wednesday morning. Every class takes a turn at presenting a special message during this time. A few weeks ago, it was Nick's Toddler Class' turn. Their wonderful teacher, Mrs. Reyes, prepared a little skit for the 3 and 4-year-olds, which they performed beautifully! We were all amazed at what a fantastic job these little people did on stage. Truly a testament to their awesome teacher!

Nicholas excited to be "The Jealous Advisor"Nicholas & his lion friend, Juwon

Nick & his fellow classmates... or castmates

The Jealous Advisor making his way on stage

Getting excited to start...

Two adorable lions - Fletcher & Min Seo

KC as a guard, Alyssa as Daniel, Griffin as the King & Nicholas

Performing a special song after the play

Class Photo

Terrific Twins

I love this photo!

Summer of '08

The possibilities are endless:

May 30 - The Click Five in Manila, Philippines (I have no idea who they are, but that is beside the point...)
June 12 - Air Supply in Subic Bay, Philippines (WOO-HOO!!! We are definitely going!)
June 14 - The Osmonds in Manila, Philippines
July 11 - Disney's High School Musical on Ice in Manila, Philippines
July 29 - Chris Daughtry in Manila, Philippines
August 1 - Rick Astley in Manila, Philippines

And, I'm sure there are some other loser American Idols thrown in here & there. Because those are the ones that always seem to make the Philippine tour. Like Taylor Hicks late last year. Oh wait... he was a winner right? I can't keep up...

Anyway, the Philippines is definitely THE place to be this summer!!

And, to think... some people actually prefer to spend their summers elsewhere away from the torrential rain & plethora of "has been" artists the Philippines has to offer. Not us! We are riding it out here in the land of over 7,000 islands!

Here's to the summer of '08! (Say a prayer for me...)

No Training Wheels

The twins were inspired by one of their good friends here to learn how to ride their new bikes without the training wheels. So, one evening last week, Sam & I took off the wheels & pushed them on their way. They had it down within the first 20 minutes! We realized then that they were probably ready to master this skill quite a while back. But, they have it down & they are riding around the neighborhood like they have been doing it for years!

Sydney learned how to swim on her own here & now they have both learned how to ride a bike here. The relaxed, outdoor lifestyle we lead here seems to suit us beautifully!

Nicholas-isms

All my kids are pretty darn funny at times, but Nick just really makes me laugh. It's his age. He's too cute!

Friday was the kids last day of school & the day of their anticipated year-end program. Nicholas requested to have "spiky" hair on his special day, so Daddy obliged. After his hair was perfect, he looked at me, gasped & exclaimed:

"Oh my gosh! All the people are going to look at me & say, 'That boy is so cool!'"

I had to turn my head to laugh because he was completely serious when he said it. It would have broken his heart if he saw me laughing. Where does he come up with this stuff? I told Sam I couldn't even correct him for saying "Oh my gosh" because it was just too priceless!

That same evening, Sam & I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie that just released here. (We're a little late here in Subic!) We arrived home a little after 9 pm & the kids were still up watching a movie in Sydney's room. We peeked around the corner & surprised all three. Nicholas jumped up out of bed, quickly looked from me to Sam & wondered aloud:

"Hmmmm... who should I like?"

I was quick to inform him that he should definitely like me & he was quick to respond that he also liked Daddy. I can't argue with that.

Silly boy!

Snorkeling Induced Anxiety

Today was Labor Day in the Philippines, which equals no school! (I've come to believe that the Philippines probably has more holidays than any other country in the world!) So, we joined another fun family for an outing at the beach. It was a beautiful day when we arrived at the beach resort, and we decided to take a bunka boat (shown in the picture) across the way to a small island, known as Camera Island (also shown in the picture, along with the Capones Island). The ride was smooth, the water was gorgeous & the island was nice & quiet. Unfortunately, we didn't bring a snorkeling mask or any gear, but luckily our friends did. After they both swam far out to view the exotic sea creatures below, they swam back & offered their goggles for me to use. Sam put on Sydney's kid sized goggles (not the look for him!), I borrowed our friend's goggles & we swam out pretty far ourselves. However, I did not have an actual snorkel to use... only the goggles. So, between swimming against the ocean current to get out far enough, coming up for air every now & again & swallowing some nasty salt water, I started to panic a bit. I kept looking back at the island which was getting further & further away & that also made me nervous. In turn, as my heart started racing, my breath got shorter & shorter. So, my time enjoying the fascinating sea life was shortened by the constant need to come up for air every second, it seemed. The first time I snorkeled, I freaked out a bit as well because I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. Sam finally advised me to take steady, shallower breaths instead of deep breaths. I practiced for a while in shallow water & finally got the hang of it. This time, however, I was too far gone to stand anywhere. And, even if I could have stood, I was not wearing any flippers so my feet would have been completely exposed to the sea floor. Not a good idea when you don't know what's down there... sea urchins come to mind. (I did see a dried one on the shore, so I know they are definitely out there!) Anyway, we got out quite a ways & decided to just hang out at that spot instead of swimming out any further. Sam, who was absolutely fine, kept diving down to explore a little more closely. I, on the other hand, floated on my back as much as I could in an attempt to slow my heart & control my breathing. When I did feel a little more normal, I joined Sam and explored a bit as well. The water felt great & the coral was breathtaking. The fish were still rather small, because apparently, this area had been previously used by the military for target practice... bombs & such. They killed off all the beautiful fish & plants underwater. Only recently have the fish begun to return to these waters. Maybe by the time we leave, they will be large & plentiful!

We both swam back to the shore & unanimously decided on two things:
1. That we will add swimming to our exercise routine from now on. We were completely out of breath after that excursion.
2. That we will invest in a good snorkeling mask & gear for each of us. This opportunity is just too rare to pass up! We have got to take advantage of the awesome snorkeling that is so easily accessible to us.

I also decided that we need to splurge on an underwater camera. I have kicked myself twice now for not getting amazing photos of what we are seeing under the water. Any recommendations?

We would love for you to come visit! I know you would love the beauty of the Philippines also!