Today is Leap Day/Year! Until today, Mike and I had never celebrated a leap year birthday before. Today is our friend Egren's 9th birthday (or 36 "normal" years)!!! I wonder what it must be like to only "really" celebrate your actual birthday every four years ... but I digress. Since his birthday only happens every four years, Fr. Francis & co. wanted to do something special for him. So we all surprised him but showing up to his dinner with Fr. Francis at Maggianno's in Woodland Hills. Mike and I bought him a giant "9" balloon just so everyone knew exactly how old he was =). Dinner was great -- it's always nice to spend time with friends in Christ. We've really missed Fr. Francis as well and just being around him makes me feel better =). Zoe was amazing during dinner. She was pretty well-behaved and was entertaining the entire table (Natasha, Michi, Sarah, Vanessa, Fr. Francis, Mike Mesa and Fr. Francis) ... she was cracking me up! It's so awesome that we can take her out to places like this (even if it's way past her bedtime) and she's able to adjust and make the most of it (good sign).
We've only known Egren for a few years and it's been great getting to know him more and more. He's one of the funniest and sweetest guys I know and words can't express how proud we are of him to take on this journey towards priesthood. We took turns going around the table and telling Egren what's he's taught us the past 4 years ... I didn't really get a chance to go since Zoe was running around, but if I did, I would have said Egren has taught me to have BALLS. He taught me that it's ok if you don't quite know all the answers and that taking a step in a direction that is so scary is worth it. It's so ballsy of him to quit his high paying job and walk away from his life to pursue priesthood. And while he may not fully know if being a priest is what he'll really end up being, I admire him so much for at least giving it a try. Balls, I tell ya, balls!
We ended up getting home past 11 pm and Zoe knocked out. She didn't even wake up when I took her out of the carseat and into the house. I didn't have the heart to change her into her jammies since she was already sleeping so soundly, so I just put her in her crib and called it a night.
Zoe had a blast today!!! She had a play date with six of her buddies from our CCC group! Jesse and Elisa were nice enough to host the playdate at their home in Covina. The kids had a blast running around in the yard and just being kids. The parents enjoyed each other's company, too, along with yummy sandwiches and drinks. It's always so fun to see Zoe interacting with other kids -- especially these kids. Through our monthly meetings and FB postings, I feel like I really know who these kids are and it's great to know that Zoe already has a wonderful network of friends-in-Christ =). I LOVE that our CCC group has gotten so close ... even those couples without babies are just as close to us as those that do have babies. It's just a wonderful dynamic all throughout and the group has really been a great blessing to our lives (and marriage!). Mike and I have learned so much about life and marriage through the sharing of stories/lessons by the other couples that we consider the CCC an invaluable part of our lives.
Here are some adorable pictures of our adorable kids!
Daddy and Zoe having a picnic (without mommy?!)
The "big kids": Zoe, Grayson and Ava (Ava is the oldest of the group at 18 months)
Such a diva!
L-R: Grayson, Zoe, Ava, Nathan, Ella and cutie pie Lucas
(not pictured: Enrico due to napping)
Zoe is the ONLY other woman Michael could kiss =)
And here's the video footage of the kids. We had the hardest/funniest time trying to get all the kids to sit still for a photo (the only baby not featured in the group photo is Enrico since he was napping). PS: I LOVE that Zoe rocked a scarf!!! She didn't try to take it off once!!! I was the one who took it off since I didn't want her getting crumbs on it and figured she would be more comfortable running around getting her play on sans a boho scarf =) ... but still, how awesome is it that she's such a fashionista?! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!
Later in the evening, Zoe had ANOTHER playdate (I swear this girl's social calendar is way better than mine!) ... this time it was with Ninang Tasha and Lawrence. She was being so funny with them during their visit ... she kept feeding them invisible snacks and had a huge case of the giggles for some reason =). Here's the video:
Today we welcomed Phoebe Angeline into the Catholic world!!! Mike and I were honored to be chosen as godparents for little Phoebs ... we LOVE Danrochelle and Dennis and it's so amazing that we get to be a part of their lives forever in this special way! Mike and I are individually godparents to our nephews -- him to Isiah and me to Drew ... Phoebe is our FIRST joint godparent-ship and we're so excited!!! Hopefully we can help Phoebs through the years understand and know God better ... she doesn't have to be a perfect Catholic (no such thing really) ... I just hope she never loses faith ... and if she does lose faith at some point in her life, I hope she is able to come back to the Lord and keep Him in her life. Dan and Dennis told us we were chosen because they considered us really "good" Catholics and thought we would be a great example to Phoebs ... I must admit that "reason" probably would have been received with a little bit of embarrassment in my college years (or even as recently as a few years ago) ... but now that I've gotten better at expressing my love for Jesus, that's actually one of the best compliments I could hope for! It means Mike and I are doing our job of living out Christ's love and are inspiring others to want that same kind of relationship with the Lord ... The Yumuls admitted that they aren't "quite there" yet but are working on it -- I told them that the most important thing is that they are working on it ... that's all God really wants us to do -- to always try to "get there" ... He certainly doesn't expect perfection or extreme piety ... all He expects is a constant effort to be made to get to know Him ... to keep Him at the center of your life ... to introduce Him and His love to others. So I hope to be able to be that kind of inspiration to Phoebe throughout the years ... what a blessing to be given the opportunity to help her on her journey with Christ!!!
Congratulations to my good friends Dan and Dennis ... they have an amazing little bundle of joy and I'm so very happy for all the blessings they are currently enjoying and will continue to enjoy. Welcome to the cutest little Catholic ever, Phoebe Angeline Yumul!
(hoping to post pictures taken by Cherrie soon)
For now, here's the video of Zoe being her social self during Phoebe's reception at Bamboo Bistro =)
As part of my Lenten promise, I'm trying to take better care of myself (and my family). Good health is a BLESSING and I don't want to take that for granted by just stuffing myself (and my family) with all kinds of bad stuff. Mike has been encouraging me for months to use the vitamix more to make fruit/veggie smoothies (he also never fails to remind me to take my vitamins -- God bless him). Since I've been concerned that Zoe isn't getting enough veggies and fruit in her diet (i.e. hard poop = not enough fiber ... sorry if that's TMI), I figured we should start this juice thing together.
I put together blueberries, strawberries, banana, broccoli and carrots and to my surprise, I couldn't taste ANY of the veggies!!! Zoe seemed to enjoy her smoothie as well!!! Hooray for hidden veggies!!!!!!! Hopefully I can keep doing this so me and my baby girl can get the nutrients we need =)
Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of another lenten journey for me and my family. This is Zoe's second lent =) . Lent is always a great time for me to take a step back and to slow things down a bit to get closer to the Lord. It's always been a time for me to try harder to improve my relationship with Him and with all my loved ones. I've given up all kinds of things in the past and I found that as I got older, it became less and less about what I chose to give up for 40 days and more and more about really redirecting my life for the next 40 days (and hopefully longer) away from the "everyday stuff" and towards our Lord. It's a time to really reflect on my blessings ... on how I can be a blessing for others ... on how much LOVE I've been graced with in my life. I saw a post from one of my FB friends saying "for Lent this year, I'm giving up Lent" ... that totally made me sad because I felt like he was missing the whole point of this beautiful 40 days we've been given to spend with the Lord. I pray that in time, my friend will be able to open his heart to God's love and to make room for Him in his life.
I pray that the next 40 days will be a fruitful time for all my family and friends and that their lenten journey will not only bring them closer to the Lord, but also closer to finding their true selves -- the self that God always intended him/her to be so that true happiness and peace can reign in their lives.
We will be going to mass tonight at Mary Magdalene Church in Camarillo. I spent a big part of the day explaining to Zoe what lent meant ... I trust that she was able to understand at least the gist of what I was saying =)
Here she is brushing her wet hair and getting ready for mass. What a good little Catholic girl she is =)
Today is President's Day and since Mike has the day off and we've had a very busy weekend, we thought it would be nice to do "nothing" all day =) ... it was nice to sleep in and just hang out. Our "nothing" turned into running a couple of errands (i.e. Costco + canvassing houses in Ventura, etc.) and since we were out of the house Mike suggested we take a drive up the coast to watch the sun set (sweet!!!). It was nice to drive up the 101 to Mike's favorite place -- the seacliffs. We got there just as the sun was right above the waterline and it was perfect. Zoe seemed to enjoy watching the waves and the seagulls flying around ... it was nice to be able to do something as simple as that as a family and really enjoy it. Nature is just so beautiful and the fact the we live so close to the ocean is really a blessing that we haven't really taken full advantage of. Hopefully with the warmer weather approaching, Zoe and I (and maybe even Mike) can have more beach days together before we have to move back to LA =)
This past weekend Mike, Zoe and I joined Lolo, Lala, Isabelle and Ingha on a road trip to the bay area to celebrate Lala and Aunty Ting's birthday (as a twin myself, I totally get why the twins wanted to be together on their special day). Prior to SF, the only other road trip Zoe has ever been on is to Las Vegas to visit Grandpa Ted (the hour-long road trips every weekend to LA don't count). She did pretty good on the Vegas trip (with just a minor meltdown when we hit traffic on the way home) so I was hoping she'd do just as good -- if not better -- this time around. Luckily, the Salcedo Family has mastered the art of roadtripping to SF. They have this cool short cut through Gilroy (I think the highway is 152 or something) and it cuts the 7-8 hour trip to about 5 hours. We left late Friday night (around the time of Zoe's usual bedtime) so she was asleep for 95% for the way (phew!) ... she fell asleep at the grapevine and woke up around Stanford. I was happy she did so well (I was prepared with all kinds of toys and snacks on hand just in case) ... even though it was kind of cramped sitting with her in the third row of the Yukon, I was just happy that she was able to manage the long car ride (I even got to nap for an hour or so ... ).
Once we got to Aunty Ting's house, Zoe looked a little confused as she was assessing her new environment. It's like she was wondering if she's ever been to this place before ... what made things even more confusing was seeing Lala's twin sister -- I don't think she realized they were two different people =).
We woke up early the next morning to have breakfast with Mike's former co-worker (and still good friend) Neha. We haven't seen Neha in a while (she moved to SF last year) and she's been dying to meet Zoe, so it was the perfect time to hang out. We ate at a cute diner called Christie's in Burlingame and had a delicious meal (Frank and Amelia also joined us). Zoe enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes, hashed browns, eggs benedict and a waffle for good measure (I LOVE that she's such a foodie!). After breakfast, we said goodbye to Neha and met up with the rest of the family at an all-you-can-eat Asian seafood buffet to celebrate the twins' birthday. Of course, Zoe had lots of food (this girl loves her some bufffet!) ... she was being fed by both Lolo and me so she was getting a double dose of goodness =). Lunch was followed by birthday cake and coffee at Uncle Nestor and Aunty Ira's house in Hayward where Zoe had absolutely no problem showing all her new "fans" her antics. She was totally hamming it up for her new audience (I love that she's so confident and friendly!!) and they all really enjoyed her company. The rest of the evening was spent just hanging out at Aunty Ting's house with the Hadi sisters. The next morning, we went to the 7 am mass followed by breakfast at Crepevine. We hit the road early (9am-ish) so that we could be back in LA in time for our 5 pm CCC meeting. Once we hit the road, Zoe immediately fell asleep and stayed sleeping for almost two hours. The next three hours were spent with me feeding her puto, apple sauce and milk and playing/singing with her =). I'm just glad that Zoe didn't cry or have a meltdown during those three hours -- instead, she got a mad case of the munchies =). She ended up falling asleep again the rest of the way home (hooray!!!). I was so proud of my little girl and how well she did on her SF road trip (seriously -- this girl is such a good girl I feel like I'm getting pretty spoiled ... take notes, Baby #2!!! Lol).
Mike has such a big family up north and it's always nice to be able to spend time with them. Now that we know she can handle it, hopefully we can take more trips to SF so that Zoe will be able to get to know all her cousins, aunts, uncles, lolos, lolas, etc. etc. All in all, it was a great trip -- I'm glad we had the opportunity to spend quality time with Mike's side of the family and am looking forward to many more fun times ahead with them =)
Breakfast with Neha!
Zoe helping the twins blow out their candles =)
Uncle Frank teaching Zoe how to play the piano
Enjoying the nice weather in Hayward
Buffet celebration with the family
Cousins! (the other 50+ couldn't make it)
Breakfast at Crepevine
Exploring Aunty Ting's house
Zoe and Aunty Ingha
Zoe was fascinated with Uncle Frank's juggling skillz
Zoe with one of the birthday girls
What do you do when you're sitting in the third row of an SUV with a baby? Take video, of course!!! Here's a snippet of Zoe's snacking fest (what else is there to do on a road trip but snack, right?)
Mike and I usually don't make too much of a fuss over Valentine's Day planning ... we've been together now for over 12 years and through those years I think we've been able to really stretch out all the "warm fuzzies" that you feel on Valentine's Day all throughout the year. Yes it sounds cliche to say "every day is Valentine's Day" ... but I think it's important to do an act of love and kindness with your significant other on a daily basis and not just during the designated holiday. While we were dating, Mike and I used to take turns planning the special day ... once we got married it became more of a day to reminisce about our love for one another and how it's developed over the years and less about going to a fancy restaurant or getting each other the perfect gifts. Last year, since Mike was already working in Carpinteria and me and Zoe were still living at Sunbeam (Zoe was only 2 months old!), I don't think we even saw each other due to the circumstances. This year, Mike wanted to do something special (but still practical) and within the confines of us having a 13 month old. I think his initial plan was to cook me dinner (i.e. give me the night off from the kitchen). He also wanted to get me the new Breaking Dawn dvd that we could watch in the comfort of our own home. However, when we went to Costco this past Sunday, I immediately made a bee line for the Breaking Dawn dvd's so that I could snag my own copy. I also managed to buy all the food that he was going to prepare for our Valentine's Dinner. While at Costco he kept teasing me about the fact that I somehow knew exactly what to do to mess up his plans =). On to plan B ...
I wasn't sure what he was going to do now that I had ruined his initial plans. All he said was for me and Zoe to be ready to go out at 4:30 pm. I figured he was going to take us to a family-friendly restaurant and we'd call it a night ... however, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we were going to go on a double date with his parents by having dinner and watching "The Vow" (something I've been wanting to watch). He arranged for Isabelle to babysit Zoe so that we could enjoy a nice adult evening. Even though watching a movie and double dating with his parents may seem pretty ordinary to others, I thought it was the sweetest thing! I love going to the movies and we haven't been able to go as much with Zoe in our lives ... I also love that I got a "night off" from my job (even if just for a few hours). So we were off to Woodland Hills ... unfortunately, due to the crazy Valentine's traffic, the usual 30 minute car ride to the valley turned more into an hour and a half!!! I could sense Mike stressing out a bit and I assured him everything would be ok and that if we didn't have time to have dinner we could always gorge ourselves with popcorn and hot dogs at the theater =).
We made it to the theater (it was the first time I watched a movie on Valentine's Day) and bought a hotdog and popcorn for our Valentine's meal. The movie was pretty decent ... not really a Channing Tatum fan, but I am a Rachel McAdams fan and I enjoyed the premise of the film. I especially enjoyed the actual vows the two characters exchanged:
Paige: I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness, and to have the patience that love demands. To speak when words are needed, and to share the silence when they’re not. To agree to disagree on red velvet cake, and to live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home.
Leo: I vow to fiercely love you in all your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime love. I vow to love you, and no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find a way back to each other.
I really enjoyed Leo's vows ... after being with someone for so long, it's very easy to take each other for granted and to forget how blessed you are to have been given this "once in a lifetime kind of love". I also like how he promised her that no matter what challenges might bring them apart, that he'll always find a way back to each other. I think that's a very honest and realistic promise. As you go through life, there will no doubt be numerous things that can cause stress and pain and hurt and with God at the center of your marriage you can always find peace in knowing that you will find a way back to each other ... to never lose faith in your love. Even though the movie was mostly kind of sad, their vows really made an impact to me and was a great way to "refresh" my love and commitment to my husband.
After we got home and I put Zoe to bed, Mike had one last surprise for me -- he lit a bunch of candles downstairs and played "Spend My Life With You" and asked me to dance with him (just like we did on our first Valentine's day together). It was such a sweet and romantic way to end the evening! Seriously -- I have a great husband who is constantly trying to show me how much he loves me -- not just on Valentine's Day but every day... sooooo blessed!!!!
PS - Zoe was in an extra bubbly mood today so I decided to capture her beautiful smiles with my camera. Looking at her reminds me just how much God loves me and Michael ... and for that, I am eternally grateful!!!!
And here's a pic of Zoe and her Valentine's date, Aunty Isabelle!
