SURPRISE!!!!

So I can finally let it all out! Some of you might have noticed the blog name change but if not just to let ya'll know...We got MARRIED!!!
Dante and I surprised our family and close friends on Saturday before LJ's Baptism. It was sooo fun and so hard to pull it off! I almost slipped up so many times and spilled the beans. It couldn't have been any more perfect. Everyone was so shocked and so happy for us. It was crazy! You should have heard the gasps that everyone let out when we told them. It was sooo funny!

Rewind back to October...Dante and I were talking about getting married. He would just tell me it's coming, it's coming like forever. So we finally had a serious discussion about what each other wanted and what we didn't want. I told him I really didn't care if he proposed or not. It wasn't like I would say no or not expect it. Obviously with LJ here we were gonna get married at some point. We talked about everything...how big of a wedding or small in our case, our money situation, the rings, reception everything. To be honest, we were gonna elope to the court house and not tell anyone, and just pretend we weren't married yet. Till we could afford the big lavish wedding, but then we decided that wasn't right. We knew that we had to baptize LJ soon, so I mentioned to him "wouldn't it be funny if we surprised everyone before the baptism and got married?" Dante immediately said no but then a couple days later he said "lets do it!" So that began the planning of the "Surprise Wedding/LJ's Baptism!"

Dante's Uncle Fred is the Deacon at Immaculate Conception Church in Seattle. He is also the founder of the Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team which Dante and I were both a part of and met. We actually met at that church because that's where our drill team practice was. How cute is that right? Dante called him up and asked if he would be willing to baptize LJ. So we met with him that first week of November. At that meeting we told him of our plans to surprise everyone before hand and get married! He immediately was thrilled and just as excited. The only thing is that he had to speak with the church and convince them to allow us to get married! The Catholic church requires a 6 month notice on all marriages because you have to go through classes and counseling to make sure that this is what you want. I'm so thankful they made an exception for us! We did have to go to classes every Wednesday up until the event. It was a lot of sneaking around and making up stories where we were so people didn't catch on.

We did need to tell a few people because we needed some help. My Aunt Sarah volunteered her house for LJ's reception so I had to tell her what was going on, I also wanted her to be my Sponsor for the wedding. I am so thankful for her!!! She is so creative and thrifty!!! She opened her home to all these people and it was beautiful! She decorated everything so nicely and made a wedding cake for us!!! It was so gorgeous! I can't say enough about what she did for us! It means the world to me and I'm so thankful that she moved back from Hawaii and was here to help me pull all this together.

My Auntie Flo which is my Aunt Sarah's mom flew in from Hawaii on Monday the 15th. She did all the cooking, (except for the Kalua pig and cabbage which Dante's Uncle Tracy made) brought the leis, and made sure everything was in order. She's so good at that! She didn't come to the church which I was kinda a sad about but she assured me that she needed to stay back and get all the food ready. Like I said in the blog before, she's the best cook ever!!! I love her cooking and when I ate on Saturday all the memories from my childhood overwhelmed me a little. Man I've missed her!!! I kept thanking her all day and night and what she said to me is that we need to thank god for her gift and boy is she right!!! I am sooooo Thankful to him for her!!!

I told my Best friend Candace because I wanted her to be my Made of Honor and I needed someone to help me and keep me sane. Which she did. She was always on top of things, reminding me what I needed to do or what I still needed to get! She gave me my something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new! So she took care of that by letting me "Borrow" her "Old" Hawaiian heirloom earrings and she bought me a "New" "Blue" pantie!!! LOL! It even had "Newlywed" on the butt in Rhinestones. It was super cute! I love her so much and am so happy that she was a part of it!

Dante's brother Jon Frederic was the Best Man. When we told him he was really excited and happy for us. At first he thought we were just telling him we were getting married, he didn't realize it was in just a few short weeks. He was down for the surprise and contributed many ideas on how we should tell or not tell everyone what was going on. Even though we didn't use them, it was nice to see him just as excited as we were.

Dante chose his Uncle Tracy as his sponsor so he had to tell him as well. He and his wife Sandy were also going to be LJ's primary God Parents. So he had a double duty that day. Well that led to his wife Sandy knowing, because Dante doesn't explain things so well. When Dante called to tell him the way he explained it led Uncle Tracy to believe that we were getting married the next day and that he needed to be there. So when he hung up the phone he told Sandy. Me, knowing how Dante is made Dante call him back and explain things better. By then it was too late and he already told Sandy so she had to be in on it too. I asked Uncle Tracy to make the Kalua Pig and Cabbage. He said he would be was nervous cooking that Hawaiian dish for a bunch of Hawaiians! I just laughed at him and told him I wouldn't have asked if he didn't make it good. Well everyone loved it! I knew he had nothing to worry about.

My Dad was the last to know. I really wanted to surprise him but Dante felt it was only right to ask his permission first. So he did. I was there at it was funny to see my Dad's reaction. He was happy and said it was about time. He too thought it was a good idea to do it before LJ got baptized. That way he was baptized with his parents married.

So the day finally came. The weather was so bad and everyone thought we were gonna cancel but Dante's Uncle said "no way the show must go on!" Plus our marriage license was gonna expire at the end of December so we had to do it. Everyone thought we were crazy, his mom even sent an email to both of us Friday @ 6am asking us to cancel but we said no! So anyways, once everyone arrived we stood at the front of the church and called both of our parents up. So Dante started out by thanking everyone for coming and braving the treacherous weather and so forth. He explained that before the baptism could be performed that there was another sacrament that needed to be completed first to make LJ's baptism complete. Then I chimed in and told everyone that they were not only here today for LJ's baptism but they were also here for our WEDDING! And then you here everyone gasping! It was so funny. I knew that Dante's mom would burst into tears but I didn't expect my mother to start crying soooo hard! Her mouth literally hit the ground I think! She had to take a minute to gain her composure! I gave my parents a hug and Dante's parents a hug and he did the same then we immediately started the ceremony.

It was short, sweet and to the point! It was soo much fun and I was so excited to finally have this day come. It was so worth surprising everyone. Now that I look back it was perfect and I wouldn't have it any other way! It was the perfect way for Dante and I to get married.

After the wedding ceremony we took a little break to sign all the marriage documents, then we went straight into the baptism ceremony.

The baptism was a quick ceremony, probably only 20 min or so. I was so worried that LJ would be cranky because it was soooo cold in there and plus it was right in the middle of his nap time! He did amazing! He was sooo good! He didn't even cry when Uncle Fred poured the water over his head! In fact after they were done he was reaching for the bowl of water. They anointed him with 2 different oils, I forget the names of them but to this day and after 3 baths I can still smell it on him. My dad says he smells like Christmas. It does smell a little pine-y, but it's stinky.

LJ has 4 sets of God Parents. His primary God Parents are Dante's Uncle Tracy and his fiance' Sandy. The other 3 sets are our friend Clyde Bautista and his girlfriend Yvonne Turla, Dante's best friend Bobby Manalang and my best friend Candace Marticio, and the last set is Dante's cousin Brent Koslosky and our friend Sinamon Consego. It's not in any particular order that's just how I said it. Almost all them were there, but Brent couldn't make because he had to go into work and Yvonne goes to Temple University in Philly and is not coming here to visit till January.

The day was great! All the planning, sneaking around, and secrets paid off! It couldn't have went any smoother and I'm just so Thankful to everyone who helped us pull it off, especially Uncle Fred for taking the time to put this all together in the 2 months that he did! So we did it! We got a 2 for 1! LJ is baptized and we are Married! YAY!

I've been TAGGED!!!!

I know I said I probably wouldn't post till after the Baptism on Saturday but I've been tagged! It's my first time being tagged so I feel I have to get it done. The lovely Tanya (PreggerTJ) tagged me. I would have made a link if I knew how but since I don't you can just look to the right of my page to see who's blogs I read and then click the link there! LOL!

So the topic is 6 things that make me happy! So here we go:

1. Dante- We've been together for 14 years now and I couldn't see myself with anyone else. I truly believe that he is my soul mate and that he was put on earth for me and I for him. He is the best and gives me everything I want and need. He's the ultimate supporter, partner, best friend, and father! My life is blessed because of him! He's always making me laugh and he brings out the best in me.

2. LJ- I've waited for him to come for a long time. And boy was it worth the wait. When I look at him it's a joy that I can't explain. It's a love like no other and he too puts a smile on my face multiple times throughout my day. I'm so happy to be a mommy and I would do anything for him.

3. My Parents- My parents are my rock. They've supported me through everything. Good and Bad. They've never judged me and let me make the hard decisions in my life with no contest. They are truly the greatest parents and I'm happy for their health and strength. I see the happiness that LJ brings to them and that makes me soooo happy!

4. My Dogs- Louie, Juicy, Brady, & Coke! They are all so different but yet I couldn't live without any of them. They are so much fun to be around, yet can drive me crazy too! I never thought that at any point in my life would I ever have 4 dogs but now there's no going back. They are silly, crazy, needy, and oh so lovable. It's honestly like having 4 other children.

5. My Latte Machine- It's a new kitchen "toy" we just got but I'm already addicted. Even though I'm still only drinking de-caf it's still gets me going for the day. And like PreggerTJ said that first sip is pure heaven! LOL! I was against getting one at first but boy am I glad Dante went and got one. It saves us money since were not going to Starbucks all the time and it taste way better! So Yes! I am happy for my Latte machine!

6. Blogging and my Blackberry (they go hand in hand)- My new found love and addiction. I love it! My nightly routine when I go to sleep is to hop in bed with my Blackberry and I read the blogs that I follow! It's just like reading a book in bed. It's helps me get to sleep. Blogging has reconnected me with so many people and I love reading what everyone is up to. So without my Blackberry I wouldn't be able to hop in bed at night and catch up with all you lovely folks!

OK so who to tag? So I since I'm so nosey I'm gonna tag Malinda, Kate (The Perkes Family), Mindy (Parry Update), & Jennifer (Simeona Fam). I'm excited to read all of your blogs!

Gone for too long...

I've been away for a long time...and oh how I have missed it. I've been busy and honestly haven't had the motivation or energy to blog about anything. So to catch everyone up I'll start with LJ.

LJ is just about a week away from being 6 months old! WOW has time flown by. We are currently planning his baptism which will be Dec. 20th at Immaculate Conception Church in Seattle. I wanted it to be small and simple but like with any event in this family it is far from it. My Auntie Flo will be here from Hawaii so naturally she has taken over most of the cooking! I love her cooking! I have memories from when I was little of all the parties/luau's they had at there house. Good times! The reception will be at my Aunt Sarah's house. (which is Auntie Flo's oldest daughter) Her house is soooo nice. The layout is perfect. I love it! I would buy it in an instant if I could. They are actually moving and looking for a buyer but Dante said Ya right! We have LJ's outfit all ready...he's gonna be so cute. He's wearing an all white aloha shirt and white pants. I tried it on already and it's super adorable. So the baptism has been taking up most of my time trying to get everything ready to go.

Some milestones that LJ has conquered are sitting up. He took his first professional picture sitting up and it turned out so good. He's now started eating solids. I started him on the Brown rice cereal and he was kinda not sure what to make of it. But I've decided to make his food. So I went to the little organic market here in Kent and bought Apples, Pears, Bananas, Peas, Carrots, and Yams. He loves all of them. He's so funny, he now knows his high chair and what treat he's in for when you put him in it. He's starting to scoot but only backwards. He does this thing when he's on his back. He arches his back and kicks himself back. It scares me because I'm worried he's gonna hurt his neck, but he does it all the time, especially in bed at night when he wakes up. He'll end up at the top of the bed hitting the wall. OH we bought him one of those jumper things and he loves it. He jumps and jumps and cracks himself up. He's too cute! It's amazing how fast he's growing. Dante and I are bracing ourselves because we know it's only a matter of time before he's really mobile and getting into everything.

Dante is busy busting his butt at work. Like always. He's the relief driver for Franz Bakery for ya'll who didn't know. He likes to be called "The Breadman." LOL! They added the new Costco in Covington to there depot so it was basically a raise for him so he was excited. More work, but he is now the only relief driver with a CDL so he'll be the only one to get the big routes when those drivers go on vacation or on sick leave. So he was pretty amped about that.

He's pretty bummed about the Seahawks. Who isn't right? I have to hear about on a daily plus out of the 2 of us he was the only one to make it to the playoffs in our fantasy football league. He just nudged me out of the playoffs that punk. But I believe after yesterdays games he lost! So that means we'll have to actually pay for our league this year. Last year I came in 3rd and Dante came in 2nd so with our winnings it paid for all of our fees. Bummer! He spends most of his free time with us or running around with us. It's been a major adjustment for him, he can't just leave on a dime anymore to go off and "play" or whatever. He doesn't mind though, or at least he doesn't let on that it bothers him.

As for me, I'm still at home taking care of LJ. I really want to start the daycare, but I've realized it's gonna take some time and money. The rules and regulations are pretty strict so everything has to be just right. I've started looking at going back to work just in the mean time, for extra money to get things going. With the way the economy is it's tough though. Even in the medical field it's tough. I thought that I chose a field that wouldn't be affected, but I guess not. I've just started my search so hopefully come the new year I will find something.

Well we're all just busy, and getting ready for the holidays like everyone else. It's gonna be a small one since I'm not working and all, but we'll make the most of it. With the baptism less than 2 weeks away. I may not post till after, but there will be lots to talk about and I'll have tons of pics from that day.

SORRY!

Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven't posted anything lately. I've been extremely busy. We're in the process of attending classes for LJ's Baptism. Which will be December
20th so save the date. I'm still watching Taya Monday's and Friday's. I've decided to open my own family daycare instead of working with Dante's mom so I'm still taking classes and trying to get my house in order for the inspection. I promise to post something soon. I have some pics from Halloween and birthday parties we went to. So stay tuned!

Reunited!

Yesterday, I had some of my closest friends Ailey, Katie, Jennie, Emily and Lisa over for the Seahawks game. We didn't really watch the game because we were so busy chatting and catching up. It was soooo fun getting everyone together finally after all these years!

After school I kinda went my own separate way for what reason I really couldn't tell you. Like I had said before I lost touch with Lisa after she transferred high schools but for the rest of them I tried to make at least a yearly phone call to see how everyone was doing. I would for sure talk to Ailey every couple months or see her when she would be home visiting, so she would always update me with what was happening with the rest of them. They were always on my mind because they were my best friends growing up and I missed them dearly and hoped they were all doing well.

We had a great time yesterday, eating, drinking (well not me but the rest of them), and reminiscing. They all played with LJ and the rest of them got to meet Lisa's little boy Sergio. He really took a liking to Emily! He was sooo cute. Must be the blonde hair!

I'm so glad we all got together. I'm happy Ailey's back home for good! I love all of them so much and I hope we all can hang out more often!

I love HEAT!

First off I want to wish my brother...HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Lando's repeating his 25th birthday this year and even though we aren't seeing eye to eye these days I still love him and want him to have a great birthday! Love you Lil Bro hope you enjoyed your day!

So this is exciting news for me! It'll probably be weird to you guys that I'm blogging about this but that should just let ya'll know how important and excited I was about it!



In our tiny house there is no heat. When I was younger we had baseboard heaters then my parents stopped using them for some reason. We then had a kerosene heater which was nice. Even though I burned the crap out of my hand when I was 5! I was trying to walk backwards, tripped and placed my hand to catch myself right on the top of the heater! OUCH! So from the time I was 5 till about 2 years ago we always had a kerosene heater warming the house.


After my parents left and the house was ours we got rid of the kerosene heater because I hated the smell and hated that we had to go buy kerosene like once a week! We bought portable electric heaters but as you can imagine our electric bill went up during the winters.



So when I got pregnant we started talking about what we were gonna do about the heat. I wanted something that would heat the whole house (not like it's that big) but not cost and arm and a leg. So we decided on a Pellet Stove. Dante will research something till you want to pull your hair out! I'm not even joking he drives me crazy! He'll find the one he wants or he thinks he wants online then go look at it in the stores. And he'll go to multiple stores...talk to the people about it. The process takes months for us to get new appliances in this household. Research, research, research. Then he'll compare pricing. I don't mind that part but when I'm pretty much sold on something I'll just go buy it. Not him he'll wait and wait to see if it'll appear on Craigslist. Thank the lord we got lucky and just so happened the one he wanted was on Craigslist. We had to drive all the way up North, I believe it was Camano Island but the guy had purchased it for his home while he was remodeling but then decided to install the stoves that are inserted in the walls. He said he only lit it like 4 times so basically it was brand new.



So mind you we bought this thing in March it is now Oct! Dante finally put it in today! It is wonderful! I've had it on since he finished and my house is now nice and toasty! I LOVE IT! I even took a picture to share with all of you!

Here's a pic I took this morning of Dante and his boys!

Reunited!!! and Rockin the New Do!

I love reconnecting with old friends! Thanks to Myspace, Facebook, and blogging I've found and reconnected with lots of people!

This last Thursday I met up with my friend Lisa. I literally haven't seen her for over 10 years. We went to school together through Jr. High and our Sophomore year of high school. Played sports together and actually were really close at one time. We lost touch after she transferred high schools our Jr year. She would pop up in my mind from time to time and I was always wondering what she was up to.

So LJ and I made a trip up to her home in Shoreline to visit her and her son Sergio. It was sooo much fun hanging out with her and catching up after all these years! We reminisced on all the good times we had back in the day. I got to meet her 2 1/2 year old son Sergio and she got to meet LJ. It's crazy how much we've both grown up, the lives we now have with our families, yet we both agreed that we were pretty much the same. It was like we hadn't missed a beat. We had such a good day and I hope that we hang out again soon.

Sergio, Lisa, & LJ

I finally took a pic of my new hair do!

Me rockin my Kate Gosselin hair do!