10 Years!!

Yesterday was our 10th Wedding Anniversary! It has been a wonderful 10 years but the time has flown by so fast. It seems like yesterday that Cyril and I were working together at Safeway and how excited I was to see him each day. I remember thinking how cute he was and how nervous I felt around him. When my friend Jacinda told me he liked me, I was so excited! He soon asked me out and we have been together ever since!!
We have definitely had our ups and downs but I wouldn't change a thing. Cyril is such an amazing husband and father. He does so much for me and our kids and wants the very best for each of us. He always makes me laugh and brightens up my day. My heart still skips a beat when he looks into my eyes! I am so lucky to have found a fantastic, loving, hardworking, one of a kind guy who loves me for who I am. I love him more and more each day and look forward to the next 10 years of marriage! Thank you Cyril for being such an example to me and our kids! I love you more than I could ever say!!!

Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life!

Here are some of the highlights from our wedding day...it was such a wonderful day!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

So much has been going on the past few weeks so here is a summary...

We went down to Raymond for Evan's blessing last Sunday. It was a nice blessing and a beautiful day. We had a family dinner on the church grounds and the kids had fun playing outside. We are so lucky to be close to family so we are able to attend all the important family events.

The girls are finally done dance! They had their recitals last week which were really good. The girls were in the same 5 numbers together (2 ballet, 2 jazz and 1 tap). They did really well and they had so much fun. They are going to miss all their dance friends over the summer but are looking forward to the time to relax. It won't be long until they are back at it again!
Holton just turned 2 last week in the midst of the girls recitals. Cyril took him to Let's Play on Monday (his actual b-day) while we were at the dress rehearsal. They had a fun time but Cyril could tell he missed his sisters. Jaidyn's class had a zoo field trip last Friday so we decided to tag along. Uncle Tran came with us and we had a fun couple of hours. There is a new baby gorilla that is only 3 weeks old and he was SO cute! He was probably less than 10 lbs and looked just like a human newborn only hairier. It is definitely worth checking out! On Saturday we went to Calaway Park since we didn't do much for Holton's birthday. It was a beautiful day. Our friend/cousin Rachelle came out for a few hours with her son Tobias who is a few months younger than Holton. The 2 boys had a blast on all the little rides and we got a kick out of them as they waved each time they passed by us. They were so cute. The highlight of the day was that Mateya was FINALLY tall enough to ride the roller coaster! YEAH! She went twice with daddy and loved it (I didn't even get any pictures). Jaidyn now looks forward to when she can join her big sister!
We were finally able to have a party for Holton on Sunday afternoon. All he wanted for his birthday was a "Thomas cake" and so I made him one. I think it turned out pretty cute. He got some Bob the Builder vehicles, some new Thomas trains, some new shirts and shorts, a Thomas placemat and a Nerf gun. He was so happy and plays with his new toys all day. Thanks everyone for the wonderful gifts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLTON!! We love you so much!!

I was lucky to be able to babysit Tobias for 3 days because his dad was in the hospital. It was a bit of a scare but he is doing much better now. He had some virus which caused swelling in the brain. Rachelle and Matt were on the way to our house for Holton's party but ended up dropping off Tobi and heading straight to the hospital. Since I already had Tobi, I offered to keep him for as long as they needed me. He stayed 2 nights and we had lots of fun having him around. He is a great kid and very quiet...totally opposite of my crazy boy. Holton and him played well together and it was nice for them to have time to bond. The girls really enjoyed having him around too. We even went to the Family Fiesta picnic at the school on Tues. It rained all morning so they had it inside the school. It was chaos but the kids all had fun. I am so glad I don't have twins!

This picture I just had to add!!

The girls are now done school. They both had pretty good report cards. Jaidyn is sad to be leaving Kindergarten but is also excited to go to school for the whole day next year. Mateya is happy to be done but will miss her friends over the summer. Thanks to Miss Murphy and Senora Herperger for the wonderful year! Now it's time to have some summer FUN!!!

On top of all this craziness, my amazing husband has been busy landscaping our backyard. He has worked really hard and it looks great! We can wait until it is totally finished. Great job Cyril!

First Camping Trip of the Year!

We went to Mount Kidd this past weekend and as usual it was rainy, wet and cold...but we had a blast! We roasted hotdogs and marshmellows, went for a walk to the candy store, played games, ate smores, and the kids explored. Their favorite part was collecting all the worms around our site to put in their bug jars. I think we ended up with 40 or more worms. YUCK!!!

Collecting worms! Smores! Yummy!

Cheesiest smiles ever!Roasting one more marshmellow before we head home!

Picnic & Planting

It FINALLY stopped raining on Thursday so Jaidyn and Holton were able to play in the backyard! They were having so much fun so I made their lunch and served it to them outside...complete with chocolate milk. Yummy!

Later after dinner, Mateya was able to plant her tree that she received at an environment expo she went to the day before. She did get one in grade one but we planted it at our old house. She was excited to have her own tree in the garden to take care of. Great planting Mateya, we can't wait to watch it grow!

Mazal Tov!

This weekend Cyril's brother Don was married. The wedding took place at the Hill's Resort in Priest Lake, Idaho. We drove part of the way on Thursday and stayed overnight in Fernie. The hotel we stayed at had a pool with a waterslide and we enjoyed swimming for a couple of hours before bed. Cyril's oldest brother Tran came with us so the kids enjoyed spending lots of time with him in the van and in the pool. We all had fun swimming except for Holton who tried waterwings for the first time and was terrified. He is usually okay in the water but he had the death grip on me the whole time I was holding him. He loved the hot tub though and did calm down once we were in there.

The next morning we were up early, had breakfast and hit the road again. After a pit stop at the Walmart and Payless in Sandpoint we arrived at our destination. The cabin we stayed in was beautiful and big. It had 6 bedrooms with king beds each looking over the lake, 8 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, and a huge living room area with 2 murphy beds. We stayed there with Tran, Cyril's parents and all their Philippino friends. It was really fun!

The afternoon was spend setting up, making food for the rehearsal dinner, relaxing and exploring. Holton and the girls loved being able to run around, play in the sand, swing at the playground and walk out on the dock. The rehearsal went really well and then everyone who had already arrived was invited for dinner and a get-to-know-you. Unfortunately the mosqitos were out in full force so most everyone went to various cabins nearby to visit. We had a really fun time though and were able to put the kids to bed upstairs and still hang out with everyone. I was also able to finish the final bit of sewing on the flowergirl dresses.

The next morning we took our time getting ready because the ceremony was not until 3pm. We had a big Philippino breakfast and then let the kids play for the whole morning. We put Holton down for a nap and then took Mateya and Jaidyn over to the main lodge for lunch. It was nice to have some quiet time together before the busy afternoon. When we got back I did the girls hair, ironed clothes, got myself ready and then it was time for the wedding to start. The girls looked absolutely beautiful in their flowergirl dresses and I was really happy with how they turned out.

The wedding ceremony was really nice. The weather was perfect and the view was amazing. Abbi looked beautiful and Don was all smiles. Cyril was one of the four Chuppa holders (a Jewish custom) so I had Holton. He did quite well but I had to take him to the back a few times. After the ceremony they had a receiving line and a champagne reception. We mingled around for a while and then had pictures taken. All of this took place right outside of our cabin. It was great to have everything so close by. I was able to put Holton down for another nap before heading over to the main lodge for the reception. The dinner was really yummy and we had a fun time. Don sang to Abbi and they did the money dance. It was such a long day for the girls that Jaidyn ended up falling asleep on my lap so she missed out on all the dancing. Mateya and Holton were really tired as well so at 10 pm (11 our time) we took them back to the cabin for bed. Cyril and I were disappointed because we missed out on so much of the night and didn't even get to dance one time together, but that's what happens when you have kids. In the morning it was raining so we just had breakfast and got packed up. The girls played hide and seek and Cyril found some cool places for them to hide. We said goodbye to everyone and then drove the long 7 hours home.
We are so happy for you Don and Abbi. Best of luck to both of you on your new adventure as husband and wife. Congratulations!!