Stone Mountain 2008

Originally, we were supposed to attend EJ's birthday(2nd son of Helen Binosa, our friend from Duluth, Atlanta), unfortunately, the three brothers including the father (Andrew) were sick so the party was cancelled. But that didn't stop "US" girls to enjoy the lovely day, so we decided to bring the bayanihan food to a picnic at Stone Mountain...ang saya saya....After filling-up our hungry tummy...off we went to explore the largest exposure of granite in the world. While we were on top of the mountain, the daddies were left enjoying the poker and the food...hahaha coz we were left with 3 (tumataginting) bbq sticks...

Posing at the entrance to the cable car

More posing with my amigas!!!

(from left: Nanette w/ Trez, Meeya, Ellaine, Macky, Tina and me)

This are the kids but only 2 are mine heheheh. Happy together!!!

(from the left: Naj,behind her is Ayel, Bianca, Josh, Trez, Ellys, Emond, Ninna and Zoe)

My two Angels on top of the plateau

Feeling on top of the world

(is it obvious that they are scared to pose???)

Dad missed this spot...

Peace Zoe

Amazing view of Sunset


That is high... whew!!! That is about 850 feet high...

Good thing i did not have a heart attack.

Finally, lazer show after our exploration on top of the plateau.

That completes my list of "places to visit in Atlanta"but hopefully not the last outing with our Friends...

Picnic sa Park

The barkadas decided to go for a bbq picnic at the park since summer is almost over. The potluck gives us the chance to have a break from our own cookings. I prepared lettuce wrap, bbq pork from Pangilinan family, bbq chicken from Vicente family, inihaw na pusit from Paquito Ilagan family, palabok from Romel Ilagan family and baked salmon from Lombres family. It's all yummy. The scenery gave us the appetite to digged-in but most of all the laughters made it perfect. It is always a good idea to do these outing once in awhile to ease us from all the stress and exhaustion especially, to us mommies who are multi-tasking 24/7.

Look at the moon....

The dalagindings are happy together...


Ito pa... from left Ashly, Ellys, Naj, Bianca and my sweet Zoe.


Of course, the binatilyos will not miss a chance too...
from left : Emon, Josh, Trez, Eizen and Ayel



And of course, our the papables...

from left : Kitz, John, Tata, Dante, Romel and Allan

The finale, the ever beautiful mommies...
from left : Macky, Ellaine, Nanette, me, Meeya and Tina

Did you notice that me and Mia are the only one ready for a kodak smile?

North Carolina Zoo

The Carolina misis has organized another Lakwatsa to North Carolina Zoo. Families from Raleigh, Charlotte, Columbia (SC) joined us. However, since the Zoo was too big to explore just few of us crossed path...

My family at the African Dominion

Another family posing!!!

My little Zoe

Can you see the animal at my back ?

My Carolina misis friends.

(from left mama Theena, Tess, Cherry and me... the two chikitings are Ivy and Josh)

The boylets...

(From left : Myke, Eller, John and George)

Our Chikiting patrol...

(From left : Faye, Jamison, Josh, Jeffrey and Mico)

This means it's time to go home...

We didn't see much animal species in this Zoo, besides it's big area to explore...animals are either having their siesta or hiding from the very hot weather...But friends bonding made the exhaustion worth it.. Ang saya!!!

Our First Christmas & New Year in the US

Christmas is the time for giving and receiving...time to love and share...time to be happy and celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. But it's the other way around here in the US, besides the decorations in the malls and lights on the streets, I don't see anything that makes me feel the spirit of Christmas. In the Philippines, once the month of "ber" arrives. Peoples starts to decorate their houses and make their Christmas shopping list for those who are "nauthy and not" even with their "butas na bulsa". Malls and radios start to play Christmas songs. Streets are full of life with colorful Christmas lights. People seems to be living in a very fast phase...Even with the hardship of life in the Philippines you will feel the love and happiness in the air...


On the 24th of December 2005, my husband still needs to work so we travelled from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta at around 8pm, we almost spent our Christmas on the road. We drove to Walgreen since it's the only shop open to sell food. We didn't even have the chance to shop for Zoe's & Josh's gift because hubby was working 24/7. Luckily, our friends in NC gave them gifts before we headed to Atlanta and that's what they opened on Christmas eve. We never felt so lonely on a very happy occassion such as Christmas but when we hugged each other we felt the love in our family. I realized that no matter where we are or what we have on our Noche Buena, Christmas is with us for as long as we are together...

Ang munti naming salo-salo

Thanks to Walgreen for our Noche Buena

Thanks to Tito Anton for the Elmo.

Thanks to Tita Theena and Tito Micke for the gift.

New year's eve, new life...life that is basically us, "only Us". Me and my husband, Zoe and Josh. My new year's resolution is not to be over-standard or else i will have a hard time finishing everything on my own. I have no problem at the moment since we have been living in the hotel for like 2 months now in Charlotte, NC where cleaning is not my responsibility YET. But, when it comes to my kids' welfare, I still could not afford to down-grade my standards because they are my precious ones...

Our New Year's Eve celebration is as lonely as Christmas...we missed our love ones in the Philippines, we missed the "paputok" (fireworks) for like hours and the "usok" (smoke) that seems last forever. After we had our salo-salo, we just cuddled in the couch and watch the countdown in the TV, then went to bed with the hope of a better year in the morning.

That's baked ribs and Pasta... yummmm at least, homemade na yan di na binili...

This is US...noticed the teary eyes of everyone...

This is after we attended the new year's mass at Saint Jude.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all!!!

Carowinds Winter Fest

Last 18th of December 2005, we went to Carowinds here in Charlotte, NC for the winter fest. Eventhough my husband was not feeling well because of working 24/7 on call, he still managed to bring us there. Maybe he thought that we all need a break from being in the hotel for a month now, could hardly go out because of his work load and crazy schedule. As preparation, we even brought Josh to the emergency a day before we went to Carowinds because of some rashes to make sure that he is safe to go out. Zoe was so excited as it was her first time to go to a theme park here in the US.

Hey ate you are choking Josh!!!

A pose with ummm... forgot... i think it's the fairy Godmother...

Zoe love Dora and boots...

Sponge Bob square pants

A kodak moment with our new found friends in Charlotte, NC

from left (Anton, Noel, Nanette, Tata, Me, Zoe, Paulene, Miko, Mhel, Josh, John, Brendan, Odette, Naj, Ashley, Tina, Zorina, Rodgie)

Georgia Aquarium

Last November 27, 2005 was our very first "lakwatsa". We visited the newly opened Georgia Aquarium, it is the largest aquarium in the world... Along with our lakwatsa were Tolitz, Amy and little Aldwin who visited Atlanta for Thanks giving. Since we just decided to go there the night before, we didn't get the chance to purchase a ticket online. We suffered from blistering wind falling in line for 4 hours to get in but the long wait was worth it because we saw a lot of water kingdom species that we never saw before... Zoe was so amazed as a am specially when we watched and heard the Beluga whales sounds.

Daddy and Josh were looking at the same spot...it was the great white shark coming !!!

A pose at the Tropical fishes section

My family at GA Aquarium

After exploring the whole aquarium we sat down to do some gags. Josh was on his nap time.

A pose outside the Aquarium before we bid goodbye

The great thing about roaming around Atlanta is that the tourist destinations are just close to each other. The GA Aquarium, Coke, CNN, Phillips Arena and the Centennial Park. You can visit it all in just one day. So before and after our GA Aquarium Escapades we took a glimpse of the Centennial Park.

@ The Centennial Park with the View of CNN Head quarter.

Don't choke me m'hal...

The Symbol of Olympics held in Alanta in 1996 which was also the Centennial celebration of Modern Olympics.

Way to go Zoe!!!

First Thanksgiving

On the 24th of November, 2005, we celebrated our very first thanksgiving in Atlanta, Georgia. We were invited by George and Angela Benson together with my husband's colleague. George is the boss of my husband and Angela became a close friend of mine when M'hal was assigned in Taiwan. I met her during the family day of Lemcon. We had a great talk and connected right away because she is so kind and sweet. When they were assigned in the Philippines we went to Baguio together during the Holy Week.

Actually, we were in Charlotte, North Carolina a day before the event due to M'hal's assignment, then, we travelled on the 23rd at 11pm just to attend the dinner. We reached Atlanta around 3am, thank God the traffic was smooth. In the morning, George texted us to come around 3pm at their place. We were confused of the time as it was too early for a dinner party. Since it's our first time, we never thought that all shops were closed on that day. We drove around just to find something to bring for the party but just wasted our time and before we knew it it's already almost 5pm. The embarassing moment was they were just waiting for us to arrive and dinner supposed to be at 3pm. That early? My gosh...(parang lumabas ang pagka Filipino) always late...good thing they understood our situation as we got two kids and travelled late from North Carolina.

The party was perfect and Zoe as always, made George laughed with her jokes...talo nga si M'hal eh.. ehhehe maybe because they understood her accent better...The bad thing is that i was not able to take pictures as nobody in the group is taking one... Nahiya ang lola... "sayang". But even without pictures, the vivid memories of our first thanks giving celebration with our good friends will always stay in our heart and mind.