Isabella - Straight Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance Award
Ian - Best Independent Study Student Award
Last Day of School
Isabella - Straight Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance Award
Ian - Best Independent Study Student Award
Announcing....Phil's Graduation
It seems like it wasn't too long ago when we celebrated Phil's highschool graduation back in 2005. Some of you joined in our celebration party at the Mariott Hotel in Newark, CA. I remembered crying while reading a letter I wrote for him inspired by the song "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack.
And boy, dance he did...to the tune of academic excellence.
After four years of hard work, we are very proud to announce his graduation from Cal Poly as Magna Cum Laude in Computer Engineering.
Photo courtesy of Papelle Photographie
There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises."
This is another milestone for our family; one that indeed marks the beginning of yet another chapter. Thank you for being a part of our life. We are very proud of our son, Phil, for his extraordinary achievements.
And boy, dance he did...to the tune of academic excellence.
After four years of hard work, we are very proud to announce his graduation from Cal Poly as Magna Cum Laude in Computer Engineering.
Photo courtesy of Papelle Photographie
There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises."
Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning. ~Orrin Hatch
This is another milestone for our family; one that indeed marks the beginning of yet another chapter. Thank you for being a part of our life. We are very proud of our son, Phil, for his extraordinary achievements.
News highlights on Phil since our Christmas newsletter:
- Tour/interview at The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) last December resulting in a formal job offer. His visit to China Lake was arranged and paid for by NAWCWD.
- Travel to Malta last spring break as part of Cal Poly’s ICEX Team (International Computer Engineering Exchange program). The program is called Malta Cistern Mapping Project. This project was recently featured on a local news station.
- Final senior project for ViaSat, a satellite communications company.
- Currently doing part-time, paid, remote work for Oracle.
- Contemplating on pursuing his Masters.
Phil knew what he wanted from the beginning: he has always had that "sense of wonder" or fascination with computers and robotics (maybe it's the computer flowchart mobile his dad made for him when he was a baby. I was going to say it's from my genes but everyone knows Calculus makes my head spin and smoke:).
His strong interest with computers continued through highschool. He earned a Department Award in Computer Science and Student of the Year award in Computer Programming. He was thrilled when he was accepted at Cal Poly. He knew the moment we toured the campus that it was the school for him. It was our first and last college campus tour for him.
Cal Poly is indeed a perfect fit for him apparent in his continued growth not only in academics but in his character as a whole. The best attributes of Phil are his strong faith and positive outlook. He is a great steward of his blessings. It is evident in the way he cultivates his God-given talents through his diligence, perseverance and constientious efforts. He does his best, and then he leaves the rest to God. I have witnessed this blessed attitude countless times. One recent example I can remember is when he applied for the Malta ICEX program.
Originally, the program can only fund 5 students. He was initially selected as an alternate. I knew how much he wanted to travel to Malta, yet I did not see a hint of disappointment. He felt honored to be selected as an alternate and be able to contribute to the program. For Phil, all he can do is do his best; and the rest is not up to him but HIM who is ultimately in control. He was happy to be part of the technical training in preparation for the trip. They must have seen his wonderful work ethics and this positive outlook I talk about. As it turned out, the program was able to fund 6 students. Moreover, he gained valuable mentorship and sponsorship from the program's Technical Director, Dr. Chris Clark, who recommended him for an Outstanding Graduating Senior award and is encouraging him to pursue his graduate studies.
If my mantra is "too blessed to be stressed", Phil's is "carpe diem", which means sieze the day. To him every day is a blessing and therefore time should not be wasted. I say, he is a great blessing....all that he is....and we are truly grateful.
He has several options/choices in front of him. We will keep you posted of his future plans. Again, we thank you for all your prayers and support and for being a great part of our life.
Cal Poly is indeed a perfect fit for him apparent in his continued growth not only in academics but in his character as a whole. The best attributes of Phil are his strong faith and positive outlook. He is a great steward of his blessings. It is evident in the way he cultivates his God-given talents through his diligence, perseverance and constientious efforts. He does his best, and then he leaves the rest to God. I have witnessed this blessed attitude countless times. One recent example I can remember is when he applied for the Malta ICEX program.
Originally, the program can only fund 5 students. He was initially selected as an alternate. I knew how much he wanted to travel to Malta, yet I did not see a hint of disappointment. He felt honored to be selected as an alternate and be able to contribute to the program. For Phil, all he can do is do his best; and the rest is not up to him but HIM who is ultimately in control. He was happy to be part of the technical training in preparation for the trip. They must have seen his wonderful work ethics and this positive outlook I talk about. As it turned out, the program was able to fund 6 students. Moreover, he gained valuable mentorship and sponsorship from the program's Technical Director, Dr. Chris Clark, who recommended him for an Outstanding Graduating Senior award and is encouraging him to pursue his graduate studies.
If my mantra is "too blessed to be stressed", Phil's is "carpe diem", which means sieze the day. To him every day is a blessing and therefore time should not be wasted. I say, he is a great blessing....all that he is....and we are truly grateful.
He has several options/choices in front of him. We will keep you posted of his future plans. Again, we thank you for all your prayers and support and for being a great part of our life.
My First Drive By...Inspiring Homes On My Street
When I came across Melissa's drive-by posts at the Inspired Room several months ago, I was hooked. Ever since then I had been meaning to do my own drive-by. Finally I got the chance. I took advantage of the time when I needed to drive my car around the block to make sure the battery stayed alive after jump starting it. It was a great start. I love the homes on my street. Hopefully I will continue to have the chance...there are so many inspiring homes in Pismo Beach. It was kind of scary doing a drive by and a bit embarrassing:) so I just took one shot of each home and moved on to the next. Hopefully when I get a little bit more experienced at it I'll be able to take closer shots.
Presenting my first shot...an inspiring English style home.
This last one is one of the homes we considered making an offer on when we were looking for homes in the area almost 3 years ago. Beautiful inside too but the thought of too much mortgage and too much cleaning made us shy away from it.
Until my next drive-by...wish me luck!
Presenting my first shot...an inspiring English style home.
Directly across from it is this very nice Southwestern style abode.
And next to it...I could have taken a much better shot if I weren't so worried...next time:)
And at the end of the block...safari inspired?
This last one is one of the homes we considered making an offer on when we were looking for homes in the area almost 3 years ago. Beautiful inside too but the thought of too much mortgage and too much cleaning made us shy away from it.
Until my next drive-by...wish me luck!Mission Project and Family Time
Presenting.... Isabella's final 4th grade project.... a model of Mission San Juan Bautista. At last we're done! We have been working on it for the past 2 weekends. I am so glad I can finally check it off from my list.
Now she needs to work on her directive speech. In preparation for it, she and big brother Phil baked banana bread. It was a yummy snack perfect for celebrating our completed project. Aahhh...bliss!
A photo from our visit at the Mission last spring break
besides the Mission project, I was joyfully kept busy preparing graduation announcements and sampling restaurants....another great task perfect for precious family bonding time.
(Of course I forgot to take photos so I just took the restaurants' photos from their website:).
Now she needs to work on her directive speech. In preparation for it, she and big brother Phil baked banana bread. It was a yummy snack perfect for celebrating our completed project. Aahhh...bliss!
A photo from our visit at the Mission last spring break
besides the Mission project, I was joyfully kept busy preparing graduation announcements and sampling restaurants....another great task perfect for precious family bonding time.
Last Thursday, the boys and I had a lunch date at Steamers of Pismo.
This past Saturday we spent a great afternoon watching Isabella and CDMA's dance troupes perform at the Strawberry Festival. After Isabella's dance show, she had fun at the game booths with her friend Gabby. Then we were off to another family lunch date at Spyglass Inn Restaurant.
(Of course I forgot to take photos so I just took the restaurants' photos from their website:).
Project Procrastinators: The Reveal
Two weeks ago, Thursday, April 29, 2009, I joined The Inspired Room's Project Procrastinators Party . Melissa gave a challenge/encouragement to tackle a project we are procrastinating on (thanks for the push Melissa!). I declared that I will take on a bathroom flooring and replace the carpet with tile, something I have been procrastinating on for the past two years.
After I posted my declaration, I started feeling overwhelmed realizing I have so many other things to do including helping my DD Isabella on her California Mission project. I kept reminding myself: "baby steps" but I couldn't find time even for baby steps. Not to mention that the baby steps on this job required some help taking out the toilet and ripping out the carpet. I am very grateful for the supportive comments I received that gave me the push I needed. Then there was the ultimate and precious encouragement from my darling son, Phil, who said to me: "Don't worry mom, I will help you. It will be my mother's day present". Ahhh heavenly to a mother's heart.
Here's the "Before" photo
So last Saturday, May 9th, after Isabella's performance, Phil and I headed to Osh to buy our supplies (perfect timing...it was "no sales tax" weekend:)). As soon as we got home Phil started taking out the toilet, and together, we ripped out the carpet. (He even remembered to take a photo, something I almost always forget...what a sweetheart).
Then we started laying out the tumbled travertine tiles we have leftover from the kitchen job (a combination of 4x4 and 6x6). We tried several creative ways of layout so that we won't have to cut (we don't have a cutter:)). Try as we might we couldn't do it without having to cut; and worse, we were short a couple of tiles. So the next creative thing? mosaic! I've been wanting to do a mosaic project for the longest time. And this is the perfect time for it! Mosaic is the answer to our dilemma. It eliminated the need of trying to make sure the layout is straight and even, thereby eliminating the need to cut. Best of all, the mosaic method allowed for maximizing the tiles we had, and so we ended up having more than enough to cover the area.
So on to the fun part...breaking the tiles...even Isabella joined in the fun. Then we started laying them out like a jigsaw puzzle. By this time it was late. That was our baby step for the day.
Sunday would have been a great day to make a major dent on the project but it was that "time of the month" for me. I was not feeling well to a point that I couldn't even make it to church (that says something about how bad I was feeling...I look forward and love going to church...I watched an archived online sermon instead). So I stayed in bed and I had another perfect mother's day present...a breakfast in bed from my DD, Isabella (with the help of DH of course; daddy said she was crying when she woke up thinking she won't finish preparing in time before I woke up). I may have been feeling bad physically, but I was in heaven. And come to find out, Phil continued until past the dead of night working on the mosaic. So in the afternoon, it inspired me to continue the mosaic past the halfway mark.
We finished the mosaic on Monday; and on Tuesday, we grouted.
Here it is...
After I posted my declaration, I started feeling overwhelmed realizing I have so many other things to do including helping my DD Isabella on her California Mission project. I kept reminding myself: "baby steps" but I couldn't find time even for baby steps. Not to mention that the baby steps on this job required some help taking out the toilet and ripping out the carpet. I am very grateful for the supportive comments I received that gave me the push I needed. Then there was the ultimate and precious encouragement from my darling son, Phil, who said to me: "Don't worry mom, I will help you. It will be my mother's day present". Ahhh heavenly to a mother's heart.
Here's the "Before" photo
So last Saturday, May 9th, after Isabella's performance, Phil and I headed to Osh to buy our supplies (perfect timing...it was "no sales tax" weekend:)). As soon as we got home Phil started taking out the toilet, and together, we ripped out the carpet. (He even remembered to take a photo, something I almost always forget...what a sweetheart).
Then we started laying out the tumbled travertine tiles we have leftover from the kitchen job (a combination of 4x4 and 6x6). We tried several creative ways of layout so that we won't have to cut (we don't have a cutter:)). Try as we might we couldn't do it without having to cut; and worse, we were short a couple of tiles. So the next creative thing? mosaic! I've been wanting to do a mosaic project for the longest time. And this is the perfect time for it! Mosaic is the answer to our dilemma. It eliminated the need of trying to make sure the layout is straight and even, thereby eliminating the need to cut. Best of all, the mosaic method allowed for maximizing the tiles we had, and so we ended up having more than enough to cover the area.
So on to the fun part...breaking the tiles...even Isabella joined in the fun. Then we started laying them out like a jigsaw puzzle. By this time it was late. That was our baby step for the day.
Sunday would have been a great day to make a major dent on the project but it was that "time of the month" for me. I was not feeling well to a point that I couldn't even make it to church (that says something about how bad I was feeling...I look forward and love going to church...I watched an archived online sermon instead). So I stayed in bed and I had another perfect mother's day present...a breakfast in bed from my DD, Isabella (with the help of DH of course; daddy said she was crying when she woke up thinking she won't finish preparing in time before I woke up). I may have been feeling bad physically, but I was in heaven. And come to find out, Phil continued until past the dead of night working on the mosaic. So in the afternoon, it inspired me to continue the mosaic past the halfway mark.
We finished the mosaic on Monday; and on Tuesday, we grouted.
I still have to seal it and caulk the sides and Phil has to put in the new Kohler toilet. Other than that, our bathroom floor is done!...We did it!...I am so grateful!
Here it is...
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An "Imeldific" Visit
I had the honour and pleasure of hosting to the most benevolent and hardworking:) overnight guests...my angel BFF, ate Cecile, and her own angel BFF, ate Pinky, together with ate Cecile's darling kids, Timothy and Krystn.
They arrived Friday night, and though tired from the drive and the long day at work, they stayed up until the dead of night allowing me to catch up on everything and anything I've missed...and boy how I've missed them...it was a blissful "catch up" time. And oh did I mention the 'pasalubongs'? (def: arrival presents)...my favorite...lots of delightful chocolates!...and a very special gift from ate Ms. Pinky...an "Imeldific" pair of earrings with pearl and diamonds. (contrary to the internet's tasteless definition of the term "Imeldific", it is a term we use for something so beautiful, elegant, and terrific as the Mrs. Imelda Marcos, who happens to be a personal close friend of Ms. Pinky's mom. What are the gifts for, you wonder? any occassion? nope. This is just the kind of person ate Pinky and ate Cecile are...extremely thoughtful and giving..."Imeldific"! Anyway, this "imeldific" pair of earrings is indeed a precious gift I will treasure forever. Thank you ate Pinky.
Here's a photo of the "imeldific" room I prepared for them (if I should say so myself:)
Isabella is just as delighted to spend time with her own BFF, Krystn. They stayed up way past the dead of night and woke up just past the wee hours to surprise us with a home made breakfast. Bless their sweet little hearts...they prepared muffins from scratch (they googled a recipe and cleverly asked their tita Pinky how to preheat an oven for Isabella's supposed cooking class homework. ingenious eh? and imeldific in their own right). They also prepared one of ate Cecile's fave breakfast food, spam. (the mess was all worth it!). Even Timothy took on the role of a very charming waiter (talk about putting guests to work:)). I read somewhere that it's ok to have guests help out so they feel more comfortable,...but loading and unloading the dishwasher? especially guests who aren't really used to doing that sort of stuff?...well, my own guest beat me to it...my mom said I was too slow...what can I say...we live and learn...(next time ate Cecile I'm tying you to the chair!:)
After breakfast, ate Cecile went to work some more taking photos for my son's senior portraiture. This is such a priviledge for us. In case you don't know, ate Cecile is a sought after photographer...how lucky are we!
After the photo shoot, we were off for some shopping fun while the kids stayed home for their own bonding time. Then the kids hit the beach while the three of us (dubbed "Charlie's Angels" by ate Pinky), hit a restaurant by the beach for a birthday lunch for dearest ate Cecile...her treat...she beat me to it...again! (no wonder she wanted to guard my purse from the moment we entered the restaurant...it's like dejavu...similar thing happened a couple of years ago...she's too clever and too fast for me.)
It was time to say goodbye shortly after, but not before more last minute bonding time over ate Cecile's delish homemade chicken pot pie (yet another "imeldific" gesture). The kids enjoyed it most especially my big boys:)
What a blessed time...I am simply grateful.
They arrived Friday night, and though tired from the drive and the long day at work, they stayed up until the dead of night allowing me to catch up on everything and anything I've missed...and boy how I've missed them...it was a blissful "catch up" time. And oh did I mention the 'pasalubongs'? (def: arrival presents)...my favorite...lots of delightful chocolates!...and a very special gift from ate Ms. Pinky...an "Imeldific" pair of earrings with pearl and diamonds. (contrary to the internet's tasteless definition of the term "Imeldific", it is a term we use for something so beautiful, elegant, and terrific as the Mrs. Imelda Marcos, who happens to be a personal close friend of Ms. Pinky's mom. What are the gifts for, you wonder? any occassion? nope. This is just the kind of person ate Pinky and ate Cecile are...extremely thoughtful and giving..."Imeldific"! Anyway, this "imeldific" pair of earrings is indeed a precious gift I will treasure forever. Thank you ate Pinky.
Here's a photo of the "imeldific" room I prepared for them (if I should say so myself:)
Isabella is just as delighted to spend time with her own BFF, Krystn. They stayed up way past the dead of night and woke up just past the wee hours to surprise us with a home made breakfast. Bless their sweet little hearts...they prepared muffins from scratch (they googled a recipe and cleverly asked their tita Pinky how to preheat an oven for Isabella's supposed cooking class homework. ingenious eh? and imeldific in their own right). They also prepared one of ate Cecile's fave breakfast food, spam. (the mess was all worth it!). Even Timothy took on the role of a very charming waiter (talk about putting guests to work:)). I read somewhere that it's ok to have guests help out so they feel more comfortable,...but loading and unloading the dishwasher? especially guests who aren't really used to doing that sort of stuff?...well, my own guest beat me to it...my mom said I was too slow...what can I say...we live and learn...(next time ate Cecile I'm tying you to the chair!:)
After breakfast, ate Cecile went to work some more taking photos for my son's senior portraiture. This is such a priviledge for us. In case you don't know, ate Cecile is a sought after photographer...how lucky are we!
After the photo shoot, we were off for some shopping fun while the kids stayed home for their own bonding time. Then the kids hit the beach while the three of us (dubbed "Charlie's Angels" by ate Pinky), hit a restaurant by the beach for a birthday lunch for dearest ate Cecile...her treat...she beat me to it...again! (no wonder she wanted to guard my purse from the moment we entered the restaurant...it's like dejavu...similar thing happened a couple of years ago...she's too clever and too fast for me.)
It was time to say goodbye shortly after, but not before more last minute bonding time over ate Cecile's delish homemade chicken pot pie (yet another "imeldific" gesture). The kids enjoyed it most especially my big boys:)
What a blessed time...I am simply grateful.
Project Procrastinators: Unite
I declared last week at The Inspired Room that I will unite with project procrastinators. After I made my declaration, it felt like I broke into a cold sweat. What did I get myself into? Like I said on my declaration/comment on Melissa's post, I am definitely a procrastinator. My OCD:) gets in the way everytime. I get overwhelmed and I can’t seem to start. So many projects…so little time. But like Melissa said, "Even if we don’t finish, we’ll be farther along than if we hadn’t started." So baby steps it is! Thanks for the push Melissa! But wait! Am I really up for this challenge right now? I'm beginning to feel that overwhelming sensation again. I attribute it to my OCD but I like the way Mellisa puts it...she calls it sensory overload.
Now where do I begin? Which project to tackle first? Big Sigh. This is so difficult for me. Ok I have to remind myself: BABY STEPS.
This post is a big first baby step in itself. The declaration in blogland helps with the much needed push...accountability!
So I guess I will start with a list. Actually I already have a list...a long one. Ok I guess now is the time to prioritize and, like the Nike commercial, just do it.
So here goes. I've finally decided which one to do first...it has nothing to do with painting but something I have been putting off for the longest time...the flooring in the boys room.
Since this is a big project that I don't think I can finish in two weeks, I will break it down. This is the only room in the house without a hardwood flooring. This room is like a second master's suite. It is carpeted all the way to its bathroom (yuk! the potty here has been off limits) . So it's time to stop procrastinating and rip out the carpet, at least in the bathroom area (for now), and replace it with the leftover tile that we already have. Now I just have to believe..."I think I can, I think I can..." You think?
I think there's hope on my procrastination...I didn't procrastinate posting this:)
Here is the before photo
Now where do I begin? Which project to tackle first? Big Sigh. This is so difficult for me. Ok I have to remind myself: BABY STEPS.
This post is a big first baby step in itself. The declaration in blogland helps with the much needed push...accountability!
So I guess I will start with a list. Actually I already have a list...a long one. Ok I guess now is the time to prioritize and, like the Nike commercial, just do it.
So here goes. I've finally decided which one to do first...it has nothing to do with painting but something I have been putting off for the longest time...the flooring in the boys room.
Since this is a big project that I don't think I can finish in two weeks, I will break it down. This is the only room in the house without a hardwood flooring. This room is like a second master's suite. It is carpeted all the way to its bathroom (yuk! the potty here has been off limits) . So it's time to stop procrastinating and rip out the carpet, at least in the bathroom area (for now), and replace it with the leftover tile that we already have. Now I just have to believe..."I think I can, I think I can..." You think?
I think there's hope on my procrastination...I didn't procrastinate posting this:)
Here is the before photo
I also plan to paint the cabinets but not until after I finish tiling the floor. Please wish me luck...I need all the luck I can get on this project.
I thought I'd also share a before and after photo of my most recent very small project. I changed the hangers on my closet. It has also been on my project list for the longest time and I finally got the chance to do it.
Here's the before with the plastic hangers
Here is the after with the wooden hangers
It is such a small thing that made a big difference...it elevates my mood whenever I hang clothes.
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