Merry Christmas!

Hey Everyone,

Merry Christmas to all my dear family, friends and customers. May your holiday be blessed by the Good Lord and your tummies full of holiday food :) God Bless you all, be safe and be Merry!

Tuazon Family

After we moved to Sacramento, there has been one very important constant in our adjustment to the area. The Tuazon family has been very supportive of us, always asking us if we are ok, helping out whenever needed. They have really helped us cope with the adjustment of moving to Roseville.

When they asked us to photograph their family for Christmas, I was honored to have the opportunity. Thank you Tuazon family, you are the best!

Dano Family

When my doubles partner and good friend Reynald called to ask if I could photograph his family, I felt honored that he would ask me to take pictures of his family for the Holiday Season. Reynald and his wife Alissa just had twins!

Thank you for inviting us in to your home and allowing us to share this moment with you. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Below are new twins, Raimund and Rafaele.



I love this picture of the entire family, such a happy moment. The twins' brother Reinhardt decided to join in.



Christmas Family Photo.



Reynald and Alissa

Let's not Forget

I came across this on cnn.com today, it reminded me that we need not forget our son and daughters out there.

Thanksgiving

Maybe it was the slice of turkey, or the 4 slices of ham (1 for me, 1 from my wife, and 2 from my daughter), or the pansit, or the other 5 or so dishes I ate during Thanksgiving Dinner. Whatever it was, it was obviously painful that I ate way too much, the picture below is evidence of this crime. Ugh.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey Everyone, where ever you are, I wish you a very very Happy Thanksgiving from myself and my family. There is much to be thankful for:

1. I thank God that he is in our lives every single second of the day.

2. I am thankful for my family who I love with everything I have.

3. I am thankful that our sons and daughters volunteer their time and life to protect our freedom, God bless them.

4. I am thankful that my wife has very stable profession while I struggle to get back on my feet having been hit by the layoff.

5. I am thankful that we have two wonderful children who are healthy, loving and a joy to be around.

6. I am thankful that my family across the world is in relatively healthy condition and are living their life to the fullest.

7. I am thankful for my friends who have stood by us no matter how silly we get in matters of life and friendship.

8. I am thankful for Lebron James who is giving Cleveland Sports the only hope for a Championship they've had in decades.

9. I am thankful for those mentors in my life who have inspired and molded me to who I am today.

10. I am thankful for my parents and ancestors.

I don't have a photo for a day, but I found this funny video on Youtube, check it out. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol

I just finished Dan Brown's latest book the Lost Symbol. You may recognize him as the author of the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, movies that were recently created from his novels.

In this book, the Lost Symbol, the main character Robert Langdon is again thrust into an adventure to uncover the secret location of some lost treasure that is kept secret by the Masons, a secret society of well known individuals in world history.

What was different about this novel, as compared to the previous ones, is that it is formatted similarly to James Patterson books, where the chapters are very short (some less than a page long), but are numerous and the endings always lead you to the next chapter.

The other notable is that the entire book took place in less than 24 hours. It was thrilling and yet a little disappointing at the end for me. Only because Dan Brown continues to insult the Catholic religion attempting to now persuade you to think the Bible has a hidden meaning or secret and that God, our Lord that the Bible refers to is not some entity almighty that created the world, but a power within all of us.

Having said that, if I had to compare his novels, I still enjoyed Angels and Demons the best. But after reading his last few chapters in the book basically admonishing everything we have come to believe in as Catholics, I really doubt I will purchase another Dan Brown novel. He could have written these books without desecrating what Catholics believe in and still be a terrific novel.

A special thanks to Father Elmo who gave me this book during his stay with us.

A Photo a Day

Sometimes you get side tracked, distracted, confused, or perhaps you sometimes just forget. This blog is suppose to be about what is going on with me, my photography and my family. While some of my recent postings had some of those topics involved, it hasn't been consistent. So I thought and reflected and think it's time to challenge myself a little.

So the challenge to myself from today until the end of the year, is to put up a Photo a day on this blog. No guarantees! But I will try my best. I have lots of Photos I have taken in the past few weeks/months, but have not blogged any of them unfortunately. So I start today, until the end of the year, a photo a day.

What are these group of people doing in this picture below?



Well of course, watching the Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto fight on HBO over our cousins house. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, you should find a way to! It was an amazing fight, I thought Cotto could be the one who would finally challenge Pacquiao, but in the end he went down just like the others. Here's the last few minutes of the fight.



So my kids are into Club Penguin. It's an online, real time place where your children can safely interact with each other through Penguins. There are parental controls which you help you choose your comfortable level for your child, through how they interact or what they can do on the website. It's a lot of fun for the children, and they get to interact with their friends from San Diego where it is too far to see them in person.

Well, our children had this idea that we should do with Club Penguin like we did with Flat Stanley. Everywhere we go, we can take a picture of the Penguin to show where all the places they have been. If you go on the Club Penguin site, there are alot of people who took pictures of their Penguins from all over the world, from the Eiffel Tower, to Big Ben, to the White House, and other historic locations. So we decided to do that today, but on a much smaller scale, a tennis court, aren't they cute? :)



So Andrew has this school project. To do a paper on something that can contribute to our city/society/well being. The topic he chose was recycling. He decided to save all of the plastic bottles we use and turn them into a recycling plant. We will then use the money we get from it and donate it to the Red Cross to help others in need. He will write about his experience and why he chose this endeavor. Today we turned in approximately 4 garbage bags full of water bottles.




Well, that's it for now, a Photo a Day. That is my promise to you.

Tuesday's Topics

Hi All, it's been a while since I've blogged. Fe Lyn, my tireless worker of a wife worked 16 hours last night, so while she's getting her beauty rest, I thought I would blog something.

First and foremost, our son Andrew had a successful surgery last week as his tonsils were removed. He is out of school for a week, and is enjoying every minute of it. Things went really smooth, Fe Lyn and I were a little worried as expected before the surgery, but were very relieved to hear the Doctor afterwards telling us that everything went fine. Thank God!

Fe Lyn and I saw a couple of movies this week. First one was My Sisters Keeper with Cameron Diaz. It's a heart warming family story about one sister who has Lukemia, and another sister who was a test tube baby so that she can donate parts (blood, bone marrow, kidney, other things) to keep her big sister alive. The little sister ends up suing her parents so that she can refuse to undergo further donations of her parts to her sister. Cameron Diaz played her part perfect as the Mother who refused to give up her fight to save her daughter.



The other movie we saw was Paranormal Activity. We watched this one after the kids went to sleep, and boy was that the right decision. While it wasn't scary all the times, it reminds you so much of your home, especially because it was based in San Diego where we use to live. The house was somewhat similar to ours. Definitely a movie you would want to watch on DVD when it comes out and it might even be worth watching while still in the theatres. The movie is about a couple who fight a demonic haunting in their house. The female has experienced this haunting since she was 8 years old, but now the demon who is haunting her is getting stronger, actually being able to physically move/touch things as well as possess. Check out the trailer and give it a go when it comes out on DVD.



I hope you all have a great rest of the week!!

Fall Foilage

I'm feeling a bit under the weather, the change of seasons will do that to you. Just a quick post before I go off to bed and sleep for the next 12 hours. Fe Lyn and I took my mother in law to Lake Tahoe today, and I was specifically looking for Fall Foilage, beautiful colors. Check out this photo below that Fe Lyn took while we were driving, aren't the colors awesome. Good Night!

Monday Happenings

Hey All, Happy Monday to ya'll. I'm in the mood to type/write, so have patience. Just wanted to write about some of the current events and provide my humble opinion, just my 2 cents.

- I am really disappointed in the Heene family for staging the Balloon escapade with their 6 year old. In faking this escapade, while the world watch and our hearts and prayers went out to the young boy who we had thought was hovering thousands of feet in the air, captivating our attention, our emotions, he was merely hiding out some place until the family could figure out a way to show that he was indeed safe. I feel sorry for the young boys who the parents have now shown, how to lie to the entire world and get away with it, if only for a little while. What a way to be a role model.



- I'm now 2-2 in match play in my Tennis League. I'm really enjoying playing this game again, and I feel like I'm improving and getting better with each game. There is still a lot to work on, but that's just the fun part. I've met a lot of nice people on my team as well as those I play again and I am looking forward to finishing our season.

- I miss the time playing with Father Elmo and Father Benjie during their stay with us. They are not only the one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but they have the same passion and desire to play tennis as I do. It was really wonderful having them around, and I hope they've had a nice and safe flight back to the Philippines. Hope they come back soon.



- My mother in law is coming this week and I am very excited to see her. While she's only going to be with us for a few days, at least we will get to spend some time with her.


- We also want to go apple picking, there seems to be so many farms in the El Dorado area, but we don't know which one is the best. If you recommend one, please leave a comment as well. thanks.

That's it for now, I hope everyone enjoys their week!

Father Elmo/Benjie in Tahoe

After Los Angeles, we brought both Father Elmo and Father Benjie to Lake Tahoe. You've seen many pictures on this blog already about Lake Tahoe, but it seems we never get tired of the beauty. It's especially true if you're there in person where you the back drop of the lake, against the Mountains is a sight to see. Here are some of my favorites.




In this picture, you see Father Elmo on top of a wall near side the road, well on the other side (his left) is about 100 ft drop into the Lake. It was actually quite scary, but Father Elmo sure wasn't scared, obviously he had some faith and support from the higher ups to to speak :)



You were probably wondering why Father Benjie looked a bit cold in the first picture above? Well, there was actually Snow in the mountain area, here is Fe Lyn taking a picture of Father Benjie who is making a snow Angel, how fitting!




My favorite. Don't jump Father!

Around Los Angeles

It's no secret that I tell people I don't like Los Angeles. It's too crowded, too many people, too many cars, takes too long to get anywhere. Perhaps you think I'm impatient, and maybe I am a little, that I am always in a hurry to get things done or go somewhere, you're probably right. But you must agree that taking 40 minutes to get to the grocery, or 2 hours sitting on highway 5 to get to an Angels game is just a tad too long.

But Los Angeles is not without it's gems, how could it not have some? It's THE home of the Stars, where glitz and glamour collide and all the pretty people get together to make riches beyond most of our wildest dreams. And, so we decided to stop by a couple of places before we headed up to Northern California, just 2 stops, enough to get our taste of LA and head back to our normal everyday lives.

But even before we did that, we stopped by to see our little tyke nephew Jay Carlos Villaflor. Isn't he just handsome? In about 15 years, he's going to be breaking hearts all over CA. Book it!



We then stopped by to see our Aunt Esther, who is in rehab trying to get better. It had been a while since we saw her, so it was good to say hello and wish her the best on her road to recovery. Here's Andrew, pushing her down the hallway at her rehab center, looks like she's enjoying it!



Our next stop was Rodeo Drive..



Can you find Fe Lyn in this lineup? hard to tell!




Our last stop was the Hollywood sign shown here with Father Benjie.

Advantage Canada!

I joined a Tennis League here in Roseville. It's been about 15 to 20 years since I've played serious tennis, playing in a tournament in Cleveland OH where I grew up. So while still trying to find a day job, I decided it might be a good idea to get in better shape.

It's only been 3 weeks but it's felt really good getting back into Tennis. I didn't realize how much I missed the game and being competitive again. I'm playing against guys who are my level or better so it's really challenging. If you're in Sacramento, and play tennis give me a hollar, I would love to play. Check out this video below, here I am playing Tennis with Father Benjie, Father Elmo and Reynald Dano who are all very good.

Annual Navalian Fiesta

Wow, it's been too long since I've blogged. No excuses! This past weekend we drove down to Los Angeles for the Annual Navalian Fiesta. It's a gathering, a fiesta, a party, a celebration for persons/people who are from Naval Leyte in the Philippines. There is a Church Mass given typically by a Priest from the local Diocese in Naval and then food and dancing afterwards.

But this Organization is not just about getting together and talking about old times, they raise funds/money to help out their home town, whether it is donating new computers, books, fire engine's, whatever is needed in their home town. It's about giving back to the home they miss and the loved ones that are still there.

So it's always a pleasure to join in and celebrate the generosity of this Organization and to see people who you may only see once a year.

This year's affair, Father Benjie and Father Elmo celebrated Mass. Below is a picture with both them with Andrew:



I really like this solemn picture of Father Elmo during the Mass.




Mother Mary..



These are the officers of the organization, the leaders who are remarkably giving and kind. In the works right now is a Medical Mission back to Naval in 2011. If you're interested in contributing or volunteering, please email me and I will get you in touch with one of the officers.



Well, afterwards there was a LOT of dancing.. check out these moves.







There was a very special moment during the evening, my wife Fe Lyn met her Piano Teacher for the first time in over 25+ years. Fe Lyn had grown up learning Piano from her and it was just now that they've had a chance to see each other, it was a very touching moment.



As the night dwindled down, we took one last group Photo.

District 9

I got a chance to watch District 9 today. Having heard from friends and from some reviews on the internet, I was excited to get a chance to finally see it. I was disappointed however. Although the last 45 minutes were filled with action, shoot outs, suspense.. to me it was just ok. Nothing spectacular, no in depth character development or relationships, I felt the plot was thin. I would wait until it comes out on DVD to watch it, I just don't think it's worth the price of admission at the theatre.

Review - The Hurt Locker

So yesterday, I got a chance to watch the movie, "The Hurt Locker". It's basically about a demolition team in Iraq who is assigned to dis-arming IED's. You get a real sense of the kind of danger these guys put themselves through every single day, and the pressure to save lives of others in harms way.

Movies like this are always good to watch once in a while as a remembrance that our troops are out there so you can sleep well this evening. If you get a chance to watch this, I highly recommend it. Excellent movie. Also, below the trailer, you'll see a video capture by a soliders helmet cam of a firefight in Afghanistan. To further remind us why we shouldn't forget our troops.

Family Visit in Sacramento

I had a great week last week, first my nephews came in just before my birthday and stayed with our family for a week. Then my brother and his family came in a few days later and spent a long weekend with us, while we visited San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Reno and around Sacramento. It was great seeing everyone, especially my nephews. Here's a quick and dirty slideshow we made for everyone just before they left. Enjoy!!!

Howard and John

I'm so excited for tomorrow. My nephews from Ohio, Howard and John are arriving in CA to spend a week with our family. It has been 3 years since we saw them last. It's going to be a blast!

Movie Reviews - Aliens in the Attic, Terminator Salvation

Well, got to see a couple of movies with the family today, and I actually liked both.

The first movie, Aliens in the Attic had its moments. Overall, it wasn't that great of a movie, the acting was just average, the plot was a bit confusing, but it did have some funny moments, such as the daughters boyfriend being controlled by her brother and cousins, or the boyfriend sparring with the grandmother. It was predictable, and I wouldn't recommend seeing it in the theatre, but it is worth an evening with the children on DVD when it comes out on Blockbuster.

Rating: 6.5



The second movie, Terminator Salvation, was an excellent film. John Conner isn't officially in control of the resistance yet, but is up and coming, and most everyone follows his lead anyway, is searching for his father. At this point in the story, he is in command of a small group, realizing he needed to find his father, for if he couldn't, then they had lost the war. Excellent, sound and special affects, nice plot and story line, leaves the viewer waiting for yet another episode of this popular movie series.

Rating: 9.0

Camping at Manchester State Park

When we were invited by our good friends (Lopez Family) to go camping, I had a difficult time containing my excitement. It has been a while since we went camping as a family at Lake Morena in San Diego, so I was really looking forward to this trip.

Manchester State Park is approximately 4 hours from Sacramento, driving approximately 25+ miles over winding mountain roads until you get to the park, which is by the Pacific Coast. Temperatures were no more than 61 degrees during the day, and as low as 49 during the night.

But that didn't deter us from having fun, going to the beach, checking out cliffs by the ocean, Point Arena Lighthouse nearby, campfire at night, and of course Glass Beach the following day. It was the first time camping for the Lopez family, but they seemed like seasoned veterans and I really enjoyed our time spent with them.

Check out the video I put together from our trip, so much fun.

Happy Birthday Brianna!

Best Friends forever, for a life time. That's what Alexa and Brianna talk about all the time. Our daughter Alexa met Brianna when they were both 2 years old, taking a ballet class at the San Elijo Dance Academy in San Diego. While they danced, they really didn't get to know each other well until they were in Kinder together. And even then the relationship didn't really blossom until they were in first grade.

And now, they can't be separated, sure they are physically far apart, but in their minds, they will always be best friends, no matter the distance. So as it were, we headed back down to San Diego to attend Brianna's 9th Birthday Part at the Belmont Park in San Diego. They have some terrific rides, games and other fun things for children.

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures.




Best friends forever...



Happy Birthday Brianna!!!

Del Mar Beach

It isn't a Beach in Del Mar, but actually located on The Camp Pendleton USMC Base in San Diego County. Our first time here and we love it, it was clean, not crowded, terrific large waves and great sand to walk on. I wish we had known this beach before we left the area. Nevertheless the children had a fun time of it today, frolicking on the wet sand, making half castles and burying Andrew's feet so he couldn't walk.

The kids weren't the only ones who had a good time, check out the new friends Charlotte and Sherry Ann met this afternoon.



beach walks with the kids..




Tomorrow we hit Belmont Park in San Diego for the birthday party!

Family Shot at San Francisco

I've had this picture as my wall paper on my laptop for the past week and it's one of my all time favorite pictures I think. I just love it. I'm not sure why, maybe because my family is there together against a strong wind on top of a hill over looking my favorite city in the entire world. I just love it, I really do.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Tonight, I got to take Alexa and Andrew out to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Having read the book I knew of course the movie wasn't going to be as good and of course it wasn't, but it was decent. I was although disappointed of two things, that there weren't enough scenes of Tom Riddle's memories, as this was very key in developing the relationship between Voldemort and Harry Potter. Secondly, there wasn't really the big fight between the Death Eaters and Hogwarts teachers and students. In the book, there was a huge battle in the school but in the movie it was definitely rushed.

However, you can't have everything in the book, because then the movie would be 6 hours long :) It was a good movie, looking forward to the last book, which I hope will be at least 4 hours :)

Ann C

Would you believe Ann is my niece. You're probably saying, Alex, you really are old! Actually, Ann is the grand daughter of my Dad's oldest brother, which would make her a niece in Philippine terms. My father had 13 brothers and sisters and the age gap between oldest and youngest is quite large as you can imagine.

I'm so happy I have at least one relative in the Sacramento area and it was good to finally meet Ann in person. Ann and I stepped out after dinner yesterday and took some shots at a local park in the area. Say hello to Ann!

Villaflors in San Francisco

Our cousins from Los Angeles came up this weekend to spend some time with us. They wanted to go to San Francisco, since they had never been there before. We of course will always say yes to SF, we adore the city.

However, took a quick stop by Napa to check out a Vineyard, called Stags Leap, then to the Palace of Fine Arts, then lastly Twin Peaks which has a wonderful overview of the City.