OUR LIFE

Disneyland

2011-09-23T17:39:00.001-07:00

We had a good time in California. I'm sure Kim had more fun than me since I was going to the conference and she was going to the pool :)

Cooking

2011-09-09T09:58:00.001-07:00

Last nice I made lemon rice. It's a Indian recipe. Im trying to expand my cooking skills

Sick week

2011-01-21T08:11:00.001-07:00

Last week and this week have been pretty miserable as far health. A runny nose all last week and then it turn into a sinus infection and ear infection which it caused me to stay home. The problem with staying at home is that I had so much work and I couldn't relax. Poor Kim because she was sick too. She was coughing like a sick dog and I was blowing my nose like a bubuzela. We are doing better and ready for the weekend and Kim's birthday.

Our little weekend project

2011-01-09T10:54:00.001-07:00

The morning started as any Saturday morning( I got up at 5 and play video games) then we talked to Kim's parents over Skype and after that we ate and I started talking about my runny nose which guided our conversation that I needed to go to Home Depot to get an air filter and then we decided that we should paint our family room. So after some negotiating Kim went to Home Depot.She bought the paint and our home project started. We finished around 5pm and it looks good. I was a little apprehensive about the color when we discussed it months ago but I like it now. It reminded me of my house in Costa Rica before my mom decided to painted the rooms pink after she watched a tv show saying that pink makes people less angry. Anyways to finish the story, Kim forgot to buy the filter.

To Red Lake

2010-12-17T19:03:00.001-07:00

We started our trip to Red lake and I'm glad that we can take a break from all the craziness that we have been doing. Work has been a little stressful so it is nice to enjoy some free time. I'm writing from 30000 feet in the air it's pretty cool to be able to do fun things like this but once we get to red lake this phone will not be used as much.

A crazy week

2010-12-09T19:37:00.001-07:00

I'm really glad that this week is almost over. It has been really busy. I think Christmas should be done in June or July because it is so busy at the end of the year. This week was full of events : two coworkers are leaving and I had to fill for another coworker that it's on vacation. On top of that I have to do my performance review. Friday thanks for coming.

Our Christmas tree

2010-12-07T20:23:00.001-07:00

We decided this year to put our tiny tree since we will be gone all Christmas. This is Manchas first Christmas and I'm afraid what she will do with the tree.

Our Christmas tree

Kim is holding the cat but you can hardly see her.

Kim with some good apple cider

Me with apple cider

Tuesday bus

2010-12-07T17:38:00.001-07:00

The bus is always an adventure and I always wonder why they look so tired? Do they have two jobs? Did they work all night? Why the bus driver is so grumpy today ?

Us

2010-12-04T06:27:00.001-07:00

In case if you forgot our beautiful faces

Back again

2010-12-04T05:32:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I have updated this blog.
Last time was back in march. So many things have happened.
Here is a list:
- We got a cat or the cat got us
- We bought a house
- Kim graduated from Nursing school
- I went to Costa Rica in a mission trip
- We went to Halifax Nova Scotia to visit her sister
- We went to Kansas to Kim's grandfather funeral
- I went to Austin TX for a work conference
- I went to Thailand
- We are planning to go to Red Lake, Ontario for Christmas

As you can see it was a little crazy the past months

taiwan

2010-03-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Here a little update of what's going on with my trip. I arrived to Kaohsiung city on thursday night just to find out that they had a 6.2 or something like that earthquake. The irony that I found on this is that my room is on the 36th floor.
As far work goes well I was a little confused in the morning with the transportation but it was ok. My first lunch meal was not the best one since im not a big fan of smelly fish food. I had this thing that when I asked what it was they were not sure either.
Then my last surprise was after lunch when I found out that I had to take the metro to go back but they forgot to tell me all thear details.
Anyway I am on my way to Taipei to visit my friend Suzan, she used to work for the same company but then she left and came back to Taiwan and got married so Im excited to catch up and meet her husband and go to the museum. I guess this is pretty much the update.

Update

2010-02-12T08:07:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I have updated so here is my attempt and by the way the picture is just a random picture that I took in the bus.
We have been looking for a house for a long time (september) and we finally coming to a close. I have to admit that it has been very hard and frustrating but we finally settled in something that we both like. I think God have been faithful in the process where many companies are doing really bad and my company have been doing well. So here we are about to start a new chapter in our lives.
In other news we had visitors last week. Kayleen and Reggie came to visit with the whole family. I enjoyed the short time that we spent together. The weather was perfect and we watched the superbowl together despite that it wasn't as exciting.
Work has been really busy lately but I still enjoy it. There is a chance for me to go to Taiwan and Thailand but I won't know until next week and I hope that I can get all the paper done for the house before I leave.
Anyway this is a short summary of our lives here.

Another day of rains

2010-01-22T07:34:00.001-07:00

Last night we had a lot of rain, we had a tornado warning. It was quite crazy to see the storm passing through with high winds and then stopped. I was looking the weather maps like crazy while kim was peacefully watching TV. We had rain for almost the whole week which it is nice for a change. Kim will start school again today and graduation will come in May. I am excited that she will be done and I am sure that she will be more than me.
Anyway these are all the news that I have for now.

a river?

2010-01-20T07:52:00.001-07:00

the small river behind the bus stop is not a river but a nice grass area but got flooded after last night rain and we are expecting more rain tomorrow. It is crazy how much rain we got but it is nice to smell the air and smell the sweet aroma of wet dirt. I get a little home sick when it is rainy like today.

Happy New Year

2010-01-14T07:59:00.004-07:00

I guess I'm a little late, but it's better than saying "Merry Christmas!"

We had a great time with part of my family here for almost two whole weeks. Karla, Mom and I cooked our little buns off (I wish, because then I could've eaten more). We did various things around here, like hiking, bird watching, playing on trains, etc. A few days after they got here we drove up to Flagstaff to my mom's cousin's cabin (house) and spent two nights there. The day after we got there we went to the Grand Canyon which Kirk and Karla were dying to see... unfortunately it was freezing cold, so our Grand Plans of taking our lunch with us and being outside were not so wise. Speaking of freezing, on the way home from Flagstaff there was a Out of Africa park that I've really been wanting to go to. It was really cool and I totally loved it... but it was cold. Like really, really cold. I suppose if we had been in our parkas and sorels we would've been fine, but alas we were not. Aside from the frigidness, Jose and I had a great time and were just hoping our dear cold family was too.

After our little trip north we mostly just hung around here doing the aforementioned hiking, bird watching (by my dad, mainly), and also spent some time with the extended family we have here.

I was, of course, sad to see them all go. Partly because it reminded me how much I wish we all lived closer to each other, and partly because it meant that school was on its way. Thankfully I had a couple more weeks of freedom... actually, I still have one more week left!

On a completely unrelated note, I would like to ask for your prayers. My friend D is currently separated from her husband. The reason they're still married is because they're waiting for their green cards to come. Her husband found out that it could take a few more years, and is now asking for a divorce. The divorce wouldn't affect his status in the country, but because she came on his visa it would essentially force her to leave the US. She has been here for years and has built her life here; she has no friends or job or anything in her home country. She is not a believer, but I've been praying for her for years now and have shared my faith with her numerous times. I told her that it's possible for her husband's heart to be changed, but she doesn't believe it. I'm asking that you pray with me, first for God's will to be done in her life (whether that means staying or leaving) and second that if it's His will her husband's heart would be changed. My hope is that a miracle would occur that would be too big for her to ignore and that she would finally recognize the truth and Who she's been seeking all these years. I don't know God's will in her situation, and if it takes her losing everything and everyone for her to come to Him, then I'm at peace with it. Please just pray for her, however God leads you. And pray for me too as I relate to her. I'm having lunch with her today again.

Thanks everyone. :)

a long day

2010-01-04T22:36:00.001-07:00

I was planning to play video games with kirk but a few minutes later I realized how long the day was for all my friends :-)

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T12:05:00.001-07:00

Nothing better than hiking to start the new year!

az sky

2009-12-31T17:46:00.001-07:00

Beautiful sky in arizona and nice weather

Merry Christmas from my office

2009-12-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

Holiday cheer from my office :)

Beautiful Sunrise

2009-12-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

This last two week have been quite strange to say the least. This morning when I saw the sunrise I got reminded that God is in control of everything. Now I understand why Paul compares our christian life to a race... you never know what you will find on the road but you must keep running.

Phx zoo lights

2009-11-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

fun night!

Life in general...

2009-11-19T08:01:00.002-07:00

I love Fall and everything about it... Needing long sleeves, shivering a little, being able to bake without boiling to death, baking all those cinnamony spicy things... Like Granny's apple cookies with caramel icing that I smell right now. It's a wonderful thing. I'm especially thankful for the "cold" (I had to put it in quotes because it still feels like a summer day in Red Lake during the day) because it means that...

Thanksgiving is coming, which means: family, food, and a little break
the end of the semester is almost here (CAN'T WAIT)
Christmas is coming, which means: Mom, Dad, Kirk, Karla, and Mayah will all be here. I can hardly believe it.

So, life is good. This semester has been busy, but not quite as crazy as the last two... Although we kind of exchanged the craziness of school for the craziness of house hunting. Yes indeed, we have been searching for a house for close to two months now. We put an offer on a house that is a short sale, but because of the whole process that a short sale is, we haven't heard back yet. So we continue to look in case that offer falls through and in case God shows us something better. We're going out again this Saturday with our realtor to see some more houses, and we're really hopeful about one in particular. It's been an interesting two months of learning to trust Him more and trying to hear Him as a couple. We'll see where He takes us.

I have been more inspired lately to make a menu for the week and stick to it. I kind of got out of the habit with school and all, and was just plain uninspired with cooking and all it involved. But, I've been finding some new recipes and remembering some old ones and it's been fun to cook again. Probably partly to do with the fact that I don't wilt at the thought of being in the kitchen with even more heat. This week I tried making quinoa (say it with me: keen-wa). I've heard it's all the rage... I think some of my sisters have even tried it (?). It turned out quite well, although it has kind of a weird smell, I must say. I made it in my rice maker and served it in place of rice with chicken adobo. I found it needed a few more minutes of cook time, so next time I think I'll add more than 2:1 water and that should make it a little fluffier.

I've also discovered that you can make Granny's apple cookies and just keep the dough in the fridge to be pulled out at will and baked. The apples don't even turn brown. And even if they did, who cares? The cookies are brown anyway. Yum, yum, yum.

That's all for now, folks.

cars

2009-10-30T08:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went with a coworker since he had to pickup his car and after that we went for lunch. When I was waiting for him to come out from the dealer I wondered around looking at the new cars. I was thinking how bad the gas mileage is in so many car and how expensive the gas cost per year and then I found this car with such a small amount per year and I wonder how it was possible with a 16mpg rating at that moment I look at the small print and I just laughed.

From the Inside Out

2009-10-22T08:34:00.002-07:00

Because of school and clinicals, I haven't been able to go to church very much for the last month or so, and won't be able to again for the next few weeks aside from the random service here or there. This week I've been listening to a lot more music (which I had somehow gotten away from in general) and have just realized again how it can be incredibly meaningful to worship by yourself. This song in particular has really touched my heart.

Express bus

2009-10-05T16:44:00.001-07:00

It is a nice a ride when you are the only one

Camping

2009-10-05T09:10:00.001-07:00

We had a great time camping this past weekend. I really enjoy being in the woods and the feeling of being cold.

3 Years Ago...

2009-09-30T07:53:00.008-07:00

Happy Birthday, Robyn!

2009-09-20T12:19:00.005-07:00

To continue the tradition of pictures of the birthday girl, or person, as it were...

Doing what they do best... :)

The place I always remember her in...

Hopefully Daryl isn't stealing the spotlight too much from Robyn's shining face. :) I love you, Robyn, and am thankful for your friendship. I hope you have a great day!

thinking

2009-09-18T12:32:00.003-07:00

my sister rhonda has been updating us on the condition of a little girl who recently had heart surgery and has had complications since then. it's made me pray, and also do some thinking. why is it that as Christians we try to hold on to life so hard? if we believe that "to die is gain" is true, what is it that makes us fight for this life? in no way do i want to minimize what the family of this little girl is going through, or any other family for that matter. i can't even imagine the pain of watching your child suffer or worse: losing a child. it just made me wonder what it is about our current, messed up, pain-filled lives that makes us want to stay here. my only answer is that 1) we don't fully grasp what is to come and 2) God has put in us a desire for life and the instinct to cling to it. the second point made me think, then, what purpose would God have in creating us to cling to life? i think it's to have the time, to take the time, to prepare for the next life. this life is an opportunity to learn what it is we're supposed to, to grow and change and become more like Christ, and to take the chance to be used by Him. if all of that is true, then part of changing and growing is to "count it all joy"...all of it. Count it all joy when the guy in the 'yield' lane doesn't yield, when people you love hurt you, when people you care about get sick, when you forget things at the grocery store and have to go back 3 times, when you fight with your spouse... whatever it is, big or small, count it all joy.

maybe these aren't such Deep Thoughts and whoever's out there reading this has already thought of these things. i don't know about you, but i need frequent reminders. i hope these thoughts sink in deep and become my way of thinking and living.

On my way to the weekend market

2009-09-10T18:19:00.001-07:00

I decided to walk to the market since it is not far. This past week was crazy with work and im expecting to be a little better next week. The weather is not bad a little humid but tolerable.

Coming to you live and in person...

2009-09-01T19:52:00.005-07:00

I think every time I write a new post I give some excuse for why I haven't written in months. Well, the main reason this time is because I was in school all summer and just couldn't gather up the energy and brain matter to form coherent thoughts and type them out.

But summer is over, and here I am.

After all of that, I had two weeks off... which was blissful. Jose left for Costa Rica a week before I did since he really wanted to be there three weeks and I thought he might benefit from being away from me while I was getting ready for my final. :)

When I got to the airport in San Jose, Jose and his sister were there to pick me up. We drove home to her house where we had coffee. "Coffee" in Costa Rica is like saying "tea time" in England (at least, that's how I imagine it)... it has many possibilities (but always includes coffee), such as bread with cheeses, sweet bread, cookies, etc. It's more like a meal than anything. Wonderful.

That evening we went to a jazz performance where we saw three different groups. Some of them were very good, and some were quite weird... One group was from Costa Rica, one from Germany, and one from the States. My favorite part was when Jose asked Paty if she had a banana in her purse. I think you had to be there, but we laughed and laughed hysterically until we cried.

The next day Jose, Paty and I (plus her two kids plus two others) went driving hither and yon to a volcano which was pretty cool to see. I was surprised at the temperature change up there, even though the ground was warm from the volcano.

The following day was Sunday so we all went to church. After church Jose and I went home and ate lunch by ourselves before going to visit his friend Ferdy. Ferdy pretty much grew up like a brother to Jose, so it was really great to meet him and his family. We also stopped by the house Jose grew up in and the renter let us come in and look around a bit. It was really special to me to see where he grew up and be able to visualize it.

On Monday morning (well, really it was the middle of the night) Paty and her kids and Jose and I took a bus to Managua. We had a little trouble getting the kids across the border without their dad along, so we had to leave them all at the border for a few hours while we continued on without them. We (somewhat guiltily) checked into our hotel, picked up our rental car, and had lunch and showers while we waited for them to come. When they got there Jose's brother Daniel took us to visit his grandma. It was nice to see where she lives and to meet her. The next day we 5 visitors drove to an active volcano that was pretty sweet. We walked around and did some little bits of hiking so we could get better views. The following day we drove to Granada where we did a little shopping and some walking around. That night Jose, Sebastian and I went to a night tour of the volcano that we had visited the day before. That was really, really cool. We hiked all around the volcano, went down into these bat-filled poop-filled caves (cool but a little gross), and stepped right to the edge of the volcano and looked down to see the lava.

When we weren't driving around seeing things, we were visiting at either Jose's grandma's house or his brother's house. His brother and family were very gracious hosts and fed us and entertained us very well. My only complaint were those pork rinds. Shiver. Next time I will politely refuse instead of almost politely throwing up. :) Good times! Seriously though, we really had a great time with all of them.

P.S. Kim's advice about Nicaraguan culture: If you make a car rental reservation (even if you have a confirmation number), do not be fooled into thinking that the car might actually be there waiting for you. You will be disappointed. Just calmly accept the fact that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, that you will not receive any sort of apology or explanation, and move on with your life. Take my advice.

On Thursday we got on the bus to go back to Costa Rica. Jose and I got off in Liberia (I think?) while the others continued on home. We took a taxi to the airport where we had reserved a rental car. From there we drove to the beach to a hotel that his sister and husband had recommended. We were a little scared to be driving back on these pothole-filled dirt roads in the dark, not really knowing where we were going, but once we arrived we were so happy to be there. We actually didn't leave the property until we left to go home to San Jose. The beautiful thing was that it was the slow season, so there were only a few people at our hotel. On top of that the hotel and beach were set into a little bay so it felt very secluded. I loved it! We just laid on the beach and swam and ate, and that was about it. It was absolutely wonderful, especially after summer school.

On Sunday we took a very scenic route back to San Jose. It was really a nice drive, even if things did get a little scary with the fog and driving rain and winding mountain roads. Ahem. We had a good time together, though, and made some good memories.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were a blur of: grocery shopping (for all of the food from there that we can't get here), picking up kids from school, visiting friends, baking (an apple pie and a cheesecake), learning the tricks to making good tortillas, and packing. I left early Thursday morning to come home in time for orientation for school and Jose came home the following Sunday.

And that, my friends, is what we did on summer vacation. If you'd like to see pictures you can check out the ones on Jose's facebook page, and I'll try at some point to add some pictures here as well.
Bye for now!

2009-08-12T15:35:00.001-07:00

2009-08-11T14:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Caro!

2009-08-05T21:17:00.001-07:00

Feliz Cumple Caro!

My new shade

2009-07-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

I found a new shade at the bus stop. the last storm broke two of my shade trees so I had to find a new one. The problem is that I have to be alert when the bus comes or I will miss it

Upgrading

2009-07-20T07:09:00.001-07:00

I got in the bus today and I felt that I got an upgrade. Not sure if the picture give justice but I have a bunch of leg room. I feel like im in business class now. they need to work on the seats I guess too many big bone people have been sitting on them

2009-07-19T11:11:00.002-07:00

Interesting article

2009-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Is your bottled water safe? - CNN.com

Jose 1 Honda 0

2009-07-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

After almost 30 minutes of fighting in a 105+ weather I won the battle ... stupid japanese engineer who decided to put the relay in such hard to reach place! I would have given him a F on his engineering class.

This is the GREATEST news of the day!!!

2009-06-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Confederations Cup Live Blog: Spain 0-2 United States - Soccer - SI.com

Interesting

2009-06-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

Maybe Kim can use this :)

IEEE Spectrum: A High Tech Version of The Dog Ate My Homework

IEEE Spectrum: Antennas for the New Airwaves

2009-06-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

For those who care about their new TV Antenna or planning to buy a new one.
IEEE Spectrum: Antennas for the New Airwaves

Chihuahuas Confront Cougar

2009-06-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

I guess they can be scary
Chihuahuas Confront Cougar in SoCal Garage - KTLA

Our company cat

2009-06-12T14:38:00.001-07:00

This is why the government should never be involved

2009-06-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

CEO says gov't pressured bank to buy Merrill Lynch - Yahoo! Finance

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House lawmakers on Thursday accused the federal government of orchestrating a "shotgun wedding" between Bank of America Corp. and Merrill Lynch that cost taxpayers $20 billion, as a top bank executive said publicly for the first time that he was pressured into going through with the deal.

"What gave me concern is that they gave that threat to a bank in good standing," Lewis told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The panel is investigating claims that then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke pressured Lewis and urged him to keep quiet about Merrill Lynch's financial problems. Not divulging that information would have violated Lewis' fiduciary duty to the bank's shareholders.

Lewis said he did nothing wrong. In the end, the decision to go ahead with the acquisition -- with the promise of government support -- was in everyone's best interest, he testified.

"This course made sense for Bank of America and its shareholders, and made sense for the stability of the markets," he said. "We viewed those two interests as consistent."

Lawmakers on the committee said they remain troubled by internal e-mails and other documents provided to them by the Fed after they issued a subpoena.

One e-mail, by an employee at the Richmond Federal Reserve, said Bernanke had made it clear that if Bank of America backed out and needed financial assistance, "management is gone."

Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the panel's top Republican, said the documents also "show that the government sought to manage the public disclosure of Merrill's mounting losses in order to control the situation."

Democratic Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns of New York said serious questions remain as to the timing of events.

"Why did a private business deal -- announced in September and approved by shareholders in December -- with no mention of government assistance, end up costing taxpayers $20 billion in January?" Towns asked.

Bank of America has received $45 billion from the government's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. As part of that money, the bank received $20 billion in January after Lewis requested it to help offset mounting losses at Merrill Lynch & Co.

Just a few weeks after the deal was completed, Bank of America's fourth-quarter earnings report showed the hit taken by its balance sheet because of the Merrill Lynch transaction, which made Lewis the target of shareholder anger.

In January, Bank of America reported a $2.39 billion fourth-quarter loss, and Merrill Lynch disclosed a loss of more than $15 billion.

Funny

2009-06-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Mo. family Christmas photo turns up in Czech ad

bus signs

2009-06-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

I just found interesting that the signs are in the back of the bus I guess the last seat must be a messy and dangerous one

Happy Birthday Jose!

2009-06-07T20:20:00.001-07:00

How precious! :)

Cool devotional that I got

2009-06-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Connection Friend,

The late missionary E. Stanley Jones said, "When I met Christ, I felt that I had swallowed sunshine." Isn't that a great statement? That's the way it should be for us as believers in Jesus Christ. We should appear as though we had "swallowed sunshine." We should "shine" to everyone around us, because joy is the best advertisement for the Christian life.

In Philippians 4:4, Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Not everyone does that. Every church has its share of pessimists. They're hard to be around; it's like going to a funeral continually. They need this exhortation, perhaps more than anyone else, because they're a poor advertisement. You've heard the saying, more flies are caught with a spoonful of honey than with a barrel of vinegar.

But "Rejoice in the Lord" is an exhortation for all of us. Now before you say, "Easy for you to say, Paul!" remember, he's writing from jail. "Rejoice" is the command. "In the Lord" is the condition. And the occasion is "always."

Rejoicing doesn't mean that you live on this high, ecstatic plain of "Oh, praise the Lord!" all day long. That's not only unrealistic, that's dangerous! Your body can't handle continual adrenaline rushes without damage. The idea of rejoicing is something much more profound, much deeper. This deep sense of peace, of committed contentment that comes from spiritual realities that you really believe in, brings an inward joy that others don't have.

Paul spoke of himself as being "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10). Don't think, "That's just apostolic talk." Paul lived this way. When he first visited Philippi, he was arrested and thrown in jail. And you know the story, how at midnight, in chains and shackles, Paul and Silas sang praises to God. I love that! At midnight, after being beaten, they're singing love songs to the Lord.

And here's the result of that display of joy. The Philippian jailer came to Paul and Silas and said, "What must I do to be saved?" Do you think he would have said that if at midnight they had grumbled and complained and yelled? He would have said, "What must I do to never be like you?"

So, the joy of the Lord is a great advertisement for Jesus Christ. Proverbs 15:15 tells us, "He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast." Ask yourself this: Does that describe you? Does joy permeate your heart? Does laughter ring out in your home? Having joy is a decision. I hope your joy will be evident to all.

In His strong love,

Skip Heitzig

Are you willing to change your diet to combat global warming?

2009-05-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Some scientist don't have anything to do

Cafferty File: Tell Jack how you really feel Blog Archive - Are you willing to change your diet to combat global warming? « - Blogs from CNN.com

Love the beach

2009-05-24T11:18:00.002-07:00

Newport Beach

2009-05-23T20:11:00.001-07:00

I love the ocean!

she did it

2009-05-23T16:53:00.001-07:00

I am so proud of my wife! She scream all the way but she did it!

2009-05-23T14:32:00.002-07:00

2009-05-23T13:24:00.002-07:00

Enjoying the day!

2009-05-23T13:23:00.002-07:00

2009-05-23T12:24:00.002-07:00

2009-05-23T11:30:00.002-07:00

2009-05-23T11:28:00.002-07:00

Raining

2009-05-22T06:02:00.001-07:00

Today is a beautiful morning, the birds are singing and it is raining. I love the sound of the rain hitting the ground I just want to go to bed again but work is calling me early today. We are leaving to Cali this afternoon and I am excited to have a few days of vacation away from home with my beautiful wife.

2009-05-20T08:19:00.005-07:00

Yesterday I was sitting in my living room watching tv when a movement caught my eye... I took a closer look and this is what I saw:

A baby bunny! :) He had squeezed under a crack in our porch... I think he smelled our recycling bin and wanted a closer look. He must have gotten a little tired because he laid down for awhile and just hung out... At first I thought that he was stuck in our porch and we had a new pet, but I think he just liked the shade. I wish I had a better picture of him laying down because it was so so cute. Can you find him in this picture?

Kim's International Market

2009-05-14T13:22:00.002-07:00

I went shopping today and these are the yummy things I found at the Asian Market...

All for $17. :)

Sping is here

2009-05-02T09:51:00.004-07:00

Our week has been busy nothing really exciting except that I started running early in the mornign and I hope to keep it up until the schorching sun comes and it will be no much fun. Last weekend we went to a friends wedding and we really enjoyed the time over there, the weather is perfect right now so I'm enjoying every moment that we have.

Sunshine

2009-04-27T07:11:00.001-07:00

Apparently the sun doesn't want Kim to sleep too much. There is a little ray of sun that funds a way through our window and goes straight to Kim's face. It is not a problem for me since I am up and running around 5:30am.
We had a nice weekend since temperatures are back to normal (low 90s) and the mornings are really nice. We went to a wedding this weekend and I really enjoyed it. It made feel old a little since it was a high school student that graduated 3 years ago but it was really encouraging to see how God is working in young people.

A new customer at Pei Wei

2009-04-26T13:09:00.002-07:00

Need some money?

2009-04-23T11:32:00.001-07:00

Some communities are printing their own currency - CNN.com

Questions

2009-04-22T18:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday in our group we had an interesting discussion and I wanted to through it out there and see what you think about it and I will say in advanced that I ask many many questions that are not necessarily my personal opinion.
The main question is : should gay marriage be allowed in the U.S? and shall we force our christian moral values on people that don't believe in our christian values? I know that as a society we have some moral law but will gay marriage create chaos in our society? In a society where the divorce rate is the same inside and outside the church. should I worry more about gay marriage which represent less than 1% of the population and neglect heterosexual marriage? I wonder about how much it will change my life if gay marriage is allowed? You may say than we will be compromising the future of our kids but how the early christians dealt with so many religions around them? are we afraid that other beliefs will shake our foundation?
Many people argue this country was founded on christian principles but how many real believers exist on this country now?
I do have to say that since we leave in a democratic society and our opinion counts I will vote no to the question but should we keep fighting when people have given their opinion and said yes to the question? or is it better to spend time in reinforcing the christian values to my church members? We know that the law will not change people lives that's why Jesus came to this earth... to change the heart of the people.
We are the salt of this world but should we demonstrate this by making laws for everyone to follow or should I lead by example? Early christians changed the roman empire by the way that they lived their life not by forcing people to believe.
We have been very fortunate to live in an christian society but are we ready to be a minority?

One more reason to go to the gym

2009-04-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thinner is better to curb global warming, study says - CNN.com

writing thai

2009-04-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

After I came back from thailand I decided to learn Thai. The hard part is to learn to pronounce the words but the writing is not to bad. It started to make a little sense how they write but I am still in chapter one of the book that I bought.

Pay up or your car engine will stop

2009-04-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

Interesting news

Pay up or your car engine will stop - CNN.com

In memory of ...

2009-04-17T07:24:00.003-07:00

I wrote a post some time ago about this couple. Well I was walking yesterday and I found a note in a bench saying that our white goose friend died last week in a car accident. He was a very proud protector since he was protecting about 11 duckies this year plus mom and dad. For some strange reason this goose protected this couple and the many times that I try to get close, the goose will look at me like if he wanted to pull my eyes out of the socket. We will miss our white little friend.

Exercising

2009-04-16T12:11:00.002-07:00

Believe or not
Since Kim started to exercise more frequently well I decided to jump on it too. We have been watching what we eat and at least I haven't gained weight but now it is time to lose some. I have been consistent for 4 days and I hope to continue until it becomes a habit. So wish me luck in my adventure.

Tax day

2009-04-15T07:43:00.001-07:00

I'm thankful that I didn't pay taxes since I overpaid but I was quite disgusted by the fact that I got screw in my return because Kim worked. It was upsetting to me to realized that our tax system encourage us not to work. They pretty much tax me a little more than half of what she earned.
This made me wonder how many people decide not work because they can get more money out of the government and the people that work get tax more and the people that really need help get lost in the system.
I know that I am just complaining but it is quite annoying for me to realized that it is pointless to work hard so the Obamamites can waste it in the name of justice and equality.

A few more pics (for the non-facebookers)

2009-04-02T13:44:00.002-07:00

2009-03-28T12:32:00.008-07:00

2009-03-28T12:32:00.007-07:00

2009-03-28T12:32:00.006-07:00

Mexican

2009-03-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

I have seen a commercial on Tv for a week now about this kfc mexican chicken. the commercial shows small chilies fired all the way from mexico. Funny commercial and that's why I got intrigue and I couldn't resist and I went to get some.
I got the store and through many point using your finger and yes and no I manage to order the food. I got the first bite and my poor mouth was instantly on fire! It was really hot and I was very surprise. Keep in mind that I was thinking hot like in the U.S. Where got mean just a little bit so I wonder how many american had fell on this one.
Anyway I am on my way to work so I will try to keep my updates.

My sunday

2009-03-22T05:17:00.001-07:00

My day was full of activities. I went to an island which is to the west of the city. The island is in the city and the place is famous for its pottery. Well famous by tourist standard but it is interesting because the people are not Bangkok natives. They have an different dialect too. After all that we came back to the Hotel. I say we because a coworker came with me and it was nice to have company. I am a little tired of doing everything alone. In a way I want Kim here but I want to be at home with her too. I got a couple of things today in the island and in the weekend market (Chatuchak market). This place is total madness and it is not for the weak. It is total madness with so many people, the heat and the walking. One very curious thing is that at 8am and 6pm the radio plays the national hymn and everyone stops and it gets very quiet. This is quite amazing. We were in the market and everyone stop and the whole market was silent in matter of seconds. Of course there is always one poor foreigner that is completely oblivious and wondering what's going on.
The photo is the gift that I for Xiomie, I am sure that she will be glad to have another one.
Anyway I am really tired and I will post some pics and videos on facebook.

My day so far

2009-03-21T02:16:00.001-07:00

So I took a boat and I went to the Grand Palace which is a really cool place but it was very humid and hot. I have never been so tired and my feet hurt. Right now I am in a commercial center and it's huge. I love the food that they have and I can sit and real for a little bit. I have to say that I wish Kim could come because it can be boring to be alone and I miss her too.
I did realized that Xiomie won't be able to survive a morning outside here in thailand or china. In the morning you can smell the beautiful scent of fried eggs and boiled chicken. I had close call this morning and that's why I didn't go to the floating market.

week update

2009-03-20T20:25:00.001-07:00

I have been here for a week now and I have another to go. Yesterday I got invited to a wedding reception and it was cool to go and are a little more of the thai culture. I ended up in a picture with the groom and bride. Maybe years from now they will wonder who is the big brown guy. Last week was hard I worked so much and I didn't have much sleep. Today I am going to the Grand Palace and maybe the floating market. It is quite got and humid so I don't know how long I will be able to last.

our house

2009-03-19T07:57:00.006-07:00

about seven months ago we moved into our 'new' apartment, and i told someone (probably a sister) that i'd take pictures and post them. well that didn't happen, but now that i need your opinions i'll post some. :) we found that the carpet in front of our couch gets very... matted or something, so we threw around some ideas and jose came up with this:

Here's a better angle:

What do you think of the rug?

This is looking from the living room to the dining room... or area, or whatever...

And this is our kitchen... it really is clean, just not put away. :)

Surprising

2009-03-14T11:20:00.001-07:00

In a surprising move my work sent me to Thailand. I had a bad thursday night since I stayed up late working with the production plant but when I got to work on Friday my fate was already decided and I was leaving to be in Bangkok on Monday morning.
I'm in San Francisco waiting for my next flight.

Better late than never...

2009-03-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

So, awhile ago I promised pictures from around V-day... obviously that didn't happen as soon as I meant it to... but here they are:

This is the plant I got Jose for Valentine's

Jose and I and Jose's parents at the train park

Oscar and Diego playing with a little flying thing... poor kid lost it a few minutes later.

And, in case you're not tired of pictures of us yet...

2009-02-27T06:45:00.002-07:00

bits

2009-02-25T14:36:00.002-07:00

* i'm doing the bullet point thing.
* yesterday i made fresh lemonade with some lemons that a friend gave me who got them from her mother-in-law's tree. i've never made lemonade before, and i'm pleased with the result. i'm sipping my first glass right now. it's yellow and a little thick and oh-so-tangy.
* school is going well, although i'm realizing that time is quickly passing and how the heck am i going to be ready for finals? ah well, deep breath... it's all good and i just have to remind myself that i can only do so much and that God will be pleased if I do my best... even though it's a struggle to remember.
* in our Bible study last night our leader brought up the following verses:

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." -Jeremiah 9:23-24

see the previous point to see why this convicted me.
* we're having beautiful, beautiful weather. it makes me want to sit by the pool and have a bbq.
* yesterday i went grocery shopping and found packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.17/pack, as well as 1/2 gallons of milk for .88 each. score!
* tonight my friend (who is in massage therapy school) is giving me a massage. yessss.
* i need to go study a list of medications.

Life in general...

2009-02-16T17:16:00.002-07:00

We had a good weekend with a visit from Jose's mom, dad, brother, and nephew. They came Saturday night and left this morning, so it was pretty short, but we tried to cram a lot in yesterday. We got up and had a big breakfast, went to church and then came back and ate some more for lunch. Next we went to a train park... not sure what it was called... but it was pretty cool. They had a real train that was turned into a little museum, a carousel, and the cutest thing was this real but mini train that everyone could fit into. Diego seemed like he had a lot of fun riding everything... and let's face it, the adults did too. After that we went to Tempe Town Lake and half of us went for a ride in those little paddle-boat things, and the other half of us (Jose, me, and his mom) went for a walk and some coffee. When they were done paddling around we headed over to some friends of the family where they fed us a delicious dinner and we had a nice visit. Of course by the time we got home we were all pretty much worn out from such a busy day, but it was worth it.

Now I'm trying to catch up on studying. This week is my first test, so of course I'm stressed but trying not to be. I'm sure everything will be fine. :)

That's about it for now. I'll try to post pictures soon of our Valentine's gifts to each other and of our weekend.

Tired

2009-02-02T06:48:00.001-07:00

As much I like to travel. I hate when I come back and my internal clock is whack and I can't sleep well and I can't be awake either. I just hope that work won't be bad.
Im glad to be home and to be able to be with Kim. I'm thankful for having such a nice wife.

Funny Name

2009-02-02T06:43:00.001-07:00

I thought this was funny it took me a second look to understand.

View from my window

2009-01-28T18:06:00.001-07:00

Im sad that the two times that I have come here I don't stay over the weekend and I never have a chance to are anything. The last two days have been very busy and Im really tired and the jetlag is not helping but the sad part is that my body almost adjusted and I may be going home tomorrow. Yesterday it was a sunny day and I realized that the plant is at the feet of a volcano which still active but it hasn't erupted for the last 100 years.
Anyway Im just writing random stuff so hopefully I will leave tomorrow.

Philippines

2009-01-26T16:32:00.001-07:00

Right now I'm on my way to work it is a long drive like 1 hour or 1.5 hours mainly because of traffic. I'm still tired from the trip since it was really weird since the sun never went away until I got to Manila. The flight was fine except for 1 hour or less where I felt like I was in the first episode of Lost.

Love

2009-01-26T08:39:00.004-07:00

Lately I've been thinking about love and the concept of it. I say, "I love you" quite a bit; to Jose, my parents, and sometimes my friends and sisters. But do I actually, truly, actively love them? What does it mean to love people, especially my spouse, the way that God intends me to? Does it mean that I never ask him to change, or to do something for me, or to not do something? I think that right now I'm barely beginning to grasp the idea of true, deep love that doesn't require something in return--that has no expectations or hidden agendas. When I think of the topic of love in the Bible I always think of 1 Corinthians 13, but I usually read it quickly without letting the words sink in. I want it to change me, to change my life.

"If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be?

And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

Love is patient
and kind.
Love is not jealous
or boastful
or proud
or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable,
and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice
but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up,
never loses faith,
is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance."

I hope that I can learn to love this real way, not my imitation of it.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-01-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Arizona

2009-01-24T15:31:00.001-07:00

the temperature is 72F

Happy Birthday Kim!

2009-01-24T08:19:00.003-07:00

a nutshell

2009-01-23T10:12:00.002-07:00

i was going to say "not much is going on," but that would be misleading since plenty is going on around here.

this week i started nursing school, and at times i've already been overwhelmed. the instructors seem good and so far the material hasn't been hard... if anything it's been a little boring... learning about the history of nursing, ethical dilemmas, and the legal aspects of nursing. it's all stuff i need to know, but not the most exciting of things. the overwhelming part so far has been the crazy amount of assigned reading and the schedule that i know is to come. i guess i can survive it. :)

we found out yesterday that jose is probably being sent overseas once again. his poor wife was about to have a meltdown since we thought he might leave tomorrow (which happens to be my birthday) and be gone for a week. happy news: if he goes it won't be til next week! so at least we have this weekend to be together and relax before more craziness starts.

yes indeed, tomorrow is my 26th birthday. i don't really feel birthday-ish... it's hard to even believe that a whole year has passed since my last one! i suppose that's what happens the older i get (and the closer i get to 30! yikes!)... time just flies. i keep thinking i'm about 22 or so, but i guess that's not the case. speaking of getting older... yesterday i was at school and ran into two girls from our church's high school group, one of which i was sure was only about a sophomore in high school... yeah, apparently she's applying to the nursing program next year. WHAT the CRAP?! i must seem ancient to them. sigh.

on a positive note: i'll always be younger than my husband. :)

hiking

2009-01-10T12:06:00.001-07:00

Continuing our journey

2008-12-27T17:11:00.001-07:00

We are driving west continuing our journey to Kansas. We spent 1.5 days in Albuquerque and we had a good time with family.
The weather has been really crazy but Im thankful that today is a cloudless day.

White Christmas

2008-12-25T17:16:00.001-07:00

we are on our way way to Albuquerque we got some snow in the mountains but I believe that it will get better once we get close to Holbrook. It is a little slow but not much.
In other news we had a nice dinner with amazing food by Kim and we finished to eat it today. We opened our gifts yesterday since Kim was planning to work. I didn't think of my gift since I was warned many times not to look before it was wrapped or touch it after it was wrapped. Finally on Christmas eve I started to wonder since she had 3 boxes! I knew that she was trying to deceive me but at the end I thought that she wouldn't buy what I was thinking. But she surely surprised me with a brand NEW PS3!!! I was really excited like a little kid. Anyway we had a great time last night. We are close to Holbrook so we are almost halfway.

2008-12-15T18:29:00.002-07:00

I haven't written for some time but I guess it takes a long time to recover from France.
The whole month of November was busy with many activities and December too. Here are a few pics.