Thanksgiving in Mendocino

For Thanksgiving weekend, Dad surprised Mom and Dylan with a fun holiday in Mendocino and Fort Bragg. We rode the "Skunk Train", a steam engine train that went through the ancient redwoods and pygmies from Fort Bragg to Willits, then spent two days enjoying the indoor heated pool at our hotel. We also took in the breathtaking vistas at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens and Port Cabrillo lighthouse, then dropped by our favorite wineries in Anderson Valley. Dad also tapped his inner pro photographer and took some photojournalistic pix of Mom and Dylan!

photos from our Thanksgiving weekend in Mendocino

Dylan, Pearl and Zaki at the Oakland Zoo

After months of not seeing each other, Dylan, Pearl and Zaki finally set a playdate at the Oakland Zoo. The kids had a blast seeing their favorite wild furry friends, but most of all, they enjoyed being with each other's company (even though they quarrelled half the time!). Click on the link below to see pictures and videos of the kids at the Oakland Zoo:

photos and videos of Dylan, Pearl and Zaki at the Oakland Zoo

Happy Halloween from the knights of the round table!

It was a chilly night in the great kingdom of Castro Valley, but the 2 handsome knights of Highland Drive braved the weather and joined other costumed lads to go hunting for some tricks and treats!

Here's King Dylan-arthur and Sir Ron-celot in their mighty armour:

Dylan at the pumpkin patch

What better way to welcome autumn than a colorful visit to our neighborhood pumpkin patch! Dylan enjoyed the hay ride on his little wagon and got to pick his very own mini pumpkin!

Guess who's two? It's Dylan, that's who!

It was a fun-filled birthday week for our little rascal! He went swimming at Cull Creek lagoon with his best bud, Zaki. Then he had his Thomas mini-cake on the day of his birthday. Then on the weekend, he enjoyed a full day with his friends at the park, partying it up with food and games galore to celebrate his special day. What a lucky boy indeed!

photos - Dylan's 2nd birthday party

videos - Dylan's 2nd birthday party

Eurotrip!

We've been sooo busy the past 6 months that we decided -- the heck with it, it's time for a break! So we packed our bags, jumped on a plane and spent three glorious weeks in Europe! Ninang Daphne joined us on our wild ride through Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain and France. Click on the link below to view our photobook and journal of our adventures in Europe:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronanddawne/collections/

5 years...

Below is the cover of the 5th anniversary photo book I made for the hubby. Click on it to see the entire album!

Summer with Uncle Rani

Uncle Rani spent a good chunk of his summer vacation with us, and Dylan had a blast having a "big kid" to play with all summer long! During the week, he helped Uncle Rani do chores around the house, then on the weekend, he took Uncle Rani to all his favorite places -- the park, the aquarium, the city, and of course, the beach!

Here's a video of the two kids hanging out at Santa Cruz Beach. The water was shallow but cold, but that didn't stop the little guy from going for it -- that is, with Uncle Rani by his side the whole time!

photos from Dylan's summer with Uncle Rani

Look, Zaki, fish!

On a sunny Sunday in August, we decided to take the kids on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences. They enjoyed running after butterflies in the rainforest exhibit, watching the penguins eat and play, and petting some lizards at the reptile show and tell.


The best part of the day, though, was spending time at the Steinhart Aquarium admiring the colorful Philippine coral reef exhibit. Dylan was so excited and was running around the aquarium yelling out to his buddy, "Look, Zaki, fish! Fish!". What a fun day for the two best buds!

photos from our field trip to Cal Academy of Sciences

A Day at Gilroy Gardens

What summer would be complete without a trip to the amusement park? Dylan gathered his best buddies, Pearl, Jordan and Zaki, and drove to Gilroy Gardens to enjoy all the rides and events all afternoon long!

photos from our visit to Gilroy Gardens - August 2009

Vacation in Toronto

For the July 4th holidays, we flew out to Toronto for a week to spend time with family and friends. We had a very hectic week filled with parties, lakwatsa and fun! Dylan enjoyed spending quality time with his lolos and lolas, titos and titas, cousins and buddies!

The highlight of the week was visiting the African Lion Safari near Niagara Falls. Dylan went on a safari tour around the animal reserve, where he saw lions, baboons, giraffes, ostriches, deer and so many more! To top the day off, he got to see the elephant show and even got to ride on one! Click on the links and videos below and see how much fun the little rascal had in T.O.!

photos from Dylan's Toronto vacation

videos from Dylan's Toronto vacation

A Pleasant Surprise!

I had been wondering why I was feeling a little off lately. My balance was a little off, my appetite was a little off, my energy was a little off... That could probably only mean one thing... SURPRISE! Dylan is going to be a big brother soon!