Pictures from Lawrence's trip to the Philippines.

Get ready for lots of posing, but I want you to see the family, the beauty of the greenery, the different world, and all without having to experience the humidity and heat. Yeah, I know, some like it hot... I can't relate. Family conference room.
In front of conference room.

I'd rather take a meeting here too.
Lawrence, Sherwin and Mom, Cecilia.
In the family conference room, sharing cheese(since only 2 of you got that.... say cheeeese). Lawrence stayed with Jake and his wife while in Manila(far left two). More posing.


Did you notice the change?

Dining Hall at Sherwin's facility. All the conference rooms were in use,
so they got the dining room.Fruit stand, bet you wish you could grab a pineapple.
If Jack fell off this one he'd definitely break his crown.

The lot where Lawrence grew up the first 6-7 years.

House is gone, the bush has moved in. Another roadside fruit stand. Next picture is their home. No matter how long your commute is, how little you think you have, your home is bigger than this. Think of that and be greatful. Really, take a moment and really think about it. Why did God give you America, and to others so little. Until now, you may not have thought you had much, but you do. What are you going to do with it? From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

Lawrence and mom and cousins in Manila at a restaurant Cecilia went to in the past.
Lawrence and his mom with the Aunties, and Kuya in Philippines. 1/2 of them live in Hayward!

Jake, Lawrence and Cecilia.

Lawrence standing in front of?? A store....What, you couldn't guess?

Did you know 15 years after our wedding celebration, both my flower girl and ring bearer are adults? Last night I realized I wasn't as young as I think I am, though still young enough. I fully embrace where I'm at, while being surprised at some of these revelations. I watched a show on TV. Not too old a show, I thought! 1999. One of the actors, obviously a teenager, is someone I recognized from modern TV, the guy from Numbers. Wow! He was just a kid a few years ago!

Digital photography has become normal in the last 15 years. If you're still using film, your one of a few, in my world I don't know anyone. The Internet is fast and you can research anything in only a few moments, maybe not thoroughly, but still, I don't think we even had a computer 15 years ago, although Lawrence was a techie guy back then. He created Rbase databases for a couple of companies. One even told him that's how he was catapulted into the $$$ he made in the next 10 years following.

3 kids later, 3 surgeries. C-section, apendectomy(Lawrence), and open chest. That sounds like old people sharing battle wounds! I guess this is how they get that way, one year at a time:)

Just thinking, sharing my mind with you.

The Work Bench

The way the construction project started. Caleb pulled old boards from the garage and pulled Papa into his project by the next evening.
Snoozing Silas
Idy has been writing about buko and how Delicious, fabulous, good for you, as she's off in the Philippines for 3 months enjoying fresh buko. Sarah told me I could actually get it locally, so off I went, and we drank coconut water and ate the meat!Coconut King.

Caleb, cushion surfing.

The proud safety glass wearing Aquino Team Boy.

Malachi drilling a hole or 2.

Silas and Papa drilling.


Caleb getting the drilling started. He's making a work bench so he can get on with being the fix-it man. He said he wants to have piles of wood and work things so he could make things any time he wants when he's an adult. The pack rat gene is strong with this one.

Aquino Men Safety glasses required.

Red Potato/e

There are so many things to share, but the most remarkable to this moment is Silas got stung by a bee. We stopped at the store on the way home to buy a red potato. Once home, I grated it and put it on Silas's toe where he'd been stung. I wrapped it in saran wrap and we called him the king as he got to eat toast on the love seat.

Amazingly, he asked to have the potato removed and says it doesn't hurt. He got stung at 2p and it is 4p now, and he's happy as a clam. I'm going to try this on mosquito bites for Caleb. He swells up and has huge lumps from them.

[WARNING TO THE SQUEAMISH, SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH]
OK, I have to tell you, while I was writing the 1st sentence, Caleb got hit in the nose by a bee stung boy. He had such a gusher. I hollered up "Go to the bathroom...." When I got up there, 30 seconds later, it already looked like a slasher movie. As the stream dripped over his mouth, he blew it like he'd just came up from underwater....Yuck! We got a few good drops for the microscope, our science for today, actually, the second science lesson today. While he's looking at the microscope, he lets the paper slip off his nose and WHOA Nellie, the longest coagulation you've ever seen! We took pictures of his masterpiece, he wanted it to go onto the blog, but for those less squeamish than I, I refrained. You're welcome.

15 Year Anniversary.......Again

Today is 15 years since our wedding celebration. We got married in a small ceremony in my townhouse in Castro Valley, then in June, we had the white dress, big celebration. Lawrence should be coming home early and we'll go do something as a family. I'm thinking Garin Park. Family walk, biking, baseball??? Something as a family. Feels like it's been a long time since we've been together as a family doing something with just us. I think it is just what we need.

Yesterday also marks my 1 year since open chest surgery anniversary. My body has done so well over this last 6 months. I've been working out since January, which has really helped my muscles work together in unity, you probably take this for granted! Some of my muscles have forgotten they used to be one, and act like separate muscles still, but not extra painful, so I'm guessing it's ok. I do have nerve tenderness and numb areas, but can't complain. Overall, I feel very strong and healthy. I do think I have a thyroid problem, I have many of the classic symptoms. Hypo. My mom and her mom had it, so I've been tracking over the years.

I've been feeling a sense of oppression this last week. Please pray for me. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12

I've been behaving poorly, not the devil made me do it, yet there is an element of oppression I felt, especially over the weekend. Being tired, emotionally tired, I walked right into poor choices, which make life harder on everyone. I'm onto the deceiver now, and am choosing to not feed the anger and dwell on bad feelings in my mind. If you think hard, you may understand what I am talking about here. We all have choices to dwell and feed, or to move on. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

We've been doing a service camp this week at the church my dad's memorial was at. We picked up trash at San Leandro Creek, wrote letters to service guys, learned about special needs people and did a craft which will be included in a basket, and today played bingo and sang songs at a care home. Tomorrow will be interesting. We will be going to Target to spend $20 per family on a child for angel tree. I'd like to brag my kids are really thinking about others and putting others first, but alas, this is just a step in the right direction.

Today, after singing at the care home, it reminded me of when my grandparents would bring me to a nursing home and would sing hymns. It surprises me how willing the residents were to sing with gusto. We have a long way to go in putting others first, and thinking of others needs, human nature and the American way sure don't help.

One of the favorite parts of this week for the kids is the air hockey game, so again, learning to serve is going to be an ongoing lesson.

Wontok Children - Jimenez Elemenary School Philippines

How exciting to share the first images from the school after the first wave of backpacks has been received. We had 17 backpacks, and 3 backpacks joined at the last minute. God provided just the right number. If you look at the backpacks in the classroom pictures, you may be surprised as I was that they are so nice. Not all the kids need backpacks! So I'll share more later about where that brings this project. The kids who received the backpacks were the needier of the school. We will be doing supplies for the school, so bulk up in August when they go on sale!

All the Backpacks and their new owners with the teachers and staff from Jimenez Elementary School.

Check out this classroom door. Eye level bent rusty sheet metal waiting to gauge an eye out. This should be replaced by now by Lawrence's cousin Generose. Thanks Gene!

The library as it stands today!! There is water damage, water is there even at the time of the picture from a big rain. Keeping books in the school would be a great idea. Just need a better location, not by open windows and too low to floor where the water creeps up to touch the books!

Lawrence taking picture with recipient of Jenna's backpack! All but 2 backpacks were brand new. This hello Kitty backpack was a last minute addition to our project. Thanks Jenna!

Kids waiting to receive the backpacks.

Staff, teachers and principle with Lawrence.

One of the backpack recipients. Lawrence took a picture with each kid.
Lining up before class.

Classroom view from behind.
Classroom view from the front.

The Return of The Papa

Lawrence is en route as we speak. Each time I hear an airplane overhead I visualize the inside of the plane and what Lawrence is doing, usually sleeping, loud snoring... Lawrence enjoys the experience of flying, go figure!

I had grandiose plans when he left. I planned to have the house neatly organized, the handyman jobs completed, the old entertainment center (weighs several thousand pounds, OK maybe not) removed, the hutch relocated, the garage cleaned out, the toilet seats replaced, the surfaces clear of clutter. There were more projects, but my perfectionist brain just exploded while writing out the wish list. All this, while single parenting three quiet clean angels.

I do have hopes to go to the dump today, get rid of an old dishwasher and garbage. We'll see. I also have to buy a t-shirt and iron on the pictures I printed. This is a fathers day gift, so it would be nice if it was ready when we pick him up at the airport.

I wonder if at the core of every messy person is a perfectionist. If I can't do it all, with-in an unreasonable timeline, then I can't get too it, too overwhelming! I have done more dumping than ever before. I have come to the sad realization that I am not a closet pack rat as I came to realize a few years ago, but a FULL BLOWN PACK RAT!!!! Not a flattering realization. But, the first step toward recovery is understanding your problem, so now I can become an anti-pack rat.

I have to share something that makes me giggle. A few weeks ago Caleb walked into a friends house, she also has 3 kids, although her youngest 2 are 4 going on 5. He walks into her house and confidently says, my house is much cleaner than yours. This person is NOT a pack rat and has a very tidy house. I do go through moments of cleanliness, although they don't last long, due to the stuff landing on the floor so quickly after being cleaned. I have been purging for the last 5 years and have just begun to anti-pack rat purge, which is different than what I have done before, hence the need to go to the dump. We've been doing weekly drop-offs at the thrift store for a few months now.

OK, enough of that, I hope Lawrence took pictures so I can post them of his trip to Philippines. He spent it sweating as it was HOT HOT HOT and SWEATY! Lawrence visited Sherwin, and was able to take him out for lunch, then his mom joined him last Saturday and they were able to visit Sherwin together several times.

Time for random pictures!

Just hangin' around.

You scared? You should be! Rrrrrrr. Snack cut, cleaned and presented by Caleb.

Our new puppy. Malachi is matching Papa's work 'uniform'. So proud! Beware of the Jedi who will stack all the mattresses in the house. Yes! Lawrence is laying on top of all the mattresses and box springs we own, and 3 little Aquino members did this lovely thing to my room several times before being threatened with.....I can't remember now, but the building project has ended. They never could put it back, but had no problem building this Tower of Fate as they referred to it, 3 times!

Look at my new shoes!
Celebrating Fathers Day while Papa's away. We sang Happy Fathers Day(tune of Happy Birthday), for he's a jolly good fellow, and gave him 4 hip hip hoorays! Papua New Guinea style. Malachi and Silas and yes, the angel is sticking out his tongue and teasing you!

Backpack, backpack.
Who's a monkey?!



Think of something funny Malachi.

Hmmmmm.

Lawrence Flys the Coop, Again!

Once again, Lawrence is bound for flight across the pacific to extraordinarily hot Philippines. He will be relocating Sherwin. Probably bringing him to an Aunts house in their birth province. The aunt lives in America but has some children in the area. We have been praying about how to help Sherwin, since extending his stay in rehab is more than we can continue with. Lawrence has been looking into hollow block making materials. Hard work, avoiding boredom is the goal, for Lawrence anyway. Others are offering a life of TV, so we'll pray and hope the best for him.

My prayers are for safety for Lawrence. He'll be gone a week and a half. The longest time away from us. Safety, good health, safety.... The driving there is something else! He'll be working on getting our office set up and running.

The office building we are in has a high vacancy right now, so Lawrence negotiated being able to use the office next to ours until the building owners need it, so we are setting up our initial library and Wontok Children base in there. Our latest idea, and I mean as of early evening today, is to have a mobile library. Our desire is to get the books out to the provinces where they are truly impoverished. The city we have our office in is a 24 hour city, I'm sure they have a library, and those patrons are poor perhaps by our standards, but not my target market.

Lawrence is planning on bringing our first batch of backpacks to the school and delivering them. Very exciting, I will definitely post pictures of that. Maybe I'll run off and make a website?!?

Sportmanship

Many of you are raising children, with the goal that they would have good character and sportsmanship, among other things. This clip is so poignant, so moving. A teachable moment for our young athletes. I encourage you to show this to your children.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3380875