Outdoor Fun on Winter

The school  have celebrated the Catholic School Week but due to the harsh condition of the weather, the kids  only  enjoyed two days of it.  There were three days  school cancellation which I am sort of glad because they get to stay  at home with me.  I always worry that they would get sick when  the weather is very bad.

 It does not, however, stop us from having fun.  I decided for us to play outdoors  on one of the school cancellation.  We went out at our backyard with our fur babies and just made the most out of it.

 Lots and lots of  snow fight.  The snow wasn't packable so we couldn't make a ball so we just threw snow at each other.

 Our fur babies had a good amount of exercise chasing each other.

 We were all covered with snow so when we got inside the house, I washed everything right away and the two  jumped in the hut shower to warm up their body.

 We also brought with us our bunny.  He's been inside our home  since Winter started.  He seemed to enjoyed it as well.  It was fun   watching him hp and bury himself in the snow.

 I wish I could be like my kids.  They don't mind the cold weather.  I had to get inside the house to warm my hands because they were painful.

 But these two, did not mind the freezing temperature at all.

 They were rolling around the snow like it's the greatest thing lol.

 I am glad that they had fun.

 I had so much fun also  even though I was the target the whole time with the snow lol.

At least, I captured the memories.  This is to show Daddy  how much we miss him.  I wish that my husband can totally retire but our kids are still  young and we need to provide  for them.  I am just thankful that  I get to stay home and take care of them.  We don't have to go out and leave the kids to someone else's care.  

Top Reasons You Should Consider Traveling

It is easy for people to get stuck doing the same thing every day. It seems like a safe and simple way to live. However, there is a whole world out there that is worth exploring. A world that is full of culture that simply cannot be seen when you are stuck in the house. There are many reasons why you should consider traveling.

Develop New Skills

If there is one thing that you will learn while traveling, it is to develop and learn new skills. Some of these skills can even help you later on in life, such as when you are trying to get a job. Developing your skills by reading a book is no replacement for experiencing it in real life. Traveling can help you learn how to spend and budget your money, keep up with time schedules, communicate with people of another language and become independent. When traveling, you have to rely on yourself. This is a very empowering feeling.

It Is Easier Than You Think

One reason why people don't travel is because they think it's too much work. However, now is the perfect time to travel. Thanks to travel groups, such as Royal Holiday, you are able to book cruises, hotels and more from one place. You are no longer forced to split up your holiday purchases among different travel companies. This makes planning your next holiday even easier that you might expect.

Make New Friendships

People are much more likely to accept friends and build relationships while traveling. Maybe this is due to the adventurous nature that comes with traveling. Whatever it is, traveling is a great way to build lasting friendships with the people you travel with and the people you meet while traveling. It is these unique friendships that often help you to grow as a person.

Making Memories With Friends and Family

You don't have to travel alone. In fact, a holiday is often better a friend or family member accompanies you. This enhances the overall experience because you have someone to share it with and helps create lasting memories. These are memories that simply cannot be created if you do not travel. Most of the memories that people remember for a lifetime are the ones that they create while on holiday.

Great Deals

Another reason to start traveling is because of the great deals available that are available. The travel industry is not what it used to be, and fewer people are traveling. This means that travel agencies will fight for your business. Many of them offer last-minute deals or special packages, and taking advantage of these deals is a great way to get more experience for your money.

Shadow Shots

Traveling is a freeing experience. It can break you away from the chains of your everyday life. It gives you a chance to experience the world and see everything it has to offer. Don't just limit yourself to traditional holidays either. Consider taking a cruise or visiting another country to really get the most out of your holiday. 

Early Birds Gets to Explore

We are all early risers whenever we have to do something the next day.  My husband  just hates being late for anything  so we always do things  as early as possible.  During the second day if Doodle4Google last year, we woke up and got ready really early.  We ate our breakfast ahead  and we kind of  stayed in the lobby for a little bit..

 Then we decided to go out and  walk around the nearby  places to shake off the cold and enjoy the beauty pf  nearby places in Palo Alto.

 I love it when we have  an extra time to spare because because I get to take pictures despite my husband's lack of enthusiasm to be in the photo lol.  They have a big swimming pool and a restaurant  beside it.  It was a great place to stay.

 This is the entrance to Sheraton Hotel.  It was a really nice hotel,   great for travelers who have kids like us.

 I think we had like two hours so we  made sure to use that time walking around and get our exercise for the day before we went to Google's headquarters in Mountain View.

 The boys are not into photo taking most of the time so I just   take pictures of my willing buddy, Ms. Burrito.

 She never  say no when I ask her to pose for me.  It makes our travel a lot interesting as we have  photos to look back to.  The reception room is where all the participants had  registered and  participated to some activities  prepared by Google  representatives.  They call the place the Crash Pad.  Kids can   get some prizes and  enjoy   the snack bar available.

 She  volunteered to take a photo of me  at the lobby area.

I hope that we could go back to California again for a vacation.  We did not get to see a lot because of the   scheduled activities but we had fun.  Hopefully, we could  visit again someday.

Reasons People Purchase American Flags

There are quite a few reasons people may purchase american flags made in usa. The majority of these individuals are looking for a way to show their patriotism. There are many individuals who are becoming more patriotic because of the challenges that the country and Spencer over the last several years as far as combat. Many times it is insulting for people to purchase a flight from a country which is not the country of origin.

Military Funerals

Many individuals choose to make the decision to purchase flags for military funerals. This is the ultimate sign of respect to the sacrificed of a soldier has made for their country. This is also a way for people to reflect on the sacrifices that previous generations have a made to make it possible for them to live on a free nation that gives them the opportunity to make their own choices.

Holiday Celebrations

Many people choose to buy a transport and ice during the holiday seasons. This is especially true during the summer holidays including the 4th of July which encourage people to be passionate about their country. Being able to have a flag as part of the holiday celebration often makes people feel more connected to the sacrifices which have been made to keep the country safe. Many times individuals struggle with ways to feel connected with the sacrifices that have been needed work for them to be free.

Starting A School

Most private and public schools are respectful of the history of the country. This means that every classroom normally has a flag in it out of respect for the country. Many times now schools will also have flags outside of the building to indicate patriotism and personal and professional pride for the freedom of education which students are able to experience in the United States. For more patriotic takes place becomes a more likely it is that they will remain connected to the principles under which the country has been founded.This helps to unite people who are struggling to feel like they belong.

Westin Hotel in Palo Alto

Having some extra time to explore, we walked by  the nearby hotel from Sheraton, it was the Westin.  We were gonna  go for a walk at Stanford University  campus but we were  worried that we  might miss the buss that would pick us up to go to Google headquarters.

  The beautiful  rock display in front of the hotel really captured our attention.  Whoever thought of this idea is brilliant because you can't miss this kind of  landmark when you are looking for this specific hotel.

 I am almost scared to  get underneath it but we had to take pictures in there lol.  I have never stayed in Westin Hotel yet but looking at the pile of  cars in their  parking space, I would say that they have a lot of clients there.

We got to see  some parts of Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Francisco.  It was an amazing journey for all of us.  Maybe next time we    go to California, it would be for vacation purposes only so that we could  really explore  the different cities.  

Travel Fine Dining

As a family of four, we seldom go on a fine dining restaurant. We chose to go where family style is being offered for a more cost-effective and family friendly atmosphere. However, when we were still in Korea, we sometimes go on a fancy restaurant just to explore the local cuisine especially when we are on a getaway. I remember when we went to the island of Jeju, we really had the taste of exotic cuisine from this restaurant that we dined in to. Glad the kids were behaved the whole time we were there.

The photos below were taken when we were in Palo Alto during the Doodle4Google event hosted by Google. Google booked us in Sheraton Hotel which is a beautiful hotel. Our stay comes with free breakfast which the kids love as the selection of food were plenty.

Then we went downtown to try one of the Thai restaurant, It was sort of a fine dining because it has specific dedicated meal courses and the servers were in uniform and you get the feel of a high quality restaurant because of the decors. I love that they serve family style menus that the kids like.

Traveling is one pleasurable hobby that my family love doing. If only we could afford it, we would probably be traveling all the time lol. Aside from the new places to explore, you also get to try different cuisines from different cultures. One of the many places that is in my bucket list of places to visit is the Middle East. Hubby has been to few places there and he said that food out there is great. One of the ones I have came across online is the Pier 7. It's one of the leading place for fine dining in Dubai. 

Christmas Day 2014

Our children woke up very early today.  They were so excited what "Santa" brought them for Christmas.  They were not disappointed to  find  Santa's presents   by the tree.  

 EJ got  the iPod he wished for and Rylie got a keyboard.

 Ms. Burrito also wanted a heated mattress pad so that's what we got her for Christmas.

 The little mister  also has some extra stuff from and us and from his siter.

 Big sister always makes personalized gifts using recyclable things at home.  She made him a storage for his Lego collection.  She also created a stuffed character caled JOE.

 Hubby and I received some cool  things from the kids.

 After the  opening of gifts and trying on some  new things, we visited  my FIL today.  He was feeling alright as opposed to last night.  We interviewed him about his service in the Navy.  We are submitting his story to the Military Patriots group that is writing a book about Veterans in  West Virginia and Ohio.

 We took the opportunity to  take family pictures with him.   Take one.. Dad wasn't smiling so there's take two, lol.

We're so blessed to have Dad in our lives.  He is a  happy camper and such a fighter.  At age 92, he still lives by himself at his own home.  Although we are concern about  him most of the times because he can barely see anymore but because he is used to his home, he knows where everything is so he functions really well living alone. I just feel bad that he  feels lonely most of the time when nobody visits so he drinks alcohol which I am concern about.

Our Christmas was great, how about you?