The Buenos

Photo Card

2011-11-20T00:33:00.001-08:00

Modern Christmas Christmas

Turn family photos into personalized Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Pretty please with a cherry on top...

2011-04-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

...stay this way. We love you just the way you are -- this size and everything...

Cake Smash pictures taken by the talented Little Trends in honour of Maryn's 1st Birthday

Stand up

2011-02-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Our baby M is standing up now. She still needs quite a bit of support, but she's standing. Next up, walking. Although, we're not looking forward to chasing her around quite yet.

Family Bed

2011-02-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, the kids are still sleeping in our bed. Uncomfortable? Yes. Cozy? Yes. Just a few more years? Hope so. Treasuring it? Every minute...most of the time.

10 months

2011-02-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Is there a portal I can enter and just stay there awhile, so I can savour all her babyliciousness?!

Pink Ears

2011-01-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

Guess who got her ears pierced today? Tessa!

This was her post-ear-pierced reaction:

She was so brave. She didn't even flinch or shed a tear. I think she might have been shocked about the whole ordeal, although I did warn her it would hurt. She just made a face that told the world that she was ready to get out of the store and go to our next destination.

2011

2011-01-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011, everyone! This blog has not been forgotten, just neglected as things got a bit hectic during the holiday season.

A new year's resolution? Will try to post a blog a week. Promise.

A Super Friends Halloween

2010-11-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

This Halloween, we laid low and trick and treated around our neighbourhood. Dan and Erika came along and celebrated their First Halloween as Mr. and Mrs. Helps. They were dressed up as

Batman and Joker.

Of course, this complemented the Super Friends aka Karchy, Tessa, and Maryn who dressed up as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl.

Karchy was so happy that Tito Dan was Batman too! Here he is proudly posing with Tito Dan.

Check out our Halloween decorations. We do not really go all out for Halloween. But Ray did an awesome job carving pumpkins with K and T. K, T, and Ray also made these milk jug ghosts inspired by a Regis and Kelly segment I watched. Cute, eh?

What a fun night we had! It was definitely a spooktacular Halloween ,especially it being Maryn's first.

Princess Tessa's Third Birthday

2010-10-19T14:04:00.001-07:00

Tessa had a birthday party this past weekend. It was a labour of love all around.

A friend of ours who is an art and photography teacher taught a couple of arts and crafts projects to Tessa's cute guests. I ordered some felt crowns from her, and the children decorated them. Plus, she taught them an art lesson based on a very cute book called Emily's Balloon. The kids used watercolours and crayons to draw a yellow balloon in the sky. Here are their finished masterpieces:

The birthday party was a success. We had it a new community centre twenty minutes from our house. It was the first time we had a function there, so we were really happy. The room we rented out was connected to a semi-shaded playground which the kids were instantly attracted to. So, the kids left happy with full stomachs, tons of playtime, projects to be proud of, and these Mama-made chocolate princess wands.

(Zoom in and check out the little favour tags that another friend of ours made.)

Of course, Princess Tessa enjoyed her third Royal Bash, and she was just proud to be

THREE!

*Thanks to Crafty McGraff for all the pictures.

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

2010-10-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Despite the craziness of my everyday, I am so thankful for this life.

Happy 3rd Birthday to our Princess Tessa!

2010-10-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

You are such a blessing to us. We are amazed at how you have grown to be such a quiet, gentle, and strong-willed little girl. We love you SO much!

Firsts

2010-09-14T20:27:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged. It has been a busy summer with Erika and Dan's wedding, a mini-family vacation, and adjusting to our new schedule. I'm now back at work, and Ray is home with the kids.

These past couple of weeks, Karch, Tessa, and Maryn experienced firsts.

Maryn had her first solids.

Tessa had her first day in pre-school. She loves it. Ask her what she does in school, and she says she plays with play dough and rolls it with a rolling pin.

Karchy had his first day of pre-school as well. He's in the four-year-old program, while Tessa is in the three-year-old program. We're glad that he loves school too.

Ocean View

2010-07-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

The sun has finally arrived in Vancouver, and Vancouverites can officially say that Summer has started.

While I was torturing myself in hot yoga, Ray took the kids for a walk in White Rock, a seaside community twenty minutes away from us. Karchy, Tessa, and Maryn enjoyed the ocean breeze and one of the many amazing sites BC offers.

Gotta love BC!

Maryn and her Bumbo

2010-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Maryn is now three months old, and so I was very excited since that meant she will be able to go on the Bumbo. So, we got our cameras ready and decided to document this milestone. But her neck was not quite ready yet. Nonetheless, we were still able to take some pictures of our little Maryn.

And check out what wet hair and a comb can do. Her mane was tamed, at least until her hair dried.

Sisters by chance,

2010-07-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Friends by choice.

I am so happy that Tessa now has a sister. My aunt who has three girls has told me many times that, if you want your children to remain close, emphasize the fact that they need to stick together and take care of one another. I believe her. I have seen how close her three girls are, and I want the same for these two.

Of course, Karchy is being an awesome big brother, teaching Tessa "the right way" and taking care of Maryn. After all, he is learning how to be an awesome big brother from the best, his Dada.

5 years...

2010-07-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Ray and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. We celebrated it simply and sweetly. My mom treated us to an overnight stay across the border where we shopped, ate some P.F. Chang's, and just spent time with one another.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have this Dada in our house.
Happy Father's Day!

Third Time is a Charm

2010-06-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

2010 is a pretty popular year for babies. Check out my friend's cute baby bump,

source

cute givewaway,

source

and cute blog.

Congratulations on your 3rd addition to your family, Kellie!

Backyard Picnic

2010-06-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny day today. But by the time dinner came, the clouds came as well. Nonetheless, we still enjoyed a backyard picnic. Maryn, Ray, and I sat on our picnic blanket and enjoyed our view of these smiling faces.

A Bee-riffic Day

2010-06-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

Our friend's son, Tannor, had his 4th birthday today, and it was a bug-themed party. Of course, our friend who is probably one of the most creative people I know organized a bee-riffic birthday that we all enjoyed.

Here is the birthday boy, Tannor, mesmerized by the bee-u-tiful sight of

BEES!

The kids did not just learn about bees, but about different kinds of bugs.
Karchy who is the same age as Tannor is also into bugs right now and absorbed all the information he learned today. Here he is touching a tarantula!

Tessa learned tons about bugs too. She even felt courageous and
quickly touched the tarantula too.

While her siblings participated in all the bug fun, Maryn sat back, relaxed
and loved every minute of Tannor's special day.

Happy 4th Birthday, Tannor!

*Photos courtesy of Shawn George and Ian Rivas

A big congratulations to the Grads of 2010

2010-06-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

Erika

Ed and Gabriela

and Sissa

Ring bearer & Flower girl

2010-06-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

Erika and Dan are getting married in 64 days, so Karchy and Tessa have been practicing their roles as ring bearer and flower girl with their found props.

Happy Two Months, Maryn!

2010-06-03T00:19:00.000-07:00

Maryn is two months today. This month has been filled with lots of sleep, coos, gas, and smiles.

Milosz

2010-06-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

Milosz is Karchy's friend. They are constantly playing with one another. Recently, they have been playing everyday. Milosz would ring our doorbell at exactly 2:00 p.m., and Karchy and him will play for a couple of hours. But yesterday was a sad day for Karchy since Milosz will be going back to Poland for six months. Karchy will definitely miss him and their playdates.

Puddles!

2010-05-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

To save Karch and Tessa from boredom these past few rainy days, I have been walking with them in search for puddles. Although my glasses have been needing their own windshield wipers from the rain we've been walking in, Karch and Tessa could not care less and enjoyed jumping in puddles. Here are Karchy and Tessa after the morning rain stomping on this mini puddle.

3D Experience

2010-05-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ray and I took all three kids to the movies this past Friday to watch Shrek 4 in 3D. Although Maryn (thankfully) slept through the whole movie, Karch and Tessa loved the whole 3D movie experience. As Karch said, "that was so cool!"

Can't wait until June 18th to take the kids again to see Woody and Buzz on the big screen!

Working from home...

2010-05-19T01:03:00.001-07:00

...gotta love it!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

From Karchy

2010-05-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Karchy brought this home from school today. It's his first school-made Mother's Day. I know it will probably be the first of many, but this one is special. Why?

Karchy reminded me that it is the little things that matter to him. The little card attached to this bunch of carnations said this:

Who knew that part of our daily routine meant so much to him?!

I love my son.

Strike a Pose

2010-05-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful opportunity to have yet another photo session with Melvin yesterday. These pictures are just a few of the many shots he took of Maryn and the rest of our family. Maryn was so amazing at striking poses for the camera, but it was definitely a challenge trying to get all the kids picture-ready simultaneously. Nonetheless, Melvin was so patient with the demands of his playful clients, and he was able to do such an awesome job!

Maryn's Monthday

2010-05-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Our baby is one month day.
What a blessing!

Three Musketeers

2010-04-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

All for one and one for all.

A Bit of Blogstaking and Thanksgiving

2010-04-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

I came across this entry from C Jane's blog. Now, this is a husband who knows how to take care of his wife postpartum. This was definitely a nice read, but I am very, very thankful that Ray knows a thing or two about taking care of me and the kids. He's back to work now after two weeks of being off, but he still makes sure that I am getting plenty of rest and that the kids, especially K & T, are getting the care and attention they need when I can't fully give it to them yet.

Of course, my mom is also helping us out. She is coming to the house everyday after her work to help me put the kids to bed.

Yes, I'm very lucky indeed.

Now, what am I going to do when Ray is at work and my mom goes away on vacation next week?!

Maryn's Many Faces

2010-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

A Random Act of Kindness

2010-04-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

This past week, we experienced a random act of kindness from one of our neighbours. She and her husband have a 3 year old son and 9 month old twins, so they lead pretty busy lives already. But last Friday, she dropped off dinner (spaghetti and meatballs) and treats (blueberry and banana muffins) for us. Now, that's thoughtfulness...

First Stroll

2010-04-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

There's been some nice days here in Vancouver, so Tessa and Maryn had their first stroller ride together. Hopefully, this will be the first of their many adventures together. I love how they're kind of, sort of posing the same way, don't you?!

Rain, rain, don't go away...

2010-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

...so I can use my Transformers umbrella.

Shadow Ballet

2010-04-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Tessa had her first ballet lesson this past week. I still have to upload some pictures from our other camera. But she did put what she learned to practice at home as she shadow danced.

A Tulip Tradition

2010-04-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

The tulips have bloomed, and this means the time has come to take a picture of the kids with our favourite flowers. I must say, it is definitely harder to take a picture with three. No one looks at the camera at the same time, so this was the best shot we could get.

It's just another Maryn Monday...

2010-04-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

Yay! We finally got a picture of Maryn with her eyes open. Maryn's a bit jaundice and has lost more than 10% of her weight. So, please wish us luck today as we'll be going to the doctor's office to see if she put on some weight this weekend. I'm very positive she did because she just gulped that milk of mine. Here's to a positive appointment at the doctor's!

Sunday Sun

2010-04-11T19:10:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day today, so Ray took advantage of it by gardening while K & T put on their "get-dirty" clothes and went for a walk with me and Maryn, busily painted our driveway, and attempted to play hopscotch.

Before M day

2010-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Before Ray and I were admitted to the hospital, we took the kids to the nursery. On our way there, I looked back and this is what I saw. I couldn`t help but take a picture of K falling asleep with a chicken nugget in his mouth.

At the nursery, K & T loved watching the chickens in their coop while Ray hurriedly searched for the items he needed. Little did K & T know that they would be older siblings to Maryn the next day...

Let's go fly a kite...

2010-04-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that Ray will be off for the next couple of weeks, and I am positive that the kids love it too. This past Thursday was very windy here in Vancouver. So, Ray got inspired by the kite Karchy made at school and made a homemade one for K and T. The one Karchy is flying is the one Ray made, and the one Tessa is dragging is the one Karchy made at school.

Big Brother K and Big Sister T

2010-04-07T14:33:00.001-07:00

Tessa and Karchy are enjoying their roles as older siblings. It's so nice to see them being so loving and caring towards Maryn.

Party of Five

2010-04-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, I began to feel consistent contractions. Since I was GBS positive, I needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. I was admitted at 4:30 pm. I was only in the early labour stage from then until 3:30 a.m. I thought that I would be sent home in the morning. But things quickly progressed. My water broke at 5:00 a.m, and Maryn made her grand entrance at 5:53 a.m on April 3rd, weighing 8.8 lbs and measuring 52 cm. We are now officially a family of five and could not be happier.

A just-born Maryn Sofia Lalia Bueno

Party of Five

With the very awesome Dr. Lebl

Maryn with Ninang Rika and Ninong Dan

Maryn visiting Lola Vima on Easter Sunday

With Ninong Mike and T. Lo

We hope you all had a blessed Easter!

Tessa Thursdays

2010-04-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

On Thursdays, when K goes to school, I get to spend some one-on-one time with Tessa.

Enjoy your Thursday dose of Tessa.

Babies and Birds

2010-03-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

Tessa and I enjoyed our time at my baby shower, hosted by my mom and my two BFFs, Monika and Lorraine, this past weekend.

It was a small shower attended by close friends and family. Here's Tessa and me with one of baby Bueno #3's godmothers, Erika.

I especially loved the decor that Carlen and Caryl, two of my most creative friends, made to complement the bird theme of the shower.

Here are some of the decor they made, inspired by rufflesandstuff.

Baby words banners

An advice tree where guests wrote down their advice for me.
Carlen, Caryl, and Lor also made some favours for the guests to bring home.
They made hair clips and wrapped some chocolate egg treats for the guests.

A bird-nest inspired cupcake tree prepared by Monika and Lorraine

Thanks to my mom, Monika, and Lorraine for hosting my baby shower. I enjoyed spending time with my closest friends, eating good food, playing games, and sharing some laughs. As you can tell by these pictures on this Kodak Gallery slideshow.

Now...when is this baby coming?

Tessa Thursdays

2010-03-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Ninong Anton and Ninang Telly and Uncle Mike Visit Vancouver

2010-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Karchy's Never-ending Birthday

2010-03-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

The day before Karchy's birthday, his Ninang (Godmother) Telly baked him a yummy dark chocolate cake and served it with his favourite fruit, strawberries.

On Karchy's real birthday, K's Ninang Telly and Uncle Mike treated us to K's favourite sticky rice store (aka Dim Sum). For desert, Ma granted K's wish and spoiled him with a Spiderman cake.

This past Saturday, my friend, Charina, and I decided to have a joint birthday party for Karch and her son Kai at the YMCA. Since Kai loves Cars and Karch is obsessed with Transformers, our friend Carlen made these chocolate wrappers for their party favours. She is so talented

This week has been busy, but we sure do have a happy 4-year old!

Our girly girl, Tessa

2010-03-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

Tessa will be a big sister soon. So I wanted to spend as much time with her during my two-week Spring Break as possible. And I'm so glad I was able to do so. She is such such a girly-girl who loves everything purple and pink and princesses and ballerinas!

Ray, the Groundhog, and El Niño

2010-03-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

It's a bit chilly, but spring has definitely arrived early here in Vancouver.

The cherry blossoms even bloomed by mid February all over Vancouver. And thanks to Ray's diligent gardening skills, the Groundhog's early spring prediction, and El Niño, the flowers have even started to bloom in our garden. Our daffodils were the first to blossom...

Happy Birthday to our Karchy!

2010-03-14T00:58:00.000-08:00

Karchy turns 4 today. I can't believe time has gone by so quickly. Our toddler is now a little boy. We are so happy and proud that Karch has become such a thoughtful big brother, a caring and affectionate son, and a fun-loving boy. We love you so, so, so much!

*More pictures of Karchy's birthday to come...

Almost three...

2010-03-10T07:48:00.001-08:00

I'm 36 weeks this coming Friday, so Baby Bueno will be coming in no time. Having three children under under the age of 5 running around the house is making me nervous. But I guess things will just fall into place.

Although I hear that 4 is easier than 3, we were thinking that this will be the last addition to the Bueno Clan. So, thanks to a complimentary photo session from our wedding photographers, we were able to document our baby countdown in pictures.

Olympic Madness

2010-03-05T15:43:00.001-08:00

We were lucky enough to stay in Downtown Vancouver for a couple of nights and get into the spirit of the Olympics. It was a bit crowded to see the various pavillions around Vancouver, but it was just great to be part of the action. We missed Wayne Gretzky pass by our hotel as he carried the torch to the Olympic cauldron. It was raining, and rushing down to see him was not appealing to a very pregnant mom with two young kids, although I felt bad for Ray who probably would have wanted to see Gretzy. Nonetheless, we were able to spend some family time, seeing the torch being carried through a Downtown street, visiting the Olympic countdown clock, hanging out with our best friends, trekking to the fenced Olympic cauldron, and witnessing the masses of people cheering for Canada! We may not have had any tickets to any Olympic events, but just being in Downtown Vancouver made us experience the Olympic mania!

Go Canada go!

Happy Birthday, Ray!

2010-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

A start to the new year means that it is also time to celebrate Ray's birthday today. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said all he wanted was to save up for an IMac(reasonable) and for me to bake a cake. I'm no baker, so thank goodness for Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake. I love that Ray is such a simple guy that even a cake out of box will make his birthday happy.

Happy birthday, Ray! Here's to many more birthdays of Duncan Hines cake and of celebrating your special day together. Karch, Tessa, and I love you always.

Here's a picture of my most awesome husband and K & T's most dedicated Dada with his favourite people.

Keep calm and carry on...

2010-01-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

Besides finding random things on etsy, reading blogs, written by Perez, my fashionista cousin, and blogger moms have been a recent internet pasttime. One of my friends who writes a blog introduced me to a blog by Stephanie Nielsen (http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/). Stephanie who, despite almost losing her life and her husband to a horrific plane crash that claimed the life of their family friend, still manages to live by this popular timeless World War 2 sign below,

.
to keep calm and carry on. Sure, there are times when it seems life isn't all that great, but then she takes a minute and realizes that being able to have a second chance in life, to spend time she may not have had with her children and family, and to be with her Mr. Nilesen, are what makes life great. She is admirably optimistic, and reading her blog has made me learn a thing or two about motherhood.

After all, I have noticed lately that I've been more overwhelmed to the demands of juggling work and motherhood. This is a little bit scary, considering the fact that Ray and I are expecting our third this April. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited and happy to have a third. That is, in fact, mine and Ray's ultimate plan. Yet, I still need to be reminded to keep calm when things are making me crazy and carry on with life and remember that my babies are growing up so quickly. I just need to learn the magic formula for balance and cherish my daily struggles with Karchy and Tessa. After all, I honestly cannot stay frustrated with these faces:

Can you?!

Oh...I just love them, despite the "music" they make. So, here's to the next decade with my new mantra...keep calm and carry on!

Etsy finds

2009-11-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was introduced to Etsy (Thanks to my cousin Hoolie's blog post awhile back.), I have been obsessed. Of course, I haven't really bought much from the site, but I just love looking at everything and telling everyone about it. Here are some of my etsy finds:

Here is another dress from Little Trends. Tessa wore it for one of my best friends' wedding ceremony.

I asked my Tita Lycette to check out this pattern on Etsy, and this is what she made for Tessa. I would never have been able to make it. She actually made two, but I stored one of them. Love the fabrics and love both the practicality (it's reversible!) and cuteness (the fabric combination is awesome) of the jacket!

Here is a doll that my friend customized for Tessa. She also has a store on Etsy called The Rice Babies.

Thanks Etsy for making me more addicted to searching for finds on-line!

Our Little Fashionista

2009-11-15T22:22:00.001-08:00

My friend, Carlen, makes little trends for little girls and boys, and has been asked to make some dresses for a new store called the LBD store (aka The Little Black Dress Store). To introduce the store to the Vancouver community, LBD organized a fashion show, and Tessa, along with another cutie Ava, was asked to model Little Trends designs. Here is our little fashionista with her number one fans and her fellow models.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

From Dora the Explorer and Optimus Prime...

Happy 2nd Birthday, Tessa!

2009-10-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

Karch and Tessa Plus Madi

2009-08-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

Madi, Tita M, and Uncle J were here for a few days. Madi spent some time with K & T when she was here. They both enjoyed her company.

Madi acted just like a good big sister to Tessa. It was so cute seeing them interact!

Swimming

2009-08-03T00:17:00.001-07:00

This Summer, K & T’s activity has been swimming and lots of it! So, Ray has been taking Tessa to her first swimming lessons and Karch can now take lessons on his own. It’s so awesome that they both love the water. It not only keeps them busy, but it cools them down as we experience a very unusual-for-Vancouver heatwave!

May Days

2009-05-24T20:59:00.001-07:00

We’ve been blessed with a streak of sun recently. So, we have been taking advantage of it. Today, we, along with Dan and Erika, took Karch and Tessa to the water park. This was Tessa’s first time, but she wasn’t as into it as Karch was! The water park we went to was in a park where they were having May Days, a yearly Ladner celebration, so Karch and Tessa got to line up for some rides. Actually, Tessa could only ride the train, but Karch rode his first rollercoaster ride on his own! It was such a busy day today that K & T were zonked out so early (hence, my multiple blogs).

On a side note, Tita M had a conference here in YVR, so we spent some time with her this weekend. Too bad, we didn’t take pictures in my camera or else I would have posted them. She’ll be back in August with the rest of her family, so that’s exciting. K loved playing with Madi the last time she was here.

May Birthdays

2009-05-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

So many birthdays this May:

my mom, Spence (K & T's 3rd cousin), Dan, Aby, Monika, Charina, Mafin, my cousin Sissa, and Jaevon. Of course, we couldn't celebrate everyone's birthdays with them but we were lucky enough to be part of a couple of celebrations.

While my mom celebrated her birthday in Florida,

Dan and Aby celebrated their May birthdays in a joint celebration here in Tsawwassen.

Monika celebrated her special day with some dinner in downtown. Here we are in our usual poses.

Charina and Mafin just had their birthdays yesterday, but I didn't take any pictures. Spence and Sissa don't live near us. But we're sure they had a blast on their birthdays!

Happy May Birthdays, everyone!

Tulips!

2009-05-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

A sign of Spring in our garden is when the tulips come out. We've made it sort of a tradition for K & T to take a picture beside these red blooms:

Of course, after a lot of K & T's TLC for the tulips, the tulips are now gone. Until next May!

Shapes and Numbers

2009-05-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a proud Mommy moment:

Ummm, I think K and I will now work on number recognition...

Mother's Day

2009-05-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know I'm a little late blogging on Mother's Day. But this year, K actually knew the meaning of Mother's Day. He even greeted me! They even had a blast getting messy and painted some homemade gifts. We had a quiet Mother's Day, having dimsum with my mom and Lola. Then, we, along with Erika, visited Ray's mom . A belated Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms-to-be!

Twilight Mania

2009-05-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

New Moon is being filmed here, and one of the sets is only 10 minutes from our house!

Here I am posing in front of Bella's trucks and Charlie's police car.

Here's Bella's house! There were tarps covering the house, so I had to put my camera in between the two tarps. I couldn't even step on the grass because it's private property. That's the film lighting on the picture's foreground.

Although I've been unlucky in my search for any celebrities, at least I was able to take some pictures of the set. They usually film scenes at night. Oh well. Maybe when Eclipse starts filmig in August, I'll get lucky and see some of the Twilight celebs!

Just because...

2009-04-14T17:35:00.001-07:00

it's been awhile, I thought I'd post multiple blog entries. So, here are some shots of K & T.

We hope all of you had a wonderful Easter weekend!

The Next Canadian Idol?!

2009-04-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah, maybe not...I guess, he takes after his mom's singing skills which are only limited to Magic Mic singing.

Warning: Dizziness might occur after watching this video.

Back from the Philippines

2009-03-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long time of prepping for our Philippines trip, we finally made it there and brought home tons of memories. Going home was certainly a wonderful experience; it was especially nice to see Ray's familial roots. We were able to visit both Ray's grandmothers, Lola Tilde in Cebu and Lola Lalia in Dipolog. Not only that, but K, T, & I were finally able to see all the things that Ray fondly talked about. K & T are certainly lucky to have had an opportunity to travel back to the Philippines and see where a part of their history. Hopefully, we can take them back to other places back home and show them the rest of it.

Here are our some of our fondest memories in Cebu and Dipolog:

Yaya Emy: We had the opportunity of having Yaya Emy, my old yaya when from birth to 5 years old, take care of K & T. K & T weren't used to having a yaya initially. But by the end of the trip, they were calling her Yaya and were actually letting her take care of them. Oh how I miss her...

Crossing the Raymund Bridge: In one of Ray's family's ancestral homes, a bridge was named after him. This was one of the places Ray wanted to take us to in Cebu.

Karch and Tessa bathing...the Filipino way: K & T experienced how we used to take a bath...with a tabo and pail! They enjoyed going in the pail. It was kind of like their mini tub.

Staying at Tito Ick and Tita Bouger's beach house: Although we only stayed there for one night, it was truly an experience. Everything about the beach house and the environment that surrounds it just emulated serenity.

Reunions: It was too bad we couldn't take tons of pictures of the family altogether. But our trip was certainly filled with reunions. Here we are with Ray's cousin, Julia who K & T just adore (and of course I adore her too!).

Celebrating Lola Tilde's 90th birthday: One of the main reasons why we traveled to Cebu was to celebrate Lola Tilde's 90th birthday with her. It was our Karch actually has the same birthday as Lola Tilde. That's why Karch's full name is Karch Michael (after my Tito Mike) Tilden (after Lola Tilde). Here she is as she arrived at her party. The guests greeted her with the Happy Birthday song. Happy birthday to Lola Tilde! We love you!

The beaches: Even if we stayed at a beach house (Thanks to the Ouanos for accomodating us at their Maribago beach house!) for half of our trip, we only visited the beach 3 times. Our now 3-year old Karch loved the water! Our birthday boy is a true Pisces.

Plantation Bay: Thanks to our Tita Ursula, we had the opportunity to stay at Plantation Bay. We stayed there for the first 2 days of our trip. It was awesome to have a "mini-vacation"
within our vacation!

Visiting Lola Lalia: Our time was so short with Lola Lalia. This was the first time Karch, Tessa, and I have met her. She is one of the sweetest women I have ever met. We can't wait to see her again and to spend a longer time in Dipolog with her.

Hearing stories from the Baliangao Lolas: When we were in Dipolog, we traveled to Baliangao to not only stay at Tito Ick and Tita Bouger's beach house, but to also visit the Baliangao Lolas. They had so many interesting stories to tell us. It was wonderful to hear the Bueno clan's history.

We have so many memories of our trip. The long flight and the jet lag, though painful, were forgotten once we landed and once we arrived and began to scroll through our pictures. We can't wait for our next trip!

A Late Birthday Shout-Out to

2009-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

Jay-O (He's the one to the right.)

and Tita Marilou

Jay-O and Tita M both share birthdays on February 3rd. Hope you two had fantabulous birthdays!

January Birthdays, a Wintry Day, and Happy Chinese New Year

2009-01-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays have filled our January calendar. I guess, it's not just Ray and I who celebrate their birthdays in January. So, before I continue to blog, the Buenos would like to greet my cousin Hoolie and Tito Chito a happy birthday. We also had a handful of friends who celebrated their birthdays this month: Wil, Margaux, Ara, Paolo, and our friends' son Xavien.

Today, it snowed in Vancouver. Thank goodness, it wasn't too much. I was still able to go to drive and do an extra shift for the school board. Plus, we were even able to go for a (plastic) sleigh ride (Thanks to the Cruzes for sleigh!) to and from our mailbox!

Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Happy Birthday to our very best!

2009-01-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Ray! We love you!

Here is Ray when he was a baby. Doesn't Tessa look like him? Check out the picture of Tessa below.

Here's our Dada-look-alike

Here is Ray on his birthday this year. We went out for breakfast with Erika and Dan. Poor guy had to work, so the kids and I made him dinner and brought it to his work.

Happy Birthday to the best husband and dada in the world!

Karchy's First Day of Toddler Time

2009-01-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

Karchy attended his first pre-pre-school class called Toddler Time at the Y. Since another boy was crying, he began to cry and threw up! Therefore, I had to be with him for the rest of class. To top it off, Tessa who I decided to drop off at the Y's childminding centre (so I can have some "me" time aka a workout) had trouble adjusting to being at the centre on her own. They had to call me as well, so I could pick her up. So, here I was at Karchy's Toddler Time helping Karch do his art project and taking care of Tessa! Oh well, better luck next week!

Tito Ed and Tita Gabriela Visit

2009-01-09T02:46:00.000-08:00

Before I blog, just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone!

This Christmas holiday, Ed (my BIL) and his girlfriend, Gabriela, visited Vancouver. After having their original flight was canceled, they finally made it here to explore Vancouver and spend time with family. They even took the time to prepare a fantastic New Year's Eve meal, babysit K & T so Ray and I could go on a movie date, and shovel the snow off our driveway!

Here we are at SSW (Sun Sui Wah-yum, yum, dim sum!). Cherie, my best friend who now lives in Ottawa, and Gerald joined us too!

Thanks for visiting, Ed and Gabriela!

We'll see you soon!

A Silent White Christmas

2008-12-30T20:58:00.001-08:00

We had a very quiet Christmas this year. Besides hosting a couple of homestay students on Christmas Eve and Day, we just ate and ate and ate, and I didn't even have to cook! On Christmas Eve, my mom hosted. While on Christmas Day, Erika and Dan hosted in Tsawwassen. To top off the much-needed relaxing time spent with Ray and K & T, we had a white Christmas which was great until we had to drive!

From our family to yours, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Here's our Japanese homestay students:

Here's Ray and I chowing down my mom's homecooked meal:

Here's four generations of the Cruz clan:

Here we are in Tsawwassen:

This was the view from our house after the snow storm:

Here's our house on Christmas Day. It snowed during Christmas Eve. Check out our snow bank. It was twice Karch's height!

Until next year!

Happy Birthday to all the December Birthday Celebrants!

2008-12-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

Julia, Matthew, Tita Christie, Nathalie, Mike, and Leslie, we hope you all enjoyed your birthdays!

xoxo RJKT

Let the Christmas celebrations begin...

2008-12-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

Since I have self-diagnosed myself with cabin fever (it's snowing yet again here!), I might as well reminisce on the times this month when we were able to actuallty go out and celebrate good times with wonderful friends. Here are some pictures from this holiday season's festive get-togethers:

Here we are at High Tea with the Unicorns (my high school friends; we were Sweet Valley High inspired, so we decided to call ourselves that in high school!)

We had Christmas dinner at a Mexican Restaurant; here's Senorito Karchy.

Here's T waiting for our annual Christmas dinner with Jeff, Mon, Lor, and Mike. (You guys should all be proud-Ray and I prepared a turkey dinner right after my last day of work. But remind me not to do that again!):

Here we are with Jeff, Mon, Lor, and Mike:

Here we are at the Motovaselans:

The Dadas:

The Mamas:

And our get-together at the Rivases (Here I am with the hostess, Charina, and Tre, our friend Sandra's adorable son.):

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Snowed In

2008-12-21T13:21:00.001-08:00

At last, Christmas vacation has officially started, and we're snowed in. This means that it's time to catch up on blogging, reading (The Time Traveler's Wife) , and maybe even folding laundry and wrapping gifts!

So here are some pictures and videos of our week in the snow:

Here's Karch making a snow angel:

Here's my mom had to take a snow day this week because of the snow:

Tessa is scared of the snow since it kept landing on her eyelashes:

Meanwhile, her big brother, K, loves the snow:

Here's the only thing the kids and I can do: walk to my mom's place:

And today, we have blizzard-like conditions (at least it feels like it), so while K was out with Ray shoveling and playing,

T was staying in and dancing to the music!

Thank goodness, Ray starts work late. At least, he might be able to drive me around tomorrow, so we can do some last minute shopping and so we can get out of the house.

4th picture--3D glasses required

2008-12-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm not really sure if I understand this correctly. I was tagged by my cousin, Hoolie, to put the 4th picture in my 4th picture folder in my computer, so here it is my extremely out of the blue blog picture--A very blurry picture of my mom and Karch during Tessa's baptism. Once again, I don't know many people that blog. So, I'm afraid I won't be tagging anyone.

K & T Go to the Dentist

2008-12-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

Karch and Tessa (just as support for her brother) went to the dentist with me while I had my appointment this week. It is sad to say that Karch has cavities and will now need to see a Pediatric Dentist to get an x-ray of what's going on in that mouth of his and do restorative work. I just made an appointment for the Pediatric Dentist right before Christmas. Poor Karchy...

Prelude to Christmas

2008-12-02T16:46:00.001-08:00

Ray got his dream Christmas tree from his family home this past week, and we decided to put it up right on/after Erika's birthday (according to Bueno tradition). And now we decided to have our own tradition to have K & T put up the star on top of the tree.

Here they are in action:

A Flashback from 2006: Here's K and I putting up the star. I would have posted a picture of us putting up the star last year, but I guess we were too busy with K & T and Ray's many jobs!

While the parents are away, the kids will play...

2008-12-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

My mom kindly took the K & T for the day (which is a first, so we're all proud of her!), so Ray and I could go Thanksgiving shopping across the border on our own. It has been so long since Ray and I were able to shop on our own that it was a wonderful treat for us, but not so good for our pockets. It is crazy how much we can spend without the kids rushing us to just get our shopping done! Oh well, it was our first shopping date in a long while, so I guess it was all worth it. 24 days til' Christmas, and we're almost done shopping!

K & T relaxing in the morning:

My mom's makeshift gate:

Tessa making a mess eating spaghetti:

Lolo Ed's Visit

2008-11-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

This past week, Lolo Ed (Ray's Dad) came to Vancouver for a visit. Not only did he get to spend time with the kids, celebrate Erika's birthday, and meet Dan's parents, but he also witnessed Tessa walking!

K & T had great fun with their Lolo. We hope to see him again in New Year's!

Belated happy birthday, Lolo Joju!

2008-11-30T09:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Tita Rika!

2008-11-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the Tita that K loves to always hang out with! He always wants to go to Rika's house, as he usually says. Enjoy your special day, Tita Rika!

Belated Happy Birthday, Tito Mike!

2008-11-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been neglecting my blog again and did not get to do my usual birthday greeting to Tito Mike who just celebrated his birthday this week.

So, happy birthday to my favourite uncle in NJ whose like a second dad to me.

Belated happy birthday, Tito Mike!

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we must remember...

2008-11-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.

-Heather Robertson, A Terrible Beauty, The Art of Canada at War. Toronto, Lorimer, 1977.

Karchy goes to Madagascar

2008-11-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

Karchy saw his first ever movie in the movie theatres today! While Ray and I watched a movie and while Tessa stayed with my mom, Tita Rika and Tito Dan went with Karch to watch Madagascar 2! I didn't bring a camera to the theatres, but, according to reports, Karch was mesmerized by the big screen and big sounds. He symphatised with the lion and got sad when he got hurt! And when we met afterwards, he was all smiles! I'm so excited. Now that I know he can sit through an animated movie, I can take him more often and we can share some quality time at the theatres.

Obama Wins!

2008-11-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

I find it really strange that I am more interested in American politics than I am in Canadian politics. But when American politics is all over the media, then of course I am bound to have an opinion about America's election today. I am so excited to see what Obama's presidency will bring to America, to us Canadians, and to the world.

Here is a snippet from one of Obama's speeches; here is his American story:

"I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one."

-Remarks of America's newly elected President Barack Obama from his speech, "A More Perfect Union," in Philadelphia, PA on March 18, 2008.

Congratulations to all you Americans who voted for change! As a Canadian, I hope that this change will bring an evolved and united America.

Yay, Obama!

Trick or Treating in the mall and in the 80s

2008-11-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

The weather was not cooperating this Halloween, so Ray and I took K & T to the mall for some trick or treating. Surprisingly, our neighbourhood mall was awesome at keeping the kiddies in order.

The next day, we went to Jack's birthday and we partied like it was in the 80s. It was great fun for everyone. As you can see, the Bueno clan were good sports and dressed as an 80s family. Ray even wore his Guess bomber jacket from the 80s. Ray and Karch dressed the same as 80s sports stars. Tessa was Punky Brewster with her mismatched outfit and funky sneakers. I also dressed up... as an 80s mom. All the Filipino moms (as in Jack's grandmas and grandaunts) at the party said I looked just like them in the 80s. I guess, that should be a compliment since that meant I mastered the 80s look (Thanks to Value Village and my mom's jean leggings circa 1989); I'm not really sure. What do you think?

A Family Thanksgiving

2008-10-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

This week, we celebrated a family thanksgiving. With my dad and S.I.L and B.I.L Nathalie and Mike visiting us, we were able to eat lots of quality food and spend lots of quality time. Even though we had a little mishap with Erika and Dan's dogs, Bailey and Enzo (they ate some rat poison and had to be brought to a 24 hour animal hospital), it was certainly a wonderful family thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday, Ed!

2008-10-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

K & T would like to greet their Tito/Ninong Ed a happy, happy birthday!

Here's K & T's Tito Ed with their Ninong/Tito Anton and Dada...

All about Ladybugs

2008-10-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

The celebration continued yesterday for Tessa's 1st birthday. Tessa had a ladybug-themed birthday party. Not only was this T's first birthday party, but it was also the first party we had in our place without any assistance from a bouncy castle or face painter. So we had to get our creative juices flowing and with lots of help, we were able to pull, I think, an awesome ladybug party.

Here's a peek at T's ladybug celebration.

These were Tessa's party favours. We put red velvet and dark chocolate cupcakes in these boxes and the tags were magnets made by my friend, Caryl.

These cupcake boxes and ceramic ladybug piggy banks were for party favours for the kiddies.

And of course, a party is never a party

... without friends and family...

...without fun and games...

Pin the Spot on the Ladybug

Painting fun

... Blowing candles and Eating yummy cake...

Look who's one!

2008-10-09T21:56:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's already been a year since Tessa was born. Time certainly goes by....when you're tired; I mean, when you're having fun seeing your children grow up.

Here's a look back at Tessa's first year...

Happy 1st Birthday, Tessa!

Belated Happy Birthday, Madi and Sam!

2008-09-29T00:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to greet my youngest cousin, Madison, happy birthday on this blog on her real birthday, August 31. So I'm a month late, but she just had her party with her school friends this past weekend. So, I think I may be safe. Gee, I remember her visiting Vancouver at 4 months, and now she's 8. Happy Birthday, Madi!

It was also my other cousin, Sam's birthday in July. I really need a birthday calendar to keep track of everyone's birthdays!

Bathtime Buddies

2008-09-28T12:35:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy household since I went back to work. So what do I do to make shortcuts? I give K & T a bath at the same time . I guess, this is the benefit of having children close together. Now, if only I can stop curious Tessa from pinching certain areas of K's body...

Other Happenings in YVR

2008-09-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I haven't blogged in awhile so I'll share a few things in this blog. It's been so hectic since I've gone back to work, so I really have no time to do anything but work or be with K & T. It's taking awhile to get into a sane routine.

Anyway, besides being busy with work, here are some of the things that happened in the first couple weeks of September.

1. Tessa turned 11 months. Our baby girl is growing so quickly and is growing 4 teeth all at once. Check out what she can do in this videoclip.

2. My dad came to visit K & T. This was the first time my dad has ever met his grandkids. The kids had a blast with their Yoyo, as Karchy would say. Plus, thanks to my dad, I was able to have some "me" time, but of course my "me" time involved a lot of catching up with work! Ray was also able to catch up on his sleep in the mornings, while my dad spent time with K & T. As well, we were able to enjoy some homecooked meals made by my dad. My dad's visit was short and sweet.