Applebees! Finally!

After worship service this evening, ate Peachy, Ryan and I went to Applebees to get some dinner.  This is the FIRST TIME Ryan and I tried the restaurant so it's a big deal and should be blogged about! ;-D. Here's a picture of Ryan and Ate Peachy (two of the Arellano cousins - represent!).

We ordered 2 appetizers, the spinach artichoke dip and buffalo wings. I got an apple walnut chicken salad as well. I think ate peachy got a California something salad and Ryan got a Chop Steak with a baked potato. The food was deliciouso! (or what they say in tagalog: ANG SARAP TALAGA!!) We will definitely go back to an Applebees in California! Sorry if my pictures aren't large enough to view the food.... I didn't want any of you to get hungry and start salivating on your computer screens heheh ;-D

Okay goodnight/goodmorning! It's now 1:16 a.m. and I have jetlag! 

We have to wake up in 3 hours to visit the Statue of Liberty!

We're In NY!

We landed at the JFK Airport at around 5:40 am today. Ate Peachy picked us up and took us to this really cool restaurant called "Maureen's Kitchen" in Smithtown, New York. I was looking for a website but could not find any.  Just do a google search and it'll pop up reviews. Inside the restaurant looks like a herd of cows exploded because there are black and white cow patterns all over the place and cow figurines everywhere! Really cute! Here's a picture of the signage outside:

Regarding the food....All I can say is, DELICIOUS!  When ate Peachy says she has found a really cool place to try, I believe her to the fullest! The staff was really friendly and the food was yummy! Ate Peachy told me to try the French Toast Croissant with Cream Cheese stuffed with a kind of Rasberry Jam, so I did.  I'm going to use this blog as a means to spread the word on this place because I would definitely come again and try that french toast!

We're still a bit jet lag.  It's 12:36 PM east coast time which means it's only 9:36 AM west coast time.  Ryan is still napping and I'm just relaxing :-D  We'll be attending worship service today at the locale of Bellmore, NY. Tomorrow we'll be meeting up with my brother, cousins, and friends to visit the Statue of Liberty!   Ryan and I didn't get to see it the last time we visited NYC (which was 2 years ago) so we definitely have it as a TO DO this time! 

I'm actually enjoying the day doing nothing but just relaxing here at ate's home.  She has a cool collection of magnets from places she's been to.  I think my favorite one is the "good friends" magnet. It reads: "good friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they're always there." And of course, I need to focus on the Statue of Liberty magnet cause we're in NY!

Here are some photos I took here at ate peachy's home :-D. I need more stock photos for my use... I intend to take more during this trip!

More pictures to come! Signing off, unless I find something awesome to blog about again!

Congrats Grads!

Earlier this year, a friend of mine contacted me and asked if I would be willing to take her graduation photos as well as 9 of her classmates.  I accepted :-D. 

After work on Friday, Ryan and I drove to Cecile's classmates home.  A couple of the grads were already there, ready to be photographed.  They were really nice!! I thought it was really cute how close they all were.  They studied together and now they are graduating together.  From what Cecile had told me, the graduation ceremony the next day was just for the 10 of them. Like an intimate graduation ceremony... 

I'm so happy for all of them, especially Cecile! Congratulations!

The graduates

The graduates having a fun moment

Cecile

INC 94th/40th Anniversary Celebration

Ten years ago, during our 30th Year Anniversary for the INC in San Jose, CA... I walked around alone thinking how it would be so cool to one day have Ryan in the US to celebrate the church's anniversary.  I thought to myself and prayed silently that one day, he and I will have an opportunity to help the church to work on a big celebration..  It was always a dream... a prayer of mine that I kept to myself.  It "WAS" just between me and HIM above. 

When I found out that we were going to have a joint celebration with the District of Northern California, I was so EXCITED! All the more I kept asking, "please...please...please... I really want Ryan and I to be a part of it... somehow.. some way.. in any way.... HE definitely heard my prayers... 

- - -

It surely is a weekend to remember.  After all our efforts in practicing, all the meetings, emails, phone calls, sleepless nights, as well as the last minute request to compose the Parade of Flags song and orchestrate it as well as orchestrate the Voice of a Child song composed by sis Kate it was definitely worth it!  The day finally arrived! It was finally time to celebrate the INC Anniversary!  

I'll miss EVERYONE that I had the honor to work with.  From the CWS Children  to my fellow District Officers.  They are an inspiration and I can't wait to work with them again on our upcoming district activities! It's a blessing to be part of this District of Southern California. I'm so proud of us all for doing an AWESOME job! Above all, I'm so thankful to God for giving me and Ryan an opportunity...... an experience of a lifetime!

Click on picture to view larger version :-D.  When I get Socal's CWS Choral Group Photo, I plan on adding it on to this blog as well! :-D For now, this is all I have...

A picture of me and Ryan with our Staff Shirts and Badges ;-D

P.S. Another prayer answered...