The BEST of 2012

Last year I did this and thought it turned out pretty cute -- so I would continue it!  We had a lot of fun and events this year -- so it's always hard to pick the favorites or to even list in an order!!!  So I will again, list them in no particular order.......

Modeling Anniversary

Modeling for Sparkle Galz Boutique

Trevor has been boutique modeling thru Facebook for over a year now!  We have really enjoyed most of our shoots and I would like to say that my photography has improved and we've gotten more creative with our shoots!!  I think by next summer we will be done completely though, as it gets slim in the offers for boys as they get older.  It has been fun yet frustrating but I always love that it gave me reason to capture the slow growth of my baby boy!

Trevor turns 5!!!!

This is always a fun and exciting event in our lives each year.  As tradition -- we went to Seaworld for his birthday and had a fun party!  This year we went to Seaworld with Kathy and her family (Tom and Patrick).  It was highlighted with lost glasses, hurt foot, hotel and ticket fiascoes and lots of laughs!!! Trevor of course loved his trip and has reassured us that he will grow up to be someone who helps animals (works at Seaworld!)  For his party we went Kung Fu style!  Trevor loves Kung Fu Panda and karate so what a perfect way to infuse it all.  I got a lot of my ideas off Pinterest and even wrangled my Dad into "teaching" the kids a few moves!!!  I stressed myself out about it all but in the end it was just fine!!





California visit

In June we decided to not go to Cabo, but visit Grandma Gail and Grandpa Jim in California again!  This time around we hit Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, USS Midway and a few other spots we enjoyed last time.  Trevor really enjoyed the ocean this time around and ran around all over!  We also managed to see a "real Transformer" Bumble bee car!!! Trevor was in awe and was so enamored we had to "hurry and take (a pic) before he had to go!"  It was a great trip and so nice to catch up with Grandma and Jim!

Oh the Places he'll go!!! (Prek Grad --> Starts Kindergarten)

Trevor officially graduated from PreK in June 2012 and we celebrated with a fun party at home!  I again used Pinterest as my idea generator as I created a "Oh the Places You'll Go!" party theme.  It was nice to have a few of Trevor's teachers there to celebrate this milestone!  I will admit it got me all misty eyed to say an official good bye to the ladies I called "my other family" but they will always be in our hearts!  August brought Trevor's FIRST day of Kindergarten!  We were very excited to be able to stay at Barton Creek as an in-district transfer and then to get the Teacher of the Year as his teacher!!! He has had a good first semester and seems to be doing well - socially and cognitively!  He really does love school (something he got from me!!!) so we hope this continues to be his thoughts as the years pass on!!!

Travels afar -- Hong Kong!

I feel like this is one of our biggest events this year! It truly was a special one.....again THANK YOU to Mom and Dad for expensing this trip for Trevor and I!!! I will always honor it as a cherished memory and ensure that Trevor does as well!  We got to visit numerous family members and Trevor had so much fun with his cousins!  The sites we saw and the yummy food are only half of what I will cherish!  I love embracing my "culture" and sharing it with Trevor!  We had fun creating a trip journal and sharing pics and memoirs with his class when he returned to school!  Although we blemished his "perfect attendance" I think it was well worth it! (read my blog for more pictures and info!)

Jobs are steady
Last year I talked about a big change in my job!  So that means I lasted a YEAR!!! well now it'll almost be 2 years!  I have made a great "third family!" there and feel so blessed that I can go to work doing something I love and feel little stress (well sometimes it's stressful but.....so different!) plus have so much fun (ie. Sally, PIC and the Dolla Family!)  Justin is also still at his job and seems to really like it - working alongside his brother.  I know he is worn out most days (especially in the summer heat!) but it is nice to have steady work, insurance and low work stress in our lives! The property is really coming along and healing from the fires of last year.  Justin is finally finished "clearing" out the rubble and now working on progress - plus a horse has joined the fun!!!

Go Aeros!!!

Trevor did Fall Ball again - this time with the Oak Hill Youth Sports Assoc (OHYSA) team Aeros!  We loved being with this team and really felt the slight competitive spirit this league brings!  Trevor seemed to have fun and got to play some key spots in defense (pitcher, SS and 2nd base!)  His coaches were a hoot and so great with the kiddos!! We hope to have them next season!

Spooky Fun!
Trevor and I hosted our FIRST (possibly annual?!?!) Spooky Party!  He started creating his own invitations one day and I just couldn't deny him this after that!!! So again I looked to Pinterest for quick, easy (and cheap) ways to throw together a party in like 2 weeks!  It turned out pretty good (if I say so myself!!)  Trevor had a lot of fun and even got to have a dear friend he hadn't seen in a long time accompany him to the neighborhood carnival!  We had crafts, games and yummy food with a twinge of DAP spookiness!  Plus it gave me a reason to amp up my Halloween decor!!! lol

Photography is more than a hobby!

Trevor modeling for Doll Baby Accessories

My love for photography and capturing special moments is slowly blooming!  I learn more and more with each shoot and each article I read.  I am no expert and don't claim to be..... just a hobbyist who loves to experiment and learn.  I have a few friends (and family!) who have nurtured this in me and got me to do my first "paid" shoot!  I had a lot of fun planning, shooting and editing!  Bonus is I think everyone REALLY enjoyed their photos!  It really all began with trying to make myself look more "legit" in the boutique modeling "world" (long story short - I decided to create a facebook page to showcase my fun; thus it needed a name) so Shuggabug (like shutterbug but shugga - like  sugar but with a more southern twang to it!) became reality!  Feel free to check me out and pass on to your friends! I love to experiment -- so I am "cheap!"  ShuggabugPhotography

Last but not least........ (not sure if this falls in 2012 or 2013!) my little(est) sister got engaged!  Nick popped the question January 1 while they ran the trail at Lady Bird Lake (where their first "date" was).  Nick's stepmom, Jo, took photos from the bushes!  Best thing is we all knew it was coming and had a little surprise brunch for them afterwards!! So happy for her!  Welcome to our crazy family Nick.....lol  Now to get fit so I can look cute at the wedding!

Nick pops the question (Capone knows something's up!)

So that's 2012 in a nutshell for us!!! Lots of fun and laughter! I hope that 2013 brings even more --- to us and everyone as well!  Stay tuned to my blog for all of our updates and events..... some will surely bring a smile or two -- if not a laugh! 

Halloween done and gone!

So Trevor really wanted to host a "spooky party" for his friends at this time.  I hesitated to do it, but once I saw the little invitations he created and was ready to pass out I figured why not!  I had been pinning a few ideas already. It wouldn't be that hard to put together.  So we went for it --- dived in head first.  So this is what we came up with.....

Orange Juice, pineapple Juice and Sprite with Ice cube Spiders

Cheese sticks with peeps pumpkins / pumpkin cupcakes

Traditional Ghost Lollipops

Candy Corn Fruit Parfait -- Pineapple, Mandarin Oranges, cool whip

Host and his goodies!

So as you can see we had a little of this and that!  I wanted some healthy treats but also some fun!  The Dollar Tree store came in handy with all the trinkets and goodies!  Trevor invited his friends and was so excited to see everyone!  Outside we had a few games : Pumpkin bowling, "skeleton head" hunt, build a skeleton, and monster hand making.

Tin can bowling

Making Monster hands

Kinsleigh made her hand!

I'll have to find some of the other photos I took to show you all of my "pinterest" creations!!!  After everyone ate, played and got sugared up we headed to the neighborhood carnival with an old school friend and his cousins.  Trevor loved sharing this time with Saia. 

Trevor with his pumpkin

some outdoor decor -- the cemetery

Cutest bat ever!

Our tree spider!

I think Trevor had a great time! We hope all of our guests did! It was a lot of fun to create everything -- but it was time consuming and knowing me -- I put way too much into something Trevor wouldn't have minded to be simple!  But that's just me......Just call me party planner!!! lol 

We hope your Halloween was as festive as ours!

PS -- Trick or treating brought some surprises..... we went across the way visiting an old teacher of Trevor's and walking with the Seeley's.  In Trevor fashion he got hurt, but luckily it was nothing too serious (as it truly could have easily been.)  I had told Trevor to stay on driveways an such -- so in the dark he ran down what he thought was a driveway (looked like one to me as well) but it was a covert pipe ditch!!! Down he went and quick! A good 3 ft drop..... he made it out with a scrapped knee and a bit of a scare!  He told me "Momma I flew!"  that he did!!! lol

Part 2 - Hong Kong

Day 6 (half way there!) -- We headed to the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on a nearby island (Lantau).  We had to ride 2 subways and then a 25 minute cable car (over numerous mountains!) It was a great calm ride and we got to see some men "fishing", the HK airport (which we learned was created by adding dirt to the land -- so it is man made land that it sits on!) and a hiking trail, complete with a few hikers!!!  Trevor always loves to have a map so he helped "direct" us to the Buddha! It is 250 steps to the top and we all made it! Once up there the view was beautiful....one Asian family was so enamored with Trevor they requested a photo with him (and not the Buddha!!!!) Going down the steps were a bit easier (lol) and we headed to the monastery.  As you enter the temples you are to bow 3 times and Trevor quickly abided.  We also got free Buddhism books, so Trevor proceeded to "read" them to us in "Chinese" (well his version of Chinese!!!)  The temples are always beautiful - so ornate and full of tranquility.  I can't remember why incense is burned but many people bought a bundle and lit them to place in front of the temple.  Trevor liked learning how the Buddha is some people's God and the book he had was stories about the Buddha, just as we read stories about God in the Bible. We all went back to the Ladies Market to do more shopping (see I told you we would return!) and got everyone souvenirs and more! Since it was my sister's Birthday this day - we ended the day with Haggen Daz ice cream as we watched the bustling city streets of people shopping and walking.

Day 7 --- Today we headed out to see where my dad grew up and went to school.  Since we were staying on Nathan Road (which is a popular and main road) it was only a few blocks away where Dad had grown up.  The school he attended from Kinder to 6th is still there and allowed us to come in and visit.  Just down the road from there was a "tourist" shopping area.... Everything was in English so you know it's meant for tourists! lol  We spent the rest of the day resting before heading over to Uncle David's again for the Mid-Autumn moon festival.  The boys played a version of mah-jong (which is much like rummy just with  tiles) and Trevor got some goodies from  his cousins.  After we ate the yummiest home cooked meal (I think there were 6 dishes!) we headed out to walk with lanterns (and glow sticks for the boys!)  Tradition is that the ladies carry the lanterns and it used to be a "courting night" for the young adults! ;)  We just walked around the neighborhood then headed back home!  We ate moon cake and enjoyed spending time with family.  Trevor's cousins really looked out for him all night.  I think we'll need to be pen pals to keep up with Andis and Justin!

Day 8 - Disneyland with just Trevor and me.... We just couldn't come to HK and NOT go to Disneyland, plus once Trevor heard they had a Stitch ride (from Lilo and Stitch) we had to go! No one else wanted to tag along so it was just us.  The rest of the family went to some more known markets in the area for more shopping. (if you know me this was nothing I cared about really doing! lol)  We had to ride a total of 3 subways to get there. You can guess by the end of our stay in HK Trevor was pretty savvy at subways and buses!  Anyways.... we immediately hit Tomorrowland and rode the Buzz ride 2 times, watched the parade and then saw Stitch.  It's an interactive video type thing -- but of all the people in the crowd Trevor got picked to be talked to by Stitch.  He kept saying "Trevor from TX."  Trevor was shy but LOVED that Stitch talked to him! I wish I could have filmed it! It was precious :)  We of course rode the small world ride, tea cups and stood in line to see Mickey! They have a Toy Story area and we rode "slinky dog" (a roller coaster!) After watching a few shows and shopping we rode the 3 subways back home to the apartment and then met up with the rest of the family to eat on Temple Street - authentic Chinese street cuisine! Yum!

Day 9 -- LAST full day in HK
We headed to Macau, an island nearby that is deemed the "Vegas" of HK.  The WHOLE family went (MahMah, David and his family, plus the cousins) on a hovercraft boat.  It was huge and you felt like you were in an open airplane the way it was decorated and how the seats were.  But the flying over waves reminded you it was a boat!!! It was about an hour ride there.  Once there we went to the downtown area to eat some yummy dim sum.  This place had fresh seafood in all these tanks right up front.  We got to see fresh crab be delivered and some of the biggest crab and lobster I have ever seen.  On the streets of Macau we saw a lot of dried fish, fresh jerky and homemade almond cookies!  The island was once largely a Portuguese colony so it has a diverse culture.  Since it was October 1, it was also China Independence day -- therefore a LOT of people in and around the area!  At one point I feared I had lost track of Trevor in the crowds but his cousins had him close by the whole time! We got to see a Lion dance as well as traditional Portuguese singing and dancing show.  This cool wall was there from an old church ( built in like 1850) - the place had been destroyed yet only one wall stood and has stood since! AMAZING! The grown ups hit the casino at the Sands while the kiddos went to a mid-way area.  My dad was the big winner in our family (lots of slots there) winning about 200 HK$ and I walked away with 34HK$.  My cousin won big too!  As we were coming back from Macau we got to see the fireworks from the harbor celebrating Independence day... let's just say the Chinese know how to throw a show -- as they should!! lol We walked thru a SEA of people (think NYC NYE crowd!!!) to get to a restaurant to eat and it was a GREAT meal! We finished it off with a visit to see a TMNT statue next door!!!

Day 10/11 -- We met up with David, Yuanita, Mah Mah, Yuen Ming, and Ko Chui for a last dim sum meal at a place my grandmother used to come to eat at when she was younger! It was traditional old dimsum. After that we loaded up the car and we jumped on the airport bus to meet the family at the airport.  Then boarded the plane for our 14+ hour flight to Toronto.  My head cold had really hit me this day and I was feeling horrid, therefore had a miserable plane ride.  Once we got to the hotel in Toronto I stayed in bed all night - even skipping dinner with the family. Plus we had to be up by 5 am to get to the airport on time.

Day 12 - we arrived in Houston around 11 am and went to my mom/dad's house to drop off the girls/luggage and eat lunch.  If you can believe it -- after all that traveling - I drove home to Austin that day as well!!! Needless to say I did not function much that evening - as my feet were swollen, my head was pounding and my ears would not pop!  So I was just a hot mess!  Trevor was feelin fine and already back in full steam at the house!

We had a great trip - some minor things flared up but all in all it was an experience I am so honored to have been given.  I created a journal of all this for Trevor as well -- so that in the future he can look back and recall what a special trip he was given with his family! 

Hong Kong 2012 (part 1)

What a great experience we had! We survived the plane rides, bustling city and each other! lol  Here's how it all went down......

My dad paid for all of us kiddos to go visit family and his hometown in Hong Kong.  So my sisters, parents, nephew and son loading up (with I think 17 bags in all) and headed to the Houston airport on 9/22 at 5 am.  24 hours and 3 airplane rides later (we stopped in Calgary and Vancouver) we made it to Hong Kong and our 3 bedroom rental.  The beds were hard and the one bathroom was daunting at first -- but it all worked out.  Trevor did great on the plane -- enjoying the inflight movies and sleeping!  Since we were all whacky on time we just headed to bed!

Day 2 - our first meal was ........ McDonald's breakfast - lol!!! It was conveniently right across the street and seemed easy enough. My uncle David came over to help us around town (get our "octopus card" - public transit card which coincidentally acted like a debit card at most stores too!), show us where bus stops were located and how to get over to his place.  We then journeyed over to St Gabriel's Catholic cemetery to pay respects to my grandfather who had passed 15 years ago.  The pics you'll see of his headstone are what was there for the past 15 years -- while we were in HK it was most likely demolished and his remains were placed in the wall behind it (just like the other family members from the pictures.) Because so many people are in HK the cemeteries get overcrowded so you are only allowed to be buried for 15 years, then you are exhumed and placed in a wall.  The are a handful of plots that are "grandfathered" and can stay buried (hence why a great grandparent is still buried with her headstone.)  I hope that all made sense... so we walked up (and I say UP with great emphasis) to section 62, said a few words to YahYah, bowed 3 times and placed flowers on his grave site.  If you look close at the pic of me you'll see how hard I worked to make it there.... yes I am out of shape, but I was glad I accomplished the hike and was able to share that moment with my dad! Then we visited 3 other family members, paying our respects to them as well.  After that we ran a lot of errands around town and ended the day at Uncle David's house eating a home cooked Chinese meal and visiting with Mah-Mah (Trevor calls her Taipa) - my dad's mom.

 

Day 3 - We did a lot of walking and public transit this day! We were heading to Downtown HK to eat (via the subway) and go to the Peak but didn't quite have a good "game plan" so after roaming a bit we finally settled in to have a traditional HK breakfast (fried egg, ham (lunchmeat), and noodles!)  Let's just say Ramen is a normal thing here!!! Def not something we "Americanized!" We headed over to Victoria Peak - one of the highest points in HK.  The original lookout place was there but we rode a tram up the mountain to the "newer" look out which looked like a bowl!  The view was great but smoggy!  It was neat to see and learn about the history of the tram.  We stopped into The Pearl restaurant to enjoy some seafood appetizers (crab, lobster, escargot, abalone, shrimp, oysters......) yum yum! After that we headed to the ferry to cross back over the bay and walked the "avenue of stars" (their version of Hollywood walk of fame!)  Dinner was at a place in the mall (more ramen!) and then we went to the boardwalk to enjoy the light show of the HK cityscape.  We were all very tired from the walking but unfortunately we had not quite mastered the subway and did a lot of walking to find the right subway station!  Needless to say our "dogs" were pooped and so was poor Trevor!!!

Day 4 -- Being exhausted from all the walking we got a late start, so we ate some Dim Sum brunch.  Trevor wasn't in the best mood so he and my mom went back  to the apartment while the rest of us hit the Ladies Market for some bargain shopping.  Tons of jewelry, knock off purses and more were available for buying! My sisters got a Marc Jacobs purse and Alexander McQueen (knock offs of course! but very cute!) , some Beats by Dr. Dre (again knock offs) and I got a pair of shoes! We were sure to return.... We headed home to rest before going to Mah-Mah's birthday celebration banquet.  At the banquet we met a ton of family - many who came over from China.  Lots of cousins and more! 3 hours later we finally settled in to eat but Trevor passed out! So that's why he is missing in some of the pictures!!! We enjoyed a 10 course meal.  If you ask why are the heads of things still there - it has a few meanings (to prove it is fresh and Chinese leave nothing behind - everything is possibly edible...not that anyone chewed on the pig or chicken head!) We looked goofy taking a picture of each dish but our table companions quickly understood our silliness and would pose the dishes for us!  It was a great night!

Day 5 - Ocean Park Adventures..... This is the local theme park.  Think zoo + Seaworld+ Six flags!  Complete with cable car over a mountain!  Trevor loved this place! We got to see aquatic animals, polar animals and panda bears!!!!! Plus ride a few rides! It was a busy day !

Read part 2 to hear about the rest of our adventures!!! Check out my Picasa album via your email link to see more pictures!!! If you didn't get the link comment me (email me) and I'll send it to you!