Happy Anniversary Jus!

Cheers to 5 years of blood, sweat, tears, & belly-aching laughs! Doesn't it feel like we just got married though? Feels like it was only yesterday, living in the P-side, waking up to go to Joe's Coffeeshop for breakfast. You ordering your orange juice with a glass of ice and Becky calling you a "good boy." I remember seeing an old couple in that shop, thinking to myself how it would be nice to be old with you, wondering what growing old together was like for them? Now look at us. It's manifesting cause hey, we're thirty. And that's pretty old. But maybe it still feels fresh and new because we're still learning things about each other and about being married. Love has never been something we could just quit, working through it all (even at those moments when we wanna throw in the towel). With you, I've been able to see my own flaws and check myself. Thank you for that (especially for the patience required). And I'm pretty sure I do the same thing for you, magnifying them flaws. Don't get me wrong, I love all the quirky things that make you, You. That's how you charmed me into this "ball & chain". I hope we do grow old together Jus. I can already see your old man habits. And I have faith that we will even though nothing is ever guaranteed in life. But one thing is for sure, for me--this thing we got, this thing called love, is definitely deeper and sweeter with age. Here's to all the sweet memories we have made, lessons we have yet to learn, and the different ways to grow with you. I love you baby...

Big Sur

On labor day, we went on our first camping trip with the whole fam. Three hours away from where we live is Big Sur, a beautiful coastal area with redwood forests and beaches lining the coast. It was an exciting trip  to say the least!

The first thing we did as soon as we got in, was build our tents. We tried to have a contest on who would build their test first.

First we lay out the tarps.

Did a little dancing.

Aunty Cheryl & Uncle Bob were already in the lead!

Tent building required lots of team work.

Team Cadabes!

Team Papo & Nanay!

Team Snupe & Homie! 

The winners!

We walked over to the river right next to our campground.

Threw rocks into the river.

Played in the water & mud.

Made the clear water muddy!

We saw cool patterns on the trunks of trees.

...And enjoyed being underneath trees all day and night.

Then we just enjoyed everyone's company!

Got ready to snack...

Beer, wine, & cheese!

Played a game...

Papo started the fire.

The guys got the fire started at our camp site next door to papo's and nanay's.

Bundled up and got ready for sun to go down.

Got tea & coffee ready...

Used rocks as hammers.

Made smores!

It was a great way to end the first day of camping!

At night, we woke up to the sounds of skunks rummaging through our belongings outside of our tents. It was pretty cool to hear the night sounds of owls, crickets, and the river.

A few things Miles learned about while camping was that there were ticks in the forest and mountain lions. He also learned that there was poison oak. When identifying poison oak from other plants, the saying goes, "Leaves of three, let them be." And sure enough, the leaves of three were all around camp site and the hiking trails.

Papo's Garden

As a kid, I remember pulling weeds out from the backyard, working alongside my grandpa, Tatay--as we called him, who tended the backyard of my parents as well as the ones on Drytown Court. He planted different vegetables and fruit trees, kept weeds out. Those hot and sunny days spent outdoors, helping my grandpa are still some of my most vivid childhood memories. I can still remember squatting for hours, digging into the earth, getting dirt under my nails, finding caterpillars, grasshoppers, and garden spiders. I'm glad I got to help him and work alongside him as a kid. It's pretty cool watching Miles, being so interested in plants and trees, take an interest in the same backyard I tended to as a kid with my grandpa--Tatay, except today, the backyard is now worked by Miles & Darrien's Papo. His labor of love.
It would be nice to live next to the ocean again. And it would be cool to have a redwood forest behind our place like how we had one in the Presidio. But stepping out in nature can be as simple and as satisfying as stepping into a garden--small or big. It's no wonder why Papo spends so much time out there. It's so peaceful. Makes me want to just whip out a book and read under the shade of the fruit trees. Miles loves checking out the different plants Papo has in his garden, noticing all the fruit that is ripening on the trees too. He reminded Papo, who's leaving soon for another trip back to the P.I., "When you leave, I'll take care of the garden Papo." I'm sure that would please Papo too! When he came back from a 2 month vacation, everything was overgrown and even dried out. But within a few days of non-stop gardening, he restored it's beauty!
The other day, Miles and his older but little brother, Homie, explored the backyard together.

Miles spotted some really cool succulents.

"Ooh, look what Papo has!"

He's peepin' the cactus.

"Succulents everywhere!"

Miles got to pick some fruit...

While Homie sifted through the apples that fell from the tree.

Then they walked through the backyard and found...

A Persimmon Tree

An Orange Tree

A Calamansi Tree

Before Papo leaves back for the P.I., I'm going to ask him to help Miles and I re-plant some of our house plants that have outgrown their little pots. Miles has been wanting to make his own succulent garden so that would be a cool project he could do with Papo too. He is the one with the green thumb after all. I have no idea what to do but would love to learn with Miles too!