Piece.Joy.

Austin Afternoon

2009-11-17T14:01:00.008-06:00

We took the family to Austin with the Macasadia & Abiva families' since the Abiva's are leaving Texas. Decided to hit up Austin Park & Pizza. They had lots for the kids to enjoy. Since I'm a kid at heart, I enjoyed it too!

Later on, we hit up a couple of our treasured spots...Swirll & Coffee Bean! Too bad we didn't get some pics in.

Best wishes to the Abiva family!

Next Day, Mini-Vacay Part 2

2009-08-03T12:35:00.001-05:00

Some more from that weekend..

Mini-Vacay

2009-08-01T11:19:00.000-05:00

The day of my birthday, my hubby and I decided to have a mini-vacation! We checked into a hotel resort on the other side of town and really just had a blast with just the family. Lunch at Maggiano's, relaxin' poolside & going for a dip, an All American Breakfast Buffet, Six Flags Fiesta, Texas, etc. It was a chill birthday for me. Just the way I like it!

Birthday Blessing...

2009-07-17T13:19:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all of you who remembered me today...even in thought, God knows! Also, thanks to those who gave gifts and/or surprised me in their own special way...*wink*....I just wanna thank you for all your love & especially thank Jesus for having his great hand on my life =)

Michael Jackson will be missed...

2009-07-07T08:27:00.006-05:00

On June 25, 2009 we lost the King of Pop. Today is the scheduled memorial service at the Staples Center in LA. Wish I could be there! I will certainly be watching the live broadcast at 10am Cali time. Guess you could say, I'm really grieving the loss. Funny, that my kids really love him too...been exposing them to his music for the last couple weeks via youtube & ipod. Wish MJ was still here doing his thing!

In an article, regarding all the traffic coming into the Staples Center area today:

"All those involved say the heart of Los Angeles will become a circus.

In one way, that characterization will be literal. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey starts a run at Staples Center on Wednesday, a booking long planned in advance. In the pre-dawn hours before Jackson's memorial, the elephants started walking from the train station to the arena. They were set to arrive some five hours before the memorial."

That same circus just left San Antonio Monday.

Jr. Sneaks Up!

2009-06-20T22:54:00.004-05:00

When my hubby and son decided to give their kicks a cleaning, my son came up with a neat idea...to have a "SneaksUp Show" of his own. He carefully and thoughtfully arranged his shoes with signs and all. It was quite entertaining to us. Yep, starting him young!

By the way, the next day my son added to the show and included some of my daughter's shoes as well...not only this, but he asked if I would consider keeping his show displayed for a month! That did not happen. LOL!

Work It!

2009-05-19T08:57:00.002-05:00

One of the things I've been up to lately is making sure I get exercise. Here's a workout I highly recommend. It has been more fun than most workouts I've ever done! If you enjoy dancing, you'll surely enjoy this...got my dvd's from Amazon.com.

Fro - Yo

2009-05-12T14:52:00.003-05:00

We checked out Swirll in Austin this past weekend. It was a great experience! Recently found out that we didn't have to travel that far because there's a frozen yogurt place in San Antonio too now. Too bad I am currently avoiding the extras in an effort to drop some weight...grrrreat! Orange Cup at La Cantera in SA will have to wait a bit...

Disneyland Pics 2

2009-05-12T14:35:00.006-05:00

Finally got the chance to download these. Got hundreds more, but that's gonna have to go in my personal album.

Princess Nia with my Prince!
Me...forever a kid at heart!
Kaleb and Nia joined in the Street Party Parade!
Caught Mary Poppins in front of the castle...
Inside of Minnie's kitchen...
My son made a new friend...Cameron!

Disneyland Pics 1

2009-05-01T16:16:00.010-05:00

That magical day in Disneyland! Will post more soon...

Waiting on Disneyland Express shuttle...

Had to take the popular shot at the front!

Out of all the shots inside...why did the cowboy come out clearest?!
Truly heaven on earth for all of us!

Upon Arrival

2009-04-27T23:51:00.005-05:00

When we got to LAX it was around 9pm and we still had to drive south a bit to get to our hotel in Anaheim for check-in. We were glad there was an In-n-Out minutes from the hotel because we were starved. In an effort to stay clear of any immediate weight gain (afterall we were on vacation), we opted for the Double Double Protein Style-Animal Style! We practically scarfed it...sorry no pics before we ate it.

Kids enjoyed this time too..zzzzzzz

Hotel pic...

Night Owl

2009-04-27T09:00:00.006-05:00

Still have not adjusted to Texas time. I've got it bad, since I'm already a night person. I usually sleep at midnight, and without adjustment (2 hours ahead in TX) I have been sleeping at or around 2am each morning!

Anyway, here's a blast from the past I was reminded of recently...

HomeMadeGoods

2009-04-22T08:58:00.005-05:00

HomeMadeGoods unlocks positive expression and exceeds the ordinary!

Releasing our latest goods, the Spring Series 2, this Sunday at SNEAKS UP 3 in San Antonio. We support Sneaks Up and do encourage you to come out and get involved with the sneaker culture in Texas.

Spring Series 2 -

San Antonio Fiesta Design

Back of tee. 1901 HMG.SA

Major League Kicks Design

Back of tee. HMG logo.

Script Dodger Design

Back of tee. HMG logo.

Disneyland. Yay!!!

2009-04-16T00:16:00.000-05:00

We went and it was an awesome time for all of us! Thought it would rain, but there was no rain at all, thank God, only cold weather which was good for us. Better to be physically exhausted in the cold, rather to be physically exhausted in the heat...lol! We didn't wanna leave, but had to proceed with our family vacation. Here's a pic at Mickey's house...more to come later!

9 Years & Lovin It

2009-04-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

I love being married. It has truly been a joyous adventure to live life side by side with my best friend! May the Lord continue to bless our marriage!

Proverbs 25:28

2009-04-02T22:48:00.003-05:00

For those who keep up with this blog, I appologize for not getting around to posting anything new lately. The fact is, my mind has been elsewhere and I am currently looking forward to my upcoming trip out to California....yay!!!

Anyhow, this is a verse I wanted to share with you since I have been struggling this week in the self-control area when it comes to voice levels in my home with my children. It's encouraging that at any time because of God's great love, I can turn the corner quickly and start afresh. BTW, I probably do most of my mouthing off because I admit that I can be very OC with my house cleaning. You try tidying up around kids...and they keep making a mess...it's self defeating and pointless. I need to learn to clean up later in the day I know:)

I love my children dearly, don't get me wrong...they are the most precious ever.

Here's that verse out of Proverbs -

28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control.

This speaks to me because the city with broken walls is left defenseless and vulnerable to attacks.

Latest Kick

2009-03-24T14:46:00.005-05:00

Decided to buy these today...

Recently released the Dunk Low "Angel & Devil" Premium SB. Of course, I prefer only the angel.

Birthday Fun for our Son

2009-03-24T12:34:00.007-05:00

We decided to have our son's 8th birthday at "Pump It Up" this year. For two reasons...one, because we didn't do anything big for him for his 7th birthday and two, because it was a simple, no-fuss solution for us. We have been going at it for awhile now. The craziness began with Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years, then the girls' birthday party, and now Kaleb's birthday. So you can see why we had to keep it simple and still make it special for him. For some reason, it's traditional for us to do a big birthday shin-dig for a child's 7th birthday (maybe you can tell me why) and since we didn't do that on his 7th, it happened on his 8th. There were approximately 33 kids ranging from ages 2-18 and many adults came and played as well.

Our son had the time of his life!!! Check out the pics.

Life Lately...

2009-03-17T16:50:00.006-05:00

Things have been busy again. Getting ready to go on this retreat. It's gonna be great! The only thing is that it's in a place outside of SA that looks like the middle of nowhere. I remember going a few years back for the first time and thinking, "This really is country!". Here's a snapshot of what I picture when I think of it back then, but only now I know what to expect and could appreciate...

Flashback

2009-03-14T12:36:00.001-05:00

My Valentine 2009

2009-03-05T18:23:00.011-06:00

We wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day, but without the crowds. So Ken and I came up with a plan to go where the crowds weren't. I requested that it be romantic and really random like when we were younger! We ended up taking a drive and on a whim picked out Gourmet Burger. There was nobody there, atleast when we got there! The burgers were good, however as a rule I prefer burgers to be less gourmet and more dirty. Even the onion rings needed dirt. LOL! But we did have a good time that day. We ended our date after going to Barnes & Noble to browse and have some deep conversation in the cafe...we also held hands a bit and stared into eachothers' eyes...pretty romantic huh? Hehe!

The view outside the window...

A BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger with avocado...

Swiss Burger with pineapple...

Our 9th Valentine's Day! Marriage has been a blessing! Thank you Lord...

Thai Spot

2009-03-02T23:13:00.004-06:00

We decided to test out this Thai Restaurant called "Tong's Thai" for lunch since we heard good things about it. Found out that it was reasonable fare and we'd definitely go back, especially for their boba drinks (see my earlier post). Like many other asian restaurants here in SA, they had other ethnic dishes available too, such as Japanese and Chinese. I'd say that overall the place was good, from the tantalizing food, the garden patio seating with ponds, down to the details in the bathrooms (they had a cool sink!). A lasting impression for sure...which compensated for the overabundance of tofu versus chicken and shrimp in my Pad Thai. Gotta try Tong's Thai!

Couture on a budget...

2009-02-27T16:31:00.004-06:00

Being that I like many various high end brands, it's a good thing they have stuff for budget-conscious people like me. I'm an advocate for good fashion even while one may not be able to afford it. In fact, I loved to go to Buffalo Exchange and similar second hand fashion shops back in the bay. So, Betsey Johnson created Betseyville! I recently took a liking to Betseyville, since the items are also feminine and whimsical like Betsey stuff...really lots of fun if you ask me!

Kick Pick

2009-02-26T09:58:00.004-06:00

Here's some I've been eyeing for awhile now. They were released in Dec '06 and are currently going for $175 at flightclub.

Taxi Tokyo
Dunk Low Premium SB in Chlorine Blue/White

Bubble Tea

2009-02-24T00:07:00.007-06:00

Didn't think we'd have Tapioca or Boba drinks here, but they do. The first place we tried out here was not memorable...they had hard tapioca balls and only flavored ice with no real fruit in it.

Recently they opened up "Pearl Berry" nearby, which is good & the owners are great!

Halo Halo (wow!) along with a tapioca drink...

This one is from a Thai restaurant in town. Strawberry-Lychee...it was delish..plus they had real soft boba!

Likes and Dislikes

2009-02-21T23:10:00.003-06:00

Here's a little more to add about me...

Likes -
Anything that inspires..especially the Bible
Big Cities
Shopping
Alone time
Rainy Days
Purple & Pink (esp. jeweled tones)
Sneakers
Sephora &
Mac
Italian &
Most Asian Foods
Boba Drinks
Coffee
SD & Bay Area Style Mexican
Pedicures
Massages
Music
Running
Romance
Loyalty &
Integrity

Dislikes -
Terribly hot or humid weather (oh the months ahead in TX!)
Over flowery or powery
Fake anything
Half done jobs
Arrogance &
Legalism
Changing Diapers (#2 only)
Waiting too long

There's more likes and dislikes but can't think of it....

Where's Johnny?

2009-02-16T16:10:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Margie's birthday with the girls at "Carino's". I'd have to say that the restaurant was just okay. It seems that the infrequent service by the waiter and the mediocre food caused us to question, "Where's Johnny?"(the restaurant was formerly called Johnny Carino's). We ended the celebration with cake and ice cream at the house with the family that night. It was a good time!

Get Hot

2009-02-11T09:56:00.000-06:00

Pan De Sal is definitely a rarity in San Antonio. You can get 'em...it's just "hit or miss"(usually miss)...not as fresh as the "to-die-for" filipino bakeries back in Cali where you can get them hot and fresh out of the oven. The in-laws brought these in from San Diego (obviously packaged...but still fresh!). They aren't your usual dinner rolls. In fact, we actually like to have them for breakfast!

My family likes to eat it with Spam and fried egg in it (like a sandwich). I like them oven toasted and forksplit with butter!

Not the healthiest...but oh so Yummy!!!

Nice Pick Up

2009-02-10T12:39:00.000-06:00

My brother n sister, Brandon and Karen, blessed me with this surprise! I was super excited to get these. Much love!!!

Rebel 8 San Francisco X Vans Collab on the Sk8 Hi

Fashion Plates

2009-02-08T20:57:00.000-06:00

For as long as I could remember, I was a lover of fashion. Do you recall "Fashion Plates" from back in the day? I loved that one. I loved to dress up anything from barbies, dolls, paperdolls, teddy bears, etc. These days it's my little girls that I love to dress.

Anyway, they've got alot out there in terms of gadgets and games nowadays, but for adults there are sites like this one....http://www.shopstyle.com/.

It's definitely one of my favorites for putting outfits together!
Fun. Fun. Fun.

A blast from the past huh?

Self-Portrait

2009-02-06T10:20:00.000-06:00

Took a photo of myself just for you. Have a blessed day!

Get Down...

2009-02-02T09:14:00.000-06:00

This takes me back to a time before my time...I was probably 5 yrs old!

That time of year...

2009-02-01T12:06:00.000-06:00

Seems like lots of people (especially kids, but not limited to) have been sick every week for the last month or so. My kids are no exception. Last week one had pink eye with goop coming out of them, the other had high fevers, and the other had loose bowels (had to change diapers all day for almost 2 whole days!). I happened to get one of those sicknesses, but lets not say which one I have....ugh!

My favorite Jordan

2009-01-29T14:45:00.001-06:00

There's a handful of Jordan's that I really like, but this has been my very favorite since it came out in '93. I bought a retro pair for my son when he was 2 and they have been passed down to both sisters (though they're not quite as squeaky clean anymore!).

BTW, I am a fan of Nike shoes, if you haven't known it yet. Probably because alot of their styles are so clean. If the colorway is appealing, it can be my 'casual day' foot candy!

Pic of the day

2009-01-27T09:57:00.000-06:00

My stunners with their stunnas! LOL =)

Central Market

2009-01-26T10:23:00.000-06:00

This place was coined the "Gucci B" or "Gucci H.E.B." by a friend because of the fact that it is not your ordinary grocery store (Though SA has Super Targets, Walmart Superstores, and HEB Pluses as well!). Central Market ranks high due to its location (Alamo Heights), freshness (produce seems to last for weeks), and its broad selection. It's become a popular weekday lunch stop for our family...plus I hear they have a new cafe we have yet to check out!

Morning Routine

2009-01-22T10:48:00.000-06:00

A cup of coffee and time in the Word...

Nia & Faith's Birthday Party 2

2009-01-19T23:21:00.000-06:00

Here's those Hello Kitty party pics!

This cake was custom made to resemble the invite. Cupcakes for cupcake decorating.

Waiting in line for face painting.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...

The girls tasting their creation...

A Hello Kitty work of art!

Nia & Faith's Birthday Party

2009-01-19T11:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we threw an all girls party for Nia (4) and Faith (2 tomorrow). It was a blast! Of course it required alot of detail and planning, but it was well worth it because the turnout was exactly what Nia and I dreamed it would be. There was a few ladies who really helped me out. Especially, my biggest help...Margie:) Love ya girl...you are a Godsend! Here's the invite, and a little later today, I'll post some pics to show how cute!

I got...

2009-01-13T21:10:00.000-06:00

Ken came home one day and said that there was something we needed to pick up. Said it was waiting for me with my name on it.

Arrived at the mall and headed straight into Saks.
Faith getting restless...
Came out with a big brown bag!
Yayy! Been wanting this one for awhile!

HMG Apparel

2009-01-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

HomeMadeGoods began when our brother-in-law set out to build upon a great idea. We soon decided to become a part of it and were glad because we love street culture. We all have a whole lot in common, and the differences we have only adds to the mix.

Our release took place on November 15th at Select Footwear in SA. Gotta say that the turn out was great! So far, we have gotten exposure in so many places...from SA to the Bay (ahhh yeaah!) and so much more. Much thanks to our supporters, we see a bright future ahead of us!

Some new designs are about to drop. Get ready!

Re: A ruckus!

2009-01-09T10:17:00.000-06:00

R & R

2009-01-06T09:31:00.000-06:00

We're done with the holidays so it feels nice to get some time to relax a bit. Now I'm thinking about some ideas for a family getaway where we can really relax. We'll probably end up taking a trip out to see family in California in a few months!

A ruckus!

2009-01-04T14:10:00.000-06:00

I found some open tabs and found out Ken is about to buy a ruckus. He must be serious about "transportation culture"! LOL =) Good for you babe!

Family Shot

2009-01-02T13:10:00.000-06:00

The fam at the Riverwalk!

Surprising Rendezvous

2009-01-02T12:17:00.000-06:00

A few of us got together to plan out a surprise for our dear friend, Jocelyn. We wanted to do something really special, so we planned a "girls night out". We took her to Macaroni Grill, only for her to be surprised by a big table full of her other closest friends. Boy was she surprised! We also managed to get her a gift with great benefits - the IPod! I'm sure this will come in handy at the gym and for her musical/listening pleasure. I have one that I can't do without!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-28T02:51:00.000-06:00

If I didn't get to send you a Christmas card, here it goes -

Have a blessed one!
Photos taken by B. Ortega

Favorites

2008-12-28T02:25:00.000-06:00

Got these from Ken this Christmas. Two of my favorites..."The Hundreds" and "running". Thanks babe!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-26T01:50:00.000-06:00

Here in SA, winters get really cold. Being from San Francisco, I welcome the cold weather. The only thing is that over there a cold night is around 50 degrees and over here its 30-40 degrees! Yikes! That didn't stop us from visiting the Riverwalk though. The family and I bundled up and enjoyed the scene. We even got to do some last minute Christmas shopping...

A Christmas Celebration

2008-12-26T01:42:00.000-06:00

Parents cant help but get giddy seeing their kids up on stage, and we were no exception last Friday at Calvary's Christmas play. The show served another purpose for our family,it was Kaleb's first recital! We were proud of him. He sang in the choir too. Our daughter, Nia, was a little angel that sang and danced!

He did an amazing job!
My lil angel in the red dress!
Ashley...Nia's best friend.
Kacy was Mary in the play.

Sweet Swap...

2008-12-18T16:22:00.000-06:00

This morning I went over to a friend's house for a Christmas cookie exchange. Since I only found my cookie recipe a few nights back, I had to come up with ingredients, plus have several batches done from scratch rather quickly. I remember surfing the net for a little bit before my eyes were captivated by a very mouthwatering photo of some chocolate cookies. That moment I knew I found the recipe for me. I was gonna bake some Super-Duper Chocolate Kiss Cookies! Basically, it's a chocolate chip cookie rolled in chocolate sprinkles with a kiss on top.

While I was out shopping, I was tempted to buy a tub of pre-made cookie dough as the recipe called for, but I remembered the rules...must make from scratch. The only thing is that I did end up buying chocolate chips and kisses instead of taking a stab at making them! Could you imagine making chocolate chips and kisses from scratch? It would have taken me days or weeks even! Here's some pics from that undertaking...

Various cookies displayed at the exchange...
These were yummy!
These too!

Holiday Madness

2008-12-12T16:59:00.000-06:00

It's been a challenge this season, trying to maneuver my way around crowds, and more than likely with kids in tow. I've decided not to give in to the madness by making it a point to get things done and at the same time still enjoy the holidays. No matter the glitz, chaos, or undertakings, it's Christmas! It's my very favorite time of year!

How I buy time....ICE CREAM! (The baby rockin my favorite baby J's)

Ride for our money...

2008-12-05T09:42:00.001-06:00

Found this in Austin for a good price (we won!) and got it for Ken's birthday as a start up. I gave it a shot on my living room floor and had to hold myself up by using the wall that was parallel the bike...haha! We'll see if I end up joining him in this fixie fixation down the road and get one in my size...

What I want for Christmas

2008-12-01T19:11:00.001-06:00

Not much I want for Christmas, but if I had to choose it would be Christmas in New York!

Happy B-day baby!

2008-11-25T10:17:00.000-06:00

We knew our schedule would be busy that day, so we made plans to have lunch together on Ken's birthday. I surprised him by bringing him to BJ's Restaurant (newly opened in SA), a restaurant we've enjoyed a couple times before in Houston. The food was good. The ambiance amazing. I describe it as much like being in a sportsbar, but in Belle Air or something!

Deep dish pizza...a rarity for sure...

Peace. Joy. Blog

2008-11-24T18:48:00.000-06:00

Was holding off on starting this blog coz I was wrestling with deciding on a blog title. Finally decided on "Piece. Joy." since most of what I want to blog will be pieces from my life, pieces that I enjoy with the realization that they wont truly satiate. You always seem to want more, right? That said, here's one for ya...