Boooo! LOL! I'm back... A little about where I've been...

Hi there everyone! I just wanted to check in before people started to think I fell off the face of the earth... LOL!! I know I've been MIA for several weeks.... but with good reason. ☺

I was recently presented with an opportunity to visit the Philippines, my parents and grandparents homeland. Although I'm Filipina through and through, I was born and raised in Northern California and had only traveled to the Philippines once before when I was 17 years old (yup, that was almost a gazillion years ago! LOL) So when my Mom said "grab your passport, we're going!" I didn't think twice! My grandmother (Lola Mering, my Mom's mother) has been falling ill off and on the past several months (she is 96 years old going on 30!) She is such as strong woman, I want to be her when I grow up!! What a wonderful opportunity this was to spend time with the woman who came to California when I was a small child to help raise me! I kept telling myself this might be the last chance I get to see her and spend time with her... make EVERY second count!

I wanted to share a few pictures from my trip with you. My 10 year old son Jarrod came on the trip, as well as my older brother, Mom and Dad (my hubbs stayed home with my 2 youngest boys.) I'll include some text with each of the photos below for detail...

This is the Bay Bridge at sunset on the way to San Francisco International airport... gorgeous right?! :-)

Here's a pic of me and my "men" at SFO... OMG, how I missed the ones I left behind! 2 weeks was too long to be apart!! :-(

This is me, my Lola Mering and my Mom... 3 generations!!

This is my Mom and Lola at lunch, cliff side, at Gerry's Grill in Tagaytay, Philippines

This is the cliff-side view at Gerry's Grill (me with my son Jarrod.)

Awe, Lola Mering and I... she kept saying "look at how old I look and how beautiful you are in comparison." I kept telling her how beautiful she is INSIDE and OUT! Love you Lola!!

My son Jarrod and I on a carrabou ride at Villa Escudero Resort.

Starbucks is located on every corner (sometimes right across the street from each other!) in Manila. It was nice to have some "home away from home" stuff... oh, and don't let the prices fool ya (it's in Philippine pisos)... the cost is comparable to what we pay for Starbucks in the US. LOL!

Lightweight champion of the world babeeeee! Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines!

Here's Manny's store at the Mall of Asia in Pasay, Manila.

Here's me at Villa Escudero... at the end of the falls are picnic tables where you can eat with your feet in the water! Here's a better pic (me with Jarrod)...

Here's a glimpse of the native Filipino foods we ate... grilled BBQ chicken, pancit bihon, beef mechado, grilled fish and for dessert a fried banana on a stick with brown sugar. Yummo!

Now the following are some pics of a mini "tourist"vacay my Dad's sister took me, my brother and Jarrod on... I think the views say it all.... PARADISE! Taken in Bohol & Cebu...

This is where we stayed for the first 2 nights. My aunt and I visited the spa and did the massage thing... OMG, how relaxing and FUN!

This is the view from our Bungalow... WOW!!!

This is called the "Infiniti pool"... can you guess why? :-)

Called "Chocolate Hills"because they look like Hershey's chocolate kisses!

We climbed over 200+ steps to vista point at Chocolate Hills for this view. Can you believe these hills were created as a result of a Geological occurrence?! Amazing!!

 My brother and my son zip lined across this ravine in Danao, from one mountain to another... I nearly fainted when I looked how far down the mountain went!!!! But what a view!

Butterflies eating mangoes at the Butterfly Conservatory in Bohol.

Me with butterfly wings!! hehe!

Known as the world's smallest primate -- the Philippine Tarsier of Bohol. 

These little guys can fit in the palm of your hand!

Jarrod at the Inifini pool at Panglao Island Resort.

Aaaaah, paradise!

White sand beaches for days and water so clear you can see the fish and coral below.

Yes Jo and Ri ("paperdrama" and "scrapstress")... I go "curly" in humid weather. LOL!

 Plantation Bay... our last stay and stop in Cebu. Paradise... its one of the top 20 places to stay in Asia.

Lola Mering, my son Jarrod, me and my older brother... Lola did not want us to leave... she started crying... :-(

To end on a funny note.... here is Jarrod and our friendly Philippine Airlines Stewardess! 

Mabuhay (Long life!) LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my memorable adventure with you all. I'm back to work and OMG, so wishing I could be scrappin' right now (if you ONLY KNEW!!) LOL!

Miss you all... and hope you had an AMAZING Thanksgiving holiday~

Have an awesome weekend!!