IT'S ALMOST A YEAR

It will be one year this weekend that I met my mommy, daddy & lola and they brought me on a long plane ride to the United States.
What a wonderful year of growing it has been. I am so happy that I am loved and cared for by mommy & daddy. Thank you for making my first year special. I love you.

A Quick Look Back

Here is a picture of our darling little Katrina! We received this from her Ninang Fritzie from Hospicio de San Jose. What a remarkable little lady--don't you think. My has she grown. There is so much to share as we come to celebrate our one-year anniversary of our unison as a family. The best moment of our lives was our first look at the beautiful little angel we were chosen to help raise...It has been an amazing first year...more to come

KATRINA MEETS BETSY

When my mommy was little her mommy would always have lots of pom pon girls at her house during the summer months. One of those girls has been friends with my gramma for over thirty years - since before my mommy was born. Her name is Betsy and I had a chance to meet her.

One of her favorite stories is when she was babysitting for my mommy and mommy was sick and happened to upchuck all over her, the bed clothes, everything. This was Betsy's first introduction to that and even though she felt like getting sick herself she cleaned mommy up, cleaned up the crib and the floor and got my mommy settled down and back to bed. The two of them have a special bond and Betsy calls my mom "Mootie".

ACTIVE IS GOOD

Today I spent the day with Lola because mommy went to substitute teach at Maple. We had fun, she watched me play at Movin & Grovin at the Y, we had time on the slide and when we went home we had more time together with reading, playing and even making pizzas.

Gramma was amazed at how much pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese I could get on myself while we made lunch. I loved tasting each piece of pepperoni before I put it on the pizza - gramma didn't mind - she figured it was only us eating it anyhow. Hope mommy can get the red sauce out of my clothes.
Her favorite story of the day - other than pizza making - would be when I moved my trampoline from one side of the room to the other side. I politely asked her help with "gramma - I need help", when it got stuck on the ottoman. I wasn't moving it to the middle of the room so I could jump, I was moving it behind the couch so I could get on it and turn on the light switch. I impressed her with my industriousness. She said I was a clever little girl.
Hope we have more days together like today.

MY FAVORITE XMAS GIFTS

Wow, I think you all went overboard with the gifts. What a wonderful holiday and I am so lucky to have family and friends that add to the excitement of my first Christmas in the US.
My favorite gifts are my horse and my kitchen. I am sure I will be riding that horse until I am a teenager - unless I start gaining some weight. My kitchen - see my apron, "I Love Cleaning" - my grampa Bob loves it.
Love you all and thank you for everything.

Seeing Santa

We went to the mall to see Santa. I know who he is, I can say "Ho, Ho, Ho" and my favorite song is "Here Comes Santa Claus". I did great til they put me on his knee and I looked up and saw his face - then came the tears. Mommy grabbed me quick, gramma grabbed a photo by Santa and we took off.

When I received the photo that the mall took I wouldn't give it up.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

On stage...I was a natural!

Away in a manger...I decide the live Filipino heritage nativity scene needs some more "spice" so I get up and dance mid stage. After my solo was complete, I ran offstage to Grandma!

Here I am! Where is mommy? Stuck behind stage trying to call my name so I sit nice....nope--didn't happen!

Over a foot of snow! We played and mommy pulled me around on my snowmen sled. My nose got a chillin' all too soon and we were back inside before we knew it. I'm just not used to this weather yet! I love to look at the "snowplakes and snowmens" from inside our cozy house.