Happy Birthday to me

So as I've mentioned b4, I have a very good friend of mine staying with me...and for my birthday last week we made some of my favorite Puerto Rican holiday meals to a) make up for holidays we've missed together and b)because I've been wanting this for a long time and normally only get it once a yr (Xmas)...and that's IF I go home, otherwise to make this stuff is TOO time consuming.

This is a pic of my plate it consists of Arroz con guandules (Rice with pigeon peas, which btw my daughters thought meant it was pigeon poop...lol) then we have my all time fave Pasteles (rectangle at the top), it's a mix made of yucca, I think they call that taro root in English, not sure though, filled with meat and one olive, wrapped (usually in a banana leaf, but this time in pastele paper sent to me from my mom from NY) then boiled to perfection! And then my moms fave Alcapurrias (don't ask me what is in English, there is no way to say that since only Puerto Ricans make (that I know of), but again it's made with taro root filled with meat and fried. LORD I was ONE HAPPY CAMPER!!! AND best part is I have some in my freezer to savor anytime I want. Did I mention I LOVE being Puerto Rican?!!

Swedish Fish

I tried to lie to the girls and say it was a real fish covered in jelly so they wouldn't want to try any. lol. But they r too smart for me, (they smelled the fruity taste on my breath) SHUX. My secrets out. So I gave the girls and Elias his 1st taste of the east coast...SWEDISH FISH...YUMMO!!!!! I love these things, and was SO excited to have found them here in Hawaii!!! These kids will be New Yorkers if it's the last thing I teach them even without stepping foot in NY! (Well the girls have been there, but Elias has yet to visit mommy's home town! Let me go eat a whole bag of fishes now!!

USS UTAH

Driving around a lil island here called "Ford Island" I happened upon these "ruins"...

Here is the story:


Here is the ship:


and the memorial:


I love history. I am still so humbled by all of this, every time I come near a ship or person involved with the pearl harbor bombings I just stare in awe and silence. I will truly miss Hawaii when it's our time to go next yr.

Soccer mamas

So I must apologize for staying away...I have a very good friend of mine staying with me and I haven't been wanting to take away from our time together to sit at the desk. lol. But I am finding the time now as she sits here in my living room re-ordering her suitcase as she does EVERY NIGHT...OCD I tell ya. (Love u Maria, LOL). Anyway my baby girl Mariel (whom we call Mama's) has started her season of Soccer, and she is good. She won her first game and scored 2 of the 9 goals...score was 9-0!!




Here we have her in the zone...I am so proud of her because I am SO NOT athletic and she has got her fathers genes, she is so sporty. I love it, I love her.


And here we have my Soccer Priss, she is so girly, she made me buy her those tacones (heels) because she likes the sound they make when she walks, and she tried em on along with her cleats so I had to grab my camera, cause this is SO her...she's a tom boy and yet at the same time she is so girly. What a mix. I prefer tom boy since I am SO NOT girly, but I love her the way she is. She is something else. Anyone that has met her knows what I mean.