Sab-baptism

Today, we welcomed Baby Sab to the Catholic faith.

Congratulations, Kevin & Yrish! Knowing how wonderful you are as Catholics, I'm sure Baby Sab will grow up to be an exemplary person of faith.

Boys on Film

One of the nice touches at Kevin’s wedding was when they gave our film cameras to the guests so they can also take their own version of the festivities.

This has actually been done since the 2000s, and it’s nice to see it back during this digital age.

Thanks to the film camera - and Errol’s hooting skills - we have a photo like this:

Mark and I in an old school shot!

Film really has an element of magic.

Almost Complete

If Javi's passport made it on time, the whole fam would have been complete for Kvin's wedding.

But 6 our of 7 ain't bad.

I'm so glad that we were able to share this moment together as a family.

Persuading

Whilst this isn't the first wedding of the 2nd generation of the Morales kids, this is the first wedding that was held in the country.

The official first wedding was Jul, but he got married in the U.S. While most of us were able to attend, Dad and Ate Bullet weren't there during the wedding.

Yesterday, it was Kevin's wedding! 

We feel so honoured and blessed that we were able to be part of this special day. And you don't need to persuade us to be there for this event. And you also don't need to persuade me to skip my birthday festivities for this wedding. 

We'll be there in a heartbeat. And we were!

(And yes, it's my birthday today.)

Get me to the Chapel

Chapel of Transfiguration, to be exact.

After more than 5 years, we were finally able to go back to Calaruega in Batangas. A number of my friends got married here, and we'd often go here when we just want a quiet retreat.

Today, it's more special because we're here for a wedding in the family. 

This makes coming back a lot more meaningful.

Converse-ant

With this blog as a witness, the early 2000s were my "Converse years."

Back then, I'd have pairs upon pairs of Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells, and would wear them on a daily basis. When HKG was my home, this was part of my uniform - Converse, ripped jeans, button down and pull-over.

It was in the 2010s when a doctor - yes, a doctor - suggested that I change my shoe brand from Converse to New Balance. He said that since I'm an avid walker, New Balance has more cushion and is better for very long walks. 

That's the reason for the shift, and I've been an NB guy since.

But that NB streak is broken this week. 

My niece, Alejandra, sent a pair of Converse to my nephew, Kevin, direct from Spain. But when Kevin tried it on, it was just too big! So, they asked me to give it a shot and try it on. Surprise, surprise, it fits like a glove!

So now, a pair of Converse x CDG has found its way into my shoe rack.

Welcome back, Converse!

Triple Double

The awesome thing about Kevin and I celebrating our birthdays just 1 day apart?

A 3-day celebration!

Yes, it's true. We had dinner for Kevin last Friday, then dinner for me yesterday, and tonight...

A street food get-together for the both of us!

This is a Sunday well-spent.

Double the fun

Thanks to the fact that my nephew, Kevin, celebrates his birthday just a day before mine, we always have an excuse to have a double celebration.

Family and close friends know that I don't like celebrating my birthday. Mainly because I'm not comfortable being the centre of attention, even for a day. That's why having someone to share the birthday spotlight is a huge plus.

Just like tonight. We had our usual garage dinner with some of our neighbours to celebrate our birthdays.

And while technically, I'm the one celebrating my birthday today, whenever people greet me, I can always point to Kevin and say: "It's his birthday, too." Then, the attention is deflected. Woot!

Double celebration. Double the fun!

Oreo excited?

Our high-flying chef is at it again!

Today, Kevin dropped by the house to share his latest creation - a dessert!

This is fried Oreos ala mode!

My taste buds are soaring!

Take Kare ‘coz I Kare

When he cooked it for the fam, we loved it!

When he cooked it for Father’s Day and our neighbors tried it, the loved it, too!

So now, my nephew Kevin is following Ate Bullet’s footsteps and he made a small batch of his Kare-Kare for family and close friends.

Looks like we have another great cook in the family!

Chef Pilot

Aside from being an awesome pilot, my nephew Kevin, is turning out to be an awesome cook!

The past weeks, he's been busy in the kitchen, experimenting on different dishes. Last week, he made Spam Musubi which looked great. (Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to try it.)

Then, yesterday, he created this!

Bagnet Kare-Kare!

Just like in true Morales tradition, he did this the old school way. He used crushed peanuts instead of a pre-mix or peanut butter. He lovingly hand-cut the veggies, especially the knotted string bean. And he plated everything to perfection.

And yes, it tastes as great as it looks!

Not only is Kevin flying high as a pilot, now, he's flying high as a chef as well!

Continue flying high, Kev!

High Flyer!

Today, the family's high flyer celebrates another year!

Happy Birthday, Kev! Keep soaring and reaching for your dreams!

Let the Children's laughter...

Among the things that Alejandra wanted to accomplish while she was in Cebu was to visit and orphanage and spend time with kids.

Thanks to the speedy efforts of Kevin, he was able to coordinate with The Little Sisters of Christ The King - an orphanage and shelter being run by Franciscan Nuns in Talamban.

Both Ale and Kevin pooled their resources to buy lunch for the kids, as well as supplies that was much needed by orphanage. Since they're not funded by the government, they need all the help they can get for their daily living. Sister was saying that the rice, sugar, canned goods and other goodies will go a long way in helping them help the 24 kids under their care.

All the 24 kids introduced themselves and shared their dreams for the future. In the room, there were aspiring doctors, teachers, lawyers, flight attendants, accountants, chefs and journalists. Amazingly, their dreams were aligned with who we were, and this was a source of thrill for the kids.

Then, they had a dance number which was all about love and sharing love. It was so apt for the company and the prevalent feeling in the room that morning.

This was followed by lunch, and almost an hour of just talking to and interacting with the kids. It was so gratifying to hear the children laugh and enjoy the time they spent with us.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it was time for us to go back to the city. Our flight was in a few hours and we still had to fix our stuff. 

It was bittersweet because we all wanted to spend more time with the kids of The Little Sisters. But as I promised one of the girls I spoke to, we'll be back soon.

Fly high!

Another year, more opportunities to soar!

Happy Birthday Kev! Keep on flying high!

No words needed

Kevin, my nephew who's a pilot and flies to South Korea regularly, brought home this snack which I just had to try.

Whilst I have no idea what it says, I think the visual says it all.

Let me proceed with caution on this one.

Newsy nephew

We were in the brainstorming room discussing some work. While leafing through an issue of Inquirer Libre during the break, something on the page made me spring up from my seat and run into the creative area.

Kevin was in the papers!

Not only is he a pilot now, he's a pilot who makes public appearances! Harhar.

He's really taking flight these days.

Oh my how they've grown. Part 9!

Last night, we had dinner courtesy of the pilot in the family, my nephew Kevin! It was his first salary as a regular pilot, and he wanted to celebrate it with us. Such a nice and sweet gesture.

It's hard to believe that our little Kevintot who we used to carry around is now flying planes!

The kids have really grown up!

Flying high!

My nephew is officially a pilot!

(And now I officially feel old!)

The making of a proposal

Today is a huge day for the family.

For the first time, we all decided to spend New Year out of town. And I do mean ALL. All 20 of us! The big reunion was due to the fact that my brother and his family, as well as my 2 nephews, flew in from the U.S.! So this was the first time that we were truly, truly complete in a long time.

Another reason why it's huge is because of something that has a familiar ring to it!

My nephew, Jul, is proposing to his girlfriend, Jennifer!

So, the moment we arrived, Jul's brother - Carl, and all the cousins went into full action mode to make sure the proposal was memorable and successful. The next few hours were spent stringing lights, adding buntings, setting up a screen, showing the AVP, and all the little details to make this event great.

Kevin was so hands-on in the preps. So hands-on that he even made a storyboard to ensure that everything goes according to plan.

Looks like we have another creative mind in the family.

Now, let me stop writing and wait for the proposal to start.

Let's cheer it for the boys!

Signs you're getting old, no. 256a.

The little boys you used to carry around are now old enough to have tequila shots with you.

Here's another reason why I actually enjoy growing old.