Mini-break from classes

Well an important birthday just passed.  My Grandma Dominga, moms side, just turned 85 on the 13th.  She really helped my parents when raising me, because they work a lot.  In September 2010, last year, Grandma decided she wanted to move back to the Philippines.  She wanted to just stay at her house there instead of visiting the Philippines twice a year.  I understand, but it was sad to see her go.  She has been here all my life, but now I get to visit her in the Philippines.  We plan on seeing her next winter and I can't wait to show Cory the Philippines and the culture there.  Anyways, Grandma is an amazing woman raising 11 of her own children and watching their children also, she is the most patient person I know.  Grandma is very humble, patient and absolutely the kindest.  She is also a fantastic cook.  She has a great heart and I hope she is around to meet my future children too.  Thanks to Facebook, I was able to see a photo of her that my cousin posted and she looks great!!  Go Grandma, it's your birthday ;)  I just love seeing her so happy.  I love you Grandma <3 and we miss you so much!

Anyways, I am so ready for our super extended weekend due to Thanksgiving.  I don't know what we plan on doing exactly yet, but snowboarding would be really fun.  For Thanksgiving, we plan on going to my parents place for an assortment of awesome filipino food and turkey.  Cory and I also plan on taking a handful holiday portraits and an engagement shoot for a number of clients [I'm booked until Sunday except Turkey Day!].  My brother, Justin, who is in middle school, is going to do his first photo shoot with us as his models!  Cory and I want updated holiday portraits together, being that Justin is getting into photography, we asked him to do it.  He was delighted and it will be great practice for him.  I will even let him use my big camera.  Pretty excited for that!

We have already signed up for our classes for next semester, so we are good to go for that.  It is looking like this spring semester is going to a pretty tough one for both of us because of the classes we are taking.  Cory will be taking 15 credits and I with 12.  It is getting down to the nitty gritty with school.

This last weekend was pretty eventful for us.  We got to hang out with some friends, we watched my brother play his basketball game, watched the UFC fights, had a date to Sea Galley, I got a hair cut and we played volleyball.  Here are some photos of our weekend!

My Haircut!  I was very nervous to cut it this short, but Cory really wanted me to.  I have been attached to my long hair for years, but I wanted to do something different.  Well I did it and I am happy Cory likes it!

Here we are at Sea Galley.  It is definitely one of our favorite restaurants in town.  Their food is amazing and it never lets us down.  We also love the feel of that place and the decorations.  It feels like you are in an old ship.

Tes, Wayne and their daughter Kahlia, came over.   It was nice to see and hang out with them :)  They finally got a place together and I can't wait to see their apartment.  

Here is Cory jamming to his guitar in front of us.  Wayne really wants to learn to play.  

Here is my brother, Nor, playing his basketball game.  It's a league sponsored by Kendall and games are at the Spenard Rec.  It is called the Fil-Am League.  I was very impressed with the organization of this.  I also found out one of my cousins is playing too, but on a different team.  I can't wait to watch the game where they play each other.  

Another sweet shot of his skills :)

Amanda and her husband invited us over to watch the UFC fights.  It was really fun and the fights were awesome!

Another Successful Season & SNOW!

So, looks like Cory isn't getting the full time reservist job on base that we had planned for him to get.  We are coming to accept the fact that he may never get it here.  It could be a sign that God has a better plan for him and us.  If we wanted, he could apply out of state, but that is not what we want right now, especially with us trying to finish school.  Until then, Cory will be working hard in the books to obtain his Bachelor's in Accounting.  We estimate that he will finish spring of 2013 and for me, hopefully I finish fall of 2012.  I am so proud of him and his determination to obtain his bachelors.

Last weekend was our last tournament of the year for my volleyball girls.  This year the tournament was at East again.  My girls played very well. It was a double elimination tournament with games best 2 out of 3.  There was some challenging times for them, but we got to Championships against South(the undefeated team).  My girls put it all out on the court and I was very proud that they, at least, played their hardest.  In conclusion, we took 2nd.  Second the best right? At the start of season, I started with 11 girls and ended with 9.  One moved out of state and one was ineligible due to grades. I'm going to miss those girls and I am happy this season was a success!  They all showed great improvement :)  It is the positive results that comes out of these girls that make coaching so worth it.  Which is why I love it so much.  Which is another reason why, I want to teach.

2nd Place at our last Tournament 

Cory and I after coaching our last home game

Last Sunday, we had our first snow fall!  Good thing Cory bought sand bags to place in our truck bed the day before the snow fell.  Great timing.  We had a scheduled engagement shoot out in Girdwood at Winner Creek.  I was so happy it snowed because the trees were so dead and the snow would of boosted the engagement pictures.  We all wanted snow and it was awesome that it happened to fall.  The pictures turned out great and I cannot wait to finish editing them.  They are Crystal & Brandon and we clicked with them very comfortably.  They also brought their son out to the hike, who is 3.  He was the cutest!!  I will follow up with their pictures at the photography blog.  Until then here is a sneak peak.

Cory and I on the Hand Tram :)  A winter first

Crystal & Brandon

Since volleyball is coming to a close, I am slowly getting more time back in my life.  More of my time now has transitioned to time studying.  I am now also tutoring a former student of mine, John Davidson, in his college trigonometry class.  He personally requested me to be his tutor.  So, the state pays me to tutor him, great stuff!  John has cerebral palsy and I was his teacher assistant for a year when I was working at Dimond High.  Since we worked so well together, he thought he would ask me to tutor him again, instead of a stranger. 

While I was on campus for classes and studying, November 1st, Cory texted me with a picture of our Christmas tree up in our living room.  I was pretty excited to see this.  He put the tree up all by himself and took all the holiday stuff out of closet.  Since we are going to Oregon for Christmas break, we agreed we wouldn't put the tree up, but he could not resist :)  He is starting a new tradition in our family and now we put the tree up the day after Halloween.  We did it last year too.  I mean, if the stores have Christmas stuff up, why can't we in our place too?  Cory says, this way, Christmas lasts longer and Thanksgiving is still Thanksgiving, just with a nice, lighted tree up.  We still need to put the ornaments up, but maybe we won't because we won't be here for Christmas.  The lights suffice :)

<3