The Haps

From time to time, a cousin will ask, "So...what's the haps?"

Filipino to English translation: "What's happening/What's going on in your life?"


A very brief photo recap.
Met up with Doris and Suzanne, two of my roommates from our days at UCLA, for some delicious Indian food at Shan's Restaurant in Little India in Artesia.

Went to a nursing research conference via NCEMNA in March (see previous post) and met lots of filipino nurses doing all types of research.

I ran into an old friend Sharee (front) who I also went to UCLA with. She's in the UCSF Master's-Entry level program to be a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and she's graduating this month! She introduced me to her classmate Renita, who's due with her first baby this month! Congrats, Renita!

Thankfully, I wasn't the only APU person there. Maisha was also accepted to be a Mentee for this year, and I was so happy to see her there... and so happy to know she's moving along with a healthy pregnancy with her 3rd baby girl! Little baby Nia will be due in August!

While in San Diego for the conference, I already knew I had to stop by the cemetary. If you don't know, my brother's girlfriend was died during a car accident in March 2007. The whole experience has been very vivid in my mind, and I was certainly fearful to confront my anxieties and emotions again by visiting her burial site. If you could, please continue to pray for my brother, Mae's family, and the people who have been affected, even now, a year later.

...Fast forward to this past weekend...



I celebrated Junior's 28th Birthday ALL weekend long. (* Quick shout out to little Miss Emma Platt who turned 1 on May 3rd! Junior says she's a lucky little girl to share the same birthday as him :).

I took him out Saturday for a day of fun and relaxation. Went to IHOP for breakfast, then kayaking at Newport Harbor/Balboa (I'll get pics from Junior). Mike, our kayaking tour guide, was super fun and just awesome -- if you haven't been down there, definitely try it out some time. After, we rented some beach cruisers, then took the ferry to Balboa Island to have lunch at Amelia's (the lasagna was so delicious!) followed by frozen bananas at the original home of the frozen banana, Sugar 'n Spice (HIGHLY recommended!!!) Did some window shopping, riding our bikes, then headed off to Cloudmover Day Spa in Huntington Beach for a much needed massage. Then, off to dinner at Wood Ranch for some AMAZINGLY delicious Tri-Tip (Another place I HIGHLY recommend!), then dessert thanks to Great Dane Baking Co.

As if Saturday wasn't enough, the celebration and eating extravaganza continued Sunday. Enjoyed lunch, laughs, and a Laker game with Junior's hilarious friends at BJ's in Cerritos. Afteward, it was over to my family's house for a surprise party for my aunt, then to Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton to join Junior's family for pasta dinner complete with spumoni. Mmmm good.

Happy Birthday, Junior! I love you!