My Nephew Rowan!

My mom and I with my baby nephew, Rowan. I was able to meet him for the first time in May, when Kenny and Cris visited my parents in Virginia. I love being an Aunt (or "Tita" in Tagolog) and have already found myself in Babies R Us on more than one occasion!

My brother and I with Baby Rowan.

Proud Tita Wendy!

Photos from our Trip to Aruba Last November

Unfortunately, I did not take as many pictures as I should have. But here's what I've got...

Our little ocean resort on the Dutch island.

Snorkeling near shore.

Erik and I dining at an oceanside restaurant with Mom and Dad.

Sunset on the beach.

The funnest part of our Aruba trip was the 4-wheel drive, off-road safari tour around the island. Mom actually was one of the drivers! She did an awesome job and handled her vehicle much better than the others.

Mud puddles and trenches were not avoided on our safari tour. We had mud spewing up to the doors in some places of the trip.

Good thing neither of us get motion sickness!

Erik keeping watch on the two ladies in the front of the vehicle!

A little hideaway on the opposite end of the island.

Mom hanging out at one of the stops during our off-road trip around the island.

Hans and Elena's Wedding in Albuquerque last August

Erik and I at Hans' wedding reception.

Erik at our table, next to his brother.

A view from our table at the Tanaon. That's Erik at the far end, then Hans, Elena, Elena's sister, and Elena's cousin.

Another view of our table.

Our New House in South Carolina

This is our new house! It's a Cape Code style, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, former model home that is approximately 2 years old. There are two large front rooms for formal living and dining areas, making the house about 2000 sqft. You'll have to excuse the brown grass...this photo was taken after the first frost of autumn, and all grasses in the Charleston area have officially gone dormant until next spring.

Here's another view of the house from the driveway side. The house next door is still a model home, so being a corner house next to a model, we have zero direct neighbors at this point!

Now a closer look at the driveway side, with the two-car garage connected to the house by a nice little deck. The window overlooking the deck is one of the main windows to the first floor master bedroom. Behind the house are certified wetlands, so there will never be anyone building behind us. I plan to post some more photos of the interior as soon as I feel that everything has found its place.

Our Honeymoon in Ruidoso, NM

Erik and I honeymooned in the little mountain-town of Ruidoso. The large mountain in the background is Sierra Blanco, home to the popular ski resort Ski Apache. Can you believe this is New Mexico? This town has great shops and a surprising variety of gourmet-ish restaurants. Most of all, it was very peaceful and quiet...perfect for two newlyweds!

Ruidoso is cold and beautiful in January. Erik and I took a walk along the river one afternoon after having brunch at one of the wonderful local restaurants.

Erik peering over the bridge.

Erik and I stayed in luxurious, brand-new cabins. These first few pictures are of the inside amenities, including the jacuzzi!

We loved the 3-sided fireplace and swiveling television. Whether we were in bed, on the couch, or in the hot-tub, we could always see the fire and watch the tele.

The front of our Ruidoso cabin. Blue-eyed boy not included.

The side of our luxury cabin.

These little wooden bears are a popular item in Ruidoso. This bear became the honeymooner's best friend, since he is meant to display the "Do not disturb" sign for housekeeping!

Erik was surprised and pleased with our grill, which he used to make a chicken dinner one night.

The frozen lake outside our cabin.

The little cabin "community."