HI family

school is cool

2009-05-29T11:23:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the school year is coming to an end and Caleb will soon be a 1st grader! I still remember the first day of kindergarten like it was just yesterday...man, how time flies! This past week we stopped by Caleb's class for Open House and were amazed at how far he has come. And just this morning we were invited to attend the Husky of the Month assembly, come to find out that our little guy was chosen for the month of May. I can't help but smile when I think of what an outstanding student Caleb is! We are so proud of our big boy!

homesick for hawaii

2009-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's past 8 o'clock and it's not even dark outside! And although the warm summer nights are finally here, I find myself missing Hawaii. I can't help but think about the pristine beaches and teal blue waters. I miss enjoying sunset at Ko Olina, the powder white sand beneath my toes at Bellows, and the unreal view of the mountains from the sandbar. And I swear, my mouth has been watering for a scoop of kulolo ice cream from Dave's!

Aaaahhh, I miss the 808 so much!! I hope we find our way back to the island sometime in the future...

noah turns 3!

2009-05-05T18:44:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Noah's berfday, we checked out John's Incredible Pizza Co. and had a little partay with Mickey and friends at the house. The birthday boy had a blast up until cake time--since he doesn't like being the center of attention, he burst out into tears when we tried to sing Happy Birthday to him!

Take a look at our fun-filled day:

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY, NOAH!

tgif

2009-05-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Just a little something to brighten your day! Happy Friday!

spring break

2009-04-08T12:20:00.001-07:00

Dear Caleb and Noah,

Just wanted to let you know that Mommy and Daddy miss you boys sooo much! And if Joshua could talk, he would say that he misses you too! Although it's been a treat to have some alone time with your brother, and the peace and quiet is nice for a change, it's just not the same without the two of you! Can't wait to see you again...be good boys and have fun with The Grandparents!

Hugs and Kisses,

Mommy + Daddy

the newest addition to our family

2009-04-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

*NOTE: I know it has been such a long time since our last post but there have been sooo many changes over the past months that is has been hard to even keep track of everything going on. But just to let everyone know, we're FINALLY settled in the new house and are just trying to get back to the normalcy of everyday life--but more on that later.

The even bigger news is that our precious little boy, Joshua Landon, has finally joined our fambam. He was born just a week ago on March 26 at 2:22am, weighing 7lbs. 8oz., and 20 inches long. My labor was practically a breeze--we checked into the hospital just before midnight and two hours later, our little Joshie arrived! There were no complications and he came out perfectly safe and healthy. Mommy and baby are doing great; we're getting plenty of rest, not to mention plenty of pampering from the three big babies. =) Caleb and Noah have welcomed their baby brother with lots of *gentle* hugs and kisses and are completely infatuated with him. Noah is so proud to take on the role as "kuya" and always gets thisclose to his baby brother, saying "Hi, Joshua!" in his high-pitched baby voice. And Caleb is perfectly suited to be leader of the pack (of course) and has been such a good helper, fetching diapers and burp cloths whenever asked to. Jan and I couldn't be happier to see all three of our boys together and getting along harmoniously...let's just hope it stays that way! =)

Here are the latest and greatest for everyone to enjoy...I will try my best to post pics often and keep everyone updated so check back soon!

WELCOME JOSHUA LANDON JALA-GUINTO

Our family is complete!

We're going home!

Already posing for the camera

gobble, gobble

2008-11-27T23:59:00.000-08:00

H A P P Y

WITH LOVE,

JAN, MICHELLE, CALEB, AND NOAH

we're happy and homeless

2008-11-21T21:59:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are alive and well! Sorry I haven't been posting, it's just been soooo hectic lately! As of today, we FINALLY left our house on Melia and are currently staying in the lodging facilities on base. I thought it would be kind of sad, but we are just so glad to be out of there! And the good news is that we will be home VERY soon: 7 days and counting! So I'll try to post as much as possible (even though the wi-fi connection sucks here) since we really want to document and share our last week in Hawaii! Here's what I will leave you with for now:

Oh, and I forgot to post on Election Day, but here's a pic of the boys when Obama made history:

And here's Elmo and Storm Trooper Caleb on Halloween:

caleb's surgery

2008-10-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Caleb's dentist discovered an extra tooth growing right above Caleb's two front teeth and said it had to be removed in order for his permenant teeth to develop. So this past Wednesday, we met with an oral surgeon for Caleb to go "under the knife" for the very first time. It was a nerve-wrecking experience for mom and dad...but not for Caleb. Being the fearless little guy that he is, he didn't even break a sweat from the moment he entered the room to the moment he was injected anesthesia and put to sleep. Jan was by his side throughout the whole surgery and said that he did a great job. Now, three stitches and a couple of days later, Caleb is almost fully recovered and is doing just fine. He's such a trooper! Here are his battle wounds:

And the very next day, he was back to being one of the Three Stooges again! =)

nana and pop + trip to kauai

2008-10-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the pictures! Enjoy...and don't get too jealous! ; p

One of the first places they wanted to go (and ended up going back a few more times!) was Boots & Kimo's where they make the BEST macadamia nut pancakes!

Pop beached at Kailua Beach =)

Kauai, here we come!
Lydgate Beach and State Park

Literally outside the doorstep of our resort:

Our broken camera ended up giving these pics a cool effect:

The boys had the pool all to themselves!

The Grand Canyon of the Pacific: Waimea Canyon

Mom's birthday brunch at Princeville Hotel, overlooking the Napali Mountains

Chinaman's Hat in Laie
K.O.!!!

we love yogurtland!

2008-10-03T00:36:00.000-07:00

First, if you're not familiar with frozen yogurt or "froyo" spots, I suggest you Google it. Then find one nearest to you and try it out...pronto! =)
For the longest time I have been waiting for the Pinkberry craze to hit Hawaii and am so happy something similar (but waaay better) has finally arrived! It's called Yogurtland and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Not only is there a large variety of flavors and toppings, you get to make it yourself, which was the best part! The boys had fun choosing and mixing different flavors and adding their choice of toppings. It was a very cool experience and I know we will going back there again and again.

Take a look at our mouthwatering pics:

Green Tea and Taro yogurt with azuki beans, canteloupe, mochi, and coconut shavings = YUMMO!

Noah's pick: Strawberry yogurt with watermelon, strawberries, kiwi, and m&m's

Caleb's pick: Cookies n' Cream, Vanilla, and Chocolate yogurt with sprinkles, cookie bits, and m&m's

For more info, check out their website http://www.yogurt-land.com/. **Just a tip to the Bay Areans: there's a location in Cupertino and a couple coming soon to Berkeley. Trust me, it's totally worth the drive! =)

an update

2008-09-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

I know it's been awhile since our last post...but we've actually been really busy this past month, especially the past couple of weeks. Nana and Pop came out for a visit and we were lucky enough to be spoiled rotten during their two week stay here. We did LOTS of eating, beach-going, and of course, shopping (since that is my mom's favorite pastime!). We also did an island-hop to Kauai, my new favorite island, and celebrated Mom's birthday on the beautiful Garden Isle. I'll be posting up pics of soon so be sure to stay on the lookout...and don't worry, Mom, I promise to send you copies once I finally download them! =)
Other news that the whole fam may not know about is that Jan finally received his orders.........
And it looks like we're going, going, back, back to CALI, CALI!!! Not too sure if the exclamation points are rightfully placed after that sentence, since we were really looking forward to moving to Virginia...but we're very happy and excited to be close to family and friends again. We will be stationed at Beale AFB, which is north of Sacramento, and will officially back on the mainland December 1st. More info to come once we find out all the details, so stay tuned y'all!

the big announcement

2008-08-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

So, this may come as a surprise to you all, or maybe not a surprise at all. I feel kinda weird posting it on our blog but I figured this is the best way to tell everyone, so here's the big news: WE'RE PREGGERS!!! We just came back from the OB/GYN and it is official; I'm 9 weeks pregnant!!!
Jan and I actually found out a couple of weeks ago with a take-home pregnancy test and soonafter told our parents...but wanted to share the news with everyone after finding out officially. And yes, we are fully aware that we are going on #3...having beautiful kids must be my life's calling! =) We will definitely keep everyone updated with all the details!

It's official! Clearblue says:

Jan's first-ever smile for the camera!

Proud Daddy and soon-to-be Kuya Noah

noah's lullaby

2008-08-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

If you didn't already know, the boys are huge fans of Jason Mraz...especially Noah. The song, "I'm Yours" is pretty much played on repeat whenever we are in the car--it's either that or Elmo--so you can imagine how much fun it is for us e v e r y single day. =) Here's a clip of Noah singing his fave song to put himself to sleep. It's not a traditional lullaby, but it worked! He totally knocked out just a few seconds after he finished singing!

first day of school

2008-08-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

We can't believe how fast summer has flown by, or how fast our big boy is growing! Caleb started his first day of kindergarten at Nimitz Elementary School yesterday, July 31st. He woke up excited and ready to go: got dressed (and yes, he is picky about what he wears and insisted on wearing his skater fit and Heely's), washed up, grabbed a banana, and was the first one out the door. We took a short walk to his school and then it was time...time for Parents to face that dreaded moment of leaving their child to fend for himself in the Great Big World. Dramatic, I know...but hey, this was one of those big-time firsts for us! I think we were more nervous about leaving Caleb behind than he was about going to a new school! But we managed to get him to his classroom without shedding tears, and after settling him in, giving him hugs and kisses, and saying our good-byes, we left him. Afterall, we didn't want to be known as one of those parents!

Well, Here's some pics to document the big day:

Before:

Most likely to be the class clown:

Noah: "Bye, Kuya!"

Who's Caleb Quinto?!

After:

He's still smiling! I guess Caleb survived his first day of kindergarten! See, Daddy, you had nothing to worry about! =) haha

ode to lizzy

2008-07-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

Since Lizzy stayed with us for 6 months while Jan was in the Philippines, I thought it would be nice to post some pics in honor of her. While she was here, she played the role of cook, babysitter, therapist, chauffeur...the list goes on and on! She was basically my right-hand man and the boys' on-call SLAVE while Jan was away and we are so grateful to her! =) So, since you know I will probably never develop these pics (or if I do, it will probably be 10 years from now--it's the Jala Curse!) posting them up for all to see would be the next best thing.

WE LOVE YOU, AUNTIE IZZY!!!

2008-07-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

With the year more than half way through, Jan and I were talking about the past months as well as our plans for the next few that are left. We've been in Hawaii for about 3 years now and can't believe how fast the time has gone by. From the moment we stepped foot on this island, our lives have been constantly changing and evolving. We've experienced birthdays and new life, struggles and heartaches, joys and sorrows, visitors from near and far, newfound ventures.

Now that our tour here will be coming to an end in mid-November, we have to make moves towards our future in a new state, new base, and completely new enviornment. We haven't received an assignment yet, but it is more than likely that we will be stationed in Langley, Virginia...and we are really hoping that we do end up there. Not only will we be able to experience the East Coast (and all four seasons--yay!), the area is pretty family-oriented, has great school systems, and is a primary outlet for Jan to look into opportunities outside of the Air Force. So say a little prayer for us and keep your fingers crossed...and we will definitely let everyone know once we receive orders.

To the future and the unknown: May we be strong in Faith, have our minds stay Focused, and keep moving Forward!

the REAL first post

2008-07-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

So originally I started this blog as a way for Jan to stay updated with all the happenings of our family so he wouldn't feel like he was missing out on anything while he was deployed. Now, six months later, Jan is back from his deployment and I have yet to post an official entry. I know, I'm so bad!..but it's not like he was completely out of the loop when he was in the Philippines. Thankfully, we were able to talk to him practically every day and the boys spent plenty of time interacting with Daddy on the web-cam. Caleb sent him drawings, letters, and vice-versa, and even though Daddy was thousands of miles away, he still managed to spoil his little guys with care packages filled with toys, knick-knacks, candy, and really high-quality dvd knock-offs (including the old-school Tranformers cartoons and a 40-in-1 Sesame Street collection--really awesome!).
And so, even though Jan wasn't physically with us, he was still in-the-know of things during his 6-month absence. But even with his return, I am still in the same place with the blog that I was so eager and determined to start. And for those of you who know me, I am sooo NOT computer-savvy! Really though, just learning about this stuff and doing the settings and choosing the layout, etc., etc., was such a streeetch for me! =) But when it comes down to it, I am sticking to what I originally set out to do. So, with 6 months and 10 days after my first, not-so-real post, I would like to officially post my first entry on our family blog. With this blog I want all of our family and friends to stay up to date with everything that is happening in our lives here in Hawaii...and wherever else we may end up in the future. So make sure to check back often and stay tuned for more news about your favorite HI family!

2008-03-06T15:57:00.001-08:00

just checking

2008-01-14T02:37:00.000-08:00

checking out what this looks like...