Gone Fishin'

Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" (Mark 1:17)

Richie and I bought a boat while Naomi was still baking in my womb. We had started fishing together as a hobby the year before and came across a great deal for a Porta-bote at a Sportsman Expo and couldn't pass it up.

From Gone Fishin'

Richie has gone out on the boat several times, both by himself and with other male companions, but I hadn't gone with him yet until last weekend. My original plan was to go on the boat without Naomi first, to "test the waters," but we ended up having our first boating experience together afterall.



We bought her a baby life-vest when she wasn't born yet, too. I thought that she might squirm when I put it on her, but she was in fisherbaby's heaven! She was so amazed and in awe of her new surroundings. With the fresh breeze blowing and the warm sun shining, we headed to the other side of the lake to have a picnic and enjoy the day.



While riding the boat, was telling Naomi, "You're our lucky charm. Daddy's gonna catch a fish today, because you are here with us!" When we got to our destination and hopped out of the boat, Richie cast his fishing line while I got the food ready. Moments after we sat down to eat, his line took off! First bite of the day!



Naomi was so appropriate in her reaction. =) First awe while he reeled it in. Then curiosity as he held up a wonderful trout and took the hook out of its mouth. But the best was when Richie goes, "Wanna touch it?" and brought the fish closer to her. Mimi moved her head back and made a scrunchy face like "Gross!" Hahah! It was the cutest thing!



Richie has caught fish on the boat at other locations, but this was the first fish that Richie had caught on the lake... actually, it was the first fish he caught this year! God must have wanted Naomi to have the full experience and see what this fishing thing is all about =) We ate our lunch, happy as can be and after the picnic we just cruised the lake. Naptime was coming soon, so when she started getting antsy, we headed back to shore.

It was a great time for us to enjoy the lovely weather and our fun hobby... and of course, precious family time on the weekend =) Now that I know Naomi enjoys the boat, Papa will definitely have more company while he's "GONE FISHING!"

Welcome to God's Kingdom!

Baptism, which is symbolized by that water, now saves you also, not by removing dirt from the body, but by asking God for a clear conscience based on the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah (1 Peter 3:21)

Naomi was baptized this past weekend, on Sunday, October 11th at St. Joseph's Catholic church. It was a joyous occasion that was shared with our beloved family members. Richie and I are honored to have our siblings Craig & Cathy and Jasmine & Ken as Mimi's godparents.



We chose the name HOPE for Naomi's baptismal name. Her first name is already Biblical in nature and we wanted a virtuous name to represent this special sacrament. I presented Richie with a variety of names (Faith, Grace, Mercy, Joy, Love) but I had a feeling that he would choose Hope, and I was right. We especially love what it means: "A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable; an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable; confidence; pleasing expectancy." We have so much hope for our little girl to fulfill the desires of her heart and carry out the plan that God has for her life. We plan on keeping Hope "alive" by continuing to call our daughter her given name AND baptismal name as well... Naomi Hope... it has a nice ring to it, don't ya think? =)



Naomi did really well when it came time to baptize her with the Holy water. Mimi even smiled back at the priest... she really likes bath-time =) Naomi Hope wore the same gown that Richie and all of his three siblings wore when they were Christened. All five of her cousins also wore the gown for their baptisms before her. Although she looked like a tiny angel in her long flowing outfit, it started to get hot and Mimi started getting fidgety. Once we removed the gown... and her shoes... and her socks... and her tights!... she was smiling again =) Look at how big Naomi's family is!



We were fortunate enough to host the reception at her Grandparent's lovely home, just down the street. Uncle Peteman cooked up a delicious feast of prime rib and seafood pasta. Auntie Virgie baked a beautiful cake that was picture perfect =) Later on we served some Thai food to kick off the evening. Thanks to everyone for making Naomi Hope's Christening Celebration a wonderful day to remember!

From Christening Celebration

A Splashing Good Time

As a face is reflected in water, so a person is reflected by his heart. (Proverbs 27:19)

What a wonderful weekend that Naomi had to celebrate her 2 months/9 weeks birthday. The celebration began early on Thursday morning when Auntie Melissa Francisco came to visit us at home in Emeryville. She brought over some tasty bagels and cream cheese for Mommy and a couple of cute outfits for Mimi. Melissa and I have been friends since Junior High when we went to Washington D.C. together. Her daughter Cathleya is my God-daughter and her blog was my inspiration to start this one. Then Grandma Lily brought over some salmon chowder, chicken salad, a pannini sandwich and quesadillas for lunch/dinner. She also gave Naomi a toy cow that "moos." Mimi must really love her new present... check out the SMILE on this happy little baby:


On the 10th, Richie and I watched Transformers at Solano Drive In. Naomi fell asleep on the way there and didn't wake up until we got back home. She missed the movie but all for the best.. what a sweetheart!

The real fun began on Saturday when we carpooled with Jasmine and the girls on our way to Sacramento for cousin Alexis' first birthday. With three car seats loaded in the van, we made the hour and a half long journey. Baby Meleia wasn't used to being in another vehicle and it turns out she wet herself on the way there. Like Mimi, little Mia doesn't like being moisty down below and let us know it! We were all smiling though when we got to Tita Agnes' beautiful house in Roseville...especially when we saw the feast that was prepared and the inviting swimming pool to cool us of from the heat. I asked Dr. Tracy if it was okay for Naomi to take a dip and she gave us the go ahead. Mimi was a little shocked at how cold the water was at first, but once her body adjusted to the temperature, she enjoyed herself quite a bit!

From Splish Splash

Aileen had a lot of fun games for the kids including making mini aquariums out of glass jars. Stickers, pretty rocks and toys? I'm all over it! I couldn't help myself and made one... for Mimi, of course :) She also had pin the tail on the fish and a cool cut out of a shark. As you can see, Naomi likes goldfish, but she's not too fond of being eaten by a shark! I suppose, I wouldn't either!