I’m gonna sneak one in here between vacation posts. I couldn’t resist taking this shot the other morning when Nathan fell asleep on our bed. This was the crack of dawn. We are crazy jet lagged so I had been awake since 3am and he just started to fall asleep…poor kid.

Here’s our little angel with the perfect light falling on his face.

I never thought I would have my fortune told, but my Aunt cajoled me into it. Tey, Tita Peggy and myself got our fortunes told in Quiapo, Manila. It was pretty fun. I don’t take it too seriously like many of the people there, so it was just fun for me. This lady tried to speak the best english that she could and she didn’t do half bad. If you can understand all that she said…props to you!

This is 2 minutes long, so if you have some time to waste, check it out…it’s a good laugh if you can decipher it. Here are some of the things she said:

• I’ll be working forever (boo!)
• Tey and I will have 3 kids, but I will have 4!
• I will have a lot of money (yay!) and will have jealous people hating me (boo!). Don’t trust them she said.
• The kids will be healthy
• Always be careful crossing the street
• Tey and I have a good relationship but she said that sometimes Tey talks too much. (HAHAHA!)

My Fortune from Jan Garcia on Vimeo.

I just flew in from Manila and boy are my arms tired!

Alrighty, we are back and ready to roll! Three weeks away from home can be taxing on anyone but I’m thinking it’s a bit rougher for a 2-year old and a 2-month old. But it was a fantastic trip and it’s always great to see family. Not too many crazy trips for us with the kiddies in tow, but it was still great to relax and spend time with those we haven’t seen in a while. This was Lucas’s second trip to the Philippines and it was the first time (obviously!) for Nathan. Everyone had a blast playing with the little chubster and Lucas had a much, much better time this time around.

AND…We shot an amazingly beautiful wedding right before we left for home and I can’t wait to post those photos! I took a few thousand shots during our trip, but I’ve always been a proponent of relating a handful of images to memorable moments. So here is 3 weeks in 18 photos…with some stories to go along.

1. We stayed with my Dad in his condo in Makati. And this is one of the many, many mini-portrait sessions that we had in our room. Lucas just loves to hug his baby brother…almost too much!

2. Another condo session. I can’t resist a Nate Dogg smile and this time only Lucas in naked….a re-occurring theme.

3. My Dad’s cars. Pretty pimp. That’s a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi on top that is completely insane to drive on open, curvy roads. And a 2008 5 Series. What makes it so special? It’s a Diesel. Try to get that in the US!

4. Beach time. Tristan and my brother, JB. It was so funny because Tristan wanted to go to the beach all morning and when we got there he was scared of the water and cried the whole time.

5. Lucas doing his boogie boarding impression. I was so surprised how much Lucas loved the ocean water. Didn’t bother him at all…he could’ve stayed there all day.

6. Can’t leave the beach without a typical Lucas butt shot. I didn’t set this up…the kid likes to take his clothes off for no reason! Don’t know where he gets that from…

7. My 3 cuties. Destined for a frame on my desk.

8. I will always remember this shot. Not only because my little chubster is smiling so big, but because Lucas took it. He was so proud and kept showing everyone.

9. This is my Dad. We were on the tip of Punta Fuego peninsula checking out the view.

10. Set 10-second timer, set camera on rock, click, run like mad over sharp stones and jump on rock wall overlooking a few hundred feet of cliff.

11. Reminder: Don’t take napping kids on a 4.5 hour walking tour without a stroller. Tey and I put on some muscle at the end of that day.

12. When I think of small, busy streets in Manila, this is what I picture. Binondo, Manila. Better known as Chinatown.

13. My earliest childhood memories were playing on this driveway. This is where most of my mom’s side grew up in Pandacan, Manila.

14. Walked around Quiapo in Manila. This super crowded old part of Manila is known for their cheap street market and their pick-pockets! You can buy ANYTHING here! One guy will be walking down the street selling rat poison in front of a shop that sells Canon lenses. It’s nuts.

15. We got our fortunes told. My first time…it was quite interesting. I have a video to post…wait for it!

16. Fish market. One of the cool ways they set up restaurants in the Philippines is having them next to fish markets. You go to the market and pick what you want to eat and have the restaurant cook them in a ton of different ways. It can be both fun and stressful. But fresh seafood sure is yummy!

17. Cousin Tristan and Lucas. Love and Hate. Happy and Sad. Laughter and Tears. Hugs and Punches. That’s pretty much the best way to describe these two. But when they are going well, it’s a super cute moment. 10 seconds after this, Lucas ended up on the ground crying. No kidding.

18. Fort Santiago. One of the many places that I saw for the first time. One of the most historic sites in the Philippines. I was going along reading up on the history of the place, but all I could think of was what amazing place to do a photo shoot. Yes, I’m crazy.

Thanks all for being patient with us while we were away. If you need anything…let us know!!!

Well, we are still alive and doing fine. Not much bloggin action going on from over here in the Philippines…not because we don’t have internet connection, but because I’ve chosen to be a lazy blogger for our vacation. We are 2/3 through our trip and we’ve been doing a mix of nothing and some fun stuff. A lot of family time, a few beach and pool time, some shopping time, bit of golf and a dash of sight seeing. We are a week away from home sweet home and I’ll leave you with a glimpse of what I love about vacation.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the hard drive of my MacBook DIED!!! Sucks. But no major losses…I’m thankful for that.

My Vacation in a Nutshell

My Vacation in a Nutshell from Jan Garcia on Vimeo.

We are on our way to the Philippines! A destination wedding turned into family vacation and we will be gone for about almost 3 weeks. I’m writing this as we are passing Hawaii and the two boys are knocked out. Peace and quiet only lasts so long :) I can probably write a thousand words on how tough it is to travel with two little boys but I will spare you the details. All you need to know is that it’s TOUGH!

Anyway, I’ll be working on the road since I have a few things to tie up while we’re away. Gotta love portable hard drives! So if you need to get a hold of me, please just email (jan@jangarcia.com) and I should get back to you in a few days.

Hopefully I’ll get to post some photos along the way.