Merry Christmas from us!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
Love and miss you all...

The Murphy's

Here is a little "ditty" for our family and friends back in the states:

Here is another video actually taken a few days before Christmas at one of our shopping malls. We had a great time visiting with friends and seeing the fireworks. Filipinos love to pop fireworks, especially on Christmas Eve nite, around midnite, just when it turns Christmas day. It's not as big as New Year's Eve fireworks, but festive nonetheless.

The pictures below have been taken over the last week or so.........

Jamin waiting for the neighborhood Christmas party to begin

He was also picked to play a game, of which he really didn't like...

Jamin and Jesse with their friend Peter at the party

We finally get to meet Angel, our helper's new baby (she is 2 months old).

Jane and Angel

Christmas Eve, we stayed up alittle late, and did some family bonding time. We pulled out this 500 piece puzzle and finished it in an hour. Doesn't Jamin look like he had fun? :) Actually he chose to go upstairs and talk to his grandparents online during all this great family fun!!

Christmas morning

Jamin and Jesse are not in a 'cheap gift' stage....everything is electronics (playstation 2 games, computer games and Nintendo DS games)....so that is the bulk of their Christmas....besides a foosball table and a new skateboard.

Jesse gets a Tamaguchi (not sure of spelling)....it's a virtual pet toy.

Murphy Christmas morning tradition: birthday cake for Jesus. Well, actually we changed it up this year....we did cupcakes instead. And we also forgot to buy candles, but we sang a song anyways. Cupcakes for breakfast...yum, yum! Mom really knows how to make a nutricious breakfast! Just a note: Mom would have made a good ol' East Texas breakfast, but we were going to a fancy hotel for lunch buffet. We sacrificed! haha!

The morning was spent playing their new games. Jesse is playing his new Pokemon Ranger game on his Nintendo DS.

We wanted to take pics of the huge spread of food at the hotel, but we would have looked like hillbillies (or tourists). Just trust us...it was good. Below is a sleigh and Christmas tree that was in the lobby of the Marco Polo hotel in Cebu.

Forgot to mention: we went to eat lunch with our good friends, John and Myrna Moshis.

After lunch, the boys (all three) came back for some foosball challenge!

Several days before Christmas, we went to visit a good friend, Mila Mante, at her house in Bohol. It's a beautiful house set up on a hill, overlooking the ocean. One of her walkways to the house is an 80+ step path that the boys ran up and down on all day. It was great exercise!!!

We had a great time visiting with Mila. She pulled out a game that we had never heard before called "Ticket to Ride". We had a blast playing this game....too bad you can only buy it in the states.

This is Mrs. Mila's view from her porch.

Random pics taken in Bohol at Mrs. Mila's house....

Mom's side adventure of taking pics of chili peppers.

The boys were attracting kids outside the gate....mainly girls;)

Mrs. Mila with mom

A beautiful sunset to end our nice visit to Bohol.

Other random pics taken recently....

Jamin, Peter, Jesse and Nuchong

Jamin, Cameron and Jesse

One of Jesse's favorite cakes at Bo's Coffee Shop (moist choco cake)

Though Jamin would love to have this whole Carmello (cold coffee drink), he has to share it with his Dad.

oops.....I can't figure out how to delete this pic....it's a repeat....sorry

Pre-Halloween pics and others

Once again, we pulled out the play-doh for our October art project. It's not hard to find something to do in art, what is hard is finding the time. When we add art to our Monday schedule, it makes Mondays seem forever long!!!! We all made a pumpkin, but with an added flare.

Not really sure about this one.....;)

Mom's accidental skull pumpkin....really, it was an accident, haha.

Last year, I waited to late to get costumes, so we did the homemade thing. I decided to try to buy costumes ahead of time this year. We have not officially celebrated Halloween here yet...with the trick or treating, but the boys were eager to try on their costumes. Jess is Flash, and Jamin is a Ninja.

This pic was taken at Ivy's baby dedication today (1o-25-07). The boys are almost taller than Ruthie and Ivy....just another couple of inches.

If you haven't heard our cat drama....Ellie has been booted outside. I am tired of cleaning up after her, and her hair is floating all over the house. We boarded her up in the back for two days. So she was outside, but not truly "outside" roaming the neighborhood...until today. Here is Jamin holding on to Ellie before she ventures into the unknown;)

"A whole new world......."...Can't you hear the song in your head.

Ellie feeling grass for the first time since she has been with us.....2 yrs now. By the way, our fear was that she would leave and not come back. We are proud to say that she is sleeping under the garage at this moment. Free to come and go....and still she has come back...woohoo!! Jamin is happy!