Kids Enjoying their Sparklers on New Year's Eve Video Clip

Here's a video of the kids on New Year's Eve together with their 2nd cousins Mark and Angela and their friends in Jacksonville, Fl. I'm really amazed with the Lumix LX3's low-light capability.

A Visit to my Cousin

It was Dec. 31 and the Kabiling would be hosting a party for their friends to welcome the new year. Perfect timing! But first, we made arrangements to pass by my cousin Edith Tiamzon's place just a stone throw's away from where the Kabilings live. The last time I saw my cousin and her family was 5 years ago when all our kids were still very young. She now has two college students and a 10 year old girl.

After basically dining on a feast two times, we welcomed the new year with fireworks. The kids surely enjoyed it since there were a lot of kids in the party waiting for the same thing. When midnight struck, Ophine told the kids to jump and keep jumping to make them grow a few inches. There was a kid who honestly believed she grow taller that night. It sure is fun to be a kid once again.

Amelia Island on Day 2

After a good night's rest at the Kabilings, we proceeded to Amelia Island, San Fernandina Beach to be exact. It was a good 40 minute drive from the house. You can read about it's history HERE. It's a very popular place and rightly so, it has it's unique charms similar to small, quaint towns and with it's Victorian-era architecture, the place is quite special. As expected, the town is dotted with novelty shops, restaurants, old churches and old houses. We strolled around the center of the town aptly named Centre Street, went to the modern marina with it's million dollar yachts, checked out a burger joint named "WhataBurger" since we don't have it in South Florida and looked for the local lighthouse. I forgot that the lighthouse was located on a private residential neighborhood and was not really open to the public unless you request for a special tour from the local office handling it. We were only able to view it from the gate with a big 'No Trespassing' sign. Sayang!