When I got here in the US I was really hoping we will live in an area where there are Filipino community. Now that we are already here in WA I heard that there are Fil-Am groups. I met some but I don't have close ones. Then now I heard of a concert by Filipino talents and showbiz personalities coming from Philippines. It will be here in our city and I can't be there :-( I am thinking it will be a good thing to meet more Filipinos and extend my Fil-Am connections here but I guess I have to wait until hubby gets here so we can join a group and be able to reconnect with my roots.

Yikes, I thought spring sunshine will be visible these days but I am wrong. I woke this morning and when I peeked at the window surprise, surprise the grounds is blanketed with snow. We must have been missed winter. It is really very weird. I believe this spring snow storm will be until tomorrow or the coming week. It's the weirdest thing ever. The weather nowadays is really mysterious. Back in GA for 3 years of living there haven't experience snowing. This is our first year here and I guess we will be experiencing more of this.

Just recently the Governor of Washington State signed the toy safety bill. This bill was enacted to safeguard our children's health. The bill specifically bans toys manufactured with high level of lead, cadmium and pthalate. These chemicals can pose harmful effects to our kids. It can cause diseases, birth defects and brain damage. The bill aims to regulate the chemicals in toys. It also requires manufacturers to notify the state if the toys have a high level of chemicals.

As a Mom I am amenable to it. We are buying the toys and other learning aids for our children and i is scary that what we thought can help in their development will cause them harm instead. We heard of a lot of recalls because of high harmful chemical contents. That can hurt business because its already in the market. So with the regulation, at least the manufacturers can already expect what to do when making these toys.

It's been a while that I posted something here in my bravejournal and goodness there are so many spam comments in my entries. I hate it and now I already enabled the spam filter in my blog. I can't stand these spams. They just clutter your post. Maybe I have to post more entries here so I can also moderate comments and make sure no spams can get through.

I am elated to hear the forecast that all week until early next week the day will be sunny. That means we can have the chance to have a break from the wet and rainy. I will be able to go out and have a short walk getting our mails and throwing our trash to the dumpster. I can't wait for spring to start so I can let Shiloh be out for longer. She likes the outside. It made her calm when she see trees, flowers and see other people. I can notice that she is looking around once we are out and just smile when I call her. I can't wait to play with her at the park one day as well. 

Since Monday the weather here in the Northwest is really bad. I woke up Monday and it was snowing. I was very apprehensive I will not be able to go out and drive. But later that day the snow melted and I was able to do my errands. But further in the mountainous areas it was snowing so hard that it creates avalanches danger to the passes. The one that was really hit bad are of course the passes. Interstate 90 was being closed because of the avalanche danger. This is in Snoqualmie Pass with a total of 52 inches snow in 5 days. There were incidents that wall of snow came down from the mountain and almost buried cars along the road. It is really tough. In eastern WA, Spokane area, the Governor I believe will declare a state of emergency to help the people living there. I hope this snowing will stop so we can see sun shine again.

It has been 4 days that we are experiencing sun shiny days. I was able to do my errands outside as well as taking little Shiloh out for a short walk. Although it is chilly but at least it is sunny and not wet. Our daily routine is kinda boring because we are mostly confine at home most of the days. I don't wanna go out all the time because it is very hassle. I only go out and drive if it is deemed necessary. Maybe when the season changes and the temperature will get warm I will plan of going to places. For now I just have to settle for our daily routines. 

It has been two years since I first learn how to drive. In Georgia I was driving myself around, to work, to hospital, to malls and other places. But still I am so chicken when it comes to expressways or interstates. When we got here I know driving experience will not be the same. It is always raining and snowing here so the roads may not be friendly at times. Another thing the traffic is heavy and all the places I need to go to I have to drive through Interstate 5. I-5 is the long haul connecting Northwest to South west, that is California all the way to Washington and Canada.

Everyday I watch traffic updates and it's crazy. My first time driving was on January 4. Hubby let me drove his Ford Explorer going to post. And we drove early evening. The traffic is moderate to heavy plus I was so uneasy driving for the first time his truck. I was confident because hubby was beside me. Then came the next day when I send him off. Going back home with my feelings in turmoil due to hubby's departure for Iraq. It was my first time to drive here in Washington at night, raining and alone. I didn't know what to feel but I was very glad we arrived home safe and no glitch. I am thankful and proud of myself because I did it. There will be another time that my courage to drive on I-5 will be tested. I am praying so hard that day will be a great day and me and Shiloh will be safe.

This was our first new year here in the Evergreen State. We planned of going to Seattle at Space Needle to witness the fireworks display. But having an infant really made me impossible to go out with a freezing temperature. So what we did was stayed at home and turned the telly on waiting for the countdown from all over the US. First was the dropping of the ball at Time Square in NYC. It was a blast even we only saw it on tv. Then we waited for the Space Needle display. For some reason I told my hubby what if something will happen the fireworks will not display as it is supposed to be.

When the countdown began at Space Needle I was wondering why there was no art on the display, only blasting off of the fireworks, then it stopped and came on after 6 minutes then it stopped again and went off again. It was live and they said there was technical problems. They rebooted the computer two times but for some reason the fireworks will not fire according to the music that accompanies it. Accordingly they manually fired the fireworks so it goes off for at least 12 minutes but there was no music and the fireworks shoots just everywhere.

Nevertheless, even there was a glitch on it everybody still had a wonderful time and welcomed the new year with a bang. I know a lot of people are disappointed but I believed nobody wants that glitch to happen. It just something that is out of their control.

I have been meaning to make a blog/journal through bravenet ever since. As a matter of fact I did a year ago but I didn't continue it. When I tried to dig it out, I forgot the password and I can't find it in my email archive anymore. So here I am now I am at last starting a new one here.

This blog will be my journal for all the discoveries and experiences we have here in our new place, Washington, the Evergreen State. I know there are so much to discover for here and I have a lifetime to experience it since hubby wanted to settle down here. So hopefully I can share whatever new encounter I have here in our new place.