Monthly Archives: June 2015

You give us lots of kisses. You give us lots of hugs. you’re proud of us. You share with us. You snuggle with us. You laugh with us. You love us. Happy Father’s Day! We love you!

As fun as Palawan was it was so nice to get home to my three boys. What does a lazy Sunday look like in the Ali home, you ask? Well we always start with some drumming. Ok not really, but we recently picked up a vintage drum from Mindanao (southern Philippines) and it’s become aContinue reading “Lazy Sunday!”

I know you’ve all had your fill of beautiful blue water photos and are ready for more photos of the boys but one more day people. Toddler pics are coming I promise! But first one last trip with my friend Jenny. Jenny and family are leaving Manila in a couple weeks so it was niceContinue reading “One last Trip”

My second day in Palawan was all work. A full day of seminars for the media, some of it interesting.  But the next day we took all the media out to see some of the work USAID is doing in Palwan. This meant snorkeling and a trip back to Kayangan Lake.  Hello media.  It wasContinue reading “More Palawan”

Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time! Every 6 months Public Affairs plans a Media Seminar for media from all over the Philippines to come learn about U.S. Government programs.  The seminar is always right at the Embassy one floor down from my office.  But this time I had the geniusContinue reading “Right Place, Right Time”

A new Casino opened up in Manila, City of Dreams.  So we decided to bring he kids to play blackjack a couple weekends ago. Just kidding, we took them to Dreamplay, a kids dream located in the casino.  It’s full of activities based on Dreamworks movies.  We had breakfast at a nearby hotel and headedContinue reading “This things Dreams are made of”

After a wonderful year in the toddler room at Amerikids School Adam had his first graduation.  As Adam says ‘Did you know, I’m Amerikids’. It’s too cute to corrent and tell him he’s actually American.  The school, his class and his teachers have all been wonderful and Adam has grown and learned so much. HisContinue reading “Up, up and away!”

Adam’s class has been growing vegetables all year and last week we finally got to enjoy the fruits of their labor! Adam has been growing eggplants and he brought one home the other day. We added it to some vegetable skewers and gobbled it all up! Thanks Adam!

I have a lot to catch you up on! Between needing the computer to watch Game of Thrones at night and being the only person in my office for the whole month of June it’s been hard to find time to update my faithful readers, yes mom I’m talking about you.  So let’s start whereContinue reading “Cabin Fever”

The part that I like best about Baguio is a tie between seeing frogs, eating marshmallows and – oh who am I kidding, it’s the horses! Always the horses! Early Saturday morning they brought two horses right up to our cabin. Chocolate and Dixie were beautiful! Usually mommy and daddy insist on getting up onContinue reading “I ❤️️ Horses”