change your bookmark!

i decided to shorten my blogspot addy so it was easier to remember..
it is now:

www.traceylheppner.blogspot.com

change your bookmarks!!

:) trace

angelica crossman design

my dear friend angelica, out of saskatoon, has been launching her super-fun clothing line! we hooked this weekend and with her 3 fabulous models and a truckload of her great fashions, we had some fun!

this is the gorgeous ang...


















here's a snippet of our fun...you can read more about ang's line at angelicacrossman.com

grad 2008 continues

miss M and i had a great time today, her dress a stunning blue and her curls falling just so around her lovely face! we eventually found out we had something in common..my sister in law! small, small world! congrats on your grad, miss M and for your complete recommends! what a fab way to end the year!

grad 2008 begins..

grad season is underway!! and the weather here on the prairies is hot and lots of lovely clouds and blue skies!!

meet miss L..she is going east to school this fall..absolutely stunning young lady..really fun...gorgeous dress..best of luck to you miss L as you begin another season of life! it was great fun to do our grad session along with master E.. :)

my baby sister has OFFICIALLY graduated!

last weekend we went up to kelowna to kristal's grad supper my parents put on for her. she was leisel in "the sound of music" at the kelowna actor's studio, that she was unable to attend her grad banquet.

here are some pics we scored just before the evening began...
she's gorgeous.. i know.. :) where on earth did you think she got it from?? (tongue in cheek)

happy birthday rosie muffin!

today marks the 7th year i have been blessed to have my rad little daughter...aka rosie :)

i can't describe the joy (for the most part!!) she brings me..she's always ready to give hugs..she's always got something to tell you...and she has the most contagious laugh.. she, indeed, is god's gift to us!

tonight we're gonna have her fave for dinner - perogies SMOTHERED with butter and sour cream (there goes all of this weeks's calories in one sitting!)- with us and her uncle josh, then the 5 of us will make our way down to silvercity theatres and watch KUNG FU PANDA! woot woot! a birthday party with friends is scheduled for july, post crazy end of school season!

i will leave you with this video made by a friend in the philippines to honor our dear muffy.. we love you babe!!

rosie's birthday video

our trip comes to an end..but before we head for vancouver, a stop in hong kong..

hong kong..such a remarkable city, really.. busy..lots of people, a ton of huge buildings..ya..it never sleeps, i dont think!

we had booked our flights back to spend a good chunk of the day in hong kong and leave for vancouver at midnight. we had gotten some info from our friend suzette in manila (thanks zette!!) and were headed out wednesday morning.

as we woke up and had our last breakfast in the philippines for a long time, the tears began.. saying goodbye to mom and dad and emma was hard..living across the world is so difficult..however we hoped the time til we see them all again is not as long as this last time..

papa dropped us off at the ninoy aquino international airport nice and early (9am) and we availed of his lounge passes again - this time, first class lounge.. :)
jonathan had an upgrade for his seat, again, to HK..i let him have the pleasure, even though he said i could have it.. :) sharing is a good thing. :)

just before 1pm we got to hong kong..after we passed thru immmigration (and another stamp in our brand new passports!) and got our carry-ons put in a locker for the day, we headed out on the airport express to hong kong island..the airport express takes only 24 minutes to get from the airport to hong kong island - a 35.3 km transit trek - and the train is QUIET! and the seats like those of a high end charter bus!! woot!

the peak tram..a tram that goes up to victoria peak that overlooks the city. we decided to take a cab, as it was a bit of walk and with only a small window of time to tour around HK, a red taxi cab, which they all are red, seemed to be the best way. for a few dollars, we were taken to the peak tram (the cab driver was psycho!! fast and sharp corners..hmmm.. altho there was a tv like thing on the back of the front passenger's seat..kinda cool! maybe to distract from the driving!) we got our tickets and stood in line to wait.

the tram takes only about 7 minutes..and at one point, as you can see a photo, the buildings are at almost a 45 degree angle...totally crazy!!

once we got to the top we went thru the peak mall up many escalators to the very top for the breaktaking view of the surrounding buildings...so crazy cool. the kids looked thru some binocular thingys.. :) .. caleb even took our photo up there..(thanks son!) and after we had lunch at bubba gump's restaurant, that overlooked the view, we found a cab to take us down to aberdeen, the harbor onthe south side of hong kong island where the famous JUMBO floating restaurant is. when we got there, we found a guy to take us on a tour on his sampan. we saw the JUMBO, we saw rickety house boats, with huge towers and buildings behind them - such a drastic comparison - and then a bunch of fishing boats. so much red, and bright red!!

when we got off we looked for another cab which is cab # 3 who is a psycho cab driver!! we were going to get dropped back at the airport express, to get to kowloon, we were to get on the MTR, not on the airport express. needless to say, we missed going to kowloon altogether and were back at the aiport..thats ok..we hung out in cathay pacific's first class lounge, the wing. :)

rosie and i had a good laugh in the mom and tot bathroom..and the amount of funny signs we saw...i wish i could have taken more of them..."wash your hand, please." so are they just wanting you to wash one? heheh...you get the drift.. :)

so that is the last blog of our holidays..hope you enjoyed our trip..we had a great time..thanks again mom and dad for having us and for giving us airmiles to come. it was so great to be with you. and to finally meet little emma.xoxo

a few pics from hong kong..click here.

suntanning+tropics+whitepeople=bad situation

so i have just been told by my dear motherinlaw, "oh it looks like second degree burns on your shoulders"...ugh.. ya it's been sore..now it's itchy cuz it's peeling..i look like a leper..ugh..

quezon city & old manila..a little journey in history

we went did some touring today; it's a holiday here - independance day - so there was soooo little traffic!!

we began our journey with going to quezon city, where both the kids were born, and showed them both where they were born...caleb in st. ignatius village at 71 fordham - we even reunited with our old land lady who remembered us!

we then went over to gentle hands, to the 3rd floor, where rosie was born in nini's old bedroom..twas lovely really.. :)

then we headed for intramuros...old manila..it was absolutely wonderful there..we drank at starbucks that was orginally a world war II bunker; marvelled at empty old ruined buildings; we walked along the wall that surrounds the city; we rode in a pedicab; we saw the manila cathedral; we saw lots of old ruins; we wandered thru fort santiago where the whole story of jose rizal is based on the history of the philippines..yes it was rich and full..i have suddenly become interested in history..not the books, but the real life stuff.. :) (isn't that rad, scotty??!!)

i'll let the photos inspire you...and here's a site for some philippine history..

intramuros - history

my photo journey of intramuros

3 sleeps

just about to go to sleep..our 3rd to last sleep in the philippines..wow..time has flown...

had a nap this aft..then the kids and nini and emma and i walked over, like last sunday night, to mcdo's with the kids...chuckle..they have mcspaghetti at mcdo..i forgot about that..hahah..

an uneventful sunday in some ways..

today at church dra tess gave us some amazing fresh chinese lumpia (spring rolls)..wow! they were incredible!

we're going to see all the places we have lived tomoro morning right after breakfast; it's a holiday tomoro so the traffic willbe SOOOO light! then we'll go to intramuros (old manila) and have lunch there, then come back to set up for rosie's birthday that nini is throwing for her (early!) which a bunch of people from church will be at..it will be lovely..and tearful i'm sure.. :)

tomoro i also have to figure out our day plan for hong kong on wednesday.. :)

tootle!

a few pics from today...