Guam's 69th Liberation Day

Here on Guam, one of the biggest local holidays is Liberation Day, which we celebrate every year on July 21st.  It was on this date in 1944 that the U.S. armed forces arrived on Guam to liberate the local people from the control of the Japanese during World War II.

We celebrate and remember this day in our history with a parade, carnival, and fiestas (or parties) with family.  The Liberation Day Parade is the main highlight of the day.  Villages throughout the island create and showcase floats to represent their village and to pay tribute to the people who lived through and lost their lives during the war.

It is our family tradition to reserve a spot along the parade route and watch the parade live.  We set up a canopy, bring food and a barbecue grill, rent a portable toilet, and spend our whole day down on Marine Corps Drive.  The parade really is a wonderful cultural experience for tourists and locals alike.

 The Guam Liberation Day Parade is something that I think everyone should experience at least once in their lives.  Despite the heat and humidity, it is truly an event worth seeing.  The sense of community and family is strongest on this day and should you be in town around July 21st, I invite you to join my family and I as we celebrate this proud day in Guam's history.

Chambray Top:  Ross Stores  //  Stars & Stripes contrasted shorts: DIY by me  //  Shoes:  Airwalk from Payless Shoes  //  Accessories:  H&M

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a DIY tutorial on how I made those shorts!

A Little Bit of Family Fun.

And the common way to have a little family fun here on Guam is to have a barbecue at the beach!

The day before my sister left, we packed up the kids and the barbecue grill and headed to our favorite spot, Tanguisson beach.

It is a pretty secluded area that very few tourists know about.  The first time we ever went, there were only two other families there.  The water was calm and clear, shells lined the sand, and the weather was spectacular.  We all fell in love with that beach immediately and it is one of the spots we frequent often.  (I've posted about it previously here)

 Since winter, the beach has become littered with coral, shells, and rocks which makes it a little rough on the feet so it was a little harder to find a soft spot of sand to stand on in the water on our last visit.  The surf was also a little rougher and even though my kids are pretty adept at swimming in the ocean (they get it from me), I still warned them to stay closer to shore and keep an eye on each other and the ocean.  As all ocean lovers know, the sea is constantly changing - the tide, the season, the phases of the moon, etc.  What may be an ideal place to swim one day, may not be as safe a month later.

After swimming for a bit we all took a lunch break and refueled with red rice, bbq'd ribs, fried chicken, and chicken kelaguen.  We decided to go and explore the trail we found on the rocks while our food digested in our stomachs and of course we took our camera along to have a little photography fun with the kids!

 The kids love exploring new areas!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Roxy needs to sponsor my daughter!!!  She can't wait to go back to Hawaii this summer so she can surf again!  (Mom, send my boards here so she can practice, please!)

 

I'd say sponsor this daughter too, but it took a LOT of coaxing to even get her to stand next to this tree.  And fuhgeddabout trying to make her put her hand on it!   "There's ants on it!...What's that green stuff?...I don't like moss!...This tree is gross!"

With her gold ballet flats again.

This kid...if he had a choice, he'd be at the beach all day, errday.  He already told me he's running away to live in Hawaii.   (Again mom, just send the boards already!)

This was supposed to be our "lost in the wilderness" pose...yeah, I don't know either.

 And my super tattooed sister.  I'm a pretty great photographer, huh?  If only I was great at self portraits I'd have better outfit pictures!

 And to pay homage to my awesome pose, my sister does THE SQUAT.

Happy Friday, everyone!  Have a great weekend!

♥ Duckie.

What I Wore Wednesday: BBQ Style

Happy Hump Day!

I love Wednesdays because it just means it's almost the weekend!

Just because I don't have a "real" job doesn't mean I don't look forward to weekends - because since Joey's off on weekends, I get to relax a bit more!

Anyway, our weekends here on Guam consist of sunny days and crazy nights - okay, not so crazy nights since we had kids, but it's nice to reminisce once in a while.

But seriously though, there is ALWAYS a party or bbq for us to attend on the weekend.  Birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, holidays, graduations, you name it - we'll bbq for it!

Being the big hungry girl that I am, you can bet that I LOVE any kind of function where there's free food and good vibes - so please don't judge me if you see me at the table more than four times.  I mean, when the table is filled with red rice, bbq'd ribs, fried chicken, pancit, baked mussels, and kelaguen galore - try and tell me that you can only have ONE plate!

Now, when attending a bbq on Guam it is important to dress appropriately.  For example, it's probably not a good idea to wear jeans if the bbq is at the beach during the day - that's just common sense, people!  But if you want to sweat your ass off all day, then by all means, go ahead.  Also, try and use bottoms with an elastic waist so you don't cut off circulation to your legs as your stomach increases.  And lastly, don't wear something too fitted - the amount of food you ate will show - try a flowy top or dress instead.

It's best to keep your hair and makeup minimal.  You don't want to look like a sad clown with your face melting off in the hot sun.  And a simple messy bun is the best hairstyle - it keeps your hair out of your face which gives you less of a distraction when you're stuffing it.

 Need a reference?  See perfect weekend bbq attire, below:

And don't forget the kids!  All they need is a bathing suit, and you probably won't see them for a good two hours.

 Trace jumping off the pier (he's 3 years old!).

Chloe the cannonball!

Aniyah's favorite jumping spot.

I just love this shot of her.  Umm, hello Roxy!  She is your next model!

Perfect form!

My mermaid.

♥ Duckie.