A Little Tess Of My Own

I was destined to have a girl.

I count my blessings everyday.

Happy Birthday My Dearest Tess!

I always eat mint chocolate chip ice cream on this special day.

Spray roses are very romantic, I think? Tess will love them.

Gerber Daisies, one of her favorites

Maritess D. Gurtiza
June 23, 1978 - October 17, 1998

Shadyglade Lane Days
Wearing her 80's purple plastic pearls!

Timeless romantic

Enchanted by flowers

She offers unconditional love
Selfless sister

Happy 30th Birthday Tess!

I love and miss you.

Top 10 Things About Our Trip To New York

Relaxing in Central Park

Lovely Party Favors

Cousin Cass and I are cheesing it up for the camera

Fiona Tess in her sweet dress

Papa and Fiona waiting at the church

Hello, Cutie Pie!

Papa and Fiona in front of the Statue of Liberty

Thin Crust New York Style Pizza! De-li-cious!

Mama and Fiona on top of the Empire State Building

This is Eebee, Fiona's new friend from FAO Schwartz!

1. Hoboken, New Jersey--We stayed in Hoboken, New Jersey, where my mom's sister, Priscilla, lives with her husband Dennis. She's just like my mom but a little younger, more outgoing, and kinda quirky. Also, Dada (first cousin on dad's side) and Marc live just a few blocks away from them. This quaint city is famous for being the home of baseball and Frank Sinatra. The first thing I noticed was the graffiti on the trains and all the nannies pushing around babies. Tons of tots everywhere. Very urban. Kinda looked like San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.

2. A Stroll To The Hudson River--Uncle Dennis took us on a stroll down to the river front. We walked by a row of churches with different denominations, by restaurants and little shops, and by old red-bricked buildings with porches and stoops. We were in awe by the beautiful Manhattan skyline. Hoboken to Manhattan is only about 20 minutes away.

3.The Empire State Building--We went up to the 86th floor! Our ears started popping during the elevator ride. As soon as we got to the top, we took pictures of this amazing concrete jungle. What a view! It was fun trying to recognize the various landmarks of New York City. One our way down, I actually fed Fiona while waiting in line to get to on to the elevator. Gotta feed the baby!

4. Times Square--That's where it's at! Lights, lights, and more lights. Billboards galore! And the crowds. Well, let's just say that the side walk was jammed packed. I can't believe Fiona was sleeping through all of the hustle and bustle. I wished we had time to see a musical. Mary Poppins was playing.

5. Rockefeller Center--All I could think of was Ann Curry, Al Roker and Matt Lauer! I wanted to be one of those people standing with a sign that read "I'm from San Diego." But cousin Cass said we had to be there at the crack of dawn. So, no thanks. Instead,we went to the NBC Store and just browsed around. I wanted a sweatshirt but we ended up buying a ball for Fiona with the NBC logo. Far said that I'd regret it if I don't get one. And he was right. I should've got one. How many times do I get to go to N.Y.C.?

6.Central Park--Took a cab from 34th Street to Central Park. Asked him to drop us off where there were lots of people. I believe we ended up right across from the Plaza Hotel and Bergdorf Goodman, a ritzy department store. It was scorching hot! So, we bought ice cream, an oreo cookie bar and an lemon lime ice bar. Guess which one I had? Chocolate, of course! Anyhow, Fiona fell asleep and we let her nap under a shady tree. Breastfed, again, on a park bench and just people watched. Papa Far just kept snapping away with the camera, capturing every cool angle he could find. Afterwards, we accidentally found FAO Schwartz, a humongous toy store. Fiona was enamoured with all of the colorful stuffed animals. She was kicking her feet and making that screaming sound, which meant she was very excited. She picked out one in particular, a toy named Eebee. One last thing. We saw the "Big" piano that Tom Hanks stepped on. Very cool.

7. Cab Drivers--Very interesting people to say the least. Opinionated but still keepin' it real. We especially loved our Jamaican cab driver who knew we weren't from there partly because we were too friendly. That's what he said anyway. Called us "nice folks". His crazy driving and intriguing small talk made for great entertainment. He said, "The cab drivers aren't crazy, it's the people of New York who don't follow the signs and rules. " That's why he drives the way he does. And it's true. No one obeys the traffic signs.

8. Ellis Island--Took the Ferry boat and Ellis Island was one of the stops. We only stayed for about 30-40 minutes. Loved the display of suitcases, baskets, and trunks that the first immigrants brought with them. Imagine coming to a new country with your entire life in your suitcase. It's simply amazing. The displays and exhibits were awesome. Again, fed and changed Fiona on a bench. Gosh, our baby was such a trooper.

9. Statue of Liberty--Lady Liberty! I was expecting her to stand taller, more enormous. But nevertheless, she was a beautiful sight. I loved the color of weathered copper. I explained this to my 3rd grade class and showed them a penny that had greenish bluish tones and a hint of reddish brown. That's oxidation for you. Now they understood why she was green (excuse my tangent). Anyhow, we took tons of pictures near her pedestal. Oh yeah, Fiona had a melt down at this time. It was about 95 degrees and she was hungry as well as irritated. Poor baby. I'll never forget that moment. We were all annoyed by the heat.

10. Cousin Dada to Marc Bertrand--This is the main reason for our visit. My cousin Dada is extremely crafty. She practically made everything for her wedding-- the flower girl dresses, her veil, invitations, which were handwritten in calligraphy, place cards, programs, and even the party favors, which were card board cakes covered with ribbon and flowers. And inside were chocolate covered almonds. She payed so much attention to detail. That's putting it mildly. Rehearsal dinner was at The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant in Hoboken. Farley ordered a Dirty Jersey, a martini with blue cheese stuffed in olives. Kinda different. I had your classic Shirley Temple. I know, I'm still breastfeeding. And the food at the reception was outstanding! Hors d'œuvres were served on a silver platter. And for dinner, the N.Y. Strip Steak was mighty generous. Open bar, even! Far was confused all evening. He couldn't tell if it was open bar because there was no line. I know. Very odd. So, he finally orders a drink, and the bartender says, "This is the first martini I made all night. I don't know if I'm at a wedding or if I'm at an AA meeting." Everyone from Jersey had comments like that. Jersey folks are hilarious.

Here's to June

It's no wonder things have been poppin' in my head lately about my dear sister Tess. Even songs and movies would randomly be on. A ton of our favorites. It's like a blast from the past. Eerie yet comforting. You know, her birthday is on the 23rd of June and she would've been 3o years old. Unbelievable. It's been almost ten years since she passed. Some days it feels like yesterday and sometimes it feels like forever.

On Friday, I was driving home on the 125 freeway (a very scenic and relaxing route) listening to 90.7, a classical channel, and heard Puccini. It was from the movie A Room With A View. It took me back to her room and to the same spot where I laid next to her feet while we were both laughing at the naked scene. I remember us trying to cover our eyes but still peeking. Things like this keep my heart warm and fuzzy. And I know that these memories will always be with me, tucked away, until one day, it reveals itself.

Another eerie thing happened this weekend. I ran into one of the RTs (respiratory therapist)from Balboa Naval Hospital who had a special relationship with Tess and our family. I spotted Gwen at Pier 1 Imports. I knew it was her and tried to make eye contact. But I don't think she recognized me. Maybe it's because I've put on a pound or two or ten? So anyway, I left the store and walked on to Henry's Market. But the thought was still nagging at me. I wanted to approach her so badly. And then Farley commented, "You should just go up to her, you might not ever see her again." So I did. I went back into the store and said, "You may not remember me but you took care of my sister." And Gwen replied, "Maritess!" We both hugged each other like old friends would and tears just came rushing. So did the memories.