About Us

07/23/10

Our story

We first met in August of 98.  Helen was a CPA working for SGV and was in New Jersey to do an auditing job.  The manager of the company happened to be my father's best friend and so the short story is...  We got introduced.

After 17 years of not seeing the Philippines since I've left at the age of 12, everyone wondered as to why I was suddenly going to visit the Philippines.  Hmmmmm, I had my reasons...;o).  And so,,,the journey began.  I went flying to the other side of the world to see the woman I wanted to marry.

Between our first meeting and to the day we got married, The e-mails didn't stop, then of course theflowers,  the phone bills, and we both went back and forth between New Jersey and the Philippines to see each other.  I was thinking this was turning out to be an expensive love affair.

Then finally, the time has come to propose...  Helen was visiting and staying at her uncle's in New York.  It was July 4th...

...and we had plans to meet up with Mark and Amy to see the fireworks at the rooftop of the condominium building in Mid-town New York City.  But before all that happened, I picked her up at her uncle's so that we can roam around the city for the day.  Of course I was driving towards the city, my mind was spinning 100 miles per hour thinking of where I would propose to her.

 The first thought came as we passed through the Brooklyn Bridge.  Uh haaa!  there is a pedestrian walk on top of the bridge where you can view the water and right below your foot you can see the vehicles passing by...really cool!!!.  Then I said to myself, nope!... not a good idea...because in case my hands are shaking and I drop the ring into the river - that'll be the end of the day.  So then we kept driving into the city and the second thought came...Uh haaaa!, I will propose on top of the World Trade Center.  Then I thought, Naaaa...she's been there before.  Then I thought how about the Empire State Building???  Shook my head and said Naaaaa...That'd be too much of "Sleepless in Seatle".  So finally, we got to the city and parked the car.  Then I thought...  Uh haaa!  Battery Park!...  At the end of Battery Park along the water there is a tower that you can go up to and view the water.  That's where we finally end up as we walk along the water and so that's where I finally proposed and where the July 4th fireworks started!!!
...and finally, the the wedding day...  June 12, 2000 - which by the way is also the Philippine Independence Day.  We got married in San Agustin Cathedral in Intramuros in Manila and had our reception at the Manila Hotel. 

Shortly after our wedding, and trying to hold it as long as possible, Helen left the Philippines to join me in New Jersey.  She also accepted a position with Arthur Andersen (the company that SGV was affiliated with) in New York City.  We lived in our condo at 928 Waterford Dr., Edison, New Jersey until we had our first born.  Patrick Allen was born March 4, 2002.  Our first baby in our first home.

 It didn't take too long before things got a bit too tight in the Condo and so we had to think about a bigger space to move into.

We found a suitable place for little Patrick to run around
and so we moved into our first detached single family home at 15 Ralston Ave., Piscataway, NJ. 

It was a 32 year old house that we ripped apart and renovated to suit our needs.  At that time, Arthur Andersen went down and disappeared like the World Trade Center and so Helen accepted a position with Ernst & Young (a company which SGV became affiliated with) in New York City.  Then an opportunity came along and Helen accepted a position in Vornado Realty Trust.  At that time she was pregnant with AJ.  Of course, we had our second baby in our second home.  AJ was born October 5, 2004.  In the meantime, I had been with K. Hovnanian Homes for 8 years and an offer that I couldn't refuse came along from another builder. 

Beazer Homes USA, Inc. HERE I COME!!!

After a couple of years in our Jersey home, we had to pack up and move again.  This time, to VIRGINIA!The unfortunate thing was, we had to leave our wonderful friends in Jersey.

Our new home:  Manassas, VA.

New home,,, of course new job opportunities for both of us.  Helen accepted a director position for The Mills Corp.

Once again, as of memorial weekend 2007 we are on the move due to Beazer Homes closing all regional offices and placing all the architectural Services into one hub in the Corporate office in Atlanta.  We went to Atlanta, Georgia and spent our memorial weekend to look for our new home.  It seems every time we have a new child - We have a new home.  Well, good thing this is it as far as children goes.  One more and we'll end up living in the Philippines (sa hirap ng buhay... ;o) hahaha)

And that's how we ended up living in Georgia.  Helen is now working for Perma-Fix Environmental Services as a Controller, and I went back doing what I started with at World Financial Group when I joined them in 1995.

Hot-lanta

Our Children and Us

Our Children (part I)

Our Children (part II)

Through the years