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Summer Gathering 2009
By Jay de Leon
Summertime usually means sweltering weather, the beach, travel, picnics, summer parties, romance, graduations, children’s outings and just all-around merriment. And so it was with the de Leon clan this summer of 2009.
Held at the usual venue, Tracey and Martin’s house in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, the family gathering for the summer had a lot to celebrate and be thankful for, including a birth, birthdays, graduations, new family members (adoptees), and exchange of travel yarns and pasalubongs (gifts upon returning).
Even before the birthdays, we would like to announce the birth of Jayden Jei Narciso to Erwin and Chedeng Narciso on May 26, 2009. Congratulations to the proud parents and we welcome Jayden to the family fold.
The birthday celebrants included the following:
June 26 - Rachel Arneson, 8 yrs.
July 9 - Auntie Lee
July 11 - Tabi Arneson, 9 yrs.
July 13 - Paul Arneson (Brett’s Dad)
July 17 - Pacita de Leon (Grandma), 89 yrs.
July 18 - Martin de Leon, 37 yrs.
July 19 - Cristina Rugprayoon, 61 yrs.
July 27 - Ben (Auntie Judy’s son and Maria’s former adoptee), 21 yrs.
On June 14, 2009, Diana Rae de Leon graduated from UCLA in Los Angeles, California with summa cum laude honors, in the tradition of academic excellence of the de Leons. Proud parents Rey and Gigi de Leon threw a party in her honor at their residence in Woodland Hills, California in the San Fernando Valley on the same day. Relatives on both sides of the family (de Leons and Pagtakhans) jointly celebrated this occasion.
In June 19, 2009, James Ray (JR) de Leon, Diana’s older brother, graduated from a paralegal course at the San Francisco State University with a grade point average of 3.68, garnering honors for this feat. He had earlier graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors’s Degree, cum laude, from the University of San Francisco.
A contingent of de Leons traveled to the Philippines, leaving together on May 18, 2009. This party consisted of Grandma Pacita de Leon, Cris Rugprayoon, Tracey de Leon with children Marissa and Sabrina, and Jay de Leon. Their itinerary covered Manila and much of Northern Luzon including Pangasinan, La Union, Baguio, as well as Bohol in the Visayas. For most of the trip, they were based in the ancestral house in Binmaley, Pangasinan.
Jay de Leon stayed behind a couple of weeks more for business reasons, while the rest journeyed on back home on June 10, 2009. Jay de Leon will be writing a separate article on this particular trip entitled Philippine Odyssey 2009.
On July 3, 2009, James and Diana de Leon left for their Paris trip. While they left together, it appears they have different itineraries and return dates. James is with girl friend Leanna, while Diana is travelling with friend Bekkah. Reports of the escapades are still skimpy at press time, and pictures are slow to come in. Updates will be provided hopefully in forthcoming gathering articles.
I have already written about Rey and Gigi de Leon’s road trip to points south in my previous article on the last gathering. However, I am revisiting this trip, and this part of the country, because there are left-over pictures from the trip worth posting. For example, in Greer, South Carolina, there is a BMW manufacturing plant which also gives “performance” driving lessons.
A proud owner of several BMW performance cars, Rey took and completed their performance driving lesson. For those who may not know this, Rey has always been a car enthusiast, and, as a college student, was a member of the Auto Racing Association of the Philippines (ARAP), participating with many Ateneo friends as marshals, timers and race officials in numerous racing and cross-country car rallies across the Philippines.
One of their stops this year also included Sturgis, South Dakota. The town of Sturgis is home for the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which started in 1938 with 9 motorcycle riders. It is now one of the biggest, if not the biggest motorcycle rally in the nation.
After four years of taking care of her, Maria and Brett Arneson signed official papers to adopt Tabitha, more affectionately known as Tabi. Congratulations to Maria and Brett, and an official family welcome to Tabi, whom the de Leons have accepted, treated and loved as a family member from the beginning, anyway. We love you, Tabi.
Until the next gathering…
Diana de Leon’s UCLA Graduation, Los Angeles,
June 2009
Diana Rae de Leon with proud father Rey
Diana, you are supposed to switch the position of the tassel,
and not…never mind.
James Ray Graduation, San Francisco State U, San Francisco
July 2009
Flashback Feature:
On December, 2006, James Ray de Leon graduated from the University
of San Francisco, in San Francisco, California, with cum laude honors,
in the true tradition of the de Leon family. From left to right,
Diana Rae, Rey, James Ray and Gigi de Leon.
Flashback Feature:
Sometime ago, Michael Long graduated from Mission Viejo
High School, in Mission Viejo, Orange County, California.
Pictured here during his graduation party are Michael and
proud sister Paulina de Leon.
The Badlands and one Bad-Ass Revisited
Rey de Leon and friend in Keystone, South Dakota.
Main Street, Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota. Just to give you an idea, this is what Sturgis
looks like during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Greer, South Carolina
Greer, South Carolina
Greer, South Carolina
Greer, South Carolina
Greer, South Carolina
The Philippines, May 18 - June 24, 2009
On a warm sunny day on June 6, 2009, the Spanish expedition led by Don Adolfo Pallorina de Leon y Rovillos, in blue armor with sandals (with crew members Dona Pacita Pallorina, Dona Maria Cristina de Leon, Dona Teresa de Leon y Narciso, and senorita Marissa and senorita Sabrina de Leon y Narciso) met up with Adelantado Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Panglao, Bohol, to witness the blood compact with datu Sikatuna. On closer look, this crew from Binmaley, Pangasinan looks more like Chinese junk pirates under the command of the corsair Limahong (right, inset) than Spanish men at arms. Wait, did you say corsair, or tarsier?
Marissa, Sabrina and Tracey de Leon at the Covelandia Resort
in Labrador, Pangasinan.
Baguio City, Mountain Provinc
Cris Rugprayoon, Pacita and Jay de Leon at the Casino
in Taal, Cavite.
A full account of this trip with numerous accompanying photos entitled Philippine Odyssey 2009 is available in one of my websites.
Rachel’s Birthday Party
Happy 8th Birthday, Rachel.
Tabi, Emily, Rachel, Nicole, and Nataline
Kimmy just proclaimed, yo, yo, yo, I am the princess here.
Paris, France
July 3 - 26, 2009
James, Leanna, Bekkah and Diana at LAX departure on July 3, 2009.
James and Leanna off to gay Paree, city of romance. Ah, to be young
and foolish and in love, and with enough money to go traipsing
in Europe. When I was that age, the farthest I got was Taal Volcano.
Mama grizzly not going anywhere either except the San Fernando Valley…
Summer Gathering
July 12, 2009
Martin de Leon, Nancy and Leo de Leon, Al de Leon, Ken Rugprayoon,
Cris Rugprayoon, Pacita de Leon, Tabi Arneson, Rachel Arneson,
Jay de Leon, Rey de Leon, Kimmy and Maria Arneson (from left to right)
in Granada Hills, CA on July 12, 2009.
Grandma and 6 siblings, from left to right, Leo, Al, Cris, Grandma, Maria, Jay
and Rey.
Flashback feature. This could be one of the oldest group pictures around.
This was taken in the very early 1900’s, at Leo’s backyard, when everybody
still had a spouse. As of 2009, while everybody is still alive, the first couple
on the front left (Jennifer and Jay) have divorced a while back.
Rest in Peace
Celebrities Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett Majors died during this period. A Luxid
also passed away in June, while I was in the Philippines. After a lingering illness, Johnny Salientes passed on to His Creator. He was an Honors Section classmate, a friend, a scholar, a family man and a gentle person. I want to thank classmate Roman Azanza for stopping by my table with Johnny on their way home after the raucous 2007 Ateneo de Manila reunion at the covered courts in Loyola Heights, Quezon City. I kissed Johnny on the cheek goodbye, hoping then it would not be our final goodbye. Ave atque vale, Johnny.
Johnny Salientes with loving wife Raquel at the Ateneo
Luxid reunion in Las Vegas, NV.
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