At our friend’s daughter’s first birthday party, we had the opportunity of taking a mini behind-the-scenes tour of the giraffe pens at the Honolulu Zoo. As you can see in the video, Katrina and Oren got close enough to feed one of them! Oren got a little freaked at the end, but I was proud of her for being so brave. And this is the closest I’ve ever been to a wild animal… well, not counting Oren on a bad day of course. It was a spectacular experience. I recommend checking it out. Oh, I also got to try out Katrina’s school camera, the Nikon D40. Was extremely impressed! See some of my pics below:

Christmas Eve Performance from Valentino Valdez on Vimeo.

What a difference a year makes! Last Christmas, she bolted from the same piano bench. This year, she serenades the family with a couple carols (and one Old MacDonald)! We’re very proud that she overcame her stage fright. Now, if we can turn this into a lucrative singing career…

And here are a few pics from the magical evening. Yes, that’s her holding an infant!