January 2006: I am going to be an aunt again. Yep, that's right, I will be Aunt Veen for the 4th time sometime in August. My brother asked me how I felt about having another niece or nephew. I had to give him a hard time so I told him that I suppose I could do with another. He knew I was kidding though because I love all 3 of my nephews & nieces & would love to have another to spoil rotten. My wallet will be even more depleted, but hey, what are aunts for if not to spoil their nieces & nephews rotten then send them back to their parents?

Kori Rose Robertson was born into this world on August 27, 2006. She is a beautiful little girl - what a lucky aunt I am!

I was born in the Philippines, but adopted by an American family when I was a year old and brought to the U.S., hence the Scottish last name and English first name. I had a normal, happy childhood growing up in a small town outside of Chico, CA.

College life at Chico State was everything you've probably heard about in the news (and maybe read about in Playboy, if you're so inclined), but it was also much, much more. Yes I partied my ass off, had long mornings trying to get through classes without falling asleep, had all night cramming sessions the night before tests because I had been too busy partying to study earlier; but I also managed to graduate in May '98 with a pretty decent GPA and without having a hangover at the ceremony. Getting my B.A. in English was actually incidental though (and a lot of hard work!), the important parts of college were the friends I made, the experiences we shared, and the memories we created along the way. Because Chico is such a small town, the university is really the center of the town. This creates a nice, cozy atmosphere amongst its students and I think people find it easier to meet people and get to know each other in such a place.

Of course partying and making friends weren't the only part of my college experiences. My family were the ones who helped me through everything, good and bad, that college brings. They've always been there for me and always will. I used to spend a lot of time with them before I graduated and moved. Unfortunately though I can't be with them as much as I would like since they all live around Chico or in Oregon. My immediate family consists of my Mom and my stepdad Curtis; my brother Robert and his four children: Kameron, Emilie, Caleb, Kori; and Robert's wife Patty. I love them all so much and I miss them like crazy now that we're so far away from each other.

I never knew much about my Filipino heritage until my junior year of college when I met some fellow Pinoys in my old apartment complex (I miss Reagan Place! =) while still in school at Chico State and they got me to join their Filipino club, FASO (Filipino American Student Organization). Joining FASO was probably one of the best things I've ever done. In a roundabout way, FASO even gave me the chance to meet my husband John, who happens to be Filipino. I learned about the culture, got a serious taste for the food (like beef kaldareta and chicken adobo), learned a few words in Tagolog, and finally found some people who look like me! There weren't many in the town I grew up in. More importantly though, FASO provided me with a circle of life-long friends. We had some great times in college and are still friends and hang out together here in the Bay, as most of us live here now.

I'm now a happily-married woman, as of April 26, 2003. Being married hasn't changed my life drastically, but it makes for a more stable, secure relationship. I'm also an aunt again. My beautiful new niece, Kori Rose Robertson, was born to my brother Robert & my sister-in-law Patty in August 2006.

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