Happy New Years Eve

Today we celebrated the new year with our family friends, the Westerfields.  We have known each other since 2009 (which seems like a life time ago).  Although the kids attend different elementary schools, we make it a point to sign up them up in the same sports league or to meet up.  We feel fortunate to have good family friends that we can depend on.   We had a pasta bar and build your own ice cream sundae (the latter was definitely better) and the kids did an early toast to the new year.  It was a great way to end the year, wouldn't you agree???

Camp Snoopy

Our Christmas gift to the kids was a trip to Knotts Berry Farm.  It was a crazy mad house, packed with too many people, but the kids had a great time. Funny enough, our children were the only ones dressed in appropriate gear with Snoopy!  All the other kids were dressed in Disney clothing!  No respect, Blockheads!  The older half (Kaitlyn, Noah, and Micah) braved the roller coaster, Jaguar, and waited 90 minutes for 30 seconds of fast, terrifying turns and twists!  I don't foresee a trip back soon, but if we do head back, I wonder if the kids will brave Montezuma's Revenge???

Baby Brady

Welcome to the crazy Christmas Min house, Baby Brady!  He is 7 months old in this picture but wearing size 18 month clothing!  We can't wait till you're stomping around next year!  What will that be like???

Merry Christmas

This Christmas we had a delicious holiday meal consisting of my Mom's rib roast, artichoke dip, two types of corn, scalloped potatoes and of course, kimchi. We did miss my sister (who was recovering from surgery in DC with her in-laws) but we were overjoyed to see my cousin and her baby, Brady.  I was holed up in another room with a cold that I could not shake (did not want to be near that precious baby) so it was a lonely Charlie Brown kind of Christmas for me.  I did watch the kids open their  gifts as they received many more toys than they needed from "Santa Billy." My favorite part of the evening was when we face-timed with Kelly and her hubby, Zack, who got to watch all the madness.  What will Christmas bring next year???

Chanukah- Night 7

Three nights of Chanukah in a row is a lot but Cousin Seth was in town so we had to celebrate with him and friends!  We kept the menu short and easy and enjoyed the largest game of dreidel we have had yet (15 people).  The kids had a blast and it was fun hosting!  I don't know when we will host an event again this large, so this will do for the rest of the year!  When is Chanukah in 2015???

Chanukah- Night 6

Tonight we headed to Bubbe's where we spent a lovely evening with relatives from out of town (GA and Seth) and some of Bubbe's friends.  The kids loved going over to celebrate and instead of a rousing game of Dreidel the boys settled for a game of Monopoly.  They really enjoyed the food, the company, and the attention!  When will we see everyone again???

Chanukah- Night 5

Happy Chanukah!  The tradition of the Smith-Shields celebration took a break this year because K had surgery (he's recovering well).  So, the game of dreidel lives on with Grandpa, Grandma, and another childhood friend, Doug, and his family.  The kids had a great time playing with G and we enjoyed each other's company over matzo ball soup and yummy latkes!  When will we celebrate with them again???

Candles By Noah

Noah's gift to us was a candle that he made at school along with this piece of poetry.  Isn't this beautifully written????

Winter Concert- Orange Cluster

Noah's class sang two songs:  Let's Go Fly A Kite made famous by Mary Poppins and Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland.  It was really beautiful listening to the kids sing these songs.  I wonder what they will sing next year???

Winter concert- Silver Cluster

Micah's class sang two songs:  Frank Sinatra's High Hopes and The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell.  It was really beautiful listening to the kids sing these songs.  I wonder what they will sing next year???

LACMA

Today we ventured to LACMA to see the Children's Animation Show.  It was okay... definitely not as good as the one that Redcat produces but it was interesting nonetheless.  The boys enjoyed going to the exhibit, Samurai, and of course they enjoyed Korean brush painting at the Boone Gallery.  When will we head back to LACMA???

Father and son

Here they are at a hip cafe in Midcity, Paper or Plastik.  These two are alike in many ways from the clothing brand they wear (as seen here) to the pastries they enjoy eating and a lot in between.  Noah has the best role model to look up to... someone who sees beauty in a world of chaos, is patient in a city of non-stop motion (except in parking lots at the Grove right before Christmas), and loving to his family.  I hope Noah turns out to be just like his Daddy with a little Mommy thrown in, to keep it interesting!  What will Noah be like in 20 years???

Toy sorting

For the past four years we have been giving our time to help kids in need of cheer over the holiday season.  It started at 9 AM this morning in the FOX Studio warehouse, where we sorted hundreds of toys that would be shipped to kids in need.  Micah and Noah opened bags and sorted them by gender and age and then helped count them to go to specific charities.  They did a great job!  What else can we do to help???

Handball Champ

I had no idea that there was such a thing as a Handball Champ, but at Open School there is! Noah competed in a grueling match against kids between first and third grade and he came out the victor.  He was very proud of his achievement because his rival, S, is "very good." When they announced Noah's name on the PA system at school, Noah told me he was "famous."  What will he attempt to do next????

Happy Birthday Halmoni

Happy Birthday to my mom... she loves being Halmoni to these five precious kids.  Wonder what she wished for???

Christmas is around the corner

This year is going by so fast... here is Noah and Kaitlyn finally old enough (and interested enough) to handle all the fragile Lenox ornaments on the tree.  These two are so close and really enjoy each other's company.  Decorating the tree is great fun and I hope that they will always remember these special times.  What will we do with the kids this year???

KJM

Girl's Night

The mamas from the co-op like to go out very few weeks to have dinner and catch up.  Tonight we went to hinoki and the bird.  It was just as yummy as the time I went with Jawsh.  Where will we meet up next???

Minecraft Lego

Noah loves lego sets and right now his new obsession is Minecraft.  For his birthday, Jawsh bought him the Ender Dragon set.  I thought that his birthday party was his present but that is why Noah has two parents... one needs to be there to spoil a bit right?  Noah was super excited and now has his Minecraft lego displayed on his shelf.  Little does he know that Bubbe has something up her sleeve as well.  How will Noah react when he sees what's in store for him???

Gobble gobble

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at our home.  Just like last year, I followed Barefoot Contessa's menu.  The stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and veggies were great but the turkey gave me some trouble this year.  Note to self: next year make sure I brine!  It was a nice time to enjoy our family and to be thankful for one another.  Will we celebrate Thanksgiving at our home again next year???

Happy Born Day Noah

Again, Happy Birthday to the best 8 year old named Noah Min Smith.  He's such a great kid and we love him so much.  You can see by the look on his face that he is going to enjoy his birthday doughnut and milk.  How did time go by so fast???

$avings

The boys opened up savings accounts today at California Credit Union.  They were really excited at first but the wait to  see a representative took over and by the time they opened up their accounts they were less enthused.  But I think they are going to enjoy depositing holiday and birthday money into their accounts... we shall see, right???

Lunch date

It's nice that the kids and I follow the same school schedule because when they are off, so am I. Unfortunately, Jawsh's schedule does not work that way but we always try to make it to Venice to have lunch with Daddy.  We picked up some food and headed out to Daddy's work where we ate near Venice beach.  The kids ate and ran around the structure and Jawsh and I got to hang out mid-day and relax.  It goes by too quickly and before we know it we have to say goodbye... but the boys love it when we have lunch with Daddy.  When will we meet up again???

Min-craft world

Happy Birthday Noah!  Other than the Minecraft world, Noah likes to be in the Min world where there is plenty of running, screaming, and jumping at Halmoni's house.  Here you can see Emma and her cute Pikachu hat, Micah putting his brother in a headlock, Kaitlyn sitting too close to Noah, and Liam actually looking normal and keeping his shirt down.  The kids love to be with one another and we are really blessed that they all get along.  When will we see them again???

8

Happy 8th Birthday to Noah.  We headed to the new Rolling Robots in West LA where Noah had a virtual party with his friends playing Minecraft.  The creative and building aspects of Minecraft allow players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D generated world where they can also explore, gather resources, craft, and combat.  The kids had a great time learning about texture packs and doing different things on the laptops.  Afterwards, we walked across the street and had lunch at Islands.  Noah had a great time.  Can you believe he is already 8????

Camping

I have said this before and I will say it again...  being part of a co-op allows you to develop deep friendships with people who help raise your kids.  We have stayed in touch with a lot of our co-op friends and their kids even though everyone has spread out to different elementary schools throughout LA.  We make an effort to get everyone back together and this time we were at a group site at Leo Carillo Camp Grounds.  It was wonderful meeting up with our old friends, catching up, drinking by the fire, and eating dinner while the kids ran around the mountains wielding foam light sabers and imaginary bow and arrows made from sticks they found on the ground.  It was really a nice time.  When are we going camping again???

Hi Cousin Leo

This weekend our cousins from the Bay came to play in the LA sun.  We had a great dinner at our place last night and today we headed to Beverly Hills to swim with them for a bit.  Here is Leo with his great smile.  When will we see them again???

Happy Halloween

The boys insisted... they had to be Storm Troopers.  I personally did not like the idea of the Dark Side so we compromised.  I told them they could dress up as Storm Troopers if they were really Luke and Han Solo inside the costumes (reference "Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope" Princess Leia rescue scene).  The boys agreed and Jawsh got on board dressed up as Obiwon Kenobi.  The masks stayed on for about 5 minutes and Jawsh and I found ourselves carrying the masks and their bags of candy while they ran down the street Trick or Treating with friends.  Aren't they a little short to be storm troopers???

Pumpkin

The fruit of his labor...  a sad little pumpkin.  These were from seeds from Noah's pumpkin last year and Jawsh tried to plant them this year.  Unfortunately they were over watered so only one made it.  But next year, we will try it again.  What will we plant next???

Boo

Here we are pumpkin carving (Star Wars themed pumpkins) at our neighbor's Halloween party.  We are really fortunate that we live between two great families that we really like.  They have welcomed our family to the neighborhood and are very kind.  The boys like going over to the K House because they have two older boys with reptiles and a shed where they play video games in the backyard.  When will we go over again???

Korean BBQ

It has been a long standing tradition that Korean BBQ is sold at Open School's Fall Family Festival.  This year, Jawsh represented his Korean family by grilling the kalbi and chicken.  He definitely did a great job because we sold out before all the other food booths!  Will he volunteer next year???

Argentina

Noah is on Team Argentina this year and is viewed by his coaches as a team leader.  He enjoys playing hard and you can often see him giving advice to others on his team like, "don't let them score."  Noah is working on his skills but he has improved from last season where he is now able to have contact with others over the ball.  Will he continue to play after this season???

Micah's on Fire!

This is Micah's second season playing soccer.  This year he is on Team Fire with a lot of preschool friends.  He has made a lot of progress from last year and is now a top scorer on his team.  One game, Micah made 6 goals which was the second best record in the league's 20 year history.  Will Micah be the next Messi???

NHM

Today I had the opportunity to chaperone Micah and two of his buddies on their field trip to the Natural History Museum.  They had a great time going through the exhibits and taking pictures.  We ran into their teachers near the entrance and took a cute photo!  I really appreciate the fact that I can chaperone field trips especially since I am not as involved as I used to be...  where will they go next time???

Waterfalls

Maui To Do List, check two.  We knew that we had to take the boys to see a waterfall but little did we know that we would go as a three car caravan to Twin Falls.  There was a steady rain, which was cold and beautiful at the same time.  We walked slowly to the falls and once there we went in to swim.  The water was very cold but it was worth it!  I really hope the boys remember this experience with fond memories.  I know that when I think back to watching the sunrise at the Grand Canyon, I remember being tired, cranky, cold, and wondering why my parents were making us to do this... I hope my boys will appreciate these experiences more than I did when I was their age.  What will be our next adventure???

3 generations

 

3 generations of Min women.  Beautiful. Breath-taking. Strong. What a wonderful occasion to celebrate.  I love these women in this picture.  What's there not to love???

Kodak moment

This is one of my favorite pictures taken in Maui.  I love this little dimple cheeked boy.  He's a fish in water, loves to boogie board and (tries to) surf, and enjoys swimming.  Will he be the next Kelly Slater???

Wedding

What a wonderful day... 10-12-14.  Congratulations to my sister, Kelly, and her husband, Zack.  The boys loved dressing up in tuxedos and being part of the wedding.  This is probably the nicest we have every looked so we had to take a family picture!  What will be the next big celebration???

Sea turtles

We scratched something off our "Maui To Do List" which was to see sea turtles in the ocean.  This was such a huge item on my list that we drove an hour south to Wailea to find "Turtle Beach."  What we found was a small beach with beautiful coral but no turtles.  Lo and behold, when we returned to our hotel, we saw sea turtles at the beach where we were staying.  In fact, we saw sea turtles everyday after that.  To say it's amazing is an understatement.  The water is so clear and warm(er) that I think this is the only time I will ever snorkel!  What will be the next thing we scratch off the list???

Fun with Uncle Zack

We stayed at the family friendly Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort where there were plenty of activities for the children.  Here they are at the slide by the swimming pool with the newest member of the family, Uncle Zack.  The boys really love Uncle Zack because he spends time with them doing fun things.  I know they will always have these memories and look back at their time in Maui with a great big grin on their faces.  When will be the next big family vacation???

Best coffee

One of my favorite parts of the day was driving over to MauiGrown Coffee.  I loved the smell of the beans and the taste of my Americano.  They are local with a 500 acre estate near Lahaina on the West Maui Mountains with a "seed to cup" philosophy.  We brought some beans back home and I have to admit it doesn't taste the same.  I think I have to go back to Maui to experience this again.  Who wants to go???

Blessed

My parents really love their grandkids.  I never see my parents as happy as when they are with their 5 grandkids.  No matter how crazy, loud, and hectic it can be when they are all together, I can tell that my parents would have it no other way.  A picture says it all, wouldn't you say???

Happy Birthday Bubbe

There is no better place than to celebrate a birthday than Mama's Fish House.  We enjoyed our dinner by the ocean and it was just as I remembered it from our honeymoon.  The food was delicious, the environment was relaxing, and the company was the best!  We loved spending Bubbe's birthday with her and look forward to spending many more together.  Where will we go next year???

Ululani

Three words: Ululani Shave Ice.  Nothing else compares to this treat.  Here we are at the original store in Lahaina, but we managed to visit the other ones as well.  There were so many flavor combinations to choose from and by the end of our trip everyone nailed down a favorite combo.  Jawsh and I enjoyed coconut and pineapple, Bubbe enjoyed chocolate and cherry, and the boys liked every flavor.  When will they open one here in LA???

Coconuts!

After our meal, we hit the road and stopped at the Maui Tropical Plantation to eat fresh coconuts.  The boys enjoyed watching the coconuts being opened and Jawsh enjoyed the coconut milk inside.  Driving down the highway road is pretty spectacular and as we looked around it was picturesque and timeless.  What adventures await???

Yum, saimin!

The five hour flight to Maui was uneventful.  As soon as we landed we grabbed our bags and rental and drove to Da Kitchen!  It was close to the airport, rated highly on yelp, and we sat down in a cool restaurant to enjoy our first meal in Maui.  Noah ordered saimin which is a noodle soup developed in Hawaii which incorporates various foods like ramen (Japanese), mein (Chinese), pancit (Filipino), cabbage (Korean), and sausage (Portuguese) that reflects the diverse group of laborers in the historic plantation days of Hawaii.  That is the amazing thing about food, how it signifies and symbolizes so much.  Noah may not understand the cultural complexities of eating saimin at this point, but as you can see he enjoyed it.  What will be our next Hawaiian dish???

Happy 6th Birthday Micah

Happy 6th Birthday to Micah (9-27-08)!  We celebrated his birthday at Ocean Park Beach with a Spongebob theme.  There were all things Spongebob (his donut, Krabby patties (In N Out burgers), and treasure chests.  The kids had a great time playing near the water but the highlight of the party was the treasure chests that the kids had to find full of Spongebob whistles, candies, and toys.  I can't believe Micah turned 6... where has the time gone???

Happy New Year

This year Noah decided to go into the actual service for Rosh Hashanah whereas Micah chose to go the children services where they read stories, make crafts, and design aspects of this holiday with food.  Here is Micah using blue frosting to represent the water, brown frosting to represent the land, and animal crackers to represent God's creation.  He had a great time and Noah also enjoyed sitting between his dad and grandfather while he listened to the songs of the new year.  What room will Noah choose next year???

Noah's fieldtrip

Noah's class went to the California Science Center for their first field trip of the year.  His teachers are very organized and had a list of questions that the children had to answer in each ecosystem.  Noah was paired with his good friends and I enjoyed walking around the museum with them.  I feel so blessed that Noah has made a nice group of friends and that he loves school.  Where will the next field trip be???

Birthday in the class

Micah celebrated his birthday in class with fresh cut fruit cups.  I only had to make 48 cups (that's a lot of fruit).  It was super sweet to see the class sing Happy Birthday to him and for him to blow out his felt candles.  Afterwards, each child came up to Micah and gave him a compliment which was very cute.  Time is flying by fast, wouldn't you agree???