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???