Happy Birthday Micah

Happy 11th birthday to Micah!  He woke up to streamers, balloons, and a birthday donut.  Micah is athletic, talented, funny, and smart!  He knows his way around  the city and he is always there to give me a hug.  He is my dimple cheek boy who I love so much.  What will this year bring???

Kona

Kona is so cute.  When I come over, she gets very animated.  In the beginning, she would pee when she saw me because she was so excited and thankfully she no longer does that.  Will she learn any tricks???

Cassia

Happy 41st birthday to me!  We went to Cassia for some good eats.  I love my family so much and so happy that I can celebrate with them.  What will this year bring???

First day of school

Today is the first day of 6th grade for Micah and 7th grade for Noah.  I can't believe that this is Micah’s first day in middle school.  I am hoping that he has a positive day and that he sees some familiar faces.  Noah is excited to see his friends although they have different schedules.  Our imparting words to Noah was to watch out for his brother!  What will today bring???

KCon

The kids had a great time at K-Con with my siblings and mom.  They tried all these new products, ate Korean foods, and spent a lot of time taking pictures with product!  Micah won a special raffle and came home with a golden microphone.  The highlight was seeing Rebel Wilson at the convention.  Will they want to go back next year???

Soul of a Nation

We viewed some thought provoking art at The Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983 showing at The Broad.  It was a celebration of art made by Black artists around issues of race and identity.  We really took some time at Jack Whitten's piece, "Homage to Malcolm" which he created right after his assassination.  I hope that the boys found this intriguing and momentous that this art defined a space for Black artists to express themselves.  I hope that Noah and Micah will also find creative outlets and that this will inspire them.  What will they want to share with the world???

Knotts

We have a few more days before we are back at school and the boys wanted to go to Knotts Berry Farm.  We purchased Fast Lane passes for the boys so they could skip to the front.  By the time Jawsh and I reached the front of Ghostrider, the boys had been on the ride 7 times!  I was not aware that the ride was so fast so I was immediately scared and shocked while on the ride.  I kept thinking that I was a bad mom for allowing my kids to ride this so many times but they were not phased at all.  After the ride, Jawsh and I took it easy and stayed on benches while the boys went on supreme rides.  We did a fun scavenger hunt in Ghost Town and enjoyed decent BBQ.  The boys had  great day and we enjoyed spending time together as a family.  When will we head back???

Duff Cakemix

The kids enjoyed decorating their cupcakes at Duff's Cakes.  The kids made different items and had fun using the fondant.  Will this inspire one of the four to go to culinary school???

Cousin Time

This year, we had Camp Cousins instead of our annual Camp Kaitlyn, as Emma joined this year.  The kids enjoyed going to the pier, hanging out, going to Starbucks, gardening, and much more.  Emma even made up a pseudo personality called "Emilio."  The boys loved spending time with their cousins...  when will we include Liam???

Little Tokyo

Jawsh's work has moved from Marina del Rey to Little Tokyo.  This has added a lot of time to Jawsh's commute but at least he is around interesting restaurants.  We met Jawsh for sushi and then the boys enjoyed eating frozen yogurt, at Bae.  The interesting flavor was the Charcoal Pineapple.  When will we visit Jawsh for lunch next time???

Coronado Hotel

We had a lovely time in San Diego with Bubbe and Uncle Zach.  We enjoyed visiting Coronado Island and walking around The Del.  When will we vacation again???

BBQ

The best times during our SD vacation was dinner.  Sure, it was great walking to the beach and hanging out but we had a great time grilling and eating out front of the house.  It was so much fun.  When will we head back to SD???

Olvera Street

After a great time at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, we walked to Olvera Street afterwards to enjoy some cool treats.  We learned a lot about the history of California.  When will we head back???

14

We went back to the exact spot we were married (7-24-05).  14 years!  We once thought that we would come back to Shutters on the Beach and re-create the moment... eat the same dinner (or get as close as we could) and spend time at the hotel reminiscing about the wedding.  As the boys get older, they are able to tell us stories from our wedding day.  It was a nice way to celebrate our 14th anniversary.  We had a lovely dinner and we enjoyed the view.  When will we return???

Korea

Today we went to Ktown to check out the Korean Museum.  The boys and I had a nice time walking around and then ate noodles for lunch.  We really want to take a trip next year.  Will we take the trip next year???

Cousin love

The cousins have been meeting in Las Vegas since 2012...  8 years of fun in the sun!  The boys look forward to this vacation ever year.  It's amazing how well they all get along.  Will we ever change the summer location???

Blue Man Group

The Blue Man Group was Noah and Micah's first Las Vegas show and boy it did not disappoint. The kids loved the crazy antics, music, and mischief that was created on the stage.  And before the show even started, my name was chosen at random, and was part of an audience participation set.  The audience was prompted to say things like "Kimberly Min, distribute your headache cow through Nevada and you should feel better now."  We thought it was pretty funny.  Will the boys want to go to another Vegas show???

Seven Magic Mountains

We finally did it... we stopped at the Seven Magic Mountains made by Ugo Rondinone!  Comprised of seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than 30 feet high, its burst of color and form against the landscape is pretty special.  It was over 100 degrees and it was a pretty miserable walk to the rocks but once we got there, it was worth it.  It's pretty amazing to see these sculptures up close.   Will we ever stop to visit this site again???

Date night

I love going to Father's Office for a date night with Jawsh.  It's one of the few places close to us that is for adults only.  I have to admit, I enjoy a nice quiet dinner without babies crying and kids complaining!  We like ordering our usual: Organic Beet Salad and Prime Hangar Steak with a Strand 24th Street Pale Ale and Old Fashion.  Yum!  When will we go back???

July 4th Parade

  Since the boys won Western States, they were invited to participate in the Westchester July 4th Parade.  The boys had a great time standing on the  float (with the large inflated soccer ball) waving to their friends.  After they finished, Micah and two teammates had to rush back to the front of the parade to walk with their baseball All Star team!  So Micah had the opportunity to be in the parade twice!  Will Micah remember this great experience?

Maxine Waters

A perk for participating in the Westchester 4th of July Parade is meeting Maxine Waters! She is a US Representative for our congressional district and serving her 15th term in the house.  What an honor to meet her.  Will Micah want to run for office someday???

Morning Walk

Living in Playa Vista affords us beautiful walking paths and pristine landscapes.  We had a nice morning walk as a family.  I wish we would do this more often.  When will take our next family walk???

Summer days

Summer days are the best, wouldn't you say???

All Stars

Micah had an awesome season with his team and was selected to be on the All Star team again!  He had a good time with his friends on the All Star team.  Will he want to continue to play baseball next season???

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Nothing says beautiful acoustical music like the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  We had the opportunity to hear young musicians play in the hall and we had amazing (free) seats!  My hope is that these cultural experiences the boys receive will inspire them to create beauty in the world.  After hearing the music, I wonder if they will they want to learn a new instrument???

Art

After 20 years (yes, we met in 1999), we still like going to art museums and hanging out with one another.  It's always lovely being around Jawsh and an immersive art installation from Yayoi Kusama.  How many more art galleries will we visit in the next 20 years???

Culmination Party

Today was Micah's last hooray with some of his 5th grade friends from elementary school. They had fun watching a movie in the private screening room and playing games afterwards.  Being part of a magnet school means that the kids separate into various middle school programs.  Micah is bummed that he is no longer with his close friend, M, who is attending a different school.  What new friends will Micah make in middle school???

Micah's Culmination

My baby is no longer a baby.  I guess this has been a true statement for some time but now that he has culminated from elementary school and he is heading off to middle school, I really feel this.  Micah had such a wonderful, nurturing, and fun experience in elementary school and I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to be there to witness a lot of it.  I am so proud of the person he is and the person he is becoming.  How will Micah transition into middle school???

Noah- Resident Artist

Noah's middle school has many after school opportunities and we were so thrilled when they offered an art class!  He was selected to be a resident artist and participated in a ten-week session where he worked on painting.  At the end of the semester there was an art show in the library.  Noah was so happy to show three pieces inspired by Robert Oxley.  Isn't his work amazing???

Micah+Kona

Micah loves, loves, loves dogs.  Here he is with Kona.  Isn't this too cute???

Bandette

Jawsh was gifted this awesome electric guitar by his friend who plays in the band, Bandette.  Jawsh has been designing Bandette album covers for years and this was a nice surprise to find in the mail.  Will Jawsh take up guitar lessons???

The Bruin Experiment

The Bruin Experiment was started by UCLA neuroscience students to help young students pursue technological and scientific interests.  Noah had two mentors and studied the effects that video games have on the brain.  He presented his research at UCLA in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom and was judged by UCLA professors.  It was amazing to watch Noah discus his interests and findings.  We were very proud of his efforts and he was awarded an Honorable Mention Prize.  Will Noah want to pursue a career in the sciences???

TED Talk

Back to life in LA...  Micah created a Ted Talk on the Great Barrier Reef.  He worked incredibly hard on his research and that was reflected in his video.  We are so proud of the work that Micah has accomplished at school.  What will he think of middle school???

Liam

I don't even know how to start this post...  it was a freak accident that Liam slipped while playing basketball that led to a major head surgery.  I can't even believe what would have happened and how much our lives would have changed if Liam did not receive the proper care.  We are so blessed that Liam made it through surgery and that he will be okay.  Will this trauma affect him in the future???

Bryant Park

Our last day in New York City was not spent at the MET as planned but outside enjoying the city at Bryant Park.  We literally spent the day sitting, drawing, eating, and playing games.  It felt like we were locals and I loved it.  I loved not having to catch a subway to the next stop and to have to use my maps to get to our next destination.  We had such a lovely time that I look back at this day with great fondness and gratitude for our time spent in the Big Apple.  When will we come back???

Midtown Comics

If I had to search through New York looking for my family, I know where I would go... Midtown Comics.  The boys found their happy sanctuary here.  I thought we were popping in for a few minutes but an hour went by faster than they imagined.  A mecca of comic books, Noah and Micah were happily reading and catching up on series.  We were impressed by the depth and knowledge that the workers also had... when will we come back for a visit???

Word Trade Center

This was one of the more somber times we had this week in New York.  We weren't sure if we were going to come to World Trade Center but we decided that this was just too important to pass up.  It was quiet.  It was sad.  It was frequented by the most officers than we have seen yet.  We were all in awe and in appreciation of all  those that lost their lives in 2001.  A wonderful tradition is to place a rose on the plaque on their birthday.  Happy birthday to Stephen Harrell.  We wonder... we will ever see peace in our life time???

Central Park

I love going to the quiet and still parts of the city and was so happy to spend a leisurely day at Central Park.  We enjoyed walking the paths, seeing the cherry blossoms, visiting Strawberry Fields, and watching the boys make massive bubbles with a Bubbleologist in the park.  It just felt like the right time to visit and to get away from the bustle of the city.  When will we come back for a visit???

Empire State Building

To think that we were going to pass up on this iconic building is crazy to me... but there we were debating if we should wait in line to nature up to The Empire State Building.  Thank goodness we decided to take the plunge!  We went to the 86th floor and enjoyed the sites of the city!  It is a beautiful Art Deco skyscraper with a height of 1,250 feet and stands  total of 1,454 feet tall with the antenna.  The boys seemed like they enjoyed this experience more than the Space Needle in Seattle, although that is only half the height of The Empire State Building.  What iconic structure will we visit next???

Hamilton

Tonight we went to Broadway and watched Hamilton!  It was very exciting to be in the theater where it all started.  Jawsh and I had the opportunity to see it in LA but there was something magical about watching it in this city.  The boys were mesmerized and so thrilled.  They even got to meet the actor who played Hamilton after the theater.  Can anything beat this awesome experience???

Brooklyn

Today we ventured to Brooklyn where we met up with Cam.  We took the metro into Brooklyn and walked back to NYC over the bridge.  The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.  It is one of the oldest roadways and was the world's first steel wire suspension bridge.  It was so beautiful and the weather was just right.  Will we be able to walk across it again this trip???

The Vessel

After lunch in Chelsea, we decided to walk to The Vessel.  It just opened in March so we had to wait for an hour to explore and take in this enormous structure. It is 16 stories and has 154 flights and 2,500 steps.  Since we had been walking the day before and walked through the city earlier, we decided not to venture all the way to the top.  Plus, the strong gales deterred us as well.  It was pretty col to be inside The Vessel.  I wonder if we will ever see a structure like this in LA???

Highline

After our time at the Whitney Museum, we walked up to the Highline to Chelsea Market for lunch.  The Highline is a 1.45 mile long elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan.  There were many interesting art pieces.  There was a chilly wind that met us on our walk, so we definitely walked briskly to Chelsea Market.  I wonder what the rest of the day holds???

Ellis Island

This is a big year for Noah as he starts his Bar Mitzvah studies and we wanted him to appreciate his family history so we thought that we should take him to where it started in America...  Ellis Island.  Jawsh's relatives came to the United States at the turn of the century.  With the help of docents, we were able to read historical documents and learn how relatives came in steerage, which were on the decks and were the lowest fare to cross the Atlantic.  It was amazing to witness the history and to try and comprehend what immigrants went through to make it to this country.  Our hope is that Noah and Micah understand the perseverance and grit that it took for their ancestors to come to this country.  I wonder can anyone really understand their struggle???

Statue of Liberty

Our first full day in New York started early in the morning.  We made our way to Battery Park and took the ferry, Miss Liberty, to Liberty Island.  It was so foggy that I was worried that we were not going to see the Statue of Liberty, but the fog wore off and we enjoyed our time.  We had tickets to go up to the crown so we walked up the 354 steps and a great view of the tablet and the torch!  It was definitely an amazing experience and it makes me excited for the rest of the week.  What else will we do???

NYC

Our first night in the Big Apple.  We ate dinner at Shake Shack and then walked around.  Grand Central Terminal is very close to our hotel so we bought our metro tickets for the week and read about the history of the building.  Afterwards, Micah wanted to eat a pretzel so we grabbed one on our way out.  It is so exciting to be in New York... I wonder what our week will be like???

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my brother, Billy!  He's a great dad, fun uncle, and we're so blessed that the cousins are growing up with one another.  Another birthday in the books!  I wonder what he wished for???

Western State Champions

They came, they saw, and they conquered!  The Blue Jets won Western States!  I can't believe it.  I remember when the Coaches said they would get here and it was a fleeting thought that actually came into fruition!  As team mom, I am super proud of all these boys!  Will they want to return and repeat next year???

Awkward

Noah's word: awkward.  This is an awkward picture most definitely.  As he matures, he is going through the stage where his parents are embarrassing (why, because I kiss his cheek in public?).  He's almost taller than me, he is independent, proud of his 4.0 GPA, juggling after school activities, new friendships, and we are so very proud of him.  What will it be like when he turns 13???

Soccer

The Blue Jets continue on their winning streak...  I can't believe how long this season is going!  They won Regional and now they are headed to State Finals.  Will they come out victorious???