Ms. Hula-Hooper

Dion's mom Thao attended the jump-a-thon at school which also included hula-hoops. Thao took this great photo. Anna is a natural! I can't even keep the hula-hoop on my hips for more than a few revolutions, much less give a smile in the meantime!

Anna is 9

Anna is 9 years old! This year we had a nice dinner at home, I made mac cheese, my mom bought bbq from Stonefire Grill, and Yumi made the cupcakes. She received several gifts, including clothes, clip-on earrings, a watch, a necklace and a lamp for her desk. Her friend "Webby" joined in on the fun, these photos made it on her class journal project.


See Webby hanging from above as we sing, "Happy Birthday". More birthday fun to be posted soon!
Love you Anna!

Julia!

Baby Julia

My niece Baby Julia, born February 19, 8lbs 4oz, 19-1/2" long. These are my two favorite photos from my visit yesterday, what two unique looks! She just makes me smile, look at those cheeks, look at that hair! More photos to follow!

Tet Celebration

My school had its first ever Tet Celebration for Chinese New Year. The event included an overview of the holiday, and dragon dancers for entertainment. Teachers and students came dressed in traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" and had a small parade on the playground. From left to right: me, Hanna, Principal Melissa, Kathie, and Meghan. Kathie was gracious enough to lend us the dresses from her family which includes several sisters! Here's to a memorable day!

Anna and Disney Characters

We went to Goofy's Kitchen for breakfast, as an early, early birthday celebration for Anna. She did a great job posing with all the characters that visited our table!

Mama's "Nabe"

Ooh, what are these three smiling in anticipation of?


Something food-related, not surprisingly. A seafood stew, yum. Even Anna had some noodles! My sisters and I bought my mom this "nabe", or electric hot pot, for Christmas. My mom added some mochi (rice cake) at the tail end of our feast, so tasty.

Surf City Half Marathon

On Sunday, February 7, Steve and I participated in a half-marathon in Huntington Beach. The weather forecast called for rain, yet miraculously the clouds parted and we had a beautiful morning run. Steve and I each ran our personal best times! I ran it in 2:03, Steve ran it in 1:38! To see more detailed result information and photos, click here.

Next race: LA Marathon

Huntington Beach

Yes, the beach in the winter, why not? In the last weekend of January we headed out to Huntington Beach, just a 10 minute drive from our house. This is where Steve and I like to do our long runs, on the path overlooking the waves. On this day there were seagulls to chase, surfers to see, and holes to dig in the sand. We also ate lunch at Ruby's, a nice destination at the end of the pier. Enjoy!

The Best Snow Day, Part 4

Do you see the kiddos in the distance walking our way? For a short glorious time this open expanse was ours...


Sam and Anna brought huge chunks of snow over to us, I guess the snow from the distance was better for throwing at the parents. :)


Adorable! One of my favorite photos of the day.


Sam didn't know we were watching...


But he took a little taste (or two) of the ice.


Let's finish off the trip with some snow angel time.


Yes! Success! It was a wonderful, magical day.