MinaG

El Dorado with Anna's Friends

2012-02-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

I took Anna's Girl Scout Troop to the El Dorado Nature Center. We opted for the two mile hike, and we all enjoyed the outdoor scenery as well as the nature center. I gave them some personal space so they could feel like they were leading the way vs. having an adult shadowing them everywhere. If I were a fifth grader, I would like to have this group of girls as my friends. :)

Best Potential Runner

2012-01-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

We attended Anna's awards banquet for her track team. Among other awards, she received the "Best Potential Runner" out of more than 100 teammates. It was such a well-deserved reward, and a proud moment in time, one I won't soon forget.

Pinkberry After Lunch

2012-01-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

Blood Orange Flavor :)

Firefighter Classroom Visit

2012-01-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the month my second grade class had the privilege to listen to classmate Alijah's dad speak about his job as a firefighter. He even brought his complete uniform and gear and let the kids try on his jacket and helmet. The complete uniform weighs more than 50 pounds! His 45-minute visit went by so quickly, the kids were engaged and it inspired more than a few students to declare they wanted to become a firefighter when they grow up.

Visit with Jen!

2012-01-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

This Will Be Dangerous...

2012-01-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

10 minutes away from home...

New Year's Snapshots

2012-01-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

Anna's art from one year ago (Lilu, my mom, Yumi, and my dad... I love this picture!)

Anna and Lilu

Some of the tasty dishes my mom prepared for New Year's breakfast

Sam's 7th Birthday

2012-01-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Sam's birthday mid-morning on his special day. It was a Star Wars, Lego, and Ugly Doll themed party. Yumi picked up special balloons and Rob made a lego cake. Each of the three blocks had a different color frosting as well as a different flavor cake inside. Being the architect that he is, Rob's cake had perfect dimensions. Sam really enjoyed his day and loved all his presents. Thank you so much!

Mama Cozza's

2011-12-31T21:29:00.000-08:00

Our family got hooked on The Next Iron Chef and became more familiar with the stars on the Food Network channel. So for Christmas Steve gave me an Alton Brown cookbook, along with the promise of going to restaurants that have been featured on tv. We'll aim for the end of each month on payday! So we ended the year by dining at Mama Cozza's in Anaheim. Anna ordered pizza, Sam had rigatoni, I had pasta with Domery (red clam) sauce and Steve had the Chicken Pisano. Tasty! It was a fun way to spend the last day of 2011.

The Beach in Winter

2011-12-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

After Christmas at the Long Beach Aquarium

2011-12-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day: Mama's Photos

2011-12-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day: Mina's Photos

2011-12-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

"Oh Christmas Tree(s)..."

2011-12-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, these mini-trees have something to do with our bathroom remodels... I realized how accommodating the family was to my choosy ways in terms of picking out tile, fixtures, etc. and asking them for their opinion over and over again, when the process could have been a little more time-efficient. So when it came time to picking out a Christmas tree, I had flashbacks of the kids looking at each tree that I would have Steve drag out from several stacks, and hold up, one after another, for our perusal. It would be at least a 30 minute process each year. So this year, once we arrived at Lowe's tree lot, I told the kids that they could pick out any tree, and I would not interfere. They looked at me with disbelief, and went off... and within a minute, they spotted a miniature tree and said they wanted it. I said repeatedly, are you sure? Are you sure? They said, "Yes, it's so cute."
Well, ok... so let's make it unique and get another tree, one for each of you. So, there you go.

San Francisco: The Palace Hotel

2011-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

After the Hyatt we strolled over to the Palace Hotel where they had a gingerbread house display. I had the girls pose in front of the tea room, which I overheard a guest describe as "of the most beautiful rooms in the city". Seeing the holiday decor got us in a festive mood, and was a nice way to end our visit up north.

San Francisco: The Ferry Building and the Hyatt

2011-12-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

During our visit up north, we went into the city for the day via BART train. After had lunch at Gott's we strolled to the Hyatt to look at the Christmas decorations.

Ice Skaters

2011-12-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

Anna and Lily braving the crowds and doing splendidly at the Walnut Creek winter ice skating rink.

Jean, Lou, and Betsy

2011-12-22T21:50:00.000-08:00

While we were in Walnut Creek, we had a lovely visit with Jean and Lou, and Betsy. They have all known Steve since he was a child. Now he (we) has kids of his own. :)

Walnut Creek Winter

2011-12-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

We had a fun visit with relatives during the winter break. This photo came out pretty good using the camera timer.

Sam's School Party

2011-12-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

What a cute activity for the class party, a special photo with props!

Legoland Christmas

2011-12-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

Kim and Mark's family took a trip down to San Diego and we met up with them at Legoland for the day. It was a very fun way to start our winter break! Enjoy the photos.

2011 Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships

2011-12-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Anna participated in the 2011 USATF Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships in South Carolina. Steve and Anna traveled to Myrtle Beach and spent three nights there. This event was a culmination of 3-4 workouts a week, several cross-country meets, and various awards and achievements along the way during the season. She placed 34th out of 204 girls in her age bracket after running the 1.8 mile course in 11:58 (she ran the first mile in 6:20), and her team won the national championship. It is amazing to think Anna competed against girls from all around the country, who also went through a major process to qualify for this run. Steve and Anna had a memorable time, and we are so proud of our girl!

Nov/Dec Random

2011-12-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

Sam dressed up for Thanksgiving, far right...

Steve, Julia and Anna enjoying the backyard...

Cousins holding hands...

Anna looking pretty...

The "kids" table at Thanksgiving...

Mari and Rob posing with the dinner...

The tree at South Coast Plaza.

Cross-Country Team at Disneyland

2011-12-10T21:46:00.000-08:00

Ashling's mom works at Disneyland, and signed all the teammates in for a fun day at the parks. The highlights included going on Tower of Terror, trading pins from special lanyards provided for them, and watching the fireworks and the snow at night. It was a great bonding experience before their event in South Carolina.

Legoland with Sam

2011-12-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

During Thanksgiving break, Steve and I took Sam to Legoland while Anna had some special time with her cross-country friends. Sam was especially excited to see the new Star Wars miniland exhibit. Since building with legos is his new hobby, this outing was extra fun for him.

Black Friday

2011-12-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

I have never gone shopping on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The stories of crowds and chaos always intimidated me. I remember Steve going shopping on Black Friday years ago, before Sam was born I think, he bought some electronics at Best Buy but had to wake up super early to line up. Perhaps he didn't even go to sleep that night and just went out at midnight. At any case, Yumi and my mom have made it a tradition to go shopping on Black Friday, in a more leisurely, civilized way, with breakfast in the morning and hitting specific shops along the way. Anna even went last year and had a lot of fun. She convinced me to go and it wasn't until the 11th hour that I confirmed. Well, I had nothing to fear, we went out to breakfast at Ruby's in Crystal Court, no crowds there. Then we went to Claire's where Anna found some super deals on accessories for her friends. My mom and Yumi hit some clothing stores, I bought some pancake mix and jam at Macy's. The biggest score for me was my $20 H&M winter jacket. Afterward we went to Kula Sushi, I had the biggest stack, yes! I think this might become the girls' tradition, me included.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

A preview of our Christmas photo!

Turkey Trot in Dana Point

2011-11-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

"Turkey Trots" are held in various cities on Thanksgiving Day. The idea is to run in the morning to give your stomachs all the more space for that tasty dinner later on. Anna and I participated in the Dana Point Turkey Trot, while Sam and Steve cheered us on. Anna and I lined up together at the starting point but once we started running, she left me in the dust. You can see her running with the fast guys while I jogged to the end of the 5k distance. Fun times!

Roger's Gardens

2011-11-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

Every so often there's a place that I want to visit that the rest of the family might moan and groan at the thought of going (basically I have to drag them there), but it ends up being a lot of fun. Case in point: Roger's Gardens is a nursery center in Newport Beach that sells gorgeous plants and has beautiful Christmas decor this time of the year. They were also selling the tallest Christmas trees... Look at everyone's faces, didn't it look like we had fun? ;)

Star Wars at the Discovery Science Museum

2011-11-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

We are all Star Wars fans. We've recently watched several of the movies. Sam collects the Star Wars Lego mini figures, and loves reading about Star Wars in kids' books. We also enjoy playing the Star Wars Wii game. So we had to check out the new exhibit at the local museum, featuring memorabilia from the movie sets. There were also lots of interactive displays, including manipulating a virtual spaceport, and constructing a magnetic hovercraft. A couple things I noted: Chewbacca is very, very tall! And the model of the Millennium Falcon is very detailed. We all enjoyed the Star Wars exhibit.

El Dorado Nature Center

2011-11-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

I watched Gabbi and Olivia for a day when their brother Seth was having surgery. We went to the El Dorado Nature Center and park for a one-mile hike. After we picked up Anna and Sam, they played games and ate fried rice and sweet potato soup. Sam and Olivia couldn't resist getting dressed up in their Halloween costumes before the day was done.

Fall Random

2011-11-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

Yumi and Anna are about the same height!...

Anna participates in Cheer Clinic at school...

Mari and Julia wait to eat honey walnut shrimp at one of our favorite local Chinese restaurants...

Anna runs back home after catching the mailman to deliver freshly-written letters...

Julia dresses as Hello Kitty...

The Star Wars Death Star at the Lego Store on a 3-D video display...

Big smiles at Grandma's house...

Sam and friend Noah at the Harvest Festival...

Sabrina, Natalie and Anna enjoying the Harvest Festival as well...

Yumi and I enjoying Buzz Lightyear, my last trip to Disneyland before my pass expired.

Bathroom Remodel #2: Master

2011-11-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of our master bath before the remodel.

The window was a full-length frosted glass one, showering and bathing never felt too comfortable. This bathroom would trap a lot of heat. The bathtub was wide and spacious but to fill would take forever and halfway up the water would turn permanently tepid. Also, we had a peeling, corroding bathtub, and leaking issues which made this a remodel must-do.

Upon demolition, there was a lot of wood rot damage behind the tiling and walls. We couldn't wait to see the progress on this bathroom.

We wanted a natural color scheme for this one, and Steve especially liked the slate.

In went the bathtub, a few inches deeper than the hallway bathtub which makes it a soaker tub, and the slate tiles. The slate, a natural stone, had to be treated with a protective coating which will last for five years and then will need to be reapplied. Dan picked out this new smaller slider window with frosted glass.

Toto toilet (I had to get in a photo of this "one piece", check it out), ceramic tile flooring (same as hallway bath), bronze Danze fixtures.

Here is the master bath/toilet area. Dan put in a shelf with the extra granite from the slab, and also trimmed the window area with it.

Here is a photo of the rain shower head. We are still waiting for the hand-held shower head to be delivered.

The vanity area of the master bath is like a different room to me, in a good way. The granite is still the same, and the tile flooring flows, but the cabinet has a bold cherry finish, and the light fixture is unique to the space. The vanity had to be custom made and it was made at a better height than the previous one. We were able to "recycle" the mirror which was in good shape and was the perfect size.

A closer look, I like the bronze fixtures.

While we are still waiting for the hand-held shower part and hallway shower bar, we couldn't be more pleased with the quality of work in a short amount of time. Both bathrooms were finished in about a month. The whole family is so happy with this remodeling project!

Bathroom Remodel #1: Hallway

2011-11-10T21:47:00.000-08:00

We knew we had to eventually remodel both bathrooms in our house, sooner or later. Our house was built in the early 70's, and the original fixtures existed, until now. The most that had been done to this hallway bathroom was a tub refinishing by the previous owner (which had been gradually starting to peel), and linoleum tile on top of the old linoleum. The grout was constantly peeling and there was a super slow leak around the toilet. Time to bite the bullet... here is a picture of the hallway bathroom before the demolition.

We found Dan to remodel our bathrooms. He did our neighbor's kitchen and came highly recommended.

My preconception of doing a remodel was, look at some photos online and in magazines, and swiftly move forth from there. But it was a process, choosing tile, granite, fixtures, the toilets... very involved, and at the end, very rewarding and worthwhile. Let's just say I surprised myself with how particular I was with all the details! The family endured many trips to many stores and warehouses.

Dan came with us to pick out a granite slab for the sinks for both bathrooms, and the tub shelf for the master.

Yumi came with me to pick out a light fixture from Lowe's.

In goes the new tub, the tile, and the soap and shampoo dishes.

There is the vanity with the granite we picked out from the warehouse, which Dan carefully cut down to size.

Finished result! Toto toilet, shower rod and curtain from Target.

Other view: Danze fixtures, and cabinet knobs from Anthropologie.

Mt. Sac

2011-11-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Last month, Anna participated in the Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational. She ran against 110 fifth grade girls on a 1.2 mile course. She came in 5th place! The whole family enjoyed watching Anna run.

Mama's

2011-11-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

Rob took this photo with his new iPhone, using an app that makes instant postcards.

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

Anna and Sam were excited to go trick-or-treating this year. In the past they were content with the activities at the Harvest Festival, then passing out candy to the kids who came by the house. This year, we purchased costumes early in the month, Anna chose a "punk pixie" (a glittery fairy) and Sam picked Boba Fett from Star Wars. They dressed up more than a few times in their costumes before the big day, and their anticipation just grew until the end of the month. On Halloween, Anna's friend Sabrina came along, and Yumi and I couldn't help but get dressed up as well. (Yumi scared more than a few passer-bys, and not just the children.)

Even though the kids just went trick-or-treating in our own neighborhood for a couple of blocks, they received lots of treats including a light saber for Sam and a bright sparkly bracelet for Anna. We are trying to limit Anna and Sam's candy intake to two small pieces a day. It reminds me of when we were younger and my mom would keep our pumpkin baskets on a top shelf. She would let us have one or two pieces a day, and the Halloween candy would last almost all year!

Family Pumpkins

2011-10-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

Can you guess whose is whose? Happy Halloween!

Tanaka Farms 2011

2011-10-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual trip to Tanaka Farms this past Sunday. For the first time, we went through the corn maze, which was a lot of fun after realizing there are few, if any, wrong turns. (I get a little fearful of being left behind in mazes such as this.) We each picked out a pumpkin, I think this was the first time I chose one. Not surprisingly, everyone else used their time efficiently while it took me the longest.

Irvine Regional Park

2011-10-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

We spent a fun afternoon at Irvine Park. We went to the Orange County Zoo located within the park and had a close encounter with a big brown bear. We also rented a canopy bike. Despite what the photos show, Steve and Anna did all the pedaling while I sat between them, and Sam sat in the front. We ended the day with some frozen treats. Fun times!

Sam and Mom

2011-10-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

At South Coast Plaza in front of the Hello Kitty can display...

And snuggling with his favorite blue blanket. :)

Room 9

2011-10-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

This was my last day teaching this group of kids. I am going to miss them.

Mowing the Lawn

2011-10-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

We have an old-fashioned lawn mower, no gasoline, no electricity, runs on pure human strength. Steve made it look so fun that the kids wanted to try it out too.

Anniversary Dinner

2011-09-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our anniversary, Steve and I went to Katsuya in Laguna Beach. Our order included a special five-course wine pairing menu, which coincided with OC Wine Week. Katsuya was a sleek, gorgeous restaurant with wonderful service, and the food tasted as good as it looked. Happy Anniversary Steve!

15 Years

2011-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

15 years of marriage!

First Day of School

2011-09-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

It has been so busy since school has started. Anna and Sam were so excited and happy on the first day of school! Anna has been so helpful with helping Sam pick out his clothes in the morning and packing lunches. They are both happy with their teachers and being with friends.

Teeter Totter Fun

2011-09-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Various Summer Snapshots

2011-09-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Pizza at Oggi's in San Diego...

Snuggling with Mari, tee hee...

Anna and Brookie at VBS...

A library outing while Anna was at Junior Camp...

Exploring the OCMA...

And more exploring...

Beach fun...

Posing for the iPhone...

Restaurant Week at La Cave with Yumi...

Anna and Sam writing letters to family and friends...

And waiting around for us at Bedrosians in the play area, while we pick out tile for the bathroom remodels!

Brielle's 6th

2011-09-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

On Labor Day weekend we went to Mission Viejo Lake to celebrate Brielle's 6th birthday. When I heard "lake" I thought there might be some wading and fishing opportunities, instead there's this private-like mini beach. Since my friend Anne lives in the vicinity, they have access to this wonderful hot spot. Steve and the kids went to a nearby Target to pick up some swimsuits so they could enjoy the calm waters. Anne told me that this man-made lake is stocked with fish in the fall and spring, I hope we can join them to reel some in. Thanks for a great day!

Hula Girls

2011-09-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Taken at Audrey's birthday party last month, in HB

Yogurtland

2011-09-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, summer seems so long ago! This was taken at the end of August, we enjoyed yogurt in Sanrio cups with caricature spoons!

Yosemite Part 6: Day 3, Drive Home

2011-09-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

On the way home Sam got very carsick. The gingersnaps didn't do the trick, we had to stop several times on the windy road when leaving Yosemite. I decided to sit in the back seat with the kids to comfort Sam and distract him from his tummyache. The sillies got to us and we had fun taking photos with the iPhone. Enjoy!

Yosemite Part 5: Day 3, Bridalveil Falls, Mariposa Grove

2011-09-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

On the last day of our trip we drove to Bridalveil Falls and went for a short hike to the waterfall. We then drove back to Curry Village, packed up our belongings and drove to the entrance of the park, and caught a shuttle bus to Mariposa Grove. You can barely spot us at the foot of the "Grizzly Giant" Sequoia Tree. Lots of people were also posing for photos next to the California Tunnel Tree. The grove is extensive, yet we only hiked a small portion of it, knowing we had a long drive home. Going to Yosemite was an excellent trip and we can't wait to go back again.

Yosemite Part 4: Day 2, Yosemite Valley Museum, Happy Isles

2011-09-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Our morning jog ended with a visit to the Yosemite Valley Museum, the kids learned about tree-ring dating from the display outside. Later that evening we hiked over to Happy Isles where there was a river much more rapid than the one we rafted on earlier that day. It was amazing all we could access from Curry Village without hopping in our car.

Yosemite Part 3: Day 2, Rafting on the Merced River

2011-09-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our trip was rafting down the Merced River. I had read about rafting in Yosemite but assumed it would be too rough or intense for our family. Fortunately, when we saw the calm waters, and found out Sam met the minimum height requirement, we were ready to go. With Steve's crew background, and constantly having two paddlers (Steve the whole route, and me and Anna switching off) we were able to direct our raft down the river for a leisurely 2 1/2 hours. We even stopped and "docked" our raft a couple of times to have a splash, or swim, in the water.

We had wonderful views of Yosemite Valley the whole time through. There were rafters and inner-tubers here and there but very serene, tranquil moments when it seemed like we had the river to ourselves. There were a few mild "rapids" that added to the excitement, but overall the raft was easy to navigate (since Steve was there). When it was time to return our raft, Steve impressed everyone with lifting the raft on his own, everyone else had 2 - 4 adults carrying the craft with breaks in between. :)

Yosemite Part 2: Day 2, Jog to Yosemite Falls

2011-09-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

Right outside each tent cabin is a metal locker in which to store food items and anything that contains a scent that might attract... bears. Items of such nature need to be taken out of the cars and locked up. When we checked into Curry Village at the registration office, there was a video playing of a bear breaking into a car to grab some vittles. We really made sure to keep all those scented essentials in the locker.

We grabbed some coffee and pastries at the Coffee Corner in the morning, and the kids had hot chocolate (and cereal which we had brought up) before heading out for a jog to Yosemite Falls. Steve had packed the jogger stroller for Sam. There is also a free shuttle that can take you to these hiking destinations around the valley. This was the most scenic jog I have ever taken in my life, and the asphalt road was a great running surface.

It was about a two mile jog before we reached the path that would eventually lead us to Yosemite Falls. The pictures don't do it justice but it was a spectacular waterfall. In the spring the waterfall is stronger with a mist all about which makes it more dramatic but we had a great view for this time of the year.

Yosemite Part 1: Day 1, Tunnel View, Curry Village

2011-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

We had always been interested in visiting Yosemite as a family but knew that accommodations had to be made far in advance. Browsing around online two weeks before our trip, luckily we were able to reserve a tent cabin in Curry Village, one of three lodging areas within Yosemite Valley.

Getting to Curry Village included a lengthy drive on a windy road (which had Sam getting carsick), but the reward was the view after emerging from "the tunnel", with views of Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls. Once we were able to park our car near the tents and stretch our legs out, everyone was refreshed by the beautiful scenery and clean air surrounding us.

Our tent cabin had a double bed and two singles, solid walls with canvas roof, and surprise, an outlet. Bathrooms and showers were a short walk away. We enjoyed dinner at the Pizza Deck before taking an evening stroll on a mysterious wooden path which led us to a walk along a river.

There was much to see and do within walking distance of our tent cabin. We were asleep well before the 10pm curfew to prepare for the next day's activities.

OC Fair 2011

2011-08-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

As I was scrolling through my summer photos, I realized I forgot to blog about our July trip to the Orange County Fair! This was as crowded as the fair has ever been, yet we still managed to find our way through to some fun activities. The three areas of interest for us this year included Food, Freezing Temperatures, and Furry Friends. The food we devoured is pictured below, the caramel apple dippers and the funnel cake. We experienced chilly weather in the Ice Museum and admired the lovely sculptures. It was a good thing we wrapped ourselves in the blankets they provided, for the sub 20 degrees inside the building. Finally, we couldn't resist admiring the bunnies in the animal displays. Our photos with the cut-out characters wrapped up our fun day at the fair.

Mom's Work Picnic

2011-08-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

My mom's work hosted a super fun picnic, complete with face painting, caricature drawings and games, along with a bbq lunch. Families were invited, and my mom probably had the biggest group of attendees, with us kids and grandkids.

Playdate with Jaxon and Lexie

2011-08-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tracey and her family now live in the next city over so we took a quick drive over for a playdate with her kids. It was evident that Jaxon loves playing with older kids, and Sam and Anna had a lot of fun with him. I enjoyed holding Lexie for an extended amount of time. When we left, Sam and Anna asked why we couldn't stay longer.

Extraordinary Desserts

2011-08-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Last week Tho and I drove down to San Diego to meet up with Meghan for lunch and dessert. Extraordinary Desserts specializes in... desserts. Cakes, pastries, ice cream... we shared a Moroccan cake with pistachios coating the frosting, a berry-filled cake with buttercream, and vanilla bean ice cream. It was a fun and delicious day and I really miss working with these girls.

Newport Beach

2011-08-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

Orange County Great Park

2011-08-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Orange County Great Park is built upon a former air force base, and is known for its tethered balloon rides and upcoming developments to the vast space. We were too late to catch a free ride on the balloon, but I did make the kids go on the carousel with me. Later we found a nice open space for snack time and volleyball fun.

Benihana

2011-08-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

After Anna came home from camp, her food request was "Benihana". Steve and I took her while Sam was at his last day of Mathobotix. It had been a long time since I had been there, Anna had just gone the month before for the first time, for a friend's birthday party. We ate at one of the teppan yaki tables where a chef prepares the food in front of the guests. Anna enjoyed the shrimp and chicken she ordered, and ate most all her veggies too. We had a great time with her!

Mathobotix

2011-08-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

While Anna was away at Jr. Camp, Sam and his friend Garo participated in a fantastic day camp through Mathobotix. Every day for a week, Sam learned about math and electronics while building robots. The week culminated with the kids giving a presentation about their special "sumo-bot" while battling against other robots. Being the youngest kids in the class, Sam and Garo did a wonderful job.

Anna went off to Jr. Camp!

2011-08-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Anna went off to overnight Junior Camp for the first time. 4th, 5th and 6th graders went off to Green Valley near Lake Arrowhead for four nights. We missed her but she had lots of fun zip-lining over a lake, aero bungee-jumping, and doing archery. It was a tough good-bye for us as Anna casually and bravely got on the bus with her friends. It was a quiet 5 days and 4 nights before she came back home.

Summer Candids!

2011-08-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Girl Scouts Summer Get-Together!

Sam in a new shirt from Mari (and he's hiding a stuffed animal under it!)

Tasha and Anna's Annual Sleepover

Biggest Flatbread Ever!

X-Box Kinect Dancing in SD

Anna and Julia

Strolling in SD

Laguna Beach

Steve taking an extra long time in See's with the kids

Crystal Court to South Coast Plaza

Lunch in Whole Foods

Finishing up!

I'm trying to catch up on all my summer photos before the school year starts. I anticipate not being able to blog as much, I know it's going to be another busy school year. Still, I want to keep the postings going, it's so fun converting the blog into a photo book every year.

Mrs. Rossiter

2011-08-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

We went to Whole Foods in Huntington Beach for lunch and strolled around the shopping plaza before heading back to our car. In the parking lot I heard Steve say, "Mrs. Rossiter?" and lo and behold, Steve's elementary school teacher was in front of our eyes. Ms. Rossiter was not only Steve's 2nd and 3rd grade teacher in Walnut Creek, she was also his all-time favorite teacher who was a big inspiration for his career.

Ms. Rossiter was coincidentally visiting a former co-worker who relocated to southern California. This was the first time I had met Ms. Rossiter but I had heard so much about her over the years. I can see why this was and is Steve's favorite teacher, she has such a warmth about her that I felt like I had known her for years as well. Wow, it was not mere coincidence that we bumped into her. What a wonderful meeting.

Walnut Creek Extras

2011-08-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Walnut Creek Part 7: Judi and Karl and the Cats

2011-08-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

During our visit we stayed at Judi and Karl's house, they are Scott's parents. Scott is a friend of Steve's from high school. Judi and Karl have three cats, but one is especially sociable. Minky is one of the nicest cats we have met, all of us enjoyed being with her. Even when she would get close, she never clawed or meowed for a treat, she liked keeping us company.

Walnut Creek Part 6: Jelly Belly Factory

2011-08-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

We took a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. I highly recommend it for anyone, fans of jelly beans or any type of candy. Visitors get a behind-the-scenes look at the actual making of the Jelly Belly candies, and get free samples along the way. Photographs were not permitted during the tour, so I couldn't resist purchasing the group picture. Fun times!

Walnut Creek Part 5: S'mores

2011-08-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mark created a campfire and everyone enjoyed s'mores. Lily had her friend Bella over for a backyard sleepover. Three tents were set up for the kids (and Steve) and they all slept the night through.

Walnut Creek Part 4: More Playtime

2011-08-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

The kids enjoyed lots of playtime in Kim and Mark's backyard. They got the trampoline set up, which is always a big hit. Then we enjoyed bbq burgers and hot dogs before s'more time.

Walnut Creek Part 3: Heather Farms

2011-08-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

We visited Heather Farms, where Steve and I got married. I took a stroll around the gazebo and gardens while the others played basketball and volleyball. It brought back a lot of memories from almost 15 years ago! It was a lovely day.

Walnut Creek Part 2: Swim Practice, Meal and Playtime

2011-08-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Lily has swim lessons at a nice community pool where there is a bridge and a creek to explore. Anna and Carter worked on a sparkly project to cheer Lily's swim team on. Afterward we enjoyed some lunch and played at Kim and Mark's house. It was fun spending time with family.

Walnut Creek Part 1: Kim and Mark's House

2011-08-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

In early August we drove up north to Walnut Creek to visit Steve's side of the family. We visited Kim and Mark's new house, they had just moved in a couple weeks prior and we were blown away by the lot size, and all the wonderful space in their home and upcoming projects. If you look down to the third photo, yes, that is their backyard. When we stepped out there for the first time, Sam claimed that he was going to the "playground", and then asked, "Is that all theirs?"

Mama's Surprise Party

2011-08-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

My mom thought a small group of her friends was taking her out to dinner for her birthday. Instead, one of the dining rooms in Otafuku was filled to capacity with coworkers and family members for a surprise party. When my mom entered the restaurant she was greeted by these Elvis faces.

The menu included various Japanese dishes including sashimi, and soba. Check out the huge fruit tart cake! We all enjoyed this wonderful night.

LA : Part Three

2011-07-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

The next morning we walked over to the Original Pantry Cafe for breakfast. This restaurant has been open since 1924, a Los Angeles icon. Check out the size of the ham steak Sam and Steve shared for breakfast! Afterward we spent some time in hotel lobby before getting ready to check out.

We went all out on this mini "staycation", but we packed a lot in two days and one night. Future summer events include a visit to Walnut Creek, and Anna going to junior camp. :)

LA : Part Two

2011-07-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Sam was the youngest in this Owl City concert audience but there were a few other kids in attendance as we made ourselves comfortable for the opening acts and the main event. Steve and I enjoyed hearing Mat Kearney, and Owl City made their music very dramatic and upbeat, with a violinist and cellist along with their other band members. It was hard to read what the kids thought of the concert until afterward when they described it as "awesome" and continue to sing their songs today.

LA : Part One

2011-07-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

We bought concert tickets to see Owl City on July 21st. This is a band that both Sam and Anna enjoy listening to and know the lyrics to many of their songs. Since the concert was in Los Angeles and wouldn't end until at least 10pm, we decided to stay at a hotel near Club Nokia afterwards. On the way to LA we stopped for lunch in Japan Town. There, we told the kids if they were on excellent behavior, we would buy them a little souvenir from on of the shops. Thus, the big silly grins before heading over to buy their little gift and a Pinkberry snack. Anna picked out a pink Domo plush and Sam got a sparkly Domo mini-doll.

We stayed at the JW Marriott, a short walk away from the concert. We liked the spacious room and the beautiful pool.

Same Age for Two Days

2011-07-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

Yumi and I were born 363 days apart, 2 days short of a year. When we were younger, my mom would make two birthday cakes on the same day, double layer butter or chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. We would pick the meal that we wanted her to make as well. This day, Yumi and I were treated to a sushi dinner by our mom. So as you can see, she's still taking care of us. P.S. Yumi let me trade her uni for one of my pieces of sushi. That was a nice plate of seafood.

My Birthday

2011-07-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

This day, the family knew I would dictate what we would do, with minimal complaints and arguments. The kids were on their best behavior as we went to the Grove for shopping, and lunch at the adjacent Farmer's Market. I knew this location had a variety of foods choices for everyone: I had tacos, Steve had a pastrami sandwich, and the kids ate corn dogs. Then we enjoyed frozen yogurt at Pinkberry.

Afterwards we headed over to LACMA. This museum currently has a free youth membership program, Arts for NexGen. We spent most of our time in the Boone Children's Gallery, painting special masterpieces. One group of art fanatics stood by Steve for a good five minutes admiring his self-portrait and asked where he got his special skills. We also enjoyed the Pavilion for Japanese Art.

We ended the day with pizza for dinner, and Sprinkles Cupcakes for dessert. We taste-tested all the flavors shown below, and the big winners included the key lime cupcake, and the salted caramel one. Other flavors included red velvet, mocha, lemon, and chocolate. It was a fun, and yummy day.

Best Photo of the Day

2011-07-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

This photo was shot on my birthday at LACMA, taken by a friendly stranger, composed by Anna.

Huntington Gardens 2011

2011-07-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

We try to make an annual trip to the Huntington Gardens. It was quite a warm day in San Marino but the kids were totally immersed in the beautiful grounds and especially the interactive displays. We spent a lot of time in the Children's Garden, Conservatory, and the Chinese Garden. One could spend a whole day here and not cover everything this place has to offer. We were satisfied with a couple hours here with the kids and a cooler of ice-cold drinks waiting for us in the car for the drive home.

San Diego Part 5 : San Diego Air Space Museum

2011-07-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

After breakfast we went to Balboa Park and the Air Space Museum. Steve and I can't help but purchase the souvenir photos. We had a great trip!

San Diego Part 4 : Stroll, Fireworks, Breakfast

2011-07-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

We took a stroll in front of our hotel before the fireworks started. Steve set up the balcony in Mama and Yumi's room with seating for everyone, I was afraid the balcony would not support us, but Rob assured us that we'd be fine (being the architect that he is). The hotel room was the perfect spot for viewing the fireworks which were released from barges in various locations along the bay. Julia slept right through the fireworks in the adjoining room. After the amazing pyrotechnic display, it was convenient going back to our hotel rooms for a good sleep. The next day Mari left for work early while the rest of us had a filling breakfast before parting ways with Rob and Julia.

San Diego Part 3 : Old Town

2011-07-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

The next day, July 4th, we went to Old Town for breakfast. I think it covered breakfast and lunch for most of us! Afterward we took a stroll and Sam was especially captivated by the Old Town House of Jerky and Root Beer. Currently, root beer is his favorite drink. Anna's is Dr. Pepper. These little things will be interesting to read back on.

San Diego Part 2: Island Prime Dinner

2011-07-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yumi, Mari, and I took Mama out to dinner for her 70th birthday. It was a gorgeous walk from the hotel to Island Prime Restaurant. Yumi ordered a trio of filets, along with mac cheese. The rest of us had the chef's tasting menu (pictured below), Mari and I ordered it with wine pairings. It was a very memorable dinner!

San Diego Part 1 : Pizza and Pool

2011-07-16T21:18:00.001-07:00

We went to San Diego for an extended Fourth of July weekend to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday. After we checked into the Sheraton, we met up with Yumi and Mama for pizza at Oggi's. When Mari, Rob and Julia arrived in the city a little while later, we had some fun in the pool. It was nice having all our hotel rooms on the same floor, overlooking the bay where the fireworks would be displayed later on.

Happy Birthday Mama!

2011-07-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Walking in the Back Bay

2011-07-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

We are finding lots of local things to do so far this summer, including this walk in Newport Beach.

Strolling in Mile Square

2011-07-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

Michi loved her walk in Mile Square Park.

Anna's Second SCMAF Meet

2011-07-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Anna qualified for this second track meet after placing third here. She did a great job and it was fun seeing her name on the digital scoreboard.

Sam Misc.

2011-07-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

Double play date with Anna and Rachel...

Reading at Costco...

Having a sundae at Claim Jumper (Love how the trimmings are in separate dishes!)...

Playing Blokus his way...

Sam's gel ant farm...

Taken with my iPhone! (Instagram app)

Beach Day

2011-07-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

5 more blog entries and I'll be up to date!...

Early last month we went to Huntington Beach to hear Pastor Brian Broderson give a sermon near the pier and hear some Christian bands play.

Ariel's Adventure

2011-07-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last month Yumi and I went to California Adventure after work (my annual pass is the only one in the family that hasn't expired) to go on the new Ariel ride. Visually it's a very pretty ride and all Ariel fans will love it! Afterwards we went to Ariel's Grotto for a "snack" and then took some photos next to some of our favorite Disney posters. Read the descriptions next to Minnie and Donald if you can!

Visit with Mari, Rob, Julia, Marilyn and Ted

2011-07-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

We stopped by Mari and Rob's place for a quick visit, on our way back home after visiting Dorcas.

More FaceTime Fun

2011-07-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

In the last photo, Anna and Julia are sitting in the same-style IKEA chair, but Julia's is a child-sized one. Or is it? ;)

Mina's Misc.

2011-07-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

Caught the Kogi truck, purely by chance, yummy!...

Having fun with coworkers and new friends at a wedding...

Catfish from Favori (me, Mama and Yumi devoured this whole thing)...

The Magic Shoe 5k (Anna beat me by a mile, literally)...

Having dinner with Steve at Seasons 52, where each dish is less than 500 calories... but what if I want to eat all these desserts?...

Little sewing projects, Beemo from Adventure Time (looks like a game boy here)...

And Miss Bean. The end!

Some Current Hobbies

2011-06-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Anna: Karaoke

Sam: Math Workbooks

Steve and Mina: Words with Friends