May 30th, 2010

Santa Monica * Monsoon Cafe * Miyoshi’s Birthday

Miyoshi is one of the nicest and friendliest people I know.  Whenever I see her, she always has a smile on her face and exudes a positive attitude and spirit.  It seems like rarely anything gets her down, which is what probably draws in a lot of people and her friends.  It is always fun to hang out with Miyoshi; whether it is having dinner at our place (I still remember that wonderful sake she brought over.), enjoying Korean BBQ and tofu, or socializing at a party, it is always good to catch up and hear about Miyoshi’s adventures (her recent trip to the East Coast), her practice, and the things going on in her life.  She is equally as interested in other people’s lives and her genuine care, concern, and excitement for whatever is going on is why many refer to her as a dear friend.

It was great celebrating your birthday, Miyoshi, at Monsoon Cafe.  The food was great and it allowed Taro to catch up with some old friends from high school, but at the same time, allowed us to meet new people.  It was a treat to meet great people, dance the night away, and see you laugh and smile next to your birthday partner in crime, Justin.  We hope the two of you had wonderful birthdays and we definitely need to get together soon!

May 30th, 2010

Memorial Weekend * BBQ at Herman and Jen’s House

Memorial Weekend.  A weekend to acknowledge those who are currently serving and those who have.  In addition, it is a long weekend to relax, especially if it is surrounded by old and new friends.  Herman and Jen kindly hosted a BBQ at their house, encouraging people to stay for a while or stop by in passing.  They were ready with hamburgers and all the toppings, salad, and fruit.  Guests were asked to bring anything to their liking for the potluck celebration so together, there was plenty of food and good company.

Herman and Jen, thanks again for inviting us and as always, we cannot wait to hang out with the two of you and Lucas!

Barklee enjoyed the BBQ as well, especially since he had friends throwing his toy into the backyard.  He would hunt and search for it all over the place, bring the toy back, and start all over again.  He is a really cute and friendly dog!

The star of the day was Lucas.  He was absolutely adorable in his cowboy outfit.  I love the little cowboy booties! And what else do I love?  Lucas is making his way to walking and he pushes his butt out a little bit and puts his arms out (like an airplane) to try to gain balance.  It is too cute!

Lucas with his Uncle Jeff (Our favorite magician, by the way!):

May 29th, 2010

Rowland Heights * Hong Kong Palace * 100 Days of Isabella

100 days.  Give or take three months.  As adults, we grow and change, but it may not be significant and necessarily obvious.  But in a baby’s world, the first 100 days are full of growth, change, development, and an acquisition of skill.  It is immense and even more noticeable when you have been there since day one or in our case, week one.

Isabella was so small when I met her – so fragile in my eyes – and I delicately held her, afraid that anything that I might do would hurt her.  The next time I saw her she was so much bigger and she had her eyes open, observing the new environment around her with curiosity.  At times I would watch her grow through photos posted up, amazed that her face was changing ever so slightly.  She is starting to resemble more of a mixture of Jason and Melissa and if you speak to either one of them, sometimes they see themselves in Isabella, sometimes they see a bit of Jason’s mom, and at times there is a bit of Melissa’s mom.  This is all in a matter of three months.  Imagine what else is to come in the next three months or when she turns one!

There is so much to look forward to and Taro and I cannot wait to see and experience more – the first time she sleeps in the new house (Congratulations on that, too, Jason and Melissa!), the first attempt to crawl which will eventually lead to the first step, the first tooth, the gibber-gabber which will eventually lead to the first word, and so much more.  We are proud to be your auntie and uncle, Isabella, and we cannot wait until we see you again, but more importantly, share in your life as you continue to grow – a baby now, a toddler soon, a little girl, and eventually a young woman.

Congratulations again, Jason and Melissa!  You have a beautiful daughter and we love being a part of your family!

Isabella and Daddy:

Isabella loves being with her daddy.  She also snuggled up next to Auntie Margaret.

Another baby who is a part of the family is Lucas.  He, too, has grown so much over the past several months!  The last time I saw him was at Melissa’s baby shower and now he is bouncing on his feet and preparing his legs to start taking steps.  He is full of wonder and I loved how he would spread his arms out, kick his feet out, and almost fly in your arms.  On top of that, I just love his rocker hair!  He is just too adorable!

And the last cutie is Jarron.  I love how he pounds his fist with Chris.  They are a great father-son duo.

Of course I had to take photos of some of the food we ate at Hong Kong Palace.  It was course after course with some of my favorite things, Shark Fin Soup and Abalone.  It was a meal fit for kings and queens and all of us were stuffed by the time the noodles came out.  However, everyone made room for the Almond Tea Puff Pastry and two additional desserts.  Delicious!