Legoland

It's time for some more summer fun with a trip to Lego land! This is our first trip there. Everyone kept on telling us it's great for Makayla's age and they were right! But even our little Myleeboo had a great time! It wasn't too crowded at all and lots to see and explore! It was cute from the entrance where everything is really made out of these little amazing Lego's.

We started and entered towards the dinosaur era. That elephant behind us was made out of Lego's and was squirting water out of his truck! So cool! There were giraffes and all kinds of fun animals.

Mylee was having a blast in the dinosaur egg while big sis was waiting in line to ride the big roller coaster!

Mylee just hanging out and making some new friends. This little boy was so cute. He wanted to play with her and they just kept on grunting at each other. It was cute their little communication.

Mylee sitting in front of a dinosaur made out of Lego's. I'm still amazed what they can make with them. So much detail!

After some fun rides we went to an area where the girls were able to make some things out of Lego's. We had fun in this little store but the Lego's were too small for Mylee so we didn't stay long.

Off to pirate town where everyone got wet! It was a nice hot day so it was fun to cool off for a bit here. It was packed in this area and the kids were all having fun! But for some reason Makayla wasn't interested in any of the water rides. Good thing since the lines were long! Instead she wanted to play some games. She won great prizes! She played on one and won herself a little rabbit. Then she insisted that she play another one to win a prize for her sister too. Boy was she confident! Sure enough she was right and won her sister this big pirate ducky. It was even a bigger one than normal so she really did win a big prize!

Ryan an his sleeping beauty walking down the Las Vegas Strip all made out of Lego's. There were a bunch of these little mini famous towns and cities. So neato!

He had stopped here to have lunch and we got to overlook NYC! Makayla lovin' her new bunny rabbit she won. I just love this picture of her!

This was a great area where the girls both got to play with giant Lego's! As you can tell from Mylee's face that she's having a lot of fun!

Our M&M girls! Princess Makayla got her face painted in the fairy tail princess area. She loves getting her face painted.

Some more shots of the girls playing. Sorry so many pictures to post! I just can't get enough of all the priceless expressions!

My little ballerina poses with Bob the Builder. This was a great fun show we got to see in 3D!

My little daredevil and her Daddy on this ride that went up and down pretty high but Makayla just loved it! Yelling and screaming but all in good fun! The lines were so short here that I think she rode this a few times in a row! What a great fun filled day at Lego land! We stayed from open to close and pretty much made it through the whole park. We'll definitely be back again next year!

Jessica's 5th Birthday

Makayla and Mylee both went to celebrate Jessica's 5th birthday at Chuck E. Cheese's today. Ryan was a great Daddy and took both girls all on his own. I think I might of been scrappin' with the girls today. They all had so much fun!

There's J the birthday girl and silly Makayla having so much fun with each other. They were buddies!

Mak's 1st Martial Arts Private Lesson

So we've decided to let our little Makayla take some martial art lessons. Her preschool teacher's boyfriend is an instructor nearby so it's very convenient. He teaches at a great school for United Studios of Self Defense. We believe that this will be very good for her and give her more confidence and discipline. She is doing a Kenpo Karate. This was her first official lesson and she did great! She doesn't talk to her Sensei Mike at all but she sure does all the moves real well.

Doesn't she look great in her Gi!

Her stance and bow with her Sensei before they start their lesson. Good discipline. They also have to bow before they go onto the carpet towards the American flag also.

Practicing her kicks. Not bad!

Her jumps were pretty good too! Our girls got some hops to avoid falling as the hammer goes towards her.

A quick movie clip of her hits and blocks. It's so cute!

All done! Not bad for her 1st official lesson at all! She did FANTASTIC! This is at the end of the lesson where she learned to take her belt off and fold it in front of her. They bow again and then meditate for a few seconds. She didn't say one word but gave her Sensei plenty of Hi 5's! We're so excited to see how she progresses with all this!

Hula Luau Part 2

We decided to let Makayla take another hula class this summer since she was sick for most of the previous session and only made it out to 2 or 3 classes. So at the original recital she really didn't do much at all, but she really enjoyed it. The sessions are short so it's perfect to end the summer before ballet starts again since that seems to be more of her passion and she keeps telling me she doesn't want to give it up.

The Grandma's came to cheer her on! And little sis did too!

This show was much better. We got there extra early and got front row seating instead of outside the door like last time. Overall this show was less of a turnout. Smaller classes and end of summer so I think most families are on vacation. Here she is before the show with her Daddy.

Cuddling with Grandma's again.

All the hula classes sitting so nicely waiting for their turn.

Her first song! I just loved this pose so much!

That's the Hawaiian in me! She did great!

Sitting on stage for her next performance, Pearly Shells. Too bad I couldn't upload this video for some reason.

The end of the show! Just shake it!

Mak with her Daddy after the show. Too spoiled! He got her this awesome lei to wear afterwards!

Me & my girl! She was awesome this time around! So proud of her!

Bananas Fosters

So not sure why we got on a Banana's Foster's kick. I know we had some a few months ago on our anniversary so maybe that's why it came up? Or maybe we just had lots of ripe bananas! Anyways, Ry found this great recipe online and got all the ingredients for us to make it! It was awesome!

Cooking and warming up the bananas in it's sauce!

The final creation! Not so pretty but oh so good! Served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream! Mmmmm! Good!

Sea World

We made a long fun weekend out of Aidan's birthday celebration! After his party we headed over to my brother's place to relax and spend some time with them and the rest of the family. He BBQ'd for us and then we spent the night to be ready in the morning to spend the day at Sea World! We've already gone this year and had the pass to go again all year long for free so we took advantage of that.

Here's Makayla with Bria, one of my brother's rottweilers. She's super nice and Makayla's favorite. She likes the girl doggie! Zeus the other Rot is still a puppy so much more hyper and wants to play and Bria is more mellow so that's why I think Makayla likes her better. She just chills and Mak can just pet her. Zeus is more of a licker and nudger for her to throw toys and play. My brother had some friends come over too for the BBQ and my parents also stayed so it was nice to just hang out & relax. My brother's friends had Vietnamese parents like ours so boy did they have so much in common to chat about. It was cute to listen to them reminisce about the old days and how things were because they brought over great DVD's for us to watch of Vietnam. So beautiful! We also had some super hot chili peppers that they brought from their garden and everyone was screaming how hot it was! That's rare since my parents eat SPICY! I didn't even try since it made my dad sweat because it was so HOT! They had a little boy that Makayla played with. Dillion was just a little bit younger and they had so much fun together!

Here we are at Sea World the next day! Woke up to an awesome home made breakfast by Uncle Binh.....is famous Ebelskivers! Oh and my sis-in-law Janai woke me up to work out at the YMCA too before going! So it was a busy morning alright!

Catching our first show, the Dophin encounter. Mylee really enjoyed it! But boy was it hot out! Good thing there was a slight breeze from time to time! I hope we get wet to cool off! I know Makayla wanted to sit in the splash zone so that's where we're at! Too bad we really didn't get wet. Still a little too far up I guess.

So we didn't get wet at the show but She's really getting wet in Elmo's World. We spent a lot of time here. It's a super cute area for the little one's. She had her suit on and ready to play! It was so nice too cool off! Mylee was going down for a nap in her stroller right about now so no getting wet for her!

Check out Makayla's little obstacle course run! She had a blast! Don't forget to press play. It's a video.

Mak & Elmo. She was hesitant at first and then changed her mind. She loved him!

Oh boy, was she happy to see these two girls! They were having a little parade and then Makayla wanted me to follow them. Good thing since they went right in for pictures and we were right there to be one of the firsts! Zoe and Abby Cadabby! She was in heaven!

Ernie & Bert were right next to the girls and she didn't want to see them but they somehow talked her into it and she even got that close to Ernie for him to hold her. She liked them after all. Great day in Elmo's World. Too bad Mylee was asleep that whole time!

The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. We had lunch and walked around and did whatever Makayla wanted. We didn't even see another show. So it was pretty mellow. She went and touched all the starfish and sea cucumbers in this area.

Mylee finally woke up and also wanted to touch the starfish! She was excited to see them! The we walked over to the Honu's (Sea Turtles in Hawaiian). Great day spent at Sea World for sure! I love it when we don't have to rush to see and do everything!

Aidan's 2nd Birthday

We're down in San Diego today celebrating Aidan's 2nd birthday! Can't believe he's 2 already! His Mommy had a monkey themed party for him on the greenbelt right across from their house. Super nice community and super nice day to spend a day out in the park. There was a big jumper and small one and all kinds of yummy snacks and food catered from El Pollo Loco! Totally great idea!

All just jumpin' away when we got there. Aidan' is the little boy to the left in front! He was dripping in sweat and having a great time!

Can you tell my girl is a party animal too? haha! She was napping when we got there. She slept great out there in her stroller for about an hour. Then she was well rested and ready to go! Food and play!

Here's Miss. Mak helping her buddy Aidan with the bubbles. Hope they're sharing here! They were great! There was also a sand station right next to the bubbles that was also lots of fun for the kids.

Makayla met some friends but she's played with them before. These are Aidan's cousins.

Argh! Chompin' on her favorite shave ice! Hit the spot for this warm day!

It's time for presents! My girl Makayla is right there helping Uncle Doug and Aidan! Totally fun and mellow party! It was nice to relax and just watch the kids outdoors and chill with everyone. That doesn't happen often in our family. Good times! Thanks for the invite and Happy Birthday Aidan!

Harvest Crusade

Wow is all I can say!  I can't believe I'm here and it's my hubby's idea.  This was a big deal for me and a huge step for the both of us!  The big reason was our favorite Christian musician Chris Tomlin was playing so that was the main motivator, but it was just God's plan for us.  The event was at Anaheim Stadium where the Angels play.  It is scheduled to start at 6pm so we got there a little bit after 4pm and it was packed already.  We walked around and around to almost the entire stadium before we got to the end of the line to get in.  While we were waiting they opened up a line to get in quicker if you didn't have a bag or purse.  If I would've known I would've left mine behind but oh well, live and learn.  So Ry got in that line so that he could maybe get in and get a seat.  And good thing he did because he got us descent seating in the shade at least under the Terrace section.  Too bad we couldn't see the front of the stage but I guess you probably had to camp out the night before to get those. haha!  It was still great since we had a great view of the Jumbotron and just being there was simply an amazing experience that I can't even describe!

Here's the man that makes this happen every year.  Greg Laurie.  This is the first time I've heard him speak and he was fantastic and very inspirational!  This was a super special year for us to attend.  It was the Harvest Crusade's 20th year!  I didn't realize it's been around for that long and now I know it's going to be one that lasts forever and ever.

This is the main reason we went, Chris Tomlin is on stage!  Singing "Your Grace Is Enough".  Sorry it's a little bouncy but I was dancing and singing while taping a bit to remember and look back on.  He was the main reason but it was so much more before he even came to stage.  The message was perfect.  Helped me to understand Heaven and eternity.

Had to tape this one too since this is my hubby's favorite song by him.  Too bad he didn't play mine, which is "Indescribable".  Awesome, awesome, awesome!  All of it!  All the music and all the bands were great!

Just a sign of the stage from the back when we were down on the field.  Keep reading and I'll tell you more about the field.

Here is a close up of Chris Tomlin and his band.  Can't believe how close I was to him!

Here we are down on the field dedicating ourselves together.  I was so ready and made my decision officially when he Greg was explaining the whole thing.  I was crying and the emotions and feelings were just so amazing!  I know I've been saying that a lot but I really don't know how to describe it.  And it's not a feeling I've ever experienced before.  I'm so happy that Ry decided to come down with me.  I know that was a huge step for him also.  This event made me realize that he's been exploring just as much as I have and I didn't think so or he approached in a totally different manner which is totally okay since it seems like we're going the same path and pretty close to the same pace even.  

When we were done with our personal prayers and getting our bibles we headed back to our seats.  This is a shot from the seats as to how many people went down to dedicate themselves for the 1st time or just again.  What a great feeling tonight!  So glad we went!  Thank you to my wonderful husband for taking me!

2nd Session Hula

We signed Makayla up for another hula class this summer.  There were two sessions and they're pretty short so I'm glad I did since she was sick for so long for the 1st class this summer that she really only went to 3 classes and then had the recital which she really didn't do much because she really didn't know the songs and routine.  So here we are again and she goes with Grandma Arakaki and I pick her up from there on my way home from work.  I went a little early today to video tape her progress and boy was I impressed!  It was like night and day how much she knew and it's only been a few weeks. I guess consistency really helps the learning for sure!

Here she is doing a great job at "That's the Hawaiian in me"!  So cute!  I know some of you might be tired of these songs and postings but I just love it and can't get enough!

Pearly Shells.

Her instructor, Miss. Melody.  Boy, this lady can shake it! Shaka!

Chuck E. Cheese's

Don't know why we decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese's today since we really don't ever go there.  Maybe it was the coupon and my girls have been such good girls for this special treat!  Makayla again was thrilled!  Her cousins were going to join us but not sure what came up and they couldn't but she still wanted to go and we promised so here we are.

We went for dinner so it's pizza and wings time! Both my girls just love pizza!  Pepperoni and olives!  Their fav!

Mylee's asking, where's my drink?  I'm thirsty too?

Mylee boo sitting on her first ride at Chuck E. Cheeses and she's not too thrilled.

Sister on the other hand loves it!

Mylee likes this type of ride better, the floor.  Icks!

Daddy & Makayla concentrating on their games.  They won lots of tickets for some goodies in the end.  Good times tonight and a great treat for my girls!  They had a blast!  Boy how life has changed.  Never would have thought that this could be that fun!  But I bet it could get old if we went all the time, but that's like anything out there.