The Morning After!

First thing the kids did when they woke up was run to the candy. I love their morning faces!

Trick or Treat!

Zek's first candy after Trick or Treating


Geni's first candy - lollipop


Ki's first candy - See's Candy Stick


At the Kahala Mall - getting as much candy as possible


Ki found a look-a-like Batman and of course, I had to take a picture!

Pics Before Trick or Treating

Big Pink Poodle

Lil' Isty Bitsy Spider

Ki's Halloween Parade

One of my favorite things about being a "stay- at -home -mom" is that I get to go to all the school functions and parties. Ki loves it when I come to his school for any little reason so he was excited to see me back after droppingGeni off at preschool. Of course, I had to come take pictures of him walking around in the parade. He is getting so big and it's so fun to watch him with his friends.

Carving Pumpkins!

I love carving pumpkins! It reminds me of when I was little. So... in pursuit of making memories we did it all, including roasting the seeds. The kids love it and someday on their blogs they will be posting how they washed, roasted, and salted the seeds.

Our New Camera

Oscar and I had to buy a new camera - since our really nice one was stolen :( but didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars so we went looking for something small but nice. He was very excited to see a great deal on a waterproof camera. I liked the fact that it was pretty cheap, small, and simple. Since we are constantly in the water with the kids, this was perfect. That same afternoon we took it in the pool and these are some pics that we got. I think the pictures turned out pretty clear and the kids loved getting pictures of themselves swimming around. We can't wait to take it out in the Big Blue!

The Pumpkin Patch

Well there aren't many choices to pick a pumpkin here on O'ahu - in fact - it's Aloun Farms real pumpkin patch or the supermarket! So over to the west side we went in search of the pumpkin patch. It was very hot and dusty but the kids had a great time finding a pumpkin and then going on a pony ride.

My Dad

I'm so proud of my dad! He works so hard and whatever he does, he is successful. God continues to bless him in his work. He has always been very involved with the BIA and is now going to be sworn in as President of the Building Industry Association of Southern California. Wow! Check out the link. Love you Daddy.

http://www.buildingindustryshow.com/EV-BISevents.php

Swimming

It's funny how things are so crazy at times I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water and then there are times that I'm actually feeling on top of the world! As I think about the difference between the two, one thing keeps coming to mind - God. When I'm in tune with Him and trust Him for every single little detail of my life (like finding our missing car keys) then no matter what happens, I'm indestructible. When I take my eyes off Jesus, I start to sink. There really is a deep hole in our souls that only Jesus can fill. I love just letting go and enjoying life. I love leaving the house (even though there may be laundry to do) and taking the kids to the museum just for fun. I love having a Friday night where nothing is planned but just hanging out as a family. What a joy it was to eat dinner, play games, and watch movies tonight. Thank you Jesus for loving us and blessing us, even with the little things!

Changes

So many changes lately...
I decided to make a few changes again. I love doing this. I don't consider myself creative at all but I like to "borrow" ideas from others :) Our lives are all about changes. The kids grow and change everyday. God changes us from within. We grow as a family in our ideas, thoughts, and just life. I love changing!

It's been so long!

Again...I have let time pass from me. My last post was in March! now it's July!! Wow. Where do I begin. So many things have happened since then! I've been contemplating whether I go back and update everything or just start from today. It's overwhelming to even think about it. Let me just highlight a few things we've done since March.
* My mother -in-law came to visit and made all kinds of Mexican dishes for us to enjoy. You could smell the aroma like none other when you stepped out of the elevator. Oscar's older brother, Miguel, and his wife, Melanie, also came to the island. We had a great time all hanging out as family.
* Just a few days later, my brother and his oldest daughter, Hanna, came to visit! We were pleasantly surprised to have them here and had a great time showing them around the island. We were able to spend my 31st birthday together!
* Ki graduated from Preschool and we registered him for kindergarden. He will start in August.
* Genesis turned 3! For her birthday she wanted to go shopping! Two of her best friends, Abby and Naomi, joined us for manicures and pedicures and then dinner and icecream.
* Zek turned 1! We celebrated his first birthday with a Hawaiian tradition Luau. My parents came, Oscar's little sister, Cynthia, and Miguel and Melanie came back again to all help us celebrate along with our wonderful friends.
* We've had many days at the beach, hiking, hanging out with friends, and just watching the sunset from our lanai.
Well, if I posted pictures of everything, you would never have time to go through them, so tomorrow I plan on posting just a few special ones. And I promise...I will keep more on top of things, updating you on our crazy life!

Honolulu Festival

I'm positive that Hawaii wins for having the most parades!! It's crazy - there is always some parade going on for some special king or festival. It's great and now that we are 31 floors up we can tell when the main street is about to close for another parade. Well, for the Honolulu Festival we decided to hang out at the beach (what's new?) and then watch the parade. Our good friends, Roger, Jill, Kennedy, Tommy, and Isabelle joined us. We always love hanging out with you guys!

U.S.S. Missouri

Earlier this month, our church had service on the U.S.S. Missouri. (This is the ship where the Japanese signed the peace agreement that ended WWII). It was really neat. We took a bus into Pearl Harbor and over to the ship and listened to our awesome pastor talk about perseverance and getting back up even when darts are thrown our way. After wards we were served lunch and were able to tour the ship for free. There is so much history there and the kids really liked looking at all the super sized missiles and guns. We definitely want to go back again and do the whole tour.

Waikiki Aquarium

Last month, Ki went to the Waikiki Aquarium for a fieldtrip. We haven't been there before and since we are now walking distance, Genesis, Zek, and I decided to meet them there. We really liked it and I was pleasantly surprised on how many great animals there were. Ki had a great time with his class and Geni was following right along. Maybe when Uncle David and Cousin Hanna come out we will go again!

February

I know, I'm very behind but I didn't want to forget about when my mom came out in February! It was great having her out - we always have so much fun. Here are just a few of my favorite pics!

No Eye Injection!

Yeah - Today I didn't need the second eye injection like I thought I was going in for! Ok, here is the whole story (in a short version) from a couple of months ago....

About six weeks ago I had my first eye injection of Avastin. This medicine goes directly into my left eye and kills the unwanted blood cells that are growing. I was told that for some people it may take 2-3 injections for all the blood cells to die and for others it could take 5-6 injections. I was really praying that I was one of the lucky ones....

Today I went in to the Dr for him to check the progress from the first injection and receive the second. After he compared my results of the pictures from last time and this time, there was a significant improvement! He actually didn't want to give me the second injection (for now, anyways!)

I go back in a month for some very detailed pictures (they inject my blood with die and then watch it go into my retina - weird but cool). I will keep everybody updated! Thanks for the prayers. I really feel like I have favor from God on this one!

The Old Man and La Princesa

Ki's Big Debut

In January, Ki sang at his school's church on a Sunday morning. It was so fun watching him do the motions with all the other kids. He was so proud of himself. There was one time that he started picking his nose (he often does this) and when I shook my finger back and forth to say no - he started to do it back! Then he turned around and kept picking his nose! Ay, ay, ay! When other moms would ask which one was mine, all I had to say was, "mine is the one who was picking his nose!"

New Year's Celebration & New View!

Off with your head! - Oh, I mean "hair"!

For Oscar's "Big Run" he decided to shave his head - something he has never done and I really have never wanted him to because I'm afraid we'll be mistaken for a military family (no offense, friends!) but the day before the Great Aloha Run, we both decided it might be kinda fun. The next day, Ki wanted his shaved too! TWINS! Oscar tried to shave Geni's but I had to stop him. We gave her a little trim instead! Anyways, now my three boys all look the same!!!

This is only SOME of our California Vacation Pictures!

Random November Pictures

I'm Back!

I know, I know...I haven't written in a few months... I think people are a little tired of seeing my parents in bed!! Well, what can I say about the last 2 months? Soooo much has happened - We had a GREAT vacation in California, wonderful Christmas and New Years back here in HI, Chinese New Year, Ki singing at his school church (twice), moving into a condo in the heart of Waikiki, my mom visiting again and doing the tourist-y thing, and oh yeah, needles in my eye (more about that later). As you can see, we've been busy and just praising God for how good He is! I think what I'll do is just put a few slide shows to try to show our life from the past 2 months.

Family!!

We're Home!

Just a quick post to say that we are home! We had such a wonderful time in California with our friends and family. I absolutely loved hanging out with my brother and his family. His kids are growing up so quickly and it was so much fun to play with them. We are going to miss them all very much. Of course we loved being with Tio and Tia too and watch them interact with the kids giving them hugs and besitos! I could have stayed another 2 weeks but like always, it's nice to get back to the routine of home. Oscar goes back to work tomorrow and Ki goes back to school. Back to reality. Thanks Lita for all the yummy food and good times! Thanks Daddy and Mama for the "hotel suite" in your house and putting up with the loud noises of kids running, laughing, and crying. I know they are going to miss waking up early and jumping in bed with you. I already miss you just thinking about it. Well, I will post pictures of everything when I have more time! (Back to laundry and unpacking!)

Lita's House

Well, we arrived Saturday morning around 7:00 and my mom and dad came to pick us up - we went straight to their house to unload our things and "freshen up". Our first trip was to my brother's house to see the cousins! It was great seeing them again - they have all grown so much in the last 10 months! I call Abbie my twinie because that's exactly what I looked like when I was 6. After hanging out with them for a while we went straight to Oscar's mom's house - we call her Lita because that's short for Abuelita (grandma) and when Ki was little, all he could say was "Lita" and now that's her name! Well, Lita and everyone else was happy to see us - Oscar and his mom hadn't seen eachother for almost a year! She made sopes for us and my parents (they loved them!) and we just hung out and talked. Later in the afternoon we starting smelling someone bbq-ing and Lita said she was hungry just smelling it and I agreed so we decided to get out the carne asada, cebollas, frijoles, arroz, tortillas, and tequila! It was great! Oscar and I haven't had Mexican food in so long and the absolute best Mexican food is Lita's food - and my parents agreed (they kept going back for seconds, thirds, and I think even fourths!) We ended up having a great time and the best part was that our families were having fun together. I loved being able to share this time with my parents to show them what happens "on the other side of the family". I'm so proud of both of our families and the heritage and culture that we can share with our kids! Ok, now I'm getting sentis!

California!!!

We made it! We were counting down the days for our California vacation and now we are here - it feels soooo good to be with our families again - we missed them so much! It was pretty crazy getting over here. First, our flight was canceled and we were put on a different flight leaving at a similar time along with everybody else on our plane. After having a complete search of our suitcases and a pat down (they even patted down Ki) we got to the gate and realized that it was going to be a packed flight. We were worried that we might not get seats together so Oscar went to find out about our new seats. The next thing I knew - he was telling me that we were boarding - First Class!!! I couldn't believe it. I hope our flight gets canceled on the way back too! We had spacious seats and were completely catered to. We got food and drinks for us and the kids for free. We were given headphones and warm towels - it was just amazing! The kids slept the whole time (all of them) but Oscar and I didn't sleep at all - maybe it was just too exciting!

Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday Baby!

Well, ever since we had our babies - Oscar's birthday has turned into a day for the kids! This year he chose to go to Bishop Museum to celebrate with the kids and we had a lot of fun! The museum was decorated really neat and the kids were able to get LOTS of candy. We decided to have birthday candy instead of birthday cake! Happy 29th Birthday Baby!!!

Ezekiel turns 4 months!

Little Zek is now 4 months old and growing bigger every day! He is such a joy for all of us and I look at his little smiley face and thank God for another blessing! I bought baby cereal so he will start soon (as soon as we find the highchair pieces that are stored away in our shed). I can't wait to see his face when I put that first spoonful in his little mouth! Well, he sits up with support, rolls over from back to tummy, and gets up on his hands. He found his ears so he is constantly trying to grab them and keeps scratching them. Even when I cut his nails he somehow scratches himself. Because he is such a big boy now, we are getting rid of the baby bath and putting him in with the big kids!!

Shark Bytes!

Well, so much has gone on lately that I can't keep up on the blog but tonight we had some great family time and I actually have a little bit of energy so I decided to upload these pictures. We went to a short seminar called "Shark Bytes" put on by the public libraries. Shark expert, Gerald Crow, is a scientific researcher who serves on the Hawaii Shark Task Force and has been on Discovery Channel's Shark Week. He and journalist/ photo- grapher, Jennifer Crites, gave a presenta- tion on different sharks and even brought a jaw of a tiger shark for the kids to see and feel. Ki LOVED it and afterwards we checked out all the books on sharks that we could find. We even checked out the book written by the two authors, Sharks and Rays of Hawai'i.

Zek Laughing

I know He is very cute!!

Last weekend as I was working on a new video, I saw the kids dancing so I pick up my camera and got some groovy footage. We are not too sure where Ki pick up the dance moves but he sure does have some rhythm!

Ki Turns 4!

Ok, so I know I haven't posted in a while (just trying to catch up on house work and sleep lately) but I had to post today since it was Ki's birthday! We had a great day! In the morning Ki and Geni each got a present and then a special breakfast (Orange Rolls - a favorite of Ki's) then off to school. Geni and I stayed at school for a while and played with Ki during their outside play time. It was fun watching him interact with the other kids and I think he really enjoyed Mommy and Sister being there with him. Geni and I left for about an hour and then came back to have snack with the class. They sang the "Happy Birthday" song and had a special birthday crown to wear. Another friend had a birthday yesterday so they celebrated together. After we picked Ki up from school we came straight home to make his birthday cake. A tradition I started with the kids was to help make their own cake - it's fun for them and they get to lick the bowl when we're done! Daddy came home, we had dinner, and then we let him open one more present - a bike helmet. He kinda wondered why he was getting a bike helmet but then we told him to go outside and surprise...a new big boy bike was waiting for him. He was very surprised and maybe a little confused! To the park we rode! We then came home and frosted the cake. He wanted a chocolate cake with rainbow frosting (he is studying colors at school and even made tie die shirts!) so I got out the food coloring and together we frosted it rainbow style. It was a lot of fun and despite the way it looked, it was yummy. Then the rest of the presents. He always gets one from Daddy, one from Mommy, and one from Sister - the rest were all from Grandpa and Grandma which came in a big box today! Perfect timing. Well, it was a packed day and we are all exhausted! Just think 4 years ago I was in the hospital holding my first baby and feeling the love for the first time as I looked in his big brown eyes. Now I look in Zek's eyes and can't believe that God could actually give me something so precious! Three babies and my love doesn't run out. It's hard to imagine that God loves us more than that and he actually sacrificed His own son to have a relationship with us. Thank you Jesus for your love and forgiveness and for letting us experience a little bit of you with our own kids!

September 29, 2008

God's Creations

Cali Gifts!

Mami & Zek

One night before Ezekiel's bath, I was kissing his little tummy and he started LAUGHING! It was so cute and actually went and got the video camera! Daddy and Tio had taken the two older kids out and I felt bad that they were missing it so I learned how to use the tripod all by myself! Now, I'm so happy that I have it on video!

Waimea Bay Rock

This year we spend Labor day 08, @ Waimea Bay. We all jumped from the waimea rock, even my mother in law (Kathy). It was a blast!!!! we spend the day jumping, swimming & paddle boarding. (Hard Life)

BTW Mexico beat Canada 2-1!!!!!

Beto is here!

Oscar's little brother, Beto, is here visiting us and we are so excited to see him! They haven't seen each other since January so it's been real fun watching them together. One thing that Oscar has really missed since we moved here is watching soccer and sports news en espanol together. Beto used to come over a lot and watch games, play with the kids, and just hang out and eat all my food! That's ok - I'm not complaining (he actually bought dinner for us tonight!) Ki even said that he couldn't wait to watch Shark Week and eat pica chips (hot cheetos) with Tio. It's been great having him here and showing him around since it's his first time in Hawaii. He loves the water just as much as Oscar so we've been to the beach 3 days out of 3! Hmmm...maybe he'll want to move out here with us! The only thing is...we miss Tia!

Trying out the moped!


What more can you ask for?


Opening up presents from Lita and Tia!


Hanging out on the raft


Oscar and Beto on the board.


We love you, Tio!

Ki's First Day of School

Ki was so excited for his first day of Preschool. He got a haircut, a new outfit, and a "suitcase backpack". Oscar took the morning off to walk him to school with us and also to pick him up! It was so great that Amma was here for this special day. We started the day off with chocolate donuts and lime chiffon cake from Liliha Bakery (very famous bakery down the street from us). Then we walked to school, found his classroom and took a picture with his teacher (Mrs. Carolyn) and said good-bye! He just gave us kisses and hugs and waved bye! What a big boy! We picked him up right before lunch so we were able to walk over to McDonalds for Chicken McNuggets! For dinner I asked Ki what he wanted me to make for his special day and he said, "grilled chicken, brown rice, and green beans" so that's exactly what I made! Mom was happy to see that he put vinegar all over his green beans (a Klinger tradition). The kids went to bed early and Oscar, Mom and I made a Kona Coffee Shake run and watched a movie - how fun!

Ready for School - Good Shepherd Preschool


Mommy and Daddy are so proud!


Little sister is proud too!


Can we play at school too?


Teacher made Amma get in the family picture for the class wall!


Mrs. Carolyn

Zek getting a tan!

We were so excited when we went to Sam's Club and saw a raft that we had really wanted on sale! I guess they are trying to get rid of their summer things (I don't know why - isn't it always summer here?!), so we bought one of the last ones! Wow, am I glad Oscar talked me into it - it was a blast and perfect for our family - all the kids could get on and it was safe. At first we had their life jackets on but they felt stiff and uncomfortable so we took them off and they were jumping around without a care in the world! Even Zek hopped on! This was Zek's first time in the ocean and we are proud to say that it happened at Lanikai Beach - the #1 beach in all of Hawaii! Look at my three beach babies!

Waikiki Sunset

One night Mom and I took the kids down to Waikiki to watch the sunset, play in the sand, and go out for dinner. So far, every time Mom has come, we have taken a picture of us two on the beach. That was a fun night!

We did it! We jumped off the rock!

For Labor Day we woke up early and headed out to Waimea Bay and we did it! We jumped off the rock! Even Mom jumped and I have proof! We had a great time with lots of friends. The Fongs, the Hays, and the Homesleys joined us for the day! The water is always beautiful there and we can't wait to go back!

Sunset on the Beach

Sunday evening we met up with our friends Roger and Jill and their kids (Kennedy, Tommy, and Isabelle) to watch "Horton Hears a Who" on the beach at Waikiki. We went a little early so Oscar could surf with Tommy and Kennedy who both did great for just learning not too long ago. After a little surfing, they did a little jumping off the pier, then we had dinner, shave ice, and watched the movie! We always have a great time with the Fongs and I'm glad that my mom had a chance to hang out and get to know them too!

Sea Life Park

We decided to finally go to Sea Life Park since my mom is here. We have drove past it several times but never actually gone in - with my mom here to help, we have a reason to go and actually enjoy it! We all really liked it! The kids loved the huge tank with turtles, sting rays, and even White Tip Sharks! The dolphin show was pretty good too! After visiting the park for several hours, we drove around the island showing mom some other spots on the Windward side. We stopped for Spanish rice and Pastele that was being sold on the side of the road - it was good! After that we stopped for shave ice and Sandy Beach then headed for home - we were exhausted!

Surprise!

Surprise!  Mom's coming on Friday!  Yeah - we can't wait!  My mom called and said she had some news and when I called her back she said that she got a ticket to come out and see us.  She will be here in two days!  I'm very excited because it was such a surprise and I really miss her but try not to let it show (don't want to make it harder for her).  I wish my dad could come too but I'm happy to have at least one of them!  This will be her 4th time out in 7 months!  

Best Mexican Food in Hawaii!

A couple of things keep us from going out to eat - 1) the prices 2) the kids 3) the Mexican food just isn't that great! So, tonight, because I love my husband sooo much, I decided to make his favorite - sopes! It's pretty messy and uses a lot of pots that I have to wash afterwards, but he's worth it!  Thanks to Lita, I was able to make his special (very hot) salsa to top it off.   He always helps me cook sopes, so it's fun to be in the kitchen together.  They turned out really good and we were all stuffed afterwards!