16 Glorious Days!

We spent 16 days in Honolulu. This was the first time going back home when we didn't have an agenda...no weddings, birthdays, funerals, etc. It was a real vacation. Thanks to Aunty Mimi who graciously let us stay with her again. We shopped, ate, shopped, visited family, shopped, hung out with my friends, went to the beach, shopped some more, and went to some familiar/favorite spots like Sea Life Park, aquarium, and Kokonuts...a shave ice place in Koko Marina that we went to practically everyday! Did I mention that we did a little shopping? Haha. Oh, I guess I did.

We spent quality time with my Grandma, my aunty, my cousins Ryan and Seiji, the Muramotos, Laus, Leongs, Nagahiros, Matsuuras, and the Ibaras. Also went to a fabulous lunch at the Prince Court restaurant located in the Hawaii Prince Hotel with Uncle Shiro and Aunty Irma...thank you again for the ono lunch!

We actually brought our Wii with us on this trip and the boys challenged Seiji, Ryan, Marc, Linda, and Aunty Mimi. Although Seiji already had the Wii, we know Marc and Aunty are fighting for the next available Wii sold in Hawaii!!

It was a terrific trip back home! The boys as usual didn't want to come back to California and begged us to stay for 3 more months!! I wish we could stay there for 3 more months too! Thank you to all of my family and friends who made time for us and made this trip back home so absolutely wonderful and memorable. See you next year!!

To view photos from our trip click on this link: http://familyofalohaphotos.shutterfly.com/action/

Rocklin High School Basketball Camp

Last month Jayden attended his very first summer basketball camp that was held at Rocklin High. It was a week long camp from 9-noon. The camp was for kids in kindergarten thru 3rd grade. Jayden (age 4) was the youngest and smallest camper but that didn't stop him. He actually impressed the coaches since among his group of 5 year olds, he was the only one who could actually dribble with ease and control. He was the only one who could also dribble with his left hand, knew what a crossover was and demonstrated one, and who had a "nice shot"(the coach's words). He was nicknamed, "Spud" at the camp since he was the tiniest little guy out there! His personal coach nicknamed him, "Money Man".

The camp was very organized and Jayden learned a lot. The coaches went over fundamentals, rules, and each day the kids would have scrimmages and contests. It was a great experience for Jayden and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Joshua also attended this camp, and though this was not his first bball camp, he too learned a lot and had a great time. Joshua was the only one in his division who went 10 for 10 in the free throw contest. He was also in the top 4 out of the whole camp in the "hotspot" competition. At the end of the camp, Joshua won an award for "hustle".

Both Joshua and Jayden had really good coaches. Dan and Chris were very positive, enthusiastic and encouraging. It was an excellent camp and the boys are both looking forward to taking it again next year.

Straight A's

Joshua received another excellent report card...straight A's!!! Super job Joshienator! Keep it up!

No More Pre-school...

On May 31st, Jayden graduated from his pre-k class. I can't believe how quickly this year flew by! Jayden had an awesome experience in his class with two great teachers, Mrs. Rufenacht and her assistant, Mrs. Berns. He also made great friends! He will definitely miss his class.

Jayden sure is growing up isn't he? In August, he'll be a kindergartener!!!

Our Reno Overnighter

Last month we took a little trip to Reno and stayed overnight at the Nugget. We got to hang out with our friends all day...the Finneys! We took the kids to the arcades at the Atlantis and the Nugget, went to a nice leisurely lunch, dinner and even got some ice cream. Later that night we hung out at the Finney's home and caught the fireworks show that the mall put on for Mother's Day. We all had a blast!

Thanks Kristi, Scott and Zoie for spending the day with us...we had a super time!

Let's get together again soon.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful wife. This is truly one amazing woman! She stays at home with our two boys, gets them to school, picks them up, helps with homework, cooks, cleans, does lundry...and the list goes on! I am blessed to have sucha wonderful woman in my life. Without her, I would not be half the person I am today.

So, thank you dear for everything that you do for our family...I promise, that I do not for one day, take what you do for granted as you are the glue that holds our family together. Thank you for being my friend and support, and most importantly my partner for life!

I love what we have built (our family, our relationship, our home...and more), and I am looking forward to each dream we have mapped out together coming true.

Happy Mother's Day...I LOVE YOU!!!!

Another New Car...

On Saturday, we purchased a brand new 2007 silver Honda CRV from Auburn Honda. Could it be? Lance actually has a brand new car. See previous post "A New Car" (from our other blog.) I say this because the past 5 brand new cars were always my car when poor Lance was left with his same old car.

Lance was in NEED of a new car for a while now. His 1993 Camry lasted a long time considering that we finally laid it to rest at 195,000 miles!!! That's a lot of miles! Like he always said, it got him from point A to point B in one piece.

He deserves the car and more. It's a nice looking car and Lance is so excited that he has it now. A good solid reliable little suv to get him to where he needs to go. It's funny because he jokingly said that we'll have it for another 10 years and by that time, Joshua can have it since he'll be 17! I was taken aback with that statement. I can't even imagine Joshua at 17 and driving! Yikes!

Another side note, we traded the Camry in at the dealership and I told Lance as long as they don't make us pay them for taking it away, I'd be happy! Haha. Believe it or not, they gave us a "whopping" $200 for it! The only good thing on the car were the tires...and that's not a joke!

Anyway, Lance is fully enjoying his brand new car...doing what we all do when we get a new car...parking far away from others, taking in that new car smell, keeping it spotless, and he's even wiping his feet before he enters, well, practically!

It was yet again, a pleasurable process thanks to my (retired) Dad and doing the search for us and contacting the manager over at Auburn Honda. We got a great deal.

See ya on the road!

On to Division

A few posts ago, I mentioned that Joshua was the only one in his class to be in multiplication. As of last week, he had already mastered his multiplication assessment test and moved on to division!


Apparently, second graders aren't required to or even expected to be in division. In fact, Joshua's 2nd grade teacher told him today that she needed to get the assessments tests for division from the 3rd grade teachers. She also mentioned that he is the only second grader in the school to be in division at this point!

Needless to say, Joshua is excited and we too are excited for him. Great job again Joshie!

The Boardwalk...

We took an overnight trip to Santa Cruz on a "spur of the moment" decision. Reservations were made at The Inn at Pasatiempo at 8pm the night before (the beauty of the internet) after a lengthy search - just being cautions on my part and not being to Santa Cruz in over 20 years. We left Lincoln at 830am, and arrived in Santa Cruz at 11:00am. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we proceeded to The Boardwalk for some good ol' fashioned "Spur O' the Moment" fun.

Of course, once there we had to eat (rather the boys had to eat), so they chose pizza (big surprise there). We bought some ride tickets and off we went! Throughout the day, the boys went on a number of rides...surprisingly Jayden wanted to ride the Log Ride (twice - much to dad's dismay) and Joshua was dead set on going on the Big Dipper (Rollercoaster) only to find out he was about an inch short of being able to ride it. BUT! He didn't let that stop him and decided to ride the "Double Shot" (again - much to dad's dismay see the video for yourself) to make up for the missed fun on the rollercoaster. You'll have to ask Joshua if he'll ever ride it again...



The weather was perfect (low 60's) and the walking was great excercise...the smiles and laughs from the kids was icing on the cake. After midway games, arcade games and rides, the kids were done about 4:00pm. From there we took the short drive (5 minutes) to the room, checked in and started the search for a place to eat. I consulted a local entertainment paper and a book in the room and settled on a restaurant called The Crow's Nest in Capitola (about 10 minutes from Santa Cruz) - mainly because it said "Kid's Menu" (which usually means, cheesburgers and chicken fingers).

The restaurant was set up against the beach, and we were seated at a window with a view. Cyn had the Coconut Crusted Mahi-Mahi, which she claims is the best she's ever had (I'll admit - it was good!! And a generous portion), I had the Prime Rib which was also very good, and the kids had - a cheeseburger and chicken fingers (another surprise!). We got to see the sunset and take some pictures using the ocean and a lighthouse as a backdrop.

Our room was good (rated three diamonds by AAA) - but it wasn't the Sheraton or the Hilton. It served it's purpose, and for a short notice reservation, it was good. Cottage-style room, in room cable and fridge and complimentary continental breakfast were inicluded. I did notice there wasn't an A/C in the room - but we didn't need it.

Overall...we all had a fun family overnight trip - and are considering visiting again (so Joshie can ride the rollercoaster - ha!). Cyn and I even decided we may need to do more "Spur O' The Moment" trips with the kids...

Picture Perfect...

Here's our future "male model of the year". Blake and Katelyn's Aunt Cari snapped these two great shots of Jayden a couple weeks ago at the park. Although he looks like he was posing, he didn't really want to take the pictures, but Cari was too quick for him! Glad she took these...I love these photos!

Thanks Cari! You have a great eye (and a quick trigger finger)!

Jayden can't wait to give you more tickets and warnings.=)

Play Ball!!!

Saturday was Joshie's Opening Day for baseball...it was a long day at the park, and Mother Nature cooperated beautifully. The day started off at 8am with opening day ceremonies. This started with a parade of all the baseball teams (and softball teams) on floats that each team decorated. All players were on their "floats" throwing candy to the onlookers (good thing for us, as this kept Jayden busy and he SCORED BIG TIME - with candy coming out of his ears!!). Next up was team introductions, and then lunch. After lunch, we headed back to the field for Joshie's first game against the pitching machine (actually it was against the Mud Cats).
Don't even know what the score was, but Joshie did great! His first game hitting against the machine, and dude was 2 for 2!!! We're very proud of you Joshie!!!!

Recreational Tournament of Champions

Joshua practicing before the 'Big Game"

Joshua's basketball team, the "Hot Shots" was awarded an invitation to play in a Recreational Tournament of Champions (RTOC) over the weekend for coming in second place in our season. There were many teams from two youth leagues, with divisions from 1/2 grade to high school. The tournament was held at Showcase Sports Center in Rocklin. Here is my report..

First the important stuff...how did we do? Our first game was against a team from Roseville. We started of VERY slow, and quickly we were down. With just about half a game to go, we were down by as much as 14 points (BIG margin at this age group). So, to stuff the momentum...we called time out. My simple instructions were "without the ball, we cannot score, and the only way we can get the ball is to play defense and get aggressive!". I'd like to say that helped...because the kids went out and soon, we hit a three pointer, then a two pointer, and as time was winding down - we found ourselves on the winning side of an exciting 1-point win. March Madness in full effect! Since it was a single elimination tournament, of course the kids were ecstatic to move on to the Championship Game!

The top team from Roseville was our opponent in the Championship game, and they were clearly the better team. While our game plan was - dribble, pass and shoot when open...theirs consisted of two plays (Number 1 and Number 2) and running kids off of screens - very advanced for this age. I was impressed, and they handled our team easily. Nontheless, I was proud of our team, and was happy they got the "experience" of the RTOC - more on that next.

The facility - Showcase Sports Center - was incredible! Six adult full-sized courts, and two full courts set up for youths (lower baskets, and shorter in length). All courts were hardwood floors with bleachers to watch the games, elevated viewing area, video game room, full pizza deli, and snack bar sitting area with two big screens. Truly impressive. I was told by a former partner in the investment facility that it took over $2.1 mil to build it, and takes $50k a month to keep it running. That's a lot of basketball tournaments and clinics!

There were games running from 9am until 8pm at night, and with well over 50 teams participating - you can imagine the 'hustle and bustle'. I would've loved to have had a facility like that back when I was playing! This place also will be running camps, training sessions, etc. for the youth (ages pre-school to highschool, as well as adult leagues)

Closing thoughts...seeing the "talent" in this tournament made me think about a couple of things...at Joshua's age (7) there are some kids with outstanding basketball abilities. Though I believe that the more you play, the better you get...I still believe that a child can still be competitive if they get a bit of a late start...BUT...they have to be exposed to basketball, through little camps and more importantly through the parent spending time with their child and working with them on the fundamentals - dribbling, passing, shooting. But - if the parent doesn't have time, or if the child doesn't get exposed to basketball and goes into a league "cold turkey" it could be a rough experience.

Last note: I participated in a coaches/staff basketball game - first time playing in a game situation in years - final line: 3 steals, 3 rebs, 2 points. Biggest accomplishment: being able to walk the next day!!

Joshua wishing dad "good luck", dad
smiling prior to gasping for air and yelling "Sub!!!!"

Another Perfect Report Card

Joshua has always excelled in his school work. This trimester he again had a perfect report card...all A's or "O's" for outstanding. He continues to be ahead of the class in all/most areas and he's determined to keep it this way.

His favorite subject is math, he loves it because he's the only one in his class in multiplication and likes to race with the clock and finish his math tests before everyone else! He also likes spelling and always get 100% in his spelling tests as well. Each week they are tested in all areas and he loves coming home and showing us his perfect scores!

Last week for "Read Across America" he was awarded the top honor from grades K thru second grade who read the most in one week (hours/pages). He was the only one that received a giftcard to Barnes and Noble, he was thrilled!

Great job Joshie! Keep it up!

New Kicks...

Here's Jayden obviously sporting his new Kevin Martin jersey. What you can't clearly see is that he's wearing his brand new Jordan's.

Daddy told him all about Michael Jordan and now MJ is his favorite basketball player. I still think it has to do with the fact that he has a bald head like his other idol...Chris Daughtry.

Last weekend we went shopping for some shoes and when Jayden saw these Jordans...he just HAD to have them! Looks pretty good on him too! "MJ(ayden)" in the house!

New Bike...

Here's our happy little Jayden riding his brand new bike.

Our Season Ends...

Last Saturday, we took second place in the championship game. The boys played hard and we're very proud of the whole team!

After our game we headed over to a local pizza place to celebrate, pass out trophies and other goodies to the boys.

Next weekend, we have been invited to compete in the regional tournament against other teams in the league. On Sunday, 3 boys that were hand picked from our team will be participating in the "All Star Sunday" game.

It'll be an exciting weekend! Wish us luck!

Please Pray for Uncle Shiro...

Most of you know about my Uncle Shiro's terrible ordeal. To recap, several months ago he was brutally attacked in broad daylight while walking back to his condo in Waikiki. It seemed as though it was just a random act of cruel violence. The suspect just approached Uncle and punched him in the face, knocked him down and started beating him. A lady who was walking saw this and screamed which scared off the attacker. Then, a jogger ran and got help. After all of these months, the police never did catch the guy who did this to him. To make matters even worse, my Uncle has been suffering physically in many ways and has been in exruciating pain. It seemed as though he was getting better until, this weekend. He ended up in the hospital yet again. The doctors found bleeding on both sides of the brain. Hopefully, the blood will get reabsorbed but if not, another surgery may be necessary. Another cat scan will probably be done in about a week once he sees the neurosurgeon again on Wednesday.


Please continue to keep Uncle Shiro in your thoughts and prayers. Also, please keep my Aunty Irma in your thoughts and prayers too. Thank you.

Playoffs Here We Come

After our win yesterday, our team has made it to the playoffs. The championship game is next Saturday at noon. Watch out Wolverines...we're coming to get you!

Wish us luck and think good thoughts for our team...the Hotshots!

Bupa

For those of you who don't know who Bupa is, he is my 95 year old Grandpa (my Dad's Dad). Yesterday he was rushed to emergency due to an extremely low hemoglobin count. He was a 4 and the normal is about a 30. He had a blood transfusion with the hope that it would bring his count up.

He's still there today and the doctors are giving him more blood. His count went up to about a 7 but, the doctors want it to be at least a 10. They also found blood in his colon which isn't a good sign.

The amazing thing, (Bupa continues to amaze us all) is the fact that he continues to be so "sharp". The doctors and nurses cannot believe how "normal" Bupa is. Usually people with this low of a blood count are totally out of it and can't even speak!

Bupa has a tremendous will to live! With all that he had been through in the last 6 months...he's still the same Bupa (just a little slower and much more tired). He's so alert, funny and sometimes a little sarcastic which cracks us up! Whenever we see him, he always asks how Joshie's taekwondo is and also tells both Joshie and Jayden what good basketball players they are!

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

A Devastating Loss...

Over the weekend, we learned of a terrible loss. Lance's cousin, Steve and his wife, Kim lost their precious 15 month old son, Jerred. Jerred had complications at birth (heart condition and respiratory problems). Apparently, it took a toll on his small body and he passed away.

Services will be held on Friday afternoon. Please pray for Steve and Kim and their devastating loss. On Friday, we will celebrate little Jerred's life and the tremendous joy he brought to all.

Our love, thoughts and prayers go out to all of Jerred's loved ones.

Our Mini Globetrotter

A few weeks ago, we took the boys to see the Harlem Globetrotters. We all had a great time! We had great seats that were center court and in the front row! We knew that Joshie would especially enjoy it since he LOVES basketball. We weren't sure what to expect from Jayden. To our amazement, Jayden seemed to have an even better time than Joshie did. He was laughing and cheering the Globetrotters on etc. At half-time he asked if he could get a jersey. Well, Daddy couldn't say no, so the boys ended up with a ball, sweatbands and a jersey for each of them. After the show, Lance stood in line to get autographs for the boys.


The funny thing is, we didn't get home until after 9 pm and Jayden begged Lance to play bball in the playroom so he could be a "Globetrotter" and sport his new jersey and sweatbands! Since that night, Jayden has been wearing his jersey at least once a day and shooting hoops all day long!

Jayden announces his own shots and loves to "shoot from downtown"...I swear he says it and most of the time makes it! It's too cute!

Although Lance doesn't come out and say it, I can see it in his eyes how thrilled he is that our boys love the sport that he loves so much!

Purple Stripe

A couple of weeks ago, we got the official word that Joshua had passed his test and is now a purple stripe in Taekwon do. Congratulations Joshua!

Next belt....purple.

Just Like Butta'...

On a chilly Saturday morning, two teams met. One – fresh off a win from their last game and tied for the league lead at 1-0, and the other team (ours) coming off a 17-point loss and having to deal with the psychological scars that come along with a loss like that. Practice in preparation for the game was demanding – dribbling without looking at the ball (left & right hand) seemed to give many players trouble, which made the Red-Light-Green-Light game a welcome experience. Then came the kicker – scrimmage with no passing! Coach was really giving it to them – but was it punishment or preparation? As the whistle signaled the start of the game, the answer was clear – preparation. Clearly there was more aggression on defense and the Hot Shots (our team) was out to an early lead. Passing was much improved as on one particular play Joshua flew down the court, filling the left lane as the ball was brought up on the right. With head up – the player with the ball spotted Joshua and passed to him. Joshua caught the ball in stride, with opposing players closing in, stopped on a dime and hit a jumper from about three feet out (play above video again). And the crowd went crazy!! (Okay – just mom, dad and li’l bro). Joshua’s first basket in an organized game…and guess what? Mom had camera rolling – so we got it all on tape! Back to the game – with an early lead, the Hot Shots seemed to step back a little – defense got a little lazy, sharing the ball was no more (sounds like a certain professional team in Sac). Perhaps a little comfortable with the first “W” in sight? The score was 16-18 with 19 seconds left – after a jump ball gave the opposing team the ball – they scored and tied the game. Overtime. This was no average overtime – it was one like I have never seen in my year of coaching in the past. One minute stop time. Are you kidding me? Long story short – our best player was a diversion in the OT, never touching the ball. But with about 15 seconds to go, the Hot Shots in possession of the ball, the ball was whipped (okay tossed) to whomever was open. One kid, Andrew took the ball and quickly went for the open spot. After contemplating (in a matter of seconds) to shoot or pass, and with “Baby Shaq” all over him – he took the shot. From about 10 feet out, with “Jordanesque” likeness, the shot was launched into the air. With enough arc to give it a chance to go in (and out of the gym) it was on target…and BAM!! As they say…”NBN”…Nothin’ But Net!!!! And the Hot Shots won the game!!! (see previous post for video of game winning shot) That’s what it’s all about sports fans…the roar of the crowd, the excitement in the gym, and more importantly – the smiles on the faces of the kids. Basketball was once again fun.

At the Buzzer!

Shot to win the game.This was the shot to win the game described in the above entry.

Hot Shot

Joshua is playing basketball this year in the Lincoln Hotshots League. Lance is the headcoach for Joshua's team. Those of you who know Lance know that he has a great background in basketball and a lot of experience in coaching the sport as well. It makes me so happy to see him coaching again and it's that much more special because he's coaching Joshie! He's such a natural leader, coach, and mentor. He's great with the kids. His main goal is to encourage these kids to do their best, love the game, and most importantly, just have fun!

I think it's safe to say that Joshua is obsessed with basketball. I guess he's following in his Daddy's footsteps. Being the smaller one on the team, he is fully determined and focused to play well and have fun.

We're fortunate to have a great group of boys on our team and also great parents. Joshua's good friend, Blake is on our team and Blake's Dad, Marc is the assistant coach!

Unfortunately, we lost our first game, but we have another game tomorrow morning. Wish us luck. Here's to a great first season in basketball!

A Time of Giving...

Each year we try and do a little by "giving" to those in need. Usually, we donate some new toys to "Toys for Tots". In addition to this, we wanted do more.

This year we "adopted" a family through a local non-profit organization here in Lincoln called, the Lincoln Lighthouse. It's a resource center that provides a variety of medical, family services, and counseling to those in need.

We adopted the Wren family.They have 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl) from ages 5 to 11 years of age. The Wrens moved to Lincoln recently to get a better life and get away from the "bad" things that they were surrounded by in another city. Unfortunately, unemployed and trying to get back on their feet, they came here with little to nothing. They had no beds for the kids, no microwave oven, and no table or chairs to eat on, etc. They were lacking many of the "necessities" that most of us take for granted like coats for the children.

We were on a mission so, we went out and bought 5 brand new jackets for the kids along with matching caps and gloves. We also thought to ourselves, "what's Christmas without toys?" So, we also purchased age/gender appropriate toys for each child and made sure we knew what their interests were. Toys ranged from an electronic basketball game, Barbies w/houses, a video game, power rangers, and sports. In this spirit of giving,Lance was also able to get his colleagues/friends from his office to donate as well. One family donated and delivered a dining set, food, a new microwave oven and, purchased a special Christmas dinner. Other friends donated clothes, furniture, money, and toys. Our givings created a little "snow-ball effect" and others were happy to help out this family too. How wonderful it was!

This whole experience was a positive one, especially because Joshie and Jayden were a big part of it. We talked about those less fortunate and how sad it must be especially during the winters and holidays. Joshie and Jayden were right there with us picking the jackets and toys and delivering the items to the Lighthouse. Joshie and Jayden were happy to be a part of this and were very excited to give these great things to the Wren family. On another note, Joshie was assigned to write an essay on what he would do if he was Santa Claus....the number one thing he would do in his own words was,"help all the families who could not afford to buy their children
toys".

We received a touching thank you card and letter from the Wrens. They were very thankful for our help and gifts and were overwhelmed with everything. Their children were so excited and happy and said that this was the "best Christmas they have ever had!" This is what it's all about. Being able to give to others and help them and knowing that we made a difference in their lives.

We feel truly blessed that we were able to do this and give from our hearts to a family we don't even know. This was also an important lesson for Joshie and Jayden and hopefully this will keep them mindful on how very lucky they/we are and to appreciate all we have.

A Memorable Thanksgiving...

This past Thanksgiving was a memorable one to say the least. It's usually a fun time when the Shigios, our spouses, and families get together to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas (since we don't get to spend Christmas together). It's usually a time where all of the kids and grownups are running around and playing from morning to night. Unfortunately, this year was quite different. When Kevin, Tracy, Emma and Hannah arrived from Denver, the girls were running fevers and apparently had some type of stomach flu/virus. To make a long story short, the virus spread and affected all but my Mom, Joshie, Jayden and Lisa. It was pretty miserable there for a while. Fevers, aches, vomitting and (other things that I won't mention), dehydration, and so on. The worst part was seeing the little ones suffer, especially the ones that are usually full of energy, instead, they were lethargic and practically lifeless...it was awful.

It was especially sad because this was probably the last time that we'd all be together (at least for a while). Donnie, Lisa, Alex and Marisa recently moved to Colorado Springs. The cousins just adore each other and get along so well and usually get to enjoy each other fully, but, because of the illnesses, it just couldn't be done. Who knows this may have even been the last Thanksgiving that we'd be able to spend all together.

There was about a day in a half where we were able to have a little fun. On Thanksgiving day, some of us were getting better and Donnie and family weren't affected by the "bug" yet. On Friday, we were able to go bowling (minus Donnie since he came down with it that morning). By the time we got home, Alex and Marisa came down with the symptoms and worse...experienced dehydration and were taken to emergency!

We can't change anything and we couldn't help what happened but through it all, we can still be thankful for being able to be together and have at least a couple of pretty good days. Afterall, it could have been a lot worse, right?

Hope everyone else had a wonderful "Turkey Day"! Again, this will be a very very memorable Thanksgiving celebration.

Outstanding Academics Award

Joshua received another award for "outstanding academics". Way to go Joshie!

This trimester, he also received his first award for "perfect attendance".

Stage Fright

Here's Jayden right before his Thanksgiving performance with his class. Notice the little smile? Well, the second picture is just a taste of what came next...stage fright! Could this be? Our future "Chris Daughtry" just couldn't handle the pressure of all of the fans. During the performance he just FROZE! He stared out into the audience and that's about all he did! Poor little fella. Not sure if he's cut out to be a rock star....only time will tell.

Next Belt Test

It's that time again, Joshua has been practicing and waiting for his next belt test. He will be testing for his purple stripe next Wednesday evening. Good luck Joshie!

Happy 43rd Anniversary!

Just wanted to wish my parents a happy anniversary. Hopefully, you two will be able to go and celebrate as soon as Dad gets rid of his cold! Wishing you the best not just today, but everyday! We love you!

Thank A Vet!!

Today is Veteran's Day...so, thank you to my brother for serving in Iraq, and thank you to my father for serving in the military.

In my opinion, if you were able to open your eyes today to the freedoms we have here in America, you too should thank a Veteran.

You don't have to support the current War in Iraq, but support those that have bravely volunteered to represent our armed forces.

If you are a Vet and are reading this, "Thank You" also...

The Force is strong within you...

This year the boys coordinated their halloween costumes. Joshua was Anakin Skywalker and Jayden was Darth Vader.

Everyone thought that Jayden was the smallest Darth Vader ever! It would've been cute if he chose to be Yoda...but, he wanted to be "Lord Vader" instead. You see, Joshie likes good guys and Jayden likes the bad guys...so, Joshie said he was the "good" Anakin before he turned to the "dark side".

They had a great Halloween...parties, haunted houses, and lots of treats, that's for sure!

The Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday, Jayden's class attended their first field trip of the year to the Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland. Lance and I both went along on this little trip. Jayden and his class had a great time. We watched the pig races, went on a hayride, played on the forts, picked our own pumpkins, rode the train, and fed the animals. It was a fun day for all.

STRIKE!!!!

Joshua requested to have a small but special celebration for his birthday this year. Instead of the usual 20 kid party, he wanted only his closest friends...Connor, Blake and Mikey. It was a little difficult to coordinate with the 3 families since Joshie wanted all 3 there...not just 1 or 2. So, this is the reason for the delay.

Per Joshie's request, we took the boys to Strikes (a brand new bowling/arcade/rock climbing family fun center in Rocklin) and by far the best bowling alley we've ever been to.

On his first turn, Joshie had a STRIKE!!! Pretty cool.

After 2 rounds of bowling and lunch at Strikes, we stopped at Jamba Juice and then let the boys come over and play.

The boys had a great time and didn't want to leave our house when it was time for them to go home (a trend of all of Joshie and Jayden's friends who come over). Joshua really enjoyed his "party" this year...so, it was a SUCCESS!

Still Chris Daughtry's #1 Fan

It's been several months since Chris Daughtry was voted off of American Idol. One thing that has remained the same is the fact that our little Jayden (who just turned 4) is still Chris' #1 fan(atic)! Now with posters in his room of Chris Daughtry, his rocker paraphernalia like, his leather bracelets, belts, shoes, necklace, a number of rings for his fingers and of course, Chris' signature chain on his pants...Jayden feels like Chris now. Since I wouldn't allow him to shave his head like Chris, Jayden opted for a new "do"...a head full of spikes (rocker style). He's got Chris' moves and facial expressions down to a science. He can't go a day without his Chris Daughtry fix via songs or videos from the internet, his favorite site is Chris Daughtry Rocks. He's probably Chris Daughtry's youngest and most dedicated fan! Check out previous entries on this topic..."Jayden's Broken Heart" and "Chris Daughtry's #1 Fan".

Blue Belt

Joshua recently received his blue belt in Taekwondo. As always, he practiced hard, not only at school, but at home too. We're very proud of him and his latest accomplishment. He's such a natural, it's actually pretty impressive. Being only 7 years old and taking Taekwondo for just one year, he has shown great patience, commitment, dedication and focus. He has already said that he will go all the way to black belt, and not just 1st degree black belt, but 10th degree!

He has already learned his new "form" to test for the next belt which will be purple stripe.

Congratulations to our little Taekwondo kid!!