Joshie's 8th Birthday Celebration

Last Saturday we took Joshua and a couple of his friends to bowl, play video games, and to eat dinner. After dinner, we brought the boys back to our house for a sleepover. This was the second year that he only wanted a small group to celebrate his special day.

Unfortunately, one of his buddies, (Bryson) got sick and couldn't attend so it ended up being just Joshua, Blake, and Grant (his great b-ball buds).

From the moment they set foot into the house, they ran up to the playroom and played basketball. They literally played up there from about 6 pm until 11pm! Occasionally, they'd come down for water or to play a few minutes of Wii, but would run back up as fast as they could.

It was a pretty simple party this year, but Joshua had a great time with his two pals. He was definitely worn out by Sunday morning! He was practically lifeless! So here's to another successful birthday party for Joshie!

Welcome...Dylan Emily

Congratulations to Kim (Lance's sister), Eric, and Marley and their brand new edition to the family. Dylan Emily was born on September 24th, weighing in at 7 lbs., 6 oz., and 19 1/2 inches long.

We can't wait to meet Dylan!

Happy 8th Birthday

Today is Joshua's 8th Birthday! We're so proud of him and he continues to amaze us with his maturity, sincerity, generosity, intelligence and talent.

We will be celebrating his birthday this weekend. Pictures will be posted later.

Happy Birthday to you Joshie...we love you!

Kindergarten Volunteering

Today was my second time volunteering in Jayden's kindergarten class. I will be volunteering every Tuesday this year. So far, it's been a lot of fun. Observing the kids, helping them at their centers and overseeing their daily activities.

Jayden is taking after his big brother and is a very well-behaved and attentive student. There are some kids that do need some extra attention and I'm glad I'm there to help where I'm needed.

I absolutely love Jayden's teachers and I am fully enjoying being able to be a part of his kindergarten experience.

Next month, I will attend his field trip to the Bishop's Pumpkin Farm and we're looking forward to that as well.

Successful Surgery

Thank you all for your prayers, concerns and well wishes. Lance's Mom had a successful surgery on Friday. After 6 long hours, the doctors removed parts of her pancreas, small intestines, and stomach. They did find cancer in there along the way but were able to remove it all, thank goodness! She is in good spirits. We saw her on Saturday and Sunday and her only major complaint was the fact that she was starving! She's still on I.V. and could only have ice chips! Her first request for a solid food is a french dip with cheese!

Hopefully, she will be home by Friday.

Thank you again for all of your prayers. The power of prayer is amazing!!

Please continue to keep her in your prayers and also, please keep Lance's Dad in your thoughts and prayers as well. Thank you!

Please pray for Lance's Mom...

Tomorrow, Lance's Mom will be having part of her pancreas removed. A few weeks ago, she was unable to keep her food down and was extremely itchy. After a number of tests, her doctor found a growth on her pancreas. She will be in the hospital for approximately 8 days and her total recovery time will be approximately 6 weeks.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers for an easy surgery and a healthy and quick recovery. Thank you!

Purple Belt

A few weeks ago, Joshua took his Purple Belt test. Last night, he received his purple belt! Congratulations to our Purple belt master! In just one session, he was taught his new form for brown stripe and he was able to perform it by memory by himself! A very impressive accomplishment. Each belt that he advances, becomes so much more difficult and he did extremely well! It has almost been two years since he started Taekwondo and he's not even 8 years old yet! Joshua continues to impress and amaze us in everything he does! We're so very proud of him again!

First Day of School

Last Thursday was Jayden's first day of Kindergarten. He was a tad bit nervous but excited at the same time. He is in Mrs. Pennington's class(the best kindergarten teacher there is)! There are about 6 kids from Jayden's pre-k class that are in his kindergarten class too. (pictured above with Brynn, his friend from pre-k)

Jayden had a great first day of school and said that he absolutely loves his teacher and his class!

Joshua also had a great first day of school and is excited to be in Mrs. Taxara's 3rd grade class.

My "babies" are growing up so fast!

Anyway, here's to a super academic school year for both Joshua and Jayden!

Happy 37th Birthday!

On Saturday, August 11th, we celebrated Lance's 37th birthday. First he coached Joshua's team, the Warriors to a great victory! Joshua had an awesome game that included, 8 points, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds. All of that and we were short 2 players so Joshua needed to step it up and play the whole entire game as point guard. Our great friends, Ry, Annmarie and little Toby took a drive out to Rocklin (from Dublin) to watch Joshie in action. Then, we headed home for a day of hanging out, laughing and lots of fun. We had a delicious dinner, and a yummy ice cream cake too. On Sunday, the guys got to go golfing together (something that both of them haven't done in a very very looooong time!!) So, the mommies got to hang out and then when the daddies came home we all went to lunch.

It was a fun-filled weekend! Best of all we got to spend it together along with our dear friends. Actually, it was also great because this was the very first time in forever that Lance didn't have to work at the bazaar. The bazaar always falls on his birthday weekend and we never get to celebrate his real birthday...poor guy!!! He too was relieved that for once he got to fully enjoy his special day!

Thank you Ry, Annmarie, and Toby for making the trip out to spend with us and for staying over so that the guys could golf. Can't wait to see you again soon!

Happy birthday to the best husband and daddy ever! We love you! Here's to more celebrations for one person who definitely deserves to celebrate!

"Most Outstanding Player"

Last week, Joshua took yet another week long basketball camp. This time it was the Lincoln High School bball camp. Knowing that it was not going to be nearly as exciting as the Bibby camp, Joshua was not as enthusiastic. However, he ended up having an awesome time. It was a camp for 7-15 yr.olds. The head coach of the h.s. team, ran the camp while the JV coach and a handful of highschool players helped out. Even after the very first day, Joshua was definitely feeling the love from the coaches. They were pretty amazed at his "skills". He was "droppin' dimes" like Bibby. The coaches said that "he can't miss" and that "he has range" and were excited to see him crossing over, being smart, and handling the ball well. In fact, throughout the camp, the younger coaches would take Joshua aside to teach him things and to their surprise, he would do exactly as they said and would make the shot as well! He won the knockout competitions each day. And,on the last day of camp, he beat out the last coach! Joshua's fellow campers were also very positive and would come up to him and say, "you're GOOOOD!!" Each day, the kids were allowed to pick their own teams for games, and everyone wanted Joshua! I witnessed this on a couple of days, they'd literally run to him and pull him, poor thing, thought they were going to yank his arms out of his sockets!

Two awards were given out at the end of the camp, one for "sportsmanship" and one for the "most outstanding player". The coach was about to announce the award and said, "I'm sure you all know who I chose for the "most outstanding player", the kids yelled out "JOSHUA!!!"

Again, a great experience for Joshua. A definite confidence booster as well. I talked to the coaches and they all had wonderful things to say. We as parents are always proud of our children...but when we hear things from other people, it really makes us step back and take it all in. The JV coach told me that Joshua will go really far and that he can't wait until he gets to the h.s level. The other coaches were saying how amazing he was. The head coach commended Joshua on his humble and positive attitude. He is confident, but not cocky! It was wonderful to hear all of these guys talking about Joshie the way that they did. Obviously, they know how much hard work and dedication it takes to play at a highschool level and they see Joshua's potential. Even Lance was taken aback by their comments! Basketball has always been Lance's passion and now that his sons are right there with him, he's soaking it in too!

Congrats to our little "Baller"!

Baby Sarah Update...

Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes. Sarah is at home now. She was taken off IV and is eating, gaining weight, and getting stronger. Please continue to pray for her, my brother and his family. Thank you!

Mike Bibby's 1st Annual Basketball Camp Part 2...by, Cyndee

I personally thought that Mike Bibby's camp was EXCELLENT! Joshua has taken several basketball camps in the past and Bibby's camp was by far the best camp he's taken. Not only did he receive quality instruction but come on...it was Mike Bibby's camp! Like Lance said, he was there everyday for the whole entire camp from beginning to end. Most importantly, Bibby was GREAT with the kids! He played with the kids, had one on one time with each group, and was always open to signing autographs. I also thought that he was a positive role model and he truly felt like a very warm, sincere, genuine guy!

There was a lot of talk about how Bibby's camps in the past were not that great and how he wasn't personable, how he was "stand-offish", shy, and somewhat unapproachable. In my opinion, he was the complete opposite of what was said about him.

Each day that Jayden and I were there, Mike Bibby gave us some special attention. One day, while we were sitting on the bleachers watching Joshie's group, Bibby walked over to us and sat by us for a little while (and this was when Jayden was being really shy so I told Bibby that, he just laughed and told him not to be shy). On another day, while Bibby was taking individual pictures with each camper, Jayden and I stood by the door to watch while he took one with Joshie. At that moment, Mike looked up, smiled and motioned to me...he then pointed to Jayden and gave a thumbs up because Jayden was wearing his Jordan jersey. (Bibby idolizes MJ, and is a part of "Team Jordan"). On another day, we took a photo with Bibby and he would've carried Jayden, but Jayden didn't want him to think he was a baby. Another time, Bibby came up behind us and he tapped Jayden and ran and hid behind a post, so he was actually playing with Jayden which I thought was really cute. Then, we took another photo with Bibby. Jayden also drew a picture of Bibby and gave it to him and he asked Jayden all kinds of questions and thanked him for it. On another day, Bibby was signing a bunch of autographs and as we were passing through, (I didn't even think he'd notice us because there were so many people around him)and heading to the restroom, Bibby ran up to us and was totally tickling Jayden. Throughout the days at the camp, we'd run into Bibby here and there and he'd always acknowledge us, throwing Jayden a peace sign or saying "wassup Little man", and so on.

So, I figured that Mike Bibby was just a friendly guy, until I talked to some of the parents who said that he wasn't very friendly or social and that he didn't talk to them as much or some not at all.

I guess Bibby's entourage, "Team Dime" has somewhat of a bad reputation....but, all the guys were really cool and friendly too. They'd come up to us and give Jayden high fives and knuckles all day!

All in all, this was an unforgettable experience. I've always liked Bibby, but after this camp, and the overall experience, I'm officially a HUGE Bibby fan, it's definitely all about Bibby! Actually, midweek, Lance was getting pretty tired of hearing about Bibby this and Bibby that. I told Lance that I was going to blow up the photos we took with him and hang them up around the house! Lance just rolled his eyes and said, "yah, yah, yah". So, this is the reason why Lance wrote in his entry that we made a "new friend".

Can't wait until the next one! I don't know who's more excited about next year's camp, Joshua or me?! I think I may just have to join his fan club...hehe.

Check out Mike Bibby's website where you can see photos from each day of the camp. Mikebibby.com

Mike Bibby's 1st Annual Basketball Camp Part 1...by Lance

Joshua attended the 1st Annual Mike Bibby Fantasy Basketball Camp in Rocklin.

A word to parents: We pulled Joshua out of a city camp that was the same week (and already paid for), not with the expectation that he would get better instruction at the Bibby camp, but to give him the "experience". Bibby is his favorite Kings player, and there were other pros scheduled to attend. So, we did not expect him to get much "teaching and/or coaching", but we did want to create a memory for him.

Thank you to grandma and Bumpa for making a contribution to creating this memory for Joshua.

Now...onto the camp...first off, props to Bibby. I heard this was the first camp Bibby has done that he actually had a hand in organizing. I had also heard he typically would show up late and leave early, and would not be "approachable". Not wanting to pass judgement, I let everything just fall into place.

Props to Bibby for putting together an agenda that really worked the kids. Props to Bibby for putting together a staff that had "credentials"...coaches and players from all levels were present (from high school coaches, to WNBA players...) to coach the kids. And the kids did work...8 stations, 20 minutes at each station. The kids worked on dribbling, endurance, "core" strength training, footwork, shooting, passing, and many, many other drills including Defense (ironic at a Bibby camp, isn't it?) Each day Joshua came home exhausted...a sign of a great camp.

I spent a couple hours at the camp one day, and Cyndee and Jayden were at the camp each day for basically the entire time. I was truly impressed.

Bibby showed up at 9AM, the beginning of camp, and stayed until 230 - each day. He did not turn down a autograph request, or a picture request. He mingled with the parents, plyed with the kids. Jayden and Cyndee even made a new friend (I'll let Cyn tell you about that).

Kings strength trainer Al Bianchi was there and talked to the kids about nutrition, conditioning, and more importantly..."burnout".

About the "other" pros scheduled to show...first let me say this: If you send your child to a Bibby camp to see Amare Stodumire...save your money. You never know who will show up...but you have to admire the ones that do. Names scheduled to appear (but subject to change) were Baron Davis, Amare, Kevin Garnett, Drew Gooden, Bobby Jackson, other Kings players, and other pros. It was a good lineup.

Who showed? BJax, Francisco Garcia, Bonzi Wells, Quincy Douby, Justin Williams and Ruthie Bolton-Holyfield. Was Joshua disappointed? Nope. He enjoyed the camp, got an autographed picture with Bibby, and got his autograph on a basketball card...he didn't care.

Was I disappointed? Not really. I understand that some guys just don't want to make the time...I was glad Bibby was there all day, every day. I was also told that Bibby was overheard on the phone with Amare, giving him an earful because he didn't show. Again, props to Bibby.

Bibby's "team" gave back...each camper got a bag, a uniform (jersey and shorts), lunch each day (Burger King and Pizza), and they won various prizes (jordan headbands, etc.) Each coach was given Team Jordan shirts, as well as the newly released Jordan shoes.

Closing words: I would recommend the camp to anyone who likes not only Bibby, but basketball as well. The $399.99 price tag is a lot, but the memories it created are priceless (do you hear Mastercard calling?). And it is my belief that one responsibility we have as parents is to create memories for our children. Joshie has already asked to go next year.

Please Pray for Baby Sarah

On the morning of August 3rd, brand new baby Sarah was admitted to the hospital. Apparently, she wasn't taking any milk and had a low temperature. Once at the hospital, the staff ran a number of tests from MRI's, EEG, etc., poking, prodding etc. to this little tiny baby! They found swelling in her brain and concluded that she was having seizures of some sort.

Today is Monday, and Sarah is still in the hospital. She is doing better, actually taking a bottle and off the IV. She is more alert and the seizures have seemed to stop. The doctor gave her B6 and since then, she hasn't been having any other complications.

The latest news is that she may be able to go home soon.

The doctors are still administering other tests and keeping a close watch on her.

Please pray for Sarah, my brother, and the rest of their family.

Sarah Miya

On July 26th, my brother Kevin and his wife welcomed their brand new addition to their family. Tracy gave birth to their third daughter....Sarah Miya!! Congratulations to Kevin, Tracy, Emma, and Hannah. We can't wait to meet baby Sarah!

"M.J(ayden's)" 5th Birthday Party

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Jayden's big 5 at Strikes Bowling. It was a fun time for all, bowling, pizza, cake, presents, and video games.

Although it was a bowling party...Jayden's theme was basektball, of course! If we could, we would've had a Michael Jordan party. As you probably have guessed, Jayden's newest obsession is MJ himself! He had to wear his new Jordan jersey/matching shorts, Jordan socks, sweatband and shoes. It's all about Jordan now! Pretty funny, our little 5 year old didn't even want toys this year from us, he requested anything Jordan!

Thank you to everyone who attended and for all of the great gifts. Happy Birthday again to our little guy!

Happy Birthday

Happy 5th birthday to our little "M.J(ayden/ordan). We love you and are proud of you. Everyone always says that you have and infectious smile...can't help but smile when we see your happy smiling face! We'll be celebrating Jayden's birthday tomorrow at Strikes!

Handles...(tiny ones)

Check out "M-Jayden" and his "handles"and how he quickly changes direction to avoid disaster while never losing ball...And the Jump Stop...WHOA!!!

Hot Spots Competition

Here's Joshie in the Hot Spots Competition...check the form..."It's soooo prett-ay"!!

Joshua workin' on his game...

Checkout Joshua hittin' the boards, pump fake and SCORE!!!

Little "J" workin' on his "J"...

"M-Jayden" Showin' His Skillz...

Here's Little "M-Jayden"...workin' on his game...

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!