Welcome Baby Honda!

On December 30th, Brad and Jovi welcomed their brand new baby girl into the world. Baby Corinne weighed 7 lbs., 3 oz. and was 21 inches long.

Congratulations to Brad and Jovi! We can't wait to meet Corinne!

Big Spoon(ers)

On Saturday, we went to visit our great friends, Steve, Stacy, Kayla and Andrew. We finally had a chance to get together and hang out.

After dinner we headed out to the Big Spoon. What a fun experience! What a great concept! You go in and build your own frozen yogurt sundae. First, you choose your yogurt, then you go to the fudge station, and then to the nuts and candies stations. They have everything from gummy worms to giant sprinkles, chocolate rocks to bubble gum! I think Jayden had vanilla with giant sprinkles, and bubble gum. Joshie had chocolate/vanilla swirl with hot fudge, chocolate rocks, chocolate sprinkles, heath bar bits and whipped cream.

It was fun, yummy, and very affordable. They charge you by the weight of your yogurt concoction. So, for the 8 of us, we paid about $15 total!

Stacy told us that they built one in Rocklin, we've already googled it and know exactly where it is! I guarantee you that we'll be hitting that place soon and often!

Thanks S,S, K and A for the super fun night! Hopefully, we'll be able to hang out again SOON!

Averie

On Friday, I went to visit my really good friend, Kristi, her husband Scott, and her Mom, and met Averie for the first time. Kristi, Scott, and Averie were visiting from New Jersey.

Averie is such a cutie and although she was under the weather, she was still such a sweet and very good baby!

I can't wait to see you guys again!

Gingerbread House

Yesterday, Jayden went over to his friend Jacob's house to make gingerbread houses. It was Jayden, Jacob, Dillon, and Canyon. What a great day it was. The four boys were focused, determined and very patient I may add even when the walls kept falling over.

Not once during the building of their masterpieces did they sneak a taste of anything! All of the Moms were shocked! Just imagine, there were cookies, sprinkles, m&ms, gum drops, marshmallows, sugar, sugar, and more sugar!

After completion of the houses, the boys went off to play and it was unanimous, no one wanted to eat their creation!

Thank you Kerri for inviting us over for such a fun day!

New Pets

Last weekend Jayden wanted to go look at the pets at the pet store. With Jayden's cat allergy and Joshie's dog allergy we thought we'd be a pet-free family. Not anymore!

The boys both had an interest in getting a fish. So, we ended up with two beta-fish that day.

Jayden named his fish, "MJ" and Joshie's fish is named, "Nash"...duh!!!

So far so good, they are "taking care" of their new pets and giving them extra tlc by talking to them each and everyday.

Jayden is a little more fascinated with his fish than Joshie. He genuinely worries about MJ when we aren't home and wonders if he'll be okay by himself, etc.

So we went from a "pet-free" home to a "2 pet household"...no complaints here!

EXCELlent Report Cards

Joshua and Jayden received excellent report cards and as always, we are extremely proud of them both!

At the parent-teacher conferences, both Joshie's teacher and Jayden's teacher had nothing but positive things to say. Apparently, they are both the high achievers in their class, are leaders, respectful, independent, and well-liked by their peers. How wonderful!

Congratulations to our boys!

To celebrate, we took the boys are to see the Harlem Globetrotters. It was a fun night!

First Trimester Awards

Before Thanksgiving break, Joshie and Jayden received their First Trimester awards. Only two students per class are given the Academic Award and we are proud to say that both Joshie and Jayden received this award. Joshie also received an award for Perfect Attendance.

We are very proud of both of our boys and know that they will continue to excel in everything they do!

Awesome Teachers

This year, Joshua and Jayden have the most wonderful teachers. Jayden has Mrs. Pennington who has been teaching for 35 years (Joshie had her in Kindergarten). She is the reason why Lance stood in line at 4:30 a.m. in the freezing cold to make sure Jayden was placed in her class. She is the warmest, most loving, patient and positive teacher you could ever imagine. She's like a baby whisperer or in this case, a "kindergartener whisperer". Children and parents adore her and we feel truly blessed that Jayden is in her class...what a wonderful start to his education!

Jayden is constantly surprising Mrs. Pennington with his knowledge of basketball. She is always praising him for his writings and reading skills. For example, at "free choice" when most kids enjoy playing dress-up, trains, and play-doh, Jayden chooses to write the full names (correctly spelled), team they play for, and jersey numbers for all of his favorite players. He has a list of approximately 10 favorite players who he places in order.

Joshua has Mrs. Taxara who is by far the most creative and challenging teacher he's ever had. Joshua has always excelled in school and zipped through the curriculum. Mrs. Taxara is always on top of things and comes up with such creative and exciting projects to keep her students enthusiastic. Mrs. Taxara has a group of "high achievers" in her class and Joshua is one of them. For these students she gives them extra work and projects. For example, for their book reports, she chose to teach these students how to do a power point presentation. They met once a week afterschool and worked on their presentations. Joshua absolutely loved it! He got to use cool graphics, sound effects, and music. Soon, he will be starting another afterschool project called, the Odyssey of the Mind. Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Kids apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

Joshua is naturally competitive and loves that he is always at the top of his class and "ahead" of most. He scored 100% on his state testing in math and is the only one who scored this high out of all the third graders! From the start of the year, he was placed in fourth grade math and he is continuing to excel in this as well.

Another exciting thing that Mrs. Taxara did was nominate Joshua for the National Young Scholars Program. The National Young Scholars Program is designed and created specifically for the nation's most highly acclaimed 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, each of whom have been personally selected for nomination by a teacher. NYSP is a renaissance of interactive, hands-on learning for young leaders eager for knowledge and ready to celebrate the joy of discovery. No other program of this depth and magnitude exists exclusively for the high-achieving 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade student.

The four of us are fully enjoying this terrific school year and are looking forward to the rest of the year. We are so thankful and feel truly blessed to have these wonderful teachers guiding our children!

What Was That Holiday Again?

In between the ghosts and goblins, the black and orange and the snowmen and reindeer and the red and green, there's another holiday tucked inbetween.

If it weren't for the "biggest shopping day of the year", most would probably have bypassed Thanksgiving. Once the Halloween decorations go to 50% off in the stores, the Christmas ones are set up right beside them. The commercials with Santa start popping up on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network...but what's this holiday called Thanksgiving?

Something about pilgrims, turkey's, feasts...and oh yeah, the start of the holiday shopping. In school I remember Thanksgiving being a big deal, we celebrated, we studied. Well, they still study and celebrate now, but we are overwhelmed by the retail industry and their desire to "capture the dollar" for the end of the year profit report.

Interesting to read about the history of Thanksgiving. You can re-introduce yourself to it as well here: History of Turkey Day.

If anything it is a day to be thankful...for the things we should be thankful for each and everyday, but I guess some people are so busy, that a day had to be established for people to take a moment and focus on those things.

Each day, I am thankful for my beautiful, healthy and happy wife and two boys and for my health. I am also thankful for all events in my life that have led to me where I am today, as I feel I have become a better person because of them. The list is long, and I won't bore you with them all here. Please take the time today to stop planning your "Black Friday" plan of attack and be thankful for those people and events in your lives and carry that over to each and every day of your lives.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!!

Jayden's First Kindergarten Field Trip

On October 8th, Jayden and his class went on their first field trip of the year. They went to the Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland. (Jayden's Pre-K class also went there last October). I was one of the many parent chaperones who attended the field trip.

The pumpkin farm is always a hit with the kids (and grown ups too). From the hayrides, to the train rides, to the pig races and picking their very own pumpkins how could you not have a great time?

It was a happy, safe, and successful fieldtrip!

Farewell and Aloha to Bupa....We Will Miss you

On Saturday, Bupa (my Grandpa) passed away. Although he had his ups and downs over the last year, things seemed to have been going up for him. He was stronger, his appetite was better, he was going through physical therapy, he gained 7 pounds and was even put on a diet because he was gaining weight. Bupa's mind was still very good, he was pretty alert and aware of his surroundings.

His passing was a quick one and without too much pain, aside from the back pain he was experiencing. In a matter of minutes, his blood pressure went from a very high, 180/80 to a very low 90/60. His breathing became very spaced out to just one breath every 3 seconds, and then he just slipped away...

It was a total shock to us. I truly felt like he was going to be one of those people that would live to 105! His will to live was amazing. Even with a bad heart, it was really a miracle that he was here for so long! The doctors would say that all of the time.

A couple of weeks ago, we planned to visit him at the nursing home. However, that day we were almost going to put it off until the "next time". Jayden was actually the one who was insistent on going to see Bupa. He was in tears and wanted desperately to go. My Dad had offered to take Jayden but he yelled,"NO! I want Mommy, Daddy, Joshie, and Ami(my Mom) to go!" He wouldn't let up. So, we all agreed and headed out to visit Bupa. It was a beautiful day that day, sunny but not too hot. We all sat outside as we always do. There is a little basketball hoop outside of the nursing home and Joshie and Jayden would always bring a ball so they can shoot around in front of Bupa. Bupa always got a kick out of seeing the boys. Joshie and Jayden were shooting from far and making all of their shots. Bupa would just laugh and comment on how good they were. He would say, "Boy, you sure are good basketball players" and, "you never miss!" Bupa seemed to always light up when he saw the boys.

I'm so glad we visited him that day and I'm so happy Jayden was so persistent with us. We have that memory as our last time with him and it was a happy moment. Thanks to Jayden we will always have that!

I'm still in shock that Bupa is gone! He was one of a kind and the one and only Bupa that there will ever be! We will miss him dearly.

I ask that you please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially for my Dad who spent time with Bupa each and every single day that he was living at the nursing home! Thank you.

Our love and aloha to Bupa who is now in a "better place" and reunited with Grandma!

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...