Lance's Summer Skillz Camp

Lance put on his second "Skillz Basketball Camp". Again, it was a private camp consisting mostly of his current players, their older brothers and one of Joshua's good friends from school. Like his first camp, it was a complete SUCCESS! It was a 4 day camp from 9-noon. It was very well organized from start to finish. He had daily drills, skills, fundamentals, contests, and so on. On the first day, he handed each camper a 4 page homework assignment. All pertaining to basketball of course. The kids had fun learning new things and finding out the answers to the trivia questions. Lance also had very cool tshirts made, passed out prizes, certificates, did a lot of personal and team recognition and at the end of the camp did a 2 page personalized evaluation for each camper.

The kids raved about Lance's camp and fully enjoyed each and every day of it even though they were sweating, sore, and tired. Bryson even said that he wished Lance's camp was longer, from 9-5! The parents also were very pleased with the camp and were impressed with all of the things Lance did for their kids.

A funny thing was that there was a very big youth camp going on during the same week on the other courts. I noticed that a lot of the kids and their parents were watching Lance and his small group of 12 kids. They were paying more attention to Lance's camp than their own! Some of the parents showed a lot of interest in Lance's camp and inquired about him. They wanted to know who he was and if he had flyers for more camps. One Dad from the other camp said that he was watching Lance for 2 days and said he was GREAT and said he learned some things from Lance by just observing! What can I say other than Lance is the best youth basketball coach around!

Lance receives more positive feedback from parents, players, and onlookers for his coaching style, knowledge, and ability. His passion for basketball is felt by all those around him. In addition to his passion and knowledge of basketball, Lance is very patient, positive, enthusiastic, encouraging, organized, thorough, and respectful. In return, his players respect him and take him seriously and most importantly, they learn a great deal from him. He has only good intentions for the kids he coaches. He wants to teach them and help them get to the next level. He wants them to be focused, disciplined, and always be a student.

Joshua said that of all the camps he's attended in the past, that his Dad's is by far the BEST camp! I asked some of the other campers and they too said that Lance's was the most fun and challenging.

Hmmm....this may be the start of something new for Lance (and us). Lance just may have to create and run a successful youth basketball training academy/camp! I know a ton of parents who are already ready to sign up! If any one person can do this...Lance is definitely that ONE!!

The "Big Three"....3 on 3 tournament champions...Jackson, Joshua, and Bryson

Seiji's Successful Business

Here's my cousin Seiji (the owner of CCH -Courier Corp. of Hawaii). The company that Uncle Bill built from the ground up. We're all so proud of Seiji. This is so awesome and another cool thing about it is that Seiji isn't even 30 years old yet!!! We all miss Uncle Bill and know how extremely proud he would have been to see his son shining in their business!

I remember like it was just yesterday, baby-sitting Seiji, picking him up from the Hawaii Kai pre-school, watching him play with his teenage mutant ninja turtles, and He-Man action figures, playing hide and seek at the Koko Isle Circle house, and so many other memories. And now,here he is a very smart and successful business owner!

To read the whole article, click here:

http://starbulletin.com/2008/07/27/business/story01.html

"A lot of small businesses have the mentality that they need to do everything themselves, but if they ever want to be larger, they have to get past that kind of mentality."
Seiji AspengrenOwner of Courier Corp. of Hawaii, shown inside the warehouse of his company

Another Basketball Camp

(Kai-Jayden's friend/kindergarten classmate)

(Head Coach Aaron)

(Coach Jamie)

A couple of weeks ago, Jayden attended the William Jessup University Jr. Skills Basketball Camp. This was the first time that Jayden attended this camp.

It was a 3 hour long, 4 day camp. Ages ranged from 5-12 years old. So again, Jayden was one of the smallest and youngest campers.

Jayden always has positive experiences in his camps and does extremely well. This camp was no different. On the very first day, Jayden was given an award for hustling/listening (something that is difficult for most youngsters). The head coach and the other coaches approached me after camp and said how awesome Jayden is. They said he was not only a great little player but very disciplined, focused, and could see his passion for basketball even at his young age!

On the last day of camp, Jayden was awarded 2 trophies! One trophy was for "Best Hustle". The other trophy was for "Hot Shot Champion" (he won the shooting contest for the week). Again, he racked up a lot of prizes. He was so proud of himself and of course, we were too!

His coach had to write an evaluation on Jayden and said he was a great ball handler with good court sense. He said he had the BEST shot and best attitude. He also said that Jayden worked harder than all of the other players in his age group and loved his work ethic. Wow! Great comments!

This was another great basketball camp for Jayden!

13 Wonderfully Happy Years...

13 years ago, Lance and I said our "I Dos"... I love the life that Lance and I have built together. I love our marriage and commitment to each other. I love the beautiful family that we created. I love the foundation we set, the dreams that we share, and the goals we have accomplished. I love our little inside jokes that only we get. I love the laughter in our household. I love the "I love yous" we say and hear each and everyday. I love planning for our future and knowing that together we can accomplish any and everything we want to.

I am truly blessed and thankful! Everyday is a blessing!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Jayden who just turned 6 years old! He brings joy, laughter, and smiles to us all.

This year, he chose to have a small celebration. He didn't want a big party like last year. He wanted to go miniature golfing at Monster Mini Golf. We've never been there before but heard all about it. It was pretty cool. It's an indoor, glow-in-the-dark place with tons of monsters. We had a great time.

Jayden had a few celebrations this year. An early one with Ami and Papa, a Spaghetti Factory dinner/cupcakes with Grandma, Bumpa, Kim, Dylan, Bachan, Ryan, Cheryl, and Alexis, and finally his Monster Golfing day. After golfing, the boys played in the arcade and of course they had to play the basketball game. It was funny because the highest score before Jayden was 40 points. Jayden got on there and ended up with 72 points! The maximum tickets you could receive was 10 for 48 points or more and he definitely exceeded that!

We love you Jayden ("The Shooting Machine")...our cute, funny, smart, rambunctious, 6 year old!

Reading Brings Rewards!!

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

~ Joseph Addison ~

Cyndee and I both came to the agreement that when summer started and the boys were out of school, that we wanted them to keep their brains working. One study found that when students return to school after a long summer vacation, they've lost one to three months worth of learning (more here).

We also understand that (our) kids work best on a "rewards system", and with their love (borderline infatuation) for basketball, we decided to bring the two together. We eventually came up with the " Summer Bucks Program".

It works like this:

(1) They read.

(2) They get "points" for difficulty of book (determined by mommy), and Jayden gets points for reading out loud. We've also thrown in points for a book report for Joshua as well.

(3) Based on the number of points, they get either "Lebron Bucks" (for Joshua) or "Jumpman Bucks" (for Jayden).

(4) They accumulate bucks to be able to pick a prize - usually in the form of basketball cards of their favorite players.

So far, it's worked out nicely. They've got their own library cards, and they each probably read close to twenty to twenty five books each (and more on the way). And of course, along the way they've accumulated some "summer bucks" and also have gotten a chance to pick from a bag of basketball cards - handpicked initially by them (but paid for by mom and dad).

Just one fun way we thought of to keep the reading interest and comprehension up during the summer months! If they have "bucks" left at the end of the month, we'll probably reward them with something on a bigger scale for their efforts to read! We are very proud of our "little readers"!!

Wisdom for FREE!!!!

Did you know you have the wisdom of the world available to you? You do, and have since 1803. And, it's FREE!!!

And for the past (probably) 15 years or so, I never took advantage of it.

I'm talking about the public library. The first free public library in the United States, was established in 1803.

My last memory of the public library was a small place and bunch of shelves lined with books and smelling funny and dusty.

My how things have changed...

This is a snapshot of the inside of the newest library in Lincoln,CA.

You can now checkout DVD's (all kinds and genres), audio CD's (music, and audio books), there's self-checkout, computers for internet browsing, they even have protable DVD players w/headphones to sit and watch the movies, online renewal and OH SO MUCH MORE!! Oh, and then there's the books...

About a month ago, we took the kids to get their very own library card and check out some books, since we were starting our own summer reading program at home (more on that later). To set the example (and because we were required to), Cyndee and I both got our own card.
After Joshua and Jayden chose some books (I think 8 or 9 between them), the librarian showed them how they could check out their own books. Of course, they were excited about that - and to have their very own card too!! It was a neat process and a great indication of how times have changed.

I was amazed at the things they have and do at the libraries these days, and made me wonder "how long has this been going on? "and "How did I miss this (as a parent)?" The library in Lincoln also offers story time for the young ones, as well as movie nights for the youg kids and teens.

I even perused the audio book section and know I will be back to checkout either a book or audio book. Joshua and Jayden have already been back and have checked out another 10 or so books.

I encourage all to look into the library in your area and the things they have to offer. It doesn't cost a thing - and you move into the 3% of people that have a library card (the key is using it).

Welcome Baby Lexi!

Sorry I'm a little late but I wanted to make sure I announced the birth of Marc, Linda, and Micah's new edition to their family...

Baby Lexi Hideko was born on June 21st and measured, 8lbs., 7oz., 20.5 inches long.

Congratulations to Marc, Linda, and Micah! Hopefully we'll be able to make it back "home" to see you this fall. We miss you guys and can't wait to meet Lexi!

Placer Youth Basketball Camp

The Placer Youth Basketall Camp was the 3rd camp in 3 weeks that Joshua attended. It was a 2-day camp from 11am-6pm. Although Joshua was a little apprehensive about the length of the camp, he definitely ended up enjoying it.

This camp was different from the highschool camps in the previous weeks. The focus was primarily on fundamentals and discipline. This camp was also well organized. In addition to the fundamentals, they did have contests and games.

Joshua is and always has been very disciplined and focused, especially when it comes to things he enjoys doing such as basketball, art, math and in the past, Taekwondo. He thrives on working hard, learning new skills, and perfecting whatever it is he wants to be the best at. He never gives up and continues to hustle and give it his all. He has a lot of drive, determination, and a winning, positive attitude.

On the first day, Joshua won the "Mr. Hustle" Award. The coach said he was one who kept pushing himself and never slacked off. On the last day, he won the "Team Shooting Champ" award, and the "Camp Shooting Champ" award.

So, another positive experience at another basketball camp. Sorry, no pictures were taken on this day.

Zebra Camp

After the week long Rocklin camp, the following week was the Lincoln High "Zebra" basketball camp.

Joshua took this camp last year and was the MVP. This year, although they didn't award an "MVP", he definitely shined. His best friend, Bryson took this camp with him this year and they had a lot of fun.

The head coach along with some of his highschool players remembered Joshua from last year and were excited to see his skills being even better than last year. His basketball sense, footwork, shooting, ball handling, and offensive/defensive skills were obvious. They were mostly impressed with his shooting and his quickness driving to the basket.

Joshua and Bryson stood out at the camp and by day 2, the coaches had to separate them because they said it wasn't fair for the two of them to be on the same team during scrimmages. Joshua and Bryson pretty much dominated the camp!

Next up, I'll be posting details to the Placer Youth Basketball Camp (another camp that was taken the week after the Zebra camp!)

Rocklin Thunder Basketball Camp

This was the second year for our boys attending the Rocklin Highschool summer basketball camp. They both fully enjoyed the camp again.

Both boys received awards. The funny thing was that Jayden (again being the smallest kid out there), won a ton of awards! He is afterall the "shooting machine". He rarely missed a shot in all of the drills and contests. His efforts and skills definitely paid off. He won the "superman layup" contest, the knockout contest, and was also awarded the "hustle" award. His coach and the other coaches said he had the best shot and great ball handling skills. They were very impressed with his level of play and attentiveness. He came home with a Rocklin bag, a nice hooded sweatshirt, and other goodies. He was a star!

Joshua also came home with some new gear, including a tshirt, sweatbands, and 'hustle' socks. He too won the "hustle" award in his division and his team were the champions in the 4th grade division.

We're proud of them both but most of all we're happy that they had such a super time at this great basketball camp!

Spring Season of Hotshots

Here's Jayden and his Kindergarten team, the Pistons. (they were missing 3 players on this day).

Jayden is playing in the non-competitive league so they do not keep score. Even so, Jayden keeps a record of his own stats and he was consistent in this second season of playing. He had 8-10 points per game!

He has a great shot like his big bro and good ball handling skills so just like Joshie he can play the shooting guard and the pointguard.



Here are the "Celtics", Joshua's Hotshots team and Lance's 5th season coaching. The team did well with 7 wins and 1 loss!

This was Joshua's best season by far. His confidence has increased and so has his aggressiveness. He's our sharp shooter for sure!

School's Out....Summer's In...

The year came and went. It was a terrific year for the boys academically and socially.

As usual, both boys received amazing grades for the year. We're very proud of them both!! They made great friends and had the most awesome teachers.

They have a full schedule of activities for the summer to keep them busy from basketball camps, art classes, summer session of Hotshots, weekly trips to the library, possible swim lessons, and GATE enrichment programs. In addition to all of that, of course they'll have plenty of playing time with their friends.

Soon I'll be writing how the summer is over! 1st grade and 4th grade will be here in a blink of an eye.

Here's wishing everyone a happy, fun, safe, exciting summer vacation.

Jayden's Kindergarten Graduation

On June 5th, we attended Jayden's kindergarten graduation It was a very cute program. I can't believe how quickly this year went by!

Here he is pictured with Mrs. Pennington, the best kindergarten teacher we could ever hope for. After over 35 years of teaching, Mrs. Pennington retired. We were so blessed to have both of our boys be a part of her class. She is definitely one of those teachers whom we will always remember and think so highly of. She put in more than her share of teaching and all of her students and their parents are extremely thankful and grateful for her kind, loving, patient, genuine, and gentle teaching methods. What a wonderful experience Jayden had in kindergarten!

Congratulations to our little graduate and his memorable and successful first year of elementary school!

The Dynamic Duo

"The Dynamic Duo" or "BFF", whatever you call them one thing is for sure...Joshua and Bryson have a special friendship.

We always strive for our boys to be happy, loving, thankful, intelligent, respectful, responsible, talented, polite, well behaved, good decision-makers( even if we're not with them), confident and social. Along with all of the above, we would only wish good things on our children just as any parent would. With that, it includes the right friends, peers, and influences.

I'm happy to say that Joshua has made a friend for life with Bryson. They met last winter in their basketball league. Over the past year, they have become really great friends. Bryson is a super kid and comes from a great family. We welcome Bryson into our family/home with open arms just as Bryson's family welcomes Joshua with open arms.

Joshua is somewhat shy. He makes friends easily but is and always has been very particular in whom he chooses to be friends with. He's always been intimidated by rowdy, loud, "get into trouble a lot" type of kids and would always stay away from them. He's just very conscientious about people in general.

Bryson is an awesome kid! He's kind, funny, smart,mature, fun, responsible, has an infectious laugh, and is a terrific basketball player. Joshua and Bryson get along so well and they truly complement each other. They like the same things, but are very different in personality. They just "get" each other. And, it's so nice to see at this young age the genuine friendship and respect they have for one another. I know that their bond is a special one and it is one I see growing and being life long.

So, this is dedicated to the best buds: Joshua and Bryson. May your friendship be as special together as the two of you are individually!

#1 Coach and his #1 Boys

Here's Coach Lance with his best boys. Joshua and Jayden are so lucky that their Daddy is not only a great dad, but also a super duper, outstanding, one-of-a-kind, best coach ever!

This is Lance's 5th season coaching Joshua and his 2nd season coaching Jayden. Lance is in it for the long haul since both boys are planning on playing basketball from here on out!

Each season Lance's players and player's parents rave about his coaching skills: patience, positive attitude, knowledge of the game, and so on.

Each season he has more and more kids (and their parents) requesting to get back on his team. You can say that Lance is definitely in high demand and that demand increases with each new season he coaches.

Way to go Coach!! You are the best!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

To all the moms and grandmoms out there...thank you. To my mom, thank you. For bringing me into this world. For keeping food in my belly, a roof over my head and clothes on my back. Noone can underestimate the power of the feeling of clean underwear! For doing the laundry, for cleaning the house, for paying my insurance (when I was at home), for putting me through college. For being at my basketball games (even when I sat the bench), and baseball games, and standing in the rain at my soccer games. I realize (now with kids of my own) that it was hard work (and with three kids - 3 times the work), so I do appreciate everything about you and what you have done (and still do) for me and us. Thank you & I love you.

To my wife,

There's not enough words to express my appreciation and love for you and what you do for our family. For being small in stature, you have BIG shoulders to carry this family on your back like you have. You do so much for us that you often times forget to take care of yourself. Our two boys are your number one priority and anyone who knows them can tell what an unbelieveable job you have done in raising them. I say you, because you are home with them while I am away. You help them with their homework (probably best, for their sake), cook for them, get them ready for school, take them to school, pick them up from school, volunteer in the classroom, keep the house clean, keep our clothes clean (underwear too!) and too many other things to list. And you do it with a smile and more often than not, an encouraging word. I love you.

I have never been happier or more excited about our future! Often times, I feel I am living a dream life, because our life is what I had always pictured...a happy, loving family with goals for the future. Seems simple...but I can honestly say, I am surrounded by a truly "happy to the core" family. Our two boys are courteous, well-mannered, well behaved kids that are always expressing their happiness - whether it be through happy drawings and words written, or through their singing and jumping around the house (while shooting a basketball, of course), or just their constant laughing, giggling and smiling! What more could I ask for?? And I attribute it to you. You encourage them to go for their dreams, never tell them they can't do this or that, you stretch their imagination and their minds, but the biggest thing of all you do for them? You love them. Unconditionally. Period.

Ask them "who runs the house?" and it's "mommy". Ask them "who's always right?" and it's "mommy". Ask them the most important person in their lives (that doesn't play basketball) and it's "mommy". The words "I Love You" are spoken EVERY DAY in our house, most importantly it is the last thing they (and we) hear before they (and we) go to bed. And that is one BIG thing you are responsible for in our family - love.

While I am sure there are MANY, MANY things I have not thanked you for - just know that I appreciate you each day and EVERYTHING you do. I am eternally thankful to have you in our lives, and please know I am working each day to become a better person, partner and father - though I need a lot of work to get to your level. Thank you for our 12 years of wonderful marriage - and I am lookig foward to an incredible future!!! Thank you for fulfilling my life emotionally and spiritually. I love you to the moon and back...

- Lance

Hard Work Pays Off & Practice Is The Key...

It was hours before tipoff, and on TV...there was Lebron James hitting 10-for-10 against the Bulls in the first period. As every shot dropped, Joshua would yell "Oh my gosh!!!!!". It was a sign of things to come.

As a coach, I can see the potential in every child. The sad thing is, they have to practice and work hard to unleash it or that potential is wasted. Also as a coach, I want to see that potential come out...with each game I think "will this be the game?". As a parent, I want to see my kids succeed at EVERYTHING. When it comes to sports, I want them to be competitive. They don't have to BE the best, just DO their best. The one challenge Joshua has had in his (a little over a) year of playing basketball has been being aggressive - on offense and defense. As a parent, I wondered if it would ever happen. As a coach, I was waiting for it to happen.

From our previous blog entries, you know about Joshua's (and Jayden's) desire for basketball, and Joshua has practiced a lot since first starting in the winter of 2007.

Friday evening was our spring session opener. Just coming off of a "O-fer" and another not-so aggressive winter session, there was a lot to be desired.

"I am going to dominate" were Joshua's words. We had heard them before, and always encourage him to set goals and be confident. But would this be the game? Joshua has always been a good "student", so I preach defense and how the other player cannot score without the ball, and how easy layups come from steals, and how broken up passes that lead to baskets for his team are just as good as him scoring the basket. Did it sink in? Only have we seen glimpses of aggressiveness - until now.

From the tipoff, Joshua was on his man like "white on rice", "like a bad smell", like he was his shadow. He did not let his man breathe. With that he caused turnovers, which led to baskets. Aggressivenss on defense was looking good - how about offense? Two shots - normally ones he makes - two misses. Coach (that's me) calls him over on a dead ball. The advice? "Take a breath, stay agressive on defense, the shots will fall. Relax."

First half - 0 points.

• Second half begins, and again Joshua puts his man on "lockdown", so much so you could see fear in his (the opposing players) face...steal...open layup...and bucket.
• Set up off the free throw line extended, a step inside of the three-point line, jumper...swish! (Dad's getting a little excited at this point)
• Set up in the same corner, closer in from the last shot, jumper...swish. Will someone guard this guy?
• Missed shot, Joshua makes his way to grab the rebound, puts it right back up...another bucket. Smallest guy on the court, playing amongst the trees!!!
• Set up in the deep corner -again a step inside three point territory, man flying at him...jumper...knocked over, foul called...SWISH!!! AND ONE!!!!!! (At this point, dad wanted to chest bump everyone in sight, but I am the coach and had to maintain some sort of integrity).

Joshua swishes the free throw, but refs don't count it on account of him hitting 5 shots in a row, us being up by 20 and the game totally in our control (which means I don't know why they didn't count it, because they should have, but didn't).

Joshua's final line: 5-7 shots, 10 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 rebounds and a whole game of agressiveness!!!!

Of course Joshua couldn't stop talking about his game (and still can't), and neither could mom and dad. Even Jayden was clapping for his big brother! What excitement!! Congratulations to Joshua on his "breakout" game - we're all proud of him!!!

Now, let's go out and do it again!!!! (That's the coach in me.)

Spring Breaking in Colorado

(Taken in Donnie's backyard...)

(Jumping for hours on the trampoline!)

(Grandma (Ami) and Papa and their 7 grandchildren...Alex, Joshie, Marisa, Jayden, Emma, Hannah, and Sarah.)

This year for spring break we headed out to Colorado. Although I was a bit apprehensive about the cold weather, we ended up having a great trip.


We stayed with Donnie,Lisa, Alex, and Marisa in Colorado Springs in their new home (they moved there one year ago).


We also spent time in Denver where Kevin,Tracy, Emma, Hannah, and Sarah live.


We celebrated Easter, Mom's birthday, went to the Colorado Springs zoo, the Denver aquarium, shopping, we played outside, jumped on the trampoline, and best of all got to spend quality time with the whole family.


Joshie and Jayden had so much fun with their cousins and the one day playing in the snow that they said they wanted to move there! Haha, yeah right...us, move to the cold? I don't think so. We'd much rather visit!


Thank you to Donnie, Lisa, Alex, Marisa, Kev, Tracy, Emma, Hannah, Sara, Bobby, and Jane for their hospitality, generosity, yummy foods, and great memories! Hope to see you all again sooner than later!

Terrific Trimester Grades

Joshua and Jayden both had excellent grades again for the second trimester. Way to go!!!

Welcome Aiden and Ian

On February 24th, Kelley gave birth to her twin boys, Aiden and Ian! Congratulations to Kel, Dalen, Breana, and Alyssa. I still can't believe that Kelley had twins! Wow! Pretty amazing.

I'm sure the big sisters will be great help to Mommy and Daddy! Congrats again!!!

We'll just have to make it back to Hawaii this year, to see Preston, the twins, and Marc and Linda's baby (due in June)!

Welcome Baby "PJ"

Congratulations to Mio, Pat, big brother Ethan, and big sisterMia and the new addition to their family. On January 31st, Preston James was born!

Can't wait to meet the little guy. Hopefully we make it back home (Hawaii) some time this year to see you all.

Joshua's First Official Training Session

On Sunday, we met Curtis and his son at a gym in Rocklin where Joshua had his first session. It lasted about an hour and a half. Curtis worked Joshua out really hard! It was constant running, dribbling, shooting, footwork drills, ball handling drills, and so on. He focused all on fundamentals...all the things Lance loves and would love to integrate into his own practices.

Needless to say, Lance and I were very impressed with Curtis' training session. Joshua fully enjoyed it. Even though he was huffing and puffing, sweating, and a little sore, he had a blast! He said he loved it and can't wait to go again!

Joshua is so lucky and we are so thankful and grateful to Curtis for offering his services to Joshua. What a blessing!We're so excited for Joshua and the experience, knowledge, and strength he will gain from his new mentor, Curtis. Again, what a huge honor and privilege it is to have this great opportunity for Joshua to have quality one on one training with a pro like Curtis!

We'll keep you posted.

I just realized something, in a recent entry, I asked if you thought we'd be able to add anymore basketball into our lives...we just did! In addition to two weekly practices for the boys, two weekly games on Saturdays, Lance's weekly games on Sundays, now we'll have training for Joshua 2-3 times a week with Curtis! Wow! That's a lot of basketball!

Joshua's Mentor

Last Thursday at basketball practice, while Jayden was on the court with his team, Joshua went to another court to shoot around. When I looked up, I noticed that he was shooting with a father and son. As usual, Joshua was swishing all of his shots in a friendly game of HORSE and a free throw contest.

After a while, the father, Curtis approached me, introduced himself and asked if Joshua was taking any basketball trainings, how long he's been playing, how old he was and so on. Curtis told me that Joshua is a great shooter and has LOTS of potential. Apparently, Curtis used to offer some training sessions at the Hardwood Palace but got out of it for various reasons. He didn't like the fact that they charged so much for the extra trainings. He felt that if you have the knowledge,experience and the desire to want to teach kids, why charge? He mentioned the fact that when he was growing up, all of the camps and trainings he attended were all free of charge and felt that this is how it should be.

Curtis played Pac-10 College ball for Oregon. Obviously he has the skill, knowledge, heart, and experience.

He went on to say that he trains with his 5th grade son and opens it up for kids who he sees has that "potential". His son is a great player, we've seen him play in the past and it's obvious that he has the skill. Curtis works with a small group of hand-picked kids.

Hundreds of kids are at the Hardwood Palace each week and Curtis said there are only just a couple here and there that he sees who stand out in the crowd and last week, it happened to be Joshua! What a great honor!

Curtis has a full-time job and commutes to and from Stockton and yet he chooses to train 3 to 4 times per week. That evening, Lance and I both talked to Curtis, exchanged numbers and planned to meet up with him on the weekend to have Joshua try it out.

I'll post a new entry after the training session. I have a feeling that it'll be a great experience. We are all looking forward to it.

Back In The Game...

Lance is officially "back in the game. What game you may ask? Basketball of course! He might as well, he coaches, both boys are playing, why not add himself in the mix?

He's playing at the Hardwood Palace (the place that Joshie and Jayden play at) in the Men's D Division. Supposedly, it's for the guy who wants to just have fun, run around, get some exercise, and get back into it.

His team has played in 4 games and so far they are 2 and 2. He's having a great time and that's the main thing. The team is doing well especially since most of them haven't played competitively in years! We were trying to figure out when Lance played last and we believe it was back in 2000!

Do you think we can add anymore basketball into our lives? Between Joshie and Jayden's practices, games, and now Lance's games, we practically live basketball! I have to admit, it is a lot of fun!

Jayden's Youtube Debut Video

Here's the official link to view Jayden's youtube video. Here you can view it in full screen. Enjoy!

Presenting..."Air" Jayden

Check out this video featuring Jayden in his Hotshots basketball debut. The very first game of his career...8 points for our little shooting guard! Press play, turn your speakers on, and enjoy!

Jayden's First Basketball Game

Last Saturday, Jayden played in his very first basketball game for the Hotshots league. He was so excited to play. The moment that he stepped onto the court, he just couldn't hold back his smile. He was so happy to be there.

Out of the 5 shots he took, he made 4 of them. Can you believe it? He scored 8 points in his first game! Although his division is non-competitive and scores are not kept, Jayden was keeping his own stats.

Just imagine, teams consisting of preschoolers and kindergarteners. Uniforms that are oversized for most, players who can barely dribble or reach the 8 ft. high baskets, and players who carry the ball across the court! It was hilarious!

Jayden did really well with his ball handling, passing, and of course shooting! He was incredible!

He can't wait for his next game...neither can we!

More On Coach Lance

The winter league of Hotshots is now in session. Lance will be coaching his fourth season of basketball. In addition to coaching Joshua's 3rd/4th grade PAC division (the highest division in his league), he will also be coaching Jayden's team, Pre-K/Kindergarten.

Each session of basketball, Lance continues to get praise from parents who enjoy his coaching attitude, knowledge, and enthusiasm. Many parents request Lance to be their child's coach and this session was a big one. He had about 14 players requesting him but he could only take 10 players total.

He's lucky and always ends up with great boys/girls with wonderful supportive parents. This session is no different.

What Lance is excited about is the fact that Joshua's team was placed in the highest competitive division in their grade level. Most likely, the competitors will be mostly AAU teams and/or fourth graders. Our team is on the small size, but Lance feels confident in the boys and I am confident in his coaching ability.

Let's Go Warriors (Joshie's team) and Pistons (Jayden's team)

Introducing Corinne Milla!!

Here she is, baby Corinne Milla courtesy of proud new Mommy and Daddy (Jovi and Brad).

What a cutie! Can't wait to see her in person!

Coach Lance's 1st Ever "Skillz Camp"...

Two days after Christmas, Lance put on a 2-day, 3-hour long basketball camp for 16 kids. Most of the campers were boys who are on Lance's current team or who have played for him in the past. With the exception of my niece and nephew and two other boys, all campers have played competitively before.

The camp was filled with fun, important fundamentals, drills, contests and games. Lance had everything under control and was very well organized. He had an assistant coach (Greden's Dad, Brian) who filled in and helped out. At the end of the camp, we supplied a pizza party and gave out awards and recognition.

All of the kids seemed to have enjoyed themselves and I got a lot of positive feedback from parents.

It was a positive experience for all involved, including the kids, coach, and parents who observed.

Out of all of the many basketball camps that Joshie and Jayden have taken in the past, I'd have to honestly say that Coach Lance's Skillz Camp was by far the best camp they ever took. I know I know what you're thinking, "it was better than Bibby's camp?"...Well...minus Bibby it was definitely the best one...okay, okay...even with Bibby it was still the best one!

What can I say, Lance is just the most fun, most positive, enthusiastic, well-liked, and respected youth coach out there. He teaches the kids important values and skills while making sure that he remains positive and energetic. His knowledge and love for the game comes out during his coaching sessions and the kids seem to really soak it up.

I guarantee that this won't be the end of Coach Lance's Skillz camps for sure...more of his camps are yet to come! All campers be ready to sign up and fast!

A Healthy Christmas Break

This year was the first Christmas celebration in a while where all the kids were healthy. If you recall, last year, our household was hit hard with some type of a stomach virus, including being rushed to emergency for dehydration etc.

Before Donnie, Lisa, Alex, and Marisa arrived from Colorado Springs, they came down with something. But, by the time they arrived here, they were all better!

It was a nice Christmas, however we did miss Lance's sister and family and my other brother, Kevin and his family.

Santa made his stop at our house again and as always, the boys were bombarded with gifts galore. The majority of their gifts this year were pretty much all basketball related: jerseys, autographed cards, trading cards, books, posters, prints, games, video games and so on.

We hope that you all enjoyed your Christmas celebration with your family and loved ones as much as we did!

Happy New Year...Hauoli Maka Hiki Hou!!!

Happy 2008 to you all! Here's to a brand new year filled with love, health, prosperity, success, fond memories, and fun!

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!