Ha Jyn's Birthday weekend

My little girl is all grown up!

It seems like just yesterday when she did not have any facial hair...

Ha Jyn had a great birthday weekend. 

Her true birthday day entailed:

 Noodles and Ice cream at her boyfriends house.
This is Jason and Celine's Grandma. She takes such great care of Ha Jyn every time we visit.  Ha Jyn is so lucky! Also a huge birthday cookie, because every   girl deserves a birthday cookie!                      

A trip to Monterey's version of a children's museum. 

enjoyed some cupcakes with her new friends that we watch a couple nights a week.

On Friday we had a small octopus/ocean themed party.

Here is the ocean I sewed for her. I tried to make it interactive

by making the ocean animals removable.

She likes taking them off and playing with them from time to time. 

Octopus food!! We don't really eat hot dogs or cress ant rolls,

but those suckers sure can be manipulated into all sorts of things! 

Ice cream cake with Celine and Jason. 

She scored some awesome presents from them. 

Thanks Celine and Jason!!

Saturday was Whale Fest in Monterey. Perfect timing for a birthday girl who loves the ocean! 

Sunday we went back to Ha Jyn's boyfriend's house to celebrate 설날, Korean New Year.

In Korea you celebrate by bowing to your relatives and collecting money.

So if your a kid it is basically one of the most exciting days of the year. 

My friend Anna was telling us that it is also a way to find out which relative you are a favorite of (based on how much money you got compared to your siblings).

I wish I could have gotten a picture of all three kids together in their Hanboks.

They all looked adorable! 

New Year, New Start

2011 really did a number on me. I think I aged about 40 years in 2011. Not in a good way of learning life lessons and gaining wisdom, but in a bad way of gaining weight and a grumpier old men- attitude towards life. The first half was pretty great. The last half however, felt like I was being drug behind a truck in a milk chocolate sea of stress, fatigue and anger. Either way New year = New Start!

The top 11 things that happened in 2011 both good and bad in a sort of shabby chronological order are:

1. Our second year as a family. I can't believe Ha Jyn will be turning two in a few weeks!
As queen of our house and ruler of our lives, I have never met anyone who has brought so much happiness to me.

2. I ran the LA marathon. Well jogged the LA Marathon. Great experience all around. 

Can't wait to do it again sometime in the future. 

3. Boo graduated with his Master's degree from MIIS. Go Boo!! Still proud of you!

4. We moved to San Jose for Boo's new job. The Job did not work out. At the time I was devastated but things turned out for the better.

5. Boo became an American citizen, or as I like to call a Kamerican. (duel Korean and American)

6. During our stay in San Jose Ha Jyn's boyfriend got diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma.  Definitely the shock of 2011. We have learned so much from him and his family this year. When I think of a way to explain him I always think of a warrior. Like in the book of Mormon, only stronger. Don't know what we would have done this year without our friends. At one point during our transition between San Jose and moving back to Monterey we and ALL of our stuff stayed at their house. That's true friendship! 

7. Our beloved Juny Ju had to leave our family.  We think about her often. I hope she is enjoying life and living big with her new family. We missed her during the holidays especially! 

8. Boo getting a government job in Monterey.  So happy to be back in Monterey. It really feels like home to us! 

Picture of Ha Jyn on our trip to Utah before Boo's job started. So glad we went as it would become the last time we saw my Grandma before she passed. 

9. My new niece Natalia! She is already a great kid. I am so happy to have her in our family. One of the main perks of 2011 for sure. 

10. Going to New York to meet Natalia. Due to the generosity of my sister Ha Jyn and I got to go to New York. We had such a great time with everyone. I loved seeing how much Annika had grown from the last time I saw her. 

11. Most recently,  the passing of my Grandma. 

  

For 2012 my resolutions are:
1. To be positive. To look at the diet coke bottle as being half full. Instead of looking it as half empty and spending the proceeding hours looking for someone else to blame for making it that way.
2. To not use any plastic grocery bags. 
3. To find my youth. By any means possible. (Botox, plastic surgery, pop culture, scriptures, running, cooking healthy, being kind etc,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas and my Own Grandma's funeral

My Own Grandma passed away on December 22nd, just a few days before Christmas. Even though she was 91 years old it was literally a shock to hear that she had passed. She was in great health when we saw her in October. She took a bad fall on the morning of the 20th I believe. I called her that night and she sounded tired, but she said she was going to be okay. We made plans to talk again on the 26th, the anniversary of my Grandpa's death. Between her fall and the 22nd she was in and out of the hospital due to her oxygen levels. On the 22nd she passed away at her house. I just assumed that she would live forever. When we saw her in October she was as energetic as ever.
Even though I was at her funeral it is hard to believe that she is really gone. I halfway expect that if I called her house right now I would hear her voice on the other end.
My Grandma was always serving other people. She was always cooking and baking food for other people. Just in the four days I was in Utah I heard of several stories from her friends and neighbors about receiving food from my Grandma. The people she spoiled the most were her Grand kids. She knew all of our birthdays, our kids birthdays, our spouses birthdays. She was at every big event in our lives. Its impossible to think of her as gone because she made up such a big part of our lives. Plus I know her personality and she could never leave us. She is watching over us, baking pies for her friends and telling them all about her grand kids. I love you grandma!

Christmas was great and strange. I was all emotional (I am using the word emotional, what I really was was a basket case) about not spending 

Christmas with anyone from my family.  After my grandma passed I got tickets to fly to Utah the day after Christmas. I got to be with my parents and all my sisters. Something that has not happened for two years. 

Ha Jyn and I at Candy Cane lane, Ha Jyn with her advent pictures she colored.

Decorating cookies for Santa on Christmas eve with her boyfriend Jason. 

Ha Jyn eating our traditional homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. 

Opening her sock and giving her Papa a 보보.

We have a tradition of going for a walk on the beach every Christmas. 

This year Ha Jyn was not feeling very well so we

decided to take a drive through Big Sur instead. I am so happy we did because we got to 

see a bunch of whales migrating. 

Christmas dinner: Garlic roasted fingerling potatoes , crab cakes, green beans, 

seafood stuffed portabella mushrooms and wine... I mean sparkling cider.

Boo said it was the best meal he has ever eaten that I have made. He only has to 

wait 11 more months to have it again!

The next day Ha Jyn and I flew to Utah.

Ha Jyn and her cousin Annika mastering the piano. 

Being a jewelry model for Aunt Carol.

 My Aunt Bonnie wearing the pin of shame after making

fun of the broach I made my Grandma a couple years ago. 

SHAME on you Aunt Bonnie!! That is a masterpiece! 

Ha Jyn and Annika having a blast rolling on the floor together.

My mom and niece Natalia

Modeling the "See I do have a chin" look with my sisters and 

my Salt Lake Grandma.

Ha Jyn with Uncle Keef, Annika with her Gramps and Granny.

 Shopping with Grandma

Wild plastic chicken sighting at my sister's house.

Dinner with the family on our last night in Utah.

Ha Jyn saying goodbye to Utah.