Happy Anniversary

The way we were...

Sixteen years ago, our lives intertwined.
Fifteen years ago today, we got married.
All that time has passed in the blink of eye...and yet my memories of so much our lives together are still very vivid and clear, like all wonderful memories should be.

Thank you for helping to make me whole, Ricardo.
Thank you for being the best father on Earth.
Thank you for loving me.

Here's to fifty more.

The way we are...

The Hilton Waikoloa Trip (Take Two!)

Last Memorial Day weekend, we took our first ever family staycation to the Hilton Waikoloa Resort.  Though there were some ups and downs (mostly ups) then, we were all very excited to return again this year for another two nights with my parents, and this time- Keni & Riki too!  And we all had a fah-bu-lous time.

However, the trip started off with more of a sputter than a bang.  I hit the road running at 5:30am and felt pretty blech...so I popped my spare (emergency) gel at mile 2 with the hope that it would put some pep in my step.  Thankfully, it did, and the rest of the run was fairly strong.  I'll admit that when I passed the airport at mile 9-10, I did experience a fleeting sense of dejection knowing that I wasn't even halfway done yet.  Later, I experienced a little drama at mile 16 when I couldn't find the water bottle my brother had stashed for me in the bushes. I looked high and low for 15 minutes in the prearranged spot before finally giving up and stopping at the Kukio guard shack around mile 17 and asking the guard there if there was a nearby water spigot (I was prepared to scale an electric fence and take on barking pit bulls if I had to get water, since I did NOT want to run out of fluid and have to abort my run).  Thankfully, they let me refuel my bottles from their cold water dispenser and saved my run!!!  (I'm sure they were more than a little taken aback by the sweaty, panting runner with the wild hair and crazy eyes demanding water, so it was kind of them to indulge me.)  So not only did I finish the run with enough water (which ended at the entrance to Kiholo Bay), but I actually ended up feeling as good as I did two weeks ago when I did my 20-miler in Kona.  Sweetness.  :-)

I only run 2 days a week, so I don't want to set any time goals for the Kona Marathon (although of course I have a secret one)...I just mostly want to make sure the race doesn't feel like the Death March that was Hilo last March.  I still have nightmares about that race.

One more funny thing about my run (& proof that we live in a small town), I ran into one of Rich's fellow RNs at mile 17, Rich's boss at mile 19, and then saw three of his CNA coworkers at the resort.  Note to self: if I ever take on a secret brother husband/boyfriend...do not do it in Kona.

A few pics of the trip...

The boys in the grotto

My million dollar shot of the trip...the four boys at the Lagoon.

Last year we had dinner at Sansei, this year we tried Romano's Macaroni Grill (eh).   Go with Sansei...tabemono wa motto oishikatta.

Chilling out

He did it!  Even though the parrot's claws digging into his arm terrified him and his scrawny arm was shaking under its weight, he did it!  Atta boy, Ry!

Grandpa and his grandsons

Ryan caught his first live baby shrimp!  And I swear...he ate it live!  I was shocked.  Keni told him it was edible and popped 2-3 into his mouth, so Ryan copied him and did it too.  Wow.  Both horrified and impressed.

Riki flying down the slide...on Sunday morning I offered to take him there for a few rides.  And lucky me... he went down TWENTY times before deciding he'd had enough.  

Holding a brittle starfish at the Dolphin Center.  We found out later that touching it was a no no...but I think the staff person felt bad asking the little boy to put the starfish back since he was just standing there calmly and gently stroking it.  Maybe the brittle starfish is Ryan's aumakua (protective family God in the form of an animal).  ;-)   

The Ice Cream Team outside Island Gourmet.

Cow-a-bunga!

No fear!!!

Our room was in the Palace Tour this time.  I rejected the Ocean Tower because of their mynah bird problem, but we were bumped out of the Lagoon Tower due to renovation(s).  So initially I was bummed about getting assigned to the 'boring tower,' but I liked it!  We still had an ocean view from our room, and it was blessedly quiet...so in the end, it was all g.

Hey!  Where is everybody?!  Seriously- the resort was 100% sold out for the Memorial Day weekend and was usually packed...but since most other people don't go swimming at 8am- we had the pool to ourselves for awhile!

A rare moment when I'm not actually behind the camera...I love this photo of me and my boy just hanging out.  Note that he is clutching his friend Naomi's toy digital camera and taking photos like mad (just like his mommy).

Recovery

It's been pretty eventful around here. Over the past few weeks we've had a couple of special days (Mothers Day, Boys Day), a few birthday bashes (somehow Ryan Hilton always ends up having more than one), two visitors from out of town, a new job (for Rich), and a few long runs (for me).  But once we get through the next few days, things should slow down. We were supposed to start slowing down this weekend, but not only will I be attempting to log a 22-miler...but we've also decided to take the two boys (& my parents) with us to the Hilton Waikoloa this 3-day weekend.  Which means we'll spend about 14 hours per day breaking up arguments over who is faster/smarter/better at ___________, hear countless conversations about poop, and get about 3 hours of sleep.  We also have a busy weekend next weekend with a few major projects up at our house (our real one).  Once those are over, we can start to chill for a bit.

But come August...things will ramp up again, because guess who will be starting preschool? :-)

I've had mixed feelings about sending Ryan off to the rat race a year earlier than he needs to.  I'm very anti-Asian in this way...not very concerned about academic milestones/testing, school rankings. I mean, I went to a very likely, low-ranked public school from K-12, and yet look how wildly successful I am! Not every 37-year old grows up to own a Corolla and live at home with her parents, and yet, hot dog! I've done it!  Take that haterz!!!

But the school we've selected offers a 4-day a week, half-day option...which makes it seem a lot more 'playdate-like' than rigorous/preparatory.  So we're pretty sure that there will be no multiplication drills for the kiddies while kneeling on rice. We want to send Ryan to preschool primarily for the socialization that we think we needs, and secondarily- to help develop his admittedly, very weak (my bad) fine motor skills (writing the alphabet, drawing).

We really think/hope that adding this component to his world will make it complete.  So the plan is that I'll continue to work on his reading/baking/swimming/playdates, Rich will continue to work on his physical skills (biking, scooter, playing with toys), my mom will continue to expose him to arts, crafts, music and dance, my dad will continue to show him how to operate loud yard machinery and sneak him daily Popsicles (then deny that he gave them even though Ryan is holding a sticky popsicle stick and has a purple tongue), and Keni & Riki will continue to play/argue/share with him.  It takes a village, right?  :-)

I'll leave you with a few pics from Ryan's Bubba Gump dinner family dinner celebration the other week...

There were fighting unicorns at the party.

One bird with a very large beak.

A life-like star-shaped pinata.

A stegosaurus (Ryan) and a uh...I don't quite know.

The gluttonous family tradition...sharing a giant serving of mud pie.  Ryan did the obligatory spill of one piece on the floor so we could crawl around on smashed fries and a decade of grease to mop it up.  Thanks, Ry!

Grandpa & Grandma love...

Don't miss with the birthday boy or his posse.  Word.

Who knew ?!  Rock it, boy!

Ry's 4th Birthday Bash

The birthday boy getting all fired up (the pennant behind him is of each month of his life over the last year...after each party I save it for him for his memory box)

This past weekend we celebrated Ryan's 4th birthday with our family and a few of Ryan's closest friends.  For his 1st birthday we had a beach theme, his second was Elmo, and his third was a disco dance party.  This year, since he truly developed a passion for candy, so I thought a Candyland theme would be most fitting for Mr. Sweet Tooth.  

The giant lollipop assembly team!  (Clothing obviously optional.)

Party Central

We started off the day with water play & sports.

We also had a Candyland inspired video montage of Ryan's first four years running...

The birthday boy 

The treat table!  Mothers of toddlers love stuff like this.  :-)

Getting some help from BFF Omi blowing out the candles on his cake...

The inside of the cake just had to be pretty rainbow colors (Ryan is a huge fan of vibrant color)!  ;-)

Pinata time!

Look who bullied his way into the pinata line up!

Most of the kids at the party...post pinata breaking.

Minh won the gummy bear guessing game!  She had a cute, pretty smile for the camera, but was ordered to look smug instead.  :-)  

Opening of the gifts...this year we tried something different.  Aside from opening all the presents from his friends on the day of his party, we've let him open a present (from family members) every few days for the past 2 weeks.  It stretches out the fun a lot longer.  :-)

Having the time of his life!

All in all, Ryan had a grin on his face much of the day, and I think- felt very special.  The highlight of my day was watching him as Rich brought the cake out.  At first, he was like a deer in headlights with a shy, uncomfortable look on his face, but then once the singing was done and a few of the adults clapped and cheered for him to blow out the candles, he broke out into a huge, priceless smile.

It's hard to believe little Ryan M. is four years old...

Happy Birthday, buddy.

The birthday boy!

Hauoli la hanau, Ry Ry! We're officially in party preparation mode for this weekend's little Candyland shindig.  Baking, cake decorating, a Costco run (is any party complete without it?) and gift wrapping...  Needless to say, the little boy is hyper.  Very hyper.  My baggy eyes are proof.

The family celebration at Bubba Gumps.  I especially love how my broad shoulders dwarf my best friend and make me look transgendered in the process.  Thanks, KT!!!  (You'd better gain 20 pounds or our friendship is OVER.) But ahem- the point is...Ryan is four, fun and happy as heck.  :-)

Aunty Kathy Time

Grandma Judy left last week, but Aunty Kathy came this week, so Ryan has been a VERY happy little boy.  He absolutely revels in the attention he gets and beams most of each day.

Checking out the petroglyphs...it never gets old.  It gets HOT, but not old.

As many times as I've been to the petroglyph fields...I somehow managed to  miss these.  Apparently, while hiking along this 32-mile long Mamalahoa Trail (from Waikoloa to Kona), Hawaiians would build these C-shaped wind break/shelters for protection from the strong winds.  After building them, they would curl up and sleep in them overnight.  

Naturally Aunty Kathy got dragged along to ride his beloved train at the Hilton Waikoloa...few visitors escape this fate.

Godmother & Godson

Dodging the waves at beautiful Kua Bay

Party preparation is getting into full swing around here...here we are pinata stuffing!

Hau'oli La Makuahine!!!

Happy Mothers Day, Mom!

Raising so many brilliant, good looking kids couldn't have been easy.  ;-)

Love,

Jon, Jolene, Joey & Joel