Ohana Tales: January 2006

Home!

During the week of Jan 13-22, we went home to LA for the first time since we moved to Boston. I realized that I had lived in LA for 8 years, which is longer then anywhere I have ever lived. But at the same time, I never felt like LA was home. This may be because I moved every year, but I also never felt like it wasn't somewhere I wanted to settled down. After leaving the 30 degree weather in Boston, and landing back in LA, I regret ever seeing it that way. 70 degrees and blue skies almost every day.

We started off the weekend staying with the councilwoman's sister in Pasadena. Our first destination after picking up the rental, was dinner at one of our old favourite's, Garden Cafe. The next day, we visited another favourite, Yazmin. That day was a bit colder and raining, and we heard Lilo complain, "I thought LA was supposed to be warm!". Me too!

We also went back to our home church, MOSAIC and had a great time catching up with friends there. While we love being at the new Boston Mosaic church plant, we did miss our friends, the awesome music, and our pastor, Erwin McManus.
After church, we went down to Kritin's bridal shower, and I played basketball in 70 degree weather with some friends, followed up with dinner with the Soohoo's, who did our marriage counseling. (Pic of stitch at dinner. Note the mess)

We spent the next few days with my college buddy, Roger Lee, and his family. (Unfortunately, I worked all week too!) We took the Lee's to our favourite Sushi bar, "Yu and Mi" in Beverly Hills. . I don't think they'll be going back to their old sushi haunt's again, we've made them believers. I strongly recommend this place, you won't ever look at sushi the same way again. Ask to sit at the bar, in front of Ted, the owner.
The second half of the week we stayed in foothill ranch with our friends the Said's. Their kids are the same age as ours, so we had a great time with them. I think I want to move to Foothill Ranch.!
The 20th was the Councilwoman and my wedding anniversary, so I surprised her with a room at the SurfandSand Inn., where our room was 20 feet away from the water. Unfortunately, the minute we arrived, we both got sick and spent the entire evening and morning in bed (or in the bathroom). We didn't get to enjoy the room at all!

We went home and found out that Lilo was sick too, and deduced it was food poisoning from the place we went to dinner the night before. Luckily, the Said's didn't eat the tofu. I went back to the restaurant and got a refund, but when we got home this week, we found out the Said's got sick too later in the week...must have been the Flu then. Oops.

On the way home, we asked Lilo if she wanted to live in LA or Boston.

She said, "Both". I then asked her which she liked more, and the reponse was "I like my friends and school in both. Jaiden and Aunt Julie, and Uncle John!" But I don't like the weather in Boston." I asked her to pick one of the two places and she said "I want to live in Oaklahoma! So I can see baby Me too, Lilo, Me too.
Click here for some great pictures

Sunny and Kristin's Wedding

We went back to LA to our friends' , Sunny and Kristin's, wedding. Lilo was the flower girl (5th time), and we had the chance to catch up with some college friends as well as some former coworkers, including one that I hadn't seen in about 7 years. It was a beautiful wedding in Newport Beach, but also a bit strange, complete with Karaoke and Chinese Tango Queens. (click the link for more pictures). Lilo is becoming a pro at this