We went to the Orange County Zoo to hang out and check out the animals. There are quite the variety of animals in the zoo, as you would expect. There were bears, foxes, owls and even a couple bald eagles. Seeing one up close is quite a moment. They exude confidence and you can see why this magnificent bird is a national emblem of the US. You can find yourself staring at them for a long time before snapping out of it.

The exhibit that is a crowd favorite is without a doubt the petting zoo. There are various animals to pet and hand feed including sheep, pigs, and goats. You cannot forget about the goats as they tend to get the most attention. There are goats of all sizes and demeanor. You will see some that are pushy and dominating all the way to little pot belly goats just wanting to be petted. And then of course, you get the goat that just won’t stop staring at you. He’s coming up to you and just standing there.

Staring.

Scheming.

You don’t ever turn your back on this goat.

Ever.

Mia is quite the artist. She is quick to pick up a marker, pen or crayon and start drawing. Often times you can find her completely focused on creating her next drawing.

Well, this night, she had her artwork on display for all to see. It was displayed at the gallery opening at The Drawing Board art studio in Yorba Linda. There were many other artworks on display as well. They even had wall space available for guests to paint on. It was their public moral and everyone was encouraged to participate and paint. It was a cool place to hang out and watch the kids painting on the walls.

But without a doubt, the highlight of the night was to see little miss Mia’s artwork on display. As you can see, it is quite the piece of art. This is without a doubt, the start of something very special. I can’t wait to see how many other beautiful art pieces she will create.

So very proud of our little miss Mia.

Another year…another trip…another great time playing on the Greatest Snow on Earth.

This year’s 12th occurrence of the More Than Sundance trip was as memorable as all the previous years. From the early stages of wondering whether there would be any snow. To the very last day and not wanting to leave the mountain.

The weeks leading up to the trip were marked by sunny days and below average snow levels. It was practically summertime during December and January. There was a sense of dread that this year’s trip would be disappointing in terms of snow. There were hopes and prayers (and some snow dances) that something would change weather-wise. And what do you know? In the days before our arrival, the skies started to puke snow. In the end, there was over 3 feet of snowfall in the 5 days before our arrival. And then a few more inches while we were there. The snow portion of the trip was accomplished.

With that much snow, it was a guaranteed great time on the slopes. So with a group of trip veterans, along with a nice dose of newbies, the remaining piece to ensure an awesome experience was all set. The gamut of people from all walks of life mixed so well together. Many times on a trip that brings together friends and strangers for 5 days, you never know what you’re going to get. But there was great fellowship among everyone. Laughter, stories, food, drinks (and a few more drinks) — everyone was able to share in great memories.

Ultimately, the trip can still be fun without a lot of snow. It’s the people that make it a trip that one keeps coming back to year after year. So in what has got to be the overwhelming feeling:

I can’t wait until next year!

The circus is in town with the big top tents up in full effect at the Santa Monica Pier. And when that circus is a presentation of Cirque du Soleil, you know it’s gonna be a great show.

Their latest traveling show to visit the area is OVO. The theme involves insects and the madcap adventures of an enormous egg and the insects attempting to protect and steal it. Sounds odd? Indeed. But so captivating and engrossing you can’t help but fall deeper and deeper into the story and performances.

What I like best about the traveling Cirque shows are that they are smaller, intimate shows under the big top tents. There really isn’t a bad seat under the tent. So you get to see the action up close and personal. And OVO didn’t disappoint at all. It was full of fun characters, lively performers doing stunts that only the wildest imagine could dream up, and great music.

All around good stuff!

There are a few sets of hills within walking distance of my house. They provide a decent workout with the various ascents and descents. It’s not the most difficult hike but it will get you sweating.

Once you get to the top of one of the peaks, you usually find yourself stopping to take in the view. From the ocean to the mountains, you can see it all. This vantage point is something you don’t often find yourself in. Everything just seems so mellow and easy from here. Sometimes you get lost in the daily rat race to appreciate the simplicity of the world around us.

Hiking through the hills gives you a good reset.

First day of 2012. Instead of being bundled up trying to stay warm, we had quite the opposite effect in Orange County. It was a balmy 80 degrees and perfectly sunny. Barely a breeze to keep it interesting.

For New Year’s Eve, we had multiple celebrations during our party. First was a East Coast countdown for the kiddies to get worked up over. And boy were they excited. Then came the West Coast countdown for the adults. All in all, it was a well executed party with plenty of food, drinks, and great friends.

So then how should one celebrate the actual first day of the new year? Especially considering the weather conditions?

Painting, of course!

Or as you can see in Zella’s case, hand, face, and generally everywhere else painting.

Cheers to another prosperous year. I can’t wait to experience what is to be.

One of these 3 is obviously not having fun.

This happens to be Santa as we saw him at one of the 3 Christmas holiday celebrations we were fortunate enough to be a part of. Zella hasn’t really been too keen on Santa because this seems to be her standard response to being near him. I don’t know where she gets that from.

Say cheese!

Here are dueling photos of Zella and me. The top is my view of Zella and the bottom is Zella’s view of me.

This is one of her very first photos she has ever successfully taken. She loves looking through the viewfinder of her camera and snapping photos. She will even pose the subject to get the best angle. They say kids will mimic your actions. But it is a trip seeing a 2 year old do the same things I do when I’m behind the lens. She seems so natural with it.

But then why would she want to copy my inability to take a level shot here? We got some more practicing to do all around.

*thanks to Tri, Thuy, and Lily for giving Zella her first camera

We went down to San Juan Capistrano for Zella’s little buddy’s (Devin) birthday. Being like any boy, he loves trains. So how perfect it is that the train station is down the street from our house?

This was the first time Zella has ever ridden on a train. And she took to it like a pro. She was even able to walk around while the train was moving — which on a train that rocks side-to-side can be a chore.

Our destination in San Juan Capistrano was Zoomars petting zoo. There were rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, goats, and horses for the kiddies to poke and pull at. Needless to say, the kiddies all enjoyed themselves.

The best part about taking the train was sitting back and taking a quick nap on the ride home. As long as we got off at the correct stop, there were no worries about anything else. Such a comforting feeling while traveling with kids. I can get used to ridding around in the train. And with no issues with Zella, it’s a sure bet that we’ll be taking advantage of the rail system more often.

It’s that time of year when we take it upon ourselves to chop down a perfectly good tree to decorate for our own pleasure. You really do have to wonder about that tradition and how utterly selfish of an act it is.

But hey, the kids enjoy it!

And how much more of a display of joy can you get than breaking out into a song and dance?

Zella’s well into her holiday groove.

Zella’s 2nd birthday celebration was full of friends, family, fun, and food (how’s that for alliteration?).

The food was very well received. Especially when you consider it was a delicious hand-made breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, and potatoes. And then a special serving of tea to top it all off.

The fun included a mini roller coaster ride, an extreme roller coaster ride (it’s all relative ), bouncy house with a slide, painting, and general running around screaming and yelling. I really can’t say there was one kid who was not having fun.

And the friends and family provided the humbling and blessed feelings of having such great people in Zella’s life. I can’t thank everyone enough for being a part of this wonderful day.

All in all, isn’t this what it’s all about?

This is the end of Movember.

A quick recap of how I looked at the beginning and the middle.

One thing is certain, I am not able to rock the mustache. In the wise words of Angela, “that looks bad.”

The razor can’t reach my face fast enough.

But seriously, the purpose of this all was to raise awareness of men’s health issues. With a special emphasis on prostate cancer. Amazingly, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, only behind lung cancer. In fact, 1 in 36 men will die from prostate cancer. What this hopefully means is that men will make the effort to get physical checkups and do things to prevent the onslaught of cancer.

We should all live to see the next Movember.

(and it’s never too late to donate at http://mobro.co/quanha)

We spent Thanksgiving day in Julian. It’s a little mountain community not that far from the rat race. But far enough away to make it worth a trip.

It was a great time with friends and family. I think Thanksgiving, of all the holidays, brings out the most people. It’s always a long weekend and it kicks off the end of year festivities. Kids and adults seem to really enjoy themselves during this time. And you really can’t argue with 3 NFL games in a row either.

This year I had a deep fried turkey for the first time. I got to witness the entire process and I must say, it was quite impressive. From the prepping of the bird to the prepping of the deep frying station. I was taking it all in. One thing I learned is that you can reuse the oil year after year.

And look at that bird. Nice and golden brown on the outside. With the frying process sealing in the moisture, it was delicious!

Maybe I’ll take a chance and try it someday.

The LA Auto Show is now in full swing. It’s easily one of the premier auto shows with many manufacturers displaying their current line of autos and future prototypes.

In addition to that, there’s the specialty car section where you see the ultimate “Pimp My Ride” cars. These cars are matte finished, big wheeled, very expensive vehicles.

What I like about the show is being able to sit in all the cars. Where else can you go from sitting in an itty-bitty Smart car to the monstrosity of an American made Dodge Ram?

But then again, you have this — which easily surpasses all the other things going on! This motion capture was produced in bullet time. To achieve this effect, 27 cameras were set up in the Chevy booth in an arcing pattern. On command, all 27 cameras snapped a photo at the exact same time. After a little merging magic, we end up with this.

Very Matrix. Very cool.

Today marks the middle of Movember.

Quite a different look compared to how I was at the beginning of Movember.

I’m kind of worried how I’m going to look at the end.

Don’t forget to visit my Movember donation page at http://mobro.co/quanha.

What you see is the result of 5 months of feeding, cleaning, and caring for the chickens.

The first egg. El primer huevo. Le premier oeuf.

Days of swearing at the chickens for pooping everywhere. Nights of trying to wrangle them back into their coop. Cleaning their poop from off the patio. Feedings. Cleaning.

Did I mention all the pooping they do?

This is the goal.

Mission accomplished.

Tagged: chickens, egg, more poop than eggs ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/11/13/the-chicken-or-the-egg/feed/ 4 quanha The Chicken or The Egg http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/11/06/occupy-san-francisco/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/11/06/occupy-san-francisco/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:44:32 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=1123 ]]>

What started out as a protest of Wall Street in New York, has slowly grown to more and more cities. Cities reaching across the nation and across the world. Big cities…smaller cities.

The Occupy Movement is real. There are those who feel this is the time to stand up and voice their opinions. San Francisco is not immune to this. The Occupiers set up camp across from the Ferry Building in Justin Herman Plaza. There were rows and rows of tents set up. From young to old, the Occupiers were represented quite the mix. Walking around the camp, you get the feeling that they were trying to do something. Some were working aggressively to set up tents and support systems. Some were gathered in little groups in intense conversations. While others were just hanging out and minding their own business. It was very easy going and non-confrontational.

Everyone has an opinion of the Occupy Movement. Some feel this is not the right forum. Others feel this is indeed the best forum. This issue brings out passionate debate — which in my eyes, is the whole purpose. To shed light. To get people talking. To make a change.

A restaurant with a bocce ball court off the back patio. With views into the San Francisco Bay. Serving excellent wood fired oven pizzas.

A little restaurant in the little city of Sausalito, just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge.

This place is called Bar Bocce. And if you’re ever in the area, do yourself a favor and make it a point to stop by for a meal on the patio. You will not be disappointed by the food, views, or service.

And make time for a quick game of bocce ball.

San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge.

You really can’t think about one and not the other. The bridge is iconic — larger than the sum of its parts. There are countless stories involving this bridge: romantic, death defying, death not-defying, heroic, life changing, memorable. It is an awe-inspiring sight to look back at the city from across the bay.

*click the photo to get the full panoramic view

Ahhhhhhh! Runaway cable car!!!!! Hold on!

Not really.

As you can tell by the reaction of everyone else, no one is in any danger. But it was fun riding the cable cars hanging half way off.

Especially if it meant getting this look from the cable car operator.

Is this frightening or what?

So there’s this guy who has set up shop around Fisherman’s Wharf. To make himself stand out from the other people seeking change, he has himself an act. He literally hides behind a couple tree branches, forming a makeshift bush, and jumps out at unsuspecting people passing by. Despite the fact that there are no bushes in this area of Fisherman’s Wharf, he frightens people quite easily. I mean really, who expects anyone to jump out at them from a bush?

It is hilarious to watch him do his thing. At first people would be scared shitless. Then after realizing what was going on, they would invariably laugh. And as an appreciation, then throw some cash into his can.

If you’re gonna be a performer and wanting people’s change, you gotta have a unique act. And the Bushman certainly has one!

Here’s a view you wouldn’t have wanted to see back in the days of Alcatraz prison. They sent the worst of the worst criminals here to be locked up, with little hope of getting out. The most notorious notorious resident had to be Al Capone. There is some serious history about Alcatraz island. And not just as a prison either.

This was our kick off point of our vacation in San Francisco. We made our way to The Rock via a ferry. It was a typical San Francisco day — overcast, slight drizzle, and cool temps. Exactly how it should be the first day to remind us of where we are.

There is so much charm to this city. With such a cultural diversity due to its melting pot of citizens, you get a true sense of what America is supposed to be. Everyone here seems to feel free to express themselves openly and without prejudice.

Today marks the beginning of Movember. That’s right — Movember.

What is Movember?

Movember is a mash-up of moustache and November. It involves growing only a moustache for the entire month of November. No goatee or beard. But it’s not only about facial hair. The moustaches are grown to draw awareness to men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The main benefactors of official donations are the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong.

Now I would never be confused with a grown man when it comes to facial hair growth. You could say I was facial hair challenged. I have never let facial hair grow for longer than a couple weeks. In fact, I’m almost afraid of what I’ll look like at the end of November. But if in the long run, my attempt at a moustache gets some conversations started — “What is that thing growing on your upper lip?” — and awareness is raised for men’s health issues, then it will be well worth it.

If you would like to participate by donating, please refer to my Movember page at http://mobro.co/quanha.

It’s good to start traditions as a family. And it is looking like we’re making visiting Tanaka Farms for pumpkins a tradition.

Since we were here last year, I had a better idea of what to expect. Of course there were the hundreds of pumpkins laying out row by row. Kids everywhere with parents in tow. Wagon rides and corn maze.

But I was there for the pumpkin cannon. This thing was launching pumpkins into the air. Pumpkins were easily flying across 200 yards. It was mesmerizing for me to see that. Seriously one of the best things to do with a pumpkin other than making a pie.

And look at that pumpkin flying. It took me 5 separate cannon shots to get the pumpkin in frame.

Tagged: cannon, pumpkin, pumpkin patch, tanaka farms ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/10/29/pumpkin-cannon/feed/ 3 quanha Pumpkin Cannon http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/10/24/waiting-for-prince-charming/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/10/24/waiting-for-prince-charming/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:06:04 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=1093 ]]>

What? You didn’t think dogs look for love also?

Zoe patiently waits for her perfect match to come and sweep her off her feet.

Or at least chase her around the yard and bark into the night. Staring lovingly into each others sad sad eyes.

Halloween is coming up, and Zella seems to be getting into the mood.

She grabs these fake plastic teeth and puts them into her mouth whenever she gets the chance. Then she promptly starts to growl. Maybe not growl, but more like a roar. Either way, it’s all done to hopefully intimidate and scare you. She loves to get a reaction out of people with her actions. It’s these little things that start to add up to a personality and it’s looking like she is well on her way to establishing that.

Actually, who wouldn’t be scared if a lil toddler came up to you looking like this?

Well, what do we have here?

It looks like Zella can’t really be trusted to keep a secret. I suppose being only 22 months old is a good excuse if there ever was one.

But it looks like we’re going to have a new addition to the family. It gets easier with more kids, right?

In my continuance of summer activities in locations which I only visit during the winter (see Utah), my next stop was Parker Lake.

Parker Lake is located near June Lake off of the June Loop in Mono County. My neighbor has been going to this lake for a long while and has always talked about the great hike to the lake and how much solitude can be found. I have missed each of the past 3 years of going because of various other commitments I’ve had. So when he asked this time about setting up a quick, last minute trip…and I was free…I was in…finally!

Boy was it quite the adventure. After seeing the first major storm of the season blow through the region leading up to our departure day, we were wondering what was in store for us. We learned through the Rangers station that it had snowed about 18″ during the previous 2 days before our arrival. Getting to the trailhead, the remnants of the snow storm were very evident. Gearing up and getting into the hike was fun. Hiking through the snow was a chore but the scenery was amazing. Upon reaching the lake, we were greeted by silence and our own swath of nature to enjoy.

After a few days of camping out, fishing (not catching), and sitting in absolute awe of God’s work, we had to unfortunately come back to reality. Luckily for us, the majority of the snow at the lower elevations had already melted so we had an easy way out.

Do you want to know how we know it’s Fall in Orange County? It’s not the change in colors of the foliage (palm trees tend to stay the same color throughout the year). It’s not the change in temperature (sunny and warm just like any other day of the year). Allow me to butcher the title of an all time classic…

It’s the Great Park Balloon Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Every year around this time, the curators of the Orange County Great Park take it upon themselves to slap a jack-o-lantern face onto the balloon ride. Yes, there is a hot air balloon ride which takes passengers up into the air. If you have driven through Orange County, no doubt you have seen the balloon ride. The orange-ness of it makes it stand out from the landscape.

The ride up in the balloon is pretty cool in that you get a great view of the surrounding hills and city life. And on a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. And now for the next few weeks, you get to ride it as the Great Park Balloon Pumpkin. If you’re in the area, definitely make it a point to go up. It’ll be worth your time. And really, how many times can you say you rode in a balloon pumpkin?

In my faith, baptisms signify your new life as a Christian. It is your personal commitment to Jesus. But it is merely a step in an eternal journey.

Today we had the honor of witnessing baptisms in the ocean. Members of the Kindred Community Church in Anaheim Hills gathered at the shoreline in Huntington Beach. There were people of all walks of life, spanning all ages from teenagers to much more mature people. My neighbor was there to be baptized and he provided an awesome life story on how he progressed to this day. It was so inspiring to be around a group of people sharing their own unique paths to this day.

Jesus has a whole new set of devoted followers.

This is starting to look familiar. Remember the last crash a month ago?

Well, this time the conditions were about as opposite as you could get. Bright daylight. Not drinking and driving. And multiple cars. Luckily, just like before, there were no serious injuries. The Honda belongs to my nanny and was parked in front of the house. It met its match when the Tahoe went head on into it. Although there were no witnesses to the crash and the driver of the Tahoe didn’t readily admit it, I can’t help but think speed had a hand in this. The nanny’s car was pushed back easily 30 feet.

We have already petitioned the city for speed bumps. They even did a traffic speed assessment a few years ago. The statistics that came back showed an average speed that wasn’t high enough to warrant speed bumps. If I recall correctly, the average speed needs to be 10mph above the speed limit. Which for our residential street is 25mph, and I believe it was a 32mph average. But now with 2 major accidents in the exact same spot a month apart, not to mention the accident during the summer which took out a street light pole, we have some serious ammunition for speed bump installations.

Donating blood is such a simple thing. It takes less than an hour to complete the process. That includes reading about the process, going through a pre-screen, answering a few questions, getting your blood drawn, and then sitting around eating cookies and drinking juice.

The actual drawing of blood only takes about 10 minutes. But in those 10 minutes, your much needed blood can be used to save the life of someone in dire need of blood. That need can be the result of an accident or voluntary surgery. Regardless of when the blood is used, realize that any blood used is only made possible by voluntary donors. Without voluntary donors, there is no blood for those procedures and a life could be lost.

Donating blood is literally giving the gift of life.

It’s not often as a normal civilian that you get a chance to view military airplanes up-close.

Lucky for me, my brother works at Boeing. And today happened to be the celebration of the first flight anniversary of the C-17 Globemaster III military transport airplane. 20 years ago this beast of an airplane took to the skies. And since then, it has flown countless missions ranging from top secret Navy SEALs drop-offs to humanitarian aid missions.

While at the Boeing facility in Long Beach, we were able to walk into the C-17. And let me tell you, it was humongous inside. You could easily see how this thing could fit a helicopter, Humvees, and tanks. It was awesome to say the least.

But they also had the assembly warehouses open to visitors. And if the airplane was big, then I can’t think of the word that describes the size of the warehouses. Ginormous?! It was simply amazing to see the vastness of the area in which the wings, fuselage, and final assembly of the C-17 was done. You could sense the pride of those who work on this airplane as they describe the various features.

They don’t open up this up to the general public very often, so it was quite the memorable day for everyone.

I am flying my flag today in remembrance of all those innocents who lost their lives 10 years ago. Some lives were lost in tragic surprise. And other lives were lost while performing heroic actions.

The events that transpired on this day in 2001 will forever be remembered. We continue to fight on to prove to those who despise our way of life that we are resilient and we are strong.

We are “one nation under God, indivisible.”

Tagged: 9/11, never forget ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/09/11/911/feed/ 0 quanha 9-11 http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/09/04/im-on-a-boat/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/09/04/im-on-a-boat/#comments Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:05:15 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=596 ]]>

A day on the lake is a great way to spend a day.

As part of our summer adventure in Utah, the Pizza’s took us all out on their boat to Jordanelle Reservoir. We spent the time just hanging out and watching our friend Scott learn to wakeboard for the very first time. We were even lucky enough to have a close encounter with a crazy boater. Maybe lucky isn’t the right word. He also wasn’t very user friendly but this ended up being the only blemish on a wonderful day.

I can say that summers in Utah are right on par with the winters. The atmosphere and environment were awesome.

Oh, and this was Zella’s first time ever on a boat. And I must say, she handled it like a pro.

To help kick off our extra long Labor Day weekend in Utah, we went to the Swiss Days.

It’s a Swiss-themed festival on the other side of Park City in Midway city. There were a lot of different foods with Swiss in the name. There was even a Swiss dancer and yodeler to help make it authentic feeling. The main attraction seemed to be all the arts and crafts booth set up. It felt like there were hundreds set up. Eventually they all started to look the same.

Although, the one that really caught my eye was a food stand. They were selling lemon yodels. It was made up of a lemon with a piece of candy stick stabbed into it. Apparently the lemon juice is sucked up between the candy and the wrapper — infusing the juice with the flavor of the candy. In my case, I got the watermelon candy stick.

How did it taste?

Nothing like I had hoped. 100% lemon taste. No candy flavoring at all. I resorted to biting off a piece of the candy stick and then sucking on the lemon. Total bust. And at a cost of $2. But what a brilliant business considering the very low cost of making the lemon yodel.

Now this doesn’t look too comfortable.

Funny thing is that I initially found him stuck earlier. After pulling him free, he was accidentally dropped and he went right back into the exact same position. As if he wanted to be stuck.

I don’t think lizards will be mistaken for being smart.

To celebrate Mia’s 4th birthday, we had a backyard movie night.

“Gnomeo and Juliet” was the movie of choice and it was a packed house of kids. Mia and the kids all had a great time. I think I even detected a good time for the adults as well.

I could get used to watching movies in the backyard. Such a comforting way to watch.

“Someone crashed into the house!!”

Imagine waking up at 2:30am to your wife screaming that. Not only are you trying to understand what is going on, but you’re also hearing that song “Like a G6″ coming from outside the house on full blast. Then you think what you heard was:

“Someone’s in the house!”

And your wife is bolting out of the room with your kid in her arms running down the hallway. No way would she be doing that if someone was in the house. Right? What the hell is going on?

After finally wiping away the sleep, I come to terms that someone has crashed outside our house. Into my next door neighbor’s front yard wall to be precise. While talking to 911, we see someone running away from the car down the street. I get out to investigate the crash scene, and some kid is walking up behind me. Turns out it’s the kid who owns the car. He’s instantly apologetic about the accident and he doesn’t look hurt.

We eventually learn that there were 2 other passengers in the car. They fled from the crash and were nowhere to be found. The kid doesn’t give up any info on them. He is taking all the heat for the accident. With the way the car looks and the way he looks, it’s hard to believe he is unscathed if he was the driver. He must be covering up for the real driver. He fails his field sobriety test and is promptly whisked away in the back seat of a cop car. What’s left?

A car on its side. Roof caved in. A mailbox stand made of pure concrete blocks ripped cleanly from the ground. A 7 foot tall concrete block pilaster sheared away from the block wall. And 25 feet of skid marks leading up to the accident scene. Not to mention what lays ahead as far as the legal system is concerned.

Brilliant idea. Drinking and driving.

Huntington Beach’s nickname is Surf City. And it lives up to it in one of the biggest events of the year when the US Open of Surfing takes place.

We got down to the beach for the last day of contest and it was packed. Even though the day started off cloudy and cold, we parked no closer than 2 miles to the sand. Goes to show how many people also had the same idea. But as if the Sun knew how important of a day it was, it eventually burnt through all the cloud cover. The day turned into your classic SoCal beach day. We went on to enjoy walking around through the booth area and getting a prime spot on the sand to play around and soak in the sun and fun.

It turns out 10-time world champion Kelly Slater took the title. That boy good!

The pig races at the OC Fair are the quintessential fair activity. Planning a visit around the race times is mandatory. How can you go wrong with little pigs racing around a horseshoe shaped track? It’s fun for all ages.

As with everything else at the fair this year, Zella was much more aware of what was going on. After walking into the arena and getting a prime spot near the finish line, you could just tell Zella was ready for some action. As each heat was raced, she would jump up and start clapping and cheering on the little piggies. It was so awesome to see her get caught up in all the action. She’s a true fair goer now.

Also, this year, they were handing out coupons for free bacon at Ralph’s grocery stores. How messed up is that?

We made it down to Legoland for the day. This was our first trip there and it was quite the experience. There were so many Lego creations. It was a bit overwhelming. Although, the most surprising things was the amount of water attractions there was. They even had a separate water park attached to the Legoland.

Overall, it was a fun time for us. Zella got to see Bob the Builder and a few other Lego creations. She played with the Legos for hours. I’m sure she would have stayed there all day long with the Legos. What is strange is that she doesn’t even play with the Legos we have for her at home. I don’t understand sometimes.

Our annual trek to the OC Fair brought us to the petting zoo. With Zella being a year older, she is better able to enjoy the sights and attractions. She had these eyes of astonishment practically everywhere we went. You could tell she was just soaking everything in and having a good time.

But especially with her fondness for animals, she is able to enjoy all the animals that are at the fair. Here she is petting a baby goat. I’m personally not a fan of the goat, but the babies are alright I guess. From the look on Zella’s face, I think she is a bit suspicious of the goat as well.

Anytime you take a picture of Zella, she immediately breaks into her “cheese” face — right eye winking and big gaping, all teeth smile. If you pay attention, you’ll see that expression in a lot of her photos.

My imitation is just not as cute.

We were out in Nashville, Tennessee, visiting our friends Rob and Tina. It fit right perfect with our trip to Cincinnati. And you know what else fit perfectly?

Tour de Fat.

From my last experience at the Tour de Fat in San Diego, I knew it was a requirement to visit the Nashville stop. And of all the weekends, it falls on the one Saturday we’re in town as well. What dumb luck we sometimes have.

This time, I entered the Slow Ride competition. It’s a race to be last instead of first. With the rules that you had to keep moving forward and could not touch the ground, it proved to be quite the challenge. I was the last to make it across the finish line in my heat, so that put me into the final race for the championship belt.

Unfortunately, I didn’t win in the final race. The combination of a competitor cutting me off and a dip in the grass was too much for me to overcome. I can’t wait to make it to another Tour de Fat for redemption.

Tagged: bike, fat tire, me, nashville, slow ride, tour de fat ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/07/09/slow-ride/feed/ 0 quanha Slow Ride Race http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/07/08/cincinnati-museum-center/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/07/08/cincinnati-museum-center/#comments Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:04:13 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=548 ]]>

The Cincinnati Museum Center is a collection of museums housed within the old Union Terminal train station.

From my visit, I can easily say that this was one of the best collection of museums I have ever been to. If you are ever in the Cincinnati area, this is a must see attraction. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

And be sure to allocate an entire day. There really is that much to see and experience.

Another stop within the Cincinnati Museum Center is the Children’s Museum. And boy did it live up to its name.

There were kids everywhere. And I mean everywhere. They were literally crawling, walking, running, spinning, spitting, screaming, crying, and climbing. But above all else — they were all having a great time.

Zella was loving every second of it. Just a constant sensory blitz of things to do. From riding in cars, playing in little sized houses, to climbing around a huge tree house with shoots and ladders. There was even a large aquarium with turtles and fish swimming about.

Good times all around.

The Cincinnati Museum of Natural History and Science was a pretty outrageous place to visit. There were so many things to see there. From the multitude of dinosaurs and other animals on display to a real cavern that had dark narrow passageways and waterfalls. Walking through the cavern, you had a sense that you were inside a real live cavern. It was a very unique experience. There were also full scale mock ups of ice caves and the living habitats of the various animals. This museum was huge — almost endless in the amount of exhibits.

Walking through all the exhibits and educating myself was really what museum visiting is all about. If you’re not learning, you’re not living.

And so there you have it: A flying pig.

Cincinnati has a long history with pigs. In its long, storied history, it was once the pig capital of the America. So much so, that the nickname of Cincinnati is “Porkopolis” and there is an annual marathon through the city dubbed Flying Pig Marathon.

Oink oink!

While we were walking around Sawyer Point Park, we came across a random piano inside of a very large tunnel. Just sitting there. Lonely. Waiting for someone to come by and dance on the keys.

My younger years of playing the piano have all but been lost. Sadly, I can barely play chopsticks.

Here lies a statue in honor of the city of Cincinnati’s namesake: Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus.

Yarn Bombed.

Could there be a better way to commemorate his significance? I think not.

Do you know where the longest pedestrian bridge which spans two states is located?

Above the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. And it so happens to be the color purple.

The Purple People Bridge.

You enter from one state and exit into another state. The total length of the bridge is just over a half mile long. The color was selected by a committee and it easily sticks out from the other bridges which span the Ohio River.

Zella and I crossed it without much fanfare. After spending a few hours at the very little Newport Aquarium, the trek back across the bridge was delayed. Apparently, they have no problem closing the bridge to people without much notice. It becomes quite a boring couple hours waiting for a bridge to reopen. Especially when the only other distraction beyond the aquarium is an equally very little mall.

We got to hang out at Fountain Square. We were lucky to get to the area as there was a great deal of commotion going on.

Apparently them midwesterners like their NASCAR. And on this day, the NASCAR teams were on parade through downtown Cincy on their way to the Kentucky speedway for racing during the weekend. There were team trucks everywhere and fans sporting gear to support their favorite racer. Concert stages were set up with the requisite loud speakers and all the hooting and hollering you could imagine.

I’m not a fan. So here’s a photo of a turtle fountain spitting on Zella.

The family took a trip out to Cincinnati, Ohio for a few days. It was a mixture of business (for Angela) and pleasure (Zella and me). We were only there for 4 days so the chance to be a tourist was a bit limited. But we tried to make the most of it…

Our first tourist destination was the Cincinnati Zoo. This zoo is regarded as one of the better zoos in the midwest and it pretty much lived up to that repetition. They had quite the variety of animals and a tremendous amount of learning opportunities. With the love of animals that Zella has, it was a great way to start our adventures for the week. These rhinos at the zoo’s entrance were very cooperative photo subjects.

One thing of note: I try not to complain about the weather too much. There really isn’t much that you can do about it so it is usually best just to deal with it as best as possible — good or bad. (So excuse me while I rant) Well, have you ever been to the midwest in July? It was 80+ degrees by 9am with a humidity level approaching that same number. I am from Southern California and it *may* get that way a couple days a year — at worst. So needless to say, I was not prepared for the drastic change in weather in Cincinnati. Humidity apparently is something you can get used to. I don’t ever want to get used to humidity. It seriously sapped my energy and motivation. Zella was a bit bogged down as well.

…after spending 30 minutes inside the air conditioned gift shop in the zoo…

We moved onto other sights of Cincinnati.

The 4th of July is celebrated as one of our nation’s grandest of holidays. This day marks the day of declared independence from British rule in 1776. All days since have been lived in total freedom.

In the city of Orange, the 3rd of July is when the festivities begin. The city puts on a fireworks show at the local high school along with all the prerequisite food and entertainment. As much as this is a tradition for Orange, we have our own tradition: A gathering of friends and family at the house to celebrate on this day as well. It totally works because everyone has the 4th off of work so staying out late is no problem.

This year we had practically all that you could ask for: a big blow-up water slide, ridiculously awesome food including smoked ribs and bbq burgers, great friends, family, and old friends who are family and even a full-on fireworks show in the backyard to top it off. I notice that with my own growing family, my parties are becoming more and more family-oriented. Kids are everywhere and they’re having a great time. I think the kids are what bring the biggest joy to a party. Along with plenty of alcohol for the adults.

I still look back at the many memories I had of celebrating the 4th of July. I hope that this year’s celebration will be memorable for everyone as they reflect on this day. It was a truly great time hanging out with everyone.

We had a field trip today to the Long Beach Aquarium.

Zella really enjoys animals. And there were quite a variety at the aquarium. Some were of the flying variety and some were of the swimming variety. But she is especially fond of fish. Maybe it’s time to get an aquarium for her. Why not? We have practically every other type of animal as a pet right now.

Zella got a new car.

A Barbie Jeep Wrangler.

I’m not certain if it’s the best idea to put an 18 month old behind the wheel of the car. Even a little electric one like this. She really has no sense of direction or complete control of her body.

But what the hell, she sure seems be having a blast!

Alzheimer’s disease is a pretty nasty disease. I should know. My dad was plagued by this disease. He eventually lost his battle, as countless millions of others will. The life of an Alzheimer’s patient is not the life they wish to live. They are just a shell of who they were.

There isn’t any known cure for Alzheimer’s. In fact, doctors are not even positive on what causes the onslaught of this disease. All we know for sure is that once it starts, there is no way to reverse it. So what’s that mean? We have so much more research to do on this. All the while, millions and millions people around the world continue to live with this disease. It knows no boundaries — race, gender, socioeconomic status — it all doesn’t matter.

So what can you and I do about it? We can help publicize the fact that more research is necessary. But research doesn’t come free. Not only do we have to raise awareness, but we also need to raise money to fund the research.

In memory of my father, we walk for Alzheimer’s awareness. One of this year’s walks that benefit the Orange County chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association occurred at the Tustin District. It was a celebration for all those who took the time and effort to raise awareness and money. It was a dedication to those who are no longer with us. It was a promise to help find a cure for this awful disease.

God bless my father and all the other Alzheimer’s sufferers and their families and friends.

What is this? The summer of birds? I mean seriously, first it’s the baby hummingbirds, then the baby hawks, and now this?

Yep, in keeping up the theme of the summer, we now have 2 baby chickens. There had always been talk about getting chickens so that we could have our own eggs. We’re egg lovers as much as the next person. So why keep buying eggs at the grocery store when we can have our own production line? We are pretty concerned with the foods we eat and look for organic products. Well, with our own chickens, we have complete control over what they eat and how they are treated. So we will have no concern over the health of the eggs. And with practically an endless supply of eggs, we are all set.

I just hope none of these chicks becomes a rooster. I am not keeping a rooster no matter what. In which case, we’ll have some good homemade chicken stock.

Not only do we have baby hummingbirds this season, but we also got baby red shouldered hawks. A family of 5 hawks to be precise. They set up shop in a tree in our backyard with the nest about 30 feet up.

At first we noticed the mama and papa hawks. They weren’t too much of a concern and we didn’t really pay too attention to them. Then one day my neighbor came up to me and told me that he saw some baby hawks. After a quick inspection, what do you know! There were 3 baby hawks.

Now that the baby hawks are out, the mama and papa hawks don’t take too kindly to people standing anywhere near their nest. There have been numerous fly by swoops by the big hawks. And when I say fly by, I mean they have gotten so close that I could feel the pressure of the air caused by the flapping of the wings. These hawks mean business and they would do anything to protect their babies. Which come to think, is just like a human. So you really can’t blame them. Anyways, pretty unique situation I’m sure to have both baby hummingbirds and baby hawks in your backyard.

Zella is still addicted to her crackberry. Just try taking it away from her. You’ll learn quick not to do that again.

But seriously, can you imagine what technology she’ll have at her fingertips as she gets older. It’s gonna be a whole different world than how I grew up that’s for sure.

We have a hummingbird nest right under our back eave. Right now, there are 2 hummingbird babies and what appears to be a mama and papa hummingbird. The parents seem to take turns at feeding the babies. And boy are they hungry little suckers. You can practically hear them chirping like mad for food.

If you have ever been around hummingbirds, you know the humming sound their wings make when they’re flying around. No doubt that’s how they got their name. It’s a fairly intense sound when they whiz by your head. Whenever I hear it, it makes me stop everything I’m doing. I can see myself becoming hypnotized to that sound.

Well, anyways, these little birds crap a lot! There is so much hummingbird poo up around the nest and below on the ground. It’s pretty crazy how much they poo for such little birds. I guess all that intense flapping of the wings gets their metabolism flowing.

Anytime you want one, Zella. Anytime.

Say hello to my lil friend.

So I just got a new gun. I’ve always wanted to own a gun but never pulled the trigger (pun intended). But after pestering and pestering Angela and giving her all the doomsday scenarios I could think of, I finally got the OK.

I knew my initial gun would have to be a self defense type of weapon. I mean what’s the point of owning your first gun if you can’t use it in a situation which requires you to defend yourself and your family? My subsequent guns could be of the more “sporty” variety. But the first one? For sure handgun.

So then I’m lead to the top tier of gun manufacturers. Why waste good money on lower level brands, when again, the first gun needs to be functional 100% of time under any circumstance. Well, after shooting a few times at the gun range with a mixture of guns, I settled on a .45 caliber. Again, why go smaller? I want stopping power if the need were to arise.

After researching and searching and researching and searching…and then more searching, I got lucky. The exact brand and caliber I was looking for came up on consignment sale at the local gun range.

After 10 days of state mandated waiting, I now own a Sig Sauer P220. It’s beautiful in so many ways — looks, feel, and accuracy. Whenever I shoot it, I’m not ever disappointed. Now where’s my NRA application?

These 3 little girls are like 3 peas in a pod. When they’re together, they MUST do everything together. Rarely will you see one alone doing her own thing. If you do, it’s only a matter of time before one of the other 2 crowds in.

Here they are each enjoying a carrot from Angela’s garden. The one thing about homegrown gardens is that they produce the best tasting vegetables. There really is no comparison to store bought produce. Just thinking about these carrots makes my mouth water. Delicious! And the girls surely agree.

I definitely want Zella to be an active girl. I hope she takes to sports and other activities to keep her healthy and competitive.

Here she is ready for golf. Honestly, she can hit a golf ball with the club. Granted, it’s more of a sweeping motion than a swing and the ball doesn’t travel more than a few inches. What else would you expect from a 15 month old?

We already know that Zoe is a sad dog, but right now she is a super sad dog. She recently had surgery to remove a cancerous bump from her side. Knowing that she may have been in pain because of that bump can break your heart. Fortunately, it looks like we had the bump removed at a fairly early stage. A few more days of the cone of shame and Zoe will be back up and at ‘em. You can’t hold down a dog like her for long — unless of course you are Zella.

UPDATE: Zoe is running around with new energy and life. We couldn’t have asked for any better result!

To help celebrate Easter, we headed out to the Easter Eggstravaganza at the Irvine Park. They had a whole bunch of activities for the kiddies to take part in. From a hay wagon ride, to a real live egg hunt, and horse and pony rides. It was fun as usual and this year we got to spend the time with our neighbors James and Reina and their stud of a boy, Devin.

Here Devin is putting the eye on Zella.

These two kids are just 2 weeks apart in age. I can’t begin to imagine the mischief they will create and subject us all to.

I think I found my Christmas card for this year.

Every moment that Zella and her great grandpa Tony got to spend together in Seattle was heartwarming. It’s not that often you are blessed enough to witness such a coming together of ages.

May God continue to bless us.

UPDATE: I am proud to say I knew Grandpa Tony. He had a truly great soul. May he rest in peace.
- July 10, 2011

Is this a killer jellyfish munching down on Zella or is she just sticking her head out of a jellyfish cutout at the Seattle Aquarium?

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, I have a couple desired traits: fresh and fresh.

With a sign like this, how can you go wrong?

These fruits and vegetables aren’t shiny because of pesticide residue or some sort of wax application. They’re shiny because they were literally in the fields hours before the stand opened for business. The quality just saturates your mouth with every bite. Yum yum yum.

Pop quiz: You’re in Seattle. You are obsessed with coffee served in white cups with green lettering. Where do you go?

Starbucks, of course.

But not just any Starbucks. You make it a point to go to the very first Starbucks — ever. Although I’m not very sentimental when it comes to things, it was pretty cool to get coffee at the first Starbucks. They even had a few items only available at this location that cannot be found at any other location.

Did we go there just once during our trip? Get real. We went back a few times. It also didn’t hurt that our hotel was right up the street.

We went on a family trip up to Seattle. That’s where Zella’s grandma and great grandpa live. With great grandpa in need of some quality Zella time and the fact that none of us have been up there before, it was a great opportunity for a little vacation.

Of course being our first time in Seattle, we practically have an obligation to visit the standard tourist sites. Here is the Space Needle. It wasn’t nearly as big as I had imagined. But the view up top was pretty cool. With the sun setting and casting a bronze tint on the landscape, it was quite the sight. Yes, you read that right. The sun was out. And to top it off — no rain. I’m glad that we were able to bring the SoCal weather with us on the trip.

Road 395 North to be exact. And where does that lead? Mammoth Mountain of course. In 5 short hours from OC, the magical winter wonderland that is Mammoth awaits. I can honestly say that this is one of the most beautiful drives known to man. Could it be the way the sun rises ever so slowly over mountains — casting unimaginable colors throughout the sky? Or could it be the deep thoughts of how this land must have been traveled before there were cars and the adventures that ensued? Or maybe it’s how much slower and peaceful it instantly feels once you remove yourself from all the urban buildings and traffic?

Who am I kidding?

It’s the snow of course.

Zella got a new chair today. I must say, she is taking to it quite nicely.

In an attempt to heighten Zella’s spirits, we had a few things in mind. But when my buddy Kei told me he was going to Disneyland with his family, we knew exactly what to do. With his ability to sign us in for free because he works at Disney corporate, we were on our way to the most happiest place on the Earth.

Here she is on the “It’s A Small World” ride. I had heard it was altered a bit. I couldn’t tell you if it was or not. The only thing I noticed about the ride is that the music and singing is loud. Really loud. Get me off this ride loud. But hey, why am I complaining? Zella absolutely loved it.

I can count the number of times I have had to call 911 in my life with one hand. It’s this most recent time that I will forever remember.

Zella has been a little bit sick. Nothing big. Just a slight fever and congestion. Nothing to get all worked up over for sure.

Until today.

After getting home from work, I get an update from the nanny that Zella’s fever has been high and she is sleeping. No problem I thought — let her sleep it off. Rest is always good. Well, after she wakes up, I give her some liquids and medicine to bring her 100.7 fever down. We sit back and watch some quality Sprout cartoons because that tends to calm her down. Then I notice that she is a bit too calmed down (parents will know what that means). I take her temp again.

102.3.

Shit. Gotta do something and quick. I give her more liquids. I try and get her to snap out of her trance. Nothing but a blank stare from her. Eyes wide open but not moving. Then it starts.

Seizure.

She’s never done this before. She does a couple quick seizes and then goes completely stiff. Stiff as a board. She is heating up in my arms. I can literally feel the heat emanating from her head. I reach for my phone and call 911. Frantic beyond belief. My baby is dying in my arms and I need to be calmed down. The 911 operator who answered? She was nothing short of amazing. Pulled me back enough to get a grip on the situation and help me along in a positive direction.

The fire truck and paramedics soon arrive. An ambulance trip to CHOC hospital ensues.

Oh, and did I mention that Angela was still driving home from work during this? I can’t begin to imagine the feelings she was going through trying to break through traffic.

We finally get to the ER. They determine that Zella had a febrile seizure and was in the early stages of pneumonia. If you don’t know what a febrile seizure is and you have a newborn or toddler, do yourself a favor and educate yourself. Now. Because there is a chance of this occurring to little ones and knowing something about it before it should happen will help calm the situation down greatly.

What good came of this? If it weren’t for the seizure and ER visit, we most likely would not have been able to catch the early onset of pneumonia. We were ultimately able to treat it quickly and effectively before it progressed any further.

And Zella got her first ride in an ambulance.

We attend Saddleback Church in Lake Forest. If you haven’t heard about it, it is considered a “mega church” with over 20,000 members. But by no means should that be construed as something negative. It should be a mission of a church to be far reaching. To want to grow. To want to help those in need and those who are lost. If that means being labeled mega, then so be it. As long as the word gets out.

We have grown to really love this church and what it offers. Not only do you get real, easily relate-able services, but you are given numerous opportunities to serve and volunteer. I’m proud to say that I volunteer my time for the PICS ministry. PICS stands for Photographers In Christ’s Service and is made up of photographers of all abilities. From point-and-shoot amateurs to multi-light professionals. I have met many great people and continue to do so. As a ministry, we offer our God-given photographic talents across all areas of the church — helping everyone display to the world what great things they are accomplishing.

All in the name of Jesus.

You already should know that Zella loves going on bike rides. One of our favorite places to ride is down the boardwalk in Newport Beach. We start somewhere near the pier and peddle down to Balboa Peninsula where the Fun Zone is. With the beach, clean air, and perfect weather it doesn’t get much better.

Sometimes the bike rides take a lot out of Zella. In this case, she just couldn’t take it any more. Resting while we rest. Oh the good times.

Zella loves to play with Zoe. She’ll hug and tug at her. There are kisses shared as well. Often times Zella will tug on Zoe’s ears to the point where she will let out a little yelp. Although when that happens, I don’t think Zoe is appreciating it.

Sometimes when they are playing, you get the sense that Zoe just wants Zella to stop and go away. This is one of those times.

I’ve gotta admit, I never really understood the appeal of Pabst Blue Ribbon. In my drinking career, I maybe had a handful of PBR to drink. Nothing special in my mind.

But something happened this snowboarding season. PBR has somehow become the official beer sponsor of my trips. Never has it ever tasted so good. Granted, it won’t be winning any brew taste award. But smack me if I’m wrong — grabbing a 24 oz can and downing it after a day on the mountain just seems to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Not only that, but it’s served everywhere on the mountain. Have I just been missing out all these years?

Yep, she’s got ‘em.

Today is my birthday.

What better present could I get than what I already have?

Just can’t think of anything.

We had a Super Bowl party this year. It was a good time with good friends and family. This was easily one of the top 5 Super Bowls that I have seen. Congrats to the Packers — they definitely played well enough to win it.

Weird things happen when you have a kid. Your parties start to have little ones running all over the place. You gotta be careful because sometimes the little monsters will out number the adults. That’s a bad situation to be in. Trust me.

Oh, and here’s a sneak peak at Zella’s playhouse. Still a bit of work to be done but it held up nicely to the rampaging of the kids.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Vietnamese and a few other Asian cultures. It is often misidentified as the Chinese New Year, but no worries as everyone thoroughly enjoys themselves. It marks a period of outlandish celebration — from dragon dances and fire crackers to family and friends coming together to wish each other a prosperous new year.

In Vietnam, the New Year is referred to as Tet. One tradition which I absolutely loved about Tet growing up is the giving of lucky money (Li Xi) stuffed in decorative red envelopes to children. As the elder hands the envelope to a child, a few words of wisdom is bestowed onto him. Then the child is supposed to save the money and when the time comes to spend it, it is done wisely.

This is Zella’s first real reception of the lucky money. You can almost see her thinking about how she will spend it.

Shopping for her first pair of shoes.

14 months old.

Save me.

Helen Keller had it right. Education, whether formal or informal, allows you to better understand the world. So during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we paid a visit to the Museum of Tolerance in LA. There was a special exhibit highlighting the life of MLK and all that he did to advance civil rights for all peoples. He was truly a unique person who spearheaded the civil rights movement and thrust it onto the national and worldwide audience. The celebration and remembrance of his life is necessary and appropriate to understand where we have come from and how much further we need to progress.

I tend to believe that I am a fairly tolerant person. But this visit wasn’t to reassure myself of that. Rather, it was a refresher on why our society must be tolerant and understanding in order to overcome the evil and hate that is so predominant. We all play a major role in making that happen and it all starts at home. Prejudice is a learned response, whether it be from family, friends, or society. A child is not born with prejudice. I hope and pray that Zella grows up to remain tolerant of other people regardless of their race, color, gender, religious choice, or sexual orientation.

Zella is just 13 months old. But we know she is pretty advanced for her age so why not start trying to potty train her?

Well, this photo about says it all. Back to the drawing board I guess.

We finally got to Mammoth Mountain this season to partake in the record breaking snow. It really was a winter wonderland around the city and the mountain. 300+ inches of snow will have an effect on things. I could go on and on about how great the snow was and how much of an awesome time we had snowboarding. But you know what was easily the best time of this trip? Taking Zella down the hill for her first sledding experience. No fuss or tears. She’s a pro already at sledding with her arms up enjoying the ride!

Another year is complete. A time of reflection on the good and the bad, the lessons learned and the lessons taught.

We hosted a New Year’s Eve party at the house. After feasting on prime rib and all the fixin’s, we got to hang out with great friends — old and new. The going out to a club and counting down the time to midnight with strangers is now replaced with being around our close family and friends and truly loving the company. A great time clearly reflected in the photo. My only regret is not getting the group photo when everyone was still around. I guess I have exactly one year to prepare for the reshoot.

This year we hosted Christmas lunch at the house. We had leg of lamb and all the fixin’s for our family and friends to indulge themselves with. It was a great time to bring everyone together and count our blessings for such a wonderful time of year. Having finished with lunch and enjoying family time, we had a very special guest stop by.

Santa and his reindeer!!!

It was quite the event and the kids loved it. That’s not to say the adults didn’t love it either. Fun was had by all.

One of our yearly family traditions for Christmas is to go to Peltzer Farms and select a tree to decorate. This isn’t a lot of already cut down trees but rather a wide area of land that has live trees of different variety. Once a suitable tree is found, it gets chopped down and thrown into our car. Then we take it home and decorate it until there is no empty spot left to decorate. Then when Christmas is over, the tree is thrown to the curb. Such is the life of a Christmas tree. But boy, do we enjoy it!

Don’t you just love those Charlie Brown trees up there? Unfortunately, these are not available for chopping down…yet.

Every year, there is an exhibit of playhouses at the Irvine Spectrum. These aren’t your ordinary playhouses either. They are all custom designed and built by well known home builders. A typical playhouse can easily run more than $30,000 after all is said and done. Needless to say, it’s an amazing display of what can be done for kids if you are so inclined.

Well, consider us inclined. What you see is the start of what we hope to be a playhouse to be remembered. It will be built to adult dimensions but have all the amenities suitable for kids. We only have a general of what we want. Maybe that isn’t the best way to get started but let’s hope the finish product is worth it. Wish us luck!

We had a pajama jammie jam breakfast for Zella’s 1st birthday. Friends and family helped provide all the love and happiness. Pancakes, croissants, eggs, bagels, potato smorgasbord, and the ultimate bacon all came through to fill up everyone’s belly. Then a cake for Zella to top her off. Who wouldn’t be happy?

The Spanish folk are known to be hairy individuals. Zella is in fact part Spanish. But this is ridiculous!!

(If I was questioning if she would kill me seeing the previous post when she gets older, there is no doubt now)

Zella got her haircut for the first time. By the nanny. Without our knowledge. This is the result…

(I hope Zella doesn’t kill me when she gets older and sees this post)

Angela and I were married in Kauai. The location was under a large tree along the beach fronting the Princeville Resort. It was a magical location with the cliffs of Bali Hai serving as the backdrop. We made it a point to head back to the “Princeville Tree” during our trip. Everything was exactly how we remembered. Truly great memories. And to now share it with Zella is the ultimate joy.

Golfing in Kauai is amazing. No crowds. Top notch courses. And a view to lose yourself in. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you shoot.

While in Kauai, we were fortunate enough to witness first hand the outpouring of love and respect for the legendary surfer Andy Irons. A few days prior, Andy passed away from unknown causes. His young life was tragically cut short. His surfing prowess resulted in numerous world championships. His ability to have a positive influence on so many others was well known. In his honor, thousands of surfers participated in a paddle out at his home break of Pine Trees in Hanalei Bay. There were thousands more on the shoreline. As with any memorial, there was an air of emptiness but there was also a spirit of happiness which came out. Happiness that God graced the world with Andy despite the need to pull him into Heaven sooner than most had wanted.

Here is the huge, 25ft tall memorial of bamboo and flowers erected in Andy Irons honor by Robert Pa. The small plaque on the bottom states the following in Hawaiian:

I ka moana, ka moana hou honu; Pi’i ka lewa, ka lewa nu’u; Ke Akua pu a hui hou.

At the ocean, the deep ocean; Climb to the heavens, highest heaven; God bless you until we meet again.

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