Teresa and Aaron brought Henry to our usual Thursday lunch spot and I got to snuggle with him while I finished my salad. 
This is the picture of a boy who is milk wasted!! He’s a big eater now and has grown since I last held him when he was less than a week old. At 3 weeks, he’s made up the weight he’s lost and surpassed his birth weight. Woot!
Teresa and Aaron got a surprise Christmas gift today when Teresa’s water broke in the morning. They went to the hospital and hours later, they had a healthy baby BOY! His name is James Henry Hopkins weighing in a 6 lbs 14 oz and measuring 19 inches. Sounds like mom and baby are doing well. I can’t wait to meet the newest member of the Cheekster Club!!
We went to Disneyland on Christmas Eve to continue the tradition and it was a beautiful 75-80 degrees outside. The crowds were manageable and we got some photos with the chipmunks without having to wait in line!
We also rode a good number of rides without a lot of waiting thanks to FastPasses and teamwork.
Jes and I were pretty pumped to get the front row on Space Mountain. 
It’s still a really fun (and fast) ride that made our eyes tear from all the wind!
There were plenty of hijinks and non-kid time thanks to the grandparents.
They often stayed with the kids while we went on the faster rides.
The babies also got to ride a few rides including The Jingle Cruise.
Kumquat rode Dumbo in the morning and seemed ok with it.
Waiting in line with Kumquat was not as bad as I thought it would be and she had a lot of fun climbing stairs and holding the rails.
It was Alice’s first trip to Disneyland and the cousins wore matching tops. So cute!
Here’s a family photo with Santa. Alice slept right through the photoshoot.
The two managed to nap rather well during the day and Kumquat ate better than I expected.
Instead of corn dogs and chicken nuggets, their kid’s meal had broccoli and whole wheat pasta! Awesome.
Jesse bought me a tasty churro and Disneyland still makes the best churros in the world.
We spent equal time in Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. Luckily, Mommy knew someone who was able to hook us up with discounted Park Hopper tickets.
Our last ride was It’s a Small World and I simply love how they decorate it for Christmas. 
They also feature Disney characters within their respective regions. Here is my favorite one with Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii.
Disneyland at night is always so magical but it’s even more so during Christmas. The castle is the best part. 
So pretty…
We stayed up to watch the fireworks and snow at the end of the night and we all had such a fun day together as a family.
Here’s to family traditions!
On Sunday morning, Brother and Joy came over and I got to snuggle Alice for a bit. She’s grown so much since Thanksgiving and has gotten some cheeks on her now.
In the evening, Brother came back from his lunch party and Mommy cooked us ox-tail soup and Kao Mun Gai (chicken rice).
What a feast!!
Afterward, Brother couldn’t help bust out all the gifts so we exchanged presents a little early. Here is the peanut shirt I bought for Alice. Heh heh – peanut.
Jesse got a shirt based off the “Soft Kitty” song from the show Big Bang Theory.
Kumquat got a sweatshirt from my mom and she paraded around the room with it. Funny girl.
My present from my mom came earlier in the day. She ordered a 25-piece box of Sakoo Sai Moo and it was delicious!!
On Sunday morning, we went to Sunday Service and Kumquat loved the Children’s choir performance.
Here she is during the performance. She tried to copy their moves and added some of her own. Click here if you can’t see this video above.
In the afternoon, I drove down Irvine to meet up with Patty and Patti. I hadn’t been back to Patty’s house since my baby shower!
It was so fun to see Kumquat trying to join the older girls.
Seeing Mochi was also good for me and for Kumquat. He’s the closest thing we have to Koa (they’re 3/4 brothers) and I just wanted to take him home with me. It was fun watching Kumquat trying to give him snuggles like she used to to Koa.
This is one of the best things about Christmas time. I get to catch up with old friends and Kumquat gets to make new ones. Thanks for hosting, Patty! We loved seeing all of you!!
You can see more photos here.
On Saturday, we went to CuriOdyssey for Bang and Rowan’s birthdays. It was nice to catch up with old friends. 
These boys were roommates back in college and I love that some things haven’t changed despite all these years and so many life-changing events.
I loved seeing Kumquat sitting at the kid table. That’s Rowan, the birthday boy, eating his lunch.
This is the picture of Reese thoroughly enjoying some cake for once. She’s allergic to dairy and usually doesn’t get to having any birthday cake. Vyl made a gluten-free-dairy-free cake and she loved it.
Happy Birthday to Bang and Rowan!!
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