Southern California Weekend
For PoPo’s funeral services, we went down to Southern California for a long weekend. We drove down on Friday morning and went straight to the viewing at Rose Hills. It was a long drive (as usual) but we lucked out with a smooth ride and not too much trouble from the toddler. 
Here we are at the truck stop and the video below is our selfie video in the car. Jes was being a papa bird taking the pits out of the cherries for the baby bird.
After the viewing, we stopped at the Magical House for a little rest and some scootering for Kumquat.
On Saturday morning, we all got up early to get to the funeral service. The family had put together such a nice slideshow that ran at the beginning of the service.
We all share stories about PoPo with the congregation and soon it was time for the burial. 
The whole ceremony and service was really nice and we all had the closure that we needed.
Saturday afternoon was spent at lunch and then back at the Magical House to cool off. That weekend was particularly warm and everyone needed a nap. Brother later came over and Kumquat got to hang out with Cousin Alice and even had a tea party in the backyard with everyone.
On Sunday, we went to church and then went back to the Magical House for some more family time. It was nice to just relax and catch up with family. Auntie Jeanie also came over to tell us the rest of PoPo’s life story. She had given the eulogy at the service but had to cut it short due to time constraints. She also went outside with Kumquat for a little more scootering. This kid mastered going down curb cuts that day and kept saying “Fun! Fast!”
That afternoon, I was able to play with Alice more and she had a good time trying to be a big kid with Kumquat.
Here they are “watching” a YouTube video together. So cute…
On Monday morning, we took our time getting up and Kumquat even had enough time to go play at the park nearby. 
We had a smooth drive up to SF with no traffic and we also stopped at Gilroy for some outlet shopping and dinner. So, we ended up getting home around 9pm instead of the estimated 5pm time. Oh well. At least it was a good weekend.
I always hate the last morning of Hawaii. There was just enough time to get something to eat, pack up our stuff, and say goodbye to all our favorite things at the hotel. In the morning, I tidied up and then took the kid downstairs for breakfast as we had done for the past week. 
This time, we grabbed some udon from Lawson Station and sat down at the pool bar by the water. I love this time of day when it’s quiet and all you can hear is the ocean and the hotel staff prepping for the day.
Our shuttle picked us up at 10:45 and while we waited, I got this one last photo of Kumquat free and happy with no shoes on.
On the flight home, the Lams sat next to us again and the flight started out well for us.
Kumquat even took an hour-long nap shortly after take-off.
Thankfully, it all settled down by the last hour and Kumquat sat quietly with her Blue’s Clues before landing. We arrived in SF around 9:45pm so I’d have to say she was quite a trooper.
Oh and here’s a collage of 12 out of the 13 Mai Tais that I had over the course of the week. They were awesome.
*sigh* It’s our last full day in Hawaii. For breakfast, we went to eggs n things and didn’t have to wait so long this time around. Again, I had my coconut waffle and a side of bacon that Kumquat demolished. 
After breakfast, we walked down to Waikiki Aquarium where we met up with the Lams.
Jes and I have been coming here for years and it’s fun to see it again through a toddler’s eyes.
For lunch, Jes and Kevin picked up plate lunches at Rainbow and we ate at the park overlooking the ocean. Jen had brought a dozen malasadas with her so there was dessert for us too!
Back at the hotel, we all jumped into the pool one last time. I also took Kumquat out to the beach for the last time and it was so nice to be able to finally wade in the water with her without a total meltdown. 
I’d have to say that it took a lot of work to help her overcome her fear of Mr. Ocean but so worth the persistence and energy to have this one vacation goal achieved. I hope this lasts until the next time we’re at a beach.
Back at the pool, we just ordered some drinks and lounged on the lawn.
A bunch of people had dinner plans but the three of us stuck around for the sunset.
By the time we were ready to go out for dinner, Holly and Andrew had made their way back from Kaneohe so we joined them for an Italian/Japanese dinner at Arancino. I was a bit skeptical having Italian food in Hawaii but it did not disappoint. I ordered the Spaghetti Ricci di Marre (aka uni pasta) and it was SO yummy. You don’t even have to really eat the uni that was on top to appreciate the sauce. The photo I took in the dark doesn’t do it justice but it will just have to do.
While Kumquat went to sleep in the stroller, Holly was in a bit of a pickle with where to put Andrew. She decided the bench just outside of our table was the only doable spot. Poor guy was so tired, he didn’t care where he laid down. We put out some table napkins for him and then piled all our jackets on top. He had his doggy and sucked on his thumb until he passed out. It was hilarious watching people walk by with a confused look on their faces.
On our way back to the hotel, we walked Holly home and Jes carried Andrew over his shoulder. That was certainly a very memorable way to end our vacation.
Back at the hotel, we went to the outdoor lounge for a couple drinks with the Fernandos and I went out to the infinity pool to hang out on one of the over-the-water lounge chairs. I actually snoozed for a bit out there and it was so nice.
Here is a collage of the tasty food I ate today. It was definitely a delicious day.
The morning after the wedding was a slow one for everyone. Kumquat and I even slept in until 8:30 that morning. We had made plans with the Kwaks to meet them at the beach down the street where the water is calmer for the kids. When we walked out to the lobby, it was pouring outside! Luckily that didn’t last long and we were out in the sun again in just a half hour.
The beach was so nice and calm and we rented a big umbrella for only $10.
Roy was already there with Andrew and Holly and Jes met up with us later after they got up. At one point, all 6 of us were in the water together and it was Kumquat’s first time actually floating in the ocean!
When she woke up, we shared some Bubbies mochi ice cream. I also managed to drink a total of 4 mai tais that afternoon. Phew!
In addition to the beer and sake, we had skewers of meat, rolls of stuff, raw this and that, and lots of other goodies.
We slept in a bit more this morning but it was still pretty early. After such a successful day at the beach the day before, I thought I’d take Kumquat out to the beach again so keep the momentum going. We packed up some pineapple and another Spam musubi(!) and headed out to see Mr. Ocean. Kumquat walked down to the sand without even a hesitation that morning. She sat down and proceeded to eat her pineapple with the ocean crashing right in front of her. Amazing!!
It was so quiet and empty that morning and I just loved watching her play in the sand. She still wasn’t ready to go in the water but she watched me scoop up water for her in the bucket and when I dropped off in front of her, she sweetly said “Thank you, Mama.” My heart just about melted at that moment.
Huy later called and said he was hungry. So, came over and we had some coffee by the pool and read the paper while we waited for Sam’s Kitchen to open. I got the garlic shrimp, aloha chicken, and an island iced tea. Yum. Not a bad meal for being just a block away from the hotel.
After lunch, we went back to the beach for a little dip in the water. Kumquat actually walked down to the water’s edge with Jes and stood in the water like a big girl! I couldn’t believe it. She’d let the water rush up to her knees and she didn’t see bothered at all.
We also went to the pool for about an hour before having to head upstairs to get ready for Yoon’s wedding. Kumquat spent some time with Uncle Huy in the pool and went down the little tunnel slide without a floatie this time! Wow, two big accomplishments in one morning for this girl.
The rest of the day was filled with wedding festivities. The first part of the adventure was heading out to Hale Koa to catch the shuttle that Yoon had booked for us all to get to the wedding at a Country Club. She booked a much smaller bus but the company had run out and gave us the super tour bus.
The wedding was set right next to the beach and there were only a small number of chairs for the family. 
The rest of us stood in the back and tried to catch what was said in the super-short 10-minute wedding ceremony. 
I snuck up a little closer and watched most of it through my camera’s zoom lens. Isn’t it cool how close I can get with it?!
Surpisingly, Yoon got a little choked up during the vows but she held it together really well.
There was a little time after the ceremony to hang out and take photos. 
Here is Yoon’s family: dad, mom, Yoon, Kurt, and two younger brothers.
Shortly after the ceremony, the bus took us back to Hale Koa. We grabbed a couple drinks and snacks at the bar before heading to the reception inside.
A few of us had to drop off our kids upstairs to the nanny waiting for us in Yoon’s hotel room. She was nice but I barely really talked to her. All I know is that she had been babysitting Keenan for the past two mornings while his Kevin had to work and Jen was busy with the baby. I had never dropped Kumquat off with a complete stranger before and I wasn’t sure how she would do. Luckily, she had eaten and was already rubbing her eyes. So, we took her up along with Holly, Roy, and Andrew, showed the nanny where everything was in the stroller, and I snuck out before Kumquat could notice. I don’t know what she did exactly but Yoon was there to distract her while she was freshening up. We got an update from Kevin and Jen who dropped off later and said that Kumquat was already asleep and Andrew was watching The Little Mermaid on the bed. Keenan was having a hard time separating but Andrew was sweet enough to offer his train to him and that did the trick. An hour later, all three kids were asleep and the grown-ups were free for a couple more hours.
It was a fun reception including a Hawaiian feast complete with lomi lomi salmon, mac salad, kahlua pork, crab legs, and prime rib just to name a few. Holly was all over the giant dessert table filled with tiny versions of cheesecake, cream puffs, chocolate cake, and fruit tarts.
The booze was flowing and it was all paid for by Yoon’s parents! There was table service and the waiter did a really good job getting all out orders straight.
By 9pm, the nanny was done with her shift but all the kids were sleeping. Jes went up to roll ours down in her stroller while the Lams and Kwaks took 20-minute shifts hanging out in the dark with the kids. It wasn’t the most ideal situation but it’s what they came up with and it worked.
Our kid just slept right through the music and drunk shouting. This kid really does have my sleeping genes.
Here’s a group selfie that we took at the end of the night. It was the best one out of the 4 that I took. We managed to squeeze in 10 people. Someone should have snuck in right next to Yoon on her left!!
Mahalo for a wonderful night, Yoon! We were so happy to celebrate this special day with you. Congratulations to you and Kurt!
On this day, we were up early again but sorta slept in until 6. I guess Kumquat was getting adjusting one hour per day. Once again, we had breakfast by the pool and it was looking a little cloudy. We were supposed to go to Yoon and Kurt’s BBQ today with a forecast of 40% rain. Yikes. This is one of my favorite photos from the trip.
We took a little walk by the pool and then said “hello” to Mr. Ocean again. Still scared.
Once Jes was up, we walked to McDonald’s for the Spam and Eggs Platter.
Afterward, we went back to the hotel and just hung out on the couches at Rum Fire. This had become our spot for reading, relaxing, and hanging out in the shade.
Once we arrived, Yoon had a full-on spread under the large tree complete with BBQ’d meat, mac salad, chili from Zippy’s, noodles, and pretty much everything else we were craving.
The beach was a nice lagoon with gentle waters. It was perfect for Kumquat and was her first introduction to how fun the beach and water can really be.
By the end of the afternoon, she had soaked through her non-swim diaper (I didn’t think she’d actually go in) and couldn’t get enough of the wet sand.
After the BBQ, everyone headed back to the hotel to wash up. Yoon had planned Round 2 at Uncle Bo’s and had a reservation for 25 people to show up at 7:00. We were all late and some people arrived before they gave the tables away. We had a ton of food and plenty to drink.
It was so nice to have everyone together again after so many years. Lots of people arrived this afternoon and half didn’t make it to the BBQ so this was a lot of fun.
The happy couple received some “special” shots that evening and we all got a good laugh.
After dinner, a bunch of us went singing at a place Dayantha and the guys found the other night. 
Kumquat rode in the minivan taxi with everyone and also joined them in the singing room for the first half hour. What a trooper.
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