These are the things that we do

• Wacky Wednesday

  

  

  

• Crazy Hat day

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Spelling Bee 2026

  

  

  

  
• Sunday

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Saturday

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Alpenglow

  

  
• Tet Collage

  
• Cello

  

  

  
• Olivia’s Homework for River

  

  

  

  Good job!
• Look out weekend

  FRIDAY

  

  Avenue Q

  

  

  

  

  SATURDAY

  Waking up in Alabama Hills

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Birthday Party

  

  

  

  

  

  

  We always have fun.
• First Guess

  

• SEA > Olympic National Park

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Got here at 330 am, found a good parking spot so didn’t need the campsite. Van’s seats all folded flat so we can all lie flat for the next two and a half hours before we start our hike.
• Yosemite Valley

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Tunnel View

  

  

  

  
• Tioga Pass
  Soda Springs

  

  

  

  

  Tolumne Meadows

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Tenaya Lake

  

  

  

  

  

  Olmsted Point

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• North Eastern Sierras

  

  First stop Obsidian Dome

  

  

  Next stop, tufas of Mono (flies) Lake

  

  

  

  

• Mammoth

  

  Woke up at 6 to beat the otherwise mandatory shuttle.

  

  

  

  Made it to the top of the postpile.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Rainbow Falls

  

  

  

  

  

  

  We came back and finished the hike we started four years ago.
• Olivia’s Cute Candy Dispenser

  

  Construction from cardboard, painters tape, and a q-tip
• Art

  

  Among Us Imposter

  “I didn’t show the dead among us”

  

  My Dream Van

  

  The Among Us is Reporting the Imposter with the Knife in the Back

  

  The Green Among Us is Reporting the Red Among Us Trying to Kill the Blue Among Us

  

  Me in the Pool at KOA
• Balloon Museum

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Ultimate Citizenship

  
• Alice in Wonderland

  @ the Rose Theater

  
• Whale sighting

  

  

  Humpback whale

  

  

  

  

  
• Making Fries

  

  “One of the best things we did all year.”

  We didn’t just make fries, we learned how to peel, how to slice, and some science behind cooking like washing the excess starch off the potatoes, parboiling, flash cooling, and how deep fat frying works. The fries came out excellent chef.
• Rainbow Vortex

  

  By River Bui

• Celebrating Traditions

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Olivia’s own room

  

  Before

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Celebrating Ba Noi’s birthday with Chu Khoi

  

  
• Celebrating Ba Noi’s birthday

  

  

  Family time celebrating Ba Noi’s birthday and playing Genius squares with Ong Noi

• Missing teeth

  

  You pulled it yourself
• Celebrating Diana’s birthday

  

  

  
• New skills unlocked

  

  

  

  

  New skills unlocked: rollerblade, pickleball, badminton
• Ninja Warriors

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Great afternoon with the cousins
• SeaWorld

  

  

  

  

  Sucking fish

  

  

  

  

  

  Dolphins and pilot whales

  

  Feeding bat rays

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Soak zone with Killer Whales

  

  Lunch

  

  

  

  

  Raft ride

  

  

  Manta Ray rollercoaster

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Sharks, oh my!

  

  

  

  Those sea turtles are huge

  

  Emperor penguin

  

  

  

  Walruses are also huge

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Beluga whale

  

  Atlantis

  

  

  

  Shan Xi Magic Kitchen. A new favorite

  

  

  

  Dessert at Mngo. Zach was so nice to let you wear his sweater when you were cold.
• A Great Surprise

  

  So, apparently, you planned a surprise party yesterday. You started by planning it with Chu Khoi while I was using the restroom Friday night. You were going to have Chu Khoi take me get froyo after dinner while you and the rest of the family decorated. Yesterday while at work, you woke up Chu Khoi to go to Target to get the decorations. While there, you asked Chu Khoi to get ice cream so that I wouldn’t be suspicious. You picked gold Happy Birthday balloon letters, blue party hats, and red plates and napkins, my favorite color. You even got kazoos. You also planned for me to start a movie before I left to get froyo but you shared with Chu Khoi that it couldn’t be a good one because you might get distracted. At first you thought Lilo & Stitch but you realized you liked that too. I happened to pick Onward for you. After I came home from froyo, the living room was dark and I thought everyone was asleep, but I was in for a surprise. My first surprise party. It was freaking awesome. Thank you so much! I love you!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The plans
• Easter at school

  

  

  

  Your teacher puts in a lot of work to make your days special.

  

  Kingston brought Easter baskets for everybody
• Hawaii Day Seven

  

  

  

  

  Last day, slept in, breakfast buffet, and Chu Khoi coming through with the laulau and two pokes from Yama’s

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Last beach day at Kūhiō beach. New skill unlocked, stand up paddle boarding.

  

  

  

  Luckily Ono was closed so we picked up some great squid luau, poke, and short ribs before Pearl Harbor.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Very happy we were able to make it to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Over 1100 men died December 7, 1941. This lead to Manzanar and the internment of Japanese Americans.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Last day, last stop at Waiola. We all got seconds.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Got some grub at the Deck and a last minute run to get some musubi. Thanks to Olivia reminding Chu Khoi it’s our last day, they ran to get that musubi.
• Hawaii Day Six

  

  

  

  Waking up before dawn to feed the meter

  

  

  

  Rainbow Drive-in for some moco loco and vanilla mac nut pancakes

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Halona blowhole and lava tube

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Hanauma Bay. Even though we saw a monk seal, the waves were too choppy and the current was too strong.

  

  

  Chu Khoi brought us some tanghulu

  

  

  

  

  

  We still made time for a dip in Kuhio beach.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Free Starlight Luau show and Friday Night Fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian Village

  

  

  

  

  Got some Dole Whip as we walked home to end another full day
• Hawaii Day Five

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Headed out early for a day on the North Shore. Grabbed some pancakes and a loco moco from Liliha. Arriving early allowed for a relaxing breakfast down at the harbor. Look what you found, a sea cucumber. What is that wormy thing?

  

  

  Our original tour was cancelled due to choppy waters. Luckily, we acted fast and rebooked with a company with a boat that could handle it. Sharks?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Are we really going in?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Hell Yeah! We went in!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Sharks!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Garlic shrimp scampi @ Giovanni’s

  

  What’s that you’re holding River?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  A sea turtle at Laniakea beach.

  

  The ‘alea’ula. This endangered bird knew the secret to fire but wouldn’t tell the demigod Maui so he choked it until it revealed the secret and as punishment he burnt the birds forehead with a red hot stick.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Baobab

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Hiked to Waimea falls to escape the midday sun. Swam to the waterfall.

  

  

  

  

  

  Pufferfish

  

  

  

  

  Sea cucumber

  

  Snorkeling at Shark’s Cove. Even saw our first humuhumunukunukupua’a.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  While leaving Shark’s Cove, a local pointed out a pod of humpback whales just offshore. Another tourist let us see the pod from his drone. Awesome!

  

  

  Had to stop and see the sea turtles at Laniakea beach again.

  

  

  

  

  Had dinner at Helena’s with Chu Khoi.
• Hawaii Day Four

  

  Troi dat oi, good morning Hawaii

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Started the morning with a Hawaiian Hula show at the Waikiki Shell

  

  

  What beats a loco moco at Rainbow Drive-In?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Lanikai. One of the most beautiful beaches in all of the world.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Picking up some musubi and a loco moco at The Food Company in Kailua before heading to the next adventure.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  A Jurassic tour on an ATV Raptor at Kualoa Ranch

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The day ends with a sunset swim at Kuhio beach in Waikiki

  

  

  Unwinding with a dinosaur egg bath bomb and some garlic shrimp from Sunday food truck
• Hawaii Day Three

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Waking up to Waikiki and getting some musubi. What a great start.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Byodo-In temple where we saw wild pigs, a giant black salamander, koi, & black swans. We spoke to some biologists as they cleaned the koi pond and got rid of invasive tilapia and red devils. You guys found inner peace, inner peace, dinner please! And we asked Buddha for good health for our family.

  

  

  

  

  

  Do you see the rooster in the tree?

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Roasted cacao still in the shell. Unshelled we have nibs.

  

  

  These tiny hooded stamens can’t be pollinated by bees. They need midges which live in decaying leaf matter.

  

  

  

  True kalo (taro)

  

  

  Swamp taro. Have to boil those for at least three hours.

  

  

  

  

  Fermented beans taste like wine.

  

  

  

  21 degrees estate: (1) Winter harvest 70%, (2) all season blend 70%, (3) single origin 85%, (4) canoe plant blend, coconut milk, caramelized turmeric, (5) coffee, cardamom, & rose, (6) earl grey tea

  Learned a lot about chocolate making. Got to taste raw cacao, roasted nibs, fermented cacao beans, and the flesh of the cacao fruit.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Got some poi and laulau and headed to Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens to eat lunch under the Ko’olau mountains.

  

  

  

  Got dinner to go at Adela’s Country Kitchen. Loco moco with fried rice & lechon with garlic moringa noodles.

  

  

  

  

  Another wonderful evening out on Waikiki.

  

  

  

  

  

  Another example of showing up and life happening- complimentary tanghulu and heard a beautiful cover of White Sandy Beach.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Dinner at the Pig & the Lady
• Hawaii Day Two

  

  What we woke up to

  

  

  Acai bowls at the beach for breakfast

  

  Red-crested Cardinal

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Starting the day off with a hike up Diamond Head.

  

  

  

  

  Stopped at Rainbow for some Loco Moco, will it be the best?

  

  

  Malasadas and hei hei

  

  

  

  

  Waiola has the best shaved ice. Soft and creamy ice and the syrup went all the way through.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Stopped at the Bishop Museum to escape the midday sun. Did you see that whale? Had fun at the special exhibit, playing with light.

  

  

  

  

  

  We all tried saimin for the first time at Jane’s Fountain. Yummy!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Ended with a day on Waikiki at Kuhio beach.
• Hawaii Day One

  

  Packed light, ready for flight

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Getting to LAX early wasn’t a problem. Enjoyed a good preflight meal of pizza and orange chicken, found a kids area, and even got a ride across a very long terminal.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Even though you were beat from that plane ride, we got a ride to our car, and then after checking in to the hotel, we took a little stroll on a white sandy beach in Hawaii, visited the ABC store for a cinnamaroll toy and spam musubi.
• Easter egg hunt

  

  

  A little chill before the hunt

  

  

  

  A little art

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Winner of the Golden Egg. The hint was “the Easter Bunny lives in Alaska,” because the egg was in the cooler.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What a great day and a great start to Spring Break 2024!

• 800 Eggs

  

  Family bonding time
• Movies in the Garden

  @ LA Arboretum

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Art in the Park

  

  

  

  Ukulele practice

  

  

  

  Magical masks

  

  

  

  

  

  Paint & Pot

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Cookie decoration

  

  

  

  

  

  Paint the car

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Gallery and Art in the Park

  

  Lunch
• Haircut

  

  Fell asleep?
• Movie Screening: Kung Fu Panda 4

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Baseball

  

  

  
• Sky Zone

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Hard

  

• Birthday Party

  

  Celebrating Evan’s 5th birthday party
• Show night

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat @ The Rose Theater

• Family Day @ OCMA

  Planned to go hiking at Nix Canyon but ended up here instead. As fortune would have it, Nix was closed due to the recent storms.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  First we did some art inspired by Joan David. We were supposed to make an animal representation of ourselves and a collage.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Next, we participated in Charles Long’s interactive art installation 100 lbs. of Clay.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Then we had some lunch and fun.
• 10m v 60m

  
• Art 10m v 60m

  
• My Ninjas

  

  

  

  

  
• Jawbreaker

  

  12 layers and about 5,000 licks to the center of a medium jawbreaker
• You see us bowling, we rollin’

  
• Tet

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Started Tet with chua and hoi cho.

  

  

  

  Visited the hoi cho at Mile Square Park with Diana

• Hot Creek

  

  

  Waking up to a million dollar view.

  August 1, 2020
• Moonrise

  

  A beautiful moonrise at dusk on the 395.

  August 2, 2020