Happy 1st Birthday!

Wow. 1 year old! The past year has flown by, and little Eli has grown up so quickly … as has his personality. We had a wonderful banquet celebration with many of Eli’s friends, uncles, aunties and grandparents. It was a blast. Aer took the prize for most knowledgeable Eli trivia person and Brian took the consolation prize. We’re so happy that Eli’s first year has been so fun, and we’re looking forward to many more. Salud.

Sweet November

It was a wonderful month of R&R and family reunions. Earlier this month, Elijah took a trip to So Cal for a wedding where Dad sang a heartfelt melody for the bride and groom. Eli also got to visit his Great Grandma in Irvine and hang with his many female cousins. He also met his cousins on Dad’s side for the first time – Darin, Ethan, Kristin, Kyle and Leslie. Most importantly, Eli was reunited with his long-lost Uncles Jonah and Micah and his Auntie Min. We ended the month by celebrating Eli’s first Thanksgiving. We’ve been blessed abundantly over the years, but we were especially grateful this year for the wonderful addition of the young Paduin to our family. Cheers!

Happy Halloween!

Ghosts, goblins and … baby chicks? Yes, Eli was a hatching chickadee for Halloween. Obviously, neither Eli nor Pappy had much of a say in the matter, but Mother did create a pretty nifty chickadee outfit. Easy-E went trick-or-treating for the first time, joined by his pal, LL-cool-J (Lucas Lee), who was a little dragon for the day – and both of them made out like bandits in the candy department. Eli also attended his first birthday party for his friend Naomi at the Gymboree. What a blast, exploring the obstacle course and playing with parachutes! Aside from celebrations, Eli has been up to his usual mayhem – playing with Grandpa and splashing in the water.

Grooving to the Music

Elijah’s recent trip to Maui seems like ages ago, especially with all of the great visitors we have had in the past few weeks since our return. First, Eli’s Ama and Agong came for a visit and quickly got reacquainted with their grandson (just like Eli’s dad, I think Eli gained 10 lbs from Ama’s cooking). We also enjoyed a visit from Uncle Hyug – a longtime friend of Eli’s dad. Aside from the visits, Eli has been hanging out with his other Grandma, chasing after Sagwa, riding the swing, grooving to music, and of course, always being a wise guy.

Maui: Home Away From Home

Our trip to Maui has come and gone. It's hard to remember that Elijah's last trip to Maui was in Christine's womb, but it's true. Last year was great and this year was FAT ("For All Time"). The "Sexy 6" is now the "Magnificent 7" with Eli as the newest member of our Maui crew. Our days were filled with fun-filled activities like surfing, golf, swimming, and snorkeling, but also vegging at the Westin spa and poolside. And of course, we ate like kings and queens. Man oh man is the fish delicious. Gotta give props to the Plantation House, Sansei and the Napili Sea House in particular. The trip could not have ended more appropriately -- with Penny, Micah, Eli and Jere dancing beachside to IZ's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Also a special thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Shooter whose incredible generosity made this gnarlsome vacation possible.