Merry Christmas

Christmas Day Catan. I think Olin won. I always lose.

Sledding at Carmichael Hill! This is the second year I remember the first big snow being right on Christmas Day. It's a treat.

Lots of portrait mode going on. 

Heavily concentrating on re-loading their Pez dispenser

A big gift for me of a horizontal centrifuge so I can really do some serious microneedling + PRF

Olin sewed Christian a fabric bookmark at school. Christian really enjoyed it. Each kid got, for Christmas: headlamp, Nerf Rival, Husky stuff, flag football set, Kiwi creation from Dae's very nice partner at work (Mun Jye).

Christmas Eve Zoom with puo puo's extended family in the Bay Area

Opening stockings. I forgot that I only put one item of candy in Dae's stocking while he stuffed mine full. He was seriously disappointed. I told him he's probably the only 44 year old man who has brought up the fact that he's disappointed in his stocking. hahahaha!

While taking a day trip to Spokane to get covid tested, we stopped at Hello Sugar for some yummy mini donuts. 

Up next....Hawaii tomorrow!

Dae got Vaccinated!

 

He tried to get me a vaccine too but you have to be a Kadlec employee. The nurses were really nice. I asked if I could take a photo and she was like "sure! - everybody has been taking one all day" and then another nurse asked if I wanted to be in the photo. haha.

Christmas in Seattle 2020

We really appreciated Christmas in Seattle even more than ever this year, given the rarity of get-togethers. Jeff and Dae weren't there (Dae had a covid scare Wednesday so we all got tested twice but his risk was still too high), but the kids still had a blast.

Wilson and Stacey's very cool new place on Lake Sammamish. We have already planned a return for water sport in the summer. 

The moms took the canoe out for a seriously beautiful paddle. We paddled leisurely over to Ichiro's waterfront home. :) It didn't look like he was there unfortunately. 

Nerf squad

Wilson had his drone out so he took some cool video and photos of us canoeing

Christmas cheer

We jumped right back in to Christmas festivities upon return...

We went even more Charlie Brown than usual. Olin asked if we could get a thicker tree and we said nope.

Spring street house with Senske music-timed lighting still delights

Dae taught the kids poker

 

Still scavenging!

Kauai! The last four days

 When we drove up to Waimea Canyon (Dec. 3, a day after the new mandate that no more visitors come in unless they quarantine) there was nobody at the lookout! Usually it's packed. 

 Hee Fat shave ice in Kapa'a is supposed to be the best on the island but we liked Waikomo in Koloa better. These were huge though.

Wailua Falls. Decent but not a must-see. Supposedly they're taller than Niagara Falls, just not as much volume. 

Donkey Beach - kids' favorite.

Drove all the way up north to hit our favorite beautiful beach - Tunnels Beach - and it was closed! There were big swells as they were all saying.

Luckily, we did make it to Moloa'a Sunrise Fruit Stand on the way up north which has the best Date with Fate smoothie. Kids ordered Passionfruit Hoot and Mango Unchained smoothies and both were good. Dae ordered Taste of Kauai and it was alright. haha.

Typical daily breakfast. Fresh fruit, fried rice (Costco), eggs, yogurt, POG, and today we had nian gao (Chinese sticky cake!) that we had found at a roadside restaurant in Hanapepe (Won'g Chinese Restaurant) selling Lilikoi pie the day before. The nian gao was absolutely delicious. 

Pu'u o kila lookout 

We did our first hike (about 2 miles total) just past the Pu'u o kila lookout. It was super fun! Quite muddy, quite steep in some places and narrow. It was fun to have great views the entire time.

All of our shoes were caked with fresh mud which had dried by the end. I felt like I was doing warrior dash again!

Dae and kids loved these hot dog/pulled pork dogs from Porky's in Waimea.  I got fish tacos from Island Tacos.

$21 for all three of these yahoos to golf! Those are outrageously cheap prices for Kauai. It was only 9 holes and quite enjoyable. I drove one of the carts, read my book and took pictures.  Kukuiolono Park & Golf Course. Randomly there were all these (non-golfing) people walking their dogs around the golf course. 

Christian

Olin

I told the kids this was probably the only time they'd be golfing with chickens - and chicks!

2012 and now

2012 and now

2012 and now

During the hike we were actually holding on to trees and climbing the side walls to avoid the mud pits below.

Boogie boarding on our last day at Brennecke's Beach just outside our condo.

New, Billabong, sun-responsible suit. 

Kids were cracking themselves up over their interpretation of Olin's homework. They made origami kitty with facial hair and strabismus.

Included in $197 airfare is scattered seating. haha. Three of our family were seated in the 20s rows and Olin was up in row 13 by himself so the gate attendant put us in two pairs. Kids ended up about 9 rows in front of us. Here are their small faces peering between the seats. As we exited the plane, the flight attendant told me and Dae "You have some of the most polite kids we've seen. It is so nice for us!"