Just LayLay

Hannah has been friends with Laneya for almost her whole life.

Celebrating Laneya's 2nd birthday

Laneya's mom was Emily's preschool teacher when she was four and Hannah's preschool teacher when she was also four. Hannah is seven months older than Laneya but she started preschool way earlier than Hannah. (That darn potty trained rule!).

Celebrating Hannah's 4th birthday

They have been in each other's classes every year.

Kindergarten at school Talent Show

1st Grade Halloween

2nd Grade Halloween

3rd Grade Halloween

4th Grade

Laneya is also the youngest person we know that has a job. She is a professional model. She's been in print ads for GAP, Old Navy, H&M, Guess, Ralph Lauren ...

At the GAP Outlet

...and has starred in Avicii's music video "Wake Me Up".

It's kind of neat to personally know someone 'famous' but it doesn't faze Hannah and the rest of Laneya's classmates. She is just "LayLay" to them. (Everyone in the class has a nickname. Hannah's is "Hammy").

5th grade - Today

We are blessed that Hannah has such a great group of classmates.They don't take anyone for granted, even the boys! Everyone gets along and they are very kind and loving to each other, a rarity in 5th grade overall right? Even with her current anxiety acting up again, the kids have been so patient, kind and understanding with her.

Hannah and Laneya will be entering middle school next year. No longer elementary students. Matthew and I are thankful that she will have these friends to hold on to.

A 30 Hour Celebration

If you know me well, you know that I am not a wing-it type person. I normally don't 'drop things like a hat' to go do something that was unplanned. That just ain't me.

I plan far in advance for most things and try not to procrastinate. If we would be vacationing, I would make my reservations at least 4-6 months in advance depending on where we were going. I want to get the cheapest price and best rooms/seats so that's why I plan so early.  Next I plan on what to pack at least one month in advance and actually pack at least two weeks before we have to leave.

I start my Christmas planning in October: printing address labels, buying stamps and making shopping lists of what to get for whom. My Christmas cards and newsletters are all done by the start of November.

But sometimes in a blue moon, I can be 'wild-and-crazy' and just DO.

That's what we five gals did a few weekends ago... we decided to go down to celebrate one of our BFF's birthday!

So in less than two weeks, the five of us Gals shifted, changed and worked within our individual busy schedules of work, school, and childcare and booked flights down to sunny SoCal to hang with one of our besties, Lisa. We ended up booking a total of five different flights coming in and out of Burbank in order to accommodate our individual schedules.

Lisa Y graciously opened her cozy one bedroom apartment for all six of us to sleep for one night. And we just hung out, ate, talked, laughed, ate some more.

Lisa's living room

On Friday night we waited until the last of our six, Marj, came in at 9pm (her flight was delayed on Southwest.. what's new right?) to eat dinner.

Susana,  Lisa (our b-day gal) and Koreen

We ate dinner at 9:30pm  (you can even call it 'siu yeh'.. the restaurant was packed!)

Marj, Lisa Y and me

At Tasty Garden eating some delicious food!

.. then dessert at Half & Half, a trendy boba tea place.. at 11:15pm! So wayyyy past my bedtime..

The cups were way HUGE!

And brunch (which turned into lunch) the next morning at Din Tai Fung

(Sorry for the blurry fuzzy photos.. my phone camera is not as nice as my regular camera which is not as nice as my husband's camera who's pictures I usually use in my posts.. but you get the picture)

With all our social media out there with the emailing, skyping, facetiming, and texting nothing .. and I mean NOTHING is better and more rewarding and memorable than real personal Face-to-Face time with a person you love. Giving them a hug, sharing a meal (or numerous meals) and laughing until we cried together in one room.

Happy Birthday to one of my dearest most precious friends I could ever have!! Love you Lis!

College Bound

When I was at CAL many moons ago, I never stayed in a dorm. I had the privilege of staying in an apartment on Northside.  But Matthew lived in a dorm for his freshman year.

Creative Decor!

It was Unit 2 Dorms and he shared a room with another freshman. He took down his closet door and made it into his 'desk'. Posters hanging everywhere along with stuff on the ceiling..

 ... and fancy door decorating.. although I'm not sure about what the soda cans were for. Collecting for recycling?

Maybe it was a 'guy'-thing..

Now during this summer vaca down South, we went to visit our new high school graduate,
Jessie, who was moving into Biola University. Her whole family came along to help her move.

Jessie and her family, her roommate and track mascot, llama?

It's pretty cool that they provide a loft bed.. saves space but looks like Jessie doesn't need much space. :)

Funny thing, Matthew's sister, Matthea went to Biola also..

Here's Matthea's dorm room when she moved into Biola. Notice the land line phone in the picture. They don't offer those anymore! But I'm sure they have to offer internet now.

After visiting Jessie, we went to see our goddaughter, our other newly minted high school graduate, Mandy, who moved into her dorm at Azuza Pacific University.

Campus Security is located in the same building! Very safe!! So glad!

She wasn't done decorating yet but check out that closet space on the right... It's a whole wall closet organizer!

We also spent some time visiting Matthew's Auntie Stella (A-Ee) and Uncle Danny's (A-EJeung)
family. We got to meet one of his cousin Lemuel's sons. He has four boys! We still can't believe little Lemuel is a father of four kids!

Lemuel, A-Ee, A-E-Jeung carrying Isaac (their #4 grandson)

Matthew with his two cousins, Lemuel and Simeon (right)

We all went out to lunch.. they do know where to eat and let me tell you JJ Noodle House was DELICIOUS! Best meal on our trip!

The brothers when they were wee little ones!

Lastly before we went home I had to drop by this bakery.. the creme of the creme of Asian Bakeries down here. I bought a box of buns and pastries home. Delish! Oh the food down South is so good.

But I STILL wouldn't live down there. WAY TOO HOT!! I'm a Bay Area girl at heart!

Happiest Land on Earth Part 3

I got to hang with both Lisa's here. It was so great to hang and catch up with them.. the SoCal girls of my Girl's group.

A new addition was the Fantasy Faire which included a new statue, Rapunzel's Tower...  well.. a miniature version of it.

Another one of Hannah's favorites was Space Mountain (you can see a pattern here.. she loves roller coasters)

 JD's huge lightsaber..

 And canoeing with Auntie Lisa...

Emily loved Tinker Bell's Pixie Hollow (where Ariel's Grotto used to be)

Entrance to Pixie Hollow

The bridge from Fall to Winter 'Lands' (there's Periwinkle on the bridge) from "TinkerBell and the Secret of the Wings"

TinkerBell's house

Sign to the 'fake' fairy house in "TinkerBell and the Great Fairy Rescue"

This the book that TinkerBell and Elizabeth made also from the "Great Fairy Rescue"

NEXT UP: College Bound

Hottest and Happiest Place on Earth Part 2

So we met up with Lisa and her kids, Jonathan and Marissa, who live down South, and spent some quality time together... riding rides at California Adventure!!

Another new ride in CarsLand... Luigi's Flying Tires.. you had to 'lean' to move

Matt & Emily face off Lisa & JD

The next ride that Hannah loved was Californian Screamin'.

Getting ready to scream!

Then we checked out the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail...

JD

Emily & JD

Emily, Hannah with Marissa & JD

After climbing around, we (or should I say 'I') rested at Animation Academy...

...where the kids were able to draw "Pluto"

Then we headed back to ride Hannah's second favorite ride, Hollywood Tower of Terror

Doesn't look that scary to me.. look at those faces.. Matthew's even taking pictures!

And we visited Bug's Land... Marissa & Hannah (appropriately in the Chinese take-out box)

To end the fun filled day, we had to drop by Downtown Disney's Build-A-Bear.

New additions to Marissa'a and Hannah's Bear-ful family

Next day is to the Happiest Land on Earth.. Disneyland!