Beachy Good Time

we visited gramma and aunt alice in hilton head for a week. it was HOT, 100' HOT. lots of beach and pool time, it rained maybe once in the afternoon. the water was warm & clear (not as clear as OBX). there was the extra bonus of large pools of trapped water which became the girls' wading area. laurel called the ocean, the 'waterfalls'.
the (2/12 hr) plane ride was a breeze, we didnt even have to resort to the dvd player. overall, it was a wonderfully, relaxing trip. lazy summer days are best at the beach!

i've been to HH once before and it hasnt changed much. it's a lush and tropical island --- looks more like hawaii than a casual beach town.

we also spent 1 1/2 days in savannah (only 1/2hr drive away). the city is much smaller than i expected and not was grand as i envisioned. but the spanish-moss oak trees are amazing.

Life is short, get out the house!

Greetings fm Florida!

we had a GREAT time, highly recommend tampa for younger kids, who aren't ready for disney yet. with busch gardens africa, lawry's interactive zoo, florida aquarium and the hotel pool -- we never made it to the beach! some of the top highlights: riding a camel, feeding a giraffe and have its purple tongue lick your hand and seeing a real-life hippo!

going off season is a huge plus (we are an anti-crowds family). absolutely no lines, it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. the girls loved the dinosaur carousel, and they were able to ride it over and over again w/out getting off.

we end up not needing to rent a car. next to the hotel, there were restaurants and a cvs w/in walking distance-- for the girls' pedisure run. the shuttle fm best western to busch gardens ran only twice daily. which was fine, since right after lunch, the girls would nap in their (inclined) stroller for about an hour (a full stomach combined with the riding motion= dreamland), then we were off again. who would have thought we could spend 14hrs at busch gardens africa. we only had to cab a ride to the zoo; and the aquarium was on the way to the airport.

after this trip, we cant wait until the girls turn 5--- so we can experience the wonder of disney and all its parks. eric has a co-worker who goes every year, he got hooked as a child-- now i think i know why-- afterall, it is 'the happiest place on earth'. Happy Anniversary baby!

Mid-Summer Vacation

pics fm our OBX vacation, lots lots of beach, pool and lake fun. perfect weather, it rained for only 1/2 day while we were there.

there were bloopers and troopers. eric bruised his heel badly, the diagnosis isnt in yet, but it might be a cracked ankle. it happened on our first full day there---saturday was spent driving down which use to take only 5 1/2 hours now takes 7+ hrs-- gas prices obviously didnt scare the crowds away.
mr.acrobatics dives in for a frisbee on the shallow end in the pool, shallow as in 4ft. no comments please.
fortunately, he was able to borrow eric w.'s crutches, who also had a foot injury from a frisbee accident! CRAZY i know.

moving on to our trooper, lindsey. she went from screaming mad to (dare i say it) liking the water. yeaaaah lindsey!

and thou it was good family fun, vacationing w/kids is far from total r&r. we realized this w/our first trip to bermuda--- it wouldn't be the same, at least not for a few good years.

with eight kids under one roof (six under four yrs), there was a lot of crying, whining and skirmishes.
poor laurel didnt sleep well in her cot, tossing and turning all night and teething with three new buds-- she was a complete miserable mess towards the end of the trip--and made sure we all knew it, esp han & eric who slept direcly underneath us.

kids, the younger, the more unpredictable-- and only those with kids fully understand this. believe me, even w/my own kids, the fighting noise level still drives me bonkers. wouldnt blame the non-kids couples if they opted out next year---we subject ourselves to it because we have to (-:
but it beats sitting at home, twiddling our thumbs -- so it's all worth it.

How come they didnt have these when I was a kid?

the girls celebrated with their cousin lotus, who's bday is just right before theirs over the wkend. and since aunt alice was in town, it was one big family get-togehter.

did the girls score big time. courtesy of gramma, ck out their upgraded, pumped-up, barbie-pink power wheels. and how freaking cute is lotus' vintage, convertible pink cadillac?

Happy Bday Anna (4th) and Lindsey (2nd)!!!!

X2 fun at house of bounce!

vienna bounced until we were called in for cake. dare-devil laurel went down the giantic slide all by herself, giggling all the way down (well, maybe poppa & momma *gently pushed* her just alittle :-)

what a blast!

Chillin by the Pool

nothing too exciting this wkend, other than trying to stay cool

Pump My Ride

pics from our bike ride to viva vienna festival last saturday. the girls got this bike trailer fm my bro for their bday last yr, but didnt get a chance to use it until this summer.

we cheated alittle, rode in 1/2 way, but we made it! all whooping 2miles, but hey, momma finally got some exercise (-:

we're gonna try the w&o trail next to get to this park. wish us luck! even better, come out and ride w/us.

PS poppa's caught the biking bug. he bought a fancy fuji road bike and now rides in everyday to work! our own iron man.

Emerald Isle

we took off to emerald isle, nc over the wkend for a family friend's wedding. wesley also grew up in the neighborhood--- eric thinks he babysat him (gawd we're getting old). a few of the familes from 'easie and vale' still get keep in touch and meet up every christmas.

the wedding was casual chic, cozy and scenic on the beach (love the beach weddings, oh that's right, we had one too ;-)

there was a pig roast, tasty shrimp and fun beach cake, so no one left hungary.
it stormed all wkend except the day of the wedding (so fortunate!), which is double good luck in asian supersitiion. the rain washes away the couple's all past misgivings so they can start their life togehter fresh and new. we so hope this is true( since there was some wedding drama(sigh).

we had one perfect day to play on the beach; and along with the wedding, made the trip worthwile.

the only 'downside' was the drive. gramma rented a van, so we were super comfy. but on the drive down, Garmin took us around and around ---ah, the joys and pains of technology. then on the way home, the rain slowed us down. both times, it should have only taken us 7hrs, but was closer to 9hrs!

but like, gramma said, 'if we can survive 9 hours in the car with two on-the-go toddlers, we can survive anything!'

PS, work has been CRAZY busy lately, so of course, i forgot to pack the camera. arent the best pics w/a disposable.

Summer Lickin' Good

Happy Easter!

we had a girls-only egg hunt this year since duy, kayla & family couldnt make it. they were busy with their newborn, beautiful baby girl, ella! congrats, to another Vu in the world!

It's a Winter Wonderland!

xmas photo shoot

our friend, map, who took the girls' 1st bday party pics, did another awesome job for our xmas photos.

here's just a sampling, since there are too many to upload. i keep telling him to start a photographer side job, he never disappoints!

Merry Xmas! Have a wonderful, rocking holiday as we celebrate the Lord's birthday! Peace and Joy to all!

hola amigos, we're back!

Labor Day Weekend

since we didnt get invited to any bbq's and the kids are too young to take to the borgata for the weekend (which we did get invited to), we ended up spending the day at the zoo! the girls' first trip. i have fond memories of the zoo fm childhood and still love going. so there will be many more visits to come.

We're back!

Why we loved loved loved our Outer Banks vacation:

- the beach clean sand and clear waters (not icky like the northern atlantic ocean). not overly crowded. the further south you go, the more 'private' the beach. we were at the north end in Corolla, considered the more 'developed town'---but still very relaxed and family-oriented. the water was cold at first, but warmed up mid week.

- the house comfortably slept 3+ families, walking distance to the beach (our wagon did come in handy for pulling the girls), biking distance to groceries stores, restaurants, movie theatres, mini golf and rides. we were even able to even catch a movie while the girls slept.

- the house pool we went fm beach to pool to cool off. who doesnt love to splash in a pool on a hot summer day, esp a kid. the big kids enjoyed it too, marco polo anyone?

- the neighborhood lake was a special treat. almost every night, the kids wanted to go feed the turtles crumbs. duy, thuy and noah fished---no fish, only one turtle and poor noah was accidentally hooked. but that didnt keep him fm wanting to fish more!

- family time we gambled (of course), ate lots of ice cream, played some board & video games or just hung out. some kiddy tidbits we got to know. noah showing off his speedy backstroke. mia doesnt have toddler taste when it comes to food---bring on the spicy noodles and grilled pork chops. anna saying 'it good? in a swedish accent, and already has some diving skills. joshua, let's just say, has a LOT of personality. and lindsey is one eating machine!

the Outer Banks, come to relax and only 5 hours away! We're definitely going back next year!

Smash-a-lapooza

Happy Bday My Sweet Darlings!

We made it ---now where's our reward (-:

What an incredible ride of a year. Everyday, you both continue to amaze us. Everyday, your munchkin faces makes us smile. Everyday, we love you more and more.

OK, I'll stop the gush now. Enjoy their 1st bday cake smash pics. Video, stats and fun facts to follow.

Hopefully, I can get the video (not a mushy montage i promise) posted before our vacation to the outer banks next week!

Cool Slideshows!

Happy Bday US of A!

Cool Slideshows!

Father's Day Recap

for eric's first father's day, he got a niffty blue shirt and a book. the 'dangerous book for boys' is a father's guide to teach his son, all that a boy needs to know.

i know eric will have a ball showing the girls how to identify a fossil or a bug, age of a tree, recite famous battles---you get the idea. the girls will learn how to build a lean-to AND host grand tea parties for the stuffed animals!

one of eric's fav pastime is hiking---we even got engaged on a nature trail in finger lakes, ny. so for his day, we headed out for a morning hike at hidden pond nature ctr in springfield.

you'll see from the pics, we started out backpacking the kids. i actually wore vienna in a ergo on my side (much much more comfy than a bjorn). but once we saw the paved trail, out came the stroller---yes, we're out of shape.

hidden pond boasts of a one-acre pond. no longer fit for swimming since it's completely covered by algae. thou, there were a couple of families fishing. and with miles of of pristine trails, it's quite lovely.

i forget how peaceful hiking is. and how clean the air can be. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

the nature center is a small room filled with tanks of pond life---toads, turtles, and so on. kids can even touch and hold a snake. loads of fun for curious eyes and free for the parents!

the slide show has a couple of pics of eric's dad with the girls. he & his boys havent celebrated their father's (fishing) day yet, since he's out of town this weekend.

and thou we saw my dad at lindsey's party yesterday, i (of course) totally forgot to click a pic of him with the girls.

to all the wonderful men in our lives, happy father's day!

Moms' day celebration pics

For my mom's day, my family headed out to the Mclean Day festival. Unfortuantely, due to all the nap schedules (of 7 grandkids), we arrived at different times; but afterwards, the gang met up for cake.

At the festival, we caught a hay ride and a couple of shows (Irish dancers and cheerleading routines). It's becoming a more and more popular festival, so even the entertainment was decent. But then again, I'm happy just walking around, enjoying the sights and smells.

For gramma D's, we gathered for an early dinner. As part of mom's day tradition and gift, her two boys were put to work. This year, they got off lightly by only having to rotate mom's mattress.

Sorry gramma D for the pic w/the (crying-fit) girls. Bedtime was near and they were getting ansty---it def wasnt you (-:

Hope everyone had a good weekend!