Happy New Year!

Crafts on the plane
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

To ring in the new year, Daddy took Aki and me to the Children's Discovery Center to countdown to noon! It was so much fun. We saw the balloons drop and drink an apple juice toast. Too bad mama missed out. She's still recuperating from her owie knee. Here's a picture of our new year hats on the airplane at the Children's Discovery Center.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Day full of presents

Owen and I have been so excited about Christmas for days!

Last night, Daddy helped us set out snacks for Santa - M&Ms, a fortune cookie, pretzels with milk. This morning, when we woke up, the snacks we left were all gone! And Santa left a note for us.

There were also presents in our stockings and under the tree.

After breakfast, and grandma, Kung Kung, and Aunty Marlene came over, we started opening presents. Here are some highlights.

Dr. Justen (Bieber)

Back side of doctor outfit

Aki drawing on the Color Explosion

Playing with Legos, new and old

We spent all day opening and playing with presents with a short lunch break. Before dinner, our whole family played many rounds of Toy Story Kerplunk Game that Emmie and Andrew sent us. Owen and I decided to change the rules so that the ones with the most aliens win. I think it worked out in our favor since Owen and I took turns winning.

Thank you everyone for thinking of us. We love all our presents! Mele Kalikimaka.

Merry Christmas!

Santa and Reindeer
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

We wish all our family and friends a very merry christmas. This will be the first year we'll be spending Christmas at our Hawaiian home. I wonder how Santa keeps track of where everyone is on Christmas Eve. He must have a super-duper GPS/people tracker.

Gobble gobble

Thanksgiving centerpiece by Aunty Patsy
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

Turkey's been eaten, Christmas lights are up, the tree is trimmed, packages have been arriving on our doorsteps... it must be getting close to Christmas!

Last weekend at Ihilani

Sunset from 10th floor balcony
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

In case you missed us, we went to a hotel last weekend, one we didn't have to take an airplane to. The rest of the pictures are here.

Making art HiSAM

Animal masks at HiSAM
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

We love going to the Hawaii State Art Museum for the family programs on second Saturday of the month. Yesterday, Owen and I made animal masks. What do you think?

Hau'oli la hanau, mama

Getting help blowing out her candles
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

To the best mama ever,

Happy birthday and we love you!

Owen, Aki, and Mike

Happy Halloween!

Owen and Aki - Halloween 2010
Originally uploaded by Mikenan1

Woody and Jessie here to wish y'all a Happy Halloween! Have a safe and fun day. Don't eat too much candy now.

Two months and a change

Over two months have gone by since we last posted. I've been so busy in school and with my rock star artist career that I haven't had time to write as much. Sorry.

Because of this change in my priorities, my editorial team has decided to pilot a change to this blog. For those of you who don't keep up with our parents on facebook, probably the flickr photo-sharing website is most regularly updated site. We'll post some of the photos here from flickr, and if there are more things to see, just head on over there...

But since we do have to catch up before we try this new idea, here's some of the last two months:


We spent the morning at Waimea with our cousins Ryan and Phillip


I wrote a book called Stegosaurus Walk


We went to the air show for Daddy's birthday


Many birthday parties: Braden, Shayna, Dayton, Hannah, Jenica (and Chloe, but we didn't bring the camera to that one...)


And Kawaiaha'o's Harvest Festival

Ok, from now on, shorter but more frequent posts is going to be the plan, so let's see how it goes!

Long time no write

Ok so it's been a month of no blogging and I think we are going to have to shake up the editorial process a little bit here. But until we figure out how that's going to look like, here's what we've been doing over the last month (with new bigger pictures!).

First, we went to Aunty Shellie and Uncle Brian's wedding. Mommy had to work to make the wedding awesome.


Here she is with the pole to feed the lion. It was every bit as exciting as it sounds.

Then came the highlight of the evening--dancing!


Aki and I have been practicing at home so our moves look smooth on the dance floor


Aki's interpretive dance has disco origins. I like the breakdancing.

We've also been going to our new favorite beach, Kaiona!


I like the nice grass and the stage for playing my stick guitar.


I also like body surfing. This is what body surfing means, right?

A few weeks ago, it was the Tinman Triathlon. I rode my bike out to watch the bicyclists go by a few blocks from our house.


I walked home. Daddy pushed the bike.

Then we flew off to Tia Missy's house in San Jose! She took us to all kinds of fun places like this park with lots of fun rides.


Aki did not like the up-and-down merry go round horses


But I liked driving the old timey English car


And going on these pedal boats


Out on the water

Another day, Aunty Missy took us to the aquarium. It was a long way away but we were able to watch movies on the screen in the fancy mini-van we rented. This was one of my favorite things of the trip.


At the aquarium


It was full of little nooks for little kids to go look at the fishies


Jellies!


And there were telescopes so you could look out to sea and see the seals. Aki wasn't too convinced that they worked.


I think it was a real aquarium because it had real divers!


After the aquarium, it was chocolate time at the chocolate cafe!

The last day we were in San Jose, it was just quiet visiting time. We got to see Aunty Karna and Uncle Arne and their new baby.


Aki liked looking at the baby. Their dogs not so much.

Then it was on to a mommy and daddy store.


There was some furniture that was just perfect for us, but we couldn't bring it home

Finally when we got home we got to spend some time with friends.


Here we are with baby Evan and Miranda, another younger girl who is bigger than me.

Now that summer school and our vacations are over, we are going to hang out with Mommy for the rest of the summer! I wonder how long more that will be?

Eating ice cream at mommy's new school...

Happy Birthday, America!

We spent the day celebrating Jake's birthday at Uncle Joel and Aunty Alison's house. Owen and I had fun splashing around in the wading pool. I made a new friend, Eve. She's Jake's cousin.

Don't we look like twins?

Owen and I loved playing with Jake's toys. Oops, traffic jam.

After nap, we headed on over to Uncle Jeff's new place for more swim time...

Then we had dinner....

and fireworks!

We had an awesome view of the fireworks off Magic Island.

This one is Owen's favorite because it's green.

Here's Owen showing his newly acquired Jedi moves.

More visitors!

A couple of weeks ago, Uncle Greg, Aunty Susan, Alana, and Maile came to visit from California. We had so much fun at the beach BBQ and swimming at Uncle Roger's new place. Alana and Maile also came over to our house to play and have dinner with us.

Maile, Alana, Owen, and I having dinner at our the kids' table.

After dinner, our parents thought it would be fun if we kids took a bath all together. It's was crowded but we made the best of it!

We can't wait for you all to move here to Hawaii!

Father's Day Visitors and Kung Kung's Birthday

Lots of friends and family came to visit us this past month. On Father's Day, Uncle Steven, Auntie Jeanie, and our cousins Mia and Sean joined us at the pancake breakfast. Then we went to the Honolulu Academy of Arts to check out their Fishies-themed Family Sunday.

Here's Mia getting some air while we waited for the museum to open.

Mama helping me catch some fish.

Thanks, Mia and Sean, for coming out to play with us! We wished we could have spent more time together!

Coincidentally, Father's Day was also Kung Kung's birthday! It turns out Uncle Gregston, Aunty Hiroko, and our cousins, Ashley and Brandon were also in town visiting from Houston. They came over with Aunty Gwen (Kung Kung's sister) and Uncle George to help us celebrate.

Dinner to celebrate Father's Day and Kung Kung's Birthday.

There wasn't enough room on the big table. Owen and I loved having our own table with Ashley and Brandon.

Happy Birthday, Kung Kung!