Vacation Part 11…

So I found out my limit….12 straight buffets is all I can take.   There were mornings I would wake up dreading to go to the buffet…but I couldn’t pass it up because it was free!   Big breakfast and big dinners….it was the vacation were we just ATE and ATE!
We went to one of our favorite place Sarrento’s:


It wasn’t that good but really, it is super hard to pass up eating 20 feet from the water during sunset.   I think that is the main reason we continue to go:


We went Nicks the next night:


At sunset they come around and light the tiki torches and Jack tried to creep close to the guy so we could get a picture:



One night we were tired of going out so we just got pizza and stayed in and ate on our balcony:


This was our view:


It ended up being one of our best dinners.  Just low key with a nice view.

Now this might be our NEW favorite place on Maui.  We went to Mama’s Beach house in Paia.  Not really close to Wailea but it gave us another reason to drive past Kahalui…to get guri guri and Malasadas!


We had a great time at Mama’s and I will definitely being going back here:

Vacation Part 10…

I have no one to blame but myself.  Jack and Stacy loved to be outdoors at the pool.  Jack loved the fact that they would address him as Mr. Yoshioka and bring him cold towels, fresh pineapple, water and his lunch:


Sadly he got all too ‘comfortable’ just saying I am in room 604 and charging everything to the room!


Jack and Stacy even slept pool side:

Vacation Part 9….

Well if a picture says 1000 words then a video is…more exciting!

 

Every day we went to the pool and rode the water slide!

 

Vacation Part 8…

Water slide!!   I totally forgot that our hotel had a water slide.   It was Jack’s first time on a water slide and I am not kidding, I think rode went on it about 80 times the first day!!   I thought I would be smart and I bought a crappy underwater camera.  I took quite a few pictures on it but Stacy got a hold of it and hit DELETE ALL.  I didn’t realize it until we got home…but luckily I was taking pictures with my other camera:

 

 

 

Of course I had to try it out as well:

 

Wooooooo!!!!

Vacation Part 7…

So our hotel was under going some construction, so to make it up to the guests they had free snorkels and beach stuff for us to use.  Sadly, no one wanted to go into the ocean.   Luckily, Jack and I spent some time on the beach:


But in reality it was really me doing most of the work, while Jack supervised:


JACK:


Stacy on the other hand did not like the beach.  She did not like sand on her feet.  She did not like the ocean.   This is how it starts…the road to snooty-ville.  Stacy was content just sitting on the beach chair in the shade:


Luckily we got ONE photo of us on the beach:

Vacation Part 6…

Ahhh, nothing says Maui like Guri-Guri!  

 

The real seal of approval came when both Jack and Stacy liked Guri Guri.

 

Jack has had Guri-Guri before but this time he really enjoyed it.  Jack would ask daily if we would drive from Wailea to Kahalui for some guri-guri.

Vacation Part 5…

On our last night on Oahu, my parents watched the kids and Aya went to eat at Morimoto’s restaurant in Waikiki:

It was okay.  Not great, not terrible.  Service was excellent but the food was just okay.  I think I would rather eat at Alan Wong’s again over Morimoto’s.

Still it was nice to be out for one night without the kids.

Vacation Part 4…

I tell you nothing beats having breakfast right next to the beach at sunrise.  Jack and Stacy were both on LA time and were up and ready to go at 4:30 am!!   Sadly, Aya and I had to wake up early every day on vacation and we were the first ones in line at the buffet…even BEFORE they opened!

Jack started off his mornings doing homework:

 

Stacy just loved the breakfast buffet!   She is a little fatty!

 

After breakfast we took a nice stroll along the beach!

Ahhh, if only we could do this *EVERY* day….I totally need to win the lottery.

Vacation Part 3…

Aya got some video of Jack and I swimming with the dolphins.

Vacation Part 2…

We stayed at the Mandarin hotel in Oahu.  Aya and I stayed there before and we knew they had dolphins.   We tried to sign up to swim with them but the classes were all full.   This time I was better prepared.  I thought Jack would enjoy swimming with the dolphins so I registered before we left on vacation.  

I was thinking this is a once in a lifetime experience…but then I thought about Stacy and how she didn’t go because she was too small…so this might be a twice in a lifetime…although maybe next time Aya can take Stacy.

 

We had a 30 minute class with the dolphins.  We got to ‘train’ them and have them do tricks.  We got to touch/pet the dolphins.  We got to feed them as well.  We even got pooped on.  That was not cool.   The dolphin swam up and then just crapped….talk about the ‘full’ experience.

Jack was a little scared at first but within a minute or two he was comfortable in the water and he really had a good time with the dolphins.

Vacation Part 1…

Man it was great to finally take a vacation!!   Aya and I have not gone on vacation since Aya was pregnant with Stacy.   We headed off to Oahu and Maui for a two week  vacation.    This was Stacy’s first flight and it was our first flight taking BOTH children so we weren’t sure how they would be.   Luckily they both take after their mom so as long as there was food they were happy campers:

 

Jack kept himself busy with the iPad and Stacy watched DVDs:

 

As soon as we landed we stopped off for some Zippys:

 

Then we took a quick dip in the pool:

 

Ahhh….Malasada’s….my favorite!!

 

Jack and Stacy loved Leonard’s as well:

Dawn's Wedding

We headed to Oahu earlier this month for Dawn's wedding.   We had a great time and it was good wedding.  I took lots and lots of pictures...way too many for the blog so I just made a short video instead.




Congratulations to Dawn and Bryan

Saving money….

When Aya and I found out we were having a second child, I had hoped for a girl so we could have one of each….but from a practical stand point I thought having another boy would be good because we could recycle toys and clothes.   Since I couldn’t recycle the clothes, I am hopefully going to recycle the toys! 

Whenever Jack is too busy playing Wii or iPad, Stacy will sneak off and try to play with Jack’s toys:

 

She loves playing with his Ben10 action figures:

 

And then drives all the trucks thru the gate!   She loves messing up all his men.  Luckily Jack doesn’t get that upset with Stacy playing with all his toys.

House Warming Part 2…

Super hero’s in the first post and villains in the second post.  Dawn and Bryan’s friends came over for the house warming as well and there was plenty of room for everyone!   I think there should be more parties over there:

 

WLA friends:

 

Hawaii friends:

House Warming Part 1…

We all gathered at Dawn and Bryan’s new house for lunch.  I ate way too much food…but not Stacy she wanted more….the little fatty:

 

At least Bryan wasn’t sleeping in this picture:

 

Matsumoto clan:

 

Shiraki’s:

 

Yoshioka Fam-Bam: