Saturday, October 9, 2010

Lukas asleep

I love this photo of Lukas because he's so peaceful when he's asleep. James M. our beloved "manny" took this photo of him with a high grade camera, by that I mean beyond your typical point and shoot and actually developed it himself. As usual, I am inspired to blog only when I read Tereza's blog. Because she writes so eloquently, insightfully and is so full of inspiration. Even her facebook posts are meaningful, as opposed to the typical "what I had for lunch" post.

It's been almost a year since Lukas has been in our lives and what an adventure it's been. We are so incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with a human being that is healthy, precocious and just really darn cute. From my mostly comfortable pregnancy, to the protracted 40 hour (yes that's 40!) labor and the shocks of parenting as you learn 'on the job' - it's also been really transformative. By that I mean that you tighten your priorities and who and what you spend your precious time and energy on, and as parents you also become more understanding, at times, and also more cynical too, especially of other parents.

A few months after Lukas arrived, during the horrid months of a typically dreary Seattle winter, we decided to place Dolce in a new home. It was a heartbreaking experience, but in the end, it was the right thing to do, as many tough decisions are. We are pleased that Dolce's new family has the time and energy to take her to the off-leash area of Magnuson several times a week, and Chris and Dave are incredibly active, so they also take her hiking, backpacking and all those wonderful things I did with Drake. And they are really pleased with all the great work we did with Dolce in terms of socializing her and training her so she walks off leash (compared to the early days when we spent hours chasing her to come back). And they wanted either a Ridgeback or Boxer, which we suspect are her major breeds, among several. And they maintain her raw food diet too. So it all worked out beautifully. I still miss her!
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Friday, June 20, 2008

A Dog's life

After a rough day at the doggie ranch, pampered pooch Dolce recuperates on "Dad's" side of the bed. Meanwhile, her hardworking parents toil away in order to purchase her gourmet dog biscuits, nontoxic chew toys and time at the Grooming Spa. She ends the day with Ella and Victoria at the playground. She helps out in Scrabble with suggestions like "woof," "dog," "cat" and "nap."


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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Dolce

So cute! She gets food, affection, praise from strangers, old and young alike. We went to Lowe's and were promptly informed that the lumber department has milk bones. People pour out their heart about their last dog that she reminds them of. Susan, the nice lady who runs the cafe downstairs, gives her soup, pieces of meat and coldcut. Nice life, huh?
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Baby Dolphin

I think her name is Keo. She is only 7 months old here. Swimming with dolphins is an incredible experience, well worth the wait and time spent. We decided if our kids get into Harvard, we will reward them with a dolphin swim!
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Hilton Waiokola Village

The dolphin swimming lagoon is located at the Hilton, which we loved and wished we had stayed at. Typical for Hilton, well situated, top amenities and divine artwork. This is also where our friends Jesse & Rochelle got married. Here, Jeff is in front of bronze horse statues.
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I "heart" Waiola

I am tucking in to a traditional Taiwanese shave ice - sweet azuki beans with mochi balls and topped with condensed sweetened milk. Yum!
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Waiola Shave Ice

One of our favorite food indulgences is shave ice and this is our favorite joint, popular with locals and tourists alike. We love it so much that we went to both outposts in one day. I love the ling hing mui (sour plum powder) honey syrup with lilikoi cream and condensed milk to top it off. This combination makes Jeff gag.
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