Friday, June 29, 2012

Family

Kailani Enjoying the Guppies by Wayne-K
Kailani Enjoying the Guppies, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

We were in Hawaii on vacation for two weeks, returning last night. Having been raised in Hawaii, our vacations in the Islands rarely feel like vacations. The family obligations frequently take over and this time it was no different…but it was special.

We spent four days at Bellows AFS relaxing on the beach and enjoying our time together. Samantha packed the remaining days with fun activities, doing more in a week than most people do in a month. For me, the best part of the vacation was watching the kids and their cousins play and interact together. They played basketball, miniature golf, and board games; they went to yoga and go-carting; they visited the Arizona Memorial, drove around the island, told jokes in the car, and played practical jokes on each other; and they went boogie boarding and built sand castles on the beach. On the last night, they played charades for three hours. I was responsible for creating the list of topics. The game started out with mundane subjects such as animals and movie titles. After a few dozen rounds, I decided to spice things up with topics as “wet fart,” “French kissing,” and “stepping in dog poop.” They had me rolling on the floor laughing. While growing up, my kids rarely saw their cousins. However, watching them together in Hawaii, one would never know this.

Sadly, my sister in-law’s brother passed away and the funeral service was held during our stay. Sherman served his country proudly in the US Marine Corps and his community as a police officer. While I didn’t know Sherman, it was nice to get to know him through the lives he touched during his time on earth. It was also nice to meet and get to know my sister in-law’s other siblings and their spouses. The circumstances for our meeting were unfortunate, but I am grateful for it. Our families and extended families are spread across the states, so opportunities to meet each other are rare.

Our time in Hawaii was incredible. Like all families, we had a few moments of intra-family friction, but overall, it was a great vacation. I’m already thinking we need to do it again…

Here are a few more photos from our trip.

Cousins

Kami and Sam, 2012

Family Portrait

Riding Around the Beach

Relaxing at Waimea Beach Park

Digging a Hole to China

Skipping Rocks

Cousins on the Arizona Memorial

Making Sand Balls

Family Bonding Time

Ready to Boogie (Board)

Mika and G'Pa

Sherman Chan Funeral

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Family Reunion

Tide Pools by Wayne-K
Tide Pools, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

Our family has been in Hawaii for five generations now. Over the course of time, we've migrated to other states for college and careers, but Hawaii has always been "home." In the last twenty years, we haven't had the chance to get together very often as a family. Unfortunately, the last few visits have been for funerals. This year, we decided to make a family reunion a priority. We're all busy with work and family activities, oil (and airfare) prices are high, etc. but there's no time like the present to enjoy the company of one's loved ones. Tomorrow may not arrive for all of us.

We spent four days in a cabin on the beach at Bellows Air Force Station. It was wonderful to have the family together and especially fun to see the cousins playing together. Days were spent on base, playing putt putt golf, volleyball, and basketball, and boogie boarding in the surf. Evenings were spent relaxing, with the kids playing Risk, Monopoly, and other board games. It was the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation I've had in a long while.

After four days of family time, we spent two days installing wood flooring at Mom and Dad's place. It was tiring work, but it was nice to see the final result. Their home renovation is almost complete. While the siblings installed the floor, the eldest cousin, Samantha, was a wonderful tour guide and kept her cousins occupied with many fun activities.

Here are a few photos from Hawaii. The vacation's not over yet, so more fun is in the agenda and more photos left to be developed in the camera.

Lost Slipper

Ocean Spray

Family Trip to the Beach

One Way

Do Not Go Beyond this Wall (except for picture taking)

Leonard's Malasadas

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day

USC Fans, Los Angeles 2005 by Wayne-K
USC Fans, Los Angeles 2005, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Relaxing on vacation with my family in Hawaii is a great way to celebrate the day. We don't get home much anymore, so being able to spend the day with my own dad is pretty special too.

With stressful jobs, frequent business travel, and busy days, it's easy to lose track of the really important things in life. Disconnecting from work for a few weeks is a nice way to recharge the batteries and regain focus on one's true priorities.

Hope everyone is able to spend some time with their father today, call their father, or just reflect on the good times spent with their father.

Here are a few photos of the kids from 2005. I cannot believe how quickly the've grown!

Cowboy Fans, Pleasanton 2005

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Summer Is Here

Beyond the Leaning Fence by Wayne-K
Beyond the Leaning Fence, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

It's been a very busy year at work, but summer is finally here and the kids are out of school. Unfortunately, I don't get a summer break....but fortunately, we're heading to Hawaii to visit family. I've made three trips to Hawaii/Guam in the last three years for three funerals. We decided to have a family get-together this year while everyone is still vertical. We don't seem to see each other as much as we would like and as we all get older, the number of opportunities to do so decreases.

Aside from visiting family, I'm looking forward to relaxing and recharging the batteries. We're going to spend some time relaxing on the beach. I have visions of a Corona beer commercial...with my cell phone skipping across the water and sinking to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Here are a few photos from a recent hike to the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, another great park in the East Bay Regional Park system.

Inside the Fence

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Great Season, Rebels!

Kami in the Box by Wayne-K
Kami in the Box, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

The 2012 Pleasanton Girls Softball League (PGSL) season is over and the Rebels celebrated with an end of year party at Mountain Mike's Pizza in Pleasanton. Kami had a great year, maintaining a team high batting average of .667 and performing extraordinarily on the mound. She pitched complete games for the final regular season game and two playoff games -- a total of sixteen innings in five days. The coach named her the "Difference Maker" on the team. She was clearly the difference maker, as no other pitcher was able to achieve the level of consistency required over the course of a season. She's my MVP!!

The season seemed to end as quickly as it started. I'm not sure if it was the rain-outs in the beginning of the season or all my business travel at the end of the season. I will say, however, I had a lot of fun working with the players and photographing the games. I'm already looking forward to next season...

Here are pictures from the last few games.

Emily

Old Teammates

Catcher

Great Catch!

Running Home