Squeezing in our visit

It had rained hard the whole time Ian was in Redlands for Eve's memorial, but when we got down there, it could not have been nicer. We left Reno a day early to avoid a snowstorm and had dry roads all the way down. DD Chris said her drive home the day of our planned trip day took her an hour and a half because the snow was so bad. On the other hand, look at this! That's a pretty cool hot tub.

Alexia was beside herself because she got to go in it with the grownups. Aunt Rochelle told her that if she could get four people to go in, she'd turn it on. Alexia pestered everyone the entire day, trying to get her four. She kept asking, "We need four for the hot tub. Are you in?" She's six and already negotiating.
These are some of my favorite women, two of my grand-
daughters and my grandniece McKay, who calls herself Kay Kay. They're playing a game of concentration and Kay Kay is holding her own. By the way, the hat fit McKay so they're going to let her wear it this year and pass it down to baby Gus later. It actually looked cute on her, but by then my camera battery had died and I forgot my charger.
Alexia adores her cousin Elise, who is showing her how to use Kristie's iPad. Kristie got it from her parents for Christmas and just turned it over to the girls. I'm still in ponder mode - Kindle or iPad?? I didn't get a picture of McKay with her knitted fruit, but she was thrilled.
Gus is only six-weeks old, and spent five days before Christmas in the hospital with RSV. He has rebounded splendidly and is sporting his new baby blanket. It really takes a baby to make a blanket look cute. And well, he's my first grandnephew so I think he's better than cute. He's very strong, laughs and coos - okay, okay.
So not only did Kristie let the girls take over her iPad, she played Pictionary with them in the dining room. And this woman is a district attorney! I won't try to explain relationships - Amy says we need to diagram our family.
New Years Day we celebrate in Gardena, the Japanese area of LA . You have to understand LA - everything is a drive and this one takes an hour and a half from Redlands. Gardena is where Ian and sister-in-law Rochelle went to middle school and high school. These are all grandchildren - lots of Hapa family. And I'm friends on Facebook with Taylor, on the right.



The food never stops - sushi, sashimi, tempura, you name it. This platter a young lady brought and took photos of for the menu at her father's restaurant. I had to check on Alexia and when I came back, the only thing left was the fish in center, i.e., fish head. No thanks.
That table is filled with food and gets constantly refilled. Carol (wife of college friend) is chatting with Stephen (son of college friend). Gabe in the background is Mexican American married to Hapa daughter of high school friend. Gabe learned Japanese on the playground so is trilingual and a Honda executive - they love the lingual part. This is our family. I think I'm the richest person in the world.
This is Eve with McKay at our house in 2009. She lived a vigorous life right up until the end. She passed away the week before Christmas and I miss her with all my heart.