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LA Vacation Part II, August 2009

Amy's parents and brother flew down to LA on the day of the wedding. We stayed at the Sheraton in Universal City, just blocks from the Universal Studio. With limited time, we managed to soaked up the atmosphere at the City Walk mall outside of Universal Studio. The Hollywood theme and the Universal Studio landmarks provided for some photo opportunities. The wedding was at a small but lovely church. Rreception was held in the Starview Lounge at the Sheraton with panoramic views of the San Fernando valley as the Sun was setting. It was a beautiful and unconventional event. We wish the bride/groom the best. They got married on a very good day, our 10th wedding anniversary.

Aug 22, 2009

Photos: 43

LA Vacation Part I, August 2009

We went down to LA for Amy's cousin's wedding, and a little bit of vacation time. Amanda handled her first time flying pretty well. No drama aboard the plane:-) We had planned the trip around some of the restaurants featured on the Food Network and The Travel Channel. After landing, we went straight to a Hollywood landmark. The hotdogs at Pink's was excellent and worth the 1 hour wait, but we did save room for lunch at Mario Batali's Pizzeria Mozza. Next day, we ate Fried Chicken & Waffles for breakfast at Roscoe's. We managed to walk off some of the calories at the Highland Center and during the Kodak Theater tour. For dinner, we drove to San Gabriel and tried the Taiwanese food recommended by Tracy. We also went to the Golden Phoenix in Alhambra for dessert. It's Vivian's favorite and it instantly became our favorite too. The next morning, we went back to Pink's for more hot dogs to cap off our culinary adventure. Thankfully, we were able to squeeze into our suit and dres

Aug 20, 2009

Photos: 61

Monarchs in Monterey, January 2009

There has been a lot of stress lately, with the depressed economy and lay-off news looming. We decided to make a day trip to Monterey, to take the edge off. As usual, we enjoyed the lunch at Phil's Fish Market. Afterwards, we went for a stroll at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove. It was such a beautiful day. Shannon combed the beach for sea shells. Amanda refined her walking skills under Grandpa & Grandma's guidance. We all enjoyed the Monarch Butterflies that flew thousands of miles to complete their annual migration. Their journey will be repeated next year. Likewise, I suspect we will be back as well.

Jan 18, 2009

Photos: 29

Redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park, December 2008

Over the Christmas break, Amy and I went for a quick outting while baby Amanda was under her grandma's care. We drove to Santa Cruz and enjoyed a Pasta/Pizza lunch at a local joint in downtown Santa Cruz. Afterwards, we went for a relaxing stroll among the Redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park. The Redwoods are amazing. Some have been alive for close to 1,000 years. You really need to visit the park to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the Redwood groves.

Dec 29, 2008

Photos: 31

Christmas Family Gatherings Part 2, December 2008

We have learned that mornings are the best time to take family pictures with Amanda. After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, our baby girl is generally quite happy to pose for the camera. She just might enjoy modeling when she's older. On Christmas morning, we started her out with her favorite fruit snacks: bananas. I then took some pictures of the Christmas decorations around the house; most were acquired during prior After Christmas sales. We also took some family portraits by the Christmas tree as well. Hmm, the white background really affected the lighting in the pictures...

Dec 25, 2008

Photos: 31

Christmas Family Gatherings Part 3, December 2008

On Christmas Day, Dave and Rina invited the Chen & Lin family over for dinner. Dave prepared his specialty for the special occassion: Bouillabaisse & Prime Rib. The kids enjoyed the Pasta with Alfredo sauce cooked especially for them. While Dave & Rina put the final touches on the meal, the adults chatted and the kids played games. It was a festive evening that was cap off by an excellent meal. I wonder what Dave is planning for Christmas next year?

Dec 25, 2008

Photos: 33

Christmas Family Gatherings Part 1, December 2008

On Christmas Eve, Tracy and Raymond invited the whole family and some church friends over for dinner. To everyone's surprise, Tracy's opted for some off-the-shelf dishes; nontheless, dinner was excellent. The family spirit was high and the kids really enjoyed the occassion. Somehow, they knew that gifts would be awaiting them, after the dinner. For the Chen family, there's no waiting till Christmas morning for Santa Claus to deliver the gift. The gifts were unwrapped by 8pm. Oh well...

Dec 24, 2008

Photos: 37

Amanda's 1 Year B-Day Party, December 2008

What do you do when your baby girl turns 1 year old? Of course, we threw her a party. We invited her favorite grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins over. That's everybody. We prepared a feast for lunch, including a birthday cake from Wholefood (don't buy their cake, it was a disappointment). The lunch was excellent. People didn't mind putting on a couple more pounds, one week after Thanksgiving. Of course, Amanda really enjoyed the spotlight and the attention that came with being the birthday princess. She loved the Winnie the Pooh balloons that mommy bought her. At this age, she calls anything that's round a "ball", including the ornaments on the XMas tree. Very cute. To ensure that Amanda will be able to re-live this event in the future, we took lots of pictures. Enjoy the pictures and the happy memories.

Dec 7, 2008

Photos: 72

Thanksgiving Day Part 1, November 2008

Thanksgiving like most holidays is about family gatherings and celebrations. This year, Tracy and Raymond invited the whole family over to their new home on Thanksgiving day. They decided on a lighter fare for lunch, to save everyone's appetite for the Turkey dinner. The lunch was excellent. Afterwards, we went for a stroll around the neighborhood. We spent the rest of the afternoon admiring Amanda's newly developed motor skilled. She may have taken her first steps that day.

Nov 27, 2008

Photos: 56

Thanksgiving Day Part 2, November 2008

We also celebrated Thanksgiving Day with Amy's side of the family. Dave and Rina invited us over to their house for dinner. They also invited Rina's sister Rie, her husband Brian and their daughter Kayley over. While Brian and Dave sweat over the Turkey and the Prime Rib, Amanda and Kayley got to know each other. The adults exchanged notes on parenting tips. It was a festive occassion. The food was excellent, so was the company.

Nov 27, 2008

Photos: 53

Lazy Sea Otter & Sea Lions at Moss Landing, November 2008

It was a beautiful day, with the coastal weather forecasted for the mid to high 70's. Apparently, someone forgot to remind Mother Nature that Winter is just around the corner. We truely are spoiled, living in California. So we took the opportunity and drove out to Moss Landing for lunch at Phil's Fish Market. This is one of our regular hang-outs (last visited in July). Afterwards, I captured some pictures of the local wildlife, enjoying the beautiful weather as well. It was Siesta time.

Nov 15, 2008

Photos: 24

Family Photo Shoot at SCU, October 2008

Last November, Amy and I went to Santa Clara University to take some pictures during a very exciting time in our lives. Amy was 37 weeks pregnant. We were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby Amanda, who was born 3 weeks later. This October, we brought Amanda back to Santa Clara University to reflect on our journey and to capture some lasting memories of a happy and truly blessed family.

Oct 26, 2008

Photos: 69

Celebrating Dad's 68th B-Day, August 2008

Happy Birthday Dad! Dad turned 68 this year on 8/28/2008, a very auspicious day per Chinese numerology. As with most birthdays, we gathered, we cooked, we ate, we drank and we celebrated as a family. It's a predictable pattern, yet it continues to yield many magical moments and long lasting memories. Looking thru these pictures, I see a lot of youthful energy emanating from everyone, especially Dad. He seemed happy too. Surrounded by the people that he loves and seeing their smiles, I believe is all the reason why Dad especially enjoyed this Birthday celebration.

Aug 28, 2008

Photos: 25

Hiking at Los Trancos & Monte Bello, August 2008

I never understood why other couples took time off to enjoy some personal time away from their kids, until we did the same recently. Amy and I took a day off and headed for the Palo Alto foothills to checkout the hiking trails at the Los Trancos and the Monte Bello Open Preserve. It was a beautiful day. While the rest of the world was busy working, we enjoyed literally the whole park to ourselves. The tranquil setting and the company made the experience quite memorable.

Aug 21, 2008

Photos: 30

Halibut Fishing in SF Bay - July 2008

It was a beautfiul day! Yong, Rama and I took the day off and spent the day aboard the Happy Hooker. The captain took us to his favorite fishing holes both inside the SF Bay and outside the Golden Gate. The fishing was a bit on the slow side, but the fresh air, the breezy wind, the warm sun, and the smooth boat ride made the trip quite enjoyable. The scenary from the boat was spectacular as well. In case you're wondering, I did manage to catch 1 Halibut and 1 Leopard Shark.

Jul 25, 2008

Photos: 34

Monterey Day Trip - July 2008

Monterey is a very special place for Amy and I. It was one of our first weekend get-aways when we first started dating. It's also where we received our SCUBA certifications, and spent endless hours at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In one of our first full day outing with Amanda, we chose to go back to Monterey. Lunch at Phil's in Moss Landing was incredible as always. Although we couldn't go SCUBA diving, we enjoyed the action on the surface. The weather was very nice (Note to self, bring baby sunblock next time). The Dolphin encounter by the Breakwater was simply magical. Our day ended at the local's favorite Mexican restaurant in Seaside. It was a great outing. I cannot wait for our next visit.

Jul 12, 2008

Photos: 53

Dolphins Spotted in Monterey Bay - July 2008

I bet you didn't know that Dolphins live in the Monterey Bay. Actually, it's quite common to spot Dolphins and Whales, if you spend a lot of time on the Bay or if you go on a Whale watching tour boat. What made our recent Dolphin encounter so special is that we weren't seeking them out. We were visiting Monterey for the day. We stopped by the Breakwater to admire the SCUBA divers, as we have done on every Monterey trip since we stopped diving. Amazingly, this is the first time that I have spotted Dolphins so close to the shore, only about 150 feet away. They hung around for a while, and provided lots of entertainment for the Kayakers, the people on the beach and the tourists on the glass bottom boat (typically not a great way to spot wildlife). It was a very unexpected and unforgettable experience.

Jul 12, 2008

Photos: 17

Half Moon Bay Outing - July 2008

Since gas is close to $5.00 a gallon, we thought we check out the local scenary and see what we get for a tank of gas. We took the scenic Hwy 84 out to the coast, enjoyed lunch by the pier in Half Moon Bay, and took in lots of sun shine and fresh air over the Fourth of July weekend. It was fun to get out!

Jul 6, 2008

Photos: 25

Wild Life Encounters at Rancho San Antonio - July 2008

Pictures of wild turkeys, deers, rabbits and quails that I captured while hiking at Rancho San Antonio with Amy on July 4th morning. Checkout my blog at http://blogs.sun.com/alfredc/

Jul 4, 2008

Photos: 50

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