McCoyにっき

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2011-12-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy holiday season. We hope everyone out there had a Merry Christmas and is looking forward to a Happy New Year.

Pictures from the last month or so are here.

October

2011-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

I figured I should hurry up and get the October/Halloween pictures posted before Thanksgiving rolls around. In addition to all the pumpkin and costume fun we also had a nice visit from Grandma Kokon. Also, a bonus trip to Disneyland!

Lots of pictures here.

Pictures from France and Spain

2011-10-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

I only posted a few pictures taken with my phone while traveling. So here are all the rest! Slideshow.

Also, here is a video of Larry and Ai getting cider from the barrel at a cider house in San Sebastian.

Ah, Paris...

2011-10-09T15:20:00.001-07:00

Barcelona

2011-10-05T09:34:00.001-07:00

We are just finishing up our stay here in Barcelona. We've had a great time so far... Lots of Gaudi, walking, and food. The weather had been great. Almost a little too warm in fact. Tomorrow morning we catch an early train to San Sebastian where we will stay for a night before heading on to Paris.

San Diego

2011-09-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post but a lot has been going on. The highlight was a trip last weekend to San Diego. We went to Legoland on Saturday and the San Diego Zoo on Sunday. The kids had a great time and Mom and Dad were worn out!

See a slideshow with lots of pictures here.

Here is a video of Kai playing Angry Birds:

And one more video of Kai going down a big slide all by himself:

2 Years Old

2011-08-14T17:47:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Kai's birthday at the park today. Thanks to everyone that came out to share his special day with him. I'm not sure that he really understood that the festivities were for him, but he sure had a great time!

Pictures HERE.

OC Fair, Obon Festival, Suikawari

2011-08-13T09:41:00.001-07:00

Just a little update on our summer time activities... We went to the Orange County fair a couple of weeks ago. The kids had a great time playing with the animals and riding lots and lots of rides. Check out the video below of Ai joining in on the rides. Maybe we should just leave it to the kids next time? We also went an Obon Festival last weekend. The kids wore their yukata and got to do a little dancing. Finally, Ashley's school had a suikawari (Watermelon Splitting) on Friday. It's kinda like a pinata but with a watermelon. Much healthier. Oh, and I turned 36.

Slideshow is HERE.

4th of July in SC

2011-07-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a great trip to SC. We got to spend lots of time with the family. Especially Ashley who was there for 2 whole weeks! Lots of sun, sand, and waves. We made it back in one piece on Wednesday and JuJu and Poppi G are due for a well deserved rest. Lots more pictures here

Also, here is a little video of Poppi G and Kai sharing dessert.

Sunny Days

2011-07-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Weekend Activities

2011-06-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Just a random collection of pictures from the last couple of weekends. We had a trip to Adventure City amusement park and the Santa Ana Zoo. Plus there are two great shots of the kids taken by a professional photographer at a birthday party. See if you can pick them out...

Summer Is Here

2011-06-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

Here is a slideshow of pictures taken mostly one beautiful afternoon in Palos Verdes.

Also, you know summer has started when it's time for the Memorial Day festival in Hermosa Beach. Here is a video of the kids enjoying the Big Slide! (Sorry for the poor quality, it was taken with my phone.)

Rest For The Weary

2011-05-14T14:20:00.001-07:00

Ai and I just returned from a very nice, very relaxing trip to The Big Island of Hawaii. It was our first real vacation without the kids since Ashley was born. Sure, we've done and overnighter or two but nothing like this. We can't thank my parents enough for coming to stay with the kids. Ashley and Kai had a wonderful time as well. They got to spend some quality time with JuJu and Poppi G and even got a trip to Disneyland! I'm sure they were spoiled plenty (Ashley isn't very good at keeping secrets). As for us, we were reminded what it means to really relax. Not just a couple of hours in the evening after the kids have gone to bed but whole days of nothing to do but indulge ourselves. We were also lucky enough to be able to hang out with our friends Becky and Larry who made the trip as well. All in all, a wonderful time.

Check out more pictures here.

Easter

2011-05-14T13:43:00.001-07:00

I know, I know... I'm way behind but I thought I would post these pictures of the kids coloring Easter eggs and our 2nd Annual McCoy Backyard Easter Egg Hunt.

Slideshow here.

Also, here are a couple of videos of the kids just basically being cute. Ashley does a couple of dances and Kai just kicks back and reads some books.

Undokai - Sports Day 2011

2011-04-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Ashley's preschool had their annual Undokai or Sports Day. Below is a video of Ashley and Ai competing in one of the events. We had a great time watching the kids and I even got to do tug-of-war (we won, of course!).

We would also like to pay tribute to my grandmother who passed away last week. She was an incredible lady who led a wonderful life. We will all miss her very much.

In Loving Memory
Dora Louise Lord McCoy
"Granny Lou"
1920-2011

Just A Few Pictures...

2011-03-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Slideshow here.

Also, here is a video of Kai eating his first popsicle. He doesn't seem quite sure what to do with it...

Disneyland (Part 1)

2011-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

As part of Ashley's birthday present we took the kids to Disneyland this month. It was actually just the first part of a two part excursion since we bought the "2fer" deal offered to local residents. A good time was had by all. With all the fancy rides, however, the favorite of both kids was the carousel. I guess some things are just timeless.

Slideshow HERE.

4 Years Old!

2011-02-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Ashley is already 4 years old? I sure can't. We celebrated her birthday this year with a lot of small parties instead of one big one. It's kinda nice to spread out the fun, you know?

More pictures here.

Also, here's a couple of videos of the kids hanging out around the house. I guess this is what goes on while I'm at work.

A Season of Many Emotions

2010-12-31T09:32:00.002-08:00

This Christmas brought us the joy of celebrating with our whole family (almost) and the sorrow of losing someone close to us. Myself, Ashley, and Kai flew to SC to be with the McCoys and Mehagans while Ai flew to Japan to attend the funeral of her grandfather. We all really missed Ai but we still managed to have a great time watching the kids play together and tear the house apart! We also got to spend the first Christmas with new nieces/cousins Hope and Olivia. What a couple of beautiful, pleasant babies! I didn't get a chance to take too many pictures because I had my hands full, but you can see a few by clicking on the picture below.

We would also like to pay tribute to Ai's grandfather. He was a wonderful man who always had a smile for everyone, especially the children. We will all miss him very much. Click the picture below for some more images that we cherish.

In Loving Memory
Shimoda Takeshi
"Kaichou"
1922-2010

Shichi-Go-San

2010-11-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

Shichi-Go-San is a traditional Japanese rite-of-passage for girls age 3 and 7 and boys age 5. In general, the kids get dressed up in nice kimonos, go to the shrine for a blessing, get their pictures taken, and eat Chitose Ame ("thousand year candy"). While in Japan this September Ai took Ashley to a professional photographer to get the beautiful pictures you see here (I took pictures of the hard copies to post here). Then last weekend we went to temple downtown for the festivities.

More pictures here.

A Month of Halloween

2010-11-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Since when did Halloween last all month? It sure seems that way this year. I guess this just marks the beginning of the holiday season. That means lots of cute pictures of the kids.
Slideshow here.

Back Together Again

2010-10-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we are all finally back together again under one roof. September was a long month. We flew off to Japan at the beginning of the month. I stayed there for about a week and then had to come back to go to work. Ai and the kids stayed the rest of the month. Ai worked really hard to help her mom take care of her grandparents. Ashley went to preschool everyday and even got to ride the bus. Kai just ran around and got into lots of trouble! After I got back from Japan I took off on a two week business trip. When I came home from that I had one day alone in the house and then picked the family up at the airport. Ai survived (barely) the trip home with two kids by herself. So now we are just trying to get them back on a regular schedule.

Ai didn't have lots of free time but she did manage to take a few pictures. The slideshow is here. Be sure to check out the pictures of Ashley getting ready for her special photo shoot!

Happy 1st Birthday, Kai!

2010-08-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Has it really been almost a month since our last update? A lot has happened since then. Mostly a continuation of all the birthday parties and festivals that have been filling up our summer. But most importantly Kai turned 1 year old last week! The videos above are of 1) Ashley dancing with her friends at the Obon festival, 2) Ashley singing and dancing at the Suika Wari (Watermelon Smashing) Festival at her preschool and 3) Kai's birthday lunch.

Lots more pictures here.

Birthday Parties and Summer Festivals

2010-07-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Click here for the slideshow.

Summertime Fun

2010-07-08T18:54:00.001-07:00

More pictures are here: SLIDESHOW!

Almost Walking

2010-05-29T08:59:00.001-07:00

Trip to the Fire Station (plus Kai Crawling!)

2010-05-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

200th Post - My Beautiful Family

2010-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

For more pictures click here.

McCoys Everywhere / Easter Egg Hunting

2010-04-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last week Brad and family came out to visit us for a few days before heading up towards Santa Barbara to visit Keely's mom. We had a fun time watching the kids play together with their cousins. They got along really well and wore each other out every day. They'll get another chance to do it again in June. Can't wait!

Here are some more pics of the gang hanging out (with special guest pictures from Keely!).

Also, we had a little Easter egg hunt in our backyard this morning. A few pics of that are here...

As I was adding this post it occurred to me the 5th anniversary of this blog has just passed. That got me looking back through the original posts that I made in the spring of 2005 as we embarked on our 3 months of travels. Man, how time flies. So, if you are getting tired of pictures of kids I encourage you to go back and look at some of those original posts. A little different lifestyle back then, huh?

Ganbatte, Ganbatte!

2010-03-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Ashley participated in her pre-school's Undokai. Undokai is "Sports Day" in Japan. It's kind of like the "Field Day" I remember from elementary school, but a bigger deal. It's usually held on the weekend so that the parents can participate. We had a great time! Ashley especially liked the dancing and group exercises. There are more pictures here. Be sure to check out the one of Ashley ducking under the finish line. She won her race but apparently they didn't teach the kids to run through the finish line!

Also, here are some videos of the festivities. Enjoy!

Birthday Season

2010-03-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

It seems like we've been staying busy with birthday parties and other such social gatherings every weekend. However, we haven't been very good about actually using our camera. Here are some pics that we did manage to take.

Also, here is a video of Kai's first meal of solid food. As you can see he was really excited. He's an old pro at it now, but he still gets excited.

Ashley's Birthday Party and Mamemaki

2010-02-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Above is a video of Ashley at her preschool. They are celebrating Setsubun (Changing of the Season) with a Mamemaki celebration. In this celebration you throw beans at someone dressed up like a demon while shouting "Oni wa soto! Fukuwa uchi!" (Out with the devil! In with good luck!).

Here are many more pictures of Ashley at her school and also her birthday party.

January Shivers

2010-02-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

You'd think with all the time that we've had cooped up inside while it rains that I would have time to update this blog more often. Alas, that is not the case. There is not a whole lot to share, though. We've been mostly wet and sick. We have had a number of visitors, however. Ai's friend from France, Yohann from Japan, and my parents (while I was freezing to death in DC). Oh yeah, and Monday was Ashley's 3rd birthday! Check out the scooter from her Grandparents.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all! Even though we didn't make it back to SC for Christmas with the family we managed to exhaust ourselves with parties every day. We went to a Christmas Eve Eve party, had a Christmas Eve gathering at our house, and even got fed a wonderful Christmas dinner! And of course Santa came... See the slideshow here.

Pre-Christmas Update

2009-12-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted an update, but a lot has happened. So I figured I should get one up before Christmas. Since the last posting we've:
1. Had a Thanksgiving party
2. Had a birthday party for Ai (sushi!)
3. Gone to the holiday festival in MB (fireworks!)
4. Had a visit from JuJu and Poppy G and
5. Gone to a Christmas party

More pictures here.

Okuizome

2009-11-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Kai's 100th day so we celebrated Okuizome, or Baby's First Meal. It is a ceremony where you pretend to feed the baby in hopes that the child will always have food to eat and never be hungry. So far Kai doesn't look like he's missed a meal yet! I went back and looked at the post for Ashley's Okuizome and can't believe how much Kai looks like she did then.

There has been lots going on since the last update. Ai's mom finished her visit with us. We took her on a whale watching cruise and saw five blue whales and tons of dolphins. Then JuJu came for a long overdue (but short) visit. This weekend we went shopping for a new TV (picture not included) and can now watch football (or Sesame Street or The Food Channel) in glorious HD!

For plenty of pictures click here.

The Getty Center

2009-11-01T19:09:00.001-08:00

I guess it is fair to say that young children don't really understand the whole time change thing. Needless to say, we got a fairly early start today. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and drive up to the Getty Center to check out the art, architecture, and the views.

Click here to take a look.

Halloween

2009-11-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

And, of course, there is trick-or-treating on Halloween! Ashley was so excited after getting the hang of it last year. She was Tinkerbell in honor of her favorite movie, "Peter Pan." Kai was a Lion, but he didn't seem all that interested in the festivities.

Click here to see.

Obaachan Is Here!

2009-11-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Halloween, Ai's mom arrived for a two week visit. With her around, Ai has an extra pair of hands and is able to take lots of pictures.

Click here to see them.

Pumpkin Party

2009-11-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

The week before Halloween we decided to kick things off with a little pumpkin carving party. There were also some festivities going on in Manhattan Beach...

Click here for the pictures.

Lots & Lots of Pictures

2009-11-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

It's only been two weeks since our last update but we seem to have accumulated a tremendous number of photos since then. So, instead of trying to sift through them and pick out the very best I'm going to just add a few entries with links to slideshows. So sit back, get comfortable, and soak in the cuteness of the McCoy kids!

Click here for some random pictures from mid-October.

Autumn

2009-10-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

The seasons must be changing (don't laugh, it's not always 75 degrees here):
1. There is a chill in the air
2. Rain in on the way
3. Football is on TV
4. The pumpkin patches are out
5. And we're sick!

Siblings

2009-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Overdue

2009-09-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know. We've been pretty bad about taking and posting pictures this time around. I guess our hands are a little more full. I'll try to do better and post more pictures because the little guy is growing and changing so fast!

Wow, We Have 2 Kids Now!

2009-09-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

I think that it is still sinking in that we are now a family of 4 instead of 3. It will be interesting to see how the family dynamic changes as the little guy gets bigger and starts to find his personality. Won't be long before Ashley and Kai will be playing together. I can't wait (and neither can Ashley)!

1 Week

2009-08-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

2009-08-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Kai William McCoy
Born 08/14/2009 at 11:19am
7lb 12oz

Well, the matching set is now complete! Our son, Kai, was born on Friday and we returned home from the hospital today. Everything went smoothly during and post delivery. Ai is recuperating nicely and is glad to be home. Ashley is adjusting very well so far. She is being very sweet to Kai and likes to hold him. Of course, it really helps to have JuJu here to spoil her rotten. We'll see what happens when we get back to a normal life.

This last picture has nothing to do with the new baby. I just thought I'd share one of Ashley's new favorite pastimes.

Sharing

2009-08-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Poor Ashley. Little does she know she is about to learn a whole lot about sharing the hard way. Baby Brother is but a few hours away and she is excited. However, I don't know if she is ready to share all the attention that she gets. So this update is dedicated to her. It is the last one that she will get for her and her alone. So soak in the cuteness.

4th of July in San Diego

2009-07-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

Pismo Beach

2009-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

This week we were lucky enough to have JuJu and Poppy G come to stay with Ashley so that we could take a little trip by ourselves. We went up to San Luis Obispo and stayed near Pismo Beach. Just a nice relaxing couple of days. Ai went to the spa, I did some surfing, we went to Sycamore hot springs, and we saw lots of whales from our patio. Thanks JuJu and Poppy G! Ashley really had fun with you.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

April Wedding

2009-05-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

I've been really slack about getting these pictures up... Last month we attended the wedding of our friends Mike and Jacquelyn at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point, CA. They live in DC but, lucky for us, they decided to have the wedding in CA. It turned out to be an incredibly fun and beautiful wedding. Ai and I had a wonderful time and Ashley really enjoyed herself as well. Here's a video of her dancing at the wedding.

Japan 2009

2009-04-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

I just returned from our bi-annual trip to Japan. I was there for two weeks and Ai and Ashley are there for one more week. We had a great time and managed to squeeze in a bunch of stuff. The first day we were there we had a family trip to the temple in remembrance of Ai's father. Ashley was reunited with her cousins and loved playing with them. The next day we met up with some of Ai's friends and discovered that most department stores have play areas for kids... score one for Ashley! Then, on Sunday, we hit the rails and headed up to Nagoya to visit with the Raphalens. On the way up, though, we stopped for a few hours in Osaka to visit Nao, Luku, and family. Not knowing what to do, we headed to Umeda station (in the heart of Osaka) and found a kids play land on top of a department store. Ashley and Luku were so excited I thought they would explode! Unfortunately we had to tear them away and hit the road again all too soon. We made it up to Nagoya and waited for the Raphalens to show up the next day. Ashley really liked riding on the shinkansen choo-choo trains, by the way. Yohann, Mitsuko, Awena, Kaito, and Kentaro arrived via bus the next morning and Ashley was once again psyched to have playmates. She must have said Awena's name 75,000 times in two days! The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and we managed to find a very nice park to hang out in and let the kids run wild. That evening Masashi's parents picked us all up and took us to eat in a really nice restaurant. We can't thank them enough for their hospitality! We sadly said goodbye the next morning and headed back to Fukuoka. Once back we slowed down a little, but still managed to stay busy. Highlights included a day trip to a very nice onsen with a full kaiseki dinner, a great sushi dinner in Ai's neighborhood, family time around the house, an afternoon and evening in Tenjin to ourselves (thank you, Kozue, for babysitting!), a trip to see Makiko and her new son, and a family trip to the local izakaya. Then it was time for me to leave and come back to work and reality. It was hard to say goodbye to Ai and Ashley but they will be home soon. I'm sure that they are continuing to enjoy time with the family. And I'm sure Ashley is learning more and more Japanese. She was practically fluent when I left!

Many more pictures here.

B is for Boy

2009-03-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

That's right... We're at about 18 weeks and just found out that we're having a boy. Ashley is going to have a little brother to push around. And Daddy will have another guy around the house to help the balance of power!

Griffith Park

2009-03-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Cherry Blossoms Are Out...

2009-03-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

...so that must mean one thing: It's time to go to Japan! We're looking forward to a trip to the other side of the Pacific Ocean in just a little over two weeks. Hopefully we can enjoy some real hanami!

Oh, and one more thing... Does my wife look a little fat?

California Adventure

2009-02-28T13:22:00.000-08:00

2 Years Old!!

2009-02-07T13:55:00.001-08:00

Ashley celebrated her second birthday on Sunday. We had a party for her in the park and ALL her friends came. Thank you so much to everyone for coming and making the day special for us. And a special thank you for all the presents. Ashley has REALLY been enjoying them! She has definitely learned what "presents" are. In fact she now likes to say, "I need more presents!"

Disneyland

2009-02-07T13:48:00.001-08:00

Christmas in SC

2009-01-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Turkeys, Beware!

2008-11-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

That's right, I cooked my first turkey this year. In fact I cooked a whole Thanksgiving dinner. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. It wasn't as good as what we would have eaten if we had made it to Grandma's house, but it worked. I hope that everyone started getting in the holiday spirit this weekend by stuffing your face like we did!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-02T08:07:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again. Time to dress your kid up and parade them around in search of candy (that you don't really want them to eat). Ashley refused the princess costume that Ai had for her but loved the backup plan: some sort of bear-type pajamas. She caught onto the concept of trick-or-treating very quickly. Unfortunately, she also caught onto the fact that the stuff going in her bag was edible and sweet!

For plenty of pictures of Ashley, go here.

Hawaii

2008-11-02T08:04:00.001-08:00

We just returned from a week on Oahu where we attended the wedding of our friends Aika and Masashi. We spent a few days in Waikiki for the wedding before moving to a house on the North Shore just outside of Haleiwa. Aside from a couple of days of rain (and one day of vog; like fog but from the volcano), it was beautiful.

For more pictures, go here.

Obaachan Comes to Visit

2008-10-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Palm Springs

2008-09-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, so let's just go in order... We'll start things off with a picture of Ashley doing what she does best: being adorable!

Here's one of Ashley hangin' with her peeps at Universal Studios. Man, what a fun weekend at the Goldner's that was!

JuJu and Popi came to town last week. That is always a very special treat. Ashley misses you!

Ashley finally got around to trying out the swing that Daddy installed in the backyard.

And finally, we took a trip this weekend to Palm Springs. We decided that this 75 degree weather just wasn't good enough so we went someplace a little warmer. Like 105 degrees! But our resort had a water park complete with a Lazy River and water slides so we were good to go.

Obon Festival

2008-08-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

It's a little late, but I figured I'd post a few pictures from the Japanese Obon festival that we went to a few weeks ago along with some other random shots from the past couple of weeks. Ashley really enjoyed the dancing! Check out the videos of her trying to dance along with the crowd.

To Grandmother's House We Went

2008-08-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

We returned this week from a trip to the East Coast. Ai and Ashley spent about two weeks in S.C. and I joined them for the last 5 days after a work trip to D.C. Needless to say, Ashley had a wonderful time being spoiled by her grandparents (she's been asking for Popi and Ju Ju ever since we got back!). Ashley really enjoyed playing on the beach and in the ocean. However, what she enjoyed most of all was playing with her cousins when they showed up for the weekend. We can't wait to get them all together again soon!

East Coast Bound

2008-07-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July weekend. We sure did. Not a lot of excitement, but a day at the beach and some great weather made for a nice weekend. Coming up, we'll be heading to the East Coast next week. I have a business trip in D.C. and will meet Ai and Ashley in SC when I'm done. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see as many of you as possible.

Weekends in June

2008-06-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

So you want to know what we've been up to in June? Well, let me tell you... A couple of weeks ago we went strawberry pickin' at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. We got to ride on a tractor around the farm and pick/gorge ourselves on strawberries. Sorry, be we forget to snap a picture of Ashley with her face covered in strawberry juice. I know, I know, no excuses! The next weekend Popi and JuJu flew out to hang with us for Father's Day weekend. Ashley was very excited to have them here and missed them when they left.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

It's a little late, but here are some pictures from our little getaway during Memorial Day Weekend. We drove up the coast and stayed at a place on the beach with our friends Nao, Phil, and Luku. It was fun to get the kids in the pool and watch them play with each other. We're looking forward to more fun trips in the future!

15 Months

2008-05-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

A New Addition and a Fond Farewell

2008-04-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

The big news this past week has been the purchase of a new car for myself. Last Saturday I bought a new Toyota 4Runner. With the help of many consultations with Dad I was able to negotiate a pretty good bargain. The secret to getting a good deal on a car? Buy a gas guzzler during a fuel crunch! My Ford Explorer has been an incredible car for the last 12 years (yes, I've had the thing since before I graduated from college; I've driven it from SC-to-CO-to-SC-to-CO-to-CA). But, finally, it was time to move on. Much like the beloved family dog, I had to make sure that it went to a good home. My friend Masashi decided to take it off my hands as he's been looking for a good weekend car. Maybe I'll get to visit her from time to time...

By the way, Dad, does the picture of Ashley with the beer can remind you of anything?

Busy Little Girl

2008-04-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Baby Vocabulary

2008-04-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

Just a note to let everyone know that we've been keeping busy and having fun. A couple of weekends ago we attended a 1st birthday party for one of Ashley's friends, Marlie. We had lots of fun playing in the park and watching Marlie smear cake all over her face. Then we decided that Ashley had been such a good girl that it was time to buy her first car. As you can see, she looks quite stylish while cruising around the neighborhood in it. All the other kids at the park are jealous! This past weekend, our friends Nao, Phil, and Luku were nice enough to invite us to join them at Universal Studios. Ashley and Luku loved the "ball room" and water fountain and mom and dad actually got to ride a few rides.

Ashley continues to grow her "baby vocabulary." Let's see, what does she say now... We've got "ma-ma" and "da-da," of course. She loves pointing out "babies" and "wah-wah" (dogs). She's a good eater and loves "na-na" (banana or food) but she asks for it so much we had to teach her to say "pees" (please). She loves to ask daddy to sit in his lap while he's on the computer by saying "up." She's also learning to dribble the soccer ball pretty well. You'll have to come visit us to see that one, though...

Overdue Update - Part II

2008-03-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Overdue Update - Part I

2008-03-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

1st Birthday

2008-02-05T21:12:00.001-08:00

It was a big week at the (new) McCoy House. We moved into our new place, Mom and Dad came to visit, and we celebrated Ashley's 1st birthday. She was a little hesitant of the cake at first, but eventually she dove in and ate up!

5 days and counting...

2008-01-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates the past few weeks. January has turned out to be a stressful/busy/challenging month. As soon as we got back from our Christmas travels, we proceeded to get sick. First me, then Ashley, then Ai. Ashley got the worst of it and gave us a little scare. A couple of trips to the doctor and some antibiotics seem to have fixed her up, though. Meanwhile, quite by luck, we've found a new place to rent. Ai and Ashley were out walking one day and saw a little house for rent. Long story short, we're in the middle of moving this week. We should be moved in just in time for a visit from the grandparents for Ashley's 1st birthday!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone is having a great holiday season and is ready to bring in the New Year. We just returned from our two week trip to the East Coast. Ai and Ashley accompanied me to Washington, D.C. on a business trip before heading down to SC for Christmas. While in Washington we got to see our friends Grant, Mike, and Jacqueline. In SC we spent time with Mom & Dad in Charleston before going up to Greenville to see the rest of the family. Ashley loved being with the family, especially her older cousin Jeremiah. She continues to grow and change every day. While gone she learned to open/close doors, play "paddycake", wave bye-bye, say "Uh-Oh" when she drops something (a game she likes a little too much), and climb stairs. All in two weeks!

For an Ashley-centric slideshow of our Christmas, click HERE.

Ashley Goes to Japan

2007-11-25T21:12:00.001-08:00

First of all, I had too many pictures to post them all here. To see the complete set, click HERE.

We all survived the long trip to and from Fukuoka to see Ai's family and it was well worth the travels. We had a great time visiting family and friends and Ashley especially enjoyed her time with her Obachan. The week just seemed way to short. We're already thinking about what we want to do next time... And what we want to eat! You forget how good the food is in Japan until you get there. You can get spoiled very quickly.

So visiting, eating, a trip to the onsen, and a look at the fall colors in the park and it was time to leave. Oh how the time flies...

As a special bonus, here's a video of Ashley playing on the tatami.

Our Lil' Pumpkin

2007-10-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hal·low·een [hal-uh-ween, -oh-een]
–noun
1) the evening of October 31; the eve of All Saints' Day; Allhallows Eve: observed esp. by children in costumes who solicit treats, often by threatening minor pranks.
2) an excuse to dress your child up like a pumpkin and parade her around town.

Girls Rock

2007-10-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

8 Months

2007-10-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

I Can Stand!

2007-09-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

August: The Lost Month - Part 3

2007-08-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well now I'm back from my second trip to DC this month and I found a camera full of pictures to choose from, a tooth in Ashley's mouth, and a daughter that can almost crawl. It seems the girls managed to get by just fine without me. I, on the other hand, missed them the whole time and am glad to be back and spend a few days just hanging out with them.

August: The Lost Month - Part 2

2007-08-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

The week between my trips to DC brought some valuable family time, a trip to the Long Beach Aquarium, and a belated birthday celebration for me (thanks Nao, Phil & Luku!).

August: The Lost Month - Part 1

2007-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month since I've updated this blog and I know some of you East Coasters are getting antsy. I apologize, but I've been out of town for most of the month and have been a little lazy when I've actually been home. So you want pictures? Well here ya go.

The end of July to beginning of August brought us football games in the park, a visit from Judy Mom, BBQs, first bites, and Ashley's 6 month birthday.

Oyabaka

2007-07-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Watashi wa oyabaka desu! Loosely translated, that means that I'm crazy about my child. It seems that all we do is sit around and take pictures of Ashley. Enjoy!

Carolina Girl

2007-07-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the 4th of July we took Ashley on her first big plane trip. Destination: South Carolina. It was time to introduce Ashley to the rest of her family and let her explore her Southern roots (well, her Dad's Southern roots that is). So not only is she a California girl, don't we wish they all could be, but she got to be a Carolina girl, the best in the world, for a week.

First and foremost, Ashley got to see pretty much the entire McCoy clan. It was her first time to meet her Great-Grandmother Granny Lou, her Aunts Karla and Debbie, and cousin Marc and his (new!) wife Erin. Plus she got to see Brad, Keely, and Jeremiah again

We also got to spend some quality time on the beach and got the Captain to take us out for a nice boat ride. How did Ashley like the boat? The purr of the engine, the wind in her face... She fell asleep, of course.

And as a special bonus, we got to see some of our good friends from Columbia. The Lockarts and the D'Albertos brought Mary Lee and Rhett down to play at the beach. Mary Lee even taught Ashley how to eat sand. Yummy!

TWIA: This Week In Ashley

2007-06-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ashley has been such a busy girl these past couple of weeks. Where do we begin? First of all, we got a wonderful surprise from France. The Raphalen family sent a package with a pretty music box for Ashley and some delicious sweets for Mom and Dad. Ashley loves the music box. Thanks, Yohann and family!

Last weekend was a party weekend. We started off with an after work gathering on Friday at my coworker Frank's house. Here's a picture of what we did that night. Dad wore a funny hat and carried Ashley around.

After a BBQ on Sat, we had a big Father's Day. First, Ashley dressed nice and pretty in her dress for me. Then she and Mom gave me a Father's Day present: O-sake! Then we went to Kristina and Dave Mickler's baby shower.

Last week Judy Mom came to visit us again. We always enjoy her visits! They had a good time at the cafe with Cinnamon and Marlie.

Our friends Nao, Phil, and Luku stopped by one evening and brought Ashley a preset. Check out the cute apron. Ashley says "Domo Arigato!"

On Friday, Ashley went to visit our neighbors and had fun hanging out in their pretty house. Then we went down to the pier to look at the ocean.

Ashley enjoyed the ocean so much that we took her on her first beach outing on Saturday.

Up Next Week: We're going to SC!

Are My Cheeks Too Big?

2007-06-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

4 Months

2007-06-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... It's been a little too long between posts. Well, life is busy. You know how it is. In the past couple of weeks Ashley turned 4 months old, had Uncle Mike come to visit, and discovered her new favorite pastime: hanging out attached to Dad's chest. That's right, take a look at the picture of Super Dad... or should I say Super Dork. Ashley loves to strap in,go for a ride, and watch the world go by. We also discovered that it is a great setup for hanging out at parties. Now if I can just teach her to hold my beer...

The Diva Formally Known as Nami

2007-05-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

OK, OK... I know all you Ashley junkies out there have been waiting 10 long days since the last update, so here you go. However, the biggest fiends (i.e. Judy Mom and the Captain) were just out here to see her in person so they can't be suffering too much. Other than the visit from the grandfolks, there isn't too much to report. Ashley continues to get cuter every day. For the most part we're pretty spoiled because we can take her out without too much drama. However, every once in a while she lets us know whose is the boss. Take last night for instance... She chose the fancy restaurant in Beverly Hills to pitch a fit and start screaming. That's OK. If she's going to annoy anyone, it might as well be the trendy set. And besides, all good divas have to have their public breakdowns in the right zip code.

Okuizome - 100 Days

2007-05-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday Ashley was 100 days old. To celebrate we had a okuizome ceremony for her. This is a very old Japanese tradition where you pretend to feed your baby real food at 100 days. This is to ensure that they grow up healthy and strong. She might not be eating real food yet, but she sure is good at holding the chop sticks, isn't she?

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE: Click below for a video of Ashley practicing her "talking." She tends to do this in the morning when she's in a good mood. Today she was blabbering on for about an hour.

13 and Change

2007-05-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ashley has just entered her teens (in weeks, that is) and has been celebrating by going out and partying a lot. Actually, she's been kind enough to rest quietly when we've taken her out to social gatherings. Maybe there was a bit of unlucky 13 today, though, as she gave Mommy a hard time with a big screaming fit while they were visiting friends. Oh well, I guess she can't be perfect all the time. That's OK, we'll happily settle for most of the time.

3 Months Old

2007-04-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Check out the picture of Ai and Ashley sleeping. I went upstairs to check on them before leaving the other morning and just about fell over laughing (quietly laughing, of course; I wouldn't want to wake them). Like mother like daughter.

Playing Dress Up

2007-04-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Ai has recently realized that Ashley is quickly outgrowing her clothes before she even gets a chance to wear them. So this week she took it upon herself to dress Ashley up in new threads everyday and take pictures. As you can see, she is definitely doing a lot more smiling lately. We even got a real laugh out of her today.

Invasion of the McCoys

2007-04-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

The whole clan showed up in full force. Wait, where's dad? Oh yeah, he's taking the picture.

The Captain with the grandchildren

Judy Mom doing what she loves best

I always have to steal my kisses from you...

Cousins share a nap

JJ was so excited to see Ashley that he just had to smack his momma.

Thanks for the visit everyone! We enjoyed it and can't wait to see you in July. Ashley still needs to meet Cousin Marc (and his new wife!), Great Aunts Karla & Debbie (I just had to sneak that "Great" in there, heh-heh), and our elegant family matriarch, Granny Lou. Until then, this visit should hold her over as she tries to figure out who these crazy people where that tried to hold her all the time.

What a Cutie!

2007-04-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

What can you say when the pictures say it all?

2 Months Old

2007-04-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ashley celebrated her 2 month birthday on Thursday by visiting her new friend Luku. She's a little bit older than him, so we had a talk with her about not picking on other kids, especially when they'll probably grow up to be bigger than her. Then on Friday she had a big visit to the doctor's office where she got stuck by a bunch of needles. She made sure to let everyone know that needles are NOT OK. We did find out that she is up to about 13 lbs now. No foolin'!