Family trip Dillon Beach

Okay, I wish I could say that I haven't been posting because I've been busy...nope, I've just been lazy. But all is well. My youngest and only brother, Benjamin, received his mission call. He will be going to the Minneapolis, Minnesota Mission! Hmong speaking! LOL, he'll finally learn how to speak Hmong fluently! Yay! :) Anyhow, to celebrate his mission call and to just hang out with the Fam Bam, we went to Dillon Beach. We rented out an awesome beach house and stayed there for the weekend. The kids totally loved it. I forgot how much I LOVE the beach. Just to sit there and watch the waves and enjoy the breeze. Luckily while we were there, the weather was perfect! A little cloudy in the mornings and then some sun during the rest of the afternoon. Fi Dan isn't really a beachy kinda person, but he actually enjoyed it this time too.
We had such a good time just hanging out. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be an annual event for my fam bam. :)

The Lo Family ♥

Surely Clam Beach House

Lo Family

My favorites

Dillon Beach

Summer 2011

Grandparents ♥

**Just to let you know, this blog entry is a little lengthy!

Today marks the 4th year that my dear Pog (Grandma from dad's side) passed away. I've been thinking about her a lot, and also my Yawm Txiv (Grandpa from mom's side) who is very sick at this time. While growing up, I've only known these two grandparents.

My Yawg (my dad's dad) passed away a very long time ago while still in Laos. I believe my dad was only 12 years old when my Yawg passed away. But my dad always told us stories about my Yawg, and what an honorable, hard working and amazing man he was. He was very respected and loved by many of his people. I now see where my dad gets it from! :)

My Niam Tais (mom's mom) passed away when I was only years old. I was given her name as my middle name in memory of her. Kalia Ying pao Ly Lo. I have also heard many wonderful stories about her from my cousins that grew up with her. She was a kind, sweet, and loving grandma. I believe that my mom also inherited a lot of my Niam Tais's characteristics.

My earliest memories of my Yawm Txiv was when he came to Utah to help my family move to California. I just remember him being really nice. As I grew up and learned more about him, I remember being amazed at what a brave and courageous he was. He played a very important roll during the Vietnam War. He was one of General Vang Pao's Generals. I heard stories about how he led hundreds of Hmong people through the jungles of Laos, and how he got food to them. Not only was he amazing because he led the Hmong people out of Laos, but because he brought my family into the church. In order to understand how amazing my Yawm Txiv is, you have to know a little bit about the Hmong culture. The Hmong culture believes in a Shaman, a person who acts as a mediator between the world of the dead and the world of the living. He performs spiritual healings by going into the underworld and bringing back the spirit of the person who is sick or lost. My Yawm Txiv was one of these Shaman, and a very respectable one to say the least. Very few people can become a Shaman, it's said that you're usually chosen, and he started at a very young age. A couple of years ago, I recorded my grandpa, and he told his life story. I was at awe. Many of the old folks say that The mother land (Laos) has "dab" or supernatural beings. He spoke of when he was still a Shaman, and how he went to the underworld and saw things. (Growing up in the LDS church, I've never been taught or heard of these Hmong beliefs, and so hearing these things gave me goosebumps, to think that these stories were real! I just found it fascinating.) While he was a Shaman he performed many spiritual healing for many people, but then one of his granddaughters got sick. He did his Shaman healing on her, and nothing he did worked. I remember he said, "Kuv ua tas kuv luj tswv yim thiab kuv lub zog lawm", it doesn't translate into Hmong very well, it means more than this but it basically means that he tried everything that he could think of and did everything that he could within his power, but still she was sick. So, in order to save her he gave up everything that he was and knew, to he decided to join this religion called Christianity, and accept Christ as his Savior. Because of this very brave decision, he brought his posterity into the church. It wasn't the LDS church that he joined at the time, but he opened the door to allowing us to find the Gospel. Many Hmong people who knew my Yawm Txiv as a Shaman either lost respect for him or shunned him. They couldn't understand why he would give up such a position of wealth (being a Shaman is also an occupation) and power. But I remember him saying that he has no regret whatsoever. Even though he gave up a lot, he gained back even more 10 fold. My Yawm Txiv is such a wise and humble man. I love my Yawm Txiv so much. It breaks my heart to know that he doesn't have much time and that he is my last living grandparent. I remember the day that my Pog died....and I was crying. My Yawm Txiv saw me and he came to me, and he said, "Me ntxhais, txhob quab, hmog. Tseem muaj Yawm Txiv." (Daughter, don't cry, there's still Grandpa) and then he patted my head. I'm so sad, but I also know that we have the Gospel, and so that means that we have everything...it means that families truly be together forever someday.

The family with Yawm Txiv and Niam Tais (Grandpa and Step-grandma)

Christmas 2010

My Pog has been such a HUGE part of my life. Both my parents had to work when I was younger, and so it was my Pog who stayed home and took care of us. My grandma was beloved by many, many people. My dad always told me stories of how generous and kind my grandma was. She never let anybody go hungry. And it was evident by how many people loved her when people would randomly come and visit her year round! She really was a special person. She was the second of 3 wives that my Yawg married. Thanks to Yawg, my dad's side of the family is crazy-confusing to try and keep track of who is who. I always have to draw pictures in head to see who is who. Anyway, my grandma was an amazing person and she had such a big heart.
Just writing this blog makes my mind flash back to a million things that remind me of my Grams. Elvis...biggest Elvis fan ever. She thought he was so handsome and always watched his movies. Her favorite Elvis movie was the one where he's in Hawai'i. Michael Jackson...another huge fan. She always talked about how handsome he was when he was younger. Soap Operh...General Hospital...every single day like at 12 noon. Needles, and thread, bright pink and green fabrics for making Hmong clothes for me and my sisters. Noodles, pizza, bread dipped in pepsi, hmong sausages, apples dipped in pepper, scrambled eggs were just a few of the things that she cooked for me and my sisters. My grandma wasn't like any other Hmong Grandma, literally, she wasn't Hmong. I don't even know how to say what my Grandma's ethnicity is in English, but she's doesn't have an ounce of Hmong blood. She was adopted into a Hmoob Yaj family when she was little and raised as a Hmong child. But what I meant by she wasn't like any other Hmong Grandma was that she was so funny, yet stern...and so stylish with her purple bottled perfume, furry black hat, and colorful sweaters that she wore. She had a mouth that could tongue-whip you, yet it was always out of love. My Pog also loved to make fun of people. She made fun of just about anyone that walked her way. She also gave nicknames to everyone. Some of those names were not so nice...but it was out of love and so you like it even if your name was something mean. :) Also, my grandma traveled a lot between California and Georgia. My dad and uncle lives here in California, but by Aunties all live in Georgia. I remember she was always so specific about her flights....she only flew Delta. Sometimes she'd stay with her for a year or 2 and then go to live with my Aunties for a year or 2 and then come back. It was always so much fun to have grandma come back home.

I remember when my grandma met Fi Dan. Fi Dan and I had been dating about 8 months, when she came back from Georgia. I was really nervous that she wasn't going to like or make fun of him so bad he'd leave! But I remember she looked at him and smiled...and then she just loved him from then on. I think she especially loved Fi Dan because he ate EVERYTHING that she made. He loves Hmong food, and so to this day he still talks about how he misses her cooking. I remember she would make Hmong food or something...and my siblings and I wouldn't eat it. Fi Dan would come over and gobble the thing down. So she started making lots of food, especially on the days that she knew Fi Dan would be visiting. She would get so mad at me for making spaghetti or Mikas cov mov (American food) for Fi Dan. I must say that my grandma grew very fond of Fi Dan. It makes me so happy to know that she approved. :)

Me, Kashia and Grams

Me, Grams and Fi Dan

We had a party for Grandma

**I wish I had better pictures of both Yawm Txiv and Pog, but the scanner is just 20 feet too far for me to walk to! :D, but do enjoy the ones I have.

The thing that makes me saddest is that she passed away 2 months before my wedding. I know she probably would have made fun of my hair, dress, or make up, but I know it's only because she loved me and I would have just loved to have her there. I know she would have had so much fun, especially since 2 of 3 of my Aunties were there. Also, I just really wish that she could have gotten to meet my babies. My sisters and I always have a blast guessing what nicknames she would have given our kids. Trust me when I say she would have named them something along the lines...."cry baby....burnt kitty...chubby"...all in Hmong of course. (When you say these names in Hmong...they're just a lot funnier and endearing. :)

I am so grateful to have had my Pog and Yawm Txiv be such a big part of my life. I am so lucky to have come from such wonderful, strong, honorable, and amazing people. :)

Happy Birthday My little Ry-bug!!!

I know it's late, but Rylan turned 1 last month!!! He is such a chunky monkey! We didn't do anything big but we did have a get together for him. My family, along with I-I, Ariadne, Cheng and her little family came to celebrate Ry's birthday. I made some delicious food from my new favorite recipe book...."Our Best Bites". I shared their link a few months back, but they came out with a book, and I just had to buy it. It was delicious! Kalu was also kind enough to make lasagna for us. It was a fun little gathering.

Rylan is now transitioning between crawling and walking. He prefers to hold someone's hand and walk. If you let go, he'll stand there and then sit down. Sometimes when he's not paying attention, he'll just stand up and walk around. He LOVES to smile, laugh, and play. He is probably the happiest little boy you'll ever meet. He weighs close to 28 lbs. He loves to snuggle at night and is starting to sleep through the night. Although he is happy, he's also very sensitive. If I try to discipline or use a stern voice with him, he gives me his sad puppy dog face and quivering lips and then he starts to cry REALLLLLLLY loud. I love him so much and is so blessed to have such a sweet boy as my own.

Happy Birthday my little Rylan Meejmom Lo! I love to you to pieces.

We love birthdays...because we get to buy the most delicious cakes!!!

Cream cheese stuffed, chocolate covered strawberries!

Yum! Stuffed mushrooms, lasagna, and artichoke dip!

Happy Birthday Rylan...and Nenji!

We're looking at Nenji because he thinks it's birthday too. :)

Look how happy my little Rylan is!

Yum! He gobbled this cake up. He really enjoyed it.

Happy Birthday my little Rylan!

College Friends!

I have been meaning to write this blog for some time now, but I was always too lazy to scan the pictures! Fortunately, the Young Women Presidency in our ward asked Fi Dan and I to talk about our dating experience and how things came to be, which meant we would have to scan pictures. So I just scanned a bunch of pictures, including my college days. :)

After going to Utah a couple of weeks ago, I was reminiscing about my college days at BYU. What good times I had! I made some lifetime long friends while I was there. I really do feel that if we all got together, we would just talk and laugh like old times. (Which is proof whenever Cami and I get together. We just talk, and talk and talk...our poor husbands. They just sit there and listen. :)

One of my very best friends from BYU, Emma Lee, will be moving to Gridley, CA (about 1 hour away from here) with her little family. I am super excited because I haven't seen her for about 4 years!

Hopefully my other good college friend, Cami, will move here to California after all is done at BYU for her little family. But here are some pictures. Good times!

Enjoy the pictures. :)

Freshmen year!!! Deseret Towers :)

My dear friend Cami and roommate Tiffani.

SOOOO much fun. I would have to say this is when I fell

in love with the Hawaiian culture and started my

hula dancing voyage. :)

BYU Luau 2005.

I believe we were at a Ward Activity.

Emma Lee, Rachel, and me!

Roommates.

My favorite girls from BYU. Emma Lee and Cami.

Tutasi, Me, Melani, and Emma Lee.

Best roommates ever!

:) Porn Stars. (It's a joke...long story)

Getaway trip...

I so wish I could end the title with "to Hawai'i", but I can't. Fi Dan and I however, did get a semi-getaway trip to Utah last week! Fi Dan was scheduled to defend his Master's project on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Initially, Fi Dan was going to fly to Utah and do his defense by himself, but I just couldn't let that happen. I really felt that I needed to be there to support him. So off we flew to Utah last Monday. We ended up flying most of the day on Monday, which I didn't mind, especially since we didn't have the kids with us. As many of you may know, I LOVE Cafe Rio, and I wanted that for dinner, but Fi Dan suggested Indian food at one of our FAVORITE restaurants in Provo, so we had that instead.

So glad to have had this time alone with Fi Dan!

I'll never get over the mountains! Probably

one of my favorite things about Utah. :)

Monday night was wonderful...for me anyway. I had dinner with the love of my life and watched a movie on T.V. and just RELAXED! I haven't done that for over 2 years! My poor Fi Dan, on the other hand,was doing last minute preparations for his presentation and rehearsing. And if any of you know Fi Dan, public speaking is not his forte, so he was worried all night. I called and checked on the kids several times while we were there, and they did great! Nenji cried for us the first half of the day, but then he was okay after that. Oh, and may I add that I have the most amazing mom who took time off of work to watch Nenji and Rylan. Also, Kashia, Max, and my dad were also wonderful with the kids. :)

( **and everyone kept telling us that they cry more when we're home than when we were away. This makes me want to take mini-trips with Fi Dan more often, since I know they're perfectly fine when we're away. :D)

Another reason why this trip was so great was because we got to meet up with our good friends, Cami and Josue & of course their sweet little Kaleb! We met them at Denny's for breakfast. We had a few hours of free time and so we went to hang out at Cami's place. It was so nice to chat with Cami, it always is!!!

The Rivas Family!

Aren't they such a cute little family? :)

Fi Dan gave his presentation in front of his committee that worked with him through out the semester, me, his friend Alex, Cami, Josue, Kaleb and a 1st year MPH student. He did so good! I was so proud of him. I must say that he's come a long way with speaking in public, and I loved it that his passion for working in the Hmong community showed. I love my husband, he's amazing in so many ways. So after the deliberation, he passed with some recommendations. That means that he has to make some corrections to his paper and then submit it in. :)

Fi Dan giving his presentation.

*pictures courtesy of Cami Wright Rivas!

Thanks Cami.

His committee.

We had dinner at Cami's and flew home to our wild children. It was such a memorable trip. One, because Fi Dan got his master's!!! Two, because we got to hang out with such good friends. :)

Joyce Hnub Ci Lor

Our family has been blessed with another little angel! I'm a few weeks late, but it's better late than never! Kalu had her beautiful little baby girl on March 18th (just 4 days after Aunty Kalia's birthday :D). She was 6 lbs and 3oz, I think. She came out with a bunch of hair....and just perfect too. She has the sweetest, tiniest little face ever. I love going over to Kalu's house to hold her. Nenji LOVES and adores her too. He always wants to give his little cousin kisses. Rylan on the other hand, hardly ever notices baby Joyce. The only time he did was when he wanted me to hold him and then he flipped out because I was preoccupied. I love holding little Joyce, but does it make me want to have another one anytime soon? Nope, I am good for now. I think Fi Dan and I will wait for a few more years. I'm happy with my boys. :)

So, Welcome little Joyce! We're glad you're finally here.

I know, this isn't Joyce, but Nenji is too funny

He is always trying to impress Maddy now.

Here he is singing to her while she eats a cookie.

Nenji giving cousin Joyce a kiss.

As you can tell, from my face,

I'm making sure he doesn't kiss too hard.

Sweet little Joyce.

I LOVE her!!!

Look at the face. She's so precious!

Nenji getting a peek at Joyce. :)