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. :)

Old Sacramento and 1 year older!

I love living in California....and living close to Sacramento! We don't go to Old Sacramento much, but I LOVE it when we do! We took the boys out to Old Sac a few weeks ago and they had so much fun. We went to eat at Round Table Pizza, and walked a round for about an hour or so. They boys really enjoyed all the people who were there that day. Lots of people did a double take at the boys and asked if they were twins. Really?! I realize that Rylan is a big boy...but they don't even look that much alike. Fi Dan and I just looked at each other and laughed.

Yum! Pizza!

In front of the Delta King...someday I'd like to have dinner on it...

Birthday request for next year!

This one's for Nenji...trains!!!

I love when people are nice and they take family pictures for us!

Anyway, Happy Birthday to me! One year older and wiser too! Thanks to all my friends and family who wished me a happy birthday on my Birthday. It was quite a relaxing and special day. That morning I went to an interview. When I got home, Fi Dan and the boys took me out to eat Thai food! So yummy! Then we went and got a cake from Freeport Bakery. My new favorite bakery!!! My family came over and we had Panda Express and Pizza Guys for dinner. So good! And then we had cake! My favorite part of my birthday was when my family sang to me...not because I like people singing to me, but because Nenji was standing by me and he had the silliest smile on because he thought everyone was singing to him. That was definitely my favorite part! I wish we could have gotten it on film because his face was priceless. Right when my family started to sing...Nenji just smiled from ear to ear the whole time. I love my little family and family for being so wonderful and making life great!!!

It's blurry, but this was his silly smile.

Nenji is such a big helper. Look at his lips...

ready to help mommy!

I love them!!!!