Summer 2014 USA

I forgot how important it is to blog once a month!!! As I am getting ready to blog my summer events, I saw my NY posts.  Of course, I went through it and read it like ten times!!!

 I MISS NEW YORK!

I will go back soon and visit.  I met some pretty awesome people.

Plus Cousin XDY is already cool!

 

Summer came and so many things happened!

 

First, My not so little brother GRADUATED COLLEGE!!!

Bachelors of Arts in COMMUNICATION.

This was in MAY.

 

SIBLINGS

 

MY FAMILY.

 

Threw him a big party and he went off to MONTANA.

We all grow up and go our separate ways, but we will all come home eventually.  He will be home after 6 months.

 

A night with my crazy cousins and friends.

 

My cousin PK's After Grad Party!

Congrats PK!!!

 

Carra lost her first tooth!

The Tooth Fairy gave her $20.00

 

 

 

June came around and time for HIGH SCHOOL graduations!!!

My Niece,

 CATALEENA SHIA SHEE THAO,

CEHS C/O 2014.

 

Cat with the AUNTIES!

DREAM BIG...AND GO GET THEM!

 

End of the school year and events after events...MONTEREY BAY with Stone Soup.  I was an Aunt Volunteer!  Always a good time with these kiddos.

 

Fun day, Carra enjoyed STONE SOUP PRESCHOOL a lot. She talked about school everyday and would attend it again if she could!

 

Guess who turned the big 1-6??

BRANDON OCHI THAO

We threw him a surprised WORLD CUP PARTY...The first game aired on his BIRTHDAY!

 

So many birthdays...Leah turned 5!

My friend LINDSAY'S daughter and now Carra's friend!

Great party LINDS!!!

Miss you much!

 

 

OUR WORLD CUUP FIX!!!

 

We must have watched all the SK, Brazil and USA game! Or basically any good teams that we wanted to watch!

 

Hung out with the KIDS and took them places.

 

CHUCK E CHEESE

 

JOJO's

 

The Park.

 

And Maleficent!! Such a great movie. 

Loads of things happened and it was only the end of JUNE.

 

Little did I know, my summer was just about to begin.

 

xoxoxoxo,

 

Phumee

 

TBC Part II IN SOTH KOREA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ♥ NY Part 2

Thursday night was a blast!!!  We couldn't wait til the next outing.

 Recap of THURSDAY night!  Finally found a photo with Zabeth!

Woke up fine due to all the craziness.

(Laughing thinking about it.)

Whatever happens in NEW YORK stays in NEW YORK!

 

TGIF

Finally, FRIDAY comes and it was going to be a CENTRAL PARK kind of DAY!

(By this time, we were almost pooped out.  Felt like we have been there for eternity.)

 So many things that I wanted to see and do because of these movies.

(Home Alone, Vanilla Sky, Serendipity, Breakfast at Tiffany's....etc..) 

Too early in the year for any kind of major events.  

Volleyball, Fishing, Carriage Ride, Baseball and many more are things I will def go back and do there.  Maybe in the warmer weather.  The New Yorkers were telling us that people were inside all winter. It just so happened that the weekend we were there, people were starting to come out! YAY, we brought sunshine all the way from CA.

Had some major street cart food!

 Lee wasn't the only one who ate, I just took pictures of her eating it! 

Can't leave NY without walking down 5th Avenue!

SUPER SHOPS and crazy SHOPPERS from all over.

Tempted to walk in and come out with a nice purse, but nah..that's 4 months of car payments and a vacation overseas to my favorite countries.  Got a birthday gift for Cat and a few chocolate items, we used the bathroom and ATM, off we went to K Town.

Little Brother Mo came to meet us because we are AWESOME.

We told him, he was obligated to due to the fact that he had that FRIDAY off! 

And he did!  HMOOB LOVE hahaha

Soju, Faceshop, Chicken and a little of KOREAN TOWN brings back so many memories! 

FRIDAY  NIGHTS ARE WILD IN THE BIG APPLE!!!

The pre gamers @ HD and Little David's APT.

(Guess who never made it out?)

Good times!  CA over NY any day.  JK 

I love NEW YORK!

And the PEOPLE.

Thank you for making this a night to remember!

(Ten I See, Mo, Pao, D, HD, David's Social Worker Friends, 

and all the awesome New Yorkers that we met.)

Ended with a BANG! 

( A tornado went through Cousin Xai David's bed.)

ONLY Yer will remember that TORNADO!

(Tornado Little David)

LAST official day in the BIG APPLE.

Brunch with the new Friends and it's 5 o'clock somewhere cause those mimosas were delish!

 

 (Highland, Chelsea Market, Hudson River, Jersey, 

and West Village tour!)

Walked all day touring THE WEST VILLAGE.  Saw DVF, next time will walk in and buy a piece of something.  Little Brother Mo is going to own some CONDOS near there, and he offered to let us live in one.  PROMISES have been made and they better be kept! I will keep mine hahaha

Had pho, guac and more drinks!

Last stop, TIME SQUARE!

#CHICKENOVERRICENYC

Don't have a photo of it, but the best street vendor food.

Little Brother came back to the APARTMENT and tried it.  As he was enjoying it, he reviewed it.  Took another bite, reviewed it, took another bite and reviewed it some more like a food critic.  

Farewell NYC.

Until we meet again, it was super fun and exciting.  EAST COAST!

Weekend trips are definitley in the future plans as long as the NEW YORKERS welcome us back!  

Our new BFFs.   

Again, Good Times!

HD and Little David, thank you again!  I hope it is back to normal now for you two!

My gibberish...and what I remember of our trip!  haha 

Didn't need to include everything because it will always be in our memory!

Thank you LADIES (Lee and Yer) for such a great and memorable trip, with many more to come before we all tie the knot! (If we ever.) 

 

EEs Let's go one day PLEASE.

xoxoxoxo, 

Phumee

 

I ♡ NY

Finally, I visited 

New York City!!

Day 1 

I have never been, but always talked about going.  Like I always say, I love love NEW York, but I have never been.  I was in love with New York and it was my favorite city even before going.  ( Blame the media.)

 Landed by myself and went to Cousin Xai David's apartment.  I didn't feel like I was in New York until the subways and the people.  Buildings are definitely just like big cities in CA, but the people are nothing like Californians. 

Went to breakfast with Seinfeld.  Cool little place, super friendly! 

Strolled around Central Park by myself.  The Girls (Lee and Yer) didn't arrive til later in the afternoon and Cousin Xai went to work!  The park was quiet, and boring.  Still cold out so not much to do, everyone was still inside keeping warm and it was in the morning, people were out and about their daily routines.

Not so green,, wrong season, but still all worth going and people watching!

A little sight seeing with the Ladies!!

Lunch @ Schnipper's

(Time Square, Forever 21, Grand Central Station, Cake Boss Bakery)

Went back to the apartment to get ready for

dinner with the amazing and cool Cousin Xai David!!! His favorite pizza place and all of ours, of course,  after we ate two whole pizzas!!! TWO! By the way, there is only one way of eating pizza in New York.  

And we ate it the New Yorker way!  

 

We got a little of the Brooklyn Bridge and their little lock of loves.

First night out in the BIG APPLE!!! 

3 SHEETS.

(beer pong and a cool bar.)

New York, please have public bathrooms, peoples' bladder cannot hold too much!

I am laughing and thinking about this night, no names shall be named. 

Whatever happens in NY stays in NY!

Who leaves the subway to go back to a bar and use the restroom? 

It was only our first day and the time felt like a week.  Almost, but not quite ready to come back home!

Day 2 was easy, we decided to go to the Bronx Zoo.  Due to NY's cold Spring, the animals were not ready to come out yet.  We saw a few animals, but plenty of PEACOCKS.  They roamed the Zoo freely and was probably one of the best highlight of the day!  

Got on the subway, not really lost, but a few subway mistakes here and there.  Finally got to Chinatown to eat the Famous Vanessa's Dumplings!  Sooo cheap and delish!  We spent like 20 and got meals for days! 

Later that evening was dedicated to a comedy show!  hahaha 

 Walking from Chinatown to Washington Square was an adventure within itself.  Tried to stop at every bar and take a shot...Good or bad idea?  If u ask me, I say good.  It was super cold walking and as we drank more, it got warmer, even too warm at our destination place.  (FOUR FACED LIAR)

The Ladies and I were meeting up with David.  David is Cousin Xai David's Roomate.  I know, I know, confusing, so many DAVIDS...There's more... There is a big David, a medium David and a little David.  That is another story for another time!

We got out $$$ worth of laughing!  The few guys were pretty funny.  Oddly seemed like they were with us the entire trip cause they be capping jokes on us or our conversations.  

(Double Chins, Getting pulled over, Depends)

Leaving the show, it poured and poured.  We were troopers and went at the rain like we owned it!

The DAVIDS were troopers, stayed and chatted until the weeee hours of night time and they both work in the AM.  Good times fellows!

Day 3 with the Statue of Liberty.

Went to do the whole Staten Island and tourist things down south Manhattan. 

Saw Ground Zero.

Finally had time to tour the rest of Chinatown and got some goodies. 

Chinatown = SAME SAME in every city!

Round 3 of outing in the BIG APPLE.

(Gaslight. So much fun, didn't make it anywhere else.)

 Zabeth and Mo came out on a THURSDAY NIGHT.  Officially adopted a little NY brother, Mo.

NY cannot handle us CA Ladies.

To be continued....Part 2.

xoxoxo, 

Phumee

OUT WITH THE OLD...2013

Another year goes by and I am still in FRESNO...just venturing around and deciding what to do...like as in forever or for now?  

2013 was great!  Many good things happened and you live and you learn...Moving forward!

Ended 2013 with a BANG!

DRINKS..AND GOOD COMPANY!

 WHEN SHE SAYS, I NEED A DRINK...SHE NEEDS IT!!! HAHAHA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONG AND KALINA...ONG MISSED THE SHOUT OUT, BUT I AM SURE SOMEONE CAUGHT IT ON TAPE!

THE SOUNDERS IN CONCERT

GOOD TIMES...GREAT COMPANY AND GOOD LAUGHS...YES WE DID IT AGAIN, LADIES...NO MORE PROMISING TO STAY AWAY FROM CAPTAIN, HENNY, JACK AND JOSE.

COUSINS AND FRIENDS

VIP @ SOUNDERS

                                                      

 AFTER ONG AND I SNUCK IN A PHOTO, KINDA EMBARRASSING, BUT WHO CARES, IN THE END WE ARE ALL FANS.

CAN'T END A YEAR WITHOUT HMONG NEW YEAR DRESS UP DAY!

EVERY YEAR WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHO WILL COME VISIT THIS NEW YEAR? 

COUSIN GARY CAME THIS YEAR!!!

GOOD TIMES AND VISIT MORE YPP FMAILY!

WE NEED A CA MEETS NC MEETS MN!!!

CELEBRATING 28 YEARS YOUNG GARY!

JERRY COME OUT, WE AREN'T THAT SCARY!  OR ARE WE? 

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAVE A GREAT YEAR!!!

BIGGER THINGS HAPPENING IN 2014!

CAN'T WAIT!!!

XOXOXO, 

PHUMEE

Road tripping to Utah, Pismo and SF!

Maychee, my dear friend, and I have decided to start going on little new adventures within CA and eventually step out across AMERICA.  Utah was our first trip!!!  My first time and Maychee used to live there, so it was more of an adventure for me.  Plus, it was MINDY's Wedding.

July 25th - 28th

The drive was beautiful up until we pass Reno, then it was just all mountains and nothing but cops.  The Salt Lakes were so beautiful, Maychee and I had so many unanswered questions.  Where is google when you need it? Or Siri? Are we ever going to find out? Maybe one day??? haha

The wedding of Mindy and Brandon!!!  It was too cute with all the Hanboks.  Congrats again MINDY!

The Salt Lake City Temple was so pretty, it was a Sunday so we couldn't see more of it, but the outside was more than enough.  Remember to wash your shoes after!!!

Okay so my favorite part of the trip was visiting the Missionary Training Center!  (MTC)  I learned so much and enjoyed my experienced.  The MTC is where all the SISTERS and ELDERS go on their training before they are sent off to their MISSIONS.  Over thousands of young men and women are there to do something great!  I was just a volunteer and a good one!  (My little missionaries in training were sooooo cute and adorable.)  They speak HMONG better than some HMOOB who grew up with the language.  They were so nervous, but little did they know I wasn't a member and could only understand half of what they taught me.  One of the Elder that I had was Korean.  He was so cute and I knew right away he will so the Hmong people in WIS good along with his companion.  They were so cute like two peas in a pod!!!   If I lived closer, I would volunteer more!

That evening we wanted to give them something so what does a bunch of young men want??? CANDIES and GOODIES of course, you are stuck studying all day and night and what's better than snacking??  We even got them a card and wrote it in HMONG cause they all read and write HMONG. (with Sam's help! Sam is Maychee's brother)  Again, thank you Sam and April for their hospitality.  Sam also made us PHO and it was delicious.  Maychee, thinking back, we did so much in that little time!!!

This was up in a Cabin that Maychee's friends invited us to!  Maychee, remember koj yuav mus marry ib tug Utah oppa!  Peb will visit you and vacation there until you kick us back home to CALIFORNIA!!!! O UTAH, I will be back soon.

August 2013

We were fortunate to have our friend, Cecee visit CA and we took her on a mini getaway to a winery and PISMO!  So this was our second mini trip with the one and only CECEE YANG....

EBERLE WINERY

October 2013

I love SF!!!

Clam Chowder, Fish n Chips, and lots of eating!  (VACATION MODE)

 Met up with Giho, A friend from South Korea.  He's soooo cute!  (Korean Cute)

Little bakery in the neighborhoods of SF, so rich and delish!!!  Will go back for more lemon bars, brownies, and raspberry bars.  Didn't take a picture of MINDY, but I am so glad I saw her!  Hadong LOVE!!!!

An oldie, but goodie!!!

Until our next Road trip adventure to SO CAL with Miss Pader Yang.

xoxoxo, 

Phumee

Mid year Of 2013

Can you believe summer is here???

Where did this year go? I haven't done anything at all....except work work   work eat sleep eat sleep and eat some more.... News and adventures in the making.....I hope....

Jan was a blurr...went to Nugee's Bridal Shower and finished showing Young Ju around....

Feb happened way too fast with wedding planning and trying to fit into a dress...and turning a year 
wiser!!!

Some of the ladies at dinner celebrating.

Congrats to NUGEE and TCHAA MOUA!! 

The happy newlyweds!

The bridal party...super cute,thanks Victoria!!! via SAY PEACE PHOTOGRAPHY

March...o March...

  EASTER with the Yang FAMILY....went by like a storm even with SPRING break.

April was also a blurrrr...way toooo fast for me...

May was jammed packed with many celebrations!!! And was good to me.....spent every penny I earned....kinda sorta.....

congrats YER another step into life!

And now summer will slowly creep up on us....even though nights like tonight....it is super windy and weird....aren't we in June wind???

 BOOK of the summer...
it's a series too!!!

Will do a blog about it....Happy summer...reading everyone!!

I cannot wait til UTAH MAYCHEE....


xoxoxo,

Phumee