Wild West

We took advantage of the Memorial Day Weekend celebrations for military families. We started with the Old Tucson Studios and were pleasantly surprised. :) Although I am not a huge Western flick fan, there were many things that struck my memory, and even more so for Dave and Dad.

Makana was impressed by the old schoolhouse, for she could listen to someone singing the ABC's. An interesting note is that the flag actually is from a battle in Bennington, VERMONT (!) and is thought to be the oldest one of its type (if I recall correctly).

The Duke was everywhere, as he filmed many movies there. Clint Eastwood, Ronald Reagan, etc. were among other actors that made there mark in Tucson. Supposedly Michael Landon made Old Tucson Studios his second film home. Unfortunately, the sets that were used in some episodes of Little House on the Prairie burned in a fire.

Makana enjoyed riding in the various modes of transportation there: the horses (in the carousel), the train, and the little log boat. We were surprised and impressed with her when she chose to ride on the log, for there was a 48" limit for the riders. Daddy, Mommy, and Papa were too big. After contemplating the situation for about 10 minutes (while we did other things), she decided to ride in a log by herself. Big Girl! :)

Thankfully, the potty was a game amongst other activities for the children. As Dave said when we left the park, "We got our money's worth today." :)

Happy 78th Birthday, Papa! :)

Makana is excited to have Papa here, and we celebrated his birthday last night with baklava. The last time he was here he had wanted to eat some, but we ran out of time to make it. We all enjoyed the alternative to the traditional cake. :)

I need my sunglasses!

Yes, indeed, in Arizona sunglasses are a must, and Makana knows it!

Spring Beauties

Added: We just discovered today (May 23rd) that this beautiful saguaro cactus flower is the Arizona state flower. AND the green bark tree with yellow flowers (last pic) is the state tree: the palo verde. :)

It's unbelievable that prickly saguaro cacti can produce such delicate, beautiful flowers. Makana still likes to hike with us, although the lizards, bugs, and plants are very different from the animals and plants in the rain forest we were in over a month ago.

Makana loves to play pretend, even when we aren't officially playing. After eating her grapes post-hike, she placed the bowl on her head and said, "Yook (look) at my hat!" and proceeded to laugh at her invention. :)

Fun and Funny Family

We try to have fun with each other, and it helps when the humor comes naturally. Mom was very concerned about not messing up her hair before picture-taking that she brought her rain cap. :)


Japanese people now know to eat at Kua 'Aina Burgers, for all the tour magazines say it is a "must." Makana did eat there, but she only enjoyed the "Bob-Tomato."

Makana was fascinated by her first trolley ride; it was free at the outlets, so we rode the last trolley around its circuit for the night. She also happily rode the little rides at the mall, which she usually does without putting in money. The motion and music of those rides usually scared her, but this time she was having a ball with the paid entertainment. :)

Tuan experiences so many new things with our family. He was determined to go fishing, for that was something he had done in the past! Unfortunately, when he came to Bellows, fishing didn't pan out. Kayaking didn't either, for the wind was too strong for him to use a kayak.

Tuan also decided to eat Beggin' Strips that Uncle Leonard brought to the park for Justice, his new dog; Tuan said there was nothing wrong with them, as they tasted like bacon. He also likes to use "soyu sauce" on everything. The first morning he was with us, he ordered a loco moco at Keneke's for breakfast. He immediately asked me for the "soyu sauce." I asked him if he meant shoyu or soy sauce, and the answer was affirmative. I then asked him if he had yet tasted his meal. He and Kyle cracked up laughing, "You are Auntie Lisa and Auntie Mary's sister! You are related! That's what they always tell me!" If you know anything about my Dad's cooking, that is how we grew up. "There is nothing I put on the table that is bad. You try everything." I don't remember there ever being a salt and pepper shaker on the table, for that matter. Sometimes we had shoyu, as it was needed for eggs and rice or saimin--to taste. :)






It was fun to introduce Jime, Tuan, and Sunny to Liliha Bakery's cocoa-puffs. Dave loves them, so we brought them over for an afternoon treat one day. Tuan and Sunny were trying to convince the others they didn't really like the treats.





Makana got more and more brave with the waves as time progressed, but she knew when the waves were too ominous to just sit still. :) It reminds me of how our fear of God can be a true fear of trepedation, but also filled with awe and reverence. The ocean's power holds such mystique and wonder. We know enough about it to love it, fear it, and revere it. However, there are still mysteries about it that boggle my mind. Like God. :)

Birthday Fun with Kason! :)

Kason stayed over at Bellows with us and then went to the zoo on Makana's birthday. Although we could not spot the lions, Makana did one of her favorite things to celebrate her 2nd year of life. She has accumulated three "animal" shirts that she loves to wear from the San Diego Zoo, the New England Aquarium, and the Honolulu Zoo. :)