Wedding News

Congratulations to Brad and Chenda!  We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Brad (or Uncle Brad) into our family this past week.  The five of us traveled up to Minnesota for my sister's Cambodian wedding ceremony. In addition, I left the kids for the first time with Mima and Bumpa while I headed out to Hawaii for the bride and groom's official wedding ceremony.  It was an incredible whirlwind and unforgettable week and we are so glad that we go to be a part of it!

Before I go any further, I am sure that many of you have read my post from about this time last year highlighting my last commercial flight with Audriana and Haakon.  I vowed that it was going to be a long long LONG time before I stepped aboard another plane with my children.  My, my, how the mighty have fallen.  Ok well, not actually.  I did get on another commercial flight with my children and this time around, I added an extra child JUST to see if we could get TSA to boot us from the plane (kidding!).  To my astonishment, my two once-hellion children were p e r f e c t angels on the flight.  They listened.  They waited patiently for the food and beverage cart to roll by. They declared loudly that we were blasting off to Mars at take off.  They giggled at landing.  They are a mother's dream.  VICTORY.... REDEMPTION.  Finally.  My take away from the successful flight was to stock up on play-dough, stickers, crayons, coloring books, gummy bears and most of all, a shiny new Cars character toy for each leg of the trip (Target was having a sale on them for $0.99).  Plus, the sit-n-stroll carseat stroller was amazing for a certain little man who gets too tired to walk after 5 steps.  The littlest man in the family still needs a little bit more traveling to be as jet-set as his big brother and sister.  He was a handful and that is all I will say.  No need to mar the perfection of our last travel excursion with a smudge :)

Haakon in his Chinese outfit from Mima's last trip to China.

Back to the wedding.  So on Saturday morning, we woke up early to prepare for the 8AM dowry procession for wedding.  Audriana and Haakon were both suppose to be in the procession holding little baskets of flower in front of their new uncle.  Not only that, but they also needed to be in traditional Cambodian garb.  It took quite a bit of bribery, conjoling and exaggerated compliments for Audriana to get into costume.  In the end, she came through beautifully.  Haakon was another story.  He put it on after the same trial as his sister.  But as soon as he got a peek in the mirror of himself, he took his bottom off and strutted around the bridal suite showing off his best pair of Huggies diapers.  Classy.  So we had to call in a second string player and all was saved for the 8AM kick-off of festivities.  My words could not do justice to the ceremony.  It was tremendous to know that Bjorn and I went through the same thing almost 7 years ago and humbling now that we are on the other side giving blessings to the new bride and groom.  My words could not do the ceremony justice, but the pictures capture the morning beautifully.  Here is the link to their wedding photographer, Joe Krummel, who tells the story stunningly with his camera.   Click here to see pictures from their Cambodian ceremony.  Afterwards we got to kick off our shoes and dance the night away with dinner and cocktails at Atlas Grill.  It was so much fun.  Bjorn and I got to dance and enjoy ourselves while Mima and Bumpa and Auntie Kari brought the kids home and helped them to bed.  We are so grateful for their help so that we could enjoy ourselves.

Some of the aunties plus me and my gorgeous cousin, Julie (left),
during cocktail hour at Atlas Grill.

The following Monday, a group of us made our way to Kaui'i to see Brad and Chenda get married officially.  The Garden Island is breathtaking!  The ceremony was incredible.  The sights and food of the island was out of this world and best of all...I can't wait to go back with Bjorn (and maybe the kids :) .  Here is a sneak peek of their wedding from Joe.  It was a super short trip for me since it was first time that we had ever left the kids without either one of us with them.  But I did manage to make a trip out to see Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), toured the Kaui'i Coffee Plantation, hit the beaches and chase after a few chickens (there are more chickens on that island than there are people!).  There was plenty more I wanted to do, but I had to pick and choose.  So hopefully, we'll go back there REAL soon!

My mom and me.