I ❤ NY (New York City, NY)

I do love New York. The people were surprisingly really nice. I don't remember specifics but during the trip I just thought, wow everyone here is so nice (unlike Boston). Actually, I got quite a few compliments... on my sleeve tattoo, on my shirt (Anti Pickleball Pickleball Club) and one guy on the subway went out of his way to tap me and said, "You look fly as hell." 😎

We spent five days in New York City, just Lynn and I. The main reason was to catch the US Open, a bucket list item. I actually bought two pairs of tickets (round 2 and round 3) but sold a pair of (round 2) tickets for triple the price so we essentially went to the US Open for free. And we made the most of it. We stayed at the tennis center for nearly 12 hours but had to call it a night (after Sabalenka won her first set) and there was still more tennis to be played (Taylor Fritz was playing after that match).

Birthday weekend

Enhanced photo by Google Photos AI.

Elliot gets her ears pierced

We went to 713 Tattoo for Elliot's ear piercing.

Colorado (Silverthorne, CO)

This was our 10th road trip to Colorado. We've made this long drive ten times. I told the family that this would be the last trip to Colorado, that it's time to explore other destinations. Time will tell if I hold true to my word.

This trip was longer than usual, nearly two weeks. I wanted to give everyone time to get acclimated to the high altitude (Silverthorne elevation >9,000 ft) before we did any outdoor activities.

Mother's Day weekend

Happy Mother's Day to the mother of my children.

Houston BBQ Festival

We attended the 9th Annual Houston Barbecue Festival, where the best BBQ joints from the Houston area (and beyond) were in one spot. Each booth provided samples... which was unlimited. 

It was essentially all-you-can-eat BBQ!

Many of the BBQ places got creative with their BBQ from making brisket tacos to egg rolls. My favorite was the brisket boudin from Roegels Barbecue.

Sadly, my body couldn't handle all the food I stuffed in my face. I felt sick afterwards... nauseous... just ugh... 

But I would do it all again... it was delicious.

Presidents' Day weekend

Friday night lights. Jacob's varsity soccer games are so late.

Random weekend pics

Beautiful day for kick ball.

Dinner (no kids invited)

I've missed going out to eat... like really going out to eat, i.e. "fancy" dinners. We used to dine out frequently (sans kids) but that came to a halt when Elliot came into our lives. Not counting the Mother's Day dinner this year, the last time we ate at a really nice restaurant was a month before Elliot's arrival... six years ago! But when she was old enough to be left at home with her brothers (or other family), the pandemic hit. 

Now that things are essentially back to normal, we're back at it. Saturday night we went out to Eddie V's to celebrate my brother-in-law Dat's birthday.

National parks trip II (Colorado)

We spent a week in Colorado to continue our National Parks journey (and to also vacation in my favorite state not named Texas) but this trip was rough. I'm usually okay with long road trips (we've already went on seven road trips to CO) but maybe I overextended myself this time around. In the beginning, it definitely didn't feel like a vacation. It was exhausting. I might have to reconsider these long road trips... or at least not do two 2,000+ mile trips in one year.

More dinners

We met up with Lisa's family (visiting from San Diego) and my other cousins for dinner at Yard House. Afterwards we just chilled outside at the green space as the kids played. 

On Sunday, we went out to eat for my mom's birthday at Mai Thai Pho & Grill. It was weird when the owner asked us to write down our order. Then later talked about his troubles of finding a proper cook. We probably won't be back.

Memorial Day weekend

The kids are officially done with school.

Jacob finished 9th grade with all A's except for one B (87) in AP Physics (a class usually taken in 11th grade). As long as he passed the AP test and get college credit, I don't really care about the grade.

Andrew finished 7th grade with all A's. His soccer team won their district division and he was announced the team's MVP.

Tyson finished 4th grade with all A's. He was awarded the Citizenship Award for his class.

On Friday night, there was a graduation party for two of Lynn's cousins (Brian from college and San from high school). 

As for the rest of the weekend, it was pretty chill.

Big 4-OH trip (Silverthorne, CO)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I ❤ Colorado. This was our seventh road trip to Colorado since 2018. We stayed in Silverthorne this time around, which was nearby Frisco and Dillon, and a short drive to Breckenridge... exploring more of Summit County.

Quick getaway (San Antonio, TX)

We made a 3+ hour drive to San Antonio to watch a 5 minute BJJ match... and it was totally worth it. It was all to support my cousin Anh Vien (who I kept pushing to try BJJ) on his first competition. But it was also an opportunity for Lynn and I to take a quick getaway without the kids... well, with only one kid instead of all four. Elliot was the third wheel.

Birthday week (San Antonio, TX)

To celebrate birthday week (Tyson's birthday and my own), we made a trip to San Antonio and the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort. Lots of fun in the sun. Maybe too much sun because it was hot, which made it that much better to cool down at the resort's water park. We also visited The DoSeum (awesome interactive kids museum) and the Pearl Brewery (not an actual brewery but an area of renovated buildings that were converted to shops and eateries). We made our usual stops at the local Target(s). I also made the effort to train BJJ since we were away for nearly a whole week and I felt guilty for my terrible diet while on vacation.  And of course we looked for good eats but sadly came away mostly unsatisfied with the food we ate. Oh well, better luck next time.

3v3 Regionals (Austin, TX)

A couple of weeks ago, Andrew's team had won a 3v3 tournament so they advanced to the regional tournament, which was held in Round Rock. And with that, we made another trip to Austin for the second week in a row. It was HOT! The boys played three games on Saturday and three on Sunday. After all was said and done, they placed third. Not bad considering how close and competitive all the games were. As of now, it looks like the team will advance to the National Championships... but we'll see.

A winter vacation III (Denver, CO)

After Christmas, we took a road trip to Denver (Arvada to be exact) and spent a week exploring the local area. Finally, we had a successful winter road trip (unlike the previous trip to New Mexico and Colorado). Like they say, third time's the charm.

Really far away game

Now that Andrew is playing soccer in a competitive league, we have to venture out of the 'burbs to play games throughout the city. Our first game was in Spring, which was an hour drive one way with traffic. Being that it was so far away, we made it into a mini road trip, i.e. we ate at places you couldn't get at home. And of course we made a stop at the local Target.

Road trip (Glen Rose & Dallas, TX)

The kids were on Spring Break last week and out of all the options that were presented to them (only places in Texas), they decided on Dinosaur Valley State Park. It's a good 4.5 hour drive nonstop which meant it was time for a road trip! There was no way we're driving there and back so we spent a couple nights in the closest city, Dallas. And the kids got to experience what it's like to go on trips with us... eat like crazy.

Anniversary getaway (Chicago, IL)