Canucks Down South!!!!

Yesterday my mom + I took a drive down south to Encinitas to visit our Canadian friends Steve + Liz in their new home in dreamy Encinitas!!!!

 

 

 

 
Whenever I’m in Canada, Jeff + I always visit Steve + Liz in their North Vancouver home.  Or hang out with them at their Sakinaw Lake Cottage.  It was REALLY tripping me out that I was driving in CALIFORNIA to go see them!!!!!  I was mucho excited!!!!!  Steve?  Liz?  Keiko?  Hana???  California???  Whuuuu????!!!!  It’s a 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive from Los Angeles to Encinitas, but to Californians that ain’t nuthin’ folks.  California be big, homies.  We drive like it’s out of style.

We arrived at their new home + I was like, “Ermahgerrrd!!!!”!!!!  My Canuck beacon zoned in on the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey flag that was hanging in the garage.  “Heyoooo!  You there!!!!  Target acquired!  Canucks reside here!” it screamed at me.

 

Seeing the Hoiles clan in California felt so right, it was if they’ve always belonged here!  They surf every morning, walk to the beach – it couldn’t be more perfect!

 

 

 

 

 

My mom got the girls some gifts in Little Tokyo – it was so great to be reunited with little Keiko + Hana again!!!!  Essential Pocky snacks!!!

Hana-chan!!!!  They’ve only been in the US for two weeks + I’ve missed them so!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keiko had just started kindergarten + she is the Star of the Week!!!!  She IS A STAR!!!  And Hana’s irresistable smile!?  Get out of town – to die for!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I first started dating Jeff, Keiko + Hana were little bitty baby fluffy chickadees!!!  Time is going by way too fast!  Make it stop!  Awwwwww!!!!

We all sat + chatted + caught up on the big move.  At one point Keiko screamed, “I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!!”.  And they both dog piled onto Steve in a big hug fest!  AWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!  COULD THEY BE ANY CUTER???!!!!  NO!!!!  If they were any cuter the world would implode!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this picture says California to me.  The sunlight through the open window, the tropical trees, the casual relaxed feeling.

The ladeeeez .

Ok, the girls are REALLY pushing it with the cuteness here!!!  Omigod, they are an endless source of happy, sparkly, twinkling delight!  Like little sprinkled hapa (hapa is a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander heritage) cupcakes running around on their adorable California sun kissed legs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner was at a Japanese Izakaya that is one of my all time favorites, Yu me ya.  Izakayas are Japanese restaurants that serve sake + beer with a variety of small dishes, Japanese tapas if you will.  Yu me ya means “House of Dreams”. 

Yu Me Ya is truly a house made of dreams.  Super tiny, family owned (mom + dad are in the kitchen cooking!  daughters are the waitresses!) + they play reggae, mon!!!  I’ve been coming to this place for years after I randomly came upon it on one of my trips to Encinitas + it’s worth the visit every single time.  A must order is the spicy tuna + avocado on wonton skin!!!  Me want one now!!!

Every table setting at Yu Me Ya comes with a tiny origami crane which the girls quietly busied themselves with them.

Yu Me Ya is first come first serve.  I knew about the wait time, so we got there 10 minutes before it opened.  There was already a line waiting outside when we arrived!  When the doors opened, it was like Black Friday!  Stampede!!!!

Japanese in the house!!!!

ZOOM IN!!!!!  Ho ho ho!!!!  Mom, what the heck is going on with your hair?!  Classic!!!

Steve + Liz treated us to dinner – it was beyond DELICIOUS!!!!  Thank you guys!!!  I’m going to miss seeing the Hoiles clan in Vancouver!!!!  But it’s really exciting to know that when I come to California to visit my family, now I can go down to Encinitas to visit the Hoiles family as well!!!!  Good luck, my California friends!!!  I can’t wait to see you again!!!!!