Bright and early that Saturday morning, we caught the first flight down to LA.  My brother picked us up and made us his breakfast bagels with eggs and ham.  Good stuff!  While Hubby took a nap, I headed to Tsu Salon for a much needed haircut.  Last October, I chopped it all off, but this time I opted for some layers in the front and left the back to keep growing.  After a few errands, we (my mom, brother, brother’s gf, Hubby, and I) piled into the car for the scenic drive along Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu for J and V’s wedding.  I forgot to include a picture of their beautiful cake in the post dedicated to their wedding, so here it is:

On Sunday (4th of July), we woke up early to pick up my dad from LAX.  He was definitely surprised to see all of us there to greet him as he exited the customs area.  I think it made him really happy because he was smiling from ear to ear.  We took him to eat dim sum at King Hua in Alhambra and then stopped by my grandma’s for a quick visit.  Hubby and I ran some errands, which included dropping off some stuff at C’s place where we got to play with J for a bit.

J eating his snacks, so I could take a picture.

While at C’s place, she recommended Jang Soo Jang in Cerritos for Korean BBQ.  We took her suggestion and after church headed there for a belated Mother’s Day and Father’s Day meal for my parents.

We enjoyed our dinner and timed it perfectly to catch fireworks on our way home.  We parked in the lot and watched the show from the car.  From where we were, we could see the Artesia show in the foreground and the Cerritos show in the background.  It was fantastic to have a view of both from one location.  Unfortunately, when it was time to go home, the car would not start.  The battery died and would not jump start, so it was towed to the nearby dealership.  It made for a memorable evening.

On Monday, we spent the day with Hubby’s family.  We met up for breakfast at Four Sea Restaurant in Hacienda Heights for soybean milk (dou jiang), doughnuts (yo tiao), and other goodies.

three generations of Cheng men

After breakfast, we  wandered the grounds of the nearby temple.  I think the last time I was there was probably 20 years ago, but I still remembered the giant courtyard area.  Everything else was unfamiliar though.  The kiddos were tired, so we relaxed at Tea Station.  Our niece A was going to turn 3 a few days later, so we gave her her birthday presents.  Can you believe she is 3 already?  I am still in shock!  Where did all the time go?

bowling pin set from grandpa and bubble gum playland from uncle and auntie

It was a fun long weekend with family and friends.  Too bad we were not able to stay longer.

King Hua Restaurant – 2000 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801
Jang Soo Jang Korean BBQ Restaurant – 19107 Bloomfield Ave, Cerritos, CA 90703
Four Sea Restaurant – 2020 S Hacienda Blvd, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Tea Station – 1637 Azusa Blvd, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745