Good morning, ohana! It’s the first Sunday morning of 2011 and it’s absolutely gorgeous … just another beautiful day in Hawai’i nei! And because it’s January 2nd, it is also Alex’s and my dad’s birthday! Happy birthday, guys!! I’m going to take my mom up to Punchbowl to visit my dad’s grave today … April will make it two years since he passed. He always got a kick out of the fact that the oldest and the youngest had the same 
birthdays ..
Yesterday, my friend Gregg and I, along with our families, got together for a New Years Day luncheon over at the Arcadia where our parents are living. As usual, there were all the traditional New Years foods along with the regular local stuff … Nick even made some fried kinako mochi, which my mom used to make for us every year and is a 
Kawakami family tradition. Afterward, we came home and Nick set off a string of firecrackers in front of our house to ward off any remaining evil spirits, although I can’t believe they were still around after all the fireworks from the night before!
Aloha, “D” 