i missed home.

i got the opportunity to go home to LA for a few days earlier this month.  it was nice.  a nice get away from paradise...  isn't that an oxymoron?  but truth be told - i needed to go home and see my parents and friends.  i'm not having "rock fever", i just missed home. 

once i got home, my parents and i decided to take a drive to the desert and go to the cabazon outlet!  ah how i've missed the drive/shopping sprees!  after a semi-unsuccessful shopping, we decided to go visit gina and bright!

look at this ADORABLE happy face!!

later that night, my girls from downtown la and i had plans to get together.  i cannot tell you how much these girls mean to me and i was SO excited to see them.  on my drive to downtown, it was so nostalgic - the freeways, all the street signs, and buildings reminded me of my life in LA.  strange how i could miss this smoggy and congested city, huh?

my daily commute to downtown LA.

the girls (mel, charisse, megan, amy & malinda) and i met at a new mexican restaurant, mas malo.  what a beautiful restaurant!  great food too!  i was soooo surprised when charisse whose a "west sider" now showed up!  it was a very, very special night for me.

as we all sat around our dining table, we were all facebook-ing, checking-in, updating our status, we realized the table was divided by blackberry users and iphone users!  guess whose is which!?

mel & charisse with their blackberry bolds.  amy... she has a blackberry too but she decided to represent her glass of wine instead.  very normal. 

i shit you not - i was a gun-ho blackberry user.  till this day, i think it's very user friendly, the keyboard is easy to use, and it's very functional for a business professional........  buuuuut i couldn't resist so i got an iphone!  i do love it, but i definitely miss a lot of the blackberry functions - i.e. bbm!  

this is my tamtam.  thank you for making an appearance for a cocktail.. or two.  or three?

i love us!

these girls make me happy.

and even more happier!

i don't know if charisse knows this or not, but i really owe her a lot.  she's the reason why i've made such great friends in downtown LA.  when i first became the sales manager at roy's, i went to charisse for guidance and asked her to help me get more involved in the community.  she introduced me to a lot of people and took me to mixers and meetings with her.  only then were we able to build a friendship that i hope will last a lifetime.  if it wasn't for her, i wouldn't have these girls in my life and that... i cannot even imagine.

so this is my fambam.  whose that young guy standing next to my father?  OBVIOUSLY not MY bf, but kotomi's!!!  buahahhaaaa.  out of the three girls, none of us have ever brought home any of our bf's home for our family dinners.  he bonded with my father more than anyone that night, which i'm sure he liked...  one day dad - i'll bring home a handsome man who will drink with you.  hahaa.

so yuki-chan is so sweet - she brought dessert and specialized it for me!  LOVE!

i got to spend some time with my best friend, god-daughter and god-husband and more babies too!

seth & johnny - best friends from when they were little.  seth & i have been friends since jr. high when he used to bully me.  i used to write letters on sanrio letterhead to johnny.  haha they make me smile.

johnny & i are jalen ella's god-parents.  don't we look like a real family here?  :P

i guess jalen's been doing "funny faces" with her mom lately and this is one of them.  CUTE!

we went to sanrio and hello kitty happened to be there!  yay!

this is baby vivyan & baby kaya.  how adorable are these girls???  i want one!

proud mamas!  davy & gvk!  my banquet captains are growing up!  haha ;)

the main reason why i went home was for matt & ali's wedding - those photogs will be posted on another post...  although, i didn't get to see a some people and eat some things that i wanted to, i enjoyed my time at home.  now, can everyone come visit me?!?!