As we look back at David’s first year at LACHSA, we realize what this experience is going to mean to him as he progresses along his artistic path. David is with peers that share his passion for theater, dance, and music. They embrace his joy of singing and dancing and encourage him to express himself. This would not have happened at a “normal” high school. At the end of their first year, the LACHSA Theater Department presented friends and family with their first-year project- “A Sense of Hope”, an emotional voyage through shock, pain, and anguish as experienced by the Japanese victims of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the American internment camps.
It was a fantastic performance that left us breathless and speechless. David had small roles in the production, but was thrilled to be a part of such a moving and meaningful piece.
Here is a video of the entire performance, which is an hour and sixteen minutes long (!) Enjoy it, if you dare…
It’s over. Officially Steven Merino is no longer a High School Student. He is officially a Freshman at San Diego State University.
This year, Steven blossomed into the man I knew he could be. His confidence has transformed him from a timid, invisible, lazy little boy to a funny, charismatic, lazy adult. I contribute much of his growth to his new BFF, who gave him the attention he needed just when he needed it most. I thank Liz from the bottom of my heart for helping Steven realize his worth. What I’ve been trying to do for 18 years, you achieved in 6 months.
One of Steven’s greatest strengths has been his ability to choose the right friends- most of which are moving on to UCLA, Berkley, USC, etc., scholarships in hand. Marshall Fundamental’s class of 2010 is truly remarkable, ranking 23rd among 27,000 public high schools in the United States. We will be paying close attention to Jack and Erin Colletta, Michael Carrandi, Josephine Kinney, Lance Ridenoure, and Randy Watson, all Don Benito Alumnus who have been with Steven since Kindergarten. I am happy and proud to say that they are the future of our nation.
We now are tasked with trying to prepare Steven for college life, where he has to feed himself, get himself to school, wake himself up, wash his own clothes, and live with someone else who won’t be as tolerant as we have been. I have a strong feeling that we will be making frequent trips to San Diego in the Fall to keep him on track…
The scariest thing to me is imagining the Merino Household without Steven. He is definitely the spirit of the house- keeping everyone entertained and with smiles on our faces. His absence will be felt deeply and constantly. I really don’t know how I’m going to deal with it. I’m crying just writing about it, so I will stop…
Here is a slideshow from the Graduation and the Family Celebration:
Steven, we are very proud of you and love you dearly. Congats on your completion of this critical stage in your life. On to the next stage…
We continue our series of Steven’s Senior Moments (following his Prom Festivities), with a full-page dedication we put in Marshall Fundamental’s 2010 Yearbook:
The Kim Girls celebrated their birthdays this weekend at Casa Merino. Annalia turned 9 and Mia turned 5 this week. The party’s theme was Princess and the Frog, and featured an inflatable water slide to help keep everyone cool.
If you have LOTS of time to kill, below is a LONG Slideshow with over 400 pictures. If you want to browse the photos for yourself, click here.
This weekend was not only to honor our fallen heroes and kick off the Summer season- For the Kimerindez Family, it was also to celebrate Christy’s thirty-somthingeth birthday.
The weather was perfect for Barbequing my special hamburgers and hotdogs and watching the kids frolic in the yard. If you watch the slideshow below, you may even catch a glimpse of Truck-a-saurus Rex, a future Diva, and the elusive Sasquatch lurking in the shadows…
As Steven’s Senior year winds down, the fun part begins. Last weekend was Marshall Fundamental’s Senior Prom held at Calamigos Equestrian Center in Burbank. As the event drew closer, Steven had the idea of having the Merino Home as the hub for all of his friends to gather before the Prom, take pictures, and coordinate carpools.
Christy saw this as an opportunity to spruce up the backyard, prepare some ‘Mock-tails’ and snacks, and give the crew a proper send off. I saw this as an opportunity to take a crap load of pictures so the kids didn’t have to worry about paying an exorbitant amount of cash for a junky picture with a cheap background.
I guess I wasn’t the only one with that idea as all of the kids’ parents arrived at our house with cameras in hand ready to snap away. With 26 students and at least as many family members, our backyard resembled a post-Oscar party. The cameras were going off like the Paparazzi around Brad and Angelina.
Here is Steven with his date, Liz:
Here is a slideshow showing all of the fun of the Pre-Prom Party:
It’s that time of year where we turn the tables and shine the spotlight on the one person that is usually the one pointing the spotlight on us- our mothers. This year, the Kimerindeztein family celebrated at the Merino home base and relished on our favorite Hawaiian Food. The food was plentiful, the kids well behaved and the gifts well received. I was scared that Christy would not be happy about her new iPhone, but she warmed up to it after a few days.
Pictures from the event:
(Click Play to watch a slideshow, or click on a picture to go to the webpage to download the image)
We are all familiar with Steven’s Football career, and some of you know about his brief stint on Marshall’s varsity Basketball team. Now Steven is completing his trifecta by competing on Marshall’s Varsity Track Team. His strong events are the 100m, 200m and 4 by 100m relay. He also does Shot Put, but it’s not his strength (literally). It’s actually quite amazing to see Steven running so fast. In the race depicted by the photo below, Steven actually placed 1st. Not bad Asthma Boy!
After 11 years and 105,000 challenging miles, we decided to say goodbye to our family truckster- a 1999 Ford Expedition XLT. This was a really hard decision, but the miles started to take their toll. The squeaks and rattles were getting louder and louder, the door locks and lights had a mind of their own, and much of the trim was in need of replacing. We certainly could have kept the truck as the engine and transmission were still running strong- but the cost of gas in a big V8 truck didn’t make much sense anymore. The Expedition got us through many Merino Madness camping trips (including some off-road excursions I will never forget), and helped us schlep our three boys around while keeping them beyond arm’s reach- the main reason we chose this truck in the first place.
Now that we didn’t need the rough and tumble kind of vehicle, we decided to go for a more car-like option while keeping the seating capacity as high as possible. There are several of these types of vehicles out there in the sub-luxury price range: Mazda CX-9, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Ford Flex, just to name a few. We chose the Mazda for several reasons, but most importantly was the 0% financing for 60 months, plus the below invoice pricing we were able to get. Besides the incredible value, the Mazda really was the most balanced vehicle out there. It wasn’t quite as big as the Chevy and GMC, but it felt just as roomy inside. It was much roomier than Honda, Toyota and Ford, and it had them all beat when it comes to the ride quality and fit and finish. Surprisingly, it was the least expensive when comparing apples to apples. Of course, I spent upwards of 40 hours researching all of my options, and most car magazines (print and online) agreed that the Mazda CX-9 is the best 7-passenger crossover out there. Christy liked the Mazda the best in terms of style and design, and the kids all voted the Mazda the car they most wanted to be seen in (a very important criteria).
