The matching witches with Goose from Top Gun wish you a spooky season filled with treats!! Trick or treating was quieter this year but plenty of candy was consumed! Aanika loved to pass by all the spooky houses decorated with giant witches and skeletons. Also threw in a few old Halloween pictures to compare how little Jatin and Aanika used to be. Time flies. Happy Halloween!!
Jatin has had a very busy year! He’s been slammed with school work and juggling after school practice for band and his weekends have been consumed with marching band competitions. He continues to excel brilliantly at school so we decided to have some friends over this year to ring in his 15th Birthday.
On the morning of his birthday Jatin enjoyed his yearly breakfast pancakes and a cup of coffee! That evening we took him to Benihana for dinner.
Nick and I took the day off to celebrate my 43rd Birthday! We went to Manhattan Beach for a lovely bike ride followed by lunch at the strand and shopping. In the evening I saw mommy and daddy for tea and then the kiddos and Nick and I had dinner and strawberry shortcake from Whole Foods at home. Fun, Blessed, Fresh Air and Surrounded by Loved Ones all day. A perfect Birthday.
Our Aanika Beauty turned 11 this year! Its been quite a while since she’s had a party so we invited a few of her friends from summer camp to celebrate with her! The whole party was Aanika themed: balloons, parachute with balls, bubbles galore, ping pong toss and water spray tag! 🥳
For the day of her birthday before the party Aanika celebrated with a pancake breakfast at home, a day at school then requested a Happy Meal for dinner. Then Nick and I gave her a new wooden marble run and watched Totoro!
Our beautiful mommy/nani turned 70 this year! We had to celebrate in style and hosted a lovely backyard dinner party at her and Daddy’s home. Cornucopia Events catered. There was singing, dancing, cake and speeches. Overall a beautiful way to celebrate the queen of the family!
Devi did a fabulous job capturing the evening. Here are some family portraits taken throughout the evening.
Naya and Aanika matched and Naveen wore a shirt gifted by his Nani! The kids enjoyed playing golf on Nana’s new putting green.
The Essay: Our Teen Fair Game Writing Challenge Winner Talks About The Impact Of Chrono Trigger On His Life
https://nygamecritics.com/2022/09/08/the-essay-our-teen-fair-game-writing-challenge-winner-talks-about-the-impact-of-chrono-trigger-on-his-life/
By Jatin Gundara
As gamers, we are always looking for the next best thing – the most exciting or intriguing experience. Every once in a while, a game comes along which delivers on this; a game that resonates with our very soul and leaves an indelible impression on our minds and hearts. For me, that game was a 90s role-playing game (RPG) named Chrono Trigger. As 14 year old, I really related to Chrono, the teen boy protagonist with punky red hair who goes on all sorts of wild adventures.
Jatin is officially part of marching band. He’s been working hard and staying late after school everyday practicing. Friday was his first football game where he got to perform at half time. He told Nick and I not to come to the first one but another mommy was kind enough to snap some pics for us!! He had so much fun and we cant wait to see him perform during the home coming game.
First every Gundara Beach day was a success! We packed lots of snacks, drinks and marbles and headed to Zuma for the day! We were pleasantly surprised that Aanika lasted 4+ hours on the beach enjoying the sunshine and crashing waves! We even had a lovely meal at islands afterwards!! Perfect Sunday.
“There is no heart for me like yours.” – Maya Angelou
Nick and I finally got away from work and spent the day at the beach. Not just a drive or walk, literally packed up a cooler, lathered on the sunblock and headed to a day in the sun – Malibu – Zuma. We unplugged, held hands, listened to tunes while watching the ocean waves and enjoyed every precious moment. This is 20 years together. #marryyourbestfriend