Isabel graduates!! ❤️

Our birthday card for Isabel

May 2, 2026 Dearest Isabel, Today, you turn 18! And with this number comes something no greeting card can capture: the quiet awe we feel watching the little girl we once rocked to sleep become the remarkable young woman standing before us today. Eighteen is not just a birthday. It’s a threshold. A doorway between the chapter we’ve written together and the one that is entirely yours to write. As you step through it, know this: we believe you are ready. We’ve watched you fall and rise. We’ve seen your courage in moments you thought we didn’t notice. We’ve witnessed your fire and goofiness. For your future, we wish you the wisdom to trust yourself even when the path is uncertain, the courage to choose your own joy, and the confidence that home - and us - will always be here when you need it. Happy Birthday!! Love❤️ Daddy & Mommy Lexi, Yaya ♥ Sent from my iPhone

happy 18th birthday

Sent from my iPhone

Isabel gets into RISD

This is the first time isabel is actually home with us in the afternoon so she can share with us live the decision from RISD - Rhode Island school of Design.  We are glad we could capture her excitement.  So proud of her!

Isabel gets in RSID - top art design school. Very excited for her youtube.com

https://youtube.com/shorts/fqNTq9SuN0A?si=9hqJjGxK3vNy6Q9T

RISD is widely considered one of the top institutions in the world for art and design—often described as the "Harvard of art and design." Admission is highly competitive, and the program is known for its rigor. The training goes far beyond traditional art; it emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving.

Many graduates go on to careers in technology and business, working in areas like product design and user experience (UX/UI), with opportunities at leading companies. The career paths are broad and continue to grow as design plays an increasingly important role across industries.

RISD is also located next to Brown University, and students have access to cross-registration, which adds another strong academic dimension to the experience.

That said, Isabel is still exploring her options. She is also considering the broader experience of a traditional university, so we'll be taking the time to evaluate what environment will be the best fit for her.

Regardless of where she ultimately decides to go, this acceptance is a meaningful recognition of her creativity, discipline, and ability to bring ideas to life.

Proud mama🎉🎉❤️🎉🎉

Lei

Alexis wins essay contest

Alexis wrote an essay to enter a contest through her school. She found out today she is one of the finalist winners with a cash prize. We will attend her award ceremony on March 28 in order to find out what her actual ranking is and cash prize. We are so very proud of Alexis. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤️❤️❤️

Isabel is accepted into Pratt Institute in Brooklyn

She just found out right now and I am so happy for her. She also received $25k in annual scholarship. Pratt is one of her top four choices and ranked #7 globally for art and design. This is amazing news. Congratulations Isabel.

Wonderful cruise for Jake birthday on Virgin voyages

Isabel is accepted to Northeastern global program for design

In addition to getting admitted to Drexel and Penn state, isabel heard the good news from Northeastern While this is not her number one choice school, it's still amazing news for isabel as northeastern is a top 10 design school in the U.S. and the #1 coop program. It is considered a reach school and a great accomplishment to be admitted

She found out last Thursday while we were still on the cruise so she texted us the good news and we did FaceTime to congratulate her. If she attends, she would start abroad first semester (country tbd) and NE also offered her $5k in annual scholarship.

We are very proud of her and look forward to more news from other schools in the next two months. There are still at least 8 more schools she is waiting to hear from
- Carnegie Mellon
- Boston university
- univ of Pennsylvania
- university of Washington
- UCLA ucsd UC Davis
- Pratt
- RSID
- university of Michigan

She will need to decide by May 1 so she has plenty of time still

Lei

Alexis science experiment - how much weight can 3 eggs handle?

This is Alexis eighth grade science experiment. The hardest part was figuring out how to cut raw eggshells in half without breaking it and making them even. Agnes ended up buying a saw that worked to help Alexis with this part.

Can you guess how many pounds of books three half egg shells can hold? I give you a hint it is more than 10 pounds and the answer is in the poster in the photo.