Coastal Getaways

This is how summer days were meant to be spent. ♥

Saturday
was marked by a trip to Irvine for a delicious vegan meal at Veggie Grill, recommended by Helen dearest, followed by savory pastries of the Taiwanese sort at 85C. Never have I tasted such a delicious taro bread treat! After satiating ourselves with sweets, we took a quick drive (or so we thought!) to Newport Beach for a few hours of reading whilst sprawled across the Pacific sands.

The most unexpected dilemma of parking was encountered and battled for over two hours, and slightly past 6 o'clock, we slid Chloe into a snug yet comfortable spot and headed for the sand! Thanks be to God for making us slow to our impatience and frustration, and also for free parking after six!




We meandered over to a local bike shop and adopted whimsically colorful cruisers for an hour, just to feel the salty breeze dance through our hair as we weaved amongst pedestrians and fellow cyclists galore. Seems that venturing to the coast was an idea shared by many on this hot summer's day!



After returning our bicycles to their rightful owners, we gracefully dipped our toes in the Pacific Ocean, reveling in the vastness of God's creation.


I assure you that such finesse could only be beheld in three very mature and refined post-college women.


Thank you, God, for the blessing of sisterly love I share with Irene & Helen, the sisters I never had!



Sunday
was meant to be spent in Santa Monica, carousing on the coastal playground of Pacific Park, but unexpected circumstances led us to return to Orange County and frolic instead through the quaint community of Balboa Island.

We snacked on a delicious basket of brightly hued cherries as the funtastic ferry took us and, amazingly, three automobiles across the stretch of ocean to Balboa Pier, where we relished the sights and sounds of beach-side merriment. Next, our five-some shooby doobied down to Ruby's Diner for delicious Baja Burgers, always a hero while near chilly waters, accompanied by a wonderful sidekick of Parmesan Bleu Fries. So delicious!

Thanks, ladies, for a wonderful day of requiescence laced with stimulating girl talks, and for a year of sincere support and accountability. Praise God for bringing us together for this amazing year, and best of luck to you all as we tearfully part ways this August!

Congratulations, Auntie Li & Rick!

This weekend past was a joyous whirlwind of activities surrounding Auntie Li & Rick's blessed nuptials!

Matty's family (and I!) gathered on Friday in Suisun Valley to set up and prune the forestry of the wedding site, stringing lanterns, pulling weeds -- you name it, we did it! 'Twas all worth the effort, for when the sun rose on Independence Day, love was in the air and the bride & groom were beaming with excitement.





The beautiful bride glowed with radiance as family and friends gathered in the warm summer breeze to support her and Rick in their decision to entwine their lives in a sacred commitment.










It was definitely the most unique of the few weddings I've attended, with ritualistic drumming,

a traditional Chinese lion dance,

a very talented friend of the bride & groom on the didgeridoo,

and an exceedingly heartfelt exchange of vows.

I must admit that my makeup was ruined as tears flowed from my eyes upon hearing Auntie Terry speak poignantly about her and Uncle Craig's journey through the first 30 years of their marriage, and I hope that every marriage, including Lisa & Rick's (and someday even my own), will emanate the same faith, strength, and selflessness that can be seen in Terry & Craig's.

Thank you, Auntie Li, for allowing me to share in this special day of yours and Rick's. All the happiness in the world to you both!

In an entry filled with love, I'd also like to wish my dear Matthew a Happy Anniversary! Today marks three years in the "beyond just friends" portion of our friendship, and I hope that as the years pass and we reach the ages of our parents and aunties and uncles, we are still as enamored with one another as they are! ♥

Just words

It's been an incredibly busy couple of months, and I've been trying to find time to update this thing, but there isn't any! Current thoughts:

- I'm upset that the company that wanted to do the extravagant Michael Jackson memorial isn't forking up the dough for security costs, which will cost L.A. County tax payers $4 million. Boo you.

- I'm learning a lot about being a role model, in my roles as an older sister, a junior high teacher, and in some of my friendships. It's terribly humbling.

- I'm glad I chose to teach English last year when given the option between English and math. It's a lot more time consuming, but I'm forced to get creative with my curriculum, understand the various thinking processes of 12-15 year-olds, and... I get to read! Lots and lots of books. It's pretty awesome. God's using even the most painfully sub-par essays (you know, the ones that make you want to rip your hair out) to teach me how to teach, and it's definitely so rewarding to see improvements in my students' writing, even if it tries my patience to the maximum.

- I miss my boyfriend. I can't believe we've gone through over a year with seeing one another only once a month. I look forward to the day this stops being a long-distance relationship.

- I wish I had time to scrapbook. And sew. And finish crocheting my blanket. And re-read my Anne books. And I'm terribly jealous that I missed out on blueberry-picking joys with Helen & Irene. I need to stop going out of town for the weekends.

- God is funny. And great. And wonderful.


Photo-filled blog entries will (soon?) come, with updates on my:
- trip to New York
- sewing projects of 2009
- Arizona - New Mexico - Colorado - Utah - Nevada adventures
- week with my love in San Fran
- Auntie Li & Uncle(!!) Rick's wedding