family visit:

My in-laws came for a few days to celebrate Lucas's birthday and of course see their youngest grandson again.  Last time he was just born, and now they got to see him smile and laugh while he drooled (and pooped) on them.  It was good to see them, although I was really tired.  So instead of cooking for everyone, we went out to eat.  We live in an area with plenty of affordable choices, and it was nice to take them to new places, especially ones where we could eat outside.  They also had a nice time at the park bonding with the grandparents.  The night before Lucas's party we went out to an authentic Mexican place I really like, and they had restaurant mariachis there.  My in-laws had them play Las Mañanitas (birthday song) to Lucas and Besame Mucho ("kiss me lots") for me and Manny, because Manny used to sing it to me.  My mother-in-law said that song got us three kids.  Haha.

Last year, we did our usual party at home for Lucas's fourth birthday.  We were getting ready to celebrate when he asked who else was coming.  I was heartbroken to tell him it was just us.  This year, my in-laws decided to drive up, and we had a "real" party for him.  Lucas is old enough now to want to participate in the party planning, and he certainly did.  He said he wanted a "real" birthday cake, lemon with chocolate frosting, two layers (he said "tall," but two layers was the easiest for me to do with one pan), and birthday candles in a circle.  Eventually he supervised Grandma in adding sprinkles and mini Oreos on top.  He actually wanted two cakes, the other one being one from a Korean bakery with chocolate lines and berries on top.  He also wanted to decorate the house with his face, so I printed out pictures of him and posted them up on the walls.  I put up blue and orange streamers for him as well.  Grandma provided a personalized monster truck birthday banner, racecar tablecloths, and all the other party supplies.  I decided against balloons because there would be a lot of adults squeezed into a small square footage.  Naomi was the main party planner, though--she had all the games planned, including finding hidden Lucas's (the one with #5 was the winner), counting candies, and hot potato.

The morning of the party, they headed out to get the cake and pizza for the party.  Unfortunately the closest bakery was out of the cake he likes, so they had to head to another one.  Pizza Hut still has the "Any Pizza for $10" deal, so we had a good variety.  While they were out, the doorbell rang.  I thought it was them, but it turned out to be my sister-in-law and her boyfriend surprising us!  I screamed and jumped in delight.  Those who know me know I pretty much never do that.  If you've ever been with me on a roller coaster, I'm not that exciting then either.  "Whoa.  Wow.  This is fun.  Pretty scary."  I don't know if it's my low blood pressure or just a dull personality, but that's how I am.  Anyway, I'm so glad they came, especially because Naomi was really disappointed that Manny's uncle and his family couldn't make it.  His grandson was throwing up a lot that morning.  She really wanted the extended family to be there.

We had a good visit, and they helped us a lot.  The next time they visit, hopefully Isaac will be sleeping through the night!

Kicking it with Grandpa.

Grandma taking Isaac for a stroll.

Fun with Grandpa.

Serenaded by the mariachis.

Grandma!

Naomi used her savings to buy coffee mugs for her grandparents.  She chose and wrapped them herself.

Playing with Isaac in Naomi's room/the guest room.

Only a grandpa like Grandpa would allow this.  They were supposed to be watching Iron Man 2 together.

Getting ready for the party.

Surprise!  It's Aunt Dolly!

Lucas's self-designed birthday cake.  The Oreos were a bit tough to cut through, but he was happy!

Lucas explaining how to play the Wii.

Lucas making a face as usual...

Just take a picture right after the first one.  Gotcha!

Naomi's game of hot potato (with rolled up socks).

Lucas's huge present!  Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!

thank you:

Thank you, C (should you be anonymous? you know who you are) and your kids for making the coloring pages for Naomi.  She was very happy.  I told her she could "make a card for J's birthday, you know, the boy that helped make your coloring pages."  And she said, "Mom, you can't say 'that boy'--he's my friend."  Oops.

Naomi also made this card all by herself for a couple birthday girls (sisters whose birthdays are a day apart).  She's been making me a lot of cards and menus lately.  I really enjoy it.

thank you:

We got a nice surprise this weekend from H & J (you know who you are). We thought there might be an outfit for Lucas, but then there was also a beautiful sherpa coat for Naomi, too! We're so impressed by people buying something additionally for Naomi. It's always a nice surprise for her. She still does get jealous but is more accepting now. And there were Cars toys--we saved one set for Lucas and gave the Buzz and Woody set to Naomi. She takes them everywhere with her now. And then the biggest surprise was a giftcard for me to help update my wardrobe. Before receiving the card, I bought a pair of jeans and two pairs of trousers, and now they are too loose. :P I guess I'd better wait on using this till my weight stabilizes. Manny and I saw the giftcard and did a tear-wiping motion. I really didn't expect that. Thanks so much!


Naomi was a little anxious to put her new coat on and play with the cars.

arigato and mahalo:

G., my Japanese friend from Hawaii, sent me this cool dollar origami book and little "footnotes" (aloha-style sticky notes in the shape of feet) for Christmas. There were some Hawaiian bakery cookies as well, but they disappeared before I took this photo. :) I'm always wanting to send him something "Californian," but I can never decide what.

thank you:

Thanks, Mare, for the delicious goodies and nametags! While I always love homemade gifts, there was definitely an exceptional amount of skill and care put into these. The peppermint bark cookies and cheesecake brownies were so good I almost cried. Not kidding. Naomi and Manny approve as well. :) The gift tags are all used.

why we love our church:

I am thankful for my church. We went through a tough period, and I think we've come out of it so much stronger. The church truly parallels life; it is a living, active body that grows and goes through trials resulting in greater joy. As my bud Mel says, this is a church that says "we're a family" and means it. Family means everyone has their strengths, weaknesses, quirks, etc., but we have blood (of Christ) ties. Everyone has a function, and we are led with love (what Christians often call shepherded) by men who have a tremendous calling and gifts. And, of course, no family is perfect!

Here are some random reasons I love our church home. Don't read too much into what I say. It's hard to translate all these thoughts into words:

Mission focus. When we look at the great command that we've been given, it takes the focus off of ourselves.

De-programitization, if that's even a word. Many churches today tout some awesome programs, but being that we are so small, this was probably hurting us by scattering us in different and sometimes conflicting directions. I also felt sometimes the glory was going to man (I can't say I knew what was in everyone's hearts; maybe it was just me).

Gospel centrality. The moment we forget the cross, religiosity and self-righteousness take over. You know how some people say, "Yes, that church is good because the gospel is preached"? In the past, for me, that just meant that at the end of the sermon the pastor would say, "and if there are any of you here today who want to know more..." Yet now I say that to really preach the gospel is to truly tie it to everything, every part of the message.

Reverence of truth (including interpersonal honesty!). Why do we sometimes spew out so much spiritual knowledge, and then not live it out or only live it out at the surface level? I think it is a low view of God. It is a wrong view of who we are before Him. It is not dwelling on what is true. If He can already see who we are completely, why do we try to paint a picture of ourselves that isn't really us? Speak the truth to one another in love--that is a command often watered down.

Anti-externalism. Unity is not based on fitting a mold of the external, what preferences we have in common, but on our common life in Christ. We are encouraged to get to know each other's hearts and to be open ourselves. This begins to show us just how much we judge wrongly and takes us back to the gospel truths. A critical spirit is not discernment because it's not from God.

The teaching. Scripture is taught well. At the time when Manny and I just started attending, we didn't have a lot of people around that were our age (boy, has that changed!), but we stayed, and continued to stay, because of the word being handled accurately. Plus, we had like 10 sets of surrogate parents watching over us. :)

Pastoral/elder love for the congregation. Although I understand various people see degree of received love differently (and you have to factor in our own issues of entitlement, consumerism, and lack of thankfulness as humans), there has never been any doubt in my mind that the pastor and elders love us deeply, probably much more than we know.

Community Groups. Rubber meets the road. Everything above is manifested here. And this helps with the fact that the members are distant geographically (one thing I can't say I love).

Deacons. Awesome group of men who have to take care of us in so many ways unseen or taken for granted. And it's so encouraging to hear about the new deacons currently in training.

Everyone is a minister. We are all called to use our gifts. We aren't called to say a nice Sunday hello and then go on with our week. As the church went through a turning point, Manny and I were really impacted by this. I'm so thankful for all who set up, clean up, greet, record, and so much more, and all who give of themselves in ministries for the local community to help the poor, needy, elderly, incarcerated, unplanned, etc.

Compared to many churches, our church is really a small, humble church. We don't have the funds for our own building, but it has forced/allowed us to invest the funds where the need is now. We don't have that many programs to offer, but what we do have is still amazing to me. And for all the struggles, "we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Christ Jesus"--Philippians 3:14.

how we deal / thank you:

At Thursday's community group, the topic for discussion was our integrity and speech. I know I struggle with speech everyday. I talk too much about seemingly frivolous things and don't say enough when I should. And then I can hardly ever seem to find the right words when I do speak. Then I interrupt or ramble on without getting what I want to say across. My foot really should just permanently be attached to my mouth. :) I have learned a lot over the years, especially from friends that cared enough to admonish. I appreciate that about fellowship and marriage.

On a related note, I want to say I appreciate all of you who wrote a message or simply thought about us through our trial. The sadness comes in small waves now. I don't wear that emotion on my sleeve, though. Despite my openness in this blog, I'm a lot less emotional in person. Talking a lot actually helps me bottle up my emotions sometimes. I cry a lot at the news, or when I see others cry...when I'm by myself. I think in public, and in person, there's just too much on my mind, which never seems to cease in its wandering... But I do want to express my gratitude here. I am really touched by how people have reached out to us in your own special way. Thanks.

thank you / toys r us:

A cute, whimsical maremade frame.


Mine!


Toys R Us birthday: the celebration continues!

Before I get to her party, I wanted to take time out for thanksgiving.

We got a nice surprise in the mail yesteray. Thank you so much once again, Mare, for your generosity and your knack for giving the perfect gifts. :) Naomi loves the number puzzle and sparkly birthday t-shirt. She's done the puzzle so many times, but seems to be very frustrated with the 6 vs 9. :) Wow @ the frame! Love it.

Thanks, Cynthia for mentioning the Toys R Us birthday perks on your xanga. Naomi's birthday balloon, crown, lollipop, and $3 gift were met with great enthusiasm. She was so well-behaved at the store today, although a little disappointed that they removed the free play train tables.

Thank you, Lord, for another extraordinary year with our daughter and grace through it all.

Our camera is dying (the screen is going out quite often now)...these may very well be some of the last photos we are able to take with it.

thank you:

Thank you, Winnie for the birthday present and my very first wishlist gift! Iron Monkey! It's my favorite kung fu movie from recent years. Again, someone has summoned me from my cave for a thank-you photo. I just don't want to scare y'all with frazzled photos of me. At least I do have some makeup on in this one. Doh jeh, Winnie!!! :)



In case you have a desire to get something for Naomi, her birthday is April 19, and here is her wishlist (or just some stuff I know she wants--yeah, particularly that carbon monoxide detector). Sometimes the prices shoot up if Target or Amazon runs out of stock. Wait till it's available again (e.g., the piggy bank shows $28 right now, but it should be $12.99). If you know of something you think she'd like, let me know and I'll put it on there.

special delivery:

First off, Happy Birthday, Alice!

Naomi got another special package today from Grandma Mona: Two stuffed dogs (male and female), tees that say "everyone loves a brown-eyed girl" and "I <3 St. Patrick's Day," and a cute skirt and capris with adjustable waists (yes! I've been lazy about looking for a new belt, as you can tell).

Manny says Naomi is practically earning income with all these gifts. Her job is sit there and look pretty. :) I don't mind celebrating every holiday. I look forward to it. It's really so much fun with a kid.



Videos of the happy recipient (the first one is a must-see):




Thank you, Grandma!