Beautifully Simple

Labor & Delivery

2012-01-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

It feels like ages ago that I was in the labor and delivery (L&D) room, but its hasn't even been a full week since baby z arrived into this world (still mind boggling!). My L&D didn't go quite as I planned, but I guess that's the way it goes.

A week before my due date:

I was itching all over my body, especially my hands and feet. I knew that itchiness was common in the belly area during pregnancy because it's constantly stretching, but this was the first time other parts of my body were itching like crazy. Of course I googled it and other women said they had simliar itchiness and that for the most part it's harmful unless you have pregnancy cholestasis. Cholestasis, which occurs in 1 in 1000 women, is a liver disease where your normal flow of bile is affected by high amounts of pregnancy hormones. It's harmless to the mom but could be harmful to the baby. After reading this, I freaked out for a little bit but tried to comfort myself with the thought that I'm probably okay and I could beat the odds. But just to be safe I emailed my doctor about it and she asked me to take some blood tests.

Week of my due date:

Monday, 1/23: I took 3 blood tests requested by my doctor to examine my liver.

Tuesday, 1/24: Got the results of 2 tests. One I passed, the other my liver enzymes were elevated. Standard count was <36, my results were 63. I panicked a little. I was still waiting for the third test results, but emailed my doctor asking her about it. You would think they would call you! Well she did eventually after I emailed her and she asked if I could come in to see her in an hour!

3pm: We ran some Non Stress tests (NST) to monitor the baby and also my contractions. Baby was looking fine and I was having contractions consistently 4 minutes apart. I was doing the NST exam with a nurse for about 20 minutes when all the sudden my doctor comes in and says "Hanna, I think we need to induce you today." O.O "I spoke with a high risk specialist and he says we need this baby delivered ASAP." Even though I was hoping the baby would come out this week, I was a bit shocked and unprepared for an induction. I texted Richard asking if he could come home from work and he was probably a bit shocked himself to say the least :) I saw the doctor briefly after my NST and she did a pelvic exam and said I was 2cm dilated just like I was at my last check up. I asked her if she could confirm whether or not I had cholestasis without knowing the third test result and she said that I most likely do and since I'm only 2 days away from my due date it's better to err on the safe side.

4:30pm: I rushed home and gathered my last minute items for the hospital bag and waited for Richard to come home. Tried to stay calm but I was still really uneasy about the idea of being forced into labor especially if they weren't 100% sure I had cholestasis. She said that the third test results wouldn't be back till the next day so I wasn't going to know whether or not I had it till after my induction.

5:30pm: Richard came home and we headed to the Hayward Kaiser hospital. Checked into L&D and got the last L&D room! Apparently it was a popular day to be born.

6:15pm: Hooked up to a machine to monitor the baby and my contractions. They also let me eat my last meal before getting pitocin. I got a cheeseburger from the hospital and it was SO good because I was so hungry. I dripped some ketchup and mustard on my hospital gown which was kind of embarrassing! lol.

10pm: Got an IV and finally was given pitocin which I heard from mommy friends that it was an evil drug to jumpstart labor. Here goes nothing!

11:15pm: Doctor decided to use a foley bulb to help mechanically open up my cervix since I wasn't naturally dilating. I was told it would help me reach 3-4 cm and if I wasn't there yet after 12 hours, they would take it out of me. It was a bit uncomfortable to say the least and I had a million things attached to me. The doctors also told me that an induction can take anywhere from 1-3 days but they were hoping for the best case scenario of 24 hours. My morale was pretty low at this point because I was already sad about being induced and I couldn't imagine sitting in that bed for potentially 3 days. I tried to get some rest that night fighting through my contractions.

Wednesday, 1/25:

8:30am: Thought I saw my mucous plug in the toilet, but I tried not to get too excited because I heard you could lose it weeks before you actually go into labor. The foley bulb was also still inside me for nine hours which told me that I still wasn't dilating. I was getting really emotional and discouraged because of how slowly I was progressing. I kept thinking about how this wouldn't have happened if I went into labor naturally. I also saw many nurses and doctors come and go as they would end their shifts. Each time I was introduced to a new nurse or doctor I would hold back my tears because it would remind me of how long I had been stuck at 2cm. Sometimes I couldn't even hold back my tears and the nurses were probably really confused as they introduced themselves to a crying woman. I remained sad until...

11:45am: THE FOLEY BALLOON FELL OUT after 12 hours! This gave me a little hope that I would possibly meet the baby today. The doctor checked me and I was 4cm dilated, YES! I was also really eager to get the epidural because of the contraction pains and I was told it was better to get it at 4-5cm.

12:30pm: GOT MY EPIDURAL. This was a game changer for sure. I don't know how women go through labor without it, mad props to all ya'll!! I finally was able to take and nap without being bothered by the contractions. I was pretty happy and felt like things were turning around for me. I was getting more hopeful that I could meet my baby today.

2pm: 5-6cm dilated :) :)

5pm: 9cm and the doctor broke my water. She said we're going to get this baby out today! I had almost been at the hospital for 24 hours and I was pretty happy that for an induction I was considered quick.

6:20pm: "we can start pushing!" HALLELUJAH! I was surprised that I could actually feel urges to push because one of my fears with the epidural was that it would slow down this process. I actually felt the pain of each contraction and pushed through each one. I can't imagine how much pain I'd feel without the epidural if I was already feeling this much. I also didn't realize how tiring it would be to push as it would suck all my energy. The doctor said that I was pushing really well and she could already see the baby's head. With each push I felt more stretching and more pain. I even started crying during the middle because I really felt like I couldn't finish. When his head was halfway out I was so tired that even though I would give all my might I felt that he would never come out. So I was pushing and crying and FINALLY he came out with a loud cry. When they put him on my tummy I started bawling because I was so relieved that labor was over and was happy to finally meet him. :) He was born at 7:19pm, 1 hour for pushing..not bad!

Baby Zachary :)

7 lbs, 15.4oz, 21 in.

Welcome to the world, love :)

Oh and after my delivery I got the test results of my third bile blood test. Standard range was <10 and my result was 128. So yea, I guess the doctors were right about cholestasis!

Maternity Photos

2012-01-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Back in December 2011, our friend Grace Baek shot some belly photos for us :) I absolutely love them and am forever thankful that we'll have these memories to look back on!

It's strange to see that my belly was so big and I can't believe that I'm no longer pregnant because I felt pregnant forever. I'll have to update on my labor & delivery story soon :) I can't believe I'm a mommy!

More photos from grace baek's blog :) THANK YOU!!

SEVEN more days

2012-01-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

EEPS! I can't believe that I'm going to have a baby soon, God willing! I just got back from my 39 week appointment. Dr says I'm 1.5-2cm dilated (!!!) and 50% effaced. She thinks I'll be right on time and if I'm late she said only for a couple days. I can't believe that potentially this time next week I could be in the hospital. O.o

I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions (basically practice contractions) pretty regularly now and the doctor says just call the hospital when they start hurting. yippeee! I'm thankful that the baby is in a good position and ready to come out! Please pray for a smooth labor and delivery! Thank you!!

Taken today at 39 weeks!

On fear

2012-01-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

Last night I saw my baby in my dream. I've dreamt of my baby before but this was the first time I clearly remember seeing his face. My dream actually woke me up because it was sort of a nightmare. My baby had a disease in my dream and I knew that because he didn't look normal. He had a million little white, scale-like circles all over his face like a fish...and I remember feeling that my own baby wasn't beautiful which made me really sad. His legs and arms were also swollen and his skin color was white like a ghost. I remember feeling scared to touch him because I was so shocked.

I woke up and was thankful that it was just a bad dream but I couldn't fall back asleep. I decided to play on my phone to take my mind off of that image in my head of my baby and I came across a link that someone posted on FB about a story of a mommy and her baby with a disease called EB. These stories usually inspire me because their trials bring out their beauty and strength, but this time in particular it was eerie to me as I had just woken up from a dream about having a sick baby. I don't believe that dreams have special meanings so I'm not trying to interpret my dream, but I guess as an expecting mom in nine days, I freaked out.

Richard saw that I was awake and I told him I had a nightmare. He comforted me in his arms as he slowly fell back asleep without knowing what I had dreamt about. I felt secure knowing that whatever happens that we'll be in it together and moreover, that God is always with us. It's natural for us to ask what if's through each stage in life, but I need to remember that God has been and is faithful through his plans and I don't need to worry ever! I'm sure everything will be fine and even if it doesn't go the way I plan, that is okay with me (or at least that's my hope!).

38 weeks

2012-01-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

I just got back from the doctor's office and she says I haven't dilated yet so I'll be pregnant for a couple more weeks. She said that my cervix is "ripening" so I guess that's good news. Doctor also noticed that the baby has dropped meaning that he's slowly starting to position himself for delivery!

I've also been having contractions, thanks to my SIL who helped me understand what they feel like. I guess I've been having them without knowing because I thought it was the baby crowding my belly when it really was my uterus tightening. All these new sensations are kind of exciting :) That's all for me today! Have a great day everyone!

Full Term Reflections

2012-01-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

My pregnancy journey has been relatively boring so far, and by boring I mean smooth. I was blessed not to have extreme morning sickness, unbearable fatigue, unpredictable mood swings, and weird cravings. I only craved what I always crave (mexican, in-n-out, pizza, mac&cheese, pb&j, hot Cheetos, yum!). My third trimester has probably been the most difficult mainly because of big belly and gravity is not on my side with easing the extra weight! I've gained ~32 pounds to date and my goal is to gain no more than 35. I also have this pelvic pain on my right side which makes it difficult to put all my weight on my right leg, toss around in bed, or get out of bed for that matter. That and my joint pains in my hands are my only complaint...oh and taking prenatal vitamins! Yuck! The pills are so huge and leave a nasty after taste in your mouth. Sometimes I conveniently "forget" to take them :P shh...

It's kind of crazy to think that I only have 3 more weeks of being pregnant. I feel like I've been pregnant my whole life and I forget what it's like to be normal, if there will ever be a "normal" again. I guess our standard of "normal" constantly changes with each stage of life. Well, whether we're ready or not for our new normal, baby Lo (and yes, his name is still TBD) is coming soon! I've reached full term now and just started packing my hospital bag today (eeps!). Hubby also installed the car seat in the car this week so I guess it's really happening!!

Maternity Leave

2012-01-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

This week marks my first full week of maternity leave. It feels great especially since I've been having pregnancy insomnia and I now have the luxury to nap mid-day instead of fighting through fatigue in my cube. For whatever reason, my body seems to know when it's 3am because that's typically when I'm up and I don't fall back asleep till around 6am. It's so miserable to be restless in bed! I hear it's good practice for when I'll have sleepless nights when baby lo comes, but at least I'll be up and productive (hopefully) as opposed to lying there refreshing my fb app minute after minute...as if someone is going to update their status at 4am. (side: new years eve was great because people were actually up in the wee hours of the morning and I did have fb company.)

Things I've enjoyed this week that I normally wouldn't have been able to with work:
* 3 loads of laundry all done before the afternoon
* morning coffee & donuts with Angie and sweet tomatos with Rebs :)
* mid-day errands to TJs and Target
* afternoon walks with mighty
* organizing nursery and online shopping :P
* nap everyday so far this week, I don't think I've had this luxury ... since who knows when!
* pre-natal massage (later today!)
* not rushing to cook dinner

All pretty simple stuff, but its been nice to have more time and energy to do them. I think the biggest win so far has been having the time to internalize my pregnancy. Even though I have a huge belly as a constant reminder, being pregnant has been pretty surreal. I feel like I haven't really had to time to sit and think about the changes ahead since I've been occupied with work and things. I'm enjoying the extra time I have to connect with the baby more, sit and think about what has been happening in my body for the past 9 months...instead of just tackling my to do list after work hours. I'm not quite at the bored stage yet because I still feel like I have lots of preparing to do, both emotionally and physically, but you can ask me in a couple weeks :)

Hello thereeee

2012-01-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

Its been awhile time since I've visited my own blog. Like 7 months long and "was it beautifully-simple.blogspot or simply-beautiful.blogspot?" long. I'm horrible at finishing things that I start so I'm going to attempt to update my formerly stagnant blog ahora.

I guess you can say a lot has happened since my last post about my sister in law's baby (SIL) shower. My SIL since then gave birth to baby K, who is the cutest nephew evers. He is now a little over two months old and I'm amazed at his growth each time I see him. On a related note, I guess I should formally announce on my blog that I'm pregnant, hah! 37 weeks pregnant for that matter so sorry for the late notice, blog, but I'm sure that this is old news to my reader friends :) I'm due Jan 26th and I'm excited/nervous to see how my birth story unfolds because right now it's just a big unknown. As I'm expecting a little boy in 3 weeks, give or take, I'm sure he'll be a popular topic for my blog updates so I hope you'll follow me along on my new journey! :)

Maternity Shoot with gracebaek photography taken in Dec 2011.

little lo in the womb :)

Baby Shower :)

2011-06-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law's baby shower this past weekend was so much fun to plan. Everything came together nicely and we had so much fun. =)

Here are the little animals I made from my DIY project. I hung them on branches to create something baby mobile-esque.

Had little onesies hanging from the ceiling - they are soooo adorable! Everything baby is so cute!

A really simple flag garland I made with Martha Stewart's craft paper.

Green Tea with red bean filling cupcakes made by Tiffany :)

Baked my favorite Choc chip cookie recipe from Alton Brown, The Chewy.

party favors!

The mom to be with some of her happy friends! =)

Congrats again, Cindy!! :)

Please Say Yes!

2011-06-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Richard,

I know you don't like surprises but I hope you'll allow me to make one exception. When I asked what you wanted to do on your birthday, you mentioned a few times that it would be nice to go home to your family and even snorkel with David. Even though that sounded fun, I tried to convince you to celebrate your birthday here since we had plans to go to socal just a few weeks after. My practical self said it's too costly to fly to socal twice in one month. Immediately after you agreed I felt like I did a horrible thing. You see, I'm learning that you're not one to ask for a lot of things and it must mean a lot when you do. And I had ignored your only birthday wish and that makes me a bad wife, I'm so sorry. I want to be a better listener like you and learn to read you between the lines.

Hun, I'm sorry for not listening sooner, but I hear you now. I hope I don't burst your bubble when I say that we're not actually dining at 5A5 Steak Lounge for your birthday because SURPRISE....I have two tickets to San Diego this weekend!!! Please come with me? :) Oh and you'll need to bring your fins and goggles. Happy birthday, my love. :)

Happy Monday - Eggplant

2011-05-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! I almost forgot to post my Happy Monday entry because it feels like a Saturday today. Anywhoos, I introduced eggplant last week and tried to create an Asian-esque meal. Never really cooked eggplant before so I just winged it. I'm the type who doesn't really like to follow recipes although I probably should. But I get lazy and don't like following step by step directions. -_- Also why I don't like reading manuals either, but that's another story. So I just sauted the eggplants with red peppers and mixed a little bit of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper sauce, basil, and s&p. It turned out okay!

How about you guys, do you guys like to follow recipes (for non-baking)? Or do you just wing it based on what you feel like eating? :)

Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing memorial day holiday!

DIY - Baby Whale

2011-05-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I've been so excited about planning my sister-in-law's baby shower that I couldn't resist but start on things a month in advance. Yea, Richard says I need to calm down, but I'm calm..promise! Anyway, I've been so in love with baby whales that I attempted to make little felt baby whales to use as some type of decor.

I first made a baby whale "template"... aka my ghetto drawing. Then I used it to make a cut out of felt.

I cut out two felt pieces then sewed them together and halfway stuffed them with cotton balls to give them a little life. Then my final product - a wittle blue whale :)

Then just for fun, decided to give my baby whale a friend, mr. elephant! :)

Happy Monday - Pork Chops

2011-05-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

We don't eat a lot of pork here at the Lo residence. Today was probably the first time we ate pork chops at home! The only other pork we've probably eaten at home is the korean style "sam gyup sal" which is more like bacon. Pork is challenging to cook because you need to cook it all the way through but also need to be careful not to overcook it. Not too much to ask for right? I had a little help in the kitchen today from Mr. Lo. He did an EXCELLENT job cooking the pork. It was perfectly tender with delicious reduced gravy. Talk about yum!

For veggies, I boiled some fresh "yu choy" which I picked up from the Oakland Farmer's market. I think I've fallen in love with these veggies! They are so delicious with a little bit of garlic, s&p. Lastly, just added some corn on the cob on the side with reduced fat TJ's spreadable butter.

Hope you guys have a great week!

JO MA

2011-05-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

That's what my nephew will be calling me. You heard me, MY FIRST nephew...I'm going to be an aunt! The first thing in order is the baby shower which I can't wait for! I've never planned a baby shower before so I'm both excited and nervous :) I was looking for some inspiration and came across a cute website called On to Baby. Everything baby related is SO cute. I'm working on some decor pieces and can't wait to share with you soon! If you know of any good baby resources, please send them my way! =)

Simple Grace Cakery

2011-05-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Okay so who doesn't love cupcakes? Yup, that's what I thought. Simple Grace Cakery, a delicious home-based bakery started by two of my talented friends, create to-die-for cupcakes. I've worked with Tiffany for a couple bridal showers that I helped plan for my friends this year and everyone raved about the cupcakes!! If you're looking for some flavor to your party, I would definitely recommend!

For my friend Holly's bridal shower, we went with Chocolate cupcakes since she loves anything chocolate! They came in these cute little boxes =)

And inside them were these crazy good sweets. Those little balls are edible! hah!

***

For my friend Jen's bridal shower, Tiffany made these amazing red velvet cupcakes (Jen's favorite!) which were definitely crowd-pleasers.

She also added a little touch of Italian which Jen had studied :)

Love the details!

Mille Grazie to you, Tiff! =) I'm sure I'll be emailing you again soon...hehe

Happy Monday - Chicken Parmesan

2011-05-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

I was indirectly introduced to the blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, through Beth's facebook. And it's amazing! The first recipe I tried was Chicken Parmesan and it was semi-successful. Tasted good but wasn't really visually appetizing. First mistake - I used chicken thighs and not breasts as instructed so I had like 10 little thighs of chicken instead of 2 large breasts. Note taken for my second try!

this picture looks so unappetizing ... hahah! It looks like I'm cooking a pot of marinara sauce!

zee final product!

Have a magical week =)

I can't wait to try more meals with my crock pot!

Happy Monday - Pita Pesto Pizza

2011-05-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I promised we were going carbless for dinners at home and we have except tonight. I was craving pesto and pita so I justified that pita was healthy and I made pita pesto pizza with roasted peppers, basil, toasted pine nuts, and chicken. I love anything with cheese and I especially love it when it gets that slightly burnt brown color, yum!

Used a Pioneer Woman's recipe for Pesto. I liked it better than the Ina Garten recipe

I used the first time I made it.

Before going in the oven.

See that burnt cheese? My fav.

Happy Monday, everyone! Have a great week =)

Happy Monday - Carb-Less

2011-04-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

If you're a carb lover like I am, what I'm about to say is going to sound crazy. Few weeks ago, I decided to cut out carbs from our home-cooked dinners, just like that. Okay...maybe that just sounds crazy to me since I love carbs! Before this decision, the meals I cooked were generally healthy (since I usually cut back on salt/oil and rarely cook with butter), but I always had a carb component be it rice, potatoes, bread, or noodles...which isn't horrible. I just thought we should get in the habit of eating healthier at night (ie. no carbs!). We've been at it for three weeks now and it hasn't been too bad! :)

Simple Pleasures

2011-04-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

The greatest simple pleasures of ALL time without a doubt is In N Out. There's really not much else to say about that.

Pit Stop at Kettleman City for some gas and a 9pm In N Out run on our drive down to socal.

I get my hamburger with extra lettuce and extra tomatoes - a must!

Another must - ketchup! I'm one of those people who has fries with their ketchup ;)

Interpretation of Richard's look: "really hanna, really?" hehe yes, really I'm taking pictures of you and ketchup! Smile!

(Whoa, Ketchup spelled out looks weird to me right now. You know how sometimes you look at a word so familiar and all the sudden it looks weird and you begin to wonder if you misspelled it? Yea, I had to google it to double check. Anywhoo...doo doo doo)

The skies are gorg!

Same with the hills, I love all that green.

This weekend I'm looking forward to:
* Sizzler's salad bar with my family
* SD Meixcan carne asada fries
* Tea Station Jasmine green tea boba
* More Mexican food
* Souplantation with the Los

Here's to You, M

2011-04-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hey little guy. Did you know that you're the cutest dog in the whole wide world? I'd be surprised if you don't know that because I sing you my "you're the cutest dog in the world" song all the time. Yea, you're soooo cute that you make me break out in random song.

Every time I think about how you wake me up each morning by quietly whining in my ear saying "lets play" or playfully pawing at my face to help me open my eyes, I chuckle because that's so you. And as tired as I am I don't mind losing sleep to play with you. (Hubby, on the other hand, is not so amused by your early morning gimmicks). I always look forward to the way you greet me when I come home - your uncontrollable wagging tail, spinning in circles, and of course, your stretching out on our living room rug doing the "worm." Also, you make me crack up when we play hide and seek because you get so excited and hyper when I sneak up behind you and chase after you. All these things make you so cute to me, Mighty. And even though it's a little creepy that I'm writing to you online (because I'm positive you'll appreciate my love letter), today's a good occasion to do so because it's your birthday. Happy 1st Birthday, Mr. Fluffy Face!

Can I have my lollipop??

Pleassssee???

Here you go, M. Enjoy! <3

Then & Now

2011-04-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

There's something special about good college friends. I think it's the once in a life time college type memories we share that make it so sweet. Memories like meeting freshmen year when you're wide-eyed and ready to tackle the world (but have no idea what the real world is like), late night studying, cafe chats, uncontrollable laughter and tears, figuring out who we are as we journey through a season of change, grace and forgiveness, and being family away from family.

Having been out of college for almost 3 years (!!!) it's always a good time to see friends who I don't see as often as I used to, like my college roomie Jane! Even though our time was short tonight, it was so nice to see you girl. Love ya!

Sophomore year @ Sister's Appreciation Night

Almost 6 years later!

Adventures in Ann Arbor

2011-03-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's 12am in Michigan now, but 9pm back in California. In addition to the 3 hours gained today I also gained 5 pounds, an understanding of 30 degree weather, new memories, and lots of laughter in Ann Arbor. Here are some highlights from this past weekend with Hubby, Jen, and Andrew.

Sorry Intermezzo, Zingerman's is slightly better than you :P

It was uh-maaa-ZING!

Beautiful campus! Jen gave us a tour and it made me miss being a student, if that's possible haha

See you again soon, Michigan!!!

OAK --> DTW

2011-03-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

In 6 hours, we'll be making our way out to the Oakland Airport headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan!!! =)
Yes, in 6 hours. I should probably be getting some sleep now. :D

Looking forward to a fabulous weekend with Jen and Andrew (and of course my hubby) in chilly Michigan with lots and lots of grub! We are coming!!!!

Happy Monday - Pad See Ew

2011-03-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, Thai food in the bay area far exceeds anything in socal. In fact I think I had Thai food once in my life before coming to Berkeley and I don't remember it being spectacular. But once I tried it in college, I had it over and over again. Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and eggplant plates were my go-to dishes. It is definitely comfort food for a rainy evening, a pick me up after a hard day of work, or just a plain feeling gluttonous day! :D

In honor of my love for Thai food, I attempted to make Pad See Ew with chicken and broccoli for the first time. Also, I didn't really use a specific recipe but read a bunch of different ones and improvised. It wasn't restaurant quality, but it was tasty enough. I'll definitely have to try it again! :)

It seems cheaper to buy Pad See Ew than to make it, or maybe it's about the same. Or maybe it's me trying to make myself feel better about eating out, shrug :)

Berkeley bowl didn't really have a good selection of rice noodles and I think actual Pad See Ew has thicker noodles. Maybe next time I should try 99 ranch!

Have a great week guys! =)

Reminders for the Forgetful

2011-03-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

I think we can all relate when I say that there are periods in our spiritual lives when we forget the weight of how good God is even though we understand that He is always good. At least I've gone through plenty of those seasons when my eyes seem to casually glance over words that were once so very sweet to read. Even though there is always more that we can be doing better with, that's never the point. We just need to remember God's love and who He is.

These are some verses that I've skimmed through time and time again, but today God gave me the grace to remember the depth of his love for me. Thankful for grace to see.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angles nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus or Lord." Romans 8:35-39

Happy Monday - Orange Chicken

2011-03-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

My coworkers and I talk a lot about food. We recommend good places to eat and yummy food to buy, especially things we find at our neighborhood Trader Joes. In fact, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have discovered that their their mac & cheese and chicken tamales are SO good. I like their frozen foods better than anything else because they taste fresh and look homemade and feel less processed.

Anyway, one day at lunch one of my coworkers asked me if I had tried TJ's Orange Chicken. I said I hadn't and my first thought was "why would anyone get orange chicken at TJs??" But she said it was really good. One weekend I was shopping at TJs and I stumbled upon Trader Ming's Orange Chicken and right above it said something like "best product of 2010!" So how could I not buy one, right? So I "cooked" it and it was delicious!! (I know I'm kind of cheating this week since I didn't actually make anything, but this is a new meal!) It was so good that next time I was at TJs I grabbed another bag.

Trader Ming's very own...

I added broccoli and threw it over rice, and it was like I actually knew how to cook Chinese cuisine! heh...heh.

How do you "chill outtt"?

2011-03-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

I was looking forward to a "free" Saturday this weekend which means there absolutely were no events scheduled on my google calendar. But since I don't know how to sit still, even with Richard saying "chillll outtt" all day, this is what my free Saturday turned into:

* 3 loads of laundry
* exercise/walk mighty (so lovely out this morning!)
* clean around the house
* cook blueberry pancakes & eggs for brunch
* a visit to World Cuts for a spontaneous haircut for hubby
* grocery shopping at berkeley bowl east (this place is so crazy!! i appreciate berkeley bowl west's big parking lot!)
* give mighty a bath
* TAXES (just because I'm in Accounting doesn't mean I do my own taxes, I am at the mercy of Turbo Tax)
* try a new recipe for dinner
* paint my nails
* re-watch social network (richard thinks I'm crazy for scheduling in "relaxing" time)

& we stopped in the middle of our day for an afternoon treat @ CREAM. Today was our first time there and I think that this place over-rated (why is there a line out the door??)!

Happy Monday - Pesto

2011-02-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

This meal was only possible through my friend, Sophia. Awhile back I had a status on my gmail that read that I wanted a food processor, I was so careless for not having registered for one for my wedding (for those of you engaged women, don't forget to add it!). Fast forward a few months and I get an email from Sophia saying that she remembered I wanted a food processor and she had a new one that she didn't need anymore so she was looking to get rid of it. And before she asked anyone else, she asked me! That was the first shocker. I excitingly responded, YES please, how much? And she graciously said no charge! Cue second shocker. :) Sophia, thank you thank youuuuu! You reminded me of how graciousness is truly a blessing and gift.

I knew that the first thing I wanted to try and make with my new food processor was pesto. So I did.

did you know that another word for pine nuts is pignoli?

and did you know nuts are hecka expensive??

The color wasn't as bright green as I had hoped. I learned that basil oxidizes like avocados and that adding spinach helps bring the bright green color. Something to keep in mind next time.

The final product. The husband is always gracious to eat my first timer meals.

Happy Monday - Valetines Day =)

2011-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

No Happy Monday post today in lieu of Valentines day :) We'll be dining out at Chez Pannise tonight!!! SO EXCITED =)

Shout out to my one and only husband who I love dearly everyday, not just on this Hallmark holiday :P I thank you for who you are and what you represent.

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:1-3)

Happy Monday - Lobster Tails

2011-02-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

My brother has been raving about his new Nuwave Oven. Ever since he bought one he's been cooking with it nonstop, literally everyday. He even got my mom and dad hooked on it and they've been saying that they've been eating American food (aka steaks and chicken) everyday. My mom even told me that she hasn't made ban-chans (Korean side dishes) in forever because they've been replaced with American vegetables. Wow. So I ask them "what's the big deal with this oven?" and they all say that it's simply amazing. Just speechless. I was so amused by their new-found love for Nuwave it made me really curious if it was really all that magical. But before I even could say another word they had already placed an order for me. That's love.

We got a huge package last week and there it was, my very own Nuwave Oven. My brother calls to tell me that I have to watch the DVD and being a good little sister, I pop in the DVD. The chef is preparing everything from pizzas to steaks and of course everything is "Amazing!" He then cooks lobster tails in the oven and both Richard and I are salivating and are like whoa. Fast forward a few days when we're shopping at Costco. We're walking by the steaks and grab a packet of ribeyes. Then right on display are lobster tails and it's too good to be true. We HAVE to get them and who cares that they are $25 for two (O.o)...we have to try them in our Nuwave! So that's how lobster tails made its debut to my Happy Monday series.

Pre-cooked..these guys were huge!

In the new Nuwave

It was so big that it was seriously like steak. Yum!

A New Series

2011-01-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

I'm setting a new goal for myself: cook a new dish once a week...AND blog about it. The second part is harder for me than the first because I am horrible at updating this thing! But hopefully this will force me to be better at it :) This is by no means going to be a cooking blog because I'm no expert chef. But cooking is very much part of my everyday to make my hubby's tummy happy and this blog is about documenting that everyday kind of stuff so I can remember.

So, with that said, I'm calling this series Happy Monday! to spice up our Mondays with something delicious. And I'll take any suggestions/challenges for new recipes (it doesn't have to be super hard or fancy, just new!) Stay tuned. :o)

Polyvore

2011-01-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

This site is addicting. You can assemble different outfits and even interior designs! I found out about it on another blog and it's so cute. If you're a big onilne shopper, I'd be careful because every clothing item is linked to the actual site where you can buy it. But playing around on this site is something fun to do when you're rained in or what have you. =)

My first creation: Everyday cute

Mighty says "HI"

2011-01-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

I was taking a look at my "Mighty" folder in my iPhoto and realized that I take way too many pictures of my little mights...it's as if he's my baby. But he's not, he's my dog. I'm posting a few that I love, just because they give me giggles.

m: i'm walking ducky

m: oh boy oh boy oh boy!

I love sleeping pictures of little m

his wittle paws. he's also swelling in his behind b/c this was shortly after he was neutered.

mr. shaggy mighty

m: I can't see. I need a haircut.

m: what?

Mighty is almost ONE (in April)! My "baby" is growing up...sigh

Have you seen my...?

2011-01-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I'm prone to clutter things. I try my best to keep my home in orderly fashion, but I am guilty of cluttering when I don't have my home as priority, a shame. Though clutterers have their flaws of being well, cluttery, it's amazing how they know exactly where everything is. Sadly for me, I'm not that high class of a clutterer. My former roomie, Grace, can attest that I've asked her countless times, "Graaaace, have you seen my....?" You would think that I would try harder to remember where I misplaced something since I've proven to myself that I fall short of being a smart clutterer, but I guess I'm still confident that I'll remember. But of course, I forget.

More than anything, there is one thing that I really hate cluttered - my jewelery. Cluttered mail, I can handle, but I've had enough with unorganized jewelery. They can be easily misplaced, tangled, and messy and it's just not worth it. I mean, what do you do with just one earring if its pair is missing?!?! Anyway, so then this problem gave birth to my jewelery board.

I used an old cork board from college that was just collecting dust.

Then I went to Joann's and bought some fabric and lace.

Hot glued them to the board and waited for it to dry and I was done, pretty simple! Finally, I organized my jewelery and I have to say that my morning routine has been a little easier since. :)

Our Second Christmas

2010-12-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

We spent our second Christmas together this year, but still experienced many firsts. This was our first Christmas apart from our families down south. We missed them sorely, but they were constantly in our heart and mind. At the same time, we were thankful for our church family here. On Christmas Eve, I went out to the city to meet Richard for lunch since he had to work that day. It was so weird being in the city on Christmas Eve instead of traveling like we normally do. It was strangely peaceful walking around the city that day despite all the bustling last minute shoppers surrounding me. Don't know why. Richard and I had lots of fun hanging out together in the city and I'll cherish these days forever.

It was my first time at Gott's and it was mighty delicious indeed. Aren't those some beautiful burgers?

After a nice lunch, we decided to go to bi-rite since we've heard so many good things about their ice cream. We walked down Mission Ave which was terrifying but we finally made it to our destination. I have to say that I am still an ici fan :) Don't hate!

After our tummys were happy, Richard and I did some Christmas shopping ourselves at my favorite stores: Anthro, Nordstroms, Banana, and J.Crew. After all our happy shopping, we finally barted home for a homemade dinner =) Richard surprised me with my presents later that evening and he made me cry. He's the sweetest husband evers. A good way to end the evening. =)

Christmas morning we made Gingerbread pancakes with blackberry puree for the first time. I really cherish the times we make breakfast together, enjoy our morning, and eat slowly into the afternoon. =) I want to remember these days where we enjoy the simple things in life and thank Jesus who makes life worthwhile.

We're off to SLO tomorrow to join some of our friends into the New Year. Hope you guys have smiles on your faces and thankfulness in your hearts as you have a Happy New Year!

My heart, your home

2010-12-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

I don't consider myself to be the creative or crafty type. But lately I've been getting the urge to do more things homemade. I've been enjoying my time at blog sites such as Lisa Leonard (Richard surprised me with one of her necklace designs earlier this year) and The Nester who says that things don't have to be perfect to be beautiful. They've been inspiring me to think more about what it means to build your home to be a dwelling place by first centering your home around God's love and then crafting it to be your beautiful domain. I'm working on both aspects and I anticipate it to be a lifelong learning.

Anyway, all this to say that I've recently made a doormat. LOL! A simple project, but something I've been wanting to do after reading about it on Lisa's blog.

First, I cut out stencils by printing letters on the computer, and cutting them out was harder than I expected. But here they are ~

Then paint away! I was so nervous that it wouldn't come out the way I wanted.

Voila, the finished product!

Enter love <3

Whaaaaaat?

2010-12-04T22:15:00.000-08:00

December came out of nowhere, serious. I can't believe it's almost Christmas, but I'm not complaining. I'm excited!! =) This whole week I've been looking forward to today - the day we get our Christmas tree! We had a list of errands to run this morning and our tree was our last stop.

Richard got a much needed haircut from a new place, World Cuts, because Janny's store was closed down this month; she was a victim of burglary. :( Must have been really scary and I hope she's okay.
Anyway, this new place did a pretty good job =) Here are before and after shots, handsome I must say.

Afterward, we...er...I sang the whole way to Target because it was finally time to pick up our Christmas tree!!!! Except that when we got there we found out that their garden center was closed. WHAAAT?? So sad. THEN they wouldn't allow Mighty in the store. WHAAAT??? Do they not realize that he is more than just a dog??? sigh. Doubly sad. We leave Mighty in the car and go back to shop for some lights for the tree - only to find that the ones we wanted were sold out. AHH! I know, the end of the world. So Target was a big fail with the exception of my gingerbread latte, Christmas in a cup.

OKAY so then we go to Home Depot and YES they have a million treesssss! And we found the perfect one =) yay! Here are a few pics from tonight.

Richard with our 7 ft douglas fir

hehe :o)

The final product - yay!!! :)

I'm very very happy now.
21 days till Christmas :o)

Recovery update & Sweet findings

2010-10-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

My knees are still stiff and sore from this past Sunday, but I've been recovering well from my half marathon. It still boggles my mind that we ran 13 miles. AHH! =) Anyway, this past weekend was so full. We had the pleasure of hosting Jen & Andrew for 4 nights and then Richard's cousin Joyce stayed with us last night and introduced us to a good eat on 4th street, O Chame. Their simmered beef shoulder udon soup was unbelievably delicious, especially perfect with the chilly weather. We topped off our night with a scoop of Ici ice cream. I was happy with my nutmeg. Needless to say, it was a packed few days. After all that fun, it's kind of nice to just sit here. :)

In other news, I've come across some sweet findings the past couple days.

1. Priscilla Ahn
* Recently, I've been spending a lot of time with Christine.M to prepare for our marathon and also to celebrate our victories thereafter with fries and cupcakes. While riding in her car last Saturday, she had Ingrid Michaelson playing and we talked about other various artists we liked. Somehow Priscilla Ahn came up in the conversation for a brief moment but nothing more than the mention of her name. I've heard of her name once or twice before but never really got around to listening to her music. In the office yesterday I was working on excel and decided to listen to some music to keep me from falling asleep, and for some reason Priscilla Ahn popped into my mind. And I couldn't stop listening. Still listening now! Her music complements my mood lately and her voice soothes my sore body.

2. Aldo Brendal Boots
* I've been searching for a pair of brown boots since LAST fall. Richard bought me a pair of Steve Madden's Intyce last Christmas because I really loved the way they looked. Unfortunately it didn't quite have the right fit for me. This fall I continued my search for a perfect pair and paid many visits to Steve Madden, Nordstroms, Aldo, DSW, DB shoes, BR, and online stores only to try on a million pairs but never to take one home. BUT! Today, I found my boots @ Aldo.

They are cute, comfy, motorcycle boots. Apparently, Cameron Diaz has a pair but I had no idea until the salesman told me. I haven't decided 100% if I'll keep them, but hopefully it'll work out because my hunt for boots need to end asap.

Thanks for reading! Till next time, see you.

I did it!!!

2010-10-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't think the day would come. I also didn't think I would be so surprised. BUT!!! The dreaded October 17th finally came around out of no where and I was standing face to face with my half marathon at 6:30am, with 20,000 other women, and freezing my butt off in Union Square. If that's not crazy enough, check this out - I RAN 13.1 MILES, yes, the SF hills and all it's glory. If you've been following along my (limited) updates here on this blog, you would know that I barely could run a mile without dying when I first started "training". So I am so impressed to say that I ran 13 miles (the longest I ran during my training was 5 miles). I am a firm believer that anyone (and I mean ANYONE) can do it! :) It was super fun!

Here's a video of me crossing the finish line (look out on the left, i'm wearing a pink shirt and black shorts)

finish time: 2:47; pace: 12:47 min

***SHOUT OUTS***
Thank you, God for sustaining me
Thank you, Richard for being my patient trainer & #1 cheerleader
Thank you, friends for being my support system
Thank you, Gatorade, Luna Bar, Orange, Banana, and Chocolate for getting me through mile 3, 6, 9, 11, and 12.
Finally, thanks to my rockstars, Jen.H and Christine.Y (and the support of Christine.M who ran the full marathon, crazy girl!)! We did it!!! (*squeel*)

Feeling Good at 3 miles

2010-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

It means a lot when I say that I'm feeling comfortable at 3 miles now. I can't say much beyond that except that I'm going to try for 5, maybe tomorrow. I know I should be further along, but I'm trying! Even though I've been running 3 miles pretty consistently I'm reaching little milestones along the way such as running without complaining, running without stopping, running without fighting, and today I reached a new one - running and talking! Even though it might be obvious to most that you can talk to your jogging partner, I never thought about conversation because I've always been so focused on trying to make it through alive. It takes skills to talk and run at the same time! And I'm proud that we talked the whole 3 miles today! Yes, I'm that lame, but I already admitted that before. I can't believe this myself, but running is slowly becoming somewhat enjoyable. I might take that back tomorrow, but I just want to revel in this moment because it's not too often that I feel proud of the little steps I've taken to be where I am now. It might not mean all too much for you, but I wasn't able to run even 5 minutes without dying just a few months ago.

I'll leave you with a few words of inspiration from Bruce Lee if you're feeling a little discouraged about whatever your "marathon" is at this moment. Hope you will be victorious one step and one decision at a time.

“Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace. We’d run the three miles in twenty-one or twenty-two minutes. Just under eight minutes a mile [Note: when running on his own in 1968, Lee would get his time down to six-and-a half minutes per mile]. So this morning he said to me “We’re going to go five.” I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five. I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.” He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.” I said “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.” So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out. I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run any more,” —and we’re still running-“if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.” He said, “Then die.” It made me so mad that I went the full five miles. Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it. I said, you know, “Why did you say that?” He said, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

If this doesn't inspire you, I'm not sure what will

It's that Time Again...

2010-08-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

Buff men in tights. Burgers and hotdogs. Screaming and cheering. It's preseason. I didn't even realize it was that time again, but football season is so close I can hear it. Last year none of our teams won, but it's a fresh new year and a second chance for the Golden Bears and the Chargers. Lets hope for the win this year!

I'm personally rooting for Tim Tebow, not particularly as a football player because I'm not one to say who's good and who's not, but I hope he continues to proclaim his faith because he has such a huge impact. He's so inspiring and I love to watch his interviews more than his time on the field. Yes, I'm not a true football fan, but you already knew that because I don't know too much about the game. Too bad that he's on the Gators ...supposedly they are Charger's biggest rival. I'm sure Richard is torn. Anyway, hope you'll be able to join us and watch a few games this season! Should be a good time :)

The Best Days of my Life

2010-08-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

There is one question that my husband hates to hear, and that is "Do you love me?" I'm probably not the only woman who wants to hear that she's loved over and over again and it makes me feel better to think maybe we're just wired that way. But Richard has expressed to me over and over again that I should never question his love and tells me "Hanna, of course I love you. You asked me just 5 minutes ago." le sigh...

From many conversations like this, Richard and I quickly realized that we speak different love languages - he loves by acts of service and I love by words of affirmation. You naturally hope to receive love in the ways you give love, but sometimes you need to look beyond your definition of love to understand the other person's language. And when you do make the effort to get into someone else's mind and heart, you get so much more about that person than ever before and you begin to slowly learn their language. Only then can you actually appreciate them and understand why God has placed them in your life.

Through God's good gift of marriage, I've come to love and appreciate Richard more during our first year than when we first started dating because I've grown to understand a little bit more about who he is. And because I naturally love by words, I've written a very short list of reasons why I appreciate Richard.

* His unhesitating generosity challenges me to question whether or not I truly understand the gift of giving
* He expresses genuine thankfulness for each meal I cook, even if it's mediocre
* He teaches by example that you diligently study the ones you love
* He amuses me by laughing at my jokes even when I'm probably the only one who thinks they're funny
* He puts my favorite iPhone game at the top of his game folder list even though he never plays it
* He spoils me with flowers at work even when I least expect it, like our second month of marriage

Happy Anniversary hun, this past year has been the best of my life. I love you!

Running Update

2010-08-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already August and I can't believe that it's cold. But that's not what this post is about even though I'm upset that the sun is in hiding. What August really tells me is that I have a little over 2 months till my marathon. ddklajreoiajf?!?! SIGH. Am I ready? Hmm....?

I can think of a million excuses why its been hard to find time to run. Going to Asia in May threw off my training schedule. Taking care of Mighty has made it difficult to run. Lots of weddings & showers have consumed my weekends making long runs impossible. I can probably go on, but the point is that I still haven't come to a place where I'm determined to conquer running. Sadly, running is still a very mentally challenging block for me. Richard tells me that it's 90% mental and 10% physical and I can't seem to break down that mental wall. Yes, I am a baby..but I'm slowly improving. I have to. Otherwise, I will hear it from Richard.

You see, running with Richard is not fun simply because he won't let me do what I want. He won't let me slow down, give up, finish half heartedly...and if I do Richard will be screaming down my throat! He's like the high school football coach I never signed up for. A lot of times I just feel like yelling back and sometimes I do. I wish he could disappear because then I could listen to my mind telling me to stop. Well, this happened again on Tuesday while we were running 3 miles. I was panting and thinking, "man, this is so not fun. Richard is not being nice to me (translation: he is in the way of what I want)." Then I realized something - we like people who give us what we like. We want to be around people who will affirm what we want. But a lot of times getting what we want isn't best for us and we need that friend who will love us enough to tell us what's actually for our good, even if we don't want to hear it. Then I had another epiphany - Richard is that friend! His yelling is actually an expression of love and he's not out to eat me like I'm some piece of juicy steak. Gasp, am I actually learning life lessons from running? I actually learn a lot from running and it's inspiring, but reality hits me and I remember that running actually takes hard work...not just a little inspiration. But I suppose a little inspiration won't hurt.

Congrats to Jen & Andrew!!!

2010-07-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Jen came up to the bay area to celebrate her birthday. Little did she know, Andrew had been planning to ask her to marry him later that night! She was successfully fooled by everyone and she said YES! Andrew is now a happy man. Congrats to you both, dear friends :) We love you!

Some of my favorite pictures :)

Puppy Reflections

2010-07-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

When we first considered getting a puppy we heard that it would be a lot of work, and it has been. It feels like I've been raising a baby because every waking moment I'm with Mighty, I have to keep an eye out on him. "Mighty, leave it. Mighty, don't bite. Mighty, good boy! Mighty, sit." These phrases are part of our everyday language now and I feel like a mommy who is always disciplining or praising. My thought life has also changed to include a lot about Mighty. When I'm out, I'm thinking about Mighty and rush to come home. When he needs something, I always want to get him the best. When he gets hurt, I get worried and wonder if we're doing something wrong. Even though its been a lot of work, it has been so much more rewarding. Over the past few weeks, I've been learning a couple things that I feel like are preparing me to think about motherhood which I know will be a million times harder and also a million times sweeter.

1. Disciplining in love is hard
I've heard some mothers share with me that it's difficult to discipline with love, but only true discipline exists with love. Anything apart from love is selfish and does not come from a heart that truly wants to teach. I've experienced this with Mighty too. Sometimes I get so frustrated when he's not really understanding what I'm trying to teach him and I lose my patience. And when I'm frustrated and not teaching Mighty in love, I defeat the purpose of true discipline. Its been sobering to see my impatient heart from training Mighty and it has been a good reminder that I have much to prepare myself for disciplining children in motherhood.

2. Prioritize my marriage
Since we got Mighty, I feel like my time alone with Richard went from a lot to none. Even though we're always together, we're constantly focusing on Mighty and his needs. In a lot of ways Mighty has brought us many joys to experience together, but it's been increasingly difficult to prioritize our times together. We've begun to revolve our time, energy, and conversations around Mighty and I can easily imagine how this would happen more so with children. I'm thankful for our date nights because even now we've used that time to reconnect and have sweet conversations. I definitely want to continue our date nights when our children come around though I imagine it would be more difficult.

In some ways, it's silly that I've been paralleling my experience with Mighty to what I imagine motherhood will be like. But I feel like these struggles will only be greater with children since I not only have to take care of their physical needs, but also their emotional and spiritual needs. I'm thankful that I'm able to think about these things now so I can have even a sneak peak into what I can expect with children. It's also extremely sobering because I'm sure that I'll struggle with a million other things with motherhood, but I'm thankful that God does not leave me to be alone through all of this and he ultimately take cares of all of us. And at the end of the day, children are a gift from God and a blessing to be enjoyed...and Mighty is too! :)

Mighty's Story

2010-06-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ruff ruff, my name is Mighty! Seems like most of you have seen my picture already and thanks for your warm welcome. Most of you may not know this, but before I was Mighty, my name was "Sammy." I used to live in Vacaville until my new parents adopted me 2 days ago at 10 weeks old. ...SQUIRRELS!!! I was supposed to be a surprise birthday gift to my new mom and it was kept a secret for over a month, but I hear that she accidentally found out she would be getting a new friend. But in the end, everything worked out and now I'm at home with my new family. I'm getting used to my home and I have fun toys to play with, I especially like to play fetch with my football. SQUIRRELS!!! The hardest job I have is to go potty on my pee pad, but I'm getting better and better each day. Today I did really well and I got lots of yummy treats! Well, here are some recent pictures of me, I hope you enjoy!

Please come visit me soon!

Meet Mighty.

2010-06-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

The Past 2 weeks ...

2010-06-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Since we've been back, things have been nonstop. We had fun 4am morning ramen meals fighting jet lag, catching up with 2 weeks of being MIA at work, unpacking and cleaning, planning Richard's bday party, going to other June babies' bday parties, watching NBA finals, and then our first weekend back drove down to socal to visit my family & celebrate the Kay's wedding.

our drive down - ellie & jonny fighting over pringles, ellie wins :)

We also got to spend some sweet time with family, but makes me sad that our time together is always so short. We only had Saturday evening together and they took us out to dinner to celebrate our June birthdays at Claim Jumper - their garlic cheese breads are soo good!!! After dinner we were stuffed but continued to stuff ourselves with an ice cream birthday cake & presents! <3 We are so blessed.

I really miss spending time with my family and was sad that we had to leave so soon! I also miss having long summer vacations and I could really use one now. Even though the past two weeks have been great, its been tiring and I wish things could slow down so I can take things in as they come. Does anyone else feel like this? Well, reality is I won't be getting a long break, but I'm still excited for what's ahead this summer :) Summer 2010, you're fabulous.

Back home

2010-05-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of fun in Asia and our grueling 23 hour flight + layover from Korea --> China --> SF, we safely made it back home. It feels good to be back! I'm posting pictures on my facebook page if you guys want to check out our adventures in China & Korea. Now, back to reality...and mexican food. :)

We're leaving!!

2010-05-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Toiletries - check
Clothes - check
iPod & headphones - check
Laptop & charger - check
Bible & books - check
Snacks for the plane - check
Camera - check
IDs and passport - check
Luggage - check

WE'RE ALL READY & LEAVING FOR CHINA TODAY!! :) Please lift up a prayer for us for a safe trip and travel mercies. We will miss you all!

Now I have to go wake up Richard...hehe :) Bye!!

Day Three & Four

2010-05-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

I am seeing some progress! On day three I ran & walked (mostly walked...) 3miles in 40 minutes, but I was dying. Today, I ran the same course with little stopping (!!!) in 35 minutes. I'm really thankful for my coach because he pushes me to challenge myself. If it wasn't for him, I'd give up the moment I felt a little winded. I'm so weaksauce. :/ I also got my shoes, finally! I got the asics GT -2150 & they are beautiful. Yay!

In other news, I'm going to China & Korea in EIGHT days!!! So thrilled :) I won't be running much, but I'll make it up with... lots of eating! har har har ... :) Looking forward to seeing Cindy & David, shopping at the night market, eating eating eating, and going to JeJu Island. :D See you guys around!

Day Two

2010-04-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Getting started is always the hardest part. This week I've been making excuses saying that I'll start running tomorrow and then when tomorrow rolls around, the next day seems more appealing than the now. But last night, I finally made up my mind to run before I had any chance to think or feel otherwise.

My goal was to stay on the treadmill longer than my first half mile. I ran 1.5 miles in 20 minutes. Its still pretty bad and far far from where I need to be, but I'll get there. Slowly but surely.

I still want new shoes and I'm leaning towards getting a pair of asics. I was told that the GEL Cumulus was a good one, anyone have thoughts on that? I'm also thinking of investing in a pedometer. Is it worthwhile to get the high end brands for $100 or is it just as good to get a basic $20 one? Any input would be helpful!

Logistical things aside, my hope is that my physical training will help me grow more disciplined to make up my mind more often and have the resolve and courage to follow through!

Day One

2010-04-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Bob*,

After finding out that I'll be running in the Nike Marathon along with my friends, Andrew sent us a training schedule to help us reach our 13 mile goal. Knowing that we're not runners, he suggested that we modify the typical regimen. A wise man. He said...

"Screw this whole starting off with 3 miles. Let's do week 0, week -1, week -2, etc.... Let's begin with a refreshing 10 minute stroll. 2 day's later we'll upgrade to a pleasant 20 minute stride. 2 days after that a brisk jog for 1/2 hour. THAT will be the first week."

I should have listened to him, but I foolishly went straight to running ONE mile. I should clarify, my goal was one mile. What was I thinking?!?! I'm embarrassed to tell you that I failed miserably. I ran half a mile and crashed. But I'm not giving up, I promise you that.

After my massive failure I needed a pick me up, and at just the right moment I found this. Thank you, Bob, you inspire me.

I, too, am a skinny fat girl. But I believe there is hope for me, yes, I believe. You ask me, "Are you Ready?" My answer is an emphatic YES! On Day two I shall follow Andrew's recommendation and take a pleasant 20 minute stride.

Ready & Hopeful,
Hanna

*Bob Harper is a trainer on The Biggest Loser (my fav. show! more on that later..) Richard kindly offered to be my Bob for my training season. THANKS RICHARD!

Bring It On

2010-04-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

I opened my inbox this morning and saw an email from my friend, Jen, with the subject line "Confirmation 9M2...." My heart dropped. A month ago, Jen, Christine, Amy, and I registered to be entered in the random drawing for the Nike Half/Marathon in San Francisco. I was hoping that our group wouldn't get chosen since this is a sell out event. And you guessed it, we did. (aldkjfwoaeijr;lakjdfkdjs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I'm deathly afraid. I haven't ran over a mile in .....hmm..maybe never!?!?! Now I have to run 13 miles?!?!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm so nervous. I have to buy new running shoes. My 6 year old New Balances wont' do. If you know of any that will run for me, let me know.

San Francisco, bring it on.

Smiling at the Future

2010-04-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really thankful for this season of my life. I have a stable job, a faithful body & community, a loving family back home, and an amazing husband and best friend. In my habit of complaining it's so easy to overlook these gifts, but I'm slowly realizing that God has given abundatly in this season of my life and my heart is filled with gratitude.

I know that seasons are meant to change throughout our lives and I don't want to forget that God remains faithful through them all. I follow a few of blogs by Christian women who write about their valleys in their own season of life. They have physical illnesses or their children are terminally ill. The hospital is not an uncommon place for them and they've cried so much and have no tears left to shed. Despite their unwanted circumstances, these women are unwavering in their faith and are not afraid to honestly voice their struggles. They ask for prayer for beautiful things which are a reflection of their heart's desires. They don't welcome pity because they joyfully accept their lot as they believe in a good God who is in control. Their faith is inspiring, strong, and so beautiful.

Suffering, to the extent that some suffer, is still a stranger to me, but I know that it will soon come knocking on my door. And when God allows it, I want to be like these older women who are strong in their character and faith. For now, I smile and give thanks to God for this season of life and hope that I can smile at the future seasons to come.

Sun Still Shines

2010-03-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

Richard had been wanting to get lasik for awhile. Initially, I dismissed the idea but after seeing how much he wanted the surgery, we finally decided to book an appointment with a well recommended doctor in LA, Dr. Joseph Lee. Richard was so excited and talked about how life changing it would be to see perfectly first thing in the morning. I, on the other hand, wasn't so excited to have my eyes cut with a knife and a layer of my cornea burned with a laser -_-

Here we are getting ready to leave for our appointment

After we had our consultation the doctor had bad news for us. He explained that Richard was not a good candidate for lasik because his corneas were too thin and the surgery would be too risky. Richard was bummed, to say the least. His dream of being glasses/contacts free was crushed. Even though I was a good case for lasik, I decided to skip out on the surgery because it was something I wanted to do with Richard. Plus, I wasn't too thrilled about it to begin with.

Richard after our appointment. :(

Both of us were so sure that we'd be glasses free by the time we returned home that day, but to our surprise, we were still wearing our glasses when we left the doctor's office. It was a strange feeling to be suddenly back to normal after having prepared ourselves for change, emotionally, mentally, and physically for a few weeks. We thought our lives would be different, but nothing had changed except our plans. And when life doesn't go exactly the way we plan out in our minds, we're thrown off guard for a moment until we realize once again that God is the One who is in control, even with small things like lasik. This weekend was a good reminder that my life is in His hands & I'm not in control...and I think I needed it.

Here we are back at home, 10 hours later (many many hours in traffic), sun still shining (love you socal), and still wearing our glasses. :) Still a good day.

The Sweetest Thing

2010-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Just as I thought, I didn't win the giveaway that I wrote about in my previous post. No surprise there. But the sweetest thing happened tonight! It was just an ordinary Monday evening - I got home from work, hit the gym (this is unusual), showered, and asked Richard what movie we got in the mail for Netflix. He said, "Michael Jackson." I'm thinking, "Sweet! We finally got it after the 'long wait' on our queue." Excited to finally watch This is It, I was humming Billie Jean as I walked towards the kitchen to prepare some dinner. Then I saw something unusual.

These two cute boxes were sitting on my cutting board!!

Me: What IS this Richard???!!?! What day is it today??!?!

Richard: I dunnooooooo...... :) What IS that? Open it!

I have NO idea what it is. I open it and find this. AHHHH!!! He didn't!

He did. He bought me a necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs!

There are 3 charms on my necklace and it reads richard loves hanna :)

And a bonus!! I get pearl earrings too?!?!! <3

He told me that it took 3 weeks for them to custom design and build the necklace. Wow, he read my mind even before I wrote about the giveaway! My husband is the sweetest. Thanks hun, you made my day.

Marked by Love

2010-03-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ever since I read about Lisa Leonard's necklaces through Angie Smith, I've really really really really wanted one. Like really. They are so beautiful and simple yet they carry a lot of weight and meaning. Her newest necklace is made in honor of Angie's late baby Audrey and it's called "Marked by Love". (side note: if you've never heard of Angie's story you should check out her blog, it's one of my favorites.) They're having a give away (2 necklaces!) and I really hope I win! I probably won't but it doesn't hurt to try! *crossing fingers* because who knows...maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe just maybe, I'll win!

Check out this beauty:

If you want to check out the rest of Lisa's collection, head on over to her store. I love them ALL!

Hello, Asia

2010-03-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

We've booked our tickets. It's official, we're going to Asia! Our two destinations are Chin(ar) & Korea and I'm thrilled. I've never been to either...well technically, I've been to Korea when I was two but I don't remember a thing so I don't think that counts.

I'm looking forward to visiting Cindy&David in Beijing and seeing the great wall of Chin(ar). And I can't wait to eat dduk-bok-ee & shop in Korea. AHHHH! Oh, and hopefully the weather will be nice in May.
If any of you guys recommend anything for us to see, eat, experience in either country, PLEASE let me know!! I'm debating if we need to go on a tour for Korea but we'd really prefer to avoid the whole tour bus shabang.

thanks! :)

Update: Thanks to those who suggested places for us to visit & eat!! :) We also booked a 3 day trip to Jeju Island in Korea, excited!

We All Scream for Homemade Ice Cream!

2010-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Richard has the biggest sweet tooth out of anyone I've ever met. He could easily eat a whole box of sweet and sour patches, donuts, twizzlers, cheesecake, and whatever else he can get his hands on. I never regularly ate dessert until I started dating Richard and now I crave something sweet after every meal! -_-

Last Christmas, we got a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker from my sister-in-law and Richard was beyond ecstatic. Since then, he has been very faithful in trying new ice cream recipes almost weekly. He doesn't really know how to cook, but he can make some good ice cream! So far we've made mint chip (twice), coffee, vanilla fudge, strawberry, and fuji apple caramel ice cream. And when I say we, I mean Richard, as the ice cream head chef (self proclaimed) and me, whom he calls his sous chef. Today we tried a new recipe, orange chocolate chip, which we were inspired by ici in Berkeley.

Here's Richard peeling off the orange skin to make zest for the ice cream.

He claims to be a professional orange peeler.

lol!

We cut up all the orange peels into tiny pieces since we didn't have a zester.

As his sous chef, I squeezed the oranges to prepare 1/2 cup of orange juice for the mix.

And of course, the chocolate chips!

Then we mixed together milk, heavy cream, sugar, the oj, & orange zest.

And into the ice cream maker it goes!

And there you have it. Delicious orange chocolate chip ice cream and a satisfied sweet tooth! Please come over and help us eat our ice cream...we have 3 cartons in our freezer!

Dumplings for Valentine's

2010-02-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

This wasn't our year for the superbowl, but this is our year of the tiger. So happy lunar/chinese/korean new year everyone, or as my mother-in-law would say, xin nian kuai le! For the new year we set a new tradition. Dumplings. Lots and lots of dumplings...from scratch! We had so much fun making our little dumplings and cooking mandu dduk-gook (rice cake soup).

The filling - ground pork, beef, chives, and tofu

Richard likes a lot of filling in his dumpling. He made some beautiful looking dumplings, must be in his chinese blood.

I couldn't resist! Sorry if it offends you, but c'mon, isn't it hilarious?!

The final product - boil or fry dumpling...hungry

cooking soup & dumplings

prepping garnish for dduk gook!

the fruits of our labor - dinner! it was fabulous & delicious!

full & happy :)

"There's Always Next Year"

2010-02-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

That's the perspective I've been told you need to have with football. It's apparently a heart breaking sport and when your team doesn't make it to the Superbowl, you need to be comforted that there's always next year. When Richard and I were dating I knew that he really liked football, but I didn't quite understand his obsession with the sport till our first football season together in marriage. I think it's an obsession, but he insists that it's a passion.

He explained to me that there are three types of people who watch football. First, there's people like me. I root for Cal simply because I went there for school, but I don't know much about the game. Then, there's people who watch football socially. They don't really care who wins or loses but they enjoy the game and environment. Lastly, there's people like Richard. He studies the game and re-watches plays to analyze strategy. And ESPN is his go to site. He even jokingly told me that he didn't play fantasy football this year to save our marriage. As he's explaining all of this to me, I'm thinking "why did I get stuck with the third type, God??"

But PRAISE GOD for the Superbowl. Today officially marks the end of football and I'm proud to say that I survived through what seemed like a really really long season. September through February..games on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. And if I'm lucky, sometimes we watch 2 games on Saturdays. Yes, Richard lets me win Monoploy Deal, but I let him watch a lot of football. Can we call it even? Needless to say, I wanted to share a few things I've observed the past 5 months.

1. It's not just a game
The game was Chargers (our team) vs. Broncos. It was a close game through the first half and I could see that Richard was getting more and more tense. But the Chargers played a horrible second half and they lost. He was devastated...like seriously, I couldn't comprehend it. So after I gave him a few minutes to grieve, I tried to comfort him by saying "hun, it's okay, it's just a game." And I'll never forget the look on his face when he said, "no, it's not just a game." At that moment, I realized that he felt things for football I will never be able to comprehend and if it's something that means a lot to him, then it means a lot to me. Now I know that it's never just a game.

2. It's a love-hate relationship
Cal lost. The Chargers lost. "This happens every year," he says. I see that it breaks him to pieces and yet he is so faithful to his team year after year. The more experienced football fans console him by saying that you just need to grow a thick skin because it's an emotional ride. And through the ups and the downs with our teams, I was reminded of the importance of being faithful and committed to someone or something even though things might not always go your way.

3. It brings people together
This is my favorite part. Football brings all types of fans together and I love that we can all cheer, shout, celebrate, and grieve together. In the end, it's those people that can be there with us through the small things in life that will be there for the greater times to come.

I never believed I would be able to write so much about football. God willing, I'll be able to write about more in the seasons to come. For my one and only, let's hope for Cal and the Chargers for 2010!
And for those who rooted for the Saints, this was your year.

And just for fun...pictures!

These were photos taken in Tahoe back in summer 2007 when we were still friends. The guys seriously did this for 2 hours. Back then, I just thought they were having fun jumping in the water, but now I realize it's more likely that they were seriously thinking they were playing in the NFL.

This was our attempt to pose for the Heisman award. Focus on Richard...a little too good huh?

I'm just relieved that he's not a huge basketball fan!!

Dealing with Love

2010-02-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt, the biggest hit of 2010 is Monopoly Deal. I'm sorry to break it to you, but if you're wondering "what is the big deal about Monopoloy deal?" you are way missing out. After hearing the word that this game is a must have, Richard and I decided to add to our board game collection of two. I didn't think that a deck of cards could be so satisfying until I played my first round. Then I realized they were right - Monopoly Deal is a big deal. The best thing about this game is that it makes a great 2 player game and that is how the Monopoly Deal game series at the Lo household began.

I hate to admit it, but this game gives me a rush of adrenalin. Every time I draw my two cards, I hope for a Deal Breaker....and when I see that glorious purple card it is gameovers. But I have to put on my game face and pretend I'm going to lose which I know is not going to happen because I never lose when I play with Richard. We agree that best out of 3 games wins the title of Monopoly Deal Champion. At least that's how it always starts. Last night we were playing best out of 3 and Richard won the first round and I won the second. We were head to head going into the final round, and can you believe it? Richard won. I went berzerk and without making any sense, I convinced him that I need to show him mercy and allow him to redeem himself by changing the rules to best out of 5. He agreed.

This is what I love about Richard. He puts up with my nonsense and plays along. Not only is he selfless when we play games, but more importantly he is generous in every aspect of our marriage and always yields to my preferences and desires. I respect him so much because he is my example of selfless giving. Thank you for that, Richard. And thank you for knowing how much joy it gives me to win a stupid game in Monopoly Deal...because I never win at things like this. Because of you I am the Lo household Monopoly Deal Champion. Can I gloat a little now?

99 Balloons

2010-01-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Eliot's story? If you haven't, it'd be worth a few minutes of your time to watch this video. After I listened to Eliot's father tell of his son's victorious 99 days on earth, I literally bawled. It's an amazing story of how God uses the hardest times of life to bring glory to his name. Eliot's parents are pretty amazing too.

Help Haiti

2010-01-18T22:56:00.000-08:00

When I first heard about the earthquake in Haiti, I couldn't fully grasp how destructive it was. After I saw pictures and videos of the aftermath I still had a hard time understanding what life would be like if I had lost everything. It was so easy for me to move on with my regular and comfortable life here, on the other side of the world. At best, what happened in Haiti was bad news. And it's shameful that I could be so numb, isn't it?

But I knew that I wanted to help in the small ways I could. And that's what we did. Richard and I gave to Compassion's Haiti Earthquake Relief efforts. I've been encouraged by how so many people around the world have been donating their dollars to help Haiti. But there's a lot more help they could use. So if you haven't given yet, I hope you do. I've learned that when you act first, your heart will follow.

Our First Christmas

2010-01-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas was especially exciting this year because it was our first being married. Richard and I started new traditions for our family and we hope to continue them when we have kids! We got our very own Christmas tree and went crazy at Target buying all our Christmas decorations. I really missed the smell of pine. I can't even remember the last time I had a real tree! So waking up to the smell of pine each morning was pure bliss.

Here's our beautiful douglas fir pine tree and Richard excited to give it some character.

Our first Christmas together :) I love you, hun. God willing, many more to come!

Aside from our first Christmas, we naturally have a lot of "firsts" being newlyweds. As we're both learning what it means to build a solid foundation for our marriage, family, and home, I'm reminded that there is room for much grace. We're bound to make mistakes and we'll probably make a lot of them. But I'm humbled as I realize how dependent I am to God to guide our first, second and third steps. At the same time, I'm super excited to see how He'll write our story.

Antique Wedding

2009-12-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of Style Me Pretty. Even after my own wedding planning, I still frequently visit their site. Recently, I found out through Jensine's blog that you can create your own Inspiration boards on their website if you join their Style Circle Community! AHHHHH!!!! :) :) :) Thank you, Jensine!!! :)

So here's my first one. These images are from Jessica Claire's wedding, so so so beautiful! I want to create some from my own wedding, but I'm having trouble uploading images on the site. They've been uploading for over an hour now...humm, something is not right. But I'll deal with that later!

Enjoy!

His question was simple.

2009-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

"How come you didn't use wordpress?"

Before he could even finish, questions started flooding my mind. "What did he mean by that? Why doesn't he like my new blog just the way it is? What if I like blogspot?"

And then I did it again. I overanalyzed something more than it was meant to be. Richard was just asking because he felt that wordpress was more back-end user friendly, whatever that means. Looking back, I knew that my reaction (or I should say overreaction) was uncalled for, and I realize I could have simply said, "I just like it better" like a normal person. But I didn't, because I'm not that normal person, and in that moment I felt so threatened by his question that I chose to complicate things as if it was my only self defense. The sad thing is that this isn't anything new...well, this blog is (whoohoo!), but this overanalyzing thing happens in my head all the time. "Is there something wrong with my shirt? How come she didn't smile back? Did I have food in my teeth?" I often over react to simple things in life and when I ask myself why I put myself through this painful process, the answer is simply that I love myself too much. Because I fear that if I don't, no one else will. Or even scarier, no one else can.

What an ugly lie! I'm so thankful that God has liberated me from this very deceiving and arrogant self-love and everything else I'm in bondage to because it's so tiring. Life would be hopeless if God didn't rescue me from my house of mirrors, it's a lonely place to live. But thankfully, God has a greater home prepared for me through Christ's greatest sacrifice on Calvary. I'd be lying if I said that things never got complicated, but life is always simple when I have the peace of God in my heart. And what a beautiful life this is!

How about you? What simple things in life make yours beautiful?