MY DAD // He's the happy kind

Had a lovely father's day visiting family last night.  Taylor and I are still recovering from all the surprise announcements that were made! First the night started out with the announcement of the engagement of my cousin Patrick and his girlfriend Meagan!  Granted, this wasn't a total surprise because my grandma called an hour before they got there to tell us the news (word travels fast in our family... sometimes i feel like I find out news about myself that I wasn't even aware of until hearing it through the family grapevine!)  The ring is super gorgeous, and the story is the cutest!  But if that wasn't enough right as Taylor and I are getting ready to leave, my other cousins Terrance and Regina (who is Patrick's sister) announce that they are pregnant with their third child!  This coming year is going to be an eventful one! 

For Father's day, I thought I'd share a drawing I made several years ago of my dad. I am not an expert artist by any regards, so I just want to put the disclaimer out there that despite what it looks like in my drawing, my dad actually has really smooth skin and is pretty wrinkle free, I just didn't know how to draw it like that!  He's always smiling, always slow to anger, always kind, and in such a genuine way- I never questioned it or felt like there was a limit to it. Throughout my childhood, through my teen years and college til now, he's never greeted me with anything but a smile. I have this one memory of him waiting for me at the airport- I spotted him through the crowd before he saw me, and he was just standing there with hands neatly folded in front of him patiently waiting with a smile on his face. Just in his own little world, looking happy as a clam. Sometimes we like to say that he's obliviously happy, because sometimes you want to say- ummmm, normal people would be really grumpy or tired or annoyed right now, what on earth are you smiling at?   There's so much more to my dad than his joyful character- he pretty much gave me the foundation for everything I know about chemistry, physics, music, drawing, biblical theology, design and and my weird love for renaissance movies no matter how bad they are.  He is even the one who taught me how to braid my hair!

In short, words and memories could never sum up what a blessing my dad is, but I am undoubtedly thankful for him every day!

MOMS ARE THE BEST

This year, I made my mom a simple bouquet of flowers for Mother's day (who knew a girl as complicated as me came from a woman who has mastered the art of loving the simple and important things), and headed over to my aunt and uncle's house to have a get together with the rest of our family. 

As  I get older, my appreciation and sense of awe that I have for moms only grows.  Talking to friends who are new mothers  definitely opens my eyes to how much work and love it is to care for children!  I know I'll never fully grasp the countless sleepless nights, blood, sweat and tears my mom undoubtedly shed to raise me and my brothers.  As you can see from this picture, I totally thought I was a princess (it really is so weird, I totally posed like that in every picture at that age).  Let's just say, I wasn't the most compliant kid.  I was always super shy and quiet around other people, but at home, it was a completely different story.  (in other words, nothing's changed)

She was and still is superwoman, and is the glue that keeps our family together.   When we were growing up, she managed to juggle working as a pharmacist, raising three children (all born one year apart!), and bringing us up in a childhood full of possibilities, creativity and imagination.  English is my mother's second language, but she taught me and my brothers how to read before they taught us in school, and both my brothers are now writers.  If there were ever a woman who could make anything work, it is my mom! I am in constant amazement at how dynamic a person she is and how she is constantly evolving, constantly growing and adapting as life has thrown our family its share of curveballs.  She is pretty amazing!

WE ARE SO CHINESE// I hope you like the color red

My parents decided to host a Chinese banquet the next day for their friends. I was totally exhausted by this point (when I went to get my make up done, I literally fell asleep repeatedly in my chair), but some of my favorite memories of our wedding weekend were at that banquet. Any time my entire family is together is a good time.

First the night started off with some impromtu speeches.
I think this is is probably of of my most favorite pictures of my parents. It was really nice to see them in their element, even if they were speaking in Chinese and I couldn't understand anything, except for the English word "Tay-lah" interjected in their speeches here and there. Turns out my dad and Taylor use the same speaking pose. Already like father like son in law.








**Images from my parents' friends and personal pictures

1148 SENECA PLACE// Roses from my mother's garden

I went home last weekend to share one last dinner with my family before my brother Geoff set off to move to New York City.  This past year, my brothers and I returned from different parts of California, as semi-aduts having graduated college set in our opinionated ways and theories on how things should now be done.  It had the potential to be one of the worst ideas our family ever came up with, but it ended up being one of the richest summers of my life. We unpacked our bags and slept in our old bedrooms and twin sized beds, amidst posters and CD's containing dust containing particles dating back to the 1990's. We ate dinners together around our ancient circular breakfast table, and stayed up late talking about books and podcasts and gossiping about what the other sibling said to our neighbor, or who came home suspiciously late the other night. 

I took some photos of my mom's roses because they reminded me of the magnificent garden we used to have in our childhood home (which is now living its second life as a lively Indian bed and breakfast of all things!).  My mom would plant these amazing flowers everywhere along this winding path that circled from the water fountain at side of our house out to the backyard where my dad built us a tree house and a play pin for our dog Penny.  I used to think this was perfectly normal, but I'm realizing more and more each day how much love my parents poured out on us, and how they totally created this magical creative environment for us to play and grow up in.  I definitely have a lot to live up to if I ever have kids. 

Sometimes I wish life would just pause so that everything could just stay the same. But of course that never happens and life moves on.  I am excited for what is to come, but I also thank God for the grace he's showered on my life and my loved ones.

SAIL BOATS//an outing with the parents

This past Thursday, my parents took my brother Josh (Geoff romping around Europe at the moment) and I on a dinner cruise in Long Beach. As my brothers and I got older, we started to develop our own interests and eccentricities (a nicer way of saying that we've just gotten pickier with where we want to go); but whenever some sort of buffet is involved, my parents always know the three of us will be down to go. In the middle of the cruise, all these sailboats started to appear, and it was one of the prettiest things i've seen. I think they were preparing for some sort of race the next day. It was pretty cool to see, the sails were just shooting out and floating where the wind took them, big ones and small ones swaying together as if they were part of one big symphony.... it was one of those things that you really had to experience in person to feel it- these pictures definitely don't do them justice!








by the end of the night, most of the boats headed home except for this one long boat floating out to shore.

Thanks so much again to my parents for a beautiful trip and a wonderful dinner! :)