26

One of my friends has a super fun blog (http://larissamarks.com). Last year, I saw that she posted a list of reflective questions on her past year. I made it my own, and as of last year, I have started using it for my birthday. So, here is is for year 26!

What was the single best thing that happened this past year? 

I can't choose one thing: hearing from my brother and sister-in-law that they have begun the adoption process, our big Colorado family reunion, and seeing Thailand and Thai family for the first time.

What was the single most challenging thing that happened?

I generally struggled with life at the beginning of last year. I just felt lonely with family and close friends anywhere from pretty far away to really far away. I also felt confused about law school and what to do with my life. I still feel confused, but I feel more at peace with being in this state.

What was an unexpected joy this past year? 

I have never had any interest in working with people with disabilities, but I surprisingly enjoyed my internship with a nonprofit law firm that works with low income people with disabilities. Now if I can just get a fellowship to work with them after law school!

What was an unexpected obstacle?
My Business Associations class. I don't care that I got a good grade. I will never ever be a corporate lawyer.

What were the best books you read this year?
For the past year, I have been reading Newbery Award winning children's books. They are conveniently clustered together in one part of the children's section in the public library, so I just walk in, judge the books by their covers and synopses, and check out a couple. They make perfect bedtime reading. Three standout favorites have been Holes, The Tale of Despereaux, and Bud, Not Buddy.


With whom were your most valuable relationships?

• Family. From my husband to my in-laws to my immediate family to my extended family -- they are all so dear to me.
• My accountability partner, Ingrid.
• My small group at church.
• Neighbors.

What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? 

Facebook/Internet.

What was the best way you used your time this past year? 

Spending time with friends and family, sleeping, exercising, traveling, and trying new things like photography and gardening.

What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?

I am learning how to have joy as I try to faithfully follow Jesus without worrying about whether or not my life is making a difference on this earth. Faithfulness over impact.

Did anyone close to you get married, give birth, or pass away? 

One of my cousins just got married, friends from college got married in May, and a friend from my old church got married in July. My friend Julie from my church small group had a baby girl a month ago.

Where did you travel? 

Death Valley in March for our anniversary, Colorado for the fourth of July weekend, Napa and Sequoia National park in July/August for a wedding and vacation, Colorado again in August to spend time with my grandparents who were visiting from the east coast, Colorado again for Christmas, and Thailand after Christmas through January 11.

What would you like to have this year that you lacked last year? 

A J.D.

What days will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 

• I will never forget our trip to Thailand, though not enough time has passed to tell exactly which experiences I will remember forever.
• I will never forget the mental image of all of my mom's side of the family sitting in my aunt's family room listening to my grandpa, whose life is slowly coming to a close, share his thoughts on "God with us."

What was your biggest achievement of the year? 

Oh gosh, I don't know... the amount I've grown in learning how to use a camera and take good pics?

What was your biggest failure? 

Worrying what other people think about me.

Did you suffer illness or injury? 

No.

What did you get really, really, really excited about? 

Our trip to Thailand and the prospect of being an aunt soon!

What kept you sane? 
Michael, getting away, time alone with God, and fun hobbies like cooking, gardening, and photography.

What are you looking forward to the most this year?
Life beyond the California bar exam. I am excited and a bit nervous about what lays beyond my legal education.

Snowflakes

This year, we're spending Christmas in Colorado with my side of the family. Last night, we were eating my brother's homemade pizza when the snow started falling. We drove around looking at Christmas lights and it kept falling. We went to sleep and it kept falling and falling and falling.


In the morning, the railing on my parents' porch looked like this:

I stuck a ruler down the middle. 10.5 inches!

I pulled out the camera and took these pictures of snowflakes and was thrilled with the results!

The snow covered trees and houses look like a postcard. Needless to say, this California girl was thrilled and went out to frolick in it three times today! I think it's going to be a white Christmas!

Deck the Halls

"Deck the Halls" is a generous title for this post considering our two bedroom apartment has but a single hall connecting the bedrooms, main room, and bathroom. But, nevertheless, a tree, stockings, and a few other knickknacks have gone up and it is looking pretty festive in here!

Since we have no fireplace, I did the next best thing by putting my aspen tree branch over our gas heather and hung the stockings off of it. That'll do.

Autumn

When I moved to Los Angeles from Denver, I thought Southern California had no seasons. After seven years, I have finally learned that there are seasons here, you just have to look harder.

Michael took this picture of me a couple blocks away from the golden tree above. Pretty sweet shot, huh?

Thaimerican Thanksgiving

The official day for giving thanks is almost a week past, but I've still got something to share that I am grateful for.

On Thanksgiving, I woke up weary and in need of some soul restoration. I felt burned out on school and burned out on life.

My sweet, sweet husband took on all of the Thanksgiving morning cleaning and cooking responsibilities, and I just curled up in a blanket with a cup of tea and prayed and read. Then, we spent the most wonderful afternoon and evening with my in-laws and four international students from the colleges where Michael works. All we did was eat, chat, play games, and laugh for hours.

One of the students, Catt, drinking Michael's Thai Tea with boba, all homemade! (Stay tuned for the recipe.)

The food. It was about 60% American and 40% Thai and therefore "Thaimerican." Gosh, I'm clever!

The fun.

The games.

That night, I went to bed with my stomach full and my soul restored. Thank you, Jesus.

Hole in the Wall Happiness

When people ask me, "What's your favorite restaurant?" I answer, "Any delicious, hole in the wall, ethnic food place."

Jesse's El Taco de Mexico fits the bill.

Yes, "Jesse's El Taco De Mexico." The restaurant name alone made me want to eat there.

Michael and I ordered burritos. The tortillas tasted and looked homemade. In fact, every part of these burritos was homemade, so I will stop using that adjective. You can just mentally insert it in front of every ingredient. The beans and rice were perfect. The meat was super flavorful. But, what made these burritos bomb was the white onion and cilantro perfectly spread throughout the burrito and the amazing avocado salsa.

Oh, and the horchata was probably the best I've ever had. Super cinnamony. Yum!

My guy double fistin' horchata and a burrito al pastor.

I'm attractive too when I eat.

Too bad this restaurant is about sixty miles from our home...

Winter Garden Tour

My favorite season in Southern California is winter. After months of smog buildup and hot, dry weather, the rains begin to fall giving Los Angeles a much needed bath. The rains mean snow-capped mountains, boots & sweaters, citrus trees dripping with oranges & lemons, and a thriving winter garden! (My fingers are crossed on that last one.)

Here's the garden! I am hoping to have a glorious, future post with a before and after picture, but we'll see how successful we are.

(A) Bell pepper bush to the right of the "A" that we haven't ripped up since summer ended. There are three or four little kale plants behind it. And a jalapeno plant in front that used to house a black widow spider!! [see picture below]
(B) More bell pepper bushes.
(C) Netting along the back fence for our snap peas to grow up.
(D) I re-purposed my tomato cages for snap peas to grow up.
(E) Lettuce that is currently lying prostrate on the dirt from the recent rains.
(F) Strawberry barrel! With a red cabbage plant in the middle! I'm excited about this one.
(G) Lettuce.
(H) Spinach.
(I) Bibb lettuce.
(J) Purple carrots. (Yes, purple!)
(K) Beets.
(L) That plastic container used to be full of Costco pretzels. Now it is full of dirt and tiny carrot and beet plants.
(M) Chinese broccoli. (completely Michael's doing)
(N) Kale.

I think our current success rate with garden is about 30-50%. So, with the about a dozen plants we have going, we'll hopefully harvest at least five fruits or veggies. Not so great, but we're learning!

And playing with the hose.