Wedding Bliss

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

I couldn't be happier for them! Both are teachers and were set up by their own students! So, to my single teacher friends, be nice to your students too! hahah you just never know~ (excluding HRK... I'm not too confident your district has connections to YOUR prince charming... hahaha BUT, I may be wrong!)

Anyhow, they're such a cute & loving couple- they compliment one another perfectly! He continually (& I mean, continually) speaks highly of her, it's hard NOT to adore her. It's sweet how he's so proud; proud of her wits, her musical abilities, her heart, her talents, her faults, her everything! At times, I have to hold down my vomit, but really, it's an admirable kind of love!!! Once again, congratulations & I love you both!!! 

brother/sister shot!

Nostril shot of my handsome cousins! hehe

Girls working the guest table.

Hand-made fondant cake toppers from their surprise engagement!

The Kim mafia... we couldn't keep a straight face for long so we gave up~

baby cousin & imo

This cutie has so much aegyo! hahah

I wish I had photoshop... this shot has some potential!

bride's mom & dad

My fondest memory: our cousin cabin trip. He taught me how to snowboard!!
....By having me suffer down the black diamond slope!!!!! -______-
lol I still love him & am thankful for my day of misery. =P

keeping it classy with pearls <3

Childhood friends easily warm the heart!

my energetic, giggly, & LOVABLE nephew

My lil princess!! She's so intelligent, kind-hearted, & mannered!
I didn't realize until afterwards, but she  patiently waited for me to finish my food so we can have cake together... at the same time... hahah soooo cute, I died...

I asked this lil one for a BIIIIIIIG smile hahah!

The most amazing role models.

pae bek- a ceremony to welcome the bride into the groom's familly.
The kirogi (geese) mate for life and so, signifies faithfulness.

My grandma!
I appreciate the times we can chat & laugh together... even with my broken Korean!

My aunts are crack-ups! If you sit in a room with us, you'll notice we're always laughing...
& our laughs all sound the same! hahaha!

With her favorite uncle!

One day...

Traditional wear for pae bek.
(once the costume of the noble class)

Such vibrant colors!

Our little helper.

If unfamiliar, read on pae bek ceremony & add another wrinkle in your brain. =)

PG wedding = no alcohol
10% of me was disappointed (haha!), but It was an incredibly beautiful wedding!!

Powdered donuts!

Every time I lifted my camera, he mirrored me & lifted his donut. LOL

So Grown Up!

An email from my baby cousin!! I'm so excited for both him & his kid sister for going on missions this year. K is going to Thailand, Cambodia, & China and J is going to Nicaragua! I've seen these two grow & mature so much~ I especially love them because they ALWAYS laugh at my jokes (haha!! jk)~ I feel so proud & truly blessed for having such a strong family... We're all very supportive, encouraging, motivated, & most importantly, faithful believers; ingredients to a solid foundation! It's awesome to see them transform from babies with chubby cheeks into adults at the forefront of change (& still with chubby cheeks lol!).




Gina nuna!

I love you so much :) It's crazy to think back on our childhood and see just how you got to where you are. And when I do, it's clear to me that family means everything- I couldn't have gone this far without you in particular. You have been so supportive of me and everything I do forever! And I can't thank you enough for being such a great cousin and nuna. It feels weird that I've graduated college and am awaiting the next steps in my life... but it brings me great joy to know that whatever it may be, I know you will be there for me. It really is a blessing to have a family that is so deeply rooted in the gospel, as well as one that is so supportive of missions. I'm so excited to see Peter and Polly, and TIMMY this summer haha! Everything is explained in detail in the attached letter. Thank you for always being a part of my journey through your unending support. I thank God for you! Love you Gina nuna!

In Him,

K

*tear* =)

 

Old Love

I absolutely adore kisses on the forehead~ so sweet & endearing!
(courtesy of google)

I always admired old love. I could never refrain from making a goofy smile whenever I saw an old couple holding hands, kissing, etc. I especially MELT when I see the gramps pulling out chairs or opening doors for their beloved~ so darn cute! =)

In these times, it's really discouraging seeing couples arguing, divorcing, lying, cheating, etc... I was starting to believe in "happily never after"... It's not that love doesn't exist, I feel people tend to marry for the wrong reasons... Idealistically, I think marriage should be based on WORK, not solely on love. If things don't go the way you want it to, work at it. Work to make compromises, work to sacrifice, work to keep things fresh, work to love. I'm sure there are legit reasons why people separate, but this is just my point of view- I'm just saying~ 

I took a call today at work and this lady was a mess from the get!! She didn't know her mrn (identification # for kaiser members), she didn't know the names of her medication, she was getting all of her information mixed up! Eventually, she apologized and explained she had a rocky year~ Her house was robbed and soon after she lost her husband.... The minute she said that, I heard her voice start to tremble.... I don't know if it's that time of the month, but I had to start fanning my eyes! I was getting choked up~ Anyway, we were able to work together to get what she needed. She thanked me & started to explain her situation again. I lent her an ear while she vented and then we hung up. The thing that struck me the deepest was when she said, "I'm so tired of it all and sometimes I just want to lay in bed... I just want to lay in bed and hold my husband again."

I hope people (including myself) will be able to experience this type of love. It's scary knowing the inevitable will happen. It's always tough coping with the loss of a loved one... but at the same time, I'm sure it's completely worth it. For every second & ounce of effort.

A recent pic captured by my friend, Kim.
"the key (to a happy marriage) is to always keep touching"
...& sustaining a God-centered relationship =P

Let's Do This!!!

Finally registered for my exam & it was 50% off! They're revising the format of the exam starting August 1st. So, anyone who signs up in August/September pays only $80~ the downside is that I won't receive my scores until November & my study guide is geared towards the old format... Oh well... There's no stopping me now~~

Team hermit crab, go!!! =P

Daddy's Lil' Girl

I'm so thankful to have my dad back! He was out of the country for three years to pursue a vision that would compromise his comfort. He struggled a lot, but it's so evident he gained much more! He's always been an inspiration to me in all that he does~ 

I don't know why, but I always get so EMO around these deng observance days (father's & mother's day in particular). Maybe because he was gone for 3 years? Maybe because I have several close friends who have lost a parent........ Honestly, it was hard having him across the world, but I can't imagine what it'd be like to have him in another world.... I always remember my friends' parents on these days & it's also a helpful reminder to cherish the days I have with my own. As cliche as it is, live each day as if it's your last... BE GOOD TO THOSE WHO GAVE YOU LIFE! 

I can't flip the emo channel... =( and this song always comes to mind every father's day... never fails to hit a soft spot... 

Ok, enough of that... So, my dad's heart for China grew 100-fold... He will occasionally even speak to me in Mandarin.... ???.... It's actually kind of funny~ haha So in light of his new passion, I tried to recreate a few favorite dishes I tried while I visited last April. 

<3 My dad and his best friend from grade school celebrating together <3

Spicy Eggplant Stir-Fry

Indredients:

3 eggplants

a bundle of string beans

1 red bell pepper

ground pork

garlic cloves

2 shallots

thai chili peppers

olive oil (or peanut oil)

soysauce

garlic chili sauce

Slice bell peppers

Cut off ends & chop into ~3" portions

Slice eggplants (slightly thicker than bell peppers)

Cook diced shallots, sliced garlic, and ground pork until brown.

Add in string beans, eggplant, & bell peppers.
I mixed in garlic chili sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce to taste.
Add in thai chili peppers for that extra kick! woo sa!!

[...starting running out of time so I apologize in advance for the lack of detail shots!]

Spicy Fried Tofu

I totally cheated on this one!!

Ingredients:

Instant MaboTofu sauce

Medium Firm Tofu

ground pork

1 bundle of scallions

~1 tbsp minced garlic

garlic chili sauce

a squeeeeze of sriracha

cook ground pork until brown.
add in sauce & simmer.
Add in cubed pieces of tofu & add sauces to taste.

 hahah!! told you I cheated~ easy!

Chow Bing (one of my most favvvvvoooorrriite dishes while in Beijing!!):

Ingredients:

green onion (or shallot) pancakes

1 bundle of scallions

bean sprouts

shallots

garlic

ginger

carrots (optional... i only used carrots to garnish)

soy sauce

olive oil

I didn't have time to make shallot pancakes, so I bought the ready made green onion pancakes.
Just fry until brown and cut into small pieces.
I LOVE THESE PANCAKES!!!!! THE CONSISTENCY IS PERFECT!!!! Doughy & chewy, but flakey & crispy.

Fry ginger, garlic, bean sprouts, shallots, & scallions in olive oil.

Add in pancake slices & fold in.
Mix in soy sauce and extra olive oil to evenly coat.

Peking Duck

Totally cheated again! Didn't have time to roast my own duck~
Bought from Ranch 99: 1 whole duck & 1/2 lb of honey bbq pork (char siu)

Julienne cucumber (hot house is my fav), cantaloupes, & scallions. 

You can either wrap the above ingredients in a lil bun like this or even eggroll wrappers!
Both were good, but the buns are better fillers (obviously!).

The red-heads...
Just an image in case you need a reference when shopping for ingredients.
Everybody needs a lil spice in their life... Get jazzy~

HAHAHAH!!!
"Don't ja wish your gf was HAT like me!"

The brunettes...
I placed hoisin sauce on the side of the peking duck for dipping.

Hen Hao Chi!!! 

lol, learned this one from my brother & sis-in-law in Beijing! <3