everything is smooth.

dp and i are at a very happy point in our lives. we both enjoy our work, we find time for one another, we have wonderful friends, spend time independently, and are giving of our time. well, actually he is better with the last one more than i am at this moment since starting my job. dp is amazing; i am proud of him- he volunteers every week for the boys' youth group at church, our past church's work ministry, and has just begun mentoring a high school boy at a nearby school during his lunch break 1x/week. go dp!

weekends for us is finding time to enjoy the beautiful san diego weather (ie. hiking, walking, etc), spending time with friends and each other, and just relaxing! weekends mean so much more to me now that i have a full-time job. i look forward to and enjoy every moment of my weekend. soon i will have a blackberry for work, so we shall see...

i say everything is smooth because dp and i are at a very happy stage in our lives. we understand some challenges will arrive, but in the meantime, we are trying to be present, thankful, and enjoy the good while it's around!

wow, can it be this good?

dp and i went to dinner tonight as our "date night". it's funny how things change once you're married (for us) and together for a long time... our time together is listening to others' convos, noticing people's behaviors, and sitting there silently because we are so hungry and tired! hehe. it's only 9ish and we want to head to bed. how old are we?! and what's it going to be like when we have kids?!

this week was my first full week of work!! full-time!! i am a working woman. sometimes it's hard to grasp this concept. my week was quite busy and overwhelming with new co-workers, new info, trainings to observe, meetings, and strategic planning. lots of work, yet amidst it all i notice that i am breathing, happy, and thankful! i am where i am supposed to be and love what i do, and this thought brings me joy. though it's so good i am sometimes anticipating when the ball may drop, dp and i have to remind ourselves that what we have is pretty good. we are so thankful. thank you God.

tomorrow dp coordinated a 9-miles hike with a handful of men so that should be fun for them! i, on the otherhand, will go on a simple 1.5 hours hike round-trip :) things are good with us. it's been an interesting week adjusting to dual workers life. you could only imagine what our apt looks like when i'm not cleaning it constantly ;)

friends' wedding

back over the summer we went to our friends' wedding and i thought we should showcase the pics. i know... wow, today is posting day and also, this is outdated material. my answer: oh well... thought it'd be nice to put to use our million of pictures :)

cooking

dp and i love to cook together, so below are some nice dishes we have made. we also received a quesadilla maker (thanks sharon and stan!) so we have made a handful of those. i discovered that they can have an asian flare to them... which of course is my favorite!

working woman

it is with great excitement that i officially share that i have a job! it is for an organization and a position i have longed for since i first participated in their anti-bias programs in high school. i will be wearing many hats but the main realm i will be working with regards anti-bias (diversity) education programs. i am quite passionate with this topic and believe this will be a great fit for me. though the nearly 4 months of unemployment have passed quickly, i am thankful to all of you who have encouraged and supported me throughout the journey. of course i could never have landed this position without you.

thanks lovely chicas for helping me celebrate!

happy new year!



we celebrated new years eve with our lovely good friends carla and jared



dp and i hope the start of your new year is begining smoothly. and if it's not, that you can still find happiness in some things and thankful for other blessings in your life.

homeless man strikes gold – with his voice

i know this doesn't have to do with dp or i, but i was inspired by this story and wanted to share it. the title sums it up... story on the news.

other cambodians... my relatives, my people

below are two news articles my little brother sent me. i share this because though my family has had the great blessing of growing up in a nice suburb, received stellar education from primary school to the master's level, are all well-fed, sheltered, and clothed, and have excessive provisions... the reality is that most Cambodians do not. there are a list of reasons why. the articles below is a glimpse of the world that many Cambodians grow up in and what my fate could have been... thank you to my parents and all the caring adults and friends who helped me along this path...

article 1
article 2