our first home

Leading up to marriage, I dreaded the thought of living in LA. The few years commuting to work at UCLA in congested traffic with angry drivers didn't help ease the thought at all. Growing up in the South Bay and having attended picture-perfect UC Irvine for four years, I definitely wasn't looking forward to the culture shock that was bound to happen after living in LA.

Fast forward nine months, I'm sitting on our dining table writing this post before my night class at 5:45pm, staring out into the loud, busy streets outside our Westwood apartment. And for some strange reason, I feel completely at home. 

I hadn't realized how much the city of LA has grown on me and how I've started to enjoy it's lifestyle, thrill and even its congested streets. The other day, Matt and I discussed our plans for the future- residency options, where we would possibly move to, my future school & career, etc. and it dawned on me that it's already been nearly a year since we've lived here. And it saddened me to think we only have a year left.
Yes, I've had many complaints about our apartment. The walls are thin, the kitchen appliances are used and fragile, the annoying sounds of crying children outside our bedroom would hinder my sleep, etc. But more than anything, I've come to appreciate these imperfections. I've learned (still learning) not to dwell in having a nice home with trendy decor; instead, to appreciate the moments spent in it. I feel strangely thankful for the mothers in our complex who tend to their crying babies and wake up early in the morning to meet with other mothers and their babies at the playground outside. And most of all, I feel grateful to God for providing this small first home for me and Matt. I'm reminded of God's faithfulness and provision in my life and how despite my unfaithfulness, complaining and ungratefulness, He still pursues me, provides for me, and draws me back to Him.
I hope years later, wherever God call us, I would approach new changes and challenges with a willing heart that submits to Christ's authority. That it wouldn't be my rampage of emotions that dictate my joy but that instead, I would trust God and give thanks in all circumstances to our Lord and Savior who loves us.

random shenanigans! cooookiez

baebailey and me <3

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  1 Thessalonians 5:16

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm73:26

hello bailey

Two weeks ago, Matt & I adopted our very own 10 month old poodle/terrier/schnauzer mix and we couldn't love her more already! We had thought about having a dog together for a while now, especially since the passing of both our previous dogs. And although we live in a small 2 bedroom apartment, our new pup is fitting in quite nicely. We had gone to the Chino Hills shelter with my good, dog-crazy friend Michelle not knowing we'd take home a dog that day. We had looked at many different cats, pups, and senior citizens; but for some reason Bailey stuck out to us. When we got the chance to play with her in the Meet&Greet room, she was calm yet playful, friendly and very affectionate. She definitely had our attention and seeing how popular the shelter was and how quickly dogs were taken home, we decided then and there that she would be part of our family. Right afterwards, we took her next door to the hospital Michelle works at to get her annual check-up and vaccines. She was in great in condition and ready to be brought home!
Matt& I spent the next 2 hours at Petsmart. Yup, we've quickly become those CRAZY parents.

hello Bailey!

@Petsmart

meeting Auntie meg right after <3

Bailey facts:
1) She isn't afraid of heights and she's got a mad deer leap:

2. Bailey loves meeting other dogs! We take her to the dog park across the street and let her wrestle with the dogs she meets. The other day she started barking at a humongous Great Dane. She definitely has 'small dog syndrome.' Haha

3. Bailey likes me better. :)

Till next time! Toodles!

winin' & dinin'

Hello! I was telling Matt earlier this week that ever since we got married, it's been harder to journal or blog consistently now that I always have someone near me who I could share my inner musings, thoughts, and stories with. Haha. But now that he's off break and back in school zone, I have more time on my hands and I hope to write more consistently.
This past weekend, we spent the weekend up in Calistoga, Napa and San Fran with my family. It was a much needed getaway and I'm grateful for my dad for planning our itinerary to make this trip so eventful. Although we were greeted by grey clouds and misty fog, we were surrounded by ethereal foliage, vineyards, delicious farm-to-table food and grape juice the whole weekend. :) We visited multiple vineyards, went wine tasting, ate delicious foods, bread, and cheese, and lounged by the spa bar that was infused with mineral water from below Earth's surface. It was nice to be together again under the same roof, and I realized how much I miss my whole family and us physically being together.
Since our weekend Napa trip, Matt and I both caught a cold and today we spent all day indoors catching up on rest. We spent the day sleeping in, preparing meals, watching Disney Channel (a movie called the Descendants where the Disney villain's children become good...excellent movie.), and doing three loads of laundry. Although uneventful, I enjoy being cooped up in our home, having no agenda except to spend time with my hubby... that stay-in-bed-until-you-really-have-to-pee kind of feeling.

yep... married life at its finest. at least our living room smelled like laundry..

Being sick always reminds me how weak and incapable I am. No matter how strong I appear to be or how accomplished I feel, it's when I'm in a frail, lowly state that I quickly acknowledge how desperately I need to rely on and how much I am in need of Christ.
On a similar note, God has been revealing to me that I really can't do anything by my own power. To be more specific, in the past few months, there have been many accounts in which I've tried hard to 'serve' my husband but was left feeling inadequate, discouraged and sad. December was a crazy month for the both of us. Matt had seven finals to study for and the week after were his long-awaited board exams. Seeing my husband under so much mental distress and pressure, I quickly resorted to 'serving' him by my own strength: preparing hot meals, making sure his work space was neatly organized, being his chauffeur to and from his test centers so he didn't have to take the bus, and occasional massages since he was glued to his seat most of the day. These are all great things, and  I'm sure my mom would have been proud... Matt felt so thankful and much to our delight, he ended up doing well on his exams and passed the boards (YAY!).
But in all honesty, I wasn't serving my husband joyfully... in fact, it felt like a task and I often grew weary and tired. On days I didn't receive the kind of praise I wanted to for the 'good work' I thought I had put in, I grew discouraged and retreated to my pity partying. (I need to stop doing that. Haha) After talking with Matt and few older women at church weeks later, I realized the most crucial part that was missing was prayer. I lacked quiet time and devotion to communing with God. Never once in those weeks did I really sit down and pray for my husband. I neglected to ask God for internal strength that I would love and serve my husband joyfully. I had forgotten that what my and Matt's heart needed most is God- to know him and trust him and love him and obey him. It made so much sense why I grew exhausted. I learned to devote time each day to pray for myself and for Matt that Christ would intervene in our weakness so we could better love and serve each other the way Christ loved and served.
take home lesson: The best wife, friend, daughter, sister that I can be is one who devotes time to pray for him/her.
       "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

Snap shots from our trip:

our first night in SF @ Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. So pooped after 7 hours of driving.

wine tasting at Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga!

Castello di Amorosa~ our new home

so beautiful! 

<3 <3

married life

It's been almost three months since our wedding and time could not pass by more quickly. Getting married late summer is fun because you have October birthdays (why is everyone conceived in February!)  and the holidays to look forward to, so the vibe is busy and the mood is still festive. It feels surreal that Matt and I are married and although there aren't too many surprises, there are still many things I'm learning about Matt and marriage on a weekly basis. There have been multiple accounts where I'm just staring at Matt for a few minutes in disbelief and without me even saying anything Matt just says, "I know... you can't believe we're married." Haha o_o
With Matt back in school and with his schedule picking up, we don't see each other as much as we did before. It almost feels like we're dating but living together. Haha. Being a student in dental school is no easy task. Med students have bizarre schedules. If they're not in school, they're in lab or clinic seeing patients, and when they're home they're constantly studying. If school wasn't already enough, there are still other responsibilities to prioritize and in Matt's case, now a wife to care for. I'm grateful that Matt still makes time to hang out, study together and participate in church/social functions. We are both learning to adjust to marriage, to each other's habits, preferences and planning things with each other's schedules in mind.

working from home!

A funny thing happened the other month. Matt is a firm believer of the electronic tooth brush and felt it necessary to buy me my own set so I could practice brushing my teeth properly. Little did I know that it came with a clock that senses the vibrations from the tooth brush. Apparently if I brush under 2 minutes, he can tell because the clock will show a sad face under my name. Hahaha. Definitely had sad faces under my name on the clock the whole week...
Something I realized this past month is that we both are huge home bodies and although we like to be together, we do things independently in the home. You'll often find us in the apartment with Matt working on his bikes or studying in the office and me reading or watching Korean drama or Grey's Anatomy on the couch. Sometimes, I'll work on crafts or use the gifts from our wedding registry to bake. Occasionally, we'll take walks around the apartment complex or to the Trader Joe's the next block over. Amidst this season of change, I'm thankful things are finally settling down and that our apartment in Westwood is starting to feel like our home! <3

Not a very good pic... but recently finished our office! His&Hers desk :)

Matt wanted to try out the new sleeping bag and straight up just fell asleep a few mins later. I left him there. Hahaha

getting a lot of work done at starbucks ;) until next time... bonjour! 

best month ever

Happy one month of marriage, Matt! We survived!!! It was actually yesterday but I remembered today. Lol. Now that I've gained my sanity back... what a crazy year it has been but a joyous one at that. Looking back, I'm thankful to be DONE with wedding planning- all the sleepless nights of stressful wedding talks, budget planning, menu& guest finalizing, venue visits, etc- but I'm also thankful for all the things I've learned throughout engagement and hopefully can apply those lessons in marriage. Planning a wedding is thought to be every young girl's dream... but it's also been your mother's. And your sisters. Your friends. And your aunties. Lol. Point being: This season of life is exciting and crazy with all the people that come up to you with questions, comments, and concerns. But it really is learning to embrace every moment and being thankful for all the people God blessed you with who love you, care for you and only want the best for you. Mad props to all our friends especially our family and bridal party who have been a huge help and support to us. Couldn't be more grateful.

best, most fun b-party group !

GAH! HUGS!!!

Just a few weeks ago, we had our honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii for five days and then traveled over to Seattle for the latter half of the week. Definitely got more than enough R&R in Hawaii and sight-seeing done in Seattle. Despite the drastic climate change and catching the flu post-honeymoon, we had a great time and I already miss it so much. Happy to have been able to spent the whole month with Matt before he starts school again.

thank you Andaz resort for free rental go-pros & sunblock & Macadamia nuts.

Thankful that our lives have now returned to some semblance of normalcy. With Matt back in school, vacation has officially ended and the realities of marriage have begun! My new reality consists of: loads of laundry on a weekly basis, meal prepping, packing lunches, endless cleaning, budgeting and planning. #Housewifelife at its finest. Haha. None of these are difficult things; in fact, so far I am really enjoying these tasks. I never thought it'd bring me so much joy to see Matt happily eat a hot meal I've prepared for him after school. As nice as it is now, I'm aware that it won't always be this easy. It has actually been mentioned to me many maaany times that it won't be this easy but that it'll only get harder and then multiply by 10000x once I have kids. Haha.

Something that God has been teaching me recently: to have courage and confidence that comes through Christ.
For some odd reason, I've had multiple car issues this week that have been difficult to handle by myself. The other day, I left the hazard lights on which drained the car batteries and I didn't have jump cables nor did I know how to use them anyways, so I couldn't pick Matt up from school. Last weekend, to avoid hitting a huge truck at the gas station, I ran into the portal instead...which left paint marks and a huge dent on the side of my car. And just yesterday while I was driving, I noticed the air pressure sign for my tires went on and found out one of the tires had a leak. Although these are all minor issues, at the moment I was worried about money and how we shouldn't spend so much on my stupid accidents. I thought about how I should apply for TripleA insurance but how that would cost more money and wondered who I could ask around me that would have jump cables. Reflecting on the past week, I realized I have little courage and little faith. Something as insignificant as a flat tire can cause me to worry about our future, produce so much fear and hinder my trust in God.

I was challenged this week to have courage, for having courage means having faith and confidence in Him. Through prayer and Scripture, we can find this courage that God commands us to have. And with God's protection, guidance and undeserving provisions in our lives, we should be able to conquer fears and live boldly for Christ.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9-11

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

On another random note, Matt and I might get a little chinchilla for our home. We were thinking of getting a puppy but who knew living expenses for a dog were so expensive?? Thankfully this isn't the case for a chinchilla.
Random convo with dad when I told him of the possibility of getting a chinchilla:

Sigh. Always speakin' truth. lol.

Anyways, I should probably stop chinchillin'... and get back to work! Good day ya'll.

Now faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you cannot see. 

wedding week

This week be crazy... but somehow in the midst of all the craziness that comes a week before a wedding, I feel strangely at peace knowing that Christ lives within me and gives me strength each day. I'm currently still working on our final guest lists and sending out emails to our vendors while trying to catch up on payments...and Matt is cram studying for finals next to me. It's going to be a long night but I am grateful for loving parents, for a sacrificial and patient fiance, for galbi and kimchee, and for our hope that is found in Christ!!!

T-3 days! =)

new york never end

Hello from New York! It's almost 1am here... But back in LA it's not even 10 yet so I'm enjoying some quiet time to blog before we leave in a few days. Spent the past weekend with my family and Kim cousins in Manhattan, New York and it could not have been more eventful (and tiring!). It seemed hectic to have planned this trip a few weeks before my wedding, but I could not have been more grateful to be here with my family. My brother had been in Indonesia serving on a missions trip for the past few months and with Megan going to college at the end of the month (tear) and me getting married soon, it was a memorable and special time for all of us.

We had a full itinerary each day and although it was crazy hot and I felt like my legs were giving out from so much walking and no leg muscle... it was still fun. =)

Got Shake Shack right when we landed! Our hotel is right above this...

John's Pizza

Pork buns from Totto Ramen. Sooo delicious.

Explorin' Times Square with Meg <3

pretty doors everywhere! pretty girls too :)

glad to watch our favorite movie come to life :)

love them so much. <3