cole haan genevieve plaid travel woven wallet

what have i done to deserve another great gift?

here is cole haan's "genevieve plaid travel woven wallet," pictured in detail in a black model.

i received a black & white version, as seen below. it's beautiful and luxurious. the workmanship is flawless. but i feel so guilty accepting it.

coach soho business tote

another coach bag as a gift. beautiful.

vera bradley's "saddle up"

my new bag: vera bradley's "saddle up."

this picture looks a bit orangey, therefore i'm not proud to brag here. but really, it's more of a raspberry color, like its color name "raspberry fizz."

the following picture of the duffle bag shows a better "true-to-life" color scheme. but this link (a larger picture of the same duffle) shows more detail. thank God for high resolution pics.

thanksgiving in LA

spent thanksgiving in LA.

for the first time, we were able to wear short-sleeves & shorts on thanksgiving, open a large sliding door for some breeze, and even turn on the AC for a little while.

we brought food, serving platters, and bakeware to my cousin's to cook.

here's our turkey.

thankful for good weather.

thankful for abundant amount of good food our Father provides.

thankful for one another.

i am especially thankful for happy and healthy kids.

jibjab halloween

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love for my king ranch

last night, for some reason, we traded in my expedition for some mercedes sedan. i'm not sure what prompted us to do so. but i didn't like it. no, not the mercedes, because that was great. but i didn't like the fact that we traded it in.

i missed my car and went frantic trying to find a way to redeem it. nothing was working out. the dealer had already turned my expedition over to a third party. i kept worrying about where i was going to find another king ranch. a mercedes can be replaced. there are plenty of those around. but not another king ranch expedition. i almost cried thinking to myself, "where am i going to find it? where am i going to get another one? how can i afford another one?..."

i woke up this morning so sad about what happened yesterday. i went downstairs for breakfast and walked past the open door to the garage. and what do i see? my expedition was back! it was either an early christmas gift from my honey who managed to pull it off, or it was a bad nightmare. i found out it was the latter.

thank you, Lord. i don't know why you give me these things even though i am more materialistic than you want me to be. but thank you anyway.

my new kate spade bag

i kept talking about the kate spade bag. couldn't let go for some reason.

hubby suggested that we go down to camarillo, i think, to make me happy.

so i called the kate spade store to check the price again.

i couldn't believe it! it was still available and marked down to $67!

although it's a lot more than what i'd like to spend at target or tj maxx or marshalls, i thought it was a good deal.

so what did we do? we hurried down and picked it up.

it was a sweet moment.

ipod touch

belated anniversary gift from my husband. for last year.

i feel like i got something already, although i can't remember what.

but who's complaining? :)

kate spade's delano serena hobo

this is a kate spade delano serena hobo.

saw this one at the factory outlet store today.

it was an imperfect item~ thread coming off a little inside.

i liked that it looked classy, yet trendy. but even w/ the factory outlet price, the markdown, and another 40% storewide sale, it was still close to $200.

couldn't justify the cost. so i didn't get it.

if there was a special occasion, i wouldn't feel bad asking honey for it as a gift.

charleston hobo

i found this b makowsky "charleston" hobo in the nordstrom catalog.  

i'm not a fan of hobo bags.  but this, i like the look of it.

and i like the color, too, which actually was much nicer in the catalog.

and at $148, it doesn't seem so pricy considering it's found at nordstrom.

cascade complete

i've never been a believer of dishwashers.  

my dishes always came out looking unwashed.  

they came out clean only when they were pre-washed by own hands. 

but what would be the point in that?

not only so, they were still spotty.

perhaps the problem had been the detergents we've been using.

so today we bought CASCADE COMPLETE ALL-IN-1.

my, my!  it got rid of everything.  i mean, everything.

so glad we got it when we did instead of waiting to finish our other detergent (palmolive gel).

marc jacobs watches

how pretty are these!

marc jacobs pam watches for $179.  each, of course.

godiva's dark chocolate w/ orange

strange.  now that i'm not pregnant anymore, i have a craving.  from day one (since the delivery of the baby), i've been craving for something sweet, esp. chocolaty things.

yesterday, i bought me a bar of GODIVA DARK CHOCOLATE W/ ORANGE for $4.

it was worth every penny.

i almost finished it single-handedly if it weren't for my kids who wanted "just a little."

coach trench coat

loving my new coach trench coat i received as a "thank-you-for-giving-birth-again" gift. i love every detail about it. my favorite of all the trench coats i own. (have 5. now 6.)

"You Are God Alone"

Phillips Craig & Dean - You Are God Alone
(From the album Let the Worshippers Arise)

You are not a god 
Created by human hands
You are not a god 
Dependant on any mortal man
You are not a god 
In need of anything we can give 
By Your plan, that’s just the way it is

Chorus: 
You are God alone 
From before time began
You were on Your throne
Your are God alone
And right now 
In the good times and bad 
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You’re the only God
Whose power none can contend
You’re the only God 
Whose name and praise will never end 
You’re the only God 
Who’s worthy of everything we can give 
You are God 
And that’s just the way it is

Unchangeable 
Unshakable 
Unstoppable
That’s what You are 

LG washer & dryer

the samsung ones had to go back.  the washer failed to function after a few tries.

got ourselves a new set: LG.  it's wonderful.

once again, it's amazing how just spinning and tumbling can get clothes clean.

UGG erin booties

saw these adorable UGG erin booties in solvang today.

$50 for something that the baby can sport around in only a few times?

i dunno.

iced caramel macchiato vs. the ice cream

my favorite drink from starbucks is the iced caramel macchiato.  i have tried a few others but i always go back to this one. so when i found the ice cream version at the commissary (and for $1.50 after the coupon!), i had to try it.

the verdict: it was too creamy and caramel-y.  but i shouldn't say i hated it.  after all, this blogspot of mine is about "a few of my favorite things."  so, i will say this: if i had the choice between the original drink or the ice cream, i think the real thing wins.

shopping in california

oh, how i love living in california! went to koreatown galleria market before leaving LA. everything was so fresh and there were so many choices on everything. unbelievable! some things were legitimately pricey. but some were ridiculously cheap, too! in grand forks, we would have to drive 4-5 hours to go down to minneapolis for the "ultimate" korean grocery shopping experience, which still doesn't compare to some of the small korean grocery stores i've seen in NJ and WA. but galleria market had fresh korean produce for [literally] a small fraction of the cost than i'm used to paying in MN while living in ND. and i got so much more for the money, too. it felt like heaven. got peaches too~ my favorite! i bought a whole box of white peaches. the box is so big that some might not be consumed quickly enough and will probably end up going bad. but i just had to indulge in the purchase.

afterward, we also went to IKEA for the first time in a long while. lauren got to enter the great land of smaland for the first time today. she's never been able to go b/c: 1) we didn't have IKEA around, and 2) she had not been old enough (3 years old)/tall enough/potty trained. so today, she thoroughly enjoyed it. oh, it wasn't so pleasant in the beginning b/c it was the most packed and crowded IKEA ever. it took almost a half hour to find parking and another half to wait for smaland. but it felt so good to come out and see palm trees~ another reminder that we are in california, and that the weather is good and there are actually things to do around here.

creme brulee & surprises

usually not a huge fan of creme brulee b/c it's so custardy. but the one that i tasted tonight at cherch's was excellent. ghriardelli's chocolate creme brulee, to be exact.

and it was good/fun to surprise stella by showing up at her party. surprise visits are always fun for us (robyn & me). hubby says he doesn't like these surprises. he just goes along with it like he has no choice. but i know he secretly enjoys it too.

new washer/dryer

our new washer & dryer got delivered today. 

it's amazing how just spinning and tumbling can make clothes so clean, without any agitation or rubbing stains out.

arrival of our household goods

we thank God that we were able to get our house yesterday and have the movers deliver our household goods today.

we are overwhelmed at the amount of stuff we have.  hundreds of boxes were delivered.  but it was like opening christmas presents when we cut open the boxes and unwrapped each item, wondering what it could be inside.  they were just ordinary things that we used on a daily basis.  but we were soh happy to find these familiar things that makes our lives so convenient.  we've been deprived for a month since the packers packed away our things and shipped them here.

ps.  we also had a lot of junk packed and delivered.  i am ashamed.  definitely not one of my favorite things.

our new home

our new home in lompoc, california.

we've downsized.   but the neighborhood seems good, it's close to the base, and the weather is absolutely fantastic~ sunny almost all day, but not too hot b/c of the cool breeze!

our first sunday @ vandy

we went to our new chapel @ vandenberg AFB for the first time today.  loved it!

we saw up @ the base theater.  i think i was in tears more than half the time.  maybe 64% of the time.

then, believe it or not, after chapel/shopping/the movie~ at the last minute we decided to go to LA to visit my relatives.  it was a real treat for the kids to see some dolphins in the ocean when we stopped at a lookout point on the way down.  but for us big kids, it was a real treat to eat at a korean restaurant.

farmers market

we had known there are farmers markets around here in cali almost all year-round.

but we stumbled upon this one called "old town market" in lompoc, while trying to take care of some housing/utility business.

oh, it was sooooo good!  i have never tasted heirloom tomatoes this sweet.  if you are not a tomato lover, it's b/c you haven't tasted these.  if we had our house w/ a kitchen to cook in NOW, and not living in a hotel w/ a small fridge, i would have bought more fruits and vegetables.  honey had to stop me from purchasing these beautiful carrots, biggest onions and leeks i ever saw, and light-skinned zucchinis that looked so firm and fresh, like i never got to see in grand forks.  just bought those tomatoes and some peaches & nectarines b/c they don't need refrigeration and i knew we would finish them in no time.

i also had lumpia (filipinos' version of fried spring rolls) for the first time today.  yummy!  and my dear husband got me a pink (almost fuschia) necklace & matching earrings, handmade by a local.

i am definitely going back next week.  enjoy these strawberries!

san luis obispo

we went up to san luis obispo to check it out and hang out b/c we had heard great things about the city.  so i did some research on where to eat.  i found shin's sushi bar among a few places.  it got mixed reviews, mostly bad.  but i couldn't resist taking my husband shin there.   so we went.  the end.  

at least the drive back through shell beach and pismo beach was worthwhile.

new location: lompoc

finally, we arrived at our long-awaited new location in california: lompoc (pronounced, lom-poke).

the drive here from LA was so breathtaking.  we were in a hurry to get here before dark, so we didn't stop to take any pictures.  but believe me, passing through thousand oaks, oxnard, ventura, and santa barbara along the coast was so pleasant.

here's a picture, found online, similar to what we saw from the cliffs of PCH:

vegas fun

we are in vegas now.  

as it can be seen in the above picture, my clock reads 8:23 pm and 103 deg.  it is hot!  it's like hell.  wait a minute~ las vegas is hell.  after all, it isn't called "sin city" for nothing.  people are indulging in all kinds of sin and having lots of fun.

well, i guess that's why we've come through vegas, too, to have fun~ though in nothing sinful.  so we had our share of fun as well. 

honeycomb

for fellowship food at a church we attended today, they had cranberry-almond scones and locally produced honey.  i am not a fan of either.  but i tried them anyway just b/c i like to try new things.  boy, was i glad!  it was so GOOD!  it wasn't the typical honey in a bear bottle.  it was the actual honeycomb!  never had it that way, nor have i ever seen/heard of anyone eating it like that.

so before leaving salt lake city, we tried to find some b/c i figured it's a delicacy i'll never get to see again unless i come to utah (the honey state) again.  but it was to no avail, esp being that it was sunday and all the honey-specialty stores were closed.

"we are the world"

was thinking about the song "we are the world" just the other day.

and today, i found out about michael jackson's death.

i've never been a fan of michael jackson in any way.  but it seemed so surreal that he's passed on and i felt bad about all the hardships that he's gone through.

so it seemed appropriate and good to watch the video of "we are the world" on youtube and remember good things about him. 

9th anniversary

happy 9th anniversary to me and the most wonderful husband ever!

expedition

love my new car. 

expedition fully loaded in this king ranch.

Häagen-Dazs® COFFEE ice cream

love this thing.

coffee ice cream surpasses all other flavors on any given day.

and häagen-dazs makes it goooood.

having fun w/photo booth

it's fun to do photo booth with kids b/c they get a kick out of every little bulge, dent, twirl, mirror, squeeze, etc.

these are from a lazy sunday evening... "lazy" b/c it's cold outside (actually, snowing) so we don't want to do anything and and we can't watch extreme makeover: home edition as we normally do on sunday nights.

robyn's $1.25

robyn: mommy, thank you for being a teacher b/c it's a hard job. 

(then gives me a hug.)

me:       how do you know that it's hard?

robyn: i just know.

robyn: mommy, do you have to pay for me to go to a school.

me: yes.

robyn: everyday?

me: well, i don't pay everyday, but i pay all at once to pay for every day of school.  i mean, the teachers and staff at school have to get paid.  they won't/can't work for free.

she rummages through the drawer, and a min later she comes back.

robyn: mommy, it's not much.  but here's $1.25.

me: what's this?

robyn: it's to pay for you for being my teacher.

i wanted to burst out laughing and tell her daddy what she just did.  but i didn't say anything to her (or to dad) b/c i know she feels embarrassed when i compliment her for her act of kindness.  i wanted to tell her to just keep it and save it.  but i just smiled and reluctantly took her money.

man, how sweet is she?  a few weeks ago, she's even offered to buy me my next new car for my birthday.  and for lauren's birthday, she wants to get her an american girl baby doll.  she is aware of how expensive it is, but at least "lauren will have a baby that looks like her... and one to call her own."

that is my robyn, everybody.    

ladybugs

i guess the lady bug season has begun.  

we find ladybugs everywhere, esp in the playroom.

today, robyn's piano teacher gave lauren a dum-dum sucker.  oh, what a rare treat it was for her.  but after a little while, she dropped it on the carpet while she was playing.   so i picked it up, dubbed it as "yucky" and threw it out.  she was okay with it.  

but i had a second thought.  maybe i can use it to stick the ladybugs on it and then throw it out.

when i did and two ladybugs got stuck on it, i showed it to lauren~ proud that i got rid of the ladybugs that my girls are so scared of.  but she began crying instead.  i think she was horrified to think that her candy is now tainted and infested with bugs.  it was so funny how she reacted.  i was also having so much fun catching the ladybugs this way.

i continued to pick up more until the whole candy was covered with ladybugs.  while robyn was playing piano, i walked over there and showed it to her too.  for a couple seconds, she wasn't sure what it was.  maybe i held it too close to her face.   when she realized that the black-dotted red globe on a stick was a whole bunch of ladybugs on a sucker, she started screaming and jumped out of her chair.  she might have even hugged her piano teacher for support who was standing next to her.  

i assured her it's okay~ they're not goin' nowhere.  but she was ranting about how one of them was stuck to the candy on its back and so she saw the ladybug squirming and moving about its legs.  oh, it was funnier how she reacted.

that's not all.  within a min or so later, another ladybug landed on the carpet.  that funny girl lauren got her face really close to it (literally like 3 inches away from it) and started saying, "ew, ladybug!"  so then this time I freaked out b/c i was afraid it would start flying and hit her face or something.  the kids thought that was funny. 

they can make fun of me all they want.  

but to me, a flying ladybug is scarier than idle ladybugs.

good girls

robyn is so helpful and thoughtful. when i need something, she's so eager to help in whatever way she can. and she always puts others first before herself. sometimes, too sacrificial.

lauren also was very helpful today while we were picking up trash in our yard for earth day.
she seems to better understand commands and is more compliant these days.

both of them were so willing to watch me and learn stuff in the kitchen while i was making mac 'n cheese.
i let them stir the cheese. i was skeptical at first b/c it's a hot pot. but they did a great job w/out burning themselves or making a mess.

i thank God for such beautiful girls.

baby #3 at 21 weeks

the ultrasound was done. baby #3 is healthy and normal.
thank you, God.

also, the sex was determined by the technician.
but i never got to find out b/c i was hesitating whether to find out or not, then it was time for us to leave.

but i think it's a boy. it's just been my feeling all along.
even the pic of the head looks like a boy~ whatever that means.
we'll wait and see.

new macbook

this new macbook is an early mother's day gift from my wonderful husband.

another expensive gift

here's another expensive anna-i'm-sorry-for-what-you're-going-through gift from a special relative.

i'm not one to favor brand names or to showcase it to the whole world.
but this leather book tote is a good size, a perfect strap-length, and in red, one of my favorite colors!
thank you, ma'am.

say what you need to say & i love you more

when we started the car and the radio subsequently turned on, robyn recognized the tune right away and started singing along. she obviously heard it one too many times. i didn't want to feel responsible for raising a kid who seems to be familiar with secular music. so when i decided she heard enough of the light rock 104.3 KZLT and turned on the kiddie music instead, she protested and requested for me to turn the radio back on. i complied to see where it would lead us. then she continued to sing, "say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say..." by john mayer.

it was a precious moment.

as lauren and i were going to bed, i said, "good night. i love you."
she responded, "night night. i love you, too."
me: "no, i love you more."
her: "no, i love you more. no, i love you more. no, i love you more. no, i love you more."

she said this to herself quietly~ whispering~ at least 50-60 times with her eyes closed before she finally fell asleep.
was she practicing? did those words make any sense to her? was she just fascinated with those words? or was she memorizing?

anyway, it was soh precious.

positive.

the only time when the test result "positive" is good.

that is, the pregnancy test.