Just a little longer please...

backyard grilling. sun time. steak with grilled veggies & potato kabobs.
handsome little man. pretty new ring.

I'm just not ready for the weekend to be over and to send my husband back to work. :(

Happy Memorial Weekend!

We have plans for another round of pizza & corn on the cob on the grill and mint mango lemonade this weekend, how about you? :)

tokki watch: fourteen weeks & 100 days!

Happy 100 days tokki!
Words cannot express the joy you bring into our lives.
I love you so much, every little, adorable bit of you.
You complete our family, how did we ever live without you?

Strawberry Festival

Our family (including my mom and sister who were visiting for the weekend) went on a drive down to Oxnard for the Strawberry Festival that was held this past weekend.
We found out about it by chance on Saturday and we couldn't resist!





We had some calamari, crab garlic fries, and the sweetest strawberry smoothies that were made on site!


Oh, can't forget corn dogs!


And the grilled corn on the cob and chicken kabobs. Oh yum!




Strawberry beer


Some of the biggest strawberries I've ever seen covered in dark & milk chocolate! The size of my sister's face!



Baby got some strawberry milk ;)


We ended our visit with delicious funnel cake. ♥


The strawberry goodness is still not over since we got two big boxes of them to go! See the color on these strawberries?? I never knew strawberries could taste like this, pure sweet heaven in my mouth!
I don't know how I'm going to go back to regular grocery store strawberries... it makes me sad to think about eating the last of them tomorrow.

All in all, I heart strawberries!

LOLOLOL.

tokki watch: thirteen weeks

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 1 Samuel 1:27
Thanking the Lord for every single moment with my little family ♥

tokki watch: twelve weeks

Can you believe it? My baby is three months this weekend!

This was tokki at one week, so tiny!

Then: 6lbs 6oz, 19.5 in long
Now: 14lbs 11oz, 24.25 in long

I love your voice and the sounds you make: the coos, the mews, the squeals, the hiccups, the squeaks, the content sighs, basically your every breath.
I love your cartoon hair that sticks up in the back.
I love your shy smiles in the morning and excited mouth-open, gum-showing grins when we play.
I love seeing myself reflected in those big, bright eyes of yours and knowing that you know me.
You are all mine and so perfect ♥.

My Furbaby

for . . .

The cutest leash holder ever! We picked it up that weekend we were at the beach.
Aji, you're still on our minds honey! I'm sorry we haven't loved on you as much as we used to with baby's arrival, but it'll get better soon. :)

photobooth fun

Mother's Day 2011

1st Mother's Day

Psalm 78:1-7, Listen, O my people, to my instruction; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their children; that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.

*Parent dedication service . . . We dedicate ourselves to the biblical rearing of our child for the glory of the Lord.

*Breakfast in bed . . . husband made me my favorite! Eggs benedict with smoked salmon ♥ I have to be honest, I was a little worried when he told me the menu but it was perfect. thank you jgya.
*Out to dinner . . . roast chicken & ribs, prime rib roast, ski jump chocolate cake. So yummy, love Tahoe Joe's!

We didn't do anything out of the ordinary, it was a normal Sunday, but I just felt the special-ness of the day in my heart. :)
I hope the weekend was special for you too!

Do you see what I see?

This is the view from our parked car at a Starbucks parking lot. Do you see what I see?
Peer closely... can you make out a little something amongst the leaves?
As I was waiting for Tare to get the new mocha coconut frappuccino (which by the way is way too sweet) I made out a little bird in a little nest. More specifically,

a hummingbird!
It was too cute hanging out in its nest while the wind was a-blowin' and the branches were a-swayin'.
I've never seen a hummingbird still, let alone in its nest! Once again amazed by the details in nature :)

I'm lying in bed after nursing my baby and I hear two sets of peaceful, steady breathing. It makes me smile to see Luke on his side towards his dad because he's cute and I know he's going to end up tickling his dad's side again with his sleep kicking.

I don't know about anyone else but I have never felt so important in my life. For the first time someone else is reliant upon me for everything, and I guess that started when I found out I had a baby growing inside of me, but when you can actually feel the little hands gripping you and the bright eyes that follow you it's so real. I've never been so needed and special and it truly delights me that I am the most important person in my son's life right now. It completes a part of me that needed to be needed & wanted. I'm living my dream right now: a stay at home wife to the most loving husband and mother to the most precious child. It's still settling in my mind that it's real. God is so, so good. Being a mother is such a special job and it's a privilege to be one. Happy Mother's Day, especially to my mom and grandma who I love and miss dearly living apart from them.

And congratulations to my little sister who is now a college graduate! I'm so proud of you and I love and miss you too. Please move here now. :)

Now that these words are written I think I can go back to sleep...

tokki watch: eleven weeks

This Sunday is Mother's Day and I'm very excited because it will be my first year celebrating it as a mom.
I'm so blessed to have a healthy baby boy who smiles at me every time he catches my eye. It's indescribable the love that I have for him.
My sweet little baby ♥

Varga

Varga is a cute boutique style store that has pretty clothes for a reasonable price. There are several locations in California, but I came across the one at Huntington Beach.

I love the styling of the shop and I seriously wanted to buy every single accessory there! The sales associates were so sweet and customer service was great. 
I picked up two pairs of shorts that were 50% off and a pair of cute cute cute earrings.

I was sad I wouldn't be able to visit this store very often but guess what? They have an online store! Yay~ I know I'll be browsing through their site regularly.
This is definitely one of the best things about going to new places and walking around: you come across some really cool and unique shops you would have never known about!

Good Eats at Newport Beach

*not pictured: Capital Seafood Restaurant (dim sum), Ajisen Ramen, pinkberry, Lollicup, BCD Tofu House

true food kitchen.
caramelized onion tart smoked garlic, black fig,  & gorgonzola. (I love it I want more!)
wild ahi sliders wasabi aioli, radish, avocado, & cucumber with tuscan kale salad lemon parmesan bread crumbs. (fresh and so delicious! I really enjoyed the salad because of the lemon.)





the crab cooker.
clam chowder world's best. (um, definitely not the best and not worth waiting for in my opinion. white > red)
combination plate shrimp, scallops, & choice cuts of fish on a skewer romano potatoes & cole slaw. (sides were plain for me but the seafood was yummy!)







pain du monde bakery. (the best breakfast I've had in a long time! so filling and the croissant was melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious.)
mango chicken natural chicken with organic mixed greens, mango, cabbage, carrots, jicama, cucumber, scallions, mint leaves, noodles, tossed in Thai peanut dressing.
poached eggs fresh croissant topped with smoked ham, two eggs, grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
hot chocolate & latte.
almond twist & chocolate chip cookie.