Fireproof

Morgan and I went on a much needed and anticipated date night last night.
It's been months since we've had an evening out to ourselves so it was nice to spend some quiet time together. We enjoyed delicious sushi and drinks before heading to the movies to see Fireproof. Fireproof is an inspiring movie starring Kirk Cameron (The Way of the Master). It's about a couple whose marriage is on the brink of divorce. Unlike other Hollywood movies, this one reminds us that love is not simply a feeling, it is a choice. God wants us to make that choice everyday, much in the same way that He chooses to love us. From what I understand, the movie theatre was packed on Friday night, too. We had to sit in the 5th row! It's currently #3 at the box office so hopefully, it'll stay in the theatres for longer than the originally scheduled limited release. Whether you think you have a good, strong marriage or one that's hanging by a thread, this movie is definitely worth seeing. Please go support the movie!

And don't forget your Kleenex!

Blog Makeover

I have redesigned my blog with the help of Judi at Doodlebug Designs. Rather than being limited to the slim pickins' of blogger templates that were available to me, I wanted our blog to be unique, personal, and more reflective of my style and taste. After going through countless design changes and ideas, Judi was able to help me get the look that I wanted. She was more than patient with me and a pleasure to work with. I love it! It's funny because in the end,
I used many of the same colors and textures that are in my home. In many ways, it just feels comfy- just like home...

A Letter to My Daughters

*Written by a special guest blogger.

To my precious daughters

Faith and Grace,

Two years ago today, mom and I got the call that would answer our prayers. Even though we knew God had something very special planned for our lives we were anxiously waiting for the day when we would find out exactly what that was. I remember getting ready for church in our little guest house in Malibu when the phone rang and mom answered. It was the call that we had been waiting for. I had felt all along that God was going to bless us with a daughter one day and that day had finally come. What I didn't realize was that He had bigger and better plans for our lives. That day, He showed me His greatness and amazing love by blessing us with two little girls. I got to see you for the first time that morning and I will never forget how happy I was. I was so overjoyed that I cried many times that day telling others about you. I was so proud to be your dad. I loved you even before I saw your pictures. It was amazing and something that I will never forget. We went to church that morning to pray. We weren't planning to share the news with anyone right away but deep down, I knew that you were a gift from God and you were meant to be with us. By the time we got to church, I couldn't contain my joy. I was telling everyone we saw about you. I was so excited to let everyone share in our joy and see how awesome God's blessings were. It was an amazing day. It would be a little more than 5 months before we would finally get to hold you and bring you home with us. It seemed like a long time to wait but each day I grew to love you more. It's been two years now and I still remember that wonderful day. And everyday I thank God for His amazing blessing and the love I have for you continues to grow. I didn't know that I could love this much. I just wanted my precious girls to know how I felt when I first saw your picture and learned that I would be your dad.

AML AML,

~Dad

2.5 years old

We started Mom2Mom this morning and the girls had a blast seeing all their friends at church. Other than that, it was a pretty normal day. Morgan left to go to work in LA at 4:30 this morning but managed to be home by dinner time. Since the girls are now 2.5 years old, I took some pictures of them in our courtyard this afternoon. They continue to amaze us and keep us entertained with everything they say and do. For dinner, I made turkey meatballs and spaghetti. The girls love to eat spaghetti and we get great enjoyment out of watching them eat it, too. Since it was a special day, they also got a little treat afterwards- frozen vanilla yogurt on a mini ice cream cone. Have you seen these mini cones? They are the perfect size.

Afterwards, we danced off our dinner in the living room. The girls took turns playing their toy guitar while we all danced together holding hands and just being silly. Lastly, no Princess should go to sleep without a proper bubble bath. There were lots of giggles and laughter before their heads hit the pillow tonight. It was a delightful day to say the least. We are blessed beyond belief.

A day with family...

Uncle Rich introduces Kobe to Faith.

Faith holds Jezzie.

Grandma helps Grace hold Jezzie.

Adorable!

The girls loved swinging in the backyard.

Faith with Hapajee & Hamoni.

Grace sits with daddy and wong-hamoni (great-grandmother).

The girls are getting so big!

The puppies were a big hit... even in the dark.

Playful pups.

Relaxing after dinner.

After a busy week, we looked forward to going to Rich & Emily's to spend some time with my family. The girls loved their two new puppies. Along with swinging in the backyard, it was definitely a highlight for the day. We also enjoyed a much craved Korean dinner. Morgan and I were just talking about how we missed eating Korean food! And what a treat it was! Thanks, guys! It was great to see my family, including my dear aunt and my 95 year-old grandmother who just keeps chugging along.

A New Season

Last night after dinner we took the girls to the park for the first time in many months. As soon as we got there, they ran to the playground with joyful abandonment. Yes, it looks like we've endured another summer here in the desert. Actually, it wasn't so bad- except for the days where it was uncharacteristically humid. What was up with that? I'm looking forward to many more park visits, exercising outdoors, taking walks, and just being able to be outside for more than just a few minutes. It's amazing though how fast our bodies adjust to the warm temperature. Here in the desert, anything under 100 degrees is actually quite pleasant. I guess it's just a small price to pay for living in such a beautiful area.

Fall brings lots of activity around our house. I've been gearing up for Mom2Mom which begins on the 24th. The new blog is in place and we are all excited with anticipation about this upcoming session. http://mom2momsouthwestcc.blogspot.com/. I am personally looking forward to getting out of my summer/relax mode and back into my growing and learning mode with the Lord. Not that I've taken a total break these last few months but I haven't exactly been deeply connected either.

In addition, it seems like in my "free" time, I'm either working on something for The Tutoring Club or the Twins Club- not to mention all my duties around the house. Funny, I've never had as many jobs as I do being a stay at home mom. :)

Morgan has been quite busy with his investment business at Tower, too. Although he is traveling a bit more this year, we have no complaints as we continue to be blessed by his growing business. There is no doubt that God wants him to be exactly where he is.
I admire his compassion and devotion when it comes to taking care of his clients and doing what's best for them. It's not always easy when he has no control of the stock market.

The girls have their share of activities, too. Next week, Story Time resumes at the library on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, they will be in Kid2Kid (while I'm in Mom2Mom) and swim lessons continue on Thursdays.

This season brings birthday celebrations, our anniversary, and of course, Thanksgiving. I will also be throwing a baby shower for my friend, Shannon sometime in November or December. She and her husband, Josh have received their referral for their second son, Trey and they are eagerly waiting to travel to Vietnam in the next few months. Yay!

Lately, there is so much that I want to blog about. It's all there swirling around in my head but there are only so many hours in the day. I try to stay off the computer in the evenings so that only leaves me early mornings or during the girls' nap time. With so many other things that I should be doing, it doesn't leave me much extra time to write. Ah well... life is calling!

The End of Summer

A nice family picture.

Dinner at Peohe's.

Browsing the souvenir shops.

Glam Girls.

Ready for the pool.

The girls get ready to jump in.

We had the big pool all to ourselves.

Our very tan little ones.

Just hanging' around.

Trying daddy's strawberry-banana smoothie.

Our last trip to Del Mar for the summer.

Grace having fun.

The girls love the beach.

Making sand castles.

One of their favorite things to do was chase after birds.

Once Labor Day was over, it seemed like we had the whole resort to ourselves until the next weekend. We spent the rest of our time in the pool or at the beach. Peohe's was a great place for good food and an even better view. We spent many evenings just walking around the landing and ferry area.

All in all, our trip was a great way to wrap up the summer. The girls are already asking about Shamu again. With Labor Day now over and a high of only 98 today, it's official- our summer has come to an end. We are so thankful for all the fun memories we got to make this summer. We look forward to many more!

Legoland

Daddy and the girls.

A river cruise.

The Eiffel Tower made from legos.

Mount Rushmore.

Grace gets to drive her own boat.

Daddy and his first mate Faith.

Flying high in an airplane.

Helicopter ride.

Grace slides down the fire pole.

The girls ride the train all by themselves.

Faith smiles for the camera.

Grace plays at one of the many water features.

One last treat before we call it a day.

Always, double the fun!

The mom and child next to me are both made from legos!

We weren't originally planning to go to Legoland on this trip but at the last minute, Morgan's business got him free tickets. So, we thought, why not? The girls aren't really into legos but they still loved seeing all the moving animals throughout the park. It's really amazing to see all that you can build with legos. There were quite a few kiddie rides that the girls were tall enough to do and enjoy. The park also had some fun water features for the kids. It was a great way to cool off after a warm and fun day.