Archive for "Life"
A Year in Photos
Posted on January 6, 2013 by Ching under Life.
I’d been seeing lots of memory jar pins on Pinterest over that last couple of weeks and I thought it would be fun to do for 2013 so I suggested it to Brian the other day. I explained how it worked — you write down things you want to remember (funny moments, serious moments, something you learned, a first, basically anything you want to remember and cherish) on pieces of paper and shove them in the jar throughout the year, then at the end of the year (presumably while celebrating New Year’s Eve) you read the notes together to look back on all the wonderful moments of the year. He was like, “Why would we do that when we have your blog? You document everything.”
I thought about it for a moment and realized he’s right. The memory jar idea works for normal people, but not people like us. We have a very well-documented life. To look back on the year, I need only to go through the blog’s archives. Although, it’s not nearly as much fun looking through the blog archives on the Mac as drawing random pieces of paper from a jar and reading it one at a time. The memory jar idea definitely creates a more fun, interactive experience for all those involved. Specially if you’re old school. Maybe we could make one for his grandma or our parents or something.
| 2012 PHOTOS |
| January (235) February (383) March (474) April (263) May (560) June (235) July (176) August (277) September (299) October (223) November (131) December (248) |
Speaking of a well-documented life, check out our year in photos on the right. You can also see links to previous years in the archives. While there’s something to be said about pulling pieces of paper out of a jar, there’s nothing like looking at pictures of all of these moments.
Thank heavens for Flickr so I can keep all of these photos in one secure place. Then I don’t have to scour Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and everywhere else.
BTW, the numbers in parentheses are the number of photos in each month. While this seems like a lot, it’s actually 2,201 photos less than last year and probably almost 5,000 less than the year before that. I think I’m mellowing out in my old age. LOL.
I used to take a thousand photos between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone. This year I only took 248 photos the entire month of December. I think this is because I quit carrying a regular digital camera around and have been relying mostly on my phone. These days I usually upload the picture immediately after taking the photo, as opposed to the old way of taking a whole bunch of photos on your digital camera and then uploading them as a batch later. I like the new process in terms of immediate gratification (that, and I don’t have to take time out of my week to upload photos) but it makes me far less prolific. I doubt anyone minds. I’m sure that others think that I can mellow out some more on the photo-taking.
Incidentally, I noticed that I took exactly the same number of photos in March 2012 as I did the same month the year before. Talk about consistency!
Anyway, I will leave you all with one of my most favorite photos of 2012. Keep making those memories. Until next time…
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Happy New Year
Posted on January 1, 2013 by Ching under Life.
Once again, it’s time to recap the year that was… Before we review 2012, here’s a look at my year-end recaps of years past.
Now that you’re caught up, let’s look back at some of last year’s memorable moments.
We started the year with Liz and Robby’s wedding. Last year was actually a banner year for weddings. We saw several friends tie the knot, including Cousin Tracy. We first celebrated with Tracy and Jeff on their wedding shower and then continued the celebration in Jamaica. They had a beautiful wedding at Coral Cove Resort in Little Bay. Then there was Mark and Jarrica’s wedding a couple of months later. Fortunately, their wedding was held in town so we didn’t have to hop on a plane or drive to another city. There’s also Daniel and Angi and then, more recently, Pia and JP. Congratulations to all of our friends who got married last year.
The trip to Jamaica was great by the way. It was a short trip for us because Brian and I didn’t want to take too much time off work, but we wanted to be there for Cousin Tracy and Jeff’s big day. We packed a lot of adventures on our few days there, including a boat trip to Negril, a visit to Rick’s Cafe, some kayaking in the cove, and plenty of sunbathing.
A few weeks after returning from our Jamaica trip, I completed the Zumba Basic 1 training. I officially received my Zumba instructor license and joined the Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) on April 20. We followed that up with a trip to Overland Park for the Gina & Tanya Rock the Stage Tour. We also had a fun t-shirt destruction party earlier that same month, where the girls made creative shirts to wear to the event. Incidentally, this was the same day as Stephanie’s birthday party at Ciao! A huge tornado came through Wichita that night. We all barely got out of the restaurant before it hit the area. Lucky for us, we lived right by Waterfront and we were home in a couple of minutes so we had enough time to evacuate to the tornado shelter under the clubhouse of our apartment complex. Pretty scary stuff.
For Brian’s 38th birthday, I took him to Nashville. He lived in Memphis for three years, but never got to go there. He was jealous when I went there for a conference the year before and kept saying how much he wanted to go so I decided that’s how we would celebrate his birthday. We stayed at Gaylord Opryland, which is actually like its own city. Brian got to see Nashville for the first time and also watch his first Grand Ole Opry concert. The best part about his birthday gift is that I got to enjoy it too.
I celebrated my tenth service anniversary with work at YaYa’s. It was pretty uneventful compared to the time Brian and I were there celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary. Speaking of restaurants and eating out, we got to eat out a lot in 2012 because I started writing restaurant reviews for the Wichita Eagle as part of Denise Neil’s Dining Panel. I’m so grateful to Denise for including me.
My cousin Reuel and his wife Sonny Jay visited Kansas in July. Reuel lives in Norway so I hadn’t seen him in almost twenty years. We were supposed to attend his wedding in the Philippines, but the airfare was quite high around that time and our budget just wouldn’t allow it. I’m glad they were able to visit us.
We spent our tenth wedding anniversary at Stewart Title closing on our house. We decided that our house is to be our anniversary present to one another… for the next ten years. LOL. We didn’t move in for a month because we wanted the entire interior repainted. We officially moved in around Labor Day weekend, which meant no trip to Texas this year. Ever since Sheryll and her family moved to Dallas, we’d been making the trip South every September. This would have been the third year of that annual tradition had we been able to do it. We were busy with moving and getting our new house in order, though. Perhaps we can resume the tradition next year. Although, now that we have extra space, we can host the Orbases when they visit us which hopefully will be here in a few weeks.
Since we didn’t go to Texas, we treated ourselves to an overnight stay in Kansas City for the Journey concert. That was my first ever concert in the rain. The concert was held at an outdoor arena and we had floor seats. I didn’t plan on it raining when I purchased the tickets. We still had fun, though.
Some of the other fun events we were fortunate enough to attend this year include Zoobilee, Oktoberfest (Newman University’s fundraising event), the sixth annual Brew Ha-Ha at Flint Hills National, and Becca’s 40th birthday celebration. I did some volunteer work at the Kansas State Fair and the Lord’s Diner. I really wanted to be able to do more, but was really busy this year since I started teaching Zumba.
Brian really enjoyed handing out candy on Halloween night, our first at the new house. We also attended a few Halloween parties.
We made our annual trek to Legends Outlets in Kansas City on the evening of Thanksgiving for Moonlight Magic. Brian and I have been doing the Black Friday thing for a few years now and I think we’ve finally gotten it out of our system. This should be our last year. There will be no crazy midnight shopping trips in store for us this year. Brian will be most happy about this news.
In December we hosted our first fight night here at the new house. Then I had my thyroidectomy. Brian was a mess, naturally. Other than an unnecessary trip the ER the Sunday following my surgery, recovery has been going well. I’m actually thinking about going back to doing some light running this week. I’ve been a slug all month and, now that my appetite is back, I’m starting to pack on the pounds.
Anyway, I think that pretty much sums up 2012. It has been an eventful year and I feel truly blessed. Each year that passes continues to be even better than the last and I have a feeling that 2013 will be the best year yet. I’ll see you guys again around this time next year as we recap the year’s highlights.
Until then… Have a fantastic year everyone!
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Christmas Morning
Posted on December 27, 2012 by Ching under Life, Relationship, Wishlist.
In honor of our first Christmas at the new house, Brian and I decided to buy presents for each other that we can exchange on Christmas morning. We never buy presents for each other because we usually just get a joint gift to each other or get a couples massage or take a trip somewhere and call it our Christmas. This year we wanted to do something different.
I get a kick out of being different so I wrapped Brian’s present in a Noodles & Company takeout box.
Brian wanted a new wedding band because his wedding band has gotten too big for his fingers since he’s lost so much weight. He wanted a tungsten wedding band this time around instead of platinum.
Merry Christmas, baby! I love you!
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When It Rains, It Pours
Posted on November 4, 2012 by Ching under Life.
I have been so pampered this week! We started off with a haircut last Sunday. I usually only get my hair cut two or three times a year because it’s so expensive! I can get by because my hair is long and when it has lost its shape, I just start wearing it in a pony tail. LOL.
Since Maria left Planet Hair ten years ago, I’ve had such a hard time finding a permanent hair dresser. I don’t really change my hairstyle much so it’s so much nicer to have someone that you can rely on to give you the same consistent cut… But I go so infrequently that it hasn’t really mattered.
Anyway, for the past year I’d been going to Melissa at Charisma East because the salon was down the street from our townhouse. I had a thing about having my dentist, eye doctor, massage therapist, grocery store, etc. all within a five mile radius. Seriously. If we could have afforded to buy a house in the NE quadrant of Wichita, specifically North of 13th Street and East of Webb Road, I would have been completely ecstatic. I also liked Charisma because they sell and use Aveda products, which I love, love, love. Their Smooth Infusion
The main problem I had with Charisma is that they’re not open on Sundays. I would go on a Saturday but, between teaching Zumba, waxing and dental appointments, and errands, and life in general, I never have enough time.
I singed my hair on the fireplace a couple of weeks ago and finally couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to go get my hair cut. Lucky for me, Eric Fisher Salon is open on Sundays. They don’t use Aveda products, but I’d gone there a few times in the past and they’d always done a good job.
The name of the stylist they set me up with is also Melissa. She goes by Mel, though. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but when someone is going to do my hair, I always check out their hair and their overall style. If they have great hair and look stylish, I know I’m in good hands.
Brian and I got there early and so we were sitting on the bench upstairs, just waiting for my turn. I’d never met Mel before so I didn’t know what she looked like. As I observed all the hair dressers working that day do their work, I secretly wished that I would get this one girl with the short hair because I liked her fashion sense. Few people can make brown and black work. Fewer still dare to do it. Oh, and I absolutely loved her boots! I should have taken a picture of them.
Have I told you guys how effective The Secret
I joke but she actually did a really good job. She’s truly earned that master stylist title. She listened to what I wanted and cut my hair accordingly. I think this was the best haircut I’d ever gotten in a really long time. It’s been a tough few years looking for a permanent hair dresser, but I told Brian that day that I think I found the one. I liked her so much that I booked another appointment right then. I scheduled it for January 6, the Sunday before I leave for Phoenix.
Fast forward to Friday night. I got a coupon for a free shampoo and blowout at Beau Monde and decided to use it right before Brew Ha-Ha. I didn’t expect much, but Holly did such an amazing job. Brian and I only had $4 in cash between the two of us. I felt so bad. I almost wanted to pay for my free blowout (usually $28 or $35 depending on the length of your hair) just so I could tip more. She was that good!
I’m thinking that if she can do that to my hair, I bet she is an amazing hair dresser also. Oh, get this. She only charges $42 for haircuts and she gave me a 15% OFF coupon that expires on January 15. So I did what any sane crazy person would do. I canceled my appointment with Mel that I scheduled for January 6, and scheduled one with Holly for January 5 (Beau Monde isn’t open on Sundays). I figured that is far enough out that I can make sure I’m free that afternoon. LOL.
For a decade I’d been searching for “the one” and when it finally happens, I find two of them. Wild. Anyway, if Holly does as well as Mel when she actually cuts my hair in January I’m going with her for sure as my permanent hair dresser moving forward. First, I’m at Beau Monde every two to three weeks to see Patricia anyway. I practically live there. It will be so convenient to get my waxing and haircut on the same day at the same place. Second, $42 is a bargain compared to how much Mel charges and that will make my total cost $50 each time, which is a nice round number. I know, I’m weird. But round numbers are easier to work with when Brian and I do our budget.
Speaking of budget, massages were something that we had to cut out of the budget now that our housing and utility costs have doubled. Brian got me an epic massage at Sveta’s for my birthday this year, though. Gotta love birthdays. They only happen once a year so you must take full advantage whenever they come around. Just kidding. I actually told him that he didn’t have to get me anything. Although, I think he felt like he had to because I took him to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry for his birthday this year.
All jokes aside, Brian didn’t really have to get me anything because he’s already given me the best gift of all — his love. Thank you for taking such wonderful care of me everyday of the year. You are the best husband ever. I love you, baby!
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Halloween 2012
Posted on October 31, 2012 by Ching under Events, Life.
Brian is actually having a lot of fun handing out candy.
Lucky for all the neighborhood kids, he won the debate. Therefore, no apples tonight. We’re giving out miniature candy bars. It was really weird because the kids were only taking one each. We had to tell them they can get more than one. Although, we’ve since had a couple of groups come through who took more than a handful. LOL.
I’m enjoying some Woodchuck Cider in a frosted mug, which just happens to be one of our Brew Ha-Ha mugs from last year. It’s because I’m trying to get in the mood for Friday. Anyway, here are some Halloween highlights…
Brian dressed as an angry priest who just got pulled over by a Mulvane cop. LOL. The angry look is so realistic, too.
He’s not as angry in this photo.
And happier yet.
I dressed as a school girl, complete with a backpack prop.
Jenni didn’t party with us this year, but she sent me a photo of her costume anyway. She said she was dressed as a “cougar.” I wondered, how is that different from any other day? That’s like me dressing as a Zumba instructor for Halloween. Pa-dum-pum. LOL. (Just kidding, Jenni! You know I love you!)
After the Fabulous Fleshtones finished their first set at RD’s County Line, we left to attend Hideki’s Halloween party. Here’s a photo of Andrea and me.
I’m not sure who brought the moonshine. I didn’t have any. It smelled really strong.
Brian and I got to play some Rock Band.
Hideki has the best Rock Band set up of anyone we know.
I usually play drums because I’m terrible at guitar or bass.
BTW, these last few photos were taken by Meader Woo. He is the best party photographer – ever! Here’s one with Frederique.
Melissa, Brian and me…
I got to wear pig tails again the next day when we attended Gina Ann’s annual Halloween party. They go all out on decorations inside and outside the house!
Gina Ann said that this was to be a kids’ party, so Brian and I dressed in footed pajamas in order to fit in.
Andrea dressed as Kim Possible. She is so creative!
Here’s a photo of all the Zumba girls. Though, we’re still working on Becca.
I had to dress up again yesterday because it was the designated Halloween dress up day at work. I was going to put on my cap and gown and dress as a graduate, but I couldn’t find my tassel. Decided to be a cowgirl at the last minute because I already had the stuff for it. It’s basically just regular clothes, with cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and a bandana. It’s an easy costume to put together.
Lance came as a fisherman.
Isaac came as a golfer. I really could have come as a Zumba instructor since everyone else was representing their hobbies. LOL.
Faith had the best costume of all…
Although, I’m quite impressed with myself for pulling off three different Halloween looks this year. And to think the only thing that I spent money on was the school girl costume ($10). I already had everything else in my closet.
BTW, I’ve been handing out candy on and off as I type this blog entry but we haven’t had any trick or treaters come through in the last half hour or so. I think Halloween might be officially over. And we still have a lot of candy left! Boo!
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