adopted into His kingdom..

Maybe it's the fall weather, but I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life's purpose. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, love my husband, love life. Yet, when I look at the progression my life has taken: school, career, marriage... it looks like the next "logical" step is kids.

I've been wrestling with the idea of kids... first, really desiring to have a child. I understand what it means when people say their biological clock is ticking. People are pregnant everywhere it seems - my sister with her third on the way.

These two topics about my life purpose and the idea of children have been mingling with each other in my head as of late. I was on the phone with my mom and brought up the idea of adoption again. This time she brought up the, "What would your mother-in-law think?" card. This was not an attack on my mother-in-law, but more of my mom's way of giving me a cultural wake-up. Who will continue on our biological line? My mom asked, "There's no way you could love an adopted child the way you could love your own biological one."

Ouch, that stung. I asked her back, "Then who WILL love the abandoned orphans?" Yes.. that is the question of the day.

More questions then answers... do I have.

CHEESE!

For Dave's Film and Theology class, he watched the movie Sideways which showcased the wineries of Santa Ynez Valley. Inspired by the movie, we decided it would be fun to venture out. On this spontaneous day excursion to the quaint Danish town of Solvang, we visited the Lucas & Lewellen Wine tasting room and the humble Hans Christian Anderson museum.

Highlights of the trip included the discovery of a bank called Rabobank, which we thought was such a funny name for a bank (because of its phonetic similarity to rob-a-bank) and a light picnic of Trader Joe's salad, chips, fruit and of course Two Buck Chuck and brie cheese at a small park.

All in all, an inexpensive but out of the ordinary, autumn getaway.

U2 360 Tour

U2 @ the Rose Bowl on October 25th, 2009. This is what 96,000 people in one stadium looks like.

"See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out

It was a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
Beautiful day"

It didn't happen unless there's a picture of it.

At a concert last night, there were several people (probably much younger than us) taking pictures of themselves during the concert... To the point it was blinding the people behind them. I get a sense that we live in a generation where the mindset is, "If there isn't a picture of it, it didn't happen."


So, here's my contribution. This is a picture from the Jason Mraz concert at the Hollywood Bowl on October 10, 2009.

Seven hundred thirty two

Two years of marriage.

That doesn't seem like much on paper.

But that's seven hundred and thirty two days and nights together. That many days laughing, joking, singing, smiling... also that many days of talking through decisions, debating sometimes arguing. That many days wanting more time together and some times apart.

We are changing and growing with each new month -one of the joys of getting married early. My parents told us to wait until we were both done school, but here we are in school and living life - together. And all the more happier for it.

In these seven hundred and thirty two days, we have lived a year in Azusa and a year in Pasadena. I have become a registered nurse and work full-time. Dave is halfway through his program at Fuller and I'm halfway through mine at APU. Dave has written over twenty songs.

He learned a little Spanish and stopped. I learned a little guitar and stopped.

In the course of two years, we have been to five California beaches, San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Oregon Coast, the Redwoods, the Grand Canyon, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite, and on our anniversary, the Channel Islands (which is where this picture was taken).

We have had thirteen people sleep on our IKEA sofabed over the course of two years. I have broken one plate, one side plate, and no cups! We have gone through 8 tubes of toothpaste, but are still on the same bottle of Windex (Erica would not be proud).

Seven hundred and thirty two days and counting!

Cardiovascular

Recently, I was reminded of a group science project I had in the fourth grade. Our group was assigned to present on the circulatory system. We made a colorful slide for the overhead projector distinguishing the difference between the red and blue vessels attached to the heart. We began with the basics: Arteries move blood Away from the heart. Veins move blood to the heart.

Fourteen years later, here I am working on a cardiac unit as a registered nurse. I see patients that have actual or potential problems with their circulatory system. Angina, syncope, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, sick sinus syndrome, congestive heart failure, COPD, atrial fibrillation, AV blocks, pacemakers, AICDs, just to name a few.

And yet, when I recall the function of an artery, I still look up into the recesses of my brain and whisper to myself: Arteries move blood Away from the heart.

Mammoth, June Lake, Mono Lake & Yosemite

Dave and I tried to squeeze in a weekend camping trip before the summer ends. June Lake was gorgeous. Daytime temperatures ranged in the 70's. We were amazed by clarity of the water of the lake. June Lake is a gem of a campsite especially at the peak of summer tourism. We camped at Oh Ridge, surprised to find empty campsites left and right of us, only a short walk from the beach. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking... a perfect weekend getaway.

Mono Lake.

Some words to describe this lake: alkaline, tufa towers, fishless, brineshrimp, alkali flies. The Mono Lake committee works to protect this lake "nestled at the edge of the arid Great Basin and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and supports a unique and productive ecosystem."



We made sure to take a day to drive out to Yosemite since it relatively wasn't a far drive. From the 395, we took the Tioga Pass Highway 120 and took in some amazing views as we got to Yosemite Valley. Not having the energy to do the Half Dome, we chose the Mist Trail that took us to Vernal Falls.

As you can see, the sights were breathtaking!
You can't really tell in this picture, but the mist from the falls was soaking our backs. A definite reward after hiking moderate-to-strenuously for about an hour in the heat.

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
- Frank Lloyd Wright

One day, while I was at work, Dave decided to take a picture of a meal that he made for lunch. Spicy chicken on top of rice and a layer of cooked egg whites, sprinkled with sesame seeds. He has been so wonderful cooking meals at home, doing the dishes, cleaning and just making life less stressful for me.

Adventures of nursing

These past few weeks have been exhausting, mostly because I've started the new grad orientation classes at the hospital on top of my 12 hour shifts on the unit. I was hired 2 months before the orientation, so I've actually been on the unit for 2 months, caring for patients on my own for 4 weeks.

Managing my time is probably the most difficult of my tasks on the unit, with assessments, giving meds, hanging IVs, carrying out MD orders, vital signs, monitoring tele, updating profiles, and documenting EVERYTHING that I do. And when something out of the ordinary happens on top of all this, that's when you know you won't be having lunch until 2 or 3 pm. I was surprised to find that I lost 10 lbs since I started working in June.

Oh, but how I DO enjoy my job! I never realized before I started nursing school that nurses had so much autonomy. I'm not only carrying out MD orders, but doctors (not all) value my judgment and my opinion. A lot of the times, I make the call, I suggest a treatment, and the doctor will oblige.

Another thing is that I love my interactions with my patients (most of the time). One day, I had a patient in for atrial fibrillation
whom I was told in report that he was a very grouchy, difficult patient. That day, I did my assessment and valued the person behind the patient. Yes, he was grouchy, but I decided that I was going to respect that he probably had a reason behind his grouchiness rather than labeling him as difficult. As the day progressed, he was nicer and nicer to me, and later he asked me what church I went to. I asked him, "How did you know I go to church?" and he said, "I can tell." I later find out he had been a pastor and a missionary for many many years. Bad health and the hospitalization just had gotten the best of him. But that day, seeing the person behind the patient made all the difference.

Garden and the City

Recently, Dave wrote a paper for his Christ & Culture class on a book by his Professor, Richard Mouw. The book is called When the Kings Come Marching In. In one part of his book, Mouw talks about the juxtaposition of the Garden of Eden and the Holy City.

I wouldn't consider myself a city girl. I don't find myself jumping with glee when surrounded by tall buildings as my city loving friends do. I find myself at peace at the beach or surrounded by lush green or looking down a mountain. All other factors aside, if I had to choose between nature and city, I'd definitely choose nature. BUT, have you ever thought of why God would envision the afterlife as a city?

Cities are meccas of activity, arts, culture, education, technology, commerce, people, people, people. From garden to city... we have been called to fill this earth and subdue it. Our God is a God that loves creation because He is the ultimate Creator. What are you creating and contributing to the City?

Nurse Lois?

In the past year, I've noticed that people come to me with their health concerns more than ever. It's one of the blessings of being a future nurse. From splinters to burns to cuts on the head. From earbuds stuck in the ear to unexplained pain in the thumb. From sore throats to chest pain. It's nurse Lois to the rescue!

What is it about nurses that make them approachable? Nurses are Jacks & Jills-of-all-trades. They can answer general health questions, pregnancy & birth related questions, kid questions, psych questions, safety questions.. and more! Random health facts? Like: use a scotch tape across the bumhole to test for pinworms, we know them! I'm blessed that this is my way to serve and relate with my fellow man/woman.

Chandra

Delicious, affordable Thai food located on Arroyo Parkway a little past Houston's steakhouse. I ordered the crispy basil shrimp and it was delightfully delectable! For $7.50 the crispy shrimp topped with a sweet and sour chili sauce and fried basil came with soup to start, rice, and an egg roll.

Counter-cultural

Proverbs 30:7-9

⁷Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
⁹lest I be full and deny you
and say, "Who is the LORD?"
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.

Family

Have you noticed that conflict in family has existed since the first family? Starting with Adam & Eve's disobedience to God which included spousal conflict, moving on to Cain and Abel and conflict between siblings, and on and on from there. Even in the merging of families, like when Jacob asks for Rachel's hand in marriage and is tricked into marrying Leah. Through our imperfections it seems we shape each other. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man [or woman] sharpens another." -Proverbs 27:17

Hakata Ramen & Gyu-Kaku

In the storm of all this drama following the NCLEX-RN this morning, Dave and I found two great places to eat, thanks to our trusty Yelp and my post-exam trauma/despair.

Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi is a quaint Japanese noodle house in Rosemead. It's not as far as it seems - 20 minutes. The last time Dave and I tried authentic Japanese ramen was in Vancouver, and as has been most food in Los Angeles county in comparison, Hakata was delicious. As soon as you walk in, you feel the steam of the boiled noodles permeating the restaurant as the staff great you in Japanese. You get to choose the firmness of the noodles: hard, medium, soft. The strength of the soup base: strong, medium, light. The amount of oil: high, medium, low. I recommend everything at medium if it's your first time. Dave ordered the C-set which comes with ramen noodles and Takana fried rice. I ordered the L-set that comes with 1/2 ramen noodles, Takana fried rice and a salad. Filling and a good change in Japanese cuisine from the usual sushi-sashimi.

Gyu-Kaku happy hour in Pasadena. $2.95 for a plate(s) of your choice of: kalbi chuck, bistro harami, chicken tender, and/or garlic shrimp that you grill yourself. The concept is similar to a Korean BBQ - minus the endless side dishes and, fortunately, minus the kalbi stink that leaves on your clothes. According to Dave and his endless Asian cuisine knowledge via his mom, Gyu-Kaku invested a ton of money into each of those individual grills that suck all the smoke down through the grill rather than up through a fan above the table. Hence, no stink. Another added bonus: draft beers $0.99.

Luckily Pasadena is surrounded by large Chinese, Armenian, Hispanic populations that come with their own authentic cuisine and culinary gems within their vicinity.

75 questions... and waiting.

Today was the big day! The NCLEX-RN, national state boards for nursing. For the past three months, my classmates and I have been studying up a storm with NCLEX review books, Kaplan questions (which I didn't subscribe to), the NCSBN learning extension, Mosby's and Saunders flash cards... and all in one fell swoop of 75 questions in approximately an hour and a half, all that knowledge felt like it had been flushed down the drain. Maybe an exaggeration?

I read online that the majority of the people who come out of the exam feel like they failed the exam. It was designed to make the majority of the people who take it pass with 50%. So, going in I was confident - I wasn't going to let it irk me - level headed ME! I came out... visited our friend Adam who was working at the Starbucks across the street. Got in the car, paid 15 bucks for parking, gave Dave a call (which I probably shouldn't have done while driving) and started sobbing!

Stats say, of those who end with 75 questions: 85% pass with flying colors and 15% fail miserably. Only time will tell.

Neighbors in the Garden of Eden

Okay, so I don't know the slightest thing about gardening... but I've been having this itch to garden for the last couple of weeks. I bought all the necessities: pots, potting soil, plants, watering pot.. I have my shovel, my gloves, I'm set. But like anything else that's new, starting is always the hardest part for me.

One of my neighbors, Annie, has been working on her garden since the beginning of this year and it has bloomed into an abundance of oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, that I have yet to borrow for cooking. I love that I have neighbors like Annie who garden and who let me water their garden because I don't have one of my own. Come to think of it, I love all my neighbors.

I love that I have neighbors who can knock on my door to borrow sugar or curry powder. I love that I have neighbors who can appreciate a good beer or glass of wine with cheese at that. I love that I have neighbors who aren't afraid to bring their dinner up and join us - friends who drop by unannounced and it's completely normal for all of us. And I love that when I come home, little Sarah and Paul never fail to greet us, "Hi Dave, Hi Loi-ee." That's where we live in a nutshell. :)

Two legs

Don't take for granted where these two legs can take you. Standing at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, looking down, it seemed impossible. To think that these two legs would take me down there and back. I made it though. In 7.5 hours, we hiked 12 miles. There's something powerful about a group of people hiking together, encouraging eachother, waiting for eachother, and pushing eachother along to the top. This shot was taken at the top with a few hundred meters left. This is community.

The GC

I can't wait for this weekend. Eight of us are leaving on Thursday to do a three day camp out at the Grand Canyon. I feel like living here in Pasadena this past year has really changed the way we live. Literally, we have not known any of these people for over a year, yet I can't wait to spend time with them hiking, eating, enjoying company. If we had never met certain people, would we even be thinking about camping or hiking this spring break?

We're stoked! Three boxes of granola bars, 24 bottles of Gatorade, 8 bags of beef jerky... mmm!

Your love is better than ice cream..

And I do LOOOVE ice cream! If you go to Ralph's or Food-4-Less, you'll find a 2 for 4 deal on Deluxe ice cream... mmm! My new favorite: Fudge Tracks. Dave and Jon's favorite: Cookies-n-Cream.