Weddings

This weekend, one of my best girlfriends from high school will be getting married.  I chatted with her on the phone last night, and she was filling me in on all the wedding drama going on, as well exclaiming as her excitement to see how all the planning she has been doing will fit together.  She sounded happy, and I couldn't help getting giddy over celebrating with her and all of our friends.

My memories refer back to the day David and I got married -- the happiest day of my life. I know people always say that, but it's true. We promised, before God, to love each other forever. Our family and friends stood by us, promising also to support us throughout our lives. We partied and danced the night away, ending the evening with a song that still makes me smile whenever I hear it --Don't Stop Believin'. 

This will be the 4th wedding we will have attended in 2011!  There's just something about weddings that is magical.  Maybe it's the dressing up part, or the pretty decorations and fancy desserts.  Heck, the open bar can cause fireworks on its own!  For me, what really sets a wedding apart from all the others is the interaction between the couple.  A couple in love doesn't have to act like they're on a show at their wedding.  There's no such thing as a bridezilla or groomzilla.  There's no fake, plastered smile for pictures, or forced small talk with the guests.  The stress of the day cannot be seen on their faces, just love for one another and pure joy.  It simply cannot be staged.

People always say that marriage is the end of your life as you know it.  For me, marriage has given me a life I could not have imagined.  It is not easy, and it is not for the weak.  It requires daily effort from both the husband and the wife, and constant prayer.  Marriage truly is a sacrament of service.  I love being married, and am so happy for all of my dear friends and family who have chosen this path in life. 

That is all.  I'm done preaching. :)

slow down!

have you ever felt like life was just going way too fast?

my life is literally flashing before my eyes. i swear that christmas was just yesterday, and yet here we are in the middle of february and so much has already happened since then...


my sis, friends, and family threw the most awesome party of my entire life -- david and my engagement party. it was the biggest, baddest surprise i've ever experienced and i enjoyed every minute of it. it makes me emotional every time i step back and realize just how many beautiful people i have in my life. i truly am not that deserving. the party even continued for a few days afterwards as the ol' crew became our first official house guests! though our time together was short, we had some wonderful conversations that took me back to our college days. again and again i was reminded of how God shows me His love through the people around me. we haven't had our house officially blessed by a priest yet, but i felt like after that weekend, our house became a home.

it has been quite the adventure trying to get used to living across the bay and all the other odds and ends that come with having a home. there are new "issues" david and i have come across regarding our home together, and we've been slowly (very...slowly...) working through them all. i never realized how much work a house is! there's just so much more space to take care of, to clean, to maintain!

i took my class on our first big field trip of the year -- our annual state capitol visit. it was a huge trip to plan, but it was so much fun. i had a lot of help, too, as many parents wanted to come along! the kids learned so much from the trip, as did their teacher. last year i wasn't able to enjoy the field trip at all -- i was too busy disciplining kids and making sure none of them escaped from the group. this year was so different. i was able to just sit back and watch as my students soaked in new information about our state government. it made me really look forward to taking them to washington, d.c. later this year.

interestingly enough, wedding planning has taken a back seat to everything else that is going on right now. i know, this is not good. most of our save-the-dates have been sent out lately, though they are a couple months late! our guests will be getting the invitations very soon after the std's...not ideal, but we can't help that now. there's just so much to get done, and everyone has been so nice about offering their help. however, if the bride can't get herself organized, how are people going to be able to help her? i'm so overwhelmed...

but, it's ok. everything will work out. i know it will.

oh, and i went to vegas last month with some fellow coworkers and had a blast! it was so much fun. during that trip i decided to sign up for the avon breast cancer walk in july. at first i wanted to do the sf marathon with david and derrick, but i realized that i do not like running -- especially long distance running. plus, the breast cancer walk is for a great cause! we are walking 52 miles over 2 days...pretty intense, eh? i think it'll be fun, though, and i'm looking forward to getting in shape with all the training we are going to do until then.

i want to say that i'll update soon, but who knows given my recent track record. oh well...until next time, then!

it's been a long time comin'...

my lack of blog posting is a testament to how crazy busy life has been for me these past few months since my bday in late october. crazy busy...but, crazy beautiful.

perhaps the biggest thing that has taken place in our lives thus far is that david and i purchased this:

the front of our house

the back of our house

path leading up to our door (as you can see the houses in front of us aren't even fully built yet)

our neighborhood

we started looking around for a house earlier in the year, found a couple, placed a bid on one, but it fell through. so, we stopped looking for a while. then, partly out of boredom and partly because of the buyer's market in real estate we started looking around again in october. since we didn't have any luck around the penninsula side of the bay, we looked further away towards the east where property was much cheaper, and much newer. around my birthday time we decided to take the steps to purchase a new house that wasn't even finished being built yet, and a month later, the day before thanksgiving, we closed escrow and were the proud owners of a brand new home!

since then things have just moved so fast! we have been moving in our things little by little, buying the essentials here and there, and just simply enjoying being in our own place. sometimes i still can't believe it is truly ours. i never thought we'd be able to have a house like the one we have. it's not a huge place, but it fits us for right now. it's 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and located very close to lots of restaurants and shops. we don't have a backyard, which is the one thing i wish it had, but we do have a small front yard and space on the side of the house for planting. the best part is that we were able to get it for such a great price! everyone was telling us that now is the time to buy, and we're glad we listened.

hmmm, so what else has been going on? well, work has gone by equally as fast! now that can be a good thing and a bad thing! in terms of behavior management with my class, i am having a much easier time this year. i love my students! ok, some days i really dislike them, but in general i love the class i have this year. we definitely have a connection and an understanding between us, and they challenge me in ways that i have not been challenged as a teacher. i have had some of the most amazing conversations with them; they've discussed faith and religion with me in ways that no adult ever has. some days i wish there was a camera in my room to which the world could have a glimpse into how these young people think about their own faith. they desire so much to find truth and understanding -- i preach to them about loving God and they ask me why. they don't just accept what i say. they argue with me, not to annoy me but so that they can seek the truth! it's no longer the generation of just accepting that there is a God because your parents and teachers tell you that there is one. these kids have less and less role models to look up to when it comes to religion and faith, it is no wonder that they question it! so, it is in arguing with them and trying to answer those "why's" that my own faith has been deepened. and it is during those conversations that i realize why i am a teacher.

it's just a few minutes before NYE and come to think of it, i haven't even thought of a new year's resolution for 2009! survive, maybe? oh, 2009 i am not ready for you yet!!! i have our class' washington trip to plan (yes, we are going to D.C. baby!), graduation, oh...and not to mention...MY WEDDING! it's going to be a crazy year! crazy, but oh so beautiful.

this in an s.o.s.

i wasn't planning on posting wedding related stuff on this blog, but i need your help...

CALLING ALL FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

one of our favorite photographers (we have many!), apertura, is holding a contest for a free engagement shoot! we really want to book these guys for our wedding, but they are super expensive -- and for good reason. their work is amazing. so, we have a favor to ask of you. if you find yourself bored on a rainy day within the next couple weeks or so, could you please send them a story/short essay and photo of david and i as an entry to their "blogstalkers unite" contest (click the link for details!). they're going to pick the best story/couple and announce the winner on their blog. we thought that enlisting the help of a few of our blog readers would fit perfectly with the theme of their contest.

the photo above and below can be found on their blog. aren't they stunning? so, would you consider helping us out? david and i would be eternally grateful. thanks, friends!

young love, blogs, and (disappointing) diy cards

a couple days ago i had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my younger cousin, chi-chi. i picked her up from school and we had a nice lunch together while chatting about what's been going on in her life lately. boy, is she growing up fast. so fast, that i, along with my cousins and my sibs, are having a hard time accepting it. she just turned 16 and is no longer a baby, but she's the youngest out of the cousins that are close and sometimes we forget that she needs her space to be able to grow up somewhat on her own. i look at her and her sister and wish so much to spare them from the pains of growing up, and i especially want to shield them from the love heartaches that i know they will (and have) eventually experience(d).

i remember what it was like to be 16 and in love. i also remember what it's like to think that your bf is the most important thing in the world, and the downfall that comes with having that person hurt you and all of a sudden disappear from your life. being one of the oldest in the family, it is hard to just sit back and watch the people you care about go through tough times. but, i know that at some point you just need to let go. i suppose this is somewhat what parents go through, except on an even deeper level.

yesterday we went to her bday dinner at buca di beppo in the city. all 27 of her friends came, and while walking through the city received stares from onlookers wondering about the big group of asian teens passing by. (it reminded me of my days at uci...) it was fun observing the lives of today's teens, and especially interesting watching them interact with the opposite sex. oh, the excitement of young love!

on a different note, david and my wedding blog is up and running! i wanted to have a separate blog where i could detail the different wedding-related experiences that will soon be taking over our lives in case some of my readers do not care to read about that sort of stuff. heck, even david doesn't care for most of it! he's the type to make decisions quickly and painlessly. i, on the other hand, choose to ponder upon blue or green, flowers or candles, indoor or outdoor until my head spins. (and not from the vertigo! :P) so, if you would like to ponder along with me in the upcoming year-and-a-half, read this.

i participated in a valentine's day card swap with the bloggers/readers from this site that i often frequent and they posted pics of the diy (do-it-yourself) cards we all sent in. each of us received the addresses of 3 other readers/bloggers to whom we would need to send our cards, and in turn would receive cards from as well. sadly, i was disappointed with the outcome of my own cards. i made them in about 45 min. because i waited till the last second (of course) to send them out. i'm even embarrassed because i knew i could have done a better job. well, that's what i get for being last minute.

okay already!

well, you convinced me. here i am taking some time out of my not-so-busy saturday afternoon to re-enter the blogging world. i do have to say that i've been wanting to blog so badly -- for the past month to be exact. there have been so many things happening in my life. finding the time to write them down is another story.

the holiday season was wonderful! we had the usual dioneda family gatherings, with an added member -- david. this was the first christmas he spent with us and away from his family, and it felt nice to have him there. my vertigo woes put a bit of a dent into the fun, but i got over it and for now, i'm all good.

work has been...interesting. let's see here -- one fight, two suspensions, week-long detentions, sudden headaches, upset parents, recommendations, transcripts and failing students. i think that just about sums it all up.

wedding planning is now fully underway. i was issued a gag order the month of my engagement from my soon-to-be husband so that we could enjoy our engagement before the craziness begins. already this year we've been to 2 bridal shows and numerous venues. i even had a quick consultation with my wedding consultant, francia. i'll be starting a wedding blog soon to record all our adventures during the process! after all, not everyone (including david... ;P) wants to read about wedding this wedding that all day long.

the fam is getting ready for our yearly trek to the philippines. so excited about this. david and his mom have decided to come with, and i am sure it is an experience we will all remember. i love the philippines so much and am truly blessed to be able to go again. luckily, my principal let me take a few days off from school! he was hesitant but recognizes how many hours i work on a daily basis and said that i deserved a break. i'm scared, though. the last time i called in sick the class got all their cell phones taken away and were threatened to have their sacramento trip cancelled.

so, those are just a few highlights of what's been up with me lately. and now, for some photos!







i have more pictures to post but they're on the other CD. stay tuned! :)

round and round and round it goes

when it stops, nobody knows. :/

thanks kirsten, noreen, boo, & everyone else for your thoughts at this painstakingly annoying time in my life. my vertigo has not yet subsided, and i can't tell if it's getting better or if i'm just able to live with the spinning and swaying just that much more than yesterday. i've already been out of work for 3 days and i fear that when i get back things will be worse off than when i left. i'm going to suck it up and go to work tomorrow, vertigo and all. let's hope the kids will take it easy on me. yeah right, who am i kidding?

i apologize for being such a debbie downer, but i'm on a never ending teacup ride and i want to get off. please make it stop.

on a brighter note, i am able to be on the computer for short periods at a time before my vision goes all wack-o on me. i've been browsing the hundreds of wedding websites there are out there and i must say that this wedding business is serious. i mean, serious. it's like a hobby for some people. just google "wedding invitations" and you'll see what i mean. [Results 1 - 10 of about 6,540,000 for wedding invitations. (0.22 seconds)]

franchu, i need you.

question for all you readers out there: would you sacrifice your wedding detail desires (i.e. favors, invites, etc.) for the sake of getting married sooner rather than later, or would you just wait the extra months to save up for what you really want?

just wondering.

and thank you, david, for putting up with my vertigo drama. yes...vertigo does suck for everyone involved.