The adventure always continues.

www.adventuresofagoodlife.com

Saints Anne & Joachim, pray for us.

Good parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grandparents of our Savior, Jesus Christ,

When life seems barren,
help us to trust in God's mercy.

When we are confused,
help us to find the way to God.

When we are lost in the desert,
lead us to those whom God has called us to love.

When our marriage seems lifeless,
show us the eternal youth of the Lord.

When we are selfish,
teach us to cling only to that which lasts.

When we are afraid,
help us to trust in God.

When we are ashamed,
remind us that we are God's children.

When we sin,
lead us to do God's will.

You who know God's will for a husband and wife,
help us to live chastely.

You who know God's will for the family,
keep all families close to you.

You who suffered without children,
intercede for all infertile couples.

You who trusted in God's will,
help us to respect God's gift of fertility.

You who gave birth to the Blessed Mother,
inspire couples to be co-creators with God.

You who taught the Mother of God,
teacher us to nurture children in holy instruction.

You whose hearts trusted in God,
hear our prayers...

Pray with us for the ministry of Catholic family life.
Pray with us for the ministry of Natural Family Planning.
Pray with us for all who give their time, talent, and treasure to this good work.

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Scrapbooking

I really want to do this.  Maybe it'll make it easier for me to scrapbook.  There's a lot of things I miss doing, and scrapbooking is one of them.  Now, where to find a little inspiration...

For I know the plans I have for you...

"True devotion to Mary takes its rise not from below but from above: not from feelings of affection but from faith.  In the first place it means clinging to God and accepting his design...God has willed to associate Mary with his work of salvation...It is not for us to set limits to the divine action or to dispense with the intermediaries God has freely chosen...In God there is room for every kind of superabundance."

- Cardinal Leo Joseph Suenens

taken from Through the Year with Mary (Edmisten)

I have never really thought of myself as the type of person that needs to be in control.  On the contrary, I've always considered myself somewhat of an easy going, laisez-faire, go-with-the-flow type of gal.  That kind of demeanor has always allowed me to be able to deal with whatever lemons life decided to throw my way.  

Recently, however, I've realized that I am much more concerned with my life's outcomes that I previously thought.  Perhaps it is my age (do people's lives really go downhill after 30?), my profession (what teacher isn't controlling?), or my status of being newly married (yes, it has been two years, but it's still new to me).  It probably also has something to do with certain challenges that have come up in my life as of late.  Whatever it is, I have this urgent need to be in the know about what is happening, or what is going to happen, today, this week, this year.  I desperately desire to map out a plan for the next 5 years of my life.  A plan for what?  For life, I suppose.  This concept is somewhat foreign to me, and I'm trying really hard to adjust.  

What I am slowly starting to realize is that, while it may be all well and good to want to road map my life, I am not leaving room for His plan for me.  Where is that supposed to fit in?  Are my plans God's plans?  Or vice versa? 

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' (Jeremiah 29:11)

He has a plan for me.  And when I dwell on the fact that things aren't working out as I had planned, when I become bitter about not getting what I want, when I think that life isn't fair because of what I have to go through, I am limiting his plan for me.  Not that I want to compare myself to Mother Mary or anything, but what would have happened if she decided to limit His plan for her?  Through her acceptance of God's will, the miraculous happened.

It's funny how amidst difficult times in my life, I often refer back to my college years when I first realized how much loving and trusting in God was integral to my very livelihood.  God's dreams for you are bigger than your own.  I remember saying that phrase often back then, and it rings loudly in my ears right now.  How easily we forget what's important.

Trust.  Acceptance.  Faith.  Clinging to God and accepting His design.  These might be the only things that are keeping me sane at the moment.  I don't like not knowing what's ahead of me, and I am having a hard time relinquishing control.  Though it is a daily struggle, I will continue to try and work at it.  It's not my place to try and limit God's action in my life.  In God there is room for the miraculous.  That's what I'm praying for.

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. :)

life plans and life lessons

there comes a time in one's life where making plans and looking into the future become inevitable.  it's a sign of growing up -- a point in time where one realizes he or she must stop playing games and start getting serious about life.  it's only natural.

but then what happens when those plans don't work out the way you want them to?  what happens when you try to do things right, so that everything you had planned for yourself happens just the way you had envisioned it?  you start to second-guess yourself and begin to wonder whether or not you're on the right path, because it's turning out that this isn't really the path you had planned for to begin with.  if you live your life as a good person and try to always do the right thing, why doesn't the right thing work out for you?

it has taken me awhile (a very long while) to begin to come to terms with my present situation in life, but i am getting there.  see, i always thought that there was an order to things when one became an adult: college, job, marriage, children.  as vain as this may sound, i always figured all these things would come easy to me.  so when the children part proved to be much harder than i thought it would be, i felt like a failure -- like all my previous successes meant nothing, because i could not succeed at this.  one miscarriage...okay, that was a fluke.  two miscarriages...it's probably coincidence.  three miscarriages...what did i do to deserve this?

i won't go into the details of what each tragedy, each loss did to my life.  i've moved forward, and i am continuing to heal.  but in all of the suffering, i have learned a very valuable lesson.  i am loved.  for this lesson, i will always be grateful.

summer lovin'

hello, blog world! (not that anyone reads this anymore...)

it has been quite a while since my last post, more than 1 year and 5 months to be exact. recently i have been thinking about blogging more and have started to look back at all my old bookmarks of the blogs i used to read. needless to say, i was inspired. i also have a little more time on my hands since my school is on summer vacay and i am finally done (for now) with my own personal education endeavors.

here's an update on what i've been up to lately:

• i'm a Master! a Master of Arts in Teaching, that is! i finally finished my project for my master's degree and graduated last spring from USF.
  
• i went to the Philippines. my trip in one word: hot.
• playing hostess to close friends visiting the Bay.
• thinking deeply about a slight career change. well, maybe not a career change exactly, more like a career redirection.
• weddings galore! which means, bachelorette parties, galore! traveled to Miami, Vegas, and SoCal all in the month of June. which explains why i cannot believe it is already July!
• 2 years married to my crazy husband.
• practicing for my annual ho'ike later this month.

after looking over this list, it doesn't seem like too much, but it has definitely kept me occupied. i am, for the first time in a while, enjoying these summer days of relaxation, quiet moments at home, and soaking up the sun we've been having lately. i am reading more, cleaning more, stressing less, going to the gym, and spending lot of quality time with David, who is finally back on the day shift! all in all, life is grand. that is not to say it hasn't been challenging, because it definitely has not been an easy ride the past few months. but when i think about the blessings i have and so much good that is happening around me, the tough stuff sinks into the background a little bit. it's all about perspective, right?

choices, pt. 2

i choose love.

there could be many reasons why the Lord chose to take our baby away. there could be just one. i don’t know if i'll ever fully understand it, but through the sorrow and tears, there is love. and that is the reason i choose to believe in.

when i married david, i knew i loved him and believed in the vows we made before God. i knew that God chose him to be my soul mate. but it wasn’t until this whole ordeal did i realize why he was chosen for me. david was the only voice i listened to through my tears. he was the only one that made sense. he was the only one who understood what i was going through. he never got tired of how depressed i was; he never made me feel like i should be “over it” already. david was the one who kept reassuring me that our baby was with God, and that one day, God would bless us with the child we wanted. he helped me to realize that choosing to love and trust in God, even when it seemed like God turned His back on us, was essential for us to survive.

i didn’t think it was possible for me to fall deeper in love with david, but i did. and if taking my baby away was God’s way of waking me up and telling me that i needed to choose love over all else, the i can accept what happened. 

i choose love.

choices, pt. 1

it was exactly like how it happened in Marley & Me. in fact, we even joked about it while in the doctor’s office. my mind flashed back to the scene where jennifer and john were at their ultrasound appointment, and the technician began to look troubled as she stared at the screen. it was similar to the look that our own technician had – the “it’s bad news and i don’t know how to break it to you” look. our tech left the office to get the doctor, and at that point, we knew.

the events that transpired next came as a fast-sweeping storm. the doctor confirmed that our little 10-week baby had no heartbeat. i called my mom first, who through her tears kept telling me, “just try again.” then came the business part of it all – calling the school to tell them i wasn’t coming in, texting family members, talking to the doctor’s about what to do next, scheduling an appointment for the D&C. david held my hand the entire time.

i couldn’t sleep the weeks following the procedure. every night i cried myself to sleep. i couldn’t bring myself to go to church, not even on Christmas day. it was too difficult to even utter a simple prayer. this was not what i had chosen for David or myself. it was the first time in my life that i had ever questioned God’s plan and what He had chosen for me.

the turning point came on December 26th. we were having a 4 corners reunion, one that we had been planning for months. i didn’t feel like being there at all and almost came close to not going. i kept texting david, asking him when he was going to come and join us. all i wanted was the comfort of my husband. it was Saturday evening, and we got to church early so that Regina could sing in the choir. as we waited, i tried to figure out excuses not to go to mass. i didn’t think i could handle it, nor did i really want to be there. finally, i confessed to emely, telling her that i just didn’t have it in me. being the supportive friend she always is, she offered me a way out – cupcakes became the excuse. francia came on board and agreed to go on an impromptu cupcake run instead of Sunday mass. it quickly occurred to me that i did not want to be responsible for the potential spiritual setback of my friends, so i told them that i would be ok to attend mass. if i was going to choose between 2 of my dear friends skipping mass, or putting aside my pride and suffering through the mass, i'd choose the latter.

for the entirety of the mass, i cried. my tears would not stop, and even if i wasn’t thinking about anything, the tears continued to flow from my eyes. i chose not to open myself up to God that night in prayer, but somehow the Holy Spirit consumed me in ways i could not understand.

that day was the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. in the first reading, Hannah, who is said to be barren, prays to God for a Son. she has a son named Samuel, and she and her husband take him to the temple to be sacrificed to God.

“’I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.’ Hannah left Samuel there.”

i think that after that mass, my healing process was able to begin.

reaching across the aisles

why am up at 5:20am on this president's day holiday? i'm getting ready to go to tahoe, that's why! i'm heading up there with my brother and his buddies, and i figured while i wait i'd make good use of my time by blogging about my experience at mass yesterday.

i've been going to a new parish since we've moved to hayward, and i must say that it's the first church i've been to since interfaith where i've felt inspired, moved, and enlightened each time i attend mass. after we celebrated epiphany, my church decided to embark on this 6-week series of talks about different parts of the mass. at each service, the priest would "highlight" one part of the mass to explain and describe to the congregation. it's so informative that lately i've been taking notes during the homilys! (by the way, what's the plural spelling of "homily?")

yesterday, the priest spoke about the importance of the sign of peace and it's history. he said that during the sign of peace, we are encouraged to reach out and touch the people around us. the importance of human physical touch is so important and an act of love. this extends to more than just those few moments before the consecration. he asked and challenged us to reach across the aisles in our daily life -- to touch those around us who are the outsiders in our society.

it was a beautiful thing seeing the congregation get out of those pews during the sign of peace. i hope to try and do the same.

***

snow, here we come!

enjoy!

here's a treat for all you crafters out there! but, then again you probably already knew about this. :) anyways, hope you can use it.

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.

i am loved...

by my students, my coworkers, my friends, and my family. i am even loved by the japanese waitress who called me "Duhnnnah" today. i am loved.

today started off like any other ordinary day -- waking up to an alarm that had been snoozing for an hour, showering, making coffee, and getting ready for work. when i got to school, i walked up to my classroom to find the outside of my door decorated so beautifully! a couple of bday elves had been there the evening before to do this for me, and it was probably one of the best gifts i received!

each one of my jr. high classes sang "happy birthday" to me. it was so sweet...and weird hearing it 3 times in a row! they were so well-behaved today, too! they said it was their "present" to me...haha!

Some funny quotes from today...

me: hey, so what are you getting me this year for my birthday?
david: i'm buying you a house...what more do you want from me?!

me: there's no way that no one is coming through the office after school.
student a: that's a double negative, miss h!
student b: give her a break, it's her birthday!

student a: how old are you today, miss h?
me: guess.
student b: 33??
student c: 17??
me: i'm 27...and i'm old. (ms. h makes a sad face)
student d: you're not old, you're young! and beautiful!
me: why, thank you, student d!
student d: you're welcome. can we not have homework tonight?
me: gives student the evil eye

as the day ends on this bday of mine, i reflect upon the events of my life thus far. i've been through a lot, and i know that there is so much more to come than i can ever even try to imagine. i'm actually sad to be entering my late 20's, but i can honestly say that i'm content with where i am in life. sure, i could be thinner, a better teacher, a more faithful servant, and a better fiance...but i know that my imperfections are made whole in God. i'm so thankful to even just be alive.

lots going on with me recently...lots more going on with the double d's. still wishing, and hoping, and praying that all will be answered the way it is supposed to be.

looking forward to this friday's PARTY BUS!

good night.

new beginnings?

the double d's are that much closer to fulfilling their dreams. let's hope everything works out...

prayers, please.

weeelcome to the baaaaazaaaaar!

Blogging live from David's blackberry...

We are currently on the road to sunny San Diego where Audience of One will reunite once again! We have been blessed with the oppurtunity to play for Mater Dei's bazaar and we are soooo excited about it! There's something about singing to God that lights my fire...

So, if anyone is available this weekend, please stop by and enjoy th music in the company of friends! We'll be on stage sometime between 4pm and 6:30pm. Pray for us!

Oh, and if you need directions...call David. :)

the power of prayer

recently there have been lots of people i know who have been going through some rough times. my heart goes out to them...how i wish i lived closer so that i could be there for them in their time of need. i hope they know that there are so many people out there praying for them and sending love their way. things will get better...they always do.

my students asked me recently why God allows bad things to happen. i didn't really have a straight answer for them, but instead asked them how anyone would know what true joy felt like unless they first felt pain and sorrow. how could we ever know what love is if we first do not experience heartache? how can we know life unless there is death?

praying for you, my friends.

change

i'm not a fan of change. i don't hate it as much as i used to, but i wouldn't say i'm welcome to it all of the time. in fact, most of the time i try to avoid it.


today we had a very chill evening with the cousins for steph's last night in the bay. pizza, rock band, and forgetting sarah marshall. i was pretty tired from the day's events, but i was more sad about her leaving. i think i really was one of the people who really pushed her to go away for college and have the experience that i had. at the same time, there was a huge part of me that was selfish and wanted her to stay closer to home. i'm afraid that i'll miss too much of her life, that she'll have all these experiences i'll never know about, and perhaps i just don't like the idea of her being out of my "reach." little girls have to grow up sometime, i guess...

but even now, i'm telling myself to take comfort in the fact that she'll be in my hood. she'll be in a place where i reconnected with God, found life-long friends, and decided to dedicate my life to His ministry. no, i don't expect her to follow in my footsteps despite what the family says (not that that would be such a bad idea ;P), but at least i know she'll be surrounded by good people, and that she'll always have a safehaven to run to...just in case.

i really wanted to go with her this weekend to move in. i think it's better that i don't. it'll be emotional enough with her family, so i'll just cry by myself this weekend and wallow in trying to accept the change that is inevitable.

pray for us, please.