34 Revolutions

This past weekend I celebrated 34 revolutions around the sun...or in other words, my 34th birthday. I took some time to reflect on my life thus far and where I am today, and I am filled with so much gratitude that it's hard to put it into words. I am married to a man who loves me unconditionally and has been in my corner for the last 19 years (yes I know, it's insane to me too). I have two sons who are healthy, happy and the light of my life. I am surrounded by family and friends who support me in good times and bad. I have a great job with a company that I'm proud to be a part of. I have a roof over my head and I'm able to provide for my family financially. I am training for my first half marathon. Life is good. GOD IS GOOD. 

On Friday, my actual birthday, Randy and I dropped the kids off at daycare and drove in to the city. First order of business was a mani/pedi for me at Sutter Nails. Randy went to the Apple store to check out the new iPhone 5 release, and to my surprise, he picked one up for me! It's so cool, bigger but lighter than my 4G version. Next stop was lunch at Wayfare Tavern, yet another restaurant on my long list of places-to-eat. Unfortunately I lost the pics I snapped of our food, but boy was it good! We shared deviled eggs and lobster corn chowder for appetizers, then had fried chicken and seared ahi tuna for our entrees. The food was so flavorful, perfectly cooked and totally satisfying. That Florence Tyler sure knows what he's doing! 

After lunch we did a little bit of shopping in Union Square, and on our way back to the parking garage, we came across a free exhibit by Hermes. Talk about a find - actual Hermes craftsmen were set up at different stations, showing people how their products are painstakingly made by hand. Hermes is known for their astronomical prices, but after seeing the craftsmen at work, I have a new appreciation for the artistry and skill that goes into each of their products. What a treat to find this exhibit!

My birthday ended with a family dinner at Korea House in Concord. My dad, Auntie Girlie, Ate and family were all there and we feasted on some of my favorite Korean dishes. So delicious! Instead of a cake, we shared a variety of bundtinis - adorable little Bundt cakes. 

But the birthday celebration didn't stop there! Thanks to my awesome hubby we had a spa treatment and an overnight at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. But first, we stopped for brunch at Boon Fly Cafe. 

Famous donuts

B.E.L.T. Sandwich - so good!

It was such a luxury to spend one on one time with Randy, read magazines poolside and sip on champagne in peace and quiet. We rounded out the day with a delicious dinner at the beautiful Farm Restaurant at the Carneros Inn. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

The mineral soaking pool in the spa

Randy enjoying the hot jacuzzi

Fresh snacks in the spa lounge

Pretty fountain with my favorite flowers

Cheers to another year of life!

Ariela's Shower

I've had the pleasure of helping plan a baby shower for one of my dearest friend Ariela, and two weeks ago we had the wonderful celebration. Ariela was one of my college roommates and I'm so fortunate that she (as well as my other roomies) have remained very close ever since, despite being geographically distant. Ariela is the last of our little group to get married and have a baby and I could not be happier for her as she begins this new chapter in her life.

The gal to the far right is our good friend April - she wasn't one of our roommates but we also met her at Davis and have remained close with her as well.

I planned the shower along with Ariela's best friends from high school and it was a fun, intimate event. After much research we settled on Sugar Cafe in San Francisco as the venue. By day it is a cool, hip little cafe near Union Square that serves coffee, breakfast, sandwiches and other light meals. In the evening it turns into a night spot with small savory bites and alcohol - so versatile! We kept the shower to the daytime portion =)

There were only about 15 guests and we had a private room/balcony space that was open and overlooked the cafe below. We snacked on puff pastries filled with mac-and-cheese, mushroom empanadas, chicken skewers and mini sliders. Ariela's sister brought mini cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes for dessert. I was in charge of games and we played some of my "oldies but goodies": word scramble, Name that Baby Animal, crossword puzzle and the ever popular memory game that I've dubbed "Pregnancy Brain". It's like the old-fashioned card game Memory, but baby-related of course, and also related to a candy bar. I know, I know, you're like "whaa?? You lost me at baby-related". Check this out for a very similar version that I just tweaked a little to get an idea of what I'm talking about. It's soooo much fun! It's also pretty unique in that most people haven't ever played it before. 

For a guest activity I found a great tutorial here to make your own baby hair clips. Since Ariela is having a little girl I thought it was perfect. It was so easy, fun and anyone can do it. The guests enjoyed the activity and now baby girl will have hair clips made for her by her many "aunties"! 

April, Lucas and I

April, Cruz and the mama-to-be

Since Ariela has recently moved to the East Coast I am especially glad that I had a chance to celebrate with her on this very special occasion. I cannot wait to meet her new bundle of joy at the end of the year!

Naughty Lucas

Even as a newborn Lucas was very different from Cruz. He didn't need to be held as much, tolerated the baby chairs and carriers better, didn't complain in the car seat like Cruz did, and more importantly, was not nearly as fussy. He didn't need to be rocked to sleep and began sleeping through the night by 4 months (compared to Cruz's 10 months). Basically Lucas was a calmer, more mild-mannered newborn...however, a new side to his personality is emerging and it's a doozy!

At 11 months old, Lucas is more of a handful than his brother ever was. He gets into everything, climbs whatever he can and makes it impossible to take our eyes off of him! He is a spirited, determined little monster and keeps us on our toes. See for yourself...

This day I caught him in the bathroom (in the dark no less) standing on top of the stool that Cruz uses when he washes hands and brushes his teeth)

Here he is about to jump off a storage bin after he finished playing with the light switch

A favorite pastime: emptying the dishwasher of clean dishes and throwing them all over the kitchen floor

He constantly pulls books off the bookshelf

And this is what happens when I have to use the bathroom (quickly) and leave him unattended for a few minutes.

Despite feeling like a tornado sweeps through my house on a daily basis, I love his big personality. He makes me laugh every single day and I am so appreciative of that. I imagine that one day I'll look around at my neat and tidy house and will miss the little tornado because I'll know he's grown up =(. I'm cherishing the moments while I can.

A Brighter Birthday

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a fanatic when it comes to party planning, especially for my kid's birthday parties. Yes, I am one of those mothers. I choose a theme and go all out and over the top and I refuse to apologize for it! I love doing it and I enjoy treating our kids and our guests to a unique celebration. 

That being said, I am also keenly aware that there are plenty of children in this world who do not have the means to celebrate their birthdays, even in a small way. I recently found an organization based in Seattle, WA called Child Haven. It is a non-profit organization that counsels, heals, and nurtures children who have been victims of severe neglect and abuse in a therapeutic setting. One of the volunteer opportunities they offer is to participate in the Brighter Birthday Program: basically supply a child's birthday wish list that they would otherwise not receive. It immediately spoke to me since birthdays are such important milestones to me, and it broke my heart to think of a child who would have nothing to mark his/her special day. I signed up as a sponsor and in a couple of days I was contacted by Child Haven with a wish list for a little girl who is turning 2 years old on September 29. 

The wish list consisted of: 2 outfits (pants, tops, socks), a pair of shoes, a toy phone and a toy that plays music. Happily I put together the birthday gift.

I took Cruz shopping with me and he helped select the toys. I explained to him where they were going and that there are some kids whose mommies and daddies don't have money to buy them birthday presents, have a party or even have a cake. I told him that he is very lucky to not be in that situation because not everyone is as fortunate. Together we packaged the items and shipped them off to Seattle.

Although I will never meet this child, I am comforted knowing that even for one day, her 2nd birthday, she will get to feel like a normal kid and be celebrated as she deserves. 

More Candids

Just some recent snapshots of my boys :)

Nosey boy checking out the grocery bag

Going for a walk on a warm summer night

Lucas the climber

Lunch date with my hubby in Napa

Cruz and his best buddy Doren

Practicing his fine motor skills with Cheerios :)

Future ice cream scooper

Who's Afraid of 10 Miles?

This week's training was an exciting one! It was the Nike Preview - when we get to preview part of the official course and train on it. I'm not gonna lie, when Coach Doug said we'd be doing 10 miles (after just doing 7 miles the weekend before), I was pretty nauseous. I was so intimidated by the idea of 10 miles and I thought to myself, "I can't do that." I spent all of last Thursday in a mild panic attack, worrying about how I would make it through. Luckily, I got some amazing pep talks from my seasoned marathon friends Uyen and April - they had so much confidence in me and kept telling me that I could do it, that I started to believe them. And then I thought about my mom and all the battles she fought...and all the patients out there fighting blood cancers every single day and I knew that these 10 miles were nothing compared to what they faced. After allowing myself a one-day-freak-out, I shook it off and got focused.

Saturday morning I was up at 4:45, got dressed, ate a light breakfast and drove down to Fairfield to meet my teammates. We caravaned to the Marin Headlands side of the Golden Gate Bridge where we met up with our Sonoma/Napa counterparts. Unlike most of the times I've visited the GG Bridge, it was a fairly clear morning, only light winds and beautiful shining sun...it was breathtaking! Being with the TNT group always fills me with positivity just to be around a group of people whose sole purpose is to raise as much money as possible for the Leukemia & Lyphoma Society - it's awesome!

One of my walking buddies Gil and I set off and the course didn't disappoint. The changing scenery was so pretty and we had such great conversation the whole time that the 10 miles just flew by, and before we knew it, it was over. I still can't believe I did it, and now I feel so empowered!

Moral of the story: fighting cancer is hard, walking 10 miles is EASY!

Now I know I'm going to be ready on October 14 and not only will I be ready, but I'm going to rock those 13.1 miles!

Sunday Funday

Today we headed into the city to attend my friend Gabi's son's 4th birthday party. It was a beautiful fall day with bright sunshine and cool air. The party was at Pump It Up, an indoor space filled with bouncy houses. Cruz and Lucas both had lots of fun running around with the other kids and celebrating with the birthday boy.





After the party we decided to grab a bite to eat. It was the perfect opportunity to try out The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, a place that's been on my to-eat list. I pass this place nearly every single day on my way to the Bay Bridge so I finally got to check it out. Its a small joint with several sandwiches, salads and a couple of soups comprising their menu. I ordered the mushroom gruyere sandwich and potato leek soup. The sandwich was super tasty but the soup was disappointing (strange texture). Randy loved the jalapeño popper sandwich paired with salt & vinegar chips.

Daddy and Lucas post-lunch

After lunch we contemplated going downtown to shop in Union Square but as we walked back to our car, Cruz asked if we could play at the small park we were parked next to. We ended up playing there for a good chunk of time, relaxing and the kids enjoying the fresh air. It was a nice way to end our weekend. Tomorrow it's back to the grind!

My big boy Cruz

Kisses for Lucas

Lucas loved swinging!

Lunchbox Chronicles

I'm sure most moms of young, school age kids, will tell you that one of the harder tasks is coming up with healthy, nutritious lunches that their kids will actually eat. This is something I gave A LOT of thought to in the months leading up to Cruz starting preschool. Luckily there is no shortage of resources on the internet that provide a plethora of lunchbox ideas. Some of my favorite sites are Momables, Pinterest, and Laptop Lunches. First I started off by getting a very cool lunchbox from Laptop Lunches that is bento-style and comes with removable containers that you can constantly change the configuration of depending on what you're packing that day. For some reason kids really like when their food is compartmentalized - maybe it's more aesthetically pleasing which makes it more appetizing? I love that this particular lunch pack comes with it's own carrying case and stainless steel spoon and fork.

So here are some pictures of Cruz's lunches from his first few days of school - looks pretty good, right? Maybe I should take more time on my own lunches!

Penne with veggie & ground beef marinara, plums, tangerine and snap pea crisps

Ham sandwich (shaped as a butterfly!), Cheetos, strawberries, tangerine

Hawaiian rolls with ham, snap pea crisps, tangerine, applesauce (pardon the orientation, couldn't get it to rotate for some reason)

Smoked ham, mozzarella cheese, multigrain crackers, apple, tangerine

So far the lunchboxes have been successful - they keep coming back empty! Here's a snapshot of my big boy at the end of his first week - still all smiles!

My Mission Moment

This week at training I shared my mom's story during our team "mission moment" - when we honor someone who has been affected by blood cancer or LLS in some way. It's a chance to remind us all, the reasons we are out there training, fundraising and working hard. It's the inspiration that drives us.

I requested to dedicate this week's training to my mom because it was held at Mare Island, a place that I frequented as a child growing up, and fittingly, it was almost always with my mom. She loved to exercise at this Vallejo waterfront, early in the morning, walking the length of it several times as we talked about anything and everything.

Here's what I shared with my team today:

I lost my mother Carina to lymphoma 7 years ago. She was diagnosed one month before my wedding day and I had no idea if she would be there to see me walk down the aisle on the most important day of my life. Thankfully, the universe gave me a break and she was released from the hospital less than a week to my wedding, after having undergone several weeks of aggressive chemotherapy. Her hair was very thin and she lost so much weight her dress had to be taken in at the last minute, but all that mattered was that she was there. And although she fought her hardest, she passed away 8 months later. When I became a mother for the first time, I found myself grieving all over again, for the grandmother my son would never have. It was at that point I knew that the best way for my son to know who she was, was to pass on the life lessons she taught me.

The most valuable lesson my mom taught me was to always lend a hand and help those less fortunate than ourselves; and that if you give to others, your reward will be tenfold. From a very early age I accompanied her as she volunteered at our church, soup kitchens, food banks, the library, and the hospital. I learned that giving was so much more rewarding than receiving, and that true integrity came not from what you do for yourself, but what you do for others.

I joined Team in Training to continue her legacy of giving, especially to those patients and families who have been affected by blood cancers. I hope that my efforts will give them the resources and support to continue fighting where my mom left off. I also hope that walking those 13 miles will honor my mother’s life, and that my two sons will now learn from my example, just as I learned from hers.

In addition to dedicating this week's training to my mom, all my teammates wore her picture pinned to their hat or shirt as they trained. 

It was an emotional but rewarding day. A big thank you to my Solano Team for the love and support!

P.S. I walked 7 miles today and had my fastest time yet - 15.4 mins/mile. Yay me!!

Never too early for skin care

As we were heading out to dinner this evening Cruz grabs his baseball hat and says "I better wear my hat so I don't get sunburned"...never mind the sun was already setting! Never too early to be safe about sun damage right?!