The Day After

Valentine's Day was a lot of fun, despite the fact that I had classes all morning and was up at 7:15 for that.  Shawn and I decided to start something new.  Since I love flowers, and have always known the names to most flowers since I was a little girl (thanks to my dad!), I get to pick the flowers that I want whenever I get any. I'm very particular when it comes to flowers. I don't like roses, because they don't last and well... everyone always gets them.  Carnations just remind me of, well, funerals. Those are my two flowers I just do not like at all. Oh, and I guess Calla Lilies too. They're just... weird.

Roses

Carnations

Calla Lilies

So, since I get to pick out my flowers, I chose a white phalaenopsis orchid! I love these flowers because I grew up having them always at my house and they're just so happy and elegant.  The one that Shawn got me has two branches, full of flowers and a couple buds which means more flowers will come in eventually! I'm going to try to get it to bloom again once it dies.

After the flower adventure, we headed out to Santa Anita Mall and went to The Cheesecake Factory! This is definitely one of my favorite places to eat. My favorite thing to get, and probably now the only thing I will eat there, is their miso salmon. Seriously, it's amazing. I'm so excited that I have left overs because that's what I'll be having for lunch today! If you like salmon, you MUST try it. The flavors and the salmon just melt in your mouth. Shawn got a rib-eye steak with french fries and onion rings. He said it was delicious too. Oh, and for an appetizer, we ordered a fire grilled artichoke which came with garlic mayo, I think. It was so yummy! I love artichokes. Weird vegetable to like, I know. But I just loved the garlic mayo. I know I had bad breath after eating that... Oh, and did I mention that they told us the wait would be 40ish minutes, but we only had to wait 20?! That was sure nice. My feet were hurting after awhile from standing in heels.

After finishing dinner around 8, we decided to wander through the mall.  We went into a sporting store and walked around that and looked at fun stuff there.  We wandered in and out of a few shops. Shawn told me if I bought a SF Giants hat, he would have to hurt me. So I didn't buy one... yet. ;) 

We decided to take a break to rest our feet while walking around the mall and found a comfy couch with a place to rest our feet. My toes hurt from wearing heels all night and oh, did I mention Shawn was just on crutches a few days ago?!

Long story short, while playing basketball on Monday at an intramural game,  he rolled his ankle and it got to be twice the size with some lovely coloring with some touches of back, blue, and purple. Luckily, it's slowly getting better and he doesn't have to use his crutches! 

Anyway, we came back to school, stopped by Yogurtland first, and watched The Incredibles. I've been wanting to watch the movie all year long and finally got the chance to do so! 

So overall, a great Valentine's Day, ended of course, with a phone call from Annie!!! With lots of laughs of course, too.  

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you were celebrating with someone, your friends, your family, or enjoying the day by yourself knowing that you're loved by many people!

                                       

Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Alright, I will admit that Valentine's Day can get pretty cheesy. However, I love that there are so many cute decorations, you can give valentine's to your friends, and there are lots of chocolates and flowers around.

I'm sure many of you have some of the same memories of Valentine's Day that I have.  One thing that I can remember, is my mom taking me to go get my Valentine's Day Cards for all of my classmates. And of course, the rule was you had to write one for everyone in your class. Then, on the day of Valentine's Day in class, we would decorate our little "Valentine's Mail Boxes" and have a party with heart shaped cookies and go around to deliver our cards.  

I know that I wrote about it last year, in another post called "Valentine's Day", so why not write about it again, just a year later, right?

The biggest thing in my mind about Valentine's Day, is the fact that this year marks the 20 years that I have been adopted!  20 years ago, although I don't remember it, my parents and I met for the very first time in an orphanage in Nanning, Guangxi, China.  Alongside them, was another couple from our "sister church" adopting my best friend Annie, and another lady adopting a girl named Molly. 

I honestly can't remember what my life would be like had I not been adopted.  So instead of calling Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day, my family calls it "Gotcha' Day".  Every year when I was growing up, on "Gotcha' Day", we would celebrate by going to dinner. It was honestly kind of strange for me during my first year of college on Valentine's Day, because I wasn't with my parents.  But I am so thankful for the family that God has placed me in and with where He has me now!

Just a few photos I found in my dad's office this past summer.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day.  You either love it, or you hate it.  Usually when you hate it, it's because you don't have anyone special to share the day with.  When you love it, well, that's self explanatory.  You have someone to love and share it with.

Although those are the two most common reactions towards Valentine's Day, I for one have learned to have a different view towards this day.  On Valentine's Day, I always realize how blessed I am to have the life that I have today.  19 years ago today, my parents were in China to adopt me.  Had it not been for them, I do not know what my life would be like today.  Throughout the past 19 years, I have been blessed with so many opportunities and I was raised in a wonderful loving Christian home.  I have the most wonderful family ever and I have also created some wonderful friendships too.  

For me, Valentine's Day isn't a day to realize how lonely you are if you don't have a 'Valentine' or a day to be mushy and show that you love someone more on one day than I do on another day.  For me, today is a day that I look back and I say "Thank You" to God and to my parents for how they have blessed me so much and given me all that they can to make sure that I have the best opportunities in my life.  

So for those of you who may be single on this Valentine's Day, I challenge and encourage you to take a look at your life and realize how blessed you are to have a wonderful loving family and wonderful friends.  Just because you aren't 'In a Relationship' doesn't mean that you can't show that you love you friends and family.