Requesting your prayers

Happy Friday, dear friends. I haven't much to say today, for it's been a rougher week than most around here for this reason, which my dear friend Ruby also blogged about earlier this week. The Tibayan family is so dear to us and close to our hearts, and we have been going to the hospital and pleading with the Lord our requests all week for sweet Danika. God's will was ultimately done, for He is wiser than we. God is good and sovereign, and so we continue to pray through the pain, through His eternal word, and rest in the fact that His glory is on display. If you do pray, won't you pray with us for the Tibayan family - for our gracious God to comfort them and help them to trust in His sovereingty? Thank you, friendly folks, and have a wonderful weekend.

At its best at this time of year

We herald Disneyland, customarily a default option for our weekly date nights, for its ability to educe irrepressible happiness. I grew up making frequent jaunts to this jolly wonderland, and it is so fun to do so now with the Mister, particularly at this time of year, when Disneyland seems even more magical. I fancy the theme park most around Christmastide, and the rest of the world seems to agree, as evidenced by the exponentially longer lines and crowds. I love witnessing Disneyland bedecked in utmost holiday splendor to the most minute detail, which we try to enjoy before we get blocked out until after the new year. There is not much merrier than a stroll through Main Street, followed by an awe-inspiring viewing of Fantasmic, the Christmas parade, or the holiday fireworks.

Better than we expected and deserved

As I mentioned earlier, we're all ajitter with excitement to establish some holiday traditions as a new family of two. This weekend past, we ventured out to a Christmas tree farm where I had lofty ideas of grandeur to chop down our very first Christmas tree. As we ambled about admiring the locally grown evergreen beauties at the charming family-owned farm, an amiable worker came alongside us to help determine the perfect tree for us. While we all scouted for a seven foot, slender cypress to fill our little home with holiday cheer, we discovered that he was an integral part of the farm since its conception, and that he himself was a Christian committed to a local church not too far from us. And he found out that we were celebrating our first Christmas as wedded folks, and that the husband was a seminary student and pastor at a local church not too far from him. As much as the husband and I were enamored with the lovely greenery for sale, we quickly ascertained that even the shortest, cheapest trees were at least twice as much as we had budgeted for a Christmas tree.

We attempted to escape as he was helping another patron so as not to disappoint him because we wouldn't be buying, but he caught us. When he learned the trees were more than twice out of our budget, he declared we select the tree we wanted anyhow, for he would charge only what we could afford. We gasped in disbelief.  "I mean it," he insisted. "Get whichever tree you want. I know seminary students don't have the biggest budget for these kinds of things." We stood in shock for a moment at his kindness and thanked him profusely. Fifteen minutes later, we picked out the tree, had it cut down, cleaned, and tied atop the car. Then we realized they accepted cash or check, and yet we had a card. "Don't worry about it," the kind worker said. "This is on me." Before we could object, he said, "Really, I insist. God would want us to receive things graciously given to us wholeheartedly, because he gives us all things wholeheartedly..." He continued on, but frankly, I became an emotional mess and cannot now recall what he said. We couldn't stop thanking him. "Thank you so much for blessing us," the Mister said. "Yes," I added tearfully. "God is so kind to us through you."

I couldn't help but cry all the way home, as I reflected on God's grace and mercy toward us through the worker's heartfelt kindness, when we are so undeserving. Now, every time I look at our lovely Christmas tree in the corner of our little living room, I am reminded of God's goodness to us, which is far better than we expected and deserved, first through the gospel, and now through the effects of the gospel lived out in his people's lives. We are blessed with a glorious beginning to the Christmas season.

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
We had all merrily convened to enjoy one another and to grub on the feast.
The homecrafted Thanksgiving spread made our mouths water, to say the least.
From traditional turkey and roasted chickens bursting with French stuffing, to a prized prime rib roast,
and fixins' like truffle mac n' cheese and garlic roasted potatoes that pleased our palates to the utmost.
Not to mention salads, creamed corn, warm soup, and two other varieties of stuffing;
it all barely fit on our plates, though the pumpkin cheesecake was still a-coming.
We ate and chattered with one another quite gladly,
and afterwards succumbed to a food coma whilst watching movies on the telly.
We had a joyous time with many a dear one.
I hope your Thanksgiving beheld bushels of fun.
Now we're anticipating what this lovely weekend shall have in store;
Cheers to a happy Friday once more.

Attitude of gratitude

Though Thanksgiving is associated with generous helpings of foodie goodies, I could do with a constant serving of thankfulness. I am particularly reminded during this season to be thankful in all circumstances - to truly cultivate an attitude of gratitude. I find that I am more prone to grumble than to give thanks, even when there is always so much for which to be thankful to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift. I am grateful for time away from work to spend with lovely family, dear friends from up north who stop by for tea and chit chat, the ability to do laundry at my momma-in-law's house for free, tasty groceries via irreplaceable Trader Joe's that never fail to make our stomachs swell with contentment, getting to know a slew of families in our community by executing for them a simple Thanksgiving dinner, thrift shops at which I chance upon the loveliest items at reasonable prices, and annual Disneyland passes that allow us to behold fantastic Fantasmic after calling upon sweet friends and their new baby daughter - and these are all oodles of blessings from just yesterday! But dear God, thank you always for:

• first and foremost, the gospel - that God mercifully sent his son Jesus Christ to save a wretched sinner like me, in order to show me true sacrificial love and the boundless joy in knowing the Lord; the gospel that changed my life forevermore and reveals to me daily how kind the Savior is and how He is therefore deserving of all glory honor and praise;
• my amazing husband who loves the Lord above all else, who is so patient with me and loves me like Christ loves the church, even when I am unlovable (which is rather often);
• my dear church family, who first showed me how Christ can transform lives from the day I met them all in 2004, when I was immediately struck by how warm, welcoming, and joyful everyone seemed in all circumstances, to this day when I have been so blessed by their love for me in the Lord over the years;
• and the fact that Christ is risen and alive today, that He is coming again, and that ultimately, there is always hope in Christ.

We are ever so blessed by our good and gracious God, which I hope I remember at all times with an attitude of gratitude. Hopefully, the chalk drawing I drew above shall help in that regard. Happiest of Thanksgivings, dear laddies and ladies.

Prepping

We are in the midst of prepping for Thanksgiving goodness, which includes acquiring fresh fare from the local farmer's market for the feast. We shall be spending the holiday with dear family at my momma-in-law's, and I'll be whipping up some side dishes for the powwow tomorrow. I'm pretty excited that this is our first official holiday season as wedded folk. We can't wait to commence some family traditions of our own, especially since we hardly celebrated the holidays with our respective families as we were growing up. I've a handful of ideas that have been stewing in my noggin since November began. Cheers to this season of thankfulness; there is ever so much for which to be grateful.

Borrowing winsome kiddos

We're pretty blessed to have dear friends who are young parents because that means we get to be around cute kiddos often. We are partial to baby-sitting intermittently, and this weekend past, we borrowed these dear friends' daughters for a movie date. Taking care of little ones always proves to be a handful of sweetness and fun, which pulls at our heartstrings to want to be parents soon. I mean, kiddos relate the most winsome tales, flash the most endearing smiles, and are exceedingly generous with hugs (which is why I became a teacher, even though I ended up with high-schoolers who bestow upon me fewer smiles than I'd prefer). However, the husband will readily admit that he is content that we haven't the momentous responsibility of parenting just yet, partly because he still wants the uninhibited ability to go on dates to Disneyland, and partly because baby-sitting usually grants us a humbling taste of the role. Apparently, Wreck-It Ralph is too scary for an almost-four-year-old and shall incite in her uncontrollably fearful sobbing in the middle of the theater. And wee ones have to go potty nearly every hour. Though we feel it'd be wise for us to wait a little longer at this point in time before having kids primarily for financial reasons, we shall be overjoyed to have a wee one we can call our own one day. For now, we are more than content with baby-sitting. Parental chummies, we are at your service. We get to play with your adorable kiddos, and you get to go on a hot date. It's a win-win for us all.

Friday Fancies: little things

Happy Friday, dear friends! I have been loving the little things this past week: the seasonal reason to crochet chunky monochrome scarves before it gets frigid enough to don them, especially since yarn was on sale; enjoying the tastiest cupcakes ever, baked and delivered by a dear friend who stopped by for a visit; and lounging around with the husband while simultaneously fostering an addiction for Downton Abbey, all thanks to this dear friend. It is a most legit period drama in terms of the compelling storyline influenced by major historical events, depth of the characters, aesthetically entrancing setting, seamless cinematography, and post-Edwardian costumes! I especially love it because it's like grown-up American Girl (my most favorite childhood books!), and it's hilarious because the husband loves the show more than I do and asks nearly every day when we'll watch it next. Cheers to the season of gratitude. Have a wondrous weekend, all.

Vibrant color

Though we try to make it a habit to jog at the local high school's track, it becomes less of a priority when we are met with busier times, particularly of late. However, I have been more inclined towards strolls these days, especially because the vibrant colors of fall that meet deep cerulean skies is so glorious to behold. It really is so grand to enjoy snappy weather, fluttering leaves in multifarious hues, and heartfelt (handheld technology-free) conversations about daily dilly-dallyings that connect us to one another and to our ever kind and creative Lord.

Turkey bacon cream cheese puff pastry bites

Bite-sized appetizers are a surefire method to entice the stomach to grumble for the main course, whatever it may be. These savory turkey bacon cream cheese puff pastries are one of the first creations I attempted in the kitchen adapted from a magazine clipping, back in my early teen years. I had forgotten about them until recently when my sweet auntie and little cousins requested them for a spontaneous tea party. Not only are they easy to make, but their bitty size, endearing shape, and flavor-packed taste make them a flaky and comforting winner at get-togethers of all sorts. Perhaps these shall make it onto our Thanksgiving menu this year!

Turkey Bacon Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients:
16 oz crescent roll dough
8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
8 slices turkey bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
1/4 cup onion, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp fat-free milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, turkey bacon, onion, parsley, Parmesan, and milk until well blended. Set aside.
2. Divide crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles. Spread each rectangle evenly with 2 tbsp cream cheese mixture.
3. Cut each rectangular piece of dough into six smaller rectangles. Cut each of the six small rectangles diagonally into triangular wedges. Fold a side of each triangle down so that there is a flap of dough over the cream cheese mixture.
4. Place puff pastry bites onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

The book-brimming haven

We had a consistently chilly weekend characterized by dusk creeping in at half past four in the afternoon, which seems a confident indicator that autumn is here to stay. As a native Southern Californian, I am freezing in the 50-60 degree weather we've had of late. We set out to circumvent the chill by roaming over to the husband's favorite bookshop. It is a tad amusing because his giddiness over books is akin to my fervor for vintage goodies. Any visitor to our little home can automatically distinguish upon stepping into the threshold that I've perhaps an unhealthy predilection for antiques, while the husband nurses an addiction for books. Right before we got married, he excitedly proclaimed, "I can't wait until we're married, because your books will be my books." Our bookshelves groan under the weight of literary tomes cramped together beyond capacity, and it is part of my daily routine to pick up random books strewn across the floor, stacked haphazardly atop side tables, thrown onto the counter, or hiding under couches. It's maddening at times that no matter how I attempt to organize them, there are always more books hiding in some nook or cranny. But then again, there is an unspeakable charm about the printed word. The husband's favorite bookshop, with its endless wooden shelves of books, both antique and contemporary, and cushy seating, invites visitors to lounge for a bit, or in our case, stay half the day (It is such a well-regarded haven for us that we took some of our engagement pictures there last year). The Mister left the bookshop positively beaming, with a jackpot of books to diversify his collection. If God ever blesses us with a house, it shall be an utmost priority to invest in a wall of bookshelves.