Everyday Life - Week 46 & 47 {Thanksgiving edition}

Yipes, I only have a few more weeks left for these "Everyday Life" posts. Crazy how quickly this year is coming to an end. Sorry I've been slacking on these posts! After a long, long time of being a little husband-deprived because of our crazy opposite schedules-- the long weekend provided us with much opportunity to catch up and make up for lost time. (We went to the movies 2 nights in a row last week! Party hardy..haha) That's my humble attempt to make an excuse for not updating last week. :)

But after some prompting and encouragement from a dear friend (ahem, Logan, ahem).. I'm back! Our Thanksgiving was spent with lots of sleeping in, lots of Chinese food, sweet family time and Wreck it Ralph. Now we're back to the normal routine of things with Eugene back at school and both of us back on our early morning schedules. It's been a rough transition back to reality but our hearts are so thankful. Eugene's been busy with his new job at Kaiser and getting ready for finals, but he's been really working hard to squeeze in some "wife time" every now and then. It's been really sweet and I'm so thankful for him sacrificing his precious study time for me!

Anyway, here's what the last two weeks looked like.

Here's a picture of me in the middle of our crazy bathroom. It's finally cold enough to wear winter clothes!

Our "Baby Wives" small group at The Beachcomber  at Crystal Cove for our last meeting with Tina! It's been a wonderful year :)

I made one of Eugene's favorite dishes to celebrate the end of his midterm season. I believe it's called "Sichuan" which is a Chinese eggplant dish. 

BOOM! Only takes minutes. This is seriously the easiest recipe ever. Hopefully I can get it up on my blog soon (once I figure out all the sauce measurements.) I usually just add sauce as I go, but soon! I don't even know if I'm making it right but this dish makes my husband VERY happy.

This was the coffee station that my in-laws set up for our Thanksgiving Dinner.. biscottis and shortcakes and all. They are SO sweet and SO cute! I love them :)

Some last minute scallion choppin' by my FIL. I just noticed my sister in the back checking on the baking fish in the oven. HAHA!

Getting the salmon ready to cook in the oven. Garlic and cilantro make everything in life a little tastier, in my opinion :)

Here are some happy pictures of my family. First off, my mom and FIL. :)

Our sweet grandparents :) and my sisters ruining the picture in the background.

This is what our Thanksgiving dinner looked like this year... Chinese style :)

Some Thanksgiving/Autumn-themed table decor.

Here's a rare picture of just the two of us,  warming up near the fireplace :)

and here's one with the whole gang. It was a wonderful thanksgiving indeed.

and if you're wondering where I get my craziness is from, here's your answer...

(...with a turkey-shaped flower arrangement of course!)

I hope that even though Thanksgiving was last week, you'll let me share a few things that I'm most thankful for. This year I have soooooo much to be thankful for, but here are 10 things.

1. First and foremost, I'm thankful for Christ and his gospel; The gospel that enables me to see the depravity of my sinful nature and leads me to a deeper understanding of my need for grace. I'm thankful for the joy and hope I am able to find in Him alone, despite the challenges and difficult circumstances of this world. I'm thankful for the strength that God provides daily to help me to live a life of perseverance and sanctification-- as I fight the fight of faith in my every day.

2. I'm thankful for my church, for its leaders for their wisdom and love in shepherding us and the community of believers I'm constantly spurred on by. 

3. I'm thankful for my family. For the Lee's and the Tsengs. For the love that we have for each other and for the vast opportunities that we have (and will continue to have) to show Christ's love to each other and to serve each other with our lives.

4. I'm thankful for my job. For God's providence and faithfulness in providing me with my job. I'm thankful that I have a job that provides opportunities for me to learn new things, ask questions and grow in my love and passion for nursing. I'm thankful to have a job that challenges me to show patience and compassion (even to the most difficult patients), to find joy in serving others, and to give myself selflessly as I strive to show Christ's love to my patients.

5. I'm thankful for my co-workers, who bring so much joy and excitement to my work days. I'm thankful for people who I can learn from and grow alongside. I'm thankful to have awesome people to dance with during great work days and encourage as we struggle through the hardest of days.

6. I'm thankful for our little cozy apartment. I'm thankful that its close to church so we can stand ready to serve whenever a need arises. I'm thankful that its close to my church community  and UCI so I can use our home as a place of ministry and service to the church body.

7. I'm thankful for Thai Spice, Aloha hawaiian BBQ, Chae Bahn and Pho Saigon Pearl for providing the perfect comfort foods after long work days. 

8. I'm thankful that I discovered the awesomness of Trader Joes. For it's fresh and organic produce, cheap but tasty cheeses, and great instant foods that make my home-making life easier and so much more enjoyable!

9. I'm thankful for the ability we have to pray to a God who hears us, who cares for us and who accomplishes His will through the prayers of His people. I'm thankful for the conviction to pray and constant reminders to pray via sermons, conversations with sisters, etc. I'm thankful that even when I fail to pray, God is gracious.  I'm thankful for times of loneliness and helplessness that cause me to pray.I'm thankful for the peace it brings during trying times, the hope it brings in times of desperation and the strength it brings when I'm feeling most weak. I'm thankful that there is power in prayer and that there have been millions of instances in this past year that have shown me what great power there is when God's people pray.

10. Last but most definitely not least, I'm thankful for Eugene. I'm thankful for his leadership in our marriage. I'm thankful for his perseverance during this difficult semester of Pharmacy School and his effort to still spend time with me during his busy seasons. I'm thankful that we have a marriage that teaches us how to show grace, how to serve unconditionally and how to love each other even when we don't feel like we do. I'm thankful to have a partner to grow with, to struggle with, to learn with and to mutually sharpen. I'm thankful that he's not picky when it comes to food and that he forgives me when I forget to lock the door, or turn the stove off, or leave the towel on the floor. I'm also very thankful for his love for ramen, for his cute-ness and for the little dances he does when I make food that he likes.

Happy (late) Thanksgiving, everyone!

I love you all.

XOXO,

sharon

Give thanks: the fact that we always have things to be thankful for.

Everyday Life - Week 43, 44, 45

I've been a wee bit behind on these posts for the past few weeks, but you have to forgive me! It's been super crazy busy with work, baby showers, weddings, etc! Forgive.  :)

These past few weeks have indeed been busy-- Eugene started his new job (woo-hoo!), I've been husband-less at home for most weekdays, and there have been many celebrations of babies and new marriages along the way. It's been a hard road, but sweet nevertheless. These days I'm learning what it means to find my joy, my strength, my energy for each day in my God, and not in my circumstances. Elisabeth Elliot (one of my faves) reminds us that "the secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances". 

Here's what the past few weeks looked like:

Is it just me or does laundry feel like a non-stop chore? I feel like I'm always doing laundry!

This has become the remedy for both Eugene and I on our extremely hard days of school/work.

It works everytime. Thai food and netflix :)

Making some chicken soup with lots of veggies. Preparing for long weeks!

We had leftover croissants at church a few weekends ago, which meant fancy sandwich lunches for us! Eugene was so happy, he loves croissants!

I can't get over how cute butternut squash looks when its getting ready to be roasted!  They look like little mangos pieces. Yum!

Snack time at work. Our current go-to snack: sliced apples and little peanut butter cups (both from Costco!) Perfect way to quench up mid-day cravings!

A very sweet and intimate baby shower for baby Karis. Congrats to the cute mommy-to-be, Abby! 

I love, love, LOVE baby shower/bridal shower finger foods :)

A cool little boy living the good life. CJ is such a cutie pie!

Fellowship and accountability with two of my sisters over really fancy lattes!

This past weekend, one of my best friends got married. It was a beautiful celebration of their love for each other and their greater Love in the One who brought them together to be one! The night before, everyone crashed at my place and this is us at 2:00 am being crazy and "partying it up", even though we all had hair appointments at 4:00 am. 

Lastly, I'll leave you with a picture of us!

Here we are being silly as can be. Even though it's been a rough few weeks with us being apart, being busy with work, stressed with school, etc.. I can never thank God enough for the blessing I have in our marriage. :)

Give thanks: a morning together after a long while apart, banana milk, crackers and cheese, goodnight hugs, cheap asian markets that sell good quality fake eyelashes, clearance sales at target, friends who will switch shifts with me at work, reminders of Christ's love and faithfulness to us in the gospel, celebrating melissa & mark barlis, iced coffees

{Recipe} Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Today was a very quiet, uneventful Saturday.

There were no crazy church events/weddings/bridal showers, etc so it was an unusually quiet but sweet day. Today was spent with some sweet sisters (my fave) and lounging at home with my husband (my super fave!) I haven't had these kind of days in a while, and it was lovely! Eugene and I slept in, enjoyed some warm toast with avocado for breakfast, and savored the wonderful quietness of an autumn morning. It's days like today that provide much opportunity to praise God for even the simplest and smallest things in life.

Our mantle is decorated and all ready for autumn to come and settle in.

I've been collecting orange, brown and yellow goodies since late September. The twig banner was 75% off at Joanns, the succulents and pumpkins from trader Joes, and the candles and other sweets from Target. I love how warmly these colors come together!

To honor the autumn season, I decided to purchase my very first squash last week. A butternut squash to be specific! Squash is really good for you because it's low in fat and really high in fiber. Butternut squash in particular is really creamy and rich in flavor. It's also super meaty inside so you definitely get your money's worth! 

To be honest, I initially bought it because it was really cute and I wanted to use it as a part of my mantle decoration (It was less than $2.00!) Then I thought, maybe I'll make soup... so I did! and it was so easy and so pretty and delicious that I had to share! 

Annnnnnnd, off we go! 

First, peel and cut your butternut squash. Use this helpful tutorial. Pure genius!

P.S. Do you like my new cutting board? I lurve it. I bought it at Costco, too!

Don't forget to seed your squash with a spoon and throw it out. Doesn't this just scream "Autumn"? 

After you have your squash peeled and cut, throw em on a cookie sheet and drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt. 

Now, ROAST!

Chopping party!

I served my soup with some wheat sourdough bread, toasted in the oven with some butter and basil pesto spread. Yum!

After some simmering and some blending (either with a blender or with an immersion blender), it pours into THIS. 

Top with some creamy sour cream and chives, and you're ready to go! Eugene said this is now one of his favorite dishes EVER. Yay!  Next time I make this, I better make alot more than two servings. :)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Inspired by Rachel Ray Magazine           

 Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart

Cook time: 1 hour          Serving Size: 2 (double or triple or quadruple the recipe to make more servings)

*      *     *     *     *     * 

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut in cubes

4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

4 cups of chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Toppings

sour cream (or plain yogurt or heavy cream)

chopped fresh chives

*      *     *     *     *     * 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and cut your butternut squash.

2. Lay butternut squash squares evenly on a cookie sheet.
 Toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes until soft.

3. Cut onion and mince garlic. Saute in the pot you will use for the soup with olive oil and spices until tender. Add butternut squash, and toss together. 

4. Add chicken brother and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, simmer for 10 minutes. Mix often.

5. Add soup mixture into a blender (or blend with an immersion blender) until creamy and smooth. Pour directly into a bowl and top with sour cream and chopped chives. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Have a great Sunday, everyone. Don't forget to "fall back" an hour on your clocks before you sleep!

Give thanks: mornings to sleep in, a sweet coffee date with Stacey, spending another day with my sisters, my dishwashing machine, singing praises with my husband at home, trader Joes, our extra hour of sleep tonight!

My New Hobby!

I have a tendency to be overambitious sometimes. I get into alot of things really quick, but once the excitement dies down, I usually just drop it and don't ever go back to it again. For example, I'll get really excited about reading books and start three books at once and not finish reading any of them til the end. Another example: I get into baking mode and buy all these ingredients and get tired of it after a while, etc. It's a pretty bad habit, but I'm trying to work on it! Eugene is kind of expecting me to do this with my sewing machine too. He won't even let me put our sewing machine in the closet, lest I forget about it and never sew anything in my life! SO SAD. le sigh...oh, ye of little faith....

To prove him wrong (and also--to keep myself accountable tehehe), I'm gonna commit to at least one project a month!  I took a very long (1.5 hour) trip to Joann's last week, and per my gracious husband's permission-- I purchased a bunch of sewing supplies for myself. (It was so exciting because everything was on sale!! it was like my birthday all over again!) Because I never used a sewing machine before in my life, I was so overwhelmed and even questioned myself for a minute! "Did I really go overboard on this one?" - "Was this really a good idea?" - "How do I thread this thing?" -  "What the heck is a bobbin??" 

Praise the Lord for helpful youtube videos and wonderful mommies who spend time posting tutorials online. I learned how to thread my machine and make own bobbins within an hour! As soon as I got my materials in place and got my machine all stringed up, I started sewing. 

Meet Daisy, my first project ever!

I made alot of mistakes, and had to rip out alot of strings and resew it back together again but I did it!

I made this doll using this martha stewart tutorial that my friend Kathy recommended. The tutorial was very helpful and straightforward, perfect for a newbie like me. 

I've wanted a sewing machine for a really long time and always dreamed of all of the craftsy things I could make. I love my new sewing machine so much!  It's really easy to use and really fun! I've always loved receiving/giving handmade gifts. There's something really special about hand-made things with all the love, sweat, tears (and sometimes blood) thatgoes into it. The raw imperfections of handmade things make these types of gifts even more precious and priceless too. :) I'm excited to start this new exciting Martha-Stewart journey of my life (haha!). Hope I can really use this to bless the people around me. Keep me accountable!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo, 

Sharon

P.S. For my November project, I'm going to make a doll with a red polka dot dress. I'm really into polka dots these days.. :o)

give thanks - a day off, mid-day naps, fellowship with older women in the church (hi, hezy umma!), spending time with my sisters, reminders of God's faithfulness and sovereignty over our lives, eugene at home!