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.