Saturday, January 29, 2011

Blessing number twenty-six: Car heaters

I recently took a ride in my moms car which the heater no longer works in and man it was freezing.  I didn’t realize how much I take my heater for granted until I sat in her car.  I feel so bad that she has to drive really early in the morning and real late at night in that ice box of hers.  Its too bad that it takes other peoples misfortune to recognize my own blessings…

blessing number twenty-five: massages

I do not get them as much as I would like but I sure do love massages.  Recently Derek treated me to a massage and it was just what I needed (although it was probably the weirdest one I have had lol-she got a little too close to my bum).  It is always nice to be pampered like that, its great to be able to have one hour of relaxation to clam me down from my stressful life.  I am so blessed to be able to get massages at all…and I have one gift card for a massage that I got for Christmas from an amazing friend- im saving it for when I really need it!

blessing number twenty-four: Toa!


Most of my closest friends are somehow related to me-my siblings, cousins, parents and aunts.  But there is one friend im not related to who has been by my side for years.  Although she usually lives far away we always find a way to keep in touch.  I know she will always be there when I need to talk, willing to help with anything, and supportive of decisions I make.  She always seems to find time for me during her short visits home and it is always tough when she has to leave.
Toa is an amazing mom, a supportive wife, a very hard working student (22 units this semester!!), giving of her time, non-judgemental, and an amazing friend.  I love her and miss her all the time but I know she is just a phone call away….i am so blessed to have her in my life

blessing number twenty two and twenty three: Having a car that runs and an honest mechanic to fix it

It is nice to know that I am not getting screwed when I take my car in.  our mechanic never makes us do more then needed.   he will tell us if something can wait to be fixed if it is expensive and tells us if there is a way to get it cheaper.  I am greatful that I can feel so comfortable with his advice.
So yesterday I had to take my car in to get looked at.  It has been making a loud noise and I was getting worried.  It turns out the barrings were bad and needed replaced.  It cost me $285 but it is such a relief to have it taken care of.  It is so easy to take a nice car for granted!
Now I don’t have a very cool car, it definitely would not be my first choice…but I got a great deal on it and it runs really well.  It is such a blessing to not have to make car payments every month, not have to worry about it breaking down, and know that ill be able to get where I need to go.  Take the bus for a day and you will realize how blessed you are to have a car too!

Friday, January 21, 2011

blessing number twenty-one: sophia



In honor of today being Sophia’s first birthday today’s blessing is this beautiful little niece. Everyone is always saying how beautiful and amazing she is so there isn’t much i can say that has not already been said but she really is as fantastic as everyone says. She always brightens my day with her beautiful smile. She is so fun and I can’t wait to see the smart little girl she grows into!

i love this little girl!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

blessing number twenty: amazing aunts








having the opportunity to have lunch and a nice chat with my aunt today made me realize its time to recognize how blessed i am to have so many incredible aunts!  my aunts are so loving, they give of themselves, their time and work hard to take care of their families.  they spend entire holidays cooking for us (aunty karen and tina), they help with homework (aunty leslie), they spend days at their kids baseball/softball games (aunty shari and aunty carol), they offer their homes to family (aunty regina and aunty joey), they do all they can to take care of their kids (aunty janet and aunty lenny) and they love their families unconditionally.

i am so blessed to have such great women and role models in my life!

blessing number eighteen and nineteen: a good book and time to read them

a good book is not always easy to find so i am very appreciative when i do find one!  right now i am readying chelsea handlers new book chelsea chelsea bang bang, it is her third and possibly funniest books!  yesterday was slow at work so i was reading it and hekka laughing...my co-worker came over telling me i looked crazy standing there alone laughing but i didnt care, i tried to explain what was happening in the book and ended up laughing so hard i was crying!



it is great when a book can bring out such emotion like this! i am also in the middle of reading the immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, another great book but for different reasons.  this one is the moving story of a womans cells being taken and used in dozen of scientific discoveries without her family even knowing what a difference they were making. 

a great book can brighten a day....here are a few of my favorites...

tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom
a million little pieces by james frey
700 sundays by billy crystal
the five people you meet in heaven by mitch albom
have a little faith by mitch albom
of mice and men by john steinbeck
the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot
all of chelsea handlers books (my horizontal life, are you there vodka its me chelsea, chelsea chelsea bang bang)

Monday, January 17, 2011

blessings number sixteen and seventeen: mommys and daddys



i have been blessed with really great parents...they have worked hard their entire lives taking care of me and my siblings.  they have always been supportive of anything we have wanted to do, they help us in any way they can and they have always made sure we felt loved.  while some other parents are barely able to give love to one child they have been able to give tons to seven.  they have had hundreds (if not thousands) of sleepless nights, millions of poopie diapers and a couple million meals have been made...they are amazing and i hope that me and all me siblings are able to create happy loving familys just like they did!



Sunday, January 16, 2011

blessing number fifteen: brothers




some people think my parents were crazy for having so many kids, and those people might be a little bit right...life got crazy, gatherings were always hectic and bedrooms were always full but man did we have fun!  growing up there was always someone to play with, someone to get in trouble with, someone to make you food, someone to cheer you up.
life with nine people in one house (or apartment) was never easy but i loved it!
i have five great brothers now...one through marriage-my brothers are hard working men!
kipp is living a great life-having fun in his program, going to dances and enjoying every minute
kory is an amazing father, a patient employee with an awful employer and a great provider for his family
kai is working hard at school and gunna do big things, he is another patient employee with a not so great employer lol
opie is a passionate student and religious kid with big dreams that he is gunna make come true
and matt is a great husband and father, working hard to take care of his family

i love these great men and look forward to seeing all that they accomplish in the future!

Friday, January 14, 2011

blessing number fourteen: sisters


me, sita and eli after his birth





presh, sita and eli after his birth


me and sita at her first baby shower

me, my mom and sita after dancing at the luau
derek me and presh at grandmas birthday in utah

sita holding presh after she was born
ok i got a little carried away with the pictures and cant seem to organize them so sorry they are arranged so weird....but anyway...

when deciding what blessing i have everyday for this blog i find myself always wanting to write about a person or people, my family and friends are very influential in my life and when your surrounded by so many great people its hard not to feel blessed.  i have been trying to squeeze in other things besides the people in my life but today i gave up trying and am going ahead with my sisters.  i have two great sisters! 

one is a very hard working mother of two who spends day and night taking care of others, lets me live with her, and is always taking care of her church and life responsibilities

the other is a hard working student who has a passion for animals and is saving the wildlife one stray cat at a time...lol

i love em both and feels sorry for anyone who did not get lucky enough to grow up with atleast one great sister :)


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

blessings number eleven, twelve & thirteen: kleenex, a warm bed & medicine

i hate being sick but it would be a whole lot worse with out these fabulous inventions!

back to bed i go...

Monday, January 10, 2011

blessing number ten: great co-workers


me and Liria roasting marshmellows in her back yard



me arielle and liria biking over the carquinez bridge

i have been blessed with some really great co-workers...dont get me wrong there are a few i totally cannot stand but there are also a few i absolutely love!  i dont know what i would do without these few, they are what keep me coming to my stinking job...some of these coworkers have moved on to other stores, gone away to college, or quit to have babies and i miss them dearly so right now im down to one :(
she makes my laugh when customers make me want to cry, she helps me when i am overwhelmed, she has my back when managers or other coworkers try to hassle me and she is my partner in crime :)

i honestly dont know how i would get through the day without her!

these coworkers have become some of my best friends and i know i will have them in my life for years to come

Sunday, January 9, 2011

blessing number nine: grandmas


grandma lee lee at her birthday party last year with her great grandkids



grandma mary at her 79th birthday with her great grandkids


today we celebrated my grandma marys 79th birthday and i made me realize how blessed i am to have two healthy grandmas.  these are amazing women-they have had hard lives and gone through countless struggles between the two of them but have definetly come out on top. 

my grandma mary has spent most of her life raising eight kids on her own, babysitting her grandchildren, doing anything her family needed and making amazing toast in the process :)

my grandma lee lee raised six amazing kids, did all she could to help her family and moved back and fourth between utah and california trying to keep an eye on all her grandkids...

they are strong, independent, hardworking, caring, nurturing, selfless, faithful women-
they have both been amazing influences on me and all my cousins and i love them both very much!

blessing number eight: the opportunity to do some crazy things




i have had the opportunity to do a lot of fun things...
from surfing in hawaii to ziplining a mile long zipline to white water rafting a 5+ rapid.  
i love doing these adrenaline rushing activies and im hopeing to have the opportunity to do more.
of everything thing i have done rafting is by far my favorite-this past summer a bunch of my friends and family went and it was sooo much fun...the thirteen of us went went down the maytag rapid in one boat-a record that has never been attepted, to our amazement the boat did not flip...theres even a video of it :)

Friday, January 7, 2011

blessing number seven: facebook



this may seem like a weird blessing but if you think about it this site gives us the ability to easily stay in contact with family and friends all over the world!  i have family in china, guatamala, illinois, utah, idaho, friends in the phillipines, new zealand, brazil and more and with a click of a few buttons i can see recent photos, have a chat, or send them a message.  there is no more waiting for snail mail or loosing contact with people.  i can even find old friends that i have lost contact with.  i love this site and the fact that i can stay close with people who geographically arnt.

hope you all are not taking for granted how easily you can talk to your loved ones...

Thursday, January 6, 2011

blessing number six: ice cream

i love ice cream almost as much as charlie does!  once this little chunk got ahold of this cone he would not let it go and anyone who knows me knows im  pretty much the same way...

i have always been a chocoholic-ice cream, cookies, brownies-i love em all, and being a decent baker does not help this little additiction hahah

growing up my dream job was to be an ice cream truck driver so i could eat ice cream whenever i wanted lol

a chocolaty treat can almost always cheer me up on a rough day :)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

blessing number five: sleep


                                    Derek & Sophia taking a nap :)

i loooove sleep!  its usually not until i dont get any that i realize just how much i love it lol…
i am trying to savor all the sleep i can now while i am on a break from school-then its back to the late nights of papers and homework :/

its tough watching my sister get the little sleep that she does due to her kids.  as much as i love children i am definitely not looking forward to the years of sleepless nights that will come when i have children of my own…

so for now i thank the lord for the sleep i get, enjoy this blessing as long as i can, and dread the day when it seems to be gone…

blessing number four: cousins





now this is one area where i am far more blessed than most… in total i have 39 cousins (and thats not counting their spouses!!)

but whether you have one or a hundred they are always great.  this is not to say that you will get along with them all or see them often-but they still provide this unspoken support-that you know even if you only see them on christmas, or some even less than that due to distance-it will feel as though you saw them last week.  its not awkward and uncomfortable—its family.
with such a large group we have such diversity in lives and careers-its so fun to watch everyone grow up and take different paths…as of right now i have a cousin in the peace corp in guatemala, a cousin in china doing voice over work, one is a scientist making fuel out of algae, there are a couple baseball players, some singers and musicians, ones in the navy, a future lawyer, lots of students, 6 parents and a bunch of hard workers! 

we always have fun when were together and i cant wait to see what the future has in store for everyone!

i love you: robin, jared, tyson, bryce, travis, holly, kyle, shari, andy, celeste, natalia, tatiana, ray, erin, doug, emily, tony, anna, tisha, mimi, regina, janet, lucas, scott, ricky, adam, sarah, geri, steven, kris, daniel, sam, jacob, samantha ,marissa, alex, trey, wilson and janalie!
{dont worry aunts n uncles…there is a special blog coming soon for you :)}

blessing number three: simple words that make a big difference



simple words making a big difference, not a tangible blessing but still a big one that is often forgotten.  this, as most things, can come in different forms.  i have experienced many occasions at work when i have had rude customer after rude customer-it really starts to get to me when people talk to me like im stupid, but all it takes is one nice person, one person to really appreciate the work i put into their order, one person to tell me how much i helped them-just a few words can change my day! in fact a couple weeks ago helping a lady with her Christmas card it didnt take any words, she messed up some info on her card after already printing 100 of them-she thought they were ruined but i was able to fix them-she did not even say a word, she started to cry :) seeing in her face how appreciative she was meant so much to me.  now this is a rare reaction (only once in four years lol) but even just a smile and a genuine thank you is enough for me!

*whether its a random line in a movie (“We must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days are in fact here for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives.” -Stranger Than Fiction)

*or a line in a song (“dont you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine and life makes love look hard…the stakes are high, the waters rough but this love is ours” Taylor Swift-ours)

*a friends post on facebook (“umm. so i miss you already.”-arielle wrote on my wall)

*or a good book ("A Million Little Pieces" "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" etc.)

this is one of my favorite quotes (i plan to use it at my weddding :)-

From A Year With C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works “Being in Love” (edited by Clare)
“If the old fairy-tale ending “They lived happily ever after” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love”—is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be “in love” with someone else. This quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.”
– C. S. Lewis

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless” -mother theresa
have a great day!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

blessing number two: American Sign Language

so i was reminded that since i started this a day late im behind on my posts-so ill post two today...and right now im thankful for american sign language and the Deaf community!
i looove sign language.  i will be graduating in may with my bachelors in Deaf studies and im so excited! I stumbled upon this major by accident, my original major was nursing, but after one asl class i knew i was heading down the wrong path-so i changed it.  i cant wait to become an interpreter and am so happy to have found a career i have a passion for.  i included a link to ally asl signing "back to december" i love watching her videos of songs in asl, one day ill post one of my own...
although there is still room for improvement i love signing and interacting with Deaf people.  on weekends i work with a Deaf teenager and have some close Deaf friends-i feel like they are much more appreciative of things than hearing people are.  Deaf people understand the concept of little blessings

this blessing actually includes many blessings-
1. american sign language
2. the Deaf community
3. an accidental path being found
4. a passion
5. great Deaf friends i have meet

i <3 asl

blessing number one: Eli

my first, and one of my top blessings is my nephew eli.  although his terrible twos show through once in a while he can always make me laugh!  this kid is learning so much right now, talking a lot and always suprising us with the things he says...just today i was teaching him to type on facebook lol.  eli jumps off couches yelling "to infinity and beyond!", and he even knows how to unlock my iphone-get to the games he wants to play and plays them.
he amazes me and i love having the opportunity to live with him and getting to see him everyday!  kids are definetly huge blessings and im sure you will be seeing my neice sophia and nephew charlie on here soon!

the secret to happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles

it is so easy to only see the bad, the struggles you are going through and forget about the good things you have in life...which is why i am starting this blog, as a way to remind myself of all the great things i have in life.  i told myself i would not have a new years resolution because i never stick to them but thats out the window because this is my resolution, to keep up with this blog chronicling the blessing i have been given-from the big ones (my nephews and niece) to the small ones (a chocolate velvet Kara's cupcake).
hopefully my blessing will remind you of all yours (: