What top memories stand out?
It’s no surprise that most if not all my outstanding memories are about the kids. Jubilee lost her first tooth. We took the kids to Disneyland for the first time over the summer with the Li family. That was incredibly fun, and I still think about it a lot! Henry started daycare at Kimber Hills when he turned 2, and consequently I started going back into the office once a week. Jubilee graduated from preschool and started Kindergarten. That was immensely emotional for me. Jubilee watched her first movie in the theater (Elemental) with Bella. My mom visited over the summer, taking Jubilee to her first swim lessons and first VBS experience. Jubilee also started AWANA in the fall. And finally, my cousin Sean’s wedding brought about a wonderful family (and high school) reunion in December.
How did I maintain my most valuable relationships?
I chat with my parents on Line all the time. I send them photos of the kids, and they video call a lot to see how we’re doing. The F5 thread on Signal was always active, making me smile and feel supported, and reminding me that I’m deeply appreciated. I love that we talk pretty much every single day, and it doesn’t get old. Of course, within that circle I treasure our MTS book club meetings. They stretch my mind in ways I never knew I needed. At LSCC, I love my small group. I’ve really enjoyed deepening friendships with women that I’ve known for several years but never had the opportunity to be in the same huddle, and I always look forward to our meetings. Since I don’t work Fridays, I’ve been enjoying one-on-one time with Jubilee on those days after I pick her up from school. We’ll go get dessert or run an errand or check out the library. I’m trying to spend as much time as I can with her while she still craves my attention. Maybe I’ll create that space/activity with Henry when he’s older. Right now he’s too young. Lastly, with Chris, nothing beats the late-night conversations about everything and nothing at all, both kids in bed, the two of us exhausted from putting them to sleep, and talking while lying on the floor.
Who did I get to know, and who did I miss?
I got to know Yuyin. From the moment we started talking, she’s treated me like we’ve been close friends for years. I feel so lucky to be making great friends at my age. Not that I’m old, but it’s certainly more difficult to meet new people that you click so well with from the get-go. Who did I miss? The obvious answer is my parents. I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing them as long as they’re in Taiwan. It’s just SO FAR AWAY.
What life or home changes happened?
Both kids have school or daycare now, so our little family unit is off doing our own thing during the day. I think about that when I drop off Henry and Chris drops off Jubilee, how we’re all separated doing different things, and I yearn for my babies to be home again.
What were the highs and lows of my marriage?
I can’t recall any specific high or low incidents. When I was younger, I might have thought this was boring, that passionate highs should come with devastating lows; however, the more time I spend with Chris, the more I appreciate how dependable he is, and that I’m fortunate not to deal with lows. He and I are in a season right now where taking care of these young children has a higher priority, so at times it does feel like we’re just doing the same old grind every morning and every evening. I know that will change when the kids get older, and I know we’ll get more time to ourselves then. I also know he feels the same way, so as long as we’re on the same page, things are great.
What were the highs and lows of parenthood?
Jubilee is turning around for sure. She has less sass than before, and she’ll actually choose me over Chris sometimes now. I’ll take that as a high! On the flip side, Henry is entering the terrible threes, and he can super difficult to handle. I want to say that Jubilee wasn’t this stubborn when she was his age. On top of all that, he only wants Chris when both of us are around, which makes it harder us, because Chris can’t tap out. The silver lining is that when Chris isn’t around, Henry is much more reasonable and well behaved.
Who made me proud?
Jubilee up on stage graduating from preschool! I was so, so proud. She’s growing up so fast, and I’m so proud of the young lady she’s becoming.
What challenges did I face?
I’m sure I faced challenges, though nothing particular comes to mind. Work probably. Raising these kids, yes. Balancing everything and keeping an immaculately clean home.
What were my biggest work accomplishments?
I worked on 12 proposals and trained two new hires, but my personal sense of accomplishment comes from the fact that I went on business travel while my in-laws stayed with Chris to help with childcare. TWICE. Big step for me, and turns out, it was not that bad. I’ll likely be choosing this option in the future when I need to travel for work, especially since Chris’s parents have moved to Sacramento fully.
How did I celebrate my birthday?
I had Korean BBQ with my family, Sandy, Phong, and Abe. Sandy bought a beautiful and delicious cake that we ate back at the house, and she also gifted me with a gorgeous set of The Lord of the Rings.
How did I celebrate my family’s birthdays?
In February, Henry had his second birthday at home and celebrated with Jubilee and Lily. I bought for him an Oreo cake, and he got a dinosaur backpack and this (super noisy) game where you hit frogs with a mallet. In August, Chris celebrated at Nations with his favorite French toast breakfast and apple pie. Justin and Jamie also joined us for dinner and dessert. In December, Jubilee celebrated her 6th birthday in Phoenix the day before Sean’s wedding. We started the day at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and ended the night with all the aunts, cousins, and next gen cousins eating a humongous home-cooked meal. My mom went a little wild and bought three cakes from 85 degree! I bought a “Where’s Jubilee” book where she can search for herself dressed up as many different professions.
How did I celebrate my wedding anniversary?
Chris and celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary at The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse. It was a big splurge, and as always, we spent most of the evening talking about the kids and feeling so grateful for how happy we are.
How did I celebrate the holidays?
For Thanksgiving and Christmas, we drove up to Sacramento and stayed one night. I’m glad that we don’t need to make trips to southern California anymore. This year’s Christmas was overshadowed by the excitement of the Phoenix trip to see family and friends.
What did I experience for the first time?
Taking the kids to Disneyland for the first time was one of my favorite experiences ever. I will remember it for the rest of my life. I already love Disneyland tremendously, but being there with my babies was another level of joy I didn’t know I could feel. Going on all the rides with them, seeing the wonder in their faces everywhere we went, hearing them laugh, watching them eat too much ice cream and churros and drink way too much juice, getting their profiles captured on frame, Jubilee’s starstruck smile when she met Princess Aurora, Henry’s excitement when he saw Lightning McQueen, Jubilee and Bella asking if we’ve landed back on earth after the Star Wars rides… This vacation instantly made one of the top moments in my life, and I cannot wait to take them again.
Where did I travel?
Denver and Huntsville for work, and Anaheim and Phoenix for fun!
Which moments brought me joy?
The Disneyland trip, seeing photos of Jubilee and Henry in daycare together, Henry’s Christmas show performance, Jubilee’s graduation,
Which moments made me cry?
When my mom went back to Taiwan after her summer visit, looking at pictures of the kids when they were babies because Google Photos keeps giving me “hey, remember these moments” slideshows. No, but for real, I can’t think of when something made me that upset or angry.
What was the best thing I purchased?
We bought a new dishwasher, and I redeemed a Roomba with my work points! I’m learning to let the robots do my dirty work. It’s lightened up my mental load for sure.
What were my favorite books?
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, Fairy Tale by Stephen King, Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, One True Loves by Taylor Jekins Reid
What were my favorite movies?
Elemental, Bullet Train, Oppenheimer, Quiz Lady, A Haunting in Venice
What were my favorite series?
Call the Midwife, GBBO, Never Have I Ever, QE, Lower Decks, The Last of Us, Queen Charlotte, Painkiller, Physical 100
What were my favorite music?
We (as in the kids mostly) listened to a LOT of Studio Ghibli music this year because HBO Max started streaming most of the Ghibli movies, so they’ve been watching those pretty much all the time. Of course, I still listened to my classical and soundtrack playlists.
What were my favorite games?
Still played a lot of Candy Crush and other matching type of games
How did I grow spiritually?
I did continue to practice memorizing passages of scripture, but it kind of trailed off toward the latter half of the year. I’d like to get back on track with that. It’s very peaceful to be able to meditate on the verses by heart.
What life lessons did I learn?
I don’t NEED to do the dishes right away or run for the Dyson every time I see a speck of dust or crumb. There are machines that do that for us now, so I’ve learned to use the dishwasher on a daily basis and run the Roomba each night when the kids go to bed. Spend money on the things that will make your life easier and give back time.
What character traits did I develop or improve?
I’d like to think my patience is continuing to improve, especially when it comes to being more gentle with the kids. Chris commented humorously that he noticed he started yelling more when my yelling decreased, so I guess it’s a good balance, especially since these children do not listen until someone’s angry. Sigh, I swear that’s why parents are so tired all the time. It’s exhausting yelling so much.
What am I looking forward to in the next year?
Henry having no more potty accidents! That and our Tokyo and Taipei trip coming up in April 2024!
What fears do I have for the next year?
That Henry will still have potty accidents. Actually, I’m pretty anxious about traveling internationally with the kids too, and how they might not adjust in time when we get back to normal life after vacation.
What aspirations do I hope for the next year?
I hope that Jubilee and Henry will develop a closer bond with me. I hope that Chris and I will find extra time to rekindle our relationship every once in a while. I hope that the kids will stop coming into our room in the middle of the night, so we can sleep without interruptions. I hope that the kids never stop coming into our room in the middle of the night, because I miss them terribly when I wake up without them.
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