2011 In Retrospect (and 100th blog post!)

"If it didn’t bring you joy, just leave it behind.

Let’s ring in the New Year with good things in mind.

Let every bad memory go that brought heartache and pain,

And let’s turn a new leaf with the smell of new rain.

Let’s forget past mistakes, making amends for this year."

-Anonymous

It does seem like time passed by us and we did not even notice it. There was so much going on, and the next thing we knew, 2011 is almost over. Carl and I have been blessed with so many things this past year, we learned many things, and we've been reminded of the many wonderful things that we so often take for granted. The Lord, in so many ways, took us by the hand and helped us create a wonderful year. 

Here's a quick rundown of the year that was...

JANUARY

We spent New Year's with friends and family in Southern California, complete with a road trip and a day well spent in Disneyland. I started my second semester in graduate school while Carl started his last term. Work continued to go well with Carl, and that kept him really busy. My brother turned 21 and received his mission call to serve in the Butuan Philippines Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Carl fell in love with snowboarding, and he went up to Sundance with friends a couple of times. It was our first real winter, I guess, and we tried to keep ourselves warm!

FEBRUARY

We had two Valentines day dinners - 

an advanced Valentines date at Joe's Crab Shack, and a romantic dinner at home on Valentine's day itself.

It was also little Keana's first birthday!

MARCH

 My brother, Yken, started his 2-year LDS Mission in Butuan, Philippines.

Carl's brother-in-law, Ricky, also got baptized on Marrch 27th, and we all drove to Long Beach to witness it. Carl also confirmed him on the same day.

APRIL

 I worked on a project about interracial romantic relationships and presented it during BYU's MaryLou Fulton Conference. 

Carl and I also took a trip to San Diego (all expense paid, YAY!) to attend the 4th Annual Clinton Global University Meeting held at UC-San Diego. And we also got to see the San Diego Temple, which, more than meeting a US President, was the highlight of our trip. 

Also, my parents were granted 10-year multiple entry US tourist visas, and so they boarded a plane (actually a total of three planes) and visited us! It was the best spring break of all time!

MAY

 Carl earned his Masters degree in Information Systems from Minot State University, and we flew there to attend his graduation. 

Ate Lei also visited us for a couple of days and I got to spend a day with her and Jasmine and Keana. 

We also had a lot of fun with my parents during spring break. We did a lot of activities together and we made sure it was a well deserved vacation for them.

JUNE

Since my parents vacation was almost over, we decided to pack their last couple of weeks with us with   things on their bucket list. Mama wanted to visit every single temple possible, Papa wanted to see Las Vegas, and both of them wanted to see snow - like the real kind falling snow. So we did just that!

JULY

Carl turned 27!!!

AUGUST

We celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary!

I turned 25 :)

And we took our 5th trip of the year - to San Francisco - to take care of some personal stuff and reconnect with Carl's past love (San Francisco Mission)...

SEPTEMBER

I started my last year in BYU, which entailed working on a thesis and teaching a class. And Carl got promoted from a systems analyst to a software engineer. And the Wymount Filipino community grew from 2 members to 4 (and some adopted family members) :)

OCTOBER

We had LOTS of visitors on General Conference weekend...

And we carved our first pumpkins for Halloween!

NOVEMBER

I went to Orlando to attend a research conference (which was also my first trip in the US all by myself).

And we had an AMAZING Thanksgiving - with a lot to be thankful for!

DECEMBER

It was a wonderful year and we wrapped it up with all the joy and happiness of the Christmas season!

Disclaimer: 

We did not intend to end the year with our 100th blog post - it was purely coincidental. But then again, sometimes, we find it a really fun coincidence! 

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This year, Christmas was indeed memorable for Carl and I and we hope it was for all of you too. For weeks, we have been trying to decide on what we are going to do for the Christmas weekend, and at one point we thought it would have been a lot easier if we were home in the Philippines because the answer would automatically be - WITH FAMILY. Then again, since that was not a very feasible option at this time, we had to make do. And then we had a bright idea - why not still spend it WITH FAMILY.  We can do a road trip with Jasmine's little family and drive down to southern California and have Christmas with ate Lei & Ricky? Brilliant! But then again, Jasmine and her family just took a trip to the Philippines and it didn't seem practical to take another trip. So after much consideration, we decided we'd do still do it - just the two of us - take the 12 hour drive to Los Angeles and spend the weekend with Carl's older sister.

The Christmas weekend started on the night of the 21st. Since we won't be having Noche Buena at our apartment, we decided we'll have a Christmas dinner before we leave for California.

Our Christmas Dinner Feast - Filipino style Spaghetti, Garlic Cheddar Biscuits,
Banana-Raisin Bread, Crab Rolls, Lumpia, &  Pigs in a Blanket

We also decided to open our gifts. Our gifts were sort of secret this year, and so Carl didn't know what's been sitting under the tree and the same is true with me. However, that morning, Carl took his gift for me from under the tree and when he came home that night, he locked himself in the room and I assumed he was wrapping gifts because he also grabbed the big roll of Christmas gift wrapper. These are our gifts to each other.

We both got books (JV: Rachael Ray Cookbook & The Little Prince; Carl:Steve Jobs Biography).
Carl also got me my nude pumps (and another book, Tuesdays with Morrie)
and I got him his Michael Jordan cap.

We left early the next morning. Carl did the morning shift until we got to Las Vegas - where of course we went on a date. We ate at Jollibee and did a little shopping at the outlet stores. Then it was my turn, until sundown. We arrived in California around 9pm and visited with our friends Mhar and Liezel in Bell Gardens and stayed with them for the night.

Before there was nothing but bones...

The morning of the 23rd, we headed to ate Lei's place in Downey and spent the rest of the weekend with them.  

Strolled and played "badminton" in Seal Beach, enjoyed the lights in Naples,
great family Noche Buena, and visiting Joyce on Christmas Day!

Carl and I had a really good time in California. In fact, we felt more full than tired. Our tummies were as full as our hearts. We were able to visit friends and family, and enjoyed each others' company. We visited the Pascuals in Sherman Oaks, we met up with my childhood girlfriend Bernice in Long Beach and had light snacks at La Creperie, we also visited Peggy, and most of all - we visited Joyce and her grandkids in her home in Lakewood. 

On Monday morning, the 26th, we were ready to go back to Utah. We left early, and we capped our trip with a hearty lunch at Todai in Las Vegas. 

Seafood Lunch in Las Vegas :)

It was indeed, a wonderful time of the year!

tis the Season to be Jolly... fa la la la la, la la la :)

Who doesn't love the holidays? Everyone seems to be happy these days. Carl would say, life would be better if people were this happy all year round. As a couple, Carl and I love the holidays. We look forward to how interesting our holidays become each year, and we are never disappointed. There is almost always something about the Christmas season each year that makes it as memorable as the last. Here's a couple of reasons why Christmas this year has its own way of becoming interesting. 

First, the weird weather - so much for the hopes of a white Christmas this year. I don't think the snow is ever going to come in time for a snowy Christmas eve. It's not even that cold - 40 degrees in December?! Its like we skipped forward to spring. Anyway, the weird winter season is just one of the reasons why the holidays is interesting this year. Though, i must admit, the relatively warmer weather makes it easier for Carl and I to enjoy the holidays. I hate walking on icy pavements or strolling while the bitter cold wind is blowing on my skin. I guess I can live with a less wintery Christmas this year. We are, however, still hoping we could build our first snowman soon :)

Second on the list, the Christmas parties - here's some of them.

1. Ward Christmas Party.  It was a BREAKFAST CHRISTMAS PARTY. Carl and I thought it was weird we had the party early in the morning. We are so used to dinner parties i guess. We had toasts and pancakes and sausage and fruits and orange juice. Again, that was weird. Last year, it was potluck dinner and the ward bought hams that were assigned for some families to cook. We were invited to talk about our "traditional" Christmas stories. Carl and I ended up telling everyone in the ward how long Christmas is in the Philippines - i guess that beats all other "traditional" stories.

2. MFHD Christmas Dinner. This was the dinner party that "almost" never was. Here's the short story - one of the students in our program was curious if we were going to have a party this year since we've always had one since she got on board. We have a new department secretary, who did not know that we usually have a Christmas party, and so when this particular student approached her, she thought she was being thoughtless and sent an apologetic email to everyone (students, faculty, and staff) and asking for suggestions. One faculty replied to everyone and said a christmas party wasn't necessary and  having one each year sort of grew just out of habit. Anyway, a date was set but everyone seemed like they didn't know if it was going to happen or not... so I asked the student who brought it up in the first place and this was the response I got: "Dr. X said i opened a can of worms and so I need to take care of it." and then I was given the details of the party. In my mind, "Oh great, we're just doing this to save  your face?" I mean, there was no enthusiasm in the response I got, rather what I felt was an attitude of "lets just get this done and over with!" Oh well, i still signed up for dessert and made flan for everyone. On the night of party, it got even weirder for me. First, some of the students were all gathered at the dinner table ala real Christmas dinner, and then some were on the counter. Second, while some were doing a christmas game, some were doing their own thing on the other side of the room - might as well have two dinner parties. Third, after the game everyone was just talking stories of whatever. The feeling that I got was, really, the party had a lack of a lot of enthusiasm. True, I could have been proactive and made it more lively - but I felt like I wasn't in a position to do so (hello, rude?). But anyway, my flan was a big hit and because it was a little crusted some people thought it was actually creme brulee. We left the party early because we had to meet up with Jasmine & Keana at the mall (and I was actually excited about that!)

Date with Jasmine &Keana at the Provo Mall after
the MFHD Christmas Dinner

3. Potluck Party @ the Catubays. This was a fun one. Carl and I were glad we chose this party over the Filipino community party in Orem. Nothing against the other party, I'm sure it was a fun one too. It just felt like it was more intimate, enjoying dinner with good friends that you don't get to see very often and laughing with the children and playing like we weren't grown-ups. It was fun. I brought arroz caldo and everyone else brought equally good food. We also had a little gift exchange, white elephant style. This was white elephant, so anything goes... and you get the chance to pick whatever gift you like even when somebody has already picked it. Well. for me, I have my strategies to get the gift I really like! We had so much fun we forgot to take more pictures. We had so much fun at the Catubays that night.

4. Family dinner with the Milburys. Since Carl and I won't be spending Christmas weekend in Utah, we decided to have our family Christmas dinner with my sister-in-law's family in advance. We met up with the Milburys in American Fork where we planned to have dinner at Asian Buffet. Carl and I got there first, so we decided to check out the place beforehand. That was a good move, because we weren't sold after walking through their buffet line. Proof? In one of their hot lines, there was a note encouraging customers to get food from the bottom of the pan (closest to the heat source) because they are warmer. Duh? That's common sense - but, if you have to tell your customers where to get the warmer food, that just means something is wrong with your equipment thus there is a possibility that your food will make us sick. So there, we left the restaurant with the decision that we are not eating there. When Jasmine and them arrived, we decided we'll have dinner at Five Guys, which was tricky because Jasmine doesn't really like burgers - especially when she is pregnant (which she is). But I guess Five Guys burgers are amicable with her tummy, because she actually enjoyed them. Scott had fries overload - which was good because when he's high with carbo, he's usually happy :) We also exchanged gifts that night. We gifted Jasmine a cookbook and Scott an AngryBirds shirt. They gifted us with a Cold Stone gift card, a fridge magnet, and - are you ready for this? a CROCKPOT and a PRINTER! Yup, most awesome gift ever :) As for the precious little Keana, we gave her a Minnie Mouse plush toy - her eyes glowed and she was a happy little girl!

Speaking of gifts, that's the third reason why this year's Christmas is interesting. Carl and I have gifts for each other here and there. Something like, we go to the mall, and one of us would say, I think I like that for Christmas and then we'll get it. Anyway, this year our "main gifts" (the one we wrap and not open until Christmas eve) were secrets. Carl came home one day and his gift is already under the Christmas tree. And he did the same for me. Something noteworthy though, is that we gifted ourselves this year - sort of like our gift to our little family. We bought a MICROWAVE - for the FIRST TIME. When we got married, we received a microwave as one of our wedding gifts. When we moved from Hawaii to California, we shipped our microwave to the Philippines along with other stuff we didn't want to get rid of. Our apartment in California was equipped with a microwave, so we didn't need to buy one. When we moved to Utah, our neighbor was moving out and they handed down their microwave to us. Lately, that microwave would not work well anymore. Like we warm up left over for five minutes and only the surface would warm up. So we decided - IT WAS TIME.

First Microwave we ever bought - $45 courtesy of Walmart

This is really the time of year when everyone is happy. The parties might not always be fun or dinners might be less enjoyable, and gifts could be big or small or something we don't exactly like. But these imperfections do not necessarily have to ruin Christmas. Like what Elder Dieter Uchtdorf said during his Christmas Devotional message this year, the perfect Christmas events, trees, and gifts doesn't define what Christmas really is - rather, it is the wonderful things that redirect us to the one who we celebrate this season for. Surely, we enjoy the celebrations and the lights and the fun gatherings and the gifts we give and receive, but may we always remember the real reason for this season - our Savior, Jesus Christ.

the light at the end of the tunnel... and a glimpse of the future

I am officially three quarters done with my Masters. Yes - the light at the end of the tunnel is almost in sight. It has been a great semester, with a lot of challenges and a ton of lessons learned.

I took two classes, attended a research conference, submitted a manuscript for publication, completed my thesis prospectus, and taught an undergraduate class. It was quite a ride.

I don't remember exactly how many papers I wrote, but I had 10 drafts of my prospectus. One night, I worked on it non-stop for 12 hours. A week later, I worked on it again for 16 hours without closing my eyes. I once again discovered the power of Coca-Cola. I used to need a liter to stay up - now I only need a glass.

This semester, I must say, showed me my future - and I think I like it. I taught my first undergraduate class. I developed a syllabus based on the materials from a more seasoned professor. I created my own exams. I gave official grades. It was both unexpected and not a surprise at all. Unexpected because I told myself once that I'd like to do something different than what my parents do for a living. At the same time, it was not a surprise because I have been born and raised in the academic world - spending my afternoons as a five-year old sitting at the back of my mother's classroom as she taught college algebra (though the algebra did not rub on me as much). I realized that teaching is something I'd like to do for a very long time.

My SFL 224 Sec 1 students - It was an amazing experience!

During our last day of class, I treated my class with pizza. It wasn't a bribe or anything. I guess more of a celebration. I can never be grateful enough to my 20 undergrads who came to class and treated me as if I am "real" professor. I know that a lot of times, my inexperienced teaching skills overpowered my desire to teach effectively, but they did their part none the less... and because of that, I was motivated to improve and become a better teacher. My students were smart, and it could be intimidating sometimes. But then again, we learn as we grow... It was as if I was learning with them, only on a different plane. At the end of each day, I tell myself - "well, that was a good class" and more and more, I am convinced that I have found my place in the academic world - or at least I have found the place where I want to be.

By the way, Carl surprised me with a bouquet of flowers on my last teaching day - and treated me to Tucanos for a well deserved dinner for the both of us!

Also, before the semester officially ended, I was able to defend my thesis prospectus. It could have been worse - in fact, i thought i wouldn't make it to the deadline. I have the best graduate committee one could ever ask for. The prospectus meeting lasted for an hour and thirty minutes, the first ten minutes was me talking and the rest was my three super smart professors talking about what else I can do to improve and solidify my thesis. In the end, I passed pending revisions, which is all that I could ask for! And as promised, Carl took me to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack where we overindulged ourselves with crabs and shrimps and lobster.

Seafood Overload!

And that was the end of Fall Semester 2011 :)

November wrap-up

I. NCFR Conference in Orlando, Florida

In the past two years, I have convinced myself that I love to do family science research. Actually, i find social science fascinating - the same way some people are amazed with molecules and gravity or animation. This year, my weird fascination with the family as a social institution paid off with a poster presentation at the 73rd National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. My research partner, Sherry Cowen (PhD student, MFHD), presented the findings of our meta-analysis of resilience education programs for children and adolescents. You ever heard of programs in schools where children are taught social-emotional skills on top of math and science? Or those little workshops that seek to help young people to boost their self-esteem especially when they are at-risk for negative outcomes such as anxiety or depression? We looked at those programs and evaluated if, overall, they were working. We basically found that taken together, they weren't as effective as we hoped they'd be. However, when the programs were more focused and directed toward a specific child outcome (e.g., self-esteem), they are more effective. I wouldn't discuss much of the research here, but if you guys want to know more, i'll be more than glad to explain these things in detail.

Welcome to NCFR!

This is Sherry, the most amazing research
partner one could ever ask for!

We stayed at the Rosen Centre Hotel. It was a decent place... It's beautiful
outside and the lobby and meeting areas, not so much the guest rooms. 

Good morning Orlando!

Orlando at night - view from our 15th floor window

This was my first professional conference, EVER. It was amazing! On top of that, it was in Florida. The humidity totally transported me to a happy place. It would have been better if I was able to take Carl with me, but I didn't even pay for my airfare. Maybe we'll go back together. Anyway, I indulged myself with seafood - from the day I set foot in Orlando to the last meal I had at the airport - i ate fish, crabs, shrimps, and everything seafood that I can afford. I also went to downtown Disney with a couple of colleagues. I wouldn't say I was impressed. The Disney store in Disney World, claimed to be the biggest Disney store in the world, was just overstocked with the same items you'll find in Anaheim or even at the mall. There were some unique items. but overall, it was just same old same old. I guess inside Disney world, with its six parks, would have made the huge difference. But we only had a day to spend and we didn't want to pay a hundred dollars if we will be short with time.

My gig in Orlando only lasted 2 nights and 2 days. Towards the end of the conference, I was too anxious to be with Carl again. I flew with Frontier airlines, and I felt like complaining many times. But overall, it was a good trip. I had my dose of sunshine in the winter time - and once I landed back in Salt Lake City, snow showers greeted me... and Carl was there, as excited as I was! He planned a great weekend for the two of us, which included a trip to the theater to catch Twilight-Breaking Dawn. How sweet is that?!

II. Thanksgiving (and Black Friday)

Again, I did not make turkey this year. I sort of miss it. But then again, how can Carl and I possibly consume a big turkey all by ourselves? We were invited to a family Thanksgiving dinner in Orem this year. The mom, Celeste, is a Filipina and was a CCH alumna. She has a big family and so they had Thanksgiving dinner at a nearby LDS chapel. We were so full after - good thing they invited Richard to lead us in some Zumba. Yup - shed the calories right away.

After that, we went home and rested for a while - prepared for Black Friday. We've been debating whether or not we should get a Kinect sensor. Best Buy and Walmart sell it for about the same price on Black Friday. We decided to try our luck at Walmart first. I guess it helped that most people were falling in line for the Bundle (XBOX, Kinect, and games). There were only 5 of us who really waited in line for just the sensor. Carl's experience was a different story. He was in line for the $15 games - his goal: Kinect Sports Season 2 and Kinect Dance Central 2. It was CRAZY! Usually, Walmart associates open the sack. In this case, an armed security guard did the job. Carl was able to get what he wanted. I also grabbed a vacuum cleaner and a grill pan set. We asked one of our friends to grab us an office chair (yay for more comfortable thesis writing - and blogging). After that, we avoided the rest of the rush at Walmart and headed to Khol's where we picked up a couple more small items - i bought myself a sweater and Carl a set of belts. The line was LONG! We went home at around 2:30, went to bed - no i lied. We tried our new toy first! Then we went to bed...

Check out our LOOT! 

The morning after, we slept in and this was what we had for brunch!

Grilled Salmon & Pineapples, Shrimp Scampi,
Grilled Seafood Salad, and Butter Potatoes

Then went to bed again! 

WE TOTALLY LOVE LONG WEEKENDS!!!