SoCal

4/10/12

Well, it's been a very long time since I've blogged here. What's new? I am now residing in Southern California. I began the first day of Nursing School today. I was nervous at first but after the first hour of class - it's all coming back to me. I'm happy to finally get this started in my life. I've put it on hold or brushed it to the side for far too long. I'm glad that my mom and my stepdad are so supportive. Happy that my family is supporting me also even though they are so far away (Sacramento). I do miss them!! Hope they visit soon though.

Me and Jaonah are doing well. He was here in SoCal but took a job with IRS (seasonal) so is back in Fresno again. It won't be until maybe late Aug or even Sept or even Oct until he is here with me. And even that, I can't guarantee. He seems like he would want to be anywhere but here with me. I'm lonely with out him. I take for granted those days when we lived together and I saw him everyday. I understand every couple needs a little time away from each other so that we can be our individual self but this is a whole new start for me (education wise) in a part of California I don't know and wish I could have him here with me. Just to make everything feel ok --> that's a whole other story for another day

I'm glad I'm finally making my way into something I really want to do and is fulfilling and makes me happy. I worked until Friday 4/6/12. My boss convinced me to stay another week. I really did enjoying working with him as my manager - the girls in the office was awesome (minus 1) always 1 in every workplace. But that was only a job and i met my 2 year max (inside joke). If i had a husband who had a career and kids that would be where I would stay. BUT since I don't have a husband and no kids - nothing to tie me down so here I am in SoCal doing my thing.

Will update some more. Gotta go try to study and prepare for lab tomorrow. See ya later Xanga!!

Unreal

So Saturday morning I got up went to work and continued on my morning with little knowledge of the text I was going to get. Uncle Slow texted, "Big John's dad passed away last night" What?! I just saw this man during Thanksgiving and he seemed just fine. He suffered a heart attack. Uncle John heard him in his room & tried to help, but it was too late. He was DOA when he got to the hospital. My poor great-aunt was working when they called her.  Then my aunts start texting me and my dad calls to tell me. I, of course tell my mom. Even though my parents are divorce, I feel that my mom should know. She knew them for more than 25 years.

It's unfortunate that we only really see family gatherings during medical events (when my grandpa had a stroke) and funerals. So many uncles I haven't seen in years and aunts who are so surprise to see how much I've grown and changed. My great aunt ask that I call my mom and tell her that she wants to talk to my mom and to have my mom call her. I call my mom, she talks with my great aunt. Lots of crying. My uncles are crying. We really don't do deaths in my family, this is the 2nd death in our immediate family. The 1st one was my great aunt in 1998. My grandpa only has 1 brother left and sadly, it's the brother he doesn't get along with.

So lots of works for this coming up 2 weeks. My great uncle was a great man and helped out everyone when he could. Now it's our turn to help him & his family. His sense of humor is one of a kind. I never seen how old he has gotten. I guess in my memories, he never aged.

P.S. With coming to the realization of what happened and letting the reality soak into my brain, I realized, this is the Uncle who marries everyone in the family. He married my parents, my 2 sisters, my aunts and uncles. They keep asking "when are you getting married?" and we just keep telling them when we get older, we're still young. I never realize that even if we might feel too young and not ready for marriage; they're not getting younger. My great uncle won't be there to do that for me. While having the meeting and discussion of who is doing what and etc. I told this my uncles and aunts and the ones who weren't married yet, we were just all quite. I'm not sure if they realized it until I said it.

R.I.P. Uncle, God be with your family in this time of sorrow.

Cindy

Found

Saturday August 28, 2010: my baby sister's baby shower is finished and my sisters and I decide to go bowling.. night of fun like always. 10:30ish and finishing up our 3rd game when I decide to check my facebook... there I read news that would change everything. Posting after posting .. our brothers in Christ are missing.. washed away by a riptide at Huntington Beach.. 4 got into the water, 1 made it back to shore and 1 was rescued, 2 lost at sea. Who are the missing brothers? Did I know them? My younger sister may is sitting there.. smiling.. contemplating on how she's going to kick my butt and get another strike.. i look over at her and ask her.. what's going on w/ Banning?? She doesn't know. A part of me doesn't want to show her, but these were her friends, out of all the sisters, she hung out with Banning Youth the most.. she just got back from camp not even 2 weeks ago.. I show her and as she is reading.. I'm explaining to her what I've already read. I see her mind just fade away from the bowling game and the feeling of needing to know who was washed away. She's texting Fresno youth, Sacramento youth & Santa Ana youth. And then a reply, and I could see her heart drop, Shao Moua and Shue Lee. Her good friend Shue Lee. They were only 20 & 24... still so young. I'm an older member of the youth group and didn't really grow up with them, but did attend conventions & camp with them.. but my sister May known them for years.. since she was in middle school..It's already been more than 6 hours since they were taken out to sea. A little part of me still had hope and faith that my are floating along somewhere, waiting to be found. I watch so many shows on the Discovery channel and I remember how people who were lost hated the dark, loneliness and unknown and wished that Shue & Shao would not go through this. Were they together or alone in the night ocean water? The rest of the night May was texting away.. so many things probably running through her mind. We finished the game, I talked to her.. made sure she was alright.

Tuesday August 31, 2010: a memorial service is held at Huntington Beach to honor Shue & Shao. No bodies are found and they still continue looking for my lost brothers. Families gather together, crying, singing, and praying to bring them home. I can't even begin to imagine how their parents must feel.

Saturday September 4, 2010: Shao's body is found 3 miles away from where he was last seen... washed up to shore. Praise the Lord, one of our brothers is home and the family now has a body. But Shue is still missing.

Thursday September 9, 2010: More than a week has passed since the incident; and this morning at 7am, I get a text from my sister May: Shue is home. I felt relieved. All of our prayers have been answered and now my brothers sit with Jesus at the table.

We will truly miss you two, until we meet again in heaven. God Bless.

I've been away from church for so long. I miss it. With the events that happened within the pass week and 1/2; it makes me treasure the moments I have here on earth and with my family & friends. I need to go back. I miss it - the feeling of the Holy spirit around me, in my being, in my soul. I didn't forget that I walk with my Lord Jesus everyday.. I just didn't walk beside him, but rather at a distance. So many things have come into my life and have happened.. I should remember, God doesn't give you any obstacles you can not overcome. He has a plan for me, I shall trust in the Lord and let him guide me. These have been some of my thoughts as of lately. Thank you God for bringing my brothers back to us and letting me find my way back. You have a purpose for everything.

“PrettyGeeky.com’s wedding dress giveaway: Why I should win”.

“PrettyGeeky.com’s wedding dress giveaway: Why I should win”.

"Thank you" to Ia (IV Photography) for posting this up and giving me the chance to do this. This is my reasons to why I should win this dress. Click on the link for more details.... http://www.prettygeeky.com/2010/02/02/maggie-sottero-wedding-dress-giveaway/

About the dress: I love the details on the dress. It gives the dress so much more character. I noticed the gathering of the fabric, it all connects in a way where the eyes can admire the dress. Where the designs seem to end, another begins in a different direction giving it focal point of elegance with a touch of class. The way the dress is design, emphasizes the curves and fits lovely around an hour glass figure. I love that it is strapless, giving it something sensual yet conservative.

The situation: I met a this incredible man who has changed my life forever. He has touched my heart and my life in so many positive ways. Not only has this man love me, but also my family and that is something that has truly been a blessing. We met on-line, here on Xanga and ever since it's been blissful. We've been dating for 4 years now and the rest I guess you can say is history in the making . Both of our families have been really pushing for us to get married. Asking us when we'll get hitched and wanting a date. There isn't a family event where they don't ask us at least more than once. We originally planned that 2010 would be the year for us. He is so supportive and have always tried to provide me with whatever I wanted or needed. Since he owns his own business, and with the economy these days, it has been very tight. This past year, he has had to walk away from his business and that was something so hard for him to do. We made the decision, that we would wait another year. But I would like to win the dress so that it would be something he would not have to worry about. I want our wedding to be a blissful and happy event for him to help plan for rather than another thing for him to stress about. If I win this dressing, it would be such a blessing and we would be so grateful.

Another reason: I am Hmong. I knew from a young age how the Hmong traditional wedding works. Having young parents, a white wedding was not something they shy away from. I watched many movies with the beautiful bride all in white, the groom waiting for her at the alter and was always in "awh". Two of my younger sisters got married before me and we had the traditional Hmong wedding, I wanted my wedding to be so much more. I want my parents to walk me down the isle and give me away. The vows, words of love and promises to be said in front of family and friends. The introduction of Mr and Mrs. I've waited 27 years and with this contest, it seems so much more closer to becoming a reality.

I know that I really waited last minute to blog about this. But I've been really thinking about what I should write about and why I should win. Good luck to all those who entered.

The Lady's Image.