Mama and Papa Vuong

We had dinner with Tommy's family tonight. YC came along and we had an amazing dinner- Vietnamese style. Mama Vuong is amazing. She can whip things up and everything tastes so good. It's one of those, you're totally stuffed, but you just want the flavor in your mouth, so you continue to eat- kind of meals. The kiddos were there too and we spent the evening putting tattoos all over everyone, playing tag, watching Dancing with the Stars, watching J play his guitar and eating. I am lucky to be marrying into a family such as theirs.

THE CYK

My best friend celebrated with me tonight. After hours of catching up and yummy food I realize there is none like her. We had our Bing Bing and couldn't stop laughing about a bride riding up in a horse drawn carriage. It's definitely so magical like I can't express. Thanks CK! You're the bestest bestest.

Scott and Reiko and Mika-chan!

It's been a get together long overdue. We finally got together with Reiko and Scott and I got to meet the new addition to their family-Mika! We had Sunday brunch at Cookshack in South Pas. and had a great time catching up. Tommy and I will only be so lucky to have a baby like Mika. She is so sweet and has such a happy spirit. She wasn't fussy or whiny. And even when she cried it was such a teeny tiny sound. We both took turns holding her as she observed everything around her. She's so observant and curious about her surroundings. Thank you Scott and Reiko for treating us to brunch and for letting us spend time with the little one. We look forward to our next get together which will be sooner than later!

Family Fun Time

Tommy and I were overwhelmed at family fun time this past Sunday.

*A little background about our Sunday dinners: Every Sunday my family gets together for a "themed" dinner. We pick a region or a main dish and everyone has to choose a dish from that particular region or we have to bring a dish that revolves around the main course. So far our dinner themes have included Chinese, Italian, Cuban, Greek, American and Japanese. It's always exciting to see what people bring.

I usually bring the dessert, but this Sunday they asked me not to.

My grandmother brought a mango cake with a congratulations message on it for me and Tommy and my dad popped open a bottle of Dom Perignon. It was such a special celebration from my family and a wonderful way to celebrate our engagement with them.

Thank you T fam.

Good Friends

Tommy and I have been lucky to find friends like M and R. They must be one of the sweetest couples we know. They took us out to Chez Nous in Toluca Lake to celebrate our engagement. After a bottle of champagne and a bottle of delicious pinot noir, we found ourselves 4 hours later wondering where the time went. I don't think there was a moment of silence between the four of us. That's just the way it goes when we get together. We spent hours talking about marriage, Africa, our travels, buying homes, work and everything in between. Thank you for a wonderful evening out. We are truly blessed by your friendship.

Our Engagement Celebration

Our friends D and W put together a little engagement celebration for us at Honda-ya in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. They reserved the back "tatami" room for our group of about 20. Next to us there was another birthday celebration which made it all the more fun. We were all rowdy together. We sang happy birthday in different languages, made the birthday boy give a speech, and in return they were chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" We had tons of food and sake and found ourselves describing the proposal over and over for everyone. Sharing about Tommy's tears was possibly a huge mistake, but nonetheless it made for a great story and now something he can't live down. After tons of wah wah photos and chatting amongst friends, we realized that this was such a great way to start our engagement. Thanks to everyone that came out with us. We had such a great time.

March 30, 2008-The Proposal

It was my 31st birthday so I went to SD with my friends.
On our way back on Sunday, Tommy said that he wanted to surprise me with his own birthday getaway. After having lunch with K and E at George's at the Cove, Tommy and I headed to our next destination. Little did I know what was coming. He typed "R" "I" into the navi so I had an idea that it was the Ritz. We pulled into the beautiful Laguna Nigel Ritz Carlton and it was nothing short of breathtaking. We were personally escorted through the hotel by Gina. She gave us a mini tour of the hotel and then told me that I would start my afternoon in the spa. What?? I had no idea. Tommy set up an appointment for me to have a 1 hour massage. I was told to take my time until 5:30. That gave me 2 hours to relax. Rose was my massage therapist. She was super sweet and we spent a good 15 minutes just talking together. As I finished with my massage, there was a bag waiting for me from Tommy. It had my dinner dress and heels, along with makeup inside. As I was leaving, the staff left a birthday present for me at the reception desk. A beautiful candle and body spray. What an amazing treat. Tommy met me in the spa lobby and we headed to 162 for dinner. We had ocean view seats and we got to watch the sunset. As we finished up our dinner, Tommy said that he needed to use the restroom so he headed up to our room. I signed the tab and collected my things from the spa and headed up. I knocked on the room door and Tommy opened it. He spread red rose petals and lit candles all over the room. We were upgraded to an ocean view so we could hear and see the ocean crashing. He invited me outside onto the balcony to enjoy our view. He first started to wish me a happy birthday. Then went on to say how this wasn't all just for my birthday. He began to tell me about the past 2 years, but he couldn't go on because we were both crying. Then he just said, "I want you to marry me." Then he got down on one knee and put the ring on my finger. It was an amazing proposal.