What can I say? I am SO proud of my baby sis, Michelle for graduating in four years from UC Davis with a bachelors in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Yes, that's all one degree. I remember how hard it was taking all these science classes at Davis (my God, over a decade ago!) and I give her so much credit for doing so well and finishing in four years.

Not to be outdone, her boyfriend, Scott graduated with honors at the top of his class with a degree in Computer Science Engineering. I've seen and heard about them both studying so hard throughout their undergrad years and it's great to finally be able to celebrate their accomplishments with them.

Davis has changed a LOT since I left it. Downtown is full of unique shops and restaurants. There's a Trader Joe's in town now. Whole Foods is opening up soon. It's a charming, small college town with lots of character. Man, it used to be such a cowtown when I went there. The biggest thing Davis was known for back then was cowtipping! Now it's ranked #38 in US News & World Report.

Anyways, I'm glad to see my alma mater flourishing and even happier to see Michelle and Scott graduating. Here are a few images of two of my favorite people in the whole world around the UCD campus.

Excited seniors ready to graduate!!! (In the background, the beautiful Robert Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts)


The famous UC Davis water tower in the palm of their hands. (What? You've NEVER heard of the UCD water tower?!!)






The future's so bright...


Stargazing with one of UCD's eggheads named Stargazer.


She's so beautiful. (I'm not biased.)


The hi-five outtakes...there were several, but I narrowed it down to two. One good, and one that looks like Michelle is getting smacked upside the head. Guess which one is my favorite?




After her Friday morning graduation with our proud & happy parents.


Congratulations Michelle!!!! We're all so proud of you!

Some days you just feel light as a feather. The weather is perfect, the birds are out, flowers are in bloom. Today was one of those days. Savoring it with a smile...











Thank you for another beautiful day!

My baby sister just turned 21 last Saturday! So I guess she's not quite a baby anymore, but it's hard for me to believe that she's officially an adult when she's been my kid sister her whole life. She's now studying hard to follow in our dad's footsteps in becoming a dentist and I couldn't be more proud of how she's turned out. She's got a good head on her shoulders and a good heart. What more can you ask for?

We spent a few days in LA together celebrating her birthday. She and Drew are die-hard Laker fans, so we went to watch them play an insane triple overtime game against the Suns!
Pregame giddiness:


We spent some time hanging out at Venice beach. Definitely some characters there. Here's one of them. (Haha! Just kidding Michelle!) What a beautiful girl she is! (No bias here.)


Loved these.


I got pulled into one of the shows and had a guy run and do a sideways flip, not just over me, but seven other people as well! (I'm third from the right.)


This wall was different back in '08 when I did Eleah & Lee's engagement session in Venice Beach, so the change had to be documented.


We stopped by the Getty Museum one cloudy afternoon. I am in love with their landscape architect! I think we spent more time outdoors than indoors there.




Of course, no trip to LA would be complete without a stroll down Rodeo. Work it Shell, work it!


And my all-time favorite image from this whole LA trip. Michelle was just holding her hat down so it wouldn't fly away, but I love how it turned out.


Love you Shellgirl!

I guess I should be more specific. Happy Chinese New Year! February 3, 2011 is the official start of the new lunar year and bajillions of Asians will don red outfits and be out celebrating at temples tonight. Lots of incense will be burned, firecrackers lit, and mandarins or tangerines will be gobbled down. On the day of New Years, everyone will call (or text I guess for the younger generations) family and friends and wish them good health and prosperity for the year. Little kids receive red envelopes with money -(always a favorite holiday for Asian kids!) It's a happy holiday!


So this year, 2011, is the year of the Rabbit. If you're not sure what Chinese Zodiac sign you are, click here and you can easily find it by your birth year. And if you're lucky, you'll be a rabbit like me! There are 12 animals, each with their own unique characteristics. It's interesting to read different sites and see what they have to say about each animal. Even more interesting to think about how the descriptions fit (or not) you, a family member, or close friend.

And here's more fun tidbits for those of you who were born in the year of the rabbit:
Hare is a symbol of purity and gentleness. Hare year can be a time of peace, calm, rest, and renewal. Last year was a hectic Tiger year; enjoy the quiet pleasures that Hare year brings. If you are born in the year of the Hare (1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1957, 1987, 1988, and 2011) then this is your year to shine. Hare people are gentle, sensitive, artistic, and refined. They prefer peaceful solutions over fighting, are skilled in business, and value home and family.



Happy New Year Everyone!!!! May you all have good health and a wealth of love in your lives!!!

and just for fun...

I hope everyone had a VERY MERRY Christmas this year! I got to enjoy Christmas back in my hometown of San Jose, CA this year and loved every minute of it. My family and I drove around one night to all the best lit homes. There's actually a website online that shows you pictures of the homes, their addresses, and maps it all out for you too! You can see how others have rated the homes and give ratings yourself. I have to say, if you're ever in San Jose during the Christmas season, make sure to drive around the Willow Glen area. They have so much spirit in that town, it was like Christmasland.

Here are my two favorite homes from the night of lights!

This home raised more than $10,000 in donations for the Make a Wish Foundation. Amazing!




House #2






And my favorite part is the Snowman family going for a ride. Papa Snowman's arms move as he drives along to Christmas music!


And one last thing I have to share is this awe-inspiring painting Drew gave me for Christmas this year. I LOVE IT! Not only is it beautiful, but it's also very personal in its content, the fact that he had this idea in his head, AND that a friend of ours (a very talented artist!) made it come to life in a way that far surpassed what he had imagined and what I could have ever asked for. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel extremely blessed and loved every time I look at it.

Last night, Tempe Town Lake had a fantastical boat parade where dozens of boats decked out in Christmas lights floated down the lake in parade-like form. It was magical...



One my fav's...the doves' wings flap up and down!






Rudolph...how cute!!!


Kids were on the boats shouting "Merry Christmas!!!" and waving their hands in the air.














And my all time favorite for the night...


With the weather being so warm lately, it's a little hard to feel Christmasy, but last night has definitely put me in the spirit! Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring... =)

I recently visited my grandma in Houston a couple of weekends ago. She's turning a whopping 102 this year! It's amazing to see how healthy and strong she is at this age. She no longer remembers me or a lot of other family members, but at least she knows that we're family. It's crazy to think of all the events that has happened in her life and in her lifetime.

She was born before television was invented and now we're living in a world where you can hold a computer in your hands. I let her play with my iPhone and she quickly learned how to flip through the pictures. She's so tech savvy!

Here she is checking out a photo of herself that I took on my phone two years ago.

This is the photo she was looking at:

She recognized herself, but then asked who the other two people next to her were. (Me & my mom!)

She is so adorable when she smiles.

I tried to count how many kids, grandkids, and great grandkids that she has but that task is just too daunting. There's probably more than 100 of us, so she is very much loved.