Yesterday started of a little like the bedroom scene from Charlie and the Cholocate Factory where the family members are all cuddled up in 1 bed. My dad, mom and sister piled into my bed for some morning family chat! :)
I was asked to make my special smootie for everyone for breakfast! Amy said it was like Jamba Juice, which was such a great compliment, because I love that place! I may not be a great cook, but I'm a pretty darn good smoothie maker!
Then Amy and I went out from a nice little shopping spree to some of our old favorite places: Starbucks, Fashion 21, the 99 Cent Store, Big Lots, and Sally Beauty Supply (... and no, I didn't buy anything for my hair! I've learned my lesson. This trip was for Amy!)
My parents splurged and bought a wii this year, so my dad and I played bowling (I won), baseball, tennis (he won), and golf! Talk about a workout! I was panting the whole time I was playing tennis!
As we were playing Wii, my mom said, "Jill, your birthday is coming up, and I was thinking of buying you some of this deep wrinkle cream!" Notice the slogan says, "GET 10 YEARS BACK" haha! I never thought I'd start getting wrinkle cream before I turned 30! YIKES! To her credit, she says it's for preventative measures, but I still thought it was funny!
Please someone tell me... How did this happen?! I came with 1 suitcase and a purse! You'd think I was moving to Korea for the 1st time! I apparently did a little more shopping than I realized.
Around 4:30pm, I bid farewell to my childhood home and jumped in the Expedition with my family...
... headed for Korea Town in downtown Los Angeles!
Amy found this Korean restaurant online, and had read that it was a mom and pop kinda place, and that no one spoke English! I think she wanted to put me on the spot to hear me speak Korea! It was fun though... I did all of the ordering and chatting with the server in Korea. Come to find out, she was born in Busan (where I live)! Small world huh?!
The food was perfectly authentic and delicious! I ordered Bulgolgi, Dolsut Bibimbap, and Kimchi Pajung, my 3 favorite things...
... Obvioulsy everyone else liked them too, because by the time we left, there wasn't a morsel to be found! :)
The family!
There was one last family I wanted to see before I left the US! So, my parents drove me to good ole' Santa Monica to see my dear friends; the Debennings: Zoe, Amber, Trevor, and Moses. I ended up having 3 1/2 hours with them, which was fantastic!
I even got to be part of bathtime! :)
It was a bit of sweet irony that Trevor was actually leaving to spend a week on an island in Honduras with 2 friends and needed to be at LAX at the same time I did! Our flights were 5 minutes apart! So, I piled in with the guys and off we went to the airport!
I was worried about how I would make it through the airport with all my luggage, but I just went ahead and pushed the box with my feet when I got there, and it caught the attention of a TSA worker, who I think felt bad for me. He quickly picked up my heavy box and walked me to the front of the very long baggage X-ray line! hahaha!
I'm on my plane now, about 9 1/2 hours into my flight! 4 more to go! I'm sitting with a great family: The dad is from the US, the mom is from China, and the son was born in Japan. They are moving from the US back to China so their son can attend an international school there! The dad is an Administrator at the school and has already recruited me to work there! Never been offered a job on an airplane before! :) Too bad I already have one! Or, considering the US economic situation I guess I should say, "Thank God I already have one!" :)
I was worried about how I would make it through the airport with all my luggage, but I just went ahead and pushed the box with my feet when I got there, and it caught the attention of a TSA worker, who I think felt bad for me. He quickly picked up my heavy box and walked me to the front of the very long baggage X-ray line! hahaha!
I'm on my plane now, about 9 1/2 hours into my flight! 4 more to go! I'm sitting with a great family: The dad is from the US, the mom is from China, and the son was born in Japan. They are moving from the US back to China so their son can attend an international school there! The dad is an Administrator at the school and has already recruited me to work there! Never been offered a job on an airplane before! :) Too bad I already have one! Or, considering the US economic situation I guess I should say, "Thank God I already have one!" :)
Friday, February 26, 2010
T.G.I.F!
This morning, I woke up to the most delicious smell in the air! Lynzi made bran muffins from Trader Joes! I ate 3!!! (Yes, that number is right!)
Greyson is such a great kid! He begged Lynzi to let him wear his "big boy underwear" because Sarah and I were there, and I think he was trying to impress us! About 10 minutes later, he hid under the stairs and came out with wet pants!!! Oops!
Saying goodbye is always the hardest part!
When I got home, I played in the backyard, taking pictures of bees collecting pollen in my mom's peach tree, which is covered in gorgeous pink flowers right now!
My mom's cat isn't feeling very good today, so she spent a lot of time getting high off the"cat nip"!! Yes my mom offers plenty of kitty marijuana for Persia!
I love these two!
Rachel Shinn, one of my favorite girls from college, drove all the way from Long Beach to have lunch with me at Taco Bell! (That was my lunch place request!) As if driving all the way to Fountain Valley wasn't enough... she brought me presents (tons of amazing supplies for my art nights with Jessica in Korea)!!! She is wonderful, and PREGNANT! Doesn't she look amazing!
Mmmmm, double deckers are my favorite!! I ordered all my favorites: 1 double decker, 1 taco, 1 nacho, and 1 cinammon twist! I'm paying for it now, trust me!
I actually grew up going to this Taco Bell. Every Thursday, when I was in 5th grade, my friends and I would walk to this Taco Bell together, and my mom would always give me $1.26, which bought me 2 tacos! :)
My best guy friend from High School, Ryan Breska, came and picked me up for a dinner date at Islands! We try to see each other at least once every 2 years or so, and he's really one of the only high school friends I keep in touch with! He's a special one! :)
Stephanie, my good friend from college, showed up at my parents house while Ryan was still there... Ryan made a joke about how I should have brought an olympic torch with me this week and had each person I met with pass it onto the next, since they tended to overlap all week!
Stephanie and her fiance, Adrian, came and picked me up and took me to Marie Calendars for some pie! (Also my request!) Oh Kalua Creme Cheese pie... How I've missed you!
I instantly fell in love with Adrian, and couldn't have picked out a better man for my dear friend! They are the sweetest couple, and show such a deep level of love and respect for each other! They are inspiring and I couldn't stop smiling being with them! Their wedding is this April 11th! :)
I'm home now, cuddled up on the coach with my mom, sister, and dad, watching Elevator Girl (a Hallmark movie). My parents love Hallmark movies! :) It's so nice to be home with these 3!!
Tomorrow is my last day in the US before I head back to Korea! I can not believe it! aaahhhhh!!!
I love my friends!!!
Yesterday began with a nice drive down PCH...
I love, love, love Gary! He played a huge role in my faith and life, and I am forever grateful for his example and encouragement for the past 13 years!! He was the one who threw me up on stage and made me sing for the youth group when I was 15!! I was terrified of course, but slowly found my giftedness! Who knew I would end up leading worship hundreds of times after that! It was sooo nice to catch up with him over delicious pancakes, an omelette, and a shared diet coke!
Unfortunately, Ami (Gary's wife) wasn't able to get off of work to meet for breakfast, but when I heard she was coaching at New Hope Gymnastics, I knew I had to go see her! For those of you who have met me in the past 10 years, you probably don't know that I spent my entire childhood walking through these doors and living in this gym!
I knew I had to jump in the pit! This was one of my favorite places in the whole gym! It was a bonus to get to see Asher and Skylar (Gary and Ami's kids)! Neither one of them remembered me, but it's okay. By the time I left, they were big Jill fans! Probably because I did flips into the pit!
I couldn't resist! The only bone I've ever broken was my pinkie finger, from hanging on these rings and falling!
I always wonder if my old teachers or coaches would remember me if I saw them. I never expected, in a million years, that my coach, Chili, would remember me after 17 years! But when I saw her walk through the door, I yelled "Chili" and she came towards me, crying, because she was so excited to see me again! What an awesome feeling that was!
After playing at the gym, I drove over to Vanguard University to see my old RD (resident director), Amanda Cooper, who is now married! She told me within the first 10 seconds I saw her that she's PREGNANT and really didn't want me to find out through facebook! It was so fun to find out in person! We decided we didn't get enough time to catch up, so we're meeting for dinner tonight! I requested to eat in the cafeteria! I can't wait to go back, after 7 years to the place I ate everyday for 4 years! I'm nostalgic about that kind of stuff!
The next big date on the calendar was to see my old college roommate, and best friend Lynzi! When I pulled up to her new house, I immediately saw this sign, sticking in the grass!! Her and her 3 year old son Greyson made it to welcome me back! :)
My 1st time meeting, and holding, Blakely Elizabeth Irvine! (5 months old) She's an absolute ANGEL and immediately smiled at me! She loves her auntie Jill!
He got a tomato! Sounds lame, but it's awesome! You throw it on the ground and it splatters, and then molds back together! He was a HUGE fan!
The picture with Daxter (Lynzi's dog) is kind of a tradition with Lynzi and I. It's weird to come and visit her without doing it!
Dinner was at a Korean restaurant with my college roommates! The 5 of us all lived together in 2001-2002! Best year of college, for sure, because of these 4! (Jess, Lynzi, Krista, Me, and Sarah)
After dinner, we had a sleepover at Lynzi's to continue catching up! :) It was such a great, fun filled, day!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Hoppy Family Day!
Somehow... I'm not sure how, my sister convinced me to go with her to a Hot Yoga class at 6:00am this morning! First of all, I've never done a yoga class in my life, and secondly, I'm not a fan of heat! And besides, why would anyone want to sit in 105 degrees for 90 minutes while they hold insane poses?! I think my "I wanna try everything once" mentality got the best of me... and wala, I was in the yoga studio!
When I saw my old Orthodontist walk in the door, I thought, "Ahh, if he can do it, I can do it! This class should be a piece of cake!" I had my camera, and quickly snapped a shot with him... (Notice the foggy lens... yea, that's from the HEAT!)
After the class, Amy and I were huge balls of sweat and smelliness... I could barely hold the poses sometimes because my hands would slip from the sweat! GROSS! It's a LOT HARDER than I imagined! I'm sure the instructor was just trying to be nice, but she told me I did a really good job for my 1st time!
After hot yoga, Amy and I drove home, showered up, and headed over to the donut shop with my dad! This has been a tradition of ours for years. Whenever I come home, we go here and I always get the same thing...
... a cinnamon roll! :) I figured I had just taken a 90 minute hot yoga class... I should be guilt free about eating this huge donut!
My dad, Sing (the owner for the past 20 or more years!), Amy, and me.
After the donut shop, Amy and I jumped back in the car with my mom and headed over to Sav Mor Thrift! We are thrift store girls, and always have been! We just love the challenge of finding a treasure! All together, 9 treasures were found today! :)
Around 7pm, my aunt Debby and cousin Darren came over... They, myself, my dad, and sister Amy loaded into the Expedition and drove over to Golden Spoon together!!!
My tummy has definitely missed frozen yogurt! Me, Debby, Amy, my dad, and Darren at Huntington Beach Golden Spoon!
We all went back to my parents house and my mom was so excited to show Debby and Darren one of my gifts that I got her (which was just a funny little gadget I found for $1.00 back in Korea. Who would have ever guessed it would bring so much laughter?!) It's not necessarily that gadget that's so funny, but rather the text on the packaging!
You can't read it here, because it's too small in this picture, but in the front bottom corner, it states "Especially suitable for long-distance driving, drunk driving and night driving."
Here's the back of the package: Double click on the picture to enlarge it... It will definitely be worth the effort! The english is horribly funny!
Check out the diagrams! Apparently when you lean forward, as if you're about to doze off, it beeps in your ear!
Cousins!
best of all... Family! It feels so good to have the 4 of us back together again like old times!
Amy, my mom and I all capped off the night, by laying on the floor of my parents room, watching Monday night's episode of the Bachelor on my laptop! What better way to end the night than watching women fight over a man! hahaha! Cheers to American reality TV shows and watching them with my favorite girls!
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