Weekend of Surprises!

On Saturday, I attended back-to-back surprise party events for some people very near and dear to me.

First up was a surprise baby shower for the one-and-only Kelly McMahon, which was an great reunion of most of the people I was closest to in college, all under one roof for the first time in a long time. See party photos here. Note: Macaroni & Cheese baby food is not as appetizing as it should be. Stick to the Mango.

Saturday night was a surprise dinner party event in honor of my parents and some close family friends to celebrate both couples' 30th anniversary. I had the tough role of stalling my parents while we waited for the rest of the party to show up and sneak to the private room, while trying to make up excuses/create a diversion when we had a couple near-spoiler moments! Luckily, all went well and it was a wonderful night of celebration highlighted by great wine and great company. Party photos here.

In the end, both events were big successes and a good time was had by all.

Finally, today we celebrated my grandma's birthday with a lovely family brunch at home. Happy Birthday, Ba! One weekend and so much to celebrate! I think it's time for a diet.

Happy Birthday Huan!/Nam Moi

Any year prior to this one, I'd probably get called out by my dear brother for lumping his birthday shoutout with a Happy New Year (Tet) post. However, this year is different. Huan, who has been known in the past to celebrate in style and shout birthday reminders and announcements from the rooftops, is, by his own admission, "over it." To me, that is a true sign of growth and it means he is well-deserving of a birthday blog post! After all, everyone knows I hate to pass up a chance to post fun childhood photos (this one is circa 1985):

Happy Birthday, big bro!

For Part II of this post, I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. It's the year of the pig, which, as my wise grandfather told me, means everyone should eat well and sleep well. Sounds like a plan to me! Here's also wishing health and happiness to my fam and friends.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

This post is dedicated to my wonderful parents who today celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I couldn't be happier for them or more proud about this amazing milestone! Thirty years is a long time, but I'm sure for them it seems like only yesterday their lives together were beginning:

Congrats, Mom and Dad. I love you!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mom who is celebrating a very big and special birthday! It goes without saying that my mom is a superwoman in her own right. No one can pull together huge events/parties for her friends and family like she does, somehow juggling countless tasks on one plate without batting an eyelash and still looking sophisticated and stylish. And then there's her uncanny ability to always check up on her kids to make sure everything is under control (it usually is, but we always appreciate your care and concern, Mom!). Thanks for everything and happy birthday!

Here's a photo from Huan & Molly's engagement party a couple weeks ago:

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to my wonderful Dad on this lucky Friday, the 13th! I think all those who know how great my pops is can agree that he deserves whatever he wants for his birthday this year and I hope he gets it!

Happy 13th, Auddie!

Here's a big Happy Birthday shout-out to my lil' sis, Auddie, who today turns the big 1-3. That's right, my little sister, who I swore just learned to walk and talk yesterday, is now a teenager! It's kinda scary, but I know Auddie's got a good enough head on her shoulders to handle her teen years with much less awkwardness and much more coolness than I ever did. Let's face it, her social life is already much more active than mine! Thanks for being my pal, Auddie, and always letting me borrow (steal) your shoes and purses. Finally, congrats on surviving 7th grade!

Kyle cleans up nicely, don't you think?

Kyle... in a suit! How could I resist?

And one with his rents:

Mischievous Kyle

According to Lan, this is what happens when you leave a clever little 9-month-old unattended for a quick minute... He gets into his Aquaphor jar, and the rest is a story he'll hear about for the rest of his life. Oh, that and an absolutely priceless and adorable photo! Kinda reminds me of when I pretended I was putting on sunscreen with an orange creamsicle that was melting all over me. I knew Kyle and I had a special bond.

Happy Birthday, Bro!

Happy 26th Birthday to my brother, Huan! Thanks to his companionship, I got to play sports outside with the boys, walk to 7-11 to get slurpees and slim jims, and basically have a whole lot of fun. All around I like to think it made me a pretty tough gal (read: tomboy). Thanks, Huan, for always including me even when it was just you and the boys. And yes, I forgive you for practicing all those WWF wrestling moves on me.

Anyway, here's to Huan, who after all these years I can still count on to be a protective big bro and a great pal. Here are some of my favorite snapshots of our youth:

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to my dear mom, a woman who wears many hats. She's got style, she can cook anything (and it's always delicious), she's a star at work, and she's definitely the head of this household! Thanks for everything, mom... you really are "the bomb" and we love you for it!

And since my mom is always beginning sentences with "Do you know what I was doing when I was (insert age here)?" here is a photo of her on a nice fall day when she was a youthful but mature 18.

A Special Shoutout to the Binhster...

Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad! He already knows how much I love him for always being there and for his frequent "I love my family" declarations. But here's a special thanks to him for making the best "com tron" (Sorry, I'm missing accents. It's basically a big rice bowl with all sorts of delicious things mixed in it.) and for knowing the DC-area like the back of his hand, and thus being a walking local atlas, able to navigate and offer detour advice to anyone in a jam.

Happy Birthday Dad! You're the best.

Finally, since I spoke of this in a previous blogpost, here's a photo of my pops sporting the linen shirt and Seven jeans, looking somewhat like a J.Crew model with the whole scenic backdrop... (It's Half Moon Bay.)

Current Music: So Alive, by Ryan Adams

Happy Birthday, Kam!

I know I've done back-to-back b-day posts and I don't want this to turn into a forum for shout-outs, but this is one birthday I couldn't ignore, if only because Kam has threatened me for the past few months, and quite frankly, I'm scared of her (only half-kidding about that).

So here's my birthday greeting to my near-and-dear cousin, Kam (aka Tuti/Mai). Thanks for always providing fresh commentary on what you love and hate, what's cute or ugly, or most importantly, what you're currently knitting and how it turned out. But what I really appreciate most is knowing that you'll always have my back and kick ass/threaten/talk trash on command. It's good to have people like you as family :) Best of luck in the LOU!


Here's one of my favorite pics of me and Kam from our trip to Vietnam in Summer '04. It's clearly not the most flattering (are my eyes even open??), but it still reminds me of an awesome vacation.

And here's another, just cause I'm loving the '80s lately. How bout them bangs??

Happy Birthday, auntie!

Happy Birthday to my mom's youngest sister, Co Dung ("Zoong"), a fellow Leo and mom of the twins, Max & Mira.

Max & Mira were at the house today, and when they walked in, I asked "Do you know what today is??" to which they responded, "Mommy's birthday!" Then I proceeded to ask Max, "Do you know how old Mommy is??" and with a straight-face (leading me to think he actually believed it) he replied "Twenty-nine." I even joked with him-- did the whole "What? She's 12? or is she 130??" thing-- but when I finally and seriously asked again, he said his mom was in fact, a mere twenty-nine. Got to give you credit, Co Dung, for still being able to pull that off!! After all, I do still think of you as that hip, twenty-something aunt of yesteryear. ;)

And as a tribute to that wonderful era, here's one of my favorite photos of you from our glory days spent at Myrtle Beach. I figured the only way you'd let me get away with posting a bikini shot of you was if it was from 1985! Hehe...

Current Music: Chicago, by Sufjan Stevens

More birthday wishes!

Today I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to my dearest cousin Kim (Moth). Thanks for all your sage wisdom and for being a great dining and lounging buddy. While we have plenty of sophisticated tastes, no one else shares my appreciation of American cheese singles, Carl Buddig turkey, and a good hot dog quite like you do. Not only did you keep me busy and productive in my post-graduate months as a busy little maid-of-honor bee, but you continue to put up with me as a houseguest on all my visits to your awesome apartment. (Then again, who would Swiffer if not for me?)

And since I started this blog just after your wedding, here's a lil tribute to that glorious day:

Happy Birthday M&M!

Happy Birthday to the twinsies, Max & Mira, who are the big ol' 8 today! Max & Mira always keep me busy with their after school antics and energetic kid spirit! And now they're 8, I can't believe it. But what a great year... being 8 was definitely one of my all-time life favorites thus far.

In other June 21 news, it's the first day of summer and the longest day of the year! More reason to celebrate.

These kids sure have come a long way since their nude baby & diaper days...

Current Music: Half a World Away, by R.E.M.
Current Mood: excellent

Happy Birthday Auddie!

Happy 12th birthday to my little sister! Though only half my age (up until today, I suppose), I probably hang out with this gal more than I do anyone else. That either means she's very mature or that I definitely need to get out more (for everyone's sake, we're going to say it's the former). My personal shopper and stylist (I would never wear earrings if not for Auddie) who has surpassed me in shoe size and height, and the only 12-year-old i know who can quote Dumb & Dumber from start to finish, Auddie is an always entertaining if occasionally moody (she's a gemini, after all) barrel of laughs. Thanks for always hanging out and trusting me with your 6th grade secrets. You've given me more joy than I ever could have imagined when you showed up back in '93 and robbed me of my youngest-child status! Happy birthday, Aud! Congrats, you're a preteen!

And if you thought this post was going to happen without some old photos, you were so so wrong...

Current Music: Fix You, by Coldplay
Current Mood: nostalgic

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful mom who is still "the bomb" (yes, I said "the bomb") and as hip and fashionable as she was when she was my age...






We love you for your delicious food, making sure we're always "under control," keeping us in line, and being the real boss of the family (sorry, Dad!).

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to my awesome pops.

We were up this morning before work to give him his card and gift-- a new 40 GB iPod! How fun. We are officially an iPod family. My dad was really excited; he had been talking about one for a while. Now I know it'll be my job to put his ridiculously huge CD catalog of Vietnamese/French/Classical/Celine Dion, etc. onto the iPod. It should be fun, in the this-is-taking-hours-and-days kind of way, but I don't mind, because I'm always happy to share iPod joy. It's also a 4th generation, so I'll be able to tell you once and for all which model I think reigns supreme! (wow, I get a little excited sometimes)

Since we're on the subject, here's the latest about plans for Apple's 60 GB iPod:

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0410photoipod.html

and another, if you want a real "news source" (even though their primary source is the above article):

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/10/12/tech.apple.reut/index.html


I really didn't think they'd go to the 60 gig format, because the number of people who really need that much space makes up such a small fraction of the mp3-buying public. But hell, I'd take one. All the music throughout your life- you're eventually going to fill that up! The only problem is, after a while, it gets so hard to even navigate through your 20 gigs. Anytime I turn on my iPod it's like, ahhh! I don't know what I want to listen to, just pick something, anything! And you forget what you have because it's not as visual or tangible as your CD shelf.

As for the iPhoto idea-- I think that's just dumb. Enough with the bells and whistles on these things. I do have fun every once in a while with the phone on my camera, but generally I find these extras to be silly, especially for a music player as sweet as the iPod, which does need anything else to make it cool. It's ridiculous how much Apple has me whipped, isn't it? I'm a slave to their marketing. Their new U2 commercial can only do good things.

That's my iPod pitch for the day. Sorry, I re-obsess once in a while. Oook. Happy birthday again, Dad! You're still as hip as ever!


Current Music: Twilight, by Elliott Smith
(If you have not heard any of his new album yet, you must. It's Elliott's posthumous release, From a Basement on a Hill, and it is beautifully crafted and has been on constant play for me in recent weeks. Even without the musical/historical significance of it, it's completely worthwhile)
Current Mood: the sweatpants type of mood