Tag Archives: Connect

Summer in Review

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It’s been an amazing, fun, whirlwind of a summer and I cannot even begin to describe how much I’m missing all my dear friends, family, and most of all my big sissy, Rachel. It’s so hard having to leave everything & everyone knowing that it’ll be a whole year before I’ll see them again. However, I know the memories I make each summer will stick with me for a lifetime.
I’ll always cherish the many golf cart rides I had with my cousin Grace. And, I’ll never forget the drive in movie I watched with my South Dakota cousins, Bethany and Christian. haha and I definitely won’t forget the consequences of losing a race down to the lake at my Grandma’s house; a soaking pair of clothes and wet hair!

Life will constantly present us with complicated and difficult situations but I think during these situations the most important thing to remember is that God has a plan. He knows why, how, and when everything will be sorted out. I guess what I’m saying is, Leave it up to God, He’ll take care of it all.

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Hello, Austin TX

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Dear Rachel:
I’m missing you already, now that I am back in Tianjin; but I am thankful for the time we had in Austin visiting the University of Texas. Austin Texas is such a interesting city and it was fun experiencing it with you! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much I did!

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This snake-cycle (the line of tricycles inside the snake’s ribcage definitely qualifies it to be a snake-cycle) parked in front of the Indian food cart was my favorite piece of decor in Austin.

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Hello UT
I also really enjoyed visiting the University of Texas! Both the campus and the facilities were beautiful.

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I would definitly gain the “Freshman 15” with all the amazing food around campus!

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Plus, I think I can see myself working in the studio…

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…or enjoying the beautiful pool!

I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me this special trip with you!
Miss you!
Jessie

Shake it Bom Bom!

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To all my food fanatic sisters: Off to meet Bianca today in Admiralty (buzzing hub of business, shopping and food, just one stop from central). I have to say, this place really provokes my weakness for all things over-designed, trendy, and ultra expensive.. On a more positive note about the outing-not only does the restaurant bring a level of nostalgia-I know Simply Life is one of Rachel’s and mom’s favorites in Hong Kong, but also meeting a dear family friend touches that soft spot for my family love.

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As I roamed through the racks of lace, neon pinks, and over priced hello kitty dolls, what music was playing, but the very same “Science Fair Theme Song”: Bom Bom by Sam and The Womp! Immediately, I thought of Jessie and Maddie and the crazy nights spent prepping for their third place overall at the China-wide Intel Science Fair. (Great job by the way girls!! So proud of you and ready for some detoxed micro-environments!)

Last night I was also listening to a song that reminded me of you crazy girls-Shake It Out by Florence and The Machine. I remember discussing the lyrics with Rachel and singing it all over the house last time I was in Tianjin.

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(Can I just have all of you girls back here in HK for some Simply Life with Bianca and me??)

So I was just thinking.. Any of you up for a challenge? What a better way to connect than singing.. And with our music addictions, I wanted to cover one of these two (or both? Mash up??).

Remembering Winter.

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I appreciate the slowness of wintertime, long days cozied up inside provide time to think, rest with family, and pray. Thinking back on the past few months, I fondly remember…

quiet snowfalls. hot showers. pijama tea times.

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drinking lattes. Christmas decorating. cakes, cookies, and pies constantly filling our oven. reuniting with old friends. animal onesies! breakfast time with Mom. encouraging notes. Skype dates with Michael. freezing motor bike rides. late night movies. new kitchen countertops. Malaysian food. Sunday afternoons with friends.

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visiting Michael in HK. Asian desserts. training for a 1/2 marathon (still a long way to go!). Barbie movies with Megan. mittens and ear muffs. black coffee. Dad’s B-day. reading. spending time with Jesus. 

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Its been a long, cold, magical winter and I will surely miss it.

The month of March is now upon us…

While that means fickle weather patters for the present, springtime will soon sprout up spreading freshness wherever it goes.  A new chapter filled with pastel-tinted flowers, warm sunshine, and Easter-morning dresses is now beginning.  How thankful I am for season changes 🙂 I fully expect spring to be as blessed as winter was.

(most of the pictures shown above were used on connecting4’s instagram feed: connectingfour)

Preparing for Thanksgiving

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This year we are celebrating Thanksgiving a couple days late because Jessie was in Singapore on Thursday attending a Model United Nations (MUN) conference.  We simply could not celebrate Thanksgiving without her so while everyone else is getting out their christmas trees and listening to favorite, holiday music, we are still seasoning our Turkey. Although I’m not crazy about cooking I enjoy being around the bustle and hustle of meal preparations. I love the ambiance created when the fragrance of baking pumpkin pie drifts through the house, when Rachel and Mom tie their aprons to begin our feast, and when Megan and I can snuggle up with pumpkin lattes to watch a movie. What would Thanksgiving be without these?

Stuffing, devilled Eggs, and roasted turkey only comes once a year and I am determined to enjoy every bit of it!

Ukuleles and Gell Pens

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Now that I am an upperclassman I have been giving more thought to what I really love to do. Last year, when Michael began Architecture at HongKong University, he often reminded me that I should choose a career/school that I will love and be passionate about. So I began to explore new hobbies.

One hobby I picked up about a year ago was sketching in a little brown-paper pocketbook. By practicing, I not only realized how much I love putting pen to paper, but how much I enjoy the thought process behind creating different types of art!

I have always loved music, both singing and playing. Before last Christmas, the only instrument I had ever played was the Clarinet. However, when a friend came to China for a visit, I was inspired by her (who was an amazing Ukelele player), to get one of my own! It is the most challenging yet rewarding hobby for me.

My beloved Ukulele ~ I love you!

A sample of my most recent art endeavor. Michael had an idea of a “star ship” while we were listening to – you guessed it – “Star Ships” by Niki Minaj. This is actually a X-Wing Fighter from Star Wars bejeweled in gel pens! Stay tuned for the finished product ~

Since Michael spoke to me last year I have realized so much truth in his words! Do what you are passionate about – this will bring you joy. Some days when I feel really uninspired I just play a few songs on my ukelele and it really brightens my mood! Don’t brush off the things you are interested in as unimportant – dig deeper into those passions and develop them.

Finals Week

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The dreaded week of final exams has begun. Final Exams week is almost here and I’m sure everyone will agree that the weekend before the “battle” is always the worst. I woke up somewhat late this Saturday morning and started studying. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that I only have to get past these 4 days of torture and then I’ll be on my way to America! Family, good food, green grass, outdoor swimming pools… the list is endless! There are no words to express just how excited I am to see my relatives as well.  But for now, I better stop thinking about that and start focusing on school work… Wish me luck on my finals!

Sources: From Ignant

Happy Birthday Jessie!

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Did you know that Jessie and Maddie are born exactly one week apart (with 2 years in between)?! The month of April is crazy with Birthday frill, delicious cakes, lovely packaged presents and rainbow colored balloons. We celebrated Jessie’s Birthday on Saturday (although her Birthday is really the 13th of April) and I enjoyed a day (of much needed rest) spending time with my adorable Birthday sisters. Suffice it to say, I satisfied my baking crave by baking every single thing possible within a span of two days.

I fried cake donuts (sweet) while Maddie cooked egg boats (savory) for Jessie Saturday morning. My advice to you, “save donut boxes!” — reuse them when you feel creative enough to make your own sweet-dough desserts!



Guess where we got the ingredients to make this delicious (literally to die for) dessert? My cousins sent them all the way from AMERICA!  Of course they do not sell chex cereal, chocolate chips, OR powdered sugar in a typical Chinese super market so this was an especially delectable (and rare!) treat for Jessie.

Smoothies for an afternoon refreshment (YUM!), nothing more to be said.

Birthday Breakfast | Crepes

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Happy Birthday Maddie! This morning I got up early – well, as early as I could pull myself out of bed – to start preparations for Maddie’s Birthday breakfast. We made her favorite, crêpes! These French pancakes are delicious, especially when served with whipped cream, jam, or lemon. I scrambled around, touching up the table settings and decorations, every minute expecting Maddie to wake up and catch us unprepared. I should’ve known that Maddie never wakes up on her own accord, though. In the end the breakfast was delicious. It is suffice to say that I wasn’t able to eat another bite until two in the afternoon!

To my lovely sister: I hope you had an amazing birthday today! You daily make me smile with your cheerful attitude; today I hope that I could give you at least a piece of the surprises and fun that I enjoy when I am with you! It is a blessing to have you as my sister! <3 Jessie

Spring Break is Finally HERE!

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Over on this side of the planet Spring Break is finally here! I was planning to relax, but we’re moving, yes I said we’re moving. It was very short notice but the lease for our apartment is up and in a matter of a month we had to find a new apartment (not as easy as it sounds). This week will probably consist of more packing and less relaxing, but hey, at least the new, bigger apartment is worth it!  To add to this craziness, this Friday is my BIRTHDAY (yay!).  I love the date of my birthday because it always falls on some sort of holiday: spring break, easter weekend, teacher work days; it’s definitely nice to have a vacation on my special day.

 

Today Rachel leaves to visit Michael in Hong Kong, and even though I’m sad I couldn’t join her the fact that they are both coming back to TianJin on Thursday definitely makes up for it!   The best part of it all is that Michael will be here for my Birthday (Looking forward to those HK presents!)!

All that said I think this week will be a complete mess, but somehow I’ll find a way to have fun in the process :] Have an awesome weekend!