So this year I was really hyped about making gingerbread men and women. First off, I did not have all the proper ingredients. What the heck are molasses and where do I find them?! Thankfully, Food4Less had a jar of Grandma's Molasses. I don't know whose Grandma it is, but the molasses STANK. Anyways, at home I started fixing the recipe when I realized I did not have ground ginger. Suckerbaited--I don't have the crucial ingredient for GINGERbread cookies. I decided in order to save myself a strip to the supermarket, I would ground my own ginger. No good. I used it anyway, afraid of the awkward-textured result. I then realized I didn't have any man or woman shaped cookie cutters. My dad volunteered to find some and returned with... I don't know. Random shapes. The closest thing was a snowman shape so I opted for that. Highly disappointed, I went on trying to be as creative as I could to decorate the snowmen, which was the main reason why I wanted to make the cookies.

So, after a long backstory of unfortunate events, the result?

Meet my army of decorized gingerbread snowmen!



Where's Waldo Snowman


Christmas Fanatic Snowman


Dead Snowman


Optical Illusion Snowman


Threw Up On My Sweater Snowman


Just Came from Japan Snowman


Leprosy Snowman


Comb Over with Bloody Pearls Snowman


I Forgot to Draw Eyes Snowman


The Other Guy Threw Up on Me


Everytime I look at the photos it cracks me up how crazy I am. Hm. Oh, and this is what Christmas looks like at our house:









Courtesty of mother for the decors. Happy Holidays!

For my church's VBS this year we went back in time to the days where Bethlehem was... well you'll see. :)


Here's some preparation work the weeks before, even the kids are helping!


Our tech junkies work late into the night...


Another creation by the Brown Team: the Puppet Shack!


Kate's hiding in the well!


The kids and locals gather around to see what's going on in Bethlehem


Kids at the well to get water for their tribe


Our town bakers at the marketplace


Kids grinding wheat for flour at the mill


The kids praying and eating at snack time


A puppet show for the closing


That french fry is bigger than your face!


The sixth graders performing their body worship at the last night


Staff group picture! Love you guys!



Bonus: Cute baby...

Two of some awesome brothers are leaving to Urumuqi, China for a few years to be missionaries. I will definitely miss them. Here's the VSET (Volunteer Summer English Teachers) send off.

Dinner was Korean food.







What was so funny?


These are the two brothers that are leaving for China.


This was the VSET group leading us in praise.


UCLA ICA present an album for Lorin as a going away present.


BRUIN ICA!!


This is Ed. He's going to Urumuqi for four years. He spent around 3 years at USC ICA Staff. He is awesome. OH YES!


This is Lorin. He is an awesome staff member at UCLA ICA. He likes to initiate random dance parties. Awwwesome!

Cheesecake factory goodness.

















What the monkey?!

So RV5 loves planned this outing for some time and I was skeptical of it actually being carried out. SUCKERS, what now!? Thanks to Dane for letting us use the car and for his company as well. Thanks to Manna for the food and the crazy techno music. Thanks to Alex, Grace, and Kuan for being awesomest floormates. We will do this again, but better.

Our destination:


Before shots:





After the eating:



(notice there are only four cups and four hands because a certain Grace Lee decided to drink her sweet juice on her own.)

The lovelies: