Dear California

Thank you for being beautiful.

love,
T

Anaheim has become significantly prettier in the last 8 years. I wanted to find a place that was close to church but interesting enough to take formal shots. Hopefully the weather is just as gorgeous that day! The day I went to check places out there was a cute little street fair...I had this really yummy fruit salad (Mexican style? With coconut, granola, and walnuts on top) which was perfect since I didn't want a heavy lunch.



Can you believe these pictures are by Anaheim City Hall? Across the street they opened a museum and they're in the process of building a courtyard with fountains and stuff. Hopefully they'll be done by August so we can take pictures there! One good tip from some brides who have had photojournalist-type photographers: make sure to ask for some formal shots of the bride and groom, family, etc. Someone I talked to this weekend said she didn't have any normal shots of her and her husband! I hope my photographer doesn't get mad at me for being so demanding, but I have a LOT of shots I'd love her to take.

***
OC, you can't repeat any of this to anyone!

I spent the entire day with my future mother-in-law because she wanted to find her dress for the wedding. At first I thought it was going to be just one stop at a shop near my workplace, but W warned me this morning that she wanted to go all over Eastern Massachusetts. Luckily my schedule was clear, so when the time came I was prepared. We ended up covering a lot of ground (went to Wayside Commons, then to Filene's Basement in Needham, then the Chestnut Hill Mall, and then the Burlington Mall) and finally found something at Lord and Taylor at the Burlington Mall. She had seen the dress awhile back and hadn't tried it on, so I told her to try it on...and it fit beautifully! I was really happy with the choice, and I think she was too even though it was a little expensive. I think it's worth it cuz the material is really flowy and wrinkle-free, which will be nice for that day. She bought it, but she'll keep her eyes open in Taiwan in case she sees something she likes more.

For the most part I get along with my FMIL. We don't always think the same way, but I think there's mutual respect. However, despite the comfort level, I'm still always so nervous about making her upset, saying something inappropriate, or that deep down inside she's not really sure if she likes me. She's not a volatile person by any means, but I know that the language barrier and the fact that I'm a 3rd generation Chinese-American work against me. I'm taking measures to improve my Mandarin, but I can't do anything about the fact that I don't think the same way as my future in-laws. Their concerns for us are always legitimate (weight, making sure we have pre-marital counseling taken care of, money, etc.) so I know they're looking out for us, but it takes me a minute to remember that they're not criticizing us. Or, I think they're not...

Maybe that's what bothers me sometimes- when people act like I'm not capable of making a good decision. I know I'm only 25, but I like to think that I'm sensible. (BTW, I'm totally guilty of doing this to some of you, so forgive me for being so overbearing. I'll work on it.) I was trying to figure out the whole cause-and-effect cycle and this is what I came up with:

1. I don't keep the person informed about any decisions/important events
2. The person realizes she doesn't know any information about decisions/important events
3. The person thinks that I might not have thought about any details re: d/ie
4. Person asks me lots of detailed questions about d/ie
5. I get defensive because I feel like the person thinks that I haven't put any thought into d/ie

Granted, there are things that I haven't thought about yet, and that will either 1) be a good reminder or 2) stress me out because I haven't looked into it and it's another thing to add to my list. But regardless, I think the solution to this problem is to keep people informed as much as possible. Maybe not every little detail (especially since I'm trying to pull off some surprises), but enough so that they know this wedding is in good hands. And enough so that W's parents know their son is in good, capable hands. =)

I was really flattered the other day because a friend called and asked W how wedding plans were going and W responded: "It's been going well...T's a superstar, so it's been going pretty smoothly." It made me feel appreciated and very happy because I know that he trusts me with this task. I think in general, our parents trust me to make plans that are best for everyone...but they just want to be in the loop. Just wait until they get their 2-inch three-ring binders with the entire wedding laid out in multiple spreadsheets! Mua ha.

Just kidding. Or am I?

(That's brilliant! And there can be boxes that can be checked off once things are completed...holy cow. I should take a week off work just to make these.)