The Open Love Letter :: May 2008

Dear Adam,

I can’t believe April is already over. It flew by so quickly just like a blur. I think I was definitely right when I predicted a month ago that it was the calm before the storm. It’s definitely quite “stormy” at the moment. This is going to be a long letter…

Just right now, you went home after spending the whole weekend with me. An eventful one at that, but you helped me all weekend with packing and cleaning up this apartment of mine. Thank you. I know I already told you several times, but I wanted to say it again because even though I know you despise all “my stuff,” you still chose to help me and make this whole moving process smoother and easier for me. Thank you.

The first weekend of the month we had our invitations work party. I am so thankful that we have such great friends that are willing to come and be tortured by pink paper, stamps, double-sided tape, ribbon, envelopes and boxes. You were the cutest stamper. And you took my gentle, loving criticism very well about how you were doing with stamping. It was great to finally see what I’ve been envisioning in my mind for months finally come to fruition. They turned out great and finally sending them out was such a relief! Now we just have to wait for reply cards and I love that you’ve been keeping me informed almost everyday about who is coming and who is not. This wedding is actually happening!


(Invitations Work Party Friends :: April 2008)











Early this month, my wedding gown finally arrived. I was super nervous to go see it because I’d be trying on MY dress. The one I’M going to wear. When I tried it on, Dexie was so super surprised that it was kind of big on me. So when she measured me and found out that I had lost two inches in almost all my measurements she was so impressed! So was I! I didn’t know what I was more excited about… the fact my dress finally arrived OR the fact that I lost weight! I think it honestly might be the latter. I have to say that I cannot wait for you to see me in that dress. I have such a hard time keeping surprises from you that it’s taking just about all my strength to keep from not showing you what it looks like. I hope you’ll like it. It really is so pretty.

Your car got towed this month. That was an experience all in itself. After over a year of parking the fire lane whenever you dropped by real quick, your Subaru was towed away. I felt absolutely horrible because you had come to visit me. It was also infuriating that they towed it… were they just waiting for you to leave your car? You really only had visited me for less then 15 minutes. Boo. Finally after midnight and several hundred dollars later, you got your car back from the tow yard. Needless to say, we learned our lesson.

This month, I took a 4-week intensive at The Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa put on by Dane Sanders, Jessica Claire and Mike Colon. It was such an incredible blessing in my life to be able to go to this and I had an amazing time each week. A part of our assignment was to try to take 100 pictures everyday. This was somehow magically interpreted as “try to take as many photos of Adam everyday without him getting mad at me and see if I can get close to 100 of them.” You were quite gracious about it for probably the first 20. I did get some nice shots of you this month and I am still on cloud nine because Mike Colon said that my photo of you was interesting.


(Missional Photography Workshop :: April 2008)


(Mike Colon :: April 2008)


(My "Interesting" Photo :: April 2008)

We started to receive gifts from our registry this month in large numbers. It’s weird that the items we spent days scanning in January are sitting in your house (and your parents’ house) right now. I guess it never really sunk in that people would actually BUY these things for us. I feel incredibly blessed and grateful that people have been so very generous. Opening presents has been super fun with you. Your expressions are priceless.


(Opening gifts :: April 2008)


(More priceless expressions :: April 2008)


(My own expression :: April 2008)


(Fragile: Handle with Care :: April 2008)

We celebrated our 6-year anniversary this month. I cannot believe it’s been 6 whole years with you. When I look back and think about just how much we’ve been through, I find it challenging to wrap my head around it all and fully comprehend just how much God has blessed us. You left the sweetest card on my car on our anniversary that brought me to tears. I bought you some pajamas pants because the ones I borrowed from you that “mysteriously” walked away from your home and has found its way into my apt might not return… Here’s hoping that God gives us many, many more anniversaries to celebrate in the years to come.


(Anniversary :: April 2008)

We had a bridal shower frenzy-filled weekend April 11th-13th. Your sister Lauren and your mom’s friend Mrs. Bolos both threw bridal showers up in the Bay Area. All in one weekend! We flew Virgin America and it was so much fun! From the cool mood lights, to the interactive LCD screens, to the super cool remote control… it was so much fun. I don’t think I ever want to fly Southwest again. *wink*


(Feet at the airport :: April 2008)










(Virgin America :: April 2008)

The bridal showers were amazing. Lauren’s was in Sacramento at a restaurant in the Sheraton hotel. The food was great and the company was wonderful. Oh… and the cake… AMAZING. Yum. It was nice that you got to spend time one-on-one with your grandpa while the ladies were out “showering” me. It is always a pleasure to see your family and I love that they are becoming more and more, MY family too.






(Lauren's Shower :: April 2008)


(Hanging out with family in Sacramento :: April 2008)

Mrs. Bolos’ shower was also very fun. She has a beautiful patio/deck that overlooks the city where the tables were set up. The food again was delicious and it was nice to meet your mom’s friends. We played a game where we had to figure out the identity of all these different white powders. By the end of it, I was guessing that everything was sugar. Hehe. We also played the toilet paper bridal gown game. Your sister helped make a really beautiful one on Allison. At both showers, I was glad that you had the chance to say hello and watching you re-open the gifts back at your parents’ house was fun.






(Mrs. Bolos' Shower :: April 2008)




(Opening gifts :: April 2008)

That weekend was definitely a crazy one, but it definitely gave us a taste of what to expect. People said the sweetest things about us and had the nicest best wishes for us. It really excites me to see everyone in July at the wedding.








(SFO International Airport :: April 2008)

The weekend after that, Jackie and Jeffrey came to visit us for a weekend since they were both on Spring Break. You were gracious enough to share me that weekend. We also had our engagement session that Saturday with Jenetta. It was so much fun! Who knew? It was kind of a gloomy day, but Jenetta took some amazing shots of us and it was really nice to get some professional photos done of us. She found such sweet spots around UCSD and I love the photos so much. It was nice to have someone capture moments between you and me that normally aren’t captured on film to remember for always. That same weekend, Jackie and Jeffrey helped us to finish our invitations and we finally sent them off! YAY!


(My fave of the engagement photos :: April 2008)

And the last weekend of the month, I shot my first wedding as a “fourth shooter” with Jen Harris, Melissa McClure and Jared Slack. It was an amazing experience and I learned SO much from them. And I realized that I think I would actually really enjoy shooting weddings. It was so much fun to shoot with them and they were so nice about answering questions and sharing equipment. God couldn’t have blessed me with better friends. I still have lots to learn, but I’m so excited right now! It was quite an exhausting day and when I went home that night, it was such a sweet surprise to have you be there with soup for me to eat. And on top of that, you massaged my feet, which I totally needed that night. I could get used to this, you know.


(My fave shot from the wedding :: April 2008)

*exhale* Phew… that was an amazing month. I didn’t even include EVERYTHING we did, but man… this storm is sure brewing up and it doesn’t look like it’ll be going away until maybe after the wedding. We’ll be moving into our new apt this Friday and I don’t think it’ll make sense until weeks from now that we’ve got a home of our own now.

Amidst all the madness though, I’m glad that I’ve got you by my side. You are my rock. You really are. You keep me centered when I go about on my own antics and stress myself out about all the things I find myself doing. You are so mild and even keel… and I’m not. I’m up and down and all around. But still, you love me. When I feel like there’s absolutely no reason for you to love me, you tell me you do and all is right in the universe. When it’s just you and me in the world, I feel everything just melts away and I can take on anything because I’ve got you by my side. Thank you for lifting me up so I could shine this month. I needed that and you were there to help me.

It’ll be exactly two months tomorrow until our wedding. I cannot wait to be your wife, Adam. Thank you for choosing me. I love you!

With all my heart,
Jasmine

The Open Love Letter :: April 2008

I'm hoping to do a monthly feature on my blog, in homage to one of my all-time fave blogs (Dooce), who writes a monthly newsletter to her daughter Leta. It is something I am planning on doing when Adam and I have children someday, God willing. However, since we currently have no children of our own, I thought I could write an open love letter monthly to my lovely, Adam. And when we do have children of our own, it's too bad for Adam. ;)

So here goes nothing:


(New Year's Eve :: January 2008)

Dear Adam,

I can't believe it's already April. It seems like the short amount of time we have before our wedding just keeps flying by faster and faster. My countdown widget is telling me that we have less than 95 days until our wedding. I remember when that number was way over 200 and I thought our wedding day would never get here. Now that it's quickly approaching, I have to say that I kind of wish it'd slow down a bit. Not just because my to-do list never seems to end and instead keeps on growing at a rate that is faster than the rate I complete the tasks... but more so because I feel like I need to enjoy this "calm before the storm" with you.

It does feel like it's the "calm before the storm" because looking at our schedules in the next three months, it looks jam-packed and that's all that we know of right now. I'm sure new things will keep popping up. Even within this upcoming month, we have tons of changes occurring and right now, I feel like I'm just trying to soak it all before it becomes a fast blur to July. We've got packing, moving, unpacking, finishing up the school year, all the last minute wedding preparations, showers, etc. Every weekend seems to be just about soaked up with something to do.

While working on wedding stuff yesterday, I came across these photos of us from Mike and Kelly's wedding last May.




(Mike & Kelly's Wedding :: May 2007)

First of all, I cannot believe it's been almost a year since Mike & Kelly's amazing wedding. (They had an awesome photobooth at the wedding done by the even more amazing Boutwells.) Secondly, these photos reminded me of the fact that it's almost been a year since you and I have been engaged. We were very much in that "we just got engaged" high when these photos were taken of us and it was nice to think back to that time when we were just engaged and maybe this wedding stuff was only a dream.

And now Vaness and Daniel are engaged too! I am so happy for them. It has been such a blessing to us to be able to be friends with them and watch them grow in their own relationship with each other and God.

We are going to take our engagement photos this month. Even though I am super excited about this, I am also super nervous. I love hiding behind my camera. The fact that we'll be in FRONT of a camera makes me nervous. I'm sure it'll be fun once we get used to it, but it'll be weird for me. I've been on a dress-obsession as of late in pursuit of the perfect engagement session dress. Hopefully I'll stop being indecisive and just choose one. Or two maybe. I'm glad that we chose to our e-session at UCSD and not the beach. It just feels more "us" at UCSD. Plus, were just big dorks anyway... and if taking photos at UCSD makes us even bigger dorks, then that's even more so "us."

I like that you're my college sweetheart. :)


(Garage Sale :: March 2008)

One of the upcoming changes that I am the most excited about within this next month is that we're going to move into our new apartment. I don't know what it is about this that I find exhilarating. More exciting than the fact that we'll have "our home" and we can do what we want with our home, I think I'm looking forward to not having to say goodbye to you at the end of the night. Oooh, and having you come home to me, or me to come home to you. Sounds kind of silly I suppose, but I hate saying goodbye to you when you drop me off. I really do.

This past month, your mom came down and helped us with selling our junk at the garage sale. You drew me the cutest diagram last month explaining how when the stuff leaves the apt, it does NOT go back into the apt in the case when it does not sell. Being the more "pack-ratty" of the two of us, I didn't quite understand where your excitement and tenacity to get rid of "Jasmine's stuff" came from. I guess that's why this relationship works. If both of us were pack-rats, it'd be the end of us.

I was super amazed when people started buying our old junk. Truly amazed. Like, who would want "fill in the blank"? People actually do! What a concept! And we made more than we needed to help offset moving costs. God is so good.


(Garage Sale :: March 2008)

I think the highlight of the garage sale was when that lamp of yours that I've been trying to get rid of for years made it's appearance at the garage sale. You put the funniest card on it and made a good several people laugh. I love your sense of humor. I might not have always understood it, but now that I'm starting to really "get it," I think I actually kind of like it.


(Garage Sale :: March 2008)

Y'know, I think one lady was really going to buy the lamp, but alas... the lamp did not sell. I guess we're stuck with it for a little longer. Unless it just so happens to not find it's way into our moving truck. "Where did it go?" asks Adam. "I don't know," says Jasmine innocently.

Hehehe.

Out of everything happening this upcoming month, what I am looking forward to most is our 6 year anniversary on April 11th. When I look back and think about how you and I have known and dated each other for all of our twenties, it is amazing to me that you still love me. When we met sophomore year at UCSD, I totally remember thinking, "What are the chances that you break up with your girlfriend, I break up with my boyfriend, you and I become friends, and then we date each other?" Ha! Yeah right!


(Our Engagement :: May 2007)

Well, God had a much better plan than I did and not only was He right in that you and I would end up dating... He was right when He whispered to me over and over early on before we were even dating, that you... Adam Ko, would be "the one" for me. I laughed in God's face when He told me that six years ago. Literally laughed in His face. Thought I was hearing voices in my head. But now I suppose He's the one laughing and smiling now, because six years later... I'm about to marry "the one" He's created for me. I am so blessed to be your fiancee. Truly blessed.

Happy early anniversary love!

(And PLEASE don't buy me that dang Coors Light hat for our anniversary. No, it will NOT be funny.)

Your love,
Jasmine

The One with Easter at The Rock :: 03:22:08

This past weekend, I had the privilege to help shoot for my church, The Rock Church, for our Easter services. This was my first event shooting for the The Rock and I have to admit that I was quite nervous beforehand. I mean, it's one thing to just shoot photos for fun and my own use. It's a whole other thing to capture images of God's presence. I honestly felt like what if I didn't know "what to see" while shooting that day? But, you know what? Like in all other cases, God always comes through and helped me to see things that I think I would have passed on had it not been for Him working through me that day.

The photo above I think captures the whole day. There was this little girl that was sitting on the floor and after a little while of watching her, I realized she was playing with a bug ON her pretty Easter dress. This poor little bug was being picked up and moved to different parts of her dress. However, despite all odds, the bug was still moving even after several location changes. How she managed to hold this little bug so delicately in her hands without killing it is beyond me.

It also reaffirmed the feeling in my heart that I would really love to do child portraits. There's something about children that make them so appealing to photograph. I would love to shoot weddings someday, but I think my true niche will be child portraits.



This cutie, ate a sugar donut and then a banana, and just had all this stuff all over his mouth. Way too cute.

In the Bible, it says that we need to approach God from a child-like perspective. Where He is our Father leading and guiding us, like our earthly fathers do. This little girl and boy just had an innocence about them that just reminded me of our Father's love that He pours upon His children. How blessed we truly are.



One of the most exciting things this past weekend was getting my badge on Good Friday. Sounds incredibly superficial, but I had been trying to get involved with the Photo Ministry at my church for over a year now. But, like in all other things, God's timing is always perfect. I wasn't ready to be a photographer for The Rock a year ago. For His reasons and His reasons alone, now was the right time. Needless to say, I've been waiting for this moment and finally receiving my badge and being an "official" Rock photographer super exciting for me.



Adam also served that day in the parking ministry with the Men of the Rock. I love how my Adam has a serving heart and it's definitely his spiritual gift, the gift of service. Plus, he looks so dapper in his super bright neon parking vest.

Since the church was expecting larger than usual numbers in attendance on Easter, they had an alternate venue close by for overflow. In the alternate venue, we had the blessing of having Trevor Davis and his band perform worship for us. I'm a huge fan of his and being able to photograph him and his band was a special treat for me.














I love this moment.






The service from the main sanctuary was telecast live in the alternate venue.

Adam and I stayed to serve for the 8am, 10am and the beginning of the 12pm service. There were six services in all on Easter; one more than the usual five. We were pretty pooped afterwards, but definitely filled with the Spirit and His love.

I hope you all had a great Easter too!

I'm looking forward to shooting more events for The Rock and hope that God will continue to give me His clarity in what He wants me to see, not only in my work with the church, but in all that I shoot.

And one more shot of us at the end of the day... (I was squinting from the bright sun.)

The One where Jasmine was Tagged "It"

I've been tagged by Serena Grace. Check out her work. She is amazing! And she's getting married next month too so please send your warm well wishes and prayers her way.

What was I doing 10 years ago?

• Wow, ten years seems like a long time. I'm almost up for my ten-year high school reunion. In 1998, I was a junior in high school... doing just about every available extracurricular activity I could fit into my schedule. Guess some things never change. Once a busybody, always a busybody.

Things On My To Do list:

• My to-do lists never seem to shrink or completely go away so it makes me shudder to think what I actually have to do in the next month or so. But here are some of the major things:
• Tons of wedding stuff (invitations, find a day-of coordinator that doesn't cost a fortune, etc etc etc... and the list goes on)
• Pack and move for the 9th time in about 9 years. Needless to say, I don't exactly have the best feelings towards moving, but I am happy that this time it's moving into our first home for Adam and I. Oh and packing means unpacking as well. bah.
  
• Garage sale to sell/get rid of my useless junk before packing/moving
• Jury duty over break. Not fun.
  
• Stuff,
• Stuff I probably am not aware of at this moment...
  
• And more stuff
• Get married in July :)

Bad Habits

• I'm naturally a night owl. I feel most productive late afternoon-late night. :) I despise mornings the way cats despise water.
• I have a tendency to not put a book down once I get into it, which leads to staying up til 4am finishing books because I wanted to read "one more chapter." Which is why I often don't read books, but read magazines and blogs instead. The difference being that the latter does not lead to sleep deprivation.
  
• I'm a pile-r. What appears to be disarray to the outside eye is actually organized chaos for me. Ask me where something is, I can more often than not find it and know in which pile it happens to be in.
  

Places I have Lived

• South Dakota (until I was 6. Random. I know)
• Los Angeles
• San Diego (my true home)
  

Things Most People Don’t Know About Me

• I know my roommate, Richard, really loves this one: I fall asleep on my couch sometimes more than I do on my bed. I stubbornly believe that when I curl up in the corner of my couch with my nice, soft blanket and close my eyes, that I will actually NOT fall asleep because I am just "resting my eyes." However, I'd say a majority (not EVERY) of the time, I fall asleep and then Richard and/or Adam has to wake me up to go to bed.
• I have an eclectic taste in music, but it's definitely an integral part of my soul. Being so, I'm pretty good at remembering lyrics. It always catches me off guard when I hear a song after years and years and I can sing along to it in my head.
• I love home-cooked Chinese food. A lot. I often crave it as comfort food.
  
• Lastly, I'm pretty damn good at Wheel of Fortune (and word games). Too bad it's not something I can put on a resume.
  

I tag you!

• Kevin Tsang
• Daniel Galang
• Amanda Fales Shaw
  
• Kelly
• All Narfed Up
  
• David & Kimi Baxter
• Rachel Brooke
• Gabriel Ryan
• Melissa Koehler
  

On a different note...

I'm slowly trying to re-emerge from underneath the madness that has been this past month. With report cards, parent/teacher conferences, getting a pink slip because of proposed education cuts in the state of California, having a student teacher, and just life in general, I praise God that I'm still reasonably sane at this point. I'll be on Spring Break (finally) next week so I'm excited to just be able to catch up on rest, but also get some wedding stuff done. I would really love to just be able to sleep for a week and not move off the couch for a couple days.