HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANA!!

Hello world, David Eng here.  I would like to say to my dear wife, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" And yes, in all caps because that is how awesome she is.

Diana is turning 28 years-old today.  She has complained all month long about how old she looks, yadda yadda yadda, but to me she still looks like she's 23.  Seriously, does this look like a 28-year-old to you?

Obviously not.  Unless looking 28 means looking ridiculously pretty and cute.  This picture was taken at her birthday dinner at Ai Sushi Sake grill, which has great sashimi as one can tell from this photo.

Some more photos of Diana's Birthday Weekend:

The Bartletts gave Diana a birthday donut-cake!  It was hard for her to choose which one she wanted.

We ate chicken burritos, Diana's new favorite dinner.  Because I made it.

In honor of Diana's 28 years of awesomeness, I will list 28 little-known facts/things I like about Diana:

1. She is Korean.
2. She says she's 5' 0'', but she's actually 4' 11".
3. Her favorite animal is the owl.
4. She is a huge bookworm.
5. She is great with kids
6. She says things like "Dungeon Dragons!" whenever a song by Imagine Dragons comes on the radio.
7. She sings at the top of her lungs at random.
8. She is a great ballet dancer.  You should ask her for a demonstration sometime.
9. She can cook amazing Korean food.  Which explains how I gained 10 lbs since our wedding.
10. When she sits down her feet can't touch the floor.
11. She is afraid of the dark.
12. She loves cupcakes.
13. She color organizes everything in her purse.
14. She eats kimchi with EVERYTHING.
15. She calls stretching "exercise."
16. She keeps a journal of everything she does.
17. She loves the X-men and Avengers. (nerdification in progress)
18. She has kept every card, letter, and note that I've written to her.
19. She lets me play videogames.
20. Whenever she is surprised she will hit whoever is next to her really hard.  Watch out.
21. She is a great listener.
22. She gives great massages.
23. Her favorite color is also my favorite color, so we always match.
24. She is the messiest eater I have ever seen.  
25. Her favorite music genre is 90s Korean Pop.
26. She has the cutest smile.
27. She is very generous to her friends.
28. She married the coolest man alive, a testament to her good taste and intellect.

Diana, I, along with the rest of the world, are truly blessed to have you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANA!  I love you!  <3

Back to the Unattainable Utah

Thanks to Utah/Mormon weddings, I had the chance to go back to my Utah. Every second spent in Utah was pure bliss. My little Emily married in the Lord's temple for time and all eternity. It was such a blessing and an honor to be a part of a sacred, beautiful Spring wedding! 

Bridesmaids

Emily's pure and contagious smile.

Post wedding, the remaining days of my trip were spent between both Provo and Salt Lake City with family and friends.

Sandwiched between my rocks, Areum and Becca.

Our Temple, the Bountiful Temple.

Sister and brother-in-law. 

Siblings (minus the youngest).

 I love my family.

Visiting Utah Valley was bittersweet. I am grateful to have finally moved on to a new chapter in my life,

 but it is difficult to see those who were a big part of my life (in Utah) stay there and carry on perfectly happy without me. Their current lives used to be my life. Now, it is my past, my memories. 

My heart did wonder if moving back might be a possibility. But my heart also (quite literally) felt the consequences. Blue again. Short of breath, again. Irregular heartbeats, again.  Utah, although you offer me such comfort with your values, your traditions, your beliefs, and with your people, why can you not offer the most basic necessity, oxygen?  

"A person will be bewildered if he goes in another's road. Rich or poor, your must seek happiness in your own world. We can all reach the same happiness, but you must go in your world and I go in mine. That is life."

--Rita Golden Gelman, Tales of A Female Nomad

.......

Oh Utah, my unattainable Utah, you will always have a piece of my heart.