"My generation is gruesomely lonely, but in response, we don’t need another handout, another kind gesture, or a better bible study. We don’t need more people that will merely know our name and address or care for us sporadically and at arms length.

We need big, reimagined, Jesus kind of love, and people willing to sacrifice themselves in order to live it with us. We need people who will love us enough to get messy.

So be deeply involved. Be covered in someone’s tears. Be the person who gets the call at midnight. Be the person who hears the gory details when someone’s marriage or career falls apart. Be the person who tells someone the hard stuff that they need to hear but no one wants to say. Be the person who repeatedly gets someone else’s mud and blood all over you. Be the person who goes home a little uncomfortable at night, not because of your behavior and thoughts, but because you’ve been near enough to someone else’s.

Be a family member to the lonely, messy people of this world, and to my generation."

--Josh Riebock, My Generation

Carlsbad Living

We didn't end up buying a condo/duplex/house yet in Carlsbad but we did move into a new apartment. It's smaller than our last one in Tustin but definitely quieter and cozier...a nice change of pace. We love living down here.

Here's a view from our balcony:

Green!

My family helped move in most of our things a few weeks ago. So while the boys were carrying the heavy stuff into the apartment, my mom and I took selfies, of course.

My kitchen

We still have boxes that need to be sorted through and unpacked but we're slowly settling in. A few of my in-laws were here this weekend and we got to enjoy our first weekend in Carlsbad with some family. It involved lots of eating, talking, and laughing.

Not a bad place to live...

Russell's 25th Birthday

I'm late blogging this but better late than never! Russell turned 25 on March 27th and we celebrated by eating All-You-Can-Eat Sushi with family.

The best people ever.

This was so much fun! Russell felt so loved. Joe was even able to give Russ a call from Afghanistan which I know meant a lot. This particular photo has the Sangas, Henrys, and a future Mrs. Sanga. :)

The only downfall about All-You-Can-Eat Sushi is that you have to eat everything. Near the end, everyone was too stuffed to finished our plates. Here's a picture of James looking miserable:

"No more sushi!"

I don't think my family can eat sushi again for at least a couple of months.

Me and the bday boy.

Then, on the weekend of Russell's birthday, we had an overnight trip to Palm Springs. We rode the aerial tram and hiked for a couple of hours. I remember riding the aerial tram when I was little and I can confirm that it is still as scary to ride it 10 years later. Russell liked it since he has no fear of heights.

We also bought hats in downtown Palm Springs. We are calling these our Carlsbad hats. Fancy, huh? :)