As the years continue to progress in our journey through marriage, we will continue to have magical celebrations encompassing our favorite holiday adventures. Here’s a small compilation so far.
1) Halloween, 2020: @Tanaka Farms, Irvine: Back when I was still relatively young – little did we know we would maintain our pumpkin patch traditions over the years.
2) Halloween, 2021: @Peltzer Pumpkin Farm, Temecula: A glimpse into the domestic abuse I encounter on a daily basis.
3) Halloween, 2022: Irvine Railroad @ Orange: A new yearly tradition – our only pumpkin patch as an engaged couple.
4) Halloween, 2023: Irvine Railroad @Orange: Our first pumpkin patch as a married couple.
5) Halloween, 2024: Irvine Railroad @ Orange: 5 Years Down, 50 to Go.
6) Thanksgiving, 2020: Volunteering @ Food Distribution at the Honda Center. No better way than to give to families in need!
7) Early Thanksgiving: 2021: @Temecula, Nothing beats a traditional friendsgiving feast at Phil’s BBQ
8) Thanksgiving, 2022: @Placentia, A traditional Thanksgiving Family Meal at Sister’s.
9) Thanksgiving, 2023: Some Stupid Snapchat Filter Photos. All Good
10) Christmas, 2019: Our first early Christmas celebration on a Carnival Cruise to Ensenada!
11) Christmas, 2020: Just an ugly old Christmas tree during a (Covid) celebration.
12) (Early) Christmas, 2021: Nothing beats photos with Santa Clause
13) Christmas, 2022: A late christmas photo @ Irvine Spectrum. What a big tree, way better than anything I can build.
14) Christmas, 2023: Many Christmas celebrations but the most easy-going are always at home. Even though the day itself remains anti-climatic in all ways imaginable. Open presents and then what?
15) Tet, 2020: A celebration at the OC Fairgrounds. Year of the Rat (Katherine’s Year!)
16) Tet, 2021: Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day happened to coincide this year, resulting in a simultaneous celebration. Shortly after, some delicious meals would be consumed at The Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim.
17) Tet, 2022: @Fountain Valley Mile Square Park: The worse of the 2 Lunar New celebrations in Orange County, but at least it was free
18) Tet, 2023: Marrying into the family means embracing Vietnamese traditions now which include wearing traditional Ao Dai.
19) Tet, 2024: The tradition continues as we visit many many temples to pray and receive good luck for the year.
20) 4th of July, 2018: Perhaps not an important day in terms of celebration – but an important weekend working and volunteering together at Anime Expo. Our first encounter, but definitely not our last inside the press & industry booth, and later in the “volunteer lounge”.
21) Valentine’s Day, 2020: Not a great meal or restaurant, but a fantastic first Valentine’s Day meal together @ Spaghettini
22) Valentine’s Day, 2022: An early Valentine’s Day celebration @ Disneyland, with a delicious meal @Blue Bayou.
23) New Year’s Eve 2020 Fireworks @ Downtown Fullerton after some delicious Cheesecake Factory. Our first time starting a new year together.
24) Near Year Eve’s @ Anaheim Gardenwalk – 2023. We are getting old, because we didn’t even make it to the New Year’s Eve countdown outside this year, but at least we got some Cheesecake Factory again to bid the year farewell.
With 50 more years or so to go, we will have many more holidays and celebrations to come in the future. Looking forward to all of them.
