Car Rides, Crabs, Caverns, Oh my! Part 3

After Luray, we headed to our nation's capital. I had been before but it was a new experience going with my family and especially because it was my brother's first time in D.C. 

It was a gorgeous day to walk around and take in the sights and pay tribute at the capital's various memorials and monuments. 

I had been to most of the monuments and memorials. However, strangely I had never been to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. It was sobering seeing all the plaques of nations that sent their men and women to serve in the Korean War, seeing the individual faces of soldiers etched in stone. 

My mind couldn't help but think about how my life would be very different had those people not served in Korea. 

Thank you for your service. 

Car Rides, Crabs, Caverns, Oh my! Part 2

Saturday morning, after a feast of a breakfast made by my lovely mother-in-law, we all hopped into my in-laws' SUV and made the drive out to the Luray Caverns. 

Yes, that was breakfast. 

It was a lot of walking but well worth it. Magnificent, awe-inspiring nature. 

Fried eggs, anyone? 

Car Rides, Crabs, Caverns, Oh my!

It's a peculiar thing that when you get married, your family grows. I had a hard time conceptualizing it when I was engaged about to be married and even had a hard time understanding it fully even after I got married. 

Three years in, I'm still learning but it's a pretty cool thing - more people to love and to be loved by. 

This past weekend, my parents, my brother, the husband and I packed our Honda Accord and headed down to Northern Virginia for the weekend to get together with my in-laws. 

The car ride down was full of traffic but nothing some Backstreet Boys Millenium couldn't cure. 

On the way down, we stopped by Maryland for some crabs.

Preparing for warfare 

Oysters on a halfshell. 

My three favorite guys 

Boys will be boys - what they do while waiting for crabs 

Mamabear and I 

Red looks good on you. 

It's on! 

Onion rings at sunset 

Friday Favorites

This past week was filled with precious time with precious people: brunch with one of my FG girls, weekend with best girlfriend from college, reunited with my parents. I couldn't have thought up a better way to spend my first week off from work. 

The other day, I even got to meet up with my best friend from middle school and we met up in our hometown. I hadn't been back in years and as I made the all-too-familiar drive approaching my hometown, I was unexpectedly flooded with memories. Some precious, some difficult. That's the funny thing about memories. They hit you at the most unexpected times. 

Mean girls. Broken hearts. Immigrant life. Reunions and goodbyes. Regrets. 

As a counselor, I have learned all too well the need to "seek healing". I often work to help others seek and find healing but little did I know it would hit me so suddenly that I myself need it as well. But there's beauty in the broken. And time, reflection, family, friends will do my soul good. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

The picture does not do justice but this crispy, wonderful goodness is a chicken quesadilla from one of our favorite spots in Boston: Anna's Taqueria. 

Was introduced to herbal jelly milk tea last weekend in Boston 

Delicious almond french toast at Patisserie Florentine, my new favorite brunch place

The world's cutest little madeleine served with my coffee also at Patisserie Florentine 

Berries galore at local farmers market 

Insta-grace

This past weekend, Y and I drove down to Virginia to spend the weekend with his family. It was a weekend full of some of my most favorite things: family, food, flea market. 

On Saturday morning, Y and I went on a walk with my in-laws and their dog, Coco. The weather was perfect: the sun warm but the breeze refreshing. We discovered a few turtles sunbathing (can't blame them).

i spy two little sunbathing turtles

And then we came across this. 

i spy a rainbow

How magical. It was one of those moments I will cherish forever. Rainbow: a symbol of God's mercy and promises. It may just have been exactly the type of reminder I needed. 

Another highlight of this trip was getting to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope" 

MLK has always been my favorite historical figure. Being in Washington DC, our nation's capital and being able to visit the MLK memorial was the best way to spend MDW. 

And with that, I leave you with one of my favorite MLK quotes: