Double the Fun!

In my time with Peter, one of the most pleasant experiences has been getting to know his family. In particular, his youngest sister Jackie has played a very present role in our lives. Undoubtedly, the geographical proximity has made it easier to connect, but I think it’s in addition to their genuine desires to cultivate familial relationships. Peter and Jackie are 10 years apart in age, and yet Peter is currently most closely connected with her. He tells me that in his lifetime, he has gone through similar stages with both of his other siblings. Much to our pleasure, his current chapter where he and Jackie are close has resulted in many fabulous hangouts. Most recently, we had consecutive weekends celebrating her birthday!

The first celebration involved primarily her family. It was planned the weekend prior to her actual birthday as her parents would be returning from Texas for the week. They were very efficient in their plans for California as they took care of business, appointments, and Jackie’s birthday. Peter and I actually saw them on Thursday April 2nd for our own dinner before we all attended Jackie’s festivities on Friday April 3rd.

Jackie planned her dinner at Ipoh Kopitiam, a very popular Malaysian spot in the San Gabriel Valley. Hainan chicken is one of their specialties, so naturally Peter and I are fans. In attendance at this dinner were Jackie’s parents, her two brothers, and her brothers’ significant others. Peter and I got our usual Hainan chicken while everybody else enjoyed a wider array of delicious dishes. Throughout dinner, Patrick regaled us of 3 motor vehicle accidents which all happened in the span of one month. As people finished eating and conversation died down, we made our way back to Jackie’s for dessert.

Peter and I picked up a mango cake from a local Asian bakery known for its fruit cakes and notoriously “not too sweet.” We took some cute photos of Jackie with family and her cake (including her infamous knife-wielding skills) before singing happy birthday and indulging in the cake. The cake itself was beautifully adorned with thinly sliced mango curtains on the outside, filled with more mango on the inside, and graced with a very light cream. It seemed to be quite popular with all, including the parents. There was about half of a cake left after everybody had their fill. Peter and I are thinking of going to try their strawberry cake for our next celebratory event.

Before long, Patrick and his girlfriend Carol departed. Peter and I stayed behind to watch Jackie open some presents we got for her: a couple of blind boxes. Peter and I had a long weekend ahead of us, so we tiredly dragged ourselves back down to Orange County that night for some shut eye.

On Saturday morning, I worked from home for the morning while Peter ran some errands. We had plans to play board games and have lunch with some friends which filled most of our Saturday afternoon. This took place in Alhambra, so it we made sure to drop by Peter’s parents’ place afterwards to chill. We made dinner with Jackie to continually refine our newest culinary indulgence, the chalupa. We followed this by engorging ourselves on the remaining birthday cake and then called it a night. Peter would be leaving for Fresno on Sunday April 5th so we promptly wrapped things up and headed back down to OC.

Peter would be in Fresno from that Sunday through Friday. Coincidentally, Jackie planned her second round of festivities that weekend. She booked an AirBnB along with her friend Denise as a joint April birthday celebration. It would take place between Friday through Sunday, situated in wooded Crestline, right next door to Big Bear. The party would include friend groups from both Jackie and Denise, all coming together to celebrate the magic of Twilight. Of course, Peter and I would be the only ones there who have never seen or read the series. Costumes were also required.

At the conclusion of his Fresno trip, Peter would meet me down in Alhambra on Friday evening. Jackie would go ahead with her friends to Crestline earlier that day. By the time Peter and I were ready to drive over from Alhambra, it was already 8:00 PM. We wouldn’t make it to the AirBnB until about 10:00 PM. Though tardy, we made it just in time for the viewing of the first movie. We now understand the hype behind this hilariously meme-worthy movie. By the end of this first movie, it was already midnight—far beyond our usual bedtime. With that, we said good night to the other guests and retreated to bed (in our closet of a bedroom). I don’t remember the last time I shared a space with 10 people and only 2 bathrooms…

Saturday morning passed quickly as Peter and I did some work while the others slept in with a slow Saturday morning start. Right around noon, we all left to explore the nearby Lake Gregory which was beautifully idyllic, though a bit chilly. We walked around for a bit before heading back to our cabin to delight in some barbecue. One of Denise’s friends graciously manned the grill while one of Jackie’s friend acted as the father of the group, making sure everybody’s needs were met. After an afternoon of burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, and s’mores, we played several group games.

We proceeded to watching the second movie of the series while people got dressed into their costumes. Peter was the ever popular daddy, Charlie. I was a popular (?) Bella meme, while Jackie was pregnant Bella. After we took pictures and fooled around for a few more hours, it was finally time for dinner at 10:00 PM. Denise prepared some delicious hot pot. She took upon the motherly role of making sure everybody was stuffed with food.

Shortly following dinner, Jackie brought out the birthday cake. Dressed in black and red with an iconic screen print, the cake was definitely a marvel. It tasted as good as it looked too, which was a surprise to everybody as it came from Ralph’s.

We winded down with some laughs and conversation around the dining table before cleaning up. The final events of the evening included a Kahoot! quiz followed by some casual games. I was surprised it wasn’t just more movie marathoning; after all, we only got through 2 of 5! I’m now a fan of the franchise and will have to seek out the remaining movies on my own time. Though Peter hasn’t come out and said it, I know he’s just as excited to embark on the Twilight journey with me. Per usual that Saturday evening, Peter and I retreated to bed well in advance before everybody. We had a busy Sunday ahead of us. We’ve been in preparation for some big events and major life changes (more to come)!

All in all, it’s been a fun two weeks celebrating Jackie’s continual venture into her late 20s. She’s been a very present part of our lives and we’re grateful for all the excitement she brings. We’re looking forward to many more memorable hang outs moving forward. I feel lucky just to be included in her invite list (as should Peter).