How we met.

So lately many people have asked how Robert and I met. So here is our story...

I was having a crap day and my friend Phu told me he was going out to a few parties that night, and asked me if I wanted to go. We ended up downtown Seattle with 3 different parties to attend, as we were driving we just so happened to stop at his friend Moses' business launch party at a club called Amber (this ended up being the only party we attended that night). Phu and I walked in and everyone there asked if I was his girl friend, I quickly, awkwardly... and loudly announced that I was not, and would not ever be Phu's girl friend. This was followed by me awkwardly sitting on a couch...about 20 min later a group of guys came in, I was introduced to them and Robert asked if I wanted a drink. For the record I have never been offered a drink from someone I didn't know...let alone accepted it. We ended up spending the whole night dancing and talking (who talks at a club...not most people...). A few weeks passed, randomly when I was out on a camping trip he sent me a text and asked if I wanted to go see a Sounders game. At first I was really confused because my phone had broken a few days before, so I had no idea who the number was. I had also received the message a day late because I was out of cell service. I responded explaining the situation (but from what he said later on, he really thought I just was blowing him off). This ended up happening a few more times, one of the times I was in San Francisco, another night I was already out. Finally I texted him to hang out; of all things it was to go tubing down a river, only to later find out Rob is terrified of water... although he didn't mention it and actually agreed to go. LOL... Plans changed, we never went tubing but we did hang out, and well after that we never stopped hanging out :P

I look incredibly derpy in this picture, but this was the night we met! 

This was on my way to Phu's 

Health. A Better Me.

As many of you know, I have a slew of health problems...the one that effects me the most would be my back. I thought today was a fine day to explain (to those who either haven't asked, were too afraid to ask, or just didn't have any idea) a little about my back.

First off let me start out by saying, I do everything in my power to live an absolutely normal life, and to avoid the pity party that tends to come along with my condition. That being said I wake up everyday with the intent of accomplishing everything anyone else could do (that doesn't mean I can accomplish everything or that everyday is a success but I do my best).

So here is a little about my back:
At the age of 12 I was diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis, in short it's a condition that causes your vertebrae to slide forward, in time causing a pars defect (the sides of the vertebrae break off). When I was 18 and in severe pain to the point I could barely walk, my doctor decided to fuse my spine.  5 years post spinal fusion, my spine still has not fused like intended... I still have constant pain. After multiple small surgeries to burn the nerves in my lower back to help with pain I feel daily (in  my legs, butt and lower back), I finally have given up on trying to "fix" the pain.

side note---There is an amazing article which I recommend everyone read, it's called "The Spoon Theory". A friend sent it to me a little less than a year ago. I have to say I sobbed like a baby when I read it;  it perfectly describes how I live my life. In her case, the woman has Lupus (a completely different condition), however I relate to her on so many levels.---

Here is a picture of my spine from a few years ago (when I was Kate Bowers...).


After years and years of physical therapy, surgeries, being on and off medications, I am currently "drug free" and have been that way for over a year (with the exception of the occasional flare up). I avoid pain meds of all kinds unless absolutely necessary. It has been a constant struggle managing my pain without medication or any other intervention. When I was younger, I was always active in all kinds of sports; I played on a co-ed soccer team up until 2 months before my fusion (while in severe pain)...with my current condition, doctors recommend avoiding all sports with the exception of swimming or recumbent biking. If you know me very well, you know I don't give up easily, and I tend to push the limits... Last year I joined a flag football team and this year I have signed up for 3, yes 3 5k's! I have started working out regularly at the gym again and have already improved my mile by nearly 4 minutes within just 2 weeks! That all being said, my pain is not any better; I still have sleepless nights of pain, I still have the occasional day where I can barely move, but I'm fighting. If you have done the math already I have been in 12 years of pain and I'm still fighting.

I have the best support and really have never been happier. My future is important and with all of the negative talk from doctors, its difficult not to get down (especially when it comes to work and having a family).  Mental health is extremely important when dealing with pain (or any medical condition for that matter), I know when I feel happy, I feel good. So I am now doing everything in my power to make me happy and to be successful in all that I do.

First Kiss

I watched this lovely video today on youtube that was called "Watching Complete Strangers Kiss for the First Time".

This brought me back to the first kiss I shared with Robert (hopefully your not thinking eww gross why is she talking about this...) I am definitely not the most romantic person nor have I ever dated anyone very romantic. Things for me have always gone too fast and ended so abruptly. For the first time I was in a relationship with a person who wanted to take it slow, and as some of you know...we took it very slow. We met in April and dated for months before we even said we were actually together. We didn't share our first kiss until the night of July 25th.. and yes I remember the day and the night and every event after. For days we kept getting so close to kissing, we would brush up against each others faces; I would get out of the truck and go to say good bye and have to force myself to not kiss him. He said he wanted to wait. So we waited, but that night I don't think we could wait any longer.
---funny side note, I secretly thought he was probably going to be a horrible kisser because he had showed me a picture of him kissing a girl friend he had before (well not just that picture it was a ton of pictures and that just happened to be one of them), and they were kissing so awkwardly...---

So that night we were at a friends birthday party and Robert and I were sitting on a bench outside talking, it was a warm night under the stars. It was magical and perfect; honestly I don't think I had EVER had a magical kiss. This one was different.

Here is a picture from that night :P

My First Filipino Wedding

This weekend, Robert and I attended his cousins wedding. For the record this was my 1st Filipino wedding and I'm sure it wont be my last :P We had a really good time, Robert was the MC and I did photographs for them. Here are a few photos from the wedding (I took a ton...)!