A Visit to The Huntington Library

Very delayed…but I am finally getting around to sharing out day at The Huntington Library!

My sis had been here before and recommended it as a nice spot for all of us to go to explore, be in nature, take fun photos and stay safely socially distanced. I was hesitant at first because of the ticket price ($29 for adults!) but after some thought, Kyle and I realized that we have saved a lot of money this year not going anywhere - so it was justifiable! We were able to get out of the house and go somewhere new, and I can confidently say -it was worth the ticket price!!!

We entered the park right after they opened on the most beautiful Saturday! There was plenty of parking and after checking our temps and scanning our tickets, we were in.

It was fun to be there with my sister’s fam and the kids loved the wide open spaces to run around and explore in!

First stop: THE JUNGLE!!!!!! I LOVED this spot. It was like a tropical oasis. The lush greenery gave me major plant envy and I wanted every plant in my house.

Stac and Obi - I love his smile!!!

Ofie, Kyle and Len … it is so fun all hanging out together! The girls love Kyle and he loves them - blessed!

We walked through the DESERT gardens and suddenly really felt like we were in the desert with the blazing heat and dry air! The cacti were really fascinating to look at and it really did feel like a trip to Arizona or Nevada.

One of the best spots in all the land - JAPANESE GARDENS!!!!!! This was one of the main reasons we came to The Huntington Library - we wanted to see the bamboo and the sakura and imagine we were in the motherland.

The sakura were beautifully blooming!

The tiny detail and beauty of every single flower is incredible. I love God’s creation!!!

The Japanese garden here is really incredible. Peaceful, serene and an escape to Japan!

Kyle and all his gear!

Next to the Japanese garden is the Chinese garden which has some of the coolest architecture i’ve ever seen.

Loved this day so much!!!

Thankful for time outdoors, in nature with family <3

A DAY IN SD

A few weekends ago, Kyle and I took a quick drive down to San Diego to surprise one of my best friends on her birthday! We met them at the cliffs for a little social distanced picnic, and after saying bye to them, Kyle and I spent the rest of the day exploring some beautiful places! One of our most favorite spots was the Japanese Friendship Garden inside Balboa Park. Even though I had been to San Diego many times before, this was my first time at the Japanese Garden and it was BEAUTIFUL. Wow. It was like we transported back to Japan for a moment, and it made me so happy.

Here are some pics from that day:

RECENT PHOTO ADVENTURES

I am grateful to have the best adventure partner aka… Kyle (check out his WEBSITE HERE) and we have been going all over Los Angeles, San Pedro, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes and around to check out the views!! And boy let me tell you - they are stunning!! We are truly blessed to call this place home and to enjoy photo adventuring together.

Check out some of our recent shots:

We also have been posting our work over on our instagram account : TOSHIRO_KIYOMI_IMAGES so give us a follow HAHA im kidding, that is so lame. We are not trying to be influencers by any means, we are just using instagram to share our photos with the world and build a portfolio of work.

It’s been fun to share in this hobby with Kyle and it is one (of MANY) details that prove God really knows everything!! He intricately orchestrates even the tiniest details in life to work for out good an His glory. Amen to that!! He is faithful.

Our insta: TOSHIRO_KIYOMI_IMAGES

EXPLORING DOWNTOWN LA

Even though I grew up just outside of downtown Los Angeles, I can’t say I ever spent much time exploring these streets. But ever since our world entered a pandemic, i’ve been eager to explore more locally, finding hidden gems I would have normally glanced over had things been “back to normal”. So I am taking it as a great big blessing to explore my own backyard; the architecture, the scenery, the local spots, good coffee shops, museums (from the outside at least) and storefronts.

Los Angeles is a beautiful, chaotic, melting pot of a city and I am glad to call it home.

And special shout out to THE BEST photographer/adventure human around - Kyle Toshiro!! Check out his website HERE : TOSHXPHOTOGRAPHY where he blogs about cool things like his epic work from home set up (HERE). Having him to adventure with is an incredible gift. God is good!!!

Locations:

THE ROW DTLA
LAVETA COFFEE
VISTA HERMOSA NATURAL PARK
LOWER GRAND
BROAD MUSEUM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
GRAND PARK

TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE

Well folks, here we are. We made it to 2021. Somehow, we made it.

The holidays were sweet. The silver lining to this pandemic is that something as simple as getting to spend the holidays with family is now seen clearly as the complete blessing that it is. We cannot take for granted the time we get with loved ones, the hugs we can give, the warmth in the room when it is filled, the joy of a meal shared. What once was so common, so ordinary, so expected…is now a true gift. This is the silver lining.

Last year for me was not at all what I expected- but yet it was everything I am grateful for. I didn’t end up back in Japan like I was dreaming of, but God had greater plans. He kept me home, kept me safe, gave me priceless time to take care of my parents, be around my family, reconnect to church, pour into young adult ministry, and lo and behold…begin a relationship with someone truly special.

And now looking ahead for this year, I see potential. I also look around in this world we live in and see chaos. But I try not to flood my mind with that. I try to see what God has placed in front of me to work on, to improve, to grow, and focus on His goodness and grace.

A few simple goals for me this year are…

Wake up early every day and pray. (specifically 6AM)
Go on as many bike rides as possible. (Ideally, weekly.)
Create more art and be less afraid to share (find me on insta: CHANIEBON)
Study Japanese (a life long mission)
Live more minimally (clear out the clothes I don’t wear, etc)
Learn to invest money wisely (why don’t they teach us this in school?)

I am praying for wisdom as I got about these goals in 2021! With the world in chaos, the little joys of each day help keep our focus on Jesus, His kingdom come. We need Jesus now more than ever. May He be our peace and safety.