simply homemaker

Hello friends,

I’m writing to you from my desk in my office. Next to me is a bag of Christmas tree decorations because I have taken on the job of designing our team’s Christmas tree this year! Since I didn’t know when all the festivities are going to be (which we have a LOT of here at Cru, praise the Lord), I booked my flight coming back from Texas on December 2, which is the day of the Christmas tree decoration contest. So, my contribution to the contest is designing this tree and making sure my team knows how to put the whole thing together 🙂

In the same bag are some tools (a hammer and three different types of screwdrivers) that I’m returning to my friends Andrew and Jessica today. I’ve been “nesting” and making my house more of a home, and that includes building a bookshelf for my office! My office right now is truly the cutest office space I’ve ever had, and I would just say that I’ve had really cute ones before. Yesterday, I scored also a painting of embroidered puppies at the free thrift store my ministry puts on every six months. Truly, is this thing even real? Too cute!

(Also thankful for friends who own tools because I have no idea where my toolbox that I got for Christmas one year from my friend Alice has gone in the midst of the crazy move from Virginia to Florida!)

I just got done with all my fun travels this year. After the fun trip to Disney World that Blair and I had for my birthday in August, we headed to Washington State on Labor Day weekend to hike Mount Rainier with my friend Corinne. Truly a dream come true: it was just a perfect sunny day and the colors of mountains and sky were out of this world. I looked back at the photos from my phone yesterday and could barely believe I got to see Mt. Rainier in late summer. I also got to meet my friend Corinne’s new boyfriend Yoshiah (Hebrew for Josiah) and we had such a goofy silly time all together!

After Washington, I made my way up to Virginia for a short weekend in early fall to take my seminary class in systematic theology. It has gone extremely well! The class is so fun, engaging, and I’ve been enjoying all my readings and lectures so much. I am actually a little sad that half of the semester has gone by, and that tells you how much of a resident student I am! Virginia was fun as I got to see the Ruffins + lots of friends from my old church in person, and even got to walk through my old Trader Joe’s. The crispy air of fall + pumpkin candles + the familiar aisles were a balm to my soul before rushing to the airport for my flight back (aka barely making it because I wanted to walk home from Trader Joe’s; my apologies to the agent who checked my bag because I definitely looked a little crazy!).

And then came the last trip that I was just on this weekend to Oregon! When I was in Washington, my friend Corinne told me that she was moving home to Oregon and that if I liked Washington, I would love Oregon. So, I took the bait and bought tickets for barely two months after, and voila, peak fall in Portland. Truly one of the best trips + falls I’ve ever seen, and I just have just spent the fall in Europe last year. I got to see the famous Columbia River Gorge, Multimah Falls, and had the best bun cha (a traditional dish from my hometown) I’ve had in the U.S. I almost wish I lived in Oregon so I could go to this restaurant every week, but also, I guess I should not be spending $18.99 on a dish that would have costed $2.5 at home.

So now I’ve come back from alll my fun traveling and officially planning for the cold weather festivities! Friendsgiving is only 9 days away, and I’m picking up my tables and chairs this weekend! This is my fifth Friendsgiving I’ve hosted and this year, they are all new friends again (last year cannot really count because we were all exchange students in Switzerland). Friends are picking up paper plates and lending me butcher paper, helping me pick up tables and chairs, and signing up to bring food. I’m praying in my heart that this is a time that blesses everyone. I think we would all benefit from a moment to slow down, eat a meal together, and give thanks to the One who made all things. My heart would also be encouraged by all the friends and community events here before going home and having little to no community for three weeks.

This year, I am somewhat determined to find community at home. I actually want to show up to ALL the community events that they have at the local church. My parents, who are not believers, usually do not get it, but it’s just so silly to me how I always let that influence how I’m going to be spending my life. I do not need to go to Starbucks every Sunday. For the past few years, I’ve treated coming home to Vietnam as to primarily see friends and family again, which is important, but I’ve neglected my relationship with the place and the people of God there outside of my family obligations. I’m excited to be potentially joining a Bible study when I am visiting home!

How is my year of Sabbath going, you might be asking? Well, it’s a loaded question, because a lot has happened in life as I’ve just told you. In between these trips, I squeezed in babysitting, dogsitting, and ministry events, which have somewhat normalized my life. I read lots of theology books and watch lots of lectures for my class. I even got to take myself to H-Mart. I’ve been discovering more and more Christian music and have come to love singing again. I’ve been listening to Anne of Green Gables, Sally Clarkson, and all my DTS Chapel sermons in the car and before bed. I go to fall festivals, and get coffee with my friends, and make a lot of homecooked meals.

It’s been 5 months since I’ve tried to have a Sabbath year experience, and I think I’ve succeeded in some ways and failed in other ways.

Successes: Getting 9 hours of sleep. Doing creative things, like singing and writing for fun and thrifting. Cooking meals. In the early process of Christian counseling. Rediscovering my style now that I don’t live in Virginia/DC anymore and also no longer a student. Recording what I’m thankful for using the Gifts and Gratitudes journal by Ann Voskamp. Building community through a women’s Bible study at church and with BSF. Calling my family fairly often, and not just immediate family.

Failures: Still feeling at times like I move 110mph. Still going on at least a trip a month. Still saying yes to more things than I should.

So in light of these discoveries, here are the things I’m hoping to change for the remainder of what I call my Sabbath year.

Change 1: Not booking anymore trip until at least June 2026 (I think I might go crazy, but we shall see). This is the biggest change.

Change 2: Sticking to a $100/month budget for fun things. This is not because I don’t want to spend more money on fun things (my theology about this has changed), but it’s because I want to limit my time of doing things. I want to spend more time being.

Change 3: Incorporating more activities of being present into my life: walking, reading, baking, going to a coffee shop. I will plan at least one activity a day until the end of the year!

Change 4: Acquire only one new thing a month until the end of this year (June 2026). This is partly because I want to save money, but mainly because I want to lower my consumption of things. And by planning this out, I will get something that I will actually need, not just something that I want and can do without. The list of items does not include: necessary toiletries, food, and books for work and seminary (only the recommended reading list).

Change 5: Being on my phone less. I have just decided that my purchase for the month of November is actually a Brick, and I am SO excited to be using it! If you don’t know, it’s a little object that will actually require you to physically retrieve it to unlock some apps on your phone.

Summary of my five changes: no more trips until end of year, $100 monthly fun budget, one present activity/day, one new thing a month, and being on my phone less.

In the spirit of transparency, I will be traveling lots without planning any extra one: Thanksgiving in Texas, Christmas in Vietnam, and two trips to Virginia next year to attend a seminary class which I’m so excited for. I’m also (hint at the beginning of the blog) planning to stop in Paris on the way home to Vietnam, Lord willing. But not planning another trip just because I can will be a huge commitment that I’m not used to!

I am open to ALL the ideas of things I can do in my free time if I’m not traveling and doing all the fun things anymore. Books, movies, museums, theaters, ways that I can invest well with my $100 monthly budget.

I know it will be challenging, and I WILL feel somewhat depressed by not traveling as much as I used to. But, as I’m beginning the journey of slowing down and even getting some help doing so, I know I need to be here, waiting, being patient, with open hands toward God is going to do in my life.

I know I will be temped to buy and acquire things, but I look back and am amazed at how God has brought so much joy, relationships, and memories into my life during a time when I didn’t have much.

I know I can do this through Christ who gives me strength. And I’m hoping to update you once a month as I’m working toward these exact 5 goals.

SO grateful that you are still here, friend, as life evolves, shifts, grows, and even changes. May we be diligent students of the Word and of the World until we arrive at our eternal Kingdom.

Love,

Tram