2011 In Review

2011 has been one of those years that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am so happy I decided to do this post because it made me look back at all the pictures, stories and memories I've created in the past year and how special each and every moment was. 

So take a look back with me....

+ Our after-Christmas/New Years vacation to Waikiki on Oahu, HI. I feel so blessed to be able to go to such a beautiful place with someone I love so much. 

 + I celebrated my 22nd birthday (the 4th one celebrated with J) and was spoiled rotten! 

 + Our poor Ollie got horrible blisters on his feet but did so well as they healed and

+ We spent far too long without furniture waiting for the new stuff to arrive

 + J's birthday was spent with friends from out of town, lots of margaritas and days spent relaxing by the pool. 

 + We graduated! It was a long four years with lots of stress, studying, and wondering when it was going to end but I finished my bachelors degree and J finished his masters. 

 + We spent lots of time taking our pup swimming in the ocean. He loves it so much it's hard to get him out. 

+ J and I celebrated our 4 year dating anniversary! I cannot believe how quickly the time has past and how many amazing memories we've created together. I love that man!

 + We got to spend some time back in CO this summer to celebrate the wedding of two of our great friends. While the drive from SD to CO is never fun we wouldn't miss trips like this for anything.

 + After a lot of stressful paperwork, specific deadlines and lots of finger crossing we finally bought and moved into our first house! We have loved being able to do whatever we wanted in the new house and there's nothing quite like home. 

 + We've done lots of work since we moved but it is all so worth it. A yard for our pup to play in and a guest room to host family and friends.

+ Now that we have this amazing new house we decided to host Thanksgiving for my mom and sister. Our turkey was a big success, I made homemade gravy for the first time ever and we spent some time at the beach. Noting says Thanksgiving like the sun and the sand!

+ The holidays are definitely my favorite time of the year and I was so excited to finally be able to decorate outside as well as inside wherever and however I wanted. I can't wait to make holiday traditions in our new home. 

+ And last but definitely far from least.... J and I got engaged on Christmas Day 2011. I promise that I will do a post soon specific to the details about this but lets just say I have never been happier in my whole entire life. I cannot wait to start planning this wedding and continue to grow our lives together!

Thanks 2011.... 

for an amazing, spectacular, whirlwind year that I'll never forget. 

Things I Learned in Waikiki (part 2)

(1) There's no better view of Waikiki and of the island of Oahu than from the top of the Diamond Head crater. You must climb it.

(2) Do the stair-master at the gym. A flight of 99 steps in a little space with people hurrying behind you and others coming down right next to you it definitely daunting.
(3) Cab drivers can be nice guys and can give you good deals every once in a while. And a cool cab by yourself is much better than a hot crowded bus when you're hot.

(4) Cherish your traditions. Happy 3.5 years baby!
(5) You don't need to spend $50 on a cover to get into a hotel bar to have a good NYE. The top of the Hyatt with more low-key people and a few pina coladas is perfect.

(6) Partial ocean views and a hotel a few blocks off the beach are definitely worth it. In a place like here how much time do you spend in the room anyways? So save your money.
(7) Sipping on apple cider vinegar or putting it in ginger tea can help when you have a stomach ache.

(8) A bath of water and a few cap-fulls of bleach can help with poison ivy, poison oak or other irritating plants.

(9) You'll never realize what's just down the street until you go look. It's like we got dropped in the rain forrest and we were only a few minutes out of the city.
(10) There are rituals you can never experience but they are still amazing to see. Each rock was handed from person to person over a 25 mile stretch by the first people to reach the Hawaiian Islands.
(11) Antipersperant makes bug bites and sun burns stop itching and hurting.

(12) Some people know too much for their own good.

(13) Moving 15 feet out of the tunneled wind can be a matter of life and death if you're lost in the wilderness.
(14) When you're in love, cherish and enjoy every second of your time together.

And in case you missed Part 1, you can read it here

Things I Learned in Waikiki (part 1)

[1] Try to keep your cool when you've landed in paradise and are minus your checked bags. A shower can always wait.

[2] Every sunset will be different.

[3] And every sunset will be gorgeous.

[4] But every sunset will be better when you're on the beach with the one you love.[5] Mai Tai's taste much better when you're looking out on the ocean and they're made with the freshest juice available. It doesn't help that they can be $9 a pop.

[6] Sitting around doing nothing for a few hours while you wait for your turn on the ferry to the USS Arizona memorial can be fun. Relaxation is good for the soul.

[7] A free hot dog never hurt anyone.

[8] There will always be time for quite. For remembrance. For patriotism and for loyalty. And most importantly, for respect.

[9] The Gulf disaster gave a different light on this sort of occurrence. But it's important to consider the situation you are dealing with. Here, these oil leaks are beautiful and mystic.

[10] It's acceptable to pull out the big guns :-)

[11] A cloudy day in Hawaii is not the end of the world. Running through a ridiculous rainfall with soaking jeans and tennis shoes and no umbrella can lead to lasting memories together.

[12] Always pack an umbrella or a rain coat. You never know when you might need it.

[13] And it's also acceptable to people watch. Even if it involves making up your own versions of their lives. Just remember not to be mean.

[14] When the sun does shine you must head to the beach. And even though the water is still cold here, you must fight it anyways and get in to swim.

I'm Back... Finally

I feel like I've been missing the blog world for months now, even though it's really only been a few weeks. Between the traveling to CO to see family for Christmas followed by J and my trip to Hawaii and now scrambling to finish everything I need to before we drive back to SD.... yeah I think you get my point.

Tomorrow is my interview at University of Colorado School of Medicine and I am both nervous and excited beyond belief. Today I am headed to Cherry Creek mall to see if I can find some new dress pants to wear and going to Kinkos (which is now FedEx Office and it totally threw me off) to print out some interview material. I'm going to try and squeeze in a bath for Ollie, all this playing in the backyard with Basil has got him very dirty, and we're going out to dinner with my family tonight.

I promise that I'll do a more in-depth post(s) about our amazing trip to Waikiki but right now I have to register for classes and get out of the house. Here are some pictures to hold you through...

(View of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head)

(Ahhh Pacific Ocean)

(Catching some rays and spending time with my love)

(One stop on our Guides of Oahu tour)

PS- 10 points extra credit from the last picture if anyone can name the scene/episode in LOST where this pool/waterfall was used :-)

The Christmas Spirit

via WeHeartIt

When I woke up this morning I had to run Christmas presents by J's house for his family to open before my family came over for the celebrations. On the way home I decided,

"you know what, I'm going to get my mom and I a Starbucks drink treat because well... it's Christmas"

I pull up to the drive-thru (which was at least 10 cars long and growing, surprising to me for the holiday but whatever) order two Grande, Nonfat, Extra Hot, Caramel Brulee Lattes (yum) and am prepared to pay $8+ for coffee that neither of us really needed and I didn't really have the money to spend on.

I get to the window, stick my arm out of the car with my credit card in hand and the barista-lady says to me...

"the person in front of you paid for your order. Merry Christmas"

Made. My. Day!

That is what the Christmas spirit is truly about. It never ceases to amaze me how something so little from a complete stranger can mean so much and how there will always be people out there with warmth, kindness and giving in their hearts. I hope everyone was able to be blessed with an amazing celebration today filled with great company, joy and a little rejuvenation.

PS- I will be MIA from blog land until after the New Year. Tomorrow is going to be spent packing and running last minute errands before J and I leave on our amazingly perfect trip to Hawaii that I'm jumping out of my skin in excitement for! Eeeee! I will be enjoying Mai Tais on the beach, sight-seeing and spending some much needed quality time with the man in my life. Please have a happy (and safe) New Years and I'll be back in 2011 with lots to post about some homemade gifts I made for the holiday season I couldn't share until now.

via WeHeartIt

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!