Best of 2013 & What's in Store for us in 2014!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013- Ian proposed to me while we were in California for Spring Break. He took me to our favorite park just up the street from our house and planned out a picnic for us. We were pretty much the only ones there, so it was quiet and peaceful. We were just laying on the blanket talking, and he told me to get up so he could "fix the blanket." I stood up, and when I did, he reached into his pocket, and I immediately started tearing up. I knew what was happening, but I could hardly believe it!! I just covered my face and started crying, and so did he. It was such a special moment I will remember forever. 

Saturday, August, 17, 2013- Ian and I got married in the Oakland Temple for all eternity. We made a promise to each other that day to fully commit ourselves to loving each other forever. Marriage is a huge step, especially for a 20-year old, but I couldn't be happier with my choice. I am young, married, and happy.  I get to experience all of life's challenges and joys with my best friend. He completes me. Our wedding day was definitely the hallmark of the year, and I would re-live that day over and over again.

September 1, 2013- We moved to Hudson Oaks, Texas where Ian is from. We lived in his beautiful home for 4 months. While he worked at a car dealership, I worked at a nice daycare/learning center. Ian was less than excited to work at the Toyota dealership, but he endured it and is excited he never has to work there again! On the other end of the spectrum, I loved my job. I found that working with children and teaching them, can be very rewarding. I grew to love my little 2 and 4 year old kiddos. It's crazy what kind of a bond you form with children, in such a short period of time! I will miss them.

But we have NEW things in store for us for 2014....

Tomorrow we are leaving Texas and heading to Idaho to go back to school. We go to school from January to July, and then we are off in the fall, so it's already time to head back. The 5 months we are home, goes by so fast! And this time around, since we got married, it went by even faster. But we were able to save up money for school and have some quality time as newlyweds.

New/First Apartment Together- We have been spoiled living in Ian's huge home. We have been more than comfortable here, and now we are going to have to live in a tiny apartment up at BYU-Idaho. But I have to say, I am so excited to decorate the place and make it my own. Even though we had this house to ourselves, it didn't quite feel like my own, so the apartment will be nice in a way. Our first humble abode :)

Ian will be graduating in 2014!!  We will be looking forward to July when Ian gets to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications/PR. We are studying the same thing in school, but Ian is going on to get a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration. So he still has awhile until he's DONE DONE with school for good, but this is a milestone for sure.

New Diet-  I am not one to try some new diet fad, but Ian and I have decided to make a diet change for medical reasons this year. We are going to try and go gluten free and eliminate refined sugar, and reduce dairy in our diet ( because Ian is lactose intolerant) We eat healthy anyway so you might wonder why we're "dieting." But what we're really trying to do is make a lifestyle change to help Ian's mild psoriasis.

Recently his skin condition has flared up and no medications are working for him. Doctors tell him that his "last resort" is to try immunosuppressants. But there is no way in heck is going to do that. It seems like there are more risks than benefits associated with taking that.

He's done a lot of research, trying to find a less risky way of getting rid of it. He found that people who eliminated gluten and sugar from their diet, saw their psoriasis improve dramatically. Wow, I sound like an infomercial right there. haha So he wanted to give it a try, and I wanted to support him in this diet change.

It's not going to be easy, that's for sure. We won't be able to indulge in the same kinds of foods that I love so much, but I am going to try hard and find new recipes we can still enjoy. I know there's more and more recipe books and brands that carry gluten-free products. And I like eating healthy so it shouldn't be terrible...

We'll let you know if it work for us. No doubt, we'll probably have our cheat days ;)

That's all I can think of for now, that will be new for us...we'll just have to wait and see what awaits us in 2014.

I wish you the best for the coming year. Have a very happy New Year!!

Honeymoon in Paradise

Now that we're in the midst of winter, I am especially missing the tropical weather that we enjoyed in Hawaii. There is something about being in the sunshine that makes me so happy. I always knew I wanted to go to Hawaii for my honeymoon, but I thought we wouldn't be able to afford such a luxurious trip. But Ian's parents were very gracious, and they paid for our honeymoon as our wedding gift! I still can't believe how generous they are. Talk about amazing in-laws! So we chose the island of Maui, mostly because my parents had been there and loved it, and Ian had already been to some of the other islands. So Maui it was!

 Bon Voyage
We headed to the airport two days after our honeymoon on Monday, and it was a 5 hour plane ride. It was the first time Ian and I had flown together. We definitely goofed around a lot on the plane and were lovey dovey more than our fellow passengers probably appreciated. But hey, we are newlyweds afterall :)

As we were preparing to land I looked out the window and  it did not look like I expected, and I was suddenly thinking maybe Hawaii wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Boy was I wrong! At first it looked dry and mountainous and I didn't see ANY palm trees. What the heck! No palm trees in Hawaii?! Madness. But once we got closer to our destination, I saw all the palm trees and my doubts quickly vanished.

When we got out of our terminal I realized the airport was all open and I felt the heavy humidity weighing down on my lungs. That I was not used to, but I was just so excited to be there I hardly noticed later on. We got our rental car ( the guy at the desk tried to convince to get a corvette...newlyweds? Like that's in the budget!). I don't remember what kind of car we got, but that doesn't matter. It took us forever to get our rental, but once we did, we had another 45 minutes until we got to the "Royal Kahana" the condo we were staying at for 6 days.

We drove through a curvy mountain side and drove past all the sugar cane. A guy at the rental desk said that sugar cane we saw is not so common anymore in many of the other Hawaiin islands. We passed the beautiful ocean. There were little beaches everywhere along side the road. We were staying on the other side of the island where all of the hotels and tourist sites are. One of the first buildings we saw was a Stake Center that was just being built. I already felt at home! What is unique about Hawaii, is that even though there is a string of beaches, on the other side of the road there is a green, lush mountainside. Maui was everything I thought it would be!! Absolutely stunning.

Ian and I were surprised to see that there were not many waves in the ocean though. I guess that is normal in Maui, so there weren't many surfers.

Royal Kahana in Lahaina, Maui
We went into the Royal Kahana and to our delight we received a free upgrade to an ocean view room! We were so happy. We were on the 7th floor and we stepped into our condo and it was all decorated in island things. We had our own little kitchen ( which we never cooked in; but we stored things in the fridge) and our bed was right next to a sliding glass door that led out  to a balcony. Well by the time we got to our condo, the sun was setting. The view was priceless! We could see the beach perfectly.

We heard that there was going to be an informational meeting about what there was to do on the island. So Ian and I decided to go to the next morning. But before we went to the  meeting on Tuesday, we went for a morning stroll on the beach that was in our "backyard" as the sun was rising. It was perfect. When we got to the meeting, the concierge announced they would be doing a drawing for free tickets to events in Maui. I was feeling pretty lucky, being newlyweds and all. Sure enough, this old Asian man pulled our ticket out and we won a free ticket worth $75 to a popular cultural show called the "Ulalena." We were thrilled!!

The Week's Highlights

We then sat down and planned everything we could do that week with our amazing concierge. He told us all the greatest stuff to do in Maui and the best places to eat...and most importantly where the best sushi restaurant was (Sansei). Since Ian and I absolutely LOVE sushi more than anything, this was a must. What better place to get sushi than in Hawaii?

Snorkeling & Molokini-We used some snorkeling gear at our resort and explored the lovely beach in our own "backyard." Hawaiian  water is SO warm! No beach in California can compare. I felt like I was swimming in a warm bath. It was amazing! We spent a few days just going to the beaches around us and exploring the ocean life. My favorite snorkeling adventure was the beach at the Sheraton hotel. We got to see sting rays and schools of fish...we didn't see that anywhere else, so that was exciting! That was our last snorkeling round, so I was so happy we got to see some new creatures.

One day we even ran into two giant sea turtles, and Ian tried to ride one!! Come to find out, there is a $10,000 fine for touching the sea turtles...oops! Good thing we didn't get caught ;)

We also went on an actual snorkeling expedition in Molokini with the company "QuickSilver."  Molokini is a crater where there is supposedly a lot of fish you can't see in other parts of the ocean.

It was fun being on a double-deck boat, but I have to say the snorkeling wasn't all that impressive. There weren't a lot of fish. But the fish we did see had brilliant patterns and colors! We were able to see lots of sea turtles, but I have to say the snorkeling we did on our own was more fun, and we saw more variety of fish. Surprising, I know! But being able to see the other side of Maui with all the beautiful homes and scenery was worth it. We even spotted some dolphins on our way back to shore.

Ulalena Show- This is the show we won a ticket to, so we couldn't pass it up! It is a performance, showcasing the culture of Maui and the legends behind its origin. This show was spectacular. It was kind of a mixture of broadway and cirque du soleil. There was lots of beautiful singing accompanied by a live band who played local instruments unique to their culture. They were telling a story at the same time. The coolest part of the show was when there was a storm or something ( I don't remember exactly) and they pulled a giant piece of bright fabric over the audience.That was awesome! I definitely recommend this show. It was very entertaining and well done!

Luau at the Sheraton- I enjoyed this activity the best! The luau was a blast. First of all, the location of the luau was gorgeous! The Sheraton hotel is high end and the outdoor area seems like it comes from a magazine--but then again, everywhere in Maui looked like it could be in a magazine. The show was just before the sun was setting, and there was a beautiful beach for our view and a lovely black rock cliff in the distance. When we got there, they had a lady taking everyone's picture before we entered in and received the leis I've been waiting for our whole trip!

We had premium seats, which meant our table was right in the front. I couldn't have asked for a better spot! We were right next to the stage and the men playing their ukuleles and drums. Since we were in the front, we got to be the first ones to indulge in the huge banquet of food! Of course, before they did this, they did the ceremonial unearthing of the pig. Something like that. haha They had all of us gather around the pit where they cooked the pig and then they had two burly Hawaiian men pick it up and unwrap it. It was neat to get a "taste" of their cultural...literally.


All the food at the luau was delicious. I got to try mahi-mahi for the first time. They had rolls that were made out of a special grain called "taro," that gives it a purple tint. The food was dang good, but the show was even better!

Not only did we get to enjoy some amazing hula dancing, but I got to watch my new husband get up on stage and attempt to hula dance, along with 50 other newlywed men! Priceless I tell you. I was loving it so much, I even took a video! I couldn't pass up recording entertainment at its finest. haha  They had ALL the newlyweds stand up and there were a ton of us! But I was so happy I didn't have to be the one doing the hula on stage for all 500 people to watch me! Yikes.

It doesn't stop there. And this is one reason why the luau was my favorite night!! Towards the end of the luau the hula dancers came into the audience and picked people from the crowd to go up and dance with them on stage. Well this girl dancer came up to Ian and pulled him on stage! I was laughing so hard, because he already had to endure one round of being in the spotlight. But he was such a good sport about it.

We got our picture taken again at sunset, making the most gorgeous backdrop. We paid a whopping $20 on that single picture! Ridiculous, but everything in Hawaii is expensive. Take a trip to the grocery store and you'll know what I mean.

I could go on for days about our honeymoon, but all I'm gonna say is that it was the most perfect, romantic way to start our new life together and we didn't want to leave. We were incredibly blessed to be able to go on such a luxurious trip. It was certainly unforgettable!

We hope to be visiting Maui in the future <3

Merry Christmas Y'all!

The day after Christmas is always a sad one. I have been anticipating Christmas since October, and then when the day arrives, it goes by so darn fast! But oh how it was a lovely one. There is nothing like waking up with your husband Christmas morning and being excited like little kids together. The one thing that has changed about Christmas now that I am older is that I definitely don't wake up at 5:30 a.m. anymore! Glad I grew out of that tradition! But this year, Ian woke up at 6! I slept in until 8.

Ian's mom flew home from Korea last Monday, and we are glad she got to come home and spend Christmas with us. Kenny stayed in Korea because he has to work. We missed him!

Sherry has been baking up a storm here!! I think I've had more cookies in the last week than I have had in months! She's made chocolate crackle cookies and those yummy Hershey's kiss peanut butter cookies. Not only did she bake about 5 dozen of those, but she made her own Chex Mix and Caramel Corn. And for Christmas she made us our own pies! I requested Banana Cream Pie, and then she made an amazing cream cheese pie, that I seriously could become addicted to. I will definitely be asking her for the recipes :) She is talented in the kitchen, that's for sure!

As our first Christmas as "Mr. and Mrs." Ian and I decided to just make a  list for each other of things we would enjoy getting. Of course, for me this was easy...all I wanted was clothes and things for our new  apartment. Ian really didn't want much, so that made it difficult. He already has enough clothes to start his own clothing line ( no joke) and he already has ME, so what more could he possibly want?? ;) But really, he did find a few things he liked. I surprised him with a customized tie hanger with his initials on them. And even though he's terrible at surprising me, he bought me some things on his own! He is such a sweetheart, and bought me things he knew I had been wanting. I really love how he is a great listener that way.

I know this sounds cliche, but Christmas wasn't really about the presents we got each other. Family is what matters. No presents can really compare to having these wonderful people in my life!!

And this Christmas was the first time I was away from my family in California, which was hard. I wish they weren't so far away. We wanted to go down there, but it would cost too much. Next year! But I was able to have fun with Sherry, decorating her house and beautiful 9 foot Christmas tree. Sherry uses all glass ornaments, that I think I would like to use in the future. I tried to get Ian to put up ornaments with us, but he got bored after hanging up two. haha

Then we hung up wreaths on all the outside windows and put up little trees on the front porch.

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. And being married made it even more special than usual. Last year, I was wishing that I could marry the man of my dreams, and this time, he's all mine! It's funny how when you get older, things become less important and making memories that will last, mean more. I love this time of year, and all the magic it brings, and for the reminder that our Savior is the greatest gift we could ever receive.

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and were able to experience the blessings of the holiday season!

Iced In

As some of you may know, my husband and I moved to Hudson Oaks, Texas in September when we got back from our amazing honeymoon in Maui. Let's just say I could have left my life on the continental United States for Hawaii easily. I will post pictures and journal entries from our honeymoon later.

Anyway, Ian my husband, is from Texas so we have moved back into his beautiful home! It is located in a lovely neighborhood that is PERFECT for my runs. Lots of hills and pretty scenery to look at! So we are living here while his parents are living in South Korea. Yep! That's right. They are living abroad! His dad is a mechanical engineer who works in aerospace. He does stress analysis on helicopters and airplanes. Pretty cool! So we are blessed to have this gorgeous home as our "first" place, as we take care of things for them while they're away. BUT Ian and I are going back to school in January and his parents are moving back to the states, so we won't be here much longer. I'm definitely going to miss living here, and even more when we're stuck in a tiny apartment in Rexburg, Idaho!! It's going to be SO COLD there. But guess what? It's been FREEZING here in Texas!!

What you see here is not snow, but PURE ICE!! Since Thursday, the weather has been crazy. It's been about 18 F which is pretty unusual for Texas, even this time of year. I left work early on Thursday and my little Smart car was caked in a thick sheet of ice. I have never really scraped ice off my car before ( being the spoiled Californian that I am) so I was apparently not doing a very good job, because one of my friends at work came up to me and offered to scrape off my car for me! She was such a sweetheart to stand out in the cold when she could be going home. I was so thankful for her service. We were laughing because after she scraped her car off she realized her door was frozen shut!! Yeah, how terrible is that? I made sure her car was all ready to go before I left her. So crazy! So I got home early that night and by then it was sleeting the WHOLE NIGHT! The reason you don't see my Smartcar in this picture is because we decided to put it in the garage for the night. That poor little car would've turned into an ICE BOX if we had left it out all night. I slept in the next morning and Ian had been up. He came into our room and grabbed my hand and told me to close my eyes. He then took me in the backyard and I opened my eyes to a winter wonderland!! I was so excited because it looked like it had snowed all night. See, what's weird is even though it looks like snow it's not. It's just little beads of frozen rain! Weird, huh? We decided to dress warm and play outside anyway. We slid around on the ice but it was so cold we didn't last long out there! Both of our work places shut down for the day and we had a whole day to just relax and watch Christmas movies and bake cookies. Cliche I know, but it was a great day! On Saturday, Ian didn't have work either. But by the end of the day we were tired of being stuck inside! I wanted to be able to run Christmas errands but the roads are way too dangerous to drive on. And today we are inside cuddling and not doing much. Who knows if we'll have work tomorrow...it doesn't seem to be melting at all. This has been a fun weekend! I've never been "iced in" before! And never thought it would've happened to me of all places, in TEXAS! haha The weather here is crazy.