Spring Break in Hawaii Part 7: Our Last Adventures

We got up early and headed straight to Hanauma Bay, where our friends work. It was cool to see the tram system they run there. Nathan and I relaxed (and napped) on the beach for a good while. When we got up Amanda and Blake were walking toward us with a smoothie. (I'm telling you they are the nicest people ever!!!) We enjoyed our smoothie and then got ready to go snorkeling.

Snorkeling is always a little weird for me at first. I have to tell myself it's ok to breathe while my face is under water. We had a blast snorkeling there. The water was very clear and there were hundreds of fish! Big ones, small ones, plain ones, colorful ones, crazy ones. They were awesome.

We didn't see a Sea Turtle like we were hoping, but we did see a.... JELLYFISH!!! Scared the crap out of us! We did not want to get stung! No thank you! They ended up having to close the Bay because more than 35 people were stung by the box jellyfish. We were very glad we weren't one of those 35 people.

Though we were sad we had to leave Hanauma Bay sooner than we would have liked, it worked out great because then our friends had the rest of the day off and we got to do stuff together with our last full day on the island. We had pizza for lunch at Costco together. (It's what the locals do.) Then we did another hike together on the old highway to a tall trickling waterfall. (After rainfall it's a lot more full.) It was really cool to walk on the old highway with all of the overgrowth and stuff, and the mountains... breathtaking! While hiking we found the biggest flower ever! It was probably as big as a sunflower, but it was a tropical one.

After our hike we headed to a beach with the softest and whitest sand we had ever touched or seen. It was amazing! We loved it! On our way home we stopped to get some Malasadas, a popular pastry on the island. They are very good. Once we were home Blake taught us how to make leis. We picked plumerias from the tree in their back yard and put them together with dental floss and a needle. They smelt so good! It was the perfect way to end our night in Oahu.

The next morning we woke up and packed. I tried to soak up everything from that last morning. The birds chirping, the golden sun over the luscious green mountains, and the sweet sweet smell of the plumeria tree. Then we and drove to Hanauma Bay one last time. We didn't have time to swim or anything, but we wanted to say goodbye to our friends and thank them again for the amazing time. They made our trip absolutely perfect and there is no way we can ever thank them enough. It was beautiful at the bay that morning. I didn't want to leave that sight.

We had had the most perfect vacation possible! We were excited to be heading home, but had felt like Oahu was our home the whole time we were there. Flying out of Oahu was bitter sweet. Looking out of the plane window and taking it all in one last time. The turquoise blue water, white sandy beaches, and tall green mountains. What an amazing place! It truly is paradise!

Spring Break in Hawaii Part 6: Laei Temple and the PCC

We woke up the next day and headed north east to the Polynesian Cultural Center at BYUHawaii. We walked around the Temple grounds very first thing. It took us a while to find the temple... We kept going around in circles, but eventually we found our way. The temple grounds were absolutely beautiful! I couldn't get enough pictures of it. After we grabbed some lunch and took it to the beach before going to the PCC. While eating at the beach there was a Monk Seal just relaxing in the sun. Wild life is so cool.

The PCC was pretty fun. I loved learning about the different cultures from the many islands in the Pacific. We met a very nice man from Fiji who gave us our own private raft tour and taught us how to make braided headbands out of banana tree leaves. He also jumped and picked me a flower from the top of a near by tree. (He was very very tall!) The show at the end of the night was amazing. All about the family and cultures from the islands. The music and dancing was awesome. Those fire dancers are brave!

When we were done we headed straight back home to go to bed. We had to get up early the next day to make the most of our last full day in paradise.

 .......To Be Continued.......

Spring Break in Hawaii Part 5: Pearl Harbor

Nathan and I woke up early and headed straight to Pearl Harbor. (It's crazy how quickly tour spots fill up for the day.)

The reverence and feelings at that place are indescribable. We walked around the grounds, toured the submarine and museums, and then had the opportunity to go out to the USS Arizona. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like that day on December 7. The memorial was beautiful. I am so grateful to all of the men and women who have served and do serve our country.

Later that day we found a new beach to relax at and had a yummy picnic for dinner while there. Then we went and walked around Waikiki. We ended up walking through one of the hotel grounds. Oh my goodness was it nice. The hotel was right on the beach. From the hot tubs and swimming pool you could see and hear the ocean. Palm trees and tiki torches were everywhere.

Super fancy I tell you. It was really peaceful to walk along the beach that night and listen to the waves.

 .......To Be Continued.......

Spring Break in Hawaii Part 4: Enjoying the Island with Friends

We had the opportunity to hang out with Blake and Amanda and her brother Aaron for the day. We went on a beautiful little hike together. At the end of the hike was a little waterfall with some rocks to jump off of. The water was freezing, but it was so much fun!

Then we got some Dole Whips (They are sooooooooo good! oh my!) on our way up to North Shore. We were going to snorkel at a place called Shark's Cove but the waves were too rough. We found another beach and played in the ocean and enjoyed the sun. These waves were still bigger than I'm use to playing in. We definitely got a little beat up. It was exciting!

Chickens and their chicks are everywhere by the way! It's crazy! There are even chickens at their house!

Matsumotos was a must stop for shaved ice. Holy cow that stuff is good! Thankfully we got there right before a huge tour bus stopped by. It was great hanging out with our friends and driving all over Oahu. It made me feel like we were actually living there.

Later that night Nathan and I went to Waikiki to watch the sun set. It was a perfect sunset that night. The pictures we got were incredible, and they still don't give justice to the actual thing!

These are different sunsets throughout the trip. The colorful ones are from that night.

 .......To Be Continued.......

Spring Break in Hawaii Part 3: Swimming with Dolphins

I could definitely get use to waking up in paradise!

Nathan and I woke up to the sound of birds singing and the smell of sweet flowers. We looked out the window to the breathtaking scenery of Plumeria trees and the golden rays of the sun rising over the lush green mountains. Words cannot even describe how peaceful and incredible that moment was. I've never woken up so refreshed and exhilarated at 6 in the morning.

We got up and ready and were greeted with breakfast! We have the nicest friends!!! First they are nice enough to let us stay with them, and then they are sharing a delicious breakfast with us! While eating breakfast Amanda said she would love to meet up with us at Sea Life Park and take pictures of us swimming with the dolphins. Amanda I cannot thank you enough!!!! We were so excited by this super nice offer and happily offered to pay her instead of spend a fortune on the one or two pictures we could get from the parks photos.

Before Sea Life Park opened we drove around a bit. I loved having the ocean on the right and the mountains on the left. Wherever we looked we were surrounded by beauty. We found a beach close by and enjoyed the ocean! The water was so clean and warm! It was the most beautiful blue against the soft cream sand and green trees. Nathan and I practically had the beach ourselves. HEAVEN! 

After our relaxing morning on the beach we headed over to the park. We saw sharks, sea turtles, penguins, birds, and sting rays. We watched feeding time for the seals and a seal show. (They are so cute and talented.) Then we headed over to watch the dolphin show. I love dolphins! And as soon as the dolphin show was over I was going to SWIM with them!!!!! That's all I could think about while we watched. I was getting super super excited and a little bit nervous. My dream was finally coming true and I couldn't believe it!

It was finally time to get set up for our dolphin swim. OH MY GOODNESS!!!  Getting in the water was a little colder than I expected, but I didn't care. Nathan and I were going to swim with and feel and kiss dolphins!!! The first time the dolphin swam past us was surreal. We got to stretch out our hands and feel the top and then their stomach. Dolphins are soooo soft and slippery. Then we got to take turns holding and kissing the dolphins. I finally kissed a dolphin!!! 

We swam out to the deeper part of the water and took turns doing the "Foot Push" and then later the "Dorsal Fin Pull". It was amazing to feel the power of the dolphins push you up out of the water! Nathan was a born natural and made it all the way across while on the dolphins. (He also got slammed in the hip by one on accident... oops..) I got up on the foot push but slipped halfway through. (They are slippery I tell you! but it was so cool!) The dorsal fin pull was really fun too! I felt like I was in the movie "Flipper".

We got to tell the dolphins to do tricks, feed them some fish, feel their skin, and learned a lot about them. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and was everything I hoped it would be! Amanda was amazing and took so many pictures!  I love them so much!!!

When we were leaving Sea Life Park there was a down pore of rain for about 5 minutes and then it was beautiful and sunny the rest of the day. Nathan and I did more exploring of the island and went to Sam's Club to purchase some snacks. It was weird going to a Sam's that was up about 3 stories above a Walmart and parking in a parking garage.

That evening we walked around Waikiki a bit to find a place to eat dinner. Of course we chose a pizza place. Then it was back to the house and to bed so we could start again bright and early the next day.

.......To Be Continued....... 

Spring Break in Hawaii Part 2: Flight Delayed...

I woke up to the sound of my alarm super excited. I sat up and found Nathan already awake. He told me he had received a text 30 minutes earlier saying our flight had been delayed another two hours.... WHAT?!?! That is not what I wanted to wake up to! We discussed what we should do with those extra hours, and eventually decided to just head to the airport for the previous time in hopes that they wouldn't really be delayed that long. (Not our brightest decision.)

We ended up spending our Easter Sunday chilling at the Boise Airport for 6 hours... They provided us with food vouchers as some compensation for our delay, which was nice, and gave us free drinks as well while we sat at our terminal. To help pass the time Nathan and I played some Pinball at the arcade and Ticket to Ride on our phones. (It was also nice to have the scriptures to read to help make it feel a little more like Easter Sunday.) The thing that made the wait seem extra long was that the plane and crew were all there and ready to go. We were just waiting for the pilot to get his rest (12 hours of rest... goodness!)

The pilots finally arrived and we were all ready to go. They started up the engines and... They died!!! I kid you not! They had to jump start the engines! That sure made us feel excited to fly over thousands of miles of ocean.... Thankfully we managed to get up into the air and were on our way to Hawaii!

I've never flown over an ocean before. It was amazing.. and slightly scary. When the clouds cleared up I could see the rippling waves across the vast blue ocean. The sunset was golden and heavenly. We arrived to the island after the sun had set. Flying into Oahu at night was pretty cool! There were lights all around the boarder of the island and pure blackness in the middle and on the ocean.

Once we had landed and got our rental car we drove through the night life of Waikiki. We loved seeing all of the people still out and about and the silhouettes of palm trees along the beach. When we drove close to the shore we could hear the gentle waves, but couldn't really see the ocean from the car. We were slightly bummed that we had to spend most of our day at the airport instead of on the beach like planned, but once we were there we didn't care anymore and we were ready to have the best vacation ever!

We arrived at Amanda and Blake's place and pretty much went straight to bed. We wanted to get up early in the morning and head straight to a beach and explore the island a little before we headed to Sea Life Park where we....

........To Be Continued.......

Spring Break in Hawaii Part 1: The Decision

I wanted to write about our amazing adventure in Hawaii before I forget any details. It already feels like it was forever ago, and yet just yesterday at the same time!

Nathan and I had talked about maybe going to Hawaii for vacation a couple of times last year. I was always the more enthusiastic one saying we should really really really go! (Especially before we have kids one day in life.) Plus, my really good friend from elementary, Amanda, who was also our wedding photographer, had recently moved to Hawaii and she said we should totally come visit. Oh my goodness I wanted to go so badly!

Every now and then I would tease Nathan that we should look up ticket prices. The prices weren't ever that great... Then on Christmas Eve we were relaxing in our home enjoying the night together. We decided to look up flights again. IT WAS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! We found a great price for tickets out of Boise for Spring Break! We jumped into our car and drove to the Airport to buy our tickets. (We didn't want to have to pay the online fee.) It was the greatest Christmas present ever! I couldn't stop thinking about it. WE WERE GOING TO GO TO HAWAII!!!

Note: I'm super white because I was really sick... :(

The next four months felt like forever! But it was ok because we were going to go to Hawaii!!! Throughout those months I would talk with Amanda, getting ideas of what to see and do, and just sharing in the excitement of going. About a month before we were to fly out, Amanda told me that the couple they were renting the house with were moving out, and that we could stay with them! Could it get any better?! Everything was working out great for our trip!

When Spring Break had finally arrived it all felt like a dream. Were we really going to Hawaii? Was I really FINALLY going to swim with a dolphin? (My life long dream since I can remember!) We were headed toward paradise and we couldn't wait!

On our way to the Airport in Boise we took a little detour.... To Salt Lake City... (haha quite the detour I know!) One of our best friends, and my roommate, Brooke, was getting married that weekend and we wouldn't miss it for the world. It was a beautiful wedding! After the sealing and reception we booked it to Boise.

While driving we received a phone call informing us our flight would be delayed two hours.... Saddest news ever! But we were still going and that's all that mattered! We got to our hotel around 1 a.m. and went straight to bed.

In the morning... We were flying to Hawaii!!!!!

.......To Be Continued.......

Lava Hot Springs: An Annual Tradition

We have some of the coolest friends! Ricky, Zac, and Coombsy have planned awesome trips to Lava Hot Springs (Well, I think mostly Ricky plans it.) and we managed to make the cut two years in a row!

We all stay at a place called School House Inn, that's just outside of Lava. It is slightly creepy looking, but it is super sweet. There is a kitchen, tons and tons of rooms and beds, and half a basketball court. We spend hours playing basketball and lightning on that court. We watch movies, eat way to many snacks, play games, and play Murder in the Dark. The pitch black basement is the perfect place to play Murder in the Dark! It's scary, and creaky, and crazy fun! (Sadly, no pictures were taken either year of our crazy fun games. We were always just so caught up in the moment!)

The other half of our time is spent at the swimming pool and hot springs. We have vicious Water Basketball tournaments and play for hours. People get dunked under water, lifted out of the water hanging on for dear life to the ball, jumped on, and worked to the max playing these games. It is a blast! There's also a rock wall you can climb on from the pool. After tiring our bodies out, it's always nice to head to the hot springs and just relax.

Thanks for the great times at Lava! We can't wait until next year! ;)

Grateful

I know it's the month of November and that time of year when you say everything you are grateful for, but I have truly felt incredibly blessed and loved that I just have to share the things that have stood out to me lately. Our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, are always watching over us!

I am grateful for:

My Faith: I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! The knowledge and peace that the restored gospel gives me is priceless. My testimony has strengthened me and helped me through times of pain, or grief, or trial. My faith has helped me be happy, see how blessed I am in this life, and makes me want to strive to be my best and do my best. I am grateful for prayer and know that our Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers.

My Family: I have been blessed to be raised with a wonderful family in the Gospel. We love and care about each other and enjoy being with one another. My family has always been very supportive and help me achieve my goals in life. My mom is loving, helpful, and nurturing. She would do anything for us. My dad is a great example of organization and hard work. My brother, Stefan, is the most giving person I know. My brother, Karl, is a wonderful listener and very understanding. He is a peacemaker. My sister, Karissa, is a shining example of strength and happiness. She is a light in my life. I learn so much from my family and look up to each of them.

I am also blessed to have married into a great family as well. I feel comfortable with Nathan's family and am grateful for their amazing examples to me.

My Education: I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend Utah State University and graduate with a dual major of Early Childhood and Elementary Education. While at school I learned many important life experiences that have helped prepare me for starting my own life and family.

My Job: I am blessed to have a fantastic job doing what I love and working with amazing people. Being able to inspire children each day and make a difference in their lives is beyond rewarding.

My Health: I am blessed to have a healthy and able body. I am grateful I am able to try new things and work on strengthening my body. I have been able to achieve things I didn't think I would ever be able to do.

My Home: I feel very blessed to have this beautiful Earth that was created for us. Nature is breathtaking and perfect: mountains, waterfalls, trees, flowers, oceans, sunsets, everything! I am also blessed to have always had a roof over my head and a warm bed whether at home growing up, at college, or now. I am grateful for always being safe and protected.

My Friends: I have always been blessed with fantastic friends in my life, who care about me, and are always there when I need someone. My friends have helped motivate me to push myself and be my best. They have listened to me when I just needed to talk or even cry. My friends have been there for me and are like my family when I am not able to be with family. They are my home away from home.

My Husband: I am blessed to be married to my best friend! We are always doing exciting things together and I enjoy every minute with him. I could not ask for a better example of love, faith, determination, cooperation, hard work, friendship, intelligence, and so much more. Nathan is everything to me! I am grateful that we will be together forever and that our love grows for each other each day.

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has constantly blessed my life.

Our Nephew's Baby Blessing

The first weekend of November we had the chance to go down to Utah for our little Nephew's baby blessing.

I made some cinnamon rolls with Nathan's mom, which was really fun. They turned out super yummy. Spencer and Jackie offered to take us to the Jazz game for our wedding present from Spencer. (2 years later, no big deal. haha) It was a lot of fun going with them. We love hanging out with those two! The new jumbotron is HUGE! They are super nice. The game started off so great... but then the poor Jazz lost it. Jackie and I were also behind some pretty annoying people, so we all moved to new seats after half time.

The baby blessing was super amazing! This little boy has been such a joy and blessing to Nathan's sister, Meg, and her cute little family. We are so happy for them. I can't believe how much he has grown since the last time we saw him when he was a new born. His face kills me! 

It was great to see friends and family and get the chance to celebrate with such a cute baby.

Pumpkin Picking, a Wedding, and Other October Things

We went went to U-Pick Red Barn to pick some pumpkins with our friends for Family Home Evening a little while ago. I love that place. It is super cute and a fun place for the family to go. They have tons and tons of pumpkins to choose from! Big ones, small ones, white ones, warty ones... you get the idea. It was a perfect fall night and we had a lot of fun.

A week later we got back together and painted our pumpkins. Taping and painting a pumpkin in a chevron pattern was a little harder than I thought it would be. A lot harder! Us girls had a lot of fun painting while the boys just relaxed. I love how different and awesome our pumpkins turned out. We all agreed that Kylee had the best pumpkin in the end.

Also during this month Bryan and Lauren got married!!!! It was a beautiful wedding! The weather could not have been more perfect and the happy couple were beaming the entire day. We are so happy for them!

While down in Utah, Nathan and I got to hang out with Spencer and Jackie and my family. It's always nice to be around family and friends.

We also had our Ward Halloween party. Nathan and I weren't sure if we were going to dress up or not, but last second we were asked to come dressed up and help pass out candy. So we did. Everyone said they loved our costumes. Can't go wrong with Superman and Supergirl!

Other quick notes from this month:

Nathan went to the USU vs. BSU game with some friends... Poor Aggies and Chucky...

This cute little girl had her Baby Blessing. We love those Leavitts!

Tried kangoo for the first time. It's kind of hard to balance, but it was super fun. It is a great work out!

We went to lots of parties with friends and.... Fall is beautiful!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Conference Weekend

We had a great weekend with family and friends!

Saturday morning, for the first session of conference, the Leavitts and Klinglers came over and we enjoyed a delicious brunch while watching! It was fun and relaxing. Nothing like being spiritually and physically fed with great things! ;)

Nathan's parents and little brother made it up during the last little bit of the first session. We had a great time with them while they were here visiting for the weekend. We got Sandwich Tree for lunch and enjoyed more conference. Before Priesthood session we went for a walk around the river and shop area. Nathan brought a kite with him even though there was barely any wind and still managed to get it flying... He's amazing I tell you! And played some croquet. The girls watched a chick-flick while the boys had priesthood. We also watched some Duck Dynasty for the first time later that night... haha crazy show! I never want to see a frog skinned and prepared for cooking again....

Sunday was a nice day filled with more yummy food, relaxing, and conference.

Overall it was a relaxing and uplifting weekend. We really enjoyed having Nathan's family come up to visit and having the opportunity to listen to teachings of the Prophet and other leaders of the church. Conference weekends are the best!

Random

My friend, Karly, did this the other day and I thought it would be kinda fun...

Making: Crochet Headband Ear-warmers

Like this cute little one I made for a 11 month old a while ago.

Cooking: Pizza, of course!

Drinking: Lots of water and orange juice. (I think I've finally beat this cold!) 

Reading: Sisters Grimm and Doctrine and Covenants  

Wanting: All of the leaves to change to their brilliant colors. The in between stage is ok. I'm just super excited and want to take pictures.

These are some fun ones from last year.

Looking: At all the cute halloween and fall decorations in my house. 

Playing: Uhh, I don't know... 

Sewing: Nothing right now but I want to make another quilt.

Wishing: The best for all those we know and love! 

Enjoying: Conference Weekend! So good!!!! 

Waiting: To unload the dishwasher... haha

Liking: My fall clothes! Boots and sweaters!

Wondering: What will happen within the next year? (We have lots of goals.)

Loving: My life with Nathan!!!! I love my best friend!

Hoping: To be super productive and accomplish our goals. :)

Marveling: At God's love for all of us. Conference always has exactly what I need in life.

Smelling: Oatmeal cookies... in the candle warmer.

Wearing: Sweatpants and a hoodie... We don't turn the heat up much...

Noticing: I'm starting to be a little more lazy and I'm not eating as well. (I mean I know I'm making pretty decent meals and what not, but I snack a lot more and eat too many cookies, and always want to make a yummy fall treats... 

Like these delicious Snickerdoodles! They were so yummy!

Knowing: That I need to get back in the habit of exercising more and not eating as many sweets. (I know I'm skinny.... People sometimes freak out at me when I say I need to be better about what I eat and do "You are skinny and young you don't need to worry about anything!". But honestly I need to have good habits now so I can stay skinny and healthy.

Thinking: How much I miss running outside, but it's been so cold and wet lately. Running partner, we have to run!

Feeling: Spiritually uplifted and refreshed. (Conference is the best!)

Giggling: When I try to beat Nathan at whatever and it gets pretty intense. (Like a basketball shoot off or racing up the stairs.)