The New Adventure

October 28 was an emotional day for me. It's the day I decided to face my fears and allow myself to be vulnerable. It's the day I moved out of my apartment in Lafayette and moved in with my man-friend in Marin. 
Back in September, I asked Kellin where our relationship was headed. What was next for us on this awesome adventure? We talked a bit about our future, what we wanted for ourselves and what we wanted for our relationship and decided that we would keep the conversation open over the next several weeks and see what made the most sense. Over the following weeks, we talked, we considered all options, we decided to move in together, we searched for places to live and we decided that it made the most sense to move into his place. I told my family and friends, I gave my notice and I started packing.
Packing was hard for me. Where do I start? What do I keep? What do I donate? I built this home for myself out of necessity, out of self preservation. It was perfect for me and exactly my taste and style, it was mine and I worked really hard to be there. Packing was very overwhelming for me. I had to remind myself to breathe.
My little home was a good home. It was cute, quaint, and welcoming. 
I had tons of parties, movie and TV show marathons, started family traditions, laughed, cried, cooked. It protected me when I was feeling insecure and continued to remind me that I am smart, capable, successful and worth it. I wallowed in self pity, I suffered, I fell out of touch, I had serious heartache. I endured, I persevered, I grew, I made life-long friendships, I fell in love.
I had my last party a couple of weeks before my move out date. Girls only. And it was perfect. I had been feeling a overwhelmed and having most of the women who have supported me over the last several years all in one place drinking champagne, eating cheese, laughing, listening to my 'Thong Song" radio station, reminiscing, karaoke-ing the night away at the Round Up and staying up way too late eating all of the leftovers was exactly what the doctor ordered. After the party, I felt at peace. Ready to take on this next adventure.
When I woke up on October 28th, I called my mom and asked her to come by, one last time. The movers arrived and, in less than an hour, they had packed my furniture and loaded the moving truck with all of my belongings. When my home was empty, I cried and my mom held me. I soaked up the space and was taken back to the day I saw the apartment for the first time in July 2014 and knew it was perfect for me and the warm day I moved in with the help of my mom and some of my dearest friends. I considered the milestones that I have conquered over the last several years and I was overcome with love, pride and contentment. I cried happy tears. I cried because this home helped to shape me into the woman I am today. I have countless memories from that home that will forever be part of the very core of myself.
Cheers to this next chapter of my life. Cheers to facing your fears. Cheers to new adventures. Cheers to moving onward and upward.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 2 year anniversary.

1. Our first picture together 2.USMC Ball 3. Engagement Photo - Palace of Fine Arts 4. Engagement Photo - Stinson Beach 5. Wedding 6. Wedding 7. Honeymoon 8. Thanksgiving 2012

It has been the most exciting, fun, adventurous, hard, loving, amazing, wild ride that I could have ever imagined. I wouldn't want to live my life with any other person, on this earth. We have grown, gone through easy and hard times, learned, supported each other, tried new things. And all of this: together. 

Cheers to a million more years just like the last 2 (ok, well almost 5)! 

Why I Started Blogging..

I saw this link up last week and thought it would be fun to read some of my first blog posts. You can find my very first one here.
Wow! ha!

Reading this made me smile and it brought me back to that time in my life. The summer of 2009. This was the summer I was supposed to graduate from college. But since I couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted to major it, I had another year left. I was working in housing and for a private equity company Downtown San Francisco. I had not a care in the world except to get some work experience and have fun. I had been with my boyfriend (now husband) for almost a year. We had endured a deployment and lived apart for most of our relationship. We met through the lovely woman who I dedicated my first blog post to - his sister, my Alpha Gamm sister, my friend.

I started out writing about: current events - hello, what happened to Michael Jackson, Relationships, Inspiration,  Restaurant Reviews, Youtube Videos and Recipes (which is still make, to.this.day.) - all while incorporating fun colors and fonts what was i thinking?!

This blog has definitely gone through a lot - life, jobs, friends, travel, family, moving, life, health, wedding, moving, fitness, marriage, well being, recipes/food, family, friends, travel, life. I have kept up with this blog daily, weekly, monthly. I have neglected it. I had it designed, I designed it myself.

This blog really does represent who I am, what I am going through and what is important to me. Of course life isn't perfect, I don't use this space of mine to complain and vent about the bad things, I use it to highlight the fun/exciting/beautiful things that I am up to and what is most important in my life. I mean seriously, who wants to read about what 'Debbie Downer' is doing? No one.

I use this blog to catalog my life and share it with my family and friends. To keep in touch. I use this blog as a portal to keep it touch with my friends in far away places and learn new and exciting things.

Thanks for reading!
And going on a trip down memory lane with me! ;-)

My Nephew is Cuter than Yours...

This weekend we got to spend time with family and pups!

Meet Shaq.

He loves Rich.

Rich loves Shaq.

Meet my handsome Nephew.

We love Vincent.

Vincent loves us.

He is so calm and mellow and has so many people in his life who love him.

He is going to grow up to be smart, kind, caring, strong, successful and most of all loved.

I am proud to share my birthday with this heartbreaker and I am more proud to be his auntie (We will see what name sticks, La Tache may be a bit long..ha!)

He is always smiling and always curious and I know that he will stay that way!

I love my sweet family. 

I am so honored to be part of it.

--

linked up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans

I love my Husband

I saw this picture floating around on Facebook and I had to share.

#1. I love squirrels - I am an Alpha Gamm, so, that's a no brainer.

#2. I love this picture and the caption.

I seriously have the sweetest husband in the world.

He is the one person who:

Can make me feel better

I want to share all of my hopes and dreams with

I want to grow old with

Can understand my quirks and love me for them

Shares my humor

Wants me to be successful and happy

Loves me just for me (alright, I stole that line from Darius Rucker, but you get the picture)

I am so grateful for this man!

He makes me heart smile!

Happy Birthday

To ME.

Wow, I am 25.

A quarter of a century.

Can you believe how time flies?

I have been in a very reflective mood over the last month.

Coming up on this big milestone.

Think and reminiscing on my life.

The not so great.

The good.

The amazing.

The best!

25 years of a great life that I wouldn't trade for the world.

So much has happened in the 25 short years that I have been alive.

I was born in to a big loving family. 

Many aunts and uncles, a great set of grandparents and family friends who have always taken care of me as if I was their own.

I really am blessed with the people in my life.

I have been thinking a lot about one of the biggest parts of my life: 

The people who shaped me.

My Mom.

Where do I even begin?

She is beautiful inside and out.

She is strong and independent. 

She took care of me, even when it was hard and (I am sure) she didn't want to. 

She made sure that I had a good head on my shoulders and surrounded myself with good people and great family.

She has a heart of gold and will go to the ends of the earth for anyone and everyone.

I am grateful that she passed along her passion and drive.

I wouldn't be the same woman I am today without her.

I am so grateful for the man that I can safely call my dad.

After many nights of screaming, crying and tantrums (him of course ;-)! ha! 

(ok, seriously...it was me)

We spent long hours talking about life, love, boys, family.

Yeah, we had our ups and downs - so do many others with their parents.

While he may not be my, as we call it, "BioDad," he is my dad.

We had/have a unique relationship and I am so glad that I can look back and be grateful.

My brothers.

Fun Fact: I watched both be born - yes, you read that right!

I helped name both of them and I was able to give Daniel his first bath.

This two boys are so special to me.

They are growing into young men and I can't wait to see what life offers then and what they have to offer life.

I am a proud sister!

I also gained a sister, like a blood sister ;-)

She and I met when I was in High School, and I have never been the same

She is beautiful, spunky, fun-loving and warm-hearted.

I am so blessed that she and her big family are in my life

And I sure hope that she blesses my special birthday with the birth of her son!

Fingers crossed!

My Friends.

I pride myself in that fact that I surround myself with amazing people.

Only friends who lift me up and make me feel good inside.

Thank you so much!

And last but not least - maybe most important for my adult life....

The man who has stolen my heart.

Rich!

There are millions of reason why he is the man that I married.

He always makes me smile.

He gets me.

I know that I can always count on him.

He is stable, strong, passionate, smart, handsome, wonderful.

I could go on for days about this guy!

Thank you.
Really all I can say is Thank You.
Thank you to everyone who believes in me, who supports me, who loves me.

Thank you.

Anyway...I will get off of my soapbox and let you all go off and enjoy your Saturday!

I know that I sure will!

Happy Happy Birthday....toooooo mmmmmmmmeeeeeeee!!!!

Blessed on Tuesday

I am feeling incredibly blessed that I have had this beautiful love with my sweet sweet husband!

What are you feeling blessed about on this beautiful Wednesday?

Adventures in Yosemite

We slept in on Saturday morning - we got crazy at the wedding and stayed up way past our bedtimes ;-)

We woke up and had breakfast in the restaurant in our hotel - yum - and hit the road on our way to Yosemite.

Before I continue, let me remind you of our camping plans here - and then we came to find out about a month ago that we could not get day passes to hike Half Dome and we had to enter a lottery that only gives you a 20% chance of getting a permit! 

WhooooWhat?!

So we woke up in the middle of the night when we were in Monterey and hoped and wished that we would get a permit to hike Half Dome.

When we got back from the wedding on Friday night, Rich checked his email and guess what?!

WE GOT PERMITS!

WooWoo!

Anywho...

After a long, hot ride in the car, we finally made it to Yosemite.

Let me tell you - This place is Gorgeous!

We were in campsite 137 in Upper Pines, which was perfectly located near everything!

Our camp site!

Where we pitched out tent

Our tent!

Yes, I slept in that!

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday and decided to head to Yosemite Village and get some pizza.

We wanted an early night because of our Half Dome Excursion on Sunday!

We got back to the site, get ready for bed and were sleeping by 9:30!

On Sunday we woke up at 4:00 - yes, 4:00AM got our stuff ready and hit the road!

We rode our bikes over to the trail head and got started, in the dark!

The Mist trail

Because it was dark, we had to wear our head lamps - yes we look tired, because, well, we ARE tired!

Only 8.2 miles to the top of Half Dome - yes, that is 1 way!

2 Miles to go!

The gorgeous blue skies and tall to the moon trees!

Our first glimpse of Half Dome from this Vantage Point

What an amazing view!

This is the last leg, the leg with the cables!

We made it to the top!

We are standing on the "Diving Board" of Half Dome

Woohoo!!

We climbed down in the same position we climbed up - it was safer that way!

The Cables!

We made it! It took us 4 1/2 hours!

If you plan to hike Half Dome, the earlier you leave, the better!

We got there and there was hardly anyone there, so we didn't have to worry about crowded cables. 

But on the way down, there were a lot of people going up, so they were crowded and we had to do a lot of waiting. It was very nerve wracking!

Especially knowing how dangerous this part of the hike is - people die, every year, doing this hike!

It is seriously, people! Be careful!

After we finished taking our pictures in front of the cables we walked back to our backpacks (We didn't take them to the top with us) and We came to see that my backpack was open! Um what?! Apparently squirrels got into my pack to get the food out of it! Huh?!

And then we come to realize that they RIPPED my pack and broke it! 

What?!

Oh well!

So, because of my hurt knees, I had hiking poles, and believe me they were very appreciated!

This is Nevada Falls

We made it to the bottom - I hate to admit how slow we had to go because of my knee...

It took us 4/4.5 hours to get up to the top and it took us about 8 to get back :-(

So in total, we were hiking for 12 hours - that is a long, freaking time!

The next day we headed on a bike ride/short hike up to Mirror Lake

How stunning!

Half Dome in the sunset!
Gorgeous!

We had a big campfire on Monday night, to help our neighbor campers get rid of some of their wood!

Then we went over to their sit and roasted Marshmellows on this fire!

Like I said, we needed to get rid of some wood!
Ha!

We woke up bright and early on Tuesday morning, put the bikes on the car and got our move on!
Good Morning Half Dome!

Good bye, for now, Yosemite!
We had a blast!