beach-worthy-sundays

Paul and I have church at 1:00 in the afternoon so we are trying to make a habit of going to the beach to plan our lesson for the kiddos, we teach the 12-13 group. They are awesome.
We bring our beach chairs and go sit and enjoy listening to the beautiful sound of nature mixed in with little squeals of excitement from kids at the beach :) We went to explore the tide pools and it was super low. I have never seen so many crabs at one time! They were all over the place...it kind of creeped me out because they remind me of spiders for some reason or another. How creepy would it be to be at the beach when it is super dark and the crabs start creeping around you...not a pretty sight!
We went to the cove and to the beach where we had our wedding reception, it was fun we took a pic, trying to do this every year for each year we are married take a pic at our wedding reception beach :) Our 3 year anniversary is near approaching...crazy!

The color of the coral was so virbrant since the tide was so low....

These rock formations are so cool looking, I love the texture

I saw this carved into the sandstone and it really made me laugh...when paul is acting like a girl I call him Paulina :)

Also this last weekend, I was able to see my daddy on his birthday I felt so lucky that I was able to share his birthday with him. Paul unfortunately was really sick and was unable to come. It was so fun catching up with my dad he always make me feel like a million bucks, he is so complimentary and has a contagious smile! He is one of the most Christ-like people I know!

My poor sick baby :(

Oh and I have a new nephew, his name is Mick...I wish I could be back in Utah to see the little dude. Sandy and Tim make really cute kiddos :)

Silly Times

Saturday...love this day to pieces. I sleep in, then wake up grab some yummy fruit and Paul and I contemplate what we want to do for the day...
chores are on the list of course.

Organizing my office something I have been trying to get to forever, it is nearing its end which make me happy!

Paul of course has his early morning saturday mountain bike ride which he loves.

Then we decide to go swimming only problem is I can't find my temporary use card for the JCC. So we decide to put on some tennis clothes to play tennis just in case I couldn't get in. Lo and behold we arrive and their is a huge swim meet going on.

So we play tennis and Paul as patient as ever is coaching me with correcting my stroke, what a guy. We rally for a little bit, Paul teaches me to hit against the ball wall. I really need to do this more often, my goal this summer is to practice against the ball wall at least twice a week, then I can be a better match for the hubs!

Last but not least....we hit up costco...making the mad dash around picking up the usuals. We head off to our car and are about to get in and what happens next?!?!

Paul pushes the cart across the parking lot in hopes that the speed bump will catch it...the cart gains more speed than he predicts flys over the bump and is heading for two cars....Paul takes off as I am furious at him....runs fast enough to catch the cart as it goes inbetween the two cars...whew close one! ...he is one lucky man.

We take off to go home and Paul accidentally takes the 52 West so what do we do? Go eat at Wahoo's of course, just what we were planning on right? Ha ha...perfect little mistake :)

I love my Saturdays even though sometimes they are crazy, I have a funny husband who always keeps me on the edge of my seat!

Aloha!

It is embarassing how long it has taken me to write a stinking post but ever since our Kauai getaway I have decided to start fresh and have a goal to post for a little personal journal. I know...i know i have said this before but this time I am going to follow through life is both exciting and dull at times but it is what we write down that really captures the moment.

Can I just say that if I could I would drop everything and move to Kauai with Paul?! I haven't felt this relaxed in my life for awhile, there must be some healing in the warm ocean water! Paul and I hung out with our awesome cousins, grandparents, aunts & uncles, and funtastic friends. I did miss my sisters and mom, I wish they could have joined me!

Most of the time Paul and I would wake up ready for the adventure of the day. Since the Dietlein cousins are quick to get up on their feet and happen to know the island like the back of their hands led us on some of the most amazing and rewarding hikes I have ever been on. I have to say that I am slightly obsessed with waterfalls and since Kauai has the rainiest spot on the earth and what Mark Twain would call "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific", with those two in combination the waterfalls were abundant!

Highlights of the trip:

Playing May I with our amazing grandparents

Shopping at Jungle Girl and getting some fun jewelry and trinkets

The spouting horn and finding "my precious", turquoise necklace $35 probably isn't real but I am in love, thanks sweetie!

Being lazy on the beach

Constantly searching for sea turtles, we saw some from the distance and I was boogey boarding and a fellow boogeyer told me a sea turtle was swimming right by me I was so bummed I missed out on seeing the cute creature...

Petrified sand dunes on the coastline

Keoki's fine dining-super fun atmosphere with some yummy food and

Pauls' favorite dessert hula pie...basically vanilla ice cream, macadamia nuts, and chocolate yum

Eating Madadamia nuts...we probably ate a little too much..

Tubing down some tunnel with headlights...on florescent...barely bouyant rafts to a fun little waterfall then hiking out. Before we floated down the river we had the choice to wear shoes in the water knowing we would have to hike out and wouldn't be able to raft back Paul opted to leave his shoes and said he could tough it out with his little socks, everyone told him he needed his shoes but when Paul is set on an idea, no matter how many people try to convince him of something he sticks with what make sense to him he had a little bit of a rough time with roots everywhere...but he made it, what a champ! Such fun times hanging out with the cousins!

Kayaking up the Wailua river with Adam and his cute girlfriend Megan...they were such a blast...then seeing and frolicking amazing Wailua waterfall...breathtaking! Thanks to Megan we were able to get some great shots!

Hooking up with Scott and Jess to go on a helicopter ride, Jack Harter helicopter to be exact with no doors....we like to live on the edge!! We went all the way around the island 65 minutes of bliss my favorite was the Nepali coastline which I believe is one of the seven wonders of the world, pictures and words cannot give this place justice, I was in awe the entire time. I was really giddy when I saw the waterfall off of Jurassic Park...so neato.

The crazy roosters that were everywhere...highlight for Paul...feeding KFC chicken to the roosters...poor roosters :(

Rope swinging into Kepu falls...so awesome we went there twice...such a rush!

Paddleboarding at Hanalei Bay with Todd, Brittany and Beckham...

Pretending like we were star fish in the water :)

Climbing up trees, acting like we were Tarazn and Jane!

The long windy road up to Waimea Canyon to see yet another amazing site of the Nepali coastline. Breathtaking!

Our wildest hiking adventure yet with adam and the dietlein crew, the tough and rough hike to my favorite waterfall yet Shangrula...it took 6-7 hours it was windy and you literally had to hold onto roots to make it through then on top of that you had to hike through 2 tunnels each about 3/4 of a mile...in the tunnels you had to wear headlights to be able to see on top of having to hunch about half of the time considering the tunnels height was about 5 1/2 feet, crazy poor Paul. Like I said the terrain was nuts I have never had so many scatches from tree branches, lesson learned wear some long sleeved shirt and some long sleeved pants for sure! At the end of the second tunnel we emerged and saw the beautiful cascading Shangrula waterfall....it was by far my favorite waterfall. There were little pockets of waterfalls surrounding us and then the mossy rocks...so serene. It felt so untouched like we were the first ones there, so beautiful. Thanks to our sturdy and strong tour guide cousin Adam we were able to make it through!

Hiking along the Nepali coastline with Todd, Britney, Beckham, Sissy and Jason. It was such a beautiful stretch...can I just say that Brittany is a super trooper with being seven months pregnant she hiked for a good strenuous 30 minutes then finally stopped...Sissy, Jason, Paul and I continued on the trail to arrive at the beach you had to hike into, it was hot, hard, but the view of the coastline was incredible. Just about a 1/4 of the mile in we saw a sign that said not to enter the water at the beach we were going to then it had a tally list of how many people had died because of the unseen rip tides and strong currents...the count was 35...crazy! We finally arrived and next thing I know I see Paul and Jason hopping in boys are crazy that is all there is to say about that. Then Paul and I went exploring a littlle bit more around the beach and we found the cave of wonders! It was hidden you had to walk along the coastline to see it but as you turned a corner you could see water rushing out....so you had to get on all fours to get through the first part of the tunnel then it opened up to this huge cave with a large opening...the view was incredible the water was crashing up against 3 large boulders, it felt like I was on some crazy movie set! Then we hiked back and snorkeled and saw some amazing parrot fish and other little fishies!

I would say up to this point in time it was the greatest adventure I have ever been on. Heavenly Father sure made this earth a beautiful place! Kauai has really helped me feel alive again, I am so greatful for the fun opportunity we had to go to this beautiful place!

Pics to come.....

A Perfect Saturday

Paul and I had such an amazing Saturday yesterday. I slept in while Paul ventured out on a mountain biking ride, then we headed out to the Jewish Community Center played a little tennis swam in the amazing pool and finished off with some fine mexican cuisine with the Jacobsen's.

Fabulous day start to finish. I love my Saturdays and of course my Paulie!

Halloween!

Yes, I'm back...sorry for the delay in posting, I have made a goal to write every Sunday even if it is just a quick thought.
I love Halloween, I don't know if it has to do with the chill in the air, the excuse to dress up, or the sweet treats, decorating, the beautiful foliage...or due to the fact I used to work in a costume shop the greater part of my life and I had an excuse to dress as a different character every day. The costume shop is actually run through The Hale Centre Theatre, a live theatre in Utah. The costumes were authentic and weren't your typical run of the mill superheros, rather real renaissance velvet crushed bodesses, draped with gems along the neckline. Most of the costumes were used in the plays, the reason for their high quality and authenticity. As I used to put the costumes on...I felt transformed back into the empire of Rome, or Camelot.
Now that I live in San Diego I am sure you can all understand why I have a difficult time pulling together a costume somewhat worthy for halloween. But, nevertheless I found something from my very own closet! I decided to be a 1940's lady/flight attendant. Paul as he told me he is a "utilitarian", meaning there is no reason for him to get a different costume each year, rather just wear the same one every halloween. I guess we are kind of opposites in that respect...pretty funny. His mom made him this fun Tiger outfit and he gets so excited to wear it every Halloween, unfortunately this year we were unable to find the tiger cap...the best part of the costume. We had to settle with his tale and los tigres shirt, he's so cute!

On Halloween Eve we spent some great time with friends. The first party we went to was at one of my best friend's home. I was so excited to get there early to help set up for the party. I am a little obsessed with decorating...must have picked that one up from my mom! Jos. and I had so much fun placing decor here and there...preparing yummy artichoke dip and delish desserts....and of course Chef Nat brought some scrumptious ghost cream puffs, yu,! It was such a great turnout. The Gunderson's sure to know how to throw down a mean party!

The drink station, with our favorite friend skeletor!

Joselyn and I, Jos, dressed up as an awesome 80's girl, I wish I had a pic of Gibson and Ryan they were dressed up as the man in the yellow hat and curious george....such a fun idea!

We also went to another fun friend's party, Brittany Gharring, she dressed as Lady Gaga! So funny...she is one creative genius, yes she came up with this costume on her very own. I am bummed though because the pics don't do the costume justice she had the blonde hair, sparkle hat and everything! Tira was the mad hatter, which was so cute , you can't see but she had miniature tea cups on her skirt, hilarious.


For Halloween, Paul and I geared up to go to Chipotle and get our free burrito and then we saw the line, so we settled and went to Croutons for some yummy soup and Salad. Then we met up with Natalie and Adam and another couple in Balboa Park for the infamous Haunted Trail at Balboa Park. It was hilarious, Paul and I were making fun of the supposed "scary people" the entire time! I snapped a couple of shots even though it was not allowed....whoops I didn't know at the time.We then took off to Extraordinary Desserts and I had a raspberry tart that was to die for, seriously it was amazing! I will definitely be craving it again within the next week. It was fun as we all picked away at each other's desserts. What a great way to finish off Halloween.
Oh and last but not least we have to introduce you to our dog...Sparky. and our pumpkin chum chums....

In Stores Now...

Disclaimer: This should be one of the last Nordstrom posts, you're probably sick of hearing about it but here's the finale post!!

True Birds are in EVERY Nordstrom store with an accessory department in the nation as of last weekend! They are generally located on the main floor by sunglasses/jewelry/purses. Check out the two styles below that are in the stores, they are fabulous and a perfect addition to your fall/winter wardrobe, great price too. Hope you have time to pop into your closest store and pick some up and/or to give True Birds some theatrical excitement to the sales associates and customers to get the True Birds line sold out so they'll continue to pick up more future orders of True Birds! If you're there, if you could also make sure they're displayed nicely that'd be great! I had two friends go yesterday and they rearranged them all like pretty little birds--thanks girls!

(*click on image to view larger)  

*If you can all spread the word on your email, blogs, twitter, facebook, word of mouth...wherever that they are now sold in stores we would appreciate it more than you can imagine. We are being very blessed, the Nordstrom styles are doing well so far but we definitely want them to sell out so that we can continue to be a vendor there!

**Thanks again for everyone's support, help, cheerleading, kindness, thoughts, comments, spreading the word to others and motivation! You all helped our dream come true...THANK YOU!

2 Years of Blissicity!

Well, Paul and I have officially been married for two years and it has seriously been so much fun! Anyone will agree with me that Paul is an absolute blast to be around. We have both grown together in so many ways!

We had originally planned on going to Wild Rivers waterpark, where we met almost four years ago! Unfortunately, they weren't open...we were a little bummed.

So what did we do to celebrate? Paul took a day off of work. We relaxed and watched the rest of the Laker vs. Magic game. To which the Lakers totally killed the Magic, ah, what can you do. They were definitely the better team.

After the game I made some yummy smoothies, then we ventured on to one of our favorite places to eat out, Islands! Paul had the CA Flyer, which is delicious i might add and I stuck with my classical favorite, the Wedge.

After Islands we went to Sea World! We have had passes for the last year and haven't used them as much as we should have, so we decided to go. It was a blast we first watched the Shamu show, Believe. It was pretty funny because the music they played for the theme was EFY worthy, it cracked me up! We got there a little late and there were hardly any seats left they only had some seat on the third row, the splash zone or the last row way back in the bleachers. We both decided to brave the splash zone. During the show it was pretty funny because the music they played for the theme was EFY worthy, it cracked me up. During the middle of the show Shamu came around to splash everyone and did we get soaked? You can be the judge of that!

Pre-Shamu Wave Run

Post-Shamu Wave
We totally got drenched!

Here's Shamu, he was brushing up right against the glass, I have never seen them get so close before!
Check out the Shrieking eels! They were so scary looking, they all huddled together and grossed me out. They totally reminded me of the monster eels in Princess Bride only that they were miniature in comparison to those suckers!

And yes this seal was a yelper. He was screeching the entire time, literally begging for food. It was quite hilarious, even when someone fed him a fish he kept screeching over and over...seriously? It was a little annoying.

Here is what we call "Wedding Beach", my brother had his Bachelor dinner party here, and Paul and I had our San Diego reception, on the rocks below. It sure brought back some fun memories! We decided to bring our portable grill and grill some hot dogs, surf watch, and just enjoy one anothers company. It was fab! Definitely a day to remember! Love ya babe!