2015 End of Year Wrap Up

Watching Kendal for a weekend after Hawaii

Gracie loved playing in the leaves with the dogs!

I tried to get these pictures in order but it didn't work. In the past month or so, I got hired on the Infant Medical/Surgical Unit at Primary Children's starting in January, quit my job at Orchard Cove, we went to St. George for Thanksgiving, I finished school (YAY), we've skied a few times and Gracie has loved playing in the snow - we even got her some tiny skis to pull her around on, and we enjoyed so many many holiday festivities with friends and family. It has been crazy and fun. This last semester, Dawson also did the seminary teaching program at the U and was able to student teach a class at Olympus High. He had a great experience doing it, but him and his teacher decided that he shouldn't continue on in the next semester. He's glad he did it and happy with his decision to not change careers at this time.

Highlights of 2015:

*moving to a new home

*Cabo

*cruise with my family

*celebrating 3 years of marriage

*Gracie's first birthday

*Bear Lake

*St. George

*Hawaii

*becoming a Registered Nurse and getting my Bachelors of Science in Nursing

*reading the Book of Mormon and New Testament

*going to the temple a handful of times - we didn't make our goal of once a month, but we'll try again next year

*enjoying lots of fun times with family and friends

*some very difficult times also - made us stronger, brought us closer together, and closer to the Savior

Hopes & Goals for 2016:

*starting a new job

*Puerta Vallarta Platinum Unishippers Trip

*hoping to visit the Nashes in Nashville

*going to the temple every month

*reading D&C

*reading the Book of Mormon as a couple

*stressing less and doing what we enjoy

Gracie at 18 Months

My girl is 18 months! Gracie is super active...always moving and full of energy! She talks a lot and is constantly saying new words. I am amazed by how smart she is. She is very strong willed and so sweet and loving. I am so proud to be her mama and love watching her grow. ❤

Kauai with the Lakes

We went to Kauai Hawaii with Dawson's family for a week in November and it was a dream! We did so much and had such an adventurous, fun, and relaxing trip. I am going to try and write the main things we did (I kept a list of each day in my journal). My mom watched Gracie the whole week and we missed her a lot!

Wednesday: 

traveled, got rental cars and groceries at costco, got to our place. We stayed at the Villas at Poipu Kai on the south side of the island, it was really nice!

Thursday: 

*run/walk to the beach
*did yoga with Sue while Steve and Dawson got "tossed"
*talked to Gracie and my mom

*hung out by the pool, relaxing and reading

*ate lunch and went to the beach

*went to spouting horn blowhole and enjoyed the sunset at nearby cliffs

*played heads up game that night

Near our resort seals would always come and sleep on the beach during the day. They would set up a wire boundary so that people wouldn't bother them.

The whole family! At Spouting Horn

Peter in the sunset

Friday:

*hiked the Napali coast 4 miles to the Hanakapiai falls and back

*swam to the waterfall

*beautiful double rainbow on the way down from the hike

*Bubba's burgers in Hanalei

*Hanalei shops and shave ice

*Seaturtle caves near Princeville - this was magical! We took this little hike down to these gorgeous caves where there were seaturtles sleeping and swimming! It was incredible. I wish I had gotten some pictures but other people did, at least.

The Napali coast has to be one of the prettiest places on earth! Just enjoying the view with my love.

Hanakapiai beach 2 miles up the Kalalau trail - 2 more up to the waterfall! The trail was sooo muddy.

The beautiful falls

Rainbows are very special to me because they remind me of my grandma. I will never forget this beautiful sight!

Saturday:

*jogging & yoga on the beach, talking to Gracie

*hot tubbing in the morning - it was a very rainy day

*beach in the afternoon until it started pouring rain

*shopping with the girls while the boys watched the U of U football game

*dinner at home, watching hot rod, making cookies

Check out the storm behind me.

Sunday:

*church - I remember one speaker talking about taking the time to enjoy walking with Christ every day

*Waimea canyon lookouts

*hiking a little by the swamp and by another lookout

*spending the afternoon at a remote west shore beach

*big waves at the beach, looking for sea shells, Dawson digging himself in a hole, reading and napping, doing headstands

*pulling over on the way home to enjoy the sunset

*steak at home for dinner

*watching Sherlock Holmes

Waimea Canyon

Kalalau lookout

swamp hike - way too muddy

enjoying the sandy beach

Monday:

*talking to my dad and Gracie

*rented kayaks and kayaked the Wailua River (I wish I had pictures of kayaking!) this was my first time kayaking and I really enjoyed it

*kayaking to Cecret falls hike, hiking to Cecret Falls and eating lunch

*Visiting the Fern Grotto

*shave ice & Taro root ice cream after kayaking

*Shrimp shack

*tri-tip dinner at home, rice crispy treats

*listening to Jim Gaffigan

Some scripture study in the morning...Dawson and I drew for the second master room! It was so nice!

Cecret Falls

Tuesday:

*walk in the morning

*boys golfed, girls went shopping, got shave ice, and laid out by the pool

*went to the beach with everyone - found out Ash was missing :(

*beautiful sunset

* delicious fish dinner at a nice restaurant - I wish I could remember the name!

Wednesday:

*pack up and get ready to leave

*walk to Shipwreck beach, playing soccer at some other resort

*Leave resort to drive around

*visit blow hole again - Daws and I bought new rings

*fish tacos for lunch

*Anini state park and beach

*visiting Queen's Bath

*Shave Ice

*Catching red eye flight home to Honolulu then Salt Lake

At Anini State Park

What a trip! Learning that our dog had run away and was missing was stressful and put a damper on the last day and a half, but we still had a good time even though we were worried about her. She was missing for 6 days and we drove around frequently, put up online ads, flyers around town, and were constantly checking with shelters. In an answer to our prayers a man who had seen a flyer saw Ash and called us and we were able to bring her home safely. We were also very happy to come home to Gracie.