31 December 2013

2013 in Pictures

2013 was an amazing year full of so many new places and new experiences. Here's a look at some of my favorite moments in pictures!

Eevah saw snow for the first time:

I had the most amazing bridal shower: 

We had our cake tasting:



Got to go to Hogwarts and drink butter beer: 

Had our second set of engagement photos taken: 

Studied hard with our pre-cana classes:

Stuffed our wedding invitations: 

Went shopping for our flowers for our wedding: 

Got to spend so much time with my grandparents:

Spent Mothers Day with both my grandma and mom for the second year in a row:

Commissioning week festivities:


Nic got commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy:

We got married:


We went on our honeymoon to Cape Santa Maria: 

We got to spend family time with my favorite mini people:

Stella Rose joined our family:

We spent fathers day with both our of families canoeing: 

Saw the Grand Canyon:

Cross country tripped to our new home in California:

Moved into our first home: 

We had our first married holiday, Thanksgiving: 


Had our first Christmas:


My parents visited for Christmas:

Went to the San Diego Zoo:

Saw wild seal lions: 

And my car get smooshed to shit two days before year is over:

I truly can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for our future! My car can only get better from here!


27 December 2013

Christmas Day


Our Christmas day was a fun one.  Our first married Christmas plus having both our families with their own traditions under one household made for some interesting, but fun, moments. It was a wonderful day.

I'm not a fan of the people who will sit and boast about all of the things they get, but I just want to be one of the boastful people, just for a few moments.  We were so blessed this Christmas.  I still can't wrap my head around all of the wonderful things were received.  I surprised Nic by finishing our honeymoon scrapbook, and he somehow managed to surprise me with the Canon SL1 that we were planning on saving up for over the next few months.  My parents surprised us with three amazing canvases and we finally got a picnic basket with spots for wine bottles from Nic's family. Add an old fashioned popcorn maker and some gardening tools into the mix and I just can't believe it. Oh, and we got a new bedroom set.

Ok, I'm done. It was just SO perfect. Spending time together was everything I could have asked for and I can't begin to say how blessed we are for our families and just one another.

Enjoy some pictures from my amazing new camera! I still can't believe he got it.

 
 

17 December 2013

Every Dog's Different

When we first got Stella there was no doubt in our minds that we were going to get her spayed. We still haven't gotten Eevah spayed but she's little so when she comes into heat it hasn't really been a big issue, and it's only happened less than a handful of times. Then we met Jerico, our friends absolutely gorgeous Northern Inuit, and him and Stella played as puppies, and we all fantasized over what gorgeous puppies they would make.

We've had Stella's spay appointment set twice since we've been out here. But it's always fallen in terrible timing with Nic's schedule so we've just pushed it back. Eevah didn't come into heat until at least a year and a half so I didn't really find the rush in getting it done. I didn't really put Stella being bigger and her shorter life expectancy (gasp! I didn't point that out, Nic did) into the equation so when she came into heat this week it was a not so pleasant surprise.

While frustrating and gross, it has been rather hysterical. Her entire personality has completely changed. She's cuddly and weird and won't eat unless Eevah was making a move for her food, which is just not Stella. I finally couldn't do it and, I kid you not, we went to get doggie diapers tonight. Of course the worlds smallest Wal-Mart by us didn't have any larger size than smalls so a quick google search told me that other owners have used human underwear and liners. So off we went to go get pink undies and pads. The level of uncomfortable amusement was hysterical. I'm sure all the Baja California residents thought we were muy loco as we died laughing while deciding which panties "she would like better". And whether or not to get scented pads. Oh the tmi of this all.

But there are a few morals of the story. First, google when your dog's going to go into heat if you have a female and are putting off spaying her. Second, we might be able to make awesome puppies in the future. Third, don't be so uptight and laugh at the awkward situations in life. I was in a terrible mood the night she went into heat and then just laughed. It's easy to get caught up in the shittiness of situations rather than just laugh at the timing of things and remember that you can't change and control everything. Life wouldn't be as fun if it was like that. And honestly, laughing around Wal-Mart and giggling up a storm together with Nic is something I could never be upset about, no matter what the circumstances of it all are. Poor Nic, buying pads for our dog before he had to buy tampons for me and understanding why pads are quite possibly "the worst invention" had me dying in laugher all night. HA.

Also, we ended up saving a ton of money by doing the DIY way of getting Stella diapers. We spent maybe $10 vs the $40 we would have spent for the same number of diapers and less doggie pads. . crazy. We'll see how these hold up.  Oh and Wal-Mart has footie pajamas for anyone looking. We almost got me a pair because my feet are always could and we're weird but they were all adult size 20 and up. What. The. Crap.

And here's a picture of Stella in her diaper, finally eating. Feel free to laugh. 


10 December 2013

Carbon Monoxide Scare

I grew up with a wood fireplace and I loved it. The hardest part was getting it started and all you really need is the stuff from the dryer and it worked well enough.  In our house here we have a gas fireplace and it doesn't have a pilot light. A little daunting, but not impossible. This ridiculously cold San Diego weather has had us with the fireplace on the last few days.

Well, earlier today I was sitting on the couch talking with a friend and an alarm went off upstairs "beep beep beep, carbon monoxide detected". Yeah, I immediately kind of freaked out.  But I went upstairs, got the alarm down, tried to shut it off, and finally just took the battery out to make it stop and then just sat back down on the couch. Even though I grew up in Florida where hurricanes and generators and carbon monoxide poisoning were all something I knew a lot about -- kind of second nature of sorts. And then a bad snowstorm hit Connecticut a few years ago and my Uncle suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. After a hospital visit he was ok, but it was a big scary reality check.  Once both my aunt and grandma found out we were using our gas fireplace they both insisted on us getting a carbon monoxide detector. I forgot. So you can see why I was so surprised when the beeping started. The home owners are obviously a lot smarter than I gave them credit for.

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Anyways, after Nic called freaking out about my "relaxed" text we got out of the house and called San Diego Gas and Electric, at 10:48 am. Well, they informed me that even though it's a fire place, a gas fireplace should burn completely blue -- not any yellow, orange or red. Ours was a beautiful yellow, red, and orange. Whoops.

Now I'm sitting here waiting for these idiots to get here over 8 hours later. When there could be a carbon monoxide leak and realistically we could be dead. The guy on the phone even said not to leave the house unless we leave a note on the door because they'll break the door if we don't answer seeing how we could be dead or dying inside. But they obviously didn't care enough to come in a reasonable amount of time. . And everyone wonders why I dislike people.

The moral of this story is to make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector somewhere in your house, all gas burns blue, and that companies and people pretty much suck. Make sure to stay warm with the right kind of heat everyone.

An update: The man just left after finally coming at 8:30 pm. We learned that the gas fireplace will sometimes burn the yellow/orange pretty colors because they made it that way for the ambiance. . Our chimney wasn't opened. I can't stress how important it is to make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector! He measured how much was coming out and we would have been in a ton of trouble if we didn't. But now we're safe and sound with a safe fireplace again. Wahoo! 

09 December 2013

We Cut Down Our Christmas Tree

I've always said how I wanted to cut down my own Christmas tree one day, it's even on my bucket list.  I thought we would do it last year in Maryland, but finals and the fact that we were going home for Christmas didn't make it worth it. We still decorated and got our "first tree" together but it didn't knock off that box on my bucket list.  After googling a bit I found out you could cut down your own trees here in San Diego. Who would have thought you could cut your Christmas tree down in SoCal. We were mulling it over and the our friends texted us about the place and we all bit the bullet and went.

We weren't in the middle of the woods with snow all around and winter hats on, but, we still were able to cut down our first married tree together! For some reason Nic thought he'd be using an ax to cut it down so he was a little disappointed, but it was absolutely perfect. It's a weird type of tree, not a douglas fir but it smells delightful and is filling our home with such Christmas cheer. And it really wasn't that much more expensive than getting a regular tree. The experience was worth the price difference.

Here's to crossing something off our my bucket list together as we experience our true first Christmas together.


PS: If you're looking to cut your own tree down in the San Diego area we highly recommend going to the Family Tree Farm.  I regret not buying one of their cut wreaths, but I wouldn't recommend the mistletoe. We only left our in the bag for a day and when we took it out it was falling apart. They also have other types of trees you could buy that are pre-cut, but, I'd definitely buy those at Wal-Mart if you're not wanting to cut one down yourself -- those were priced crazy!



07 December 2013

Apple Walnut Breakfast Pie

This recipe and I have had a very interesting past. The recipe "Apple Raisin Pancake" is in my gluten free bible cookbook and the picture they have next to it. . it will make your mouth water. So while we were living in Maryland I decided to follow it one morning and it was terrible. I forgot to add the flour to the first one I put in the oven which I only realized when an odd apple scrambled egg smell was coming out of my kitchen. Then Nic decided to run to the store for another apple to so I could try again, well, I followed the directions to the t and it was still disgusting. Once we moved out here I decided I would try yet again, but only loosely using their recipe as a template.

I did something right. This is my breakfast of choice (besides Nic's french toast) and it's really easy to make. It's even in the running for our Christmas morning breakfast.


1 apple, I've been loving Pink Lady apples lately but any would work
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups Pancake mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Core and peel the apple. Then cut into medium/thin slices. Mix these with the brown sugar and cinnamon and place to the side.

Mix the pancake mix and milk until creamy. Add in half of the quarter cup of walnuts and 1 tsp of cinnamon, mix.

Pour the brown sugar apples into the bottom of a pie pan making sure to cover entirely. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top of the apples. Pour the pancake mix over these and make sure to smooth to cover the entire pan. Sprinkle cinnamon (I sprinkled cinnamon KIND granola on top last time and it was delightful).

Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 15 minutes. Also, please remember that my oven is weird, so do check on it!

Happy baking! 

04 December 2013

Thanksgiving

Our first holiday as a married couple was absolutely perfect. We had so much fun cooking together, and I realized I had no idea how much work went into making Thanksgiving dinner. I usually sat upstairs watching the Macy's parade while my parents did most of the work.

I had a few nightmares about burning the turkey, or undercooking it and giving us food poisoning, but it came out perfect! I must say I am so incredibly proud. One thing we did find out is that you can still buy frozen turkey's that are already stuffed. Which is really gross and just doesn't work since I can't eat wheat. So Thanksgiving morning we were bathing the turkey in the sink in an attempt to get all of the stuffing out. It thankfully worked, but now we'll always check the package before we buy it.

Another unfortunate thing we learned is that there is such a thing as a white sweet potato. And they're hard as rocks.  We of course bought about eight white sweet potatoes which I couldn't cut and Nic didn't want to eat (I didn't either, but it's a lot easier to just blame him). Thankfully Von's was still open so I was able to get the correct color potatoes. Which are still extremely hard to cut.

A few hours later and we had a beautiful table with our china, a centerpiece that Nic's dad sent, and a feast for at least five. While we definitely overcooked, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the left overs. And we had some for days.

I'm not sure how, but we managed not to take of picture of the two of us. Alas, Christmas is right around the corner.


I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful people in our lives. I've also realized how much I truly love this blog. I decided to update it a bit so take a look around and feel free to add me onto your bloglovin' feed! 

01 December 2013

Life as a Newlywed: 6 months


Before our wedding we received an abundance of advice on how to make sure we enjoyed our wedding day. I was overwhelmed by how many people came forward with the things they did, and didn't do, just to make sure we were able to not make any of the same mistakes they did. I'm finding marriage to be the same way. We've been blessed with so many kind words from family and friends on how to try and make the most out of this year and while I appreciate the advice it's so hard to forget that we're all so different and every married is unique.

We've been on this newlywed adventure for six months now, six months! The time is flying by so quickly and before we know it it's going to be our year anniversary and I'm just not ready for that yet. I've been getting quite nostalgic for our wedding day this past weekend. It was just so fun and perfect and I can't believe it's over! I've learned a few things these past few months, some that friends warned us about, and others that we've just encountered on our own. Here's a list of my favorite discoveries and things that we've started to live by on this adventure. 

1. We're not the newest newlyweds anymore. We were asked if we just got married a few nights ago and I eagerly responded "Yes! June first!" only to get a slightly confused look in response. We're no longer the "newest newlyweds" on the block. Even if it feels like you're wedding was just yesterday, someone is going to have you beat. 

2. We both hate doing laundry. Neither of us actually enjoys doing laundry and we really need to work out a schedule before the laundry pile leaks out of it's designated area. 

3. Questions. I was perusing Pinterest one afternoon before the wedding and found this pin with the "ten tricks to being happily married" or something else just as silly. After clicking on it I found a list of five questions this couple has asked each other every Sunday during their marriage and we decided to do it as well. We added some questions because I didn't feel like the five really covered everything we needed but it has been a great Sunday dinner tradition. 

4. Your marriage is unique to you. One thing I've always hated is how everyone compares what they have to each other whether it be a pencil, dress, car, boyfriend and now that has spilt into marriage. I feel like it is too easy for others to judge how you live your life and how your marriage works. Advice is wonderful, and always appreciated, but what works for someone else doesn't necessarily have to work for you. 

5. Always say you're sorry. Sometimes things come out that are awkward. Or bickering happens. Or you burn the cookies for the fifth time. Always remember that an apology goes far, and going to bed upset just ensures that you will wake up on the wrong side of the bed. 

6. Be nice. It's one thing to joke around to tease, but always mind your p's and q's. Even with your best friend sometimes things can come out the wrong way. This goes back to #5. Always say your sorry if you messed up, or feel like you've done something. 

7. You're going to be continuely surprised by your spouse. Nic has consistently surprised me with his actions in the past few months. Sometimes it's little things, others have been huge and I constantly struggle to show my appreciation.

8. Things change. I feel like I haven't figured out much about being an adult other than when you think you have everything figured out chances are that things will change. It's slightly scary, but I've realized that as long as Nic is by my side change doesn't have to be big and scary, but instead is a new adventure for us to embark on.

9. Share passions. For us, sharing what each other cares about ensures that we're able to actually spend time together when work or life calls. We each have our own passions, and being able to help one another with them lets us spend quality time together while we get things done. And it also can cut work time by half.

10. Find where your marriages place is in your life.  There have been quite a few marriage advice articles floating around in the last two months, and everyone has their own opinion on them. And I think that's exactly how it should be. Everyone's marriage and relationship is unique to them, and you therefore live in the way that makes the most sense to you. The key is to live to your own standards, not your best friends, neighbors, or anyone else's. They're not the ones who you're going to be spending the rest of your life with, your spouse is.

Here's to my amazing husband and so many more happy months and years together! I can't believe half a year has passed by already!