Tie Dye Adventure

Katie Decided to throw hannah a tie dye birthday party in NY.  So me and julie were invited and it was a blast!  Tie Dye, Ralphs - Italian Ices, and a movie. 

Happy Birthday Hannah

Our hair is so long...crazy.

What a great husband! Always working on the house

It was fun Josh set up a little area for us in the back yard of their house. Man their new house is sooo beautiful.  One lucky little couple to live there.  They have put in their hard work!

Don't worry, copper tried on the finished shirts :)

Oh how I love copper :)

Julies Home!

Hooray Julies home and normal :)  Its so good to have her back!

Just eating a little pizza at bellagio's - I forgot how good it is to sit around and eat the best pizza in the world :)

Birthday :)

Well my birthday was this wednesday and it was perfect!  I was so sad because Derek had a surprise trip for work and had to go to DC so he didn't come home til midnight on my big day. But don't you worry he made it up to me, so it turned out to be even better because I got two great days!

So I woke up, went hiking with my two friends Katie and Jenny.  They show up with flowers and Soda (how did they know my two favorite things? :)   My roomates got me beautiful flowers, and Cassie that night got me flowers as well. I felt very loved! Then I went to lunch with work. Best pizza in provo (Niccoitalia's- closest to NY pizza)   Then went and got my nails done, and went up to salt lake to hang out with Cass and Chris.  Where did we go to dinner?  Of course olive garden, my favorite.  I know, why is that still my favorite? Because it has the best chicken Parmesan.  Luke is getting so big and cute!

twins :)

Luke was so good!

We went home and then watched Just Go With It - So funny!  It's an adam sandler movie so I don't usually like them but it was really funny. Then I went and picked derek up from the airport. Man I missed him so much and it was only two days.  Funny how that happens when you see someone ever day :) 

The next day Derek spoiled me and took me up to the restaurant at Sundance and it was perfect.  It is so pretty up there!  He also got me a kindle! - me and you mom can read on our kindles together.  Which is perfect because I have been reading so much lately.  If you haven't read The Help!  Read it. It seriously is so good!

I love it up there!

Then we went to a comedy show thing, and had cake! It was a perfect evening! I am so lucky to have such an amazing family/boyfriend who loves me so much!

Kauai With the Nielson Family

What an amazing time we had.  I have been to Oahu a few times but never to the other islands.  First of all I loved the flight. So quick.  You get on the plane, take a drink of guava drink and then the plane lands on the ground.  That is the ideal flight.

So when we arrived we took a quick run to Costco. What an amazing store.  Bought tons of food, and then set out to the Marriott hotel. It was perfect because it had a bunch of pools, hot tubs and the ocean right there.  That is paradise.  I do love hot tubs. 

What a beautiful sight :)

Something that was really great was that Derek's parents, Sally and Gordon decided to make a theme for the week, and it was Gratitude.  So each morning two of us were in charge of a devotional and we had to talk for 5 minutes about gratitude. She also got us each gratitude journals so that we could write down what we were grateful for each day.  I loved it.  Every night we had to go around and say something that we were grateful for before we said family prayer as well. There were quite a few funny things that everyone was grateful for.

What a great way to bring the spirit in each day. I said to sally, wow I can't believe how spiritual you guys are, and she said, "this is the first time that we have ever done this."  It was a really great thing.

So we set out on some adventures.  The first day we went to this rope swing and waterfall. It was just like a 5 minute walk to get to it, but it was really muddy and there were a few who almost fell.

So each night we went to the hot tub and met some really funny people.  One of the nights we met these two Mormon couples who were in their mid fifties.  We told them about this rope swing and they said they were going to do it the next night.  The next night we see the husband with this huge brusie on the side of his chest and these electrodes stuck to his chest.  He did the rope swing like 5X's and on the fifth he didnt let go and then landed on his back and got the wind knocked out of him.  When he swam to shore he was coughing up blood.  They had to rush him to the ER.  The wife also brought an expensive video camera.  She slipped and tried to hold it up in the air, but then it fell in the water.  What an adventure they had, it cost them like 2,000 that day.  They said in the hot tub, thanks a lot of telling us about that place!  Crazy old people trying to be kids :)

Speaking of old people trying to be kids, I was very impressed with Gordon (derek's dad) doing all the jumps the boys did. 

Gordon the Jokester

 We went snorkeling at this cool beach, and just hung out. We drove quite a long time that day.  Derek's brother Tanner said that it was like "the road to hanna"  Which I guess the last time they were in Hawaii were stuck on this road for like 5 hours and it was the worst.  pretty funny

I love this shot, it reminds me of all of us kids at the beach when i was little

the boys trying to be tough, love this shot :)

 You gotta love nate's green bathing suit.  That is Derek's brother in law. He is so funny. 

We also went on a kayaking adventure up to another waterfall.  The weather was perfect.  It felt like you were in the amazon while you were kayaking up to it. 

the clan

it was so pretty there

so cool huh, it was smashing out heads

So a few things that happened that day. you know how we all had to do a devotional, Rachel and Ryan had to do theirs that day on trials.  Which was classic, because they have been through a lot over the years.  And on the trip their ore broke. And this took about an hour each way.  Well derek put his phone in the dry bag and the dry bag was soaked.  He was a little upset. We found out that is had a hole in the bottom.  Then Cole found out that a water bottle leaked in his bag so his camera was dead.  It was quite the adventure with trials.  We came home and put them in rice and it did the trick.  Both were fixed, well mostly.

Family Picture time

So we went to church in the morning and then had oh so much fun taking family pictures.  Derek is such a ham around his family. It was so funny to see him this way.  I love his family so much and I'm so lucky that they are so loving and fun!

The Kids - Me and derek, then in the back is Tanner and Cole, then Rachel is married to Ryan, And Ashley is married to Nate.  Its so fun that we are all around the same age!

Jokester - Like father like son

I love this guy - he was joking around making a cheesy smile and it made me laugh and sally caught it :)

Eating before the airport - mexican food

This trip made me realize just how amazing Derek is.  I fell more and more in love with him on this trip!  It was perfect, and I am an incredibly lucky girl to have him in my life :)

Becky's House

Me and Derek had the most amazing time in Hawaii.  Talk about having the time of your life.  It was such a blast.  First we went to Oahu, and went to becky and Doug's house.  Tucker is getting to big, and the house is looking great that they are working on.

I love waking up and going for a long walk on the beach

 WE love Sequence!

Just keeping our family happy by making them a home made sequence board.  What a great game!

It is so fun to hang out with family. Luckily the weather was a little nicer than when mom and dad were there a few weeks earlier.  Thank you sunshine!  Derek got a bad sunburn.  A little itchy...

one quick shot before the airport.  Off to Kauai, so excited!

Temple Time

Yay for Marie! I am so proud of her.  The other day she went to the bishop and got her temple recommend and Marie, Lisa and I all went to the provo temple and did baptisms.  Its amazing the spirit that comes from attending the temple.

Lisa, marie, and me

We are so lucky to live so close to a temple.  I am so grateful for the friendships that I have made here, pretty phenomenal people.  Especially marie :)

Canoeing Utah Lake

Last Saturday it was so beautiful here. Me and Derek had such a fun day.  Me, Derek, Heidi and Amber (roommates)  hiked the Y in the morning.  It was Derek's first time ever, and I know your all wondering if he loved it.  Of course he did because he loves hiking :)

Then we came home and had a barbecue at Derek's house with his new grill. He was quite excited about that. He went to the store and bought 6 different kinds of marinades for all the meat.

The we decided to go canoeing at Utah Lake... Me, Derek, Cole and Sarah (Derek's brother and girlfriend) and then Sarahs brother and wife came too.  It was really fun.

To start things off...

Derek was putting the canoe into the water with his brother cole, and he slipped in.  It was so funny, and he was laughing/frustrated and freezing. Great way to start off our little trip.

it was a perfect day

nice clear water

So happy :)

Derek was mad that we are taking too many pictures and getting hit by the trees.  Me thinking that it was really funny. 

 Great day in the SUN!