Here's a glimpse into the last few years...
Kaleo's parents gifted us with the most amazing honeymoon to the Bahamas. We stayed at the Sandals resort in Nassau. Part of our gift was that we got to fly first class and my goodness were we so excited for that. I just remember being on the plane that morning thinking it was the strangest feeling not having to stress over wedding planning anymore- I was free! Our room at the resort had the most incredible patio that was surrounded by these beautiful, lush green plants and tropical flowers. I would go onto the patio every morning and think to myself that it was just too dreamy to be true. We would order room service every morning for breakfast. Our resort was all inclusive so there was nonstop eating and for me, non stop diet cokes. We also drank an unspeakable amount of tropical smoothies by the pool. While we were there Kaleo taught me how to play croquet. I went jet skiing for the first time in the ocean. Kaleo and I shared a jet ski and I was so, so mad at him because he was going so fast and I was just sure I was going to be whipped off! We also saw a manatee near us in the water and I completely freaked. Every night the resort offered some form of entertainment. Kaleo's very favorite thing to do was sit by the fire at night and listen to the live music. We had the most incredible couple's massage. Talk about dreamy. And on our last night we had a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach at sunset. I could go on and on about this trip, but I'll stop here.
Soon after we got home and adjusted to our new life, we started building our very first home. It was such a dream to be able to choose all of the design elements; the white subway tile backsplash, our beautiful glass pendant lights, our gold cabinet knobs, every bit of it was so exciting. We got to go shopping for our first new couch and a new fridge. If someone were to have told the high school me that I would be shopping for all of these things with Kaleo someday, I never would have believed them. It was way too good to be true.
For my birthday in March, Kaleo took me to McCall for the weekend and we stayed at the Shore Lodge. It was so beautiful. We went ice skating together for the very first time. I hadn't gone ice skating since I was little so I was completely afraid. We were so giddy that another couple stopped to asked us if it was our first date. I thought that was pretty sweet that they thought that.
That same spring, we vacationed on the East Coast for a cousin's wedding. Both of us got to experience Connecticut and Boston for the very first time. Both places were so charming. We got to visit Harvard and have tea where the Boston Tea Party took place. It was so, so cold and we didn't bring warm enough clothing so we had to buy some Boston Celtics beanies from a street vendor which made us feel like the ultimate tourists. We took a train from Boston to NYC. Oh my goodness, the train was absolutely magical! I loved when the train would make its stops and I would get a peak at what life was like outside of the city. It was our second time being in NYC together but there was still so many things to do that we hadn't done before. We got to explore Ellis Island which was so neat. We rode bikes through Central Park. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was little so I was pretty nervous. We have several videos from that day of Kaleo making fun of me for being so slow on the bike! I promised him I'd never ride bikes with him again, haha. We got to take a helicopter ride over the city. Oh my goodness, talk about scary! I'm so bummed at myself for being so afraid because I feel like I missed out on really getting to see the beauty of the city from above. But in my defense, right before we got into the helicopter the sky turned gray, and I was just positive we were going to be struck down by lightning or something. But still, it's one of my very favorite memories. We got to sit front row at a NY Knicks game. We sat directly behind the Bulls' players and we have videos of Kaleo pretending to talk to Derrick Rose throughout the game. That's the thing about Kaleo, he is so silly and always makes the best experiences even better. I, however, just enjoyed watching for celebrities the entire time! We watched a show on Broadway called Blackbird. It was totally twisted and weird but we were on the edge of our seats the entire time- unlike the first time we went to NYC and I fell asleep during our broadway show. We got to explore the Highline and the Chelsea Market. THE CHELSEA MARKET!! Inside they have this area called Artists and Fleas where local artists and fashion designers display and sell their work. I was so inspired by these people, their work and their desire to catch their dreams that I actually went back to Idaho and quit my office job! We also got to go into the original Kate Spade store which was so inspiring to me as well. Too many amazing things about this trip to even begin to write it all here.
That summer, Kaleo and I went on our very first camping trip together with my whole family. This camping trip was very significant because we got to buy and set up our very first tent and I thought that was super exciting. We aren't big campers though so I'm not sure how much use that tent will actually get.
Later in the summer, Kaleo's younger brother came home from his mission. Right after he got back we spent two weeks in Hawaii with Kaleo's family. We got to stay in the most beautiful home right on the beach. Most of my days were spent lying on the beach watching Kaleo and his siblings play games in the ocean or play beach volleyball. One of the many, many perks of marrying into Kaleo's family is that we get to visit Hawaii quite often :)
In August, we moved into our new home! I feel like the rest of our summer was spent getting things settled in the house. I did leave Kaleo for a week during that month to visit my cousins in Southern California and meet all of their babies. Five of my bridesmaids were cousins, four of them have had babies since we've gotten married. Our family dynamic has changed tremendously from two years ago. I have such a hard time with change and thought I would struggle with that dynamic changing. However, it is now so much more exciting that we have babies and we get to watch them grow up together and hopefully have close relationships just like all of us have had.
That fall was spent attending lots of Boise State football games to watch Kaleo's brother play. We got to travel to both Hawaii and Oregon to watch a few of his games. Kaleo and I were able to spend a few nights in Portland for the Oregon game. We got to drive through Kaleo's old college town and get all nostalgic about it, which I of course LOVED. It was Kaleo's birthday and my first time to Portland. Portland is really close to the Nike employee store- which means Kaleo was in heaven as we spent all of our money there. Portland was beautiful. It was just starting to feel like fall. The city was rainy and we stayed at the chicest hotel right in the heart of it. I cried when we had to leave because it just felt like the most magical place. I can't wait to go back.
I forgot to mention that in the summer we bought our fist puppy, Champ! He was actually a birthday gift for Kaleo from his parents. Champ was the cutest, sweetest Goldendoodle puppy. For years before Kaleo and I got married we had talked about having a dog named Champ. So when we finally got him I felt like I was able to make a big check mark on my list of dreams. However, I wouldn't recommend buying a puppy right after you move into a brand new home! Potty training was hard but Champ was so, so worth it. I still have to keep reminding myself of that every time he destroys something new in our house! That Halloween, Kaleo, Champ and I dressed up as sailors. I was so excited to finally have a house of my own and pass out candy to trick or treaters in my costume. I can't wait for all of our Halloweens to come dressed up as a family!
In November, Kaleo and I bought our very first new car. We got a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. When I was in high school I dreamed of having a Jeep. I finally got one and was so in love with it up until the very day that I had to give it away. So being able to buy a newer, prettier version of what I loved so much when I was younger was so special to me.
Right around that same time, we found out I was pregnant! I'm not going to write much about this or about my pregnancy because I am saving those stories for their own posts. We had to wait an entire month to tell our families because we wanted to tell them on Christmas morning (yet another one of my dreams, to be able to tell my family on Christmas). We announced it to our families in the form of gifts. Our parents received children's books about grandmas and grandpas and either blankets or tiny baby booties to go along with the books. We did the same thing for our siblings. It was the most exciting and emotional day. And now Kaleo and I aren't sure how we'll be able to top last year's Christmas gifts!
The following months were exciting as we prepared for our little GIRL to come into this world. But the days were rough as I was consistently sick for the entire pregnancy. But again, I'll dive into all of that in another post.
In the summer, we got to visit Kaleo's sister in Denver. Neither Kaleo or I had ever been to Denver and we completely fell in love. We got to feed stingrays at the Downtown Aquarium and also attend a Rockies baseball game. We had dinner one night at a rooftop restaurant that had the most beautiful view of the city. We also tried lavender honey ice cream which we were obsessed with (funny how the smallest things like that can end up being such special memories that you keep forever). I cried and cried at the end of this trip. The morning that we left I was packing up our bags and I just cried knowing that this was mine and Kaleo's last trip together, just the two of us. I know that as our family grows our vacations will only continue to get better. But I still struggled to let go of the time that would be spent together, just Kaleo and I.
In August our baby girl, Myla was born! This also deserves a post of it's own, obviously. Since she's been born we've had nonstop visiting with family and have been loving on her like crazy. Myla has already attended many football games this fall and we have several trips planned for her in the coming months! Adjusting to motherhood has been the sweetest experience.
In between all of this, Kaleo was able to start up his own company which we are so excited about. If there's one thing anyone knows about Kaleo it's that he has a drive like no other. When Kaleo has a dream, he doesn't stop until he gets it. I feel so lucky to be by his side as he catches all of his dreams and also helps me catch mine. He offers me the greatest encouragement every single day and always makes me feel like I'm made of gold when I most need it. These have been the greatest two years with him. And I know it's only going to get better. Here's to another year...
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