A Year In Review

Well I've definitely fallen off the blogging wagon. I think it's mostly because I've become really bad at taking pictures of things and I feel like my posts have to have some pictures. Anyway--I thought I'd do a post reviewing the year so I have some kind of record of the year. The main 2010 events:

April: Our First Half Marathon
Cameron and I trained for and ran our first half marathon in April. It was SO fun to train for it together. We really gained a love for long distance running that has continued through the year and led us to some more races.


April/May: Thailand
We took the trip of a lifetime together and absolutely loved exploring Thailand together. We spent a few weeks going all over: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Phi Phi. I can't believe I've never done a more detailed blog post about it..I need to before I forget everything!






June: Camping in Zion's
We had so much fun camping with one of Cameron's best friends Brendan Blake and his adorable girlfriend Lindsey. We LOVED all the hiking, relaxing, and getting to know each other better. What a beautiful place Zion's is.



June/July/August: California
Cameron had an internship for Ernst & Young in Palo Alto, CA during the summer. We loved our "summer of fun" (as we called it). We did super fun things every weekend and every night. I miss it all the time--especially since I spent most of my time relaxing by the pool. Our highlights included: visiting lots with Cameron's family, driving to Half Moon Bay for walks, trying new restaurants, Great America Theme Park, Monterey Bay/Carmel, playing frisbee at the park, wonderful San Francisco visits, visits from my family, and a whole bunch of other stuff.



August: Our 1 Year Anniversary!
We celebrated our 1st year of marriage up in Park City with a whole bunch of fun activities and a delicious dinner. ]

September: Top of Utah Marathon
I crazily decided to run the Top of Utah Marathon in September. It was such a good experience! It was tough tough tough, but I was happy because I (barely) made my goal of finishing under 4 hours...3:59 was my time. Ha ha.


October: Master's Recital
I had my last recital ever (hopefully) at the end of October and was SO pleased with how it all turned out. My senior recital of my bachelor's wasn't the best experience, so it was a huge success for this recital to go well and for me to actually enjoy it a little bit. It was a huge day: ran the Halloween Half in the morning, recital in the afternoon, and found out I was pregnant later that night. Whew!


October: Expecting our First! (November/December: Sick Time for Stephanie)
As just mentioned, we found out we're expecting our first on June 28! We couldn't be more excited and can't wait for this little one to join us. We're especially excited this new addition will join us before we move to California in the fall. It's been a rough couple of months being pretty sick, but it'll all be worth it. I'm grateful my recital was out of the way so I've had time to rest.


December: Christine Got Married!
My baby sister got married a couple of weeks ago. Crazy! It was a wonderful, beautiful day and I couldn't be more happy for her and for Ben. Isn't she a beautiful bride?


We're so grateful we've had such a wonderful year, full of so many successes and blessings. We're excited to see what 2011 brings. We've already decided to call it the "year of changes" because of everything coming up: both of us graduating in April with our Masters' (WAHOO!!!!), having a baby in June, moving to California in the fall, and Cameron starting a "real" job with Ernst & Young.

Announcing...expecting our first on June 28!

Though this might be a little anticlimactic (since apparently it was pretty obvious in my last post), we're THRILLED to be expecting our first little one, due June 28! We had our first doctor's appt. on Wednesday and now feel good about telling people. Our first appointment was awesome! Having an ultrasound and seeing the baby moving its little arms and legs and hearing its heartbeat was incredible. It's only 3 centimeters long! I still can't believe that it's growing in me. What a miracle that we can have children.

It was fun to have the doctor's appointment and actually see evidence of the child, because so far the pregnancy has been quite un-fun. We found out I was pregnant at the end of October (same day as the Halloween Half and my Graduate Recital...big day!) and I've been pretty sick from then on. However, the timing of everything has been a HUGE blessing. I literally started feeling sick the day of my recital and I've had lots of time to be sick now that that's over. If I would have started to be this sick before my recital, I would have had to postpone it. Anyway. I feel bad complaining because I know there are women who get far more sick than I have (like my mother who was constantly on IVs), but I'm pretty wimpy and it's been tough throwing up most days and feeling like I'm going to throw up ALL the time. I love love love food and I've hated eating so much bland food...rice, crackers, toast, and cereal are my main food groups. I want to be eating so healthy, but just the idea of broccoli leaves me running to the toilet. I'm tired of carrying around ziplock bags just in case of a throw up emergency in the car or while I'm teaching. I'm at 11 weeks now and I'm hoping this nausea leaves me in the next couple of weeks. Cross your fingers! I have to end with one blessing--the few days surrounding Thanksgiving were actually a miracle and I felt almost normal. It was nice to be able to enjoy some real food and to be able to enjoy Cameron's family up at the cabin we stayed at.

Anyway! Though, I'm sick of being sick, we couldn't be more excited and are so excited this little one will join us before we're off to California next fall. He/she will be the first grandchild on both sides of the family so there's a lot of excitement all around.

The BEST Husband in the World

This morning is proof that I have the best husband in the whole wide world. My stomach has been upset lately and I haven't been feeling too great. Cameron has been super sweet and cooks all the meals, does all the laundry, cleans the house, and picks up my many messes--all of this without ever being asked, mind you. Though this list is very impressive in itself, what really set the morning apart was a saltine cracker. Yesterday I was doing some online research and read a tip that it can help my nausea if I eat a cracker in bed before I get out of bed. I briefly mentioned it to Cameron and planned to try it out in the morning. This morning I woke up and from bed grumbled a request to Cameron (who was folding laundry and doing dishes) to bring me a cracker. But get this--he had already set one by the bed. How thoughtful and sweet is that?! I'm grateful for a wonderful husband who takes care of me and remembers little things like a morning cracker.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

When it rains, it pours. I know no one likes a complainer, but I feel like I need to document the past couple days...it's pretty funny really. First off--I'm home with the stomach flu. This is awful in its own right, but it seems even more awful considering I had a nasty cold all last week. Finally I got over the cold and had ONE DAY free of illness. Great. This is an unfortunate time to be sick because I need to be practicing all day for my upcoming recital and I have a half marathon in a couple weeks and my training is suffering.

Secondly, unexpected costs. Our car has had a rough month! The brake pads had to be replaced, we had to re-register the car and pay for the corresponding tests, and...we got a flat tire on Friday. Ha ha. Cameron felt the need to drive over a tall curb; the tire deflated immediately. Of course this was as we were pulling in to our friend's house to drive up to their cabin. Perfect timing. All these events cost a pretty penny at a tight time-Cameron's tuition is now expensive graduate tuition and we're no longer eligible for grants. I had the grand idea to use our $75 Costco gift card to put toward the tires...but, of course, I can't find it. Also, Cameron's computer charger decided to stop working last night. Everything seems to have decided October is the month to break! Even little things--we lost a glass and a bowl yesterday.

A bunch of other little things haven't gone as planned, but I won't bore you with the details. I know things could definitely be a lot worse, but it's funny how things seem to all happen at the same time...I suppose it makes you even more grateful for the things that are going well! I'm grateful for a husband who sits with me and rubs my back while I'm leaning over the toilet. Having to stay home today was frustrating, but it actually turned out to be a nice time to catch up on a bunch of little things I needed to get done. I have a sweet sister who is willing to cover for me in the class I teach. Hopefully things will look up in the next couple days. :)

Summer Running!

This summer was an excellent summer for running. The main highlights included the Salt Lake Half Marathon, the Mapleton Moonlight Half Marathon, and the Top of Utah Marathon.

Salt Lake Half Marathon
This run was in April and was a blast! Cameron and I trained and did it together. We loved it. It was really fun to accomplish a goal like that together.



Mapleton Moonlight Half Marathon
This was a fun night race at the end of August where you wear glow in the dark things and try to cross the finish line at midnight. However, it actually ended up being a bit of a disaster. I got lost on the course and was scared out of my mind for about 5 miles. Because I got lost, it messed up some plans to meet Christine and Ben at the finish line, who were going to take pictures, run some more with me (I needed to run 7 more miles to stay on my training plan for my marathon), etc. So--I don't have any pictures aside from this one from after our the long night of running. Thanks again to Ben and Christine for dealing with my crazy emotions that night and for running with me til 2 AM!
Christine told me to look tough for the picture.

Top of Utah Marathon
This race was Sept. 18 up in Logan. I'd always heard everyone say, "If you can run a half, you can run a full," so I thought I'd try it. It was a good summer to train for it because I had lots of free time in California. But...it was SO HARD! WAY harder than I was expecting. I'm really glad I did it though. I was happy because I met my two goals: don't stop running (no walking) and under 4 hours. I don't know if I'll be doing another one anytime soon (I think I'll stick to halves), but it was a great experience. My parents were sweet enough to drive up for the race and biked next to me off and on between miles 18-24...the miles when I thought I'd die. It was great to have them cheering me on. Cameron and I made a fun weekend of it and spent the night with my darling high school friend Bonnie and her little family. It was so fun to see her, her cute house, and her adorable little boy.
Pre-race. Cameron always makes fun of my bandanas...he says I look like I'm in the crips. I guess this is me trying to make some kind of gang sign?



Relief!

My pro biker parents!

This post wouldn't be complete without paying tribute to my feet for all they've gone through. This disgusting picture shows how battered they are. I've got 4 black toenails still waiting to fall off.


I'm excited for the Halloween Half this next weekend...then I'm ready to turn the mileage down a bit til next year.

1 Year of Wedded Bliss

Cameron and I celebrated our 1st anniversary this past Saturday. (The actual date was Aug. 18 but Cameron was out of town. Thus, we postponed the celebration.) Cameron was so sweet and planned a full day of fun activities. The day began with delicious blueberry pancakes and a bouquet of roses.

We spent most of the day in Park City. We enjoyed a fun ride on the alpine slide. However--Cameron "accidentally" kicked my shoe off when we were on the lift, so I went down shoe-less. He was sorry when he had to hike up the mountain to find it! :) We enjoyed delicious pizza and even had a snow cone (tiger's blood, of course), which I haven't had in ages! We spent some time on main street looking in some shops and art galleries...which I think I may have enjoyed a little more than Cameron. After that, we went to this concert up at the Canyons. We also went to this super nice restaurant that was SO DELICIOUS! It's called "Jean Louise" and I highly recommend it. We also had some of our wedding cake. Cameron thought it would be gross by this time, but it was amazingly delicious. It was a wonderful day. I feel so grateful to be married to such a wonderful guy.







Side note: we went on a super fun hike Lauren and Mike for Labor Day. (Not an anniversary event, but I'm too lazy to create a separate post. )

The Family Visit

We're back in Provo and all moved in, but I'm a bit behind in the blogging world. Before we left California, my family came and visited for about a week. We had SO much fun!! I loved having people to hang out with while Cameron was at work. It was also fun to do the touristy stuff a native like Cameron wouldn't never do. Some of the highlights:

A FREEZING summer day in San Francisco. We went again a couple days later when it was a bit warmer. We looked in lots of shops (which is a frequent occurrence with 6 girls in one family), went to the aquarium, took a boat tour, had excellent chocolate and ice cream at Ghiardelli Square, and hung out at Pier 39. We also spotted the bush man...no San Francisco trip is complete without a bush man sighting.

We had some delicious clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls. A San Francisco must.


We spent a couple of days at Santa Cruz Beach, a family favorite attraction. The second time we went, Cameron even got to go with us! We had SO much fun. We went on rides at the boardwalk. We went on walks. We watched Sara dance crazy while listening to her ipod, wandering around the beach. I embarrassed Sara a couple of times...1) I asked these guys if they would mind taking a picture with my sister. I told them she was too embarrassed to ask herself. He he he. 2) I also went and asked this guy if he would mind helping her build a tunnel in the sand. He came to help, and Sara was quite confused. Anyway! We had a fantastic time.

Sara with her men:

Sara dancing crazily while people watched her.



My hot beach outfit.

The Big 25

So yesterday I turned 25! Yay! That sounds so old...I certainly don't feel that old. Despite its unpromising beginnings (Cameron is out of town and I'm all alone in California...I was so excited for my birthday facial and it fell through...and the old people I live with woke me up really early), it turned out to be a great day. Here's why:

--When I came back from my morning run, I found a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the table with the sweetest card and all the fixings for strawberry shortcake. Cameron arranged for it to all be delivered even though he's away. What a sweetheart. Made my morning.



--I ate lots of junk food. Those of you who know me well know that I have the biggest sweet tooth but rarely satisfy my constant craving for sweets. Since it was my birthday, I made an exception and enjoyed every single bite of strawberry shortcake, oreo truffles, and Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Ice Cream (yes, I ate the whole carton).

--All of the birthday wishes from everyone through calls, texts, and facebook. Lately I've been having my own little pity party..."I don't have any friends, no one cares about me, etc". I know it seems like such a little thing, but even having people make the effort to write "happy birthday!" on my facebook wall meant a lot to me and made me feel loved. My talented mother-in-law even made me the sweetest little video and made me feel very special. (You can view this on my facebook wall.)

--Chick flicks. Okay, I'll say it. I love super cheesy, meant-for-13-year-girls chick flicks. I indulged this love (because Cameron wasn't here to make fun of me) and watched "Another Cinderella Story" with Selena Gomez. I actually thought it was hilarious. Sue from Glee was in it--she's SO FUNNY. I also went to see Step Up 3D (Since when do movies cost $14?) but won't dwell on this point because I was severely disappointed in it. I love Step Up 1 and 2, but I thought this plot was undeveloped and the dancing looked fake or something. Too many special effects?

--I read the most wonderful talk about gratitude by President Monson. He talked about some of the simple things to be grateful for: Mother, Father, Friends (Husband), Teachers, Country, and the Savior. It was something I really needed to read. Read it! It's called "An Attitude of Gratitude."

Anyway, it was a great day. I'm a very blessed person. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful people in my life.

Half Moon Bay, Berkeley, Monterey, & Carmel

We've been busy enjoying California. We leave next week--I'm SO sad. I really love it here! Some things we've done lately...

Half Moon Bay for Family Night

We tried to look in the tide pools for little creatures, but no luck.

We went to Berkeley on Friday with this couple we met on a day tour in Thailand. (Random) They live in the area and he went to Berkeley so we had a lot of fun as they showed us around. The campus is gorgeous! What a unique place. Lots of crazy people on the streets. I learned people commonly refer to it as Bezerkeley, and I kinda see why.

Indie and Vikrum. He's just as crazy as he looks.


Cameron and I spent a fantastic Saturday in Monterey and Carmel. We loved it! I think it's our favorite day trip we've had.

We were so excited when we first got there because we saw this little guy...we were snapping pictures like we'd spotted something unique.

Then--a minute later, we saw all of these!! Guess they're everywhere in Monterey. :)

Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey

The sea lions just hangin' out on some boats.

Cannery Row in Monterey

The Beach in Carmel