24 Years ..part II

Part I * left off with us moving to Hawaii.

*This recap of 24 started to get too long so I split it into Part I: January through September and Part II October through December.

Ok, that was a bit of an exaggeration.  We wanted to move to Hawaii but settled with promising to retire in Hawaii with a long vacation instead. We spent 10 days in Kauai and stayed at the surf cottage in Hanalei Bay. This trip was prompted by ridiculously low, direct, round trip airfare from Alaska Airlines.  We dubbed this trip our Second Honeymoon (how posh of us).  Our (First) Honeymoon was spent driving from Ohio to California.  The Second Honeymoon won out for being more relaxing.

Hawaiian Style

double rainbow.

the southern coast.

on fire.

Hanalei from above.

The Na Pali Coast (with added Helicopter perspective).

Inside Kauai's originating volcano.

Hole in one!

Kayaking.

Mr. Dub's back flips.

en route to the lighthouse.

Touring Kauai's gardens.

Northern coast trail.

Rock beach.

blue water.

sunset for two.

Hanalei, the originator of rainbows.

We moved to a new city which involved a downsize. Our old apartment was a 2 bedroom, first floor unit.  It had just been updated and we were it's first tenants.  Our new place is a single story, 1 bedroom on a quiet street with a fenced in yard.  It took some effort to make our furniture fit.  I'll update with pictures once I get the Christmas decorations put away (I like to leave them up through my birthday for maximum enjoyment).

Right after we moved in and gave the walls some paint.

Our kitchen contained a whopping 4 cabinets.

We moved away from our beloved rock gym. I haven't climbed since and I'm very sad about that. Good thing we are even closer to this well known outdoor climbing haven. It's very sad the park is on the State list to be closed.

Mr. W's family visited, I cooked my first Thanksgiving and we slept 5 people in our tiny 1 bedroom apartment.

Traditional Italian Thanksgiving foods.

Thanksgiving al fresco.

Cheap airline tickets (do you sense a theme to our travel) brought me back to Ohio for roughly 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.  I helped my parents watch my nieces and nephew while my sister and her husband vacationed.  I love being an auntie to these kiddos.  I also reunited with my puppies, Sammie, Lucy and my sister's dog Bailey.  I spent many nights covered in dogs.

Sammie.

Lucy.

Bailey

The Bean.

CareBear

Baby J.

My sister with The Puff.

Skyline as far as the eye could see.

Goetta + dippy egg every morning.

Some where in between my travels to Ohio and Christmas, Mr. W's company holiday party happened. It was 20s themed.  I scored my vintage dress for $30 while shopping at a thrift store with my cousin.  Mr. W. borrowed my dad's slacks and suspenders for the evening.  What is that saying about if you don't purge your closet keep something long enough it comes back in style?

the 20-somethings are roaring.

playing El Cap-i-tan of the ship.

I surprised Mr. Dub's for his birthday and took him to Yosemite.  We stayed here and went snow shoeing in Yosemite National Park.  It was the most gorgeous way to spend the weekend leading up to Christmas.

I wear pink boots snowshoeing. 

Lovely wooded walk.

Mr. W says Merry Christmas!

We celebrated Christmas deathly ill.  Mr. W and I experienced stomach flu that lasted All. Day.

Right before ringing in 2013, Mr. W had knee surgery.  My goal has been to be a good wife and nurse him back to health.  But I am human and I've lost my temper.  We've had some very insightful and comical arguments.  The comical-ness was exploited by the pain killers he was on.  I've recapped some of our conversations with him and in his words he "doesn't " recall ever saying that". Further proof of the Lord's sense of humor.

Mr. Dubs claiming the couch.

I'm sure I missed capturing some of the adventures we've taken but I hope looking back at this list prompts more of those memories.

Dear 25,  

I hope you're just as full of life as 24. I also wouldn't mind if you decided to take me on another Hawaiian vacation on an entirely new adventure. 

Love,Mrs. W