Just like water is to sand, I want to be near you always.

I love Sundays.
It truly is the most relaxing day for me.
Today was extra special and beautiful
I hope yours was too!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

In just a few days, I will be celebrating 6 incredible years with an equally incredible man. As I count down to the special date, I look back at the numerous sojourns he and I shared through the years. We share the same passion for the outdoors and it became apparent right from the start that we will draw such a strong bond because of this. I have been so fortunate to see, feel and fully experience the true meaning of ‘living life’ through my husband as we journeyed all over this beautiful country I now call my home: from spending Thanksgiving camped out in snow just 2 weeks after we met, blazing through the southwest beauties of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, soaking in the pristine waters of Oahu, Big Island and Kaua’i, trekking the rugged coastlines of Northern California, Oregon and Washington, feeling the revitalizing humid weather of Florida, Carolinas and Virginia, discovering the abundant lakes of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and exploring the tundras, plains, valleys and peaks under the vast skies of Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming.

Looking back, I couldn’t believe how far we’ve gone, how high we’ve reached and how meaningful of a life we’ve experienced in such a short time. We look forward to many more adventures as our family ***grows*** . Six lovely years, one of the several milestones we’re celebrating in this blessed month of November.

I’m leaving you all with this shot from Tetons, Wyoming – the trip that opened our eyes to the fact that one plus one is definitely much more than two Happy Monday!

Another year older, another year wiser? Perhaps I do feel another year MORE blessed and MORE loved. On this day, I’m not only thankful for the good life. I am thankful for family and selflessness. For mom and dad’s unconditional sacrifices, for my siblings unwavering support, for the incredible kindness of true friends and best of all for E and L’s unequivocal love. I thank these people for letting me experience utter completeness: a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, and the most profound of them all, a mother. At the end of the day, really, isn’t having and being a part of a family the most precious thing in life?

“How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!” – John Muir

It’s official! Our gang is meeting up again for a Mt. Shasta redux! Huge thanks to our dear Val for rounding everybody up and getting stuff organized. Snowshoeing and snowboarding during the day; wild nights of karaoke, reckless dancing and/or boys vs. girls in Taboo-a-thon – can’t wait!

My heart grieves. For Ayden, you will never be forgotten.

I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! Since coming back from Hawaii, I’ve been so swamped! I meant to post a lot of our vacation pictures earlier on, but tasks keep piling on on top of each other. Today, I had listed several errands I wanted to get done, and after ticking off #3 from my list, two other things popped up in my head that I knew I had tack on to the list. Just when I was starting to feel overwhelmed, I closed my eyes and thought about what my dear husband usually say when I start to panic. It’s okay to press that ‘pause’ button. And so I did, and immediately I got transported back to this beach at the south-eastern side of the Big Island.

I remember it being EXTREMELY windy when I stepped on the rocky shore.

I remember hanging on real tight to my filters and screws just so they won’t fly off my hand. I remember the wind knocking my breath away several times. Despite the physical challenges this place brought, there was a certain calm that resonated all around me. Beauty is so ironic.

Just as quickly as it happened, I snapped back to reality. I’ve never been a big fan of daydreaming – but then again, who said I was? . Happy Tuesday.

It’s been a while since I last posted a landscape shot. Been super busy! Constant change seems to be the theme this month, and since August isn’t over, something is brewing, yet again. Everything’s cool, we like a good challenge. Just like rain, it lets you know how great it feels to be *alive*.