So I've not been that good at the blogging thing. This time it's not been so much me as it has been the fact that google bought out blogger and it wouldn't let me log in with my non-gmail account until just now. Lame. But hey, it's an excuse and I'll take it.
Yesterday was New Years. As I lay sprawled on the couch enjoying a well earned Netflix binge and entire bottle of Martinelli's apple cider to myself, I thought pensively about the last year. Man what an incredible year. The thing that makes it so, at least for me, was how different it was from my other years. This last year was really the first time that all of our previous preparations and plans were finally put into play. Adam and I are big time planners and schedulers, maybe to a fault, but there you have it. It's a strange feeling knowing the time for preparation has passed and now is the time to do all the things. The choices have all been made. Whoa.
#1: Law School & Career
At the turn of last year two big things happened: Adam was accepted into the University of Chicago Law School and I was offered a permanent position at my company to work remotely from home when we moved to Chicago.
#2: The Move
Since we knew where we were moving to so far in advanced, we flew to Chicago in April to visit the school and scout out housing. This ended up being a great choice because we scored a pretty spacious apartment and met a bunch of awesome people before we came up.
#3: We had finally saved up enough money to buy a real car
We loved our old manual car but we were very excited to move up in the world in this small (to us, HUGE) aspect. The upgrade from our '97 all manual, power steering, leaked in the rain, had no radio, Honda Civic to our '09 Toyota Corolla was like swapping the Flintstone's car for a spaceship. We fixed up the Honda and passed it on to my younger brother who was moving up in the world from a bike. The car let us do all the fun traveling we never trusted our other car to do before. Thus...
#4: We actually had a real summer!
It was our last summer, no homework, job applications, school applications, test etc. Just work in the morning and whatever we wanted to do in the afternoons. It was amazing. We also realized it was probably the only time that would ever happen to us. We bought a gym membership to our local rec. center and ACTUALLY WENT several times a week (um yeah, we were awesome.) And every other weekend we did a camping trip somewhere in Utah where we went on a progressively harder or longer hike.
Some of the Highlights:
#5: We went on an adventure.
Knowing where you're going to be 5 months from now has it's advantages. Ok, it only has advantages. We loved it. Anyhooz, we were able to nab a spot reservation for Havasupai! Havasupai is this magical bright blue waterfall system at the beginning of the Grand Canyon that feeds into the Colorado River. The water is clear and perfect and tingles when it hits your skin. This trip was like the dangling carrot for us. Well, for me if we're going to be completely honest. Adam was already in pretty good shape but for me it was the motivation necessary to get in better shape and fix my knee injury up. We hadn't told anyone this but in addition to it being the last real vacation before lawschool and real life, it was also our "baby-moon" bribe to get ourselves (again, mostly me) in shape before trying to start a family. (ˈbābēˌmo͞on Noun: That last fun thing you do before your life gets bogged down by the complications of having small children depending on you and your general lack of sleep and disposable income and energy.)
Havasupai was amazing. It was seriously, so much fun. And yes, we backpacked the 17 miles in and out of the canyon to get there. I wish I had taken a picture of this but after a week camping, Adam's hair had gone straight and mine curly.
#6: We got to visit a ton of our family and friends
We packed as many family and friend adventures in-between our weekend hikes as we could and it was awesome to see everyone that we did!
#7: We decorated
Since we weren't going to be transitional like every year/half-year before this time, we actually bought a couch and some bookshelves. A real couch, not a futon. (Any of you who were/are college students know how big a deal that is.) We painted some walls, and bought a bunch of glass jars for my spices in the kitchen. We even threw out the mismatched hangers and got all matching ones. Whoa.
#8: Adam grew a beard
Having completed an LDS mission, school at BYU, then working at the MTC, Adam finally got a chance to let his facial hair shine.
#9: Adam started School
He's loving law school (so far, he's only had one trimester so that can all change very soon. They call them "quarters" not trimesters, but there are three of them so...) This is his really his first time going to school for classes that are specifically in the field of his interests so it's a big and refreshing change for him.
#10: I got pregnant
It actually happened. It's still hard to wrap our heads around but it's real. I hit my second trimester and am finally edging off the morning sickness phase. Sadly, I had 10 airplane rides during my first trimester. I never want to see another airport or ginger-chew again. However, I am pretty well stocked up on those little vomit bags they stash in the seats and bathrooms on the plane.
We truly had a very amazing year.
Yesterday was New Years. As I lay sprawled on the couch enjoying a well earned Netflix binge and entire bottle of Martinelli's apple cider to myself, I thought pensively about the last year. Man what an incredible year. The thing that makes it so, at least for me, was how different it was from my other years. This last year was really the first time that all of our previous preparations and plans were finally put into play. Adam and I are big time planners and schedulers, maybe to a fault, but there you have it. It's a strange feeling knowing the time for preparation has passed and now is the time to do all the things. The choices have all been made. Whoa.
#1: Law School & Career
At the turn of last year two big things happened: Adam was accepted into the University of Chicago Law School and I was offered a permanent position at my company to work remotely from home when we moved to Chicago.
#2: The Move
Since we knew where we were moving to so far in advanced, we flew to Chicago in April to visit the school and scout out housing. This ended up being a great choice because we scored a pretty spacious apartment and met a bunch of awesome people before we came up.
#3: We had finally saved up enough money to buy a real car
We loved our old manual car but we were very excited to move up in the world in this small (to us, HUGE) aspect. The upgrade from our '97 all manual, power steering, leaked in the rain, had no radio, Honda Civic to our '09 Toyota Corolla was like swapping the Flintstone's car for a spaceship. We fixed up the Honda and passed it on to my younger brother who was moving up in the world from a bike. The car let us do all the fun traveling we never trusted our other car to do before. Thus...
#4: We actually had a real summer!
It was our last summer, no homework, job applications, school applications, test etc. Just work in the morning and whatever we wanted to do in the afternoons. It was amazing. We also realized it was probably the only time that would ever happen to us. We bought a gym membership to our local rec. center and ACTUALLY WENT several times a week (um yeah, we were awesome.) And every other weekend we did a camping trip somewhere in Utah where we went on a progressively harder or longer hike.
Some of the Highlights:
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| Angels Landing, UT |
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| Goblin Valley, UT |
 |
| Arches, UT |
 |
| Little Wild Horse Canyon, UT |
#5: We went on an adventure.
Knowing where you're going to be 5 months from now has it's advantages. Ok, it only has advantages. We loved it. Anyhooz, we were able to nab a spot reservation for Havasupai! Havasupai is this magical bright blue waterfall system at the beginning of the Grand Canyon that feeds into the Colorado River. The water is clear and perfect and tingles when it hits your skin. This trip was like the dangling carrot for us. Well, for me if we're going to be completely honest. Adam was already in pretty good shape but for me it was the motivation necessary to get in better shape and fix my knee injury up. We hadn't told anyone this but in addition to it being the last real vacation before lawschool and real life, it was also our "baby-moon" bribe to get ourselves (again, mostly me) in shape before trying to start a family. (ˈbābēˌmo͞on Noun: That last fun thing you do before your life gets bogged down by the complications of having small children depending on you and your general lack of sleep and disposable income and energy.)
Havasupai was amazing. It was seriously, so much fun. And yes, we backpacked the 17 miles in and out of the canyon to get there. I wish I had taken a picture of this but after a week camping, Adam's hair had gone straight and mine curly.
#6: We got to visit a ton of our family and friends
We packed as many family and friend adventures in-between our weekend hikes as we could and it was awesome to see everyone that we did!
#7: We decorated
Since we weren't going to be transitional like every year/half-year before this time, we actually bought a couch and some bookshelves. A real couch, not a futon. (Any of you who were/are college students know how big a deal that is.) We painted some walls, and bought a bunch of glass jars for my spices in the kitchen. We even threw out the mismatched hangers and got all matching ones. Whoa.
#8: Adam grew a beard
Having completed an LDS mission, school at BYU, then working at the MTC, Adam finally got a chance to let his facial hair shine.
#9: Adam started School
He's loving law school (so far, he's only had one trimester so that can all change very soon. They call them "quarters" not trimesters, but there are three of them so...) This is his really his first time going to school for classes that are specifically in the field of his interests so it's a big and refreshing change for him.
#10: I got pregnant
It actually happened. It's still hard to wrap our heads around but it's real. I hit my second trimester and am finally edging off the morning sickness phase. Sadly, I had 10 airplane rides during my first trimester. I never want to see another airport or ginger-chew again. However, I am pretty well stocked up on those little vomit bags they stash in the seats and bathrooms on the plane.
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| Adam found out via surprise dinner Fortune Cookie, "You will make a great dad this summer!" |
