Review of 2015!
(1) Gus!
In January we brought home this fluffy, curly, little pup. He is a part of our family now and has been the perfect family pet! He loves to play, snuggle, and he loves belly rubs. He loves when our nieces and nephews come over, because they will run around and play with him! We never planned on buying a dog until last December. We watched a clip on Youtube that showed happy reactions when people get a puppy for Christmas (random, I know). For some reason, this made us really want a dog. I'm so glad we have Gus in our family!
(2) Zion National Park!
Can you believe Jaren and I grew up in Utah and had never been to Zion National Park? I can't believe it either. We went to Zion over Memorial Day weekend this year. I absolutely loved this trip! The scenery was gorgeous! We hiked just about every hike possible in 2 days! Jaren's aunt is super nice, and let us stay with her over the weekend (she lives in St. George). I love this park!
(3) Jaren's Graduation and Job!
Jaren's graduation was very special. I can't believe he is done with school! When we were married back in 2008, Jaren didn't even know he wanted to be a PA yet. At times, Jaren felt graduating from school was so far away... but time came and went and now he's done! He worked very hard to become a PA, and I couldn't be more proud of him! I love him so much and am so grateful for his dedication and hard work!
Jaren working as an Orthopedic Physician Assistant at Ogden Clinic has been wonderful. Jaren always hoped to work in orthopedics. We love this company, and are so grateful for this opportunity! (Plus, we have a LOT of student loans to pay off!)
(4) Going to Europe for 5 weeks!
I doubt we will ever go on a 5 week vacation again (until we are retired). Everything somehow worked out and fell into place to allow us to do this. We figured... while we don't yet have children, Jaren doesn't begin his job until October, Jaren's parents are already in Europe, and we are young and healthy... why not?! I am SO GLAD we went to Europe and took this time to explore the world and spend time together. The memories we made were worth every penny.
The next few experiences have to do with our trip to Europe (I loved every day we spent in Europe and everything we saw and did, so it's hard to choose)...
(5) Seeing Jaren's parents, spending time with them, and seeing their mission headquarters!
I loved spending time with Jaren's parents while we visited Germany. We miss them, and loved exploring the country with them! We LOVED Germany! I loved their apartment, visiting their mission headquarters, and seeing the sites! They took us to amazing places and we saw castles that were unbelievable. They are so fun to be around and they made Germany so memorable for us!
(6) Hiking through Hallstatt in Austria AND the Cinque Terre in Italy AND the Swiss Alps!
I couldn't decide which hiking I liked more... it's a tie!
Hallstatt- The scenery was breathtaking!
Cinque Terre- Amazingly beautiful!
Swiss Alps- Just perfect in every way possible!
(7) ART!
I never knew I could become so passionate about art until I began studying (yes, I studied a lot) to prepare for this Europe trip over a year ago! The David in Florence, Italy... the Borghese gallery in Rome, Italy... The Louvre and Orsay Museum in Paris, France... these were all my FAVORITE places to see art!
(8) Paragliding in the Swiss Alps!
This was an experience like no other! Pure exhilaration! Seeing the beautiful Lauterbrunnen valley beneath us while soaring like a bird high in the Alps was unbelievable! Every time I think about it I get chills... did we really do that?! It was a spontaneous decision to go paragliding while we were in the Swiss Alps and I am so glad we did!
(9) Eiffel Tower!
When we went all the way up to the Eiffel Tower it was a cold, windy night! But the view was stunning and worth bracing the chilly wind!
View from atop the Eiffel Tower...
Near the Eiffel Tower...
Looking at the Eiffel Tower from atop the Arc de Triumph...
(10) Disneyland with my family!
I love Disneyland. LOVE! We spent Thanksgiving here, which was memorable and so fun! My parents brought us here as our Christmas gift this year. Disneyland was celebrating Christmas AND their 60th Anniversary. We enjoyed every moment at this magical place!
Honorable Mentions...
*Thanksgiving Point Gardens
Jaren and I went with my family to see the Tulip Festival in April. I love the beauty of these gardens!
*Summer Fun!
We hiked all over northern Utah this Summer. I love hiking... it's a fun activity and it's FREE! We also went to Bear Lake, Lagoon, Real Salt Lake games, and drive-in movies!
* The Little Mermaid at Hale Center Theater
I went with Emily to The Little Mermaid to celebrate her birthday! I had never been to Hale Center Theater before this... the show was amazing!
Emily's birthday...
*Ancient Ruins in Rome, Italy
The Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, and the Pantheon... it was amazing to think how OLD these were! (And how such a strong civilization crumbled.)
*Versailles in Paris, France
Just beautiful! The gardens of Versailles went on and on and on for days!
*Cutting my hair and growing my bangs out!
Before (Best photo I could find to show my long hair and bangs. This is in 2013)...
