Three years

Today, we've been married for three years.

Last weekend Harry and I went out to sushi. While we waited for our food to arrive, we started reflecting on the random memories of our wedding day. I'm sad to say a lot of it is a blur, but I do have some memory nuggets stashed in my brain. Thank goodness for the wedding pictures or I would have forgotten a few things entirely.

A few random memory nuggets:

• The night before, Elizabeth gave me a lightning quick manicure and pedicure while I was still in my dress from the wedding dinner as we sat on the floor in the family room.
• I went for a 3 mile bike ride with my Dad first thing the morning of the wedding, and vaguely remember my Mom saying, "Are you sure you want to do that right now?! What if you fall and break your arm??!" Thankfully, no injuries were sustained, and I'm convinced that little bike ride gave me a shot of energy since I slept for (literally) 3 hours the night before from all the excitement.
• My Mom literally whipped up my hair-do that morning.  I had an idea of what I wanted and was trying to do it on myself, but it wasn't looking so great, so she pulled up a chair and went to work on my hair and that is what came out.  I don't know how she read my mind.
• Before I left the house to go to the temple with my parents, my sisters dog piled me and gave me huge hugs.
• During the wedding ceremony, I remember a few things really clearly: one was looking behind Harry and seeing family and friends beaming these enormous smiles. I kept thinking maybe they'd stop smiling so big after a minute, but they were just smiling so wide at me the whole time. Then I'd look at Harry and he just looked really happy and as cool as a cucumber.
• I remember after we took pictures on the temple grounds and said we'd meet our photographer on Balboa Island for some more pictures, we got into Harry's car, and before he started the car, we just looked at each other for a second and were like, "So, we're married now!" It was a mixture of shock and glee.
• Walking around Balboa Island with Harry taking pictures and feeling so so lucky that I married him. The weather was warm but breezy and it was nice to just hang out with him, just the two of us, since we had only seen each other once every two weeks the summer we were engaged.
• Dancing with Harry at the reception, and then cutting a rug with Becca and the rest of the cousins, and then Dan getting on the microphone and saying, "We're gonna slow it down now.  This next song is for all you lovebirds out there."  I wish I could remember the song that came next.
• My Dad playing the bagpipes.  I'm told that after Harry and I left, he broke out his steel guitar too and he and cousin James entertained everyone with some blues songs.
• Tiffany going out to my car to get my clothes so I could change out of my wedding dress at the end of the night, and leaving a huge gift basket of food and drinks and some other goodies for us from all our friends. That basket saved my life since I didn't get a chance to eat more than a few bites that night.

I feel terrible that Harry is on day 2 of the 3-day Bar exam right now.  From what I can tell, this whole Bar experience can be likened to running a marathon while giving a piggy back ride to a mid-size sedan and reciting the periodic table of elements.  Oh, and the marathon takes place somewhere along the equator.   And it's monsoon season.

He's been a real trouper, and there's just one more day of all of this until he can have his life back.

So tonight it's filet mignon and smashed potatoes and steamed broccoli and a strawberry-celery smoothie and a chocolate croissant for dessert.  And I will swallow all my misgivings about shows having to do with extra-terrestrials and say, "Hey, I'd love it if we could watch some X-Files reruns tonight."

A little ditty, for all you lovebirds out there.

11:11:11 on 11/11/11

The Sarrison download.

The last few weeks have been busy!

I've been really blessed to be able to find work-- since the company I worked for since we moved here dissolved, I've only had about 2 total weeks of unemployment. I'm currently working nearby in Mountain View and I'm really enjoying it! I'm on a recruiting team for a technology start-up company, something I'd never done before. It's so funny to look across the room at the Assistant/Receptionist's desk and identify so much more with what she's doing, and yet I have my own completely different projects that I work on. It's been a nice change.

Other notables: We saw. The. Paul. Simon. In. San. Francisco.





Memborable songs: "The Sound of Silence," "The Only Living Boy In New York," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Still Crazy After All These Years," and the song that I haven't been able to get out of my head since the concert, "Dazzling Blue."

We went kayaking at Shoreline Park with some Law School friends. It reminded me how weak I am, mainly because of the sheer amount of sweat I produced while rowing.




We were also able to skip down to Irvine at the last second for Merzy's delicious little baby's blessing. I was so thrilled I got to spend a few days with Jude. He's such a dreamy and loving baby. Bonus: Because Harry's brother married my sister's husband's sister (it's aaaaall very confusing), we got to see some extra Reynolds and Hayes people, which is always a magical delight.
















The weekend included copious amounts of snuggling, giggling, biking, morning walks, South Coast Plaza (we always-- ALWAYS-- meet up by See's Candy in my family, as evidenced in the pictures), and a flatbread pizza concoction made by my Dad that involved grilled fennel, eggplant, pork, dill, celery seed, and heaven.

Also, we made another blueberry pie for the Ward Bake-Off! It's the recipe that we swear by- so good you almost have to repent for it. And no, it didn't place (probably just as well. My inordinate amount of baking pride needed a good leveling)-- not even 4th or 5th place. More pie for us, sucka!




That is it. In a nutshell. Things here are winding down, and we're getting ready for our summer of love in LA where we'll get to be neighbors/party with these kids! Woooooooot!




I'm ready to stop blogging now. XO.

Happy one.

A year ago today, we sealed the deal.



The past year has brought a whole hodge podge of memorable experiences, and the one thing it definitely has NOT been is boring. The more time I spend with my Harry, the more I realize I married the most creative, interesting, caring, genuine man who inhabits the earth. I love that I'm often pleasantly surprised by his goodness. And by his quirkiness. And by his pure uninhibited BOY-ness. And though we've only been doing this whole married thing for one year, I'm definitely more tickled pink than ever that our wagons are hitched together for ∞.

Hana(ahhhhhhhh).

Hana was beautiful. Our hats go off to Harry's brother/sister-in-law and their fantastic kids for letting us crash with them, and for showing us around. I'd never been to Hawaii before this trip, and neither had Harry. It was heaven.

Disclaimer: I'm not particularly jazzed about posting pictures of myself in swimming attire, but I can't just crop myself out of everything, so... be ye warned.



The Four Waterfalls Hike. You can't tell but Harry is touching the waterfall below. I, too chicken to get that close, got this shot of his head peering over the ledge.



On top of Waterfall #3.



Not sure if I should have posted this-- my outfit of pure lycra. How does one find a happy medium between hiking and swimming attire?







View from a random outlook on the Four Waterfalls trail.



This is what we were really going for the whole time-- looking sweaty and super athletic in the middle of a bamboo forest, like you'll find on any episode of "Lost," which we watched endlessly in preparation for this trip.



Just after the Four Waterfalls hike, heading into Kahului to get some grub.



Bob's swan dive.



Dan's 90 degree angle dive.



Obviously the nieces and nephews are far more fearless than I am (embarrassed side glance).





That's my husband. Jumping from a cliff.



Double rainbows after a storm (Remind anyone of a recent youtube video?).



Pipiwai hike. Enormous tree. Photo op.



We were so tempted to climb this.



The waterfall (Waimoku falls) that was too big to fit in one photo.



Feeling the love.

Some most choice moments which are not pictured:

-Playing "rocket launcher" in the pool with the kids
-Wandering around the property picking fresh lilikoi, avocados, papyas, tomatoes, garlic chives, pineapple, etc. And then eating them with the next meal.
-4th of July fireworks (and snuggling with nephew M while I watched which was so much fun and melted my heart!)
-Wai'anapanapa State Park-- hiking and swimming through caves (forgot to charge my camera that day).
-Harry going night spearfishing in shark infested waters with the boys. And yes, I was slightly terrified of him being a midnight snack for a hungry Jaws.
-Staying up late with my sister in law making rice pudding while the boys risked life and limb to catch fresh fish.
-Kicking back and reading on the couch after long hikes.
-Swimming at a deserted black sand beach with my main loving man.
-Shamelessly attempting to boogie board with enormous waves.
-Following Harry off the beaten path of the Pipiwai hike to explore the dense bamboo and then running for our lives back out of it when Harry walked through a humungous and thick spider web.
-Watching "The Secret Garden" and "Pride and Prejudice" with my nieces. They're already well versed in good classic girl movies.

I'd say this was a pretty good 1 year anniversary trip.

Life at Stanford

A Typical Email:

One of those memories you forgot you remembered.

I am officially in training for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon, coming to a Salt Lake near you in April 2010. Yes, I'm starting now. Yes, I really have that long of a long way to go.

This morning on my usual route, for some reason I couldn't shake the memory of my Northwood High Cross Country days. A combination of awkward teenage years, hot and dusty trails, and a healthy fear of the rage of the all powerful Coach.

And I couldn't stop picturing Coach Rossi/Ohrn/Gates yelling all those Cross Countryish things from the sidelines.

"Ten quick steps!"

"Dynamite! THINK DYNAMITE!"

"Let your legs go! JUST LET THEM GO!"

"You can catch her, Sarah, I saw her! She's DYING up there! GO GET HER!"
"Keep your eyes up and REEL HER IN!"

"BANG THE DRUM! BANG THE DRUM!"

I even recall one of Brie Gassin's coaches saying (direct quote): "Run like the track is giving birth to you." Wow.

Maybe it's the fact that it's fall now, and the Cross Country season is raging. As are the motivational yelling phrases, I'm sure, on that little track field at Northwood High. And the weird thing is, I kind of miss it.

Budget Curmudgeons

Wow. We just figured out our budget for the upcoming school year and AIEEEEE!!-- stuff is expensive. I mean, we had to cut serious necessities. I mean SERIOUS NECESSITIES.

For example, he nixed my Yoga sessions with the Olsen twins. And I nixed all 8 of his Paul Simon Music Composition seminars. And we both weepily deleted the $2,000.00/ month upkeep of our Reading Draft White Birch Beer stash. And we don't know how we'll live without all those private investigators and bodyguards who kept away all of Harry's female stalkers-- you would not BELIEVE the hourly rates. Boy this year will be tight.

Mr. Obama, where have the good times gone!??!

I suppose our private jet is the only thing that will see us through.