Happy Halloween!

Last year, I combined my Halloween decorations with my fall decorations.  This year, I was able to add to my Halloween collection so I dedicated my decorations to this spooky day alone.  Hopefully as each year passes, I can continue to add more and more to make this day feel as festive as ever!

My DIY wreath made with black feathery boas and sparkly spiders

Echo is all ready to hand out candy!  But, where are the Trick or Treaters?

Family Photos - At Last!

When we took our engagement photos, we were not able to bring Echo due to bad planning and location of our shoot.  And though he was a part of our wedding, we were so busy and overwhelmed that we did not take any pictures with him!  Since then, I have felt a little piece of my heart missing in all of our photos because Echo is such an important part of our lives!!  So this weekend, we all went out to a park nearby and my brother took some photos for us.  We will be using some of these for our holiday cards, but here's a sneak peek!

 

Level 1 Unlocked!

We flew up to Seattle this past weekend to celebrate our one year anniversary while visiting good friends.  Needless to say, we indulged in pizza, fries, steak, desserts and anything else we could get our paws on.  I came home 2 pounds heavier and am still working off those extra calories.  Hrmph. 

At one of our favorite restaurants: Capital Grille in Seattle

So, we made it to one year!  Looking back, it has been a year of learning both about ourselves and of each other.  I think getting married later also presents more of a challenge because both people are already so independent and set in their ways that it takes an extra step to really compromise.  If I were to narrow down my "lessons learned" as a first year wife, I would highlight the following (in no particular order):

I don't have to always be right.
This is a lesson I just started to really understand and embrace.  Why did our friendly discussions turn into a contentious debate?  Why did we end up completely frustrated with each other when we were just shooting the breeze just a minute ago?  I really reflected on these escalations and realized one thing: In the midst of a conversation, we would get stuck on a something because we both wanted to be right!  But at the end of the day, I realized that it just wasn't worth it.  Every time we engaged, we would chip away at our marriage.  We were sacrificing the health of our relationship just so we could be right about the most trivial things.  So. Not. Worth. It.

It is okay to apologize first...and ask for forgiveness.
Even when I am the one who has been hurt.  I used to think that apologizing first meant that I was guilty, that I was the one who committed the wrong, but it isn't.  I remind myself now that apologizing means that I value the relationship more than I value my ego.  I also think it is important to take it a step further and ask for and receive forgiveness from both parties.  Asking for forgiveness is humbling and giving forgiveness is freeing for both parties.
 
It is all about perspective.
I have found that our spouses have the ability to pull the ugliest side out in us; even sides of us that no one else has ever seen.  When that side rears its ugly head, I have a choice: to grow or dwell in the darkness?  All of us have strengths and weaknesses, and I believe that it is our weaknesses that prevent us from living at our fullest potentials.  I am still learning that I can be crippled by my pride, stubbornness, and inflexibility, but I can also choose to break the cycle and take the opportunity to refine myself and repent so that I am no longer hindered by my weaknesses.  I am still learning how to hold onto God in these moments.

Maui

Over Labor Day weekend, we traveled to Maui with a few friends.  We visited our favorite spots (mostly centered around food, of course) and indulged in spam musubis, shaved ice and shrimp trucks.  We also visited the Haleakala Crater for the first time getting our butts up at 3AM in the morning, making the 2 hour drive up to the top and then waiting in the frigid cold for the sunrise. 

Mama's Fish House

Ululani's Shaved Ice