Hawaii recap!

You should've known it would take a bit to get this up...

If you read my last post, you'd know that Scott and I took a little last minute vacation to Hawaii!

So I'm just going to jump right in with a recap post! Hooray!

Alrighty, first off, I will say that we only went to the island, O'ahu. We did want to jump to at least one more island but after doing some research I found there was a LOT to do on this one island. PLUS, we wanted to cut down the costs as much as we could...Hawaii is expensive~!

(Very excited...but also very sleepy *.*)

This is us...early Thursday (30th) morning. Scott's brother (Robert) picked us up to drive us to the airport - Thanks Rob! We left behind the snowy cold city of Calgary, and landed in a slightly less cold city, Denver, Colorado. We only had time to grab a quick snack (Jamba Juice {one of my favorite things in the States!} and McDonalds {we're not ashamed}) and hasten to our soon departing plane to a warmer place.

(Right next to our gate in Denver, I noticed some cute little birds hopping around!)

This flight was LONG...it was very windy, so our Pilot went back and around to avoid the gust. This flight was about 7.5 hrs. But it was all worth it to land at the Honolulu Airport :D

(Even more excited, but also even more exhausted as Hawaii is 3 hours behind as well)

So we went to pick up our rental vehicle, which was a small, silver Jeep (which we got for quite a good deal) and ventured out in search of our hotel - Moana Surfrider.
**Fun fact - actually the first hotel here...built in 1901!**
(I don't have any pictures of the Jeep...or Hotel...)
You'll have to take our word that it was a very nice hotel ;).
So we got to the Moana, and we got Lei-d! :D

(We've been Lei'd!)

(So pretty~)

Soon after this we met up with Scott's parents who were ALSO in Hawaii (but were leaving in the morning unfortunately). So we went our for a delicious dinner (at a burger place) and then wandered around a bit together!

After a few hours (when I was pretty well a walking zombie), we bid our adieus, wished them a safe journey 

home, and went and crashed!
ZzzZ~!
(The King bed was so large and plush and comfy!)

Something I enjoyed most mornings (included at our hotel)... yoga on the beach! So no, there wasn't much sleeping in on my part ;)
It was a lot of fun...but also a LOT different than what I was used to.

(Switching over to point form...day by day will take far too long!)
What we did over the next 8 days....

• Went to Pearl Harbor. Saw (and toured) the USS Missouri (Might Mo) and also went out to the USS Arizona Memorial. Pretty crazy to think about that day and what it would've been like. At the Memorial it was also interesting looking down in the water at a MASSIVE ship sunk below. You can still see bubbles of oil coming up occasionally. We also explored the Museums.
• Took an AWESOME tour up around the North shore of the Island. Included we got to:

            - see a LOT of awesome views
            - see a lot of movement and blow hole sprays from whales!
            - stopped at a Macadamia Nut Outlet to taste all the flavors!
            - see SEA TURTLES. Just laying around in the sand. (No touching allowed)
            - snorkel WITH said turtles (only saw little guys...it was fun following them around!)
            - stopped for some fresh delicious Shrimp! (well, Scott thought so anyways...no seafood for me)
            - stopped at the Dole Plantation to explore and have some scrumptious DoleWhip!

(random Rooster outside the Macadamia Nut Outlet...though there were actually stray Roosters EVERYWHERE!)

(China Man's Hat!)

(Our creative pictures with it are on Scott's camera...)

(My favorite picture from the trip :D)

(Sea turtle! Sorry...it won't center...)

Oh man this is getting long! Let's get going and then wrap it up!

• Went to the Paradise Cove Luau which was a BLAST! Great times, great food! Scott was a part of the show in a grass skirt. It was funny :D I got some fresh coconut water :3
• Went on a hike up Diamond Head. Not too difficult or long but really beautiful views! It was SO busy! Sometimes it was irritating to be stuck behind people, but overall it was really nice!
• Went to Leonard's Bakery for some Malasada's! Portuguese donuts...SO GOOD! (And also some other yummy treats...)
• Polynesian Cultural Center! Such a good time! They have 6 little villages representing the Polynesian Islands and their unique cultures. Great dancing and information! It was also so funny, we were laughing a ton! Especially in Samoa and Tonga :D PS. It's crazy how fast some people can climb a coconut tree...seriously!
• Spent a lot of time exploring and walking around - A LOT!
• Obviously spent a bit of time walking along and relaxing on the beach :)
• Went to Farmer's Markets A LOT! The fruit (especially pineapple and papaya) is SO GOOD! I ate so much fruit while there! (Needlesstosay, my tongue was covered in sores...)
• Also ate lots of delicious food and ice cream of course!

That pretty well sums the trip up! I'll share a few more random pictures and also thoughts in another post :)

It was sad to leave, but we were also missing our 2 little fuzzballs back at home. Thanks Paige for house/cat sitting! And also thanks to Cody and Paige for picking us up :D (PS. Congratulations on getting engaged!!)

And you know what was awesome....our luggage wasn't even overweight coming home! :D

HOORAY!

And that's a wrap for today. Too many words and pictures... *.*

Love you too. 

xo T

2013 at a (long...ish) Glance

(I've been meaning to get this out for about...16 days now but I kept putting it off).
It takes quite a while! And it's also fairly lengthy...lots of pictures!

Well, 2013 is officially over. Seems like just yesterday that it was beginning!

Here's what happened with us throughout the year...

...I left behind my old blog and started anew here!

...Georgey got fixed. 

...I've eaten a lot of ice cream...especially during DQ sales...

...Scott and I left behind our first little apartment together and bought a new house!

(Virtual tour)

...I completed a 30 day hot yoga challenge and I've still been loving it ever since!

(Google images)

...I realized I love TOMS, so comfy!

...I had a spider haunting my vehicle...

...we added another fuzzy cutie to the family! Bruce!

...we went to Texas! Fun times!

...we celebrated our one year anniversary!

...I completed a survey so you could get to know a bit more about me!

...little Brucey got fixed. I remembered how horrible drugged up cone headed kittens are...

(cute yes...but mainly horribly irritating...)

...I test drove a bunch of vehicles, but eventually decided upon a shiny new Subaru!

(about a week later, I ended up with a big ol' crack in the windshield...)

...I did some thinking, and decided to go back to school!

...some Smile Cookies from Tim Horton's were enjoyed!

...I started and finished all the Jane Austen books...and I also decided to withdraw from school (not necessarily related...but they were in the same post).

...I got some color put in my hair for the first time! Purple! 

(Sorry, it's more difficult to see in pictures...)

...cookies were baked! Quite a few cookies...

(mmmm~!)

...Christmastime was nice to see both sides of the family :)

(Had some good times with Hettie while she was here).

(Our "family photo")

And that pretty well sums up our year (give or take a few things here and there)!

The biggest things would probably be... buying a house, buying a new vehicle, and my decisions with school (and a couple things not blog worthy). 

What're your big memories from 2013??

What're you looking forward to in 2014?

Thanks for sticking with me!

Love you too. 

xo T

Happy New Year 2014!

Hello again!

It's been a week...have you missed me?
I'm sure you have...

Happy New Year!!!!
Wishing you all the best in 2014.
May it be filled with kittens, snuggles, ice cream, and happiness!
Let's all get up to some new adventures ;)

Love you too.

xo T, S, G, & B

(Oh, if you didn't know...Scott is moustached...)

Merry Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve is here!
Only 1 day left until Christmas!

I should hope we're all ready by now ;)

Today, we head down to Lethbridge.
Although we no longer act out the Nativity (old memory here), we'll go see the live Nativity Pageant.
I guess we're lucky it's not too cold this year!
I don't know for sure, but I think we're sticking with tradition this year and ordering Chinese Food! YAY!
I'm pretty sure it was 2 Christmases ago that I had it last!

Other than that, I believe we'll just be relaxing and spending time together!

What's on your Christmas agenda?

My pick for number 12 is pretty well tradition now.

On the twelfth day of Christmas a Trudy gave to you, time with friends and family, eleven hours of relaxing, ten cozy jammies, nine hot bevies, eight festive goodies, endless heaps of snow, six Christmas songs, fiiive strriiiiiiinnnnggs of liiiiiggggghhhts, four candy canes, three snuggly blankies, two fuzzy kittens, and a small fiber optic treeeeee. 

I don't know about you, but my favorite thing about Christmas...has always been the time I get to spend with loved ones! I cherish the memories I have from past Christmases and I look forward to the time I get to spend with everyone each year!

And that wraps up this year's 12 Days of Christmas (Trudy style)!

And my Christmas song today is THE Christmas Song.
I've always loved Celine's version.



But Nat King Cole is definitely a classic as well!

So, as always, thanks for all of your love and support to my family, friends, and readers.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas! Safe travels!

Love you too!

xo Trudy, Scott, George, and Bruce! 

(You try taking pictures with 2 crazy cats and trying to get them to look...gong show...)

PS. Here's Day 11 if you missed it. The Cookie Monster!

Two Fuzzy Kittens and Two Hippopotamuses

Remember my mentioning I would give you a kitten filled post soon?
Well that day has come...hooray!
Continuing on with the 12 Days of Christmas (Trudy style)...
(you had to know they'd be in here somewhere) ;3

On the second day of Christmas a Trudy gave to you, two fuzzy kittens and a small fiber optic tree. 

You better get ready...you're about to be kittened...

AW~! They look so sweet!

:D! Doesn't this almost make you want one?? Almost...
It almost makes me want another one.
Okay, I do want another one. But Scott said no.
Cuties!

George is generally kind of lazy...but it's fun when he's in a playful mood!

Bruce, however, is the fireball. Always crawling into things and getting up to no good. 

I had gone shopping and put my Lush bag on the bed...immediately he had crawled in and was all cozied up for a rest. (Though it doesn't exactly look that way with his crazy huge pupils!)

Unfortunately the little guy is no longer so little...and the bag split. He didn't mind one bit.

Goof.

Here's him being a weirdo again. That little tunnel/nest/thing usually goes on top of the kitty tree, but sometimes he likes to wreak havoc. Apparently he got sleepy part way through...

I'd say this is Bruce's opinion on Christmas-y things...

(Ok, really...it's his opinion on everything...)

To keep on theme (sort of), this is the Christmas song selection for today.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!

This is the standard version that I think we've all heard, by Gayla Peevey (recorded at only 10 years old)...

I didn't really think there were other versions, but I found one by the 3 Stooges!
Weird...

Who sings it better??

Love you too.

xo T

PS. Here's some pictures of Christmas-y things in our house and also Christmas-y kittens!

PPS. Here's yesterday's post. The 12 Days of Christmas kickoff.

PPPS. One day left for the giveaway! Time for entering ends at midnight tonight (Saturday night). I'll be doing the draws sometime on Sunday! LAST DAY!