Hawaii Trip Part 1

In August Greg and I visited Honolulu, Hawaii to visit the island as well as Brea Hiatt and her husband Brint. It had been such a long time since we had seen them and I was talking to Brea one day and she said we could come visit. I thought it was a brilliant idea, but never thought we would be able to pull it off. We made it work and go to visit the Island of Oahu for 1 full week! We arrived on a Wednesday night in August. I want to thank my dad for the tickets for the airline flight. Without that we never would of been able to go. Once we arrived, Brint and Brea met us at the airport to pick us up. We drove back to their apartment to drop off our stuff and then decide how we were going to start out our trip. Once we got settled, they took us to dinner at one of their favorite places. It was a Ramen place. It was the best Ramen I have ever had in my life. After dinner they took us on  a tour of downtown Waikiki. I could smell the ocean and feel the breeze and it felt amazing. The only thing that I didn't really like was the humidity. It did a real number on my curly hair. After the walk we went back to where we were staying and settled in for the night. It was so nice of Brint and Brea to let us stay with them. We really appreciated it!

Thursday:
Our first full day in Hawaii Brea took us around some of the island to a beach called "Sandy's Beach". While we were there way off in the distance there was a ship in the ocean. Then Brea informed us that Pirates 4 was filming just off the island and that very well could be the Black Pearl. It was way off in the distance but I really think it was. I got some pictures but they are kinda far out...

Its small but its there...

This one is a little better...

After we spent some time looking at the ship we went down to the beach and laid out our stuff and got ready to enjoy the sand, the water, and the sun. The sun felt amazing and the sound of the waves crashing made me realize that I was actually Hawaii!

Hiding form the sun haha...

Awwwwww :)

Crashing Waves!

Excited for the Ocean

Later that day once we were able to meet up with Brint, we went to go get shaved ice at a place called Shamazus (sp?). It was so good! Shaved ice is the new ice cream in Hawaii. Greg and I split the shaved ice and we had trouble finishing it. This thing was huge. We had half strawberry and half mango and then added condensed milk on top of both sides. It was so YUMMY!!!

After we ate the monstrous shaved ice we then decided to go to dinner. They took us to another favorite restaurant. It was called Teddy's Burger. It reminded me of a 50's diner with a modern twist. The burgers were huge and very good. They had a special sauce that was on the burger and it was amazing!! The burger was way to big for me to finish but I kept eating it because of the sauce. 

Friday:

On Friday we went to the North Shore to go snorkeling at Sharks Cove. On the way there we stopped at Waimea Falls and the Dole Plantation but we decided to come back at the end of the day.Waimea Falls was absolutely gorgeous. It was about a mile hike to the end where the falls was. It was very lush and green with lots of flowers.

After Waimea Falls we went snorkeling and it was amazing! The water was clear, a little chilly, but right when we got in the water we landed on a  school of fish, not sure what kind they were but they were pretty. Once we were done snorkeling we had a little camp and had hot dogs and chips. It was yummy! The North Shore was absolutely beautiful and had a different feel from Waikiki. The air was more crisp and had a fresher smell to it.

Getting started ... It was a bit cold

School of fish we found right away

Awesome dude!

 Tunnel that was found while snorkeling

Saturday:

Saturday went spent the morning learning how to surf! We went down to Waikiki  with Brea. They had extra surfboards for us to use so we didn't have to pay for them. We were thankful for that. It was really flat that morning but it was still a good learning environment. My arms were so sore and tired by the end. Other people making surfing look so easy and let me tell you its not. Its exhausting but it was so worth it. We ended up going on a sunset surf on Monday night. It was beautiful and romantic to watch the sunset from the ocean. By the end I was able to stand up on a small wave. It was only for a few seconds but it still counts! I would definitely go surfing again if and when I get the chance :)

Its Been A Year!

One year ago today I married my best friend and the man of my dreams! All day I have been replaying our wedding day in my head. I can't believe its been a year already. Time has just flown by. Everyone always says that the first year of marriage is always the toughest, but I think we did an awesome job! To celebrate our 1 year of being married we decided to go on a little get-away for the weekend. Greg had never been to the Grand Canyon so I decided that it would be the perfect mini vacation. We had planned on going this summer some time anyway so I thought it would be perfect and special. So what we did was drove to Williams which isn't very far away and stayed at the Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel so we could take the train the next day to the Grand Canyon. So we arrived on Friday and spent the night and then got up in the morning to take the train. It was so cool that the train departed from the hotel that we stayed in. Before we boarded the train there was a cowboy shoot out and it was entertaining. We boarded the train and were in Coach Class Car D Seats 15 C and 15 D. It was a tight fit for Greg's legs but it was so cool and enjoyable. Once we got to the Grand Canyon it was incredible. We had lunch at the Bright Angel Lodge Restaurant and it was good food for not to an expensive price. After lunch we had 2 1/2 hours to roam around the Canyon and go on the trails. We took the rim trail on the South Rim and walked just over a mile to one end of the trail. It was a little warm  but there was wind and it made it seem cooler. Anytime I went closer to the edge though Greg would hold on to me really tight and would say I don't want to loose you due to the wind pushing you over the edge of the Grand Canyon. He was so cute being so protective of me. Once we were done at the Canyon we took the train back to Williams were we then headed back to Flagstaff. Once we got back to Flag we refreshed ourselves and then Greg took we out to a nice dinner at Olive Garden. We ate and were very happy. Came home very full and satisfied. We saved the top of our wedding cake so we could eat it on our anniversary. It looked the same just as I remembered it from the wedding day.

I love my husband so much. He is the most amazing man and he has done a great job taking care of me as his wife. I still get butterflies of joy in my stomach when I call him my husband! I know there are many more great years to come and so many surprises to come. God had really blessed our lives and our marriage that we have. Here our some pictures reflecting back...

We have so many more pics but I figure that is a great overlook since we started the journey to become Husband and Wife. Happy 1st Anniversary Greg! I Love You So Much! I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us! :)

Update on the Last Few Months

I realize it has been a few months since I have posted anything so let me update you on our lives. In March We had spring break from school which was a much needed break. Greg was out of his walking boot and in a regular shoe. He was still using one crutch to get around but he was so excited to be walking again. He also started to drive again. To be honest that was a little scary for me, but it was like he never stopped driving...haha. We went down to the valley to see our families and had a great time. We went to the lake one day and went fishing. We didn't catch anything, but had a wonderful time anyway. Just being at the lake was enough for us. The week after spring break I turned 22! My family came up to celebrate my birthday and had a great time. My mom and I went shopping and went to starbucks. We had some great girl time! Greg was also a wonderful husband and took me out to dinner and spent time with me. He was so worried about what to do for me for my birthday, it was really cute! He did a great job :)

In the month of April nothing really exciting happened, school was coming closer and closer  to an end. I worked and was finishing out my college career. Greg's leg was getting better, he was doing physical therapy to strengthen his leg. His knee was still bothering him, but he figured it was no big deal. He had his follow-up doctors appointment and the doctor decided that his knee still shouldn't be hurting as much as it was, they told Greg to continue the physical therapy and see if that helped at all. He has another doctor's appointment this coming Monday and they will see if he tore a ligament in his knee at the time he broke his leg skiing. He he has torn something then that could potentially require another surgery. We will have to see what the doctor says. We also went to a wedding in April at Trinity. It was a weird feeling to go to a wedding there that wasn't mine. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were so glad that we could make it!

May so far has been an eventful month! The 2nd weekend in May included Greg's Cello Recital, my NAU Graduation, and Mother's Day. Greg did an amazing job on his recital I could not of been more proud of him. He was also just so happy to have it behind him.

The day after the recital was my Graduation at NAU. I spent the last 4 years getting educated and I believe it worked! I graduated with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Biology. I am taking a short break from school right now to rejuvenate but then I will be going back to school for my Nursing Degree. I enjoyed my 4 years at NAU but it feels great to know that I am done. It hasn't fully get in yet, but I'm sure that it will once Greg goes back to school in August and I don't. Currently just working full time and hoping to save up some money for when we move down to the valley.

Congrats to all of the Class of 2010 who graduated from Northern Arizona University!

Now that it is Summer, We are excited to be able to enjoy each other's company! We hope to do lots of fishing, camping, hiking, and hanging out with our friends! Greg got a job at Discount Tire full time and I am working full time now. We hope to have an amazing summer!

Our First Valentine's

Today was our first married Valentine's! We had a lovely day and Greg is a wonderful husband. For my gift he brought in a cleaning service to deep clean our apartment. With everything thats been going on with work, school, and taking care of Greg and his broken leg, I let our apartment get really cluttered and it just felt dirty. I had been meaning to really clean our place but just never got around to it. I came home from work on Saturday to find that our apartment had already been deep cleaned. Greg brought in a service to clean our place as a surprise! It was such an amazing feeling to walk through the door and already have it done. I was speechless! It was such a great gift. We went to dinner on Saturday night to Olive Garden. It was a very tasty meal with great conversations. We have been married for almost 8 months and it feels like a lot longer than that. Greg is an amazing husband and couldn't ask anymore from him. He loves me for me and I love him for him! I can't wait to spend many more Valentine's Days with him! I love you Greg! XOXO

Marriage Survey

1. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time?

In Spanish class our sophomore year in high school

2. What is your spouse's full name:

Gregory John Nichols

3. Do you have any house pets:

1 cat: Fyre and 1 fish: Tarsish

4. Do you own a house or rent:

We rent a 1 bedroom condo in Flagstaff

5. Do you live in the country or city:

In the city, right behind NAU campus

6. What is one of your favorite activities together:

Right now Greg has a broken leg so we can’t do much, but we love to ski and snowboard together at Snowbowl and Durango!

7. Do you have a favorite vacation spot:
 Camping in the woods

8. When did you first kiss?

We kissed at midnight on New Year’s Eve five days after we started daing.


 9. What church do you attend?


Grace Community Church in Flagstaff and Trinity Baptist Church in Mesa

10. Where were you married?

We were married in Mesa at Trinity Baptist Church

11. What town is your current address at:
Flagstaff



12. Do you work or stay at home:


Right now I work and go to school. I am graduating in May from NAU

13. Where did you go on your honeymoon:


We went on a cruise to the Caribbean. We went to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Mexico.

14.What was the funniest gift you gave when dating?


We didn't really have any 'funny' gifts...

15. Who asked who out?


I told Greg I liked him when we went to Homecoming with a bunch of our friends. We didn’t start dating officially until a few months later.

 16. How old are each of you?


He'll be 23 in October, and I will turn 22
in March.


17.Where do you each work or go to school?


We both attend NAU. I work at DCI Biologicals as a medical receptionist/phlebotomist. Greg works for NAU as the orchestra librarian.

18. Did you go to the same school?


Yes both high school and college.

19. Are you from the same home town?


Yes we lived 5 minutes from each other

20. Who is smarter?


We are both smart in our own areas



21. Who is more sensitive?


I am for sure…

22.Where do you eat out most as a couple?


Chili’s, its just down the street from our place.

23. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?


The Caribbean 



24.Who has the craziest exes?


Neither of us really have any crazy exes

25. Who has the worse temper?


We each have a different sort of temper...I tend to get upset more quickly, but I'm not explosive. It takes Greg FOREVER to get really mad, he is more stoic and doesn’t really express his anger.

26. Who does the cooking?


Usually I do right now because Greg has a broken leg. Before that we shared the cooking

27. Who is more social?
Greg



28. Who is the neat-freak?


That would be me!

29. Who is more stubborn?


We both have our moments…

30. Who hogs the bed?


We're pretty good at sharing, but Greg definitely hogs the covers.

31. Who wakes up earlier?


Depends on our class and work schedule, but most of the time Greg does.

32. Where was your first date?

He took me to dinner after my state dive meet. We went to Native New Yorker and had a great time!

33.Who had more boyfriends/girlfriends?


We are even.



34. Do you get flowers often?


No flowers usually indicate a wrong doing.

35. How do you spend the holidays?


Going back and forth between both our families.



36. How long did it take to get serious?


Just a few months.



37. Who eats more?


Greg, DUH!


38. Who does the laundry?


Usually me. But greg helps out when he can/wants to.



39. Who’s better with the computer?

Definitely Greg. He is a computer genesis in my opinion.

40. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples.


Every relationship/marriage should be about the other person. Being selfless is the most important thing. Without truly loving one another there is no remove for growth in your marriage!

Update on Greg

I thought I should let everyone know how Greg is doing from his broken leg. He had surgery a week and a half ago in Flagstaff. They placed a titanium rod in his right leg to help the break heal. He was in the hospital for 3 days. That was a rough 3 days. He was suppose to be able to go home on The Friday after his surgery, but he started having chest pains and could keep his oxygen sats above 90% without help. They did a CT scan of his chest to make sure he hadn't thrown a clot. Luckily the scan came back clean of clots, but the scan picked something else up in Greg's chest. THey said it was a nodule above his heart that should be kept an eye on. He is to have another CT scan in 6 months to make sure that what they had found wasn't growing or becoming a problem. Thats a little scary to think about, but we are trusting God that there will be good news and the nodule they found in his chest is nothing. Greg is back at school and back to a pretty normal routine. His pain has gotten better, but is still there. This upcoming Wednesday 2/3, he is getting his stitches out from the surgery and will be given a walking cast. He will still have to use his crutches, but hopefully they will be able to let him slowly stop using his crutches. He is anxious to get back to normal. Its been tough to get around because of all the ice and snow still on the ground from the massive storms that past through Flagstaff that dumped 5 feet of snow in roughly 3-4 days. Its also been hard for him to move around our apartment due to small spaces. However, he is managing. I am so proud of him! Greg has handled this situation so well and has never given up. I am doing everything I can to help him in his time of need! Here are pics after his surgery of the rod and screws they put in his leg.

So this is what he got for skiing and trying something new. I don't think he will ever try moguls ever again. Greg should be completely healed in another 4-6 weeks from now. Impressive huh?!?!