Happy New Year!!

2009 was such an incredible year, it was hard to imagine it could be topped. But 2010 accomplished the impossible, and even though I said this last year, I really do think this year was the best yet.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have found true love, to have such an incredible, supportive and loving family, and to have a great job that helps me live a fortunate lifestyle. Here's a recap of our 2010, and here's to hoping we never forget our incredible adventures. 

We traveled to California and got rained out of our engagement photos.

We planned and re-planned our honeymoon.

We enjoyed cozy Sunday mornings at home.

I made Red Velvet Pancakes.

We ate at Lovejoy Bakers too many times to count and visited the Farmer's Market.

We moved. Twice. 

Spent an amazing weekend in Willamette Valley wine country for my birthday.

I had two incredibly gorgeous bridal showers.
I took two photography classes, got a new camera lens and have deepened my love of photography.
My best girls and I celebrated my last days as a bachelorette in sunny Palm Springs.
We finally took our engagement photos a month before the wedding!
I counted down the months to marriage.
I married my best friend.
We honeymooned in Kauai. 
We went to a wedding in Milwaukee and a wedding in Pasadena.
I tried a new look. Didn't last long.
Corey and I celebrated three years since our first date!

I decorated the Thanksgiving table.
I dreamt of adding a furbaby to our little family, and those dreams came true when we welcomed Henry this Christmas!
We celebrated our first married Christmas together.


And tonight, we're going to ring in the new year and hope for many more happy memories!


Thank you so much for following along our journeys. It means so much to have you all here. You are the most supportive, inspiring group of readers I could ask for. Hope you have an exciting and safe evening. Happy 2011!

{photo credit}

Christmas Day Snaps

We woke up on Christmas in our cozy little apartment and spent the morning drinking coffee, cuddling, enjoying the fireplace and watching holiday movies.

Then we headed to the in-laws house for some wine and family time. My brother-in-law and his wife gave us some Smittens because last time they were in town I had joked (kind of) about wanting some. Corey wasn't too thrilled and refuses to use them, but I am hoping to change his mind :) Oh, and Henry took a nap on Daddy's lap. He likes naps.

Then Henry made his first doggy friend. Rudy didn't care much about Henry, but Henry was acting like he was twice his size trying to rile him up. What a stubborn stinker!

To finish the night, we went and had dinner at one of the Denfeld's oldest family friend's houses. We brought Henry and we were so worried he would have an accident or be a pain, but he was a good 'lil pup. We were proud parents!


We're feeling so lucky to have this week off as well to keep training Henry and bonding with him. He had is first vet visit today and everything checked out great! Hope everyone who's back at work is easing in just fine, and for those who aren't, hope you're finding lots of relaxation during this holiday season!

Our First {Married} Christmas

This year, we decided to host Christmas Eve dinner (my family's tradition) at our apartment. With the new puppy consuming most of our time, we didn't do a ton to make it fancy, but everyone seemed happy with the setup. Everyone helped us out and brought food to contribute, and we made broiled king salmon with pesto. It was quite the feast! We decided not to do presents this year, and I thought it might be weird, but it was actually really wonderful to just get to focus on time with the family. We made a contribution to a local charity instead and we couldn't be happier with the decision! My sister Cristina and her husband, Josh, weren't able to make it up from Los Angeles, so that was a bit of a bummer, but other than that, it was the perfect evening filled with great conversation and good wine. 


Henry was, of course, the man of the night, and my family just couldn't get enough of him. He was a really good pup and slept on my lap through dinner (even passing out with his little head on the table!). It's crazy how much joy a little puppy can bring. He makes us smile so much!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our little family to yours! 

Meet Henry!

We got a puppy!!! Sorry for the poor iphone photos. We just picked him up today and we're busy playing, loving and teaching. More soon! 

P.S. Nobody guessed it! Even after all my recent puppy posts! I thought I was making it so obvious!

P.P.S He's currently sleeping in my lap, husband sleeping next to us, and I couldn't be more content. Happy holidays!!

Time for Holiday!

Guess what? Today is my last day in the office for almost two weeks!! Oh I just can't wait for our little staycation right here in Portland with our family and friends. Oh, and tomorrow afternoon, I have a big, exciting announcement to make. Let me confess that I absolutely hate when people say that... But I just can't help it! I've already kept it a secret for so long I feel like I might burst! So, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but just come back tomorrow. You won't regret it. Feel free to guess away in the comments section!

{source unkown- help!}

P.S. Who doesn't love a new Coldplay song? Or any Coldplay song for that matter? Love.

Red + Blue Christmas

I'm so quick to judge the red and blue color combination as patriotic. It's normally hard for me to look past it. But these photos have so inspired me, and now I'm really in love with the idea of a red and blue Christmas. What do you think? Would you do it?

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Christmas in the Northwest

Christmas is in full swing all around Portland. I captured some festive lovelies while on our walk yesterday. By the way, did I mention it was the most beautiful morning for a stroll? Bright blue skies and the perfect chilly temperature. Good thing we enjoyed it because today it's gloomy and grey!

Happy Holidays!

Weekend Snaps

I haven't been great about uploading photos, so here are pictures from the last couple of weekends. 

{a gorgeous winter sunset}

{some holiday photos before Corey's team Christmas soiree}

{oh, Christmas tree...}

{still need to post photos of our apartment, but here's a peek at our bedside table}

{we encountered some intense stairs on our West Hills walk Sunday morning}

{me and my lovey all bundled up for the walk}

{hard-earned beers after our trek}

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! It's hard to believe Christmas is just a few days away. I can't wait for almost two weeks off work!