Hawaiian Vacation 2015

This year we decided it was time for our first family vacation! It was to celebrate our anniversary and just to be together as a family. We were a little nervous about travelling with Micaela but being she was so easy thanks to the Ipad. We stayed at the Hyatt in Kanapali  and it was so nice! Our location was perfect and we didn’t even need to rent a car. Every morning we went down to have breakfast and lounge by the pool or beach. We made it a daily routine to eat Hawaiian Ice and watch the sunset. It was so amazing sharing this adventure with loves. Hopefully we can take a trip every year as our Micki girl still talks about it! (Most pictures were taken on my iphone which Micaela dropped on the toilet so this is all I have)

San Francisco New Years

This year we decided we would spend NYE in San Francisco with the Hudson's and all of the crew. I thought it would be so nice to see my family and my cousin Brenda since she just got engaged! Dennis and I had never been to SF together and it would be a mini vacation for us. We ended up having a blast. Brenda was so amazing the whole trip. She picked us up from the airport took us to Christies and then to dinner with her fiance Sean and Mark and Julissa. We found out that Julie is preggers so that was cool. I also loved meeting Sean, I am so excited for their wedding as they make a great match. We spent time sight seeing with the Jim, Mo, Jamie and the rest of the crew. Dave and his girlfriend Kara also met us at a bar one night. New Years was so great as we found out J and M got engaged which made me wish we were back home. We had a great dinner in Chinatown then we celebrated at a great little trendy bar. We had an amazing time with our friends and family.

We did come home to some sad news...Dennis's good friend Jim has bone cancer. He was on crutches on this trip complaining about a bad knee but it turns out he has a big tumor in his femur. It really rocked Dennis's world. He has been so appreciative of our relationship. He is very worried for Jim and often brings him up. We are praying for Jim and I know he will defeat this battle.

We often forget how blessed we are in life. It is when you hear news like this it really puts everything into perspective. 2011 started wonderful for us but not so for the Hudson family. I hope to never take my friends and family for granted.

I am excited for all that is to come....maybe a new home, J and M's wedding, and maybe a pregnancy for me. Only God knows what the future holds but I hope it all works out for the best!

5 Year Anniversary

This year marked the big 5 year anniversary for Dennis and I. After weeks of talking about where to go and what to see we finally decided that Palm Springs would be a nice getaway. We booked at the Palm Springs Riviera Hotel and we were very pleased! We arrived early Saturday morning and just lounged by the pool all day. We had a few cocktails and made some nice friends from Huntington Beach. After that we took a nap in the room and then woke starving. We went to dinner at Las Casuelas which was fun because of the live band. They even played our wedding song! That night we hung out at the hotel lounge with the couple we met. The next day we had an awesome breakfast that was included in the room. We hung out in the pool for a little longer then we checked out. We made a stop at Cabazon Outlets and shoppped for a while. We then got back on the road and stopped in Riverside. It brought back so many memories. We went to the village cruised through campus and then stopped at The Newman Center. Being at the Newman Center I just pictured my whole family there and being so nervous the day of our wedding. We drove to Murrieta after that where we had dinner with my favorite in-laws.

I am so blessed to be married to an amzing man. He is so caring and kind, he is smart and handsome and I love every bit of him. He makes me a better person and I hope I do the same for him. We have been discussing our plans for the future and we both are soo ready for kids. Last year were talked about it and I still had doubts and now that is all I think about. It's so funny how people say "you will know when you are ready," and now I get it. I am so happy and I feel so blessed already that it does make me a little nervous to change anything but I think God has a plan for all of us. Until next year!
Happy Anniversary Honey!

Vegas Vacation

We decided to take a Vegas vacation this summer after I finished my school year and before Dennis begins his new job. We purchased Garth Brooks tickets in February so we decided to make that an extended vacation.

A Breakdown of Vegas

Wednesday:

We made a few stops along the way and finally arrived at the Luxor. We enjoyed a nice dinner and hit the sheets pretty late!



Thursday:

Check-in at the Bellagio. We enjoyed the pool and an awesome sushi dinner at Yellowtail. We discovered a great little lounge with some yummy drinks!





Friday:

Spa for me while Dennis does homework (for work this time ugh!!) I cut my toe which ruins my day! We meet for dinner with Karla and Froy at the new City Center. We hit up the Gold Lounge after. We then head to Mandalay Bay to meet up with Luz and Mike and catch up with a ton of Murrieta girls!







Saturday:
Spa with Karla at Encore. Pool and lunch with Dennis which was so relaxing. We head over to the Wynn to pick up our tickets. We have dinner at a the bar at Encore and gamble with Michele, Cheryl and Becca. We go to Garth show. IT WAS AMAZING and we were only 3 rows back!!! We hang out with Froy and Karla the rest of the night.





Sunday:
Brunch at the Encore, Dennis wins back some money and then we drive home. Rest today as Dennis flies out to North Carolina tomorrow for his week long Orientation.

We had a great time in Vegas. As always we never seem to get enough alone time. I enjoy my time with my husband so much that I wish we would just slow down a bit and not worry about everyone else all the time.

Day 3 Versailles

Today we did get up super early because we knew we were going to be doing about an hour travelling to Versailles. We had to take the RER to Versailles with a connection it was well worth the travel time!

The Palace of Versailles: OMG…It was more grandiose than I ever imagined. Walking up the streets to see the palace just made me think of all the stories I tell my students during our unit on the French revolution! It was originally a hunting lodge, built in 1624, by Louis XIV, the "Sun King," …then later would become the main residence of the royal families. Walking through the palace was amazing, with all of the gold adorned bedrooms, and family paintings, the furniture was so couture and it felt surreal how people really live like we see in fairy tales. I really could understand why King Louis VXI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded. It was so cool to stand in the Hall of Mirrors where so many peace treaties have been signed.
The Gardens: The Sun King drained swamps and moved whole forests to create 250 acres of formal gardens, tree-lined paths, flowerbeds, lakes, and fountains. And this filled only a small portion of the grounds -- the entire estate covered 2,000 acres. It is truly an amazing site to see! I was mesmerized by the vision of the Grand Canal as it stretches in the center of the gardens. We ate an amazing lunch overlooking the canal.

Petit Trianon and Grand Trianon: After lunch we walked to visit the other little palaces and Marie Antoinette’s playhouse.

Tips: Rent headphones, or take a tour. Rent a golf cart to travel to through the gardens. Don’t plan anything else the day you visit…you will be soo tired! The Petit Trianon and Grand Trianon were cool but how much French luxury can you take for the day. Spend more time in the gardens relaxing.
















After we came back from Versailles we rested a bit then decided to take a river cruise down the Seine! It was so beautiful seeing all of the buildings lit up at night. My favorite was the sparkly Eiffel Tower. It was very cold but my honey kept me warm. Next time I will bring some wine!









After searching for the perfect french resturant we ended up at delicious place on Champs Elysee. I loved the wine and french onion soup while the sausage I tried to sample was kinda gross. It's good to experiment though so I was glad I ordered it!