I Got Nothin...

Sat here for too long trying to think of a post title, so you don't get one today :)

Life has been crazy and I know that isn't much of an excuse, but whatever, it will have to do (just like my lame title, haha)

1. You saw that I went to Chicago from my prior post. I was there for work for 4 days and then stayed for another week to visit my family and Tyler flew up to visit as well. That was his first time east of Arizona! Here's some pictures:

We ditched church and got White Castle....ooops!

Out on the glass at the top of the Sears (Willis) Tower

4th of July Fireworks with the Family

With the oxen that pull wagons around Nauvoo

The 4 acres that Tyler's ancestor owned in Nauvoo

Tyler in the Mississippi River where the pioneers crossed

1. I had a big pitch in California for some work I have been doing around the Yogurt category layout. I worked with some people in suggesting the best Yogurt set for Safeway 5 years from now (A set is literally the 'set' of shelves that yogurt sits on). Does it have more Kid yogurt, what flavors should stay, where should we put organic yogurts....all of that fun stuff.

2. Went to Santa Barbara with my work team. We had some good brainstorming and also some good team bonding. I got to eat at an amazing restaurant called Downey's, got a coconut cupcake from one of the shops on Cupcake Wars, and went on my first vineyard/winery tour.

I'm not a drinker, as I'm sure many of you know, but it was an educational tour so we got to go behind the scenes and see how they harvest and actually make the wine. Did you know there is 23 POUNDS of grapes in one bottle!? Crazy. So long story short, it just smells like vinegar and alcohol, so I still don't get why people like it so much, but it was intersting to learn about.

3. Christie and Dan (Tyler's brother) had their baby! Durham Everett was born Tuesday, July 13th and I haven't seen him in real life yet, but he is SO cute in pictures!!! I can't wait to snuggle him up! So, there's the highlight real!

A Little Taste of Paradise

Guess where we just spent a week!?

HAWAII

This was the first vacation Tyler and I have taken alone since our honeymoon! It was so nice to soak up the sun (like Sheryl Crow...haha) and not have to entertain any family or friends. Love ya'll, but it was sure nice to have some boy time all to myself :) We went to some great places, got a little burnt, and really just relaxed. We had no agenda and for those of you who know me well, know that it is a major step towards my over-planning recovery...haha

Me enjoying some "Shave Ice"

We walked through downtown Lahaina almost every night. The road is lined with restaurants, art galleries, shopping, and sights. This is also a really historical area since it used to be the home to royalty, Maui's first jail, and the largest Banyon tree in the world (almost an entire acre!) Most importantly, the street itself halfway hangs over the ocean, so the waves were always near by.

One afternoon we stopped by a "Shave Ice" place and the guy that owned the shop was so amazing. You could tell that he really cared about his little icey treats and wanted to make sure every customer was just as happy as he was about their cup of goodness. Unlike our continental favorite "Bahama Bucks", this man made each syrup from scratch. He told us he buys pure can sugar from the nearby plantation and mixes it with all the fresh fruit on the island. I got Mango, Guava, Passionfruit, and it was like eating the iced version of the fruit itself. The syrups even had the fruit pulp in them!!!

On the Road to Hana

There is a beautiful road on the East side of the island called the road to Hana. This 2 hour drive has over 600 switchback turns and 54 one way bridges. It winds all along the side of the mountainous cliffs of the Hawaiian rainforest. This was definitely the most beautiful part of the island. There were beautiful views of course, but also great little farmer's markets, hikes, and creatures.

Hiking the Pipiwai Trail

We stopped to take a 2 mile hike into the rainforest on the Pipiwai trail past the "7 Sacred Pools" and through an amazing bamboo forest. The bamboo forest was crazy because there aren't any branches for birds to land on so it is dark and silent. A little creepy :) At the end of the hike there was a huge 700 ft. waterfall! You could stand a good 20 feet from the base pool and still feel the mist of the water from crashing against the rocks.

We also went on a great snorkel trip and swam with schools of fish and sea turtles. I would post pictures but we were a little goofy looking with our snorkel masks and sun burnt faces...haha!

It was a great time and as mushy as it sounds the best part was just relaxing and spending time with Tyler. I love him too much for my own health.

Thanks Maui....it's been grand!