My Top 20[17]

Guys, 2017 was such a good year and I can't believe how quickly it went!

2016 was a much slower year because I feel I was always waiting.

Waiting for our long distance to end, for the weekends to see each other,

for the wedding, to hear back from jobs, to move (but then plans changed and that did not happen), to see 

if I got accepted into my program (I waited forever because my acceptance letter got lost in the mail). 

In 2017 there was A LOT less waiting. 

2017 also had it's tough moments. Andrew's company merged with another and at the time we were not sure if he would

keep his job *thank heavens he did!*   Both of my grandpa's died in the same month. 

Two months later my dog died. School was crazy. Ah! So stressful...

But we had some awesome moments of the year too! 

Here are some of my favorite moments from 2017.

1. Went to Solider's Hollow for the ultimate sledding experience. 

If you have never had the chance to go I strongly recommend it. So much fun! 

2. Double date times 3 for Archery Tag. Such a fun way to spend with friends.

3. Andrew surprised me by taking me to see Beauty and the Beast. 

He came home playing "Be our Guest" with a red rose and 2 tickets. 

4. We saw Broadway's Lion King. 

5. We had a stay cation with our friends and ventured to Lagoon.

6. I started doing family history work at the temple!

7. Andrew and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary! 

8. My 2nd mission president and his wife came home from their mission! 

It was so good to see them again!

9. Went to NYC! 

10. Saw Wicked on BROADWAY! 

11. Went to Scranton, PA just for this picture (and some food). 

We love the Office! 

12. Went to Niagara Falls

13. Toured around Palmyra, NY and saw all the church history sites

as well as the Hill Cumorah Pageant. 

14. We went on the MTC tour. Loved that place so much. 

and our friend got baptized that day! 

(the one on the right) 

15. Saw X Ambassadors LIVE! 

(thanks Zija)

16. Went to California with my family for Thanksgiving

17. I completed my health chart, got my prize of a water bottle, and lost 5 pounds.

^My goal was to be healthier this year and I consistently started in October. 

I have felt so much healthier and I'm excited for 2018!^

2017 was a year to remember! We have had a year full of blessings, adventure, and no long distance!

We are looking forward to 2018 and excited for the experiences that it will bring.

To see My Top 20[16] CLICK HERE.

*Also if you have not see the Greatest Showman I strongly recommend it! 

Andrew and I have been listening to the soundtrack for the past 3 days. It's SOOO good. 

My California

We had such a blast in California 

and for that this post is going to be a picture overload.

just so you know.

We went to California with my family for Thanksgiving break

and it was so much fun to spend time together!

We did a whole variety of different activities which made the trip exciting. 

If you are planning a trip to the Anaheim area, let us know, we have a few ideas. 

Or better yet, take us with you! ;)  

Our first stop was 7 Magic Mountains and they make the desert a magical place. 

It also helped make a good place to stop and stretch some legs! 

When we finally made it to California we headed to the Vietnamese mall in Garden Grove.

For those of you who don't know, Andrew served a Vietnamese speaking mission in California so when we come back

and visit it's fun to hear him speak the language and see the things that he experienced. 

For example, balut is a food that that Viet's love. On Andrew's first day on his mission the other Vietnamese missionaries 

got him some balut and it was his "initiation" into the mission field. I don't think I could do it... 

For those of you who don't know, balut is a developing bird embryo that is boiled and then eaten. 

Blake wanted to try it and Andrew has done it so many times now it doesn't even phase him. Blake liked it! 

I had some pictures that were much for detailed but I thought I might spare your eyes and stomach and decided

not to post them for you. 

You're welcome :) Go to google if you are more curious. 

Thanksgiving day we spent at Knott's Berry Farm which was so much fun because the lines were so short! 

Most people were at home eating turkey. We were out partying in the sun! 

The next day we made a quick stop at the Newport Beach temple. One of my absolute favorite places.

We also went down to Victoria Beach and took some pictures. 

That beach is one of the most beautiful spots on earth. I'm convinced. 

If you have never gone biking on the beach I strongly recommend it! 

It was absolutely beautiful and it was so liberating. Definitely one of the highlights of our vacation!

 Later that evening we went to Downtown Disney and even though I have been 

there multiple times, it still amazes me. 

Every time. 

On our last day we went to a Vietnamese market to shop for some fruit. 

It's so much fun to walk into a different culture and see what is familiar to them. We bought jackfruit and 

dragonfruit which were both so fun to try.

If you ever have the chance, try some jackfruit. It's amazing. 

 ^This is Andrew's Viet mom who helped him learn Vietnamese^

^Vietnamese dress shop. They are so beautiful and my mom ended up buying one she loved them so much^

Next time you are in the Anaheim area, you MUST go to Sno Station. 

It's super soft shaved ice cream. It's something that you need to experience to fall in love with it. 

California is one of my favorite places on this planet. 

The sun, the people, the food. 

It was so nice to be back for a few days and see people from our missions. 

It's a good thing that we live semi close to this place to make visiting easier or else I don't think I would ever leave. 

Our Zija Weekend

Andrew's company had a work convention this weekend and I was able to get a little glimpse of what he does. 

He was up there since Wednesday and I joined him on Friday night.

 Even with Andrew working we both really enjoyed the event!

We were able to meet Jan Jansen who won the Gold Medal in the Olympics as a speed skater. 

We signed the Zija wall.

Found Dennis (the friend we met up with in NY)

And we attended the X Ambassadors concert for Zija! 

We were able to get closer than this too! 

Not pictured:

• 2 free massages that I desperately needed
• 3D photo booth- it's so cool. They take a picture of all angles and put into a boomerang video. I posted one of ours on Instagram for you to see
• Eating at the Pie
• Continuing to do my workouts even away from home (BIG DEAL!)

Overall such a good weekend! And tomorrow is Monday...

I think I could take some more weekend time.