Happy ONE YEAR Anniversary!

Engagement pictures 2008 (photo credit Stacey Cannon)

Our Special Beautiful Day! 27 December 2008 (Photo Credit Kristin Fuller)

I cant believe it has already been a year! Whew, time really has flown! I would disagree with the majority that say "the first year of marriage is the hardest". I really think it was a blast! Ev and I had so much fun together. We can still keep a conversation, our relationship isn't all about kissing and hugging (even though theres still lots of that because we love cuddles). We had our disagreements, but hashed them out kindly. Theres a few rules we established in the beginning and they were:

1. no slamming doors/storming out when upset (even though we only have two doors)

2. speak kind words to each other

3. no going to sleep upset (communication is a MUST!)

Ten reasons that kept us happily together:

1. read scriptures together

2. pray together

3. date night

4. family home evening

5. share chores

6. LAUGHING is a MUST

7. take an interest in the others liking and join in

8. support.encourage.appreciate

9. open the ears and clean out the wax (LISTEN)

10. SERVE each other

I know that this next year we will continue with most of the above list to keep us happily together and I am sure we will get better at some and fall short in others, but thats why theres two of us to help the other when they fall short and to lift them up. We will naturally extend our list as time goes on and life throws challenges our way. I love my best friend and eternal companion. We are such a laid back match! I love him more than I did the day I married him and even more than the day I agreed to marry him. He is a hard worker, loves me so much and would do anything for me and has developed a more positive outlook that everything will always work out, while I have an optimistic outlook that all things will work out as well but I inherited some of my mothers genes and have the faith, but tend to still worry about the smallest things that I have to control over. I am thankful for my husband who helps me strengthen that weakness and realize as President Monson said," Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other."So true! It was said in a talk in church yesterday, "for most things you fear never come to pass and that worrying is the most unproductive of human activity."

Our first year of marriage rocked and we are looking forward to all the rest!

Happy One Year Evy!

27 December 2009 (Pictures by THE Dana Bradshaw)

Maui we go!

The day after Christmas Evan and I had planned that we were going to head to another island in celebration of our One Year Anniversary which is actually today December 27th. We decided to go to Maui, which neither of us had ever explored before. Due to being in college and happily poor oh we only went for the day. Since we are both still under 25 we get charged an "under age" fee so that was our biggest expense. Our flight left at 5:17 am and landed in Maui at 5:36 am. We were up at 3:30 am getting ready and prying our eyes open. I quote Ev as he rolls over after the alarm goes off,"are you trying to torture me?" hehe granted yes it was a bit early, but we had the whole day ahead of us to play and once we got going we were good. We landed in Kahalui, got our rental car and headed for Wailku. Started our day the right way with some McDonalds, did not eat anything that would give us gas or over eat to cause us to be uncomfortable. We got our energy and arrived in Wailuku at the Maui tropical plantation. We had a reservation to go ziplining! We were both so stoked about our 5 hour zipline tour with Flyin Hawaiian, which made having to get up so early worth it. In total we ziplined over 4 miles and hiked a little over 1 mile along the way. We rode 6 different ziplines and the longest was 3600 feet and is about 60 seconds long going up to speeds of 50-60 mph. I was considered "Darcy the feather- weight" and sometimes I didnt make it all the way across sometimes just because the way the line was designed and the fact that I didnt get enough speed. I mostly rode in a cannon ball position pulling my legs to my chest to get more speed. We had such a blast!! The rush is amazing, I am glad that Ev and I didnt die =) After ziplining, we headed to the black sand beach in another city called Hana, which was a long drive away. The drive was long, beautiful and lush, very windy (thee words do NOT do the road to Hana any justice). The most popular signs we saw were ROAD NARROWS and YIELD TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC (one lane bridge). It was so odd to be driving on a two lane highway then suddenly it turned into one lane. Definitely had to be paying attention. We made it to the Wai'anapanapa State Park looked around enjoyed the beauty, ate some grub at the Hana Ranch Restaurant, and headed back before it got dark. We went shopping, laughed, got annoyed by tourists, and talked about the last year that we have had being married and what made it such an awesome year. We are great travelers together because if we want to see something then well stop, if not well look at it as we drive by and say,"oh thats nice". We aren't the type of travelers to stop at everything there is to see, just the stuff we take an interest in. It was such a good trip! Evan's two cents about the trip: "It was lots of fun. I really enjoyed myself. And my wife is a total babe." Noteworthy: Gas was $3.67/gal, Pretzelmaker has terrible pretzels (Wetzel's pretzels is so much better), when you have an odd amount of time left and cant drive anywhere except close by, Longs Drugs is a cool place to walk around. We decided to hit up Wendy's for din din because, well, we only have one on our island and its kinda far from where we live. It was yum! We decided we just needed one more day to make it to Lahaina, Kihei, and Haleakala. Our flight left at 10:45 pm and we arrived back on Oahu at 11:20 pm. Such a blast!

We arrived!

Its early!

Our ride

Ziplining

The Road to Hana-forwards and backwards

Celebrating!

My Babe of a husband

On the way home

This is how we felt!

MELE KALIKIMAKA ME KA HAUOLI MAKAHIKI HOU!

Thanks MUM for da Pajamas! We opened them Christmas Eve just like we always do!

We Spent Christmas Eve with Evan's family and extended family.We had a grab bag game, similar to a white elephant ,but not nearly as crazy as the Ballantyne white elephant. His family actually put stuff in that was useful and nice =) not like deer horns or 4 legged underwear or stuffed toads playing pool. It was a lot of fun though! I totally swiped a SPAM slicer (yes I said spam) from Auntie Helen and she had the most unforgettable expression on her face when I stole it. Oh how I love my Spam Slicer..We hung out all day on Christmas and spent time with my Hawaii parents and went to Zippy's for din din. Grandma Quon and Auntie Chicky,Uncle Jonathon, and Dems joined us too.

this is my favorite ornament on the tree. I actually put it up because it wasnt up and how could you not have this adorable little face on your Christmas tree!

I had a good time talking to my family. Missed them on Christmas, but glad they had a wonderful day! I love this season of Christmas, may we keep on giving of ourselves as the year continues and a new year begins.