Happy (Belated) Birthday to Me

For my 20th birthday, Steven flew me out to Colorado to celebrate with him. His birthday is 5 days after mine so we got to celebrate both! Because of the holidays, I had been lucky enough to see him almost every two weeks so I was so excited to see him again!

It was the first time that Steven's ever picked me up from the airport. Because he always has baseball practice on Friday nights, usually one of his friends will drive to Denver to get me. I'm so grateful for his friends who drive an hour and a half to get me, but there's something about being greeted with a kiss from your boyfriend that makes your welcome to Colorado that much sweeter. I was so happy that he was able to be there, it was one of my favorite parts of the weekend.

That night, we stayed in downtown Denver. Usually, we get a hotel room in Colorado Springs so the change of scenery made it even more fun. We went to a delicious dinner and opened our birthday presents a few days early. 

The next morning, we drove to Frisco, a cute mountain town in the Rockies. We took our time getting there making lots of stops to see pretty sights. My favorite was the frozen lake that we came upon. There were cars driving on it which was really cool to see. (Did you know that it only takes 2 inches of ice to be able to walk on it? Steven reassured me of that as we were standing in the middle of the lake and talking about what would happen if one of us fell in.)

That night, we drove to Breckenridge to see these awesome ice castles. My family in Utah went to the ones in Midway, so we were so excited to see them for ourselves. Going through was amazing. I've never seen anything like it. There were tons of colorful lights and tunnels and icicles and the Southern California girl in me was soaking it all in. After the ice castles, we went to an underground pizza place. It was delicious and we were so full by the time we were done! 

The next day, we snowboarded at Copper Mountain. We met up with Steven's friends for a few runs, too. The weather was perfect and there was so much snow, thanks to the snow storm the weekend before! I love snowboarding with Steven because he gets so happy. I'm not the best snowboarder, but Steven's so cute and patient. That night for my birthday, we went to a Mexican restaurant with some of Steven's friends and their girlfriends. We had a great time visiting with them and eating yummy food :)

The next morning was a sad one knowing that I wasn't going to see Steven for another 2 months. We had a teary goodbye at the airport, which was really hard. I was so happy though that I was able to spend my birthday with my favorite guy. We had so much fun doing new things and enjoying each others' company. Now, we're half way through to seeing each other next and I can't wait to see that hunk again!!! 32 days...32 days... the countdown is most definitely on ;)

Saying {Goodbye}...The First Time Around

I'm back!! For good, I promise. It's been a crazy and insanely fun past 3 weeks with S being home. I seriously love that guy! I've missed blogging a lot, but I couldn't bring myself to sit down and try to blog creatively while there was a handsome man asking me to do fun things all of the time...hence my leave of absence! 

As always, the goodbye sucked. It never really does get easier. So, I thought that I'd do a little throwback to the first time that Steven and I had to say our first goodbye before he left for BCT. I figured that this sappy post would give a little backing to how much his leave meant to us because it's been the longest we've been together consecutively in over a year! It was flippin' awesome, to say the least. 

So, without further adieu, here's the worst goodbye I've ever experienced: 

(Okay, so it wasn't that bad but I'm currently suffering from the oh-yeah-I'm-in-a-long-distance-relationship-and-I-forgot-about-that-whole-thing-when-he-was-home blues so I'm truly sorry if I'm depressing!) 

A little over a year ago, I said goodbye to my best friend before he left for basic training. I'll never forget the look we gave each other as he got in his car and drove away from my house, both of us with tears in our eyes.

I had known that it was going to be hard, but saying goodbye to the person you love most isn't really something that you can prepare yourself for. I was so happy that he was getting this great opportunity at the Academy and I was so proud of him for all that he'd worked for to get there, but I was devastated that he was leaving. Our relationship up until that point had been close distance and the longest I had gone without seeing him was 10 days. I laugh at that number now but at the time, 10 days felt like an eternity. We would be going 10 weeks without seeing each other and I had no idea what I was going to do without him. 

After dragging out the inevitable and being overly dramatic, we finally managed to say goodbye. And you know what? We lived. Although it seemed like our worlds were tumbling down, they didn't. Yes, we were sad for a while after that goodbye. Yes, somedays I hate the distance between us. But I know that this is what is meant to be. I know that because we chose to be independent of each other and follow our own dreams, our relationship is that much stronger. Somedays I do wish that he was there to give me a hug and cuddle with me on the couch, but there's never a day when I think the distance between us has a negative effect on our relationship. This long distance has brought us closer than I could have imagined. We've learned how to communicate and how to trust. The days that we do get to spend together are the sweetest. I love Steven more now than I ever have before. It's not hard for me to be in love with a man who lives 1,000 miles away. I am so grateful for the relationship that I have with my man. I know that I will fall more in love with him everyday, no matter where we both are. 

The man behind all these girly emotions...
P.S. I'm obsesssssed with the Rhonda Designs App!  

It's not really {May} yet, right??

How is it already May? Did April even happen? I feel like I blinked and now it's over. 

Time has been a weird thing for me this year. I feel like it's gone by so fast. I seriously cannot believe that Steven is going to be done with his first year at the academy in a little over 2 weeks and I'm going to be done with my first year next month. Where has this whole year gone? If you'd ask me how the time was passing around October I would have sworn the year was never going to end. 

But now...MAY?! I think sometimes the time goes by fast because of how little I get to see Bubs. I'm always counting down until the next time I get to see him so sometimes I feel like I'm forgetting about the days in between.  As much as I miss my man, I really want to take this time in college to explore and enjoy each day. I love my man and cannot wait to live near him again, but I don't want to rush through both of our experiences apart just to get to the end of our long distance. Because I mean, seriously, how many times do you get to experience college? Exactly. And no matter what I do to try to make the days go by quicker, the time it will take to get to the end of the distance will be still be the same. 

So as always, I'm going to get insanely excited and giddy when I get to see S, and I'm going to try my hardest not to wish away the days in between. 

http://www.shrimpsaladcircus.com/search/label/freebies

{Weekend Update}...Just a Few Days Late

This weekend I got to see my man! He was playing baseball up in Fresno and I was lucky enough to get to tag along with his family and see him play. We didn't have much time to spend together since he couldn't stay with us, but the time we did get to spend together was definitely worth it!

Remember when I said that Bubs's games got cancelled because of a blizzard when I went to visit him in Colorado a few weeks ago? Welllll, this was the weekend that they had to be made up. So, his team played five games this weekend...you read that right five. And take a wild guess who sat through them?! But I can't complain because the weather was beautiful! I was happy to watch the games in 85 degree weather rather than 30!

The time we had with Steven was pretty short, but ohhh, sooo sweet. Seeing him is always worth the wait. I still get butterflies right before I see him. And kissing him ain't so bad either ;)

The field on Friday night! 

  Hanging out after the game on Friday

  In-between games on Saturday

Steven pitches on Sundays, so for the second game on Saturday he got to sit behind home plate so he could take stats. It was a little torturous having him so close and not being able to sit with him! So, I snuck down in between innings to say hi and snap a couple pictures.  

Saturday night we hung out and had ice cream and watched a movie! We were pretty dirty and tired from being in the sun all day! 

 And finally my man warming up before the game! Le swoon. I mean, look at that side arm. Can ya blame me?

Baseball season is treating me right because I'll see Bubs in San Diego in a little over 2 weeks! I can't wait! 

Linking up with: Wild Card Wednesday, 

My Key To {Long Distance}

I probably shouldn't be complaining about the distance because the longest Steven and I have to go without seeing each other is usually less than two months. I also know that some people have to go months and months without seeing the person they love and trust me when I say that the possibility of us having to do the same is always in the back of my mind. So for now, I'm so grateful that I get to see him as much as I do.

Sometimes I get tired of the distance. When there are exciting things happening in our lives, it makes me sad that we can't be together to share the excitement. When I'm having a long day, I wish that I could see and talk to him in person. I don't like that I have to countdown the days until I see him, and I hate that when I'm with him I feel like I have to make every minute count. If we aren't constantly doing something when we are together, I feel like we're wasting the precious time we have.

Those are the times that I'm cursing the 1,000 miles between us but all you long distance lovers shouldn’t be discouraged. I believe that the distance is a blessing in disguise and I know that my relationship with Steven is stronger than it's ever been because of the miles between us. We have to rely solely on communication to be able to connect with each other when we're apart. We have to compromise, we have to be flexible and we have to make each other a priority. We also have to work really hard to make our relationship work. This is why I'm thankful for the distance and these are the things that have strengthened the love we have for each other.

Steven and I talk as much as we can. Somedays are obviously busier than others and on those days it's hard to find a time in our schedules that we can both talk. On days like these, we mainly text and email back and forth with a short phone call at night. The day following a day like this, we make sure to talk a little longer than normal to make up for the time we lost the day before. Steven and I tell each other everything in hopes of making the distance not seem so far.  We tell each other the big and little things. The little details that we mention are what make us feel more connected to each other's lives.

If I have any advice for couples who are in long distance relationships, it's to communicate as much as you can. Just because you can't always physically be together doesn't mean you can't have a romantic relationship. Voice your affection and tell the person you love why you love them.  

Voicing what we are feeling is what has made my relationship with Steven successful thus far. It's taught us both how to talk about our emotions, both good and bad. Not only does my heart completely melt at the sweet things he says, but we’ve learned to communicate our feelings to each other when we're frustrated or upset. After a while, it’s become easy for us to say what we really feel in a constructive way. The way we communicate with each other now is something that I don't think we would've learned had we been in a different situation.

So, as much as I complain and whine about long distance relationships, I'm grateful for the challenge we have been faced with. Even with hundreds of miles between us, I fall more in love with him every day which is crazy to me because I really love that man today. 

Source: statigr.am via Haley on Pinterest

Sunday Fun

I'm hoping that everyone is having a fabulous weekend! I'm here in Colorado with my man soaking up the... snow...It's freezing! California girls aren't used to this kind of weather, but we are having so much fun and I can't wait to share with y'all later this week! Enjoy your Sunday!

xoxo 

The overlook at USAFA 

This Week Will Be Crazy

Friday, I get to see the main man...the only thing that's standing in my way is 4 more finals. I'm having a major aversion to school this week because of that. Usually when I have 4 days to go to see him I'm a happy camper but these tests are throwing off my groove, ya know?

The days leading up to seeing Bubs are usually so fun. I'm an obsessive list maker so I get overly excited when I can make a list of what I'm going to pack and the things I have to get done before I leave. Currently the list consists of studying and taking tests...no fun at all. 

CAN IT BE FRIDAY ALREADY?!

Because I'm really ready for one of these hugs! 

Someday I'll post about the first time I saw him after basic training...maybe a week I'm not running around like a chicken with it's head cut off 

The Countdown is On!

As of today I am half way to seeing Bubs!! Ahhhhh!

One could say that I'm just a little obsessed with countdowns..considering I count down to pretty much everything. Counting down the days until I get to see Steven comforts me in a really strange way. It almost makes it seem like time is going by faster. The countdown app on my phone gets checked daily even though I already know the exact number of days to every event on there.

Spring Break/Colorado to see Steven? 30
San Diego to see Bubs play baseball? 78
Summer? 113
Move into the Alpha Phi house? 204

I also have countdowns to Thanksgiving and Christmas...Who really needs to know the exact number of days to their favorite holidays? Apparently me. But here's where I get really weird, neurotic, creepy, insane, and psychotic, along with any other words that could possibly describe a mentally ill person...

Days until Steven's Graduation (in the year 2016, mind you...)? 1,183...yeah...Clearly this one's coming up pretty quick so I should definitely start getting ready for it, right? Ask him the day that he graduates, he'll have no idea and look at you like you have 7 eyes because it's that far off!


So that's that, but guess what?!?

30 days down, and only 30 more to go! 

And I couldn't be more excited!!! 

Lovin' the Love

I love love. I love when I see couples holding hands and kissing. I love when I see a man carrying a bouquet of flowers from the store and knowing that he's going to give them to the woman he loves. I love seeing little old ladies and their husbands out on a date together. I love pictures of people in love. I love airport homecomings when two people run into each others arms with the biggest smiles on their faces.

I also love being in love. I love having someone that I can share everything with. I love that I turn my head to look for my man every time I hear the name Steven. I love having someone who can make me laugh so hard I cry, and comfort me when I need it. I love being in love with my best friend because it's without a doubt the best feeling in the world.

This year, since we couldn't be together, Bubs and I had a little different way of celebrating. Just because we weren't in the same state didn't mean that we could blow off one of the best holidays! So, we had our own little date last night using Google+ (it's pretty much just a version of Skype). It was so much fun because we actually felt like we were together. We laughed and talked about lovey dovey stuff and it was pretty perfect. 

We also gave into the overpriced Valentine's presents this year to make up for the lack of seeing each other...I'd say that it was definitely worth it! Because let's be real, what girl doesn't love flowers??

(We're fond of the kiss on the cheek pose...)

I hope that everyone had a great Valentine's Day, filled with lots of love! xox

DIY: Coffee Mugs

Bubs and I both have a newfound love of coffee. This new relationship is advantageous when we stay up too late studying or talking to each other and Steven has to wake up at 6am and I have to get my booty out of bed for my 8am classes!

So, when I found a pin on Pinterest for DIY long distance mugs, I thought it appropriate to make them for us! Now, we can sip our coffee in different states and feel a little closer to each other.

The only thing that you'll need to buy for these are the 2 mugs which you can get pretty much anywhere. I bought mine from Homegoods for $2.50 each. 

If you wanted to get fancy, you could get solid color mugs too! I considered getting us some adorable girly yellow ones, but I actually want Steven to use the mug, so I opted for the white instead.

Then, I printed out Colorado and California, so I could use them as an outline. After, I cut the states out and taped them onto the cup. I used a sharpie to trace around the states. You can use any color sharpie that your heart desires.

Colorado is pretty much the best state ever for this because it's a square...California, not so much.

I let the ink dry for a second and then took off the states and darkened the outline.

Then, I drew hearts and a dotted line to connect the two cities! 

You can also add anything else you'd like to the cup...quotes, another drawing...anything!
I wrote a little message on the bottom of the mug too. 

Pop those bad boys into the oven for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees. A perfect gift for any occasion! 
This will make the marker permanent on the mug...you can even put them in the washer!

(You don't have to make these mugs specifically, you can create any type of design that you want...just follow the same easy steps!)

Et, voilà...a finished product!! 

A Weekend in Colorado: The Broadmoor Hotel

Monday was the day that I had to go back to California. It's always sad on the last day, but we definitely made the best of it.

Bubs had baseball practice in the morning so I had some time to read my book. After, we got pancakes and drove around for a little while. We hadn't made any plans for the day and we wanted to stay close to the airport to make sure I wouldn't be late for my flight. So, being the spontaneous people that we are, we took a little trip to see the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. 

It's seriously one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever seen. It was elegant, fancy and we both looked rather out of place in our jeans and vans...but of course that didn't stop us. 

We walked around the lobby and all of the small shops, taking pictures and holding hands. We came across a gorgeous empty ballroom and I was pulled inside against my will. It's not the rule breaking that bothers me (charming, I know) but I can't stand the awkwardness of getting caught somewhere I shouldn't be. Melting my heart, Steven asked me to dance. Throwing any possibility of getting caught out the window, I happily obliged...I mean come on, who could say no to that? It was definitely my favorite part of our day. 

Our time together came to an end all to quickly and Steven had to drive me to the airport. Saying goodbye is pretty much the worst thing in the world. Some people say that it gets easier each time, but I don't really think that's the case. This was the hardest goodbye yet because we'd gotten so used to being with each other the past few months. There were tears, hugs, and kisses and we were both a complete mess.

As much as I hate goodbyes, I'm thankful for them too. Because without them, I wouldn't get to share that first kiss feeling over and over with my sweet Airman. 

 

A Weekend in Colorado: Snowboarding in Vail

For Christmas, Steven bought me a ticket to see him the weekend of my birthday!

I flew out of Santa Barbara on Friday and landed in Denver around 6pm. I had a 3 hour layover for a 17 minute flight to Colorado Springs...pathetic right? So, I decided to skip the connecting flight and make the one hour drive to the Academy for a few extra hours with my man (I was with him before my flight would have taken off!).

A little homework before the flight...

We had a cozy dinner and spent the rest of the night talking, laughing and just enjoying each others company.

On Saturday, at zero dark thirty, we headed to vail for a day on the slopes. The drive was beautiful and scenic and I got to hold bubba's hand the whole time. It's funny how I used to take for granted simple things like that.

Steven's always ecstatic to be able to use his military discount and that day I was too considering our lift tickets were only $70 apiece (a whole lot cheaper than the regular $130)! The snowboard he rented for me at the academy was only $20 for the weekend. Perks of being the property of the US Government, I guess.

By 9 am, we were on the slopes having so much fun. The weather was beautiful and the snow was perfect. The only break we took was to grab a fun lunch at the top of the mountain. We stayed on the slopes until the lifts closed at 4. 

   

On our way to the hotel, we stopped to get some hot chocolate. Getting hot chocolate from the gas station is one of our weird little traditions. Hot chocolate out of the machine is seriously one of the best things on this planet.

That night, we stayed with 3 of Steven's friends from the Academy. We all went out to a fun dinner, hung out and relaxed! 

I must say, it was an extremely fun birthday eve!