Goodbye Summer!

Fall is knocking at our door and it is hard to say goodbye to the wonderful summer of traveling and adventure Sean and I have had. From Yosemite, to Salt Lake City, to Oahu, to Tahoe, to Seattle, to Salt Lake City once again.

In Yosemite, we vegged on camping classics (I experimented with roasted marshmallows and pineapple!) and hiked ~almost~ to the top of Vernal Falls. Mini adventures and bonding with Sean's siblings ensued. And no, we do not have hantavirus! :-D

Our first trip to Salt Lake included celebrating Daphne's first birthday, spending time with family, and exploring places I haven't been since I was a child, like Kennecott. Sean had Crown Burger for the first time. We went to a Bees game and watched a friend of Sean's play for the Tacoma Rainiers.

We left Salt Lake City one afternoon and arrived in Honolulu in the evening. We stayed with Sean's wonderful aunts and grandma, who stuffed us with amazing food. The colors of Hawaii are unreal! We snorkeled almost everyday. Hit up the touristy spots like Waikiki, Dole Pineapple Plantation, and Germaine's Luau. Hiked Diamond Head. I loved North Shore most, though. A charming surfing community. And sometimes, like right now, I really want a slice of Spam served on top of sushi rice, wrapped with sea weed and a Hawaiian Sun. Yum!

We headed to Lake Tahoe for Caitlin and Evan's wedding. It was simply beautiful. I was so lucky to be able to attend! The ceremony was perfect and the food delicious! And the company was fantastic. We got to chat with Katie and Nik about all sorts of random, wonderful things. We cannot get over the peach sparking wine. It was a very happy occasion -- a celebration of love between two of my favorite friends! Hooray!

Home for only a few weeks, we headed to Seattle to see my dad and Caroline's place, explore Bainbridge Island (and my first ferry ride), Pikes exploration (including some sweet souvenirs from the original Starbucks), and a tour of the Seattle Underground. We spend an evening with my cousins, gossiping and catching up, and playing a few games of poker. We also got to see the Red Sox play the Mariners. It was so much fun. But very sad that we lost. Ouch.

And last weekend we flew to Salt Lake to celebrate my Grandma's 90th birthday. Cousins flew in from across the country. We hadn't had a big family get together in well over 10 years. So it was great to see everyone all at once. The party was heartwarming. My mom and Emily put together a book of all the grandkids' memories and photos of us with Grandma. I love reading my cousins' memories and thinking about all the experiences and conversations I've had with her that really have shaped me. She's more than just a Grandma. I am so thankful for her!

And now, here we are. The fall quarter is just around the corner. Leaves are thinking about turning. And I cannot wait to dive into autumn! Our home is semi-decorated. And our Keurig is serving up Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Hooray for fall!

(click here to see photos from our adventures: bomb.com)