Stunning Views and Sweet Surprises

We had an incredible time celebrating our first anniversary with an Alaskan style weekend getaway.  We visited a beautiful resort about an hour from where we live.  The views were breathtaking!

We left Friday afternoon once Nathanial got home from work. I knew it would be a good weekend when he banished me from downstairs while he loaded the car. He really outdid himself with all the sweet surprises he had for me over the weekend.

We laughed about how the gray-ness of the day and the remoteness of the resort made us feel like we were driving into The Shining.

We arrived at the hotel and went up to check out our room.  We were on one of the highest floors with a north and mountain facing view.  Nathanial had me stay in one part of our suite while he got the first of many surprises out of his box of tricks.  I do mean a literal box.  He wouldn't let me look into it and was very specific with the bellhop about how to handle it.

The first surprise was a vase of beautiful roses which he had nicely arranged. 

We exchanged gifts after a great dinner at the Double Musky.  Our actual anniversary wasn't until the next day but we decided since the whole weekend was a celebration we should go ahead and open gifts.

I decided to use my design skills for Nathanial's gift.  I wanted to follow the traditional theme which was paper. I created a print with the lyrics from our first dance. I sent a copy for King George to autograph as well. We'll see if he comes through this time!  I also designed note cards with Nathanial's initials and name. I loved how both turned out and so did he!

Nathanial made me a gorgeous canvas with our wedding vows.  I love the picture he selected and am excited to have a written reminder of our vows.  He even made sure the border color was one of our wedding colors.  Swoon.

One of the fun things about vacationing in Alaska was that our resort offered a Northern Lights wake-up call.  The skies weren't very clear over the weekend so that wasn't something we got to experience.

However, we were spoiled by beautiful sights all weekend. Our room had a wall of windows and it was fun to watch the sun come out through the day.  Sunlight completely changed the look of things. 

This was the view in the morning.

























We ate breakfast Saturday morning at the resort.  The best part was the view and the strawberry sauce they had near the crepes and pancakes.

That afternoon we headed out for some snowshoeing.  Neither of us has experienced much of the outdoors in our time in Alaska. Our friends speak highly of snowshoeing (and offered us their shoes) so off we went.  It's been a really light snow season this winter so the trail we took didn't have much snow and what was there was packed tightly.  We ended up taking off the snowshoes about halfway up and just hiking the rest of the way.

Snowshoeing selfie!

The temperature was in the low teens but with lots of layers and views like this we didn't mind.

We ate a late lunch back at the resort.  They surprised us with an anniversary dessert called Baked Alyeska (the name of the resort.)  I loved how the sugar details embodied the Northern Lights. They didn't light it on fire but it was still delicious.

Saturday evening we had an elegant dinner at a restaurant on the top of the mountain.  It was accessible only by tram which only added to its grandeur. 

Even the walkway to the tram was pretty.

You know it's a fancy restaurant when the waiter brings out a sample size bisque to welcome you and when your actual soup has a caviar topped scallop anchored by other seafood.

An edible anniversary banner might be another give-away.

The dessert was beautiful but not very tasty which played well into Nathanial's suprise for me after dinner.

I was a little disappointed going into the weekend that we wouldn't be able to participate in the tradition of eating our wedding cake as we left it in the safe protection of my grandma's freezer when we moved. Unbeknowst to me, my amazing husband had one of our friends with a cake business recreate our top tier.  It took some major planning on his part as she was going out of town and he needed to transport it and keep it refrigerated without me knowing.

I have to admit when he brought it out along with some sparkling cider (and even the plates he thought to bring) I started to cry. I am blessed beyond measure to be his wife. He even had her include an orange filling like we had on our original cake.

He also brought our wedding DVD and photo album.

He put so much thought and effort into making me feel special on a weekend that was about both of us.  I am so lucky!

We finished out the weekend with a fantastic couples massage. It was the perfect relaxing end to a wonderful trip.

It was sad to leave but the drive home wasn't so bad because it looked like this.

Warmer Weather: Taking in Bora Bora

I dropped Nathanial off at the airport bright and early this morning for a short trip to the North Slope of Alaska.  On the way I was wishing we were both leaving on a trip.  With the cold temperatures we've been having, I've been dreaming of warm days in the sun.

I can't help but think of our amazing honeymoon in Bora Bora.  Nathanial did all the planning on one of his rotations to Angola and didn't tell me where we were going until a few weeks before our wedding.  It was the best trip.

Air Tahiti was a great way to travel.  The flight crew was amazing and so were all the amenities like fresh pineapple juice!

The views flying into the island were stunning.

It was clear from the moment we arrived we were in for a great trip.

We were whisked away from the airport by boat. Talk about traveling in style!

Our resort was beautiful.  I was so excited Nathanial reserved an overwater bungalow.

The entire resort was open air which only added to the ambiance.  Eating breakfast while feeling the breeze and overlooking turquoise water was wonderful. It seems like the builders thought of everything and it was fun to see all the intricate details that were all around.  From the mother of pearl wall in the lobby to the fun carvings in our hut; it was beautiful.

This was the couch by the balcony.

The bungalow was great.  It was gorgeous, had plumbing & ac (because lots of people wonder) and made enjoying the water really easy.  There was a coral reef under the bungalow and the top of the table slid over so we could feed the fish underneath.  We also had a deck with a ladder to the water.

We enjoyed exploring the town through fun excursions like snorkeling which included swimming with sharks, a jeep tour through the mountains and even a sunset cruise.

My loving husband actually volunteered me to participate in a routine during the Polynesian dance. It was awful and hysterical at the same time.

The food on the island was incredible.  Easily the best fish I've ever had and oh my word the fresh juice (everything from banana, to pineapple to papaya) was life changing. 

This restaurant didn't have a menu. You picked from the fresh fish on display.

We even became accustomed to having fresh coconut. Nathanial learned the proper way to open a coconut.

The pictures of Bora Bora don't do it justice. It is a must see and absolutely worthy of its Bucket List status.

We met an older couple who was on their 15th trip to the island.  I don't blame them. I would love to return again and again.

One of my stocking gifts at Christmas was a pretty pink OPI nail polish called Not So Bora Bora-ing. I love the color but there was nothing boring about our trip!

More Cowbell

I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast. Super adult like right? I used the last of the eggs and milk to make Nathanial's breakfast this morning and going to the store when the Weather app said it feels like -15 didn't sound inviting. It's supposed to warm up to 6 later today so I'll bundle up and go then.

This weekend actually felt like I imagined Alaska in the winter.  A few more days of single and negative digit temperatures and I'm going to need to add long johns to the rotation and maybe even a skhoop (see this post for more on that.)

Our weekend was good.  We checked out another hockey game and joined the ranks of an "elite" group called the Cowbell Crew. It was our third game this season so we decided to become legit fans and buy a cowbell.  It really makes the cheering a lot more fun unless you're sitting next to us.

Nathanial planned the game as a Men's Night Out event for our Sunday School class.  They graciously allowed me and some of the other wives to attend. We didn't bother them too much except to ask for caramel apple money. Haha.

We started out the night at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Some of our friends hadn't experienced the greatness of B-Dubs so we were glad to introduce them.

After dinner we headed out to the game. It was Super Hero themed night so naturally we went as ourselves.

The game was pretty tame - no fights even broke out- until the last period when our team tied it up and sent the game into a sudden death overtime.

Nathanial and I didn't make it on the kiss cam but there's always next time.

It was a fun night with some fun peeps!

We didn't make it on the selfie screen either.

I did manage to accidentally hit someone in the head with a rubber hockey puck.  A local organization hosts a Chuck a Puck contest during the second intermission. You pay $5 and get three numbered pucks to throw on the ice. If your puck lands in the middle of a board they put down you win a cash prize. I think it was $2800 this weekend. We went down to the lower level to throw our pucks. It was a lot lighter than I expected and that paired with my bracelet flying off made for a bad throwing combination.  The lady I hit laughed it off and re-threw the puck for me.  It still wasn't a winner. 


* Thanks to my friend Ardy for the pics!

Friday Favorites

This post should really be called "What pictures do I have to stick on my blog." Obviously Friday Favorites has a better ring to it!

Here are some things I'm loving this week:

Espresso Stands

Anchorage has more espresso stands per capita than anywhere else.  Yep, even Seattle.  Usually I'm unimpressed by this fact since I gave up my coffee habit after college.  With the temperature in the teens this week I decided to warm up with a drink from my favorite stand- Rae Rae's.

How cute is the branding? Even the spill stickers are adorable.  I never have to guess what to order because her flavor of the day drinks are always right up my alley (i.e. Almond Joy, Wedding Cake.)

Friends

Adjusting to life in Alaska has been hard at times for me.  I am so thankful to have found a church to get plugged into and a great group of friends.  I especially appreciate friends who throw island themed parties and give me an excuse to wear a Pareo in January.  

I didn't need to wear a sweater in Bora Bora.  

Running

I've finally gotten back into the routine of running.  I'm starting to look at summer races because Alaska Marathoner just sounds awesome.

I've made friends with the treadmill because this is what the parking lot at the gym looked like.  Snow thank you. I'll stick to indoor running for a while.

Snow

Running aside, I have to admit I really like when it snows.  Snow just has a way of making everything look beautiful. It's such a peaceful thing.to watch the flakes fall. I really love how the loose snow in the street seems to dance in the wind. 

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