Catch-up!

Wow, it's been months since I've last posted. So much has happened! There's so much to write about and I doubt I'll even hit the tip of the iceberg on it.

Guess there are a few main things. And one big secret. ;) But I can't announce that just yet because I'm sure people who shouldn't know will read this and rat me out!

Anyway, let's see... Nick and I have officially announced our engagement. The wedding is in approximately a year. In his home state, Hawaii. There will be two receptions. One in Hawaii for his family, and one in SoCal for my family and friends. I already got my dress. A beautiful Vera Wang. As soon as I walked out of my dressing room to astonished gasps and silenced the whole room of other to-be brides, I knew I'd found my dress even before I saw myself in the mirror! Hahaha. I've got a few pictures of it, but am limiting who gets to actually SEE it. They're just gonna have to wait till the wedding(:

I've moved up to Pacific Grove, CA. Off the Monterey Bay peninsula. I am literally surrounded by the ocean. But it's so cold up here I can't appreciate it as much as I would in SoCal. But it IS gorgeous. We have a two bedroom apartment, the other room we use for storage and a guest room (only had a cousin visit once and stay over. Parents came but left the same night.). I can't say it's a great apartment, but it's right down from one of the gates to the base Nick works at. So that's a perk. Not that he can walk to base/home in his uniform anyway. He'll be leaving for Texas soon, and I've decided to move back down into my parents' home while he's there for his extra training. His LAT move into this MOS has been pretty interesting. My mother loves being able to brag about his ability to speak Korean with family and friends. She also loves being able to speak to him in Korean and him being able to understand it - for the most part. Hahaha. So, we should be back in Hawaii by February. Well, he'll be. I haven't decided on if I want to finish school here, or there. Going to the University of Hawaii Manoa would be too easy I think. No offense, but look at their public education system. Haha. Sorry, but it's true. But we'll see. I'm waiting on word from CSUPomona and Long Beach. But my first choice is Pomona. Blah, ramble!

What else, what else... Ah! Wedding planning is so stressful. I've already booked a reception hall, but have yet to book a church. I know who I want to hire for photography and I know my wedding colors (i think!). It's really hard to do this all from out of state. I'm sure it'll be easier when I move there a few months prior to handle everything. Haven't planned anything yet for the second reception in SoCal though. I was thinking of renting the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Open Seas exhibit, but it won't fit enough people, and it'd be quite a drive for most. So, that was out. I'm going to have to start looking into venues. Arghhhh!

Oh! So I won a trip to South Korea via Hawaiian Air. I was their mainland winner. On their Twitter they asked, "If you won a trip to Korea what would you discover? Answer for your chance to win an all expense paid trip!" Or something of that sort. So I answered honestly. I said something along the lines of how I would love to meet family there because the last time I visited was when I was 5. Next thing I know I get a message asking me for contact information, then a phone call announcing I was the mainland winner. I couldn't believe it. I've never won anything in my life! I was in the middle of a shower when they called and ran out into the living room with nothing on but a towel to tell my sister I just won a trip to Korea. Who in turn didn't believe me. No one did! That was pretty awesome. They flew me out to Hawaii to take part in the Inaugural Flight party thing and there was cake, hula dancers, a monk to bless the plane, beverages and famous people. I decided to take Nick's mother with me on the trip (they paid for me and whoever I picked as long as they had a valid passport) and I have to admit she was a pretty awesome traveling companion. I was nervous about hanging out with her throughout my time to Hawaii and Korea, but she was real chill. We told the news channel that I was her future daughter in law (which wasn't official at the time, we just figured it'd sound better on public television). But yeah, the trip was definitely awesome. Besides the fact that the four days we went were the coldest in Korea's history for the past 30 years, we were just peachy! My jeans would be freezing in the wind, and even wearing every item of clothing I packed wouldn't help. We would wake up in the mornings with ice more than a few inches thick lining the windows of our 17th floor room. Haha. But I seriously cannot express how awesome the trip was and how much I enjoyed it despite freezing my ass off the whole time. I was able to see two of my aunts, a cousin (who drove us around the city) his wife, and his son. His son is so adorable. Oh! And the Hawaii winners ended up being Rhoe who brought Lance, her boyfriend, who was also Nick's mother's student during his high school years! So on our last day we all bonded together and traveled around Seoul by train. And Lance himself is a photographer who works for the studio I plan to hire for the wedding.

After I got back from Korea I hung out with the friends in Hawaii for a week before flying back to SoCal, then moving in with Nick up here in CenCal.

I did a spring and summer semester here. I finally have my associate's and look forward to actually being able to continue my education. Due to the upcoming move, I was forced to take this semester off. I didn't wanna live up here by myself during his absence, and I couldn't land any classes at a community college down south. So I figure I should be blogging a lot more. Perhaps(:

I'm sure I'm missing quite a bit but I really wanna swing by the commissary halfway across the bay. Nick had duty last night and is knocked out beside me, his hand on my head. Why? No idea. I suppose I can drag him with me if he wants to go. Haha.

Anyway, stay frosty folks. ;)


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Edit: My dear! Correction. It's been a year the last time I posted. Hahaha.