What’s GOLD to me today… FAMILY! I am so lucky to have an amazing family that all live within 20 minutes from me! I am also so thankful that I have amazing in-laws and brother-in-laws (and soon-to-be a sister-in-law)! They are all a total blast. I have plenty of stories that I could share about my awesome family, but I thought I’d share a few photos today from a trip we took back over Thanksgiving to visit Jeremy’s grandpa. His mom, aunt, cousins and brother joined us out in the desert of California to celebrate the 75th birthday! These are just a few snapshots of the fun we had together…

We rode a Rhino off-road vehicle!

Even Jeremy’s mom and aunt took part in the fun!

The cousins!

Me driving!!

Cheers to a weekend of fun!

I had THE most fun time on my vacation to Hawaii. I was so lucky to spend a week with my best friend’s family and meet her son, Jake! I pretty much had my camera, ipad or phone (with camera) glued to my side the entire trip. Side note — if you are my facebook friend or follow my instagram photos, you most likely thought I adopted this adorable baby last month. I just couldn’t get enough of his cute little face !

He turned one during my stay there and we had loads of fun planning his “uno” themed birthday party. I have a few projects to share when we were in party-planning mode coming soon to the blog. For now, just a few photos of Jake’s adorable face! I love this kid!

We stopped by the new Disney resort on Oahu, as well. Jake got to meet Mickey Mouse!

Evelyn and I have been friends since we were in middle school. We can pick up just where we left off with our silly jokes and giggles… even if we live across the ocean from each other.

Here we are on Day 2 of our 3day walk! Everyone had told us that Day 2 – specifically the afternoon was the toughest part of the entire walk. I think I have to agree… the end is still pretty far away and the enthusiasm from Day 1 has slightly dwindled… However, we were still super motivated and excited to DO IT! 20 miles down – 40 to go!

Here’s a quick photo of us. I loved this cute little sign: “Cheers and Smiles for 60 Miles!”

Again, have I mentioned how beautiful San Diego is? This is in the Point Loma area as we started down a big hill. We had the most beautiful view of the ocean, so Megan and I went for an artistic shot – 3 days, baby!

Who can resist some sweet treats? As we headed into the Mission Bay area, Golden Spoon ice cream was giving away mini frozen yogurt cones for all the walkers. How exciting is that? So many people were ensuring we were well fed and hydrated on the walk… it was hilarious! Cookies, candies, mimosas, tequila shots, water, sports drinks – you name it! Oh, and this is outside the official 3day walk pit stops where they made sure we had plenty of food!

The most challenging part of the walk for me was mid-day Day 2. For some reason, lunch was scheduled really late and I was getting super hungry. I wasn’t sore or physically tired, I was just getting hungry for real food. As we passed through Robb Field, we were greeted by so many of my favorite people to keep us motivated! My mom, grandma, grandpa, aunt, cousins and bestest friends (aka “the mutt pack”) were all there… and, they were holding signs! How cute was that?! Cherish even made us cookies. They all had our team shirts on and were so excited to see us. That kept us going!

As we made our way around Mission Bay, my coworker Wendy was there to encourage us! She had walked a few years ago and had some down to say hello and gave us a giant pink ribbon balloon to carry! It ended up as a great tent decoration at the end of the day! Then, when we entered into Belmont Park / Mission Beach area, our friends and my sister had camped out at The Wave House, a restaurant along the boardwalk. We decided it was only appropriate to stop and enjoy some company before finishing the last few miles for the day. We also saw my friend Jen further down the boardwalk in Mission Bay with a bunch of people. They were a hoot!

When we arrived back at camp at the end of the day, my grandma, grandpa and mom met us at the entrance. They were so excited to see us – 40 miles down 20 to go!!

Did I mention that we smuggled some wine? Here is a silly picture of Megan and I with our very classy box of wine at camp!

Also, here is Megan hanging out in our tent. Love the pink tents!

One of the most exciting parts of Day 2 is that Ivie and Winita won the tent decorating contest! Check that out. They had the best tent in the entire camp! We are so proud of their creativity!

Check back tomorrow for the final day of our 3day walk! 20 more miles to go!

To get you in the holiday spirit, check out these adorable puppies!!!!! When we were in Ridgecrest visiting Jeremy’s family over Thanksgiving, we were so lucky to be around for a puppy Christmas photo shoot! Jeremy’s family breeds these super cute pups. They are only a few weeks old… and, adorable. Did I say adorable? Yes, beyond adorable!! I wanted to steal one!

After they were such great little models, they got lunch. How cute!!!!

The countdown is on! Two weeks from today I will be walking along with 4,000 other (maybe crazy!) men and women walking 60 miles in 3 days to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We will be camping in hot pink tents down at the beach fueled with enthusiasm and energy to show our commitment to this important cause. Sadly, many women in my life have been affected by breast cancer – including my grandma… so, in a few weeks I will be walking for them! Together, our mighty little team of five “60 Miles for Bust” has raised over $12,000!

Although the fundraising goals have been challenging to meet, training for this event has been even more of a commitment! Over the last six months or so, I’ve been trying to carve out time from my schedule to walk… and walk… and walk… Last weekend, my teammate Megan and I walked 20 miles. Here are a few snapshots. We walked from my house to my parent’s house (where mom and dad greeted us with a wonderful brunch), did a few miles with the family in their neighborhood, then headed over to Lake Murray and walked with our friend Ashley back to our house. It took us from about 7am to 2pm. Generally, we felt tired but no aches, pains or blisters! Now, doing that 3 days straight is another story, but we are pretty optimistic that our training has paid off!

Thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family for their support so far. We’ll see you at the cheering stations in two weeks!

Breakfast with the family (well, mom is behind the camera!)…

Feeling energetic!

I know the blog has seen a lot of DIY Kit action lately, so I thought I’d switch it up to include a fun, personal post! Here are a few snapshots from our recent trip to Las Vegas! We had such a blast!

Here’s Jeremy and I at the chandelier bar in the Cosmopolitan. This casino is absolutely gorgeous. This is on the top floor of the chandelier bar… We made stops at each floor to taste test their fancy drinks.

Jacob and I enjoyed a “shmore” drink complete with roasted marshmellows on the top! Delicious!

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the show Blue Man Group. Jeremy had been dying to see this show for ages. It was definitely a crazy show — really entertaining!

We took a few photos with the guys in the show after it was over.

Ashley and I being a little silly!

Take 1.

Take 2.

Every year I try to commit to one big fundraiser to support a cause close to heart. This year I decided to join my friends in the Susan G. Komen 3Day Walk to help raise money for breast cancer education and research. I’ve always felt like this is the most inspirational, challenging and exciting event and I have been wanting to participate for a few years. This last year we found out that my grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I figured the unfortunate news would give me the push that I need to sign up. Just to participate in the walk, each walker must raise a minimum of $2300. In total, our team has a goal of $12,000+!

We organized a big fundraiser event at Tio Leo’s in San Diego. Our friend’s band, The Estebans, provided great entertainment for the evening. We raised just about $2000 through a cover charge and raffle tickets. Everyone had a great time — and, it was in support of a great cause! Here are a few photos of the event! Thanks to all my friends and family that came out to support!

Here we are picking raffle tickets…

A few of our biggest supporters:

Rachelle won 3 raffle prizes! Lucky duck!

The “mutt pack”… plus a few…

Kev and Kat (and me!)

Our 3day walk team! My sis designed our logo for shirts and promotional materials – super cute, eh?!

The team with the band:

ME!

One of my favorite summer activities is attending the San Diego Fair. This year, Jeremy and I, headed out with his brothers. We had a total blast. Some of the highlights include…

… our first stop: Australian battered potatoes covered with lots of ranch and cheese. yum!

…enjoying some beer listening to live music

… more food. This time sausage cooked by a very young kid!

… they were delicious!

… Ashley with a turkey leg

… people-watching, of course!

… Jeremy *attempting* to win me a prize stopping for a quick snapshot

… brothers

… watching the boys have fun on this scary ride.

All in all, it was a super fun evening at the Fair! We definitely all left with tummy aches, but had a great time hanging out!

This is my ‘lil bro, Austin, in my scraproom. With a little help, he is now an expert scrapbooker.