{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 11}

{Day 11}

This is what Adam got me for our first Valentine's Day, plus he made me stay in the office while he decorated our apartment with streamers and cool lights! He made me a yummy candlelit spaghetti dinner a we had sparkling cider. He even played some music and slow danced which he doesn't like dancing so it was so sweet!

I made him a little book with each letter of the alphabet standing for something that I loved about him. I included petals from my wedding bouquet and I also made him a CD of some our favorite songs. It was just a nice simple yet heartfelt evening!

Here is Adam's view of the day:

 Valentine's Day rocks!!!  At least, it does when you're married. I love my Ashley!!!!  She gave me the most amazing gift ever.  You see, anyone can go out and spend money and get you something they know you want … but it takes a special kind of somebody to give a truly thoughtful, lasting gift.  Ashley put *tons* of love and *tons* of time in my gift. It's got pictures and cool artistic titles and poems and quotes and all that, like any well-done scrapbook.  But it also has hidden pockets and secret compartments and all sorts of other cool things filled with fun stuff.  It's incredible.  I love it.  I'll have it forever and cherish it forever.  It's the type of thing you can look back on, bring up great memories, and share with children.

My gift for Ashley didn't take as much time and planning and thought, but I did try to make it creative.  I made her a nice dinner, by candlelight.  I gave her a stuffed puppy and some flowers inside a balloon.  And I decorated the apartment with streamers and balloons and (borrowed) lights and put on some music (actually from a CD that was hidden in that amazing book she gave me) and we had a dance.  The theme was kind of things she always says she wants.  Flowers, a puppy (OK, I cheated a bit), and a dance.

All in all, it was a great day, and one to remember.  It was a ton of fun, we had a great day together and made some new memories.

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 10}

{Day 10}

This was our first steps into the waters on the island of Kauai, Hawaii!

Adam's parents took all their kids and spouses to Hawaii for 10 days for Christmas 2008. I had never been so it was exciting to be on this adventure with my new family! They definitely bring out the adventurous side in me. I remember wakeing up on Christmas morning hearing cock a doodle doo because there are so many roosters and chickens on the island it's crazy, they are everywhere! After gathering around our tiny Christmas tree brought from home we ate the usual Collet Christmas breakfast which consists of oranges and chocolate chip muffins. We took turns opening gifts and ooooh and ahhhing and then headed to the beach. At one point I forget it was Christmas just because I was so use to snow! I remember calling home and they were having a blizzard so bad that nobody could even attempt to drive to Grandma's and Grandpa's for Christmas and they all live only a few miles away so that must have been a crazy snow storm.. I was so glad I was enjoying the sand between my toes and the sun on my skin. I wish I would have taken a picture of our rental car because when started our adventure it was nice and clean and when we ended our adventure and had to turn the car in, the car was just covered in sand! When you go to Hawaii you will find sand in things for months afterwards and in places you didn't think sand could be...lol

I blogged about our trip back in 2008 here is the link 

http://adamashleycollet.blogspot.com/2009/01/christmas-in-paradiseaka-kauai.html

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 8 & 9}

{Day 8}

For our 2nd wedding anniversary in 2010 we ventured out of Utah and went to Las Vegas! It was such a blast, we went to the shark reef aquarium, the body museum, titanic museum and many other fun things! On the day of actual anniversary we went to dinner and saw the Broadway production of the Lion King. It was so magnificent, the costumes and the music were brilliant! Growing up we went to Vegas once a year and so I had been to most places before but Adam had only driven through. It was so much fun experiencing the sights and attractions with him as if I was too was going there for the first time. Of course we had to end the trip watching the Bellagio fountains. What a fab trip!

{Day 9}

Our first trip together to the zoo was in April of 2009.

It was such a laid back day just strolling around the zoo and seeing the wonders of the animals. We have since been to better zoos but it was still a great day! 

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 7}

{Day 7}

This was our first and possibly last gingerbread house..the reason I say this is because they are a bigger mess then they are worth. It was so fun seeing what kind of little house we could create together. It wasn't so much what we were doing it's just that we were working together and making something we were both excited about. I remember seeing the aftermath from this activity and you could barely see the table top. Growing up I remember we made gingerbread houses often at holidays but it was fun to carry that tradition on to my own little family. We have not made one since but who knows what the future will hold...

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 6}

{Day 6}

This picture is from our first camping trip together before we were married. We went with Adam's family to Zion National Park in April of 2008. My family never went tent camping that I can ever recall, so this definitely was a first! I slept in a tent for the first time ever with his sisters and poor Adam slept on the floor of the car because we were short a tent or something like that. I remember I woke up Adam in the middle of the night and made him walk with to the bathroom with me because I was to scared to go alone! LOL  I had a fun time just bonding with the Collet's as this was my first time meeting some of them. I have since gone camping a total of 3 times in my life and I'm loving it more and more each time. Last Christmas I was even putting camping things on my Christmas list. Adam was very proud of the fact that he has  changed my opinion of camping...slowly...but it's getting better!

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 5}

{Day 5}

Our very first official vacation together was to Disneyland with my family in September of 2008! Adam had not been to Disneyland since he was a little tyke so it was fun getting to experience it like new all over again. We had such a great time that trip! Adam is not a roller-coaster fan so I was glad I had my cousins there to go on the more daring rides with! This was also my first time ever riding on an airplane! Growing up we always drove to Disneyland making a few stops along the way. I used to pack a bag of things to do on the long car ride, it was weird not having to pack every word scramble book, all the crayons, my Nintendo Gameboy and every game I owned. I don't remember what I took on the plane but I'm pretty sure it wasn't much since I'm pretty sure I spent most of my time looking out the window enjoying my birds eye view. 

We will be going back to Disneyland in a few weeks for an early 5th wedding anniversary trip. It's kind of neat to return to the place that began our yearly vacation tradition! So much in life has changed since then and it will fun to reminisce 'bout the days gone by..

"Laughter is timeless.

Imagination has no age.

And dreams are forever."

-Walt Disney

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day 3 & 4}

{Day 3}

These are the very first flowers Adam ever sent to me. I remember this like it was yesterday. My mother had scolded Adam about not getting me anything for mother's day since I was not a mother so a few days later these were delivered to our apartment as a surprise. The card read happy belated mother's day lol. From that year on he has always remembered to give me something for mother's day...and that August we became parents to Nala so it worked out that I was a puppy mommy for the next mother's day!

{Day 4}

This is the living room of our very first apartment. We were both so excited to have a little place to call ours, where we could call the shots. I remember we collected things for months before we were married that would one day go into our own place. When we decided to call the Serengeti Springs apartments our new place together we knew we wanted to keep the theme going and decorated our front room African themed. We still have most everything in this room but..add almost 5 years of wear and tear, plus 2 people and 1 dog and then another dog and things don't look nearly as nice as they did back then... We loved that 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment that was on the 1st floor except for the noisy upstairs neighbors and the mice that decided to make a home in our luggage in our storage shed...oh the memories.. This apartment will always be our first home..a place where after getting married I made Adam carry me over the threshold..a place where we got our first pets, Luna and Mars the fish..a place where after a long day at work we could come home to our safe haven...a place that was filled with love and laughter.

{Journey Down Memory Lane} {Day1 & 2}

Adam and I are coming up on our 5 year anniversary on 5/31/13..I wanted take a journey down memory lane and each day highlight some of our most fun and memorable moments.

{May 1st}

Our wedding day..quite some time has passed since this picture was taken but it is a great reminder that no matter the path we choose to lead or the decisions we make or changes that may occur in the future at the end of the day we have chosen to take this path called life together. Walking hand in hand through life.

{May 2nd}

Our trip to Provo Falls. We spent the weekend at a cabin with some of our amazing friends. A favorite memory from that trip involved making yummy treats at 2am and delivering them  to a very sleepy Brandon and Jennifer who were fast asleep in bed oh and also singing a very annoying song waking them up from a deep slumber suddenly! Good times LOL