Three

It's sort of unbelievable that (over) three years have passed since Daniel said our vows in front of our loved ones! Suddenly we are approaching our late twenties, but it feels like we are right where God wants us to be, while we continue to look ahead to who God wants us to become.

This year we took a little mini vacation to Seattle for our 3 year anniversary, where we played tourist for a bit before up north to the woods of Bellingham to watch our friends get married. The Pacific Northwest is so beautiful and fresh, with the trees and clean air and proximity to the water. We loved every second and can't wait to go back (hopefully for longer this time, so we can visit with all of our friends and family!) Until next time, Seattle!

Hands down favorite meal of the trip.

Taken from our day cruise--we had the most stunning weather.

<3

I had Caffe Umbria coffee from DeLaurenti every single day of our trip.

Cool Chihuly "rock candy" by the Space Needle. The Chihuly Garden and Glass museum is incredible.

Delicious lunch at Matt's in the Market.

I'm so glad I converted Daniel into an oyster lover. Anniversary dinner at Elliott's on the waterfront (with the funniest Muppet-quoting waiter.)

A few of Daniel's favorite things: apple cider and not wearing a jacket when it's cold.

My favorite part of the market, of course.

Page Turning

Daniel and I have been on a mission to read more in 2015. I've always been a little bit of a bookworm, but definitely have my moments where I'm more prone to binge watch TV (House of Cards, anyone?) than pick up a book.

Since I'm such a goal and list oriented person, I found it was helpful to 1) set a goal of number of books to read in the year and 2) to make a list of the books I want to read so I always know what to read next. I get borderline obsessive about meeting goals, so my plan is really forcing me to make more time for reading.

This year, I found a fun reading challenge from the blogger behind Modern Mrs. Darcy. Here are my picks for her 2015 challenge (some of which I have read, some which are still in my queue!):

A book you've been meaning to read: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
This novel has been on my Kindle for about a year--after I finish my current book (March, see below) it will be one of the next books I read in 2015. A romantic story of a genetics professor on a scientific search for the perfect partner.

A book published this year: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
The recently recovered sequel to one of my all-time favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. The intrigue surrounding the book has me even more captivated--did Harper Lee even want this published?--but ultimately I have decided that I need to read it out my deepest respect and admiration for her writing.

A book in a genre you don't typically read: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Science fiction is not usually my go-to genre, but I've heard incredible things about this post-apocalyptic novel and am really looking forward to getting my hands on it.

A book from your childhood: Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
I was a HUGE fan of the Sammy Keyes series in 5th and 6th grade (launching my serious love affair with all things mystery), so at the time this sweet, romantic story from the same author was never on my radar. I had people to spy on and write about in my composition notebook!

A book your mom loves: Outlander by Diana Galbadon
My mom raves about this series and I'm excited to finally dig in this year. There is also a BBC miniseries based on the books. It involves time travel, romance, action and men in kilts--all the ingredients for a great story.

A book that was originally written in a different language: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Tolstoy makes a couple appearances on my to-read list for 2015, but this is the one I'm most excited about reading.

A book "everyone" has read but you: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
One of those classics that I somehow never read. Daniel loves this book, so I'm excited to finally read it this year.

A book you chose because of the cover: Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
My mom lent me this book, but it was sitting on my bedside table for a while without me picking it up. One evening, I turned off my bedside light to go to sleep and rolled over--to my shock, this book was GLOWING IN THE DARK. So of course I turned the light back on and started reading it immediately. This one is a fun, captivating a ride.

A book by a favorite author: March by Geraldine Brooks
Just started this one--Geraldine Brooks is hands down one of my favorite authors. Her gift of prose, combined with her complete dedication to thorough historical research, make her writing deeply compelling. This one is written from the perspective of the father in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, following his journey as a chaplain through the American Civil War.

A book recommended by someone with great taste: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Set in Tudor England, this book comes highly recommended by my sister Heather, who is one of the most well-read people I know.

A book you should have read in high school: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
I was inspired to pick this book up when Ms. Angelou was scheduled to speak at one of our events last year--sadly due to illness she wasn't able to make it, and has since passed away. I love her gift of poetic observation.

A book that's currently on the bestseller list: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Though I'll admit it has taken me months to get through this book, it is an intriguing and beautifuly written story. I love historical fiction that has an element of action/thriller/mystery (a la People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, one of my favorite books of all time.)

And here are a few others on my list for 2015...

Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
Scary Close by Donald Miller
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Happy reading!

Zion

In the spirit of our 2015 theme to adventure more, Daniel and I packed up our car and spent our Valentine's Day weekend exploring nature together in Southern Utah.

View from our room

Zion National Park is stunning and we had the best, most glorious clear blue skies we could have possibly hoped for. Our digs for the weekend were at the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale, right outside the park gates. Our room had a fabulous patio that looked over the Virgin River and red rocks. After we checked in on Saturday evening, we headed out to a romantic Valentine's Day dinner of BBQ chicken pizza and local UT brews from Zion Pizza and Noodle Co.

The next day we packed some peanut butter sandwiches and set out to explore the park. We did some easy hiking up to Emerald Pools, and the Riverside Walk that takes you up to the river trailhead of the famous Narrows.

View from Upper Emerald Pools

Skipping rocks at the end of the Riverside Walk

In the afternoon we headed to Bryce Canyon, which is about a two hour drive from Zion. We got there just as the sun was starting to set, but we were so glad that we made the trip because it is honestly one of the most breath-taking places I've ever seen. Bryce Canyon was much colder (there was still snow!) so we pretty much just popped out and took some pictures as we enjoyed the sunset together--then ran back into the car and turned the heater on full blast. We drove drove home in the dark, stopping to admire the beautiful sky. Even though I couldn't get any good long exposure pictures, we got to experience the most beautiful starry nights--so clear we could see Milky Way.

Sunset Point at Bryce Canyon

Adventure buddies for life <3

It was the perfect weekend getaway and only about 8 hours from Los Angeles, but we felt a world away. We loved getting to explore more of God's creation and spend some much-needed unplugged time together. Plus, we both knew now was the perfect time for road tripping with gas prices being so low (we found some $2.05/gallon gas in Utah!)

Adventure is out there!

xo, S

Christmas in Germany

This Christmas break was one of our most memorable, as we visited Germany to spend time with D's parents and sister. I can't tell you how much fun we had exploring European cities, attempting to recall a little bit of our respective college language studies in order to make our way around the markets, and getting to look at baby pictures of Daniel! I mean, come ON, look at his little face:

Every city we visited in Germany and France was basically a Christmas/winter wonderland explosion. Germany is known for its Christmas markets, and they truly are the best. They have the best street food (pretzels, crepes, bratwurst), hot chocolates and mulled wine, and booths selling gifts like loose leaf teas, beautiful cookies, ornaments and Christmas pyramids. Every street in pretty much every town we visited had decor EVERYWHERE, dripping between buildings and filling the shop windows. I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

My favorite part of the whole trip was just getting to spend time with the family. It was the first Christmas I was away from my own immediate family, but my Clark family made me feel right at home. Aside from one unfortunate night of getting my butt kicked playing Uno, I had the best, most relaxing time. And thanks to the joys of Facetime, it didn't even really feel like I was missing out back home.

The worst part of any great trip is always leaving, and the flight back felt long since we didn't have all the excitement to look forward to. Long days of travel can be brutal, but what can make it the least excruciating experience possible is packing well. I've definitely learned what essentials I need in my purse for long plane rides (snacks, cleansing face towelettes, face cream, lip balm, soft socks/slippers, my Kindle loaded with books & Sudoko puzzles.) I was also so thankful to have been gifted an awesome Barefoot Dreams "blardigan" (blanket/cardigan combo) by my mother-in-law Julie, which kept me cozy on the long flight home.

It dawned on us on this trip that we haven't flown together anywhere in a long time, and it gave us a little bit of an itch this year for travel! Can't wait to see where 2015 takes us.

-S

Adventure Awaits

My one resolution for 2015? More adventure!

To me that means more road trips, more exploring my city, more taking classes, more being outdoors, more opening our home and practicing hospitality, more doing things that I've always wanted to do and not made the time for.

p.s. more blogging, too :) a post on our Germany trip is coming soon! The above photo is one I took while on a walk behind D's parents house.

p.p.s. Happy Birthday, D!

-S