and many more..

happiest of birthdays to my oldest and wisest sister Natalie!

Natalie is the perfect first born. she paved the way for all the Tate girls and left very big shoes to fill.

 she is the most determined and dedicated person I have ever known. 

she is also very sensitive and cares a lot for others. 

chatting with Natalie is always a good time because we watch all the same shows and she always recommends the best shows (ie FNL, Lost, Vampire Diaries, etc), she always has the best restaurant & recipe recommendations, & everything she says is so eloquently put. (unlike me right now ha)

You know if Natalie is on your team in virtually any game you play you will win.

Natalie also planned the Tate sister road trip which was one of the best vacations I have ever been on. Let me tell you, everything she does she does with perfection (including being a mom). 

I am so grateful to have Natalie not only as my sister but as a best friend. 

Here's to you Natalie! May this year be the best yet. 

                 

bring it on

Ben and I live with some pretty big vices. I have chocolate or some sort of sweet at the very least once a day. I crave something sweet after every meal. It is hard to not give in and so I usually justify it and give in. I believe I have come to be dependent on them to get through the day. Yes, I have a problem. 

Ben on the other hand doesn't eat his sweets, he drinks them. He lives off soda. Coke, Mountain Dew, Orange Soda, Grape Soda you name it. He craves it.

So we have decided to create a little bet. I cannot eat any form of dessert and he cannot drink soda starting today. Whoever lasts the longest gets $50 to spend on whatever he/she desires. The winner also gets bragging rights which is quite a big deal to us.

I am prepared to outlast him. Wish me luck

saturday in monterey

On Saturday Ben and I decided to head down to Monterey to explore the historic beach city. Here are a little happy moments from our day:

1.we drove all the way there by way of PCH which was very pretty

2. I rented a bike and B brought his so that we could bike along the coast of Monterey. It was breathtaking.

3. the sun was shinning & there was a ocean breeze the whole way

4. the homes along the coast were just dreamy. one was for sale so we decided just to see how much these little homes cost. this home was right on the beach and had three bedrooms. Any guesses? 13 million! wow

5. had lunch at fisherman's wharf where we sat over looking the water

6. on the drive back we stopped at this little farmers market that had killer deals. I got 4 oranges for 23 cents & B picked out 10 baby artichokes for a dollar. We wished we lived closer to pick up fresh produce at this place!

7. I was craving cafe rio on the way home so I decided to check out if there was one around since there is one in southern california. One popped up and oh my gosh it was on the way home! how lucky right?  wrong. this is what we pulled up to...

guess I will have to wait till March..

happy belated

I know I am nine days late but I just wanted to give a little shout out to my favorite little sister & best friend who turned 17. I love Savannah more than I can even begin to describe. She makes me laugh & keeps me sane. She is such a light to everyone around her. I am so proud of all of her amazing academic accomplishments & her spiritual accomplishments. She always makes me want to be a better person just by being her normal self. 

I love our little dance parties, work out competitions, inside jokes, the looks that say it all & our love of the same tv shows. She also can make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

So here's to you Savannah. You are wise beyond your years. Never forget how beautiful a person you are. 

PS January 6 was also the birthday of my favorite sister in law Kathryn! I could not have asked for one better. Kathryn has a pure heart and cares deeply for others. I am so glad she is in my life. Happy belated birthday!

we found our way to san jose

We made it. The adventure has officially begun.

A week from today we were driving from salt lake to san jose. It was a very pretty drive once we passed the deserts of nevada. I enjoyed being in comfy clothes the whole day, eating chocolate chip cookies (thanks to the best mother in law) & dancing in the car. There is nothing like road trips. 

We got to Sunnyvale around 7p so we decided to try to find some dinner before we settled in. There is not a whole lot of selection by our little house (mainly Asian food) so I decided to introduce Ben to mongolian bbq since he had never tried it. He has since become obsessed and asks everyday if we can go back. I haven't given in yet, since there are so many other places to try, but I am sure he will get his wish soon. 

This city is so pretty. I have fallen in love with it already. There are so many pretty trees, friendly people & great shopping. Oh and did I mention that every day we have been here it has been around 65 degrees?I could get used to this.

two thousand eleven

We decided to have a little get together at the Hawker cabin for New Years Eve. I loved being surrounded by good friends as we counted down the seconds to 2012.  I love New Years and the opportunities it provides for a fresh start and high hopes. 2012 has a lot to live up to if it wants to surpass 2011!

2011's Happenings:

rang in the new year in Newport Beach at the Rusty Pelican

Ben purposed to me at Franks (a restaurant in Holladay). most magical night 1/7/11

learned what went into planning a wedding (a lot! especially if your not living where your getting married)

went to Myrtle Beach, SC for spring break with Marisa

went to zumba class for the first time & loved it

took Ben to supercross for his 24th birthday

had so many fun bridal showers/ bachelorette party

learned how supportive Ben was when the weight of the wedding was getting heavy

got married for time and all eternity in the San Diego Temple-- dream come true

first day of being married and Ben got food poisoning

took a red eye to Cancun to celebrate our honeymoon

Ben learned how to sail a catamaran & then nearly got us stranded out at sea

snorkeled and tried to catch all the sea turtles

had our 2nd reception at the Garden Park Ward

danced the night away with the 12 groomsmen-- yes 12

moved into married student housing at the U

watched Marisa graduate from UCLA-- Go Bruins!

ate Korean BBQ for the first time

went boating &  to the tennis club pool every chance we got

left  Ben to vacay with my family on the coast of North Carolina

ate the best hush puppies of my life

turned 21 and went to vegas

became an aunt & uncle for the first time! 

Ben started his final semester at the U

I got an internship for public events at Thanksgiving Point

got called to be sunbeam teachers

passed out candy at our little apartment while watching Walking Dead

became addicted to Vampire Diaries & Modern Family
James returned home from his mission in Germany (first time meeting him!)

traveled to California for our first Thanksgiving as a married couple

Ben got offered an internship and full time position at Ernst & Young in San Jose

bought a live tree and decorated our little apartment 

dominated my business minor classes

Ben graduated with a degree in accounting

spent Christmas in Salt Lake City with the Hawkers & wished for a white Christmas that never came

fell in love more with each passing day