Our Year in Review

Time sure flies when you are having fun. It's kind of hard to believe that we celebrated our last Christmas and New Year in Hawaii and that we will be saying Aloha to Oahu in July. Chris and I have have grown a lot since we moved here in 2009, and although we will miss the people and the weather, we are looking forward to 2012 and what it has in store for us.

January

• We brought in 2011 Hawaiian style and partied it up at Rum Fire in Waikiki with our close friends Chris and Marissa. Crazy what a difference a year makes. Our first New Years on island we spent it solo and at the movies.
• Chris turned 26
• Covered NFL Play 60 and Ohana Day
• Went to our first Pro Bowl AND I got to be on the field!

February

• Said aloha to my first friend Karen and her family
• Had house guests for the first time -- the Steese family and their two pups-- before they PCS'd

March

• My leetle seester came for Spring Break round 2! We spent the day riding horses, ATVing and checking out where various movies were filmed at Koolau Ranch, swam with dolphins, ate a yummy dinner at Alan Wongs and hit up some beaches.

April

• The world welcomed Chase Mark Hoffmann
• Threw my first Tea Party baby shower
• I became a Godmother
• Said aloha to the Borland family. Saying goodbyes, even though they are pretty routine in the military, are getting harder and harder!
• Chris went to Korea  (round one) for the exercise Ulhic Freedom Guardian

May

• Chris’ best friend and best man Eder paid us a visit from downrange! He spent his R and R here.

June

• Started this blog
• Took a Baptism class
• Oakley turned 1!
• Had Korean BBQ for the first time

July

• I turned 26
• Took a pole dancing class
• Spent my birthday on the Big Island
• Partook in my first duty as a Godmother, Chase’s baptism
• Went to the Honolulu Zoo for the first time
• Had our second set of houseguests- Stephanie, Jerad and Chase before the PCS'd

August

• Said my hardest aloha so far to The Hoffmann family
• Chris went back to Korea for the exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian
• My best friend Casey came to visit me!
• Did my first O&P for Grad School

September

• Chris and I celebrated two years of marriage at the Aulani
• We spent two weeks in Connecticut
• Learned how to stand-up paddle
• Had a crazy girls night out that will go down in the history books

October

• Hosted our third set of house guests- Eron and Ashley- before they PCDs
• Got a volunteer award from the 84^th Eng. Bn.
• Went to a Pajama party spouse social
• Learned how to play Bunco
• Sank in a canoe in the Haunted Lagoon
• Said aloha to Nina and her two lil ones

November

• Hosted my second Thanksgiving (two years in a row where no one got sick!)
• Met First Lady Michelle Obama (highlight of my journalism career)

December

• Modeled in my first hairshow
• Graduated with my master’s in secondary education English from Chaminade University of Honolulu
• Went to Disneyland for Christmas
• Rang in the New Year with good friends (Kerri, Matt and Tom) at the Aulani