Procrastinating on procrastinating

Haha, I really am just so terrible at keeping up with blogging. Big surprise right?!

So, I am excited to say that I am writing this blog while sitting on our new couch. I have a bad i-phone picture from the day that it arrived, but we have since procured a new coffee table ($10 on craigslist, wahoo) and arranged our home to accommodate the new, glorious, amazing, living room giant. :)

This picture DOES NOT do it justice. Would it be wrong to get professional couch photos rather than engagement photos???

So much more has happened since our last post... Chris' aunt came out for a lovely visit, where we hiked our local trails, traveled the 17 mile drive, searched for hidden treasures, and challenged our ability to prepare vegan friendly meals for 7+ days.

Preparing for the 20 mile John Muir hike. Nearby Sunol and Little Yosemite gave us a good run for our money!

Then, my family came into town. We explored the local Livermore wineries and just absolutely fell in the with the family friendly, horse loving, beautiful wine country that is hidden just 15 minutes away from home. After that, my brother Justin and his fiance Alicia came to stay at our house, break in the new couch, visit the Bay Area, and of course, join us on the kind-of-annual camping trip to Yosemite.

Pre-boulder climbing :)

Go climb that rock! I dare you :)

August ended with a harrowing trip up the deadly John Muir and Mist Trail in Yosemite to the top of Half Dome. I was not so anxious when we were stuck for 30+ minutes descending the approximate 90 degree downgrade on the face of the rock. Being my second time conquering one of Mother Nature's wonders, I was able to take in the sights, appreciate the burn in my calves and hiney, and, as Chris might say, recklessly ascend and descend the cables. Chris on the other hand has developed a new mantra for patience. Whenever facing a patience testing moment, like the lovely Fremont traffic, he simply says Half Dome and remembers the terrifying, perpetual wait, hanging from silly ropes and raggedy wooden planks on the face of the deceivingly friendly, granite mammoth called Half Dome.

No big deal!  :-O

Okay, so I might have passed out for a while after the hike. Hehe

Overall, life is good. We are really enjoying the journey towards our wedding date and trying to lay low while we save for the big event. Chris has started going to RCIA (on his own accord) and is really enjoying his expedition into faith and discovering all the wonderful mysteries that God has up sleeve. We've met once with our deacon and took the quote-unquote test for Catholic weddings. Hope we passed!!  Just kidding! Deacon Lance is great and I really can't wait to see what insight he has on our relationship and hear any words of wisdom he might have to offer. A lifetime of marriage most certainly can't be as easy, peasy as our relationship is now (or can it?). We welcome any advise that people have to offer. Can't promise we wont take it with a grain of salt though.

Pardon my abundant, and probably incorrect, use of commas. I just, , , love, , , them! ;)

Love you ALL!!!! Muah!