Disneyland & Maui

Okay, Okay... have you had enough of the Hoffman's in the happiest place on earth? WE HAVEN'T!

A quick 2 day trip in February was just as crowded as any other day in Disneyland and it got kind of chilly at night! I ate SO much food this time, rode a TON of Fantasyland rides, met Mickey and walked and walked! We went with our friends the Albright's, who loved Cars Land as much as we did! California is just so gorgeous, I am still surprised I haven't moved back yet!

And now for a trip even farther away- Hawaii! Ivan was entertaining on a ship and we got to go to Maui! Here we are at Twin Fall, Maui on the road to Hanna. This water was actually pretty chilly!

The hike was less than a mile but a very beautiful walk and some fun jungle-like scenery you can't see at the beaches! Our Hawaiian cruise is off to a great start!

xo

My testimony

Thank you to this stranger who took my photo at Seven Magic Mountains on my way to California :)

A few weeks ago, I took a video of myself talking in the car and basically telling the camera my testimony. It was focused around the happiness I felt and also receiving answers to prayers. 

It was only hours after the offer on our house was accepted and I was feel so much gratitude but also so much fear for the unknown!  Ivan was 100% confident about our house. He knew everything was right! I was happy and excited, but I did not feel 100%, nor did I know what feeling 100% certain on the house decision would even feel like.  I prayed a lot when we had initially made the offer, asking for some certainty I was expecting! Not only was I expecting certainty, I was expecting to feel more "complete" or more "adult" than before because of this big addition to our lives. 

While after many prayers I felt overall positive about our choice, I did not feel the clarity or completeness I had in mind.  Over the past year, I was unintentionally "inactive" at my church, because I was on the cruise ship for 6 months and did not port on Sundays so there was no way for me to physically be in a church building.  This is not the first time I've been in this predicament but it is the first time I had to do it on my own, without a husband there so we could encourage each other. While I never lost my testimony over the course of 2016, I did not spend the proper time nourishing it in the ways of scripture study, prayer and fasting. Instead, I let it float along with me- I followed the gospel and shared it with others, but failed to enrich my testimony through diligence of work and sacrifice! I felt some emptiness that I thought being a homeowner would fix. It did not. it could not. The only thing that could fix my testimony was to nourish it again. I needed to study MORE, to pray MORE and to FAST (i won't say more, i will just say fast AT ALL, because let's face it, I rarely sacrifice a meal) While I was still reading BoM occasionally and listening to conference talks weekly, I was spending much more time listening to music: musical theatre and it's art.

Musical theatre is an art form that has helped me grow in so many ways. 

I even have a testimony of musical theatre. But I could not use my testimony of musical theatre to replace my testimony of the gospel, I can use them together.

Some of my favorite lyrics of Hamilton are:

I am the one thing in life I can control

 I was the one who needed to build my testimony, not let it float along with me. 

I have a testimony of forgiveness. I believe in fresh starts- every day can be a fresh start!  We don't need to be perfect- we aren't expected to have a perfect track record for scripture study and we don't need to get down on ourselves with he whole week is blank, we just need to TRY and TRY AGAIN!

I have a testimony of families! I know families can be together forever because of temples and living worthy of our temple covenants. I love my family and I feel extra lucky to spend time with them in California this week! I know God loves me and I'm grateful for the lessons I get to learn in this life!

xo, Melissa

Why I Love Camping

Now, having lived on a luxury cruise ship for almost a year, one would think Ivan and I might be somewhat of the high maintanance traveler- but I say Nay Nay, my lofty reader- Our idea of a great vacation is a two-person tent camped by a body of refreshing water, and a dinner cooked in tinfoil over a fire!

And those are only 3 of the reasons why I LOVE Camping!
Here are the rest:

1. Making our home IN THE WILD
In case you don't already know, minimalism is my thing-
So...... give me a pop up house?  ba, ba, ba, BA, ba- I'm lovin' it!

2. Nature relaxes me

Falling asleep next to a creek, waking up to a sunset across the mountains, or the case most recently- falling asleep and waking up right on the BEACH! My favorite! And this is my definition of relaxing!

3. Quality Time

While we're camping- we are so detatched from our phones, e-mails, jobs and everything else in life, there is nothing else to concentrate on other than EACHOTHER. I love it.

4. Dinner and Dessert by the Fire

Ivan and I have gotten pretty good over the years at making enjoyable meals outdoors. The night after we got engaged, we went camping with friends and I remember we made a picnic FULL of delicious food, and our friends bought s'mores and steaks and seriously, we had a feast of kings. I went camping a lot when I was younger and my parents did a really good job of having a nice variety of actual dinners- they brought a dual burner stove and we had pancakes in the morning, dutch oven stews and real desserts at night! Even when we went for a day hike, my parents would bring out Costco sized bags of nuts, fruit and candies for a "Make your Own Trailmix" activity- be careful, that it's not just M&Ms only, haha! Camping doesn't mean you have to eat only what you catch, or eat out of a can, meal planning takes time, but makes it so worth it. This is something I've been able to introduce to Ivan, who formerly did not like camping as much as I did, but now, he prefers it to hotels! 

5. Waking up with nothing to do!

Nothing says VACATION like the sweet feeling of FREEDOM in the morning- it's just you, your camping buddy and the world!

And lastly, I love camping because I have arguably the best camping buddy IN the world!

xo, Melissa

Our Kayaking Adventure

I was in 50 degree water, my feet frozen in flippers, balancing on rocks and sea urchins, watching the Sea Lions sunbathe on the cliff in Sunny Jim cave in La Jolla, San Diego. Paradise.  I saw pictures online before I visited and it looked like paradise, and it almost was- except I was shivering, short of breath, looking out of a foggy snorkel mask, and a giant wave was headed straight for me-

It was a beautiful moment I had been looking forward to for weeks now, and now all I wanted was for it to be over in 5 seconds.

This is beautiful but can we get out now?
I asked our guide Nick.
He swam out through a different opening in the cave.
Just keep calm and follow me.


Nick seems like the most stereotypical name for a San Diego kayaking guide in his 20s with pierced ears. Just like the 17 year old Nick I had a huge crush on when I was only 14 year old Melissa. I trusted him. Ivan loved snorkeling! We were in the water for about an hour but I was so cold so I was ready for it to end. The coolest part was that we swam alongside a SEALION! Like, a huge one too!
Ivan and Nick saw the whole thing "Ah man, this is so cool!" But I just followed Dory's advice and kicked my little flippers and wanted it to be over.

This is the story of my life- I plan, get excited and wait- and when it's finally "what I've waited for" and I'm like- "OK, on to the next thing!"

Last night (6 WEEKS AFTER this Kayaking trip occurred, wow, procrastination) Ivan and I had a "conversation" and yes, I pat myself on the back for telling the truth- it was in fact, not an argument, well- and argument turned into a conversation, sitting on our bed like mature adults-
Anyways, I have a husband who is smart and sensitive enough to tell me what I am doing wrong in my life in the most polite and caring manner, and he talked about me actually finding JOY IN THE JOURNEY rather than getting stuck in the mundane things of life.
I actually accepted this criticism with 0% pain. It is 100% true! And this kayaking adventure- which was literally the name of the tour we signed up for- is the perfect example of my POV-

Can I just find joy in the journey already?

Blogging is one of the ways I can find joy in "the mundane things of life!"
But I also need to find joy in the PARADISE things of life- Like just taking a few more moments to float in the cave, be brave and Soak it all in!

So here is my public goal to live peacefully and joyfully in my journey! As the summer continues, I hope I can live each day peacefully and find something to put a smile on my face! We all deserve that don't we?

Here's to hoping more blogging and joy continues!
Love, M

sometimes it lasts in love, and sometimes

it hertz.

My instagram

I just returned my rental car this afternoon- the same KIA I have had for 30 days, the maximum allotted time you can rent a car.  And boy, what a sad day!

After a few years of subway riding, I fell back in love with driving my own car.

Gosh, I'm such a cutie!

Of course the sunshine, shiny exterior and satellite radio are a HUGE WIN when it comes to driving versus riding.  But just to be sure, I have compiled a list of Driving/Riding Pros and Cons.

Driving a car:

Pros:

YOUR CAR IS YOUR CLOSET

"oh yes, i have one in my car.." or "I left that in my car" ..If you left something on the subway car, it's no longer yours, nor would you want it to be.

FREEDOM/NO SHAME

Only alone in the car on the freeway can you experience the true freedom that comes from shamelessly belting your favorite jams. Never could singing all the wrong notes be so right. 

COMFORT

Leather cushions, seats that recline, power windows, radio, a compartment just for gloves- what could be cozier?

Cons:

GAS PRICES

this recent photo tells it all :(

TRAFFIC

Avoiding rush hour will be your new obsession.  What can be more frustrating?

Riding the Subway

Pros:

MULTI-TASKING

you can look into someone's eyes while you're having a conversation, 

you can do your make-up, read a book, eat your bagel or play candy crush

USE OF YOUR CELL PHONE

ain't no cops gunna stop you around these parts

IT'S SHOWTIME

hundreds of mariachi bands, saxophonists, old lady karaoke-ers, a few brothers and friends doing tricks on the poles and handles and this guy:

ladies and gentleman,

my name is jared

if i could just have a moment of your attention

I'm trying to make a little money, 

stay off the streets and simply, make a better life 

today i am offering you snacks for one dollar

i'm selling fruit roll-ups, chocolate chip cookies

or nature valley granola bars

thank you and God bless 

CONS:

NO ALONE TIME OR PERSONAL SPACE

being pushed, squished and side to side with a homeless guy's shopping cart isn't a very good feeling

TRAIN TRAFFIC/DELAYS/CONSTRUCTION

sometimes you just gotta stay home

It seems pretty equal until we suddenly factor in… PARKING

If you ride the subway, there is never a need to park!  It may be a preference, but I'd say Public Transportation may be the best option if you're going low-stress, low-time and low-cash.

For me, riding the subway is the ultimate MONEY- SAVER.  I only pay $112 per month to ride the subway and this month I paid $530 for my car and $250 for gas. -OUCH!

Still, it was sad to drop off my car today. I will miss my sense of freedom, the ease of my phone calls being blue-toothed to the speaker system, and the space I had to carry around empty coke cans and extra tampons. 

Goodbye little KIA, sometimes it lasts with cars, but sometimes it hurts instead.

Color Run - Ventura, California

It's safe to say I enjoyed my first 5k - Run or Dye style!

I didn't get that colorful, but I am most certainly happy with that result.  We ran in the misty hills of Ojai, California in the 9am circuit.  I didn't bring a watch or my iPhone tracker to identify my time and in accordance with the "fun run" purposes of this 6,500 participant event, there were no stopwatches or trackers.  I really felt however, that it was only about 2  1/2 miles.  It went by too fast and it was way too fun.

My expectations Saturday morning weren't very high.    

I drove with my mom, dad and little sister and we were meeting 4 of our friends for the "race". 

I woke up at 7, it was cold outside, I had to go to the bathroom and I was about to run around outside in the cold and get dirty.  I wasn't looking forward to it.  

I said audibly "I hate running."  Why was I doing this to myself?

I was laughing sarcastically at my attitude.  It's true.  I don't like running.  I "just do it" anyways.  

Like eating green beans or spinach smoothies.  No one really like those things.  

Once I got the the porta-pottys (ok, no judgement), I felt a lot better!  

The staff and volunteers at Run or Dye were energetic and funny and being with my friends and family cheered up my spirits so I started the run off on a great pace.  

 Here's me with my beautiful mommy and also my beautiful sister 

who's still smiling under a face full of colorful cornstarch. 

Because there were lots of rocks, branches and even boulders at times, and we were a large crowd, we had to to walk at certain points.  Other than that, we ran and I was proud of myself, even though, as you know, I hate running.  

So, if you hate running like me, try a Color Run because you can walk and talk, run a little or do it all with very little pressure.  With so many happy people around, it was easy to forget that you were running.  It was a beautiful day in the hills of Ojai and strangers were throwing rainbows at each other.

Who could ask for anything more?

From the Happy Runner.

Palm Springs California

Not a better place to spend icy January winters than

the hot California desert surrounded by Palm trees

and bright happy colors!

Here's the video of our weekend at 

The Saguaro Hotel

Watch on YouTube

Disneyland, Party of 20

One day, in my long book of life experiences, I will recall this insane 4 day trip to Disneyland I had with Ivan, his parents, 4 siblings and all their children.  It was crazy!  My face here in Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror says it all!  Disney is insane, my family is hysterical and my nephews are adorable, and if anyone asks if we'll be having kids for a while, then i may go into detail of this weekend.  Until then, our family picture turned out amazing and it was all so worth it!

Melissa

Mount Shasta

Our trip has begun ladies and gentlemen! 

Day 1's estimated game plan was: Meadow Vista, California to Roseburg, Oregon- 422 miles

We traveled 460 miles.

Left at 8:30am

Stopped for gas/lunch/sight-seeing in Mount Shasta, CA at 12:45

We were on the I-5 for what felt like forever!! 

I had to make one morning bathroom stop, but we had no traffic and the journey was peaceful and scenic.  We have gotten speeding tickets on out-of-state road trips before, so we both pledged to actually drive the speed limit today!  

Mount Shasta is beautiful!  You could start seeing it about an hour before you got there, plus the county limits are quite large, so you're in "Shasta" for a while!  The real stop in in Mount Shasta City.

I was playing on my phone a lot-roadtripss have become much different then the olden days, but started reading up on Shasta, the Mountain, City and Headwaters of the Sacramento River.  

I can up with a lot of uber spiritual blogs about Mt Shasta  being the first chakra of the earth and the Mountain calls people to its presence. There was also hubbub about the waters of the Sacramento River providing vitality and spiritual guidance.  So, we stopped for a visit!

We went through our usual road trip stops: potty break & gas filling (most expensive yet @3.79)

But we had a great time in Mount Shasta!

The visit was one of iPhone photography, sandwich eating by the river, hippie sighting x11

& drinking of the magical water from the loins of the earth...

yum, yum

forget about noticing the strangers bum-crack and me drinking out of a potentially hazardous river.  It was 2 days ago and I am a-o-k! The water was actually delicious: cold and refreshing!

Visit the Headwaters!

Stopping in Mt. Shasta was only about a 15-30 minute detour from your trip so if you are traveling up/down the I-5 in Northern California, I'd recommend a stop!  After my drink of water, I'm basically a genius AND feel all my chakras aligned with the earth's!  

The rest our our Roadtrip is gunna be AWESOME!!!

2,845 miles Roadtrip!!!

Surviving Mormon Couple goes Pacific Northwest!!

Next stop: Umpqua, Oregon

Ice Cream & Other Food Groups

I LOVE food!! I like to say I live on the 3 C's: Carbs, Cheese and Chocolate!

I am happy and lucky to have no food allergies and I can pretty much eat anything you put in front of me, see?

Ivan and I LOVE ice cream, and we went to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor in Sacramento and totally downed "A Pig Troth."

It is 6, 4 oz scoops of ice-cream: 2 chocolate, 1 vanilla, 1 strawberry, 1 mint chocolate chip and 1 chocolate chip cookie dough!

We are winners!!!

 

I also a Baker!

 

So it gives be another excuse to more carbs and chocolate with cream cheese frosting-gotta have full servings of my 3 C's each day!

And being on vacation, includes going out to eat, often:

So we went to Scott's Seafood on the River

And our California favorite:

& Mel's Diner...

plus there was sushi, mexican food, more in n out and everything else I didn't photograph..

Follow my Foodgrams!

Old Town Sacramento

A charming afternoon spent with my family today in Old Town Sacramento!

It has a beautiful, historic feel; a great place for family bonding and exciting shopping!

There is very affordable leather products sold at Tandy Leather Factory Store.

A few native American shops, Cowboy shop and crafting boutiques!

And Two of our favorites: COSTUMES and CANDY!!

EVANGELINE'S Costumes

 http://www.evangelines.com

For a couple who loves costumes, Halloween and all the excitement that comes with it, we could spend HOURS in this store!  The bottom floor is gag gifts, souveniors, wigs, make-up, decorations, and all things colorful and beautiful.  Upstairs is two full levels of Halloween Costumes, all organized into themes.  Here on the right, below is the Circus theme.  They had pretty much every Halloween costume imaginable, including some of my favorites: 60's & 70's, Saloon girls and Super Heros.

Are you kidding me with this many wigs???

Now for our other favorite: CANDY!!!

Check this website out for more about Old Sac: http://oldsacramento.com

Well, here it lists SEVEN candy stores!! 7, seriously!! There's Candy Barrel, Candy Land, Candy Heaven and so much more!!!!

yep, Tabasco flavored Jellybeans...

I've been to Old Town Sacramento maybe 4 times in the last few years since I married my husband, a local of this area.  The area has improved SO MUCH!  The summer is for sure the most exciting time here.  It really feels like going back in time.  I had such a wonderful afternoon!!

thank you, Capital City!

The Tuck Box in Carmel, CA

My mom heard about this Breakfast/Lunch place on Rachael Ray's $40/day show, called The Tuck Box!  My mom did all the research and it was only a fifteen minute drive from Monterey and perfect for our Girls' trip!  The restaurant looked straight out of a fairytale!

It was so darling and everything was straight out of Great Britain, from the tea and scones, to naming the bathroom, "The Water Closet." There was welsh rabbit on the menu and well as other "delights" that I don't find particularly delightful.  They serve breakfast and lunch.

I don't think the food was particularly amazing, so I feel it was thematic with the British restaurant.  However, everything about this place was so cute, you just wanted to live here!

Here is the website, so you can take a look:

http://www.tuckbox.com

There was a limited amount of seating, probably on 40 people could fit inside or it the garden.  Wouldn't this be cute to rent out for a tea party?  

I definitely want to go back to Carmel.  I was in a rush to get to Sacramento before dinner so I could see Ivan after a week apart.  (Not a big deal, right? We're already attached at the hip now)

This was such a cute place, I hope all the girly-girls get a chance to go there sometime!