San Diego, A Photo Novel

In January, Brandon and I set sail for San Diego to meet up with our dad to experience the convention he puts on, and also enjoy a mini winter vacation. We were only there for a long weekend, but we sure did a lot and made the most of our time in the warm weather.

Upon arriving Wednesday evening, we walked along the marina and enjoyed the balmy temperatures. We finally found my dad after about 30 minutes of walking and met some of the people he has taken on a summer conference. He's been doing it for 24 years now and it was neat to see how many lives he's impacted.

Thursday was a day packed full of fun. Brandon and I got up early to have breakfast and then hit up the San Diego Zoo. Guys, make it a priority in your life to go to the San Diego Zoo. It.is.awesome. The entire zoo is so clean and well-kept and the exhibits are out of this world. Obviously, we enjoyed seeing the pandas, arguably the main exhibit the Zoo is known for, but I'd have to say the flamingos were our favorite exhibit. They were hilarious.

Since the zoo is so huge (and full of hills ugh), they have these awesome sky trams to take you from the top to the bottom of the zoo. It was quite convenient and especially nice since there was no lines. Oh also, if you're gonna go to the zoo, go during the off-season for sure!

Balboa Park and the skyline in the background

After a few hours at the zoo, we went to the trade show, one of the main events of the convention. 

Brandon does not always enjoy my antics

Let me tell, I sure as heck felt like a fish out of water. #suburbsforlife But it was still cool to try some nasty molasses, look at tractors, learn about cattle tags and feed, and get some SWAG (stuff we all get). Oh and there was a magician who left me utterly confused and frustrated. As someone who loves logic, magic is just leaves me boggled. 

After the trade show, we hustled back to the hotel to get ready for a evening party on the USS Midway. Any history buff will love the Midway and its museum. It's truly incredible and the party was fan-freaking-tastic. There was free simulator rides, the best catered food I've ever tasted, and a USO band that had everyone swing dancing. I hung out with my cousins that I don't get to see nearly enough, which was such a treat. 

Classic Marv

We were exhausted by the end of the day to say the least. 

Friday, we went over to Coronado to enjoy the beach! Ugh, I love the beach so much. I am truly jealous of those who live so close to the ocean, it is my favorite sanctuary. Coronado is a gorgeous beach and it was super misty and salty and just peaceful. We met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, and oh man they were a hoot! They were searching for sand dollars and basically just ended up swimming in their clothes. Too good. 

Low quality selfie, high quality brother. Low quality caption, high quality Hannah

One day, I will stay at the Hotel del Coronado. It is lovely

Really my shirt says it all

Gotta love Aunt Susan 

as they would say "the back of yo head is ridiculous!"

 Before we left, I decided to get my feet wet once more. I looked down and wouldn't you know there was a sand dollar! Lucky day! Brandon found one a few minutes later. It was serendipitous, no doubt.

After beaching it, we went got some dinner and went to a Martina McBride concert. So much of my childhood was made up of Martina McBride songs so it was cool to see her in concert, and of course, even more fun to hang out with my cousins. Afterwards, there was of course, another party. I met Ron Burgundy.

The sunset was unbelievable at the marina

Saturday was cloudy and overcast, but pretty much awesome because we got to go whale watching. My dad was done with his convention duties, so he got to hang out with my brother and I for the whole day. We went to Little Italy, had some amazing Italian, and then went and saw some grey whales. 

LOOK AT THAT TINY WHALE TAIL IN THE DISTANCE!!! 

I really had the best time ever with my brother, who is such a cool kid that I love so darn much. The two of us really had a grand time together, along with my dad. San Diego is slowly becoming a favorite place of mine. I'll always be a Colorado girl, but oh man, sometimes the ocean really is calling.

xo

Hannah

The Last Two Weeks

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind. By the grace of God, we had a snow day today and it completely allowed me to just breathe and catch up.

Two Fridays ago, I met my mom and brother at the airport to go fly to Texas to spend the weekend with my family, as we mourned the loss of my cousin and celebrated his incredible life. It was bittersweet. I really do love getting to spend time with my family, the circumstances just weren't ideal. Nonetheless, Texas is a pretty neat state and I would probably adapt super quick if I had to live there since Sonic is on the corner of every main intersection, and barbecue is a staple food. There was such comfort in being with my cousins, swimming in the hotel pool, exploring Target, eating lots of junk, and playing Heads Up late at night in the hotel lobby.

Texas waffles // Dallas at night

A chilly sunset walk

Not a fan of this picture, but I love the girls in it--Liv and Emma

My family was not able to stay until the memorial service, which we were all very sad about, but we were there for the family viewing. There's not many ways to prepare for seeing the body of a loved one, but it really does just go to show that your body is simply a vessel. Your spirit and life rests in your soul. 

Gizmo's from Double Dip in honor of Ben

It was so hard for us to say goodbye, and I'm still reeling through the shock and sadness, but have been overwhelmed by love and prayers, bringing some peace.

I arrived back in Boulder late Monday afternoon, and in just 48 hours, I was off to the airport again to head off to San Diego with my brother and dad. 

My dad is truly awesome and is in charge of a huge convention put on by his company. Over 6,000 cattlemen and women set sail to San Diego for a huge trade show and country festivities. It was so cool to see my dad in action and I have a whole new appreciation for all the work he does. 

But San Diego will get it's own post because it was a crazy busy time with lots of picture. 

So I'll end this short choppy post with today. After I woke up at 8 to check and see if campus was closed and promptly fell back asleep until 9:30. Mackenzie and I brunched on french toast and coffee while watching Grease Live, then we both did some school work while watching The Office while snacking all day long. We had soup, whipped cream, snickerdoodles, a cheese plate, and some Oreo Mint Thins (10/10 would recommend). We also got less than 5,000 steps, lol winning. Now, we're watching The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills, catching up on society's classiest ladies. I'm not looking forward to trudging to classes in the snow tomorrow, but alas, it is my job.

Here's to the next two weeks and whatever they may bring! 

xo

Hannah

High Five for Friday!

This week has been nothing but happy. There was nothing in particular that made it so darn joyful, it just was. I had two midterms Monday and a lab quiz on Thursday which aren't always fun, but the weather has been something wonderful and warm and the sunshine has brought me so much happy! The forecast for the weekend is great (75 on Sunday!!!) and spring break is a week away. I woke up to the smell of rain and had a major dance party while getting ready. Spring is in the air! "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People always gets my day started right, along with a big cup of coffee. Classes went quickly, and Christine and I got Starbucks to kick off the weekend. I deep cleaned my room and am catching up on Grey's, and plan on hanging out with Em, Mack, and Mel tonight. I am on a roller coaster that only goes up!

I didn't do a great job of documenting the week, but my dad went to San Diego this week for business and made sure to send my family a million pictures that only made us very jealous. I don't think I could ever live in California, but the warm weather and beaches sure do make it tempting. Even though the weather here has been pretty amazing, I think my whole family was wishing to be in San Diego mostly just to escape reality. We had a wonderful trip there this summer and loved every second of it. So here's a glimpse into my dad's life this week.

1. View of the city from Coronado Island

 2. The Marina

 3. Coronado Beach- oh what I would give to be there now!

4. He went on a behind-the-scenes tour of the San Diego Zoo. What a rough life!

5. A beautiful, beautiful sunset

I suppose I am fine here nestled up to the beautiful Flatirons, I really don't have much to complain about;) But I am very much looking forward to the beach and warmth and humidity... only 103 days until Hawaii! not that I'm counting of course;)

Happy weekend, loves!

xo
Hannah

San Diego

My family and I really enjoyed our trip to San Diego at the beginning of the month. The weather was warm and sunny, the food was plenty and delicious, and the sights we saw were stunning. For the first two nights, we stayed in the Gaslamp Quarters at a Residence Inn. It was so nice and quiet and hundreds of restaurants and shops were within just five minutes. For the first two days, my sister took part in a national dance competition. My dad and I would pop in a few times to go watch her dance and then explored the city.

We like to think we are hilarious

The Bay

The two large buildings in the back are the Grand Hyatt

We went to this super quirky store at Seaport Village called American Nostalgia. I was super close to buying this shirt! I love The Office!

The outdoor mall had supersize checker and chess sets so we played a little 

Loved the architecture

The most perfect Hannah store around

 On the 4th, we moved over to the Manchester Grand Hyatt right on the bay. My dad does a lot of business with the Hyatt so they set us up with a great room with a phenomenal view. He also tied our trip into a sight visit for a future conference his company will put on, so the visitors bureau set us up with lots of passes to experience the city. Our favorite was a trolley tour that took us all around the city, as well as to Coronado Island. We learned so much about San Diego and saw more than we imagined we ever would!

Happy 4th of July!

The view from the pool deck

The Big Bay Boom did not disappoint 

The USS Midway. The tour was very interesting-- I could not be in the Navy!

Going across the San Diego-Coronado Bridge

Such a beautiful hotel!

Sisters

Dancer on the beach

Who doesn't love the ocean? 

That very distant piece of land is the tip of Mexico!

Lily pond at Balboa Park

I would love to further explore Balboa Park

The bureau also so generously gave us tickets to SeaWorld! I was semi-conflicted about this after watching the documentary Blackfish. I am a massive whale lover. Whales are my most favorite animal in the world. I have swam with belugas (my favorite toothed whales) and seen wild humpback whales (my favorite baleen whales). I adopted a whale when I was about 11 or 12 (her name was Leilani) and wanted to be a marine biologist for quite some time. Needless to say, I do not at all condone the treatment of whales in captivity, however, this excursion was one my family wanted to do and I wouldn't want to miss it with them.

Fun fact: orcas/ killer whales are actually NOT whales

You could say the heat was getting to us

Such magnificent creatures

And we ate. Gelato is AMAZING in San Diego. There's several shops that boast quality gelato for sure. I ate a lot of tacos too. So good. Oh and of course, we had to lose out In-N-Out virginity. IT WAS SO GOOD.

Peach and lemon gelato from Chocolat - THE BEST

Family gelato selfie

Oh hey, wouldn't you know, I made a video too



We were busy and tired by the end, but really enjoyed California. It sure is an amazing state!

xo
Hannah