Weekend Re-cap ~

Happy Aloha Monday!

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Mine flew by and was jam-packed. Saturday, I attended the Joint Spouse Conference at MCBH (Marine Corps Base Hawaii.) 

The JSC was an opportunity for 300 military spouses to get together and participate in different workshops. The four that I chose were Elegant Appetizers (a cooking demo), Wine & Food Pairing, Stand-up Paddleboarding, and Mai Tais & Monet (a painting class.) They also provided breakfast, lunch, and a cocktail hour. It was a blast :)

Sunday, I got to attend the Wings over the Pacific Air Show at Hickam AF Base. It was amazing to finally get to see the Blue Angels fly.

This weekend really had me thinking a lot about living in Hawaii as a military spouse. I was telling one of my girlfriends last night that living here is unlike anywhere else I have ever lived in so many ways and I don't think it will ever compare to anywhere else that we live in the future.

That might sound like an obvious observation, but what I'm referring to is probably different from what your first thought might be. 

Living in Hawaii as a military spouse, in my opinion, is a completely difference experience than living here as a civilian. I'm sure other spouses who have lived here would agree that there is a very large military presence on the island. If you were to visit Oahu on vacation, you may not notice is as much, but since we arrived five months ago, I have noticed it tremendously. There are some days when I feel like the whole island is just all military.

All branches of the military have a presence here on Oahu. There is the Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe Bay, Schofield Barracks (Army), Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (Navy and Air Force), and even the Coast Guard has a small installation at Barber's Point.

Even though we don't live on base, I feel like I spend a lot of my time on a base, somewhere. Whether it's renting stand-up paddleboards at the Marina on Kaneohe Bay, having dinner with friends at Sam Choy's on Hickam Harbor, or shopping at the commissary on Schofield. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it. In fact, it's a good feeling and a it's safe feeling.

I think living in Hawaii is a very unique opportunity as a military spouse in that I have the opportunity to connect with spouses with all different kinds of military backgrounds. I also feel completely immersed in the culture, more-so than I probably ever will be again; and that, is what I mean about it being a completely different experience.

What has been your experience living in or near a military installation? Have you ever lived in Hawaii?

Our Wedding, Part 1 - Bridal Portraits

Hi friends!

Thank you all for the warm welcome, it's good to be back in the blogosphere. I know a lot of you have continued to follow me on Instagram and even Facebook and that has been awesome. I'm so glad that I have had the opportunity to meet such amazing ladies through blogging.

Since it's been a while, I decided to share some details about our wedding, starting with my bridal portraits. 

I know that bridal portraits are typically a southern tradition and although I am not originally from the South, I was determined to do it right and have them done. 

We had the same photographer do everything from my bridal portraits to engagement photos (which I've already shared) to our wedding and reception. I couldn't be happier with all of their hard work and how everything turned out.

Now that the big day has passed, I can finally share my photos with the world. 

Here are some of my faves!

And..last, but not least, the photo that was on display at our reception.

All photos are by Aaron & Jillian Photography (formerly Aaron Nicholas Photography.)

Location: Old Wide Awake Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina

Dress: Austin by Watters

Jewelry: Nicole Miller via Rent the Runway

Veil: Mini Tulle Birdcage Veil by Tessa Kim

Shoes: Something Bleu via BHLDN

Thank y'all for stopping by!

A New Start.

From the blog previously known as 

Honor, Courage, Commitment...

Hey y'all!

So I've been thinking for a long time about how I need to get my blog back up and running, but I've been struggling because I didn't know where to start. This year has been so crazy and busy and there is just so much to catch up on. I finally decided tonight though, that I just need to bite the bullet and dive right in.

One of the first things that you may notice, is my new blog layout and name. Thank you to 17th Avenue Designs for the super cute design! As for the name, I decided to change it because Shaun and I finally moved to the beautiful State of Hawaii and it only seemed appropriate for this new chapter in our lives. All I need now is to add my new 'about me' image, which will be coming soon!

Here is a quick little timeline to get you all caught up to speed --

April 13, 2014 - We tied the knot in Charleston, SC with all of our closest family and friends! It was a day that I will never forget.

April 24, 2014 - Shaun and I hopped on a plane and flew to Hawaii to start this new chapter.

May 2-11, 2014 - We honeymooned on the North Shore of Oahu and in Maui.

June 18, 2014 - We closed on our first home.

September 16, 2014 - Shaun got promoted to Chief Petty Officer.

Present - Getting settled and living it up in our new home.

There ya go. See, I wasn't kidding when I said it's been a crazy year! It may already be September, but we still have many more things to look forward to this year and I promise to keep my blog up to speed.

Hope everyone has been doing well! I need to spend some time catching up on everyone elses' lives now!