It's been a while …

I've spent the past two years wanting to update our blog, but couldn't really bring myself to do it despite the many AMAZING adventures we've had (maybe I'll update on those little by little in the upcoming weeks). Why? It just didn't seem right. Something happened in our lives that I didn't feel I could just skip over, but I wasn't ready to share it. I think I've finally come to a place where I can "put it down on paper" and move on, so here goes:

Ben and I found out we were pregnant in May 2013 and were absolutely thrilled! We had prayed about starting a family and were so happy to become parents. It was hard being away from our families, but we were so blessed to be able to share our joy with some of our great friends in Guam. When I was about 6 weeks along, I started getting really sick which of course was not alarming. As the days went on, I became so ill that I was not able to get out of bed and couldn't keep anything (including water) down, so I went to the doctor. I was told that everything was fine and that my body just didn't tolerate pregnancy well. I stayed in bed for about another week, only getting sicker by the day. When I was just under 9 weeks pregnant, I went back to the doctor and within minutes of being seen I knew something was wrong. My doctor performed and ultrasound and asked if she could bring another doctor in for a second opinion and my heart started breaking at that very minute. I called Ben and picked him up from work to go the hospital for another ultrasound, as requested by my doctor, that could be recorded in my medical record. Immediately after the second ultrasound, I got a call from my doctor that changed our world: I was diagnosed with a molar pregnancy, told that it was impossible to have a viable pregnancy, and that I needed to be seen at the hospital the next day for pre-op. Ben and I found a seat in the empty hospital hallway and just cried, feeling completely defeated. 

First thing the next morning, a friend took me to the hospital to meet with an OB/GYN who was able to explain what was happening and what we should expect. Unfortunately, Ben had a hearing scheduled for that day and couldn't come with me. As I met with my doctor, she determined that I was not in a position to leave the hospital in fear of hemorrhaging, so she scheduled immediate surgery. I had to call Ben immediately and as he rushed to the hospital to be with me, I was being prepped for surgery. I had never been so scared in my life. Our parents had no idea what was going on, so Ben had to call them from Guam to tell them that we lost the pregnancy and I was headed in for emergency surgery. Everything was happening so fast.

After surgery, all I remember thinking was that the salmon was delicious (so weird because I hated fish, but I hadn't eaten in a couple of weeks)! I was still scared, but relieved to have everything behind me. I still hadn't acknowledged that I had lost the pregnancy and I wouldn't for months to come. Over the next couple of days in the hospital, doctors monitored me, gave me a blood transfusion (I lost two pints of blood during surgery), and were able to help me walk again. I remember feeling very thankful to be able to walk, as I hadn't been able to even sit up in bed due to the lack of blood in my body. My OB/GYN came in and explained what to expect from there, and my fears began to come back.

Gifts from friends while in the hospital

When diagnosed with a molar pregnancy, rare in itself with a 4% chance, it doesn't just end there. There is a 1% chance that women with a molar pregnancy (a benign tumor in the uterus) can later be diagnosed with choriocarcinoma, a rare form of cancer that stems from a molar pregnancy. I had to be monitored weekly by blood draws to make sure that my body no longer had hCG (the "pregnancy hormone") in my body, as that is how doctor's find a growing tumor in my case. For a couple of weeks after surgery, my hCH was decreasing rapidly, coming from >400,000 to about 32,000 which was a great sign. Ben and I had planned a trip with some friends months before to Japan and Thailand and my doctor encouraged us to go on the trip and not focus on the past few weeks, so long as I did my blood work the day I got home. 

We went on our trip (so amazing - more on that later!) and came back to our routine of work and blood draws/doctor visits. Right after our plane landed, I went to the hospital for blood work. That night around 8pm, I got a call from my doctor which was my first sign that something was wrong again. She confirmed the worst of our suspicions and told me that my hCG numbers had increased over that week, which meant there was a growing tumor somewhere in my body. Once again, my heart sank and I crept into a deep fear of the unknown. Ben was so loving and supportive, but I'm sure he was terrified as well. We spent the next morning meeting with doctors, getting X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds and spent that afternoon scheduling a Med-evac to Hawaii. Within 24 hours, we were off to see a gynecological oncologist specialist at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. We hadn't even unpacked our bags from Thailand yet, so we just took what was in our suitcases from vacation and were on our way. The Navy (specifically Ben's command and the JAG Corps) was absolutely wonderful in supporting us and taking care of us which is something I am eternally grateful for. They really made this journey a lot easier than it could have been. We spent the day we arrived, a Sunday, trying to find accommodations (thanks a million, Mrs. Toni - my "other mom" from my childhood!) and had so many people that both knew us and didn't know us pull together and do everything they can to help. 

On Monday, we faced our fears. We sat down with my oncologist and tried to digest everything he was telling us: I had about 20 tumors in my lungs, I needed several tests run (scans to make sure the cancer hadn't spread to my brain or liver), I was considered high-risk, I would need chemotherapy if I wanted any chance of survival (which came with a port-placement surgery), and I would feel like a lab rat for weeks - months to come. He couldn't even estimate how long my treatment would be, but we knew it was a long journey ahead of us. [At this point, only a handful of people knew what was going on with me. Many of our friends/neighbors simply thought we had disappeared because everything happened so fast and to be honest, I just didn't want to talk about it. it definitely got lonely].

The port in my chest

I received my first bit of chemotherapy in early August 2013, days after my arrival in Hawaii. It was so different than I thought it would be. I spent a few hours in a chemotherapy chair with several faces around me that I would get to know over the next few months, and the last 15 minutes my nurse told me she was going to inject the chemo. Can you believe that?! Hours of drugs to help your body tolerate the one drug that takes 15 minutes to put in your body. It hurt. I recall it being painful and I could feel it rushing through my veins, burning. I would receive chemo treatment every other week, indefinitely, until there were no signs of tumors in my body, so my oncologist suggested that I have a chest port placed in my neck/chest so the drugs would be spread through my jugular vein rather than veins in my arm, which was much less toxic on my body. That surgery was easy, but I never got used to seeing a catheter in my neck or being pricked with needles in my chest. It just eventually became part of life. Ben even learned some of the techniques to help my nurses, like numbing my skin before they poked me with the chest port needle for treatment. He was a great sport :)

One of my many treatments - My Young Women made me this quilt!

I couldn't wait to put my handprints on that wall! 

October 10, 2014 (two and a half months after my choriocarcinoma diagnosis) was one of the happiest days of my life. I was officially cancer-free! However, because my specific kind of cancer was really aggressive, I had to have 6 more weeks of preventative chemotherapy treatments. Up until this point, my body tolerated chemo pretty well. I had extremely hard days, but I also had days where I was up and about. I lost about half of my hair, but knew it would grow back. I had bouts of nausea pretty often, but medication always helped. 

A trip to the Polynesian Culture Center right before we came home.

At times, we were even able to enjoy some of the beauty Hawaii has to offer.

Right before my last chemo treatment, Ben had planned a surprise trip to take me to Maui for a couple of days to celebrate the end of our journey (approved by my oncologist, of course). Unfortunately, though, my next set of blood work showed that my immune system was almost nonexistent, which meant I couldn't receive chemo yet. I had seen the end in sight, and then it was gone. I didn't realize it at the time but I was slipping into a depression, still not having dealt with the loss of my pregnancy, the diagnosis of cancer, or any of the emotions that came along with it. I was living in a hotel room for months with no family or friends (other than Ben, who as dealing with everything in his own way the best he could) around. I was absolutely crushed that my last treatment was postponed. I had to be quarantined to my hotel room with strict instruction on what I could eat and was unable to go out in public. Ben was instructed on how to inject shots into my body, which would help my white blood cells (neutrophils) get back to a normal level. (He will tell you it was nothing, but he really was such a great sport! I couldn't have done it without him.) After several days, the shots worked and I was back on track to receive my last treatment, have my chest port removed, and have it all behind me. It was such a glorious day when I got my last treatment. Our dear friends from Guam came to Hawaii for vacation and we were able to celebrate with them. We were sent home to Guam just days before Thanksgiving and I had never been so happy. 

Thanks, Paij and Brent, for celebrating our big day with us! 

Sidenote: I was never scared for my life, which probably is large in part because I had a high recovery rate.  Right after I was diagnosed, I read a great talk by one of our church leaders that to this day, is one of my favorites. It was everything I needed to move forward, push on, and open myself up to learning what Heavenly Father wanted to teach me. Although this trial was hard for us, we knew that it allowed for growth in ourselves and our marriage … and I am able to look back and be grateful for the many things I learned. It was truly amazing to feel Heavenly Father's love every single day during that trial, reminding me that he loves me and is always with me. 

Almost exactly two years after being diagnosed with the molar pregnancy (to include diagnosis, treatment, and a one year recommended waiting period before trying to get pregnant again), Ben and I are SO eternally grateful for the precious baby that will be joining our family! I'll try and update the rest of the past couple of years in the next few weeks :)

Baby Sandel at 18 weeks

A Long Journey

I came across this quote today and it reminded me of my exact feelings about seven months ago. It took me back to sitting on an airplane remembering the people, places, and things we were leaving behind and looking forward to what was ahead. I didn't know what to think or feel but I can't ever forget how bittersweet it was.

"Whenever we embark on a long journey, there is a sense of death and rebirth. The experiences we go through have a transitional quality. The moment we step outside our house and close the door, we begin to leave our life behind. We say goodbye to family and friends and to the familiar rooms and routines we inhabit. We might feel regret mixed with excitement as we climb into the taxi that will take us to the airport. As our vision of home recedes, we are both sadly parted and joyfully released from all that defines us. The further from home we go, the more focused we become in our next destination. We think less of home and more about where we are going. We begin to look at a new map; we start to think about where we will land, about the new people, new customs, and new environment - the new sets of experiences to come."

Two Months of Travel

It's hard to believe that it is already April, though I feel like I begin every blog post with a similar statement. The past couple of months for us have been busy busy busy, but still filled with fun memories and lots of adventure.

In February, Ben and I both had a chance to visit Japan. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go together but I think we both really enjoyed it nonetheless. Ben only got to go for a couple of days for work but I was lucky enough to spend a week in Yokota, just a couple of hours outside of Tokyo. Every year, high school teams in Asia and Micronesia have the opportunity to participate in the Far East tournament for many different sports. The tournament is held at a different location every year and this year's basketball tournament was in Japan. A friend of mine is the Guam High School basketball coach and needed a chaperone, so she asked me if she could bribe me into taking a free trip with her and 8 high school girls to Japan for a week. If you know me at all, you know she didn't even finish her question before I was saying yes. So two days after Ben got home from Japan, I was leaving for Japan with this great group of girls (I'm right in the middle in an orange shirt... often mistaken for one of the girls).

We spent the first couple of days touring Japan, eating delicious food, finding clothing to keep us from freezing (35 degrees is much colder than our 88 degree weather!) and admiring Mt. Fuji from our hotel. Japan is so beautiful and very clean. I can't wait to go back with Ben sometime.

 

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Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to prove it but I also got the opportunity to "coach" my first basketball game. One of our girls tore her ACL and Emily, the coach, had to go with her to the hospital, leaving me to coach the girls through the first basketball game that I've ever paid attention to. Thankfully, they were great sports and were encouraging me more than I could encourage them. I knew absolutely nothing about basketball until I spent three straight days watching... and coaching.

Upon my return from Japan, I had a full 12 hours to wash my clothes from my Japan trip, fold them, and repack them into my suitcase. The next morning, Ben and I were leaving for Virginia. I had been looking forward to this trip the most, as I was able to spend time with my family and friends back home. Ben had training scheduled in Norfolk for a week and since that's "home" to me, I tagged along. It was definitely nice being able to take that 20 hour trip together. He's so much fun to travel with. I'm sure for Ben, Virginia wasn't much fun since he was in training but we did have a chance to catch up with some great friends. We even got to go to our all time favorite sushi spot and pig out for his birthday. Afterwards, we celebrated with cake and ice cream. Then, we got to celebrate again with my family! 

When Ben had to come back to Guam, I had one more week left in Virginia. It made me realize how "home"sick I was, although it felt weird calling Virginia home because Guam absolutely feels like home. I've missed the sunsets, the Navy ships, and dressing for cold weather (scarves, leggings, and sweaters) which is crazy because I DO NOT like cold weather. I was really excited to dress in layers again! I took a couple of days and went to Washington, DC to visit the temple, my dad, stepmom, and mamaw. It was so wonderful to be at the temple again, especially the same one where I married my best friend and eternal companion just over one year before. It was also ridiculously cold. In fact, I got snowed in up there, which wasn't terrible because it meant a couple of extra days to fight my neverending cold and extra time with my wonderful papa... even if it meant we got to shovel snow together : ) It also meant that I was even more unprepared than I had originally thought. My boating shoes proved no match for the snow and neither did my long sleeved shirt. As a result, I got to play dress up in dad's clothes for the first time since I was a little girl. It was a lot of fun seeing snow again. I thought it would be years before that happened again. Dad was a good sport and played in the snow with me for a little while. Him and Cindy even treated me to breakfast and hot chocolate at Einstein's Bagels, one of many things that I have missed terribly. So many childhood memories came back to me during this trip home. 

When I was able to head back to Hampton Roads, I spent a lot of time with the rest of my family and good friends. Mom and Sing made sure that I was well fed (maybe too fed, but I won't complain) and as always, were great company. I enjoyed every minute that I was able to spend with them and it all went by too quickly. I also learned that I am even more afraid of the ghosts in Mom's house now than I was when I lived there! I was able to spend lots of time with my niece and nephew who are my heart and soul.  I can't believe how much they have grown in the six months I've been in Guam! Uncle Mike (pictured below) came to say hi to me, too. I lived with him for a summer in Egypt when I was 20 and we've become pretty close since then. It was also nice being reunited with all of my brothers at the same time. I really miss those days. We were even lucky enough to capture a picture! It's been such a long time since we were all in one place at the same time because of the Navy. My two best friends, Jessica (and the rest of the Fogel/Nicolas clan) and Jenna made time for me in their busy schedules which was a great blessing. I wouldn't be who I am without those two girls. I'm sad that I didn't  think to get a picture with Jess, Zac, and their babies but I had such a great time visiting with them and watching the kids play. I was also able to attend Jenna's bridal shower and go with her to her final wedding dress fitting while I was home. The timing couldn't have been more perfect! I got to go bowling with her and of course, grab some Y-Not Pizza! I really wish I could post the picture of her and I from her dress fitting because she's gorgeous... but that one will have to wait until June : )

Then, it was time to leave home to go home. It was definitely bittersweet. I had been away from Guam for three weeks and missed the sunshine, warm weather, my husband, and my bed but I also had many nostalgic feelings while I was home. The flight back was long, but I was surprised by Ben at the airport with a rose, and then even more when I got home! Our one year anniversary happened to be the day he was flying back to Guam and I was still in Virginia, so he made sure I knew he didn't forget when I got home. Such a sweetheart! 

After being home for two days, Ben and I then caught a Space-A flight  to Hawaii, where we were meeting up with his sister and parents. We got there a couple of days early, allowing us to stay on Oahu and visit the Laie, Hawaii temple together. That was such a blessing! We then toured some of the Pearl Harbor museums and memorials and camped out at the USO and airport that night to be on our way to Kauai the next morning, where we spent the following week. We spent our first couple of days at PMRF Barking Sands, a military missile base where we were able to find lodging until we met up with the rest of the family. The beach there was by far the nicest beach with lots of sand and even more sunshine. We found a Monk Seal beached there, too, which was pretty neat. That Saturday, Ben and I went on a MWR hike to the Alakai Swamp, the wettest place in the world with an average of 407 inches of rain a year. That was obvious to us, as we had to turn around after 1/3 of our hike because it was so rainy, cold, and miserable. When we got back down to the bottom of the mountain, it was sunny and dry, so our new friends from the hike treated us to some JoJo's Shave Ice. Oh my goodness, delicious. We also found out what Masubi is and bought a mold to make it at home. If you don't love Spam and rice, you will after you eat Masubi! After we met up with the Sandel clan on Sunday, the real vacation began. As always, Ali found some delicious places for us to eat and we played lots of Mexican train. We played a round of golf, ate lots of shave ice, and spend much needed time relaxing at the beach, too. It was so nice to be there and equally as wonderful to be with his family, although, for us, Hawaii (the temperature and the water) was still much colder than we were used to. We got the chance to see a lot of whales, too! Almost every morning, we took a walk and saw them spouting in the distance. We also took a tour where we got to see whales breaching and the beautiful sights of the Na'pali coast. One of the days was spent zip lining with Alison and Adrian, Ben's sister and dad while Ben stayed back and spent the day with his mom. I have to say, that was a great day for both of us. Zip lining was so much fun and Ben saw lots of whales at the lighthouse. We played a round of golf, too, making me remember how much I enjoyed playing. It was a lot of fun for one little trip.

 

Now, we are finally back on our little island in the Pacific and settling back into "normal" life. It's so good to be home and we had a wonder couple of months of travel. Ben is now preparing for a hike up to the Everest Base Camp in a couple of weeks which is another exciting trip. I'll be staying back this time. It's good to be home.

Tropical Harvest

For those of you who think that Mandi and I are castaways living on a deserted tropical island, dining on raw fish and coconuts every day, you are only partially correct (you figure out which part).  You see, there are, in fact, supermarkets on the island.  Lots of them.  We can get pretty much anything here that we could get back in the states.  However, that is not to say that the island doesn't offer its own bounty, of which Mandi and I have partaken freely.  I thought I'd share a little of what we've discovered.

One of my favorites thus far is the soursop.  The ones I've found so far were a little larger than a softball, like the one in this picture that I stole from the interwebs.  My hunting partner, Mike Reyes, pointed it out to me during one of our forays into the jungle.  He said to place it in a paper bag at home for a few days and let it ripen.  I did this, and when I pulled it out of the bag, it was soft to the touch and the skin peeled off easily, revealing a white, slimy flesh.  I think it tastes like juicy Sour Patch Kids, but Mandi's not too fond of it, mostly because of the texture.  Not being sure what to do w/ it, I turned to YouTube, where this Jamaican lady taught me how to make it into a drink using some water, vanilla extract, lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk.  It is AMAZING.  At least I think so.  Like a magical, sour, sweet, milkshake.

Another of my favorites is a cherry that I think, after traveling through  the Land of Google, is a Philippine transplant called, among other things, an aratile.  After a friend pointed the tree out to me, I realized that the entire hill behind our house is covered with them.  They're funny little berries, as they taste like a cross between a cherry, a fig, and a walnut.  This picture to the left is not stolen from the interwebs, but is an actual photo of a bowl full that I picked out back!

We've enjoyed the sweet, firm local bananas.  One experiment which was particularly interesting was making a salad from a banana flower (the flower that blooms below a bunch of bananas, like the picture to the right).  Again, we watched some videos online and learned how to prepare a coleslaw-type salad that Mandi completely loved, but which I thought was kinda just "eh".  The pictures below show some of the process.  I'll admit, though, it was a fun experiment.

And we've tried even more treats; first, of course, are the coconuts.  I absolutely love drinking the coconut water, and they are everywhere.  Some other things we've tried are star fruit, calamansi, tangerines, papaya (pickled and fresh), and sugar cane.  We haven't tried breadfruit, because it's not in season yet.  I'm very excited for mango season, which should be around May or June.  The island is covered in Mango trees.  There are even local mango festivals.  It should be fun!

We haven't limited ourselves to the plant world, but have delved into the animal kingdom as well.  Our freezer and these pictures can attest to the fact that we've been successful!  Last Saturday we went out on the "Lucky Strike" with some friends and Captain John and were lucky enough to catch a cooler full of mahi-mahi. Isn't my wife cute?!




And then on Monday, after more than a month of jungle forays, I finally got an island pig  I may have to modify this post soon because tomorrow I'm going spear fishing for the first time!  Wish me luck!!!

Our Year In Review

I can't believe it's already 2013! Where did December go? Our attempt at blogging once a week hasn't worked out very well, but maybe that can be a New Year's resolution! 2012 brought us so many wonderful memories.

For myself, my year started off with going through the temple for the first time. I had some really great friends drive up to Washington DC with me to keep me company and it was such a wonderful and spiritual experience for me. I can't believe this was less than a year ago! It seems like it's been forever!

Ben came home from Afghanistan just weeks later and we were sealed for time and all eternity. I think we can both agree that so far, it was the happiest day of our lives. I can't believe it's already been 10 months! Where does the time go? We spent some down time that weekend with our families and close friends and really enjoyed being around those that we love. Then, we flew away and honeymooned in Aruba for 10 short days! We got a little taste of what a tropical paradise was like there, which doesn't even come close to the tropical paradise we are living in on Guam.

Ben had to go back to Afghanistan after we came home from Aruba, which was really hard for us both.  Being newly wed and then spending 5 months apart wasn't ideal, but in the long run we look back on it and count it as an experience that made us stronger. I am, however, so glad that chapter in our book is closed! Ben came home in August with an Army Commendation Medal, making me one very proud Navy wife. We both looked forward to that day for what seemed like centuries. What a great reunion it was!

In May, I graduated from Old Dominion University, which was a huge accomplishment for me. It took me about seven years to finish, so getting to the light at the end of the tunnel was wonderful! And then I started graduate school... overseas. Nonetheless, a big milestone for me and one that I am very proud of.

While Ben was gone, I was able to take a road trip with my dad, stepmom, and little brother to Chicago. It was great visiting with family before our big move and I especially enjoyed spending one on one with the baby of the family touring downtown Chicago together. I also got the chance to take a road trip with my mom to North Carolina and spend some time with her side of the family, collecting a little bit of family history along the way. All such great memories filled with many laughs.

When Ben came home, we had less than a month before we had to leave for Guam. We decided to spend our time traveling around the country visiting family and friends one last time before our three-year tour overseas. We started by going to Sacramento, CA where we had our wedding reception for our friends and family on the west coast. I was lucky enough to have both my mom and dad there as well. Unfortunately, it was a short stay for my dad but mom was able to stick around for a little while which was a real treat for me. My wonderful husband was gracious enough to play tour guide for us. We spent a day in San Francisco eating clam chowder bowls and checking out the sea lions, went to Old Sac and enjoyed the beauty of the city, and even made it to a RiverCats game!

From California, we flew into New Orleans and spent the night there. Ben showed me around the city and introduced me to Jazz at Preservation Hall, parades, oysters at Acme, and beignets at Cafe du Monde. I'm hooked! Can't wait to go back.

We then took a little road trip where we were able to visit with Ben's family in Mississippi. We both absolutely love it there and the company is just as wonderful. It was so nice to meet the extended Sandel family and listen to stories from past times. Of course, Mississippi also has a big spot in our hearts because it was where we got engaged in 2011. 

Unfortunately, a hurricane hit New Orleans the day our flight was supposed to leave for Virginia so we had to leave Mississippi a day early and make a detour in our trip. Although sad and frustrating, it was fun to just go with the wind and stop at random places to eat and sleep. We ended up going to Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas before we got on a plane back to Norfolk. During the few days we had left in Norfolk, my mom threw us a going away party where family from all over came to wish us farewell. We had adobo and beans, cornbread, and potato soup - our favorite! Thanks mom for the delicious dinner! It still has us drooling! 

We then went to New York and spent time with the Gottlieb side of the family. It was the first time I had been able to meet anyone up there, so it was a real joy. On our way from New York to New Jersey to visit Aunt Bernice, we got lost in Manhattan and ended up on some super traditional Chinese food. Ben loved it. Me, not so much. The experience was fun, anyway. From New Jersey, we headed down to Washington DC to go to the temple one last time before heading to Guam and spend the night with my dad and Cindy. Being an amazing husband, Ben took me to a Cubs game at Nationals Park with my parents. If there was any way to spend a last day in the States, it would be at a Cubs game with my dad, Ben, and Cindy. He won lots of brownie points for that one. Minus the fact that he was rooting for the Nationals.

We went back to Norfolk and started on our 23 hour trip to Guam. We flew back to DC and from there sat on a plane to Japan for 14 hours. Thankfully, we love traveling together. We played many games of UNO, watched a few movies, and ate lots of Ramen on our 14 hour flight to Tokyo. A three hour flight to our new home followed.  Getting off of the airplane and seeing this "Hafa Adai" sign as we went to get our luggage was so refreshing. We had moved to a tiny island on the other side of the world and we were really excited.

In early September, after being married for about 8 months, we finally had a place to call home and more time together. It took a couple of months to get settled in and in the swing of things but soon after Ben started getting comfortable at work, I got a job at the DoDEA school on base, became SCUBA certified, and we've made many wonderful friends. Ben started bow-hunting pigs and deer about a month ago and is loving every minute of it. We're still waiting for that one big pig to make it home to our freezer. We spend most of our weekends and holidays in the water or out on hikes looking for beautiful views. 

 

This is how we rang in our New Year. 

Happy New Year to our friends and family! May 2013 bring many blessings to you!