{stateside} anniversary-moon VI: the big island

to celebrate our sixth anniversary, A and i went to the big island of hawaii!  we met up with some of our very good friends and spent nine days exploring our own little piece of paradise.  and i mean it.  it was heaven.  we had the perfect balance between relaxing beach days and exciting rainforest/ocean/volcano adventures.  time moved more slowly there, the sun was always shining {unless the stars were out}, and the drinks all had flowers in them...

{stateside} hawaii: days one & two - aloha!

we arrived on the big island late in the evening on saturday after a particularly long and stressful day of travel.  our home for that first night was the waikoloa beach marriott.  we dropped our bags in the room, changed into our flip flops, and headed to the nearest fruity cocktail. which was amazing. we walked down to the beach, put our toes in the sand, and then promptly passed out.

after breakfast sunday morning we headed back down to the beach and discovered that it was aloha day {aka: do all of the awesome water sports activities for one low price!}.  we kayaked.  we hydro-biked.  we glass-bottom-boated {and saw our first sea turtles!}.  we kayaked some more.  the water was impossibly blue and completely clear.  we ate our shave ice in the sunshine and wondered how we could possibly be this lucky.

eventually we wore ourselves out and decided to check in to the condo where we'd be staying for the rest of our time on the big island.  it was gorgeous {thank you, friends!}.  we got cleaned up and headed over to the hilton {also gorgeous} to have dinner at a perfect little spot between the ocean and a pool full of dolphins.  DOLPHINS!  there was even a baby, people.  a BABY.  DOLPHIN.  we wandered around the hilton village, had a couple more pineapple-flavored drinks, and then walked back to our little home away from home...

{stateside} hawaii: day three - earth day

monday was earth day, and so we decided to go see some earth being born at hawaii volcanoes national park.  it was on the exact opposite side of the island from where we were staying, so we hopped into our little car and took a nice long scenic drive.  we stopped a couple of times: once to admire a particularly gorgeous view and once for snacks and gas in hilo.  the drive was worth it for sure - we saw the crater of an active volcano, and we hiked down through rain forest into the barren lava crater of a much less active one.  we went up the other side and then through a lava tube.  the whole experience was something straight out of fern gully.

we drove the rest of the way around the island to get back home, stopping at punaluu black sand beach {known for its sunbathing sea turtles} and south point {home of a green sand beach that didn't seem that green to us}.  in kona we stocked up on some groceries for the condo, and then we went home to cook dinner and relax on the patio with our new cat friend {we named him lloyd!}.

{stateside} hawaii: day four - rest and relaxation

on tuesday we all slept in a little bit.  i went for a run along the coast {although i was stopping every five seconds to take pictures} and after breakfast we all went to the pool.  we spent most of the day there, breaking for lunch.  then we took naps inside.  we went back to the pool for cocktails and live music and a beautiful sunset.  the boys grilled steaks and fish for dinner and we pretended not to feed the feral cats...

{stateside} hawaii: day five - classic hawaii

on wednesday we headed to hapuna beach, which was exactly the postcard picture that pops into your head when you think of hawaii: white sands, crystal blue water, tidal pools and surfers.  we napped in the sun, walked along the shore, and played in the waves {we all nearly drowned and/or lost items of clothing at least once. those waves are no joke}.  we did have another sea turtle encounter though! 

that evening we went to a luau, where we drank fruity beverages and ate too much food while our friend J attempted to hula...

{stateside} hawaii: day six - hakuna matata

thursday was zip-lining day {thanks to my dear friend H's bucket list}!  we drove up the kohala coast {and saw a whale along the way!} to the zip-line station and signed our names at the bottom of the paperwork that told us all the ways we could die {hakuna matata!}.  then we proceeded to have the most amazing time ever zipping through the jungle from tree to swaying tree and crossing rope bridges 150 feet up in the air.

we celebrated the miracle of our survival with ice cream and shopping in the nearby town of hawi.  on the drive home we saw more whales off the coast {i promise i'm not trying to brag - this place is just that magical}, and we spent the rest of the evening at the condo with another delicious home-cooked meal...and lloyd, of course.

{stateside} hawaii: day seven - shopping and stars

friday was another lazy day.  we woke up and went straight to the pool.  we napped.  we went to the king's shops for lunch and shopping, then to the queen's marketplace for groceries.  we napped again.  
then we hopped in the car and drove from sea level to 9200 feet in less than two hours {and on the most terrifyingly rollercoaster-y stretch of road any of us had ever seen}.  we made it to the mauna kea visitors center, as high as you can go on the highest volcano in hawaii {without four-wheel drive or a tour guide}.  we ate microwave soup for dinner and watched the sun set from above the clouds.  at dusk they brought out giant telescopes and we all got to look at jupiter and its moons, the orion nebula, and saturn's rings. we drank hot cocoa and watched the moon rise, so huge and red and fiery that we honestly thought it was lava, before studying its surface in the telescope as well.  the four of us spent a good amount of time just staring up at the star-filled night sky and squealing like little kids at shooting stars, making wishes and wondering how we got so lucky.

{stateside} hawaii: day eight - valley of the kings

on saturday morning A and i went out on our own to explore the valley of the kings.  the drive to the waipi'o lookout was scenic, but the views once we got there were jaw-dropping. absolutely stunning. one look and you can tell exactly why the kings of hawaii used to make this sacred land their home.
there's a road that leads from the lookout down into the valley with an average grade of about 25%.  it's only accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles {and by foot, of course, which is how we did it}.  we hiked down and over to the back of the valley where waterfalls were supposed to be. the falls were dry, so we back-tracked a bit and headed through the jungle and past the taro farms to the shoreline.  we ate lunch on the black sand beach and waded in the water where the waipi'o river meets the ocean.  the hike back up was a monster, but well worth it for sure.
that evening we had one last incredible dinner with our friends.  we drank champagne and ate delicious seafood and relived all of the best moments of the last eight days {last few years actually} while listening to the waves crash on the beach.

{stateside} hawaii: day nine - kona and aloha

sunday morning we packed our bags and hopped into our little rental car to go to the airport.  we dropped H & J off for their flight and tried really hard not to cry during farewell hugs {it didn't work}.
A and i still had something like nine hours to spend in the aloha state, so we headed into kona for breakfast and some kona coffee, of course.  the town of kailua-kona is lovely but a bit crowded compared to where we'd been staying in waikoloa.  we walked around a bit after breakfast and then drove back up to spend a relaxing day where it all began.  we hung out by the pool at the marriott, explored a shoreline trail, saw one last sea turtle {!} and wrote in coral in the tidal pools.  we ate a leisurely lunch by the dolphin pool at the hilton and snuck in a nap under a waterfall there.  we got a little sunburned, but that's to be expected.
the whole day was lovely but so bittersweet.  hawaii makes it really hard to say goodbye.  i guess that's why they have a word like aloha.

{history maker} the boston marathon

i am a runner.

i may have not qualified this year. 

i may have qualified and not run. 

i may have been injured and unable to go. 

i may have never qualified.

but, I AM A RUNNER. 

and, my heart is in boston today.

{this awesome tee available here}

{memory lane} happy six years to us!

today we're celebrating six years of marriage {well, in actuality we're sitting around with headaches from last night's adventures in birthdayland, but it is our anniversary in any event}... 
it's been quite an exciting year for us -- we've traveled to lots of incredible places {iceland, washington, dallas, LA, orlando, new orleans}, been visited by friends and family, attended one wedding, two concerts, and three football games, bought our first house, run three races, and celebrated one big birthday...and those are just the highlights!  in between, we snuggled our cats, made new friends, and explored our new hometown.  we spent as much time as possible in the mountains and in pitkin.  we ate lots of good food and had living room dance parties and watched probably a little too much television.  we lost some special people but we held each other until the hurt went away and we laughed through the tears when we needed to.  i say this all the time but i don't know how i got so lucky to be married to my best friend and i don't know what i'd do without him.  happy six years, A!  love you so much!

{party animals} the big 3-0

so far thirty has been kind to me!  a good friend is visiting for the week and i've had lots of fun with lots of wonderful people - i'm truly blessed!  here are some pictures from the birthday bash...

{memory lane} on turning thirty

if you had told me ten years ago about where i'd be at age thirty, i'd probably have looked at you like you were crazy and told you that you had the wrong girl.

it'd go something like this:

hey, 20-year-old olivia!  guess what?  when you're thirty you'll be living in small-town colorado {i know you think you're a city girl} in your very first house with your amazing husband {you'll meet him in a few months, don't worry} and two cats.  you'll be a freelance graphic designer {yes i realize you're afraid of computers and you think you're going to be a famous fashion designer} and you'll have traveled all over the world with no intent on stopping any time soon {even though you're a broke waitress right now}.  you'll wake up at 5am three days a week {ha!} to go to bootcamp {double ha!} with some wonderful people who will challenge you and inspire you.  you'll hike and do yoga and run for fun {and no, not in your high heels}.  you'll even run two half marathons {that's 13.1 miles - even though you've never run more than 3 miles and you hate running}.  and although this might all sound terrifying and so not-you {okay except for the husband-and-cats part}, it most certainly is you.  
you will love your life with every part of you and thank your lucky stars every single day.  you will love the people in your life with all of your heart and soul and know without a doubt that you're exactly where you're supposed to be; that all the struggle and change that have marked your twenties will have been worth it and that this next chapter of your life will be amazing and exciting and wonderful and you will happily greet it with open arms and an open heart.

{pinteresting} the big 3-0

i've got a big birthday coming up {gulp} and the only thing keeping me calm about entering into a new age bracket is the idea of a pretty party...i'm thinking black, white, and gold, with lots of sparkles and lots of bubbles!  here's a little sneak peek of what we're planning:

{thank you, pinterest!}