On December 21st we celebrated three years of marital bliss by basically reliving our wedding day all over again...this time at Benson's little sister's wedding. The two days really were quite similar and it was fun to think back a whole three years ago when we decided to tie the knot. I even debated showing up in my wedding dress but thought better of it...I'm not really one to try and steal the show, I just think about it. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple (just like us) on one of the snowiest days of the year (also like us) and the similarities don't end there. It really was a beautiful day and I am so glad we got to be a part of it. Congratulations Brock and Liz!
Too handsome for his own good.
This is a series of pictures taken by Natalie after I accidentally cuddled up to Ammon thinking he was Benson while we waited outside of the temple. SO EMBARASSING. You can imagine all the jokes I heard from the brothers the rest of the vacation...and probably for life.
I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Henson
This is us, ready to leave the reception and
head out on our own anniversary weekend.
One of the best parts of their wedding being on the 21st was that we got to celebrate Christmas with our families. Although my family was missing a few key members, we were lucky to get to spend some good quality time with lots of our siblings and of course our parents too.
Brätt Family Christmas
Singing Christmas carols as a family
Happiest Christmas pug on the block
Acting out the Nativity - Kash begged to be
baby Jesus in the white laundry basket
A wise man and his gold gift for the Christ child
Writing notes to Santa before bed
My lovely stocking this year.
How did I get so lucky?
Games with naughty words...bet you can't
guess what's under that duct tape!
Schmutz Family Christmas
1992 - When it was cool for a little sister to have
the same haircut as her brother.
games with Grandma Gayle
talking to Elder Schmutz - the bowl
magnifies the sound...life-hack!
tiny jumpers!
We stayed in Utah for two whole weeks which allowed us enough time to see lots of family and friends, enjoy favorite restaurants, and even get a weekend away in Eden, Utah where we spent our honeymoon. It's always fun to go back where we started and enjoy the fresh air and familiar faces. I do have to admit that although it was hard to leave, it was nice to come back to our own bed and we really did start to miss the city (give or take a few things).
<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3
Now this is where I declare my undying love for Benson, so you can stop reading if you have a weak stomach or a cold cold heart. These past three years really have been amazing and looking back only makes me more excited for what we have waiting in the years to come. We have seen some of the happiest times I have ever known and the trials we have come up against seem so much easier to face with a best friend at your side. I was lucky enough to marry a man that is kind, patient, understanding, unassuming, dedicated and hard working...and lets face it, he is super hott. I kid you not that at work all the ladies call him "the handsome one". He really is the whole enchilada. I know, you look at me an think, "How did she get so lucky??" and all I can say is, someone upstairs must really be looking out for me.
Seriously, Bens, love you most.
Although we both agree that this is our "song" there really isn't one anthem that defines us. It does, however, perfectly explain that I honestly wouldn't be satisfied than anything other than forever, not a day less will do.
Culebra was the icing on our Puerto Rican cake. Only a short boat ride away from the main island, Culebra boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sands were white and soft, the water was clear and blue...I really couldn't get over how remarkable it was. While we were there I had my first snorkeling experience and after 20 minutes of inhaled salt water and awkward flopping in flippers, I decided to throw in my goggles so I didn't hold Benson back. He had an incredible day of exploring a few different parts of the island. He saw tons of different tropical fish (I did get to see some of those, which was scary/very cool) and he swam with sea turtles for the better part of the afternoon. I decided to lounge on the beach and drink some fresh and fruity cold drinks. I think it is safe to say that this was the highlight of our trip. We had to forego a few other things we had wanted to do in order to make it work, but I believe it was well worth it...aaand, there is always next time.
I still dream about Culebra. It's really my kind of heaven on earth.We honestly fell in love with Puerto Rico and we still talk about picking up and moving there. I really cannot wait to go back one day and fall in love all over again. Sigh.
After a few lazy beach days we decided to make our way over to Old San Juan and do some sight-seeing. It was so beautiful, and by far the most touristy thing that we did our entire trip. If you know me well you know that I love old buildings and bright colors and Old San Juan is full of both. The streets are still paved in a beautiful blue cobblestone and you can see many original buildings. We researched lots of fun things to do before we left NY and it seemed like we could have spent days in the old city. I looked online for any cool stores that were specific to Puerto Rico that we might want to see, and one of the places that I couldn't wait to see in person was a bag store called Concalma which translates to "with ease". The brand was started by Matilsha Marxuach, a fashion savvy and environmentally conscious designer who creates versatile and functional bags, manufactured in a women's co-op in Utuado, Puerto Rico. Just walking into the store gave a calm and cool vibe. The doors were left open to feel the breeze, colorful bags lined the walls and traditional music played on a record player in the back of the store. We got a nice welcome from Matilsha herself and she spent a good while with us talking about her designs and fabrics. She was super down to earth and sweet, it was really the type of personal experience that I adore.
Concalma
Other than Concalma bags we also visited a few art shops and bought different items crafted by Puerto Rican artists. Although I was tempted, I refrained from getting a Puerto Rican nativity scene, mostly because the baby Jesus' swaddling wrap was usually a Puerto Rican flag...but, to their defense, we really don't know what he might have been clothed in, given the circumstances. After the shopping we headed out the the farthest part of the island where we saw the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro that overlooks the ocean and a beautiful cemetery. There are so many cool and historical things I could tell you about the fort and it's surrounding area, but I won't bore you with too much of that...
The fort's lighthouse
overlooking the ocean with my Concalma bag
rooms upon rooms...
up on the right side is a bomb fragment
that has been stuck in the fort since the
U.S. bombardment in 1898.
Overlooking the Mary Magdalena de Pazzi cemetary.
so handsome in every country
After a few hours in the hot sun we were ready to head back to our neighborhood and hit the beach. There is still so much we could have seen...guess it will just have to wait until next time.
This song is by the Puerto Rican boy band "Menudo". They
started in the 1970's and only recently disbanded in 2009.
Their producer planned for the band to continue on by kicking
out band members as they got older (reached 16 years, voice
lowered, grew facial hair)and replacing them with younger artists.
Ricky Martin got his start with the band, which tells you a lot.
The song is totally cheesy...reminiscent of our time in Old San Juan.
Did you know there is a place where the temperatures rarely get above 90° F and the coldest to have been recorded is 61° F? It's tropical, you are always close to the beach, the food is delicious...I just can't stop. It's called Puerto Rico and words cannot explain the five day love affair we had with this country. Sorry New York, you are not my soul city anymore...warm up and relax a bit and I might change my mind. Maybe. We stayed in San Juan in a studio apartment that had everything we needed to make our trip perfect.Our days were spent biking, exploring, drinking fresh fruit batidas and lounging on the beach. Now, nearly 3 months (and too many below freezing days) later, I find myself understanding all too well why Bernardo wanted to go back to San Juan. I'm currently looking for a boat I could get on...It really was our paradise.
A nearby beach we biked to after breakfast.
PR Graffiti alley
A Jetty. This man explained to us in Spanish what causes
a whirlpool...I think.
Eating at Pinkie's - SUPER YUMMY!
This is how happy I am to drink Batidas. See?? So Happy.
Kasalta - I think this place may have been my personal fave
Lounge All DAY!
We enjoyed watching the sunset together
every night.
Every time the tide would start creeping in Benson would wish with all his heart that someone would get caught unaware and he would see them (and their stuff) get washed up. So mean. Anyway, karma happened and we were woken up from the best beach nap ever by a rush of salty water. We had to jump up and scramble to get our stuff as it washed out to sea. Thanks people who sat back and watched it happen, and a special thanks to Benson for cursing us from the start.
If you think that is it, you couldn't be more wrong. Stay tuned for pictures and stories from Culebra (the most beautiful place I have ever been) and Old San Juan. Sigh.
Kent would tell me that Coldplay is too mainstream...
luckily he is on a mission and can't opinion-ate.
I'm siding on the Sharks for this one. Viva Puerto Rico!
