Tag Archives: true love

Surprise! We (were) in Reno

04 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Wanderlust

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Well I guess it is no longer a “surprise” that Colt and I spent our Christmas in Reno with our family. However, it was one BIG surprise when we showed up.

(Rewind to October)

We booked tickets back in October when I found a great deal online. It was Colt’s families year for Christmas so I just causally asked him one day if he would like to spend it in Reno. He just kind of looked at me with a “really” face and then excitingly said “Yes! Let’s do it!” I seriously couldn’t have been more excited, traveling for Christmas was like a dream come true for me. It just adds to the magic and nostalgia of an already magical holiday! We booked our tickets that night and decided we wouldn’t tell anyone (besides Ashley & Chad since they would be in Reno too). We giggled and laughed just thinking about how “surprised” they were going to be. We knew from my facebook stalking that Kellie (my mother in law) was hosting everyone at her house and that so much of Colt’s family would be there this year, it felt like real Christmas already and we were still a few months away.

(Fast forward, it’s December!)

When December 1st finally hit I was like a little kid in a candy store. I couldn’t believe we were only 20 days away from the surprise, I also couldn’t believe that it was still a surprise and that NOBODY knew that we were coming (just that sentence alone sends me into a fit of giggles, even after the fact) we were just days away from the best surprise EVER and on CHRISTMAS!

December of course flew by with work and holiday celebrations with family and trips to Oahu that before we could even say “Reno” we were on the plane. We flew out of Maui Friday December 21st on a overnight red eye to San Francisco. Our “plan” was to land in Reno at 9am on Saturday morning pick up our rental and spend the day with Colt’s family (word of advice there is no such thing as a “plan” when no one knows you are coming). We arrived in Reno a little over an hour late (we got delayed in San Francisco) just to find out from Colt’s mom’s facebook that she was snow plowing with Steve and Tristyn in Tahoe for the day! We couldn’t believe it! Here we are in RENO at 10am ready to surprise them and they were in TAHOE! (they didn’t end up coming home until after 8pm that night!)

What you will see below is a series of videos. I was so worried I wasn’t going to be able to remember every second of the experience to write about later so I decided to video blog every moment… ENJOY!

The Stake out Part I

http://youtu.be/5CPywZZey-c

The Stake out Part II

<;;;a title=”The Stew’s Take Reno”

The Stake out Part III

http://youtu.be/BTMM84SSAE4

The Stake out Part IIII

This was the last video of “the stake out” once we left the bar Kellie was home and we flew up her driveway like a mad man(woman). I (thought) I was taping the whole time but my phone died so I was only able to capture this…

http://youtu.be/UBguRS_qIQYb

..because both of our phones had died shortly after “the stake out” I unfortunately was not able to get Austin’s reaction either which was priceless (he looked like he saw the ghost of Colt, so sweet). However we were able to get Grandma’s reaction in her FULL shocked glory….

Since we weren’t able to get Kellie, Austin, and Tristyn’s reaction we later did a video interview with them asking what their “thoughts” were on the surprise…

http://youtu.be/DWpK25-Ccig

Since grandpa really had no idea what was going on during the “surprise” (he just heard grandma screaming and thought he won the Publishing Clearing house) we later asked him what he thought about the “surprise” to give him a little face time…

http://youtu.be/qF97U3SBbN4

and last but certainly not least we FINALLY got to pick up Ash and Chad (secret agents) that were “in” on the surprise…they of course got the FULL holiday mobile greeting from the Stews….

<;;a title=”Picking up Ash & Chad (secret agents)

We had so much fun with these video blogs and I couldn’t be more happy that I was able to capture every moment in its entirety! The Stew’s take Reno was a success!

I will post pictures of the rest of our amazing trip soon, until then keep laughing with one another…

Fairytale of a Dreamer

11 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in The 9 month road to marrying the man of my dreams

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A day forever etched in my brain as a real life fairytale, my real life fairytale come true. I still sometimes think about our wedding day and laugh because it so often doesn’t seem real. I have sat down so many times to write about this magically perfect day and instantly get butterflies. I feel like if I let all my feelings out that somehow I might lose some of the magic that I still feel inside, feelings that I never want to leak out of me or disappear…

The morning of my wedding started great because I was snuggled tight in bed with my big sissy and Kailea. I had my other sister Ashley on my pull out couch with my good friend & bridesmaid Deni and you could physically feel the love & excitement in the room before we even opened our eyes. Speaking of my pull out couch, let’s back up. The day prior to us getting married Friday August 24th we had a great day. We planned an amazing beach day with our entire family and friends. It was a perfect Maui day and there was so much fun and laughter. Later that afternoon I had a private manicure and pedicure session with my bestest of girls and it was more laughter and happy tears. So many memories were made in those 5 days it still brings tears of joy to my eyes. As we were getting our mani’s and pedi’s the Grand called to tell me our wedding suite was ready. Now if you know me you know that I LOVE the Grand Wailea, there standard rooms are exciting to me so I could barely believe that we would be staying in a wedding suite and when we got there it got even better. It was so beautiful I thought I would drop dead and it was only the beginning. Two bathrooms, a living room, a pull out couch, a wrap around lanai with 360 degree views of Maui and a master bedroom you would kill for in real life, it was another dream come true and it was ours.

We happily ran through the entire suite, jumped up and down and laughed uncontrollably it was really happening we were here for Colt & I’s wedding! So back to that morning, I woke up early not as early as I would have thought and I actually did sleep which I didn’t think was going to happen. It was around 5:30am and my sister was already bright eyed and bushy tailed she is such a morning person I love it. As I looked around I made a promise in that moment to not let one second of this time slip away. I stayed in bed thinking about the course of the day while my sister happily chatted about our timeline and my other sister Ashley came into bed with us. I couldn’t believe this was it, our wedding day. The course of that morning stands out to me so much the feelings, nervousness, excitement even the temperature of the room I can feel right now as I type. My senses were on overdrive and refused to miss even a second. Over those next 9 hours of us getting ready here are some of the moments that were so special to me:

Anu made breakfast for the all the girls and guys and it was so special, thoughtful and delicious

Joyce and George (my best friend Kristen’s) parents got a huge breakfast spread delivered to our suite which was perfect since at one point there ended up being 16 girls in the suite getting ready, eating and waiting. It was the sweetest surprise and added so much more love to that morning.

Watching each of the girls that are the most important to me get beautiful for our special day. At one point I remember I was pissed thinking they were giving me a run for my money, the breaks of having beautiful friends…they all looked so beautiful.

Spending a special moment with each of them to give them there presents. I got them all a bracelet from Alex and Ani. They were the same bracelet but the charm was different on each girls and representative of who they were as individuals.

My sister Ashley doing my hair and make-up. I never thought that would be such an emotional moment for me but thinking about how selfless it was of her was so touching. It was also such an honor to me because of the relationship she has with Colt. He loves and respects her so much. I can honestly say I know he thought I looked one hundred times more gorgeous because he knew his baby sister got me ready.

Having my sister and mother get me in my wedding dress. This moment was one that is burned into my brain. The emotion on each of their faces and love they projected is enough to make me burst.

Getting my flower girls ready. In that moment so many memories came over me of Khloe and Caylee and how much we have shared in these last 3 years. It was so crazy to see little ladies standing in front of me and create such a special moment with my little sister Tristyn.

Having my mother-in-law and Colt’s grandmother with us getting ready. Just seeing the love and happiness in their eyes was more than I could have ever asked for and the moments I will cherish always.

There are so many more moments from that morning that come over me as I type:

My sister Ashley swallowing my right contact lens first thing that morning and leaving me blind for the first 3 hours! I forgot my contact case and put them in a water glass in the bathroom which she of course used to drink water in the next morning. I swear there has never been even one dull moment in our relationship so I couldn’t have asked for a funnier memory on my wedding day!

Having my sister Jessica catering to my every need. I don’t think there was one minute she ever let me worry even for a second. If my facial expression changed she was by my side and ready to attack. It was so nice to not have to think or worry.

Watching my best friend Kristen’s emotions and love for me after all these years of friendship. She was my superwoman that day, my real life superwoman.

There are so many other stolen moments with so many special people I could go on for hours.

As we left the room to walk to the chapel I couldn’t believe it was happening! It was one of the only moments through the whole process where I felt like my nervous might get the best of me but then I looked up and saw my Dad. Seeing him for the first time was emotional for me and a moment I will always cherish. He of course kept me laughing and eased all my nerves. He was so strong and I needed that more than I even knew.

Over those next 15 minutes of waiting and walking I can honestly say it was the only time I truly felt like I was in a blur, a dream, like I was there but I wasn’t and then we got to the chapel doors and I saw him…

Every ounce of my being was still. My heart caught up with my brain and I was there, present and calm. I couldn’t have been more happy to marry this man.

So many special moments took place over the course of our ceremony, moments that I play over and over again in my head every day.

Moments you can only see to believe.

I hope this video of our wedding day gives you every ounce of love and happiness it gave to us and all 60 of our closest friends and family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BrB0JVq_kE&feature=relmfu

It was a day of dreams and fairytales come true…a day of everlasting love..it was the beginning of our forever…