Escapades in Europe

This year we celebrated Phil finishing his boards with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe. We hit the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. It seems like everything in Europe is magical, and I'd go back in a heartbeat! Staying in Haarlem, just down the street from my grandmother's childhood home was so special. I loved seeing the land of my ancestors. Plus, exploring Brugge and Paris was the best weekend ever!

Unfortunately, after my trip, I lost my phone, so some of my photos seem to have disappeared. However, I was able to recover some of the best highlights. Not pictured are the mountains of bread and cheese we ate (plus heaps of chocolate), all the beautiful miles we pedaled bikes in Holland, the thousands of masterpieces we saw in museums, and the hours spent on trains.

Europe, I love you!

Adriaan's Windmill in Haarlem.

Grote Kerk. Handel Played the Organ Inside this Church. 

Posing Like a Native in the Cheese Museum. 

CHEESE!!

Phil Said This Was His Favorite Museum. 

Amsterdam!

My Lover in Europe. 

Exploring the Colors of Van Gogh. 

Amsterdam City Hall. NBD. 

Pensive Train Ride: Part One.

Pensive Train Ride: Part Two.

Rijksmuseum. An Ode to Remembrandt.

Moeder's Restaurant. All the Pictures on the Wall Are Patrons' Moms. 

First Signs of Spring. 

Traditional Dutch Poffertjes.

Hanging with Philly Outside the Anne Frank House. Best Museum Ever!

The Kinderdijk!!! Biking Around this Place Was Heaven!!

Gateway to Brugge

The Main Bell Tower in Brugge

The View of Brugge from the Bell Tower

It's True What They Say, Belgian Fries Rule

Markt Square in Brugge

Fueled by Simple Carbs and Belgian Charm

Those Waffles Though!

Cutest Convent in the City. 

My Future Home

Lover's Bridge in Paris. 

His Reaction to His First French Crepe

Gazing at Monet Never Gets Old

Jumping for Joy Outside the Louvre

The Notre Dame. In-credible!

Magical. Just Magical. 

Things We've Learned: Three Year Edition

I've fallen in love with this tradition of ours. Each year around our anniversary, we talk about things we've learned about each other in the last year. I'm always surprised with how much we can come up with. Here are our year three highlights!

Things Phil's Learned about Hannah:

1. She loves giving gifts and hates waiting to give them. 
2. When she sets her mind to a goal, she does whatever it takes to achieve it. 
3. She's passionate about books. 
4. She has a wide range of interests and loves reading about all different kinds of things. 
5. She can whip up dinners when it looks like we have nothing to eat. 
6. She enjoys hiking if it's at the right pace.
7. She loves riding bikes.
8. She hates the idea of working out, but loves the feeling after it's over. 

Things Hannah's Learned about Phil

1. He can wield tools like a boss and is now an expert picture hanger. 
2. He is one of the deepest sleepers I know. He also assumes very specific positions when he sleeps, such as putting his hand on his face with his elbow in the air.  
3. He loves showing off things that he's learned in school. 
4. He can be super competitive. 
5. He absorbs stress from other people. 
6. He's very adventurous. 
7. He's obsessed with the Olympics, like we moved our mattress into the living room for almost two weeks to watch everything.
8. He's a great teacher and loves sharing thoughts and ideas with others.
9. He loves traditions, especially around the holidays.
10. He loves leaving notes for me on Post-Its and he always asks if I find them. 

I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be married to Phil forever. He's my best friend and greatest blessing. I love you, Philly! 

Grateful for Fighting

Yesterday Phil and I had a fight. Like most of our fights, it started with me. I had to go to Seattle for a business trip, and we'd planned to have me drive myself down to the airport. We were going to wake up early, jump my car (because hello, working from home, I hardly ever drive), and then I'd head out.

Mentally I agreed with the plan, but emotionally I hoped that Phil would drive me. And then, irrational as I can sometimes be, I was offended when he didn't jump on my newly proposed plan to drive me when I asked him about an hour before I needed to leave. Like, how did I not think that he clearly had his day planned already? And how do I always forget how annoying it is to drive someone to the airport? 

Similar to most (if not all) of our fights, it lasted about an hour. Mostly because Phil tried to apologize and I grasped my perceived offense as if it were a dinghy in the middle of my ocean of emotions. I think our fights would be seconds, or mere minutes long if I could just let things go easier. But I digress...

But within moments, it all melted away. He looked at me, apologized from the bottom of his heart (as if he had something to apologize for), and then hugged me in that tender way that only Phil can. As we said our prayers before heading out for the day, I thanked God for our fight and that we were able to forgive each other. 

Phil laughed, and I know he thought it was weird that I would be grateful for a fight. But I can honestly say that I'm grateful for every single fight we've ever had. Not because fighting is fun, but because of what it's taught me. 

We're never fighting against each other, we're always fighting for each other. We always fight because our love runs so deep, and hurt or offense with a love like that cuts a lot deeper than any other hurt. Our fights show me that we truly need each other, that we love each other, and that we expect so much of each other. Each fight, and corresponding forgiveness, strengthens that love that I so deeply cherish. Because the best things really are worth fighting for...

Starting the Year with Some Aloha

There are benefits and downsides to starting out the year with a vacation. Benefit: Your year starts out on a huge high note. Downside: Everything in real life seems dull by comparison.

This family trip to Hawaii was a dream come true (minus lost phones, luggage, etc.). Shout-out to my parents for all their love and planning. We could not have asked for a better vacation.

Sea Spray Win

Floating Down Sugar Cane Irrigation Canals

It Was Raining... Phil Was Cold

Family Beach Day

I Sure Love This Guy

Roosters and Chickens Everywhere!

Kayaking... Before We Lost Our Phones

My Seal Besties! One Swam about 10 Feet from Me!

That Turtle Though

Taking Off in the Helicopter

Aerial View of the Napali Coast

Happy Because Helicopters!

Those Views!

Biking along the Beach 

Getting Back to My Brasilian Roots

When Your Shaved Ice Is as Big as Your Face

Cutest Fruit Stand

Agua de Coco!

Lazy, Lazy Beach Day

View of the Sunset from Our Catamaran

He Looks Good on the Ocean

Poipu, I Miss You!

Kayaking, tubing, beaching, boating, helicopter riding... It all added up to an unforgettable week with my favorite people. Aloha until next time, Kauai! 

The Stats of 2016

It's been a record year for the Crepeau family. Here are some of our stunning stats:

1. One year of medical school for Phil 
2. One summer research position at Seattle Children's for Phil
3. One two year wedding anniversary
4. One 1,000 days married celebration
5. Two international trips (Canada together and India for Hannah)
6. Two birthdays
7. Four major work conferences for Hannah
8. Six big hikes together
9. Seven seasons of Gilmore Girls re-watched by Hannah
10. Ten weeks in Seattle
11. Twelve temple trips together
12. 368 General Conference talks listened to for Hannah
13. 30 books read for Hannah
14. 360+ new Portuguese words learned for Hannah
15. 611 miles of running for Phil
16. 2700+ hours of med school studying for Phil
17. Almost 30,000 work emails for Hannah

And this doesn't include endless laughs, date nights, Ben and Jerry's pints, and happy memories. It's been a year for the books. There's no one I'd rather dance through life with than my amazing husband. 

Christmas Cheer 2016

I'm clearly behind on the blog posts, but I couldn't pass up a post about Christmas. Spending Christmas with my family was THE BEST! I've missed them so much and we had such a blast this year. Is it too early to start a Christmas countdown? Asking for a friend...

The Scenery from Idaho

Cookie Fest

My Masterpiece

Sisters!

Cookie Love

We Make the Best Cookie Team

A Little Guess Who Before Gingerbread Houses 

He Takes This Very Seriously

The Final Product

The Tree of Life in Draper

Christus on Temple Square

Our Blurry Couple's Photo

This Place Though

A Crepeau Tradition

The Family Princess and her Presents

Brother-Cousin Photo Bomb

My Surprise Birthday Balloons

A Belated Merry Christmas to You and Yours