Let's go on a hike!!!!

I LOVE HIKING!!!!  I really do, it is my favorite form of exercise.   Those of you who have gone with me know that I am usually huffing and puffing the entire time, but nothing beats being out in nature!  I think Gera would prefer to be on his bike instead of walking, but he's such a trooper (and I think it's growing on him).  These months are the best to hike  in California because everything is so green.

Here are some pictures of Gera and I hiking at two of my favorite places.

Waterfall hike in Marin County

 Here is Gera at the bottom.  This is the road that we cross over the damn that collects the water from the waterfalls.  There are about 6 waterfalls along the hike.

Here I am at the booty burners...although the ones on the Stinson Beach hike are worse, these ones are an unfriendly reminder of just how much weight I'm carrying around.

I think this is a super cheesy picture because Gera made me grab his hand like that while the guy took our picture.

The water is so still.  I like the reflection it make on the hill (it even got the fog that was lifting).

 One of the few pictures of us that didn't turn out blurry.  We kept trying to take pictures of us but we soon found out that neither one of us have very still hands.  I took this one..you can tell because all the ones Gera took have his tongue sticking out from focusing so much!

So, funny about this picture.  Gera always has to go the the bathroom when we are nowhere close to a restroom.  We were almost halfway up the hike and he said he couldn't hold it anymore.  He hiked of the trail down by the water where there were some big rocks so that he could relieve himself and the other  people passing by could tell what he was doing.  We took a picture before he did his deed because he thought that way the people walking by wouldn't get suspicious.

Little Yosemite/Sunol Park

Monday was a holiday and the first day that the sun came out in a week so we got up early and went on a hike!!!!  We went to Sunol Park and hiked around the Little Yosemite and view trails.  It really was the perfect day to hike!

 Gera and I hiked down and went climbing on the rocks.  They were a little slippery from the rain and moss, but it was beautiful!

 Gera was a little stuck for awhile because he couldn't figure out how to get back over the water that was behind that mossy rock in front.

 Have you ever started a hike off with other people who you don't know but who just happened to be there the same time you were?  And then off and on you would catch up with each other at different points during the hike? Well that happened to us with this Chinese family of 4 (a boy, a girl and their parents).   They didn't speak very much English, and the girl is about 6 years old.  Gera is a super friendly person and he always thinks that just because you smile at somebody your are instant friends.  Well this little girl did not share the same belief as Gera.  The poor thing was really happy in this little cave she thought she discovered when Gera thought it would be fun to go around and crawl inside too.  He kind of snuck up behind the girl and popped up.  Needless to say it freaked the girl out...and she had nowhere to go.  She didn't want to crawl back down where Gera was and she was afraid to jump down.  She finally decided to risk her life and take the leap while yelling at her dad something in Chinese, which I think was "Dad come quick and save me from this scary Mexican!"  Ha.  What I thought was the funniest part was that Gera was clueless of the girls reaction (I'd say it was a language barrier) and he just kept smiling and talking to the girl in Spanglish while she was trying to get away, screaming for her dad in Chinese.

Look, it's snow!!!  Thanks to the cold weather and rain the tops of some of the hills were covered in snow.  

 This has always been my favorite view since the first time I hiked Sunol a few years ago.  It always reminded me of pictures I had seen of the Andean Mountains.  It wasn't until I went on my trip with Kari and Andrea did I realize just how much it was true.  Seeing it again last Monday took me back to Manchu Pichu....that was such a great trip!

Honeymooners

Gera and I went to Lake Tahoe for our Honeymoon.  We stayed there for a week and it was so FUN!!!  This was Gera's first time there and I've always loved being in nature.

 One of the days we went hiking above Emerald Bay.  Here is a shot of us up by the parking lots.  It was such  a beautiful day.

 I love the gnarly roots of this tree that had fallen over near the waterfall.  

 Gera and I took a walk from the state line down to the beaches.  The water was too cold to get in, but the sunshine helped keep up warm.  We were sitting on a log because the sand was wet.  We were glad it was wet because right after taking this picture a helicopter landed in the parking lot near where we were sitting.  If the sand would have been dry we would have gotten all dirty.  I guess somebody was injured in the water and was taken to the dock next to where we were sitting.  The helicopter was from the hospital and dropped down and then left.

 I think this was Gera's favorite day of the week because we rented bikes and rode along the bike trails between the beaches on the south side of the lake.  Gera LOVES to ride a bike.  It's not my favorite thing but it was fun being with him.

 If riding bikes was Gera's favorite day, then these are pictures of Gera's scariest day!  I took him on a ride up the Gondola.  Gera is from a small village and has not had many opportunities to go on rides or anything....so he is a little afraid of heights.  We were going down when I took the below picture...that is him trying to smile as he's looking below and thinking that we were going to 'drop out of the air'.  He of course survived and I told him it was his training for Six Flaggs and Disneyland.  He needed to recover afterwards so we went to the movie theater and watched the new Karate Kid.

Here is a view from where we were staying.  We were so greatful that my sister-in-law's grandparents allowed us to stay in their time share.  It was so nice and quiet.  We were so sad when the week was over and can't wait until we have another opportunity to go back to Lake Tahoe.

Let's start with a wedding

So I've decided to start off by posting some picture from our wedding.  Gerardo and I were married on June 12, 2010 in the Oakland temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It was exactally how we wanted it!  Small and with no reception.

 My AMAZING flowers were designed by my 'soul' sista's from my BYU days, Kelly, Heidi, and Amy.  I think that they turned out so beautiful!  I never picked wedding colors, fell in love with a pair of shoes when shopping for a pair for the wedding and decided they would be my wedding shoes.  I showed them to the girls before they went to the flower market in the city.  They did a great job matching the color!  Thank you talented ladies!

 Here is the Ambriz/Ponce clan.  Unfortunately only three of Gera's 10 siblings could be here (Eduardo, Isidro, and Laura w/ her daughter) and his dad Miguel.  I was so grateful that all my family was able to attend.

 Here Gera and I are with my brothers Sean, Jason, and Ryan

 This is one of my favorite pictures because I am together with all of my nieces and nephews.

 Gera with his family.

I'll try to post more when I figure out how to post a slide show!

So it begins...

I guess this is my attempt to take one more step into responsible adulthood.  I am taking the advice of all my great friends and am starting a blog (especially the married ones who keep telling me that this is one of the fine print rules we HAVE to do once we are married).  I know that for the majority of my family and friends this is a very shocking move.  I have not had a journal since 10 years ago, and you all know how bad I am at staying connected with everybody!!!!  But, I figure that this could be the best way to share updates, especially since so many of our friends and family live so far away.   I hope you enjoy what we post!