Our Little Vacation

My little vacation consisted of 48ish hours in Colorado with Andy and his parents. Even though this trip was too quick, it was so sweet and fun that it didn't really even matter. We were there to stain Abe's cabin, and even though it was a big project we managed to find time to stop and play!

Andy and I had such a great time together. It felt like we were on our own little honeymoon. I hadn't seen Andy for nearly three days, because he had left early to get a head start on the staining. I will say that there is definitely something about being away from each other for the first time since being married! Being apart made me really appreciate Andy even more. I was so thankful to not have to eat dinner alone and sleep in bed by myself once we were reunited in Denver.

After a full day of staining we decided to head to town! We ate dinner with his parents on Friday night, at our favorite spot, Eric's restaurant! It was the first time that Andy and I branched out and ordered something different off the menu. We settled on an olive oil pizza, and it was so good!! It had garlic dough, basil, tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and instead of sauce-it had olive oil. We highly recommend it!! 

The next day we decided to take a break from staining to go road biking. We woke up and headed out to Hoosier Pass, were I dropped off Andy so he could bike 10 miles (descending 4,000 ft). He looked super cool and flew down the Pass at 40 mph or so!!!

Then we met up in Breckinridge for breakfast. After breakfast, we hopped on our bikes and rode from Breckinridge to Frisco (12 miles) and stopped at fun outdoor spot called Foote's Rest for ice-cream and a cold beer! After a few photos were taken, texts were sent and a few phone calls were made (no cell service in Fairplay so we had to take advantage of good reception) we biked back to Breck. We biked a total of 22 miles and both got a little sunburned! It was so much fun!!! Good company, gorgeous scenery, homemade ice-cream....what more could I ask for?!

Anyways....our little vacation was so fun and memorable and I can't wait for the next one! 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

This Christmas was unlike any other. For starters it was at my aunt and uncles house who live on the North side of town. Normally we do Christmas eve dinner at my grandma's house who lives in Alamo Heights. This was a much appreciated change because it meant I was able to split my time between my family and the Rafie's much more easily since we were on the same side of town. Another great thing that made this Christmas special was having all 16 cousins together at once. We haven't had that happen in years! Christmas day was exciting because we had two additions, Ercelia and Ashley, to our morning tradition of opening gifts and eating breakfast. It was refreshing to be around a ten-year-old who still believes in Santa. After breakfast with my family Andy picked me up and we went to his family's apartment to open gifts. It was a big change from last year's Christmas morning when we were in a huge home opening gifts. It was amazing to see how unfazed his family was despite the cramped situation. It was a great reminder to be content in all circumstances because we are so blessed and some family have much greater things to worry about.

What a year to be thankful for. So much has happened in this year, and I want to take a minute to sum up the highlights!

I celebrated my one year anniversary at my first official job!

I bought my very own brand new mountain bike!

I fractured my zygoma.... bone in my face.

I got engaged!

I went to the ER for the first time in my life.

I highlighted my hair for the very first time!

Andy and I got our first home!

I road tripped to Colorado with Andy and Kennedy!

Andy and I camped at Enchanted Rock with Kathryn and Phil!

I started a blog and have kept up with it for the most part!

Andy and I were featured on Style Me Pretty!

Andy and I celebrated our three year anniversary!

We loaded two trailers full of furniture and moved out of State!

 My BFF moved back to Texas!

The list of highlights could go on and on... I am grateful for so much. My family and my fiancee. My dog and my new huge backyard that kennedy can play in. My amazing group of old and new friends. I think 2013 was good, but 2014 has so much in store for me. I cannot wait to see what this new year will bring!

XoXo- 

Ilianna 

Back on the Saddle

A few weeks ago, I orded a full face helmet on eBay. A friend recommend this helmet to me, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's lightweight, girly and totally awesome! I must say I look pretty gnarly in it too! I think people think I must be a pro who can do all these sick bmx style tricks, when they see me with this intense full face helmet on!

Trying on my new Giro Remedy Helmet fo the first time.

Side view of the designs.

Last night, Andy and I went to OP Schnabel Park and rode some trails before the sunset. We took it slow and rode the easier trails since this was only my second time back on the bike since my accident.

I wish I would have taken my camera on the ride with me because we saw a ton of deer. Some were big and strong and others so small, like bambi!

One of the many things I enjoy about mountain biking is being in nature. I love when I feel the wind on my face (although my new helmet definitely hinders this), feel the sun on my skin and when I'm lucky, like last night, see the wildlife run around!

It's a free activity that makes me happy and reminds me of how beautiful the outdoors is!

Andy loading the bikes on his new bike rack! 

Staging the photo in the parking lot.... I forgot to take pictures on the trails!

Fractured Face

One minute I'm cruising through the trails at Salado Creek and the next minute I'm on the ground with blood gushing all over my face. I don't remember too much of what happened. My memory must of blocked out the traumatic crash. I can only remember what happened afterwards - me screaming and holding the left side of my face and Andy trying to get me to calm down. To make a long story short, I ended up at the ER the next day. They did CT scan of my face and found out I fractured my zygoma bone (not the cheekbone but the one below it). After that I came home and was in low spirits until Andy came to visit with a bunch of snacks! He brought all my favorite ice creams, yogurt, milk and calcium vitamins. We sat in my bed for several hours just goofing around and watching shows. He definitely knows how to make me feel better!

The next day I went to an oral surgeon and got a 3D X-ray of my mouth, he told me I was lucky and that I didn't fracture any teeth! I took off two days from work, so my swollen face wouldn't scare anybody.

All in all God took care of me and protected my teeth and my eyes. It could have been way worse and I'm so blessed to only have gotten a few cuts and no permanent facial damage. From now on I may lay off the mountain bike, but if I decide its time to get back on it I'll for sure use a full-face helmet.

Cruising and having a blast!

Not so much anymore. 

Feeling miserable at this point. 

Waiting to get the results.

Icing my face while I continue to wait. 

Back at home, feeling a bit better since I have ice cream!

First and last fracture.... I hope!