OBX

ahhhh is all i can say! i love coming to the beach! yesterday we packed our bags and the whole sumrak family headed down to north carolina for the annual beach trip. lisa had outdone herself and gotten us a gorgeous (and huge.... i've never been in a house with 8 bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms) cottage, which is right by the atlantic ocean - it literally takes us a minute to walk over to the beach. it is so nice to get away from the hectic world and just gather together as family and spend a week relaxing. 

or, not just relaxing...we went running barefoot along the ocean last night, and ended up running 3 miles! yeah, it's not much for everyone else, but i am over the moon happy about it :D it's nice that thomas challenges me, and to see the progress along the way. and needless to say, i have trouble walking today. good thing today is sunday, and we don't have anything else than relaxing planned for the day. tomorrow we will start our laying on the beach time!

life is so great. i love the family that i married into, and i feel so very lucky to get to be a part of it. i also feel gratitude of the possibility that we have to spend this time together, and also travel to finland in a week and a half (!!!). we are very blessed, in so many ways.

new hobby!

so, i have always hated running with a passion. ironically, i married a man whose biggest passion is running. on our san antonio trip a few weeks ago we were writing down some goals that we will work on this summer, and in some mad state of mind i told him that we should train me to run a 5k. aaaand thursday night we finally took the big step of going and buying me new nikes (look how bright and minty they are!!!) and new running shorts (they are minty too!) - and i am not afraid to admit that they are my biggest motivation to keep on doing this. yesterday we started running. we went on smithfield's trail that is in the middle of a forest, and it really wasn't as bad as i imagined it would be. there is something calming about having husband right there next to me, cheering me on. and i am excited to share a hobby with him! i am hoping that by the end of this summer i will have as big of a passion to running as he does. what a patient man he is..... we'll see who breaks first ;)

SLC-VA

 ...and we are off! first off: smithfield, virginia, obx, beach week, lots of sun, family, and enjoying. then finland! i officially declare this blog to be a travel blog for the next three months. needless to say, we are super duper excited (and at the same time a bit sad that we had to say goodbyes to our first, gorgeous, apartment today. we loved that place and made such good memories there...like me tipping a way heavy amp on thomas' toe.....)! but, for now, we are homeless, tired, and SO ready for this adventure! stay tuned!