Disclaimer - This post is long. But it's ok because Ky is the only person I really care who reads the whole thing. And I know she will and she will probably comment 5 times.

HAPPY 1 - YEAR ANNIVERSARY KY!

This has been the most adventurous and fulfilling year of my entire life. 
How about we do a quick recap, shall we?

February 1, 2008 - Ky and I get engaged. I drove her out to the middle of nowhere in Rexburg during the dead of winter. It was a freezing cold day but the sky was without a cloud. I had no idea how I was going to do this, all I knew was that there was a ring in my pocket and If it stayed there too long I would go crazy. Eventually, I saw a big stack of hay bails in the middle of an empty field. We climbed to the top and stood there for just a bit before I began my, "Oh, how I love you!" speech. I then got down on one knee and asked her the fated question that led to the following adventures covered in this post.

June 5, 2008 - Our wedding day! It was a wonderful day. Real nice weather. It was a bit hectic but that's just how they are I guess. It was amazing to know that Ky was finally stuck with me forever. After the ceremony and before the reception, we stopped by McDonalds to satisfy our hunger. Little did we know, McDonalds was to become the one American ideal we could rely on no matter where the next year would take us.

July 2008--Costa Rica! This is where we spent our real honeymoon. 
 We took a couple weeks relaxing and traveling through the country. What a wonderful time we had!

August 2008 - China! We decided to go and teach English at a University in the city of Xiangtan...that's in the Hunan province. Now how many of you really know where that is? Because we sure didn't. This proved to be one of my most loved countries. The food, people, culture, and beauty of select destinations moved us in ways no other country could. We are officially in love with China. We pushed our own cultural limits and participated in activities we never thought we would. We honestly can't wait to go back. This particular shot was in the city of Feng Huang.

January 2009 - Southeast Asia. After about 4 months of teaching we left our temporary home in search of more adventure. Our first stop was Vietnam. It was rainy, busy, and loud. Seldom did we have time to ourselves. We ventured through various cities on our way from Hanoi to Saigon. One of our simplest pleasures of this country is Pho, their noodles served with sprouts, lime, and a spicy chili sauce.

We then moved on to Cambodia. This is a country rich in culture despite a past genocidal government who attempted to wipe it's culture from the face of the Earth. We visited heart wrenching historical sites, orphanages, and (pictured below) the most radical ruins in the world. Built by the ancient inhabitants of Cambodia, who disappeared, the massive complex of Angkor Wat laid overgrown in the jungle for hundreds of years before being re-discovered.

Following Cambodia we made our way to Thailand for a little relaxation. We spent most of our time on Koh Chang (Elephant Island). Here we played on the beach. That's about it. Ok, well we took cooking classes and swang on swings too.

...and we rode an elephant who later took us on a dip in the local water hole. He was a nice enough guy and we really liked riding along on his back. We left Koh Chang after a bit and spent a little time in Bangkok shopping and visiting some ancient temples. We stayed with Ky's cousins, the Becks. They were extremely kind and hospitable.

We made a quick stop back by Hong Kong on our way home. We were able to stay at the temple housing and do a session there. It was really awesome. Ky was able to do a little last minute shopping before our long flight home. Our return was something glorious with Drew driving us all the way from Utah to Idaho. And FINALLY Ky was reunited with her beautiful sisters. I think that may have been Ky's favorite part of the whole experience. But in all honesty, she did so well about being away from anything "normal" for so long.

A short stint in Idaho followed by a quick visit to Arizona and we found ourselves in Hawaii. 
Ky is going to school over here now and we're loving it.

Now, yes it's true...we had the most bogus journey that was filled with non-stop awesomeness. Yes, we experienced tastes, smells, and noises that one could only imagine. Yes, we made friendships that we hope will last forever with some of our closest Chinese friends. And yes, we may have learned more about ourselves than we did eachother. But you know what my favorite part was? Experiencing all of this with the most amazing person in the world. Kylie, I love you so much it's really starting to get ridiculous. Out of all the treasures I have found in the last year, you are by far the most valuable. Thank you for being my wife. I can't wait to recap year 2.

Love forever,

Your Hub