Meet Olive

We are now the proud parents of a rescue dog which we named Olive! We adopted her in early November and atm she is laying on a blanket between Jake and I on the couch, sleeping. Her favorite pastimes are: sleeping, walking and eating (in that order). 

So many people have asked me how I convinced Jake to finally get a dog and I think it's a combination of a few things. Actually let me back up. As an adult, I have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember. Of course I love to travel, go to happy hour after work and go on spontaneous random adventures without having to worry about when I would get home. So, a dog didn't exactly fit into my life. But I still wanted one, and I was probably more fascinated with the idea of a dog than having an actual dog. Jake never shared the same obsession that I had with dogs and once we moved in together all of the places we had lived did not allow dogs so it was kind of a moot point. Over the years, I have been pretty vocal about wanting a dog and it was kind of a little joke that we had. When we moved to Charlotte, we did live in an apartment (for three years!) that allowed dogs and it seemed like we were the only ones that didn't have a dog. Looking back, I am glad that we waited to get a dog because we did travel a lot over those 3 years and it would have been too hard to have a dog in a small 1-bedroom apartment. 

Fast foward to 2016 when we moved to California. The house we rented didn't allow dogs and that was that. Even though the owner had two dogs, he decided not to allow dogs which I totally understand. The flooring in the house was made of bamboo (which I love!) but it really showed scratch marks and wear and tear. Heck, we have a rental property too and don't allow pets. So I get it. When we bought the house this summer, one of the first things I brought up was getting a dog. I joked  about doing a powerpoint presentation titled WHY WE SHOULD GET A DOG - I think I saw that on a commercial where a kid is giving his parents a presentation about getting a dog. 

The last straw was last Fall when I visited my family in Hawaii and spent a lot of time with my brother's dog. Just having a little furry animal to cuddle with and take on walks was THE BEST and I was so sad to leave the dog (Hi Randy! and Aaron and Lydia, too!). My sister in law joked that she would have to check my luggage to make sure I didn't take their dog home with me! Haha... I got home from my trip and was basically non-stop talking about getting a dog. I asked Jake if I could start looking up adoptable dogs online. I think he just told me to go ahead and do it since he knew I would do it anyway. Ha! So, naturally I did and bookmarked 15 dogs on adoptapet.com. Jake and I went through the dogs and he literally crossed at least 13 off the list. So, there were a few left. We met one in person and decided that it wouldn't be a great fit - we didn't feel that connection that we thought we should/would feel. A lot of the rescue organizations had like 10+ page applications with questions like, where will the dog sleep? Do you have a vet picked out?, etc I knew we would figure out all of that eventually but I didn't want to spend 2 hours filling out each adoption application. 

One of the other dogs that caught my eye was "Blossom" -- she was going to be at an adoption event at PetSmart in Costa Mesa the following weekend, so it was no pressure and we didn't have to fill out an application to meet her. I vividly remember hugging Jake before we left to meet her and saying, "Thanks for letting us do this. I know there is a .001% chance we are getting a dog today, but the first step is looking. Kind of like when we bought the house. We had to get the ball rolling by going to an open house." We got to Petsmart and Jake pointed her out. She was wearing a pink collar and she was in a larger kennel with a few other Chihuahua's. The other dogs were barking their heads off and "Blossom" was in the corner sunbathing, totally ignoring the other dogs barking -- she couldn't care less. That is when I knew she would be our dog. 

We took her out for a walk around the grassy area and we both agreed that she was super mellow and seemed to have a great temperament. She is 4 years old too and we knew we didn't want to get a puppy. A few hours later and after signing our life away, she was ours. We didn't have anything. The rest of the afternoon was spent procuring doggie supplies. We promptly renamed her "Olive". We spent $978757 (not really, but you know what I mean) buying a kennel, bed, dog food, leash, poop bags, etc. We made an appointment for her to get all checked out at the vet (which was another $357876). At this point, I realized dogs are expensive. But, it was Day 3 and I just signed my life away so I sucked it up and went back to cuddling her. I could do a whole 'nuther post about the vet and how many times we have gone in the past two months (at least 5 vet visits) and one emergency vet visit (corneal abrasion). But, I wouldn't change it for anything.

In the past (almost) three months, she has brought us so much joy and happiness and love. Sure, sometimes she turns into "crazy woman" -- I literally call her that but it is happening less and less. She does have a few quirks that we will need to work through with a trainer, but once we do that I am confident to say that she will be the perfect dog. We don't know a lot about her history other than she was at SEAACA which is a notoriously high kill shelter. She was slated to be euthanized when the Rescue Organization came in and adopted her the day before she was going to be put down. You're crying, I'm not crying... They rehabbed her for about six weeks and got her in tip top shape. She got microchipped and spayed a few days before we adopted her.  

The newest thing she does is, when we leave the back sliding glass door open, she will go out there and sit on a patio chair and bark for us to come out there and play/relax/hang with her. The first time she did it, I thought she could hear a neighbor or something, but no, she was just sunbathing -- wanting Jake and I to come out from our offices and hang out with her. UGH. JUST THE CUTEST. (Can you tell I'm a proud doggie mom)? 

To sum up things, I leave you with this actual conversation that happened a few minutes ago: 

Jake: "Sometimes I can't tell if Olive likes to be pet or not"

Me: "Well, I just pet her anyway" 

Hawaii | A Wedding in Paradise

Jake and I had been wanting to make a trip to Hawaii since it had been six years since our last trip ...and I hadn't seen my family in 2 years. Hopefully we won't ever have to go that long again. When my brother announced that he was planning to propose, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. We had over a year to plan {and save} so that was very helpful so we could get our ducks in a row. They had a huge wedding, but it was just gorgeous and everyone had the best time. I helped my parents get all dolled up and we all just really enjoyed ourselves. I will admit that I did shed a few {happy} tears.

CONGRATS, AARON & LYDIA | June 6, 2015! 

#alberswedding6615 on Instagram

First, a few professional photos: 

...and my photos are below:

The bride and groom did an amazing job planning and the venue was gorgeous. Leading up to the wedding, everyone back in the mainland was asking me if they were getting married on a beach and I had to laugh, everyone has their stereotypes of a Hawaiian wedding.  Their wedding was actually at Nani Mau Gardens in Hilo which is just beautiful. Highly recommend if you ever find yourself on the Big Island.

The reception was a blast! So much fun dancing! 

Cheers to Aaron & Lydia! We love you guys so much and wish you only the best.

Love,

Kim (+ Jake)

Hawaii | The Big Island

You guys! Jake and I spent a week at the most amazing AirBNB on the Hilo side of the Big Island. The place felt like a dream. The main house was built about 15 years ago on top of a lava field. Can I just live here please? The property was featured on the front page of the New York Times in June 2005. We stayed in the smaller "studio" unit which is nestled right near the garden on top of the lava rock and we got to use the pool, so win, win! 

There is a gorgeous garden built on top of the lava. 

The steps up to the pool...

The owner was so gracious as to give us a tour of the larger home which is like a museum. Every piece is perfectly curated and has it's own backstory. He is a designer, so I wasn't really surprised, but it was so inspiring to think that someday we could own and live in a home like this. You know we love our modern architecture. 

Of course we had to do a photo shoot in the pool. I am embarrassed to admit how many photos I made Jake take. ;) 

The living room of our place looks out to the beautiful Hawaiian Garden. The floor to ceiling doors that opened (all the way) to let the breeze in were one of my favorite parts of the home. 

Of course we had to play tourist and take in some of the beautiful Hawaiian scenery. While dad was working and my brother was prepping for the wedding, mom joined us for some Hawaiian sightseeing. Stop No. 1 was Onomea Bay, along a scenic route drive that is just gorgeous. I stop at this spot every time I'm in Hilo. 

A quick stop at Akaka Falls. I didn't really feel like going down to see it closer since we had so much more to cover, so we just admired it from above.

We got lost driving around the Old Mamalahoa Highway, one of the guidebooks mentioned it was the scenic route so I wanted to try it. Are you sensing a pattern here?

And finally the crown jewel. We took a road trip in search of The Waipio Valley Lookout. During my sophomore year of college, I came home to Hilo for much of the summer and ended up taking the drive down to Waipio and I remember walking along this beach below and also hiking up a zig-zag trail on the other side of the valley.  This time it was nice to observe it from the viewpoint. 

On one of our last days in Hilo, Jake and I decided to explore Kalapana and the lava flow. One of the coolest things about the Big Island is how many different places you can go to see either active lava or lava fields. Kalapana is one of those places, and there is a path to one of the newest beaches on the Big Island, called Kaimu Beach. 

This lava flow is relatively new - it completely covered the Kalapana Village in the late 80's or early 90's, and destroyed several homes in the process.

Newly formed Kailua Beach, near Puna. It's a quick hike to the beach but the water is pretty rough, so we passed on swimming in it.

We spent one of our last days with the family, just hanging out at my dad's friend's place, complete with geothermal pool (for those cold Hawaiian nights). I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the geothermal pool a lot more than I thought I would. It doesn't really get into the 90-100's in Hawaii and there is always a trade wind, so it's rarely ever too hot. Can you spot the ocean in the photo below? 

Can we just do this every weekend?

Next post, I'll be recapping my brother's wedding!

xo,
Kim

A Mid-Summer Night's Dream

HAWAII TRIP 2013 | 4.29-5.13.13

Here I am, sitting in 70+ degree weather in ..of all places... Seattle and I feel like it's too hot. It's been 3 weeks since I got back from my Hawaii trip and I am finally getting back into the swing of things. I cannot believe it's June already. I am going to try and savor each and every day since we are moving in a little over a month!  Everyone has been asking me how Hawaii was and the simple answer is that it was great. So good to see family, friends, puppy dogs and guinea pigs.  Shoutout to Aaron and Lydia for letting me crash at their pad for 2 weeks. If it's photos that you are looking for, check my instagram @thevintagemodern where I documented my entire trip. This is how instagram is supposed to work {hence the "insta"} and I loved every minute of it! I think this was the first real trip I've taken since I got my iPhone {and instagram} last October.  Below are some photos that I did and didn't instagram {I'm lazy tonight so no captions}.

Things just move at a different pace there. I was able to spend time with the people I love most, eat delicious Hawaiian food {will there be any local Hawaiian food in Charlotte?!?!}, and just take some time off. If you know me IRL {in real life} you will know that I actually have a hard time relaxing. I am always on the go, I always have to be planning something and it's extremely hard for me to clear my mind or meditate.  I actually recently decided to plan a Europe trip for my 30th birthday {which is freakishly next year}. Dang... how fast did that creep up on me?!?!? Anyway...I digress... Hawaii was awesome and I hope I am able to go back once a year to visit family once we relocate to the East Coast. 

Cheers!
Kim

Hawaii Bound

Well, this post is coming to you from the SEATAC airport floor. I am sitting on the ground, charging my iPhone and waiting for this beauty to be ready to board.

I might blog from Hawaii, I might not. You'll just have to wait and see.

Have a wonderful 2 weeks. Stay warm, Seattle!

In Memoriam

This post has been so hard for me to write.

I found out last Wednesday that my grandma, Louisa Albers passed away.

Life has not been the same since.

I used to talk with her on the phone about every couple months and she was always very "with it"...until she fell on New Years Eve 2011 and broke her hip. We thought we were going to lose her after that because she was struggling to recover.  I took an "emergency" trip to Michigan for one last goodbye in March 2011.  She recognized me  Well, despite contracting MRSA in the nursing home and having a whole lot of other setbacks, she rallied and lived another several years until several damaging heart attacks finally ended her life.  However, I would like to focus on the good memories rather than linger on the sad or heartbreaking ones.

My grandma was the hippest, sharpest lady you will ever meet.

Here are some photos from my March 2011 trip to visit her and the rest of the family in Michigan.  I am going to look for more photos of me and grammy from when I was a kid.

Some of my favorite things or memories about her:

• She called the TV the "idiot box".
• The carpet at her house was green, like grass.
• She used to have this bike with a basket in the front and I remember riding around in her backyard when I was younger and we lived in Michingan.
• She was always very sharp and witty.  She even swore occasionally! A grandma that swore? Yep!
• She loved to always exercise her mind. She would read Scientific American and she even sent me a book about how to do rapid math.
• She always remembered my birthday and sent me a card. Every single year. That is hard to do when you have over 20 grandchildren.
• She loved salmon patties, pumpernickle bread, oranges and tea. I will never be able to eat or drink one of those things again without thinking of her.
• She met my grandpa in the Navy and she was very proud of that.
• She could always make me laugh.
• She loved to knit and crochet. She even made me an entire house full of "barbie" furniture when I was little.
• She called me "Kimmy Kim Kims" right up until the last time I spoke to her a couple weeks ago.
• To be continued.... 

Grandma, I can never tell you how much you meant to me and I cannot imagine life without you. You were the kindest, sweetest, most stubborn little old lady I ever knew. I love you to pieces.  I will never forget you.

All my love,

Kim

EDIT 2.12.13 //

Her obituary appeared online here.

Louisa Oussoren Albers, age 88, of Port Huron Township died February 6, 2013 in her home after a long illness with her family at her side. She was born in the Netherlands to Willem and Louisa Oussoren. Louisa came to the United States at age 13 and entered Port Huron Schools speaking very little English. She graduated with honors three years later. During WWII she joined the U.S. Navy and advanced rapidly to Aviation Store Keeper First Class. While serving at the Naval Air Station in Olathe, Kansas, she met her future husband, Aaron Milo Albers. He had just returned from 42 months as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese. Their relationship began when she issued him a new Navy Pea Coat and he asked her out for coffee. At the time of her discharge in 1946 she had been selected for Chief Petty Officer. Louisa was proud of her military service and honored to have participated in the recent, local Memorial Day Parade.

Louisa and Aaron “Al” were married August 3, 1946 in Port Huron. For the next 13 years they traveled to many places while he continued his naval career. Their eight children were born at various duty stations. After her husband retired from the Navy they settled in Port Huron Township where they owned and operated the Handy Market for many years. She was preceded in death by Al in 1989.

She was an avid reader and enjoyed serving as a Junior Great Books leader for many years. Louisa was a long time member of the Port Huron League of Women Voters. She was often engaged in local politics and issues and frequently wrote letters to the editor. For over fifty years she was a member of the Port Huron – Sarnia Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Louisa was a passionate champion of human rights, environmental causes, women’s issues, and Peace Movement activities. Her extensive reading included a deep interest in math, history, foreign affairs, science, education, health, and nutrition. Until her recent illness she continued to pursue her life-long hobbies of knitting, crocheting, and creating her own designs.

As a mother of eight, grandmother of twenty-four, and great-grandmother of nine, she stayed amazingly close to her family. She kept in touch by frequently calling her loved ones. Louisa kept three clocks in her kitchen, one on Eastern time, one on Australian time, and one on Hawaiian time so she could call various places at the appropriated times. She also loved the reaction people would have when they would see her three clocks.

She will be remembered for her love of family, love of learning, passion for social justice, and her great sense of humor. She is survived by Sandra Engelhardt Ret. USN of Virginia, Ellen (Dr. Roy E.) Rogers of Lakeport, Carolyn (Keith) Crossley of Australia, William (Michelle) Albers of Port Huron, Sylvia Durecka of Fort Gratiot, Steven Albers of Port Huron, Aaron Bruce (Deborah) Albers of Hawaii, Howard Albers of Hawaii, a sister, Winifred Conger of Florida, 24 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews, and Sue Albers.