Georgia!

This holiday season I had the pleasure of spending over a week in Georgia with John and my future in-laws.  What a wonderful family and beautiful state!  Aside from spending time with John's immediate family in John's Creek, north of Atlanta, the two of us ventured down to Sarasota, FL to see his grandma and aunt. After a wonderful visit, delicious food and a few intense games of Rummikub, we headed back north. John made a dream of mine come true when we veered east and visited Savannah on our way back to Atlanta.  The city is full of history, literary association, Spanish moss and of course charm.  Since we were in "America's most beautiful city" we decided to take some engagement photos!  Below are a sampling of the few we've received so far.  Overall we had a fabulous time and I am very excited for my next visit to the South East!

We're Engaged!

     December 9, 2012 turned out to be a very momentous day in both the Massoth and Ruggiero families...John proposed! He took me hiking at Rose Valley Falls where we had hiked before even being a couple and asked me to marry him under a tree canopy that I love so much (it's very "Beauty and the Beast").  Before taking one knee he presented me with a travel Bible (suitable for our many adventures) in which he had written a heartfelt note. What a sweet and thoughtful guy (not to mention patient, but that story is for another day)!  Anyway, after confirming that he had indeed asked my dad's permission (while I was in Peru - so sneaky), I said "yes" and the rest is history!  The evening concluded with a trip to my parents' house where we celebrated with my family, even though we didn't arrive until 11pm.  Needless to say, this week has been both exciting and exhausting, and I am going to bed.  I'll have to fill in the details in another post, but here are some pictures to mark the occasion.

Technically a reenactment, but it still captures the scene :-).

Peruvian Perspective

From 10/19-11/10 I had the pleasure of exploring the colorful country of Peru!  What an experience!  I joined a tour group of young adults from around the world for the first half of my journey and we visited Lima, Arequipa, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and all points in between.  The sanitation differences between the USA and South America were a bit challenging to get used to (the first thing I did after arriving at LAX was flush a piece of toilet paper down the toilet), but the scenery and culture were breathtaking.  I have never seen more beautiful valleys and clouds, and the mix of Catholic and Andean traditions in some areas was both puzzling and sensible considering the nation's colonial history.  I spent the second half of my journey in Piura, a city in the northern dessert, as a volunteer at Santisimo Sacramento parish.  Since the church's pastor, Fr. Joe, is from Oklahoma, the parish has strong ties to US supporters and has countless outreach programs for the area's poor.  I had the privilege of delivering food packages, building houses, visiting the orphanage, helping at the parish school and hospice, and more.  Although the trip had its challenges, I don't think I'll ever see the world in the same light.  I took approximately 1600 pictures, but here are two for starters :-).

Living Fairy Tale

This past weekend was especially memorable, as I got to feel like a princess for the day while accompanying John to the Navy Ball in honor of the Navy's birthday and the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.  We had a dazzling time enjoying dinner, various presentations and of course dancing!  In fact, we were the last couple to leave!  Psst...doesn't he look handsome in his uniform :-)???

On Sunday, we joined Lisa and Tim for some clay pigeon shooting at a shot gun range.  What fun we had!  As soon as the bruise on my shoulder goes away, I would definitely like to go again :-).

We're off to the ball!  These pictures were taken outside John's house in Oxnard, CA.

Ahem...I think the wine had kicked in for this picture.

Swishy dress compliments of my walking partner Sissy...twirling was a requirement!

Look out Annie Oakley!

Utah, Nevada and Disney's California Adventure!

Red rock scenery has been central to my existence these past few weeks, as the states to our east have beckoned me on multiple occasions.  It all started with a teaser with some very authentic-looking scenery at the new Cars Land inside California Adventure!  It was so fun to experience Disney's latest creation with my mom, and we had a blast noticing all of the Route 66 icons which we recognized from our many road trips together.

Labor Day weekend took my parents and John and I to Utah where we enjoyed hiking in scenery that was the real deal.  We got a bit of rain on the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop trails in Bryce, but it only added to the fun (because it wasn't cold).  Zion was breathtaking in more ways than one, since the sights are unbeatable and we made it all the way to the top of Angels' Landing.  What a sense of accomplishment!  Another highlight for me was revisiting the Narrows river hike that we enjoyed as kids, and I can't wait to go back again.

John and I planned to be spontaneous the following weekend and I really think we outdid ourselves.  After visiting with a few of his friends in San Diego we were driving to Julian for strolling and pie.  While passing a billboard for an Indian casino, John said, "that's what I want to do...I want to go to a casino with you."  So I reply that we'll have to go to Vegas sometime as we had previously discussed (because really, if we're going to go to a casino, let's do it right).  So John says, "do you want to go?"  And the rest is history.  Contrary to either of our completely planning-oriented personalities we headed to Vegas right from there with only the clothes on our back.  We had a blast, but needless to say we planned to be "normal" the next weekend :-).

Cars Land!

Dad and John (also a pilot) flying us to Utah

Bryce Canyon

Hiking in the hoodoos!

First glimpses of Zion!

Made it to the top of Angels' Landing! 1700 feet of elevation gain in 2.5 miles!

Yeah, this was unexpected.

Family Time!

 These past few weekends have been awash with family activities!  Laura, one of my cousins from Massachusetts, was out visiting with her boyfriend James.  We had tons of fun hearing about her veterinary experiences as she enters her last year of vet school (which will be several internship rotations).  A few of the highlights of her visit are below.

I also had the pleasure of attending the 1st birthday party of my college friends' (Dave and Kimmy) second son, Lucas.  It's always fun to visit with old friends and watch a child eat cake for the first time :-).

Celebrating Dad's birthday with cousin Laura

Lisa, Tim, Uncle Frank, Mom and James enjoying family BBQ

Laura and James

The Giles Family - Happy Birthday Lucas!

Viva Vancouver, Sacramento and all points in between!

Life has taken me a bit farther from home these days, for both love of travel and love of friends.  My friend Elizabeth and I enjoyed exploring British Colombia on a long weekend to Vancouver earlier this month.  What a beautiful place!  In addition to hoofing it to every corner of mainland Vancouver, we ventured north to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and defeated any fear of heights we had by traversing the bridge and taking in all the park had to offer in the heart of the Temperate Rain Forest.  We also made it out to Victoria where the Butchart Gardens took our breath away!  

This past weekend I road-tripped it to Sacramento for the wedding of two dear Cal Poly friends, Manny and Jessica!  Fortunately my sister joined me for the long ride and spent the weekend in San Ramon with friends.  The couple was married at the Sacramento Cathedral, which turned out to be one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen.  The ceremony was stunning and perfectly reflective of the couple, and the wedding festivities doubled as a SLO Newman Center reunion, which is always a special treat.  For even more fun, I caught my first bridal bouquet ever!  I must give Jessica due accolades, as I've never seen anyone toss a bouquet with such force...I was really just protecting my face :-).

The ride home was sprinkled with other visits, including breakfast with Laura, Derek and Jason, and a final visit with John before he heads off to field exercises for three weeks.  All-in-all, it was a spectacular weekend!  Many congrats to Jessica and Manny, and many thanks to Lisa for tagging along!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Jennifer and Elizabeth at Butchart Gardens

Newman Crew and the Happy Couple

Sacramento Cathedral

Jennifer and John in Ventura 

Sometimes the best dates also include your sister :-)