Christmas Eve Fun 2011

The Gilmore's hosted Christmas Eve this year, and it was a wonderful party! Delicious food (most importantly shrimp cocktail and meatball subs), wonderful family (the Gilmore's, the Hagiwara's minus Michael, the Ghiazza's, & the Otten's), great friends (Amy joined us), hilarious doggies (the 3 Gilmore pups) and Justin Bieber's Christmas album! Yes, a few of us may have rocked out to Under the Mistletoe by JB. It was awesome. You know what else was awesome? Dave got off in time to eat and join in on the Biebs dance. I also caught a pic of Dad being the first one to the dinner table and Kali joining him right away. This was a very joyous Christmas and I am thankful for family and friends.


Dad got an orange hat to match his orange socks:)

I love me some KALI!

Kali and Dad chowing down:)

Baby Hagiwara!

Top 10 Blessings for 2011

In no particular order Dave and I thought about our top 10 blessings from the year, which was actually quite hard to do.

-My South Korean Trip: wonderful time spent with family, especially Carlie and the newest Tessa! This was a unique opportunity and I am very blessed to have been able to go there for 12 days.

-Dave graduating medical school, becoming a wonderful doctor that takes time to teach, show empathy and laugh a little, surviving Intern year while interviewing, getting a civilian deferment, and still having time for family

-Finding something I think I will really enjoy and having the opportunity to go back to school (Respiratory Therapy)

-Our health, along with the health and love of our family and friends

-Travel: Hawaii, western CO, St Louis, Uganda (Dave), Arizona (Dave), South Korea (Gwen)... We are blessed to be able to do the things we love and visit the people we love.

-Family. This year I feel closest to our families and grateful to be close to most of them. I am thankful for my growing number of nieces and can't wait to spend more time with them.

-Asher- I feel like our little kitty always knows when we need a snuggle or a laugh. She is the sweetest thing and we are blessed to have her in our lives.

-Learning to live each day as it comes. It is hard to not count down the hours until your next shift, or count the hours away. We have tried to live in the moment as much as possible. We are trying to appreciate each other, time together, and time apart.

-A warm apartment, with plenty to eat and working vehicles.

-A loving Savior that actively pursues a relationship with us and is watching over us. We can trust that everything that happens in our lives is in His hands and in His plans, and even though we might not always recognize it at the time, He is guiding our lives on a daily basis.

That sums up 2011 in a nutshell.



Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

With Love,
Dave and Gwen

Quick Trip to St. Louis

This weekend we went to St Louis, MO. Dave had an interview with Washington University and we have friends that live there. The Kothe's are the couple we went to Hawaii with and they recently bought a home in the area. It was great to spend time with them and Dave had a great visit with Wash U's program. I don't think it outweighs Denver Health, but it is a great second or third choice. We visited St Charles (an old part of the area with cobble stone streets), the St Louis Zoo (it was free and awesome!), and the Science Museum (also free). While at the zoo, we saw the penguin parade in which I was about 1 foot away from a penguin! Awesome! We also ate some delicious Italian food on the "Hill" which is the Italian neighborhood. It was a wonderful weekend away. I unfortunately got the stomach flu on our last day in St Louis and spent the day nauseated and/or in the bathroom. By bathroom I mean, public restroom and airport toilets:( No bueno, but I survived the flight and spent the next day resting. All in all, it was a great trip!

While in St Charles, there was an old time Christmas celebration and Dave met not only Santa, but .....

AMERICA SANTA!!


Yup, that is me, watching the penguin parade!

Caitlin and I with a giant penguin.

Penguin Parade:)

Giving Thanks in 2011

I am thankful for many thing this year. I am thankful for time with family and with Dave. I feel like I have been seeing family almost every weekend and although Dave may not always be there, it is still nice seeing my sisters/mom/dad/in-laws/grandparents. I am grateful each time Dave and I are off at the same time. I am thankful for living 1 hour from family whether headed north or south. I am grateful for time spent traveling to see family. South Korea was a wonderful trip and I am so blessed to have been there for Tessa's birth. I am thankful for my health, Dave's health, and the health of our extended family. I am thankful for 3 beautiful nieces and one more niece/nephew on the way! I'm thankful for warm clothes in times of 20 degree days, for a cozy apartment with crazy neighbors always keeping us on our toes, and for plenty of food for nourishment. I am also thankful for our special furry friend (or should I say child) named Asher! She is the best company and almost always up for snuggling in your lap. Maybe this sounds cheesy, but it is nice to write down your thanks. I'm sure I have many more thanks, but I will keep this post short.

Here are some pictures of Thanksgiving 2011 in Colorado Springs. It was a wonderful day with amazing food, great company, and pies!


Beautiful turkey! Great job dad!


Wonderful Dinner:


The Newly Weds:


Beautiful sister and niece (Kezia and Kali):


Great weather for a walk after dinner!


Kali scoping out her christmas list.


Dave and Grandaddy: