December 21, 2009

2009 in a Nutshell

As 2009 comes to an end, I look back and think how much my life has changed!

January
Let's start with an end to an awesome OU Football season, celebrated in Miami, and quickly saddened by the end of it all in Miami. All in all it was the fastest trip I have ever taken, and I'm not complaining I was ready to bolt as soon as we lost. I am thankful for William's dad for always getting us tickets to the bowl games :).

Life Lesson: Maybe if we stop going to bowl games, then maybe OU will win one?  I hope that's not true.


First night out in South Beach (I might mention this was our first and last night out in Miami)







Beautiful South Beach on Game Day!




National Championship 2009



Best Friends in Miami!

February
The start of my fabulous new job was in February. I can't count how many times walking to my car after a day's work, I thank God and think how God has truely blessed me with a job that makes me happy every single day.

Also in February I survived my first tornado ( it was a very very very small tornado) and William got accepted into law school!

Life Lesson:  Everything happens for a reason!.....Oh and when it comes to Tornados...don't panic!

March
PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN that wedding!

Life Lesson:  "Patience is a virtue".  A virtue that I never have had, and had to learn some way to gain.



Happy Persian New Year 2009

April
William and I decided that it was time to take a ski trip to Aspen to see our dear friends Laura & Kyle.  We drove all 13 hours, but it was well worth it!  We went for closing weekend at Highlands (one of the four mountains in Aspen).  Let me tell you this was a memorable trip!  Long story short, this happened to be my first time to be in a skiing accident.  YES, I have been skiing since I was 5, and YES this was the first time I got in an accident, and YES it so happened to be 3 months before my wedding.  All in all it turned out okay. Aspen got hit with a crazy snowstorm.  I just so happen to be on the first run down the mountain,  I over corrected myself and did a little flip in the air, one ski released and the other didn't, and I heard a snap in my knee and landed weird.  The verdict from the doctor was a torn ACL ( the real verdict is still unknown).  Kyle and William were such troopers and stood by my side the entire time!  I love them for that!  That was the downer, but I did enjoy myself the rest of the weekend in an awkward knee brace.  It was funny without words, people just took one look at me and understood what happened! 

I also got to see where Laura worked, and got to celebrate the craziness of closing day! It was so much fun and I hope William and I get to make it back again this year!

Life Lesson:  No intense sports before your wedding.



On the Balcony of Laura & Kyle's Condo




It's Raining.... Snow?



My SMO SMO SMO




On the top of the mountain by Laura's restaurant





Beautiful Aspen!




AND this is how I felt about my knee brace!




Highland's Closing Party!

May
I had a fun filled Vegas Vacation in May with my lovely friends, that don't live anywhere near me. Coming together for weddings, vacations, get togethers, really makes me cherish the memories we do have together. It is always so fun to see each other, but always bittersweet when I have to go back home. Mallory made a special appearance in Vegas, which was the sugar on top of the weekend! Love You ALL! 

Life Lesson:  Nothing will replace my dear friends who have been there through thick and thin...I love them dearly!




Bach Round 2 in Vegas...who will be round 3????



Love my sweet friends!



Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay's restaurant)


By the way the best part of the trip was not just being with all of my friends, Mallory surprising me, or just being in Vegas... BUT we got to meet Tom Colicchio of Top Chef & Bobby Flay! Vegas gets better and better every year!






 June
William and I went to San Diego for my mom's conference (National Conference on Race & Ethnicity). I love my mom to death and am so proud of what she has been doing for the past 20+ years. She really has made a difference!


While we were in California, William and I also took a short train ride to see my family that lives in Orange County! I miss them all so much and I am so happy William got to meet most of them! We had such a FUN time!

Life Lesson: Family means everything to me and for that I am grateful for the families I do have.

San Diego Zoo





The Bird Cage at the San Diego Zoo





Torrey Pines





 

Laguna Beach with my aunt!





 Mahsa and me out and about



Laguna Beach



July
Oh Happy Day! July 11, 2009: The day I became a Pace!


And through my shock and tears I exclaimed, "I get to be a PACE!!"-Right after William proposed to me.

I was truely blessed to be able to have a day where everything I have ever dreamed up came together and most importantly with the husband/companion/partner I have always dreamed of!

Words can't express how fantastic not only our wedding day was, but the start of our lives together! When we came back from our honeymoon everything just came together!

July also brought 2 new families together! Pace + Nabavi! I love them all so very much! I don't know what I would do without my family, and now I don't know what I would do without William's Family!

Life Lesson:  Once again, patience is a virtue; everything will fall in place, you just have to wait for it!



 

 

 

 

 

 



August
MOVING DAY! William and I finally moved into a house! It is perfect for us right now, and right by his school! It is also a perk for me because it now takes me 10 minutes to get to work! William also began law school this month!

Life Lesson:  This will be the LAST time we move in the summer and without movers.  We are blessed to have friends like David and Zach, and family that worked hard through that hot summer day!

September
ITS A GIRL FINALLY! My Brother & Liz had a girl finally after 4 boys! Her name is Katherine (we call her Kate) Elizabeth Nabavi and I love her dearly! She is BEAUTIFUL!


Whoo Hoo for a niece!

October & November
William and I made our way down to Dallas (again) for the OU/tx game.  We cringed in our seats the entire time, and I scowled at the longhorn fans in our section. OU didn't put up the football season we wanted, but hey there's always next year!

I made my first real thanksgiving dish (Green Bean Casserole) and 2 pumpkin pies. We also celebrated 3 glorious thanksgiving dinners. YUM!




 


 December
William survived Law School, we was are surviving being newlyweds, and we are excited as ever to celebrate our first Christmas!




As you can see 2009 was a great year that brought William and I as husband and wife, families together, great memories with my closest friends, traveling, and a reunion with my family in California. I have also learned many lessons in life, and have grown because of that. I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for William and I.  It's a funny thing, people always talk about these chapters in life, but I literally see the chapters now, I see one page closing and another story beginning, and I just can't wait to keep reading!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR
Love: William, Hanieh, Bohdi, and Izze Pace

P.S. 873 Days until William graduates :)

December 14, 2009

Take Me Back to Costa Rica....




Now that the weather outside is truly frightful (no pun intended), but seriously I can't handle cold weather!  The only time I can handle it is when I am swoosh swooshing down the slopes.  So, I thought I would take the time to reminisce on the memories of William and I's honeymoon in glorious/beautiful/amazing/spectacular Costa Rica!

We defiantly fell in love with Costa Rica!  The people were so incredibly nice; it almost made you feel guilty.  The landscape was absolutely gorgeous, and the whole trip was everything we could hope for and more!  This was such a great start to our marriage...and might I add a great start to being 25 (My birthday was on our honeymoon...and will forever be the same week as our wedding anniversary).  I could go on and on, so much so that you would probably hop on a flight right now and go...so here are some pics from our glorious honeymoon!


Our Fabulous Resort!











 






 We took an all day excursion exploring the country side of Costa Rica.  We went horse back riding, zip lining, and took a trip to a local volcano, where we got the famous Costa Rican mud bath.
 
 The hot springs, where the Mud Bath took place.

 
 The Volcano!
 
Zip Lining - My absolute favorite!
 
 The part of Costa Rica we were in, had mud sand instead of the beachy sand we are use to.
 
Sunset Cruise



Eating at an outdoor steak house at our resort.

 This is how my birthday went down:  I spent the day at the Spa, and William spent the day at one of the most beautiful golf courses we have seen!  (Not to mention this was 2 months after he golfed Torrey Pines in San Diego)

 
 William on Cloud 9.  A lot of the holes, like this one, overlooked the ocean.
 
 Happy Birthday to me!  I could not have had a better 25th Birthday....a birthday in Paradise with my new husband!
 
William and I took a Jungle Boat cruise...and these monkeys were the highlight of our trip!  These wild monkeys came on our boat and we got to feed them in their natural habitat...so AMAZING!

 
 Feeding the Monkeys!
 
William holding a jungle grasshopper

 
Last Day....it was a bittersweet day!