Bridals

Here are the Bridals. Mom if you like any of these let me know.
These pictures were taken by Heather Annette Photography check out http://heatherannette.com/

Complete Seattle Photos Larger files

Complete Portland Wedding Photos larger file size

If you want to print any of these photos larger, please send me an e-mail with detailed descriptions of the photos and I will ask our photographer for the originals and send them to you.
e-mail hamcalves@gmail.com

Moved into our new house.

So I have tons of pictures that I still haven't put up from Taiwan and I should probably change the title of our blog, but I really don't think I will be writing very much on it anymore. Anyways I want to show you where we live...so I have made this awesome video. Let's see if it works!  It is new house in Provo because we have indeed moved back to the states to finish school.

I hope it works and you can see it and everything.  enjoy!

Hsinchu Adventure

Ok so maybe a month ago I went to Hsinchu to do some site seeing. Alan had decided he did not want to go out in the heat so I went by myself. It's cool. Whatever. 


Hsinchu is a city about 30 minutes outside of Xinfeng where we live. So it is really just a quick train ride away.

So first I rode my bike to the train station then bought my train ticket....yes I did it in Chinese, then I waited for the train.

Journey to Hong Kong and back

Our Journey to Hong Kong began at very early at 5:15am when we woke up to get ready for our 45minute ride to the Taipei International Airport. We arrived early and figured out how to get our tickets. When I went through immigration I waited at the booth while the lady swiped my passport. Then she got on the phone and this man came. He didn't explain what was going on, he just took my passport and motioned that I follow him. I was really nervous because my Mandarin is terrible and Alan was already through. I was super confused because I got into the country just fine so what was the problem now with me leaving? They took me into this back room and photocopied my passport then we went to this other booth where I stood for 10 minutes while this old man tried to figure out how to do something on the computer. Then this younger guy came and helped him and I got my passport back and the ok to go. We were on our way to Hong Kong!!!

Learning to ride a bicycle in Taiwan

So a couple of weeks ago a friend lent us some bicycles for the rest of the summer. I was eager to get on the road, but Alan was a little anxious. When I had asked him to go on a ride when we were in Provo, he would say that he wasn't a good bike rider and didn't want to go.  He had never had a bicycle growing up...that was his excuse...or so I thought. I was not very sensitive, because I have been riding since I can remember, I had a little strawberry short cake bicycle. (Which I hated at the time because I really wanted a mountain bike like my brothers. I thought then they would let me go play cops and robbers with them.) Anyways, so I pushed and pushed and finally we were on the road. Alan was super nervous, but  I thought he was just being a baby.  

Taipei Temple

Some of our friends took us to the LDS temple in Taipei. Pretty cool.

A trip down ocean tree lane

Here are several pictures we have had for a while, but have not posted....because I forgot about them...yeah.

So we were taken to the ocean which we did not take pictures of...because it was not a flattering beach for Taiwan.... But we did take pictures of the people practicing for the dragon boat festival as well as these cool trees/walk way close to the ocean. These trees only grow next to the ocean.  Note this is where we actually watched the dragon boat festival....It was completely transformed. 

Favorite Restaurant

Family Home evening with the Tian family

Dragon Boat Festival

We were dropped off by a friend at the road and then we walked down to the water where the dragon boat races were taking place.

Novelties of the Month

Ok so we saw some pretty cool things this month. Check it out.

This video is of the girls in our school. They train every morning with these toy guns. Why? To perform at school events. Why only girls? I am still asking people that question and they just don't seem to know. But I will get to the bottom of it.

Thank You to Christine

This is Christine Armbruster. She was my amazing photographer. She came to take pictures in Seattle and Portland over two days. I can't tell you what a fantastic job she did. I am so grateful.  If you are looking for a photographer for any project you would be incredibly blessed to have her. You can check out her work at http://www.christinearmbruster.com/

Again, just in case you missed what I am saying, She is AMAZING!!!!

The Wedding in Portland, Oregon

We got married in the Portland, Oregon LDS temple. April 29, 2011. I really wanted to get married the same day as my friend Prince William. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was the only weekend that worked.......

The marriage ceremony was beautiful where we promised to be true to love and be with each other forever. I was/am so happy. I never thought I would cry at my wedding, but I was so unbelievably happy I had to try super hard not to just start bawling. Alan got teary eyed as well. It was so wonderful to be there with him and I knew that it was one of the best choices I have ever made. I knew that things would get tough sometimes, but Alan would be my partner through it all. I love him and he loves me. the end.

The Tea Ceremony

Saturday April 30, 2011. Morning. Bellevue, Washington

This day was one year to the day that Alan and I first started dating. This will make it easier for me to remember. (Alan has no problem remembering these sorts of things.)

The Chinese Banquet

Saturday April 30th.....evening time.

Seattle Washington-China Town.

This is the record of our Chinese Banquet. I hope you like it.

Photos were taken by Christine Armbruster.

Our Chinese Banquet was held at the House of Hong

There were some 35 tables with 10 people at a table. There were a lot of guests. Notice the giant double happiness character in the background. This is used to represent weddings. When you get married you go from being one happy to two happies. Thus the double happiness includes to happiness characters together symbolizing the bride and groom together....or so I have been told. Also Red is the lucky color for the wedding. So a lot of things are red here. The favors are red, my dress is red...you get the picture.

My Sleeping Beauty

This morning I wake up and am getting ready for work, when alan begins to call out to me,

"Crys I need your help to get out of bed!"

"What's wrong Alan?"

"I'm sleeping beauty. I need your help to wake me up."

I turn around to find Alan lying flat on his back arms at his side pretending to be sleeping beauty. I almost died laughing and it was several minutes of Alan pleading with me to stop laughing before I was able to wake my sleeping beauty. I think that may have been one of the greatest moments of married life...for me at least....

First Week in Taiwan

In case you are wondering.....there will be a post about the wedding as soon as we get somepictures from the photographer. I want you to see the really nice ones.

So now we are in Taiwan. So cool right? Probably not the best choice of words because really it is hot with 100% humidity. Fortunately our office at school is air conditioned and so is our tiny apartment.

Getting Married

The Meeting

I met Alan while serving my mission in New York City. We first served together in Long Island where he quickly proceeded to pick on me to my face and behind my back while he was around his fellow missionaries. We served together for over seven months and still he picked on me. I honestly always believed he was an awesome person and I really wished we were friends. The thing is there were several times when it was just our two companionships together, he would be so nice and considerate and would come talk to me and demand my attention. Also he would always end up sitting next to me when we would have district meetings and district activities. He would always call me over to look at pictures of his niece. She was cute, but I thought it was strange behavior for someone who swore he hated me. I remember torturing him before we left the mission to come home by saying I would make him be my friend when we got home. He said that after that conversation he told all the elders that he would never see me again. Three weeks later (after I came home too) he contacted me on facebook and eventually we started hanging out.

(Alan is sitting next to me as we made sushi for our district activity)