engaged-83-of-161light-sweet-cam-ang-5-2WE DID IT! One Year officially as husband and wife! And what a year it has been! From travelling around the world to places far beyond reality and ones I only envisioned in my wildest dreams, to enjoying our very first Christmas as Mr & Mrs, to allowing myself to follow a crazy/passionate feeling in my heart which led to creating “The Naturally Natalie”, to experiencing Salt Lake City and everything to do with Food Blogging, to welcoming two beautiful nieces into our lives, to enjoying the best days of summer at the family cottage, to spending time with the ones we love, and most of all to waking up beside each other everyday, thanking God for giving us another precious moment to laugh, to smile, to cry, to talk, and to embrace life hand in hand. Yes, this year has been one we will always remember and one we will cherish forever and ever. “Let’s do this babe!” Round #2!

20161017152848_img_5105light-sweet-cam-ang-5Who’s this handsome stud you may ask? 6 foot 3, caring/kind/loving/open-hearted/driven/funny/intelligent/hardworking only to name a few. He is my saviour, my best friend and now my husband. My fate and the other half of me. That man right there, is my life.

20161017195058_img_5173light-sweet-cam-ang-5-3He is the reason I feel so confident, beautiful and alive. He is the reason I am the happiest I have ever been and ever will be. I smile because I am geniunely happy with my life, with myself, with my relationship with him, with the trust & honesty we share, and most of all the love we have for one another. The bond we share is truly amazing and one I thank my lucky stars for everyday of my life.

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Ok let’s just rewind for a second! When I said “He is my life” what I really meant to say was THESE TWO stooges! Yep that white gorgeous fur ball in front, with the brains & wit from her Dad and the looks from her Momma, my one and only.. my girl, Myla.

20161019100953_img_5311light-sweet-cam-ang-5When Jordan and I first started contemplating on where to go for our anniversary we both knew, hands down that we A) didn’t want to take a plane, B) wanted it to be within reasonable driving distance from home so that we could enjoy all of the amazing sights and feelings the season of Autumn brings to us including the memory of our wedding day and C) we absolutely 1 million percent HAD TO be able to go somewhere as a family…. just the 3 of us.

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So with a duffle bag full of eats, some plaid shirts and our cozy slippers we were off! To the worlds most magical lodge also known as The Fairmont Montebello in Quebec. A lovely family get-away, situated on the Ottawa River, just 2 and a half hours north of our family cottage, in an old historic magical lodge, with a six sided floor to ceiling stone fireplace, numerous relaxing amenities, hiking trails, squash, tennis, swimming pools, (in the winter months) there are fields for dogsledding, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, curling, cross country skiing and more! Our kind of paradise…

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20161018111930_img_5235light-sweet-cam-ang-520161019101526_img_5321light-sweet-cam-ang-520161019100009_img_5289light-sweet-cam-ang-5I was shocked at how much there actually was to do at this beautiful resort. You could literally do something different every hour of the day if you wanted to! With it being Autumn the outside pool was obviously closed however we did take a dip in the beautiful pristine indoor pool and then got into our robes and had a nap by the fire. They also have these really neat underground walking tunnels that can take you right from the main lobby to different locations around the property. Thanks to my hubby for pointing that one out!

20161019101547_img_5322light-sweet-cam-ang-5We walked/hiked and even ran the trails throughout the property daily, as well as hit the gym for an extra early morning sweat before hitting the Fairmont’s luxurious main restaurant for breakfast. Lets just say we got our exercise!!! Everything at the main restaurant was delicious and prepared beautifully by the chef. I especially enjoyed this vegan “croquette” dish I ordered on our first night. Two large homemade legume falafels with polenta, carrots, in a red pepper sauce with some crisp kale chips on the side…. “tellement delicieux!”

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When arriving at The Fairmont Montebello there are a few options… you can drive in with your vehicle (obviously!), however there are 2 other ways to arrive to this magical place. By boat and also by helicopter as they have both a large marina with docks as well as a heli-pad for when the movie stars come into town 🙂

20161018114127_img_5265light-sweet-cam-ang-5I must have I have honestly never seen Myla happier and so at peace. From the moment we pulled in until the moment we sadly had to leave she was like a little kid at disney world! All excited to start the day, taking in every moment, hiking with us, enjoying naps by the fire, and even shared a croissant with me at breakfast :):):)

20161019100109_img_5294light-sweet-cam-ang-5          20161019101842_img_5333_1light-sweet-cam-ang-5  20161019103302_img_5351light-sweet-cam-ang-5 20161019103820_img_5353light-sweet-cam-ang-5We loved sharing every moment as a family, reflecting on the past year and all of the goodness it has brought to our lives. Jordan and I have learned so much, we have grown as a couple in so many ways and truly appreciate every moment we get to spend whether it be on a relaxing little get-away like this one, or even just at home on a friday morning having our traditional FRIYAY waffle breakfast.20161019103901_img_5354light-sweet-cam-ang-5Life is about living in the moment, feeling the serenity and peace that the simplest moments can bring us. The feeling of being healthy, alive and beautiful. The feeling of confidence and determination, never giving up on anything you truly believe in. Doing what makes you happy and continuing to learn and grow and inspire yourself and others to live life the way you’ve always dreamed. No one can ever take away what you believe in, what you love to do and who you are. Be yourself, live simply and life will reward you with great things.

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