friends

everything is more fun with friends.

even your favorite morning show.

when i asked, ethan informed me that the lion is holding the remote because "he's the only one that knows how to work it, the other animals don't know what to do".

of course, what was i thinking?

naked cowboy

when their mommies haven't folded the laundry for a few days

and there's nothing they really want to wear left in their drawers

naked cowboys are forced to take matters into their own hands

and dig through the dryer themselves

and digging is serious business for a cowboy, especially a little one

it requires muscles

and using your head

and caring nothing for your own pride

did i mention flexibility?

and bravery too, because if you've ever seen the laundry pile, there's really no guarantee that you'll even come out of there alive

thirty six

there are plenty of things about thirty six that i can say i'm not super thrilled about. in fact, i could do a whole post devoted to this list. first on the list would be my neck, i'm not sure what's happening there, but i definitely don't like it. and my skin, my pores seem to be growing bigger by the year, what is that about? and the two lines in between my eyebrows extending up from my nose. they used to only be there when i was scowling or focusing too hard, now, they live there no matter the emotion. not pleasant. they make me want to rush off for collagen injections, something i said i would never do.

but since today is a celebration, a happy day, a day of rejoicing...ok, that's taking it too far, but a happy day at least, i thought i would make a list of things i adore about thirty six.

1. i don't need everyone to like me,  instead i try to focus on the quality of the relationships that i do have.

2. i don't sweat the small stuff as much as i used too. mostly because i recognize how temporary the small stuff is.

3. line upon line, and precept upon precept adds up to a firm testimony after thirty six years.

4. crying babies make me giggle instead of panic. except at the grocery store, i still feel the urge to rescue children and babies crying three isles over and will steer my cart in the direction of the crying just to check and make sure no one is pinching them. you know, just in case.

5. never buy a bathroom with a mirror that faces the toilet.

6. rubbermaid containers might be the key to happiness.

7. i understand the importance of supportive underwear, liquid make up (no more powder), hair dye and tweezers.

8. i recognize and respect my quirks. it's ok if i don't love public restrooms or movie theaters or being away from home or spiders or closed in spaces or that i cry in the fall when my kids go back to school, or that i totally dig electric blue eye liner. it's just part of me, and those things are just not important enough to worry too much about.

9. it turns out, the old people who said "time flies" (who i thought they were crazy because i was thirteen then, and that age seemed to drone on for eternity), were actually right. where HAS the time gone?

10. (and i'll stop here) purpose. i have a much greater sense of my purpose and responsibilities as a thirty six year old than i did say, ten years ago. and i'm more comfortable in that role, especially that of being a wife and mother.  i adore this (not so) little brood and hopefully nurturing them well will be my greatest accomplishment.

yup, thirty six is a-ok.

but seriously, does anyone know a good neck firming cream?

thirty seven

tonight we celebrated rich's thirty-seventh birthday for about thirty-seven minutes before everyone broke into different directions for various wednesday night activites. we made good use of the time though and managed to fit in eating dinner, singing happy birthday and opening gifts, and eating a cupcake all before the chaos began (although not in that order, i seem to recall cupcakes coming first).

his gifts included:
new smaller jeans to match his thinner body
a halo reach reservation for monday night's release.
a gift card from ethan to purchase a "family" game since he was disappointed we bought halo and he knows he can't play it.
and finally, a majorly nerd-ish gift which he bought for himself, a super fancy remote control which i don't really understand. but hey, it's what he wanted, so there's no arguing that.

i wish i could have gotten him tickets to the US open that he's been watching so intently this week. the man loves tennis, what can i say. but that may be a gift/trip may not be until we're in another stage of life. at least he got to enjoy it from his couch.

happy happy birthday to our super duper, more than totally awesome ricardo mas.

i love you dear.

and thanks for having a favorite cupcake that doesn't appeal to me in the slightest (yellow cake with chocolate frosting). that paired well with my calorie counting today.

pride of ownership

while trying on new school jeans, i asked allie to turn around and "show me the butt" because i wanted to see how they fit.
she proceeded to shake her bootie to spice things up.
it brought to my attention this tahitian hip gene my daughter possesses that i was previously unaware of.
how on earth does she DO that?



she definitely did not get that oval hip swaying motion ability from her mother.
nope.
nosiree.
no skill whatsoever from me.
i would say that ethan's "technique" more closely resembles my own.
and seriously?
what makes a mother more proud than her daughter shaking her bootie?

p.s. she's going to die when she realizes i posted this. sorry allie, it's just too funny not to share.

am i being punked?

ashton kutcher is going to pop out any second and tell me this is all a big practical joke - 

because for real i could not be old enough to have a sixteen year old...right? 

but alas, the calendar says it's true.

i can't believe it - it's like i blinked and all of the sudden, he's a man with hairy legs and a deep voice, not to mention feet as big as texas and long legs to match them. 

lucky for me, our family, and his friends, his heart is even bigger than that.

man i love this kid.

we celebrated with spaghetti and homemade meatballs, and, his favorite dessert, junket cake.

and the only thing he wanted this year - a new set of clubs, which i forgot to photograph but they are sa-weet thanks to a screaming deal on ksl.com - (local craig's list). we love recycling.

 happy happy birthday taylor bing!

i sure love ya buddy

the paper bib

sometimes you just have to...

sport the paper bib
embrace the old bay seasoning stuck in every little crack of your manicured finger nails
pop hush puppies even though you know they're just deep fried globs of corn meal
laugh at the seemingly misplaced sausage in your basket of seafood
eat your whole dinner with your fingers, including the red potatoes
fight to get every last little morsel of crab meat out of those darn legs

why? because life shouldn't always be neat and tidy.
hence, the bib.
thank you joe's crab shack, and my cute mom for choosing it.

neglecting my family

i'm sure i'm the last person on the planet to finally read this book, but i'm posting about it anyway. because...it's amazing and i think everyone should read it. for real. it's that good. it's a good thing that in a burst of rare energy i cleaned my house from top to bottom all day yesterday before i really got into this book, because heaven knows i didn't get a dang thing done with my nose buried in it today.  i love a book like that.

i could stand on my soap box for hours talking about the human race, and my inability to wrap my brain around racism in any form, my intolerance for human suffering and what my reaction would be if it were me, but i won't. instead, i'll just recommend this fantastic story and let you draw up your own opinions. so go get it, and neglect your house work. you're welcome.

i like my job

the computer doesn't represent "me" time any more. 

now when i sit down to the computer,  i have hundreds of photos to edit, literally, from the several shoots that i've done over the last six weeks. and while showing up for the shoot doesn't take a ton of time, getting the photos looking all awesome during editing, does. 

don't get me wrong, i am grateful for the work that seems to be flowing my way right now. all the extra cash has helped to pay for all the things that seem to pop up when you move into a new home, and some fun summer activities too. so it's all good. no complaining here.

but... i do miss blogging.

and reading other people's blogs.

and twittering.

and editing my own photos

and time-wasting activities in general.

but it's worth it. 

 because seriously, look how much fun i've been having...

this sweet girl - eight is such a lovely age. so innocent.

this super fun family getting ready to send off a missionary.

and these darling sisters that are so lovely that i wish i could be part of their family.

and oh this tiny baby girl that i kissed and contorted a little too much.

and one of my favorite families on the planet! 

love these guys!

ya, i really do have the best job! i loved hanging out with the families on all of these shoots and i was pretty happy with most of the results. i do feel like i need to take a class or get involved with some kind of project that doesn't involve photographing people just to stretch my creative wings a little bit. although landscapes and architecture aren't quite as friendly.

so it's a good thing that i like my job, because i have a few more shoots in the queue waiting for editing and a few more scheduled on the calender. i like it, even if it means i don't have time to blog right now....

while you were sleeping

leah was pushing

 

 jason was cutting the cord

 

baby was relaxing under the heat lamp, even putting her feet up
NOT crying - not even a peep!

 and getting inked

mom and dad were doting

and i was shooting photos at a rate of three per second
oh, ya, and falling in love with this super sweet, soft, mellow, beautiful soul.

welcome to the family little one.
your birth was definitely worth losing some beauty sleep over

i'm so privileged and honored to have been there

emilia summer

6.5 lbs 20 inches long

"it is not a slight thing, that those so fresh from God, love us." - dickens

every day life

i love the joy of every day life.

these last few weeks have been like that, just really great.

nothing grand or special occasion necessarily,

just regular every day life.

and after moving, and the end of school and busy-ness of everything lately,
i'll take it!
i'm sure the fact that it finally feels like summer has something to do with it.
here's a little looksey at things that made me smile:

grandpa turned fifty nine! 
and so he BBQd burgers and grandma made her famous potato salad.

grandpa knows how to appreciate a funny card.
we sure love this guy.

rich brought home our copy of his game, TS3, so the kids beg him to play it every night when he gets home. even the teenagers who were not necessarily, the targeted demographic, give it two thumbs way up!
good job dad!

we saw TS3 the movie and loved it. even if we were not disney employees, and even if our dad wasn't "part of the magic" of this project (that's what his t-shirt says), we still would have been one of the first families in the door. we have loved these movies since taylor was ONE and currently house the world's biggest fan, his name is ethan.

the end was a little emotional for me and the four year old, but over-all we thought it was great.

ethan and i hung out at the children's museum with cousins while the teenagers were at youth conference. texas cousins were there too - whoohoo! we love this place!

it was FINALLY hot enough to swim.

ethan wore his goggles around the house for about an hour before it was time to go, ready to jump in.

when we walked out to the car, he asked rich, "why is everything blue?"

allie made the best batch of texas sheet cake ever. EVER. this might be my new favorite dessert.

find the recipe at blogger moms cook by clicking HERE.

ethan learned how to cross his eyes with a trick from dad - just follow your finger.

i'm not sure our family has ever laughed so hard.

like i said, simple joy.

i got to hold this sweet new baby for about an hour at the family party.

there's nothing like a snuggly newborn all swaddled and precious.

making friends right next door!

ones who like to play hard!

we are loving our neighborhood.

i had don, the singing handy man back to put in some shelves in the laundry room for me.

i am aware that they are a tad obnoxious, but i'm so desperate for storage space that i don't even care!  it's just the laundry room anyway right? i'm happy to have some shelves ready for a few unpacked boxes.

two different days my awesome SILs april and andrea came to help me organize the kitchen and garage and help me keep my sanity - no photos yet, but soon. i am so lucky that they enjoy organizing so much, they were hugely helpful.

a lovely BBQ with friends, which is becoming one of my favorite summer traditions!

last but not least, yesterday taylor helped me hang some of my little plates.
(sorry about the blurry photo)

why these little plates bring me so much joy, i'll never know, but they do, so i'll take it. 

this week looks promising with fun activities planned, hopefully i didn't just jinx myself.

i love summer.

working girl

allie bought the lamp and supplies and started up her own little glitter toes business this week, complete with a comfy chair and footstool in her bedroom - i mean salon.

there have been a few bumps to over-come, but over all it has gone smoothly and she has a lot of customers so far this week! it's been a great learning experience for her as well; investing money in the equipment, having to set up and keep appointments, be responsible for  happy customers, AND keep her room clean - hallelujah.

she is such a girlie girl, this job is right up her alley.

the first twenty people get a great "guinea pig" discount, only $5 for a full set of glitter toes! 

after that her regular rate will be $10. considering that they charge $25 or more at the salon, this is a great deal! 

do your toes need glitter too? maybe you should give allie a call.

while he was home

rich has been back to work now for a few weeks now, which is sad, because i'm never really ready for him to return. the month he was off happened to be the busiest month of the year for me, so it was especially nice to have another taxi driver to help divide and conquer when the kids' activities were at their peak. it was also great to have him available for every thing they were involved in, especially since we hadn't seen him in so long. here's what the month looked liked, while he was home. brace yourself, it was a busy month.

taylor boogied.

he went to his first prom with a big group of some of his very best friends.
i loved his tux and thought he looked like a stud.

here in utah, the "asking" is big pressure to come up with something creative. taylor staked out hailey's yard with caution tape like a crime scene, did a dead body chalk outline and wrote: "hailey i'd DIE to go to prom with you!" very cool and clever, and psyche-esque, taylor's favorite show.

the actual day of the event started with a large group photo/video scavenger hunt which i heard was great. later they broke into smaller groups, and with some help from the other boys' mothers, we hosted the dinner at our house, which was SO GREAT! i'm already thinking of how to make it more fun next year, if the kids will let me. the menu was: virgin daiquiris, strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar, lauri's strawberry & mango salad, chicken parmesan with linguini, bread sticks and dipping sauce, and some kind of heavenly chocolate dessert. 

on the way home from the grocery store that afternoon i realized, "i'm serving marinara sauce?! what was i thinking?!" luckily all the kids were down with using their napkins as bibs so there were no mishaps. phew!

after dinner we headed to the park to take some photos. the boys asked me to do their photos this year to save them some money, and of course, i was delighted! they insisted on bringing ethan, who was being entertained by dad downstairs. i love that they love him. 

ethan thinks these guys are the bees knees, and i agree.

this photo is perfect for illustrating ethan's life as a toddler in a teenage world. 

with them, he's always the center of attention, which he loves, obviously.

the whole group. 

the lovely girls.

taylor and hailey - cutest couple ever! they were both glowing with excitement and nerves and general cuteness, and hailey looked so gorgeous in her beautiful dress!

they wore matching grey chucks, hailey's idea that taylor loved.

of course, much silliness ensued.

i love these boys

high school musical jump - sort of.

followed by taylor's face plant

followed by hailey and i's hysterical laughing. it was THAT funny. 

hmmm. maybe next year i'll save that pose for when they're not wearing formal clothing? luckily nothing ripped or got a grass stain. i hear the dance was great, and they got all the girls home in time for their curfews, so we'll call it a success! 

ethan graduated.

ethan loves to sing, but i feel like that statement is pretty obvious once you've seen this photo. pure joy man. we are going to miss seeing awesome ms.laurie all the time, but lucky for us, she is andrew's mom, so we see her around often. she has a way of making you feel like a million bucks, which is pretty much my only requirement in selecting a pre-school teacher.

oh my gosh, look at that little guy. oh those cheeks.
age four is the best.

spencer sweated.

it was a bumpy lacrosse season. many of the players on spencer's team were first timers and the team hadn't quite gelled yet. but despite winning only two games all season, spencer played really well, including being one of the team's top scorers, and carrying a couple of the games.

i loved his intensity this season, he's kicked it up a notch since finding his groove last year.

i can see that we're going to be involved in this sport for a long long time. i'll take it, spencer is fun to watch.
and.
he ran fast.
hurdles, just like grandpa.

i was amazed that no one ever tripped.
there's a reason, i never ran hurdles.

allie danced.

as always we loved watching her, and after i commented on how grown up she looked on stage (something i say every year), rich said, "she was a grown woman up there on stage", which of course sent me straight to the tissue box. it's just so fun to watch her in her element, she's so lovely. this year she danced in six numbers including hip hop which was awesome. it's especially fun that so many of the thursday girls and even cousins dance with melanie too, so everyone has quite the cheering section!

allie loved that two of her best girlfriends, chloe and blair (the other two-thirds of the ABC ballet girls) came to cheer for her too, both lovely dancers themselves.

we love all the support!

taylor harmonized.

the high school spring choir concert was... interesting. 
which is strange because usually is fantastic.

but i really liked the sophomore group.

and really, the best part of being in choir, is hanging with your peeps.
and taylor's peeps are no exception, we love these guys as much as he does.

boys don't know how to do anything without acting like hot dogs. it's just part of their genetic make up. they can't help themselves. they are the reason mothers invented eyeball rolling.

spencer played. 

 spencer's spring orchestra concert was nice.

not too long which is happy for toddlers and parents alike.

it looks as though this was our last time hearing spencer perform the violin since he's decided his real calling is singing. and while i agree that his voice is a great one, and musical theater will be fun for him next year, i am having mixed feelings about letting him give up the violin that he also plays so well.

allie screamed.
for conrad birdie that is. the junior high musical production of bye bye birdie this year totally knocked my socks off! we have some really incredible talent in our little area which always surprises me. the big push at the end of rehearsals was semi-brutal, but over all i think it was a great experience for allie. 

she played the girl that wouldn't smile for conrad's manager. i for one, was SHOCKED that she played this scene without cracking so much as a grin. i kept waiting for her to crack under the pressure.
the girl loves the stage what can i say? 
and she played that giggly, girlie, boy-crazy teenager spot on - go figure!

ethan flew.
ethan was inspired by watching the prom kids jump off our brick ledge in the front yard. he begged me to take photo after photo of him jumping off of the ledge and would crack up looking at LCD screen after each one. then he would say, "just one more". 

until he was happy with this shot.

 super man!
these will be really fun to edit....some day.

we packed. 

and i didn't take any photos!
what the?
except this one...

which also represents ethan's ability to play with anything.

we moved.
and i didn't get any photos of that either.
i was exhausted ok?
but it went pretty smooth.
and we found out just how loved we are.
which is a lot.

and then, the next day, rich went back to work.