wedded bliss!

I'm in love with being in love. These two could not be any more beautiful and their wedding couldn't have been any sweeter. It was an amazing, amazing day. Congratulations!! My hubby and I are more in love today after watching these two in love. Ahhhh, February...

wedding dinner

The lighting was challenging because it was night time, in low lights, with reflective windows everywhere, but these are a few of my favorite of the over 200 (!) shots I took on this beautiful night. My favorite might be the one of Burgundy reassuring her dad that everything will be okay (though I could do without the funny looking "hat" on Mark's head - I'll have to photoshop that out!) Love you Burgs and Trevor...Tomorrow is the big day. Can't wait!

favorite things photo challenge #17, 18,19,20,21, and 22

How I love this baby! He was so sweet and so good today at my house while his mama had a well deserved (and much too short) nap. I love this last captured shot. I do believe he is smirking at me! And look at that little fist. Stones, dude!

favorite things photo challenge #15 and 16

My green-eyed Kyler. And there he is flying out of the scene!

favorite things photo challenge #14

My Blue-eyed Kaden

favorite things photo challenge #10, 11, 12 and 13

Trying and trying to get this photography thing down but I'm not quite there yet...I'm still making too many corrections in Photoshop. I've got to figure out how to make the adjustments on my CAMERA. (These photos are probably 40% camera, 60% Photoshop.) At least I have a stinkin' cute model to work with (one who was very confused tonight as to why I got him out of bed and changed him out of his pjs to take pictures!) More practice tomorrow...I'll be tending a NEWBORN!!! (Can't WAIT!) And by the way, this last picture is a keeper. This is a boy who never stops talking. I'm not kidding, if he's awake, he's talking. He's a real chatterbox. Sometimes I have to dial Dad's phone just so Kolby can talk to someone ELSE for a minute! This picture reminds me of him pausing briefly between little thoughts and sentences. And he speaks in "stream of conciousness style." In the car yesterday he was chattering away as usual and these were his observations: "Heh!...that's funny. It's sunny and froggy (foggy) and raining all at the same time. That's wierd. That would be funny if it was sunny and froggy and raining and DARK all at the same time, huh Mom? Wouldn't that be funny Mom?"

twilight fan anyone?

I made a couple of these frames for girlfriends for Christmas, somewhat as a joke, telling my friends that, really, the picture spaces are for pictures of their children, but the frames were such a hit that my friend Shelly (www.sayanythingexpressions.com) and I have had some requests for more. Are they fun or what? Want one? E-mail me or leave a comment and I'll send you pricing info. Twilight fans ubite!

all tucked in

My honey's nightly sleep position from approximately 9pm until about 4am. Usually the mouth is open a tad bit more. No one is safe from my BLOG. (**evil laugh.*)

dinner

took dinner to a family who has a new baby: fettuccine alfredo, rolls, salad, cupcakes and, of course, sparkling cider to help celebrate. now what should I fix for my own family!?

love is a wonderful thing

Now that they've all been mailed and the wedding is just a short time away, I can post the wedding announcement Burgundy and I created in Photoshop. Personally, I think it's beautiful (but it doesn't hurt that we had AMAZING pictures to work with!) Congratulations, Burgundy and Trevor!! It's a great thing to be able to watch two people in love, just about to begin their lives together. And with our 14th wedding anniversary in just a couple of weeks, Kent and I can't help but remember our engagement and the adoration we had for each other then. Who ARE those two young kids in our announcement? Are they really US?! The love and adoration changes over the years, doesn't it? It's a much different kind of love now. We no longer hide our flaws from each other. We sometimes criticize each other's life philosophies. We see each other differently. But our love has grown into something even stronger than it was 14 years ago. 14 years from now, Burgandy and Trevor will look at their wedding announcement in awe. Love is a wonderful thing! P.S. That's what my hair looks like long. Now do you know why I keep it short?! And what was I, afraid to stand too close to Kent? I vaugely remember being afraid his size 13 shoes would step on my size 6, new, white ones.

busy - ness

A few posts ago I mentioned the busy, crazy week I was having and today was the pinnacle of the busy-ness. This morning we had baptisms and as I was rushing from place to place, trying to help the families, I backed my SUV into a small car. There's just nothing like a fender bender to put a damper on your spirits all day long, particularly when the bender is your own offense! I then spent the afternoon preparing for a baby shower I helped throw for baby Gabriel (the most delicious baby I've ever held. That's him, sleeping on my shoulder,) -- see blue cookies -- and a dinner party, where the required dinner ticket was a dessert that would be judged on presentation and taste. Yikes. At the shower I got to feed the little man a bottle and enjoy a major endorphin buzz. It was almost good enough to ease my qualms about the car incident. I rushed back home to bake my dessert for the party, only to have it sink and rise in all the wrong places. (But somehow it won second place in the contest so I guess it tasted better than it looked.) I said hello and goodbye to my boys and they looked at me as if they didn't recognize who I was. I knew I'd neglected them far too much this week when Kenyon called our amazing, beautiful dinner party, I answered the phone, knowing it was him, and he asked if he could talk to Dad. My good husband has had to pick up far too much of my slack this week, yet he has done it uncomplainingly and I hope he knows how much I love him for it. Even though he and I were going out for dinner tonight, he fixed a gourmet meal for the boys. (Not to mention the yummy pancakes he made them this morning while I was at the baptism.) He probably fed them lunch too but I wouldn't know. I wasn't here. Tonight I've got to prepare a Sharing Time for tomorrow because I promised myself I wouldn't go to bed until it was done. So why am I on this computer? Because, once again, I am reminded that my life is full. I am surrounded by people I love...friends, neighbors, family, a wonderful husband, and blessings galore. I stand by the old Utah cliche: I AM BLESSED. I am truly, truly blessed and I thank my Father in Heaven for my full and vigorous life. I strive to someday strike a better balance, but in the meantime, I will recognize the gifts in my life. Oh shoot. Just realized I forgot to pick up a birthday present for Grandpa's birthday party tomorrow. My life reminds me of a bumper sticker I had in college: "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get." That is my unintended mantra in life. Will I ever catch up? I'm going to ignore the scratchy feeling in my throat and move forward. Next week? Bring it on. I'm ready. (I think.) OH, and Happy Birthday, Wesley!!!

Princess Tea Party!

Utah residents: Wouldn't you just love a day out with your granddaughter, your daughter, your niece or your favorite little girl? Find out about this amazing Queen Bee Tea and charity princess dress auction at the link on my sidebar. Mrs. Utah, Emily Nelson is putting on the worthwhile event and is also looking for companies/entities to sponsor dresses. Please e-mail me if you are interested or may know someone who might be.

CTMH Artwork

Finally a piece of artwork I can show a pic of! Lately I've been working on fun projects I can't share. This one is for a big, fun swap with friends for a two day retreat at a gorgeous lodge. If it were just for me, I would probably bling it out a bit more, but since I have to make 20 of these layouts, I'd better stop! The title says, "In a constant state of perpetual motion" and on the other side it says "{BOY}" That's my life! I haven't turned the layout in yet. Comments and suggestions are welcomed (and appreciated!)

VIP

One more thing to post tonight...I have a busy week ahead and my to do list was a mile long today when Kaden came home from school and said he's the VIP in his third grade class this week and needs a poster for tomorrow. "Great! That's so exciting!" I said through clenched teeth. I'm proud to say we were able to create a digital poster in half and hour. I'll pick it up at Sam's Club tomorrow morning and deliver it to the school. It will only cost 6.50 for a 16X20 poster. I love the digital age! -Oh, and at 12:38am I've checked off everything on my to do list and I'm off to bed.

TGIM

"Thank goodness it's Monday," ...that's what I say, because every Monday Wesley and I go to lunch at Joe Bandidos and splurge on our no caffeine diet. (And every other kind of diet, because, let's face it, Mexican food and DIET don't belong in the same sentence.) Daniel, our waiter every Monday, knows exactly what to bring us. He doesn't even have to ask. What could be better than that? (It's almost embarrassing.) I don't know what I would do without this Monday afternoon tradition. Wesley is the best friend anyone could EVER have. She knows everything about me and yet she continues to be my friend. Thanks for all the Monday Joe Bandidos therapy sessions where you solve all my problems, Wesley. Here's to many, many more! (Oh, and I love the look on Kolby's face. He's thinking, "Ummmmm, I don't think my mom is supposed to drink that stuff anymore.")