a room with a view

Usually when you live in a "development" views aren't always the best. It's usually a side of a house or someone else's yard. But this is MINE.

It's one of my favorite things. When I have to load the dishwasher for the 3rd time in a day or make meals (which I do 3 times daily ;) I LOVE getting to look out at this.

My cute neighbors who live behind us are tending their (large) garden constantly. They work so hard and I get to benefit from it. So do many others. I often watch people from our ward out their with their families picking fruit, loading up buckets to take home to turn into jam and all sorts of other yummy things. They are such giving people. They even have chickens my kids love to go help catch or throw bread to.

I have wanted to take a picture of it forever!! I finally did. The roses look gorgeous but they actually aren't even at there peak. They turn into a sea of PINK.

Thank you O family for giving me one of my favorite treasures!!!

eye balls

Sloane has been determined lately to learn to cross her eyes and KEEP them crossed WITH OUT the help of her finger. They don't seem to stay where she wants them. Watch as she practices...

Warning: you might laugh.

summer

More fun summer photos from Hayley to come.

Where is summer going?? It always goes by SO fast. Life just goes by so fast.

Trying to wrap my head around sending Sloane off to Kindergarten next month and having Beaux at preschool 3 days a week. Feeling sad with a hint of excitement.

Next year with them all at school, what excuse am I going to have that dinners not made? :)

12 and counting....

12 Years ago today!!! It's amazing how time has flown but it's amazing to think of all that has happened. We have been SO blessed. Our little family brings me more joy than I ever thought possible. Greg thank you for being mine, for being the most amazing husband and father I could ever hope to have. You are truly one in a million.

Although we have been married for 12 we have been officially together for 18 YEARS!!! So lucky to share my life with YOU.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

we've lost our marbles!

I bought this giant jar that I love and have had a hard time coming up with what to put in it. A friend had a cute idea of using dominos. Then last night my sister Madison said, "Marbles!"
Perfect! I love marbles!
The hunt was on. I went out and bought as many marbles as my marble budget allowed and brought them home to the girls.
They couldn't keep their fingers out of them, staring at the colors and learning the names of the cool ones.
At first I was bummed I couldn't just fill my entire jar up. Then I got excited about collecting them and adding to our jar bit by bit. So for now we are marble collectors!





























DONATIONS ACCEPTED!!!

i.love.this.

Ssssssssssssssss

Lake Powell is my dad's home away from home. He wakes up at the crack of dawn to hit the lake and bass fish until the sun goes down. He is completely content ALL day, even when he is alone. Yesterday while out by himself he got a visitor. Now I ask yourself if you were sitting in a very low to the water bass boat and you saw a rattle snake swimming toward you. What would you do? I know what I would do, I'm sure it's your answer as well. But my dad thought to himself, "What would Steve Irwin do?" The snake was swimming in a direction where there was no land in sight. He knew he would drown eventually, and didn't want a skier or someone to get bit. So he did what Steve would do with the help of his fishing pole. He picked it up!! The snake wrapped himself tightly around his pole happy to be there. THEN with one hand holding the pole he took the picture below. (The blurriness a result of having a rattlesnake at the end of your fishing pole.) THEN he held the pole and drove a few hundred yards to an area that was full of bushes, where no one would camp. I would blame this on sunstroke but it happened early in the morning. My dad has always been a softy for animals, and it doesn't matter even if it's a Rattle snake.
Dad, Steve Irwin salutes you.

Summer........Finally

ICE CREAM MAN!!!





GOOD SHOVE BY SISTER: Sloane ran in saying Beaux is riding a bike!! I pushed her and she is riding it!! We went out and saw this!! Does this look like a kids first time riding? So funny. Sloane also learned that night!!



SYNCRONIZED BIKING

California

I have never been a very spontanious traveler but last week a trip came together in a matter of hours. It all sort of fell together and I was off to California to spend time with my best friend Paula and her family then with my brother Cassidy and sis-in-law Nicole, as well as Carly and Griffin who are also living there! Our family has never really flew the coup. We have all stayed close until recently. It has been 5 months since I have seen my brother! I had a wonderful time and am thankful for the time I spent with everyone. I will admit, I am starting to fall in love with California. I could live there. The gorgeous landscaping, palm trees, ocean and constant blooms are heaven to me. Here are some pics from my little get away.



Paula and I ate a yummy dinner at a darling restruant on the beach! It was the same beach that the movie Beaches was filmed.







A trip to California with Paula is never complete without her taking me to a yummy cupcake bakery to try. This one was the BEST EVER. The coconut cake is beyond cake, it's simply heaven. This fabulous place is in Newport.



A midnight snack for later :)



I love to be at Paula's. It's truly my home away from home. Her home is full of special things, one of my favorites is her pink teapot.



Next I was off to spend a day with my family. The pool where Cassidy lives had a party for the weekend. Food, Drinks, D.J.'s and massages. It was a blast.



http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn195/ellery3/may%202010/IMG_4425.jpg

Carly and Sarah...her bff.



This is Hiro. Cass and Cole were tending him for friends. Such a cute dog. He put up with territorial Marvin very well.



Eyeing Nicole's pizza



Off to the beach





Griff would like to believe he is 8 feet tall what you can't tell is he is on the highest end of the hill we were standing on.



Rob and Paige doing the Statue of Liberty in the ocean.





My other two daughters.



Goodbye ocean. I left the beach, hit Red Mango and was off to the airport. It was wonderful to spend such a great trip with people I love.

Thank you everyone for everything!!

To say I LOVE this picture is an understatement. I will admit...I am jealous and wish it was me. I love everything about it. Butterflies are one of my favorite things ever, the shot, the colors, the make up, the hair. Just perfect. I have very talented sisters.

P.S. Don't be shocked if one day you see a copy cat wannabe picture of me just like this. Plus maybe some
photoshop ;)

P.P.S DO THIS!!! My sister is AMAZING at making you up and shooting the most amazing shots you ever thought possible. She did it for me a couple years ago and I LOVE LOVE having them. I love that my girls will have them forever too. She does natural to creative and fun. So get on it girls, no putting it off. You owe it to yourself. Trust me you won't regret it. SO fun!!!

Model: little sister Madison
Photog: little sister Hayley www.hayleyphotography.blogspot.com

Happy BiRtHdAy

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Aunt CoLE!!!!!

We were lucky enough to have Nicole in town for her birthday!! It was fun celebrating with her and she sure rang out her 20's like no other!!

Here is what we L O V E about Nicole....

When we are with her we LAUGH.

She is literally the BEST esthetician ever, and I have been to lots of them! She's fabulous and takes her job very seriously.

She is a very thoughtful, loyal aunt to my girls (and our whole family). She is always there for birthday parties etc and they love her!

She has her own pronunciation for a great deal of words. We love giving her a hard time for it and she is always a good sport. We also like to try and attempt to pronounce her words. Can you say melnk?? Do you know what melnk is??

She has and always has taken great care of my brother. He is blessed to have her.

She is the tiniest person ever and it is so fun to see her eat any guy under the table.

She is giving and generous.

She was once Chucky Cheese....promise. That's why to my dad she's Chucky.

She gave us a 5th sister!

Love you Nicole. Happy 30th!!!

Fabric Addict

Don't ask why!! Just eat your dinner on the counter!!

Every now and then this happens. This is how my kitchen has looked for the past few days. I get sewing and can't stop. I have been on a roll and excited to finally finish some quilts I started for Sloane and Beaux about a year ago. Until 10 minutes ago!! I am NOT good with details, in fact never look closely at what I sew. So when my tension gets screwed up on my sewing machine, it's enough to make me coo coo. Mom couldn't help me over the phone, Melissa couldn't figure it out either. So it looks like I get to haul it to a sewing machine store tomorrow. PLEASE OH PLEASE let me stay in this sewing groove. If I don't get this fixed, these quilts might not be touched till next year.

Sesame Street: Greg Can't Remember

Greg recently posted on Facebook a request to end a 15 year "dispute" with me. Ever since I can remember, whenever Sesame Street comes up a heated argument results. Over this...
What did the little girls mom tell her to remember to bring home? A loaf of bread, a GALLON of milk and a stick of butter? OR A loaf of bread a CONTAINER of milk and a stick of butter? Well, if you don't know I will let you watch the video and find out BUT FYI I was RIGHT!!!! Notice how many times the list is repeated in this video...SO many times that after 28 or more years I STILL remember. And Mr. Know It All Greg DIDN'T. I LOVE it! I think I have won about 3 bets in my life with Greg. Within minutes we had about 20 responses on Facebook confirming my victory. It was hilarious to see how many people knew immediately what video he was talking about. All he gave were the two lists and asked which was correct, he didn't even mention Sesame Street.
Take a trip down memory lane.

Do Bananas rhyme with Cereal?

On BiRtHdAyS the birthday boy or girl gets to choose a homemade dinner of their choice. We have all had a turn to pick our favorite yummy recipe and my mom works hard to make it just right. Last month came dads birthday and we were really excited knowing we were going to have something yummy for dinner. We should have known better. This is what he picked....




My dad is what you would call a one meal (a day) man. Or use the term, "he eats like a bird." I really just believe he doesn't have taste buds because food does nothing for him. Unless it is my mom's pumpkin pie, that's it!! Mom has it pretty easy in the dinner making department because he comes home and heads straight for his little cereal bowl and milk.

Today as part of Sloane's preschool homework I had to make up 2 words at a time and she had to tell me if they rhymed. I began...Plate/State? YES! Blue/Shoe? YES! Banana/Cereal? Sloane BURST into laughter and then said still laughing, "Did you get that from Grandpa?!!" It was SOO funny. Just funny but even more funny that she remembered his birthday dinner and still got a huge kick out of it. Here are some more pic of our feast.







The only thing my dad can actually taste





He usually puts cayenne pepper on his cantelope. Probably so he can taste it.

Happy Late Birthday Dad! Can't wait to see what box of cereal is on the counter next year!