I love Quakies.

 

End of Story.

Please Excuse the Lack of Posts...

We've been busy making memories...

 

More to come soon...

Morning Picture

Ryan and I have a little tradition...

It started a few months ago, when he was going through an attachment phase.  It was soon after Mark and I got back from Cleveland, and transitioning back into our normal routine was hard for him.

Each morning, as we snuggled in the rocking chair at school for the last few minutes of our time together, I pull out my phone, and we take a picture. 

They usually aren't the highest quality... or the most flattering... most have cheesy smile, stuck out tongues or crazy eyes... but, they are some of my most precious photographs.  

FAMILY PICTURES!!!!

My beautiful friend Angela spent some time with my little family on Saturday and took some GREAT family pictures!

It has been about two years since we had a real family picture taken, and Ryan still looked like a baby.

Things have SURE changed!!

Here are some of my favorites... 

Easter Adventure

We went off on a wild hare of an adventure this weekend. 

Seriously... Last weekend Mark mentioned he thought it would be fun to go south for a weekend.  We talked about maybe the Grand Canyon (about 10 hrs away) or maybe just Zions (about 5).  Nothing concrete.

We packed up Friday night and drove down to Cedar City (about 4 hours south)... woke up the next morning and did a lot of ...

And...

AND

Followed closely by...

Plus, a little of ...

And VERY LITTLE of...

We've been home about 30 mins... Ryan is passed out, Evan is quietly playing...

And my sister went grocery shopping for me.

Despite a rough start, it turned out to be a great weekend!

A Perfect Moment

Sometimes, I have to stop and remind myself to soak in these moments.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope your day was filled with the people you love...

Mine was!

Just LOOK at that face!

Could you get much cuter??? 

Back later with words...

Days of 47

Folks in Utah know what the title of this post refers to... those who don't, here's your quick Utah history lesson:  In July of 1847, July 24th in fact, the first group of Mormon settlers (Pioneers) stood on an outcropping over looking the Salt Lake Valley and decided they had reached their destination.

Utah is one of the few states in the nation that still celebrates a statehood day... but rather than the day we entered the Union (Jan 4, 1896), it's the day the Valley met it's first long term settlers.   And it's a BIG DAY.  Probably bigger than the 4th of July... or maybe it just seems that way because we get a practice run at celebrating. 

The week long celebration is know as The Days of 47. 

So, just to give you a glimpse of what we Utahn's have the pleasure of enjoying...

Yeah.  That's what we're celebrating!

PS... I don't suggest stopping to smell these flowers... it mostly just smells like cow poo... because, well, these high mountain meadows are where the ranchers summer the animals so they don't die of heat exhaustion in the desert valleys!  MOOOOOO!

What does your husband do?

You know, I get that question a lot.

It's hard to explain in one sentence.

I've come up with all sorts of answers over the years.

Most of them sarcastic.

I can tell you, he's incredibly talented.

And smart.

And I am very proud of what he has accomplished.

Even if it is hard to explain in one sentence!

Buffalo

This last summer year has been crazy busy for Mark, and in turn for me and the boys. 

We haven't had a lot of time to be together, and so when my beautiful friend Megan's wedding was announced, and it happened to fall on the weekend of the tenth anniversary of Mark and I meeting, it was all the excuse we needed to plan a trip.

So, off to Western New York we went. 

We stayed in Buffalo, so of course, that meant a trip to Niagara! 

Ignore the old lady blocking the view of the falls, lol!  I'll photoshop her out later. 

Mark really isn't into posing for pictures, so this was the best I could get when combined with a crowded tourist attraction!

So, a trip anywhere with Mark is not complete without an urgent work call...

But I didn't mind as it gave me plenty of time to play around with my camera.  I love this shot of Mark, and the shot below I plan on editing just a little to get rid of the people in the lower corner, and then blow it up and hang it in our entry way. 

Okay, so the "reason" for the trip!  The Wedding!!  Absolutely stunning, beautiful, and fitting!  Megan and I grew up across the highway from each other... her mother was one of my mom's best friends, and Megan was really the only girl my age within walk distance.  We've kept in contact throughout the years, and through many moves to various states. 

She is absolutely the most beautiful person I know, inside and out.  And a wedding on the beach of Lake Erie at sunset was the only fitting place for such a beautiful bride!



And, there were a RECORD number of pictures of ME this trip, lol, very very rare!

Family Reunion, Part 2

We had a photographer come and take some pictures at the "reunion". 

She did an AWESOME job.... here are a few of my favorites:

If you're in the Salt Lake Area, and are intrested, let me know, and I will give you her number (She totally rocks, and has really really good prices!).

Shari made me do it.

She doesn't know that.... but it's her fault.

My beautiful friend Shari has been posting BEAUTIFUL photos that she's taken on her blog. (See my blog lists)

I was debating which generic studio to take Evan to for this years pictures. (His previous school took the most beautiful pictures, but this year, the combo of his forced smile and cheesy background would not allow me buy them.)

I looked at Shari's pictures several times... wishing I could make myself splurge on a one on one professional shoot... and then I thought, wait, I have a nice camera... which I sort of know how to use, lol! I think I could come up with something that looks decent, and can redo the shoot if I can't get rid of the cheesy smile.

So now, I have to pick!

These are raw... no photo editing yet... but tell me which is your favorite...