October 25, 2012

Fieldtrip to the Berry Ranch

This morning was Owen's second fieldtrip with his preschool class so far this year. They have a fieldtrip planned every month and today happened to be the big day. Ms. Emily planned to go to the Berry Ranch yesterday but since it was forecasted for rain, that really never came, she postponed it until the following day, today. We woke up to fog, and lots of it. You couldn't even see the home across the street from us, it was that dense. It was really beautiful. Well the field trip was still on and so I loaded Andrew and Owen up in the car all bundled up nice and warm and headed out to the Berry Ranch. I have never been there but I have heard a lot about it. It is open all year long. You can pick your own produce almost year round and in the fall you can pick your own pumpkins, play in the hay maze, feed the chickens and turkeys, play a fun game of pumpkin bowling and then roam the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin.
It was cold! Really cold! But we survived and had a really fun time. I am glad that boys had a good time. I had a fun time playing with them and visiting with all the other friends there. Thanks Ms. Emily for a fun field trip.












October 20, 2012

Picking Pumpkins


Every year we have always gone to Jeremey's Pumpkins to get out stash. This year we had a great time. The kids run wild and pick their pumpkins and there is so much to look at. This year Ellie was excited as well.





October 19, 2012

Swim Lessons

This past summer was our first attempt at swim lessons. I know I am a slacker and my children should be able to swim laps comfortably but not the case with us. This year we heard of one of the young women in our ward who was teaching swim lessons. So we jumped on it. It was a great deal and my boys were pretty excited about it. Needless to say it only lasted a week long. Looking back now I should have kept them in for a few weeks in a row so they would master swimming. But they did a lot in just that one week. Half of our ward was in their class. Well I shouldn't say that, there were only 4 of them and they were all in our ward. When we arrived the kids from our ward were just ending and when it was our time to leave, other children from our ward were showing up for their lessons. It was a fun week. I really enjoyed sitting on the side and watching them learn. Keaton did really well. He is my one child where everything just comes naturally to him. I don't know how it happened but everything just comes to him and he adapts, understands and can do just about anything pretty quickly. He is amazing!
Andrew on the other hand. Well he is really sweet. Let me just say he tries so hard. He did improve but I am still not comfortable enough to let him swim on his own without his floaties yet. Next year we will get it figured out and then I won't have to worry about him as much. He will get it, no doubt about that.
On their last day of swim lessons, Aubrey and her mother took pictures of the kids under water. Keaton got some fairly good ones and Andrew, well it took him all he had to just go under and stay under. So you won't see him with his eyes open. Aren't they so adorable?
Until next year!







We will miss you summer days!

October 7, 2012

My to do list this week.....

This is going to be a busy week.  This is my last week before I run. We are meeting up in Provo this coming weekend. It is going to be a piece of cake! No, not really but I am ready for it. I have worked hard and have gained a great love for running. But lately I have been nervous running by myself out in the middle of nowhere because there have been sittings of a mountain lion in the area. Can't really run and be chased, let alone eaten by a mountain lion. I have really missed not being able to run. This week I took kind of a break. It was nice because I have beeen go, go, go lately and the break was a welcome. Now it is time to get back on track.
I am also putting together a small misison reunion.  I am not sure who will all show up. I have about 10 people who say they really want to come. So that should be a lot of fun. My mission was a huge part of my life. I learned the most on my mission about myself, my relationship with Heavenly Father and where I stood with him and I found and made the most amazing friends ever! Seriously, I was so blessed on my mission. Some people asked me if I would do it all over again. Absolutely, but only on one condition. If all the same people were there again. They made the mission. They honestly did. Not only the missionaries, but the country, the people I grew to love and call family away from my own family. I learned to love people who really gave me hard times. I know that was for my benefit. I grew to love others and that is where I truly became happy.
One funny thing that happened to me while I was doing that photo shoot for the wedding I did this past weekend. I have never taken pictures of a wedding outside the temple. Come to think of it I have never taken pictures of a temple wedding either. This was my first time to attend a wedding that wasn't LDS. It was interesting.  They were very nice people, just a very different setting. The reverend that marreid the couple was a woman who started her own buisness as reverend. Kind of interesting. She approached me and asked if I would be interested in taking some pictures for her daughter who was in a beauty pagent and all the other contestants. So I agreed and I am in the works of getting that put together. I am also scheduling senior pictuers on the side.
Lance and I also leave for Provo Friday afternoon.  Lance's family always meets up during BYU's homecoming weekend for some family festivities and that is what we will be doing as well. Last year we traveled to BYU's homecoming without kids and this year we are going to do the same. It makes it so much more fun and faster without kids. Plus my kids are happy to stay behind and play with Grandma. Their time will come when we leave for Arizona for Christmas. That will be a fun trip.
Lance's youngest sister Camille just got engaged and will be getting married on Jan. 2nd in the Mesa, Arizona temple. We are so thrilled for her and can't wait to meet Tanner.

October 6, 2012

Jennifer and Nathan

I have many passions in life. One of those is my love for photography. It is one of my dreams to own my own studio on day. One day that is. For now I just really love taking pictures and getting all the practice I can get. Well my Uncle Jim asked me awhile back if I would take some pictures at his daughter's wedding. I said yes and jumped right in, with both feet.
Well yesterday was their big day. They got married up in Hidden Springs, which I think for me was so beautiful. It is like it's own little community up away from the busy city life. All the homes are amazing, gorgeous and just out of a picture book. There is a community barn and that was where the wedding was going to be held. I brought my mom along with me because I needed some help and she was fabulous! Thanks mom!!! You were the greatest help! We had a great time. They were really fun to work with. I have never taken pictures of a wedding so I felt a little pressure to make sure I didn't miss out on anything.
We were taking pictures from 3- 10 p.m.  It was a crazy day, but we made it! Congratulations to the new happy couple!