I {Heart} Faces - Weddings

Kristy and Nate - 2009

It has been a really long time since I have taken wedding pictures.... too long actually. I am really out of practice.

This week on I {Heart} Faces the theme is weddings. I just had to post this beautiful picture of Kristy and Nate. She asked me to take their pictures the day they got married, which was a few month back. It was fun to get out and try it again. She made a beautiful bride. They looked so very happy! I had a great time spending the evening with them.

Be sure to check out the other amazing entries

Another one - Just for fun!

I {Heart} Faces is all about face. I really think this is funny picture but couldn't enter it into the contest because you can't see Kristy and Nate's faces. But it is so fun, I thought I would share. This horse kept chasing us around while we were out near the barn. I think the horse was just mesmerized by Kristy's beauty!

Family Photo Fun!

I LOVE pictures! I LOVE my family!! So you can guess I was pretty excited about taking family pictures. It has been over 3 years since we hired a photographer to attempt our family pictures. The reason I say attempt is because it is nearly impossible to capture all seven us in a good pose. And even though taking pictures might be one of my favorite things, it is probably on the bottom of the list for everyone else in our family.

I will have to say.... the pictures turned out amazing! There were so many good pictures of us all I had a hard time choosing just one I liked. I know an amazing talented photographer. Didn't she do a great job? Oh... and she has the most amazing, incredible, perfect name ..... Amy! :)

You can check out her site here.

We went to the Star Mill. It is located in American Fork.... and it is an incredible place to take pictures. Here are a few I took after Amy finished up with us. I could stay at this place forever!!!

It is crazy to me how quickly the kids are growing up! I just can't believe it!!

Strawberry Days

Strawberry Days is always a favorite at our house!!! Niel and Conner were at Scout Camp for part of the Strawberry Day festivities. Garrett, Zander, Megan, Stockton and I all bundled up and headed to the carnival. Wednesday nights is the most crowded night, but it is also the night each ride is only 1 ticket.... which means I can actually afford to take ALL the kids to the carnival. We had a blast!

The rain didn't keep us away. Zander kept saying to me "What is a little rain going to do to us?" I think he was trying to say things so we wouldn't have to go home.

Megan and Stocks were little dare devils this year. They went on some really big rides!

I was so proud of them!

Hold on tight! This ride squashes the person closed to the exit of the ride. Poor Stocks!

I was the one who got squashed on this ride. Thank goodness Megan and Zander don't weigh too much.

I didn't take any pictures of the 5K this year. Probably because I really didn't want any evidence showing I got my worst time ever! Boo-hoo! My knee was killing me. But Niel ran his guts out and took 2nd in his age group. Way to go Niel!

According to the Pleasant Grove Police.... "The Rodeo happens no matter what!"
The weather had been crazy rainy all during the day. But that didn't matter to the folks in the rodeo production. They kept riding and roping.... even in the mud. Even the guys who participated in the Wild Cow Milking didn't let the mud get in their way. These guys were bound and determined to get their cow milked. It was crazy funny! Look how muddy they are!

It stopped raining just as we arrived to watch the Rodeo. It made for a perfect rodeo night!

Gordan and his family came along. They came last year too!!! We love to have people come and "Yee-haw" with us.

Kallie, Garrett, and Zander love the strawberries and cream (me too.... it is my favorite part)!

Niel was WAY excited about his strawberries and cream this year!

Alas, all the fun had to come to an end. Can't wait until next year!! Hope to see you there!

Happy Birthday Mom

Ok... so my mom's birthday was on the 14th, but I am so far behind on blogging. I didn't want to miss the chance to wish this wonderful woman a great day.... even if it is a little late!

Do you see all the smiles on everyone's faces? This is because every time grandma is around there is so many reasons to smile. She is a fabulous person, and great mother, and an incredible grandma!

Orem "wet" Days

Summer is suppose to be a fun time to play outside, warm weather, sun tans (or in our case, sunburns), running through the sprinklers and bike rides. But this summer has just been rain.... rain.... and more rain!

A family tradition that we used to have as kids was going to the Orem Summerfest. It was one of the first events of the summer. The unique part about it, at least to me, was the night parade. It was perfect because the sun was going down behind the mountains which left a cool evening breeze. Therefore, the parade was not hot and sweaty. I LOVED that about the Orem Summerfest.

Well... this year.... having the parade in the evening just made everything cold. We got rained on about half way through. I am not talking about a little drizzle, I am talking about full on rain storm. Me, Niel, Mom, Dad, Jolene (Rick's mom), and Bryn all tried to brave out the storm.... but unfortunately, the weather won. Let's hope for a better city event next year!

On a side note.... you can tell we must be avid fans of Orem Summerfest. We had 5 adults and 1 child...laugh! We were all there to help out with Bryn!

Wednesday Freebies

It is the simple pleasures in life that make me the happiest!!

Niel and I were out with some friends a few weeks ago. Marsha informed me of this incredible summer special going on a Arby's. She explained that every Wednesday Arby's gives away a certain menu item with the purchase of something else on the menu. For instance, last week we got a free sidekick with the order of any sandwich. WOW! Since Arby's happens to be my favorite fast food restuarant you can guess I was pretty excited about
"Wednesday Freebies!"

This week the special is a free Roast Beef sandwich with the purchase of a drink. Incredible!

So.... if you are wondering where I will be this Wednesday..... go check out the Arby's down the street!

I heart Faces - Boys

This week the theme on {I heart faces} is:

Let's hear it for the boys

What a perfect category for me!! I had a very hard time choosing just one picture. This is a favorite of mine. Garrett and Zander were so brave to face the wild ocean waves in Hawaii. We had such a blast!!!!

Check out all the other entries!

Fathers

I love Fathers Day!! What a perfect day to recognize and appreciate some incredible Father's in my life.

How lucky I am to find a man who loves me dearly.... but also loves my boys just like they were his own. Niel is an incredible father to his daughter Megan, but also a loving father to four wild and crazy boys.

This is Niel and Conner getting ready for Scout Camp. The two of them had a great time together!

I love this man.... for everything he is to our children and to me!

I happen to be cleaning up this past weekend. I was organizing some old boxes that were filled with letters. Niel and I have many things in common and one of them is keeping old letters. I have this large box filled with letters from my dad through the years. I also found Niel's mission letter box. I thought it would be fun to pull out a random letter and share what our parents wrote to us years ago....

This letter is from my dad while I was in girl's camp. This would have been about 15 years ago (gosh... I am old)!

Hello Amy,
Welcome to the wide open spaces. Look around and look at the highest mountain you can. Do you see it? This is your potential for the future size of your character. The higher the mountain the broader the base. You have a good base Amy. You are kind hearted and are self disciplined. Build these more in all areas and I will be ever so proud of you. The scriptures say charity (true kindness to others) is the greatest character trait of all.
Of course my motto is - Enjoy Life - I believe in being happy. Happiness for you can only come from within yourself. Happiness comes from thinking of others instead of worrying about yourself.
So enjoy your time at camp but use that self discipline to be a kinder more thoughtful you.

Make me proud! Love, Dad

My dad is such a hard worker. He had to squeeze in a quick lunch at Costa Vida for Father's Day. I have been so blessed to have my dad in my life. He is my greatest hero..... someone I look up to and admire. I aspire to be like him!

It was fun to find a letter from John to Niel. In the letter I found he talks about all the happening that have been going on. Camille (John's granddaughter) was over at the house and he is just so happy to be a grandpa. He talks about fishing, canoeing, and about all the beautiful creations he sees while out enjoying nature. Then he talks about the garden and how things are blossoming and growing. He closes with this....

"Work hard and rely on the Lord's help and you will find success. It's those successes that we have to work hardest for that we appreciate most. It is great to have you as a son and to share your mission through your letters. I send my love and my prayers." Love, Dad

It has been fun to share letters with John and Joyce while they are away on their mission to Russia. I miss them!!!

This is a picture of John is Russia. I like this picture because John knows how to work hard, serve the Lord, and enjoy doing it.



What incredible words of wisdom from some wonderful Father's I get to share in my life.

Happy Father's Day!!

Coach Pitch

Garrett just finished up his baseball season (he posted on his blog). This year he played coach pitch.... he is quit the little baseball player.

In one play.... we got 3 kids out! He is so fast.... faster then most kids. Let me explain the 3 out play. The kid hit the ball... it bounced right to Garrett who was standing between 1st and 2nd base. The kid who was on 1st starting running to 2nd... Garrett tagged him. Then Garrett ran to 1st base and got the hitter out. Then.... we ran directly to home and got the 2nd base runner (who was attempting to run home).

Way to go Garrett! He was an aggressive little player. We had to remind him he was playing baseball and not tackle football. Often times his little feet would be running so fast.... we would run into the players we had trying to tag out!!

It was a great season!!!

Photographer Zander

Zander got hold of my camera. I found a few things interesting.....

1st: Zander has a fun style of photography. Not sure how he was able to capture the moment Rocky licked his lips. When I asked him how he got Rocky to stick out his tongue, Zander responded "I was sharing my popsicle!"

2nd: Who knew Zander could hold the camera and take a picture of himself!?!

3rd: Zander convinced the neighbor to take the picture of him and Ben (friend) in their super suits! I am surprised the neighbor didn't call child services on us. What parent let's their kids wear such attire....haha!!

Wise Guys with a Hangover!

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

On Saturday night, Niel and I laughed and laughed.... and then almost cried. We went to Wise Guys Comedy Club in West Jordan. James Connolly was the stand up comedian for the night. This guy is hilarious!! I personally am not a huge stand up comedian fan just because most of them have such offensive language. But Connolly put on a great show!! Niel and I laughed and laughed!!

The night was still young and the kids were gone. We were feeling so good from all the laughing we figured we might as well keep on going. The movie theater was right next door to the comedy club so we walked on over and bought tickets to The Hangover.

This show was freaking hilarious!!! I am a big fan of Ed Helms and just had to see if he was as funny as in The Office. He had me rolling on the floor with laughter. This movie is on my top 5 funniest movies of all time!! Granted I had been awake since 4:30 that day and it was getting past 10:00 at night, but the movie sure was entertaining!

As the night was coming to a close and my sides were happily hurting from the extremely fun evening, Niel drove over to where my car was suppose to parked. He had met me up near 90th South since my work was right there and I didn't want to drive ALL the way home. As we turned the corner to drop me off we were shocked to find the Trailblazer missing. I guess it wasn't THAT big of a shock since there were signs posted everywhere that read

"NO PARKING!"

It was an expensive lesson learned. A day later and $206 shorter on cash, we were able to get the family vehicle returned to us safe and sound. I am not a big fan of Speedy Towing Company.

Thank goodness we had laughed as much as we did earlier that night. Laughter was the antipote to our stressful situation. It made the pain in our pocket books a lot easier to bare.

REAL - David Archuleta

We decided to try out a REAL soccer game. One big plus to the event was that David Archuleta was preforming!!! Zander is David Archuleta's number one fan!

We met Lisa and family at Mi Ranchito for dinner before hand. It was great to see them!! We switched kids. Megan went with the Lunds and Kevin came with us!! Fun! Fun!!

Zander was SO excited when they announced "David Archuleta"



We all enjoyed the night. Even Garrett got up and was jumping around to the music. Zander was afraid of the fireworks. The weather was slight cold.... with a lot of wind. But the game was entertaining enough! David's concert was just the right length for Zander. He sang 4 songs after the game.

We had a great night!!

Girls Cruise (third day)

It was our day at sea. We spent the entire day being lazy..... sweet! I don't get to be lazy very often. Oh... and I ate a lot too. This is what I had for lunch. French fries, mac and cheese, and potatoes and gravy. I didn't want to kill myself, so I did have a glass of water to wash down my complete carb lunch.

Our cruise was almost perfect. The only not-so-good part was the weather. It was overcast every single day. We tried to spend some time on the deck in the sun, but it was just so cold. We were outside for about 2 hours and then headed back inside.

We had to say good bye to Danny. He was our our waiter from India. He was great! It was sad to say our good-byes!

We had a fabulous, restful day!

Girls Cruise (day two)

The best part of being in a room with no windows is the just that.... there aren't any windows. I love to sleep and just not even care about what time it is. We slept in the second day. Amber wanted frech toast so badly, but we slept right through the good breakfast and had to eat at the buffett. It was still pretty good.

We all got ready to head on to land. Our stop... Catalina Island!

Don't I have the most beautiful sister!!! Not only is Brooke gorgeous, but she is a blast to hang out with!

Pretty Bird!

We spent the day shopping. I had fun looking at all the stores and purchasing gifts to bring back home. It was a very relaxing day. Plenty of fun things to look at. I even bought a winter coat... yes, you read that right. I found a really cute winter coat to wear in the snow.

These guys were super nice to us. They took pictures of us. And not just one picture, but he took two pictures for each camera. That was like 10 pictures or more. They were really funny!

Elegant Night is a favorite of mine. I love to dress up. I have some beautiful girlfriends!



We ended the night with a few hours of dancing! I am not the best dancer, but the rest of our group knew how to shake it!

It was a fabulous day!

Girl's Cruise - 2009 (Day One)

My next adventure was on board the Carnival Elation with the finest women I know!

The Girl's Cruise was extremely fun!! Me, Brooke, Lisa and Amber all met at the airport. We boarded the tiny little plan and headed to San Diego. Once we arrived at San Diego, we picked up Priscilla (Boo-Boo). Both Lisa and Boo were new people I had not met before. Probably my most favorite part of this entire trip was getting to know them both and developing that friendship. The next best thing was spending time with Brooke and Amber! Together, we all had a fabulous time!!!




After a lot of waiting.... we finally got on board! The ship was beautiful!

We were so tired from waking up early and doing all that traveling, we decided to take a nap and get rested for our grand adventure. Me, Brooke, and Lisa shared a cabin and Amber and Boo-boo shared a room.

Dinner was delicious.... as always! My favorite part of each meal was the Melting Chocolate cake. Delicious!


After dinner we went to the late night entertainment show. It happened to be a game show night. I was lucky enough to get chosen from the audience to participate. Unfortunately, I not a smart movie buff. One of the questions was a clip played from the movie Star Wars. Darth Vader was talking and we were suppose to guess who the voice was and from what movie. I was the first one to hit my button. My brilliant answer was Clark Gable from Gone with the Wind.

I wasn't even close! In my defense, Clark Gabel and Darth Vador both have deep voices.

It was a great first day!