We Build Forts

Sometimes you just have to build a fort and have a lazy day! And when it makes your daughter's day you pretty much do a double fist in the air and take the mom win! 

Because We all need a pick me up

Comfortable Reading

Sometimes we just have to find a comfortable place to read.....

And sometimes I question what she considers comfortable reading....

One of Our Last Park Days

The parks here are amazing! How many parks just have a lake view right next to it? We love the parks and she is so active so it gets some of that energy out which means a good nap time later on. Luckily we squeezed out one more park day before it was just too cold for me and Nathan was able to join us which made it even better. 

Halloween Year 2

We kept it simple this year. Emerie kind of understood more but not enough to go all out. We went to the Halloween event at the zoo and the trunk or treat for our ward. All I can say is it was so fun to watch her learn more and enjoy collecting candy. My brother was here for the trunk or treat so it was fun to do that with him.

It was fun and I should have got more pictures but sometimes it's better to be in the moment. Next year should be even more fun! 

A Visit From My Brother

I really didn't think any if my siblings would ever come and visit but after my brother called asking if it was okay if he came out I was THRILLED! 

Daniel is an awesome brother and even better uncle and the bond that Emerie and Daniel created in a week was so cute. She definitely preferred going to him by the end of the week! 

Our birthdays are two days apart so it was so nice to spend our birthdays together! 

We went  to a lot of fun new places while he was here and it was fun exploring our new city with him. 

               Spring Grove Cemetary

                 Purple People Bridge

                 Newport Aquarium 

                 Touching sharks!!!

It was so fun and I cried dropping him off because it was hard realizing we would be away from family for awhile. I'm glad he came and we definitely can't wait for another visit or any other visitors... We have plenty of room and a nice bed! 

Little Creative Juices

I would consider myself the right-brained partner in my marriage with Nathan the definite left-brained. Although, sometimes he has super creative moments that are seriously amazing so I think he just got lucky with both brains... Haha. As any parent hopes, you want your children to have the best of both worlds math smarts and creative juices! 

I love that Emerie loves reading books, banging on the piano and most often drawing (there is some crayon eating too sometimes...). To see how her little mind works is really fascinating and seeing those little hands create art is my favorite.

And I love her drawing stance. I tried and I DEFINITELY can't draw like that.

 

Beautiful Autumntime

"Descending leaves fall to the ground,
Twirling, twisting, round and round,
Autumn season is almost here,
The smell of freshness is oh so near. 

The crisp, cool breeze,
Shakes the leaves from the trees, 
Autumn takes away the green, 
Golden-bronze and brown is all that can be seen."

                      -Ryan Larkin

A Tradition of Apple Picking

I'm completely a fall person. I really don't like summer and would much rather wear sweaters and warm socks all year round! There are so many traditions that I love and miss since being in Ohio such as driving thorough the mountains with the leaves, going to Park City, General Conference with family, and being at BYU football games! 

But there was one I didn't know I would miss more than many of those things. Recently, a family member posted on Facebook that it was the time of year again to pick apples at my grandma's house. A wave of homesickness came over me that I wasn't expecting. 

(Emerie is technically in this picture but nobody knew...)

                 (From October 2012)

I was ready to wallow in my homesickness but my sweet husband said that we should keep the tradition and find an apple orchard. My neighbor had mentioned one up in Dayton called Monnin's Fruit Farm and we decided to go. We were worried they would be out of apples since it was their last weekend but luckily there were two trees still covered in apples! It made my heart and soul happy! 

               (Picking her first apple)

I want my kids to grow up with these traditions like I did. It wasn't quite the same and paying $19.95 for a bushel when I got them for free in Utah was hard but it was more than worth it to spend a fall afternoon picking apples and thinking about my grandma!

BONUS! They even had apple juice for sale and it tastes pretty much the same as my Grandma's so score for that! Now I just need to find a bushels worth of recipes with apples! 

Nathan made me a very happy woman! 

Insecurities

I had a conversation with my mom the other day about my sister and whether she was going to college and if she did where she might go. There was talk on if she might go to a place like Bridgerland Technology school or some other kind of specialized training. It really got me thinking about my own education and what I wish I would have changed. 

I went to a wonderful university (BYU) and it was such a thrilling and exciting time in my life and I feel I walked away with a new perspective and some knowledge. I, unfortunately, also looked at my eduction with a lot of disappointment. I felt like I graduated in an easy out major; I had tried so many different majors and either didn't get in or didn't believe in myself to even try. In my mind I wasn't creative enough and there were plenty of people more talented than I. I gave up on dreams I had and aspirations I had developed for myself. 

In college I started out wanting to study journalism but realized they make nothing (which was important to me at the time). Then I went for the photography program and I was rejected from the program which literally crushed my spirit and my confidence. I left that department devastated and frustrated. I needed a major so I considered advertising but didn't even apply because I was sure I wasn't good enough to get accepted. I essentially gave up and settled on an open enrollment major. I enjoyed the communications classes immensely but I'm not really sure what real life skills I got other than being more globally aware. There were other events that led to the lowest self-esteem I've had ever. It made me wish I would have just gone to some kind of trade school instead of wasting time, losing confidence, and going into debt. 

I tried to be a photographer which I really loved but I always felt in the shadow to my sister who really is amazing and honestly being a "real" photographer is hard these days. I can't tell you the amount of people I've heard say, "My uncle has a DSLR so he's going to take my wedding pictures." Which means they didn't have to pay a dime. I also have seen so many stay-at-home moms who need a job and so they decide to be a photographer but haven't received any real training or who really pour themselves into it like I've seen my sister do and what I tried to do. But I still feel like one of those phonys. It's also an expensive hobby when you need a DSLR. 

Anyway, my family is struggling at making ends meet and all the insecurities I buried once I graduated are starting to resurface. I don't want to work outside the home but I don't feel creative enough or have the entrepreneur spirit to create some cool product and make it a million dollar company (Ex:Freshly Picked) from my home. I just don't know what to do from here. 

Have any other woman felt like this? If so what did you do? I feel so stuck and uninspired. 

I guess I just need advice but I would be surprised if anyone makes it through this post. I just need perspective and maybe just writing this and putting it out there will help who knows...

Cami and Topher

Where to even begin... these two are almost too amazing to put into words but I will try. We were fortunate to live next door to Cami and Topher for almost two years and the idea of not having them as neighbors probably ever again definitely made me shed some tears. These two are some of the most happy and enjoyable people to be around. I loved just sitting and talking with them or engaging in games that left us probably overly competitive. All the same, these people made us laugh constantly and it was the type of laughter that had us crying and waking our baby up at midnight because we couldn't hold it back (ex. firehouse video go watch it, it's stupid but it'll make ya laugh).

Anyway, before we left they asked me to take some pictures for them and I more than happily agreed. I have desperately missed taking pictures for people and these two made it easy to fall back into it. More than once I had to set my camera down because I was laughing and couldn't keep steady.  I love them and miss them. Arizona and Ohio aren't that far right? We are truly blessed two have these guys in our lives! Well enjoy the pictures and hopefully you sense the amazingness of these two people!

And what would a photo session be with these two with out the best outtakes you've ever seen....

(aka: Zombie look)

(aka: Topher's smolder)

(aka: awkward 70s/80s pose)