Family Pictures!

In Utah we had our pictures taken by Tom's cousin Krystal. She is a budding photographer so I was happy to take advantage of her desire to practice on people. She did a great job but was busy having a baby so it took a little while to get the editing done (completely understandable). I wanted to share them with you because they are SO cute-if I do say so myself. One of the family pictures is at the top. These are all from the same photo shoot.

The girls!

My handsome boys

Flashback Friday: 2 Weddings, A Funeral...and I Robot

This is a record of the sickest I have ever been in my entire life. My husbands great-Grandma passed away in 2002. She was 101 and had lived an extraordinary life. Tom and I had been married just over a year and I was pregnant with Samantha...and sick as a dog. We drove a long way for her funeral and after the service had a big family dinner.

Then I went to my cousins wedding reception

Then I went to my friends wedding reception.

Then, because I'm obviously an idiot, I decided I wanted to go see a movie. I Robot.

I made it about halfway through the previews before I lost it all in the theatre bathroom. Plus I had a terrible migraine at that point. So I left the movie, went home, threw up all night, called the nurses hotline in the morning who hooked me up with my doctor to give me fenegran which made me sleep for 4 hours straight and then went to get a smoothie from Los Hermanos because that's all that sounded good. I had learned my lesson.

Tom and I at the funeral-do we look young or what?

Looking back, we all look very happy for these pictures, at a funeral. But she was 101 and you just smile for pictures no matter what.

Oh yeah...Tommy!

I do have a son, despite all the blog posts being about my darling daughters. Tommy's darling too-in a destructive, drive me nuts, I'm going to lock him in his room until he's 3 sort of way. You must understand-I think Tommy is the cutest little boy on the planet earth and all other planets. I'm already plotting ways to get rid of his high school girlfriends who will no doubt be flocking to the house because of his adorableness. It's just...he's such a rotten energetic child right now. Here's the short list (all happened so far this week):

He flattens Eliza to the ground whenever I'm not looking

Colors on the walls, furniture, toys, himself, etc.

Takes every single thing Samantha is playing with just to annoy her

Won't take naps

Won't fall asleep at night time

Wakes up before 6:00 every day

Gets into the scrapbookings supplies, desk stuff, games, whatever new thing that I haven't anticipated him getting into and then gets into it and spreading it all through the house

Lets the dog in the house

Pulls all his clothes out of his dresser

Pulls all the books off the shelves

Pulls clothes off hangers

Dumps whatever can be dumped: Trashcans, toy bins, whatever

Takes all the cushions off the couches

Got into the desitin(!)-I don't know how-and squeezed it all over his carpet

etc. etc. etc

And that's just the average boy stuff-whatever I can't anticipate and can't imagine-he does that too. I'm sure though, I just HAVE to make it through his terrible two-ness. There's no alternative right?

Day (Week) Late, Dollar Short

In all of Eliza's birthday news I didn't post the obligatory back to school photo. Samantha is heading into her 433902834 year of preschool (okay-it's just her third and the first one was a co-op thing that I helped teach) but still. She is kind of devastated about kindergarten because ALL her friends, cousins, aunts, etc. are starting this year and she feels kind of left out. She was thrilled to go though and as long as we don't mention the "K" word she's happy with life!

And you know, Tommy can't let Samantha pose by herself.

Eliza's 1st Birthday!

Eliza is officially one years old! I can't believe it. Her birthday this year was 9-9-09, which I thought was cool. We didn't do too much for her specifically until the evening. I made her an Elmo cake, she scored with presents, and her favorite part was devouring the cake (of course!) Happy Birthday to my baby (or not baby) girl!

Do you like the shirt? What a dumb purchase but I just wanted to so unreasonably much. Maybe I'll have another girl someday so it can get two uses instead of just one.

The Elmo Cake!!!! TA-DUM. Didn't I (Tom) do a good job?

Yes, she likes that cake. Happy Birthday Eliza.

Tag for Swag

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be? I want to go on a cruise to anywhere with beaches (with my husband)
> 2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car? Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve
> 3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do? I would use my Cricut and get to scrapbooking. I'm only 15 months behind-I can still do it.
> 4. What is your guilty pleasure? Brownie Sundaes
> 5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home? I think to Banff in Canada.
> 6. Last book that you couldn't put down? Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
> 7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch? White Christmas-during the holidays obviously
> 8. What is your favorite local escape? The city pool
> 9. How do you escape on a budget? You get together with friends for food and some girl bonding time. (And scrap booking - with your Cricut of course!)
> Best food you've ever had while on vacation. We were in Mexico for our honeymoon and we went off the beaten path to this little dive in downtown. It had the. best. Mexican. food you have ever tasted.

How can this be?!?

My beautiful BABY is turning 1 tomorrow!! It's just not fair. Notwithstanding her crying from 8-11 PM the first four months of her life I wish Eliza could just relive her first year. She is such a joyful and sweet baby. I love her so, so much. Here are some of the pictures chronicling her first year of life. It also makes me realize-one more time-what a failure I am in the picture department to my sweet girl. Oh well, I love her to pieces anyway.