Family Photos!

Our photo shoot was yesterday and I'm SO happy with how our pictures turned out. Coco fell asleep on the way there so he was a grouch at the beginning and at one point Cagney brought me a handful of deer droppings, "What are these Mommy?" But all in all things went great! I haven't seen all of them but our photographer put her favorites on her blog. I will post more later here but for now you can see some of them HERE!

Thankful Thursday

1. All things spring!
I'm so grateful for warm weather, for kids wanting to play outside, for no more heavy winter coats, for springtime foods, for cute spring clothes in the stores!

2. A computer geek husband
Yes I think I've mentioned this one before but this time it is because he helped Jared with an awesome science fair project. They did a project that involved sending emails all over the world and testing internet speeds. Sounds pretty geeky huh? But Jared loved it, and since I know NOTHING about what they were doing I "couldn't" help!

3. My job
I have felt so burned out lately, but I am so glad to have my job even if it does make me VERY tired sometimes.

4. Temple Celebration
Miquelle gets to participate in the Temple Celebration that will be held in May in conjunction with the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temple dedications. I don't think she gets how cool and once in a lifetime it is. She is pretty laid back about it but I think it is going to be an awesome experience.

5. A much needed vacation
Next weekend we are driving down to St. George for a dance competition for Miquelle. We are right in the middle of competition and recital season. Though it will be a short trip we are really looking forward to it. I NEED it. Gimmie, Gimmie, I need, I need! (Can anyone name the movie?)

This is why our last family photo is 3 1/2 years old...

*Disclaimer* This is a complete VENT post...feel free to skim or skip it all together. I promise it won't hurt my feelings.

Our last family photo was taken at Stacy and Matts wedding. It was a spur of the moment thing. The photographer asked if anyone wanted family photos done. So we went outside and plopped down in the leaves and she took pictures. And we loved them. I didn't plan, I didn't coordinate our outfits, we just did it and the results were fabulous. So three and a half years went by and we still have had the same family photo hanging on the wall. I do realize that there will be a time that I can't use the excuse that I have twins for things not getting done. But that time has not come. That is my excuse.

So last fall Julie and Seth got married. They used the same photographer and we knew ahead of time that we could get another family photo taken. I was so happy. BUT this time I was going to plan. I was going to coordinate our outfits and be ready for an even more fabulous photo. After all if the first one turned out great with no planning think of how much BETTER the next one would be if I was totally prepared. NOT SO. I didn't like it. At all. It was outside on the grass but she had us on a square of fake grass and you could totally see the difference in the picture. (I'm weird, things like that really bug me.) The way she had us sitting very little of Cole's body is the in the picture. So he just looks like a head. So I just resigned myself to the fact that Cole and Cagney would graduate from high school yet still be 4 months old in the family photo we had on the wall, and I was ok with that.

So then this last January I was at work and one of the nurses showed me some photos that her sister in law took for them. They were AMAZING! I looked through her blog and couldn't believe how beautiful her pictures were, totally insane (in a really good way). So I decided to take the plunge and I called her and set up a photo shoot. It is for this saturday, and thank goodness it is because I think I have changed my mind about 6 times about what I want us to wear. Casual or dressy? Short sleeves or long sleeves? I want to look coordinated but not matchy matchy. I had big plans to go out and buy everyone new things to wear, but then a couple of weeks ago just decided to pick things from what we have. Then this morning I work up and wondered what I was thinking? We don't have things that go together! I had to go shopping! So Cole and Cagney got dragged to five stores this morning. It is bad enough to try and figure out what to have seven people wear when I am shopping by myself. But throw into the mix two three year olds who think it is hilarious to play hide and seek in the clothing racks and see how fast they can make the racks spin. It was awful. BUT I think I may have finally made a decision. (Although I called Trevor on my way home and said, "Maybe this isn't right...maybe I should just start all over." He answered that with a resounding "NO".)

I emailed our photographer this morning and told her what I would love to get out of this shoot in a PERFECT world. And what I would be completely over the moon happy with in a very REALISTIC world...and that is a nice family photo (with no floating heads or two tone grass) to replace our out of date photo for the family room wall. So stay tuned. I will post pictures this weekend as soon as I have them, but until then I am staying out of clothing stores...I don't want to see something that makes me change my mind! again

Favorite Photo Friday

Does it seem to anyone else that I am OBSESSED with warmer weather? Because I kinda, sorta, a little bit, a lot, completely, 100% am! So that is part of the reason that I chose this for my favorite photo friday photo. It just screams warm weather. And last weekend we had our third annual moving into our house birthday bbq dinner (did you follow that) and having a bbq made me think of s'mores even though we didn't have s'mores for dessert that night. We had nutella and pretzels.

I'm sorry, I will stop pining for warm weather one of these days. Like when it is here. The funny thing is I have lived in Utah since I was 4. I know good and well how long the winter is and I have always kind of laughed at those people that are so anxious for spring in January or February because at that point it is still a LONG way off. But for some reason this year right after Christmas I was done with winter and completely ready for spring. But like I said, I have lived in Utah forever and knew it was a long way away and I felt like a kid on a long car trip saying, "Are we there yet?" over and over. But now it is March and I am so happy! Now watch I will be one of those annoying people that starts talking about Christmas in August. I REALLY doubt that. But just in case I do, I give all of you permission to pinch me.

Thankful Thursday

1. An extra hour of sunlight.
While I absolutely hate daylight savings when it comes to losing an hour of sleep I really love having it light later in the evening and I actually prefer to have it darker in the morning too!

2. Birthday celebrations that last a couple weeks!
My birthday was a few weeks ago but we have still been celebrating! Trevors parents invited us to their house for dinner for my birthday recently. His mom made the most incredible brownie trifle for dessert. I'm not really a chocolate fan but I do have a weakness for brownies. It was YUM. I went out to dinner with my sister in law and she picked up the tab since it was my birthday! Thanks Jenn! And my parents took us out to dinner this week at Mimi's for my birthday! And on a non-food related note, my birthday gift from Trevor is still coming. (And taking forever to ship! It is driving me crazy!) So I will still be celebrating!

3. Spring
I know it is coming. Hurry please!!

4. Card exchange groups
I belong to two different greeting card exchange groups. I'm so glad that I do because it forces me to do something that I love and that is be creative! I don't usually take the time to do it when I don't have to so I'm grateful for an excuse.

5. Freezer dinners
Our ward does a Relief Society group where we make freezer dinners and it is so fun. I have four meals in my freezer and I love it!

Defy Gravity

Only 45 more days!!

Favorite Photo Friday

Coco and Cici. February 2009

Mr. Smarty Pants

Written by Cole. March 2009.

Thankful Thursday

Thanks Tib for the beautiful new Thankful Thursday Logo!
This week I am thankful....
1. The garbage man comes tomorrow!
You see last week we totally forgot to take our garbage out. Trevor ran out just has he was passing our house but it was too late. So we have had garbage piling up all week. EW! I'm so glad that it will be picked up tomorrow! (I should run out and take it to the curb right now so we don't forget again!)

2. A running buddy.
Yes, this is a repeat. I'm so glad that Trevor is my workout buddy. I can't believe how many times we get ourselves all ready to go running and once we are started we both say, "I'm sure glad you wanted to go tonight because I'm not sure I would have gone by myself!" Last night we ran 5.75 miles and froze our faces off.

3. Kids who make me laugh.
Earlier this week I made California Casserole for dinner. Gabe said, "Mom to people in California just call it regular casserole?"

4. My kids.
Earlier today Gabe choked on an orange. Jared yelled to me and started hitting Gabe on the back. By the time I got to him he was breathing but had tears streaming down his face and his lips were starting to turn blue. So so scary. I have felt shaky all afternoon just thinking about it. I'm so Thankful that Gabe is okay and that Jared was right there.

5. Off track.
Jared and Gabe have been off track for the last couple of weeks and go back next week. I love the more relaxed schedule, sleeping in a little bit, no homework. It is just fun to have them home. Little boys are so fun!

Draper Temple Open House

Last week we took the kids to the Draper Temple Open House. They did great and seemed to really enjoy it. Some memories from the trip...
*The long wait (I'm not a very patient person)
*The bus ride up to the temple. Cole especially liked this part.
*Cole and Cagney hiding behind a chair in the celestial room. Hiding very reverently though....
*Cole being so proud of his little pamphlet. He even slept with it that night.
*Cagney wore her dress up princess tiara.
*The yummy SOFT cookies that we got afterwards. Who knew there would be snacks!
*The beautiful temple. Wow, it is really gorgeous. I loved the colors especially...blues, greens, and browns.
*Lunch afterwards at Sweet Tomatoes!
Oh and if you notice that my hair looks much darker in the photo, it is! I've wanted to go dark for awhile now and finally took the plunge! I don't think there is much truth to the saying that blonds have more fun. I'm having a lot of fun as a brunette!