The adventures of........... Bethany and Terry

Look here no here no here

2011-02-10T13:08:00.001-08:00

beautiful plan

2011-02-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

Today my dear cousin had her Grandma Vera pass away. She had been struggling for years and really had gone down hill even more in the last few weeks. She was in so much pain, didn't know who she was or anyone around her was and hated having to be house and bed ridden. Her husband passed almost a year ago so she was missing him terribly as well. As I have thought about this I can't help but reflect on the last week I was able to spend with my sweet Grandma. She had parkinsons disease that inprisoned her to her recliner for the last years of her life. While I sat by her bedside her spirit literally lit the room and I knew like when you hold a newborn baby that heaven dust was in the air. My grandma raised 9 children of which 4 went on missions and all were married in the temple. She was a very hands on grandma and loved every minute of it. She got to see 3 generations of her offspring before passing and always waited with itching fingers to hold the newest addtion. She made the best homemade bread you have ever tried. She loved to crochet and I have many treasured items stitched by her beautiful long fingers. She always had a tissue in her hand or up her sleeve. The day before she passed she still had the tissue clenched so hard in her fist and I tried with all my might to get it out, which I succeeded at, then quickly returned it because that was my grandma and she would need it even in heaven i'm sure. When she did pass on there was a wave of grief then quickly a wave of relief for her knowing that she was now free from her disease. She now could chase all the heavenly babies around. She could breathe deeply and would not choke anymore. She was whole and pure again. She left a beautiful legacy and because of the plan that I have great faith in I know I will someday return to her warm embrace. I know she is watching out for me and protecting these precious babies she sent to me. I love her and miss her and feel blessed to have her blood running through my veins.

2011-01-31T15:53:00.000-08:00

2 weeks and 3 days since my surgery. Feeling pretty good for the most part besides a kidney infection. so more antibiotics for that and hopefully it will be kicked here before too long. Through all of this I have had 2 smiling little faces and warm cuddles oh yeah from Terry too!!! They have all been such troopers and deserve a hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top for sure. My sister gave them these shirts a week before my surgery and honestly I say this about 100 times a day....When I am frustrated I can't vaccum and cheerios have just been squished into the carpet, when it hurts to bend over and pick up the chicken nugget little man threw on the ground for the 50th time, when Little miss screams well just because she is 2 and she can.

Keep Calm and Carry on

somethings missing

2011-01-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

new blog(private)

2010-11-15T07:14:00.001-08:00

We have decided we would like to share our journey through foster/adoption but we have to do it through a private blog. I know that is so annoying but because of privacy issues we have to do it this way. If you would like to follow our journey and see pics of the kids please leave a comment with your email or email me at periwinklepurple@hotmail.com and I will send you an invite to the blog. thanks and see you in the cyber world:)

Sweet cousins

2010-07-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

This was such a sweet shoot. It was a perfect day and for the most part they were all smiles. The baby smiled enough for all of them. Sweet littles

2010-06-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

so Terry is getting mad because I only update the blog with pictures. So I figure I should let you all know what WE have been up to. We have pretty boring lives but we are finally done with our foster care classes and are anxiously awaiting a phone call for little ones. We have gotten a few calls but none of them have matched our family and what will fit with our lives and theirs. We have a boy living us named Kyle he will be with us for 2 years until he graduates. He had a little run in with the local police he now knows egging cars is not a good idea!!! Man teenagers are hard:) Terry is working mornings, he goes in at 4 and is done at noon which is so nice but he is always so tired when he gets home. We are getting excited for all the fun things that summer has in store for us. We are going to Kanosh this weekend to celebrate the 4th. We are hoping to have a little one to take with us. I will keep you updated on any progress. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for us.

so much sweetness

2010-06-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a very small preview from one of my favorite shoots ever. What beauties these are. So many blue eyes I didn't know what to do with myself. Enjoy!!!

Baby H

2010-05-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

You would never know by these pics how much this baby hated having her picture taken. I actually had to go back for another shoot because she was not having it the first time. I am really proud of the shots we did get though and I hope the parents are just as pleased. What a true beauty she is.

Its been forever

2010-05-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am not very good about keeping this updated, it is not because I don't spend a lot of time on the computer because I do I just am so busy stalking other blogs I forget to update mine. So here is the latest going on with us. Terry and I have been attending foster care classes for the last 5 weeks in Las Vegas and we have 5 more weeks to go then we will be licensed foster care parents and start having children in our home. We are getting so anxious to start this new chapter in our lives. We look forward to having little feet run the halls and little voices echoing throughout the house. Lucas is going home in just 1 month. It is crazy how that year has gone by so quickly. Life is funny that way when you are in the middle of something you can't always see how fast it is flying by but then you sit back and look at how the time has passed and you can't believe it is already gone. In the past few months we have gone camping and gone to Kanosh and done a lot of yard work as well as work on the house. Terry built me a little divider wall in the garage so now it is a playroom and also a craft room for me. I will post pics later he did a great job. We have big plans for the backyard and I am hoping to get it done sooner rather than later in the heat of the summer:) For now that is it but I will try to be better at updating.

Girls weekend

2010-03-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

New blog

2010-03-03T16:39:00.001-08:00

I have decided to have this be strictly my family blog and move my photography to this new site:) http://olandsphotography.blogspot.com/ I will update it when I do shoots and update this family blog when anything exciting happens:)

Jack and Izzy

2010-02-14T19:49:00.001-08:00

These are my sisters dogs. After many treats and much patience we got a few fun shots. ENJOY:)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

finally an update

2010-01-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas ( a little late)

2010-01-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

double the trouble double the fun!!!!!

2009-12-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

I got my workout with these little guys. They were on the move and I am really happy with the shots I was able to get.

funny baby

2009-12-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

This is a very small preview of this family of 7 but I had to quickly post this because it has made my day for the last 2 days so I thought I would share and hopefully bring smiles to all of you.

as promised

2009-11-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

I know I said these would be up days ago but things got crazy and blah blah blah but here they are. I have had such fun looking over these pictures. This baby is so incredibly photogenic it was very hard for me to decide which ones to post. I could prob add 10 more. I can't wait for the proud mama to see them all. Enjoy

BabyK preview

2009-11-25T07:34:00.000-08:00

I had the sweetest time with this baby and his family. He was such a little trooper but he let us know when he had enough:)I will post more later today I just know his mom and aunt are very anxious to see some!!! Enjoy

little chubby cheeks

2009-11-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

windy in veyo

2009-11-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

Holy toledo we almost blew away on this shoot. The kids were such troopers. The little one would cry but as soon as I got my camera ready to shoot he would stop then I would say ok we are done and he would cry again. I think there are some good shots though. This shoot was for a young man going on a mission. I got a couple of just him and I am very happy with how they turned out. Hope you enjoy!!!

almost rained out bridals

2009-11-14T20:14:00.001-08:00

we prayed for cloud coverage but got a little sprinkling pre-photo time. it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon cold noses and all!!! This couple was so much fun to work with and were willing to do anything. Thanks guys

the newlyweds

2009-11-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

This has been a much awaited wedding and it was all I anticipated it to be. They are so incredibly in love and so much fun. Many many happy wishes from me to you on your future adventures together.

another sneak peak

2009-09-15T21:13:00.001-07:00

just couldn't resist posting this one as well. I had so much fun with these boys but man i worked up a sweat:)

I love when this happens

2009-09-15T21:05:00.001-07:00

so i just finished a shoot and came home to upload them, I always just quickly glance at all of them before starting the editing process just to see what I captured. sometimes not very often but sometimes there is a photo that stands out so vividly its like i can't believe it came from my camera and this is one of those. the lighting was perfect and i love it so much. how lucky we are to live somewhere so beautiful.

its all about me(ok not really maybe for one day)

2009-09-14T07:22:00.001-07:00

tutus

2009-09-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

So I had a photo shoot with 3 sweet little girls in tutus. the lighting was perfect with a little cloud cover, the girls were set in their matching tutus and their nails were painted and their hair done oh so cute, there was only 1 thing they forgot.......their smiles!!!! their parents and I tried everything with no sucess. I say you can't go wrong with girls in tutus so here is what a got and I love them. I will post more later but I had to some up because they make ME smile:)

Labor Day Adventure

2009-09-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

So we ventured to Zions for Labor day. We had so much fun and it was so neat to show the boys this beautiful park. We hiked to all 3 emerald pools and then we were all pretty tired. We will have to work our way to Angels Landing.

someone had a birthday

2009-09-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

It was Stefano's birthday last wed. We had a big party for them on Friday I will have to upload those later. He went to Vegas that day to play tennis and won all three of his games of course. He is an amazing athlete.

our family has grown

2009-08-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

dream baby

2009-07-11T21:27:00.001-07:00

I did the most fun photo shoot today. This baby was so amazing. He let us do anything to him. I had him all folded up and he slept thru the whole thing. Such a sweet pea. I have many more pictures to share but these are two of my favorite I had to put up right away.

Baby Paxton

2009-07-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

I usually like doing newborn pics in the first 2 wks of them being born but this family was so busy we couldn't find a time till now 2 months later. He was such a good boy though. He was still very bendy and sleepy which made the shoot oh so fun. We tried for some family photos and big sis was not really liking. We may have to try again another day but here are some anyways.

Sweet baby Jax

2009-07-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

These are so over due and I feel awful that it has taken me so long to post these
(you gotta love computers) Here they are now though and boy was he a sweet one. these were taken when he was just 4 days old. We tried to get some with his older brother but he wasn't having it. It was a battle to get his little hand in there but with treats involved we were able to do that much:)

Bowling Adventure

2009-06-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

So a bunch of us crazy ladies from the ward decided to go bowling. We are a rowdy bunch and we were getting in trouble left and right. First I sat on the table which I was told to quickly get off. Then a bunch of the ladies went to get drinks they were carded for SPRITE-crazy. Then quickly after Julie returned with her naughty drink she spilled it all over the floor- another bad mark on us. While we were bowling we were being pretty loud I'm sure cheering each other on so a nice lady had to come tell us to take it down a few decimals and not to take so many pics they were distracting the league players. WHAT!!!!!! We payed money to be there and we weren't hurting anyone if you can't be loud and crazy at a bowling alley then where can you be? Anyways here are a few pics from that night the ones I got in before we got our hands slapped:) We had a great time even if I did only bowl a 55 ( terry will be so embarrassed for me when he finds out I told everyone!!!)

Gone retro

2009-06-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh was this a fun shoot. I have to give it up to my clients for being so clever. Miss C who is getting married in Oct had a great idea to do photos with her bridesmaids. She wanted like the vintage pin up girl look. I think they turned out pretty dang cute if I do say so myself. I can't take all the credit though becuase man was this a beautiful bunch of ladies. Thanks for a good time.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll210/periwinklepurple/DSC_0228-1.jpg

Busy busy busy

2009-06-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

I have just been too busy with life to blog but i do have a few photo shoots to share so I will do my best to get this updated

Where does time go?

2009-04-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some photos of some really beautiful girls that are growing up just too dang fast. Their mom is going to have a new baby soon which has brought back many memories of her girls being little. The first few are from 2 yrs ago and then the others are from a few months ago

more from senior shoot

2009-04-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more from Miss B's senior shoot. I had a lot of fun playing with the the textures and shadows.

senior shoot

2009-04-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Boy did we have fun wind and all.

spring love

2009-03-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few from a recent engagement session. This couple was so funny and so much fun to work with they had me in stiches pretty much the whole time.

Whitney Pockets

2009-03-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy week Abbe, Randi and her kids along with Terry and I went to Whitney Pockets for a little picnic. It was more windy than expected but once we got running around we had a good time. We took a 4 wheeler up there so that was a really good time. Terry built us a nice fire that made our sandwhiches nice and ashy (wind)overall it was a great little adventure. I am always amazed when I go out there at the beauty. All of that was created for us just to look at and enjoy. The rock formations are ever changing and are breath taking really. I am so thankful for the beauty we have all around us. I am so thankful for spring which brings new life. I love driving down the highway and seeing all the wildflowers growing in the median. We are so lucky to have eyes to see such magnificant things all around us.

my ears hurt from screaming girls

2009-03-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Oh what a night. We went to St. George with Abbe, Randi and her kids and saw Mr David Archuleta. He is great live but needs to work on his stage presence a little. The boy can sing though. I had forgotten how good he really is. I had also forgotten what it is like to be 13 and in love with a pop star, my love when i was that young was new kids on the block. I saw them in concert and really thought I was going to die. It was fun to see so much excitment and so many happy people. It was a fun night all around. Konnor (randi's little one) slept thru it all. I don't know how he did it.

beauty

2009-02-25T18:40:00.000-08:00

as promised here are a few more photos from the recent shoot with this little angel

sweet baby

2009-02-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

I just did this shoot last night but this shot was so cute I had to put it up for her mom to see. there will be more to come when I get a chance to edit them all. ENJOY!!!!!

baby on the way see next post for more

2009-02-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

baby on the way

2009-02-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few shots from a recent maternity shoot I did. I love love love shooting pregnant bellies. I just think it is amazing that there is something living inside there. This couple was very cute together and I know they are going to be excellent parents. can't wait to take pics of the little one!!!

Engagements

2009-02-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here are a few from a recent engagement shoot I did. They were so fun together and it was a beautiful day.

more from the family shoot

2009-02-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

sweet family

2009-02-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

This is such a sweet little family and the little guy made everyone laugh with his pouty faces.

i've been tagged

2009-02-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Rules:1. Go to your documents/pictures.
2. Go to your 6th file.
3. Go to your 6th picture.
4. Blog about it.
5. Tag 6 people to do the same

so here is the my 6th picture this is my nephew who is now 3. we of course having too much mountain dew ourselves thought this would be a funny photo op. We did not let this baby who could not even sit up by himself eat chips and drink soda. I don't want anyone thinking I am crazy. So I tag anyone who has not done this it is pretty funny to discover the 6th photo.

New Baby and New Beginings

2009-02-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

NEW BABY
What a lucky aunt I am. Here are a few shots from my recent shoot with my newest Nephew still 2 wks before his due date. What a cutie and such a good little model.

New Beginings

2009-02-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

NEW BEGININGS
This weekend was a busy one. Here are a few shots from an engagement shoot I did We were hoping for the Casa Blanca fountain to be on but murphys law it wasn't but I still think we got some really good ones.

Healthy baby

2009-01-20T10:04:00.001-08:00

My little nephew is home he actually didn't even spend a week in the hosp. what a miracle. My sister says he is just such a good baby and all the other kids are adjusting to the new addition and enjoy giving him cuddles and kisses. I can't wait to see him again. I'm sure he will look like a totally different baby then when I saw him in the NICU they change so quickly.

just couldn't wait

2009-01-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

My sister was due Feb 9 with her 4th baby boy. Tues night I got a call that he made his appearance early. Everything for the most part is ok. My sister had some major complilcations but actually was released yesterday. My new little nephew Oliver Bird Utley weighed in at6lbs5oz (but lost some weight in the hosp) and is 19 inches long. He is in the nicu for his lungs but looks like a sumo baby compared to other babies in there. I was lucky enough to hold him. He is free from all machines except the monitoring ones. For the most part he is very healthy. They are thinking he can come home this week sometime. My other little nephews are so anxious to see their new little buddy. I couldn't take many photos but here are a few.

Miracles

2009-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

Oh what a beauty.....I have always believed in miracles but this little girl really showed me what miracles are made of. She recently sustained a very bad head injury and was life flighted to Primary Childrens where she spent the next few months. She has come back like noone thought she would. She is only 4 but has inspired more lifes then she will ever know. She has made me really think of what is really important in this life. She has helped me appreciate every precious moment of every day. She is full of life and love and shares it with whoever comes near her. I felt so priveledged to take these photos of her and her parents, who have been so amazing through this rollercoaster. She is actually headed back into surgery the end of this month. She is such a trooper and I know she has so many little angels rooting for her and protecting her each day. Please keep her in your prayers.

resolution to resulutions

2009-01-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

Every year as the special day of january first rolls around we feel like we have to change everything and make things better. I am pretty happy with the life I have right now. I have a husband who I adore who shows great love in return. I get to babysitt sweet kids who make me laugh every day. I get to capture smiles on every photo shoot. I feel pretty lucky. So I have decided this year instead of making a list of things I want to do I am going to make a list of things I don't want to do. The old reverse psychology trick!! So here it goes......

I don't want to gain any weight (unless its due to something growing inside me with 10 fingers and toes)(no i'm not pregnant)

I don't want to be worried all the time about things I have no control over

I don't want eat out as much as we do right now (terry loves jack in the box)

I don't want to be worried about money

I don't want to let days slip by without enjoying every minute

I'll let you know how this works out for me:) HAPPY NEW YEAR

Beautiful girls

2008-12-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

I have been lucky enough to watch these girls grow into beautiful little women. They are so sweet and are going to be heart throbs for sure.

"D"Family

2008-12-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Oh how lucky I am to be able to capture beautiful children in their true spirits. This little guy was a ham and has dimples to die for. His little brother was not thinking this was such a good idea but We still got a few really good shots here is just a small preview of the shoot.

the toliet papering of 2008

2008-12-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

So we had a very nice thanksgiving with my family in

kanosh, ut. We came home very late friday nite and found our front walk looking like this!!!!!

We were the targets for what must be the new toliet papering. The bummer of it all was that it rained on friday which made the papers stick very nicely to the ground. There were at least 50 full newspapers spread all over the place.

When I first saw it and began cleaning it up I was a little frantic thinking someone was out to get us and what would be next. the next day I found out it was my adult cousin with a bunch of my little cousins. Then I couldn't stop laughing. Thanks Krissy we will never forget it and remember we do know where you live as well:)

Miss J's bridals

2008-11-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

These guys have been such a fun couple to shoot. They are so happy and so in love and both so photogenic. We had to do one by the tractor for Mr J.

How beautiful is she WOW!!!! I love this shot

This is of course not a bridal but a family shoot I did. This picture cracked me up because noone not even the grandpa was looking at me(I did ask them to look). It was like I wasn't there. This is my favorite of the day. shots like this, ones that really show personality is why I love what I do

I love fall

2008-11-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when you are very lucky the sun does something magical and makes every photographer want time to stop. Last night was one of those times. The colors were breath taking, I didn't want to stop shooting and I definetly did not want the sun to go down.

wonderful weekend

2008-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

We had a very special weekend. Terry and I were sealed in the LDS Temple on Saturday. It was a beautiful day. Both our families and a lot of friends were there. We both felt so lucky to have so much love around us. We feel so blessed we were able to go thru the temple and recieve the great promises that we did.
We finished all our fertility testing and had our final consultation to determine what our next move would be. The doctor informed us that our only option would be invitro. Terry and I both decided before we even started all of this that invitro is not for us. There are so many risks involved and it takes a toll on everything and everyone. It was easy to say this when we thought that it would not be our only option then when it was placed before us both our hearts sunk. We both still very strongly that it is not a good option for us but it is so much more difficult to think about now. My heart literally aches at the thought of not having a child. I know I will be a mother the hardest part right now is just waiting for the child that is supposed to be with us. We cannot begin an adoption process until we have been married for 2 years. That is through an agency at least. If we do it privately then it can be whenever but the problem there is finding a mother who is giving up her child not using an agency. We both want to start to our family so badly and patience is so hard especially with something like this. I know there is a bigger plan than we can even comprehend but that does not solve the heartache of today.
L

I've been tagged

2008-11-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Tagged by Randi

8 shows I like to watch

1.prison break(yay the bad guy is dead)
2.pushing daisys
3.How I met your mother
4.Fringe
5.Greys Anatomy
6.Private Practice
7.Ellen
8.The Office

8 Restaurants I like to eat at

1.Pizza Factory (YUM)
2.Cafe Rio
3.Olive Garden
4.AppleBee's
5.Macayo's
6.Taco Time
7.Panera
8.

8 Things that happened today

1.got out of bed
2.started laundry
3.played wii fit
4.did some more laundry
5.took a shower
6.ate breakfast
7.printed off coloring pages for kids I watch
8.wrote this

8 Things I'm looking forward to

1.getting sealed in the temple this Saturday
2.going to the dr to get all test results today
3.starting a family
4.pumpkin pie for thanksgiving
5.my sister having her baby in Jan
6."my favorite things" weekend with sisters
7.going on drives with Terry
8.for the election to be over

8 things on my wish list

1.To be able to get pregnant
2.not having to take thyroid medicine anymore
3.live closer to my family but still live close to Terrys
4 have more hours in the day
5.have the feeling of Christmas all year long
6.economy to pick up
7.start a family
8.start a family

8 people I'm tagging

1.Liz
2.Mckenzie
3.Jenn
4.Julie C.
5. thats all i can think of right now its still early

Halloween weekend

2008-11-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun weekend. The pictures uploaded backwards so I will retell it starting with Halloween night. These are my darling nephews so clever and cute. My sister is in the middle and my brother in law is Gene simmons the other guy is their partner at their company. They did such an amazing job with their makeup and wigs. They were hilarious

I don't know how I got him to do it but we were the frankenstein couple it was so much fun. The hour teasing my hour and the hour getting it our were not so much fun!!!!

My sister is remodeling her house so we had a party there and she set up her soon to be work out room as a bowling alley. We used pumpkins as the balls it was so much fun

Terry struck out every time until the pumpkins exploded.

2008-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Tis the season to think about Gingerbread boys, carols and of course Christmas cards. Here a few cards I have designed for this year. Please let me know soon if you want to set up a photo shoot for your Christmas cards.

what to do

2008-10-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

So as many of you may already know Terry and I have run into some major fertility problems. My body for just some reason cannot get pregnant instead I grow massive cysts that are extremely painful. We met with a fertility doctor this week and we are starting the testing to see what are options are. We have both decided that Invitro is not for us. This was not an easy decision by any means. It feels like a great loss to me if I cannot carry a child, but the what ifs about invitro scare us both way too much. I really never thought I would ever be faced with this but we are and Terry is a rock he is the one telling me whatever will be, will be and I know that to be true but that doesn't make the sorrows of today any easier. We talked with a couple last night who have adopted 2 children. They were very insightful and excited to share their story. We are going to start that process and see where it takes us. This too was not an easy decision. I have 4 cousins who have been adopted and they are all amazing miracles and I know with all of my heart they are meant to be exactly where they are. They are as much part of the family as the next. I know there is a plan for all of us and it is much bigger and more in depth than we could ever comprehend. I know that nothing is by mistake that everything is a lesson and a stepping stone to making a good life. I also know there will be nothing given to us that we cannot handle that brings me great comfort. We are scared but very excited for what lies ahead of us. We are surrounded by great supports and the knowledge that we will make it thru this. Life is full of storms, it is up to us if we look for the rainbows.

weekend fun

2008-10-13T08:40:00.001-07:00

so this past weekend we didn't really have much planned which is very rare for us. We made plans with our cousins in st. george we first had some shopping to do in st george we were looking for halloween costumes just wait for the pictures they are priceless. then we met up with them at cafe rio(terrys all time fav place) after eating we headed back to their place to play some games we started "scene it" tv but it was too hard the shows were way to old for us youngins so we sent the boys to buy a new version and what did they come back with? an even harder game, trivial pursuit. I ended up winning with a little cheating but still I won then we rocked out with rock band go jenn on the drums she knows how to bang them for sure. i was mostly the singer and terry on the guitar and the one time i was on guitar i was kicked off the stage better stick with the vocals. it was such a fun night thanks guys.

KiDs cLuB

2008-09-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know I am no longer working at the physical therapist I needed a change of scenery and am so excited to get back to spending some time with kids. Some of my most wonderful years were spent being a nanny back east. I got to work with all ages and loved every minute of it. I have decided to start a kids club to see how it goes here and if there is a need for it. I have posted the flyer I am planning to hang in some stores let me know if you think its a good idea

Girls weekend

2008-09-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

Last weekend my mom, sister, Aunt Carol and cousin Krissy spent the weekend in St. George doing girl things like pedicures and shopping. Amy suprised us all with 2 hour sunset jeep tour in hurricane by the sand dunes. It was unbelievable. I don't have pics from that yet but when i get them I will be sure to post them. It was such a fun weekend. There were so many laughs and memories created. We stayed at a bed and breakfast that supposedly has had some hauntings friendly ones of course. Krissy was scared out of her mind thinking the doors were going to slam on their own or the rocking chair would start rocking. Nothing like that happened but we sure know how to scare ourselves.

This is a picture of Orpha Morris. Her house has been turned into the bed and breakfast we stayed in. It is kinda a freaky picture if you ask me. It looks like she follows you every which you move.

I'm sure you are all wondering what Terry does while i'm away so I thought I would include a picture of one of his favorite past times yep he plays football on the playstation and watches football at the same time he is very talented that way and yes i have some of my halloween decorations already up. I just get so excited for it.

Engagements

2008-09-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek at some engagements I did last night. I couldn't wait to get home to play with the images. There were a lot of laughs and good smiles. This couple has their work cut out for them when it comes to deciding which one to use for their announcements.

Cute Kids

2008-09-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots I took over the weekend. Too cute!!!!! I have wedding pictures on their way:)

the big three O

2008-09-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

30 years ago today i was born my mom tells me i never cried and i had a perfectly round head. she tells me that every year its pretty sweet i think. she says my older sisters lugged me everywhere and i just let them. i sure wish things were still as simple as they were back then!! I woke up this morning needing a drink terry had already gone to work, so i made my way to the kitchen still half asleep and trying to adjust my eyes and all of the sudden i felt something at my feet i looked down and it was a balloon then i saw many more balloons and streamers. Terry had decorated the balloons led me to the kitchen where there was not one but 2 cards for me from him. What a sweet man he is. about a half hour after that i heard the door opening and there was my sweet husband with beautiful flowers just the kind i love. I feel so incredibly spoiled and special. How did i ever get so lucky? tonight we are going to st. george for dinner it will be fun. i have been thinking about this birthday for a long time and what it means to be 30. i remember as a kid in young womens and such making lists of where you will be when you are 20, 25, 30 and so on i now know there is no way you can truly predict where your life will be because there are always curve balls being thrown which changes the direction of where you are going. I am so incredibly thankful for those curve balls, if it weren't for them i wouldn't be sitting here in mesquite married to the most wonderful man ever. i love my life how it is and anxiously await the bumps in the road that might come my way the next 30 years.

Fall is in the air

2008-09-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

It sure has been getting a lot cooler around here the past couple of weeks. I am a wimp for the cold so you can find me complaining about it being to cold if it is below 85. We went to cedar mountain for the long weekend where it was really freezing. It rained pretty much the whole time we were there but it was still nice to get out of town for a bit. We were able to go riding a little but Terry was worried about getting too muddy:) We also went geocaching which was so much fun. It is like finding a buried treasure.
I am leaving my job at the end of September for many reasons but one very fun one is I will be able to watch baby Maci which I am very excited for. It is a change but one that has been long coming and much needed. I will miss all the people I have met thru my job and hope to see them around town.
Terry is getting super pumped for NFL kick off tomorrow. I love how excited he gets. It is so cute to watch him watch a game. He is so passionate about it and knows everything about anything football. I love him so much.

what is passion

2008-08-19T09:19:00.001-07:00

So today in my staff meeting we all have the opportunity to say whatever is on our minds. Noone ever says anything unless absolutely necessary. One of the girls spoke up today and said her spirit has been questioning what her passion in life is. It was a little uncomfortable while I was sitting there because the rest of the staff was just sitting there not knowing what to say. Now that I have had few minutes to think about it I think it was actually a beautiful statement and really got me thinking. What is passion and what in life am I passionate about. Passion is a very strong word and in the dictionary it reads: A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger. It also says as another definition of passion: Boundless enthusiasm. So I know I am passionate about my darling husband Terry he is my everything, the sweetest, most genuine person I know but what else in life can I say that about. I think back to being a kid and look around at kids now and everything in their life brings them boundless enthusiasm. When do we loose that? How can we get that back? Life is so incredibly precious and fragile and I don't think we realize that until something tragic happens then we want to turn back time and do things differently. I am going to challenge myself to think more innocently and naively(child like) and find more things in life I can be passionate about. Our life is such a gift as corny as that may sound you can't deny its truth.

New baby new photos

2008-08-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Oh my what a beautiful baby girl. I was lucky enough to shoot this on her one week birthday. She was possibly the most peaceful baby I have ever photographed. I moved her all over the place, I guess she is used to it with her big brother and big sister at home.

I have seen a lot of feet in my days and I must say this is my favorite shot of the little piggies I have ever gotten.

recent photo shoots

2008-08-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with this shoot. Jenna and Wade are so funny together. He is head over hills for her that is for sure. Its very sweet.

I love the red rocks in St. George so much. We were there right around sunset and it was breath taking. We are very lucky to live so close to such natural beauty.

new life

2008-08-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

I had the most beautiful experience I have ever had yesterday. I'm not really sure If I will be able to do it justice by writing it down. Terry and I went the hospital just to visit Kelli who was in labor but it ended up we got there just as she was going to start pushing so we took the kids down to the lobby for a minute and then waited outside the room to hear that first cry. Well it took about 17 minutes after the doctor got there and there it was the first cry, the first breathe from a beautiful baby girl. We were all lucky enough to go right in and see her in the same minute she entered this world. It gives me chills just writing this, it was amazing. To think that just a minute before she was in the home Kelli was providing for her in her and then there she was crying grabbing whatever she could with her precious little fingers. She is perfect and it was as you could feel her sweet new spirit and the angels that were with her helping her through the process right there in the room. I have never felt anything like that. It was so sweet to see the kids help the nurse wipe her off and hold her little fingers. They just stood there in amazement like they couldn't believe it, that she was actually here with ten fingers and toes so little and sweet. I am so thankful to Kelli and Kenny for letting me part of those first very precious moments. I will never forget the feeling that was there. I will hold it dear to my heart and hope and pray that some day it will be me doing the pushing. By the way she was 9lbs 60z 21 inches long. Kelli deserves a metal if I do say so myself.

Busy weekend

2008-08-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Boy has it been a busy weekend. Terry his mom and aunt Vicki and I all headed to St.George Friday evening where we first ate a delicous meal at Paulas then headed over to Tuacahn to see The Sound of Music. My sister sent us the tickets along with those tickets she sent ones to High School Musical also at Tuacahn which was playing Saturday night. We had two adult tickets and 3 youth ones so we weren't sure who we would take or give them to. After thinking and thinking we called Kenny and Kelli to see if their kids would like to see it. Kelli was not up to going since she just wants that stubborn baby to come out but Kenny(who used the 3rd youth ticket) and the kids and Terry and I all went and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was very well done and the kids that were in it suprised us by their talent. It wasn't like a typical high school performance even though the kids are of that age group. So today, Sunday hopefully we will just take it easy go to church have a nice meal, maybe play a game or two and just enjoy being together. It is going to be a crazy work week since one of the therapists is out of town for 2 weeks. You would think it would be slower but instead the 2 remaining therapists are left taking on the extra patients. It will all work out it will be crazy but all work out. I have another ultrasound on wed to see if another cyst has formed everyone cross your fingers that it hasn't.

Prayers for Kairi

2008-07-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of my good friends little girl. She is only 3 1/2 and beautiful as they come. She is full of energy and loves everyone. On Sat there was a terrible accident and a 6x6x10 beam fell and hit her. She is in critical condition at primary childrens hospital in Salt Lake. She needs your prayers......

Here is a link to a website the family has made for her and to keep everyone updated.

http://www.larenabbottfam.blogspot.com/

Happy 24th and Sams 9th birthday

2008-07-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

It is tradition in Kanosh to have a oh so fun parade for the 24th my mom is in the relief society so she gets to be in the parade. This year they threw t-shirts but in the past they have thrown jello jigglers and twinkies. They keep it exciting:)

My sister brought rock band and boy did we have fun with it. I think the adults may have played more than the kids. We of course are on easy level while the 8-13 years olds laugh all the way to expert.
It was sams 9th birthday party. We threw him a rock band party. He was Sam Stefani for the day making rock star demands and all. Here is the crew with Mick Jagger lips Every star must be inked. I saw a new side of Terry. He ended up with 9 tatoos only 8 visible to the general public!!!!
My brother and I posing for our fans.

The reunion

2008-07-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

After our trip to Yellowstone on our way back to Mesquite we stopped at my moms in Kanosh for a family reunion. We had so much fun

Terry played the entire time- ultimate frisbee was the game of choice this year. My brother in law actually broke a rib while playing.
There is always a theme for each reunion this years was forties so my grandpa talked about being in the war in life in the forties. He is an amazing man I am proud to have him as my grandpa.
There was a doughnut eating contest so Terry was first in line and almost won but was beat by a girl. Dang!!!
This is the scariest slide ever it is way too steep and should be taken down it is a broken bone waiting to happen. Luckily noone got hurt while we were there. My heart stopped several times watching the little ones climb the scary stairs.

yellowstone journey

2008-07-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to Yellowstone with Terrys family including his Mom and sister and her husband and there 3 adorable children. We spent our days hanging out at the very nice KOA where we parked the trailer. They had a very nice pool and playground and and oh so mini mini golf course:) There were many memories created.
Ko Konnor just was not happy with our campsite he wanted to visit everyone elses as well
I don't know who's idea it was to do this but what a good shot!!!!
Terry is the king of the play ground
Old faithful at its peak. This picture does not even come close to doing it justice. It is beautiful and so amazing that it just goes off on its own every 90 minutes no alarm clock or anything. Nature is incredible and I feel so blessed to be a witness to it all.

Good News

2008-07-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

So the Dr. had good news for me. He got the oncology reports back from the surgery and there is nothing abnormal about the tissue or blood. He told me he would leave it up to me whether I was ready to go back to work or not. I was so excited to hear that and decided to go for a couple hours. I got pretty worn out pretty fast but I managed to stay for about 4 hours. I will try a little longer on wed and just keep building until I am comfortable with a full day. I came home to find the hospital bill waiting- they do not mess around. It is crazy to me how much everything costs I mean we could go to Hawaii like 10 times for the same price as my 24 hour stay in Mesa View. You would think they could make the food a little more tasty and the walls should be covered in gold. Thank goodness for insurance which I think will cover the entire thing.

2008-07-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am extremely nervous this morning. I go back to the dr first thing. My fate of going back to work this week is in his hands. I have had a rough weekend. Standing longer than a half hour is very difficult for me. There is still a lot of pain which I'm not sure is normal or not. I still don't have a really big appetite and get nauseous very easily. I'm afraid to tell the dr this because I fear his solution will be to take more time to rest. I am fearful if I take more time off my employer will be upset and my job will be in jeopardy. I love my job and miss getting up in the morning and knowing I will see all the patients who I love dearly. I on the other hand fear even more if I don't listen to the dr then there will be long time effects which could hurt my chances of having a baby. I guess I will know soon enough what the verdict is. I will keep you all posted. Keep your fingers crossed for me that whatever the dr tells me I will be able to deal with and do with a smile.

Firework adventure

2008-07-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

What a firework show we had. We had a bbq at the Martinsen residence then watched the big fireworks, which were very impressive with the stars and swirlies and such. Then we had our own little firework show with lots of sparklers. Those were everyones favs.

The woes of being a girl

2008-06-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

So as some of you may know this past Wed. I had emergency surgery to remove a gigantic cyst on my right ovary. I went to the doctor that day to have an ultrasound and ended up in the hospital hooked up to all sorts of IVs. It all happened very very quickly but it went well and the Dr was able to drain the cyst and remove most of the cysts wall. I went back to the Dr today because I am still feeling a lot of pain and just an all over general blah feeling. I now have an infection. I am so frustrated. I just want to feel better. I have been recieving the best care one could ask for however. You would think I would want to stay sick with all the help that has come to my rescue. Terry has really stepped up to the plate and Abbe is the best Mother in Law one could ever dream of. I am so very blessed with so many people who love me but I still wish I just felt better. I will keep everyone up to date on whats going on. As for now I can't go back to work until next week unless I am still feeling yuck and then it may be later. Please pray for next week. I don't want to go crazy:)

Take me out to the ball game

2008-06-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Terry and I decided to do something different so we got in the car and headed to St. George. We ended up at Fiesta Fun where we played in the batting cages. I have never been in a batting cage and haven't even picked up a bat since grade school. I thought I would be awful but I actually suprised myself along with Terry. Terry of course is amazing at every sport and even ventured into the very fast pitch cage. We laughed a lot, I can't wait to go again.

Disney Land Adventures

2008-06-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is us getting on Indiana Jones for the first time- It is my all time favorite ride

Here we are in Califorina Adventure
Terry Standing by his Idol-Goofy!!!!
Men never read signs
We had so so so much fun. It was busy but not crazy busy and it was hot but not Mesquite hot. We loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back

2008-06-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning Terry and I are off to Cali to visit the happiest place on earth (anywhere with him is that really) thats right we are finally going to disneyland. My mom is going to drive along with us and visit my aunt who live in San Marcos. It is going to be busy as busy can be but so much fun. I will take lots of pics and post when we return on sunday. Have a good rest of the week and a fantastic weekend.

Tea Party

2008-06-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

My friend watches some beautiful children including her own daughter so we decided to have a tea party and snap a few photos while we were at it. The kids humored us and played along. It was so cute to see how into the whole thing they got. Here are just a few of my favs. I also got a new program on my photoshop so there a few new editing techniques. It is hard to see them clearly but they are fun and I have been playing around with it all weekend

sister weekend

2008-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon I flew from St. George to SLC to spend the weekend with my two darling sisters. We did a little of everything from yoga to guitar hero to having a physic reading and lots of good food and plenty of laughs in between. We also drove past all our old stomping grounds. It is amazing how things change. The little baby trees in our neighborhood are now huge trees shading the streets. It was a fun drive down memory lane. I feel incredibly blessed to have such wonderful friends for my sisters. I do believe sisters have very special connections and I am thankful for ours. We are all so different in our every day lives but when we get together as sisters we are just 3 silly girls who love each other and get one another on a level we could never expect anyone else to see. I love them and cherish the time we spend with one another. This weekend was a special one and I look forward to our next weekend getaway.
Terry was thinking it might be nice to have a day with no agenda but about 10 saturday morning he realized it was going to be a pretty boring day. He spent his time golf ball hunting and watching rambo. Sounds like too much fun for me. We have both realized we take our time together for granted and are happy were happy for our reunion this afternoon. We are both excited for the summer to be here but with this excitment there is going to be a little adjustment period especially for the sleeper inner that Terry is. His day will at work will now begin at 4:30 am. The upside is he will be done at 12:30 but the mornings will be tough for a bit. I'll fill you all in how the first week goes.

Weekend in Idaho

2008-05-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

On the road again..... We left mesquite about noon on Fri and then spend several hours in the car through rain and even some hail for a very fun visit in Idaho. I like a bum dummy head forgot my camera so you are going to have to use your imaginations. We first made a stop in Salt Lake Friday night and caught up with my family and spent the night then woke up insanely early saturday to help my sister Amy get ready for the 5k she was having for her company which is 5 years old. It was quite chilly in the morning but turned out a lot better than anyone expected. The run ended around 11 so we were on the road again headed to Blackfoot. We made it just in time for a delicious bbq and lots of laughs. We woke up Sunday morning and after a scrumptious breakfast we headed to Bear Country. Boy oh boy did we have fun there. You drive your car through the park and see the animals who are pretty free to roam wherever except the brown and black bears are not aloud to be free with one another they will kill each other(little bear trivia). After driving through ourselves we visited the petting zoo where there was the cutest baby white goat. I wanted to bring it home but Terry didn't think it was such a good idea. After petting all the animals we could the kids ventured into the amusement ride section and had a wonderful time. I must admit Terry really enjoyed himself on the kiddie rides as well. We then went on a Curator tour which is where you drive in the back a tall truck through the animal park and throw food to the bears. They come right up to the truck and sit there patiently for you to throw a donut or piece of bread to them(they are not big believers in the south beach diet!!!) it was amazing to take a little sneak peak into these adorable furry animals lives. We also saw baby bears frolicking around which would make anyones heart melt. After we had all the fun we could have there we headed to lunch and then home to all take a little bear nap:) We headed back for home Monday morning and got home after many pit stops late that evening. We had beary much fun and can't wait to spend more time with Randi, Seth, Kamri, Kynsli and Konnor throughout the summer. We love you guys!!!

2008-05-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've been backing up all my pics on cds today because I always have this fear of my computer crashing and loosing everything. I also need more room for new photos. I have compiled a few here that are my absolute favs. Its hard for me to pick favs because I have loved every subject I have ever photographed but here are just a few.

2008-05-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Vegas Girls

2008-05-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

So Liz and I decided to take a girls day in Vegas we started off our adventure at a restaurant called Hash House a go go for breakfast. They serve the food there in trough like dishes(HUGE portions). There is so much food but so so so delicious. We then went to a scrapbook store and got filled up with creative ideas. Our next stop was at the salon I have pictured below, it was the most eccentric place I have ever been to. The person doing our nails was named Paula but I think earlier in life it might have been Paul, if you know what I mean.

Is the water supposed to blood red when you get a pedicure?

She/he actually did a really good job and feet have never been so soft.
We ended our day after much pampering and shopping at the amazing show Phantom of the Opera. It was a super fun day and as for Terry's day without me well I will leave that up to him to blog about his lovely trip to the dump!!!!

2008-05-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Terry, Abbe and I all went to Vegas this past weekend to see the cirque du soleil "LOVE" it was all done by the Beatles music. It was incredible. I had already seen it but knew Terry and Abbe would think it was just as cool as I did and after it was over we all agreed we would turn right back around and see it again. Vegas knows how to put on a good show thats for sure. We had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it again really soon hopefully.

Something Fishy

2008-05-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Terry is still continuing on his quest to collect as many golf balls as possible. He went to the ditch over the weekend while they were draining it. He found a lot of balls but guess what else he found??

You guessed it a slimy wiggly green fish
He wanted to keep it as a prize(not to eat of course) I suggested he might be happier back in the ditch
So we let him go. He blends in perfectly with the moss so its hard to see him but he was alive and swimming around.
I really hope he never grows up. I love this side of him even if I think its silly it still makes me smile

Shauni's Senior shoot

2008-05-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

It seems as though all my blogs recently are photo shoots I have been doing which I am excited about. Before I moved to Mesquite I was a full time photographer and I moved here hoping that it would carry over but I quickly discovered after many attempts to get business there just wasn't enough business for a new photographer in town. I am pumped because it has been picking up and I have done a few here and there. I love capturing smiles there really is nothing better. This is a senior shoot I did in St. George. She was such a trooper and made my job extremely easy. She is just a natural in front of the camera. We got some really cool shots.

2008-05-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

So its May! Where did April go? It was a whirlwind of a month and I have a feeling it will be this way throughout the summer. I love this time of year. There are all sorts of events that give us a reason to spend time with our familys which is my favorite. We had another fun weekend. Aaron and Crystal came down again. Terry and Aaron went golfing for 6 hours on saturday while Crystal and I caught up on each others lives and attempted to solve all the worlds problems( there are only a few left to fix like world peace and the cure for cancer) I miss living close to them and hanging out all the time. They are so much fun.

I took some pictures of Robin and Lonnies little man on sat. who is such a ham and doesn't hold still for more than a few seconds but boy did we get some fun shots. I really love shooting at parks the kids totally forget you are there with a camera and they just have fun so their most genuine smile comes out and you can really see their personality. I love taking pictures of all ages but there is something special about kids under 3. They have such a carefree spirit and are just plain happy. -Till next time:)

2008-04-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

Our cousins Aaron and Crystal and their darling baby boy or should I say very indepenent big boy came down for the weekend. I took his pictures when he was just a newborn and now he is a year and a half and we were able to get some really cool shots. We just went to a playground and let him have at it. He threw little fits here and there when we wanted him to move to another destination but overall he is such a good baby and such an incredibly beautiful child. I had a lot of fun playing with him. Enjoy.....