The Howe Diaries

Our new Blog address

2011-08-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

I have had lots of people asking me what my new blog address is because they didn't save it, so I'm gonna put it back up for a little bit :) Thanks guys for being interested in our boring simple life :) You all are wonderful!

http://www.alittlebitosunshine.blogspot.com/

Time for a Change....

2011-03-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Craig really wanted to make this blog private. I have been more hesitant to dive into the private world since meeting so many wonderful people through blogging :) When I asked for everyones emails a while back when we were going to go private, I got way more than 100 (which is all you are allowed to invite) I didn't want to leave people out, Soooo Craig and I came to a compromise. It was to change the URL of our blog so at least it does not have our last name. Although I am sure it would not be hard to find. But, I think it is a great step in the direction of being safer without having to go private. So without further ado....Here is our new blog:

update *please email me if you need the new link*

It has all the old posts that are on this blog, just a different URL. I will no longer be posting on this blog *which I am sad about since it has been 4 years now *

I am sorry for the inconvenience if you already have this site bookmarked and now you have to change it...Thanks for following, you guys are the best!!!

Projects I've been working on....

2011-03-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Woooh...I am still alive over here! haha. It has been a while since I have posted because i have been sooooo sick. But, with lots of antibiotics and sleep, I am finally on the mend. I thought I would show you some projects I have been working on around the house. Since joining pintrest, I have decided I need to post more of my projects because I always appreciate all those who post on their blogs and share their wonderful ideas with me. So here are a few of mine....it might not be everyones taste, but it's what I am liking for the moment :)

THE PLAYROOM MAKEOVER:

I was desperately trying to find someway to organize the playroom better. I found this bench at the DI for $20, painted it white, then I got a small board to fit the top of the bench from the Home Depot *they even cut it to the right dimensions for me* I got some foam from Joane's (with a 40% off coupon) and put it on top pf the board. Then I wrapped the fabric around the board and foam and staple gunned it to the under side. . I think that's a super easy way to reupholster a bench and now it is so comfy with the foam! I made the pillows and then labeled all the bins (got them from walmart for $5) with my vinyl machine, which makes it so much easier to keep clean now. I got the tall white book shelves from walmart too and now it looks pretty close to a built in window bench :)

The kids bring home so many cute things from school and I was trying to think of a way to display LOTS of their art. I saw the idea of chicken wire once and decided to get some HUGE frames (each 24x30 inches) from the DI for $5 and then spray painted them red. I bought some chicken wire from my local Cal Ranch store and then staple gunned the chicken wire to the back of the frame..can you tell I love me staple gun. hehe. Then I attached the two frames together with some twine. Now they each have a frame to display their art by using clothes pins. I think it is so cute!

The kids love to color at home too. I saw a really cute metal line you can buy from Ikea to diplay art, but it is $30. I don't have money to spend on something like that. So, I got some twine and ran it across the window and attached it to the wall with a nail and pulled it super tight. Now the kids can attach their new pictures that are drying or their favorites with some clothes pins.

They love their new playroom! Totally worth the work :)

OFFICE PROJECTS:

I always have to be super organized. SO, I got some bulliton board squares from Walmart for $6 bucks I think. Then I cut them in half with an exacto knife, and wrapped them like a present with some cute fabric. I used masking tape to keep the fabric in place. I printed up Monday-Sunday tages and Now I have a rectangle for every day of the week to hang things i need, put reminders, tickets, or anything else I want. I am really loving it.

This is also in my office. I was bored with my wall, so I bought a bunch of cheap frames from the DI and sprayed them blue. Then I made this bunting line out of some fabric scraps from my board. I think it's fun and it makes me happy.

KIDS HOMEWORK CENTER:

The end of the hallway by the kids room was just a dead zone, so I decided to make it useful. The kids always dump their bags and homework and I have a hard time finding it all. Soooo, here is a spot for them to hang their back packs, put their home work and keep everything "school" organized. Their is a chalk board for each of them for me to write reminders for them. It also has their piggy jar they are saving for Disneyland and "the fun jar".

I found some cute vintage fabric that I loved and got some embroidery hoops from the DI. I got an old doily and glued it to one, stitched cute buttons to another and cross stitched that yellow bird. I am loving vintage stuff right now.

The bird took forever! I haven't cross stitched since I was like 9 and forgot how long those silly things take. I did it every night while watching Tv with Craig. I love that it is a modern take on cross stitching. If you want a pattern, I got it from Martha Stewart HERE.

I made these cool bins to keep the kids folders and homework in. I got the wire netting from Cal Ranch too. I saw some of these in a pottery barn magazine that I loved, but they are like $50 a piece. So, I made some :) The tutorial is HERE. I made my measurements a little thinner so that it wouldn't stick out so far.

I got 3 cute knobs from Hobby Lobby and these wooded squares. I painted the squares yellow and then screwed them into the wall for the kids to hang their bags on.

I have some more things I have been working on, but they aren't quite done yet :) Hope you like some of these ideas.

He does the hokey pokey...

2011-03-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

Mckay has a little presentation at school yesterday...it was so stinkin' cute i could die!!! Sorry about the words flashing across the video, just try and ignore it :) Love him shaking his little bootie! haha.

One naughty little kitten....

2011-02-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

So, I have to laugh when people tell me that my kids and I are "so put together" and "How do you do it all". It makes me feel GREAT, but here's my secret....really I don't. I only wish. The reality of it is, if I have no where to go *which is most the time* me and the kids are a mess. The house is not always perfectly clean and sometimes *gasp* i am VERY LAZY. haha.

Example: Here is what pip looks like pretty much all the time...diaper, dirty onsie and making a HUGE mess of my house. She is a cute little mess though. hehe. THANKS for emailing me and always leaving me such fabulous compliments...each one always means a lot.

My CUTE naughty little kitten...

Yes. I hand roll all my yarn because I think it is cuter. Craig thinks I am really OCD. haha. I sit and watch a show with the kiddos and go to town. :)

ps. soooo, I haven't been totally lazy, with photography being slow I have been doing some serious projects around the house. I'll show you all on my next post. Stay tuned....

Just what I needed!

2011-02-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of finding projects and inspiration from blogs, but it is so hard keeping all the projects and ideas organized. I write stuff down or save them to my computer, but when I want to do the project I can't find it or the site I got it from. So, let me introduce you to something that seems like it was made just for me....Pinterest is a fantastic tool to organize all of your virtual inspiration boards. I AM IN LOVE! If you are browsing a blog or website and see something you love, all you have to do is click "pin it" and it will save it to your board under the category you want and when you click on your pin later it takes you right back to the site you got it from. Watch THIS short tutorial. If you need an invite just email me at kelleyhowephoto@gmail.com.

This is just a snap shot of some of my random pins...you can follow me to see LOTS more, from food to decorating, beautiful photography, crafts and MORE :)

Some Sunshine on a Cloudy Day...

2011-02-16T20:31:00.001-08:00

I took these pictures the other day when it was nice and 50 degrees outside right before sunset...golden hour. I love how warm and happy these pictures are and it makes me so happy looking at them. Helps me forget there is a HUGE snow storm outside and just remember the warmth of that afternoon.

We just wanted to say....

2011-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Some lovie ideas for your man.....

2011-02-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

So, I know I haven't posted in a while, I have been so busy trying to get all done editing all my clients photo sessions. But, I saw these really cute ideas on one of my favorite blogs, The Daybook and since Valentines Day is coming up I thought I would share....they are pretty cute and I am defiantly going to try a few for my Craig :)

Give your guy a 10 second kiss every day this week when he comes home from work. See the difference it makes!
Pamper your guy with a nice warm bath. Lots of bubbles too. Have the lights turned off and a candle or two lit. Bring in your iPod home or any other musical device and play some soft music. Take him by the hand and lead him into the bathroom. If you can both fit into the tub ... it's even better ;) If not, take turns ... then give him a soothing massage when you're done.
Send him on a present hunt. Begin with note #1 on his pillow. The note should include something you like about him and instructions to find the next clue, and so on. End up at your mailbox and have a present in it. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. Your thoughtfulness will be enough to show him that you love him.
This week for your Friday night date cook a meal together. You might try a new recipe you've never tried. Set the mood by already having the table nicely spread with tablecloth, napkins, dishes and silverware. Ahead of time buy your guy a new book by one of his favorite authors and present it to him after the meal is over. Then tell him to relax with his book on the couch while you clear away the dishes.
Go for a drive with your honey along some scenic route you like. Bring along your favorite CDs and listen as you drive and catch up on the day or week's happenings
Rent an old movie and watch it together with popcorn and your favorite soda on a mattress you've put on the floor. Cuddle under a warm blanket and have a sleepover in your living room when it's over.7
Begin each day with the words "I love you" whispered to your guy while you're still in bed. It will set the tone for your entire day. End each day this week with the words "Thank You" whispered to him before you drift off to sleep.
Another bath idea! Arrange a profusion of candles in the bathroom. Prepare a bubble bath. Play some nice romantic music. Pour two glasses of sparkling cider to toast away the cares of the day. Get into the tub and then call your guy, "Honey, I forgot my towel. Could you please bring it to me?" You'll have no problem keeping his undivided attention after that! :)
Dedicate a song to your guy by calling a radio station that takes dedications. Make sure he's listening when they play it!
Declare your man "king for the day", probably on Saturday when he is home. Begin the day with breakfast in bed (you could even pick up a king crown at Burger King and have him wear it) Pamper him with foods and activities that you know he will enjoy throughout the remainder of the day.
Pack a late night picnic on a night when there's a full moon. Bring a blanket and some yummy treats and have an evening under the stars. *maybe when it gets a little warmer. hehe
Get some glow in the dark stars and spell out "I Love you" on the ceiling...your message will be reveled when the lights go out.

I'm excited to do some of these. Now let's get lovin' on those boys!

my lists freebie....

2011-01-22T17:14:00.001-08:00

I made these for myself since I am a HUGE list maker and I thought I would share them with all you all in case you are too :) I wanted to try and save some trees, so I printed them and put 2 of the lists back to back and laminated them so they are double sided. Mine are To Do List/Weekly Planner and the other Weekly menu/shopping list. That way I can use a dry erase marker and just erase and add as I need to instead of using TONS of paper and always trying to find my gazillion lists! When I need to use my shopping list at the store all I do is take a picture of it with my iphone.

If you want to download my list templates, just click on the picture and it will take you to the DL link. :)

Kylin's birthday parties....

2011-01-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

We had 3 different parties for Kylin this year! One with each of our families and then she had a friend party. She had a blast and every single one! I know I decorate like crazy for birthday parties and go all out, but I love to because I really like making my kids feel SOOOO special on their big day. I figure there really is one once a year that is YOUR very own day....so make it BIG! Here are a few pictures....

THE DECORATIONS:

Kylin wanted lots of pink, so I decided to do a "frosted princess" kind of theme. Lots of pinks, light blues and silver...

I wish you could see it all closer...I was really happy how it turned out :)

Of course we had lots of sweets and goodies. Ky has a HUGE sweet tooth :)

These are marshmallows dipped in white chocolate that I colored blue.

These cake pops were YUMMY, easy, and so dang cute. HERE is the recipe. LOVE EM!

These drinks are Jones blue soda (my favorite) and pink lemonade. I ripped off the other labels and made some custom ones with a "K"

I made yummy cupcakes with almond frosting...there always has to be cupcakes because I am in love with them. hehe. I decorated them with candy sticks that I found with the wedding aisle at walmart.

More cake pops since they were such a big hit I had 2 stands of them. I made all the cake stands myself out of candle sticks, plates and pray paint :) on this one I glued a cute trim.

This is my favorite cake stand I made...found the plate and base at DI and sprayed them white...I think it's really pretty and unique.

I have an old window frame that I use for lots of my decorating. This time I just tied lots of ribbon and then bought white cloths pins to attach the pictures....there always has to be pictures at a party :)

* I gotta say thanks to Craig for helping me get it all setup. He made sure I didn't fall when I stacked two wobbly chairs and a box on top of each other to stand on so I could hang the tissue balls from the ceiling. :) Your the best babe....I know i'm crazy!

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL:

Sheila and Mike made Kylin a cute rainbow birthday cake....

I don't know what gave here this silly idea, but she just shoved her face into her cake and ate it like a little piggy. And since it was her birthday she knows *in her own words* "I can do whatever I want". It was pretty funny!

For her "Heavy Hangover" Birthday wishes, she kept wishing everyone Disneyland Cruises because she wants to go on one so bad :) Actually....so do I! She got lots of wonderful presents from everyone. It was so great to have family come and celebrate with our special girl.

Thank you SO MUCH everyone for coming...it really means a lot to me! I hope you had a great time.

FRIENDS PARTY:

I didn't want to decorate another party cause I was pooped, so we decided to do her party at the "Cache Valley Fun Park". Soooo glad I did because they took care of everything and it was lots of fun for her. She invited 4 friends plus Mckay. There was pizza, soda, cake and lots of decorations. Then everyone got to play in the HUGE 3 story bouncy playland. I didn't take lots of pictures because Pip was running around every where and I was watching 7 kids :) But here are a few....

LOTS OF FUN...hope you had a great Birthday Kylin....WE LOVE YOU!

Our Kylin is Four!

2011-01-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

I seriously cannot believe that it has been 4 years since Kylin way born! She came into the world much earlier than we planned and had a pretty rocky start in the NICU for a while with being a preemie. Her lungs were not developed and had a huge infection in them and on top of that she didn't want to eat very well. She had tubes and monitors and was in the incubator for a long time and we couldn't hold her. I remember it like it was yesterday. But, I am so glad that she got through it and is apart of our family because I cannot imagine my life without her sweet spirit. She is such kind and thoughtful little girl and defiantly brings a lot of love into our home. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY...MOMMY LOVES YOU SOOOO MUCH!

And here she is today...can't believe my baby is getting so big! Funny cause her nickname still is "baby"

Some Things About Kylin at Four:

1. She loves to Dance

2. She loves to play dress up

3. She is very smart at her number and letters

4. She never lets us forget to say prayers

5. She always has to give hugs and kisses before we go anywhere

6. She always shares treats with Piper without even being asked

7. She is a snuggler and loves to watch movies in our bed

8. Her favorite color is pink and purple

ps. Huge parties are happening this week:) LOTS of fun decoration ideas...you guys know how I love parties....so stay tuned!

My Love/Wish List...

2011-01-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a few things that I am LOVING right now! There are so many creative amazing people out there....so wonderful! ps. those wanting to know what to get me for my birthday coming up...here is your answer :) hehe.

1. THE RUSTED CHAIN capture life necklace

2. Woman's Highway BOOTS by Santana

3. LEAF EARRINGS by forever 21

4. GREY KNIT SWEATER by Ruche

5. POP BAKERY book

6. VINTAGE RUFFLES PILLOW by the Home Centric

7. J Totes CAMERA BAG

8. KNIT TUBULAR SCARF by Ruche

9. EXPRESSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY by the Shutter Sisters

10. WOOL BLEND DRESS by Forever 21

11. FLOWER FILIGREE RING by Little Miss

12. NUDE PUMPS by Forever 21

13. OVATION HAIR

My One Word....

2011-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ali Edwards has this wonderful thing she does every year, she thinks of one word she wants to focus and work on for the year. I thought it was so great to be able to really concentrate on this one word and do it right. Here is what she said:

One Little Word

A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. From my own personal experience, it can be a catalyst for enriching your life.

Ali even has a class you can do throughout the year to help you rememeber and work on your "One Word" If you want to learn more about it, HERE is the link.

Soooo,I thought for an entire week about what I wanted my One Word to be. I really wanted something that encompassed what I want this year to become and the person I want to be. So many words came to my mind, but I couldn't settle on a word because it just didn't feel right. Then, this morning I was watching "Super Why" with Kylin and t

he "super story answer" was HOME. And it hit me so hard, that is my word.

It envelopes everything I want this year to be for me and my family. I want to make my house more of a home. I want to keep it cleaner, talk softer, have the spirit here more often by doing the kind of things that will invite it into our home. Family home evening, more prayer, spend more quality time with the kids, talk kinder and more patiently. I want to make relationships stronger and in turn it will make our home a more wonderful place to be. It will be a safe haven from the world where Craig and I and each of our kids love to be. Yes, I think home is the perfect "one word" for me this year.

ps. I am doing my 365 a picture a day challenge this year...

I really and gonna do it this time :) I already started, so check it out...the link is on the side now. I am also writing down one thing I am thankful for everyday when I post the picture.

Eight Years....

2011-01-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Today is Craig and I's anniversary! I can't believe it has been 8 years! I am not going to lie and say it has always been easy and wonderful, because we defiantly have had our hard times. BUT, Looking back, I really and honestly don't think I would change a thing about it...ever the awful hard stuff. I know that things happen for a reason and that we are suppose to learn and grow from every trial and experience in our lives....it makes us the people we are today.

I always hate it when people say, "You knew who you were when you married me, so don't try and change me." we SHOULD try and change each other. We should help one another be better people. I want Craig to change me, and he already has so much. He has helped me be a better person and changed me in wonderful ways that I couldn't have done on my own.

I am stronger, happier and more in love with him than ever before, and I think it is because of everything we have been through together. I love him SO much, he is an amazing person and I am SO blessed that I get to spend eternity with him and the next 60 years raising our children and growing old together. I know I can handle whatever life throws me as long as I have him. I know I know, I am getting super cheesy here and I'm sorry....but I get to once a year right? I'm not the best at putting into words how I feel and there is so much I could say, so here it is in simple terms..... LOVE YOU SO MUCH BABE and HAPPY 8th ANNIVERSARY!!!

A Very Merry Christmas....

2010-12-31T11:40:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year, I got all giddy and didn't sleep well the night before waiting for the kids to open their presents....I think I was just excited as they were...well maybe :) They spent the night in our room sleeping on our floor and woke us up before the sun was up to open presents. I enjoyed watching every second of them tearing into those presents. Of course we made them go one at a time to make it last as long as possible. I am so grateful for all our many blessings. I am thankful we have the money to buy our kids presents, a roof over our heads and plenty of food to eat, because I know there are many people that don't have that and I am so THANKFUL! I talked a lot with the kids this year about Jesus and what we could do to celebrate his birthday. On Christmas morning we sat in bed and talked about what we could do for Jesus on his birthday. Mckay said being nice to others and helping mommy would make Jesus happy for his birthday. It made me SO happy to know that they listened and really knew what Christmas was about. I am so thankful for Jesus and his amazing life and sacrifice for me and each of us. I love him so much!

Here are a few pictures of Christmas Eve and Christmas....

Of course we always get new jammies. Mckay got Mario, Kylin Hello Kitty, and Pip Cupcakes. And Craig bought me the most COMFY jammies ever!

On Christmas Eve we had a big party at my family's house (except Craig who had to work) and had a huge smorge (feast) and opened presents. The highlight was my mom made cute rag quilts of kitties and bears for all the grandkids....I wish I had brought my camera and taken pictures! I know they were a lot of work and soooo cute! Then we got home and left Santa his scrumptious home-made donut (made by my mom) and eggnog and some lettuce for Rudolph. The kids sprinkled oats for the reindeer and magic glitter outside so Santa could find us easier.

Also, Mckay has this great idea to set up my camera to catch Santa. So, we caught Santa in our living room and they were soooo excited (see my previous post for a picture) He said the camera was motion activated :) What a little smartie!

Christmas morning Pip went under the sheet (it is a Stanford tradition to always put a sheet up in front of the doorway, and then move the sheet and all go in together) and she beelined it for the leftover of Santa's donut...she didn't care about all those presents, just wanted that donut! And yes, she always looks like a CRAZY because she won't keep her hair pulled back! haha.

On Mckay's Christmas list was a star from Mario Galaxy....so guess who stayed up Christmas Eve making him one till 2 a.m. ??? But, it was TOTALLY worth it because it was his favorite present! He has been carrying it around everywhere :)

My favorite part....the hugs. This year they each used their own money and picked out presents for one another. SO cute!

I love this picture of Boo with his new new pillow pet.

Ky was SOOO positive that Santa was going to bring this tower to her, but we didn't find out she had her heart set on it util 1 week before Christmas! I really didn't want to tell her Santa couldn't bring it. So, Thank you amazon....it came on Christmas Eve! wheew! Her and Pip were sooooo excited!

Kylin is pretty obsessed with Rapunzel right now. She got the dress, hair and shoes and has been wearing them non stop :) Let me tell you though, that hair is a HUGE tangled mess now...and since it isn't real hair you can't comb through it! haha.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a great New Years Eve tonight!!!!

ps. a few of you were wanting to know where I got these cute frames....HERE they are and they are on sale. WAHOO! I love them. Lauren Grier is one of my favorite designers...I got the cute presents, string of lights, and Christmas wording on our Pj picture from her too. I am going to try to start scrapbooking again hopefully now the photography will slow down a bit :)

He was Here....

2010-12-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

The Most Wonderful Time...

2010-12-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

We have been busy here getting in the Christmas spirit....

We did not want to wait in the huge cold line at Christmas Village so I took the kids to Santa at the mall today. MUCH better because there was no line, it was free and Santa was so sweet and wonderful to my kids and spent a lot of time with each of them.

Mckay was the most excited, he ran right up there and hopped on his lap...all smiles!

Kylin cracked me up because she told Santa EVERYTHING she wanted and he sat there patiently and listened to her tell him all about all the Rapunzel toys, hair, dolls and dresses she wanted.
And this is totally what I expected of my Pip. Ornery little thing! I was laughing so hard as Santa tried to hold onto her as she turned into a dead fish!

-----------------------------------------------

Usually we go to temple square to see the lights, but since Craig gets off so late every night it makes it really hard. So we went to Ogden's Christmas Village instead. It was a lot of fun and the lights were BEAUTIFUL! It was great because even Sheila and Mike got to come.

Mckay LOVES everything about birds, so when I saw this display we had to take a picture :)

Piper was so good wrapped up in Grandmas's coat. She was happy as could be.

The kids has so much fun with Mike. They could have run around him all night. I think it is funny that my kids are in heavy duty snow pants and gear and Mike is in shorts. I hope you are all feeling Christmasy because we sure are!

Check it out....

2010-12-18T08:28:00.001-08:00

I just revamped my photography website to match my branding better. I am really happy with it! Check it out and let me know what you think....who know's, maybe you are on there :)

Only 2 more shoots and 1 wedding left this upcoming week and then I am DONE till after Christmas!!!! WAHOO!

Dear Santa

2010-12-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

I found this site to send some adorable letters to santa...and he even answers back. The best part is it's FREE! My kids were jumping up and down they were so excited. Here are their cute santa letters:

Create your own digital greeting

Free greeting generated with Smilebox

What Do You Do....

2010-12-13T19:56:00.000-08:00

When you love Christmas time so much that you have to sleep by the tree? Sneak out of bed at night and build a killer fort by it of course! I came out of my office and found this sweet setup that he built all by himself. I don't know how he got the top pillow on with him inside. hehe

I had to take of the top pillow to get this shot. I always complain about me buying a couch with detachable cushions, but now maybe I don't mind so much :) The white rectangles on the front he stole from Kylin's bed while she was sleeping I guess. Little stinker!

Christmas time is so fun with my kids being this age. I just wish I had more time to be excited and spend it with them, I have been so busy with shoots lately that I can't wait till next week when things slow down and I can get in the Christmas spirit like my sweet kiddos. It is so magical to watch the happiness and excitement they have. I made a cute 12 days of Christmas countdown that I will post tomorrow... probably. It is little bags numbered 12-1 and each bag is filled with little toys and goodies :)

ps. We have all been sickos here...Craig found out he had strep today. Poor pip has had a booger fountain out her nose for a week now and she looks like Rudolph for it being wiped so much and now is couching non-stop. I hope we are all feeling better by Christmas!

I think I'm in Love...

2010-12-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

I know most of you don't live and breath photography like me, but I have wanted the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L lens for a while now, so come tax season I am gonna get it as an early birthday present...hopefully. I don't usually or ok NEVER get $1,500 birthday presents, but hey it's for my business!!! :) So, I rented it because I wanted to test it out first to see if it is worth all the buckoo bucks. Plus I have 2 weddings coming up that I want to use it on.

It came in the mail today and of course I had to play with it a bit so, I grabbed my two cute guinea pigs. They wanted to play outside anyways so it was perfect. And let me tell you, this lens is AMAZING...worth every penny or I should say hundred dollar bill! When people ask me why I charge $200 a session....this lens will be my answer :)

The kids had lots of fun outside even though the snow wasn't fresh. I was out there for about 5 minutes shooting and Kylin said, "Mommy when are you just gonna leave us alone at let us play!" hehe. All I wanted was one picture of them together...Gheez

for those of you who like techi info....most of these were shot at f/2.8 ISO 400 and at 1/500. Let me tell ya though, this lens is heavy...it's like the size of my arm! hehe.

Look at the beautiful depth of field....ahhhhh I think I am in love :)

ps. All of you wondering about my nice long hair in the previous post....yepo they are extensions and I love them too!

Our Tradition...

2010-12-08T14:31:00.001-08:00

Every year we make these cookie houses at my parents house and the kiddos LOVE it! I loved it when I was a kid too and it brings back so many memories. I am trying to do better and making more posts on this blog because I am making our family blog into a book for Christmas and I realized I really want to do more posts of everyday stuff :) So here are our cookie houses.

I helped Ky with the building this year, which isn't the best idea because I am not a great builder...I am a decorator :)

Mckay did his mostly on his own this year, he was very determined and particular about how he wanted it to look.

His fished house....so cute! I am not sure about this new tight lipped smile he has been doing lately though!

We only had time to make the kids each one this year, but they were a lot of fun!

How cute are these little things...

2010-12-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

I decided to set up a fun backdrop in my garage and take some pictures of the kiddos in their Christmas outfits...great presents for Grandparents :) They look so stinkin' cute!!! I am not biased or anything. hehe. I love this time of year because we have SO MANY traditions coming up! Putting up the tree, Temple square, Cookie houses, Kris Kringle day, sledding.... so be looking for lots of posts. I love Christmas time because it means lots of family time :)

So Thankful....

2010-11-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been thinking about how important the little things are in life....sometimes I get caught up in the hum drum of life and the routine and forgot about all the little things, which really are the BIG things.

Recently I had a little medical scare. I found a lump in my breast the doctors were really concerned about because it was not just a cyst, which is pretty alarming considering how young I am. SO, I had some tests done and a painful biopsy. The results came back telling me I need to get the mass removed, but all is well for right now and no cancer. But, it really got me thinking about what is really important in my life and what if I was sick.....

I usually am a grateful person, but I have been complaining A LOT lately about our small house and having to pay so much for Craig's school and this and that. All the petty material things. I get so caught up in worrying about things that really dont matter and I am forgetting to enjoy all these other things. Like, my house is a complete disaster everyday no matter how much I clean in, because it is small, but at least my kids are playing and are full of energy and like to be home. They are very demanding little things and want my attention every second of every day, and sometimes I think when is it "my" time, but I need to be grateful that they need me because it is not going to be that way forever... and I really am gonna miss it. I need to tell my husband more how grateful I am for him and taking care of our family, he is such a wonderful person....and my best friend. I am so so thankful for this knowledge and relationship I have with my Heavenly Father and for the plan of happiness...the plan that I get to be with all these people I love forever.

This whole "lump thing" got me thinking about what would people say about me if it was my time to go. I want to be a better person, be happier, be kinder....be the kind of mommy that I want my kids to remember and think is amazing. Not the nagging, crabby and demanding person I have been lately. I want them to know how special they are and I need to treat them that way always.

Craig's grandpa died yesterday and I didn't know him as well as I would have liked to, but I can tell what an amazing man he was because of how he raised his children. He left behind a legacy of love and faith and 5 wonderful children who have all raised amazing children of their own. That is the kind of life I want to live....and legacy I want to leave behind someday.

I am sorry to make this a novel...if you are still reading this :) I just am so thankful right now for my many blessings that I feel so unworthy of sometimes. I hope this Holiday we can all be so thankful for what we have been given and remember the things that are really important.