Family pictures

It's that time of year again. Time for family pictures. We had quite an adventure trying to get ours taken over Thanksgiving weekend in Logan. We though it would be great to take advantage of family photographers and the beauty of Logan canyon. We forgot one very crucial thing, we have an almost 2 year old and it was sooooo cold!

Here is one of our finest attempts. Pretty much sums up the experience

Trying to get our happy Asher to be happy.
So cold that both boys just snuggled up to us. We couldn't get them to look at the camera.
This might just be the best one. I guess you will see when we get our Christmas cards out.

Snow

We finally got our first snow! I can't believe how long it took to get snow up here. Last year we had snow the middle of October. I'm not complaining it has been really nice. However, seeing my boys play in the snow made the cold and wet all worth it. Asher has never played in the snow before and he was so excited! Jackson loved having a buddy to play with our there. They had so much fun it was hard to get them to come in.

Asher throwing his first snowball!

It's good to know the slide is still useful in the winter.

Home

"I want to go home." It was such a strange feeling to think that again. I have been living away from Logan, Utah for close to seven years now. It took me awhile, but I am to the point where home is wherever we are currently living. In fact I really don't plan on moving back to Logan. But last night Mitch and I went to the Banff Mountain Film Festival. As I sat in the auditorium surrounded by most of Great Falls, I looked around expecting to see the old gang, and thought "I want to go home." I haven't thought about Logan as being home for years, especially after my parents left. But remembering the good old days with our Logan friends, going to the Banff films festival, or the latest ski or Kayak movie, I got a little home sick for one of the happiest times of my life. I remembered so clearly the way we all looked back then. The plans we would make for our next adventure. We had so much fun. I never really caught onto kayaking or back-country skiing like my friends did, but I didn't care. I loved being outside with great people and enjoying the mountains that surround beautiful Cache Valley. I honestly never thought that time in our lives would come to an end. I guess it hasn't really. We still all keep in touch. We try to get together whenever we can (which is getting harder all the time) and we still love the outdoors and whatever activities we can fit in with our families and work. At the core we are still the same adventurous, mountain loving people. Just a few kids, a few degrees and a few jobs later. Life has changed and I love where where we are right now. Two beautiful boys, living in gorgeous Montana. Mitch has a great job and we have great friends up here. But in that moment last night, I wanted to go home to the person I once was and the people that I feel the most like myself around. My Logan friends. My Logan home.

The Logan gang (minus a few) in the glory days.

I'm it!

Thanks, Laura. You have caused me more self reflection than I have taken time for in years. It's a little un-nerving to try and think of six little know facts about yourself. Here goes.

The Rules
1. The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about!
2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

1. I wish that I loved to clean and organize. I crave an immaculate house with a place for everything and everything with a place. However, I HATE to clean and organize, thus my house is nowhere near what I dream it could be. Maybe someday I will get over my aversion and live the dream.

2. My three wishes are really easy. I wish that I could play any instrument in a virtuoso fashion. It almost hurts me how I am unable to play any instrument well enough to mention. Second goes right along with that one, I wish that singing came a little easier to me, and I could sing any style, any song. I think that my struggles make me a better teacher, so I guess that could me considered a blessing. And finally, I slightly differ from Jordan. I wish we didn't have to eat to survive. I hate thinking about what to eat, if it is healthy, how fat it will make me, am I poisoning my kids with yucky ingredient. I love to eat, but I would prefer that it be my decision if I eat or not.

3. I am two people. One who loves the outdoors and nature, clean air and wide open spaces. I just want to live on acres of land somewhere in Montana forever. Swim in lakes and rivers. Take my kids for hikes everyday, and just live the simple life. But on the other hand I can go to a city and love it. When we went to NYC I really could see myself living there. Not forever or anything, but I do love the museums, theaters and even the shopping. Cities have and energy that is really kind of fun. Sometimes I want to be all girly and dresses up, other time I just want to be natural. Not think about what I am going to wear, or do my hair or anything. I kind of like be bi-polar in this way. It give me options.

4. I love a good countdown show. If I'm flipping through the channels and I come across a countdown I will stay and watch it to then end. For example, I am not a sports fan but the other day I watch top ten quarterbacks of all time and I even had an opinion as to who should be #1. When they would have the top 100 countdowns on VH1 It was must see TV for me. If I couldn't watch the whole thing I would record it and watch it later.

5. If I could have one element of my former life (pre-marriage, pre-babies) it would be dancing. I would love to take dance classes, all different kinds. And I love dancing just for the fun of it. I miss dances either at a concert or just a stupid school dance. Occasionally somewhere will have a dance for adults, like I have become, but everyone has matured and so I feel like I need to act mature, and so I don't get to dance like I want to. A few times I have been to a dance with my mom and sister and we have so much fun (much to the dismay of the men in our lives.) And I still dance all crazy-like in my living room with my kids. Right now they think it's funny, but I know someday they will be embarrassed.

6. Wow, this should be a good one, such pressure. I always have been happy, but after Jackson was born I realized I didn't really know what happiness was until I became a mother. I know there is a problem with saying "I will be happy when..." But I really knew that to be true when we were trying to become parents. Sure my life has become more complicated. I can't just go where I want whenever I want. My days are filled with kids stuff and kids conversation. And sure I loose my cool with them all the time. But I felt true joy when saw that little heartbeat in my first ultrasound. Seeing Mitch as a father just adds to my joy. He loves those boys and I know that they make his life better as well. And the happiness has just multiplied. We gave Asher his name for many reason, one was that it means "happy" and I wanted to give a child a name that meant what I felt being a mother. Happy.

So now tag to; Rachel, Stephani, Melanie, Kim, and Dana. If you all want to. Sorry I only have five anyone else I know has already been tagged. No pressure, but I would love to see what you have to say.

Sugar Treat!

Happy Halloween!

Our Halloween started with a party at the church where the kids played games and got to do a little trick-or-treating away from the cold winds of Great Falls, MT. I was in charge of the shin-dig as the ward activities director (one of my four callings.) So I didn't have quit as much fun as others in attendance.

The boys at the church party!

The boys had so much fun "Sugar Treating" as Jackson calls it, which really makes more sense. It was actually quit warm for Montana. I called it "a Halloween miracle" and with day-lights savings sticking around an extra week, we were home before it got dark. Jackson was very polite. Even complimenting people on their Halloween decor. The boys loved their pumpkins. Asher was very focused on trying to blow out the candles. And He was so excited that people were giving him candy and no one was trying to take it away.