A week of a wedding and some relaxation

This last week, we went to Utah for Steve's sister's wedding. We had a great time spending time with Steve's family for the first half and my family for the second. We always come back with mixed feelings about our trips "back home." If only we could have a summer home in Utah, and a winter home in California?

These are the older and wiser cousins.

These are the younger cousins... Emilie is only 8 days apart from the cousin in the middle and 4 months younger than the one on the left...

All dressed up.

Steve's sister is amazing. She was in charge of all the flowers for the wedding and I was ga ga over this bouquet. Can I get married again just to hold this??? Seriously, isn't it gorgeous???

And, the cake. Beautiful.

These were all the little girls in the wedding...

Maddie was no stranger to the dance floor. She was out of control and swing'n that dress like nobody's business.

Yes, she was in heaven, wearing her "cinderbella" dress.

Just in case you think this is too perfect, this was Maddie's face for quite a lot of it. No sleep + No food + lots of people + new surroundings = GRUMPY.

A quick shot of us at the wedding brunch... which was so beautiful by the way.

We were stuck outside of Steve's house for a while after the wedding, so I took a couple of shots of Maddie on the swing.

After the wedding, we were in some need for some R and R, so we headed up to Park City (my all time fav place in Utah).

We swam, we ate, we went to this great park by the Park City ski resorts with an alpine roller coaster, slide, zip line... it was so much fun.

Of course, we came back today and are exhausted. (ok, maybe I'm just exhausted). But, it was so great to be around family who we don't see nearly as often as we should.

a few things i love right now

i may be the last person to read this book, but i so love it. i have 50 more pages, and i just don't want it to end. it has been my companion on road trips and at nights when i curl into bed and smile. she is an unbelievable writer, this book has fed my soul with so many great insights.



i've had a couple of long nights in front of adobe illustrator, and this album has kept me company. i am a big fan of bossa nova, and he has a song on this album called "belle," that i just adore.

oh- and fathers day! maddie and i went and bought steve some new shoes and she picked out her two favorite shirts (pink and orange! i hope he likes them!). we then headed to whole paycheck for the best steak we could find and two eclairs. they were a hit.

In need of a vacation

We've owned a timeshare for 7 years and have never used it. Yes, smart, we know. We have been trying to sell it, but no takers. So, we decided to finally go and see how it was. Although no Ritz Carlton, it was fabulous. Away, no phones, a pool, a fridge, free popcorn, and in Tahoe.

We'll be going again later this summer. I LOVE Lake Tahoe. It only took us 4 hours to get there, and 3.5 hours to get back (I was driving back...), and we were in the beautiful mountains viewing the inspiring blue water. I think I could have taken 30 more days.

Enjoying the beach. This time of year is the best to go, because the crowds aren't there yet.

Mom, I'm making Oatmeal.

A view from above.

I want to sit here forever. Seriously.

Ice cream at the cutest parlor in Camp Richardson.

A group shot...

Rented bikes and fit the kids in the little trailor... they loved it.

Maddie is fascinated by all sorts of tents, trailors...

We went on a hike to fallen leaf lake. I felt like Meg Ryan on French Kiss when she's on the train, and puts her hands up and says "Georgeous?!"

The hard core hiker and the novice hiker.

Bundled and happy.

Trying to coax Maddie to smile. She hates cameras.

I want to go back. Too short. When I was growing up, we took the entire summer off and went on vacations (an advantage of having a dad as a professor)... so these 3-4 day trips are way way too short for me.

Swing

My thoughtful friend told us about a free swingset... and we were there in a flash. (THANKS). We love it so much!

Although our backyard isn't done, we have something to play with... here are some pics:

yes, the boss is in charge.

very serious about this business

and so our summer will continue...

Maddie's first hair cut

On Wednesday, Maddie and I went to go get her haircut. After much hesitation from Steve (who wanted to keep her hair long), we took the plunge. Although her newborn curls were adorable a couple of months back, they had become "not so cute."

I was scared that she was going to have a fit since she really doesn't let me touch her hair, but it was the complete opposite. She felt like she was getting the royal treatment, and loved to look at herself in the mirror (should I be worried?). They did a great job, and I think it looks great. Yay Maddie.

My Angels

Emilie is the happiest, smiliest, giggliest baby I have ever seen. Of course she's not perfect, but for a baby, it is an honor to be around her spirit. Her laugh fests are so contagious, that all of us can't help from pulling those frowns upside down.

Maddie is also sunshine, but more of a dramatic sunburst... I am putting a pad of paper down by our phone today because she says the funniest things throughout the day that I'm going to forget if I don't immortalize them.

And, finally, Steve is the love of my life. He puts up with all my lists that I make him do, and always has a smile on his face. He has been working tiredlessly for the past couple of years building our house, working really hard, and just being an extraordinary husband and father.

I am very blessed to have these angels in my life.

Rome wasn't built in a day

So, I've taken on the task of painting the exterior of our house. It is a bit overwhelming, but it's getting done one stroke at a time. We finally picked the color- it's a green/gray color...and we'll paint the door black and do white trim. Then, maybe we can put in some plants and trees, and get a fence? That will be a good goal for the summer.

I actually look forward to my one on one time with the paintbrush. I'm outside enjoying the California weather, I'm working on something, I can actually have some time to think without the little critters, neighbors stop and say hello, I say "Hi" to the mailman everyday...

But, on the other hand, after about 1.5 hours, I put it away, and go inside.