michael and tessa tie the knot!

I will forever call him "my little brother" but it is official - he is all grown up. In August Michael married the adorable Tessa Farnsworth.

Colton and I like to joke ( with 100% seriousness) that we probably wont have the smartest kids in the family... BUT we are pulling for the cutest.  Well that was until we met Michael's Tessa. Her and Michael may take the cake on both categories. But we are thrilled to have her in the family!


 

We were told to wear cream... and out of all the cream shirts out there Tara and I showed up in the same top! Sister think alike :)

 

 

  We were excited to see our Park City cousins that we don't get to see too often.....

    

    After the temple sealing we headed over to a near by park with HUGE trees and had a lovely picnic.

 

The reception was up in the canyon at Log Haven....gorgeous! 

Colton was one of the handsome groomsmen ...

Missing Alex......

 

 Before leaving Utah we HAD to check out the Park City Olympic Park and Colton and Robert just HAD to ride the Bobslead. There was nooooooooooooooooooooo way I was going to ride that thing....but I was happy to watch!

and lastly we snuck in some time to see some of our favorites!! Devin and Whitney....

           

our (lazy) fourth of july

This year for the 4th of July we were feeling a little lazy and didn't want to fight the crowds to get downtown. 

So instead, we joined our friends in Arlington ...and had our own party on the roof top of their Apartment building. 

We couldn't have asked for a better (chill) 4th of July night!

feels so good to be back

Anyone that knows me well - knows my love for Newport Beach, CA. I had been living their for 3 years before I moved out east. I grew up going their to visit my Grandparents. And now it has become the vacation place for all of our family to reconnect. 

On my way to Cali this year I stopped by AZ to see some best friends and spend some time with my favorite little people.

 

Noelle (4yrs old) and I spent a day at the mall. I swear the girl is my mini me. No one has the stamina that I have to shop that long... especially a 4 year old. But she didn't complain once....and wanted to keep shopping and shopping. 

After some good time in AZ - it was time to go to this little piece of heaven on earth... 

We ate good food, relaxed, played poolside, took a day trip to Catalina Island, cruised around on golf carts, ate frozen bananas, and Colton melted  4 yr old Noelle's little heart when he not only bought her some color changing nail polish but also painted her fingers and toes.  ( Later on that night Noelle told her mom in a dreamy voice .... "Mommy... I think I want to marry uncle Colton one day.. i think I love him <sigh> " ). I think he has won the favorite uncle award once again. And I am almost positive one day when we have kids he will forever be the "favorite parent"...but I am okay with that :)

 

And then for some reason....the guys thought it would be fun to wear Hawaiian shirts. I am still not sure why. And honestly I find NOTHING attractive about them. But of course we had to get a photo to remember. 

 

And of course spent some time with Grandma Dorothy ....one of my best friends..

However.....it wouldn't have been a complete trip to Cali without a visit with the Calls! We went to one of my favorite places to eat back in the LA college days... C & O Trattoria!! All you can eat garlic knots....enough said. 

time to play catch up

Looks like I have been absent from the blogging world for a few months. Time to play catch up. 

Where did Summer go? The weather is perfect outside and now all that is left are great memories over the last few months. Time to document. 

The month of May was exciting with a visit from my mother who flew out from AZ to play for a weekend!

We checked out multiple museums, went antiquing in VA, and played in Georgetown.

But my favorite night was when we went out to dinner with both of our mom's. 

The gorgeous month of May was also enjoyed with picnics under the 

Washington Monument with friends....

And lastly the month was finished off with a big road trip with 200+ youth (NBD) to upstate NY to check out church history sites as well as Niagara Falls. 

We were sooo NOT sad when we were told there was not enough room on the bus to fit all of the leaders so some would have to drive themselves! We decided to have a little fun and rent a Prius to take us up and back the 1000+ miles. 

I have to admit. when all was said and done - and we had only spent $80 TOTAL on gas ... I was kinda wanting a Prius of my own. (I told Colton all it needed was some tinted windows and I was sold!)

Youth Conference ended up being a total success and better then I anticipated! The camp was absolutely gorgeous - set right on the finger lakes in upstate NY.

The church history sights were incredible in their own way....

And Niagara Falls was just as I had remembered it. 

one year

Today is our ONE year!!! I still can't believe it.

It's amazing how as time goes on and we become more and more perfect for each other. 

So worth the wait.

My one regret from the wedding is that I don't have ANY video.... (if anyone out there has ANY video of ANYTHING please send my way)

BUT I was lucky enough to have our engagement on video. I watch it over and over. ( he had his buddies filming - and I had no idea)

and Christmas Eve when he shocked gave me the real ring:

Our wedding day:

LOVE YOU C!!!!!

man on a campout, girls night home

Colton is camping tonight....so I am left home alone on a Friday night. When he first told me he had a scout campout tonight  I was really bummed. Kinda used to doing everything with my buddy these days. So there is never need for TV or sweets in our house, or all those other distractions you do when you are home alone. 

BUT here I am home alone and we don't have either in the house. TV or sweets. 

SO, I decided to go to the fabric store and buy this animal print fabric I have been lusting over. I have been wanting to make a sling tote and this fabric actually got me excited to sew... who knew. 

BUT.... now here it is 9:00 pm (our usual bed time) and I am fighting to stay away for my "girls night" of sewing (by myself).

Instead of sewing, I have been lusting after something else for the last 45 min... 

         

This is the girl who made the headpiece for my wedding. She is SO amazingly talented. Luckily, I caught her right before her business exploded and she became out of my price range $$$.

She has a line if bracelets sold at Anthro now....maybe I could afford one of those.

I have an obsession with cuffs.

 I dream of owning one of these $400 cuffs one day. 

Aren't they stunning??

Okay time to re-focus. Off to sew. 

the joys of jimmies

Yesterday I am making dinner and I hear Colton on the phone in the other room. He is calling "Jimmy Cone" a soft serve middle-of-no-where road side ice cream stand in Damascus, MD. They are only open from late March to October and her has been ANXIOUSLY awaiting the day when they re-open for spring...

I hear him say " Oh Hi... are you open???" (and I am thinking.. if they answered the phone they are probably open) then seconds later he lets out the LOUDEST  "YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!..... okay thank you! Bye!" then hangs up the phone (poor person on the other line) and runs in the room to tell me that we are going "TONIGHT!"

Can I just say in this moment he was more excited then he was at Christmas or his Birthday... he LOVES Jimmy Cone. 

Driving to Damascus is beautiful, wide open land with beautiful green rolling hills and Sugarloaf Mountain in the horizon. So I enjoy it for the peaceful ride and the ice cream treat.

Jimmy Cone has been open since the 60's and looks like everything has stayed the same ever since. They are know for their SUPER rich soft serve ice cream topped off (if you so choose) with sprinkles (also known as Jimmies!)

The place is ALWAYS packed. Cash Only. 3 Flavors to choose from. 

So....it was a good night and a happy ending to a Thursday

...and Colton was in his happy place once again.