Snow Fun!

Everytime it snows, my kids beg shamelessly to go out and play. Because I'm still feeling relatively sick, I usually put them off saying they need to wait until daddy gets home (sad, huh?). Anyway, Saturday was a beautiful day, so I sent the kids out while daddy was shoveling and then got bored by myself in the house and followed them out with the camera. So glad I did.





On a side note--everyone in the state raced for snowpants at the same time and I lost. :( I still need to find Rachel some, and Andrew's been wearing Rachel's old bright pink ones. Yes. He's very manly.

My little models

I was finishing up the prep for a presentation for an Enrichment night that I'm giving with another sister in my ward on photography (tomorrow night! EEK!) and decided to include this little gem:



She's pouty, he's mad at her. Our daily life. Captured.

My 2 Year Old

I can't believe how big he's gotten, and how good he was for me taking pictures. Granted, after every studio shot he'd come over and fire the lights (button on top of my camera) and then go climb back on the chair, but still.. I'll take it. ;)

He has such a cute, sweet, and innocent personality, but at the same time he is totally a boy. He loves balls, cars, throwing things, ripping things apart, dirt, water, and digging. His vocabulary consists of a dozen words, and "bee-yo" stands for everything else he can't say. I love his squeezes and when he pulls me in for a kiss when we put him to bed. I love that he stands up to his sister. I love that he's stubborn and wants to do things all by himself. I love that he's in our family! Happy Birthday Bubba!

Madsen Family

I'm slow getting these up, but it's been a busy month. Thanks so much to my awesome friend Bev for helping me out with these. The tripod/timer combination is so overrated. :) Couldn't have done it without her!

4th of July

I really do love this holiday. Especially now that we don't live on the University Ave parade route in Provo. Ahhhh....

We went camping with the Madsen side of the fam down by Nephi on the Nebo Scenic Loop. For all the camping I've done all over Utah, I'd never been there and it was beautiful!! Seriously. You need to camp there. There was plenty of games, food, hiking, and good times had by all!

Our first day rained on and off, but it made for great lighting. Andrew kept picking up rocks and then looking over at me before he threw them. I knew he was just waiting to get in trouble. hehehehe


Taking Vala (yes, she's named after a Stargate character ;) for a walk.


Uncle Josh taught Rachel how to play "War".


Dutch Oven lasagna, garlic cheese rolls, and raspberry cobbler. Mmmm...


This was the first year Rachel got to hike on her own. She's WAY too heavy for us to pack around. Would've broken my already seriously-in-trouble back. She did great though. I think we went about 3 miles round trip. I was so proud of her! Although- we did learn that hiking is no longer exercise (due to the pace & the length Rachel can handle). Anyone want to babysit so Sam & I can go book it on the trails? Oh- and aren't you jealous of how beautiful I look after camping for a few days? muuuhahahaha!





Hooray for hiking poles with camera mounts!


After unpacking & showering (hallelujah!) we met back up at our house for pizza, fireworks, and more games. We lit off a few before the kids went to bed. As you can see, it's still light outside, but they liked it!






My amazing grandparents!


After the kids went to bed, we lit off the rest and had a little fun with the camera.




ETA: This one was all Sam's idea! And he thinks he's not artistic... ;)

My Birthday!

First off, thanks so much for all the "Happy Birthdays" I received on FB, Twitter, phone calls, etc. It really made me feel loved! You guys are the best.

Cute Husband came home and surprised me with gerby daisies (which I LOVE) and jelly bellies during lunch time. So sweet! In the afternoon, I went clothes shopping with my mom & sis-in-law (which I really DON'T like clothes shopping, hence the support group) and got some really cute shirts & a skirt. I'm very happy we were rewarded with some good finds for our efforts!

Due to previous church engagements, we weren't able to really celebrate Tuesday night, but last night he took me on the best. date. ever. Total surprise as well, which made it even more fun. We went to the Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days Carnival & Rodeo! I didn't even know it existed! We ate yummy food, rode the Ferris Wheel, and then went over to the rodeo grounds. Some of you are probably shaking your heads at my excitement, thinking "seriously? a rodeo? c'mon we've been to at least 10 of those". Well, we had never been, so it was all new and exciting. WAY more fun than I thought, and those dirt-bike-jumper-guys that do back flips with their bike mid-air at least 50 feet up? Yeah. They were cool.

Thanks loves for the perfect date! You are amazing!

Mount Timpanogas Temple: On my wall

I just wanted to share! My Mount Timpanogas Temple print came yesterday and I heart it. A lot.

Here's the picture I took/edited:


framed on the wall (I love the swirly texture!):


The whole wall. We did 12x12 mounted prints of my kids (Sam came up with an awesome hanging system. They are about 1" away from the wall. You'll have to ask him to explain though), and the vinyl was done by Bekah Kleinman. You can see her stuff on Etsy here.

Rachel's Dance Recital

Rachel has had a dance class through the local Parks & Recreation Facility for the last couple of months. Tonight was there big recital! She had a blast in both the class & dancing for all the parents. Afterward we did a little studio session. *ahem* mini session-- see website for details :) For those that like the photography:







And for those that want to see how cute my daughter is (*sigh* I love her). She's second in from the right on the front row: Oh- and this video was taken with the 5D Mark II. I need some video editing software. Hmmm....

Curren update!

I guess it's been awhile. So, here's more information than you probably wanted to know...

Our yard: Yes. It's a mess. hahaha we're working on it. Planted some flowering pear trees and some bulbs, rotatilled the garden and the front yard, Sam's working on the sprinklers, and we're growing veggies in pots that are getting way too small. It needs to stop snowing!!





Easter: I was not really looking forward to it, but it was actually really nice. We had a great time, the kids loved finding their easter baskets & eggs (can you see the look on Andrew's face?) and a nice Easter dinner at our house on...



...our new table! Hooray!! We've had hand-me-downs since we were married and finally made the plunge to purchase a new one. We're so happy. We bought the table--double butterfly leaf, pedestal table, seats up to 10-- at Knight's Mattress & Furniture, and the chairs at RC Willey. Plus, I got my vinyl boards from Bekah (she's amazing, check out her stuff) and put the rest of the pictures up on the kitchen.



Spring pictures of the kids. Next up is our living room wall, 12x12 styrene mounted photos surrounding a 32x42 picture of the Timpanogas Temple (which I have yet to take. Stupid snow):



And, just because this one is so her:



I've also painted my studio, and to celebrate, Sam & I took some new profile pictures. And no, my hair is not really that dark. :( It's actually going back to being quite blonde. *sigh*



Anyway, that's about it. Sam's graduating next week, and Grandpa Curren is coming out for a week to help with some projects so there will be more pictures after that!