Halloween 2012

I was so grateful that Blake was able to fly in to go Trick-or-Treating with Annie and I .

And I know he was just as thrilled that he got to go out in full costume - what a good sport he is : )

After going round and round with so many ideas about what our girl was going to be this year , we finally settled on Little Red Riding Hood .

I dressed up as the wolf and Blake , being the silly fellow he is , was the grandmother .

Get a load of our little Red - my awesome mother-in-law made her costume !

We kept it pretty low key - driving to a few homes of family and friends , and stopping at a few neighborhood houses with my mom and dad .

Then off to a delicious dinner at my in-laws house - Annie's sweet Aunt Carli and Lala put together quite the spread for us.

So grateful for them and all that they do !  

Hope you all had an amazing night as well !

- e

A Little Fall Outing

A few weeks ago , Annie and I were lucky enough to head back to Utah for two whole weeks to be with Blake . We enjoyed General conference , BYU Homecoming , and my birthday ! Some of Blake's family were in town too which made it extra fun !

While we were there we came across this sweet little farm that had the most adorable pumpkin patch .

We also got to spend the evening with some of our favorite people : Annie's Uncle Brad , Aunt Carli , and Cousin Henry .

It was the perfect evening for our little family and especially our baby girl .



It was the best day .

And it made me realize something .

Blake and I are not originally from Utah .

We went out there for school and both ended up finding jobs and just sort of ended up , as we usually say , stuck . I almost constantly find myself looking for our next move that will take us somewhere else .

But this trip , this return "home" , felt completely different .

I realized how much , after a full month away , I really love Utah .

The weather is amazing , the scenery is beautiful , it is an incredible place to raise a family , the people are kind , and we have a unique opportunity to be surrounded by so many people with our same beliefs .

Really . . . what more could you ask for ?

So here's to enjoying the moment and not wishing away the time you have .

Appreciate it while it's happening .

Now we're back in Texas and all I have to say about that is - could the cooler weather get here already , and stay here ?

This heat is making me grumpy .

- e 

Radio Silence

Oh hey there .

Remember when I said I was going to post every day

for the rest of the year , and then missed two whole

days in a row ?

Yep , that happened . . .it just does .

Trying not to sweat the small stuff .

Enjoying time with my family .

Adventures from this month to come tomorrow :)

Have a great weekend !

- e 

Sandy



I did this post over on The Impeccable Pig's blog today , so if you also read over there , please forgive the repitition but it seemed the only thing that was appropriate in light of recent events .

Today I wanted to give a shout out to everyone who was directly involved with or knows someone involved with Hurricane Sandy .

You are in our thoughts and prayers .

The East Coast is currently dealing with one of the largest storms in U . S. history , with damage costs estimated in the billions .

The Red  Cross is going to need all of the help they can get !

You can donate here , or simply text REDCROSS to 90999 .

That's it for today !

- e

West Elm in Salt Lake City!

via West Elm Salt Lake's Facebook Page

Hey hey hey !

I'm back !

Where have I been , you ask ?

Well , more on that to come :)

A promise / new goal : I will post on this

blog at least 5 days a week until the end of the year .

But first , let me say Hallelujah !

For West Elm has come to Salt Lake City .





While I wasn't cool enough to be invited to the grand opening party ( I know , they don't know what they're missing ) , West Elm has been one of my long time loves , and I can promise you I will be a regular sight in their store from now on .

Sorry BW , consider yourself warned. I will now begin slowly saving for many needed items to complete my kitchen , living room , and master bedroom areas !

Now all we need is a Zara and I might actually consider making Utah my permanent home .

Maybe . . .

- e

Wednesday Words of Wisdom

This week I started a  " Wednesday Words of Wisdom " post for The Impeccable Pig's blog , and I really liked the idea , so I thought I'd bring it over here as well.

There is so much more that I would like to do with this blog .

There are so many moments that I feel inadequate .

Every day , I wish I was more productive .

This quote really helps remind me to stay positive , to be happy ,

and to shine , no matter what . Even on days when I don't feel like it .

Because someone is always watching .

I hope to teach Annie what this quote suggests .

True beauty comes from the inside - out .

We create beauty through out attitudes , behaviors , and actions.

Keep your head up y ' all .

- e



One Year

My baby is one year old .

And in just one year , she has brought me a lifetime of joy .

I think about the day that she arrived , two weeks past her due date , after 26 hours of labor .

With Blake by my side we welcomed this beautiful baby girl , in a slightly more dramatic fashion than we had originally planned , and we were nervous that it was a sign of things to come .

But Annie is one of those babies that you hear about . . .the ones that you doubt exist .

The baby that is flexible .The baby that doesn't fuss .

The baby that is always happy . That smiles all the time .

The baby that makes it way to easy on you your first time around and fools you into thinking that you really have this parenting thing down .

I think of all the big moments .

Her birth . Her blessing . Meeting her friends and family .

Her first Halloween and Christmas .

Her first trip to the ER .

The first time she crawled .

The first time she went swimming .

When she said " hi " to her Daddy .

The first time she said " Mama ".

And I think of all the smaller moments .

Snuggling with me in the mornings .

Listening to her laugh as her Daddy tosses her around on the bed .

Teaching her to give kisses , hugs , and to find her nose .

Watching her suck her thumb as she sleeps .

Laughing as she " tries on " her clothes , sticks out her little tounge , and bobs her not-so-little head .

Watching her pure joy while she rides a carousel .

Seeing her squeal with delight when she sees a doggie .

Reading books with her and letting her flip the pages .

Every moment that I spend with Annie and Blake are the best of my life .

They make me better .

And it's only the beginning .

Here are some photos from her big day :

( out on the boat ! )

( so excited for her party to start ! )

( look at all her gifts ! what a lucky girl ! )

( the whole spread . a big thank you to my parents for hosting at their lakehouse )

( her sweet cake came from Society Bakery in Dallas )

( Ooooo . . . I want that ! )

( are you sure I'm allowed to eat this ? )

( Oh yeah , that's what I'm talkin' about ! )

I love you , my baby girl .

- e