2010 Suguturaga Video

I made this lil video in imovie. It was fun to go back and preview all of the fun we had last year.  I think this is why I think pictures are priceless. I am getting older and I am forgetting everything.  This is one memory that I will have forever.  My kids can enjoy it, too.  I wanna make a goal to take more pictures of my family this year.  I want to catch everything. I know I will forget even the littlest things.  I'm also going to try to do better with getting more family pictures.  

2010 was such a great year. Every year just keeps getting better.  I love watching my children grow. I like always having a chubby little body to snuggle with.  I love to just listen to their conversations to each other.  

There is one question that  always haunts me... When I am old and gray, will I regret my time spent?  Did we really LIVE?  I can look back on these pictures and see that we may not have a lot of money to travel or see wonderful places, but we really laughed hard every day, we said "I love you" a lot to each other, and we enjoyed spending time with each other and friends and family.  We danced to music, we made messes, we explored places nearby, and we just enjoyed every ray of sunshine, every colorful sunset, blue skies with shiny white clouds,  and even cold days that left us warm and cozy inside.  We barbecued, threw water balloons, rode scooters, and ate a lot of ice cream.  I hope that we can LIVE in 2011!!! 

This year I want to do more camping, hiking, and swimming.  I want to go on more Sunday walks/drives and read more books to my kids.  I want to visit the library more and always have music blasting in my house. I want to grow a garden.  I want to create a website.  I want to go on more dates with my Man. :) I want to buy a cruiser bike and bike more to the park or gym.  I want to see the ocean and just spend a week playing in it. I want to fly a kit and I want to make a picnic quilt to lay on under a tree.  I want to play tennis until late at night under the lights,  I want to wake up earlier and get to the temple more often.  I want to long board the canyon more.  I want my kids to be able to run through the big sprinklers at the park more.  I want to go out for  ice cream more because it always tastes better.  This is my 2011 bucket list.

The songs are

Big as the Sky- AM 60

I Do Adore- Mindy Gledhill

Rhythm of Love- Plain White T's

We Belong Together- AM 60

almost a year now

I had a session with this cute little guy waaaaaay back in April/May (I think).  I ran across these pictures tonight and realized I haven't posted them yet. (along with a lot of other sessions).  I am really struggling to find the time to do any blogging. It is always at the end of my "to do" list that usually doesn't get crossed off and then is added to the next day's list.  That is okay, right?
Well this guy was sooooo charming with his red hair and blue eyes. He is almost a year now.  I can't believe it. 

Bring on the Snow!!!

Last Saturday we decided to make use of the snow here in Utah. We went Sledding!!! I think it is safe to say... our kids really do LOVE the snow. We met up with our little twin family/friends. Both our older kids are right in the same age category and love playing together. I can't even count how many times the kids went up and down the hill, right after biffing and scraping it up. Marley and her cute lil best friend were in their own world of winter bliss just playing and laughing together. There were no tears even though there were frozen fingers. They were pretty tough kids just excited to be outside. We stayed almost ALL afternoon. We also went to see the movie Tangled with some free movie passes. It was a perfect day.

I can never get shots of my kids eyes this clear. I was pretty stoked to get some root beer eye shots of my cute lil guy that I'm so madly in love and addicted to.

These two are hilarious together. They seem to magnetize towards each other, holding hands. I can't wait to see them when they get older.

Love the missing teeth!!!

This guy is an avid snowboarder. Whoever knew a local boy could snowboard. :)

This guy was soooo tired he fell asleep with a sucker in his mouth while laying flat on the snow.

something lost

Looks like someone lost something.

By far... one of my favorite of 2010!!!

2010 Favorite Books

These are a few of my favorite books from 2010. Each one hit me in a special way.

I've got a huge list of books I'm excited to read in 2011.

This book left me feeling like I wanted to find the perfect spot to settle down and raise my kids. Ocean salt, collecting seashells, fresh fruits and vegetables, lots of cousins close by, live music, hot home-cooked meals, endless Saturdays playing together, and sitting on a patio swing while watching the sunset. This book is my dream world.

This book was AMAZING, eye-opening.

It channeled my almost-there thinking as far as the Art of teaching children.

My favorite chapter was the one about "the importance of Play."

I loved his first book so much that I got this one. It led me to a more personal experience.

Children's Literature is my weakness. I spend more money on books than clothes or toys.

I read a read-a-loud everyday to my class.

This one was one that stuck out.

I love the lessons that can be taught.

This is by far my most favorite and inspiring photography book. It seemed like I had to wait for weeks till it came in the mail and then I carried it around everywhere just hoping that I would have a chance to read it. I could read it over and over. Anyone interested in photography, should get it. It doesn't teach about technicals stuff but just inspires and make you see how photos are so special.

Another favorite was this $15 book from Ikea.

I LOVE the photography and it contains my dream of design.

It is what I call my "SomeDay" book.

I read this one in just a couple of days. I couldn't put it down.

It gives a lot of advice for starting your own creative freelance business.

This was a fun chapter book to read to the kids. Each chapter was full of imagination.

Someday I want to take this book and paint the lyrics on Marley's room. It is a book I will read over and over to her even when she is in high school. It teaches about loving yourself. The illustrations are going to be framed and hung up for her to see. I love it!!

So this one might seem like a funny one. Not the most intellectual but I was soooooo excited when I saw this book. I had to get it. I have loved and been inspired by Roxy ads for years. This book is just full of photography that I am drawn to look at. I love the sun. I love the colors. I love the beach. I love the clothes. I love the shaggy uncut hair. I love that these women are strong athletes living their dreams and enjoying each day. I love the graphic design that Roxy uses. I call this book "Inspiration."

I'm sure all of us have favorite books that inspired each of us in 2010. I'd love to hear your favorites and why. I'm always looking for a good book.

Thanks

Christmas was AWESOME this year!! I love it even more now that the kids are getting bigger. It seems so much more magical. We read a lot of Christmas stories. We made gingerbread houses. We went sledding. We drank a lot of hot chocolate smothered in whipped cream. We also had a special elf come and leave us little reminder presents.

Mark and Laura came for Thanksgiving and they knew how much we wanted a tree for ALL of December. Just before they headed back, they brought this beauty over. Our house instantly smelled like Christmas. Thanks you guys!!!

I even tried to make my first clay baked nativity set. It got shipped off to a special family.


Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a couple of days. It was fun to play with cousins, eat yummy food, and take a lot of naps snuggled next to Elijah. Thanks mom and dad for letting us come.

We made some snowmen and waited patiently for Jace to arrive.

Marley wanted her own snowman. I told her that we should build it next to our other snowman. She said, "No mom, I don't want her to get tackled."

(poor thing is stuck in between two boys)

So we built it far away under a tree.

Christmas night was fun. We had the most hilarious nativity story acted out, angels and all. Mary (Marley) wouldn't hold the baby (Anabelle) and the baby would lay in the manger. The wise man looked like he just got out of the shower, and dad zoomed through Luke 2 all while we were laughing.



























I think I was more excited for Santa to come than my kids were.

On Christmas day, we went sledding. Thanks grandma and gramps for the sleds.