Lets not even attempt to re-capture the last year...so here's this weekend! It was a little chaotic and over-whelming (just a few anxiety attacks here and there) but over all, really really fun! Friday night Shad was kind enough to rent the Katy Perry movie for me :) he's a gem! And he took me to get my favorite shake at Smashburger (nutterbutter/chocolate mixed). Simple date night at home mostly but it was so fun and so needed. Saturday morning was running errands while Shad finally went mountain biking and then the craziness began. I went to a funeral reception at Daba Cuisine of India in Santa Monica. Jay Dhawan was my friend Rada's father. He was kind, loving and so happy. He will be missed. After celebrating Jay's life (and me having a heartburn attack for eating delicious indian cuisine) Shad and Cru met me at our friend's Jared and Deborah's house in Santa Monica and Shad took their engagement pictures around Santa Monica all night. The pictures / night consisted of 2 car's full of prop's (Deborah got a little excited), 2 outfit changes, 3 locations, more than half the props NOT being used and finally ended with Jared being paged to the hospital. We then got to enjoy Cru riding the ferris wheel on the Santa Monnica Pier for the first time (and me having a anxiety attack #2 of the night while on that very same ride), eating dinner at Sonoma Wine Garden at 9:30pm with Jared, Deborah and their friends (yes, cru is still currently with us), tasting truffle oil for the first time, cru having "fancy peperoni" pizza (prosciutto), a shirley temple, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. After walking what felt like 500 miles in 5 hours all over Santa Monica we finally made it back to our car at 11:30pm! What an adventure for Cru and for us! Sunday consisted of staying in our PJ's until 2:30pm and it was amazing! I wouldn't take any of it back! Pictures as proof... Till next year fellow bloggers ;)

Prepare yourselves

I've been told I need to blog more...

Life goes on!

I know I like to blame "time" for the lack of blog posts...but another factor might be that we don't have a camera! And most of you are probably thinking, she's married to a photographer! But have you ever held his carera? More importantly have you ever tried to hold his camera bag! Its about 50lb's and he doesn't just take the camera, the whole bag comes with it. So we don't use it often for family stuff. And I feel like camera phone pictures aren't much fun...but I'm going to post some anyway!

A little update on our family - Shad has been working / going to school to become a fireman. It's a competitve race down here but we're in it! He worked on a fire a few months ago with the Forest Service up in San Luis Obispo area. It was a learning experience for me and Cru to have him gone for so long. He also got a full time job working for ELITE Ambulence in Los Angeles as an EMT. We're hoping after some experience he can go to paramedic school. As for me, I'm still working full time at Home Care Pharmacy in Simi Valley. Cru will be turning 3 on October 28th. He has started a little pre school thing at home with some friends and he loves it. He goes to day care every tuesday and the Hopkins house on thursdays and fridays. He's a typical 3 year old boy with too much energy, hilarious things to say, funny facial expressions, a kind heart, lots of cuddles, and the cutest face ever! Now...today's events:

Cru and I went with a group (Joy school type group - the Learning Box) to the Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark. We love that place all the time but especially in October during Fall Harvest. They have so many fun activities, hay rides, pony rides, animals, pumpkins, corn maze, etc. It was only 102 degree's today but we still had fun! I was exhausted but Cru could have kept running around in that heat all day long if I let him. Enjoy the pictures. Some day there will be more...but don't count on it.




(That's right. My child dressed himself today "moonboots" (as we call them...others call them snow boots) and all. 80's style sunglasses. He was too much!)

Does anyone blog anymore?

I mean, seriously...who has the time!? I obviously don't! Now days with working full time I just don't have the energy and I sure can't entrust the family blog to Shad :) But here's a few pictures of what we've been up to lately.



Shad blames this move on me...so not cool

Shad and Cru have both been hiking and training a LOT lately to be firemen. Cru holds his own pretty well :)

We have a hawk that has made it's home in our neighbors tree. It's pretty fun until we get the left over's from it's meals in our backyard.

The extent of Shad using his photography skills lately - things he finds on hikes in Wildwood - I heart this picture

WE DID IT! A FAMILY PORTRAIT!

My dreams have come true, and my sisters since we always joke that nobody ever see's any picture shad takes.

In march we went to Las Vegas for 4 days with out Cru. It was bitter sweet. One of the things we did was go to Hoover Dam. Actually kind of fun.

Shad's artistic version of the Hoover Dam. Shad also got to go to the BYU game while we were there. He had a very happy birthday thanks to his uncle Tim and my parents - sorry no picture at the game.

No, Shad has not gotten a job yet but he visits a lot of stations. Cru got to go with him last week and if you can't tell, he was a little excited!

October

In October we had lots of things happen! Our friends Jeris and Suzanna Hobbs came from Utah to visit. We had fun with them as always! Cru turned 2 and had a little birthday party! And Halloween! The last 2 things in October were very stressful for me for some reason so I'm glad October is over and November is kind of relaxing with no plans for anything! Not even the Holiday!


waiting for his guests to arrive!

pumpkin painting activity - Lauren

Claire painting her pumpkin. Cru and Claire are BFF's!



happy birthday, blowing out candles, and first taste of real ice cream! not soy!








Here's 1 Halloween piture. We have more to follow and I think some coming of us with the Hobbs.

September

In September we were given an amazing deal to buy my boss' car from him. So after many tears we sold (yes, we actually made some money!) our 1991 Toyota Camry that I got when I was 17 and bought our first car of our marriage! I think that’s an amazing thing in itself, after 6 years we have our first car payments! So our 2004 Acura TL is pretty fun for us!

(picture to follow)

Amazing

I really don't know how any of you bloggers are working mothers and find time to blog! I applaud you! I obviously can't do both, hence the lack in blog posts. So here's a little re-cap of our life lately.