Faded Fringe Photography

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Thanks,

EmyLee

Emy, We Love You, and Happy Birthday

I wanted to take an opportunity to let Emy know, and anyone else that reads our blog how amazing Emy is! We celebrated her birthday last weekend and I was reminded how lucky I am to have her in my life, to be her husband, and for our kids to have her as a mom! She gives so much and is truly a wonderful example to me and all those around her!! A few weeks ago I had to travel to Washington DC for work, and when I came home, Emy and the kids had this made and hung for me. Its huge! (3'x5')

Thanks guys, you did a great job!

So I planned a fun birthday surprise for her, and the kids! We went to San Francisco last weekend and stayed with our wonderful friends, Tim and Margo Friday night. We had a big fun slumber party and then a fun day planned in the city the next day. In the morning, we went to the exploratorium and had so much fun with all the different science exhibits. They were so hands on and exciting that Boston loved it too! It was funny, after 30 + min of being there, we looked back towards the entrance and we had only gone in like 50 feet! We stayed and played there until we got hungry and Boston go restless...(that's the alarm letting us know we pushed it to the max :)

This exhibit was an unused toilet, with a water fountain, and it was funny how reluctant you are to using it, simply because of its shape!

So then, we went to a restaurant that had been recommended to us by some friends, The Stinking Rose, where everything in the menu has Garlic as a main ingredient (hence the name...). Then our friends had offered to watch the kids for the afternoon so Emy and I got to hit the town.

Emy is such a designer at heart, and she has such great design ideas, so I thought since we were in S.F. and it being the design focused city that it is, I planned out the afternoon to go to the San Francisco Design District. It was so much fun to go to various furniture places, custom upholstery shops, antique stores, etc! For the most part, these stores are geared towards designers shopping at them, picking items for clients, as opposed to window shoppers like us, but we had so much fun. We'd love to go back during a weekday when even more places are open. The highlights included:

This Chair- totally inappropriate, right?!

The other night, we saw a movie preview on TV for "How Do You Know" and they have this exact chair in one of the scenes! We thought it was hilarious!

A super European modern store (glorified ikea) where I was sitting in a $10,000 chair, and Emy looked at the price tag of the ottoman, and said, "$3,000... you better not put your feet on that!"

The custom upholstery shop where I showed the owner a picture on my phone of our upholstered headboard that we made, and he jokingly offered me a job.

Here's the headboard we made right before Valentines! We still need to post about this and show pictures, but it looks great, right? Do you like our new Tuxedo ruffle bedding?!

And a fun Restoration Hardware showroom that was tons of fun to look through.

Outdoor display, look at the chandelier hanging on the rope!

To end the night, Emy and I went to Nopalito and had a really fun dinner together. It was so nice to have some good conversations not interrupted by kids crying, misbehaving, getting restless, etc. I love you Emy and Happy Birthday! Thanks again Tim and Margo for having us and watching the kids!

Faith to Move Mountains

This life is a test and although it can be very difficult at times, faith in a real and tangible God and Savior can and will carry us through

keepin it fresh

Man do i love my man! A couple weeks ago a friend relayed some suggestions given to her in a ward activity geared toward keeping our marriages strong. One of them was to hide an object somewhere in the house and take turns finding it. i told Jason about this and how our good friends have been leaving notes. We both agreed it was a good idea and then went on with our day. Of course jason is amazing and is listening even when i am not so sure because later that day i found a note in the formula. Then the next day a note telling me what a good mommy i am in the oatmeal. It has been so cute he has even been using it to play little jokes on me. For example, the other night i went to finally put the laundry away that jason had folded that morning, and i found a note. I kind of felt bad because i thought, "oh no he probably thought i was going to put the laundry away since he folded it and left me a note and it took me till 10 at night...but later he told me he snuck it in there to mess with me and make me think he expected me to put away the laundry! haha. He also put one in the blender and i almost blended it up!

I had to play catch up because he was leaving so many cute notes for me so i put one in the instant oatmeal box and the next morning i said, "you should make Boston oatmeal this morning". That evening i asked him what he fed Boston for breakfast and he said, "oatmeal" i was confused because he hadn't mentioned the note. he grabbed down the box and said look in there, i was like" no way you look, "and this went back and forth for a while till a note fell out that said, "gotcha! i found your note, and u thought i didn't. I love you babe, have a good day!" man he is making it hard for me to be as sweet as him! he is so awsome. i am always impressed with how loving and thoughtful he is. Actually as i write this he is doing the dishes! Sweet huh?! What a real man!

Sunny Days

Lately It has been so cold here. Like really cold for California, but about two weeks ago we had this crazy warm front, and i have to say there is nothing better than a sunny day! Sun makes me happy, it motivates me to get things done, and when its sunny my clothes get cuter! haha.

When its sunny we do a lot of park days and playing outside, and when you have a two year old, playing outside is a must in order to survive.

Sunny days in my family room look like this

We did an amateaur photoshoot on this sunny Sunday

And this sunny weekend we spent at our favorite park with the big tires!

So greatful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

Today in church the two talks given were very powerful and much needed. There was a lot that stood out and i wanted to remember, but with two kids it is rare that i have a hand free to take notes...so i just wanted to share the few things that i could remember.

As a mom, i am always trying to find the balance between serving my family and taking care of myself, so that i can better serve my family. I go back and forth between feeling like i need to take time out for myself, and maybe forgetting myself all together and getting lost in the joy of parenting, being a wife, and my beautiful children.

Last week Ashley Tanner gave a lesson and referenced Marjorie Hinckley and her desire to get all out of life she could. She talks of wanting to meet God, not in her Sunday best but covered in dirt from gardening, peanut butter on her shirt from making sandwiches for her grand children and every other sign that she had squeezed every moment out of life. Ashley went on to say that some days she is so tired. I know those days. The ones where i have been depleted of all physical energy from being "consistent" with time out. But, Ashley said, she realized she wants to be tired, exhausted even , that way she knows she is giving it everything she has.

I related very strongly to this. I didn't want to spend one more second bummed about the hardships of parenting. Instead i wanted to be there for every bedtime story, every silly laugh and all the teaching moments, even if i had to be wiped out to do it.

This wasn't this weeks talks, but there was a wonderful quote from last week that tied into this weeks topic which was "avoiding pride, being humble".

Well i just realized it has disappeared from my fridge door, but to some it up, it says that if we become a person with more substance, through reading our scriptures and increasing our relationship with the savior, it will be easier to find ourselves because there will be more of us to find.

I felt this pertained particularly to mothers because i have heard countless women say that they had to find themselves after having children, as did i. I also heard in a talk that when we are feeling that way, we need to strengthen our relationship with our heavenly Father and the savior. So this quote really said it in a way that made sense.

This brings me to what i learned today. The speaker was quoting an apostle (like i said i was wiping boogers), and she said, Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves, but thinking less about ourselves. I love that. So i can be a fantastic and wonderful person with great worth, but the trick is to know that and spend little time thinking about it. We should serve and love and our "Substance" will increase and we will find ourselves as mothers and every other role that sometimes muddles our true worth. But as you can see, being a mother is what makes me truly Fantastic! So i hope this fills you with strength and joy it did me. I would have just written this in my journal but it was in Bostons room and he was sleeping! I just want all of you to know that i have a testimony that Jesus Christ is my Savior and he loves me. He is my Elder brother and through him i can return to live with my Father in Heaven again.

All about Story!

If you havn't met Story yet, than you are missing out on a peice of sunshine! She is so smiley and sweet. I feel like she came to me straight from heaven just to remind me that i am loved cause when i am with her... I feel loved. Story was 5 months on the first of Febuary and is doing some awsome stuff. She loves loves, loves her brother Boston and can't even focus enough to finish her bottle when he is around.

Story just started sitting up, assisted, but its exciting.

She loves to jump in her jumper, literally for hours! I always think of Peter pan when i see her little feet going. And these chunker thighs, could you just die. I know they may not be the chunkiest of chunkers, but boston was so petite, so to me they are chunky and i love to squeeze em'!

Story loves bath time and has the cutest princess towel to dry off in.

She spent most of month 3-5 blowing bubles through her lips, but now she talks alot and just today started growling. I imagine she learned that from her brother.

Story has also started sitting in the high chair which is emotional for me because the last time we used it Boston was a baby, i just can't beleive how quickly life passes. It is so cute, Boston loves to color and play all around her, and she is thourouly entertained.

Story has also started baby food. well, tried it would be a better way of putting it. She still has that really strong tongue reflex so she doesn't actually eat much. But the faces she makes are the best!

She is such a wonderful and sweet little person, and i love being with her. I am so excited for all the girl stuff we will get to do together, and if she wants to be rough and tough, i'll do that stuff with her too! hey, I can be tough! haha. Story you love your daddy and our crazy life! I love you little mama!