PoW: Dec 30 - Jan 6

Then midnight hit and we turned into demon-eyed vampires. 

Hello 2013!

PoW: Dec 23-30

All is calm, all is bright.

North Ogden // Christmas Eve 2012

Friendsgiving

Thanksgiving came early! Well, for our friends it did. Last year we celebrated at Sizzler (stop looking at me like that) and this year we wanted something a little more personal. So we planned a sit down family style dinner.

This was our first attempt at cooking a turkey and though there were a few mishaps I think it went well. We named her Gina and she was a total rockstar. Cleaning out Gina certainly wasn't my favorite thing in the world - especially when you have no clue what you're doing. But fun people make everything better so it turned out to be one of the most entertaining parts of the night. We made a few frantic phone calls to our mothers, a few desperate Google searches, and went a little rouge from the instructions. But we did it!

Displaying a cooked Gina with our best Vanna White skills:

Great minds think (and shop) alike

And what would Thanksgiving dinner be without a pie eating contest? It started off as a joke and next thing I know I'm being handed a napkin bib and staring at a piece of chocolate cream pie while considering my strategy. That escalated quickly.

Anna won! Impressive. I lost! Surprise surprise. I'm not certain why I even participated considering I've never been known for my speedy eating skills. Shanna does a great impression of me eating fries, but I'll save that for another day. Or never because sometimes the truth hurts.

I have a lot to be grateful for this year, and these people are a large part of that. Happy Early Thanksgiving!

Chocolate cake, please

October: Always a great month. Vibrant leaves, awkwardly awesome Halloween costumes, enough sugar to demand a root canal. And BOOTS. Let's not forget the return of wonderful boots.

Though I most definitely earn the "creature of habit" title, October is a good reminder to me that change and transition can actually be pretty beautiful. Especially when it looks like towering white aspens with bright yellow leaves. Yet even staring at that beautiful aspen, I often find myself wishing for change sparingly and autumn continually. I'll take my cake and eat it too, thankyouverymuch.

October in a nutshell that looks like a grid that easily could have been six times the size. Because that's how epic autumn can really be. And how much I love photos ... duh :)

PoW: Oct 21-28

Things I learned from Zombie Jess
(well, half Zombie Jess):

• It's so much easier to try to be ugly than it is to try to be pretty - and with a lot less pressure!
• I need to learn how to growl
• Need a wax? Liquid latex will do the job ... whether you like it or not
• Avoid eye contact at Walmart
• Crimped hair is back and better than ever
• The DI is always a good idea 
• Next time: more blood!
• HALLOWEEN ROCKS

PoW: Oct 14-21

This is what happens when we have a free hour on a fall Saturday afternoon. Good thing you can't really see the outline of the cell phones in our pockets or the illusion would be blown.

Stop trying to find the cell phone outline and just pretend we're actually ghosts, huh? My face might not be super convincing, but Anna's .... oh geez. Someone's seen The Sixth Sense a few too many times.

March 20th

First Day of Spring what?

And a pretty song with a pretty video:

PoW: March 11-18

I made it through St. Patrick's Day without wearing green and only got pinched once! Not that I dislike the holiday at all. It was just a busy day. Oh and I also ate a lot of these in the process of baking ...

2/14

Cause nothing says Happy Valentine's Day like a doily heart covering your face because your makeup has gone sour for the day.
So HAPPY VALENTINE'S!

And one of my very favorite smoochy love songs:

PoW: Feb 5-12

Say hello to Larry the Lion, my Valentine's box! Larry didn't win me a prize, but inside we both knew that he was a winner.
Minus the frustration of getting spray glue all over my phone, he was a real treat to make.

Goodbye, 2011

2011 was a good year. Lots of new experiences, new people, strengthened friendships, a few necessary and unnecessary tears, and some greater understandings. Here are a few of my favorite moments of the year:

Sundance Film Festival 2011: where I had my almost sighting of James Franco.
I expect better luck for Sundance 2012.

 Battled it out at the Midway Ice Castles

Aubree & Kambri's first dance recital

My very first Festival of Colors. Still trying to get pink off my car seats.

Impromptu trip to the Salt Flats ... resulting in an impromptu night in Wendover

A little Lone Ranger business for Michelle's birthday

Finally got an iPhone -- and had my highest Words With Friends score ... yet

 

Just because it was entertaining

Went from dark back to light in one day. Well, technically I went from dark to "orangeish/strawberry blondeish", but hey - it was a process.

Spent a particularly spectacular week in New York City

With a particularly memorable night moseying across the Brooklyn Bridge

Saw my very first Broadway show - Memphis

Had a little fight with my grill (Still for sale! Anyone?)

Unveiled our winter tans to all the lucky folks in Moab

Protected the capitol (just not the Hunger Games kind)

Airplaned my heart out. I'm shocked it didn't catch on.

Conquered beautiful Bells Canyon a few thousand times

Got everything I've ever wanted in a birthday cake

Finally scored a Bike Shoppe t-shirt

Viva Las Vegas and CELINE for my birthday

Grabbed the bull by the horns at the Utah State Fair ...

... and got a ribbon for our cookies

Decided it was time to have a caricature ... which I'm still skeptical is really me and Anna

 

Made some new friends at our Midway fall get together

 

Embraced my inner geisha

Had ourselves a posh girl's night at Grand America and Temple Square

Soon followed up with an opportunity to showcase our amazing ice skating skills

Throw in some pregnancy announcements, some photography, Five Guys hamburgers with mouth-numbing jalapenos, and some other great trips and then call it a year. Thanks 2011. You were good to me!

PoW: Dec 25 - Jan 1

Hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Also: really loving this song right now:

PoW: Dec 18-25

Merry Christmas!

PoW: Dec 4-11

Merry Christmas from our little Santa & Rudolph

Adulthood

 This made me laugh today. True, right? Unfortunately.

 via

Curlie-Q

A very Happy Birthday to my little sis Karlee, aka Curlie, aka Smalls (from now on), aka the girl who still doesn't get the fact that any pictures she secretly takes of herself on my camera are free game. 

Haaaappy Birthday!

And maybe just one more for the road. I mean, we're here anyway, right?