Thanksgiving

it was a wonderful week filled with SO much food, SO much laugher + SO much garbage.

seriously though--with 28 people in the house at one time...i've never seen us fill so many bags ;) 

but really, you know it's a part when you have to fill the neighbors trash cans to the brim...secretly of course.

i really didn't take a lot of pictures of thanksgiving.

i found myself laughing way too much + realizing ah! 

i should've gotten that!

but looking back now, i think i got what was most important + didn't get lost behind my lens,

which in turn causes me to really miss out on the real moment.

so i hope your thanksgiving was wonderful.

i loved having basically everyone together, minus chris,

for such a good holiday....

it's even making being sick at 6 months pregnant almost worth it.

one of my very favorite traditions we have started at thanksgiving is the white elephant exchange + loaded questions.

honestly i can't remember laughing that hard for a looooong time + i got the braxton hicks to prove it.

the gifts were so on point + i personally thought mine was hilarious...

i got live goldfish!

how are those doing julia?!

i love seeing what everyone comes up with

+ who get's what.

+ last but not least is the gingerbread man/woman decorating.

jennifer is such a good grandma + i love how involved she is with them.

there were more spilled sprinkles then should be allowed,

but i know the kids loved putting as much sugar as they possibly could on a little cookie.

let's be honest, 

i'd be doing the same.

such a good break from like, those five days.

so grateful for family, 

especially mine + how loving + awesome the hancock gang is...sickness + all.

ps. here we all are...minus chris!

aren't we awesome?

so good looking.

sweet brodey got baptized saturday + it was so awesome all being there for it.

Thanksgiving

Easter Sunday

what a wonderful, beautiful weekend to celebrate easter.

saturday was this perfect spring day,

+ sunday rained hard, making everything around here vibrant green.

i was reminded of my love for my family, for the gospel + for my trials.

yes, my trials.

i went into general conference this week with a prayer in my heart for words of comfort + wisdom.

i needed to hear of my Saviors love + know that all is well.

in all my years of watching conference, i have never been more touched by

sessions than this weekend.

maybe it was because i went into conference needed specific words of comfort,

or because i actually listened, took notes, + didn't fall asleep,

or maybe because of the specialness of easter sunday, either way,

i was moved to tears at many of the talks + songs

+ the reassuring knowledge that my Savior lives + loves me.

i snapped these pictures quickly in-between sessions,

i wanted to remember the time that i was too lazy to hard boil + dye easter eggs

so stickers + washi tape had to do.

i hope you had a beautiful easter sunday!

Easter Sunday

14 Day's of Valentine's

on the fifth day of valentine's my true love was given:

you guessed it, swedish fish, 

yum.

jay says to me that morning,

are you trying to get me fat?!

but wouldn't give them to me hahaha

jay really is a great catch + most days i don't give him enough credit for it.

i'm sure glad i've got someone as wonderful as this guy.

on the sixth day of valentine's my true love was given:

am i cheesy or what?!

but we really were "mint" to be together + what better was to tell him that, 

than with some mints!

day 1 + 2

day 3 + 4

day 5 + 6

day 7 + 8

day 9 + 10

day 11 + 12

day 13 + 14

14 Day's of Valentine's

THE apple hill

everyone has THEIR fall time traditions + i'm sure yours are all very wonderful, but let me take a second to talk about a northern California tradition for fall.

apple hill.

apple hill is the most wonderful of wonderful fall traditions.

imagine a place FULL of apple orchards, pumpkin patches, vineyards, + pine trees

with wonderful mom+pop farms every other address

+ in those wonderful shops are everything apple/fall time you could ever possibly want.

THIS IS A REAL PLACE 

+ it's called apple hill.

as long as i remember my family has always gone here for buckets of apples, pies + cider every october + i haven't been able to go to this magical place for 4 years.

unfortunately jay wasn't able to make this years trip,

(i was back in CA for a job that happened to fall on this very amazing weekend)

 + it was my brothers last day before he left on his mission,

+ it was totally last minute,

but it was amazing.

we found this NEW place. the donuts here were to d i e for. 

let me just post a lil photo here 

that's an apple pumpkin spice donut with the donut crumbled ON TOP.

even though i REALLY missed my hubs being here to enjoy this day,

it was so nice to get up into the hills for a family tradition.

this place holds many dear memories for me,

i think our family has at least 5 christmas family photos taken here.

don't you love these kind of places?

they will always be filled with lots of family memories + yummy yummy food.

how do YOU celebrate fall?!

ps. if you want to know anything about me + photo's, i secretly l o v e jumping photos....these didn't really turn out ;)

HAPPY FALL.

THE apple hill

happy easter

i know it's been a while, but jay + i are finally moved in, unpacked, cleaned up

+ happy to be here.

so before i jump into bed for the first day of school tomorrow, i thought i would just post real quick

about how great today was.

i have always loved Easter. 

i love the focus on my Savior + i love the spring weather that always accompanies it.

such a beautiful day full of love, quiet moments + many thoughts of gratitude.

 we spent this day in idaho falls with the jensen family.

we had homemade pizza for dinner.

how Easter is that?!

it was bomb.

hope your day was a special as mine.

happy Easter my friends!

happy easter