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A few beachy pictures.

So we stayed at a Marriott Villa, and there was kitchen so we went grocery shopping and made meals each day. It was so good. I cooked a few times and Lincoln grilled a few days. The resort has bbq grills in quite a few spots around the hotels. (That is the "I want to break your cameras face" I think. )







We lived in the pools. There are four pools, and we swam morning and night. Literally, we were in the pool at 9:30 at night. One night we took a flashlight down and stayed on the beach in the dark. That was a blast. Lincoln caught and teased a crab for a while, and the kids thought that was hilarious.



The big kids can swim so well now. They had a great teacher in the summer. Simone got jealous of all the praise they were getting and kept holding her breath and going underwater! She would kick her feet, which really looked like she was marching, and it was the cutest thing. My brave brave Simone. Stop it!

Hold on baby.

Myrtle Beach

We went to our spot in Myrtle Beach again this year.

We love it there.

We had an amazing trip.

The kids are so so happy.

Everyone gets along!

They keep requesting to live there. =)

I wouldn't mind.



More pictures and stories to come.

Firsts

Natalia had her first day of kindergarten today, and Wyatt started 3rd grade.

Natalia woke me up at 6:40 completely dressed, even socks and shoes! Can I just say...I LOVE HER TASTE IN SHOES! This girl has class. She choose these adorable black mary janes over rhinestone sneakers with glitter and butterfly patches. (Hallelujah!) She also chose some tan ugg style boots, and some cheetah ballet flats. Natalia, that makes me want to kiss your face!

Wyatt was a pro. I still missed seeing him throughout the day though. Watching the two of them walk on the bus together was a sad moment for me. Why does the first day of school have to be so hard? Natalia had an absolute blast today! It is so different with her, she tells me every detail of the day. Wyatt was excited about a few new changes so I got to hear about those.

Fingers crossed that tomorrow goes just as well as today!

A GREAT reunion!

First let me set the stage.

This is a great story!

My friend Christie and her family moved to Tennessee a year ago. Before they left our families did EVERYTHING together since about July 2006. Wyatt's best friend was Alex, and Natalia's best friend was Tori. We were the best of friends, and there has been a big hole in our hearts since they moved away.

Christie and I found out that we were both going to be in Utah at the same time, and we hatched a fantastic plan to meet up BUT not tell the kids and let them discover their friends on their own. I didn't even tell my Mom or anyone about the plan so I wouldn't accidentally ruin it!

We met at the big fountain at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City. The fountain is giant and so fun to play in, and every 15 minutes or so it becomes a water/music show. We got there first and played. While I waited my heart was POUNDING! I was so excited to see them.

I saw the Wall family walking up and the music show began. It was this song...so this entire experience was set to music and made it super emotional!


The Wall kids got ready to go into the water, while Christie, Brent and their oldest daughter, Liza, sat on the bench and watched.

This is the first picture I took! Do you see how close they all are to each other!!! Wyatt in blue, Alex in the red/black trunks, Tori in green, and Talia in blue.

They didn't notice each other.

A few moments later Talia spotted Liza on the bench and WAVED.

Talia ran over. Tori was there, and she said "Hi Tori" right in front of her.

Talia yells, "MOMMY! THE WALLS ARE HERE!!"

Tori looks at her parents and shrugs her shoulders. =)

Talia runs over to tell me. I tell her, "I know!" and to go play! She heads back over.

See this "Kodak Moment".....................

They ran right passed each other! Talia had a goal to get back over there,
and didn't even see Tori coming!

Talia yells to Wyatt, "THE WALLS ARE HERE!"

Wyatt starts scanning for his friend. This is when he spots him.

THIS is how they say hello!

This is where I tear up every time....

The next photo I took was these two little friends
who picked up exactly where they left off one year ago.

The boys went to PLAY! They had so much fun.

The four little ones.

Simone did this most of the time.

The girls dancing to a swing song.

Lincoln's Grandma Eaton was there with us.

Right before I took this picture Alex said, "This is the best day of my life!"

love this

All the kids!

One of Christie and I.




OH what a memorable experience this was! We went to lunch, and the kids played at a little arcade. Then it was time to say goodbye again.

We should do it again, Christie! We'll make some plans! =)

just a quick post

with a picture.

I have a lot on my mind.
Most of it is about photography....and my business.
I am feeling like one very small person these days.
Overwhelmed and grateful and insignificant and discouraged....blah blah blah.
I am not ready to jump ship just yet......yet.
Believe me- I have my life preserver around my waist and I am holding my nose.
Why don't I jump?
Loyalty.
Is that a good reason?
Love.
Loony.

I think that when the big kids are in school I will be able to manage my time little better.
Right now I really really stink at it.

It's really late.
I shouldn't blog this late at night.
I blog in gibberish.

I'd pick you.

We actually went! We picked yellow and white peaches, and each ate one while picking. We sat under the peach trees and ate and laughed, and it was fantastic. Then we picked the most perfect lunch box sized ginger gold apples. We had a little competition to see who could hold the most. We went into the red barn, and bought our Dad some sarsaparilla and 2 birch beers....and we shared a bottle of birch beer between the four of us before we left. Simone saw the giant red tomatoes and made me buy some! She loves them. I think she would have taken a bite right there if I hadn't stopped her.

This is my new FAVORITE picture.

You get to see it in black and white.

If you come over to my house...you will see it on my wall VERY SOON!

I LOVE IT!!!! Look at her little face and hands. Darling!

Peach picnic.

Bliss!

A good trip

I LOVE this picture. You should have heard me after I took it! I was super excited. =)

We went to Utah for my brother's wedding. It was so so great to see him so happy! I got to photograph the wedding! I always tell people (that ask) that I only do weddings if you are related to me. =) I have a lot of nieces and nephews...so I may be very busy in years to come!



I downloaded 1700 (not including the wedding photographs) images from my trip, and I have a few regular clients to take care of too. I am so busy but trying to enjoy the last weeks of summer with my children.

We are going to a U pick farm right now. I haven't been this year! I plan to soak up some sun, pull my kids in a wagon, and pick some yummy fruit today.

Twelve years

Happy Anniversary to us!

Hamburger Hamlet....you really need to bring the Thai Burger back. We loved it, and miss it.

We shared a big bowl of the best lobster bisque.

Then Lincoln pulled out a little box.

The "Jared colors" are really similar to the "Godiva colors"...I thought it was chocolate. =)

OH GEEZ! I didn't get him anything. (I have a surprise for him in Utah though.)

It was a Pandora bracelet. I absolutely love it. He picked out 14 charms, but left me some room to add on.

beads to represent each of our children
one to represent him, and one for me
i love you bead with a gold heart
red glass bead with hearts
a clover
a pineapple
a wedding bell
and four other pretty beads

I love it. He is one amazing man. I am glad he is mine! We had a good night together. We talked and laughed, and a lot of the stress we've been having just melted away.


I had a plan.

It was spoiled, because the temple was closed. I decided we would still go and just take a few pictures of us. It was just about dark when we got there.








He was ready to go, but I made him take more pictures under street lights or lights used illuminate the pathway. I could have kept going, but he pulled me to the truck. =)

Happy Anniversary Sweetie! We may just be the two luckiest people on earth.

The Princess and The Pauper

Starring roles to be played by
none other than:

Natalia Tidwell

There was a girl that was the perfect balance of tom-boy and girly-girl.



She loves bows, braids, and curlers.
She fights me everyday when I suggest brushing her hair.

She loves things that smell good, and I let HER pick out my new perfumes.
She literally rolled down a dirt pile today.

She loves to have her toe nails painted.
She bites her fingernails to nothing.


She is a lovely dancer.
She can hold her own in a sword duel with her brother.

She eats cupcakes with me every time we go to Baltimore. Her favorite is always chocolate.
She ate sardines in mustard with her Dad on our camping trip.
(TRAITOR TALIA! Traitor!)

She loves to play dolls and kitchen with Simone.
She joins Wyatt in a xbox game when ever she gets the chance.


She loves shoes. Pretty shoes. She would own 100 pairs if I let her!
She wore those same pretty shoes of hers INTO the same dirt pile mentioned above.

Well balanced. That is what I'll call her....of beautiful....or naughty....whichever comes out first. =)



**



My maid came today.
While she was here cleaning, a man came and dumped a load of dirt in my driveway.
Why oh why did I have my maid come today?

We are moving that giant dirt pile shovel by shovel.
Scoop by scoop.....
to the front flowerbed, and the back yard.
Everyone helped.
I have never seen my children so dirty-
or so happy!
Dirt was tracked into the house everywhere.
Hands were washed, and brown smears left on the sink.
Dirt tracked in the clean hallway and kitchen floors.
Dirty shoes scattered everywhere!
Filthy clothes upstairs and down.
Smudgy smiling faces piled into tubs and showers.
Clean babies wrapped in clean towels.
Jammies and a short movie, while I braided Talia's hair.
A night time snack of pretzels, bananas, and peanut butter for dipping.
Teeth brushed with having to be told!
Tucked in bed.
Prayers.
Nose to nose stories.
Not told by me- but by Simone. She has a lot to say, she just needs an interpreter.
Luckily...I am the interpreter.
A few more kisses, and mussing of small boy's long hair.
Then I went down stairs and swept and swept.
I smiled.



We got 1/3 of the pile moved.




We'll get to do this again.

I just posted this as my fb status.

My heart is still pounding. After I updated my status about the power I went to sleep, Lincoln went out to a movie and I complained about it. I told him that when the power came back on that I would have to wake back up and turn off all the lights in the house. I FORGOT ABOUT THE STOVE! I woke up to an awful burning smell just now. I was boiling some fresh corn I had picked up from a farm stand today, when the power went out. I thought about the oven turning back on, (I was roasting tomatoes and zucchini with fresh basil and mozzarella at the same time) but not the stove top.

When the stove come back on it boiled the remaining water in the pot dry, and when I found it -the pot was black, smoking, and popping. I am so thankful that the horrible smell woke me up!

I had complained about the house getting hot - with no power the AC was off.

--- I won't complain about a hot house, as long as I still have one! That was a close one!