Rain = Outdoor Shopping

The rain this weekend kept us from working on a few outdoor projects so...we decided to head to Park City for a little retail therapy. For anyone who knows me, I love me some outlet shopping. We always start at the bottom of the outdoor mall by JCrew and then slowly make our way around.

With our beautiful lil addition we have now learned that if we want to make it to even half our favorite stores, we must hustle and choose our stores wisely.

Armed with a bottle and two diapers still didn't afford us a full three hours of shopping.

That being said, I learn a few tricks every time we go. So far:

Tip 1: Be prepared to changed a diaper on the pubic changer or on the front seat of the car. You never know when the family bathroom will be occupied by a mall employee who is trying to change her clothes for a date.

Tip 2: The mall has one rocking chair for nursing mothers. A quick trip in advance to every bathroom may be necessary to locate. In case of a meltdown, it will be worth it.

Tip 3: The Crocs store has a pair of cushy chairs at the front of their store. Low traffic and a husband who is great at acting like he is anxiously looking for a pair of shoes will score you at least a half hour sit. (Should you have made the mistake of not locating the rocking chair)

Tip 4: Always bring your carrier canopy and a blanket. The mall designed the ramped areas (for handicapped and stroller-ed guests ) outside the covered walk ways. Staying dry or in the shade will be nearly impossible.

Tip 5: Purposefully forget your water bottle in the car. By the time to make it to the top of the hill, you will be dying of thirst and will be "forced" to make a trip to the TCBY by Old Navy. SCORE!

Discount shopping, whatever the hassles, is totally worth it. I will share more wisdom as I learn. For now I will leave you with a few shots of us before we left, while we were still dry.

Marriage Is What Brings Us Together Today

Gotta reference a classic where you can, right?
Saturday of our jam-packed Memorial Day weekend included my sister Anne's wedding. The happy couple was married and celebrated their special day at Tuscany Gardens in Roy, Utah. Despite my best efforts to fulfill my bridesmatronly duties and document with photography, the photos in this post have been shanghaied from Michelle Raye's blog, my sister's uber talented photographer. (Her photos are clearly watermarked)
We were lucky enough to have almost everyone there (we missed you Briggs!) and were super excited that our aunt and cute cousins were able to make it down from Montana.
I know I am biased, but isn't my cousin Carson the cutest ever? The couple had an outdoor wedding surrounded by family and friends. As the bishop of my parent's ward was conducting the ceremony I couldn't help but think back to the day that Cole and I were married. So excited, a little nervous and unable to snag a bite of that delicious food we had spent so much time planning.

Like Anne and Lucas' ceremony, we too were told that the most successful marriages were those that included not two but three individuals.

That Christ, at the center of any marriage, is a the rock that will help you pull you through tough times, savor the beautiful ones and overlook those *dang* dress socks your husband never quite manages to get into the dirty clothes bin. OK, so maybe I added that last one on my own. :)

Seriously, though.

We love you guys and are super excited for your new journey together!

Family Fun Night

Days after, I am still basking in the fun we had over this Memorial day weekend. We were able to host family and friends for a wedding, baby blessing and birthday party all packed into just a few days.

The night before Annie's wedding us sisters had a grand plan to take her out on the town for one last night of bachelorhood-like freedom. This ended up being a struggle as we tried to figure out what would be fun for us old fart mommies and Anne's friends (college freshmen). We were also torn about leaving our two bros who were in town for all the festive activities.



Hence, emerged Family Fun Night.



We loaded up the cars and proceeded to Ogden's finest bowling alley and arcade. There was bowling, "dance, dance revolutioning," pizza and lots of laughs.



What a fun night! I love you guys!

Wedding Shower of Firsts

So have I mentioned that my baby sister is getting married? Yep, its true. It is hard to believe that she is really all grown up but we couldn't be more excited for the couple-to-be.

In their honor, we hosted a bridal shower last weekend complete with:


a mini candy station

a tree of well wishes

along with tons of creative gifts to help the couple celebrate their many upcoming "firsts." Here she is opening her first junk drawer. I mean, how can you start your marriage without post its, tape, pens and a box of Trojans? Aren't my sisters-in-law the cutest?

Unfortunately, we were too busy running around organizing food, chatting with old friends and trying to get the fiance video interview to play to get better photos of us sisters enjoying ourselves.


Note to self: Snap more exciting pics once everyone (including Alyssa!) is in town for the wedding next week.

Dear Crew,
You are just a little over two months old and every day you fill my life with more joy than I ever knew was possible. Every coo, smile and clasp of your little fingers hits me to my core. There are moments when I just look at you, lift my hand to my heart, pat twice and say "Pitter Pat." My heart is not quite sure what to do with all this new found love.

I love getting to watch your growing little leg rolls, facial expressions and sounds as you begin to discover your little voice.

I am so excited for everything to come.

Thanks for being my new little bud.

Love,

Mom