Miso

This is the kind of lighting I wish I got with all my photos. I wish that I was good enough to achieve this, like, right now. But here is one photo that proves that I CAN do it. At least someday. There are other photos too but this one is probably my favorite. Here's hoping there will be more mastering of light for this little blond photographer.

And, yes, I still love my cat the same as I always did, even though I have a baby now. ;)

June Bug

 Playing peek-a-boo already...?

My napping buddies- cute baby and pretzel cat

I know right?! I totally got a big smile out of her!

mommy lounge chair (and punching bag...?)

Crab rump! I think this is my favorite outfit of hers

One Year Celebration

Well. We finally made it to a year. After a year of doing things that people should really do over the course of five years. Which makes me kind of nervous/excited for year two. What can we cram into these next 365 days? Oh yeah. Grad school, grad school, grad school. Work, work, work. Baby, baby, baby. Survive, survive, survive. Be grateful, be grateful, be grateful. Are you sick of my three-in-one sentences? Okay, okay, okay. Moving on.

You know what you really came here for. PICTURES. ;)

So for our one year anniversary we went to Lagoon for a day and stayed the night in Salt Lake City. How did we go to Lagoon with a month old baby? Well, here's the thing- we didn't. Now call us crazy but we left her with family and went off together. Does this make us bad new parents? I'm not sure yet.... but I read somewhere that to be good parents comes from having a good marriage. SO with that justification, off we went. And just so you know, everything went great for the babysitters! June was happy as a plumb and everyone that watched her loved it. It was a lot of milk for me to pump before hand (too much information? Too bad...) but it was worth it. (and yes, we missed her.)

So, now that that disclosure is out there, let me continue.

So. Lagoon. We got there around when it opened, rode the rides we wanted without having to wait very long in any lines, walked around, ate dippin dots (my favorite) and then left around 4:00. It was fun to just relax and go on rides or not- it was whatever we felt like. And we were tired so we didn't care what happened much as long as we were there and together.

Ferris Wheel kiss, of course

hahaha this photo makes me laugh a lot

 

We also found this cool window there. Because Lagoon is random. What amusement park has goats and tigers, a water park, rides, and a small church history tour?

 (almost looks like it says "have flan" not "fun" well, either way.)

Thanks Lagoon. We did. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we went and checked into our hotel at the Radisson. It was pretty rad  because we were on the 12th floor! Great view of the city and temple square.

And we had one of those groupon things and so it included cider and chocolates. Which was also rad.

For dinner we went and got our favorite food- Sushi. Only we found a restaurant that was made in an old church with stained glass windows and everything. This was poetic because on that same evening last year we were having our wedding dinner the night before the wedding at a restaurant in an old church with stained glass windows and everything. Perfect? Incredibly.

 

And we took some ridiculous photos with their fish tank. Could I look anymore awkward? Like a lanky hunch back yellow fish. haha

And then. Sunday morning, the morning of our one year, we woke up and had breakfast at the buffet in the hotel restaurant- which was also poetic seeing as we had a breakfast buffet at our wedding reception. (I'm We're incredibly nostalgic)

And then we went back and did something special. I'll let you in on something a little personal. The night before we got married we gave each other wedding gifts. For me Buck gave me two different fancy notebooks. He said that one was mine and the other was his. Then he told me that these were special notebooks and that we each had one to write about the other person as we desired- to write about what we loved about the other or what made them special or about the silly things they did. (and this was the perfect gift for me because I love writing and journaling and I love Buck! Plus he knows me and knows how much I value finding the good in each other and getting to know one another as much as possible.) And anyway, we decided that we would read them to each other each year on our anniversary. So that's what we did. I loved reading to him about how amazing he is. And as I read what he wrote about me I felt like I wanted to be the girl he was describing. I felt jealous of her and that she was so loved. It was crazy to remember that that girl was me. I simply do not deserve him.

On the way home I read him my journal from the wedding day and we reminisced about how perfect it was.

And then we spent to actual anniversary day at home with our little June bug, as a family.

And to end it all, we slow danced to our wedding song, Moonlight Serenade, in our living room lit by our dim amber-glowing lamp.

It really has been the best year of my life because it's been filled with all of my favorite days. :)

AND

One last thing for those of you actually reading this- THIS is what Buck got me for my gift!

It's a swing to go on our giant tree in the backyard! Isn't it lovely?

Okay. That's all. :)

The Weeping Willow

 

 

The sky around her was yellow as she wept, crying her branches down to the earth. Through her curtain of sorrow, thick as it was, a lean trunk stood crooked but firm. And while it grew towards the sky her tears weighed heavy on the earth, though alive and green- she never knew. She wore her sadness as a gown. One layered and thick and weepy gown.

Next to her stood tall trees, aiming high and their branches up right. They did not droop. They did not cry. They were open and free and exposed.

And so the willow wept.

She never could see the beauty she was. She never knew that it was elegant to cry. To sob and to feel.

And the willow grew old.

Still unaware.

That the tragedy was not found in her tears.

But in the curtain that blocked her view.

{I wrote this and THEN found this painting. It is perfect for this.}

{painting: Weeping Willow- Claude Monet}

One Year

 On this very day last year I got married to the love of my life. To me that's something worth celebrating. What's more is that I have many more years left to celebrate- forever even. Really, what more could I ask for? It's been the best year of my life- thanks to the best decision I've ever made. Thanks to the most amazing man I know. And thanks to the marriage covenant we made with God that binds us together forever. The concept of forever used to scare me but now I simply find peace and comfort in this promise. So here's to the first year! It really has been amazing!

Soon I'll tell you about our amazing weekend of celebration!

1st Attempt

We did it. We tried to take good photos of June. And, well, it was a struggle. Not that she isn't the most beautiful baby ever but that she is also the most squirmy. Or at least she was yesterday. Squirm squirm squirm. So these photos represent the struggle beautifully. And besides, this is only the beginning of her life in photos. Just you wait June, just you wait.

(and I post many photos liberally for the grandparents...)

haha, love this pirate face

more pirate face, haha

I'm obsessed with her cute little, stumpy "big" toes

Brother Ben took this photo for us. June looks so happy...

 Until next time! Here's to more funny faces from June!

Buck's Adventure

Normally we do everything together it seems, but times are changing now with baby June and now I have an adventure to share of Buck's. Some of his co workers decided to hike Mt. Timpanogs in the middle of the night Friday. I stayed home with June of course. Which ended up being just fine with me when Buck came home 13 hours later from a 14 mile hike up a mountain through snow and ice. Yeah. No thanks. I paid my dues when I hiked the Grand Canyon in one day (26 miles? Don't mind if I do.) So anyway, he really enjoyed it and here are some of the cool photos he got.

LOVE this one- see the goats?!

Okay, so I'm jealous of these wild flower fields

While We Sleep

 Buck has been doing some awesome things in his sleep since the baby's been born. Here's my favorite:

I finally put June down to sleep in her bassinet.

She makes a noise.

Squeak!

Buck suddenly sits up on elbow facing June.

He then says to her, 

"Punker."

"What???..." I ask.

"She punks, shes a punk!"

"Go to bed."

pause.

"I'm gonna get the baby!"

He suddenly lunges towards her-

"No!!" I grab him, mortified he will wake her after all my hard work.

"But shes in the bed!" he defends.

"What?!"

"The bed!"

"What bed?"

"THIS bed!" He says to me with wide eyes

hahaha

"Is mommy laughing at me?" He says in his baby voice, talking to the invisible June.

Hahahaha

"She's not in the bed, shes in the bassinet, I just put her there."

"Shes right there!" he points to an empty spot next to him.

"No. She isn't."

Pause

"Nobody's there?" he points.

"Nobody's there."

pause...

"Dang it." 

He turns over to me and lays down

"I need to go to sleep."

"You already are."

 Buck Harrison. He has no need to be awake to have a conversation.

Bear Lake

So after my mom spent a week here helping me, all of my extended family in Logan decided to go to Bear Lake for the weekend. Buck and I decided to make the journey on Saturday with June. I figured that it would help me not feel so insane if I got out of the house and also it would help to see that we would all survive with a new baby. Both things proved to be true. I'm really glad we went, plus we got to see family!

And I got to ride on the jet ski!

First family photo at a lake...

haha we love her silly facial expressions

Nap time with dad. Notice the blood-shot eyes, he needs more sleep

June's first "must we take these photos right now?" photo shoot. Many more to come with this mom!

Then we all got to eat dutch oven dinner and hang out in this magnificent cabin and watch Harry Potter.

And new grandparents took more photos

Movie faces.

Oh! And June got to go to Wyoming and Idaho for the first time. Her travels begin young. I wish we would've been able to stop and take her photo with the state signs, but oh well. It was a great little jaunt this weekend. And now I am back in isolation at home. I wish Buck didn't have to work. Ever. It's so much better when he's around.

And on THAT I end this post. Time for a nap, dare I say.