The Truth About the World's Wackiest Winter...

You guys! This WINTER! I mean, come on.  It has been absolute heaven. 

This is Salt Lake City.  Our winter's usually range in the 0-30 degree range.  Except for this year.  We hit 60 degrees and sunny all through February!  On normal years I say goodbye to the canyons around the start of November and we don't meet again usually until May.  But we have been up and down the mountains regularly for the past two months.  Like I said.  Heaven. 

And I am not talking a little trail at the base of the canyon.  I am talking REAL hikes!

 

 

A friend of mine and I took our little guys up Big Cottonwood a few weeks ago on a trail that would normal require tire chains and snowshoes any other February.  But it was fabulous.  Gorgeous weather, beautiful scenery, very happy children (and moms. Although Jen would kill me if she knew I posted this pic.)

 

 

 

My kids love the snow.  They are half Wyoming Native, so it is only natural that they should. :)

 

 

 

And did I mention the view??  I always say that I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and rightly so.  But this was even better than I imagined.  Our Cottonwood canyons are filled with quaking aspen trees.  In the summer, when the wind blows down the canyon, their leaves rustle together and make a sound that will forever be imbedded in my childhood memories.  But in the winter, they are stark and majestic, and absolutely beautiful.

 

 

I snapped one of Asher at the very end of the trail coming back down.  Trent fell in love with it and ended up mounting it on a canvas for my Valentine's Day present. I feel bad sometimes that he misses all the fun. (Did I mention it was beautiful??)

 

 

So there you have it.  The WACKIEST winter ever.  A part of me is still holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the millions of inches of snow that will show up sometime in June.  But another part of me just wants to forget all about that and take advantage of every gorgeous day these normally gloomy months have to offer us.

 

And the Truth is... that is exactly what I intend to do.  



 







The Truth About a Day At The Beach...

Who says we don't have fabulous beaches in Utah??

The best thing about having a side gig as a photographer's assistant is all of the AMAZING things you get to witness through her perspective!! Artist's have a way of seeing things that normal people can't even imagine. (I should know, having been married to one for the last 5 years and all...)

Working with these two talented ladies on this job was my favorite experience yet. Here is what you get when you combine a crazy high school drill team, two determined photographers, and the Great Salt Lake right at sunset:

Talk about take your breath away!! If you like what you see, contact Jill at Jill Oaks Photography or Jen at Silver Maple Photography because the Truth is... you will not be disappointed!

The Truth About a Bummer Day...

So I obviously am no longer doing the Photo a Day challenge. Too busy, and not as fun as I thought it would be :) You live, you learn.

I got some bummer news this morning that kinda took the wind out of my sails for the rest of the day. Nothing too serious, but enough to get me down and make me question if we are ever really going to get ahead of life.

I sat Asher on my bed and started to fold laundry while wallowing in self pity- completely caught up in my own mind and oblivious to anything else going on around me. I was absorbed in feeling sorry for myself, and allowed some serious feelings of ingratitude take over my thoughts. Then I glanced up and saw this:

I am totally going to risk sounding really cheesy , but nothing keeps me grounded like this little guy. I am ashamed to ever doubt or feel sorry for myself when my day is constantly filled with priceless moments like these. This kid has been my lifeline on so many occasions, and the Truth is... I am not sure how I will ever be able to return the favor.

Day 7: The Truth About BABIES...

Tonight my sisters and I all went to see BABIES to celebrate mother's day with one another. It is an independent type film that follows four babies from birth to toddler-hood from Africa, Mongolia, Tokyo, and San Fransisco. Of course it was both darling and hilarious, and of course it made me want to come home and squeeze and kiss my own little guy.



Being a mom totally rocks, and I can hardly believe how fast the time seem to fly by. Only 10 months ago, I was snuggling this little guy in my arms. Nowadays, I usually have to endure a temper-tantrum or a hair pull before I get the snuggle, but the Truth is... it's still worth it. :)

Day 6: The Truth About Great Grandparents...

First off... I totally skipped Day 5. Trent had the day off and we packed a ton of fun things into one tiny day. I got home exhausted and ready for bed, in no mood to type away at a glaring computer screen. Sorry.
That just means I get to do 2 pictures today to make up for the missing one yesterday. Today was the perfect day for that anyway Trent's Mother's parents were in town from Idaho and Asher was able to meet his Great Grandma and Grandpa for the the first time. It was a very exciting and long awaited introduction.





The Truth is... we don't get see these two nearly as much as we wish. But with our future looking so bright these days I think that will be able to change very soon.

Day 4: The Truth About The Favorite Toy of The Week...

Kristy got this toy for Asher last Christmas, but he wasn't quite ready for it until just recently. I got it out for him today and it was like Christmas morning all over again. As you can see from his face, Ash took play-time very seriously with this delightful new addition to his toy collection. His favorite thing to do was to kick it over and over again until his feet got all tangled and stuck in the swirly wire thingys. He would fake cry at me until I set his little tootsies free, and then begin again.



I definitely need to give Kristy mad props for this one because the Truth is... I would have never stopped and picked something like this out for my little guy. He absolutely loves it, and I am always up for Asher distractions to help me get through the day.

Day 3: The Truth About The Housewife's WinCo Blog...

In the grand tradition of homemakers everywhere, I felt I was long over due for my introduction and documentation of a first-time trip to WinCo. Every good housewife with a blog knows the importance of the try and buy ritual when a new deal shack comes to town, and the imperative blog post on the outing's success and words of warning that must immediately follow. I have heard every story in the book about this place- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I decided it was high time I saw it for myself, so I packed up Asher and headed out to this fairy tale destination, not exactly knowing what to expect.
Dang.
That place was NUTS! There was a line out of the entrance for customer's just waiting for a shopping cart. Once inside, we were herded like cattle through the the endless colorful mazes of mac 'n cheese and fruit snacks. You could barely see past a few feet in front of you, only to hit another wall of eager shoppers. Patrons young and old, from all walks of life, all grasping and grabbing, trying desperately not to run one another over with overflowing shopping carts.

I LOVED every minute of it!!!

Most of you are familiar with my obsession for finding and snagging deals. This was just another day in paradise for me. I won't lie, is steered clear of their meat and dairy, but I walked away spending a little over $60 with a good week's worth of provisions- sans the untrustworthy perishables. The only question I asked at the end of it all was, "Why do you always end up with an entire shelf of crap and goodies after a day of deal hunting??"



But seriously, I will absolutely be going back. Maybe not in the middle of the afternoon on Monday (and I refused to go any where near the place on Saturday) but late at night after the baby is in bed and I can sneak out alone and spend some quality time with those beautiful shelves and isles. In fact the Truth is... I would LOVE a grown-up shopping buddy next time to revel in the splendor of it all if anyone is interested!