oooh Look! Trippy!

I'm writing. Phew. 

My darling Husband is constantly schooling and then going straight from school to work TAKING THE COMPUTER WITH HIM. 

We have one car and one laptop. 

AND when he is home at the same time as me he usually chooses that time to either do homework or look up how to do a certain thing on his xbox game. 

What have YOU been up to? 

I had the craziest month ever. like seriously ever. 

I went to southern utah to see one of my best friends get married without my baby and without my husband. It was awesome and I'm so happy for her! And shame on me I seriously didn't take one picture. I FORGOT my camera at the temple (which is where the wedding occured and NO you can't take pictures inside but you can outside) and then I also forgot it at the reception. BOOOO I'm horrible.

I got home on Sunday. 

Then I unpacked, and then I washed everything and packed again because on thursday that week Porter and I jumped on a plane and flew to California!!

First Drew and I went mini golfing with his family at this ADORABLE mini golf course up here in logan. 

he's so cute.

This is the punk getting his wiggles out RUNNING around the airport with me in close tow.

Friday we Went to Huntington Beach which was so much fun!! check out these awesome pictures I took. yep I'm awesome.

you know you missed my cockiness.

 This is my PaPa

 My hair is horrid.. but oh well.

and this is my broha Jarom

 I'm seriously going to photoshop out that weird part of my hair

 My dad let porter pick something out of the Harley Davidson Store and he REALLY wanted that cat.

you see the reason I went to california with my family and without my husband Is my Grandparents (father's parents) live in orange county as well as my Aunt and 2 cousins. 

That friday was my Grandma and Grandpa's 50th anniversary and my Dad and Aunt threw them a surprise party.

They had NO IDEA we were there and it was so rewarding. 

she cried and the first thing she actually said was "and Sammie came too!"

I can't tell you how much I love those two seriously I HATE that I live so far away from them.

facebook pictures of the party :Here

I hope that works

Porter was exhausted that day because he had only had a 20 minute nap and we were up forever but he was such a trooper!

Saturday I went and saw a friend who was in california at the same time :)

Alex aka aj whom I've mentioned once before

He had never met porter so that was awesome!

Then we went to an Aquarium at Long Beach which was really fun! I got to touch jellyfish, sharks, stingrays and porter and I touched starfish and anemones!

 I loved that he's old enough to get excited by animals!

 Look at that face!

 this makes me smile, doesn't it make you smile?

 you can't see it but there's a zillion little jellyfish in there and he was just pressed up against that glass trying to see everything!

 touching Starfish

 Anemones

Drew and I had this thing after he showed me forest gump a year or so ago. we wanted to know if it was a real company. it totally is. so I took this picture for him.

Friday afternoon porter bonded with my grandpa. it totally warms my heart because I love that man to death. he makes my heart feel like it's growing every time I think of him so it meant a lot that he spent some time with porter even though he's usually feeling so crummy.

 Also.. this is Star. she's basically a horse. but she's called a dog.

Sunday we went to Chilli's and had to leave to go home :(

but I'd missed Drewby lots. 

 This is Jarom, Jake (cousin) and Auntie Kim

 Jane (cute step-mom) Grandpa and Grandma

 

Um. who is that girl? oh. me!

you love me! Don't you!?

This makes me laugh so hard!!! she was driving the book/car into his chest and they were both laughing hysterically! 

Bliss in my opinion  

 

 Look at that face!

He got his own kids meal and ate tons!!! seriously!

 

 we then came home relaxed, and took daddy to school. meanwhile I got this awesome picture of my long haired son. (should I cut it or let it grow out?)

So now you've survived my insanely long blog post. tell me, did you miss me? 

if so feel free to donate a shiny new laptop to the cause. 

Hands

I have a fascination with hands and life.

I love those who have lived longer than me

and I love the way that skin wears with the experience it has come to know.

I know that's weird... I mean put it in simple terms and you'll say 

"you like wrinkles??"

but I do.

I love hands more than the skin on ones face or arms or feet.

Because Hands are the center of who we are.

I once took a picture of my Great Grandmother's hands as she held a glass of wine or apple juice or I don't know... 

Either way I honestly can't find it but

I still consider it to be my favorite picture that I've ever taken 

and I took it when i was.. 12 or 10 or something.

But there is just something about hands. 

Some say eyes are the window to our soul. 

That may be true

But hands are the key to our lives.

The scars, the calluses, the wrinkles, the texture.

Hands are what we use when we hug

when we put our hand on someone's arm to show we care

when we clasp our fingers together to pray

when we entwine them with someone else's to show we care

When we put them on someone's back to guide them

when we offer them out to help someone back up

when we hold our newborn child

when we guide food into our own or someone else's mouth

when we build our home

when we clean it

when we plant a garden or flowers

when we mow the lawn

when we hold them tight to a rope as we swing through the wonderful sky

when we need to pull ourselves up when we fall

I love hands

I look at my baby boy's hands and think 

I'm going to teach you to use your hands to reassure your friends and wife that you're there for them

to hold his own child

to provide for his family

and one day hold my hand as I pass out of this world.

I will teach his hands with my hands for the rest of my life.

My favorite pictures from my wedding..

My grandmother's hands (the daughter of the one I took the picture of) signing her love to us

 

My Maid of Honor Tying up my dress

 My husband Sliding on the symbol that we are now bound forever

 His hands leading me through a turn during our first dance

 Him holding my ring while I have my hand around his waist

 and our hands holding each other. Knowing that we have to keep holding each others' hand to get through the rest of forever together.

and hopefully
One day
My hands will show that I worked hard
I Raised my children
I've been through hardships and survived
and I made it there holding the hand of my sweetheart
This is my Great Grandma a mere 5 months before she passed
some may say her skin is saggy
I say it's tired from living those 98 years
Loving unconditionally
Living Life Happily
Regardless of the hardships
It was there through it all

 and you know if you look past the age
we actually look a little alike :)

Mama's weekend/ Baby CRAWLING??

My mom came up yestrday and stayed until today. It was so much fun not to mention that my grandma brought her up and my step dad picked her up :) 

I love my family and I don't get to see them nearly enough. 

ok he's not full on crawling.. .probably won't be for a while longer. but a few day ago he started doing 

THIS 

on a regular basis

yeah. I mean that's a kind of bad picture of it, he honestly is on his knees and hands rocking back and forth. It's crazy for a 5 1/2 month old. but that's who I got. He won't sit up, but if it has anything to do with moving him to where he wants to go, 

he's all for it. 

and then there's this picture...

Just cause he's so cute even on the days I don't do his hair

and don't fix the red eye.. I'm lazy what can I say

Salt Lake Weekend

For the first time EVER in our marriage I went down to Salt Lake without drew, while drew wasn't doing anything else. See Drew hates (I hate it too but drew basically dies) to be apart if we don't have to be. So unless drew is going on a backpacking trip, I don't go on any trips by myself. This weekend I was going down for a baby shower, so I decided I wanted to stay for sunday to take Port to my old home ward, and then decided since drew worked friday too all day long... I'd just do a whole weekend thing.

It was really really fun, but I really hated being away from my cute husband who was a good sport but still whined the whole time.

ps. when I went to pack I came back to this

FRIDAY-

Port and I headed down and if you time it right, traveling with him is a breeze. I hung out with my mom and step dad, they had to go to a meeting at toby's school, so I hung out with my amazing Grandma Judy

  then we made an impromptu visit to Wasatch Jr. High. See my old english teacher is still there (which is expected because she's still spry) and she's a teacher I got very close to, and happens to also be in my Grandma's ward. She was thrilled to see us and meet little Porter. It was a really good visit and I haven't even seen her since my wedding so it was a really big treat. When I got back I learned that a bunch of ladies from my mom's church/ward were going to dinner together. I talked my mom into going and I really had so much fun! I loved seeing everyone and honestly I love showing off how darn fun my babe is.

after dinner we went home, hung out, talked and then went to bed :)

(might I just say that porter was amazing in a new bed and slept a full 8 hours)

SATURDAY-

I woke up and tried to go see the cute cute girl that lives in the mother-in-law apartment in my mom's basement but she wasn't home  (chels we are going to have to get together next time I'm down if I can catch you when you're not busy.) and then got ready to go to the UofU/TCU football game. Not only was it a game that had a ton of hype because both teams were undefeated, but it was also black out which was awesome. My grandma gets season tickets to the U and I happened to be down when she was taking members of my family. My mom watched Porter while Jarom, Brian, my Grandma and I went. All in all I really should have stayed with port because... it was a seriously depressing game. J came over to my mom's afterwards and hung out which was cool cause he doesn't get to see Porter very often, and it turns out he's pretty darn cute with him.

I headed off to Tracy's Baby shower and had a BLAST! I'm so excited for her and I love her to death! It was at this little place called LA Tart and oh my they have the best drinks :) I'm so going back every time I'm down.

Tracy came over to my mom's for a little while after the shower and just hung out. It was soo good to talk to her and I love love love that we have one of those friendships that no matter how long it's been, we just picked up like it was yesterday. She's such a sweet girl and she's going to be an amazing mom!

SUNDAY-

I went to my old ward to see everyone and got to also see Two of my very favorite People! Daniel and Carrie. I love them both dearly and I miss the crud out of them when I'm gone, so I'm super grateful I got to see them when I came down. 

 

Seriously is he not so cute with a baby? Girls, this boy is single and such a sweetheart :) I know totally hard to believe he's not taken! 

and of course the beautiful carrie :) boys she's single too so if anyone is looking for a date in salt lake, I've got one for you!

After church we were trying to hurry home to see Drew, but we wanted to see Grandpa Jon on our way up so we stopped and saw the fire station. now we took a picture of Porter's first time by a fire engine, but my dad is stationed at the airport so they don't have the traditional red ones that everyone is used to, so we'll have to get one of those later. 

All in all it was an awesome trip, and I was super glad to get back into my drewby's arms :) 

love that man. and the poor guy has to work 50 hours this week. I feel so guilty being able to just enjoy my little guy at home while drew is working so hard to give me that life. 

last picture... can you see what's wrong with it ;)

here's a hint: he really doesn't want me to get near that binky