This Year's Christmas Card

Sorry it has been awhile since I've posted. Not too much going on other than getting in the spirit of Christmas. All of the cards are sent, presents bought and wrapped, and now all we have to do is wait for Santa. It truly is the best time of the year.

Merry Christmas everyone.

New post at SmirkWorks!

Happy Kentikah (alternate title: Lordy Lordy Look Who's 40!)

It's that time of year again.  The time when we all come together to celebrate the birth of Kent.  Only this year is a bit different, it's a very big birthday!  In honor of this big day I found a few pictures to look back over the many, MANY, years.

This is the earliest picture I can find of him. 

Look at those big brown eyes!

This picture was taken in Africa when Kent was about 3

Kent in kindergarten

This picture was taken the year I met Kent

On the best day of my life :)

Here he is today, ain't he cute?!

Happy Birthday to my best friend in the whole world!  Here's to 50 more!

Halloween 2010

You can see mine and Rachelle's costume on her blog.  Yep, too lazy to even make up my own blog post.

First Weekend at "The Cabin"

Last Monday, Kent's parent's closed on the cabin.  They were headed up there for the weekend so Kent and I tagged along.  Mary Jean and I went up on Thursday because Kent couldn't get away from work and Ron had a test in his class Friday.  We were going to give the place a good wash down, make beds and organize, organize, organize.  We packed their truck to the very tippy top with all of the things you need to make a house a home. I really should have gotten a picture of how full that truck was.  It was pretty comical.  We had to make several stops on the way up so it took us some time to get there, but when we walked in the door, we found the place had been left completely spotless.  They had even left some things like table cloths and rugs that we didn't expect.  So we got to work making beds and then we started finding places for everything in the kitchen.  We worked really hard that first day, first loading the truck, then unloading and putting things away.  By that night we were exhausted but we were also done!

  We both thought we would be working hard into the next day. So the next morning we hopped into the truck and went exploring. 

We also had to come back and wait for the Dish Network guy to come, but then we went into West Yellowstone and did a little shopping.  Then we headed back to make dinner.  Kent and Ron showed up just as the sun was going down.  Sunsets there are really quite pretty, sort of makes up for the fact that there aren't many trees where their cabin is.

The next morning we headed into Yellowstone.  This is the third time this year Kent and I have been to Yellowstone and every time Kent wants to go to Lone Star geyser but we just couldn't seem to get ourselves there until this trip.  For some reason, we both had it in our heads that it was a mile and a half hike, making it 3 miles round trip.  Turns out its more like 2.5, 3 miles each way.  My feet hurt so bad on the way back and I came home with 2 blisters. (Note to self: don't wear new shoes on a 5 mile hike) But it was worth it, that geyser is so cool! 

There was a group of morons there who actually walked up and touched the geyser going off.  Is it bad that I really wanted them to wound themselves so I could turn it into America's Funniest Home Videos?

The view on the hike

That night Kent and I drove down to the service station and got us a box of movie theater popcorn and came back and watched Mamma Mia with the surround sound on.  Man, that is my idea of roughing it!
It was a lot of fun to go up there and I can't wait to go back.  Thanks to my in-laws for buying a place where the whole family can get together and create memories!

Well This Explains A LOT!

I thought I would share this with everyone I could because it explains why my dishes aren't getting clean anymore. We bought a new dishwasher and I thought we must have bought a lemon or something.  Turns out it's all in the soap!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

My Blog Promise To You....

I will be better at blogging, I promise.  This summer has been really busy and a bit crazy and I just haven't had  made time to blog.  First my computer ran out of disk space and once I got that cleaned off we switched to a new Mac.  I still haven't made the switch completely myself so I don't really have any pictures to share. And what's a blog post without pictures?!  I know, excuses excuses......

This summer we've been to Yellowstone twice and Island Park twice.  We had a family reunion at my sister's house and had a "romantic getaway" at a quirky hotel in Rexburg of all places.  I have pictures of all of these things but they aren't easy to get to at this point. 

The reason we've been to Island Park twice you ask? (if you didn't ask, you meant to)  Kent's parents bought a family cabin there!  We are all so excited to go and stay up there.   Because blog posts are better with pictures, here's a few of the cabin.

If you would like to see the rest go here: Cabin Photos
Also, if anyone is interested in a free photograhy session let me know, I need practice!

Photography Blog

I started a new blog for photography.  Check it out here:
smirkworks.blogspot.com

I haven't been blogging too much because my computer ran out of storage space and I couldn't upload any more pictures.  But my lovely husband fixed my computer so I am back up and running.  Hopefully I will be better about posting.

Flying for the Holiday

To celebrate the 24th of July this year, we asked Ron to fly us to Driggs for dinner.  It was so much fun!  The ride there made us a tiny bit queasy but the restaurant at the airport there was so good we soon forgot we had any stomach problems.  The ride home was the best part.  It was close to sunset and the views were to die for!  Here's a few of the many pictures I took.

Kent getting ready for take off.

Ron and Mary Jean getting ready for take off.

The view over Cache Valley as we were leaving (the plane windows have a blue-green tint to them).

Ron and Mary Jean at the airport in Driggs.  There is a picture like this of Kent and I but it's on my other camera.

The Tetons from the plane window as we left Driggs.

The moon was so close to full and it was right at out eye level, breathtaking!

Another moon shot.

The sun setting under our right wing.

My favorite picture of the night.

It was so much fun I can't wait to do it again.  Thanks again Ron and Mary Jean for taking us!

Reasons (Excuses) Why I Haven't Been Blogging

Here's a look at my last week and maybe you will understand why I haven't been blogging:

Friday: Went to work. Bought tickets to Parade of Homes, stuffed in as many as we could see before 9:00pm.

Saturday: Jon and Jen came to visit, went to Summerfest, went to Cafe Sabor, came home, had banana splits and watched the Nibley Heritage Days fireworks from our deck (we have a rough life right?).

Sunday: Invited my mom and dad over for a Father's Day barbeque then went to the in-laws to visit them for Father's Day

Monday: Went to work. Got in the car to go to more Parade of Homes and realized they don't do it on Monday's, went and bought a slip-n-slide for Kent's mom (Rob's kids are with her this week) and took it out to her house.

Tuesday: Went to work. Then off to the in-laws again to do a bit of gardening.  We had hoped to plant some pumpkins in their garden but it's a bit over run with weeds.  So we got out the rake and the shovel and went to work.  Promised to come back and finish...haven't made it back yet.

Wednesday:  Went to Weight Watchers.  Then drove to Franklin to get lottery tickets (hey, you can't win if you don't play). Took in a couple more parade homes.  Came home to discover a swamp in our yard.  The sprinkler system had broken.

Thursday: Went to work. Took off work early so I could go home and get ready for camping this weekend.  Cleaned the trailer (I put it up myself, impressed? I was!). Kent came home and we began to dig up the sprinkler system.  Found the problem, easy fix! Went to Home Depot, bought a part, came home put it on, and viola! Still leaked..... Need a different part.  Fixed enough so that we can use it though.

So here I am on Friday.  Sprinkler system not fixed, Parade of Homes not finished, pumpkins not planted, and not a thing packed for camping (not sure if we are going to make it). 

Please forgive me for neglecting my blog.

P.S. My roses have bloomed and are gorgeous!

So Much To Do, So Little Time!

I've actually had a few things to blog about but I just can't seem to get/make time to do it!  Kent and I spent a day at The Golden Spike, we went on a weekend trip to Boise (yes, Boise, I know!) and last but certainly not least, my birthday!!! So hopefully soon I will get some pictures posted and you will all be up to date. 

I'm sure you can't wait!

Advanced Photoshoot

Saturday was the photoshoot for my advanced photo class.   It was trying to say the least.  There were just too many cooks in the kitchen.  The teacher roped a few people into being models for us and they were very good sports. I think a few turned out pretty well in spite of it all.

USU Graduation

This post is part graduation, part my homework for photography class.  My niece Megan graduated from USU on Saturday so I got her to let me take some pictures for my class. Although, Megan doesn't really shy away from the camera :) I can't believe she is graduating from college!  It seems like only yesterday she was born.  Sure makes me feel old.

Isn't she beautiful?!

Graduation was short and sweet.  I didn't go to the part where Danny Glover spoke, I only went to watch her get her diploma.

My sister Diane and the graduate.

Look who else I found at graduation!  My good friend Rachelle.

I'm so proud of these two!  Way to go girls!

Random Thoughts

I finished up my last photo class last Thursday but then I signed up for the advanced class.  It starts tomorrow so you will be bored with more of my pictures.

I love the way the lawn looks right after you mow it. I don't love mowing the lawn (it's really good exercise though).

Crystal Bowersox should win American Idol. If she doesn't I'm moving to Costa Rica.

I am in loooooooooooove with these:

And while you are at the store buying those, buy some of these:

They are sort of small but holy crap are they tasty!

Don't burn you knuckle on the rack of the oven, it hurts and you say bad swears.

There's my random thoughts for the day.

Photography Class Week 3

This week I made it to class on time, but I had to charge my camera battery on the way there.  I went to get my camera for class and noticed I had left it on for about 4 days.  Oops.  This week was on composition.  Basically, take a good picture.  A lot of the examples were of people so I enlisted my nephews Austin and Peyton as my models.  They were pretty good sports, sort of.  Thirteen year old boys don't necessarily want their pictures taken.  Here are the three I turned in:

Photography Class Week 2

I was sitting at home, minding my own business, when Kent looked at the clock and exclaimed, "You're going to be late for class!" and he was right!  For some reason I thought I had to leave my house at 7:30 for class.  No, that's what time class starts.  In Smithfield.  So I drove like a banshee to get there and was, of course, 15 minutes late. 

This week's class we learned about setting the ISO speed and the homework was all about motion.  This week's homework is also three pictures.  I have to take a shot at a high shutter speed, freezing a motion.  I have to take another at a low shutter speed, implying motion, and the third is a tricky one, it's a panning shot.  I have to move with the object so the object is still but the background is blurred.  I was totally scared of that one but it was actually the first shot I got.

Panning:

Frozen motion:

Implied Motion:

I had to enlist Kent's help with the last two pictures and he told me he isn't cut out to be a photographers assistant.  I guess I was too demanding.

Photography Class Week 1

My first photography class was actually the same day that Mary Jean and I went to get Milo so it was a race to get there on time.  She went over a lot of basics on the camera that I learned in college and had purged from my mind.  I could not believe how much stuff I had forgotten!  I kept thinking "Oh Yeah!".  The first week we focused mostly on apertature.  So our homework was to take one photo at our lowest aperature (a "Singular Theme" photo), one at the highest aperature (a "Story Telling" photo), and one at a middle aperature (a "Who Cares" photo)  I actually had the hardest time with the "Who Cares" photo.  Apprently I care, too much.  Luckily, the day of class, I was walking out of work and noticed they had turned the fountain on at the pond.  So I walked over there to take pictures of it and a couple of ducks showed up for their photo shoot.  Here's my pictures:

You may recognize my "Singular Theme" photo, he got lots of "awwwwwwws" from the other girls in class.

Here's the "Who Cares" shot of the ducks.

Here's the "Story Telling" it had to be in focus from front to back.

It was sort of a drab day when I took this so it's a little grey.  I was sure to ask her in last weeks class if I could use photoshop and she said "what photographer doesn't?" so I will be utilizing that from here on out.  I already have the homework for that class done and the pictures are waaaaaay better than this but you'll have to wait to see those. 

Puppy Love

Yesterday Mary Jean called me at work and asked if I could make a little trip with her out to Burley to look at a dog.  She thought she could just go out there and take a look, think about it for a bit, but once you see those cute little fur balls you have to bring one home!  After driving through the craziest wind storm ever, we walked away with this little guy. She thinks she has named him Milo but Kent and I think he looks more like a Fritz.  What do you think?

Still Alive and Kicking

I had fully intended to post at least twice in March but that didn't happen.  Here's a little bit of what we have been up to.

A couple of week's ago I went to Salt Lake shopping for the day with my friend Muriel.  When I got home Kent had built himself a fort.  He said it was to keep the sun off of the TV but I think he might have had a snack under there.

I got my new camera out and got a nice picture of the moon.  Next I need to get one of it at night.

We had a birthday/Easter party for the Campbell Family.  I was in charge of bringing the cake.

Afterwards, there was an Easter egg hunt.  Here are all the kids getting instructions from Rob.

How cute are these two?!

My class starts tomorrow.  I'm pretty excited and hopefully it will lead to me blogging more often.