Stained....

My friend Anne told me about this awesome raspberry farm where you pick your own. So we headed out there to get some berries to make jam with. It was such a neat place and it didn't hurt that we went on one the most beautiful days ever. They give you your own basket and assign you to your own field, and you can pick and eat as much as you like. By the time we left the place we had plenty of stained hands, faces, and clothes. That's a sign of a good time if you ask me.


Tessa loved the berries, it took me a long time to fill one of the green baskets.


Porter is looking so much older to me, where did my baby go?


Porter is so sweet to Tessa, he spent most of his time walking her around, yes she is now 15 months and not walking.


Andrea and Tessa.


Ellie, Cambria, and Carlee.


Carlee on the raspberry throne.


Of course Andy would do this with the gourds. Love him for this reason right here.

Whad' up with dat???

I am behind on blogging, which is so not like me...whad up with dat??? We have had a ton of fun with our friends from AZ, here are photos from our time with them.


Andin, Carlee, Porter, and Cambrin watching cartoons.


Andy paddling back out after catching a wave.


We had the Young Women activity at my house so that everyone could see Andrea. We made cute little rosettes, find the tutorial here and here.


I got to do Cambria's hair almost everyday and we had a little too much fun sometimes.


Miller's apple farm, on the tractor ride out to the orachard.








Devin wrapped all of the kids in the blanket and would carry them around to keep them warm.

My favorite AZ family, I love you guys and want to say thank you for drving all the way here to see us. We had a super fun time and miss you like crazy.

In heaven....

We have been in heaven for the past few days since our friends drove all the way from Arizona to see us. We have been staying up late every night talking and laughing at this, having a grand time. Andy is extra excited because he has a few days off and today he got to go surfing with Devin. Devin rocks at surfing and is so entertaining to watch. I was super proud of Andy to see him get up on the board, one of the best traits Andy has is his desire to try everything and anything that has to do with being outdoors.




(photo courtesy of andiland photography)

Four years flew by....

My life changed four years ago today in the most amazing way. Carlee was born in Maine, one of the most beautiful states in the country, it is a day I will never forget. I am so lucky to be her mom and to be blessed with her smile and hugs everyday.

Happy Birthday Car Car!!

A note on these pictures. I had one of those moments that will forever be imprinted in my mind. I always have a little bit of a hard time photographing Carlee, she just has an awkward smile, and when it comes to pictures, she never shows her true smile. I took these in Kirtland when we were there with my in-laws, and as Matthew and KayLee were talking with the missionaries, Carlee and I were playing. She was laughing so hard I wanted to capture it, so I was literally chasing her with the camera, and it worked. I got one of Carlee's truest smiles.

The start of a new decade....

Happy Birthday today to my best friend ever in the whole world. I love you so much Andy. You are the most amazing husband and father. Thank you for all you do to make our family what it is.



(Thank you KayLee for taking such a great shot)

Pink, Pink, Pink......

Friday night we celebrated Carlee turning four with a Pinkalicious party. It was so easy to decorate for, I just had to have everything be the color pink. We had these adorable pink pom-poms (my friend Andrea loves them), and of course for the cake I made a giant cupcake just like the one in the book. I love birthday's and tend to go a little crazy, but it is only one day a year that is all about them, (actually everyday of my life is all about them), but a birthday is extra special. We had a ton of fun eating pizza, painting finger nails, reading the book, playing pin the cupcake on Pinkalicious (Car was Pinkalicious), and trying on the pink headbands that KayLee and I made for the girls. We were so lucky to have Grandma KayLee here to help us out and take lots of pictures. Thank you to everyone who came, you helped make it such a special event for Car (although many friends and family were missed).

Porter needed a little time away from all of the girls so he went upstairs with grandma for some marbel run time.




We picked up the Elizabeth American Girl doll while we were in Chicago, so for her birthday Andy and I gave her the cowgirl outfit and grandma gave her the dresser and pajama set. We have changed Elizabeth's clothes so much, which can be a little annoying, but Carlee loves her so much.

This is one of the headbands that we made.

26.2....

Yesterday Andy finished the Akron Marathon!! 3 hours and 33 minutes to be exact. Out of 1421 finishers he placed 175th, not bad.

I cannot believe that the day has come and gone, it has been talked about since the beginning of the year. Andy and his friend Dave have been planning and training for months and months. I am so proud of Andy for making this kind of commitment and sticking to it. And it was extra special that Andy's Mom and Dad could be there to see him do this. It was so exciting to watch Andy and Dave as they ran by and to cheer them on and to see the man that I love doing it so well and kicking bootie. I think Andy's marathon itch is gone, although he will continue with his original love of Adventure racing. Love ya honey, job very well done!!















After the Marathon we all had a little nap and then went out to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Both place were soooooo cool, I definitely loved the vibe at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame more. We had a great day and were so exhausted by the end, so to top it all off we hit Five Guys Burgers for din din. A perfect end to a busy day.