the new, but still fantastic, beautiful South

I've loved this song for...16-ish years...  Anytime I hear it...I mean ANYTIME...I am just filled with a little joy and can't wipe the smile off my face...which is somewhat...odd?...considering the subject matter. 

The group singing in the video is the new Beautiful South...now known as The South and is a different combo of people from when I first heard the song...but it is still fantastic...and this may be blasphemous, but I think I might actually like Alison Wheeler's backing vocals the very best (Sorry Brianna Corrigan...you are wonderful too!) (she is the female on stage).

Give it a listen.  You might love it too.

my two little loves

These are my babies...not in the sense that I birthed them of course...but they are the apples of my eye...they have taught me, among other things, that our capacity, as humans, to love, is truly infinite.  Here are a few of my most recent favorite shots...

contemplating where to dig next

checking out Brookie's car

"I'm awesome, I know"

Brookie & Jonah

Baby Lyla

Daddy's pushups with an added weight
(incidentally he did 30 of them with Jonah on his back for all of them)

a bit skeptical, but oh so adorable!

laughing at Coco...aka auntie Kerri

sleepy "LJ"

"Hi guys.  Lyla Jean here."

Summer joy

my aunties taught me well...

The other night I was leaving a family dinner...one of who knows how many in the last month...I don't say that with any frustration...in fact just the opposite.  I am so grateful for all the time that I've been able to spend with my family this summer.  Whether it is family dinner, watching Lost Horizons, playing at the lake or eating awesome homemade fish tacos...I feel so blessed.  But I digress...as I was leaving family dinner and firming up plans to see my cousin next week in Cedar City I thought about the fact that even now, at age 32 I am excited to hang out with my cousins...who are all at least 5 years younger than me...most of them a lot more than that...but I love it.  Being so much older it is kind of like being an aunt (which I am...and this applies to my niece and nephew as well).  I thought about that and thought about my own aunties.  Especially my mom's two sisters.  Growing up I spent most of my summers in Utah.  And while I was here I spent a LOT of time with both Steph and Jenn.  I always felt like I was the center of their attention...even when they had kids...I always feel so important around them...because I know I am important to them. It makes me feel pretty awesome that they wanted to spend time with me.  And so when it comes to my cousins and my nephew and niece (and any future ones I might have) I hope to always be able to express that same love that I've always felt from all of my aunts.  At age 32 I am happy to say that I know they all love me and really do care so much about me.  I hope that my cousins and nieces and nephews always feel that from me.  So to Steph and Jenn...thank you for being my initial examples...and to the rest of you...thank you for continuing with their example.

Things that brought me joy these last six days...

Saturday-going to IKEA with this here lady...and getting the last two cinnamon rolls and milk.
(also there was a family reunion that wasn't too shabby)

Sunday-THE SUN! Punny, but true!

On Sunday I also enjoyed this...

 ...and this...

Monday-Driving all the way to work with the tunes blasting, sunroof open and the windows down!

Tuesday-

 Provo River

 Timpanogos 

Bridal Veil Falls

Shorts (I wish I had video of Shorts making her way out to this rock...hilarious.  And no, she is actually not posing.  She doesn't even know I took the picture...unless she is reading this...and in that case...SURPRISE!)

Wednesday-dinner at Vinto in Salt Lake with Megan.

seriously...lamb, fire roasted tomato, fetta...wrapped in the most delicious bread ever.  Best. Calzone. Ever.

Thursday-rewatching SYTYCD performances and discussing it/arguing about it with Amber via Facebook.

This quick step was...it was just...I don't even know...just watch...

Here's to another six days of joy!

I spent a day in San Francisco

About two weeks ago I spent the day in San Francisco.  Here are some photos that I shot.

So excited to be in San Francisco!

Golden Gate Bridge

It just occurred to me that these two photos do not prove I was actually in San Francisco...


this is from Erika's car whilst driving on said G.G. bridge...all the while hoping for an earth quake to see if the bridge really is as structurally sound as they say it is...

On the waterfront (sans Marlon Brando) watching the sea lions bask.  It was kind of chilly...although not really...just overcast...they looked so comfortable.  I was very jealous.

Loved the boardwalk.  AND the candy store where I found the BEST cotton candy salt water taffy...that is luckily made at Taffy Town...which happens to be in Salt Lake City!!
Also...this is where Erika went into the men's room because she could not wait in the women's line that was ridiculously long...I didn't wait either...I just didn't have to go.




 Lombard street.  we didn't walk up those steps to the top...mostly because that would have been CAKE compared to walking up the block below...which I can't believe I didn't take a picture of...seriously...steepest hill I think I've walked up...and I thought the Avenues in Salt Lake were rough...

Those feet do not belong to me...nor do they belong to Erika...and yes...they do belong to two different people.

How could I NOT take a picture of this?!  It was so gorgeous!  Even with the seat belt hanging out of the driver's side door... This picture is dedicated to my friends Marlo and Wyett Ihler.


YAY Giants!  This photo is dedicated to my Uncle Dave.


Erika and I are in the car driving over to China town to eat Dim Sum...and as we drove along I saw this couple inside the restaurant...they were holding hands (click on the photo and you'll see better)...I don't know why, but those two holding hands and that fellow laughing...I just really wanted to have the candid shot...I hope they don't mind...

I will eat here the next time I am in San Francisco...
I LOVE GARLIC!!

China Town...I LOVED China town.  I loved the woman laughing at me because of my excitement over finding Hi-Chew for less than a dollar (SO EXPENSIVE IN UTAH)...I loved all the shops and all the people on the streets...I would love to go back again...especially to see my most favorite part of China Town....(see below)

those four ladies sitting down are playing some sort of gambling game...I don't think it was poker...they are playing with pennies...they were very animated and I wished I'd gotten video and a closer shot...but I felt kind of intrusive...especially after the shot of the couple in the restaurant...

There are just cool, random things in San Francisco...more time in that city would definitely be time well spent.



A billboard in the mission district that made me laugh.  I also had the awesome experience of sitting in a very loud bar while watching an old vampire movie from the 70's play on the wall.

I don't have any pictures in Palo Alto...which is where I spent another day.  It is unfortunate because Palo Alto is GORGEOUS.  I would not mind living there at all...AND I ran into my wonderful friend Heather Hammond while attending a singles ward on the Stanford campus (which has it's own mall...the Stanford campus I mean)...such a small wonderful world.