Two Great Photographers

Photographer(s) #1: Kelly and Stacey - We had some close friends take our engagement pictures and even some family pictures on the same day.  It was really kind of them and we really appreciate it.  Not only do they do photography, but they do wedding videos as well.  They were even kind enough to shoot our pictures a second time for us (because of how we looked, not because of how they took the pictures).  We will definitely hire them in the future to take more family and individual pictures.  They did an awesome job.  As great as they are as photographers/videographers, we are even more grateful to call them our friends.  Check out their great skills at Stacey Jewkes Photography.

Photographer #2: Justin Hackworth – We certainly did not want our good friends working on our wedding day.  We wanted them to spend the time with us and be relaxed.  So, Ashley found a great photographer by the name of Justin Hackworth.  He seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  When I wasn’t paying attention, I never noticed him.  When I looked to see if he was around, I thought his camera was going to catch on fire.  He did a great job for us.  I won’t post any of the pictures that he took; I am sure Ashley is going to do a wedding post complete with pictures.  You can view his work, or even order pictures, at Justin Hackworth Photography.

Unscripted and Unplugged

Out-take Pictures Part One

I try to make a habit of writing down most of the funny things the kids say. Often times I will also write down some of the sweet things they say as well. Here are some of the things they have said in the last couple of months:

• The kids were playing in the house in a place I could hear them, but not see them. I heard Trev teasing Ado by saying "I am a princess" (he LOVES to tease). Ado eventually got upset and said, "TREV, I AM THE REAL PRINCESS! I have both grace and beauty!"
• We got talking about wedding stuff just weeks before the wedding. Ado asked Grandma to show her their wedding album. My Mom got it down and showed her the pictures. She was so excited and wanted Trev to see. He wasn't really interested. Ado said, "Trev, you have to see it, Grandma and Grandpa were so young and beautiful!" My parents smiled and Grandma walked over to show Trev the picture. Trev glanced up, and with a bit of surprise and complete innocence, he said, "wow, you guys were young, beautiful, and handsome......and skinny too." All of us, including my parents had a good laugh at that.
• The kids came with me to run an errand. We went into an office building with stairs. The kids seemed somewhat enamoured with the protective plastic covering over the carpeting on the stairs. They kept asking me all about it, and what it was for. I kept wondering if this could really be the first time in their six years that they have seen such a thing. Finally Trev asked, "I mean, who lives here, the Queen or something?"
• I retold the above story to Ashley in front of Trev and Ado. Ashley said, "Trev, I would love to be inside of your head for just one day." Trev sweetly responded, "well guess what, you are in my mind everyday."
• I had every intention of literally taking my wife to the temple. Since I was coming to her house anyway, she wanted to do Ado's hair. When she got done, she turned Ado towards the mirror and asked, "well, what do you think?" Ado responded, "OH Ashley this is how I have always dreamed I would look!"
• A week or two after we were married, we went to Idaho for our nephew's baby blessing. The kids were so excited by our mini vacation. They especially LOVED the hotel. We had told the kids a lot about Cancun, and how they spoke Spanish there. On our way to Idaho, Trev asked, "do they speak English in Idaho?" He also could not quite grasp that we were not leaving the country, just the state. Both kids wanted to know when we had crossed from Utah to Idaho on the way there, and Idaho to Utah on the way back. Trev kept asking if we had left America yet, or if we were back in America yet. We worked really hard with him one time and explained the difference between a state and a country. We asked him if he now understood. He said he did. The very next thing out of his mouth, 20 minutes later was, "are we back in America yet?"

Our cute new nephew

• The first week in our new ward was a fast and testimony meeting. A little girl no older then 9 got up and related her testimony. She told how she was playing in a spot and something told her she needed to move. A few seconds later a large rock feel right where she was playing. When she finished, Trev (who we didn't even think was paying attention) said, "nice story little lady."

The Honeymoon-"Tips not Included"

We went to Cancun, Mexico for our honeymoon. It was a great time. While Ashley is a world traveler, this was my first time out of the United States (not counting Tijuana). We spent Saturday and Sunday night in hotels around Salt Lake. Then, on Monday, we flew out bright and early (at 6AM) to Denver. All of our flights were on United Airlines. The service was great, but the jet was tiny. This thing probably only carried 26 passengers. I swear if this thing were any smaller, it would have propellers instead of jets. In Denver, we didn't even go to a regular gate, we actually had to walk in from outside. Once there, we hopped on a much larger plane and headed to Cancun. We spent the next seven days and nights exploring all over the Cancun area and having the time of our lives. It was gorgeous down there. Here are some things that we saw and did:

In Mexico, they are apparently VERY proud of their tequila. It seemed funny to me, because while I have never drank, I have heard that tequila is like the worst drink ever. That suddenly made sense when they explained that it is made from cactus plants.
On Thursday, March 4th, we went on a day-long tour of the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. It got annoying to pronounce, so I just started referring to it as Itchy Chicken. It even made the pictures more entertaining when we told the kids about our honeymoon. Our tour guide cautioned us to make sure to get back on the right bus at the end of the evening. He explained that if we got on the wrong one, we could very literally end up in Guatemala or Belize. When I looked at our globe at home, I realized just how close we were to both of those countries. We both loved seeing the ruins and would definitely love to spend more time there. We were able to see only about 4 of the 17 miles that are encompassed in Chichen Itza. Sadly, we were only able to spend about 3 or 4 hours there. The rest of our time was spent traveling on the bus, going to a modern Mayan reservation for lunch and shopping, and swimming in a cave full of water that some claim is a fountain of youth. Don't worry, we made sure to swim in it. While we had a great time, we would have loved to spend more time exploring Chichen Itza. If we get the opportunity again, we will probably just rent a car with a GPS and drive ourselves there so that we could have the entire day.
On Friday the 5th, this sweet bus picked us up at our hotel and took us to a cool place called Xcaret (pronounced more like "es-car-et). It was a ton of fun and had a ton of things you could do. You could swim with dolphins or sharks, watch sea turtles (of literally every size) swim around, swim in an hour-long underground river, see wildlife, enjoy a great cultural show at the end of the evening, hang out on the beach or in hammocks, get massages, eat, shop, and much more. It was a lot of fun to spend the entire day there.

Down there, Iguanas seem to have the same population as squirrels do in the United States. They are EVERYWHERE and they are LOUD! The amount of noise they make as they go through forested areas would make you think an alligator was in the trees rather then an Iguana.

Hanging on (barely) to a giant hammock, while posing for a picture that another nice couple offered to take for us.

Just one of the many, many sea turtles swimming around down there.

Just a beautiful place to hang out. Even though it looks incredible, the picture just does not do it justice.

There are two things that I thought were very peculiar down in Cancun. The first one was that the speed limit meant NOTHING!! We would be on a city bus doing double the posted speed limit, pass a cop, and nothing would happen. That says nothing of how fast some of our cab drivers got going. Despite it all, it seems to work. We didn't see one accident while we were down there. It is like organized chaos. I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The second thing, I found slightly more annoying as time went on. EVERYONE down there expects a tip! I have no problem tipping when it is customary to do so. In fact, I consider myself to give tips that are above average. The problem I had was that there were signs everywhere saying "tip not included." It was never, "we appreciate your tips," "tipping is appreciated," "thank you for your tips," or anything like it. It was as if it were written in red ink "TIP NOT INCLUDED!" As if that weren't bad enough, the people then all made a point of telling you that the tip was not included as well. Also, some of the things they expected a tip for were ridiculous. I have no problem tipping for good service and I usually give a decent tip for bad service as well, the part I didn't like was the demanding (and somewhat demeaning) nature of it all. I nearly had a nervous breakdown when the sign above was displayed just before exiting a STORE! Seriously, you expect people to tip you for browsing or purchasing something in your store?!! The only thing that kept me sane, and made me laugh and take a picture instead, was that it was the first sign that said "thanks" on it. Ashley and I still joke about "tips not included" a month later.

The rest of our days and time was spent out on the beach, body boarding, hanging out, sleeping in, shopping the malls and flea markets, and exploring around Cancun. On our way to the airport, I tried to strike up a conversation with our taxi driver. I asked her "habla ingles?" She responded "no, habla espanol?" I responded, "muy, muy poco." It was only after Ashley corrected me by saying "pocito" that I realized I had said "very, very slow" instead of "very very little." We all had a good laugh as I wondered if she thought I talked slow or if she just thought that I am slow. Our honeymoon was great, we loved just being able to be together and to relax. Life continually seems so busy, it was nice to have nine days together to just relax, have fun, and hang out. Did I mention that this was the first real vacation I have taken since before the kids were born? At the beginning of this year, they turned six. I loved hanging out with my best friend on our nine day vacation. We had a great time and hope to make it back there again one day. For now, we are happy to be together and see each other every day. We are slowly settling in and love being together as a family.

Going to the Chapel

In 10 days Kent and I will be married in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity.  I am so excited for the adventure that lays ahead of us.  I realize some of the things I am excited for today may not be things I am excited about in years to come.  I want to remember these things and remember this moment. 

Here are some things I am excited for:

1.  I am excited to spend more time with Kent.  I'm looking forward to seeing him every night and every morning.  I'm excited for the week nights I get to spend with him and not just the weekends.

2.  I am excited to go to church with Kent and the kids.  It will be nice to stop splitting my Sunday's between two different wards. 

3.  I am thrilled to have a place of our own.  Living at home has been a great support for both of us but it's time we had some room of our own.

4.  I'm excited to watch TV with Kent and sew/craft while Kent does homework.

5.  I'm excited to create a home and environment where the spirit can dwell.

6.  I'm excited for date nights and family vacations.

7.  I'm excited to have more children.  Children that look like me and stay with me.  Children I don't have to share.

8.  I'm excited for more sleep!!!  (These 2 and 3 am late nights are bad for my beauty)

9.  I'm excited to cook and eat healthier and go to the gym together.

10.   I'm excited for some Whoopie!  I'm freaking 28 years old.  It's about time!

Happy Valentine's Day

WARNING: This post is filled with all of the sappy, lovesick, stuff that many people find annoying around Valentine's Day. The views expressed DO represent the feelings of my heart and mind, and its managment. If you find such material offensive............then I would go to the most extreme measure and burn my eye balls with acid so that I would not have to read stuff like this. Just an innocent thought for all of you black-hearted people out there. :)

I feel so blessed this Valentine's Day to be two weeks away from marrying my best friend. I am so grateful for Ashley and all that she does. I have never realized before how great life can be when you are in a relationship with your best friend. We have experienced tough things, but we have had an amazing amount of fun times. We have cried some, but have spent far more time laughing. We have worked hard together, yet we have also had great moments of play. In the end, we have passed both the good tests and the bad that great friendship must pass. I feel closer to my sweetheart, and ever more grateful for her. I know that all of the tests, trials, joys, and happiness have only brought us closer. I feel so empowered with Ashley by my side. I truly do feel as though I can conquer the world as long as she is there to support and lift me. I hope and pray that I give back to her at least a small portion of all that she is and does in my life. More importantly, through all of this, I KNOW who Ashley is. It has been said that the more you are around a person, the more imperfections you find within them. I find the opposite to be true with Ashley. The more I am with her, the more we communicate, the more we work through challenges, the more we laugh, the more I realize just how close she is to heaven. I thank a loving Father for sending me someone who could only be considered an Angel among men. I thank Ashley for her love and willingness to marry such an imperfect man, and to stand by my side. I am so very grateful for you Ashley. I love you.

Sneak Peek

One of my all time favorite movies is Funny Girl.  There is a scene in the movie where Barbra Striesand's character Fanny Brice declares she wants to be a "Sadie" referring to her neighbor's daughter Sadie, who is a married lady.  In 19 days I will FINALLY become a Sadie and I can't wait! 

In preparation for the big day, I have realized how important our wedding photos will be as we look back in the years to come.  I am so pleased to have Justin Hackworth as my photographer.  I searched through many websites, magazines, and blogs to find him.  When I found Justin's work I was struck by the emotion in his art.  I felt he captured the feelings inside the faces.  I also felt Justin could take some nice photos without making Kent and I appear cheesy.  (I've seen WAY too many cheesy engagement, bridal, and wedding photos)

A few weeks ago, Justin took some bridal shots of us down in Provo.  I am very happy with the results.

Click here for a little sneak peak!

Will You Be Offended???

If your wedding invitation has a printed address verses a handwritten address?

Etiquette dictates a handwritten envelope is proper.  However, I don't have great handwritting AND I don't have much time. 

Am I being rude?

Happy Birthday

This weekend, the kiddos turned the ripe-old age of six. Kent and I were so excited for them to come early Friday afternoon so we could open presents and celebrate. T-Bone really wanted to have a friend party and Ado really wanted to see the new Tooth Fairy movie. We decided we could make both kids happy by inviting our friend’s Evan, Kenton, and Jeremiah (poor Cadey stayed home sick with mom) to dinner at the new Pirate Island restaurant in Orem followed by the Tooth Fairy movie.

We had a great time and I highly recommend taking little boys to this pirate themed restaurant. They will be in heaven.

I’ve had to sit through a lot of kid movies this past year and sometimes I wonder how I’ve made it through to the end of the movie without hurting myself or those around me. The Tooth Fairy movie is surprisingly on the verge of being enjoyable. It has a good message about believing in the tooth fairy and believing in you. I have to give it to Dwayne Johnson , “The Rock”, who chooses to star in children movies rather than R rated gangbuster, tear-em-to shreds, poor acting, B movies.

Kent and I decided before Christmas we would save our money to get the kids a Wii. Like most boys, T-Bone loves video games and we wanted to have something we could all play together as a family when we have the kids on the weekend. We got Ado a Princess and the Frog game that she absolutely adores.

Friday night after the kids went to bed, Kent and I decided we would play a game or two. Before we started I told Kent we were not to end up Wii junkies, I expected to see him after we marry and playing video games all night was not acceptable, and the Wii is not part of a date night. Then we started playing. I was shocked when it was I who insisted we play just one more game again and again. I’m a little embarrassed to say I didn’t stop playing until 2:00 a.m. when I got a one word text from my mom that said, “HOME!”

This weekend sure was a lot of fun with the kids. I find myself loving them more and more as time goes by. I hope this will be a great year for them.

Giving the Tongue

Today during work, I was driving in Spanish Fork. I was "cruising Main" if you will. I often chew gum. The kid in me cannot seem to stop blowing bubbles with my gum. Today as I was passing a truck, I began to blow a bubble. I had my tongue pushed out with the gum on the tip of it, in the process of making yet another perfect bubble. While doing this, I innocently looked over at the person in the truck next to me. She gave me a nasty look, and I realized that it must have looked like I was sticking my tongue out at her. I sort of felt bad, but I shrugged it off as not being really heinous and laughed to myself. Suddenly the truck was next to me. The 40+ year old woman driving pulled up, stuck her tongue out at me, and then flipped me off!!!! I could not stop laughing. Did this lady really just think that while driving my work vehicle, I was going around like a three year old sticking my tongue out at people? Side note: Maybe that would be a fun thing to do one day, but I digress. If she did think that, was she really that offended by the sight of my tongue?

The more I thought about this, the more I laughed. How hilarious that this lady got so upset. I can envision her going home to her husband and telling him about the monster in the lane next to her in the enormous white van. "He wreaked havoc all over the place, him, AND his tongue!!" I can only imagine her husband trying to contain his laughter as she vehemently expressed her displeasure at our encounter. Maybe she instead went to the police and reported me for a "drive-by tongueing." I imagine that is a serious crime nowadays. She probably expressed how threatened she felt when I brandished all my concealed taste bud weapons. What she may not know is that I have a concealed weapons permit just for my tongue!

I thought it was so funny that she got so upset as to flip me off. I don't personally ever flip anyone off. Number one because I think it is a horrible thing to do. Number two, because if we got in a flip off war, I would win. I have longer fingers then anyone I personally know, case closed. I would hate to make other people feel inferior at the sight of my abnormally large middle finger. It would make me sad to see her have to look down at her dashboard in defeat. She would certainly not get one of those second place trophies for losing in this competition.

In the end, I wonder if she felt a little bit silly when we were once again beside each other and I made an enormous bubblegum bubble come out of my mouth. But, perhaps she felt even more threatened by that. :)

No Monster Truck Shows

One thing I learned early on about Kent is his love of cars and trucks.  In fact, I believe it was our third date when Kent stayed at my house until 4:00 a.m. recounting all his High School accidents, speeding tickets, and racing stories.  I remember he was laughing so hard he had tears streaming down his face.  I fell in love with him a little that night.

Kent worked through High School and after his mission at Jerry Seiner's.  Fortunately for me I now have a man who has changed my brakes, my oil, and fixed my trunk latch.  I love watching Kent in his torn up jeans and old t-shirts working on cars.  Muy Caliente.

I've had to learn to appreciate Kent's love of cars because I couldn't tell you the make and model of more than a handful of cars on the road today.  So on Saturday I received another lesson in vehicles as I went to my first Auto Car show at the Southtown Expo Center.  Kent has only missed two shows since the age of six.

One thing I realized at the auto show was how much T-bone (Kent's son) is like his father when it comes to cars.  Honestly, look that that HUGE smile! 

But I want my boys to know I draw the line at Monster Truck Shows. 

 

Welcome/Our Anniversary

I thought it would be fitting to make our first blog entry on our first anniversary. One year ago today Ashley and I went on a blind date with each other. That single blind date has brought us where we are today. We cannot wait to see where that blind date takes us in the future. I decided to write the following poem about our great blind date. Welcome to our blog.

It all started just one year ago, when we met at the bookstore café
We ended up staying til closing time, because we had so much to say

The night soon ended far quicker, than I felt it should.
Our conversation and hot chocolate, all seemed so very good

A few text messages, a call or two, she might think I’m a geek,
What a surprise when Ashley said, she’d go out again the next week

We talked on the phone, and would then go out, with twins safe in their bed,
Always willing to start our date after 8, I wondered why she hadn’t fled

Then after four months or so, and at least our 20th date,
She finally let me kiss her, and the sparks could no longer abate.

A week or so later, she met my two, so far the best part of me,
Immediately, I realized, what an amazing Mother she would be

So many dates we have had, sometimes with two people or four,
She always shows love to the three of us, this sweet girl I adore.

Time goes by; we have worked and loved, to make it through our first year,
I cannot wait to celebrate more anniversaries, with this girl I hold so dear

So on with the New Year, and all it brings, for our little crew,
Ashley we have something so special and neat, I truly do love you.

Since we’ll share everything else, and we don't want to be a hog,
We would love to welcome all of you, to our nifty greatblinddate blog