First day.

Hubby started school this week. I have a feeling it's going to be a good year for him. He's to the point in his major where he has friends in all of his classes. He likes his professors. Oh, and he'll finally be able to see the boards and presentation screens during lectures! It's funny how much those glasses help.  I'm glad he finally agreed to get his eyes checked.

We made yummy chicken tacos for dinner on Monday in celebration of the new school year. Here's to a productive, meaningful, and rewarding semester!

PS. If you are still in school, remember to appreciate those days. You'll miss them when they're gone.

(At least you will if you're like me!)

JD went fishing. . .

in the Uintah mountains

 with some friends and family

and caught this:

Have you ever seen such a pretty fish?

Baby at the park.

Of course, on the one day we asked to borrow our neighbors' son for an afternoon at Seven Peaks, the entire kiddie park and lazy river were closed. We were really bummed, but still had such a fun time splashing around in the wave pool and taking him down bigger slides on our laps. He's not ours, but we sure do love him.

It's fun to practice having a baby, without actually having to get up in the middle of the night to feed him or change any really nasty diapers.

Still, what does it mean if we really thought taking a toddler to a water park would be fun? Is that possibly my sub-conscience telling me I want a baby? Food for thought.

Berry Picking.

Picking berries is one of my favorite summertime traditions. My momma used to pick a date and invite cousins or family friends to join us for a berry adventure. She'd pack us all in the car and we'd drive an hour (or two) to big fruit farms where we'd pick baskets of blueberries and sweat our bums off in the hot Texas sun. It was always such a temptation for me to eat those yummy blue balls right off the plant. . . but, it was definitely worth the wait to be able to eat handfuls of delicious blueberries out of my fridge and freezer all year long. I loved going because 1) I love making family memories and 2) I just really love blueberries.

(Also, as a side note: I thought it was "my destiny" to marry the first boy I ever french kissed because he loved eating frozen blueberries as much as I did. . .ha, that was really silly.)

I've told JD all about my family memories and he made up his mind he was going to take me to pick berries too. He researched berry farms in Utah and we found one nearby in Payson. As part of our anniversary weekend, he took me berry picking to keep up the tradition. He's really cute.

Blackberries and raspberries were the berries in season, so that's what we got. We ended up with a milk jug full of blackberries and another about three quarters full of raspberries. The best part was only spending 12 dollars for the whole load! 

JD likes raspberries best.

But, I'm all about the blackberries.

Luckily, we're pretty good at sharing so we get the best of both worlds. And can I just say? There's nothing like fresh berries on homemade waffles with a little whipped cream. If you ask me, it's something like heaven.

Two years.

It was our two year wedding anniversary last Sunday (!!) We both got work off on Saturday because we initially planned on leaving town and staying in a nice hotel and making a whole big trip out of the milestone. However, we opted to be cheap responsible and spend the weekend in. :) We tried the Model A Cafe in Mapleton, had dinner at our favorite Mi Rancherito, went to the Provo Farmers Market for some yummy treats, watched the BYU football team scrimmage, browsed a few thrift stores and shops for the perfect craft room chair, napped, went to our ward picnic with some church friends, saw The Help, taught our little three & four year-olds in Sunday School, ate dinner at home by candlelight, picked raspberries and blackberries at Phelps Berry Farm (more pictures to come...), bought icecream cones, and rented a Red Box.

It turned out to be a really lovely weekend to just relax and be together... which is a dang good thing because now he's gone for four days to have his "man-cation" in the mountains! And, oh man, I miss him something fierce. He's such a source of positive energy and strength to me. He's got this magical power about him that makes me just feel better, even when I'm not necessarily feeling down in the first place. I'm better when we're together. Oh, and he's got such a charming smile and cute face! (which, in my opinion, is about to get even cuter with the addition of glasses...which he will be ordering on Tuesday...after the eye exam that I arranged for him when he gets back from the Uintahs.  Surprise!). But, what I was getting at is this: the last two years have been better than I could've dreamed. JD's a big hunk of handsome and I love him more than anything.

Sweet husband, thanks for being so good to me. Hurry home. I miss you!

Where I Make Things.

After I decided to make this little nook into a crafting space, I realized I had very little room for storage. I decided to utilize my resources by not letting the wall go to waste. I picked up the pegboard and hooks at Home Depot for just under 12 bucks. The variety pack of hooks I bought came with wall spacers and the whole thing was up in a matter of minutes. I love it because it will be really easy to adapt as my needs change and I can put the things I use most out in the open so I can grab and go as I craft. This little space of mine still needs improvements (like a cuter chair and better lighting, for starters), but I love it anyway.

Of course I do. . . it's where I make things :)

It's all about the climb.

Last weekend, we went backpacking (!!) to Lake Mary near Brighton Ski Resort with our friends, Jordan and Sara. It's only a mile up, but sure feels like a heck of a lot longer when you have all you need to "rough it" over night on your back.

On the way up, we found a mountain waterfall (so beautiful!) and a momma moose with her baby (so scary!) The little moose family was just feet off the trail we were hiking, so we had to venture off a bit and find a new route to Lake Mary.

We might've illegally scaled a fence and crossed the dam, ignoring the "no trespassing" signs everywhere. (Not my idea, I assure you). But, man oh man, was the view worth it at the top!

We set up camp in a little cove of trees perfect for our pair of tents. In the morning, we did a day hike to Lake Catherine, a few more miles up the mountain. Jordan and JD braved the cold, buggy waters and got in for a swim. Sara and I sat on a rock and drowned ourselves in bugspray.

I have to admit- it was beyond gorgeous. The mountains were breathtaking. The wildflowers were bright and beautiful. The animals were fascinating. We fed little chipmunks the almonds from our trailmix; we got closer to a moose than I ever imagined I would and were dumbfounded by its gigantic head, ears, and body; we were mesmerized by a bluebird circling our camp. I had to stop a lot of times (especially going up!) because I was winded and needed water, but I also had to stop periodically just to take it all in.

We were all exhausted by day two, but agreed that sometimes it's so nice to just get away for a bit and enjoy the outdoors.

Thank you, lovebug, for introducing me to a world I never knew. Thank you for ignoring the complaints that started before I ever stepped foot on the mountain and reminding me on the way up that it'd be worth it at the top. Oh, and Dad? I was listening to you singing Miley Cyrus in my head all the way up: "There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move, always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side. . .It's the climb. Keep on movin, keep climbin, keep the faith baby. It's all about, it's all about the cliiiimb."

Don't worry. . . we'll go again. Eventually. . .