Thanksgiving in pictures.

What’s Thanksgiving without “Easy Cheese”?

 

Or olives…

(I ate the ones with green olives, and grossed my dad out, like usual.)

Peyton grossed us out using “other” methods.

Mom’s semi-homemade stuffing..

  

The next set is for those who love to eat the skin..

Grandma would freak out whenever we ate the skin..  “You’re going to die of a heart attack just like your mother!”

Our favorite tradition (second to eating skin) is making gingerbread houses at Grandma and Grandpa Pitcher’s.

Peyton enjoys eating them…

A wedding.

This last weekend turned out to be a busy one..  but SO fun!

I was asked to take pictures of a cousin (in-law) while she got primped and pretty for her wedding day Saturday.  It was so much fun!  Just a bunch of women, sitting around, chatting, and soaking in the joy.

It was such a fun day.

I probably even did something tacky (gasp!), and brought my camera to the ceremony (tacky because they had a photog), but I couldn’t resist…

Tucking away vows for later..  this is what you do when pockets are unavailable.  (Just ask my cell phone or lens cap.)

Some of those bobby pins went in too far..

Memories...

Sorry if Barbara Streisand is stuck in your head now..
After getting some cute pictures for the Christmas card, I sat down to a fun editing/design session.  I got the card all figured out, and enjoyed the luxury of uploading the files to Costco.
I am a Costco card carrier now. :)
Costco and Sam's..  I feel so spoiled!
While uploading the card file, I figured why not upload some individual shots and update the wall in the living room..  it hasn't been that long ago, but Lagoon in July are the photos currently up.  That seems like a lifetime ago.
It was kind of a hard choice when it came to Peyton, but I knew I wanted Ashley's to be the big one. 

As I was taking out the backs to put the new pictures in the frames, I went through the layers of pictures.
Wow.
Lagoon in July doesn't seem that long ago after that trip down memory lane..
What sweet memories!  I am so happy that I have them, but am homesick for them all at the same time...

Merrill's many talents..

Merrill has many talents..
I found a gem of a talent today.
After watching a family eat their ice cream at a local ice cream shop, then watching as the mother gathered the rest of her family together to take a picture, and she was the one taking it, I got to thinking..  well, I got to the thinking after kicking myself in the butt for not getting up fast enough to offer to take it for her, with her in it..
Anyways..
I got to thinking of how many pictures there are of just ME...  heck, even one of me and one or more of my girls..
Not that I am narcissistic or anything, but I would love to have one pic of me (not preggers with Pey, LOVE that one..) that I would LOVE and could use as a cute profile pic, like EVERYWHERE.
So I brought it up with Merrill and he said, "Then let's have a photo shoot!"
How fun..
I did find a few random shots that show my butt from every angle possible and a few of my chestal area..  that's what you get I guess!
Here are just a few (yeah, right..) of my favorites:

He is an awesome photographer, if I do say so myself. ;)
I love the sun flare ones too!
Sorry about the amount..  that is what I get for asking him to help me narrow the selection.

324..

That is the number of pics I am going through!!
Today Merrill's little brother got married, my new camera is too fun!! The day started early and just kept going. The girls were troopers, and totally deserved the dip in the pool after.
We attended the temple last night for his bride to go through for the first time..
It is so nice to go to the temple two days in a row!!
So looking forward to loading a bunch of fun pics...
And catching up on my new class..
And another round of improvements to begin tomorrow..
I could go on and on and on..
Just a few days away from blogging seems like an eternity!!

Some Pics..

Loving the new camera!!

Here's some pics..

Merrill is being a punk.. calling me the paparazzi?

How do you think he'll do when I get my hands on him for some family photos? It has been two years...

Flashback Friday...

It about time I do this again!
A year ago yesterday...
Look how we've changed!!!
Lynn last year...
A year later...
Ashley-Baby then...
...now...
And the newest, least sassy...
Thanks Brookers for the cute pics!!! I have finally updated my sidebar too...
Today was a day... it all began a little after midnight. Ash had started in with a cough yesterday, but when she gets a little cough, it is usually just the tip of the iceberg, it always turns into something bigger. She got me up, she was coughing despite her allergy meds and inhaler. Her throat hurt from all the coughing. I tried propping her up but she was still coughing and so uncomfortable. I took her downstairs with me. Got her something to drink, more puffs of good ol' albuterol, and stuck a kid flick on. I dozed, she watched and coughed. It was somewhere around 4:30 and a few movies later, that I finally put the TV on "a grown up show" to bore her and get her to sleep. Meanwhile, I was trying to sleep, but praying about what to do.
We got Lynn off to school, and ran to get some errands done, then to the Doctor. We saw our favorite InstaCare Doc, Cardon. I was so happy there was no wait, it was him, and he told me that she was at the very beginning of a sinus infection. I was so thankful I took her in today, instead of waiting and letting it fester and cause her more discomfort. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father's love continues to be manifest in answered prayers.
I found some good stuff running those errands... I'll have to post pics when my ONLY camera battery is charged...
But no pink yarn:(... sorry Rachael... I'll keep hunting, with my crochet hook!

Family Pics...

Brookers took some pics of our little family last night in her back yard.. I have only seen the teaser... can't wait to see the rest!!!
You wanna see?

Last night, prayers were interesting to say the least.
Lynn went first. Her prayer was all about her BM.
Some back information, Lynn has had difficulty in the past with BMs. It's not diet, not constipation. She thinks it will hurt, so she holds it in and puts it off. So over time, it does hurt. We haven't had any of those issues to deal with for quite a long time so last night, when she was dancing around, I assumed it was tinkle-time. She went, but the dance went on, and on, and on... I soon discovered the old problem had showed-up for one more appearance. Long story short, I sat in the bathroom with a crying Lynn for over an hour, helping her to work through it. She cried tears of joy in the end!
Then came nighttime prayers... "Heavenly Father, mom helped me to get out that big poop, and it hurt, and I cried, but mom tickled my back and held my hand and hugged me so it wouldn't hurt so bad. And please bless that tomorrow, that big poop will go away..." You can only imagine... I can't remamber all of it, I was trying so hard not to laugh out loud!
Ashley likes to go through lists of "garbage words", just about every day. Not just hints at what the words are, the ACTUAL words. I have to remind her that we shouldn't say them AT ALL. But she likes to let me know that she knows what they are, I guess. I really should be better at not laughing at her, but the way she says "ass" just cracks me up! So last night her prayer was all about not saying "garbage words". She kept with the tame ones, like: stupid, hate, kill, ugly, and poop. But I was really worried that she was going to get worse. Thank heavens her prayer finally ended.
Merrill and I had to contain the giggles during both, and then I had to get into the right frame of mind to say my prayer. (It was my turn last night.)
This morning, we took the other Grandma picture in the fancy dresses. You know, the one I referred to back in October? It went well. Trying to coordinate the 9 year-old, not a big deal, but the 6, 5, 3, almost 2, and almost 1 year-olds, not so easy. Especially when the almost 2 year-old gets a kick out of us being so excited that he is sitting still, that he runs away. So dramatic. The kids looked great, with the exception of Lynn's black eye, which inevitably had to happen three days before the big pic was going to be taken. Brooke, "the pro", awesome as she is, photo-shopped it out, you can't even tell! I thought she was going to have to photo-shop out a goose-ache too. Last night, Ash got so excited that "Elf" was on, again, that she ran to get her bean bag, over ran the bean bag, and ran right into the wall. This morning, luckily, there was nothing there. We just had the black eye to deal with, and two little girls worth of hair to fix beautifully, by 9:30 am. We were late, of course.

Big day in the life of a mom and a three year old!!! Ashley got to go and pick out her "potty toy"... She also got to pick out her own "big girl" panties! We occasionally still have the little accidents, like when she has her tu-tu on and can't get it off in time. You know, the things even Lynn still goes through now. Bot it's a lot better than spending the money on pull-ups, and the pain in the butt it is when you get to change one. All it took was to put her in the real thing and she took to it immediately! (There should be an angelic chorus singing "Ahhhhhhh!")
I also got my "wall" done. I updated the pictures, finally. I've really wanted to. Brooke took pictures of us for Mother's Day, I loved those, but was really excited to have fall pictures done of the whole family, yes, Merrill too. I still don't know what I am going to give him to make up for his hour gone from a Saturday... How am I ever going to talk him into updating them once baby is here? Well, I will have my body back by then (chica chica bow bow)... Anyway, they turned out so good! My wall is BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks BROOKE PITCHER! (Her pictures are in the slide show, you can contact me for her contact info :) She said I better give her some credit!)
I just had to have a little talk with Lynn. Apparently, it is way too hard to stay in bed when you are almost five years old. Even when the punishment is no treats the next day. She thought it was way too strict. So when she got out of bed, and I reminded her of what the punishment was, she said, "Me an Ash are going to go to anew house." I showed her the door. Told her to go. She told Ash to, "Come on." Ashley wasn't moving. She said goodbye. Lynn said, "Maybe I'll leave tomorrow when it's light outside." I told her if she wanted to go find a new house, she'd better go now. She changed her mind, and we had a little talk about rules, consequences, how she is the big sister and example, how much I love her... Do you hear the sappy "Full House" music starting to play...

So I am really hesitant to add anew post. I don't want to cover-up my slide show!!! Brooke took our pictures on Saturday at Beus Park, and aren't they to die for! She gave me the disk of all the pictures (something like close to 400) yesterday, and I couldn't wait to show them off. I am so happy with them that I dang near cry every time I see them! Merrill is a little depressed at how gray he is though...
Yesterday was just an emotional day for me anyways. I read a story in the friend to prepare for today's primary activity, which went well :), and that made me cry. Lynn came to find me, saw me crying, made a funny face and said, "Never mind mom." Then I sobbed as I heard a man sing opera on Oprah, like how often do I watch her? Fluke I thought I'd check it out. It was so touching. He had a dream to sing opera, but felt that he wasn't good enough. As I heard his voice, I thought how sad that was that he was so good, and he still didn't have that confidence in himself! I wasn't the only one sobbing, everyone else in the studio audience was too. Then, I get the pictures, and then I make the slide show... I was just a little too emotional.
But my family sure is gorgeous!