Spring Has Sprung
Hello readers. Sorry for the break. I needed some time and space to breathe but I’m back.
The last couple of weeks the sun has finally come out to play. It has been nice to get outside and get Vitamin D. I swear when I walk outside I can feel my soul coming out of hibernation. I never thought I was a spring/summer gal but now I’m realizing that was my depression just pulling me down. The other weekend I was outside with my nieces and nephew and I asked them if we were happy the sun was out. I receive a loud “YES".
As we played on the swings, I took some candid photos. Ruby and Quincy have always loved the camera but this time it was Jett who was loving the spot light. I told him he was a great model and Ruby asked what that meant. I said it means you like getting your picture taken. (Close enough, right?) After that Ruby and Quincy said they wanted to be models too.
As a side note, I have spent some time going through my old blog posts / photography. It was kind of a jump scare. My photography has come such a long way since 2017 when I completed my 365 Challenge and upgraded my camera. I have purchased different sets of presets and finally found a style I like. I have watched countless Youtube Videos and read so many websites just trying to learn as much as possible. Kind of fun to see it is paying off even though in the moment it doesn’t feel like it.
January
We are already halfway through February. How does January seem like yesterday but also a lifetime ago? Flipping through the camera roll I have a few highlights. Jared and spent some time setting our money and house goals for the year. We had a few project ideas that we wanted to tackle. In January we were able to complete the following: adding a shelf in the laundry room, organizing some of our kitchen cabinets, cleaning out the pantry, adding an outlet to the kitchen island, and a quick declutter of our clothes. My list is still a mile long but I’m proud of us and what we were able to accomplish so far.
I had a work from home day at the beginning of the month so I took the opportunity to bake some bread. To say it flopped would be an understatement. I followed my recipe that has worked in the past and this time the bread just didn’t cook like it normally does. The middle was doughy and it was too late by the time I noticed. My break had caved into itself and became unsalvageable. It was hard just throwing out the loaf. I feel like I have had more misses when it comes to cooking and baking. I want to blame it on my oven but I’m pretty sure I’m the problem. ‘insert crying laughing emoji here’
Looking back on the month, I would say one of the biggest highlights was the magic show. Instead of doing gifts for my nieces and nephews, Jared and I do experiences. We had a local magician come and I can safely say the children loved it. Lets be real, even us adults loved it. Leading up to the party I told Jared I was so excited for the live bunny. Mainly because I knew it would blow the socks off the kids. The bunny did not disappoint. I am sure Ruby thought she got to take the bunny home with her. There was also a bird and we have learned that the kids don’t appreciate having a bird on their head.
Middle of January brings our wedding anniversary. It seems so crazy to me that we have only been married for two years when I feel like I have known Jared my entire life. Our anniversary was on MLK Day so I didn’t have to work. (Thankful for bank holidays.) Jared took the day off so we could spend all day together. We did breakfast and then went to the Lazy Boy store. A few days before our anniversary I was telling Jared how I want to get rid of this chair in our living room and get a reclining chair instead. Turns out Jared has wanted a recliner since basically forever. I had no idea this was such a big want for him but once I knew he wanted it, I wanted to make it happen. We actually stopped at three stores that day but the Lazy Boy Store outpaced in comfort by a landslide. We spent almost two hours sitting in every single chair and couch at the store. My phone is now full of pictures of recliners and couches. Within one day, recliners became our entire personality. It took a few weeks but we finally decided on a chair that we both liked. But more on that to come later.
After the shopping, we had dinner at Tucanos. We spent that time talking about our favorite highlights from the year and how we grew as a couple. We also started brainstorming travel plans. The winter always makes me antsy to get somewhere warm and sunny.
Next fun event. If you didn’t know, we live next door to the Olympic Oval. We got a mailer in December advertising skating classes, and I almost threw it away. I flipped it over and the mailer was also a voucher for 6 tickets to the World Cup Speed Skating event that was being held in January. I put it on the fridge just in case we had nothing to do that day. When I mentioned to Jared we had this voucher, we ended up clearing our schedules so we could go. Speed Skating is one of Jared’s favorite Olympic Sports, apparently. But I will say, it was fun. The cameras just don’t do the skaters justice on how fast they are going. We were sitting on the south curve so we got to see them right before they would glide to the finish line. We even witnessed the Men’s Team break the world record. We ended that day by setting up the proposal for Jennie and Jared. Yes, there will be two Jared’s in the family.
*Other pictures included: label maker from Christmas being used, yummy dinner, and new front porch glider. Just need some warmer weather so we can enjoy it.
Christmas
Writing used to come more naturally to me. I had this constant drive to document and share my life. Now, it seems awkward and forced. I need to regrease those gears so that I am up and running again. If I’m being honest with myself, I get anxious when I think about blogging. It stems from my “perfection” mentality. I want this blog to be so many things even though I’m not sure how to get there just yet. I also had dreams of connecting my old website from years past, but I think that may just need to be a dream that dies instead of constantly haunting me. Back to the recap:
November came and went and I’m not sure how time flew by so fast. Not much happened besides Jared having a deviated septum surgery and Thanksgiving. That kept us on our toes for most of November.
For December we were busy shopping, wrapping presents, and trying to squeeze in as much family time as possible. I did have the opportunity to go see the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square Christmas Concert. I have been so lucky to be able to attend the last couple of years.
I have been more intentional about using my camera the last month or so. You’ll see more camera photos instead of phone photos. I also made an early Christmas present purchase and bought a new lens for my camera. The lens I got is one that I have wanted for years and the yearning grew more when I bought my D750. It has only taken 6+ years for me to finally pull the trigger. Lenses are so expensive, and I would always justify not buying one since I only do photography as a hobby (even that is a stretch currently). Jared gave me the confidence to buy this lens and so far very happy with my purchase. I ended up finding a great deal on eBay which was an awesome bonus.
The Christmas Weekend was so much fun. Work was slow so I was able to take the Friday before Christmas off. Jared and I used that time to run all our errands that we had planned for Saturday. This made our Saturday extremely enjoyable. We did a date that morning to Top Golf, Jared made a cheesecake, watched “While You Were Sleeping”, and then we spent that night with my family watching the Utah Bowl Game while eating yummy food. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both laid back as we gathered with our families later in the day. Our Christmas morning was slow as we did our gift exchange and then we made breakfast. Jared did a quick side quest to pick up his friend from the airport. While he was away, I tried baking some cinnamon rolls. Our night ended at my parents house where we got to do our gift exchange. I tried to take photos of everyone opening gifts. Gotta train those littles while their young.
I am sad
My sad thoughts circle my head on this endless loop, and I need to pull them out. Give them a space to be acknowledged and let go. Naturally my sadness has a theme this time of year.
I am sad that so many people have lost loved ones. It seems like every day I am learning of another person that has passed on too soon.
I am sad for the deceased. I am sad for those left behind. I am sad that people have to experience grief.
I am sad because holidays will forever be tainted by that loss. To me, death hits a little harder around Christmas. To have something so agonizing happen during the “most wonderful time of the year” is hard. While everyone is celebrating and happy, your soul is in shambles.
I am sad that life is moving on.
I am sad that my memories are fading.
I am sad that I have lived longer than my brother.
I am sad that it has been five years.
I am just sad and that is okay.
October
I have been pondering blogging all month. I felt like I didn’t have much to say. There hasn’t been any real excitement but I guess that is what happens after you come home from a trip. Daily life feels a little dull.
I always turn to my camera roll when I feel like every day is the same. Some of the highlights are:
I moved offices in September so now I have a view of the mountains instead of the freeway. I have enjoyed watching the leaves change colors and see the clouds move in and out.
Annual drive up Guardsman Pass to enjoy the fall colors. I was mentally preparing myself for all of Utah to be up the canyon but it wasn’t busier than normal which was really nice. We topped off the day by going to Granny’s Drive In and that place was packed. We didn’t anticipate for all of Heber to be at Granny’s but everyone was celebrating the beautiful weather with some ice cream. (We decided we like to visit Granny’s in the winter because they aren’t busy.)
Daily walks during work to help break up the day and enjoy the fall air. I’m glad I captured a picture of the flowers when I did because they are all torn up / cleaned up for winter now.
Observed the solar eclipse via shadows on the shed since I didn’t have the fun glasses.
Jared and I have been making an effort to do date nights each week. Some highlights areLagoon at night, R&R BBQ, and Top Golf. We did get to ride the new Lagoon Ride. It was enjoyable and had some fun surprises but I am a Wicked and Cannibal kind of girl. The last few times at Top Golf I have proved to not be terrible. I guess the three years of practice is finally paying off. Jennie even jokes that I should have golfed in high school/college.
To top off the month we went bowling on Halloween. Jared told me growing up they would bowl instead of going trick or treating. I thought that sounded like a great idea so we did just that. I actually had my best bowling game ever. I scored over 100 which is awesome for me since I typically average 60.
Pictures below feature Groot holding the Switch. Typically when the Switch ends up away from the normal dock it just lays on the chest of drawers. I thought I was a genius for making Groot hold it. I’m sure that seems dumb but it brought me a lot of joy so it deserves a spot on the blog.
Not pictured but I got my camera fixed. I had to take the camera into a Camera Shop and it felt like I left a part of my soul when I dropped it off. I haven’t used it much this year, as in hardly ever, but knowing it wasn’t at my house made me sad. Lucky for me it only took five days to get fixed so now I get to use my camera with the new lens cap. (It’s the Iris, IYKYK). I am going to try and use my camera more since I know that is a great creative outlet for me. I guess that is what this blog is as well. I guess they go hand in hand. The more photos I take, the more blog posts you’ll get.
Alaska - 2023
I got to cross a bucket list item this last month. I went on an Alaskan Cruise. This trip came a few years earlier than I thought it would but I’m happy I got to experience with a lot of my favorite people.
Back in February I got a call from Jennie. She said that my parents were thinking of going on a cruise. This is a big deal. I won’t get into the nitty gritty on why but the gist is my dad has some inner ear issues so he has always sworn off cruises. Jennie said that she was going to go with them and so was Joe and Keshia. I brushed it off saying they would have fun but we’ll have to sit this one out but Jared said “Right on. We’ll be there.” The peer pressure to join the trip snowballed when all my siblings said they were going. We couldn’t be the two people who didn’t go, right?
So the planning commenced. I started making a spreadsheet breaking down costs, cruise lines, ports, and even the weather for the two potential months we were looking at. We finally settled on an itinerary, cruise line, and date. The next step was to book the trip.
Months later and we finally, finally, were on our trip. We flew out to Seattle the night before because anxiety is a thing and I didn’t want a flight delay to ruin/stress out my vacation. The morning before we headed to the port, we walked over to the Space Needle and rode those electric scooters you see on the sidewalks. No one warned us how small the Space Needle was. Anti-Climatic is how I would describe it. But the scooters were a lot of fun! Jared and I even ended up riding the scooters down the port because the uber wouldn’t fit all of us plus our luggage.
Once on board, we did what everyone else did and head to the buffet. That is where we met up with everyone else. After lunch we explored the ship and found some couches on deck 8. We hung out there until our rooms were ready. After we departed from Seattle all the festivities began.
Sunday was our sea day and it was pretty rough. Throughout the day we were experiencing swells up to 34 feet. We tried to distract ourselves with trivia, bingo, comedy, and fresh air. As the day ticked on, more people were taken down with sea sickness. The ones who faired the best were the in-laws, Jennie, and myself. We can all thank Dramamine and ginger pills for their help.
Once we pulled into Sitka on Monday, we were all excited to see land. We arrived later than planned due to the storm we traveled through. This pushed our excursion plans just a bit. Once we bussed into town, we did a little roaming and then headed to our tour. We did the Sitka Scenic Tour which took us to Silver Bay, Fortress of the Bear, the Raptor Center, and Sitka National Historic Park. It was a great way to see all that Sitka has to offer. Joe, Keshia, and kids were on a similar but different tour but we rain into them at all the sites. It was so fun sharing those moments with the kiddos. At Fortress of the Bear my camera decided to malfunction so I couldn’t use it the rest of the trip. I am so sad I wasn’t able to use my camera but I’m glad our phones were still able to document the trip.
Tuesday was our Juneau Stop. Jared and I did a Segway Tour with a small walk through the Tongass National Forest. I am always torn when planning trips because you can do the “tourist trap” activities or try something different but miss out on the “one” thing that a place is known for. For example, we saw the Mendenhall Glacier from afar but didn’t go and see it with all the other tourists. I’m glad we did the Segway Tour because we got to walk the Tongass and learn so much. After our tour we met up with the group and did some shopping. Jared and I decided to head back to the ship because we were hungry and didn’t want to deal with the influx of people that all the cruise ships brought in. Our boat was on the farthest dock so we either had to take a shuttle or walk the 30 minutes back to the boat. We decided to brave the walk. My feet were aching and lucky Jared got to hear all my complaints. Once back on ship we decided to do some hot tubbing to help relax. For dinner we had reservations at the steak house. It was fancy and quite delicious. To end the night Jared and I spent time on our balcony looking at the stars and the lights of the houses as we passed by. This is probably one of my favorite memories because I felt so at peace. It had been a while since I had that feeling.
Wednesday was Hoonah and boy did we love Hoonah. We did Whale Watching and it was perfect. This was the one excursion we did as an entire family. We were aboard a boat named the Tail Chaser. Our Caption was fun and had an iPad to show us pictures of all the fish he has caught and bears he has seen. It was a fun way to learn more about Hoonah. The waters were calm, and the whales were hungry. We estimated that we saw 30+ whales. They were spouting everywhere. We didn’t see any large breaches, but we learned that whales won’t breach when they are feeding as it scares away the fish. There was one point where a few whales popped up about 6 feet away from our boat. They knew we were there, so they were making noises to warn us not to move. The entire experience was surreal. After whale watching we ate at a local restaurant. We felt like Hoonah had given us to much, so we wanted to return the favor. Everyone got salmon tacos except us non-fish lovers. We got tacos and fries. The fries were honestly the best fries, and I’ve had a lot of fries. Jared said the burger was in his top three favorite burgers. So, if you are ever in Hoonah, I recommend the Fisherman’s Daughter. Took the rest of the afternoon pretty slow then visited the kids before bed. They wanted some visitors, and we were their neighbors, so it was an easy choice.
Next stop was Ketchikan. Our wettest stop. It was raining when we pulled in. Our excursion wasn’t until 10:00 and our ship would leave shortly after. That meant if we wanted to see any of the town we would have to go before and then back to the ship for our excursion. Jared humored me and went to town with me. I wanted to see what else the town had to offer. The answer is, not much. We couldn’t have stayed on the ship and been just fine but I wouldn’t have known that if we didn’t try. We ducked into a ship to find shelter, walked down the road a little and then headed right back. For our excursion, we did the Lumberjack Show. This was super fun and we did all the hooting and hollering to cheer on the jacks. We watched them chop wood, use chain saws, climb poles, and naturally log rolling/splashing. Back on the ship Grayson had found a pole he could climb just like the lumberjacks. He quickly became a little star as people noticed him. That night I saw The Jersey Boys with Joe and Keshia. Jared was generous and stayed back to watch the kids.
Friday was basically another sea day. Thankfully we were on the inside passage this time, so the water was smooth and glassy. We watched fruit carving, played mini golf, ping pong, and card games. The afternoon was spent packing up our staterooms and watching out the balcony for potential whale sightings. We were supposed to port at British Columbia at 8:00. Jared and I had decided long ago that we wouldn’t get off the boat in Canda because it was a short stop and later at night. I made him promise me we would do a trip back so that we could enjoy BC in the sunlight. Everyone else had plans to get off so as they were prepping for getting off the ship, Jared and I went to see the performance of Six: The Musical. We had dinner reservations at a BBQ restaurant afterwards. The Canada port ended up getting cancelled because the computer system was down. This means no way of tracking who got off the ship. Everyone else was bummed their Escape Room or Carriage Ride was cancelled. It was definitely a bummer end for them.
What I have learned from this trip is I love Alaska, but I couldn’t live there for the sole reason of I don’t like seafood (cost of living is a short second). I definitely want to go back and see more of the beautiful place.
I loved having my family on this trip. We will be talking about this trip for years to come. No doubt about it.
One Year Married
The other day I was going through the photos on my phone. I was trying to delete some photos to create some storage space for an upcoming trip. During this clean out I came across mine and Jared’s anniversary trip. I had planned a little weekend getaway to Park City to celebrate out one year married. Let recap, shall we.
Our first morning was started with breakfast at Ruth’s Diner up Emigration Canyon. Halfway through our breakfast I realized I forgot the gift cards for our anniversary dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Lucky for me Jared was very cool about having to drive back to our house to pick up the gift cards and then head up to Heber Valley. Our next activity on the list was snowmobiling. It was a first for both Jared and I. Going into snowmobiling I was nervous thinking I wasn’t going to like it and Jared was so excited. By the end, I ended up loving it and Jared not so much. We went through the orientation and got acquainted with the route in which we were going to drive the snowmobile. When we moved locations to pick up the machine, Jared had accidentally walked onto unpacked snow and he ended up with his entire leg swallowed by the snow hole. We both had a good chuckle. I wish I had a photo of him like that.
Jared started out driving and slowly my nerves settled. We were making our way up the mountain and the snow started coming down. About 20 minutes in, Jared and I switched places. Turns out the cold wind on his eyes made it hard for him to see. Plus the poor boy isn’t made to be a heater like me. By the end I was extremely comfortable driving the snowmobile and would definitely go again. Jared said the one time was good for him. I felt bad he didn’t have as much fun as he was expecting, but hey, now we know!
We then made our way to the Midway Ice Castles. I’ve always wanted to go just because it seems like the happening place, but I could never justify driving up to Midway for a 1 hour activity. When I was making the plans for our trip I saw the Castles would still be open so I asked Jared if he would go with me. Lucky for me, he humored me. We went, took a few pictures, and left. Turns out it is only cool if you have kids and if the castles aren’t melting on you.
For dinner we wanted to eat at a mom and pop shop. At least that is what I wanted. So we picked Granny’s Drive In. For us, this was a life changing meal. The food was good but we LOVED the shake. It was the thick above the rim shake. We loved it so much that we made a special trip back to Heber to get another one.
Our Hotel was in Park City so after dinner we made the small trek back north. We stayed at Park City Peaks Hotel. We would recommend. Not that we spent a lot of time there but we loved the underground parking since it was snowing the entire weekend. On our actual anniversary day, we had dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Jared had never heard of the place and I had been wanting to go for YEARS. When I made the reservation I let them know it was our anniversary so they had decorated our table with rose petals and everyone kept wishing us a happy anniversary. We both ordered the filet steak and it was dreamy, melt in your mouth steak. I didn’t know steak could melt in your mouth. At the end of the dinner they gave us a free dessert. We got a peanut butter cheesecake and it was delicious.
The last day of our trip we swam at the Midway Crater. This has been a bucket list item for me for a long time. As I’m recapping the entire weekend it is really hitting me that I just made Jared help me knock some things off my bucket list. But hey, what are husbands for? ANYWAYS, swimming in the crater was so much fun. I struggle with bodies of water and Jared was so patient with me while I acclimated to the situation. He is just great like that. After the hour of swimming we both agreed we would go swimming in the crater again.
Basically we loved spending the entire weekend together trying new places and things. Jared is easily my favorite human so I’m glad he picked me to love forever.
Some pictures might be low quality but they capture high quality time.
Forever and Always
June 24, 2023 was a special day. It was the day that Jared and I said yes to forever. When we got married we only said “I Do” till death but now we are eternal companions. We took how we already viewed each other and made it official.
When we entered the temple we scanned our recommends and then went around the corner, I saw a temple worker that I knew. She was a 4th grade teacher at my elementary school growing up. I didn’t have her as a teacher but Tyler did. She didn’t recognize me at first (why would she) but when I approached her and told her who I was she gave me the biggest hug and it just seemed like a tender mercy to me. A weird but small piece of Tyler was there with me in that moment. After I got dressed into my temple clothes, I was walking through the locker room and I noticed my cousin Kristi was there as a temple worker. I gave her the biggest hug and we both started tearing up. She doesn’t normally work on Saturdays but she was there right in my walkway. I know you might be asking why wasn’t Kristi invited to the sealing but we (more like I) kept the sealing small. It was just our immediate family and grandparents. Large crowds and attention are not really mine and Jared’s thing. I personally would have eloped to the temple but I didn’t want to take that moment away from my family.
During the sealing I tried to keep my tears at bay because I didn’t want to ruin my makeup. It was a beautiful ceremony and I’m glad I got to share it with my best friend.
After the sealing we did some pictures around the temple with Jared’s sister, Michelle. Then off to my parents house to eat dinner and spend time with our families.
Perfect ending to a perfect day.
Core Memory
Since I haven’t blogged in years, we are going to play some catch up. I may not remember all the details but I’ve got some fun photos to help get the story across.
Last October, Joe and Jennie decided they wanted to do a Spartan Race. They are crazy but we appreciate their sacrifice. When Joe first announced he wanted to do the race in Los Angeles (roughly) I invited myself because I knew they would be doing a day or two in Disneyland. No better way to do Disney on a budget that sharing hotel rooms, am I right? My parents also looked at this race as an opportunity for a family vacation since Joseph and Fam, Jennie, Jared, and myself would be in California.
This trip was Jared’s first time to Disneyland. We actually skipped on the race to do an extra day in Disney with just the two of us. We tested out Genie Plus, mobile ordered all the food, and did two parks in one day. We had to get all the “big” rides out of the way so I could help with the littles on the other two days.
Watching the kids faces on the rides was the best. We did some long days and all the kids were troopers. We did World of Color the first night with the kiddos and the only word to describe it is magical.
Besides Disneyland, we did two days at the beach and a day at the San Diego Safari. We saw kangaroos and platypuses. I had some terrible blisters from Disneyland so I actually rented a Jazzy Scooter for the Safari. That was a great decision on my part. The kids thought I was so cool and it was so nice to give my feet a break. Plus it came with a basket and umbrella.
Jared and I are always saying to each other “remember when we went to Disneyland?” and “remember how cute the littles were at Disneyland?”. I still get the warm fuzzy feelings when I think of this family trip.
Loading …. Joe’s Valley
It's that time of year again. Joe's Valley is around the corner and to say I am excited is definitely an understatement. I am ready for a week in the mountains. Most people think one to three nights of camping is the perfect combo. For me, I am more of an at least 6 night kind of girl. I know that sounds crazy but if I am putting effort into setting up home somewhere else, I am not about to take down and pack out after a few nights.
Joe's Valley is not the location but the state of mind. I guess the location helps cause we tried Fake Joe's Valley once when our Joe's Valley was getting a face lift. It was still fun but there is just a special spirit that comes from camping in the North Loop (IYKYK). I think a part of the “special” comes from the history. I personally have been going my entire life but it doesn't stop there. My dad has pretty much gone his entire life. Once again, it doesn't stop there. It is this GIANT family reunion. Of course the family has exploded in size and doesn't quite fit in the space it used to but when I was a kid the entire loop was full of my relatives. I couldn't tell you how I was related, I just know I was. (I now know that it comes from my Great-Great Grandma Jewkes.) I have this distinct memory of taking a walk around the loop and someone stopped me and asked if I was Greg's daughter; they said I looked just like him. That was traumatizing as a 5 year old but not because a stranger was talking to me and somehow knew my family. It was because I thought if I looked like my dad, then that must mean I looked like a boy.
Another reason why Joe's Valley is special is because you cannot recreate the relationships that are built while smelling like campfire for a week. I couldn't even list off all the "you had to be there" moments that come from Joe's Valley. But a few are Joe's Valley Idol, Oh What a Beautiful Morning being sung, Amelia the deer saying hello, Harry Potter Fort, watching shooting stars and space junk fly across the sky, playing Werewolf at night and card games during the day, fishing at Potter's Pond while Rush Limbaugh is speaking to the fish, countless drives on slightly questionable dirt roads, and the list goes on and on.
Two years ago I was lucky enough to invite someone into this special Joe's Valley bubble. And lucky for me he loves it as much as I do. It helps that he is an Idaho boy who loves camping and nature in general. It is safe to say that he gets equally giddy thinking about going to Joe's Valley.
Another reason Joe's Valley has been extra special is because we are introducing the place to my nieces and nephews. I love seeing their faces 24/7 and seeing them experience the magic. They all love fishing, campfire treats, seeing the animals, and riding four wheelers. They all talk about Joe's Valley all year long. I was talking to Ruby at the beginning of summer and we were talking about everything she was going to do now that it was summer. We had named off lots of family activities like going to Lagoon etc. but she said she was most excited for Joe's Valley. She even said "Can we go to Joe's Valley right now?" So it is safe to say we are all ready for a week in the mountains to disconnect from life and reconnect with ourselves and our family.
You can easily count on another Joe’s Valley Post once we get home.
First Post
The first post for a new website is always daunting. (I should know. I have only started 4 other websites. Honestly more, but 4 that I’m willing to stick my name to. ) The crippling anxiety can stop you from starting the website all together. Picking a name, theme, platform etc. It can be a lot of decisions to make for something that might only be enjoyed by a select few.
I have had the urge to start a new blog for awhile now. I’m not sure if I miss having a corner of the internet that is all mine and isn’t ruled by what is currently trending on social media. I’m not sure if I miss writing down my thoughts in a journal type way since I haven’t written in my physical journal in years. It might even be I miss having a purpose for being creative. For whatever reason. I am back. I’m trying out a new platform and honestly, it is already kicking my butt. I guess I’m not as tech savvy and I thought I was. But I paid for three years of this website, yes THREE years because it was cheaper and I’m a sucker for a bargain. So buckle in for a while ride. Do I have a specific niche? Sure don’t. I’m just little ol’ me. I’ve got my husband and camera in tow and we’ll see where this goes.
Peep engagement photos cause our recent photos are all selfies.
Life Update
At the beginning of 2018 I made a goal to blog more this year.
Welp... Here I am, almost half way through 2018 and ZERO blog posts. So obviously I am crushing my goals. *insert an eye roll here*
Every week I write Jennie and tell her all about my week. Sometimes it is filled with excitement and others are just a normal week. Jennie said that even my boring weeks are exciting. I'm not sure how true that is but I am trying to make each week more than just go to work and come home. I have been participating in my YSA ward, which is exciting if you know me. Jennie said she can't keep all my 'friends' straight. It makes me giggle every Monday when she makes me promise I'll be this "cool" when she comes home.
Lets see, what other life updates... I have another nephew and a niece is on the way. This year I have been a little busy with weekend adventures. I have managed to go to St. George for a girls trip, Park City, Bear Lake, and Moab. Also Joe's Valley is right around the corner (insert happy dance here). Besides that I don't know what else to say.
Photo 365 (Week 52)
This is it. This is the end.
I questioned if I would make it. I honestly thought I would have given up by March. This project was a huge mountain. But just like every cliche in the book, "It was worth it." I can tell you right now, if it wasn't for the project, I don't know how much use my camera would have gotten this year.
I learned a bit this year and here is a summary of what I learned. I learned that it is easier to bring your camera along than you think. Sometimes a little inconvenient but worth it. I am slowly learning how to make my editing techniques more consistent. I have learned to utilize different modes on the camera. I knew what they were and how they worked but I had never shot with them. I also purchased photo presets and I am slowly learning how to use them. Hopefully this will help streamline my editing techniques.
2017 was a good year. I know it is cliche to say but I am exciting to see what 2018 brings. I haven't set any photography goals yet but I wanted to give my creativity a break for a couple of days and then I'm going to play with my new DSLR. That's right. I decided to upgrade my camera to a full frame camera and I am SO excited.
I just wanted to say thank you for everyone who followed along this project. It was fun hearing feedback from all my followers. Hopefully my next project will be just as fun!
Here is one last self portrait to end the year!
Photo 365 (Week 51)
This week started out like every other week. All the Christmas Parties have started and the big day was drawing near. I luckily had finished all my Christmas shopping so I could enjoy all the gatherings.
I spent a lot of time this week with my "biggest fan." Also known as my nephew who has learned to say my name. He says my name almost as often as "Mamma and Dadda." It warms an Aunt's heart to hear a nephew yell her name with joy.
I will let you in on a little secret. I bought a new camera this week. I have had my eye on a camera for a while now but I was waiting for the right moment. Well, the right moment came. Currently it is being mailed but I am stalking UPS tracking number. It should be here this week! Ekkk!
Photo 365 (Week 50)
I was lucky enough to go the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. The concert is my favorite Christmas event. The concert is the best way to bring in the Christmas Spirit ♥
Photo 365 (Week 49)
The last couple weeks I have been focusing on the white balance in camera. This is how the sensor reads the light. When you have the correct white balance, the picture looks like the colors you see in real life. For some reason I struggle with white balance. I always have. The internet makes it seem easy, but honestly, this is one of the hardest parts of photography for me. So white balance is what I will be focusing on till the end of the year.
Also, this week I got sick. Normally I can deal with the typical cold that comes with winter but man, this time I was bed-ridden and I felt awful. I actually couldn't remember if I took pictures everyday until I was editing. I lucked out and still took pictures every day.
Photo 365 (Week 48)
We have officially entered the last month of the year and of this project. Twenty-nine more pictures. That is it. Less than a month left.
I spent a lot of time this week being a homebody. It was nice to have no agenda after work. This shot my creativity because there was no change of scenery but that is okay. I still feel like a created a few good images. So I would still call this last week a success.
Photo 365 (Week 47)
'Tis the season of pictures of Christmas lights! So don't mind all the pictures of every Christmas tree I come in contact with. Also, I recently purchased the "DevIne Presets" and I am in love. Of course it is a new learning curve but one that is welcomed.
As we are reaching the end of the year, there is a part of me that is SO excited for this challenge to come to an end. I will be able to say I took a picture for three hundred and sixty-five days without missing a single day. The other half of me will be sad. This project has been a type journal for me. Almost therapeutic. I know I can continue the project, but honestly, I could use a day or two off. *haha*
Photo 365 (Week 46)
Here is something a little different. This week I did 7 pictures in my room. This was nice because I didn't have to take my camera with me everywhere I went. It was hard because there isn't exactly a lot in my room to take pictures of. Isn't that were the "growing" comes from? The hard parts?
This week features self portraits, Christmas leggings, things found in my room, and what my room looks like. Enjoy!
Photo 365 (Week 45)
Life update. I got a promotion at work, I got a calling in my ward, and there are 35 days until I get to talk to Jennie on the phone. So I would say life is pretty good right now.
