happy birthday love

This last weekend we celebrated Ryan's 27th birthday! Unfortunately now he keeps reminding me that a 27 year old should not be childless and if we wait any longer to have kids he'll be too old. (No this does not mean you should leave a comment about why I need to start trying to get pregnant...Abbie that goes for you especially.) This year all Ryan wanted was a boat, a truck and a new mountain bike. Wow. Maybe a baby would have been an easier present. After much thought, or not much thought since I knew the other 2 weren't happening, I decided to surprise him with a mountain bike. I was glad I did when I found him riding around the parking lot by himself as the sun was going down that evening. He was like an excited little kid. I felt like yelling to him "5 more minutes, honey, and then you need to come in". It was a really great day and we were blessed with really great weather. We had a picnic and cake with our friends out by the pool. Its really nice to have such great friends out here with us this summer. They feel like our family away from home. We love you guys and thanks for celebrating with us!!

Ryan, you never stop amazing me. Your love and excitement for life is admirable. I learn so much from you everyday. I love you. Happy birthday.

new york.

Thank goodness for girls trips! Last Monday we decided to drive down to NYC for a little shopping day (ps Only 2 hours away! Who's coming to visit now?!). We seriously shopped our hearts out on Canal Street and had a complete New York City experience. We watched undercover cops arrest knock off purse dealers, smelt probably the worst kinds of stinky Asian food I've ever come across, watched Jamie step in nast pee water and a mini squid in her flip flops, ran through the pouring rain (and I mean RAIN), fell over when the Subway started moving, watched the 'Naked Cowboy' harass Ashley and Caitlyn, and ate at simply the best chocolate restaurant I've ever been to: Max Brenner. (Woot.) Thanks New York!!

Our new purses...shopping trip complete!

simple things

A friend of mine just showed me this awesome video and I had to share it. It took over a year to make and he traveled to over 40 countries. Doesn't this make you want to travel the world and live your life to its fullest!? I LOVED it!! Dancing is universal. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best things.

(love the one from Tongatapu Tonga!)

carnival

I've got to admit that I have seriously been slacking lately. I've been out here since April and I've only gone out to take pictures once. PATHETIC!! I can't believe its JUNE already! I have spent way too much time at the pool and not enough time getting stuff done. I've made it a new goal to get off my behind and do some photographing. I've always been interested in mixed lighting so I thought I'd mess around a little with it at a local carnival this past weekend. Here are a couple of shots I liked...

memorial day weekend

This weekend Ryan and I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I thought I was going to drag Ryan around kicking and screaming, but there were actually a few rooms that I had to sit and wait for him. He got really into it. I got to see a lot of familiar art from my last art history class as well as a few favorites of mine. I also got to hit the Cezanne exhibit!!!! It was so amazing!! Not only was the art great enough to hold our attention for over 2 hours, but the stairs outside are those famous stairs Rocky runs up in the movie. They were full of people running up and down them. Ryan kept laughing because before we came here we watched an old episode of Oprah where her and her audience ran up the stairs like Rocky. He's like "Can't you just imagine Oprah and hundreds of other crazy older women screaming and running up this thing?" It's a pretty crazy set of stairs, too. There's even a Rocky statue at the bottom.

Ryan and I at the top of the stairs. GREAT view of the city!

Mondrian

Picasso's 3 Musicians (Ryan and I's fav on the day)DaDa classic "The Fountain"

and Rocky...

Monday the boys got off early and we all went to the park and had pizza. The guys decided to do a little basketball tournament while the ladies cheered them on. Here are some of the great wives that I get to spend my days with (...except where are you Jamie?!).

spooked

I drove past this beautiful old graveyard while I was trying to find my way home last week (I get lost a lot here) and I finally summed up the courage to go check it out by myself and take a few shots. Its covered with trees budding with pink and white flowers and has really old tombstones-so old that the writing on some of them has completely weathered away. It was really cool. After ten minutes of wandering around I started getting really freaked out. I felt like someone was watching me. The longer I was there the more I was noticing scary things like newly covered graves and stuff. Finally my eerie feelings overcame me and I ran back to my car. As soon as I clicked the key into ignition, I started hearing really weird noises. It sounded like someone walking and a door creaking and my heart stopped....and then it finally clicked...my ipod was on shuffle and 'Thriller' came up next randomly. What are the chances!? I just started laughing at myself. I completely freak myself out over the stupidest things.

On the way home I decided to take a detour and I found this really beautiful church right in the middle of a neighborhood. Philly is full of surprises.

la vita e bella

Happy first of May! I hope it's true what they say about April showers bringing May flowers. The past couple days here have been wet and a little chilly. I'm ready for the warm summer sun. I guess I can't complain since apparently Rexburg was hit with snow again (big surprise, right?). Winston is loving the cooler weather, though. He just can't hack it in the heat. Every time we go out he is greeted with the other neighborhood dogs. He's loving it and I'm glad he can play his heart out while the weather is bearable for him (not to mention it knocks him out for the remainder of the day).

Ok, what I'm about to go off on may seem really crazy and silly but I just can't help but write it down. I have so much in my head right now that I might just ramble and feel free to just shrug this off but here it goes...  I have a lot more time on my hands now and its really given me a chance to pause to take in the beauties of life. While Winst and I were walking along the river a couple days ago I was overcome by how truly blessed I am to be a part of this amazing world. I just took in the spring air and stared up at the sky and soaked up EVERYTHING. I am loving my life right now!! I've appreciated so much reading some of your blogs about being blessed as well (Chelsey rocking out and not caring who is watching her and Ashley and those tender mercies that come everyday). Times may get hard but the important thing is that you're happy and that you surround yourself with the people you love. I'm reading, "Beauty in Photography" and there is this part where he quotes Thomas Gray, "many a flower is born to blush unseen, and waste its sweetness on the desert air". It just made me think that I'm still young and I don't ever want to waste me life overlooking these beautiful moments that life throws at us. I don't want to miss one of those simple tender times that we are blessed with. Life is beautiful!

(photo taken 8/20/2006 Glasgow, Scotland. f5.2 1/500sec)