36 hours of fun.....

Last week we enjoyed a quick visit from mom and Lynn to celebrate the end of tax season for Lynn. They simply hopped in the car and headed to Texas with stops along the way...and we are so happy they did! We had a great time showing them some Texas highlights...just enough to entertain them and yet leave them yearning for more and wanting to come back!

Stanley...of the flat persuasion....

Via our niece Anna's elementary class Flat Stanley came to visit us recently. I'm not going to lie...we really enjoyed showing Stan a good 'ole time in the Hill Country of Texas. Texas state, the river, Aquarena springs, Texas BBQ, the wildflowers....we had a great time. Thanks for the visit little man Stan!

Twinkle toes....

My friend Laura and I are taking some photography lessons and jumped at the chance to help our friend Chow photograph her darling ballet class. We had such a great time. I shot primarily in black and white - here are some of my preliminary favorites.

Remembering Gramps....

While in Boise C's beloved Gramps passed away. We were fortunate to spend a few days with C's family reminiscing and remembering Gramps. It was great to be together with everyone. Again, so thankful for close relationships with family.

Babies and birthdays....

After Vegas I was fortunate to steal away to Boise to attend baby Ty's blessing and Magsy's 3rd birthday all in the same weekend! It was so great to spend time with my fam and to play with the girls and meet little Ty. I feel so blessed to share close relationships with my family and for the opportunities to see them often. Here's my update on Marie's kiddos-
Bronwyn: 4 1/2 and smarter everyday. Clever and such a good little friend.
Magsy: 3 and undeniably adorable. Also the best Hula teacher in all of Boise.
Ty: 6 weeks old and one of the more perfect looking babies anyone has ever seen. Loves to cuddle.

I mean seriously...check them out....so adorable. Of all my titles one of my all-time favorites is "auntie."

Worlds apart: Vegas and Death Valley....

C's annual geography conference was held in Las Vegas this year and we had a great time. We amusingly stayed at Circus Circus for an amazing price and certainly can't complain. C presented his research at the conference (and even won a research award!) and attended a lot of meetings he enjoyed. We also had plenty of time to enjoy the sights/sounds/food/entertainment of Vegas with our good friends from C's program. A definite highlight for us was Cirque de Soleil's show KA. Seriously impressive (the mouth-watering shrimp at "The Pearl" before the show was a huge highlight as well). I loved relaxing and my mini high school reunion with Allison. Good times in Vegas.



After the conference we rented a car and headed to Death Valley. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I can say that it exceeded all my expectations. Death Valley is so diverse and beautiful. I was impressed at how much we could see in just one day, but as the sun set we both wished we could have had more time.

As we drove back to Vegas I was impressed by the stark differences we had experienced in the last few days. My firs thought was about God's creations versus the creations of man. However, I decided from my point of view that wasn't quite accurate. Man is God's greatest creation and our talents and skills come directly from Him. Truth be told whether it be a majestic mountain or beautifully designed sky scraper both are to be admired and enjoyed. I enjoyed the glitz/glam/entertainment/fancy food of Vegas and I loved the beauty/solitude/vastness of Death Valley. I'm grateful for both sides of the coin.