Abi giving Luvs-

For those who don't know, Abi is not of the cuddly type. So we have tried to put an emphasis on giving luvs to us. Abi learned how to give luvs really good when Dan was gone for me and has been slowly warming up to him. Yesterday, I just happened to turn around as I was working on my project for school and Abi was giving luvs to her bear. It was just too cute! I was so excited to catch it on video.

Sneak Peek

Here are some of the shots that my best friend Brian took for us on Mother's Day. It was such a wonderful gift from my husband to have our photos taken... or at least I like to think of him giving me a gift (I really got nothing from him, but he had just returned from NY the night before and I really planned out the event... LOL so true of life, but I love him anyway). They turned out SO beautiful and I can't wait to print some off and frame them. When Bri posts them on his blog or website I will definitely post the link...
... and just a punch for him, he has great prices, great talent, and is so good to work with... let me know if you are interested!

Mae is for Lovers

So my sweet husband let me indulge us in a concert... but not just any concert. It was Mae. I own everything they have ever come out with and have seen them in concert three times and counting!

One reason that I love Mae is that the crowds during the concerts are not like other concerts I have been to... namely Evanessence, Linkin Park, Ataris... etc. Most of the time everyone just chilled, sat, and listened to the lineup for the night. It was just wonderful!
Here are the bands that played and our opinion of them...
Tokyo- acoustic guitar played by one of the members of Mae. It was awesome and he just floored me with his sound.
Larusso- um struggled... no wonder there wasn't anyone at their merch tables... they seemed to have too immature of sound. I would be surprised if they made it very far in the rock world.
Barcelona- Incredible band! Their sound was a lot like Mae (maybe why I like them) and I can't wait to get myself on iTunes and get there music. One thing that we liked is how simple their band was. Instead of 5 or 6 members, there was only three and it allowed you to hear each instrument. We also liked the drummer and thought he was quite animated.
PersonL- this was a band from Philadelphia that had such a new sound. They seemed to be a mix of classic rock (like something you would play on Guitar Hero), had a titch of swing, and then a mix of punk. They were GREAT performers and got the crowd going too. The lead guitarist danced like the squirrel on caffeine in Over the Hedge. Overall, I wouldn't mind adding some of their songs to my collection. They really shocked the audience because they turned the stage lights out to the crowd and the whole time the lights had stayed on the bands. So it seemed that we all just sat in shock and watched their first song.
Then there was Mae---- *sigh*
I love Mae because I feel that every song they play is for me and me only. They make me feel like no one else is in the room. Kind of my own sweet love affair with the music as it reaches my ears and sends shivers throughout my body. When I hear their music I melt and just release unnecessary stress and tension and fall into the oblivion of those melodic notes. I just wish that there could be just one thing in this world that I could do to help others feel the way I do when they play... like when people see my cake decorating!
I have to say that Mae gives me the same feelings as Twilight does for some others... pathetic analogy, but it may work for some to understand. :)

Thank you sweetheart for taking me!

They have been doing a really great humanitarian effort this year... you can check it out at whatismae.com... and listen to thier new stuff. I love Boomerang and Night/Day

What a night...

You ever had one of these days? How about all at the same time? That would be my past Thursday...

Bad Hair Day

Bad Makeup Day

Screaming Baby with NO Nap Day

Running Late Day

Husband got a ride with another, but still took the car keys to work with him and you have to get to school in that car day...
(Oh AND wishing you had a Lamborghini Day)

Top it all off with a parking ticket on campus day...
AND... last but never least...

The no one understands ... not even myself day...

Kicking off the season...

Badda Bing! Badda Blonde!!!

So I want to start out by showing the major number of photos my mom took while she was here this week. Thank you mom for always being here for us! Especially when you spent your birthday with us (the Cheesecake Factory) You were a lifesaver this week for me and Abi! We sure love you!

The majority of the photos are of Temple Square... it is so beautiful up there right now!



And then there's this... I went from this

To this! Wow... I can't tell you how smokin' hot I feel! Thanks to Brook and Aania

And now we get to go pick up Dan from the airport (he hasn't seen my new do either)! We made it through!!! Thank you to all your support over the course of our adventure alone!

And world peace... :)

My Grandparents were in Utah for my grandpa's heart surgery and they stopped by last Monday. Abi loved them and I think they loved Abi a lot :) I am so grateful that they were coming down this week (not necessarily for the surgery even though it went well). They were sure an answer to my prayers. Through all these hard times and upheavals, I really felt like I needed a priesthood blessing and it just so happened that they were coming to town. I am so grateful for the Lord and his weaving of the right places and the right times and the right people. I am also so lucky to have generations in my family that are worthy priesthood holders. I do realize how lucky and blessed I am. Since the time of the blessing, it hasn't been all perfect, but I have sure been able to handle things with humor and proper perspective.

Look at these chompers!!! They are so cute! And since this photo, they have come in even more! Abi has been changing SO SO SO much! She is learning something new every day and I just love watching it! On Friday she started to point at everything and now points at things and looks at me to have them explained. She has learned stairs while at my girl friends Mary Ann's home, and yesterday learned how to open the cupboards in the kitchen.

Dan is doing well. He is anxious to get home, as well am I. He has been able to visit most of our firneds and just says how much he still feels at home there. I think that has been his saving grace for his long time away from us. Unfortunately the most depressiong news comes last, so if you don't want bad news you can stop reading.... caught you didn't I? Now you will read... well here goes... we had renters in our little farmhouse that we spent over a year rennovating. Dan stopped in yesterday and he says that the house is destoryed beyond recognition. That all the work we put into it, you can't tell it was ever done. Oh how it breaks my heart. If they had any decency to respect other people's property; let alone the fact that that house was a sanctuary. I think I feel so awful about it because I haven't been able to feel at home here in our apartment. It hasn't become my sanctuary yet and so I still deem that little farmhouse my home. I guess that I needed to realize that it may be time to sever my chords to that house and put it in my memory and make somewhere new my home. I know we won't be in this apartment for long and so it is hard to commit to making this feel the way the NY house did (and it takes a lot of time to build a home in the sense I am talking about.). I also realize how grateful I am that I can take the most important things with me and always have memories of what was.

Busy...

This week has been NUTS, but I can happily say that we are still breathing!

I started back at BYU this week! YEAH for school! I am only taking five credits this term; however, I am looking at about 30+ hours of homework a week! Yikes! I am in a Critical Inquiry and Research Methods class and a Landscape Graphics class. They are both going to be great classes (minus the airhead professor for the Research one). I can't wait to post some of my work online... especially for the Landscape Graphics class.

My schedule is pretty hectic and I have to stick with it or else all falls apart for Abi and I. She is still being such a pill about going to sleep at night. My neighbor probably thinks I am awful for all her crying! I can't wait until Dan's home!

Anyway, I must say that my blogging is going to become a little sparse, but that's okay. I will post photos and such when I can.