away, away

isn't coming home from vacation the worst?

all the laundry, the messy house, the de-scheduled (yes.. that's a word  )children, the depression because the fun is all over.

 i hate it, and so far have done pretty good at ignoring it all.

but tomorrow is monday, and that day almost always seems to be a nice slap of reality.

poop.

i hate it.

last week wrapped up our favorite get-away. 

jackson hole.

between the chilly weather,

comfy sweats, conference talks, yummy treats, crafts, card games,

read-a thons,  and sister laughing..

well, i  admit to down right missing last week.

jackson's weather is still tuned into my phone and i have a pang of sadness every time i scroll through it.

i'm not ready for the cold here quite yet...

but snow in jackson?

 well that is a different story entirely.

*sigh*

are you depressed yet with me??

good :)

here is the week in pictures.. not in order, some with the nice camera, some with the snap and shoot,

ALL making me feel a little blue..

AND...

some of you asked who took the pictures on the last post...

that would be my very talented sister Robyn. 

she did a fantastic job.. didn't she?

i love them..

i hope she loves the ones i snapped of her family too.

forget the fact that it was below freezing with the biting wyoming wind in that field..

because her family still manages to look beautiful.

Lamoreaux's...

we love you.

and yes,

she, my sister is gorgeous.

and yes,

you can be jealous.

i am.

Jacskon Hole...

i miss you.

until next year.

xoxo

4 years of being mr + mrs. jackson

does that seem right? i swear it really, truly was just yesterday when we looked at each other and said yes. when i called to tell you i was running a little late, and you knew (even then..) that meant a lot late. the day we cried as we sat and were married and sealed for time and all eternity. the day all those silly photos were taken, the loooong, long luncheon and reception, the anxious and exciting drive up to park city afterwards.. the roses, the candles, the new husband and wife, both needing a benadryl due to the immense allergy attack we received after lavender was tossed (read: thrown..and hard) at our heads as we departed.
the gorgeous time we had in maui.
i loved you then,
and couldn't wait to start our already wonderful life together.

4 years doesn't sound like much.
and really it's not.

but it is.
so so much.
the pregnancies,
the losses,
the children,
the silliness,
the stress,
the fear,
the hope,
the comfort,
the endurance,
and the support.
somehow 4 seems much, much more.
and that boy i married those years ago?

he is gone.
you definitely won't find him here.

because a new man has taken his place by me.
always.
a man who knows me at my worse
and loves me at my worse.
a man who knows i must snack before bed, usually in bed. and is okay with it.
a man who doesn't feel threatened to watch my shows, and help out with my chores.
a man who is so adored by all the females in his home.
this man.
he is amazing.

and together, he and i,
we grow and we learn.

i love you.
daddy of my children,
calmer of my fears,
protector of our family.

i am giddy at the thought of what is to come.

because if we could do all of this in just 4 short years??
oh, babe...
eternity looks pretty darn good.

i love you.
happy anniversary.

try, try again

after our first failed attempt to capture this little man

we finally stole these tonight.

a little silly?

yes.

but what would jude be without silly?

and a lot of sweet.

hey, jude.

we love you

the day after the first day of fall...

the 23rd... 

the second day of fall.

yesterday i had great plans of updating the blog all preeetty with new fall.ish pictures, in conjunction with some great mumblings about life, and new seasons, etc, etc.... 

but alas life did indeed happen, and said photos weren't taken, impetigo ran rampant, and yours truly continued on the blog strike.

but that is what tomorrow is for, right?

this morning we scuttled out of the house with breakfast in tow,

 hoping ever so naively to catch the right light in time,

tragically missed it,

still took the photos anyway,

and still ended up with these.

it's hard to make this brood look bad..

skin fungus and all.

*sigh*...

greta pamela..

you are perfection.

in all reality this shoot was supposed to be all about him.

this is the best shot we got.

jude.

i forever love you.

:)

and as if you haven't seen it,

 felt it,

or longed for it.

let me reiterate how dearly i adore this season.

happy fall!

tiny dancer

dear minie,

my heart swoons. today you had your first dance class ever. oh my baby girl.. how are you so big?? i promise it was just yesterday i found out i was expecting you, and now you are frilling about a dance studio, pointing you toes, tip-toeing across the floor, and ending it all with a twirl and curtsey. you have been so excited for "dance class', and today when we finally arrived you waddled over to your dot so proud and happy. those tiny slippers, your froofy bum..

you melt me. 

i sent a video to your daddy and even he couldn't help getting teary. you make us so proud. you are so content being just you, and i couldn't adore you more. 

i love you to the moon my moodle moo.

never, ever leave me.

xoxo,

mommy

home grown UTAH fun

we hit up the state fair this afternoon with our favorite family

and great times were had by all. 

i was a bit skeptical at first seeing as the last time i attended ( i was required as being a member of the FFA. don't ask... ) i puked after walking through the livestock housing. 

however, it seems now seven years and two children later i can stomach much more.

go figure.

 :)

AND..

 let's get talking about the crowd this shindig 

brings in (best people watching you'll ever find) and then let's truly get discussing the FOOD.

 holy moly, i nearly died and went to heaven. 

i will love any joint that serves hot, gooey delicious funnel cake, with a side of thick n' heavy cheesy loaded potato skins.

mmmmmm. mmmm. mmmmmmmm!

are you drooling? 

i most certainly am.

 all over again.

in the words of Rachel Ray

YUMMO.

 

some highlights of the afternoon were;

  the food (obviously), 

great company, 

minie's joyous outburst of " baby steak!!" upon entering the Beef Cow portion of the fair (how she made the connection i don't know, but obviously The Case For Animal Rights holds no meaning to her), 

trevan's drunk and most likely homeless new friend that wouldn't leave him alone,

burlap riding down the most incredibly fun slide ever. 

 baby animals, 

and a glorious trip on the ferris wheel.

ohh...

and i whipped out my ever so trusty point and shoot and realized how much i've missed it!

when else can you take something such as this? 

and it was such a breeze to just snatch out, snap the shot, and move on. 

and she also takes a mighty decent picture if i do say so myself.

powershot SD800, 

you have been missed.

she can't really help being adorable.

nor she.

:)

trevan and his buddy.

told you so...

what i'm afraid my lady humps might just look like these days.

*sigh*.

ilovemykids.ilovemykids.ilovemykids.

it's soo cute kennan and i have matching strollers.

it sort of brings a tear to a glass eye.

hitler youth

as we affectionately call them these days.

minie + jude

=

 great destruction and all things abominable.

 minie loved herself a little snap and shoot time as well.

she's got quite the eye if you ask me.

so there you have it.

i blogged two whole days in a row. blogging rut, what??

you know you love me

xoxo, gossip girl

-brooke

MIA and such.

it's seems i have lost my blogging bug for the time being. 

i don't know... the shenanigans going on in our day-to-day lives just don't seem exactly fun and witty...

nothing in my life is much busier, but it all feels A LOT crazier. i hate it when dustin is in school.

my week drags and drags. i hate it when the girls don't see him for nearly 72 hours in a row, and i hate how that it turn forces them to prefer me over him. he tries to help when he can, but both girls scream and cry for mama and usually by the time we seemed to have worked it out so we both feel nice and loved by all, the whole cycle starts over again. the thing is, i don't really mind it. but i want to mind it.  it also postpones my time to actually do any work photography related, throwing me even more behind than i normally function. i've set a new goal in my life to be in bed by mid-night. this is a huge step for me. i have suffered insomnia since i was a little girl. i go in and out of sleeping funks and it just seems that for the past almost 2 years i have hardly been able to sleep at all. yes, yes... the waking babies do play a major part, but even when i reeeaally, really try to get some decent rest i just can't. period. 

for a good while there it worked out quite nicely with the budding photography business and all. i was mom by day, and photographer by night... all night. 3-4 AM were considered normal bed times, and i could book 4-5 shoots/week with a turn around of proofed and polished photos in about a week. purdy darn good if you ask me..

 but those lost zzz' s and hours of proofing into the wee hours did not come without a price. 1+ years of that night after night seem to have finally caught up with me, and i just feel exhausted. not particularly tired, but just generally weary. my joints ache, i get ornery much quicker and from the hours of 8AM-12PM i am a zombie. i have finally decided to put the cabosh to such non-sense. midnight bed-time feels like a dream, and with BOTH babies finally sleeping through the night.. well, i am slowly becoming a human again. but i fear it may be at the price of a booming photography business. i am convinced any decent photographer must have figured out burning the candle at both ends, and i am convinced i am entirely jealous of such knowledge and skill. 

*sigh*...

only in dreams...

so...

 if you are still waiting on pictures from yours truly, please know i am working as quickly as i possibly can right now, and i do apologize so.

and so enough of that. 

i all of the sudden do feel like i have more to write and blog about... you know, crazy dealings and mishaps with the little ladies of the house.

  but alas the previous problem at hand presents itself, 

so a photo-proofing i must go. let me tell you.. 

it's one hot friday night over here. :)

perhaps more tomorrow then?

i know you can't hardly wait.

until then..

-brooke

saturday fun

here is why we love the zoo:

because this could very well be my third child. and i love them.

come on... 

you know minie (and dustin for the matter) looks just like her.

and i say that with the most love and affection possible.

 giraffe carousel rides with grandpa..

seeing minie measure up to her not so distant relative.

the lion drinking fountain.

really,

 who doesn't think on this with anything but fond memories?

being with my daughters

this very frightening gigantic elephant.

kissing cousins on the train.

smooshy, smooshy babies.

having just as much fun as the kids...

and the guaranteed wonderful afternoon nap to follow.

i mean really...

who doesn't enjoy the zoo??

much thanks to dustin's parents,

our saturday was a splendid one .

:)

hope yours found you as wonderful as ours...

and here's to one more day of it all!