Christmas Lights

I have a lot to update on. Tomorrow I promise a lengthy one. Today, a photo of our Christmas lights and a couple of our living room for mom and dad. I just love Christmas. I am already listening to Christmas music!



Our living room... It isn't really yellow! LOL

Maria... I just met a girl named Maria.

I went out for fall clothes for the kids and Christmas presents and came home with this:







She was looking all lonely and sad at the pet adoption center in Park City. She is 2-3 years old. A family abandoned her when they moved from their home. They rescuers found her in the house with all of her puppies. She is house trained, and mellow, and so far so good with the kids. We have a few days to decided if the is a good fit for our family.

Staci, Beth, Angela and I all went in just to 'look'. Next thing you know I was calling Dave asking if he wanted a dog. He said it was up to me and we could try it. Her name is Maria (for now) and she just laid in the back seat for the entire hour and 20 minute drive home. And she snores. Loudly!

I am afraid I may fall hard and fast and the kids are on cloud 9. Now she just has to work her way into Dave's heart.

Girl Weekend!

Let the mommy's fun begin! Tonight a few of my friends and I are going up to a resort in Midway to stay for the night. A four star resort. We are going to do some fine dining, perhaps some spa action, make fun of each other for not wanting to wear our swimsuits, and tomorrow - shopping in PARK CITY! I love park city. For my canuck friends who aren't aware that Utah has hot spots too... Park City is the Hollywood of Utah. They have the Sundance film festival there were you can celebrity watch for lots of big names, amazing shopping and great art galleries, and of course my favorite - great restaurants. And don't forget the first class skiing/snowboarding. So... plan a trip soon?

Back to girls night. We have had this planned for a few weeks and we all can't wait to be responsibility free for a whole evening and day. Thanks to our gracious (and might I add often travelling) husbands for letting us go - you have no idea how much this is needed!

So why the heck do I have to go and get a cold two days before? Because of course, my body is infinitely against me in the battle for happiness. I have been popping vitamin C like Halloween candy and so far it has been very manageable. I really need to enjoy this because as soon as I get back I will have five shoots to edit, thanksgiving menus to plan, and don't even think I have STARTED birthday shopping for Sydney yet. Which is three weeks away today.

Dave will be in Cali next week and it is a good thing because we weren't about to start spending time together then! LOL

I will be excited for December - Christmas is my favorite. And I get to slow down a little with photography. And hopefully enjoy my family a little more. I miss them.

I can't even put into words...

how much I love you. But I will try.

C'est L'alloween HEY!

Okay, my spelling of that french phrase might be a little rusty. We took the kids to Dave's work halloween party last night where they both made out like bandits. We were stuck in traffic for an hour on the way home (I hate Redwood Rd.), and came back to almost all of Dave's family waiting to see the kids in their costumes. Dave and I took them out trick-or-treating, not because they needed more candy (or I should say WE needed more candy) but because house to house in the dark cannot be substituted for cubicle to cubicle. Blake was a powerhouse, he wanted to get every single house and never stop. Syd on the other hand got really tired and slow so eventually she just stayed with us on the sidewalk while Blake ran up to the doors. It was a fun night. And the kids did look pretty darn cute I must say.

Blake was a fireman and Syd was FIFI the poodle.





This costume was unbelievably cute from the back.









Now how do I stop myself from eating all that candy?