Colorado Sunset

Brandon had to drive to Colorado AGAIN yesterday for an on-call emergency, so I insisted that this time he was taking me. I got to see one of the best sunset shows I've seen in a long time! It was gorgeous! I got a couple of pictures, but it really doesn't do it justice. Now I've spent two days "on the job" with Brandon... it's a lot of endless driving through nothing, but a lot of that nothing is pretty. I definitely would not like to do it every day, though!

Family Photo Fun

Jason wanted to see some of the pictures from the photo shoot I did of an EXTREMELY adorable family last Saturday (thanks, Tari!!) Here are a few of my favorites... critique away, Jas!

I'm going to do another shoot with their adorable little girl sometime, just for fun. She LOVED getting her picture taken! Definitely a model in the making!

I couldn't help but take some pictures of this cutie drinking hot chocolate! He was definitely enjoying it!

You can see their valiant effort to open their eyes in the harsh sunlight! It wasn't a great picture taking day... cold and sunny sunny sunny!

We Love Christmas

"You're going to shoot your eye out with that thing!" Cooper got a "practice" gun, and Tyler inherited his dad's shotgun. They were both very excited!

But not as excited as I am about my Christmas gift... how many girls are lucky enough to get a camera for Christmas? (Me and Melissa, that's who!)

The boys have wanted robes for a long time, and they got great matching robes. Now I don't have to look at their ugly pajama shirts anymore!

Aubrey got a comfy new mattress and new bedding! She said she had the most comfortable night's sleep of her life that night. The quilt and sheets are SO cute!!

This is what happened when I wanted Cooper to let me take pictures of him. He threw a fit, and ended up throwing himself on the floor. I'm getting a picture one way or the other, dude... you can decide how you look in it.

My favorite picture of the day... all of our feet in hand knitted slippers from grandma! Ah, what a great Christmas!

14 Years With the Love of My Life

Today is December 21st... the exact day 14 years ago (an icy freezing cold day) that I married the love of my life. Since Brandon is on call today, and had to go to Colorado for work, (nice on our anniversary, huh?) I thought I'd celebrate the day by sharing 14 things about Brandon Christopher. Brandon has always loved nature. He thinks the best sermons happen when you're alone in the mountains. I have loved our time together enjoying the great outdoors, camping, hiking, walking, driving... I love this about him, that he is an outdoorsman.

I love that he knows how to do anything and everything. (At least it seems that way to me... I'm sure he'd say differently.) I love watching him do those manly things... cutting wood to keep us warm in the winter (he actually enjoys splitting logs out back), fixing things, building things (he builds GREAT things, and by great, I mean fantastic, and BIG... he always ends up with a bigger table/chest/armoire than he planned on.)

Even though I pretend to hate his dogs, I love to see him with them, and I'm glad he loves animals. He is like a little boy when he gets a new puppy.

Brandon loves fishing. Loves. Fishing. But this is what I think is amazing... he got to go on a once in a lifetime trip to Canada to fish, and he chose me to go with him. He has fishing buddies... guys who would fish all day, never complain that they were cold, never toss cookies over the side of the boat, never miss a day out on the ocean to read a book because they were queasy from the day before, and never end up catching more fish than Brandon did. He didn't choose those guys, though, because he loves me. I love that he loves to fish, because I love to eat fish. I wish that he was able to go more often.

Brandon doesn't quit, or give up early on a job. When I'm doing something hard, I take "breaks" far too often, or decide that I can "finish tomorrow". Brandon starts a job, and finishes a job. He also sticks with his money-making jobs far longer than most of his co-workers do. He's just the kind of guy that when he starts something, he wants to make it work, and sticks with it to the end. He's an amazingly hard worker, and puts more effort in than most people would. I always know that he'll take care of us, no matter what.

I always want to be around Brandon. We have been lucky enough to take a few trips together, like this one to Mexico, the trip to Canada, and California. I enjoy every minute with him, and wish that we had more of these trips together. I crave time with him, and never get tired of being with him. He's funny, he's smart, and he agrees with everything I say. (Okay, I just threw that one in for fun... he definitely does NOT agree with everything I say, but that's what makes our conversations so much fun.) Sometimes we'll both be exhausted, but we stay up waaaay too late talking. Even when he's too tired to talk, he enjoys listening to me talk, and tells me not to stop. I know he's really sleeping, but sometimes I have to talk anyway.

Brandon is a cowboy. The kind of cowboy who feels the wildness in his soul but has to live a different life. I hate that he can't live the life that is so much a part of him, and I'm hoping that heaven can be all the things he's missing out on. I want him to have a ranch, horses, land... lots and lots of land. I want him to be able to spend his days doing the things he loves. Someday, babe, someday.

I love that we fit together perfectly. I have a hard time sleeping without Brandon next to me, because he's so comfortable. We fit together perfectly in every way... he's the sweet to my sour, he's the calm to my storm. He balances me out, and makes me a better person.

Brandon's only fault as a dad is that his work takes him away too much. He loves his kids so much, and has always been amazing. I love that he was there for me through every pregnancy... through bed rest, bed pans, and numerous trips to the hospital to stop early labor. I love that he mourned with me the loss of three of our babies. I love that he's always been happy with what we've been blessed with. He teaches his kids so many things, and he blesses our lives often with priesthood blessings and guidance.

I love to listen to Brandon play his guitar and sing. He started late in life, when I got him a guitar for Christmas one year (oh boy, was that fun! He was so surprised!) He sings from the heart, and I love the songs he "writes" for me on the spur of the moment. I love how supportive he's been of me, and my music, and everything I've done with the violin.

I love his adventurous spirit, and his willingness to try things. He tortured his mom at times when he was a kid... climbing up tall trees, getting on top of the fridge when he was teeny, and getting into one scrape after another. Sometimes, after listening to his stories, I am amazed that he made it through childhood at all.

Brandon makes friendships slowly, but when he makes a friend, he's loyal for life. He's definitely not a social butterfly, and will usually avoid being around a lot of people if he can. He'll do anything for you, though, once the bond is there. Landon is one of those friends... Brandon will drive hours to go hunting with Landon, and looks forward to opening day for pheasant or duck hunting.

Brandon loves little kids. Sometimes you wouldn't know this, because one of the ways he shows it is to tease them mercilessly, but he has a way with most kids. He can calm just about any baby, and has nephews and nieces that call on the phone for Uncle Bobo. I often wish that there were more babies in our future, partly because I love watching Brandon with them. I guess I'll be content with the babies-on-loan.

There are so many more things I could say about this man... I love him more every single day. I love him more now than I ever could've known 14 years ago. I am grateful every single day that I married him, and I am even more grateful that our love will never end. I love you forever, Brandon!

Snow Babies

I've got some cute snow babies, don't I? Tyler was probably my most willing model. The boy needs some chapstick. Cooper kept doing the winking thing, because I was doing that to look into my viewfinder. The boy needs a kleenex.

I need to learn some photoshopping stuff, because Aubrey's eyes really looked much bluer than this in real life. She's one beautiful, tall, gorgeous girl. She gets her looks from her Dad, obviously.

If anyone wants to come be a model for me, I'd appreciate it. My kids are going to kill me if I make them do this too many more times. Let's just say that I don't get very many happy shots.

I Need a Job

Okay friends and not-so-friends... I need your help thinking of a job. I don't want a job, but I need a job. I am in the process of trying to get more violin students, but with the poopy economy I'm thinking not a lot of people will be interested. I also only want to work while my kids are at school, which limits how many students are willing to do that. I do have a sort-of option at the Rec center, but it makes me laugh to think of it... they need lifeguards. My boss thinks I could pass, but he's never seen my swimming skills. Heehehehhhehhe... skills. Hoohooohoooo. Ahem. Anyway. Maybe I could squeak by and be a lifeguard. I've also thought of waitressing, teaching music group classes to homeschooled kids, working at the (gag) school, working as an un-degreed and unqualified music therapist at the old folks home (If I could get them to pay me for it). I really don't want to work for hardly any pay and work hours that somebody makes me. I've been my own boss for far too long. Does anyone else have any ideas? Something with music that could pay a lot? Something that just plain old pays a lot?

For All Who Care...

I cut my hair! Well, technically, I didn't cut my hair. A girl named Jana cut my hair. Aubrey took the 360 degree pictures, so it's almost like you're here with me, admiring the new cut! :)

Mother Nature's Christmas Decorations

When I went to the library last week, I almost passed right by this tree, but then had to stop for a double take. It's full of apples, but the leaves are all gone! It really looked like a bunch of red Christmas balls hanging from it! I went back the next morning to take pictures because I thought it was so cool (and there is nothing cool in my yard to take pictures of right now!) I think all the people inside the building thought I was a little nuts, but who cares? I guess I am a little nuts, so I might as well flaunt it...

I'm a Good Mom... a Tale of Diet Pepsi

Before you read this post, you have to promise me that you'll finish to the end.... I know you'll be tempted to say, she's a horrible mom! and immediately quit reading, but then you'll miss the good part. With that introduction, I'll begin my tale of a good mom.

We went to the big Jarvis family Christmas party on Saturday, and received a 6pack of diet pepsi (20 oz. bottles) from one of Brandon's sweet aunts. (We'll leave her name out to protect her, since this is all her fault.) My kids really really really wanted to share in that gift, and I thought, well, it probably won't kill them to have a bottle of caffeine once in their lives. So, being the good mom that I am, I gave them each their own, which they drank ALL of in one afternoon. Then comes bedtime... and 9:00... and 9:30... and 10:00... and 10:30... and Cooper is still awake. He finally went to sleep, but that's not the end of the story.

At 6:00 a.m. I heard a noise... it was Cooper walking around the house. I called him into my bedroom, and he's completely dressed, to the shoes. Now, you'd have to know Cooper to know that this is something that NEVER happens. It's usually 5 minutes before they have to leave for school and I'm begging him to get out of his pajamas! He told me he had been up since 5:30, and got dressed, and was ready for school. I made him take his shoes off and lay next to me, and we talked for a minute. He said, "Mom, I didn't get ANY sleep last night." I said, "Coop, do you know why? It's because of all of that caffeine that you drank. That's why mom and dad tell you not to drink it, because it messes up what your body and brain are supposed to do." Cooper said, "I know, and I don't want to drink it again."

See?? Now all along you thought I was a horrible mom, but look at what he learned... finally a child of mine actually learns something from experience! I do feel sorry for his teacher today, but hopefully it will be a lasting lesson, and hopefully he'll have a GOOD night's sleep tonight!

Life is Good

House is clean.

Kids are happy.

Ate chocolate today.

Going to bunco tomorrow.

Just finished a good book.

Christmas decorations are up.

Listening to Christmas music.