homecoming + family pictures

this weekend was jam packed with stuff! we had homecoming, my class reunion, and two different sets of family pictures. even though it was crazy busy and almost impossible to pack for, it was so fun. i secretly love having that much going on!

friday was the homecoming parade and somehow i was roped into putting together the alumni cheer float. oh heavens. thanks to whit, we ended up with an awesome truck and trailer to pull us around. kayla helped me gets some signs done and it all came together. i had some awesome girls come volunteer to ride the float with us. we threw candy and had a great time mostly just chatting on the float. next year, i will not be in the homecoming parade. i'm hanging up that hat for awhile. 

a HUGE thanks to my sisters who always support me. 

after the parade, everyone but whit and i (plus our 4 kiddlets) went to the football game. whit and i relaxed at home, as much as you can with two toddlers and two infants, and enjoyed just being able to hang out together. we had a late night and got up nice and early to get ready for our first set of pictures. kayla was so nice to be willing when i asked her to take pictures for us this fall. we drove down to provo so that we could get pictures in an orchard that i've been dying to get pictures in for years! everyone teased me over this obsession but the pictures are proof that it was totally worth it and made me even more excited to go back there and do them again! 

here are a few of my favorites!

i love them so much! kayla knows exactly what i want and got so many shots that i will treasure forever! now i have to try and pick one for our christmas card. impossible!

sunday evening was our second round of pictures. this time it was with my parents, siblings and their spouses, and all four grandkids. kayla took these as well and again did not disappoint. she had some grumpies and crazy toddlers to work with. it had been over five years since we had family pictures taken so we were due. kayla and judd found a beautiful spot in oakley and the pictures turned out awesome. pictures are just one of those things that make me so happy! family pictures especially. i'm so grateful to have both sets of these from this weekend to cherish and treasure forever. they are definitely keepers.

see for yourself!

i love this next one. not staged at all, as soon as the timer on the camera was about to go off, livi decided to make a run for it. so funny!

h a p p y  m o n d a y  !

mothers day weekend '14

mother's day weekend started out friday night at the north summit 100 year celebration. i was definitely a little nervous about how well our girls would do, but they totally pulled it off and i was so proud. i love being from a community and school with so much school pride.

it was so fun to be able to spend time with an old friend choreographing and then teaching it to the middle school girls.

we had the best seat in the house.

i cried through the whole elementary part, gathered myself for the middle school part, and then just totally enjoyed the rest of it. it really turned out to be an awesome production.

auntie hay was a cute little native american dancer.

saturday involved a lot of relaxing, hanging out, keeping brooklyn and liv entertained, and eating lots of good food.

saturday evening, grandma read to brooklyn for about an hour. she was in heaven! she wanted book after book after book. thank goodness grandma was so willing to read all night.

mother's day came and we celebrated with a new dress for brooklyn and church with family. 

we took a few minutes to take some pictures after church. brooklyn cooperated better than she has almost ever in her life. the secret to that might have been that liv was sitting on top of kayla's head while these photos were taken. after photos, we quickly prepared and ate dinner, and then james, b, and i got to skype tori (sister ruesch) and the whole ruesch clan for a little while. it was good to be 'together' for mother's day. 

me and my "girls". we can't wait to meet the tiny babe in just a short six weeks!

(we're missing kenz dang it) the ladies of the house.

and lastly, the bump picture...

life is good. pregnancy is good. and i feel more and more blessed as every week passes. i'm absolutely exhausted after this weekend and even though i have lots i want to say and recap, i can hardly keep my eyes open and pray to make it through monday like a normal human being. so i'll wrap it up here. 

h a p p y  m o n d a y  to  a l l  

proud to be a brave...

a north summit brave that is. 

this weekend was the 100 year celebration/birthday of north summit high school. the festivities lasted all week long (also homecoming week). we were only able to attend the friday and saturday ones, but they were worth the short trip to coalville.

i'm proud to be a brave. i am glad that i can be proud of the high school i graduated from. the traditions their run deep and it was fun to be a part of them after being out of high school for a decade. holy. taking part in the traditions definitely brought back so many good high school memories. memories i will cherish forever. i loved high school. i don't think i could go back and do it again, but i definitely loved it.

first festivity: the homecoming parade

^ riding the alumni cheer float with two of my sisters and friends^

^haley on the homecoming royalty float^

next festivity: football game (they came out with a W)

saturday afternoon festivities: native american ledges presentation. so awesome. the history of our mascot.

100 year celebratory assembly: also the revealing of the new crest that hangs in the auditorium. i did NOT get a picture. i'm kicking myself. it's beautiful. 

after the assembly there was a party on the street. food vendors, live music, and most importantly, the best chicken sandwiches in the world. no lie. i couldn't wait to get my hands on one. i loved every bite. 

we had to head home after dinner to catch the byu game (that ended up being delayed 2 hours) so we missed the centennial ball. but i heard it was fun. the committee who put the whole celebration together did such a great job. their hard work paid off. the traditions at north summit will continue forever because of the pride in that small community. there are great people there and i'm so glad to have rubbed shoulders with them.