Monday, April 28, 2014

TEN years!!!

We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary! It seems so crazy to me that we have been married that long. Here are a few pictures from that day for memory's sake :)



To celebrate, we started the day by going to Joe's Cafe as a family for breakfast. It is our favorite breakfast joint, and it did not disappoint!

Sean then surprised me by arranging everything so we could go see the Sacred Gifts exhibit at the Museum of Art at BYU. I have been wanting to go since it opened, but it is one of those things I was struggling to get planned. It was such a thoughtful surprise and I am so grateful he did it!

The exhibit was amazing. It included works from Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz. Some of the paintings had not been removed from their original location since the late 1800s and once returned, the Carl Bloch paintings will likely never be removed again. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see them in person.  I really enjoyed the whole exhibit, and seeing some original altar pieces was so cool. My very favorite painting of all was this one:
"Agony in the Garden" Frans Schwartz 

It was incredible. The emotion on Christ's face and the angel comforting Him is so moving and brought tears to my eyes. It is usually housed in a church in Denmark. If you are in Utah and haven't seen the exhibit yet, GO. You won't be sorry, I promise. And it ends May 10, so go online and reserve your tickets now (they are free!).

After Sacred Gifts, Sean had made reservations for us for lunch at the Sky Room at BYU, but we were still so full from breakfast we skipped it so we would have room for dinner!

My sister was nice enough to babysit our boys for us so we could go out. They love hanging out with their cousins!

We went to Texas de Brazil at City Creek and it was awesome. It's sort of like an upscale version of Tucanos. I'm one of those people who like to document my food, so here you go:
 The thinly sliced pineapple with the cinnamon, honey and basil oil was my favorite!

It seemed only appropriate to finish the night by sharing our favorite dessert: creme brûlée ;)

We've always talked about wanting to take a big trip for our 10-year anniversary, but as it got closer, we hadn't planned anything. I think in the back of our minds we were putting it off because we didn't want to leave Davis while he is still so young. A few months ago, an opportunity arose when Sean was asked to attend a patent conference in Ireland. We decided Davis and I would come along, and voila! our trip worked out after all! Sean gave me this traveler's guide on our anniversary, which I thought was sweet. Ireland is at the top of my traveling list and I can't wait to go!


Throughout the day Sean and I kept reminiscing about the past 10 years. It was fun talking about the earlier days and going through some of the things we had experienced together. 

These first 10 years of marriage have included:
- Moving several times and lived in the following places: Provo, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Charleston, Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, Pleasant Grove, American Fork
- Four rounds of in vitro fertilization resulting in our "Jackpot" Jackson, and later, being blessed with two more amazing little boys
- Buying our first place (town home) and building and moving into our first house
-Heartache at the loss of loved ones, including our niece and my grandma
- Sean completing his undergraduate degree at BYU, graduating from law school at the U, and passing both the Bar and Patent Bar
-Jenny finishing her degree at BYU, completing internships and working in her first public relations jobs, and learning the ropes of being a mom
-Sean being a door-to-door salesman, law clerk, and attorney
-A cruise (before kids) and fun family trips to Disneyland, Yosemite, countless trips to the cabin, and a trip to North Carolina

I am proud of us. Ten years is an accomplishment and even more so when we can say we still love each other! :) I am so grateful to be married to the best man I know and to stand by his side. Our life isn't perfect, and we aren't perfect, but I love our life together and this family we have created!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Easter 2014

We started off our Easter weekend with the Pleasant Grove city egg hunt. This is our third year going and our boys absolutely LOVE it. 

Bode and I waiting for the whistle!

On the hunt

Checking out their loot with a bunch of their friends. My friends Cassidy, Joeli, and I all have three boys!


Our friends were going to another egg hunt a little later near our house, so we decided to join them for round two!

Saturday night we dyed eggs.

The boys chose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle eggs this year, and they actually ended up being awesome. I loved that they were simple enough that the boys could put them together.

Sunday morning the boys woke up and discovered the Easter bunny had come. Davis didn't have a big basket like his older brothers, but he did get some new pacifiers :)


We had special bunny pancakes for breakfast (thank you Pinterest) and the boys thought they were really funny.

Lucky for us, our church doesn't start til 1pm, so we had time to take a few pictures of the boys in their Sunday best beforehand. I thought they turned out so cute!


I LOVE this picture. I don't have any idea what they are laughing about, but it makes me smile.




I think Davis looks especially dapper in this one :)





Sean grabbed the camera and took a few of Davis and I together and I am so glad! I don't think I have any pictures of us together since he was a newborn. I thought he looked so darling in his little outfit and bow tie.



After church we came home and had a big dinner. We had way too much food, so we're eating leftover ham in some form or another for most of our meals this week.

We had a great time celebrating Easter together as a family. I am grateful for my Savior, the atonement, and my knowledge that He is risen.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

A year in pictures: Bode 2-3 years old

Per birthday tradition, here is a compilation of my favorite photos of Bode from the past year:






















































































A few notes about Bode as a big 3-year-old:
-Still has more energy than any kid I have ever met. Plays hard until the minute before he falls asleep.
-Favorite TV shows: Paw Patrol, Sheriff Callie, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
-Favorite movie: Cars (first thing he does every morning is ask to watch Cars)
-Favorite foods: Chicken nuggets, raspberry yogurt, pizza, green beans, macaroni and cheese, artichokes
-Favorite things to do: jump on the trampoline, ride his four wheeler, hang out with his big brother, watch Cars
-Favorite songs: "Ghostbusters", "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida, "Yo Ho (A Pirates Life for Me)"

We love our Bode bear.