Emily and Andrew's Wedding

This last weekend, Emily and Andrew got married in the Houston Temple. It was a beautiful weekend and so nice to spend so much time in the temple. Here are some pictures of the day:

I realize I have very few pictures of the actual wedding couple, but they were being photographed by their photographer, Kimmy. I also realize I didn't get any pictures of my sister-in-law, Jeanette, who flew in from UT. (It was SO wonderful to spend time with her-- and she looked beautiful!). But I know Kimmy got some good pictures of us together. I can't wait to see the actual wedding photos!

We're so lucky to have Emily and Andrew here in Houston. So now we can't say we don't have family here anymore. They live just 10 minutes away and are in our same ward. Yay for babysitters!! :-)

Emily's Bridals

I got to help Emily with her bridal photos, which was so much fun. Kimmy Williams (moderncharmphotography.com) was the photographer and the pictures turned out amazing. I shot a few of my own, which don't compare to the professional ones, but they can give you a feel for how beautiful Emily is:

Catching Up on the Wedding Events: Emily's Bridal Shower

I helped throw a bridal shower for my sister-in-law, Emily, a few weeks ago. These wonderful ladies from our ward were the ones that really made things happen: 

It was a sit-down affair complete with china. We had soup and muffins for lunch and strawberries and brownies for dessert. 

The brownies were to die for!! You could taste the real butter in them. YUM! Plus it took some intense kitchen skills to make them so cute. Sister Bardo is amazing. 

 Here is Emily in the middle with her mother-in-law, Sally, on the left and her now aunt-in-law, Jane on the right. Wonderful ladies! 

And here are the friends and guests: 

Honestly, it was one of the best showers I've been too. Simple, relaxed, fun. Thanks to everyone here in Houston for helping make Emily's day special. 

Learning From Roommates

I have learned so much from the wonderful roommates I've had over the years. They have taught me cooking skills, cleaning skills, social skills, communication skills; and have influenced my habits, diet, style, and opinions. Most married people don't have the chance to have a roommate after they get married (besides their spouse of course), but I've been lucky to have two roommates this past year: my sister, Marie, and my sister-in-law, Emily. And I've learned a lot from them.

In fact, I've adopted two oh-so-practical strategies from Emily that I thought I would share:

#1 My new favorite kitchen item: disposable vinyl gloves. I have always hated touching raw meat. And this has affected my cooking style over the years because I pretty much just throw meat on the grill/ in the pan so I don't have to touch it. I hate prepping it.

To the rescue: gloves! Why hadn't I thought of this before? I worked as a cook in a cafeteria when I was in college, for heavens sake! I guess since I haven't been preparing food for the masses, it slipped my mind. Anyway, they are cheap (you can find them in Walmart in the cleaning section next to the rubber gloves) and make life so much less icky. (And if Isaac has a melt down when I'm in the middle of chopping chicken, all it takes is a quick glove removal and I can go save the baby.)

#2 New bathroom-cleaning technique: let the toilet bowl brush drip dry in the toilet. You just pin the brush handle between the toilet and the seat so it can dry like this:

Again, so common sense, I can't believe I've awkwardly never known what to do with the wet toilet bowl brush for so many years! (Sorry about the gross looking brush by the way, we need to get a new one.)

So there are two practical tips for the day. Thanks, Emily! 

No Socks

The other day when I was buying Isaac dress shoes for my sister-in-law Emily's wedding, I realized that Isaac has not worn shoes . . . or socks since he was 3 months old. That's right-- no socks whatsoever, day or night for two thirds of his life. Living in Houston has it's advantages, and I have to admit using minimal baby clothing is awesome: less hassle, less laundry, less stuff to lose.

But Isaac doesn't even know what shoes are. No wonder he kept trying to kick them off at the store. He thinks they are toys that sit by the front door and are fun to eat if mom isn't looking.

So, I'm a little worried for winter. When it does get colder and he does need to wear socks and shoes, is it going to be battle? I hope not. :-)

Golden Birthday

Yesterday I turned 28 on the 28th, which means it was my golden birthday. I'm not sure how you're supposed to celebrate your golden birthday as opposed to the rest of your birthdays, but this birthday was wonderful--and slightly different from the rest: no cake, no candles, and no party. But that's how I wanted it.

I must be getting older. Normally, I love parties: the friends, the food, the celebrating. So, I usually throw one for myself, but this year, it just didn't seem important to me.

Instead, Brent took the day off and we spent the day as a family. And it was wonderful! We went to the Children's Museum and let Isaac crawl around and play. I received many wonderful gifts for my birthday, but I think the best gift of all was spending time with the ones I love.

Here are some pictures from the day:

And yes, that is a huge light bright! 

Eating Lunch with Dad

About a month ago, Isaac and I went downtown to join Brent for lunch at Discovery Green Park-- that is just across the street from where he works. Just look at these cute boys: 

A friend thought he'd join us for lunch. 

And there was a splash pad, so Isaac got in on some of the action. 

I'm not sure what he thought about it though.