The Bakers

4 Weeks Old!

2011-12-29T16:26:00.005-07:00

Holy Moly! These first 4 weeks have passed SO quickly!!! We had a little photo shoot this morning. I slacked and sadly didn't do "newborn" pictures...so these are his first official pictures. I'd like to post all 41...but I'll choose a few of my favorites instead. Enjoy!

Days 1 & 2 of life.

2011-12-26T16:33:00.004-07:00

Porter has lots of people who love him and had lots of hospital visitors. Here are a few photos from the first 2 days...

Cute, litte baby feet.

Look at all of that hair!

Sweet, little boy.

Porter and Grandpa Grandpa

Porter Rees Baker---12.01.2011

2011-12-26T15:57:00.003-07:00

Thursday, December 1st, the long awaited day had finally arrived. My mom and dad arrived the night of November 30th. It felt like Christmas Eve with all the anticipation of the next morning. I had to be at the hospital at 6am in order to get prepped for the 7:30am c-section. I didn't go to bed until about 2:30am and couldn't even fall asleep right away.

When Orrin and I got to the hospital they took us to a little room where they put the baby monitor on (he was super active) and started my IV, among other preparation. At about 7:30am I kissed Orrin and they wheeled me back to the O.R.

I moved from the bed to the O.R. table and thought it was so weird to actually see the O.R. Last time I had surgery I had General Anesthesia so I was totally out before I even hit the O.R. I mentioned to the nurses and others around me how cold the room was and so they brought me warmed blankets. Dr. Armstrong and Jen were both there and I asked Dr. Armstrong if he ever got nervous before he performed a c-section. He said "No, I do these in my sleep...literally." The man that did my Spinal Block was Dan. He did a great job as I didn't feel much more than a pinch. Then they laid me back the spinal block took action and I numbed up pretty quickly. They then proceeded to put up a "curtain" so that I couldn't see what they were doing. Right before they got ready to start the surgery they let Orrin come in and sit up and to the left of my head to be there with me to hold my hand.

Dan then told me they were ready to get started. It didn't take long. I shook through the surgery with what seemed like cold shivers, but I guess those are common. Before I knew it they told Orrin he could stand up and watch as they pulled Porter from the incision. I was SO excited and immediately started crying as I heard my little guy enter the world with some good screaming and crying. Once he was out the nurses took him and cleaned him up a bit and weighed him and then Orrin got to bring him over to me so I could kiss him. What an amazing time. It was SO surreal that the little one that had been growing inside of me for nine months was finally here. He was born at 7:57am. 8lbs, 11oz and 20 inches long, and absolutely perfect.

From there Orrin and Porter went to the nursery where they did officially clean him off and because his blood sugar was so low Orrin fed Porter his first bottle.

As they were finishing my surgery I asked Jen and Dr. Armstrong a few questions and Dr. Armstrong asked me if we were going to keep him. I answered yes, and Dr. Armstrong said, "alright, I'm sewing your uterus shut, you won't be able to put him back." I loved being awake during the process and being able to hear the goings on all around me. It was great to hear them all in action. Once I was all sewn up I went to recovery where I was for about an hour or hour and a half. Eventually Orrin and Porter were able to come back and visit with me. The whole experience of the c-section was so good for me. I feel blessed that it all went so well. Here are a few photos from the morning.

I was SO happy to have little Porter in my arms! Love him!

Baby Bump?

2011-11-28T19:19:00.002-07:00

Alright, for those that have made the request to see...here you go. You even get to see my swollen feet and ankles. Photos taken by Orrin. Now you don't have to wonder why the lady in the elevator at the hospital thought perhaps I was having twins, or why we request a table instead of a booth when we go out for dinner. Only 2 Full days left!!!

Holy Moly!

2011-11-25T12:12:00.003-07:00

Guess what?!? Only 6 full days until this little one gets here. I'm blogging to commit to posting a picture of my pregnant self before the baby gets here. I'm 38 weeks 2 days today. It's crazy because it seems like it was just yesterday that we found out that we were finally expecting. Wednesday afternoon I had to go to the hospital for pre surgery stuff and a lady in the elevator as I was leaving asked if I was expecting twins...So you can guess that my baby bump isn't tiny. So really I've got 6 days to clean my house, finish Christmas shopping and get Christmas decorations put up. It's going to be a busy 6 days!

Ryker 09.24.2011

2011-09-25T14:56:00.003-06:00

Here's one of my handsome nephews...he's such a cute, sweet little guy.

Glucose Tolerance Test

2011-09-22T16:54:00.002-06:00

Today I had the joy of having a 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test...I took the one hour one last week and didn't quite pass. The maximum they want you to test is 140 and mine came back 162. So today at 8am I went to the doctor. First thing is they took a blood sample then I had to drink the SWEETEST drink I've ever had in my life. If you can imagine Orange Sugar melted down, that's what it was like. So SWEET! Then I waited an hour and they did a blood draw, waited another hour they did a blood draw, then one more hour and one final blood draw. So I had 4 "pokes" (in the words of my niece), two in each elbow pit. I'll get results sometime early next week it sounds like, and no news is good news. Hopefully results come back good. Gestational Diabetes for the last 10 weeks of pregnancy just sounds like a lot of work. I'm still feeling pretty well. I'm tired all of the time and my body is sore but I can't wait to meet this little guy. He's still moving around all the time, LOVE IT! We get to have an ultrasound next week so it'll be fun to see how much he's grown since our last ultrasound at about 20 weeks.

Orrin has lost something like 15 pounds since his surgery 2 weeks ago...he's on his way!

27 Weeks, 5 Days so far. 86 Days to go!

2011-09-12T17:28:00.003-06:00

Not that I'm counting...Just a little update, we're doing fantastic. This little boy inside of me is kicking and moving and growing like crazy. I love feeling him wiggle around. The time is moving right along and I know he's going to be here before we know it. We need to get going on his nursery. We have a crib and dresser, and that's about it. His room was the office previously and we need to get rid of stuff in order to clear out his closet for all of his fun stuff.

One of my coworkers had a baby boy on Saturday and I got to hold him today, it made me so excited to have our little boy here!

In other news, Wednesday, September 7th, Orrin had surgery. He had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. He started considering this as an option just over a year ago but wasn't ready at that time. They basically removed about 80% of his stomach and stapled what was left closed. His surgeon says he can lose approximately 160 pounds in 2 years. He was in the hospital for two nights and was thrilled to be able to come home on Friday. I think the most difficult part is the diet the week before the surgery and 3 weeks after. One week before surgery he was on full liquids. One week after he has to be on clear liquids and then two weeks after that back on full liquids again. Once that week is over he gets to start introducing soft solids (REAL FOOD!) again. I'm so excited for him and know that he's going to feel so much better.

My mom and dad came this last weekend for a visit. I love having family visit. They got here Friday night and then Saturday my dad worked like a maniac in our yard pulling weeds, trimming, edging and mowing the lawn. Between Orrin's surgery, and my pregnancy it was nice to have a week off from mowing. Thanks DAD!!!

We're having a Boy!!!

2011-07-24T15:00:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post for journaling purposes as well as for those of you that aren't on facebook and didn't hear the news. Yup, that's right. We're having a boy! We're excited. We found out on the 11th of July at 18 Weeks and 5 Days. Baby Boy Baker wasn't shy at all and it was really easy to see gender. It's been fun now to think about how we're going to decorate his room. Decisions, decisions... Also, it's been amazing because I can feel him moving around now. I love it. I'm excited for when Orrin will be able to feel him move. I'm feeling good, regaining energy and morning sickness only lasted weeks 6.5 - 13. I certainly can't complain. I'll keep our blog updated as time goes on.

Once in a Lifetime...

2011-06-18T17:26:00.003-06:00

I spent nearly 8 of the last 16 hours making a Diaper Cake as a gift for a baby shower that I attended today. It took WAY longer than I thought it would but it really turned out cute. I think this may have been a once in a lifetime activity here at the Baker home. Here are a few pictures.

FINALLY!!!

2011-05-27T17:19:00.002-06:00

We're SO excited to announce that we're (well, I'm) going to have a baby! I took a test (or five) on April Fool's day. We just couldn't believe it and couldn't get enough of seeing the Positive (+) result on the test I guess. So fun! So I'm 12 weeks and 2 days today and the baby is due December 7th. I've had nausea but it's getting better and I'm so excited to be having a baby that I certainly can't complain. It seems that the smell of Mexican Food is the worst for me at this point. So that's our news! Now we just can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl!

Commercials that make me giggle...

2011-01-18T22:22:00.003-07:00

One of the main reasons that I tune in to watch the Superbowl is for the commercials. The following are some of the finalists in competition to be shown that day. Which one do you like best? You can go here to check out all of the finalists. Hilarious! Enjoy!

Favorite Commercial

2010-11-25T13:12:00.003-07:00

I'm loving all of the Allstate commercials. I saw this one the other day and I'm loving it. I just think it's so funny. Enjoy!

Walsh Family 2010

2010-11-08T21:21:00.006-07:00

You may recall I had the opportunity to take photos of this family last year, and I was SO HAPPY to take them again! They've added another boy to the family since then and he fits right in! Enjoy!

They don't look alike at all, do they?

I learned what a softy Carter is...what a great kid!

Dawson cracks me up...and cracks himself up too!

Here is sweet, little Bryson...he was such a champ but was exhausted by the end of the shoot.

Office Halloween & Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-01T01:17:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

I decided to count the number of Trick or Treaters that we had tonight - 71. That's a few more than last year and I was happy about that. I figured just about right and we only have about 10 pieces of candy left.

We had some excellent costumes at the office this year and every employee participated. We dressed up Thursday, the 28th, and had everything from a Vampiress to a Little Devil to BSU's #1 Fan. I "dressed" as a Denver Bronco Fan by wearing Orrin's old Elway jersey, putting black lines under my eyes, and orange ribbons in my hair. Not only do we have a costume contest but we also have cubicle/office decorating contest and the goal is to match your costume and your cubicle. This was the first year that I decorated my office (door) for Halloween. I'll include pictures of that below.

The decorations outside my office

The employees

Dawna, Joe, Owen and Noah let me go to their house Friday night for Pumpkin Carving. I seriously think I may have picked the thickest pumpkin ever and had to do a lot of "gutting" before I could actually carve. I ended up carving mine as well as one of the Burket pumpkins and had an enjoyable evening.

Our works of art - I carved the 2 on the far left. My pumpkin is the one that says "Boo!"

Thunder Mountain Line Pumpkin Train

2010-10-25T11:44:00.000-06:00

The weekend of October 23rd, Mom, Lisa and Hallie came into town for a visit. I love having family come to see us and was so glad that Mom decided to come last minute - a side note, we bought another bed and so we have a queen bed for the guest room now rather than just an air mattress, YAY! They got here Friday night and we had dinner at Red Robin and of course stayed up too late talking.

Saturday we headed to Horseshoe Bend (about 25 miles North of Boise) for a ride on the Pumpkin Train. The train went from Horseshoe Bend to Banks (1 hour) and then we got to pick a pumpkin and then ride the train back. We sat on an outside train car and it was a bit chilly but I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'll include pictures of our adventure below.

My cute sister and niece

Sweet little Hallie on the train

My favorite scenic shot of the day

The pumpkin patch when the train pulled up to Banks

Hallie with her pumpkin

Lisa and Hallie

Mom and Hallie

A shot of the train

Sunday was church (the primary program) and then dinner and dessert and then it was already time for my family to leave. It was a fast, but great weekend. Thanks for coming!

Baker Daily

2010-10-06T22:55:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update on what's going on with us here at the Baker household. Things are pretty much the same as always, work, sleep, work, sleep, work, sleep....with a few things inbetween.

Work is the same for both of us. I'm so grateful to have solid employment right now.

I'm having the opportunity to go out shoot a bit here and there, which I'm sure you've noticed due to my recent blog posts. I am enjoying learning when it comes to photography and hope to keep learning.

We have been released as the Sunday School teachers of the 17 year olds. Orrin is still the 3rd Sunday Elder's Quorum teacher and I have a new calling as a Primary Pianist. I have mixed emotions mostly because I loved teaching Sunday School and am really going to miss it. It is nice though because there are two pianists so we will be alternating hours by the month. The month of October I will play first hour and then be able to attend Relief Society so I'm grateful I'll still have that interaction with sisters in the ward. I've got my first assignment and will be playing at the Stake Baptism on Saturday. It's funny but I'm a little nervous. It has been a long time since I've accompanied at all. I'm slowly regaining my talent on the piano since getting ours this last March.

We've been in our house for over a year now and I can't believe how quickly time has passed. We love our house.

I'm super excited for Fall (the cooler weather). I can't help but get excited to carve pumpkins!

Happy October Everyone!

Hope 10.01.2010

2010-10-03T10:02:00.007-06:00

Hope was such a blast to work with. It took her a few minutes to get comfortable in front of the camera but as you can see she's gorgeous and was definitely an excellent subject to shoot. Enjoy!

Lisby Family 07.30.2010

2010-09-09T00:23:00.006-06:00

I was able to go to Denver for the blessing of my sister's new baby boy and she let me take their family pics while I was there. Nyah and Ryker both behaved like little champions that morning. What a cute family!

The Burket Bunch 07.21.2010

2010-07-22T23:08:00.006-06:00

I had the opportunity to take some photos of my really great friends, the Burket family. The following photos are some of what we came up with. Let me just tell you, the little boy pictured...has A LOT of energy! Enjoy!

07.14.2010 Purple Sage Golf Course

2010-07-17T10:06:00.006-06:00

First off, for those of you who have commented on the picture above, that pic at the top of our blog of Orrin and I is an engagement picture, and was taken 5+ years ago. I put it there to inspire me to lose weight. So far it hasn't helped and I'll probably take it down shortly.

This is how we (Orrin and I) spent Wednesday. It was Orrin's last day on his vacation from work so I also took the day off of work and went with him golfing. I didn't golf but was the official golf cart driver and also took my camera to play around. It was BEAUTIFUL weather and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm considering taking up golf, actually. Orrin teed off with 3 other random strangers and it ended up being an enjoyable day. Enjoy!

Orrin getting ready to tee off.

Random shots from throughout the rest of the day:

David & Kelsey McCracken 06.26.2010

2010-07-01T22:59:00.012-06:00

I was so excited to attend the wedding of David and Kelsey at the Logan temple this past Saturday. Kelsey (a great friend) asked me to take some photos at the reception. She had an outdoor reception and the weather was absolutely beautiful. My focus in addition to the newly weds was on the details of the reception. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your day. Here are a few from the event...Enjoy!

The Bride and Groom

The Cake (Kelsey's sister and my great friend, Jacquelyn, is SUPER talented and she did the cake(s))

The Details:

Popcorn Popping...

2010-04-18T17:06:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to share a couple of the things that I LOVE right now. Our neighbors have a beautiful tree in their front yard and this is what it looks like currently. I can't help but think of the primary song every time I look at it...so of course the first picture is when "I looked out the window..." even though it isn't an apricot tree.

and here's one taken from outside

The photo with the little pink blossom is of the tree in our front yard right outside our front window. I absolutely LOVE spring and can't get enough of all the blossoms.

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

2010-04-16T20:14:00.003-06:00

Do you have one? This is the latest Mormon Message. Elder Holland speaks with such power.
Just click HERE to watch the video.

Oralia Garcia and Family - Photo Shoot 04.03.2010

2010-04-11T21:51:00.008-06:00

Warmer weather is arriving which hopefully means more opportunities for me to get out and have some photo shoots. This group was fun and I love how the shots turned out...especially the candid ones! These kids sure love their abuela. Enjoy!

Here's the whole crew.

And the candid crew.

Oops!

2010-04-08T12:35:00.003-06:00

I just found this hilarious...San Francisco Giants player, Eugenio Velez trotted out onto the field Wednesday night wearing the jersey pictured above. I think they should probably spell check those Jersey's before they get sent out. Thanks for the laugh Majestic!

Myths and Realities

2010-03-25T14:41:00.003-06:00

This is a great video that clarifies some of the myths of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just click below on the Play button. Enjoy.

Date Night

2010-03-24T23:43:00.007-06:00

We had date night tonight...who am I kidding, with no kids, we have date night nearly every night! First we attended the temple. It's been way too long since we have gone to the temple and it was SO nice to be there! I hope that we can be more diligent in going to the temple on a regular basis.

After that we went to Big Jud's for dinner. We had both heard of it but were recently reminded of it's existence while watching this episode of Man vs. Food. Orrin did order the Big Jud (a 1lb. burger - literally the size of a large plate), however, he only made it half way through. I ate entirely too much food but enjoyed the night out with my hubby!

Birthdays and Anniversary

2010-03-19T12:44:00.008-06:00

Orrin's Birthday was on February 2nd (easy to remember since it falls on Groundhog Day) and we celebrated with friends. Orrin picked dinner at Red Robin and then we went back to our house for Oatmeal cake and cookie dough ice cream (Orrin's request also). It was my first time making Oatmeal cake but I think it turned out excellent. Then we went bowling at 20th Century Lanes. It was a fun evening.

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary was on March 10th. I can't believe it's been 5 years already. The time really has flown by. Orrin planned a fun evening for our anniversary. We had dinner at Goodwood Barbecue, one of our favorites and stayed in a theme suite at the Anniversary Inn. The room was pretty fancy. Here are some pictures for proof.

The Waterfall Shower

Breakfast brought to the room in the AM

The traditional gift for the 5th anniversary is something wood. So...we bought a piano!!! We actually just bought it on the 17th (What a "lucky" St. Patrick's Day) and it was delivered yesterday. I played for over an hour yesterday. Love it!

My birthday was on the 14th of this month and it was really great because Aaron, Lisa, Jordan, Hallie and Jana were here in town visiting for the weekend so it was fun to have them here to celebrate. I requested Yellow cupcakes with Homemade chocolate frosting for dessert so Jana and Lisa took care of that for me. Thanks! I can't believe how old I'm getting.

The Bucket List

2010-02-09T16:39:00.004-07:00

This was on the blog of a friend so I thought it might be a fun post. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. This is for your Entire Life!

(x) Shot a gun
(x) Gone on a blind date
( ) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) been to Canada
( ) Been to Alaska
( ) Been to Cuba
( ) Been to Europe
(x) Been to Las Vegas
(x) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Mt. Everest
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a cruise ship
( ) Served on a jury
(x) Been lost
(x)Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Played cowboys/girls and Indians
(x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x)Made prank phone calls.....
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain.
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone snow skiing (cross-country)
(x) Camped out under the stars
(x) Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away?
(x) Are or have been Married?
( ) Children?
(x) Had a Pet?
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors
(x) Been fishing
(x) Been boating
(x) Been water skiing
(x) Been hiking
( ) Been camping in a trailer/RV
( )Flown in a small 4 seater airplane
( ) Flown in a glider
(x) Been flying in a hot air balloon
( ) Been bungee-jumping or sky-diving
(x) Gone to a drive-in movie
( ) Done something that should have killed you
( ) Flown in a helicopter

1. Nickname? Shari O'Terry
2. Mother's name? Marilyn
3. Favorite drink? Hot Chocolate
4. Body Piercing? ears
5. Tattoos? none
6. How much do you love your job? I LOVE my job!
7. Birthplace? Pocatello, ID
8. Favorite vacation spot? Somewhere with perfect (60's to 70's) weather
9. Been to Africa ? No
10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Yes
11. Ever been on TV? I don't know.
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No
13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
14. What kind of car do you drive? Either a Honda Civic or Toyota Camry
15. Favorite number? 6
16. Favorite movie? I don't think I can name just one. I love movies
17. Favorite holiday? Christmas I guess.
18. Favorite dessert? Rocky Road or Cookie dough Ice cream.
19. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Hopefully a stay-at-home mom.
20. Who will respond to this? Whoever wants to.

Rachel Thurston Photography

2010-02-03T13:32:00.006-07:00

I've been following a photographer by the name of Rachel Thurston by way of her blog for over a year now. She inspires me and really is fabulous, smart and witty. She does AMAZING work and just launched a new website. You definitely HAVE to check it out! Her website is

http://www.rachelthurston.com/

There is a link to her site on my blog under the "incredible images" section. You can access her blog through the contact information on that site as well. I hope you LOVE it as much as I do. Enjoy!

Happy Christmas Eve!

2009-12-26T19:56:00.007-07:00

It really was so exciting to be able to be all together for Christmas! My side of the family was all there. One of the fun activities for Christmas Eve was taking family photos for Anna Karina and Ryan's Family. Here are some of my favorites...thanks for letting me take them!...so you may be able to tell that I had a difficult time narrowing down...

and the following is a sure indication that it's time to finish up...

Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-22T22:01:00.003-07:00

This year I was super excited to get a REAL Christmas tree. The last 3 years I've used an artificial 3 and a half foot tree that has sat on an end table in our apartment. Since we are in our house now we went for the first time together and picked our tree. It smells SO good and we think it's perfect. We went and picked it out on December 1st (I've enjoyed it every minute) and got it decorated the following day. Here is a before and after picture. I told my dad that he needs to give me lessons on how to make the lights look just right since he is the experienced one but for the first time I don't think it turned out too bad at all. Merry Christmas!

Adorable Isaac

2009-11-28T18:12:00.013-07:00

I went out on a little photo shoot today with some friends to take some photos of their son. His name is Isaac and he is ALMOST 2 years old. He is SO much fun and has SO much personality. Here are a some of my favorites of today's shoot. Enjoy!

Thankful Thought #25

2009-11-25T09:57:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for the Ensign. While I was eating breakfast I read an arcticle from December's magazine and it was SO good. I'm so glad that we can read the words of our church leaders whenever we want. So blessed!

Thankful Thought #24

2009-11-24T15:15:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for short work weeks...We're headed to Pocatello for Thanksgiving and it seems like it's been forever since we've been there.

Thankful Thought #23

2009-11-23T23:38:00.003-07:00

Today I'm especially thankful for my Dad. Today is his birthday! Among SO many things...I'm thankful for his example in so many aspects of life. I am thankful for his strength in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for his example of hard work - both in providing for our family as well as hard work in his church callings. I am thankful that he holds the Priesthood and that he honors it. I'm thankful that I can go to him at any time for a blessing. I feel so blessed to have him as my Dad - the best dad in the whole world! Love you!

I LOVE this pic of my dad. This is truly his "real" smile.

Thankful Thought #22

2009-11-22T19:24:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for tasty Sunday dinners with my in-laws. Not only do we eat terrific food but that also means that I don't have to cook. Delicious!!!

Thankful Thought #21

2009-11-21T23:48:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful I was able to spend the whole day with my husband. Got to sleep in together, go to breakfast (at 2pm), Grocery shop, hang out at home and then watch the UFC fights with friends. He is my best friend and I'm so glad we have so much fun together.

Thankful Thought #20

2009-11-20T22:48:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for nice, warm, sunny days...because today it is FREEZING outside. The wind is blowing and it's just plain cold. I am NOT ready for winter!

Thankful Thought #19

2009-11-19T22:11:00.001-07:00

I'm thankful that Orrin cooked dinner tonight. Not only did he cook but then he cleaned the kitchen and did ALL the dishes. I am so blessed.

Thankful Thought #18

2009-11-18T21:05:00.002-07:00

Today I'm thankful for my contacts/glasses. My eyes have been bothering me (not sure why) and so instead of being able to wear my contacts I've been wearing my glasses. Well today I went to get my hair done and so I couldn't wear my glasses during the color and then cut. I am blind as a bat and am so glad that I have glasses/contacts so that I can see clearly.

Thankful Thought #17

2009-11-17T20:32:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for new shoes. I splurged on Saturday and purchased some new shoes. I've been in denial of the cold weather and still been wearing sandals...brrrr. Turns out that my new shoes are SUPER comfortable. I love them.

I'm Thankful for. . .#16

2009-11-16T17:56:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for my little sisters weekly letters. She's a great missionary and although I'm very excited to have her home (one month from today), I will miss her letters.

Thankful Thought #15

2009-11-15T21:53:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for church callings. I was sustained and set apart as a Sunday School teacher for the 16 & 17 year olds today and I am super excited. I really feel like I needed a calling to give me more of a purpose in the ward. Being in a new ward can be a challenge at times and a calling is definitely a blessing. Plus with this calling I still get to attend Relief Society and get to know the sisters there. Yay!

Thankful Thought #14

2009-11-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful that most nights it's just me and Orrin home alone.

Thankful Thought #13

2009-11-13T23:00:00.002-07:00

Today I'm thankful for nights out with my husband and good friends. Tonight we (Orrin and I - yes, he's feeling pretty well especially considering he just had surgery yesterday) went to dinner with some friends and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Relaxing and just plain fun. I love to laugh and definitely had my share tonight. Good times.

Thankful Thought #12

2009-11-12T18:26:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for modern medicine, a great surgeon, and pain pills. Orrin had his gallbladder removed and they were able to remove it laparoscopically. Yay! No large incisions. He has 4 small incisions in his tummy. He went into surgery at 12:00 and was out 45 minutes later. The surgery went great and Dr. Verner said that there was a good sized gall stone in his gallbladder but that it came out pretty easy. So he went into recovery and then we were able to leave the hospital by 2:45. I know that Orrin is going to hurt a bit but am glad that he'll have pain pills to help him feel better while recovering. I feel blessed to live in this day and age when all of these things are made available to us when needed. I continue to count my blessings!

Thankful Thought #11

2009-11-11T23:32:00.001-07:00

It's late and today I'm thankful for our comfortable bed. Good night!

Thankful Thought #10

2009-11-10T21:35:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and mouth wash. One of my favorite parts of my day each day is brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouth wash. I love how I feel after I've brushed and how fresh and clean my teeth and mouth are. Love my Oral-B Electric toothbrush. (This is not meant to be an advertisement for Oral-B). Hey, you've got to appreciate the little things as well, right?

Thankful Thought #9

2009-11-09T23:46:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful that my tummy is feeling better and continues to heel. Today was the first day that as my work day ended I didn't think, "I can't wait to get these jeans off and get into something more comfortable." Yay for a healthy body and the miraculous thing that our bodies are! I really am thankful for so many simple things each day.

Eva's Maternity Shoot

2009-11-08T18:31:00.011-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to take some maternity photos for Eva, a friend at work. The weather was bright and shiny and it was a perfect day to be at the park. Here are some of the shots that I got. I hope Eva loves them. Isn't she a beautiful soon-to-be-mom?

Thankful Thought #8

2009-11-08T15:09:00.004-07:00

Today I am thankful for Joseph Smith, first prophet of this dispensation and the prophet of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was a prophet and I love him and am thankful for his courage to be obedient. I have never doubted Joseph Smith or the First Vision, as long as I can remember I have felt the truthfulness of those things and am grateful for that. I've had many experiences to solidify that testimony and am truly blessed.

Thankful Thought #7

2009-11-07T14:02:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for the beautiful fall weather. The sky is blue with a few clouds and the sun is shining. I have a photo shoot with a friend at 2:30 and it's perfect out. I love the fall!

I didn't take this photo but found it online. Wish I could take the credit.

Thankful Thought #6

2009-11-06T15:36:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for my mom. I get to talk to my mom on the phone nearly EVERYDAY. I am so grateful for her support in all that I do. She was able to come here for my surgery and then stay for 9 days and she was so much help. More than anything it was having her at the hospital and here at home to talk to...I believe that's what kept me from going insane during my time off of work. I feel so blessed to have her as my mom...the best mom in the whole world. Thanks Mom!

Thankful Thought #5

2009-11-05T19:42:00.005-07:00

My thankful thoughts continue...today I'm especially thankful for my husband. Among many other things I like that he makes me laugh, he's a hard worker, he helps me feel needed, and he loves me. Thanks to Orrin for being my best friend and for sticking by my side. Love you babe! Obviously these picture aren't recent, but are a couple of our engagement pictures. He's SO cute!

Thankful Thought #4

2009-11-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for my car. I bought it June 2004 and it's been paid off for a while now. It's been a great car and I LOVE not having to make payments. It's now got over 190,000 miles on it. Yay for a car that's still running! I' m hoping I've got a few more years with it still.

This isn't my actual car, but mine looks just like this one.

Thankful Thought #3

2009-11-03T17:54:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for gym shorts. By the end of the work day my tummy is EXHAUSTED of wearing jeans. The incision is nearly all healed, but the doc said to expect it to be tender for at least another month. Thank heaven for gym shorts.

Thankful Thought #2

2009-11-02T17:48:00.003-07:00

Today I am thankful for our employment. Both Orrin and I are blessed to be employed and to be able to pay all of our bills. I know that there are so many that are struggling right now. We truly are blessed.

I am Thankful for...

2009-11-01T21:53:00.004-07:00

I stole this idea from a friend, thank you Marianne, but each day in November I'm going to post one thing that I'm thankful for. There may be pictures and there may not be but I'll post something. It may seem like something small and insignificant but whatever stands out for the day is what I'm going to post.

November 1st - I'm Thankful for a home, and a warm (The temperature and how "warm" it really is may be debatable for those who visit) home to boot. Orrin and I like it a bit cooler than some. :)

This is our lovely gas fireplace. We use it nearly every day, and it's so fun!

Be sure not to miss my 2 Halloween posts below!

Halloween Day at the Baker Residence 2009

2009-10-31T22:09:00.005-06:00

Happy Halloween everybody! Today felt like a normal Saturday for me other than I carved 2 pumpkins, saw lots of kids dressed in costumes and handed out tons of candy. I thought I would share a little about how the day went.

Orrin was able to get off of work early and carve a pumpkin. He designed one with a scary face. I used two templates from books that I bought. One with a skeleton head and one with Vampire hands coming up from a grave...you'll see them in the pictures.

Our friends Joe and Dawna brought over little Owen in his costume. He was dressed as Mickey Mouse. Then the Bentley family came over so we could see their kids all dressed up. Collin was a Ninja, Nolan was Bumblebee the Transformer and Trevin was a spider. All the kids were so cute.

Cassidy and Kelli came over and we had pizza and played Rockband. That was Halloween 2009 in a nutshell. Enjoy!

Orrin hard at work carving his masterpiece

His masterpiece all lit up

This one took me FOREVER.

The skeleton one took maybe a 1/2 hour.

Here's little Mickey Mouse (Owen)

The spider

Bumble Bee and Ninja

All three.

Happy Halloween 2009!

2009 Office Halloween

2009-10-30T11:53:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was my office Halloween party. We had a costume contest as well as a cubicle decorating contest. I did dress up but did not find the motivation to decorate my office. There turned out to be great costumes and it was so fun to have so much office participation. Halloween is our Sales Manager, Myla's favorite Holiday so it's quite the ordeal. Here are photos, enjoy!

Left to Right: Shrek (Dan), Fiona (Myla), Christmas Tree (Robin), Sexy Zebra (Jessica), Angel (Anjanette), Farmer (Norma), Vampiress (Tonya), Inmate (Deann), Pirate (Eva), Wahini (Shari), Witch (Kimberly).

Costume Contest Winners Shrek and Fiona

Cubicle and Costume Theme Winner - Vampiress

Little Red Riding Hood

Gypsy

Pirate

Inmate

Christmas Tree

Wahini

Happy Halloween!!!

Fabian's Senior Photos 10.10.2009

2009-10-11T15:07:00.010-06:00

Yay! A friend at work asked if I would be available to take her younger brother's senior portraits. I'm so glad that I was because Fabian was a lot of fun and has a great smile and personality. I had a hard time choosing, but here are a few of my favorites:

Get Well

2009-10-04T11:41:00.003-06:00

While at the hospital for my surgery I was so excited to get flowers. They really were beautiful and they lived for a LONG time too. So I got to enjoy them the whole time I was off of work recovering.

These ones are from my family

These ones are from Jenni (mission companion) and Jerrie

I feel so lucky to have so many friends and family who care. Great friends brought in deliecious food to eat (Thanks again) and my Mom was able to stay with me for a week and a half. She helped me keep my sanity while "stuck" at home all day, every day. Get Well cards in the mail even. I'm a lucky girl.

Thanks for everything. Love you.

Walsh Family Photos

2009-10-03T16:17:00.009-06:00

So fun! The Walsh family came to Boise and I took their family pictures today. I was pleased with how they turned out and hope that they will be as well. Here are a few from the bunch. Enjoy!

Closing on our First House!!!---08.14.2009

2009-09-20T16:42:00.003-06:00

Here's the pictures of us right after we signed all of the paperwork to close on our house. Do we look happy, because we were!!!

Left to Right:

Tanja Cullum (Realtor), me, Sheila Moore (Loan Officer), Orrin

Grandma Pincock's 85th Birthday!

2009-09-19T16:42:00.002-06:00

That same weekend turned out to be the perfect weekend in Pocatello because I got to join family in celebrating Grandma Pincock's 85th Birthday. One of Grandma's favorite places to eat is the Sizzler so that's where the party was at. Lots of family took part and it was great to be able to celebrate another year with Grandma!

Here's Grandma Pincock

Rasmussen Family Pictures

2009-09-18T18:05:00.007-06:00

The same weekend of Mariah's Baby Shower (post below) I had the opportunity to take pictures of some of my favorite people, the Rasmussen Family. This is a wonderful group of friends. Thanks for the opportunity! Here are a few of the shots.

The entire Rasmussen Family

Grandma Nadine (G-Dawg) and all of her grandkids

Nadine and her girls.

Tonda's Family

Carla's Family

Audra's Family

Janna's Family

Gayla's Family

Dawna's Family

Love them.

Mariah Ostler's Baby Shower---08.14.2009

2009-09-18T17:40:00.007-06:00

August 14th I headed to Pocatello for a fun-filled weekend. Friday night Lisa and I hosted a baby shower for our sweet cousin, Mariah Ostler. We enjoyed both sweet (chocolate fondue) and the healthy (vegetable tray) treats, GREAT company, and some fun games. Thanks to everyone that came and supported Mariah & Brad in their upcoming adventure. Can't wait to meet that sweet little boy! Here are a few long awaited pics from the event.

Decorations...the cute $3 Monkey

Chocolate Fondue

Vegetable Tray

Mariah and her sweet tooth.

Who guessed closest to the circumference of Mariah's cute tummy?

Time to open presents...

Here's a pic of everyone that attended. Such a fun group of family and friends!

Big News!

2009-08-31T21:22:00.002-06:00

Well, we closed on our house on Monday, August 17th and got moved into it the following Monday, August 24th. We hired movers and boy were we glad. They were well worth the money spent! We started with the movers at 8am that morning and they had everything into the house by 11am. Also the painter finished about that same time and the kitchen and office look marvelous. Red, "Heartthrob" in the kitchen and a neutral tan, "Sands of Time" in the office. Love it! Once I get everything put together and pictures on walls I'll take some photos so you can see just how great our house is.

Another item of big news...I had been putting off a visit to the gynecologist. Orrin went ahead and made an appointment for me so I would stop procrastinating. I had an appointment this last Thursday, the 27th. When the nurse practitioner was doing my pelvic exam and feeling my tummy she said that it felt extra tight and something wasn't right so she went to see if there was an opening for an ultra sound. So we (Orrin went with me) finished with the NP at about noon and at 12:3o I had my first ultra sound. During the ultra sound she found a large mass called a Uterine Fibroid (a muscle growth that some women get). Mine is abnormally large and is approximately the size of a good-sized grape fruit. The NP used the words "ginormous mass". The OB oncologist looked at my ultra sound and doesn't think it looks cancerous so that's definitely good news. So...I have surgery next Tuesday, Sept 8th and they're gonna cut it out. It's large enough that they can't remove it laparoscopically so they actually have to cut me open.

To be honest, I'm pretty nervous. I've never even had stitches or a broken bone and now I have to be sliced open. My pre-op with the doctor is tomorrow afternoon and pre-op at the hospital is Wednesday. So wish me luck! I'm sure the surgery will go well. The goal is to keep the uterus nice and healthy so that I may have a baby at some point. So that's that.

We went to our ward for the first time yesterday...or thought we were. When we got to church at 11am we found out that it was stake conference, so we were an hour late and thus only had one hour of church. Orrin wasn't sad about that.

Tonight I mowed our lawn at the new house for the first time. Our realtor, who is amazing by the way, hooked us up with their old lawn mower and so I was thrilled. It cut the grass perfectly.

I also finished unpacking and organizing the kitchen tonight...now perhaps I will cook meals instead of eating out ALL the time.

So that's what's going on in life at this point.

Miniature Golf

2009-07-30T18:26:00.007-06:00

Two Wednesdays in a row this month Orrin and I spent the evening at Wahooz where we played some intense games of Mini Golf. Wednesdays are called "Crazy Eight" Wednesdays which means that you can get 4 Attractions for $8. The first Wednesday that we went, we played a round of miniature golf and then each played some skee ball. I beat Orrin in the round of mini golf. So then game was on for the next Wednesday, neither of us likes to lose. So the following Wednesday evening we played BOTH mini golf courses. Orrin won the first round and I won the second. So I was the mini-golf champ best 2 out of 3...not that we're competitive at all. Here are a few photos from the event. It was HOT and FUN!

The obvious Self-Portrait.

The cute course.

My cute husband getting ready to putt.

Another pic of the cute course.

More Pictures.

2009-07-27T22:00:00.005-06:00

Here are some additional pictures of the house...all continues to go well in the buying process!

Living Room

Eating Area

Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bath 1
Master Bath 2
Main Bathroom

Utility/Laundry Room

Back of House

Our House!!!

2009-07-16T13:16:00.004-06:00

We began looking for the "perfect" house in February. We've put offers on a couple since then and neither have worked out. There always seemed to be multiple offers. So Tuesday evening 07.14.2009 we went and looked at a listing that our realtor had sent to us earlier that day. After we looked at it we knew we needed to put an offer on it. We put our first offer in and they counter-offered, then we counter-offered, then they counter-offered. Last night at about 9:30 we accepted their counter-offer. It is SO cute! We are super excited. So if all goes as planned and the inspection goes well Monday then we'll be homeowners on August 17th. Yay!

Here's what the front of it looks like. Once we actually own it and move in I'll share lots of pictures!

Mom's Birthday and Father's Day!

2009-06-27T13:44:00.003-06:00

Poor Mom and Dad. Mom's special day, her actual birthday, was overshadowed by the events of the Ragnar Relay 2009-Wasatch Back. And Father's Day was the same weekend. So Thursday, June 18th before the weekend began we took some time to celebrate for Mom and Dad. We gave Mom new shoes. They're the brand Keen and she has wanted some for quite some time now. For Father's Day we gave Dad a new office chair. He spends enough time at work that comfort is key. Here are a few pictures from the evening. You'll see that Nyah and Hallie found great entertainment from the box from the office chair and the office chair itself. Nyah did great at spinning Hallie "round and round".

Mom let the little girls help blow out the candles.

Here's Dad in his new chair.

Here are the girls playing in the chair box.

Such a fun start to an eventful weekend.

Birthday Boy!

2009-06-11T21:28:00.011-06:00

On June 6th, Owen Matthew Burket turned 1 year old! I can't believe how quickly the year passed, and neither can the Burket family. It'll be a year this coming Sunday (the 14th) that they were blessed to get Owen. Dawna planned a birthday bash with a "Safari" theme. It was planned for the back yard but because of rainy weather (what's up with all this rain we've been getting?) the party ended up being inside. As you can imagine, the party was perfect from start (invitations) to finish (birthday cake). Dawna really does plan great parties. We had a dinner with hamburgers, hot dogs, fruit, and lots of yummy salads.. The party even included a lion pinata and the kids making puppets of Safari animals...so fun! So here are a few pictures from the incredible event. Dawna, Joe, and Owen, thanks for including me in the fun...so glad I could be there!

Here's the Birthday Boy!---in the back yard before the party.

Here's the yummy spread...and when I say yummy, I mean it!

Here's Owen during dinner, so happy to be eating! He loves black beans!

Here is Owen's very own Birthday cake to dig into. Dawna decorated it from start to finish, she's a natural!

Here's the matching cake for the party goers to eat!

And check out these cupcakes...Dawna found pictures online and we decided to go for it. We think ours turned out even better than the ones online. We did ones that had Lion, Monkey, and Zebra faces...so cute!

In this picture Owen is just getting started.

He's got it figured out.

The finished product...nice work Owen!

Cassidy and Kelli Bond 05.16.2009

2009-05-18T13:00:00.009-06:00

Congratulations to Cassidy and Kelli on their wedding in the Boise, Idaho LDS Temple!!! Cassidy and Orrin have been friends FOREVER! We're so excited for them. Here are some of the shots I got of them after their sealing. I followed them around as their photographer took photos. I think they turned out great!

Photo Shoot #2 - Hallie Jordan 05.09.2009

2009-05-12T12:13:00.008-06:00

My younger sister, Lisa, gave me the opportunity to take pictures of her little girl, Hallie, when I was in Pocatello for Mother's Day/Jana's Phone Call. We went to the I.S.U. campus and let Hallie roam around and do her thing. It was quite the experience. I was trying to shoot everything on manual and by the time I was all ready to go and had everything set right Hallie had already moved on. She was my first experience taking pics of a child and I have A LOT to learn! I did have some shots turn out cute though - here are a few, she's absolutely adorable.

Photo Shoot #1 - Maternity Pics

2009-05-01T11:32:00.003-06:00

Lacey, Travis and soon-to-be Serenity Lee

Orrin gave me a new camera (Nikon D40x - Love it!) about a year and a half ago and I'm finally getting the guts up to take pics of other people. Here are some of the shots I took of Robin's daughter, Lacey, and her fiance Travis. (I work with Robin). Lacey requested Black and White however I am happy that I took a few in color. Overall I am pleased with how they turned out.

Happy Adoption Day Burket Family! 03.26.2009

2009-03-27T17:28:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was a day to celebrate!!! The adoption of Owen Matthew Burket to Dawna and Joe was finalized! It was long overdue and so exciting to make it official. Dawna and Joe are amazing parents and love Owen SO much. Of course Dawna went all out and it was a real party. I felt so very privileged that Dawna asked me to decorate the cake for the event. I think it turned out so cute and was perfect for the event. Here are a few pictures from the day!

Here's Owen!

Here is the banner...and the balloons!

Here's the Happy Burket Family

This is the Burket family with their attorney and the Honorable David Evans (Judge)

This is the cake-it says Adoption is AWESOME!

and this is the cake next to peanut M&M's---so cute!

Don't miss the other new posts below...

The Big 28! 03.14.2009

2009-03-27T17:14:00.003-06:00

Yep, that's right. I'm 28 years old now. My birthday was a blast. We met friends (Dawna, Joe, and Owen---Adam, Brandi, Collin, Nolan and Trevin---Joe, Stephanie and Isaac) at Red Robin for dinner. It was so fun to have so many friends all together. They had us jam-packed into this area at the back of the restaurant...8 adults and 5 kids...good times! Dinner was awesome and then some of them were able to come back to our place for cake and ice cream. Orrin went above and beyond and made my favorite cake (completely from scratch). I picked chocolate cookie sheet cake and loaded chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! Yum!!! Despite being sick, it was such a fun night. Here are some photos from the event.

4th Anniversary 03.10.2009

2009-03-27T16:55:00.005-06:00

Yay! It's already been a year! I am so blessed to be married to my best friend. He treats me like a real princess. Orrin is a very hard worker and I am so grateful that he works all the hours that he does to provide for the needs (and the wants) that we have. We have so much fun together and he has such a great sense of humor. Love you Babe! The traditional Anniversary gift for year number four is fruit or flowers so I was super excited to receive these beautiful flowers from Orrin...He even had them sent to work. They really were SO beautiful and they lasted for SO long. Orrin uses Oopsy Daisy Floral in Nampa (I work in Nampa) and they always do a beautiful job. I gave Orrin a tie that was kind of floral looking (more paisley) for our anniversary. We went to dinner and then hung out for the evening. It was a pleasant and relaxing anniversary.

Happy 26th Birthday Orrin!

2009-02-07T01:00:00.007-07:00

February 2nd (Groundhog Day) was Orrin's Birthday. He picked dinner at Texas Roadhouse and had requested a 3-layer Rainbow Chip (Confetti) Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for Dessert. So that's what I made. It turned out really yummy...you can't beat homemade Cream Cheese Frosting. For his birthday he got Scene It? (old and new) for the Xbox 360. It's been fun but unless he tells me some answers so that I can catch up he beats me every time. He's a total movie buff. I was a total dork and even blew up some balloons (with a balloon pump) for his birthday.

Here's the 3-layer Cake that Orrin Requested. I think it turned out great. He didn't want anything on top that resembled the number 26. Orrin's feeling old because he's now in a different demographic. So I just put a random number of candles on top...no 26.

This is Orrin and his cake before we lit the candles.

Here's Orrin blowing out the candles. Gotta love the puffy cheek pictures.

Here's the cute cake with a couple slices cut out.

Here's Orrin getting ready to enjoy his Birthday Cake in the "special" Red bowl.

I mentioned above that I gave Orrin the Xbox game Scene It? Well, here are the scores from one of the games. This will probably be the only time that I beat him (I'm blue). He gave me a ton of the answers so that I'll play with him again. Such a good husband.

Friends

2009-02-07T00:41:00.003-07:00

You know what I'm grateful for? Friends. When I hit about age 20 I became GREAT friends with the Lawson Family. Laurel, Jacquelyn, and Kelsey mostly but Rick really loves me too. We hung out all the time and I was at their house 'til all hours of the night on a regular basis (that's how Rick's love for me grew at such a rapid pace). I left on the mission and returned and it was as if not a day had gone by. We picked up right where we had left off. I laugh so much when I'm with them. When I was in Pocatello over the holidays I got to go to lunch with Laurel, Jac and Kelsey. It was a great way to start off the new year. Good Times. We ate at Chili's. Look how cute we are...

Kelsey and Laurel

Jacquelyn (Jac is what I call her) and I

Tradition---Special Red Plate and Bowl

2009-02-06T23:25:00.005-07:00

My family had an awesome tradition growing up that for any special occasion we got to use a Special Red Plate and Bowl. So whether it was our birthday, or if we accomplished something great, then we got to use them. There was a journal that went along with it to record what the event was, and what we ate.

So for Christmas 2008 my parents surprised each of us and gave us a red plate and bowl. I was so excited. We got to use ours for the first time on January 6th. Orrin has been attending B.S.U. as a part-time non degree seeking student and found out on January 6th that he had been accepted full-time. Yay! So Orrin got to use the Special Red Plate and Bowl. I made Enchilada Casserole (a recipe from Dawna) and we had peaches too. Dinner was yummy and I was so excited to record the event in our journal. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Here's Orrin that day and a couple pictures from dinner. Yum!!!

Isn't he so handsome?

Christmas Baking

2009-02-04T16:53:00.007-07:00

A few years ago, my friend Dawna and I started a tradition. Every year during December we get together and spend an entire day making/baking goodies to share with friends and family. Our Christmas goodies have become popular and there are even some who talk about them year-round. Dawna hurt her back and felt awful this year but we did it anyway. This year we made lots of yummy stuff.

We made:

Sugar Cookies

Rice Krispy Rolls

Pumpkin Bread

Chex Mix

Cream Cheese Mints

Fudge

S'mores on a Sitck

White Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Peppermint Bark

Butterscotch/Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

Milk Chocolate Peanut Clusters, and

White Chocolate Peanut Clusters

12 items total!...

and I think Dawna probably made Peanut Brittle the following day. I was there from 11 am to just after 11 pm. Long day and lots of fun. This was the first year a little one was involved in the fun. Owen (Dawna and Joe's little guy) was there to start it on the tradition. I love it and look forward to it every year. Thanks for the fun Dawna, Joe and Owen!

Here are some pictures from the event:

Here are the ingredients before we got started

Here's adorable little Owen getting in on the excitement

Here are some after pictures

These are the S'mores on a Stick (one of my favorites)

Brayden's 2nd Birthday

2009-02-02T18:34:00.008-07:00

The day Orrin picked me up from Twin Falls (January 4th) was Brayden Baker's (our nephew) Birthday. He turned two. It was fun to see him get excited about each of his gifts and eat his cupcake and ice cream. Here are a few pictures from the event. We got Brayden a cute puzzle with trucks and a bath tub crayons. It was a fun night.

Here's Brayden before the party got started.

Marcie had the apartment decorated all cute for the party.

Here is Brayden opening his gift from Orrin and I. I found it humorous that he was more interested in the ribbon than he was in the puzzle itself. Gotta love kids!

And here he is enjoying his birthday treats. Yum!

Jerrie's Birthday (Still catching up)

2009-02-02T00:10:00.006-07:00

One of my favorite mission companions (Jenni Chambers Martinez) and her husband live in Twin Falls. I was lucky and on my way back from Pocatello that I got in on Jerrie's Birthday Celebration. His Birthday is January 3rd. It was so fun to hang out with them and then I stayed there at their house that night. Orrin came and got me the next day. Jenni made delicious enchiladas for dinner and super yummy Chocolate Molten Cakes for dessert. They were just like the Molten Cake at Chili's except for they were better. That is now what I want for my birthday treats. YUMMY! Here are a few pictures from the party. They had also gotten a dog earlier in the week. Included is a picture of Carlos (the dog). I can't figure out how Jenni avoided all of the pictures I took. Happy Birthday Jerrie!

Here's Jerrie and Nate

Here's the amazing Chocolate Molten Cake

and here's Carlos. I think Jenni lost her mind when she bought a dog.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-28T17:58:00.009-07:00

I was able to stay in Pocatello and be with my family from Christmas Eve until January 3rd (I'm sure Orrin really missed me). It was great to be able to spend more time with them than normal. I spent a great deal of my vacation playing Wii Fit...so fun! The only thing I didn't like is that when it weighed me, my Mii plumped up. I have to say it made me laugh though.

For New Year's Eve we went to the church building and spent time with the Shurtliff side of the family. We ate yummy Enchiladas/Lasagna. The kids ran around in the gym and amidst the chaos the adults got the chance to play some games. A few played Sequence and a group played some Catch Phrase. I didn't get very many pictures but I did get a few random ones.

First, here's Nyah. She walked into the gym and saw Mariah's shoes. She immediately took her shoes and socks off in order to get Mariah's on. It was so cute to see her walk around in those high heels. She loves to wear other people's shoes.

Here's a picture of Lisa and Mariah. They're both so beautiful. When they were little they cut the blonde hair off of my doll and used it to make a sun in their art project. Memories...

A couple of pictures of my cute nieces. First Nyah and then Hallie. That's what Hallie does when you ask to see her Happy Face. SO adorable!

Here's Jordan and Hallie. So cute!

At midnight there were a few that went out and set off some fireworks, I went out for a minute or two but is was too cold for me. So that's pretty much the extent of my New Year's. Fun, fun and more fun. Another update soon!

Long Overdue. . . Christmas 2008

2009-01-26T23:01:00.021-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. Here goes nothin'. First off, Christmas. Here are a couple pictures of our little Christmas Tree. I really wanted a large tree this year but realize with limited space that I may have to wait a few more years. I was pleased with how it turned out. It really was super cute.

Orrin and I spent Christmas in Pocatello with my side of the family. We headed to Pocatello on Christmas Eve around 5 pm and got there (to the Lewis home) at about 9:15. It was snowy but we missed the storm that hit Boise just after we left so we left just in time. The roads weren't really bad until we got to the Burley area. We took it nice and slow to ensure getting there safe and sound. It is tradition for our family and the Lewis family to spend Christmas Eve together eating, playing games and hanging out. Good memories there.

For Christmas morning all of the Pincock family was together except for Jana of course, she's in Argentina serving a full-time mission. It was the traditional Christmas morning with Dad wearing his Santa hat and handing out the gifts. It was super fun to watch Nyah and Hallie (our adorable nieces) in their Christmas excitement. Here's Dad in his Santa hat and Nyah with her Bouncing/Rocking Horse from Santa.

My mom made matching hats for Nyah and Hallie for Christmas, aren't they adorable?

I was thrilled to surprise Orrin with his Christmas gift and was excited for all that I received as well. The highlight for me was being able to talk to Jana. Even though we know Jana is serving our Father in Heaven we missed having her home with us. Her mission president gave her 40 minutes to talk with the family and we enjoyed every last second.

It snowed, and snowed, and snowed. Here is what it looked like in my parent's backyard on Christmas morning. Isn't it beautiful?

Christmas was wonderful and I'm so glad that we were able to be in Pocatello with everyone else to celebrate the Holidays. New Year's Eve is Next. . .

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-07T00:51:00.004-07:00

We spent this Thanksgiving with Orrin's family. It was small, a lot different than being with my side of the family. We relaxed and enjoyed the day. My assignment and contribution to dinner was Deviled Eggs. Brad and Janet made a beautiful Thanksgiving Dinner, turkey, ham, and all the fixin's.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-11-23T10:45:00.004-07:00

Want to wish my dad a Happy Birthday. He turns 56 today. Here are a few of the things that I love about my dad: My dad is very supportive to each of us, he has a good sense of humor, he is VERY dedicated to his church callings, he loves my mom, he's a great teacher/speaker, I love his passion when he tells a good baseball story, he's an amazing dutch oven chef, and he's very family oriented. I think if everyone had a dad like my dad we'd all be alright. Happy Birthday Dad! Love you!

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-21T22:08:00.008-07:00

I wanted to pay a little tribute as a Happy Birthday to my older sister, Anna Karina. Anna Karina turns 32 years old today. She is the best older sister in the whole world. Among a million other things she is an incredibly hard worker, intelligent, beautiful, faithful, dedicated to her family (she's an awesome mom) and shows sincere interest for the well being of those around her. I know that if I need someone to chat with or vent to that she will be there. Thanks for being you. I love you AK! Happy Birthday!

Change

2008-11-09T17:52:00.004-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to decide when change should happen? So exciting all the possibility of change taking place here in America. I'm now working toward that same excitement for the changes that took place in the "special meeting" at church today. There were SIGNIFICANT changes in our Stake boundaries. Not only are we in a newly created ward, we are now in a different stake. Crazy! Our ward was divided between FIVE different wards. It's funny, I was just getting to know some people in the ward. Wouldn't it be nice...

Did You Vote?

2008-11-04T15:12:00.004-07:00

I'm proud to be an American! I voted today!

Tagged. Fourth Folder, Fourth Photo

2008-11-03T23:43:00.003-07:00

This is Nolan, Adam and Brandi's middle child. I took this at Collin's Birthday Party. His party was at Pump it Up and the kids had tons of fun. We really like spunky little Nolan.

Pumpkin Carving Fun!

2008-10-31T17:52:00.007-06:00

I took some time today to carve a pumpkin for Halloween. Nothing like procrastination. I stopped at Wal~Mart after work today to find the "perfect" pumpkin. Last year they ran out so I was glad to find that there were still plenty to pick from. It took me something like two and a half hours to complete my carved pumpkin. For starters, there was no stump on top so it took me a LONG time to get the top cut off. Second, I think I chose the thickest pumpkin at the store, I scraped, and I scraped, and I scraped. I was initially quite ambitious and had planned on the spider as well as a saying and then lost ambition a long the way. All in all, I think it turned out pretty well. Orrin and I get to go hang with Dawna, Joe, and Owen tonight for a bit of Halloween fun. Happy Halloween Everyone!

This is what my pumpkin looked like before I started.

There's me and my pumpkin.

Done!

And there's my pumpkin all lit up on our front porch.

The Office Halloween

2008-10-30T14:06:00.005-06:00

Here is a picture of the people at work all dressed up in their costumes. There really were some great costumes.

Photography - Portraits

2008-10-21T18:05:00.004-06:00

My last photography class was last night. I'm sad to see it end but have a goal to continue shooting. The following photos are the ones I turned in for my portrait assignment...I feel pretty good about them. My professor really liked the first two below. Enjoy!

Photography Class

2008-10-13T22:08:00.010-06:00

Dawna and I are taking a Photography Class together through Boise State University Extended Studies. Dawna wants me to post the pictures that I've turned in for the various assignments, so here they are. The first 5 shots are for the first assignment - Light and Line. I missed the second assignment - Landscape/Object, due to my excellent trip to Denver, and then the second 4 shots are for the third assignment - Color Temperature. Our last assignment is due next Monday - Portrait. We'll see how that goes.

The next four are for the assignment - Color Temperature

Happy 1st Birthday Hallie Jordan!

2008-09-28T22:31:00.002-06:00

Today is Hallie's 1st Birthday. We're sad that we couldn't be there to celebrate. I can't believe it's been a year already since I got to hold my new little niece. She's adorable.