let it snow!

Ah, let it snow let it snow let it snow.

I'm feeling the Christmas jolliness wash over me. So many things to love, including this kid's face.

So classic.

Merry Christmas my dear friends!

in case you've been naughty

Consider yourself warned.

I think we've all learned a valuable lesson. Thanks Layton Hills Baptist Church.

before the rush...

Before the rush of Thanksgiving-Christmas-NewYears settles in and life becomes a complete blur, I've got some catching up to do. I have many neglected and un-blogged stories to tell and sun-filled pictures to flaunt before the first flakes fall. I, for one, am a winter lover. I'm frankly quite disappointed that there's not a foot of snow outside already. I prefer winter to start late September and continue through early May. But that's just me. So before I start rejoicing with each new snowfall, I thought I'd share one last glimpse of summertime. Glorious summertime.

Lake Powell, gotta love it.


Rhett celebrated an uneasy birthday for him while we were camping up in Idaho with our good friends Holly and Aaron Gough. Aaron had his birthday that weekend, too. It was camping birthday madness, I tell you. This glitter-tastic poster and some tree streamers were the best little surprise I could come up with out in the sticks while sharing a tent with the birthday boy. Frankly, it was hard to keep it hidden. And I had to wander off into the forest to apply the glitter, which was very difficult in the wind, by the way.


Rhett's coolest birthday present of all time:

Meet the RhettSki, the newest member of our family.
I found this sweet little baby on KSL. The flourescent streaks with purple accents make it especially hardcore.


Rhett surfing at Lake Powell


Me 1.37 seconds before falling while attempting to surf.


Meet Aaron and Holly Gough! A stunning couple if you ask me.
And there's my twin bro, Nate, flexing in the background.

Like this sweet boat? It's for sale and it's beautiful! I think it would make an excellent stocking-stuffer for that special someone on your list.


Aaron, below, surfing well. He and Holly put the rest of us to shame.


My studly younger brothers: Dallin and HEED (aka Josh). No need to explain where Heed's nickname came from. It's like an orange on a toothpick.

Hairy hand=unknown.


Below, Daddy D, aka THE CAP'N, showing off his mad air-chair skills.

Ever tried this boys? It's wicked hard. And my dad is a master.


Rhett, Nate, and Venessa on the Super Screamer... and it really is.



Best water slide of all time courtesy of ambitious boys with shovels:

They had a generator hooked up to a water pump carrying water to the top of the slide, then they rode a body board down and went shooting off the massive mound of dirt they had piled up as a jump at the bottom. They got terrifying amounts of air. These are strangers, by the way. They said they have a video of it on youtube, which they shouted to us from the shore. Heck if I heard what they said.


And my favorite part of Powell '08: THE CRACK.


I don't know how we found this place or if we could ever find it again in the future, but it was AMAZING. The pictures don't even capture it.

Dallin peeking out of the crack.

Nat & Rhett, Sarah and Mom

Nate & Venessa

us again

Heed & Dane. Dane is one of my awesome cousins.


The crew. Minus me, of course. I'm taking the picture.

Gosh I love this guy:

What the heck- window in the rock. So random.

Goodbye, sweet sunshine. May your reflection off the crunchy snow be the next I see of you.

Did you see it YET?!?

Let's see...

Exactly two hours and 43 minutes until the midnight showing of Twilight! Mock me if you must, but - -

I.

CAN.

NOT.

WAIT!

I have the tickets right here in my hot little hand. My oh-so-darling little sister in law got them for me weeks ago. (Thanks Brooke!) I'm heading up to the O-town to watch it with about a dozen girls from the Buttars/Saunders super-cool batch of hot ladies.

Who the heck even cares if we all have work early tomorrow morning? Irrelevant.

Hurry up and see it so we can discuss!

Did you?

in the air

I feel like good things are in the air.


Fall is here.


Halloween is upon us.

Good things are happening for Rhett and I. I feel so happy today.

I apologize for the blogging hiatus I have taken this summer. When blogging becomes a chore, it drops right off the bottom of my priority list - - which I think is ok. Blogging shouldn't be something I dread. So now that I've taken this little break, I'm feeling excited about dusting off the old blog again.

So let me take this moment to officially welcome myself back, since the rest of you have probably stopped checking this blog: Welcome, Natalie, welcome.

Happy Birthday Rhett

****
Every time I look at you the world just melts away
All my troubles all my fears dissolve in your affections
You've seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am
And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land

You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in

I get mad so easy but you give me room to breathe
No matter what I say or do 'cause you're too good to fight about it
Even when I have to push just to see how far you'll go
You wont stoop down to battle but you never turn to go

Your love is just the antidote when nothing else will cure me
There are times I cant decide when I cant tell up from down
You make me feel less crazy when otherwise I'd drown
But you pick me up and brush me off and tell me I'm OK
Sometimes thats just what we need to get us through the day

You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire, you save me, you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe

****(sometimes Sarah McLachlan says it better)****

Happy Birthday Rhett. Thank you for loving me.
Love you forever.

~Natalie




(Please forgive me for posting this picture. I'll always love it even if you'll always hate it.)