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Hello. I’m Here. Barely. August 23, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Family, My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Thoughts , 9comments

Hello internet.

Hello Pam.  Thanks for noticing my absence. :)

Honestly, I’ve got nothin’.

I’ve just come away from a  very, very bad week.  The kind that changes your life FOREVER.  (So you know, heavy stuff.)

To top it off, I was extremely busy with photo shoots last week (check my photo blog cause I’ve been posting there) which was great, but a bit stressful given our lovely week.

Sometimes life SUCKS.  BAD.

A few days ago, I photographed the kids of the dentist who fixed Hannah’s teeth.  During casual conversation with him and his wife, I started crying.

HELLO.  PEOPLE.  CRYING ON THE JOB.

Totally not cool.  Did I mention I don’t know these people?  Yep.  Just met the wife 30 seconds before the shoot and I’ve only seen the dentist while he was working on Hannah’s mouth.

What can I say, I’ve been out of sorts.

I have no juice.  I have nothing to write.

I have audibly reminded myself like a trillion times, “It’s not the challenges you receive in life, it’s how you handle them.”  David asked me why I kept saying that (out loud, to myself mind you) and I told him, “BECAUSE I NEED TO HEAR IT.”

In an effort to help, many people try to think of someone else they know who’s situation was worse than yours, and how things turned around and there was this beautiful ending . . .

Well, let me tell you folks . . .  IT DOESN’T HELP.

I’m not interested in comparing crappy situations.  Those heart warming stories (while nice and all) do not make me feel better one iota.  I know people are just trying to help, but seriously . . . JUST.  STOP.  IT.

I just want to be heard by people I know and trust, and then in some weird twisted way, I feel SO MUCH BETTER when people say. “Seriously, that DOES suck.”  What can I say?  I’m a woman who wants to be heard; the “problem solving” conversations are not helping.

Interestingly enough, earlier in the week I came across this video which I bawled throughout:

And you know what?  I have the most important things in place in my life.  I have a wonderful husband, two darling, healthy kidlets, a  supportive family, and I know God has not forgotten about us.

I have no idea what his plans are though.

The 13th Anniversary . . . SERIOUSLY? July 17, 2010

Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Thoughts , 2comments

Today is our 13th anniversary.

I don’t think any other sentence could make me feel older.  (OK, don’t start offering suggestions, I’m just sayin’ . . .)  13 years.  WOW.  Seriously?  Where has time gone?

One of our favorite movies is The Family Man (2001).  When we saw it in the theaters 10 years ago, I vividly remember a line Kate (Tea Leoni) said to Jack (Nicholas Cage): “How can you look at me like that?  Like you haven’t seen me everyday for the last 13 years?”

I remember thinking, “Man, they have been married FOREVER!”

Well.  Here we are friends.

We kicked off our anniversary last night by going to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.  Apparently, 10,000 other people had the same idea.  Still, our seats were good and the entertainment was amazing.  We then enjoyed a walk around downtown barefoot.  OK, now before you gag and throw up a LOT in your mouth, just know that LOTS of other people decided to go barefoot as well . . . I should know better than to hoof it all over town in shoes not conducive to walking long distances.  My feet felt so much better on the warm streets.  David on the other hand, is always barefoot, so this was just a normal night, for him . . . walking around downtown SLC barefoot.

We came home to our sweet sleeping children, and thought about drifting off to sleep ourselves until . . .

BLEH!  BLEH!  BLEH!

What the heck?!

Hannah started vomiting!  David stayed up with her all night while she vomited every 15 to 30 minutes while I got some shut eye.  I knew I made a good choice when I picked my spouse!

Up next?  David’s birthday, Hannah’s birthday, Jess’ wedding, Pioneer Day, and one big family party.  (Not to mention four photo shoots next week!  EEK!)

And that’s just the next seven days.

Oh boy!

I look forward to many more anniversaries with the one that God made for me!

A Very Random Account of Recent Events . . . June 22, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Utah , 4comments

My mother-in-law celebrated her 70th birthday a couple weeks ago.  Her three sisters (who all happen to live right here in the area) came by for a visit, so I took the opportunity to photograph them all together.  Good lookin’ group eh?

We celebrated Gloria’s big 7-0 at the Harmon Ranch (David’s sister and brother-in-law’s ranch up in South Fork Canyon) with family.

Hannah and Dallin particularly liked the goats, and Dallin accepted the challenge to head butt one of the goats.  Fortunately, David has cat-like reflexes and swooped in just in time to save Dallin’s cute little forehead from some mean goat horns.

Dallin loves to run.  He is either sleeping or running.  In fact, the most common question out of his mouth is, “I run around?”

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Hannah asked the primary president at church when she could give a talk in primary.  In Hannah’s words, she told the lady, “I’m DYING to give a talk.  When is it my turn?!”  Taken back by her request, (most kids do not volunteer to speak in primary,  especially not three-year-olds) she gave Hannah a speaking assignment right away.

Of course, Hannah took her “talk” very seriously, and practiced her talk diligently throughout the week.  This image is truly a snap shot . . . she set up the step and microphone (which is really a drum stick) to the “podium” to make her practice as real as possible.

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I snapped this picture on the iPhone.  My dad wheeled the kids around his backyard in this cart, and they loved it.  Seriously, who said Dallin could get so big?  He is my baby and must remain that way FOREVER!  Look at him!  He’s a little boy in this picture!

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We took the kids to the carnival in Eagle Mountain and David got into the carnival spirit.  There was a $20 bill at the top of this climb, so he gave it a try.  He was a little rusty on his climbing skills, and did not have chalk or his climbing shoes, but gave it his best shot anyway.  He rang the bell at the top but did not grab the $20 bill in time before he slipped.  Such a bummer.  The kids were even chanting, “GO DAD!” sending good vibes his way.

I know it’s completely not obvious in this picture, but Dallin is LOVING this ride.  He has mastered the “stoic” look quite well, even though he is bursting inside.

OK, now you can see he had a good time.  :)

Hannah asked to go on the Gravitron, which is like a crazy closet that spins you around until your feet come off the ground and you don’t know which way is up or down.  After you pee your pants and projectile vomit on all the passengers within 10 feet of you, the ride finally stops and you realize you’ve just ruined your entire night with motion sickness that will take HOURS to wear off.

Yes.  That is the ride Hannah wanted to go on.  I was secretly hoping she wouldn’t make the height requirement, but dang it, that girl is tall.  To my surprise, David and Hannah walked out all smiles.  In the moment she walked out of that vomit comet all happy and such, I was all, “Are you sure you belong to me?”

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Hannah and I met up with my friend Katie and her daughter to see our friend Bethany star in the play “Funny Girl.”  Hannah thinks Bethany is the star of every play now.  :)  Bethany was fabulous and is moving to Los Angeles next week where I’m sure she will shoot to super stardom overnight.

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This last weekend, we took the kids to the Strawberry Days Parade.  Hannah loved every second of it, and scored enough candy to rival her Halloween stash.  Dallin wasn’t as impressed with it.  He only cared for the horses and balloons.  For everything else, he just buried his  head into my shoulder wishing it would all just disappear.

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And finally, the kids are now just shedding some nasty viruses they’ve had for a while.  YUCK.  Who has time to get sick in the summer?  Dallin managed to pick up croup (lucky him!) and landed in the ER last weekend.  Lucky us right?

You Are As Old As You Are Flexible (Help Me!) June 16, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Exercise, My Handsome Husband, Thoughts , 6comments

Hello.  I’m back.

I’m not even sure where to begin, (a lot has happened in the last week!) so I’ll just start with today.  Today is Wednesday, AKA “Ballet Day” to my little one.  Hannah would take ballet everyday if she could, but at this point (husband fresh out of medical school) I’m afraid paying for daily classes would break the bank.  This summer, the ballet school advanced Hannah one level, so now she has a new group of girls to dance with who are a year older and little taller than she is.  Soon, she will refer to these new girls as her “friends” because they dance and wear pink, but as of today, she couldn’t even remember her new teacher’s name.

Every time I walk into the dance school,  I am keenly aware that  I am one of the largest people in the building.  Yes, I know, 90% of the people surrounding me are 18 and under and have 0% body fat (part of the ballet territory) but it is still a fact and it does NOT make me feel awesome.

In fact, after both of the kids went down for their naps, David and I pulled out our favorite pilates 20 minute workout and worked out our way under-worked abs.  During the DVD, Mari Windsor (of Windsor Pilates) told us to stretch our legs up in the air (while flat on our backs) straight as an arrow.

Yeah.  Right.  David and I both demonstrated what a “broken arrow” should look like. Then, in this very non-flexible moment for me, a conversation from ballet last week popped into my head.  An older dancer (and I mean post 70 years old) said, “You are only as old as you are flexible.”

Oh my.  I think my flexibility (lack thereof really) is going to kill me.

I’m working on losing the extra baby weight that I never lost with Hannah and my flexibility because it is the right thing to do.  I hate not fitting into my clothes.  I hate feeling self conscious.  I hate feeling frumpy.  And I really hate carrying around this extra weight for no reason.  I always try to remember this statement,  ”Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels” but seriously, these red vines I ate while writing this post tasted SO GOOD.

David J. Lesher, M.D. June 7, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Medical School, My Handsome Husband, Thoughts , 11comments

Oh my gosh. I never thought this day would come.

Honestly.  The light at the end of the tunnel was so dim, I couldn’t believe there was actually a light there . . .

Seven years ago (almost to the day) David told me he wanted to go to medical school.  On that very day, I thought I was going to DIE.  Seriously, hearing your husband say he wants to go to medical school is NOT music to your ears.  It’s more like fingers scraping down the chalkboard.

But  . . .

Here we are.  He is OFFICIAL.

He never would have made it through school without endless support from our families  (yours truly especially, but that goes without saying, right?) and lots and lots of discipline.

Medical School is a pricey thing, and I’m sure we’ll be spending the next 47 years paying it off, but it feels so good to be done!

To quote Elle Woods from Legally Blond, “WE DID IT!” :)

Congratulations Dr. Lesher!

The Crazy Chickens May 31, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Exercise, Friends, My Handsome Husband, Photography, Princess Hannah, Thoughts, Utah , 2comments

I never get up before 6:30 AM.  Ever.

Hannah sure tries her best to get me out of bed before 6:30 everyday, but I have a way of sleeping though all her chit chat.

Dallin understands my needs, and never wakes me up before I’m ready.  He’s a cool cat like that.

I like to refer to these people here (please take note of all the crazy runners) as “crazy chickens.”

These are all people in my neighborhood; all of them rip roaring and ready for an early 5K run on Memorial Day.

Have you ever wondered what a race looks like from the front?

Well, wonder no more!  I placed my life on the line and laid flat on my back and held my breath while people jumped over me.  It was a stampede I tell you!

David represented our family in this run.  Obviously, I could have used my superwoman strength and skills to run in the 5K as well, but my job is to take pictures, right?  That’s what I told David anyway . . .  I talked David out of running in the race bare foot (his feet are not ready for that yet) so he wore his VFF’s.

Now, please take note of our ROCK STAR 80 year old neighbor.  He passed David on the second mile . . . but this guy is not your regular 80 year old man.  He averaged a little over a nine minute mile on this run.

Seriously, he is such an inspiration.  Talk about someone living life!

Hannah represented us as well . . . she ran a mile.  GO HANNAH!

This is David demonstrating his very quiet run . . .

And now here are two of my favorite peeps!  Go David!  Go Luone!  Way to represent the VFF’s!

A Few Thoughts This Morning May 25, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Family, My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah, Thoughts , 5comments

Watching Hannah dance on stage this weekend and last night was more exciting than experiencing her excitement on Christmas morning!  David was laughing so hard, (because she was SO DANG CUTE) he literally had tears!  I wish I could have taken pictures, or video to share with you, but it was not allowed.  :(  Needless to say, the show was beautiful, and I have a feeling Hannah will be in many more productions.  :)

And now, GET THIS . . .

My Dad came to see Hannah’s ballet.

Did you just read that sentence?  Yes.  He came.  How could he turn down her cute little face asking him to come see her even after he paid her off?

He came, and for the record, he said, “I throughly enjoyed the ballet!  When’s the next one?”

I’m still processing his comment from last night.

WOW.  Who knew?  My dad . . . a ballet junkie?  :)

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

David finishes his medical school rotations on Friday.  That means he’s DONE with medical school on Friday.

FRIDAY!

I might just start calling him Dr. Lesher.  :)

His school held graduation in Boston last weekend, but we didn’t go.  I think I was more bummed than he was.  The bottom line is that it was just too expensive to travel across the United States of America to go to a ceremony that would recognize him as a Doctor.  I wish we could have gone though.  Really.  It’s a bum deal having to choose NOT to attend your graduation.  This is one of the many challenges that comes with attending a foreign school.

I saw some of his fellow classmates post pics on facebook, and it made me sad.   The road to MD is hard!  And I’m just the spouse!

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

My high school, Orem High, is being torn down in a few days.  They built a new one next to it, and as soon as school is out, the old school will be razed.

I have a million good memories there, and it makes me sad.  I’ll have to go take some pictures of it before it’s gone.

Timpanogos Cave May 18, 2010

Posted by Emily in : Exercise, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Photography, Princess Hannah, Utah , 4comments

Over the weekend . . .

We took the kids to Chuck E Cheese’s, which was our first time there since we were kids.  Oh.  My.  It was kid heaven.  The food was overpriced and average, but the kids loved every second on the rides.  At one point (before dinner mind you) Dallin climbed up the slide, and to our surprise, another child left a PUDDLE of pee for him to crawl into.

Oh.  My.  GROSS.

Of course I didn’t have extra clothes for him (Why would I?  He never leaks and never needs a bib, so I don’t pack extra clothes every time I leave the house!) so we stripped him down to his diaper and let him run around.

Boy did we ever feel like white trash.  Fortunately, the shirt was fine, but still . . . a baby running around in a shirt and a diaper in a public place just screams white trash to me.

On Saturday we hiked up to Timpanogos Cave (for those of you not familiar with Utah, it is cave in American Fork Canyon on the North end of Timpanogos Mountain.  The cave sits at 6,730 feet, and the hike is 1 1/2 miles rising 1,065 feet) and Hannah hiked the entire way up, complaining that her legs were tired almost the entire way.  (Poor kid, we only had one backpack for Dallin, but even if we had one for Hannah, neither one of us would have volunteered to carry her up!)   I planned on taking my camera, but at the last minute decided not to.

Really.  It was a good choice.  The hike is steep, and long (about an hour and a half hike uphill) and with kids, and all the extra hud we were carrying up (for the kids, who are needy) it would have been a pain.

But . . . the view is AMAZING.  I plan to hike this without the kids just to take pictures of the valley (where we live) from the mountain.  We did have David’s phone, so we got a few snapshots.  You might find this interesting, (because I know I did) but I am LAME, as in DO NOT KNOW HOW, to take pictures with a phone.

Silly.  Yes?

You would think that manipulating the camera in various ways (like I do) would make me an expert at all things techie (especially cameras) but you know what?  When we were driving home, I asked to see the pictures I took of David and the kids on the VERY-STEEP-DANGEROUS-TRAIL and there weren’t any.  After I accused David of deleting them, I realized I may not have successfully taken any.

Blast.

This is what we did get:

I know, it’s terrible quality, but can we just look past all that and focus on the valley between the mountains?  That’s where we live.  :)

The cave was fascinating to David, Hannah, and me, but Dallin was bored out of his brains and a little past bedtime when we entered the cave which made him extra pleasant.  You can’t take in baby carriers that have metal on them, so we had to hold the squirmy kid in a tight (and at times, claustrophobic) cave for 50 minutes while we waked through it.  (It’s a big cave.)

The last five minutes in the cave he screamed “Mommy!” and “Binkie!”  and “Tigger!” over, and over again, until everyone in that cave knew exactly what he wanted.

Note to self: Never take the kids on a hike when you can’t use the baby carrier the entire way.  Never take the kids when it’s past bedtime.  Never.

The highlight of the trip for me came a day later when Hannah was talking to Brian on the phone.  She told him, “Uncle Brian, do you know what stalactites are?  They grow from the ceiling and stalagmites grow up from the floor.”

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of her her knowledge eclipsing mine.  I don’t think I knew the difference .  .  .

Now you know I have to watch everything I say because she is paying attention!

Oh, and we hiked to Timp Cave in our Vibram Five Fingers.  It was quite nice actually.  At this point in the post, I would actually POST a picture of David in his five fingers, but  you see, I’m retarded when it comes to cameras on phones.

Last Night . . . May 15, 2010

Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, Photography, School, Thoughts , 3comments

My husband graciously allowed me to photograph him for one of my assignments.

Can I tell you how happy I was to go out with this handsome guy on a photo shoot?

Can I also tell you how happy I was to nail the focus on his eyes, while the tip of his nose and the outer part of his brows are out of focus? Honestly, shallow depth of field can be so great (when the image calls for it) but it can be a huge pain in your side too when you upload your images only to find out the most important features (the eyes) are in soft focus while the tip of the nose is tack sharp.

That is not fun.

More from this shoot later!

Have a great weekend!

Salt Lake Valley Night Lights May 14, 2010

Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, Photography , 2comments

When my friend Cheryl came to visit this winter, I tried to take her to the top of Traverse Mountain so we could photograph the beautiful night lights of Salt Lake Valley.

Unfortunately, I’m an idiot, and I could not FOR THE LIFE OF ME remember how to get to to the top!  I know this must sound LAME to those of you who live up there (Amber and Lindsay), but seriously, I took one wrong turn and it was all down hill from there.  Cheryl and I found a different spot to photograph, but photographing Salt Lake Valley at night has been on my bucket list, so I took my trusty driver David, (who never gets lost.  EVER.) with me so I could make it happen.

This is just a partial view of Salt Lake Valley.  It was beautiful.  The top of Traverse mountain is extremely windy!  Oh my gosh!  We had to wait between wind gusts to trip the shutter, and even then, I held my breath; hoping and praying the wind would be calm for 10 seconds while my shutter was open.  The quickest way to get blurry images is camera shake, so it was a bit tricky to get any photos, and I only captured a few.

This is either the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, Draper Temple, or the Jordan River Temple. We really are so lucky to live near so many temples in Utah.  I’m going to miss photographing them!