{Liv's partieS}

One of Olivia's gifts for her bday was a ticket to the Taylor Swift concert. She went with 2 other friends and they were even picked up by a LIMO!! It was a pretty cool night for her and she feel very special. Next on the list to see....Justin Bieber.
With school almost over {this friday}, we scrambled and put together a really fun party for Olivia and a few of her friends. I took the kids to the L-pool, ate pizza, and then came home for our fun night of making potions & lotions with my friend, Kellie. She brought her complete laboratory of oils, scents, butters, and glitter and the girls each got to make their own lotion and lip gloss. Its amazing how easy it is to make all this stuff from scratch IF you have all the right ingredients. Kellie also included lickable perfume, bath salts, and a bath scrubbie in their baskets. She rocks. The girls hung out for the rest of the night while Sabe and I pretended we really don't have a teenager in the house :)
ANd yes, Izzy was in all the action. How can she not be? She even wore her Juicy shirt for all the girls so she could fit in :)



The next night, we had a family part for Olivia. Her birthday would not be complete if we did not celebrate with all this family that she loves so much. After spending the day with a migraine (sad, i know!) and missing her soccer game, Olivia started feeling good enough to party. Sabe & Jaxon went shopping for some last minute gifts and to the International Market for Guarana and other strange goodies. I found the recipes for Cafe Rio food (our favorite place!), and I made sweet pork, cilantro-lime rice, black beans (thanks, Ang), and even cilantro ranch. It was yummy and we are still eating the leftovers.
Darcy knows a lady that makes cakes, the good-old fashioned and so he and Julia brought a really cake for Olivia. She requested a chocolate/vanilla marble cake, and it was great! I can't believe I didn't get a photo of the inside!
Everyone was so generous with their gifts and she got some really great teenager gifts. She is anxious to go shopping with all those fun gift cards. Thanks to all the phone calls, FB comments, and especially to Grandma & Grandpa Garner for sending such a sweet card with a fun surprise before they left on their Baltic Cruise. We love our family!

{13 years ago...}

Our beautiful baby girl, Olivia Taylor, was born. Oh, how I wanted to be a mom. My whole life, I dreamed of the day that I could hold my own baby, smell her, count her fingers & toes, play dress-up with her. My dream came true the day she was born.

And now, she is a teenager. She is shaving her legs and wearing mascara and giving me major attitude. But she is full of love and laughter and we all love her a lot. She gets straight A's and loves to shop. Her laugh is contagious and she stays up way too late. She has Bieber Fever like you wouldn't believe and I think she and her dad have a pretty cool relationship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIVERS!!!

just a page out of my scrapbook that I love when Liv was only 4....

{boston/nyc}

ok, my neck is totally kinked. i've been working on putting these photos together from our great trip to Boston/NYC for way too long.

thanks to my mom for planning and organizing such a fun get-together in two fabulous cities. I have never been to Boston, so I was anxious to fall in love with the place....and I did. What a cool place. Great parks, great accents, and good food--i.e. Boston Baked Beans :)

The kids had a blast with their cousins--walking all over the city, swimming in the hotel pool, staying up late and watching movies. Sabe, Brian, Camille, Jaxon, Cole even scored to tickets to the Red Sox/Yankees game. I really wish I could have been there to see the look on Jaxon's face. What a fun, first experience for him.

I hope these photos show how great of a time we had being together as a family and making some awesome, new memories.

BOSTON

Our first stop was the Public Gardens, and we parked right across the street from the Four Season Hotel--just in time to see the entire team of the Cleveland Cavaliers walk out and get into their cars. Soooo cool----Shaq is HUGE.



On day 2, we went to the Harvard Science Museum. It was really cool. We also walked around the Harvard Campus. Even cooler. I was trying really hard to find a husband for Olivia, but it just didn't happen that day. If I would've been a little smarter, I would have married a Harvard nerd.


On day 3, we walked the Freedom Trail, ate and shopped at the marketplace, and then headed back to the Public Gardens to ride the Swan Boats. My family was too lazy to walk back, so we rode in the Pedicab. That guy had to work his butt off on that bike pulling the 5 of us, windy day and all.


and on Day 4, we drove to NYC and had a blast. It was short and sweet, but I do LOVE that place. My most favorite memory was waking up early the last day with Olivia and Jaxon (Sabe stayed in bed with little Izzy), Camille & Holland, and we took a cab to Central Park and just walked around. Loved it. We met up with mom and Michele and then said our goodbyes. Until next time...

{now booking Salt Lake City photo sessions!}

{Avery's 1st Birthday}

It was no surprise that Ashley went above and beyond for Avery's first birthday. Every detail was so adorable and I am so inspired to be more creative when it comes to parties and entertaining, instead of relying on Target and Party City.
Here are just some of the details...

and this is how you eat a cupcake...