martin's cove

here are some of us in wyoming. we got in really late saturday night and were still able to do a few mile trek with a handcart. we got to see where the pioneers walked and stayed for shelter. we heard really amazing stories about david's ancestors and other amazing individuals. one of the highlights was seeing the river where the young men carried members of the handcart companies across the river. even us girls pulled the handcart up a very steep hill! we saw devil's gate and independence rock.

mount rushmore

we stopped at an ice cream place called fjord's that i have wanted to go to since i saw it featured on a foodnetwork show. they make all of their ice cream from scratch. i tried the honey sunflower flavor and it was so good! i never imagined that i would actually be able to visit mount rushmore and this ice cream store, but somehow we made it here. it was a really busy and fast weekend, but it was worth it.

when we got into town where mount rushmore is located it was pouring rain, so we stopped to check it out and came back the next morning to see it again. it is so cool! south dakota, at least the part we were in (along the western border) is absolutely gorgeous. it's very green with hills and mountains, and a lot of wildlife.

devil's tower

on our way home we stopped somewhere in south dakota to see devil's tower. it rises up from the ground really awkwardly and is a cool site to see.


there was a whole field of prairie dogs- i had never seen them in person before. they are so cute! and they really bark like dogs, just more high pitched.

adventurous us

last weekend i headed to california for a few days by myself to visit family and do kyle's senior pictures. this coming weekend we are driving to wyoming with brian and moonsung to visit david's parents who are serving a mission at martin's cove. we are also going to drive to visit mount rushmore in south dakota. we are excited about both places and i am super excited to get some good photos of devil's gate and the president's faces. david's family has a rich pioneer history and his dad sent us this talk by president hinckley, which is about one of david's great grandmothers who made the trek across the plains as a pioneer. enjoy the talk here

this talk gives me courage and reminds me what our ancestors did to bring the gospel to us. how could i ever give that up? i have to do so little and they had to endure so much. this weekend is going to be wonderful!

new photo blog post

this weekend i flew to california to take my brother's senior pictures. i have a few up now on our photo blog as well as a few of my sister who came along for the shoot. i'll put up more soon, as well as some of oakley's engagements as soon as she sends out her announcements :)

once wed

if you or someone you know is getting married, i would recommend checking out this once wed blog
i would basically use everything on it if i was planning a wedding...plus the weddings it features are gorgeous. i absolutely love the desert one...so classic and unique

happy mother's day

a post for our moms.

Mom you have always been such a great example to me. Your dedication to your family and the Lord are biblical. I am so grateful to have you for my mother. I am grateful for your continued example of faith as you have left your life and work behind to serve a mission. I love you so much and am excited to see you in just a couple weeks!
I love you,
David

mom, you have a hard time now that i live a state away. luckily i get to see you every so often and video chat :) i want to say thank you for loving me even through the difficult teen years when i just wanted to do what i wanted. it's too bad that kids don't realize how much their parents do for them when they are actually doing it. i admire everything you do and appreciate that you were always, always home with us when we were growing up. that is definitely something i will implement with my kids when i have them. thank you for making holidays a big deal when we were growing up. thank you for teaching me how to work. thank you for teaching me manners! you can comfort me in a way that no one else can. and thank you for keeping the gospel in our home. i love you! we love you!
love,
natalie

RIP food processor

i took my built up frustrations out on my food processor last night. the thing has never closed easily. i was struggling with the lid yet again last night and ended up breaking of the plastic piece that it needs to close the lid, so that the thing will actually turn on. looks like she's a goner:

now it's time for one of these:

lately

it was warm two weeks ago so we tried to get out to the park as much as we could.