Vacation!

California was SO GREAT. Fantastico!! Went to San Diego where we hung out with my dad and mama ganda for a minute. They worked all weekend, though, so we didn't get to see much of em this trip. :( Both Saturday and Sunday we went to the beach and just laid. It wasn't super warm, so half the time we were bundled in our clothing, but it was still absolutely perfect... just laying there, listening to the repititious rumble of the waves... birds chirping above... children digging in the sand and laughing... all whilst we drifted in and out of a slumber. Awww..... Vonderful.. Monday morning we drove up to Anaheim to our happy spot. DISNEYLAND. It was pretty busy all day, it being spring break and all, but it was just Jacob and me so we had a blast. Soaked it all in. Didn't have to do too much rushing around... just enjoyed the perfection of that place. I mean, sure the lines totally suck, but there's something about it that makes you breath a little easier. I might not completely mean that one day when I'm dragging my own kids around.. making them enjoy themselves damnit! Sorry... jk. Monday night we stayed at the Convention Center Hilton. It was really nice... the bed was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo comfy. Especially after walking around all day long. Tuesday we woke up and went to California Adventure for a few hours and rode all the good rides before we had to come home to this stupid desert. Far cry from Disneyland, that's for sure.. boo. It was a very nice vacation. I love hanging out with Jake. Sometimes we get so caught up in our work and school lives that we're stressed and forget how much fun we can have together. That's why we try to vacation often. :) Alright, well I tried to add a couple pics from the weekend, but apparently the format they're saved in is too big so its not loading. Always bloody something. So I'll add em later. Sorry, I know you were all on the edge of your computer chairs just a waiting for some California images of your two favorite people... CHEERS!

St. George + Photography

Hello my friends... Jake and I popped up to St. George real quicklike this weekend to surprise my mum who's choir had a big concert Saturday night. (sorry SG friends... didn't really tell anyone we were coming.... family trip I guess. Catch ya next time for sure.) We drove up Saturday morning and went hiking in Snow Canyon with my sister and her kids that were up hanging out with my mum for the weekend. (they're from Vegas also) It was a gorgeous day!
For those of you who don't know, I'm finally taking a photography class and learning a ton.. I LOVE it. I have an assignment due tomorrow, so I decided to walk around downtown St. George on Saturday afternoon, after hiking, to shoot some photos of a town with character. (Vegas has a lack of that.... well, classy character anyway..) It's pretty fun to learn more about what I love to do. I'm seriously loving every minute of it.
We're heading to San Diego on Friday! Can't WAIT! Jake's spring break is next week so we're taking Monday and Tuesday off work and making it a long weekend. Going to see my pops and mama ganda and enjoy the beauty of Southern California. We Pricelined a really nice hotel in Anaheim for Monday night. The Convention Center Hilton, I think. We got really lucky.. it was our first time with Priceline. So ya, we're hanging with Disney both Monday and Tuesday so life is good. I'm really just feeling anxious to have some beach sand between my toes...
-----Some shots of the weekend-UNEDITED-----

Lauren.... who?

Er... yes. I'm here. I suck at blogging. I sit in front of a computer all day so I don't feel much like sitting at one once I get home. And I know I could at least write something when I'm at work.. just to keep ya'll updated on our ridiculously crazy and exciting lives... but we all know these suckers are just better with pictures. So I guess I'll post a few. As for an update... welllll, I'm still working.. Jakes still working and going to school. I'm taking a photography class which I'm loving and Bug is getting pretty big. She's so stinkin cute... It's pretty nice weather down here in Las Vegas.. but I wish there were actual parks with big trees and lots of grass where we could go enjoy it. But alas... there isn't really. So I enjoy it from my car. :) Oh, I know something cool... Jake and I had our FIRST anniversary on March 1st! So hell yes for us, right?! We spent it in Zion. Stayed at the Desert Pearl, which is so rad.. Hiked Angel's Landing and it was amazing as always. So ya.. nice trip. And that's about it, I guess. We enjoy our everyday lives.. I mean, apart from the whole "work 40 hours a week or else starve" thing. That kinda sucks and gets old by about Tuesday. But ya know.. such is life! Hope my lovely family and friends are diggin the spring weather and I hope to maybe see you soon??
Oh! How could I forget... my amazing and INSANELY good looking husband turned 25 on February 13th! So yay! This is Bug celebrating a little with a balloon...
















Aw sweet.... she loves him.























Jeff & Rayni had their beautiful baby girl!! This is Aurora Kimberly Dean with {Auntie} Lauren...














And these are Aurie's feet...
























This is little Hailey Sue Casto. She just turned one on Monday. Isn't she beautiful?












Valentine's Day, Jake and I went to Red Rock and hiked around a bit. It was pretty incredible with the snow.









































I apologize for the spatter of random images..

E.T.

So I've been terrible at this blogging thing the last month or so. And I'm still not going to give you a very good entry myself.... I'm going to give you the link to my brother and sister in law's blog as they have documented our most recent brush with extraterrestrial life. Please refer to the link below for the 411:

http://deepthoughts-lak-n-chelle.blogspot.com/2009/01/getting-in-and-living-to-tell-about.html

I'll post soon.

SNOW

In Las Vegas! It was pretty amazing, actually. Biggest storm here since 1979!! They let us go home early from work, although we probably should've left earlier... You see, down here in good ole southern Nevada, they don't have plow trucks or vehicles that drive around and salt the road.. So you just have to kind of make your way through it all. My car handled quite well, and I made it home in one piece.. I LOVED IT actually! Made this place look quite beautiful! :)

Jake took this picture yesterday afternoon- He took Bug out to see how she liked the snow. Don't think she did, really..

To Zion We Go...

Well... to Zion we went, rather. Jake and I headed up to St. George a few weekends ago and had a blast! It was Rayni's baby shower, so I was able to get up there in time to take part! It was a lot of fun and Rayni is just about the cutest pregnant woman I've ever seen! Afterwards Jake and I headed up to Zion's for a night of camping! It was a little chilly. But ah... it was gorgeous!! So here are some photos of one of the most beautiful places on Earth!!

View from our campsite

He's so hot right now...

Jake is cooking. Look at those trees!

                                               See.... I was there....

We couldn't get over how amazingly beautiful it was. I mean, we've both been to Zions like a million times before.. but I guess it was just a particularly incredible trip. That's what happens, I guess, when you're spending time with the love of your life... :)

Halloween! Finally....sorry.

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!

That's RIGHT everybooody.. we were out bustin the ghosts this Hallows Eve... And yes, our costumes are homemade (for the most part).. INCLUDING those mad rad looking proton packs!
We're battling the Fairly Odd Parents! (Luke & Michelle..er.. brother and SIL)

We threw a Halloween party at a park for all of our family. It really was a lot of fun...except I didn't get to bob for apples. Which is really what I wanted to do the most... Still, the kids had a blast!!