The Newest MacDougalls

Life.

2012-01-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

So I had a request to share a little more about what happening with Bruce and I. I haven't shared much because I feel like nothing really has changed. We are still living with my parents. We are slowly getting out of debt from the last 6 months of not having a job. Bruce got hired on full time at the job hes been at and is working in a new hotel (which he doesn't like as much as the other one he was at). He also commutes longer to get to this new hotel. He drives 120 miles to and from work instead of 60! The hard part also is that he didn't get a raise so even though he is working full time we still can't afford to live on our own, which is kind of sad. Also, even though he is full time he doesn't get guaranteed hours, so it makes it hard to rely on a job when that is the case. On some good notes we now have really good benefits (even though it's costing us) we are SOOO relieved to have them again! Also I finally took the plunge and quit my paper route! I cannot express the difference in the way I feel as a person. I'm not as tired, I can hangout at night and not stress about the time. If Bruces works in the morning poor Savanah doesn't get to watch Dora for an hour while I sleep a little longer!!=) I know she miss that!=) It's been nice being able to hang with Bruce at night without Savanah around.

We had an awesome Christmas this year too. For the past 3 years our Christmas budget was 30.00 each. While Christmas means more to me than getting presents...it was hard to watch all the other families open gifts that were exciting to get. I'm saying it's hard in the sense that I couldn't get Bruce something really nice that hes been wanting not sad that I didn't get anything. This year however we both were able to spend a little more. So the only cool thing about doing a paper route is getting Christmas tips every year. This year I made around 850.00!! I secretly hid all our tips and gave it to Bruce for Christmas to FINALLY be able to buy a new surf board and wet suite. We have been through so much and have sacrificed so much nothing will replace that moment of seeing him open that present.=) He got a little teary eyed. It was sweet. The best part is that it was basically a free gift, no out of pocket expense and yet it was something he's been wanting for quite some time now.

Bruce got me my record player!!! I've been wanting one since I was in high school and have been collecting records for many years now for the when I'd finally get one. I was super excited to open that! I guess he got a REALLY good deal on it. My family all chipped in and got me a new camera it's the canon 7D. I LOOOVVEEE it and was so SHOCKED when I opened it. I can't believe they all sacrificed so much to get it for me.

So over all life is good we LOVE our new ward. We have a place to live. Bruce has a job for now. Life is as good as it can be for us and we are trying to have a positive attitude about it.

"What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it's supposed to be."

My new motto for the 2012 year.

Sabrina

Here are some pictures with my 7D canon camera.

Dear Sweet Cheeks.

2011-12-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

My you are all grown up! I now have to watch myself and stop calling you "my baby". You such a little girl! You are currently in LOVE with Dora. It is the only show you could just sit and watch for hours if we let you! You got lots of Dora presents this year for Christmas and LOVED all of them. Words cannot express how much fun it was to be a parent and watch you open your presents. You took your time opening and playing, opening and playing. You even said, "tank yuuu mum" a couple of times. =)

These days you love to carry around as many things you can get into your hands and have even adopted carrying around buckets, bags, baskets or even your stroller (because you can get more things in them). It's been quite the challenge to go places sometimes. Like this morning when you found out we were going shopping you got your little stroller and fit 4 babies, one Dora, a Thomas train, your Dora backpack (which also had items in it) and 3 blocks in, you refused to leave the house without it...so it sat in the seat next to you the whole trip. =) LOL you are so funny sometimes. You are speaking SO well now and speaking while sentences that I can actually understand. It amazes me how fast you pick up on things. Like this week you switched from saying ya (for yes) to actually pronouncing perfectly YES. We didn't teach you that but you just started saying it all of a sudden.
You can count to 15 and even count your toys and usually get the number right if it is between 1-3.
You have your favorite books memorized ( if I pause at a certain spot you can fill in the word). Your favorite books to read are Little Bear (which is a little kid chapter book. We read one chapter a night), Dora, Thomas and this dog book...I for got the name.
You are going through a eating faze where you wont eat anything. If we tell you how many bites you need to take before you can leave the table it helps to get you to eat something.
You are growing so tall and I feel as though I'm having the hardest time keeping you clothed and shoed!!

You are quite the little tom boy! Yet quite the little girly girl! You LOVE your babies and purses yet you would be the first to hand off your girl toy to the boy next to you at church for one of his cars! I've started getting you some cars because you love playing with them so much.

Thomas is also a new love for you! You wont watch the TV show but LOVE the toys and LOVE the books.

You still love playing with your babies and watching you with them makes me excited for you to be a sister. You are so soft with them and love on them all the time. It's really cute.
I love you little peanut! To the moon and back! You bring so much life and joy to mine and your daddy's life! You keep me on my toes. At the end of the day when I'm tired from chasing you around the house, changing your diaper, picking up after you putting up with the tantrums.... I put you to bed and am just so glad to be your mom! You are so bright and so loving. We are so blessed you are in our family!!
Love you to the moon and back little.

Mom.

Samuel and Kelly's maternity pics.

2011-12-27T22:38:00.000-08:00

My little brother is going to be a daddy!! Yikes that really makes me feel old!!

Here are some pics we got the day before she was due!! Doesn't she look great?!

It's Been A While.

2011-11-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. I've almost forgotten about my blog.

So much has been going on with our family. We have moved two more times since moving out of Bruce's parents house and I think we are finally in a little more permeant place. Due to Bruce's parents leaving for a mission we moved into my parents house. It was fine not as cramped as I thought it was going to be... but my brother Samuel and his expecting wife wanted to save money and move in as well. So we all searched for a bigger house to rent. This was not an easy task. Most homes in the Oceanside/carlsbad area do not have quite so many rooms nor desirable floor plans to accommodate three different families. We found the perfect house though, we are now out by the back gate in a really nice home. It has a loft area that has two bedrooms (for Samuel and Kelly) perfect for them, they didn't have to put anything in storage. Plus they have a room for the baby. They also have a full bath up there too!

We live in the front room of the house. It's pretty big so we have enough room for Savanah's things as well as ours. We also have a full bath right off our room.
My three sisters and parents rooms are down this hallway in the middle of the house (perfect for blocking off with a gate to keep Savanah out!) master bedroom (full bath) plus two more rooms for the three girls to share and another full bath for them.
YES WE have FOUR FULL BATHS in this house! Crazy right?! The backyard is perfect for Savanah and she LOVES playing outside without me constantly worrying about her dying from some dangerous thing.

We pay cheap rent my brother pays cheap rent and my parents are able to save for a bit before my dad retires so they can save for a house.

Although the house is perfect our lives the past month have been busy and stressful. I finally feel like I am able to spend some one on one time with Savanah and noticed today just how big she is getting! She is such a quick learner. In the car I started counting over and over again to 10...she loves it I don't know why. If you know her you'll know she has trouble being happy in her car seat so I have to distract her. Anyways today I heard her sitting on the floor talking to her baby and she counted to 10 all on her own! I went over and made her do it again and she did. She also get's her favorite books that we have read to her about a 1000 times and "reads" them to her babies. She does pretty good remembering what is happening on each page. Her new book love is, "NO DAVID". I have no idea why, but she walks around the house saying, "NO, David, NO, NO.... Quite David..... Stop that David." She cracks me up sometimes.

Life is as good as it can be right now. I love my little tom girl who often will surprise me with girly ways!
Here is a picture of our halloween outfits. I would have gone out a little more in the whole costume area but we kept it simple and just went around our neighborhood as a family. It was perfect and we loved our comfy costumes. We didn't have a ton of kids, but enough to keep it fun. It was nice being our own family. Savanah enjoyed people giving her candy as well! But was scared and even screamed and ran away from a spooky house.=)

Oma's Pumpkin Patch... So much fun!

Savanah trick or treating.

Happy November!! I LOVE this month.

Sabrina

getting prepared.

2011-10-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

For a while now I've been wanting to get our 72 hour kits together so we can be more prepared for any kind of disaster. The more I researched on what you should have in your 72 hour kits the more daunting of a task it became. Then I went to a Thrive Party hosted by my sister in law Holly and was introduced to Thrive.

Maybe it sounds dumb but I love this product. It's not too expensive and I know to use it! Thrive also has a website that even has a section for 72 hour kits. You can buy the premade packs or buy things separate to create your own pack.

My friend Misty who is a consultant has just made getting your 72 kit together SO much easier. By having giveaways every week and by breaking it down week by week. I'm so excited for this I can't even tell you. The things she has suggested so far are brilliant. If you would like to follow along here is her site.

I'm defiantly going to try and do this so that at the end of 26 weeks I should have most of my 72 hour kit together without breaking bank.=)

Sabrina

Best Buddies

2011-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a LONG road trip to Utah and northern California. It was LONG but it was worth it! We got to shop, see family and Savanah got to hang with her cousin and best bud Joshua. At the end of our stay my sister decided to come home with us so we got to hang with them for about 3 weeks. It was a lot of fun and as always reminded me how much i love hanging with my sister. Although Savanah and Joshua both had moments when it looked like they wanted to kill one another, for the most part Savanah loved hanging with her bud and even started picking up on some of the things he did. For instance... Joshua when he gets excited will say things a lot of times in a row, like "yea, yea, yea, yea" Savanah started doing that with my name, "mom, mom,mom,mom" and with other words as well. It's pretty funny.

Ever since Joshua has left Savanah has been walking around the house saying "Joshie, Joshie, where is Joshie?" It's really cute. The last day they were here we got the two kids together for another photoshoot...I love em. We love spending time with my sister and her son and we can't wait to see them again!

Best Buds:

Zoo with family and friends

2011-07-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

Being the second eldest of 8 kids my parents didn't exactly have a lot of money to spend on fun activities. However every year they would buy everyone a season pass to an amusement park and we would make random trips throughout the year as a family. Some of my most favorite memories come from those times. Since Bruce an I live here (where we both grew up) it's been fun being able to do some of those same things with Savanah.

This year we bought Zoo tickets and it has been well worth every penny we spent on them (which wasn't very much). We love going with family with friends or just by ourselves. This last time we decided to bring a lunch and eat on the picnic tables just outside the zoo and had a blast.

...here's to some zoo love. Who's with me? =)

We love Duncan.

An Awesome family. Our yearly trip.

2011-06-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

Every year since Bruce and I have been married we've made it a tradition to head out to Colorado to visit his older brother's family. They are AWESOME. They have to be some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I really look up to them and all they've been through. We were able to go up because Bruces Brother hooked us up with plain tickets through his work. All we had to do was watch the kids for 2 days while L. was at girls camp and T. was on his business trip. For the next 3-4 days we got to hangout with all of them. A vacation was exactly what we needed. We went to museums, cool parks, went on walks, played, BBQ, went shopping took pictures...and much more. Savanah was deathly afraid of T. but LOVED playing with her cousins. Especially I. she LOVED I. Savanah even feel asleep while I. was holding her (which she never does for anyone else, except my younger sis). It was fun. Every time I go out to Colorado I want to stay I love it so much. Maybe one day we will find ourselves living there??

Thanks so much guys!! We really had so much fun. Until next year... we love ya and miss you already!

Sabrina

2011-06-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Savanah,

You are as perfect as ever! You are growing up SO fast I can hardly keep up with you.

These days you LOVE to mimic anything I do, from putting make up on to doing the dishes. You even play with your ears when your tired (like me). You are talking so much more and are becoming much more confident in repeating words you hear me say. You know where your face features are and what they are called. You LOVE your tiger book, your chicka chicka boom boom book and a book called "I'm as quick as a cricket" You love to be around other kids and try so hard to play with them. You are getting much better at sharing with other kids. You are VERY independent, you don't like to be picked up very much by others. You are even deathly afraid of all the males in the Macdougall and Stlaurent family except for dad and Grandpa MacD.

My favorite thing you have started doing is saying my name when Im trying to get you do something you don't want...like when I'm trying to get you to go to sleep and you are throwing a fit, you'll stop and say, "momma" Very sweetly and reach up to pull my face down for a kiss as if it will change my mind on you going to bed.=) Silly girl! You are such an active girl you never walk anywhere. You are always running from one room to another and communicate so well with me when you need/want something.

We love you so much little! Happy almost 17th month!

MAKE OVER.

2011-05-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

It all started about 6 months ago when Bruce and I realized how annoying it was to have the "toy room" in about three different parts of the house. The house always looked like it was a mess, it was hard to clean because nothing had a "home" and it was down right frustrating to clean about 10 times a day.

So we came up with this brilliant plan to move all the toys (even the ones in the living room) into the downstairs spare bedroom which up until this point had been assigned as the guest bedroom. Really though, everyone in the family secretly knows it's the worst room to stay in while visiting. It's loud if anyone is over and you are trying to sleep. It's right by the entrance to the door so people are always walking and talking by your room. It's also right beside the garage which can get pretty loud and the laundry room and the guest bathroom (which is also right outside your door (it gets used alot if people are over)...are you beginning to see why it is the worst guest bedroom in the house?

Anyways if any of you know Bruce's parents you'll know how hard it can be to get them to 'CHANGE' something in the house that has been the way it is for YEARS...it took about a month to finally talk them into doing the switch. I took the entire project on as it is only fair, it was our idea. It took about 2 months to finish. I thought it would be a simple task. However the more I got into it, the more I started to realize what I had really gotten myself into.

When it was done Dad and Mom LOVED it (thank goodness) and raved about it. Even though at first it was total hesitation.=) Dad even asked if he wanted me to make anything for the room. UUMMM ya!!

Here are the pics... Before and After. This has literally been my life for a few months!! I'm glad it's done and is being used A LOT.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This bench was one of the projects I gave to dad. We wanted something sturdy that wouldn't tip over when the kids got on it. It's the perfect height for the small kids to sit on and it doubles as another table plus extra seating for the wee. I'm in love with it!!

I was proud of this idea to take the paper roll that I bought for the easel from Ikea and put it on the wall instead so the kids just pull the paper across the table to color on. Plus they are only about 3.00 at Ikea to replace.

I love this string line. I found the pins at Michael's for a dollar and it's used for the kids to display the art they make.

Had to add the map that went so unnoticed in the bonus room for so many years.

This was another idea I had when I saw the cute buckets at target in the dollar isle. I thought they would be perfect for the different art things, that way nothing is on the table and we can put them up high when small kids are using the room. I actually have two more for the ends but Bruce's hand was hurting from putting these five up so we'll finished them a different day.

I love that everything has a home now.

Don't know why, but Savanah is obsessed with these chairs. This is how you find her most of the time when it gets quite.

This was by far the biggest project that took hours and hours of work. I saw a cute picture of one that Laurel (my sister in-law) on her blog and feel in love with it. I think in the end I spent 2-3 dollars on each letter. I had a 5.00 limit per letter. Most came from Michael's and Joann's and even Burlington Coat Factory. Dad made me my Z and Bruce made my B. Because I couldn't find what I wanted for the price I wanted. I had to paint each letter and for some added some scrapbook paper. Other letters I had already and used. Mom made the T and cross stitched the I. I love them both!!

Another project we asked Dad to do was something to put the TV on. We needed something sturdy as it's a big and heavy thing. I didn't want the kids to pull it down on them. This turned out so much better than I imagined it. He even added a space for the books which I love!

In the end Bruce and I decided we liked the room without the closet doors. It gives that nook a built in closet feel. Dad cut some nice white wood to add more selving space. I found some baskets from Ross. I spent 5.00 for the big ones and 3.00 for the smaller.

I got the easel from Ikea for around 10.00 when it was on sale. I like it a lot. It has a chalk board on the other side.

We even tossed all the yellow covers and put in new white covers on everything that needed it. Luckly Bruce was awesome with changing the lighting/plug wires.

My cute baby!! LOVE THAY SWEET GIRL!!

Our Easter Day!!

2011-05-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

Easter was fun this year. Savanah is old enough to start being apart of all the fun things that revolve around holidays. We had the cousins over for dinner and an Easter egg hunt. Savanah was entirely interested in the plastic egg, while Kian her cousin was entirely interested in her candy!! It was fun watching them. They both werent really sure what was going on. =)
Savanah is growing up SO much! I can hardly believe that in 3 months she will be going into the nursery . Crazy how fast time flys!! It's seriously so funny when she tries to imitate what I'm doing. Her favorite thing to imitate, is me brushing my teeth. She has now lost my 4th tooth brush..=) She tries to boss Nelly our small dog around, it's funny seeing them play together. She also is becoming very vocal in trying to tell us what she wants. she is so cute and I love her so much. Being a MOM is SO great! I'm loving every moment! I love my small family!!

-Sabrina

It's just what we do.

2011-04-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was checking my email this morning and looked up to see Savanah doing this. I HAD to sneak a picture because I thought it was SO funny.

Mom's little helper.

2011-03-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today Bruce and I ended up staying home from church because Savanah and Bruce weren't feeling good. Since Bruce was upstairs asleep most of the afternoon, I was left to entertain Savanah. She was in one of those, "I'm going to follow you around the house half crying for you to pick me up" kind of moods. It got so bad that while I was making cookies she'd grab my leg and wouldn't let go.

Here's how it played out...

Me: "Savanah go play with your toys, where is your baby?? Go find your baby."

Savanah: "NONONONO" followed by a throwing of herself on the floor then crying because it actually hurt.

ME: "Savanah, are you OK? Get up and go play with your baby"

Savanah: Gets up off the floor and holds both arms up to me, "Mom, mom, mom" SLAPS my leg "Mom, Mom, Mom"

ME: sigh*...put her up on the counter top to help make the cookies.
It was actually a lot of fun to do together and she LOVED it. Of course she had to lick the beater. =)

Which resulted in these ridiculously cute photos of her. =)

I started the playroom and am excited to show some pics soon.

Sabrina

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-02-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had something in your home that you walk by or look at and you can't help but smile??

I was thinking yesterday that I have quite a few of these things... Not that we own our own place or anything, but I think thats why I like having them around. It's hard not get down with the situation we are in at the moment. Not that I'm complaining it could be much worse. It just gets frustrating when you can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So I have these things I can do or look at that make me smile and make me happy.

Here are two things tied into one. See if you can guess what they are.

Can you guess what those two things are yet??=) The first is my sisters. I have three younger sisters at home who live just 15 mins away from me. I LOVE spending time with them. When I get to hang with them they make me smile and happy.

The second, is my camera. I LOVE having an idea and being able to carry it out with willing souls. Usually it ends up being my sisters or Savanah and improving my talents always makes me a happier person.

-Sabrina

Savanah's First Year

2011-02-03T17:09:00.001-08:00

Savanah's First Year from Sabrina MacDougall on Vimeo.

Yesterday we celebrated our daughters 1st birthday. It was fun being with family and friends. It's been a crazy thought that a year could possibly slip by so fast! Bruce and I decided we wanted to put this video together for her since we've been taking pictures of her every month since she was born.

I'll post her birthday pictures later...for now I'm off to bed to get a little sleep before I must get up with my girl.=)

(songs are by France England she has an awesome site here where you can listen to the full versions of her songs. I have bought many from itunes because of this site. The song is called "You and Me" from her album Family Tree. The second song is by Elizabeth Mitchell from the album You Are My Sunshine, song "You are my Sunshine")

Happy Sunday!

Sabrina

New Year Resolution

2011-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Every year brings with it the tradition to make some goals, to improve the mind, body and soul. Every year I make goals (a good long list of them) and every year I'm certain that will be the year I'll keep them.

This year I was a slacker and didn't make any, not because I didn't want to but because I felt I needed time to reflect on what I truly wanted out of THIS year, out of life, out of myself.

Of course it all started with BODY. I could sure stand to lose a good 25 lbs. Heaven knows I'm not in any kind of shape I was in years ago!!=) So I started writing a "plan" of what I expected of myself. The longer I wrote the more I started to realize, "hey, I really don't care enough about losing weight to make it a goal" or at least to write it down and not accomplish it. That's not saying I'm going to completely ignore my body and not exercise. I just don't feel it's something I want to focus on.

After a few more days like this I finally came up with something I'm willing to put to paper and even started doing before realizing I wanted it to become my goal...

As most of you know Bruce and I are living with our in-laws. It's been pretty OK, all things considering. However because we do live in such a BIG house and other kids and families are over quite a bit, it doesn't exactly clean itself. How I've dealt with this so far is how I've dealt with it in the past which is to ignore the mess until it become so unbearable that it takes me a couple good days of cleaning before I'm OK with it again. Our room usually gets the biggest shaft... I tend to focus on the areas that are seen by others first before working on the areas I only get to see. After this last little cleaning excursion I realized I hate living that way. I don't like washing my clothes and leaving them in the basket until they are dirty again. I don't like coming to bed at night and making it before I jump in it rather than enjoying it be made during the day.

So I came up with a system.

(When I get a new calendar for this year I plan on writing it under my "list of things to do". I like buying the really BIG calendars that have nice big squares to write things in. I usually get them at Wal-Mart, I've been thinking this year I might try printing one out though. Well see.)

OK... Here's my TO DO LIST:

Monday:

Bathrooms (I absolutely hate this chore But I realized I hate it so much because when I go to do it, it's so bad that it grosses me out. My solution, do them once a week! This is no easy feat people we have three full bathrooms in this house!!)

Tuesday:

Clean, dust and vacuum the three down stairs living spaces. Mom is usually good about doing the front room, so most of the time I don't have to worry about that room which is nice.

Wednesday:

Kitchen!! Steaming the floors, cleaning out the fridge and keeping the pantry organized and cleaned!! Sometimes things get left opened and well, we've been having some bug issues. Ewww is all I have to say.

I leave the kitchen for Wednesday because my mother in-law is usually gone at the temple until around noon which means I can clean and get rid of things without her around... it sounds bad but really I am doing her and everyone else a favor.=)

Thursday:

Upstairs. Our room, bonus room, landing and Savanah's room get a good vacuum and clean. Enough said. I mean the only real mess I should ever be cleaning is the bonus room because that is the room the kids tend to attack. If I can stick to this our rooms should already be fairly clean.

Friday:

Laundry... spend the morning washing and PUTTING AWAY!!=)

Saturday:

Car or any other odds and ends that need to be attended to. Mainly I'm thinking a day off would be nice.

Bruce and I have also talked a lot about (and have put into action) trying to clean after ourselves in the moment. For an example when we change... putting the clothes back into the dresser or dirty clothes hamper. When Savanah is done eating, cleaning her tray right away. Cleaning up her toys before we leave to do something even if they will undoubtedly be take out again. Taking a few mins and tiding up so that when my cleaning days come the mess isn't so huge. It's been working great so far and is FAR less stressful this way.

Wow, I'm not going to lie I feel a little embarrassed that it's taken me this long to finally want to change how we are living and to even admit that we are that unorganized. Well, what can ya do? I guess if I want to see the glass half full in this situation we are in, it would be that Bruce and I are finally being forced to learn how to get our ducks in a row, And that's really not such a bad thing.=)

-Sabrina

DIY Fabric invites

2011-01-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

About 3-4 months ago I found this tutorial while surfing the web... here and here and instantly feel in love with these fabric invitations. So as Savanah's birthday has been quickly approaching I decided that now would be the perfect time to try them out.

I went to target and got a box of 50 white card stock paper with envelopes. It cost me 9.00, worth it to me since it was already precut. I used some scrap-booking paper for the second layer. I found some flower fabric at Joanns on sale for 3.00 a yard plus I found an additional 20% off coupon on line (I only needed 1/2 a yard for 15 invites). I think the hardest part was figuring out what colors I wanted and the style.

I think they turned out how I expected and I love the homemade feeling they give. It even turned out to be cheaper than printing some invitations out from the computer. Once I sat down and started making them it maybe took me 2 hours to do 15 invitations.

Most of them weren't perfect, but I think that's what makes them so fun for Savanah's birthday.=)

Here are some of my pictures although the links are better.

I used some canvas material my mother in-law had for the back. Although you could also use the same material as the one you cut out for the image in the front (this is what the link did). I liked the organic feel the canvas gave them. Here are your three layers cut out ready to sew together.

This is what it looks like sewn together.

Front and back.

And the finished product with the flower in front. In the link they sewed the flower on the front. I tried it on three and just didn't like how it looked so I ended up hot glue gunning the rest. I liked it much better in the end.

These really were so simple and a lot of fun to make!! I can't believe Savanah's almost 1!!! Where is the time going?!

Sabrina

Eat, Sleep, Play...repeat.

2011-01-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Savanah's 11th month

Wow I'm still trying to wrap my head around it being 2011 let alone that you are 11 months.

Some of your favorite things:

- Walking. While you are not fully walking on your own you LOVE holding on to things to get to places and have even become more daring in the last couple of weeks by letting go and trying to walk on your own.

- Playing. You LOVE to play on your own and with other "babies" as you call them. =) In other words any child who happens to be over and will give you the time of day. You love to explore everything you can get your hands on and even the things you can't get your hands on. You recently discovered Grandmas cupboards and broke some of her dishes.=/ So the other day we invested in some child locks!! You get very frustrated that you can no longer get into them.

-Growing. You seemed to have grown over night! I can't believe how much you are changing! You are looking more and more like daddy everyday. You weigh around 20lbs. You are in 12-18 month clothes. Your shoe size is 2-3. You have 5 teeth. You like to eat anything we give you. Your most favorite animal is your doggy. You will hold him by the ears for hours, talking to him, loving him and playing with him. It's pretty dang cute. You can say dad (and know who he is), Mom, doggy, froggy, baby, done (even though, I'm sure you don't quite know what it means yet). You still aren't sleeping through the night, you wake up a lot and hardly take naps. We put you down around 6:30-7pm and you get up anywhere from 5-8am.

You can now clime the stairs and it freaks me out. Because I work early in the mornings daddy gets to play with you most of the morning while I sleep. You LOVE this and have got right on board with this new crazy routine.

You have such a sweet disposition. You really are quite a happy little girl if your not sick, getting teeth or tired. We love you so much and can't wait to celebrate your first birthday next month!!=)

Happy 11th month my baby girl!

Love and kisses, Mom.

11th Month pictures.
These were taken in the area I throw papers. It's actually a pretty fun place for pictures. Also you see this wagon in these? I found that in the trash on my route one week!! Can you believe that?? I'm in love with it. I'll have to post my other trash finds later.=)

Some of Savanah's favorite toys.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T10:05:00.000-08:00

Wow I can hardly believe another year is over. As I look back on this year, I am amazed with how much Bruce and I have grown in all aspects of life. We have been thrown many curve balls but surprisingly have handled them well.

Two of my most favorite things that makes me smile about this year:

1. Being able to get to know and hang with my sisters A LOT more.

2. These....*sigh, they just make me smile. =)

Halloween=FUN

2010-11-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

For anyone looking for a laugh...these are a must watch!! I found this site through Holly. You upload faces into the video and watch away. =)

For Halloween we went over to my families. We thought that since it was on a Sunday this year we'd go out with as much family as possible. We had homemade pizza for dinner, watched some ninja turtle and we out trick or treating around 7pm. It was way fun. Savanah was supper tired because it was her bed time, but I think she enjoyed the excitement everyone had.

We only did few streets, but it was enough. NO one was out this year it was a little disappointing. Even though we didn't go for very long or go very far we got TONS of candy because everyone was trying to get rid of what they had.
Anyways here are some pictures of the night.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Savavah's 8th Month

2010-11-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Wow has a whole month flown by already?! You have grown SO much! You are slowly leaving behind any noticeable traces that you had ever been so small and helpless.

Milestones for your 8th month:

* You can now crawl, but refuse to. You will take four or five crawls and switch back to your whale lunge once you see something worth your attention.=) It's pretty funny and drives grandma MacDougall mad. She is constantly trying to get you to crawl, saying it is an essential part of baby development. I think you know it and just to spite her you wont.=) That seems to be that attitude you've always had, even before you were born.

You can also sit without any help and are very sturdy.

* You pull yourself up onto everything! once you get up onto something you walk as far as you can go. You LOVE standing.I think it makes you feel like a big girl. Your also becoming more daring by trying to let go and balance for a few seconds before falling.=)

* Your new favorite word to say ALL the time is, MOM. You will scream this every time you wake up during the night or from naps. When your hungry and tired and just because. You are starting to understand WHO mom is and that by saying her name you can usually get what you want.

* You are eating food directly from my plate at dinner and LOVE cheerios in the morning.

* You now weigh 20 lbs and are completely out of 3 month and even most 6 month clothes. You just got some pj's that are 12 month and they fit just perfect! We are amazed with how long you are getting. But in most cases 9 month outfits seem to be what you fit into.

* You have this cute fake laugh you use when everyone is laughing and you want to as well. Even though you don't know what could be so funny.=)

* You had your first Halloween ever. You were a ladybug, mommy was a butterfly and daddy was a bug catcher. YOU LOVED your costume. When we put it on, everyone would start telling you how cute and adorable you were...you LOVE getting compliments.

* You know how to make noises by bringing you hand to and away from your mouth. You also make these really high pitched scrams and even know how to give a high fives!!

* You are starting to understand and not like when something is taken away from you. Last night you threw a fit when daddy wouldn't let you take the ipad from Fin. It was the longest fit yet and I can tell it's the start of a princess faze we'll be going through.

* You love, love, love your baby dall. We just recently found that if we put you in your crib with your baby you won't cry and will fall asleep on your own. You like to play on your own and are very talkative when you do.

You have grown SO much this past month I can hardly believe it! You are such a joy in our lives. We love seeing your personality shine through, though it has some spunk to it, you are a very sweet girl and LOVE giving people open mouthed kisses.

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you dear Savanah! Happy coming 9th!

Mom and Dad

Savanah's First pumpkin.

2010-10-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Monday for FHE we took Savanah and my sisters to the pumpkin patch. We wanted to go earlier so that it wouldn't be so busy. It was perfect. We went to the Del Mar Pumpkin station. Lot's of pumpkins and a fun environment! Seriously it's been so fun having a kid to do things with. When it was just me and Bruce, we never really got into the holidays. For some reason having a child really makes you want to celebrate them. It was a lot of fun, we are going to carve them for our next FHE. So stay tuned.=)

These are the pumpkins we ended up with.

We put Savanah in this pile of pupkins to chose which ever one she wanted.

This was the one she piked. Just her size.

Savanah with Daddy.

She LOVES pulling herself up onto things.

Today we will be taking pictures of her in her costume. Can't wait!!

Sabrina

DIY: No Sew Headband.

2010-10-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like making something simple but DON'T feel like getting the sewing machine out to make it?? I felt that way last week when I wanted to make Savanah a headband to match one of her outfits. SO the result was getting out the glue gun and glueing away!!

This was the end result. I though it turned out just as good and it took me only 5 mins to make.=) Thats my kind of project.=)

To make this I just used some scrap material I had from some old jeans. I made my strip pretty thick, but you can make yours smaller. Then I glued down each side by folding the fabric over some glue. When you are are done just get a piece of elastic and connect the two ends together. Decorate with bows or flowers. I made this flower using this tutorial.

It was super easy! I'll be making more of these. It holds really well too, Savanah has worn this headband almost every day and it still loos good.=)

Good night blogging friends!

Sabrina

Life.

2010-09-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted an update on our crazy life so here it goes...

Bruce is still looking for a job. Lots of great opportunities seem to arise but nothing sticks. Right now we are waiting to find out if he get's this job working for the government. My Dad put in a good word for him so we are hoping it works out. If he can get this job he will be able to get his masters paid for, make good money and we will be able to live here in Cali. Although today we got our first taste as to how much money it takes to live here. We got our car registered and our license updated...$400.00 later!! YA seriously...I was floored.

Aside from all that it's been pretty awesome being around so much family. It's even been nice having Bruce home (even though I'm ready for him to get to work and make some money). Living with Jimmy, Holly, Mom and Dad has been great. We miss having our own family routines but sometimes when your tired, it's pretty sweet to just let some else clean up the dinner mess or even just make dinner for that matter.=) It's even been great having an added cheering team for our new night time cry sessions with Savanah. They (mostly Holly) cheer me on when I'm ready to break down and pick her up. It's been pretty awesome so far. I was always against the whole cry it out thing, but now, I think it's saving me from many sleepless nights.

Some Obsessions I have gained since being here:

My new favorite show (if you already couldn't tell) is Project Runway. I'm seriously obsessed with it. I look forward to it all week. Sometimes it's all I can do to keep my mouth shut and just watch the show! The next day I get on my blog and get a Runway rundown from MADE I love reading these!! She's a genius!

picture by Homemade by jill- click on "pants" for link

I've been finding a lot of fun things I wan't to make and I can't wait to have the money to do them. Most of them have to do with Savanah. For an example I want to make these pants for her. I think I still might with some old sweats I have (I save all my old shirts and pants to make things out of them). I also want to make some of those rosette flowers.

I'm so obsessed with finding crafty things that when I do find something I like, I'd pull the site link down to our tool bar (and name it something like, flower headbands, cute sav pants, painted tree) so I can easily find it when I decided to make it. The other day I got on the computer to find that Bruce had created a CRAFTS button for me and put all my links in it!! They were kind of getting out of control.

picture from tip junkie-click on pesto link

Cooking...I've made so many NEW meals since moving here. For some reason being around other people and having others eat my food, has really inspired me to experiment with new things. For an example this YUMMY PESTO SAUCE... you must try it for yourself! I also make rolls all the time and even have this yummy cinnabon recipe!

Harry Potter...yes I'm still obsessed with the audio books.=)

Savanah...I love being her mom! How could I not be obsessed with such a cutie! Today at the DMV she kept grabbing my face with both her hands and she'd pull my face to hers to give me a BIG, opened mouth, slobbery kiss. Love that girl!

PICTURES...I've been so busy taking pictures!! It's been pretty fun and tiring.=)

Well this has gone on long enough. I think by now you get a pretty good idea what our days are like. They are pretty heavenly what can I say? I love my liFE.

good night blogging friends!

Sabrina

Savanah's 7th Month

2010-09-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Savanah,

I can't believe you are 7 months old! Where is the time going? We are having so much fun with you at this age. Since you were born, all you seemed to want to do is wiggle around. Even at 7 months that hasn't changed. Now however since you are able to get around a little you enjoy being on the floor playing with your toys and watching your cousins.

You just went to your 6 month check up and the doctor was surprised with how much you have grown. He says you have defiantly "caught" up to all the other kids (your real age is 5 months 2 weeks). You now weigh 16lbs! You are able to sit up on your own can scoot all over, roll when ever you want and enjoy walking around with the help of mommy and daddy! You have started solids and enjoy all types of food. You LOVE bananas and LOVE when I give you little licks of ice cream. You just had a little drink of watered down apple juice the other day and wanted me to keep giving it to you!!lol You also have out grown your bumbo and now sit in a high chair, which you love.

Your personality is hilarious, you defiantly know what you want and how to get it. You cry when you want something and even say mum. You enjoy making choking noises and making high pitched screams. It's pretty funny how many different sounds you can make, none of which seem normal to me.=) You also are going through this weird phase where you scratch mommy's and daddy's face off when you go to sleep...drives me crazy.

You have finally grown most of your hair back and I'm just waiting for it to get long enough for me to start playing with. You still hate when I put headbands on you but that never stops me... just sayin.

You have so many people who love you. We do especially. Being a mom sure is hard, but it's completely worth it. Sometimes when you fall asleep and I get to just look at you I'm so amazed and feel so blessed to be able to raise such a sweet girl. You are at such a fun age and are always smiling and laughing. You love when other's talk to you and complement you. I love you so much and know the adventures will keep coming!

Happy 7 months sweetie!!

Love, Love, Love,

Mom and Dad

(I made this skirt using this easy tutorial by Homemade by Jill)

Meet Becca.

2010-06-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

This is my sister Becca. She is kind of a nerd, but a HOT nerd.=) My clearest memory of Becca would be doing chores as a child. Every Saturday our family had "big" chores we would be in charge of getting done. Most Saturdays during chore time you could find Becca in the bathroom hiding with a book, reading! =) She has a over a 4.0 in high school, runs and bakes.

I love this outfit because if you notice she is the only sister NOT wearing a dress. We thought jeans because she NEVER does anything to herself. Sure, she will will make herself presentable for school or when she goes out...but when presented with the option to sleep a little longer or do herself up, she will sleep.=) `Most days you will find her in a running shirt and some pj bottoms. I love Becca because she's always up for hanging with the fam.

These were fun to take because we made her put make up on and I did her hair.=) She was a natural in front of the camera!

My sister Becca...

Love you Becca!!

Meet Shanna.

2010-06-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

My sister Shanna. She is, well, GORGEOUS!

While trying to decided what she should wear I thought I'd like my sisters to dress by their personalities. Shanna has always taken the time to make sure she is presentable when in public. She will give herself enough time to do her hair and make up. She has style and I LOVE that she isn't afraid to get what she likes even if she finds the knock-off version at wally mart.=) I love this dress because it says sophisticated, while at the same still playful. She defiantly isn't afraid to get dirty.=) I love my sister Shanna while we are very different our style is much the same...now if I can only get back down to her size so I can "barrow" her clothes!

My sister Shanna Sophisticated and gorgeous!

I love you Shanna!!

Liberty of London.

2010-06-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

I love this dress and got it when visiting family in Colorado. Bruce said I didn't need it, but I don't agree...I got it out of storage a few days ago and was happy to see it fit Savanah, it's still a little lose on her but I love it so much that I had to get some picture's of her in it. I love the new Liberty collection at Target. I had to talk myself out of getting these supper cute rain boots I feel in love with...but that's another story.=)

So, I took these today, it took me 30 mins from start to finish... I've decided that I need to do it more. When we moved into the MacDougall home we inherited these chairs from my brother in law. Since I sold all my props when we moved, I thought this orange chair would be perfect for pictures. So my muscle man hauled it down the hill. What a great guy! I think he was skeptical as to how they would turn out at first though.

I still can't believe how big Savanah is getting! I have another idea I will put into action in the next couple of days and a senior shoot on it's way this weekend I'm excited for!

Bruce is still looking for a job. I'm hopeful though=) I really have no desire to leave this wonderful weather!

enjoy!

Sabrina

bruce carrying the chair back up to the house.

Heart.

2010-06-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful...

I'm grateful for my amazingly good baby, who was so clam the entire day. She even went down for a nap (which consisted of her just lying awake in her crib for an hour).

She is getting SO chubby I just can't resist kissing her chubby checks all the time.

I'm grateful to be here in Cali with so much family around.

I'm grateful for my husband who tries to do all he can to help...even if he needs a little persuading every so often.=)

I'm grateful to finally be losing that extra baby fat, it feels so good to be running consistently again. Especially to be healthy enough to do so!

I'm grateful for my in-law's who keep me laughing! Savanah and I woke up to find Dad MacDougall and Bruce outside moving the trampoline because Dad decided he needed a spa and and one of those swimming pools (you know they have the jet you swim into to get a workout??? I don't know what they are called..). Only Dad will get a crazy idea in his head and have it in motion the next day no matter the cost or craziness of it.=) I LOVE it.

I'm especially grateful that I'm given the opportunity to take pictures of such beautiful people. A friend of mind from work wanted me to take some pictures of her niece before I left Utah.

Sigh...if only I could find a photographer to take some pics of our family without having to pay an arm and a leg for it!=)

Isn't this little girl just a doll?!=)

*Heart.

Dear Savanah...

2010-06-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

I thought with being the second eldest of eight kids, I had a pretty good understanding of what it took to be a "mom"...

but somehow I never learned about the sleepless nights, how hard it is to resist not just bringing you to bed, the laundry, oh the laundry! If it isn't coming out of your mouth it's coming out the other end!=) How worrysome it is when you get a simple cold, how tiring it is having you on my hip all day.

At the end of the day when you have finally fallen to sleep, the war begins in my mind, "should I go to bed? should I stay up?".... Then when I go to bed I'm thinking of all the things I could be doing and when I stay up I'm thinking of how much longer tomorrow will be when you wake up.=)

Putting all this aside...I LOVE being your mom and I just adore you. Today you are 4 months old and you are learning to grab for everything that is within your reach (including my hair). You have this play mat you love! You could play for hours just grabbing those animals and trying to pull them into your mouth...you could play for hours if you didn't get hungry so often.=) You still hate tummy time and refuse to be on your belly for longer than a few minutes. However you love standing and being upright so you can check out the world around you. You especially like sitting in your bumbo chair.

You have finally out grown most of your new born clothes and fit quite well in most of your 3 month outfits. You hate when I put head bands on you, but don't mind if I glue a small bow to your head. People give me funny looks when I tell them how I get it to stick...sometimes I feel bad, but you look so cute.

You are quickly discovering your power over mom...you cry your most saddest cry to get what you want and mom just can't resist. You are also learning how to control your voice and like to "talk" to mom and dad.

Since you have been born you have been to three different states, California, Utah and Colorado...you love traveling and are always good on road trips. You love California most though I think... we just had our first trip to the beach a few weeks ago and you loved sitting under the umbrella.

...and yes you are still spiting up ALL the time! Everyone is paranoid of it...

Happy 4 months Savanah!

Love Mom

Adventures in South Boston VA, part two...

2010-05-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

Here they are...it was really hard to pick! So there are a lot!=)

Adventures in South Boston VA, part one...

2010-05-21T22:05:00.001-07:00

So most of you already know I had an awesome opportunity to travel to South Boston to shoot

a wedding. It was such an awesome experience and am so grateful I was able to go. My sweet husband stayed home with our 3 month old while I went away for 2 days to what was to me, REST and relaxation! =)

I arrived a day early for the rehearsal and to make sure all was in order for the wedding day. It was on a beautiful plantation called the Barry hills estate. We were literally out in the middle of no where. My hotel room was awesome! It was very old school (just the way I like things).... The next day was the wedding. It was all so beautiful! Since I had time the first day I walked around and took some shots of the estates. Since I have so many I LOVE I'll post some of the estates today and some of the wedding tomorrow.=)

Be still my heart... I do love a sweet location to explore.

Two Year anniversary! Yay for us=)

2010-05-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

So WOW...it's been a while! Among all of Bruce's sly attempts to get me to post on our blog I thought it time to jump back on the bandwagon and write a post since it is our anniversary.=) Today I've been reminiscing on this day two years ago... at around 11am we were in the temple being sealed. At around 4pm we were celebrating with family and friends at our reception (which was I must say...AWESOME, come on.. we had Mexican food for crying out loud!). At around this time two years ago we were at our hotel relaxing and ummm well you know, need I say more?=) Now... it's been two years and I have to say, it has defiantly been the best two years. Marriage has been what I thought it would be and more. Bruce and I have traveled, I've built up my business, he has finished school, we've had our first child and THAT was an adventure of it's own. We have laughed, cried, argued and planned. Through it all I have learned many valuable lessons about myself and about marriage. I'm so grateful for my husband he is everything I've ever wanted and more in a companion. Today to celebrate we took the baby out for a run. After we went down to cardiff to get a breakfast burrito. We followed that up with a nice afternoon nap with the baby and had a nice evening out by ourselves! We went and saw ironman 2 then went out to the Olive Garden. It was defiantly an awesome day! Much more relaxed than our wedding day!

here are some wedding pics

Happy anniversary hunny!! i love u.

Warning! LONG POST AHEAD....

2009-12-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

You think I'm kidding when I say long post? Well read on..

Life has been pretty busy around the MacDougall home! Work has been pretty intense as Sarah Palin came to Costco for a book signing. I had to be at work at 12am and worked until 8:30am!! What a night... needless to say, by the end of the night I was DONE. Bruce has been busy with school coming to an end and finals, plus working on top of it all. We both still have managed to find time to be with each other.

Bruce and I also had Birthdays. Yup we turned 26 I feel SO old. We weren't going to do anything really because we are trying to save our money, but my wonderful husband went out and found a super good waffle recipe on allrecipes.com it was tasty! Seriously you need to look at this recipe and imagine Bruce at the grocery store trying to find some of this stuff! He bought me a waffle maker (which I have been wanting for some time) and got up at 3:00am just to make me breakfast before I went off to work. How sweet is that?! If any of you know my husband, you would know that first of all, he DOES NOT COOK. Second, he DOES NOT GET UP EARLY!! =)
That was possibly the best birthday gift he could have given me. Later he surprised me with a foot spa! AHHHH boy does it feels good after a long day at work to soak my feet. What a wonderful husband I have! On top of that his brother and wife took us out to this yummy pizza place in Salt Lake City to celebrate our birthdays. Holly got me this sweet vintage photo book from my favorite store, emiliejayne! Bless her heart, I don't think she really knows how excited I am to fill this beauty up with pictures! If you've never been to emiliejayne you must go! Better yet call me when you go I love going and looking for hidden treasures!
We also went to Michael McLean's The Forgotten Carols. This has been a kind of tradition for us, we've gone every year since we've been together. This year we went with my sister and her husband again, but we added a home made dinner and had cake since we are all having a birthday in December! It was lot's of fun!

I'll have to take more maternity pictures. I'll try and get some this Sunday with Bruce and I. My tummy is getting SO big! I feel the baby throw me some full on kicks and can actually feel her move around in my tummy. I think she will be a soccer player like her daddy, since she seems to have some pretty strong legs! Everything is still going good, my back is beginning to hurt some, along with becoming tired again. Work is becoming a little harder since bending over is becoming so much more impossible as the days pass. The other morning I asked Bruce to tie my shoes! That's a treat for me people! You wouldn't BELIEVE how uncomfortable this seemingly simple task has become!=) Man, I love my husband! He's such a great sport and does SO much to show me in small ways he loves me! I'm so lucky.

So I'm slowly but surly finishing up posting all my October pictures!
These have to be some of my favorite pictures!! I love being able to take pictures of family.

This is my brother and sister in-law's family. I think they are a super cute and hip family! I loved the colors Laurel choose because it went with all the different textured walls we took pictures next too. PEOPLE can you guess how many different face's I had to crop in to some of these to get a perfect picture??=) Photoshop really is amazing.=) Aren't they just adorable?! LOVE IT!

Sabrina=)

I had to post some of these cute little guys!

2009-11-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

They are such a cute family and the last before a load full of more photo shoots to come the next couple of weeks. I'm still working on some but as I was editing them I had to smile because these guys make me laugh. I'm going to miss them so much when they move out of the court.=/

Just a reminder that the first of four photo sessions is coming up this weekend for Brittany and her family. To read more about it check out her blog here. She told me she still has a few spots open but they will go fast so make sure to book now!!

Here are some of the pics from our shoot.

Sabrina

A fabulous fundraiser for a fabulous family!

2009-11-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

So a good friend of ours just found out her adopted daughters biological mother is expecting in December and wants them to adopt this baby as well. Since it's such short notice they've come up a little shot on money...so she decided to do some mini photo sessions to try and raise the remainder amount they need. She is an amazing photographer and it is for a great cause! She will be doing 4 different locations and will have a couple different photographers to help with the load. I'll be helping on some of the date's as well. If you could pass along this information to anyone you think would be interested that would help SO much!!!

Here is the flier she sent me

The link to her blog is here you can read more about it also in the top right hand corner you can donate to her fund (or pay for your session).=)

We just got our BIG ultrasound done last week. We found out for sure it's a girl! She was acting kind of funny during the ultrasound because usually she is pretty active and as soon we started she wouldn't move at all.=) I had to get up and go to the bathroom and she did all she could to stimulate her into moving...no such luck=) looks like she's going to be stubborn like her daddy.
It was a lot of fun to see her again everything checked out great and the doctor said she looks perfect. All our test came back great as well. Such a relief!

Work has been a little annoying, for 6 hours straight I have people telling me that I shouldn't be doing this and I shouldn't be doing that....it gets old so fast. Sometimes I wish they would ask what "I" feel like I can or can't handle. I mean I should know my own body better than anyone else right?!=) But I guess if this is the worst thing about being pregnant, I shouldn't complain. I'm actually feeling really great these days. My back doesn't hurt my feet don't hurt...It's kind of nice and I'm beginning to think that the everyday vigorous actives of work are actually whats helping me to feel so good (aside from making me tired).

Anyways here is another cute family from my Colorado trip. This family was seriously cute and the easiest family I have ever taken pictures of. If a prize could be given it would defiantly go to them!
Enjoy!

Sabrina

Baby on caffeine.

2009-10-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

These past couple of weeks at work have been pretty brutal. I think I got spoiled on our vacation to Colorado because ever since Ive been back work has been kind of frustrating. Two days before the walk (walk means when the "TOP" guys at Costco come down to check out the store) all the managers and supervisors were stressing out because we still had so much to do. All three of my isles that I stalk were changed. I was drained becasue I had to work fast and hard to be done on time. So on my lunch I bought a Dr. Pepper and drank it all hoping it would give me a caffeine rush so i could get through the rest of the day. I don't drink much soda or caffeine so as soon as it hit I was on such a high. The funny thing is that the baby was also on a high. She was kicking and moving for hours. I think that's the longest I've ever felt her move!=) I felt kind of bad, but it was kind of fun to feel and it did make me laugh a bit to myself.

Today I hit my 20week mark, the half way point! I can't believe in just 4 months we will have a baby and our lives will be completely changed. I'm so excited and can hardly wait to see what she looks like.

Here is another family I took pictures of in Colorado. They were a fun and VERY active family! It was hard to get all the kids to sit together long enough to take a picture. But we did get some precious ones. Enjoy

Sabrina

I HATE, I HATE....

2009-10-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

cleaning the bathroom.

Yet I feel proud of myself for conquering the dirty beast today! I usually make Bruce clean it, I'd rather do any other chore BUT the bathroom. It was so gross I could hardly stand it any longer. Bruce has been so busy with school and work and I kept putting it off, hoping that the bathroom fairies would come and do it for me. NO SUCH LUCK...=)
EEWWWW, even though it's nice and clean now, I'm still trying to get over having to clean it. WEIRD right. ALL WELL

Here is the Morrison family, one of the fam's I shot in Colorado. ADORABLE family and cute, cute kiddos! They just got this dog the day before and didn't want to leave it home alone so they brought it along and it turned out to be a great way to get the youngest to smile. AHHH.. he went for the dog every time, but never the candy. What's up with kids these days??

Parker Colorado Fall Break

2009-10-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

This week Bruce had Fall Break so we had a week with lots of possibilities! We decided to travel (yes again) to Parker Colorado to visit his Brother and Sister in-law. What a week it's been! We ate yummy dinners, ran with the kids in a race, took 5 family pictures, worked in the back yard, watched movies, played games, laughed, shopped, went to sonic and stayed up WAY too late talking and doing some much needed catch up!

We were so excited to see them again. The last time I saw them was exactly a year ago and they are such a fun family to be around. Laurel (my sister in-law) is pretty amazing...she makes raising 3 children look so easy! On top of it all some how she manages to keep the house clean and get projects done without you even noticing! Tom (Bruce's older brother) is the same, such an awesome family. We LOVE visiting and being with all our family.

So on our drive home I was determined to drive the whole way since Bruce had school today and I didn't have to work...I was doing great staying awake and listening to Harry Potter, until I saw a sign that said North 25. We were should have been going West on the 80! Yikes. I woke Bruce up and he looked on his iphone which told us we had gone 2 hours in the wrong direction. Needless to say, 4 hours later we were back on course. =/ It was kind of funny now that I think about it, but a little frustrating in the moment. lol

I have MANY photo shoots from this week. So stay tuned for more pictures!

In the mean time here are a few I took before I left of a beautiful family that live in our court.

Sabrina.

These make me smile...

2009-10-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

I took these a while ago, just wanted to post a few I've been working on. More to come soon!

Good Night.

OH BABY!!!

2009-09-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

So, many of you might already know Bruce and I are pregnant. Today was a fun day since I'm 16 weeks we had a chance to possibly find out what the sex of our baby would be. While we were sitting in the room waiting for our midwife, we shared what we thought the sex would be. I was really surprised when Bruce said he really thought it was going to be a girl. I also thought it was a girl. So Gretchen came in and we were able to hear the heart beat for the first time (a special moment let me tell you) and after she did the ultrasound. It took a while to get a good view since the baby was moving all over the place but finally we got a pretty good look and we think it's a girl. We wont know for sure until the next appointment, but it's a good possibility! We are super excited! Here are some fun pictures we took today. It's really amazing how clearly you can see the baby!
So other news...I just got back from a trip to California. It was a blast! I missed Bruce so much though. Believe it or not but this was the first time since we've been married that we've been away from each other this long. NEVER again.=) It was nice to see the family again and I got an awesome tan!! YUP not white and pasty anymore. I was able to see my little brother in boot camp and see my sisters run. I love my family, seeing them and hanging with them was a lot of fun.
Work is work...I did get employee of the month which was a pleasant surprise. So all you Costco shoppers out there, if you go to the Salt Lake store you will in the next couple of weeks see a nice picture of ME hanging up on the wall on the way to the restrooms.=) HAHA

Bruce is working hard in school and trying hard to do his best at work. I look up to him so much during this hard year. He has a lot on his plate and he's been so awesome in keeping up with school, work and helping me as much as I need without complaint. What a great man I married!

This next month should be a busy and exciting one. One wedding and 7 family sessions!! WOW we'll see how I survive!!

Until next time, here are some awesome pics from our appointment today.

here is the bum (in between the legs) shot.
I love this one becasue it looks like she is waving at us saying, "Here I am"=)

Beauty.

2009-09-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

I had to post some of these before turning in for the night. I just finished editing them and think Liesel is a beauty!! Can't wait to shoot her wedding.=) Why didn't I decide to do Bridals? Now that I'm a photographer all these small things seem so fun.

ENJOY.

Good night world.

School and some cleaning

2009-08-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

School has started and I'm not liking it. Well it's not as though I never get to see Bruce or that we are super busy...but it just means that I get to work a lot more since he'll just be working part time. *SIGH. Last two semesters, crazy that it's almost over. I find myself wondering where we will be this time next year. =) It's kind of scary and yet kind of exciting at the same time.

The other day Bruce and I cleaned our entire house. I mean we went through all our closest and threw about 4 loads of trash away! Pretty crazy since we really don't have a whole lot of stuff to begin with. So during this process I found one of Bruce's old lap tops with a hug crack in the screen. we haven't used it in over a year so I ask him if we could just rid of it. He didn't want to and I didn't want it sitting in our desk for another year so he came up this brilliant plan to use it as our CD player. Most of our movies are on our external hard drive and when we want to watch them we simply load them on to one of our lap tops and hook it up to the T.V. It's kind of a hassle. So with this lap top we deleted everything that was on it and uploaded all our movies so that we can control it all at the click of a mouse. The best part is we don't have to worry about wires everywhere anymore. I love it and think it was a great idea!

So want to know what I love so much about photography? check out these adorable guys and you'll understand!

I CHOOSE GREEN!

2009-07-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

When I was little my friends all had favorite colors, they'd get outfits, bows and shoes that embodied that color. I remember being jealous as a young girl becasue I never thought any of the colors were particularly "cool" or "pretty". One day this popular girl in our school asked what my favorite color was and I was so ashamed that I didn't have a favorite color (ok and not wanting to seem like a dork really) I said "WHITE"! She gave me this long hard look and said,"WHITE?! Why would anyone want white to be there favorite color?" It was a pitiful moment for me. But now I can proudly say, my favorite color is GREEN. Not just any green but earth toned greens. LOVE IT! I'd paint my walls green if Bruce didn't hate it so much.
Bruce and I have been working on a new logo for my new website design and I wanted to add green to the logo. When I showed him which shade I wanted he said it reminded him of throw up!

*SIGH....

So when I came back from the wedding I did in Canada, I decided to take a break from photography. Work and life has been so hectic that it's been hard not to feel a little discouraged and just pain drained when thinking about editing. But then I got a call from Emily and she asked if I'd shoot her sisters wedding. I said yes without even thinking and after I got off the phone I wondered what I got myself into. But engagement picture day came and I had a blast. Darin and Liesel are seriously some of the coolest people I've ever taken pictures of. They were fun, excited and were open to a lot of ideas that might be a little different. It was a long session becasue we went to 2 locations. The camera loved them and they loved the camera, it was love at first sight.

Here are some of my favorite's although it was SO hard to choose becasue they had so many good ones.

Ryder 1 year Pictures

2009-07-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

I used to watch Ryder a couple morings a week and boy has this cute boy grown! He certainly is adorable and full of energy! It was hard to get him to look at the camera let alone sit in one place long enough to get a picture.=)
But in the end that's just Ryder for ya. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Wedding in Canada

2009-07-16T22:24:00.001-07:00

So we took this CRAZY trip to Canada just days after getting home from Europe to take wedding photos for a mission companion. The drive was beautiful and it was fun doing a road trip to a place we both had never been. We really wanted to be home for the fourth, so we ended up making it to the wedding just in time, took the pictures and drove right through the night to make it home. Basically we did a 20 hour drive in a little over 24 hours. CRAZY!!

Bruce went up to Colorado to hang with family. I decided to stay and work since I've already taken so much time off. I miss him though...Really I take for granted how much I get to be with him everyday and having him gone feels so weird. I can't wait till he gets home.

Anyways here are some of my favorite shots from the day. Thanks guys for letting me be apart of your wonderful day. Stay tuned for some totally cute 1 year old pictures as well as some way awesome engagements.

\

Europe!!

2009-06-27T13:05:00.001-07:00

So our trip was amazing... this will be part one of many post to come. Bruce and I are working on putting together a rough outline of all the happenings of the trip. Until that time here are a few of my favorite pics.

1000 Court Summer Fun

2009-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

So I've decided that, like all things, we have our pros and cons to where we live. On the downside, no kitchen. Even if we moved into a two bedroom we still look forward to, NO kitchen (ok let me rephrase that, we do have a kitchen it's just located in our living room). Yup thats about it on the cons=). So in other words my life would be complete if I had a separate room to call "The Kitchen". LOL Oh dear, I'm pathetic.

As for the pros... we live in THE most awesome court with lots of fun people who help me be more social. We live next to family (literally, right next to them) and we live in a great location. We have the Uof U campus near by, grocery stores, restaurants awesome photography spots, lots of fun hiking places, I can literally run to a trail and be in the mountains. we have the zoo, parks and red bute gardens. So many fun things to do, however nothing tops hanging with everyone in court. Bruce and I get to play with all the kiddos and get our kid fix. =) Seriously, we have the best court. Bruce took these while hangout with everyone one day. All the kids were playing in the pool, while all of the adults were huddled in the shade.

Can it get much better than this??

Mike and Emily

2009-05-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

The other week while in California we took some of these for our friends who drove down with us. It was fun to make that long drive with other people to entertain you and I barely had to drive!=)

The only downer about this trip to Cali was the bad weather. It was cold almost the entire time. lame... But awesome pics of Emily's cute belly.

ONE Year Anniversary

2009-05-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?! I can't, it's been a whole year since Bruce and I have been married in the San Diego temple for all time and eternity. What a year it's been!
To celebrate we went home (to Cali) to get some much needed R&R and to shoot Chris and Tish's wedding. It was a great time and as always, went by way too fast. Bruce hit up the beach and did about 5 surf sessions and eating at Cessy's 5 or 6 times winning him a picture for the wall!

I mostly spent my time at home hanging with my mommy and little sisters. I even went out and did THE craziest thing I've done in a long time...I cut my hair, REAL short. Bruce didn't believe I would actually do it but once I was in that chair I was like, "shorter, umm...maybe a little shorter?". To celebrate my sudden braveness my mom took me out to get cinnabon's across the street at the mall. I LOVE my hair and never want to have long hair again! Then we went out that night to dinner to celebrate our anniversary because we were going to be busy the next couple of days. We were REALLY craving SPINACH ARTICHOKE dip...we happen to have a claim jumper gift card someone had given us for our wedding and decided it would be fitting to use it on our one year anniversary dinner. The food was amazing and since they brought Bruce the wrong sandwich they didn't charge us for it. So, on a dinner we were planning to go "all out on" we only ended up spending 7.00!! Needless to say we tipped BIG because our waitress was awesome. It was a fun night.

I have LOADS of pictures to show everyone...but first here are some of Bruce and I, courtesy of Mike and Emily who took them.=)

Here are some behind the scene shot's of us taking Chris and Tish's pictures. Stay tuned for more to come.

Little Finn

2009-05-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

So this is my new nephew, Finlay. Isn't he just so adorable? I can't get enough of him, or of Duncan for that matter...I have this joke with Holly that the only reason she got pregnant and had a baby was me, that is for me to be able to practice taking pictures I've never been able to take. She must really like me to have a baby;)
It was interesting taking these. I think they turned out fine, but I would defiantly like to try again and add more ideas and maybe during the day when we have some natural light. I think it would also be cool to have some different colors in the background and maybe some fun hats?=)

Star Mill = LOVE at first sight.

2009-05-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

I found this awesome location in American Fork called the Star Mill, all I can say is, "I'm in LOVE".
I think I have a problem, no really, I get all giddy every time I think about being around vintage anything. You should have seen me when taking pictures of this cute couple...I was as giddy as they were just being around tons of vintage items. Something is seriously wrong with that.=)

I loved that everything was old school and dirty... the colors were awesome and the textures amazing. I really would like to visit this location again with a family session. I'm very pleased with how these turned out, I think I'm really improving and I'm gaining more confidence in myself (of course it helps to have so many subjects to experiment with).

Here is Naomi and Andrew they are getting married at the end of July. Naomi is my best friends little sister (although I think of her as practically being my little sister). Here are some of my favorites...

A Wild Blustery Day = Bad Day to Take Photos.

2009-05-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

This was a busy weekend! Or I guess I should say, it's been a busy past couple of weeks. Whenever I have more than just a couple of moments to sit and relax and forget about all I have to do, I count myself lucky. Don't get me wrong, I still feel completely in love with my "To Do List's" (I make them when feeling particularly eager to get things done).

Lets see whats been happening in the MacDougall world...

First- Holly had her beautiful baby Finlay! All I can say is "Baby hungry" =) He is so sweet and adorable I could scream, but I'll just take some awesomely cute pictures (one of these days Holly I promise I will come over and we will make it happen...I've got loads of ideas running through my head)

Second- The job. So as many of you know I applied for the lead position at Costco. It was a tiring process with the stress of not knowing when I'd be interviewed, then being interviewed, then being let down because I was told I had to be able to work 6 Sundays in a row, withdrawing my application for the position with a sour taste in my mouth for Costco and being called back by my store manager Kevin to get re-interviewed and after the interview being offered the job. See doesn't all that just make you tired thinking about it?! Needless to say it was a hard decision I would of had to go into it thinking I'd work at least three Sundays a month (wasn't so sure about that) and saying good bye to photography for a while. Even though I love taking pictures, it's very time consuming and working as a lead full time I wouldn't leave me much time to play. In the end we decided church, family and play all were much better than a secure job with better benefits and 21.00 an hour pay (plus time an a half every Sunday).=) We are happy with the decision and glad I can pursue my photography.

Third- I changed departments at Costco. So for all you Costco regulars who are so kind to brighten my days with your hellos at the food court (you know who you are, lol), I'm sorry to say I swiched to A.M. stalking. That means I get up at 4am and work until 10 or 12:30. So chances are you wont see me anymore. It's great I love it, aside from having to go to bed early.

Aside from all of this "ON TO THE PHOTOS"=)
I was asked by Jamie to take some family photos of her family, her brother just got back from the mish and the family was together. YAY for fun family photo sessions. It makes me want to roll around and laugh (weird I know, but I love family sessions). Well this family went way above the mark...have you ever met someone for the first time and in that moment of meeting, it feels as though you've always known them? This has only happened once before and that was when I met my husband, but I felt that way around this family. Now that I look back on it I don't think we even formally introduce ourselves to one another. I say this because in the moment of finding another great photo wall I was called "Hey photographer lady..." this was followed by laughs and finally a "Oh, what's your name?" Oh, the sweet joy's.
This family was working on a tight schedule so this was the only time they could take pictures...it was pouring cats and dogs though. At the end when everyone had just about had it, I asked if they wanted to take some the next day (on Sunday) greatfully they agreed and we set a time to meet again. Just like Jamie, this family was super fun and the guys were champs! Bruce (Jamies Dad) asked if I knew of any other family who had boys agree to another day of family pictures...laughing I said NO (especally not my family).

Here are some of my very favorites. They are such a beautiful family not hard to capture that! The first are of the rainly day and the others are of the Sunday after. Sorry about the long post.

"When Life throws you a lemon make lemonade"

2009-04-13T08:08:00.001-07:00

I like lemonade, I don't like lemon's which is why I like this quote. Saturday was a very interesting day. I agreed to come into work only expecting to work until 12pm. It was going to be a busy day becasue it was Easter weekend, by the time 12 came around we had two employees call in sick with no back up pizzas and tons of orders. Needless to say I was there until 3 and my photo shoot was scheduled for 4. Oh and did I mention I had my interview too? Talk about being stressed.

When I finally got off work I sped home and called Bruce I was braking down, I wanted this shoot with Shauna and Tyler to be amazing becasue well, these two people are just amazing. I was hoping we'd beat the rain, but right when I got to our location the rain came and it rained hard. Bruce very lovingly calmed me down and got me going again. BOY DO I LOVE MY MAN.
To my relief, the rain stopped as soon as Shauna and Tyler pulled in and gave us a good 45 mins of shooting time beforeit rained again. Since it was coming down so hard we headed inside (which I've never done) and took some pretty sweet shots. All in all it was a blessing it rained, I tried something new and we got to use Shauna's umbrella which I think made the pictures kind of unique in a way.

I slept so good that night...what a crazy Saturday. Sometimes I ask myself why I try to juggle shoots with working full time, then I come home and SEE the final product and I remember why I love doing it so much.

Here are just "a few" of my favorite:

Jimmy, Holly and Duncan Maternity/ Family photos

2009-04-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

So this is a "trying something new part two" post.... We went out after conference yesterday to take these because the sun was actually out.=) This photo shoot was every photographers dream, they came dressed in COLOR, we new each other and this family has SO much personality it was hard not to take pictures of everything they did.
The whole time I was taking pictures of Holly I'd get more and more jealous! Is that even possible to be jealous of a pregnant woman?! Ok, Ok I know they tell us at church not to covet you neighbor...but com'on people check out how awesome she looks and she is due in just a couple of weeks! Man I hope I look like that when I'm pregnet.=)

Plus I tried a few things I wouldn't normally try on someone I didn't know very well. The umbrella was a new idea, Holly even had a few ideas as well that urned out pretty cool. it was tons of fun though. Duncan was absolutely adorable, need I say more?

...it was hard to pick just a few so here are a few more than i normally post.

Trying something new.

2009-03-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

So I've never taken maternity pictures... ever since Holly asked me to take some of her I decided others in the court might want some as well.
Isn't Kara beautiful?! Her eyes are amazing and her glow beautiful! I just loved taking pictures of her and her belly and her dress was to die for! I JUST LOVE WHEN PEOPLE COME TO A SHOOT WITH BRIGHT COLORS.
Kara and Tee are both a little more laid back and really easy going. She was great about going along with a lot of my demands. I told her to stand up. sit down, cross her legs, put your legs up ...now to the side.=) Tee said at the end he was just happy she didn't go into premature labor! Well I am too, I don't think I ever would forgive myself and I can't see myself ever recovering from something like that. They were great. If anyone else want's pictures even if down the road when your belly gets bigger, don't hesitate to email me.

Some other news..Bruce and I made the decision a couple of weeks ago to go to Europe! Yup his mom and dad are planning this huge two and a half week trip and it's all going to cost 800.00 each! Talk about being in picture paradise!!! I cant even tell you how excited I am, Seriously I'm almost bouncing out of my seat right now, that's how excited I get every time I think about it.

Also the other week I did our taxes for the first time on my own (well with the help of Holly whom I called every couple of mins, thanks Holly!).
I was so proud of myself. I know that sounds lame and everyone is probably thinking they always did there own taxes...but well, my dad always filed mine for me and heck, I never complained that he did. I was surpised to find it was nt really all that difficalt. I guess our lives right now are pretty simple and boring.

Anyways here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Warm Spring Days.

2009-03-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

So wasn't yesterday just sooooo amazing! I mean I must have sat outside in the warm sun for hours. It makes my soul cry out for the beach. What a LONG winter it's been.

Along with a beautiful day was an awesome shoot with Chris and Tish. I've known Chris since I was 19 I think. We are good 'ol single ward buddies. We've had callings together, gone to many dances together and hung out on multiple occasions. Tish you've got a great guy, I'm so glad to have meet you and am excited to shoot your wedding! Chris and Tish are getting married the same weekend Bruce and I got married last year, they are even having the reception in Bruce's parents backyard. Talk about deja vu! =)

Anyways this couple is awesome! If you know them don't forget to send a gift. Come on you know how we all like getting gifts at our weddings.

Here are some of my favorite engagement shots from yesterdays session. Hope you guys enjoy them!

Little bird houses.

2009-03-20T16:53:00.001-07:00

I saw these hung in another court on my way to get laundry change... I loved them so much I had to go back to get pictures. They remind me of Spring.

"Let's go honey"

2009-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, since I don't have any kids can I just brag about my adorable nephew? This morning Jimmy called and asked if I could watch Duncan for a few hours while he and Bruce went to basketball and soccer. Of course I said yes, Duncan is always so fun to be around. While Bruce was leaving he called back and said "See ya later honey". After a few minutes Duncan and I decided we wanted to go see the animals at the zoo, it was a beautiful day after all. While I was getting ready, Duncan was becoming more and more excited to the point of yelling out, "Let's go honey"...I laughed so hard! It was too cute to hear a little 3 year old call me honey.=)
So we set out to walk down to the church to get Duncan's car set, it was the only way we would be able to go. Once we got there however, I had no idea where Jimmy's car was (at least I couldn't recognize it) so i asked Duncan, "Where's Daddy's car?" He looked around and said, "ummmm, right there!" and sure enough it was Jimmy's car.

Finally we got home and the car set in the car and set off to the zoo. I've never been to the Hogle Zoo so I had nooo idea where everything was. At least it's not that big so it was impossible to get lost and I'm sure eventually I would have been able to find all the animals. Duncan surprised me by pulling me along and knowing exactly what all the animals were and where they were located. If he didn't know a particular animal (like a specific monkey's name) he'd ask, "Brina, whats that one called?"
Oh and before we left the house he requested to wear his little animal backpack, you know one of those that has the tail as a leash...well we never used the leash much until the end when he saw another little boy with the same backpack and his mom was holding the leash. I could see his brain working knowing he had the same backpack and leash and wanting me to hold his leash as well. He turned to me and said "Brina, hold my leash" and then proceeded to follow the little boy, determined to make friends with him and why wouldn't he?=) They both had pretty sweet backpacks.
It turned out to be a FUN morning, Duncan walked/ran for a good three hours around the zoo and finally on our way to get lunch passed out in his car set. So cute! How much better can it get than to get a first hand tour of the zoo from a three year old.=) Who, by the way described in detail every animal. Here are some of my favorite shots of the day all of which were requested by Duncan to be taken. I took one at the beginning of him in from of an animal and after that he was hooked and would say, "I need a picture in front of the bear or leopard or peacock...=)" Thats why we have so many with him in front of the animals. Although I think his favorite part was looking at it after it was taken.

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A Little girls Crush.

2009-03-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

Every other week Bruce and I have the wonderful opportunity to teach the Sunbeam class at church. Usually the kids come in and pick the chair they want and sit next to whomever they choose to sit next too. We usually aren't that picky...however since our class has doubled since we got our newest sunbeams we split up between the two rows to keep the kiddos in there chairs and somewhat quite. About half way through Primary Holly (the primary president) got my attention and pointed to Bruce who was sitting in the row behind me and said, "I think you have some competition". All four girls had chosen to sit next to him and the two boys decided to take their chances with me. I had to laugh...
During class I'm continually amazed at how much these little kiddos learn from home and retain. I had a picture that I showed of a father baptizing his daughter and when I asked the kids to explain what was happening in the picture, one of our little boys shouted "The Priesthood" Bruce and I looked at each other in shock that this 3 year old new that you needed the priesthood to baptize. WOW great job to all the sunbeam parents! We really are amazed and love teaching your chidren.

So i was BROWSING the internet, cause Bruce is studying, and found this awesome site for fabrics. They are a little pricey but I LOVE them and want so bad to make a baby blanket out of one or all of these. The company is Nuno.

Here are some of my favorites.

(This one is my favorite)