This picture makes me chuckle. Grayson has brought such a spark to my family, and he pretty much is the center of attention at all times. He deserves the attention, not only because we all waited for him for 4 years, but because he's just so darn cute.

(oh, and he is not really wearing glasses these days. He stole them from his grandpa) :)

In other news, life on our side has been crazy, hectic and slow all at the same time. I'm {continually} learning patience on so many levels. Patience is a tough trial to learn, but it will be worth it. I won't go into too many details. Lately I've felt a desire to keep things close to my heart, which may explain why this blog has been a bit quiet as of late.

Hopefully soon I will be able to post a few updates on our kitchen which has been receiving some love lately. Until then, I will shamelessly post one more picture of this happy face.

Island Adventure, Pt. 2

We are soooo close to having the island done. I cannot wait. Like most large house projects, it has taken much longer than anticipated. With us both having very limited time to work on it, we are anxious to get it done. 

I am so proud of Russ. He has built this whole island pretty much by himself. (I have served as the vision planner, assistant and cheerleader :). Since my last update on the island, we have finished the following:

* sealed, stained and attached the butcher block counter top
* wired the island to have an electrical socket -- I even got electrocuted! It was weirdly painful.
* attached the woodwork/molding
* caulked and sanded
* applied the first layer of primer

And, because I know this is mostly what people care about, here are some pictures to prove it:

And here's a picture of Russ installing the island from long ago. I just like it.

Don't worry, I'll keep you updated. But hopefully (fingers crossed!) the next post will be the final reveal!

Insta Update

I thought it was high time I gave this blog a formal update. Unfortunately, I haven't been too good about taking real pictures, so hear I go with another Insta-Update. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, this will be a bit of a re-run. Here's to the sake of documenting!

From top to bottom, left to right:

*  Walking my cousins' dog, Rufus, in Eugene, OR when we visited for Uncle John's funeral. Rufus is, obviously, a huuuuuge dog. But I like him (which is really saying something).
*  An amazingly delicious banana bread recipe. Try it.
*  Birthday dinner for Russ at Pizzeria 712. Yum yum.
*  One of those wing-it-weeknight-meals I threw together that was a total hit. Love those nights.
*  Snowboarding at the one-and-only Snowbird Resort. Our happy place.
*  Being lucky enough to see my BFF Elyse and her ridiculously cute little girl, Isla, a few times this month. Lucky me!!
*  Do you not take random pictures after church? Oh, apparently we do.
*  One night we were bored and Russ finally let me straighten his hair for fun. I don't think we have laughed so hard in such a long time. Even looking at this picture now weirds me out!
*  I love my Bunco group in my neighborhood. Always a good time with the girls.
*  I went down to Provo to watch the Bachelor with Brittney one night. Seeing Grayson was an awesome perk, obviously.
*  Kraft Mac & Cheese is one of our favorite post-church lunches. Don't judge.
*  I downloaded a fish eye lens app. This was a result.
*  Making head-way on our island! Rockin' the headlamp, of course.
*  On the morning after Valentine's day, Russ ran this up to the bathroom while I was doing my hair. I really love McDonalds breakfasts (thanks to Dad), so he gave me a home-made version. It was better than the "real thing." Love that man.
*  Valentine's celebration started at Black Sheep cafe in Provo, which has probably become our favorite restaurant in Utah Valley. We then headed up to Midway for a night stay at the Zermatt Resort. Everyone needs a little getaway from reality once and a while, right?