About a month ago we went on our third annual trip to Trinity Lake, a remote and gorgeous lake in the Shasta National Forest in Northern California. I look forward to this trip all year long. It's my favorite! We are disconnected from everything spending the days as we please - fun is definitely had by all. This year I couldn't really do, well, anything, but I still loved every second of it. 

*All pictures are taken by Bella Torgerson - thanks Bella! You rock behind the lens.

Glass. A skiier's dream.

This guy obviously stole the show pretty much all week. He loved the boat!

Go Russ!

Captain of the boat.

My bro.

Pure happiness.

My doctor didn't really even want me to go. I was just about 28 weeks along -- he said being so remote wasn't the smartest thing. Well I went, and it was worth it. My dad bought a "Relaxation Station" that was just what the doctor ordered... kind of. 

My cute parents - Dad must have just finished with a sweet ski run.

So this happened. Stu and Russ shaved mustaches. No comment.

Me and the G-man. 

These guys have fun together. They were mustache twins. It was gross.

The air chair was a new addition -- I can't wait to try it next year! (Russ's face cracks me up, by the way,)

Can't wait till next year. It's crazy to think I will have two crazy 10 month olds running around. Oh how life will change, but definitely for the better. Thanks mom and dad, another amazing trip to remember!

The day I met Dave Matthews

I can't believe I even typed out that sentence.

I'm a huge Dave Matthews Band fan {major understatement}. The obsession started early in high school and continued throughout college. Last night was my 8th time seeing his live show. I have stood in the rain for ten hours to get as close as possible. I was a stalker and drove by his house in Seattle. I would wake up having weird/creepy dreams that we were BFF's (Dave and I). I think I know just about every song he has ever written, and own all of them. OK, I think that gives enough information. Believe me yet?

Well imagine how I felt when my brother-in-law, Stuart, told me he was going to get to go backstage for the DMB show in Utah, along with the rest of Fictionist. They were playing at a gig where the saxophone player (Jeff Coffin) was involved and were being compensated with these tickets. Embarrassingly enough, I started crying (I blame it on the pregnancy hormones). Stu said he would try as hard as possible to get an extra one for me. After a month or so, he found out he was only going to get 2. For the last few years, I have been doing the accounting for Fictionist. Stu, being the best brother-in-law in the world, asked the rest of Fictionist if it was OK if I got the other ticket as compensation for keeping up the books. They all agreed... I couldn't believe it was actually going to happen.

I was so giddy leading up to the show. When we arrived to the amphitheater, the special badges we had also gave us a dinner ticket. We were free to pretty much roam around backstage. I, of course, was keeping my eyes peeled for Dave, or any other members of the band. They all must have been in their vans or something, because no one was to be seen, until I finally saw Stefan Lessard, the bass player. COOL! We hooked up with Stu's friend/connection and we went in to the room to get our food. From the few minutes we were in there loading up our plates to when we rejoined the group for dinner, a miracle occurred. As we were approaching the picnic table outside, there were a few guys sitting down and eating, and one in particular standing and leaning over the table. {HEART SINKS} I start whispering from behind Stu saying something like "Stu. Stu. Stu. Look who it is. Stu. Stu. Oh my gosh. Stu." We finally approach the table and sure enough, Dave Matthews and I are within feet of each other. I set my plate on the table, he turns around, looks at me and says:

"I've heard about you!"

I'm in complete shock. Yet somehow manage to respond by saying "Oh yeah? Why is that?" His response was so completely unexpected but also very characteristic of him (since I know him so well).

"You're the one who got knocked up!"

hahahahaha

I kept it cool and we start joking around and I say "And how do you know that?" he responds with "I'm pretty good on picking that up." Blah Blah. And for about a minute or so we just kind of joke back and forth. Stu steps in and says "this is my sister-in-law, Camille" and then I shake Dave's hand. Woah. After he said it was nice to meet me, I said something like "Nice to meet you, too. I'm a huge fan." Whew! I didn't make a fool of myself. Somehow I muster something like "Can I get a picture with you?" And there ya have it. My new favorite picture ever. An image I never thought would come to pass. To be honest, in all the times I dreamed of this happening, I didn't think that's what Dave was going to say to me, but hey, I'll take what I can get! :)



After this lifetime dream just happened, I couldn't even eat. My hands were shaking! Stefan Lessard came and sat at the picnic table next to us, and after about 10 minutes Stu approached him and started chatting with a fellow bass player. I later joined them and we sat and talked to Stefan for about 15-20 minutes. I wanted to pinch myself as I was asking questions about the early days with DMB and he was freely telling me stories of his time with the band (22 years!). So surreal.





Later on we were able to watch the Head and the Heart (the band who opened, also another favorite of mine) from side stage. Stu, being the charmer he is, was somehow able to talk to pretty much every single member of that band. They were all so nice and down-to-earth.

We ended up seeing every member of DMB backstage, even though we only talked to Dave, Stefan and Jeff Coffin. For the actual DMB show we went to our seats out in the audience and rocked the night away. He played some fan favorites - Dancing Nancies, Halloween, #41, and All Along the Watchtower. That band never ceases to amaze me! Every show is amazing and I never walk away disappointed.

Life goal to meet Dave Matthews... check! DMB fan forever!

Finished Island & Kitchen Upgrades

I've had a handful of requests to finally see the finished island. We started it forever ago, I think last November? And true to DIY form it took longer than expected. However, I am so proud of Russ. He built this thing from scratch. Neither of us knew what we were doing, but he kind of just learned as he went. The paint color was also a decision, not surprisingly. At first I painted it a beautiful blue-green color that tied in with my wallpaper, but with my dark cabinets and everything else, it just wasn't working. So I decided to embrace the contrasting cabinet look and painted it the same white as our trim (Sherwin Williams Milk White).

 It's been in it's current state since the spring. We have been at a standstill because we still need to add "fake drawers" on the cabinet side. We went to Ikea to buy two handle bars to match the rest of the kitchen, and wouldn't you know it? They no longer make that style. AWESOME. So, the island is still missing fake drawers, but I figured you guys could look past that, right?! :)

And here's the side where all the cereal-in-the-morning magic happens. Since having our island I've realized how much I missed it! The extra storage space and working space is nice, but we also love just pulling up the stool for a quick bite to eat. You can find those stools on Overstock.com, but for all of you Utah folk, you need to go by the Overstock Outlet. It's a total hit-or-miss place, but when you "hit" you really hit! We found these stools for $16 TOTAL. Yes, $8 a stool. SCORE! They've been great. Easy to clean and easy to move around and stack.

The butcher block counter top has been one of my favorite aspects of the island. Butcher block can be really expensive, but Ikea saved the day once again. We bought Numerar counter top and trimmed it to size.  We first applied a pre-stain by Minwax, and then stained it "Dark Walnut" by Minwax. We finished the job with a few coats of Polycrylic to give it the nice, shiny finish. 

One of the major upgrades we sprung for was finally getting a new oven. Whoever built our house put in the cheapest, crappiest electric coil stove-top oven EVER. I hated it from the day we moved in. We had thought about wiring in gas so we could get a gas stove, but soon realized it was going to be either really expensive or really dangerous for Russ to attempt messing around with gas lines. :) So we opted for this great LG double oven. The two different ovens have really been a life-saver. I would highly recommend it!

The final major upgrade we made was a new table and chairs. Once we had built the island, our table really wasn't working. (You can see it here) It was black, which wasn't working with the wood tones of the island, and it was a counter-height table which was awkward as it was the same height as our new island. There needed to be more dimension. We sold it on KSL and bought a new table for less than we sold it and the matching chairs for! Can't complain.

We found the grey-tufted dining chairs at World Market for about half the cost. Finding deals makes me happy.

Russ made the bench from scrap wood he found around the neighborhood (there is still new construction going on, so Russ finds joy in a little dumpster diving).

And finally, the Overstock outlet I mentioned above pulled through again. We found 4 tabouret chairs for less than $40 total! I'm still looking for the perfect chair pads, but until I find them these outdoor pads from Ikea have done the trick. 

 And finally, no more boob lights!!!! I'm not sure if you understand how happy this makes me. We found a great deal on some LED recessed lights at Home Depot. After sending in a rebate and selling our old fixtures, they came to about $10 each. You can see in the picture below from a few years ago, we had way too many boobs to handle. Thank goodness this situation has been remedied. (You can also see another picture of our old table). The only one left is in the living room -- still hunting for the perfect replacement.

....  and now, such a clean ceiling. My happy place. 

So I think our kitchen is a million steps closer to being a kitchen I love. Now only if I could convince Russ that white cabinets and wood floors are essential... They are, right? :) 

25.5 Weeks

Oops! Another month went by. It's been a busy month full of weddings, family get-togethers, and growing. I mean literally growing. Since journaling is something I am absolutely terrible at, I thought I should be better about documenting this crazy twin pregnancy. Overall I still catch myself just staring at my belly thinking "is this really happening?" The thought that Russ and I are soon-to-be-parents of two new little people is a bit mind-boggling and overwhelming at times, but something we thank Heavenly Father for every night. This truly is a miracle and a blessing. 

I want to remember how I felt at this time, so these are merely "how I'm feeling points," so forgive me if they come off like whining. As I mentioned above, I am so incredibly grateful to even be in this situation.

* I have felt pretty "good" for the last month or so (it's all relative, right?), but I can definitely feel myself slowing down a lot this last week. Exhaustion hits fast and it hits hard lately. I'm pretty sure the babies have found a home partly in my ribs, which is just awesome. Sitting at work all day gets really uncomfortable/painful on the ribs, so laying down is always a nice treat.

* My pregnancy "vice" is definitely swollen feet and ankles (and pretty much everything else too. You know, the face, hands, limbs, etc.). Not only do I really miss seeing my ankles and my actual feet, walking becomes quite painful. The only way to describe it is little pin pricks every time I step. It started right around 18 weeks and hasn't really gone away. My doctor said it is expected to be worse (and start earlier) with multiples, which has definitely been the case.

* My doctor also restricted me from pretty much any exercising pretty early on, except for walking. But as I mentioned in my last point, walking becomes painful, so that doesn't happen often. The most I have done are some bike rides here and there. Needless to say, I cannot wait for a good hard workout sometime after these babies are out!

* I can feel the babies move all the time now! It's so fun and surreal. I'm sure it's going to get even crazier as they get bigger and there are 8 limbs pushing and squirming around. :)

* We have started accumulating random pieces of baby gear, nursery furniture, and clothes. Everything is so fun to prepare for. We still haven't bought cribs, but I'm sure once those come, nursery planning will be in full-force. Until then, nesting has kicked in and I've been cleaning and organizing closets and getting other projects done that I know will be impossible come October. We are almost done with re-doing our laundry room, which is going to make life so much easier. That's what it's all about these days.

* I am like always hungry. Early on I was ravenously hungry, but now it's like this dull hunger that never really goes away. I get full fast (probably because my stomach is all squished), but I am hungry an hour or so after a main meal. My main goal for these babies is to get them to a healthy birth-weight, so I try to not feel bad about the fact that I am
a l w a y s   e a t i n g.

* Oh, and if anyone is wondering, no names have been chosen... or even close. We should probably get on that knowing how long it takes Russ and I to make decisions. :)

Insta Update!

Thank you, thank you for all of the kind and supportive comments about our recent discovery! We sure are excited about having a boy and girl, even though all three options would have been equally exciting. I think all three have their fun and hard aspects, but of course we are excited for what the future holds. 

It's been a busy spring and summer (when is it not, right?!) so I thought I should do a quick update via my Instagram feed. Smart phones sure make it easy to document small moments of every day life.

Left to right:

* Sunday walks in our neighborhood with the mister. Walking is about all I can do these days -- my doctor said no to running (and similar activities) since twins can be a "high-risk pregnancy." Sigh.

* Hiking with the Young Women of our ward (church organization). Utah sure is gorgeous. 

* A glimpse of the Salt Lake City temple while I was on yet another outing with the Young Women.

* Our first baby gear purchase! It is the City Select double stroller with two car seat attachments and two toddler seats, thanks to the KSL classifieds. I love getting things half off! :)

* Our garden that Russ works so hard on is starting to bring yummy things into our house. 

* I am still obsessed with this little boy. 

* My sister-in-law, Marcella, had her fourth baby! Baby Milly joined the world on June 13th with a full head of dark hair.  She is beautiful! I also love that her name is one of the main nicknames people use for me. We already have a special bond. :)

* My half-way (for twins) baby bump documentation! It sure is weird (and amazing) watching your body grow so fast...

* I've been on a baking kick these days (which I'm sure Russ is grateful for since I took a few months off of being in the kitchen when I wasn't feeling so great earlier on). Last night I made some Blueberry Shortcakes from Martha Stewart Living. I love summer berries. And Martha.

Boy and Girl!

We just got back from our ultrasound this morning and I couldn't wait to document our results! A baby boy AND girl will be joining our family in about 4 months!! I was so incredibly nervous for the ultrasound, not just for the gender reveal, but also because I felt like there were twice as many things that could go wrong! When we got in the room I was dizzy and anxious! But luckily both babies look perfectly healthy and right on track for size and weight. I feel so blessed and grateful. It's been a long road, but here we are with two little people coming our way mid-October.

Baby boy was NOT shy at all and we found out his gender within the first few minutes. He was also taking up the entire front section of my belly leaving the second baby to be crowded in the corner. She is way more prim and proper. She was hiding out in the corner just minding her own business and would NOT uncross her little legs. After about 5 minutes of navigating around, she finally decided to reveal enough to deduce that she is in fact a girl. I'm predicting that baby boy will be the bolder personality of the two.

Anyway, we are so excited. And of course now comes the fun part of planning/buying/scheming, etc.... :)

New York City Pt. 2

As mentioned in the previous post, Russ had to go to New York City for work, so I tagged along! I figured the time to do this was quickly slipping from our fingers. :) I hadn't been to NYC since I was a lot younger, so I really didn't remember much at all. Holy moly that city is INTENSE, and slightly overwhelming. Everywhere you look there is something going on, and the energy is tangible. It's pretty much impossible to get bored there! I have to admit, I was ready to come home, but that is probably due largely to my current state of being. :) 

Highlights:

• The National Concert
• Fancy restaurants and yummy bakeries (two words: Levain Bakery)
• Central Park
• Highline Park in Brooklyn (a park on top of a railroad and overlooking Brooklyn -- gorgeous!)
• Chelsea Market
• Brooklyn in general - I was charmed by the less "crazy" and artistic area of Brooklyn
• "Once" on Broadway - a fun and intimate Broadway show that was basically a Mumford & Sons concert with a story :)
• MET Museum

Less Awesome Moments:

• THE SUBWAY! Out of all of the public transportation systems I have experienced both in the US and Europe, the NYC Subway is by far my least favorite. Completely confusing and frustrating. The end.
• Getting rained out on Friday, and having to walk around in it all day while Russ was working. I'm talking flash flood rain. So not cool.
• Getting "mooooo-ed" at by an incredibly rude and most-likely drunk man. I'm not even kidding. By Saturday night my feet were swollen and I was feeling especially pregnant. We were slowly walking down the sidewalk (that was plenty wide) when I heard the man behind us start "mooooo-ing." I turned around and said "did you just MOO at me?" He was obviously surprised that I actually called him out, and muttered something about being late to his show, so I said "pass me by!!" And then because my blood was boiling and I was NOT in the mood to be compared to a cow, I pointed at my belly and loudly stated "I'M PREGNANT WITH TWINS! And you're incredibly rude!!" He and his posse just looked at me, shocked, and again just muttered something like "oh, I'm sorry... ugh... gotta go." Haha. I was in shock that someone could be so rude, but felt better that I spoke my peace. :) I hope he learned a valuable lesson that you do NOT mess with a pregnant woman walking around in NYC. 

Ok, I just had to record those memories for history's sake. How often can you say you have been "mooed" at? New York City is a city all it's own! I'm not sure I could ever live there, but it sure is fun to visit! 

The National in NYC

One of Russ's biggest clients is in New York City and he needs to go onsite every other month or so. I haven't been to NYC since I was a lot younger, so I've been itching to tag along. We finally made it happen last weekend! (more on our trip to come). Russ was able to plan the visit around a specific date we had in mind -- the night our favorite band, The National, would be playing at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. I'm still a little amazed it all worked out. Sure can't complain about a very highly subsidized trip to the east coast to see my favorite band.

I was first introduced to the band in college and I instantly fell in love with the lyrics, melodies and brooding vocals of Matt Berninger (the lead singer). I can easily say The National helped me get through my years of infertility and all of the ups and downs (mostly downs) that we experienced. I have a 6 disc CD player in my car and their albums have been constants -- never to be removed! I really am grateful for their music. It helped me cope and heal. Music is powerful!

This concert turned out to be more than just any old concert. Soon before our trip I read this article and learned that this show would also be the band's first time to play in an arena, and in their hometown, nonetheless. They have been a band for about 14 years, and their hard-work and persistence has paid off. They have sure had their fair share of struggles and playing for empty rooms, which I'm sure every band can relate to. It is encouraging to see that sometimes (a lot of) patience, time, and hard work can actually lead to something. I couldn't stop thinking about my own brother-in-law (and my patient sister) and their endeavors with Fictionist. The members of that band work so incredibly hard and deserve nothing more than to make it, just like The National. The members of The National are not young kids -- they are all nearing 40 and have wives and kids. Success comes in many different forms, but I think the kind that is organic and well-earned is even more deserving.

Just as this show meant a lot for me as one of the 12,000 in the crowd, it also meant a lot to them. I loved being at that show and seeing just how grateful, humbled and reflective the members of the band were. They pulled out all of the stops -- St. Vincent even came and sang a song with them! As always with highly anticipated concerts, I was sad to see it end, but also comforted because I get to see them again August 1st when they come to Salt Lake City! Yes! My very own home. They will be playing at the Twilight Concert Series, so any of you local folk should pay the $5 (crazy good price) and come check out The National.

Crappy iPhone picture before the show! So excited!

The Barclay's Center is huge and awesome. 

... and since I can't pick just one, here are a few of my favorite songs (there are so many more)...

This song, a more subdued one, was on repeat for weeks. Words can't explain how much this song means to me. 

This song was the first song I heard, introduced to me in college by my friend Kim Paul. Whenever I hear it I instantly become nostalgic for such a momentous time of my life.

And this one makes me want to run. Or jump around. Or something. Such a good song.

Natalie's Big Day

You know those type of people that everyone loves? They have a special light about them and make everyone happy, just by being there. They are also the type of people where in the back of your head you think "who could ever be good enough for this person??" Well Natalie is one of those people. Natalie and I were friends way back in college and lived in the same apartment complex. After a year or two of knowing her, she set me up with her older brother (which in itself is a huge compliment). As you can guess, I ended up marrying this brother of hers! I feel so lucky to have met Natalie for obvious reasons, but also because my sister-in-law was my friend before she was my family!

Anyway, we've wanted nothing but her happiness, so seeing her on cloud nine last week at her wedding was a dream come true. Natalie looked gorgeous and so, so happy. She found the most perfect person to spend eternity with. We love Greg and feel so lucky to have him in our family. They are perfect for each other. 

Isn't her dress gorgeous??

 

The whole Lewis clan!

The bridal party! I love all of these girls.

We love you and are so happy for you Nat! And welcome to the family Greg!!

(by the way, if you are wanting to tap into a market to make mega bucks, make maternity bridesmaid dresses. Seriously, those things are practically non-existent. I guess no one ever thinks they will have 3 pregnant bridesmaids) :)

Mother's Day

My siblings, Russ and I drove down to Richfield, UT to spend Mother's Day with my grandparents. My grandma is an amazing example of a mom. She has been through a lot in the last 15 years, including breast cancer, a stroke and many other health issues that are accompanied with these conditions. Last summer she had another scare and has been in a long-term care facility since then... up until this weekend, of course. It was wonderful being there to see her back in the home where she raised her family of seven. It was even more wonderful seeing a little bit of her personality come back. It's been hard to communicate with her over the last few years, but when I told her about the twins the joy and happiness on her face warmed my heart. It was the grandma I remembered, and seeing her was so, so sweet.

I hope every woman out there -- whether you are a "mother" or not -- had a happy mother's day. It's a beautiful holiday to celebrate all of the women in the world. I am especially so grateful for my own mom who has has taught me everything I need to know. I sure love my family. The end.

The Struggle

WOW! That's about all I can say as a follow-up to my last post. We are so completely humbled and awed by all of the nice things y'all had to say, via this blog post, phone calls, texts, emails, and believe it or not, instagram comments. Ha. Gotta love the digital world we live in. I really felt the love and support, and it means so much.

I know our big announcement was a shocker for a lot of people, but for some it was a long-time coming. Those who have been more involved in our lives for the last few years have asked that I keep everyone in the loop with this pregnancy, and I really will strive to do so. Many of you know that we tried for a long time for this miracle of pregnancy. It's a funny thing, huh? Some people accidentally get pregnant, and then others struggle for years and pay lots of money. :) But I saw this quote and it really hit home:

Isn't that the truth? After doing many months of fertility drugs, 3 IUI's and 2 IVF transfers (and all of the fun that is involved in those processes... haha... joke), we finally had good news and found out we were pregnant. What a happy day for us. And then to find out two weeks later that we were having twins?!? The shock was tangible (and still sometimes is), but we were just so, so, so happy.

The last few years have had many moments of tears, frustration and sadly, bitterness. But after fighting my own demons and feeling peace with everything, I knew it would all be OK. Maybe not when I wanted it to, but eventually. This last weekend as we were driving home from my grandparents house in southern Utah I was talking with my sister (who has also experienced many if not more of the same things I have). When I was in the midst of this crappy trial and perhaps not in the best place, I would look at some peoples' lives and think "boy, isn't that a charmed life?" It was hard to not feel angry and that life "just is not fair." Life really isn't fair, but that's not the point. Our story of these twins now includes a beautiful struggle that brought us to where we are today. It's interesting, and perhaps unexpected, because lately I have been feeling so incredibly grateful for this trial. We have really tried to make the most of our situation. I have loved these last 4 years of being "just us." Yes, it was hard, but I wouldn't change a thing. We have experienced and done so much, and now I get to be a mom.

Hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it?

Thank you, again, for all of the prayers and happy thoughts that were sent our way over the last few years. It may be cliche, but we really couldn't have gotten through it all without the overwhelming amount of support. Now let's get these babies here already!! :)

Attention, Attention!

My nephew Grayson has an announcement to make, and as you can tell he's pretty excited about it!!

Get it? My nephew is getting two cousins.

...in other words, we're having twins in mid-October and we are over the moon about it!!

I am about 14 weeks along and am feeling really good. I've been super, SUPER tired but I can tell some of my energy is finally coming back. I experienced a lot of nausea (as is to be expected), but besides that I have been pretty lucky. I've heard a lot of women with twins get even more sick, so I feel blessed. Well, let's be honest, we really just feel blessed all around. Now we just need to be patient for another 5 months until we get to meet our babies! Ahh!

A Quick Trip to California

This last weekend we were able to take a quick getaway to Southern California. I had made it pretty clear that I was in serious need of a vacation. So, Russ got the (not so subtle) hint and surprised me with this trip for my birthday! It was perfect. My sister, her husband and the cutest chubby 9 month old baby also joined us. We had no schedule and literally did whatever we wanted the whole weekend. We stayed in Newport Beach, but visited Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Santa Monica. Everything is so beautiful down there! We spent time on the beach, shopping, being tourists and of course eating, eating and more eating. Perfection. And now here is a quick montage of pictures.

A Baby in Glasses

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?

What's Your Color?

I saw this image from a design blog that I love to follow and thought it was so interesting. She had done research to see which personality traits often accompanied certain "color favorites." I, for one, know that I definitely have my favorite group of colors. My home decor and wardrobe all lean in the same direction. In fact, one time my Aunt sent me a picture of some fabric and was like "this looks like your Pinterest boards!" Am I that predictable? :) 

I don't mind really, because yellow, grey, blue/teal, and coral all make me very happy. And apparently they are associated with pretty great personality traits, too! (too bad coral didn't make it on the list...)

image via

What's your favorite color? Do you think the personality traits associated with it are accurate?

I'm Glad He Was Born

Today was Russ's birthday! I love when January 21st comes around each year -- because it is the perfect time to spoil Russ rotten! Boy, does that guy deserve it. I really don't know what I'd do without him by my side. I have always been grateful for Russell, but I have to say life lately has really taken that gratitude to a whole new level. I am so lucky. 

We had a fun weekend celebrating Russ and his birthday. Saturday we went to dinner at Pizzeria 712 and a movie, Sunday was dinner with the Lewis family, and tonight was cake and ice cream with a few friends. Such a great weekend.

Here's a close-up of the cake, just because that is necessary, obviously. And that is the top of our soon-to-be-finished island! Baby steps...

So in closing, happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day... and most of all... happy birthday to Russ! Here's to an awesome year!

Uncle John

We took a quick trip to Eugene, Oregon this weekend to attend my Uncle John's funeral. He passed away after a valiant 7-month battle with brain cancer. He was so strong throughout this whole battle. I will truly miss Uncle John. He was the most positive, hard working, diligent and friendly guy I know. Every time I saw him he would give me a big hug and exclaim "how you doin' Millie?!" One thing everyone remembers about John was his never-ending loyalty to the Oregon Ducks. Biggest Duck fan ever. 

Here is Uncle John with 3 of his 6 children -- as you can see, they are all loyal duck fans as well. 

(Image from John's blog)

Even though we wish it would have been under happier circumstances, I absolutely loved spending time with my extended family. I love this family so much. We all have each other's backs, and I know they would literally do anything for me, and vise a versa. John's funeral service was so perfect. It was filled with happy and inspiring stories that attested to his character. There was beautiful music by his children (including the harp, flute, piano and violin). I was honored to accompany my cousin who played the violin to "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus." The melody of this song is so beautiful, and the words truly describe the kind of life John tried to live. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room after this song. I felt John's spirit letting us know "everything is okay." Not that a premature death is any less sad, but I am still so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge we have that families are forever. What a beautiful reunion that will be someday. 

Aside from being with family, other highlights of the trip include walking Rufus (John's loyal sidekick), a big family breakfast at a local restaurant, lots and lots of Grayson time, and watching Russ get doted on by 6 little girls. :)

Buildin' An Island

One of the many reasons I love winter is because yard work gets put on the back burner and inside projects can begin! Most recently, we have been working on building a kitchen island. The builders of this home decided to not include an island, which seems just silly to me. The counter space was limited and there was a huge empty space that went to waste. We decided to take matters into our own hands. And by we, I mostly mean Russ, because he is the mastermind behind this huge project. I just have the vision. :)

We started with some basic plans for a kitchen island from Ana White (who is amazing, by the way). I wanted a fully enclosed island, so after the dimensions and cuts, we did a lot of improvising. Obviously we are still not done, but it is getting pretty close! The island is now secure to the ground (eek!), paint colors are being selected, our butcher block counter-top is ready to be secured, and the woodwork finishing details are soon to be added. As I sit on the couch and type this (go me!), Russ is working on the electrical socket (go him!). 

Here's a glimpse of Russ getting ready to secure this baby to the ground -- he used a combo of liquid nails and screwing the actual island to the tile. No going back now!

As you can see, I'm heading towards the blue/green/grey family (shocker!). If I had beautiful hardwood floors (someday...), I would consider white, but since our tile is so light I feel like it would blend too much with the floor.  The paint that I have already sampled was a recommendation from a friend who has a beautiful kitchen/island, but it's a little too army-green for my kitchen. Thank goodness for samples. I think I know the color I will use, so you will just have to wait and see! 

Anyway, that is a quick glimpse of what we have been up to in the Lewis household, among other things, of course. I'll be sure to keep you posted with the progress!

New Years in McCall

We just pulled in from a weekend away in the snowy town of McCall, Idaho. We met my family there to spend time snowmobiling, sledding, playing games, catching up, and eating yummy food. Basically to get a break from reality... which was very needed. I love spending time with family. I leave feeling invigorated and a little more complete than I was before I arrived. So here's a small montage of pictures, just for the sake of documentation:

* Snowmobiling like it's no one's business

* Ginormous cinnamon rolls for New Years Day brunch

* My dad's funky new toy -- a "snow bike." Weirdest experience ever! But I conquered my fear and rode that darn thing

* Sweet Grayson and the hoodie Aunt Camille gave him. 

* Snowmobiling, snowmobiling, and more snowmobiling

* Russ and his favorite "sherpa hat"

* Trees straight out of a Dr. Seus story

* Life long friends joining us for a few days in the snow

* What one would call an extreme sledding hill... that resulted in a mega wipe out, of course