Miles

I can't even get over this little guy. He's a doll, in a very manly way. Kristina was over for a play date and we thought we'd get a couple of their newest addition. Turns out they make boys just as well as they do girls. Congratulations!

Hot date

Geoff's brother does the advertising for the E Center in SLC, which means sometimes we get free tickets to the events there. This Friday we went and saw Alegria, a Cirque de Soleil performance. It was amazing! We sat on the floor, 3 rows back so it was especially incredible. I love hot dates with my husband!

Taken with our iPhone since cameras weren't allowed inside. Bummer.

Things we like to do when the weather cooperates

Feed the horses with our friends. Princess dresses are optional, but always appreciated.






Go out on the boat with Grandma and Grandpa. This was the maiden voyage of their new boat, the Maple Star, named after the Wright family's Canadian and USA ties.






Go on walks after church up to Whiting Campgrounds wearing sweet outfit combinations.

Sandbox and climbing wall

If you know anything about my husband, you know that he loves his kids more than anything. You'll also know that part of that is because he's a total kid at heart. When we moved here, the big draw was the land. We both grew up with a lot of land and really wanted out children to have that. With the nicer weather we've been having, the kids have been enjoying all the fun things their daddy has put up in the back yard. He put in a climbing wall, built a sandbox, a trampoline in the ground, a BMX track (yes, you read that right) and soon a zipline and swingset made out of telephone poles. We're so lucky to have a resourceful handiman like Geoff!

Thanks to my dad who was in town for the help with the trampoline and climbing wall installation.












Livi suggested for this picture that they all sit next to who they were going to marry...

Melting

Sometimes I look at this little girl and just can't believe that we helped create her. She's perfection to me. Lest you think that I don't love my son as much, rest assured that he's also perfection to me in boy form, but I'm trying to not push the camera on him lately since he doesn't love it as much as the little lady below.

Tortured Artists

I'd love to post more pictures of things that have been going on around these parts, but I'm scared that you'll forget about signing up for the Candyman Sessions. We're almost full, but not quite yet, so sign up today!

That being said, here's some more pictures of my kids, because well, they're cute. Despite Lucy's expression, she was having a fabulous time as is evident by all the paint on her arms, and not on the frame she was suppose to be painting.

When my son Isaac was burned badly last year, a neighborhood friend paid special attention to him. This friend would come over and check in on Isaac regularly. He'd stop by just to say "hi." And, most notably to my children, each time he would come he had loads and loads of candy. Isaac started calling him the Candyman.

Just weeks ago, Kerry Ashby, "The Candyman," went ATVing with two of his three sons—one son was a week from leaving for the Army, the other son was a week from leaving to serve a full time mission for the LDS church, and his third son was already gone from home serving an LDS mission. While on this trip, Kerry's ATV rolled off of a cliff, leaving him paralyzed from his chest down. After four hours of waiting with his sons, he was life-flighted to a hospital in Colorado. He is now at the University of Utah Hospital recovering and will soon be starting physical therapy. Kerry is a husband and father of one daughter and three sons. Because he built cabinetry for a living before the accident, his times are and will be hard for them. His family is in desperate need of financial help to pay for medical bills, to fund renovation costs to make his home wheelchair accessible, and to assist with basic living expenses.

I will be joining forces with the lovely and talented Kiera Haddock for a day of mini sessions to help raise money for the Ashby family. 100% of the proceeds from these sessions will be donated to the Ashby family.

Details:
30min session
1 10 session available, please email me to secure your spot: leah{at}pelousedesign{dot}com
Children, couples, individuals, or families of 6 or less
5-10 high resolution images on cd

When: Saturday, May 29th Saturday, May 22nd changed due to impending rain | 5pm-7pm, 30min sessions
Where: The orchards at the top of Center Street in Provo (next to Seven Peaks Ice Arena)
Session fee: $100

If you'd like to contribute something and can't do a session, please still go here and donate what you can.

Happy Mother's Day

Having my own mother here over the past week has been wonderful and only makes this day more meaningful to me. I'm happy to say that my mom has become more than just someone who raised me, she is my friend. She is selfless, so talented, funny, and beautiful. She'd literally give you the shirt off her back if you needed it (and I know that from experience when I got a bloody nose on the way to Haley's wedding!). I love her with all my heart and hope my children will look up to me the way I do to her.










Teaching my 2 year old how to use a knife like any good grandma should.



She did spend a lot of time with Isaac too, I just didn't get many pictures of it. Here she is walking to Isaac's tree fort with both of the kids wearing capes she has made them.

Classic Lucy face

Erica's Senior Pictures

Meet this beautiful, soon to be high school graduate, Erica. Her and her mom are my new Mapleton friends. I can already tell were going to be friends for a long time. Erica is spunky, smart as can be (can you say scholarship to BYU!), gorgeous and talented. Oh, and did I mention and she doesn't take a bad picture?







Thank you blue dumpster for being on the premises.



Whose face looks this pretty when they are jumping? Certainly not mine.

Happy Birthday to me

This year was the big one...my entry into a third decade (and no I will not write the number). I'm still in shock, but I can't deny that I'm pleased with what I've accomplished, done and seen over my life thus far. It was a wonderful day, spent with my sister Sara, my mom, Geoff and the kids. The day started with a my favorite breakfast - Geoff's homemade blueberry muffins and a smoothy. Then, my sister pampered me with a facial. After that I had a bday lunch at Slab with Geoff and kids. Geoff then watched the kids while I did some shopping sans kids. The evening was spent having dinner with Geoff at my favorite restaurant: Bombay House, finished off with a pie celebration with Geoff's family at our place. I'm so lucky to live close to lots of family, and to have had my sister and mom in town, and to have a wonderful husband and kids to celebrate this milestone with. Thank you for all your well wishes. Here's to another wonderful three decades!

Three pies for each 10 years.






My big surprise from Geoff was this desk. I'd been lovingly coveting it on KSL for sometime now and he drove up to Ogden, did some finagling and bought it for my furniture-less office. Isn't it awesome! He's so thoughtful.