My Maternity Photos

Maternity Shoot - By Travis J Photography

I usually shun away from maternity shoots because I have seen so many cheesy ones on the internet, however, I still wanted to have my brother-in-law take a few pictures for my own personal use just to remember what I looked like while I was preggers.  He did such a good job I decided I wanted to share his work! Plus, I wanted to show my Mommy my favorites :)

A Baby On the Way = Spoiled Mother's Day

Hi! So I've made my big announcement, baby Boardman is on it's way.  We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet, I can't wait to find out! It's annoying having to say he/she/it/him/her... I just want to know what to call him/her... hehe.  I call it Lentil.  Early on when I started getting pregnancy e-mails telling me how big my baby was each week, one of the first sizes it told me was that it was the size of a lentil bean. I started talking about it all the time and calling it Lentil and it just kind of stuck. haha! Great nickname right? I don't even like lentils, but I'm gonna love this one!

So I went to Utah to visit for the first time since I moved out here.  It was so needed and so fun! I went on walks with my momma where we got to talk a lot and catch up, went to my favorite restaurants, got a beyond glazed, etc. etc.  It was very laid back, I was sick a lot and wasn't planning as much as I usually would but I loved it regardless. 

 Our usual Pedi's - My Favorite!

 Real Game

My Zanny Girl. Always miss her. Oh and the backyard that makes it so hard to leave.

I came back from Utah to a very lonely boy.  He hates when I'm gone I quickly learned, and was counting down the days until I got home.  I didn't think he'd notice since he works so darn much! ;) Apparently I'm loved, can't complain.  I came home and Mother's Day was the next day.  When I walked in I had these lovely flowers sitting on my dresser.  I can't believe how much of a difference fresh flowers make when you walk in! They make me sooo happy! I was so excited about my flowers, they made me feel oh so special! Well, Mother's Day came the next day and I was sick (as usual at this point) so I was just laying in bed for most of the day.  After taking a nap for several hours I woke up and Blake pulled out a present and put it on the bed.  It was way cute, he'd just been waiting for me to wake up so he could give it to me!  I opened it and it was the most amazing camera and a few other things! We haven't had a camera and I'm so excited to finally have one and be able to take pictures of Lentil! Blake's the best. I felt overwhelmed.  I wasn't even expecting anything and was perfectly happy with my flowers.  I'm not even a mom yet!  I always feel like I don't deserve him.  He's my superman.  I don't know how he juggles everything but he does a darn good job!

My Mother's Day Goodies

We took the camera out the next couple of days and tested it out.  We are still learning how to use it but I really like it so far.  I am no photographer, but hopefully I'll get better.

 Here are some pictures we took while trying out our new camera in Central Park.

Love my new camera! Thanks Gooby!! You're my fave :D

New York Nest

Well hello PEOPLES!!!

We are now living in the big city AKA the Big Apple, Concrete Jungle, Melting Pot, etc.  The move ended up going pretty smoothly, our stuff arrived only two days after we did, and although all of our boxes were HAMMERED, nothing was broken.  I guess we'll pat ourselves on the backs for packing everything so perfectly! ;) Our first few weeks here were full of settling in.. Blake's first week was wonderful! He only worked until like 9:30pm on average which is amaze-balls. This last week wasn't so great, Blake came home at the following times: Mon 12am, Tues, 12:30am, Wed 3:30am, Thurs 4:30am, Friday 8:30pm, and Saturday he went in at 5:00am to make up for the early night off on Friday. 8:30pm early you say?  I'm thinking the same thing.  And so it begins...

I'll be  honest, I'm no superwoman, I've been lonely and it's been hard.  I'm used to being with my family 28/9 (like 24/7 but more), and I'm especially used to being with Blake.  I hate being alone! But I also hate being out of my comfort zone... and let's just say this is far from my comfort zone.  I'm hanging in there though, I don't really have any friends except for Lauren, I can't complain though because she's really super great - I met her over the summer and she's really fun to hang out with, our husbands seem to get along well too, so that's always nice!

My Birthday was only 5 days after we moved here, and surprisingly, since Blake's first week of work wasn't bad, he spent most of the day with me.  He went into the office in the morning and then we met up for lunch, shopping, dinner and a movie.  While shopping I got the most amazing watch :) Thanks to my lovely parents... and Blake gave me the best presents at dinner.  Such a guy, pulls off this great Birthday in the midst of a move across the country AND starting a new job.  I love him.  We ate dinner at Hillstone.  It is soooooo yummy!! If any of you ever come to NYC to visit, please go to Hillstone.  You will NOT be disappointed.  And don't forget to order their Brownie for dessert.  It's not too expensive either, it is a little more pricey than some sit downs but it's definitely affordable. 

The view outside of our window at night.

My sexy worker man.

Ummm hello!! Can you say YUM??

Don't mind if I do wear this everyday...

SPOILED with a cake from Magnolia's Bakery from my parents bright and early on my Bday!!

Thanks Mom and Dad... I LOOOVE this thing.

Yes, I did stage my diet coke in the background to make this look more appetizing.

Daytime view.. don't bug me about the air conditioner not being cropped, or the fact that these pictures are completely random and out of order.

My run around central park reservoir.  It's Beautiful.

 Lauren invited me over for dinner one night when our husbands were working late, I'm like UMMM HELLO, didn't know you were some gourmet chef!!! It was lovely and yuuuummy!

Blake's Mom came out and has been helping me buy furniture for the last 6 days.  I think we are finally almost finished furnishing our ROOM. haha.  Breezy, (My sister Brianna) was saying how great it is that we were going to be finished decorating our entire place and how bad it is that she has been in her house for over 6 months now and still isn't close to being done... I'm like REALITY check sister, you have a house, I have a ROOM. A tiny ROOM.  haha. You would laugh if you saw the size of it.  I'm not complaining though. I love it, and it's cozy and it's SAFE.  These nights when Blake doesn't come home would be much worse if I had to be scared silly without all of these cameras and doormen/concierge people to keep me safe.  More pictures to come when I can clean up the mess we have created from trying to furnish this place. 

Goodnight PEOPLES!!

New York Apartment Hunting.

Man. Have these last few weeks flown by or what? I'll be honest, I don't know where they went. Between the holidays and our crazy New York move coming up, I feel like all I did was blink and all of the sudden it was somehow the end of January.  WAHHHH!!! I DON'T wanna leave my FAMILY! I've been throwing baby fits... big bawling baby fits.  Last night was the first night in a while that I haven't gone to sleep crying.  The night before that, it wasn't pretty... let's just say the main point I NEEDED to prove to Blake during this breakdown was that I was never going to find a lot of friends in New York, and that none of my new friends would do prank calls with me.  I even stopped midway through this breakdown and thought about my age, and then rolled over and went right back to howling and kicking under my covers.  I know you're all thinking it. Poor Blake.

Also, does anyone have as much stuff as I do? Holy crap. Where does this stuff come from. My beautiful Mommy decided to help me clean out my closet today.  Let's just say there was stuff in there from the 8th grade.  Am I a HOARDER??? I seriously got rid of two HUGE garbage bags full of clothing.  Oh and not to mention this is round THREE of cleaning out the closet.  Two bigger garbage bags before that.  Four FULL garbage bags? I can't think of it.  I am a hoarder, I might have another breakdown.  My mom assured me that I couldn't be a hoarder because I was getting rid of all of it.  I hope she is right.  

I have to get rid of all of these things because our lovely apartment in New York, is a studio... it truly is lovely, but it is pretty small and less is more there.  Literally.  The lady living in the apartment before us had enough furniture to start a small furniture store, yuck.  Crowded, cluttered, it was good to see because now I know I don't want to be like that. 

Apartment hunting was crazy.  I'm tired thinking about it.  We walked ALL day long for four straight days.  My back hurt, my butt hurt (probably shouldn't be complaining about a sore butt), my hips hurt, EVERYTHING hurt.  I was quite whiny by the fourth day, so we are lucky that is the day that we chose our apartment.  I love it.  I think it will be cozy and cute. 

Since I didn't have the best experience this summer (our apartment was a dive) Blake was more than willing to get the perfect place, hence the four day marathon trek.  We accomplished our goal and ended up with the perfect place.  The building has a pool, gym, lounge, and rooftop deck.  Now I really don't have an excuse not to work out.  But wait, wont I already be walking like a million miles a day in NYC anyway? oh great.. there is my excuse.  No don't worry. This body is going to be beach ready- for Coney Island this summer!! Ahahah. I even made myself laugh.  If you know what Coney Island is- you would laugh to.  It's like the closest beach in Manhattan... and totally ghetto.  But a beach none the less.

Well, I'll close with a picture of my man. Wooo hoo, sweatin'.. this man is fine....This is at Tom's Diner - where they used to film Seinfeld. 

Flowers in Your Hair

 Life is Beautiful.

There are a few songs that never get old to me. 

I mean NEVER.

These few songs include Like a Pill - Pink, One Call Away - Chingy, and  

After the Storm- Mumford and Sons.

  Some of these songs have become borderline inappropriate as I leave my teenage years, but I just can't let them go. I don't know if they are anything special but I can listen to these 3 songs over and over and over again, and I do.  

You know those days when you put your ipod on shuffle and it just plays ALL of the right songs? And the heavens open and you are so excited because your magic ipod can read your mind, it can tell your exact mood and it plays a better playlist than you could have ever made yourself?  It doesn't happen often, but when it doesssss ooo yes. It is incredible.  

Today it happened. 

I was lucky enough to be sent on a work errand to Salt Lake.  The way there was nothing but stress as the 15 was backed like crazy, I was on a time crunch and I had to be able to hear Gina, my GPS, loud and clear.  But after I finished the errand it was pure bliss.  I drove by Westminster college, such a pretty area, and it was cloudy. Super dark and cloudy.

So I decided since I forced myself to drive to Salt Lake in pure silence because of my stress that I would plug in the ole' iphone. One of my signature songs.

After The Storm 
 And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

I will die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and mine so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

-Mumford and Sons

And there it was, on repeat all the way back to work.  I drove along the Wasatch Bench as it started to rain.  I was in heaven.  Living in NYC gave me a new-found appreciation for these mountains I am lucky enough to have in my backyard.  I was in deep thought the whole drive home about all of the wonderful things in my life.  My family, my husband, and how happy I am.  I feel so blessed always.  I love this country. Heck, I love Diet Coke. I love my friends.  I love these moments, when I am reminded of why I am here. 

Life is so good.  God is good.

And then I got back to work, turned on Pandora, and there was "After the Storm." Coincidence? I think not.

North Carolina

  Okay, okay, okay.. look at me! I'm getting better at blogging! At least my blog posts come every few months instead of once a year now.  :) We are back from New York and I didn't post once.  I guess I will try to talk about our experience briefly, although we could probably talk about it for hours.  We started out Blake's summer internship with a fun week in Charlotte, NC for his training.  Wells Fargo put us up in a beautiful hotel and that is where I spent most of my time.  We ended up meeting some really cool interns and although people thought it was weird that Blake was married, (most interns AREN'T) most of them were pretty cool about it once they got to know us.  I feel like most of them thought we were going to be weird because they knew we were Mormons, but Blake has a charming personality and won them over after a few short days.   By the end of the week of training we were sad to part with some of them! Most of the interns were staying there in Charlotte but a good portion of them went off to different cities around the U.S., like us.  Wells Fargo was kind and even bought me a ticket to Carowinds... North Carolina's Lagoon! haha.  That was a fun day, and although I ran around with a bunch of men, I actually ended up having a good time.  They were nice to let me tag along.  On the weekend Blake got Sunday off.  We were really excited about this, we knew once we got to NY that his days off would be far and few between.  We decided since we hadn't seen much of the city that we would rent a car and go drive around Lake Norman.  Lake Norman is beautiful.  People have BEAUTIFUL houses there right on the water.  It's seriously gorgeous.  They walk out of their back doors and hop in their boats and have a gorgeous day out on a gorgeous lake.  I could get used to that.  I chose about a million homes that I wanted there.  That turned out to be another great day for us, we were together on our adventure, just the two of us.

 My man is sexy and I know it.

 Our camera stinks. Can't wait until we can afford an upgrade.