meet laurel

I have a friend named Laurel. Well, she was my sister Erin's friend first. But now she's my friend. And Adam's friend. And she'll be Margaret's friend one day, too.

Laurel is a high-powered executive at Deseret Book; a hilarious, poignant, inspiring and beautiful blogger; a runner; an author; a confidant; a youth speaker; and a God-sent guru to teenage girls everywhere.

Yes, she is as impressive as she sounds. 

I want you to meet Laurel for a very important reason. She has a new book coming out — "He Loves Us and We Love Him: You've Memorized It, Now Live It."

I haven't read it yet. But I'm so going to. Laurel is a must-read. 

You can pre-order the book here. And if you are a teenage girl, have a teenage girl, were once a teenage girl, or know of these things called teenage girls, you're going to want to read Laurel's book, too. 

I don't promote just anyone.

happy birth day

Best. Birthday Gift. Ever.

A year ago today I found out I was pregnant.

I can still see Adam's face as we waited for those elusive little lines to appear. I can still see his eyes telling me we'll be OK either way, but wouldn't it be amazing?

Today of all days.

I walked into the bathroom feeling like I could faint at any moment. When you decide you want to be pregnant, you want to be pregnant yesterday. And when you've been trying to be pregnant for a while, you desperately want to know you can get pregnant. Period.

I picked up the test and thought about throwing up. "Morning sickness?" I chuckled to myself. And then I smiled at my inner-humor on this most important of occasions. Adam was rubbing off on me.

"Well? What does it say?"

And that's when I saw it. That second — appropriately faint — line.

I beamed at my dad-to-be, and I clung to him — just like I had every month for the last nine months.

"We're pregnant," I remember crying. "We're really, really pregnant. And on my birthday! Does it get more perfect than this? I don't think it gets more perfect than this."

Those eyes of his. I can still see the glee.

"Nope. I don't think it does."

My 26th birthday granted my wish of motherhood — a wish I had earnestly made in delicious daydreams and powerful prayers.

And I didn't even need a candle.

hallstrom happs (part 2)

Oh, Canada. (Actually, it's "Oh, Vancouver," if you want to get technical.)

We Hallstroms had fun in your dear city. 

And there are a gajillion pictures to prove it.

"Woah! I'm only 3 months old and I'm in another country. This is, like, totally cool.
Oh, and I'm wearing wicked cute watermelon shorts my Mom bought me. Is she like obsessed with watermelons or what?"

Erin, Brett and mini-Brett.

We biked around Stanley Park and had SUCH a delightful time.

There's nothing like sisters in sweet helmets.

For Erin, riding bikes is not "just like riding a bike." 
But she was the MVP of our ride and let nothing get in her way. 
(Well, almost nothing. :)

Could this picture BE any cuter?

 This is the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
So completely cool.

It was way more wobbly than you'd expect. Ergo, it was way more fun.

Tree stump break!

Wave to the Hallstroms! 
This is us on our Treetop Adventure.

Fuzzy pic, but it had to be posted. 
Margaret was downright angelic on the trip, 
but every baby deserves a good cry now and again. 
Does it make me a bad parent if I think she looks super cute when she cries? 

 Then we took a ferry to Victoria. Beautiful Victoria.

See what I mean? These are the glorious Butchart Gardens.

I love him.

Have you met my parents? You should. 

I'm a big fan.

Carousel time!

Please appreciate the utter joy on Ryan's face.

Yeah, sometimes we feed Maggie with our noses. 

Don't judge.

Three of the absolute best women I know.

Throughout the entire trip, there was a lot of this going on ...

... so we could get faces like these.

Sigh.

hallstrom happs (part 1)

Picture this ... a 12-passenger van (with 12, count them, 12 passengers), two countries, three meals a day, X pounds gained (I don't want to know the exact number), millions of laughs, three hotels, 957 pictures, and one fun family.  

Thank you, thank you for an amazing trip Mom and Dad. We love you infinity plus! (I speak Ellie.) 

First up, Seattle. 

Vancouver to come. 

Margaret got to know her car seat very well on this trip.
Little trooper.

Sweet girlies.

Love this photo of Ellie and my man.

Just beachy.
(See the Space Needle in the background? Margaret looks SO impressed.)

On the waterfront.

Space, meet the needle

View from the top.

Ladies who line.

Beautiful Erin.

Yeah, Maggie's eating lunch at the top of the space needle.
She's fancy like that.

These jelly fish are all afloat at the Seattle Aquarium — 
the most mediocre aquarium I've ever visited.
We were robbed! Well, Dad was robbed! :)

Looks like Maggie's easy to please. Too bad she was the free one.

My dad and his babies.

The Baby Bjorn was super handy (though, ironically, hands-free).

They throw fish here at the Public Market Center.
You couldn't pay me to catch one. Like, ew.

Happy trails, happy girl.

have baby, will travel

We just got back from a road trip to Seattle and Vancouver with my fun family. 

SO many pictures to come, but in the meantime, I have three words for you ...

Girl can travel.

Sweet hat, eh?

third time's a charm

PHOTO BY Bryant Livinsgton Photography (www.blphoto.com)

Three years ago today ...

... I became a Mrs.

... Goodnights and goodbyes were good riddance.

... My left hand had a permanent sparkle.

... I had a bum of beautiful roses. (We've since traded the gown for a watermelon bum.)

... And my sweet father married us with treasured sentiments and emotion that have directed the course of our marriage. 

I love looking back on that most happy of days. But truthfully, I'm loving today. We're three years older — and wiser, too.

Happy Anniversary, husband. 

Love,

The Mrs.

a grand time

We went to Idaho this weekend to celebrate Adam's grandmother's 90th birthday. And it was the most lovely of weekends. 

Between honoring an amazing woman to the delish homemade cheesecake to Maggie giggling for the first time (ears, meet bliss), I was constantly reminded of how much I absolutely adore a little family called the Stewarts. 

And I get to be one of them.

Margaret and the beautiful birthday girl.

Darling Dallin.

Aren't they pretty? 
LOVE these women.

 Us.

 Don't you want to kiss her, too?

Grandma, Grandpa and their 11 (nearly 12) grandchildren.

The whole gang.