Sunday, April 25, 2010

Fun at the Park

Max LOVES going outside. I think "outside" was the first word we ever understood. Whenever I ask him, "What's outside?" He immediately looks out the front window. If I pick him up and ask him if he wants to go outside, he starts getting excited like a little puppydog that is going out for walk--he starts breathing really fast, moving his chubby little hands all around, and leaning toward the doorway.

Whenever I need to do the dishes or anything else, I can strap him into his high chair and set him in front of the screen door and he will just sit and watch whatever is going on out there(even if it's just the wind blowing through the trees). He's definitely going to grow up to be one of those old guys that sits around on the front porch yelling at all the neighbor kids.

http://grdurand.com/blogger/uploaded_images/set_a_spell.jpg

So the other day, I took him out to the park. Max was in heaven. There was so much to look at he could barely contain himself in the stroller. This only makes me more nervous about the time he begins to walk...there will be no stopping him!

max8-8web.jpg picture by joiester
max8-10web.jpg picture by joiester
max8-11web.jpg picture by joiester

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Just Another Day...

It's starting to get warm down here in Southern Utah,
but once in a while in the early morning hours Max and I get out for a stroll.

toothyweb.jpg picture by joiester
(I love that toothy grin!)


Sometimes we even encounter something new...

horseyweb.jpg picture by joiester


Most days though, we just try to stay out of the midday sun
and just have fun hanging around the house.

playingweb.jpg picture by joiester

Monday, April 12, 2010

Secret Project Revealed

For the past couple of months
I have been working on a little graphic design project.

So far, it has been shrouded in secrecy...
mostly because I am a perfectionist
and I didn't want my work to be seen
until it got the stamp of approval from the top designer
(who happens to be my awsome sister-in-law, Angie Sheffer).

She currently designs custom clocks
and asked me to design a line of ready-made clocks
featuring local temples.
It has been so much fun
traveling,
photographing temples,
and designing clocks
and I love her for giving me the opportunity.

Here is a sample of what I have been working on:

slc-temple05.jpg picture by joiester


You can see more temple clocks and Angie's amazing custom designs at
For All Time Clocks.com


Friday, April 2, 2010

Just to Get Away

The day finally arrived...
my parents came from out-of-town
to keep Max overnight with them in a hotel...


Wednesday night Adam and I went to see Michael Bublé in concert.

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The crowd was a little different than I expected. Most of them were over 35 and Adam said he felt like we were waiting for a play to start, instead of a concert.
Let me tell ya though, it was NO play.

http://www.contactmusic.com/pics/m/michael_buble_041207/michael_buble_5062991.jpg

He started the show with Cry Me a River from his new Crazy Love Album. It is one of my favorite songs on the disc because it is so dramatic. They had these special effects lights behind curtains that made it look like there was a full orchestra behind there, but when the curtains opened it was just him singing...very cool. I wish my descriptions could do it justice.

What I love most about Michael Bublé (besides his voice), and Adam would agree with me, is that he doesn't take himself too seriously. He started off the show by saying that he knows that we probably think that he just sits around singing gay loves songs all day, but it not true.
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He is actually very funny and entertaining. He told about his childhood inspirations being Michael Jackson and Ferris Bueller and then proceeded to do impressions of Micheal Jackson singing Billy Jean and then the parade scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off singing Twist and Shout---it was hilarious!
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/08/06/bueller630.jpg

During the show he came out into the middle of the arena with just his guitar player and wanted to thank everyone by singing his very first hit song and as the guitarist proceeded to play the intro Michael started singing various other hit songs that were not his own (i.e. Every Rose has it's Thorn by Poison, I'm Yours by Jason Mraz--to which he said, "dang, I wish I wrote that song!") He finally got to his own song, which of course the entire crowd recognized which was Home. It was a really nice touch because toward the end of the song they played some slides of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, which really brought the song "Home".

One of his recent hits is Haven't Met You Yet. This song reminds me of my unborn baby:

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet



He was very gracious the entire show, constantly thanking us for coming to see him and telling us how lucky he is to get paid for what we do in the shower :) lol. When he came out for the encore he ended by closing the curtains, turning down all the lights and specials effects, and even turning his microphone off and belting out the end of the song in the silent arena. It was a very nice touch and showed his true talent.


Okay, enough is enough--but it was awesome!

So, there we were for an entire night and the next day baby-less. We had almost forgotten what it was like and frankly, we realized we don't mind the little guy so much. We kept talking about him and wondering what he was doing and if he missed us.

Adam and I did have a good time together. We were able to use a gift card to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
http://www.ruthschris.com/content/images/header/hd_logo.gif
It came highly recommended by Sean Hannity and we were looking forward to having some really good steak.

We were not disappointed.
http://www.ruthschris.com/content/images/photos/img_menu_filet.jpg
Adam claims it to be the best meal he has ever had.
We will have to save up our pennies if we want to go back,
because without a giftcard it is easily $60 a person.

Some photographer I am...I didn't take one photo of us the entire trip. For all you know, I could totally be making this all up! Sometimes I just can't bring myself to lug my big camera and lenses into concerts and restaurants. I may need a more portable camera for times like these(hint, hint--mother's day and anniversary approaching).