T-minus 4 days...

...until these two become husband and wife. Yay! I'm so happy for my little brother Sean and his amazing/wonderful/sweet/kind/beautiful Brianna.






Tomorrow they go through the Temple, and we're excited to be there with them for that, along with more from our Family, and Bri's Family.

Thursday we have the wedding dinner at our Club house. The theme is Hawaiian...so fun!

Then Friday is the BIG day! Sealing just before noon followed by lots of pictures (her sister is a photographer as well...you can imagine all the pictures we've taken so far - and can't wait to post her bridals...but not until after the wedding...Sean isn't allowed to see her dress yet). Followed by the Reception at Noah's.

Also, my sissy came into town with her baby, Liam. They're up in Syracuse right now but will be heading down here today? or tomorrow? Can't remember...but I'm so excited to see them!!!!!!

Oh happy days!!

On a side note, and totally off the subject. I love my Ryan. I had a hard day yesterday and got quite emotional...he showed me just how much he loves me though, despite all my crazy emotional times. I'm grateful for him and for his unconditional love. I have so much to work on and I'm glad he's there to help me, and to cheer me on. Thank you Ryan! I LOOOOVEEEE YOUUUUUUU!!!!!

6 years {mushy post - beware}

6 years ago today I got up. Got ready for the day and had a friend come over and do my hair. We were all getting ready at the house for luncheon at Cracker Barrel with my family and Ryan's family before getting married.

A few days earlier I was shopping at the Mall trying to find something white to wear to my wedding. I found a cute white skirt and shirt that matched. I wore white flip flops with a flower on them. Not your typical wedding dress attire, but it worked for me, for now.

My Mom let me wear my Gramma Fitzsimmons pearls, and brooch. I loved it!

The day of the wedding Ryan picked up a bouquet for me. He asked me what colors I wanted...I had no idea. "Just get something springy" I told him. He then rushed around to find a white shirt, nice black pants and a black tie. I remember him feeling stressed that he couldn't find one anywhere. But, eventually did.

Cracker Barrel was fun having everyone there. We were just missing my sister Caiti and her family, and Ryan's sister Jasi and hubby Ryan.

Afterwards I went back to the apartment and got changed in my white attire, and Ryan changed in his church clothes. We then headed to the church.

We went to the Relief Society Room where we had our ceremony. The bouquet Ryan got me was beautiful with purple and yellow flowers. I was wearing my jean jacket over my white clothes, and didn't want to take it off. I knew there was a more significant ceremony to come in the next year or so, so I almost didn't want to make a big deal out of this one. My sister Megan told me to take it off and to hold my bouquet.

Ryan and I were nervous but soon it all faded away. Our Bishop, Bishop Bingham, told us this was his first civil wedding he had performed. We felt special. He was an amazing Bishop! It was a nice wedding.

My parents sang, "There is love". One of my favorite songs they sing as a duet, with my Dad playing the guitar.

When it was over we were greeted with bubbles outside, and a decorated car. We took a few pictures and then headed over to the Grand America Hotel, but with a stop to the car wash so Ryan could Vacuum out the car (something he had planned to do before the wedding, but didn't get a chance to...he wanted things perfect for that day...so sweet.)

A year and a half later we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. What an amazing day that was. Wow!

On this Anniversary I want to give thanks to Ryan for putting up with my for these past 6 years. I'm not always the most pleasant to be around (due to my crazy hormone issues - otherwise I'm a really nice person...I promise), and can be selfish, and stubborn, I don't always make the bed, and I leave my makeup and hair dryer, etc. on the bathroom counter. I don't like to pick up Max's poop, and I tend to spend too much time on the computer, and many, many more things.

But he puts up with me, and for that I am grateful.

I love you Ryan! Thank you for loving me and for all that you do for me. You're so much more thoughtful than I am. You spoil me...I don't deserve it, but again I'm grateful.

I can't wait to expand our family!! You love Max so much I can only imagine how you'll be with a new baby.

I love you

I love you

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Happy Anniversary.

crafts

Man, I got a whiff of some crafty inspiration this week.

I found this site when a friend was spotlighted on a blog that this person had too been spotlighted on.

I was hooked.

I immediately told Ryan I needed a sewing machine, glue gun, good cutting scissors, etc, etc, etc....oh wait. One part missing though. Who would I make this for??? I don't have kids, of my own, yet. I need a little girl to do this for.

Oh wait, my birthday is coming up in a few months. Would it be lame of me to make my own party hats and decorations, like these? I can have a party like this, right?

Aren't these cute?! Go to the site here to see instructions on how to make these adorable party decorations.

I guess they could be used as a photo prop too....hmmm....LIGHT BULB!!!

lately...

-Watched General Conference over the weekend...LOVED IT! Especially Elder Richard G. Scott's talk on Sunday - powerful! I love the feeling of Conference time, especially in the Spring, with everything changing. It's good.

-I've been so busy lately with photo shoots. Last week as I got off work each day I'd go straight to a photo shoot, and not be home until 8 or so (except Tuesdays - YW night). I'm grateful that I have stuck with photography all these years, even when I felt I wanted to quit and give-up because I wasn't as good as others. I've learned so much over the years and feel that I have come a long way, since the beginning. It's been so much fun! I'm excited to learn more and more, and continue to push myself more and more. I have the best clients and I'm meeting more awesome people from this. You can see my current work on my photography blog here, or click on the right side bar.

The most recent session on there is my brother Sean and his Fiance, Brianna Wyckoff. They're such a beautiful couple! They get married on May 20th in the Salt Lake Temple. So excited!!!

-Max has grown so much, in size. He's still the rambunctious dog he's always been...even more so now. We wonder if he'll ever get over his crazy dog phase where all he wants to do is jump up on people and play with them. He's still a puppy, I guess. But man, it sure makes it hard when you have people over. He's just a very social dog and wants all the attention on him. He's funny. Even though he's crazy, we love him, and we have so much fun with him.


-I'm planning a trip to Vegas to visit one of my BFF's either at the end of April or beginning of May. Can't wait! I need this so bad. I'm also hoping this year to visit my sissy and her family in North Carolina - if they haven't moved already to San Antonio, and while I'm there visit another BFF in Tennessee. Gosh, might as well just hit that whole south area filled with friends and cousins.

-Ryan and I often talk about moving out of the state. He'll get an idea that we should move to some state, like North Dakota or Montana (vito) and I immediately start searching for homes in those areas or others. I love the idea of moving outside of Utah, as much as I love this place it would be nice to be somewhere else. I keep telling him how much I love the east coast and how badly I want to live there (I'm a fan of lots of green, and lots of trees).

-I love being the Laurel Advisor in YW. I love my girls!

-I love playing 'The Michael Jackson Experience' on my Wii.

-I love making a yummy buffalo chicken dip, a fave as of lately. I make it too much.

-I love dinner/movie nights with Ryan.

-I love antique shopping. I love that Ryan and I share the same love for antiques.

-I love my orange chair that I got off of KSL to use for photo shoots. You'll see it being used in a lot of my sessions lately. It's very vintage and very cool looking in the pictures. It's a nice pop of color.

-I love that I can ride my bike again, now that it's getting warmer.

-I love that I still have green sparkly nail polish on my nails from St. Paddy's day.

-I'm enjoying my blonde hair.

-I'm praying for Ryan to get a job.

-I love the Temple. I love that Ryan has been going with a neighbor friend, and went 3 days in a row last week. He's a keeper.

-I love my family.

-I don't love trials.

-I love living, and I love life.

Love,

Me

disappointment

Sometimes I feel that I tend to be one of those who disappoints others. Not deliberately, but subconsciously. I don't mean that people are always disappointed in me, but sometimes I do things, or don't do things, and therefore results in disappointment. I think mostly I disappoint myself.

Here's what I'm trying to say.

In the past I have always put out there what I want to accomplish; my goals. Whether it's to get healthier, make something new, do something cool, go somewhere nice, etc, etc..I've put it out there for the world to see, mostly it has to do with me getting my weight and me getting healthier because that's the thing that weighs on me heavily, no pun intended.

Here's what it looks like:

Posts by me...

"So excited to start doing Zumba" or "I love my zumba class, I'm going to go everyday!" or "Zumba is the best class and a great workout - I'm addicted".

Well, guess what happens. I put that out there, I go to the class twice and then I stop. That's it. It's over.

Then I get people asking me, "So how is the Zumba class going?"

Me: "umm, well I haven't gone since that last time".

Person: "oh, really, why?"

Me: "I don't know, just haven't gone - I need to get back into it though".

Do you see how disappointing that can be for others, but mostly for myself, to confront the fact that I have quit for no reason at all.

I do this ALLLL the time.

__________________________________________________

Another example:

Me: "Hey {friend} we should go to the gym every morning at 5:30, I need to do this so bad and I can't do it alone".

Friend: "Yeah let's go for sure! I'll be there to support you." (she's so awesome)

Me: Great, see you there bright and early."

Well, the morning comes, I meet her there, we work out, and repeat the next morning.

Then, after a few days, I stop for one reason or another...but always with an excuse. (sad).

That ends that. However my friend still goes. I'm pathetic.

__________________________________________________

Here's another one...

Family member: "Hey Shannon you should sign up on this fitness site and enter your food intake, and exercise tracker in there daily, it's way cool and way motivating! We've already lost {x amount of} pounds!"

Me: "Sounds great, I'll do it!"

I start, and I enter everything in for the first couple of days, then slowly I stop. I forget to log things in, even though I'm exercising, and trying to eat within my calorie goal for the day. Next thing I know it says on my page "Shannon hasn't logged in for 3 days". Then people see it, and I feel like I'm a disappointment again to them...but mostly to me.

I don't understand my way of thinking. I don't understand why I can't stick with things. I automatically know that when I do some kind of health related activity with someone else that I'm going to fail at it. UGH!

So, I've decided that since I do these silly things I'm not going to post about whatever workout I'm going to try. I'm not going to post about how I want to be a runner, or how I want to try HCG, or whatever it is. I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to let you know if I've lost a pound or two. I'm not going to try a health program with you because if I do, I will fail. I have to do it on my own. I did it before and I can do it again.

Love,

Me

St Paddy's day

I was going to write about our St. Paddy's traditions we had growing up (still trying to figure it out since i've been married - I'm afraid I'm not as good now-a-days in keeping up with a few things that we'd do traditionally on this day as a kid) but then I read my sisters blog and decided her words said it perfectly, so I'm leaving this link so you can go ahead and read it. It's good. She's a good writer. :)

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY TO ALL AND TO ALL A LUCKY NIGHT!

Forgot to blog about this...

Last week was this awesome dude's birthday. We had fun.

First I made him breakfast in bed with pancakes, hashbrowns, and turkey bacon. Then I gave him a few gifts; a hot rod book, and Mega Mind, and treats.

Then took him to Rodizio Grill for his Birthday lunch. Our friends the Fromm's joined us. It was fun!

Later on during the week I had cake and ice-cream for him, and this week we'll be celebrating St. Paddy's day with the family and will again doing a little birthday celebrating for him.

I sure love my Ryan!

Happy Birthday sweetie!