A Life Without Love is Like a Year Without Summer

Here is our summer & our loves...

some of my favorite kids.

Nothing says eternal love quite like Lagoon.

The rarest of wildlife in the Grand Tetons!

my best friend.

Such photogenic animals.

Every occasion calls for a photograph.

love & miss Elder DeYoung (Elder Heaton too!)

Such a perfect summer.

Viva La Lena

For those of you who didn't know that my sister is a rock star...

Now you know!

Congrats Lena! I'm so proud of you & so lucky to have such a beautiful and talented sister! I can't wait to see how you'll change the world!

25!

Brandon turned 25 years old on May 21st!

For his birthday all he really wanted was a video camera, he has this crazy idea that we'll make movies together with it like he and his best friend Nick used to do. I think he's just sad he couldn't marry Nick. So far all we've filmed is me beautifully eating Indian food while I blatantly ignored the camera and my little rock star sister's graduation speech. No movies are currently in the making. I told him Ben Affleck and J Lo made a movie (with a name I doubt IMDB even remembers) when they were married and not only was it supposedly the worst film ever, but J Lo and Ben aren't even together now. Nothing ruins a marriage more that a bad movie review. Anyways, back to the video camera, a few weeks before his birthday we bought the most perfect, affordable camera we could and like a good wife I immediately hid it the moment we got home.

What I realized half way through my work day on May 21st was that I had absolutely no idea where I'd put it! I decided to sugar coat this situation with doughnuts. Brandon loves doughnuts, so I headed on over to Beyond Glaze and bought a half a dozen. I also stopped at the store to get a card, candles and matches and realized I had no idea what aisle to find matches on.

Finally, I made it home.

Naturally, this is Brandon doing his birthday dance as I walked it singing to him.

I knew after Brandon blew out the candles he was going to want his present, it was at that moment I was so glad that I couldn't find the matches...

Because a lighter is such a more thoughtful gift!

"Honey, I think you're old enough now that you can officially play with fire! Happy Birthday!"

Obviously, with a present like that to entertain you a camcorder seems kind of ridiculous.

HAPPY QUARTER OF A CENTURY BRANDON!

hopefully, we'll find that camera in time for your next birthday!

kidding folks, we found it an hour later. As my opening paragraph gives away.

The Sweetest Sounds

The sweetest sounds to mortals given

Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.

-William Goldsmith Brown

Happy mother's day to our amazing mothers. Thank you for being the best teachers, cheerleaders, and friends. Thank you for loving us unconditionally & believing in us.

Thank you for building us a home & teaching us of heaven.

We are so lucky to have you.

It's Over!

Sorry, candy bowl that sits temptingly on the front of my desk at work.

It's over for us.

I will no longer give into your bright colors and your empty calories.

Summer's right around the corner & I've got to hurry up and get in shape!

Thanks for supporting me through all those tough work days.

I'll never forget that.

Sincerely (hopefully),

Kyra

Misleading Promos: 1, Kyra: 0

I fell for it ABC.

Are you happy?

You tricked me with the ring & I'm still here waiting for Castle and Beckett's "sweet ending".

(Photo by fanpop)

Dear Beckett,
Just give in already.
You know you want to.
Love,
Kyra

From SINK to DINK...

We're offically "DINKs" again!

Brandon found that perfect job he's been looking for! He's the new "Quality Assurance Analyst 1" for True North Logic!

Wondering exactly what that means?
So am I!
Guess we'll find out!

Wondering exactly what "DINK" means?
So was I!
My boss informed me it means "duel income, no kids".

AKA: more online shopping & vacations! Just don't mention the online shopping to Brandon, silly boy doesn't understand that you can never have enough clothes!

It'll just be our little secret... Thank goodness he doesn't check the blog unless I tell him too! ;)

His first day is monday & he couldn't be more excited! True North Logic is lucky to have him!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Disney life for me!

Disneyland.... so my favorite place. Here's a glimpse of our recent Free family disneyland trip...

Holy cow! Not only did Kyle turn 10 during the trip but there's also been 10 years of Disney pin trading, and it's 2010 !!! That's a triple whammy!

If this is Uncle Bob after one coke... imagine what he's like after 2!

Whitney, Kaitlyn & Grandpa Gary!

James & I trying to close the exit to Mickey's house so we didn't have to leave!

Space Mountain closed down on us! Right when we were near the front of the line! Naturally, we decided to wait it out and pass the time with naps and foot wars. Honestly, I thought it was just fun being together, who needs space mountain!

.Magic.

The cutest kids in Disneyland!

Too perfect.

My favorite kind of tree.

Beautiful Hailey

I so love my Whitney

Princess Alyssa!

These are just a few of the magical moments we captured. It was a fantastic trip full of family, fast rides, doughnuts for breakfast (Brandon's favorite), smiles, pins, birthdays, fireworks, toon town, Whitney driving the Indian Jones car, Brandon running like a nerd and claiming that "Tom Cruise runs just like that!", African river safari's at night with the "tough crowds", yummy tortilla's from the tortilla factory, autographs, earthquakes, searching for the Cheshire cat mirror, Roz at the end of the Monster's Inc. ride, Brandon trying to wear Whitney's sweatshirt, Brandon's constant need for a churro, April Fool's day pregnancy texts, the Aladin show, sharing a carmel apple with Whitney at 1 in the morning on Main Street (making us even more hyper than we already were, much to Brandon's dismay), California screaming with James, Whitney, & Brandon, and lots more great memories! We loved every minute!

(I'll upload more photos from our trip soon, I have more to post but bloggers not letting me upload them! Stay tuned!)