Diana Beach Pictures

I brought my Diana with us when we visited the beach in July, but I've only just gotten around to getting the pictures developed.  I realized after taking the ones of Christian and I together that I had forgotten to change the focus, which is why we're so blurry and that man behind us with the plastic cup in his hand is so clear.  I'm still getting used to the whole advance roll, check shutter speed, check aperture setting, check focus procedure before I snap a picture.  The ocean was too beautiful for me not to use up half my roll trying to capture it -- the one with Christian striding into the water was my last attempt, and my favorite.  I'm looking forward to another beach trip {this time with several members of Christian's family} tomorrow!

More Mother's Day Pictures

More pictures from our Mother's Day photo shoot at Alice's.  I think we hit almost every combination of people possible.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get one of all eight of us -- there's no timer on my Diana.

On Mother's Day growing up I remember that my dad would always wake us up so that we could make my mother breakfast in bed.  I thought that it was so luxurious, with sliced strawberries and a glass of orange juice.  {We never did have a silver platter, however.}  Yesterday Christian and I went over to the Plautzes' to celebrate Mother's Day.  We talked to Eric {Christian's brother on a mission in Georgia} for exactly forty minutes and played Sporcle and ate a delicious dinner.  How did everyone else celebrate Mother's Day?

Happy Mother's Day!

{Alice, Elaine, Kate, Mom, Lara, Sara Joy, and Laura.}

“[The] ability and willingness properly to rear children, the gift to love, and eagerness … to express it in soul development, make motherhood the noblest office or calling in the world. She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserves the admiration and the plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations to come, … deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God.”

-President David O. McKay

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother, to my amazing mother-in-law, to my grandmother, and to anyone who has ever mothered me.

A Day Full of Girls

Yesterday I went over to Alice's house.  I had invited myself over because I love to spend time with Alice, and I love to hold her baby.  While I was at it, I invited my mother over to Alice's also, and she brought my other two sisters and Baby Lara.  It was a day full of girls.  I had so much fun.

Before my mom arrived, I played with Kate and talked to Alice about everything.  Alice feels like my therapist sometimes.  It's so easy to talk to her, because almost everything I'm going through, she understands.  When I'm irritated because the man I love occasionally acts like a doofus, check, Alice has been there.   When I felt harassed by Baby Lara's continual pleas for my attention, when I was dating Christian and my grades went down, when I've been frustrated with my mother, Alice could always relate to what I was feeling.  Alice is amazing.  And even with a new baby, her house always feels clean and peaceful.  I want to be Alice when I grow up.

I took a roll of Mother's Day pictures while we had everyone together -- I'll post more of them later.  The two at the top of this post I took just to finish off my previous roll, but they ended up being my favorites.  Alice said that if you allow Kate to pose for a picture {as opposed to taking a candid}, then she always does the #1 with her finger.  I don't get it, but I think it's hilariously cute.

My Birthday + First Diana Pictures

Pictures from my first roll of film taken by my new Diana F+.  Clockwise from top left: chickens, my mother working in her garden, Baby Lara pointing at my lens, Lara jumping on the trampoline.

My birthday started as my days usually do, with Christian's alarm going off in what always feels like the middle of the night.  He turned off his alarm, then rolled over and kissed me.  "Good morning.  Happy Birthday."  I dozed until he came back showered and dressed, and kissed me awake again.  We said family prayers, and I sleepily crawled back into bed.  I woke up again to hear pounding on the front door.  It was Christian.  His car battery was dead again, and there was no way my car could get close enough to jump it.  He told me the many ways he had tried to get around this problem {some of which are too hilarious, unfortunately, to post on this blog}.  He was frustrated because he had taken a half day off work, and he had been going to surprise me later at Alice's.  I told him it was okay, he tried to start his car one more time, it worked, and he was off.  Baby Lara {whom I was watching} and I spent most of the rest of the day at Alice's as planned.

Christian came home from work before I came home from Alice's.  We had dinner at Cookout, which was wonderful, and then went to Harris Teeter to pick up dessert and a movie from the RedBox.  I picked out ice cream sandwiches with key lime ice cream in the middle for dessert {Christian disliked holding them in the store, because he thought they looked "super gay," but after eating them, even he admitted they were delicious}, and Sherlock Holmes for watching.  We saw Sherlock Holmes not too long ago in the theater, but it was so good, I wanted to see it again {also, I was under the incorrect impression that you could rent Blu-Ray discs at the RedBox, and I thought it would be fun to watch on our new TV}.  We went home, and Christian gave me possibly my favorite birthday present of all time, my new Diana F+.  It is gorgeous, and I love it.  It was a simple, but an amazing birthday.

Thanks, Mom, for having me.  And thanks, Christian, for making my life perfect.