from halloween --

from halloween where we ordered a sh'load of indian food + tried to stifle our laughter while watching the visit.

spoiler : the twist was good but so many of the other scenes? the diaper?(!!!!!!!) the rapping? so much grandma butt?
m. night shyamalan just can not write convincing characters anymore.

p.s. people! watch scream queens!

mckevin ties the knot! // NASHVILLE, TN

just a little throwback because my posterity needs to know this! this needs to be on the internet! this was the wedding of the year + the south will rise again!

it was no secret that i was so excited for nashville. not only do i love weddings but two of my favorite people were getting married AND i got to see the south + pretend to be connie britton a la rayna james for like, a week straight. i. was. pumped.

we flew in on monday night + stayed at a house outside of nashville. there was a walking trail that ran alongside the cumberland river + it made for the most beautiful morning walks. actually i am making this sound too romantic. it was beautiful but i partially feared for my life a few times + got lost like, every day. also there was a turtle! that was cool. 

jeff + i explored nashville the next day. i texted me friend alaina (hi alaina!) who goes to belmont(!!!!) for a list of things i needed to see + we tried to hit everything up. we went to music row + honky tonk central + the country music hall of fame + some park. the parthenon? in nashville? that feels right. at one point it started pouring rain + it was all so very 'sweet home alabama' (also known as the most underrated movie ever).

the kofords were the best hosts. they took us to the grand ole opry (!!!!!!) where we watched thomas rhett play + i almost cried out of sheer excitement. it was amazing. nashville is so cool. they danced + clapped + totally put up with my squeals. the next day we went to pizza + the yummiest ice cream place with their family again. they were so, so nice + so, so cool. kenna! your family! the best! also they're not in this picture because they were being super nice people + grabbing our tickets while i insisted on this photo opp. i am the actual worst.

my calendar is all messed up but there was also a welcome party? and the yummiest cake i have ever tasted? and at one point we went to a museum + painted + an aquarium? also we had a dance lesson? this is all a blur.

and then the wedding!!!!!!

i don't care that this is lengthy because the wedding!

it was the most gorgeous day + mckenna looked so pretty + all the flowers were so good + the food was amazing + they had the best band ever + it was just. so. fun. like, not kidding. we danced all night long + everyone was majorly sweating from all the partying + i could talk about it all day long. wedding of the freakin' year. also the ring ceremony! in my mind there was a harpist? is this true? it was like, angelic + the pictures are so good. fifteen thousand thumbs up.

three months later but congratulations to kenna + kevin + THANK YOU for the best time in nashville! ...nashville, nashville, nashville. i could talk about it all day.

also thank you to the stapletons for housing me + feeding me + putting up with the fact that i was unexplainably soooooo tired all. the. time. (...i could actually be on i didn't know i was pregnant. more on this later)

happy birthday to my jeffrey d.!

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today is my jeffrey's birthday! he's now officially in his 'late twenties' but please don't bring that up. he's still recovering from realizing that him + taylor swift are the same age. something about the fact that she already owns like, fifteen houses or something? minor details! minor details!

we celebrated today + i gifted him allllll of his favorite foods. because of my lack of self-control around gushers + the fact refined sugar makes me like, so cranky we never have junk food in our house. our pantry is the lamest + would make ten year olds cry with its lack of -ito's + cookies + poptarts. BUT NO LONGER! junk food galore! eighty dollars worth! you're welcome!

but one more time, happy birthday to jeff! he is the funniest, most patient + kindest person. he is easy to please (wink)(but actually being serious. his request today : boxed mashed potatoes, frozen peas + a pineapple upside down cake. shockingly white trash), easy-going + ...also he is very forgiving because i royally messed up his favorite meal, chicken crescents. woops. he is my happy place + my steady. and today he is twenty six!

...now go write on his facebook wall or something.

yep, i'm pregnant(!!!!!!!!!!).

WELL HELLO! now i feel like i can finally blog. i wanted to keep my pregnancy under wraps for as loooooong as possible + felt like anything i ever drafted out felt so...maternal. and transparent. it was like, 'today is great + I AM GROWING A PERSON + i love diet coke. kardashians.'

but now i'm here! and pregnant!
i am so, so excited + already so, so protective. in my dream world, i would escape to an island + have a viewing ceremony three years later + everyone's hands would be thoroughly sanitized + my kid would probably still be in a glass case. IT IS WEIRD. I KNOW. and no, it's not because 'i am ashamed, or something?' -- thank you stranger on a plane for asking. how dare you. also please excuse me because i have to pee for the sixteenth time on this red eye flight. nope. honestly, i just felt like it was SO important + i was SO excited + whenever i actually care about something, i have a r e a l l y hard time talking about it.

it's all a complex, I KNOW. i could tell a perfect stranger about the one time i *may or may not have* had a complete stomach explosion while driving my brother-in-law's car 70 mph in exercise pants. but ask me what i want to do in five years or about my family/marriage/religion? crickets.

this all a long way to say : nope, not ashamed(????? still so floored at that comment). in fact! SO EXCITED! like, i think about being a mom + what is the best stroller? am i eating enough? can you order hand sanitizer by the truck load? what should i name him? what is he going to be like? is he going to be cute? will he like me? how do i discipline? these are my thoughts. all day long. i. can't. wait. i am so lame.

...but also do you want to hear about the time i had a complete stomach explosion while driving my brother-in-law's car...?

little snippets // june

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just a little catch up from june :
jeff is currently mostly unemployed + taking online classes + i shoot engagements in the evening/weddings on the weekend so we have had l o t s of time together this summer. we are very aware that our situation right now is totally unrealistic but when else will we get to be bums together? riiiiiiight?
right. sure. who's hiring?
onwards!

we have been living at the spanish fork reservoir this summer. it's this teensy man-made lake? pond? pool? up spanish fork canyon + we have made it there at least twice a week this summer. bonus points : there is a sonic on the way(!!!). 

paige moved here! she is going to byu for summer term then transferring to byu idaho so i am soaking up all the time i can get with her. also my mama came to town + we shopped + ikea'd + had the inaugural hokulia of the summer. extra li hing mui, please! with mama time comes lots of grandma time which is my favorite time. i love that spunky lady! i also love that her apartment is fifteen minutes from the SLC temple so i can pop in on a wedding break + watch hgtv/eat all her food/wear her muumuu/nap. hehehe.

NIKKI WENT THROUGH THE TEMPLE!! it was such an awesome experience. 

i am so proud of this lifelong buddy of mine + am continually impressed by how she just. keeps. progressing. mushy gushy. the end. 

we also got a little more lake time in idaho! if you know me, you know the lake is my happiest place so i was in heaven. also i can't stop buying hats...particularly hats from walmart with dumb sayings. sue me.

bye, june! 

california (again)!!! //

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this last week, jeff's family flew us out to california to come visit + to celebrate kenna and kevin's impending nuptials with an engagement party! it was such an unexpected + unplanned trip to end our june. what i am trying to say is THANK YOU, stapleton family! we had a lot of family time + a lot of beach time + a lot of food coma-ing. my perfect vacation.

also jeff's mom left diet coke + gluten free bread in the fridge + i cried happy tears.
NOW! THE PHONE DUMP! (scroll, scroll, scroooooooooll) :

because all blogs should have cleavage shots. HEEEEEY! 

I KNOW my beachwear is revolutionary /// i've had those anklets on for almost ten years. which is totally weird, i'm aware. anyways, in the summer the tan line gets insane. like, hi ankles! see you never. 

we went to the harbor one morning + had bagels. S'CUTE, right?! hahahaah. gross.

PSA : my kortni friend makes THE BEST swimsuits. you've probably already heard of her but hi! they're so fun + you feel like you can eat all the bagels you want + play in the sand + flip around in the ocean and nothing is coming out. and by that i mean your boobs are in and your pooch is secure. SCORE. 

i sincerely wish my life could be just one long lunch with olivia. mushy gushy. also more cleavage.

gimme all the cleavage.

jeff + i walked strands sunday night. aren't we cute?! tell me you think we are cute. hahahah. just kidding. half the time i was complaining about a stomach ache + agonizing over the split of ben affleck and jennifer garner. why is life so cruel!?!? 

on monday night, we went to an angel's game with jeff's neighbor friends + family. 

baseball is a long sport. woof. but go angels! hurry up! play faster! mike trout!

on the lats night, jeff + i went to dinner in san juan capistrano. we ate at sundried tomato + jeff's cute friend emily was the hostess there + hooked us up with some butter? toffee? fruity? cake. it was devoured in less than ten seconds + it was sooooo good. then we came home + had a second dinner + played uno with his family. i lost miserably.

till next time, california! 

happy july second // *almost* THREE YEAR OLDS

so, totally not a selfie.

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also can you believe jeff + i are approaching three years? 

i like three-year-old us.

sure, we are dinged-up + chubbier + have been through THE ROUGH PATCH (vol. 1 of 3,203,447, or so i've heard) but hey! three-year-old us has more fun + more depth + less 'what are you thinking about?'-ing. because i freaking hate that question. hahahah. 

round of applause for shotgun weddings everywhere! 

...you are welcome for the most romantic sentiments about marriage + love + other some such things.

you didn't expect much from me, right? 

WHAT UP MAY!!!! // the past month.

HI GUYS! it's brooke here, remember me? i'm reporting live from moscow, idaho where i'm currently sitting under three blankets downing my third diet coke of the morning + debating whether or not to move today. you know, tough stuff.

this past month has been GOOD. or maybe it was just that april was so bad? have i said that before? well let me tell you again : april was so bad. but may! may was so good! may is the month where i am reminded that i am a sane + functioning person most usually...sometimes + that i actually do like my life. oh. okay.

ANYWAYS MAY!

i started the month running a half marathon with my nikki-friend. it was very spur-of-the-moment + we were remarkably untrained but it was so fun. seriously. at one point nikki peed on the sidewalk + that will forever by a favorite memory, hahaha. we kept a pace. was it a good one? meh. but it was a pace! and we finished! and we got a giant medal that i keep in my carry-on suitcase. in fact, i pulled it out a few days ago at our hotel just to show it off to morgan. it's whatever.

we went to morgan's restaurant in park city, zoom, and shut. the. place. down. i think i'm still full (just kidding. i'm not. i just ate like, thirty five pretzel thins -- bring on the gluten headache, y'all!). i'm talking three appetizers, entrees, and four desserts. that's what's up. morgan gave us a tour of the kitchen + we watched some mild kitchen drama unfold + i felt like i was on some reality tv show. so basically : all my wildest dreams came true.

avery has been living in my basement (hahah) while she is in transition from student housing to married housing. hi roommate! it has been fun having her + I AM SO PUMPED FOR GEORGIA! watch out ATL (horrible snapchat as proof. you're welcome.)

tandem biking! it's hard! morgan + i (WOW MORGAN! we hung out a LOT this month!) rented a tandem bike one afternoon + MOBBED down the canyon. haha. i felt like i was in a parade/a human centipede. highly suggest it.

i have decided i want to start wearing higher shoes + skirts. so there is that. my first attempt : seven inch clogs. i hardly survived one hour of church before complaining. HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS ALL DAY? beauty is pain...but do clogs cancel out any attempt at femininity anyways? LET ME KNOW. exciting times, i know.

i had a wedding in washington last weekend (it was so pretty + the couple was the best ever ever) + jeff + morgan tagged along for the ride. side note : jeff sat in the backseat the whole time? it's fine. we're fine. it's fine. anways. washington! weddings! jeff in the backseat!

NOW! we are in idaho. well, actually we are back in washington for another wedding BUT our home base in idaho right now. i just bought a five dollar fishing hat at walmart today so yeah, you could say things are going well. ha. i have reverted back to 'high school brooke' so i have stopped doing laundry + wearing pants + am basically useless. unfortunately my 'high school brooke' legs have not returned but i'll keep you updated.

THE END. for now. that was photo heavy, I AM AWARE.

a little bit of california //

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jeff + i went on a much needed visit to california this last week after he finished finals. when i say much needed...TRUST ME. ha. april was stressful + april was the month where i thought OH MY GOSH WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE?!?! like, 3,453 times. in fact, i would like to not be held responsible for anything that i did or said or ate during the month of april. THANK YOU!

but california. back to it. i feel like every time we come, the pictures are the same ol' same ol'. picture of flame broiler : check! picture of t-street : check! picture of me in a dorky hat : CHECK!

we mostly just maxed + relaxed in the true stapleton form (take-out food, game night + a movie) BUT some other highlights included : hiking valido // dirty mexican food // walks on the beach // lunch with kenna k. // blockhead ice cream in LA // korean bbq with my family // koa's blessing! // the park with my daddy-o // DISNEYLAND! // dole whip float // ...the tram ride home. disney takes it out of you! // timmy's pirate birthday party!

oh. and the bruce jenner interview. CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT? i love bruce. i really do. i feel like bruce has been going through SO MUCH pain/confusion/shame etc. etc. etc. + who am i to judge?! you do you, brucer! also he is so sweet and probably went through so much suffering and you know what? who cares. who cares! it will all be figured out later + let's just all be nice, right? ...but also AMBITIOUS DRESS CHOICE BRUCER. AMBITIOUS. that's all.

p.s. PRAY FOR MY PHONE. it is so broken. SO SO broken. mostly i just want all my disney pictures back. there is a REAL risqué splash mountain picture on there that needs to be saved for posterity. ;)