idaho + me in a cheetah dress (FOR MY POSTERITY) /

that's about it. 

p.s. i leave for georgia tomorrow! praying for a run-in with nene leakes. 

p.p.s. CAITLYN JENNER. blew my mind this morning! i was eating breakfast with jeff + scrolling through instagram, like a truly engaged wife, + my jaw DROPPED. TO. THE. FLOOR. also screen shotted it because i want her hair color. it's fine.

HEY! Family pictures on a Thursday.

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Hey! It's my family!

Look and scroll and scroll and look.

Without further adieu : family pictures. Taken in under thirty minutes. In seven degree weather.

Woop, there it is!

Also scrolling through these pictures makes me wonder what I should do with my hair? Grow it out? Chop it off? Color it darker? Lighter? ...also these pictures make me miss my family. Because I do have a heart. Ha.

Rules of life pt. I

Never say no to a photo-booth.
Being a people-pleaser is tiring.
Be a generous laugher + tipper.
Pebbled ice + styrofoam cups are worth the drive.
Even the most sour people like to hear their hair looks nice.
Always maximize the cha cha, real smooth part of the 'Cha Cha Slide.'
(Six seconds of sexiness, ready go!)

TUBBS HILL, CDA IDAHO + pictures of my face

FIRST : Merry Day After Christmas! We had such a good one with family/friends/Seinfeld (Jeff was gifted all the seasons...my family thinks I am a touch Kramer but I want to be full Elaine! Let me live!). More on this later.

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING : No, I haven't changed my outfit since I have arrived in Idaho. Why change something that is c l e a r l y working? (...though my mom did hint lightly today that the washing machine is free upstairs so if you want to wash your clothes, feel free! Noted mama, noted)

Today we went to Coeur d' Alene (I will never not have to spellcheck that...) to go eagle watching (...no, I'm serious. How cool, right?!) + hike/walk Tubb's Hill. It was SO COLD but Jeff spotted like, fifteen eagles that mysteriously disappeared every time I looked. I spotted seven seagulls + thought they were eagles every. single. time. I brought my camera + THUS : PICTURES!

...Jeff was supposed to be in this.

...and there he is. 

Where is my neck? I look like a giant thumb.

Also hi tonsils.

Jeff. Loves. Nature.

How pretty, right? We listened to Serial on the drive + I AM HOOKED. Who did it?!?!

And that's it.

I know.

So many pictures of my face.

A garage photoshoot, y'all.

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Sometimes these things happen.

GARAGE PHOTOSHOOT!

Just roll with it or roll your eyes at Jeff's ham sandwich-ness.

P.S. THREE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!

IN MY DREAMS (scroll, scroll, scroll) ...

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In my dreams :

I live on a lake in a humble house that is perpetually dirty + perpetually full of family.
There's a giant yard, littered with bikes and towels and sandals and soccer balls, where everyone gathers on Fourth of July to watch fireworks + a fire pit where the art of s'more making is perfected. There are hiking trails surrounding my house + my kids occupy them weekly with their friends and four-wheelers. There's an outdoor fridge stocked with icy Diet Cokes + popsicles + fresh strawberries. My skin is tanned + freckled + Jeff wears a lot of flannels and grows his beard out.
Also there's a Sonic/Target within walking distance.
And great cell reception.
And the Kardashians are still a thing.
And my parents + siblings live down the street + we go for long walks
every morning + they never EVER get sick of it.
And I have a set of twin boys + like, 11 other moderately behaved
children who find me SO FUNNY + slow clap every time I walk in a room.

Mmmm.

A recap of May because it is JUNE(!!!!)

Today I walked out the door for my Sunday stroll with Jeff and he looked bemused. I did a little twist and twirl for him because I thought it was heading that direction and he just kept blinking on.

"Whaaaaaaat," I begged.

"You just look so..."

Twist, twirl, flutter of the eyelids.

"Butch."

Apparently long shorts, black flip flops, and a baseball tee aren't the most feminine look. Noted and noted. Ha.

On our walk we recapped May and decided that it was equal parts hectic and happy. I was living in Utah for half of it and was mostly homeless. I mooched off friends and lived in their apartments for a few days (I'm the worst roommate. I am totally out of the 'compartmentalized fridge' game -- I see almond butter, I eat all the almond butter. Oops.) while shooting weddings and feeling totally exhausted/totally thankful for having the world's best friends. I'm just going to throw it out there that every one needs a Morgan Randall. She let me bunk with her for a week straight and fed me and didn't even complain that I ate all her bananas...every time she bought bananas. One day I was locked out of my car and texted her early in the morning asking for a ride to which she responded immediately, "Sure! Coming!" without even asking why. Oh, bless her heart fifteen times over and promise I'm done being gushy.

I missed Jeff like crazy and became a much better Skype-date because of it (I just stare at myself...the whole time). But it was also so fun. It was like every time we saw each other and I was back in California, we had to get all of our fun out. We hiked and biked and Disney'd and played at the beach and lounged...all in a week's time. Now I'm off to Utah for more weddings and more mooching (just kidding about that last part).

Here's our May in pictures :

from left to right :
UT -->> CA : I came a week after Jeff did and enjoyed my Diet Coke + Audible filled drive.
REUNITED! 
This trail is right by Jeff's house and I love it. It's so beautiful!
With my best babe Nikki after a little Tropical Diet Coke + shopping trip. She thought my 'candid laughing' selfie was a bit much.
Disneyland! We went with Jeff's family from Michigan and had so much fun. 
A little trip to the Newport Beach Temple where we got married!
...ewww, gross.
Beach'n it at Table Rock. 
A bit of my Whole30. I massively failed this round (ha, having no kitchen was a struggle!) but loved my first round in March. I felt amazing.
Jeffrey thinking thoughts.
A wedding! I loved this couple + their big day. 
We spent Memorial Day at the beach like the rest of California.
A sunset after a bridal session. Heavenly.
Disney'ing round two. This was on Radiator Springs. The line was an hour and a half long and we actually had no idea what we were in line for the whole time. Ha.
Beach'n it part III with Jeff's brother Kevin and friend Don. I was so impeding on 'bro time.'
At the Bee's baseball game with Morgan. Free hot dogs, y'all!

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Happy June!

seaYEAH!ttle.

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going way back in time...

when our josh and rachel friends threw around the idea of seattle? in august? we jumped and clung on to it like a cat? do cats jump and cling on to things? we invited ourselves + plopped down our money for a hotel + you can't get out of this nooooow! 

and nearly a whole month later, i am still so glad that we clung on to that idea. it was so much fun! and also, that hotel was probably non-refundable? and can anyone think of a better metaphor for our unrelenting ways?

now here's seattle in pictures. lots of 'em!

// on the left, we have our fearless tour guide josh. we love our josh! he put up with my high maintenance travel requests like 'moderately healthy dinners' + a treat to follow (it's all about counterbalance, people) + a required nap time. because traveling is tiring. 

// wrong crowd? 

// sad panda man. kind of breaks your heart, no? 

// oooooh! the colors of the market...and that's all my commentary. but also, there were these really delicious mini donuts that jeff devoured both mornings that we were in the whereabouts of pike's place. they were overpriced. but jeff who is normally temperate in all that he does requested them twice for breakfast! that is something, no?!

// dudes, baseball is a long game. but ball-park food, despite its large price tag, ain't too shabby. also, yes. i am the child that whines for a mariners' shirt. mostly rachel (josh's wife + one of my favorite people. ever. every one need's a rachel) + walked laps around the stadium and stuffed our faces. ...go mariners?!

// kerry park! what a view. or something.

(by this time, i am sure most of you have given up on this post and scrolling so...phone picture time!)

// we met up with my jack + caitlyn friend from high school. they took us to dinner at bizzarro's (which was on diner's, drive-in's, and dives. rubbing elbows with guy fieri, and that's every one's dream!). and they paid for our bill. i feel like i must include that factoid because it was so, so kind. like, we ain't a cheap date! then we went to jack's place of work, molly moon's, and got free ice cream and watched all of jack's coworkers fawn over him. it was very endearing. then we sat by the lake and drifted off into the magical sunset of a successful double date (rare to come by!). 

// bellevue! 

// we attended the prettiest wedding at a house on lake tapps. it was amazing. amazing, i tell you. the couple jet skiied off into the dark abyss + we all cheered + then i poked and prodded to figure out what the heck the owner of this house does and how the heck can i join?! 

// and finally, on our last day there, i met up with brittany for breakfast. oh, brittany! she's actually the coolest + leaves you with the biggest gust of life from trying to keep up with her. ...also we gossiped about high school for about two whole hours. much needed.

// and the biggest thank you ever ever ever to josh and rachel. we had so much fun + will gladly travel sixteen hours in a car just to jam out to one direction + eat taco bell.