So...

First of all, thank you ALL for your birthday wishes in the comments below! I love you all!!! And now for your regularly scheduled post. Do enjoy.

---

Thirty four came and went with little change in scenery, a lot of change in lifestyle, and a large change in personal accomplishment. Yesterday, I turned the big (fat) 35, and just as I'd gotten used to the fact, my dad called and ruined my life.


"Hey Alli! Happy birthday!" he chimed.

"Thanks dad! I appreciate it!" was my greatful reply.

"So, only 5 years til you're 40..." he said, unaware of the stroke he caused me to have.



That's right folks, 35 isn't just half way through your thirties, it's actually "only 5 years til 40" and that my friends, is bullcrap. I'd like a ticket off of this helltrain to Geriatricland, thank you very much.

Anyway, my friends Aimee and Emily brought me over pies and cakes and let me tell you, if there was EVER a time in my life when I needed them, it was yesterday. Aimee "heard" that I love pie so she brought me over a strawberry one with whipped cream and a Claim Jumper black berry pie that made me absolutely giddy! Then, when Emily walked in with a big fat homemade cake, I about died! I thanked the girls and as soon as they left, I cut big pieces of the strawberry pie and the cake and went to my room to shovel it into my sobbing face while I watched my dang Big Brother DVR'd episode. I will admit it...I am thirty five...but nobody ever said I was always charming.

Ok so I exaggerate a bit, it was actually a really nice day, Mike got me an MP3 player to replace the one he stole from me borrows for work every day. He even put some music on it for me. Oh and it's pink! and everyone knows how much I adore pink! lately. Honestly, I think that I tried to hide those tiny girl urges for so long, the ones that adored princesses and sparkles and diamonds, that everytime anyone asked me what my favorite color was, I'd say that it was blue, or green, or blue-green, blue with green in it, but here it is people, in my 35 year old glory...I love pink! Love it. Obsessed with it. I wish pink were my ringtone, guys. Seriously though...

Anyway, my family comes in 3 days!!! and I'm so excited about it! I can't keep my excitement under control as I type this and my arms are shaking with excitement it's just that exciting you guys, can you feel the excitement?!?!?

love you bye.

what a crazy past 2 weeks.

all the meetings are over, all the taxes are done, all of the court papers are in. can I get a whutwhut?

Also, guess who's going to be 35 in 27 hours. Dats right. Sick.

Two words to sum up tonights American Idol...


KEN LEEEEEEEEEEE!

the ayund.

Gorgeous Utah Shoots

I worked most of today getting photos edited, some from old jobs from friends (AIMEE W! and CARRIE!) and then worked on new ones (ELIZA AND KJ! and CHRISTY!)

Here are a few. Click HERE to see photos every day as I edit them. Oh and click each pic to see it larger...(and then again if you really wanna see it big)

Ugh, Monday.

For about 10 years, I'd wake up almost every morning with a headache. My mind would turn immediately to some bill I'd have to pay, some issue I'd have to solve with family, or most often, some chore list I'd find on the kitchen counter. Just staying up at night would be like a little vacation. I could read or listen to "my" music, or talk on the phone to girlfriends or sisters, I could craft...all in peace. Nighttime was my time, and I would sometimes stay up til three or four in the morning. My afternoons would be spent in a panic about if the kitchen was clean enough, or if the dinner I had cooking was going to get me a "pass" to go hang out with Tori, and often, I'd find myself smiling at my tiny kids...wondering if I wanted to live one more day. Those sweet babies are the only thing that kept me going sometimes.

Well, this morning, I woke up and looked around my messy living room, shoes everywhere from kids in a hurry to get out the door to school and smiled because...I don't have to panic anymore. I don't have to worry about what kind of trouble I'd get in. As a matter of fact, if I happen to not get those shoes put away today, my husband would most likely come in and gently nudge the kids to do it when he gets home from work tonight.

Right now is an unexpectedly difficult time for me. I explained it a little on the phone with my sister Mandy, and she not only listens to me, but she calls and asks me for updates. This is probably the nicest thing she could do for me, and she is a miracle, an answer to prayers sometimes. She must be in tune with the spirit to know exactly when I need her to call me, because every time she calls, it's the perfect time. She's amazing.

I also have my brother who makes me laugh, and who loves me even though I'm an idiot sometimes, and then Eliza and Ash, who never judge me. They're so generous and loving, and honestly, I feel blessed every day to have them both. Eliza had us up to her house a week ago, and she graciously dealt with all SEVEN of the Easleys, and I know what a feat that is, I do it every day and just look at my gray hair.

The reason for this post, blabbery as it may be, is because right now, we're being tested and tried. We're at a point in our lives where everything is up in the air. We have decisions to make, and although the law says one thing, I'm scared to proceed because the consequences for the person this will affect are severe. I'm really struggling with this issue, and a few more, and when I woke up this morning, I came downstairs to download a specific conference talk and happened to check on the TC Rogers blog. Last night, he passed away. His family is old family friends of our family, as they are many many of yours as well. His story is sad, but happy at the same time. I was reading the latest update from his dad, Cliff, and happened upon this "TC Stories" blog...and read and read and read til my side hurt from laughing, and my eyes were sore from crying.

The human experience is exactly that. A human experience. I'm greatful to have every minute. I am so thankful to have happiness, and pain, and sorrow, and stress, and all those feelings that come with being human, aren't you?

Oh Sweet 5th Child Of Mine...

Isn't he sweet???



Don't let those innocent looks fool ya, my friends. Today Harper did a few things...a few very bad things...as two is approaching swiftly. Here is a short list, in no particular order of my favorites:

• drew on the walls of the house we're staying in with silver sharpie. Precious.
  
• broke 2 of my new Crate&Barrel glasses (ones I love so much I could make out with them)
• unrolled 2 entire rolls of toilet paper all over the stairs. Apparently throwing rolls down the stairs is raw-some. It is not.
  
• When the check out girl at Target broke his heart and his spirit by "taking" his new toy dinosaur from him to scan it briefly, and then promptly return it to him, he kindly "gave" it back to her by chucking it at her head with violence. This made me so proud.
  
• refused to have a nap while simultaneously hanging in mid sleep/mid scream in the car for 20 minutes. This also made me proud.
  

But then, we got back to safety and turned the new Little Mermaid sprinkler on for him (yes, he picked it out) and he became a sweet thing again. He even came in and kissed me all over my arms and cheeks whilst blabbering about the "wah-rerr! wah-rerr!" and the "bye-errr! bye-errr!" (water, spider) because apparently he almost died when a butterfly flew past him in his frolicking, since it was trying to kill him. Either way, I logged onto my flickr to start working, and what popped up?





Yep that's it. He and daddy, a year and a half ago being all cute and sleepy together...so then I forgave him. Aren't babies the bomb?

Oh and Jonah has a new blog. Go see him HERE