california spice girls

about a year ago i totally copied my friends from Idaho and started a RECIPE GROUP, 

and it has been so fun meeting up once a month to learn and try new recipes.

we named ourselves 

THE SPICE GIRLS

(tell me what cha want what cha really really want!)

we have a blog that we put the recipes on so we can refer to them any time we need a quick idea

(i'll share that blog with y'all when i get it updated and put all the new recipes on!! it needs a face lift before i start sharing it with my e-friends)

a different girl hosts recipe group every month, and then 3-4 girls contribute a recipe for the night. and we all eat til we are moaning sick.

rachel hosted this last night, and i must say... no offense to past recipe nights... 

THIS one was my FAVORITE so far.. 

prolly has to do with the fact that i could LIVE on pizza alone.

homemade pizza was the theme, 

and these girls worked their magic with fancy pantcy pizzas

we had about 5 different kinds of pizzas, and a fruit pizza for dessert, but i only got a few pictures before they were demolished :) 

greek style pizza 

veggie style

and... this is what i contributed to the night. 

i'm safer... ok, lets be honest.. everyone is safer if i just stick to bringing items unrelated to cooking

(but i am trying to cook more and be more domestic, don't give up on me just yet! poor germ)

this is rachel, the host from last night.

she supplied the crust and cheese for all the pizzas, and then had these amazing Italian sodas for us to make ourselves. lip smack'n good, i tell ya what.

since i've been back from my month vacay in idaho, 

i must admit, i've been in a bit of a homesick rut.. 

haven't really felt myself, and have missed family terribly.

BUT.... 

i'm back! 

back on the california band wagon, full force.

and these girls are to blame for it. life savers.

AND its helps that we have been to the beach and/or the pool daily.. and like i said in my previous post.. there is just something about being at the beach that is truly therapeutic.

thanks spice girls.. for spice'n up my life. 

JUST what i needed!

the view from my world..

is addicting. 

wow.

 i mean, come on guy. 

gorgeous.

and this view.. there is just something about it that is good for the soul.

and my favorite of the week. 

she just might be a girl after my own heart. she will play in my jewelry forever

feeling pretty overwhelmed with gratitude lately. 

belly button

She's completely obsessed with belly buttons these days.

Tries to lift my shirt up all day to see mine, and does it to all our friends also.. some are pretty willing to show her.. others are a bit hesitant. can't say i blame them :)

but i love that EVERY time i ask her where hers is... she gladly shows me.. its about the only time i can get her to look at the camera.

oh.. i just want to bite her stomach off. love this girl

she has also become obsessed with books, she brings me books ALL throughout the day and then backs up into me to have me read them to her.. and then she lasts for about 1 minute into the story before she's got bigger and better things to be doing.

jeremy took london to coronado island on a date last night while i was at a relief society activity. he sent me this picture.

where do i start?!

i don't even know where to start.

i feel like we have a whole year to cram into this post.. so thats pretty much what i've done.

we were in idaho for a month.. well, i was.. jeremy had 4 business trips, so he was back and forth.

it was amazing. i love my family, i love "home", and i just love summer.

i had my 10 year class reunion, we celebrated the 4th with family, went 4 wheeling, swimming, boating, camping, had 2 family reunions, hung out with old friends, and just enjoyed the PERFECT summer nights in IDAHO!! there really is NO PLACE like Idaho in the summer... i'll be singing a whole different tune come winter!! :)

so here is our last month and a half in pictures..

VERY out of order!

these lovely ladies threw one heck of a baby shower for our sweet friend, SYDNEY, who is due with her first baby boy in 3 weeks! we can't wait to meet the little guy!

rachel, sydney, krystle, alice

there must be something in the air.. lots o' pregnant gals around these parts!

the girls asked me to take pictures of the shower for them.. hence the million pictures of the event (who am i kidding, i would have this many regardless if i was asked to take them or not!)

we made these blocks for syd's baby boy while we were at the party.

the cutest idea ever.

our own little wheat grass pots to take as party favors. love it.

lettuce wraps.

my mom said she has been begging and pleading with my dad SINCE they got married to let her put mascara on him because his eyelashes are RIDICULOUS!!! so long, and SO thick!

and guess who FINALLY got him to crack. his favorite daughter of course! :)

how much do i love these girls? gosh, makes me miss them just looking at these pictures!

we went swimming at ross park in pocatello.

cousins.

macy & london

maya & london

london's first boat ride and trip to the lake!

she LOVED it!

p.s. the water was NOT one tiny bit warm.. she was quite the sport just floating in her little life jacket. she kills me.

getting ready to skinny dip in the lake. must have got that urge from her dad.

beautiful kam.

germ & i on the tube. im pretty sure there is NOTHING i like better than being on the lake/boat... i could spend hours, days, weeks doing nothing but this...

is there a better holiday than the 4th? i love all the fun traditions.

parade, bbq's, fireworks, the colors, family... can't get enough of it... and this year didn't disappoint!

my mom, natalie, and i made these outfits for our girls for the 4th..

okay, mostly it was my mom and natalie.. but i was there to rant and rave :)

maya.. you're cute.

some of the grandkids watching the parade

this girl is absolutely obsessed with my dad. but... i don't blame her.

running through the sprinkler at gma/gpa calls! do you think she liked it?!

i love her expression.. she would scream when she thought we were done.

jeremy's mom watched london for a whole day while jeremy and i took a LONG ride on the 4 wheelers up in the mountains.

so great to just be with my friend.

we celebrated our 4 year anniversary last month and i honestly feel like i couldn't be luckier to have found someone so suited for me. i'm so "at home" when i'm with him, no matter where we are.

we went to my 10 year reunion a few weeks ago, and we both said it feels like we have known each other forever, its hard to believe we didn't know each other back then. just seems like its always been this way. so glad i have him for a long, long time.

he's the greatest of all good ones for sure.. even though sometimes i want to poke his eyes out because he works too hard and is on the phone entirely too much. its a good thing he's so darn cute, and sweet, and patient, and funny, or i'd have to give him and that phone the boot.

i have the right to get mushy at least once a year.. don't judge me :)

10 year reunion

me & maunarae

one of my friends from elementary and all through high school!

and of course me and holl. bff since 1st grade

i saw cole at the fireworks on the 4th and we had to strike a few of our famous poses.

our favorite.. the polygamist ladies.

when i pulled this face for the picture, she didn't even look at me and said "i already know what your face looks like without even looking at you because of the way you are all tensed up" i love that she knows me that well. ha! cole, come see me!

spent the day with holl and her kids at he beautiful home. love that girl and all our YEARS and YEARS of memories!

d loves her gpa call! how could she not?!

family reunion at downata hotsprings

can't get more beautiful than an idaho summer night.

happy fathers day to the cutest man in the world.

tyler.

we found a robin egg.

gma huls turned 90!!!

call siblings with their dad on fathers day

i guessed the right amount of candy in these 3 jars at the huls family reunion.. all those years of candy and cavities are finally paying off!

cheeseball contest.

i think we tied. either that or people got too disgusted with us to keep counting.

when i want to remind jeremy of how lucky he got when he married such a catch..

i show him this picture.

lace MADE me.. (pulled hair, head lock, kick in the shin) MADE me crop her out of this next picture bc she had a canker sore so big that she couldn't even smile normal..

your loss lace, i guess you can't claim helping make these 106 delish cake pops we made!

i love summer!