wall lake

We went camping in the Uintas last weekend with some friends.  We got a late start on the hike to Wall Lake but we set up camp fast, and sat around the fire laughing until it was too windy and too late.  All 6 of us slept in a 4 man tent :)  I could have sworn I heard a bear rummaging through our food outside our tent in the middle of the night...Brandon and I didn't get much sleep.  We woke with sore backs and good spirits and a determination to come back soon, on a day not so windy, so we can jump off the cliffs into the water.

fresh air a good friends can do a lot for the soul.
hoping to fit in a few more hikes this week before school starts up again.

my best friend's wedding

Today is my best friend Lauren's birthday.

I've known Lauren (or lala, as I prefer to call her) since preschool. Just a few years after that, she moved into my neighborhood. I really can't remember a time in my life where lala wasn't in it. We've been through a lot together, she knows me better than most and still loves me :) Oh, and with her birthday being on April Fools? she's the queen of prankery. Remember in elementary school where you'd bring a treat on your birthday (that seems so backwards in retrospect) well I had Playdo donut holes and toothpaste oreos and 6 years of other birthday treats i've tried to forget about. I fell for it EVERY time!

Lala got married to the man of her dreams this past December. I was so honored to be a part of her special day and see her and Paul get sealed for eternity in the very same Temple Brandon and I did 6 months earlier. I was also thrilled to be a bridesmaid (first time ever!). She looked absolutely stunning....

although the day was FREEZING there was so much love going around that I felt warm.

the other two besties :)

my adorable parents

(everything about this picture i LOVE)

the siblings

the kimballs

hair to kill for...

Lala,

I love you so so much! I'm so lucky to call you my friend. You've shaped me and encouraged me to be a better person, and i've learned so much from your constant example. I'm so proud of what you do with your life: you embrace it. You try hard things and you master them. You use your talents and gifts to bless the lives of everyone around you. You are an absolute hoot to be around and I miss not seeing you every day. I hope you know how much I value our friendship and all the experiences we've shared (yes, even the hard and ridiculously silly ones :) You are the best and deserve all the happiness in the world! Happy birthday babe!

xoxo

claire

lunch date

had lunch with this lady today

soaking up every minute I can of her before she leaves for 18 months! (including every last blog post!) Oh how I'm going to miss her!

Kara Lynn

Kara and I first met in Jr. high through mutual friends. We have since been reunited via the wonderful world of blogging. Next week, she is leaving to serve an LDS mission in Texas! (my sweet husband served an LDS mission in texas too!) and I couldn't be more thrilled for her!

About a month ago I asked her to help me with a photo assignment by being my model. (and secretly as an excuse to get more time with this lovely girl before she leaves!) As I was editing her photos I kept being drawn to black and white. I think it's because black and white photography is romantic. And Kara is about as romantic as they come. Have you ever heard the expression "she has a light about her" ? thats kara. She has a passion for life, learning, knowledge, and beauty. And it literally shines.

being reunited with Kara adds to my list of many blessings through blogging. I am truly grateful to her example, and will miss her posts dearly while she is gone. But I am so proud to know her and proud that she is serving a mission, sharing her light. She will no doubt be an amazing missionary and I can't wait to hear her experiences as we pen-pal! To better know Kara check out her delightful blog here. To learn more about the message she will be sharing in Texas for 18 months, go here.

to see her beautiful light, see photos below :)

i like you

tregani.

i like you.

like a lot.

and for many reasons.

you are a good person.

you listen to me.

even when what i'm saying is pointless.

which it often is.

and you don't judge me.

and you aren't just understanding.

you really understand me.

which is crazy...

cause i don't even understand me.

and you know what else?

i know God put you in my life.

he knew i needed you.

just like he knew you needed me.

and even though that's a lot of needs..

our friendship isn't needy.

it's about how much each of us can give.

and we give a lot.

and then when taking is needed,

we take.

and it works out.

and when it's been months of seeing each other,

we don't have to go through any routine awkwardness.

nope.

just right back to normal.

like we are at the ranch.

laughing cause our first kiss was with the same guy.

and talking our mouths off

and peeing our pants.

and i happen to think that is pretty cool.

and i think you are kinda really funny.

and i like playing PL with you.

and doing big eventful worthwhile things.

and also the little worthwhile things.

like just sitting.

and talking.

and remembering.

and dreaming.

anyway,

like i said,

i like you a lot.

you blog, she blogs, we blog

So I've got these fantastic friends.

And I know everyone thinks that about their friends. But seriously, my friends could beat up your friends.

Yeah.

they are that great.

I've been so blessed to have them by my side almost all 20 years of my living! And then something peculiar happened this last year:

we all (semi) grew up.

doing big grown up stuff like:

adventuring, trying new scary/risky things, traveling, learning, getting boyfriends (yes, a very grown-up-ish thing for us) and in my case: engaging.

Oh so guess what's cool!? we all blog.

this one is having tea-time in London.

this one is walking like an egyptian in the middle east.

& this one is in the same city as me. But we never see each other

(crazy how that happens when you grow up. fall in love. plan a wedding...)

i miss them all very very much.

i'm glad we are all growing up and doing big scary things and living our lives and all.

but you want to know what?

I'm a selfish person.

I'm a bride-zilla.

I want them all here with me.

I want their growing up to be cohesive with my growing up.

I don't want growing up to be growing apart....

i need them.

you know, for shoulder support. For sympathy for my hectic life (yeah...i'm that selfish). For girl time. I want to tell them of my scary encounter at work, or show them favorites from my wedding shoots this past week, or eat cake batter and "ants on a leaf". I want to stay up late hearing about their boyfriends and talking about love. I want to show them my wedding dress on! for them to tell me how pretty i'll look, And discuss all those silly wedding details. I want to go to a dollar movie with them. look at "little numbers" together (heheh) and pick our favorites. I want to hear about their adventures in person! I want to walk barefoot down their street to their houses, knock on the door, and have them answer. I want to sneak out at night and get into to trouble with them. Or doorbell ditch houses in our neighborhood dressed up in giant cardboard boxes. I want us to make headbands and share clothes and giggle together. I want to watch mean girls and monty python with them and laugh our heads off. I want us to watch the notebook and ball our eyes out. I want us to argue over who would play who in "little women".

And then I want them here for no reason at all but to be here.

selfish.

and I do feel a little guilty being so selfish since Brandon is the best friend I've ever had (as it should be) and I couldn't possibly ask for more.

I just miss my girls.

heart to heart

I love getting handwritten cards from Kaitlyn,

because she always has good things to say.

and she ALWAYS includes an original illustration

this one portrays our friendship perfectly

{illustrated her} {illustrated me}

I call it "heart to heart"

we have a lot of those

especially in the late hours of the night,

from across the room.

{little me} {little her}

{grown up her} {grown up me}

hugs and kisses

La La

"La La"

Lauren Michelle

remember how I tricked Lauren into a mini-shoot?

it's amazing how impromptu model she can be.

I have been friends with this girl since BYU preschool. Which means she knows me. Really knows me. And I know her. We've known each other for so long, and we know each other so well, that

we wouldn't be who we are without the other.

she is beautiful in every sense of the word,

her dreams

her words

She is beautiful.

but most of all she is a beautiful thinker.

I look up to her so more than she'll ever know.

M & M 2009

The wonderful Michelle and Sam put on quite the lovely halloween party yesterday afternoon.

there were:

• treats galore
  
• clever costumes
  
• contests
  

fun. fun. fun.

my family/friends are way too cool for school.

(for proof see pics below)

professor plum + ms. peacock

the hansen crew

the newsie + amelia

the popular social networking program

the egyptian beauties

(meagan made these!)

the perfect "Boo"

the sumos

tooo funny!

truman won best costume.

and it's no question why. :)

the lumberjacks

the witch

aka: lovely michelle who "magically" pulled it all together

THANK YOU!