todd. heidi + lizzie

dear blog,

i'm sorry i don't have any words to share with you today. these wonderful photos of this family will have to do.

we even had to trespass on private property to take them. i laugh in the face of danger. ha ha ha ha ha [quick, name that movie].

that's all for now,
xoxo.
jana



p.s. the word photography on my watermark makes me cringe just a tad, but i'm trying out a logo thing. you get an extra point if you tell me what you think.

p.p.s. you get double extra points if you pick the picture you like best that you think we should use for their christmas card.




i love the one on the left of lizzie dancing. i think heidi is dancing in the backround too.

dear aunt cindy,

thank you for letting me practically move into your house. really, i think i spend more time on young drive than i do at my own house these days. i even say family prayer, help make lists for our "family" goals this christmas season, and i think it's my turn to read the christmas story for tonight. oldest to youngest right?

thank you for always making extra dinner, anticipating my company, and for putting socks on my cold feet like you do for ashley and britney.

thanks for your help with the sewing machine and letting me make a mess in the family room for a couple of days. (sorry about the broken needle). thanks for the envelopes and the stamps - even if they have slightly creepy nutcracker men on them.

i'm so glad you like the christmas card i designed for you this year - i'm so happy i could help!

{photo not taken by me}

i hope you don't mind that i posted it here before you sent it out - i promise not very many people read my blog.

i'll be over tonight to help decorate the christmas tree!

love you lots,
jana

dear saturday,

we were so productive today; i'm so proud of us! i slept exactly 8 hours and awoke to a giant bowl of captain crunch. perfect way to get my day started.

then, i met up with this cute family.

they go to church with both of my brothers' families and sarah served in the same mission as my missionary!


little asher loved to run around. thank goodness for digital cameras and memory cards that hold 1,000 pictures!

after a lunch of salami and cheese - seriously, i was in a hurry, but it was still delicious - i picked up my cute cousin ashley for a "mini" senior-shoot. we only had an hour, so there will definitely be more where these came from.
she is so photogenic. and has fabulous hair.

her friend, kayla, came too.

to finish up my picture-taking for the day, this family came to meet me.

aren't these girls adorable? little emily on the right was a natural in front of the camera. she would pose and put her hands on her parents' shoulders without anyone even telling her what to do. i was so impressed.


talk about a day filled with photo-magnificence.

later, i went out to dinner with the mom and sister and i am watching a marathon of christmas movies as we speak. first, elf, and now, you've got mail (i'm not sure why this one always puts me in a festive mood and makes me want to spend christmas in new york city).

i would say it was a pretty great day. i even managed to squeeze in reading a chapter of the last twilight book with my cousin, britney - it was actually at 1:00 in the morning, but that was still technically today. now, all i have to do is crank out a couple loads of laundry and i will consider us a major success. we still have 2 hours together, saturday - let's make it happen.

xoxo,

jana

p.s. nikon baby, it's so good to have you back.

reunited...

and it feels so good!

dear santa,

in case you are having a hard time deciding what to bring me, i thought i would give you a few suggestions. plus, i'm pretty sure my mom reads my blog, so maybe she'll get some ideas too.

1. a trip to disneyland. i've always wanted to see it snow on main street. who knows if i could get time off from work, though. maybe wait until next year.
2. a blackberry. seriously, i need a new phone and i think this one needs me too.
3. i still need some running shoes. i bought some a few weeks ago, but they're not that great for running long distances - i'm thinking i'll just wear them to the gym. plus, i'm digging this orange.
4. speaking of things i need for running, i'm hurting for some headphones. my current pair have horrible static. i'm hoping for something cute that will also stay in my ear, both important.

5. i could probably use a new straightener. the chi is good. plus, it's pink and proceeds go to a good cause.

6. did you know i wanted a guitar for my birthday? probably not, you're santa. anyway, i'm still thinking it would be fun to learn how to play one.

7. if not, i already have access to a piano, so maybe you could just bring me some piano lessons. my family would sure appreciate it. horribly slow church hymns = sounds of a mortuary.

8. i saw these monthly journals from pottery barn and i thought it was a super cute idea. maybe they would help with my resolution for writing in my journal every year that i never seem to keep up.

9. if all else fails santa, you can always just take me shopping. you can still wrap my presents and i promise i'll act surprised. let's go to palo alto so we can pick up some cupcakes from sprinkles. i hear they're heavenly.

well santa, hopefully this helps. thanks for listening.

happy happy holidays!

jana

dear thanksgiving,

i know it may not seem like it, but you really are one of my favorite holidays. it makes sense - i love fall, lots of food and any kind of pumpkin desserts. but mostly, i think it is so so important to remember all of our many blessings. however, with christmas right on your heels, i tend to get pretty excited and begin planning the christmas party and listening to holiday tunes before you've even come, as hard as i try not to. so this year, instead of neglecting you and then feeling bad, like i usually do, i decided to compile a list of 100 things that i am grateful for. so thank you, thanksgiving, for the push in the right direction.

here it is, in no particular order:

1. the gospel

2. family

3. good food

4. camera warranties

5. an income

6. missionaries

7. mail

8. friends

9. running shoes

10. cheap gas

11. gyms that stay open 24 hours

12. good health

13. the boy

14. all of his ridiculous phrases

15. christmas songs

16. pumpkin spice donuts

17. the magazine rack at barnes and noble

18. marthastewart.com

19. quesadillas with avocado

20. a warm bed

21. the scriptures

22. the prophet

23. redbox

24. blogs

25. photography

26. nieces and nephews

27. the nursery

28. the temple

29. wonderful sisters-in-law

30. dad's homemade rolls

31. naps

32. walmart

33. football

34. that it doesn't snow in California

35. the beach

36. crunchy fall leaves

37. my new green coat

38. bare essentials make-up

39. prayer

40. the plan of salvation

41. strangers that say nice things

42. paper products

43. rain

44. sunflowers

45. ben & jerry

46. prop 8 passing

47. education

48. fishnet tights

49. the office

50. my i-pod

51. my macbook

52. the geniuses at apple, pretty much

53. paid vacation

54. the christmas dinner to look forward to

55. egg nog

56. movie quotes

57. the candy bowl at work

58. mom's recipes

59. snippet & ink

60. in n' out

61. fall weather

62. hairspray

63. panera mondays

64. family history

65. hershey's limited edition candy cane hugs

66. sales

67. adobe photoshop

68. lists

69. hope

70. patriarchal blessings

71. midnight showings of movies

72. airplanes

73. twinkle lights

74. oversized christmas trees

75. wicked coming to san francisco

76. sunday walks

77. any reason for boysenberry cobbler and homemade ice cream

78. burt's bees chapstick

79. grammatically correct sentences

80. the boy knowing the difference between then and than

81. facebook

82. caramel apple cider from starbucks

83. just less than 6 months

84. leftovers

85. nertz

86. sincere compliments

87. books

88. babies that don't spit up

89. pedicures

90. the grinch movie

91. ashley's grinch impressions

92. pictures in my inbox today

93. charcoal drawings

94. handmade furniture

95. water filters

96. chinese chicken salad from costco

97. the troops

98. democracy

99. personal inspiration

100. creativity

you should try it. it's certainly hard to have a bad day when you realize all that you have to be thankful for.

dear lizzie,

you sure are cute. we like you a lot. you like to steal our food and you go crazy for candy. don't tell your parents i sneak it to you so you'll like me best.

you know lots of animal noises and you like to tickle us. your scary roar is getting pretty good too.

you have pretty cute parents (mostly your mom). 
you're nice to most people. you like your dad a lot, but i think you like grandpa more. probably because he lets you drink dr. pepper.
sometimes you can be a little sassy, but it's usually funny, so we forgive you. except that one time i was trying to change your diaper and you were being a little stinker (literally). trust me liz, neither of us wanted to be there.
sometimes you get really confused. like you'll kiss my feet because i tell you thank you and you think it makes me happy. or you think car keys are q-tips and try to clean your ears with them. it's funny.
pretty much, we think you're the coolest.
love you lots girlfriend girlfriend,

auntie jana

p.s. i'll spread the word that for christmas you would like a baby brother, just like you told me.