Our 5th Anniversary

This year it was my (Anna's) turn to plan our wedding anniversary. So we had a fun surprise trip to Yosemite. It was the first time John and I have been back there since our wedding day, five years ago. Grandma and Grandpa watched Li'l John and Faylen for the weekend (Thank you!) and we took Jediah and snuck away for a couple days. The best part is that we got to stay the night in the Ahwahnee Hotel....the same hotel we spent our wedding night in. Here's a few pics of our special weekend.

The chapel 5 years later TO THE DAY! We got there just as a wedding was finishing. We actually spoke with the bride and groom! How funny that we have the same anniversary and got married in the same chapel. There was a bit more snow on this day then on our wedding day. I just love this chapel and am soooo glad we shared the most important day of our lives in this amazingly beautiful place. It was so fun to go inside and reminisce. We loved our wedding and had so much fun at it.

We had taken some really beautiful wedding pictures just after our wedding from this very same spot with half dome in the background. Very symbolic.....since half dome is where it alllllll began.

Does it get more beautiful and nostalgic?????

If you look close you can see the chapel in the background

Our fancy anniversary dinner at the Ahwahnee

We spent a lot of time drinking tea and coffee, sitting by the GIANT fireplaces in the

beautiful and relaxing lobby of the Ahwahnee

This is the view from our room. If you look close you can see half dome.

We loved looking at all the cool and interesting decor of the hotel. I liked this pot.

We went on a little hike to the falls. It was really cold, but beautiful outside.

Our little family (well...part of it)

We missed John and Faylen. Weird taking family pics without them. ;(

The Ahwahnee

I am so grateful that the Lord blessed me with five amazing years of marriage. This weekend was truly a celebration of five years of love and blessings. I just am overwhelmed with how God has blessed me with the best husband in the world who has given me three precious children. Thank you for marrying me, Baby! You completely changed my life and fulfilled my greatest dreams. I love you so much and can't wait to see how God blesses us in the next 5 years and forever!

The New Lawn!

BEFORE

AFTER

We are soooo grateful to all who helped us at the sod-laying party! (Jason, James, & Jim) You guys worked so hard, it could never have happened without your help.

A Very Special Thank You

To our wonderful and amazing Daddy! He worked sooooo incredibly hard for almost 2 years to give us this amazing front lawn: a place where we can't wait to make millions of memories playing ball, hunting for easter eggs, playing catch, running, racing, rolling, jumping, screaming, laughing, hiding, seeking, cart wheeling, skipping, slip 'n sliding, eating, and partying! Dad, we have never seen anyone work so hard...and you did it all for us and all by yourself! (saving us thousands of dollars!) You dug truckloads of dirt, hacked forests of ivy, transported grass, sledge hammered cement slabs, sifted dirt, leveled dirt, mixed dirt, layed new dirt, raked rocks, layed gopher wire, carried endless wheel barrows full of rock and dirt, transported plants, nurtured plants, researched, researched, researched, installed a whole sprinkler system......the list is endless. The greatest part is that you did most of this work after we went to bed. You worked till midnight (the only time you had free time) on endless nights, shoveling away in the yard under the light of the moon and our Christmas lights that served a huge purpose being up for an entire year! ;)

We love you Daddy! 

 Thank you for working so incredibly hard to bless us!

Take a look at the realty companies virtual tour of this home just before we bought it. Gosh, how much we've changed....the kitchen...the back yard....the living room....THE FRONT YARD! Be sure to watch it till the end to get a good comparison of the before and after of the lawn.

Click on this link:

http://tours.imagemaker360.com/Viewer/MostourlargerView.asp?ID=86901

Here's a couple of pics during the lawn makeover process over the past year and a half:

We are gonna miss playing/digging in the piles of dirt a bit :)

We had a little hand in helping create our new yard too:

A few pics of the yard before. It was pretty, but very small, lumpy and non functional for a family.

The First Mow

Of course there is still a bit to be done in this new beautiful front yard (fencing, patio pavers etc.) but first comes the mowing! We know dad has been excited for this day to come....excited for this new chore! ;) Here's some pics of the christening....the first mow...us kids helped daddy do it. :)

All we wanted to do in our new lawn for the first few weeks was just RUN, RUN, RUN.

 Loving the space to run in circles!

The first picnic...

Merry Christmas 2010!

Joy to the World, The Lord has Come!

A Christmas Classic

You Better not Pout....You Better Not Cry...........Faylen!