Sardines

This past weekend was beautiful! Unfortunately Mike and the better part of our friends were taking the CFA so they were locked inside all day. Sunday at church we decided to get a ton of our friends together and have a pot-luck that afternoon at the park behind our friends apartment complex. It was beautiful driving home from church. But as we go closer to when dinner was going to start it got ugly. A huge storm hit and it was way to rainy to go outside. So rather then just cancel the even we stuffed about 14 adults and 4 kids into the Stokes apartment. I got a kick out of how many people we managed to fit (and comfortably I thought) into their place. The bigger surprise was that we all brought smaller portions of food (since it was only a few hours prior that we planned the whole thing.) It turns out it was like feeding the 5,000 and we were all pretty full when we were done. It was a great Sunday with some really great friends.

Visiting

Enjoying one another

Cale, Drew, Thomas, Scott, Peyton, Mike, Bradon, Josh and Jared(I don't think a single one of these guys enjoys having his picture taken. I am impressed I managed to sneak this one)

Ashley and Aubri

Lindsey, Colleen, Megan and baby Eve.

Aubri and I

Myself and Camille

"Bun in the Oven"

This Saturday my good friend Cynda and I through a baby shower for our dear friend Lindsey. Cynda and I moved into the ward the same week in 2008. Lindsey and Jared Stokes kind of "took us under their wings." We've been a pretty solid group every since (of course we've had other really awesome friends move in as well and some leave us too :( But both Mike and I credit our immediate love for our new life in Connecticut to these guys who really are like family now. Unfortunately for us the Stokes are moving back west this summer. They have an adorable little girl who we all love and are expecting their second just a few weeks after they move cross country. We really wanted to have a shower for Lindsey especially since they are moving soon. We had a lot of help with the food and it ended up being a really relaxing girls brunch/shower.

Linds and I

We played a cool candy bar game at the shower. I thought it was a lot of fun.

I had "You are Special" for everyone to sign. I haven't read it in forever but when I picked it up and read it at Borders I was bawling in the isle.

Cynda made this cute diaper cake

The brunch table

Our theme for the shower was "Bun in the Oven" so we had cinnamon buns, a fruit platter and an two different egg souffles.

For favors we put muffin mix in these bags and put a label with a cute poem about the "bun in the oven" on them... I thought it was clever.

Opening some cute gifts

Cute Homemade blanket from Megan

Some of the girls we were able to catch for a group picture.

Congratulations on your new arrival Stokes Family :) We look forward to seeing pictures of baby Tucker/Lincoln

Irony or Karma?

Growing up I always preferred the A&F and Holister look. Its a pretty popular brand for the high schoolers where I grew up and is sporty meets preppy (I think at least). However, seeing as I am now almost 23 and married I figured it was time to abandon brand logos plastered all over my shirts. I had a major decision to make as to what "more grown up" style I wanted to transition too. I wanted something a little more grown up and slightly "preppy." After looking at various styles and stores I made the decided I would go the Loft, J. Crew, Ann Taylor route.

So all the stores are having their big sales this weekend so I picked up a few new pieces to add to my wardrobe. Thinking my new white shorts and bright orange t-shirt would be the perfect outfit to welcome summer at the ward Memorial day picnic, I left the house feeling confident.

Upon arrival I quickly scanned the crowd for those I was most anxious to catch up with. That's when I saw it... the dreaded same outfit conflict. I'll be honest the shorts where different styles but the same color and the shirt was the same color, from the same store but a different pattern. Now I'm completely ok with sharing the same outfit with someone. However, it was who, or rather the age of the person I was sharing the outfit with that concerned me. My cute, precious beehive that I teach every Sunday was a mirror image of me...

Lets just think about the irony or maybe karma of this situation. In an attempt to make a conscious effort to dress more grown up (So I will stop being asked when my High School graduation is) I find myself wearing the same outfit as a 13 year old. I will say she does have a fantastic sense of style and totally rocked the outfit, but come on. I just had to smile and laugh... maybe I'm just fated to be young forever (which is something I'm sure I will appreciate when I'm older-- but for right now I want to at least look like I'm old enough to be carrying a child when I'm babysitting my friends daughter.)