pictures!

just a few pictures from christmas break....

birthday!

it's hard to believe that this little boy turned 14 years old today! to think that he is that old is crazy. (and it's crazy to think that bek and i will be 21 next month!) he is the best little brother anyone could ever ask for, and he has been the greatest blessing in our lives. we're so glad he joined our family. it's be fun watching him grow up throughout the years. he's definitely one awesome little dude. we love him!

happy birthday isaac!

oh yeah

we're cool.

much to be thankful for

our thanksgiving was wonderful! we had a very sudden change of plans when beks flight home was cancelled due to weather. after an overnight stay in a hotel, lots of waiting, and a 6 hour ride on a grey hound bus, she finally made it to DC.

after stuffing ourselves with turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, cranberries, broccoli casserole, orange rolls, and chocolate bread pudding we went to the lincoln memorial, which has kind of become a tradition.

it was a spectacular day!

beautiful

you are my
SUNSHINE
my only sunshine
you make me
HAPPY
when skies are gray
you’ll never know, dear, how much
I LOVE YOU
please don’t take my sunshine away

we took this picture right after we ate yummy thai food in washington dc. we were happy :)

please note the author's last name.

Blessed beyond measure.

in lieu of the fast-approaching holiday, i would like to share a list of things i'm thankful for. while i could possibly go on for ages, i'll only include a few.

my 3 amazing, gorgeous, talented, hilarious sisters.

my little brother who always brings a smile to my face. i learn so much from his example

my mom. her constant support and strength amazes me.

my dad. the most hard working man i've ever seen. he's always willing to miss a few days of work for a camping trip.

{i love my family very much}

books. i would love to just read and read and read while losing my sense of time and reality.

my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

the knowledge of my place in the plan of salvation

tennis. i love to play, watch, teach, you name it. so blessed to have the opportunity to play.

the earth, whose beauty is astounding.

the food in my cupboard, the shoes on my feet.

most importantly, i'm grateful for all the people that have gone before and paved the path we now follow. life is hard, and i look up to the individuals who have persevered during the thick and thin. what wonderful examples.

last weekend was splendid. what could possibly be better than spending time with family while eating amazing food in the city of washington DC? i couldn't think of anything, either.
(although, the thought of the upcoming thanksgiving is making me pretty antsy right about now. two weeks!)
a simplified version of our menu:

• crepes with two options: nutella, strawberries and cream or asparagus, red peppers, and mushrooms. both were divine.



• chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting/filling and another chocolate cake with cream frosting and peanut butter frosting



• scrumptious thai food on saturday involving curry and pad thai



• chocolate almond clusters and reeses from trader joe's



• hummus with peppers and cucumbers



• and a rice/noodle/chicken dish for sunday dinner

shaped like an arrow

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."it's a beautiful life.

the end.

{this is happiness}

hold it

wait, you can't do this?? how strange...

i like this.

bekah wins the award for the funniest quote:


"i am so happy. someone just called us twins and i'm still smiling."


(we prefer being called rach and bek, not twins. because that's not our name.)

mushroom love

sushi night!

last friday night we made sushi with our housemates. it was so much fun and the sushi was delicious. we live with some pretty cool people. they are so much fun. i mean, come on, sushi night, what a fabulous idea.
i think we found a new tradition :)

(so maybe the appearance wasn't spectular, but it was still nasty.)

{a day in the life}

The Washington DC LDS Temple is absolutely magnificent.

(It's beautiful and simply divine.... just like us;)

biking

we went biking last week in the lovely autumn colors.
aren't the colors gorgeous?

thinking about....

... Christmas. yep, that's right. Christmas. it's my favorite holiday. i love everything about it.
it's the greatest time of year.
oh, Christmas, how i love you.

my sisters and me on Christmas day. i think bekah and i were 5 or 6? (l to r: rachel, hannah, naomi and bekah)

but until it's that time of year, it's study time! :)

on thursday, we traveled to richmond to see Wicked. it was absolutely amazing and so inspiring! our high expectations were definitely met.


here's a picture of us during intermission.


{don't mind the poor quality of this picture}

we stopped at a mall beforehand to grab dinner. bek got subway and i got chinese food. yum.

noodles just happen to be my favorite :)

yes, our weekend has been pretty fantastic (thank you, beautiful weather)

condensed vapor

my favorite thing about flying? taking pictures of the clouds

i might just be the kind of person that reaches over that special someone in the window seat to take pictures. just maybe.

i can't wait for the flight home at christmas! :D

having fun isn't hard

goodness, the weekend flew by!

rachel is gorgeous. the end.

highlights
general conference
camping (bekah didn't go)
seeing the help with our friends. we really liked it!
sunday breakfast with friends. think french toast and donuts
dance party
our epic snickerdoodle pumpkin bars

we had a lot fun. still, it's going to be a tough week.