Hannah + Toby

7th Annual....

2011-12-18T12:02:00.002-07:00

Pledge Class Christmas Brunch

2011

Treasures

2011-11-19T17:53:00.005-07:00

Today I was lucky enough to go through

my Grandparent's home, and bring home

some treasures.

As the holidays get closer, it was emotional

for me to be there, and think

of the many Thanksgiving and Christmas

dinners I had in their home.

I am grateful for these constant reminders

of my Grandparents... but even more

grateful for the memories I made with them.

By far the neatest thing I found...

While going through pages of some beautiful

Interior Design books, I found these

drawings my Grandma had done for a class.

I couldn't help but smile because in school,

I am studying furniture from

these exact eras- English Baroque and Rococo.

I'd like to think Grandma was

just helping me with my homework.

Tucson, AZ

2011-11-08T08:54:00.005-07:00

THANK YOU Bryon and Caroline

for such a fun (and much too short) trip!

Halloween Weekend Extravaganza

2011-11-02T11:55:00.014-06:00

Halloween weekend began

with a fun overnight stay in

Park City with great friends.

(Thank you Sarah & Mike!)

Sunday, we had our annual

"trick-or-treating" at Mom & Dad's house.

All the costumes this year were fantastic!

COUSINS

And to top the weekend off,

we had a great Halloween dinner with

friends on Monday night.

Thanks to all of Jayne's hard work

and creativity, the night was a complete success!

We ate delicious soups, pasta

salad, witches fingers,

and for dessert- cake bite eyeballs.. yum!

And I had to include this cute picture

of "Uncle Tobe" and Eloise Scott...

She was the perfect addition to the night!

Repurpose

2011-10-16T11:47:00.005-06:00

I don't know why, but it has been so hard

for me to motivate myself to decorate for

Halloween this year. Maybe I am in denial

that summer is actually over.

Or maybe I'm just lazy...

This year, I just couldn't find a wreath

that I actually liked, or could justify

spending way too much money on.

So, I looked through my storage and found

this tattered old wreath that just needed

a good facelift.

So, I got out my gold enamel spray paint

(**something no one should live without)

and here is my new fall wreath

for a total of $5.99 - price of the ribbon.

Oh, and I fell in love with that white

pumpkin when Toby and I went to the

pumpkin patch... one of my favorite

things to do each year.

Happy Fall!

Jackson Hole

2011-10-05T11:09:00.008-06:00

Always our favorite trip of the summer...

Thanks Sam for an "epic" (as Toby puts it) fishing adventure

Last farmer's market of the summer-

Thank you Hoke family

for letting us stay with you

and for being wonderful hosts!

We truly look forward to this

trip every year!

(Liz, it wasn't the same without

you. We'll plan ahead better next year)

September ... so far

2011-09-21T09:13:00.012-06:00

I am probably the worst person

at taking photos. Every time

something worthwhile happens in our life,

you can pretty much count on me having

1 (at most) picture of the event.

So, I decided to try and lump them

altogether to recap September.

Labor Day Weekend

Just the two of us...

Perfect weather and beautiful scenery!

Labor Day breakfast with the Colletts!

This was by far the best way to celebrate Labor

Day weekend. My dearest friend Sydney had

her beautiful baby girl. I love her! I can

already tell she is the perfect mix of

spunk and sweetness, just like her Mom.

Toby and I had a great time hosting a couples BBQ

for the Kirkhams who are expecting twins

in the next month or so.

We are so excited for them! Again, hardly took any

pictures, (wish I would have gotten a group pic)

but it was a fun night visiting with great friends!

Here's to better pictures in October!

You know you're addicted when...

2011-09-07T13:52:00.009-06:00

- You have stayed up until 1 am the past 10 days watching matches

- You have the US Open app on your iphone

- You receive text message updates on the rain delays

- You were depressed yesterday when matches were cancelled

- You have ordered Roger Federer apparel

- You debated switching to Direct TV because you can

watch all the matches at once (Toby said no)

- You know who Donald Young is, and you are rooting for him

- You are speculating who Caroline Wozniacki's new coach is

- You have all the commercials memorized

(this one is my favorite- it's so cute)

- You have your favorite announcers

calling the matches

- You will forever been an "RFed" fan

- You had a dream about playing in

the US Open (am I watching too much?)

Although I have loved every minute,

it's probably a good thing it's coming

to a close this weekend...

Watkins Weekend 2011

2011-08-10T11:28:00.003-06:00

I put together a quick video

of our annual Watkins Weekend.

I always regret not taking

more pictures of everyone, and

I wish I had pictures from Sunday...

but all in all the weekend was a success!

I love to see how excited

the kids get each year, and the fun

times they have with their cousins.

I went home Sunday absolutely exhausted,

but at the same time,

feeling so blessed and lucky to be a part of

this amazing family.

A Texas Wedding

2011-08-01T08:40:00.013-06:00

This past weekend, my siblings

and I made our way to Houston

(and then Tyler), Texas for my

cousin William's wedding. I can't remember

the last time that I had road-tripped with just

my siblings. We had a blast.

My poor brother Peter had to put up with

4 (he'll say dramatic) sisters the whole

weekend talking non-stop about anything and everything.

He was such a good sport. It was of course a

beautiful wedding! I am so happy that

Paige is an official member of our

large and crazy family now.

Here are some highlight pictures

of the beautiful (and hot) weekend:

the handsome groom

I'll never forget that the week before his wedding,

William was in Salt Lake for all of maybe 20

hours, and all he wanted to do

was visit with as many family members

as he could. He is wonderful!

our little stowaway Annie

The reception:

sisters

*and yes, my sister Liz and I are wearing the same dress*

a beautiful summer evening

Family Time

2011-07-08T10:47:00.008-06:00

The 4th of July is one of my

all-time favorite holidays. I love

it because of all the time

spent with family, and this year

definitely did not disappoint.

The festivities began

with the blessing of my niece, Alexandra.

How cute is she?

I tried to get a picture of her blessing

dress because it was beautiful!

This dress was worn by my sister

Alexandra (her namesake) and was made

by my Mom. It was such a special blessing

and I am so happy that we were

there for it.

our adopted children (I wish)

"the sisters" (minus Katie), Annie, and Roy

Then we headed to my parent's house

for fireworks, tennis, and a camp-out.

And of course, the Parade the next day-

Kaysville's shining moment.

That night we watched Holladay's

firework show with the Princes.

I wish I had pictures to show just

how close we were to the fireworks -

maybe a little too close...

but it was a perfect ending

to the holiday weekend!

San Francisco

2011-07-06T19:20:00.009-06:00

Highlights of our trip:

- Beautiful, sunny weather

- Riding bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge

- Delicious food

- Breakfast with cousins Emma and Wheeler

- Dinner with Amy and Sam Waltman

- Sleeping in

- Going to an Oakland A's game

- Waking up at 6 am to watch Wimbledon

- Farmers market at the Ferry Building

- No School for Toby!

It's always hard to come home

from such a fun trip, but

it helped to know we were

coming home to

celebrate the 4th with

family and friends.

(**pictures coming soon)

2011-06-28T08:43:00.002-06:00

It was a very sleepless

night at our house.

We woke up early.

I packed him a lunch

(he personally

requested a snack pack),

and sent him on his way...

I have a feeling the next 8

hours are going to be

very long.

What a great day!

2011-06-21T09:23:00.012-06:00

Yesterday was our 3rd anniversary.

I can't believe how fast time goes.

Toby and I agreed we would celebrate

our anniversary next week

(after he takes the boards) but he still went

to the effort of leaving the library early last

night and taking me to play mini golf and

sharing fondue for dessert.

It doesn't get better

then watching the sun go

down at Cherry Hill.

I loved every minute!

AND he surprised me with

this beauty

sitting on our back porch.

Something I will enjoy

all summer long

(if I can keep it alive)

I sure love him!

(Side Note: In this exact moment, I was

thinking "Oh my gosh, this is

the cheesiest picture ever"- and

now it makes me laugh every

time I see it. You can

tell just how uncomfortable I am)

Busy Week

2011-06-10T08:33:00.004-06:00

This week Toby's brother

Crosby left on his mission.

We're sure going to miss him.

Oh, and this little peanut was

born into our family.

I love her.

Crosby

2011-06-02T08:39:00.005-06:00

In one short week, Toby's brother

Crosby is leaving on his mission.

For his birthday/farewell,

we wanted to do something

special for him, just the 3 of us.

So, we ventured to Ogden

and the boys did the iFLY

indoor skydiving.

Toby

Crosby

To finish the night,

we had a yummy dinner

back in Salt Lake.

We had a great time just

talking and spending

the evening with Crosby.

He is such a great guy and will be an

amazing missionary!

Dad's Birthday/Memorial Day

2011-05-31T09:05:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was my Dad's

75th birthday and

Memorial Day. We were

lucky enough to spend the

day with family.

I feel so blessed to be able to see

Dad at least 3 times a week. He is a man

who exemplifies courage,

strength, kindness, and love.

I am grateful for his constant

example to me.

Year 2 - check!

2011-05-27T11:25:00.004-06:00

Toby is officially halfway through

Medical School!!

Hallelujah.

And yet he's still at school studying.

So far in May...

2011-05-22T20:56:00.015-06:00

Just wanted to play catch up

for the month of May.... so far:

Toby turned 29!

Unfortunately he had a big test

the day after his birthday,

so he had to basically study

all day (fun).

But I made him take a break

at night and squeeze in some cake

and ice-cream with his family.

Also this month, Toby's brother

Crosby went through the temple for the

first time. Here we are at the Draper temple.

It was a rainy yet really great day!

Crosby is going on his mission in

2 weeks and I'm really going

to miss him. He is such a great guy!

And finally, last Saturday our ward

had a "Service Day". We focussed

on fixing up 3 homes of people who

either financially or physically are unable to,

and I have to say it was a really

neat experience to be a part of.

Over 300 people in our ward volunteered

both their time and money to make

this day possible.

And luckily, it was the one

sunny day of the week! Here are a few

pictures of the day.

Notice some of the young

men on the roof scraping off paint.

They were awesome!

This is our bishop trimming

trees. He is such a great man!

This is the home of the sweet woman I

visit teach each month. I will post an "after"

picture of this later so you can really

see the transformation (still need to pour

her a driveway and sidewalk).

This woman could not be more deserving

of the help and I am so happy that all of this

work could be done for her.

I love this picture because this really is how

the whole Service Day went. Dozens of

people working outside, and just as

many working inside.

I feel so grateful to live in a

neighborhood with such generous

and kind people. When the day comes, it's

going to be really hard to leave

this ward.

And I had to end with this picture-

Ellison, Emma, Claire, and Tibby

after they finished

performing a play for us in

Grandma's yard. Too cute!

29

2011-05-12T07:08:00.000-06:00

(Prague, 2010)

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband!!!

I love you Tobe

Mothers we admire

2011-05-07T14:57:00.007-06:00

(Sorry in advance for the walk down

"wedding lane"- it was the only

file I was sure to find pictures

of all these amazing moms)

Oh how we love these 2 women

I look up to these mothers

every single day.

Happy Mothers Day!

1 day left...

2011-04-28T09:51:00.004-06:00

Incase you're wondering...

Yes, I will be waking up at 4 am to watch

these two lovely people tie the knot.

None of this TIVO nonsense.

I am SO excited!

Possibly not as excited as Toby is

to hear me stop counting down the days.

It's been a big topic around our house.

SO CAL RAGNAR

2011-04-17T19:41:00.023-06:00

My family participated in the

So Cal Ragnar relay this

past weekend. The relay went from

Huntington Beach to San Diego

which was a total of 200 miles.

This was so far out

of my comfort zone but I

ended up having such a great time!

Our team name was

Tibby's Trackstars

in honor of our

amazing Grandma.

And here are some of the highlights!

Our pasta dinner the night before at Cheesecake Factory

The morning of the race- 6 am

Van #1 covered in Lily of the Valley

(Grandma's favorite flower)

It couldn't have been a prettier

starting line right on the beach

(Gotta love the jumping shots)

My cousin Liz and I pretty much stalked

the "Biggest Loser" van. I love that

show and was so excited to see them.

Liz passing off to Maria

This is exactly how we felt at 4:30 am

Matching bottoms- he he!

Almost done with leg #3- yahoo!

(I had to post a picture- no one would believe me)

Van #2 (minus Caitlin and Millen)

Go Tibby's Trackstars!!

I can't wait for the next

cousin's trip- how about something

a little more relaxing?!

Conference Crafts

2011-04-03T20:10:00.006-06:00

This little bench has been

tucked away in my grandparent's attic

for the past few years.

I loved it and could see it still

had so much potential.

So I took it to my amazing father-in-law

and I don't know how he did it,

but now it's sitting in my kitchen

and I love it!

(Isn't it cute?)

I just picked up some cheap fabric

($4 to be exact- you know I love a

great bargain), and made these

little pillows for it.

I can't wait to see all the places

I will put this bench in the future.

But more importantly,

I love where it came from, and I can't

help but think of my grandparents

every time I walk by it.

Thank you Matt!!

Also this weekend-

I made this wreath for our door

while watching conference.

(idea and tutorial found here)

I really wanted to just do

yellow and white flowers,

but I couldn't find the

right color of yellow felt- but oh well.

I still had a great time doing it

(except when the yarn got in a big knot

and Toby had to help me undo it- ha!)

I love conference weekend.

Bathroom Remodel

2011-02-07T15:15:00.009-07:00

My official first bathroom remodel.

Due to my dad's health, it was
necessary to remodel my parent's
bathroom to better meet his needs.

Here are the before pictures:

1st design challenge:
to make everything easily accessible
for my Dad.


2nd design challenge:
The Shower.
As you can see, it had a pretty
big step going into it.

3rd design challenge:
It was important to my mom
to maintain as much of the wallpaper
as we could so we needed to find a tile
that complimented it.

4th design challenge:
Finish it fast!

So...

drum-roll please...




Unfortunately the pictures just do not do
it justice, but we took out the wall
separating the sink and the toilet.

We also dropped the shower making it so
there is no step going in.

And we used a frame-less door to maximize
the opening going into the shower.

We put plenty of grab bars
in the shower, as well as used a
small mosaic tile-
the more grout you have, the more
traction you create.

And finally, picked out an ADA toilet.

Hopefully these small changes make a
big difference.

I am really happy with the way it
turned out, and had a great time making
the design decisions.

It also helped to work with a
FANTASTIC
general contractor-
my father-in-law Matt Collett.

Hope you like it MOM and DAD
(and all my brothers and
sisters who trusted me
with this project)
!!

January 24th

2011-01-24T18:54:00.004-07:00

Today my Grandpa would have been 95 years old.

I will never forget his birthday

because it was always the same week as mine.

I have very fond memories of always

celebrating our birthdays together

over a nice Sunday dinner and angel food

birthday cake with our family.

My Grandpa will forever be an example

in my life, and I miss him and think

about him every single day.

Hard at Work

2011-01-15T14:53:00.001-07:00

A reoccurring theme at our house...

recap on the past month or so...

2011-01-08T13:47:00.016-07:00

I feel like I have neglected the blogging world

a lot lately, so I thought I should try to catch up.

Christmas time was wonderful.

Each year that goes by, I realize more and more

how lucky we are to live so close to family

and to be able to dedicate the holidays solely

to those we love.

I always look forward to my pledge

class christmas brunch, and this year was no

exception. Unfortunately, we forgot to take

a picture until almost everyone was gone

(I promise there was more then just

the four of us there! :))

Christmas Eve is my sister Sarah's birthday

and this year we celebrated by going to

breakfast at the Little America.

I think she got a pretty great

birthday gift this year- sweet little Annie.

Tibby and the gingerbread houses

Ellison, Claire, and

Emma at breakfast.

Christmas Eve dinner consisted of:

- a wonderful festive dinner

- a meaningful christmas story given

by my mom

- a musical program complete with

Josh playing carols to

sing along to.

And finally, Christmas Day is always a

little bit hectic and crazy at my house,

but it's also so much fun!

I thought this picture was so cute-

Morgan waving to his Grandpa Mack.

Mom opening a much needed

new microwave. This is a moment

that needed to be documented.

My mom makes christmas so special

for her family. I don't know how she

does it, but she always picks out an

individual and thoughtful gift for her

husband, 8 children and their spouses,

24 grandchildren, and not to mention

her brothers, sisters, nieces,

nephews, neighbors, and a few cousins.

She truly amazes me!!

And finally, to ring in the new year,

I had to get my wisdom teeth out yesterday

(which is why I have time to sit here and

write a new post).

I will spare you by not putting any

pictures of my chipmunk face, but

I have to say it wasn't that bad of an

experience after all.

It's little things like getting my

wisdom teeth out which make me realize

how much support and love I have around me.

I had great friends send me text messages

wishing me well.

My sister Katie was so sweet to bring me

some delicious soup- along with text messages

each day checking in.

My mom, who is a constant care-taker

for my dad (literally 24-7) still found

time to come to Holladay, take me to my

appointment, bring me home, make me pancakes,

and watch HGTV with me.

And of course, Toby has stayed home this weekend

with me, and has been at my beckon call the

entire time... he even woke me up at

5:15 a.m. to take my medicine so that when I woke

up for the day, the medicine had already

kicked in. What a guy!

And I can't forget my last

saving grace this weekend-

Tobe got me season 1 of modern family

to watch, and the only bad thing about it

was that I couldn't open my mouth

fully to laugh.

Ok, have I redeemed myself with the

longest post ever!?

#24

2010-11-28T11:28:00.004-07:00

This healthy little girl came at
a perfect time of year!!
We are so thankful that she joined our
ever-growing family.

p.s.
My parents now have
12 granddaughters
and
12 grandsons.


Finally- we can even up the teams
girls against boys! :)

Wedding Weekend

2010-11-22T16:49:00.030-07:00

I finally have something new to post.
Yahoo! :)

This past weekend was my cousin
Virginia's wedding. We have been anticipating
this day for a long time now.

I felt so privileged to be a part of her
wedding. It all started on Thursday
when she got married in the Salt Lake
Temple, followed by a luncheon at the
Grand America.
Virginia was a beautiful bride!

On Friday, we had a wonderful
Bridesmaid Luncheon at the
Houston Country Club


Rehearsal dinner at
River Oaks Country Club
which Toby luckily made it to.


And finally on Saturday was the
ring ceremony and reception.
It was so beautiful, so get ready for
a lot of pictures.


Ring Ceremony
The reception afterwards

with dancing of course

What a wonderful weekend.
Congratulations
Mr. and Mrs. Williams!

An Inspiration in my Life

2010-10-25T09:37:00.009-06:00

My sister Maria told me the most

heart-breaking story about this little girl

yesterday, and I haven't been able to

stop thinking about her- so I thought

I would post some pictures of her.

Last week I was over at Maria's house,

and my niece Claire kept asking if I would

come to her horse riding lesson. She kept

insisting and so I said of course

I would stop by. She was so excited,

she said she would

"draw me a map" so I would know

how to get there.

Claire couldn't wait for me to meet

her horse Pocket.

Claire and horses have a special connection.

They have helped her walk and

even talk.

Then she had to introduce me to

all the other horses.

I couldn't stay for her lesson, but I did

get to see her groom the horse. She

was quite good at picking the horse's feet.

I love to see the memories these girls

are making together.

Claire is truly an inspiration in my life.

She is so kind and sweet to

everyone, young or old.

She has the most incredible spirit

about her, and I feel blessed

to be her aunt.

Thanks Claire for letting

me spend the day with you!

Modern Display

2010-10-24T15:44:00.014-06:00

My sisters have asked me to post

some pictures of what I have been doing

for my internship, and of course I am

finally getting around to it.

Since it is such dreary weather today,

hopefully these pictures will brighten your day!

Flowers for Nu-Skin event at the

Salt Palace

Flowers for UVU event.

Who knew I could arrange flowers?

I certainly didn't, but I definitely have

learned a lot and have had fun doing it.

I've also been decorating

some of the tree vignettes in the store-

For this one I had to space plan the setting

and create the garland to match the style.

It's definitely not your traditional christmas colors,

but it was still really fun.

I can't wait to use what I have learned

and observed on my own decorations

this year. Toby says he's already nervous.

So, here is my proof that I actually have been

doing something besides going to school! :)

What are you doing Saturday?

2010-10-12T07:55:00.003-06:00

Because if you don't have plans, you should come to this:
My students (along with my sister Maria's and
about 135 others) ages 4-18 are playing a
concert at Abravanel Hall.
It's a dream for most young musicians
to play on the same stage as the Utah Symphony.
And I have to say, it's been so much fun
to see how excited my students are to actually
be able to do that.

So, you should come. It's going to be
quite a treat for the eyes and the ears!

My Wishlist

2010-09-18T09:30:00.007-06:00

Now that I am back in school,
I am constantly scouring
websites related to interior design
(rough life, eh?)

So, I had to share these sweet sayings with you...
courtesy of SugarbooDesigns

This is my personal favorite, because Toby sings
this song a least once a day to me when I'm having
a down moment. How can I not smile after that?

Someday I will put these in my super-chic
and modern big-city apartment
sitting next to my old exposed brick wall.
(yes, I love those)

But for now,
I'll simply drag them away to my
"Things Toby could get me for Xmas"
file.

(so he doesn't have to keep coming to you Dree :))
xoxo

fly

2010-09-09T18:10:00.004-06:00

By far my favorite quote of September 9, 2010

Mom was swatting a fly in the kitchen and said

"oh I hate to kill them, the big ones
are so beautiful!!"

and I immediately said:

"Did you just say the fly is beautiful?!"

And Mom said:

"Oh yes-
I don't really like the little ones,
but the big ones are beautiful".



I certainly don't agree with her,
but I love that she sees beauty
in absolutely everything.

A good tune

2010-09-02T09:15:00.007-06:00

My brother Josh played this
at my Uncle Matt's funeral recently.
He did such a beautiful job, I asked
him to record it so I could listen
to it from time to time.

It's a nice break to a crazy day!



Enjoy!

Jackson Hole

2010-08-16T08:52:00.012-06:00

Easily one of our favorite trips each summer

is going and staying with my aunt and uncle in
beautiful Jackson Hole!

The weather was absolutely perfect
and we took full advantage.


We went on a great bike ride to
Jenny Lake.


We had a yummy lunch on the patio
(and if you look REALLY closely, you
may or may not be able to see a moose
in the background)


Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market

and enjoyed one of these deliciously cute
trout biscuits.

My cousin's friend had a pie booth which was
so fun to see (and taste).
Don't you love the signs?

The boys went fishing while the girls
enjoyed lunch and an always good
float down the Snake River.

Overall, the trip was relaxing and wonderful.
I know I am truly lucky to be so close
to my cousins. They really are some
of my best friends.


And I look forward to many more
trips to Jackson in the future!

Watkins Weekend 2010

2010-08-11T08:17:00.010-06:00

This year at the W.W. the Gerner family put

on a great track and field event!

Thanks Liz and Glen!

(Teenage division 50 m. dash)

(javelin throw)

(I love the determination in his face)

Then of course we had to soak in some pool time

after the big events.

Unfortunately the thunder showers in the afternoon

made it so we could not do all of our

activities, including watching the outdoor movie.

So, we moved it inside and finished off the great

day watching Tarzan

while my mom and her granddaughters made

dolls for Primary Children's Hospital.

I love my family!

Pioneer Day Traditions

2010-07-26T18:29:00.011-06:00

I always love celebrating Pioneer Day.

Growing up, we always had 2 great traditions-

1. Watching the parade

from my Grandpa's office

on the 2nd floor of the Kennecott Building

2. Going to the Days of 47 Rodeo

This year however, we started a

few new traditions with my sibling's kids

Making ice cream in a bag

as the Pioneers did?!

(okay, maybe minus the ziploc bags)

But the kids seemed to enjoy it

A great tug-o-war match

And a little pioneer scrubbing-

(which will probably not be a tradition)

The Harp World

2010-07-16T22:05:00.007-06:00

This past week was the

Suzuki Harp Institute at the
University of Utah. My sister
Maria was the director of it,
and did a fabulous job organizing
such an amazing event!

We had 79 young
harpists attend.
6 of my students participated,
so it was a real treat to see them play
and learn so much in 5 days.

I loved seeing some familiar
faces who came each day to
go to their enrichment classes.

I have many memories of my mom
taking me each summer to
Institute and being patient with me
when I refused to practice.

And here we are how many
years later, and she is still helping
out and continuing to support us now
that we have students of our own!
My mom is the definition of a dedicated
"Suzuki mother"

My niece Emma played on one of the
honors recitals, and she did such a
great job!

Here is us on t-shirt day!

It was a long, tiring,
but wonderful week!

Prague

2010-06-23T05:38:00.016-06:00

I know I am bias, but I have to say

that Prague was my very favorite part of

our trip. I was nostalgic the entire time,

but grateful for the chance to show Toby

where I spent 3 very important

years of my life.

I love this city

for so many reasons!

Highlights of Prague:

** The incredible architecture

*side note*

Every time we eat at Noodles & Co,

I always show Toby almost this exact

same picture (above)- and tell him

that it's of Prague. So it was necessary

to take this particular photo for proof!

**Showing Toby my school.

**Attending the Prague Branch

and seeing these members whom

I love so much.

**Karlstejn Castle

**Celebrating our anniversary

and final night

with a great dinner.

(with this view from our table)

**Prague at night

Year 2

2010-06-22T23:07:00.008-06:00

On Sunday we celebrated our

2 year anniversary.

We have a tradition where we

watch our wedding video on our

anniversary. Toby doesn't

remember watching it last year,

and he fell asleep through it this year

(he claims it was jet-lag).

Okay, so maybe in my mind

it's a tradition but I'm already

0-2.

I'll try again next year.

London

2010-06-16T11:23:00.010-06:00

Highlights of London:

- Beautiful weather

- No agenda

- Summer market on

Marleybone High Street

- Great Shopping

- Seeing Les Miserables and Oliver

- Being able to understand the language :)

If any of you really know Toby, you

know he is the BIGGEST fan of Sherlock Holmes.

So naturally, we had to visit

221 Baker Street.

It was fun to see him SO excited to find out

there was a Sherlock Holmes museum.

If only I could find a way to bring

home all the fresh food

from the market.

Our hotel was just down the street from

my sister Maria's school. It was fun to

see again and it brought back many memories

of visiting her.

Windsor Castle: According to the guards

the Queen was staying there at the time.

Probably the closest we will ever get to her!

Now on to Prague!! Our trip is going by

way too fast, but of course we miss our

friends and family and can't wait to see them!

Versailles

2010-06-12T13:59:00.010-06:00

For our final day in France,

we spent the day at Versailles.

It was so beautiful!

And while I was in awe of the

wall coverings, historical furniture,

and intricate fabrics, Toby was appalled

at the fact that he had not seen one

bathroom throughout the entire tour.

He kept saying "where did the guests go

when they would have their parties?"

It is a great point.

We brought our books with us and read

for about a hour with this

and this as our backdrop.

I didn't want to leave.

We felt like we were actually in

the movie Pride and Prejudice. :)

Before leaving, we had lunch at

"The Tea Room at Versailles".

It was the cutest place!

And then we had to follow some guy

who Toby swore was Ryan Seacrest

("Ryan's" in the blue shirt).

What a great day!!

Only in Europe

2010-06-11T02:20:00.004-06:00

Note to the Watkins Family:

I think we missed our calling in life.

Maybe this is what mom had intended for us to do

with all those music lessons...

J'adore Merci

2010-06-09T14:50:00.013-06:00

Highlights of the day:

-Sipping hot chocolate at my new favorite store, Merci

(recommended by Stephmodo)

- Asking a lady to take our picture and finding out

she went to Alta High School. Seriously?

- Toby setting off an alarm in the metro.

- Looking at pictures of our waitor (at dinner)

playing tennis with Martina Hingis.

- Avoiding big tourist crowds due to an

overcast day.

Bonjour!

2010-06-08T13:39:00.006-06:00

We made it!

And you can tell by the picture that we were

running on fumes.

Happy Birthday Sis!

2010-06-05T07:33:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday Maria!

You deserve a relaxing day!

Favorite memory of Maria (well one of them):

The very first day we arrived in Prague,
Maria and I were both extremely homesick.
We realized how drastically our lives had just changed.

Luckily our bedrooms were joined by a bathroom.
We went into that bathroom,
locked both doors,
and just started sobbing together...
for a very long time! :)

I couldn't have made it
through that first
year without her. She's the best!

Finish 1st year of Med School- Check!

2010-06-05T07:27:00.003-06:00

This guy truly amazes me.
Toby has had a great 1st year of school,
and I don't think I have ever seen
anyone as excited for summer
as him.
Happy first day of summer Tobe!
xoxo

Welcome to our Family!

2010-05-19T09:26:00.010-06:00

Toby always makes fun of me, and says we should just call our blog "Capturing the Collett's Nieces and Nephews"

And yes, I know I post a lot of pictures of them.. but I had to kindly put it to him that 90% of the people who read this blog are family- so I don't think they will mind.

And besides, my sister Liz does not have a blog, and it's the proud aunt in me who wants to post these adorable pictures.

Okay- less words, more pictures...

Meet Baby Gerner 1 day old.

Born May 10, 2010

Preparing for Mom, Dad, and Baby Gerner to come home..(Tibby told me she was drawing Princess and the Frog)

Arriving Home- Thomas already busy giving the baby his presents.

Welcome to our Family Baby Gerner!

p.s. I will try to stop posting pictures of children who are not mine- but when you're with them as much as I am...

it's hard not to. :)

Girls Trip

2010-05-16T22:07:00.008-06:00

I'm guessing everyone is going to post

pictures of our Vegas trip, but only
because it was totally
AWESOME!

13 of us Chi O girls took a great
road trip to Vegas.
I can't believe how much fun I have
with these girls. In the 14 + hours we were in the
"4 Harps" suburban, we realized
at the end of the trip that
we didn't even turn on the radio...

It was so much fun to just talk.


And shop of course.

I'm excited for the next trip.
Hawaii was it??

Happy Birthday Toby!

2010-05-11T08:03:00.011-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOBE!!

THE BIG 2-8!

Love you,
H

Bargain Shopping

2010-04-28T09:12:00.007-06:00

This isn't a very exciting post by any means.

But I was so embarrassed looking at how
awful my storage room had gotten,
that I had to put something new on.

So, for the past couple of months, I have been
debating on whether to buy these Pottery Barn pillows.

I love the colors, and just the
brightness of them. They are traditional
but would look great in a modern setting.
I've been back and forth
to the store but I couldn't bring myself
to spend $29 each on a pillow cover
(knowing that I will get sick of them in about 4-5 months)

So, I headed to the fabric store and ended up with...

Not the exact same, but I am happy..
and to make 2 of these pillows (with extra fabric left)
I spent a grand total of
$4.00

Now that's a bargain...

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-26T08:53:00.010-06:00

Now that I have some free time,

I can finally get to those projects that have
been in the back of my mind
throughout the semester.

I am so embarrassed to show you these-
but just to give you an idea of how awful
our storage/food pantry closet was.

This is the result of random wedding gifts
we didn't know where to put, 2 people never
at home, and grabbing food while
running out the door...

I don't know if any of  you have seen that Friends
episode where Monica has a secret messy closet that
no one has ever seen?
Well, I relate to that episode way too well.

And I finally snapped...

Ta-da!!

Next project: Food Storage-
Scary!

Finals Week

2010-04-19T09:11:00.014-06:00

Last week I finished my first year of studying Interior Design.
I truly have loved it and have learned more then I could
ever imagine.
Finals Week began with designing a
French Country Apartment

Studying Interior Design is something that has really challenged me
and made me appreciate all of the design around us.
However...

If you were to tell me that I would be spending finals week
trying to make small little awnings and carousels to a 1/4" scale-
I probably wouldn't have signed up.


Luckily, I got some great help from Toby
and my wonderful father-in-law Matt.

And this was the final result:

The assignment was to design a retail space
and then build it to scale. My group
decided to create a children's boutique called
"The Toy Garden"


I never thought I would have to do something like this,
but by building it to scale, it taught me so much about
planning the space carefully so it all works cohesively.

And it was fun to have my mom and Toby come hear
our presentation. It was a great way to
end the semester.

Catching Up...

2010-04-19T08:43:00.008-06:00

My friend Lindsay inspired me to blog more
frequently. Not because I have anything exciting
happening in my life, but more for those "desk jobs"
who need some new material to read! :)

It is a little depressing to post pictures
of cold days, given the beautiful weather
we are having now but
here is what April has looked like for the Colletts:


Annual Easter Egg Hunt with the grandkids.
It was a small group this year but everyone came
prepared to battle the weather..

Of course it couldn't have begun without Dad
blowing the ceremonial whistle.

And then they were off!


Needless to say, it was a fun day!

Worlds Collide

2010-02-26T07:46:00.006-07:00

I had to just laugh when I walked into this mess.
If you happen to stop by our house on any day of the week,

this is what our kitchen table looks like
(and this is relatively mild)...

On one side we have:
-paint chips
-wood and tile samples,
-fabric I can't decide on, etc.
and on the other,
-2 months worth of flash cards and
-2 thick and intimidating books

By the weekend, we try to hide everything away,
and put our house back together.
But for now...
this is a glimpse into our everyday life!

www.padgetthoke.blogspot.com

2010-02-17T21:13:00.006-07:00

Anyone want to win a giveaway!?

Go check out my cousin's blog:
www.padgetthoke.blogspot.com

She's doing a super sweet giveaway, where you could win...

The best ever bakeware!

And while you're at it,
check out her cute Etsy shop-
You won't regret it!

Birthday Weekend

2010-02-03T21:29:00.013-07:00

I was lucky enough to celebrate my

birthday with lots of cute kids!

Beginning with a birthday breakfast
at the Original Pancake House
(or as Toby calls it "OPH")
It was great having a lot of helpers
to open some gifts!

(Please take note of the piece of
bacon hanging out of Josh's mouth)

This picture makes me laugh!
Claire bear is entertaining Charlie
by showing him her stomach.

What a great way to celebrate 24,
with people I love!!
.....
And to polish off the weekend,
I got to hang out with this little man

Another January Birthday

2010-01-20T08:14:00.016-07:00

My mom's birthday was this past Tuesday

and we had a great time celebrating her day!

The birthday party could not be complete
without the grandkids putting on a
special puppet show for Grandma.

(the title of the play)

(the "puppet masters" receiving applause after the show)


(the audience)

Grandma was especially pleased when
all the puppets said in unison
"Happy Birthday Grandma!"

Oh, and we can't forget Mack and Mack
waiting patiently for birthday cake!!

Happy Birthday Mom

Birthday wishes

2010-01-16T08:29:00.011-07:00

January is one of those months where not a lot is going on.

Christmas is over, everyone is back in school, no major holiday,
but I love January because that means... my birthday!

And I recieved this little treasure in mail because of it!

If you are not on Anthropologie's mailing list,
I would highly recommend it this year, because
it truly is the cutest thing (pictures do not do it justice)
and it will brighten up your whole month!

Happy January!

6th Annual...

2009-12-13T10:02:00.011-07:00

One thing I look forward to every year is our
Chi Omega Pledge Class Christmas Party!

(Don't mind the leaning christmas tree in the background)

Although our numbers have dwindled (I think the
first year we had 23), our friendship and love for
one another has only grown. I have the largest
respect for each of these girls, and know
I could go to any one of them for help
or advice.

And not to mention, I love our jewelry exchange.

(THANK YOU Syd and Britt for doing my dishes afterwards)

And for those of you who couldn't make it
this year, don't worry- this tradition will
continue on for many years to come.

Twilight Lullabye

2009-11-12T14:07:00.005-07:00

Awhile back, I asked my brother Josh if he would record

"Bella's Lullabye" from the Twilight soundtrack.

I have always loved this song

(and remember it from the first time I saw the movie-) and being

the great brother he is, he learned it and recorded it here .

If any of you know Josh, you know

he is the opposite of a Twilight fan,

but he is an amazing pianist and plays it beautifully!

Thanks J- you are the best!

p.s. Anyone excited for New Moon??

Halloween recap...

2009-11-08T10:33:00.010-07:00

One of my favorite things about Halloween
(actually- one of two; candy is my second)

is seeing the kids in their Halloween costumes.

And this year at Grandma & Grandpa's Halloween Bash,
the costumes did not disappoint!

We had our very own Taylor Swift at the party

The Charlie Brown family made an appearance

And an elk (named Ellison) came out from the woods to join in on the festivities!

(Mack on the left, Morgan on the right)

And a couple of M&M's were just enjoying all the excitement-

These boys truly are a sweet treat in my life!

Fall Time

2009-11-04T07:52:00.012-07:00

For some reason, every fall I get nostalgic. I am always reminded of walking home from school and the smells and sights of fall.

Even after 23 years, this view NEVER gets old to me.

( I wish my camera did the colors justice--)

Toby and I finally decided to take one Saturday afternoon off, and just spend it together. I can't tell you how much we both needed a break, and luckily it was a beautiful day!

So...we took advantage and went to the driving range (guess who's idea that was?)

And then took a drive/walk through the leaves.

We truly live in a beautiful place!

And finally- to end our day, we went to the pumpkin patch and picked out our perfectly imperfect pumpkins...

Just a few reasons I love the fall!

Homework

2009-10-15T19:57:00.005-06:00

One recent assignment in school was to duplicate a sample wallpaper using these 5 basic colors:

And with the guidance and encouragement coming from my sister Sarah and my mom-
I finally finished:

I had a hard time choosing any other wallpaper sample when this sweet little flower was an option. I will forever love this flower because of Grandma Simmons.

This grueling task (which I probably could have continued to work on for another 5 hours) truly gave me the appreciation of mixing paint, an artist's ability, and most of all
the already pre-mixed colors you can buy at Michaels or any other art supply store.
I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to just go buy the matching colors.

But I didn't...

Capturing those Chi O gals...

2009-10-04T09:05:00.003-06:00

Congrats to the Chi Os for winning Songfest this year!!

If you haven't seen it on the blog, here it is...

rsvp custom invitations

2009-09-19T12:14:00.005-06:00

If any of you are in need of

baby shower invites,

wedding announcements,

party invites,

etc.

you need to for sure use rsvp custom invitations. My good friend Jayne can truly take any idea you have and turn it into something you absolutely love. She is so talented and has the most creative mind. Not to mention she is incredible to work with! All my sisters know I like to be in charge of the invitations to events, and I can't wait for the next opportunity to use Jayne!

Check out her talent here

White Coat Ceremony

2009-08-23T20:43:00.008-06:00

Toby survived his first week of medical school.
He didn't want me to take a picture of him
on his first day of school....

But I couldn't resist...

Then later in the week,
we attended his white coat ceremony.

(sorry) the picture is dark,
but it was very exciting.

After receiving their white coats,
his whole class stood and said the
"Hippocratic Oath"
(very official)

Congrats Tobe!

Capturing the Summer Part 2

2009-08-20T09:11:00.022-06:00

AUGUST

Watkins Family Weekend
Softball game
Dad throwing the opening pitch
Tibby wanting to pitch
Emma and Claire posing to play
Bounce house for the kids
(and yes, that is Toby going down it)

Collett Family Trip
Detour to St. George
Fun in Vegas
A short stop in Rockville