thanksgiving

i have been overwhelmed with gratitude this season. i started Thanksgiving a week early with the Young Women. it was a crazy transformation that my evening had. last month, as i knew i was losing a counselor, and didn't know when i was getting another i saw this open spot on the calendar and thought to myself, "self, let's take it easy on this one. i see a quiet night of food and fun." of course that sounded great. but as the day drew closer, some other thoughts crept into my head, "let's focus on gratitude....don't forget the Savior....let's make this really special." so, we prepared a feast. we did our best to make our space beautiful. we set each place with a mason jar. and we made the evening special. after digging in to the Thanksgiving deliciousness, we took some time to focus of the value experience Faith 5. the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the first and foremost blessing in my life. and all our lives actually. focusing our gratitude on Him first really set the tone of recognizing all the many blessings we enjoy as Americans, as members of our family, as members of our Church, and as friends. while we enjoyed our pie, each woman (young and...er...old?, sorry leaders) took the time to write a note of gratitude to each other and place it each persons mason jar. i love my mason jar, and i hope each person who shared that night with us has similar feelings. i feel so grateful to have such a wonderful calling that offers me the opportunity to serve the Lord through His beautiful daughters. it makes me a better mother and a better person.

what a great start to a packed holiday. on Monday we hosted a neighborhood Family Home Evening feast. have i ever mentioned HOW MUCH I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS? seriously, we couldn't live in a better place at a better time. and what better way to share the love - with FOOD. my 3rd turkey of the season (there were 4 total) was accompanied by lovely pot luck goodies and great company.

then it was off to California! and turkey number four! (it really is the best turkey ever, so it's worth having multiple times a week.) we had an awesome time with family, feasting, photographing (more to come), and generally frolicking. now, i love my family. and i miss them everyday. i always look forward to the trips, hanging out, rock band, movies, general hilarity. but this weekend, after the turkey, Jason and i took off on a little getaway! it ... was... awesome. i didn't know how badly i needed a good night sleep and a couple days to myself! i am THANKFUL indeed!

Anna graduated!!!

okay, so it's not college or anything, but Anna finished her first stint at preschool. she loved it. good thing we re-upped. she had a little program and a reception afterward. unfortunately i am lame and did not charge our brand new video camera. so all i have on film is Avery saying, "dada." which is cute and everything, don't get me wrong, i just wish i had the little pre-schoolers singing "jack o'lantern." don't worry, when i got home i charged it up and then forced Anna to sing all the songs again. i'm sure she'll hate me for it. it was so adorable and i couldn't have been happier with the Apples to Zebras program through the Chandler Rec Center. good job Anna, you are a BIG school girl!

earning your keep

if there were only one word to describe Jason i'd have to choose "work". obviously i'd like a few more words to describe him accurately, but that wasn't part of the game. it's just the one word. Jason is the hardest worker you'll ever meet and it's something i really hope to pass to my children. this is Madeline getting ready to "wurt":so, Saturdays in the Earl household are generally dedicated to cleaning, inside and out. each week, my heart swells as i see the girls gleefully take on tasks with their dad. for that reason, and because i know the glee won't last forever, i'm always taking the camera out to capture these seemingly mundane tasks. i LOVE it!

ps: you may be asking yourself, how long does the clean house last? not that long....

wedding wednesday

coming in December: black, white and green. one of my favorite color palates.

(come to think of it, do i have a un-favorite color palate? maybe peach and teal ala 1986, but now that feels like a challenge. my mind is already working on ways i could make it fab!)

photo credits:
1) polka dot and check cake, photographed by Annie Randall
2) centerpieces, polyvor
3) green tie and orchids, formerms
4) damask digi-paper, Shabby Princess
5) pear cake, premadonnabride.co.za
6) bridal party one, with this ring weddings
7) bridal party two, you and your wedding
8) invites, house lewis

Christmas cards

****i totally forgot the GREEN option: a jpg file of your favorite design to email, or print on your own. $5. best part - no shipping!************
Christmas cards are a long standing tradition in my family. my parents took the opportunity to do an annual formal family portrait, (which at the time we all hated, but now i cherish), and Jason and i have followed suit. every year i try to design my own card. (sometimes, to be honest, i run out of time and rely heavily, and thankfully on Tiny Prints, Snapffish, Shutterfly, etc.) this year, i've gotten ahead of myself and designed several. i want to share the love. if you want a custom Christmas card, just:

1)email me at britainearl{at}yahoo{dot}com with 2) a full resolution picture, or pictures of you and your family, 3) your chosen style, 4) amount needed, and 5) your address.

1) polka dots 2) pine cone
3) peace, love, joy

4) classic Christmas

5) merry & bright

6) joy to the world

7) holiday cheer

8) black, white, red

9) holiday block party

(if you're local and need a photo, email me. i can do a family holiday photo sessions for $25. this is a 30 minute "mini-session.")

once your order is complete your cards will ship immediately. all cards are printed on high quality photo paper from a professional lab. all orders must be placed by December 10th to make it in time for Christmas. (rush orders available upon request, fees apply)

pricing:
All 4x8, 6x7.5 photo cards with envelopes are $19.99 per 25, plus $5.00 shipping and handling.

***************Incentives**********************************
the first 5 people to leave a comment and add a link to this page on their blog/facebook page, etc. will receive 25% off their entire order!

(all digital scrapbooking elements courtesy of Tangie Baxter.)

wedding Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

so, it's over. the wedding i've been working on for the past 10 weeks or so is finally done. it was wonderful. all the elements turned out just as i (and the bride) imagined them.

i think people thought Amey was crazy when she described her modified vintage carnival idea, using bronzey/brown as a launch pad for an explosion of colorful blooms. (in fact a fact a family member, who shall remain nameless said, "i was skeptical of the carnival, but you made it classy.") well my friend, classy is what Amey wanted all along, i knew it. i nearly begged for the opportunity to help her make it happen. the payoff, over-hearing a guest say, "this is the best party ever!!!"



some of the elements that made it special, 1) natural chairs i LOVED them, 2) brights, multi-colored lantern "chandeliers", 3) squat little mason jar votives, 4) location, location, location.

i can't wait to see better pictures, i was in such a rush. i didn't even get any of the tables with the centerpieces. but they were amazing, done by the bride herself. all in all, GREAT, AMAZING, night. congrats to Amey and Seth!

orange day

Anna, you were beautiful on Orange day. i love to see you learn and grow at preschool. but i kind of hate the way you don't miss me. it's all good though, you're just well adjusted.

engaged! a sneak peak

beautiful girl + handsome young man = one happy couple



i can't wait for December 18th!!!!

three times the fun

when i agreed to photograph a family with 20 month old triplets, i have to say, i was a little nervous. my fears were put to rest immediately upon meeting these little angels. meet Rhianna, Jessica, and Aissa.


they were a littel wary of me when i invaded their house, but when we got over to the park, they started to like me. especially when i told them they could go play while i got to know mom and dad.
these two are the cutest, down to earth couple. obviously devoted parents, (he works days/she works nights, so the girls don't have to go to daycare), they are set to get married in April! with triplet toddlers Tara and Juan don't get a lot of one on one time. they laughed at how long it had been since they sat and looked into each others' eyes.

i hope you guys are taking a LONG honeymoon!

Tara, you will be a beautiful bride!
we headed on over to the playgound - really, just looking at this picture makes me feel tired. three under two!
the whole family got in on the act!
then we settled down, and got ready to trick or treat!
hope you guys had a happy halloween! thanks for sharing your day with me. i know your future is looking rosey with your happy little garden!