the highlight of my weekend.

the beautiful sunset i enjoyed from kramer's backyard on friday.

seriously, if you didn't see it, you missed out.

it was beautiful.

aside from that i had the lamest halloween to date. but i think that's just because i'm getting old and can't trick or treat anymore, and also because it's really hard to beat last year's halloween.

happy halloween!

[i was a flapper this year]

and i love my costume. love it.

quote of the week.

your soul you must keep totally free.

my last post about children...promise.

i miss them already.

the bentley kids are the cutest babies in the world. we had so much fun watching movies, going places, making food together, playing with toys and reading books.

i hope i get to see them again soon!!

there's something about children that makes life so much better for me. all i need to do is spend an evening with addy (above), or my adorable niece and nephew and i remember what life is all about: being happy.

i can't wait.

i stole this from emily's blog post today. [which was so sweet.]

i'm glad she had as much fun at the pumpkin walk as me and the babies did.

HOWEVER...this picture made me super excited for something else coming up in the near future.

HARRY POTTER 7!!!!!!!!

i've been waiting months for this. years, even. harry potter has been my life since the first book came out when i was 12, and i couldn't put it down. i'm sad the movies are almost at the end... but luckily after those are over i'll be able to look forward to the hunger games movies. life is good!

the pumpkin walk.

this morning emily, erick, and i took the kids to the pumpkin walk that is held in north logan every year. it was a lot more fun than i thought it would be, and the kids loved it. they take pumpkins, squash, etc and turn them into characters from movies, tv shoes, and such. 

there was a bunch of these around the park and bryson's favorite was bob the builder.

tweety bird and wile e. coyote. so cute!

bryson standin in front of bugs bunny.

the characters from "up". it's so crazy to think these are all made from pumpkins!

little mini pumpkins shaped to be the beatles. this one was my favorite, of course :]

addison & i pausing to rest & eat a cookie. i love her cute smirk in this pic.

the characters from toy story. 

bryson's favorite was the characters from spongebob. they looked exactly like the cartoons!

mike wazowski from monsters inc.

"where the wild things are". one of my favorite books ever, and apparently bryson likes it too!

the twins loved every minute of it!! it was a bit chilly but i bundled them up and we got hot chocolate after :]

thanks emily and erick for joining us in the fun!! tomorrow bryson goes to preschool so the twins and i will probably take it easy and clean up before their parents get home. the place is kiiiind of a mess.. don't tell anyone. :]

day one.

it was my first full day of nannying for the babies, and it has been such a blast.

of course, there were lots of messes...tears..fights...drama in general.

but all in all it was a lot of fun!! we ate breakfast and then i immediately bathed the twins since they tend to make a mess of their food.

after that we went to the mall to play at the play place.

the babies especially loved it. i was hoping to take them to the zoo but the crappy weather made it seem like it wouldn't be worth it! after we played at the mall we went and said hello to my brother and sister-in-law at my sister-in-law's work on campus. after that we went home for nap time. bryson played with luke after nap time and i got to hang out with the babies.
we just finished dinner and are unwinding for the night. it's been so  much fun already and i'm kind of dreading going back to kaysville!

tomorrow = the pumpkin walk with emily! ah the adventures we will have.

i'm so excited!!

my favorite job ever was the one i had my sophomore year of college as a nanny for the three cutest kids you'll ever meet. bryson and the twins aiden and addison are my favorite little chunks in the world!! (although they're not so little anymore).
this week i get to go watch them for 4 days while their parents are out of town. it's going to be different...bryson is now almost four years old and the twins are TWO. which blows my mind... i have known them since they fit in the palm of my hand.

needless to say i can't even wait. these kids are so adorable and so amazing. it will be just what i need!! happy weekend and i'll see y'all next week.

LOVE!!!!

my good friend gentry surprised me yesterday with a ridiculously awesome new addition for my room. i LOVE it.

ignore my sexy sweatpants...and instead focus on the beautifulness of my new bob marley collage!! it's perfect.

it's perfect.

and it looks amazing hanging above my bed!!! it perfectly matches the bob marley mumu emily got me, the beatles picture frame kendra got me, the mirror ryan gregson gave me, and the "hippies use backdoor" sign.

i love it. my room is complete!!

puppy hungry.

i've found that i'm a bit puppy hungry lately.
[not hungry to eat a puppy...jeez. just hungry for a little guy of my own.]
all of my friends have been getting dogs lately, and as much as i LOVE being "aunt lauren" i kind of want to be a mommy.

this is my friend nick's pit bull, soraya. she is so beautiful and well behaved. anyone who judges pit bulls and thinks they're all mean should meet her. your heart will melt.

this is 7 week old pit bull kano. my friend zach just barely got him and i already love him to pieces.

THE BEST.
my coworker brought in her brother's bulldog gabby today. she is SO CUTE!! seriously the most roly poly adorable bulldog i've ever met.

ah it makes me want a dog so bad. nesta is cute and all, but cats just aren't the same!!! basically i can't wait for the day when i can afford a cute little puppy for my own. i already know what breed i'm going to get, thanks to this cute boy who changed my life for forever:

go away my lover.

this song by elizabeth and the catapult really struck me. i heard it for the first time at work the other day and i fell in love.
new music is my FAVORITE. and by the way, new music suggestions are always appreciated. as long as it's not rap. :]

amazing.

Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.
-Jim Morrison

[above picture taken at mojo's in ogden at my friend scott's birthday party last weekend. jim morrison is beautiful.]

and this painting of him on the door right inside mojo's made my whole life.

BABYSITTING.

this weekend i am pretty much a mother of five rambunctious kids. haha.

my family is out of town [they got to go to arches, while i get to work all weekend..lame.] so i got to be in charge of watching my parent's 3 dogs and cat, as well as my cat nesta.

it's been pretty interesting to say the least. between the barking, running around, hissing and clawing... there is a lot of drama i wasn't aware of in the gardner house.

haha.

however, it's been a blast. my favorite part so far has been when i got all 3 of my dogs and my cat to take a nap with me earlier today after i got off work. they make good company. :]

happy friday.

love.

I LOVE THE OUTDOORS.

and it is safe to say... that planet earth is beautiful all year round. i have learned this throughout the seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall.

aaron on campus in logan, fall 2008.

brenton & sadie on our trip to san diego, december 2008.

summer 2009.

my good friend moudi snowshoeing, january 2010.

out by the humane society in logan, february 2010.

also out by the humane society.

brenton and adam longboarding in salt lake city, fall 2008.

emily up logan canyon, fall 2009.

hiking in kaysville with zach, summer 2009.

and lastly, my favorite place in the world... angel's landing.

the first is taken this past summer with one of my best friends ryan.

and the latter was taken during spring break 2008.

to sum it all up... we live in a beautiful world.

seriously considering.

going vegetarian again.

it's not that i even am all for animal rights [although i am partial to them]. and it's not that i hate meat.. in fact i found it quite hard to be a vegetarian.

it's more that it's something i used to care so much about..

and in the recent months, with moving home, not doing school, and only working.. i've found i lack passion. i don't care about politics, nor about school, nor about a lot of other people i used to care about. sooo.. maybe it's time i found something to care for?

or maybe i should find a more healthy hobby. haha.

songs of the week and pictures i love.

forest city lover's "don't go, please". [it's just amazing. listen and see for yourself.]

one of my favorite pinback songs, crutch, off their self-titled album that i haven't taken out of my cd player in days.

who's asking, by mount saint helens vietnam band. very catchy.

milk, by kings of leon. just for fun.

i hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. i worked a lot this weekend, so it was super busy. but i get to make up for it tonight by seeing my cousin's band play at kilby court!