laura

Be sure to click on the picture to see it in a larger format. Both paintings are still drying but can ship by Monday. Hope you like them!

sunday best

Springville Fix Up

I wanted to post some pics of our latest remodel. Joe Hawkes and Justin were partners on the deal. They bought the home early spring of '07 and spent most of the summer fixing it up. The house had such good bones it was a fun one to redo. We put the house up for sale a couple months ago but the market is crashing as we speak so we got nervous and decided to rent it out for a year. Now Just and Joe are working on getting the land below it subdivided to sell.

Front view. Notice the amazing red chairs? Get them here.

The entire deck was sanded and restained. More red furniture to enjoy the view.

The kitchen was the most drastic change. The entire drop ceiling in the kitchen was removed and Joe added more than enough can lights. New appliances, beadboard backsplash, granite countertops and new hardware. We were nervous that we wouldn't be able to get the cabinets to look updated enough but they turned out pretty good.

The living room and dining room look great now. I bought metal spray paint and painted the gold chandeliers which saved us some big bucks.

Joe, Justin and Ellie checking out the view. All the land below came with the house. They are now splitting it off as a flag lot.

Nadine Kagan

Nadine, Click on the photo to see the painting enlarged. Hope this works!

We love grandma yesiree!

Today we heard that mamma nicol was a little sad, so we made you this video to cheer you up! We love you so much! You are so good and smart and funny and classy and if anyone is not nice to you it's just because they are jealous.

i am tired

I decided I must have been really tired when I put up that last post. I don't love that kitchen anymore at all! It is too busy and like a little kid. I do like the cabinets, just not everything all at once. My problem is I have too many styles that I like - here is another kitchen I have liked for a while, though usually I like things more contemporary:

just one more

okay, just one more post and then I'll go to bed. I just came across this kitchen...see this is why I want a small house - you can do so many creative things in a small place that you couldn't get away with in a large house. Check out this kitchen:

Office in a Closet

This probably sounds really strange but I have always wanted my office to be tucked into a closet. I first got the idea a few years ago when I saw it in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine:

I have loved the idea ever since. Well, my dream has come true. Now that we are living in Lew and Jann's basement apartment, the only place to fit my office was in a closet off the kitchen. I am seriously deliriously about this space. I would say its the first space since we have been married that really feels like me. Here it is:

I don't have room for my second monitor anymore but it's worth it. Hanging on the left door is my vision board, a ribbon board is above the monitor, favorite recipies in the green tin box, ribbon and notions in the baskets, all my favorite books, the perfect chair and a little bird to watch over me, perfect! I'll have to post some close-ups sometime.

reunions, hiking and the lake - the last days of summer

We had such a great summer with Justin not working too much and going to summer school. We were able to spend so much time together. I loved it. Now Justin is back in school with hard classes and spending lots of time working on my mom and dad's new home (framing starts next week). Here are a few highlights from August.

Anderson Reunion


our annual family photo at the Anderson (my grandma bagley's family) reunion. I love my little family!

The Bagley Babes. Lisa, Marian, Renee, Mignon (mom), and Anne.

This is my cousin Emily's youngest, Eli. He and Ellie have the same birthday, Eli is just a year younger. He is so cute I can't stand it.

My grandma Bagley and Ellie. Does anyone else out there have a grandma that dresses better than they do?

Ellie and my grandpa Bagley

"Mamma Nicol" and Ellie.

Bear Lake

Our friends from our old ward, Liz and Tim Collings, invited us on their annual Bear Lake trip. So we tagged along with them and about 8 other couples for three days of relaxation on the beach. All the girls were either pregnant or had new babies so the moms mainly sat around watching the kids on the beach and nursing. Above is Liz and her cute baby Elijah.

Cabin the Collings are building. I love Liz because she has great taste and isn't afraid to use color as you can see.

This little boy in the video with Ellie is named Taj. Don't they make a cute couple?

Hot Pots

These pictures are from our family night hike to the hot pots up Diamond Fork. I just have to post these pictures because we need to take a vote: Does Cody look like me or not? Please say yes!!!

More from California

More pics from our trip:


Sea World - not my favorite place to go but it was worth it because Ellie got splashed.


On our way to Sea World I noticed San Juan Capistrano was on the way. I recognized the town because Karl does a lot of paintings of this incredible mission there. We stopped and toured the grounds. You can read about it here.


Karl had me print this image for him - he is thinking of doing a 30x40" painting of it. He said he might get too dizzy from painting all the lilly pads.


Can you tell who took this photo by the angle?

We spent the day at Laguna which was nice because there was grass and a playground right by the beach. Cody loves to swing!

Cute bum!

Playing in the bugs life splash area for kids.

I love the way she is running.

Mickey Mouse's House!

Last week we got back from a week long trip to CA. Justin planned the whole thing a few months ago and I have to admit I was quite sure that taking a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old to Disneyland was sure to backfire on us. I was totally wrong! We had such a fun time and both Ellie and Cody were great. Of course, we all had our moments - I probably had the biggest meltown of anyone (hundreds of people, hot and humid, crying hungry baby - you get the picture). Amazingly as I was making a bee line to the exit in my sudden need to escape I walked right to the mother and baby area, a building in Downtown Disney with A/C, soft chairs to feed your babies, change diapers, etc. After about 20 min. in there Cody was sleeping soundly and we finished our day with great success.

Besides, Disneyland, we also spent a day at California Adventure, a day at Sea World, a couple days at Huntington Beach where we stayed, and a day at Laguna Beach. We ate great food, and I got to run 5 miles down the beach on our last day - which was a huge highlight for me. But I think some of my favorite memories are of our hot, sticky hotel room where we all slept in the same room (some nights cody and ellie in one bed and us in the other, some nights Ellie and I in a bed and Justin and Cody in the other).

Sleeping in the same room was just so fun, frustraing, humid, cute, and exhausting all at once. I'll never forget the morning we were all eating breakfast in our room, and all of a sudden cody, who sleeps on his tummy, pops his head up and starts looking all around with a huge smile. He looked like a little turtle - it was so cute! Justin and Ellie were in 7th Heaven every morning eating all the sugary cereals as they wanted.

Here is a pretty funny video of Ellie in the hotel room. She is so weird sometimes. She wouldn't eat her peaches and was being a pill so I put her in the bathroom for timeout. She then locked the door and couldn't unlock it herself. She was in there for about 25 min. before someone could pick the lock.


Ellie was especially excited to see Mickey Mouse because she has watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV. She asked me, "We're going in the TV to see Mickey Mouse?" We made so many memories - our kids are sooooo cute! It's almost torture because I just can't squeeze them hard enough.



Our transportation, and everything we could possibly want; snacks, a tray for snacks, a ba-ba, a footrest, and blankies all around. All of Ellie's most important needs met.



waiting for Alice in Wonderland ride.


the Tea-Cup ride - one of my favorites. Ellie is sporting her daddy's shirt - cira 1980.


Cody sporting his uncle Cody's shirt.

More to come....

Congrats Jimmy and Amanda!

Yesterday was a blast. My friend Cammie's little sister Amanda got married and I played "back-up photographer." Amanda hadn't liked how her bridals turned out with the photographer she chose so they wanted me to come as well during the ceremony so they could have a better chance of getting shots they liked. I tried to stay out of the main photographer's way so she wouldn't get mad at me (though I'm sure she wondered who the heck I was). Here are a few of my favorite shots: