Finally Florida

You know those projects that beg for your attention, but are just too big for you to have lots of spare time to sit down and tackle, and so they don't get done for five months? I am well aquainted with that type of project. Sorting, editing, cutsie-fying, and posting our pictures from our amazing Florida vacation last May has been one of those things that kept getting pushed aside for another day. I wanted to do it right. I didn't want to miss one photo. I wanted to post each and every enormous smile. This blog will {someday I promise honey} be printed as our family photo/memories album, and I didn't want to leave anything out. That rationalization may also explain why I have an entire year to catch up on!
Without further ado, a photo-journal of our time together in beautiful Florida. Much of our time was spent with our sweet cousins, whom my chitlins adore. You'll see their cute faces mixed in with our family as well. Enjoy!

BFFs

I happen to seriously love these girls. Lori & Kadi have known me for a long, long time, and they still like me. That is true friendship right there. I tell you what.
It is a party whenever we get together. Lori came to stay at my house this weekend, and we had SUCH a great time! Lots of shopping & eating...but even more laughing our tootsies off.

I didn't get a pic the night we went out with Stephanie, Shannon and Natalei...I'll have to add it here later when someone sends it my way. Natalei joined us to go see Footloose {so cute by the way} and to prance around in these sassy little witch hats. I'm pretty sure the guy taking our picture was on the verge of kicking us out of the store. I seriously could not stop giggling.
Jill joined us for dinner after the show...and the fun continued into the wee hours of the morning. Bella scolded me for staying up so late when I went into her room at 2am to check on the girls before I went to bed. I'm sure the tables will be turned on that someday! Hopefully, she will find friends as great as these and have lots of opportunites to laugh until she cries, talk the night away, and know that her friends will be there for her in good times and bad. And hopefully, hopefully, her friends will NEVER move away to Utah, so she can spend as much time with them as she darn well pleases!!!

Date Night Fight

I sure do love date nights with Dan. Especially when we attend such culturally enriching events like MMA fighting matches.
It was surprisingly, a lot of fun. I was nervous about watching people pummel eachother, but only one fighter got seriously injured (which made this little mama cringe!). Luckily, we were up far enough that we couldn't actually see the blood. My favorite part was rooting for the fighter that looked just like Jesus. He was a riot. After he won, he thanked his trainer, his family, and his "best friend, Jesus!"We had a great time. Love spending time with this cutie pie...beard and all. :)

Synchronized Swimming & a Song

Azure, Hannah, Maycee, Kaitlyn, Bella

Aah, the Ward Talent Show. I kind of love it. This year, it was combined with our ward campout. Due to the fact that it had been quite rainy and a snitch chilly, the McOmber fam opted out of the sleeping in a tent portion of the evening, but we certainly made up for it in the not hiding our light under a bushel segment of the night.

I made up a little syncronized swimming routine for Bella, Azure and a few of their sweet friends. They had lots of fun practicing, but way more fun performing...especially because they got to spit water out at the audience at the very end. They thought they were hilarious! So stinkin' cute. Great job ladies!

{Scroll down to see the video}


Of course, I couldn't let the girls have all the fun. I told a story and sang a little ditty too. This is (mostly) what I said:

I grew up in a car-trip loving family. All nine of us would pile into the family station wagon and drive all over the west. Back in my day, we didn’t have DVD players in the car. We didn’t have iPods or iPads or DS’s. But, we did have in dash cassette player, and we sang. And sang. And sang. My dad taught us old school folk & country songs, like “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road”, “Ole Slew Foot” and “Home Grown Tomatoes”. I learned a lot of great life lessons through those songs, like the fact that: “there’s only two things that money can’t buy – that’s true love & home grown tomatoes”. But, he also taught us gospel songs, some obscure, like “Dropkick me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life” and other, more well known songs.
On one of our trips through rural Oregon, in the middle of nowhere several of us kids needed to make a pitstop. And there, like a desert oasis was a small shack, boasting a neon lighted “Open” sign. When we walked through the door, we realized this building served as the post office by day, and the local Tavern by night. We were there at night. This place was full of haggard, mangy bearded men, who wore bandanas atop their heads, and beat up leather vests. The ladies looked just as weathered – but without the beards. They graciously let us use the facilities. And because we wouldn’t be purchasing anything from behind the bar…in a Partridge Family style moment, we thought the best payment to give them would be a song. So, my sisters, dad and I lined up in front of the bar, looked out at this tough crowd, and sang them this song: I then proceeded to sing the same song we performed for that bar many, many years ago... Swing Lo, Sweet Chariot. It's one of my favorites, and I will never forget singing it in a beat up little tavern when I was a girl - especially because, as we finished, the 'rough' crowd rose to their feet clapping, wiped tears from their eyes, and hugged us as we left to get on with our trip. Was it super cheesy? Yes. Was it something I would ever ask my kids to do? No way. But was it worth it? Absolutely.

The Photo Shoot

So usually, this time of year, I am posting about our family photo session. I am totally behind and don't even have that booked yet... but, a few weeks ago my sweet, talented, hilarious friend Jen, asked if I wanted to be a part of a Hot Mama photoshoot. Pictures? Of me? Without four kids to dress up and bribe with whatever candy is stuck to the bottom of my purse so they will squeeze out one stinkin smile while actually looking at the camera? Um, yes please! We had so much fun. Six ladies. All gussied up.Strutting our stuff in gorgeous Ute Valley Park.
Check out her work! She is one seriously talented little chica. JenniferWyethPhotography.com Love that girl!!!