Baby Paige

Girls are just so fun to dress up. She had the cutest little outfits for this session. What a sweetie.

Random

I cracked open an egg and out came two yokes. I've never seen that before.

Baby Brenner

So cute! I can't say enough about this easy going little guy, so fun to take pictures with.

Excursion Photography

Hi all. I started up my photography blog again. I think it will be the best way to market myself through Facebook so go see, I've revamped it and it looks much better I think. And thanks to all my family and friends who support me!

Mini-session give away

I'm new to the whole "social network marketing" thing, so to jump start Excursion Photography's facebook page and new blog I'm giving away a mini-session to one lucky person. The mini-session is open to anyone who lives in the Idaho Falls/Rigby/Rexburg area and is a 30 minute session with 10 pictures on a CD for your enjoyment! This can be a family, child, engagement, or Senior session - winner's choice!

Ways to enter: For 1 entry "like" excursion photography on Facebook.
For 2 entries you can "follow" my blog (down at the bottom of this page), or
For 3 entries you can post a link of this blog post (just copy and paste this URL) or Excursion Photography's Facebook page on your Facebook Status.

Or if you really want to win, you can do all 3 options.

Then leave a comment letting me know how many entries you deserve-honor system here people. I'm so excited and Good luck to everyone that enters!!

Giveaway winner will be announced next Thursday!

March 19th

March 5th

Chris' job

So I rarely post stuff on here about Chris, but I wanted to post a little about his work, because I think he's great and I am so proud of who he is, how he does what he does and the fact that he provides for us all here in the Snedaker home.

Chris is an accountant for a company in Idaho Falls that makes parts and software for nuclear power plants and the like. It's part of a larger company that has thousands of employees all over the U.S. It's called Curtiss Wright - flow control, I know funny, right? I want shirts for the kids that say flow control on them, I'm a dork, ANYWAYS. SInce they are part of a larger company we have really great insurance which I am SO thankful for and the business is growing amazingly in this economy which I am also grateful for. But also, his division is small enough that there are really great growth opportunities.

He was working under a great boss until a few weeks ago when a new opportunity opened up working for another side of the accounting office. At the encouragement of his old boss, Chris switched over because he has even more opportunities to grow his resume.

Chris has successfully streamlined many of his job responsibilities through the creation of excel macros and other stuff like that that I don't really understand. He has become a real asset to the company I think because they continue to give him more and more responsibility. He will have a chance to do that with his new boss and help her streamline her own work.

I am just so proud of him for going to work everyday, for being a good person and taking on all the stress that he does to support us. I LOVE YOU!

I hope this doesn't come across braggy, I just am so thankful that Chris has found work that he enjoys (for the most part) and where he is valued. When Chris left his job at Wells Fargo we weren't sure what the future held for us but looking back everything fell into God's perfect plan just as it should and we probably wouldn't have been able to recognize it ourselves. We are grateful for a gracious Lord who leads us along.

Claire is reading!

Just wanted to post a little bit of Claire reading. Chris' mom had some old reading books of Chris' that she's letting Claire use to learn to read. She's doing great. Every time we sit down to practice she surprises me with how well she can sound out words. We are so proud of her. She is now seeing words everywhere and asking me what things say and I can't spell out words to Chris anymore (things I don't want the kids to know) because she sounds out what I'm spelling! She has a real desire to learn and I love that about her!

Quinoa Muffins

I've had a bag of quinoa I didn't know what to do with. I read about how good quinoa is for you and how much protein there is in it, so I got some but I didn't have a recipe to use it in. I then happened upon a recipe at vegan good eats for quinoa muffins and they sounded good so I adapted them a bit. I am ending day four of another gluten, sugar, dairy, meat, caffeine-free cleanse. I did it a few weeks ago and LOVED it so I wanted to do it again after eating like crap in Salt Lake. I am getting used to the vegan part of it, but the gluten and sugar is the hard part for me. This time I prepared a bit more and made a meal plan for 10 days, I am hoping to make it at least a week which was about what I did last time. You can do it for up to 21 days. Honestly, I would love to eat like this always, it definitely takes adjustment, and learning a lot of new recipes. I don't know if I will ever go off gluten forever, but it's nice to take a break every once in a while. Anyhoo, back to the recipe, I thought these turned out great considering they have no sugar and no dairy in them. I used a gluten free all purpose flour and flaxseed for the egg replacer - I was impressed with how well that worked! Slather with earth balance-yum!

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 banana sliced
3 tablespoons flax seeds
6 tablespoons of water
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup, honey, or brown rice syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of spelt flour ( I used bob's red mill gluten-free all purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of chopped pecans

Blend flaxseeds and water, combine all liquid ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and add to liquid. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Patrick's Day

We were in the car yesterday and Claire asked me why the Leprechaun hadn't come since it was "Patrick's Day". So he showed up that afternoon, turning our cookies green. Claire was so upset that she didn't get to see him AGAIN. "Why don't leprechauns like to let little girls see them?" She asked me. I don't know Claire!

Voles

Guess what took over during the winter?? We had already had problems, but now we have an infestation, really much of the neighborhood does so it's impossible to get rid of them, you chase them off to the neighbors and the neighbors chase them back! They ate about 1/3 of our lawn and the side will have to be reseeded I think. While I was gone Chris put out some poison so now there are dead ones! Hurray! I can't even let the kids outside because I am afraid they might find one-dead or alive!

I think we might have to get serious about exterminating, I wonder if I could find a place who will do it with a guarantee?? So not if, but when they come back I will have some one ready. Why! We had mice in our old little house, and it terrified me, I was hoping that a newer house wouldn't have these problems. At least they are not inside.

The little house

upstairs bedroom






bath


spare room on main level


kitchen



Granny and Papa wanted me to post some pictures of their "little" house, as it's called. The house caught on fire in the fall and was completely stripped down to the cinderblocks and refinished. It looks great. Ben and Hilary lived there along with my grandparents, great-grandparents and a whole host of aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Papa counted 16 different family members 6 of which couples lived in the little house and the big house that's on the property, so it's really been a family house. I have some very early memories of that house. So while we were in Utah they had an open house to all the family and we got to look through it. They are about to put renters in. It was fun to look through it and the remodel looks great!

We are family

OH boy, what a trip! We ended up staying a few extra days, because Ben and Karen and their boys came to town! It was so good to see them. It's been over a year!! We took the kids to Thanksgiving point and they had a blast riding the ponies and on the wagon ride. Jake was a real stinker this trip and was constantly bothering Ethan...and Ella. I don't even want to say what he did! Despite that, it was good to see everyone. Hopefully Ben and Karen will be moving closer in the near future. I couldn't believe how big their boys have gotten. Such cuties.

Chupango Mango

We got a couple mangos in our bountiful basket last week, they were perfectly ripe. Chris was reminiscing about the days in the mission field and the little boys who would suck on the mango core - chupango mango. We let Jake go at it.



Doesn't he look like a little Brasileiro!





Chris has been playing basketball on Saturdays and Thursdays with the ward and I finally made it to a game this week.



Chris getting a rebound.