Creativity Is...

...inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun. Love this! Check it out over here. I kind of want to take a paper cutting class now!

Bowerman Girls

Fun and busy weekend. Best part of the week has been that Sarah's been out visiting/nanny-ing here in Provo for some friends and so we were able to have family dinner with all of the Bowerman sibblings tonight! We love getting together and wish that Sarah (oh, and Mom and Dad!) lived out closer! ;)

Don't Be Jealous...

Kris • Adam • Danny • Allison • Matt • Lil' Rounds • Anoop • Scott
Megan Joy • Michael

New Collection

I've decided this weekend I'm starting a new collection: mis-matched drawers and I don't think I could be any more excited about it! I've honestly been thinking about it all weekend. No joke. I think I spent a good 45 minutes on this website and thinking about who I can *trick* into helping me make something out of my collected drawers! I love the one with the type drawer (the one in the middle) but I also love the ones with the different colors...I can't get enough of this kind of thing. It's right up my alley!

I found this website through one of my favorite blogs: Orange Beautiful, who found it through the blog, SimplyGrove. I don't know how I didn't know about SimplyGrove, but I am so glad that I found it! I spent quite a bit of time on SimplyGrove's blog this weekend, and I am positive that if we lived near by, we'd be best friends. I'm really wishing right now that I had my own little house with an unlimited supply of money...someday, right?! ;)

(Images from schubLaden)

Game On.

Dearest Ashlee,
Game on!! Don't back out. Don't be scared. Be there. 12 noon on July 20th.
With all the strawberry love in my heart, Linds

Baby Garrett

Little baby Garrett was on my mind as I was at the temple tonight. He's my sister and brother-in-law's little nephew that was born just yesterday with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. His journey here on earth will likely be a short one, but not without purpose. From The Family: A Proclamation to the World: "All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny (italics added)." I know that our Heavenly Father is watching out for baby Garrett and has a plan for him and for each of us.

***
Update: Just got word that little Garrett passed away this afternoon (Thursday). Garrett, you and your family are in my prayers.

4th of July Weekend

Has the 4th already come and gone? It was such a great weekend! Non-stop from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. Britt and I took off Friday afternoon and went boating with some friends in the ward...I don't think that we could've asked for a more beautiful day! Beautiful weather, good company, great music (in honor of MJ!). Doesn't get any better. (The picture in the lower right corner is for Erin...I laughed out loud when I saw this sign...I know you've always wanted to know what Pablo looked like. Well, here's an official illustration of what he looks like!)
Got back to Provo just in time to make it over to Katie's place for neighborhood fireworks. Little Claire loved most of them...she wasn't too fond of the super loud ones, so Katie sat with her hands covering Claire's ears and that seemed to work well.

Saturday morning came too soon and I found myself at the starting line at the Freedom Festival Run at 7:00 am! It was early but it was fun--people were dressed up crazy, the hot air balloons were launching as we started the race, it was the perfect temperature to be running. I'm glad I did it!

The rest of the 4th was filled with floating the Provo River, swimming, BBQ-ing, snow cones, fireworks, time with friends and family. It was such a great weekend...what a great way to celebrate America!

At my parents house for the last 10+ years, we've had this poster hanging in the rec room that was bought at the Smithsonian. I have no idea how many times I've read it, but I know it's a lot! I will never forget the Preamble to the United States Constitution! :) I remember thinking it was the coolest poster when we first got it--and still all these years later, it brings back lots of memories. Whenever we'd have friends over, we'd always have races to see who could recite it the fastest!

Family

Love this picture! Last week we were able to meet up with our Taylor cousins to attend Nick and Heather's temple sealing...what a beautiful experience that was! To have most of the Bowerman-Taylor cousins together in the temple was really special. It's fun to think of how our family has grown in just the last couple of years!

Left to Right: Chris, Joe & Katie & Claire Brewer, me, Marshall, Karisma & Heather & Rylie & Nick Taylor, Rob & Rachel Nielson, Emily & Dave Cazier

All of the Bowerman kids in Utah!

Strawberry Jam Goodness

This is the best way to make strawberry jam. I'm *slightly* picky when it comes to jam-slash-jelly...I'll only eat mom's strawberry jam. No chunks of fruit--that's the way I like it! I assisted Katie the other day in her strawberry jam making and I was lucky enough to be the recipient of two jars of jam! I've been known to eat upwards of six or seven pieces of toast over the last couple of weeks...I can't get enough of it!
Thanks mom for teaching me the right way to make jam! :) (Sorry to all the chunky fruit lovers out there!)

Loved This Story

Found this article last night on the world wide web and thought it was so telling of the times that we live in! I kind of had to laugh to myself a little bit after reading the article. My favorite part of the story was when the boy realized after 3 days of using the walkman, he could take the tape out and play the music that was on the other side!

I remember the days that I'd sit in front of my radio and wait for a song to come on and hope that I pressed "record" and "play" at just the right time so I'd have the song recorded on my cassette tape. I'd be really lucky to get 15 songs on one side of the tape, but I usually ended up with about 10-12 songs per side. Those were the days!
I had to snap a pic of the two iPods that I have. The silver one is an original iPod mini, complete with a black and white screen! I just got my little iPod shuffle for running and I love it! The funny thing is, is that the shuffle is probably a fifth of the size, but holds twice as much as the mini. The shuffle can hold like 100 times what a cassette tape could! Funny to think about how technology changes!

Ready To Run

I've been determined for the last month to sign up for the Provo Freedom Festival run that takes place every 4th of July. Last night I did it. Signed up. Thought about the 10K, but Britt and I decided on the 5K. We went and picked up our info packet this afternoon and were *slightly* disappointed in our shirts. (Actually really disappointed...) We actually started laughing when we saw them! Needless to say, we won't be wearing them on Saturday.

Umm...

It seems appropriate to share this video after sharing some of my dance moves. Please enjoy.

(get through the first minute...the next 3 minutes are worth watching!)