HOPPY Easter!

Check out our most recent photo shoot . . . Easter pictures! In case you haven't noticed I love doing photo shoots!

Some of my friends have made comments about previous photo shoots. They have said things like "I could never get my child to sit still that long," or "My baby just won't smile for the camera." I will tell you a secret-- neither does mine! The only reason why I end up with some decent photos is that I take 200! In most of them she is running away. Sometimes she is screaming or crying. Other times her eyes are closed. It helps that I have a newer camera that can almost take pictures one after the other. Hallie and I are usually taking pictures for at least 20 minutes. It is about 15 minutes into it that I sing a song or do something where she gets excited and starts singing along. That is why you often see her with her hands up-- she is doing hand actions to her favorite songs. As for the background-- I just use sheets over chairs and desks. The most important thing is to get a good source of natural light. I always take her photo shoots next to our sliding glass window. I know I don't have perfect lighting. But I do know that natural lighting turns out much better than when I use a flash. Sometimes we start shooting and Hallie just isn't cooperating so I let her take a nap and we come back to it later.

I give you my admittedly amateur tips in hopes that you can start a similar tradition. I know I am not a pro but I sure love to do it. Let me know if you have any questions or need some ideas. Also, let me know if you have a favorite photo.

Wow, do we have catching up to do . . .

I don't even know where to start. Hallie and I spent the last two weeks in sunny CA. Chris joined us for the last week. We had highs and lows.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Laura's bridal shower
• Laura's rehearsal dinner
• Laura's wedding breakfast
• Laura's weddding!
• spending time with my family and friends
• going to the beach
• Downtown Disney
• Hallie's language explosion!

Some of the lowlights:

• Chris' grandfather's death
• Hallie getting an ear infection
• Me getting sick
• Not sleeping the whole night
• being a single mom until Chris arrived (thank goodness for Dads)
• 12 hours of traveling yesterday!!!

I suppose that is life-- some bad sprinkled in with a lot of good. Weather was bad in Colorado Springs yesterday so our flight was diverted to Denver. We had to wait in the plane for two hours, then wait in the airport for another 3, and drive home in a bus for another 2! Thank goodness Chris was there with me and Hallie was a SUPER good girl. We are sooo happy to be home!

This picture of our little sweetheart sums it up. She admittedly looks a little haggard but she was still so happy to be home in her bedroom. I am so thankful for such great family and friends. My parents watched Hallie tirelessly for me so I could participate in Lauara's wedding and work my scheduled shifts for my job. Chris came to us and saved the day and the rest of the week. Then, I saw the spotless house that he worked so hard to get in shape after I left it a wreck. Let me emphasize that I got a great guy! He is handsome, hard-working, and utterly selfless. In addition, Hallie, who just wants to walk constantly, had to be couped up in a plane and airport and bus and she was still sweet. She seriously only whined a handful of times the entire day. Thank you everyone! I can't tell you how grateful I am to have such wonderful people in my life.

California girl

Hallie and I are in California! Poor Daddy is stuck back at home. We miss you and love you Daddy! This morning Hallie and I went to Seal Beach. She loved running around on the sand. I knew she was a California girl at heart. She also loved eating the sand. I could not convince her that it was disgusting. I don't know why! She loves being here with her "Ba-pa" and "Ma-ma." She talks about them all the time. We are thrilled to be here.

Conversations with Hallie

Here are some intimate conversations with Hallie. She is very animated as you will see. You might notice her little belly button. To some it looks like an "outie" but it is actually herniated. This happened at birth and is something that usually corrects itself naturally by three. Half the time her belly button lies flat, but if she moves around a lot her hernia will make it pop out. My favorite part about this video is when she sings "Row, Row, Row your Boat." She can sing "row, row, row" and now she sings "me, me, me, me" for the "merrily" part. This was her first time doing it and I was so touched! This is our longest video on the blog yet. I know the grandparents won't mind; but feel free to skip to a new part if you become bored!

La-la-la!

My Little Chipmunk

Hallie had chicken with her lunch today. When she was "all done" I got her out of her booster chair. It was then that she discovered quite a bit of leftover chicken in her seat. When I wasn't looking she stuffed all the chicken that she could fit inside her little mouth. When I spied her puffy cheeks I investigated and saw she was reserving it. I figured she would swallow it soon, so I let her do her thing. Ten minutes later, the chicken was still in her mouth. Needless to say she was DEVASTATED that I had the nerve to pull the chicken out before I put her down for a nap. Her plans for a chicken snack in her crib were totally spoiled. I was ruthless and she was crushed. It was quite sad and funny at the same time.

Painting

Huh?

I was working out this morning while Hallie ate breakfast. She laughed-- hysterically laughed while I did push-ups. She bawled-- red-faced, out of breath, bawled when I did arm curls.

President's Day

We had a great President's Day! I loved having Chris home from work-- and so did Hallie. We had a quiet morning and then we took a 45 minute drive to Castle Rock, CO to visit their outlet mall. We scored some great deals! I had been wanting an egg platter, so I found two cute egg platters that will hold Easter devilled eggs perfectly. The plates are nice and only $2.99 each (plus I used a 20% discount coupon for one of them). At Border's I was able to purchase a nice book for Hallie's Easter basket entitled Bunny's Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown for $2.99. At Carter's we were able to buy Hallie a cute yellow sundress and an "I love Daddy" body suit for $13.00. But, the most incredible, life-changing deal I scored was . . .



My first Coach bag! I admit I have long- coveted a Coach bag. However, I have never seriously considered buying one because they are just too expensive for me to stomach. Enter the President's Day Sale at the Coach Factory Outlet. I was able to get a perfect little bag for 65% off the original price!! Apparently they only have such monumental sales twice a year: President's Day and after the Fourth of July. The opportunity was just too good to pass up and since my company just awarded me a timely bonus, I quickly bought it when I had the chance! Some might call it an impulse buy, but after pining for it for a decade I think it was brilliant. Cheers to my supportive husband who stood in the store for twenty minutes with me, helped me pick out the perfect bag, and purchased it for me. He knows how much it means to me because he has heard me mention it one thousand times.

Happy President's Day!

Our Valentine's Day

We had a fun Valentine's Day! I made Chris breakfast and lunch to take to work. When Chris arrived home, he presented me with one long-stemmed rose (my favorite for Valentine's Day because it is simple and beautiful). Then we exchanged little gifts. Hallie received an Elmo and Cookie Monster book, fruit snacks, and Elmo hair clips (all from the dollar section at Target). I purchased Chris an Ella Fitgerald cd. Chris presented me with a new Scrabble board and a gift card to Starbuck's. His gifts were so thoughtful because we love to do those things together. Scrabble is a great weeknight date after Hallie goes to bed. Our absolute favorite date as of late includes going to Barnes and Noble, ordering hot chocolate at Starbuck's and wandering the store together talking and perusing books. We loved this date so much we did it two times in a row!

I had a special dinner planned for Chris. For our first course we had a swiss cheese fondue. I have attached the recipe. I substuted white grape juice for the wine and cranberry cider for the cherry kirsch since we don't purchase or consume alcohol. For dipping we had sourdough bread, steamed carrots, bartlett pears, granny smith apples, and summer sausage. It was delicious-- too delicious! We were so stuffed we couldn't eat the rest of the meal. In the future, we will do fondue as the main course. (Also, I will actually purchase a fondue pot instead of trying to keep it warm with tealight candles). The rest of the meal was supposed to be: strawberries and field green salad with sesame seed dressing (I cut the strawberries to look like hearts), New York strip steak in peppercorn marinade, twice-baked potatoes, garlic breadsticks (shaped like Cupid's hearts and arrows), and butterfly coconut shrimp. The dessert was chocolate-covered strawberries and crème brûlée. Crème brûlée is special to us because we ordered it for the first time at "The Tavern on the Green" in Central Park (New York City) in 2002. We did eat our dessert (I will try a different crème brûlée recipe in the future because I thought this one was too "eggy"). We will finish consuming the rest of our meal over the next several days.

Chris' sweet mom is coming over tonight to watch Hallie for us. Even though she lives an hour away she has been so generous to donate her time driving here, staying with Hallie, and sleeping on our crummy blow-up air mattress.

Here Hallie and I enjoy our Valentine's gifts.

For Chris

Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetheart Chris! I have converted two surveys I have seen for couples to give everyone a comprehensive history of our relationship. Enjoy . . .

Where did you first meet your husband? Church in Huntington Beach, CA.
What was the first thing you said to your husband? Probably “Hi—nice to meet you.”
How long have you been together? Our first date was February 9, 2001. We have been together ever since (just celebrated seven years together).
Who asked who out first? Chris asked me out-- but I tweaked the situation a little bit. We had gone to Disneyland the week before with friends. During the week, I casually called him to tell him how fun our night was. He agreed. “We should do it again sometime,” we both agreed. “How about this Friday?” “Sure, that would be great.” But we never mentioned our other friends, or invited them. Later, our friends made plans for another activity on Friday. Not wanting to divulge our secret plans, we agreed we would be at the group activity. Later, I was furious that Chris and I didn’t have the alone time I was looking forward to. So, I called him and left a message. He called back and I told him I wasn’t going to go to the group activity. He asked what I would do instead. “I don’t know, I’ll just play it by ear.” (Looking back it isn’t as cute and coy as I wanted it to sound). “Can I take you on a date then?” I was elated. I am so glad he asked me on a date instead of just saying “let’s hang-out.” The prospect of us on a date was so much more exciting than merely hanging out and seeing where it took us.
Where was your first date? Disneyland! How romantic and magical!













How long did you date? We dated a mere two months and were engaged for four. But we have been dating ever since (although it has been sparse since we had the baby).
Who kissed who first? Chris kissed me. It was a couple weeks into dating. I was so glad he waited to kiss me because my feelings for him were so intense that I could hardly manage them. I had never experienced anything like it before. During our date, I started to say something to him but got shy. He gently prodded to find out what I was thinking. I told him I was thinking he “could kiss me if [he] wanted to.” He said “I want to kiss you so bad.” Then he paused for a moment and went in for the kiss. It was beautiful. I cried. Not a blubbering cry; it was just a slow tear. It just felt right. I somehow knew there would be no more “first kisses” after this and that was wonderful.
Where was your first kiss? The Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. We had the ride all to ourselves. It had the perfect ambience—low light, soft music, and we were on the water. It was very sweet and romantic.















Who said I love you first? Chris told me “I love you” at a small restaurant inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.
How old is he? Chris is 29. I am 26.
Who is taller? Chris is 5 feet 11 inches. I am 5 feet and 5 and ¾ inches. (Yes, those three-quarters count!)
Who can sing better? We both have pleasant singing voices. I sing solo more frequently than he does though. We like to sing harmony around the house for fun. Every night we both sing “Families Can Be Together Forever” to Hallie.
Who is smarter? We are both smart. I get a little too proud about my “smartness” sometimes.
Who does the laundry? We both do. It goes like this: I do the kitchen. Chris does the bathroom. I do straightening. Chris does vacuuming. I make our bed. Chris takes out the trash. We both pitch in with laundry.
Who pays the bills? Both. We split up duties.
Who sleeps on the right side? We trade depending on the room set-up. I generally like to be furthest from the door. If you face the bed, I am currently sleeping on the right.
Who mows the lawn? We don’t own our lawn, but Chris would definitely do it if we did.
Who cooks dinner? I do. I love cooking! (It honestly is fun for me). And I have a much bigger repertoire.
Who drives? Chris! I hate driving unless I am by myself.
Who is more stubborn? We can both be stubborn at times but we are also both quick to forgive. We don’t stay mad.
Did you have a long or short engagement/courtship? Short. Two months dating; four months engaged.
Where did you get engaged? In Salt Lake City in front of the Salt Lake Temple. That is where my grandparents were unofficially engaged too so the history was wonderful.
Who proposed? Chris. We were sitting on a bench looking up at the temple when he looked over with sincere eyes and said “Michelle, I love you. . .” Then he got on one knee and said “Will you marry me?” I started to make pitiful noises of excitement. Thankfully, I had the sense to stop squealing so I could mutter a decent “yes.”












Where were you married? In Los Angeles in the majestic Latter-day Saint temple.













Where did you go on your honeymoon? One week in Disney World. It was perfect for us!












Where was your first place together? A studio apartment in Huntington Beach, CA; then a one-bedroom in Fountain Valley.













How long have you been married? 6.5 years!
Who has more friends? Me! I collect friends everywhere I go. But Chris has a few best friends.
Who is more sensitive? We are both sensitive—that is why we get along so well.
Who has more siblings? I have three brothers; he has two brothers.
Who wears the pants? What a silly question—we both do!
Any children? Hallie Laine Hinkson was finally born just after our five-year anniversary. We look forward to adding more to the family.














Chris and I have accomplished so much together. Other great accomplishments . . .

We went to four years of college together and both received degrees.













We’ve budgeted, saved money, and paid off debt.

We survived two life-changing moves to two different states (Idaho and Colorado).

Happy Valentine’s Day Chris! I love our history. I can’t wait for what the future holds . . . together.

Love, Shelly

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some adorable Valentine's pics from our little sweetheart! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Teaser

Come back tomorrow on Valentine's Day for two special posts:

• Hallie stars in her Valentine's Photo Shoot
• A snippet of Chris and Michelle's Love Story

Just Playing

It is a simple pleasure to quietly observe Hallie at play. She could entertain herself for hours. I don't want to imagine how trashed the house would be afterward though! I had to refrain from picking up her room before I took these pictures. But, I realized that these were real. Hallie had pulled everything out for it to look this way. We picked it up today. Let's see how long that will last!

Jump! Jump! Jump! (and updates)

One of Hallie's new favorite past times is jumping-- perhaps it is the influence of "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." This is what she did first thing yesterday morning.

Another strange new habit of Hallie's is waking up in the middle of the night. The wierd thing is, she doesn't start crying-- she starts chatting! Chris and I woke up at 2 am two nights ago because she was basically having a tea party in her crib! She was just jibber-jabbering to her self in dulcet tones. Last night she did the same thing at 5 am. She is so funny.

Other exciting news--

• Michelle's cousin Matthew marries his Cosette Nielsen on Saturday in the Salt Lake Temple. The very same day Stephani Lee (Michelle's childhood friend) marries Anthony Strike Jr. in the Newport Beach Temple. I wish I could attend both weddings! But congratulations to both-- my heart is with you!
• Hallie and Michelle will be in Southern California the first week of March. They get to attend Michelle's cousin Benjamin's baptism as well as the highly anticipated wedding of Laura Fischer and Corey Riggins!
• Mark, Karen, and their two cutie kids will visit with us in Denver/Colorado Springs at the end of March.
• My Dad just surprised us by purchasing plane tickets to visit with my mother in the middle of April! Hooray! :)

Picture Book

Here is one of Hallie's favorite activities-- looking through our picture book. She gets so excited pointing out different people. She can point out all four grandparents. She is particularly obsessed with my brother Mark lately.

Drama Queen

I won't deny that I tend to be dramatic. I just can't believe how much Hallie picks up on it. Some of this has to be inherent. She woke up with a mystery bruise on her forehead. When I asked her what happened to her head she made an extremely pained face and slowly reached for her forehead. It cracked me up! Here it is for your viewing enjoyment . . .

Walking Update

Like most things in Hallie's development, she can walk but she chooses not to. Here Hallie walks the four foot expanse of her bedroom. She did this for us four times in a row. Sometimes when she walks, she forgets to pick up her left foot so she keeps it stationary while moving her right foot. The result is our baby slowly spinning in a circle. Here is Hallie walking for us. Notice how she claps for herself at the end.

Note: She isn't dragging her foot, she is just stepping and then stopping, then stepping again.

Congratulations Chris . . . again!

Wow Chris! I just want to gush about the super-teacher husband I have. After a mere five months of teaching at his high school, Chris was awarded with the "Super Spartan Staff Award." This is a huge deal because some teachers have been teaching for twenty years and have not received this achievement. I have to say though-- I am not shocked. Wherever Chris goes his co-workers always tell me how much they adore him and how he is a very valued employee. It was only a year ago that he was featured in our local newspaper for his creation of a website that helps his Spanish students study at home. It just reminds me how very lucky I am to be married to such a great man. He has a great gift for touching people's lives. I am glad I can share in the magic. Way to go Chris! Hallie and I are so proud of you. We look forward to all the other accomplishments you will achieve. I am glad you chose me to share this journey through life with. I love you.

Dinner Time

Here is our little Hallie at dinner time last night.