emily and logan

Good tunes/ good moves

2011-09-02T09:33:00.001-07:00

I don't think there's much cuter than a baby dancing. River finds it necessary to finish off his dance routines gymnast style. Don't know where he gets this stuff....

River thinks I'm funny

2011-07-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

The Narrows

2011-07-03T11:12:00.001-07:00

I thought I might update the ol' blog for a worthy event. Yesterday Logan and I hiked the narrows in Zion National Park with my dad, Logan's brother Spencer, and our friend Tim Huntzinger. We had the time of our lives! I definitely plan to go hike this thing as many times as I can while living in St. George and only 40 minutes from the most beautiful place I can imagine.

This hike was, in my opinion, incredibly difficult. You basically hike in the water the whole time along a rocky riverbed through a windy canyon. There are points where you have to navigate through shoulder deep water that is ICE cold (we're talking PAINFUL cold) and very swift currents. Good rubber shoes and a walking stick (two walking sticks if you're cool like me) are essential. Don't be like the guy we saw in jeans and holding a to-go cup of coffee trying to cross over rapids. Just don't.

If you're ever headed through St. G and feel like making a quick detour to Zion, let us know! We're totally experts now, whatever that means....

And now for some pics.

On the trail to get to some real action.

I chose a very unflattering shirt for this trip. Cool.

A fun squirrel!

Our first plunge into the ice! Fake happy.

Now for some honest reactions. Dad and Spencer getting through one of the deepest stretches. We all know how sensitive Dad is to the cold....

Snack break. PB&J on white bread never tasted so good.

Yes. One of my walking sticks is a piece of pvc pipe and the other looks like a grandpa cane.

Somebody help that old guy!!! Hehe. Dad did awesome. Better than me, that's for sure. I definitely almost fell on my head a few times. He probably didn't even need help, but Tim, Spencer and Logan were so great and backed him up the whole time!

Come to think of it, his backpack held our only camera... :)

Best time ever!

love

2011-02-14T08:49:00.001-08:00

i sure love my valentines!

happy valentine's day, everyone!

emerson quilting

2010-10-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

been busy with this.

emersonquilting.wordpress.com

send me your quilts!

quilt for baby john

2010-07-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend emily jones has gone through so much in the past year and i knew i just had to do something for her! she lost her wonderful husband john in an accident last thanksgiving and then brought a beautiful new baby into the world last month! she is an amazing woman. i wish i could do more, but i decided to make her this quilt for baby John to show her how much we love and care about her.

this pattern is so gorgeous. my sister-in-law Leigh can be thanked for that! those little strips were tough, but totally worth it.

i started the quilt before i knew what em was having. hopefully it's not too girly!

no, obviously it's not hand-quilted. a pro did all that work. it turned out perfectly.

love you, em!

yogurt goatee

2010-06-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

birthday song

2010-06-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

my baby is 1!!

2010-06-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

River is turning 1 on the 8th of this month! i really can't believe it. it definitely doesn't feel like i gave birth to him an entire year ago, but here we are! River is walking and talking (in his own language) and totally adorable. we LOVE this guy.

this weekend, we drove to Encinitas to celebrate with our friends and family. i was, of course, stressed to the max and worried River's 1st birthday would be a disaster. but everything turned out perfectly, thanks to Spencer and Monika's much needed and appreciated help with the food and decorations and Laura's expert beak making for our rubber ducky cupcakes! and, of course, Logan worked like mad following my orders and helping me get everything done. thanks everyone! you are the best!!

the process. these things were not easy to make!

cute laura working on those beaks! she had mastered it by the last cupcake.

some decorations!

River and his favorite person!

River and second- favorite. I look shiny and tired. yikes!

interesting expression on Rivs. ha!

extreme close-up!! these beaks liked to slide right off. we need some better decorating techniques, laura!

can't go wrong with some Costco cheese pizza. Connie helping us out with that! :)

logan and laura checkin out the spread.

the food was great! even River, the world's pickiest eater, could attest to that. thanks monika!!

spencer, monika and sterling hangin out. oliver slept through the whole party!

enjoying his birthday cupcake.

CHOMP!

the boys chattin.

the ride home after a long, crazy weekend....

happy birthday, baby!

hoot

2010-05-10T12:27:00.001-07:00

i just finished (well, almost- he still needs his bum sewn up) this little stuffed owl for River's birthday coming up. i really like how it turned out! it's the first stuffed anything i've ever made. i'm not gonna lie, though....he wasn't easy! that being said, i may not actually let River play with him. he would probably be destroyed within the first few minutes. he may just sit prettily on a shelf as decoration in Riv's room.

the eyes, nose, and feet are felt, and the green body part is Minkee that i texturized. i'm not really sure how to get his face un-wrinkly!

bum- not sewn up.

profile shot.

Hi, Hoot!

i'm a mom!

2010-05-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

it's my very first official mother's day! woohoo!

thanks for letting me be your mama, Rivs, even if i do get a little annoying, sometimes.....

lizard friend

2010-05-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

st. george has a TON of fun wildlife, and it's all right in our backyard! i have yet to get a good picture of the cute little road runner that frequents our neighborhood. but this guy totally smiled for me when i quickly snapped a shot of him. he likes to hang out on my window on warm days. which means he's there pretty much every day. i like him.

half-marathon

2010-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

this post is a little overdue. but who cares. logan and i actually set a goal for ourselves and followed through with it! i know. whoa!! crazy! this never happens! training for and running a half-marathon was really great. i recommend it. and honestly, if i can do it, anyone can. anyone. we went from being pretty much non-runners to running 13.1 miles (actually, the Hurricane city people didn't calculate correctly. my Garmin said 13.2 when i crossed the finish line. i want my .1 mile back, jerks!!) in a little less than 4 months. it certainly takes some motivation, though. and by motivation i mean a shiny new pair of running shoes to help me out the door every day. anyway, my point is this: do it. it's fun!

one of our last runs before the race. River was not so fond of the hour-and-a-half training sessions we forced him into toward the end. but he put on his happy little angel face for us anyway.

my dad, laura, mom, and River camped out at mile 10 and took a few pics as we went by. it was great! but i kind of wanted a ride as they zoomed away to get a spot at the finish line. please pretend like you don't notice how scary and gross i look in these pics, k?

the older gentleman in the yellow hat happily passed right by us and said something like, "I'm, like, 70 and i'm faster than you punks. SUCKAAAAS." he was a really nice guy.

the last three miles were like death. i felt several very large blisters forming on the bottoms of my toes and my granny knees were about ready give out. but we never stopped to walk. that's an accomplishment in itself.

ugh. yellow hat man, again. just rubbing it in.

during the last stretch, aNOTHER dude who literally looked about 90 strolled right past us. again! what is with these guys?! i wish i had gotten a picture of him. or a video. he barely moved his upper body as he shuffled along. it was funny. but my self-esteem took quite a beating as he passed by.

aaaaand here we come, rounding the corner! i like this pic. i think you can really see how exhausted yet determined we are. we stayed together for the whole race, which made it much more fun. except it was even more fun when Logan decided he just HAD to use a port-a-potty at around mile 6 and said he'd catch up with me. too bad he didn't realize that i'm pretty much like lightening and couldn't catch me for several miles. he finally yelled out "eeeeemmilyyyy!! just walk for a sec! i'm cominnng!" haha! awesome.

crossing the finish line. we were trying to sprint at the end, hence the blurriness. cool action shot.

we finished in about 2:04, just over our goal. next time.

ah, the perfect post-race picture: me looking sweaty and scary, and logan blowing his nose. nice.

our cute supporters. River is like, "um, can we go now, please?"

we're done!!

i have realized that i never could run a full marathon. i think i could do it mentally. but i don't think my knees could handle it. i would probably OD on glucosamine before being able to do it. i do, however, feel that a triathlon is in my future. perhaps a half-ironman? we'll see....

maybe not

2010-04-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

after deliberating, i think maybe i will just stay un-private for now. it's just easier for everyone. right? i don't really have anything to hide, anyway. so, lurkers, keep on lurking! :)

paparazzi

2010-04-08T09:32:00.001-07:00

sometimes we take so many pictures of River that he just throws on the big shades and scowls at us like, "ugh. you guys are so annoying. i just want to live a normal life." seriously, Rivs.

belly laugh

2010-03-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

River loves Gigi! Gigi is not a huge fan of River, but he doesn't seem to mind.

bouncy bouncy

2010-03-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

fridge envy

2010-03-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

now that i am married with a child, what do i daydream about all the live long day? my future home and how i want it to look!! is that silly? probably. but after living in apartments/duplexes for the past, oh, 8 or so years (on my own and with Logan), a girl can't help but start to get excited about the prospect of actually having a HOUSE all to herself! who knows where that house will end up being, but all i know is that i want one of these inside it.

is it possible for a fridge to be "sexy"? well, if it is, then this one by Big Chill is definitely sexy. i spend a LOT of time in the kitchen, not even necessarily cooking. i'd spend even more time in there just admiring this thing if i had one. ahem....i mean when i have one, thanks.

future athlete

2010-02-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

as most of you already know, Logan and I are training for our half-marathon on april 24th in Hurricane, UT. after nearly 8 weeks of training, we are surprisingly still going strong and really enjoying it! i need to get some more pictures of us getting out there and workin it!

but for now, here are a few pics of another guy who is certainly enjoying riding along with us. he usually falls asleep during our long runs, but he always wakes up at the end looking so happy. it makes our runs completely worth it. :)

private

2010-02-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

okay, guys. i'm going to go ahead and follow your lead and make this thing private. leave me a comment if you'd like me to add you on to "the list". don't be shy. i know there are those of you who lurk around here without commenting. i do it all the time.

i won't officially lock down for a few weeks, so there's still time!

thanks!

River is 7 months!

2010-01-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

actually, he's well into his 7th month, so i should have posted this earlier. River is getting quite wild, and he isn't even walking yet! i'm scared. but i just adore him and that little face, so i don't mind. here are a few things Rivs can and likes to do lately:

-crawl like crazy! he actually began to crawl in his 6th month, but he has mastered it. he has now moved on to pulling himself up to standing and loves giving his mom heart failure each time he does so.

-he loves anything that has a soft tag or cord or ribbon to pull at and gnaw on. we're not sure how or why, but somehow, if the object has a tag or string, he will find it. if we're wearing a sweatshirt with a cord, he will chew on it until it's dripping with drool. yuck! and logan always has to toss his tie over his shoulder on sundays. can't tempt river! he also enjoys destroying books and magazines, so those have all been stored away for now. "NOOO, RIVER!! NOT MY MARTHA STEWART LIVING!!"

- River is loving squash and pears lately, but he recently had a little stomach bug and up came all of his favorite foods....several times, for several hours. after i panicked just a little bit, and rushed him to see the doctor, he was just fine. but he has become picky again and has to relearn his love for squash and pears. i can't blame him! poor guy. and poor me too. most stressful day of my life.

-River is working on some new words and says things like "guh guh guh" and "bah bah bah". i'm working on "MMMMAAAAMA" with him, but we're not quite there yet. just as long as that one comes before "daaada", eh River?

-I am very happy to report that River has been sleeping through the night perfectly for about a month now! i wish his naps were a little longer, but i'm not complaining. 7pm to about 7am is plenty of time for us to get some things done and relax a bit. he always wakes up so happy and gives us a big gummy smile when we go in to get him.

-River's hair is a beautiful shade of auburn. he gets some serious attention any time i take him out, especially from the elderly women and men. they always say, "oh, just look at that red hair!" every time. so funny.

We just LOVE this guy and we're enjoying every moment with him.

funny sleeping positions are quite common.

scratched nose.

enjoying his awesome new high chair!

just being cute. he knows how to get ya.

long, hard day.

holiday hangover

2009-12-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

it's not even christmas yet, and River has already had a little TOO much eggnog. slow it down there, Riv.

crawlin' man

2009-12-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

this is what River has been working on the past few weeks. he is getting pretty good! he's grumpy in this video and my house is a wreck. my voice is kind of annoying, too, but you get the idea. what a cutie! even Gigi thinks so. :)

meal time

2009-12-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

this is usually how things go when i try to feed River new things:

1. so happy! not a care in the world.

2. let's try some of these delicious pears that i cooked myself, rivs!

3. just one little bite.

4. how could you, mom!?

if he's anything like me, he should get the hang of things...

Whoopie Cushion

2009-10-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

all of the other good mothers dressed their children as lions, or pumpkins, or ghosts. well, my sense of humor has gotten the best of me, and poor River is going as a Whoopie cushion for his very first Halloween. hopefully he doesn't hold it against me in 15 years when he looks back on these photos.

he actually didn't mind being in this getup, surprisingly. i stuffed some plastic bags inside to fill out the costume a little, and he liked the way it felt and sounded.

waiting on the couch, all ready to embarrass whoever sits on him!

he he he.

Skywest invited all of the children to trick-or-treat around the offices. we took River and, i must say, he was a hit! we didn't do much trick-or-treating, however. when you're collecting candy and your baby is only 5 months old, everyone knows you're the one who'll be eating it.

Happy Halloween! (thank you, Carrie, for helping me find this amazing costume. i bought it long before River was even born. sad.)

cute guy!

2009-10-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

River was in a very happy mood after his nap the other day. i snapped a bunch of photos of him and he just kept on smiling. he's such a cutie!

black n' blue

2009-10-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

it finally happened. i've broken my pinky toe. it seems like a rite of passage into motherhood or womanhood or adulthood or something! you have to break your toe. my mom has broken hers several times, and more than 1 of the other sessions' ladies have broken their toes too! so if you haven't broken yours yet, beware. and don't cut corners in your house too closely. and watch out for those sneaky little baby bouncy chairs. that's what got me. i bounded down the hall this past friday with a little too much pizazz and WHAM, broken. at first i thought it was just badly stubbed. but when you look at your foot and your pinky toe points out at a painfully perfect 45 degree angle, you know something's up.

of course i started sobbing, worrying more about how wonky my toe's going to look for the rest of my life than about the actual pain. but i also couldn't help but laugh at the same time, looking at my poor pathetic little toe, all askew. logan didn't know what to do, so he laughed with me when i laughed, and then tried to be loving and helpful when i got mad at him for laughing. (only I am allowed to laugh!)

a few pictures:

this is several hours after it happened. it had been taped up for a while and looked a little better. i wish i had gotten a pic of it right when i broke it. it was much more gnarly than this.

the next day. the bruising kicked in. it is really bruised today, but i'll leave it at this. i'm sure no one wants to look at any more pictures of my feet than they have to.

i called the doctor and this is how they told me to tape it. should i go see someone to check the toe, just in case? everyone says that there's nothing you can do for a broken toe, so don't bother. but i'm worried...

4 months!

2009-10-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

my baby is 4 months old and i don't even know where the time went. it feels like ages ago that i was even pregnant (that's a good thing)! now it feels like River has been with us forever- it's hard to remember when we didn't have him.

i LOVE taking care of him and watching him grow and change and discover new things. currently, River loves to suck on his hands, and if he can get both of them into his little mouth at once he likes it even better! he recently learned that he has feet and he likes to grab onto his toes and hang on as best he can. he LOVES Gigi, and laughs hysterically when she runs around. then we laugh hysterically because his laugh is so cute!

Rivs can roll over from the front and the back. he also looks like he's about to crawl any second, but i'm okay with it if that doesn't happen for a while. he gets on his tummy and kicks off so he can scoot a little bit- he just needs to get a little upper body strength and learn to work those biceps! everybody always thinks he's much older than 4 months. he's a pretty big guy. not fat, just big. i just think he's very cute, of course.

we love our Rivs!

the bald spot. when is this thing gonna fill in?! now there are little bald patches all over his head! not the most attractive right now, but i'm confident he'll have some seriously thick hair if it's anything like mine or logan's.

little angel. sleeping- for once. :)

grand canyon action

2009-09-26T16:39:00.001-07:00

since we've moved to st. george, we've decided we need to take advantage of living near some of the natural wonders of the world! the vegas strip (not natural, but quite a wonder) was one of our first escapades, but i won't post about that. it got pretty wild and River would be embarrassed if i were to publicly document all of his parents' gambling shenanigans. what happens in vegas stays.....kiddinnnnngggg. anyway, we visited the grand canyon for the day today (we happen to live only 2 to 2.5 hours away. hello!), and boy was it grand, indeed! i was completely amazed by the immensity of the place. being there doesn't even seem real. it feels as though you are gazing into an enormous painting. logan has hiked the canyon from the north to the south rim- i hope to do it someday, too. someday....maybe then it will feel a bit more real.

the whole drive was gorgeous! we stopped to feed River and rest for a minute and just happened to do so in a beautiful little grove of trees.

River and dad

grand canyon!! wahoo!!

getting tickled. :)

Rivs was a very good sport sitting in that carseat the whole time.

we made it!

the north rim! this side of the canyon is extremely beautiful and green with windy roads and lots of fun wildlife (we saw a coyote and a family of deer on the way). apparently the south rim is much more flat and dry and just plain desert. glad we live on the north side!

just us. check out the view! (i love River's face in this one.)

Riv's and mom havin a good time.

whoa, are you kiddin me right now?

we bundled rivs up when we got there. it was chilly and he had bare feet!

checkin things out.

"duuuude. please don't drop me, k?."

logan being cool.

we had such a great time! i highly recommend it.

Rollin' Rivs!

2009-09-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

it's about time i updated my blog, i suppose. i have plenty of pictures and lots to talk about....i just never feel like i have the time to sit down and post everything! i promise to be better. now that we have flight benefits, we've been out and about a lot lately and i certainly need to document all the fun we've been having with our cute family and friends!

as the title indicates, River has been a little travelin' man! we can pack him up the night before for a weekend in california or washington or wherever, and he is always up for it. aside from one little freak-out on the way to spokane (he screamed for 10 minutes while the plane made its way to the runway and then passed out in my arms the second it took off. sigh...), River has been a fabulous little travel buddy! hopefully he doesn't grow out of that.

last weekend, we visited River's great grandma Briggs and aunt Laurie in spokane! we also got to catch up with Ashley and David Reese and their ridiculously adorable baby girl, Mia, who was born just a week after River.

NOOO! not the yellow shiirrrrt!! Laurie was convinced River found her shirt totally unacceptable and believes this to be the reason he was angry at Prospectors. i really think he was just grumpy and tired, Laurie. we took him home and stripped him down to his diaper. this was much more to his liking.

River worked some serious magic on Grandma. he had her wrapped around his finger! (look at that drool soaked onesie!)

having a little chat with Grams! they had lots to talk about.

hangin out with his new friend, Mia!!

I think Mia liked us!! :)

we had SO much fun in spokane! it was logan and River's first time and i think their first impressions were quite positive.

skywest fun!

2009-08-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

we have a job!! we are so lucky in this economy to have been given an offer. skywest thought logan was da' bomb (really, they did!), and offered him a position at their corporate headquarters in sunny St. George doing pricing and revenue analysis. with only a week before we were headed to Doylestown to move in with my parents, we got a phone call and we packed our bags like mad...much to my parents' dismay, of course.

so here we are now in St. George! it's H-O-T. but i'm looking forward to fall, winter, and spring, when i hear it is really lovely. and actually, the surrounding area is so gorgeous with all of the amazing rock formations and color. River doesn't seem to appreciate it much, though. he just gets all sweaty in his carseat and it makes him mad. it's all he can focus on. so we try to hang out indoors during the really hot hours. we will certainly be using our flight benefits often-- the heat makes me cranky, too.

here are some new pics for your enjoyment.

River and dad. they are friends!

so smiley! the best part of my day is waking up to a little smiley guy in his crib.

favorite bunny friend!

my husband is pretty cute, too. :)

Rivs and Grandma Hansen. for some reason, River feels most at ease pooping and peeing while being held by Grandma. we're not sure why, but i don't know if she likes it that much...

it's the River show!

2009-07-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

i always said i wouldn't be one of those girls who ONLY blogs about new things her baby does or cute pics of her baby or the funny thing her baby did the other day..... but i gotta say, now that i have River, i'm not so sure of that anymore. now, you don't have to think he is as cute or fun as i think he is. however, if you feel like checking up on my blog now or within the next few months or years, you may just have to accept being bombarded by all things RIVER!

here are some new pics!

aunt Laura came to visit us!

can you guess who bought this little outfit?

a new bouncy chair! uuuh, c'mon river. less sleepy, more bouncy!

me and my baby. we like him.

redhead

2009-06-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

in natural light, River has red hair like his mama!

Hi, River!

2009-06-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

here's just a quick update, since quick is all i've got lately. our baby is here! his name is River Stuart Sessions, and he is a total doll. he weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz and 20 in. long, but i can tell he's already filling out quite a bit. he didn't give me much trouble on the way here....oh yeah, except for the unbelievable P-A-I-N i experienced before i got the epidural (my new BFF). i tell you, ladies, don't even think about doing this naturally when the time comes. drugs are worth it. 100 percent.

anyway, we've had him home now for about a week and a half. they don't lie when they say you don't get any sleep with a newborn. that's pretty much true. but River is still learning and is getting much better at getting this whole night and day thing. actually, we could not care less about fewer hours of sleep right now. he is such an angel and we feel so lucky to have him!! what an incredible experience, indeed.

happy family!!

little cocoon.

all cozy.

SO ready!

2009-05-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

i am ready to have this baby! i have about a week and a half to go, but tomorrow would be okay too. none of my shoes, except for flip flops, fit me, my rings are getting a little too tight, and even my maternity pants have been outgrown. i even took a little tumble yesterday because of all this extra weight in weird places! i scraped my knee up a bit, and my dignity also took quite a beating, but, luckily, my wonderful husband yanked me up by the arm just before i fell "flat" on my belly. thanks, honey!

right now, the baby is still semi-nameless. we thought he would be Leo, but now we're not too sure. we have a few names in mind, but we're gonna keep it on the down-LOW until he's born. then you'll all just have to pretend you love it! for the moment, he's "Scooter". i had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and Scooter is in the heads down position- perfect for scootin' on out any day now!

c'mon, baby! your mom is tired of looking like this:

fun things for baby

2009-03-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

i know i should be focusing on purchases for my baby that are practical and, well, actually necessary. but then i come across stuff like this and suddenly there is the voice in my head that says, "it will be mine. oh yes....it will be mine." or something along those lines, anyway. so naturally i must listen to the voice, right?

these mobiles are so beautiful and so adorable at the same time. i would take any of them or any by Flensted, the Danish company that makes them.

i love these knitted fruit rattles. so cute. so expensive. what more could you want for your baby?!

there are a lot of cute baby things at Etsy.com that are doable in terms of expense, though. i love these bibs. the girl who makes them picks the cutest prints and they're covered in plastic so they wipe clean. (check out evelynkate at etsy)

okay, toddler-sized converse. c'mon. absolutely necessary. i promise, however, that i won't buy any until he is actually walking.

does it seem like i'm the one who actually needs this stuff and not the baby?

MAUI, baby!!!

2009-03-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

my sister, sara, got married to her man travis mcroberts this month!! she was kind enough to settle on Maui for the wedding and we all, of course, were obliged to be in attendance. yes, it's getting somewhat warmer here on the "mainland" now that it's almost spring, but there's nothing like getting away from provo for a week to a tropical paradise. (i make it sound like i do this all the time, right? wrong.)

well, everything went swimmingly! the condo where we stayed in Kihei was awesome, with a swimming pool and hot tub practically right outside the front door! sara's wedding was perfect with virtually no mishaps or freak-outs or voices being lost* (*see emily sessions' wedding day). and we all got to do fun things like snorkel and whale watch, etc. so fun!

as always, here are some pics for a better idea...

there are a TON of fun creepy crawlies in maui, and i, of course, wanted to take them all home. logan caught this little guy after the wedding. it took a while, and that lizard was not happy to be photographed, but logan, as you can see, was thrilled!

there were lots of giant snails outside our condo with very interesting shells. snails were an emily favorite back when i was about 5.

logan also caught this fatty toad for me at our condo. i probably would have been able to grab him but this 6 1/2 month belly slows me down. the toad proceeded to pee pee in my hands after logan handed him over. i think he liked me...

here i am at the wedding. just gettin' a little loosened up, y'know?

the gorgeous bride and groom, during their photo session after the ceremony. looks like this came out of a magazine, no?

logan and me at the luncheon. you really can't go anywhere in maui without there being a beautiful view!

me and my sis, laura before the torture of sliding into the freezing water. once you're in, it's great! but even sticking your big toe in was pretty painful. i seem to remember my dad making some comment while we were swimming like, "hey guys, right around me is reeeeally waaaarrmmm...." uuuh, what does that mean, dad? also, the photos get much more embarrassing than this. for all of your sakes, i decided to stick with the ones of me that remain from the neck up.

just logan and me, enjoying the beach.

i have a ton more pics that i could post. but based on these few, the moral of the story is that maui is fun!! MAHALO! (we said this a lot as a joke to look even more like the tourists that we obviously were.)

ultrasound

2009-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

this week was our long-awaited ultrasound. for some reason i was really nervous when we got there. it was that feeling like you're about to meet someone really important for the first time and you have no idea what to say! the ultrasound tech was obviously seasoned in her profession and got right down to business. we just tried to keep up! she was like, "okay, here's this and we gotta check this for that and this looks good and it looks like this, that, and the other....". she went too fast! i just tried to ask as many stupid questions as possible to slow her down a little. and then she took a few photos of our little guy. i have to say, it looks like he's going to be veeerry handsome....what?? have a look for yourself!

here he is in a most pensive state. he's quite an intellectual. i'm surprised the ultrasound didn't pick up his wire-rimmed glasses and copy of Thoreau's "Walden".

here's his face looking a little extra-terrestrial. still cute, though!

a tiny little foot!

and we can't forget the money shot. this is what we all wait for during ultrasounds. besides hearing "everything looks healthy", we just wanna get a quick peek down there, right? and i don't think there can be any mistaking that this guy is a guy.

it's all so exciting! i wish i could see him right now, and not deal with 4 more months of awesome pregnancy. i can wait, though.

lemon meringue pie

2009-01-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

i know, i know. two posts in, like, the same half hour. impossible, right?! well, this is just a quick one to show you my beautiful lemon meringue pie that i made tonight. it's so good looking and tasted even better, guys. the recipe was from the america's test kitchen cookbook, so if you need the recipe, i can certainly email it to you.

i don't bake often, and this pie is pretty involved. so the fact that it turned out so well was pretty exciting and i kind of impressed myself. it was worth the blog!

for the unbelievers

2009-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

a few individuals who haven't seen me in a while are refusing to believe that i have gained any weight or that my 20 week belly exists as i have described it. well, have a look at this:

yeah, i know. not very flattering. i always feel a little forced to take "belly" pictures. i know it's important to document my growth if i ever wanted to show my children or if i just want to look back upon it in the future. but c'mon. who wants to take pictures when you just don't quite feel you're looking your best. so i'm like, "c'mon logan, take a picture of me while I show how big i look and force a smile for the camera."

to be honest, i actually like my belly. it can be cute. it's not quite at that point where i'm so big people are wondering how many babies are actually in there. and it's not so heavy that my back is killing me yet. it's just the other "areas" of my body that are getting bigger along with it that bothers me. no need to be any more detailed...just make your assumptions.

i'm no model

2008-12-12T18:35:00.001-08:00

my lovely friend adrienne began a jewelry line called Phylum Kingdom recently and somehow decided that my goofy face was worthy of modeling her beautiful creations. we spent last saturday together with a couple of photographers, both in the Bean Museum (taxidermy galore; it was fabulous) and a BYU photography studio. i think it turned out pretty cool, for adrienne's purposes, at least. it took me a while, however, to figure out that just staring at the camera expressionless makes me look tired and zombie-ish. you gotta lift those eyebrows and give the camera a "coy" half-smile, as adrienne coached.

here are some of the decent ones. check out the rest here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6346656 at adrienne's etsy shop, and don't hesitate to make a few purchases at the same time!

i have a newly found respect for models in general and for all those nerds on America's Next Top Model. it's hard work. plus, you always gotta worry that they're shooting you on your good side. am i right?

The Curious Case of Emily's Top Button

2008-12-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is actually not curious as at all. I know exactly why the top button on my jeans needs to suddenly be popped open after a meal, or just when sitting down at all. I know why, after about 4 years of avoiding meat as a devout vegetarian, I am now craving McDonald's double cheeseburgers and a little turkey on Thanksgiving. And Logan definitely knows why he now instinctively sloooowly backs away when I say, "Don't come over here." It's cuz I'm pregnant guys. I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to wait another month and pair this blog with a cute little ultrasound picture or just do it now before people start whispering, "Emily needs to work out," behind my back. I don't have any profile belly pics to show or one of those SUPER cool animated babies off to the side to show how how many days are left. maybe that will come later...maybe. but for now, I'll just keep it simple. I start my second trimester next week. And you all will be the first ones to find out if the little one is feminine or toting some excess baggage in there. Isn't this going to be just s'much fun!? (man, i gotta get out of Utah.)

*Dan, the capitals were just for you. It was really hard for me, so don't expect it to stick.

India Fest

2008-10-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

yeah, i know this is a little late. but i have some pictures, so i thought i'd just do a quick post about lame fest, er, i mean, india fest. logan had been begging me forever to go to this hari krishna temple in spanish fork for a little indian par-tay. this year, i finally obliged. however, i give this so-called "fest" a D+ as far as fun goes. and we both realized this. it wasn't just me being close-minded. i think logan described it best when he said, "it's just a bunch of bad music and smelly llamas." yes. thank you. i dont recommend india fest to anyone who considers participating in the future.

but here are some pictures anyway.

they told us we could either remove our shoes inside the temple, or wear these stylish, plastic shoe covers. i opted for fashion.

my new friend.
logan made a friend, too! and gave him a nice neck rub.
okay, lady. take our picture quick while we have on our fake smiles. let's get the heck outta here!
no offense all you india fest lovers! i found it totally not worth it.

the biggest (blog) loser

2008-09-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

yeah i know, okay? you don't need to tell me. i suck at blogging. but i'm sure the reason that most of you keep saying "update your stupid blog already!" is that my blog heretofore has been so ridiculously awesome that you just need more. you are obviously all checking up on my blog every hour to see if i've made an appearance. am i right? well, now the only ridiculous thing around here is the fact that i haven't updated in, ooooh, maybe like 3 and a half months? embarassing. but, then, it's MY blog. so i will update whenever i want. maybe the post after this one will be in like 2 years! how bout that?! so just lay off the pressure, guys!...........

um, i really promise to be better.

the only thing i felt like mentioning on this momentous occasion (that being emily sessions updating her blog, if you forgot) is my total and utter confusion of my being compared to Nicky Hilton! for years now, friends, and random strangers even, have felt compelled to tell me how much a resemble this totally lame psuedo-celebrity/the only reason people know who she is is the fact that she's Paris Hilton's sister and that doesn't make it much better. and, for the record, i don't even find her very attractive. and, therefore, i don't take it as a compliment.

there's a picture. let's set the record straight. you all, my close friends and family, will be honest with me, right?

sorry. not the best post ever...just something on my mind.

never mind. i'm not going....

2008-06-28T20:42:00.001-07:00

okay, fine. so maybe i'm not going to tokyo. or even korea, for that matter. you all knew it would happen. you knew i'd eat my words not long after i uttered them . "woo hoo!! i'm goin to japan, SUCKAAAAS!", is pretty much how it came out, as i recall. well, sheepishly, i now must retract my snobbish comments and say, "alas, no. i will not be enjoying a lavish, jealousy-inducing, vay-cay to japan. for i do not have the fundage." that's right. i'm kinda poor, and kinda sad. and seriously?? so very lonely! it's been 2 months now without my man and i'm over it. not even Gigi's company does it for me anymore, no matter how much i like her.... logan?! if you're out there, i need you back!

at least logan is having a ball on his little all-expense-paid Asian adventure. that is, aside from the actual working at LG part which is, well, just work, and who likes work, really? logan has been able to travel around a large part of south korea and has even visited the nearest city in japan for the weekend...y'know, just for kicks. no biggie. whatever, babe. i have to sit here night after night watching So You Think You Can Dance (no complaints here, actually. a fabulous show) and the Bachelorette (i close the blinds and keep the volume low for this one. a guilty pleasure, indeed), eating the same spaghetti and store-bought sauce every night while you're off perusing korean markets and sampling authentic, non-Happy Sumo sushi in japan!!! i gotta say, Logan got the better deal here

here are a few pics of Logan, the jet-setter:

logan showing his LG spirit. gimme an L! gimme a G!! gimme a.....well....that's it. a bit edward scissorhands-esque, don't you think? very aesthetically pleasing.

not sure where or what this is, but it's a beautiful view and i'm jealous. with my luck, it's probably what he sees when he opens his dorm room blinds, eh? oh and why is it that anytime i'm not around, logan suddenly feels the urge to experiment in the facial hair department?

well, this looks fun! he just better be planning on picking up a little something pretty for me.

another lovely day next to the...green....pyramid? well, it's a nice picture anyhow...

wait, wait.....suddenly, i'm not feeling so jealous anymore.

oh, yes. that's exactly what i've been craving lately. a whole fish on my plate. head, bones, scales, the lot. lemme at it! (gag. reflex. kept. under. control.)

happy birfday, yo!

2008-05-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

it's my dad's birthday today! yesssss! i have the best dad ever, just so you know. first of all, he's hilarious!.... well, he tells the same jokes over and over again, but we always laugh. ("well, dad, i gotta go jump in the shower." dad's response? "don't fall down!" ha!) he's also very caring and concerned about all of his kids. i don't know anyone who gets as many daily calls from their dad as i do. (oh, and it's double that when mom's out of town.) for a former marine and owner of enough guns and ammo to fully supply his own army, dad is also surprisingly sensitive. he loves babies and animals and i'm pretty sure he blubbered the most on my wedding day. cute. he's pretty much a REALLY cool guy and i love him!

here's dad pretending to be "on a plan".

aaaaand, five seconds later, off the plan.

trying to cuddle with some ducklings:

we're friends!!

you're the best, dad!!

mess you up!

2008-04-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

okay, seriously, don't mess with my future brother-in-law, ok? just read the title. he's dangerous. how dangerous, you ask? well, more dangerous than the bubonic plague, if you're looking for clarification. travis is a "cage-fighter". i'm sure there's a more sophisticated and correct way of explaining his SKILLZ, but just look at the pictures from his fight the other night! this guy never knew what hit him.

here's travis sizing up his unworthy opponent with fire in his eyes.

catapulting this dude with minimal effort- impressed yet?

this move says one thing- PAIN.

whoa whoa! a sweet round house kick to finish him off.

"and by unanimous decision, travis mcroberts is the winner!" the other guy is saying "uh-guuuuh"

in conclusion, as eloquently as possible, i say: he shall teareth you limbeth from limbeth.

book of mormizzle, bizzle!

2008-04-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

(what? we could use a little street cred. )

AHN-YAN!

2008-03-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

logan got an internship with LG in korea for this summer! nice! well, logan is pretty stoked. i'm partially excited, only because i'm selfish and i'm not looking forward to being all by my lonesome for 2 and a half months. (at least i have gigi for some company) i guess it's time to actually take up all those hobbies i tell people i do, but i never actually do and i end up watching shows like survivor and american idol instead... ANYway, i do have a reason to be excited, however, because we are TOTALLY going to japan for a week at the end of this internship! i cannot wait. i hope it's as awesome as i i'm imagining it will be. i'm sure it will be, as long as laura comes with us. she's fun to hang out with and will know of cool places to go, i'm sure.

TOKYO here we come!!! (and korea for logan...that's pretty cool, too. :)

look excited, babe! you're about to work with a bunch of people who call you not just Logan but "MR. Logan". it's just what you've always wanted!

young love...

2008-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

for those who didn't know, logan and i met when we were about 8 years old. for me, it was pretty much love at first sight! i don't know if the same goes for logan. i was at a bit of an awkward stage at that point. you know, the freckles, big teeth, "prince valiant" hair cut (as my sisters liked to call it). oh, i had it all! anyway, i was digging through some old photos at logan's parents house and came across this little jewel.

this is the hansen family at the sessions' home for dinner in fredericksburg a few days before we moved to italy for 3 years. from my description earlier, you can tell that i'm the one on the left. logan is the little one on the right. you can't tell from this picture, but we are totally playing footsies underneath the table.

this is a little piece of history, guys! i knew what i wanted from quite an early age...i make things happen, pretty much.

(ps: sorry, mom. you've updated the glasses since then, but now everyone knows what they used to look like. whoops.)

YUM-O!!

2008-02-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

okay, so i just need to blog something, anything! it's been way too long, i know. (well, i know cuz shannon told me) i just have no life, people. i work, come home, take out gigi, make some dinner.... i barely even get to hang out with logan very much because he has homework and work and whatever else. usually he locks himself in the bedroom and i always try to run in during the commercials of some reality show i'm watching and do crazy and awesome dances to get his attention. his response? "this is why i go to the library to study." sad. (i know he secretly loves my scary dancing) this is life though. for the next year probably.

ANYway, i think rachael ray is as nerdy and annoying as the next person. but i gotta say, she is my GIRL when it comes to vegetarian recipes. i have her 30 minute veggie meals cookbook and i have to say every last recipe i have made from it has been to die for. so here's the most recent one i made and loved:

penne primavera

vegetables:
2 c. broccoli florets, separated into bite-size pieces
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1 small zucchini or yellow squash, cut into thin matchsticks
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin matchsticks
1 cup water

sauce:
1 T. butter
1 T. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for the layperson)
2 medium shallots, minced
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 c. low-sodium veg. or chicken broth
1/2 c. half and half or light cream
a handful parmigiano reggiano or romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. fresh thyme (naaaah)
1/2 pound penne

place vegetables in a deep skillet with 1 c. water. bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and steam the veggies for 3 minutes. drain and return to pan; cover and set aside.

in a small skillet or sauce pan melt butter into oil over medium heat. add shallots and saute, 2 minutes. sprinkle with flour and cook 1 minute more. whisk in broth and bring to a simmer to thicken. whisk in half and half or cream and bring sauce back to a bubble. reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer uncovered, 4 or 5 minutes. stir in cheese, salt and pepper, and thyme. place veggies back on stock top and add pasta and sauce to pan. serve immediately.

thanks, rachael! it was just delish!

a shout out

2008-01-22T20:07:00.001-08:00

i'd like to give a quick shout out to my girl Gigi! for those of you who would like a dog, but your spouse repeatedly tells you "no", this is how you go about it. secretly go and adopt a cute one that is already housebroken, bring her home, and tell your spouse "no refunds. sorry."

well, that's what i did, and logan was mad. i don't know that i would actually recommend deliberately going behind your spouse's back and purchasing a dog. but now that we've had Gigi for a while, i can safely say that he loves having her around and holds no grudges (that i am aware of).

Gigi is a mini australian shepherd and the nicest little dog ever! she is pretty shy though, especially when a camera is involved for some reason. we usually have to hold her in place for her to take a picture for us without running away. sorry...these are the best i could do.

logan's favorite new hobby--going outside in the icy cold dead of night to let Gigi trot around all of Provo until she locates the perfect patch of snow. no really, he just loves it! notice Gigi shielding her fragile eyes from the camera's evil light (as she sees it...).

"i'd like to just chew on my bone and lay on my dirty blanket in peace, thank you. get that camera out of my face."

ooooh, gigi....

my cool family

2008-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

here are some pics (yes. PICS!) from this past weekend. it was a sad time since the gathering was for my grandpa hansen's funeral. the whole weekend was lovely though. we always have the best time when we all get together, if you couldn't tell.

any time the rest of us are trying so hard to look cool, carrie whips out the best pose of all (in this case, an awesome ho-down dance move in full force) and steals all the glory. nice.

the paparazzi were swarming. i was like, "fine, just get your picture and be on your way." this guy wouldn't let up, though. annoying.

bringin sexy back. duh.
if you know the hansen's, you would know we just can't end a photo session without a few "crazy pics". this one is crazy indeed.

i'm a little slow...

2008-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

okay, so fine. i made this grand entrance into bloggingdom and i've had one post in about a month. the problem is this. i'm slow with computer stuff. i can't figure out how to post pictures or how to add my friends' blogs as links. how!? how do you do it? carrie says if she can do it, then i can. i don't think so, carrie. help me out here, guys.

(insert picture of me here with an unhappy/quite distraught facial expression....if i only knew how.)

the bandwagon.

2007-12-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

yes. i've decided to jump on. everyone has got a blog now and i was feeling a little left out. not that i have anything very exciting or blogworthy to share really, but i figure i might as well update those who care on my life just as it is. but stay tuned, guys. interesting things could happen at any time. you're on the edge of your couch, biting your nails. little beads of perspiration are beginning to form on your forehead. your fingers shake as you read this sentence. "what, oh what, is going to happen to emily next?!?!", you say to yourself. well, we'll just have to wait and see. i, myself, am just as anxious to find out. i just hope i'll be able to figure out how to post pictures on this thing so it will actually be worth it.