finally...

our last official family photo was about 5 years ago. 

 as much as i love taking pictures (of other people), i dread organizing and executing family pictures.  there is always drama about who strongly dislikes their assigned clothing, shoes, hair, etc. (and this is all from the 5 boys in the house).  but this year we were "forced" to have a small photo shoot done since i had won it with a photographer in our church at a "service auction".  i was trying to wait till i could get rid of some of the baby weight, but lets be realistic...

anyway, with christmas right around the corner, i guess this was a good time to face the beast.

frisco has a great spot to take pictures and i thought i was a genius for suggesting the spot, until we showed up and saw about 30 other families with the same smart idea.

here are a few shots from that dreadful blissful day...

i was happy how they turned out and decently pleased with my boys' behavior...especially the big one, he is usually the worst!  

 while in Utah this past spring we had a chance to visit jake's grandma in orem and take the boys to temple square...

we also had a chance to have a mini family reunion.  we saw cousins, aunts and uncles from both of my parents' sides of the family... 

me with my two sisters and mom.  sure wish i lived closer...

in the salt lake airport, waiting to board the plane...

ready to go home...

a new sister...

my little brother became a husband and gave us a new sister!  we are so excited to have her part of the family and look forward to getting to know her (the first time we met was after she had already became a boyack)!  here are a few--ok, maybe a lot--of pictures from cory and lauren's special weekend in salt lake city...

all the cousins and my little brother, tyler, enjoying breakfast during the sealing...

 grandma boyack and her newest grandson...

 the beautiful bride and the ok-looking groom ;)...

 trying to coax my #3 to wear his suspenders for the picture...

the siblings...

 aunt D trying to get a decent picture with the boys...

 the sisters with their husbands...

 the entire family...

 the cousins matching footwear...

 gma & gpa with the cousins...

the brothers...

 L wanted a flower on his shirt like the rest of the wedding party.  so he found one...

 what a helpful groom...

 all the nephews with uncle cory and their new aunt lauren...

 the sisters...

we've been doing this trick since we were young, and it never gets old.  it's never as funny to others as it is to us. i think my dad actually started it years ago.  we got both the bride and the groom...

 not camera shy at all...

 our amazing "nanny" for the day,  she was awesome...

 the boys with aunt D...

 the boys with gma...

 the boys with aunt taeya...

 the boys "behaving" during pictures...

 us...

 these two were archenemies last time they met, but best friends/partners-in-crime this time around...

some pictures from the reception...

 my first born and my younger brother getting caught stuffing their faces with candy...

 getting funky on the dance floor...

love this picture of my parents...

 their get-away mobile...

 sending them off with bubbles...

we love you both!  what a beautiful start to your eternity together!