And Sara’s turn:

Here are my attempts at artistically capturing the fall foliage in the Mount Vernon area. Obviously it needs some work, but even still you can tell how pretty it is around here. I love it!

And we’re heading to NYC next weekend so more great pics to come!

Shaunelle received her temple endowment in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple on May 15, 2010.  It was an amazing day with an amazing daughter!

Briana recieved her temple endowment in the Draper Temple on May 29, 2010.  It also was an amazing day with an amazing daughter!

Eric Nielson and Briana (Esplin) Nielson wedding day June 19th, 2010

First of all, one of my best friends Tania came up with her family from Tucson and took beautiful engagement pictures of Briana and her fiance Eric. They are AMAZING and hands down my favorite engagement pictures I’ve ever seen. Plus it helps they are such a gorgeous couple. Here are a few highlights of the shoot:

Disclaimer on the first picture: This was my idea for an engagement picture but she stole it or rather I let her borrow it. So when I use it for one of my engagement pictures later on just know that I am NOT copying her. Another fun fact about this photo is that Eric restored this vintage bike for her for Christmas. Amazing!

Next, the big news in Rachel’s life is that she got her braces off! She has always looked super cute but she looks so grown up now! She’s a beauty!

Speaking of beauties…Lauren got all dolled up today and went to prom. I had to post a lot of pictures because quite honestly she looked STUNNING and I want to show her off.

!

(Um, Lauren you’re kind of far away from your date!)

Wow, I really do have some good looking sisters!

And finally I’ve been trying to be more crafty/domestic so I wanted to show you a few things I’ve been working on in my spare time (this has been a series of projects over the last five months or so)…

The following bike painting and typewriter key paintings were copied from a Pottery Barn catalogue. They were way too expensive to buy, so I just used them for inspiration and made my own versions!

You can’t really tell how cool this next project was from the picture so I’ll just describe it to you. It cost me $2.00 to make. I bought a styrofoam wreath and book from the dollar store and then made a wreath from the pages of a book. I felt a little bad for tearing apart the book since my mom always taught us that “books are our friends” but trust me it wasn’t great literature in the first place.

And finally, sunflower cupcakes that I made this weekend. They’re from this adorable cookbook called “Hello Cupcake” and I’ve been dying to try something from it.

As you can see we’re keeping busy and loving life!

Before I begin, I would like to formally announce that Shaunelle has finished a large sewing project–Everybody clap for Shaunelle!!

And an explanation on why I’m writing out of turn. Last night, in the middle of the classical radio station’s creepy Sunday organ music, the power went out. Basically I was freaked out of my mind. And the lights flickered back on for a second, right as the organ played “duh duh duh duh”. We were out of electricity for approximately 20 minutes, ergo I could not perform my duty as family scribe.

Here at the Esplin household, we are pretty excited for our parents. Today is their 25th anniversary!! Pretty exciting, eh? I and my sisters are planning a sister sleepover at Shaunie’s house so that our parents can enjoy eachother without all the girls. Sister sleepovers are pretty much my favorite.

Well, farewell for another six weeks

-Lauren Elizabeth

As we near winter, and the cabin project is getting close to being put to bed for the season, I thought I’d share a couple of photos of the progress we’ve made this summer.

The excavation is done and the footing forms are in place

The footings are poured, now the foundation forms are up

Pumping the concrete into the Foundation Walls

Pumping and working the concrete for the basement floor

Floor joists installed, laying out main floor sheathing

Framing the main floor walls

Raising the Kitchen Wall

Grandpa makes sure walls are straight

Briana concentrating hard on sanding (it helps to turn it on though, and actually watch what you're sanding!)

Who knew laying out walls took four people?

Aundrea's sugar fix helps here lift the kitchen Glulam up to Jayson. Briana wonders if she should actually help at some point!?!

The last main level wall goes up!!!

Putting up the wall sheathing on ladders

Putting up the floor joists for the second floor

Taking a break from Cabin Building

Moving the logs off the truck

Placing the balcony/roof support logs temporarily until we're ready for them

Setting the roof trusses in place

Roof trusses minus the overhang all in place

Logs peeled, all ready to set for overhang and balcony support

Rachel up on the hydaulic lift before roof metal installed

Setting the logs for the roof overhang and double balcony support

Placing the roof overhang extension beam

Setting the roof trusses on the deck overhang

Finishing the roof sheathing on the deck overhang

Lower deck logs set (creek side) and deck supports framed

Roof wrap and tyvec installation

Windows and flashing installed

Installing the metal roofing

Framing the Upper Balcony Deck

Installing metal fascia and soffet

Aundrea's eight foot front door stained and installed

Grandpa putting the finishing touches on the front door seal coat

Stairway up to upper level installed. Interior walls framed. Rough in Plumbing and some rough wiring complete.

Upper landing/loft, looking down stairs toward main door

Kitchen cabinets awaiting installation in 2010

Pulling electrical wires into the basement

Trying not to electrocute myself at the service panel

Pittsburg Creek in the fall after a light snowfall

Late fall waiting for the tardy siding installers

View looking north from the cabin

Lake Panorama -- why we love our cabin lot!

So that’s where we are right now… still waiting for the flaky siding installers to come up and install our dark red metal siding. The cabin will actually winter fine without it, but it would be nice to have the wrap protected from the winds and snow/water intrusion over the winter.

Stay tuned next spring, when we 1) complete rough-in electrical wiring 2) Framing inspection 3) Insulate the cabin 4) Finish a bathroom and bedroom in the basement 4) Hopefully start finishing the main level.

Final 2009 Update!!! Siding is installed!

East View with the red siding finally installed!!!

South View -- Siding installers 40' ladders still up

Fall is my favorite time or year
You know it’s fall when…

The pumpkin plates are on display in the pine hutch

We’ve EATEN our way through two days worth of the the fabulous talks of October General Conference. Ham and Cheese roll ups are still the main food staple for that weekend

Gardner Villages displays all their fun witches (pretend you see great pictures here of the fun time we had there!)

We get to see the the beautiful colors of leaves changing in the mountain via “mini” rides with Rick and Sherie

UEA and no homework for 3 whole days!

The air conditioner goes off and we freeze seeing how long we can make it until we have to turn the heater on

Hot chocolate and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for after school snack

I sure wish I could post some great pictures of the beautiful autumn colors and fun fall memories, but maybe your imagination will have to do this time around. I wonder if there’s a way for my darling daughters to add pictures when they add comments? Maybe there is a little pumpkin treat for anyone who helps me out here!!

HAPPY FALL!

By: Shaunelle

Hello Nation! And welcome to the official Esplin Family Blog. The first order of business I’d like to take care of is assuming the role of official “Queen of the Family Blog.” I know my other family members will approve and support me in this decision. Moving on…

There is a lot of pressure being the first family member to post on the family blog. I mean, besides serving the purpose of keeping the family in touch and up to date on current events we’re also hoping that this blog can serve as a sort of “family journal” to share with our posterity. And we really want to impress them. Plus there’s my track record with projects to reckon with. It’s hard to believe, but besides being the Queen of the Family Blog I am also the Queen of Unfinished Projects. I literally have a drawer full of them at home…sitting there waiting to be finished…one day. Every so often I go through the drawer and get nostalgic and renew my goal of finishing them. Then I smile, close the drawer and promptly forget they exist for another year. There were the cross-stitched hand towels I started in seventh grade. Then there was the skirt I started to sew in eighth grade that ended up being the wrong size so I stopped with only the zipper left. Oh, and the pajamas pants I tried to sew for Rachel at Christmas but ended up cutting out the wrong part of the pattern instead. I had used too much of the fabric and didn’t have enough left to finish the pants. (Come to think of it…most of my unfinished projects have to do with sewing.) You’d think I would have learned my lesson but recently the creativity bug bit me again. So I consiously suppressed the memory of all of my past failures and allowed the crazy idea that I wanted to save money by knitting a yellow blanket instead of buying a similar one from Ikea take over. This was a month and a half ago. You can see my progress in the photo above. I’ve got a 7 inches sewn. Sooo yeah.

This blog will not be like my other projects. I promise. You know why? Because this is a team effort. You see, I have the system figured out. In the past, whenever my sewing expertise would fall short my dear mother would come to the rescue. She would help me see past the tears and frustration, give me a pep talk and then she would finish my project for me. I have at least 2 quilts, a pair of pajama pants and a Christmas skirt to prove it.

I know my family won’t let the blog project fail (see now the pressure’s on them). Phew. So here’s how it’s going to go. Each family member will be take a turn posting once every six weeks. We all think that’s pretty doable. And now, without further ado (or further confessions about my failures) – -

Tag Mom…you’re it.