September 29, 2011

30 DAYS!!!

time is speeding up.
seriously where does it go?

in just 30 days i will be sealed to mr. barlow for time & all eternity.
this makes me happy. really happy.

in honor of this upcoming event i was showered with love and more love!


my lovely catherine card along with her mama held a shower for me just last night.
cat is the pepper to my salt. the jelly to my peanut butter. the cheese to my macaroni.
i know we say this alot. but it is a true fact.
she is also the hostess with the mostess!

thank you for the beautiful shower my lovely.


this was probably my favorite moment of the night ..
it is a beautiful crocheted decoration for our future barlow home but some people thought it was something else! 
[thank you hayna & granny babs!]


i feel blessed to have some very lovely & beautiful girlfriends from the G7! 
emily you are counted in this even though you left right before this photo!

also it was ever so lovely having my family, future in law family and monrovia ward family there to celebrate!


never knew this was a bridal shower tradition!
now i do!
thank you for your hard work haybo!

it was like my birthday but not!
i feel so loved!


and right when the party ended mr. barlow came by to give me a hug & kiss. or two.

30 days! 30 days! 30 days!
we will see you dancing right next to us.

September 20, 2011

what love does to you.

come the weekend i wanted to throw my laptop off a cliff.
i was sick of sitting in front of a computer.
even ask mr. barlow or cat.
i was not a happy camper.

so .. 

mr. barlow whisked me away to spend the day at our happy place.

i know it seems like we go to disneyland every weekend.
we do.
usually.
but we hadnt in about a month.
preposterous!

this wedding planning thing has really been cutting into our disneyland adventures.
but not this past weekend.

so like i said mr. barlow whisked me away and we spent all of saturday at this magical place.

and this is what love does to you.

love makes you want to better.
love makes you work harder.
love makes you grow.

example a.
the pickle.

i do not like pickles.
never have.
my sisters do though!
well at least i know heather does.
laura?! 
twin thing?!

i use to even pick out the pickles in marmies potato salad.

mr. barlow on the other hand LOVES, i repeat LOVES pickles.
he even told me when we first started dating that his family made pickles popsicles.
oh they really do. and they really love them.

our first trip to disneyland was in december 2010.
mr. barlow got a pickle. i got a diet coke.
perfect right?!

then mr. barlow asked me if i wanted to try his pickle.
i said NO WAY!
but i caved.
he looked at me so sweetly.

i took a bite and it was not yummy to my taste.
mr. barlow giggled as i made a funny face.

as our disneyland trips have progressed so has the pickle bites.
mr. barlow always gets a pickle. i always get a diet coke.

lets remember how often this couple goes to disneyland.
thats a lot of pickles & a lot of diet coke.

thats a lot of little bites too.

this weekend was a big deal at disneyland!

on september 17th, i, melanie elizabeth warner, soon to be mrs. barlow, UPGRADED TO MY VERY OWN PICKLE!!!

you heard right!
that is what love does to you.

i now officially like pickles.
correction: i only like disneyland pickles & only if i get a diet coke too.

proof below.


it almost looks like i am making out with the pickle.
sorry.

this is also what love does to you ..

makes you giggle & smile all the time.

proof adler & beth!

love this couple and so glad i got to take their engagements.


i love love.

September 15, 2011

"And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me."
Alma 36:27

September 13, 2011

4 months down, 1 monthish to go!

it seems like time has flown since this happy day happened!


the past 4 months have been a growing experience for the both of us.
i am grateful that mr. barlow has been by my side every step of the way.

he deserves an award.

i really like our engagement and i am positive i will really like our marriage.

September 07, 2011

home sweet BAKERSFIELD!


well folks ..
as the wedding nears mr. barlow & i started discussing where to live.
[crazy we get to live TOGETHER!!!]

these past few weeks have been pretty tough.
mr. barlow works for imagine learning.
its based out of provo but he is their software tech man out here in LA and Central Cali.

with school back in session he has been gone. A LOT.
he works up in fresno most weeks .. thats about 3 hours north of LA.
right now he is gone.
left monday. doesnt come home till friday.

its hard but we are making it work.
just like our old rexburg/LA days!

but when we are married i dont really fancy hanging out in LA all week in an apartment for the 2 of us while he is in fresno working.

SO ..
after much consideration and prayer we felt it best to move more in the middle of his area for work.

welcome barlows to ..


in case you were wondering WHERE bakersfield is here is a map.
i didnt even know!!!


it will be a change.
different then LA.

i am looking forward to having an apartment together as mr. & mrs. barlow though.
and for mr. barlow to actually be there.

i am also looking forward to this!


come on! this is gonna be great!

with this change of plans though comes a sad part for me ..

i will be quitting Belle n' Beau Photography.
i just talked to Ray yesterday and we both looked at each other and hugged.

B&B has been a blessing, a learning experience and so much fun!
see!


if you are in need of a job let me know!
message me and i will give you more details.

it is a wonderful place to work!

my last day will be 09.30.11 so i can focus on all those crazy wedding plans in october.
we are interviewing now for my position as studio manager and then i can train you before i leave!

thank you ray for all the good times!

bakersfield .. get ready!
the barlows are coming to you!

September 05, 2011

wisconsin still has my heart ..

today i have been home from my mission for 18 months.
thats the same amount of time i was on my mission.
crazy how time flies.

i still talk about wisconsin everyday.
hopefully mr. barlows not tired of it yet.

i still think about the people there everyday.
i think about green bay, appleton, milwaukee & madison.

i still remember miracle after miracle everyday.
the Lord blesses us.

wisconsin still has my heart.
i really have been lucky to go back twice in the last 18 months.

next time hopefully mr. barlow will come with.
wisconsinites are eager to meet you my love!

maybe we can live there one day mr. barlow?!
heidi & greg did!
we would prob die from the winters though.

i was able to go to wisconsin for sara haskell & erik johnsons wedding!
i am in the process of getting those on my computer!

but in the meantime let me tell you why wisconsin will forever have my heart ..
because of these lovelies & more!

here is my sweet olivia!
she was just 3 when i was there in GB.
now she is 6?!
where did that time go!

i have about 15+ drawings from her when i left the robertsons!

mama hood & blackie this video is for you!
she is so grown up now.
well she was grown up when she was 3 right?!


the pluiminator [esther] and i served in milwakee together!
i'm her mama!
we both taught sara and were her missionaries.
we got to both teach erik a little too!

our planes met in denver and then we flew to the MKE together!
blessings.
when we boarded the plane to milwaukee a passenger said "YOU BETCHA" in response to a questiona and we both smiled and knew we were in the right place.


we named our car estanie for the weekend!

"its like dejavu .. but with pants!" - pluim

we drove to our kozlosky house and crashed!

the next morning we had to get to GB early to take some photos for the to be married.


i love love.

we then went to appleton to see some greats ..


the lovely pang kou yang & family!


the ever so famous jeremiah thomas james!

we also stopped at the ogdens.
love them!

then we went back to the GB & played, played with the robertsons.
well the wedding happened first on saturday and then we played night games with the YW from the GB1st ward!
talk about fun!

i am kinda obsessed with this family!


jed still wears my tie i gave him!


these girls still give lots of hugs and giggles!


and these ones are takin over prebble high!

another great highlight was sitting on the front porch of the ribbons home!
oh how i miss them!
sorry we forgot that picture worthy moment.
i loved spending that time with them.

the pluim and i drove down to milwaukee after GB1st sacrament.
the GB1st members would walk by me and stare at me and then come back and realize it was me!
that LA blonde hair.
totally throws off the sconnies!

we caught the milwaukee 3rd ysa right as church was letting out!
so so so many greats there too!


whitney heller.
beautiful. talented. amazing.


toubee yang!
NOT seethong!
all around best!
makes amazing pho!


heather boese!
love. love. love.


my kozlosky sisters!
miss you lovelies!


the papa k!
always has a DC for me and a bag of chips for the pluim.
he loves us.


we could not fly out of wisconsin without some Kopps and obvi katie wenzel!
i dare to say kopps is better then in n out!


and OBVI we had to eat Kopps frozen custard too!
the Lord loves the pluim because the flavor of the day was RED RASBERRY! 


the pluims dream = put her feet in lake michigan.
we walked up and she changed her mind!


ending our trip with marilyn morris was the best of all.
cant wait to see your dance moves at the wedding!

thank you wisconsin for always showing me love.
i love you back.


and more to come on this Lambeau Field wedding!

the hatch family

i just love my newphew!
he is now almost 1.5 months old!
this is from when he was 1 week.

i have like 125 of these little guy to go through.
here are some of H&B's favorites.

enjoy!










oh and i made this for them too!
love this little man.


ps i feel like blogger messes up my colors?
any advice?!



September 04, 2011

lots of lovin & life = busy.

i feel like my life has been on fast forward the past few weeks.

i feel like i havent been to g7 in months.
its really only been 2 weeks.

i feel like i need a time turner like hermione to catch up.
im going to inquire about that .. maybe they may have one left yet.

so heres a little of whats been going on ..

on 8.22.11 i took rachel & spencers engagements!
rachel is sarais sister and well i just love love love the tuilesu family.
kinda obsessed actually.

spencer & rachel are geting married 2 weeks after jacob & i!

i loved being able to photograph them!
spencer is a crack up & pretty stylin in his bow tie.
rachel is beautiful and loves to laugh with her fiance.

enjoy!











i love love.

also while we are on the topic of LOVE .. these two love birds have been married for 41 years today!
dennis & annell barlow.
greats.

41 years. 10 children. 20 grandchildren.


i love them.

more later on WISCONSIN!
so grateful i was able to go back to that sacred place and be there with the pluiminator for sara & erik!
and to see tons of people i love!

also i got to photograph on Lambeau Field.
now that is a big deal!