"Sittin on the dock of the Bay..."

good news minute.

mr. barlow and i are packing our bags and moving to the Bay area!

it is a sudden change and came out of left field. 

but we are excited for the adventure and here is the tale...

mr. barlow got an email from a Google recruiter on a Friday afternoon saying they matched his resume up with a job and wanted to interview him that coming Monday [Presidents Day].

[side note: jacob applied for a Google Fiber position months prior just for the fun of it but never heard anything back from it.]

Monday came and he interviewed via Google Hangout and then had 3 more Google hangout interviews later that week. one was a group one where they had to sell each other on Gmail, Android or a Chromebook so they could test all their knowledge and skills about Google products.

they called him back the next week and offered him a position!

for what you ask? we have no idea!

he had to sign a non disclosure form and we still haven't been told the product he'll be working on.

here's what we do know...

he has to be in Mountain View, Ca to train on Google Campus for about 3 weeks and then he'll be working out of the San Francisco office.

oh ya, at the end of this month. in 3 weeks.

that is all.

we are taking a huge leap of faith [not much info to go off of!] but it feels right to the both of us and an adventure will be fun.

especially where it is warmer then we are currently. 

we are definitely going to miss our family and friends in the Utah Valley. 

it has been a blessing to call this place our home for the past 1.5 years. 

any guidance for the Bay area would be greatly appreciated!

also in my last welcome back post i realized how ungrateful i sounded for my former job.

i want it to be known i was very grateful for a good paying job where i learned a lot.

it also helped me to push my Photoshop skills!

[i hate sounding so rude, i apologize.]

for moms & dads!

this first video is a tribute to mothers.

warning: it will make you cry.

at least mr. barlow and i did.

its for the Olympics and not only am i now excited for them but i am excited to one day be a mother.

and this video will give you some giggles.

heres to you, mr. barlow in about 10 years!

Branson, Missouri .. we finally meet!

for my mother in laws birthday last month we surprised her with a Barlow girls trip! 

to where?

to none other then BRANSON, MISSOURI! 

i made sure to pack my cowboy boots and i felt right at home.

we had a blast of a weekend!

all of us are scattered across the U.S.A so it was nice to come to one place and play/relax/laugh till we cry.

i like sitting next to the window on planes. 

pretty. pretty.

when we landed in missouri we sure were hungry. 

a college kid told us to try this chinese place but holly and i felt a little unsure about it.

so steak and shake it was! and it was so good.

we then finally met up with all the barlow girls.

this was our pretty cabin we stayed in.

7 rooms. 5 bathrooms. and a great big round table for us!

kristen is clever and i am sure she did this without pinterest!

in honor of annell!

 our pretty log cabin.

the weather was perfect!

oh hey branson!

yes, they really bought these.

that is why i love them.

the barlow sisters/in laws + little lucy!

they had this fancy water show.

like a mix of bellagio/world of color minus the cool disney parts. 

lovely!

that night we went to our first show. 

the twelve irish tenors.

before we go on here is a news interruption!

the interesting thing about our trip is that 2 days after we got home a tornado hit that part of the midwest.

it tore the roof off this theater we were in and damaged different parts of downtown branson we were in.

CRAZY!

here are the stories ..

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/29/10536654-13-killed-as-tornadoes-rake-midwest-states

http://fox2now.com/2012/02/29/branson-takes-direct-hit-from-tornado/

i was kinda obsessed with this theater because it was covered in murals!

see ..?!

this is the one that got really damaged.

we are lucky.

those twelve tenors though, they had some moves!

after the show one of the tenors got word that it was annells birthday!

they sang her a pretty tune.

they also asked us to tag them on fb!

the next day we explored branson and found this little minure golf place.

we made a bet.

top 5 would choose what the bottom 5 losers would have to do.

something embarrassing  obvi.

well the losers were heidi, amber, ME, kristen, and julie!

we planked in the hughes brothers theater!

i think kristens planking was the best.

btw the hughes brothers was this HUGE LDS family variety show.

they had newborns to older parents.

hannah even became friends with one of the younger boys! go you!

when we werent seeing the shows or walking around branson our time was filled with ..

*girl talk until 3am

*yoga! me, kim and hannah missed out on that one bc we like sleeping in

* delicious crepes, breakfast burritos, pesto & chicken ravioli, hot coco, and ice cream sundaes  

*annell, julie and holly driving to the arkansas border at 1am

*pranking on those who left to arkansas!

[lets just say annell is a good sport and doesnt mind her bed getting short sheeted!]

[or hangers in her pillow!]

[or green onions in her toothbrush holder!]

did i mention there was A LOT of laughter that weekend?

till next time barlow girls! till next time.

oh california, how your sun shines on me

last month i had the wonderful opportunity to go to california to see my marmie, spend a day at disneyland, be there for cats special day, take some engagement photos, eat some legit sushi & visit with my in laws.

it was a wonderful weekend.

mr. barlow you were missed.

and thank you Jet Blue for making it all possible.

[who would pass up a $100 roundtrip ticket?!]

disneyland is a place of magic!

even under construction.

thank you imagineers for finally redoing the matterhorn! 

my pass is officially expired.

i am mourning my loss.

i pray we will be reunited soon.

on saturday, the 11th of february cat entered the Los Angeles Temple to receive her endowment.

the Spirit was strong and her smile so bright.

the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true and full of happiness.

i spent time with my marmie, i just love her.

she is not pictured but she sure is a beautiful lady!

i forced cat and peyton to be models.

jk.jk.jk.

they are pros! hello engagement time!

we went to the Los Angeles Arboretum which is pretty much her backyard.

also these pretty guys own the place!

and yes, they do not mind getting close to you.

peyton & catherine

to be sealed for time and all eternity ..

may 19, 2012

thank you for a wonderful weekend.

thank you for some sunshine.

and a special thank you to ichima sushi.

you are divine.

see you soon LA!

daughters in my kingdom

first off i think my sister heather is awesome and so strong.

just let that be known.

she placed her daughter with this wonderful family about 3.5 years ago.

the Allens are pretty amazing.

lynzie was asked by the LDS church to participate in this video about the Relief Society Organization.

it is beautiful.

not only about our ancestry but about her family.

i love that my family is connected to them. 

2011 = something REALLY worthwhile!

its the middle of january and i am happy to say i did not make any new years resolutions. 

so i dont feel guilty drinking DC or not going to the gym tomorrow at 7am or being a bad blogger.

i feel no guilt because i know i wouldnt last a day without a DC, tomorrow is a holiday, and work is keeping me busy in front of my monitor anyways.

but i did want to give 2011 some attention and share with you/my future posterity some pretty notable moments.

enjoy!

mr. barlow and i started 2011 off right!

in love.

we continued our long distance romance between idaho and california.

thank goodness allegiant airlines had such awesome deals. 

february brought melcat to a lot of ysa dances.

we grooved to the beat on many occasion one would say.

february also brought valentines and new romances.

oh hey peycat!

AND the start of a disneyland annual pass!

march meant a lot of celebrations!
my year mark home from the WMM.
of course i celebrated with some in n out.

mr. barlow moved home to california in march so we could date everyday.
it was quite exciting.
we celebrated me turning 26 with a sushi party!

mr. barlow turned 26 just 2 weeks later in march and we celebrated that with a Laker party!

we also started dressing alike.
habit from dating everyday maybe?

come april we were all ready for RAGNAR!

maybe not trained all the way but ready nonetheless.

mr. barlow even surprised me by not only coming to support my Ragnar running but he even ran my last 2 miles with me!

true love.

Ragnar was a definite highlight of 2011.

an experience that i would like to happen again and again.

i am kinda hooked still. 

may brought me a really special surprise ..

cody turning into a statue???

not quite ..

a marriage proposal from mr. barlow himself!

one of the best moments of my life.

the LA Temple is one of the most sacred places to me.

and of course cat was in on it.

thank you for your paparazzi skills! 

he asked and i of course said yes.

and the next day brought us another 2011 special ..

Disneyland Club 33

amazing.

see? pure amazing.

june brought me to utah to be with these sweet kids for a little bit.

they love me, culvers and wisconsin.

we started spending every week at the happiest place on earth!

arizona is really hot in june but we still went before this sister popped!

of course july meant what we had all been waiting for ..

HARRY POTTER!

oh and of course my sweet nephew Easton to be born!

august, sweet august.
the former sister pluim and i adventured back to the great wisco for a wedding and much needed time in the midwest!

august brought engagement photos and more dedicated wedding planning.

come september we were back in the AZ, soaking in the sun and Easton!

so grateful to be there for his sweet baby blessing.

also glad the sun cooled off a bit.

he told me i was his favorite aunt then too!

 i upgraded to eating my own pickle in the month of september.
huge accomplishment!

the fun didnt stop when mary jane and cat threw me a bridal shower!

also across the world in florida some love & devotion was going on.

my big sister got a ring on her finger!

soon to be mrs. wann.

the end of september brought a hard goodbye.

i left my job at belle n beau photography so i could finish planning the warner/barlow wedding.

also to pack our lives up for a move to UTAH!

sure do miss you ray!

come october the soon to be mr. and mrs. became more real!

october meant not only birthday surprises for cat but also marriage proposal surprises as well!

what can we say, we love love!

warners and barlows flooded into LA from all over the USA in october!

barlowpalooza began.

best day of my life.

becoming mrs. barlow.

i love october 29, 2011.

honeymoon at disneyland?

yes please!

after our honeymoon we lived with the barlows for a couple weeks while jacob trained his replacement in LA.

i received a huge blessing.

my friend emily, who i went to college with, helped me get a job with a photographer she worked for in LA.

i am now a digital retoucher for Lori Dorman Photography and i love it.

she is based in LA and i work from home for her in utah.

blessings!

the drive to utah seemed to last forever!

but we finally made it, right after thanksgiving and both our cars filled to the brim with our essentials.

december brought us a visit from the hatchs'!

which meant i got to snuggle with my little peanut.

no snow, more cold, a beard, SLC Temple lights and christmas carols is what december was all about!

christmas eve was the last of the beard. 

two months of no shaving had ended.

a pretty amazing and quiet christmas was had by us.

just together and one we will remember.

mostly because of that rhyme there.

and i must say, i am pretty sure we rung in 2012 in style.

100's of floating lanterns in the sky!

thank you 2011.

welcome 2012.

i know you will be as exciting and worthwhile.