Scenic Puerto Rico

It's usually hard for me to take a picture without people in it....but I managed to get some fun ones.








Ok this is a painting I saw in our hotel, but I loved it!

My birthday in PR

Michael always does a good job of making sure my birthday starts out with a bang. This year, he and the boys cut up a whole bunch of 7's and taped them all over the room for me to wake up to. I do love the number 7, and this year, it was 07/07/07. He also gave me a charm and necklace with the number 7 (went to a jewelry store and everything). My shirt does not specify my age, although I wish (well, maybe not 17 with three kids).

Then he found me a starfish while snorkeling....

Then we went to an Old Fort on the corner of old San Juan where I posed with my 3 sisters that I've gained through my brothers.

and of course the brothers

Then there was a little party in my honor back at home....





And my final wish was all the adults play a conversation game at the end of the evening to which I fell asleep on Michael's shoulder at the end...I never fall asleep, I was just worn out!

Alyssa falling asleep

This is what happens when little girls don't sleep in their big girl beds at night....

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Waterfall and misc

El Yunque Rainforest....the boys ran up the winding paths and down the waterfall trail and the adults had to try to catchup.

my little brother

My youngest brother Kirk is getting married next month. He and Rachel met in High School, and they still loved each other just as much after his mission. I got to take their pictures in Puerto Rico and make their announcement. Here is is front and back (of a 5x7 card).

more of my favorites

I am a photographer. I'm used catching cute candid moments of other people...I love when someone can catch a cute moment of me with someone I love.


I think the only one of Michael and I from the trip...he gave me the flower:)



My brother Russell and his wife Kim adore my children and for that I adore them even more....on the hour long ferry, they sat and entertained them, and then they all fell asleep. It was a glorious sight.

tyler snorkeling

the only shot of our entire family...not the greatest, but i'll accept it

uncle steve should be proud of his nephew pulling a silly face

some beach shots

From Puerto Rico, we took a 1 hour ferry ride to a smaller island called, Vieques....we stayed there for the night and the water was sooo blue. A really cool thing we did that I don't have any pictures of b/c they don't allow you to bring cameras....is the Bio Luminescent Bay. Translation: glow in the dark water! We took Tyler and Matthew and my siblings (grandparents stayed home with little ones) and we took kayaks out to the middle of a bay. When it got pitch dark, and the water is irritataed, it glows....to read a further description on why the water glows, check this out and this too for another pict. The boys loved it, and so did we! Another interesting note (so the locals say)....Vieques is the 3rd corner of the Bermuda Triangle....other points being Bermuda (of course) and Miami Florida.

More scenic picts to come....

Our Puerto Rican Dinner

This family was so much fun! They know my brother Ryan from church. The mom has 6 sons, one of whom is the Bishop in their ward (at 25). She is the R.S. president at church (far left in video clip) and the dad the H.P. group leader (playing guitar). The ward seemed big enough, but a lot of leadership in the one family. Their youngest is a girl, Gloria, who I think is 15. She took so many pictures of us that night, I showed her my photography website and told her to email me if she has questions. She had fun chasing my boys trying to get a pict of them and they had fun hiding from her.

A lot of love in this home, I LOVED when they played this song for us. I don't even understand spanish, but I wanted to sing along! 2 sons (red shirt is 17, white shirt recent RM from Ogden, 21--his girlfriend is sitting with the neice next to them also singing along) on the drum/tamborine...dad on guitar, daugther and daugther in law (Bishops wife--at right) on other instrument. The song is apparantely a Christmas song about the Coqui, the tree frog native to Puerto Rico. I mean how many 17 year old boys do you see anxiously engaged in a good ole' folk song like this? Strong family, I'd say:) The clip is lengthy, so push the slider to the end if you'd like to see a fee snapshots.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm so annoyed!

Ever since I've made my blog private, I've had a few people have problems....I just realized that you have to have a gmail account to view it...if not you can only view for 30 days. So I made up a gmail email and password that hopefully everyone can sign in with in the future. It is a pain for others to remember all sorts of details, and I want to make it easy for people to view my blog. I've even toyed with the idea of going public again--we'll see.
When I send out emails about my blog, I'll include this.

email: kristenblog@gmail.com
password: kristenjoy

If you are reading this now, you got in somehow:)

Puerto Rico

This is the first installment of PR picts.....I took nearly 1000! But I was trying to get a bunch of cool scenic shots because I want to blow up a large portrait for our home. Also did engagement picts, family picts, ryans family picts, couples picts, ryans home, and kids playing here and there.

Here are the kids individuals with the backdrop of the fun bright colors found all over PR

My Family--all 15 of us

Well technically one won't be "in" the family until next month, and then all 4 of the Hill kids will be married. This is in Puerto Rico last week....(ryan lives there) and we all met up for a week long trip. My youngest brother (far right), Kirk, proposed to Rachel whom he met in high school before his mission to Idaho. Russell and Kim (3 and 4 from right) have been married a year and a half and it just so happens that Kirk & Rachel introduced Russ & Kim to each other before Kirks mission--are you following me here? Ryan and Alayna have 2 little boys whom my children loved playing with. I actually had to import myself in from another picture, that's what I get for being the photographer, I can't actually be in the actual jumping shot. I LOVE Kim in this one! She and I got the most height!



We actually had to hurry at this photo session....all the others beaches were so packed with swimmers, Ryan told me about this hotel/golf course that is private we could go to....well, the guards weren't excited about our herd (in all matching brown shirts) going onto the beach. Ryan's charm and excellent Spanish allowed us in for 10 minutes....10 minutes???? That's not enough time! I had BIG plans for family shots....several different poses--this was pressure! They turned out pretty well despite the guard watching us the whole time.

Our first escapee

The boys never did this, and it's surprisingly taken alyssa (our climber) this long....and she does it so gracefully...effortlessly....TURN YOUR HEADS TO THE SIDE, I CAN'T GET IT TO ROTATE (I'm very new to the video thing)!

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non Alcoholic Hangover

I got 3 hours of sleep last night...thankfully Michael got up with alyssa at 6 when she woke up and gave me 1 extra precious hour of sleep. I had to know that when I stayed out until 3am that I would feel this way, but at the time, I felt okay. I went to a 10 o'clock movie (Evening) with some friends and then we headed to IHOP for a little bite to eat. I REALLY wanted to try the funnel cake, but I felt a little ill as it was from the treats at the movie....so, I was sensible and got sausage and eggs...a little protein. I love staying up late, and to share it with friends and laughter was even more fun. I haven't done that in a loooong time, and now that i'm in the final year of my twenties, I have to LIVE IT UP, right? Have fun, throw caution to the wind? We all knew that when morning came and our husbands went to work, we'd be laying on the couch hoping our kids would enjoy a morning program....Unfortunately, Alyssa doesn't care for cartoons and kept shutting the armoir door. So here I am, blogging about my tiredness. I'm a little extra tired b/c I just got home from a fun filled trip to Puerto Rico yesterday afternoon. We flew into Houston monday night around midnight and I drove back home yesterday morning. anyway....babbling....a full account of my PR trip is coming, but I'm having some issues with picts, so it will be a while.

Chubby Hubby

Love the name....I found a new flavor of ice cream last night that I really enjoy....I'm not a HUGE ice cream lover, but I love some CHUNKS...and this has chunks!



This is what someone said: "This has got to be the best flavour of ice cream in the world. Creamy vanilla malt ice cream with swirls of peanut butter and chocolate fudge and then....the creme de la creme.....the chocolate covered,peanut butter filled pretzels. I am telling you - it is Heaven in a carton!"

I mean, chocolate covered, peanut butter fille pretzels? Yumminess!

To read a funny story about how the flavor was born, click here. It also will tell you the unfortunate calorie content:(

OK, since we are on the subject, I'll mention 2 of my other favorite frozen treats. The first has been hard for me to find....other Dreyers Loaded flavors are easier. When I first saw this, I originally declined because it looked WAY too rich for me. I was visiting my friend Natalie in Dallas and I wasn't sure I'd like it, but oh boy did I ever!!!! I've purchased this myself a few times since then.


And third but not least--these miniature little morsels just melt in my mouth. I'm usually able to control my portions, but sometimes it becomes difficult. It must be mint, no other flavors. Oh so yummy!