Tribute to the Fathers in my life.

I know Father's Day is long gone. But I need to post about the Fathers in my life.

First up....My Children's Father.

Ben is one of the best dads out there. He only wants what is best for his boys. Even if it is comes with a dose of stern discipline. He loves them so much. He works long hard hours at two seperate jobs so that their mother can be home to take care of them. When Jackson asks him where he is going it breaks his heart everytime he has to tell him "to work". And it melts his heart when he gets home and Jackson asks him how his day was and Dylan does all he can to run to him and give his some love. I love you so much babe. Thank you for all you do.

Next is....My Father.

My Dad to say the least has always been and always will be the rock that our family is built upon. He grew up in a Catholic home, served in the army and converted to the LDS church when he was 21. He then served a mission in Halifax Canada. He married my mom in 1982 in the Los Angeles Temple. Ever since I can remember he would wake us up in the early morning for family scripture study and family prayer. He would always come in and flip on the light and be singing us a song. Usually it was "you are so beautiful to me, Can't you see?...." I don't know who sings it but when I happen to hear it, it never sounds as good as it did when my dad was singing it to me. He is such a fantastic grandpa. My boys love him to pieces. He has taught me to draw strength from the little things around me. A smile, a look, a bed, a roof over our heads, and to always look at all of my options and look a little further in to the future.

And....my Grandfather

My grandpa has ALWAYS been there. I think my grandpa has a special gift in knowing the "true heart" of a person. He is really thoughtful and one of the most HONEST men I know. He has done a lot in his lifetime. He was an undercover narcotics detective for a long time. I love to hear his stories about dumb criminals or the cool busts that he went on. After an accident on the job he retired from that and went on to owning his own custom cabinet business. There, he has taught many, including myself, the benefits of working hard and doing good quality work. From the time I was 12 and even before, he always offered me time on the job. Whether it was sitting or inventorying in the bike shop or at the cabinet shop sweeping sawdust and building drawers, he always paid me and the rest of his employee fair wages according to the quality and hard work we put in. I complained A LOT, when I worked there but now I would never trade those experiences for anything. Not only has it taught me good work ethics, but with that knowledge I can refurnish, fix or build just about anything I may need for my home.

Without these three men my life would be incomplete. I would not be the person that I am today. Thank you for all you do and have done. I'm so happy my boys have wonderful examples in their life.  I love you all.

Happy Father's Day

McLeod Family

I LOVE the McLeod Family. They are beautiful inside and out. Thank you SO much for letting me take your pictures!

Baby Elsie...

This is my first EVER newborn shoot! I was SO nervous and REALLY excited.

Baby Elsie is what was cooking in the last maternity shoot I did for Stef and Justin. This little sweetie slept nearly the whole shoot right up until the end. Thank you Justin and Stef for having faith in me to capture your tiny one. Hope you like them!

What's a shoot without tiny toes?

Daddy's Girl ALREADY?!? You better believe it.

IF you look close you can see her smiling for those eskimo kisses.

Proud MAMA! Who has inspired me to do a natural birth next time around! Way to go Stef!

Check out the furry shoulder! I LOVE IT!

Little of this, a Little of that.

Jackson has shed his training wheels. And with that he has a new found freedom! There is no holding him back and he is SO SO SO fast on his bike.

With Summer comes popsicles. Especially in the hot Saint George sun. I think we go through a box of "Otter Pops" every 10 days or so! And Jackson is such a sweet kid. He always wants EVERYONE to have one when he gets one.

Yep. It's Dylan. Doesn't he look SO much like Jackson! He is growing like a weed and started walking last month! He's now 11 months. And his little personality is starting to come out more and more. 

Sneak Peek for Stef and Justin.

I had so much FUN with this couple!  Stef and Justin are expecting their first baby in a few weeks. They have decided to go traditional and NOT find out what the sex is! They are BRAVE! You can really tell that they love each other so much and are ready to share that love with a new little one. Good Luck Guys! I can't wait to see that new little one!

Mmm....Oreos.

Yum....You ALL know you are enjoying your Oreos this way in your head.

Thoughts on Mother's Day....

This is a photo of my Mom. Isn't she lovely? She has taught me SO many things.

I love her so much. I'm so thankful that she is here with us today. Just over six years ago she had a stroke. It was sevier, but we know it could have been so much worse then it was. She lost use of her left side, but through physical therapy she has been able to gain almost 100% of the use back. How amazing right? And she still gets to giggle about how she has no feeling in her hand and how she finds it in odd positions and places.

She has endured through so many of life's battles besides her stroke. She was a worthy young woman to marry and be sealed for time and all eternity in the Los Angels Temple, She's given birth to four children (all natural, I mean with NO epidural....That makes her a real woman in itself I think.) She has endured through and been the rock for our family during times of sickness...when my brother Chris at the age of 14 was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. She knew the name of every medication and what they did for him. She spent hours and hours traveling and by his bedside with a brand new baby. Now with my Grandmother and her breast cancer how it left and then came back again worse then ever and knowing that one day she is going to loose HER mom, probably sooner then later. And she is my littlest brother Joey's whole world and Everything, as he and she are learning how to deal and cope and overcome everyday with Aspergers.

I think all the time about how lucky my kids are to have her has a grandma, and what if it had been her time that afternoon in February? They wouldn't have been able to EXPERIENCE what a wonderful woman she is. My only hope is to be half the mom she is...

Sometimes I find motherhood to be so so hard and yet the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. I've given up my personal interests, career, and social life to witness every burp, smile, hiccup, whimper, scrape, and milestone my kids have. And when I hold them and see them succeed or witness any ONE of the things listed, I KNOW it was a good trade.

I guess the most important thing is to keep going. Keep teaching, keep kissing and hugging and loving, keep doing, keep snuggling. and most of all keep praying.