"It's Time...... To Par-Tay"

Summer is here, and I could not be more excited! Summertime to me means endless time with my little ladies, late nights, visiting on the grass, yummy BBQ's, warm breezes and TONS of PARTIES, PARTIES, PARTIES! We were so excited to have some of our good buddies come over and help us celebrate the new and exciting season! So thank you to all who came, and to everyone who was able to help:) What a wonderful way to start off the summer! Check out some of the most beautiful faces EVER.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

"Laughter Through Tears Is My Favorite Emotion"

A dear and incredibly kind friend of mine, Jennifer Ashby, recently gave such a beautiful gift to my friends and I. If you have not had an opportunity to see her stunningly classic photos, please check her out at www.jenniferashbyphotography.com Jennifer has such an amazing way of capturing every ones individual sparkle and keeps each photograph simple and well...just beautiful! We were all so touched that she wanted to give us such a tender gift. So thank you my wonderful friend. Thank you for giving us such a beautiful gift and for creating such a special and fun memory that we will all treasure. (And didn't Edward photograph "BEAUTIFULLY", lol! Good thing he showed up, lol)



My heart is so full as I look at the beautiful faces of these sweet ladies, and I cannot help but feel so blessed to know each of them. It has been said that a group of ladies who love each other and hang out together can often be a called a "clique", which I guess in my mind has a negative connotation. But when I look at these beautiful pictures, I guess what I would call them is a true "blessing". When Eric and I moved to Idaho a couple of years ago our purpose was to live in a state that would provide better health benefits for my little peanut. We had no idea at the time what path my health would take, nor that every day that passed would one day feel like a wonderful blessing. These amazing women, have held my hand as I watched my son pass away and participated in wonderful milestones with my children. They have shared their joy of the birth of their babies and mourned with us as they have lost their own family members. They have hugged me when I was too sick to do much else, and have been the Mothers to my little ladies when I could not. These woman have made me laugh so hard it hurt and have cleaned, cooked, and served more often than they have had time for. I have been blessed to watch as they weather their own trials with such quiet dignity and marvel at the compassion that they show to all around them. Their testimonies have been such a great strength to me when I myself have felt scared or discouraged. My sweet friend Selina recently made us all little signs that said, "Laughter Through Tears Is My Favorite Emotion". I am so grateful to have known what a gift that is in a great part because of these wonderful women. A "clique" you may say, no my friends, "a true gift".So to you sweet ladies, Thank You, from the bottom of my heart, I love you!

"The Joy Of Being The Mama"

"Hannah"

Today is such a special day when we have the opportunity to remember Mother's. What a beautiful opportunity it is for me to reflect on my own sweet children and how grateful I am to be their Mama. This post is a little harder for me to write, due only to the fact that I can barely talk about what a joy it is for me to be a mother, let alone write down my feelings without crying. I am not always very eloquent, and I wish that there were words beautiful enough, or strong enough to describe how I feel about my sweet children. I have felt truly blessed and honored to have had the chance to be a Mother, and to have been a Mother to such choice and precious little ones. My children have brought unmeasurable joy into my life, and I have often felt inadequate of such a tender calling. I cannot imagine my life without these special little ones, and I feel honored every time they call me Mama. I love you little ladies, and to all of you AMAZING Mother's out there, I hope that today is such a special day for you!

"Emee"

"Aubrey"

One of my most favorite quotes about Motherhood, was by Sheri Dew in the January 2002 Ensign. She said,

"As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will".

"Caleb"