The rest of the family pictures...

There seriously were a ton of amazing photos taken...it is too hard to figure out what ones I love the best and should display. So..that means I went out and bought a load of new picture frames, and plan on re-doing the family picture wall. It's about time our living room had something new done to it :) I will post before and after pics when I finally get it finished. Wish me luck, oh and if you have any grand ideas on how to display like 20 pictures on the same wall just let me know ;)

Here are a few  more of my faves...enjoy!

Paige

The last of the spotlights... my first child :)

Paige Noel...

This 15 year old, beautiful young lady is one of the best children I could have ever asked for. Truly, I do not know how we got so lucky. Paige is almost too good to be true, and sometimes I take that for granted. 

She is so smart...I stopped helping her with school work when she was in the 4th grade. She has already taken one AP class and she is 2 years ahead of her class in Math. She is a book-aholic (just like me). She likes to own the books, so she can make notes in the margins (just like me).  She loves to curl up in a warm blanket and just read for hours (just like me). She loves numbers and is really enjoying her accounting class this year (just like me). 

She may be on the short side (just like me). But she is powerful! She has taken dance classes since she was 5. She is in a Tap class, a Ballet class, and a Point Ballet class. She also volunteers once a week to help teach younger dancers. She is not a huge fan of running, but when we did the 5K Man v Mud run a few months ago, I saw pure happiness on her face. I will vote it was because of the mud, not really the running.

This year Paige is in an all girls concert choir. She has an beautiful voice! They are going on tour this spring. She has decided to earn all the money herself. We told her we could help...but she said she really felt like this was something she needed to do. 

She is a very goal oriented girl. She accomplished all of her Personal Progress (a program for Young Women in our Church) at the age of 15 instead of 18 like a lot of girls do. She serves in church callings willingly and is always one of the first to volunteer when help is needed.

Paige has always been a great oldest sister. She is protective of her siblings and is a great example to them. She is a good friend to them as well as a bigger sister. Her and Shawntell have always gotten along, but in the past 2 years they really have become each others best friends. I love seeing how close they are, I am that way with my sisters.

See...I told you she was amazing!

photo credit www.wridephotography.com

Shawntell

Shawntell Nicole....

She is my sweet and beautiful 13 year old.

This girl is amazing! She gets crazy good grades, she serves in her church, she takes Tap, Ballet, and Point Ballet. She volunteers once a week to help younger dancers. She is a Peer Team Leader  at her Middle School. She also helps with a class that has disabled students in it. 

She is a slight perfectionist when it comes to her homework.

 She is a fantastic artist and loves to read! She is very responsible..I never have to ask her to get her homework finished, to clean her room, or get her chores finished. She can be shy at times, but don't let that fool you...she is just as wild as the rest of us ;)

She is like her Daddy in a lot of ways, physically...she is tall, yep 4 inches taller then me:) and has a high metabolism. But she has a lot of my personality traits. She loves to try new things, will laugh so hard she has tears rolling down her face. She loves a good concert, the music up so loud you can feel the drum beat in your heart!

She is definitely a second child...just like me. She is a peacemaker in the truest sense.  She will go out of her way to make sure people don't feel left out. She will go running or do an obstacle course workout with me, just so I don't have to go by myself...even if she would rather sleep in.

She is beautiful in every sense of the word. She has a pretty face, but she also has a gorgeous heart! She tries to look on the positive side of everything. She is one of the most sensitive girls I have ever known, that is a good thing most days :) She notices if you are sad, happy, or even just tired. She feels others pain and joy. She will be the first to cry with you or laugh with you.

She has already set high goals for herself...knows where she wants to be in 5 years and the path she needs to take to get there. 

If only all of us had her drive and determination.

Photo credit www.wridephotography.com

Austin

My man...Austin!!!! 

  I truly love the pictures that Jesse was able to get of Austin, he usually has a goofy, huge, over the top grin on his face, so big you can hardly see his eyes. Jesse had to tell him a few times to not smile so HUGE :) he got him to smile naturally so the world can see him the way I see him.

So handsome!!!

 Austin is the lone man in a sea of sisters. He is the yin to our yang. He is all boy and we wouldn't want it any other way. 

He loves to make people laugh and smile. He is silly and goofy and loves to impersonate our favorite comedian, Tim Hawkins.

 

Austin was diagnosed with Crohns about 1.5 years ago. He has been a real trooper through all of it. He is open to talk about his disease and loves to tell people what Remicade is. At one point he was in so much pain he couldn't walk up the stairs, he was in the bathroom 20 times a day. He lost 14 lbs in 2 months. Remicade treatments gave me my son back. If you want to know why he is officially 80% human and 20% mouse, just ask him how Remicade really works:)

We just got some amazing news about Austin, he was chosen to be the Honored Hero for this years Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Take Steps Walk. It is a huge way of raising awareness and funds for Crohns. We aren't sure of all the details yet, but he will have to make a few public appearances, give a speech or two and his picture gets to be used for some advertising. He also gets to be the one that starts off the fundraising walk...he is pretty excited for that part. When we get more details you can bet we will be spreading the word. We know it is June 6th at Wheeler Farm. We would love to have you walk with us as part of our team and of course we will gladly accept any donations.

 Austin loves to spend time with his Daddy. They are a lot alike.  He loves to shoot guns with Shawn, build things with him, play sports with him, doing scouts stuff, camping, anything outside, they even love the same movies!

Austin is such a good and sweet kid. He loves to annoy his sisters but in the end he will be the first to defend them and protect them. He is turning into a fine young man, we are so proud of him!

Photo Credit...www.wridephotography.com

Kambree

I decided to start my Spotlights with little miss Kambree Dawn

 This little girl is my baby...and some how she is already 8 years old!

There are so many different ways to describe her...loving, caring, dramatic, musical, theatrical, talkative, imaginative, daring, brave, strong willed, smart, and determined are just to name a few.

She loves to sing and dance ALL...THE...TIME. She doesn't understand why life is not like the movie Enchanted, and people don't just stop in the middle of the street and start dancing and singing??

She will make up random songs at the drop of a hat. She loves to perform...loves to have the attention.

She is also a sweet and kind friend. She will come home from school and tell me about a new girl that had no one to play with during recess, and how she asked her to play. She has a very nurturing side...some times too nurturing...I have to remind her that she is not the mother and can't give Austin punishments.

Kambree loves to snuggle! (definitely my kid ha ha) She has always been content to just sit on your lap and cuddle.

She is the child that tells me, "Mom, someday I am going to live right across the street from you. So when Dad dies, you won't be alone."

Love this girl!

 photo credit...www.wridephotography.com
25 % off family pictures now through November...tell them I sent you :)

Family pictures

This past week we had the great opportunity to have our family pictures taken by a very talented friend of ours. Jesse Wride, at www.wridephotography.com . It has been 3 years since we have had them taken pofessionally. Wow,  a lot of things have happened in those 3 years. Shawn finished his Masters degree, I ran my first half marathon and a million other races, Paige is learning to drive and can almost date, Shawntell grew about a foot, Austin was diagnosed with Crohns, Kambree, my baby...growing up the fastest!

Having these pictures taken  has made me think a lot about all of my many blessings...and my family is #1 on that list.

So I am going to take this opportunity to spot light each one of them over the next few weeks.

 Life is crazy...and so are we!

There is no better group of people I would like to go through this life with...we have fun together, we go through trials together, we smile and cry together....it is how we survive it all.

It is an opportunity some don't get...to be a family...I am trying to enjoy every up and down that comes with it. 

So....I hope you enjoy the spotlights to come. They aren't meant to boast or brag about what amazing kids I have raised. It truly has nothing to do with me or Shawn, they each have very unique personalities and spirits, not one the same as the other. This is to help THEM know how much they are loved, how special they are, and how deeply honored I am to be their mother.

p.s. If you schedule a family photo shoot with www.wridephotography.com , they are doing a 25% off, from now through November as a fall special...just tell them you saw it here :)