While my sister was in town we she came over to Willcox to spend a day with us. It was SOOOO much fun! I decided while she was here I would use her help. I wanted to get some family pictures of us, and even though we have done some in the past I thought it would be much easier with her behind the camera. She has a great eye for photography and has taken a couple of classes so I knew we were in good hands. We helped get the camera set up and she shot away. We only had about 45 minutes to get the shots we needed and I think she did great! She ended up staying the night because it got to be a bit late for her to drive home, but I won't complain! I loved the extra time with her. Thanks for all of your help Shanny!

The picture below was a lot of work, but I wanted one of him by himself and he was done after the first photo. We finally got him to fold his arms in an effort to try and keep him still. It worked for a split second and he just happened to look at the same time. Luckily he will be turning two in a couple of months and it will be time for new photos of him. We'll see if they go any better than these.

May was one crazy, busy, fun, stressful, successful month for us! We started May off with the preparation and then opening of our studio on May 8th. After that we moved on to a whole bunch of family fun and activities.

Cody did a great job of making me feel very special on Mother's Day this year. He was so sweet. He let me sleep in, brought me breakfast in bed with a flower, made me a super cute card, and showered me with gifts. He was so funny because he got me a slotted spoon. I have been needing one forever and I was surprised he even remembered something so silly. But he did! He also got me purple daisies that were so pretty! He did a great job at making my Mother's Day a nice one.

May 13th we made a very unplanned, but necessary decision to move Joshua from his crib to A BIG BOY BED! Joshua had developed a fun new habit of banging his head on the side of his crib. The first time it happened, I noticed a big round bruise on his forehead. I had been at a Relief Society Enrichment activity the night before so I called Cody and asked if Josh had fallen or bumped his head on something while I was gone. He said he hadn't and that he had no idea where Josh got the bruise. So I figured it was one of those toddler bruises that just happened. Well that night, I heard this loud bumping on the monitor so I finally went into his room to see what was going on. Joshua was standing up, holding two slats, and banging his head on the top bar of the crib. I think he may have been asleep or really out of it because he didn't even look up when I came in the room and his bed in right next to his crib. I finally said, "JOSHUA!! What are you doing!?" He slowly looked up at me and just kinda stared. I picked him up and took him in our room. We got him to sleep and then laid him back down. He was fine the rest of the night. The next afternoon, he did the same thing during nap time and I decided that was it. It had been about three days that we figured it had been going on so we decided it was time for a big boy bed. We went down to the local (meaning only) mattress store in Willcox and had him pick out a new bed. We grabbed some sheets and got it all set up. I think he would have done better his first night if he were more prepared. So no, the transition did not go well. He wouldn't stay in his bed, and when Cody finally got him to sleep the poor kid rolled out of bed. Now don't laugh, but they did not have a safety rail anywhere in Willcox. So we laid his crib mattress on the floor with a ton of pillows and blankets to protect him if he did fall out of bed. Well... like I mentioned he did and it did not go as planned. Instead of landing nicely in the bedding he bounced off the mattress and then into the rocking chair near his bed. By then he was so upset there was not much we could do. We tried but it was just not working so when 5:30 am rolled around we decided that the remainder of the morning would have to be spent in his pack and play. We set it up and as hard as he tried to put up a fight he couldn't resist sleeping. He was really tuckered out. The next night went fantastic! Cody laid with him for a little while, he asked for a drink and fell asleep quickly once he got his cup. It was crazy the change from the night before. It didn't stay that easy. He still asks for Cody to lay with him every night and depending on the day he goes to sleep easily or he cries for a little while. He is sleeping through the night in his bed though so I am very happy about that. Now if we can just get him to take naps there we will be in good shape. Here are a few pictures from his first night in the big bed and a couple others from another day. I am excited to get him big boy bedding for his birthday which also means we get to re-decorate (or for this house do it for the first time)!

At the end of the week, we had the chance to head up to Safford to spend the weekend with my family to celebrate my little sister's 21st birthday, go through the Gila Valley Temple open house, and take family pictures for my Mom for her Mother's Day gift. It was a busy weekend, but very special and completely worth all of the chaos. I am very close to my little sister and I miss her so much. Cody and her have become very good friends and I love that they can laugh and joke with each other. Joshua also LOVES his Auntie Shannon. She lived with us for his entire first year of life and this helped them to be even closer. He chose to let her hold him in the temple and didn't want much to do with anyone else. We decided to get a little creative for her present this year. We wanted to give her something she could use, and also something that she would like. So we decided to get her a crockpot and 25 lbs of pinto beans. I thought it would at least be useful and she has really been wanting a crockpot. I think she liked it and she has already used it successfully so I think it worked out well.

The Gila Valley Temple is so very special to me. Every temple is a sacred place, but this temple is very close to my heart. My family were part of the original pioneer members that settled the area and I know they have all waited a long time to see the Valley blessed with a temple. It was beautiful inside. I loved the baptismal font, the ordinance rooms, and the celestial room. The sealing room was another room that just had a special feeling in it. What can I say, the whole place had such a strong feeling of the spirit it couldn't be ignored. We were able to take a few photos afterward outside the temple. We didn't have the best location, but it was very busy that day so we were just happy to grab the few that we did.

That evening we went to a concert that was presented through the LDS Bookstore and it was great! We went as a whole family which made it even better. After the show, Shannon came with us, we grabbed some food and headed back to our hotel. It was so nice getting to spend a little extra time with her, and we always have a good laugh when we are together. It was late and we were tired so we called it an early night. I took her home and then headed to bed for a full day the following day. The next day we did several things to prepare for Shanny's birthday and family pictures. Day passed too quickly and we were off to do family photos for my Mom. We had a lot of fun, but we didn't know that our new camera was not compatible with the remote that we had for our old camera. So we had to them the old fashion way, but I am still really like the way they turned out.

put on her wall. Happy Mother's Day Mom!! We love you and appreciate all you do for us!
The next weekend was a very special one. We came back down to Safford for the temple cultural celebration and dedication. We did not have tickets to be at the actual performance for the celebration but we watched it at the Safford Stake Center with Joshua. It was really an amazing event. They tied a great deal of history into the performance and it was awesome seeing all of the youth participating together. President Thomas S. Monson our prophet and President Henry B. Eyring were both in attendance. They were SO funny! They sang a little song together and told a couple of really funny stories. It was a very special time. The next morning my parents watched Joshua for us while we attended the temple dedication. It was such an amazing and spiritual experience. Having grown up in the Gila Valley, I knew the great desire for a temple in the area. And to see it from start to finish was an experience that I am very grateful for. We were able to attend the ground breaking all the way up to the dedication. Many of those who spoke in the first dedicatory session spoke of President Spencer W. Kimball who lived in Safford/Thatcher all of his life. My granddad did business with him often and spoke very highly of him. It was special to hear stories from the prophet and other leaders about him. Everything about the dedication was perfect. There was such a peaceful feeling that day. I am really looking forward to doing temple work there. It will be nice having a temple so very close. What a blessing!


May was one crazy month, but it was full of blessings and great memories that will be with me for the rest of my life.

We have been pretty busy around our house the last couple of months. We've been doing lots of work and lots of playing. We took a big leap in April... we leased and started work on our new photography studio! It just kind of happened. The circumstances were right and we felt good about taking the plunge so we went for it. Needless to say we worked out little tushies off to prepare and so far it has been really great. Things are still a bit slow but inch by inch we are breaking into the new market here in Willcox. The crazy thing is, from the day we signed the lease to the day we opened was three weeks. Just three weeks, and I have to tell ya, I wished I'd had another three months to get everything together. But we made it, the doors are open, and we are working so it was all worth it. My family was great!! My sister-in-laws Allison and Lindsey came down the week we planned to open and took Josh off my hands for the day and that completely made the difference. It was that last little stretch that I really had to buckle down for and would not have made it without them. AND while they were here they did laundry, finished dishes, scrubbed down counters, and I came home to a clean little boy all ready for bed. It was fantastic!! The morning we opened was a bit insane to say the least. We had not been to bed before 1:00 am for more than a week, and the night before we had left the studio at 3:00 am. Needless to say that Saturday was a very long day. It was a little slow, but we didn't do very much advertising before hand. Just a few fliers and word of mouth. Photography has been a wonderful creative outlet in my life and what makes it even greater is that Cody and I enjoy learning the craft together. Wish us luck!!!

Funny story about the new paint we bought for the exterior. We just happened to choose the exact same color as what was already there. We really could not have gotten any closer. We had a whole wheel of colors, including several yellows and this is what we picked. I guess it was just meant to be that color. Here we have painted the top portion the "new" yellow and Cody and I painted the logo on. My awesome hubby created my flower logo for me from a chicken scratch drawing I gave him that was on a napkin. It represents me and Joshua. He is the number one reason why I love and have pursued photography. You can see how similar the yellows are before and after. The was drawn on the building free hand by Cody and then we both climbed up and got to painting. It was one long night. We did all of the painting in the dark. Yes, I know, we are crazy. But we had a deadline and it was approaching quickly. We repainted the lower half, and the awning brown. I think a fresh coat of paint made a big difference.

Here is Joshua keeping himself busy while we worked away. He was not normally this patient. He did have a jumping pit with balls, cars, and the train down the street to keep him occupied. But we did get a babysitter a couple of times to come down and hang out with him while we had things that were really involved to do. He was a pretty tough little guy during those crazy two weeks.
And here I am on opening day. My mom came up and helped us set up last minute stuff. I really hesitated posting this photo, but Cody said I really needed to have one. I guess it is probably a good thing. I was SO tired and was feeling the lack of sleep and hard work from the last couple of weeks. The flowers were from my mom. I loved them and Chrysanthemums are starting to become a new favorite flower of mine. This is in the little sitting/waiting area that we have in the studio.

I am so lucky to have a husband that is so supportive and encourages me to pursue my dreams and goals. He really was the force behind this new adventure. We still have some work to do on it, but now that the majority of the work is done and I have a studio to call my very own I am glad he thought I could do it. It has already been an adventure and I am looking forward to seeing where it takes us.

Joshua turned 20 months on April 5th. I could hardly believe it. In just 4 months he will be 2. 2 years old!? Where the heck did that come from? He was just born like 6 months ago wasn't he? Everyone told us that we should enjoy every minute of him while he is this small because it goes so fast. I never could have understood how true that was without experiencing it. We love him so very much and he brings us so much joy... and a few headaches here and there. He is starting into his terrible twos early I think. I'm glad that Cody is willing to be tough with him. It can hard being the tough one all day so it's nice to let him take over when he gets home. Most of the time Joshua doesn't need us to be tough. He is usually a good little boy, but he has started to test our patience a little here and there. He has a large vocabulary and loves to use it. he is a huge fan of coloring, reading, bubbles, and playing with his friend Abby. He is growing so quickly, and the last set of pictures we took of him really made me realize how much he has grown in the last few months. We went out one afternoon and snapped a few of him. There really wasn't enough light left to get the best photos but I really loved the way some of them turned out. I think they are a good reflection of his little personality right now. Here are our favorites from the afternoon.

This past weekend we had nothing to do. Nothing. It was fantastic! It has been a while since we have had absolutely nothing to do. Friday night we drove down to Safford so we could go to the bank. They do not have a Bank of America here so that is the closest one. While we were there we had dinner and then my parents watched Josh so Cody and I could go on a date and see a movie. We went and saw Date Night. It was funny, really funny. Mostly because there were a lot of things we could relate to, but in a good way. We picked Joshua up, ran to Walmart and headed home. Saturday morning joshua and I slept in, and Cody got up around 7:00 to go down and do some quick work for a client. After he got home, we decided to get breakfast at a new restaurant in town. It was actually really good! We don't have a lot of dining options to choose from so it was nice to see something yummy and new open up. After breakfast we went for a drive and just spent some time together doing nothing. That afternoon we thought we would stop and get ice cream at a little parlor in town. We had heard it was really good, but hadn't tried it out yet. They were right. It was very yummy and there was a ton of it. The servings were huge and Joshua was in heaven. In the historic district they have a gun fight show every Saturday at 2:00. We were down there and decided to hang out for it. The actors were great and really seemed to enjoy it. They had a wide range of people in the cast. There was even a man who was in his 80's who played the Sheriff's deputy. He was a hoot! I was surprised by how much Joshua enjoyed it. I thought he wouldn't like it because of the loud shots but he was clapping and cheering right along with everyone else. We hadn't planned on going so we didn't have our camera, but we did get a couple with Cody's i-phone. After it was over one of the actors came over and gave Joshua a shell from one of the guns that they had used during the show. Joshua was very impressed. When they were taking pictures they asked if Joshua could be in one with them and we thought it would be fun. We couldn't get one with Joshua looking because he was too busy playing with the man's gun. We are planning on going down again sometime just to take some pictures. The rest of the day we just stayed home and relaxed. It was a nice change. Sunday was quite. We attended church, made dinner together, and then worked on different school and art projects. It was a great weekend at home here in Willcox.

On Friday the 9th, I had to drive up to Casa Grande to take an exam that determined if I would be able to move forward in my program for my degree. I was a little worried about the reading and writing, but I was freaking out over the math. I am not a math person. I have never been a math person. I will never be a math person. I just do not have the type of brain that works well in that type of thinking. Needless to say the few days leading up to the test were a little hectic and stressed. I studied like crazy and I was grateful for a very patient tutor that was by my side the entire way. Cody luckily is very good at math, and was an enormous help. He just kept telling me I could do it, and deep inside I think it helped.

The day of the exam crept up on me quickly and I was on my way to Casa Grande early that morning. I was schedule to start my exam at noon but I had to be there early to check in and make sure that I had all of the necessary identification and paperwork. I went in to make sure I was set and the guy at the testing center said they were not very busy that day so I could start early if I wanted. I have to admit, I panicked a little and then got over it. I ran outside and called Cody to let him know I was heading in early. It was a 4 1/2 hour test, so I wanted him to know when I was starting it. I got in, took a few deep breaths and dove in. I was breezing through the reading, and then got to the math portion. I just told myself that I could only do my best. I hammered through it and eventually got to the writing portion. I was surprised, the only part I was actually crammed for time on was the writing segment. I still was able to finish it, but I wished I had more time to look over my essay. Each part of the test was timed individually, so I couldn't borrow any of the extra time I had on my reading exam. After the test was complete it showed me my unofficial scores for the reading and math. I passed!! I was way above the required score on both!! I was so surprised because I actually scored one point higher on my math than on my reading. I guess all of the studying paid off. Now I am awaiting my official scores which will have the writing score with it as well. I pretty sure I passed but you never know. I have about another week before they come in.

I was really happy to be out of the testing center and made all of the phone calls to those who were waiting to hear how it went. It was nice to be able to tell them I passed. After the exam, I was on my way up to Phoenix to spend the night with my sister and then attend a photography workshop the next day. I made it up to her house in about an hour and as a congrats for doing well on my test, Cody treated me to a pedicure! Shanny had never gotten one so it was a lot of fun getting to experience that with her. We were laughing tons and just relaxing which is something neither of us had been able to do in a long time. Especially together! It had been since before Joshua was born that we'd had a sister's night with just the two of us. Apparently we were pretty funny to the ladies there because we had everyone laughing. It went something like:

"Shanny, are you gonna get a flower?"
"No..."
"Why??! You need a flower."
"No, really it's ok"
"No, really you need a flower."
"OK... I'll get the flower."

Then we went on to talk about who's feet we got. I think we decided that Shannon has my Dad's feet and I have my Mom's. The ladies there were rolling. We weren't even trying to be funny. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! It was the perfect thing after such a stressful week.

After we finished our toes we thought we would find something to eat but we both needed to do some homework so we drove over th Shanny's school to use the library. It was closed so we headed back to Shannon's. I was glad that I got to see her school though. It is a really nice campus and I think it fits her well. When we got back, we went down and sat by the pool while we worked because that area had a better internet connection. It was really nice. I didn't even really mind that I was doing homework. After we finished up we decided to drive forever and go to Olive Garden. It was well worth the drive and we had a great server who made it even more fun. The food was super tasty and we even got some lemon cake for dessert.

We headed back to the house and even though I was having a great time I couldn't keep my eyes open. I had only gotten three hours of sleep the night before and had made a 3 1/2 hour drive that day. I was wiped out. Shanny was so sweet and insisted I sleep in her bed. I felt like my head had just hit the pillow when the alarms went off. Yes, alarm...s. We are both really heavy sleepers and don't particularly care for the morning. So to make sure we got up on time we set a few alarms.

It was hard getting up early after a long day and late night, but I was SO EXCITED!!! I was on my way to attend an all day photography workshop that I had waited months to attend. A good friend of mine recommended it because her cousin was one of the amazing photographers who created it. I had about an hour drive to get there from my sisters but it was nice to be able to visit with Cody while I made the drive. Somehow I managed to forget directions so he guided me there. Thanks heavens!! The workshop was supposed to be 10 hours but ended up being around 11 hours. I guess we were a chatty group. We went over a ton of information and it was well worth all of the pennies I saved to be able to go. That afternoon they had some models come for us to have a photo shoot with. They had two young women from their ward that were sisters and another family that lived across the street who were also from their ward. I have done a lot of family pictures and decided to practice my new tips on the two girls. I will be starting into the senior portrait market this year so I thought it would be a great place to start. The girls were really sweet and great models.

After the photo shoot was complete, we headed back in to have dinner and finish up. We finally tied up the last few knots at 9:30 that night and I had to decide if I would drive the hour back to Shanny's and stay the night or just head home. I knew the drive home would be a long one, but I was ready to get back and see my hubby and bug-a-boo (Joshua. Where I got that nickname I don't know but it's the one that stuck). I called Cody and started the drive home. I got off on the wrong exit so I had to go an alternate route which took a little longer. Traffic was awful and I was disappointed because I was looking forward to a quite drive home to think about all of the exciting stuff I had been able to learn and perfect. But it was probably better that it was busy because it kept me awake. I finally made it home at 1:00 a.m., and was welcomed by Cody who had waited up for me. I walked in and he had picked up the house and had gotten me flowers to congratulate me for passing my test. I'm sure I had a pretty big smile on my face. There are not a lot of places to get flowers here in Willcox, and I was a little bummed that the ones he got didn't last very long. I was only able to get a picture of one of the lilys. The roses were long gone and the other lily's were getting to be pretty sad.

Even though I was ready for bed I pulled out the computer and edited a couple of images from the day. I was just too excited to wait until morning. I still have a ton of learning to do, and so much work to put in before I get to the level of photography I would like to eventually reach but this workshop was one very big step in the right direction.

It was another long and crazy weekend, which it seems like our family has been involved in far too often these days. However, it was fantastic! I am so excited for the new things that are coming our way for photography and for the chance to continue my education and work towards my goal of being a teacher like my Mom. It was nice to spend time with Shanny and have a girls night but it was also so great to come home to my two boys. I was able to really see what a blessed girl I am during my time away. I am so grateful for the many things my Heavenly Father has given me and I hope I always remember how wonderful each of those blessing are.