Justin and Jen

I was looking forward to this wedding.  Really really looking forward to it.  I stinkin love these two people, and their families. I was so thankful that they chose me to be a part of their wedding.  

The day went perfect.  Beautiful weather, big blue sky, and a gorgeous venue.  I'm sure the men who were in suits would have liked it to be a little cooler (I always feel bad for them), but at least you guys looked so handsome!

The ceremony was beautiful.  The wedding party was a BLAST. The reception was beautiful.  Boy did their guests DANCE!!!  I've never seen such a hopping dance floor!  I left the reception feeling very blessed and honored to have been in on the anticipation, the jokes, and the intimate moments.  Love you two crazy kids!!!

Happy Mommy's Day!!!

It's a day where I hug my girls a little longer, say yes more often, and try to soak in every moment, because without Harmony and Makaela, I wouldn't be celebrating today.  They are my gift of all gifts, and they bring more purpose to my life than I ever ever ever could have imagined.  I was just chatting with my girlfriend the other day and she asked "what did we ever do with our time before kids!?" and I replied "I have no idea, but I could never go back to that life".  And even on the days where my kids (and me) are absolute grumps, where my house is overrun with messes, laundry, and arguing children, I still mean that.  I count it an absolute blessing to have two healthy, happy, and beautiful girls who light up when they see me.  Who make me laugh every day.  Who beg to snuggle when we are watching a movie.  Who get so excited to do anything, even if it's just to get the mail.

Is it hectic?  Yes.
Is it challenging?  Oh. Yeah.
Are there days when I want to rip my hair out?  Yep.  I'm pretty sure that was yesterday....
Are there mornings when the kids wake up far too early, and I throw hissy fits in my head and sometimes out loud?  Don't act like you haven't had those days too!!

It's the hardest job I have ever loved, and it goes by too fast.

It's also a day where I remember not to take for granted the incredible blessing of having a beautiful, God fearing mother who raised my siblings and me right.  I owe my compassionate heart, my easy-going nature, my loud laugh, and my shortness to her.  I have absolutely, positively NO IDEA where I would be, and WHO I would be without her.  I am ridiculously lucky to have her.

All week I have been thinking about what goes in to being a mom.  I even asked all my fb friends to tell me what they think a mom is.... but NOBODY responded.  Good thing I don't get offended easily!  :-)  But seriously people.  Tsk, tsk.  So you have left it up to me.

A Mom Is...

• the star quarterback.  When all else fails, when everything has been tried, we are the last line of defense (or offense if you're going to get all technical about what a quarterback is).  
• someone who at any point in a given day comes into contact with snot, drool, pee, puke, or poop.  
• a woman who juggles, juggles, juggles.  Meals, kids, laundry baskets, sports schedules, grocery lists, potty training, cleaning, errands, bills, budgets, homework, bath times, bedtimes, nap times, story times, anything that ends in times, playdates, playmates, dates with your husband, music lessons, and anything else that you can squeeze into your day to day goings on.  It is NOT for the faint of heart.
• someone who sacrifices for their kids.  Who says no to their needs in order to say yes to their children's needs.
• someone who guards their kids hearts from hurt, heartache, and tough news until it's absolutely needed. 
• someone who sometimes has to have their children learn the hard way in order to save them from a harder fall down the line.
• who prays without ceasing.
• who believes in their kids
• the maker of Halloween costumes
• the knower of all things.  (wait, is knower a word?  I should know that.)
• the mama bear who will not let anyone come between her and her cubs.
• one who puts too much pressure on herself to be the perfect mom.  Guess what?  there is no such thing.  
• the best bandaid putter on-er
• the best hug giver
• and whose kisses heal all cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

Remember these as you honor your mother, your wife, your sisters, aunts, and grandmothers today.  They deserve more than just a day to he honored.  Be sure to honor them every day.  The bible says so, not me. :-)

When I look at my girls, I am fully confident that I am seeing the most indescribably beautiful human beings, who remind me everyday (whether I choose to remember or not) of what perfect love is.  They are a reflection of how God loves me, and a reminder of how much of a sacrifice it was for him to let Jesus go, even if it were for only a moment.  I cherish each second that God has given me to be with these girls.  To influence, to support, and continually point them to Christ whenever I can.

Happy Mother's Day to every single mom, grandmom, great-grandmom, aunt, godmother, stepmother, foster mother, and spiritual mother.  You all influence the children around you, and each one of you deserves to be spoiled rotten today.

RachelAnn Photography | New Album Company!

One of the products that I offer my wedding clients is a coffee table book- they choose their favorite images to go into the book, and then I put the book together in a way that best tells the story of their day.  It's A LOT of work, and I will fully admit that it's not my favorite thing to do.  But I LOVE how they turn out.  I usually do my own design work in Photoshop, but it was taking me so so long to make each spread, and it was really frustrating.

So during the trade show at WPPI, I made it my mission to find a company that would help me have a better work flow AND not cost me an arm and a leg.

And I was so lucky to find a place that not only do I love their products, book choices, and album making program, but I also loved how awesome their prices were! Now I don't dread making the books anymore!  Wooo Hoooo!

 lay flat pages

 linen pages

 awesome color

 tons of pre made templates as well as options for designing your own

 thick cover with durable binding

each comes in a free, custom fit gift box

  Seriously. Awesome. 

MommyLife | The Stay at Home Mom with Hannah Thomas

For April's addition of MommyLife, I chose to highlight the life of a Stay-at-Home-Mom.  Since most of us are one or the other, it's a no brainer.  And what was also a no brainer was asking my good friend Hannah to allow me to shadow her around for an afternoon and get her take on the subject.  

Hannah and I have known each other for a little over 4 years now.  We quickly became friends soon after Mike and I moved here. Hannah's husband Luke works at TFH with Mike, and we all got together (along with this crew) for dinner one evening, and since then, we all live life very closely.  And with all the chatting we did that night at dinner, I distinctly remember something Hannah said.  We were talking about God's purpose for our lives, and Hannah said that she believed God's calling on her life was to be a mom.  She was about 5 months along with Emmerson at the time, and I later leaned that it was quite the journey for her to get pregnant.  And it was also a journey for her to get to be in a place where she can be at home with her girls.  But with sacrifice, planning, and hard work, she is doing just that.  

Over a couple days of chatting, I got to see and hear about the life of a Stay-at-Home-Mom.

Me: So paint me a picture of what life is like as a Stay-at-Home-Mom.

Hannah: Well first off I can't believe I am blessed enough to get to do it. Honestly a mom is what I always wanted to be when I grew up... With that said-it's awesome but so tough!! I thought I had it down with Emmerson and then Hayden came along. She is a great babe but just juggling them both is a challenge at times. Not so much in raising them but in the pressures I put on myself- for instance trying to split my time so both girls feel loved, or choosing between play or craft time with Emme while Hayden sleeps, or showering or cleaning my always messy house.

Hayden's cheeks are very well kissed :-)

We try to get out at least once a day be it Target, the play place at the mall, a friends house, or the playground down the street. It's usually a mad dash rounding us all up between naps since it seems like some one is always sleeping.

Me: You haven't always been a stay at home mom. You were a working mom not too long ago. What- besides a lot more time with the girls- is the biggest difference? Not many of us moms have lived in both " worlds".

Hannah:  Hmm.. one of the biggest differences is the schedule of, well, life. When working everything pretty much hinges on work hours but at home full time I have to work the schedule for myself. (something that is not my strong suit). I do love the freedom of it all and since comfy clothes and Uggs are some of my favorite things, being able to have cozy days at home is a bonus.

 dress up time!

Isn't Emme's room awesome!?

Me:  You've got two beautiful girls- tell us about em. 

Hannah:  Ok! My girlies... Where to begin! 

My Emmerson Shiloh is so funny! She loves animals and is hysterically afraid of bugs. She recently adopted 2 snails for pets. She loves routine and knows exactly what is supposed to happen next. She is a big sister to all younger than her. She loves dressing up, picking out her outfits in the morning, and loves nail polish and lip gloss. She can fill in the end of sentences in her favorite story at bedtime and is totally a daddy's girl.

 Her stuffed animal, Honkers, goes almost everywhere Emme does, and is very loved. 

 Her pet snails :-)

I love that she went to the park in full princess garb

My Hayden Rose is a sweetheart! She is super snuggly and smiley but she does not give those smiles before studying you thoroughly first. She is very loud and loves to yell and scream just for the heck of it. She loves being outside and will just sit in the swing at the playground while mommy and Em play. She is becoming a great sleeper and is a total boob monster. She loves eating anything except peas so far. Right now her newest trick is knocking over block towers and boy is she quick. I barely have 3 blocks stacked and she swipes them right over. 
She loves to study and touch faces and is a mommas girl!

 doll. baby.

 that's her studying face :-)

Me: What would you say is the biggest challenge of being a stay at home mom?

Hannah:  Hmm the biggest challenge... Besides the obvious of managing the household, I would say it would be trying to live up to standards. The ones I put on myself and the ones I think others put on me. And also trying to escape doubt and worry- that what I can give isn't enough or that every little "mistake" in parenting will greatly affect my the way my sweeties grow up.

 LOVE the chandelier!

 did I mention that my little dare devil came with me? Always up to no good :-) but man is she cute.

Me: Why do u think we moms do that? Put such heavy standards on ourselves and sometimes (and we may not even know it) on each other.

Hannah:  For some reason I think we feel like we need to have it all together, when in reality i think our friendships, marriages, families etc would be more full of life and more life giving if we were just plain REAL.

 Hayden loves that swing!

Me:  That is exactly what I am realizing more and more. The pressure being a perfect mom is too hard, too stressful, and just plain unrealistic. But we continue to smile our best smile and act as if there aren't days where we want a do-over, or even a sick day from motherhood. 

What would you say to those moms who feel like they need to have it all together?

Hannah: I feel like there is no shame in simply not being afraid to be honest with ourselves and others, reaching out for help if needed and relying on grace. We aren't designed to do it all and be it all ALL of the time. I am able to rest in that. Not saying I always do but when I take a moment (sometimes they are hard to come by) and step back I can usually grab onto that hope.

Me: I know that I am incredibly thankful for you in the moments where I need someone to reach out to in my moments of frustration and difficulties- you are a breath of fresh air, and always find a way to remind me that the hard seasons will not last forever. So thank you for taking the time to share your heart, and thank you for opening your home to me and my little monkey.

You're awesome, Hannah, and so are your girls!! So glad I live life with you.