let it rain...

have i ever told you how much i love the rain??

anytime it rains in utah i rant and rave about how much i love rain.  i don't know what it is... to me its sooo soothing.  i love sunshine and anyone who knows me probably thinks i am a sun goddess...  but dont you ever just want to do this...

i love playing in the rain...  if there is one thing {besides my family} that i miss about florida is the awesome rain storms...  if you are in it for more than a minute then you are soaked to the bone!  its great to play in it and just go wild... not worrying about my hair and makeup and playing like a little kid is wild for me! =) 

some of my funnest memories were when i was playing in the rain... ultimate frisbee with the singles ward in florida and while we were on vacation 2 years ago in puerto rico tropical storm olga hit and i thought i was in heaven. 

yes this picture was from that amazing night in puerto rico. 

another thing that i love about the rain is the umbrellas!  there are so many cute umbrellas out there...  seriously if there is ever a great rainstorm here in utah... and if anyone is up for taking pictures in it i am game... family pictures, kids, couples... you name it and we will do it!

i know all of us in utah have major spring fever... but i just can't help but love days like today.  i think everyone should have an appreciation of great rain and atleast experience it once or twice in their lifetime.

... and i wish we would get awesome rain... like florida! 

moral discipline

this past sunday our lesson in relief society was on moral discipline.  i read the following quote...

editorial writers at the wall street journal once observed: "sin isn't something that many people, including most churches, have spent much time talking about or worrying about through the years of the {sexual} revolution.  but we will say this for sin: it at least offered a frame of reference for personal behavior.  when the gram was dismantled, guilt wasn't the only thing that fell away; we also lost the guidwire of personal responsibility. 

the united states has a drug problem and a high-school sex problem and a welfare problem and an aids problem and a rape problem.  none of this will go away until more people in positions of responsibility are willing to come forward and explain, in frankly moral terms, that some of the things that people do nowadays are wrong."  {"the joy of what?" wall street journal, dec. 12, 1991, a14}

obviously this lesson stuck with me and i hope for all of you in our ward it did the same.  while discussing this, the responsibility of parents was brought up...  say what?  who is supposed to be responsible for our kids that we birth and provide a home, food, and clothing for?  that's right people we as parents are responsible! we cannot rely on school, church, friends, tv, the playground, magazines and books to be teaching our children what is right and what is wrong.  and ps... grow a backbone and tell your kids "no" and be consistent.  consistency is the key here.  my friend colby read my mind when she said, your kids might not be your friend for the first 20 years of their life, but after that they will.  i would rather have my children come to me not only because i am their mother, but because they can trust me and will have a much greater appreciation and respect for me as their mother. 

its crazy too because even when you tell your kids no and have to discipline them after they do something of poor choice... you know they are going to turn around and come to you for comfort.  crazy how that works out! 

ok so not only do we need to be teaching our children right and wrong, we  need to be practicing this ourselves.  we can't be afraid to stand up in the crowd and say no or that isn't cool or correct people when outlandish things are said.  it's time to take a stand people! 

we also need to take personal responsibility for our actions... not just the good ones but also the bad and the ugly.  we all make bad choices!  i know i have made plenty of bad choices to last me another lifetime ... thank goodness for repentance {forgiving & forsaking}. 

thanks aimee for the great lesson!  i seriously look forward to the 4th sunday lesson's when aimee is going to teach!   

ps - if anyone would like to read more about moral discipline the talk was from this last general conference and was given by elder d.todd christofferson.  http://www.lds.org/

{jen & des}

these 2 lovelies are my sister - in - law's!  aren't they just stunning!!  i wish i was half as photogenic as these 2.   they were great to come over and model some pictures for me this past weekend..  i have to admit i felt like i was shooting an ad for a magazine or some clothing store!  ha!  we had a blast and got some fun & cute pictures.  more to come in a couple days! 

check out their makeup!  jen's {top pic} mother - in - law does professional makeup.  if anyone ever wants to add this to a photo package she will gladly do your makeup for you {i'm talking air brush and all!} or feel free to bring your makeup and she will teach you how to apply it!  i will post more info on that too! 

http://www.haylielynphoto.blogspot.com/

persevere

You can't go through life quitting everything. If you're going to achieve anything, you've got to stick with something.

{kenidi}

precious 1 month old baby kenidi!  she was absolutely darling and just about let me do whatever i wanted to position her..  just very easy going and didn't put up a fight until the very end.   check out her itty bitty ring on her finger!  i don't think i have ever seen a piece of jewelry sooo small... let alone that they made rings for babies! 

her mom does interior decorating and design tips for all of us on budgets!  be sure to check out her work at http://www.lindsigabler.blogspot.com/   thanks again lindsi!

i will post more to my photography blog in a couple days!

{julia}

http://www.haylielynphoto.blogspot.com/

courtesy of logan

while i was getting ready for church yesterday...  logan took some kick boxing pics of larkyn!  he loves playing with my new photography equipment...  he's like a little kid at christmas!  =)  oh and of course she smiled in most of his pictures!  what a lil' stinker!!

better late than never...

who ever would have thought that some of the rock my husband crushes at work could be used for facials?? 

we did these facials a couple weeks ago... it was fun and interesting to watch logan put this mineral mud on his face.  he was actually getting into it! 

its cool too because this stuff actually works!  while it was on my face i could feel my skin tightening up and then afterwards my skin tones seemed more balanced and you better believe my skin was super smooth!!  =) 

my inlaws went on a cruise to the southern carribean about a month ago and apparently some of the locals there use this stuff everyday and my father in law swears there was a 70 year old woman who looked like she was in her 40's! 

sign me up!! 

have i ever told you....

... how giddy i get when it comes to photography??

i am so excited... i finally have the equipment that i have needed to produce amazing images!  tell me this picture doesn't give you butterflies... well it does me. 

please if you know anyone needing great and affordable pictures please send them my way!  i would love to make your heart melt when you look at pictures of your kiddos. 

lets see what this does... 

• 1 child any age for only $50!  i will give you a copy right release and all of the high resolution images on a disc for you to print wherever and whenever you'd like! 

• schedule 3 or more kiddos and i'll knock off 25%

finally

we finally have internet again!  whew!  i don't know how much longer i could have gone... 

there will be lots and lots of posting coming...

and on a side note... i got my new light for photography.  hopefully i can get some darn cute pics of larkyn to post!  wish me luck!!