TAYLOR'S BABY SHOWER

Well our family had a wonderful vacation in Anaheim. It was our first family trip. We missed all of our kids getting to join in, but it was truly so fun. What a great reminder to me of how important our photos and memories are.

Now I wanted to share some photos that I took Saturday at the shower that I hosted for my beautiful 24 year old daughter. Taylor is having a little boy and a little girl. She is 31 weeks along. I love her with ALL my heart. I love Travis with all my heart.

NOTE- YOU can never take enough photos. TAKE them.... print them... REMEMBER these moments.

I love being her mother. I adore this beautiful kind girl. She has a kind and giving heart and I know she will love her babies with all her being.

While I prepared for the shower, sweet Cooper was asleep. The new house has a guest area that anyone who visits can stay and have their own area. This was a huge reason I bought the home I did. I wanted my children and friends to have a place to comfortably stay at our home. I designed the guest room in white and wanted it to feel very welcoming. (headboard: pottery barn, sheets: Target, bedspread: Home Goods)

My handsome boys. I love them all so much. I love that Brian took the boys out to the golf course. I am so thankful for the strong men that are in Zach and Ty's life. I know that this would be exactly what Ty would have wanted and prayed for. I am so proud of my sons. They are both kind and smart and are focusing on their academics. Zach is looking into colleges and where he would play baseball. He had lost all his desire to play baseball, but recently has reconsidered the blessings of his talents. Thankfully, it helps he has the grades to support going to a great university and play baseball. Ty is my baby forever. I know he struggles with WHY... I know I don't have the answers. It is a ongoing daily process. I have found that LOVE is the most important thing that I can and do give my children. I thank Heavenly Father daily for my children and for Brian coming into my life. 

I decorated the house very simply for the shower. These are white poms that I adorned with blush, gold and pink ribbons.

Gentry and Taylor are sharing having babies at the same time. THIS is something that is precious and wonderful. My girls used to fight as teens and I would tell them- "One day you are going to be best friends.  They will be your very best friends in life. Trust me... love each other." Guess what? I was right. ha!
I look at these two and McKay and my heart just explodes. Yes, it was hard having FIVE kids by the age of 29 years old, but it's funny how amazing it has been.

Oh how I love my seven week old grand baby Cooper. He is the sweetest. Heloves being held really close and his bum patted. I love seeing this sweet family. They are so in love. 

I saw Devan sitting and holding Coop and I had to take the photo. This is the BEST photo and the BEST memories.  How often do we not take a photo and regret it?

We have been in our home for 6 weeks now and it's a slow process to get all moved in. It's fun to decorate and make the home "our" home. 

It was fun to set the table up with the food at the shower.

I love having really beautiful fresh flowers at home. It's that simple touch of nature.  I am a FRUIT and SALAD lover. Oh my... my family know that I'm in heaven every day if I can eat a salad and have fresh fruit. I love the color this brought as well.

SWIG COOKIES-my addiction. Yes, come to Utah and you will know that SWIG is the happening place to go. These yummy PINK dough like sugar cookies are AMAZING. They are $1.59 of pure bliss. I often... almost daily... confession time here- share a 1/2 cookie with Brian and I get a 44 oz. DIET WILD. So go to SWIG and let me know if you love them as much as me.  

So in love with this gift wrap. It was from her aunt Cindy. She purchased it at Hobby Lobby. I am the BIGGEST fan of gift wrap.  

One of the games was to taste baby food. Then you guess what the flavors were. Yes, #6 was prunes. FYI- not a crowd favorite. 

Travis has the most amazing mother and family. Terri is a gem and I love being grandparents together. (middle) 

I adore my son Tyler and any chance I can get a photo of this 16 year old boy I do. THIS is what it is about. Devan is always pulling silly faces too.  

We wanted Travis to be there too. It was fun to have him there for the shower. I think everyone loved that the boys were at the house.  

Taylor is a LIGHT of sunshine. She is so excited to be a mother. 

Travis is a huge UTAH fan. We are a BYU family. The joke is that they both are going to get the twins to "favor" their school. This is funny because I married Brian who also went to U of Utah. I went to BYU... it's a fun little "rivalry."  

The twins now have to choose the UTAH or BYU sock monkey. It's a fun way to pick on Travis and Brian and vice versa. 

Cooper took naps during the shower. Oh how I love these MOMENTS.  

The game with the yarn. Yes, I did gold twine to try to guess how big she is at 31 weeks with twins. I think I was bigger than this with ONE baby. She feels huge, but I think she looks fabulous. 

This is Tyler's mom, Carol. I think she is beautiful. I love that she is in our life. I know the pain she feels losing her husband and then Tyler has been so hard. I will always love and appreciate her. I was sent a article that hit home to me. It was about honoring your past, treasuring your past, and loving your past, but not to live in your past. 
When it comes to LOVE- our HEARTS are truly without capacity or limits. If this was the case, we could each only have one child because how could we possibly love more than one? We each have an infinite capacity to love. I have learned that grieving is ongoing and a long process. You don't forget the past. The fact is that even in wonderful and happy times going forward... things like holidays, birthdays, there is so many reminders of the pain associated for all of those left behind. Moving forward with a beautiful life is exactly what Tyler would want. I know that he would want our family to be together, happy and support each other.  

This is Carol, Taylor and his sweet sister Leann.
I am forever family with them. They are STUCK with me.
I say this in the silly playful way that I am. I am so happy to say that in HONORING Tyler, we know that TIME is precious, LOVE is what it is all about and he would want us to be family.

Today I am looking at each of these photos with pure love and thankfulness. We can look at the miracles and blessings of life. We can face and endure hard things. My sweet friend and her family are doing this. Never take for granted one day. Tell those you love that you love them. OFTEN... many times a day if possible. I know I had a shower with no cabinet doors and  when people saw that I was remodeling they probably thought I was crazy to host a large shower with renovations happening. I realize what matters most and I don't see things the same way anymore. I am
choosing to LIVE today and ACCEPT that life is not perfect.
I love being okay with life simply as it is. I realize what
matters most and that I can choose my destiny through my own actions and attitude. I can love more and forgive more. I choose to be HAPPY.