I must have done something good!

Yesterday our dear, fun, sweet, crazy, talented and beautiful daughter Lauren turned 25! How can that be? Wasn't she the fun, sweet, crazy, twisted and troubled toddler just a year or so ago?
Oh how I worried about that girl when she was little, she seemed to have her own mind, she definitely saw the world through different eyes and I was almost positive that Heavenly Father forgot to put that filter in her body, you know the one from your mind to your mouth! We never knew what was going to come out of her little mouth! :) Life was never boring with  her that is for sure! How we loved her and how we continue to love her!
She and her husband Nik are still in Rexburg, Idaho. She has graduated, but she is now working there and helping put him through the rest of his schooling. All 4 of our kids went to BYU Idaho, and every time I would go visit them, I wondered how in the world they handled that cold weather? But they not only survived, they seemed to have fun at the same time!


 Our other dear, fun, sweet, talented and beautiful daughter Amy ...made this for Lauren's birthday! She is one talented girl too! And you should meet my daughter in law Krystal... the talent all these girls have is just crazy and wonderful! I feel blessed to just be around all of them!

Like the song from the movie Sound of Music... " somewhere in my youth or childhood ...I must have done something good" to deserve such wonderful kids!

 and Grandkids!

Lauren has been drawing since she was a kid, always creating something. Then she started taking classes in school for Photography and fell in love with that. Her first Photography Business was called THROUGH LAUREN'S EYES! She showed us a world that was even more beautiful when we got to see it again through her eyes!




She did this photo shoot of Angie and Jenny as the Princess and the Pea, she has always loved Fairy Tales!


She loves Christmas and Winter!

She loves the outdoors and camping!
She loves wearing T shirts, especially the ones her brother Brad designs! She actually used to draw and sell her own T shirts when she was young... but that is for another post! :)

She loves all animals, always has!

Even stuffed animals! Every Christmas she would write in her letter to Santa " Please bring me an animal ( a breathing one )!"

 She loves her cousins, her brothers and sister!

And of course her Dad!

She loves to draw and just took up Watercolors...they are amazing!

She likes to sew...

 She especially likes to design and sew costumes for her photo shoots!

She likes to cook and she LOVES PUMPKIN PIE!!!

She likes being a Seattle Native!

She loves married life with her Best Friend!

She loves everything about History and wants to see the world!

And I bet the way your life is going sweet Lauren, that you will! And we will all get to see it too through your eyes and your art work!
Can hardly wait for your next 25 year adventures to begin!
We love you forever Lauren Brooke!

When did she grow up?

A couple of days ago it was Lauren's 23rd Birthday, how and when did she grow up that fast? I still can look at this photo of her at the hospital holding Lee when he was born, and remember all the crazy things she would do. She never stopped moving, getting into things, making deals, complaining, laughing, teasing and she was only 2 at the time! My friends still call me and ask me to tell them a Lauren story...we have so many good ones, I should have written a book on that girl!


Now years later, she and Lee are still the best buds ever. He is bigger and can carry her but I tell you he is lucky to be alive after all the things Lauren tried to do with him when he was just a baby. She was in time out a lot, for tying things ( anything, yarn, shoestring or cords ) around his neck so she could pretend he was her puppy. Yes, Lee is lucky to be here...really! :)



She and her cousin Bethany have always been great friends. Below is a photo of them playing in the her back yard. Between the two of them, they had quite the imagination. But if there was mischief...usually it was thought up by...you guessed it Miss Lauren! (And she looks so innocent in these photos! )



 Now a year ago, here she is at Bethany's wedding. Yes, time has flown by. I thought I would never live long enough to see Lauren grow up, we thought she was going to be the death of us ( joking sorta ). Then by her teenage years, all that crazy mischief, meanness and everything else seemed to have worked itself out, and she has been pleasant every since...how grateful we have been for that!

We love our Lauren girl, we can't imagine life without her! She still makes us laugh a lot. We love that she is a photographer, we have always said that others should see things and life through Lauren's Eyes...because it is way more interesting! Now it is fun to have her photography all over the house, seeing the world as Lauren sees it...is quite the blessing!
Happy Happy Birthday dear Lauren, make it the best year ever!