Family Pictures 2014

Our dear family friend, and almost family, Alex Hawker took our family photos this year.

We ran into her at a store in town one day and she said she wanted to do something special with our family if we were okay with it. (I will tell you what in just a second.)

I told her we wanted family photos anyway so let's just do it all at the same time.

The day couldn't have been more perfect. 

(Well expect for if Clara felt better, that would have helped.)

We woke up super early in the morning and drove out to Terreton, ID, an hour and half away from where we currently live.

It was overcast, no wind and pretty warm for this time of year.

Out in Terreton it gets really windy. 

Like REALLY windy. So honestly we couldn't have asked for a better day!

We are thrilled with the way our pictures turned out!

The colors are amazing.

Since it's a farm town, we embraced its beauty.

(When I was a little girl we lived out there. I have wonderful memories of the town.)

These are even my uncle's straw stacks. 

Cool backdrop huh!

It's fun to have some family ties in all these photos!

Clara wasn't feeling too well that week.

So we are happy with what we got of her.

She really didn't want anything to do with photos.

She just wanted wrapped in the blanket her Grandma Kelly made her.

It's one of our favorite blankets!

If you notice Miles' beloved Monkey, yes he named him Monkey, is in almost all our photos. 

He always will be from here on out.

Alex captured this sweet moment with Vivian and Monkey.

I love it!

I just love this girl.

She has helped us through so much, she may never even know it.

And this sweet blessing came to us during the hardest time in our lives.

It's rare to capture her so still.

But she's as sweet as they come.

This photo is taken at a Pellet Mill my grandpa and his brother built decades ago.

The contradiction of happy and sad in this photo just grabs at my heart.

More at the Mill.

We will be going back there again someday for more family photos. It's amazing!

Okay, now the proposed project of Alex's.

She said she loved the photos of our family at Miles' grave on his birthday, but was sad our whole family wasn't in them. 

She asked if she could take our family's pictures at his sacred transformation place. 

Mark and I were so humbled and touched by this thought.

Thus, out to Terreton for family pictures it was, because that is where our son rests for now.

We took out some of Miles' favorite toys and played around his headstone, while telling the girls stories about their big brother who now watches over them from above.

The girls never tire of Miles stories, and neither do we!

The girls also LOVE to play with his things!

Mark and I love seeing them and holding them again whenever we get them out.

Thank you Alex! You are so thoughtful! I'm not sure I would have ever thought of doing this by myself. We will always cherish these photos. We must do it again!

If you want to check Alex out you can find her here at

Alex Hawker Photography

(just click for the link)

She's based out of Blackfoot, ID is very reasonability priced. She

 does a great job and is as sweet as can be!

Love that girl!

I can't wait to get these up on my walls!!