Jump & Shoot with GAP
It’s no secret these kids are crazy! Or they just have a lot of spirit and energy. Collin’s sister, Emily, hooked us up with a shoot for the University Mall GAP in Utah. It was just us girls! The boys aren’t up for this sort of thing anyway. But I realized something after the shoot… my girls definitely had a crush on the photographer, Matt Clayton! He turned on the Disney Pandora station, pointed a wind machine their way, told them to scream as loud as they could, jump as high as you can and all the while he was beyond patient. No one was throwing a tantrum (thank goodness) they were all giddy and giggly. He fed them Wheat Thins too. Apparently, they love a boy with snacks.
It’s sad to think that my favorite tradition has been completely neglected the past two years. I mean, where is my Christmas spirit?! It all started when I was a little girl and we would bundle up and go to a Christmas tree farm strung with twinkling lights and every size tree you could imagine. We would search for THE perfect tree… which is quite the process with five very important opinions. Then my dad would tie it to the top of our maroon Aerostar. I was always amazed that it wouldn’t fall off as we drove home… with our toes defrosting and singing Christmas carols. A couple years ago I bought a white fake tree (gasp!) Seriously how Grinchy of me! Even though it is quite bright and cheerful the plan was to still get a real tree because, please tell me, what smells more like Christmas than a freshly cut tree.
What brings you joy?
Is it normal that the thing that brings me the most joy is also the same little, cute things that drive me nuts and make me completely exhausted at times and I want to pull my hair out? Literally the amount to joy is unmeasurable that I get for being a mother. Good thing the joyous times surmount the pull-my-hair-out times.Describe giving or getting the perfect gift. Or, what is a perfect gift? (in general)
Thoughtful gifts are the perfect gift. It’s the gift that you can tell someone really invested time thinking of and put an interest in what you like or maybe paid special attention to something you need. It’s seeing my sister give my musical brother a harmonica because it’s what my dad always played when we were growing up. Or a friend finding a vintage record from Goodwill of your favorite band. That one time my sister bought me the Punky Brewster dvds, that was pretty awesome. Not sure how my husband will top last year since he wrote a song about us and sang it for me with his ukulele. Heart melted. Now that was the perfect gift.
Our holiday-must is finding someone to do Secret Santa for. Collin and I have done this since we were first married and now that the kids are getting older it takes on a whole new meaning for everyone. Praying together to find a family who needs some extra Christmas spirit defines what this holiday season means to us. Now instead of always asking our kids, “What do you want for Christmas?” We can say, “What do you want to give for Christmas.” On Christmas Eve we make the delivery and it’s pretty hilarious and exhilarating to watch Collin from our hide-out a few houses down as he drops the presents and runs. In the snow. Seriously once he slipped and we died laughing. When I was younger, after my dad had passed away, someone did this for my family and I will never forget it. As much as I love seeing the Christmas lights at Temple Square, hot cocoa, sledding, and the Christmas Carol at Hale Center Theatre… playing Santa wins every year.
All photos taken and edited by: Matt Clayton
