Wednesday, December 18, 2013

2013 has been a Bitter Sweet Year for The Bennetts

2013 has been a Bitter Sweet Big Year for the Bennett’s filled with Many Lasts and Firsts and with each one came Lots of Excitement, Uncertainty, Tears and Most of all a lot of Love as we made it through Many Milestones for Our Family this Year

One of Our Big Highlights earlier in the Year was watching All Three Boys Play for the High School Hockey Team as the Completed their Senior Year of High School we got to spend Many Nights at the Ice Rinks, Cheering on Our Boys and Their Team “Momma getting Routine “here and there but lots of stinky commutes and late nights with them was such Great Memories

Cory’s Hard work and dedication too his Job paid off in a Big way early in the year … He received a Huge Promotion “enter change number one”  We were all so Proud of Him and his Accomplishment at Work he is Now the Regional Vice President for Journeys and Celebrated his 13th Year with the Company this Year… So Now that My Husband is a VP he travels for work each week in a New State or Country and if you know me at all you Know this is a BIG adjustment for me to not have him home every night “no likely”  I have grown numb to Travel days I don’t Cry ‘all the time’ but I still am so Giddy each week when get gets Home and this change has really helped strengthen our relationship and put life into perspective for us and I very much look forward to My Time with My Best Friend and the Adventures we go on and He Looks so Handsome in his Grown up Shirt and Tie each week 

Jordan Enlisted in the US Navy and entered into the delayed entry program early in the year, we got to watch as he swore in He was so Excited “ Mom I just want to Help Others” is what he would say to me , My Momma Heart was so not on board at first “not my son” but as I saw more and more how much he was so excited about this and he was happy I let myself except this was happening and well I am an Information Junkie So I took to the Internet to find all I could about the process and what to expect in each stage of this Journey for Our Son which helped me feel more ready to Let Go of My Boy and let the World Have him

For  Valentine’s Day My Gift was I got to Quit My Day Job  being the only Parent Home during the week even working part time was so hard and I am SO Grateful to My Husband for the Best Gift ever I got to be Home the Last 3 Months of the Boys High School Year, I got to have More time with them and Caden that I can never get back and I got to focus more of my Creative Energy in My Photography and Touch of Sass Photography really started to come to Life My Husbands Love and Faith in Me to Live My Dream and Hold Down the Castle while he is away was the Best Change for me this Year ever…. Thank you Babe

We got alittle Redneck this Year Myself and Corys Mom got to Join Him and his Uncle on their Mancation to Talladega Raceway in Alabama to watch Nascar up close and personal we got to stay in a Motor home on the in field it was an experience I am so Glad I got  to do, The South is Beautiful and the People there are so Incredibly Nice and to watch Nascar so close and live was so Amazing

Cory treated me to a long weekend getaway to Durango Colorado and My Besties House It was so Much Fun to Spend Time with her and Our Families on Our Drive there we started making our 10 year plan and desided we want to buy a vacation Home there or maybe a way for me to be closer to my Bestie more often 

Our Boys entered Our Lives the Summer before My Senior Year of High School and were present when I took the stage to get my Diploma and This Year was the Proudest Moment for Us Our Boys Graduated High School They Truly are Our Biggest Accomplishment in life and our Pride and Joy we were so Proud this Day to watch all Three of Our Boys Graduate High School and the Rest of their Life Began….. so many lasts were celebrated that went along with or led up to this day My Biggest advice is to be present in your kids life and make sure you celebrate those lasts as they come cause you can never get them back just like firsts that come as your child grow the lasts are just as important !!!!

Our Littliest Bennett Turned 10 This year , Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat he is Ten!!! How did this happen, we celebrated with a Ninja Birthday Party that thanks to Pinterest I put on at home all under 50.00 it was such a Fun day for him, he is Growing up so Fast and adjusting the best he can from being the baby in the family to being an only child since his brothers are either gone or rarely every around

We Took Our Last Bennett Family Vacation this Year … last with all of us together  It was Such an Incredible Vacation the very Best Memories and Time Spent together we went on a Cruise to the Bahamas it was so nice to lock up the cellphones and shut out the world and just spend good quality time together so many laughs and fun and the Beaches were Breath taking , after our Cruise was over we spent the 4th of July in Universal Studios it was a fun filled packed day and we got to go to the Harry Potter Ride and Transformers Ride Whoohoo!!!!

Castle Bennett turned 10 years old this year….  Everything that could fall apart and need replaced did

Caden is Our Kung Fu Pooh bear he is excelling in Taekwondo and is 2 belts away from being a Black Belt Yes I am training him to be a Human Weapon or just to be able to defend himself  against the world

I ran 2 5k races this year and am getting ready to Run a Race in Disneyland in the New Year then I am Retiring my Running Shoes, Unfortunatly with age has come some unforeseen issues that have prevented me from Running as I would like so what better way to go out then a Run in My Favorite Place on Earth 

I got to see the Concert of all Concerts this Year in Las Vegas …. Yes New Kids on the Block 25 years of being a Fan and it was the very Best concert EVER!!!!! “don’t judge me”

18 years really does go by so fast, The Boys turned 18 this year I still cant believe it I blinked and it was here I feel like, What Incredible Young Men our Sons have become and we are so very proud of each of them but I truly haven’t worried so much about them as I have since that day having Adult Children is a Hard and Scarey Stage …

In September we said goodbye to Our Boy Jordan as he started his Journey with the Navy and Left for Bootcamp, I cried for days and weeks and was an emotional mess the entire time he was in Boot camp I carried my phone in my hand In fear I would miss the precious phone call, I had to let go of my Boy and learn to let go is very hard when your heart is not ready …it was a Long 9 weeks  But he Made it through Boot camp and Our Son is a Changed Young Man Now the NAVY knows what they are doing … and even though they have molded my son into a Sailor he is still Mommas Jordan 

Touch of Sass Photography took on a life of its own this  year as I got to focus more of my energy into it I really started to make a name for myself and gain some incredible clients through the year and many of them have become friends I have got to be apart of some many precious moments for others and photograph them so they have those memories forever, engagements, births, baby bumps, birthdays, family photos, wedding, senior photos, and even just because photos I Love that I have found my niche in the world through my Lens of My Camera

We became parents of College Students this year…. Jacob is in Culinary School and is learning and loving it and we are getting to taste some of his talents which he is very talented!!! Chef Bennett  Joshua is entering his second semester in SL College and school has always been easy for him he is loving the different professors he has and is learning a lot from the fun classes he gets to take

Joshua was the First to Fly the Nest in September he Moved out of the House, hard for us to get us to still that he is not around and we miss him but its always so nice to see him when we get too 

Congratulations it’s a Mormon haha!!! Both Joshua and Jacob have converted to be LDS this year and if you know Cory and I at all you know how this would be Humerous and Hard for Us and Before anyone gets their pantys in a bunch We Love Our Sons No Matter What they Choice to do with their Life and We Love Many People in Our Lives Who are LDS My Very Best Friend is and many friends its just another change in our lives we have to get us to  and We are very Proud of Our Boys for going out and  finding themselves and what Makes them Happy in Life No matter what that may intel

We Traveled to The Dirty South New Orleans this year I got to meet Cory there after a Meeting he had with Work and we stayed with Our Cute Friends who live there and had the Best Time I fell in Love with the culture and the scenery it is a Photographers Dream there and Yes I Loved the Swamp!!!!

Our Last Little Trip with Jordan before he left for Boot camp was to San Francisco we got to take him to a 49ers game and spend some time in the City it was a nice way to spend our last days with him Home with us
Cory got to attend 2 Games for the 49ers this year he is Loving having San Fran in his Region :0) and I am forseeing in our Future the Bennetts will be Moving to Northern California 

Caden and I and his best buddy and his mom went to Disneyland Halloween Time it was The Very Best Time to go to Disneyland and we had a lot of Fun so Much Fun it was a bit overwhelming for Caden haha!!!

Jordan Graduated from Bootcamp 11/22 we went to Great Lakes Illnios to watch Our Son Graduate and Hug Him for the first time in 9 weeks it was so Good to see him we had a Fun weekend with him seeing where he had been and what he had learned loved all the stories he had to tell spent the day in Chicago with him it was hard to have to take him back to base each night and to leave when it was time to come home and not have him come with us but we look forward to the next time we get to see him and the next Journey he will start soon

Cory and I started our Love Story 20 Years ago this year….. So Many Chapters have already been written in Our Story and I am Looking forward to the Next 20 Years with Him being in love with my best friend and growing old with him is such a blessing I just Love him to the Moon and Back and Im sure he would say the same about his Wife  haha

Thanksgiving this year was our first Holiday where we were missing 2 of our Boys it was a difficult and strange day for  us, we are still adjusting to being  a semi empty nest  Thank you to My Sister in Law again for having a Wonderful Thanksgiving for all of us and making the day filled with love and family we really needed it

Jordan got Engaged to his High School Sweetheart who also is a US Navy Sailor they have Promised to Not Elope and to wait atleast a year and to Not Make us Grand parents anytime soon  and I do Love her so Yes they are Young But My Son Is HAPPY and that’s All we can ask for in life

We welcomed Our Newest Family Member Dexter he is a English Bulldog and we just Love him, he is the Best Fur Baby every….. when your children leave home this is what you do you get a pet haha!!! And he is so great he doesn’t talk back or disobey he just lets us love him and he is such a cuddle puppy he has filled my heart and days with love in a spot that may of needed to be filled and I believe the same for Cory who by the way spoils him way more then I do  haha

We Both are Finding ourselves a year older this year and closer to 40 then We like to admit and we are settling to life so this is "almost" 40  we both have medicaions and vitaimans we take as a morning snack, lifestyle changes and mostly really realizing whats important and what we need to focus on as you get older so many things you thought were important seem so not and others really become the forfront of your life Loving the Life you have and the People who share it with you is the Biggest

And if your not exhausted by now from reading this I know I am just recalling it all… Its been a Big Bitter Sweet Year for us that is Certain and we are getting use to Our NEW Normal and Looking forward to the New Year and New Beginnings and Hoping for a less eventful year 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Christmas Mini 2013

I was so Stressed going into this Session, The first Bad Snow Fall came this day and My Bright Idea of using a Christmas Tree Lot ment we would be Outside in the Cold and Snow ..EEEEEEEEK well with a few minor and Major Hiccups like the Booth falling completely apart before I started..... I am hoping I can fix it before Next month Or No Kissing Booth :( 

Well as you can see we were able to still use the trees and be indoors out of the Snow and Cold it turned out better then I invisioned and I Love them all so very Much!!!! My Littles are My Favorite I look forward to seeing them each time I do a Mini this is By Far My Favorite of the Year!!!!

if you Love these Here is a Peak at the Up and Comings for 2014
January - Valentines Mini
February - Tattoo Stand Mini
March- Paint Fight Fun Mini



































Wednesday, December 4, 2013

New Clients

I Love it when New Clients turn into Loyal Clients and Better Yet Friends ;0) I am So glad to have met this Family and That I get to capture so Many Important Moments for them this year !!!!!