Photos Archives - Beautiful Matter

Celebrating Mothers

Amanda — Sat, 09 May 2020 21:24:06 +0000

There are many things I’ve done wrong but these children are not one of them. I’m so proud of the exceptional little humans our children are.

Raising boys has unique challenges. I want to encourage them to be exactly who they are but at the same time model empathy, sensitivity, and kindness so we raise boys who will grow up to be responsible and aware men. People often ask me if I wished we had a girl and I’m quick to always reply with “no.” While it may seem harsh that I don’t even consider it, I’ve always felt I was destined to be a mother to boys. I know nothing about sports and I don’t even watch them. I don’t like wrestling or playing rough. I leave all those things to Shawn. I grew up playing with dolls and dress up. My interests were dance, and makeup, and modeling classes. So even though I’m just about as “girly”as can be I’m also strong and intelligent. So I hope to serve as an example for my boys that women are many things and most of all precious.

Wishing all the precious mothers a very happy Mother’s Day.

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Happy Birthday Easton!

Amanda — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 08:39:37 +0000

Easton has blessed our family in more ways than we can mention in this post. I remember the day we found out we were having another boy and feeling so elated because having a boy the first time around was such an amazing experience. Easton is a risk taker, athletic, and strong willed. He loves sports especially if he can kick or throw a ball but is also happy to spend his time racing his older brother and jumping on the trampoline. He’s been swimming with the family since he was 6 months old and is an absolute fish in the water. Easton is very independent and loves to contribute to household chores. He loves helping mama with the recycling, laundry, and preparing his own snacks. Easton doesn’t love many foods but luckily his favorite foods include green smoothies. Easton LOVES being outdoors. Even if we’ve just returned home from the park he’ll run to the patio door to go out to the yard. We love how busy he is and how he keeps are life exciting every day!

Happy Birthday sweet boy. You are loved by so many.

Video of Past 12 Months

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Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows

Shawn — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 03:36:55 +0000

We recently visited Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows to capture some of the beautiful architecture, decor and desert landscape. We spent most of the time exploring the resort and relaxing in quiet little nooks. All the rooms are bungalows. This makes them incredibly private and peaceful. Our room featured both a front and back lounge area. We were there to relax so we took advantage of these relaxing areas. The rooms are styled with mid-century modern decor and feature work from local artisans. My favorite feature of the room was the spacious bathroom. In all my travel experience I have never seen a shower that large. It definitely added to the feeling of luxury.

We wanted to try Weft and Warp kitchen for brunch. The food was excellent and the service was even better. We spent our last day, Sunday, relaxing by the pool which felt surprisingly quiet and private. We were so sad to say goodbye to the peacefulness but also grateful to have our two little ones waiting for us at home.

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Tempe Arts Festival

Shawn — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 02:30:44 +0000

We don’t make it to Tempe often but it is such a fun college town to explore. We visited the Tempe Festival of the Arts. This was a free event with a whole block dedicated to children. We didn’t come home with any pieces but we really enjoyed seeing how inspired Landon was by the artists.

Landon has been using all sorts of materials to make art at home. He really can not get enough of watching artists on YouTube or working with Shawn on the computer to make art. He also has been requesting more professional art supplies not the kid stuff anymore.

Easton is just beginning to explore with art materials and they definitely need to be non-toxic because most of the exploring is with the materials in his mouth. We hope you enjoy the pictures!

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Rooster Cogburn Farm

Shawn — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 02:27:20 +0000

We headed to Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch over Spring break. The little ranch was the perfect size for a half day activity and kept the kids engaged the entire time! The children can feed and touch all the animals they have. What an incredible place for children to discover how animals eat.

Getting up close and personal while feeding the animals was an incredible and (sometimes slimy) experience. The most interesting animals to interact with were the Ostrich. They behave more like dinosaurs than birds. They definitely have a fierceness to them. Landon enjoyed the Lorakeet forrest where he was able to feed them and allow them to perch on him. Getting up close to the deer and bunnies was my favorite experience of the day. Easton enjoyed the dirt and ramps and Shawn enjoyed capturing it all per usual. If you know an animal lover this is the place for them.

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