Everybody Has A Story - Day 20!! Retreat Day Spa: Featuring Rex & Cassie

OK so imagine this...being pampered at an amazing all-inclusive Day Spa complete with oh-so-relaxing MASSAGE, maybe-I-can-do-something-other-than-freckle TANNING, please-tame-this-crazy-hair-of-mine & can-I-get-a-pedicure-please SALON, and I-have-no-idea-where-to-start PERMANENT MAKEUP APPLICATION. *sigh* I could totally live there...

Back to reality! Meet Rex and Cassie, managers of the Retreat Day Spa located at 1489 South Curlew Drive in Ammon, Idaho (in case you out-of-towners are wondering). Give them a call at 208-523-5355!


Formerly known as La Petite Retreat, it was returned to it's original name of Retreat Day Spa due to its tongue-twister nature. :)


Check out how stinkin' cute this little airplane is! Perfect for the aspiring pilot and complete with pedals to make the wheels move. I tried to get Rex to sit in it, but I think his legs were too long!

As one of our vendors, Retreat Day Spa and Salon offers our clients a discount on their services. Hey all you brides--be sure to ask about the bridal packages they offer! :)

While we were at it, we did a mini "We are still newlyweds" shoot!


So Rex and Cassie didn't exactly hit it off the first time they met. They met up at BYU-I and were assigned to work together. Rex actually ended up offending Cassie and when she called her Mom to vent, her Mom asked if Rex was cute. What???? Yup--Mom said that since they had to work together, Cassie had better learn to get along with him. Score one for Mom.


On their first date they went to Wingers and then bowling. Rex made up for offending Cassie by letting her beat him at bowling (never mind that his arm was in a cast)!


These two are so much fun! Rex is really laid back and Cassie is a firecracker! They had each other laughing and having fun the whole sesh.


We've been saving this location for Rex and Cassie. Rex is from Missouri and feels right at home in a field because he grew up on a farm.


Work it! :O) So much fun!!!

Home From the Honeymoon Teaser

Just wanted to let everyone know that we will have one more "Everybody Has a Story" post on Monday :) Don't worry, you won't have to go through withdrawal from frequent posting! We have plenty of posts coming up!

In the meantime, let's welcome back Jeff and Lisa from their honeymoon! Looking trim and tan, we headed off to Rexburg for a fun shoot.

Lisa and Jeff are both fitness buffs! We had them climb up on this little ladder that was about 4 feet off the ground. Even though the posing was a bit awkward, it paid off!


I love Jeff's smile!




They just bought this cute little red sports car. It is perfect for newlyweds!


OK this is why it's called a "teaser"...we are leaving you hanging and wanting more pics of this awesome couple! Stay tuned :)

Everybody Has a Story: Day 19 - Staker Floral

Walking into a floral shop is one of my favorite things. I love how it smells and feels--it's magical. In short, I love flowers. Always have--always will. By the way, this is obviously Shelley writing! :)


When Jer and I got married this last September, fresh flowers were at the top of the priority list (next to an amazing photographer!), so I paid Betsy Monson a visit at Staker Floral. We were so happy with our experience and the way the flowers turned out. We had pink roses, lime green orchids, and white freesia. They were gorgeous!

Here are a couple pics from our wedding. Thanks to the amazing and oh-so-talented-I-want-to-grow-up-and-be-just-like-you Amelia + Justin Lyon. Justin and Jer are cousins and when they came out from California to shoot our wedding, they went gaga over all the big bales of hay!




Betsy Monson is the owner of Staker Floral. She and her sister, Monica, worked their when they were younger. About 11 years ago, Betsy quit her job out at the Site and bought the flower shop. It was a great move for her and her family.


One of the nicest things about Staker Floral is that it's an everyday flower shop. Sure, they do an amazing job with weddings and funerals, but they give as much care to a single rose as they do a big bouquet. It doesn't matter if you spend $5 or $5,000--you will receive excellent customer service and a quality product.

Sometimes after I get the house all clean, I will go and buy a single flower from them. It's crazy how just one rose can brighten a room and make it smell so good! I've had flower last up to 2 weeks from there!

Betsy is great with supporting the community. I have seen flowers from Staker Floral donated to schools and at church events. She even gives gift certificates to the schools for Spirit Week or other events for boutonnieres and corsages.

These flowers are being prepared for a wedding.


Do you know those little orange fluffy things in the middle of a lily? They are removed because they are full of pollen that is notorious for staining what they touch. Just like when you were a kid and played that dandelion game and ended up with yellow all over your face.




Don't forget that Staker Floral is one of our vendors. They offer a discount on flowers to our wedding clients. Check them out at 1695 Ponderosa in Idaho Falls or give them a call 208-523-7950.

Everybody Has A Story - Day 18: Dillon

This is one of those stories that is hard to tell because there are so many conflicting emotions that run through your head at the same time.

Sadness: This past February Dillon Halford was participating in snowmobile races in McCall, Idaho when he overshot a jump and fell 30 feet from his snow machine. Although he was wearing a helmet, he suffered a severe brain injury when he hit the left side of his head. Additionally, he fractured his left orbit (the bones that surround the eye), and dislocated his left shoulder.

He was transported by life flight from McCall to Saint Alphonsus in Boise where he spent 16 days in the ICU. In a coma, on a ventilator, and with a drain in his head (used to maintain the proper pressures in the brain), his parents were unsure of his future. The neurosurgeon who took care of him told his parents there was no certain diagnosis or timetable for if and when he might wake up.

Hope: He snapped. He snapped his fingers of his right hand and that was the first sign that he was emerging from his coma. It was his Mom, Paula, that saw it first. It was hope.


Admiration: It has been 4 months since his accident. Dillon's progress has been incredible. We got to meet him today and the first thing did was show off--imagine that, a teenage boy showing off. He's walking, talking, and this week he started riding his horse. It was so cool to see his Dad, Kent, helping him get up on his horse and Dillon being able to do most of it. He is determined and when he regains his full strength, I wish his parents good luck at keeping up with him.


Laughter: Head injury patients will often repeat the same phrase over and over. Dillon's fave today was "I don't care about that right now!". He was hilarious and had us laughing and smiling the whole time. He showed us his tracheostomy scar (from the breathing tube in his neck) and told us about his new birthday boots, that he is 15, his eyes are green, he likes his horse and she is soft. Oh, and that he has 5 girlfriends. :)




Exhaustion: Although his parents didn't say a word, I know that they must be exhausted. Without a doubt they have been through the physical and emotional wringer. While working in the ICU, I saw parents age in the matter of weeks. I admire their courage and tenacity.


Gratitude: Paula's employer, Family Dental in Idaho Falls, set up an account at Wells Fargo where people could make donations for Dillon. Thanks to the kindness and incredible generosity of friends, family, and strangers, Kent and Paula were able to spend a lot of time with their son while he was in the hospital. They wish to pass on their gratitude and wish they were able to thank the many anonymous donors.


Caring: So many people have helped the Halford family so much. If anyone is interested in helping, donations can be made at any Wells Fargo bank. The account is in Paula Halford's name. Also, donations can be made through caringbridge.org


We too want to find a way to help. We want to donate a photo session to help pay for Dillon's medical bills. We will hold a silent auction where bids can be emailed to us. In return, we will give the winner a free photo session and include prints. The session can be an engagement, a family session, kids, Senior portraits, grandparents--whatever. We are hoping to do this in conjunction with another fundraiser, so we will let you know the details as they unfold this summer. In the meantime, please pass this post on to spread the word.


Keep up the good work Dillon! We and your 5 girlfriends are rooting for you!

Everybody Has A Story - Day 17: Nick & Lexie

So remember the guy that asked his girlfriend to marry him by hiding the ring in a Wendy's Frosty and then the girl swallowed it? The nurse in me wonders how many days exactly until she got her ring. Yucky!!

No, this isn't the "Wendy's" couple...it's the "Coldstone" couple. Haven't you heard? Well, let me tell you.

Nick & Lexie (or Lick and Nexie as I like to call them) LUV Coldstone ice cream. One night, Nick took Lexie to Coldstone and they ordered their faves: Birthday Cake Remix--hold the fudge and add extra sprinkles for her, and Cheesecake with raspberries and graham crackers for him. Nick "forgot" his wallet in the car, so Lexie ran out to get it. While she was gone, he asked the ice-cream maker dude to hide the ring in the ice cream. Lexie would find the ring and he would ask her to marry him on the spot--right?

Well, after Lexie ate almost all of her ice cream and the rest was melting, Nick started getting really nervous because NO RING! Happily, it was in the next bite. Lexie said, "Hey, someone put ice in my ice cream!", then realized it was a different kind of ice than she first thought.

So down on his knee, he asked her to marry him. She said yes. :)


These two are so stinking cute! We had so much fun and laughed a ton during the session.


Nick has mastered what I like to call "the soap opera star". Isn't he dreamy? Lexie is a gorgeous girl with an infectious laugh!


His fave: her smile
Her fave: his eyes


First conversation: 11th grade zoology class. They dissected frogs. Double yuck.


First date: Girls choice dance complete with mud volleyball that turned into Red Rover before the dance!


First kiss: at his house after walking her out to her car. It took him a couple months of dating before he finally had the guts to kiss her. :p


Wedding to follow on October 10th!

Everybody Has A Story - Day 16: Jeff & Melisa

This girl is going to be famous!

Meet Melisa (pronounced May-lisa) and her handsome hubby, Jeff. Melisa has quite the story of determination and passion.


Born in Argentina, she is the youngest of three children. She came to Idaho with her brother when she was 14 years old and stayed with the family of an LDS missionary she had met in Argentina. I can only imagine the challenges she faced during childhood. Her Mom died from ovarian cancer when Melisa was 7 years old and her Dad died from lung cancer 4 years later.


Melisa was soon calling the people she lived with "Mom & Dad" and formed a close bond with them and her new-found siblings. Her new parents started working on a way to help her become legal citizen. In the meantime, she took advantage of every educational opportunity possible because she didn't know how long she could stay in the States.

Despite the fact that she barely spoke English when she came to Idaho, she took AP (advanced placement) classes in High School so that she could get college credit. According to her Mom, everything that she did, she did well! It was because of her hard work that she earned enough scholarships to put herself through college. She just received her Bachelor Degree from Utah State University and is now heading to Normal, Illinois where she will attend Illinois State University to study drama, work on her Masters Degree and teach Undergraduate students.


On to the famous part...Melisa LOVES acting. It's funny because she is petite and so beautiful, yet she ends up playing a lot of male roles! For graduation, the college had her dress up and do a short skit. So while everyone else was walking around in their graduation digs, there was Melisa (completely unrecognizable) in character talking, moving, and acting like a homeless person. I would have loved to have seen that!!


Jeff and Melisa are adorable together. They are so affectionate and uninhibited. This was honestly one of the easiest photo shoots we've ever done. Jeff is so good to support Melisa's dreams. He is such a laid-back guy and according to Melisa's mom a "jack-of-all-trades". He plans on taking graphic design classes and fixing up a house they want to buy in Illinois.




Thanks for a wonderful shoot! Good luck and remember to send tickets when you make it to Broadway!

Everybody Has a Story - Day 15: Nathan

This is kind of a long post, but please read it all--it is so important.

This is Nathan. He has a rotten, yucky, genetic disorder called Neimann-Pick Disease.

Nathan is one special kid. He has the best attitude and outlook on life. I've known him since the year before he was diagnosed, but we wanted to spotlight him on our blog because the world needs to know more about Neimann-Pick.



It started the summer between kindergarten and 1st grade. He was at the Pediatrician's office one day when the doctor noticed his stomach was bigger than it should be. As it turned out, Nathan had a spleen the size of a football!

Thanks to his spleen and Dr. O'Byrne, a general surgeon here in town, Nathan is alive and well today. Although his spleen was way, way, way, bigger than it should have been, Dr. O'Byrne knew it needed to stay in until a diagnosis was made. After $18,000 in lab bills, a week in the hospital, and a trip to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake, a diagnosis was finally made. It was Neimann-Pick. Today Nathan was helping me remember the pieces to his story. He reminded me that it was the "bow and arrow" (translation: Bone Marrow biopsy) that solved the mystery.

We also talked about the time that Julia (my daughter and Nathan's friend) and I took him for a blood test at the hospital. He had just had some drawn that morning, but the lab called and said they needed more. His Mom and Dad were working, so Julia and I took him. Nathan was so brave!!! He just sat there patiently and didn't fuss. I couldn't believe it. In the 15 years I've worked in the medical field, I've never seen a kid be able to do that. Never!


Nathan has Type B Neimann-Pick Disease. It is caused by the deficiency of a specific enzyme, acid sphingomyelinase (ASM). This enzyme is found in special compartments within cells called lysosomes and is required to metabolize a lipid called sphingomyelin. If ASM is absent or not functioning properly, sphingomyelin cannot be metabolized properly and is accumulated within the cell, eventually causing cell death and the malfunction of major organ systems.

These are his sisters. Both girls are carriers for Neimann-Pick. Because it is a genetic disease, both parents must be carriers of the gene. It is VERY rare to be a carrier and unfortunately it isn't anything that is routinely tested for.




Nathan still has his spleen today. It acts like a filter for the "bad cells" and they get trapped in his spleen. If his spleen had been removed, those cells would have ended up in his lungs or brain.

Sadly, many children diagnosed with Neimann-Pick die. We are so glad that Nathan is doing well. He has stomach aches occasionally and can't play sports because his spleen might rupture. But hey, as Nathan says "I like to play with all the cute girls at recess". What could be better than that?

To learn more about Neimann-Pick, visit their website at www.nnpdf.org
Their vision is a world where Niemann-Pick Disease is no longer a threat to a full and productive life for patients and their families. The foundation is selling bracelets to raise money for a cure. They are getting close! They are in the middle of trialing medication that will hopefully help those with the disease.


On the way home from our photo shoot, we stopped to get a snow cone. "Barbie" flavor for the girls and "Dragons blood" for Nathan--all a yummy mix of watermelon and passion fruit. The kids started telling me about what they want to be when they grow up.
Nathan: I'm going to be a cop!
Me: Oh yeah? Do you watch those cop shows on TV?
Nathan: Yeah, but my Mom doesn't let me :)
Little sister: I'm going to be a princess--like Tinkerbell!
Nathan: You should have Julia teach you how. She was a princess once. I'm pretty sure
Big sister: I'm going to be a child and family counselor


Love you all kid-o's. Keep being brave Nathan. Persevere.