MOVING - Sortof!!

I don't know if anyone even still reads this blog, it's been almost a year since my last post and obviously I don't keep it up. I'm going to be moving all of my personal stuff to my photography blog and I will intermix my blog posts from now on. If you want to keep up with anything going on my in life {that isn't already on social media, I mean let's be real, everything is already posted on there}, you can follow my Photography Blog.

If you want to see my most recent scrapbook layouts, or follow my Creative Team pages, you can find those pages on my Liberty's Layouts Blog, which I do keep updated!!

and just because I'm here making a post, my OLW for 2019 is CALM! Everything needs to be CALM for this year, not like the last 5 have been!!!

UTAH || SKYLAR IS HOME!!

I'm so grateful I was able to make it work to go home twice this past fall/winter. In October Skylar came home from the Dominican Republic and I couldn't wait to go home and see him and hear his homecoming talk. Tanner was able to go with me and it was a fun - although way too short - trip.

We took a late flight so that I could work all day on Thursday and we didn't get to Utah until almost 11pm. Good thing too, it took Dad and Skylar all day to get ready for us!! :)

He's a pretty good travel companion!! First order of business on Friday morning was a big dirty diet coke {or whatever they call it at Sodalicious!}

Then I had a photo shoot at the Provo City Center Temple, you can see it HERE. We also did some baptism pictures, you can see those HERE. Then we we drove up the canyon to meet my new friend Emily Broadbent to do some updated family pictures. I LOVE how they turned out. Here are a couple of me, I'll share the rest when I share my Christmas cards. The canyon and the mountains were SO beautiful!!! {I really, really miss the mountains!}

After our pictures we ran and got some flowers and went to visit the two cemeteries. It's still surreal that I have to visit the cemetery when I go to Utah now. It still pulls at my heart string and makes me sad, and sometimes angry. It's still raw and open sometimes, but it is getting better, little by little, day by day, it is getting better.

Friday night the weather got crazy and one of my photo shoots had to be re-scheduled. We went and hung out at Brett's house and all sorts of craziness erupted!! It was quite a night of crazy antics, gorillas, moon shoes, and many laughs. {It was just what we all needed}.

Saturday morning I had three more photo shoots, you can see them HERE, HERE and HERE. They were ALL so much fun and I'm so grateful we were able to capture so many fun memories together! It was pretty stormy by Saturday night, so we decided to postpone the last photo shoot until Sunday, you can see it HERE.

Here are some pictures my sister took of me taking pictures this morning, I LOVE behind the scenes photos of me working!

And then we went to Mi Ranchito because you can't go to Utah and NOT go to Mi's. YUMMO!! It was SOOOO crazy, but so fun!!

AND SOOOOO GOOD!!!

Sunday was Skylar's homecoming, the reason why we came to Utah, I made sure Tanner knew that going to church was NOT optional. He was expected to be AT church, on time. And Skylar's talk was SO good. He's grown up so much and he's gained such a strong testimony. I'm so proud of him. But more important than his talk was the fact that ALL SEVEN of us, and all but one of the grandchildren were there together, AT church to support him. I know it was uncomfortable for some of them {my own son included}. I know some of them don't go to church right now and THAT'S OK!!! I have learned so much about agency, about love and about acceptance. It doesn't mean that I like the choice my siblings, or my own son are making, but it does mean that I LOVE THEM ALL UNCONDITIONALLY!!! Choosing to love someone is really a choice we all make. It doesn't matter what they do, or don't do, we can ALWAYS love them and show them that we love them.

I know mamma was there with us. I know she was proud of each one of us for being there to support Skylar. I know that she is cheering us on every day. I know that she loves us each unconditionally.

I am SO, SO grateful for the things I have learned in the last few years. I would not choose these trials, but they have changed me in ways that nothing else could. I am so proud of you Skylar, I can't imagine losing my mom at such a young age, and while I was away in a foreign country serving the Lord. I can't imagine coming home almost two years later and having her not be there any more. I can't imagine how hard the last two years must have been for you, but I also can't imagine the amount of people you have touched, and the testimonies you have helped to grow, because of your faith. I love you bud!! WELCOME HOME!!

After church, we hung out at dad's house, made silly faces and enjoyed being together as a family.

Monday we had to leave to come home. We went to lunch with dad and Skylar and then we went to the airport. It was such a fun weekend and I am SO grateful that we were able to come!

I LOVE this owl that Skylar brought me from the Dominican Republic. It reminds me of mamma, and teal, and owls, and Skylar and everything. Thank you!!

IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN || TWO YEARS LATER

If you had told me 2 years ago that I would be where I am today I would NEVER have believed you. Two years ago we were sitting by my mom's side knowing that any day, any moment could be her last, watching her slip away from us, knowing that there was nothing we could do to keep her here and that we had precious little time left with her. Two years ago I was heart-broken and I didn't believe that I was ever going to be able to move forward without my mom. Two years ago my marriage was falling apart, but I was so heartbroken over losing my mother, that I couldn't do anything about it. Two years ago, I was broken. I was afraid and alone. Two years ago, my life was shattered in pieces and I had no idea how to put it back together.

The last two years have not been easy. There have been many, many tears. There has been anger and pain. There has been laughter and joy. There has been heartbreak and heartache. There has been hope and healing.

And today?

Today I am not only living, I am living my best life, I am happy and I find joy in everyday. I have found a passion and a purpose. I have found ME. I'm not sure I can explain how much this means to me and how much it has changed my life and my view of those around me. I'm not sure I can explain my why, the reason why I believe photos are SO important and why I pour my heart and soul into every session. 

Six months ago I decided that I needed something in my life that brought me joy. I wanted something more. I needed to do something different. The last year and a half had been brutal and I needed something that made me feel like I was giving back, something that made me smile. If you have known me very long, you know that I am passionate about photos, documenting and story telling. I have bookcases full of scrapbooks from the last 20 years of my life. I have pictures of EVERYTHING. Just ask Tanner! 

I decided to put all of my faith in myself, and stop being afraid to fail and I invested in photography classes from Amy & Jordan Demos. I watched every lesson and I did EVERYTHING they told me to do, I learned how to shoot, and edit, I learned how to pose, I learned how to run a business and how to be successful. Then, I practiced and I prayed. Oh, how I prayed. I prayed that I would be good enough, that I would have someone who would want me to take their pictures. I prayed that I would be able to JUST cover the costs of the classes with new clients. I prayed again that I wouldn't fail. 

Today I've updated my BLOG, my WEBSITE and my FACEBOOK with a new logo, a new design and ALL new pictures that I've taken in the last 6 months. Not only did I cover all of the cost of the classes, but I've more than tripled the amount the classes cost.  I was able to take Tanner to see Les Miserables, I was able to go home to Utah, I was able to pay off some debt. I am SO DANG PROUD of where I am today!!!! I am SO DANG PROUD of the work that I am producing now. I am confident that I AM good enough. I am confident that I know what to do to get the kind of images I want to get, EVERY TIME!!

In addition to the classes, I have gained an entire community of photographers around the world who cheer for each other. Who help each other, who answer questions and give guidance. I have made so many new friends and have received so much love and guidance from this whole new community. I didn't expect this when I signed up for some online photography classes. {they are SO MUCH MORE than just classes!!}

I didn't expect this to change my life so much. I didn't expect to find so much Joy and feel so fulfilled. 

This was taken by my new AJ Friend Emily Broadbent

I sit here tonight with tears streaming down my face in gratitude to a loving Father in Heaven who NEVER gives up on me even when I don't have enough faith in myself. He directs my life every day. I KNOW that He guided and directed me to those classes. I know that it was exactly what I needed RIGHT NOW in my life. I know that he is aware of me and my needs. I know that he provides for me and that he will NEVER leave me to figure it out on my own. I know that I can trust Him, because he is the same today, yesterday and forever. 

I can't help but think that my angel mamma is up in heaven CHEERING with me tonight. I feel her with me often, but tonight I wish I could call her and hear her tell me that she knew I could do it, that she always believed in me. I wish I could show her how far I've come. {I'm sure she already knows}. I feel her guidance. I feel her love. I know that she is watching over me always, but I am so grateful that I have felt her so close as I have taken this huge step in my life. 

I love you mamma. I miss you every minute of every day. I don't know how I've lived 2 whole years without you, but I have. I've made it and even though I can't see you, I can feel you in my life and I know that you are so proud of all the hard work I've been doing to learn and to grow. 

I love you more!!

IF YOU GOT THIS FAR: In my mamma's honor, I'm giving away a FAMILY PHOTO SESSION {$295} VALUE, go to my Pinned Post HERE to find out all the details!!

FALL MINI SESSIONS

MY PHOTO BUSINESS - LIBERTY CAMERON PHOTOGRAPHY

I've been taking some photography classes and I have grown so much in the last few weeks in my photography. I want to try to make it into something more than just a few pictures here and there, and get really good at it, so I organized ALL of my pictures, got them all backed up online, got a website up and running, updated my blog, started a Facebook Photography Page and got business cards.  I am so excited to see where this journey will take me. I am excited to have more opportunities to capture precious moments for everyone.

The events of the last two years have really changed how I feel about life and photos in general. I know that it seems like they are just fluff, like photos don't matter. I get it, getting a family all ready and meeting a photographer and paying and praying that everyone cooperates and that you get ONE good picture is a LOT of work. But one day you will leave this world, or you lose a child, or a parent or your sister-in-law, and suddenly you realize how much you wish you had some photos of them to remember what they looked like, what their smile looked like and you would LOVE to just have something tangible to hold onto during your grief.

Photos are my passion. Capturing your family in their element, with genuine smiles is my challenge and I am learning how to make that happen. If you are interested, my photography website is

LIBERTY CAMERON PHOTOGRAPHY

My Photography blog is:

LC PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

My Facebook Page is:

LC PHOTOGRAPHY FACEBOOK PAGE

Here are just a couple of my favorites from the last few sessions: