Baby Simon and the most Confident Woman I have EVER Met

One of my dearest friends and my very first college roomate, Sheena.. .and her new little boy Simon.
Shooting newborns makes me want to have one...
gosh he is adorable! I got to spend sometime with these two last week, it was quite the experience for me...which will lead us into this overly long blog post:

I preface this post with this:
I have been completely drained the last few weeks. Emotionally, socially, mentally, physically...
I was just SO TIRED,...and then Last Weekend Happened... and

Last weekend was phenomenal.

It started with Saturday when I shot some (AMAZING) engagements for cousin Chelsie. Kerry and Lus tagged along and I got to watch them out of the corner of my eye play on the beach of antelope island... he really is the best Dad ever. Afterwards I drove down to Sheena's , just me, to meet her and a few other fabulous and dear dear best best friends. They sang me happy birthday while candles stuck out of a  bowl of muddy muddies and gifted me with a pair of Toms (yes they are as great as everyone says they are.)

The best part of the entire weekend was staying up giggling that night and...
wait, nope, it wasn't giggling... this was rolling on the floor "please stop because I will pee my pants" laughing. IT. WAS. GREAT.

it's been too long since I've laughed like that. 

In the morning (oh yes we slept over) I opted out of church when I realized that if I didn't go, I'd get one on one time with Sheena. Her girls went to church, the rest of our friends went... and I sinned : ) Sometimes... sometimes you just need a break, from everything, and if anyone was going rejuvenate me and kick me out of this slump... it would be Sheena. 

You see,

 Sheena is the most confident woman I have EVER met,

no exaggeration. 

Her confidence can't be contained... it just spills off of her. 

Anyone that comes into contact with her leaves her presence feeling ...

feeling better, 

feeling beautiful, 

feeling loved, 

feeling AMAZING...

and it just dawned on me,

When I leave her presence I feel loved, and how I think God sees me, which is pretty freaking astounding. 

Now, I have been really contemplating friendship the last few months, REALLY thinking about what kind of friend I am, what kind I want to be, who are my friends, and what relationships are worth trying to save and which should I have stepped away from of long ago.
I'll talk about that more in a different post but I mention this now because, this much needed time with Sheena, gave me tons of insight into what kind of friend I currently am and what kind of friend/person I want to be.

I JUMP at the chance to see Sheena because she fills me up instead of drains me.
She cheers me on, she adores me, she thinks knows I can take on the world.
 I want to be like that.

I don't want to drain my friends, I don't want to drain my family, I don't want to drain you, I don't want to drain the checker at the grocery store!.... anyone!
I want people to feel like better when we say good bye and to feel loved.
and...I want to suround myself with people that do the same for me...
It's a kick in the face realizing there are so many relationships and friendships I have drained and killed.
 I think it's an even more slap in the face, and really hard, realizing there are friendships I need to let go.

It was a phenomenal weekend, I am grateful for times I am shown my weaknesses so that I can receive more Joy in Life and more Joy in Others.
Thank you Sheena, and for friends and family who lift me.