About four years ago I started dating the love of my life, and now husband, Taylor. I lived in Provo, Utah going to college at Brigham Young University and he lived in Delta, Colorado. He would drive four hours every weekend to Utah to come and take me on a date. One weekend, however, he couldn’t come because he was having surgery. I decided that it was probably my turn to drive alllllll the way to Colorado and go see where my perfect boyfriend was from. You’re probably wondering, I’m looking at maternity pictures…where is this all going? Good question! Well…when I drove over to meet him the first person that I met was Presli! Presli is my husband’s brother’s wife (my sister-in-law) and also the model for all of these beautiful maternity photos! On my way to his home I started driving through farm fields and on back roads and thought, “I can’t believe Taylor is from here! Theres cows everywhere!”. I obviously had a lot of adjusting to do coming from a big city. I pulled into the driveway for his address and there was Presli standing on the lawn with the cutest baby boy. I got out nervously and walked up to Presli and said, “Hi, I’m Mindy…and…”, and IMMEDIATELY she had the biggest smile and said she was so excited to meet me and knew we were going to be great friends.
Presli and her husband have three cute little boys and live only a few minutes from us now. These maternity pictures were taken during this past summer and were capturing her last pregnancy. She wanted this last pregnancy to be memorable, special, and to treasure it as much as possible. We drove up Escalante Canyon and pulled over almost every mile to get the best pictures possible (she was so patient with me!).
Presli has easily become one of my best friends over the few years we’ve known each other. I started dating a boy that I loved, but was so opposite from, and she welcomed me in and made me feel like I was apart of the family. I’ve quietly watched her as she’s raised her three boys and taken notes in my mind of how to be a better mother from her example. So many of the things that Presli does I try to duplicate in my home. She taught me about cooking, patience, finding recipes with meat for my meat loving husband, chasing my dreams, and that there is no such thing as a “perfect mom” but there is such a thing as a “loving mom”.
When I was pregnant with my son, Matthew, my husband and I came to Delta for a weekend trip. He went hunting with his brother and Dad, and I stayed with Presli and his Mom. During the weekend I watched Presli as she took care of her two boys (at the time). I specifically remember we had them in the blow up pool in the backyard and one was in the pool yelling, “I have to poop!”, and the other was laying on the ground about to put a pile of rocks in his mouth. Presli grabbed the rocks out of the youngest child’s hand and pulled the other out of the pool almost simultaneously and didn’t seem to be stressed at all. I called my parents that day and said, “I don’t think I can be a mom, what if one eats rocks and the other poops in the pool?” They laughed and said to learn from Presli’s example that with experience and love everything will work out and to not be stressed about it. And just so you know, with the third one here now, she continues to be the patient Mother that I hope to be.
