Mom of the Month - Our Mom Tara Fairfield April 18, 2013 15:48

It seems that if two sisters run their own website, and have a blog that features a mom of the month, they better be sure to feature their own mom at some point. Alyssa and I agreed that for April, we’d choose our own mom for the monthly Mom of the Month column. So below you’ll find a short excerpt from each of us detailing just what we admire most about our own mom.

From me:

I owe my sense of determination and self worth to my mom. There were times during my childhood that were very trying emotionally, but through it all, my mom never failed to remind me that I was special and had a mark to make on the world. She instilled a deep sense of independence in me by allowing me to make mistakes and supporting my decisions, even if she disagreed with the path I was choosing.

She was a single mother for about half of my childhood (during which time she managed to raise three of us, worked full time and obtained her doctorate degree in psychology), and continually reminded me the importance of being independent. Of all the values my mom instilled in me – my faith in Christ, my belief that it’s ok to have my head in the clouds, my confidence, the importance of serving others – the most prominent was to ensure my own survival, independence and prosperity through education and work ethic.

She learned this lesson the hard way, and was determined to raise us kids to learn from her trials and tribulations. We did. My mom’s insistence on obtaining an education and following a sustainable career path fueled my personal ambitions and helped me keep my focus. When the time came for me to leave home and venture out to college, the transition was hard, but I was mentally ready to fend for myself. That level of autonomy is something I hope I can encourage in my own children when they are at the right age.

Our mom has just recently achieved yet another amazing feat. She wrote a novel, pitched it tirelessly and obtained a publisher for it. It launched, and is being bought and enjoyed by readers across the country – and internationally! I’m so proud of my mom, so happy for her that she has been able to chase this dream; and look to her as inspiration that really anything is possible with the right level of perseverance.

From Alyssa:

Ash and I love giving our mother a hard time, laughing at all of her funny quirks and dramatic moments. But, in all reality, she is one strong lady. As I am writing this, I am currently on a plane to go and meet our family in Hawaii. We are celebrating the release of her new book, Makai Queen, which is just another outcome of her determination and hard work.  

I have a lot of gratitude and admiration for our mother.  I was very young when our parents divorced, and as Ashley said, she raised the three of us kids by herself, worked full time, and completed her doctorates.  She made a lot of sacrifices for us, as I like to say "manned up", and much of where I am and who I am today is owed to that.  I am sure this is where my 'no excuse' mentality comes from.  

One of the qualities of our mother that I am so thankful for is her unwavering support. I was never told I was not capable of doing something. Our mother always pushes us to go for our dreams and ensures us we are capable of achieving anything we put our minds to. She not only tells us this, she shows us this. I can always turn to her for support and encouragement. 

She is amazing. We are three very lucky children.  

For more about her book, visit http://www.makaiqueen.com/. It’s a fantastic read, and we’re not just saying that because we’re biased.

-Ashley

Mom of the Month - Molly Vaden January 10, 2013 14:52

This month we’re honoring just your ordinary mom next door. Well, not really. This mom may seem ordinary: from a small town, four kiddos, family oriented, and drives an SUV. But we think Molly Vaden of Molly Vaden Photography is pretty amazing.

Molly is the creative eye behind the scenes of the adorable baby photographs on our website. She has photographed our family numerous times, resulting in some of the most magical photos of my boys’ toddler years. Many of my friends have invited her into their homes and communities to capture the essence of their family on camera. Her talent is unique, and her role as a mom of four lovely children brings an added personal touch to her work.

Molly’s signature style is evident in her photography, and it’s not quite like anything I’ve seen from other family and baby photographers. She knows just how to capture the sweet moments; the serenity of a pregnant woman, a mother tickling her child for a smile, a young couple’s kiss above their newborn baby, a father’s smile as he hugs his little boy; and she does it with style. Speaking from experience, Molly’s clients all feel at ease with her, and as a result, the photos that come out of a family session are more meaningful, beautiful and sweet than ever expected.

We decided to feature Molly this month just for fun. She’s an everyday working mom, and we really appreciate the adorable images she’s captured for both our family and our business. You can see her awesome work and blog at www.mollyvadenphotography.com. And here’s one of my favorite shots she did of our little family…

-Ashley

The Mom for More Happy and Healthy Children December 10, 2012 14:59

Ashley and I enjoy taking nominations for our Mom of the Month.  We love people sharing stories with us about an amazing mom that they know.  It’s awesome!  But, the mom that we are honoring this month happened more by chance.  As a grad student, I was scanning the Internet to find information for a project I am working on and stumbled upon a blog post by Jennifer Burden.

Jennifer, mother of two little girls, founded World Moms Blog, which writes about global motherhood, culture, social good and human rights.   Since discovering her blog that day, I’ve read many of her posts.  I don’t personally know Jennifer, but I am truly inspired not only by the work that she is doing, but also by the determinism and strength that she demonstrates. 

After learning that a child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented through a vaccination, Jennifer became a strong advocate for providing children in developing countries with live-saving vaccines.  She has dedicated herself to spreading awareness and raising funds so that so that there are more healthy and happy children in this world.  Jennifer works with the UN Foundation's Shot@Life campaign as a Champion, and recently went with the organization on a trip to Uganda.  In addition, she is also the creator of the "GAVI Global Tea Party" to continue advocacy for life-saving vaccinations for children in the developing world.

By reading her blog, it’s not hard to tell how much she believes in this cause; she has even been brave enough to share her own personal story in efforts to raise awareness.  We wanted to honor Jennifer as Mom of the Month to show appreciation for all of the work that she is doing.  She’s not just leading by example for her two little girls, but she is showing all of us that we can be a part of something bigger than ourselves.    

We encourage all of our readers to learn more at http://www.worldmomsblog.com/ and http://shotatlife.org/. 

-Alyssa