Stories Across The Sky

efore Parker was born I established that my besties Mary and Alexis would be her honorary aunties. I visited them last summer after I had just found out I was pregnant with her, and announced the wonderful news when they picked me up at the airport. We hugged while jumping with excitement and had some good EEEEEEEE!’s. It was that very vacation Alexis spoke to her through my belly and told her to be a girl. It was also the vacation we celebrated Mary’s birthday by baking a cake and eating it with our hands. I also cried during the opening credits of 500 Days of Summer and asked Alexis to pull over so I could puke out of her car door. I’m so glad they got to experience some of my pregnancy.

Aunt Lexi came and visited us a couple weeks ago. Parker adored how animated Alexis is. They shared a morning routine of listening to broadway tunes and Parker was just loving it. She cried a lot the night Alexis left. I am sure she is kindred spirits with Mary & Alexis and will love them just as much as I do.

I would like to take this time to send Mary a happy birthday wish all the way to India. Mary is amazing and has been volunteering/traveling in India for over a month. I stole this image from her, I hope she won’t mind. I can’t wait for Parker & her to meet in just a couple weeks! I truly have the best friends and Parker has the best honorary aunties a girl could ever ask for.

n the morning of the 4th our dear Miss ‘P’ suffered a pretty mean case of eczema that had become infected. We kept our festivities indoors and ended up watching televised fireworks that took place over the Chesapeake Bay. Seeing soldiers with their families and they way their eyes lit up with the sky made me feel very patriotic. We recently took some pictures of Parker in her 4th of July outfit (almost a month later) but I’m sure its okay to celebrate our country’s independence any day of the year. I am so grateful for the sacrifices of the men & women whom have served and continue to serve our country. We are so blessed to have our freedom and that Parker can grow up in a country with such hope & promise.

ast weekend my family made our way to Alhambra, California to celebrate a very special occasion, my Grandma and Papa Johns 50th wedding anniversary. It was such a blessing to celebrate their 50 years of marriage with all of their immediate family and life-long friends. Travis once wrote an article called Spheres of Influence. I often thought about it that day as I looked around at the family that was built upon their foundation of love. It was really beautiful to see the greatest rewards of their marriage: their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

This video makes me smile so big!

50 Years from Jayna Neilson on Vimeo.

ot only do we get to celebrate our independence on the 4th of July but my mother’s birthday as well. After experiencing the birth of my daughter I can now imagine how exciting it would have been for my grandma to have her on such a special day. Also, how fun would it be as a child to have fireworks for your birthday? On the 3rd we celebrated her day with some of the bests: BBQ, s’mores, fireworks and family. I hope this year will bring my beautiful mother the happiness and purpose she has been searching for. She deserves to be happy.

-Photo of my mother taken by Lyric Estopellan

oday is Travis’ first Father’s day! It is so great to have a day where we get to celebrate and honor the fathers in our lives. It has been really neat watching Travis as a father. My love for him has deepened because of it. I am thankful for the way he teaches, guides, cares and provides for our family.

I am too very blessed to have such a wonderful father of my own. I look forward to seeing the love in his eyes when he first meets Parker when we visit him in Chicago in just a couple of months. He has been a great example to me and my family. Our bond and his legacy will live through the generations to come.

I am incredibly grateful for my relationship with my Father in Heaven. He has blessed and provided me with such a beautiful eternal family to enjoy this life & forever together.