We walked down to the beach right before sunset and I could barely stand it because I was watching the beautiful light bounce off the waves as Coleson, Aslyn and Aaron played and I didn’t have my camera. I knew I only had moments before I lost the light so I sprinted up to the 14th floor of the hotel and sprinted back down just in time to get a few captures. It was worth the run.
First of all, narrowing down to 4 finalists from the huge amount of nominations was next to impossible!! There were so many amazingly touching stories and just novels written about some really awesome mommas. Everyone who nominated someone as well as ALL SuperMom nominees will receive Bella Bambino goodies just for being so fantastic. THANK you so much for taking the time to show your love for a MOM that you know this Mother’s Day season! PLUS……we partner with the spectacular EDEN SALON & SPA. They decided that they want to honor a Super Mom as well. They are giving the winner of the SUPERMOM contest an unbelievable gift. The winner will receive the EDEN ESCAPE PACKAGE. This is a prize worth 375$!!! It includes a Caribbean Therapy Body Treatment, a 60 minute massage, Botanical Skin Resurfacing, Spa Pedicure, Spa Manicure, fruit and cheese tray and wine!!!!!!! That of course is just icing on the cake of the prize from Bella Bambino worth over 2300$! WOO HOO!! So- vote away. The deadline for voting is Monday! THANKS SO MUCH for participating. And- a special thanks to EDEN SPA for making one of these special Mom’s prize even more extraordinary!! Here are the stories… PS- ONE RULE- only one vote per person please. =) You simply check the name at the very bottom (after all the stories).
SUPERMOM FINALIST #1
Jana Scott
Nominated by: Best friend- Tosha Borgfield
“When I saw your “super mom campaign” I immediately pictured my best friend, Jana Scott. This gal can manage a lot! I am in total awe to watch her manage her christian life. She is married and has 3 kids (an eighth grade girl- McKinzie, a 4th grade girl-Maddie, and a 1st grade boy-Quinn). They are all in sports (McKinzie is very involved in Volleyball and Basketball, Maddie is a competitive cheerleader; and Quinn is into soccer and basketball). Jana is involved in every activity they do. She is a cheer mom for all of her kids.
Moreover, she is a dedicated and devoted wife. Her husband is a High School Basketball Coach and Jana is right there supporting him. She attends almost every game (very important for her to show her support for her husband), she makes a homemade lasagna meal for the senior boys (who I hear can eat a lot), she helps with the fundraising, banquets, etc. She and her family are active members of Crossroads Church. Her husband is the leader of the family and Jana keeps the family flowing flawlessly.
Jobs? Just to name a few: 1. She is a wonderful Kindergarten teacher (uhhh ,that takes energy and she has the energy to do it!!). She takes her job seriously and is involved with molding the lives of the many children she teaches. I may be bias here but she teaches my son. He went from NOT wanting to go to Kindergarten and not wanting to go to school to a completely different child. He loves “Mrs. Scott” along with many others! 2. She is also an assistant dance AND cheer high school coach (she is involved with scheduling, fundraising, attending football/basketball JV and V games, paperwork beyond what you think that job can entail and above all else taking care of young ladies and guiding them when needed/asked; she also takes care of the head coaches! She is always there and we can always depend on her). 3. She teaches seminars at SEMO University. 4. She leads the Athletes Plus Booster program (which is a time consuming task and frankly I still haven’t figured out how she can add that to her schedule!). She does this job on a VOLUNTEER basis! Over 50 families are part of fundraising. She keeps track of all of the different fundraisers and who did what and who earned what. Plus, she has to put on two major fundraisers where she had to lead and organize a cheer competition and then a dinner and show (two MAJOR time consuming tasks….all volunteered time!)….5. She is a Pampered Chef Consultant. She utilizes her vivacious energy selling a product she loves. She offers her commission at times for fundraising efforts such as St. Jude Children’s Hosptial. 6. Again, I need to mention a wife and mother of 3!!!
Life struggles? She desired to become a mother, but struggled with becoming pregnant and had to have fertility treatments. She was on bed-rest with her third child towards the end of the pregnancy and gave birth with no epidural. (I know this can be done….but I have had 3 children all with epidurals and couldn’t imagine it without!). This wonderful, loving, full-spirited woman has also battled and defeated thyroid cancer! She was diagnosed 2004 and was finally officially cancer free in 2010. She then endured 3 female related major surgeries. Currently, she is dealing with her oldest daughter and a heart issue that was just discovered. Her daughter recently had heart surgery but it hasn’t worked completely. Her heart can race to 250 beats a minute and can take several minutes for it to return to a normal rate.
You wouldn’t know that she was this busy or had any stressors in her life when talking with her because she gives her undivided attention to whoever she is with! She is always laughing and smiling and she is just full of life! She is a conqueror of many things. She is a true inspiration to all. She is the super mom that I would love to be!”
SUPERMOM FINALIST #2
Beth Brotherton
Nominated by: Friend- Corrie McNeely
“When I saw this contest, I immediately thought of someone who is so deserving of the wonderful gift of photography. I have a close friend of mine that is such an inspiring friend, wife, but even more so, mother. She has a precious little girl named Lily, that she is an incredible mother to. In October of last year, Lily\’s mommy, my friend, Beth Brotherton, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Beth had two tumors in her breast and the doctors had to act fast. When I heard the news, I burst into tears, but Beth assured me, as she always does, that everything was going to be okay. Beth underwent chemotherapy through the next few weeks, lost her hair and her energy, but not once did she lose her beautiful smile. Beth was so optimistic throughout her treatments, I almost forgot she was sick! Every day she had a smile on her face, and always said she would not let cancer get the best part of her – her amazing personality. Lily watched her mom shave her head (she told her mom she looked like a boy! 
) and go through a double mastectomy, and always saw Beth being positive and never giving up. Beth\’s strength through the toughest time in her life has been so powerful and moving to me. She continues to go to the gym everyday, play with her daughter, and enjoy her family daily. Beth Brotherton is more than deserving of such a wonderful award. She is Supermom.”
SUPERMOM FINALIST #3
Randi Keith
Nominated by: husband Eric Keith
If there ever was an individual deserving of the title “Super Mom”, it has to be my Randi. She is the epitome of what this campaign is looking for, “an inspiration, tireless survivor, and true example of courage and love.” Randi and I have been married for 9 years and have 3 children, Brady 5, Abigail 4, and Colby 2.
I am a pilot in the Marine Corps and have been gone on 4 combat deployments (2 to Iraq, and 2 to Afghanistan) in the last 6 years. Military wives like her become single mothers during those deployments. They raise and care for the kids, worry about their husbands, and manage the household during the day and then sit lonely at night for 8 months out of the year.
Randi has always been a “Super Mom”, but in June 2008, when our youngest son, Colby, was born with severe congenital heart disease her courage and love poured through. There were teams of doctors and nurses in the delivery room when he was born waiting to rush him to the Pediatric ICU and the care he needed immediately. In the hospital, Randi never left his side for 2 months. I’ll never forget one moment between his first and second open heart surgeries. His condition was very critical and his room was swarming with doctors and nurses. Randi and I were discussing his care with the doctors when Colby’s vital signs began to crash. His ICU team swung into action with medications and adjustments to life support equipment, but nothing worked and the mood in the room began to feel dire. Through the chaos, Randi pulled a chair up to Colby’s crib, stroked his head, and sang a song softly over the noise of the machines. Slowly the room got quieter as everyone watched her calmly comfort our baby. But you could have heard a pin drop when he stopped crying and for the first time in hours his vital signs stabilized. There were no dry eyes as the medical team left the room. Colby’s surgeon was the last to leave and he said to me, “only a mother can… powerful… amazing”, his words getting lost in the moment.
Ultimately, after several surgeries Colby was only released from the hospital because Randi had already taken over his care. He had a feeding tube in his nose, a pump in a back pack, and required many medications. Randi wore the backpack all day, only able to put him down during naps. For several months she never slept more than 2 consecutive hours because of his medication schedule. Where was her husband during this rigorous routine? I was deployed to Iraq again, having left only weeks after leaving the hospital. She was simply amazing throughout Colby’s ordeal. She took him for more surgeries while I was gone, sitting in the waiting room by herself. Happily, her love and devotion carried him through every step on the way to being the happy little boy he is today.
Of course Randi handles all of the normal happenings for the kids as well. School, soccer, gymnastics, and church keep her busy with the kids every day of the week. As if that isn’t enough, in the fall of last year she started training for the Shamrock Half Marathon in Norfolk, VA, pushing a double stroller every mile. Unfortunately, she broke her foot 2 weeks before the race. Despite her own disappointment she still packed up the van with the kids and they went to cheer on her training buddies. She is still healing up with her foot in an orthopedic boot, but it hasn’t slowed her down and she hasn’t missed a beat. But her husband has taken over while she heals, right? I wish I could, but of course as I type this I am deployed to Afghanistan, again.
My wife is truly amazing. I have been calling her “Super Woman” for several years. I would gladly change my nickname for her to “Super Mom”. It couldn’t be more fitting.
SUPERMOM FINALIST #4
Jo Ellen Calhoun
Nominated by: daughter in law Amanda Calhoun
“I would like to nominate my mother in law – Jo Ellen Calhoun. She is the strongest woman I have ever met. We had a tragedy in February where she lost her daughter, sister, and step-father in a fire. Her mother made it and is recovering nicely. Through it all, Jo Ellen has not lost hope or given up on anything. She steadily takes it a moment at a time and even though she is still grieving, she takes the time to take care of her mom, and her remaining family. Even on her worst days, she still calls to listen to us complain about our bad days. She has always been the one to take care of everything for everyone in the family. This time, she had to let go, and let us take care of things for her while she was in St Louis taking care of her mom. I know that was extremely hard for her to do. She is kind of person who takes people in, even if she doesn’t know them. Even our friends and extended family call her mom. In fact, I know she wouldn’t use the photos for herself, but she would probably tell us we all had to be in it cause she needs more family pictures. We never realized how important pictures were until the fire. Afterwards, when we were skimming through ash and trying to find anything that may have survived. WE actually found pictures either untouched or only slightly burned. It was huge relief to her and our grandma to know that we still had them.
So, I nominate Jo Ellen Calhoun, she isn’t just my mother-n-law, she is someone who I and many others look up to.”
Loading ...What better image could their be to sum up our weekend filled with CHEER and the BEACH. We are in Daytona for Aslyn’s cheer competition. She and Aaron were frolicking in the ocean with Coleson not far from them, when she decided to work on her heel stretch. Priceless.
This little boy is a photographer’s dream come true. OH how I love when he walks through my studio door!! Enjoy a few favorites from his session! OH- and I am pretty much crazy about the images of him and his parents as well. This is what family images are supposed to look like! In my mind anyway 
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I know, I know- I have been a one day.one lens slacker. Life has been crazy. Crazy good, but crazy, none the less!! This is actually not from today- but it was a day last week, after school….when it was 4 boys against Aslyn. She wasn’t goin’ down without a fight.
Liz and Jack were a blast to shoot. I cannot WAIT until their wedding!
This first image sums up the day today. Poor, sweet Aaron- working like a work horse putting up the new trampoline- and us, Me, Heidi and Aslyn just watching him work/having a good time. Note Heidi in the background of the first shot! Priceless.
Mothers are the people that keep this world spinning through bumps and bruises, bandaids and kisses, smiles and tears – tirelessly barreling through all of life’s struggles to protect us, love us, and show us how it’s done. In honor of these amazing women, Bella Bambino Photography announces the very first annual Campaign Super Mom. The idea is simple – nominate the Super Mom you know who is an inspiration, tireless survivor, and true example of courage and love. We’re talking women who give awesome a whole new meaning. The ones who weather the storm tirelessly, are survivors against all odds, and mothers of love above all else. Bella Bambino will review all nominations and select the The Bella Bambino Super Mom 2011. The winner will receive a Bella Bambino prize valued at $2300 including a private photo shoot, and a full Bella Bambino Digital Collection of her fabulous images – just in time for Mother’s Day. And for you, the person who loves her enough to share her remarkable story — you will receive a complimentary 8*10 of your very own Bella Bambino image, along with entry into a drawing to win an additional 16*20. So, bring on the fabulous. Consider the moms in your life and nominate the one who takes courage and strength in motherhood to a whole new level. We can’t wait. And neither can she. To enter the Super Mom you know click on the blue wording-> NOMINATE THE SUPERMOM HERE!
Requirements for Nomination:
All nominations must be received by April 8th
Your Name
Phone Number
Name of Nominee
City and State of Nominee
Email Address or Contact for Nominee
Your Relationship to the Nominee
Brief Write Up of Who She is and Why She is a Super Mom (2000 word maximum)
*Bella Bambino will contact the nominee once the nomination has been received in order to receive permission to review her story and formally enter her in the campaign.
To start, I absolutely did not tell Aslyn to put a magnify glass and read the New Testament and pretend to be pondering what she was reading. Yes, folks, Aslyn comes up with this stuff all on her own. We were actually on our way out the door to Aslyn’s Kindergarden program. Such a silly girl.
