Why Is All My Hair Turning Gray....

New York, New York!!!

2011-08-31T09:41:00.003-05:00

I'm back from my amazing vacation, spent a week in Rochester, New York. Okay, so I didn't get to go to the city, but as it turns out there was a hurricane a brewing, so it was for the best. We did however get to see a professional women's soccer game, meet Abby Wambach, and play on Lake Ontario, so all in all it was an amazing vacation!! I love this little family we stayed with and feel so blessed to have met them. The twins are my new best friends and their moms were the most amazing hosts, I can't wait to go back!!!

I Have A Sophomore In High School!!

2011-08-18T13:03:00.003-05:00

How did this happen? One day I turned around and my little princess loving, gap toothed toddler became a teenager!! One that in less than a month will be able to drive on her own, go on dates, have upperclassmen in her classes. It's all going by way to fast and I'm not ready!!

Space...

2011-08-04T18:37:00.003-05:00

So I'm recently unemployed and spending a lot of time thinking of what I want to do with my life and what direction I am heading. I've spent almost half of my life being a mother and a wife, recently I started taking pictures and that is really the extent of my experience in the working world. This is not the greatest thing when unemployment is at an all time high and you find yourself, a single mother of three kids with no job and no real relief in sight. I am trying not to let it overtake my life. I'm trying to enjoy the time I have with my kids and live in the moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm trying like mad to find a job as well, but I also want to live in this space I've created and really find who I am. One of the advantages all the free time has given me is to really be with my kids and hopefully I will get some fabulous pictures of them, too. For now, though, here are some from our recent trip to the zoo.

Ice

2009-01-17T14:53:00.003-06:00

Since this 40 degree weather feels like a heat wave after the -4 earlier in the week, I ventured outside to take some pics of the ice in our creek. I look at it everyday from my kitchen window and just think it is so pretty, so I thought I'd share.

A Sneak Peak of Little MJ

2009-01-13T23:04:00.002-06:00

Here's one from the baby session I did yesterday. I am still hard at work on them, but I thought I'd put one up. This little stinker was wide awake the entire time pretty much.

London's Calling....

2009-01-13T22:56:00.003-06:00

Our friends are currently stationed in London with the Army, but were home for a little while this past week. I got to take pics of their beautiful daughter, which, I must say, she could be a model with the eyes and the hair.

Six Months....what a difference!!

2009-01-11T11:07:00.004-06:00

I got to take pics of this little cutie, who is on my baby plan. I had to shoot one so we could have a then and now shot. Same bow, similar pose same beautiful eyes. It is so fun to watch them grow. She is a little beauty isn't she?

A Beautiful Baby and her Big Sister

2009-01-07T22:24:00.005-06:00

I got to take these two lovely ladies pictures today. We had a little bit of a stressful time with big sister, but she is only two and it's hard not always being the star of the show when your two. Mom was worried we didn't get anything, but I think all in all we did pretty well.

Family Game Time!!

2009-01-05T21:08:00.002-06:00

The boys got Star Wars Monopoly for Christmas and as with any Monopoly game, it takes forever and never really ends. I started out playing this game with them, Maddison took over for part of it and finally Andrew played to final counting of the money. I really hate Monopoly, but Jack just loves it and this Star Wars version is his idea of heaven all the cool game pieces and the Star Wars money which has a special name and then there are the cities and stations you can build and the special dark side and light side rules, I mean it's every boys dream right? Anyway here is a quick snap of the boys wrapping up the game.

My Christmas Family Session

2009-01-03T11:16:00.006-06:00

Both of these families came in from out of town for the holidays, so I got to take their pictures for Grandma and Grandpa. It was such a fun time four kids ages four to four months and the two older girls were just a riot. The one with dark hair came all the way from London and her little British accent was just adorable. The lucky little guy slept through most of it, but we did manage to get a few of him. You'll have to excuse the color on these, I am having some trouble figuring out this new computer as well as my new version of photoshop and I think I have some setting wrong, because the color is off on these.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T19:08:00.006-06:00

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We are recovering from stomach flu and dog seizures, but all looks bright this new year. Here are a couple of snapshots of our busy Christmas morning.

My New Office Setup

2008-12-24T09:45:00.002-06:00

So I finally got my Macbook Pro, the new 15 inch and I got the new 24inch display as well. I am so excited, I got it sort of set up last night. I do need to get the wall mount so that it will fit on my desk a little better, but I am so excited about all the editing I will get to do on this big beautiful screen.

Snow Day!!!!

2008-12-16T17:30:00.004-06:00

The kids had their first snow day today. The boys played outside while Maddison and I stayed in and wrapped presents. It was fun for the most part, though, they did get bored and ended up watching way to much t.v. and video games. Now all electronics are off and they are playing something involving a fort/tent, so all is good.

Finally, I Got One!!!

2008-12-14T15:31:00.004-06:00

So I took this guys brothers pics last week and he just wasn't ready yet for his turn. We also didn't get any of them all three together, so I went back this morning and with a little bribery got them done. I'm not above bribery, especially when it gives such good results.

Adding Texture...

2008-12-13T15:56:00.002-06:00

I've been playing around with adding texture to photos, it's a neat way to change things up. I like the way this picture looks like it might have been taken years ago, I'm still perfecting my skills on this, but I think I might start offering it to clients.

Happy Holidays!!!

2008-12-10T22:10:00.003-06:00

I had my final session before Christmas today, and what a dream session it was. For starters, this sweet little girl was just perfect. Never fussed even through all the clothing changes. Then their house was every photographers dream, tons of natural light, there really wasn't a bad place to shoot. So thanks little Miss E and her momma for letting me capture this wonderful time in your life, it was truly a pleasure.

Fun Session!!

2008-12-07T23:41:00.002-06:00

My favorite family in all the world finally let me take their pictures today. My best friends family is one that I have never formally taken pictures of, even though we are together often. I finally got a time nailed down and got them taken today. I'm only showing one because there might be some presents involved and I wouldn't want to give anything away, but aren't they beautiful.

Sunday Morning Randomness

2008-12-07T09:58:00.006-06:00

This is what I do when I'm procrastinating real work. I work on pictures that don't need to get done. It's funny how that works isn't it. I love the Christmas bokeh and thought I'd share, and of course I had to add the one of Jack concentrating so hard on Guitar Hero.

Christmas Frenzy

2008-12-06T21:55:00.003-06:00

I'm nearing the end of the holiday rush, and wrapping up my last few sessions. Today I got to take pics of kids from the old 'hood. It was good to see friends that we don't get to see as much now that we don't live in the same neighborhood.

Sneak Preview

2008-12-05T22:40:00.003-06:00

I got to take these two cute little guys pics today. There will be more to come, as their younger brother was recovering from the flu and just wasn't quite ready for pictures. These guys did great though, you can tell it wasn't their first time.

Fun Family Session

2008-12-02T12:23:00.003-06:00

I had a fun little family session the week of Thanksgiving. This family was awesome, up for anything. We had a great time and I am finally winding down on the holiday rush. Only two more sessions to go before we take a little holiday break.

A Glimpse of Our Holiday Weekend....

2008-11-30T19:16:00.003-06:00

We had a pretty quiet weekend, as far as holidays go. Andrew had to work on Thanksgiving, so I headed up to my family's dinner and it was great seeing everyone. I did some Christmas shopping on Friday, which was insane, to say the least. Then on Saturday we went and got our tree, and the boys took a huge bubble bath in our big tub. Today we trimmed the tree and is was so fun watching how the kids get into it. There is a story for most of the ornaments that we put on our tree and the kids love to remember them and how we came to acquire most of them. Ben is at an absolute fun age, he was singing his own little song about getting the tree and just loves to look at it all lit up. We have much to be Thankful for this year.

sushi, mmm

2008-11-26T19:25:00.001-06:00

sushi, mmm
Originally uploaded by llear

Had a date with my honey last night. We went to CoMo for sushi, it was awesome!! Both of us were totally thinking we could eat there every night. I love sushi...

Moving Up!!

2008-11-26T14:38:00.003-06:00

I got some backgrounds to help me get through the winter weather. I am hoping not to have much of a break in business, so I decided I was going to have to break down and get some backgrounds to take indoor stuff for those days that we just can't get outside. I am so excited, right now I just a couple of really neutral colors, but I am also learning how to use textures and it is so exciting, the possibilities are endless. Here are a couple I just snapped today of the kids.

My Kiddos

2008-11-23T20:33:00.004-06:00

I just love these pictures I got of my kids this weekend. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them, but I love them. I really love the look on Ben's face, like he's contemplating the world. And the other two, well, simply gorgeous. I can't imagine Maddison getting any more beautiful as she gets older, but I know she will. She just looks so old in the picture, it almost makes me sad, and Jack, well Jack always gets me with the eyes.

My Little Great Nephew

2008-11-22T10:26:00.004-06:00

Yes I know every time I write that it makes me feel old. I had the pleasure of babysitting the little guy yesterday. He was such a dream and I got to take some pictures of him. He is such a flirt don't you think.

Weeds

2008-11-22T10:19:00.005-06:00

Not to be confused with the TV show, I took some pictures of weeds yesterday. I loved the back lit and sun flare, though, I couldn't quite get it exactly how I wanted it. It was quite cold early in the morning when I took these, but I am trying to take at least a couple pictures for me everyday.

a day in the life...

2008-11-20T12:44:00.006-06:00

I took a self-portrait for a challenge over a Shutter Sisters. We had breakfast at a local grease joint and then on to our favorite coffee place where we met up with some friends. T is nearing the end of the semester and you can see her eyes starting to glaze over as she works on her final paper.

Christmas Cards Part 1

2008-11-18T13:45:00.004-06:00

So I took the kids after school yesterday to try and get some shots of them for our Christmas cards. Of course the moment I even mention with much bribery involved, the kids aren't happy. It was freezing cold outside and Jack had to go to the bathroom after school, so that delayed us by fifteen minutes. We finally get in the car and moving at 4:15pm an it was a race against the sun the entire time, it's amazing how fast the sun sets at that time. We literally had less than 30 minutes of shooting time before we had to call it quits and of course I really have nothing to show for it, minus a nice shot of Jack and a shot of the kids laughing at the approaching ducks that we literally had to run from at one point. Hopefully we will get another chance this weekend, and maybe it will be a little warmer.

Senior Session

2008-11-17T10:03:00.003-06:00

Here's a couple for my senior I had yesterday. It was fun taking pictures of a grown up, a nice change to the babies that I'm used to. The weather turned out absolutely fantastic, and we even managed to find a few fallen leaves to take some pictures in.

Procrastination at its best....

2008-11-15T09:20:00.004-06:00

I am preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for our friends and I should definitely not be doing this, and yet here I am. I think I am overwhelmed by the amount of food I am cooking, so I am taking a break to put up some pics I took of Ben yesterday. I also have a gorgeous shot of the sunset from our deck, which doesn't even come close to how beautiful it was, but in the amount of time it took me to get my camera it had changed.

Beautiful, Beautiful Kids.....

2008-11-11T18:25:00.005-06:00

Umm...to my friend who thought it would be a miracle if we got anything good. Well, I give you miracles, and keep in mind this is just a sneak peek, there is more to come.:)

Sneak Peak For The Folks That Braved The Cold!!

2008-11-08T22:19:00.002-06:00

We tried to get a few shots outside before everyone decided that it was just too cold. Hopefully the inside shots turn out as well as the outside ones, but here's a look a one from today. Thanks to the brave B family for trying to take pictures in 30 degree weather.

Some Pics of a Lazy Friday....

2008-11-07T12:14:00.006-06:00

The kids don't have school today, so it feels like a Saturday. We've just been lazing around the house, playing a little Guitar Hero, have coffee by the fireplace and just have a lazy day. We are heading out to the library in a bit to add reading to our list of totally important things to do today. Andrew is building shelves for the storage room/ garage, so we can be a little more organized. I have made a little corner of the garage mine, for my art studio, I've completed my first painting, I'm so excited. Anyway here are some pics of the day, doesn't Jack have the most amazing eyes? A friend of mine recently called them bedroom eyes....I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that term yet, but I can foresee a problem with the girls in the future. I went ahead and put both color and black and white, cause I can't decide which I like best.

A Little Break....

2008-11-03T14:40:00.004-06:00

I have had a busy, busy week, and yesterdays family session marks the end. I have a little break before the madness starts up again next week. I'm loving the fall colors, but I still can't resist a good black and white.

Halloween

2008-11-02T09:24:00.003-06:00

In the midst of my crazy photo week, I did manage to get a snapshot of my kids in their Halloween costumes. I didn't get one of Maddison because she was at a friends house, hopefully she has one on her camera.

Hey I Can Even Get Dogs to Pose!!

2008-11-01T22:11:00.004-05:00

So I had a photo shoot today with a girl and her dog, with hopes for a Christmas card picture. I think I did pretty well, we got some pretty Christmas card worthy shots and some great ones of Miss B.

Yesterdays Family Session

2008-11-01T13:25:00.003-05:00

A little sneak peek for the S family. I had a great time taking this little guys three year old pictures and we got some great family shots in there too.

Cuteness Overload...

2008-10-30T22:09:00.006-05:00

I had the pleasure of taking these adorable kids pictures today, and it was a total blast. What an easy job I have to be able to capture beautiful little ones like this on a daily basis. I just love the interaction between these two, little Miss A, just squealed with joy every time she saw big brother.

Baby Love!!!

2008-10-29T23:11:00.005-05:00

I got to take pics of this beautiful little guy this morning. I just love little babies, they are so fun to take pics of and the best part, you get to snuggle a little with them.

Some from a Holiday Mini Session

2008-10-28T08:12:00.003-05:00

So fall is supposed to be chilly, cool even, but below 40...I think not. It was a cold photo session last night, but all in all I think it went well. The kids were troopers even though towards the end I think their lips were starting to turn blue. I however need to invest in some gloves with open fingers so I can actually feel my fingers by the end of a shoot.

Watch This!!

2008-10-27T07:40:00.002-05:00

I found this wonderful little movie on the amazing Jen's blog, I love her and this was a wonderful little video. It's worth the time.

My expensive hobbies...

2008-10-25T18:49:00.005-05:00

So photography is not a cheap hobby, but so very fulfilling. I can't explain the joy I get from capturing moments in time forever. I have always loved it, both taking pictures and looking at them, I love digging through old photos in my mom's big old fashion ice box, which is where she keeps all the really old ones. So part of my addiction to this hobby is using film, my photography "business", is completely digital and I wouldn't have it any other way, but for fun I love to shoot film. Not 35mm film either, that would be too, easy, no I like medium format, which I take on my little toy camera the Holga, but last week while looking at the local Goodwill store, I found an old Polaroid, for $3.00. I knew when I purchased it, Polaroid had stopped producing film for their instant cameras this year, but I knew nothing about the particular model I found. As it turns out, I can get 600 film for it and rig my camera so it will work with it, even though the 600 film is way faster than the sx-70 which is what the camera originally took and is impossible to get. None the less, I spent $18 for a ten pack of film for this little guy and I had so much fun playing with it. I love that my kids get to experience this art, before it is completely obsolete. I have some shots from our nature walk we went of a few weeks ago with the Holga, and one from a fun "adults only" night at the winery a little while back. I love the look this camera gives you, but again with the money, it cost me $10 bucks to get this film developed, and put on a cd, not prints....crazy isn't it.

Senior Boys..

2008-10-20T08:11:00.003-05:00

This was a first for me, and boys are hard. First of all, they really don't want to be there, and second, I don't feel nearly as comfortable making a goofball out of myself. Luckily this guy was pretty easy on me. Thanks for making my first senior boy easy....

"Cleaning House" So To Speak...

2008-10-19T13:25:00.005-05:00

So I've been working pretty hard the past week or so on my Photography website, and have sort of given it an overhaul. It's a little classier I think, and it has some really neat new features. The best thing about it, I think, is the new shopping cart addition. Now you can make your orders right from the computer, including paying for your prints if you choose to. I'm pretty excited about all the new changes, it makes not only my life a little easier, but also from those with out of town relatives that want to order prints of their favorite little guy or gal. Speaking of house cleaning, we finally got our entertainment center for our basement, and with the help of some friends, I got it all nice and pretty, so I thought I'd share some photos. The bar is still in need of some pretty things, but hey I'm on a budget, so one thing at a time.

Trying to capture Ben...

2008-10-14T12:40:00.002-05:00

Trying out my new lens on my uncooperative son today. I thought it would be great because it's kind of overcast, so no issues with the sun in his eyes, but he still didn't last for more than a couple pictures.

Photo Love

2008-10-13T16:52:00.003-05:00

So I got to take my neighbor's kids pictures today, and I just love them. It's so great being able to watch them grow up and of course get to take their pics. I took the babies pics not long after moving in the hood, but we kept having to work around schedules to get big brother's done. After a long wait, we finally got them taken today despite the rain. I love this little guy, and his baby brother, so of course I had to include him in one.

Art...

2008-10-12T19:09:00.002-05:00

So I was coloring with the kids today and decided I could probably do my own canvas that I am imagining for my fireplace. I made a little design on paper with the kids, but had limited resources with the oil pastel set they have, so I'm thinking with the proper equipment I could do this. Here is my idea, hopefully with paint on a big canvas it will look better, but this was the thought behind it anyway.

Hiking With The Family

2008-10-11T10:49:00.007-05:00

The kids had the day off school yesterday, so we decided to take a drive to Rock Bridge State Park and go for a hike. It was lots of fun, I think Andrew and I are going to have to do it again sometime minus the kids. I was a little surprised that Ben of all of them was the one to not enjoy himself, but I'm sure it was do to lack of sleep more than anything. Maddison and Jack loved it, though and maybe next time we'll just take them. I tried to grab some pictures, but I have to admit these are not high quality, I was playing around with ISO and some of my other settings and the seem to have a lot of noise, which disappoints me.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-10-09T08:30:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy week, and I haven't posted a pic from my photo shoot this weekend. These two cuties were a workout. Two year olds and 7 month old kids are a lot of work, I can't imagine having kids this close together. Good thing their cute, though, it more than makes up for the constant on the go factor.

Sunsets...

2008-10-05T16:04:00.002-05:00

Driving home from my parents yesterday, this was the view out my window. I just snapped it with my iPhone, so you'll have excuse the quality, but the beauty is there just he same. As a kid I can remember being in a vacation bible study at our church and we were asked to draw what God was to us, and this is the kind of picture I drew. I've always thought the sun shining through the clouds was just a glimpse of God peaking through, so I'm drawn to these sceenes.

Me and My Girl....

2008-10-02T18:51:00.002-05:00

It's not often that I enjoy a picture of myself, and I can't really say that I think I look fantastic in this one, but my neighbor took this of Maddison and I before I left for the concert the other night. I love how fun and happy we look, this is such a gift for me to have, I'm definitely going to print it.

Good Times!!!

2008-10-01T12:25:00.003-05:00

Went to the Ani Difranco concert last night with friend of mine. It was a rockin' awesome concert, I had an absolute blast. I will definitely have to go to another one of her concerts, she is amazing. Here is a crappy little shot I took with my iPhone. Honestly I'm not real impressed with this feature on the iPhone yet.

A few of my boys...

2008-09-28T17:37:00.007-05:00

So we had a near emergency room visit this weekend, with our youngest. It would have been his second in his 4 short years of life and quite frankly I'm still not convinced we made the right decision. We were having dinner on Friday night at the Country Club with some friends and we were sitting around outside on the patio, after everyone had finished, and it had started getting dark when Ben had some sort of accident and came screaming our way. All the sudden one of the other kids says he's bleeding, and by the time I got to him I'll tell you I've never seen that much blood on one of my kids before, I sort of freaked out. He flipped one of those little metal outdoor tables over and the leg hit him just below the eye. So these pictures really don't do it justice, you can't see the perfect little puncture it make with the band-aid on, but you can kind of see how swollen it is, and I'm sure it's just going to get worse. Also I had to stick in a couple of the boys in their ties that they wore to church on Sunday, Jack was so excited when we saw them in the store so I just had to buy one.

Little G, 6 months pics...

2008-09-17T14:40:00.003-05:00

My first real repeat customer, this little guy was a dream for his newborn pictures and continued the tradition for his six month session. What a trooper, I don't think he's every unhappy. We got some awesome shots and I can't wait until his next session, because he just keeps getting cuter. I think this first shot my be my new favorite.

Blink and 13 years have gone by...

2008-09-14T16:54:00.003-05:00

We had Maddison's 13th birthday this weekend. I am still not fully recovered from it, not only in sleep, but in my mind as well. I know it is sort of cliche to say it, but seriously, where has the time gone? When I close my eyes, I'm right back at my kitchen table telling my mom I was pregnant, I'm at college my life in a blur with an unknown future. I could barely make it through a class let alone think about what life would be like in 13 years and yet here we are, we've made it. She is a brilliant young lady with a passion for reading and music and friends. I am amazed everyday that she survived her toddlerhood, having done most of her growing around my sorority. Maybe that's why she's so smart, having been in college classes at such an early age. My only prayer is that we make it through this new era, this land of the unknown world of teenager. I want the absolute best for her and I know she will hate me for most of these next few years, but in the end I am confidant that she will come out of it a shining star.

His and Hers iPhones

2008-09-12T19:10:00.002-05:00

Andrew and I got iPhones yesterday!! They are super awesome, and I am so excited. We did it in part because AT&T gets better service where we live now and in part because there are more of our friends on it, so we have more mobile to mobile, therefore lowering our bill. I will say, however, that Andrew is not happy with it so far. He is pretty loyal to Sprint, and he loved his Treo, so the verdict is still out on whether or not he will keep it. His biggest complaint is that his phone is not working right, he is dropping calls right and left and not getting service anywhere, but I am so clearly it is a phone thing, and instead of going to the store and just getting a new one, he has to go through Apple. They require you to send them the phone and it's really just a huge hassle, but I'm confident that once he gets one that works correctly he'll love it, too.

Something New I'm Offering Clients

2008-09-10T16:46:00.002-05:00

This is something totally fun that I'm offering with my client sessions now. I love how music really adds to the photography experience. These will only come with our regular sessions, not specials. What a fun thing for Senior's, though, to have your own music video.

A Few More of Little Mr. T....

2008-09-08T21:59:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple more of my little nephew. He had so many wonderful expressions, it was quite fun to go through them.

A Sneak Peek For My Niece!!

2008-09-07T22:11:00.003-05:00

Clearly little baby T, thought I was doing a good job, he even gave me the thumbs up.:) Of course, once I got him naked, he was having second thoughts. No seriously, I have many, many good pictures of my Great Nephew, yes you read that right, I am a great aunt. NO, I'm not really that old, I'm just the youngest by a lot in my family and my niece and I are more like sisters in age than my actual sister. I thought I'd get a couple up here for fun, but there will be more, I'm sure as I got some pretty great pics.

Happy Birthday to my middle child!!!

2008-09-06T18:00:00.007-05:00

Jack turned 8 years old yesterday, it's hard to believe he's growing up so fast. We had a little birthday party, just a few close friends. It was a total blast, and I think Jack had fun. We had Indiana Jones cake and trampoline football, which, as you can see by the tears, it is not made for little kids. The boys had a great time, though, and I can't even imagine these guys in five or six years, they are a good bunch, but I would not want to see these crazy guys on the road.:)

The Best Part of Our Neighborhood....

2008-09-01T22:09:00.004-05:00

It is full of kids, and I am benefiting tremendously from it. I took her pics this morning, and she did an awesome job. I love that I live next to all these cuties, and I am sure there will be more of the kids in the hood.

What I Spent My Day Doing....

2008-08-31T20:28:00.003-05:00

This could become a problem, I am starting to get addicted to this. I am trying my hand at making templates for photographers, hopefully I can eventually sell them.

One of my favorite things about our new neighborhood

2008-08-30T16:49:00.005-05:00

I get to take this little guys pictures whenever I want to. He was a total rockstar, and slept the entire time, even through diaper changes and posing changes. I love to snuggle up with him any time we're out in the "hood", so it was such a joy to take his pics.

A couple from yesterday's newborn session

2008-08-29T08:06:00.003-05:00

I am on a newborn role, I had one yesterday, and one today, then I get to take my little great-nephew's next week. Yes you read right, I am a great aunt, doesn't that make me sound old? These were great fun to do, I love little baby pics and mom was worried we wouldn't get any of the two together, but I think they turned out great.

This Looks Amazing...A Must See!

2008-08-25T20:40:00.003-05:00

I found this link on a blog I frequent I would love to see it. Who Does She Think She Is? I'm sure in the small part of the world where I live, I will have to wait for dvd, but it will be worth it. It spoke to me, as I'm sure it will many women, especially mothers.

A fun little time waster.....

2008-08-21T21:08:00.002-05:00

I found this on a blog that I frequent, and who would of thought you could turn words into art?? I love it, I took one of my poems and it created this little word cloud, they call it wordle.
...I would have killed to have something like this in high school or college for my English classes.

And Then There Was One.....

2008-08-20T13:06:00.003-05:00

The older kids are back in school. Ben doesn't go until next month, which isn't far away, but it still gets a little lonely for him here. He certainly misses his big brother while he's at school. Even the dogs seem to not know what to do, other than lick the peanut butter off Ben's face.

Playing In Colorado!!!

2008-08-15T18:23:00.003-05:00

I am enjoying the cool weather in Colorado this week, taking my niece's Senior pictures and hanging out with her family. It has been a wonderful week away from my family and all the unpacking and painting and other stuff that goes with new house ownership. The timing of my trip could have been better, but I didn't expect to sell our house the week before I left. The weather could be better, it has been raining all day, and very cold, I actually had to go buy an outfit because it is so cold here. While I am enjoying the time away, I am looking forward to getting back home to my fam, and the new house stuff. I thankfully got one day of picture taking in before the rain started, so here's a little peek at my first senior session.

Frogs and Toads

2008-08-11T09:28:00.002-05:00

Did I mention we live on some sort of frog/toad breeding ground. I mean seriously when you step outside at night you actually risk stepping on them. They are cute and tiny and a varied species, sometimes reddish orange, sometimes gray like this little tree frog that made it inside the trampoline this morning.

Before and After

2008-08-11T09:23:00.003-05:00

I worked on a little project this weekend, and it is basically done. I painted my dresser set in our bedroom, it is so awesome, they look brand new. It kind of makes me want to paint everything, it was so fun and easy. Now if we could just get the smaller pulls put on it would be finished.

Outside Fun!!!

2008-08-11T08:51:00.005-05:00

We got a trampoline yesterday, they are so much fun! I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or Andrew and I. Not fun to put together, though. Thankfully we have nice neighbors, cause I don't think I would have been much help by myself. The kids had a blast, though, and of course we turned on the sprinkler, as well and that makes it even more fun. You'll have to excuse the blur, I haven't quite gotten the timing right on taking pics of kids jumping. And just so you know that is not a cowboy hat on my son, it's "Indiana Jones" hat.

Finally Moved In!!!!

2008-08-06T20:37:00.006-05:00

We've officially moved in! Most of our boxed are unpacked, and there are even some pictures hanging. I did lose a box in the move, though, I'm pretty sure. I putting up a few pics, maybe I'll get some more at a later date, these are just a few I snapped today, some of my favorite places.

Sneak Peek...

2008-07-28T16:54:00.004-05:00

My photo session yesterday with these two cute little girls was awesome. I had a great time taking their pics and wow did they turn our well. What beautiful eyes they both have, totally different, yet both equally beautiful.

I love Feist, and Sesame Street

2008-07-24T09:07:00.002-05:00

I saw this on another blog, and we have watched it more than a few times now. I love it, Sesame Street is the bomb, and it's always a treat to see one of my fave musicians on there. What a great way to start your morning and learn some numbers in the process. Hey what can I say, we don't have cable.

Sneak Peek for my Chicago clients

2008-07-21T22:10:00.003-05:00

I had a special client tonight, all the way from Chicago, my favorite city. We had lots to talk about as we took pics, including American Girl dolls, and The Jonas Brothers. She even had her dog for a couple. This was fun, even with the sweltering heat.

Be Brave!

2008-07-20T21:33:00.002-05:00

I found this awesome site while looking one of the many blogs that inspire me and I decided to join in. I haven't really set any rules for myself yet, just thinking it through, but I thought since you might notice the pretty little badge in the sidebar, this, is what it's about. I am by far not a brave person, in fact I would call myself the antithesis of brave. I am not a risk taker in any way, I don't like scary movies, or riding rides, I'm all about comfort level. As you know though, I have started my own photography business, and that my friends takes bravery, especially for me. When I really thought I was going to do this about a year ago and started practicing on friends and family, I thought I'd never be able to do it professionally, because I am not a huge fan of meeting new people. I don't know why, I haven't always been this way, but I am super shy when it comes to meeting new people. Not a good thing to be when in a business, so this Be Brave project seemed right up my alley, feel free to click on over and see what it's all about.

Canvas...yes or no??

2008-07-19T21:43:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to get a picture of my kids that is canvas worthy and I really have a terrible time taking my own children's pictures. It usually involves many tears and too much bribery to even make it worth it. I can pretty much get them one on one, but put them together and it's like watching an Ultimate Fight, or whatever those things are. One yells at the other because they are losing bribery treats, whether it's ice cream, money or some other little prize I've promised, they of course all blame each other and fighting usually ensues. I even told Andrew after this little trip to the wildflowers, that I'm glad none of my clients saw me in action, they might never hire me. Anyway onto the picture, I am thinking this might be the best I get of the three of them together. So what do you think, there's nothing exceptionally good about, minus the fact that they are all three looking at the camera and sort of smiling.

Moving!!

2008-07-17T19:22:00.003-05:00

So we're living amongst a sea of boxes and trying to pack our life in just two weeks. We are moving at the end of the month and everyone is so excited. Well the dogs aren't real excited, in fact they seemed concerned. There's no place to lay, there are boxes everywhere and they are just not sure what to think of it.

Another name change.....

2008-07-14T09:16:00.002-05:00

So you know those people that have babies and then wait to pick a name for their child until after they are born. Sometimes the poor babies are in the hospital for three days without a name, just something generic like "baby boy smith", well we've become those people with our dog. She came home from the pound with the name Daisy, well we couldn't have that, totally cheesy and clearly not her given name so we decided to change it. Andrew wanted Max, so for the first day she was Max, but you'll notice I said SHE, and I just couldn't get comfortable calling HER Max, so we changed it to Harley. Well Harley just doesn't roll off the tongue like we had hoped and again, kind of a manly name. So yesterday Jack thought Charlie sounded good and could be short for Charlene, well again a boy name and we really didn't like it. Andrew kept going back to Fatty, and I was like that is just too mean to name her that, and we are going to get her into shape so Fatty won't always be fat, so I researched names on the web, thank God for the Internet. And.....without further adieu,....her name is Darby. It has a really cool meaning for a dog we rescued and it is a girl name. TaDa, Finished, I'm gonna go get her a tag today so we can't change it.

Darby - Irish - Name meaning liberty. This canine is always trying to escape.

Girl Power

2008-07-12T09:35:00.003-05:00

Maddison's friend had spent the night with us, so she went along on our picture taking adventure to help out. I managed to get a few pics of her and Maddi as well. Such cuties.

The future looks scary with this one....

2008-07-11T09:04:00.001-05:00

I have a feeling the girls are going to be after him. He looks like a starving actor or model in this pic, with the moody look. This is all I get when I ask to see his eyes, it's like he can't open his eyes and smile at the same time.

Trying to get pictures of my kids

2008-07-10T17:16:00.007-05:00

It never quite goes as planned when I do this. I really am trying to get a picture of my kids that is canvas worthy to give as a gift, but I just can't seem to get it done. It would be sad for me to have to actually pay someone to take my kids pictures, but they definitely won't cooperate for me. I'm glad my clients didn't see me today, I might never get hired, there were a lot of tears involved and too much bribery.

Scenes from the weekend....a little picture heavy.

2008-07-06T08:53:00.007-05:00

We had a blast this weekend celebrating the 4th, we did pool party and fireworks. Lots of fun was had by everyone.

Meet Harley!!!

2008-07-03T13:51:00.004-05:00

So are we crazy or what?? We just came home with the cutest yellow lab ever. Andrew named her Harley. She's three years old and very well behaved, a friend of ours rescued her from the pound. She said she just couldn't leave her there, but her husband said they couldn't keep her. I begged and pleaded and then we went and saw her and Andrew finally gave in.

A couple from last night's session

2008-07-02T22:33:00.004-05:00

This was a fun session to do, my neighbors and friends let me take their family pics. It was a blast, we went to the wildflower garden again, this is quickly becoming my favorite place to photograph. I will say I could do without the bugs, though, and I'm sure my clients could too.

Sneek Peak for the H family...

2008-06-28T18:34:00.004-05:00

We had to do a re-shoot after we got rained out last Tuesday. In the mean time, little miss L thought it'd be great to go ahead and break her arm:) Kids, what are you gonna do, anyway we decided to go ahead and do the shoot so we could get them in the wildflowers, man am I glad we did. I got some gorgeous ones of these girls, cast and all.;)

More from yesterday's baby session!!

2008-06-28T12:31:00.004-05:00

This little cutie, I could take pics of all day long. Her eyes are just unbelievable, Dad's gonna have some trouble with the boys I have a feeling.

Why I Love My Job....

2008-06-27T23:33:00.003-05:00

This my friends is why I love my job. Have you ever seen a cuter baby? She was so perfect, all smiles and just walking enough to get standing and sitting shots. She was absolutely adorable and knew the words to songs that mom was singing, it was just an absolute blast taking little Miss F's pictures. I have tons of good ones, but I must go to sleep, so maybe there will be more tomorrow.

Friendly visitor...

2008-06-26T20:26:00.003-05:00

We had a friendly little turtle make a pit stop on our patio tonight. Clearly he was famished from his long journey through the yard so he stopped by for a leaf. The kids thought he was super cool and of course wanted to keep him, but I thought maybe Libby would think otherwise.

Summer Camp!!

2008-06-26T19:28:00.006-05:00

Maddison spent a week at Kanakuk, a Christian Sports camp, last week. She had an awesome time and learned a ton. It was an amazing experience for her, she won some awards, made a ton of new friends and most importantly, made a commitment to follow Christ. She has come home a changed person, and it has been amazing to watch, even the boys have noticed a difference. Here are some pictures from the closing ceremonies, where she got the "heart" award, which was pretty cool, because it was camp wide, not just in her tee pee. The counselors at this place are amazing, I'm not sure I had the energy they have to have even as a college student, it's crazy.

Sneak Peek ...........

2008-06-24T13:44:00.004-05:00

So I had a photo shoot with two gorgeous girls this morning, but it started raining on my drive to their house. We went ahead and took some indoor shots, but then it really started coming down and got super cloudy so we rescheduled for another day. We did get to take a couple of snaps in the rain, though. I did get some pretty good shots indoors, and I can't wait to get them in the field of wildflowers.

The Amazing Flying Dog!!

2008-06-23T21:29:00.003-05:00

So I was bored today, waiting for Andrew to wake up and Libby was entertaining herself with her toy, so I took some snaps. I love the way her ear's flapped up in the "flying pic".

Blueberry Picking...

2008-06-22T16:29:00.004-05:00

We took the boys blueberry picking today, it was tons of fun and they were much cheaper than buying them in the store. I love it, we have enough blueberries to make pancakes, muffins, sauce, and I even froze some so we will have fresh blueberries picked and frozen by moi. The boys had a great time, and of course we had to sample a couple, to make sure they were good, of course.

A Photographer's Heaven!

2008-06-19T10:18:00.004-05:00

I had a photo session last night, and we went to my in-laws wildflower field. Holy Cow!! I am definitely going to try and do more shoots out there before the flowers die out, it is amazing. I am also going to try and get some of my kids out there and do some of the creative back lit shots that I am too frazzled to remember everything during a client shoot. I got a pretty good one last night, but I know I can do better. Thanks to the N family, though, cause I got some pretty gorgeous shots and really how could I not, these people are so beautiful.

Cool Dude!!

2008-06-17T21:42:00.002-05:00

This little dude is having surgery tomorrow, nothing major, just getting tubes in his ears. It's still very unnerving to me, knowing that I have to let him go in alone and can't sit and hold his hand. I'm certain the doctor is more than capable, but it's just a little scary handing over your baby to someone who until last, week was a complete stranger. So if you have a moment in the morning you might say a prayer for him and maybe one for me as well so I don't lose my mind while waiting.

Another from my recent photo session.

2008-06-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

There is something about this picture that I just love, her sweet little lips remind me of a porcelain doll. She was such a cutie, I feel like I didn't get any of her really looking at the camera, but then I look at this one and think that maybe it really doesn't matter. Some of the best images in my opinion are the ones where we aren't looking at the camera.

Last Night's Photo Session...

2008-06-15T15:23:00.006-05:00

Last night I got to take the Y family's pics, they were the victims of my camera's demise last week, so we rescheduled. It was a great session, with a gorgeous mama, hysterical little four year old and a baby who thought big brother was way funnier than me. I got little trigger happy with my fancy new camera and took tons of pics. I feel for them, as I would not want to have to choose which ones to get, it was hard for me just deciding which ones were the best to show. I'm loving the new camera, however, I will say there is a slight learning curve and I still have tons to learn about it, but it was nice to finally get good results for this family.

Finally A Cooperative Model

2008-06-12T16:12:00.003-05:00

I convinced Maddison to pose for a couple of pics with the new camera. I am also trying to use RAW, but it is such a pain to me in the post processing, although I will admit these were pretty good.

Some pics with the new camera and lens

2008-06-12T14:36:00.001-05:00

Holy Smokes this thing is sweet!! I took some pics with the new camera today, just snapshots really, cause my kids are not cooperating, but even they look awesome. Now the lens is got a little of a learning curve on it, I am so used to using primes, it's going to take some time and practice to get used to this thing. The one of Ben I have the new lens and it just looks funny to me, but I'll figure it out.