Dawn Chapman Photography Blog

SPLASH AND DASH...

2012-02-05T20:51:00.008-07:00

There's something really amazing about watching someone move through water with speed and grace. Swimmers make it look so easy, but I've witnessed the hard work that goes into it. Our son is currently putting in 2 hours a day, 5 days a week to become a better, faster swimmer. He's getting in great shape too! I've even had the thought that maybe I should take up swimming and get myself in better shape. Until that actually happens, we really enjoy watching him swim.

Then there's our daughter, she decided to go out for cross country at her school. You have to know that I never liked running and would have done just about anything to get out of it when I was in school, so I'm really proud of her and what she's accomplished. The team runs 1 1/2 miles. At first she couldn't run the whole distance, but as she continued to practice she got better and better and eventually could run all the way. The other day I took her to the track and she ran 2 miles! She had her last meet a week ago, the first lap she starts out smiling and having fun... by the second lap she's become more intense... and the final lap, she sprints to the finish... Way to go guys!!! I only wish I had been as athletic as my kids when I was there age, I might be in better shape now.

2012-02-03T13:45:00.003-07:00

This is what I spend a large part of my evenings doing, which doesn't leave me much time for blogging or anything else for that matter. More on this later...

LITTLE BLUE HOUSE...

2012-01-20T13:17:00.005-07:00

This is the little blue house where our daughter is living while away at school in Utah. It's really cute inside and out! She shares it with 5 other girls and is having a great time living there! Believe it or not this was taken at the end of December, not a hint of snow! Please Utah, have some snow soon!

DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN...

2012-01-14T13:49:00.006-07:00

Don't you just hate it when someone doesn't post anything new on their blog for months? I know I do. So why did I commit the cardinal sin of blogging myself? I could say I was busy, but everyone is busy. I think it was just lack of inspiration, yes, no inspiration. How can that be you ask? Aren't the holidays full of inspiration? Yes they are, so I have no excuse for the lack of posts on my blog. All I can say is that I will commit to doing better. Please don't be too hard on me though if I slack off a little.

Now that the apology is out of the way, here's my post. I've actually been wanting to share this for some time. If you remember back in July we went to Idaho and Yellowstone Park. While we were there we had "Swope's Mountain Photography" come and take our family photos. They did the large group photo of the whole extended family and while they were at it did individual photos for each family. We haven't had an official family photo done for more than 10 years, so I was really excited to get these done. I was equally excited to have them printed on a canvas wrap. I got them hung up just before Christmas and LOVE how they look! These photos don't do justice to the actually beauty of the canvas but you get the idea. Thanks to Linda and Linda of Swope's photo, we had a great time and love the photos!

THE "C" FAMILY...

2011-11-07T19:46:00.007-07:00

I love, love, love this family. Ok, maybe I'm biased because this is my youngest brother and his family. You have to admit though, they are cute aren't they?! For many years they lived far away in other states, now they live here in southern Arizona. Yeah! I drove down to their home a couple of weeks ago and we did a quick mini shoot in their front yard. Their kids are so fun, they kept me laughing the whole time.

MINI SESSION DAYS...

2011-11-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies is "Cheaper By the Dozen". In the opening the Baker family is gathering in the kitchen for breakfast when dad announces, "We're shooting our Christmas card today...Why do we always do our Christmas cards in May anyway? Because the earlier we get it done, the bigger discount we get at the printer." It always seems that the holidays are here before we've thought about our Christmas card photo.

So, as the holiday season is creeping around the corner, Dawn Chapman Photography and Jessica Marie Photographer are teaming up for the first time to offer Two Mini Session Days just in time for the holidays! And, like the Bakers, its never to early to have your family photos done for the holiday season. We're offering the following days and times.

Saturday, November 12 Saturday, November 19

9:00am 3:00pm

9:30am 3:30pm

10:00am 4:00pm

10:30am 4:30pm

11:00am 5:00pm

Mini sessions are $150 and include a 25 minute session and a CD of 15-20 edited images ready to print. Mini sessions are first come first serve. To schedule your session contact dawnchapmanphotography@cox.net or jessicamariephotographer@gmail.com. Payment is due in full immediately upon booking and is non-refundable. The CD of images will be ready approximately two weeks after your session date. Location is to be determined by the photographers.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T15:50:00.003-07:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween. I don't drink alcohol, but I wanted to add this reminder for those who do, this is what happens to pumpkins who drink too much...

INDECISION...

2011-10-21T11:05:00.003-07:00

For the first time I had to repaint a room because I didn't like the original color that I chose. My daughter walked in and said "It's a boy!" The color really looked like it belonged in a baby's room. It took me 3 months to get around to repainting but here's the result. Now before you judge too harshly, keep in mind that it's hard to replicate the exact color in photos and the room is a work in progress. We're ordering new window coverings and I have to hang some photos. We're also going to do something with the bathroom cabinet and change some other things. But for the sake of the wall color here's the before...

and After...

ONE MORE FROM PARK CITY...

2011-10-16T16:24:00.003-07:00

I promise this shot is not fake. We were driving through a canyon and as we were climbing in elevation, leaving the aspens behind for snow covered pine trees, I looked across the canyon and there, standing among all the pine trees and snow, was this lone Aspen tree, covered in orange and red. It was some distance away so rather than hike through the snow, I pulled out my 18-200 zoom lense to get this shot. We thought it was pretty cool.

I LOVE FALL ...

2011-10-15T17:31:00.011-07:00

This past week the hubby and I went for an adults only get away to Park City. It's one of my favorite places on the planet. We spent some time driving through the canyons enjoying the cool weather and the beautiful fall colors. They had just had a snow storm a couple days before so we got to enjoy that as well. We were a little late in the season for the vibrant reds but still managed to find some. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy...

GUESS WHERE I'VE BEEN...

2011-10-12T21:45:00.002-07:00

FOOD....

2011-09-30T10:44:00.008-07:00

Doesn't this look delicious? My neighbor is a great cook! So good in fact, that i'm always telling her she needs to be on "Master Chef". She's taking culinary classes, and every now and then we get to reap the benefits of her homework. Last week she asked me to photograph a couple of her desserts for a project she's working on and then gave me some to take home. Thank you very much, they were delicious. I probably ate 3 of the tarts that night and 1/2 of the lemon gelatto. Feel free to call me any time you need a taste tester...

BLOG NEGLECT...

2011-09-15T14:28:00.004-07:00

Well, I have no excuses for my neglect, well maybe laziness. Please forgive me dear blog...to make up for it I thought I would post an end of summer wrap up. Ok, I don't know that we can actually call it end of summer because it's still HOT here, but the kids are back in school so it's like the end of summer. Just a few weeks after our trip to Yellowstone we drove, again, to Utah to move our daughter out of Aspen Grove Family Camp where she worked for 4 months. This is the room that she lived in while she was there. It's a pretty cramped little dorm room where 4 girls live. But who can complain when you have this outside your door?

She moved to this cozy room... home for the semester. I won't tell you who's unmade bed is who's. Here's how you organize 3 girls in 1 room. Thank you IKEA! I'ts wonderful having all the kids back home right now. The 2 youngest really enjoy having their older sisters home and so do mom and dad. The other thing we've been doing along with getting back into the swing of school is swim team. We've already had a few meets. Getting some tips from his coach... Ready... Set... Go... Despite the heat, we really enjoy going to watch him swim. I promise I'll try not to neglect anymore. Until next time...

VACATION 2011 PART 4, THE FINAL CHAPTER...

2011-08-14T15:41:00.016-07:00

It's a long chapter, but worth it. Our last stop on this trip was Yellowstone National Park. We met up with all of the extended family and stayed in Island Park Idaho. From there we made 2 day trips to Yellowstone. Our first day we took the lower loop and boy was there a lot to see! First stop was Madison, a beautiful valley, but we soon discovered that on that particular day was very windy and cold.

Next stop was Firehole Falls. Now, imagine driving through Yellowstone with 4 cars and 24 people, trying to park together and see all the sights together. Not an easy task but we somehow managed to do it. Here's the whole group admiring the view of the falls. These 2 lovely people are the whole reason for this trip. We all went to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. More on that later. For those of you still wondering what this post was. Here's your answer... One of the many geysers that you see throughout the park. The one's in the earlier post were from the Grand Prismatic Spring and Mammoth Springs. This one in the photo below is from the Fountain Paint Pot area. Each area and geyser is very unique and interesting. This is in the Fountain Paint Pot area, looks like a moonscape. You can't go to Yellowstone without seeing Old Faithful. I knew the park would be busy with summer crowds but didn't expect what I found at Old Faithful. It was like going to Disneyland! Nevertheless, seeing Old Faithful was pretty spectacular. Remember what it's like driving with 24 people in 4 cars, imagine feeding 24 people lunch... These next few are from the Grand Prismatic Spring. The color of the water was a brilliant blue, just amazing. As you drive through the park, you sometimes happen upon stopped traffic. That usually means that there's an animal of some sort close by. On our way out after the first day we saw traffic all lined up along the road and couldn't figure out what it was. Then I spotted something moving in the field by the road and as we got closer we saw this... We thought it was a wolf, which would have been exciting, but after talking to a ranger we think it was just a coyote. We see those all the time in Arizona so it was sort of cool but not as exciting as if it had been a wolf. Oh well, still pretty cool. Day 2 took us to the upper loop. First stop was Gibbon Falls where I took this picture of my family. We had all 4 of our kids with us today, that was the best part of the day! Aren't they just cool and beautiful? Jess took this of me and the hubby. I was excited because we both actually look pretty good at the same time. I usually have some goofy smile or something.

When we left Gibbon Falls, I took a turn driving and soon discovered traffic had come to a stop, here's why...

He walked right down the road on my side of the car and was nice enough to look at my camera as he came by. I couldn't have had a better photo op! I do have to say though that by the end of this trip, I was tired of seeing buffalo. The first couple of times was pretty exciting but after seeing them as often as we did, it was pretty uneventful. More moonscape, this was at Mammoth Hot Springs. This place was full of really interesting colors and formations. We decided to drive through the Lamar Valley hoping to see some wolves. No wolves but we did see this Grizzly bear in a beautiful meadow... Then at the end of the day, as we were going to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, we spotted this guy sitting by the side of the road. This is a beautiful view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone shot from Artist Point. It's the end of a long day and the crew is looking a little tired... The reason for this trip was to celebrate my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. It all started on a Tuesday and by Friday we had everyone there. That alone was a feet of scheduling! We had a dinner with all 27 of the family. Grandma, Grandpa, 6 children, 4 spouses, and all 15 grandchildren. My hubby, the oldest of the children, was asked to give a toast. He spoke of their legacy and service and commitment to family. Check out this post to read our daughters thoughts, I think she sums it up quite well. Whew...that's all from this years vacation. I wasn't sure that I would be able to get through all the pictures. It was a wonderful time, not only with extended family but with my own little family. It's been awhile since we've had all 4 of our kids with us at the same time for vacation. I am grateful for that blessing on this trip. Having hubby and all 4 kids there was the best part!

VACATION 2011 PART 3...

2011-08-12T15:36:00.008-07:00

Next stop, the Grand Teton National Park. Man, what a site these mountains are! I wasn't really expecting anything this grand. This is a bit of a long post because I took photos from so many different views and vantage points. The photos don't do justice to the grandeur of these mountains, but enjoy anyway.

This spot is called the Cathedral Group. We stopped at Jenny Lake and had to hike down to it to see how cold the water was. There was a tree with pine cones growing straight up. I've never seen anything like it. Then there was all the wildlife that we saw...Buffalo Bear... Deer... and Moose (with her baby)... Next stop...Yellowstone.

VACATION 2011 PART 2....

2011-08-05T16:23:00.006-07:00

The next stop on our trip was Wyoming. We drove through Star Valley, really beautiful drive. Stayed in Thayne, at the cute little Cabin Creek Inn. From there we drove up to Jackson following the Snake River most of the way. We were surprised at how big the river is. This was absolutely beautiful country!It's a very different forest from what we're used to in Arizona. We stopped in Jackson for the morning to do all the tourist stuff. You can't go to Jackson without taking a photo of the antler arches. There was one on every corner of the main square in town. We also did some shopping, there were some interesting stores, along with the usual touristy shops. Of course their was the usual western flair. We did NOT ride this stage coach! To be honest it didn't smell very good, I guess that makes it authentic. After spending the morning in Jackson we drove a little more North to see this beautiful site... Up next, one of my favorite stops...the Teton National Park.

VACATION 2011 PART 1...

2011-07-31T17:25:00.010-07:00

Our 10 day summer vacation this year consisted of 3 stops. The first stop was at one of my 2 most favorite places on the planet, Park City, where we spent 2 days. We first stopped and picked up Jess, who is working at Aspen Grove again this summer. It's a really beautiful place to work for the summer!

We then stopped at the Dairy Keen in Heber City. They are famous around those parts. I had my annual Rasberry shake. While the shake was good I must say though, that nothing compares to the Rasberry shakes at LaBeau's in Bear Lake! They are my absolute favorite! We didn't get to stay at Bear Lake this year but we did drive by and LaBeau's was too busy to stop. I was really disappointed about that but managed to go on somehow. One of the places we went in Park City was the outlet mall where I found this... one of my favorite stores. Then we drove by my favorite Park City landmarks, the barn... The rest of the time we just spent at the hotel in the pool and playing games together. After a couple of days in Park City it was time to move on but not before attending church. We went back to Aspen Grove for church with Jess. It was a beautiful place to go to church and she was also giving a talk that Sunday. She did a great job! We were off to a great start for our vacation.

A RIGHT OF PASSAGE...

2011-07-27T21:05:00.003-07:00

It seems that girls camp is a much anticipated summer event each year for many girls. We haven't had a daughter at girls camp for the last 4 years. That changed this year as our youngest went for her first time this week. Having been to girls camp myself as a girl and several years as a leader, I know how wonderful it can be. She's coming home tomorrow and I can't wait to hear about all the fun and spiritual experiences she had there. We missed her, home isn't the same without her around.

WHAT IS IT?...

2011-07-25T20:39:00.004-07:00

Can you guess what these are? or where they are? I'm working on going through all of the photos I took on our trip last week and will be posting all about it and reveal the answer. Until then, leave a comment if you think you know.

TIME OFF...

2011-07-08T10:06:00.005-07:00

As a working mom (more on that later) I look forward to any time that I have off, especially during the summer when my kids are home. Every summer the dentist I work for closes the office for the week of the 4th of July. Usually this is the week that we take our family vacation but it didn't work out that way this year. I have had a week at home to enjoy my family and do projects around the house. It's been absolutely wonderful to not have to get up and go to work but instead have the days to do what I want.

I know you're interested so here's a list of what I did this week: We put up another shelf in our laundry room and bought a new washer and dryer. It's amazing the joy that such practical things can bring. The washer we had was almost 21 years old, and it still worked pretty darn good! It's nice though to have new, more efficient, and much more quiet appliances, and more storage space. Yes, I know, I need to paint the laundry room!

The youngest daughter had her preliminary swim meet this week, she was beyond excited to get 1st place in her heat for the breaststroke! It was a first for her to win her heat. We also enjoyed swimming as a family a few times this week, it sure helps when you're trying to survive this heat. I painted our bedroom, more on that drama later, it's a work in progress... And last but not least, the son had his wisdom extracted yesterday. Just what every kid wants to do during his summer break! When I asked if I could bring my camera he said NO. I have to respect his wishes and keep his dignity in tact, so no pictures of that event.

I think I got a lot done while making time to relax too. I'm looking forward to a peaceful weekend before I head back to work next week.

50 GREAT YEARS...

2011-06-26T14:45:00.003-07:00

My mother and father-in-law celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past week. It's such a great occasion for them! They didn't want a big party with lots of extended family and friends, so to celebrate, we had a swimming/bar-b-q party with all 6 of their kids, their spouses and 12 of their 15 grandchildren. We all admire them for their example and their love for family. It's an honor for me to be part of their family. Happy Anniversary!

A DAY OF MOURNING...

2011-06-21T21:19:00.003-07:00

We are in mourning at our house today. Our daughter's hamster, Daisy, died today. She got her just a month shy of 2 years ago. We knew that she would only live about 2 or 3 years, but it was still kind of sad to see her go. We'll have the discussion in about a month or so about the possibility of another pet but for now we'll just remember Daisy.

SUMMER ACTIVITIES...

2011-06-20T11:04:00.003-07:00

One of our favorite summer activities is doing puzzles. There's always one on the dining room table that the kids and I are working on. We buy them, borrow them, and do them over and over. My favorite is the Bear Lake puzzle you can see here. I just bought this Thomas Kinkade puzzle this weekend. They're a challenge to do, but they are some of my favorites too. If we're not careful we can while away several hours a day working on our puzzles.

IT'S ABOUT TIME...

2011-06-10T11:25:00.013-07:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Let's play catch up. School has come to an end for the summer and we have said goodbye to elementary school. Our youngest moves on to junior high next year. While I'm thrilled that we are done with elementary school, there will be a little empty spot in my heart for those wonderful, innocent years. Our son also survived his freshman year of high school and did very well. (we survived too!)

Now we're into summer school and swim team for the month of June. Other than that we are keeping it simple and relaxing and enjoying the summer. Our only one missing at home is Jess, she's working at Aspen Grove again this summer. We miss her here, but I secretly would love be where she is. It's so beautiful there and go figure, it was snowing there just last week! We are also sad that we won't be making our annual trek to Bear Lake this summer. Oh how we love that place.

If you've been watching the news you've heard about the Wallow fire. My heart aches for the devastation going on right now in the North East part of our state because of this fire. My prayers are for the people who live there and have been so greatly affected by it. My own family, my brother and his family and my parents live in Eagar. They have been preparing since last week to evacuate and finally left a few days ago when the official order came. We are grateful for their safety and pray for the safety of their homes. It's unbelievable to think of this beautiful place on fire. We were just there 2 weeks ago at my nephews graduation. And to think that only 3 days later the fire started. (I took these 2 photos while we were there.) We pray this ends soon and they can go back to their homes.

Other news, I finished a project that I've been procrastinating for a whole year. I made curtains for my kitchen and family room. I bought the fabric a year ago when I re-finished the table and chairs, and now that it's all done, I absolutely how it all looks. It's just the finishing touch that the room needed. The before and after pics aren't the best but you get the idea. Before... and after...

A TALE OF GRADUATION...

2011-05-11T21:07:00.001-07:00

This is the story of a girl who worked very hard for 4 1/2 years, studied and practiced endless hours, lived and breathed for music, and the day that it all finally payed off. From the time that she decided to be a music major she practiced a minimum of 2 hours a day. That soon turned into 6-8 hours a day. It became a full time job for her. A job that she loves. All that practicing and performing and studying was rewarded on April 20th and 21st, 2011 at her commencement and convocation in Provo, Utah. It was such an exciting time, she is our first child to graduate from college and the first grandchild on both sides of the family. Here is the story of the events in photos...

The first thing we saw when we arrived on campus were the beautiful tulips, my favorite flower... She's ready for the ceremony to begin... The processional begins... She's the one standing and waving, she was clear on the other side of the center from us... Everyone is in their seats... I loved the colors of the faculty robes... We had the privilege of hearing this great man, Elder Richard G. Scott, speak... Time flies and it won't be long before her sisters are graduating... "Look at me now!" These girls were all roommates her first year there and they all still keep in touch... We're so proud of her... The convocation took place the second day. She did the official walk and receiving the diploma handshake... After convocation we went over to the alumni center... (do you think she's happy?) and met President Samuelson and his wife. They were both so gracious and kind. (We had 2 cameras taking pictures so no one really knew where to look.) The traditional BYU graduation photo, most people pose like this... In her true fashion she prefers this... I think she deserves a good rest... Congratulations, we love you!!!

SAD TO SEE YOU GO...

2011-04-30T14:38:00.003-07:00

So this winter was pretty hard on our big beautiful tree in the front yard. (You can still see in the photo just how big it was.) I came home from a photo shoot one Saturday morning to find this scene. Our son in the tree and my husband on the ground giving him direction. We had talked about cutting the tree down, and though I love this tree, I had accepted the fact that it had to be done. So they cut away all the dead branches. Not much is left but we are hopeful that it can come back. We'll see..

CONGRATULATIONS SENIOR...

2011-04-29T13:43:00.005-07:00

It's spring and that means graduation. I had the honor of photographing this beautiful senior a couple weeks ago. I've known her for many years and seen her grow into an amazing young women. She's so comfortable in front of the camera and made my job easy, we had a lot of fun taking these photos. Love her eyes! Can you say gorgeous? Love this spot we found, it's our little secret.

COMING SOON...

2011-04-24T20:53:00.003-07:00

another beautiful senior, and details and photos of this great event...

BEAUTIFUL SENIOR...

2011-04-14T13:45:00.006-07:00

I've known this beautiful girl since she was about 2 years old, and look at her now! She is beautiful, kind, smart, and so easy to photograph. I'll let the photos speak for themselves... This one is my favorite, Absolutely Gorgeous! I loved the lighting in this spot. This photo was sort of an accident. I was checking my camera settings and shot a quick photo just as she made this expression. When I looked at the photo, I actually kind of liked it. It's as if she's saying, "don't mess with me". Then we got her beautiful smile. Can you believe those blue eyes?! My second favorite.

BROTHERS...

2011-04-06T16:58:00.003-07:00

I photographed these brothers a year ago on their birthday and here they are again. I'm still amazed at their beautiful dark eyes. Happy Birthday!

SPRING BREAK IN PHOTOS...

2011-04-01T13:51:00.006-07:00

I know, it's 2 weeks after Spring Break but I still wanted to share photos from our ski trip. We went to Utah and were excited to have Jess join us for two out of our 3 days of snowboarding/skiing. It was so fun to see them all getting on the lift together for the first run of the day. We spent the first 2 days at Brighton. I know the girls are out of focus, but still love this photo!

This is our second day, you can see we're missing Jess.

It snowed the second day, but we still had fun!

No... he didn't wipe out, he's just taking a break.

The 3rd day we went to the Canyons. This is the view on the ride up the gondola.

It was very cold!!

The kids took this gondola up to the top of the mountain and we didn't see them again for about 4 hours. That mountain is HUGE!

Here they are at the end of the day, tired yet happy.

The view coming down from the Canyons.

We took a day off from skiing and had a fun lunch at In N' Out. I know, we have them here in Arizona but it was fun anyway.

Spent a little time in Provo. Went to Salt Lake City where the kids spent some time around Temple Square.

While Dale and I went here.

It was absolutely one of the best experiences I have had. So beautiful!

What's a trip to Provo without stopping at The Creamery. Sarah and I love it.

We had a great time together and always treasure all the times we have with our kids.

CLASS OF 2010...

2011-03-26T11:28:00.004-07:00

This is Courtney, our oldest child. We are pleased and proud to anounce that after 4 1/2 years of hard work, alot of studying, and thousands of hours of practicing, and many concerts and performances, she is graduating from Brigham Young University with her Bachelor's in Viola Performance. She couldn't be more excited! She officially graduated in December 2010, but her commencement and convocation are being held this spring. She has a bright future ahead of her and so many great opportunities and things she can do. Right now she's working and continuing her viola study and rehearsing for graduate school auditions. Wow, that's ambition! We wish her much success and happiness in her future. We love you Court!

MOTIVATION...

2011-03-20T16:09:00.008-07:00

I'm just a little behind, I have 3 shoots to edit and a graduation anouncement to design, and 3 more shoots coming up. I also have our recent spring break trip to tell you about. In the meantime I came across this quote on another blog that I thought was very motivating. It's a variation of the original quote by Roosevelt.

- "at the end of the day, it's better to have tried and failed, than to have lived your life in a constant state of what-if."-

For those of you checking, the original quote was this - "better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all." Photo by Jessica Marie Photographer

MY NEW BLING...

2011-03-07T19:59:00.003-07:00

If you can call it bling, she got her braces today. Doesn't she look great! We've been getting ready for this for 4 years, with palet expanders, extractions, head gear, etc. Now she finally gets the whole package. Can't wait to see the end results in a couple of years. Thanks to the fabulous Drs. Garn and Mason and their staff, they are the best! Before... After...

CAN YOU RELATE?...

2011-02-23T17:41:00.002-07:00

How many of us moms have related to this at least once?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

2011-02-09T15:35:00.005-07:00

From this... to this... Happy 21st Birthday, we all love you!

BROTHER AND SISTER...

2011-01-22T18:23:00.005-07:00

I have a soft spot in my heart for this sweet girl. Not just because she's my niece, but because she has 3 brothers. I have 3 brothers so I can relate to her life. Don't get me wrong, having brothers is great, but sometimes I long for a sister. I do have a very best friend who is like a sister to me, but that's a whole different post. Anyway, this special girl has a sweet and playful personality, but I detect a little sass too! That's a good thing. Her brother seems a little shy, but don't let that fool you! They were both the perfect models. This was probably one of my quickest and easiest sessions. Here's a few of them...

DRIVING IN SNOW...

2011-01-08T12:34:00.005-07:00

Driving in a snow storm is probably one of my least favorite things to do. Back in November we planned a trip to Utah for Courtney's Senior Recital and it just so happened that on the day that we had to leave a pretty major storm hit Arizona and Utah. We decided to go through Las Vegas hoping to miss most of it but once we got north of St. George we were in trouble. The snow was falling and the road conditions were just getting worse.

What made it even more difficult is that it was the Sunday right after Thanksgiving. The roads were packed with people trying to get home or back to school after the holiday.

What's usually a 10 hour drive for us turned into a 14 hour drive. Our average speed most of the way was about 10-20 MPH. What a long and stressful day!

What makes it all worth it was getting to see Courtney and this beautiful sight. We stayed in Park City a couple of nights. It's one of my favorite places on the planet and this was our first time there in the winter. It was so beautiful, and freezing cold! We were truly blessed to arrive safely on that trip along with the rest of our extended family who made the trip too.

TALENT...

2011-01-04T20:50:00.002-07:00

She has been blessed with a wonderful talent. She's also worked very hard, spending hundreds of hours practicing and studying. Then one night she put it all on the stage at her senior recital. We were so thrilled to be there and hear her play. I have to admit that we are very proud of her and love to listen to her play her viola. Now she's a college graduate and has the world at her feet. She can do anything she wants. So what will she do next? Stay tuned...

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

2010-12-18T20:05:00.003-07:00

I know it's been too long since I've posted something. I've been so busy, blogging has had to take a back seat for awhile. My bosses wife shared this with us at our office party last night. I thought it was so sweet, I just had to take a minute to post it and share with you. Merry Christmas!

THE END OF A SEASON...

2010-11-03T20:01:00.002-07:00

Last weekend our son swam in a regional swim meet for his school. The first day he swam the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke. He did well on both but especially well on his backstroke. He dropped 10 seconds off his time!, enough to qualify to swim again the 2nd day. That's amazing because at the beginning of the season the backstroke was not his best stroke. He didn't qualify for state but this was his first year really swimming competitively and he worked really hard all season and has come along way and we're really proud of him. Congratulations Ty!!

12...

2010-10-31T21:24:00.006-07:00

Our youngest turned 12 this past week. It's an important time in her life. She has graduated from the Primary (the program in our church for children 3yrs-12yrs old) and went to Young Women's for the first time today. (Young Women's is the program in our church for youth age 12-18) She has been looking forward to this time with great excitement and now it has finally arrived. She absolutely loved going to her new class today at church! It was a difficult time for me though to see our youngest leave primary. It's like the end of an era for our family. I'm excited though for her to be a part of the outstanding group of young women that are in our ward at church. They will be such a great example to her and I am grateful for that. To celebrate her birthday earlier this week, she had a party with a few friends and got heart attacked by the young women as well. I think she felt pretty special for a few days...and she should have, because she IS very special. We love you Sarah, Happy Birthday!

I plan to do a new photo shoot of her soon and will tell you more about how great she is!

1 YEAR LATER...

2010-10-22T16:11:00.004-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since I took this little guys newborns photos here. He just keeps getting cuter! I was excited to get some really cute shots of him, especially because he had a runny nose and wasn't really feeling his best. See for yourself just how cute he is!

I couldn't decide between these next two. I love his expression in the 2nd one.

You've gotta looove baby eyelashes.

EAGLE SCOUT...

2010-09-29T16:24:00.003-07:00

This past Sunday was probably one of the few nights in his life that our son will always remember, his Eagle Court of Honor. Earning the Eagle Scout award is a big accomplishment, and only a small percentage of scouts actually earn it. It took him about a year, with the help of our family and many friends and neighbors, to get his project accomplished from the beginning until the end when he had his board of review. We are grateful to everyone, especially the men in this photo. They have all been or are currently some of his scout leaders (including his dad) and have done alot for him and the other boys in the troop. I'm grateful that his dad is such a good example to him, not just in scouting but in many other aspects of life as well. The two best moments for me that night were the thoughts his dad shared about him and when he got to join is dad in the Eagle's nest! Congratulations Ty!! Job well done.

With his sister, she's the photographer behind these photos...

Proud mom and dad...

SWIM....

2010-09-24T15:20:00.003-07:00

Wow, I've really neglected my blog! Here's one of the things I've been busy doing since school began in August. Driving this boy to school and swim practice. And of course cheering him on at the meets.

ADVICE...

2010-08-30T10:49:00.005-07:00

I just spent a most wonderful weekend in Provo with our two oldest girls. The only thing missing was the rest of the family, I'm sad that they couldn't come too. I was there helping the girls get settled back into their apartments for the new semester. We had some fun too and I certainly enjoyed the cooler weather. We even sat outside on the lawn and ate lunch on Saturday, it was that nice. I was reading an article last week that had some good advice in it that I wanted to share with them. Here it is, pay attention girls (and whoever else wants to listen)...Never second guess yourself and no excuses...there's nothing you can't do! You have so much potential and so much going for you and you have your whole life ahead of you to do whatever you want! So go out their and DO IT! We love you both and are proud of you.

BABY BOY...

2010-08-18T19:33:00.005-07:00

As I was getting these photos ready to post I realized that all the newborn photos I've done are of boys. Now don't get me wrong, I love baby boys, after all I had one of my own. But oh, how I would love to photograph a baby girl. Maybe someday. Anyway, on to this little guy...he was absolutely wonderful and completely adorable and such a joy to photograph. Love baby feet!

Dad is a big football fan. I wish I could take credit for this shot but the set up was mom's idea. So clever, I love it!

I love his tiny little nose and lips! This guys little head is so perfect...

BACK TO SCHOOL AND OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS...

2010-08-13T11:38:00.015-07:00

It's that time of year again, when it's 110 degrees outside and the kids go back to school. Even though it's still hot, and will be for at least another month and a half, we call this the end of summer. The end of sleeping in, watching too much tv, playing too many video games, watching movies, swimming, and general laziness.

This school year is one of big events for our family. We'll start with the youngest: she's in 6th grade, top of the social ladder at school, the last year of elementary school. I've been so excited to be done with having kids in elementary school for a few years and now that the last year is here, I'm a little melancholy about it. I won't go into all the reasons why, other than it just means that the kids really are growing up and will be gone sooner than I know it, and...I'm getting older. It's a big year for this one too...he's a Freshman! That alone might be a little scary for some kids but imagine going to a high school where you have to get up a little extra early to get there, it's about 15 miles away, and you don't know anyone there. This kid has chosen to do that. We have a high school only about a mile from our home where all of his friends are going, but he chose to go to a different school in order to take some engineering classes that are offered only at that school. I admire him for this. I told him the other day that I think he's brave. It takes courage to make a decision like that, and he's only 14 years old! I was worried about him when I dropped him off the first day, but when I picked him up that afternoon, he had a smile on his face. It was a good day!

I'm excited for this one, not only has she had an amazing summer working in the beautiful Utah mountains near Sundance Ski Resort (we miss her), she will be applying for the photography program at her college this year. She has found what she loves and has a passion for, how many of us can say that? She's got a great eye and takes some amazing photographs. (She took the black and white photo of her sister that is below.) She's a great person and has a great future ahead of her.

And now for the oldest...the big event for her this year is college graduation (more proof that I'm getting older). After 4 1/2 years of hard work and hours of practicing, she will be graduating with her Bachelors in Viola Performance! She's also doing what she loves. She's been living at home with us for the summer and will leave soon to go back and finish her last semester. We've enjoyed having her at home again and will miss her when she leaves. We're excited to see what her future holds for her.

So that's a look at what's in store for us this school year. I couldn't be happier right now, life is good! Our kids are doing great things and making good choices and we are so blessed as a family. I am blessed! It's hard to see them grow up and "leave the nest" and to let go, but it's also good to see them grow up and become independent and accomplished individuals.

VACATION, THE FINAL CHAPTER, PARK CITY...

2010-08-02T17:42:00.005-07:00

Here's the final chapter of our vacation. We left Bear Lake and went to Park City to see our other daughter. She is working at Aspen Grove, about 40 minutes from Park City. She took a few days off and came and spent the time with us. It was great to see her and have her with us for a little while. Sorry this post is a little long but there's so much to do in Park City. After Bear Lake, it's my other favorite place in the world. Here's why... Our hotel... it's fabulous!

Our beautiful room...

The kids loved the activities the hotel offered. Sarah made a tie-dye t-shirt. She also did the karoake night, and both she and her brother participated in the ping-pong tournament. We played pool, life-size chess, and swam in the pool and relaxed in one of the 6 jacuzzis.

The kids were going on the alpine slide and it got rained out, so we sat on the covered deck enjoying the cool weather and waited for the rain to stop.

Here's proof of the cool weather. I took this at about 4:30 in the afternoon. We were cooking our dinner on the bbq by the pool.

We went down to Main Street to walk around a bit...

We like to eat at The Main Street Pizza and Noodle Co....

We had to take the typical tourist photo...

Utah is so green and the flowers are beautiful...

I love all the interesting photo shots you can find walking down main street...

I've posted these homes before when they were just finished building them. I had to post again because I absolutely love them...

VACATION PART 3, THE BEACH...

2010-07-25T14:00:00.004-07:00

The best part of Bear Lake is the beach. The water is beautiful and clean and the sand is soft. We will spend hours on the beach, reading, eating, relaxing, playing games and digging in the sand. (It's also fun to people watch too.)

Notice how far from the beach they are. They were digging on a sandbar out in the lake. The great thing about the beach at Bear Lake is how shallow it is. If you walk from where they're digging back to the beach, the water is no deeper than your knees. It's great for playing frisbee and football and for little kids to play in!

She and her dad spent hours out there digging...

I love the smiles on their faces in this one. Sad thing is, we were missing one of our kids. She's working at Aspen Grove Family Camp and wasn't able to join us here. We missed you Jess :(

The bond between a brother and sister is great.

The new thing we are trying to learn to do at the beach is skim boarding, it's harder than it looks. They were getting the hang of it though.

VACATION PART 2, BEAR LAKE...

2010-07-21T21:15:00.005-07:00

One of our favorite activities when we go to Bear Lake is eating the yummy, delicious, rasberry shakes. Ok, some members of the family prefer chocolate, but my personal favorite is RASBERRY! They are a must have if you ever go to Bear Lake. I probably gain 5 lbs. every time we go to the lake just from eating the shakes.

Another activity that's fun to do at the lake is taking a bike ride through town. This time the kids went without mom and dad. It takes some stamina and muscle and I just didn't have it this time. I think they had fun without us anyway.

VACATION PART 1, LOGAN...

2010-07-18T20:32:00.005-07:00

Day 1 of our vacation was spent in Logan, Utah. I love this town! It sits in a beautiful valley in northern Utah, and feels so quaint, like a true American small town. It's also home to a very special building...the Logan Temple. My husband's great grandfather was a mason who helped build this temple. Although I have never been inside, but hope to someday, I am in awe of the beauty of this temple. It's a majestic building sitting on top of a hill overlooking the town. Take a look at it, and judge for yourselves...

I thought these photos deserved a vintage feel...

SOUVENIRS...

2010-07-16T17:23:00.003-07:00

Several years ago, we decided that the best souvenir from all the trips we go on is a magnet, usually with a photo of the city or a landmark from the place we go. They are cheap and easy to pack and I don't have to dust them. We have them all on the side of our fridge and whenever I stop to look at them, they bring back lots of great memories. This summer I found an even better souvenir. When I found this puzzle of Bear Lake, I couldn't resist, I had to have one. You see, our family likes to do puzzles during the summer. We spread them out on the dining room table and work on them, one after the other, all summer long. This puzzle has all the great places and things that we love to do at Bear Lake: Pugstones, La Beau's, Bear Lake Pizza, jet skiing, boating, the beach, bike riding, rasberries! I absolutely love Bear Lake and I love my new puzzle!

COMING SOON...

2010-07-12T20:16:00.003-07:00

Bear Lake/Park City trip...

EAGLE SCOUT...

2010-07-03T13:07:00.005-07:00

It's been months in the making, even years, and now it's official, our son will be receiving his Eagle Scout award! It took 2-3 years of earning merit badges, going on more hikes and camp-outs than we can remember, along with many hours spent working on his Eagle Project and now he has done it. He had his board of review last week and was officially approved to receive the rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations!! His project was collecting supplies for, and assembling 150 school kits for the Mesa LDS Humanitarian Center. Job well done!

THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE...

2010-06-30T17:52:00.003-07:00

Our youngest was invited to go to the Arizona Science Center last week with a friend of hers. They have all kinds of fun hands on things for the kids to do. She was really excited to go, so I sent her with our point and shoot camera and this is what she came home with...

SUMMER TIME MEANS SWIM TIME...

2010-06-26T16:55:00.003-07:00

This summer both of our youngest are doing swim team. That means early morning practices and warm summer evenings at the pool for the meets once a week. They're having fun and we enjoy watching them.

He's got his game face on...

NEW KITCHEN...

2010-06-20T21:08:00.016-07:00

I decided to share some before and after photos of my ever changing and morphing kitchen. The process has taken place gradually over a few years. This was my kitchen about 3 1/2 years ago. Very "country". You can see the builder grade "golden oak" cabinets, the blue formica counters with elevated island and the white appliances. We originally had some generic white can lights on the ceiling also. Putting up these pendant lights was the first change we made.

We had cafe curtains in the bay window and the table was a yellow pine...

Here's a good look at the chairs...

After refinishing the cabinets, cutting the elevated island down so that's it's all one level, getting granite counters with a new sink and faucet, painting the walls, taking down the cafe curtains and putting in wood blinds, and getting new black appliances, it was time to re-do the kitchen table. It just didn't go with the new look. So, we started sanding...

and sanding...

and then painting...

and painting...

and then recovered the chairs.

And now for the comparison, here's the kitchen before...

and after...

It's been a long process but there's a great satisfaction in the fact that we did it ourselves and I really love how it looks now. The only thing left to do is sew the valances for the windows. (I'm going to use the same fabric that's on the chairs.)

A NEW LOOK...

2010-06-15T17:36:00.002-07:00

Before... After... What do you think?

SATURDAYS...

2010-06-12T20:46:00.011-07:00

As I sit here at 9:26pm, still finishing some things that need I to get done tonight, I am contemplating the state of my Saturdays. It seems I always have a list of things to get done despite the fact that I have all day Friday to do them. (Funny though, I took time out to post this.) Ok, I admit, I did procrastinate a couple of things that could have gotten done during the week. And don't get me wrong, I do manage some free time on Saturdays, today I went out to lunch with my hubby. But, I just don't like waking up on Saturday and reviewing my list of things to get done. I would much rather spend my whole entire Saturday playing with my family. I guess I need to re-organize myself and get things done throughout the week so I can enjoy my Saturdays more.

On another note, I'm looking forward to going here this summer...

SUMMERTIME...

2010-05-29T19:46:00.008-07:00

School is out, the days are longer and the weather is hotter. That means only one thing, we start thinking about where we want to spend our summer vacation. The one place where we all want to go every year is Bear Lake. My husband's family has roots in this place. He first introduced us to it 8 years ago and our family has been vacationing here every summer since then. The Caribbean blue water is absolutely beautiful, the weather is always cooler, and the beaches are the best. We've come here with just our kids, with the whole extended family for reunions and with our very best friends, and every time we come, we go home with some of the best memories we could ever have. We've done it all here, relaxing on the beach, jet skiing, wake boarding, eating lots of raspberry shakes, late night card games, wiffle ball games, capture the flag and badminton tournaments on the beach, horseback riding in the canyon, explored Minnetonka Cave, visited historical and family sites, even the Pickleville Playhouse. It never grows old. Thanks for the memories, and here's to many more years!

ANOTHER ENDING...

2010-05-28T11:46:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was the ending of another school year for our two youngest. They both had a great year with great teachers and great friends. Our son is moving on to high school this fall and leaving all his friends behind. Because of some classes he wants to take that are offered only at one school, he's chosen to go to a different high school than all of his friends. I'm proud of him for making this decision on his own and the courage it takes. I know he'll do great and it won't take long for him to make new friends. Our daughter will be the top dog on campus this fall in 6th grade. The end of 5th grade brought excitement and some sadness, she had to say goodbye to a friend who is moving to another state this summer. She will be ok though, she still has plenty of other friends to come back to in the fall.

G-FAMILY...

2010-05-16T19:30:00.006-07:00

I've been photographing these kids individually for the past couple of years and finally got the chance to photograph the whole family a few weeks ago. It was a mother's day gift for their mom and Grandma. I was so excited to do this for them and had lots of fun too. They're a great family and I love them lots!!!

SUMMER-TIME...

2010-05-03T16:41:00.005-07:00

Does this just say summer-time to you? It's certainly starting to feel like summer here in Arizona.

COLLEGE ROAD TRIP...

2010-04-27T16:58:00.007-07:00

This college road trip was in reverse. Last week I flew up to Provo to help our girls pack and put some things in storage for the summer, then the 3 of us drove home together. They finished their semester last week and it was time to move out and begin their summer. One of our girls will be home for the summer and the other one will be leaving in a week to work at a family camp for the summer. In case you've been wondering, this is what a college apartment looks like at the end of a semester...

I wish I had taken this photo sooner when the closet was completely full.

Her roommate had already moved out so this was all her stuff!

As a final parting we had to stop for breakfast at Kneaders before we left town. They have the most delicious all you can eat french toast breakfast, it's so yummy!!! I think it's a great way to end the school year!

Welcome home girls!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY X2...

2010-04-11T18:12:00.006-07:00

These two brothers celebrate their birthdays in April. The youngest turned 1 and his brother turned 4. I had so much fun taking their photos. It was more like play time, they brought trucks and cars and I brought balloons. The wind was a bit of a challenge but we managed to prevail and get some really cute shots. Their mom is really good at having photos taken to document their childhood as they grow. Every time I photograph them I am amazed at how dark and beautiful their eyes are. See for yourself...

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER...

2010-04-02T10:49:00.001-07:00

I admit, I really procrastinated getting these photos edited and posted. How could I do that you ask, when this guy is so adorable? No excuses here, just photos...

SPRING BREAK...

2010-03-25T20:29:00.004-07:00

As you may have noticed on my blog previously, our family likes to snowboard and ski. Well...our kids that is. Dad and I like to sit in the nice warm lodge and read, talk, drink hot chocolate and watch the kids. We did take skiing lessons a couple of years ago, that's a whole different story that we won't go into here. Anyway, we always like to take the kids on a spring break ski trip to Utah. This year though, we weren't able to make our annual trip so we took a daytrip to Sunrise here in Arizona instead. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the kids had fun. Some of our other spring break activities included going to movies, ice skating, weekend scout outing and lots of family time together. It doesn't get much better.

25 YEARS...

2010-03-25T20:14:00.003-07:00

I am really late with this post. Better late than never though right? A couple of weeks ago my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We didn't really do anything spectacular but it was still a very special day for me. First of all, being married for 25 years to the most amazing guy; good-looking, wise, humble, down to earth, witty, unselfish, great father, great friend and supporter and lots of fun! What more could a girl ask for? Oh yeah, a dozen of these beauties! Thanks honey for all the memories of the past 25, I look forward to the next 25. You have my love forever!

TALENT...

2010-03-21T17:16:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we went to see 2 of my nephews perform with the "Round Valley High School Ambassadors" at the San Tan Mall. What a talented group of kids! They were fun to watch and you could tell they were having fun performing. I'm so glad we were there to see my nephews, who happen to be not only talented but tall and good looking gentlemen too. The group was on their way to California and then a cruise for the week. What a way to spend your spring break! Have fun!

OUR 2ND HOME...

2010-03-18T12:27:00.008-07:00

Since my last post, I have been busy traveling to our 2nd home. I jokingly say that Utah is our 2nd home because we go there so often. Last year we were there 5 times and this year it looks like we may go that many times again. My husband and I flew to Provo a couple of weeks ago for a weekend with our two daughters. We went to attend our oldest daughter's concert with the BYU Philharmonic. (I must say it was an excellent performance!) We got to spend some time with each one of them and see how they're doing. It was good to see them and also fun for me and the hubby to get away for a little bit. This past weekend, I flew up again to spend a little mother-daughter time with both of them. We spent the whole weekend together, talking, eating, watching movies, and shopping. I'm grateful to my husband for making this trip possible in so many ways. He could tell that I needed it and our girls needed it too. Thanks honey! and thanks to our girls for making the time for me. I love you and am so proud of you both! You are awesome! Shopping for new VANS. How do you choose just one?

One of my favorite places to eat in Provo - J Dawgs. It's a must try if you've never had one! We also love pizza at Brick Oven and I finally had the french toast breakfast at Kneaders. (forgot to get a picture of that) It was to die for!

A great place for dessert! Creamy, yummy ice cream at a great price!

It snowed Saturday afternoon and it was absolutely beautiful to see this on Sunday morning!

JERAH AND RANDON PART 2...

2010-03-06T14:45:00.006-07:00

I absolutely love this spot where Jerah and Randon chose to do their bridal photos. The day started off cloudy with really gorgeous light. The desert was so beautiful, cool and green. By the time we got to our second location it started to rain a little. We managed to get some good shots though, before it got to be too much. Thanks again Jerah and Randon, you are both absolutely fun and easy to work with and beautiful to photograph. I wish you the best for your wedding.

GUESS WHAT'S COMING UP...

2010-02-28T20:53:00.004-07:00

I'm going to be working this week on finishing up the edit on this shoot. Until then, here's a little tease for you...

Jerah and Randon

2010-02-13T12:11:00.011-07:00

What can I say about Jerah? She's been my daughter's friend since high school and her whole family has become a friend to ours. Jerah is a lot of fun and full of energy so this shoot was certainly exciting and unpredictable. Her fiance is a great guy and a gentleman. Sometimes I think that's becoming a rare thing to find, so it's good to see a young man who has those qualities. We had some ideas for the kind of places we wanted to shoot but really ended up just exploring and were able to find some great spots. This orange grove looked like fun but as we ventured in we found plenty of mud. Despite that, we still managed to get some great shots. Then we moved on to the desert and got some gorgeous shots with the sunlight.

I love their laughter in this one. She has a great smile.

I've been wanting to do a shoot in an orchard like this so I was excited when we drove by this pecan grove. Jerah and Randon were good sports to stop when I asked them if they would let me shoot some photos here. I think we got some really cool shots and can't wait to go back again to do another shoot there. I love the surreal look of these.

Last but not least, we went to downtown Gilbert where he proposed to her. Congratulations Jerah and Randon! Thanks for the fun time, I can't wait to do your bridals.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2010-02-09T19:18:00.002-07:00

I can't believe she's 20! Happy Birthday dear, we love you!!! Sorry about the picture quality, it's an old scan.

ANOTHER THANK YOU!!!

2010-02-09T19:01:00.002-07:00

I had the privilege of photographing this wonderful family a couple of weeks ago. We did this shoot before their two sons moved away to begin their service in the military. I want to say "thank you" for that. They and their family are all making a sacrifice and I want them to know that we are grateful for them as well as all the families who are serving our country in the different branches of the military. Not only are they a beautiful family but they have 2 of the most adorable grandsons! I had so much fun with this family, we were a little worried about all the rain the day before the shoot but it turned out to be a wonderful day. Thank you for the honor!

THANK YOU!!!

2010-02-03T19:18:00.010-07:00

I put aside my regular photo editing tonight to post these photos and to say THANK YOU. Last week here in Gilbert, officer Shuhandler of the Gilbert Police Department was shot and killed while making a traffic stop. Tonight there was a memorial procession for him that came down the street right near our home. We took the kids and with many of our neighbors stood along the street to honor this fallen officer. It was a touching experience to watch so many officers and other emergency personnel drive by as they honored one of their own. I hope that they know we were there to show our support and gratitude as well as our sorrow at the loss of a great officer in our community. This is a personal thank you because two of my own family members are a part of this group of people who put their lives on the line every day. So to all those police officers, firemen, DPS officers, sherriff's deputies, and others in our state who provide public safety, as well as their families...Thank you!

THE KIDS...

2010-01-27T19:45:00.006-07:00

When we had all the kids together for Christmas, I just had to take them out for some photos. What I love about having all of our kids together is that they always have fun. Despite the difference in their ages they have fun being together! My hubby and I just love to sit back and watch them. So here they are...

The boy...

The girls...

Like I said, they do like to have fun together...

BEAUTY...

2010-01-20T17:27:00.008-07:00

This beauty has so much potential. She's studying photography and is excited to develop her own business. She's not only an amazing person, but talented and beautiful too! (Ok, I'm biased, she's my daughter. But it really is the truth.) I am constantly amazed at the talent that all our children have been blessed with. I know it didn't come from me. Watch for some photos of all the kids coming up soon...

THE "G" FAMILY...

2010-01-14T16:04:00.020-07:00

This family has been waiting patiently for these photos. My apologies, but because of the holiday and what has become a busy last two weeks, it has taken me a little longer than normal to get them ready. I will have them to you soon, but while you wait....here's a sneak peak for you. I had the pleasure of photographing this awesome family on New Year's Eve day. They were generous enough to bid on my gift certificate for a photo session at an auction that benefited the Women's Imaging Center at Banner Gateway Hospital. Thanks for your support of Banner and for allowing me to spend time with your family. I can't even begin to tell you how fun these boys were, you can see for yourself how adorable they are. I think they have the most amazing eyes I have ever seen!

Aren't these the cutest brothers?

I love the laughter in this one.

This one just captures everything that says "Arizona", the palm tree, the mountains, the orange tree...

I just loved these two photos in black and white.

FAMILY...

2010-01-06T16:28:00.009-07:00

This is the "R" family. They are a very close knit family. Their son was home for Christmas for just a few days and I was honored that mom asked me to take their photos while he was here. I love this family, they are absolutely wonderful people! and aren't they all good looking too?!

CHRISTMAS IN 5 EASY STEPS...

2009-12-30T19:45:00.006-07:00

Here's a run down of our family's Christmas day in 5 easy steps.

1. Open our gifts with our kids. 2. Go to Grandma and Grandpa's for breakfast then wait anxiously to open gifts there. 3. Open this huge pile of gifts with all the cousins, aunts and uncles.

4. Play the traditional family game of "capture the flag".

5. Go home and take a nap. I hope everyone had a very enjoyable Christmas and wish you all a Happy New Year. I have some fun posts coming soon of a few shoots I did over the holiday break. Stay tuned....

PURE AND SWEET...

2009-12-11T13:57:00.001-07:00

Can you just see it in her eyes?

CHRISTMAS DECOR...

2009-12-08T12:52:00.006-07:00

Ok, so I admit, I love to decorate for Christmas, maybe a little too much. I love little twinkling lights everywhere and sparkling decorations. We added some new decorations this year to our family room tree to make it more casual and fun. I love the polka dot runner in the garland and the new green and red balls on the tree. We have a snowman theme on the living room tree and added a new snowman this year sitting on a gift beneath the tree. The rest are some of my other favorite decorations. Enjoy!

UTAH...AGAIN

2009-11-27T15:26:00.007-07:00

Last weekend we made our 5th trip to Utah this year. We love to visit Utah both in the winter and the summer and especially visit our girls. We always joke that we should just move to Utah because we go there so often. It was beautiful and cold, so it really got us in the mood for the holidays. It's a challenge to get in the holiday mood when it's 80 degrees here in Arizona. Don't get me wrong though, I do love Arizona! Anyway, we went to visit our two college daughters and had alot of fun with both of them. The kids always have so much fun when they are together, that's wonderful to see as a parent. Some of the highlights of our weekend are: snowboarding at Brighton, lunch at J-Dawgs, dinner at Brick Oven, photo session with Jess (she took our photos), and dinner at Legends Grill with Grandma, Grandpa and 2 aunts. The main reason we went to Utah though, was to attend Courtney's Junior Recital and the BYU Philharmonic concert. The concert was very good and her recital was amazing! She has worked really hard for many months and practiced for many hours a day and it really showed in how well she played. We are so proud of her. Now some photos to document the weekend. These are our kids in the trophy room adjacent to Legends Grill. Courtney with her pianist after the recital. I have to say again how amazing she was! The kids at Brighton. It was fun for them to get on the slopes this early in the year. We missed Courtney though, she had to work and couldn't go with us.

TIGER PRIDE...

2009-11-23T21:19:00.003-07:00

I've known these two beautiful girls since they were babies and look at them now! They are good friends and amazing young women. I was so excited when their moms asked me to do their cheer photos. We had fun despite the cold weather and the threat of rain. Thanks so much girls!

A side note... I still can't figure out why my photos appear fuzzy on my blog and it's really bugging me. I'm open for suggestions on how to fix this.

8TH GRADE...

2009-11-17T12:49:00.003-07:00

This is our one and only son. He's such a great kid! He puts up with 3 sisters and me taking pictures of him. He is so smart, talented, kind and fun! He loves snowboarding, cars and the history channel. We love having him around, home wouldn't be the same without him.

5TH GRADE...

2009-11-13T13:17:00.010-07:00

Ok...first of all let me state that I can't figure out why my photos look a little fuzzy when I upload them. They aren't that way on my computer, so excuse me for that. I am trying to figure that out. Now on with this post. A couple of years ago I stopped ordering those photo packages that the school offers and decided to do something more personal with my kids. Recently, I took my 2 youngest to the park and we had a fun time taking their "school photos". This is my youngest one, she is so fun and good in front of the camera. When I look at these I think she's so adorable, but at the same time I can see that she is becoming a beautiful young woman. Where does the time go?

FABULOUS 3....

2009-11-05T11:35:00.005-07:00

You may recognize the young woman in this photo. I shot her senior photos earlier this year. She is absolutely beautiful and you can see where she gets it from...her mom and dad. She was in town from college for the weekend so I shot some photos for the family. They are so fun and easy to photograph. Thanks for a really fun Saturday morning!

I must say that mother and daughter are gorgeous! Sorry mom, I had to post two of dad and daughter. These are two of my favorite shots.

A GENTLEMAN...

2009-10-29T11:35:00.005-07:00

This fine young man is my nephew. I drove up to the white mountains a couple of weeks ago and spent a couple of hours with him taking his senior photos and then visiting with my brother and his family. Not only is my nephew good-looking and tall, but he's also very polite, smart, and fun. He's very comfortable in front of the camera too. I had fun spending time with him and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and cool weather.

FAMILY PHOTOS...

2009-10-24T11:37:00.013-07:00

I know I promised senior photos, and I am working on those, but in the mean time I wanted to share something with you. I was browsing through some of my favorite photography blogs and came across this post. She talks about the ease of family photos, what to wear and where to shoot. I think she summed it all up very well and her examples are terrific photos that I know this family will treasure. I love the casual, natural style of photography, not posed and fake photos where everyone is absolutely perfect, it's just not real. I know I'm not the perfect example of this style and need to work on it but I do believe that the relaxed style of portraits are the true memories that we should all have of our families. Now that I have said that...here's a little sneak peak, for those of you anxiously waiting, of the senior shoot I did last week.

FALL...

2009-10-17T16:28:00.021-07:00

This is the color of fall in Northern Arizona. It is absolutely beautiful! The mountains are covered in gold with a spot of red here and there. I was up in the White Mountains to shoot my nephew's senior photos and while I was there, took some time to shoot the landscape.

I shot this barn a couple of years ago in the winter, hiked through snow and under fences to get to it. You can see the link here. As we drove by again this trip I decided to make the hike once again, although it was much easier this time, and photograph it with the fall colors. Up next...senior photos.

COMING SOON...

2009-10-16T14:42:00.004-07:00

I just got home from a trip to the White Mountains where I took some senior photos of my handsome nephew, as well as some beautiful shots of the trees in all their fall color and splendor. Stay tuned...I can't wait to share with you!

6 MONTHS CONTINUED...

2009-10-08T14:39:00.002-07:00

SNEAK PEAK - 6 MONTHS...

2009-10-06T14:37:00.006-07:00

I photographed this little guy as a newborn and again at 4 months old. Now he is 6 months old and sitting up. This session was really fun because he made some of the funnest expressions! I'm still editing the session but wanted to post a sneak peak. It takes me awhile because I always have the hardest time deciding how to edit photos, I like so many different styles. Bright and vivid, more subdued colors, an urban look, black and white...I can never decide! I know, I know, I really need to define my style but I'm having a hard time doing that. I would be willing to hear any opinions if anyone cares to offer them. In the meantime, don't you love this face?... and those eyes!

FAMILY...

2009-10-01T13:31:00.004-07:00

I just wanted to share some shots of the cute cousins at our family reunion 2 weeks ago. We were able to go up to the mountains and enjoy the beautiful weather, I even had to wear a sweater! Thanks to everyone for coming and thanks to Gary and Brenda for helping put it all together and thanks Nancy, for the use of your families cabin. We had a great time!

This is my parents anniversary cake, it was really yummy!!!

These two couldn't wait to get a piece of it. They watched very closely and waited very patiently as my dad was cutting it. And then obviously reaped the rewards...

50 YEARS...

2009-09-29T21:13:00.008-07:00

This post is really late but I still had to share it with you. 11 days ago it was my parents 50th wedding anniversary. What a great occasion! We all got together in the mountains for a family reunion to celebrate with them. We were only missing one spouse and 6 grandkids, which is not a bad average for our family. My parents are not ones for grand gifts like a cruise or a big party. They are all about family, so we just got together with the family and expressed our love to them. Thanks Mom and Dad for your great example and love to each one of us. We love you! Their wedding day... 50 years later, they are still very much in love... Because we don't all live close by, this was a rare moment to have my parents with me and my brothers all together...

A BOY AND HIS DOG...

2009-09-24T13:35:00.005-07:00

More of this sweet little boy that I photographed a couple of weeks ago. I just love to photograph little newborns, their little hands and feet and faces are so perfect in every way. This little one slept peacefully the whole time. His dog even had to get in on some of the photos.

I just love little baby feet!

SWEET BLESSING...

2009-09-17T19:09:00.007-07:00

I photographed this beautiful little baby last week and I just had to post a sneak peek of him. This little guy is a sweet blessing to his mom and dad. His mother is a dear friend to me and I was thrilled and honored that she would ask me to take his photos. I will be posting more of him next week.

LAUGHS and SMILES...

2009-09-11T15:47:00.006-07:00

It was a bright sunny morning and Jess and I decided to go on a photo shoot with my youngest daughter as our model. She was doing fine for awhile until she decided that she didn't like this spot very much and she wasn't too happy anymore... I managed to say something funny and got her to laugh...

The rest was just fun after that... She has a beautiful smile! Thanks for putting up with us sweetie.