I love this place

The weather is amazing and now that I am feeling better I can get back to my purpose in hauling all of my electronics through airport security...BLOGGING. As I said in my last post I had big plans for this blog over my vacation in Oregon. Monday night I wanted to take the kids bowling for Family Home Evening but Brett was having no part of it, I think he has issues with other peoples shoes! But I digress. So i pulled out the ol camera and snapped the evening away. The light was so beautiful, as well as my baby girl!! She has become quite the ham for the camera as of late!



Then I got out the remote and tri pod so we could do a little self portrait fun. It was really fun. My kids now know that their mom is a total dork, as if they didn't already know that!!

Colby said that it was the funnest family home evening we have ever had. I would agree but we were missing a crucial part of our FAMILY! We miss Terry so much, it has been 10 days...11 more to go. We have been video chatting and that makes the ache a little bit better except I can see how skinny he has gotten with the lack of fattening foods I provide for sustenance!! Anybody want to take in a fattening meal for my hubby PLEASE???

Pieces of Oregon

I had big plans to take tons of pictures every single day while here in the happiest place on earth, no, not Disneyland, I'm talking about Shady Willows River Ranch, my parents vacation home in Medford Oregon. I came down with a cold from you know where and have been stuck in the house trying not to let my head explode from the pressure. I did get out a bit yesterday to take the kids over to see the llamas and snapped a few pieces of beauty here. Man i love this place!

10 on Tuesday

1. Terry has left me for his High Adventure Scout Camp in Escalante. He will be gone until Saturday night. I leave for Oregon on Thursday so we will not be together again until he comes to the ranch on the 4th of July. That's 21 days apart. THREE WEEKS. What the heck was I thinking when I made these plans.

2. I have just discovered BONES. I started season one last week while editing photo shoots and am already half way though season two. I'm totally addicted! Netflix is the off season TV watchers best friend.

3. If you are friends with my Mom on Facebook send her a love note. She had surgery and needs all the love she can get, it will help her heal faster, then she can come play with me in Oregon!! If your not friends with her, friend her, NOW!

4. I'M A MAC, I'M A MAC, I'M A MAC, I'M A MAC!!!

5. I got my off camera lighting equipment in the mail last week. I am having so much fun playing and learning how to use it, I wish i had more time to mess with it! I will post pics when I get time for a "real" set up and shoot! I did take 1 shot for my photo a day with it.

I need to work on it, I know but it's really fun!

6. My iPad came last week on Thursday. I did my first photo proofing session on it and it went great. I just need to get on designing the app I have in my head for proofing! Then I will be a go-zillionaire. Anybody know how to make a app? I'll give you a % of the zillions of $$$ I will make with my awesome-tastic app!

7. Since my iPad cam it has hardly been left alone. We sat down the other day and watched UP on Netflix. The quality is like watching a blue ray!

8. I am packing for my big ol trip and wishing I had really cute luggage to take with me, I saw some at TJMaxx and am REALLY having a hard time not going back to buy them!! Why is it when funds are at their lowest I want to spend the most!

9. I am still trying to find a substitute for my Primary class on Sunday, it seems every body is either out of town or has another class to teach. If you are in my ward and want to save me please call me!

10. I'm going to go crawl into my very lonely empty bed now and try to sleep with out my space heater. Maybe I'll take a sleeping pill. G'night all!

I Heart Faces :Babies

The theme for this week over at I ♥ Faces is babies, and I love love love this shot I got of baby Jessa minutes after she was born!!

Wedded Bliss

Those of you who already read my blog will know that I second shot a wedding in St. George this weekend. I was lucky enough to be working for the amazingly talented Melissa Jill who is based in Phoenix. It was such a delightful day, aside from the heat! It did get pretty high in the degrees there toward the time of the ceremony. The wedding and the reception were held that the Entrada at Snow Canyon. It was an absolutely gorgeous venue. Look at that view!

Some of the "details"




The bride and groom we such a darling couple. I asked them both several times throughout the day if they were nervous and neither on said they were. I believe that is a sign of true and everlasting love!!!



I so enjoyed shooting this wedding and it gave me a little taste of the business, although I'm not sure if I want to throw my hat in to the ring and do this on my own just yet!!

10 on ALMOST WEDNESDAY?!?

I know I have been such a slacker when it comes to blogging lately, especially in my 10 on Tuesday's.

1. I am recommitting right now to being a better blogger!! It's funny how not writing for a while I feel totally out of practice and my mind is totally blank when it try to write ANYTHING. You'll notice my blog post below is still without description.

2. Bonnie said to me today "Mommy, why you got poka nuts (polka dots) all over you face?" I love her! (freckles for those of you who have only seen my photoshopped face!)

3. Kindergarten Graduation was a heart wrenching thing. I would love nothing better than to keep Colby frozen in time. It was really hard to get a good shot, even though Colby was in the front row, they put him behind the projector.



It was really cute they had all of the graduates tell their name and what they want to be when they grow up. There are going to be lots of veterinarians and ninja's but only one Monster Truck Driver, MINE!!!

4. I grabbed a few shots after the ceremony back in the classroom of Colby and some of his buddies and the best kindergarten teacher in the whole world! We wish she could move on up to 1st grade.

5. We popped in to give a little something to Sam's teacher who just happens to be the best 4th grade teacher EVER!!

6. The last day of school was a happy day all around! We celebrated the end of a successful school year with ice cream sundae's. It was really fun and really hard to refrain from partaking in the deliciousness. So I didn't refrain, I partook. (hangs head in shame)

7. When I picked Brett up from school I asked him how hi did on the finals for the day (English and PE) he said "I think i nailed my english exam" I said "and PE?" his response was "I totally bombed that one, i didn't know any of the answers!" The kid has a 100% in the class but he bombed the final!! I think there is something wrong with the system here!

8.Mom: "Samantha please go clean your room"
Sam: "MOOOMMMMM"
Mom: "NOW!!!"
Sam: (stomps off to room)
1 hour later
Mom " Sam, I asked you to clean, what have you been doing in here for the past hour?"
Sam: I organized my books by color!

What am I going to do with this child?

9. I headed up to St. George for the day on Friday to second shoot that wedding with the amazing Melissa Jill. I enjoyed so much shooting with Melissa, she is such an inspiration. I hope I can someday be 1/10th of the photographer/businesswoman she is! It was so much fun, a super fun bride and groom and a beautiful venue. I will do a full blog post later this week but here is a teaser for ya!

10. Just after I passed through Mesquite on my way home from the wedding I was stopped by traffic. I turned the car off at 10:09 pm, when I realized that I wasn't going anywhere, and a called Terry to tell him I wasn't going to be home for a while. I updated my facebook status and had a response from my big bro who was also stuck in the same traffic jam. He had a bit more info than I did. There was 3 separate accidents causing the traffic back up, the particular accident stopping us was 5 motorcycles that had been plowed down by a minivan. It took just under 5 hours to get through the traffic 4 and a half hours of that i was parked. It was a very long night. I didn't make it home until almost 4 in the morning, after shooting a wedding, to say i was knackered would be a gross understatement!!

I actually made it to 10 YEAH!!! It's been a long day and I have so many more things to blog about but I will save it for my newly recommitted bloging!!

G'night All!

Kindergarten Field Day

Too tired to blog. check back tomorrow to see a description, if you really need one!!

Count your Many Blessings

I've never made it a secret how difficult being a good mother is for me. I struggle on a daily basis with the very simplest of things when it comes to mothering. I look at it as my challenges, while some have those simple things come easily to them they have other types of challenges in life. I had an epiphany of sorts today when we sang the closing song today in church.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

How simple and how beautiful. Just to sit back think about how much the lord does for me and let him lighten my burdens. The problem is I forget that part about counting my blessings and if I do I will realize that I shouldn't need him to lighten that much because my burdens really aren't that heavy. Up there in the second verse where it says,

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

I had to stifle a giggle because I instantly thought of the 8 LOADS of laundry that need my CARE to be folded laying on my bedroom floor! It goes on to say,

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Just how is it that 8 loads of laundry needing to be folded could be classified as a burden when you think of the cross that others who have so much more to bear? So as I sit here tonight thinking of my crazy to-do list for the week, I will count it a blessing that my silly crazy "to-do's" are really not the heavy a burden to bear and I should be grateful that I am not faced with a REAL challenge...yet!

Counting My Blessings

1. I am blessed with the best and most Supportive husband a girl could ever dream of.

2. I am blessed with 4 healthy children.

3. I am blessed with the knowledge of the teachings of Jesus Christ and what a treasure they really are.

4. I am blessed with the opportunity to fill my days with things I love to do along with the things I hate to do rather than just things I hate to do!

5. I am blessed with the support of an amazing family on all sides.

6. I am blessed to have the priesthood in my home (2 priesthood holders none the less!)

7. I am blessed to have music in my home.

8. I am blessed with a home.

9. I am blessed with good health.

10. I am blessed with the opportunity to teach primary and the lessons I learn more form than the children I teach do.

11. I am blessed with a sister who in exchange for bread will come and help me fold 8 loads of laundry tomorrow (K Stac! how bout 10o'clockish)

12. I am blessed with a little bit of talent in photography that helps me have an outlet creatively.

The list could go on and on but it's late and I still haven't recovered form my 5 hour stay at the I-15 mile marker 179 on friday night. (More about that on my next blog post.) So I will leave you with a reminder to Count your blessings...see what God hath done.

Memorial Day: A Photo Essay

I "shot from the hip" most of the day, meaning I didn't look through the viewfinder I just pointed and shot. It was fun to get some rather candid shots because people didn't know I was taking pictures.