Memory Catcher Photography

Another Senior Sneak Peek

2009-11-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

I've been proofing a lot of senior sessions lately. Here's a few of my favorites from one of my recent sessions.

They Always Grow So Fast

2009-10-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

I've been taking pictures of this little guy since before he was born.

He is such a cutie and his parents' pride and joy.

I don't know who's luckier, him or his parents.

Yes I do. It's his parents.

Black Eyed Beauty

2009-10-26T00:49:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of taking senior portraits of a beautiful young lady. Here's her sneak peek.

Good Friends!

2009-10-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

I love this family! They are good friends of our family, and we always have a great time together. They are active in things like hunting, archery, rodeos, fishing, and anything that has to do with camping and bonfires. They also throw a mean beer and pizza party!

Their boy is our boy's best friend. This cat's name is sinkor... as in sink or swim since it lives on a farm with two dogs.

I feel extremely lucky to have friends that we have so much in common with and who are also good and genuine people.

All Grown Up

2009-09-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Shooting seniors sometimes means that sometimes my friends call to have their kid's pictures taken. This year it has happened more often and I'm finding myself feeling old. Some of these kids were in gradeschool when I met their parents. It's hard to picture them all grown up and ready to face the world on their own.

Here's one such example. This is Alyssa. I met her mother about six years ago, I think. At that time Alyssa was 11, just four years older than my son is now. She wasn't wearing make-up, or going to school dances, or dating, or driving. Look at her now. Time does sneak up on a person doesn't it!

Drenching the Dress

2009-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

I finally got my computer back from the computer repairman. I contracted a virus and it took them nearly three weeks to fix it! Ouch! So, I am finally able to share some of the fun portraits from my last trash the dress session. It was awesome!

Sam

2009-08-09T19:48:00.001-07:00

I have several friends that have graduating seniors this year. Sam's the first one I've taken pictures of so far. She's grown up so much, and become such a beautiful young woman. Oh yeah! Did I mention she wants to go to college to become a diesel mechanic? You go girl!!!

Q.T. Pie!

2009-07-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

I got to take pictures of this little guy when he was about 7 months old. Now he's two and still incredibly adorable! I love two year olds. We have so much fun together!

New Personal Blog

2009-05-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post more about my house, projects, friends and family lately but I don't feel like this is a good place to do it. Soooooo... I've created a new blog where I can do that more freely. I'm hoping to post things like decorating, scrapbook, gardening, and maybe even cooking projects. You can laugh at me while I drudge through all my attempts. Now doesn't that sound fun?

None of these have anything to do with photography so if you're interested in that kind of stuff and me doing them then visit my new blog, Meadow Street Memoirs. I'm hoping to share and receive tips and suggestions with other bloggers. Join me in my journey, if you dare!

Remember your blessings!

Amber

The Spring Itch

2009-05-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Around this time of year I always get antsy. Redecorating is usually what happens. It's pretty bad right now. I hate to admit it, but I get kind of impulsive, especially with all the clearance sales going on. But, I did get a GREAT deal on this set which make me so happy! The round platter is HUGE! It's about 20" in diameter.

Ahhh... our guest bedroom. I LOVE white bedding. LOVE it! I also love white furniture. The problem is, I have two young boys and a mechanic for a husband. White and these three things don't really get along. BUT, I can put it in the guest bedroom. No one really spends much time in there. Oh, and see that painting? That's a new purchase. I HAD to have it! This picture doesn't do it justice.

I haven't done much with the livingroom except move things around. If you have any suggestions for me I would love that. Should I arrange it differently, should I get new throw pillows? I'm thinking something lighter, and maybe in a more burlappy texture.

My biggest problem is the devices on top of the mantel. I hate them! I really need ideas on hiding them or... something. Thoughts anyone?

I know you don't really care about this stuff, but if you made it this far I thank you and if you take the time to comment with suggestions... well, I probably owe you a coffee or something.

Thank you for putting up with me!

Sharing a Little Cutie

2009-04-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog, I know. I just haven't felt like I have much interesting to blog about lately. I've cut way back on my business so I can have more time with my family and more time for the other hobbies that I love. There are always pictures I can share of the boys I suppose, but I'm afraid people will get tired of those two gremlins. So, sorry it's been sparse. I'll work on that.

In the meantime, here is a cutie I took pictures of a couple months ago. Isn't she just adorable?

Easter

2009-04-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter weekend at my parents' house in Oregon. We had a blast just like we always do when we visit my parents. Here's a few pictures from the weekend.

Egg decorating always comes first.

For some reason, all of Levi's eggs came out green. Six colors and they still turned out green. Anyone have an explanation for this phenomenon? Even his fingers turned green. I am glad to report that after three days they returned to their chubby pink little selves.

After the boys got done with their eggs the big kids (meaning my mom, sister, and I) got to work on our cake pops. If you have never made cake pops or really have never even heard of them, check out Bakerella. She invented these sweet little morsels and they are SO FUN to make!

Easter morning, of course, was the big egg hunt. Do you remember being a kid? Waking up at the crack of dawn before everyone else and dressing yourself in a plaid shirt and plaid shorts that don't match? Not having a care in the world what your hair looks like? Just waiting for someone (someone meaning your parents) to wake up so you can go out and find your beautifully decorated eggs that the Easter Bunny has strategically hidden? Oh, the thrill of it all!
What I wouldn't give to go running around the yard just like this again. No one wants to see that though. Trust me. Especially with morning hair and a plaid shirt and plaid shorts that don't match. I cringe just imagining the horrid sight. Somehow though, it's adorable on my boy.
Dude, what's with the tongue?
Getting warmer. Oooo you're smokin' hot! Ha ha ha I hope you all had a wonderful Easter like we did.

Sneak Peak for Boss

2009-04-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

I had a great time taking pictures for a friend of mine. His son is adorable and his girl is gorgeous! The best part though is that they are all very happy! What a wonderful family.

Sharing a Few 2009 Graduates

2009-04-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

The senior portrait season is quickly approaching so I thought I would share some seniors I haven't shared yet from the past year. Seniors are probably one of my favorite subjects. They are so fun and willing to try new things. Each one offers their own unique personality. I love the challenge of always finding new ways to express and hilight each individual.

I offer several different senior packages as well as custom-designed collages, books, and photo announcements. Call today to take advantage of my early-booking discount!

Photoshop Action Download

2009-03-17T13:01:00.001-07:00

Thought I would share the Photoshop action I use for sizing down my photos for my blog posts. I don't believe Photoshop Elements has the capability of using actions yet. Sorry.

http://www.memcatcher.com/Size4blog.atn

Why is it so quiet?

2009-03-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

Usually the absense of noise when my kids are around is an alarming event. You parents know what I'm talking about! It usually means trouble is a brewin'! Rarely though, it means that Levi stopped moving for more than 30 seconds and found himself a little droopy-eyed. So, when we went to check on the suspicious silence yesterday evening and we found this instead of the catastrophe we were expecting, I took advantage of the opportunity for some new scrapbooking material.

Oh how I love sleeping children!

THREE!!!!

2009-03-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

Levi turned three today. I can't believe it. We celebrated his birthday yesterday at the thrilling and very very crowded Chuck E. Cheese in Spokane yesterday. I have never seen so many crazy unsupervised children in my life. The boys had a blast though!

First it was the ball rolly thingymabobs. Levi had a hard time rolling them hard enough to make it to the circles. Occasionally he would get frustrated and crawl up the ramp and drop the ball into the hole. Gotta give the kid credit for getting the job done.
He had no problem figuring out how to put the "penny" into the slot. Check out the tickets people! Remember the tickets? It ONLY took 40 tickets to get a mini-sized package of pop-rocks. What a bargain!
The Lil' Hoops was, by far, Levi's favorite game to play. It was excruciating for him to have to wait in line. He "helped" one little boy move the line along by shoving him in the back when it was the little boy's turn. I guess he just wasn't moving fast enough. I've gotta teach my kid some manners!

We had some pizza and then pulled out the football cake. Obviously, Levi thought it was the coolest cake ever! Just check out that expression.

I don't know what we'll do tonight other than make his favorite dinner. I'll let you know what it is. I'm betting on some Dino Nuggets. Yummmmm...

My Crafty Husband

2009-02-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

This was my valentine present on Saturday.
Yes, my husband made the card, and yes it's a first, and yes I LOVED it! He wrote things on all the hearts. Stuff like Be Mine, Kiss Me, Your Hot, Cloud Nine. I love that man!!!
No, you don't get to read what he wrote to me. =o)

What did you get for Valentine's Day? Hope it was great!

Photo Tag

2009-02-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my friend Wendy E., and if my son hates me for this I'm telling him it's all her fault and that she made me do it!

Here are the rules:
Once you are tagged, your task is to go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures. Go to the 6th Folder, and pick the 6th picture in that folder. Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes along with the picture.Tag 6 other people that you know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.

Here is the story:
There's not really in interesting story with this picture, just a funny one. This was taken in June and judging from the shorts CJ was planning to go swimming. The boys were bored so they decided to entertain themselves by trying on my shoes. I came upstairs and there CJ was in a pair of my black pumps.

I had actually planned to save this shot for his high school graduation, but I'd hate to break the rules so here you go! Poor kid. He doesn't stand a chance with me as his mother! Ha ha ha!

Here's who I am tagging: Josi, Judy, Shawna, Wendy T., Michelle, Tami, and Jackie Eckles.

There's Always One...

2009-01-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

There's always at least one goof-off in a large group picture, but it's a little embarrasing when that one is the photographer's husband. This was taken on the self timer so there's no way I could have seen him doing this. The other culprit is my brother. Next time I will be seperating those two!

I'll be posting more from our family photo session later. Just had to share this little peach. What am I going to do with that man?

The Importance of the Crop - A small tutorial

2009-01-08T07:13:00.001-08:00

A lot of people ask me for photography tips. Just basically how they can make their pictures better. They seem to think it's the camera that makes such a big difference. While that is partly true, I think the single most important thing that makes a photo stand out is how it is cropped.

Nowdays we have the luxury of Photoshop and other photo editing software. It's taken ordinary, everyday photography to new heights. It makes it easy to take this picture.
And turn it into this moment.

Another click of a button (and some more adjusting if you are me) and you have this.

The biggest thing that transformed this picture is the new crop. Of course I've done a few other things to it in photoshop to make it "pop," but the crop is the most important. Don't limit yourself to the picture you see after you've snapped the shutter. Find the possibilities within the frame. They are there!

When cropping a photo keep in mind the rule of thirds. Take some old photographs and try it with them. Eventually, this exercise will help you take better pictures in-camera so you will have to do less cropping afterwards.

So now let's just look at the same photo cropped in different ways. I like to pick on people so I've chosen my brother-in-law for the next example. Don't worry, he can handle it! =o)

Here's the original, straight out of camera. Looks like he's having fun doesn't it?Let's take care of the obvious crops first. I crop my photos to 5x7 out of habit. Most people probably crop to 4x6. It all depends on preference.

This is just a closer crop using the rule of thirds. (Note: if I were to choose this crop I would clone out that annoying bit of rose on the left)You can do the same by cropping in a portrait dimension as well. Don't think that just because you took a horizontal picture that it has to be cropped horizontally.

Here's another option. I left a lot of room on the right. This is called negative space.

This is a 1:2 ratio crop (i.e., 4x8, 5x10, 10x20, etc.).
Try cropping off part of the face. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.And last, let's see what a close square crop can do for us. I am a fan of squares.

Let's all thank our model for putting up with me.

I hope I've helped you a little. Now go have fun cropping! Oh, and if you post a photo that you cropped because of this post I'd love to see it!

While My Back Was Turned

2009-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

I was clearing off my memory cards yesterday and came across some pictures I didn't take. This phenomenon tends to happen when I ask family members to hold my camera for me. I usually love it, unless of course it's a picture of me. Then... not so much. These pictures, however, are not of me so I love them! Obviously, they've been edited. My camera doesn't take pictures in BW, and I'm obsessed with cropping photos. Hardly ever do I leave a photo uncropped and unedited, even if it's just a boost in the color and contrast. I just can't help myself. Maybe I should make that a New Year's Resolution. Nah!

The old guy is my dad. Just kidding Dad! You aren't old.

My camera cannot take credit for this picture. My mom sent it to me yesterday. I like the color.

Silly Saturday

2009-01-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd post a picture of my silly boys from Saturday evening. After their bath they wanted mohawks or "a hawk" as Levi puts it.

Enjoy!

My Boys are SO Spoiled!

2008-12-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

This isn't even the half of it! They got soooo many presents.

We went to Casey's sister for Christmas this year. The boys had so much fun with their cousins, aunt and uncle, and grandparents.

They opened their present from PJ Elf on Christmas Eve. Yep, you guessed it. Jammies.

Yes, those are his pajama bottoms on his head. He can't help himself.

None of them can really. Don't worry, I got a less frightening one of them too.
He can't help it either.

The nice thing about Levi at this age is that you could wrap up a rock and he'd be excited to get it. If it was a present and it had wrapping paper, (whether yours, mine or the dog's) he was soooo excited about it.

This was the present Santa left for him. Yes... super excited! Now we just have to wait for the snow to melt. Maybe he'll be able to try it out around August or so.

Don't mess with this kid!

CJ, on the other hand... well, he got excited about anything that was not clothes. Here he is opening his Spiderman two-wheel scooter from his grandma. He's outgrown his three wheel scooter and has been telling me about it since school started. Just like his brother, he'll have to wait a few months before trying it out somewhere other than the garage. The torture!!!

Ooooooo! The tongue is coming out. This one's gonna be good!

Awwwww... a monkey that comes with a bottle to feed it. This gift was a big hit and it really illustrates his caring and loving side.

This was THE present CJ had been waiting for. Santa delivered! A cricket rifle. Just what CJ had been wanting since he saw it in the store. Don't worry people. We are very responsible gun owners. It has a built-in safety that only dad has the key to, and it's locked away in our safe.

Here's CJ's happy dance after opening his present. What a goofball. I have no idea where he gets it.

So, there are a few of the hilights. Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas! Be safe over the New Year holiday.

Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

I realize this is a feeble attempt at a blog post, but I figure it's better than nothing.

Here's the 2008 Anderson Family Christmas Tree. Isn't it a beauty? Well, maybe a little sparse, but it's the one the boys picked out so it must be perfect! It is definitely the tallest tree we've ever had. The boys went out on Saturday and braved the snow storm while I was visiting my friend in Nebraska. We had to put the tree in a different spot than we usually put it so it would fit. It still nearly hits the ceiling.

The boys, as usual, found the "ho ho hats" and wanted to wear them during the tree decorating.

Happy Holidays!

It's Officially a Tradition

2008-11-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

I realize it's been awhile since I blogged. My apologies to you faithful few. However, this time of year is the busiest for me so you'll have to bare with me. Things will get back on track after the holidays. I will also be making an announcement in the next few weeks about Memory Catcher Photography so stay tuned.

Enough with all this. On to the main event.
We've made lefse with my Grandma Nona for three years now. The first year it was just my youngest sister and me at my house so I'm not sure I can count that year or not. The last two years we've done it at my Grandma's house with all the girls. Well, almost all the girls since my other sister lives in Alaska and hasn't been able to make it yet. We girls always have so much fun! Oh, and I guess I shouldn't just say "we girls" anymore since we do have three little lefse makers who are of the male gender. I'm not sure at what age the cackling gets to be too much for the opposite sex, but I'll be sure and let you know.

On to the pictures!

Don't let this smile fool you. Yes she may seem like my harmless grandma, but this here is the lefse nazi! Boy oh boy does she keep us all straight with our lefse dos and don'ts. She's obviously not afraid to dive right in; see flour on nose and lefse dough on glasses.
Check this kid out. I think he's officially a lefse prodigy. He seriously knows what he's doing! I'm so proud.
Check out that oh-so-thin sheet of lefse. Careful! It's delicate.

Oh yeah baby! He made it all the way to the grill. Standing diligently ready to flip it at just the right moment. Why do I love the flour so much?

Here's my other little lefse-making giblet. Thank goodness for grandmas. That grill is 500°F. Caliente! (no, I don't know much spanish, but I love saying that word. Try it! Go ahead. Try it! See? Can you blame me?)

Oh sweet sweet lefse how I love thee! Let me count the ways.

Wanna try and count them all? Okay, I'll save you a couple hours and just tell you that we made a record 183 pieces of lefse! 183!!!! Can you believe that? Wow! Yes, I know. We are amazing. And I am soooo blessed!

A Glimpse

2008-11-06T10:32:00.001-08:00

When's the last time you looked at old family photos? By old, I don't mean photos from when you were a kid and made a superhero outfit out of your grandma's undergarments. Who thought to take a picture of that anyway? No, I mean really old photos like from when your grandparents or great-grandparents were young. I'm talking young, like before their children started stealing away their youth type of young. You know what I'm talking about, right?

I had to take a break from work last night because I swiped my grandma's old photo albums for the week and promised her I'd return them this weekend. I wanted to get them scanned into the computer. I love technology!

My favorite photos were of my grandma when she was a teenager. All we ever know of our grandparents' life is when they are old so it's nice to be reminded that they actually lived a life without us once, and even a life without our parents once!

I can't wait to ask my grandma the stories that go along with some of these old photos. I'm just sharing a few of my favorites of her this time, but I have more... a lot more.

I wonder if Grandma hated her glasses, or did they call them spectacles back then? I'll have to ask her. I love these old hand-tinted photos.

Where was this taken and what was she thinking about? I think this one's my favorite.

What was she doing here? I'm glad I will be able to ask her this weekend so it doesn't keep me up at night.

Goofing off on the job I see! Or maybe just relaxing after the job was done. I do know from notes on the series of pictures this came from that she was helping her Grandpa harvest the field.

I love this picture. I want to know the story about this car. I saw it in another photo from one of her sister's weddings (or at least I think I did). I think this was taken on my grandma's wedding day. I can't wait to ask!

Sometimes It's Like an Aerobics Session

2008-11-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have sessions that are more exercise than I would get if I were in an aerobics class. Seriously! The toddlers are the worse. I say this with a smile because although they are a lot of work, they are so much fun. I really don't mind chasing them around for two hours attempting to get the perfect shot. Most of the time I am successful, thank goodness!

This little guy was a tough cookie. He was one of the most active toddlers I've photographed, but you can't help but forgive him. I mean look at him! He's adorable!

Sometimes the older kids can be difficult too, but all you have to do is threaten them and they shape up... most of the time. "Zippy's" older sister was a bit more cooperative.

In the end, it's moments like this that capture my heart.

Watching Them Grow

2008-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about what I do is that I get to watch kids grow up. I have quite a few clients that return every year and I am always surprised by how much their children have grown. I take great pleasure in this.

These two are girls that I've had the opportunity to photograph several times. They are always such a pleasure!

Finally!

2008-10-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Behold! There it is folks. Ta-da! CJ's first naturally-lost tooth. He's been missing his top tooth for over two years now due to an unfortunate accident, but now he's officially arrived at the tooth-losing phase of his young life. He worked for about two hours on wiggling that tooth free from his gummy home. He was not going to sleep until it was out. So, congratulations CJ! You are growing up way too fast.

Chasing Flags

2008-10-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

I love watching the younger kids' sports. Last night was my son's first flag football game. I get pretty shutter happy during these types of events. I really can't help myself! A 45 minute game can produce hundreds of photos. Yes, I know. Why do I do this to myself? My only explanation is, "Hello, *small wave* my name is Amber, and I'm a shutteraholic." So now that you know my deep dark secret, let's move on to the business of enabling. =o)

Here are some shots from last night's game. I must premise that my husband was roped into being an assistant. Truth be told, I was so happy he decided to do it. He loved coaching CJ's team last night, the boys really responded to him, and I loved watching him.
The first half of the game was spent figuring out what they were supposed to do now that they were playing against another team. They'd only had two practices before last night. So, there wasn't much progress until the 2nd half.

Since this is my blog and since my son is on the team and most of my 11,932 pictures are of him, I'm going to share the first run that actually resulted in a first down. What a proud moment. This is how it went.

The oh-so-hot-and-sexy assistant coach that I've been trading steamy glances with all evening calls the boys into the huddle and says, "CJ, which way are you going to run?" Through the wad of vinyl flag in his mouth CJ responds, with the utmost of confidence, "Uh... that way?" They approach the line, not wanting to reveal any indication of the play they are about to execute. As CJ steps into the receiving position the other team is thrown off because who would have ever guessed!? It's so... unexpected. At this point I could tell the other team was very worried.
After waiting anxiously and nervously for what seems like 10 minutes, they hike the ball! Yes! A successful hand-off.
He's off! His teammates are there to block and protect their one great hope.
He sees an opening! He's going to run around all of them! The plan is playing out in perfect execution.

See that kid on the left? If he doesn't block everyone on the other team, I'm blaming it all on him. LOL Oh come on! You know I'm kidding. That's right kid. You better block that guy.

Check out the smile on my son's face! Could he be any happier? We may need to work on a more intimidating expression. Would you be scared of that?
Maybe next year.Oh no! Watch out CJ, he's coming for you! He dives, arms outstretched, reaching for the elusive red flags. DENIED! Ha! CJ is too quick for you, you camo shorts and blue sneaker-wearing kid!

This is where my heart starts pumping faster and I start jumping up and down screaming "Go CJ!!! Keep running! Go! GO!! GOOOOO!!!" Which is also why my shots get a little blurry.
OH MY GOSH! It's a mob! They are all running after my son with torches and pitchforks! The little monsters! RUN CJ!! (notice, he's still got that smile on his face) Keep running! You are almost there.
YESSSS! First down!
Moments after this, that kid you see there on the left of the picture viciously pulled off CJ's flags. I'm sure somehow he cheated. Really! There's got to be some kind of rule against... too forceful of flag-pulling. Ref?

A few plays after this successful run the team scored a touchdown. Yay! It would be the only one, but at least they got to taste it. Some of them literally, since the grass was so wet and slick. Case and point:
CJ's there to save the day! He reaches with outstretched arms, grabbing for the flapping yellow flags. But...
Smooth-soled shoes and wet grass aren't a very good combination.

Unfortunately, the camo shorts and blue sneaker-wearing kid scored a touchdown. I'm certain he cheated. There's got to be a rule against swerving when faced by a kid in smooth-soled shoes and wet grass. Ref?!

Then there's the snap. Wish I were flexible enough to bend myself in half.I have so many more pictures. Believe it or not, I took it easy on you. I'll leave you with one more picture of the oh-so-hot-and-sexy assistant coach. Cuz it's his birthday, and well, it's my blog!

A New Senior Sneak Peek

2008-09-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get some of my senior girls to bring one of their formal dresses for their portrait session. Finally, this gal brought one. It's was an adorable and fun dress too! Perfect for the type of senior portraits I was trying to get.

We had a ton of fun running around downtown Moscow. I love trying out some new spots and executing ideas I have had. Thanks so much C! I hope you like your sneak peek.

Holiday Cards

2008-09-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Every year I try and offer new card designs for my customers. They are fun and unique. Friends and relatives love receiving these two-sided custom portrait cards. They come in three different sizes and include the envelopes. The sizes offered are 4x5.5, 5x7, and 5x5 (remember that square cards require additional postage). I've got a lot to choose from this year. Here is a very small sampling.
My fall sessions are limited and filling up very quickly so if you are needing family portraits before Christmas call now!

Four Jobs I Could Never Do

2008-09-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

There are a few jobs that I just could never do. Most of them can be found at the fair.

1 - I could never sell cotton candy and candy apples from a tiny hot booth. For one, I'd weigh 500 pounds and two, I couldn't deal with that many people. I just couldn't. Besides that, I would feel like I needed to hand out toothbrushes with every order. 2 - I could never run a carnival ride. I would HATE loading and unloading kids all day long. Not to mention, when they are on that ride their little lives would be in my control. What if I hadn't checked every seat to make sure they were all strapped in? Or the equipment? Or maybe they were spinning too much. Or maybe they hated the ride, then hated me? Or, or, or. Of course my kids loved all the rides!

3 - I could also never be a game-runner (or whatever they are called). I would feel guilty. Most of the games are rigged and then people would spend $5-$10 and what would they get in return? Some $0.25 toy. I just couldn't handle it.

4 - Lastly, if you ever think you are having a bad day, or your kid(s) are acting up and you think you are going to have to be committed, imagine being a SOW!

A sow with SEVEN sucklings constantly jabbing and squealing, and sucking. Never being rid of seven little leaches. EVER!
Oh sure, they are cute, but don't you think that even the cutest little bundle would get tiring when it was following you around sucking you dry every five minutes.
Nope... I could never be a momma pig!

Life on the Farm

2008-09-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Wheat fields, an old barn, an old abandoned house, tractor equipment, cute kids, and a wonderfully beautiful close-knit family. What else could a photographer ask for. There is one thing... nice weather. This day though, it wasn't going to happen.

If you've ever been to a farm you know how unpredictable the weather can be. This particular day it was just that. Most of the day it had been sunny, warm, and lovely. Around 4:30, just before I was to head out to the beautiful rolling wheat hills of the palouse the wind started blowing, the sky started getting dark, and menacing clouds started to form. Despite it all, I did my best to get some decent lifestyle photography shots before the wind and dust carried everyone away.

Summertime Images

2008-08-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

I love the beauty of summertime. The colors, the warmth, the animals, the celebrations. They all happen in the summertime. Now that's not saying I don't like the other seasons as well. All seasons have their beaty. Today though, I'm talking about summertime.

Here are a few images I caught off the side of the road near Tensed, Idaho. The first one we were actually driving down the road. The 2nd I pulled over on my way home.

Here's a shot I took the other day walking home from picking CJ up at school. It cracks me up how the turtles are layered on top of eachother. I'd hate to be on the bottom of the pile.

These shots were from the fireworks show in St. Maries over the weekend. They celebrate Paul Bunyan Days and their fireworks show is the BEST in our area. It always astounds me how a small town in Idaho can put on something so spectacular! Paul Bunyan Days is always held on Labor Day weekend so if you missed it this year put it on your calendar for next year. You won't be sorry!

1st Day of School

2008-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the day! Yes, children of all ages in the Palouse area had their brand new school outfits laid out on their dressers, special care was taken making sure every hair was properly combed and placed on their little heads, and bags were packed with shiny new school supplies. Just like my son here, kids were humoring their parents while they posed for the dreaded first-day-of-school photos.

Here's my little guy with his "oh so cool" spikey hair, cause he wanted it "just like his friend." Oh, and that other kid in desperate need of a haircut? The poor younger brother who doesn't know yet that today is just another regular, mundane, boring day for him. Nothing new. Nothing exciting. Later, when he realizes this, we have a small tantrum to deal with. Some more posing. Believe it or not, he actually enjoys it. I promise!
He's too cool for a goofy smile now.
Okay, enough of this posing nonsense! Time to go Mom!
I don't know what he was saying here. I just thought it was a cute picture. His little face is filled with all kinds of anticipation, dontcha think?
We're almost there! I can SMELL the entrance. Check out the backpack. It's twice the size as he is and needs a lot of adjusting. The coolest part is the lunchbag. It snaps onto the backpack. I have high hopes that he won't leave it at school. I know. It may be naive of me.
All together now... Awwwwwwwwww...
Get used to it kid. I plan on taking this picture for five more years at this school! =o)
FINALLY! We've entered the classroom. I'm sure he thought he would never escape the camera torment.
Is the name right? Well, good enough for the first day anyway.
Okay kid. One last shot, then I'll be done. I promise! C'mon, humor your mother!

There's my boy! Settled in and ready to fill that little head of his with new facts and ideas and creativity. The promise of a new school year with immeasurable adventures ahead; his little brain ready for the learning to commence.
The thing you DON'T get to see is me after I walk out of the classroom and tears well up... because I'm sappy that way. I mean, how often does your little boy start 1st grade? I'm sure it'll be better next year. Maybe.

My M&Ms Birthday

2008-08-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I turned 32. I'm not scared to admit either. Nowdays they all run together. For my birthday present I asked Casey to send me to the Paper Pals scrapbooking retreat, so I was up at the Palouse Lodge again for that. It was so nice to scrapbook all weekend without interruptions. Not to mention, my friends and all the other nice ladies that were there. I treasure my scrapbooking time. Especially since I don't get much of it anymore.

When I got home there was a birthday cake sitting on the counter that my husband and sons had made for me. It was the best cake I've ever had on my birthday. I LOVED it! Casey said he had tried to get the boys to spell "Happy Birthday" on the top with M&Ms, but obviously, with a 2 1/2 year old and a six year old that's nearly impossible. So, he gave up. Isn't this the best cake EVER?!

Also, CJ, being the thoughtful boy he is caught me a live butterfly and a grasshopper for my birthday. What would I do without my boys? I love them so much! The joy they bring to my life is immeasurable. I am one LUCKY gal!

Who gets the credit?

2008-08-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy hearing about senior graduates' plans for their futures. I like to learn about their different activities and their families. I find out a lot of interesting information. For instance, "B" here is fortunate enough to have grown up with the guidance of two older sisters.

I am an oldest sister to three younger sisters and I'm sure they would say the same thing (you don't need to ask them, just trust me here). If they hadn't had me who knows where they'd be? Everyone should have an older sister! Right sisters? Oh wait... don't ask them. They are much too busy to answer. ;0)

Regardless of who is to be credited for the way this young man is turning out (I'll let the sisters fight over that one), he was a lot of fun to shoot. Here's a few shots while you ponder .

Maybe we'll just give all the credit to the dog!

Another Fun Senior

2008-08-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

I always look forward to senior sessions. Seniors usually have lots of spunk, attitude, and are not afraid to try new things. This gal was such a pleasure to work with. She was fun and easy-going. Plus, she has a great smile, amazing eyes, and gorgeous auburn hair.

Here are a few from her session.

I Dare You Not To Smile

2008-08-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

If these two don't make you smile, then there is no hope. The little guy was a bit somber, but still cute as a button. Check out those cheeks for heaven's sake! The whole time I just wanted to zerbert them. If you don't know what a zerbert is, google it. ;) The kid was definitely zerbert-worthy. Trust me on this.

Big sister had enough personality and expressions going on to last me the rest of the year. She's four. It's one of my favorite ages. Oh, and those eyes. To-die-for eyes!

Okay, I'll stop talking about them and share the pictures so you'll know the feeling of wanting to zerbert the little guy too.See what I mean? The cheeks! And the expressions!Oh, and did I mention those eyes? Amazing eyes!

The Market, Seafood, and Baseball

2008-08-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'll give you one guess where we spent our weekend. The clues are:
1-The Market
2-Seafood
3-Baseball
I know, it's not very hard to figure out is it? That's right! We visited the Emerald City a.k.a., Seattle. A friend of ours offered us baseball tickets on short notice and since we didn't have anything planned we decided 'what the heck!' What fun we had. Let me tell you all about it.

First we went to Pike Place Market. I'd never been there before. All the stairs up to it just about killed me! Mental note to self: must exercise more. It was crazy busy with people! I held on tight to my boys. I'm surprised they didn't end up with bruises on their hands. I was so scared I'd lose them. Surprisingly though, I didn't get irritated like I usually do in large crowds of people.

It was a very fragrant place! The scents took their turns from fishy to floral, fishy, floral. Occasionally I'd get a whiff of berries, and of course with so many people your bound to be subjected to a little B.O. as well. I'd rather smell fish.

CJ just wanted to see the big fish on ice, I wanted to look at and smell all the flowers, and Casey just wanted to get out of there. I can't say I blame him.

I did end up treating myself to a nice big bouquet. How could I not? They were a steal! Soooooo pretty and I got to smell lilies all the way home on Sunday.
Here's my bouquet. Isn't it purty? My arm is still sore from carrying the 10-pound beast. Okay, not really, but it was heavy.
We had a late lunch at The Crab Pot. I'd been told about it before, but had never eaten there. LOVED IT! Their specialty is the Seafests. You order it for as many people as you need, they cook it all together and then dump it out on the table in front of you. Then it's a free-for-all. A little messy, but oh so fun and VERY tasty! I will definitely be going there again next time we visit Seattle.
Here's Levi mastering the artful technique of crab smashing. It's a very delicate procedure you know. Go Levi!!!
After lunch we went to check into our hotel in Bellevue (check out the funny story at the bottom), then we headed back out to Safeco field. We got there early so we could check out the team store, the stadium, and get our refreshments. This was Levi's first trip and CJ's second, but CJ went when he was just one year old so this one was more memorable for him. Here are the boys waiting for the game to start. Our seats were low and along the 3rd baseline so we took our mitts. You know... just in case.
When we arrived to the stadium it was raining pretty good, but stopped about 30 minutes before the game started so they were able to open the roof. About an hour into the game we were greeted by a beautiful double rainbow!
Unfortunately, the Mariners lost in the 11th inning, but we still had a great time!

... Funny Story Time ...

After we checked in at the hotel we all piled into the elevator to go up to our 7th floor room. This was Levi's first experience in an elevator, believe it or not. As soon as the doors closed and the elevator began to move Levi dropped to the floor. It reminded me of when you see people drop to the floor after hearing a gunshot. Here's what it looked like. We couldn't stop laughing. He did this every time we got in the elevator. It still makes me chuckle.

Wedding Follow-Up Shoot

2008-08-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

On their wedding day it rained all day. The wedding was scheduled to be outside, but was moved into their airplane hangar because of the weather. Because of the weather we were unable to get any formal shots of them together. So, J scheduled her hairdresser and I went back out to their farm and we had a great time shooting some formal shots of them together.
These two were actually from the wedding day. You can see how wet it was.

CJ's Birthday Saturday

2008-08-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

As I posted previously, we told CJ he could choose one friend to take with him to TriplePlay in Hayden. What a fun place! They have a lot to do! He chose his friend T. They had a blast! We started with the rock climbing wall, then moved on to lazer tag, go carts, bumper boats, and Raptor Reef (the water park).
On the way home I asked them what their favorite part was and couldn't get anything more specific than "All of it!" So, they obviously had a great time. Levi, Casey, and I did too. Here's a small collage of the fun the two boys had.
They had a photo booth there that I wanted the boys to go into. Well, it was out of order so I just hopped in with them and had them do what they would have done anyway. In their own words of affection to eachother, what crazy little "knuckleheads!"

Six... Already?

2008-08-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Has it really been six years already since I gave birth for the first time? I can't exactly say it feels like yesterday since so much in our lives has changed since August 1st, 2002. I can say though that I'm in disbelief that my first-born is already six years old. How does a child change soooooooo much in just six years? I was going through my pictures and looking at some of CJ's baby and toddler pictures. The changes are so drastic, aren't they?
Ya know, it's good to have the baby pictures around though; the sweet smiles and angelic sleepy expressions. On days when he's being a bit more challenging than other days I can look back at them and remind myself of the days when peace still existed. Now there's two of them and constant policing occurring between them.

So, I leave you with some of my more peaceful memories...

And now... dirt and all (most-likely after hunting for wabbits, shhhh...).

Check out the socks! How do they get this way even when they wear their shoes all day?

Check out how he strikes his own Vogue poses. I have nothing to do with it. He gets nutty anytime my studio equipment is set up and a photo op presents itself.

Oh, and before you go, leave him a birthday message! You know you want to. C'mon! I promise I will show them to him.

Although, I doubt it will hurt his self-confidence if you don't.

See what I mean by a little nutty? Wonder if he knew I would be putting this up on the web for everyone to see?

Ha ha ha... just kidding! I love photoshop!

!!! Happy Birthday Big Boy !!!

Thought I would add a few more pictures from tonight. I had forgotten to take pictures of the cupcakes I made for CJ to take to daycare with him today. Of course the birthday boy's special scorpion one was gone, but since there were a few leftover cupcakes brought home I thought I would share a picture before I eat them all. =o)

We got him a skateboard for his birthday present. He already thinks he's Tony Hawk or something. Slow it down a little would ya kid?
Look Mom! I can do tricks already.
Hey Mom! I did it! Look... see?

I'll let you know when the first broken bone happens.

On a side note, tomorrow is his fun day. We are taking him and a friend to Tripleplay. Should be a ton of fun.

A Sad Day

2008-07-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my grandfather passed away. He was 84 years old. He and my grandma celebrated their 65th anniversary this past November. They had nine children together which has so far resulted in 26 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren, and four great great grandchildren. He also served his country during WWII as a gunman specialist. He was the first one in and the last one out in Okinawa.

He will be forever remembered as a man of honor, integrity, and kindness. He went peacefully surrounded by his family and with his wife at his side.

Rest in peace Grandpa. We will miss you tremendously!

We Survived The Wilderness

2008-07-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

We have returned and we are all in one piece... refreshed and ready to go on with our daily lives. It was sure hard to leave the mountains though. The one thing that really drew me back was the thought of a nice, long, warm, heavenly shower. Ahhhhh...

Here's the camp. Seven people and four tents. The nights weren't to cold which was a blessing. Poor Penny. Levi evidentally thought she would make a nice fish.
Here's my Aunt lounging by the campfire. I can tell she's thinking about chopping wood.
We went 4-wheeling a lot. Here's one of the fun trails we were on. Can you believe there were still patches of snow? Don't worry, I will spare you the fearful sight. I really don't want to scare anyone off... you know who you are Judy!
One of the BEST things about camping is the camp food. YUMMMMMMY! My mom made us this oh so yummy meal on our last morning there. OMG it was d-lish!

Here's one of our fearless protectors. He made sure those squirrels kept their distance and didn't attack us!

And camping would not be camping without roasted marshmallows. We had strawberry marshmallows. Have you had them? YUM-O!

Are you sure that's roasted enough? I like mine brown all over.
I guess it's done!
Gooey sticky messiness. Perfect!
Levi never really got around to ever putting his in the fire. I guess whatever works for ya kid.
On Saturday we went to Dismall Lake. It was gorgeous!
Before I could even get my camera out of my case Levi had decided to fall into the water. So, while his clothes were set out to dry he traded them in for this very stylish Sears flannel. I think he liked it more than his regular clothes. We put some pop-tabs on the end of his line so he could practice fishing. If you've ever tried to fish with a 2 1/2 year old you can understand why we went with this method. He loved it!
Here's Casey and CJ fishing off of a log. Nothing was caught. The fish just weren't interested in eating. Personally, I think the stench from seven people camping 4 days in a row probably drove them all away. The stench didn't bother the frogs. CJ caught a couple of them. Aren't they cute?
After the lack of luck at the lake we took a ride up a very steep mountain road to the top where we could see everything around us. It was AMAZING! Here's my husband drooling over the Mallard Larkins. He wants to take a week and hike in there. Can you see the snow?
When we go camping we give each of the boys a special whistle so we know where they're at. We play games with Levi saying "Where's Levi?" and he blows his whistle. When going camping with children this is a MUST!

Look how dirty he is? I tried to wash him up the first couple days but it's useless.
And I'll end this post with a couple other scenery photos. Just in case you didn't get enough. =o) It was a fun trip, but I'm glad to be home. Can't wait to do it again though!

A Campin' We Will Go!

2008-07-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm so so so excited! You wanna know why I'm excited? Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway. My family and I are going camping for 5 days! We are leaving early tomorrow morning. And when I tell you early, I mean early. My husband has dictated that we leave at 6:00am! He should know by now that we will NOT be leaving that early when we have to get me up and the boys up and moving. We'll see though.

We have never been on a camping trip this long before. Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to the dirt in my toes, the frizzy hair (okay... maybe not this), the camp food, and the smoke from the campfire in my face while we're roasting marshmallows for smore's. I LOVE the crackle of a campfire. Shhh... can you hear it?
We will also be going 4-wheeling which is always fun and hiking. We will be visiting some glacier lakes which always offer up some gorgeous photography opportunities. Maybe we'll even see some great wildlife.
We camp in tents, but we have some very comfy cots and a solar shower. There's just something about waking early with the brisk morning air tickling my nose and the noises of squirrels chattering and birds chirping. It is all music for my soul.

Most of all though, it's the memories we'll be creating. Having the boys makes it all so much better for us. Everything is new to them. Send up a prayer that they mind for us will ya!

I will post pictures when I return. Until then, enjoy the ones I've posted here.

June Newborns!!!

2008-07-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Evidentally, June was a good month to have a baby because two of my customers had theirs. Lucky lucky me! I love everything about newborns. The way they coo, smell, curl, even when they cry it's cute. Of course I can say that because I don't have to hear it at 2:00am every night. It's easy to forget how tiring that can be after you have kids that rarely do that anymore.

I'll enjoy the couple hours I get to spend with others' newborn nuggets making them look angelic and oh so sweet.

Without further ado, here are two little newborn nibbles for you.

Introducing our first little cutie. Mr. "I" was fun and really kept gave me a run for my money. He wanted to do everything on his terms. He couldn't hold out forever though and I got some nice shots of him. I love working with his parents. They are such sweet people and I just know they are going to be amazing parents. Little "I" is a lucky guy. Not to mention, those very cute "kissy" lips he's got going. I love when they do that! SO cute! I did his mom's maternity pictures a few months ago. She also signed up for my Little Miracle, First Year Plan so I'll be seeing more of him in the next year. I can't wait!

Next up is this cute little angel. "P" was a perfect subject. She was awake for awhile and then fell asleep. She was a pretty good curler too. So so so sweet! I was very impressed with dad's swaddling skills! Not everyone knows how to do that well! She's another lucky little baby with parents that absolutely adore her! Thanks Mom and Dad for a wonderful session. I hope to have the opportunity to take her portraits again when she gets bigger.

What's a BBQ Without the Redneck Slip n' Slide?

2008-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

I went to visit the parents this weekend. They were having a BBQ for my sister and two cousins to celebrate the completion of the 1st two years of pharmacy school, a masterd degree, and a birthday. Congrats everyone!
As you may know, it was HOT this weekend. The first really hot weekend we've had this summer. The food was great and the company is always wonderful when the family gets together. Not to mention the abundance of adult-style beverages. Even some old friends made it. Did I mention it was HOT?

Well, the kids... okay, just mine... started bugging Grandpa about putting out the slip n' slide and he wasn't talking about the little kiddie one either. This slip n' slide is the mongo supreme burritos of slip n' slides. There's no weight limit patch, in other words. It's a 10ft x 100ft sheet of clear plastic sheeting with a spray hose running alongside of it. My parents' yard is perfect for this thing with its gentle sloping hillside. The plastic doesn't reach quite to the end so when you get to the bottom you hit a nice green collection of water on top of grass mixed with mud. There is even a stone wall obstacle if you make it past that! Now doesn't that sound fun? Don't worry, the stone wall has yet to cause any injuries, though people have tried.

Onto the pictures. Many races have been won and lost here. Don't ask me to remember who won this one.

Here are the three men in my life. Half of Levi's 101 trips down this thing were with his eyes closed! CJ's face was stuck like this on just about every 501 trips HE took.

Someone must have told him about the brick wall at the end. Fear not, he was never really in any danger. He weighs 30 pounds. We had to push him to make it to the end of the plastic.

This is what happens when you are beating your big brother in redneck slip n' slide races!
Aside from the slip n' slide, tell me you don't chuckle when you see this cute little face. This is my nephew. He is sooooo sweet!

His mom makes this face alot. Right now she's thinking 'I do?' Yes... you do! I think this kid was a party crasher there for the beer, but we let him stay because his cheeks jiggled when he walked.

Dresses, Flowers, and Girl Power!

2008-06-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that my house is full of testosterone. It's three boys and me so you can imagine how happy I was to have a little help of the female origin this past weekend. I was blessed with the company of an adorable 21-month-old girlie companion. My cousin dropped off her little girl for me to babysit overnight. What a sweet sweet cutie she is! So smiley and fun. I was lovin it! She wouldn't let me put any barrettes or ponytails in her hair, but I didn't really care because just having a little toddler that actually wears dresses and pretty sandals and a flower in her hair was enough for me! It sure made my ovaries stir, but alas, hubby and I are done having children. I'll just keep borrowing my relatives' little girls. I'd hate to find out what damage could be caused if I get too desperate. It would most-likely involve my boys, a dress, and some bows. Shhh... don't tell the boys I said that!
Now can't you just see this cute face surrounded by frills, flowers, and bows? Yeah... me either.

Wooly Bears

2008-06-13T14:06:00.001-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we visited the in-laws in Emida, Idaho. It was a lot of fun and the boys LOVED it! They spent a couple hours collecting a TON of wooly bear caterpillers. I couldn't believe how many they had. We made CJ leave most of them there and he took a few to school. We kept one at home to experience the transformation into a butterfly. It's amazing what God's creatures can do! Right now our little fuzzy guy is in the process of turning into a cocoon.

This picture is my nephew sharing his catch. This was kind of early on in the mission.

Memorial Weekend Sunset

2008-05-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

On our way home from 4-wheeling on Sunday the sky was gorgeous with some beautiful colors. My husband was sweet enough to pull over so I could capture the moments as I saw them. I'm always amazed at how quickly the sky changes as the sun sets.

Daddy's "Helpers"

2008-05-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe what a gorgeous weekend we had! Sunny and hot... finally! The boys LOVED it! Casey washed the trucks which was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to get soapy and wet. 2-year-olds can be so helpful. ;o)

Mother's Day Photo Fieldtrip

2008-05-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day we all went down to the hoppin' town of Lewiston to do some shopping and have lunch at IHOP. Yummy! I picked up a new rug at Home Depot, which I love, and we visited a few other stores. The boys were pretty good and the weather wasn't too bad.

On our way back to Moscow I asked my husband to drive some of the back roads so I could take some pictures so we cut off at Genessee and took to the gravel. That was so nice of my husband.

Here are a couple shots I got.

New Pictures of the Boys

2008-05-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

My new camera was delivered today so I had to test it out. I didn't have much time so I just took a few. Here's some of the fun ones. I see a promising future between my new friend and I!

A Newborn Teaser

2008-04-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of a portrait session with this little angel today. Isn't she beautiful?! She is almost two weeks old. Session like these are one of my favorite things to do. Can you blame me?

Joining the Lion's Den Soon

2008-04-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

What a cute belly! This mama is still looking fabulous at 33 weeks. If I looked as good as her when I was pregnant I would want to be pregnant all the time. This little baby is going to be so lucky! R & S are going to be great parents. I was told that the baby's nursery is a lion's den theme. So fun!

I can't wait for this little guy's newborn session. They signed up for my Little Miracle First Year Plan so I will get to see him throughout at least his first year and hopefully a lot longer than that.

Thanks for the fun maternity session! Good luck with your delivery and make your husband do all the ironing from now on! ;o)

#338

2008-04-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

This senior was great to work with! He is a motorcross racer. Can you say LOVES his bike? All he wanted was pictures with his bike. At one point in the session we were taking pictures of just him in his truck and he looked over at where his bike was parked in a grassy shady spot and he said "My bike looks good sitting over there." I just laughed and asked if I should be taking pictures of the bike (#338) instead of him.

Thanks for making this a great session and congratulations on your graduation!

They Came From Near and Far

2008-04-15T13:29:00.001-07:00

Moms came from near and far to spend the weekend with their child(ren) at WSU and catch Elton John in concert at Beasley Collisem. But... several of the groups made time to stop in at Paper Pals in Pullman and have their portrait taken. It was a pretty good turn out. I always enjoy seeing the returning patrons. Two women said that having their portrait taken at Paper Pals has become a tradition. What better a compliment can I receive than that? Here's a sampling of some of the shots. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, we don't turn away anyone so it's not just mom and me portraits. Bring in your husband, sister, grandma, aunt, small children... anyone you would like to get a picture taken with.

Did You Miss Out On This One?
April 19th - Moscow Paper Pals, I'll Be Doing It All Again!

If you missed it this past weekend we'll be doing it all over again at the Moscow Paper Pals on April 19th from 10:00-4:00. So, make room in your schedule for this! You won't be sorry.

Mom & Me Portraits at Paper Pals!

2008-04-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Celebrate WSU's Mom's weekend by visiting Paper Pals in Pullman this Saturday, April 12th for Mom & Me portraits. You don't have to be a WSU student to have your portraits taken! This is always a lot of fun! I'll be there from 10am-4pm.

My Clarkia Fieldtrip

2008-04-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't really a fieldtrip. I went there for work. I had a session scheduled for two seniors. They are cousins. I didn't get a parent's signature for one of them so I can only share this one. There were some very fun places to shoot at. Despite the two feet of snow I was trudging around in, it was still fun.

Yellow Belts!

2008-03-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

It was a big night out our house last night. My husband and son both tested for their yellow belts. They passed and CJ is now a Tiny Tiger Yellow Belt. I think that's such a cute title. My husband is an adult yellow belt. They were easy on the 5-year-old, but hubby had to really work hard to get his.

Here's CJ flashing his certificate for the camera.

Recieving his belt from the instructor.

My husband doing his kada.

My husband receiving his yellow belt from the instructor.

And a studio shot.

Snow Day! - Are you kidding me?

2008-03-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Someone above decided to pull an early April Fools prank on us last night. We woke up to about 4 inches of SNOW! Un-be-lievable! It's March 27th and spring has started. Flowers are starting to come out and we get blasted with nasty snow and cold wind. To top it off, Moscow declared this a snow day. I feel most sorry for my mother who is visiting from Hawaii. Welcome to Moscow Mom! =o) So glad you are here!

I took a few pictures around Moscow on my way to work this morning. Enjoy!

Little Princess

2008-03-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait to share a few of these images. As you all know I just love babies. I love to photograph them and hold them and smell them. There's just something about babies. These shots are actually from a mini-session following a family session for this little princess' whole family. I'll post more sneak peeks of the two boys later. For now though, I just couldn't resist. Sorry big brothers!

Weeks Away

2008-03-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

I had to share some shots from a recent maternity session. We had fun. This gal is just plain fun to be around. She's so excited to be having a little baby girl. The name that they picked out is so cute too. I can't wait to take newborn pictures!!!

The Older The Better

2008-03-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

The truck that is! I think my boys should stay little awhile longer because as far as I'm concerned, older is not better in that department. Anyway, nothing really special here. Just thought I would share a couple fun ones since I haven't posted for over a week. I wish there wouldn't have been so much snow. I would have loved to have them sit on the bumper too. I love old trucks. If you know of anyone that has one or have seen one somewhere please let me know. I would LOVE to find one in a field somewhere.

Just Yesterday

2008-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

*** Happy Birthday Levi! ***

There are two things in my life that, along with God and my husband, I am most proud of creating. They are perfect. The youngest of these two masterpieces is turning two years old today. Some days two years seems like such a long time and some days it seems like it was just yesterday. Today is one when it seems like yesterday.

Poor Levi is sick today, on his birthday. I feel so bad for him. Birthdays aren't supposed to be spent with runny noses and fevers. Regardless, we are still having a small party with just the family. Good thing he's too young to know any different.

So, happy birthday to my baby. Here's a collage to commemorate "just yesterday."

Félicitations! and Bon voyage!

2008-02-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

I had a shoot last night for a couple and their son. The father just graduated and received his PhD and now they are headed back home to Canada. They are French Canadian so most of the shoot when they were talking to their son they were speaking in French. It was so fun listening to them. Wish I understood what they were saying! Their boy did great and we had a fun time. Here are three sneak peeks.

Kids Being Kids

2008-02-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post that I will update later with some more pictures. This is my cousin's daughter and my aunt having fun on the swing. Isn't she adorable? That hair is so crazy, but gorgeous!
It was so nice down in Lewiston on Sunday. I'm think I'm catching a case of spring fever! My aunt has flowers coming up! I'm so jealous!

A Bit of Frosting

2008-02-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

How in the world do kids get THIS messy with just a tiny bit of frosting? This is the result from HALF of a donut in a toddler's hands. I don't know how it's possible that there is any left on the donut. He sure is having fun though isn't he?

Here's a picture of the boys watching the snow fall from the windowsill in the livingroom. We haven't had any snow lately. Let's hope we don't get any more. Easter is right around the corner and I really don't want the boys to have to dig their easter eggs out of the snow in the front yard this year.

Miscellaneous Stuff

2008-02-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

I don't have too much new stuff to share right now so I thought I'd share some old stuff from my collection of scenic/nature images. I definitely have a lot to learn about scenery photography. All except the Seattle skyline picture were taken fairly locally.

Seattle skyline as seen from Seahawks Stadim

Sunset from a spot on 4-mile road past Viola, ID

Just a butterfly enjoying a summer day by the river

In the Breakfast Creek area Southeast of Elk River, Idaho

Wild flowers in our backyard a couple years ago

My Adorable Little Karate Kid

2008-02-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

CJ came home from karate on Tuesday night wearing his Gi. The thing is so big on him, but he looks soooo cute in it. He loves karate and has so much fun. My husband does it with him. CJ and Casey practice at home and if Casey tells him he's done something wrong it's not because it's wrong, it's because CJ made up his own move and that's the way he likes to do it. LOL You can't tell that kid anything! =o)

Anyway, tried out two new backdrops last night and got some great shots of CJ and Casey.

I couldn't decide on just a couple for this post so you get to see seven of them. His facial expressions are priceless! LOL

Sharing a V-day Project

2008-02-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

Edited to add link below for template download if you have a Quickutz Silhouette or a Wishblade.
January is a slow month in my photography which allows me to get back to scrapping and crafting. I've done some pages and have been able to make some very cute projects. The latest is called an explosion box. This little one I made for my hairdresser and filled with hershey kisses. It is pretty simple but cute. I created the template so I can use a standard letter-sized sheet of cardstock and cut it out on my Quickutz Silhouette.

If you have a silhouette and would like the .gsd file just comment here or send me an email and I'll send it to you. I love that machine so much!

The boxes I did for a few of my friends are full-sized, cut out of 12x12 cardstock. I'll be teaching a class at Paper Pals in March or April so stay tuned!

Template Download

Down... Down... Down...The Snow Keeps Falling

2008-02-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world of never-ending snow! We've had snow fall for nearly a week straight now and we are supposed to keep getting snow for the next five days. Don't get me wrong, I like the snow, but with snow comes icy roads, closed schools, shoveling and plowing, wet feet and pants, cabin fever, power outages, wreckless drivers, and more. On the flip side, you get beautiful snow-covered trees, sledding, beautiful photos (which I haven't had the chance to take yet), snowmen, snow angels, and snowball fights. It can also make an ordinary cup of hot cocoa become a delightful treat.
Some places in our yard are 4 ft. deep with snow because of the drifts. In the flat areas it's about 29". Here are a few fun pictures to share.

This is our back deck from the diningroom.
I took this yesterday morning. We got quite a bit more during the day.
View from our back deck.
Check out those snow burms where my husband has been plowing all the snow to. You can image how much higher they are after last night's snow plowing session.
Just some pretty icecicles. One of the pretty sights of cold weather.

Winter Wonderland Retreat

2008-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Isn't this lodge great?! The people who own it are so wonderful and gracious. The lodge is very cozy and the food was wonderful!

This is where the scrapbooking retreat this weekend was held at - the Palouse Divide Lodge. The retreat was sponsored by Paper Pals, my very favorite scrapbook supply and event store. It was such a beautiful location! We arrived Friday evening and set up shop right next to the HUGE window at the end of the room overlooking a breathtaking view. It started snowing mid-morning on Saturday and didn't stop until Sunday morning. The big white flakes falling all around us while we were in the cozy lodge was magical and added to the winter wonderland experience. I took this picture from where I was sitting all weekend long.

Here is the result of Shawna and I taking one of those oh-so-fun "picture of you taking a picture of me" pictures. That girl is such a riot! We swapped pictures for a layout swap and she made the most beautiful page for me. I'll have to take a picture of it and post it.

This is the road on the way out of the lodge Sunday afternoon. Luckily the weather cleared after all that snow. It was nice to see the blue sky for the drive home.

Bathtime

2008-01-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Things are kinda slow this time of year so it's nice to have a little extra time for personal stuff. It also leaves me time to notice how much decorating I have to do on my house. Right now I'm working on a project for my bathroom wall and have been taking some pictures of bathtime. Just Levi so far. CJ will have his chance soon.

Anyway, just a few goofy shots to share today.

Three Beautiful Girls!

2008-01-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of doing a session for a family that has three gorgeous girls! They were all very sweet and very fun. Quite little athletes too! The weather was so windy. I would have liked it to be a bit more calm, but sometimes you just have to work with what God gives you.

Receive a FREE Calendar Set in January!!!

2007-12-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

JANUARY SPECIAL OFFER

Book a session in January and receive a free 5x7 desk calendar set. These sets were a big hit this season! People loved them! Previously, they were only available to buy for $45/set after a $250 order, but this month they will be FREE for anyone who holds a session. Surprise a friend or loved one with an RAK (random act of kindness) or keep it for yourself.

January is also a great month to plan for a surprise Valentine gift of portraits for your loved ones. I can also do valentines cards that your children can hand out to their classmates!

What Have I Been Up To?

2007-12-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

I know, I know! It's been a month since I posted anything. This Holiday season has been my busiest one yet. It's finally slowing down which is such a blessing! I can finally get my own stuff done.

Aside from my crazy business hours, my family and I made time to take a trip to see the new Cabela's store in Post Falls. My husband was like a kid in a candy store. He went ga-ga over everything, including the large can of cashews at the check stand. All I could do was laugh. CJ had a great time at the shooting range and the boys got a picture with Santa.

After surviving the mad house at Cabela's we headed over to Coeur d'Alene and did a little shopping at Target, Pier 1, and Circuit City. Then we headed down the the resort to check out all the beautiful Christmas lights.

We also took a trip out to Woodbury Tree Farm recently to pick out our Christmas tree. I loved it! They were so nice and it was fun stomping out in the snow, cutting down our tree and then dragging it back to the truck and having hot cocoa and cookies. To some people this might not sound very fun at all, but even Levi loved it.

I've also been doing some decorating inside the house. I'm hosting a Christmas party for my co-workers and their families. Should be fun.

I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season. I love this time of year!

Annual Flippin' N Tippin' Party

2007-11-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I am part norwegian. I grew up eating lefse (a norwegian flat bread made out of potatoes) every year during the holidays. This is the only time my grandma made it. She'd make a ton of it and mail it to us and we would have it for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I had watched her make it a few times over the years but wasn't that interested in doing it myself until about five years ago.

My grandma gave each of us a lefse grill over the past few years and we have now had a lefse making party the last two years. Last year it was my my sister and me and Grandma. This year there were six of us! I wish my other sister could have been there, but she lives in Alaska so it's not really a quick trip for her.

We had so much fun! About 1/4 of the way through we opened a few bottles of wine and we've dubbed this party the Flippin' N' Tippin' Lefse Party. The lefse turned out wonderful and we all had a super time! Thanks for hosting Grandma (aka "The Lefse Nazi" on account of her "suggestions"). So so fun!

Here's the Lefse Nazi at work. It's very serious work and requires heavy concentration.

Okay people! This is no easy feat! Check out that ROUND lefse! Way to go La La! Trust me, lefse this round is very rare. We considered framing it.

Check it out. The start of the next generation of lefse flippers. CJ did so good. He was really getting into it. Check out the flour on his face.

And a shot of all of us gals taken by my son. Look at all that lefse! Woohoo!

There's A New Sheriff In Town!

2007-11-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

Check out this little cutie! Isn't he adorable? I don't think he could take a bad picture if he tried. I had way too much fun doing this session and took way too many pictures and with that face it was hard to choose just a few to put up on here. I even made him my new banner.

I bet this little guy gets everything he wants. How in the world would you be able to say no to that smile and THOSE EYES!!! My goodness, mom better keep him locked up or she's going to have mobs of girls knocking down her door when he gets a little older.

Thanks for the fun time!

I got a nice series of him trying to put on his boots. So cute! I smell a collage coming on.
See! Even his scowly face is adorable!

I DO Still Know How to Scrapbook!

2007-11-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

I'm back from the Bellevue scrapbook convention. I had so much fun and really needed the break! For those of you who aren't scrapbookers... YES, we do have conventions! =o)

After months and months of no scrapbooking I finally got my scrap on! I thought I had forgotten how but it turns out scrapbooking is like riding a bicycle. You never really forget. Thank goodness! So, since scrapbooking is really what started this whole photography business of mine, I'm sharing a few of my layouts. I haven't taken any pictures of what we made in the classes yet. If I have time I will. Lots of cute cute stuff!

My new favorite product is the chipboard sets from Technique Tuesday. LOVE their stuff! I also love the Strano designs ribbon stiff. That stuff is amazing!

I got back around 6:00 last night so those customers that emailed me and haven't heard back yet, hang in there. I'm still catching up.
This one still needs the journaling added. It was CJ's first time on the ferris wheel because he was tall enough.

Anyone who has cropped with me before knows I'm a really slow scrapper. It takes me forever to get a layout done. So, I forced myself to finish a page in 30 minutes. Here's the result (minus the journaling that will go on the top right square. I call this my super-duper-get'er done-fast page. It was good for me.

Pumpkin Carving!!!

2007-10-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

I took a little time out of photo proofing last night to spend time with my boys carving their pumpkins. We had such a great time. CJ drew the faces and I carved them out. That was challenging! It doesn't look like much, but that grumpy face has lots of teeth and with a backseat carver (CJ) sitting next to you telling you how to do it, well... what can I say?

Levi loved the gooey mess of course and he kept trying to eat it. He had to go to bed before we started the carving. Thank goodness! The pressure of two little carving experts supervising my performance might have been more than I could handle.

Baby Fair This Weekend!

2007-10-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Come visit me at the Palouse Mall on Saturday, October 27th from 10:00am-7:00pm. Paper Pals and I will be set up in front of Zales. I will be having a drawing for a free newborn session and $100 print credit, as well as coupons for a free 8x10 from your session.

This baby fair is the debut of my new "Little Miracle - First Year Plan" which I'm very excited about offering!

Hope to see you there! I'm also hoping to see lots of babies!

Here's the description from the mall's website:
Baby, do we have a show for you! One day event only! Come see informational booths set up throughout the center with related items for maternity and baby care! Sign up to win 1 of 2 baby related gift baskets! Also, Check out the Maternity & Kids Fashion Show at 1:00pm, featuring fashions from Lilliput Maternity located downtown Moscow and Our own Old Navy, Macy's and Ross!

Great Little Video on Copyright Laws

2007-10-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

So you may not completely understand copyright laws and how they work. Well, this little video is a very creative way of explaining it. Check it out and pass it around!
http://www.civicactions.com/blog/disney_characters_explain_copyright

Newborn TWINS!!!

2007-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to this session for quite awhile. Mom had some maternity shots done a couple months ago. You can see them here on my blog. So, without further ado, here are the new little beauties!

Another Windy Senior Session

2007-10-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Another windy day but it doesn't seem to have any effect on this beautiful girl. She was a lot of fun and I was happy to have had the pleasure of photographing her.

Portraits for the Pups

2007-10-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Has it really been two weeks since I posted to my blog? Jeez! The days just seem to blend into each other this time of year. Not to mention me being super busy trying to get wedding pictures done for everyone. I need longer days! =o)

Anyway, had a really fun session with some fur kids last weekend. They were so good! High energy dogs, but the owner really did a great job of controlling them. They are all rescues. What a pack! Can you imagine four dogs at one time? They participate in flyball competitions all over the place, mostly in Canada, but other areas in the Northwest as well. I won't even share how many shots I took to get the couple family shots I got, but I did it and I think the owner will be happy.

Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to:

Acorn Huck
Bingo
Wendy
The Big Happy Family!

Magical Light!

2007-09-27T23:20:00.001-07:00

This time of year produces some of the most magnificent colors. I got lucky tonight to not only have such a little cutie to take portraits of, but also an amazing sunset! This little guy was so smiley and such a joy to photograph, and play fun games with. Sometimes I feel like I should be paying my customers when I have this much fun!

Sharing Some New Items

2007-09-27T22:18:00.001-07:00

I've got lots of great holiday card templates available to choose from this season. There's sure to be a look that will fit your style! Your own personal greeting can be added to any card for no extra cost. Book now to get those family portraits taken. My schedule is filling up very fast.

Here's a new and exciting product I'm offering. Imagine all the oohs and aaahhhs you'll receive when your friends and family receive their gifts with custom gift tags from your family. These are available for purchase with your qualifying order of holiday cards.

Must Be Senior Sneak Peek Day!

2007-09-24T16:25:00.001-07:00

Here's another senior, T. I made this session short and sweet just for him. He was a good sport about it all. I enjoyed the session. His mom is such a sweetheart! I loved that we were able to get her in the studio to take some shots as well. So without further ado, another 2008 classman.

Class & Beauty Despite the Wind

2007-09-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of the graduating class of 2008. The weather didn't cooperate like we wanted, but in some cases it really added to shots with her hair whipping around in the wind. We did get into some spots where the wind wasn't a factor and of course as soon as we went back to the studio the wind had died down a bit. There's old Murphy's Law again. Despite the weather though we got some great shots. She was super easy to work with and very relaxed. A real pleasure! Thank you "C" for being open and willing to work with me.

As Promised

2007-09-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

I promised M that I would post an additional sneak peek of her wedding photos. So, here you go M!

Busy Weekend Sneak Peeks

2007-09-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend was such a busy one for me. I had three different portrait sessions and went to a football game. All of it was fun and our team won! Yay! I have nothing to complain about.

Smiley "H"

I started my weekend sessions on Saturday morning down in Lewiston with this little cutie. She was smiley and at just two years old definitely had her own opinion on things and she wasn't afraid to share it! She's adorable. I wish I could share on here some of her little tush on the beach after her mom took off her dress and diaper. SOOOO cute, but I wouldn't want to get in trouble. These are full of enough cute anyway.

Lovely "V" and Her Boys

Here was my second session of the weekend. This is actually my daycare provider. She is also the most amazing mother I have ever seen, and I always feel so blessed and lucky to have found such a wonderful woman to care for my boys.

Her sons are great as well. They are growing up so fast. Just when I think they can't get any more handsome, they do. Look at those smiles and those eyes! They are quite the little athletes too!

Fun Family Featuring Frogs

This was my last session of the weekend. I've been looking forward to this session for awhile. I played softball with this mom this year and she is so much fun! These kids were so well-behaved and full of spirit.

K caught two frogs during our session. How exciting to have a new "prop" to use. =o) CJ saw me editing some of the photos and loved the frog so I told him I'd take him to catch some if he was good. Hopefully we have as much luck as K did!

Little Miss Cutie Pie

2007-09-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have to share! This little girl is my cousin's baby. Miss Cutie will be one year old this month. I can't believe it. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was taking pictures of her in the hospital right after she was born?

I actually went shopping for a couple outfits for her for this shoot (yes, this was just a fun photo session for me mostly). It was so much fun looking through the cute dresses and girlie stuff. I always tell people I know why God gave me two boys. If I had a little girl I would spend so much money on dresses, shoes, bonnets, etc. There are such cute girl clothes! Yep, I'd spend all my money and we don't have a closet big enough to hold that much stuff! LOL

I've Been Tagged!

2007-09-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

One of my very talented photographer friends, I won't mention any names (thanks Tisha!), tagged me. Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules before you give the facts.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) someone and list their name (linking to their page).
4. Leave them a comment on their blog letting them know they’ve been tagged!

So, here you go:

1. I eat tomato slices with sugar on them. Yes it's true. My great grandfather used to do this so I do it now. It may be a norwegian thing... I don't know, but it's yummy!

2. I love reality shows. Not all of them, but lots of them. Right now I've been hooked on Rock of Love with Brett Michaels. He used to be so hot! It's a horribly catty show with a lot of trashy women, but I can't stop watching!

3. I have two tattoos and I want one more on the top of my foot. I would love to get a hummingbird as a memorial tattoo for my Grandma Ann.

4. I haven't scrapbooked in about six months (yet I still keep buying paper, tools, and other supplies!). I miss it so much, but never have time anymore. I have SOOOOOO many pictures too. I used to scrapbook nonstop. I'm going to the CKC Bellevue scrapbooking convention the beginning of November so I'm hoping to get a lot done there.

5. My favorite flower is the daisy. I know, it's a boring one, but I'm running out of things people don't know about me. I'm a pretty open person. Most people know lots about me.

6. I was in theatre in high school. I always got cast as the weird ecsentric character. For instance, I was a crazy drunk piano player in one play and a showgirl in the play M*A*S*H.

7. One of the things I want to do before I die is go sky diving. Someday it will happen. I'll have to go alone though because my husband hates heights.

8. I get isle insanity at the grocery store when there are too many people. My husband almost refuses to go with me. Sometimes I really want to ram into the stupid people that stop in the middle of the isles to chat with their friends or stare at which can of corn they want — the one with the blue label or the one with the white label? Just grab one! I'm behind you here and I need that can of peas down at the bottom of the shelf. Keep on movin' people! =o)

Okay, my turn to tag a photographer friend (okay, two of them).

1 - Stacy Nieuwenhuis
2 - Moments Matter

Shawna's Sneak Peek

2007-09-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

I don't usually use first names, but I can't really not use first names when I'm wanting to share Shawna's Blog with everyone. She is a super writer and provides much entertainment with her blog entries based on the events in her life.

I had the pleasure of taking her family portraits Tuesday night. Her kids are great! What fun and spunky personalities. I can see their parents have rubbed off on them. =o) Plus, these kids are SO photogenic and have the most beautiful eyes!

So, Shawna, here's your sneak peek.

Congratulations B & B on your new little bundle of joy!!!

2007-09-02T23:01:00.000-07:00

It is my very special pleasure to share with you the wonderful news that there is a beautiful new little baby boy bundle that was born Wednesday night to B & B. I feel like he's my own nephew since Mom has been part of our family since she was born. Congratulations you two! He's beautiful!

TIME FOR A FACELIFT!

2007-08-28T11:01:00.001-07:00

Introducing my new website. Same address, just gave it a facelift. It's all new colors, lots of new images and easier to update when I want to. It also has a contact page for interested people to email me from. This will be so much more convenient for new clients. Yay!

So, what are you waiting for? Go check it out! =o) And please tell me if you have any problems!