It’s wonderful to have a son. Levi tells me everyday that he loves me, and thanks me for everything. He really does have a golden heart, and I am blessed to be his Mama. He’s 3, and not for long. I want to cherish these moments, they are fleeting fast. Here are a few things about Levi:

1. Loves basketball…..(I mean, really LOVES it. When we go to the pool, he hangs out at the hoop the whole time!)
2. Loves food, and can eat at any time of day.
3. Learned how to spell and write his name this year.
4. Loves to read books.
5. Wants a spiderman themed birthday on his next big day.
6. Will play the wii until he is dripping sweat, swording is his favorite.
7. Insists on holding my hand at night until he falls asleep.
8. Loves going to the bank with me, just to score a lollipop from the teller.
9. When asked “How are you?”, he replies, “I’m 3!”
10. Loves Council, camp, boating, and fishing.

So our town has apparently been all over the national news for a little bit. A potential fuel shortage has left only certain options available for a winter fuel delivery. The winner? A chartered Russian fuel tanker escorted in by the USCG ice breaker Healy. This is the first winter fuel delivery by barge for NW Alaska, so it was exciting for us to see how the whole operation panned out. It turned out to be a successful and uneventful transfer, and after a week of sitting still in frozen ice, the Healy broke free yesterday afternoon and escorted the Russian tanker “Renda” back out to open seas. Here is a shot of the Healy as it first arrived and was making a path in for the Renda. We’ve had some amazing sunsets lately, and with the Coast Guard ship breaking through four feet of ice out there, it made for a great subject too. Thank you to the men and women aboard the Healy who sacrificed the holidays with their families and friends to extend their mission for this event. You made it all possible.

I love Christmas. I have a lot of happy memories of the holidays, from when I was growing up. Friends, family, food, church, community games, presents, visiting, laughing, vacation, a fresh cut tree, fireworks, races, dances. Winter is not my favorite season (by far…I’m allergic to the cold!), but all the activities and excitement of Christmas in Elim really made it special. Spending Christmas in a small isolated community (Elim, population 320), is so much different than Christmas in a city or even a larger town like Nome (3500 people). The closeness of the community, visiting, people stopping over for coffee all throughout the day, sharing greetings to others on the VHF radio, hearing snomachines roar by, caroling to all the houses and hearing the familiar songs that I love. I could go on. My heart was with my family and friends back home in Elim this year. I thought about all of you, especially my dear Auntie Ida who passed last May. I think this was her favorite time of year. I wish this new year will bring health, happiness and love to each and every one of you. Greetings from my family to yours. We took a drive today to run our dog (-29 degrees) and as most of you know, Nome has no trees. We drove to this tree out towards the mine, and were surprised to see that someone had decorated it with lights, ornaments and garland. This lonely tree, in the middle of the tundra with a beautiful mountainous backdrop was decorated! I ran out onto the tundra and took this picture and it just made me smile. It made my day. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Winter time brings a lot of things to mind. Crafts, the wood fire, holiday meals and treats, shopping, family. You know…all those staying inside activities. But a few days ago….on a clear and beautiful winter day, I got to do a session with this beautiful flower! Really, she was like a brilliant bloom set against a blanket of white. It was cold…yes, but she did an amazing job. I had to remind her that we were actually in Hawaii, and it wasn’t cold…we were warm! (Well, I was warm, all bundled up in snowpants, bunny boots and layers of sweaters!) LOL…I’m not sure if she went along with it, or if she just smiled and thought I was crazy. Probably the latter. Kacie and I had planned this session a few months prior to Thanksgiving. She attends a boarding school in Washington state, and comes “home” to Nome on occassion for holidays or summer breaks. So, it was an honor that she chose me to do her senior portraits, when no doubt, there are many many talented and amazing photogs right in her area! I’ll say these are unique, that’s for sure, and worth the small price of standing in the bitter cold! I had a fun fun time with you Kacie, and thank you so much for your patience with my ideas to get these photos! More to come. Can’t wait! Enjoy the rest of your senior year pretty lady.

Sometimes it takes a while for people to get comfortable in front of the camera. I know, because I am one of those people. I am much better at being behind the lens than in front of it. That’s kind of how my session started out with Brian. But as we got into it, his shell started to crack, and some of my “jokes” and things I said to make him smile and relax started working. He loosened up and by the end, it was like hanging out with an old buddy of mine. We had a lot to say and even had a few things in common. I really admire his positive outlook on life. He moved up here from Texas a little over a year ago with his family. That takes courage, especially in the last two years of high school. He loves it here, even the snow! He has big plans for his future, which include following in his Mom’s footsteps and going on to medical school. Wow, how refreshing and encouraging to hear of a young person with such big aspirations. Have a great year “Douggie”, and it was so fun to meet you and hang out for a while!

This town is funny sometimes. Well, maybe it’s just me, but I have “known” quite a few people before even meeting them in real life. Yes, the internet has become a big part of my world, and through facebook and other venues, I’ve interacted with a lot of people that eventually I get a chance to meet. It was like that with Jane and I. We messaged back and forth for quite some time and because of conflicting schedules and our crazy summer travel, we just never got a chance to meet…until now. It was a breath of fresh air to work with her family. They are cute (in a gorgeous sort of way), sweet, and down to earth. I clicked with them instantly, and their little boy, even tired and not much into the glamour shots, melted my heart! Thanks for being up for all my ideas guys, and for accidentally having the greatest ones too! Those candid moments really turned into special memories. Enjoy this preview and I’ll talk with you all soon.

I was stoked when Caitlin approached me about doing her senior photos. I knew even before we met up that she was going to rock her session. And she did just that. She is gorgeous, funny, and has a sweet bubbly personality. Her aunt, our chauffeur, had some awesome ideas for locations. Thanks Shari! Anyway, I think these images capture the true inner and outer beauty of another smart and strong young lady in our community. Good luck and enjoy your last year girl! It was so fun to work with you, obviously I didn’t want it to end! But I guess three hours of camera time will do, for now.

Nathan’s Mom stopped me in town and asked me to do some senior photos for her son. First of all, I was honored and verrry excited about it! And second of all, I had to ask her who it was, because I couldn’t believe that her “baby” Nathan was already a senior in high school! We watched Nathan’s brother Jesse play basketball all through high school, and the last few years, have watched Nathan as well. He is an amazing athlete, and such a great person as well. I can tell his parents raised him right! We took the photos practically in his backyard a few miles from town. He showed me around, and we hopped around the tundra and in the creeks to get some amazing shots. I loved his ideas, and his smile almost knocked me over a few times. What a handsome young guy. I had so much fun romping around Dexter with you Nathan! I hope it was worth it for you as well. I can’t wait to see your Mom’s smile when I see her next!

We were in Anchorage for a week for a little vacation, shopping, visit with friends and family, the state fair, and other stuff. It was nice to be away for a while. But in the back of my mind, I had all my clients and their proofs that were waiting to be edited on my computer at home. Yes, work piled up when I was gone. But I’m back again, so I’m starting to get back into the groove of things. And just to stay sane from all that editing, I had to edit just a couple images (Yes, two…that’s all I allow myself right now!) for myself. The first morning we were there, we got to pick some of Auntie Tween’s raspberries from her backyard. Oh, so yummy! The kids had a blast. I did too, snapping photos and eating the fruits of their labor.

So I normally don’t book any sessions on the weekends, because our family is always at camp. We haven’t spent a weekend at home yet! That is our time to take a break from the week and relax. Well, the Carter’s called me a few days before the weekend, and said they wanted a session at camp, in Council! I had planned a session with another family in Council about a month before and since our weather didn’t cooperate, we had to cancel. So, without hesitation, I of course said YES! Council is beautiful and the perfect backdrop for photos. The river, the trees, the manicured lawns! Especially this time of year, when the colors are so dramatic and strong. Photos with the Carter’s had been a plan in the works since last fall, but we just didn’t get a chance before the snow started to fly. So, they were just as excited as I was to get them done this time around. It was a fun session, this family just loves to laugh and joke with each other. I don’t think there was a chance to stop smiling, even for me. I hope you all love the photos, and when you look back on them, always think of those special memories made in your Council home throughout the years. It was such a pleasure working in such a beautiful setting with a family to match.