When I was little I remember thinking the world around me was so big. Now when I go back to those same spots as an adult, they really aern’t so big afterall. I think that’s what Sienna thinks when we go to this playground. She calls it the “big playground”, because its a lot bigger than the one across the street from our house. She loves to visit this place and has so much fun on the slides, swings and ladders. Even when it is 10 degrees out, we bundle up and enjoy ourselves. Levi is now big enough to use the slides and swing with Daddy too. Here is a slice of our life one afternoon in January.

I just wanted to share some of the announcements I’ve been making for some awesome seniors this year. These are both 5×7 double sided, and as you can see, full of personality. These are sure to impress your friends and family, and so much more fun than the traditional graduation announcements. Thanks for letting me be part of your senior year guys. It’s not too late to book a session this school year, so please contact me if you would like to meet and we’ll make something happen!

Sienna turned three on January 28. I still can’t believe how smart and big she is getting. I remember so well the day she was born. It was one of the best days of my life. She is my helper and my side kick. We do almost everything together, and I can’t imagine life without her. Here are just a few images from her special day. It was a cupcake themed birthday, and I made these awesome cupcake ice cream cone desserts and totally forgot to take pictures of them. They were a big hit and I highly recommend making them for any special birthdays you might have coming up. Here’s the link to see what I’m talking about. cupcake cones The actual birthday cake was made using Wilton’s Giant Cupcake pan and the liner for the cake was made out of chocolate. It turned out awesome and was so easy. I followed instructions from here. Overall everyone had a fun time and I *think* the desserts went over well. I think even more fun for me was making everything with Sienna’s help. She is quite the little baker/cook when she wears her apron. It’s SO cute!

I was handed a self portrait challenge by a photography forum I am part of.  Pretty much explains itself, especially the challenge part.   Seriously, it took probably 100 shots just to get 1 good one. First the metering was off, then the focus was off, then the dog’s tail was in the frame cutting across my face, then my 15 month old tried to grab the camera and take a photo.  You get the idea!  It was a great idea to do this because I needed to update my photo anyway.  But whew, good thing it only happens once every 6 months! Here I am thanks to my camera remote, 24-70mm 2.8, 5D Mark II and some precious natural light.

We woke up to a beautiful frost this morning. I was pleasantly surprised, because for a few weeks in a row, we’ve had nothing but cold clear days (below zero everyday). This at least gave us something different to look at. It was so serene, with no wind (which is amazing in our area!), which made it feel even warmish…at -8 degrees fahrenheit, that is something! These were all taken with my 24-70mm 2.8L. Oh how I wish I had a true macro at times like this! The detail would be so much clearer. Oh well, I love this lens for the versatility it offers as a stand in macro, and for portraits!

Birthday’s are always celebrated pretty big in our family. Everyone gets together to eat yummy food and play games (this year it was the Wii, instead of the traditional pin the tail on the walrus, reindeer, etc.) lol. Boy the times have changed! My brother turned 32 this year. His lovely wife made an awesome german chocolate cake that even my non-chocolate loving brother-in-law had a piece. Yes, it was that good! After some fun wii games, it was time to open presents. Nora (his wife) had an awesome idea of “pick one of three envelopes, and that’s what you’ll get.” I don’t know about everyone else, but I was on pins and needles. How to choose? What about the other envelopes? Was he not going to get the other 2 gifts? Ahhhhh, choose wisely Nate!! Anyway, I captured the moment he opened the first envelope. *Drumroll*………………………..A week long fishing trip with his cousin to Kodiak, Alaska!! I mean, could it get any better? For fun he opened the other 2 envelopes to see what he missed out on. Well, let me tell you, he didn’t miss out on anything, because Nora decided that he’ll probably just get everything anyway! LOL. The other two envelopes included a gift certificate for a 1 hour massage, and a range finder (hunting accessory). Amazing gifts in and of themselves, but let me ask you this. What if he picked the massage first and later found out that he missed out on the fishing trip? I’d like to see what his face would have looked like then. Love you Nathan. You are a special part of our lives and seeing you interact with your niece and nephews just makes me have a deep sense of pride that I am your sister. I know Dad would have been proud of you just like we all are here on earth! xoxo.I caught this moment after we got home from the party. Every night when I brush the kids’ teeth, we sing the Happy Birthday and God’s Blessings song to someone. Sienna got up on the sink and was brushing her teeth and sang the whole song to “Uncle”. It was really sweet.

The sunsets have been incredible lately. Here is one from the new year. Sorry I haven’t been blogging a whole lot lately. I have a few exciting things planned in my schedule in the next month, so hopefully I’ll have lots more to show off here. Until then, stay warm!

Twinkle is my niece dog, who belonged to my sister’s family. She was the sweetest dog you could have met, and one you probably wouldn’t soon forget. On New Year’s Eve she was hit and killed by a car on the highway just a few minutes from her house. It was a tragic death and one so unfair to everyone who knew and loved her. I’ll miss her greeting me at the door when I go over to visit. She had the most gentle soul and kind nature. Never complaining and always “smiling”. I know she had a happy and full life, I just wish it could have lasted a little bit longer. We miss you Twinky.

Happy 2010! I can hardly believe we are 10 years into the new century! Remember the big scare of Y2K? What a memory! Anyway, because I don’t have a tripod, I had to get creative with my fireworks shots. If you have a tripod and love it, I’d love to know what you have. I think I need to break down and buy one, the freebie one I got a few years ago doesn’t cut it anymore. Regardless, it was fun to experiment with shutter speeds and aperture to create some cool shots. And our fireworks show was long enough that I wasn’t stuck watching the show behind my camera the whole time. Thanks Nome! What a great way to ring in 2010!

I was beyond thrilled with my last session of 2009. What a way to end a fabulous year in photography! This family was absolutely stunning, full of smiles and laughter. You may recognize a few of these people from a few months ago. I photographed Erin and Andrew this past fall with their new baby girl (who, if you remember wasn’t so smiley!). And when Erin mentioned that her parents and sisters were coming to town for the holidays, and wanted to get some family photos, I of course jumped at the opportunity! It was just a blast getting to know them, and the ladies in the family are absolutely gorgeous!! What a photogenic family. I couldn’t stop gushing over how “perfect” each shot was! Well, it was a real test for me to see if baby “A” would smile this time, and I guess you could say that I struck gold! I had the help of her aunties to make her smile, and it is evident that she adores them already, and vice versa! It was fun to see them each interact with her. I know when mom, dad and aunties leave to go back home, they will miss this little girl so much. It was great to meet you all! I had a blast. These photos will be a welcome memory when you all go your separate ways. Have a wonderful year ahead guys.