Needing My Own Station

So if my friend Jenni doesn't stop finding all these fun YouTube videos I might need to start my own site with my favorite videos. There are a ton of things happening in my life right now, and it's a lot easier to post a video than write about what's going on so I'll do a cram session later to update about me. But until then.... check out these funny missionaries. Is this the kind of thing I have to look forward to?

Another good one

My friend Jenni (who owns the fabulous Lush Boutique) is always finding these great things on the Internet and posting links to them. She recently found this one and I love it. I'm Yours by Jazon Mraz is one of my favorite songs, Eric and I sing it ALL THE TIME. And this rendition is INCREDIBLE. Thanks Jenni for sharing...

He's going to be a soccer player... he is

I mentioned a month or so ago Austin loves to play soccer during Ty's soccer practice and I finally got it on video. He dribbles around the adults and loves the attention he gets for it. Not bad skills though for a little guy.

Good Morning

Now that I've let out my nature obsession and made it public, there might be many more cloud posts. I also discovered I inherited my love of clouds from my Grandma. Thank you Grandma, I love it! This was the site that greeted me last week on my way to a weekly meeting. Breathtaking.

Framing the Fall with Style

Perfection. My boys did a great job this day!

Work, work, work. That's my life right now. If it's not one thing, it's another. This week, photography is the name of the game.

It been a week or two of variety. I love it when I shoot different subjects, it keeps me on my toes. I started by getting together these photos for my bride next month. I am very excited for this wedding as the location is amazing and this bride is so sweet. It will be a post that is worth looking forward to. But these engagement shots came from our second shoot. The first one took place on a 105+ degree day and the poor bride felt like she was melting the whole time (I think we all did) so we tried again on a day that wasn't so hot and came out with some great shots.



Then that weekend I did a afternoon show at a local gym here in the area targeting families. I am really bad at "selling myself" but I had a great time getting prepped for the show. When ever I have something like this to do, I get to go over all my past work to pull pieces to show. I found this one that I took this spring and blew it up to a huge poster size. It was the hit of the show and one of my all time favorites.


Changing pace once more I hit the local high school and took pictures of the Drill Team. I love taking team pictures because you can have so much fun with every one's personalities.


There is still more in the mix. Right now I am editing photos from the family reunion I did in Tahoe with 14 grandchildren. The lighting was so beautiful up there, the photos are looking great.

Oh my goodness, I smell dinner burning. Time to get my other hat of being a mom on for the night, or at least until the next picture perfect moment.....

Say Cheese

Another one of those, playing the back yard, grab the camera quick, moments. Glad I did.

Nature Loving Mama

I have always had a thing for clouds. I don't know what it is, but sunsets and sunrises are the most breath taking, and inspiring thing in nature to me. I love the different shapes and textures of the clouds, the colors and variations. It's just always been a thing of mine. I find myself calling my husband or my mom on occasion telling them to run outside on look at the clouds. I hope they don't mind... I am just sharing my joy, even if it's at 6 am (sorry Mom).

So you can imagine my delight this weekend as we had wonderful fall weather and a storm even moved in. I was out Saturday morning making a mad dash to the store before Ty's soccer game. I looked up and saw a ominous cloud closing in on Roseville. But the part that took my breath away was the point that this huge gray mass, which was blanketing the sky, met a sea of blue with the sun clasping on to it's sky with all it's might. The clash was beautiful, and unfortunately I only had my phone with me to capture the moment, but this is what I got.


As I zoomed home, trying to watch the road, but finding my eyes drifting upwards more often then I should, I watch the battle of dark and light ensue. As I reached my home, the battle was nearly won.


After the soccer game it had finished, and the grey sheet concealed the sky leaving a silver lining in its wake. It was a radiant show to all who witnessed it. Thank you nature for all you many wonders.

Last Days of Summer Fun

Lake Taco (Lake Tahoe) ended our summer trips this past weekend as it is now officially fall in my book. I had a photo shoot for a family reunion up there, so I packed up the fam. and made a day of it. We took off just after Ty's school got out and spent the afternoon on the Lake. I love it up there. It was a quick trip, but so refreshing. When we left good old Roseville it was nearing 100+ degrees for the day and as we climbed up the mountain we watched the temperature slowly drop. It was a nice overcast afternoon and the shoot went well. After I had finished I couldn't help but meet up with the boys for some quick pictures. Tahoe at sunset, what a perfect scene.







It was a lovely family Friday afternoon and a great send off to summer.

A Lush Giveaway!

My friend Jenny is doing a giveaway of her beautiful handmade jewelery. I love the stuff she makes, she is really talented. Check out her blog at http://shoplushboutique.blogspot.com/ or enter in the giveaway yourself at http://have-joy.blogspot.com/

Here are some of my favorite pieces that she has for sale right now! Personally I am a necklace kind of girl, but she makes great bracelets and earrings too. The other great thing is she even does custom orders.




But hurry and enter quick because it ends tonight and who doesn't want a new pair of earrings? Quick, go check out her stuff and splurge on yourself today!!

Tanner's big week

Tanner couldn't be more excited this week. In this picture he is actually bugged by me not letting him get in the car before I got a quick pic because he wanted to go. He FINALLY gets to go to school all by himself! He couldn't believe it. He has done summer school before but it was with his brother, and now he is on his own! Today he attendant school with Ms. KaRyn which is where he would go with Ty. He walked right up the stairs and into class like he owned the place. He was very excited to bring his monster truck for show and tell today too. And yesterday he went to a second preschool down the street with Ms. Karen and Ms. Dee. He loved it. The best part of the whole morning was the fact that as he walked into the class room there was a whole pile of dinosaurs on the floor waiting for him. His teacher had mentioned the week before that she would have some for him, but he was in disbelief when we saw them all laying on the floor. He didn't even care when I told him I was leaving because he was too involved with his toys. And when I picked him up, he started to cry cause he didn't want to leave. I guess that is a good problem right?



All in all he is soooo happy to be in school like his big brother. I couldn't help but look at him and see how grown up he is. I think I expect Ty to grow up because he is the oldest and blazing the way, but Tanner is always just too little or needs to wait a few more years..... but now, he is finally starting out on his own. In his teachers own words after she met Tanner for the first time, 'He is going to be a fireball!' You got that right, Tanner the fireball, watch out world, here he comes!

Black Spots

Yesterday Tanner was my helper all day. At one point, he needed to help me take some notes. So I gave him a black, washable, marker and a note pad and away he went. He had so much fun taking notes he asked to bring his work in the car with him as we went and picked up Ty from school. As we drove I looked in my rear view mirror and saw something that made me do a double take. When I confirmed what I thought I had saw I immediately questioned Tanner about it.

"Tanner! Are you drawing on Austin?!?!"

Tanner jumps with surprise. "I'm really sorry about that Mom, I wont do it any more"

"Tanner Nathan, why are you drawing on your brother?"

Without hesitation or remorse he concluded, "Because I'm making him a cheetah Mom."

It became one of those mom moments when you are in disbelief that they are doing something they know not too, but also impressed with the imagination and creativity they posses. The conversation was ended with a brief reminder that we only draw on paper, not ourselves or others and a photo was taken for proof of the great mind of a three year old.

MY FAVORITE THING!!

OH, I TOTALLY FORGOT. I have been obsessed with the video for like a month now, and I'm sad to say they might have to take it down because the composer can't get Coldplay to get back in touch with him to give him the ok. So while it's still up I want you to have a chance to listen to it. He's done another arrangement online with Love Story meets Love Story, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. So turn up your speakers, grab the family and sit back and enjoy!

Love Story Taylor Swift meets Viva La Vida Coldplay—by Jon Schmidt

Bottoms Up

Austin loves his water cup, but the other day after drinking his water he noticed my cup was bigger and better. With drops of juice left in the bottom Austin tried his luck. He ditched the silly red baby cup on scooped up the BIG cup.

Chug Chug Chug

Hey! This stuff is pretty good!

Ummmm, yummmmm. Got to get every last drop!!

Ahhhhh. Delicious!