This N That! HOLLA!!!

Just a few days ago I got the greatest delivery from the UPS man, the DVD with the pictures from Christmas in Vegas! Now just in case you didn't hear, while we were in Vegas we took family pictures with my family and when I went to upload them to my Mom's computer the CF (compact flash) card crashed and all the pictures from Christmas Eve/Day and Family pictures were stuck on the card with no way for us to retrieve them. After much research and asking around we went with a company called Gillware Inc. to help in recovering the data and so just last week we got the pictures and for me it was like winning the lottery!!!

Here are just a few

Prepping!

So with the amount of time that has passed since I have posted about what we have been up to there is going to be tons of pictures coming very soon! So be prepared for a plethora of them cause you are gonna see enough of my family and friends to last you a life time!!

To get it started here is one of my faves from a recent family session I was able to do while in Vegas! The Waters Family more here

Some engagements for my good friend Nicky more here

And here is a picture of all the grand kids hanging out on Grandma's couch, one of the rare moments of them all just sitting!

BOOK NOW! Prices are going UP!!

The Clark Family

Tonight I had the pleasure of shooting some family pictures for our friends the Clarks' , it was so fun! Thanks guys! Oh and the pizza and ice cream after wasn't so bad either :) more here

Sleepy Shutterbug!

This past weekend was a whirlwind! Saturday I was up early so I could be on the road to Colorado Springs for a family photo shoot, then I headed to my in-laws to meet Jimmy and the kids followed by lunch at Noodles N Company and then headed to the foothills (far away) for my cousins wedding! Whew! Sunday was the girls Primary Program and me filling in for an absent nursery worker and then after church a few visits from people in the ward, some kids that wanted to rake our yard and making Alfredo sauce from scratch to go with the "Linner" (lunch/dinner). I then headed upstairs to upload the pictures off my memory cards but fell asleep at the keyboard, so I found a comfy spot on my bed and took a much needed rest, Awww!

Well I woke up and it was about bed time for the kids so Jimmy and I hung out and watched a movie and then because I wasn't tired I read some from my latest book and wrote some of the one I am working on and then sat to try looking at the pics again. Success. I have to share a little bit!





( I was not the main photog, my cousin just asked me to bring my camera along, he was the groom, oh and I don't usually do lots of the lens flare thing, but I kinda like it in this shot. My uncle Steve married them, it was a nice ceremony. )

The Stars Aligned!

This morning I had a family photo shoot and honestly the weather could not have been more perfect, nor the subjects!! Thanks Miriam,Ryan and girls for the great start to my day!! :)


oh and here are a few more

Mixed Emotions

I don't want this to become my complaining blog and I don't want to blog just to blog. I keep hoping I will have something of substance to offer and I don't know that I have much of that going on right now. So here is a little something that has been on my mind for quite some time and I need to just get it out.

I struggle, yes I struggle lots, mostly internally because I hate burdening others with things that are just momentarily hard or things that I might feel because I haven't had enough sleep! I would say that overall my difficulties are in trying to find where I fit in this world, I know I'm a wife/mother/daughter/sister blah blah blah, all the titles we take on either by being born or growing up. They are all important rolls and much of the time I am satisfied in them but then I have times when I want to get out there and try new things and explore the interests that I have in the creative fields!! I LOVE being creative, weather the medium be photography, sewing, singing, decorating, cooking or writing I love to express myself through these outlets! It gives me release and fulfillment at the same time, the hardest part about being creative is how subjective it is. One person might think you are the "most amazing" and someone else might think you should quit all together. As humans I think we look for approval in the things we work hard on, as in "Have the efforts I made today been noticed, and are they appreciated?"

I don't believe that my life's' mission is to be a famous singer/photographer/writer/seamstress/decorator, it would be fun, but I don't assume that just because I have interest in them that it means I will be the next HGTV star, American Idol, Paula Dean or Annie Leibovitz, but it would feel wonderful to feel like my talents or passions are effecting others in a positive way. I really want to serve others, I want my gifts to not just be mine, but to be instruments in helping those around me. I am not talking about joining the Peace Core or the Red Cross, while those are noble causes, I want to serve my friends, family, neighbors, anyone who might stand in need in the simplest form, giving of my time and talent. I am not a saint but rather a sinner trying to compensate for my mistakes with a little goodwill. It's a challenge being the creative type because there are soooo many that share the same interests and in a world of competition and cut throat business the little guy just out to enjoy themselves feels pressure to belong! I am that "little guy" trying to belong, let me share some examples.

I have had a deep interest in photography for many many years, I have always had a camera in my hands, they might not be the best cameras out there, but I have always had one or two near by. In high school I would take my little film camera and drive to the edge of town, climb up a mountain side and take pictures of the city below, broken glass, or sunsets, I would sit alone just thinking and taking pictures. I never had the money to buy expensive equipment or take classes to pursue something that was viewed as just a hobby. The same thing can be applied to all the things I enjoy investing my time in, but see this is where it gets complicated, when I look around it feels like EVERYONE and their Mother has the SAME exact interests and they have the time and money to just dive right in, taking classes, buying equipment, creating websites and the balls to advertise themselves as professionals, something I lack. That is where the debilitating self doubt seeps in, if there are so many others (for example) taking pictures I will NEVER stand out so why try?

I once had a wise friend say to me when I was really starting to explore more into the photography world, "There will always be someone with better equipment, more time, and more talent than you, but the main thing is to focus on developing your own style and taking good pictures." At the time I felt discouraged, like it was an uphill battle and then one day I realized that all I wanted to do was take pictures so I could show a little bit of my perspective, to the world through my lens.

I often offer my services for free just so I can be out there doing what I really enjoy doing, do I feel insecure at times, yes, but I just keep doing my thing. I guess I try to have the perspective that one day all these talents might come to good use for something and if I just sit on them and worry about not being good enough then what is the point in having them?? I don't think I will ever be the "Best" at anything, but why stop finding joy in sewing/photography/writing/singing/cooking!?? Again it's all subjective and there has to be at least one person out there that thinks I don't stink, even if that's me, I suppose!!

Some People Should Make Many Babies!!

Since being in Colorado I haven't been keeping my camera as warm as I would like, so my friend Rachel lent me her girls! It was a fun morning, they were the perfect subjects giving me plenty to work with!! Oh and Rach in case these aren't enough of a tease there are a few more on my photo blog!

EXCITING NEWS AND THEN..... JUST KEEP SCROLLING!

I am so excited to announce that I am a proud Aunt again!! My sister Alyssa and BIL (brother in law), Chet welcomed their newest little girl into the world this afternoon!! Her name is Atlee (not sure on the middle name yet) Rowles, she weighed 8 lbs and 1 .OZ and 19.5 inches long! I am so EXCITED!! I can't wait to get down to Texas to see her and kiss her and hide a recording device in her room that will come on at night telling her how I am her favorite Aunt (brain washing is a totally acceptable method OK!) CONGRATS GUYS! LOVE YOU!!





While I have done some posting over the summer, I just haven't had the chance to post all the fun things we've done since so much of our time has been unpacking and getting the house together!! So here is a mish mash of pics and a few words of our Summer!! :)

Grace started Kindergarten last week and while most of the other moms took their children the first day Grace wanted to ride the bus.....



I think it was because she wanted to do this......



...You see, I am actually hiding from them in order to take this because I was told not to come get them from the bus stop, they wanted to walk together!! These are the moments being a Mom is all worth the work!


The only trouble was that I didn't have enough "Bond" to my "James" because the girls turned around and saw me just as we were getting to the house!! Oh well I got my shot and my evidence of how much they really do like each other!! :)


In July we made a visit to the Denver Aquarium downtown and it was a great time!! The sea life was beautiful and there were even some crawly creatures and a tiger or two. Jimmy's cousin Emilie had come to visit so she came along.









Jimmy and I really enjoyed watching how much James enjoyed looking at the fish, he would have stood there forever watching if we would of let him!!

Being this close to the sharks was a little creepy!!

You think that is a lot of pictures??? You should see all the ones I didn't post!!

On another afternoon the kids and I headed to the Parker Fair! It was sponsored by the Church and EVERYTHING was Free, you should all know by now how much I love "FREE"! They got their faces painted, we ate some tasty food, played some games and walked around looking at the booths! It was really well done, the only things that were kinda stinky, was that we got there pretty late in the day and it was a little too warm outside to be walking as far as we did! I know, I know it's not 115 degrees but it was like 95 degrees and we walked a really long way to and from the car!! We still had fun though!







I don't have pictures of all the other things we did so I will just list them for memory sake

• Went to the Library on Wheels (they load the books into this great RV and bring them into the neighborhood)

• I have had 2 amazing girls nights with the ladies in my ward! With another in the works!
  
• A birthday at one of the parks nearby
• Jimmy works on the yard on the weekends, his new love!!
• I have spent some spare time sewing some and working on my other projects
• Trips to Good Times (a place that sells burgers and frozen custard mmmmm!)

• Some family movie nights, where we rent a movie from our On Demand and make popcorn!
  

Then yesterday we found a spot and took family pictures, I just set up the tripod and the timer and just caught a few so we would have something for our Christmas card! Now, while you will have to wait to see the family picture here is one of the kids!



Love to You!

Another Shoot Under Wraps

Well I was fortunate enough to take pictures for not one, but two families Sunday afternoon. The McCalls and the Moss family. They were great to work with especially considering it was 106 DEGREES outside!! Wait isn't it still May, so why the crap is it so HOT already? I thought I would give them a little sneak peak at some of the fun shots we got! Thank you for letting me share in your family memories!! Oh and thanks for being such great looking subjects it makes my job easy!!