Laren, Kristin & Halle Christmas Shoot

Today was a perfect day for photos. The fog was high enough off the ground to give a nice light and really made everything stand out. We went to my mom's property for the shoot, it's such a perfect spot for portraits. There are just so many spots around the property for nice photos. It was a difficult shoot as 2 year olds just don't like to pose for photos, but I think we got some good ones. You don't want a perfect shot anyways, you want what it was really like with your child to remember the day and remember just how difficult that stage of their life was. I'm so glad that Laren came out and joined us for pictures, it will be something special for Halle to look back on in later years.

Kristin & Halle

At the begining of August I had the opportunity of going out with Kristin and Halle. We visited Ester Short Park and the Columbia River. They were both a joy - but what a photogenic mother and daughter! Halle was a little shy at first, but ends up looking like quite the ham in front of the camera. It is such a joy going out with mothers and daughters, and I think it really shows through with these two.

Summer Road Trip 2007

Each year my mom and I have taken a road trip, just the two of us, since we lost my stepdad. We always had road trips as kids growing up, but now they have taken on a whole new meaning. This year it was particularly hard for me to leave my new husband for a week, but the trip was great - and I came home with a great present. We started out our trip headed down I-5 to my Aunts in Golden Valley, AZ. We stayed the Labor Day weekend there and then headed to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. From there we headed to Page, AZ for the night. Then we went through Utah and worked our way to Natural Bridges via a highway with 3 miles of unimproved road, switch backing up the side of a very vertical rock formation from a valley floor. (Scary!) We went on to Provo from there to refill a Rx of mine and then up towards Yellowstone. We made it just at dark. There is nothing like driving Yellowstone at dark. We seem to do it every year. Well, most times it’s uneventful, eerie with the smoking ground in the dark, but uneventful. Not so much this year. We encountered a heard of bison crossing the road. Luckily I saw their eyes reflecting just before they started to cross, but I was impatient. We had to make it to the lodges before too much longer to hopefully get a room in their "full up for the night" park. We did make it, and we got the LAST room. It was in their new snow lodge - very nice. Unfortunately, our room was right above the kitchen...and the "walls" were very thin. So we had a lot of noise until about midnight and then it started up about 5 am. But I was so exhausted; it didn't effect me at all, just my poor mom. The next day we drove through the park - it was the busiest we've ever seen it. Usually we go on vacation the first two weeks of September because it's so quiet in the parks - not this year. So we didn't opt to stay the night again, nor to spend much time in the park. We were lucky enough this year to see more than bison, there were a few coyote's out and about...and people were basically walking just a few feet from them and taking pictures. Pretty tame. Still no bear. Although they were reported in the park, a mama and her 2 cubs. After that we went to Missoula, MT and stayed the night in a very seedy little hotel. The town was booked up for a big home football game the next day. We left the next morning ASAP without showers. That's how worried we were. We hit-up a few quilt shops - but they are pretty much a let down in Missoula. All 5 of them. From there we headed to Spokane and then Reardon - Buggy Barn. If you are a quilter, you know that the Buggy Barn is one of THE quilt places to visit. It was the cutest little shop. We can't wait to visit again. From there we headed West on 90 toward Moses Lake where we spent the night. The next morning found us traveling south on 82 towards Yakima and then West again on 12 towards I-5 right past Mt. Rainer. It was beautiful. Unfortunately I was pretty tired and sick that day. Thankfully mom did most of the driving. After my craving for a McDonald’s cheeseburger was fulfilled we set out for our final leg home. Here are a few of the photos from the trip.

Sarah and Girls

A few weeks ago I went out with a friend and her little passel of girls. Iris, Stella and the new twins. It's hard shooting photos of new babies - there isn't as muh animation, as say a 5-year-old. But the pictures still turned out beautifully. Thank you, Sarah for the opportunity!