September....GO DUCKS!!

Now that I have committed to ending my blog, I'm scrambling to include everything I didn't keep up on, before I print it. So.... In September our good friends the Asper's came to town to see Neal's brother play in the Oregon Ducks and Wildcat's game. They were able to get seats for Noah and Jared, and we were able to spend some time with them on their whirlwind trip. I sure miss this family.

The boys of course had a great time. Noah was very impressed by Marks size. He also thought it was funny that while they were all hanging out after the game Mark randomly asked if they wanted some donuts-Noah thought he was joking-and was shocked that within minutes he reappeared with a box full of donuts. WOW!!!! He is amazing!!!! :) There was a neat write up about him in one of the programs. Not many college athletes put their athletics on hold to serve a mission, are married with children, and carry themselves with the level of honor and integrity that Mark does. He's a great example.

Favorite Images of The Past Few Months

In early October my cousin Emily was married. I had so much fun shooting her wedding. This is my favorite picture of she and her husband dancing their first dance.

So this has been my creative outlet since August. I've shot two weddings about 10 Seniors, 3 or 4 newborn babies and a dozen or so families. These images are a few out of the gazillion I have taken in the past few months.

I loved the maternity shoot. I had a vision and I was actually able to materialize it. It was fun taking my family the week before up to Mt. Lemmon before sunrise to the place I was hoping to shoot at to check the light. We found so many caterpillars that morning. It was really fun to drive up again the next week, meet my client and have a shoot at just the right place and just the right time. I love to share beautiful moments with my family and then get to share them with others too.

I love capturing love. I always hope to capture even just a little bit of what people are feeling for one another and the moment. It's super fun to shoot engagement pictures. David and Laura were awesome. They had never been to Madera Canyon, so it was fun introducing them to it. I wanted to create a playful moment to get them laughing, so towards the end of our shoot I had them play in the water. David wasn't that keen on getting wet...but Laura was all over it. The results-were just as I hoped. A few months later I shot their bridals and wedding day pictures. As the light faded on the temple grounds Laura really wanted to climb trees in her wedding dress and take pictures. I'm pretty adventurous but I wasn't about to have her ruin her dress or get injured the night before her wedding. She also liked the light poles, which all but one were not on. I don't think flash lighting,(at least mine is very pretty) so when we spotted the one light pole that was on I got an idea, and I really liked the way it turned out.

Seniors are so fun to shoot-when they like getting their picture taken. I have lots of senior images that I like but the ones in this post are the ones that really make me smile. Both were shot downtown. It's funny everyone wants their pictures to be unique, yet they all want there pictures to be shot at the same place. Everyone wanted urban downtown this year. I shot at Sabino Canyon, Madera Canyon and lots at Sanctuary Cove, down the road from my house. It's hard not to use the same poses-but at the same time it's neat that each shoot still turned out pretty unique to the person's personality.

I photographed a lot of new families this year. I also got to shoot and am still scheduled to shoot lots of families I have shot before-some that I have photographed for years now, beginning with their engagements. That is really fun. I love having established close meaningful relationships. I love getting to shoot a couples engagement, wedding, maternity, first baby, second baby etc...and holiday family pictures in between. They become a kind of extended family.

I love photography for the creative and social outlets. I like that I can fit it in around my own life and priorities. Sometimes I feel discouraged, that I can't keep up with the equipment, software, and trends, and that my work is pretty sucky compared with....(fill in the blank with a million amazing photographers). But then I apply my general approach to life to the above...I can only be me-I can only offer what I have. I'm not the best, won't ever be the best, but I can be happy and keep plugging along. Jared helps me to keep plugging along. Whenever I want to shut the door, he reminds me it's not necessary. Only a Sith speaks in absolutes.... I sure love that man. He has always helped me to reach higher, and has picked me up and assured me I could do things when I was sure I could not. He believes in me. He reassures me I'm sane when I think I'm going crazy. He tells me I'm an awesome mom and if I yelled at the kids it's because they deserved it. In his eyes I can do anything. That's pretty special. Recently my aunt posted on Facebook that I needed to expand my horizons, start making a real difference in the world. I wasn't offended in the least. But Jared sure was. I know who I wanted to be when I was a teenager, and the life I was willing to have in hopes of making the world a better place. I also know how wrong I was and how gently and lovingly my Father in Heaven led me to the place I am now that has brought me more happiness I ever knew or considered existed. Jared makes me feel like that same girl who wanted to devote her life to saving the world, but as the woman who devotes her time to her family. I didn't think my honor needed defending, but it was nice that he defended it so passionately.

With our 15th anniversary coming up and all this talk about love and support I am reminded of how it all began....The first time I saw him, my heart lept, like I had been electrocuted and I slammed the door shut and leaned against it to catch my breath. I remember he was baffled when my car broke down and I didn't call him...I could fix it myself, so why would I call him. The first time he told me he loved me and I rebuked him with suspicion. The first time he talked of marriage I replied the concept was a good one for those who were ready. I remember his reply when I was trying to figure out whether or not to major in something that would be high earning vs. something I felt passionate about. Why would I worry about earning money to financially support my future family-that would be his job. I remember how he shopped for me before I went to Europe for a month, how he would help me do the dishes, and go for long walks in Sabino Canyon when I had had a hard day at work and school. How he was so kind to the homeless man we encountered downtown. The way he listened to him, the way he treated him like an friend. He took me on new adventures, rock climbing, spelunking, jacuzzi hopping. He was the most fun I had ever had. He was always so persistent, and confident. He scared me to death, yet was the only person in the world that had ever made me feel so safe. He doesn't scare me anymore, but sometimes I fear that I have grown weak in my dependence on him. He says he's glad that I need him. I love him. I love our family that we have created together. I love growing old...um older...with him.

Hannah turns 11!

Oh Hannah! I love my girl! I love that she's courageous. I love that she is strong. I love that she is smart. I love that she is kind and wonderful with little children and babies. I love that she is a natural artist. I love her determination. I love her laugh. I love her honesty. I love that she loves doing her nails, and catching lizards and butterfly's. She is only eleven but seems so much older sometimes. It's hard in ways. She's always learned and grown by leaps and bounds. In that process I feel like we have skipped through years. I realize how fast the last eleven years sped by and in the next she will have become a woman. No point in shedding tears over that right now. sniff sniff. I am proud of the girl she is and am in awe of the woman I know she will become. It is a privilege to be her mother.

More October Fun!

Truth be told...I hate Halloween. I am a Halloween hater. BUT...I try. So this year, Hannah really wanted to be Elfeba from the play Wicked and she wanted Bradeigh to be her flying monkey. Super cute idea. Well...Hannah wasn't so thrilled with her transformation, and the paint kept rubbing off. She did not like being green, and she liked being partially green even less. It was really hot at our wards Halloween party so she literally began melting. Poor girl. To top it off this was the night the flu hit her, so she was beginning to feel the first effects at the party. Bradeigh was so hot and tired she found a place on some cool grass and just laid down. Noah had an awesome time as a Wolf Ninja climbing dirt mounds, and collecting candy.

The actual day of Halloween went much better. Hannah dawned a cute bat shirt, sprayed herself down with glitter, and threw on B's monkey wings for bat wings and called it good. B had black kitten ears on and a cute black and orange pettiskirt, Noah was happy being a wolf ninja. We caught up with friends spent the evening tricker treating, which Bradeigh thoroughly enjoyed. Glad it's over. I hate Halloween.

October!

Catch Up, and The End Of An Era

This is it, my last blog post. Maybe in another season I will pick it back up, but for now it's time to finish, print and be done.

Noteworthy items since...August.

Jared is enjoying his new position in Interventional Pain Management. He completed a Sprint Triathlon. He is out riding a 25 mile bike ride with the Deacons as I type this. We received notice that he failed his PANRE recertification exam which meant he had one more chance to pass it in December and if he didn't he would lose his license to practice. That was really stressful. As I looked at his test scores I was completely bewildered. He didn't just fail by a small margin he completely tanked the exam. I knew he got test anxiety...but good wow. Was I just completely delusional about my husbands brilliance? How could I plan for him being out of work? How could I be supportive but not a nag making him feel worse..."So...going to study tonight?"... I kept reflecting during this time on a little prayer I had said over the summer. I felt I had become to complacent and a little ungrateful for my blessings. I was beginning to feel like I wanted more-a bigger home, nicer furniture, more vacations. I was getting disgusted with myself but that wasn't really changing my attitude. So I said a prayer that I would regain my appreciation and gratitude for all I had been blessed with. You have to pause for a minute after saying a prayer like that...Did I really want to be taught a lesson in gratitude-couldn't I just be grateful? Well, nothing like realizing you could quite possibly lose it all within a few months, right before having a baby to snap your gratitude back in place. So, about a month ago Jared receives an email from the PA Board, and calls me from work. He reads the e-mail which explains there had been some computer malfunction and his test had been reevaluated and he had indeed passed. (With flying colors, I might add.) That was an emotional phone call. His prayers had been answered! Mine too...

So alls well that ends well :).

The kids are doing awesome in school. Hannah is excelling at Basis. It's fun to watch her see what she is capable of. The other night when she was going over her science notes with me, she paused and looked up with this big grin and said, "Wow, I sound so smart." I laughed and said, Hannah you are smart. She has been teaching Noah Latin, and has just about memorized the location of every country in the world. She likes beating the pants off me in our speed geography app. She missed straight A's by one mark last quarter, and is feeling determined to get all A's this one. She helped start a jump rope club at school and it's pretty cute to watch her teach and work with the other girls. She is kind and patient and most often has a very happy demeanor. She's an amazing big sister to Bradeigh. There is nothing more wonderful than to watch your children sincerely love one another. I remember fantasizing when I was pregnant with Bradeigh how the baby would just light up when her brother and sister got home-it's fun to see that materialize. Hannah and Noah adore one another and drive one another crazy. I hope the adoration will win out over the driving one another crazy. They really wanted to share rooms once the baby was here-so that's a good sign. If Hannah can tone down the bossiness and Noah will stop revealing the end of stories I think they will do just fine. But sorry-we are going to have one boy room and one girl room. Noah will have to deal with a toddler getting into his stuff. It will be a good growing experience.

Noah is getting straight A's in school. He has Hannah's teacher Mrs. Murphy from last year who is pretty much a rock star in our family. He was nervous going in because while Mrs. Murphy was an awesome teacher Hannah warned that she wouldn't let Noah get away with not turning in his best. He loves Greek and Roman history and mythology thanks to the author Rick Riordan. I had to threaten taking the books away if he didn't start reading other genre's too. He began reading Gary Paulson books-and has enjoyed them alot. He would like a hatchet for Christmas. He is just about finished with the Hobbit now and has thoroughly enjoyed that. It's fun to have him get so excited about what he's reading that he has to stop and tell me all about it. He enjoys piano and despite not practicing as much as he should he gets gold stars on all of his songs-which is great and annoying at the same time. His best friend is Brigham Mortenson. Everyday after school as soon as he gets in the door, I hear,"Can I call call Brigham to play?" or "Mom, Brigham is going to call to see if I can come over to play." Oh , I also hear, "What do we have to eat? I'm hungry." "What's for dinner tonight?" followed by either a "Ugh...."or "Yes!" Noah loves my pregnancy. He loves to pat my belly and wants to know everyday how much the baby has been moving. It's neat to see glimpses of what your boy will be like as a man. He will adore his wife, and make her feel very special when she is expecting. BUT WAIT! I don't want to think about that now. I just want to enjoy his cute nine year old self.

Miss B. Miss B is the most affectionate of all my babies and they have all been very affectionate. She loves her cuddles and demands very specifically how she wants to be cuddled. She still sucks her thumb and has recently decided she prefers a diaper to the toilet. That was a hard one. Hannah was mortified when I put her back in diapers. I found notes all over the house exclaiming her disapproval. DO NOT PUT BRADEIGH BACK IN DIAPERS! But she has since seen the light as Bradeigh now has regular bowel movements again and I am in a much happier disposition. Bradeigh loves books. I was beginning to wonder after being so engaged with the i-pad if traditional books would hold her interest. But yes, finding Spot in the basket at the end of the book, wishing a goodnight to the moon, and counting all that the very hungry caterpillar has eaten and the drama of little lamb being lost and found is still as exciting as ever. She also loves to sing. I Am A Child Of God, ABC's and Popcorn popping are her favorites. Her favorite color is yellow. She loves to draw circles, counts to twenty knows her colors, prefers chocolate but loves all candy. She has an amazing collection of shoes and outfits thanks to my good friend Truc who has passed down her little girls clothes down to Bradeigh. Hannah and I have alot of fun dressing her up and wishing we had as a fashionable wardrobe. Bradeigh has a very funny swagger, saunter, catwalk that she displays when she is feeling in charge of a situation. Like feeding the dog or returning from a mission. She shakes her hips with so much purpose as she walks. She is ultra feminine. She is my first child to be scared of bugs-and while she loves puppies and kittens she most certainly does not care for farm animals, or reptiles. The zoo doesn't hold that much interest for her either. After the cockatoo incident she doesn't care for exotic birds either. She loves having her nails done and since Hannah has a love for doing nails it's not uncommon for Bradeigh to have hot pink nails with black stripes and rhinestones adorning her fingers.

Baby Boy. Is growing and moving. I can't believe he will be here in just a couple of months. I still can't quite wrap my mind around it. We are going to have 4 children.

I love being a mom. I love this season in my life. My weeks consist of laundry, cleaning, shopping, cooking, driving, cub scouts, being a study partner, play dates, and taking lots and lots of pictures. Weddings, pregnancies, babies, young families, older families, seniors. Lots and lots of pictures. It's been fun to get to know so many families. It's been fun to earn extra spending money(I bought that mirrored art deco accent table), and of course it's fun to get positive feedback and provide a service that will be appreciated for a long time. I keep telling Jared after December no more for awhile...he says just take it job by job, opportunity by opportunity. I guess that's pretty good advice. We will see. Hannah likes coming with me to shoots and being my assistant. I love spending that time with her. She looks at my newborn pictures and says, "You have the best job in the whole world-you get to cuddle and take pictures of babies all the time." Funny, I never thought of it as a job before-just something I enjoy doing that people are willing to pay me for. At some point I may decide to take it more seriously but for now-I feel grateful for how things are. Simple. Now for the arduous task of loading up pictures from the past few months and getting this blog ready for print.