old hallows eve

Happy Halloween everyone! My little pirate and I are looking forward to some fun on the beach to celebrate. And we'll just see what else Port St. Lucie has to offer for Halloween... hopefully something involving candy I can sneak from Max's bag...

We are having a lovely time, but right now it's killing me that I am away from my so very festively decorated home and all of Max's costume adorned friends! We miss you and the trick or treating fun that must be going on without us. =(

p.s. I have discovered that the key to a happy and successful four hour flight with a one year old is just a weeeeeee bit of Children's Benadryl. =)

Don't judge me.

outta here. happy and sad.

We are leaving this week for the happiest place on earth (the one in Florida). I am so excited! I have been taking a few too many many pictures and working a little too much. I am REALLY looking forward to playing with this kid non stop!

and giving him lots of love and attention. 

ON THE OTHER HAND. I am really sad. really really sad. Because our best friends JUST got here!! And we only get to see them for about 36 hours.

they look like fun, don't they? =(

At least they're sleeping over so we get to soak up the fun for every possible second. But how sucky to leave  when they are still going to be here??! stupid schedules. 

I mean how do you kiss this face goodbye? I was really glad we got to take some pictures of him tonight. Talk about gorgous! I just wanted to eat him up every second today. 

And he loves me too. Of course. 

For some reason I love this shot of Max. I took it with the 17-55 f//2.8 lens I rented for the day and I am now convinced it needs to be at the top of my Christmas list. 

The wide angles are so fun. 

 I think he's saying, "take me to the beach. PLEEAAASE?"

okay. =)

sweet child of mine

Max is in such a fun stage right now I thought I would write a few things down about him. This kid is absolutely hilarious. He is constantly keeping us entertained these days! He loves to laugh. Recently, if we play a game or make him giggle somehow (even if it's just making eye contact, me spontaneously laughing and him laughing at me back), he likes to do it over and over. And once it winds down, he looks at me and does the sign for more. He just wants to laugh with us! He loves to read books and his favorites are the "piggy book" and curious george. Or "jiij" as he likes to say. Sometimes when we're in his room, he picks out a book and  slowly backs up to me and sits on my lap for me to read to him. It melts me. =) He loves to be chased. He loves his "nana blankie" (the circle quilt Mari made him) and loves to point at the picture of her on it and talk to her. He loves his NANA. period. =) He is a major daddy's boy and can't stand being separated from him! If Danny even goes outside without him, he is so upset. He is talking a bit more, making animal sounds and all that. He often says "baaa chuuu..." in a singsongy voice and we have no CLUE what it means, but it's cute anyway. He also says nana for Nana and banana, baa for ball and balloon, mama, daddy, deder for Heather, Boot for book and boots, a buch of other things. And he still signs for more, milk, and all done. He does a lot of pointing and grunting too, which is pretty cute. He also nods yes and no, which we really love. He is scared of cars (yes!) and doesn't like to be riding his little car in the driveway when one of our neighbors pull into the cul de sac. He is also afraid of the vacuum and just can't seem to get over the fear! Even though we have let him help us push it, if he isn't being held when its on, he can't take it. 

He is teething right now, the last of his canines are coming in. For Max, this means that he acts completely normal, but doesn't sleep well. So he will NOT go to bed at night. Just. WON'T. do it. SO for the last few nights he has stayed up until 11! The funny thing is that he is so happy. He wants to play and laugh and cuddle and read stories, but not sleep. No way. On top of it all, he has a little eye infection of some kind and has been getting bad eye goobers at night. 

A couple nights ago I got in the hot shower with him at almost midnight to help clear his eyes. He fell asleep in my arms and I just stared at him and held him close for the longest time. I can't believe how beautiful he is and how perfect each little feature is in my eyes. I couldn't ask for a sweeter boy and I can't imagine life without him. I can't believe that he has grown into a toddler and it kills me how quickly time is passing. Wasn't his first birthday just weeks ago? How can I have a TWO YEAR OLD in just another few months?? It isn't possible. 

And then, the thought of another. I guess it's probably about time to think about a sibling for my little guy, but how can I possibly love another the way I love him? There is just no room in my heart for anyone but him. When I think of every fun baby moment and stage, of course I want to experience it all over again. But with him. Can I just start over with the one I have?

Max, I love you. A million times over. You are my best little guy and mean the world to me! I only hope we are always as close as we are now and that I can be worthy of being your mama. THank you for your unconditional love and for the things you teach me and show me about yourself every day. Please stop getting so big. Okay? I can't wait for Florida next week and for December to come- that means no work for mommy, and lots of play time with you. You're my world

hey plauteau girls

Did you know Kirstin got hitched to the man of her dreams? 

Find out who over here.

a little project

So I have been feeling bad about the fact that I don't have a lot of religious art in my home. I know it is important, I would like to, but I need something that I think is beautiful and works in my home too. I know this is a very proud, un-christlike reason for not hanging religions things, but it's how I feel. I would love a carl bloch sketch or something, but for now I have decided to take some vintage pics of the temple to frame for my house, and maybe even sell on etsy or give as christmas gifts. We'll see how they turn out first though. =)

Here's just one I have so far from a shot I took at a wedding. 

last chance!

2008 MINI SESSION

one (maaaaybe two) spots left for the urban location pictured above.

besides all of these fantasic bright colors, there will be some beautiful natural brick and

rock locations to die for. e-mail me if you're interested, and hurry... it's this Saturday!

Did I mention it is supposed to be almost 70 degrees on Saturday? Talk about LUCKY!

missed it. again.

see this baby?

i ALMOST bought it. it sat waiting for me at the centerville D.I.  about a month ago. The problem is that is was $45, which for a crappy little old desk seemed like a lot at the time. Especially from D.I.! nothing bugs me more than the deserets getting all high and mighty on me- marking up old pyrex and milk glass to $10? please. 

Anyway, I passed. After a week, I kept thinking about it and decided to go back to see if it was still there. after all, it was the exact size I needed, and it would look so cute painted a pretty blue green or olive. to my disappointment, someone less indignant toward the d.i. jacked up price had snatched it up. bummer. 

Then I saw its twin a week later. At second hand chic. for $100. SERIOUSLY??!

feeling stupid now. 

I have been looking everywhere for this exact desk. Checking craigslist and ksl religiously. I had almost given up when I saw the above pic on KSL, posted just 7 hours ago for $15 !!!!! I called three times in an hour. 

She had already sold it. 

sob. 

So if you or your grandmother (the latter being the more likely) have this desk and want to get rid of it, or if you SEE this desk while out and about, you should contact me first. 

because the two of us are meant for eachother.

k. really if you have this desk and want to trade for a larger white one with a little crackle. call me or e-mail me or run as fast as you can to my house. I am dying. 

pumpkin patch (one of them anyway)

Last week we went to the pumpkin patch with Matt, Celeste Sawyer. We had so much fun, even though we didn't actually bring any pumpkins home from this one. It just isn't the same if you don't snatch it out of the field yourself like the one in farmington! We did have fun in the corn maze though!

Is that the sweetest thing you've ever seen or WHAT?

finding our way around...

Matt and Sawyer 

btw I obviously need to invest in a polarized filter. keep having reflection problems. sorry.

Max and Sawyer had fun weaving in and out of the little rows of corn...

he was having fun. obviously.

calling for the cows to come...

then maybe they were a bit scarier than he originally planned. I was dying when he grabbed onto Sawyer for protection! So sweet!

Sawyer loved all the animals. This cat pretty much made her day! 

Thanks Davises for the fun outing!

btw. notice there are no pics of me and celeste??! that's what you get for being the camera ladies. not cool.

my sister is the SHIIIIIIIIIZ!

This is my sister diving at a district qualifying meet. She made it! Did I mention she's been diving for all of a year and a half? and she only practices during the h.s. season. It sucks because there is nowhere within an hour of my house that has decent diving instruction outside of school programs. So enjoy my amazing sister Mackenzie, btw, the last dive is my favorite! 

livin it up with these folks.

{why is this one of my favorites? i don't know. it just is.}

I had way too much fun with my cousin in Oregon for it to have been a business trip! Rachel, Chad and Lily are the best. but of obviously they would be. they are MY family of course. I had tons of fun just hanging out between wedding shoots, walking around Willamete, eating all healthy (I am TOTALLY inspired. I lost two pounds  this week following the Rachel and Chad diet-  i.e. lots of veggies, sea food and whole weat, minus the french fries I have been consuming lately) and of course taking a few family shots!  oh and p.s. we entered a pie contest at the church using our grandma's F-A-M-O-U-S apple pie recipe. we WON. ok, we didn't. but we CLEAAAARLY should have. no seriously. the pie that won tasted like baked shiz. 

take a quick break to gaze at us cousins. do you think we look alike? we think we do.

then chad wanted to see how fast my camera could click, so i started moving all over like a crazy lady while he shot six frames per second. Needless to say, there are plenty more where these came from. don't worry, i will spare you.  

awesome. 

now on to a cute shot, intended to erase the previous picture from your memory. 

awwww.

hoooolyyyy eyes. and yes. they REALLY look like that. no photoshop involved.

well meynders-es, i love you. love your guts actually (which is the opposite of hating someone's guts). I had so much fun! somebody else please get married in oregon and let me be your photographer so I can come again!

the end.

I missed this face..

I had so much fun on my "business trip" to Oregon (I had fun acting like a little business woman!!) and hanging out with my adorabe cousin and her family, but I missed my boys SO much. I really love to travel but it just isn't the same without the men in my life! I was so happy to kiss their little faces off at the airport today! It feels great to be home. More to come on the trip soon. =)

Oregon, here I come! and other stuff.

Well, I'm off! Tomorrow I am hopping on a plane to Oregon to photograph a wedding. I am super excited because my cousin Rachel just moved there so I get to stay with her! yay!

I really vowed I would be better at updating the family blog, but I have been so busy getting ready for old hallow's eve and taking a whole lot of these:

check it.

Plus, I am offering MINI SESSIONS for Christmas cards etc. It's coming up but I still have a few spots available! here's the info. Contacted me if you're interested. Sorry the text came out so weird when I resized the flier!

happy halloween

love the newest, most disturbing member of the family, 

Casper the Friendly Ghost Doll

adopted from ABODE this week. 

yes, old. yes, DIRTY. posessed? maybe. 

but we love him. 

do you think he was originally white?

because this is what he looks like these days. 

yikes. 

happy birthday to my mom...

as you can see, she's always the life of the party anyway. 

thank you for being my mother, teacher, role model, my rock,

 my biggest cheerleader, 

my best friend. 

Happy number 48, gif. 

for those who missed it (and I probably hope you did)

Go HERE to watch a clip of my segment on studio 5 and get the addresses of the locations we discussed. Also, we ran out of time and get to the fifth location (the little boy with the red door) but it is on the website as well.

p.s. my voice sounds SO wierd. I have like, a LISP.

and yes. unfortunately, I am that big of a dork in real life. haha!

only I'm not kidding.

he is obsessed

with stairs. this is nothing new.

but today I heard him giggling to himself

and I took a peak.

apparently, stairs are a good place for resting,

and considering how many trips he makes

up and down, I can understand. 

silly baby. 

i love you.