Blissful

We've Moved...

2012-01-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

As if you didn't already know that. But, if you did miss it, we moved to Bonney Lake at the end of July. We're finally starting to feel like this is our house now. Our new house is a split level and has the perfect layout for our family and a huge yard for the kids and Bella to run in.

We originally thought we'd just be doing new paint, flooring upstairs and down and a new fireplace surround. What we found when we got in was a little different story and we ended up with a pretty new kitchen too. We've been in the house now for just over 6 months and although we still have some work today, we're pretty proud of the progress we've made and feel like our house is really starting to speak to who we are as a family.

We thought we'd share a couple of before and after shots...which are probably more like before and in progress. Let's be honest, I'll probably change it all around in a couple of months!

Another school year begins

2011-09-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of 1st grade. It was definitely much easier than last year, not as much stress or anxiety from any of us. I will admit though being in a new school this year did make me a little nervous. So, yes, I followed the bus to school again this year. Not because I worried that the bus driver would crash with her on it, but what if when they got there, she didn't know where to go and she wandered around aimlessly and got lost. I know, I know...it really does sound ridiculous now, but before this I had never heard it out loud! Anyhow, she made it just fine and had a great day. She made a couple of friends today and even got to be the classroom helper, which to her was pretty special. I didn't have the heart to tell her it's because her name starts with an A. I'll let her have her moment.

I will tell him

2011-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

When he is older I will tell him about his childhood.
I will tell him about his family history.
I will tell him about his grandpas, the kindest, most loving and funniest people Steve and I knew.
I will tell him the feelings i had about him one sunday morning.
I will tell him how great it was to watch him. Just watch him.

Somehow I think he already knows all this and it will be my privilege to remind him.

Big Sister

2011-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

She is so proud to be a big sister.
I love watching her nurture.
She's good at it.
She's also good at poking, and teasing, and bugging.
But she's best at loving.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

So, let's just say that I've taken a little 9 month sabbatical from blogging, but I'm back and feeling a little refreshed. We're going to ease back into this thing slowly though...just so I don't get overwhelmed.

We started out this weekend with no real plans besides spending some time as a family before the school year begins and life gets crazy. We've managed to keep ourselves plenty busy though. Yesterday I went to the farmers market in the morning and then we all drove up to Carbon River at the base of Mt Rainier. My camera died as soon as we got out there though so I have no pictures to prove it!

Today we drove to Vashon Island and spent the day sightseeing, throwing rocks in the water and just relaxing as a family. Here are some pictures of our day.

Yep, he's wet. He went running straight out into the water and fell in.

More pictures of the last 9 months and before and afters of the house coming soon.

Just One Resolution

2011-01-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

I think the best thing about New Years Day is the excitement of starting over…it’s a new year…time to change bad habits and find new ways to better your life.

This year, I put together a short list of things that I’m going to change, but I’m really going to focus my everything on just one resolution.

I’m just going to devote myself to one single goal: instead of holding so tightly to the way I think things should happen or worrying what might happen or trying to plan every single detail, I’ll instead spend my time more deeply experiencing how they DO happen.

This year, I want to relax my tight little fist a bit and just feel the moments of my life more fully. Of course, I’ll still work toward my goals and hope for my desired outcomes, but I resolve to spend less time fretting about the what ifs and more time enjoying the moments that unfold.

I’m going to love more … eat more … drink more … bake more … laugh more…take more photos…buy more flowers … buy a fabulous dress … observe more details…and stand tall.

What are you going to do?

2011-01-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

Good-bye 2010.

We had a lot of great memories with you, but can't wait to make many more new ones in 2011.

Man, How Time Flies

2010-11-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, a lot of time has past since my last blog entry. I'm not sure where the last month and a half has gone. Actually I am...it's been filled with work, party planning, birthday parties, Halloween parties, kindergarten field trips, new jobs, art trainings and every day life I guess. I'll get to those updates some day, but for now, we'll focus on my little man.

We celebrated a birthday this week. He's 1! Oh my, I can't believe how fast this year has gone. He has put me on a different path as a mother...he has taught me to let go...and enjoy the ride. A favorite thing I love about him...the way he shakes his head with me when I tell him no. I'm going to be in so much trouble! I love this sweet boy with all my heart.

Here are some pictures from his Halloween Birthday Party.

And here are some from today (his actual birthday) at the zoo.

Chubba Bubba

2010-09-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today I realized it's been far too long since I've photographed my baby, affectionately known as
Chubba Bubba
Chubsa Bubsa
Chubsa
Bubsa
Bubsy
Bubba
Chunker Monkers
Punky Pie
and occasionally, Tooter Rooter.

A New Chapter...

2010-09-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Summer is over!

(Sob).

This morning I sent Addie off to school for the first time. (Sob, Sob) She was excited...and a little nervous.

For me, the tears started last night. There were tears of fear, uncertainty and sadness (even though I had to tell Addisyn that I was just really happy for her). I'm sure I'm not the first parent to feel this way, but I was completely caught of guard by how emotional I really was. I worried that she might forget to get off the bus, or that she would get off the bus at the wrong place, or that she would get off the bus at the right place, but then get lost. I worried that she might not have someone to sit by on the bus or that someone might be mean to her and not want her to sit by them. That she might not make friends at school or that she would make friends, but that we wouldn't approve (still I worry...not sure that will ever go away). I worried that the teacher wouldn't like her or that with 23 kids in her class she wouldn't get the attention she needed. I worried about her lunch...would her milk stay cold? Would it freeze if I put an ice pack in with it? (To be safe, I put the ice pack in it and also gave her milk money in case it was frozen!) I worried about everything I could possibly worried about and even about the stuff that I didn't know about. What don't I know that I should know?

At breakfast this morning, I asked her how she was feeling. She said she was really excited to meet new friends and swing on the swings, but a little nervous about riding the bus. She didn't know what it was going to be like riding with the big kids. I of course played my role as a mother and reassured her that it was going to be a lot of fun and she was going to love it.

So as we walked to the bus stop, I did my best. I tried to hide my tears behind the lens of my camera as best as I could as she got on the school bus. I think I did a pretty good job, at least until the bus pulled away with my baby girl on it.

The three of us loaded up in the car and followed the bus to the school. Yes, that's right, we followed the school bus. It was her first day and all! We actually beat the bus to the school so we got to see her get off the bus and experience the coordinated chaos that is the first day of kindergarten. There were helpers everywhere making sure all of the kindergarteners knew where they were headed as the "big" kids zoomed past them in a hurry...and all of the kindergarten parents standing around taking pictures of our kids, wondering if we should stay to "help out", secretly sizing up each of the other kids and wondering who will be our kid's newest friends and sizing up the other parents to see who might be our newest friends. (Maybe that was just me.)

Now, my house is quiet, Holden is sleeping and I have a few hours to myself, and I feel a tiny bit lost, but I am sure I will get back into the swing of things. My first thought was I should take a nap. Then I thought, “NO, I HAVE TO BLOG.”

Thank you for hanging in there with me – I know this year has been a little light in the blog department. I just couldn’t bring myself to spend much time on the computer when I got home from work. It's been a tough transition with a baby, a 5 year old and a full time job on a big project that was so time consuming. When I did have some down time, I really wanted to focus on my family and not be isolated upstairs on the laptop.

But now I am back, in some new version of normal. I say new version because I feel a little bit like I went through a revision this year. A reboot. Wish me luck with that!

There are so many sessions to share, so many personal stories to tell and images to edit – I guess I will start with some images from today.

I can't wait to hear about her day!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T21:35:00.001-08:00

Baby Style

2010-02-12T16:50:00.001-08:00

Actually, he's the cutest little accessory ever.

I wish I could freeze time and keep him on my hip forever.

Determined

2010-02-03T21:23:00.001-08:00

No matter how much his dad and I try, this little man is determined to suck his thumb. He seems to be telling us "go ahead, try and stop me!"

Bubs

2010-02-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

We call the boy Bubs. He started out as our little Chubabuba, which worked it's way into Buba. I guess we're a little lazy though because the "a" must have gotten to hard to say. Now he's just our Bubs.

Tell me you don't want to sink your teeth into those inner thighs! I love the creases, rolls, elastic-band wrists, droopy jowls...

I hope he'll always be our little Bubs!

Just me and Bubs

2010-02-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

One in school.

And one hanging out with me. snuggling, laughing, and hamming it up.

He melts my heart. Man, i love him.

My little girl...

2010-02-02T20:25:00.001-08:00

is not so little anymore. It makes me so happy, yet it makes me so sad all at the same time. Here's her today...

Home Movies...

2010-01-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

Just some videos of the kids.

Holden talks too...

Addisyn reading her book...

Addisyn singing to Holden...

Hello World, Meet Miss Olivia

2010-01-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

Miss Olivia is my newest little neighbor. She's 11 days old today and man what a little cutie! I've gotten to see and hold her a couple times, but today was extra special because I had the opportunity have her first (of many I'm guessing!) photo shoot.

Mom, Dad,
Here's a sneak peak of our time today. Thanks so much for letting me come over.

Big Brother,
Thanks for being such a super helper! You're the best!

Welcome to the world little Olivia. Thanks for being such a great subject for me.

Holden...just because I can

2010-01-18T19:30:00.001-08:00

Sibling Love...

2010-01-18T19:28:00.001-08:00

He loves his big sister and she loves him...

Holden's Bath Time

2010-01-16T09:11:00.001-08:00

Yeah I'm just a couple months late at getting these posted, but I figure better late than never. I'm working to get myself caught up. Give me an A for effort. :)

Just another bath...

Delacruz Waiting Session

2010-01-16T08:45:00.001-08:00

I can't believe this is baby #3. You look amazing! Thanks for letting me be part of this amazing time again! I can't wait to meet little Miss Ashlynn!

And just because she's so darn cute...

Some of my favorite people

2010-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

I love you guys!

Holden at One Week

2009-11-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

Tired and short on words but thought I would post a couple of pictures before I'm off to bed...

Grateful for this Village

2009-11-13T21:42:00.001-08:00

I've heard it said time and time again...

It takes a village to raise a child.

And I also believe it takes a village to help a mother find her bearings after having a child.

Blame it on hormones or whatever but today I'm feeling excessively weepy/emotional/grateful for all the people creating my village--this growing group that has supported and continues to support me over the years.

Thank you for being part of this village for me. I appreciate all of the love you have given me here. It makes me happy. So thank you--so much.

I look forward to the time when i can be a giver instead of a receiver. Hopefully soon.

And with that...finally...baby photos which are sure to be plentiful in the days ahead. Can't help it!

Here's the little man's first birthday as documented by Aunt Nikki.

Thanks Nik...these are exactly what I was hoping for.

Belly Shots

2009-11-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

Rarely do I pull out the camera for a self-portrait. probably because I can't figure out how to smile normally when i'm the one in the picture! I usually end up looking extremely awkward, but I decided I needed to do this basically for 3 people. If you'd like to hear why, by all means go ahead and read on.

1) Baby Boy these belly shots are for you. because I am horribly lame at taking pictures of myself while pregnant, these may be your only ones on record. Sadly, I only have one picture with Addisyn in my belly and it was taken right before we walked out the door on the way to the hospital. So little buddy, know that I do love you. and don't hate me because I will probably tuck away pregnancy memories back in the far corner of my mind.

2) Mom, this is for you. because I love you but more importantly I want you to stop asking if I've taken any pictures of my belly yet. I do appreciate your gentle reminders though. You are right, as usual, I would have regretted not capturing this huge belly!

3) And lastly to myself, girl, this one is for you. to remember how great being pregnant really was and to remind you (after some time has passed obviously) that the last few weeks of this pregnancy really weren't that bad. Somehow on this day, you managed to smile and even put your own socks on!

Thanks for spending the morning with me Rachel and for taking my belly shots. I obviously couldn't have done this without you!

And with that, i'll wrap this post up. because it pretty much is, in the words of simon cowell, indulgent nonsense.

Nest Fest - Addisyn's Room

2009-11-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

These have been a work in progress for a couple of months and I would say will probably be a work in progress until I'm off maternity leave, but I wanted to share all the hard work that Steve's been up too. He's been so patient with me!

I forgot to take before pictures of Addisyn's room, but it used to be a yellow spare room with a queen bed. And now...

Halloween

2009-11-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween this year even though Holden refused to make his appearance. Here's some pics from our festive holiday.

Our pumpkins...

Our treats...

Our costumes...

And of course, Addie's loot...

The Month of September...

2009-11-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

…just flew right by. Wow, really? I can't believe that September 7th was my last blog post! So I’m now almost two months behind, but I’m going to plead that I’ve been a little busy multiplying. I’m finally starting to get caught up. Here’s our (long) month in review.

Addisyn Started School
She started Junior Kindergarten at the beginning of September and is loving it. She really likes her teacher and has made some good friends that she really enjoys playing Kitty with. (Oh to be 4 again!) Here are some pictures of her first day of school.

And what first day would be complete without a trip to Dairy Queen afterwards…maybe this was more for me than for her…I’m not telling.

Dance, Dance, Dance
Addisyn also started dance class. She’s taking Ballet and Tap. She really likes it. It’s so cute to see how hard she works at getting the moves exactly right. My little perfectionist.

Family Time
Oh how I miss the warm weather already! Looking back at these pictures makes me wonder how I could wish it away so easily. We had such a fun time with my family. What’s not to love, family, barbeque, crocket, slip and slide, campfire, s’mores…

Do the Puyallup
Of course we had to do the Puyallup! Addisyn went for the rides! She was way braver than we thought she was going to be this year. She loved the roller coasters and even made Steve take her through the haunted house. Although for the record, I’m not sure she really enjoyed that one.

Steve went for the games...

and I went solely for the Elephant Ear (and assorted other goodies)! .

Peloli Family

2009-09-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I had the priveledge of meeting the Peloli family. They actually won a session with me at an auction for my neice's school. They were such a fun family and the lighting was more than ideal to shoot in. We met up at the beach at Pt Defiance Park and played for a couple of hours!

Allison,

Thank you so much for introducing me to your family and for allowing me to spend a couple of hours with you all. You'll have to let me know who wins the ice cream!

Below are a couple of my favorites from the day. You can view the rest of your images at blissfulphotography.

It's beginning already

2009-08-17T21:02:00.001-07:00

That's right...it's already begun. Poor Steve! He's being such a great sport about his ever growing list. Pictures are coming soon!

Keep Mya in your thoughts

2009-08-07T19:52:00.001-07:00

Taken in Sept 2008

My little friend Mya needs your thoughts and prayers! Mya's been a little client of mine since before she was born when I photographed her Mama's bump. Shortly after she was born, I had the opportunity to photographer her again. I love her little red head!

Mya was born with a heart murmur. She's a strong little girl though and just celebrated her first birthday last week. On Monday, Mya went in for a routine heart surgery to fix her murmur. Nothing has ended up being routine about it though. Rob and Julie, her parents (friends, co-workers and past clients) are now dealing with a stress and fear that no parent should every have to experience.

Maya is now in recovery in the ICU after going into cardiac arrest twice. Her surgery was successful, but she's still got a long road ahead of her. This little girl and her parents needs your thoughts, prayers, good vibes...whatever you can send her way.

You can read more about Mya at

http://rjtiegs.blogspot.com

Manzanita, Oregon Coast

2009-07-08T19:38:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks back we spent a few days on the Oregon Coast. All I can say is we L.O.V.E. the beach!

Not feeling very creative today so I'm just going to post a bunch of pictures.

One of my favorites...boy was she fun that day!

It's a...

2009-06-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

I don't want to have a hole...

2009-06-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

So this today was the day that Addisyn got her front tooth pulled. To give you some background, a year or so ago we were at Emerald Downs and she was standing on the back of a bench. Well, of course she fell off and chipped her two front teeth when her mouth hit the back of the bench. A couple of days later we finally got an appointment with the dentist and he said everything looked good and they should be fine...they'd just fall out when they were ready.

Fast forward to a month ago. At her check up/cleaning apparently all wasn't fine. Her tooth had gotten an infection that was headed up to her gums. Our choices: pull it or have a root canal on her baby tooth.

It seems obvious that the choice would be to pull it, but in my emotional state, I started crying and thinking about the fact that she could be toothless for 3-4 years until her big tooth finally grew in. Steve, being the voice of reason, convinced me that this really wasn't a big deal and that the only logical choice was to have it pulled.

So, this morning at 5:45am, we left the house for her appointment. Yes, that's right 5:45AM!! I can't remember the last time I've been up that early and I'm pretty sure Addisyn's never been up at that time in her life. The poor kid was up 3 hours before she normally rolls out of bed! Anyhow, we made it to her appointment and she was a trooper. She was actually excited to have it pulled. I on the other hand, was a total wreck. I'm crying in the waiting room. The only thing that made me feel better was that there was another mom in there doing the same thing. (We must all be a little crazy!) So with in 10 minutes of her heading back to the room the door opens and the doctor says she's done and in recovery if I want to come see her.

The medicine they gave her made her a little sick but other than that they said everything went really well!

In the car on the way home she starts playing with the new hole in her mouth. All of the sudden she starts crying. Not a hurt cry, but a sad cry.

Me: Addie, what's wrong?

Addisyn: (crying) I have a hole in my mouth!

Me: Yes honey, that's what happens when they pull a tooth out of your mouth.

For the past month or so we've been talking about what was going to happen and that the dentist was going to pull her tooth. Well, I guess the part I failed to mention was that when they pull the tooth she's going to have a hole there.

Anyhow, here's a couple pictures of her new smile...

Twice the Fun

2009-06-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity meet up with these two little cuties again last month. Yes, that's right LAST month and I'm just now getting around to publishing everything. I'm going to blame some of it on technical difficulties but really the rest is going to be blamed on the fact that I'm multiplying. :)

Valerie,

Thanks for being so patient with me. I had a great time and absolutely love the kiddos!

It's Officially Official!

2009-04-22T12:26:00.001-07:00

We’re going to have another baby! We found out in February, but for the most part have been keeping it or at least trying to keep it on the down low until we hit that Twelve week mark. And now, yeay!!! We don’t have to keep our secret anymore.

It’s been a hard secret to keep…for some of us more than others (Addisyn)! She’s been telling everyone. In fact she told me that she told her friend Savannah the other day at Preschool. Apparently Savannah said “That’s very excited!” How funny is that!

In her defense though, she has been asking us if she could have a baby…a REAL one that cries…for almost 2 years now. So this really is a big deal for her. She’s super excited to be a big sister. I bought her a shirt that says “Big Sister’s Rock” that she could wear when the baby is born (in November mind you) and she’s already worn it 3 times. She asks me almost daily if I fed the baby today and is always gently rubbing “our baby” and giving it hugs and kisses. She’s even promised Steve and I that if the baby cries in the middle of the night that we can keep sleeping and she will go in and make “silly faces to make it laugh and then rock it back to sleep.” She’s going to be such a big helper…unless of course, it’s a boy! Then she says she’s “just going to cry!”

Anyhow, so the details. Well, we don’t really know anything yet. I’m due on November 8th. Yes, that’s the day before my birthday. We figured Addisyn’s birthday is right before Christmas so we might as well start taking out our birthdays as well. :) At this point, we know that the baby looks healthy and the heartbeat looks strong. We’ll find out in early July what the sex is. We’ve also started our loooonnng list of names. Nothing is being vetoed at this point. We’ll wait until we know what it is before we start that game. So, if you have any names you think we should add to our list, let us know. It doesn’t guarantee we’ll pick it, but they’ll all be considered…at some level I guess. Adolf probably won’t get as much attention as something, well, a little less tarnished with History.

Below is the picture we used to share the news with Steve’s family. Hope it makes you smile!

Everyone loves to bounce

2009-04-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

We had our friends Shane and Rachel (see them here, here, here and here) over this weekend for a bbq. The sun was out and it was beautiful! I thought I'd share a couple funny pictures of everyone on the trampoline.

Hope it makes you happy!

Shakira's Senior Session

2009-04-08T16:27:00.001-07:00

I finally did my first Senior Session! Yeay me! It's been a long time coming...over a month and a half of rescheduling due to snow or pouring down rain! Anyhow, we finally made it through and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.

Shakira,
Thanks for being super patient and willing to try anything I threw at you...lying in the wet grass and the cement wall to name a few. Thanks for keeping me laughing the entire day and for having such a fun attitude with the crazy people we encountered during our outing. (I wonder what the lady did with the picture she took of you on her phone? Glad she thought it looked great though. I kind of wish we would have seen it!)

Anyhow, below is a sneak peak of your pictures. You can view the rest of your images at blissfulphotography.

Smith Maternity Session

2009-03-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got to see one of my most favorite people in the whole world. Although I haven't seen Jessica in years (at least 5) she still ranks right up there for me! I found out a couple of weeks ago that she was pregnant with her 2nd baby and when I heard she was having a shower in the town we grew up in, where our parents' still live, I knew I couldn't miss seeing her again.

It was so great to see her again. Talking with her felt just like we were in middle school again. Being back at "her" house brought back so many fun memories...including playing basketball in the snow, playing sock dodgeball and a friend falling out of the barn at one of Jessica's birthday parties. I couldn't resist using this barn as the backdrop for most of the session we had together!

Jessica, Thank you so much for spending the afternoon with me. It was so great catching up with you and seeing your wonderful family again. I can't wait to meet Dane when he's here. I can only hope it won't be another 5 years before we meet up again! And since I know Jeremy has been asking...here's your pictures. I hope you enjoy them!

You can view the rest of your images at blissfulphotography.

Oh, and Jessica, if you're seeing this post on Sunday, Happy Birthday!

Here's a picture of me and Jess that her husband, Jeremy took. As you can tell. I didn't want to let her go!

And just for fun...here's us in 8th grade.

Elizabeth Fenton & her Momma

2009-03-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I got to meet one of the sweetest little girls! Little Elizabeth is the almost 4 month old daughter of my friend Joy. I'm not sure how, but I hadn't managed to meet this little cutie until now. I'm so glad that I did though. I had so much fun with her during the session! I can't wait to watch her grow! Here's a couple fun pics from our session.

After Elizabeth's session, it was time to update her Momma's headshots. Joy and I headed outside to find some good light and her son Dalton decided to tag along with us. We managed to finally find our destination, which is literally blocks from Joy's house and jump out of the car right as it started raining. Joy was a trooper though and didn't argue as she was getting dripped on! Dalton was my big helper, holding the reflector for most of the session. He did manage to find his way in a few photos though. I really couldn't resist. Here are a couple of my favorites from our short outing in the rain.

I'm Just Going to Listen...

2009-02-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

So a couple weeks ago Addisyn had her Winter Program (it was delayed from December because of the Snow). Anyhow, I thought I would share some pictures and Addisyn's thoughts about singing.

The night before the program:

Steve: Are you going to sing really loud so we can hear you?
Addisyn: I'm not going to sing!
Steve: Why aren't you going to sing?
Addisyn: I don't like the songs!
Me: You have to sing. We're coming to watch you. It will be fun!
Addisyn: My teacher told me I didn't have to.
Me: What did she tell you?
Addisyn: She said I didn't have to sing. I could just be quiet and listen.

So listen she did...she refused to sing one word of either song! She's such a stubborn little girl, but at least she's standing up for what she believes in I guess!

And the songs she refused to sing...check out the little boy in the red sweater right next to her. He cracked me up!

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

It's a Small World

Katie Turns 2!

2009-02-02T19:03:00.001-08:00

My niece Katie turned 2 in January! I can't believe time has gone by so fast!

Normally when I see her, there are usually other family members around fighting for her attention or other kids to be playing with. Last week when I went to her house though, we had so much fun together! Jumping...Dancing...jumping...singing...jumping...running...jumping! It was just Katie, her Mom and me. I got to see a whole different side of her. She's turning into such a funny, outgoing little girl. I can't wait to see who she becomes!

Katie,
Thanks for letting me play with you! I had such a great time. I promise we'll do it again some day soon!

Here's a sneak peek of our time together...

My Dreams, Goals and Possibilities for 2009

2009-01-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

This year I’ve resigned myself to not making New Year’s resolutions, or at least not calling them that. For some reason, the word resolution takes a negative tone for me. I know it’s not intended to be negative, but I can’t seem to get myself to stop thinking “Resolutions: this year I’m going to stop…”

I do however realize I have the wonderful opportunity of a new year to renew and start fresh…to really look at myself, make some adjustments and keep moving forward in the direction that I choose. For 2009 I really want to focus on what I’m going to start doing…my dreams, goals and possibilities for 2009.

I’ve been thinking about this list for almost 3 weeks now and finally, last night put some things down on paper. Putting them down on paper just makes them so much more real for me; makes me more accountable to myself. Now they’re out there all out there and I’m ready to move forward.

In looking at my list I realized that my real goal for 2009 is to be a better me.

Be happy…with myself, with my house, with what we have, with what life has to offer.
Take time for me…downtime, time to do nothing, withdrawal from everything but myself
Be a more patient Mother…let her be a child and live in the moment of childhood…not always pushing her to be on my schedule, but stopping sometimes to be on hers
Be a more patient wife…start laughing at his jokes again
Take better care of my teeth…floss more
Become more flexible…stretch, do yoga
Get healthy…my back, my hips, my weight
Try something new
Push myself to learn more… about myself, about photography, a new language, a new hobby …books, videos, online, seminars
Go to Girl Power Hour
Really put myself out there with my photography

I know 2009 holds great things. And if I could be brutally honest, some of the big things overwhelm me with questions like, “Can I do this? Am I the right person? Am I strong enough? Can I be that dedicated?” But I’m not going to let this questioning get in my way. I don’t want to walk into 2009, I want to RUN in, take full ownership of my dreams, goals and possibilities and make them my reality! I hope you come running with me!

Holiday Recap

2009-01-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

I’ve taken a little hiatus from blogging for the past couple of weeks. I hadn’t intended to, but so much happened so fast, I didn’t even have time to process it all. So, now I’m back and ready to recap our last couple of weeks.

Christmas Eve

As most of you know, our Christmas day didn’t go quite as planned, but before I get into that, let me tell you how wonderful the first half of the holiday was.

The excitement of Christmas this year was so much fun. It was so great to live in the moment with Addisyn and share her excitement of Santa Claus, lights, cookies and stockings. I loved that every day she would ask “Is today Christmas?” and “Is Santa coming tonight?”

Christmas Eve was so nice. Before Addisyn went to bed she made sure the stockings were still hanging where Santa could find them, set out a plate of 4 cookies and a glass of milk, left her letter to Santa by the plate and then we checked the internet to see where Santa was one last time.

Addisyn had a hard time going to sleep that night. Steve and I laughed because we both remember so well how hard it was to sleep on Christmas Eve when we were little because the excitement was just too much. Addisyn went to lay down about 8:30 that night and I don’t think she finally fell asleep until after 11pm!

Christmas Day

We woke on Christmas morning around 9am to big white flakes falling. It felt like the perfect Christmas morning. We had plans to just relax all day and just enjoy each other and the day. We opened stockings, opened presents and then had breakfast. Of course Addisyn didn’t eat much though because she was so excited to play with all of her new toys.

After breakfast, we got all bundled up and headed outside to play in the snow. We had such a great time making snow angels, throwing snow balls, eating snow (Addisyn) and chasing Bella around the yard. (Looking back at it now, it really was a great morning.)

Then… this is where our plans for the day took a slight detour. I’m not going to make this sound worse than it was, so here are the facts

As we were playing outside, a lady was walking her dog on a leash down our street. We’ve forever been trying to enforce in Addisyn that you can not just run up to a dog and pet it; that you must always ask if it’s ok to pet someone’s dog first. Well, we were so proud of her because this was the first time that she actually asked someone if she could pet their dog (she even asked “please?”) Addisyn went over to pet the dog and the dog nipped her in the face.

I immediately scooped her up and took her inside. Steve got the lady’s information and within 2 minutes, we were on the way to the Urgent Care down the road.

Well, I’m sure you knew, but we didn’t…the Urgent Care is closed on Christmas day. So we jumped back in the car and Steve drove 30 minutes more to the closest ER. When we got there, there was no one waiting and we got right in. The doctor came in and said it looks pretty simple and should only take about 5 minutes.

Five minutes turned into 4 hours in the ER. After an IV, anesthesia and 3 stitches, we were off to find a 24 hour pharmacy. Forty-five minutes in the parking lot of Walgreens to get her prescription filled and we were finally on our way home.

Addisyn was such a trooper though. We were planning on heading to Steve’s mom’s house around 3:00 that day and Addisyn still wanted to go. Steve and I figured it would probably be good for her to be around someone that hadn’t been through our crazy day and could talk about something other than the dog bite and that she really needed to have the normal Christmas we were planning. We got home about 5:30 or so, changed out of our snow clothes and headed to Maka’s house. Great family, great food, great time!

Addisyn’s update

Addisyn’s doing great. She hasn’t complained about her bite once. She got her stitches taken out the Monday following Christmas. She wasn’t excited about the doctor using the scissors to cut the stitches off her face so it took about 45 minutes to try and convince her to let the doctor cut them out and then 15 minutes of us holding her arms, legs and head still so the doctor could cut them out.

Her face is healing nicely and the doctor says the scaring should be minimal, although I’m not really sure they can tell that.

The bonus:

Addisyn doesn’t suck her thumb anymore! She couldn’t suck her thumb for the first couple of days because the doctor said we needed to keep it dry…and I’m sure it probably would have hurt.

Our new rule about dogs:

We don’t pet any dog that we don’t know!

Our plea to anyone with a dog:

If anyone asks to pet your dog, just say no. You may think your dog is the nicest dog in the world and would never bite anyone, but so did this lady. The fact is that dogs are animals and there’s no real way to know what they’re thinking or what may make them angry or uncomfortable. It’s easier to just say no.

Santa Claus is coming to Town

2008-12-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

And Addisyn got to see him! She was so excited and talked about what she was going to do when she got to the front of the line to see him. She was going to sit on his lap and tell him everything she wanted for Christmas...
- more Polly Pockets
- Pony bell (Ponyville)
- A Barbie that sings
- A Trampoline

She had the perfect plan...until it was her turn. She walked up there and sat down on the bench NEXT to Santa. Here's how the rest of her time up there played out:

Me: Addisyn, don't you want to sit on Santa's lap?
Addie: No
Santa: Sweet Heart, do you want to sit up here on my lap?
Addie: No
Santa: (to the kid behind the camera) I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now. Can you even she her?

Santa: (after the picture is taken) What do you want for Christmas?
Addie: (jumping down from the bench in a hurry) I don't know.
Me: Addie, tell him want you want for Christmas.
Addie: (to me) Um, I don't know. What?
Me: Polly Pockets
Addie: Polly Pockets
Me: Ponyville
Addie: Pony bell
Me: a Barbie
Addie: huh?
Me: A trampoline
Addie: Trampoline
Santa: That sounds nice. Merry Christmas!
Addie walks off.

Not so good under pressure! The picture turned out pretty cute though!

My Baby

2008-12-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

Addisyn just turned 4! She's growing right before my eyes. I can't stop it; though sometimes I want to. She has a mind of her own, though often times we are so alike that we don't see eye to eye. She gives me so much, I only hope I can give her half as much. Anyone who knows her, loves her. Her heart is big; she is the kindest person I know. She's a ball of energy. As her Grandma says "she's got a spicy little personality!"

I wish I could freeze this moment in time...tell her not to grow older...to stay my baby...to stay young without any cares and the only thing that matters is whether or not you got to play long enough. But I can't. So I'll just keep recording all of the moments of her life so we never forget.

When I come across photos like these, i see all over again with my eyes and my heart what I love about this special little girl...

Happy Birthday Sweet Heart! I hope you stay young forever!

hello friday

2008-12-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am:
excited.
nervous.
thrilled.
anxious and
ready for change.

I've actually been quite inspired by all of this change that our country is seeing. I've noticed that there are a lot of things that I want to change about myself or my habits and I'm proud to say that I'm ready, really really ready to make those changes.

The weather outside is frightful:
It's actually gray and rainy right now, expecting snow tonight. this week has been terribly dreary.

I'm working on:
completing a family session I took last week and ordering our family Christmas card.

I'm glad that:
this week is over. It's been a crazy week both at work and in my personal life. I was in a car wreck on Wednesday and have been dealing with the aftermath of my car, his car insurance companies and the long road to recovery. The week flew by and I am ready for the weekend!

I'm ready:
to start a new week and get this back luck behind me. I'm ready move forward and focus on happier times. I'm ready to celebrate Addisyn's 4th Birthday! I'm ready for a little good luck!

My Good Luck Charms

How lucky and am I?

X's and O's to my two favorite people today and every day!

Happy Birthday Baby Bella

2008-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Bella turned 3 years old last Friday. We treated her to a new toy, some fancy treats, a nice bath and a long brush out! She's such a good dog...not always a great listener, but all in all, a really good dog! We couldn't have asked for a more patient pet! We hope she had a great dog birthday!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2008-12-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

On Friday we headed to a local tree farm to find our Christmas Tree. We ended up going to two different tree farms to find our perfect tree, but we found it...an 8 1/2 foot Noble Fir! Addisyn picked out a couple Charlie Brown trees for us. I think she wanted Steve to cut down every tree on the farm!

She has a great time tromping through the mud, getting "lost" in the "forest" and finding sticks, rocks and moss. She was very impressed watching Steve use the little saw to cut down the tree and even offered to help him a couple of times. I think her favorite part about both tree farms though had to be the free cookies and hot chocolate!

On Saturday night we actually decorated the tree. This year it was a little more interesting. Steve made us all hot chocolate, we turned on the christmas music and Steve and I started hanging the lights. The next thing we hear is "Oh, pretty!" Addisyn had opened the christmas ornaments and started going through. She had made a pile of which ones she was going to hang on the tree and which ones Steve and I got to hang. Needless to say, we currently have A LOT of ornaments hanging at the lower end of the tree! We all had fun though and I guess that's all that matters.

Steve also hung up all of the outside lights and Addisyn and I decorated a gingerbread house. It's beginning to look a lot like christmas here! Hope your house is feeling merry!

The Reed Family

2008-12-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I got to go play with my friend, Lori and her family. Lori and I have been friends for over 10 years now, so I always know I'm going to have fun when we go play. This time, she invited me along with her family to pick out their Christmas Tree.

I had such a fun time chasing Alex and Jacob around. They are such fun little boys! Jacob, the youngest, is such a ham and completely into having his picture taken. Alex on the other hand, is a 4 yr old and totally made me work for every shot! It was such a fun day...we even got licorice on the way home!

Here's a sneak peak from our day...

One little, Two little...

2008-11-15T23:16:00.001-08:00

Two months back, I photographed their Momma's maternity session. And now, I got to meet the two beautiful babies that were hiding in that belly.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to meet tiny Blake and Ava. These two little cuties are 3 weeks old now and were perky, alert and content. I can't wait to watch these two grow.

Getting Bigger!

2008-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

In the shower...

Addie: High-five Momma!
Me: (giving her a high-five) For what?
Addie: (five octaves higher than a dog can hear) I'm getting BIGGER!
Me: How do you know?
Addie proudly: I have hair on my legs just like you!

It's crazy how Addisyn and I would love to switch places in life right now!

A little preoccupied...

2008-11-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I should know better than to leave an almost 4 year old in the shower by herself for more than a couple of minutes, but in my defense, I was trying to update my blog. So, almost 15 minutes into Addisyn's shower, Steve comes running upstairs.

Steve: Have you checked on her in awhile?
Me: Uh, I guess not.
Steve: Well, the ceiling is leaking!

She'd taken a toy and put it over the drain hole and managed to flood the entire bathroom upstairs and it had started leaking through the sprinkler system downstairs.

That'll teach me to blog while my daughter is playing with water!

Goodbye Twenties...Hello Thirty!

2008-11-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

So, it’s official…I’m no longer in my twenties! No matter how hard I begged, kicked or screamed, Thirty is here and I can do nothing about it. The only choice I have is to embrace it. I think the biggest thing that stressed me out is the huge question “Have I done enough with my life?”

This is the question I grappled with at 25 as well. Now at Thirty, it’s here again...making me question my existence, my achievements and whether or not I’ve truly lived my life. So that’s what I’ve done. I’ve stepped back and looked at my life and was happy with what I found.

I can whole-heartedly say that I have not had any regrets in my life thus far. Yeah, maybe I wish I would have traveled more when I was younger, but do I regret it? Nope! I say this because I believe that everything that happens to me, good or bad, happens for a reason. It is a learning experience – a time to reflect and realize it is an opportunity for growth. I have strived to live a GOOD life so that when I lay my head on my pillow each night and it is just me with my thoughts, I can look back and know that the day was lived well. I may not achieve this everyday, but I will continue to strive each day.

I don’t ever want to fit in a box or to limit my future or abilities to one set of criteria. I don't believe there is one perfect phrase that defines my life. I feel like life is a never ending journey that challenges us to change and grow every step of the way. With that said, here is what makes me ME at 30!

My world is filled with honesty, humor, curiosity, bewilderment and love. It's a world of families, relationships, learning and photography. It's a world where people know me as Jesse, Jess, J, McCoy, Honey, Babe and Momma...for I am many things. I am a wife, a mother, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a photographer, a citizen, a believer in something bigger than myself...

Simple things make me happy…the crashing of waves, great music, long drives, falling leaves, fresh snow, first run in fresh powder on the mountain, phone calls with my sister, Addisyn’s smiling face and her contagious belly laugh, tight squeezes from Steve. I feel outrageously over the top sometimes, but try to keep myself in check most days.

Mentos make me happy. I thnk candy should be its own food group! Everything about the Ocean (the waves, sand, sea air), shoes, my big blue silky purse, lattes, cheesecake, nectarines, anything with a touch of glitter…it all ranks righ up there.

My camera goes with me anywhere and everywhere…I think I’m obsessed with it, but I’ve come to terms with it! I looooooovvee natural light. My mind is always going going going and some days I wonder when it’s going to be calm. I don’t “sit” well. There’s always something I think I should be doing instead of just sitting.

I can’t stand things being dirty or unorganized. I’m trying to do the right thing and switch to natural house cleaning products, but have to admit that I love my Clorox Bleach products and may be single handedly keeping them in business.

I think laughter really is the best medicine. If you want to know something…just ask! I am a sensitive person. It breaks my heart to see people cry. I usually end up crying with them. I have a soft spot for animals and small children. I grit my teeth and say in a high pitched voice “Hi you yittle baby!” every time I see them. Don’t ask, because I don’t know!?

Christmas is my favorite season. Yes, it is a season. It starts the day after Thanksgiving and lasts through the end of the year. I love the music, the smells, the lights, the laughter, the family time and the happiness in the air! I also love that Addisyn’s birthday is the week before and the challenge that comes with separating the two.

I love my girlfriends although I have not spent as much time over the past few years staying in touch as I would have liked. I’m sorry - I think about you often and I miss you!

I love being and feeling creative. When I haven’t been for a while, I feel lost. I NEED a creative outlet!

I’m driven. I want to be the best at every thing I do. If I can’t or don’t think there is an opportunity for me to be great (or at least good), I don’t want to play.

I feel so blessed with what life has given me and couldn’t ask for a better one! I have found my soul mate and am so glad he puts up with me! He gets me most days and on the others he's patient. He puts up with me when I'm feeling crazy, obsessive or maybe even a little compulsive.

We have a wonderful little girl who lights up our whole world…whose laughter is beautiful music to my ears…whose smile lights up an entire room…whose sensitive little body wants to make sure no one is ever sad…who’s just learning how to tell “jokes”…who’s forever begging for just one more hug and one more “I Love You”…who’s made my ever single solitary day amazing.

I am lucky. I really am!

I love this life!

The Leaves are falling...

2008-10-31T17:24:00.001-07:00

Well Fall is officially here! I can name a lot of things that I love about Fall, but my favorites are:

leaves changing colors
leaves falling
piles of leaves for jumping
brisk mornings
puddles for stomping
pumpkins for carving and pie
pumpkin-spice lates

The only real thing that I don't like about Fall is all the rain...but I guess then we wouldn't have the puddles to jump in.

So anyhow, the last couple of weeks have been the perfect Fall weather...cool, but no rain. They forecasted rain for today so I made my family humor me yesterday for a couple of pics. We headed down to the lake to find some leaves while they were still dry.

We didn't find as many as I would have liked, but we had a fun time and I think I managed to capture a couple cute images. Here are some of my favorites from our family outing...
And my favorite because I can hear her big, belly laugh and it makes me smile...

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling under the weather and not really in the mood to blog today. So, to make this short and sweet...here are some pictures from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

You can see more at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Hold On Momma...

2008-10-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Addie: Hold on Momma.
Me: What?
Addie: It's spinning.
Me: What's spinning?
Addie: The Earth! It's spinning superdy-duperdy fast. You better hold on tight or you'll get dizzy and fall off.

I love being her Momma!

Emily turns One

2008-10-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Baby Emily is not such a baby anymore. I can't believe she's one already. I'm sure her Mama can't either!

Her mom and I thought it would be fun to give Emily a little cake and let her go to town! We sat waiting for the action to begin. We should have know that since she's a pretty laid back little girl, there probably wouldn't be any cake throwing, rolling or sitting. But we waited.

Emily was so cute though. She delicately dipped her finger in, licked off the frosting and looked at her mom and noded yes over and over. She like it and if anything I think she'll be prepared for the cake eating at her birthday party!

Here are some pictures from the cake session.

Delacruz Family

2008-10-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Remember Rachel's belly, then Baby Emily...now you get to see the entire Delacruz family...one year later.

Shane and Rachel asked me to take some family photos to capture their family at this fun time. I should mention that Rachel is one of my best friends and I absolutely adore her, so of course I said yes. She has such a fun personality and is so full of life. The best part is that she's passing her joy for life on to her children. Kyla and Emily are such fun little girls! Needless to say, we had such a fun time together.

Shane and Rachel,
Thanks for letting me spend the morning with you! You can see the rest of your pictures at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Seaside in September

2008-10-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

So a month ago yesterday we took a mini-vacation to Seaside. Steve and I absolutely love the ocean! We're passing this on to Addisyn now too because she keeps telling us that she wants to move to the beach. Someday...

We had a great time and I thought I would share a couple of our photos from the beach.

I'm still here...

2008-10-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

…it’s just that I barely have time to sleep, let alone blog! Sorry for my lack of updates! It has been almost a month since I've posted anything and I don't even have any really good excuses. Anyhow, its time to play a little catch up!

Wisdom

2008-09-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

I found this through another photographer's blog and had to share it here because I love it so much. It's inspiration for the soul. Click on the box to see the video in a new window...

Allow me to Introduce Miss Mya

2008-09-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've forgotten how tiny newborns really are. I can't believe it's been almost 4 years since Addie was that size, or maybe I just can't believe that she was ever that size! Time goes by so fast! I could go on and on, but I won't. Spending time with tiny ones brings back so many fun memories.

Thank you Rob and Julie for the opportunity to photograph your little girl! She really is super precious and I had a wonderful afternoon with her!

Here's your sneak peek.

The Fentons

2008-09-04T18:22:00.001-07:00

Joy,

Every time I say your name, it makes me want to sing. No, no, not a Christmas song. It's better than that. It takes me back to an old song I learned at camp when I was probably 5 or 6.

I've got my microphone (brush) in hand. Ready....

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
WHERE?
Down in my heart.
WHERE?
Down in my heart to stay.

And I'm so happy, so very happy.......

Anyhow, back to my original point of this post.

I wanted to share a little sneak peek of our session with you. Your family is amazing...your kids are unbelievable. Savanah cracks me up...you never know what's going to come out of that girl's mouth. And Dalton, what a cutie!

Anyhow, here's the link to your headshot BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com and your sneak peek.

Timmons Kids

2008-09-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

So, once again, I had the opportunity to photograph Colby and her brother Nolan. I just can't get over how much fun these kids are! They both happy, charming, big balls of energy! Really…they almost wore me out. There is so much life in these two little bodies! One look at these pics and you can see that I did a lot of running with them.

Thank you Colby and Nolan for the energetic morning workout!

Here are some of my favorites from the morning. You can see the rest of them at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Reichstein Waiting

2008-09-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's true, Valerie has been waiting...for almost three weeks now for her pictures. I promised I'd get these to you before you are off bed-rest and with six weeks to go, I think I've completed my end of the bargain! :)

I can't wait to meet little A and B!

You can view the rest of your photos at
BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Here are some of my favorites from the session.

Story Telling by Addisyn

2008-08-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

One last one I thought I'd share for today. It's a little long, but it's Addisyn's first really story telling adventure. It's a story about the Gooly family. I'm not really sure when she comes up with this stuff, but let me just say she always keeps us entertained!

My favorite part is at the end if you can stick it out...

The Neighbor Boy

2008-08-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

So we have new neighbors. Well, not actually new, they've been across the street for about four months now., but we really like them. We're starting to feel like we live in an actual neighborhood since they've moved in!

They have an 18 month old son, Ashton, that absolutely loves Addisyn. He's such a little sweetheart! Every time he sees us pull up he starts yelling Asyn and he's always devasted when we have to go inside. Today, I finally had my camera out when he was outside playing with us and managed to get a couple of him.

Misty,
Don't ever cut his curls!

Addie's New Ride

2008-08-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors gave Addisyn one of those big jeep ride-ons on Saturday. She's been asking to ride it for the last couple of days, but the weather hasn't been very cooperative. So today we took it out and she washed "her car" in the front yard. She got it all shiny and took it for a little spin...in circles because she hasn't quite figured out the whole steering thing yet.

Here's some pictures of her in her new jeep.

I don't want to hear it!

2008-08-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

I must say it...my husband cracks me up. Steve made up the best song today when Addisyn was having a major meltdown. He started singing the "I don't want to hear it" song....and wouldn't you know it, it totally worked. She almost immediately stopped screaming and started laughing! Pure Genius!

She's been singing the song for the last couple of hours so I thought she should share it with all of you.

Addisyn's View of the World

2008-08-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

We let Addisyn run around and take pictures with our old camera this afternoon. She was so excited that she got to take pictures of whatever she wanted. Most of them came out blury, but here's a small sampling of the ones that came out. I think we may have a budding photographer on our hands! :)

Dad's feet

Bella's nose...really close

flower towel

stick horse

Reichstein Maternity Session

2008-08-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Valerie & Tony,
You guys were so much fun. Thank you for allowing me to document this amazing time in your lives. I love baby bellies, but seriously...1 belly with two babies has to be so much more fun! You two are going to be such great parents. I can't believe how laid back and relaxed you both are about your new venture...and about life in general. I only wish everyone could be a little more like you! There is so much joy that surrounds you!

Thanks you two (four) for such a great, no fuss session. You all look great and I can’t wait meet the babies! Here's a sneak peak of your session.

Timmons Kids

2008-08-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of my job is watching families grow. I photographed the entire family last November when Stacy wanted to get some family pictures done. Colby was just barely walking then and now, she's barely sitting still! Nolan is such a good big brother...very gentle with her although I'm not sure he needs to be...she's one of the toughest little girls I've met!

Last Friday, I met them at Lincoln Park to play. In between some flower picking, stick finding and refusing to walk...here is a sneak peak of what we captured.

Stacy,
I love your kids! They are so much fun to photograph!

Pham Maternity Session

2008-08-21T11:56:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of months ago I took big sis, Salome's 2 year photos. Now, I get to take little brother's photos and he's not even here yet!

Tynaea,
Thank you for letting me take your maternity photos. Thank you for being so patient with me and for being up for anything...including laying on the concrete! You definitely were a trooper! I can't wait to meet your beautiful baby boy!

Your pictures will be ready shortly...until then, here's a sneak peak of your session.

Rachel & Curtis

2008-08-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

During my Father-in-law's wedding, I made Rachel (my sis-in-law) and Curtis (her boyfriend) humor me so I could practice a couple of angles I had been wanting to try. They were good sports and I ended up with a couple of cute pictures of them that I thought I would post.

Rach & Curtis,

If you want to see more, you can see them at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Savereux Wedding

2008-08-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

Phil and Sharon,

Thanks for letting me be part of your day! I love weddings, but it's so much more fun being a part of the event when it's someone that important to you. We had such a great time. Welcome to the family Sharon!

I'm finally through all of the pictures and thought I would share a couple of my favorites.

Salome turns 2

2008-07-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Salome!

I had such a fun time with you at the park. Thanks for being so much fun even though it was such a hot morning. You were such a trooper!

You can view the rest of your photos at
BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Julie's Maternity Session

2008-07-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

Julie & Rob,

Just looking back at these pictures makes me smile. I especially love the ones that I told you, Julie, to give me a serious face and the biggest smile and belly laugh came out of you. You two are going to raise such a happy little girl. I can't wait to meet her!

You can view the rest of your photos at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Here's some more of my favorites from the day.

Here's Julie's serious shot...

Julie's Maternity Session

2008-06-24T19:15:00.001-07:00

Julie and Rob,

I had such a great time with the two of you! I've never met two people more full of life and laughter. You two are going to be such great parents! Thank you so much for letting me be part of this and for trusting me to capture this amazing time in your life.

Here's a sneak peak of our session on Sunday.

Cousins

2008-06-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Addisyn's cousin, Clarice, or Curlice as Addie calls her, came over for a sleepover tonight. Addie's been so excited for her to come and has been talking about it all week. She woke up this morning and the first thing she said was "Can we go pick up Curlice now?"

They've had such a great day together. It's been so much fun watching the two of them play together. And an added bonus Steve and I didn't think about...now she has someone other than us to play with!

Here are some pictures I took of them today.

And my favorite...

The Compton Kids

2008-06-04T14:41:00.001-07:00

Kate,
I love your kids. They were so much fun! I hope Haley really does become a "totographer" some day!

You can view the rest of your photos at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.
Here's my all time favorite of the day.

Mom & Me at the Zoo

2008-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to uploading the Mom & Me at the Zoo pictures from last month.

We had such a great time again, although we didn't see many animals. I'm guessing maybe a total of 10-20 in about 5 hours. We definitely do this at our own pace! I love that the Zoo has become a tradition. I'm so thankful that I get to spend this day with the Read-Savereux Women. It's become something that I look forward to when Spring rolls around. I hope Addisyn can look back someday and be as proud of this tradition as I am!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day. You can see more at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Compton Kids

2008-05-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Kate,
I had such a great time with your kids today. They were so much fun to photograph. Hailey and Hannah have such full personalities and Noah is such a great guy. The three of them kept me laughing the whole time. I know I said it would be a week or so, but I couldn't wait to see how they turned out and wanted to give you a preview.

First girl to ever play in the majors?...We better not hold our breath!

2008-05-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you that at 3 1/2 years old, the concept of baseball is still completely foreign. Addisyn's first game was an interesting one...our little athlete spent a lot of time in the field either crying because she didn't get the ball, holding on to Daddy's leg or digging in the dirt! She was not alone though which made Steve and I feel better. :)

We've come a long way in the past three weeks though. There's no crying, she loves hitting the ball and now understands (most of the time) when you hit the ball, you need to run to first base. Other than that, anything goes! Still her favorite parts about playing are digging in the dirt, eating snacks after the game and playing at the playground after the games.

Here are some of my favorite shots from her game.

You can see more at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Daddy & Me Soccer

2008-05-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

Addisyn loved soccer! She had such a great time out there every week...even when Steve and I thought it would be too cold out to play. She practiced her "little kicks" every day and would even try to play soccer with Bella. You'll never guess how that turned out...two popped balls and lots of Addie yelling NO at Bella.

You can see more at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Steve's 37th Birthday

2008-05-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Look at all those candles!

Viva Las Vegas

2008-05-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been a while and I'm a little behind on my blogging. I've finally found some extra time to get caught up on my pics and get something posted...and on Mother's Day of all days. So, from a couple of months back...

Steve turned the big 37 this year! Man, he's getting old. :) So, to celebrate we headed to Vegas over St. Patricks day (see I said I was behind) with his brother Ian and wife Tara and good friends Cliff and Tanya. Steve and I were the rookies of the group since I had only been there twice before and Steve and never been. We had such a great time though. Saw the Cirque Du Soleil show Love, ate a fancy dinner at Craftsteak and of course did lots of gambling and drinking. I would like to state for the record that I came home ahead (I won't mention how Steve ended up).

After we booked the trip, I learned that the Wedding and Portrait Photographers Internation (WPPI) convention was being held in Vegas at the same time. Of course, I signed right up and spent the first two morning in Vegas attending the trade show and managed to sneak my way in to hear some amazing photographers speak. I came away so inspired! What an amazing opportunity for me. It seems this business if falling into my lap!

Anyhow, we had a great few days. Here are some highlights from the trip. You can see more at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

One last thought...

Steve & Joy

2008-03-30T00:29:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how life works! I've just recently been really focusing on my photography business and received an amazing opportunity...Joy & Steve asked if I would shoot their wedding!

The first time I met Joy and Steve, I knew this was the perfect first wedding for me. They were both so easy-going and genuine people. I felt as if we'd been friends for years!

Their wedding was on Saturday, March 28th. Who would have thought that an end of March wedding would be filled with Snow flurries. Of course, I panicked a little, calling my husband, almost in tears. He reminded me that this day wasn't about me! :)

The wedding was so much fun and was such a great first experience. It was great to see Joy and Steve and remember back to my wedding day. Knowing them for only a short period of time, it's obvious that these two are great together. They surround themselves with some truly wonderful people!

Joy and Steve,
I wish you both a life time of happiness!

Addisyn Recently

2008-03-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

You've all been asking for them, so here are some recent pictures of Addie. Let me tell you, she's definitely three! She's too smart for her own good, just today she told me that she's getting so big that she'll "be able to drive pretty soon and then her feet will touch the ground"! People keep telling us "she's very busy" although we'd like to hope other kids her age are just as busy!

She's completely obsessed with dresses now. Infact, she refuses to even wear pj pants! When we take her "pj dresses" out of the dryer she asks if she can please give them a hug she's so excited to see them!

She's so fun though (most days) and reminds us what it was like to be a kid. We never know what new adventure she'll take us down! Just the other day she got me to dress up in my old prom dress and play princess! It was actually a lot of fun...plus the dress fit so that was a huge plus!

Anyhow, here's our busy little girl.

"Baby" Jacob

2008-03-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Baby Jacob, as my daughter calls him, is such a little sweetheart. He stayed the weekend with us a few weeks back (right after his 1st birthday) and we had such a great time. I managed to surprise his parents with some pictures of the little guy!

Connecting

2008-03-10T15:02:00.001-07:00

So it's been a little while, but I'm finally posting some of my favorites from a session I did with a family on Alki Beach. This was one of my favorite shoots because the family was so much fun. The kids were such cuties, even if C refused to smile for most of the session. They all had such full personalities that really shined through in these pictures.

S, I love your family. I can't wait to do another session when the weather is warm and the sun is out!

Volleyball

2008-03-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Volleyball has changed a lot since I was in school! That makes me sound really old, but it's amazing how many rules have changed...but more than that, I'm so amazed at the level of competition my 6th grade neice is playing at. I got to watch her play last weekend for the first time and I can't even describe how proud of her I was. She's 11 years old and playing against girls who are 13 and 14 and 5 inches taller than she is. Her team probably could have given my high school team some pretty tough competition.

J's extremely talented and athletic, but more than that, she was a leader on her team. She's becoming such a great person! I can only hope that some of her spirit rubs off on my daughter!

Here are a few of the pictures from the match. You can see more at BlissfulPhotography.smugmug.com.

Beginning Session

2008-02-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

R had a beautiful baby girl. Baby E was such a trooper during the session. Smiling at five weeks, one would think unbelievable, but Baby E is definitely a smiley little girl! She loved getting her picture taken so much that she refused to sleep the entire time! She's such a beautiful baby. I can't wait to take her next round of pictures.

Waiting Session

2008-02-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

I had the priveledge of taking pictures for a wonderful woman with a beautiful belly. I had such a great time with her. Her daughter K was such a fun little person. She definitely kept us laughing the entire time. Here are some pictures from our session.

Sunny Saturday

2008-02-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

It's unbelieveable for February, but we've had almost 2 weeks in a row of sunshine and no rain. Saturday was almost 50 degrees and we need to get out of the house. We packed up and headed to Snaqualmie Falls to enjoy the sun and some nature.

Blissful

2008-02-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

So I've finally done it. I have created my first blog and more exciting...I've finally made a decision on a name...Blissful.

It’s taken me some time to find the right name for my photography business. I searched for months for the perfect name that defines what photography means to me and the feeling I strive to provide each of my clients. Blissful does just that.

From the day my daughter was born, I have been documenting each moment of her life. From the time she first came home from the hospital to today and every moment in between. Looking back, I realize that the photos I value most are not the "perfect" ones where she is smiling at the camera, beautifully dressed, every hair in place. No, my favorites are the ones where her hair all messed up. The ones where she was caught doing something she shouldn't have been or excited by the realization that she could do it herself. The ones that I can look back on and say "that was her then" These are the photos that I love, these are the ones that I have chosen to surround myself with; the ones that capture true life and remind me of those blissful moments.

Photography is not about capturing the perfect image, or at least it shouldn't be. It’s about capturing a moment in time, about preserving a memory so that one day, you can look back with a smile on your photos and remember those blissful moments.