Dog Tags

So I heard about this great little company called Fetching Tags and I just had to pay them a visit. Once there I couldn't resist having a tag made for Pilgrim. While there are many dogs in the world who love to lick, I have to say Pilgrim takes the cake when it comes to feet. The boy can't resist when he sees a bare foot about. He must give it a taste test that quickly turns to a foot bath. It's ridiculous!

I just had to put a warning on him so here is his tag...


and here is the damage he can cause.

The D family

What a great family! I am so blessed with such wonderful clients. These folks were no different, I felt like part of the family by the time it was over. Family is one of the greatest blessings we have and I am grateful to capture it on film.

Baby E

Back at the beginning of March I put up some maternity shots of a beautiful young woman who was so ready to greet her little bundle. Well on April 3 a beautiful bundle arrived, healthy, happy and full of love. I couldn't wait to snap a few shots of the new addition.

Big Sky Country

From the ages of 6-12 I lived in Wyoming... BIG SKY COUNTRY. I loved it. I know it is where I gained my appreciation and love for deep blue skies filled with puffy clouds.

This here is the ranch house (my home) on the ranch in Wyoming on the Henry's Fork river where I spent those years.



Isn't it quaint? And look at that sky and those clouds, how I loved those skies and still do to this day. It meant a long day of work ahead but it also meant cool breezes and happy animals.


This picture here shows a bit of the ranch further down the river. That pasture was the oat field (because they used to grow oat there) and the one further down was the new field. The new field because it was "new" as we had cleared the land and planted the field. Lots of hours spent with a shovel trying to get the water to go where we wanted it to. We didn't have the modern convenience of sprinkler systems, we had to flood irrigate from the river. You can see some of that handy work in the meadow to the front of the pic.



It was a beautiful place full of many secret places to play and wildlife so abundant you would have thought it was a reserve.

I loved the years of my life that were spent there.



Well I am all grown up now... although that is debatable some days... and I live in a beautiful valley nestled among the mountains of Virginia and just a couple of days ago I woke up to this...



Yes this...

This beautiful blue sky filled with puffy clouds...

Did I make a trip to big sky country and not know it...

Wait am I dreaming...

I think I might be losing my mind...

Nope they are really out there and it is really that beautiful and I am really that blessed...

And I thank the Lord everyday for it.



I hope this day brings you something that reminds you how blessed you are!

Dreaming of Summer during the storms of Winter

This past winter in the Shenandoah Valley was historic. We very rarely get a storm before Christmas that amounts to anything and this year we not only got the normal small storm that passes through but also were pummeled with a huge 18 inch storm. Of course we knew at the time that there would definitely be more because we usually get our snow in Jan. and Feb. and sure enough come Feb. we got a huge 26 inch storm. Well in VA when is snows like that the world shuts down so what does a mother of four do when her crew is home and she is losing her mind?

She disappears into the quiet, peaceful confines of the craft room and puts together a scrapbook she has been waiting two years to do. What you ask did we do two years ago that would get it's own scrapbook? Well we made a trip to Hawaii with the whole crew in tow, mind you not only our family but my brother-in-law and his family as well.


This is the beautiful place we rented on a private beach.


This is the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is incredible.


Some beach time.


This is the family at Waimea Bay, beautiful spot and famed for large wave surfing.


This is the reason we went. My niece graduated from BYU Hawaii and we took the opportunity to support her and enjoy a little beach vacation.


This beach was different from most of the beaches we went to. It was incredibly rocky and full of pockets of water some deep enough for swimming, others only good for wading.


This is the finished product... well I still need to add the journaling

Spring has sprung...

Took a walk through the park a few days ago...

The winter snow has melted puddles abound everywhere... believe me I know my boys (Pilgrim and Koleson) seem to find them everywhere.


I love watching the buds on the trees go from little tiny bulbs



to flowering buds


and I am most definitely ready to bury my bare feet in the lush green grass.

My Helper

A couple of nights ago I had a client coming over for some head shots for a pageant and since I don't have enough room right now to leave my studio up full time I have to set it up when necessary. This is where my little helluns come in . After we get everything set up I make the poor sucker who got snagged sit on the stool and pose for me to make sure I have the lighting the way I want it so that I only have to make small adjustments when the client arrives.

Well today this particular hellun was feeling a bit spunky so I snapped away only so I could embarrass her later... hey that's what parents are for right?

Oh yeah she is gonna hate me for this one.


This is that oops I did it look which looks a little to much like a "pucker" for my taste.


This is what she looks like when I can get her to quite goofing around. She was definitely blessed with looks that far exceed her folks. Lucky girl!

My sea of wonder

We have these great brown eyes in our family...

Some are a deep deep brown... they were so dark that when she was a baby they looked black.



Some have a hint of gold in them... like her mother's eyes.



Some have a hint of green... looks a bit like spring.



But then we have these...


...I don't even know where to begin... ice blue some days and minty green others with the longest lashes I have ever seen. If I hadn't birthed all 10 pounds of him I would wonder if he was dropped accidentally by the stork. Not to mention he acts just like his dad and inherited his dad's great hair... Watch out hon, I think you might have some competition. In fact the little girls at school are mesmerized by them as well... his teacher has even labeled him "chick magnet"... I think I could be in trouble.




But most of all I am just grateful that I get to look into the most beautiful eyes everyday of my life... be they brown or blue.

5 weeks

It seems like an eternity when you are waiting for a new little bundle to arrive... the time just seems to drag on especially for the mother. Frankly I can't believe the time is almost here for a this new little bundle to make her debut, a new grand niece to grace the family. But for now we will enjoy her from the outside while God finishes up with her.

The itch has hit.

So a few weeks ago a friend emailed me and asked if I thought Kason would be interested in snowboarding. Well I chatted with Kason about the options and he decided to give it a try. So I willingly tossed 4 hours of my Saturday away to take him for his first lesson. Let's just say he can't stop talking about it... not just to his us but to anyone who will listen. I think the itch is here to stay.





His form is not to bad for his first time.


His first fall... I think he landed it nicely.


He has been asking to go back up everyday since and wants to go down the bunny hill. After his next lesson he will want to go down a diamond run I'm sure.