For Vanessa...

Here are a few of the pics so far...I hope you like them! If you don't like the fuzzy/soft look on the one of Sam, let me know and I will change that. I was just messing around with it. :) Give me another week or so and I'll have them all ready for ya! Thanks so much for letting me take your pictures! It was fun and such a good learning opportunity for me! :)

I wanted to show you both black & white and color...

Pioneer children sang as they walked...

...and walked, and walked, and walked... Yes folks, last week was Pioneer Day. If you're not Mormon you have probably never heard of it...but it is kind of big deal for us! My awesome holiday-crazy friend Kristie planned a little Pioneer Trek, and it turned out to be really fun!

As I was trying to figure out how to turn our red wagon into a covered wagon, Jakob asked me what a covered wagon was. "WHAT? How does he not know what a covered wagon is?" So, I found a picture of one to show him and he instantly recognized what it was, and we talked about them for a few minutes. Then later Joshy asked me, "What does 'pioneer' mean?" I tried my best to explain it, but I'm not so sure his sweet little 3-yr-old mind could fully understand it all. :)

Anyway, they had fun dressing up (as did I!) and we met over at Kristie's house. I am not sure how far we walked, but it seemed just about the right distance because by the time we made it to the park, I think all the kids were tired of walking! Luckily we only had one accident (that I know of) -- Jakob tripped and fell, but he was OK. The scary thing was to think about a real pioneer child tripping and falling under a wagon...the chances of them being OK would have been very slim. It was a humbling thought.

I am so grateful for all of the pioneers who persevered and trusted in the Lord. It is because of their faith and diligence that we are able to enjoy blessings of the gospel today. I am in awe at their struggles and endurance...and hope to one day thank them personally for their sacrifices. I think we can all learn from their amazing example, and should do our best to honor them by living our lives with integrity and faith.

I wish I had taken more pics, but here are a few that I liked:

9 Months Old!

I can hardly believe it's already been 9 months!

This little guy is so amazingly sweet, I just can't get enough of him!

Thank Heaven for little boys!

I love the deep concentration on his face in this one...

he is mastering the art of feeding himself!

First Carousel Ride

I can't believe this little guy will be 9 months old this week!

Here he is taking his first ride on a carousel:

I know, I know...I messed up on the color in this last one. Forgive me. I'll adjust it later. :) I love this photoshop action, it's called Urban Acid. I love how it blows out the colors. What do you think?

Words of Wisdom

The following is from a lady named Cheryl Jacobs on a photography forum that I belong to. I know some of you out there are aspiring photogs just like I am (and even if you're not, some of these words of wisdom apply to more than just photography...) so I thought I'd share!

What Every Aspiring Photog Should Know:

These are my thoughts, nothing more and nothing less.

I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer.

Here's my answer.

- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward.

- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It's like money; you only have it when you don't need it.

- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.

- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don't fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you're stressed and anxious.

- Learn to say "I'm a photographer" out loud with a straight face. If you can't say it and believe it, you can't expect anyone else to, either.

- You cannot specialize in everything. - You don't have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don't have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.

- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don't, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that's tough.

- Accept critique, but don't apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn't not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business "Precious Chubby Tootsies"....but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else's, there's no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you're cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as "the cheaper photographer".

- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

- It's easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you've got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don't spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you've outgrown your current equipment and you're being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.

- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.

- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.

- Never compare your journey with someone else's. It's a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never "arrive". No one ever does.

- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacence.

- CJ

hey battah-battah, sah-wing, battah!

He seems innocent enough...oh wait, now the bat is a weapon!



For some reason, he refused to smile showing his teeth...but he still looks darn cute to me!

Thanks Grama!

When we were up in Utah, Brad's mom gave us a few costumes that her boys used to wear...and today, Jakob came down wearing the cowboy shirt and vest. So of course the playful side of me kicked in and we embellished it with his sherriff's badge and his cowboy hat that he got from my Grampa Roy. Then he said he wanted to be a bandit...that is SO like him...and well, I just happened to have a black bandana...so we tied it on and he grabbed one of the VERY few toy guns that we own, and he became a full fledged BANDITO! I thought it was very ironic that he was wearing a sherriff's badge, but was also a bandit...and so I loved this picture and it just needed to be turned into a WANTED poster...

I took a few pics of Joshy in the basball player outfit (which I believe is about 50 years old!) and some of those turned out really cute too...but there's not time right now for that...so stay tuned!

Mirror, Mirror...

I've been wanting to take pics of Drew playing with the mirror for quite a while...he used to totally make-out with himself...and leave a slobbery mess...but it was so cute! Now he kind of just talks to himself and likes to try to touch his reflection, which usually results in banging his head a few times...but he never cries. I love watching how much fun he has with mirrors!

8 Months Old Already!

I can hardly believe how fast time has gone by. Some people have said, "It's because he's such a good baby..." and well, yeah, that's part of it I'm sure...but it's also because he's #3 and life is just busier and seems to go by in a blur sometimes!

Drew is such a happy kid...a little fussy due to teething, but other than that he's usually mellow and such a sweetie! He is such a good sleeper - THANK GOODNESS - and I hope it stays that way! He's actually our first baby that has slept in his crib the longest. Jakob and Joshy were total swing babies. They just didn't seem to want to lay down flat in a crib -- Jakob until he was about 5 months old I think, and Joshy, until about 8-9 months. (SHEESH!)

I think I wrote that he started crawling on Father's Day...well by the end of that week, he was trying to pull himself up on things...the couch, his crib, the pack 'n play, etc. Ever since he figured out he could move around, he has been on the go and I can see trouble brewing in his eyes! Maybe he won't stay so mellow after all? We'll see. I took a few pics of him today trying to reach some toys on the train table...and then chewing on a bubble blower that he spotted and crawled to...he was a man on a mission! It's so cute to see him growing and developing and I love to hear him babbling, "Ma ma ma ma ma..." Yep, the first one to say "mama" first. The other boys said "dada" first. He's 100% Mama's boy! :)

Baby Jill

Some of you may know that I have been trying to sharpen my photographic skills...and I have been lucky enough to have friends who let me use them and their kiddos as subjects to practice on!

Here are a few pics of my friend Jodi's new baby girl, Jill. She is such a cutie pie and it was so much fun taking her pictures!

Thanks girls! I hope you like how they turned out!

Like a moth to a flame...

If there's dirt, mud or sand around, you can bet Joshy will be in it. On Wednesday he was in the mud at least 5 or 6 times...we had to change clothes each time...Yesterday, it was only this once, and I actually was level headed enough to snap a few pics...



Oh well. I can handle cleaning up muddy messes. I am slowly learning how to take these things in stride -- and yes, I have 3 kids. You'd think I would have chilled out a bit by now...nope. I'm still pretty high strung sometimes. But as their mother, I want to be able to savor all of the memories...sweet and sour...because these years are flying by too fast already!!

A friend of mine (a mother of 2 little boys) says that she works from "son up, to son down."

DITTO!!!

Two Little Monkeys

Jakob and Kai have been buddies forever it seems like...and here they are acting silly up in a tree at the park yesterday...it's a little frightening to see them climbing up in trees...but that's part of childhood in my opinion! You haven't lived until you've climbed a few trees!!

Father's Day

I have always had grand ideas/high hopes/big expectations/or whatever you want to call it -- and because that is part of my type-A personality, I tend to get frustrated easily when things aren't quite going the way I envisioned them... Well, after attempting to get some pics of the boys as a possible Father's Day gift for Brad, I seriously almost blew a gasket. (Look at Drew in the last one, and that's pretty much a mirror image of me "throwing my hands up" and giving up) But...in all honesty, this kind of captures their true essence:

Jakob PROMISED me that next time we take pictures, he will smile and look at the camera... Joshy on the other hand, couldn't care less. In fact he was kind of dazed throughout most of this. Drew...well, he's just a little bundle of joy!! He is easy, he just sits there! (Well actually, he just crawled for the first time at church yesterday!!!!!!!!!!)

So, for Father's Day, we had a yummy breakfast, with french toast (made with that delish cinnamon swirl bread from Costco), bacon, cantaloupe and OJ. Brad got to sleep in until almost 9am -- so I hope he enjoyed his relaxing morning. Jakob was so excited to give him his gift that he made at school. It's a frame made with popcicle sticks and seashells, with his picture in it. So cute! I gave Brad the Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD along with some hand weights. He's been saying he's wanted the weights for a while now, and when I saw the DVD I thought it would complete the gift perfectly! I can't wait to work out together! (For any of you in FV3, we will be competing in next year's Triathalon!) :)

After church we had some delicious dinner made by me -- ha ha -- nothing special, really. But then I had fun putting together a fruit pizza -- and even cut the strawberry in the middle into a heart shape. (Brad didn't notice...he just ate it!) So, we tried to get a few pics of the big boys with Daddy...and here's what we got:

It was a busy, but fun weekend. My brother and sister-in-law (Matt & Sheri) came in town and were staying with us. It was cool to get to spend more time with Sheri again...that chick rocks! I'm so glad she's part of the family. Brad got to go golfing with his brothers, and I know that was really fun for him. If you know the Hansons, then you know they love to play games...so we stayed up late every night playing games, and Todd even brought over his Wii -- Mario Kart Rules!! Anyway...I am pooped. I went to bed at 2am last night (this morning?) and it is seriously taking it's toll right now! But I really wanted to get some stuff posted about my honey...the daddy of my boys...and love of my life.

We all love you so much...and are so blessed to have you!!!