Cuteness

Ashlyn snacking. Sporting a messy hair do as usual.

 Tanner and Dallin doing homework. That is my favorite expression that Dallin makes. LOVE this picture of him. Tanner is pretty cute too.

This is Brock. Pretty sweet little guy. More on my photography blog.

Daddy's girl and annoying sister

Ashlyn loves Dallin. Loves to tease him. She woke him up from his nap today. I was hoping to get a video. She is so funny. She sat on his face!

 These pictures are of her after her pony tails were taken out.

She loves Nate. Lights up when he comes in the room. So sweet.

Clinical change & a cute baby and family

We just found out that Nate's next clinical affiliation (from January to March) isn't going to work out. It was supposed to be at a clinic 1 mile from our house, and it was going to be perfect. So it is up in the air he will be doing. Hoping to stay local still, but we will see.

I got to do another newborn shoot yesterday. People ask what my favorite subjects are and I am starting to love doing newborns. I think it is because Michaela has been helping me, but they just turn out so cute.

 

 Families are what I do most often, but they are challenging for lots of reasons.  An example of a challenging session was the Hinton's. Still enjoyed it though and what I can learn from them. It was cold, and had to be done in 2 sessions because their little guy didn't want to be photographed. Even candidly it was hard, because he was off and runnin' (and fast) or unhappy that he was being held. He is about 2, totally to be expected.

I do love doing couples too. They listen to your directions, and usually want their picture taken. :)

Don't worry, I should be slowing with all the photography posts soon, I don't think I will do many more families this year since it is getting cold. You can see more of the baby on my photography blog and more of this family soon, if you like. 

I have been taking so many pictures, that I forget about my own family. I will have more of my family soon.

He passed, and a photoshoot

Nate had his big defense this week at school. That is where he did a case study on a patient he worked with, and he had to do a 45 minute presentation about his experience and research. He had to "defend" why he did the treatment he did with that patient and show the board that he knows what he is doing. He was the first of his class to go, and he nailed it. I think he set the bar high for his classmates. That doesn't make him a Physical Therapist yet, but it does mean he will graduate from ISU. 

I am so proud of how far he has come. I have had recurring tendonitis in my ankle last night he came and grabbed my foot, and started doing all these test and told me, in very big words that I didn't understand, why I am getting it so often. He thinks I need an orthotic insert in my shoe to correct the problem. He wasn't so confident in the past. I think he is just about ready to be a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Just a couple more weeks of book work, and a semester of clinical affiliations, and he will be. 

And I am almost feeling like a real, professional photographer these days. :) I have been doing a couple sessions a week, and feeling happy with my work. I am also excited to get an official business up and running when we get settle, where ever we end up.

Here is my latest.

"I want everything!"

I told Tanner to look through the toy book from the Target ad and circle everything he liked so I could get an idea what to get him for Christmas. It didn't help. He circled everything! He is pretty easy to please.

6 Week Wellness Challenge

My friend Sharla told me about a wellness challenge she found online where you get points for doing healthy things like, eating fruits and veggies, drinking water, going easy on the sweets, exercising, stuff like that. We joined this challenge along with some other friends and family members. I feel like I do most everything already except I eat too many sweets, so that will be my focus in this challenge. We are allowed one sweet day a week, which I shoot for anyway, but with the holidays underway, I haven't done so well. I am glad to have this challenge to keep me on track. It starts on November 5th and it will go through Thanksgiving and stop before Christmas. So wish  me luck! I think I'd like to lose up to 5 pounds, but mostly I want to kick the sugar. I have to agree with this quote I found by some guy named Mike Adams. Who knows who he is, but I like his perspective.

"Sugar is, essentially, a legalized recreational drug that's socially acceptable to consume. And yet, just like other drugs, it destroys a person's health over time, rotting out their teeth, disrupting normal brain function, promoting heart disease and directly causing diabetes and obesity. The argument that 'street drugs are outlawed because they're dangerous to a person's health' falls flat on its face when you consider what sugar does to the human body." 

 I feel a lot like these people, "irresistibly attracted to sugar." 

In other news, I took another cute baby's pictures. This is Rachel. Isn't she sweet? There a couple more on my photography blog.

Ashlyn's 1 year old pictures

I finally got around to taking Ashlyn's pictures. She loved this little rocking chair. All of the pictures are of her in it because she didn't want to get out. Whatever made her happy.

Ashlyn got this doll for her birthday. She is learning how to kiss. See how she prepares by licking her lips. :)

Love this girl. She is such a joy to have around.

Halloween

We has a super fun Halloween this year. A few neighbors and I put together a progressive Halloween party. We went to different houses and did activities at each house like, painting pumpkins, donuts on a string, dipping pretzels, cupcake decorating, pin the eyes on the monster, stuff like that. I took all the kids' pictures. Check them out on my photography blog.

Here are our family's pictures. Nate was "sick and tired" for Halloween. Tanner, a doctor.

 

Ashlyn was a fairy. 

 

Dallin a ninja

 I hardly ever dress up, but I was a vampire this year. Pale skin, fake eyelashes and all. It was fun.

Our friend Cami did sensory boxes where you put dragon snot (gak), eye balls (eye balls), a heart (tomato), and stuff like that. This is Tanner after he felt something icky.

And Dallin decorating a pumpkin.

I love how kids put more toppings on their cupcakes than there is cake. In Tanner's case it was sprinkles. That would be one crunchy cupcake.

Ashlyn checking out a costume. And here is kind of what our group looked like going from house to house.

Donut on a string. One of my personal favorites.

After the party we went trick or treating. We only did about a block. It was a little chilly.

 Jordan and Michaela joined us. I think we have trick or treated with them every year since they have had Calin. Love having them around!

 Fun night!
Oh yeah, I also took some pictures of some old friends, the Plaisteds over the weekend.

See more on my photography blog.

1/2 Marathon and a family shoot

I was crazy enough to run a half marathon today.  It wasn't an "official" one; my friend Christie mapped it out and three of us friends ran it. I didn't train properly for it. I only ran once a week. I did spin a couple times a week and did strength training, but that doesn't prep you for the abuse your body takes running. I ran most of it, and now I am stiff and it hurts to walk. Lesson learned. I will train next time.

I took this beautiful family's pictures this evening. So easy compared to the families with toddlers I have been photographing lately. Babies this age look if you clap your hands and they can't run off. See more here.

Gabby and Colby's wedding

I got to do my first, well, second wedding this past weekend. And I think I like them, or maybe it was just this one. I went down to Logan the night before with my sister and her friend, who were bride's maids. We stayed the night at Gabby's house and helped with some of the wedding preparations. We made the bouquets, and I got to know the family a little. Such fun people. It made me so much less intimidated to get to see that they were so down to earth and not scary. Wedding photography has always intimidated me. Weddings can bring out the best and worst in people it seems. It can be stressful, and joyful, and busy, and you have to try to capture it in a way that they will have fond memories. Here is the beautiful couple.

 

And my sister, Kris, and friend Christabell.

See a lot more on my photography blog.

Ashlyn's 1st Birthday party

We did a Birthday/Halloween party to celebrate Ashlyn's 1st birthday.

We invited just a couple friends, but it was chaotic--in a fun way. Ashlyn didn't know what was going on and seemed a little overwhelmed by everything.

I love these little pig tails I can do on her now. Her hair is getting so long and pretty.

 

Here is some of the food. I got my ideas from Pinterest.  It is great for stuff like this.

 And here are a couple friends. We wanted to invite many more, but it was pretty tight with the few we did invite.

And another

These are some friends from Rexburg.They were so fun and easy to photograph. I have lots of favorites. See more on my photography blog if you like.

The one on the left below is actually one of my favorites because of Gwen's face plant into the ground, sorry, but it makes me laugh.

Oh, yeah, and I did the Occupational Therapy Department pictures too. This is the class of 2012. All girls, and all very beautiful and easy to photograph too. Took a few other shots too.

 

Have I mentioned I am going to Logan this weekend with my sister Kris to photograph her friends wedding. I am really excited and nervous. I promise I will have some fun pictures of my family next week with Ashlyn's birthday and Halloween.

I know, lots of photography

That is what have been up to though. This has been my busiest month ever, so far. And I love it! 

Besides taking pictures, I am planning a couple parties.

See more of this cute family here.

Jordan & Michaela's family

I took these this weekend.  Aren't they beautiful subjects? You can see a couple more here.

Ashlyn's cake smash

Here is when we set the cake in front of her.

 She was actually pretty delicate. Would pick sprinkles off one at a time, so I cut her a piece and then she got a little messier.

 She didn't touch most of the cake, so we had it after she was done. :)

Swore Farm field trip

There is a local farm that has a pumpkin patch and corn maze that we went to today. The boys loved the big tractor.

 And the lazy dog.

 This my kids' buddy Mason.

 It was sort of bright in pumpkin tent, that is why the squints.

 Tanner and Ashlyn in the tractor tire.