Photo of the Week 2

There are few things I love more than being on the water.

This was taken on a catamaran trip with some friends in October.

I sure do LOVE living in the bay area!

Tammy and Stella Photo Shoot

Before Dallas and I left for the holidays I got the chance to take some adorable pictures of my good friend and her daughter.  Tammy was 9 months pregnant and wanted some shots of Stella with her soon-to-be little sister.  It was such a great opportunity to practice and the first time I was the lone photographer.  True, it helped that I absolutely love both Tammy and Stella, so there wasn't any pressure.  We went to a local park and lucked out with clear skies, instead of the constant rains we had been getting.

These are some of my favorite images from the day.

(Make sure to click on the image to enlarge it.)

I can't get over those gorgeous green eyes!

Like I've mentioned in previous posts, I love and need all the practice I can get, so if you ever want a free session let me know!

Erik Adams Family photo shoot

My older brother is an incredible designer with more creative talent than I could ever possibly dream to have.  He is also amazingly supportive and when he found out I wanted to learn more about photography, he immediately opened up for questions and ways to help his obnoxious little sister.

Knowing that practice is one of the best ways to get better, he asked me to do their family photo shoot for the holidays.  Needless to say it was quite entertaining and a ton of fun.

He showed me how to change the settings and what lighting would work best, basically the technological side of things.  And then just let me snap away.  Here are some of my favorite images.

(Click on the image to enlarge it.)

When we got to taking the whole family shots, things got a bit more difficult thanks to little Will...

Needless to say he was less than cooperative!

There literally wasn't a single shot where Will was smiling.  Luckily my brother is one of the most amazing graphic designers and knows how to photoshop basically anything.

Here's there final project...

I had to laugh when I saw it...I know I didn't get a shot like that!

Marshmallow Turkeys

Who would have thought that marshmallows could bring back so many memories?


The fall of 2007 was filled with a roller coaster of emotions.  It was this time period that Dallas and I met and fell in love, but it was also the time when we found out our little Mara had a brain tumor.  
I remember sitting in my principal's office trying to calm down from the scary news and the fears I had of traveling home for Thanksgiving.  My family had been telling me how different the treatments were making Mara, both physically and emotionally.  My principal told me that the best thing I could do while at home was to create new fun memories that would help me get through the pain of the situation.  She mentioned an activity she did with her nieces and nephews where they made "marshmallow turkeys" while the adults were preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.  Using her idea, we took apples and placed toothpicks lined with small marshmallows for the feathers.  It was such a simple craft, but I remember it was the first time that I saw Mara smile that trip.  Oh how I love that smile.
This quickly became one of my favorite memories with my nieces and nephews.

This Thanksgiving, Dallas and I decided to stay in the bay area and celebrate at my brother, Erik's, house.  My younger brother, Stuart, flew in from BYU for the week, which convinced my parents to drive down from Washington for the holidays.  We had a blast relaxing, shopping, eating amazing food, and goofing off as a family.  I thought it would be fun to make our marshmallow turkeys again.  This time with a little twist; food coloring and gummy worms.  Lincoln, Rulon, and Ellis had a blast dyeing the marshmallows and eating the extra gummy worms.  After starting the project we had them take their shirts off to make sure the food coloring didn't stain which of course made for some classic pics.
Lincoln remembered making them with Mara, which was pretty sweet.
It's funny how a simple piece of fluffy sugar can take you down memory lane.

I feel so blessed to live so close to family.  At times it is easy to get lost in the loneliness that comes with a hard working husband, but it is a comforting thought to know I have a loving family just miles up the road who are always up for fun adventures!

(Remember to click on the image to enlarge it.)

Return to Blogging/Photo of the week

Hello dear void.

I have noticed a pattern with my blogging.

I will write once or twice a month for a few weeks and then spend an entire month trying to catch up on all the blog posts I'm behind.  This cycle occurs every three to four months due to business, being exhuasted, or plain unmotivated.  I think my latest disappearance was a little of all three.

To help with the consistency of this blog (although I'm pretty sure it's only my momma that checks this regularly) I'm going to steal some ideas from my friends' blogs.  My friend, Tracy, has a photo of the week, and since I have such a love for photography I thought that would be a fun way to share some of my captured images.  I will continue to catch up with our happenings over the past few weeks, Christmas details, etc.  but I wanted to start this tradition first.

This picture was taken at the California Academy of Sciences located at the Golden Gate Park.  It truly has become one of my favorite places to visit; I've even become a member and can get someone in free each time I go...hint hint...  I have blogged about it in the past, so I won't go into all of the details from my time there.  The picture below was taken in the indoor rainforest dome, third level, among the hundreds of butterflies.  My friend, Kelsey, joked that the animals were all posing for me that day.

I think this picture may prove her theory just a bit!