Photo of the Week 4

My good friend, Kelsey, took this picture with my camera on our hike to Alamere Falls in Point Reyes State Park.  I'm reading a book at the top of the falls, while looking out to the ocean...it was gorgeous and totally unforgettable!

Tori Photo Shoot

You really can't beat this weather.  We have had gorgeous blue skies and temps in the high 60's, 70's which has made for  some gorgeous picture opportunities.  On the way driving to my brother's place the other day, I saw a gorgeous patch of yellow wild flowers growing right off the main road.  I immediately thought about how great that would be to take pictures in.  Luckily my good friend was willing to let me borrow her daughter for an hour.  The lighting was harsher than I would have liked, with absolutely no clouds to help filter the shadows, but Tori was such a trooper and we were able to get some great shots.

Make sure to click on the picture to enlarge the image.

Baby Ruby Photo Shoot

I am loving being able to practice photography.  I'm excited to learn and develop this skill and I've found it's such a great way stress reliever as well.  A big thanks goes out to all of you who are letting me practice on either your selves or your children.

I'm always in need of models!

This was my first newborn photo shoot, so it was definitely trial and error.  Ruby was such a sweetheart though, and only cried when we placed her on her stomach.  The lighting wasn't ideal, but we were able to  get a few images that we liked.

Here are some of the highlights...

 

Fairmont Hotel San Francisco

I LOVE SAN FRANCISCO

I'm not sure how I would ever leave the bay area!  

Dallas and I spent the holiday week up with my family in Washington.  And like any good vacation it just never seems long enough.  So we decided to extend our trip one more night.  Instead of driving across the bay bridge, we decided to spend a romantic night at the Fairmont hotel after flying into San Francisco.  

The Fairmont San Francisco is truly a landmark for the city, opening in 1907 it soon became the venue of glittering balls and presidential visits; including the United Nations charter signing.  Personally my favorite frequent guest would be Ella Fitzgerald, the jazz goddess herself.  The halls are lined with chandeliers and pictures of past and present celebrities.  It was incredibly beautiful, with endless shine to attract my sparkle driven eye.

We stayed on the 20th floor with an amazing view looking out over the city and ocean.  

My favorite, though, was the floor to ceiling christmas tree and life size two-story edible gingerbread house.  I wish my pictures could do it all justice.

It was the absolute perfect and romantic way to end a relaxing holiday break.

Leavenworth

Yes it's February and I am still blogging about things that happened in December.  I guess it's just one step closer to being current.

There is a small Bavarian themed town located in the mountains of central Washington called Leavenworth.  I've made some incredible memories with both friends and family over the years at this enchanted village, but it wasn't until I wanted to blog about it that I really learned the history.

"Leavenworth’s history does not begin with the alpine tradition of the town today, but with the proud heritage of the Yakama, Chinook and Wenatchi tribes. The Native American tribes lived by hunting the land for deer and elk, as well as fishing Icicle Creek for salmon. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful and bountiful lands in North America, the three tribes co-existed from Lake Wenatchee to the Icicle and beyond.

The area was eventually settled by pioneers in search of gold, furs and fertile farmland. Stakes were claimed, land was parceled out, and the Leavenworth area was soon bustling with settlers. By 1890, the original town was built on the Icicle Flats.

But it wasn’t until the end of the century that the town began to blossom with the arrival of the rail line. The tracks of the Great Northern Railway Company through Leavenworth brought  opportunities for work, commerce and a new economy.

A healthy logging and sawmill industry created a thriving town until the Great Northern Railway Company pulled out of Leavenworth. The re-routing of the railroad and the subsequent closure of the sawmill converted the town from a bustling hub of commerce into a hollow, dying community. For more than thirty years, Leavenworth lived on the brink of extinction.

People in the town knew something had to be done to keep the town alive, so in the early 1960’s, in a last-chance effort to turn their precarious situation around, the leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth’s appearance, hoping to bring tourism into the area. Using the beautiful backdrop of the surrounding Alpine hills to their advantage, the townspeople agreed to remodel their hamlet into a Bavarian-style village. 

Hoping to create more than a mere facelift, the entire community rallied to create the illusion of Bavaria in the middle of Washington state. Besides completely renovating the downtown area, community members worked to begin a series of festivals. The Autumn Leaf Festival, Maifest and the extremely popular Christmas Lighting Ceremony were the first of many attractions Leavenworth offered to passers-by.

And it worked!! Since the change to a Bavarian motif, Leavenworth has become a pillar of the tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Today, more than a million tourists come to Leavenworth each year, with each visitor finding an individual love affair with the community. The story is a landmark case of the human spirit, for not only did the people of Leavenworth survive their most critical hour, but they endured."

While Dallas and I were home for the holidays we were able to make a quick drive up to Leavenworth for a fun day of shopping and dinner.  We had a blast mingling among the millions of other tourists and finally feeling snow under our feet.  If you ever get the chance to make it up to Washington, be sure to plan to visit Leavenworth!

Photo of the Week 3

This was taken on my basic point and shoot cannon digital camera back in 2009.

Dallas and I were visiting Kho Phi Phi, gorgeous islands of the coast of Thailand.

I couldn't help, but feel envious that this little guy gets to call this place home.

Christmas on the farm

This year we spent Christmas in Washington.  Due to Dallas's insane work schedule right before the holidays, I left a week before him.  I flew up to Seattle and spent a fun three days going to my nieces dance recital, celebrating a close friend's wedding, hanging out with my favorite Kelsey, and talking the hours away with my old college roommate, Whitney.

I then drove across the mountains to Ephrata where I spent a couple days playing with little Emma and Nora and Leisha, my little brother's daughters and wife.  Emma was quite the entertainer, singing songs and dancing for her audience.  I have literally never met a more spitfire child, which is probably why I absolutely adore her!  Little Nora is easily one of the cutest girls I have ever laid eyes on.  She is almost a year old and is rolling.  I get so lost in her huge eyes!  She was definitely the perfect model for a doting auntie!

Dallas met up with all of us on the 21st, just in time for his 30th birthday the next day.  The rest of the week was filled with tons of family, chaos, presents, amazing food, loving parents, and lots of SNOW.  Christmas morning was quieter than usual, with only Dallas, Stuart, mom, dad, and I, but things were quickly livened up a few hours later when Richard's family of four and Bryan's family of six all showed up.

We feel so blessed to have such a loving family to spend the holidays with.  Thanks again, mom and dad!  We love you guys so very much and had a blast celebrating!

Dallas turns 30...a couple months ago

I'm slowly making it through our pictures from the past couple months, so I realize that Dallas turned 30 back in December, but he is just too adorable to not post about it.

I asked Dallas one time if he hated having his birthday three days before Christmas and his response was "Why would I hate that?  I just got more presents."  Our first year married we were in Ephrata for his 28th birthday and my mom made a big dinner in his honor.  Then we went around the table and everyone said one thing they loved about Dallas.  Needless to say, the only thing he asked for this year was to NOT do that again :)  We did however keep the big family dinner.  My little brother Stuart was home for the holidays, and my little brother Richard and his wife and two daughters now live in Ephrata, so we had a fun gathering.  We kept the Perkins' tradition of making him a checkerboard birthday cake, but once again mom and I failed to see the "checkerboard" in our creation.  We had a fun day of opening present, eating food, and sleeping (which was especially needed since he had been working 18 hour days leading up to our vacation!)

Happy 30th, my husband!  I'm sure by the time you're 60 I'll finally have mastered the checkerboard in your  favorite cake!