Heart Warmer

Madeline and I chose a great insulated cup for Culley's Christmas gift from her. It came with a template that you upload, add your pictures to, and voila! A personalized gift for him to use at work...it sounded like the perfect, simple 'thoughtful' gift. But when I looked at the template options at Starbucks.com, they were awful...I think I am becoming a photo/layout snob! However, I digitally scrapped this instead, had it printed, and cut it to the template, and it turned out amazing! I have definitely become addicted to digital scrapbooking the past 6 months or so! Credits: Leora Sanford, Gratitude papers;amy martin twill tags elements; birdstheword elements; Tracy Rivera templates.

Merry Christmas

No more Snow, No more Snow, No more Snow!

Well, we have received the much anticipated and longed for snow...40+ inches of it in the past week, and more in the forecast! I confess that between fighting a winter cold/sinus infection for the past three weeks, and being stuck inside for the majority of the past several days, 'going stir crazy' is an understatement! What I really want to be doing is putting on my snow shoes (Culley's Christmas present from me 2 years ago) and enjoying the fresh air! Hopefully soon! For now, here are a couple of before and after pictures. Helping her Daddy "shovel" our first bit of snow Taking her puppy for a "walk in the snow to make tracks". We have about 18 inches at this point.At 40+ inches... My Dad gets a taste of 'real' snow after 7 years in Tennessee!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Not quite the icestorm that the east coast is experiencing, but with temps in the single digits and expected to stay that way (or lower!) for the next few days, I'd say it is pretty cold. We are supposed to get one foot of snow between today and tonight- perfect timing for an outdoor (yes, I did say outdoor) photo shoot planned tomorrow with 10 (yes, TEN) children under the age of five. Hmm, needless to say I am working on some alternatives with the parents! So far we are just experiencing light snow flurries, but I will leave you with a couple of fun pictures that I took of Madeline last night when our first snow began to fall- she is very anxious to try out her bright purple sled and feels a bit frustrated that it won't fall any faster! All in good time, all in good time.

Not even a Snowflake

Here is a fun picture from Culley's and my 'night out on the town'. We look forward to the Christmas party that Coffman Engineers throws every year at the Spokane Country Club. This year it was called the 'SNOWFLAKE SOIREE' and the funny part was, it was also the first year that there was no snow on the ground. But the white lights twinkled, the fireplace crackled, and the food was delicious...and for once I wasn't slipping and sliding all the way to/from the car in my fancy dancing shoes! Plus Madeline was able to spend an evening with her cousin Carly, something that she always enjoys!

Cookie Time

It is that time of year. I don't know about you, but I grew up in a house where Christmas baking was a month-long event. Between the cookies, popcorn balls, homemade caramels, breads and buckeyes (if you do not know what these are you are missing out!) and assorted other goodies, our house was constantly filled with warmth (from the oven) and delicious smells. Growing up in a very healthy household, poor Culley was not quite sure what to think the first year or two that we were married (what do you mean, you make TWO different kinds of sugar cookies...aren't they all the same? silly boy. ) But now even he has gotten into the spirit of it- it is quite fun to put together cookie plates for people, and the house does smell so delicious. It has also become a tradition to make Caroline (that is Culley's mom) a batch or two of her own special cookies- she has a lot of various food allergies that make it difficult to eat traditional sweets, so we play with this and substitute that and eventually end up with a very healthy but still somewhat sweet alternative for her to enjoy. This year, I am happy to say I just may have perfected the gingerbread cookie- I may even start to make them this way for 'real' (which is saying a lot for the queen of butter, milk, eggs and all things good! :) ) I think she will enjoy them, but I think what she will enjoy more is that this year, Madeline helped me make them from beginning to end, and had a blast doing so! At first I thought it was just the lure of licking the bowl (that helps) but no, she really enjoyed it all, and each day now asks if it is a "cookie day". It definintely takes longer to make the cookies this way, so I may have to cut one or two cookies out of the 'usual' list this year, but having a 2 1/2 year old is the best! Below are some pictures of Madeline helping with Grandma Caroline's cookies.

And finally, the best part!

Blustery Days

Wow- realizing I haven't posted in over a week! I left Thursday for an amazing weekend conference on worship and music- I came back feeling tired, refreshed, (yes, those two words can be in the same sentence!) and inspired to actually start practicing the piano once again. The following pictures were taken the day before I left. (They were taken with a 7 year old digital point and shoot, so the quality is what it is!) Our week of rain finally let up for a small window of time, so Madeline and I dashed to the nearby park to enjoy what bit of "warmth" there was...it turns out this was only to be found in our steaming cups of hot goodness from Starbucks (no, no coffee for Madeline. But steamed apple juice for $1.10 is a great option- and she thinks I am the best for mom for such a "delicious treat!") Thankfully, I remembered to bring a bath towel to dry the slides, swings, etc. off. We lasted for about 30 minutes, though honestly I was ready to leave in 10...you know when Madeline says, "it's too cold- let's go home) that is is bitter cold! And it is a good thing we did, too. Because half-way home and the rain started falling again- hard! Madeline and her cup of steamed delicious goodness... Making me "cookies and icecream"...you can tell where my little sweet tooth's mind was!

A Light in the Darkness

It is funny, because I went to school in the Northeast and when people heard I was from Washington their response was always "what part of the D.C. area?" or, "oh, doesn't it rain all the time there?" Growing up in a desert with 7% average humidity I always found this rather amusing. Today we no longer live in the arid desert, but it also does not rain "all the time". Except for today...and yesterday...and tomorrow- and supposedly for the next entire week. Sigh. Honestly, except for shoveling, I cannot help but think how beautiful our street would look with a week's worth of snow vs. rain. But that will come soon enough. And then I will be dreaming of the refreshing sense the first spring rain will bring. So while we hover in the rainy season between crisp fall days and calm winter nights, in the days when I wake up to the dark and prepare dinner with an already darkened sky I am going to celebrate- celebrate the warmth of candles and fires at night and the autumn palette of watercolors dancing outside my window during the day. Celebrate the feel of a warm cup of coffee between my hands in the morning and sipping a hot cup of tea in the evening. Celebrate the sharp spice of baked goods and the comfort of homemade soup. Oh yes, (and this is the BIG one) I will celebrate that Madeline no longer awakes at 6:30 in the am to a "sunshiny day". For the past two week she is averaging 7:30-8:00 in the am despite (or because of) daylight savings. And this is one expectant mommy who is going to celebrate her extra few minutes of sleep!

BOO!

I seem to have misplaced my card with all of Madeline's Halloween pictures on it...hopefully I will post them soon- before Thanksgiving rolls around!!!

Fall Fun: Fun Family

Fall is just an amazing time to take pictures- and there is nothing more fun than spending a beautiful fall day with a really fun family, capturing their time together. Personally, they make my job way too easy!

The Wolfe Pack

I had so much fun with this photo shoot. I have known Darby since my first year living in Spokane. She is a kind, caring and compassionate person, and it was a joy to capture these special moments with the three of them! The hardest part was choosing which ones to post, because I truly loved them all! This photo at the duck pond was a must have, as Jason and Darby have been taking Logan here to see the ducks since he was only a few months old. I loved shooting it in a sepia tone to give it that timeless appeal- it just seemed to fit the nostalgic nature of the picture and their memories. The end.

Crunch Time

It is hard to believe we are already at the end of October! I love this time of year- The crisp sunny days (of course, as I write this it is raining outside!), the warmth of a favorite sweater, the feel of a hot cup of tea in my hands, the crunch of leaves and earthy smell of grapes on our daily walks. Don't get me wrong, there are pluses to every season, but fall has the other ones beat by a long shot. Judging by the following pictures, I think Madeline just might agree! Madeline plopped herself down on the ground and lay making "leaf" angels until her cousin Carly attacked her with a leaf shower!

Reality...

So I went to see our friend's new little girl the other day and take her newborn pictures, and as I held this barely born child in my arms it suddenly hit me. We are going to be parents again! You'd think the daily bouts of fatigue and nausea would have convinced me, or the ever expanding waistline, but no, it took holding a precious little child named Margaret. And you know, it was a much nicer reminder than "morning" sickness, anyway!

No Time Like the Present

So, I have been thinking about starting a blog for quite some time now. It always feels like such a luxury to slip downstairs to the computer early in the morning before Madeline is awake, cup of coffee in tow, and catch up on the lives of my friends throughout the US... (or more often these days, sitting at the computer late at night with a cup of tea). So today, I am starting one. I know from a PR standpoint I should get one going for my photography business as well, but I decided it would be prudent to first get a feel for blogging, format, etc...and to see if I even like the format of this blog host. Can I make a free host look "professional" enough, or should I purchase a host. You get the picture. So, that being said, here I am world! For today I simply leave you with a couple of pictures from a recent trip visiting my folks in Tennessee. Enjoy!

Madeline enjoying shorts in October.

Walking the ever faithful sidekick, Gidget the Pug. enjoying every last drop of apple cider after pumpkin picking She kept searching until she found HER pumpkin- her requirement? "a small one" Me and my girl.