New Beginnings

It's been pretty quite here on the blog for a while now, I've been busy with life, and a job. A while back I decided to slow down my photography career and focus on my little ones. Then...my husband lost his job. I stuck to my decision on the photo business, but started a new job instead (one with a regular paycheck).

I started teaching 6th grade orchestra. It was a job that I didn't really want at first (I just didn't want to be working at all); one that I felt I had no skills, experience, or talent to pull off. It had been years since I had played my string instruments. But I took the first step and started something. I took it one step and one day at a time. 

Well, I really started to like my job. I got to know my 20 students and was having fun teaching them.  I was learning about myself and my talents all over again. It was really fun!

But life doesn't always work out the way we plan. My husband finally found a job (after 8 months), and I was super excited!! However, our world had shifted again. The job I didn't want, that turned into the one I loved, wouldn't work with our family situation anymore. 

I tried and tried to make it work. I worried about my students; I owed it to them to finish the year. I also didn't want to burn any bridges. It wasn't until I sat down with the people being effected by this transition (my own children), that I had a concrete decision.

They begged me to stay home. My family is the most important thing to me, I've said it before and I'll continue to say it. So, for now, my resume is: mom! There will always be time for works, but my kids won't always be little.

I will miss these 20 kids though! Good luck everyone, I'll see you at the next concert. And maybe once or twice in class. ; )

Burr Family Sneak Peek

This family is awesome, I have so much fun photographing them. We rocked this photo shoot out in 35 minutes! They all know me so well that it was super quick and a lot of fun. It was freezing cold outside, but as promised, it was well worth it. What a beautiful family!

Baby Bennett

Our dear friends just entered the realm of parenthood when they welcomed baby bennett into this world. We are thrilled for them and this new adventure they are beginning.

Bennett is such a cutie, yet he doesn't seem to be a big fan of photo shoots thus far (but we'll change that soon enough).  I've never heard a baby snore until now, but let me tell you it is the cutest thing ever! 

My children are smitten with this kid, too. It will be exciting to watch them grow up together.

Congratulations Steve and Debbie, he's beautiful!

Pickin' Pumkpins

The pumpkin patch near our home has been upgrading it's features every year and I think this year was the best yet. They had a petting zoo, a maze, a hay bale tower, hay rides and a corn pit.

Natalie loved the corn, especially sticking it in her ears! Every time I turned around she was trying to stuff more in her ears. She even tried to stuff some in Kai's ears when he was buried.  Kai also liked climbing the tower.

Trying to get pictures of my own three kids is so hard. Here are my best attempts: on the hay ride, in the corn, and out in the field. Kai with his pumpkin.

Cedar

Isn't that the most beautiful, unique name? I grew up as a one and only with my name and loved it. I think she will too, with a name as pretty as she is.

Saying Goodbye to Summer

is so hard to do this year.

And here is an old school throw back... I guess I like photographing Natalie, photographing. : )

Better Together

There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together

Mmm, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
For tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll sit beneath the mango tree now

Yeah, it's always better when we're together
Mmm, we're somewhere in between together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're better together. 

Jack Johnson

Into the Wild

This location was fun...and unique!

I love it when couples trust me to try something out of the box and artistic. 

Wishing I Was Here Again

Film Love

how sweet it is to be loved by you..

Love is... {Utah Engagements}

full of laughter

Fish Lake Camping Trip - Film Photographer

Jeremy was dying to take our family camping this summer, he did most of the preparation and packing and we were off to Fish Lake. It was so beautiful there, the lake had a nice trail around it so we went on lots of bike rides, tried to fish, played games, and ate camp food. Overall it was fun, but it did have it's bad moments, and we almost came home early!

On the first day we went for a bike ride by the lake in the hot sun. Well, I got fried, not just sun burned, fried. Crispy! We roasted marshmallows that night with the kids and used up our firewood, planning to buy more the next day. After we tucked the kids in bed, my burn was getting painful and I was very cold! Jeremy and I stayed up for a bit and then went to bed ourselves. We tossed and turned for a few hours, we were up at 9,000 feet and it was cold, and we were sunburned, and even more cold. It was freezing! I have never felt so cold in all my life. As much as we tried, neither one of us could sleep.

We tried cuddling to share body heat, and I fell asleep for about 30 minutes. However, I was stealing all of Jeremy's body heat so that didn't work out either. Finally, at 2:30 am we decided we could just go out and make a fire to get warm. 

We got out of the tent and remembered we didn't have any fire wood left. I suggested we steal some from sleeping campers! haha Jeremy suggested foraging for sage brush. So he foraged, over and over, every 15 minutes until the sun warmed us all up at about 8am! We just sat by the fire all night long, no sleep, at all! We were ready to cook breakfast at 4am. We decided to at least wait until the kids woke up at 6:30am. It was one of the longest nights of my life, I was Done camping! I wanted to go home or to the nearest hotel and sleep!

Jeremy took the kids back into town to gather supplies: aloe, a new sleeping bag for me to use, ponchos, and firewood! I got to sleep. When Jeremy got back he took a nap too. We decided to stay.

We went and took a shower that day to refresh, and went on another bike ride. It rained that night and put the entire camp to bed early that night. It was nice and quiet, dark, and warmer from the cloud cover, and we were exhausted. We slept great that night.

Our last day we went to the lake and tried to fish. We caught nothing in the 30 minutes we tried, while the people next to us caught about 25 fish! It was a little sad. Then we packed up camp and drove back home to our nice warm beds! : )

Clockwise from top left: Our chubby campground squirrel, we nicknamed Bob. Our campsite, the best one I thought, Jeremy really did his homework. Beautiful trees by our site. Jeremy setting up camp. Nicole lounging in a chair. Natalie on her bike.

More scenes from our campsite. Kai lounging around, bored. Trees, and the moon (I went to take pictures around 6am because I was bored). The kids by the lake when we stopped on a bike ride. Our camp fire. The lake and fishing by the lake.

We introduced Kai to Solitaire, he is hooked now!

Natalie was our dirt queen, she was happy as a clam digging in the dirt all day. She looked like this 90% of our trip! haha

Here's Nicole in her PJ's with a full tummy! She liked to get dirty too.

Water Fight! Sneak Peek - Utah Kid's photographer

This session was a blast! These kids had fun bombing each other with water balloons, squirt guns, and running around with their towels. Good thing it was hot and sunny outside!

Sierra - Baptism Photography Mini Session

This sweet little lady is getting baptized on the same day as our son Kai! She looked so beautiful in her white dress, such a special occasion. I can't wait to see Kai in his whites that day, too.

Main Street Modern - Spanish Fork Family Photography