school clothes

His father told him it was a bad idea...I refused to comment.

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Tree of Life

I absolutely LOVE Monday mornings

Seriously. No sarcasm. After a long weekend of crazy, no schedule randomness...grazing...resting...more grazing...I'm ready for schedule and 5am exercise. Starting it off right!

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Pinterest

I can willingly admit to not being on the "up & up"...slow to lag in the "digital/technology" world - and usually my sister and my husband (and a few other family and friends who shall remain nameless but know who you are) are usually pulling me along - forcing me to get with the program.  Tia has been on my case FOREVER to join Pinterest.com.  She keeps sending me these invites (almost as bad as the Facebook ones - don't waste your time with me).  However after much prodding, I finally jumped on board and made my first official "pin" under my FOODIE board.  I am so proud of myself.


I'd tell you to check it out but then I'd be as bad as her sending you invites etc... so I'll stop myself right here, and go help her decide on which bulletin board she needs to create for her kitchen, and try not to complain about the obvious fact that all those "pins" and "boards" make my eyes cross and roll back into my head.


**Here is where I must add that I "pinned" my first "pin" wrong...my sister had to point that out.**

Giovanna & Family

 So so sweet...Giovanna had a big window in her mom's bedroom that we "set up shop" in and did the whole shoot right there.  She was quite the little poser - her big brother was very attentive and loving (and I smiled every time he said her name...he was way too cute!)  If only I could get me some of her mothers long curly hair....ahhh here's to wishful thinking!

Hermosa Beach

Over the past 14 years Matt and I have had many many beach vacations.  Matt loves the beach - adores the beach - if he feels like a vacation, then it's going to happen at the beach.  The only hang up has been "which beach"?  Matt needs a big long boardwalk to ride and walk up and down.  I want yummy food and little shops nearby.  I want to stay far away from big public parking lots and crowded beaches.  We finally settled on an awesome location - Hermosa Beach.  The best of all worlds.  Tia and her girls joined us - and my mom and brother/sis.in.law, and Matt's sister & family popped in and out throughout the weekend.

I had no idea my brother Court was so tall??

We walked to the little Aquarium in Redondo beach...nothing snazzy - right up our alley.

The lovely black vignette on the edge of this image is what happens when you put a non "full-frame" lens on a full-frame camera :)

Can you just feel the love?? In the next frame he was kicking sand on her head.

Absolutely loved our walks every night down to the pier for yogurt/ice cream

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the actual donut...maple long john topped with bacon.  We went there 3 times (the 45 minute boardwalk bike ride made it ok to indulge :) I loved the fact that after our first bike ride (which Laina whined & complained about having to go on) - she caught on real quick and the next morning was chomping at the bit to "go on a bike ride" 'cause she knew that all bike rides end with donuts.

I love it - all the kids had already had their ice cream and then Matt sits down and gets to SHARE with them.

Blame it on the rain

Photography and the weather - the two, when combined, can either make you jump for joy or jump and pull your hair out.
Last night I had a session get rained out...but last week in Flagstaff - the rain held off and let us get our photos done...and then proceeded to downpour.  The above image has had a little contrast added to it - other than that - it is "straight out of the camera", with colors courtesy of the incredible, huge, billowy rain clouds that were in the sky - behind my head & camera (how is that for a run-on sentence?).  So, from a photography stand-point, sometimes holding your breath and crossing your fingers when clouds are overhead can be a real good thing.

Summer Flower

One quick little summer flower before we say goodbye to the long nights and hot sunny days...

The Boxer

In the clearing stands a boxer 

And a fighter by his trade 

And he carries the reminders 

Of ev'ry glove that layed him down 

Or cut him till he cried out 

In his anger and his shame 

"I am leaving, I am leaving" 

But the fighter still remains...

I figured if I added a little S&G my mother wouldn't flip when I told her that I signed her oldest grandson up for boxing...the younger one will have to wait his turn...(it was either boxing or Young Marines - he settled for boxing and promised not to bug me anymore about the Marine gig...)