KB photography

DeMarynee

2011-03-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

This cute girl and her family moved to Elko a few months ago, and they are the most AMAZING people! It has been so fun to get to know all of them, and I was so excited to get to take prom pictures for her! Stay tuned for family pictures soon... nine kids!

Better to have tried and failed?

2011-02-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

Well, six posts out of 28 days? What can I say...

I figured I would get one more in this month, though:

Have a great day!

Science Fair and Valentine Toes :)

2011-02-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

Things I have learned this week :
1 - Consistency is not my strong suit (well, I really already knew that)
2 - Neither is toenail painting
3 - Four extra large eggs can hold up 41 cans of soup, but the 42nd can of soup will smash them spectacularly and fling egg goo farther than I would have thought possible. The things we do for science fairs!

Stuff I meant to post...

2011-02-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

Two Years Ago...

2011-02-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Time is a crazy thing when you are raising kids. Sometimes it seems like every day is the same thing as the day before. Same wake up and get the kids out the door routine, same homework, same dinner chores. And then you see a picture like this and it stops you and makes you realize how fast time flies.

Day 2 - Winter Sky

2011-02-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

It is SO cold here!

There are only 28 days in February....

2011-02-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

...so I am going to try try TRY my best to post a picture a day for the month. I am even giving myself some lee-way by saying that it doesn't necessarily have to be taken that day. Or by me.
So here is a collage of OUR family photos taken in November by the AMAZING Kristin Conk

I am so in love with them! The people AND the pictures :)

Anyway, if you stop by, comment please! It will help me keep this up for 27 more days :)

A little fishy

2010-10-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

This is my sweet friend, Lacie's family. Her hubby loves to fish, so we decided to do this shoot at the lake. Other than the extra bright sunshine (I was hoping for a little cloud cover) the day was perfect. The kids were adorable and cooperative. Even the wildlife decided to do us a favor - while I was shooting mom & daughter, hubby was casting a little and this big old fish decided he wanted to get in on the pictures!

Thanks, Spence Family! This was the perfect family shoot - a beautiful family having fun doing what they love with the people they love! You're the best!

Elko & Spring Creek Senior Photography - LINDSEY!

2010-08-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Lindsey agreed to be my Senior Representative at Spring Creek High School, and I am so glad I got the chance to hang out with her and her mom for awhile. What a sweetie!We nearly got blown away and had to cut this session short, so look for more of this gorgeous girl!

Ten on Tuesday

2010-07-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Originally, I thought that I would try to take 10 pictures every Tuesday. But then I realized that I do pretty much the same things every Tuesday. So I changed my mind, and now 10 on Tuesday will be about the whole week. Cuz, really, how many pictures of me exercising, going to the park, and getting a pepsi do you really want to see?

{1}

We had so much fun with KC & Lynnette over the 4th of July weekend! It was a super rushed trip, but the kids had a blast with their cousins, and it was great to see their new house, and Lynnette's cute baby belly.

{2}

These two are so cute together - they were joined at the hip almost from the minute we got there. I hope they stay close growing up!

{3}

I really need a lens with a wider aperture to shoot fireworks! :P

{4}

This adorable child is lucky to still be alive. This week she checked "throwing Mom's wedding ring in the garbage" and "dumping an entire bottle of nail polish on my bed" off of her list of "Rotten Things to do Before I Turn Five".

No, I didn't find the ring. I am hoping that she was making it up, and that it will turn up around here sometime!

{5}

Justin has been borrowing my camera a lot lately. He is funny - sometimes he wants me to teach him about taking pictures, and sometimes he just rolls his eyes when I try to tell him stuff, but I guess he must listen to some of it. I was telling him why full sun is not the best light to take pictures in usually - I thought he did pretty good with the lighting on this shot!

{6}

I am kinda loving the whole translucent thing lately. This is a silly shot, but I loved the light coming through the colorful straws - haha!

(7)

This is my friend and exercise/ dieting partner, Lacie. Between the two of us, we have lost over a hundred pounds in the last year! Woo hoo!

{8}

I am working on some big changes with my photo business. I revamped my logo a bit. Any opinions?

{9}

Just a shot of my handsome hubby in some pretty sunset light. He hates it when I take pictures of him :/

{10}

Being silly this morning - they wanted me to draw all of our family on their fingers. Dallin was really concerned about the tallest fingers being the tallest people, and Alyssa wanted Zack on one of hers, then her finger and Zack's finger played until her bath washed them off.

Well there you have it folks - ten random moments from my crazy life this week. Tune in next week for the next exciting episode :)

Quick Trip to SLC

2010-06-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

I dropped Cody off at EFY this morning, (embarassed the heck out of him by asking this guy if we could take a picture of our reflection in his glasses - haha!)and then had the afternoon to take my time getting back to Elko, so I stopped at a couple of places and took some pictures...

I have driven by this place a ton of times, and thought, "What a cool place for a photo shoot", but I have never stopped because We are always in a hurry and I don't want the kids to play around there and get hurt. But this time it was just me so I stopped.

There was a group already doing a photo shoot there, so I didn't get all the ones I wanted, just cuz I didn't want to get in their way. But the other photographer told me that they are going to tear in down in a month or so :( ! So, Shari - you are close by - go do a shoot there before it's gone!

The Salt Flats are so amazing - I could shoot there all day!

Oh the Cuteness!

2010-06-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

Ten on Tuesday

2010-06-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

1. Alyssa's hair is growing! I almost hate to say it, because I'll jinx myself, but I think that she may be growing out of the hair cutting phase. Finger's crossed!

2. I love this kid. He gets so much joy out of silly stuff, like happy meal toys, or coloring pictures, or this green fuzzy ball.

3. This is a cheat, because it is from Saturday, but that is some true pancake artistry right there. Plus I used my flash on it & you can't tell, can you? Haha!

4. Lacie & I started the Wave today. I'm a little sore!

The cute kid in the red pajamas? We have been exercising together since she was pregnant with him! Holy cow - that's a long time!

5. I have been wanting to get this shot all year:

He's leaving me. Little by little, he is growing out of me, and it breaks my heart. Why do they have to grow so fast?

6.

Yay for clean floors!

7. And for pretty pink buds on my tree!

8. And Diet Pepsi!

I am so addicted :P It is a really good thing that I don't drink - I would totally be one of those people that stach little bottles of booze everywhere and sneak it between loads of laundry or something!

Dang, I only made it to eight today, but I will try harder for next Tuesday!

First Sunday of the Year

2010-01-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

I really love the freshness of a new year. I love the Christmas season and I am always sad to see it go, but I love the feeling I get when everything is cleaned up and life gets back to normal. It feels like starting with a clean slate. So far, I have read my scriptures every single day this year! And I have blogged every single Sunday!

So I am going to try to find something clever or insightful to share here at least every Sunday this year. Or if I can't think of anything, maybe I will just check in with a photo or two, cuz I do that better. I hope all of you out there have a wonderful new year!

Sam & Lyric

2009-10-26T00:35:00.000-07:00

These guys are getting married on my birthday! Congratulations :)

Thanks for letting me hang out with you for a while - it was too fun!

It's Not Too Early

2009-09-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Every year I pass this shed covered in these gorgeous red leaves, and I think - "I have GOT to do a shoot in front of those!" But they are really short lived, so I have missed them a few times. Not this year! Poor kids - I ran in the door with new shirts and yelled "everybody put these on - we are going to take pictures in 15 minutes!" They were all such good sports - even hubby!

It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas card photos, by the way! In fact, I am running a special...

so call soon!

This is my WHY

2009-09-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Family is an amazing thing. These little groups of people that share their lives so closely - all the laughter, all the frustrations, all the mistakes and forgiveness, all the growth and all the joy. I believe with every piece of my heart that there is nothing that can bring more happiness than family.

And this is why I love to do this photography stuff!

Sometimes I think that we can get so caught up in the mundane - the running back and forth to school and work and ball practice, cleaning the bathrooms, the laundry laundry LAUNDRY - that we can miss how incredibly beautiful our families are.

This mom is so awesome! She totally "got it" - the whole "Just Be" philosophy (Tara Whitney - I want to be her when I grow up!)

I love that you can see how much fun they have together.

I love that you can see how crazy they are about each other.

And I love what you can see in those kids - their confidence and their spunk, maybe a little shyness. I hope that when Mom & Dad look at these five or twenty years down the road that they can remember them just how they are today.

Thanks guys so much! It was so fun to follow you around for awhile! I hope you love looking at these as much as I loved taking them!

Spring Creek Sneak Peek

2009-09-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

We've been missing more than blog posts.....

2009-08-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

How cute is he?!

2009-05-29T01:39:00.001-07:00

What I have been up to...

2009-05-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy lately, and it has been so much fun! Just a few sneak peeks if you were looking for them:

Preschool

2009-05-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yay for no more snow!

2009-05-11T11:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday for Mother's Day a bunch of us went out to the Nisbet cabin. We roasted hot dogs & marshmellows and laughed and relaxed. It was so much fun and I am so looking forward to another summer!

My girls are growing up!

2009-04-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

So are my boys, of course, but this was a big week for the girls.

LVPD Family

2009-04-10T07:58:00.001-07:00

This Mom had the cutest idea. Dad is a police officer, so she wanted to take pictures of the kids with Dad's police things - they were a hoot!

Can you believe the eyes on these girls?

My photography teacher may have a fit...

2009-04-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

but I LOVE how these turned out.

The skin tones are wayyyyy off, and there is not a catchlight in sight, but sometimes the rules are made to be broken :)

one more

2009-04-07T22:00:00.001-07:00

this one was just too fun :)

For Aunt Phyllis

2009-04-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is just a preview - I still have a lot to edit. We did these in "the District" in Henderson - what a cool shopping center. It was so fun to hang out with you guys - I can't believe that you are all grown up! Hope that you like them :)

Beautiful Girls

2009-04-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

This was too easy!

Whitney

2009-03-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

We got rained out for Whitney's pictures, so we had to move into my garage. I'm hoping that I can talk her into putting the dress on again sometime so we can get some better shots. Isn't she lovely?

Ida at the Prom

2009-03-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is my friend, Melissa and her foreign exchange student. They have such a sweet relationship - it was just a pleasure to get to share this with them. The weather took a nasty turn and it was so COLD shooting these, but she was a trooper! Hope you enjoy them :)

Busy Day

2009-03-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the expression "When it rains it pours"? I think that I took less than 50 pictures in February, and then today I have three sessions! I had a really fun newborn session this morning. Just one edited for now... more coming. Then this afternoon I get to take pictures of some prom couples. Yay! So much fun!

I took Kimberly and a couple of friends out last night to practice. The light was just beautiful! But it is supposed to rain this afternoon, so pray for good weather for me!

First Gig

2009-03-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Cody's Jazz Band performed at a talent show in Lamoille this week - I think he really has fun with it.

Making fun of Mormons

2009-03-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

This might be the funniest thing I have heard since "Mormon Rap" came out. If you are a Mormon, or if you know someone who is, you gotta go here.

Fun & Free!

2009-03-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

Isn't that adorable? Download the collage program here.

Say no to Cannibalism

2009-02-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

It just occured to me as I was looking at my last couple of posts that I have now threatened to eat two of my children. That must be my saying du jour. I just wanted to make it clear that I have never actually eaten any children, nor do I intend to do so.

Brown-eyed girl

2009-02-26T23:42:00.001-08:00

Doesn't she just look like you could just eat her up? My little chocolate baby girl.

I can't decide if I like it better in color or in black and white? What do you think?

Alice the Fairy Cooks Dinner

2009-02-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

I just could not resist this shot - the outfit, the do, the tippytoes. As much as she drives me crazy (and she DOES) sometimes I could just eat her up.
And this one cracks me up too, because it is just so typical of them right now. Look at my OCD son - he wants the fries lined up around the edge of the pan. He does not care if only ten fries get cooked, as long as they are arranged JUST so. And Alyssa (as usual) is oblivious to his careful planning, and she is "MESSING IT UP MOM!" And he is so irritated and she is oblivious to that as well. Plus, he's mad because the frozen french fries feel yucky and he does not want to touch them anymore than necessary. Sometimes things work out ok. He got to outline the pan - notice that he is now wearing oven mitts so that he doesn't have to actually feel the yuckiness. And now he is ok to let her fill in the rest. And she is just doing her thing - still oblivious. Which is good, because if she had realized how much she was irritating him she would have found a way to make it ten times worse.

I really love being the mom. Well, sometimes not, but I talk about those times much more than I talk about how much I really love it. Watching their little personalities emerge, watching them learn and grow and solve problems... it's amazing! And when I forget myself and focus on them, I realize how truly truly blessed I am.

Oh - I almost forgot. The title - Alice the Fairy by David Shannon (who also wrote the No, David books) peek at it here. It is just SO Alyssa.

Nothing

2009-02-25T00:31:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes nothing seems to go right and you just want to crawl in a hole for a few days and pretend you don't exist?

Ok, maybe it's just me.

Many apologies to anyone who actually thought that I would post every day in Feb.

Fashion Serendipity

2009-02-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Kimmy bought this outfit from Aeropostale with her birthday $ and wanted to wear it to the movie on Saturday, but she couldn't figure out what shoes to wear. Until she remembered her new black, pink and white heely's that Grandma got her for her birthday. Way to save the day, Grandma!

the problem...

2009-02-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

...with publicly declaring on my blog that I am going to post everyday in February, is that I feel enormous guilt for not doing it. Oh the failure! Anyways, here is a picture that took me at least four hours to edit. How do you do it Shari?! I do love how it turned out in the end, but I probably won't try it again.

Thanks!

2009-02-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

I got a fun suprise today - some anonymous person sent me flowers. They are lovely!
Ok, but please fess up! It will drive me crazy until I know who sent these!

She is Three

2009-02-10T21:53:00.001-08:00

My little joke is that God sent her last because he knew that she would be the last one no matter what order she came in. In three short years she has turned every parenting theory that I have ever had on it's ear and convinced me that I know nothing about being a mom. No one can push my buttons like she can. But she is lying here sleeping on my lap, and there is nothing sweeter in the world. Lucky me.

Snow

2009-02-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

Ewww.

2009-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

I may never stay at a hotel again. Read here.

Pay It Forward

2009-02-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

I got this off my sister-in-law's blog here, and she makes all kinds of yummy goodies and pretty jewelry and cool stuff, so I couldn't pass it up!

{The Rules}
1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3.The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward!

7 little things that are making me happy

2009-02-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

1. My house is clean.
2. My snuggly, mooshy little Dallin just gave me a hug and said "I looooove you".
3. I have enough points left for a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich.
4. I got to chat on the phone for just a minute with my Mom.
5. My kids are so funny - it is fun to watch them develop their sense of humor.
6. I am going to watch Ed & fold towels as soon as I get the kids to bed.
7. Lacie and I made these clip boards last Friday and I put them up on the wall. Fun to walk past them 50 times a day.

A blast from my past

2009-02-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

If you have not been on facebook yet, you need get on.

Now. Go.

Did you go?

Ok - let me convince you.

I have NOT been to any high school reunions. I really couldn't think of anyone that I wanted to see, and high school was not my favorite time of life, let me tell you. But since I have been on facebook, I have connected with several people from that horrible time, and it is SO COOL. It's cool that they are real people with real grown-up lives. And it is cool that we have gone so many different directions, but that we still share memories.

And it is really fun to see old pictures that they post. So I was inspired to share some of mine - hehe. That is me on the left. I did a lot of theatre in high school. Anyway, your experience on facebook will probably be lots different than mine, but go anyways. It is so fun to connect with people that have been even a little part of your life.

Day 2

2009-02-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

I really love the contrast of light and shadow on the branches outside my window.

Random and boring :)

February

2009-02-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Otherwise entitled, my random life.

I want to try something this month, and feel free to tune me out if you wish, but I am going to try to post something each day about my boring, everyday life. I figure, what the heck, it may be interesting to someone in fifty years. Wouldn't you love to peek into the details of your grandma's everyday life when she was raising kids? Ok - maybe not everyone would, but I would.

Blue jeans hung up to dry. Now really, can you get any more random and boring than that? By the way, there are 21 pairs of jeans hung up there. I'm thankful for my mega-sized washing machine :)

(I can only count 16 hangers in the picture, but I assure you that I hung 21 pairs)

I'm sorry if this offends anyone...

2009-01-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

... but sometimes the only thing that keeps me from beating her is the thought that this will make for a really funny blog post.

Such is my life.

And speaking of offending people, my son taught this song to the other scouts at their activity tonight:

I have a true story to tell you,
It might hurt your feelings a bit.
Today when I went in the bathroom,
I stepped in a pile of shhhhhaving cream.

Hmmm. My apologies if the bishop's son has been an evil influence on your son.

I know I have been terrible about blogging - I am planning on a post a day extravaganza in February. But I can't start until then because I like to have a beginning and an end to those types of things. I'm weird like that.

Sneak Peeks

2008-12-17T23:39:00.000-08:00

I have had so much fun this week - shooting all these lovely families! Here's just a few...

Props to these brave souls - it was only 27 degrees outside when we took this one!!
I was a little worried about doing this shoot at night, as I am mostly a natural light type of girl, but I looove this one!

And Mom was worried we wouldn't get anything of this littlest cutie pie - she was not in the mood for pictures. But seriously - could she be any more adorable?!

I wish I could post more, but I am beat and I have to get up early tomorrow.

Thanks for letting me play everyone - hope you enjoy! :)

Merry Christmas

2008-12-17T15:09:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Back log

2008-12-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to my attention that I've been pretty negligent lately, so I am going to try to catch up with the last few sessions I have done plus a few of my own cute kids - hope you enjoy :)

This is my FAVORITE! Kudos to these guys for running around in the rain with me!

Thanks go to Heath for these smiles - I couldn't get them out of him, but his friend did :)

And Baby Makes Three

2008-12-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

I know that I have been awol for awhile. Thoughtful blogging is obviously not my thing, so back to photo blogging :)

Thanks for letting me shoot these Raegan! I had lots of fun. Hope you enjoy them :)

Part 2

2008-11-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

5 places I have lived
1. Henderson, NV
2. Ephraim, UT
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Springville, UT
5. Elko, NV
(boooo-ring)

5 Jobs I have had
1. File clerk at a dr. office
2. Pre-school teacher
3. Seamstress in a bag factory (for about one week)
4. Baby sitter
5. Mom

I don't know who to tag this time, so if you want to be tagged, you're it! Go crazy :)

I typed out the first part of this earlier, and left the computer for a minute. When I came back, Alyssa had typed a bunch of stuff, so I thought it was lost. Luckily, she published the first part before typing her own stuff, so I didn't have to type it all over again.

"If I had a Million Dollars" Tag

2008-11-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

My cute sister in law in Idaho tagged me a few days ago, and I have been so busy that I haven't gotten to it. So here it is, and feel free to not read all the boring details of my life, if you don't want to :)

5 Things I was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Incubating our third child.
2. Adjusting to life as the wife of a BYU student.
3. Chasing two toddlers (Kimberly was 1 1/2 and Cody was 3)
4. ......Ok - my memory doesn't really go back that far.

5 Things on my To-Do list
1. Finish baking cookies for my wonderful bail-me-out-in-a-pinch friend, Amy.
2. Get the boys room ready to texture it tomorrow (hopefully)
3. Think of something to make for dinner.
4. Fold laundry.
5. Actually make dinner.

5 Snacks I enjoy
1. Candy Cane Oreos
2. Mexico brand coconut popsicles
3.Velveeta & Rotel tomatoes on tortilla chips
4. Asian pears
5. Chocolate

5 Thing I Would do if I Were a Millionaire
1. Pay off my house, my car, my credit cards.
2. Buy food storage
3. Get Lasik surgery
4. Travel somewhere cool
5. Buy new lenses for the camera :)
(memememememe - it's all about me

Poor Mommy

2008-11-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

They must think that sometimes. "My poor dumb mommy - how will she tie her shoes when I am not around to help her with everything."

So this was my conversation with Dallin today:

"Mom , I need to go to the bathroom."

"Ok, sweetie - you know where it is."

"Mom, can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure. But what makes you think that my bathroom is better than yours?"

"My brain. Remember? Your brain makes you think."

Oh. Right.

This would have been cooler...

2008-11-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

if I had gotten it up before the election was decided. Or if they had won.

Whatever.

Anyway, Cody's scout troop was asked to post the colors at a Sarah Palin rally the night before the election. He's the last scout on the right.Amy sang the National Anthem and did a beautiful job.

In this shot you can see how close Cody was - you can see him right next to her shoulder.Even thought it was really late, I was glad that we went - she was fabulous. I really think that she is the reason that McCain got as many votes as he did. It will be interesting to see if she runs in 2012.

Getting Political

2008-11-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

So if you don't want to discuss it anymore, you have my full permission to quit reading.

Are you still reading? Is anyone?

Ok - so I am taking full responsibility for these comments and they should NOT be attributed to any church affiliation or family affiliation or anything else. These are entirely my opinions.

A friend of mine posted some opinions on her blog today, and posed a question to her sister "You said that you are afraid of Obama. Why? I really want to know." Althought the question wasn't asked of me, I want to answer it.

I am afraid that Obama will pull the troops out of Iraq too quickly and that it will leave the area unstable and vulnerable. I am afraid that the Taliban (or worse - is there such a thing?) will take over and all that we have accomplished in improving life for the Iraqi people will be lost. I am afraid that those who hate America and want to destroy us will gain more power.

I am afraid that Obama will raise our taxes. At one point he was saying that it will be on people who make $250,000+, but he started by saying $40,000+. From what I understand, he is lowering that $250,000 bit by bit, and I don't think that it will be long before it is back down to $40,000. I am not against paying taxes. I understand that there are many services that our tax dollars pay for. I am against my taxes paying for able bodied people to live lives of idleness. Caplitalism works because it is motivating. If you pay people for doing nothing, what motivation do they have to find jobs, get educated, to better themselves? If you take people's hard-earned money away, what motivation will they have to work hard to earn that money?

I am afraid that Obama will socialize medicine. I don't want people to go without healthcare! I don't want my kids to go without healthcare! But we have the best advancements in medicine in the world - other countries are decades behind us because we have a market for competition! A friend of mine had her father in the States from the UK when he had a heart attack. The doctors here were able to intervene and save his life. If he had had the heart attack in England, he would have died because he was too old. They will not intervene after a certain age, because it is not cost-effective!

I am afraid of what Obama wants to do with the Supreme Court. He has promised to appoint justices who will work in favor of the poor. Ummm - Supreme Court Justices are supposed to work in favor of the CONSTITUTION! They are not supposed to favor any person or group of people.

I am afraid of what our economy is doing. No one can blame Obama for this, but whatever promises he makes, I don't think that he can save us from what is coming. We as a people have created this problem, and we as a people are going to have to deal with the consequences and learn the hard way to live within our means, to be grateful for what we have, and to be wise with our stewardships.

Now I don't pretend to be the most politically savvy person. I quit watching the debates when they turned into a contest of "I know you are but what am I?" So if I am wrong about any of the above, feel free to correct me. I want to know. I REALLY want to understand why everyone loves Obama so much. All I have heard is that he stands for "change". No one is going to argue that there needs to be serious change, but I want to know what kind of change. All of the changes I have heard that he wants to make do not sound good to me at all. Please - someone change my mind! Convince me - really!

From my friend's blog - I hope she doesn't mind me reprinting it....

As Americans, we have given up our rights in a search for security. We have let fear enter and run our lives. You said you are afraid of Obama. Why? I really want to know. A majority in this country thinks that this man can bring about change. Some of that majority thinks he will just wave a magic wand and make their lives better. Ridiculous. This country is screwed up. We have lost our way in the journey to find life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and are now paying an incredible price. Do I think Obama can fix this? I don't think he can do it alone.

I couldn't agree more with this. We have lost our way - we have lived in the greatest country on earth for too many generations without appreciating it. We have had every luxury and still coveted more. We have increasingly turned our backs on God and his laws, preferring to worship athletes, actors and rock stars with our attention, imitation and money. We have forgotten the values that made this country great in the first place, and only a return to values, to gratitude, and yes, to God will heal our nation and solve our problems.

On the bright side - these are now in stores. Totally the upside of my day-after-an-election- gone-wrong day.

Vicki tagged me...

2008-10-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ummm - on the 15th? Oops. Sorry I am a little dense sometimes.

Ok - so here is "6 on 6"

6 TV shows I like to watch:

1. CSI

2. Everybody loves Raymond re-runs

3. Wonder Pets (well - of all the kids shows I get to watch, this one is my favo-wit)

4. Really that's all I got on this one. With eight people sharing our one TV, I don't get to pick too often.

6 Restaurants I like to eat at

1. Flying Fish (I'm having a MAJOR sushi craving - anyone up for lunch on Friday?)

2. Machi's

3. The Blind Onion (the service here is THE BEST! love ya Amy :)

4. Winger's

5. McDonald's (I know - ew!)

6. Really anyplace that I don't have to cook!

6 things that happened today

1. Went visiting teaching

2. Noticed that the sky was incredibly blue - did ya'll see it? I love the sky in October for some reason.

3. My cute sister called to tell me that she had reserved a room in SLC so we could go see Christmas lights together - yay!

4. Swung on the swings at the park with Alyssa

5. Alyssa threw a fit at the park because we didn't swing long enough (even though it was a good half hour!)

6. Ate pizza at Pizza Barn with Kimberly's volleyball team.

6 things I am looking forward to:

1. Forgotten Carols and Christmas lights in SLC!

2. Thanksgiving at Mom & Dad's with KC & Lynnette

3. Friends coming over for soup on Halloween - open invitation ... if you're in the area come on over!

4. Alyssa being potty trained (finally being out of diapers for the first time in 13+ years!)

5. the election being over (for better or for worse, the suspense is killing me!)

6. Going to bed in about an hour.

6 things on my wish list

1. Canon 16-35 mm L-series lens

2. Escape perfume

3. Wicked soundtrack ("not-me" took mine)

4. A clean, well-organized house

5. A presidential candidate I could really feel confident about

6. 2.7 mil. ...Carly knows :)

6 people to tag.

I'm picking on family - love you guys!

1. Carly

2. Teri

3. Viky

4. Kristin

5. Jessica

6. Ciara (blog stalker - I know you're out there :)

And cuz I can't post without a photo, here is my latest self-portrait...

We are the Champions, my friend

2008-10-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Our girls went into the tournament in 1st place, and came out the PAL champions. It was such a fun team -they all grew so much, and they were so supportive of each other. Every girl on the team had their chance to shine. It was really fun to watch. Thanks, Coaches, for a great season! Way to go BLOCKERS!
I'm glad that they won in spite of me and my camera - I don't think some of them were too thrilled that I was taking pictures and screaming my lungs out on the side lines :) Sorry K - you are just too cute:) It was a pretty close game - the other team really put up a fight! I can't remember the score on the first game, but the second was 23-25! You can tell we were all at the edge of our seats! That's my girl! Playing through the pain... our MVP. Way to go K!

This little cutie scored our last point for us! Great serve M!

I Registered

2008-10-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

Not that it matters, since my vote will be cancelled out by thousands of fraudulent votes.

(Which, by the way, what is UP with that? If it had been McCain, it would have been the biggest story of the century, but since it's Obama it's no big deal?)

But at least now I can vote against Obama and no one can blame it on me.

If you can't tell, I am quite cynical about this whole process this year. Glen Beck said something about how both of the candidates are taking us to the same place, just one is taking us on a steam train and the other one on a jet. Urgh.

Anyway, here is a pretty picture of the Elko County Courthouse, where I went to register to vote on the last possible day.
And my cute kids on the steps of the courthouse. Just so they know that I did my part to make my little teeny tiny voice heard. Will they get the same opportunity?

Yeah - enough of that. Here is Josie and her cute friend Tara - who are both missing the same tooth.

All About Things Quiz

2008-10-10T10:02:00.001-07:00

Just for fun, here's a quiz from Scrapbook Play by Simple Scrapbooks:

1. One thing I'd grab if my house were on fire......
My kids. Then my hard drive since it has most of my pictures on it.

2. One thing I wish I could throw away.....
My fat clothes :)

3. One thing I'll never ever throw away.....
My pile of letters that Rory and I wrote to each other when we were dating.

4. Something I lost and still miss.....
60% of my brain (I heard once that you lose 10% of your brain with each kid that you have)

5. Something I've kept since childhood.....
My orange piggy bank

6. A food item I never run out of.....
Dry spaghetti - I never use a whole package so I usually have 2-3 packages laying around that have a few noodles left.

7. A household brand I'm very loyal to.....
I love Windex. It's an emotional attachment, really.

8. Something I sleep with every night.....
Rory. I know - obvious.

9. One thing that's on my wish list.....
Canon L-series 16-35 mm lens (it's only about $1500 - anyone wanna pitch in for my b-day?)

10. Something I take with me wherever I go.....
Debit Card

11. Something that makes me smile when I see it.....
Photos of my kids

12. Something my children fight over.....
TV/Computer time

13. Something I hate to clean.....
I HATE to mop my kitchen/dining room floor. Which is obvious if you have ever been to my house.

14. Something I show off when people visit.....
My scrapbooks, I guess

15. Something I hide when people visit.....
My piles - laundry, mail, toys...

16. Something I'm embarassed to admit I like.....
Big Macs

17. Something I collect.....
Scrapbook supplies - I collect it and don't use it!

18. Something I avoid at all costs.....
Potty stops in Jackpot - at least I will from now on!

19. Something that reminds me of my mother.....
Hairspray - how random is that? Also, Alyssa reminds me of my mom - I think she looks like her.

20. The best gift I've ever received.....
Rory gave me my engagement ring for my 20th birthday.

Ok - now it's Reagan, Lynnette, and Margaret's turn - then you get to tag three other people!

{edited to add}
Oops - I just saw that Reagan already got tagged today, so I'm going to tag Suzanne too. If you have time to do both, Reagan, you're still tagged :)

Good mommy points

2008-10-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

We were going to go out and play in the leaves yesterday, but it was too cold! So the little ones and I made chocolate chip cookies. Always an adventure!

Lyssa was a diligent taste-tester.

And Dallin supervised the baking process.

I'd post the recipe, but it's on the back of the butter flavor Crisco can!

What is your favorite thing to bake when it turns chilly outside? I need a good apple crumble recipe. Anyone?

Lots of Homecoming Pics!

2008-10-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Such an awesome bunch of kids! Thanks for letting me play!

Teaser

2008-10-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to shoot a few couples for homecoming tonight. I am dead tired, so I'm only posting one - but aren't they the cutest? I'll post more later....

Jessica

2008-10-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

If I had only put the blue marker away...

2008-10-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

If I have zits next week, you will know that it is because someone left out a blue marker.

What?

Let me explain...

Alyssa dumped a whole bottle of face wash in the tub.

Why was the face wash where she could reach it? Because I wasn't planning on bathing her today (I usually bathe my little ones every other day).

Why did I bathe her today? Well, because she messed her diaper and I was out of wipes.

Why was I out of wipes? Because she used them all (the last quarter of a box) yesterday to clean the blue marker off of her face.

Why was there blue marker on her face. Well, because someone apparantly left a blue marker within her reach. And she is Alyssa.

I really love that child.

Self Portrait

2008-09-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ewwwww! I just hate pictures of me! I am so much fatter in pictures than I imagine myself to be. Oh well, I needed an avatar picture, and this is the best that I could do.

11 and 2/3

2008-09-24T14:08:00.001-07:00

She has never been the baby - since she could walk she has been the self-declared "Assistant Mom" around here. Isn't she lovely?

My Life in Pink

2008-09-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

On Wendy's alumni board, the theme last week was pink. So all week I was looking at pink things to photograph and with four girls in this house... well, you can see what happened.

Volleyball

2008-09-19T10:39:00.002-07:00

Kimberly is playing volleyball this year - she says that she likes it even better than basketball. I am not entirely sure that she can be related to me and like either one. (I avoid any sport with balls bigger than my head - I always get hit in the face. Actually, I avoid sports of all kinds.) Last night the parents got to scrimmage with the girls. I just couldn't play because I had to take pictures.

It's Crazy Hair Day

2008-09-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

The elementary school does this every September, and my kids LOVE it. Josie has been planning her "do" all week.

Cool neighborhood

2008-09-18T22:02:00.001-07:00

Elko has this cool balloon festival once a year.

(Well, actually it is in Spring Creek, and depending on whether or not I feel like getting everyone up and running before seven on a Saturday morning, I may post pictures of it later this week. BUT I digress...)

Anyway, as part of this balloon festival, they always inflate at least one balloon up at the school yard right across the street from my house. (We live in the coolest neighborhood ever!) So this morning, I took the little ones up to the school yard to see them inflate the balloon, and they actually had one half inflated on the ground that you could go inside of - it was so amazing! And I forgot my camera! But it was fun and the kids loved it, and we got to see both Justin and Josie there. So I guess that we'll just have to remember that one without photo-documentation. But I did take these two when we got back home, just to prove it was there, I guess. 'Lyssa's shirt actually has little hot air balloons on it - how appropriate is that?

For some reason I am super tired tonight, so if this all comes out sounding funky - I apologize. I'll try to be more entertaining tommorrow.

Sweet baby McKenna

2008-09-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get a bit carried away...

2008-09-17T22:40:00.001-07:00

I made the light pink one to practice, the dark pink one for Alyssa for Halloween, and the green one for Kimberly for Halloween, but then I noticed that the pants had all three colors....

They didn't have purple in them, though.

Wendy - just in case you didn't notice on your own, I got catchlights in her eyes - even under that hat brim! Yay me - hehe. And I only dodged them up a tiny bit - honest! ;)

Pink Challenge

2008-09-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

My lovely photography teacher, Wendy, gave us "pink" as a theme this week, so here's my take. Yay for getting Halloween costumes started on :)

My Baby Sister

2008-09-16T12:51:00.001-07:00

And her cute family. I took these two weeks ago - sorry it took me so long to get them done, sis! More later :)

DON'T EAT PETE!

2008-09-15T22:11:00.001-07:00

We are renewing our FHE efforts, and I have to say - the games are the best part!

If you don't know how to play, here's how:

You need a game board (Kimberly made ours - it's a sheet of cardstock divided into squares with a number in each square.) and lots of small candies (smarties, skittles, m&ms - whatever).

Place one candy in each square. One person leaves the room and the rest agree on which number is "Pete". The one person returns and begins to eat the candies one by one. My kids say "You can eat that one" in a kind of chant, until they reach for "the one" and then you yell as loud as you can "DON'T EAT PETE!!"

Another fun one that we played last week was called "Knock Your Socks Off". The goal is to keep your socks on the longest while trying to get everyone else's socks off. Rory won like ten times, but there was major partying when we all ganged up on him and got one sock off of him. Next time we play we will add the rule that everyone has to be on their knees. I got that one out of a book called "Before They Turn Twelve" by Deborah Pace Rowley. It has a series of FHE lessons using "For the Strength of Youth".

Anyway, FHE is fun, plus it feels good to not feel guilty for not having it. (hehe did that make sense?)

PS - sorry about the technically awful pictures, but the light in my front room is almost non-existant.

Cuz you know you were checking for them, girls

2008-09-15T16:53:00.001-07:00

It was a very fun weekend - I'm so lucky to associate with these beautiful, amazing ladies!

A Very Rare Photo Op

2008-09-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Part of the deal when I bought my camera two years ago was that I was never allowed to point it at him. If it weren't for a fund raiser, I probably would never have gotten a shot like this, so you can bet that I took advantage!

I love him so much it makes my heart hurt.

She was too quick for me!

2008-09-09T22:51:00.001-07:00

I was going to get the opportunity to photograph this sweet little one's birth. Unfortunately, she was born a mere twenty-four minutes after they got to the hospital, and Mom forgot to call me. I guess that she had other things on her mind!

Thursday

2008-09-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone should have someone in their lives who thinks that they are the best thing to ever happen to this planet. Or at least who makes them feel that way. These people make me feel that way.

They think that I am wonderful mother. They think that I am the world's best photographer. They think that I am the smartest, most talented, and most beautiful person ever born. At least that's how they make me feel.

The amazing thing is, that they make every one of their grandchildren feel the same way! And I am pretty sure that everyone that knows them feels like they are their best friends.

I want to be just like them.

Plus they have the best bathtub and they don't mind letting the kids use it :)

Jumping

2008-09-08T21:25:00.001-07:00

I will be jumping back and forth for a few days - I want to post something for everyday, but I am not going to get the whole weekend done, and I want to keep up with the now. So tommorrow I will post about Thursday, and so on - try to keep up :)

Anyways, it wasn't really cold enough today for soup, but I am ready for it to cool off, so I'm pushing it.

You like my little cracker fan in the bottom corner? Ya, I'm trying for a gig with Kraft foods or something - hehe :)

This soup is really easy and my kids love it, so I will have to remember to make it more this winter. Here's the recipe if you want to try it. I am not much for measurements (sorry Suzanne!) but it doesn't matter much with this recipe.

Chop up a bunch of carrots (I used about a cup and a half), two or three stalks of celery, and an onion. Brown about a pound of chicken in a little bit of oil and chunk that up. Add the vegetables and soften them in a bit more oil for a few minutes. Add about seven or eight cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn it down to simmer for about twenty minutes or until the veggies are nice and soup-textured. Bring it back to a boil and add three packages of Ramen noodles and broth packets. Boil for two minutes to soften the noodles, cool it down and serve it. You can add more water if there is not enough. My kids like to put ice cubes in it to cool it down. (I know- weird, but it works for them.) Club crackers are super yummy with the broth.

Here we are - now you know how fancy I get about dinner. Soup right out of the pot and the milk jug and crackers in their original package. Classy. Plus - I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but Alyssa is wearing her swimming suit. Nice.

Anyway - yay for kicking off soup season!

Wednesday

2008-09-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Otherwise entitled "If anyone had told me how much work it was to pack for six kids I may have rethought my decision."
Plus I got to make quiche all morning. What? You mean you don't usually make quiche before taking six kids on a six hour road trip? Well, it just happened that Justin was student of the week and for his "treat" to share with the class he wanted - you guessed it - quiche. Ummm ok - because I have nothing else going on this morning.

In other news, Dallin started his first day of co-op preschool Wednesday.

Carpooling

2008-09-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

It is my week to drive the carpool, which is not as simple as it sounds. Last year our wonderful school district opened a new school to ease the overcrowding of the four elementary schools in our area. What that means in my situation is that I now have kids in three different schools. Four, if you count that my oldest son goes to the high school for geometry first hour.

So there is much driving to do!

Our morning schedule goes something like this:
6:00 Cody gets up to get ready for school
6:45 (ideally) family prayer
6:50 Cody leaves for school
7:50 Kimberly leaves for school
8:10 Justin & Josie leave for school

Then the afternoon looks like this:
2:40 Go to pick up Kimberly (she gets out at 3:00, but I have to get a decent parking spot so I can find her)
3:05 Justin & Josie get out of school (luckily they can walk home!)
3:15 Pick up Cody across town at Adobe

I am lucky enough to have friends close around here that have kids the same age as mine, so we can carpool for most of the trips. Even at that, I am spending a lot more time in the car these days.

And sports start next week, so that will just be so much more running around!

Fall is coming

2008-09-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

"The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple..."

I love that quote. Bonus points for anyone who can tell me what book that is from :) It fit today just perfectly. You know that first day when the heat of summer is suddenly gone and the air feels so fresh you just can't even breathe it enough? Yep that was today.

Raylynn

2008-09-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Anne

2008-08-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Oops - I forgot!

2008-08-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was just counting kids for my post about the neighbors - I forgot their new exchange student. She's too cute to forget! Sorry about that!

Just for fun

2008-08-25T16:13:00.001-07:00

I guess I am playing catch-up today. The older kids went back to school last week, so it's just the three of us at home again.

Trading cameras?

2008-08-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is my cute friend and fellow photographer. We traded camera time this last week...

It was a lot of fun, but it reminded me why I almost never try to take pictures of all six of my kids at the same time!!

Neighbors

2008-08-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Summer in Photos

2008-08-02T02:09:00.001-07:00

this is actually about me

2008-07-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

although I am certainly not this cute. I am just so happy with these photos - I am so happy that I felt like I knew what I was doing. Yay for Wendy Schultz - she is an amazing teacher!

Sweet Sixteen

2008-05-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

For my other BFF :) This is her beautiful daughter - we threw a suprise birthday party for her 16th. Isn't she gorgeous? I think she's growing up too fast, and I'm not even her mom!

Her friend who did all the inviting...
and her first date... lucky guy!
Congratulations, Whit! I'm so lucky I get to watch you grow!

baby k

2008-03-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

You can see this little guy's mommy in the archives :)

Busy Weekend!

2008-03-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

This is my bff and her adorable family. The oldest boy is an exchange student from Spain. We have betrothed this little guy and my youngest daughter. I didn't realize that I was making them squint so bad - I guess I still have some learning to do :)

Too many favorites!

2008-02-21T09:13:00.000-08:00