luci

I hadn't shot anything for a couple weeks so I made one of "my girls" go out and practice for her senior shots....she is stunning and super easy to photograph...

this is my favorite...

banners

Another side of me is that I do most of the graphic design for the evening services at my church. I totally enjoy this side of my life and love serving this way! Here are some of the banner ideas I've have lately...




I have a thing for brick walls. I want to make a wall in my house a brick wall...someday.

christmas pages...

every december my two sisters, mom and I all get spoiled by my mom for christmas...we don't give gifts...we spend time together for one night and get spa pedicures, go to cheesecake factory and exchange ornaments + scrapbook pages that encompass the entire year...we've been doing this since 2001 so it's a much anticipated extremely fun girly night...here are the pages I did this year...

page 1

page 2

more favorites

had some time to edit some older photo's...thought you might like to see :)


a really cool EMPTY forest in alpine, AZ that matt took us all to, to off-road a bit and follow some elk...really cool and serene and almost erie with how quiet it was...


I love to look UP...I know it doesn't make God closer but I have a vivid imagination and I can almost "feel" Him in moments like these...I love the blues of this picture...


objects in the rearview mirror are most definitly closer than they appear...I LOVE my crazy kids :)


one of the many faces of maddie...love her and think she's a beauty queen! :)

words that interest me...

I'm stuck on words right now...here are some quotes from people I love...

"...loving someone is always a choice, and I choose to love you..." - my best friend :)

"...the greatest mistake we make is to neglect what is possible while brooding over what is simply difficult..." - my dad.

"...'C' students make the best entreprenuers; 'A' students become researchers + scientists; 'B' students work for 'C' students..." - fred hughes.

I love that I've always been a 'C' student...it gives me hope :)

"...we look for visions from heaven, for earthquakes and thunders of God's power and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us. if we will do the duty that lies nearest, we shall see Him. one of the most amazing revelations of God comes when we learn that it is in the commonplace things that the Diety of Jesus Christ is revealed..."
- oswald chambers

"...he who has a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'..." - friedrich nietzsche

"...we didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time..." - vince lombardi

"...life is an occasion, rise to it..." - mr. magorium

"...whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. it's the choices that make us who we are..." - unknown

"...yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift..." - eleanor roosevelt

"...wherever you are, be all there..." - jim elliot

animals

I love animals...always have, always will...here are some more from our trip up north...enjoy!

Kodak...the grizzly bear :)


This one make me kinda sad...a lonely rhino...but beautiful detailed skin...


The brother's alternated "singing" to their ladies in the next caged are...romantic don't you think? :)


I just like this one...nothing wrong with a bunch of grown lions taking a nap together...maybe this is where "friends" got one of it's episodes ideas :)

illinois

because I've been sick, I've had a lot of time to edit photos and find old treasures...here are some more shots I took in my hometown St. Charles, IL

my hometown theatre...classic :)

I think I will always love railroad tracks...don't know why...maybe it signifies adventure, but I love them!

maddie moo showing off her climbing abilities...

my boy who brings me joy on one of his favorite spots...a football field...funny enough, this used to be one of the most favorite fields of matt's for soccer growing up.

my beautiful girl...LOVE her :)

the many faces of eliana...too cute and easy to shoot!

REALLY blue eyes...rivals micah's!

NO WAY! cutie patootie :) yes ms. e...I said it :)

aunt dawn is always a favorite to hang on to :)

COUSINS!

one of my most favorites spots...a really old local graveyard that dates back to the 1700's...crazy cool history there...I love that these represent someones life... they breathed. they cried. they had love stories...I LOVE graveyards...

my handsome nephew...loved that football! :)


sometimes you just need wide open spaces...I will forever call this place home.

my plan

I'm not a big fan of changing your life just because it is the first day of a new year. why couldn't I change my life yesterday? why can't I change it in two weeks?

no. I am a believer in now. not in tomorrow for "...tomorrow will take care of itself...". and not in yesterday...there's no point in that.

I do believe in making a plan...a good friend of mine once said "...failing to plan, is planning to fail..." and I believe it. so then what do I plan for 2009?

I plan to love God more than I did yesterday.
I plan to be a better wife.
I plan to be a better mommy.
I plan to be a better friend. (and remember birthdays darn it.)
I plan to be a better photographer + designer.
I plan to be a heathier me...someone I recognize from yesterday.

that's it. I said it...but to be honest, those are the same things I wanted yesterday and probably will want tomorrow...but now it is planned...and I do not inted to fail.

josh + lindsey

I so love my "little" brother and his girlfriend lindsey! they are SO patient with me being my guinea pigs...love you both!