Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Madelyn, Jack & Geoffrey

We did Madelyn, Jack & Geoffrey's pictures outdoors. Geoffrey is only about 6 months old here, but he is already pulling up. He's growing up way too fast, so we wanted to get some pictures of him before he got much bigger!


This collage is something I call a Name Blessing. It has his name, the meaning of his name, and a scripture for each letter. These scriptures are chose individually for each child. I don't recall ever using any of these verses in a Name Blessing before and they're not exactly typical of the verses I normally use, but I do feel that they special meaning for Geoffrey!


Geoffrey..... God's peace.... what a beautiful name for a very special boy!

And here is more of Geoffrey! If you've followed my blog long, you might remember when he was born. If not, you can see his Hello Baby Slideshow by clicking HERE


Isn't he just so sweet!

And this is Jack! When Jack was little he was often accompanied by a well loved bear. The last two times I've done pictures of Jack, the bear had been left behind, so I guess Jack is growing up, too. In these pictures, I can look into his eyes and see that he's beginning to resemble his Daddy! Their eyes catch the light the same way and they have that same radiant glow about them. They have deep, thoughtful eyes!


And Jack has always had a big beautiful smile! He's about the happiest child I can think of. So full of joy and the adventure of childhood. He's all boy and he gets his share of bumps and bruises, but he also has lots of fun!

And this is Madelyn!


I've taken Madelyn's picture since she was a baby, and she's always a joy! She's wise beyond her years and her love for God and His creation is contagious. She has such a pure and gentle spirit and she says the most amazing things. I consider myself blessed to be her friend!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Christmas Elves!

Christmas is a busy time for Santa's Elves. They could barely stop long enough to have their pictures made with Baby Santa!

But..... here they are! Almost ready to load that sleigh!


It's almost enough to make Santa want to stop and take a little nap!


Wait....


Is he really sleeping?


What will happen if Santa really starts sleeping on the job?




Sunday, December 5, 2010

River Marek Thompson

This is River!

Isn't he sweet?


He's got the sweetest little personality and I was happy to have caught a few shots that really brought that out!



Here he is with Santa!




And here he is nibbling on his toes! Yum! Christmas cookies would probably be a bit better, but Santa must have eaten them all! Of course.... he needed them. He's looking a little thin. I wonder if Mrs. Clause might be a little under the weather? Or, maybe... his doctor has put him on a diet?


Has anyone else noticed that Santa seems a bit thinner this year?






Friday, December 3, 2010

Abby's Birthday

Grace came over yesterday and we celebrated Abby's birthday. Abby's birthday is actually Dec. 1st, but we didn't celebrate until yesterday, because Abby's a typical girl and what girl wants to have a Birthday Party without her best friend? AND - Grace likes celebrating as much as Abby, if not MORE!
So, Grace and Abby had a party.

Grace fed Abby as many Cheese-It's as she could stand, helped her open presents and took her on a long walk to the pond. She chased the geese and got her little tutu dirty and then came back for ice cream.

Abby is now 7 Years Old. This is what she looked like the day we brought her home.

She's always been loving and sweet. She's liked to stay close to one of her human companions since day one. Sleeping under their feet is a favorite resting spot.

She was a little uneasy at the Vet's the first time we went.

But - she checked out perfectly healthy.
We looked at 9 litters before settling on this particular dog, so I was thankful for that. Our old dog had a heart defect that took his life at a young age so it was important to me that I got a healthy puppy this time. I also wanted a pack driven follower rather than a prey driven leader. Abby has turned out to be a perfect fit!

Andrew was just a boy when we got her. Now, he's happily married and expecting his first child. A girl.... who should arrive in about 9 weeks.

Abby's been on many adventures with us. This was taken on a backpacking trip when she was just a pup. She's wet after having a nice swim in a nearby creek.

And this is one of my favorite photos of her in front of an old red barn.... or shed, actually. She's only about a year old here.

Over the years we've taken lots of photos. She's posed for me while I've adjusted my lights and served as a focal point for children who refuse to look at the camera. Normally, if she sits beside me I have no trouble getting them to look at Abby!
And for Grandma Phillis, who would like to see more pictures of Abby & Grace and Abby's party, I am posting them on a facebook album, so you can see them HERE.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Photography Class Contest - FOOD

Our photography class is having another contest and the subject is FOOD. The students were able to take pictures over the Thanksgiving holidays, when food is normally plentiful. Here are there entries!

(1) Breaking Bread

(2) Cherries

(3) Bowl of Eggs

(4) Thanksgiving Dinner


(5) Snoopy

(6) M&Ms

(7) Cinnamon Roll

(8) Thanksgiving Table

(9) Chocolate Drizzles
Please comment or e-mail to let me know which one you like the best and WHY!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Candle Making Starter Kit

I won the blog give away on Ain't She Crazy aka
Jami's blog not so long ago, and my Candle Making Starter Kit has just arrived!
The kit was graciously provided by The Candlemakers Store!
It contains jars and enough materials to make two candles. It also has instructions, but Jami put a tutorial on her blog complete with photo illustrations and I'm more of a visual learner, so I'll be referring to those. To see Jami's instructions go HERE.
And THANK YOU to JAMI and THE CANDLEMAKER'S STORE
for hosting such a great give away. I'm sure I'll enjoy it!

More of Bravyn!

Bravyn is getting so BIG!

He's only one, but he thinks he's much older..... and bigger!


Here - I think he's trying to teach Santa how to dance.


Now, Santa has been around forever.... and then some... and here Bravyn is trying to teach the jolly old guy a few new tricks!


And guess what? It worked! Santa's got new skills and we all have Bravyn to thank for it!

Maybe he really is a big boy after all!