Clay and Jorden Sealing

I will never catch up but that is okay :)  Mike and I traveled to Utah a few weeks ago for my brother and his wife's sealing.  Wonderful friends watched out kids and we had a good time.  It snowed the whole time we were there and everything was pushed back and hour because of weather but everything and everyone was beautiful and it was a great weekend.

Fears

I am reading (or rereading- I have read it before) the Christmas Box Miracle by Richard Paul Evans.  I came across this quote- The greatest shackles we bear in this life are those forged by our own fears-.  I find this so very true.  I don't think I ever really realised how often it was my own fears holding me back until the last few years.  It is so easy to blame things but often for me it is my own personal fears that keep me from doing things or being things I want.  Even when it is good worthy goals I am trying to achieve. Have you ever not even tried to go to the temple every week, serve someone else every week,  or read your scriptures as a family every day because you were to scared to try and fail?  Even though you know you will be blessed just by the effort?  I have.  I didn't really care what others thought.  Most wouldn't even know I set the goal in the first place.  But I have more than once been so afraid of feeling like a failure inside myself that I have kept myself from trying.  I have even not really with all my heart prayed about something for fear that I would fail in being in tune with the Spirit.  I have been working so hard the last five years to move beyond that fear.  To try something even if I am so scared of failing myself and letting God down that I am trembling inside.  Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail- both at the thing I am trying and at the effort of even trying.  Changing is a long scary journey. But I am grateful for that journey.  Even if some days you wonder if you will make it to the other end. . . I am so very grateful for a Heavenly Father who has put people and opportunities in my path that have helped me to find that strength within myself and begin to overcome my own personal shackles of fear.  Many of the strides are very personal and sweet and some our out there for the world to see.  Who would have guessed  years ago that I would not only be good at something creative and beginning to find success with it, but be able to say, not only out loud but to myself, that I am good at it.(okay that is still hard to say- I feel so vain to feel like I am good at anything- yet how depressing is it to feel you are good at nothing?)  I would not have guessed.  I have had many soul searching moments about my photography and if I have done the right thing in following that dream. Am I doing what the Lord wants?  Are my limited energy and resources going to the right place?  I don't know what the future will hold or what the right thing will be later, but I have discovered this past week that this journey with photography has been the vehicle to many other journeys.  That the Lord has used it to make me grow and become a better person.  That many prayers have been answered through it.  I don't right now know what the Lord has in store for me in the future, even with this photography journey.  I am in the process of sorting some of that out right now (I do this every year at this time).  But I am grateful to know that He knows what He is doing when He gives my husband and me promptings and I am grateful for the courage I have had to follow those promptings (okay I don't always- I am certainly no where near perfection but I am trying).

My and my honey whose support has meant more to me then he will ever know.

Sunshine

I had another session at Saguaro Ranch Park and my sunshine came with me to be my assistant.  She asked if we could take some of her after the session.  I can't turn that down!  We tried out some locations at the Ranch that I hadn't really used much before.  She wants to try again as she doesn't like how her jacket looks in the portraits.  No complaints here! I have such beautiful girls.

Sahuaro Ranch Park

About a week ago we went to Sahuaro Ranch park to take these:

This is Mike's aunt and uncle and their family.  I took Mike to be my assistant and we brought the kids so that they could see everyone and play at the park.  After Mike and I finished we ate snow cones with the kids and explored Sahuaro Ranch a little more.  We hadn't been to the far end of it very often so we went there.  I asked the boys to sit down and smile and I got this:

Only after I got this (which I love!  They even managed to do a cool color opposite look!) did I get what I asked for which was this:

I think I like the first one better.  It is so my boys.  We then explored and saw these cool buildings:

Everyone decided they needed to sit to finish eating their snow cones.  I didn't get one so I did one of my favorite things and photographed cool objects I found.  We sat by the tool shed.  Lots of old tool sand machines etc.  LOVE it!

I love the color of these.  So cool!

Notice the wooden spokes on a rubber tire?  Very cool.

Aft everyone was done we went and explored the corn field.  The kids loved looking for ears of corn.

And we saw a flock of birds take off.  I think the kids scared them when they went into the field!

We had a great time.  One of these days we will go down there when they are doing the free tours and actually  see the inside of the buildings.

there is a story

behind this pic but I am too tired to tell it tonight. but I had to share it.

Kevin and Susan

My beautiful sister in law is getting married in the spring and I had the privilege of taking her and her fiance's engagement portraits in Prescott on Halloween. It was a little cold but beautiful. I had such a great time. I even had my wonderful husband as an assistant. Thanks Susan and Kevin for asking me! To see more see facebook!

Halloween

We had a great Halloween.  It started off at oh 6 am with Mike and I waking up in Prescott to take engagement pics of his sister and her fiance in the lovely freezing Prescott weather.  It was beautiful and I got some great shots to be seen soon. 

We arrived home in time to let Grandma Lee go home and make chili for the ward cook off.  Mike made it and the kids loved it (yeah! since several of them swear they don't like chili).  We then got in costume (okay the kids did) and we headed off to the party.  Both sets of Grandparents came- yipee!  So did alot of other people.  IT was great!  After we went trick or treating around the neighborhood.  Okay Mike and the kids did, Jamie Jay and I stayed and passed out candy!  That I failed to take pictures of.  We have way to much candy- some is getting frozen for future use some is going to work with Mike some to school and who knows what we will do with the rest.  The kids got to keep 15 pieces each all to themselves.  The rest is community property.  Suprisingly they liked the idea.  I love my kids! (ps- too see more pics check out facebook _ I went overkill like usual)

Aren't they cute- I failed to get pictures of oldest.  She was a Broncos (yes you read that right) fan.  She joined us after the party with her family.

This is our Bishop.  Isn't his costume great!

Audra- you have the cutest family!

The two Harry potters.  It is all the rage in Third Grade.  Good thing they are best friends so no one was upset at the others costume! Don't they look thrilled to have their picture taken?

This one gave me the biggest hug!  I love hugs!

She won Best of Show!

Her brother bribed her will a ball so that she would let me take her picture!

Love the hair!

Us trouble?  Never!

How could I not take this pic?

Play group at the park

Yes I went to playgroup at the park even though all my kids were at school.  I am either desperate or just friendly take your pick!  I needed to check the park out for an upcoming photo-shoot anyways.  I had a blast.  I may even go again next time!  Sans kids and all.  Here are some of the pics I got:

   

I pulled out my camera to take pictures of the park and these cute girls asked me to take their picture how can I say no to these sweet faces?

This cute thing worships the ground my daughters walk on- or at least she really really likes them.  Good thing they like her too!  She is a cute fun little girl. 

I think this park will work nicely.  It has some really cool spots and I didn't even exp;ore the whole park just the parts next to the playground (below).