The View from Jenn's Lens

Micaiah

2009-10-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous 6 month old is none other than my lil cousin Micaiah, Tony and Kims son. Kim and I had a great time hanging out taking pictures of him and making him laugh.

Cuteness overload coming up!

Lil Family

2009-10-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Had the chance to snap a few pics of this giggly girl and her parents! They are expecting again with #2 - congrats you guys! :) They found this cool trail in the middle of the city and it felt like you were in the middle of the forest!

Yall are the cutest family! :)

Baby Elliot

2009-10-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Meet my lil newphew, Elliot! When Jon and Deb were in town last month, we took the opportunity to take some newborn pics of him. He was about a month old in these pics.

I love babies all swaddled up - so cozy!

Miss Kate is quite photogenic too! ;) She wasn't sure about this big sucker at first, but then found out that it tasted sweet!
Kate with her puppy (he is almost like a real person, you know!) ;)

Joey

2009-08-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

This post is by Emily because she wants to show off her new adorable kitten Joey to Mom, Beth, and Matt. There were more pictures but Jenn wouldn't put them on because they were slightly fuzzy and Jenn's blog has "standards"! :)
Hmm... delicious little rock.

Yes? What did you want? I'm just innocently sitting here. I never get into trouble.

Die pink seahorse!!!

String's more fun.

He looks like he has little hands here! So cute.

So exhausted! Too much playtime.

Wedding Dresses + Sand + Surf = FUN!

2009-07-24T17:04:00.001-07:00

Shad, Nicolle, and I headed to the beach yesterday to have a "Trash the Dress" photoshoot.
IT. WAS. A. BLAST!!!! Contrary to the name, "trash the dress", the dresses actually didn't get too dirty, and we will dryclean them back to almost new. :) So don't worry everyone! lol
This shoot was so much fun because it gave us another opportinuty to get some beautiful pictures in our wedding dresses, and spend some more time on the photos. This post is picture-heavy, so be ready! :)

I'll start of with my absolute FAVORITE pic from the entire day - Nicolle - I love everything about this pic! her hair! the dress flying! the blue blue sky! the beach!

ooooooo......risque! ;) Love this shot of Nicolle!

twirlin'

attitude! an sunflare! We found a cool little "cave" :)

cute couple!

getting wet!!

lil detail

beautiful!
awesome jump you guys!
loooove this one too! the moody colors, the sillouette kiss..... yup yup, good stuff! heheShad took over the camera halfway through the shoot. I gave him a mini-lesson on how to shoot in manual mode on our way to the beach, and he picked it right up - shot in manual the whole time! He's a natural at knowing what angles work - I was impressed!

Fun shot

I accented with pink, and pearls :)

Gettin' it dirty.....! Eeeeek!

I love this idea of Nicolles, with the reflection!

All in the water! :) I was going to get in the ocean, but it was freezing, so settled on the warmer puddles lol

We had way too much fun! I'd totally do it again! (after i get my dress drycleaned) ;)

SO, if anyone wants to "trash the dress", look me up, and we'll have fun! Prom or bridesmaid dresses are fun to "trash" too! :)

I may have more pics later :)

~maternity~

2009-07-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

My beautiful sister in law is 8 months pregnant with.....a girl....or boy.....we don't know, lol. Debbie was in town, so we took the opportunity to take some maternity photos. Here are a few of my favorites

I love this one! We found a field of wildflowers - in the city, no less! There wasn't any "no tresspassing" signs, so we took our liberty, and helped ourselves to using the field. A cop did stop on the other side of the road and watched us for a few minutes, but must have decided we were harmless lol

A funky angle, but i love this shot!

The view from Debbies world lol I love this one, too! :)

Thanks for being such a good sport Debbie and letting me try new things on you :)

I'll have the pics to you soon!

Beach

2009-06-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from our short camping trip to the beach this weekend! We were near Tillamook, Or

Oregon Zoo

2009-05-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

I went to the zoo yesterday with all the family - it was a beautiful day here in the Northwest, so the zoo was very busy! It was the first time the newphews and neice had even been to the zoo - some were a little worried about the big animals, but others were very awed and interested!

This polar bear kept everyone entertained by throwing around this bucket - it would put it on it's head, and all the kids would laughhhhh. :)

My lil hunk of a newphew - Aaron, and his super cool sunglasses!

Looking at the new baby elephant
Phi showing me the elephants - he thought they were pretty cool!
I got to carry Marcus around the zoo for a couple hours - lucky me! :) He's three weeks old now.

Katelynn loved the zoo and all the new and interesting things to see

Sharing some of their lunch with the duck :)

Marcus keeping the sun out of his face with a cuet baseball hat - it worked very well!

Girraffe reaching high to get some green leaves - so cool!

At the petting zoo, Katelynn was so cute, she would pat a goat, then wave "bye bye" at it, and move to pat the next goat. Then she hunkered down to have a little conversation with one of them :) So cute :)

Baby Marcus

2009-05-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to be able to have another newborn session today! I must say that they are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. :) This little guy is extra special, because he is my very own snuggly little nephew! Enjoy the pictures! :)

I'll start off with my fav from the day :)

This lovely lady made this darling teddy bear hat. It was perfect as one of our little props. :)

I got some new seamless background paper in a different color - grey! I was lovin' it for this newborn session, as it goes well with skintones and all the neutral colors.

Marcus and his big brothers - Phi and Aaron

Aaron is such a big helper! Don't you love how his mouth is open, showing Marcus how to take the pacifier? :)

I just thought these next two pictures were too funny!!
The expressions crack me up every time!

And this one - classic! Even shows off his darling dimple! SO STINKIN' CUTE!!!

Thanks Sarah! I'll get the pics to you very soon! :)

Bundle of Cuteness

2009-05-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Meet baby Jackson. :) He was a joy to photograph, and a good sport throughout the whole process! Here are a few pics for you to sneak a peek at, Tammy, and I'll get the rest to you very soon!

Big sister just adores her little bro

Japanese Gardens

2009-04-18T17:56:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day in Portland, and I was itching to get my camera out and take pictures of SOMETHING, ANYTHING, so we went to the Japanese Gardens. I'm not much of a flower-picture person, but I like a few here and there.... We mainly went just to see the cherry blossom trees which are so beautiful this time of year.

Some of the Portland skyline with Mt. Hood overlooking the city

Japanese maple, I think. I think the kinky branches are so awesome

My favorite part about cherry blossom trees is the petals that fall to the ground in a big circle underneath the tree. Seems like pink snow! :)

Dave is much better at taking flower pictures than I am.

Don't know what these are called, but I'm sure it's supposed to make your feel relaxed and calm........deep breath......ahhhhhh.....

My only little flower picture :)

Me - and yes, my hair is now red.....or auburn is probably a better word...

Mr. and Mrs. taking a bath

oh! oops, here is another flower picture. haha

Baby Ethan

2009-03-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

This little guy was one of the cutest and sweetest newborns ever. He barely cried at all and posed very good for us. :) Here's a few that I love.

I'll get all the pictures to you soon Jessica! :)

Newport Beach

2009-03-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

More of our day at Newport Beach last week. Enjoy the pics :)

Emily brought Charlotte along, and she thouroughly enjoyed the beach.

Matt and Charlotte

Mom and Matt

THIS picture is US :)

And one normal one :)

Emily :)

My beautiful sis, Bethany with her gorgeous blond hair

Matthew had fun climbing to the top of the cliff

Em with her "baby"

Perspective and Lines

2009-03-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Mom is in town for a few weeks, so we've all been trying to hang out together as much as possible since we probably won't see them again for awhile. Yesterday we visited Emily at OSU, and then all went to Newport together. Here's a few of my favorites. :) More pics of the family at the beach to come later. :)

Entrance to the Port of Newport

I love all the fishing boats :) And it actually didn't smell too bad down there!

I'm sure this bridge has a name, but I don't know what it is! I just think it's an AWESOME bridge! I was lovin' the architecture.

more lines and curves - this is a staircase

A frame within a frame within a frame within a.....you get the idea! :)

{ Lovely Family }

2009-02-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

Here is another lovely family that I was able to take family photos for! Chatty came on the shoot and helped entertain the kiddos to make them smile - thanks for the help! :)

I'll have the photos to you soon, but here's a little peek. :)

{ my favorite }

There were three very tame deer that came quite close! (later, we fed them - more pics on that later)

This is his special cup - sort of like a stuffed animal or blankie. They say he holds it like a football - so cute! :)

Isn't this knitted sweater FUN!?

{ A Fun Family }

2009-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Dave and I took a long weekend vacation to Mount Baker, which is northwest of the Seattle area. We rented a lodge with 8 other couples and had a fabulous time getting to know everyone and their kiddos. I had the opportunity to do a couple shoots of families and here's one of them! :)

Marc & Bonnies family

They were up for most anything and had some great ideas of their own! :)

One of my favorites - the boys with their Daddy

It was quite warm out, which thawed the snow to be able to make some snowballs!
I love this one of Amber - so cute! :)

{ Bonnie }

And the happy couple!

Thanks for letting me practice on you guys! :) I'll send you the cd once I finished editing the rest. :)

Jeff and Heidi - yours are coming soon too! ;)

{Cute Kiddos}

2009-02-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well, if you were waiting to see some more cute kiddos - the pics are finally here! Sarah and the boys came over this morning and we just had a lot of fun taking pictures - the boys cooperated so well, and I think we got a lot of keepers! :)

I ordered a huge roll of white background paper - 9 feet wide, and many feet long. It was SO easy for taking photos - I'm gonna have to get more eventually - they have quite a few color choices. :) The white color was so fresh and clean - much different than the winter weather outside! :)

Don't you think Aaron looks like Curious George with the big hat over his head?? :)

Well, there he is - Peekaboo! :)

The boys were quite interested in the big lollipops - at first they weren't sure what to do with them, but then Phi found out that it tasted sweet! Aaron was contented to chew on the stick. :)

Whatever works for you, buddy! :)

Yummy!

At the end of our photo session, the portion of the paper that was on the floor was torn up and dirty, and I was going to throw it away, so we decided to get a little more use out of it and PAINT!! :) How fun! We stripped the boys down to their diapers and let them have at it! :)

It was so fun to watch them play with the paint - they loved it! :)

I just love these next two of Aaron.

Seconds after this photo, mom came and rescued the paint-covered hand from his mouth and replaced it with a binky. :)

After they were done with the paint, we whisked them off to the tub to clean up!

We also snuck in a couple maternity photos

Babysitting in Black and White

2009-02-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

Today Mom B. took Susie and I out to lunch for our birthdays. Sarah and Phi and Aaron were able to make it, too, and we had a lovely time! Thanks mom! :)

After we ate, there was some talk about going to some baby stores near my house, but the kiddos were getting tired, so I was able to have them come and nap at my house while the gals went shopping. I was very excited to be able to spend some time with my adorable nephews! :)

Here are a few shots of our afternoon - in black and white. :)

Philemon was showing me the "wites" (lights) on the truck. When we read books, he shows me the lights on every vehicle picture, too. So cute! :) This truck is his favorite toy at my house. :)

My littlest nephew - his favorite mode of transportation is crawling, but I think he'll be up and walking soon! :)

Hauling abc blocks around in a wagon

Playin' basketball....er...more like EATing the basketball - I had to watch carefully because he liked to taste it instead of playing with it. :D

Phi shouting into an Echo-mike. This is another one of his favorite toys at Auntie Jenns house. :)

I had so much fun with my little buddies. We are hoping to take some photos of the kids later on this week, so be watching for more cuteness! :)

Larch Mountain

2009-01-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Dave and I drove up Larch Mountain as far as we could go, until we hit snow and got "stuck". We finally got turned around and found a nice place to shoot some clays. :)

I hadn't been shooting in a long time - I couldn't hit hardly anything and my shoulder was so sore from the shotgun. It was fun though!! :)
Yikes!! Scary man, but I love him! :)

Fun photo :)

Dave took both of these. :)

Thanks, Babe for the fun day! :)

Seaside

2009-01-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (MLK Jr. Day) some of the gals had the day off of school and work, so I joined them in going to the beach for the day. It was beautiful weather in the middle of January - t-shirt weather! :)
I've posted most of these photos on Facebook, too, so sorry if you've already seen them. :)

Seaside shops

Susie and I enjoying the beach

Susie, Holly, Heather, Bethany, Gwynne, and Jeni!

The air was warm, but the water was still freezing cold!

At a fun hat shop. :)

Eskimo cousins!

A few of the girls took a ride on the carasol - can't you see them?? he he... ;)

Gwynne and her favorite drink. :)

We rented one of those people-powered vehicles, but I got off after awhile cuz it was making me car-sick. (actually, my legs were just tired) :P Just kidding! :)A pretty little river

And cool bridge

We drove down to Cannon Beach for dinner at Mo's

Everyone was so excited for a perfect day at the beach!! :)

Holly, Gwynne, Bethany and Heather

And my favorite from the day! :)

Jared & Jessica {Maternity}

2009-01-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to photograph a handsome couple who are about to bring a beautiful baby boy into the world! Here is a little peek at some of the photos, guys, and I'll have the rest to you soon!

"Ethan"

I think this is one of my favorite from the day. :)

Thanks so much, Jared and Jessica! :) You guys are awesome!

Snowy Days

2008-12-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I am finally putting up some of our snow pictures! As most of you know, the NW had a big snowstorm that lasted for over a week, which is very unusual for this area. It was fun having a white Christmas, but I'm glad to see the rain come back so I can at least get out of the house. :)

Dave helping Emily dig her car out of the snow - crazy girl drove all around without chains or studs the whole week! :)

I drove with Dave to work and the freeways looked like this for several days. I love the snow laden fir trees!

a little beauty

And a little fun! Our friend, Dave was helping out with plowing during the storm and was driving by our house while we were gone and decided it would be fun to push a huge mound of snow in front of the garage. My Dave thought it was fun, too and had a great time parking on it all week long. :)

Dave came back later to confess to his crime. :) (I was so upset when I thought the city had dumped a huge pile of snow in our driveway....we soon figured it out though) :)

"I sure do like those Christmas cookies, sugar...."

2008-12-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

Well, Emily is home for most of her Christmas break, so yesterday we decided to make not-very-good-for-you Christmas cookies. They are still yummy though....so much for dietary plans... :)

Charlotte was a good girl and stayed on her blanket, just watching us with lonely eyes. I think I caught her glaring at me a few times for not letting her off her blanket to "help" us. ;)

"......I sure do like those Christmas cookies sugar

I sure do like those Christmas cookies babe

The ones that look like Santa Claus

Christmas trees and bells and stars

I sure do like those Christmas cookies babe

Now Christmas cookies are a special treat

The more she bakes the more I eat

And sometimes I can't get myself to stop

Sometimes she'll wait til I'm asleep

And she'll take the ones that I didn't eat

And put those little sprinkley things on top

Now those sprinkley things just make things worse

Cause it makes em taste better than they did at first

And they're absolutely impossible to resist

Some disappear to who knows where

But I make sure I get my share

And those kids just stand there waiting for the ones I miss......"

Yum!! :)

Two boys and their parents :)

2008-12-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I met Karl and Kelly, Russel and Jasper at a park downtown and took some family photos for them! Here are a few of my favorites. :)

I love this little smirk/smile he has here! :)

The boys had fun at the best place in the park - the playground!

I don't know exactly why, but this is one of my favs from the day -

it's somewhat distorted and funky, but I love it! :)

Thanks for letting me take your pics, guys! ;) You are all such a fun family to hang out with!

Thanksgiving in Florence

2008-12-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

We spent three days in Florence, OR with the Bartlett family for Thanksgiving. This year the family rented a church instead of being at Grandpa and Grandma's place - the family is growing! :) There was lots of space for everyone to hang out, a big kitchen to prepare the Thanksgiving dinner, and even a game room in the basement with air hockey, ping pong and foosball. We all had a wonderful time and I was glad to get to know Dave's family better!

Here are some snapshots of the weekend. :)

The beach was only a few minutes away, so a bunch of us went there before it started to rain.

Sisters :)

Strong young men playing with big sticks! :) They made a huge splash when they threw the logs in the water.

The whole group, minus Aunt Ruth Ann who was taking the photo - thanks!

Andrew twirling around a long piece of kelp....or seaweed....(what is that thing?) Anyways...Justin and Tony were getting a huge amount of air jumping over it!

We tried to let Grandma have some rest from prepping Thanksgiving dinner and doing dishes, but she always managed to be in the kitchen most of the time! ;)

Guys talking. :)

Beautiful Kim - she's got that pregnancy glow. ;)

Sisters :)

Cousins.

We all gathered around the piano Thanksgiving evening and sang hymns while Aunt Christine played.

Kelly and Aaron

Philemon playing ping pong. :)

The little girls loved to have the guys give them shoulder rides. :)

Dave with his little buddy. :)

I may have more Thanksgiving pictures up later. :)

Drinkin' from my Saucer

2008-11-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thought I'd just share a nice poem. :)

Drinkin' from my Saucer

I've never made a fortune

and it's probably too late now.

But I don't worry about that much,

I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way,

I'm reaping better than I sowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches,

and sometimes the going's tough.

But I've got loving ones around me,

and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings,

and the mercies He's bestowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

cause my cup has overflowed.

I 'member times when things went wrong,

My faith wore somewhat thin.

But all at once the dark clouds broke,

and sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe

about the tough rows that I've hoed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage,

when the way grows steep and rough.

I'll not ask for other blessings,

I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy,

to help others bear their loads.

Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,

Cause my cup has overflowed.

Dave & Jeny

2008-11-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of taking Dave and Jeny's family pictures - lucky me! ;) They are such a beautiful family! Here are a few of my favorites. :)

Don't they both have amazing eyes?!

I have to smile every time I see Emy's expression and pose here! :)

Awwww....
Another look at those blue, blue eyes!

I just could not get over how cute this outfit was on her!

Thanks for letting me take your family pictures! You guys are a lot of fun, especially with such a beautiful little girl! :)

Butternut Squash and Cannellini Soup

2008-11-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

I've never been a fan of squash, or yams, or sweet potatoes - just ask my mom! ;) But last week I decided to make a go of it and use it in a recipe. My goal was to disguise it as cleverly as possible. :) So this post is dedicated to you, Mom! ;)

I finally found a recipe for Butternut Squash and Cannellini Soup with Bacon that I thought looked promising. I got the recipe from here but changed it up a bit to the way I wanted.
Here's my version:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CANNELLINI SOUP with BACON
6 thick bacon slices, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 3/4-inch cubes roasted, peeled butternut squash (from one 1 3/4-pound squash)
3 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), undrained (you can find these beans at Trader Joes)
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained (Italian-style is a good option)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Savory - just eyeball it
Cumin - eyeball it
Curry - same as above. :)
Chives for garnish

Split and roast whole squash at 375 for about 45 min.
Meanwhile, saute bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add chopped onion and garlic to drippings in pot; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to boil. Stir in butternut squash, 1 can cannellini with liquid, drained tomatoes, and fresh rosemary. Cover and simmer until butternut squash is tender and flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Puree entire soup with immersible hand blender. Add 2 cans cannellini beans. Cook until beans are thoroughly warmed. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped bacon and chives. Enjoy - it's delicious! :)

I gave Emily some of this soup and made her try to guess what was in it (she's not a fan of squash, either). I don't remember all of her guesses, but I know not one of them was squash....and she liked it! Mission accomplished!

Butternut squash muffins are also amazing, too! Especially recipes with lots of spices! Yum!

Breathtaking Crater Lake

2008-11-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

If you've never visited Crater Lake, you should put it near the top of your list - it really is breathtaking! We had the opportunity to visit it again with our family while we were in Southern Oregon. The first time we went was on our honeymoon and we stayed in the rustic lodge....did you ever hear that story...?? Well, apparently, in the summer months it is super busy, and it's recommended to get reservations far in advance. But we were just kinda winging it during our trip and didn't make and reservations for anything! We got there around 4 pm, which was the latest time you could check in for the night and they had just two tiny rooms left. The person in line behind us took the other room. :) Whew - an answer to a prayer that hadn't even been requested! :)

Anyways! Back to our current trip.... :)

Kate walking with help from Mommy along the rock wall near the Rim
"Beautiful view, eh cousin?" ;)

Nah, I bet they're just interested in this cute little ladybug. :)View from the observatory

I think this would be a great sledding hill during the wintertime! ;)
Looking out toward Klamath Falls area

Our destination was right at the tippy-top. Can you tell I love me some sunflare? ;)
Starting up the hike

At the top - I think this used to be some kind of lookout for spotting forest fires

Dave and I up at the top

Sarah :)

See those little toy cars - that's where we started the hike. :)

The Google car that takes pictures of the street view on Google Maps - who knows, maybe one day you'll see the group of us on that website someday! ;)

Philemon with his Auntie.

Spires - these this are so neat - and huge, too!

Driving on the way back to Klamath Falls

And one last panoramic look at the beautiful Crater Lake!

Golfing

2008-11-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, back to a little bit of our trip to Southern Oregon! At the resort there was a beautiful golf course - some of us brought along our golf clubs and spent a lot of time at the driving range and putting green!

A small part of the golf course in the morning light.

Another frosty leaf! :)

I can't remember what this practice area was called - a chip and putt something.... Anyways - it was great practice - I spent a lot of time in the sand pit! ;)
Susie taking a swing at the ball Kate's ready to play, with a ball in both hands! :)
Down at the driving range

A column of dirt flying up just after the ball was hit (the flying one on the left)

A beautiful Family!

2008-11-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

I got the chance to have a short session with a beautiful family that we are good friends with! They are the most photogenic family ever - even with 5 kids, everyone was ready to put a big smile on their face for pictures! :) Here's a little peek at a few of my favorites. :)

Awwww...sisterly love - Rebecca (she was our flowergirl in our wedding) and Naomi

Rebecca and Hannah

The whole family!

There was still some beautiful fall colors and fun leaves hanging around! I think this is my favorite family picture of them. ;)

And a parting shot that is sure to bring a smile to your face! :)

I'll have the rest of the pictures to you soon, H. family! :) Thanks so much for

letting me take your family photos! :)

Family Birthdays at the Running Y

2008-10-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Mom, Sarah and Katelynn all have their birthdays in October, so we took the opportunity to celebrate them together while we were in Kalmath falls at the Running Y Ranch resort. :)

Debbie made the cutest little bear cupcakes! Yum!

I love Aarons two little eyes peeking over the couch to see the book that Grandpa is reading to Philemon .... well.... he was reading - looks like something interesting is happening across the room. ;)

Sarah's bear - Phi and Eugen helped her blow the candle out. :)

Mom and Kate's cupcake! Take a peek at Aarons face in the background - when we all started to sing "Happy Birthday" he burst out crying! :) Poor little guy! :)

Kate's going right for the m & m's!
And Andrew is capturing all the memories on an old videocamera! :)
Katelynn was so excited when she opened a present and found a dolly inside!!!
"feeding" the baby....hmm....not working so well....
This seems to fit much better! I think if I suck hard enough, I just might
get something to come out of this bottle! :)

Phi reading a "lift-the-flap" book with his Grandpa.

The dolly even has a stroller to be pushed around in - how fun! And great

practice for walking, which Kate is becoming very proficient at! :)

And here comes Phi with his own new push toy! An added bonus is that it makes a lot of noise!!

More pictures of our trip coming later... :) Thank you all very much for your comments and opinions about my last post- it really helped a lot! :)

Autumn Colors and a Question!

2008-10-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back from our week long vacation on Southern Oregon. While we were there I was able to get some autumn photos, which I had been dying to do! I love all the beautiful colors this time of year! Hopefully I'll have more of our trip up soon!

This was a pretty pond at the resort that we stayed at - I was so excited to finally get some reflection photos! :)

I LOVE the red colors on trees, and sunflares are so much fun, too! :)

A frosty red leaf in the morning light!

Now, this is where I need your help! These next two photos are almost exactly alike, but I changed my shutter speed on each to give the light a different effect - the sun was just coming over the hill around 8 am in the morning. Which one do you like best? I may enlarge one for printing, but can't decide! :)

Morning Breakfast & Baptism

2008-10-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

A few weekends ago the Vancouver Assembly had a Breakfast and Baptism down at the river. The guys cooked up the majority of the breakfast - it was delicious! All the kids had a great time playing in the water and on the beach and then after breakfast Uncle George baptized 5 children. I apologize for some of the large empty spaces between photos - can't figure out why it did that... Grrrr.... :) I tried to write a few captions to photos, but they were all wonky and connected to the wrong pictures, so sorry about that, too! :) Oh well.....here they are: :)

Puppies & Pears

2008-10-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything - sorry! These are just a few from the past few weeks...

These puppy pictures are especially for Matthew, since he isn't able to see the Blakes new puppies. Since these pictures have been taken, all but one of the puppies have been sold - they kept one, and named him "Saturday". :)

I think this one is going to help me out with cleaning! :)

Looks like his brother wants to help too! :)

Andrew and Philip with all the puppies.

Annabear with her babies - the father is a black dog. :)

Grandma C. came down for a visit and stopped by to see our new house while she was here. We all went out for lunch one day and had a nice visit.

Sarah, Susie and I picked some pears awhile back - Phi was a big help!

He looks so proud to be very high up on the ladder!! :) Peeking through the ladder with Aunt Susie!

Smash the Cake!

2008-09-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, bakers man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can,

Pat it, roll it and mark it with a "K"

And put it in the oven for Baby and me!

This afternoon Debbie and I took Katelynn out to a park to take pictures of her eating a first birthday cake! She wasn't quite sure what to do with it, as her mommy has trained her to eat chocolate cake instead! None of this floofy pink and purple frosting stuff! ;) She warmed up to the idea after her mommy helped her smash and eat some. :)

Arcadia Beach

2008-09-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

September 6th was our annual beach party! Dave and I camped the night before wiht Eugen and Sarah and then met up with everyone else around noon at Arcadia Beach, which is just south of Cannon Beach. It has a big cliff that protects from wind, so we really like this location!

Warning: there is an overload of Cute Kids in this post!! ;)

These first few pics are pics that Dave took with his new camera. He got a point-and-shoot digital camera a few weeks ago. He takes some great photos with his and I just had to sneak a few in here. :)

Me in action - I have no idea what I was taking a picture of, but I do get in funny positions sometimes. :)

Dave's landscape shot of the beach at Nehalem Bay

A birds-eye view of the beach party - Dave climbed the cliff and took these! :)

Enjoy the pictures of the beach party! (I'm not going to comment on all of them for privacy's sake.)

I was easily able to persuade a couple of the girls to pose for me in a floofy skirt I sewed. :)

Pelicans flying low over the water

Camping at Nehalem Bay

2008-09-21T16:09:00.001-07:00

So sorry I have been slacking! I've been working a LOT, and I also have a LOT of pictures from the past couple weeks to share. :) Here are some from our trip to the beach during the first week in September. We camped at Nehalem Bay State Park on Friday, then headed to the Beach Party on Saturday. Eugen and Sarah and the boys came later in the evening and camped with us!

The cutest red squirrel scampered into our campsite and was very content

eating scraps of food. :)

I think this is one of the most beautiful beaches in Oregon - with the dunes and the long, long beach with white sand - beautiful! :)

Dave's silhouette - looking out over the ocean

A peek of the ocean through grass and wavy sand...

footprints...
For dinner I brought along some marinated chicken breasts and Dave grilled them over hot coals - I must say it was the most delicious chicken I've ever tasted! :)
Dave thought so, too!! :)
Sunbeams coming through the trees by our campsite.
a stick in the evening light! ;)

Breakfast time at the S's campsite. :)
Phi winding up his flashlight. :)
Look what I found - a heart in the grass! :)
Dave and Eugen talking by the fire.

Aaron :)

Getting ready to head to the beach
We had to walk up the big dune behind our campsite to get to the beach.
Aaron loves the sand - eating sticks and grass is yummy, too! :)
Phi was so big and walked down the big dune all by himself!

Beach Party pics to come soon! :)

Favorite

2008-09-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

This is my absolute favorite picture at the moment! I just had to make a post to show you all. :)

My focus is sharp (something I've been working on!) and my exposure is almost right on, and I'm loving the bokeh, not to mention his EXPRESSION!! I have it on our desktop and I smile every time I see the look on Phi's face. :) See, this is why I love to take thousands of pictures - just to get that ONE. ;) I think this will be my favorite for awhile! :)

Make Believe

2008-09-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

I got together with Tracie and Heather again to take pictures of their girls in a make believe theme. The girls love playing together and dream up all kinds of stories together! :)

Emma - check out her beautiful lashes! :)

poisonous apple? ;) The girls had a lovely time having a tea party under a canopy of trees.

It was great to get together again - thanks for the photography tips Heather! Looking forward to our next get together! :)

Picking Peaches

2008-09-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Every year we drive into the Gorge to pick fresh peaches and can or freeze them.

The weather was perfect and we were able to get lots of delicious peaches!

Katelynn and her Mommy taking a stroll in the orchard.

Katelynn kept herself busy playing in a box for quite awhile! :)
Naomi - she has beautiful eyes! :)
Naomi and her Mommy. :) We drove down in Charity's Sprinter - lots of room for peaches in the trunk of that rig! :)
Debbie up on the ladder picking the biggest peaches. :)
Don't you feel your mouth watering?? ;)
Debbie was the brave one to climb on top of the ladder and take this shot! :)
While she was on top of the ladder, she snapped a few over the top of the orchard. A church in the distance, and also look at the top left corner - see a structure? ....we'll get to that part later! :)
New best buddies! :)
A branch laden with fruit
heavenly! :)
Me and my favorite little neice. :)
Kate with her Grandma - I like how their facial expressions are the same. :)
Katelynn peeking through my legs as I was helping her to walk. :)
A gorgeous view of the Gorge! :)
Remember that structure in the previous picture? Well, here it is! Our very on Stonehenge in Oregon! :)

That slab in the middle was supossedly used for human sacrifices. Yikes! (at the one in Europe, not THIS one) :)

Charity with the beautiful Gorge in the background.
Us gals. :)

Wedding

2008-09-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to second-shoot a wedding with a professional photographer friend, Nancy. She was a wonderful person to work with and offered many helpful tips and pointers throughout the day. It was a difficult wedding to shoot, with poor lighting and different skin tones. Not to mention I accidently set my camera on the wrong setting for the ceremony - big oops!! Even then, I still really enjoyed it and think it something that I would love to do someday on my own! For now I'll stick to second shooting! :)

Here are a few images that are presentable... :)

Debbie's 24th Birthday

2008-08-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Debbie's birthday was the end of July, and we went frisbee-golfing at a local disc-golf park.

Look at that form! ;)

Sus about to make a the goal. :)

Andrew

Tip for next time you try to make a goal - make sure you kink your left leg up as Eugen demonstrates here. ;) Just teasin'. :)

Jonathan - I wouldn't want to be in the path of the frisbee - looks like it's gonna fly hard!

Dave likes to throw underhand - seems to work well! :)

the whole group - cheering the birthday girl on! :)
Eugen and Sarah
Jon and Deb
I was having fun using my new lens - love the depth of field and how I can get just one area of the flower in focus! :)
Me and my hubby!
Back at Dad and Moms - Phi is helping out his Uncle by checking the oil . ;) "Yup, looks like we need to add another quart!" :)
We ate a delicious dinner and then Debbie blew out her "24" candles.
Katelynn's not too sure what just happened, but she'll be excited once
her 1st birthday comes along!
Phi climbing the ladder to go down the big slide!
I love Katelynn's excited expression as she goes to hug her big cousin! :)
Awwww....group hug! :)

Happy Birthday Debbie! ;)

Thursday evening

2008-08-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Dave has been helping Karl out with his International Scout, fixing the engine and all the fun things guys do with all that. :) He really enjoys being able to help him out and wouldn't consider it being work at all. :) We went over for dinner and I snapped a few pictures... the boys were showing me their neat tricks on the trampoline. :)

Russell flying in the air! :)

Jumping over brother - love this one! Great expression! :)

Dave and Karl working on the truck

A beautiful sight! :)

I think this is beautiful, too. ;)

Klassen Family

2008-08-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to take photos of a lovely family this afternoon! They were in town, visiting Helen . :) We went downtown and found some neat locations. It was wonderful to meet you and I hope you enjoy some of the photos! :) Here's a few:

Brother and Sister

Carly - I was admiring her naturally blonde hair - it's beautiful! :)

The bridge on the right actually has "legal graffiti" painted all across it - very cool!

I love this one of Carly! :)
The whole family again by the Columbia River

Can you guess how old these two are? ;)
Jeff and Carol - 17 years of marriage. :)

Thanks for such a great photo shoot! It was lovely meeting you all and you are such a beautiful family!

Reed and Kelsey

2008-08-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Reed (Dave's cousin) and Kelsey tied the knot on Saturday, August 16. It was a beautiful wedding, outdoors, very relaxed. I think the thermometer might have hit 103 degrees, but everyone had a great time in spite of the heat. :)

Tony and Kim

Brian and Kelly

Troy and Michelle - she has a little bump there - only 4 more months to go until the little one arrives! :)

Reed sees his bride :) Beautiful bride
Kiss

Mr. and Mrs!!
the toast...
Chocolate cake .....even this was sweating and melting in the heat! But it still mananged to look delicious! Mmmmmm!!!

Cutting the cake
And another kiss... :)
throwing the boquet

Garter....

Awwww.....
First dance

The Raineys!

Bartletts!
Sisters -Kim and Kelly
We actually managed to get a big family picture! :)

Bartletts again. ;)
Awww.....

Kim with her new cousin, Aaron.

Waiting to throw the birdseed....
And they're off!! :)

Thanks for letting us share your special day with you Reed and Kelsey!

Family Pictures

2008-08-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon we had dinner at Eugen and Sarah's and then went to Crystal Springs in Portland to take some pictures. (Thanks again to Heather for the tip on this beautiful location!) :) It was quite the challenge to get the toddlers looking at the camera, but I think we managed to snap a few good ones. ;) Here's a peek.... :)

Summertime

2008-08-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Dave and I carpool to work a few days a week since we both work up in Ridgefield. It's amazing how much fuel this has saved us! :) I just have to wait for him for a little while until he gets off work, so I usually have time to do some paperwork, find dinners for the month, plan my Sunday School class, etc.....and then sometimes I get chances to pull out my camera and stroll around the Blakes beautiful yard! :)

Jo was enjoying these delicious red raspberries right off the bushes!

Yummm!!!
A bowlful of raspberries that Hannah let me pick, with the evening sun falling on them.
It's been warm, so the pool gets a lot of use!

Seems like this dolphin is pretty happy about being jumped on. ;)

Dave and Uncle Rick hard at work.
Annabear just had puppies! This is them, less than one day old! (the father is a big, black dog) :) I'll take some more pictures of them as they grow. :)

Crystal Springs

2008-07-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

I met up with a couple fellow-photographers at Crystal Spring Rhododendron in Portland - a beautiful, 10 acre park with paths, a lake, waterfalls, ducks...... It was so great to be able to take pictures of your kiddos, Heather and Tracie, and spend some time with you gals!

These ducks were so brave - they would follow the kids along, just waiting for

them to toss some seeds their direction.

Maddie fell down on a step and scraped her knee pretty good - her little bro gave her some hugs to make it feel better - awwwww..... :)

Heather behind the camera! :)

Sharing some seeds to feed the ducks.
Elijah is such a handsome young man!
The girls became the best of friends - like two peas in a pod! ;)

Emma is one of the prettiest models I've seen! :)

We'll have to get together again soon! :)

Fuzzy Ducklings

2008-07-29T22:13:00.001-07:00

The ducklings out at the Sunshine farm recently hatched!

They are just so cute and soft and snuggly!!

Just a few days old and swimming already! :)

Some of the eggs hadn't hatched yet, so they were under the warming light.

Siblings....I love how one of them is sneaking a little snooze... :)

Heidi holding two ducklings.
and another one!
so soft.....
The kids had set up a cool jump for their new bikes!
Stephen and his rooster!

School Pictures

2008-07-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

While Mom and Bethany and Matthew were visiting, we went to downtown

Vancouver to take their school pictures. Thought I'd share a few of them. :)

In this picture of Bethany, she was leaning one of her shoulders on an old-looking garage door, when all of a sudden it started to go up! We all shot out of there and down the street as fast as we could because it scared up so bad! :)

Bethany will be 15 in October! We found a neat parking lot where each parking space had been numbered. :)

I love this picture! There are several WWII murals painted downtown, so we had a little bit of fun with it! :)

Matthew is 11 years old!

Check out the words carved into the stone - this is what Matthew likes to do all day long! :)

More fun with the mural. :)

Baby Emy

2008-07-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Jeny, here's a sneek peek at Emy's pictures from this afternoon!

She is one beautiful baby - you done good! ;)

Emy was a perfect baby the whole time, slept most of it, and just took

a couple breaks to get some food from her mama. :)

We even got several smiles from her while she was asleep. Awww... :)

Ahhhhh.....cool water!

2008-07-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

One of my clients invited the kids over to swim in the pool while I was working that day. It was a nice refreshing break from the hot weather for them!

Bethany

Mom teaching Emily how to dive properly. :)

waterfight!

Sistahs!

They found a cute little frog clinging on to the side of the pool.

Even the puppy that Em was dog-sitting was eyeing the frog. :)
Angel didn't mind too much, but it was hard to keep the frog sitting

there for more than a few seconds!
One decent picture of Bethany and Matthew
Then it turns into this: spooky faces, tounges stuck out... ;)

And this: :)

I love Matthew eyelashes in this shot. :)
I let Matt try out my camera for a little while - heres me, working on

dead-heading the hanging flower baskets.
A flower picture by Matthew

Then he hopped back into the pool to show me his flip into the water.

Splash!

More pictures of Mom's visit to come soon. :)

Rockaway Beach

2008-07-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

We just got back from spending a nice, relaxing night and day at Rockaway Beach, which is just south of Cannon Beach in Oregon. Mom, Bethany and Matthew have been here, visiting for the past few weeks, and are leaving on Sunday. We will sure miss them! I'll post some more pictures of their visit here later on.

We rented an apartment right on the beach with a kitchen, etc for cooking meals, which was very handy! :) Here is the path heading to the beach. :)

Dave and I arrived just before the sun was going down.

Trying to get some action/silhouette shots of Emily and Bethany....

a little kiss... ;)

Sunset - and I think that's a seagull out there...

Sisters

We went crabbing in the morning for the first time ever (well, Dave has been before, being a native Oregonian...!)- it was freezing, but we enjoyed the experience, even though nobody caught anything worthy enough to keep. :(

Matt throwing his crab ring/pot in.

Em
Matt pulling up his crab ring
Matthew caught the one and only crab, but it was just about a 1/4inch too small to keep. :(
Seagulls....
Old crab pot floats

More floats
Looking down on Manzanita Beach

Help me out here. :)

2008-07-16T11:27:00.001-07:00

Alrighty, readers of my blog - I have a question to ask you! :) I've been revamping my blog and playing around with some html code, and just want to know if you can see everything alright on your monitor. I have adjusted things to fit on my widescreen monitor, so some things might not be visible to everyone.

My main question is - Can you see the black/white design down both side of the page as shown below? There is a poll just to your right where you can vote and let me know! :)

Also, are the larger pictures being cut off? They should each have a grey border around them.

If anyone is having trouble seeing things correctly, let me know, and I will try to fix the html code so everyone can see! :)

Oh, and ignore the taskbar and icons in the screenshot below - that's just my Internet Explorer on my computer. :)

Thank you!! :)

Sunday School Picnic

2008-07-13T14:45:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was the Sunday School Picnic at Sester's Pond. The weather was perfect for swimming and sliding down the waterslide, games, food, hayride, volleyball, candy.... :) A fun tiem was had by all - hope you enjoy the pictures, cuz there's a LOT of them! ;)

We all had lunch before the games started. Katelynn was getting into her mom's food, so Jonathan kept pulling it away, and she kept crawling toward it. She just learned to crawl this past week! Way to go, Katelynn! :)
Kids listening attentively to the instructions for a game
This is one of the only ones I got of the Pinata - I can think of one word when I look at Benji's face - "glee"!!! :)
The adults and young people played the game where you have to stomp on other balloon to pop it, while at the same time keeping yours from being stepped on. :)
Tim doesn't even realize the impending danger, as he tries instead to pop his wifes balloon! :)

Christina running away from her husband and bro-in-law. I'd be running, too!

And, by the way - she won the game!! ;)

Girls watching some of the games going on -

Holly, Gwynne, Heather, Magda, Karen, Bethany A., Susie, Bethany S.

Husbands and wifes, and friends (or enemies!) ;) teamed up and threw water balloons back and forth. Each had to take a step back after every throw until the balloon finally burst! :)

Ooops! :)

Jonathan looks just a tad bit nervous.... ;)
Will it burst....?? ;)

Now, that must be a shock!

Bethany with her neighbor friend, Emily
Cute piggies, Phi!

Dave giving his nephew some pushes on the swing

Mmmmm.....those snow cones were so yummy on a hot day! Rebekah and Katie
Megan giving Angel a drink

Phi and his Mommy on the slide

Hayride!
Megan and Emily enjoying their snowcones on the hayride

Bethany, Karen and Heather on the hayride

Young again! :)

Alyssa with her grandpa
Jonathan in the kayak

Philip

Hayride and kids having fun in the pond

These girls were whispering secrets to eachother. :)

Aaron :)

Dave and I

Matthew

Tim helping Phi find "treasure" under the bales of hay. There were big candies hidden for the kids. :)

The waterslide was improved some from last year by attatching bales of hay to the plastic to form a nice slide.
Uncle Ron was at the top telling the line of kids when they could go.

Matthew taking his Daddy down the waterslide. :)
Heidi running back up the hill for another go at it!
They set it up so the water comes out of a huge pipe. The first year we did the waterslide, we just had a simple garden hose if I remember right, and upgraded to the big pipe the next year! The kids have so much fun, and it's one of the highlights of the day! :)

Josh, our old neighbor
Eugen was at the bottom, helping kids get wet. :)
Splashine his neice, Andrea. :)
A couple guys had to be at the end to stop kids from sliding right into the pond!

Jane and Damaris watching the action on the waterslide and pond
Matthew with a couple of his neighborhood friends, Randy and Josh, soaking wet from the waterslide. :)
Katelynn stylin' in her new bathing suit! :)
Johanna watching kids fly by on the waterslide.

Katelynn going down with her Mommy :)

Hannah
Mischevious boys filling up water balloons - uh oh! :)
Laura

Damaris - check out her two bandaged knees. :)

Bethany and Angel, the little dog that Emily is dogsitting.
Matthew and Phi "driving" the big John Deere tractor used to pull the hay ride!
Good friends! :)

Clint and Sara's Wedding - July 5th

2008-07-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Clint and Sara had three flowergirls and a ringbearer - so cute!

Amelia decided to take a break and play with the petals on the way down the aisle! :)

Dan giving away his little girl

Saying their vows
Groomsmen
Bridesmaids and flowergirls

When the kissed, one of the groomsmen played a little joke and made his cell phone go off and sing a little tune. :) Eveyone busted up laughing. :)

A little bit of detail...
Husband and Wife!
So cute!
Us at the reception - Emily, Me, Mom
The Grebes and Keips

Sara with her flowergirls Bri with a little attitude! ;) I love this picture! :)
Awwww.....best friends

Sisters - Naomi, Nina, Greta, Clara

The wedding was held at McMenamins in Troutdale - beautiful location!

4th of July

2008-07-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Warning: this post is picture-laden! :) But, enjoy them if you like! :)

A few of the men finishing up on building a dock/raft on the pond.

An action-packed soccer game before lunch

There were some big machines sitting near the pond and Phi had some fun playing around them (with supervision, of course!) :)

Phi in the canoe

Grandpa giving Phi a "ride"!

Big digger!

Matthew and Phi "driving" the tractor

Matt and some of his buddies - Caleb, Andrew, Luke, Matthew

Someone forgot to pack along paddles, so they used anything they could find - wood, flippers... :)

A few action shots of the volleyball game - Andrew serving

Look at that form! :)

Thad and Andrew

Lori with Dallas and Lisa's little one - Brianna
Coralee and Lisa watching the volleyball game and chatting
Dallas hurt his knee and had to take a trip to the ER. :(
Matthew R.

In the evening, we ended up inviting everyone to our house, and shot off fireworks in the culdesac. The guys bought a ton of fireworks and put on a great show!!!

Mom and Sus watching the show
I set up my tripod and chose about a 4 second shuter speed for most of these, to get the long trails of light.
I think this is one of my favorites. :)
This one is really out of focus, but Matthew and Em really liked it, so I put it up anyways! :)
Phi hated the loud noises and cried everytime they shot off the loud fireworks. :( He was tired, too, so Sarah took him in and let him sleep.

Necks craned, looking up at the fireworks - left to right - William, Mom, Emily, Kevin
The guys would all set up their fireworks and light off a bunch at the same time. Here's Thad:
And Dave, just about to run back from the lit fireworks.
Dallas was able to make it back from the ER for the fireworks show.
Eeeekkk! There's ghosts! ;)

And another scary sight - Emily with fireworks and a lighter! :)

Shooting off some roman candles
A creative shot with sparklers. :)
Can you guess who wrote this? ;)
And a parting fireworks shot. Hope you enjoyed the show!! ;)

Walla Walla

2008-07-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

We drove with Mom, Bethany, Matthew and Emily to the Bible Conference in Walla Walla, Wa last weekend. Just sharing a few pictures from the nice relaxing time we had... It was very hot there - I think in the 100's! Or at least it felt like that! :)

Flat land on our way to Walla Walla

A couple of my favorite boys - Matthew, my brother, and Aaron, my nephew

Allison

Walla Walla sunset
Wesley and Mary's house
Wes and Mary - congrats on the pregnancy! :) We will be looking forward to meeting the little one soon! :)
Phi found a "slide" just his size! :)
....and everything must be tasted....including Grandpa's flashlight! :)
Awwww....she loves Grandpa - he feeds her ice cream! MMmmm!!!
Bethany - I love this picture of her - it looks like some kind of poem should go along with it..... :)
Johanna - her dolly in one arm and a fistful of grass ready to be thrown....along with a mischievous smile... :)
Addilyn has quite the look going on here! Love it! ;)
And you even get a picture of me today, with Katelynn - courtesy of Debbie! :)

Oh yah, she's cool! Awesome shades, Katelynn! :)
And we headed back home..... :)

Jeny's Baby Shower

2008-06-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Russell was directing cars as they came in the driveway - he did a great job!

The shower was at 10 am and we had a brunch, with Strata, scones, muffins,

coffee cake, fruit.... mmmm, mmmm good!

pretty flower on the table...

gals looking at pictures of Dave and Jeny when they were babies.

The guest of honor - Jeny

Russell wrapped a fun book for Jeny's baby. :)

more pretty flowers...

Jeny received a wide variety of useful and fun gifts!

some of the gals - check out Emily's daintily lifted pinkie. :)

the whole group

books for baby

a fun "hunny" pot with puppets inside!

Em reading Russell one of the many books that Jeny recieved

opening the group gift - a carseat/stroller - very handy!

The ladies compiled a book of quotes that their mothers used to say all the time.

Things like:

“This, too, shall pass”

“It’s not what you say that’s wrong, it’s how you say it.”

“Bloom where you are planted”

“If you don’t like it, lump it.”

“I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck
A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap and I’m talking in my sleep
About you, about you.”

“If you have nothing to do, just spit in your shoe.”

“Don’t guzzle your milk”

Everyone was having a good laugh about the quote that

every mom says - "That's enough!"

Jeny looking through her book of quotes.

Father's Day

2008-06-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was informed recently that I need to update this blog - people were tired of reading how to make butter! ;) So here are some pictures from our Fathers Day dinner today at Eugen and Sarah's. It was a beautiful day, and we had a nice relaxing time. We made a yummy dinner for the family and there were gifts for the Dads. Enjoy the pictures! :)

Aaron and Kate

"Dolly's tights will make a great hat!"
"oh yeah....I'm stylin' now!!"
Phi also loved the loud noise he could make when he banged

the golf ball on the metal side table. :)

We know who was in the chocolate cream puffs!
I just had to put this picture in here - I love the guys expressions as they

are listening to Dave explaining how to install a sprinkler system. :)

the guys
Jonathan reading his awesome card from Debbie and Katelynn.
Phi liked all the buttons on my camera and was very impressed with the loud "ka-chunk" noise it makes when a picture is taken. This is the world from his view! :) (with me holding the camera very carefully, of course!) :)
Aaron with his Uncle David
Phi loves his yellow dump truck!

Kate walking with her Aunt Susie
Eugen and Dad reading their cards
Phi
:)
....something about a truffle looking like it had an eye... :) Eugen looks a little scared! :):)

Phi looks like he's getting a little sleepy....

And Aaron's out....

....along with Aunt Susie. :)

Phi after his nap. :)

Making Butter

2008-06-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've been getting fresh milk from some friends, with cream still on the top and so I attempted to make homemade butter with it yesterday. I did it in my Kitchen Aid mixer instead of shaking it in a jar (oh man, my arms would have killed me!)

The mixer whipping the cream into foamy stuff.
I made a mistake here and used cold cream straight from the fridge, instead of letting it set out on the counter to warm to room temp. (as I found out later!)

The directions told me to whip the cream for 30 minutes. 30 minutes came and went, and then another 30 minutes went by .... nothing was happening except the foam! So I went on the internet and googled my problem and found out that the cream should be warm! I went back downstairs and set the bowl of foam in warm water to speed up the warming process, then after awhile put it back on the mixer.

In just a few minutes, it started looking a little lumpy - good sign, right?!

YES!! Butter!!!

Then I had to pour out the butermilk (the back bowl) from the butter and wash the butter in cold water until the water was clear.

After LOTS of washing, the water was finally clear!

And there is my butter! mmmmmm!!!!

Packaged up and ready to go in the freezer! :)

Memorial Day

2008-05-29T16:57:00.001-07:00

We went out to the Sesters pond Memorial Day to hang out with some who had camped the night there, and others who just came for the day to have fun.

Little boys and mud puddles.... :)

The boys took turns driving the little tractor - pretty brave, I'd say! I was never allowed to drive something that big when I was that young! Ahhhh! I was deprived! ;) Just kidding! My parents knew that I would probably crash anything I drove. Once I almost drove over a 30 foot bank into a creek with the lawnmower....but anyways....back to the pictures! :)

More boys with mud puddles.

Grandma helping Phi wash his hands in the big puddle.

But when he was finished washing his hands, he just stuck them right back in the mud! Of course! :)

It makes great spashes when you fling it around like this! :)

Check out those dirty little hands!

Dripping mud...

Splish splash!

Momm's going to be using a little Spray n' Wash! And he's just grinning about that! ;)

Dolly with her Grandpa and Grandma.

Then it's off to the swings!

Weee!

Valerie

Ah ha! Found some more dirt!

Phi and Kate watching the baseball game with their grandpa.

Jonathan

Michael

Debbie

Jonathan - I'd be scared to be that ball right about now - look at that evil glint in his eye! ;)

Yep, that one's gonna be a home run!

Gwynne going after a runaway ball

Curtis in motion

"Everyone back up!" is a phrase I kept hearing when Dave was up to bat. :)

Swing, batta, batta, swiiiing....

Eugen's headed for second, and Jonathan runs back to guard first.

Dave pitching

A dangerous view (especially for my camera!) :)

A courageous leap by Ben!

Outfielders Andrew and Jesse

Wes makes a catch in the outfield

Ted and Uncle Rick and kids hauling the picnic tables out for the summer

Miriam and Jane

Phi was laughing, but then started bawling the second after I snapped the picture - guess he got scared of the big tractor. :)

Katelynn being cute as usual. :)

Our littlest nephew - Aaron.

Home Projects

2008-05-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

We've slowly been working on little projects around our house since we moved in - here are a few that we've completed!

Finally! Our mismatched tool set is organized! I bought a pegboard and can of sage green spraypaint and went to town! It was one of my favorite projects so far!

The green paint added a little color to our garage wall. :)

Wrenches? That's what these are, right? I am clueless! :)

Our garage is small, so we try to make the most of the space by hanging our bikes from the ceiling.

A bonus view of part of our unorganized garage - that's another project we're slowly tackling - organizing the garage!

And if you're wondering what those tall boards are on the left - that's another project and Dave and I are working on - we're building a platform storage bed for our mattress - actually, Dave's in the garage working on it as I type! ;)

I was so relieved to get this project done! When we moved in, all there was in the laundry closet was a cheap wire shelf that wasn't very sturdy, and didn't maximize storage, so I went to the hardware store and designed my own closet to maximize the space.

This is my favorite feature of the closet - a place to hang drying shirts, or freshly-pressed clothes - it's so handy!

Oh, and did I mention I put this all together myself?? I had a great teacher (my hubby!) who worked with me on a previous shelving project, and so I tackled this one when he was gone and surprised him. :)

This is the shelving project where Dave taught me how to properly install a shelf.

Keys to hanging a shelf - measure, remeasure, and measure again! And use a level! :)

This shelving unit is above the toilet in the upstairs bathrooms - I wanted some texture in the bathroom, so the baskets were a perfect option and useful, too! :)

Hung a couple pieces of art in the hallway - can't wait to get more art hung in the rest of the house!

Our kitchen doesn't have much storage, so this industrial shelving is a life-saver!

Canning jars decorate the shelving... :)

Dave put these knobs on the kitchen cabinets since they were difficult to open - he spent hours aligning them just right so they were perfectly even. :) We bought brushed metal to match the rest of the accents (doorknobs, light fixtures, etc.) that already came with the house.

We used knobs for the cabinets and handles for the drawers.

We bough a little table and chairs for our tiny patio - it'll be nice to relax out here and eat dinner during the summer months.

And just a couple pictures of a thunderstorm we had a couple days ago.

These were taking just as the storm was rolling in - the sky turned so dark and evil really fast!

The sun was setting, too, so the clouds were this amazing orange color - wow!

Kiddos

2008-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Mom, Sarah and Deb came over today with their kiddos for lunch and a photo shoot.
Here are a few of my favorites (Well, actually, quite few!)

Dolly's ready for picture-taking! :)

little toesies

now you see it...

...now you don't!

time for a nap!

"save me from the bubble..."

It's tough being cute!

We went through a lot of "poses" like this before we got a semi-good one. :)

Phi thought our lawnmower was pretty cool!

Something in the sky must have been interesting, too!

Grandma helping get grass off Phi's feet.

Kate in her dress that her mommy made for her - it's beautiful!

Don't peek at those bloomers, now! ;)

bye-bye!! Thanks for looking! :)

Flowers

2008-05-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some more beautiful flowers from God's creation! It's amazing how each are so different and unique from the other! Enjoy! :)
I don't know what a lot of these are named, so if anyone wants to tell me what they are, feel free! :)

Bleeding hearts

hmmm...don't remember this one, but it's on a bush...

this one I took wth the sun directly behind it - turned out interesting - the leaves are almost transparent.

garden path...

Cosmos

help - what is this one?

More garden path

lilacs! My favorite - mmmm, they smell amazing!

And, sorry, these ones don't have a name, either - unless you know it! :)