The weather has been absolutely beautiful this month, nothing like January at all.  Today was no exception so after church we decided to go exploring to find a new place to hike.  One of the things I adore about where we live is the diversity in the landscape.  Our house backs to “open space” with golden hills and scrub oak trees.   We can drive less than an hour west and hit the Pacific Ocean.  And just up Highway 24 we can enjoy redwood forests and lush vegetation.  Today we headed to the trees.  It felt like a different world once we entered the trail.  The redwoods towered above us letting pockets of light in here and there.  The scent of Eucalyptus hung in the air. It was cool and moist and everything was incredibly quiet, it was almost eerie.  The kids said they felt like they were in Jurrasic Park.  I would have to agree.  It was magical.  A stream and a bridge and all was well with the world.  We’re going back again soon!

Don’t stop here.  Continue around the circle and take a peek at what everyone’s been up to this month starting with Jennifer Nguyen | Snails and Pigtails Photography | Temecula, CA Photographer.  Keep clicking through the circle and you’ll end up right where you started.

We started by grabbing some yummy soup and salad at Panera Bread in downtown Walnut Creek.

Then we walked across the street to the theaters which, by the way, were packed.  Who knew a movie on New Year’s Eve was so popular?

I love a good movie and this one was surprisingly entertaining  and didn’t  disappoint.

When we got back to the car I wanted one picture of us together so, without a tripod, I set my camera on the car next to us and took this.  It’s not perfect but I love it just the same.

And one more after I dropped my mom off at her house and was driving home.  I don’t recommend taking pictures while you’re driving, but I really liked this shot.

Now head on over to Jennifer Nguyen | Snails and Pigtails Photography | Temecula, CA Photographer   for a sneak peek at what’s she’s been up to this past month.

]]> http://wenderful.com/2012/01/what-_________-looks-like-january/feed/ 8 http://wenderful.com/2011/12/nick-class-of-2012-danville-california-senior-photographer/ http://wenderful.com/2011/12/nick-class-of-2012-danville-california-senior-photographer/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:59:39 +0000 wenderful http://wenderful.com/?p=5587 My sister and her family were In Danville over Thanksgiving and you know what that means.  Lots of photo ops!  We had  THIS spur-of-the-moment nighttime session with a tangle of Christmas lights, followed up with a daytime family session (soon to be blogged), and finally my nephew Nick asked if I would take his senior pictures while he was in town.  Of course, I was thrilled to spend some one-on-one time with him!  He is the oldest grandchild in my family and my first nephew.  I remember when he was just a baby and our families lived just down the road from each other.  My husband and I didn’t have kids yet and I remember how fun it was to hang out at their house and play with the new baby.  He was round and cute and loved to eat!  When we had Maddy the following year, they became fast friends and have had a special bond ever since.

I can’t even begin to comprehend the fact that Nick is a senior this year.  The time has flown by!  He’s in the midst of applications and letters of recommendation and lots of pressure from the rest of us to find out where he’ll be going.  Not to embarrass him, but without studying he earned a perfect score in English on his ACT and nearly the same on the Math portion.  And not only is he academically gifted, he has an amazing singing voice, has a kind heart, and is genuinely nice to his three sisters.  I love him to pieces and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him!

This year since we’re in a new house, we decided to haul out our massive tree to see if it would “fit” (which is really a relative term depending on what you consider “fit” to mean).  Although it takes up most of our living room, and since we really had no desire to take it down once it was set up, it will stay this year.  And, or course, the kids’ tree always comes and is adorned with all the ornaments the kids have gotten through the years.  It’s perfectly tacky and kitchy with its multi colored lights among the white branches.  I love it!  And with a little help from the cousins, it was decorated in record time.

I hope you are all enjoying the craziness that comes with December!

Please tell me your garage looked similar to this:

The kids LOVE going through the ornament boxes and unwrapping each ornament while reminiscing on Christmases past.

Our monster tree required a ladder and some brave souls to reach the tip top.

No matter how hectic we get during this month, our family always takes time to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas and the Gift of the Savior.

For the next stop in the circle, please visit my sweet friend  Jennifer Nguyen | Snails and Pigtails Photography | Temecula, CA Photographer to see what she’s been up to this past month.

Happy Monday!

Our goal is to capture our own families in a real and beautiful way.  Some people call it “lifestyle”, some call it “real life”, some call it “unposed”.  No matter what you call it, our desire is to snatch the moments that represent the relationships, the dynamics, the reality, the beauty, the truth, and the life of our families and record them here on our blogs as well as in print at the end of the project.

Each month we will each choose to fill in the blank with our word of choice.  Some of us may choose to use the same word all year and some may choose to change it up each month.  We will each link to the next photographer until our circle is complete.

We hope this project inspires you to take more pictures of your own families so that those  moments that make your family unique will never be lost or forgotten.

Lately I’ve been a little melancholy as the reality, that we have less than 2 years left before our oldest will up and leave us for college, begins to set in.   I wish for time to go by slower so I can savor it.  But try as I might, my wish just doesn’t seem to be coming true.  Life is flying by faster and faster every year.  So I’m trying to snatch these moments out of the air with my camera in the hope that when I need a dose of her, I’ll be able to come back to them and remember.

Fall is probably my favorite season of the year.  I love the beauty of the leaves as they change colors and fall.  I love pulling out the crockpot to make soup and the Scentsy warmer to make my house smell like baked apples and cinnamon.  As much as I quickly tire of it, fall just isn’t fall without college football on TV.  And along with college football season comes high school football season.  The best part, especially for us girls, is Homecoming.  This month I’m focusing on What getting ready for Homecoming Looks Like.  And please don’t judge.  A clean room is NOT a priority for most teenagers.

Please  take a peek into the lives of each of the crazy-talented photographers this month, starting with Jennifer Nguyen | Snails and Pigtails Photography | Temecula, CA Photographer.

This week’s theme:

The image for this week might blow the cover of  last week’s MORNING image.  Those pink undies made a rare appearance last week because most nights I can actually be found in these comfy cotton PJs.  Maybe even peeking in the fridge for a late night snack.  Maybe…

For more night time fun, join me as I make my rounds through our blog circle this week starting with Kara Jo | Memphis Photographer.

Happy Weekending!

This week’s theme:

I have to give all the credit for today’s image to the photographer that I most admire and want to be when I grow up, Stephanie Rausser.  Is it possible to become someone else when you grow up, even if that person is most likely younger than you?  If so, put me down for becoming Stephanie because her work inspires me, amazes me, and makes me happy.  If you aren’t familiar with her work, stop by her website and be happy with me.  Her lifestyle and editorial approach to photography is phenomenal!  It’s like you stepped out of your own world of commitments and errands and responsibilities and into a world of joy and bright colors and laughter.  Her website , with its shuffling of images, is enough to mesmerize for hours.  And while you’re there, you’ll happen upon an image much like the one below, though much better.  I loved it so much that about a month ago I attempted to recreate it with my own dog, my own bed, and my own undies (the undies my husband claims he’s not at all familiar with).  I filed it away on my computer and forgot about it until today when I realized I hadn’t shot anything specifically for this week’s theme.  It’s been one of those weeks!  So I brought it out, dusted it off and am sharing it in honor of Stephanie Rausser.

Come with me as I make my way around the circle of good mornings starting with  Sara Tegman | St. Louis Photographer.

Happy Friday and Happy Weekending!

I’ve been lucky to have met so many incredibly talented and wonderful photographers during this journey who share the same desire to capture their own families in a real and beautiful way.  I’m teaming up with eleven of these women on a very personal and meaningful project called, “What ________ Looks Like.”

Our goal is to capture our own families in a real and beautiful way.  Some people call it “lifestyle”, some call it “real life”, some call it “unposed”.  No matter what you call it, our desire is to snatch the moments that represent the relationships, the dynamics, the reality, the beauty, the truth, and the life of our families and record them here on our blogs as well as in print at the end of the project.

Each month we will each choose to fill in the blank with our word of choice.  Some of us may choose to use the same word all year and some may choose to change it up each month.  We will each link to the next photographer until our circle is complete.

We hope this project inspires you to take more pictures of your own families so that those  moments that make your family unique will never be lost or forgotten.

This is a wonderful project to take on  with a group of like-minded friends.  Shannon Harrison of Jack and Ruby Studios planted the seed for our lifestyle group with a 10 on 10 project where she  posts monthly with a group of amazing photographer friends.

But you certainly don’t have to do this as a group project.  My sweet friend Gail Pomare of Aroha Photography is posting a peek into her real life every month on her own.

No matter how you do it, just do it.   You’ll be glad you did.

When I was a little girl I loved playing with dolls.  I loved dressing them up and fixing their hair and taking them out for a stroll in my baby buggy.  My mom made me lots of doll clothes and I stored them in my vinyl floral purse with the silver ball clasp.  That was heaven for me.  I always dreamed of growing up and being a mommy to lots of little girls that I could dress up and take out.  God knew my plan and humored me by blessing me with a daughter.  And I dressed her up and took her out and loved on her just like I did when I was a little girl.  And when we found out we were expecting again a few years later, I envisioned more dresses and bows and ruffles.  Until we found out we were having a boy.  A boy?  A boy?!  What was I going to do with a boy?  I didn’t have any brothers.  I didn’t know what to do with a boy.  What do boys wear?  What do boys do?  What do boys like?  Well, thirteen years and three boys later, I now know.  All about boys.  And I love them to pieces and can’t imagine life without them.  Here’s a little glimpse into what life with boys looks like at our house.

Please  take a peek into the lives of each of the crazy-talented photographers this month, starting with Jennifer Nguyen | Snails and Pigtails Photography | Temecula, CA Photographer.

Enjoy!

I’m gearing up for the big reveal of my new project this WEDNESDAY!  I can hardly wait!  See you then!

With a house full of boys, laughter is easy to come by.  Especially when you put a huge canoe in a small pool and add a dad that loves to cause trouble.

Kudos to my youngest for being the “last man standing”.

Next stop, Melanie Pitcher, Memphis, TN Photographer.  I can’t wait to see what kind of hilarity she posted this week!