Doug & Karen {BeLoVeD}

The smell of tanning lotions and sunscreen filled the air...children giggled as they splashed each other with water.  This is where it happened...

Doug's home away from home is Splashtown in San Antonio, TX, as not only is he employed there, but is also surrounded by his family and friends.  So, it is perfectly fitting that he would meet the girl of his dreams in a place that is close to his heart.  Doug and Karen had an instant connection and they share a love of life and fun.  In fact, they made it apart of the ceremony to go down the water-slide because this is when they felt they found each other as soul-mates.  

This wedding contained so much more emotion for this sweet family...myself included.  Excitement and joy mixed with feelings of pain and sorrow.  We were all missing the presence of a special woman, Karen's mother.  As I spent time with this family, I was able to literally feel so much love oozing out of each member.  I shared tears as Karen's sister gave the most beautiful toast in honor of her mother.  I can't help but KNOW what a beautifully wonderful person Annelle was.  Her legacy lives on in the deep love of her family!   

Thank you, Doug and Karen for allowing me to be apart of your day.  I am honored that I was trusted with such an exciting yet sensitive time in your lives.  The love I felt from your families will never be forgotten and for that, I am eternally grateful...

BEAUTIFUL bride!!!

Doug is about to see his bride for the first time...

One of my favorite images from the day!!! :)

Sisterly love as they listen to a song performed in honor of Annelle...







"You may now kiss the bride, and go down the slide..."







Kim gave such a beautiful speech...





Karen's niece had never experience chocolate cake before this  ;)

Adina {sEnIoR}

Adina + me on a gorgeous San Antonio day = fabulous senior session

See, Adina likes math. I like math. I like Adina...I usually like every person I come in contact with actually :) But I really like Adina.

Adina and I clicked the minute I walked into her foyer. For her family, it was odd that a person would come over to meet them before a photo-shoot. After the shoot, her mamma smiled and commented on how personal and nice the experience was.

Experience.

The senior market here is much different than in Great Falls, MT. Most folks stick with the studio that the schools contract out. They pop out so many sessions, that there is no time to get to know each senior. The photographer doesn't get the privilege to know their story, or find out what their passions are...and you can tell in the pictures. I'm not doggin' on high volume studio portraits...to each his own...I'm just sayin' that senior year is a BIG deal to each senior. So why not offer something that makes THEM a big deal?

I was so excited that I was able to take Adina's pictures...she got to EXPERIENCE something that most seniors don't down here.

I'm hoping to change that.

So here's to the first:

Adina...

children's church leader.

number cruncher.

cheerleader.

Snuggy cuddler.

Jesus lover.

And my new friend...

BrRrRRrr....

For already experiencing 85 degree weather this year,

this 52 degrees feels mighty cold!!!

I felt this was the perfect time to share some images I had taken of the boys when it snowed...YES!!! SNOWED here in Texas...Feburary 4th to be exact. I think Dave and I might have brought something down with us from Montana ;)

The kids were actually missing the snow, so when they woke up to a

light dusting on the ground they were SO excited!!!

As far as recent news with me, I am still finding a balance to our new life here in Texas. I am starting to think that MAYBE I'm getting there...

I just had a photo-shoot with the most adorable twins and am finalizing my updated website. It's taken me awhile because, well, I'll explain all that later :)

Until then, my crazy fun boys, playin' in the "snow..."

Looks like even Sam was missing it ;)

These were some adorable mittens that Aunt Heather bought the boys for Christmas :)

He didn't last long...

sTrAnGe...

I had a mentor session on Thursday and was pootin' around with my old lens. I hadn't shot with my 50mm 1.8 in a LONG time. My client aka FRIEND ;)...has this lens and I wanted to see how it acted with my 5DMkII. I forgot how amazing that little lens is!!!

Here is a shot that I took in my room.

I don't know why I am so drawn to this...it's so strange but so ME....

*It's Thursday - Dave is off and we can

snuggle in the morning ergo the messy bed

*a sock monkey that one of the kids put at

the edge of my bed because his

"butt needs to be fixed"

*a chess game on the floor with pieces

my kitties have knocked over

BbBbbbBbb...where are you?

One of my clients had a great wall with all of her pictures along with different monogram letters of her last name randomly throughout. It was SO cool and something I really wanted to do...but with my own twist on it...

History of the pieces:

While cleaning out my 110 year old house I moved from in Montana, I found this really awesome mirror. I was just thrilled with how distressed it was and honestly was a bit embarrassed that I didn't find it sooner. Anyhoo, I was going to proudly display this mirror in my new home to remind me of my Montana house but as everyone knows, during a move, there are always casualties. And my sweet mirror was one of them. It awaited its burial against the fence in the backyard. It got rained on more than a few times before the pack rat in me said that I surely could find a use for it somewhere. So I very sweetly asked my hubby if he would clean the glass off and make it a frame. He did. And I was even MORE happy with the look of it after it weathered a bit in the yard.

The gold frame was one that I purchased at an antique store in Montana as a photo prop. I wanted to do the whole, "hold the frame at the torso and photoshop the couple kissing in the frame" number. Super cute idea, but I never got around to doing it. So my little prop just hung on my wall looking pretty all by it's lonesome.

The little yellow "B" is one that I purchase from Urban Outfitters many many moons ago and couldn't leave the store without it. The BIG darker "B" I purchased at Hobby Lobby when I first moved here.

The story:

It was an accident that I used all of these together. I was going to have someone over and my house was super dirty. Like any normal person would, I went crazy and just started piling things and hiding stuff. I managed to pile the frames and the B's against the wall together and after a week of seeing them there together I decided that they had found their match.

Isn't it fun when something amazing comes together accidentally?!?!?

I am super happy with the results but I have a big dilemma...I cannot find myself a lowercase "b" that I like anywhere! I haven't really gone internet shopping for one, but I figured I would ask ya'll to see if you knew. I would like it to have red on it or be all red, and I am going to put it by itself under the gold frame...

Please help my b's find their lost friend :)

have i mentioned...

...lately how much I adore my kitties???

{tReAsUrE}

My sister is here and we're are having SO MUCH FUN!!!

Yesterday, we went thrift store shopping...

...I triple HEART thrift store shopping!!!!

I feel like I'm a pirate searching for treasure, in a war against all the other pirates for the hidden pieces. What an adventure! Searching through caverns of crap for that ONE special find. Yes. I love treasure hunting.

And I hunted well yesterday...All my treasures listed here added up to less than 18 dollars!!!

I got this nifty glass thingy that I thought would make a fun paperweight...

reminds me of a molded jello...

My dinner plates are chipping and I can't find a set that I love to replace them, so I decided, why not just find different plates that I like???

Here's what I collected yesterday...

My husband requested that I picked up some Tshirts...

apparently he likes me in them...

Here's one of the many fun ones I found...

I have a collection of creamer and milk glasses as flower vases and scored a new one :)

And this is what I'm MOST proud of...the much needed desk chair...

my poor husband has been sitting on a step stool for too long...

this chair needs some scrubbin' but I fell in love!