Check out the video and photos of our kids' school

To the moon and back...

I asked my daughter last night, as I tucked her into bed, if she knew how much I loved her.



With a little smile, she said,

"Yes.  To the moon and back a million times."

My heart melted.


© Photographer: Matt Antonino | Agency: Dreamstime.com




Then later, I found a little Valentine she'd made for me with a pop-out heart.

I love that she makes me little cards.  I love that she leaves them on my pillow for me to find after she's asleep.  

I was trying to think of something creative I could do for her, and leave a surprise on her pillow.  Her imagination is light years more advanced than mine.  My creativity ends at my camera.

Then it dawned on me that maybe I could find something online that I could use to make her a card. Check this out:
Hearts (a Dreamstime search)  Perfect!  If you haven't discovered the magic of stock photos, you truly don't know what you're missing.

Here's what I came up with...

A cute card and all I did was add the text.  She'll love it.  I better go slip it under her pillow.

A winter day at the beach

 

A holiday treasure

My latest model, Little John.

Having some good friends over for dinner led to some seriously cute pictures of their 5 week old.  

There's just something about the holidays, and a new baby in a santa hat.

What could possibly be more precious than the smiles of a little baby?

So excited!!!

Each month or so Dreamstime posts an assignment for their contributors.  The most recent contest is focused on going mobile.  Mobile cameras, mobile shots. You get the idea.  But not just any spontaneous shot will do.

The assignments have a theme, but as with all their stock photos the Dreamstime editors only take the best.

The editors at Dreamstime are particular.  Meticulous, really. They have very high expectations.  Ok, they're picky.

There, I said it.  But, I'm glad they are.  Here it is....

http://www.dreamstime.com/-rimage27577788-resi3427385

my first assignment photo.








This is as "mobile" as it gets.  Gooey, sticky marshmallow smore's and a five year old in heaven.

A new collection

My daughter sings in the Oregon Children's Choir.  I try to capture the feeling, the emotion, the power of their songs.  Yet, it's one example of when photos just don't do justice to the whole experience.

Here is my latest Dreamstime collection of choir photos.
http://www.dreamstime.com/childrens-choir-singers-rcollection19429-resi3427385

Summer travels

This last summer we took the girls on a vacation to California.  

Yes, we packed up the travel trailer and spent two weeks "camping."  Which means hours upon hours of driving and a daily dose of Dramamine for the youngest who never fails to get car sick.

In case you were wondering...  we must have looked like tourists.

In other words we had the GPS on the dashboard, a stack of maps in hand and a panic stricken look as we drove for hours on end through places we've never been.

The highlights?  The Redwoods, Disneyland and California Adventures, and Yosemite National Park.  

If you ask our kids what they enjoyed most it was campfires and smore's, meeting the Disney Princesses, and swimming in the river.

But the photographer in me was in heaven.  I created a memory book of photos for my daughters on Snapfish, and built a collection on Dreamstime titled "All Things Disney!"  http://www.dreamstime.com/all-things-disney!-rcollection18857-resi3427385     

So many memories.  I wonder where the journey will take us next.

Animal Whisperer

Since our daughter was tiny, family and friends have called her the animal whisperer.

 

There hasn't been an animal yet that hasn't been drawn to her.
She' s been saying she wants to be a Veterinarian since before her second birthday.








I guess we'll see about that, but I love to capture these moments.

Fun pictures

Fun photos! ❀

Slideshow

Cousins

❧ Cousins ❧

Kaleb  (2010)                                          Jayden (2004) ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                                                Jayden ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                                            Sierra  (2007) ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Sierra                                                                            Kaleb ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤  Kaleb                                                                        Jayden    ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Jayden                                    Sierra                                        Kaleb    ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤   Kaleb                                                    Sierra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                    Sierra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Jayden                                                Kaleb ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Jayden                                                Kaleb                                                    Sierra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                                            Jayden ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤