This past weekend my husband and I flew to my hometown (Spokane, WA) to visit my mom…sort of a belated birthday celebration as well as a chance to attend an auction her church has each year to raise money for various programs. For several years now, I’ve donated photographs to the church for their auction and am more than happy to do this and see what wonderful things the church does each year. My husband and I were married in that church, about 28 1/2 years ago and both of our children were baptized there as well, so there are many wonderful memories as we return. The evening is a wine tasting as well as an auction and it’s wonderful to try many of the great Spokane area wines from the various local wineries. I must say we do have a couple of favorites, but always enjoy trying new ones as well as talking to the representatives from the wineries…they are so proud of their wines…and as well they should be! That’s definitely something wonderful about the Pacific Northwest…some GREAT wines are produced here!!
My mom’s birthday was the weekend before and so I planned a surprise dinner for her with my sisters and their families…since we don’t get together that often, I figured this would be a great excuse!! The location changed a couple of times and trying to keep my mom “non suspecting” about it was tough…since I told her we wanted to take her out and yet, WE chose the location…she had to be a bit suspicious about that. And, she saw a couple family members during the week before and a comment or two was made about seeing her for dinner later in the week…I think she then knew something was going on! Oh well…it didn’t matter whether or not she knew, what mattered was that we ALL got together and had a wonderful evening. We met at Europa on Wall St. and it was great…good food, wine and service and wonderful atmosphere!! A chance to visit and catch up with everyone was so nice and I think that even though the surprise was gone, my mom still enjoyed it and loved having us all together.
This year for Thanksgiving we will be with our kids and their families as well as some WONDERFUL friends from Tennessee, who are just like family to us. So, it really doesn’t matter if you’re not with immediate family or a lot of family, what matters is that you spend it with those you care about and enjoy being with…and are thankful for the times you do have with one another! Tomorrow our friends fly in and I can’t tell you how excited I am for them to visit…we don’t have a lot planned, but just to spend time with them sounds so nice…a week of hanging out and catching up…cooking, walking, talking, playing games, drinking wine, and laughing together (lots of laughing!!)…is the best way I can think of spending time with friends…or family!
This time of year we all get a bit crazy with everything going on, but I do hope you take the time to think about what you are thankful for and appreciate those loved ones in your lives…sometimes we take for granted what we have and who we have…and you never know what is ahead, so just enjoy TODAY!!
Here are a few photos from our dinner last week!!
“Uncle Phillip” is happy to help Jack build someting with his blocks…looks like Batman is going to be part of the end creation!
The whole group (minus me…someone had to take the photo!)…what a GREAT looking family I have!!!
My mom and niece, Heidi…so wonderful to see them together…what beautiful women!!
All the girls…so fun to be together…there were a couple more missing who couldn’t come, but what fun was this evening!!!
My nephew, Phillip and his fiance, Celina…who are getting married this coming summer…SO excited for them!!
Boy, did we ever ring in the new year with a GREAT group of people, who were all brought together for the wedding of Megan Todeschi and Jeff Koehler on New Year’s Eve in Boise, Idaho. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Megan’s parents since college, when my husband and Megan’s dad, Jim, were fraternity brothers. We’ve been friends with Jim and Cindy, Megan’s mom, since then and our oldest children are the same ages…so it’s been a long friendship and was very special to be asked to be a part of their daughter’s wedding day…and to be entrusted to capture memories for a lifetime of the big event! This past summer we had the pleasure of taking the engagement photos for Megan and Jeff and talk with them a bit about their wedding. We also were able to see the church and get an idea of what we’d be working with. I’ll tell you, we were quite excited about this wedding…the church, Cathedral of the Rockies, is so pretty and we were excited about the opportunity to photograph in this amazing place!
My husband and I arrived in Boise the day before the wedding and after getting our blood thickened up (it was COLD) and getting our bearings about us, we got settled into our hotel room at The Grove Hotel, where the reception was to be held. That evening we attended the rehearsal and were able to meet some of the wedding party and get familiar with the ceremony for the next evening. The wedding was scheduled for 7 pm on New Year’s Eve and so we were at the church by mid afternoon, to start preparing and taking photos…knowing that it would be a long day, we were rested and excited for the event.
Megan was a truly stunning and glowing bride…and it was obvious just how ready she was to make this commitment…she and Jeff are such a great couple…so kind, thoughtful and very much in love…and anxious to start their lives together. I worked with Megan and her beautiful bridesmaids (and adorable flower girls!!) and my husband took care of the guys…which although a great group of guys, they aren’t nearly as much fun to photograph as the girls…nor as pretty! These girls were stunning…and actually, the wedding party was a GREAT looking bunch…one of the best looking I’ve seen! The ceremony was lovely, and the readings, music and songs (by the Eagle High School choir…where Megan teaches) were absolutely perfect and fit the couple and event to a “T!” Although it was quite cold, the skies were clear and we didn’t have to worry about blizzards or slick roads…just very cold temperatures…which were bearable for short times (Megan and the bridesmaids were great sports to step outside for a few photos!).
The reception…WOW…an amazing event at a great facility and the family and guests were all delightful, fun and happy to celebrate such a great union of two wonderful people!! The party/celebration went well past midnight and a good time was had by all…and honestly, I can’t think of a better way to have spent the evening than to bear witness to this union and share in their big day! A little bit of interesting information…just over 29 years ago my husband was in the wedding of Jim and Cindy…so to be a part of their wedding and their daughter’s is so special and just another wonderful memory to share with good friends!
Enjoy the photos…as you can see, this is a great looking couple…and they are even nicer than they are good looking…impossible you say…hardly…they are fabulous!!
Megan was a truly stunning bride and with each step of her getting ready, she glowed more each time…it was wonderful to be a part of such a special day for her!
What a great looking group of guys…they were all such nice guys and it was obvious they were honored to be there for Jeff and Megan! And, as to who won the arm wrestling…we won’t say whether it was Jeff of Mario…the best man, who do you think?!
Megan instantly said “no” when someone asked her if we were going outside at all for photos…little did she know I had other ideas and she and all the girls were great sports…we just couldn’t pass up the beauty of the church and the great light we had this VERY cold day!
Megan has some beautiful friends…these gals, some sorority sisters from college and other friends from before…all looked fabulous and I just say what a wonderful bond they all have…and yes, a few tears were shed as they were getting ready, but it was obvious they were tears of joy…happy for what Megan has found and her life ahead with Jeff!
Now a wedding wouldn’t be complete with out some cute little ones and these three….Ryan, the ring bearer and Kaitlyn and Kiera, the flower girls were so cute and sweet…look at their smiles, they were all so good about the pictures…even Ryan who wasn’t sure about all the dressing up part, but he sure looked quite dapper in his tux!!
BEAUTIFUL…a simple word with such a huge meaning…Megan – inside and out!
Jim and Cindy Todeschi…the parents of the bride…what a wonderful job they’ve done with raising such a great daughter! Stan and Betsy Koehler also have done a great job with Jeff…he is a very kind man and look at the beautiful woman he’s chosen to spend his life with…it’s obvious both sets of parents are quite proud, as well they should be!
The Eagle High School Sonous Choir sang during the wedding and they were INCREDIBLE…what a wonderful and generous offering for the students and director to offer this to Megan and Jeff for their wedding…truly an amazing gift!
I just admit that tears always come to my eyes when watching the bride and groom dance with their father and mother….what a touching moment…although we can see that Betsy must have told Jeff a great joke by the look on his face….and Jim is definitely a very proud father…I love this part of the receptions!
And, then there is the first dance as “Mr. and Mrs.” which is one of the sweetest parts of the evening…definitely a dance to remember. Below was the last couple standing (or dancing!) in the anniversary dance…Megan’s grandparents, Doug and Charlotte, married over 50 years…what a great representation of how wonderful a marriage can be!
Ryan and Kiera manage to get their parents on the dance floor and gathered up for a family photo…what a cute family…and they were so nice, I really enjoyed getting to know all of them!
Dancing…whether it be the flower girl or the bride….I think that twirling and spinning is always fun to do with a beautiful dress or gown!
Ahh, into their second day as husband and wife and this photo of Jeff just cracks me up…looking so tough and really he’s not at all like that….how much fun to watch them enjoy a wonderful celebration and ring in the New Year with those who are the closest to them!
Jeff and Megan…it was our pleasure to share in your wedding and we wish you the very best in life and MANY happy years together….more than you can even imagine! It does get better….just love, trust and share together…it’s an amazing journey! Congratulations!
Wow, I’m not quite sure what happened to the last few weeks of 2010….I had great intentions of posting a blog before the end of the year, but obviously that didn’t happen. I will say that the last couple of weeks were filled with fun, family, travels, work and some splurging…and it was all fabulous! So, I will admit that I turned 50 just before Christmas…and I’m feeling okay about that number, it really doesn’t bother me. I’ve always said, and truly believe that you are only as old as you feel and I don’t feel “50” and am happy with where I am in life right now! My birthday was probably my best (beside my BIRTHday) and most memorable…my mom came over and she, myself, my daughter and my cousin spent the day at a spa, getting spoiled and pampered…and was that ever nice! I’ve never done that before, so what a treat it was…and one that I could certainly handle more than every 50 years! 🙂 My (wonderful) husband informed me that I had to be home and ready to leave for dinner by 5:15 that evening, so we were back and dressed and ready to go…when lo and behold, a limo shows up, with my daughter, son in-law, son and granddaughter…was I ever surprised and excited! Myself, my mom and husband all loaded in with the kids and we headed to Seattle for a fabulous dinner and my cousin and her husband met us there…another wonderful surprise of the day…as I said, it was a very special and memorable day!
Christmas was just a couple of days later and with some more family coming into town, it was time to head the meal planning mode and with the help of my mom, everything came off without a hitch and we had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends…it certainly can’t be any better than when you are able to spend the holidays with those you love and care about!
There were a couple of days to pick up from Christmas before my husband and I headed off to Boise, Idaho for a wedding we were shooting. This was a special one…it was the wedding of some good friend’s daughter…on New Year’s Eve…and over 29 years ago my husband was in their wedding, so to be able to be in one wedding and then capture some special memories for their daughter was a real treat! The wedding was beautiful (post coming later this week with photos!) and was a great way to ring in the new year, celebrating a brand new beginning for a lovely couple, and with some great friends…it doesn’t get much better than that! While in Boise, we had the delight of seeing a few relatives of mine who live there…and it’s always great to catch up with what is going on with their lives…and give them a hug since we don’t get to see them often…family is truly a special gift and I am always thankful when we get to see them in person!
So, the new year began, it was a late, or really early start into the new year and I am feeling excited and refreshed. 2010 was a good year and although not everything goes our way, I have great memories and have met some wonderful people through my work…and feel so blessed with what I have and those I know…life is all about what you make it and I truly want to make it the very best possible. 2011 brings new possibilities, new adventures and hopefully, some new clients and friends…which I always look forward to. Of course, there are the resolutions we all make and as a friend of my put it, she has “hopes” for the new year, which is what I think is a better way to put it…”hopes” that we can accomplish some new things for the year, “hopes” that we are able to meet some goals we set for ourselves and “hopes” that we will continue to be blessed with a loving and happy life as we continue on our journey! I have many of the usual “hopes” such as organizing my closets, the garage and my file cabinets and would like to find more time for myself…whether it be to read, relax or walk through the park with my amazing husband or maybe take a nap…whatever…I know that I look forward to the future, with open eyes and feel great about what is ahead.
For you…I wish joy, good health and good times with those you care about…because life is to short to take for granted and worry about the little things (like the dust in the corner of the room!!!)…live and ENJOY life and those you care about, while you have it!!!
My granddaughter, a couple of days before Christmas…do I ever love her smile!
Just finishing up our spa time…we were all feeling relaxed and refreshed!
Christmas morning…cuddling with our granddaughter on her new “couch” and we all fit!!
Riding her new bike…that smile says it all!
A little bit of winter showed up just two days before we flew to Boise…and what a treat it was to get outside for a bit of (cold) fun! Our dog is over 15 and although she doesn’t frolick like she used to, she still was happy to be outside with my granddaughter and myself. And, as you can see, my granddaughter has that mischevious look about her…like a snowball is about to come my way!
The view of the foothills around Boise from our hotel window…truly stunning!
Another view from our hotel window…at about 2 am on New Year’s morning!
Have you ever met a family and felt like they were meant to be…that it just seemed like their life was destiny? This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a beautiful baby, Indy (love that name!!) and her parents, Katie and Jason and that is just how I felt about this family! What a treat it was to spend some time with them and to be able to capture some special memories for them! Baby Indy is three months old and it didn’t take very long to become charmed by this cutie and know that I would enjoy my time with her. Along with her parents, she has two “sisters” who are the four-legged kind…and what great dogs they are…both very gentle and calm and so good with Indy…it was fun to watch how they were with her…every once in a while, they would try to steal a kiss, but mostly they were just happy to be close to her! At the end of the session, they both curled up on the (soft and fuzzy) blanket that Indy had been lying on…I don’t blame them…I wouldn’t mind curling up on it myself for a nap…and of course, we couldn’t resist putting Indy back down on it, in the middle of her big sisters…it was so cute!!
I must admit that I had two great assistants this morning…my hubby and my daughter, who works with Katie…and boy, did I enjoy their help…what a treat…I’m wondering what it would take to get both of them for all of my sessions…thank you Rick and Jess!! So here’s a peek at the session on this cold Sunday morning…
Isn’t this a great looking family…and the two dogs, Lily and Roxy, are perfect bookends for this picture…they were so good…to have two dogs and a baby…all looking the same direction…very rare!
Yesterday morning I woke to grey skies and rain…and after looking at the forecast showing rain most of the day…I must say that I was nervous. Later that morning I had a session scheduled with a family and it had to be done that day…dad is in the Army and has been on leave, but heads out again in a few days…so I knew that one way or another…this had to happen! Driving to Tacoma it rained, rained some more and then rained even harder…ugh…I wondered how many covered places could we find?? Upon meeting up with the Lizotte family…the rain was diminishing and amazingly, after just a short time…it stopped!! Phew…and thank you!!!! It was chilly, but they were all great sports and it was fun to wander around and let them explore a bit as I captured some special photos for them. Hailey, who I’ve photographed before, is very sweet, but I must say, she’s an active little one…one shot and she was off and running – which certainly kept me on my toes…and helped me stay warm…so thank you, Hailey! It was refreshing to see the family together, even if just for a short time…I can’t even imagine how the military families do this…being separated for so long and a parent back at home, being both mom and dad while the other is serving our country…my gratitude goes out to the families and their spouses who are serving overseas! It was evident that Hailey enjoyed having her dad around…and he was great with her and the two of them seemed to have a lot of fun as we wandered around this cold morning! I’m so grateful we were able to schedule this and especially that the rain stopped so we could shoot outside…it was my pleasure to spend some time with this delightful family…and I wish the very best for them for the holidays…even if they won’t be together…hopefully, they can hold on to the memories of their times together!
This beautiful little face was created out of love…and as you can see, she is loved and they all love one another…what is more special than that!?!
Where has the time gone? Can you believe it’s November and it’s not even the beginning…it’s nearly the middle! I’m not sure about any of you, but boy, do I have a LOT to do before the holidays…both Thanksgiving and Christmas and as for shopping…I might have a couple of gifts, but not many and the thought of fighting the crowds at the stores and malls does NOT sound very appealing. I’m determined to “try” and not have to shop on the weekends, if at all possible…we will see if I’m successful with that. There is the advantage of online shopping…if you know what you want and I will definitely take advantage of that for those items I know what I want and can get a good price (maybe free shipping!!)…that will save a bit of the craziness of the shopping!