Wife, Mother and Photographer

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

Bryce picked the family theme this year of Mario Kart, he was Mario, Jason was Luigi and Caylee was Princess Peach and I was the prize box (but my box broke, so I was just a Mom). We went to our wanrd trunk or treat on Saturday, then crashed Robyn's ward's one. On Monday we went to the Worth's house and had dinner and then trick or treated in 2 neighborhoods. Bryce is very much into trick or treating, he was in heaven. Caylee wore an awsome wig and kept it on the whole time, it kind of freaked me out. In all we had a great time.

Bryce the Tumbler

2011-11-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

We went to the Renaissance fair a couple of weeks ago and Bryce got a picture with tumbler's. We had a great time and Bryce is now at the age where he wants to be in everything. He raised his hand to go on stage for every show, I hope he doesn't look to this as a career choice.

Zombified

2011-10-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Jason was doing a Zombie test run and he passed with flying colors. If anyone wants good makeup, call Krista Webster!!!

September Recap

2011-10-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

September went by very fast, but here are some pictures of our adventures

We spent a lot of time at the park, Caylee is now walking (slowly) but she really likes being outside.

Both of the kids love Grandma and Grandpa Kelly's swing, even if Caylee looks scared in the picture below. She giggles a lot while swinging

Bryce waited patiently for Caylee to be finished, but he couldn't help posing for the camera. He has started pre-school again this year, he goes on Tuesday's and Thursday's, he is learning to write his name.

Jason was really excited to go pick fresh peaches at a local orchard, Caylee not so much. In the picture below, she got the hang of it, but after she smelled each one she picked she tried to eat it, we had quite a few with teeth marks.

Bryce was in a bad mood that day as well, but he did have a couple of good minutes.

Caylee wants to touch everything! I think she is going to be a scientist, she loves to put things together and inspect her toys from all angles. She is starting to talk a little, with Mama and Dada and Uh Oh. She is growing up to fast. She has a lot of personality and is very expressive with her face.

Bryce and the Lifeguard

2011-08-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

On Monday the kids and I went swimming with our friends the Griffin's. There was a new lifeguard that day and Bryce decided that he was more interested in talking and playing with her than anyone else. It was like I was watching "The Sandlot" in real life. Within an hour and a half, he showed her how long he can throw a toy, how he can dive, hold his breath and blow bubbles and jump. Bryce increased his level of dificulty with each jump by taking a longer running start. What was great about these running starts was he was holding his breath when he started to run (his lips puckered and cheeks blown up) also, when he takes off he keeps runing in the air until he hits the water. Each time looking at the lifeguard and asking "Did you watch me?"

As we were about to leave he decided he wanted to jump without his life vest (he can't swim without it, he just sinks) he took off running before I was there to catch him, but I got there a couple of seconds later, so no lifeguard in the water. If I didn't know better I would have thought he was trying to get his first kiss via mouth to mouth.

I wonder if this is a sample of what the teenage years will be like!

Thought this was Funny

2011-08-07T12:26:00.001-07:00

I saw this while blogstalking and thought it was worth a chuckle.

I'm a Big Kid Now!

2011-08-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Bryce has begun to pick out his own clothes each day, I want him to start making decisions and at the same time it lets him feel like a big kid. Today's church outfit was interesting, it took all I had not to change him.

I thought this was a really funny picture of Caylee

Here is my big kid standing all be herself. She is not walking yet, but standing alone is becoming a more common occurence. My kids are growing up too fast.

30th Birthday Surprise!

2011-07-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

On the fourteenth I turned the dreaded 30. As anxious as I was to be in my thirties, Jason made my weekend wonderful! On the actual day, we went to lunch as a family and then Jason and I watched True Grit after the kids went to sleep. The next day, I woke up with a note from Jason Saying happy birthday and my adventure began!

When I opened my note, it had two cordinates on it, I was given the first clue to an all day scavenger hunt. I could not figure out how to work the GPS so I called out friend Sabin and asked him for advice, he gave m e some hints on working the GPS, but I still couldn't do it, I called Jason and he said that the clouds were messing up the GPS, so he told me to follow our path in the woods to my first clue, he also told me to take Oliver with me, because he knew where to go. A quarter mile into the trail I found another blue not taped to a tree with a compass.

I have not used a compass in three years, so I was a bit rusty, I asked Jason for help again and he told me to look under a big rock, eventually I found the rock and my second clue, that hinted at a rusted mail box in the woods, there I found a bucket with a new shower head (my present) and another clue. It took me a little bit, but I figured that clue out and was sent to the library, to look for a car with a particular license plate at 11am. The car belonged to my friend Emma who took the kids and I out to lunch at a yummy Tai restaurant.

While there Jason sent me a video message on my phone telling me to tell my contact "The sun always shines brighter in the sun" then Emma gave me my next clue and the letter M. After lunch I was sent to Reedy Creek park to find the next clue on hole 14 of the disc golf course, I had the kids with me, I was wearing high heals and it started to rain. It was a lot of fun. Bryce insisted that we find a map and he led me around the paths and to our destination. He is such a smart kid.

In the next clue was a bar code looking drawing, after calling Emma for help I learned I needed to look at the clue from eye level and I read "Meet me at Bombay Cuisine at 5:30pm. How luck was I, Tai and Indian food in the same day. My Mom took my kids at 4pm and I got dressed up to go on a date. Yippee!

At the restaurant Jason gave me my last clue and letter, which allowed me to open my cryptex that he set up, the word was Amour (my love) When I opened it, I learned we were going to my dear friend Laurel's house after dinner. Dinner was great with wonderful company! When we got to Laurel,s I was walking up and heard all the little kids yelling, "she's here" I walk in the door and here "SURPRISE" Jason, Laurel and Emma put together a surprise party. I had inkilings something was going on, but nothing to this extent.

I have not had a birthday party in about 20 years and it meant the world to me. I am blessed to have such a wonderful husband, amazing family and friends to do this for me. Thank you to everyone, I had the best time ever!!!

The next day Jason took me to see Harry Potter and to Mexican Perfect end to a perfect weekend.

(The flowers and cupcake jar were from my family, they are beautiful, Jason frequently picks flowers for me in our field and he picked the orage flowers to compliment the ones my family bought.)

I hope they call me on a mission

2011-06-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

Caylee's friend Beth is leaving for her mission to California on Wednesday and I wanted to share some of the pictures Caylee took with Beth and her Mom, Amy. I just love these two women and how good they are to my children and what amazing friends they are. Beth I wish you the best in Cailfornia!

Thoughtful Bryce

2011-06-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

While on vacation we all had to share a room. One morning Bryce came to give me a kiss and tell me good morning, as I responded and said good morning, he turned around, grabbed my deoderant and said" Mommy your mouth needs to put this on" Jason almost wet himself. Gotta love the honesty of a child!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-05-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have been a huge slacker in the blog department and decided it was time to get my butt back in gear, so here is the first Ten in a long while.
There is nothing more precious in this world that hearing the squeel of delight from your little child. Caylee and I are playing and she just giggles and yells at the top of her lungs and I love it.
Bryce woke up from his knap today and for the first time ever, told me about a dream. he said that a little booy and girl talked to him in his dream, but he could not remember what about.
We tried to see if Bryce was ready to start Karate, and he is not. His Uncle would be his teacher, but Bryce was too distracted, we may try again in another year.
We went camping at Lake Norman this weekend with my family, when we got there it was raining, in case you were wondering it is not the best time to set up a tent in the rain. Jason was a trooper and got things done super fast, I am lucky to have him around. We went out on the lake and had an awesome time on the boat. Bryce got to ride the tube with both his Dad and I, I was giggling like a school girl.
My house is trashed! I am taking it one room at a time and it is slow going
Business is picking up and I find I have a lot less free time, this is a good thing, but an adjustment.
The pools are opening and Bryce is a happy camper. We will probably be at the pool four days a week this summer.
Pre-school is out, I need to find things for the kids to do. Any ideas?
Today is my Mom and Sisters birthday, Happy Birthday you guys, I LOVE YOU!

Not my best picture, but I still like it cause I am with my Sister

Lottie's Sigg's Birth Story

2011-05-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

The pictures from Lottie's hospital time are up on my other blog, for anyone who would like to see them. I was very pleased with how they came out, she is a beautiful little angel. http://www.sabrinalewisphotography.blogspot.com/

Animal Kingdom

2011-05-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Day three at the parks was Animal Kingdom

Audrey was really scarred of this dinosaur, so she kept her eye on him the whole time.

Bryce got to ride the river rafting ride twice, once with me and once with Jason, they are in the bottom of the picture.

Bryce would not leave the fish

Poor girl was super tired.

Jason and I both wish we had my camera for these pictres because the gorillas were amazing. This silverback turned his head and cocked a smile for Jason's picture, he knows how to be a star.

This footage is of a fifteen month old female gorilla who weighs 16 punds, she is exactly the same size as Caylee but one month older, she was adorable and really playful.

Roy and Robyn took some more pictures at this park because our camera was being difficult, so I will have more pictures to post later from the Animal Kingdom.

Hollywood Studios

2011-05-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

After the launch, we came home and got ready to go to Hollywood studios, it was a long day, but a good one.

We got to the park and found out that the new Star Tours ride was doing a soft opening this week, which meant we got to ride it brand new. It was AMAZING! Bryce was screaming "WEEEEEE" the whole time. It was the same type of ride as the original Star Tours, but updated and in 3D as well. It was a great ride and we like our pictures that we got on the racer outside.

I am third in from the right.

At the Indiana Jones show, I got chose as an extra, which was really fun. I was told to represent the entire population of Cairo, LOL. WHen it was done Robyn told me, "Well at least you got to put some of your college education to use" Thank you UVSU Theater department!

We were trying to watch the Pixar parade, but couldn't get a good view for Bryce, so we gave up after a couple of minutes.

We went to a Disney Junior show which had four shows from the channel as puppets, one of which, was Little Einstien's, which is Bryce's favorite show. Through the whole show he kept asking Jason, when is Einsteins coming on. When they finally came on stage, Bryce stood up and screamed, but he forgot he had water in his mouth and spit all over everyone in front of him. It was a pretty good show and he was so happy, he had the biggest smile I had ever seen on the whole time.

When we came out of Disney Junior, there were characters from Einstein's taking pictures Bryce yelled and booked it to them, ducking through the ropes and shoving people out of line, so that he could go give them a hug. We asked him to come wait in line and he did, but kept telling us the name os the characters, but half way in line, the characters left on break and Bryce tought the world was going to end, he was pretty unconsolable. Luckily Leo came out a couple of minutes later and he got a picture with him. While hugging Leo he asked "When can I see Quincy and June again" What a goof ball.

All who know Bryce, knows that he gets distracted easily. Monday was a tough day for him. At the launch he was playing with his toy shuttle and walking at the same time and walked right into a car and smacked his head with the point of the rocket.(This was kind of my fault because I was not holding his hand) Then, in line at the Caspian attraction, he decided to run around and was looking at Jason and I and he ran headfirst into a pole. Then at dinner, he was crawling on a bench and chewing at the same time he kept crawling ev en though the bench ended and crashed his head on the marble table corner, then caught his fall with his head on cement. So that equals four head slams in one day, so we had to file a report with the park and take him to the Park nurse. She made him an ice pack and checked his eyes and behavior and gave us a sheet with what to watch for with a concussion. Luckily he was fine and was back to himself with a little more color to his forehead.

The Toy story ride was really cool, it was a target shooting game. Bryce's score was 3000, mine was 51,600 and Jason was the winner with 106,700.

Space Launch

2011-05-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

When we arrived on Friday, we were excited to find out that the space ship Endeavour was going to have its final launch on Monday the 16th, so we decided to go. It meant that we had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning and sit around for three hours, but it was really cool.

We watched the liftoff from Space view park and had a direct view to the shuttle, but it was a cloudy day, so we did not view it for that long.

I bought Bryce a shirt with the mission logo on it, but it was an adult small, so he looks like he is in a dress.

It took thirty seconds for the sound of the launch to reach us, so the shuttle was gone by the time we heard it lift off, it was really interesting and cool to be a part of history.

Magic Kingdom Day 1

2011-05-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

We had the best day at Magic Kingdom, it was the first of our five days at the park. Bryce and Caylee were amazing! There was no tantrums or whining. It turns out that Bryce loves roller coasters. He was exactly 40 inches tall and was able to do everything that we tried. Bryce carried a backpack the whole day and thought he was a big kid. (We used a camera that is a little busted, so if the pictures aren't fabulous, I apologize.)

Bryce was so excited to see Buzz and wanted a picture. It was not the best picture, I am hoping to get a better one at magic kingdom day 2.

Bryce couldn't fit in this very well.

At the beginning of our morning, Caylee was not feeling great in the morning, but she perked up at the park.

The woman to the right, would not get out of our way. Jason tried five different angles and she moved with each one. It was a bit ridiculous.

Audrey chilling in the jogger

Bryce is drinking his water from his backpack, he would not stop drinking all day, he had to go pee often

Roy made them go crazy fast.

Bryce can not make a strait face in a picture

The cuttest kid in the world

It started to rain while we were on Tom Sawyer's island, I took Caylee's shirt off to dry it after.

Fun Family Photos

2011-05-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

It has been a while, but I just got some photos from a Lewis family photo shoot. I wanted to post some, I really like Bryce's picture.

Karate Kid

2011-04-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Last week we decided to see my sisters husband, Roy teach his karate class. He is a tripple black belt and in the 8 years that I have known him, I have never even seen a punch. Bryce was so excited, I was really suprised. He wants to start taking class with Roy in the summer and I think that we are going to let him. Here are some really cute pictures from that evening.

The look the girl in the back is giving him cracks me up.

Caylee's First Birthday

2011-04-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Caylee turned one on March 18 and we had a party at my parents house with me family. My Mom came up with a fairy theme and the pictures speak for themselves. I am honored to have Caylee as a daughter.

Caylee Loves:

Food, Almond milk, snuggles, being tickled, laughing, her brother, sugar, anyone who shows her attention, and her Mommmy and Dad. She has said her first word "Dada" and she can crawl, she can't stand on her own, she does the splits and sucks her thumb. She is a wonderful child.

End of Contest

2011-03-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of my weight loss contest and I lost a toal of 9.8 pounds. I lost the last four with in the last two weeks because I started P90X. It is tough, but I am getting results. I promise to do more posts soon.

Sabrina

Hello March!!!

2011-03-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

I have never been so happy for a month to be over with, but February was the worst 28 days of my life. The expression "When it rains, it pours" doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. With the weather warming up here in Charlotte, so are my spirits. My photography business is starting to get really busy again, my meds are all normal again and sickness is slowly leaving our house.

One thing I did want to share is Bryce's new obsession. When he wakes up, he comes in our room and asks: "Daddy, you play Mario Kart with me?" This is asked at least 10 times a day and he tries to plan our day for us and the game is in his plans at least three times. The funny thing fis, he can't figure out how to play. He watches our characters and when we win he yells, "I win, you lose" We try to explain that we are the ones playing, but he has no problem taking credit for it. But when we don't when our races he says: "You didn't win" At least the kid knows what to take credit for.

How to put on a sports bra

2011-02-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

I accidently found this blog, while looking for Karen Mattingley's and I found this post. I thought it was hilarious. Originally it was found on Facebook. It has some medical terminology to do with women, but nothing that I thought was offensive. If hesitant with medical terms, I would avoid reading further.

1. Approach the sports bra with confidence, secure in the belief that you will wear it.

2. Holding the sports bra open by its bottom edge, peer into it and locate the medium-sized opening in the center of the cavity. This is your target.

3. Take a moment to ask yourself the following questions:

A. Am I naked from the waist up? B. Have I removed my glasses?

If the answer to either is "no," make the necessary adjustments and return to Step 1.

4. Snake your right arm through the right armhole as far as it will go. Repeat for left arm and left armhole.

5. Assume power stance: feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hook your thumbs into the sports bra's bottom-edge elastic and pull it out in front of you as far as possible. (Note: do not let go.)

6. In one, deft motion, pull the elastic toward you and over your head. If you have martial arts training, this would be the time to release your battle cry, or kiai.

7. You should now be standing with arms pointing skyward, the sports bra encircling you at chin level, binding your biceps to your ears.

8. Remain calm. Visualize yourself wearing the sports bra while engaged in a pleasant activity, such as not watching Jersey Shore.

9. Cross your arms in front of your face, grasp the bottom of the sports bra and begin tugging it down to your chest. This process should take 2-25 minutes and can be streamlined by the removal of one of your arms (advanced yoga practitioners only).

10. If you have followed steps 1-9 correctly, the sports bra is now strapped across the rise of your bosom, compressing the breasts downward to the point that you can see your pulse in your areolas.

11. Resume power stance (see Step 5). Holding firmly to the bottom edge of the sports bra, pull it away from your body in a downward arc until it grazes your kneecaps. Then, with a scraping motion, drag the sports bra upward along the front of your body, capturing all excess flesh in its path.

12. When the bottom elastic reaches the desired altitude on your rib cage, release it. Then, while holding the top of the sports bra away from your body with one hand, plunge the other hand into the sports bra to distribute and align its contents, which should include both of your breasts.

Note: If you are unable to locate two (2) breasts in the sports bra, do not become alarmed as they are likely nearby. Remove the sports bra (see "How to Take Off a Sports Bra") and return to Step 1 of these instructions.

Large Play Date

2011-02-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had an imprompto playdate and birthday party for a friend, here are some pictures of the kids. We all had a great time, Bryce loved it. Sadly he got a fever last night and the Croup and he and I were in the ER this morning. I am tired of bad news, so lets focus on the pictures.

This was imprompto, but we were able to bring this much food between all of us. It was great, but not friendly on the diet.

We took the kids on the field in the backyard to try and get energy out. I also discovered that balloons pop when they touch grass.

Iwanlani always has a serious face.

Bryce loves to play with Ace, he asks about him at least once a week.

Isaac always has confused look like this, but it is who he is. He is moving and we are sure going to miss that face.

Kainoa can pose for any picture, I think she may be a model when she grows up, watch out Emma.

These 3 images capture Lily perfectly, she has a sassy personality and I love it!

Bryce and Lily could not keep their eyes off eachother, if they ever get married, this will be their engagement photo and it will be a superhero themed wedding.

Eden is adorable, but the best part of the picture is that she has food all over her face.

Great Sunday!

2011-02-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed the talks during Sacrament meeting. It is always wonderful to remember why we renew our covenants each week.

Models Needed

2011-02-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

I am currently looking for High School Juniors to be representatives at their schools for me for next years Senior pictures. I am looking for two girls and two boys per school. As a representative they would get a free photo shoot, rep cards to hand out to classmates, $5 per person that books a session with me and an 8x10 print of their choosing. Please spread the word and tell family or friends. If anyone is interested please contact me ASAP!

Below are some samples of my last HS Senior Representative

Ten on Tuesday

2011-02-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

1. Worst week ever!!!
2. Caylee woke up with the stomach flu on Saturday.
3. Bryce woke up with it this morning.
4. Jason came home with it.
5. I am working for ideas on my book, now I just need to find time to start writing. I am getting really excited about it and hope that I can actually do it.
6. I found the Masterpiece mini-series, "Downton Abbey" this week and it is amazing. If you like British movies and time period shows, you will love this. I watched the last episode today and it ended on a real cliffhanger, I am excited for the second season this year.
7. For Valentines day I scrubbed the bathroom, that was my present to Jason and he loved it. His love language is service and it meant a lot to him, I also did three loads of laundrey, changed the bedding and vacuumed the bedroom. I say that is a pretty productive day.
8. I miss Rose, a couple of times today I kept waiting to see her come down the stairs and when I realized she wouldn't I creid a little.
9. Business is a little slow right now, I haven't got to many inquiries lately and I am worried. If anyone wants to send prayers our way, please feel free.
10. I am looking into getting a grant for my business and maybe opening up a studio. I know I have to many ideas, but they all keep coming up. It is never bad to dream.

Our Sweet Rose (this may be sad, you have been warned)

2011-02-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Last night our dog Rose was put to sleep. She was fine on Saturday during the day, but at 10:30pm she whinned a little bit. When we woke on Sunday, she had no appetite and could not use the bathroom. We thought she was just constipated, but after we went to the Dog ER we found out that she had ruptured her stomach and surgery could not save her. I was alone with her and held her when she left this world.

Sadly, you can see her pain in the picture

Jason and I are suprised by how sad we are with her passing. We got her six weeks after we got married, and she has been with us our whole marriage. She was a family member and like family members there were good qualities and frustrating ones. Rose was very loyal, she loved to run, was very motherly especially to our babies and our other dog Oliver. When our children were still waking up in the night, Rose would come and wake me up and let me know that I needed to take care of them, it was very sweet. She did not like to be alone and suffered from some anxiety. She was a scavenger and begged for food even though we never fed her from the table. Bryce loved her a lot, he liked to race her around the house and chase her on his bike. In every prayer he would pray for her and Oliver.

Bryce does not really understand what has happened, but he tells us that she is with Jesus, but I am pretty sure he doesn't unerstand the concept. Oliver is struggling, he keeps looking around for her and wants a lot more affection. He and Rose snuggled together every night and she bathed him every morning.

As I was saying goodbye to her at the hospital, I was overwhelmed with grief and guilt. I asked her for forgiveness for getting angry with her at times, I know it was only for my benefit, but I felt the need to tell her out loud how much she meant to me and that I was sorry I was not a better mother to her. I promised that I would make a better effort with Oliver (Rose was my favorite).

Jason's father offered to come up this evening and help us with the burial. The hospital was very sweet and made her a little cardboard casket. They also made a clay mold of her paw print for us to keep. We did have a little funeral, we read Ecclesiastes 3 from the scriptures and Jason dedicated the grave. She is burried 100 feet into the woods next to our house, when it gets warmer I am going to plant a rose bush, (or a plant that will grow well in the shade) in front of her grave and carve her name into a nearbye tree. As I said earlier, we never thought that we would feel this strongly about our dogs passing, but she was a member of our family and she did have a spirit. I understand that not everyone are animal people, but for those of you who are, I know you will understand.

As I said Bryce did not understand what was going on, but her did want to help dig the grave.

I was the only one able to say goodbye, but I wanted Jason to look at her one last time and for me to get a picture to show Bryce when he is old enough to understand.

Ten on Tuesday (A frustrating Edition, it gets better toward the end)

2011-02-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

1. The county sent us a letter letting us know that they appraised our home and it is more than $20,000 less than what we paid for it. AAAHHHH! I hate these letters because all they do is evaluate square footage, they don't take into account our granite counter tops or hard wood floor.

2. I have a migraine that hit around 5pm, it is pounding pain in the back of my head by my ears. I am hoping that I can relax now that the kids are bathed, but who knows.

3. I am still going strong in my health competition, but I am a little frustrated that I am only losing a poound a week. I feel like I am working my tail off with little resule, but some result is better than none and I am doing well with self control. I bought Jason ice cream (it is his favorite, and I haven't bought it for awhile because of temptation) and I have not had more than a bite, and I really don't feel the need to.

4. My dogs ate my french bread off of my kitchen counter, bag and all. I have a lot to express about them, but am keeping it to myself.

5. Caylee has moved to real milk, we tried her on cows milk (when she was born she had an allergy to milk protein in the baby formulas, but it was supposed to go away by now) and she started to have different types of diapers, so I went to Lactose free milk and she is still having problems, I changed 3 massive diapers today. So now I am going to try soy milk. What makes me so sad is that she loves the milk, it had always been difficult to get her to finish her soy formula bottles, but with the regular milk she is done in ten minutes. I am feeling really bad and am hoping that maybe she might have a little virus instead of an allergy.

6. Raising Hope starts again tonight.

7. I walked to a park with a friend today and had a great time. The park was a mile away, so we got in a pretty good workout, pushing two kids in a stroller is tough stuff. It felt great though, it is always nice to change up your exercise routine and having a friend to talk to is even better.

8. Bryce wore is dinosaur hat on our walk and his friend Lilly wore her Dragon jacket and hat, they were quite the pair, it was cute.

9. As I am typing Jason is reading to Bryce. It is such a sweet sound. They are reading Don Quixote and really enjoying it together. It is one of Jason's favorite stories and I know he loves sharing it with Bryce. Being a parent has great rewards.

10. My friend Caroline's funeral was today in California. I really wanted to be there, but it was impossible. To all of my friends in California, I was there in spirit.

New Week

2011-02-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

This is a new week and I am glad. I can start over with goals and feel better about what I accomplished each day. Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach the Young Women in my ward and I was very nervous about my lesson. I was concerned that they would not understand what I wanted them to, but at the end of the class a girl who does not come that often came up to me and opened up and said that she felt the spirit. That was the highlight of my week. I love working with these girls, they always help me to feel better no matter what.

Jason was watching Fantasia 200 with the kids and I couldn't help but take a picture. Aren't they the best looking group you have ever seen.

Here is my new love. I have been able to practice every day and I already have two songs down and it is all coming back to me quickly. Thank you Becca!!!

Family Home Evening and Some Sad News.

2011-02-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Bryce loves to take pictures and pose, but I like this one with the Star Wars shirt because he was running at me when I took it. On Monday Jason did FHE with the kids and made cookies with Bryce. They had such a great time together, Bryce enjoys cooking and being involved with anything that Mom and Dad are doing.

Caylee was reaching for the camera and this is the result

They insisted I try one right away, they were PERFECT!

My angel! This is how she loves to sit, I swear she is double jointed or something.

I have had a difficult last couple of days, due to the passing away of a dear friend, but as I look at these pictures I am filled with joy. I love my family and am greatful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for The Plan of Happiness.

To my friend: Caroline you wil live on in all of us. I am a better person because I knew you and a better Mother because of you. So many childhood memories have you in them. Thank you and goodbye!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-02-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

1. We were given an amazing gift last night, a 1926 Player Piano that is in working condition. I have longed for a piano in my home for a long time. Bryce loves music and goes to any piano he sees. To the Riding Family, we are eternaly greatful.

2. Bryce starts piano lessons on Thursday, we already had it scheduled because we own a keyboard. He is very excited, we went to the music store to buy his piano lesson book and he was carrying it around the store letting all patrons know that this was his book.

3. We are now covered by health insurance through Jason's company because his probationary period is over and they still like him. It is a relief to have coverage for the family and I even had a doctor's appointment today.

4. Caylee sings in the car all of the time. I am pleased that she is not afraid to express herself, but I hope that she does not stay tone deaf the rest of her life, otherwise I will need ear plugs for the car.

5. Bryce is struggling a little bit with a cold, but he has no fever. He keeps asking me for medicing though, he says he likes the way it tastes.

6. In the last two days, I have fit in two seperate size 12 jeans, I have not been able to wear them for 14 months. Woohoo!!!

7. Caylee can do the splits on both sides.

8. The weather was 70 degrees on Sunday and that little bit of warmth has ruined the rest of the winter for me. All I can think is how cold it is all the time.

9. I played my first song on my piano today, I haven't played in over 15 years.

10. We can't wait for Raising Hope to come back on TV.

Firm Foundation

2011-01-31T16:18:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about life, the good, the bad and the ugly. I know that there are a lot of people who blame the Lord or others for what happens to them, they have difficulty accepting that bad things can and do happen to good people. Yesterday at church, all of the talks were on the topic of agency, they were wonderful and not what you would typically think when hearing about agency. We choose to be angry, have faith, to love, to hate, to be friends, to change our lives. All of these are choices that we make and with them we take the consequences good and bad and ride the storm. I have had my share of depression and anxiety, there were times that I have been angry that my body is broken, but as I have gotten older I have realized that I can choose to learn from my trials and grow in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I want to share some verses from the song "How Firm a Foundation". I sent these words to a friend of mine who will most likely pass away this week. These words give me comfort and remind me, I am never alone.

In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,

In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,

At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—

As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

Fruit Snacks

2011-01-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Bryce loves fruit snacks. He knows how to open the pantry door and does so even when he is told not to. Today he has started something new. "Mommy I got fruit snacks, yay. One for me and I got one for you. I love you Mommy"
What a sneaky little fellow.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-01-25T16:11:00.000-08:00

Caylee is now very mobile and I am not used to it. This week she has fallen down our stairs twice (just three steps), knocked over the baby gate every day, fallen off of a bed, but was caught by a bean bag and climbed on me while I was ridding my bike. Bryce was never this active, so I need to change my game plan.
My weight loss contest is going well, so far I have lost 4.9 pounds, 2.5% of my body weight. It does not seem like much, but I am proud of myself. With this I have cut out soda from my diet completely. I love caffine, and we have parted ways, it has not been easy and there are times when I weep with the longing I have for it, but it is for the best.
My knee is still hurting, I am completely mobile, but it still hurts all of the time. It is not a good sign, but I am still followiing my motto "Positive Outcomes Only"
Bryce received a hair cut this weekend, done by Jason. We had some discussions about this haircut because I wanted Bryce to have a mohawk, I thought it would be fun. He had one last year and I thought why not. Jason said that he did not like walking through WalMart and seeing every other kid having a mohawk as well. I lost the the discussion, but I may buzz Bryce's hair in the night. Muuhaawww
I had a phone interview for a part time stay at home job today, I think that I will get the job, it is kind of a no brainer and in my old industry.
My hair is 70% gray on top. I was trying to grow my hair out and not color it any more, but I found that I am too shallow and I can't handle my hair being more gray than brown. Yesterday I went to a hair salon and wanted to know what Highlights would cost and they said $100, I almost passed out when they told me. That is highway robbery! I promtly went to great clips and got a $13 haor cut and bought a $7 box color set and I must say that I look fabulous.
Guily pleasures, we all have them, mine are books. I love to read. This afternoon I finished a 976 page book, it only took me 8 days to read it. I think I have a problem.
At dinner tonight Jason and I were making jokes and having fun. Bryce looked at us like we were aliens and I felt an overwhelming love for my family. I feel so blessed!
I am thinking of writing a book. Please don't judge me by my spelling or writing caliber here on my blog. It has always been a dream of mine and I have some excellent ideas on the verge of sleep.
We had a dance party this week in our house, I highly recomend it. Bryce, Caylee and I were rocking it and we had some moves that would blow your mind. Next time you feel stressed, turn on some music really loud and have a dance party. It always helps.

Mid Year Report Card

2011-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Bryce's teacher gave me his mid year report today and we were very proud. He knows all of his letters by sight except for four of them. He knows all of his shapes, colors and numbers up to 8. The teacher asked if we practice at home and I said that we play flash cards and the memory game at least four times a week, she said that it has paid off. I am so proud of my little man, he even listened, mostly, today!

The Challenges of Motherhood

2011-01-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

I am really struggling with Bryce this week. At pre-schoold he was placed in time-out 6 times in a four hour period. At home he says no to everything, is hitting me and runs away, knowing that I can't run after him now. I swear three's are so much worse than two's. I am hoping he goes through this phase fast.

I am at a loss at what to do, how to discipline, but still let him know how much I l ove him. If any one has ideas, please share. I have tried bribery, timeouts, spanking, no toys, no TV and none of it really works.

With these things being said, he still has said some wonderful things and been good at times. It is amazing how frustrated I can be, but in the next instant he give Caylee a hug or me a kiss and my heart melts and I want to forget his earlier transgressions. After this week, I want to apoligize to my Mom because I know that I was a major brat and this is nothing compared to what she had to deal with. I hope that Bryce does not act like I did and that I will have my sweet angel back soon.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-01-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am able to walk without crutches and ride the bike for 30 minutes, after a sprain like mine, that is a feat.
Caylee tried Peanut Butter for the first time last night (without my knowledge) and loved it, when I saw her, her face and hands were covered, but I have not seen her that happy in a long time.
Bryce starts school again tomorrow after a 10 day break due to snow, I am so relieved.
My friend Leslie and her daughter came over today to help me out and her daughter, Lilly, who is 9 said "Babysitting is hard, I thought it would be so much easier than this". That is so true and being a mom is even harder.
Caylee is 10 months old today.
Someone thought that I was pregnant and asked me about it this week. To clear the air, no I am not pregnant, I hope to be loosing weight very soon. (Crossing my fingers)
Jason and I are reading the book of Mark right now and I am starting to realize that the Christ that is described in the four gospels is very different depending on which book you are reading.
We will be finishing Battlestart Gallactica this week, I am glad to be done, but have enjoyed the show. I wish that it was a little more on the PG side of things though.
It is difficult for me to receive service, but I am learning that it is a blessing to receive as well as give.
I read a statement from a feminist atheist woman in an article that said, "I don't know what it is, but I love reading mormon housewife blogs. They are so shinny and happy, I don't get it" I thought this was very interesting, but at the same time I was very greatful to be shinny and happy, it means I am doing something right.

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-01-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

We had an eventful weekend with birthday parties, basketball and knee injuries. Bryce's friend Kainoa had her 4th birthday party on Friday and we had a great time. We have some really wonderful friends that I feel blessed to have in our lives.

Birthday Girl

Iwanani, the birthday girls sister, she never smiles on camera.

Jason and Bryce with our friend Jack, who is wearing the coolest shirt ever.

Worst angle for a picture ever!

Caylee is riding her stroller with her friend Lucas, who is three weeks younger than her, even though he doesn't look it. They were both born six weeks early, but are doing great.

On Saturday I was playing in a basketball game with the women in our ward. We had one our first game and decided to play again. With only a couple of minutes left to the second game, I was about to make a great play, when my body said, you are no longer a teenager, and I twisted my knee. I am recovering quickly, but it is still frustrating. Jason, my Mom and my Mom have been angels, taking care of the kids and the house. I also wanted to thank several of our friends, who know who they are for the help with the kids. I feel truly blessed for all of the people I have in my life.

Clean as Fresh Snow

2011-01-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home this morning, from my parents house, I had some suprisingly deep thoughts. First off, I want to express how grateful I am for the atonement. As our city as been shut down by snow and freeze, I realize that a fresh snowfall is like repentence. It is beautiful, pure, fresh and clean. Each snow flake is unique, just like each of us. I always feel God's love after a fresh snow fall, I don't know why, but it touches my heart.

It takes about 24 hours for the brown of the mud to creep up out of the snow and dirty the landscape. Give it another day and it just looks dirty outside. This is so much like us our lives and decisions. None of us is perfect, but we can be for the one moment when we ask for forgivness and use the atonement. The perfection does not last long but we can always come back to the Lord and ask again. Teir is no limit to our persnal snowy landscape.

Sorry if this was a little too deep for some of you, but it has been on my mind all day and I felt a need to share.

Ten on Tuesday (The Great Freeze Edition)

2011-01-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

1. After yesterday's wonderful snow fall, we had a freezing rain that hit us overnight and the entire city is more than shutdown, it is at a stand still.

2. Jason was supposed to be out of town, but due to the freeze, he did not make his flight and he got to work from home again today.

3. Bryce has been dealing with a bit of cabin fever, so our cure for today was a dinosaur costume. He ate, slept, played and went outside in it today.

His scary face

I had to go to the store and Bryce insisted on coming as dinosaur

4. Caylee stayed in her pajamas all day today, but after her bath she got in a new pair of pajamas, ah the life.

5. Rose, our dog, went out this morning and decided to reenact a scene from Bambi, he legs could not stop moving and she fell flat on her belly. It was well worth the ice.

6. Bryce and I went sledding outside for 5 minutes with trashbags and a cutting board.

7. Jason went ouside with us while sledding and he slipped on the ice and all of his limbs were in the air at once. Bryce thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen.

8. Every time Bryce kicks his soccer ball that Papa got him for Christmas, he insists on schremeing at the top of his lungs, "SOCCER" he has been at it for a half hour.

9. The show V is on tonight and I am very excited.

10. I want to come up with a craft to work on with Bryce tomorrow, I will post results later. (Any ideas are appreciated)

Snow Day

2011-01-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

We are lucky if we get snow every other year, but this is the third storm so far this winter. It has not stopped all day, so we ware a bit crazy in the house. I have a lot of thoughts going through my head, but can't seem to be productive. I had my first weigh in for the contest and in week one I lost 3.1 pounds. I don't want to put where I am at because I am a bit embarrassed, but that is why I am doing this contest in the first place.

Caylee has been sick for two weeks now, I wanted to take her to the doctor today, but the entire city is shut down. She and I came home from church early, but she still is happy.

Look at that messy face, I just love it!

This was Bryce's silly face

Jason working from home, because of the snow. He hated working in the messy library.

The view from our back yard!

Caylee is now crawling

Yesterday Jason and I were talking in the car and discussing the difference between the journey and the destination. I have been thinking about it a lot lately. I don't think you can appreciate the destination, without understanding what you learned on the journey. I think that this applies to a lot of aspects of life, spirituallt, my physical health, being a mother or parent, being a spouse, being a daughter and sister. There is so much I halearned over the years, that could have been wasted on someone only looking for the end picture. I sometimes can struggle with this, but it is something I really want to enjoy. I don't know if this made sense to anyone else, but it did to me.

Fun Weekend

2011-01-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

I don't have too much time to write because Jason wants to watch Battlestar Gallactica, (we are on the last 10 episodes) so here is a run down of our weekend. Jason and I had our first date in months and even got a babysitter. We had dinner at Panera and then went and saw Tron. Our evening was not original, but it meant the world. I just love my goofball husband.

Today Jason watched the kids while I took pictures of church basketball. We are taking pictures every week and posting them for all the kids. I am hoping that it won't take up to much time.

Well that about covers it. On the workout and weight loss competition front. I am quite proud of myself, I have kept my calorie count all week and had 4 one hour workouts this week. Woohoo! Let's hope we have good results on Monday's weigh in.

Photo Frames

2011-01-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

My dear husband bought me some nice photo frames for Christmas and today I tried to decide what I wanted to put in them. Really tough! We have almost no pictures of our family around our house and it is all my fault. I can never decide what I want to do. So while I am still struggling with deciding, I thought I would post some pictures from last year before Caylee was born.

Bryce was the killer rabbit from The Holy Grail

Jason making a Doctor Who face

Last New Years when I was pregnant

The Great Gorcery Challenge

2011-01-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

Grocery shopping with toddlers is difficult. Typically I bribe Bryce with candy, that if he behaves in the store he gets to pick out a piece of candy at the register. He was great in the store, but in the parking lot he ran into the street with oncoming traffic while I was putting the baby in the car. AAAGH!!! I finally chased him down, spanked him and told him no candy. I had 3 older women looking at me like I was the worst mother on earth. I felt horrible.

So we get home and Bryce wakes up from his nap and with a dead face looks at me and says: "You hit me" I replied yes because you were bad and he then said ok, "you hit me, so I get my candy".

I need to put myself in timeout.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-01-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

1. My body is feeling its new routine and workouts. It is a good hurt and very encouraging. Tiday I ride the bike for 40 minutes, ran a mile while Bryce rode his bike and did some weights.
2. The Spongebob curse: Bryce has been potty trainied since the beginning of October and he has had very few accidents, but in the last two weeks he has pooped his pants three times and each time he was wearing Spongebob Squarepants Undies. I think that the sponge has something out for me.
3. Our family has been covered in green snot for the last 5 days and it is not the best time I have ever had, but at least we all suffer together.
4. Caylee has the coolest army craw that she has developed within the last week, it is the funniest thing I have ever seen, I am proud of her creativity.
5. We have a new computer and I am IN LOVE.
6. Bryce can go 5 miles an hour on his skut bike with no training wheels, his stomach and back muscles have developed really fast.

7. North Carolina Snow Clothes. It does not snow here often, so we do not invest in the winter clothing for our children, but when it does snow, we don't want them to miss out, so we have our own tools. Plastic bags and duct tape, Bryce's feet stayed toasty warm. We could not find his hat so he is wearing my hat from the 2002 Olympics (he did not love it)

8. Netflix is great, no comercials, cheap and easily accessible through the Wii

9. Christmas cards, I really enjoy getting Christmas cards from anyone, even people I see everyday, so I am liking the fact that I am still receiving them.

10. Service! We have had a lot of opportunity to serve this week between church amd friends and it has been a blessing for our family and I am grateful for the opportunities.

For The New Year

2011-01-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

With it being the New Year, I have had a lot on my mind. There are so many things that I want to accomplish with my life, but sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the important things. I have two main goals this new year,

1. Being more consistent with my blogging and writing, because I want to make a book of it at the end of the year, so that my children have something to look back on and remember. I want them to know the love I have for them and everything that goes into raising a family and why it is all worth it. (I got this idea from my friend Jamie and I have not been able to stop thinking about it)

2. I have entered a weight lose contest with 102 other women that is from today to March 31, the top six ladies who lose the biggest percentage win money. I have gotten pretty fit in 2010, but I don't look it, so I am now counting calories, toning up and working on getting my body to where I want it to be. I am not looking to be back to where I was in High School, but I want to be happy with myself when I look in the mirror.

Our most recent family photo from September, I thought it a nice pic to start the new year!

Now I know that both of these goals are going to be difficult for me, but I am really going to try hard, I feel very strongly about both. With that being said, I need to do my ab routine, IU already worked out for 50 minutes, so now is time for tonning, I hope to get Jason to shape up with me, because he loves a little healthy competition.

Good tip on getting kids to eat

2010-12-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

I have to say thank you to my friend Taya, she gave me this idea. Tonight I laced Bryce's Mac n Cheese with baby food squash. He ate vegetables and loved it. I felt like crying, but he did not know what he was eating, so it is only a small victory. I almost busted up laughing, because after his first bite he said: "YUM, Mommy this is realy good" My response: "I made it special just for you."

I do not regret my trickery, sometimes kids leave us with no other choice.

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

My Mom bought Christmas outfits for all of the grandkids and wanted some pictures taken in them. I am not gonna lie, it didn't go so well, these are the best out of 125. It is the hardest for me to work with family. LOL!!!

It was really nice for me to look at these pictures this evening, it reminded me that children are wonderful and how much I love being a Mother. I had a tough day with Bryce and by the time Jason came home, I had to put myself in time out. But looking at these pics has taken all of the days pains away.

My Three Year Old

2010-12-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Bryce recently turned three and I wanted to share some things about him.

Things Bryce Loves:
Grilled cheese sandwiches, cars, school, his little sister Caylee, his cousins, to say the prayer, Little Einsteins, playing with his friends, puzzles, wearing hats, basketball, playing games on my phone, saying every prayer that is said, sleeping in his teepee, hide and seek, coloring, walking in the woods with his Dad and cuddling up with his Mom.

Things Bryce Has Learned:
He can count to 10 and recongnizes the numbers when they are written down, he speaks clearly and uses new words every day, he knows most of the alphabet and loves flash cards, he is potty trained, he can put puzzles together on his own and he can unload the dishwasher.

What I Love about Bryce:
I am so honored to be his mother. His smile lights up the room and he is so friendly and caring towards his family and friends. I love to see him with his dad and how much fun they have together playing in the woods and wrestling around in the house. He has the most contagious laugh that resonates deep in his gut, as he is laughing in my ear now. He is a wonderful Big Brother and he has such a gentle spirit. I can't wait to see how he will grow this next year.

(Bryce is super skinny, therefore it can be difficult to keep his pants up. He thought it was funny to walk around with his pants around his ankles. He no longer does that, now that he is potty traiined).

Pony rides and Raptor's

2010-11-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

On Jason's Staycation we went to the Raptor Center at the Latta Plantation and went for pony rides there as well. It was awsome. Bryce's pony was named Blackjack.

Halloween

2010-11-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from our Halloween party for Music Makers. This is my favorite day of the year for Music Makers because all of the kids dress up.

Bryce was Ang from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" Cartoon edition, and yes, he wanted to be that. I made his custume and Jason Shaved his head.

This is the only picture of me in months, because I am always behind the camera. I really wanted to have a picture with Caylee and Bryce dressed up. The picture is a little blurry because Jason took it. Next to me is our friend Taya and her son Jack dressed up as the white rabbit. He was adorable.

Trunk or Treat

2010-11-08T17:32:00.001-08:00

Here is the one picture we got of the 4 of us at our church's Trunk or Treat. Jason is Starburns from the show Community, I was a tired new Mom, Caylee was a butterfly and Bryce was Ang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Yes, we did shave Bryce bald and he loved it. I will try and get some more pics up of him, but they were on our cell phones.

Please Help

2010-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I am trying to grow my business and I am hoping to make more of an impact on my marketing through my blog. So, for anyone who is willing I would appreciate it if you added my Photography blog tag to your blogs, so that when people are blogstalking, they might want to check it out. You are all great!!!\

Thanks,
Sabrina

The Cove

2010-11-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching this documentary this afternoon and I seriously cried. I cannot belive that this is still happening. It has made me think a lot and I don't know how to articulate what I want to say yet, but I did want to share with everyone that they need to watch this documentary. p.s. I don't know if I would let children watch it.

Friends in The Central Stake

2010-10-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

I just finished editing some pictures of Emily and Preston Roundy, they are up on my other blog, let me know what you think.

The Pumpkin Farm

2010-10-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Bryce's pre-school had a field trip to a farm here in North Carolina, it was super fun.

It was 60 degrees so we were wearing our winter jackets, which turned out to be overkill, but I would always rather have a jacket and take it off, then be cold with nothing. This farm was crazy, they have on average 500-750 kids a day come in October. We saw a puppet show, took a class photo, made a scarecrow, fed the animals, went on a hayride where we saw a Lamma and got a very small pumpkin for both Bryce and Caylee. My camera ran out of battery when we got there, so this was our only picture but we had a great time.

The best thing of all though, was that this was Bryce's first time out in public with no diaper and he was great. He is totally potty trained and doing great. Jason did not think it could be done in a weekend, but it was and I now only have one child in diapers. Yay Me!

Toilet Bowl News

2010-10-02T09:53:00.001-07:00

Bryce is Potty Training! We have been at it for 24 hours now and we have had 6 misses (one of which was on my lap) and 3 success's. This is not easy. Bryce could care less if he goes in his pants and he does not like being told what to do, so when we say it is time to sit, he screams "No Potty", then he gets off and pees on the carpet. AAAAHHHH! I was hoping that this would only take a weekend, but it is looking like that will not be the case.

I am so glad I have conference on now, because it helps me to have patience through this poop filled day!

Thank You Basketball

2010-09-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have been playing basketball a couple of times a month on Saturdays since I had Caylee six months ago. Today I decided to go for a run instead of a bike ride. I am not good at running, usually after a quarter of a mile I need to start walking, but for the first time in my life I ran 2 miles without stopping once while pushing a stroller (Bryce ran alongside me as best he could half of the way). I am so proud of myself and excited to see what I can do next. Again I say THANK YOU BASKETBALL, for making me into a runner!

First Bad Report From School

2010-09-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

Bryce has been in pre-schoool for 3 weeks now and loves it, I can see such improvements in him already. Everyday when I go pick him up his teacher gives us a report and all of them have been great, until yesterday. I was DEVASTATED! I know I shouldn't have been, but I was. Bryce and I had a talk and we discussed what he did wrong and why he did not get any candy from his teacher, but still I wonder what else can I do. I want to know that he is learning from his mistakes, but he is only almost 3, so maybe I should give him a little slack. :)

Kelly Beach Trip

2010-09-07T07:03:00.001-07:00

The couple that started it all. My parents were wonderful and invited all of us to the beach in August for a week. It was incredible. I took a ton of photos, but am only posting a couple of them. My Mom asked for a picture of her and Dad for their Christmas card and we got this, I think that they look great!

Here is my Dad with our Cousins Tessa and Conner from Utah, they came out to join us and we are so glad they did, we had a lot of fun with them.

Who would have thought that a man with three married children and four grandkids, could ride the waves like this.

Roy brought his surf boards, but the waves were not large enough for him to ride, but Bryce loved it. He and Roy were playing like this all on their own, I was so happy I had my camera.

Sean and Alena, so in love. I really like the shadow behind them in this picture, as well and them.

The Wilson Family Photos

2010-07-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

I took some family photos of the Wilsons while at the beach and they turned out awesome, here are some of my favorites.

Beach for the Fourth

2010-07-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

We went and visited some friends at the beach on Fourth of July weekend and had a blast.

This bird was going in for the kill and I happened to click right when his beack touched the water, I got way lucky.

Bryce loves to play in the sand and he did not want to stop playing for me to take some pictures of him. This is the only picture on the beach of him looking at the camera. He was to entertained by sand and Kainoa. Here we have the lovely Emma dancing during her families beach show at Holden beach. Because they move so fast, not many pictured turned out well, so this was the best one.

Jason was so great with the kids, he held them the whole time while I just snapped away with the camera.

Large Family photos

2010-07-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

It is always interesting to do large extended family photos, because no matter what, some people just don't want to be there, but all things considering I think that this family did a great job. The kids were running everywhere, but when I was able to get a shot, they looked great.

Beautiful New Family

2010-06-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

JD and S were married three weeks ago and now have five children in the same home. Everyone in the family is gorgeous, I can't wait to do a family portrait. Here are some pictures from the wedding. They were such a blessing to work with, I feel honored to have been there that day.

Memorial Bride

2010-06-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

I had two weddings Memorial Weekend and here are some pictures from the first. It was so much fun and we had great weather. The bridal party had me laughing the whole time, which is not something that happens a lot because people are usually so nervous. I loved the location and am pleased with how it all turned out. I hope you enjoy too.

Emily and Preston

2010-05-17T15:23:00.001-07:00

Emily and Preston are getting married in July and here are some of the engagement pictures we did. It was a lot of fun.

Washington DC

2010-05-11T12:47:00.001-07:00

My DC Bride

2010-05-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

I went to Washington DC on Friday to do a bridal photo shoot with J. I love how they turned out and we had a great time. Please let me know what you think of the pictures.

Easter Pictures

2010-04-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we got together as a family and took some Easter pictures, I am really happy with how they came out.

Introducing Caylee Ann Lewis

2010-03-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

Caylee was born march 18 at 1:30 in the morning. She was 34 weeks and 2 days. Here are some pictures of the last week.

Powder Snow

2010-02-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

I messed up his haircut and this mohawk was the only way to save face.

We woke up this morning to 3 inches of powder in our yard and decided that Bryce needed to play in the snow. He has 3 layers of clothes on and Jason made him Gators out of grocery bags and duct tape. The rest is history.

Long time no see

2009-12-30T15:45:00.000-08:00

I was scolded today by some family members, telling me that I need to start blogging again. Life has been really busy these last several months. I am 5 months pregnant and expecting a girl in April and the time is flying.

Today I did a photo shoot for a family and they were such good sports about the weather. They have tried to have family photos for the last 4 years and they never work out, so I hope they like what I did. While we were getting ready for our first shots, I slid down a mud hill and got my entire back covered in mud. It was hilarious!!! My camera remained safe and that was all that mattered. Here are a couple of my favorite shots. I promise to do better about blogging this new year.

NBA Here I come

2009-10-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

My little superstar decided to pose for some basketball action shots. I just love the pictures. OUr friend Jared took them and I am so glad he sent them to me. I hope you all enjoy them as much as we do.

Sean and Alena

2009-10-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

Continued

2009-10-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

The Wilson Girls

2009-10-01T12:15:00.001-07:00

My friend Emma asked me to take pictures of her two beautiful daughters and here they are.

Mr. and Mrs. W

2009-09-14T07:30:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of funny at this wedding. Everyone was all smiles and it was beautiful.

The B Family

2009-08-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

I recently did some family portraits for friends and here are some of them. I had a ton of fun with the whole family, they kept making me laugh.

Continued

2009-08-28T10:31:00.001-07:00

T & J's wedding

2009-08-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago I was able to take the pictures of this wonderful couple. They were so happy and fun to be around, it was great. Congratulations you guys.

The new Mr. and Mrs. B

2009-08-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun at this wedding. They were so in love and were all about having a good time. We were able to do some city shots as well as garden, so there was a lot of variety in shots. Congratulations you guys and thanks for letting me be apart of your day.

2009-08-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Spencer

2009-07-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my friend Spencer. He was very stoic and did not want to smile, but he still showed character.

Jackson

2009-07-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is my new friend Jackson and he had the cutest faces to make. I love the one of him and his mother.

Old Time Photos

2009-07-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

We had an activity at church on Friday and they asked m e to take some old time photos of different people. It was a lot of fun and I love how they turned out. The two that I am posting are of Bryce and us.

Mr. Jack

2009-07-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

A month ago, I took some pictures of Mr. Jack and I have finally gotten around to editing them. I had a fight with my lighting equipment during this shoot, so I am hoping to do another one of Jack, but I did like these.

The G Family

2009-07-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

The G family were getting together to go to the beach and they asked me to do some family pictures before they left. I am pleased with how they came out, the kids had so much personality.

My business will be on the news tonight!

2009-07-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

The wedding that I did in June, has been selected by a local news brodcast, WBTV, for a segment on having your dream wedding on a budget. Several of my pictures will be on the broadcast and hopefully I will be mentioned. If you are not in the Charlotte area, you can see it online tomorrow on www.wbtv.com the reporter was Christine. For those of you in Charlotte, it is the 6pm News on WBTV. I am really excited and proud of Jack, because she had such a beautiful wedding. Thanks for letting me be apart of it.

No Crying in Baseball

2009-06-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jason and I played softball with the ward and Bryce wanted to play as well. I friend took this picture and I thought it was funny!

More of J&S

2009-06-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

The New Mr. and Mrs. K

2009-06-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures from a wedding that I had last week. I absolutely loved her color scheme. It was stunning! She was gorgeous and I felt so blessed to be there because you could see the love that they have for eachother, just emanating off of them. It was an honor.

Lighting on Audrey's pic

2009-06-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

I had some people asking questions on how I did the lighting for Audrey's pictures. I took her pictures outside in the sade, with just a blanket. Natural lighting is always the best in my opinion. When I was editing the pictures, I filled in the grass with a white background, so that the pictures looked like they were shot inside. I had a lot of fun working with her and Robyn. If anyone has more questions, feel free to ask.

Sabrina

My Neice Audrey

2009-06-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, I took pictures of my 2 month old neice Audrey for her birth announcement. Here are some of them. She is such a cute baby and the biggest baby of our family. She has rolls on her rolls. :)

Strange Church Signs

2009-05-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

There is a church across from ours that has a sign board out front to advertise. Jason was driving buy and todays message was "Be Jesus with Skin" we are so confused by this. The New Testament states that Christ has a body of flesh and bone, which totally us opposite of the statement on the sign. Yes, this is a Christian denomination. I find it interesting, how diverse the CHristian world is and how wide their different beliefs can be. I don't want to go on a tirade, but I did want to share that. Thanks for listening!

August 1st walk for Michelle

2009-05-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

I have a cousin who is fighting breast cancer at the moment in Utah. She is such a wonderful woman and mother to two of the prettiest little girls. On August 1st, the family is organizing a fundraiser walk to help raise funds for her treatments. Any One in Utah who is willing to participate or if you would just like to contribute please let me know. To follow her story, her blog is michellecorpuz.blogspot.com Thank you for your support.

Traditional Pose

2009-05-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

And a Little More Love

2009-05-22T05:37:00.001-07:00

Isn't she gorgeous. I love her eyes! I can't wait to do her Bridals :)

More of Sean and Alena

2009-05-22T05:34:00.001-07:00

My Little Brother is Engaged

2009-05-22T05:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the honor of taking my little brother's engagement pictures. He has found the most amazing girl and I am so happy for them. I love her already. It was a little weird seeing my bro being all lovey dovey, but since I am around Brides and Grooms all the time, it wasn't that bad. Here are some pics.

J&K's Beautiful Wedding

2009-05-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

J&K are both on their second marriage and they are the happiest people I have ever met. They can't keep their eyes off of eachother and you could feel how much love and admiration they had for one another, I felt honored to be there. Here are some of my favorite shots.