oh, to be a child

these pictures say it all.

christmas morning...
finding that santa must have gotten your letter...
and kicking that girl on the playground must not have warranted a lump of coal after all.


it’s good to be 6.

but if he kicks anyone again, mom trumps santa!

it was a wonderful christmas. everyone got exactly what they were hoping for. even me! i got a day off! actually, two! my family is all healthy, my friends and their families are healthy, the economy seems to be looking up, i have work, my husband has work, we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, wine in our glasses and great friends to share it all with!


we are blessed. 


i hope you had very merry christmas as well, and that the new year brings you much love, happiness and prosperity.

akido

a good friend asked me to take some pictures of her son’s akido test this past week. i’ve never even watched anything related to martial arts. it’s apparent to me now why they call it “art”. it really is so beautiful and such a tremendous skill. i was so interested in all of the details that i spent most of the time asking questions. what a fun thing to photograph though! i only wish that the room where the pictures were taken was much more stark, that there weren’t a boatload of parents and participants surrounding the matt and being all (unintentionally) intrusive on my artistic space. and everyone stares. at least for a bit, at the lady with the big camera and lens... still getting used to that. 


it was so quiet.
the kids were so calm. 
so respectful.
so graceful. 

even this “duck walk” thing they do instead of walking—because that’s not allowed as you approach the judges—looked so streamlined. at least, their son made it look that way. some others had more trouble with it.


i loved it. i want to take a class myself... and now hubby wants to take one too (he’s always wanted to), and we can’t wait to get our oldest boy started. i think it could really teach him some important lessons about handling yourself, having respect, knowing how to move your body (he’s not the most agile kid on the block), being confident and having control of yourself.

i watched their son and was so proud of how awesome he was that i think my eyes welled up more than once. dangit! there they go again. really, what a composed young man. and i think i got some interesting shots. i think he & his parents will enjoy having these. i’d love to hear what you think though!

i’ve changed the comment settting, so anyone should be able to leave one now. i know it’s been a pain.
try, try again!

holiday cheer

i’ve been a bit of a humbug this season. swamped with work, stuck inside by the light of my monitor. but despite it all, i’ve managed to click a few shots of the tree and the snow that was here up until yesterday. although i’m still praying for a fabulously white christmas, i have to say that the recent warm spell and rain is making me miss Seattle and Portland beyond words. and strangely, this wet weather is a tad comforting. it must be part of my hard wiring now.

the Christmas shopping is almost complete. and i’m looking forward to a night of wrapping with my husband, A White Christmas playing on the dvd player, hot cocoa, and baking... it’s good. i have no idea where i’m going to make up for the time i’m going to spend slacking, but i think it’s inevitable.

light

merideth's post today on shutter sisters was beautiful. and it reminds me of what i’ve been missing! as you know, i’ve been slammed with work, unable to pick up my camera much and truly appreciate the loveliness of the season. photographer friends are going bizerko capturing all of the beautiful holiday light bokeh while i sit staring at logos and web sites.

don't get me wrong. i’m so very appreciative of the work i have right now... but an itsy bitsy tiny little break would be nice. i haven't even made sugar cookies for cryin’ out loud! my family is starting to wonder if it’s really christmas time!

ok, i’m done ranting. but i did want to submit a little something from a shoot this past fall where i found the most gorgeous fall light... just as the sun was leaving us. i love the tree bokeh in the background and that this little one is literally mid-wish.

i wonder what she’s wishing for.  looks like she’s got plenty of dandelions to accommodate all she can think of!

today is my birthday, so maybe i get a wish or two too?

i wish for more light like this. even though i know it’s there for the taking...
ok, i wish for more time to capture the light. that’s more accurate a wish for me.

i wish for more moments like this—the in between moments.
in between the “perfect shots” lies the candid and imperfect moments that capture something more real. and with light like this, you can't go wrong.

preschool days

i wish i had something witty to post about. but not so much.

i was just looking through some photos and came across this one that my hubby took of myself and our four year old son, the middle dude. this was taken at his preschool thanksgiving feast. and although it's fairly unremarkable as far as “photography” goes... it still makes me smile. it makes me thankful. especially the part of his hat where he cut it on accident and had to tape it back together. and the staples. and the crooked “buckle”... that’s just so preschool. i love it. it’s just so perfect.

mostly, i love this little guy. and i love how he’s hanging onto his mommy. and i’m just a mommy getting my eye poked out by his hat.  and i love that my husband was taking a turn with the camera.

it was a good day.

i love the holidays.
i hope you are enjoying yours!

lovely friends

this past weekend i took some family photos for friends. we decided to go to the boise depot and BOY HOWDY, was it cold!
teeth chattering cold.
finger numbing cold... mine that is.

yeah, that’s been a problem lately. the fingers on my right hand go numb when it’s so cold. i’ve had it happen twice now. i’m thinking i need some of those hotties, glove/pocket warmer things. that might be the ticket. i think every one of us could have used them that day though. and my poor friends! none of them brought jackets! what were you thinking???

the kids had fun looking at the train and the tracks while i shot. but i think everyone was ready to pack up and call it a day within about ten minutes. football and a warm meal were calling to us.

it was a good day. but i think you can tell just how cold it was by looking at the photos. it’s almost like the light is brittle. or maybe the cold made that much of an impression on me!

i’d love to hear what you all think.
i’m getting the impression, however, that blogger makes it exceptionally difficult to post comments!
am i right????
well... try. i love comments.
i’ll be moving to another platform, hopefully, soon. so that should help resolve that issue.
stay tuned.

my boy

a good friend of mine passed on a little sign that i have hanging in my office, just above my desk, where i read it nearly every day. its both funny and true, it makes me laugh and wince at the same time. it says...
every woman has at least one challenge in life...
she either marries it, or gives birth to it.

pretty funny, no?
both are true on any given day... these days it’s the one i gave birth to. the first one. the problem i face now, and a problem i would think most parents encounter at some point, is realizing that you see your child in a different light than others do. and wondering why they can’t, or won’t, see what you see.
trust me, i have days when i look at this kid and think that he was sent from above for the sole purpose to DRIVE. ME. NUTS. but when i look closer, i always see an angel. my angel. i see his passion, and curiosity, and unabashed sweetness. despite how difficult he can be...

i’m sure my mother just sits back and contemplates how sweet paybacks are. and so i try to remember that i too was a hellion, and it was that very special way of being difficult and stubborn and passionate that made me who i am now. and i kinda like that about myself.

my grandmother would say “this too shall pass.” and it will. and when it’s all just a distant memory i would kill to have this little boy be little again.

this is why we take pictures. we are trying to remember, and show everyone else the way we see things.
this is how i see my boy. angelic and sweet, curious and such a miracle.

and here’s another from that same day that i love.