Part 1 is HERE.

This is Part 2.

YOU are my passion.

THANK YOU.

In thanks and reflection, ONE FAVORITE from each session in  2010:

Nolan was introduced into the world:

The Reyes Family:

The McKeen Family:

The Lindsay Family:

The Friesen Family:


The Mehringer Family:


The Hertz Family:



The Trinidad Family:



Sarah Jane:

And ending this year with a laugh…I hope your year ends with a laugh too!

Thank you to YOU all for making my 2010 an AMAZING year…a blessed year.
Happy 1.1.11 !

What a year.  To put it shortly, I am blessed.

It is YOU who I am most thankful for.

It is YOU who I can’t wait to meet and capture.

It is YOU who gets both  me giddy with excitement..

and YOU who makes me overcome with thankfulness.

YOU are my passion.

THANK YOU.

It was hard, but I attempted to pick ONE FAVORITE from each session in  2010:

[Part 1 of 2]

Introducing Keirsney:

Tabby and Dayla:

Karis:

A Walk For Life:

The Hertz Family:

Ethan and Emily:

The Leader Family:

The DeJong Family:

Violet:

The Erway Family:

Hard to choose a favorite….the Siler Family:

The Maxwell Family:

Kristi and Mike expecting:

The Greathouse Family:

The Reichardt Family:


The Hales Family:

The Gallagher Family:

The Robinson Family Reunion:

Madelyn and Bennett:

(Come back tomorrow for Part 2….)

At 3 years old I got my first doll house, and it was the most magical Christmas I can ever remember.

That is until this year when I got to pass the tradition on…..

Wishing you a magical Christmas….to you and yours…
Merry Christmas!

She says when she thinks of me, she sees me as a warrior, but I don’t feel like one.

She confessed it to me many months ago, and back then both her friend and I knew the same thing, it has nothing to do with the fact that she doesn’t always feel like one, she is one. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

To be a warrior, you have to have experienced or be capable of experiencing battle.  Be courageous. Be strong. Be willing to sacrifice. Be willing to serve.

When you first meet Sarah, it is her joy, her laugh, that you will remember her by.  It is infectious.  It is invigorating.  She is one of those women can change the tempo of the entire room when she walks in.  Things seem to come alive when they are around her.  She laughs with life and at life.  I have never spent a day with Sarah that I didn’t laugh. She is a force.  She is a light.

But she is also a warrior.

This photo shoot started because of a kimono from Japan that was her Grandpa’s, that happened to match a mug from Germany that was her mom and dad’s.  What started as coincidence in pattern and a fun photo shoot to capture it, became so much more. It all came together last Saturday and became the most beautiful story. One I was excited to get a chance to attempt to make into art, and a sentiment that I was honored to try and capture.

When I thought of all these things together, the kimono, the mug, and Sarah…it just wove together in my mind…almost as if I could see the woman at the loom…. making such simple bits it into a stunning tapestry.  When I think of Japan I can’t help but think of the Samurai costume that my mom used to keep in our hallway: it was scary, and I used to tiptoe past it. always thinking it would come alive.  But much to my surprise when I looked up the meaning of “Samurai”, it didn’t mean “beast” or “scary mask” like I might have guessed. It means “those who serve”, specifically in reference to a king. When I think of Germany I can’t help but think of strength and of course a war of pain. When I think of Sarah, I can’t help but think of a warrior.  Last Saturday, as I took these pictures, I was so blessed to see how it all just came together in such a meaningful way. It just seemed to weave together, right before my eyes, and we created some of my favorite pictures of the whole year.

…but oh yes…she can laugh….

…and this one.

If you are reading this blog looking for recipes, and you happen to hate pumpkin, then I am just going to apologize to you now.  I don’t hate pumpkin.  In fact, I LOVE pumpkin in a way that I don’t admit to many people, in a way that is a bit crazy.  So here we are, me confessing my love for pumpkin to a pumpkin hating crowd and once again sharing a pumpkin recipe.

God bless my husband who does not complain about the abundance of squash recipes during the fall.  Good news for him, and for you the pumpkin hater:  this is my last pumpkin recipe.

I wasn’t sure about this recipe.  I mean, pumpkin and shrimp?  I would NEVER think the sweetness of pumpkin and the rocky flavor of shrimp would hold hands in the way that lovers do.  But I was wrong.  This is a must have recipe for your fall recipe list.

Today’s Feature: Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

*On another note, I am also going to share with you today how I was once again humbled to the true talent that food photographers have.   This soup did not photograph in the way I had hoped or intended.  Part of the reason we started “Food Friday” was to learn to photograph food in a pleasing way, in part inspired by this blog and this blog.  I will admit unashamed, I failed with this one.  The soup was not greasy in any way shape or form, but somehow managed to look that way on camera.  I almost didn’t post it in light of its un-photogenic nature (or the error of the photographer more likely), but then I decided that I would share this flop of a photo with you to show how HARD food photography is.  It is not just a matter of exposing and lighting it correctly, but also staging the food in a mouth watering and pleasing manner.  I come to you today again humbled by the challenge of photographing food….but don’t worry; I will keep trying and sharing our cooking adventures along the way.