Feeding the Ducks

We have moved into our new house in Casa Grande, AZ. The kids love the parks and the lakes with the ducks. A couple of weeks ago (I mentioned it in a past post) we met Dad for lunch and fed the ducks. What an adventure. I have never had to chase down ducks this much before. My goodness! The kids would run after them, throwing whole slices of bread into the lake and the ducks would just swim away and get out on the opposite shore. Come now, Austin and Emma can't be that scary. :)



Austin still had his cast on for this excursion (no he didn't just lose a shoe). One sweet moment was when they were walking over some rocks and Austin was having a hard time, so Emma came back and helped him - they do love each other. :)






We have heard that the ducks on the another pond aren't quite as snobby and will actually eat your bread. It's worth a shot. What's the use of having ducks close if they can't even provide entertainment for your kids. :)

Taylor Family

Today was the Taylor Family's Christmas portrait session. This was my first big family photo shoot, and it went so well - must have been the family :). They are such a nice family and they were so great to work with! I think the promise of Peter Piper Pizza kept the kids going.

This past summer I took family portraits for one of the daughters and now she brought back her whole family. I really appreciate the chance to photograph her and her family again. Thanks!

Enjoy the slideshow!

A Day to Play

We are moving! Next week we close on our house down in Casa Grande, AZ. My husband took a job there. So, that means no more moving around (at least for a while) and a place to call home. This will also give me the chance to grow my photography business. Austin and Emma are excited about Casa Grande too.

The kids were so excited when they saw all the playgrounds, and the ducks in the pond by our house. We bought bread so they could feed the ducks. They chased them around the pond. Wait till you see some pictures from that day. Too funny. I'll post them later this week. Maybe tomorrow if I am looking for something to distract me from moving. :)

A distraction was just what I needed today - too much to think about doing. I took the kids outside so they could play - on grass, not just rocks like our backyard. This gave me the chance to pull out my camera and play around myself. We all had a blast! The kids because they could run away from mom and me because I could chase them down and catch some cute pictures (a little bribery doesn't hurt either). Austin didn't let his broken leg stop him from having fun - or torturing Emma, and Emma had fun running away and looking for rocks.

Well, here's a slideshow of our half hour of fun - that's all we could do. It was too windy and cold to stay out there any longer.

Enjoy!

Let it Snow!

In an area where snow is basically fiction, or at best a long lost memory, we thought we would bring a little snow cheer to our home. :) We pulled out the paper, scissors, glue, and glitter. We made snow!




I cut out the snowflakes and A and E made them shine, putting glitter everywhere! The table, E's hair, fingers, toes, clothes, the floor . . . Lots of mess and lots of fun.



Merry Christmas!

A Little Bit of Christmas

Okay. I totally broke down and bought some lights. I even put them up today. It's not like I am a scrooge and didn't want any Christmas decorations - our family will be moving anytime between now and the middle of January. So, packing boxes and putting decorations down at the same time just isn't that exciting. We've been on the move each Christmas for the last few years. So, enough is enough. We will have some Christmas cheer in our home this year! :)

Christmas is such a special time of year. The twinkling lights, the giving, the happiness, and most importantly the remembering of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everyone, and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

What a Weekend!

We had a great weekend. Grandma and Grandpa came to visit. The kids had fun getting attention from the grandparents. We did a lot of playing, hanging out and eating (hey, it was Thanksgiving:) ).


Then, Sunday night the excitement began. We went down to Casa Grande, AZ to check out how our house was coming along (stucco and texture are on). We stopped by the local park so the kids could get some energy out before we started the long trek home. I took A down a high, "crazy slide" (A's words). It is seriously a slide of death. You go up 3 ladders just to get to the slide. I put Austin on my lap and started down. We were banging up against the slide and each other. It was truly a "crazy slide." We'll A got hurt. He said his knee hurt and he wouldn't walk on his left leg. We had to carry him everywhere. Even Emma's teasings wouldn't get him to use his leg - something was definitely wrong! Well, we took him to the ER the next morning. Pose for a picture. :) We had to find the fun in the situation.



They took a picture of his bones and this is what we saw- a spiral fracture on the shin bone.



So, they splint it up (he'll get a cast on in a couple of days).


A is taking it all in stride. He likes the babying, but still insists on "Doing it myself!" Looks like a lot of movies and walks in the stroller are on the agenda.

Winter is Here!

Winter has finally come to the Valley of the Sun. This morning it was a chilly 59 degrees. It's cold enough to pull out the jackets. Hope we can survive this winter. :)



Let's put things into perspective. This was yesterday:



Happy change of seasons! :)

A Few of my Favorite Things

Life with 2 toddlers 14 months apart gets crazy. Lots of toys, lots of messes, and lots of noises. Along with that comes the extra hugs, kisses, and "I love you, mom's." Every morning they get up and find me to give me hugs before they go off to play. I am so blessed. I am the one they come to to kiss thier owies better, to look at their pictures, and to compliment their latest fashion statements. I can't think of a better way to spend my day.

I am very grateful that my husband works so hard so that I can be home each day enjoying the craziness of life. He supports me so many facets of my life. Thank you, sweetheart. :)

Happy Thanksgiving! Remember your blessings (and even those blessings in disguise). Bring on the messes. :)

Courtney & Steven's Wedding

This last Saturday, Courtney and Steven got married in a beautiful outdoor wedding. There was such excitement and anticipation before the wedding and happiness and fun afterwards. They are so adorable and so in love. Thank you for letting me be a part of your incredible day!
Thank you Dad and Todd for all your help!

Courtney & Steven e-session

Courtney and Steven's engagement session was a couple of weeks ago, but since I am trying to get this blog up and going and their wedding is this weekend, I thought I would put up a slideshow their e-session. Courtney and Steven are such a cute couple. You can really see how in love they are. I can't wait to for their wedding this weekend!

Trying Out the New 40D

I have upgraded from the Canon Digital xti to the Canon 40D. Love it! It is so much more responsive and faster! The 40D is a gift from my hubby (thanks, baby). I guess the way to my heart is a camera, lens, or cool software.

Well, here are some more pictures of the kids. I needed to try out the new camera, so dress them up, bribe them (you can go the park afterward), get them in the car and find a place to start photographing.

Photos to watch for: running away from mom is fun, find the only puddle and jump in it, the dogs are more interesting than taking pictures, and E is A’s "backpack." They were good sports. Well, enjoy the slideshow!

Day at the Park

Being the mom of 2 adorable kids, spending the day at the park is always a highlight. :) We are so blessed to have such wonderful weather right now. It's the end of October and we still have 90 degree weather. :) Let summer last all year long! :)

Arizona Fun

We recently moved back to Arizona after a year in Nebraska. I forgot how amazing the winter weather is here. There is a lot that has kept us busy here: hanging out together as a family, hobbies, photography (or course :) ), volunteering at church, trips home, etc. Sometimes I'll have a day that is just pure fun. Our two kids help me remember that there is fun even in the simplest things. My boy is curious about everything! He especially loves his cars. He will line them up every where in the house. My girl can't get enough with life. She has to try everything out, and that includes everything big brother is doing. They are wonderful! According to my son, he has the "best dad in the whole wide world." I would have to agree. He is so supportive of me and all I try to do. He loves his family and does amazing things for them.

Sorry about all of the mushy stuff. :) My family has been my focus. Life is so much better with them!

Until next time,
Julie

New Collages

I have been working on some new collages for the upcoming holiday season. Each collage is customizable and there are more to come. You can view more collages at my website http://www.memoriesbyjulie.com/ under the portfolio section. It is a flash site so you will need to have a faster connection than dial-up. Have a great day!

Fall Photo Shoot

My latest photo shoot was with two young children. It is a great time to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather. The grass was green and the leaves were colorful. The children were also wearing vibrant colors. The ironic thing? I love the color photos, but I think the pictures were just as pretty in black and white. Even my husband, who usually prefers the color photos, commented on how much he liked the black and white ones.

Taking pictures with children can be a lot of fun. Some of the best and truest expressions (and then pictures) come out just as the children play and interact with their environment.

On Location

A while ago, I had the opportunity to do an on location photo-shoot in Southern Utah (Hurricane, UT) where the red rock and open spaces are standard. The pictures turned out so beautiful. The lighting was perfect and the "male model" (my father-in-law) took directions well. :) It is always fun and challenging to take pictures in a new location and in a different way. That was what this photo shoot was about. I had mostly taken candids and family pictures (mine) before this. My husband and I did this shoot together. It was awesome!

'til next time. :)

Children Photography

Children make the most innocent and honest subjects. I love it! Sometimes it takes a little longer to get that "picture perfect smile" but it is always worth the effort and usually more genuine than you expect. No matter what expression they have on their faces, it reflects what is in their souls.

Weddings

I have been gathering photos for my portfolio and I found some photos from weddings I helped assist. I was a 2nd photographer for a friend, Jamelle Kelly, in Arizona. It really helped watching another photographer work and learn from what they do.

Taking pictures for a wedding is tons of pressure, but great opportunity to take lots of pictures and to get creative. Weddings are long days - especially in the AZ heat. :) But - I had so much fun and gained so much knowledge and satisfaction from the event. Who would have thought that something so hard would be so much fun?

Starting Out

I've started this blog simultaneously with the creation of a photography website. I am in the middle of creating the website and it won't be up until later this week or next week.

Photography is a passion of mine. I like to capture those fleeting moments in time. I have seen how much time flies as I watch my 2 kids grow up. The cute things that they do just don't seem to last. They are always on to bigger and better things. I love looking back on the photographs that I have captured of them and remembering those times that make my child into who they are today. I think that everyone should be able to have their memories recorded to have and remember from as well. So, I want to transition from a hobbyist photographer to a part-time professional photographer (part-time so that it doesn't take away from my full-time job - mom).

Well, here we go.

Julie