Family Sneak Peak

This family was more than a pleasure to meet.  Had a really good time with all of them and got some pretty fantastic photos for them to treasure forever.  

All because these two fell in love.....

We dodged the rain, heat and humidity and it was all worth it.

Family Up North

A few weekends ago we had a few of the Hemmer's up north.   I didn't remember to grab my camera very often which I'm kinda sad about, but then I was there for the moments and not hiding behind the camera all weekend.

Adam and Jr liked the view while they snuggled before nap time.

After a fabulous lunch we spent hours playing Giant Jenga.  Everyone gets to play no matter how young or old.  Grandma Great didn't play but she loved to watch and I think she even got a bit nervous with some of the dangerous moves her boys tried.

This one didn't take long to be over....

We had rain showers off and on so our fire pit wasn't occupied much that day.  Garrett decided to swing all by himself.  

On one of Ken's turns he knocked the stack over but he caught it and stood it back up...... totally called that cheating, so here he is using only one hand.

Adam is pretty good at this game, he takes risk and he pulls these out even when they aren't loose.

Ed on the other hand was having troubles so he grabbed the broom and started using it like he was shooting pool.  

If you can't get it out from one side go around and try the other side.

Notice the leaning tower and how someone tried to help it by putting the orange one as far left as they could.  

A few of us went kayaking and tubing down the river in the afternoon.  Quite the experience that was, low river resulted in a really slow float.  Elly came with us and when I needed to get her back I put her on top of my kayak on the back and her tube on top in the front.  I'm paddling and paddling and seem to be just dragging and then she says.  Grandma my feet are like the motor and making waves back here.   URGHHH she was dragging her feet, silly girl.  She picked them up and wow what a difference.  

It was a great weekend and really fun to spend time with everyone who could come.  We'll have to do another weekend in the winter.  

Brianne's Senior Portraits

Senior season is happening right now and I couldn't have been more honored to take Brianne's photos.  She is a beautiful girl from inside out.  She has a kind soul and loves her family to pieces.  So nice to spend time with a teenager who respects everyone and everything around them.  

I will let her protraits speak for themselves.... 

Momma likes smiles but I like a little serious every now and then. 

She had climbed out on the rocks and was waiting for me to set up my shot and I captured her out there just thinking about the moment.  We had just shot a few of her with her uncle Brian's guitar, his memory will live on in her heart forever and she held that guitar just like he had his arms around her teaching her how to play.  A special moment for her and her mom.

Another one of Uncle Brian's guitars

Another shot Bri wanted was with Uncle Brian's Harley, here is her a bit edgy while glowing in the sunlight.

There are so many more that I could have chosen for favorites to show you.   

I had a fabulous time with both Bri and her mom, hope you all enjoy her photos.

Up North = Neglected Flower Beds

A few years ago a house with beautiful flower gardens that I drive by everyday was starting to look a little weedy, there just wasn't the attention to them like I normally seen from her.  I started to worry about her, I told John she must be sick.  He of course thought I was crazy and he thought her flowers looked just fine.  The next year it was worse and the house became empty and the flower gardens became homes for very tall ugly weeds....... I feared the worst but we found out a few months later that her and her husband were getting divorced so she no longer cared to take care of her flowers.  

If you drive by our house...... we are not getting divorced and I am not sick.  Everything is just fine, however I do too many side jobs with working full time that I cannot weed my flowers like they should be.  After our Jazzed Up Junk sale I got to work on the back flower bed first, it might not be the worst one but it is the one in the sunshine after work.  

Of course I am not going to show you the before, I said I was busy not crazy.  

We have not mulched the beds since I was laid off and that was 5 years ago..... they needed it super bad, reason for the weeds.  Here is one shot of FLOWERS - no weeds.  We also got our pond going, yes I know summer is almost over, no speeches!!

I bought a bike from an action like 4 years ago and John thought the seat was worth selling on Ebay, yep he was right, we got more money for the seat than we paid for the whole bike..... but now my bike has no seat and we cannot find one unless we pay more for it than we bought the bike for.  Yep super dumb move so an upside down water can will be my seat so I can finally get this bike out of the garage.   And yes garden shed needs to be painted but that will come.  

Pink Cone Flowers are probably my favorite flower and I have tons of them.  I even throw them away by the wheelbarrows full. 

Another problem I have with getting work done at home is going up north.  

Summer - Up North - Water - Relaxing 

Our turtles are back again this year.  I braved a walk through the river with my camera to get a closer picture of them.  Didn't realize the water got so deep and I was too far in to turn around.  Camera is up above my head and the water is above my chest and I'm walking in the current.  Thank goodness it got shallow again just as quickly as it got deep.  

Turned around to get a shot of where I started from.  

When not on the kayaks or pontoon we are sitting right here.

I got one close up of the turtles before the jumped in and of course then I freaked that they might swim over to me.... I quickly turned around and headed back, up current this time, water to my chest and camera held above my head.  Okay so when I told you I wasn't crazy.... just maybe I am.

Up North = Neglected Flower Beds

 I've taken actions to slow down on working.  Life is too short to work days, nights and weekends.... I will get them cleaned up, and it's become far less stressful.  

Marissa's Senior Photos

Marissa was a beautiful girl inside and out, we had so much fun together and her photos show it.  

Marissa pinned some ideas on her Pinterest board and shared them with me, there weren't very many but from that small effort her and I were already on the same page.  I knew the style she was looking for and felt like I've known her forever.   Her pinterest pictures contained laughter and joy..... she certainly has lot of that and it shows.

I brought along a mirror and captured something a bit different. 

Her and I were certainly having fun with her session.

Thanks to her dad this swing was put in the perfect spot.

Marissa was a great way to start off August with, her session could not have went any better.

Emmett 6 months

After a very short month of July I'm back at it.  A few sneak peeks to start August and many more to come as we head into Senior season.  But first we have Mr. Emmett to show off, he's 6 months already and growing into quite the little charmer.  

When he was newborn he was so tiny that he fit inside this frame so I brought it along to see how he's grown...... well he didn't really like my plans for it so I opted to just get him and the frame in the same photo.... maybe at 9 months :)

This little family is so gosh darn cute....

All the love that this mommy has for her two boys is more than any mommy I know.  She loves these boys to pieces and I seen many tears over the years when she misses them during the day. 

Love is meant to be shared.....