Mother’s and Father’s Day

Sometimes a day comes along that celebrates a Mother’s and Father’s day without prior planning or worrying.  An unexpected, impromptu visit from Anna and Casen led to an unexpected, impromptu drive up the canyon.  It’s been a long time since  these four- Our Four! - were recorded together portrait-style.

Kyle: bright, kind, never forgets to blow me away each night with his powerful pucker-and-blow.
Neil: strong, fun, handsome, just right
Anna: beautiful inside and out
Mark: smart, sweet, love his silent sneek-up-behind ambush hugs

Someday, when you’re (all) grown up tall

And you’re no longer small

I’ll remember it all,

just thinking of you

And the way you looked tonight.

(Rewritten for my own purposes  from the beautiful lyricist  Dorothy Fields hit “The Way You Look Tonight” sung  by Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr. and others)

THAT being said, this is how 99.6% of the images got captured.  Admittedly, guys and flowers don’t always feel comfortable with each other.  But we had Anna which made the shoot legit.

Flowers AND hugs from girls? (even your sister) It was almost too much loveliness for our 9 year old swashbuckling heroes.


Back to the ‘real’ thing.
But I am SO happy I have a portrait of our kids; in a field of flowers, smiling, all together, at the same moment in time.  It was Mothers Day.

Berried Treasure

For the willing and patient there is treasure in them thar bushes. 

A couple of  less willing and patient treasure seekers.
My Mother used to give Keli and me a wide mouthed jar with a yarn string through a lid screwed onto the jar to tie around our waists.  That way, we had both hands free to pick the rows and rows of our amazing raspberries in Central British Columbia.  I think she gave us 5 cents for every quart, and they (the rows)went on and on.  For two miles, uphill both ways!

The (Utah Standard) Mother Lode

I feel some fresh raspberry shortcakes and  freezer jam coming on.  Most of them will be flash frozen on cookie sheet trays and then bagged. Then we get to do it again in a couple of days!
 I should be running an extra ? miles to balance this treat out.  But I shan’t.  Anyone for cake?

Sneak Peek–Family Fife

The mountains are abloom, the family is together, everyone is in their navy, greys or lavenders – time to capture some of all that goodness.  Enjoy this tiny slice of Fife Life.  There are so many more images.  So, so, so, many . . . . . many, more to come…….

Getting married TODAY!

NOT getting married today.

This was carefully, thoughtfully choreographed and orchestrated by . . . nobody.

I fell in love with these little guys. 

“You Are My Sunshine – My Only Sunshine.  You make me happy . . !”

Kiddos Kute

A Baby Bump – Not quite as wonderful as a Bumpy Baby, but she’ll have one of those soon!  This Megan-gal is so beautiful, it would have been fun to have had a full session just with her!


Good times!  Your CD should be ready in about 4 weeks, Dana.  I need not tell you, but it never hurts to say it again - your family is amazing.

A Horsey Soul Joins Us

Mares are not to be outguessed.  I was so sure Polly would have her foal Tuesday evening.  Not so.  And Wednesday we had plans to be gone.  At 4:00 we talked to Neil and found out that Polly was still ‘just standing there”.  I thought for sure we hadn’t missed the Event.  But by the time we got home a short time later . . .

The morning sun gave our first good look at his adorable horsey personage.  Mark and Kyle have named him Hidalgo.  Hidalgo doesn’t know it, but, as they raise him through horseyhood he will be raising them through boyhood.  Such a happy arrangement.

In Which Casen Stars Again

No matter the other things that may happen in a Day Trip, seeing Casen and Anna and B. Kyle tops them all.

A Day Trip

 

Maybe the best part of hiking around Cascade Springs is getting a long drink of water at the end.  Apparently, when you’re a twin you can even share  water fountains.

What may be lurking under the water and bridge is as interesting as what’s growing above.

Pioneer Day Morning

Running this morning was an extra treat.  I was thinking about my guys back home picking raspberries, and having a pioneer breakfast together when I got home. The sun was behind a huge cloud, so as soon as I got home I grabbed my camera to have a little photo fun.  Everything seemed so colorful and interesting.  I temporarily abandoned my people portrait lens and made Nature my only subject.

Look who showed up for a portrait anyway!  I’ve never seen such a creature before – all the look of a honey bee: size, shape and fat pockets full of pollen.  But its color!  My camera just couldn’t capture the glorious green.   Had to be there.

And then this fuzzy guy bumbled into my sights.  I’ve felt the luxury of a beaver and mink pelt, but I wonder what his would be like? (I did not try to find out)

Wonder how many wishes will come true because of this little beauty.

 

And how many years did it take for all this lichen to form on this fence post?  And who was the cowboy who put it up?  Some unanswerable questions I thunked about this morning.

The Glory of Brome trumps the Glory of Rome today.

  

When I got home there was a bear in the berry patch.  No worries though – it was just my own Hunny Bear.

  

Here’s one of the Little Bears, but that’s not porridge.  It’s Pioneer Pudding, a recipe we tried from the Friend magazine.

Hope this afternoon holds more of the same – blessings aplenty, good company aplenty, and beauty all around.

11:00 pm  It WAS a great afternoon/evening.  Here are a couple more shots of our day.

It’s fun to see Neil enjoying Little Joe again.  We went up the canyon and did some horseback riding, dutch oven dining, and hiking.

Then we went back to Manti for some hob knobbing with the Olsen’s.

Summer Times

 

This evening my guys played a little soccer just as the sun was leaving us for the night. 

 

Goal!

A day trip to Salt Lake City began with a visit to Kennecott Copper Mine.  We all were fascinated and would have liked to stay longer but more Salt Lake called.

So we waited in the hot shade for the bus…

…and watched a classic Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner episode as we were taken back to our car.

Jay and I had fun with our cameras trying out new places.  Can any Salt Lakers guess the place?

I never tire of seeing what Jay captures on his.  He always does something beautiful with temples.

He let me come home and play with photo shop and do this to his image.  But then,  I really took it over the top. (see below)

Scruffy Temple.  “Scruffy” and “Temple” don’t usually fit together, but a gal must have her fun.

Jay caught this one too.  Kyle (you only see a whisper of him on the left) and this  beautiful fish share a moment of mutual curiosity at the Salt Lake aquarium.   Thanks Kristen!