Food talk and mindful eating

I like to talk about food.  I suppose I take after my dad on this one… I know I do.  We can have detailed conversation about a good recipe or the latest in-season market find, if either one of us is the slightest bit hungry.  Today, I picked a head of cauliflower from the garden and prepared it for a snack.  What do you think about while you’re eating?  A few years back, I came across this phrase, “Mindful eating.”  I’d like to get better at it, use it more often as I sit down to eat.

When I think about cauliflower, I think about the day I gave birth to my fourth baby, Oedi(four years ago, tomorrow).  It was a beautiful summer evening, the birthing pool set up under our pergola in the backyard.  After he arrived, Brad picked our first homegrown cauliflower from the garden and prepared it for a snack.  It was perfect.

 

Newborn photography | Carter

sweet mama and baby moments captured

Only six days new, newborn baby Carter will share his sweetness with the world for the rest of his life.

Born July 2nd(3 weeks early), places him right in the middle of the Cancer(crab) zodiac sign, which produces thee nicest people you and I know.

He may have only slept for a few minutes, here and there, but that was just enough time to set him down and grab the camera.  He would have slept longer if I could have held his hand the whole time.  He LOVES holding hands.

You have a keeper on your hands, Kami.

 Thank you for letting me capture this little sweetie for you, with images to remind you, one day, just how tiny he was when he stole your heart.

LDS Temple wedding, Not as scary as I thought! { Logan Utah wedding photographer }

This is the first Temple wedding(witness and photographer(tag-a-long with Kylee)) I’ve ever been to!

 That wasn’t as scary as I thought! One of the reason why I didn’t continue my photography business, when I moved out west, though.  I was afraid of the unknown.  Silly,  I know, but after I heard you(as the photographer or  a non-member of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints) weren’t expected to, or  even allowed to go in the temple to witness the sealing, I had no idea what was expected or accepted.  Can you imagine if I would have scheduled a “Temple wedding” and went knocking on the temple doors, the day of?  Too many “what ifs” entered my mind and shooed the confidence right out the door.  I did shoot a few family sessions for neighbors and friends, but being out of the confident photographer role, paired with not feeling one with my new digital camera, the professional photographer in me was tucked away.

Now, I’m kicking myself for not continuing my business.

Dumb.  Dumb.  Dumb! 

No time like the present, I always say! 

Thankfully, after being a “second shooter” for Kylee, a couple weeks ago,  she asked me to join her at this Logan Temple wedding she had scheduled.  This was all I needed to help boost my confidence and know I am ready to shoot my own scheduled temple weddings… and any other wedding ceremony, for that matter.  If any of you know of a couple looking for a wedding photographer, send them my way.  I’d love to capture their Best Day Ever, for them.

What a beautiful day and couple.  Meghan and Doug are actually fellow mid-westerners(Ohio) with ties to Utah, and flew out to be sealed in the Logan Temple.  They followed this blessed event with a ring ceremony in Providence, at the Old Rock Church.  The details of her accessories, to the décor on the tables(which were all made in Ohio by family friends and shipped out), set the tone for a classy atmosphere.

Capturing this temple wedding will be the first of many, in years to come.  

I am so glad I pushed my fear aside and was given the opportunity to experience the beauty of the day.

Congratulations Doug & Meghan!  Thank you for sharing one of your Best Days Ever!

 

Baby Carter| Utah Birth Story Photography

…a precious gift

In 2009, Kami and Kyle were married and wanted to have a baby, right away.  After three trials of artificial insemination, the fourth round was successful.  Finally, Kami became pregnant.

Kyle suffered from severe diabetes and congestive heart failure and they spent many days in and out of hospitals.  Then the unimaginable, Kyle unexpectedly slipped into a diabetic coma and passed away in his sleep on March 4th.  Tragic enough to lose a spouse, Kami experienced this at 20 weeks pregnant.  It happened the night before their 20 week ultrasound.  Kami and Kyle had decided a name for a baby girl, but found out this miracle inside her was a little boy.

Kami was due July 24th and contacted me in May to photograph her birth story.  Only 5% of babies are born on their due date.  This little guy wasn’t about to join that group.

Kami and her family celebrate the 4th of July with a vacation to Bear Lake.  She would have left Wednesday, with the rest of her family, if she didn’t have a scheduled doctor’s appointment on Thursday.  Her younger sister, Marijka, had to work Thursday morning, so the two of them decided to wait and ride over together.

At home, preparing for a relaxing Bear Lake vacation, Kami’s water broke(8:30 pm)!  Being her first, she wasn’t sure what to expect.  She made a call to the hospital and was told to come in.  She left the house in a haste, with Marijka and her phone and charger, period.  No bag. No purse.  She also forgot to ring me.

She checked in at the Women and Newborn Center at 9:20 pm and at 9:45 pm, Carter Ric Willis was born on July 2nd, weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce and measured 19.5 inches long.  Marijka was there for her, the whole time, and her Mother arrived shortly after the birth, and has stayed by her side since.

The doctor moved Carter into the NICU, the next morning, due to his low blood sugar.  They assured Kami that it shouldn’t take long to regulate it and return them back to their regular rest and recovery room.

Congratulations Kami!  I’m sure your memory of Kyle will live on strong with the help of this miracle baby boy.

Thank you for letting me help you capture, just the start of your Best Days Ever as a parent.

 I hope you can, now, enjoy your Fourth of July celebrations with this little +1 at Bear Lake!

 

Friends, soap making, and yummy treats {Logan Utah photographer}

A trip into town to visit with good friends and a lesson in soap making.  Of course, Mel’s boys have the bestest toys and she always has the yummiest homemade treats!

I had to leave to shuttle my big kids to their activities and missed “the best” part in the soap making process, but Mel snapped a couple pics to show me what to look for when stirring the water/lye mixture into the olive oil.  After I returned, she pulled the towel wrapped wooden soap mold out from under her bed to show me.  Mel and Chan sprinkled lavender flowers onto the top of the soap to make it pretty.  She covered it back up and tucked it back under the bed where it will cure.  What fun.  I look forward to making a batch of my own… some day.  Thank you Mel for today!