KATIE'S SENIOR PHOTOS

I was honored when my lovely friend, Katie, asked that I take her senior pictures. She has such a soft, natural beauty that my camera loved to capture. With her permission, I'm sharing a few of my favorites. 

The lighting was delicious.

And she has an easy, ready smile that I am envious of. 

Love this!

Pretty blue eyes.

She played the violin through high school. 

What a beautiful instrument!

It was a special treat to shoot in this orchard, at sunset, while being serenaded by the violin...

It almost makes me think of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Southeast Idaho is all in bloom right now.

She felt that an important part of high school for her was a love of reading and writing. This inspired these next few.

This makes me want to back with my own book. So serene!

This sun flare may be a bit dramatic...but I love it all the same. Doesn't she kind of look like Taylor Swift?

I had a blast taking these pictures and learned so much from the experience. Thanks, Katie!

FOG

Driving around Saturday morning, I couldn't resist pulling over to capture the patchy, wintery landscape shrouded in fog. 

These pictures feel so much like home.

NYC PICTURE PURGE

Random uncategorized NYC pics:

Flower shop.

Apartments that remind me of You've Got Mail.

High rise. 

Charming.

Brooklyn Bridge.

Andrew checkin' the view.

Secret garden among the pavement and skyscrapers.

Central Park.

The Plaza.

Trinity Church.

1700's.

Becca on the ferry.

Lady liberty.

High altitude garden.

OUT MY KITCHEN WINDOW

Zoom lenses are fun...So's playing with textures. 

For some reason, this photo makes me feel all winter-y. Hope you're staying warmer than we are here in this corner of Idaho. I am officially done with the wind whipping through our valley lately. Brrrr...

And it's only November.

THE CURRENT BUZZ

I've been busy working on my bee-themed classroom for the first day of school (just a few days left!). As a result, my head is a whirl with cheesy bee puns. This "bee happy" banner I made is just a sneak peek of things to come.

So here's a story for ya:

I decided to be brave and enter some photography into our itty, bitty county fair. I printed three 8x10 photos, matted and framed them, and sheepishly handed then over at the fair grounds. I felt so foolish. It didn't help that I was completely surrounded by parents filling out entry forms for their children.

For several days after, I felt butterflies in my stomach every time I thought about going back. I had asked for my photography to be judged! How intimidating! What if I didn't get any prize at all?
But what if I did?
.
My thoughts eventually snowballed into grand visions of ribbons and recognition. By the time I went to see the results, I was entertaining myself with memories of Wilbur from Charlotte's Web, being paraded around the fair with a full marching band. It could happen, right?

That's not exactly how it played out.

Not only were pink Participant ribbons hanging from each of my frames, but two photos were hung SIDEWAYS on the wall, as if the judges couldn't even tell what they were supposed to be!

I'm trying not to let this one experience squelch all my hopes and dreams.

I have given up on vegetable gardens for now. For 3 years, I provided tender, loving care through the summer until school hit in August. Then, it all died...just as everything was nearing its harvest time. I'd just be too busy!

I was tired of putting in so much work for nothing. So this year, I threw handfuls of wildflower seeds in our garden box and called it good. I was worried when for a few months it looked like a box of weeds. But recently...it paid off.

Oh, and this is what our house currently looks like. Dormers built, shingles laid, and most walls sheeted.

Several windows still need to be cut out on the front, and others need to be made bigger. But this gives the general idea.


Next up: house wrap and window installation!

COWGIRL UP! {written by andrew}

I took Rachel for a drive to Kilgore, Idaho, on Sunday. I wanted to show her the area. It is so beautiful, and she had never been. 

As with any drive we go on, Rachel spent 80% if the time behind her camera lens.We had pulled over beside a cattle field, so she could snap some pictures of the wildflowers. 

As she was crouched down, completely consumed by the pretty flowers, she was unaware she had an audience gathering...

She was quite surprised when she stood up to about 100 head of cattle  lined along the fence to watch her.

Even as she joined me in the car and we began to drive away, they still followed, bellowing after us.This intrigued Rachel, so like a scientist, she began to experiment.

After having me move the car around back and forth...taunting the cattle no doubt...Rachel got back out and started taking pictures of them.

Then, out of nowhere, she started sprinting down the dirt road. Of course, the cows thundered after her, following her back and forth down the fence line. I would move the car, but they would stay put unless Rachel was with me.

This kept her occupied for quite some time. I am sure all those ranchers driving by thought she was some girl from New York City who had never seen a cow before, and just had to take pictures.

Regardless, she was happy, and strongly believed, as we finally drove away, those cows' moos were calling her back with calls of "Mama!"

Personally, I think they just wanted to be fed. Or maybe, Rachel's just my little cow whisperer. What can I say?