I gave my hand at my first baby shoot a couple weeks ago and had a great time. Micah was an adorable and very well behaved baby. He is only three months old and has more than enough hair to get it cut! He was a great subject and very aware of the camera and his surroundings. Here is a shot of him after our shoot when he had just fallen asleep...kind of makes the heart break a little...in a good way of course:).
I had so much fun with Patrick & Michele! They celebrated their wedding last Friday, September 23rd. Besides the fact that they are very much in love with each other, they are two friends of ours, which made the day that much more special. They got married at Presidio Park in downtown San Diego, then we made our way to the Oceanside Pier to shoot some photos...which also happens to be the same place they got engaged!
The whole day was very special from start to finish, and I wish Patrick and Michele only the best!
Have I ever mentioned that I love my job! Today I got the chance to photograph this beautiful home in La Jolla, CA. There is a concentration of unique and amazing homes in this area, but this on in particular is worth showing. I personally love the modern feel of the home, and of course the added bonus of having the ocean staring back at you wherever you turn.
Growing up, along with sports, I always had a passion for creating art...namely I loved to draw, paint and charcoal. I also went through a phase when I wanted to be an architect. On days like today, when I get to combine my passion for art along with being able to see some amazing architecture, I feel especially blessed to be doing what I am doing.
Oh yeah...and by the way if anybody is interested in purchasing this home it is running a cool $7.5 million!
Chad and I went over to check out the progress on the new home and decided to take Emma along for the ride...it must be nice to be a dog and to have going for a ride in the car the most exciting event of the day...the simple pleasures in life!
This past weekend Chad and I decided to revisit our childhood and carve some Halloween pumpkins. The night went quite well actually. We broke out all the supplies, drew the faces on our pumpkins and proceeded to carve away. Much to our delight, our pumpkins came out quite nicely. We both felt good to know that our 'mad pumpkin' carvin' skillz' from childhood had not vanished over the years.
So we did the whole bit. When we were finished, we took the pumpkins out to the front of the house and even conducted our very own pumpkin lighting ceremony. Boy were we proud. And to make the situation even better a neighbor walked by and complimented out fine work.
Our smiles quickly turned to frowns as I discovered that after we had brought our pumpkins in for shelter from the fires, apparently extreme climate had caused the perfect scenario for a mold farm inside our pumpkins.
Needless to say the fruits of our labor was very short lived...there's always a bright side though right...well in this case I believe the moldy pumpkins have at least made for some interesting pictures.
Hello to all...well this blog is coming from a bit of a somber note, but I figured I would portray the scene of the Southern California fires from a bit of a first hand account. Instead of hitting you with the bad news first, I would like to start with the bright side of the situation. The San Diego government, fire departments, police departments and residents have responded to the fires in an extremely heart warming and encouraging way. There have been many homes lost and people displaced, yet as it all unfolds, everyone has done their part to chip in and offer support in areas where they have been able. It has been encouraging to see the community come together as oppose to destruct in the time of crisis.
I would also like to mention that my immediate family and all of my friends that I have been able to keep account of have remained safe throughout the last couple of days. As most of you know who have seen the news however, many of our neighbors have not been so lucky. I'm not sure the most recent count, but many homes have been lost and unfortunately we are not in the clear as of yet. Due to the very dry weather conditions along with the Santa Ana Winds many of these situations pose potential dangers that are unpredictable. There are still some major fires burning that are threatening homes and the lives of our courageous citizens, firefighters and other local officials.
In times like this it easy to question why such things happen, but I would like to send along some Biblical encouragement for us all to keep things in perspective and perhaps find some comfort.
James 1:2-5 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
2 Cor 1:3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
I have also included a couple of pictures from our neighborhood taken very early Monday morning prior to our neighborhood being evacuated. I am by no means a storm or disaster chaser, these are simply a couple of shots I took literally from our front yard and these do not even signify the worst of scenarios that the people of San Diego and LA have experienced in the last couple days.
I would ask you all to keep our those in the City of San Diego as well as Los Angeles and all other areas effected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. 
I would have to say that the fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Although it is a sign that the summer has ended and winter is upon us (and I use the term "winter" loosely as a resident of Southern California), I just love to see so evidently that the seasons are changing. I have always loved to watch, and have been amazed by the fact that leaves that were once a very pretty green turn to some of the most vibrant colors all at the same time. One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is to go for a drive or take a hike through a forested area and just take in the beauty.
I have not gotten the chance to do this yet this year, but here is a photo from my time in Nashville. Chad and I were hiking through the woods and I got a shot of this tree.
As promised, here are a few more photos from our trip to Arizona with the Hager family. It was extra special for my parents because for the first time what used to be our family of four is now a family of six. I have been married to my wonderful husband Chad for about 16 months now, and my sister, Laurie and her husband Adam were married in April of this year. The times that we get to spend with my family and my husband's family are very special as we don't live in the same city or even the same state as either of them. As we grow older it is is nice to come to know our parents and siblings on a different level.
On that note, the trip was so very special to us all. Here are some photos of our time there.
Here is a shot of the house that we rented for the week...this is the way to go on a vacation like this one. You get a private pool and spa, a bbq for some down home grillin', plenty of room for privacy but a big space to hang out as a family.
I was able to sneek a shot of Adam and Laurie having a moment while the sun was going down.
A shot of our family of six!
Just look at the respect that each Son-In-Law has for their new Mom and Dad...gotta love it!
This is a shot from our day on the boat. The landscape in this part of Arizona is either fairly desolate (it is the desert!), or made up of these beautiful red rocks. 
Can somebody please tell me how these kids are walking on water?!?! I want to do that!
