sharalee prang photography

INTRODUCING...

2011-01-30T19:00:00.000-08:00

...my new website!! please find me at www.sharaleeprangphotography.com from now on. i've got a new blog and everything all in one place. and i even got all these old posts uploaded to my new site, so if you're featured here, they're not lost forever! look forward to seeing you at my new home.

"one" concert

2011-01-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

i had the distinct privilege of being the "official photographer" for my first concert this past weekend! our good friend, kevin boese, was releasing his new cd and hosted the best party i've been to in awhile in the process. it was an amazing evening...the atmosphere was warm, the people felt like family and the music...well, it speaks for itself.

duncan africa is an amazing organization which is helping to empower students in uganda, not only by teaching them how to build guitars, but also by providing them with other life skills that will enable them to start their own businesses and be agents of change in their own villages.

kevin has surrounded himself with incredible friends, not only in life but in music and it was so sweet to see all the people who had been involved in the album on the stage throughout the night.

one of those friends happened to have a bright red keytar. can you say "wicked awesome"?

my husband also happens to be a friend of kev's and he kept the mood light by royally roasting kevin, the gaither band and anyone else who dared heckle him. ahh, the life of a comedian's wife: a good balance of pride + mild embarrassment. thankfully kevin was amused.

here's a shot of him singing "mary did you know" ( i can hear you saying "no he di-n't", but i can assure you. he did.)

thank you for inviting me to be a part of this evening. it was and will continue to be an honor to watch as you step into all God has for you and is calling you to be. i have a feeling all your friends would say the same.

"may the peace of christ go with you wherever he may send you. may he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. may he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. may he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors."

northumbrian celtic prayer

buy kev's album here and here. if you're super old school, you can also find kevin in parking lots across abbotsford...rush concert t-shirt on, trunk popped, stereo blaring just waiting for unsuspecting worship music lovers to sell to.

one more note: this will be my last post on this blog!! by this time next week, my new website should be up and running. good timing too because google just informed me i was going to have to start paying for more space here. i'll be posting the official "switch" link soon, so stay tuned and get ready to change your bookmark...

american beauty

2011-01-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

i can't even tell you - this girl is amazing. totes gorge (for those of you who are unfamiliar with abbrevs, that's "totally gorgeous").

i don't know how she does it, but in approximately 2.2 seconds she's able to go from "i'm super hot"...

...to "i'm the cutest person on the planet".

you inspire me. your positivity, willingness to learn and ability to see good in people...you're wise beyond your years, honey. maybe i can be a little more like you when i grow up.

we spent the afternoon under the overpass and anticipating that we might be intruding on someone's winter home, brought some fresh chocolate chip cookies along to share. we were sad not to encounter anyone, but pleased to see that abbotsford seems to be doing its job in taking care of those with no homes in these cold months. thank you to places like the food bank and cyrus centre - please continue to support these services with your time and money. they can't do it without us!

random.

2011-01-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

i recently realized that amidst the hub bub of christmas and the busy-ness of business, i've hardly taken any pictures of my kids in the past few months. none worth sharing at least. we also live in a dark basement and with the wet and cold weather we've had lately, my poor littles' skin hasn't seen the light of day. so as soon as the rain let up for a few hours, i got my older two outside and actually remembered to bring my camera.

we all know how important toddler style is on the playground. thankfully, my daughter loves her "fancy star shoes" as much as i do. and since she will only sit still for about 10.2 seconds, the half ponytail would just have to do today.

traffic can get a little hairy at the park during rush hour.

i love that my kids haven't figured out that they still look cute when they make funny faces to get me to stop taking pictures.

and this one gently reminds me that i'm a bad mother. notice the red cheeks. in my haste to get out the door, i kind of didn't realize that it was freezing cold outside and the kids were not dressed properly. don't worry...we hurried home to cups of hot cocoa and the sniffles were gone by the next day.

i'm thankful to mi esposo for my children's amazingly long eye lashes. why is it always the boys that get them? tell me why?!

this was his "i just got caught heading towards the national geographics with my fake plastic doctor scissors" look

the only way i could get a real smile out of her on camera was to squeeze her head between my knees. unfortunately, it didn't last and turned into this. still cute, though. still cute.

for those of you who know me, you know i'm a word maven. so naturally, my only prerequisite for marrying/naming children was that our names could be scrabbled. and they can, just in case you were wondering.

in print.

2011-01-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

i love my clients. not only are many of them great friends, they're super creative and fun to work with! such can be said about this lovely couple. they will be my first wedding of the year in march and i just got my official invitation!

it's hard to see here, but bonner had carved their initials into the tree in the foreground. and if that's not romantic enough, open it up and...

...they're staring lovingly into each other's eyes. love you two and am super super pumped for your day. praying for NO RAIN!!

a little evening rant

2011-01-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

ok. so i'm not super into bandwagons. and i'm not super into soapboxes either. what i am super into is people. and when people are being hurt or treated unjustly, it kind of ticks me off. to put it lightly.

every year, the lovely people at the international labor rights forum publish a "sweatshop hall of shame". it basically highlights some of the major companies who either directly or indirectly violate labor rights, whether it's in their own organization or in their suppliers'.

and we're not talking about not providing ergonomically correct chairs. we're talking about people dying because of unsafe work environments. we're talking about people being beaten or harassed for trying to start a union. we're talking about children as young as 7 years old being forced to quit school and work in cotton fields or as cocoa harvesters.

after taking a gander at this year's list, i'm not overly surprised by some (ahem, walmart) and am seriously discouraged by others (ikea - hits me where it hurts). by posting this list, i'm just giving you the chance to make informed choices. it's easy to be ignorant (believe me, i know) but now that you know, you have the incredible opportunity to be an agent of change.

i'm not going to tell you what to do. but i'd love it if you would check out the list (and their whole website for that matter) and pause to think about whether there are adjustments, big or small, that you can make in your own purchasing to try and ensure that you're not supporting the people who are taking advantage of those who can't (or haven't been allowed to) speak up for themselves.

and just so you know i will be the first one to admit that i have, on a regular basis, shopped at places I KNEW had poor business practices when it came to labor rights just because i wanted a deal. but here's my commitment: i will buy used/secondhand/handmade as much as possible. i will try to buy local, for both produce and other goods. i will do my best to have an understanding of where the store bought products are actually coming from. i will not shop at walmart (i actually try and throw out the flyer right away so i'm not even tempted to look).

here's a little token "pick me up" so you don't leave this post feeling depressed. this is cliff, josiah and our housemate brittani posing with the handsome snowman they made on jojo's first official snow day! he actually loves school, so he was pretty bummed to stay home, but we had fun anyway.

stay tuned for more pictures from my sweet little fuji instax camera - it's coming out in full force in my engagement and wedding sessions this year. which are booking up fast, by the way, so be sure to give me a shout soon if you're tying the knot this summer!

new chair

2011-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

guess whose mama felt so bad after reading this blog post that she bought her daughter a brand new office chair?!?

merry christmas to me.

i know. i'm a dork. this is what friday nights at home will do to a girl...

here's an old photobooth picture of my little man that will hopefully redeem this entire post:

...or not. thank you mac for creating a way that i can so thoroughly embarrass myself. happy friday!

honorary

2011-01-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

so, i got peed on again. i'm going to swallow my pride and take it as a compliment...like he really wants me to be an honorary part of the family or something so he was just marking his territory. i think i'm going to start bringing a change of clothes with me to shoots, though, because he peed so strategically that it sure looked like i had wet myself. thanks buddy. it's a good thing you're cute.

and tiny! 2 weeks old and not even 7 pounds yet. can you say "peanut"?

and no shoot would be complete without some pictures of the big sister...she's also cute, but not quite as tiny. or quite as human. though i'm pretty sure if you asked her, she's insist she was. human, that is.

congratulations, you guys!

a new year

2011-01-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

to ring in 2011 (that feels so weird to write!), i figured i would unveil my personal favorite family picture from our cross-canada/u.s. adventure. i just love children. we're sitting in front of freaking NIAGARA FALLS...one of the natural wonders of the world/top honeymoon destination/something most people don't get to see in their lifetime...and my kids are chasing pigeons. and whining. and playing with the stroller buckles. and refusing, no outright rebelling against even looking at the water.

and so, we embrace our fate. and while cliff and i have our little romantic moment under the double rainbow, our children can do whatever they please...including playing dead. because we are at niagara falls, for goodness sake.

happy new year, everybody.

post christmas drizzle

2010-12-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

when this family asked me to come on boxing day morning, i thought "wow. sacrificing all those great post-christmas deals to honor mom's request for a family picture and come together in love and unity". can i get a collective "awwwww"? turns out it was the only time over the whole christmas break where they could all fit an hour in between work, birthday parties and other family gatherings. but what an hour they picked! what was supposed to be a soggy sunday morning turned out to be a very overcast sunday morning and we were gifted with about a half an hour of clear before it started to pour! which gave us just enough time to get these:

check out these eyes!

these two cuties have been married for ten years and still have quite the spark...the rest of the family suggested they get a room. clearly they already have :)

thanks for braving the elements with me, ritchies!

the best gift

2010-12-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

now, normally i would never do a shoot on christmas day. but a girl only has one first birthday. and just how do you propose i say no to this face?

and just as i imagine jesus (exhausted by all the hubbub surrounding his first birthday), tummy full after a feast of fish, flatbread and hummus, hobbling over to his parents' bed (i'm assuming they had moved out of the stable by now), climbing up and chewing on a wooden soldier joseph had carved for him out of olive wood, so this little lady found winnie the pooh and snuggled in, ready to fall asleep at any moment...and her party hadn't even started yet.

2010-12-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

at this time of year, everyone is posting a picture of their kids with santa. especially the babies. we too got swept up in this phenomenon as new parents. and once you do it the first time and it goes well, you kind of think, "well hey. this can be our christmas tradition!" and for me, once i pick a tradition, i do my darndest to stick with it. because if i don't, it becomes something like the advent calendar i intended on making with the kids this year. it was december 1st and then 2nd...and then 5th and i was still swearing it was going to happen...and here it is december 24th. advent calendar is safely tucked away in its original box.

i thought it might be fun to let you in on the evolution of our santa pictures because...well, just because.

the first year: josiah, 8 months old. you may think he looks angry, but don't worry he's not. that's just his relaxed face. and yes, he is busting out of his clothes because he was ginormous. this was probably my favorite santa. he looks the part, was pretty jolly and he actually leaned in - the rest of em just sat stiff as a board.

year two: not as relaxed. i don't remember the exact circumstances, i just remember yelling "take the picture" at the elf. because i was still slightly self-conscious about my parenting and didn't want anyone looking down on me for forcing the screaming kid onto santa's lap. in contrast, this santa looks happy, but i'm pretty sure he's not. i'm pretty sure he's part of a biker gang. check out the boots and the tinted glasses. i think my claim has merit. (side note: once again, jojo is busting out of his clothes).

year three: throw 6 month old allie into the picture. this is my favorite one and probably always will be. there's just so much going on. different santa and this year there's the added element of mrs. claus. josiah was hesitant again (hello?! biker santa, anyone?) and she was certain she'd be able to calm him down enough to sit on her lap. was she ever wrong. he got even more hysterical. i'm not sure what the elf was thinking when she took his picture (maybe she was under pressure with me screaming in her ear "just take the picture"), but mrs. claus was clearly not ready. when she saw this one printed, she actually signed the back and told us we could come and get a re-take anytime. and please not to ever show anyone this picture. sorry...i had my fingers crossed. we never went back for a retake...we're just that sick.

year four: we approached the fron of the line. things were going well. kids were enamored with the christmas display and the grinch playing on a nearby tv. and then we turned toward his throne. and it started happening again. but this time it was two of them! because allie had learned to copy everything her brother did and if he sensed fear, she screamed. and so, realizing we were getting to the age where they actually start remembering traumatic experiences in their lives, we gave up. simon alone would just have to do. and now, being the excellent parents we are, we can look back on this year and remind them of how they wrecked christmas. i am totally kidding, er, mostly kidding.

which brings us to this year. kids are 4, 2 and 1. i was expecting at least one, if not all, to be freaked. again with the christmas display and the grinch and again with the whining and clinging, but i was determined this year people. it's tradition now. and you don't mess with sharalee's tradition! it was time to improvise. and so, our latest and greatest family picture is revealed. i don't know if you notice this year's santa leaning a bit as well, but i don't think it was intentional. he was looking pretty out of it when we approached and cliff said "how's it going today, santa?" "well", santa says, "the air in the mall really seems to be getting to me today". um...

merry christmas everyone...i'm going to take time tomorrow to rest, watch a christmas movie, open stockings and soak in my delighted children, listening to allie's gasp of wonder at all the lights ("they're ewywhere"), watching josiah's maturity and silliness collide (standing in his boxer briefs making muscles in the bathroom mirror) and coaxing little simon to walk (he took his first steps tonight...aaaaah!!!). i'm also going to dwell in my redeemer's love, knowing that he came to live and die...all to save me. and you. i am blessed.

cincinnati

2010-12-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

some of you are still wondering...why ohio? in december? well, here's why.

over the rhine is unique in that they've been around for 20+ years and aren't hugely famous, but they do have a fiercely loyal fan base. once a fan, always a fan. i first heard them in my freshman year of high school when we lived in wheaton, illinois and never turned back. that was 17 years ago (ouch. just seriously aged myself).

case in point: when they were looking to put out a record and hoping to release it independently, they went to their fans asking for help. and people responded like crazy. and they weren't only asking for cash up front, they were offering gifts in return. ours happened to be tickets to their three shows in cincinnati.

friday morning: arrive. wasted. we had left vancouver 18 hours earlier. hit the shower and go for a walk to find me a winter coat. pathetic attempt at a self portrait.

friday night. exclusive show for donors (that's us!). small theatre playing new, unreleased album (the long surrender), start to finish. so good. this was my favorite show musically because i hadn't heard the album yet and everything was so new and fresh and beautiful. moving. to say the least.

saturday day. trip across the border into kentucky to see newport and mainstrasse village in covington. check out my facebook album to see the amazing mural we found!

laughed our way through an amazing lunch at fatty patty's reading all their far side comics.

saturday night. 15th(?) annual homecoming show. taft theatre. hundreds of people. more of their new album (this video is from that night...we were in the fifth row) and a few christmas songs. there was a buzz in the air. and we made some new friends!

sunday morning: headed into the district of "over-the-rhine" from whence the band name came. cool buildings and a sweet consignment store.

sunday afternoon: "soiree". the closing of over the rhine's year. belgian waffles (like nothing i've ever tasted before), freshly made vanilla lattes, wine, cheese, pitas and hummus, old cathedral, relaxed atmosphere, more oldies, chatting, dancing...so warm and unique.

did i mention we spent a lot of time in airports? four airports on the way there and three on the way back - including a missed flight, a canceled flight and lost baggage. and so i implore you...never fly delta airlines!!

in spite of all this, it was such a lovely weekend. the "once in a lifetime" kind of lovely. one i won't soon forget. got three dates out with my husband, had three reasons to dress up nice, read a great book from cover to cover, slept through an entire night for the first time in over a year...merry christmas to me! and to you. but don't worry, i'm not signing off for this year quite yet. i've still got a coupe doozey family pictures waiting for you faithful readers!

how we love thee, self timer

2010-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

day 28. eastern oregon. family parkour session at a roadside rest stop. ever seen "the office" parkour episode? watch it now.

my husband

2010-12-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

is the best husband. for me, at least.

for my birthday, which was in may, he surprised me with tickets to see my favorite band. like, "i've been listening to them ever since i was 14" favorite. and not just anywhere, but in their hometown of cincinnati, ohio. and not just one concert, but three. including an exclusive "soiree" on sunday with an acoustic set and a chance to mingle with the musicians.

can i get a what what?

so this weekend, me and my main squeeze are dashing away on a romantic pre-christmas trip, full of snow, sleep and music. so much good(maybe the best) music. did i mention our trip will also be filled with airports? we booked it on points, so i think it's going to take us as long to get to ohio as it would to get to india. but who cares? all the more time to read, sleep, wander, people watch...because did i mention we're not bringing the kids? mmhmm.

need another reason my husband is the best?

he's super talented. and yes, i'm about to shamelessly promote him. what good is a blog if you can't put in a plug for family now and then?! he just started his own business called cliff house productions. he's a performer, speaker, comedian, personal chef (if you like mac & cheese or peanut butter sandwiches), juggler (of a maximum of three balls)...jack of all trades. hire him for your staff party, church banquet, school assembly, wedding reception...he pretty much does it all. he also makes a fairly convincing santa. i'm not kidding. e-mail him...or me. and i'll pass it on. because we live together. because he's my husband.

he's producing his own variety show on april fools day in abbotsford, so stay tuned for more details...he might even spare a few tickets for me to give away!

p.s. here's another of our road trip family pictures for your viewing pleasure. lake superior. it would have been almost perfect, were it not for that amazing husband i've been raving about. best. face. ever.

young love

2010-12-12T19:39:00.000-08:00

so, i'm not really into baby talk. you know, when people make their voices all high and start using non-words and strange sounds to communicate to young children? but every once in awhile, i catch myself. like today, when i couldn't help from saying, "awww. you guys are so cute" (in a super patronizing strangely high pitched voice). but it was completely genuine because as you can see...

...there guys are SOOOO cute. and young. i had to shake my head a couple times and remind myself that cliff and i were engaged when i was 19 too. so insane. and so long ago.

thanks for traipsing around in a stranger's field with me and special thanks to the stranger for "letting" us traipse said field. can't wait for the wedding!

this sounds like a "last post of the year", but it's not.

2010-12-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

some of you have asked about the name change. i recently updated my blog header and for all you super astute people out there, you noticed that it now says "sharalee prang photography" instead of "images of life".

when i first started out, i wanted to come up with a name for my business that really reflected what i did. and i believe images of life was just that. there's so much summed up in those three words...pictures, love, creation, memories, nature...it's all about what i love to do - to capture people in their most comfortable place, a place that's fun and filled with people they love and exudes LIFE. to draw out real emotions and create art out of them.

as i have evolved and grown and looked to build over the last few years, i've come to a place where i realize it's more than what i do that matters, it's who i am. for some of you that may sound like a silly/cheesy/late bloomer type revelation, but that's okay. i want to be someone who is authentic, who people trust and who actually has my priorities straight! a lovely woman and amazing photographer named natalie once told me, "there is only one you". and as cliche as that may sound, it's true! i can't be duplicated. i am a unique creation of an all knowing God who made me to be totally different than any other creation on this planet. he's given me gifts and asked me to share them with others. he's enabled me to love and to create, which is such a sweet deal!

SO, i figured my name needed to reflect those things. and there is no name that can actually wholly represent me other than my own. plus, it's way easier to just introduce myself than have to say (in a snooty nasal voice) "i'm sharalee. of images of life photography. as if you don't know me."

"why the personal reveal?' you may ask. well, when i'm taking pictures my clients are in a somewhat vulnerable position and i expect them to open up to me, so the least i can do is return the favor.

i'm also so so so so excited to announce that i'm finally working on an honest to goodness, real life website! well, I'M not working on it, but the talented joe malleck of malleck design co. is. i got to take his family pictures last month and am so glad he's been willing to take on this project. i can't even tell you...i'm really excited. a dear friend of mine has done a beautiful illustration for me which i'm building the site around. it's going to be ready sometime early next year, so stay tuned!

to those who have hired me: you've not only inspired me, you've actually helped put food on my table, so for that i am forever indebted to you! for those of you that are interested in working with me: i can't wait to meet you! one of the best parts of my job is all the amazing people that i get to hang out with that i may never cross paths with were it not for this crazy business. and to all who just read because, like staring at a car wreck, you just can't help yourselves: welcome! i love hearing from you and truly hope that your time spent here is more than a way to procrastinate doing papers or housework (though i fully endorse both those things). thank you for your support - i'm excited for this next leg of the journey!

p.s. this is not my last post of the year. i'm just feeling nostalgic and hopeful all at the same time and couldn't help but verbally explode all over the blog. apologies to anyone caught in the crossfire.)
p.p.s. we had planned to put out a christmas card this year with all the freakin bizarro family pictures we took on our trip across canada, but here we are at december 10th and no such card has been made or sent, so i'm going to treat you to one of my favorites. southern alberta bible camp. day 4-ish? clearly, 4 days together in a motorhome has already driven us mad. completely batty.

p.p.s. if you are not already familiar with natalie norton, go now. familiarize yourself. i seriously learned (and continue to learn) so much from this woman not only about the photography business, but about how to live. if you have a chance, go to her envision workshop. fly, drive, train, bus...get there. seriously.

tired.

2010-12-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

i'm short on words this evening, folks. so why don't we just let the pictures speak for themselves.

we may have had a little scene stealer on our hands. i was lucky enough to take his baby pictures two years ago and he must have remembered what a good rapport we had because he was SO excited to perform for me.

and one last announcement...the winner of the dolcetto designs contest is joanne haidle! i have a feeling their sweet little peanut who i photographed in the spring is going to be centre stage on their card...

run for my money

2010-12-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

this little guy made me work. which is good! because i'm not working out regularly right now and every once in awhile a girl needs a good sweat.

he is so cute. which is also good because i knew if i was patient enough to wait him out i was going to get great smiles. and i did. for about 5 minutes. in all fairness, it was freezing cold outside, the biting windy kind of cold that when you're sitting inside by your fireplace looks beautiful, but when you're climbing the icy paths of discovery trail with nearly frostbitten fingers, is not quite as quaint. and there were injuries. slips and blackberry bushes and splinters.

so all in all, he was amazing. and i like tough cookies because it makes it all the more rewarding when they crack. even for a moment.

i'm just sad that it was so cold, i couldn't even get a picture of jen's sweet baby bump because she didn't dare take her coat off!

mr. e

2010-12-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

as i mentioned in my last post, we have a new baby in our house! thank the lord i wasn't the one to deliver it this time. he was born early monday morning (the date i picked in our house baby pool) and was home by that night, two weary parents in tow.

there are always lots of hands ready to hold him...though i might think twice next time as he promptly peed all over my shirt when i picked him up today. somehow it was actually endearing and i wouldn't hesitate to snuggle him again, even if it resulted in me having to take another mid-day shower.

the way it works.

2010-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

this is my office.

for those of you who don't know, our family lives in a very small corner of a very large house. we are part of a community made up of 12 adults and 4 children (the newest addition is only 3 days old!). we love our house and we love our housemates, but sharing life and space does present some challenges. one being: where do we fit everything/everyone?

i thought some of you might be interested in getting a little glimpse behind closed doors to see what the glamorous life of sharalee prang is all about. for those of you who are not interested, simply close this window, take a deep breath and be glad the next few minutes of your life were not wasted away hearing me talk about dirty diapers and lack of sleep. but for the rest of you sickos, here we go.

i figured this picture needed a legend to give you a broader view of what's all goin down here.

1. the sink. where i mixed simon's bottle at 4:30 this morning. where i wash my coffee mugs. where the warm sudsy water sits for a day until it is no longer warm nor sudsy and i have to reach my hand in and pull the plug out.

2. where all my little papers and discs and business cards and random odds and ends that a pack rat such as i will be stored. maybe an envelope with your name and a stamp on it will sit there someday soon.

3. my desk. it has not been ideal, but it certainly has served it's purpose. the top flips down and there are some nifty compartments inside, all of which are currently empty (thanks to my amazing husband who just moved this in for me and gave me a great reason to organize). behind that door also sits my precious camera. so if you ever break in, you know where to go first.

4. my 10 year old $10 ikea plastic chair (all the chiropractors around the world unite in a collective scream). it is far from ergonomically correct. my physiotherapist and my carpel tunnel can attest to that. though, hanging on the back is a cute sweater i just got at the last clothing swap i had with my girls (holla ladies!).

5. my daughter's doll high chair. i suppose i could have cleaned up before i took this picture. but that just wouldn't have been an honest representation.

6. the beautiful african print my husband bought for me in san francisco when i was pregnant with our first child.

7. the chair i rocked simon to sleep in at 4:30 this morning when the aforementioned bottle didn't work.

8. the doll bed full of the kids dress up clothes. at last check, it housed dragon, zebra, monkey and giraffe costumes, as well as a mexican wrestling mask and "princess" shin pads.

9. our bedroom. when i'm working at night, cliff is close enough to hear me snickering at my sister's blog posts, but far enough that he can actually still fall asleep with the door open.

10. my beloved mac. i don't want to hear from no haters out there.

11. cliff's laptop. isn't that romantic? he lets me use the chair.

12. the room our three children (ages 4, 2 and 1) share. when i'm working at night, i'm close enough to hear allie singing "the lion sleeps tonight" and she's close enough to hear me say, "SHHHH. your brothers are trying to sleep!"

13. a print from the amazingly talented jennifer judd-mcgee. i just found out she's having a sale at her etsy shop, so i'm going shopping for next year's wedding gifts!

so now when you get an e-mail from me at an ungodly hour or you call and hear screaming in the background, you have a little context. and if you have any suggestions for ways i could better use/beautify that space, please let me know!!

picture yourself

2010-11-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

can you picture yourself on this christmas card?

how about this one?

well, stop picturing yourself and make a comment on the blog to win a free design with YOU in it! the lovely shari from dolcetto designs is offering a free digital design ($18 value) to the winner of this contest. basically, that means you submit photos and the content you'd like to include and she works her magic and voila!

she will e-mail you the design and you can make as many copies as you like. she has over 100 different christmas card design options on her website, so there's no doubt you will find one you love. probably more than one! don't they look great? if you're saying to yourself, "aw man, i don't have any pictures to put in a card like this", why don't you give me a call? if you win this and don't have pictures, i will guarantee a session spot for you before christmas so you have these in time to give to all of your loved ones. or you could save it for the new year and have birth announcements or thank you cards made...the options are endless!

so leave a comment here and if you want an extra entry, go and "like" dolcetto designs facebook page and then come back here to tell me you did it! if you haven't become a fan of my facebook page yet, do that and i'll give you another entry as well. you have until midnight pst on friday to enter. happy winning!

drum roll please...

2010-11-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

okay, the moment you've all been waiting for...the winners of the contests!

now i know there's fancy on-line software that can run these kinds of contests for you, but how much more fun is it to actually draw OUT OF A HAT! infinitely more fun, i tell you. especially when you have an assistant as cute as mine.

as you can see, this method is totally unbiased. the winners are...

the set of 3 frames:

and the 50% off photo session:

congratulations, ladies! I'll be in touch. for all you vintage frame lovers out there that didn't win this time around, adrienne has more to sell. she could even turn them into chalkboards like she did with this one...which i already bought from her :) be sure to follow her blog as she's in the midst of a "30 day blogging spree" and she's showing new projects everyday.

and because i'm in the spirit of giving, anyone who commented on my "100" blog post and didn't win the 50% off is eligible for 10% off a booking if you set up an appointment with me in the next two weeks.

one last thing...stay tuned for a new contest this week starting tomorrow...it's perfect timing if you still haven't made your christmas card...(hint, hint).

new little

2010-11-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

meet kenneth. he's the newest addition to our wild & crazy & ever increasingly large family. i don't think he knows what he's getting into yet because he is so relaxed. i got to take him on his "first since leaving the hospital" car trip and i must say that being a newborn's chauffeur in heavy snow is quite the responsibility. he is the perfect gentleman, though, only cracking his eyes open for a few brief seconds to let mama know it's time to eat or when big brother decided to use his head as a car racing surface.

welcome to the family, little man. we're so glad to have you.

sorry!

2010-11-27T16:38:00.000-08:00

i know some of you have been waiting, but we just had to get all of our ducks in a row before we made the big reveal for the latest giveaway!

meet my incredible friend, adrienne.

her creativity and eye for design is so inspiring. we've gotten to know each other over the past year and i just LOVE her family.

she has also started her own business doing something she loves and is very gifted at. she has so graciously agreed to give away three vintage frames that she re-finished this week! i think they would be an amazing compliment to any home, whether it's framing sweet prints for your child's room or featuring the family pictures i took of you (hint hint) on your living room wall. they would also make amazing gifts!

to enter: all you gotta do is leave a comment here. want an extra entry? go to adrienne's blog and leave a comment there too. the best part? you don't even have to live in the lower mainland to win. we'll ship!! contest ends tomorrow, sunday the 28th at midnight pst. good luck! (i'm kind of sad i'm disqualified because i'd like to win these). i'll also be drawing for a 50% off portrait session tomorrow night, so leave a comment on my "100"post to win that too!

little/big boy

2010-11-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

my little/big boy had a hard day today. it had a promising beginning with a breathy "oh wow" as he walked into the kitchen for breakfast and saw the winter wonderland outside. unfortunately, it deteriorated into lots of whining and screaming as we tried to dress them to actually play in the snow and went further down the drain as he continually harassed his little sister to the point of repeated wailing and tears (she may be a little dramatic).

so after all the stern "talking tos", scoldings and time outs i came to the realization (after he was in bed, of course) that in spite of all this, rather THROUGH all this, i love this little/big boy. how can you not love the hint of bum crack peaking above the edge of the santa robot pjs he wore all day? and the squinty eyed prayer for dinner that takes five minutes to complete as he thanks God for every person in the room along with a complete listing of ingredients used in our dinner and "the good day we had today"? and the parade he lead through the house of he and allie banging on old christmas cookie tins pretending they were bass drums (i may or may not have joined in for a few rounds on the mouth trumpet)?

oh, i'm so blessed that this little/big boy is mine.

p.s. he's starting to take after his mama...

tough.

2010-11-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

these two are hardcore. it just may have been the coldest day we've had yet (and i know cold is relative depending on where you live, but it was COLD, people). i scouted a site and called them half an hour before the session. i think if i had given them the opportunity to back out, they would have. but i didn't, so they were in. and i'm so glad they didn't leave me hanging. because if they didn't, we never would have gotten these:

cold meant lots of snuggling. i love getting pictures of expectant couples because the love is flowing. it seems like love gets kicked up a notch when there's a baby on the way that you know you had a part in making. so sometimes it's fun to not focus on the belly for a second and just zoom in on the love.

friday is going to be an amazing giveaway featuring the talents of my friend, adrienne, from adrienne-marie designs. she takes vintage furniture pieces (some that you would see in the thrift store and not even blink an eye at) and makes them incredible. come back friday to win!

100

2010-11-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

happy 100th blog post everyone!!

i know for people that have been blogging since the beginning of time, this is not a very significant milestone. but it is for me. i've never been a very faithful journaller, so actually churning out 100 posts is a pretty big accomplishment. it's also an indication that i have been working, which is so great! i love what i do, i love my clients and i love being able to share these lovely people with all of you. i also love giving you a glimpse into the family that i adore, though i need to assure you that if you have been lead to believe that our life together is a glamorous one i am sorry. it is not. but it's real!

to celebrate this momentous occasion, i'm giving things away!!! this will include free albums for new sessions booked, gifts exclusively for past clients and future ones as well as a contribution from some of my super amazingly talented friends who have agreed to partner with me. so check back daily to see what the new offer is!

i'm going to kick it off with this post...i will be doing a random draw of all the comments left on this post for 50% off an hour session in 2011. that's $100 in savings! so tell your friends. and neighbors. and people you pass on the street. if you want to gain an extra entry, leave a comment, then go and join my facebook group, then come back leaving another comment telling me you did that!

and i changed my header...because i'm shaking things up around here, people! get ready.

no post is truly complete without a picture, so here you are. my two day old nephew. beautiful as beautiful can be. he's coming over for a full session later this week, so stay tuned for more pictures!

honored.

2010-11-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

i'm always blown away when other photographers compliment and admire my work. it's especially cool when i'm an admirer of their work too. stacey malleck contacted me about taking their family pictures and i was so flattered. she's got a good eye and great style and a sweet family, so of course i jumped at the opportunity.

it's always a little nerve wracking taking pictures of another photographer, but it's also nerve wracking being a photographer and having your picture taken, so i'm not sure which one of us was more uncomfortable! but being who i am, i just made a few inappropriate comments and everyone relaxed right away.

the kids were so desperate to play in the puddles, so after we got a few pictures of the family, we freed them. and they didn't disappoint. you can always spot a photographer's children...they're the ones that don't care when the camera comes out. they don't even give you the time of day. they just go about their business. which happened to be getting filthy dirty in this case.

did i mention stacey is a photographer? well she is. you can find her here. and here. she wanted a few pictures of her with her camera that she could use for promotional purposes, so while she channeled tyra, i did my best annie leibovitz impersonation and i think we came up with some really cute pictures. because stacey is really cute.

side note: the people of blueberry junction were so generous to let us use their property and feature the incredible fall colors of the blueberry bushes. even though the season is over, you can still order amazing organic frozen berries from them here. each of their bushes are hand trimmed to help produce extra large berries!

perfect.

2010-11-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

pretty much describes this family.

their love for one another is so evident, they enjoy and celebrate life together and with others and those girls...know how to pose. i had such a hard time getting candid shots of them because every time they saw me looking their way, they struck it. vogue.

do not get me wrong. this family has struggles and life has not been easy. not by a long shot. they have come through so much and i'm sure will go through more, but i think that's what makes their love so sweet. knowing that each day is a gift and choosing to live it fully.

so i say to the richmond family: you were worried i might not be interested in accepting what could have been seen as a challenging session. watching your girls' joy as the birds circled overhead, seeing andrew's patience and tenderness and willingness to engage his sisters, knowing your trials and seeing a window into the amazing perspective you have...it was easy. maybe one of the easiest families i have ever photographed. i hope you are as blessed by these pictures as i was by our time together.

neighbors

2010-11-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

we used to live across the street from these guys. when we first went to look at renting this particular house, we were standing outside with the landlord when we heard yelling from the road and a woman with a hat on running wildly toward us waving her arms. we were taken aback and thought surely this incident would deter them from letting us have the place, until we realized it was andrea and she was actually trying to tell the landlord (who turned out to be her good friend) that we were nice people and they should rent to us.

we have lots of fun memories, my favorite being the time they were sitting in their living room for a quiet evening and their eyes were drawn across the street to our front window (you know how when it's dark out and you have lights on and people can see inside your house, but you can't really see out?). well, cliff was getting ready for a youth event which involved him dressing up as a caterpillar wearing one of those tent-like tubes kids crawl through over his body and a pair of allie's green tights that i had stuffed with socks over his head. yeah, they had a good laugh.

we miss backyard bbqs and impromptu driveway parties!

we had a good time. i think they laughed more at me than they did with me, but hey, i can take it. it's all part of the job. this little lady was a little shy at first, but once i got her talking about her minnie mouse halloween costume, she was all smiles.

oh hey, gorgeous.

and this guy...does he not look like a full out teenager to you? complete with skinny jeans. goodness gracious.

and what to say about the littlest of them all? his face was like zero to sixty in two seconds flat. so fun. and when we started playing in the leaves? hysterical.

and just so you know, when cliff looked at the family pictures, he said "they're cute. and you can tell scott i said that". not sure how you feel about that, especially after the whole caterpillar incident, but i think you should take it as a compliment. love you guys!

the whole clan

2010-11-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

what a blast. when you get this whole family together, it is quite the party. the kids fully outnumber the adults and all the children are under the age of 8. so yeah. you get the picture.

you may or may not be able to tell, but in the above picture, nana is sitting in the wheelbarrow. nana walks on the wild side and i was a little worried we might have to call in the paramedics when she started giving wheelbarrow rides.

but let me tell you, this woman is fit! she rocked it like no other nana i've seen. and still looked beautiful for the rest of the pictures.

we even managed to get all the grandkids to sit! on a bench. together. for several minutes. amazing.

and check out this hot couple. love, love love. all over their faces. so good.

cool.

2010-11-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

this may the coolest family i know. cancel that. this is the coolest family i know. don't you wish you knew them? i know them. they had us over for crab. and football. told you...cool.

and what do cool kids do once the "formal" part of the session is over? they play in the ditch. i told you. cool.

i heart faces

2010-11-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

date with my hubby, hanging out on jericho beach, outside the folk festival, air thick with...smoke, watching the sunset. mmhmm.

gav gav

2010-11-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

oh my. this little man was the last of three one month old babies i photographed in five days. and what a finale he was.

practically perfect in every way? i think so.

beautiful baby = beautiful mama. seriously.

not only is she gorgeous, but she's super talented! her kids rooms look like they're straight out of a magazine. the details are amazing.

and no post would be complete without the big sister. i was lucky enough to get to read with her while mama was feeding gavin and we had some fun girl talk.

i have to end off with the real star of the session though, can't get over the poochy lips!! sleep tight, mr.

the brauns

2010-11-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

we met pat & henry through our care group at church. we've walked with each other through some difficult times and i deeply respect them and love their family. it was a treat to be invited to take their pictures, even if they did give me a bit of a hard time about my background choices... :)

oh miss evy. i could have done a whole post of just you and your trampoline and your cute shoes...

...but you also have a very cute little brother that wouldn't be happy to be left out.

and how cute are these two...do you believe they're grandparents? well, they are, but they're still pretty hot to trot. left them alone for a minute and found them smooching!

jed

2010-11-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

this is my cousin and her baby boy. you may remember her glowing face from her maternity pictures a couple of months back.
this little man took his time entering the world and seems to be happy to have everyone around him continue to adjust to his schedule. a baby's life is a good life, i tell you. he is a sweet boy and loves to be held and cuddled and kept warm. he also liked me, which is an extra bonus.

the people in your neighborhood

2010-11-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

oh, who are the people in your neighborhood? they're the people that you meet when you're walking down the street, they're the people that you meet each day:

ron goerz is a business coach and coach trainer with experience guiding business owners and CEOs of both small businesses and well established companies.

paul carman is your friendly neighborhood mortgage broker and is so excited to help walk people through the buying of a new home as well as other important financial decisions.

kevin boese is an outstanding musician and a good friend. he's in the process of recording an album and i'm so excited to hear his new songs!

if you need pictures of yourself or employees, are looking to update your businesses website or trying to get into the film industry, contact me for a head shot booking.

**november special: $125 for a 1/2 hour session and 10-15 edited images. contact me for available dates**

o.c.

2010-11-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

meet oren. he belongs outside.

in hebrew, his name means tree and he was right at home amongst them. that is until he thought we had left him alone...then he got a little ticked.

these are some of the most loving and tender parents. i loved watching them interact with their little boy...jessica was so gentle and brian already has all sorts of endearing nicknames for him. they are also incredibly relaxed for first time parents! they were pumped to bring him outside and totally willing to try anything, including putting him in the forest and on the bare ground in a pile of leaves. it sure made my job fun and made for some cute pictures!

i'm pretty sure when he grows up he's going to be a logger...or an environmentalist...or a gnome.

i can't choose

2010-11-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

i seriously can't choose. there are too many good ones. these guys made it almost impossible to take bad pictures of them. i tried, but alas...

this is love, if i've ever seen it.

i've heard people say "those two are so in love" and of course they are - they're engaged. and then i did their pictures and i was saying "those two are ridiculously in love". like uncomfortably so at times. i felt like maybe i should just take a walk an come back in an hour. i didn't really need to tell them what to do because they just looked at each other and the sparks flew. i could seriously hardly get them to look at me.

now let's take a minute to highlight amber's hair. amazing.

bonner's kinda cute too.

seen an incredible engagement ring lately? BAM.

now you have. this belonged to bonner's mom...it was her engagement ring. his parents recently got new rings for each other on their anniversary. she came to visit and gave it to him and said "propose already, would you?" (that's my paraphrase). and he did. and she said yes.

i guess amber's mom made her promise she wouldn't make a bunch of goofy faces in her engagement pictures because apparently she's "known for that". sorry bev, she just couldn't help herself.

i made sure she smartened up...at least for a few.

bonner got a little old school and carved their initials in a tree. aside from a few foul looks from passers-by, i think it was pretty romantic.

i seriously had so much fun with you two - i'm secretly hoping you're going to ask me to join your band after witnessing my wicked awesome finger-snapping techniques. no? i understand. that's okay. i'll just try to stick with what i know best. see you at your wedding!!

i told you i couldn't choose.

2010-11-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

okay. this is self indulgence at its best/worst? amber messaged me to tell me how happy they were with the pictures i posted and asked if there were more to see. oh honey, you have no idea. there are SO MANY more. and because you live far away and i actually have to mail you the disc which means you won't get to see them for awhile and because you are so freaking cute:

I WILL GIVE YOU MORE! just because i can. and i want to.

girls will be girls.

2010-11-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

we just got to meet our niece, sierra, on her first birthday a few weeks ago and she is a character! she and simon fed off of each other like you wouldn't believe. she taught him how to clap and he taught her to headbang. seeing as gwendy is a child of the eighties, I figured she's appreciate getting her daughter started early.

gwendy is cliff's older sister and when they get together, it's trouble. i've never heard so much giggling in my life. the stories of cliff's brattiness as a child and the epic beatings gwen doled out are classic. it's so fun to see her as a mom now...she may have softened up through motherhood, but i think she's still one tough chic.

seeing these two ladies together is magic...nothing quite like the mama/baby love.

and on an even more personal note, my baby is one today! happy birthday, little monkey.

day 29 = home

2010-11-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

we figured the grand finale should include sisters. and cousins. we got to stay the night in portland, which the kids had been looking forward to for days. "augie-manny's house!!!" allie would scream (she still hasn't figured out that they're two different people...or maybe she just thinks that both of their names are augie-manny).

my kids also LOVE auntie missa/untle paw cuddles.

it was so nice to be in the pacific northwest again. the damp air, the ginormous trees and the mountains...oh, the mountains. we have experienced a lot of natural beauty on this trip, but nothing beats home.

we got to see my crazy cute and prego sister leslie and her husband josh for an hour too.

one of the things i've learned from our time on the road is that i am NOT a landscape photographer. or at least not a very good one. i have so much to learn. every time i saw something incredibly beautiful and tried to capture it, i failed. all i could think about was how much fun it would be to photograph a person in front of it. any models want to come along on our next road trip?

i have also been reminded how much i LOVE my family. my kids were amazing. so much fun. and my husband is the best. ever.

and as much fun as it is to be gone, it's so nice to be warmly welcomed back again.

a few stats from our trip:

5 walmart parking lots

12 states

5 provinces

3 pacifiers lost

10 boxes mac and cheese

1 bloody lip

10 medications/natural remedies tried

2 murderous thoughts toward a snowplower (well, it was one murderous thought from each cliff and i toward the same man)

11,000 kilometres traveled

4 great lakes seen (sorry erie...can we count the great salt lake?)

2 flipped semis and 1 semi-load of potato salad spilled all over the interstate

6 hot dogs consumed by a single person in one sitting (that was not me. or the children)

3 ontarios driven through (the province and the towns in new york and idaho)

2 ridiculous church signs ("worry is like a rocking chair. it keeps you busy, but gets you nowhere" and my personal favorite "the only ghost in here is holy". seriously people, who thinks these things up? and then who has the time to sit on their computer and look them up on-line? and then actually have the audacity to use them? bored senior pastors, that's who.)

INNUMERABLE incredible sights and friends visited. thank you to everyone who hosted us, filled our bellies, played with our kids, made us coffee, prayed for us and opened your doors to these weary travellers. it was so rich.

now back to work - i have so much catching up to do!!

day 27 and 28

2010-10-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

utah, nevada, idaho and oregon. amazing. the drastic changes in terrain were astounding. prairies, canyons, mountains, rolling hills, snow, rain, blinding sun...the whole bit. by the way, idaho is way nicer than it gets credit for. just for the record.

allie really wanted to make sure she got a close up of all of it.

and more history. baker city, oregon.

any trip to the midwest would not be complete without a trip to cracker barrel. which is like abc restaurant...on crack. we also continued our tradition of keeping the kids occupied by making cutlery alphabet. all i'm gonna say is that the gift shop sold gaither "promise tea" with a quote from one of their uplifting songs on each teabag.

cliff also put in some time teaching our kids to be parkour specialists. we plan to take our act on the road someday.

day 25 and 26

2010-10-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

um...wha? i guess we should start listening to weather reports.

we woke up to the sound of the crazed snowplow guy careening through the parking lot madly honking at us and pushing a huge pile of snow into the side, causing our rv to rock back and forth. apparently we were parked in the wrong place. oops.

so we have our very first snow! we drove into park city, utah to check out main street. the home of the sundance film festival. it was their first snow of the year, so it was kind of bizarre seeing leaves still on the trees that were in mid-color change. park city has tons of history, so the buildings were all old and beautiful, but the shops were kind of bizarre. super ritzy jewelry store next to shop that sells t-shirts with fart jokes on them. high end leather and knitted goods next to cows ice cream. i could just picture gwyneth paltrow strolling down this street during the festival, ice cream in hand, buying a "may the forest be with you" t-shirt for her daughter apple. oh yeah.

the kids were in heaven, especially josiah. every five seconds he would ask, "is it still winter?" he and cliff spent all afternoon outside making snowmen and having snowball fights.

we stayed at an uber-classy campsite (no rvs older than 10 years allowed) and watched the cowboys/giants game while the kids "played" (i use that word loosely) pacman and a racing game in the mini arcade. usually they got bored halfway through the game and i ended up finishing it for them. it was a good system actually. i dominated pacman. cliff fell deeper in love with me in our early years when we would go to castle fun park and i would kick his butt in the fighting games. when we were first married, we used to stay up until 3am playing "road rash" on the n64 we got as a wedding gift (thank you phil riley).

in the morning, we headed into salt lake city. for any of you who have ever been there, you can testify to how amazing it is as you drive around the bend and the mountains suddenly appear in front of you like one of those two dimensional kids pop-up books. they look fake, to be honest. brigham young had some good taste, people. it's gorgeous.

simon fell asleep, so i took allie into temple square while cliff stayed back with the boys. two lovely ladies, one from korea and one from sweden who are in the us on their mission, toured me through some of the buildings. i got to go into the tabernacle where they gave an acoustics demonstration. they dropped straight pins on the podium and you could hear the "ping" all the way to the back of the room. brigham young had hired a bridge builder to design the building to sound like it does when you're under a bridge. knowing that it was built in the 1800s makes it even more spectacular.

you can't go into the temple, but they have a miniature replica of what the interior looks like. there are also several other buildings on the complex which house interactive exhibits and a detailed history of how mormonism came to be.

further west of salt lake city are the bonneville salt flats. cliff was starting to fall asleep at the wheel, so i got to drive this stretch.

it's where they set land speed records. some guy drove over 600 mph out there. have you ever seen "world's fastest indian" with anthony hopkins? you should. i love anthony hopkins. but i've never seen silence of the lambs, so maybe that's why.

photo op with my boy? yes please.

day 23 and 24

2010-10-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

oh nebraska. the one thing i will say about you is that you're...consistent. which is a good thing...unless you're driving through you. this is the first time we drove into the dark. we kind of felt like we had experienced enough of nebraska's "consistency" and wouldn't miss too much.

after driving past the birthplace of john wayne and buffalo bill's ranch, i figured we had to have at least one true cowboy experience while we were in the wild west.

we found a little town called ogallala where boot hill is. if you know me well, you know of my strange fascination with cemeteries. apparently a bunch of outlaws were buried here…their bodies thrown in a burlap sack with their boots on.

cliff and the kids had fun playing cowboy shooting games. this trip has included a lot of shooting. nerf, wii, sticks, two fingers in the air...not quite sure how i feel about it. but then, i do have two boys so i should probably get used to it.

i'm going to make a bold statement. many of you may think i'm crazy. you need to know that this is only my opinion and not necessarily fact. here goes: wyoming may be the most breathtaking place we've seen on this whole trip up until now. well, southeastern wyoming (southwestern wyoming was not so inviting). i think the thing that was so shocking about its beauty was how unexpected it was. dead flat prairies to rock formations rising from red dirt and the sky...the sky was so big. the bigness of the sky hit me the most these days, even more than the canadian prairies. and something about this area just made me want to sing "home on the range". or "country roads". i listened to country music on the radio voluntarily (no an alien hadn't taken over my body) because it just felt necessary, and it wasn't all bad. kind of bad, but not all.

i didn't take many pictures because i drove a lot these days, but i sure did get a lot of snuggling in. my allie girl has been incredibly affectionate and i've been soaking it up. we don't get a ton of one-on-one time together, so this has been pretty sweet. love you, baby.

day 22

2010-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

after driving through wheaton and visiting my old stomping grounds (have you ever been somewhere that you haven't been to since you got your drivers license? it's kind of hard to remember how to get around), we set out for iowa. apparently the iowans have a new subtle abstinence campaign/chastity belt promotion. i think it's quite effective.

i had been on-line looking up "things to do on the I-80" since i knew we were going to be driving on it for several days and i found the amana colonies. i didn't really know much about it, but it said it was a historic village and you know how i love history…

we found an rv park and got into our first "trailer trash" confrontation (we like to call ourselves that these days). when the guy showed us to our site, there was a pile of wood lying next to it which he said we were welcome to. so cliff and josiah set to make a fire. an hour later, the fellow parked in the site next to us pulls up in his truck, goes to his trailer and nonchalantly says over his shoulder "how's my wood burnin for ya?". oops. not happy. and he certainly wasn't interested in our apologies or our offer to get him more. by the end of our stay we had made amends, but only after he went to complain to the staff and they sent the guy over to apologize to both of us for his error. we'll be sure not to make that mistake again.

the next morning, we toured the area and discovered its rich history.

some persecuted christians had moved over from germany in the 1800s and settled near the iowa river. they established these seven colonies and lived communally, sharing everything. no one received a wage and they were all assigned jobs by the governing council. meals were served at communal kitchens and no one had to pay for any service the town offered.

it is definitely modernized (as was evidenced by the woman who came out onto her porch in sweats to make a cell phone call and smoke a cigarette...oh, and the bacon lip balm)

and has been morphed into a popular iowan tourist destination, but it still made me stop and consider what we could learn from the simplicity of their everyday lives and faith.

p.s. this was something else we found on the "I-80 attractions" list...not quite as historic maybe, but mildly entertaining. especially one of the three gift shops which sported a rack of christian books/music next to the dirty bumper stickers.

day 21

2010-10-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

i forgot to mention that last night cliff and i giggled/gagged as we gave each other the "garlic oil in the ear" home treatment our sisters suggested to fend off ear infections. little did we know, we were going to be tasting it/smelling like the olive garden for a good 48 hours after. good thing we weren't going to be seeing anyone we knew. oh wait…

after a quick morning round of mini-golf we hit the road. we had been inspired by a sign we saw on the highway

and figured we better start indoctrinating our children young.

we were going to drive in three states today. does anyone else have an unspoken affection for gary, indiana like i do? as i saw the signs, i couldn't help but hum the tune. thank you music man. what i didn't know, was that the townspeople had been right. apparently, trouble with a capital t and that rhymes with p and that stands for pool was not so far off. pool halls must have been the beginning of a serious slip into debauchery because as we drove through, the signage was covered with half-naked women. according to the billboards, gary indiana is now a den of sin. mennonite kids beware - your parents might be right about what dancing will lead to.

thankfully, we didn't have to stop and we chugged right on through to the location i was possibly most giddy about: chicago. when i was in high school, my dad moved our family to wheaton, illinois to finish his masters in communications. i was so bitter. at the time, i had no idea it was going to be the best year of my high school career. so you can imagine how bitter i was when he moved us back to chilliwack again for tenth grade (sorry dad)! all this to say, i've wanted to come back for awhile. i don't really know the city well, but i just remember loving it.

we parked right downtown (yay cliff) and just walked. and walked. and walked.

our kids were troopers. there was some whining and a near "peeing in pants" episode (that was me), but they were so good.

sidenote: this is what rich white people do when they go to chicago.

i love the architecture in this city.

and the people were so generous and surprisingly kind (unlike another state which shall remain unnamed but rhymes with "spew pork"). it was dark and i was freezing and simon was screaming and the street was deserted and i was trying to feed the meter and i heard a voice from behind me say "it only takes quarters, ma'am. or those dollar coins. or a credit card, if you have one". the nice man sleeping on the bench, trying to keep warm got up to help me. thanks again sir…sorry i didn't have more to give you.

after we ate our pizza (we were in chicago - it's a must), we drove out to the suburbs to visit some friends in the wheaton area. it's kind of a weird thing, to see people that you knew really well in high school…16 years later. i felt kind of silly because it was such a significant time for me, but i know for them i was just the crazy girl from canada with the funny accent whose name was just like the cake maker ("nobody doesn't like….").

all that to say, it was really a lovely visit. i got to meet sean's family and see what an amazing dad he's become and to laugh with dave and to intercessor-ally apologize for wounds of his past (just put some garlic oil on those…i hear it heals everything). on top of that, josiah has another new best friend in logan. thanks for a fun trip down memory lane, gentlemen. you're welcome on my side of the border anytime, hey?

day 20

2010-10-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

we spent the night at the kitchener walmart and were pleased that the skateboarders chose not to punch the walls of our rv through the night - that had been a concern.

the parks family treated us to the most delightful breakfast and gave our kids a chance to play with someone else's toys yet again. these guys were SO incredibly generous.

jackson was so sweet..all through dinner he was telling allie "good job" everytime she took a bit of her soup.

and ethan was a cudler. settled right in my lap for storytime.

christy was my roommmate my second year at briercrest and we haven't seen eachother since my wedding eleven years ago! it was so sweet to see her and meet her family. she hasn't changed a bit and i think she's even more gorgeous than he was in college.

crossing the border once again and we were in a distinctively different world. the home of tinted windows, barbed wire and burnt out buildings. welcome to detroit.

it was with pure delight that cliff navigated the freeways...and people here seem to love us and our rv. they were madly waving, but i felt bad for them because it seems many "michiganites" are amputees - they were all missing four fingers on one hand.

we accidentally ended up in downtown ann arbor...lovely city which i'd like to return to someday. go wolverines...?!

we stayed at the mac daddy of all campsites. pool, beach, golf course, train rides, carousel, mini-golf...too bad all of those things were closed. but the people were sure nice!

day 18 & 19

2010-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

more new york driving. did the scenic route by lake ontario and stopped for a picnic at the state park. it was so windy, the seagulls could hover like hummingbirds without flapping as the tide lapped in and they stalked fresh meat.

our kids are sick, as am i...my voice deepens by the day. cliff especially appreciates my barry white/louis armstrong impersonations when i get all husky. i can also fake a pretty good southern preacher.

we came back across the border (were greeted by a tim hortons at the crossing - thank you canada, for taking pride in something) and headed straight to niagara falls.

all i can say is that i kind of giggle that my kids delight much more in running through the aisles of the toy department at walmart late at night (that has become a nightly ritual when we stay there) than looking at one of the wonders of the world, something that most people in their whole lifetime won't even get to experience. i remember visiting niagara falls as a teenager with my family and being a totally grouchy spoilsport (sorry mom). i think the picture of me looked similar to josiah in our family picture there this week. it's good. really good. but i'm going to keep you waiting. you'll have to check back if you want to see it :)

we were met by some "bumpin" friends (i hear that's the new word on the street for awesome) who hosted all of us sickies for the night. good food, ice cream, playing rook until the wee hours...good times.

the next morning, i got to do an engagement shoot for bonner and amber. these guys are hot. straight up. full post to come soon.

did i mention they're all a part of a very menacing biker gang? wouldn't want to run into these three in a dark alley, i tell ya.

day 17

2010-10-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

I LOVE UPSTATE NEW YORK (and if caps makes you feel like i'm yelling, it's because i am).

we crossed over the bridge by 1,000 islands in ontario and i was in awe already.

the border guard seemed to enjoy our children as i held each one up to the window so she could identify their faces. gotta love cute kids for getting across the border. she was so distracted she didn't ask us if we had fruit in our car. not that we did. really.

the drive was beautiful. straight out of a movie. quaint towns, amazing colors, amish girls riding their bikes..you know, the usual.

we stayed the night in oswego...after visiting the divey rv park we had planned on, we opted for the walmart parking lot (yes, it was that divey).

we played in the park as the sun went down and the skyline was amazing. this was a a good day.

i intended on getting a picture of myself in a gangstah pose (because that's what you do when you visit new york), but i didn't. so this picture of a steeple will have to do.

the cousins.

2010-10-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

oh, the cousins!

little ones...

big ones...

animal ones...

we love the cousins.

day thirteen through...i don't even know anymore.

2010-10-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

woke up to the sound of the loon…oh and to allie climbing into our bed at an ungodly hour. pancakes, bacon, canned peaches and hot cocoa for breakfast and we were on the road (not before allie decided to walk into the lake after which we realized she didn't have any clean pants left).

the day was beautiful and aside from a red mustang that cut cliff off which cliff then muttered at/tailed for the rest of the time he was in front of us, it was rather uneventful. the kids and i rocked out to a little "baby beluga" and "men at work" in the back…jojo plays a mean air guitar. seriously. i'm working on my drums and simon is more concerned with headbanging than actually playing an instrument. we'll work on that on the way home.

i know we've said as we traveled that this trip was more about the journey than the destination, but we sure have been looking forward to this destination. we were finally in ottawa! we were greeted by half the family at the end of the driveway and peter gladly got out his chainsaw to clear a path through the trees for our monstrosity of a vehicle.

it was so sweet to see everyone meet simon for the first time and he was SO happy to be out of his carseat.

the next few days involved a fair bit of rest and lots of eating. the timing couldn't have been better as we were all ready to spend time out of the motorhome. cliff's mom spoiled us to high heaven and the kids loved playing with grandpa jerry.

it was so special that grandma sandi was feeling well enough to come and see us twice - simon took to her right away.

some of my best memories of time spent with cliff's family come from playing cards with yoka and jerry. we laugh a lot. not sure if it has to do with the late hour at which we play or the moderate amounts of alcohol that are consumed, but we all think we're pretty funny.

day twelve

2010-10-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

this had to be one of our most scenic days yet. coming out of sault ste marie was breathtaking. i didn't really get any pictures because once again i was trying to keep the peace between the littles. you'll just have to trust me - it was amazing.

proof that we may be the classiest people you know: exhibit B
bedhead, last night's mascara, waking up in the walmart parking lot...

the campsite we stayed at in deux-rivieres (outside algonquin park) was right on the lake...

josiah learned he had to work for his dinner.

goodnight...next time you see us we'll be in ottawa!

day eleven

2010-10-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

thanksgiving monday. so much to be thankful for today.

i finally got to get out of the car!! and i have the pictures to prove it.

this is what you call a great lake, kids.

this is a simon heavy post...i just couldn't help it.

as we rounded the great lakes, the colors got bolder - i was glad to see we hadn't missed autumn completely!

our stop in sault ste marie was bittersweet. we have new friends there that were made in the midst of devastating circumstances. we don't know them well, but they sure feel like family. it was such a blessing to be hosted by them on a day we were thanking God for all that he has given us and brought us through.

day nine & ten

2010-10-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

after realizing that we would have to either buff up or learn how to fish, cliff and i decided that kenora was not the place for us to settle down. we headed east, further into the canadian shield, the wild blue yonder, the vast unknown, the great big sea…unsure of what we would find. what would we discover?

well, apparently we didn't get the memo that fall is over in northern ontario by thanksgiving. we saw a lot of bare trees. so we just had to use our imaginations and picture ourselves driving through this area two weeks ago when i'm sure it was gorgeous.

we also found out that almost all campgrounds are closed. so after wandering around thunder bay, we finally came across the last site in the area and even that was having its water shut off in the middle of the night.

an unfortunate discovery was that after however many thousand kilometres we've driven, i realized i can indeed get carsick. and that i did. kind of sad seeing these were the two days we spent the most time in the car.

we celebrated thanksgiving at a campground in wawa…roast chicken and (slightly) mouldy cranberry bread from the local grocer. who needs pumpkin pie when you can have smores (aka fire snacks) for dessert?

my picture taking has been sporadic to say the least. 90% of the landscape pictures i have shot so far have been through the window of the car and after awhile, that gets a little old. i'm also constantly serving/wrestling the kids in the motorhome, so half the time when we're passing something amazing, i'm busy wiping noses, bums or breaking up a fight between the sibs. lousy excuse, i know, but hopefully i'll get a few more opportunities to shoot outside of the vehicle soon.

proof that we may be the classiest people you know:

exhibit A

we do not look for the most popular, familiar or clean place to eat. we look for this sign: