Year End

It has been such a busy month for us. When I was younger, school ended in the beginning of June, and then we had three months to just play and be lazy until school started up again. Our elementary school here, the one J-Man goes to is year-round. Oh how I love and hate it all at once. He was in school until last Friday, with one more day this week. It has made the month of June slide by so quickly, and it seems summer is almost halfway gone already.

In May, Memms had her preschool program. She was so adorable singing with her classmates. Her SUPERB teacher made these adorable books for each student. Full of photos throughout the year, and special questionnaires about 'your mom' and things of that nature. It made me bawl my eyes out.

The same day, J-Man has his karate testing. He got his orange belt and was BEAMING. He loves karate. He is really, really good. He can't wait to get his black belt one day...and I know he will. That boy puts his mind to something and he runs with it until it is his! (Hopefully this fall when he takes piano, he will have the same gumption.)

I love these two little people. They are the sweetest, most obedient little things ever. They make me smile, they hug me and kiss me a million times a day. If I am leaving, they are always screaming, "Miss you! Love you! Bye! Miss you! Love you! Bye!" Then running a million miles an hour, come and wrap their arms around me and kiss me until I am out the door. Being a mom is the hardest, but one of the most fulfilling callings I have ever had.

The best thing? They genuinely love one another. I mean, REALLY love each other. I couldn't ask for anything more than that.

I am very proud of them. So very proud of them.

Lynda - Newborn West Valley City, Utah

View entire event and order prints here.

Maddox (and his big sister) - 6 Months Salt Lake City, Utah

I have had the unique experience, and the honor of photographing these two gorgeous babes since they were born, quite literally. Maddox's Birth Story here, big sister's Birth Story here.

The amazing thing about a 'family photographer' is that these kids know me. They remember who I am. They are relaxed, and more comfortable. It has been fun for me to watch them grow.

View entire event and order prints here.

Trapping mice.

Perfect Saturday morning.

Played board games with the kidlets. Had homemade ice cream. No TV.

Sitting at my computer with Millz in my lap as she babbles away telling me all about her day and how much she REALLY doesn't want to be put down. How, she would rather sit on my lap and keep grabbing at the mouse and shine it's red lasers into her eyes. At least, I am pretty sure that is what she is saying.

Off to go shoot a beautiful afternoon wedding.

Hope your day is as beautiful and perfect as mine has been.

xoxo

Lazy Saturday morning with my kids.

Polaroid 600 SE Fuji fp-3000b instant film.

Playing a little Mouse Trap, some homemade ice cream, and lots of laughs.
Perfect start to a perfect day.

Now off to shoot a perfect wedding.

Brandon & Aarika Engagements, Holladay, Utah

View entire event and order prints here.

Typical morning at my house.

Kodak bw400cn

Hair askew, milk on table, jammies inside out, and baby crawling around on the floor, getting into all kinds of trouble.

These are the days I hope never end.

A typical morning at our house.

Pajamas on inside out.
Hair all askew.
Milk all over the table.
Cereal in bowls, slurp, slurp, slurp.

Oh, and then there are the kids....

:)

All the while, baby crawls around on the floor.

These are the mornings I crave never end. That they never grow out of wanting to sit together, and have breakfast, and talk. A nice slow pace. Thankful for this summer to soak it up before J-dawg goes to school full time, and our mornings turn into, well, something else.

Sister Study

Lots of people compare Memms and Millz. It is only natural, considering they are sisters.

It wasn't until recently, as I began pulling out clothes that Memms used to wear, and putting them on Millz when I decided to start taking a few photos if I got the chance to compare them side by side.

Memms is on the left of each of these, and Millz is on the right.







There are definitely some sisterly traits. That is for sure.
Memms, however, was much chubbier in the cheek area.
(She still is and is much kissable for it.)
Memms also had fuller lips than Millz.
Millz, I have decided is a perfect mix between her brother and her sister, but again,
a much thinner version of both of them when they were babies.

This got me thinking about my own sisters.
There is almost 12 years between me and my next closest sister.
They have a different biological father, so I never really compared myself physically with them.
Until I took their portraits at the end of last school year, and holy hannah.
Well, see for yourself.



Sisters are rad.
I wish mine were closer in age to me, and I wasn't more like a mom to them than a sister.
Glad that Memms and Millz will have a good opportunity to be friends.
To grow together.
I can't wait!

Sleep Study

I'm back. And hopefully more consistently. I am in the middle of changing my blog and design, and haven't really known what to put up on my blog while I make the transition. But, I know I tire of going to a blog and never seeing any changes, so I am changing that now.

I will be posting more of my personal work, getting a little more 'geeky' on you. Hopefully you will enjoy looking at these as much as I have enjoyed shooting them.

Info on this shoot: My baby is a very sound, sound sleeper. I knew once I actually got the door open, I would have maybe 30 seconds tops to shoot these off. Which I did, before you can see at the end she woke up. These were all manually focused on a 50mm 1.4 Nikon lens. You can see the vignetting around the corners of the photographs. This is all natural. When this lens is shot at 1.4 it just does that amazing vignette (a secret I learned from my friend Jon a few years back at his workshop.) All shot on Fuji 400H and processed and scanned by moi.

Keep coming back to see all the fun shoots I have been doing this summer. It has been busy and such a fun experience.

Krusty.

Shot on 35mm with Fuji 400H

Polaroid 600SE Fuji fp-3000b

This week is quite possibly one of the busiest of my entire life.
I have felt that way before, and I am certain I will feel that way again.
For some reason it just feels good to say it, to help me survive it.

I am working a lot, which is good, but makes my house a disaster.
When I don't see my husband, I struggle.
When I don't see my kids, I want to hug on them when I am home, therefore, messy house.
I honestly don't care about anything but them.
Just know if you come over, my house will be a mess.
Apparently, just how I like it.

I cooked a good lunch today.
I made Callie's salmon cakes.
My kids wouldn't try them. Which left the entire plate for me.
I put the rest in the fridge for Hubbs.
They are delicious.
I recommend you try them.

Memms has dance class tonight.
While she is at dance, I am going to go pick up the two tickets I won to Eclipse.
I won't be able to use them.
So, I was thinking about giving them away on my blog.
Utah peeps?

Some high school friends are meeting for ice cream tonight.
I want to go, but I don't want to eat ice cream.
Contemplating getting some cupcakes beforehand instead.
I think I might do that.

Right now?
I am tired.
I am thinking I better go pick up my J-Man from school.
And I will probably watch The Simpson's tonight.
Just because I love Krusty the Clown so.

Strugglefest, June 7, 2010

**Originally posted to my 'Shredding' blog**

My heart hurts. Usually I would just post this to my personal blog. I have a contest running right now and I really don't know how I feel about a bunch of 'strangers' reading a post like this for the first time. I wouldn't call them strangers, but this is heavy, and would rather not scare my new friends off. Perhaps I will post it there later this week, so please forgive me that this isn't completely weight-loss related.

Yesterday was a very deep, dark, depression filled day. So much so that I longed to go back to bed, to lay on the couch and fall asleep. Anything, to avoid doing anything. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't eat. I couldn't move. I felt stuck. When I did move, I started eating, and not necessarily good things.

I was sad about my weight. I was really angry with myself for sitting and going no where with my weight for the past two months. I feel this overwhelming burden to be better and do better, but I have no drive. When I have no drive, I get depressed, when I get depressed, I eat. It is a vicious, vicious cycle and I don't know what to do to change it.

When my husband finally got home (he left early in the morning) I just cried and said I needed to get out. So I left, and I ran. I ran on my 'grandma legs and feet'. I tried to just breathe and make it through the day. My run didn't fix my broken heart, or my dark day, but it reminded me that I can do this hard thing. I may not be in my 'place' yet. The place I need to be to lose any weight. (Because apparently I am still stuck in this place, just like I was two years ago when I wouldn't budge from 167. Man how I would pay money to be 167 again and never budge, instead of my 196 that I am stuck at now. tears.)

This post makes no sense. I just needed to get it out that I was in a dark place, and that I am trying to be an example to you guys, that I have not given up...that I am fighting this beast of weight, like I am fighting the other demons in my head. Hopefully I can start kicking all of their trash soon.

Loves all.

--Kim

The r house couture giveaway winner is:

Thank you random.org for choosing the winner of the r house couture giveaway.

" mrs. m said...

sarah mann: i am in love with this necklace!

iamwomann@gmail.com"

Saturday, June 05, 2010 10:52:00 AM

Thanks to everyone who entered!

It has been SO fun to get to know so many people through the r house couture shop and to make so many special pieces for so many people. Stay tuned in the near future for another giveaway on a totally radical blog.

Loves.