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I don't know about you, but I find that when I look at a wee little one, I just shake my head in awe and give God two enthusiastic thumbs up.  Can you believe that any of us come out of our journey so well formed?  So perfect? 

Ears, they are perfect.  Made for hearing those sweet sounds of a loving voice.  One whom has longed to see that baby.

Fingers, perfect little digits to grab and hold those who love you the most.

Feet!  Oh how I love little feet. I can seriously do without big feet.  But those little ones are so perfect in every way.  Ten toes, they always get counted the minute the baby makes an appearance.

The nose.  So tiny, yet so perfect.  This nose will know in two seconds if the person holding her is her favorite person in the world, the milk machine, or an irritating stranger.  Even if that person is dad.

I know Abigail's parents from back in the day, way back.  I remember I served them lunch when I was a waitress at the Olive Garden.  Her dad, Jason, went to high school with me.  He was my drum major in the super-cool band.  I played the drums, he made sure I wasn't making up my own tempo.

We were neighbors when we first moved to Colorado and I remember thinking how awesome Jason's wife Dorothy was and still is.  She really has it together.  She is kind and patient and has a dear family.  Abby is the youngest of seven siblings.

This is one lucky baby to be a part of a family that works.  They are happy, they are healthy and they know that their home is a sanctuary of safety and acceptance.  I think we all try to create this in our own homes.

 Abby, you are one lucky girl to have such kind and loving parents and so many older siblings whom will teach all the good things in life.  Things like how to push your parents buttons, how to draw on the walls, how to scare your mother at the park, how to wrap your father around your little finger. 

You have it made girlfriend.  Welcome to your life.  You are a lucky girl indeed.

Tiny Abigail

New babies are like mannah from heaven.  They are perfect and fill a need in a special way.  My need is to be around those new little ones.  I take the chance when I get it and run with it.

Babies are fun and not so fun.  They smell new and fresh, when they don't stink.  They are precious and quiet, when they aren't crying.  Abigail gave me my baby fix.  She was both fresh and precious.  More to come.

Beauty in the small things

When I go to the grocery store, I make a bee line for the floral section and look at the tulips. I remember Seattle and the Pike Street Market. You can purchase tulips and fresh flowers any time of year. I Miss that market, I miss Seattle. I try not to impulse buy. I try to be fiscally minded and tell the tulips I will be back for them another day. And then I think about how nice my kitchen would look with some fresh flowers.


After a usual day, my husband came through the door with a bundle of tulips. Seeing him come through the door lately is like seeing my boyfriend whom I have been pining for all day. Our eyes meet, we are happy to see eachother in that moment and everything is quiet for a second.

I cannot stop photographing them. They aren't extraordinarily beautiful. But they made me feel extraordinarily special.

Thank you my dear husband.

Washington Park in January...Becca and Matt

Meet Becca and Matt.  Being around them was like hanging with old friends.  You know the friends whom you don't see often but you pick up where you left off?

And I have to say, there is something about being around people who truly like and love eachother.  As an observer of my surroundings, you notice things.  The unspoken.  The looks.  Chemistry.

I think I mostly felt at ease around these guys because they were so easy around eachother. 

Becca, who like myself, is a Becca not a Becky.  That name works for some people.  I have dear friends named Becky, but it has always stuck in my ear like peanut butter.  Becca is this amazingly bright and beautiful woman.  I think Matt totally scored with this woman!

Matt is one of those people you like in two seconds.  He's just nice and present.  He also put us to a challenge at the park.  He thought it was funny to wear stilettos to the park.  I told him there are so many interesting people in this town, I "guarentee" we will find another heal cladden woman, or man, in the park. 

Wash Park you disappoint me.  Everyone was appropriately dressed.  Arggg...  We never saw a healed woman or cross-dressing man.  Next time we will go to Boulder.

Shoes, what can I say, these next shots make me smile everytime I look at them.  The shoephile in me has found a friend. 

Becca and Matt, thank you for spending time with me.  I was sad when our time ended.  It's funny how time stands still for a while, seeminly.  I realized that day how much I love this job, if you can call it that.  I am so lucky.

Matt and Becca, you guys are the lucky ones though.  You have eachother, and you always will.

The red shoes...

I had the privelage of spending a warm afternoon with Becca and Matt. 

We met at Washington Park.  You would think the entire city was in on some secret about the gathering at the Park.  There were so many people out.  So many people running, walking their dogs, playing with their kids.  I kept thinking, it doesn't get any better than this.  This is what it is all about, the American Dream.  All culminated at this park.

These guys wore the best things for a shoot.  Sophisticated black.  Becca kicked it up a notch with her shiny ruby red shoes.  I couldn't stop smiling.  I found a kindred spirit, a fellow shoephile.  More to come.

The Grahams...Could they be in a rock band?

I say yes.  And what will we call this band, "A Little Bad A**!"

They dressed so sharp the day of our shoot.  I love it when people wear plain dark colors to a shoot.  It makes everything look crisp, serious, formal.   When I juxtapose that with parks and nature, I find an interesting dichotomy in the resulting pictures.  It's really a neat effect.

The Grahams and I go way back.  When we first moved to Colorado, we were at a social gathering together and Bill and Sheryl thought I was pretty funny.  Someone who finds me funny is all right in my book so it was an instant friendship. 

We have kept in touch over the years.  Their daughter Shannon introduced our family to High School Musical, we love it (don't judge us) and I helped them get started on Twilight.  Needless to say, these were both healthy addictions.  Will, their son we have respected since he was a "kid" in high school, returned from a couple years in California, and is now married and an AMAZING photographer.

Whenever I ask Will a question about my pictures, he gives me the straight talk and intelligent answers.  He's really brilliant.  I often refer to him as Master Obi-Won and myself as a Padawan learner. 

Will took our family pictures which I smile at daily because they are so beautiful.  And when he asked me to take some pictures of his family, I was very honored and a little scared.  But hey, it's Will and Peggy, and Bill and Sheryl and Shannon!  I had a blast freezing my fingers off.  I think they did too.  This was a fun time with my dear friends.

The Grahams are so fun.  They ALWAYS make me laugh.  They are funny.  Shannon used to be our babysitter until she grew up and become this hot momma of a young woman.  Sheryl is the glue of the family, she makes it all stick together and work in harmony.

Bill is Bill. He's funny, he never leaves you guessing what he is thinking, and deep down, he is just the kindest guy. He is that guy you are glad is on your team.

Jeb and I still shake our heads at how grown up Shannon is.  She is so beautiful and spunky.  Thank you Shannon for always being the fun sitter for our kids at a moment's notice.  Shannon is too good to us.

If the Grahams were in a band, I would have to insist that Bill is the lead singer, he's so unpredictable, Sheryl for sure on Tamborine, Shannon on Drums, Will on lead guitar and Peggy on Bass.  We can always try it out on Guitar Hero! 

Thanks you my dear friends.  I loved every second of it.

Noah Pitt

Noah and I go back.  Way back to the times of middle school.  The awkward years.  The years when I resembled an ostrich, all legs, odd torso, I hid my head in the ground a lot. 

We grew up together.  And I am so glad to still call him friend.  He is the funniest guy.  He has the driest sense of humor and he also has this beautiful family. 

I asked Noah, "How did you get such a hottie Noah?"

He just smiles because he knows he scored in the wife department. 

And his baby, that precious little girl.  She was so good.  I contemplated taking her home with me.  But then there is the feedings, the diapers, the crying, not so much for me.  But I was close.

I don't know why I like this one but I do.  It's like the moon rising, it's a head rising over the other shiny head.

When Noah asked me to take pictures of his family.  I told him, I was going to do some amazing stuff.  I was going to make him look like Brad Pitt.  So without further adieu, I present Noah Pitt.

Thanks Noah and Ash for letting me freeze with you guys on that lovely afternoon.  I enjoyed so much spending time with you and getting checked on by the police.  Anything for a good photo, right? 

Baby Sydney, if your dad will allow, you may come over and date my little men when you are old enough.  Until then, just come over so I can remember what it's like to have little babies around.