Fire

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This month's Project 12 theme is Fire.  My natural response was to capture the 4th of July events.  It was pretty low key, but oftentimes the small things make the biggest impact.  We roasted marshmallows in a makeshift fire pit, and lit the sparklers that Grandma brought.  We drove down the road, parked, and watched fireworks from a distance, and then the kids slept in a tent for the first time ever.  As I was thinking about fireworks and the 4th of July, I was surprised that I have so many memories of this event throughout the years.  I grew up in Bay City, Michigan, which boasts one of the most spectacular fireworks events in the country.  Every year was special.  I can remember watching the fireworks from a boat docked at the marina, in a dingy out in the river, on a picnic blanket in a park, and even the time that I refused to go with my parents and sat on the roof of my house and watched what I could through trees.  There's a void of 4th of July memories through my twenties.  Now I have children, and this time is significant again.  I remember the brilliance and excitement of running with a sparkler, and how special it is to roast marshmallows.  Everything is momentous through a child's eye, and I'm blessed to be able to see again.

Stacy, Chris, Noah + Luke

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2013

My words and Noah's story were lost when some of my blogposts crashed.  I can't rewrite everything from almost two years ago, except that it was an honor to meet this family and to photograph them.  If you want to learn more about Noah and his miracle, please go to their family blog at Noah's Miracle.

I Miss Myself Already

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I told my son this morning that someday he and his sister would be bigger than his Daddy and me.  He said  to me, "I miss myself already.  I miss my body."  I just smiled at him, constantly amazed at the extraordinary things he says.

So I try to catch the light because life moves too fast.

 

Piper and Stella

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Piper recently turned one and her parents asked me to document this stage in her life.  Her older sister, Stella, thinks the world of her.  They are pretty neat little ladies who are lucky to have one another.

 

sweet things

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Picking out my very own doughnut when I was a toddler was a huge deal.  Typically, this treat was every Sunday after church, and followed with reading the funny pages at the kitchen table when we returned home.  I am amazed at how my own memories come back when I watch these two making their own.

Ben

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Baby Ben has no idea yet just how much joy he brings to his family.  His big sister has been waiting a very long time for a little sibling to take care of.  His adoring parents couldn't be happier.   I hope the images convey just how warm, loving, and peaceful this new beginning is.

Rosalie

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Gorgeous Rosalie with her remarkable blue eyes!  I am so fortunate to have spent Christmas with my extended family...twenty-one adults, four young kids, and this beautiful new addition.  This was my first opportunity to meet my cousin's daughter.  She's as stunning as her mother and has her father's to-die-for long lashes.  Now, if we find out that she also inherited their personalities...watch out world!

Learning From Leo

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I went on an adventure with my son today.  Leo and I carried our cameras around Platte Street and Confluence Park in Denver.  We experienced the smells and tastes at Savory Spice Shop, watched sushi being made at Sushi Sasa, and finished up with hot chocolates at ink! Coffee.  Along the way there was a lot of searching for bad guys and jumping off of things.  The beginning photographs are taken by Leo with his vtech camera.  He's almost four and he teaches me a lot.  He's looking up and down and finding places to photograph that I never noticed.  I'm amused and intrigued by his point of view... a thirty-six inch high view.  I even admire his clicking of the shutter, just because he wants to.  No bad guys were captured, but a lot of great moments were.

I did tweak the color of Leo's photographs, but I did not change the composition of his original image.

 

This ends Leo's work and begins mine.

 

A Twelve Month Retrospective

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I love all the images I've posted of the families I've worked with in 2012.  When I'm not photographing for others, I am blessed to be with my incredible husband and kids. I started this entry trying to choose one photo to represent each month, but after some editing, I decided that I was being very unreasonable with myself.  I looked back at this last year of documenting my children's lives and I'm thrilled with what I have, however, my New Year's resolution is to capture more of the small everyday moments in life.  I struggle with the balance of making sure I have this visual memory of them, but also wanting to be present and be participating in the current adventure.  Well, I have an entire year ahead of me to practice!  It's amazing to look back and see how we've grown.  A fascination with firemen and playing in boxes has been replaced by a love of everything superhero and fairy princess.  They may be fighting evil doers, but one thing has stayed the same - their excitement for cupcakes!  I thoroughly enjoyed my 2012 and I am excited for the adventures of 2013.

General Rose Community Gallery, Denver CO

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12.04.2012

The General Rose Community Gallery had its grand opening this evening in the lobby of Rose Medical Center. During a recent renovation, the General Rose Community Gallery was created as a dedication to the hospital's founders, as well as General Maurice Rose, "the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. Army [during WWII]."  On display are historical artifacts, artwork and photographs.  It was truly an honor to photograph this event.