Joy Comes In The Morning...

That's me...

watching Cadi and Galen's wedding pics which we were able to access today.

They are amazing!

Anyone, anywhere who wants to hire a photographer...

my friend, Emily Loftus is based out of Reno, NV...

but travels all over to share her amazing talent.

Hire her, people.

You will NOT be disappointed!

20,000??????...

What's up with all of these pictures of  "the boy"?

When we finally got the computer up and running again we had over 20,000 photos to edit.

Yes!

You did read that number right!

20,000!

So, now we are editing and I am posting as I come to them.  I don't have a ton of time due to family...

You know, two little babies, 8 other kids a husband and yes... a life.  LOL

To show you what the boys life consists of...

capes

costumes

trampoline

superheroes

His new new to him favorite thing to watch...

Reruns of the old show  Greatest American Hero.

Does anyone remember that crazy show? 

Mommy Guilt...

We dragged out the camera the other day and tried to get photos of all of the kids who still live in this house...

That is a lot harder than you think.

I thought we were only missing Miranda... who was at work... and when I went to look at them...

There was no Ari!

She was napping and I completely forgot!

Oh, No......

Mommy guilt!

So, now we have to find the time to get the last two kids photographed...

Re-Post, for my Daddy...

Back in April of last year, I wrote a blog involving some photos that my dear uncle sent to me.  I wanted to re-post that blog so that my dad would have a chance to check out these photos...

So bear with me while I take a little time to indulge my love of family and old photos...


Old Photos...

My Uncle Dennis was such a sweetie and sent me some old photos of my grandmother and of all of "the boys" when they were younger.

I was so excited to receive these pictures!

I have never seen pictures of my grandmother from her younger years. I only remember visiting her a few times and she was much older then. I was amazed by how pretty she is in this picture. I don't really know why I am amazed... I mean, all of my uncles and my dad are good lookin'... I am not ugly... and my daughter that everyone says looks just like me (a lot of pounds ago) is absolutely gorgeous... so....

Why am I so amazed?!

I am not sure how old she was here. I need to find out. I think she looks like she is late teens or early 20's. Maybe it is a highschool picture...

This is a recent picture of me. Okay, so I know I am about 20 years older than she is in her photo but I think we look alike.

Here is another...

I am the dark headed oldie... but goodie.

And then...

You have my second in line daughter, Cheyenne.

In the photo below, I think she totally resembles her great grandmother.

That is four generations... right? (grandma, my dad, me, her...)

I just think that is so cool!

Okay, I also received pictures of the brothers.

My grandmother had 6 sons. My mother used to tell me that my grandmother had told her... are you still with me... that she had wanted to try for a girl, but by the time my Uncle Donny came along (boy # 6) she just knew it wasn't in the cards for her. (Now I know how I ended up with 7 girls and only 1 boy.)

Above: (top row) Uncle Jim, my dad, Uncle Dennis

Grandma in the middle

(bottom row) Uncle Michael, Uncle Donny, Uncle Danny

Now... I know I am totally boring you, but I love old photos and I love anything to do with my family history. I just don't know enough about all of them and their history.

Okay, this is a picture of (left to right) My dad, Uncle Dennis, Uncle Jim

Uncle Dennis reminded me that Uncle Jim's real name... I think is Julius. I had forgotten all about that, but I know I had heard that before somewhere.

Below is a picture that I saw when I visited my dad last year. He told me that it was taken a few years ago when Uncle Dennis had come out to Missouri for a bit.

Left to right: Uncle Dennis, My Dad, Uncle Jim

Grandma is in the front.

I don't have the opportunity to ask grandma about her own story. I wish I did. I learned after losing my grandmother and my own mother in 2007 that you need to ask those questions and preserve those memories.

Okay, I'm done boring you with what amazes me.

Do me a favor, though. Check into your own history. Ask those questions that you won't be able to ask after your loved ones are gone.

... and THANK YOU Uncle Dennis...

...it means the world to me.

A Slideshow...

All Too Soon...

I think I've told you all before...

that I love photos.

I love them.

I have them all over my house.  I enjoy taking them, editing them and hanging them on my walls.  I enjoy filling books with these same images.  I just love them.

Sometimes I force my kids to dress up and we go out for a day of photos.

However, some of my favorite photos are when we just relax...

We stop trying to get "THE" shot.

We just pull out the camera and shoot...

capturing the little seemingly insignificant moments.

I want to remember these precious little ones as they are.

I don't want to only have albums filled with canned moments.

I want the smiles, laughs...

and, yes, I want the cries and owies and frowns, tears...

All too soon these moments will have passed...

Photo fun...

We were so blessed to be able to photograph this wonderful family last week.

Not only are they great people... and they seem oh so young... but they are wonderful parents to their new little blessing.

Not Christmas Day Photos...

No, these are not photos from our wonderful Christmas day celebration.

These are photos that we took to remind us that Cadi was here for Christmas and... that Miranda was 16 once...

I don't know about you, but I love photos... and you don't have to walk very far in my house before you know I love photos...

They are everywhere!

I think these will be joining the others on the wall.

Beautiful!

However, I do promise to get through the Christmas day photos in the next couple of days.

I will!

I will...

Photos Only... by us...

Every Single Day...

More Fall photos...

With a beauty like this, how can we resist?

Not yet fifteen,

but so smart, sweet and loving.

I am not kidding when I say that this wonderful young lady makes me strive to be a better person every single day.

The Perfect Combination...

I love pictures.

My husband loves experimenting with different photography techniques.

...add in one of the cutest kids in the world and you get...

The Perfect Combination.