Maria Nissen's Blog

Cecily & Jake: Engagement

2011-05-14T00:00:00.065-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of doing Cecily and Jake's Engagement photos. They had just spent 2 years apart, while Jake was serving a mission in Japan for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They wrote each other for those two years and here they are...getting married. Brian and I wrote for 37 months while we both served missions and were engaged 4 days after I got home. Jake and Cecily are so cute together. Don't you just love Cecily's earrings? They tied in beautifully with their peacock themed wedding announcement. Jake had braces put back on right after he got home. I removed them in some of the photos, but not all. Sorry Jake. :-)

In honor of today, May 14, being their Wedding Day, I thought it would be fun to post these.

I couldn't resist.

She's a beauty.

Happy Wedding Day!

Flagstaff: Simon's Choir Concert

2011-05-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my parents, Emma, Brian and I went up to Flagstaff. Shrine of Ages, a choir that Simon sings in, had their final concert in a beautiful old Catholic Church.

The acoustics were, of course, amazing, so all of the beautiful choir voices floated through the air and filled every nook and cranny of the chapel. I used Brian's iPhone to take photos for fun. Unfortunately, because I was new to the iPhone, I didn't realize that I wasn't saving the photos as I was taking the next one, so all of my best work got away! I tried to recreate some of them and I will add those later, but thankfully, I had my 'ol Trusty with me, too, so I will post those here now.

Simon and the choir after his piece

The choir performed a piece that Simon had composed this semester. It had 3 movements and was based on 3 Swedish poems about man and the earth. They sang in Swedish, which was fun for my parents. The piece was impressive and the audience must have thought so too as they gave him a standing ovation. We were all so proud of him. Simon is majoring in Choral Educationn at NAU. He's just finishing his second year.

It was actually a little chilly after the concert. Emma snagged a coat to wear, making Simon's friend, Cory, her new favorite "brother".

Emma, creating her own Picasso

As we pulled into Flagstaff, we stopped to eat at Picazzo's, a gourmet pizza place that we all like. The grown-ups decided to go "healthy" and get the whole wheat cracker crust. This was a grave mistake. All we could taste was the crust. The grown-ups looked longingly at Emma's pepperoni pizza with white doughy crust.

The evening was complete with a 2 for 1 stop at Cold Stone Creamery. We always get the same thing: Banana ice cream with brownie mix-in. I have yet to grow tired of it.

This made up for the pizza!

Downtown Flagstaff...

My little papa.

Babbits sells crunchy outdoorsy stuff. I could definitely plunk down some cash at this place.

Not a big bumper sticker fan, but I DO like this one.

Window shopping at small boutiques is fun...especially when it involves shoes.

Baxter Black, a very friendly, cool, XXL Black Lab, therapy dog we met while strolling the city.

This dapper dresser added a colorful touch.

Great concert, great food (almost), great company, great weekend.

India Oven: Restaurant Review

2011-05-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

For anyone who knows me, they know how I feel about food. I am an adventurous eater and I love many different flavors. One of my new favorite places is India Oven right here in Mesa, just down the street from us. Their address is: 1315 S. Gilbert Rd., Mesa, AZ. I have driven by their place a bazillion times and thought to myself, "I need to try that place."

Then a few weeks ago, my parents took me to lunch and we all fell in love with the food. Daisy, the owner greeted us at the door. The fun thing about India Oven is that they serve an "All You Can Eat" buffet for both lunch and dinner, so for those unfamiliar with the tastes of India, you can try a little of everything and find your favorites.

They serve fresh garlic naan bread to go with the meal. Yum.

The food is not overly spicy, has great flavors. The service is great. I read another review of India Oven that made me laugh,

"Eating here felt so right, yet so wrong. A dinner buffet for only $10?!"

And if you go for lunch, the price is only $7.95.

My dad gets credit as food stylist on this. My personal favorites are the three on the bottom half of the plate. One of these days I'll learn the names of the dishes. They also have a full menu, which you can see on their website linked above. They also have banquet facilities for 50-250 guests in the same building. If I had 250 friends to have a party with, I would definitely consider India Oven.

In the mean time, lunch anyone?

Josh & Carie + Three Boys= Sweet Family

2011-05-03T17:38:00.003-07:00

Carie contacted me out of the blue for family portraits, which I felt afterwards was divine intervention for me. I'm so glad she found me. I fell in love with this wonderful family from the moment I met them. Josh and Carie have three cute little boys: Wesley, 6 and twins, Wyatt and Quinn, almost 4. I have a soft spot in my heart for little boys. It always makes me think back to my own four not so little anymore boys. They grow up so fast.

Josh and Carie

Quinn, Wesley and Wyatt

Wyatt and Quinn

I love this photo of Wesley. He is such a good big brother.

Anyone who has been around little boys knows that flexing is serious business and involves a lot more than just the muscles.

Wesley

Quinn

A boy and his fork. Wyatt has a thing for utensils...plastic forks, spatulas, etc.

Sweet Wyatt...

Great family.

A Family Portrait

2011-05-02T12:57:00.002-07:00

I've done weddings, babies, birthdays, Seniors, special events, and even funerals, but when I was asked last year to photograph this family I admit that I was a little nervous, but quickly put at ease once I met up with them out in Queen Creek. With permission, I share these photos and a little of the story behind them. The session left an impact on me and I have wanted to post them for a while.

Jan and her husband were getting a divorce after 27 years and Jan wanted to have one last family photo taken. It made me think quite a bit about what I was being asked to capture and in the end, I think it worked, because they made it work. Their him&her story may not have ended the way they thought, but it doesn't mean that there weren't some really great chapters (and four beautiful daughters) along the way. When I asked Jan if it was o.k. to share the images and a little bit surrounding them, her reply was, "You bet! That was a fun shoot and memorialized the prior 27 years of good things that happened in our family." I admire Jan and her wish to focus on those good things. It was worth remembering. Thank you, Jan. Here they are...

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to capture this family, because that is one story that continues.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

It's Easter Sunday, and we get to enjoy it with nearly all of our family. We will miss Simon up at school, but hope that he feels our love headed his way.

I happened to be at Pottery Barn the other day and happened upon these cute little Springtime offerings. I took photos until someone told me

I wasn't allowed to. It's fun to look at pretty things.

Aren't these little bottle brush chicks just the cutest?! They really wanted to come home with me, but I had to say no. I will remember them fondly.

For those of us living in Mesa, we have an opportunity every year to see the life of the Savior portrayed in the annual Easter Pageant. For those who missed it or were unable to attend, here is a great little movie that gives an overview of the Pageant. You can watch it here.

HApPy EaSteR All!

Becky & Skyler: Married

2011-04-22T21:43:00.001-07:00

Becky and Skyler were married in Salt Lake City, but because Becky is from Mesa, they came down for a reception last week. We stole a few minutes before the reception started for some portraits. Portraits are fun.

They were great jumpers.

And jumping results in unpredictable images...plus the grooms always seem to enjoy jumping.

It looks like Becky is being held up by her dress and the expression on Skyler's face...love it.

Becky is such a natural beauty.

Skyler and Becky had notecards on their tables instead of signing a guest book. I share Greg and Julie's sentiments. I wish you both a happy life together.

100 years and not counting!

2011-04-07T15:31:00.001-07:00

For the past two years we have helped Elsie celebrate her birthday. For the longest time it wasn't on my radar that we had relatives here in Mesa, just a couple of miles from us. Elsie's mother, Anna, is my grandfather's Aunt. Anna left Sweden to follow her sister, Julia, to America in the early 1900's. That makes Elsie, my grandfather's cousin.

Here is Emma with Elsie, on her 98th birthday.

Here she is turning 99. She has stopped aging. I mean really.

Last year we told her, "Oh my gosh, Elsie! Next year you are going to turn 100!" She couldn't believe it herself. She just keeps plugging along. She is bright and cheery, can still get around with a walker, lives with her younger brother, John who is a young 91, in an apartment not too far from us. We have been looking forward to her 100th birthday all year. Today is finally the day. It's here! I have never personally known anyone who has lived this long, so it has been so much fun getting to know Elsie and John. I had the opportunity to interview Elsie last week and hope to put together something to celebrate her life. We will gather with family on Sunday to celebrate in style.

This is one of my favorite photos of Elsie, when she was around 6.

She grew up in Wyoming. She loved animals and especially loved riding horses. She said she was a shy girl who didn't want to be in the limelight. Wouldn't it be fun to time travel and meet people at different stages of their life? I would have loved to meet Elsie at 6. She attributes her long life to good genes. She has never done anything special to promote longevity. I hope it has something to do with her Swedish heritage. I'd like to think we're a hardy bunch.

Elsie married Fred Bemel in 1932. Five years after they were married, Fred was diagnosed with MS and they were counseled by the doctor not to have any children. Not much was known about MS in the 30's, so they didn't have any children. They spent 52 years together, before Fred passed away in 1984. Elsie soon relocated to Mesa from Northern California to be near her brother, John and his wife. She is a delight to talk to and told me several times not to make a fuss, but who wouldn't?! It's not every day that someone gets to finish a century of living here on this earth. That is worthy of celebrating. We feel blessed to have both John and Elsie around.

I've been thinking about what you get for someone turning 100 and the one thing that I came up with was some love and attention (and maybe a jar of pickled herring!), so that's why I've enlisted the help of family and friends to send Elsie a birthday card. I think it would be fun if they trickled in all month. For those of you who have already done this, Thank You!! She showed me her first card last week, so I know she enjoys the mail. She is too hard of hearing to talk on the phone, so a little card in the mail is a good connect to the world around her. If you'd still like to get in on this, here is her address:

Elsie Bemel

35 W. Brown Rd., #229

Mesa, AZ 85201

Happy 100th Birthday, Elsie!!

(even if they don't have a computer, I hope she can feel the good wishes)

More to come...

A girl, a giraffe and Valentine's Day.

2011-02-14T05:00:00.005-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Up until a few weeks ago, "giraffe" and "Valentine's Day" would not have appeared in the same sentence for me, but Emma changed that. She came home from school talking about their upcoming Valentine's Day party and how there was going to be a competition with the Valentine's containers that the kids brought to school.

I started giving her ideas:

Me: "Hey, why don't we make a little blue mailbox? Wouldn't that be cute??"

Emma: "No, I want to make a Giraffe. I asked my teacher how big it could be and she said as long as it fits through the door, it's o.k."

Me: "But, a little blue mailbox would be so much easier." (I should know by now that this type of reasoning does not work with Emma.)

Emma: "I'm doing a giraffe."

I made the mistake of starting with my best idea first, so when she shot it down, I had no where to go. At this point, I officially retired as helper on this project and Brian stepped in. Apparently he was on the same page with Emma when it came to how big this giraffe was going to be. I just kept saying, "If it were up to me (and it clearly wasn't), it would be a cute little table top giraffe, if it has to be a giraffe." But, I was no longer part of this project, so my opinion carried ~~little~~ weight...none at all.

The box for the body and the 1 gallon milk jug for the head determined the size. When Brian showed me the neck, I laughed. I told him that this was beginning to remind me of the 500 lb. stairs that Allen O'Reilly (a great actor, but questionable stair builder) made in Theater Workshop class up at NAU...but, it was their project now and my opinion didn't matter (but I still couldn't help sharing it!).

The only thing I had anything to do with was the tubes to keep the ears from completely flopping over. After the legs joined the body and the head was attached to the neck...

It started to take on a personality and I must admit that it was growing on me, even in all of it's hugeness and I started to think about the love wrapped up in the making of that giraffe: A girl had a vision and a dad, who loves the girl, helped her make her little (big) giraffe dream a reality.

But there was more work to be done. A giraffe needs spots and if the giraffe is going to hold valentines, then the spots better be hearts.

I tried helping with this part, but could clearly see that I was NOT wanted, so I left them. It was the best thing I could have done. Emma's friend, Maddie, was the perfect helper. They really didn't need me. I'm such a control freak sometimes that I would have interfered, for sure.

I love how it turned out without me!

Friday, the 11th, was the big day. The giraffe and valentines are ready to go.

The Dream Team.

Remember how back in December we sold our suburban, which would have been the perfect giraffe transporter, but now, we only had a car big enough for my little table top giraffe. I started to wonder if we were ever going to get him in the car. Trunk was a no go. Back seat......uh, no. Last resort...

front seat with the seat reclined. Emma was a little squished in the back seat, but we had a giraffe who needed to get to school!

As we park in front of the school, I can feel her excitement mounting. The first stares...

Around the corner to Mrs. Brown's class.

I forgot to mention that the giraffe had a name: Ervin Griswald. Ervin found a place next to the pyramid of gold bars brought in by one of Emma's classmates.

Taylor gives us a Carol Marrol. I could tell by the enthusiastic responses that Emma got from her classmates and the teachers in her building that she had been talking about her giraffe for the past 3 weeks.

Some of the other fun valentine boxes. The kids were all so creative.

When I saw the box below, my heart swelled. I loved it and the image it created of the little boy who brought it in sitting at home gluing and coloring to make his wonderful treasure chest. So cute.

It was a good day.

Hope your Valentine's Day is sweet, too.

Baby, it's cold outside.

2011-02-03T09:13:00.002-07:00

This was 8:30 this morning.

For anyone living where winter really means winter: thick parkas, snow boots, scrape the ice off the car windows, snow shovels, below freezing temperatures for ~~weeks~~, months on end, this weather forecast probably looks heavenly. But for those of us who rarely see temperatures dip below 40, we're FREEZING here in Mesa! My feet are like blocks of ice dangling at the end of my legs. I use a heating pad and a blow dryer to warm up my bed at night before I climb in. In case this is beginning to sound like complaining, it's not. I'm just stating the facts. I reserve my weather complaints for summer.

We don't really own any winter clothes, because the window of opportunity to wear winter clothes is very small: A brief frigid dash to the car (heated) in the morning to drive to school (heated). By the time the afternoon rolls around, we're already done with the jacket. We don't even buy our kids jackets anymore. We have lost so many over the years, that it's not really worth it. But, every now and again, like this morning, it would be nice to own one. Emma pieced her winter wear together and left for school wearing a long sleeved shirt, my sweater, an over sized, old lady sweater lovingly made by Brian's talented Uncle Harold, two pairs of gloves (she was trying to squeeze on a 3rd pair when I finally said, "Enough!" and shooed her out the door), a scarf and hat. We'll see what she comes home with this afternoon. Adam wore long johns under his jeans. Might be time to head to the local Thrift store to try our luck at their selection. But... if we hold out for a few days, they'll be back to wearing t-shirts and shorts. Better wait. :-)

Emma and Hina (who was wearing more manageable layers), walking to the bus stop.

Until warmer days...bundle up and make some hot chocolate. Stay warm!

Date Night.

2011-01-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is relaxing.

Happy Friday!

Movie of choice?

Documentary on Ansel Adams.

Worth the watch. Learning more about

a person always makes me appreciate what

they do even more. I am so glad that Brian and I

enjoy the same kind of movies.

One movie that we could NOT get into?

Eat, Pray, Love=Boring

Austin & Niki: A Spring Wedding from 2010.

2011-01-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Do you have a closet or a drawer that houses your miscellaneous, I'll get to it later stash? It's the little pile(s) that all of a sudden become(s) a "landfill". Overnight? "Whoa! When did that happen?! You were just a baby yesterday!" The crazy thing about our modern, 21st century lifestyle is that those piles, drawers, and closets aren't just confined to our house, car or office anymore. There's digital, cyber "stuff" we have to deal with, too. Some of it is easy to take care of (delete) , like junk mail, but then there's the other stuff....the emails you want to respond to, the "desktop" that looks like a dump with photos, folders, downloads, school assignments, and other fodder that just keeps piling up. My desktop is nothing compared to my 2 TB External Hard drive that houses all of my photos and other stuff that just gets swept in there, when I decide to clean up the desktop for company. I have a "back room" on my Hard Drive that is actually pretty organized, but the problem is I have to run through the landfill to get there. I run as quickly as I can, with blinders on, so I don't have to see what's out there...but it doesn't go away. It grows. Eeek!

Today, I decided to venture into the mess to look for photos of my niece, Olivia, but on my search I found these lovelies, patiently waiting for me in a folder marked AustinNikiWedding04MAR2010 Blog. Austin and Niki have been married almost a year. My good friend, Jo, did their wedding and I worked with her as her 2nd shooter. (An Aside: Love working with Jo. Miss her since she moved to ID.) Austin and Niki did get their photos, but I never posted any of their wedding day on my blog. Austin and Niki are a cute, cute couple. I did their engagements, so I got to meet them before their wedding day. Thanks to my friend, Jo, for the opportunity to be there for their, wedding, too.

I'm sure Niki and Austin won't mind revisiting this day again. I know I had fun...

So happy.

I loved how floppy this little guy was on Austin's shoulder.

I also love how kids try to make their own fun.

I mean, how exciting is looking at a bride and groom for 2-3 year olds.

This little boy was attached to this grapefruit, and a good little caretaker of it he was. This was his little corner of the world for the group photo outside the temple.

The Wright House offers two beautiful venues. Niki and Austin had their ring ceremony and reception at the Provencal, a setting inspired by the Provence region of Southern France.

A bride's shoes have gotten a lot more personality over the years.

The mother and father of the bride.

Father and mother of the groom.

The bride's sister.

Who says bouquets are just for brides!

One of my faves.

I'm a sucker for enlargements and using photographs as a focal point for the decorations.

Happy Almost 1 year Anniversary, Niki and Austin.

So, I'm going to be digging through my photos in the coming ~~weeks~~, months...well, in the future, and file and organize and see what other little goodies I find. For those of you with piles, too...good luck and may the force be with you. It's not all bad...you never know what treasures await you.

Life's Bookend Birthdays: John and Olivia

2011-01-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Happy 91st Birthday!

Birthdays are worthy of special recognition, even if the celebration is on a small scale. It is, after all, the day we each came into the world and like the hallelujah chorus that rang out for the Savior's birth, I'd like to think that each of us had our own chorus of angels singing out on our birthdays. Happy Birthdays in our family, this month go out to Leilani, Kevin, Helena, Jimbo, and John with an early H.B. to cutie pie Olivia (in February). My family (Flinks) don't have many relatives here in the USA, but John and his sister Elsie are my grandfather's cousins and as luck would have it, they live only 2 miles from us. It's been fun to get to know both of them. They are fun to talk to. John still drives and loves to watch sports on t.v. They both seem much younger than their years. I hope I inherited that family thread, too.
When I looked at the photos in my camera the other day, I loved seeing photos from John and Olivia's little celebrations while they each visited us and I thought about everything that comes between their two birthdays in a person's life. John just celebrated his 91st birthday and Olivia will be 4 at the beginning of February. John can look back and Olivia doesn't even comprehend what it means to look ahead yet. By the time Olivia turns 91, so many of us will be long gone, but she will have a rich, full life behind her and many loved ones anxiously awaiting her arrival on the other side. When John turned 4, the world was a differnt place. It was 1924.

If you were around in 1924, then this is what was happening:

Ira and George Gershwin, along with Irving Berlin continued to dominate the music industry and Rhapsody in Blue is played for the very first time. (Rhapsody in Blue lives on and sounds as fresh as ever. Adam likes to play parts at our house.)

The IBM corporation was founded.

Calvin Coolidge was President.

The Indian Citizenship Act passed on June 2nd which confers citizenship on all Native Americans born within the United States.

California had both a Hoof and Mouth epidemic AND 25 people in LA die from Pneumonic Plague

The first regular airmail services started in the USA

A Ford Runabout cost $265. $85 extra for a starter (Could you start it without a starter?? I don't know.)

Eggs- .25/doz.

You could buy a 7 room home with garage and fruit orchard in Wisconsin for $5,200.

And for your listening a viewing pleasure from 1924 a recording of Sweet Georgia Brown:

Now, John's birthday...

What's your wish, John?

My dad and John

John and Annie

This is my mom with Elsie, John's older sister. Guess what?! She's going to be 100 in April!! I haven't met too many people who have been on the earth that long. We are going to party. We can hardly wait!

Now little Miss Olivia's Pre-Birthday...

And what does a 4 year old wish for I wonder?

Olivia's 2nd and 3rd birthdays are here and here.

Happy 4th Birthday, Olivia! Wishing you at least 87 more years of Birthday Wishes coming true.

Casey: Senior 2011

2011-01-21T08:40:00.001-07:00

Casey's stepmom, Laurie, who lives in Wisconsin wanted to give Casey her Senior pictures as a gift. When I met Casey, I felt the love that her step mom has for her and I knew immediately why she thinks Casey is so special. Casey is a beautiful girl, who exudes confidence, humility, sweetness and a sense of fun among other things. She is going to go far. She's been involved with theater in High School, but is thinking about going into medicine.

The possibilities are endless for a girl like Casey.

Hello?? What?!

2011-01-17T17:55:00.002-07:00

It's been nearly 6 months since I last blogged. I have wanted to many times. In fact, I've been in the middle of something and thought to myself, "This would make a good blog post." and that's as far as it got. I have missed blogging. A big part of my blogging is photos and that's really where I place the majority of the blame for the huge blogging gap. My camera and I kind of had a falling out. Totally my doing. My camera is not to blame.

My camera and I go way back. We have spent a lot of time together over the years. In fact we've spent so much time together that people question when I show up to an event and don't have my camera with me. We've taken vacations, gone on lunch dates, gone to weddings and funerals, birthday parties, concerts, hospitals, schools, hikes, walks, cooked together (it mostly watched), visited family, spent holidays together, even hung out when there was nothing in particular to do. Then, slowly I started spending less time with my camera. I started spending more time with school and homework. Even when I could bring my camera long, I started leaving it at home. I thought I didn't have time. I needed a little separation. It was a welcome break at first, but it's influence lingered. I found myself seeing the world through my camera even when it wasn't around and I started to miss it. Oh, we've still gotten together for special occasions and like the unselfish, loyal tree in The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, my camera is always there for me when I decide to turn my attention it's way. I've spent a little time going over some of the good times we've had together and I realized that we were a pretty good team. So, I'm slowly making my way back. We are rediscovering each other and I realize that I can't stay away too long.

Some of the things I like about my camera (in no particular order):

#1- I'm so familiar with it, but there are still things to learn about it.

#2-It helps me remember.

#3-It helps me focus on the simple things that I love.

#4- It helps me see things that I might have missed without it's company

#5-It doesn't mind playing second fiddle to my creativity and letting me get all the credit.

#6- It's low maintenance.

#7- It's dependable.

A few of the things my camera helped me remember in December:

Watched Poston's Da Capo sing at the Visitor's Center. Adam did great on his solo.

The temple behind a packed audience. After Adam's solo, I ran over to Mountain View High School...

for Emma's school's Winter Sing Concert. I love how random the kid's expressions are.

Emma's gift to Ben was the first gift under the tree. She wanted to get on it as soon as we drew names.

We made this cute wreath with the Activity Day Girls at church. Emma used hers to keep her "To Do" list.

This reminds me of why they say Christmas is for children. Emma looked around our house and made this Nativity for a teacher at school. I love the improvised Wise Men, Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, and the Shepherds, but the Sheep might be my favorite. Emma showed me that it doesn't take money to be thoughtful.

We sold our Suburban just before Christmas and bought my parent's Camry. I shed a few tears as I drove it to it's new owners. I miss the size, but not the gas $$. It served our family well for 10 years. *sniff*

Want to remember how cute Annie looked in front of the tree.

This is for my creative friend, Megan. I won the LOVE image on one of her blog giveaways and made this print on canvas out of it and love it. Thank you, Megan.

I love the cozy feel of my our house at Christmas.

Three Wise Men from Pre-school days and a candle topper that I don't put on a candle.
Also, my cute parents on their wedding day.

Many of our Christmas decorations remind me of people I associate with them. Angel: Lois, who made it. Ragedy Santa: Janet Turk, who gave it to us one year and one of my first nativities that I got through my good friend, Lynn.

This snowman is one of a pair and I love pulling them out every year.

I really appreciate the cards and greetings we receive every year, especially when we have been horrible about reciprocating. Thank you for sticking with us. We are grateful for your friendship. Your cards and photos hang on the wall separating the living room from the family room so we can look at them often.

I love this simple nativity.

I also love these stockings made by my talented friend, Lois. I also love that they make me think of her every time I look at them. The family tree is a new addition. We are the branch that veers off to the right on the top. It follows Brian's mom's line going back to William Ridley, who was born in England in 1732.

This Yule Goat sits on our computer cabinet and reminds me of my Swedish roots.

This is one of the few things that stays up year round. Thank you, Tracy, for being so thoughtful. A Swedish star light for my 40th birthday.

This wall makes me happy. A project that I did with my father-in-law over a year ago.
When I look at this photo I am grateful for Jim (the wall), Barb (the sewing machine) and my parents (the couch-their first couch). Part of the wall came from my friend, Diane's garage and the idea for it's design from her house, so thank you Diane M. for your contribution.

Found this cute sign last summer while visiting my brother and his family in CA.

This was from Bill and Rhonda, but it represents the kindness shown to us by so many of our wonderful, thoughtful friends and neighbors. We're so blessed.

Christmas has meant caramels for the past 25 years thanks to the best missionary companion a missionary could've asked for. Annette's friendship is one of the gifts my mission gave to me.

Swedish meatballs and cinnamon rolls come out of this loved little cookbook that I got from my Aunt Kerstin many years ago.

Even though the "season" is over, I hope to keep the spirit of Christmas with me throughout the year until it's time to climb up into the attic and pull down the decorations again. I am happy to reconnect with my camera AND my blog...and I plan on not being such a stranger, no matter what else I've got going.

Happy New Year!

(I am giving myself permission to do one more Christmas post before January is over.)

A family thread.

2010-07-24T10:14:00.003-07:00

A little while ago, my cousin posted a photo of our grandmother on Facebook and when I saw it, I was stunned. There, looking back at me was my grandmother with a camera looking so much like me! I wanted that photo, or at the very least a copy of it. She has been on my mind lately and the photo seemed to be her speaking to me from the dust. The last time I saw her was when my mom and I had the good fortune to travel back to Sweden together for my cousin's wedding in the summer of 1999.

(At the wedding)

A few days before my mom and I left Sweden we visited Langgarn, a small island that is part of Stockholm's archipelago. My grandmother's family had 3 cabins on the island that have eventually been passed down to my Uncles who live in Sweden. For fun, I was mowing the lawn at the middle cabin with a push mower while my grandmother sat and watched me, but pretty soon it felt like it was more than just watching me. She was memorizing me, absorbing me.

Finally, I stopped, went over to her and sat down beside her and said,

"I know what you're doing."

"What?"

"You are soaking me in because I'm leaving."

"Yes. You know that there are nine of you over there now."

She was referring to my family of six at the time and my parents and younger brother who all live here, in the United States. I realized then how much time she spent thinking about her family that lived an ocean away.

An hour or so later my mom and I walked down to the dock so my uncle to take us back to the mainland. My grandmother sat in a chair at the top of the pathway leading to the dock with another uncle standing at her side as she watched us walk away. She looked like a grand dame, sitting there watching me go. She was my last living grandparent, the matriarch of my father's side of the family. I am so grateful for such a clear memory of our last visit together. She passed away 3 months later. Our conversation became more poignant knowing it was our last one in this life.

My Aunt was nice enough to send a copy of the photo so here it is:

I love it! And this is also why I love photography. Photos enrich our memories and preserve them for future generations. What a treasure.

How do they do it?!

2010-07-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

You may wonder what this is. If you know, then I am impressed.

After being in the courtroom for two days, I couldn't help but wonder how the court reporter did her thing. I got a little closer look this morning, but still couldn't see how so few keys could allow her to record everything that was being said. I found the whole thing rather intriguing and often found myself staring at her typing and the narrow strip of paper that kept feeding through the machine. So tonight, while I am waiting to get sleepy, I decided to satisfy my curiosity. That's the great thing about the internet. You can find out just about anything. The above are the keys on a court reporter's machine and you can learn all about how it works here.

There...now I think I can go to sleep. One less thing to wonder about.

Scout Camp...Adam's home.

2010-06-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

Adam has been at Scout Camp all week and came home yesterday. Hooray! We missed him while he was gone. When Brian picked him up from his Scout Master's house he said, "Mom's got to get a picture of you!" Having sent many boys off to scout camp and seen what they look like when they come home, I wasn't surprised when I saw Adam. He was wearing his week of camp ALL over him from head to toe. I love that he is still such a boy. I keep telling him not to grow up.
First of all, his uniform is a little embarrassing for me as a mother and fills me with guilt. It's most likely NOT his shirt, but a hand me down from one of his brothers and I'm sure the rank patch isn't right AND notice the "chalk outline" of what was once a patch above his left pocket. It looks like it was "glued" on. It's not the only patch I have glued over the years. Eeek! BUT...he has a smile on his face and doesn't care about his uniform. I might get that right one of these days.

Aside from all of that, let's move in for a closer look....

What I'd like to point out here is the mustache. His fellow scouter and friend, John, told Brian that Adam had a mustache the entire week. I thought he took soap with him. Maybe it wasn't on the list.

The dirty, untucked, half unbuttoned shirt. The t-shirt underneath doesn't

look much better.

The shorts had to match the shirt. I asked him if he showered and he said, "No, but I jumped in the lake a couple of times, but that doesn't count." At least he changed his underwear.

He said he was the only one who got this many mosquito bites. Hmm...I guess we forgot the bug spray along with the soap. But seriously, with legs that cute, what bug wouldn't want to take a little bite?!

He came home with his watch, which I was very happy about since I borrow it

every other day.

They were up in Flagstaff at Camp Raymond, but fortunately not near the big fire.

Just stuff he came home with. I am kind of wondering about the two belts, since he was wearing one. I guess we have 3 scout belts now? Anybody missing one??

Basket Weaving and Woodcarving merit badges. Is it only a mom who would get all mushy looking at these little handiworks? I guess I just picture him sitting up there at camp, with his half buttoned, dirty shirt, mustached face and his grubby hands deep in concentration working on his little baskets and remembering the same boy at the age of 3 sitting on the floor of his grandma's house in his p.j. shirt and little boy underwear, deep in concentration with his coloring book and wonder where the time has gone. I guess he's not listening to me growing up anyhow.

Simon Goes to Camp

2010-06-24T18:16:00.001-07:00

We got to do a little road trip with just the girls to visit Simon up in Prescott yesterday: Emma, my mom and me. Simon is working as a counselor at Friendly Pines Camp. Brian's brother, Kevin runs it. It's a great camp; well-run. Simon looked camp-y and outdoorsy and is taking good care of all the little campers that come his way. We had lunch at Wildflower, shopped a little (sorry, Simon) and saw Toy Story3 in 3D, where my mom and I both caught a little catnap. I didn't want to sleep, but with 3 hours of sleep the night before not even TS3 could keep my peepers open. Still love that movie, though...and 3D glasses have improved a ton since the last time I saw a 3D movie.

Music to my ears.

2010-06-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

It's been such a long time since I've posted anything, but I'm just going to jump right back in. I finished my semester at MCC's Red Mountain campus and now I have the summer to play catch up on other things. I made new friends, loved being a student and had fun learning again in a school environment. Overall, I was happy with how the semester turned out. I could not have done it without the support of Brian. Thank you, thank you. He joked all semester that he was dating a college girl. I do still feel like a girl on the inside, so I was always surprised when I was reminded in one way or another that I might not be as young as I think I am. I was mistaken for a teacher on my first day in the cafeteria when they were trying to point me to the teacher's lounge! I met some great "kids" in my classes who are impressive and then there are the slackers who don't know how lucky they are to be in school. So that kept me very busy on top of everything else. Happy to have summer here.

Jon-Erik has been living in his own apartment with 1-2 other guys since January. It's fun when he drops by for a visit. He stopped by yesterday and said six words that are music to my ears, "Want to give me a haircut?" How about YES!!! I would love to. Let's go. Right now. Aside from the actual haircut, there are so many other nice things about this little ritual that goes way back for us. With just a few exceptions, I've always cut my kid's hair. When they were younger, they hated it. They thought it took SOOOOO long. "Are you done yet?!?" (Hey, I'm not a professional. I go at my own pace. Precision takes time.)

"Owww, you're digging!"

"Hold your head straight or I'm going to take a chunk out and you're not going to like that."

"Sit tall like a giraffe, please. Almost done."

"Just have to blend it."

"This is taking SOOOO long!!"

"We're almost done."

"Just think of how much money we're saving."

Sometimes I would threaten to take them to a real barber and for some reason that WAS a threat. I don't know why. I would have thought it would've been a treat for how much they complained about the job I was doing.

But now, it's different. They ask me for haircuts instead of the other way around and we get to talk and laugh and it's fun. I occasionally have to remind them to hold still or sit straight or explain that I'm almost done. So, when Jon-Erik asked me for a haircut yesterday, the haircut was the bonus, but the time we got to spend together was the real treat. We tried out some different "looks" along the way to help build up my haircutting portfolio.

Shmansome! I'm a sucker for short hair.

Dinner.

2010-04-06T11:46:00.038-07:00

This photo has been sitting on my desktop for a while, waiting for me to do something with it. It's been a month since I last posted something, so it was time. I have so many things in my "blog bucket" that I needed to put a little dent in it.

I enjoyed this dinner so much a while back, I had to take a photo of it. When I feel like I can't ever think of anything to cook, then I can look at this and be reminded that a little effort goes a long way. The Salmon patties are sold at Costco and are so versatile. I use them like I would a Salmon Filet. I've used them in tacos and just had 1/2 of one in a salad today. They do not taste like something processed, but actually satisfy my craving for fish. I made the risotto from leftover brown rice, adding diced yellow peppers, onions, dill, parmesan cheese and chicken broth. It was creamy and lowfat. The salad is also a Costco favorite: The Parisian. Love the dressing. My mom and I once ordered a whole box of the dressing we loved it so much. We had to take a break from it after that, but it's back on our list again. Time to get a little inspired about dinner again and make a little effort. Sometimes it's just going through the motions and other times it's a creative outlet. I'm ready for creative outlet. If you have any quick, easy ideas for dinner, send them my way. Would love to hear what's on your table for dinner.

Have a great day!

Cindy Standage: Country Singer

2010-03-02T16:02:00.003-07:00

Every day I think to myself, "I need to post something on my blog. It's been a while." And until today, that's as far as I got. I started school in January. I'm taking 10 credits at MCC @ Red Mountain: Sociology, Small Group Communication and Biology. 10 credits doesn't sound like much, but I feel like it's full time! I can't imagine taking more than that. It is more than enough AND has kept me very busy, so blogging has sadly fallen by the wayside. I'm working towards completing my pre-requisites for the Dental Hygiene program. After this semester, I'll have one more year to take 4 classes...science classes with labs. I might sound a little whiney, but I'm really loving it, even if my brain feels like I'm making it run a marathon nearly every day. No pain, no gain, right??

So, I am still doing photography jobs when time permits. One of those jobs was working with Cindy Standage. She has a new CD coming out. I believe it is printing as we speak and she wanted some images for her CD. What she wanted and what I do were a perfect fit. She has a fun personality, a lot of spunk and I would use the word "pizzazz." These were the images that she selected. I may add more later, but for now here they are:

She chose this one for the cover.

I love this kind of one on one shoot. So personal and fun. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Update on Cindy as of 4/7/2010: Her CD is now finished and can be previewed here. Congratulations, Cindy!

Olivia turns 3.

2010-02-07T21:00:00.001-07:00

My niece, Olivia, turned 3 last Friday and on Saturday she had a birthday party with a Princess theme. It's fun to look back on Olivia's birthdays and see how she has changed. For her 1st birthday, it was mostly family and she wore a cute outfit that stayed pretty crisp and clean. She was shy about all of the attention. On her 2nd birthday, she had a lot more people and bouncy house and didn't mind the attention, her parents still ran the show, deciding when they would open presents, etc., Her brother, Christopher was still growing in her mommy's tummy. Then this year her cute face was already smeared with stuff, her pigtails almost falling out and her knees scuffed by the time I got to the party. I love seeing her emerging independence. Opening presents was the first order of events, initiated by Miss Olivia, herself. Christopher was now part of the family and party. Olivia was a girl on the move, so I had a harder time catching her with my camera.

(Those cute little hamburgers are actually 2 vanilla wafers with a peppermint patty and green and red and yellow frosting for the condiments.)

Here is a collage of some of her guests, small and well, not so small.

The kids and even some of the grownups had fun bouncing in the bouncy house. I loved the pile of kids that came spilling out of it.

By the end when things started to quiet down, Olivia and her friend found a quiet corner in the bouncy house where they could play with some of her toys.

What do I love about Olivia at this age?

1. Her warm greeting whenever she sees us.

2. Her cute lisp and "w" sound that she makes for r's.

3. Her cheery nature.

4. Her independent streak.

5. Her hands and cute feet.

6. The determined look she gets on her face when she's doing something that requires concentration.

7. She makes me (and everyone else) feel loved and that is no small thing. I love being her Aunt.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Olivia!

Engagement: Austin & Niki

2010-02-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Austin and Niki are getting married next month. Photography by Jo is capturing their wedding. Jo is my good friend, who moved all the way up to Idaho last year. I love when I get a chance to work with her. I got to do Austin and Niki's Engagement session for Jo this past weekend. They picked the Tempe Center for the Arts as their location as they spend time together down there going for bike rides and walks along the water. They were a lot of fun to work with, relaxed with each other and pretty at ease in front of the camera. It's always fun to meet people and see if you share any common interests. We did! We all have an interest in the dental field. Our paths may cross again.

I'm so glad they brought their bikes.

Light Alfredo Sauce: A recipe for a rainy day

2010-01-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

What to serve with chicken that I cooked in my crockpot? I found this recipe for a Light Alfredo Sauce yesterday on sparkpeople.com (they include nutritional information, still checking it all out, but it looks interesting), a new website that I happened upon in my search. It got good reviews. It is a little thinner than more caloric recipes, but the flavor was still good. I followed the advice of one review and let it sit for a bit to thicken it up. I added a cup of uncooked spinach as a bed for the whole wheat pasta, chicken, mushrooms and alfredo sauce.

Light Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups skim milk 1 cup chicken broth 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden brown.

In a small saucepan, stir together milk, chicken broth, flour, salt and pepper over low heat until smooth and thick. Stir into garlic. Continue to cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Number of Servings: 8 - (1/3) cup servings or 6 (1/2) cup servings

And the finished product

This got great reviews from both Ben and Emma, which is saying a lot. Ben wanted seconds and Emma readily ate pasta and told me that she really liked it and that she liked it better than the red sauce. They skipped the spinach and the mushrooms, but either way, it's a winner.

Corey: Head shots

2010-01-27T22:53:00.001-07:00

Corey is studying music up at NAU. He has a beautiful tenor voice. He needed some head shots for an upcoming recital. Here are a few from our session.

Food, Glorious Food!

2010-01-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

I know it's cliche' to make New Year's resolutions regarding food and exercise, but I don't care. I welcomed it. I knew I was on a slippery slope and by the time January 1st rolled around I felt like I was so ready for a change. I don't think eating sugary foods for every meal can be a good thing. That was the day I said, "No more!" I had pushed myself to the edge. I had abused my relationship with food. I had cheapened it and lost respect for it. I was eating without thinking of the consequences. So, the first thing that I decided to do was a sugar detox. Nothing too scientific or regimented, just eliminate the desserts and candy...just for a day...and then for another day...and another...it wasn't even that hard to do. It felt great in fact. It boosted my confidence about other changes to come. I decided to get back to my Weight Watcher's way of eating and cooking. I joined Weight Watchers 4 years ago on January 16. I lost 20 lbs. and it felt great. (Yes, past tense...I got distracted by life and some of it came back...but I am still a believer.) I pulled out my WW stuff last week and got back to eating the way that I know is right and I feel more in control. My refrigerator went through a makeover, too. I cleaned it out to give it a fresh start. Food and I are starting to work things out. I feel like we're getting back in the groove and I'm loving it all over again, with greater respect for what kind I choose to associate with and put into my body.

Let me introduce you to some of my new (old) friends...

From top to bottom, L to R: (hiding on the top row) Better Than Bouillon, Trader Joe's Natural Peanut Butter, Light Coconut Milk, brown mushrooms, lemon (love 'em!), ginger, leftover yummies, spinach, leftover Thai chicken wrap filling**(recipe below), peanut sauce in the back**, chicken apple curry sauce that goes over rice. Some people don't eat leftovers. I am not one of them. I recycle them into something new and improved. Some of my kids see through this attempt at serving the same thing two nights in a row. Too bad.

Other things I have on hand: the bacon bits in a bag from Costco (so versatile...and a little goes a long way), cheese (I would rather use less real cheese and real butter than fat free or light), tomatoes, cilantro, lime, cucumbers, and beans among other things.

So now when I open my refrigerator, instead of standing there and staring and wondering, "What (yawn...) am I (yaaaawwwwn) going to fix for dinner??" I smile and say, "Oh, I can't wait to have you for dinner!" Fruits and vegetables have moved back home. My food world has color once again and I am so dang happy about it. I want you to feel what I'm feeling so I'm going to give you two recipes that you can get excited about and try. If you're not a big ethnic food person...change...and I mean right now. I'm not kidding. By the way, a taco from Taco Bell is NOT an ethnic food. There are so many good flavors out there just waiting for you to embrace them.

These recipes both have a Thai theme. Use the leftover peanut sauce on the wraps the next day. We had them both this week. The first one is from the Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites cook book (I saw this book at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. Would have bought it if I didn't already have it).

Thai Chicken Satay

(serves 6, normal portions)

Chicken marinade:

3 T. Asain fish sauce**
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. grated lime zest
1 T plus 1 tsp. lime juice
2 1/2 lbs chicken (cut into strips that you can either broil in oven or BBQ on skewers)

**(now don't you say, "Eww!" to the fish sauce...give it a chance. It's a seasoning, just like soy sauce)

Directions: Place marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag, mix, then add chicken and refrigerate from 1-6 hours, turning bag occasionally. If I had skewers I'd BBQ them as my first choice. You can also broil the whole breasts and then cut them up. Cook 6-8 minutes or until they look done, turning once.

Peanut Sauce

(serving size: 2 T)

Whisk together until smooth:

3/4 c. light coconut milk
6 T. creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 T. honey
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. fish sauce
2 T. lime juice
2 tsp. lime zest

(I like to heat the sauce up in the microwave before I serve it)

Serve with rice and asian salad. For salad try Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing on lettuce greens with orange slices, sliced almonds, cucumbers, green onions and tomatoes. So de-lish.

***********************************************

This next one I found on the internet.

Thai Chicken Wrap

recipe courtesy Rachel Ray on FoodNetwork.com

makes 4 BIG wraps

(I used leftover lean pork chops from the night before instead of chicken)

Ingredients:

3 (6 ounce) chicken breasts
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. grill seasoning (whatever you want)

(I would just throw this in the crock pot in the a.m.)

Salad:

1/2 seedless cucumber, halved and sliced thinly
2 c. fresh bean sprouts
1 c. shredded carrots
4 green onions, sliced in thin slices
12 fresh basil leaves (This is what go me excited!!)
3 T. chopped mint leaves (This just added to it!)
1 T. sesame seeds

mix and pour over salad:

2 tsp. sugar
2 T. rice vinegar or regular white vinegar
salt

Her spicy peanut sauce(did not try)besides, I love coconut milk instead of the oil:

1/4 c. room temp chunky peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice wine vinegar or regular vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. vegetable oil

Add cut up or pulled apart chicken to salad and divide into 4 servings on 4 (12-inch) tortilla wraps.

Pour 2 T. of leftover peanut sauce from night before on each wrap and then roll it up.

I used Clay Oven Baked whole wheat Lavash Bread, cut in half instead of the tortillas. I found them at Trader Joe's. They tasted lighter to me than a tortilla.

So, there you have it. These recipes are tried and true. I hope they add a little zip to your dinner menus.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy!

Cynthia

2010-01-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Cynthia attends ASU. She's applying for a job with Disney Channel and needed some headshots. I love doing headshots! They're like a little burst of energy. Speaking of little bursts, that could also describe Cynthia. She is cute as a button and I hope she gets that job with Disney!

Go get 'em, Cynthia!

It's not easy being green.

2010-01-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just get a food craving, and absolutely must satisfy it. I know what you're thinking and most of the time it's not chocolate.This time of year it's often times citrus. But, lately I've also been craving this delicious, but maybe not so beautiful soup that I can quickly whip up in my Vita-Mix™ blender (I love this machine!). I am the only one in my family who will eat this soup(their loss is my gain). The rest of them complain about the foamy-ness.(It does eventually go away) I also don't think they can get past the color. I admit, it is VERY green. But to me it says: LIFE. I like when food is vibrant. It also means that it wasn't sitting on the stove f.o.r.e.v.e.r and looking like you just pureed a can of peas! A mere 3-4 minutes in my blender and that's it. I think you can duplicate this on the stovetop if you put everything in a regular blender or food processor and then heat it on the stove, if needed. I don't know. Try it and let me know. Even though I had some just yesterday, I still want it again to day. Off to make some for lunch.

Cream of Spinach Soup
(2 servings)

1 cup spinach( I usually pack in more)
1 med tomato

1 thin slice onion or 4 green onions

1 rib celery (o.k. to skip)

1 chicken bouillon (I love Better Than Bouillon™ paste)

1 T. cornstarch

1 cup steaming skim or lowfat milk

1/4 cup swiss or cheddar cheese
**garnish with a little dollop of sour cream

Here's the bonus: 1 cup only has 125 calories.

(note: Costco sells a big jar of Better Than Bouillon™ .
Once you start using it, you'll need a big jar. It is the best.)

Go Green and try this soup. Hope you like it.

An Indian Princess Bride

2010-01-13T15:09:00.006-07:00

When I first met Farooq and Samreen, they looked like most other college students, dressed for comfort in jeans and sweatshirts. They were busy with work and school. Samreen was kind of quiet. She wore glasses. I couldn't really see what she would look like as a bride. Some weeks later when she stepped out of the car for our Portrait Session, I did a double take, you know the kind you see in the movies when a woman slowly exits a car with her long elegant leg leading the way and then the slow unveiling of the beautiful being attached to that leg. It was kind of like that with Samreen. She had been transformed into a beautiful Indian Princess. Farooq cleaned up pretty well, too, but Samreen stole the show. (I don't think Farooq minded one bit. She was his new bride and he loved her loveliness) Samreen is from India and Farooq's family is from Pakistan. They held their marriage in Chicago around Christmas time and one week later had their reception here in Phoenix.

This is my second Muslim wedding celebration. I thoroughly enjoyed the culture, the people and the food. I could go on and on about the food. It was Indian Cuisine and I think I have to vote it "Best Reception Food". Lynn, my second shooter, and I both are big food fans and adventurous eaters. In our enthusiasm over the dinner, we forgot to get a beautiful shot of the food. But, even without a visual reminder, I will not soon forget it. The Naan was oh so yummy. I could have eaten an embarrassingly huge amount, but I used restraint and besides had to get back to work!

Before their reception, Farooq, Samreen and I spent some time on the beautiful grounds of the LDS Temple. We picked the right day and had the place to ourselves. Samreen had the ability to be both elegant and cute. Her beautiful traditional Indian dress and veil were sent to her by her grandmother from India. The color was perfect and was a hint at the dress colors I would be seeing later that night.

Isn't she just stunning?

They are very cute together. Refreshingly innocent.

With the beadwork on the veil weighing it down, the veil needed some managing, which Samreen did beautifully.

The Henna tattoes on her hands and feet took about 5 hours to apply.

I couldn't decide between these two, so I'm including them both.

Before the reception started Samreen's mom helped her properly attach the veil so she wouldn't have to worry about it all evening. Her mom was also beautiful. I think you can pick up on her elegance just by her hands.

Friends of the Bride and Groom.

Close friends and family accompanied the couple into the reception hall for their Grand Entrance.

It was at this point that I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I think I really like Indian music!" I need to find out what song they were playing. I loved it.

These girls are just an example of the beauty of the people and the colors of their dresses. If I didn't stick out like a sore thumb in these clothes, I would seriously love to wear them.

In American wedding tradition, the Bride and the Groom cut the cake and feed each other a small piece of it. In Samreen's culture, they not only feed each other a piece of the cake, but it is also shared in like manner with various family members, so to these children watching this happening, they must have thought, "Everyone is getting cake except us!" I just thought the look on their faces was priceless. They did eventually get some cake, which, again, was delicious.

I have added to my circle of friends and feel that my life has been enriched by these new friendships. It was fun to be a part of Farooq and Samreen's wedding celebration and once again, I feel joy and hope in the commitment that marriage brings and wish them a life together that is, "Happily Ever After".

The Road...The Book

2010-01-11T16:29:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading The Road. It's the kind of book that I just need to talk about. Jon-Erik?? I admit, I read it with caution. I am a sensitive reader and don't like to be bombarded with things that my brain can't handle, things that don't necessarily make a story better, but are there to shock, at least shock me. The book was surprisingly clean. I think the movie manages to fill in the gaps for the audience and make it rated R. That is one of the reasons I will not be seeing the movie. TMI: Too Much Information. I loved the book, as painful as it was to read at times. I felt like the author wrote so simply and didn't go into graphic details with some of the horrific scenes that take place, but allowed the reader to imagine those scenes at his/her own level. I had to keep reading. I felt like if I didn't, the characters in the book might die in my absence. They couldn't possibly survive one more freezing night or day without food, if I put the book down. I wanted someone to tell me it was all going to be o.k. in the end, but I didn't dare ask Jon-Erik, because part of experiencing the story fully is the not knowing how it was going to go for the boy and his father. They didn't know. They could die and that would almost seem better than living after seeing what they must do to survive and how little there was to live for. I don't want to spoil it for anyone. The most I will give you is this description on the back of the book:

THE SEARING, POSTAPOCTALYPTIC NOVEL DESTINED TO BECOME CORMAC McMARTHY'S MASTERPIECE.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food--and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of it's vision, The Road is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

If anyone wants to do a book club with this book, I would love to. We can discuss it over lunch. Can you have a book club if you only meet once? I'm not asking for a long term commitment, just this book, this one time. Anyone interested??? I will gladly read it again and I recommend Thai food for our discussion, although I'm flexible on the food. Email me.

Just Catching Up: Baking and Bouncing

2010-01-07T23:13:00.007-07:00

O.k....I don't know if any of you do this, but I am so behind in blogging that I am going to take the liberty to back track. I just don't want to jump over things completely. First stop...the beginning of Christmas break. I started it on Dec. 18th and now I return to it:

This is my favorite break of the year. The weather is beautiful (here in AZ). It feels like we have weeks ahead of us. Christmas is just around the corner. As I write this I can hear my cute little backyard neighbor boys playing in their backyard and I'm reminded of days of the past when my then little boys played all kinds of make believe games outside and made use of every minute of our warmish winter wonderland in sunny CA. At this moment the house is quiet. All the boys are scattered here and there, doing their own thing with friends or work or Brian. Thank goodness I still have Emma to remind me what childhood is all about. She embodies zest for life. Along with that zest comes personality. I walked into her room the other day and found the following note written on her chalkboard:

I only like one

of the boys

in this house

and that is my dad!

A Bake Sale is a perfect fit for enterprising 9 year olds who are just itchin' to do something. They had the whole break ahead of them. It felt like summer with the potential for all kinds of fun. Emma had been wanting to make these jumbo cookies for days. Today was the perfect day.

The recipe was supposed to yield 8 cookies. I guess the word "jumbo" spoke to the little girls louder than the number 8. They decided to make ONE JUMBO cookie that ended up having to be baked in batches from the outside in due to it's expansive cookie mass. We would cut off the done parts and put the rest back in the oven until we finally reached the center. Eventually they ended up with a plate of uniquely shaped cookies. Crunchy but quite tasty, I must say. When it comes to cookies, looks aren't everything. The tablecloth was a homey touch.

I thought they would just go out to the corner of our cul-de-sac, but when I went to see how they were doing, I had to walk around 3 corners to find them! Not satisfied with the occasional passerby that our street offered, they took their product to a more populated location. Location is everything, you know. Here are some of the images from their very successful sale, thanks to generous friends and neighbors who patronized their little operation.

I just love her velvety skin and the Nissen trademark ear.

Gain the trust of potential customers with honest advertising.

Matthew's turn to attract business...and it worked!

The thrill of the sale!

The day was still young. What's the best way to celebrate after a successful cookie sale and you've still got energy left to burn?
Close up shop,divvy up the profits and find the nearest trampoline.

I love it! The world is their oyster and the possibilities are endless.

It's the last day of the year.

2009-12-31T16:33:00.001-07:00

I thought I would beat the "I'm going to start exercising on January 1st" rush and start exercising on the last day of this year. It actually started the day before when I hiked Camelback Mountain with my sister-in-law, Annika and some of our kids. It was hard and yes, I felt out of shape, but I didn't die like I did the last time I hiked Camelback in November. I decided I might try running this morning. I started by putting on exercise clothes (sometimes this is as far as I get), then I put on my watch, found my shuffle, put on my sunglasses, took some pics of me getting ready to exercise (this all took quite a while...maybe I was hoping that I wouldn't actually have any more time to run), then there was nothing left to do, but run, so off I went.

I am happy to report that I ran for 36 minutes...well, o.k., it was more of a jog, but the important thing to remember is that I kept moving and it felt o.k. I was encouraged. I think I'll try it again soon.

One + One =38 1/2

2009-12-01T12:53:00.002-07:00

Maurio & Dave

All from two people falling in love...

(I wish my blog was wide enough to accommodate this image, but you get the idea)

I just have to say how much I enjoy Maurio's friendship. Whenever I'm with her I get a two-fer...I enjoy her company and wisdom AND it's therapeutic at the same time. She and Dave are off to Chile' in January to serve an 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Can you imagine how monumental it was to get their entire family together for this photo? This was important to Maurio and I think it shows how much her family loves her. She truly fills the role of Matriarch. She's just awesome. Dave is awesome, too...and funny. They seem like a good team. I get a kick out of them together. The Chile', Concepcion Mission is going to love them. I'm so excited that our friend, MJ Roberts, is in the same mission.

I am thankful for...

2009-11-26T08:37:00.002-07:00

Just a note on Thanksgiving Day:

Thanksgiving is different this year in some ways. We're staying home. We normally go up to Prescott to celebrate with Brian's brother, Kevin, and his family, but Kevin's wife, Tracy, lost her dad earlier this fall and so she is spending Thanksgiving with her mom. Although we will miss seeing them this year, our hearts and prayers go out to Tracy, her family, her mom and siblings for their loss this year and the many others who celebrate this season without loved ones.

But, unlike Christmas, where things can, unfortunately, get confused, there is no mistaking that Thanksgiving is a day for Giving Thanks and one thing that doesn't change is Love of Family and the Turkey Trot. The Nissens are only being represented at the Turkey Trot by one this year...Emma. Next year will be my year, as I do so love the Turkey Trot and it's community-ness. This year my brush with a Turkey will be in the kitchen as we get to be host to family, which we also love.

Emma and her friend, Brittany, getting ready to leave for the Turkey Trot...and my sweet husband, Brian, taking them...

with his 1000 page Truman book, of course, until the race starts...just in case there's a little down time. I offered him my camera, but Truman won out. :-)

So, I am thankful for so much this year, that it is hard for me to even begin to make a list, but somewhere in there is my family & friends (near and far) who continually bless my life, paper towels (a luxury we could not afford for some time),prayer, the Gospel in my life with Christ at it's center, even trials that help me draw closer to the ones I love and remind me that God watches over all and is mindful of each one of us. I know that he is mindful of me. I am reminded of this daily in the little things...even paper towels, which we now have.

Maybe we will see you next year, little salt and pepper shakers left in their box this year in Prescott. Until then...I end with Emma's list of things she is thankful for.

food
God's creations
clothes
Earth
trees (air)
Gospel
life
body
water
family
knowledge
ability to move
Birth
medicine
sight
hearing
challenges
celestial kingdom
friends
teachers
blankets
soap
a home
cars
hands
feet
mouth
ears
eyes
nose
and each and everyone of our differences
talents
Eternity

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day with love, from me!

P.S. I just found out that Emma and Brittany got all pumped up to run the 10K instead of the 2 mile run!

Firas & Enas: Portrait Session

2009-11-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

I loved getting to know Firas and Enas and their families. Their reception was held at The Castle at Ashley Manor in September. Earlier in the day we went to the Castle for a quick portrait session. I thought that Firas and Enas looked like stars from a by gone era with a touch of glam. The night before the reception was a traditional Henna Party (coming up in a future blog...I'm a little backwards, I know.) although Enas' Henna tattoos were applied by an artist prior to the party. You can see the intricate designs below. Here are some of my faves from our session.

More to come!

Date Night & Emma

2009-11-21T23:43:00.002-07:00

We look forward to Date Night all week. We usually go out on Friday night. We love to go to the movies. We have our Harkins cups so we only have to pay $1 for a drink. Date night is supposed to be a time for just the two of us to have some time to ourselves sans children. Well, modern technology has made that a little trickier. Brian and I saw "2012" last night. (I admit we were desperate to see something. It was either "2012" or the ever popular "New Moon". We may have been desperate, but no movie is worth a line for me and definitely not for Brian.) If you go in with low expectations (which we did) and don't take it too seriousy (which we didn't) it was pretty entertaining and the special effects were fun to watch. Before we left I gave instructions for Emma to be in bed by 9 p.m. I really didn't even care if it was 10 so long as everyone was happy. We called her at 8:45 p.m., just before the movie started and said goodnight and how we wouldn't be able to talk to her now since the movie was about to begin. "O.k.", she said. "I'm just going to finish watching my movie and then I'll go to bed.", she said. Twenty minutes later, we got our first phone call. It was less disturbing to answer the phone quietly than to climb over people to get out and talk. She has called in tears before, so we answered. It could've been an emergency...but it wasn't.

Us: "Hello...Emma? Is everything o.k.?"
Emma: "Hi! Watcha doin!?"
Us: "Emma, we can't talk to you right now. Bye."

She called 6 or 7 more times. It may sound unfeeling, but I ignored them, knowing she was o.k. and just feeling chatty and she obviously was completely disregarding my 9 p.m. bedtime request from earlier in the evening. She called a last time right when we got into the car to drive home...it was 11:45 p.m.! She said, "Call me when you get to Gilbert Rd." I said, "O.k." Why not?? Why was she still up, anyhow?? I did call her at Gilbert Rd. and the 60. Adam answered and told me she was asleep, but the phone kind of woke her up. Oops.

She left us this note on the door.

She still loved us, even though we ignored her calls. It was nearly midnight when she finally fell asleep...with the lights still on in her room. Hey, it's hard work waiting up for mom and dad. She nearly made it.

Oh, Emma...our little Eveready Bunny.

I kissed her goodnight and turned off the light.

The next day (today) I explained to her that when it's our Date Night and we're in a movie, she can't call us all the time. Then it stops being a Date Night and it also disturbs the people around us. Phone calls are only for emergencies. She said, "Well, can I text you then?!" "Uh...No...not that either." We'll see how she does next week.

On the topic of dates: On Friday, Emma told me in the morning, "Sometimes when I'm in school, I miss Dad, so we're having our own date tomorrow...First, we're going to do my assigned room, then we're going to read scriptures, then write in our journals and then go to Q.T." This was Emma's plan for her date with her Dad. So this morning, after cleaning, Brian and Emma went on their little date, just the two of them and I didn't call or text them one time! Now that's a date!

Now that's how you do business!

2009-11-19T14:48:00.001-07:00

I was already a fan of Dunn Edwards Paint, but now I'm REALLY a fan!

If you treat me right, I will shout it from the rooftops and you'll probably be my friend for life. I'm not going to waste words on what happens if you don't treat me right...but let's just say that I don't think you'll be getting a Christmas card from me anytime soon.

Back to my little shout out about Dunn Edwards paint: I think the quality of their paint is outstanding. It goes on smooth and dries even smoother. I had such great results painting the wainscoting in my hall bathroom with it a few years back that it actually made me excited about painting. Well, the opportunity has presented itself with a current little project I'm doing. I can actually use the same paint as the bathroom. I am painting a wall of wainscoting in my living room that my father-in-law (Jimbo) helped me hang recently. (I am loving it and will take photos when it's finished!) So, I get everything prepped and taped and ready to go. I even took the paint down to the store yesterday to have them really shake it up good. When I opened it this morning, it seemed good, but just a little thick. I didn't remember it being quite so thick, but I thought, "Well, it is good quality paint so it's not going to be thin." I started painting the edges and I could just tell that it was too thick, even for quality paint. That back of the can said you can add a little water to improve the consistency, so I drive back down to the D.E. store on Southern and Gibert Rd. I just wanted them to mix in a little water to thin it out, but I wanted them to use their turbo charged mixer so it was a thorough mix job. Kevin, the manager, came out and talked with me about my situation and told them to mix up a brand new gallon of paint for me. My can was 3 years old, but well preserved, but he did not make me feel like he was doing anything more than taking care of the customer. I just love when companies care! Now I am a Double Fan of Dunn Edwards and will pay the extra for great paint and great service. Thank you Dunn Edwards for making my day. I'm off to paint!!

It's a little thing.

2009-11-18T16:51:00.002-07:00

While driving around this morning, running errands, I listened to the Diane Rehm show on NPR. Diane was doing an interview with Joshua Bell (you can listen to the segment and hear the interesting story about his violin on Diane's link), the world famous violinist. Joshua Bell has been on my radar lately, after receiving an email containing the story of him playing incognito in the Washington DC Metro Station in 2007. He talked about his new album, "At home with friends". He plays duets with a variety of people from Marvin Hamlisch to Rachmaninov (through innovative technology (Zenph re-performance) they were able to isolate Rachmaninov's piano playing from a previous duet and Joshua played with the recording...it was moving and amazing). I felt so enlightened. The music, the story...it gave me a little burst of joy and I found myself getting teary as I drove home from my errands. I love those moments. It made me feel grateful for other things, like for instance: WD-40. It's a little thing, I know, but we have not had WD-40 at our house for years (I don't know why) and I bought a can yesterday ( with the new and improved "smart straw") and immediately started smart strawing my way through my house applying it to anything that squeaked, even wishing for more squeaky things just so I could de-squeak them. I had years of de-squeaking to catch up on. It brought me such pleasure. Why did I wait so long?! Now if I could only WD-40 my neighbor's dogs that wake me up with their incessant barking every morning between 4-5 a.m. How can their owners sleep through it??

Olivia & Christopher: Love 'em!

2009-11-10T00:14:00.003-07:00

One advantage to being the oldest in a family is that your younger siblings are still having children when you have stopped, thereby giving a person (like me) a much needed outlet to having little people around when her own little people have gotten bigger. Hooray for being an Aunt! I just love these little peeps.

A Side Note: The other thing that I am pretty excited about, that I just found today is that I can skip the middle man in uploading photos to my blog because Google has now made some much needed changes for people like me to upload photos. When I say "people like me", I mean people who couldn't just upload from their desktop or computer for whatever reason AND who also want larger photos on their blog. You can make your photos larger right here on your blog. I do still size them in Photoshop, but I can just upload directly from my desktop! I may be the last person on the planet to know this, but I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Maybe I'll be a little better at blogging more frequently now that there is one less step.

Here's How to do it:

Select Customize.

Then Settings.

Next the Basics tab.

On the Basics page, scroll down to the bottom until you get to Global Settings.

Underneath Global Settings, look at "Select post editor" and

Select "Updated editor". It has the latest features.

The uploader for photos is much better and much more compatible with mac...at least with my mac AND it gives you the option to select the size of your photos underneath the photo after it is uploaded, so I chose the largest on this post to see what it would give me and it worked out great. I DO size my photos in photoshop first for my blog, but I was never able to go from my computer to the blog without first going to Photobucket and copying the HTML code for the photo. Now, I don't even have to deal with the HTML. Hooray! Let me know how it works for you. Good Luck!

Roxxi, Van & Marley

2009-11-06T10:17:00.004-07:00

Roxxi and I met in a photography class at MCC. We just happened to be sitting next to each other in the front row. That front row seating arrangement grew into a friendship. Roxxi has so many talents: photography, hair, sewing, just to name a few. Roxxi was just barely pregnant with Marley when we met and this week I finally got to meet Marley in person. She is just barely a year old and already such a busy little muffin. She was pretty steady on her feet since she's already been walking for a few months, so she had no trouble running away from us. She kept us moving. We met in down town Gilbert, which is a place I love. It was fun to spend some time with them.

For some reason this one is just one of my favorites.

Marley was too busy doing her thing to be all that interested in me, so I had to snatch eye contact when I could.

How did Roxxi ever fix her hair like that?! So cute.

With all of Roxxi's creativity, I think that Van is her match as a Handyman. I've seen the projects he's tackled at home on their blog. I'm pretty impressed.

They're a good fit.

Oh, there she goes!

A pause for Marley. She was starting to run out of gas. Time to fill her up.

Their eyes are on their little sweet pea.

Roxxi, such a beauty. Another friend that photography has brought into my life. :-)

More Scorpion fun at our house.

2009-10-20T22:11:00.002-07:00

Well, some of the people at our house seem to have a thing for scorpions and we have plenty of them around should we want to play with them or even cook them and eat them. In fact they are so common that I don't even jump when I turn on the bathroom light at night AFTER I am already in there and find a scorpion on the floor not two feet from my own two feet. I simply look for the nearest weapon...in this case the spine of a very thick book, Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader.( It's a good read. I learned that Michael Jordan is afraid of swimming. It's loaded with lots of other interesting stuff like that, including: more than 90% of Egypt is desert. Betcha didn't know that?!) Then I say a quick good-bye and whack it so hard that it's outer shell separated from whatever was on the inside. They are very resilient, so a light tap is completely out of the question.

Another scorpion encounter...also in the dark:

The other night I came into the dark kitchen and saw a lone cereal bowl sitting on the counter. I peer inside, a little surprised to see a scorpion crawling around in there. I didn't feel entirely comfy with this, so I stuck it in the freezer. Apparently, they don't like the cold. I guess that's why you don't find scorpions in Minnesota.

Jon-Erik, likes them the most and will gladly take you scorpion hunting if you happen to be at our house after dark. All you need is a black light, a pair of tongs or tweezers and something to put them in:

I, personally, would never do this!

No Way!

The next thing that they did was cook and eat them. (You can find out how to do this on the internet, if you want to try this before scorpion season comes to a close) Barbeque sauce was the seasoning of choice. I DO like BBQ sauce, but not even that would entice me...but Adam was game...

It seemed like a good idea earlier.

He gave it a two thumbs up or maybe that's a, "I'm o.k., Mom." but I think one was probably enough. I did not hear him ask for seconds.

Christy & Jason: Destination Wedding

2009-10-07T11:22:00.005-07:00

Christy and Jason wanted a destination wedding, so they chose Arizona! I'm so glad they did. I met them a couple of days before the wedding, to get acquainted with each other and them with my camera. They and their guests were staying at the beautiful Hyatt Resort at Gainy Ranch in Scottsdale. It didn't take long to see that they are a perfect fit...two puzzle pieces who finally found each other. They looked like a fairytale couple: Jason, the tall, handsome Prince and Christy, the beautiful, sweet Princess. I don't mean to simplify them in this way, but I thought they made a striking couple...and on top of that, they were extremely nice to work with. They had an intimate wedding with a party of 34 made up of family and close friends. With such a cozy, intimate wedding, I felt like over the course of the day, I got to meet everyone and even get to know them a little. There was a lot of love. It had a very personal feel. But...more about their wedding in an upcoming post. I just wanted to share some of my favorite shots from our first meeting last week.

I loved this next series...

More to come from their wedding, which was held at The Royal Palms Resort and Spa.

Brian & Michelle: Wedding

2009-09-15T21:28:00.002-07:00

You know it's true love when a couple decides to get married in AZ in the humidest (just made that up-it just sounded more humid than "most humid") part of our very hot AZ summer. Brian and Michelle are definitely in love with their August wedding!

I've decided that my heart is like a little filing cabinet and one of the folders in my filing cabinet has to be the couples I get to know as I photograph their weddings. Brian and Michelle, you're in there. I'm sticking Michelle's mom in there, too. We really clicked. Our eyeballs operate on the same "tear frequency".

So here are some pics surrounding their wedding day. They were sealed in the Mesa,AZ Temple in the middle of August. We actually lucked out with the weather...humid, yes, but it was also a tad cooler with the slightly overcast skies. A fair trade.

I had a feeling these boys were up to something...

Michelle with her cute sisters and below with all of her siblings. I would like to take credit for their giggles...but their dad was doing something that I did not get to see...but whatever it was, it worked.

The reception was held at Crackers and Co. in Mesa. The owner, Veronika Luko, worked with the Bride and her family to personalize it. The food was prepared fresh, on the spot by their chef, Cliff Weir and was delicious, I might add. I always like to be able to give a personal endorsement of food served at weddings. It was a great location for a reception, and one I would recommend. They are normally open for breakfast and lunch, so there is no conflict for the dinner/reception hour.

The beautiful cake was designed by Melody Larsen, and flowers by Michelle Zakanis of Michelle's Floral Design LLC 480.325.5585

I love how kids always find something to entertain themselves. They were totally into this.

The Bride saying good-bye to her parents is always a touching moment for me.

I have a feeling that they will live happily ever after! Happy Wedding Day,

Brian and Michelle. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

I, too, remember.

2009-09-11T22:12:00.005-07:00

I couldn't let this day end without posting some photos from a trip I got to take last summer to New York and a few I found on the internet as a contrast to what I saw last summer. Where was I when September 11th became 9-11? We were living in CA at the time. I was at the YMCA on a Stairmaster watching it all unfold on one of the t.v.'s. I'm sure you remember where you were, too. (Photo Credits: Any photos without my logo were taken by someone else. Wish they were mine, but they aren't.)

I never got to see the Towers in person.

This looks like a war zone. I still can't fathom it.

This is what it looked like last summer.

Ground Zero

The new skyline:

Still standing is right.

"Fourth Grade...Here I Come!"

2009-09-04T10:13:00.005-07:00

I'm a little behind with this, since our kids started school way back on August 12th, which I thought was crazy until August 12 and it felt o.k. Everyone was actually o.k. with being back in school. You can always tell when it's time. And without realizing it, it was time.

For the last 2 years I have been on Franklin's FPO. It's like the PTA at most schools. I was the Historian. As part of being on the board, I didn't have to wait in line to register to find out which teachers my kids got. This year, I had to wait in line. It all went smoothly. After signing up for my 2 committees, paying my fee, checking Emma's bus route, etc., I went to the final line to find out which teacher Emma would spending fourth grade with. All the registration stuff happened in the cafeteria. The teacher "Reveal" happened in the office. By this time I had been standing in line outside, and also signed a petition to let the kids wear knee length shorts to school (don't even get me started on this topic...it's my one biggest complaint about the school that I otherwise am very happy with). So with being hot and bothered, I was feeling a little grumbly by the time that I got to the Principal, who was handing out teacher assignments. She told me Emma was in Mrs. Griner's class and lo and behold, my Grumblies instantly went away and I felt like we had just won the grand prize, in fact I didn't care if the kids had to wear insulated snow suits year round! Mrs. Griner, really?? That is awesome! Ben had Mrs. Griner five years ago and ever since, I have wanted my kids to have her. She is great. She has that teacher "it" factor, if you know what I mean. She looks for ways to enrich and expand on what the school/district requires her to teach.

It was going to be a good year. I couldn't wait to go home and tell Emma.

On Meet The Teacher Day, we curled Emma's hair. She wore some of her new clothes and we headed down to Room 10 to meet her teacher, find her desk and the goodies that Mrs. Griner always has waiting for them. It was a bonus that some of her good friends were also in her class. Yay!! So, here we go:

I'm not sure that teachers realize how much it means to the students that the teacher likes them. Kids pick up on their vibe. Even in Jr. High, it makes a huge difference. Mrs. Griner sends off a good vibe. Can't you feel the love?!

Here's Emma's desk.

Guess how many fuzz balls are in the Jar?

Read the instructions on what to do next. I didn't know this was called a Venn diagram. I learned something new...and then promptly forgot it until I looked at this photo again!

Looking around the room.

The Job Chart.

Emma informed me that the person who is assigned "Door" as a job gets to hold the key and unlock the door!! Translation: That is a big deal!

Yay, McKenzie is in her class. LOVE those dimples, McKenzie! Seriously...I could eat a scoop of my favorite icecream(Breyer's Vanilla Bean) out of those awesome dimples!!

Oh, how Emma loves those babies!

Nothing like a brand new box of crayons!! So many possibilities...and no broken tips.

And so we are ready for another year at Franklin, even if they can't wear shorts!! I will not give up on that. Some things just aren't meant to stay the same.

Let's talk about Football

2009-09-02T09:10:00.004-07:00

I know this seems like an unlikely subject for me. I don't know much about it. I didn't grow up with brothers who played football(my brothers played soccer and tennis). I have never gotten into watching football games on t.v. and up until this year, none of my boys have played football...so when Ben decided last spring that he was going to play Freshman football this fall, we thought, "Hmm...that will be an interesting and new experience for us." He practiced through the summer. Reminder: It's REALLY hot here in the summer! How they could get those boys out there to run and sweat and do push-ups and whatever else they did, is beyond me. Then a few weeks ago they got their helmets and pads, etc. This was a big deal, as up until this time they have just been practicing in their uniformed black shorts and white t-shirts, white socks and football cleats. I got the feeling that putting on all the "stuff" added a new level of grunting. Kind of like soldiers training with all of their gear. I think it weeded out a few more kids. This is what happens with football...you don't get kicked off the team, you get weeded out by the workouts.

Last night we went to our first game: Poston vs. Smith. They played at Skyline, which, by the way, is WAY the heck out there!! I should not have chosen this night to explore the new 202 S freeway as a means of getting there quicker. The score was 0-0 for most of the game, then around 4 1/2 minutes to go (which means 30 in real time), Poston scored their first touchdown (I almost said "goal", that's how little I know.). They missed the extra point making the score 6-0. They got one more touchdown with the extra point this time ending the game at 13-0. I spent a good amount of time looking for #34, that's Ben's #. He was one of 30-40 players standing on the sidelines for the 2 1/2 hour game. He missed Saturday's practice for our annual ward camp out...so that scratched him from the game last night. He has never played football until this summer. I don't know if he will ever set foot on the field to actually play in a game. So, this brings me to the question: Why do these boys go out for the football team, knowing that the majority of them will never play in a game?? I don't really get it. The water boys get more action than the majority of the football players. Is it a love for the game?? Being on a team?? I was thinking about this as I drove Ben to school yesterday morning. All the football players wore their jerseys to school. As Ben got out of the car near the portables a smallish, guessing 7th grade boy said, "Hey, Football Guy." Was there a little admiration in his voice...a little awe, maybe? (Ben didn't hear it. I asked him later.) Did that make it all worth it? To wear the jersey at school where everyone was an equal and none of the kids see who is on or off the field, you're just ON the team?...I don't know.

I have to admit, that I am partial to running. Everyone on the team runs. No one stands on the sideline after practicing all week with the team. Some of my favorite moments from Jon-Erik's years of running cross-country and track have been the wins and close runs with rivals of course, but I'll also remember the young man who came in last at the Doug Conely Invitational in Tempe a few years ago. Cross Country spectators stay 'til the last man comes in. You might have thought in this particular race that this young many came in first with the encouraging cheers and applause that came from the sidelines. Maybe he had to work even harder than the guy who came in first. He wasn't a natural born runner, but he was out there...DOING IT. That was one of those moments that made my eyes well up. If you have ever tried to run, let alone run in this blasted AZ heat...it is HARD!! But it doesn't stop people from doing it. (A personal side note: It has kept me from putting my running shoes on, though.) With running, there is a place, even for the underdog...

So back to football for a second...I loved seeing Ben in his uniform. It was fun to see the boys play. Congrats to Poston on their win. By the end of the season I may have a few jersey numbers memorized. I hope Ben gets to play sometime in the season...that's what he's there for, what he hopes to do, too. But in the meantime, wearing that uniform represents the hours of practice that he and his fellow teammates have put in for months leading up to this first game and what they continue to put in each week during the season. There is a chance that Ben could play. He is fast...but there is a chance that it may not happen, but we'll be at the games either way to cheer the team on. I'm a newbie to being a football mom. We'll see how my feelings evolve. Maybe by the end of the season I'll find a reason to shed a tear or two.

(Sorry no pics from the actual game...I forgot my camera.)

Lighting Their Fires

2009-09-01T09:35:00.007-07:00

Brian called me last Tuesday and said he had just heard an interview on NPR with a 5th grade teacher, Rafe Esquith, who teaches in an inner-city elementary school in L.A. Rafe has been teaching at Hobart Elementary for 27 years in Room 56. He was speaking at Changing Hands Bookstore that evening as part of a book signing for his latest book, Lighting Their Fires. Brian had two tickets. I had the beginning of a headache, but decided to go along. It was, after all, a date with my husband.

Rafe (and I feel completely fine calling him by his first name...he is that approachable) brought along 7 of his students, current and former, ranging in age from 10-12. He spoke for a bit and then he presented his students, who performed Shakespeare for a captivated audience of about 75 people. I had never heard of Rafe Esqutih before, but now I will never forget him and the experience I had that evening, even through what became a splitting headache. I am almost finished with his book. It is the kind of book that is a gift that keeps on giving, because of all of the great suggestions in it. It also made me very grateful for the teachers that my kids have had over the years who cared and who were able to think outside the box themselves and tap into my kid's minds and appreciate them for who they were and what they could become...Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Edick (talk about great things coming in small packages-Wow!), Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Snyder, Mrs. Pindt, Mrs. Griner...to name a handful. As I look at the list, many of them are English teachers, which doesn't surprise me. They went beyond what they were contracted to do and raised the bar of expectation. "Lighting Their Fires" is written for parents in response to feedback Rafe got from parents to his previous book, "Teach Like Your Hair Is On Fire". Here is a blurb I found online describing the book:

Using amazing and inspiring classroom techniques, Rafe Esquith has helped thousands of children learn to maximize their potential. In Lighting Their Fires, Esquith highlights concepts that help children build character and develop enriching lives. From the importance of time management to decision-making skills, Esquith shows how parents can equip their kids with all the tools they need to find success and have fun in the process.

During the Question & Answer period, someone asked him why the students call him by his first name. He said it was 1992 and he was feeling like giving up, he was feeling very discouraged. His wife told him one night that maybe he needed to reread, "To Kill A Mockingbird". He thought about Atticus Finch and Scout asking him if they were going to win and he had to tell her, "No." But he went into court as if it was possible and that resonated with Rafe. He became Rafe to his students. Like Atticus, he meets failure every day and knows he is not going to win every time, but he does not give up the fight. He said he does not fear drugs and gangs for his students, he fears mediocrity. 90% of the students at Hobart Elementary School live below poverty level. Nearly all of the students have English as their second language.

Check out the links. You'll be glad you did. It's great to feel inspired these days and hopeful that some of the things you've chosen to do over the years were for a reason that you couldn't quite put your finger on at the time. A BIG THANK YOU to all of the GREAT TEACHERS out there who are not recognized on a national level, but are making a difference one day at a time, one child at a time.

Disclaimer: It is only right that I forewarn you that this book has 2 places in it where some bad language appears. It is the 4-letter word (without giving it any more attention than that). It appears in the retelling of dialogue that is overheard at the baseball game that Rafe and 5 of his students attended during the evening the book takes place. I wish it wasn't in there because I know that it will keep some people from reading a very worthwhile book and I don't like being exposed to foul language myself so it's always jarring when I am. As an adult, I recognize that I am much more sheltered from bad language than my kids probably are in school, unfortunately. So there you have it. mn.

Disclaimer, Part 2: I just finished the book...and yes, I got teary. I also read something that I thought explained why he may have included the conversations where the language occurred. Quoted from pg. 165 in the book: "We can never shield our kids completely from unpleasantness, but we can use the example of what's wrong in the world to show them how to make things right. That's why I take children to a game even when I know there's a good chance we'll be surrounded by boors. We have to be the change."

Firas & Enas: Engagement Session

2009-08-27T15:58:00.003-07:00

So, one of the fun things about photography is how it connects people who may not otherwise have had that opportunity. Firas and Enas are two people who I met in a serendipitous way through a mutual new friend. They are from Palestine and are a lovely and cute couple who are sealing their love in just a few weeks. I am excited to be a part of their traditional Henna Party the night before the wedding and looking forward to all the festivities that go along with them celebrating their union. Here are some photos from our recent engagement session.

There was a slight learning curve on my part with Firas and Enas's names. For a while I kept calling Firas "Firnas". I realized my mistake eventually, but apparently it became a joke between them. I told them I was merely trying to combine their names like they do with the rich and famous: Bennifer, Branjelina, Firnas...see? Looking forward to seeing them again in a few weeks.