Photography by Annie

Photographing a One Year Old

2012-01-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

Now that this little girl is over one year old, life is getting a little bit more predictable and I can get a full night of sleep nearly every night. This has two effects that totally contradict each other:
1. I am excited for full use of my brain and body again, which has been working on disrupted sleep and sharing nutrients with another being for over a year now...actually, closer to 2 years if you count being pregnant.
2. I have an almost overwhelming desire to have another baby.
Silly isn't it?
For now, this little feisty child is just like her sisters. Determined and demanding of my attention. It's a good thing she's so lovely :)

Family Photo Swap

2011-11-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, who is also a photography hobbyist, and I have decided to periodically do a family photo trade so that we can both be more on the ball about being in front of the camera once in a while, instead of always behind.

We decided to do this a little too late in the season, but are determined to have at least one family photo this year. They braved the snowy cold day as bravely as anybody could, but I think I only ended up snapping 10-12 photos and of those came out with 4 that are decent because this family is so lovely. Here are my 2 favorites:

Photos for Friends

2011-11-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting some photos that I took for a friend almost a month ago. I couldn't pick a few favorites, so you get a picture overload of many of my favorites. This little Man of theirs was one of the cutest kids I have ever photographed! Thanks for asking me to take your photos guys!

I Am One Lucky Girl!

2011-10-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

Some more of Baby V

2011-08-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of little tiny:

Family Reunion

2011-08-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

My family had a reunion last week. It was the first time we had all been together in over 6 years. My family is enjoyably crazy. I love it! I do wish that we had had more time to just sit together and talk, but with all of the little ones running all over it was hard to have much down time.
My siblings did ask me to take some photos for them while we were up at the cabin. Here are a bunch of my favorites:

Sneaky Peaky

2011-08-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

My cousin brought her tiny, new, sweet baby girl up to my house so we could try to get some photos of her before she gets...well...not tiny. She is just 5 days old. Here is a sneak peak of this little dolly:

It was so fun! I wish I had more backgrounds to add color, but it still was so fun! Thanks Kate!

My 9 month Baby Girl!

2011-08-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

After your input....

2011-08-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of the input! I don't own Photoshop (and I wouldn't have the first clue how to use it if I did) so, it took me a little while to figure out how to make the fixes that you suggested in Lightroom, but this is the final product. I did like the clouds in the other one, but I liked Julie's suggestion with the trees being bigger. I am just hoping that it has enough area to wrap it on a canvas. I will be printing it as a TIFF file and of course, the watermark will be removed :)

What do you think? Any other changes?

Temple Square

2011-08-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

For months now, we have been meaning to go downtown to temple square so I could attempt to get a photo of the Salt Lake temple...where we were married 8 years ago. Yesterday was the day we had time. I was a bit weary of the weather because it was quite stormy, but we thought we would risk it anyway. It paid off big time! The sky was glorious and we only got a few sprinkles on us. It began pouring after we left....It was meant to be :)
Here are few shots from our trip:

Now, I know the two shots below are very similar, but I need your input. Which one do you like better? I plan to print one of these images onto a large wrapped canvas and display it in my home above my piano. I can't decide which one I like better. What do you think?

Just a couple more

2011-07-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the rest of my friends' photos. This baby is lovely! Those cheeks! That fuzzy hair! What a little angel on earth :)

Sweet Baby Girl

2011-07-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had her first little girl a few weeks ago. She was 11 lbs.! Came out with chubby cheeks and a full head of dark hair. So cute! I was privileged to be able to take a few photos of her in her home. Here are a few that I have had time to post-process. Isn't she gorgeous? It makes me want another little squirt, except right now I am listening to my baby girl try to go back to sleep after being woken by the annoying fireworks. Babies are adorable for a reason....they are a lot of work and we need that cute-factor as payoff for all that we put in to taking care of them. I will post some more photos of this sweet baby girl when I have a chance. Enjoy!

Back in Action!

2011-07-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have decided to try taking photos for other families again. I still feel so un-qualified to do so, but I learn something new every time and it pushes me out of my comfort zone, so I keep doing it.
This family is friends with my sister and were so laid back and easy to work with. I don't know if I have ever photographed such well-behaved children.
I didn't rent a fancy lens this time, just used my lens that I purchased last year and it did a pretty good job. I still prefer the fancy lens, of course, for it's speed and open-ness, but this saved everyone a little cash.
I shot the photos in RAW, which I hadn't done before...I don't know why? I did have some issues when I imported the RAW files into Lightroom. There was this layer of noise on all of my photos. I have not had this problem before....ever. I still don't know what I did wrong (anybody?), but I'm thankful that Lightroom has a noise reduction option, or I would be a total stress case.

Here are a few images that I captured. Not perfect, but like I said...I am always learning:

8 months already!

2011-06-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Crazy! I wish these little ones didn't grow so quickly, even though it is exciting and I'm getting a bit more sleep. She already looks like a little girl because of her crazy amount of hair. The camera loves her!

Can't Get Enough

2011-05-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

It has been rainy and cold here for the past week...in Utah!!! We've had very few days of warmth this month. Isn't it supposed to be a desert here? Not so much. It is quite lush out now. It is beautiful. Now that we might have a break in between storms, I need to get out and take some photos of all of the green-ness.
For now, I really can't get enough of this little one. She is nearly 7 months and is still my nuggle-bug.

Finally!!!

2011-04-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally sprung here in the beautiful Salt Lake Valley! Tulips are anxiously popping out and grass is greening up. Our back yard has yet to receive it's first cut and is beginning to jungle-ize, but the weather has been wet and dreary most days with bits of sun here and there...just enough to have the husband cut the front lawn and help weed and mulch the front flower beds. Bring on Spring!!! I am ready...have been for a while now.

My Daughter's Eyes

2011-03-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

Capturing Moments/Don't Judge Me

2011-03-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

My sweet and wild 2 year old is highly attached to three things: me, her binki, and her "Sheepy".
I wanted to capture her in this stage with 2 of those favorite things.

PS. Don't judge me. Yes, I still let her have her binki, but just in her bed. I can't bring myself to take it from her yet. She has had a lot of changes in her little world and still has more to come.

Photo Tip

2011-03-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

One of my goals this year is to push myself in photography, to become more confident. I am intimidated by indoor photography. My comfort zone is outside in a shaded area. I like natural lighting, but it is difficult to get enough light indoors to produce a good photo. Well, the winters are long here. I am indoors A LOT with my babies and it's high time I try to make the most of it.
So, I will pass along a tip that I read in another blog and tried this past weekend.
**Stick your subject by any north facing windows, blinds pulled, and curtains drawn open. This light works best when your subject is facing the window, as to avoid shadows.**
Sounds simple enough, right? Give it a try. See what happens.
Oh, by the way, these are two of my three beautiful girls. I get to experiment on them a lot more than my oldest because she is in school.

Lightroom 3 !!!!

2011-03-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

I did it...I forked out my personal "mad" money for the Lightroom 3 upgrade. I ordered it from Amazon because it was a whole $6.00 cheaper and I didn't have to pay for shipping. I'll take it.
It arrived today. Yippee!!
Helped hubsters put kiddies to bed, sent him off to watch the basketball game with our brother in law, sat down with my laptop to install the new upgrade.....oh crud!!! I forgot that my CD drive on my laptop has stopped working.
How am I supposed to install the update without a working CD drive reader (I think that is the correct technical name for it ;) ) ????
The hubsters should be home soon. He is the technical (smarty-pants) in this partnership...maybe he can find a solution for me...or, maybe this is the direction I have slowly been heading: a new laptop.

By the way, I am watching the abc 20/20 special on the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. How awful! I will be praying for those who have been affected by this massive disaster.
It really puts things in to perspective, doesn't it?

*Update: yes, I'm kind of an air-head when it comes to this technical stuff...I just had to enter the serial number in from my disc and it licensed my existing file. Saaaweeet!

Admiration

2011-03-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

I recently came across a photography blog that I am enthralled with. Mostly because my goal as an aspiring photographer is to take great photos of my own family...especially my children. This woman matches my style completely (as of now).
I just don't know how to get from where I am now (feeling stuck) to there. My main problem: metering. I can't seem to get my subjects exposed perfectly without over-exposing the background. Is there some sort of trick I am missing? Is it just a matter of trial and error?
My other problem: I don't use Photoshop. Just Lightroom. Is this holding me back as well?
Help! I need a swift kick in the pants with photography. How do I get from here to there?

(And, just because posts are much more interesting with photos...here is one of my oldest...nearly one year ago....she is growing up way too fast!)

Working on it...or, Working it!

2011-02-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for the year is to work on some aspect of photography every Friday. Why Friday?? Only because the words "photography" and "Friday" both begin with the same sound. It helps me remember to do it, seeing as I am working with a brain that is cram-packed with routines, ideas, random information, and useless dribble...as well as still running on interrupted sleep and a shorter supply of brain cells due to nursing. That is why.
Anyway, last Friday was actually warm enough to be outside. Still wearing jackets and coats, but the sun was shining and we thought maybe Spring had arrived early. The kids were out enjoying their new-found freedom, and I busted out the Canon and snapped a few in full sun.
Full sun is always challenging for me. Harsh light and lack of confidence shooting on full-manual makes me rely too much on the "P" setting. Thank heavens for Lightroom and digital photography for a amateur like me who cannot devote a lot of time to learning what my camera and lens are fully capable of.
It is a process, and I am enjoying the process and am determined to keep moving onward and upward and challenge myself to try new things throughout the year.
Maybe someday I will get "there". Whatever "there" may be.

PS. There is a new post on the family blog: www.rasbandfam.blogspot.com
Let me know if you need an invite.

Contest

2011-02-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

So, there is a local photographer who is having a cutest baby/kid contest on her Facebook page. The winner gets a free family photo session and a CD of all of the photos taken.
I do happen to think I have the cutest kids around (I am a bit biased though), and we really need family photos taken. I have yet to hang a family photo in my home (one of my goals for this year) So, I entered my littlest into the contest.
It really is a contest to see who can get the most people to go to the photographers Facebook page and like the photo.
So, could you be a peach and do this for me? Pretty please?
Just go to this link:
Fauset Photography FB
Then, you have to "like" her page.
Then, just "like" the photo of my littlest one (it is the photo that I posted just below this post).
That's it!
It would be awesome if we won. We really need a new family photo since I am always the one behind the camera and I am not even close to being "professional". I have actually NEVER won anything in my life....that I can recall anyway. This would be a great first!
Please vote!

Seriously Sweet

2011-01-26T21:45:00.000-08:00

My little one continues to get cuter every day. I think her hair is growing even longer! She is now 3 months, and I am starting to get back into the swing of things. So, hopefully, I will make more time for photography. I decided to download the new version of Lightroom and save up for it while I am using the free trial...see, how I am working the system (and the budget ). It really is incredible and can do so much more than Lightroom 1. I am loving it!

Dilema

2011-01-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

I just happen to have a little Christmas cash left over and I have a minor dilemma. Should I upgrade my PS Lightroom 1.4 program to the new and improved Lightroom 3, or should i purchase this lens?
Neither one is a necessity by any means, but I have wanted each of these for a while now without being able to justify (in my cheap mind) purchasing them. Both are around the same price and would help me to learn more about photography.
What would you do?

Delightful!

2011-01-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was delightful...how about you? It has been so fun to watch my girls together. They are becoming such good friends....and they're cute, to boot!

Photography Goals for 2011

2011-01-03T14:51:00.001-08:00

1. Learn More

2. Print More

3. Frame More

4. Post More

This Means Trouble

2010-12-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is my sweet 2 year old who loves to make trouble, but can also melt my heart in an instant. She is growing up way too fast!

The lighting was really low when I took this photo. It is amazing that the sun starts setting around 4 pm and it is way too cold for a wimp like me to go outside for better lighting. So, these photos aren't as well lit or as rich in color as I would like, but they work. Plus, she was hamming it up for me, so these are definitely worth sharing.

Sunshine, On a Cloudy Day

2010-12-21T23:30:00.001-08:00

A Blessing

2010-12-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little one was blessed at our church by her Daddy this past Sunday. She wore the dress that her great grandmother was blessed in. It was lovely.

Bedroom Re-Do

2010-11-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is my 6 year old's room before:

This is her room now: (for more photos and a better description, visit our family blog...the link is on the side-bar of this blog).

2010-11-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Here she is. Reason #3 that I am such a slacker with photography lately. She's totally worth it though...all my girls are.

BFF

2010-10-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ha! I think that phrase 'BFF' is hilariously corny. I actually took some photos this week of somebody other than my kids....are you proud? You should be....I am ;)
My life-long friend, Sara, called and asked if I could meet her someplace and snap a few quick family shots for her. I am 39 weeks pregnant and playing the waiting game, so this was a good distraction.
She wanted her photos in B&W because of an existing family photo wall she has in her home. I edited them in color and B&W just for some variety.
It was literally a 20 min. escapade of trying to fight the wind and getting the kids to cooperate. She has such a gorgeous family that I knew we couldn't go wrong no matter how it all went down. Here are just a couple of the favorites. Thanks Sara! I hope you like them.

Crafty Pants

2010-09-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

My uber-creative Sister In Law, Summer, has a great blog that more people should know about so I am just posting a link to her page even though it has nothing to do with photography. This girl can CREATE. She just completed an AMAZING headboard. Go check it out!
http://summerized.blogspot.com/
I wish I had the time to create, but for now my time and energy is being used to create people :)
Someday I will spend more time expanding my very limited knowledge and experience with photography as well as creating some crafty crap that I am always dreaming up in my head .
And I'm okay with that :)

Wild Utah

2010-08-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

Our little family of 4 went up to our favorite canyon in July. Normally, in the middle of July, this canyon is in full bloom. We were slightly disappointed to find out that it was running behind due to the colder, spring weather lasting 3 weeks longer than usual. So, we I don't have photos of fields of colorful wildflowers, but did catch a few that were the early bloomers. I tested out the macro setting on my new lens and it seems to be working just fine :)
By the way, this state that we are lucky to live in sure has a lot of beauty to offer. What are your favorite places to visit here? Or, if we haven't had the pleasure of your company here, where would you like to visit sometime?

Few and Far Between

2010-08-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

I realize that I don't post on here very often. I'm sure there aren't many people paying attention anyway, but sometimes I feel a twinge of guilt over this fact. I think it is a summer thing, or maybe a pregnancy thing. I don't get out to take photos as often as I normally would. I am thinking this will change as summer comes to an end, things slow down and I am forced to be inside more due to the cold weather. Who knows? For now, thanks for checking up on me (if you do)....I will return soon.

Birthday's Are Great!

2010-07-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

My smokin' hot husband got me a new lens for my birthday! I am already loving it. It is my first lens, other than the kit lens that came with my camera. And although it is not an L-series lens (or any other lens that I could never justify purchasing, but drool over when rented,) it has made me very happy and continues to impress. I am looking forward to getting out and using it.
Here is one image of my 5-year old sweetheart that posed for some of my practice:

Confession

2010-06-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have a small confession to make. I haven't printed photos in almost two years. Other than a few to hang on the wall. In fact, I look around my house and for having an interest/ hobby for photography, my walls are barren. I can count on one hand the number of photos that I have taken, printed, and hung.
Why, you ask? I don't know.
Sometimes, it is the money. Other times it is the fear that when I print my photos, they won't turn out the way I have envisioned.
The sad thing is that I have a massive stockpile of photos that are just sitting in Lightroom waiting to be printed and smacked into our the girls photo albums.
I am overwhelmed with attacking this project of organizing the photos and actually printing them. Where do I start? Do I print the most recent photos and work backwards, or try to figure out where I left off and work forward?
What do you do to keep your photos organized and remember to print them? I need some inspiration/direction.

Macro

2010-06-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

I don't get to use a macro setting very often, but it is kind of fun to snap a few when I have a chance. It really requires a steady hand. Pretty cool though.

My Sisters Sweet Family

2010-06-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Put to Good Use

2010-05-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

It was a blustery day...

2010-05-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

My cute Auntie asked me to take their family photos last week. It just turned out to be incredibly windy and cold while we were shooting. It is not apparent in the photos, but all of the girls (including me) were shivering. That sunshine can be deceiving!
Of course, my favorites were of my gorgeous cousin who is a Senior and wanted some senior photos before she graduates. My comfort zone is definitely having one subject. I have a lot to learn when it comes to shooting groups. Practicing helps, but I have a long way to go.

A Few More

2010-04-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

It was easy to photograph these two. Adults are so much more cooperative than children...for the most part. It was fun. Thanks Matt & Carrie!
ps. All of my photos are mine. So, don't copy them without my permission. Thanks!

More to come

2010-04-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

I am slowly working my way through the engagement photos that I shot for my cousin and his gorgeous sweetheart this past weekend. Here is a sneak peak.

It's been a while

2010-03-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

These are two of my favorite people...my parents. What a great looking pair! This was taken right in their backyard, with my standard kit lens. Not my favorite lens. In fact, it drives me nuts most of the time, but it's the only thing I've got right now, so I make it work.
I just haven't posted something in a while because the weather has been horrible until recently and I have been horrible about picking up my camera amongst all of the sickness in our home. I am also a hermit in the winter because I HATE being cold, so I avoid it at all costs. I really should live in California or something, but alas...all the grandparents are here. So, here we will stay.
I am anxious for the warmer weather and have already been asked to do some engagement photos (a first for me) for my cousin and some family photos for my Aunt and for my sister. So, the warmer weather brings more opportunity to pick up the camera and get back into the swing of things.
My anti-flash tip for the day, get outside and stick your subject in some great shade. It does wonders....even with a stinky, kit lens.

Turn Your Flash OFF

2010-02-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun little tip: The next time you have a birthday party, before the candles are blown out, turn off your flash and all the lights in the room and let the candles do the "talking" if you will.
It creates a great glow and communicates more than just a standard photo....don't you think?

Great Link!

2010-01-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

I still feel like a beginner photographer in so many ways. Probably because I don't have the time or means to be as involved with photography as I would like to be someday. For now, I'll just keep shooting when I can ( I definitely need to be better at this!) and keep learning from my many mistakes.

For you other "beginners" out there, here is a great link that I came across randomly:
http://allbowerpower.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/shoot-me/

I think I will break down and make myself spend money on a new lens. I have had my eye on this one for a while, but I am wondering if I should start out with one of the lenses suggested in the link. The Canon 50 mm 1.8 (only $100), or the Canon 100mm 2.0 (a little more pricey).

Any input on what lens I should start out with on a small budget?

By the way, the following little squirts are what keep me so busy, but that is fine with me. That should be priority #1, right?

Grrrr....

2010-01-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

I took some photos tonight for some family members. It was a big group. I rented the lens that I always rent, I shot it in RAW, the ISO was set at 100, and I had it on one-shot focusing. I just uploaded the photos to Lightroom 3. THEY ARE GRAINY!!!! WHY??? Grrrr....
They don't look fuzzy until I zoom in, but I know that they aren't crystal clear like I know they SHOULD be. What did I do wrong? And, what do I do now?
HELP!!!

'Tis the Season

2009-12-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

2009-11-22T21:29:00.003-08:00

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Family Photo

2009-11-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

This is us. I posted this on our private family blog, but didn't realize that I didn't post it here. Woopsie daisy! This is my sweet family of 4 that seems to be growing faster than I can keep up. I didn't take this photo....obviously. My Dad was kind enough to let me get it all set up and have him take a whack at it. He did a great job! We are loving life and can't believe that it is nearly Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday, by the way).
ps. We just found out that my little brother and his wife are expecting triplets!! Any pointers on photographing triplets would be more than welcome. I am already making plans to have them in front of the lens. Fun Fun!

Family #2

2009-11-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

These are some shots that I took of the second family from last weekend. We were lucky/blessed to have about an hour in between rain storms to be able to get these done. Different location, and different feel than the others, but I was happy with the results...hopefully, they were as well. What do y'all think? (yeah, our time in Texas did rub off on me a little ;) )

Beautiful little girl!

Don't you love this one? The girls are all perfect, and the little stud is all "This is lame".

What a great looking family!

I had to convince Miss A to let me take one without her glasses, but she insisted on the no-teeth smile. Turned out sweet though.

Working Woman

2009-10-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

I feel like a working woman lately with people calling and asking to squeeze in family photos before it gets too late. I still think it is funny that people want me to take their photos. I try to comply when I can though and this past weekend was no exception. Two family photo shoots on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I am done with my first family. They are a great (and beautiful!) family that live in our ward. Thanks Kale! I hope you like them. Here a few for y'all to see.

It's killing me

2009-10-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my little squirt has grown so much! I found these photos hiding amongst the hundreds of photos waiting to be printed (a major undertaking that I have yet to attempt....this year). This is when she was just learning how to sit up on her own. I think it was May-ish. It's killing me to see her toothless grin and her bright, wide eyes. Even her little "stork-bites" that used to bother me are now fading and looking at these makes me miss them.And, going...
Going...
(the photo above is slightly blurred, but I didn't care. I love her expression.)

GONE!

That's it. I can't take it anymore.

Teaser

2009-09-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I took some photos for an old roommate of mine from Rick's. It has been about 9 years since I've seen her and she looks almost exactly the same. Pretty impressive for a mother of 3! Three real cute kiddos at that. It was really great to see them and be able to spend some time catching up and getting some family photos for them. A HUGE thanks to my friend Stacy for filling in as my assistant. I am sure Jeremy was relieved to have a break
Here are a few of my favorites:

Thanks for your patience with these, Suzanne. CD will be in the mail soon. I hope you like them!

A Different Angle

2009-09-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

I don't get to experiment with my photography as much as I would like, since motherhood is a full-time job that I feel completely immersed in at this time. And I am happy with that choice...very happy. But, I have tried to take opportunities (or make them) to improve my photography skills while being so immersed.

If you wonder how to make your photos more interesting, just try different angles. It is amazing how much a different angle can make in the exact same setting, with the same subject.

(Not the greatest photos to follow, but the subject overshadows the quality...right?)Classic, front angle. Cute girl...Kind of predictable photo.

Side angle...a little more interesting, I think.

Ahh, isn't that nice?
This was my third and final shot for this experiment. I quit while I was ahead.

So, next time you pull your camera out, try a few different angles and see what you come up with. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Chubber bubs

2009-09-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is my insanely cute nephew. My only sister delivered her first son (after having 2 girls) scared out of her wits to have a boy. That is all forgotten. She is completely smitten. Who wouldn't be??
This kid can pack a punch. He is 3 weeks younger than my little princess and weighs at least 5 pounds more and is probably a good 2 inches longer than she is. He's a lover though, not a fighter....at least for now.

Messing with Macro

2009-08-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

The lens that I often rent for taking portraits has a macro setting, which I had not messed with....until now. I don't have it down perfectly, but I was AMAZED by the detail that the macro can capture. Check it out! Oh, and this is the beauty of an awesome lens...completely blurred background. Beautiful!

Just Curious

2009-08-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

I am just curious to find out who keeps checking this photo blog that is from St. Louis, Missouri. I cannot think of anybody in particular that I know, so I am wondering who my frequent visitor is. Leave a comment and fill me in, please :)

Family photos

2009-07-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the family photos. My friend, Rob, took the photos of our whole family and the shots of Jer and I and I edited them. I took the photos of the girls.
I was so happy to get some family photos! It is hard to get me in the picture these days instead of behind the camera. What do you think?

I couldn't resist

2009-07-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

My friend, Rob, and I did a family photo swap in which we each took eachother's family photos. We just copied the raw photos, untouched and gave them to the other so we could edit our own family photos. I think it worked out pretty well. Of course, I couldn't resist editing Rob's photos in my own way. I hope you don't mind, Rob! Here is my interpretation:

The moment you've all been waiting for...

2009-07-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well, not really, but I know that my dear Sister in law, Summer, has been very patiently waiting for me to post a few photos from our "fun shoot". So, here is something to satisfy your sweet, photo tooth...at least for the moment.

Hello Hottie! Work it!

We had fun doing these, and I had fun messing around with different color settings. What do y'all think of the really bright effect?

My nephew is quite the animated little fellow. He kept pulling the greatest faces. Check it out above!
A more subdued look for this little man.

ps. I know I posted a lot of photos, but it's for my brother and his wifey. Can you tell I had fun messing around with different color treatments?

Side note

2009-07-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

I did some photos for my Sister in law's family reunion last weekend. It was the largest group I have ever done (around 30 people I think), but I was very happy with the results. Here are a few samples:

*As always people, these images are copyrighted, so don't copy them or print them without my permission, okay? Thanks! I appreciate ya and all ya do.

I am still working on editing the photos from the fun shoot with my brother and his family.....more to come (be patient, Summer...I know it's hard!)

Teaser

2009-07-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

We did a second round with my brother and his cute family.
This is a teaser of things to come:

A few more

2009-07-06T12:21:00.001-07:00

Man, this week has been crazy! I just finished the photos for the first session with my brother and his family. Here are a few more in B&W and an "aged" treatment:

Preview

2009-07-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

My brother and his family have been in town for a while. He just finished dental school and stopped her for a while before they get settled in Oregon. My "graduation gift" to him was to take some family photos for he and his cute family. Here are a few that I have finished.

Peonies

2009-06-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

I planted 3 Peonie bushes in one of my front flower beds this year. I decided to add these gorgeous plants to my yard after staring longingly at my neighbor's mature bushes that have been in bloom for weeks. I know we're told not to covet our neighbors things, but hey....now I don't have to.
Here is my first bloom that I cut from one of the three bushes. The scent of these makes me want to fill my yard with all of the different varieties. I think I will.

ps. if you're wondering how I was able to get such a black background...my kitchen table is black. It is becoming quite handy.

Baby Blues

2009-06-13T10:45:00.001-07:00

I have been blessed to have 2 beautiful little girls. Both of them have these crisp blue eyes that are as wide open as they can get all the time. I guess she is making sure she doesn't miss anything.

Spring Has Arrived!

2009-05-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

Can you guess where my sister took me on Wednesday? It was a perfectly beautiful day!

Self Explanatory

2009-04-22T12:06:00.001-07:00

Blue Eyes

2009-04-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Jeremy took this one. Impressive! I just darkened the background a little (I wish I could get it all the way black!) and saturated the colors a little. Very nice work, Jeremy. Isn't she adorable, by the way? She is growing so fast!

Kinda cool

2009-04-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

This happened on accident. We were trying to take a picture of the two of us by holding the camera out in front of us. We didn't realize the it was zoomed in. So, this what we got. What do you think?

Another Favorite

2009-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

I am on a Black and White kick lately, and i only have photos of my kids these days. I need to take a couple of hours and go try to be creative with the camera, but I don' t have a couple of hours to spare. So, I take photos of my girls. I think they make great subjects though.

And....here you go

2009-03-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

My sister blessed her baby boy 2 Sunday's ago. She asked me to take some photos for her, so I rented my favorite lens and had a great time with it. I also had my Dad take a few of my own family with me actually in the photos, a rarity. Here are some shots of my sisters family and her adorable little boy.

o

Preview

2009-03-06T15:09:00.001-08:00

Here is a preview of good things to come....when I have a chance to finish editing the rest of them. For more family photos, check out our private family blog. www.rasbandfam.blogspot.com

More babies

2009-02-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

My sister had her first boy after having two girls. He was born about 3 weeks after my little one, and came out looking like a football player. He came out eating like one too. My poor milk-machine of a sister! He is all boy.
Anyway, my sister asked me to snap a few shots of him while they were over one day. Nothing fancy, but I thought I would share a couple because he is so cute.

"Aged" Action

2009-01-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

In Lightroom, there is one action setting called "Aged Photo". I tried it for this photo...what do you think? By the way, isn't she adorable? She is growing way too fast.

New Subject

2009-01-19T07:16:00.001-08:00

Which photo of our little peanut do you like best?

If you haven't heard...

2008-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

She's here! We finally have our little peanut. Click on the link to our family blog to view some pictures. We will post more soon.
www.rasbandfam.blogspot.com
ps. if you can't get in, just e-mail me or leave me a comment and I can send you an invite.

Better option

2008-12-13T20:16:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted, but life is crazy this time of year as I'm sure you all know and it has not been top priority for me while prepping for this baby and Christmas. The good news is that our Family Blog is pretty much ready to go.
I was trying to figure out whose e-mail addresses I have and don't have and thought it might just be a better idea if you send me your e-mail address in the comment section, or to my e-mail which is andrearasband@yahoo.com This is if you want to be invited to our private family blog and you haven't already sent me your e-mail address.
Searching for every single e-mail address seemed a lot more time consuming and so not appealing.
So, if you could help me out with that, it would make me very happy:) Thanks!

Funny Kids

2008-11-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

I just thought I should record this before I forget since my memory is not very reliable these days.
We were having FHE on Monday and I was in charge of the lesson. I was teaching about reverence. I asked Eden, "What are we supposed to think about when we are trying to be reverent at church or during a prayer?"
Eden's response: "You think about Jesus. Not the park."

Another funny thing happened with when I was teaching sharing time in Junior Primary on Sunday.
I asked the question, "Why do we have Thanksgiving?"
A very anxious and excited little girl raised her hand and responded, "So we can have Christmas!!"

Ha Ha! Kids are seriously so hilarious.

By the way, while I'm thinking of it, if you haven't picked up the new nursery manual (for those of you with young children,) it is a great FHE guide. You can also print the lessons off of the church website.

Family Blog

2008-11-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have been talking about doing this for a while and I am finally going to follow through with my plan to create a separate family blog. So, I will have my photo blog for my photography stuff that doesn't really have to do with our family, and then have my photo blog. I have always felt a little weird about posting personal things on a public photo blog, but wanted people to be able to see my photos so that i could get input on how to improve.
The big change is that Jeremy and I will both be contributors to the family blog. Now, I make no promises that Jeremy will post a lot. In fact I will be pleasantly surprised if or when he does, but at least he will have the option and i won't have to always feel like I need to send pics out or post.
Anyway, we will be making the new family blog private. So, if you would like to be able to view it, just comment on here and i should have your e-mail. If I don't have your e-mail (or if you're not sure if I do,) just send it to: andrearasband@yahoo.com and I will put you on the list. Ha! I feel so powerful.
We won't be sending out invites until the blog is ready to go, but we are hoping to get it all ready before baby #2 joins our family.

Giving in

2008-11-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to give in and post photos from Halloween. I just kept seeing all of your posts with cute Halloween pics. and finally decided to join you. So, here are some pics of Eden in her costume. She insisted on being a pink fairy. All pink. My Mom put her costume together. She reveled in in it. Jeremy took her trick or treating on Halloween night along with my brother and his little girl (the lady-bug). There is nothing more exciting to Eden than costumes (the non-creepy kind) and candy.

Baby 'B' Preview

2008-11-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

When it rains, it pours. I haven't had anybody ask me to take pictures for them for a while. Then, in one week, I've had 3 calls for families. Crazy! I couldn't decide at first if I was up for it, but then decided "Heck(that's right...I'm from Utah), why not?" I am very happy that I did. I learn something new every time.
The first session was with a 2-week old baby boy whose family lives in my neighborhood. We had to break it into two separate sessions because little 'B' got tired of us messing with him, then decided he was hungry. It worked out really well though and I am excited to get the rest of the shots processed. Here are a couple of previews.
By the way, does anybody out there want to give me directions on how to put text on a photo that is to be posted? I knew how to do this in Elements, but am wondering if it is possible in Lightroom. Also, when I post the coloring on the blog looks different (less vibrant) than it does in Lightroom. Does anybody know why this is? If you know how to fix either of these, please fill me in. Thanks!

Artsy-fartsy

2008-10-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

My friend and fellow amateur photographer, Rob, put together a little "photo walk" last weekend. We walked around main street down town and just took photos of whatever we wanted. It was really good for me because I don't feel like i am naturally creative, so i have to force myself to try new things and figure out what works and doesn't work. It was great and i feel like I got a few decent shots. If you want to see all of my favorites you can go to this flickr link. You should check out Rob's page as well (click on his name above). He and his wife are both naturally creative and artistic. So, they have some really great shots that they have posted.

Progress

2008-10-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm down to the single digits now. 9 weeks left. Crazy! Although, I feel like this is about as big as I got at 9 months with Eden. I think my belly button would concur as well. Poor little thing has practically disappeared. This little peanut is just as active, if not more so, as Eden was in the womb. Of course, her most active time is when i am attempting to fall asleep in the evening. I will say that Tums are my new best friend. The heartburn has not been bad by any means, but definitely present. With my first pregnancy, I was mega paranoid about ingesting anything that you could purchase in the pharmacy section of your local grocer...don't ask why(....those crazy first time Mom's are full of all sorts of ideas). I decided to step outside of my little coo-coo box and try tums to help alleviate the minor discomfort in my throat. And guess what....it worked! Shocking, I know.
Anyway, we have been working on projects around the house to not only prepare for this new little squirt, but also to try to beat the cold weather and improve our surroundings a little at a time. Jeremy takes on the larger projects and puts up with my "suggestions" while I try to get things organized. Jeremy finished painting the nursery. Pink, of course. We weren't able to do much of a nursery when Eden was a baby because we lived in an apartment, and Jer was still in school. Back in the day, we budgeted $10 a month for "personal spending money". Needless to say, there wasn't much left over for baby decor.
So, it has been fun this time around to be able to do that. As you can see, it is going to be a very girly room. We chose Pink and White as our overall colors with a little bit of green and black for accents. We have yet to really decorate, but have made progress by finishing the painting and putting the crib together.
Jer's Mom made peanut#2 (yes, we are still trying to agree on a name) a beautiful blanket/quilt that matches the bedding perfectly. Thanks, Diane!
This picture of me is at 30 weeks. Is it just me, or do I look large? Honestly, it is hard to believe that she still has 9 more weeks to grow...I think I'm in trouble.

And it's only 9:30!

2008-10-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

I know that most blogs out there report all of the wonderful and fun things that we do with our children and what a perfect day it's been, blah blah blah. Well, let's be honest...we all have our "bad -Mom moments" (as my sister calls them) when we are glad nobody is watching or moments that could be used as an example on Super-Nanny of "what not to do as a parent of a toddler". Today seems to be one of those days.
Why do I get sucked in to arguing with my my 3 year old about whether or not she can put "more" sugar in her cereal because she "can't see the sugar!!!!" ? Why does 'no' mean "just keep asking because you know that your mother is a major push-over. So, if you are persistent and whiny enough, then she'll eventually give in to prevent losing her mind over sugar".
I've inherited this push-over trait from my father who used to always get coerced into taking 6 kids + friends to the candy store , and upon returning home would pout to my Mom, "Why do you let them do this to me?" We knew if Mom said 'no', don't even think about asking again. If my Dad said 'no', it was just an invitation to be more convincing with your pleas until he gave in. Poor guy. I feel for you, Dad. I am completely guilty of this. It's one of those moments in time in which you're now living the wish that your own mother had for you as a child and would announce, "I hope that you have a little girl just like you someday." What does Oprah call it? A "full-circle moment".
It's been one of those days and.... crud! It's only 9:30!! I think I'll call Jer now and see if he can get off of work early.

Stuck in a moment

2008-10-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Lately, Eden has been finding things around the house (or in this case...the garage) that we used when she was a baby. She can't quite convince herself that being a "big girl" is the best way to go. I'm sure this has something to do with our expecting little squirt #2 in a couple of months. She will find binki's in the baby things and suck on them....which is ironic because she wouldn't have anything to do with them as a baby. She has tested out all of the baby toys and figured out all of their uses whether they were intended to be used in certain ways or not. Most recently, she found the baby swing and decided to test it out. She intended to head over to our big tree to give it a try. She never made it, seeing as she got in the swing prior to it being hung. What a goof ball!

Out of Character

2008-09-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! I just realized that this is the third post this week. Very much out of character for me. I just figured that i should post some shots that I took of Eden while we were out with Emily. This little stink would not look at my camera though. I don't know what her deal was. I also had to fight against the "perma-grin", which is her fake smile that she pulls out when she needs to smile. Don't get me wrong, it's cute, but not a very natural look. I was only able to get a couple of decent shots of her. Oh well...that's a 3 year old for you. The last one I included just because it was kind of cool. Also, for some reason, the photos seem darker on the blog post than in Lightroom....I don't know why.

Growing Fast

2008-09-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, Emily, was in town again for a little visit. So, of course we took advantage of that and took her little girl out for a little photo shoot. If you check this blog regularly, you'll remember her and her cute chubby cheeks. She is growing so fast now though. Walking and going going going. She is such a sweet little girl. Always so happy. It was great to have Emily it town again, especially because we were able to get together a number of times to just hang out. Thanks, Em! I hope you like the photos. By the way, my fav. is the second one down. It is very processed in Lightroom, but I love the look of it...what do you think?

Work, Schmerk

2008-09-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

Let's see....clean the house, play with the kids? Clean the house......play? What do you think the answer is the majority of the time? It's no wonder we have so many unfinished projects around here.

This totally brings back memories of when I was a kid and my Mom would yell at us for sliding down the stairs on a sleeping bag. So, what would we do??? Wait 'till she was gone and bust out the sleeping bag. Sorry, Mom! The best mode of transport was this long, orange sleeping pad that filled up with air. We would pile on there like we were on a sled and bend the front back to hold us on, then we were off like little laughing rockets. Not much has changed I guess, except now I'm ruining my own carpet and my Mom does not get to hollar at me about it. As you can see, I'm not too attached to my carpet.
*Obviously, these photos are as straight out of the camera as they come. I'm a little too lazy right now to go get my photo program that needs to be re-loaded onto my laptop. So, this will have to do.

Recent Happenings

2008-08-25T21:22:00.001-07:00

We have been pretty busy around here lately. I need to figure out how to do those slide-show things that people put on their blogs so that I can just do one of those with all of the pics, but as you may know, technological stuff is intimidating to me. So, this will do for now.
A couple of weeks ago, we took Eden in for a major hair-chopping. Jeremy was just "slightly" attached to her long hair. Every time I have trimmed it, he gets all anxious like I am cutting one of her fingers off. What is it with Dad's and their little girls' hair??? Anyway, I finally convinced him that we could just cut it short this one time so that it could grow out thicker and would look a lot less raggedy. So, he finally caved. I will admit though that i was nervous to do it as well. After all is said and done though, it looks adorable on her and fits her personality very well. I have yet to figure out how to do it as poofy as the hair cutter girl did, but it's cute anyway.

Another new thing is that Eden came to me one afternoon while we were outside playing chalk saying "Mommy, look....look....I wrote my name!" I turned around and looked and she had written her name perfectly on the side-walk. What? I didn't teach her that! She has been very much into letters lately and is always asking us how you spell things, like her name, but I never sat down and tried to teach her how to write her name. Yeah, she's her father's child. So, now she can write her name, as well as 'Mom' and 'Dad'. You can see in the picture below that she drew herself and her name is in the top right corner. So stinkin' cute!

This final shot is a preggy shot because we have not taken ANY thus far. I figured I better take at least one. This is me and my little basketball belly at almost 23 weeks. It was taken just before church which is why I am wearing a dress.

Other than that, we have been trying to catch up on sleep due to staying up late for two weeks watching the olympics. We loved every minute of it though (despite the crummy judging in the women's gymnastics). Eden has finished her second round of swimming lessons and has completed her level 2. She is now officially a "Sea-Horse". Although, she has tried to convince me again and again that she is part fish. That girl loves the water and can't get enough. She started up her dance classes again, and of course is very passionate about dancing as well. It is pretty entertaining and invigorating just to watch her and kind of live vicariously through her.
I am enjoying being pregnant, except for the interrupted sleep, and am very anxious to see this new little girl and try to remember how to take care of a newborn again. It has been almost 4 years!

5 years and counting

2008-08-18T12:14:00.001-07:00

We had our 5 year anniversary last week. I remember when we first got married and the idea of being married for 5 years seemed like such a long time. Now that we're here, I feel like we've been married for much longer....in a good way. I think it's because so much has happened in the last couple of years in our lives that normally would happen over a span of 10 years or so. Another reason may be that we have grown so accustomed to each other that it is hard to imagine life before we were together.
I'm not going to go all cheesy on y'all. I save that specifically for Jeremy.:) I did post a kissy face picture of us just because I know it makes Jeremy crazy, and hey....after five years, you've got to find ways to make your "spouse" (I hate that word!) cringe so that you can get a laugh. Don't be fooled, Jeremy is the best at this, but saves it for when I'm his only audience.
Anyway, we had a great anniversary. Jeremy planned the whole thing and I was so impressed. If any of you know Jer, you know that he doesn't pride himself on planning things or on being particulary romantic. Poor guy had to marry into a family where all of the men are rediculously romantic and apparently "ruin it for the rest of us". So, when he does it, I am always so proud of him. He really does underestimate himself when it comes to planning romantic things. He is very good at it.
So, here's to you, my lover dover. "You are the best" (said like Nacho Libre). And as for the next five years +, we better hold on tight and buckle up if it is as crazy as the last 5, which, knowing us, I'm sure it will be. Here's some cheese for you: How great and incredible to be married to your best friend who is just as weird as you are and loves you more because of it.

Sweet Kiddos

2008-08-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I did a family photo shoot with a family of 6 from my sister's neighborhood. Family photos or group photos actually scare me because I haven't had a lot of practice and therefore have a hard time getting everything in focus and everyone looking, etc.. It was good to get out and push myself again though.
The kiddos were really sweet and the 3 younger kids were quite photogenic. The funny part was that the oldest boy was the most challenging. He was not interested in looking at the camera. Oh well. You make the most of what you have to work with, right?
Thanks, Darla, for trusting me with this. I think I was lucky enough to get some great shots. Let me know what y'all think.

Fun on the Farm

2008-07-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

We spent the 24th in with Jer's family. They actually pull off a pretty good fireworks show over Deer-Creek, in small-town, Charleston. Little Miss E had her first solo ride on one of Grandpa's horses. She LOVED it of course. This girl has a passion for everything. I love that about her.
The second shot is of my cute nephew who is full of energy. I was surprised we got him to hold still AND smile. What a handsome guy.
(Again, the exposure setting was way off...I fixed what I could, but that's what happens when you don't practice enough. Always learning.)

Motorboat

2008-07-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder what you look like when you do your best, full-throttle motorboat mouth? Well, here is a look into a few of us at our best. Just be aware that my camera was way off on the whole exposure thing...I don't know what I was thinking with the settings, but these are too good not to share.Yes, I look like a tired horse (I was tired, and the rest is the combination of the big teeth and big lips...eau natural), but I know that I am at peace with my own self confidence when I am willing to post a shot of me looking like this. The sad part is that this is one of the very few photos of myself that you will see since I don't take pictures of myself, or post them hardly ever. It's a keeper though. Neigh! (By the way, who came up with the idea that a horse says, "Neigh". I mean, really, it's not even close. I guess you can't really spell out the noise that they really make, so that will have to do.)

This is my sister-in-law, who is just as nutty as Jeremy and I....what a good sport.

Speaking of big lips....pucker up, baby!

It's about....

2008-07-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

time that we filled everyone in on our little semi-secret that we are expecting baby #2 in December. We are just over 18 weeks along and just went in for our ultra sound this morning. We are going have a GIRL. Yep. That's right. We are very excited , although a little surprised because we were kind of expecting it to be a boy and kind of hoping that it would be because we have a boys name picked out and cannot seem to agree on a girls name. We are excited to have another sweet girl though, especially so Eden can finally have a playmate. Everything looked normal on the ultra sound, which was a relief. It has been a rough road getting to this point (a healthy pregnancy), but we are so happy to be here and hope that everything continues to go well. We feel very blessed and will keep everyone updated from now on.
By the way, the poor little girl is due on December 23rd....we are hoping to go a kind of late so that she doesn't have to compete with Christmas, but hey, we'll take her whenever she wants to come.
We'll take another one of these any day!

Another Crazy month come and gone

2008-07-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

So, here is my traditional monthly post. June seems to have flown by. It was a great month and we are already almost half way into July. Does anyone remember when you were a kid and the days and years seemed to creep slowly by. It seemed like we had all the time in the world. The worst was waiting for each Christmas to come. It always seemed like it would never happen. Now, as a grown-up (supposedly), it seems like I am still recovering from last Christmas and the year is half way gone. There are benefits to this though. Especially when I am waiting impatiently, of course, for a certain event. This is when it is good that time seems to have sped up, the older I have gotten.
Anyway, we had a great month. Busy of course, but great. Eden took swimming lessons for two weeks and absolutely loved every moment of it. This girl loves the water and cannot resist getting in it whether she is in a bathing suit or in her clothes. The odd thing is that lately she hates , no despises taking a bath and fights us every time. Maybe we could just let her run through the sprinkler and we can spray some soap on her in the process.....hmmm...that's a new idea.
We also had our annual Rasband Family camping trip. This was also a great time in which we were able to just relax and enjoy the out doors. This is one of the major benefits of living in Utah. There are beautiful camping places all over the state. That is something that I wondered about when I was in Texas. They didn't have mountains, so therefore the camping experience was dramatically different for me. I LOVE the mountains and the diversity that is found in this state.
Here are some pictures of some of June. There were so many other fun memories made, but this blog is already long enough.

I'm on a roll

2008-06-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

I figured that while I am taking the time to write, I might as well use the time I have while Jeremy is out of town to get a few things posted.
I still need to figure out how to get photos on here (my laptop) from my camera, but for now it's going to be mostly words.
Here are a few of my favorite things as of recently:
--Eden has started singing along to the primary songs when we put her to bed at night. She doesn't just sing. She belts it out and knows almost every word to every song that we sing. That girl has a vault for a memory. We really need to get a video camera so that we can record her.
--Chocolate covered cinnamon bears. If you have not tried these, you have to. I could eat a whole bag within just a couple of days.
--Eden has started sleeping in. Ever since she was born, she has gotten up around 7:00 or earlier. I am not much of morning person, but had to become one with her internal schedule. But, she has started to go to bed later (8:00-9:00) instead of 7:00, and has actually started sleeping in. It has been a little piece of heaven sent down to a selfish, sleep-loving mother. Poor Jeremy has had to get up by himself since she has started doing this though. He doesn't seem to mind though. Nothing really ever bothers Jer though, so that's not unusual.
--Jeremy has been cooking dinner for me. I am not a fan of cooking. It is just one of those things that is absolutely necessary and important because my family needs to eat, but it just isn't something that I really look forward to. Jer is actually a really good cook:)
--Listening or watching Eden while she is taking a bath. This girl has an imagination like no other. She turns anything and everything into some sort of character (whether in the bath or anyplace else) and always has a story to go along with it. It really is hilarious to stand outside of the bathroom door and listen to what she comes up with.

.Those are just a few of the things that have really made me grateful for the little joys in life. I could go on and get more sentimental and spiritual, but I think this will do just fine.

You have to read....

2008-06-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you have not read this book, you absolutely have to read it. I love to read. I just do. Not just anything though. I really have to be drawn to the book in order to be compelled to use my time reading it. In fact, Jeremy often teases me about having a stack of books next to my bed that are all partially read, but not completed. I always think that i will eventually get to finishing them (and i usually do,) but often start reading other books in the process of trying to finish one. I guess it is the multi-tasker within me.
This is one of those books that I am completely drawn to, and have really learned something new every time I pick it up to read even just a page or two. It is written by Beverly Campbell, a member of the LDS church. This woman has incredible knowledge and so many questions that were unclear in my mind are made clear through this book. She quotes scripture often, and uses reference after reference from Prophets and Apostles. It is excellent. In fact, i think that they should offer institute and/or Sunday School classes based on this book. So, if you are looking for something inspiring and incredible (or, even if you're not), find or buy a copy of this book and start reading. It will be worth every minute and penny.