I Need A Day...♥

Easter

2010-04-18T20:08:00.002-06:00

Coloring eggs is always so fun. I'm glad to see the big kids are not too big to color eggs still.

They do have to have their phone nearby for emergency texting though.

The Fall Soccer Season Ends

2009-11-10T18:11:00.001-07:00

The Thunder took 1st place in their U11 division.

The Panthers took 1st place in their U16 division.

By the end of the season, the Bluebirds were kicking the ball toward the goal...rarely getting distracted by the dragonflies flying by...but doesn't she look cute!

More of Miss M and Family

2009-11-05T19:24:00.002-07:00

Two Peas

2009-11-04T22:09:00.002-07:00

Another fun day of photos. These girls are such good sports. They were a little unsure of the location at first, but they loosened up and just danced around and laughed. Oh, did they laugh...

Miss M and Miss L

2009-10-29T19:56:00.002-06:00

Here is just a little taste of some of my faves from todays shoot. More to come!

Sisters

2009-10-28T17:20:00.002-06:00

What a fun day with two of my favorite models!

D and her new pup!

2009-10-26T13:19:00.001-06:00

This was an unplanned shoot, but turned out so fun a cute. You have got to love the cute girl, cute pup, and fantastic car!

M's Halloween Shoot

2009-10-26T13:10:00.002-06:00

Miss M is such a sweet little one. I could have chased her around with my camera all day!

Beauty Is...Aubrey's Reflections Entry 2009

2009-10-21T20:21:00.001-06:00

Aubrey took my camera and 100mm lens and went crazy taking pictures this afternoon. She decided on this photo to enter in the Reflections contest at school this year. She loves photography and I think she did a pretty good job.

Fun Day At Red Cliffs

2009-06-20T09:55:00.001-06:00

Say Cheese Bucky!

Sweet Livie Lou

2009-06-11T23:16:00.001-06:00

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T10:33:00.002-06:00

The weekend was kicked off with Karissa's Graduation. This beautiful, talented, smart, young lady got "Senior Itis" in such a bad way that she nearly didn't walk in the graduation. We found out at 5pm the night before that she got the green light because she had paid her debt to society and finished her restitution! Hippie! What a stress!

Jackson was in school still.

Grandma and Grandpa Day

Grandma and Grandpa Odum

We celebrated Aubrey's Birthday with cupcakes from 25 Main. Delish!

We went to the movies (Terminator 15? and Night at the Museum) and followed that up with a dip in the pool to cool off!

Justin's friend Allyson (Duda, as I like to call her) taught us a fabulous, funny, graceful new game..."The Paper Bag Game".
You make think it looks easy, but let me assure you it is not! It finally ended in a draw between Allyson and Jackson with the bag down to about an inch off the ground. How Jackson ended up the co-winner, I will never understand. The boy could barely get the bag when it was at its full height. He was walking with a limp the next day though because his muscles were so sore. Allyson looked as graceful at the end as she did in the beginning. She was awesome!

Later, I dominated at Cut-Throat and Justin at Nerts (of course). I wish I had pictures of that, but I was way too focused on the domination of my family.

G Family Edits

2009-04-29T13:51:00.001-06:00

These are two of my favorite random shots from a recent shoot. I can not explain in words what I feel as these images develop. It is my "Waldon Pond". I am so blessed to be able to do this! Thanks G Family.

Promise Yourself

2009-04-22T12:24:00.001-06:00

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
Promise yourself to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
Promise to make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
Promise yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

Muriel Naomi, March 12th 2009

G Family

2009-04-19T14:41:00.001-06:00

A New Day Is Dawning!

Nothing like a BFF!

2009-03-15T22:42:00.001-06:00

Grace!

2009-03-15T20:47:00.000-06:00

Grace!

2009-03-15T20:39:00.000-06:00

Diva?

2009-03-10T15:25:00.001-06:00

This girl loves to dress up and get down with the chickens. She is very well rounded.

Popcorn Poppin'

2009-03-10T15:17:00.001-06:00

Time For Me To Start Planting...Now!

2009-02-23T15:56:00.004-07:00

I have been procrastinating my winter garden and time as nearly past me by on this one. I was reading my friends blog today. She has so many thoughts and ideas that inspire me. She had an entry about gardening and it has motivated me to get started now. She put the lyrics from this sweet primary song in her blog...

The prophet said to plant a garden, so that's what we'll do.
For God has given rich brown soil, the rain and sunshine too.
And if we plant the seeds just right, and tend them carefully,
Before we know good things will grow to feed our family.
--Children's Songbook, 237

This is the spot. There is nothing in the boxes except strawberries and a few herbs now. Oh, but there will be more soon!

Family Trip to Hoover Dam

2009-02-18T18:19:00.002-07:00

We decided to take a quick trip down to Las Vegas for lunch and shopping and then to Hoover Dam to see the new bridge. It was so fun and a good chance to do some much needed family bonding. I can't wait for the next getaway. The only thing missing was Justin. :(

Dry Pack Canning Day

2009-02-18T17:58:00.003-07:00

We had a fun day canning. I have the best friends that keep encouraging me to do the right things. I wish my kitchen could accomodate all my friends at once.

4th Grade Valentines

2009-02-16T09:45:00.001-07:00

My 4th grader came home from school just beaming! She got her first "real" valentine. I couldn't believe my eyes. She did better than I did this year. Is this common? Can I just not remember? I was happy to see her so happy, but I am a little sad to see her growing up so fast.

Is It Time For Therapy?

2009-02-13T10:44:00.003-07:00

My oldest daughter decided to make a few changes to the conversation hearts. Is this a sign that I should be putting money aside for therapy?

Gift from Mom-In-Law

2009-02-09T14:56:00.002-07:00

My Mother-In-Law sent this to me and my daughter for our birthdays with tickets to Wicked and dinner gift cards inside. She is the best and so creative. I think I loved the presentation just as much as what we found inside the boots. Thank You Mom!

Leftovers for Lunch

2009-02-09T14:38:00.002-07:00

Okay, it was not all leftovers...but mostly. For lunch I decided to try making some cute little rolls. I had just been to the store and bought seaweed wraps and pickled ginger. I used jasmine rice and terryaki salmon we had for dinner the night before and added some cilantro. I spread the rice over the seaweed, put the salmon and cilantro in the center, rolled it up, cut it into 1/2" segments and served it with pickled ginger and soy sauce. It was so easy, so pretty, and so tasty. My daughter came home while I was eating, took one look at me, shook her head, and walked away. She thinks she will never understand me...oh, but she will one day.

Adzuki Beans with Mango Pineapple Salsa and Crispy Onions

2009-01-31T19:51:00.003-07:00

This was seriously fantastic!
I purchased my beans from Dixie Nutrition (bulk bins). Rinse 2 cups of beans, place beans in a crockpot, cover the beans with about 1" of water, add a couple tablespoons of "Better than Boulion" (vegetable flavor), and cook for about 5 or 6 hours or until tender. When you are ready to serve beans, just top with a desired amount of mango pineapple salsa
(I used Walmart brand), and crispy onions. Enjoy!
Now you owe me one too "Reign of Terror"!

Honey Whole Wheat Pizza

2009-01-30T11:48:00.003-07:00

My littlest one helped me grind wheat and make the dough for tonight's dinner. She thought she was sooo big helping mommy. Those moments I have missed out on for a few years, and that makes me sad for my kids in the middle. We used the dough to make whole wheat pizzas. Everybody rolled out their own dough and topped it the way they liked. I used spinach, kalamata olives, capers, roasted red peppers, pinenuts, and a little feta cheese.

The leftover dough was used to make a couple loaves of bread that we used for french toast the following morning. I think that was the highlight of the kids week.

Breakfast

2009-01-28T10:09:00.005-07:00

I cannot believe how many people are telling me that they are having the same thoughts about diet and are making similar changes. It is exciting to see so many people learning together, comparing notes and meal plants, and encouraging each other. Thanks everyone!

Breakfast yesterday was smoothies, bean cakes w/cilantro lime tomatillo salsa, and oatmeal. I thought it was delicious. The kids only liked the smoothies and oatmeal. They were afraid of words "beans"and "cake" used together.

New Diet Revealed

2009-01-25T21:02:00.009-07:00

We have turned over a new leaf. Paul and I have decided that we really needed to take stock of what we are putting into our bodies. We recently read The China Study and Healthy at 100. Both of these books opened our eyes to many nutrition myths and the connection between diet and disease. We like to call it the "Word of Wisdom/Vegan but not Nutty/Whole Foods Diet". Paul has cut out all processed foods, but I am not ready for that just yet (I enjoy the occasional cupcake from 25 Main too much).

We started at the first part of December 2008. It has been a lot of work, but really feels good. I now actually make breakfast every morning and dinner every night. This may sound easy to some of you, but I only cooked dinner a couple nights a week before this and never breakfast. I don't know why I never got "Mother of the Year".

The kids absolutely hate this! They are slowly starting to come around to our way of thinking. Hunger has a way of doing that to a person. There have been some really great
meals, and some that were real "stinkers". Making the menu for the week and doing the grocery shopping are challenging and time consuming. It is difficult to find meals that have a good chance of appealing to all my picky eaters.

A good friend of mine requested that I start blogging about our journey. She wanted to know what we are eating and how we are managing to stay alive and nourished.

J, this is for you....you owe me!

Tonight we had Miso soup with noodles, terryaki tofu, mushrooms, carrots, spinach, cabbage, cilantro, ginger, scallions, and garlic. To satisfy the sweet tooth, I made whole wheat, banana, oatmeal, applesauce, teff, and honey cookies. I thought both were delish. The kids loved the cookies. I couldn't keep them out of the dough.

**Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 bananas, 1/2 cup applesauce, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 cup honey, 1 cup whole wheat flour (scant), 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 dash salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 dash nutmeg, 1 tbl. whole teff (optional), 3/4 cup oatmeal, 2 tablespoons raisins (optional).

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Blend in blender until creamy the banana, applesauce, vanilla and sugar. Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix dry and wet. Stir in oatmeal (the regular cereal type) and raisins. Drop by generous spoonfuls onto cooking-sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 20-30 min or until just browning. (without the oil they take longer to bake than you think!... check them though after 15 min to see how they are doing).

Look at that Form

2009-01-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Is there anything this girl can't do? This is her 1st game ever, and she scored 16 points. She was on top of the world.

A Rainy Day in the Desert

2009-01-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Family...Good Times

2009-01-21T11:18:00.001-07:00

D's Edits

2008-12-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

L's edits

2008-12-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

L's Shoot

2008-12-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

D's Photo Shoot

2008-12-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

J's Photo Shoot

2008-12-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

My Two Strapping Lads!

2008-12-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a couple of more buff young men than these?

I should say not!

The Christmas Tree Hunt!

2008-12-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is, by far, my favorite part of Christmas! There is nothing better than the crisp air in the mountains, the smell of trees, snow, and Family. Too bad those older kids think they are too old or too far away to be a part of all the fun. We missed you two. I was so happy my parents were able to make it this year. I sure love them.

The Christmas Tree Hunt!

2008-12-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

D's Photo Shoot

2008-12-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

D's Photo Shoot

2008-12-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

B's Shoot

2008-12-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Picture Perfect Family!

2008-11-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

This family was so fun to shoot. They had a great attitude and were so easy going. Thanks for making our job so easy. And those girls, come on, could they be any more precious! I could take their pictures all day.

My Favorite Costume of 2008!

2008-11-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

When this boy came through at the elementary school parade, I just knew this was the one. My favorite of the year!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

???????????????? I know, I'm not sure about those two either, but what great friends!

This year the cousins were able to come down to spend Halloween with us. They have so much fun together. It makes all of the chaos around the house worth it. (Marshmallow gun wars, dancing in the driveway, night games, rabbit shooting, fishing, video making, candy eating, movie watching, dry ice bomb making, etc...) Thanks Uncle Cody and Grandma and Grandpa for making it all happen!

Day At The Water Park

2008-10-22T13:54:00.001-06:00

My friends are the best! Thanks for taking me out to play, listening to my "crazy" and calling to play again even after hearing it.

2008-10-22T13:01:00.000-06:00

These girls are my favorites today! They will still let mom take picture after picture without complaint. The others see me coming with the camera and run the other way.

2008-10-22T12:46:00.000-06:00

Liv's 1st day of preschool. She was so excited. She gets to go to Daddy's preschool, which makes it even more fun and less scary. I now understand what my mom always said. "I was happy to see them go and happy to see them come home."

This Is One Photogenic Family!

2008-10-14T22:33:00.001-06:00

Thanks for letting me tag along Julie! This was a lot of fun. Poor little one had a cute little red nose by the end of the shoot, but she barely complained. What a sweet little girl.

No Boys Allowed, Well Maybe Just One

2008-10-05T14:59:00.000-06:00

We had a great "Girl's (with one boy) Night Out". We laughed, took pictures, and had a delicious dinner (Thanks, Rebecca!). It was a great night.

These kids are naturals. They made my job so easy. I had their complete cooperation, that is until the snails were discovered.

Then it was all about the snails and organizing the races.

I finally did it!

2008-09-25T19:33:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have finally jumped on the blogging band wagon. Thanks to Julie for encouraging me and to Danielle for holding my hand and walking me through the setting-up process. I thought I was pretty computer literate, but now I'm not so sure.

I told Julie that I would start my blog when I got my new macro lens. I'm not sure why I chose that as my motivator, but here we are. It sure is a fun lens. Here are a few shots.