“Time Travelers”

As y’all know I am done with my photography business.

Sometimes it makes me sad, but then when I sit down just to unload the pictures on my camera; I remember why.

I remember that I got so caught up on taking pictures of others, that I didn’t have many of my own children.

This year, the girls took dance at a really fun company.

However, they scheduled the girls dance pictures for a Saturday.

It happened to be a Saturday that we were out of town. 

I knew I wouldn’t buy the pictures anyways, when I can take them myself.

I was excited to make time to do a photo-shoot with my girls.

I normally would have just taken them on recital day when they were all dressed and ready.

Recital happened to be just 7 days after I had my neck surgery, and the recital was all I could manage.

I  have hardly any pictures of the girls on recital day, and the ones of have were taken with my phone.

So… a couple of weekends ago, I got the girls dressed back up.

We curled hair.

We put make-up on.

All for some photos in those cute costumes.

It was a hot day, but they put up with me and let me snap away.

I put up with little miss making this dance face for all the pictures.

It is never easy to get your kids all dressed up.

Then listen to them ask, “are we done yet?”

It’s not easy to sweat it out in the heat, for a few great pictures.

Then, when you come home and unload them; you realize this is the reward.

I have never gone back and looked through photos, and wished I didn’t have them.

I have only smiled, and thought of the memory that went along with it.

Recently, a woman that I follow through social media lost her son.  She is a big scrapbooker and photo taker.

She said, “Please take photos of your loves!!! Please print them, and save them.  I will forever be thankful for these.”  It was also written in one of the feeds, that she called photos the “time travelers.”

I believe this to be true.  Photos help us travel back through time.  We remember when we see the memory in print.

You all know how I feel about pictures, but I encourage you to take MORE.

Take them, and print them, and save them.

Sweat it out in the heat.

Make them curl their hair, and get dressed up.

Watch them in the little things, and capture the everyday moments.

Life is too short.

Capture your memories.

Allow yourself the beauty of “Time Travel.”

I know I will be grateful for these precious photos of my two little dancers.

P.S.  I am so proud of Stella and Tessa. Both of the girls tried out and made a competitive dance team with their company this year.  Way to go girls!!

If you were to visit us on Halloween

…you would have been welcomed by:

An unfortunate baseball player who is now among the walking dead.

A skilled ninja:

I must say Halloween felt very safe with him around.

Another member of the walking dead:

 

A young girl who is ruler of the zombie world.

We also ran into…

 A pirate,

or was she a…

butterfly?

  No, I believe she was a…

witch.

 

This young girl has many career opportunities.  However, she does have a hard time making decisions.

If you came to visit, you would have been greeted by the head…

witch. 

She’s nice, and dating a cowboy. (who seemed to miss being photographed this year.)

If you came to visit…

you would have been tired at the end of the day.  Because…

Personal Hygiene and makeup for this crew started early.  We tried to enhance their excellent features for this special holiday.

…and it was a must to take some photos in the best light of the day; early morning.

If you came to visit, you would have wanted a nap, but there was no time for napping. We had to join the goblins for Halloween parties at the local school for creatures and unusual characters.

If you came to visit, you would have been given the award for biggest party animal after you went to 3 parties.

1…

2…

3…

If you came to visit, and got hungry…

you could have joined us at our spooky table for…

pumpkin-shaped pizza.

Or, you could have joined the characters and their friends…

for door to door candy mooching.

…and if candy and pizza just were not enough you could have always joined the little monsters and their friends for donuts and hot chocolate in our kitchen.

(oh look, the cowboy can be seen in the background.)

If you came to visit, you could have stayed home with the cowboy and passed out over 1,000 pieces of candy.  He is a good conversationalist, and he would have enjoyed your company.

If you didn’t come to visit; our door is always open.

The head witch loves guests of all kinds; even if you are a member of the walking dead.

If you didn’t come to visit, it’s okay…

The head witch took so many pictures you will have missed nothing.

(as is evidence on your computer screen)

The head witch is not certain she wants to be a witch forever, so she’s brushing up on her photography skills.

Maybe she will pass along the title of head witch to this little cutie; and take pictures forever.

Because pictures are what she loves.

…but playing a witch on Halloween takes a close second.

 

Photo Dump… Conference Weekend

Just recently, I promised myself to take more pictures of the everyday?

I don’t know what happened to me in the last year.

I was the girl who carried her camera everywhere she went, and now all the sudden I forget to take it to my Nephew’s baby blessing?

(I did get a few later in the evening, but it was getting dark; still adorable little Hank)

Maybe I was worried about being “that girl.”  You know the one who always has her camera in your face.

Maybe I was worried that my back would get worse from lugging that camera around.

Then I remembered I like being that girl, and who cares about my back.

Memories are more important to me.

So… I will be trying to do some photo dumps around here; hopefully once a week. 

I will share pics from my big girl camera, and my iphone.  You should be able to decipher the two.  If not; I must not be much of a photographer with my big girl camera.

I will just be dumping pictures here that remind me of great times.

Like General Conference weekend; for example.

General Conference is a weekend for us to gather in our homes as members of the LDS church to listen to our leaders via; tv, internet, or radio.

We played a fun game this weekend.

I filled bowls with different pieces of candy and a word that they might hear from our leaders.  When they heard it they could pick that candy to eat.  This made them listen.

There was lots of time spent jumping between sessions on Saturday.  Of course in pajamas, because that’s how we roll on Conference Weekend.

Jex is putting to use what he learns in tumbling.

On Saturday, Jonathan took the boys to dinner and I took the girls.

We went to Kneaders.  I laughed when Stella  bit the head off her ghost cookie and said, “look, it’s Mike Wisouski.”

Stella also spent the weekend braiding my hair.  She would braid it while we listened to Conference.

 

She is getting really creative.

We made monster cookies.  Our version of Monster cookies is any cookie recipe and dump in whatever goodie you have.

 

We added:

caramel bits, reeses pieces, chocolate chips, and toffee pieces.  YUM!!

We ended the weekend with FHE on Monday.

We used a sponge to talk to our kids about soaking up the gospel and sharing it with others.  When a sponge is full, there is always extra water to share.

It’s weekends like these that I don’t want to forget.

Stay tuned for more memories from this week.

…and if you haven't all ready make sure you run over to Kristin's blog and enter her giveaways.

Oh, and if you love my stockings; Lindsay is giving 2 away there.  Don’t miss it.