Gorgeous country wedding

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph this wedding in the summer.  It was so beautiful.  It was the second wedding for both of them.  They were combining 2 families into 1.  It was a beautiful moment and I am so blessed to be able to capture it for them.  I did have one heck of a time vying for the right spot.  The niece of the groom has taken a few photography courses in high school and thinks she is a professional photographer.....  She expected to be the only one doing photos at the wedding, and then I came along.  They asked me to do it and I willingly accepted, but they didn't tell her, I guess.  She was always in the way and trying to tell the bridal party where to stand and how to stand.  It was really quite frustrating, but I kept my cool and eventually she got it.  Especially when we went off to take the some shots after the ceremony, and she wasn't able to come.  I felt bad, but I had a job to do, and I needed to do it to the best of my ability.

This is the couple that I took their engagement pictures this last spring.  It was so great to follow them in their journey to becoming husband and wife.

Getting back to it.

I have been trying to get back to my photography lately.  

I had the opportunity to photograph an engagement.  It was so sweet and 

even I was crying by the end.  Hopefully they love the photos as much 

as I loved taking them

 My kids that aren't in school didn't have any pictures on the wall like my older school aged 

kids, so I decided to do something about it.  We had some fun last fall. 

 These are the ones that made the cut.            

           

                       

and now for the outtake reel!  

phewww its been a busy year!

I haven't been on the ball in a long time.  I really need to keep everything more up to date.  I had a goal to write a blog post every month..... but as you can tell that didn't happen. LOL!  Wishful thinking. 

Well a lot has been happening in this crazy household of mine. I have done a few more family sessions, I had a baby last summer and then 2 days later my brother got married and I did their wedding photos.  Yes I know, I'm crazy. 

 my 4th and last Baby, Aksel.

 

 

I know, they make you sick don't they!  LOL  They could be in a bridal magazine, they are so gorgeous! 

 

 

 

I have also been busy with my dayhome.  Keeping all the kids learning and happy.

 

Here are some sensory bins that we made and the kids can't get enough of them.

 



 

 Colored rice and My little ponies

water beads and reptiles.

 

I bought the reptiles in a bin at the dollar store and the water bead are from Michaels.

The beads come in a tiny little package and are very small until you add water and they absorb the water.  This is a favorite with the older kids.  The little ones can't use it

because of the choking hazard and there is a caution on the bag of water

beads that littles should not swallow them. 

 

 

 

Now lastly, this mother's day I asked for something different that most mothers.  Most mothers want jewelery, or flowers, or both.   Don't get me wrong, those things are great but this year I really wanted something to build.  If you know me, this comes as no shock at all.  I really enjoy building things, whether its out of paper, food, fabric, or wood.  I decided to plan and build an elevated playhouse for my kids.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

 

The only thing left is to buy the slide that is going to go off the front (where the diagonal board is)

 

                                                 Thanks for reading up on my crazy life!  

                                             

                                        Kallie-Jo  

Halloween... what to make, what to make?

   So I have been starting to think about Halloween and what costumes my kids want to have this year.  I started looking back on the costumes that I have made in the past.  There is only one costume that I didn't make these past 5 years; the Owl costume was given to us by my mom.    

Halloween Party 2007
Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey

Trick or treating 2007
Little Owl

Halloween 2008
Ewok, and a Cowboy

Halloween 2009
Peter Pan

Halloween 2009
Peter Pan and an Owl

Halloween 2010
Vampire and Batman ( they both loved their capes)

Halloween 2011 Star Wars Theme
Darth Maul, an Ewok, and Yoda.

He loved that he looked so creepy!  He freaked his kindergarten teacher with this costume :)

Halloween 2011 Star Wars Theme
Darth Maul

 I guess some mom's would just go out and buy the costume so it is easier and looks professional.  I love making these costumes.  I show my love towards my kids by doing this.  I want them to remember that mom always made their costumes every year and that they ROCKED!!  Lol, ok, so maybe they won't think that, but hopefully they look back fondly at the costumes that they have had.  I know I will.

The Best Easter Weekend Yet!

 I love telling a story through pictures, because if a picture is worth a thousand words than I am writing a very large novel series here. :)

      

  

We started out our day                                     decorating eggs at a friend's house.  The boys were having so much fun and the only reason that they were OK  with leaving is that they knew that we were going to be going swimming with their cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and their friend that they invited.

 -a little peek at what the boys were making. 


My friend, Erin had found these little foam hands and feet at the dollar store and they were so easy to hot glue to the egg.  I think it gives them a little more character, don't you?

 This is Odin and Thorin's friend that they invited swimming.  He is a fish!!  He just loves to swim, which makes for some very cool photography opportunities. :)

 This is my little Linny. She was really enjoying herself in the pool.  We don't take her very often because of my husband's shift work.   That would just leave me to take them by myself and I might be a little crazy, but not that crazy!!!




The pictures to the right are 

 -my nieces and they are a barrel of laughs.  They are a couple of girls that were born to be in the water. 

 - this is my son being a total pill!!! He loves to dump water on grandma's head ..... anyone's head actually.  If you aren't watching out, he will get you!

This is my Odin.  He is not a water lover.  He  loves to just sit on his mat and watch everyone else have fun in the water.  I feel bad that he doesn't like the water more but he has always been afraid of the water.  Not sure why.......

Another photo opportunity made possible by my friend's son.  Thanks Wes! :) 
















  So I am taking pictures and minding my own business, and all the sudden I hear giggling behind me..... I turn around to see Thorin and Grandpa coming to get me with their bucket which they were trying to hide under the water.  Nice try, boys. :)  Don't you just love those mischievous faces that they have on? :)

So my sister-in-law, mom-in-law, and I were talking about if I had ever tried to dunk my baby under the water yet.  I had heard about the "blow in their face and dunk them" method but my sister-in-law had heard of another, and it works awesome!!!  


So here we are before I tried to take her under the water.

Here she is going head-first into the water (so the water won't go up her nose)










and here she is totally under the water and not caring at all!  In total, she was only under the water for a maximum of 4 seconds. 

 Here we are after being under the water "swimming".  She was not too sure about it at first.  She tends to have this look on her face every time you take her out of the water, but she doesn't complain about it, so she must not mind it :)






This is Linny with Grandma and her cousin Hazel.  They are hilarious together.  They tend to make faces at each other a lot. :)

 After swimming, we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house, but on the way, the kids and Grandpa had to go on a treasure hunt for their Easter candy.  They had a map of where it was and everything :)


Then we all celebrated the four birthdays that were in April. These are 2 of the four.  Linny was down for her nap and the other boy lives too far away to join us all the time.





  Now this is where it get crazy!  After we all had a wonderful turkey dinner,  some of the family had to go home, but for the rest of us, we were just getting to the best part.  
The Catapult war!!!

FIRE!!!!!


-notice how the girl on the right looks slightly worried and grandma is using everyone else as a sheild.

FIRE!!!!!

 -Notice the girl hiding under the table and the look on grandpa's face.  He just got one in the chest.

Duck and Cover!!!!


Here comes one now! (the small white ball)








This is what is being flung around the house.  Rubber eyeballs!!!  Only at Grandpa's house.....

These are the catapults that a few families got one year for christmas and they were the best present. :)










                                This was one of the best Easter weekend that our family 
              has all been together and my husband had some of the day off, so it was even 
                        better.  Hopefully this becomes a tradition in the years to come. 
                                                (hint, hint, nudge, nudge.....) :)