Memories by Me Photography

New Blog!

2011-06-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

After a few years of loving Blogger and loving my blog, it is time to move on. I have been having issues uploading images to Blogger for quite some time now. It has become unreliable and some days it works....some days it doesn't. With my busy life, I need things to run smoothly or I'm done. I have started a new blog - http://mbmphotography.wordpress.com/ and I hope you'll come visit me over there. I love this blog and because of that I am going to leave it as it is, however all new work will now be posted at my new Wordpress blog.

Thanks so much for following me. I hope you continue to follow me over at Wordpress!

Happy Summer

Engaged!

2011-05-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

I had this amazing session last Wednesday. Kristen & Joshua were a beautiful couple, so very much in love. Unfortunately this is all you'll see of this session as they have chosen to keep their session private. Congratulations Kristen & Joshua - good luck with your upcoming nuptials in Nebraska this August!

Spring Time!

2011-05-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures I took back in April that I wanted to share.

Treasure Hunt!

2011-05-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

About a month ago Dylan, Jack and I ventured out on a "Treasure Hunt". There is an old abandoned yard by our place that we like to explore through. It's quite an amazing place, there are still lots of "treasures" in and around the yard and the kids and I love to just go look and see what we can find. We always seem to find something cool. I love going there and just try and imagine who lived there and what it was like long ago. Here are a few of the "treasures" we discovered.

Mother's Day

2011-05-17T20:18:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day is a bit of a blur to me. On Friday I had a session with twins, Friday night was a wedding rehearsal, Saturday was an all-day wedding and Sunday was a family session. By the time Mother's Day rolled around I was beat. I was so glad to just be able to spend a quiet day, at home (which I appreciate so much now) with my boys. All I ever want for Mom's day is nice pictures of me with my kids, and I'm happy to say Kris captured some for me this year. I look exhausted, but that was my reality this Mom's Day! I hope all of you had a wonderful mother's day as well.

Flood of 2011

2011-05-17T16:32:00.005-05:00

I have been photographing the flood preparation for 2011 as we live right beside the Assiniboine River. We were told to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Since April we have been cleaning out our basement, and trying to prepare our home and our family for a potential flood. As many of you know from the news coverage, things got pretty scary in our area, and still remain pretty tense. As I blog about this flood I am still evacuated from my home. We are not in the line of the controlled breach, rather we live along the weakest portion of the Assiniboine dike so we were manditorily evacuated because they felt it was no longer safe for us to be in our home in case of an accidental breach. We are so grateful for all of the support we've received from friends and family. Words cannot begin to express our gratitude. Here are some of the many, many images I have for the Flood of 2011.

Here we are, monitoring the Assiniboine. Still smiling.....

The river is higher and wider than we have ever seen it.

The overflow along the river filled up in a matter of one day. Scary.

We have never, ever seen water in this area by our home.

The overflow, the dike.....our home.

We get snow - not what any of us needed.

The boys have handled this whole flood situation so well.

My beautiful trees along the dike were removed in order to build up our dike. Kids thought it was cool - I did not.

Water everywhere.

The Military showed up by our home....I got very concerned.

My kids thought this looked like the "Toy STory" Movie. I thought it looked surreal.

News media, military.....our home went from a peaceful, quiet, private place to chaos.

Mother's Day - flood scare continues.

The road to our home, water was just about to the top of the road.

The sandbagging efforts renewed my faith in humanity. It was quite a sight to see. This community is amazing.

Main Street in Oakville - my boys snadbagged and were happy to do so.

The scene around our home has been helicopters flying sandbags over to our dike. It is the weakest point along the Assiniboine so the military have been re-enforcing the dike for two weeks now. At one point there were tanks, nine helicopters and well over a 100 military working just a mile down from our home. Surreal.

The Assiniboine.

The Portage Diversion.

Friday the 13th. We were presented with our Mandatory Evacuation Notice. It was a bit unexpected, but we managed to get out with the help of some amazing friends. We are now staying at Kris's cousin's in Oakville and awaiting the news of when we can return home.

My brother drove down from Grandview and helped sandbag for a couple days. Thanks Lance. This is our "surprised" look when we were evacuated. Not funny I know - but it is how we cope.....making jokes!

My amazing friend Lori Miller, just showed up without being asked to help. What would we do without these people in our lives? So grateful.

Kris doesn't find my humour near as funny as me. ;)

I drove out to our home and the military presence is still there, and they continue to re-enforce our dike around our home. Hopefuilly we can go home soon.

Sandbagging efforts continue in Oakville on Sunday.

One bonus to this evacuation - the boys get to ride on pavement!! If you're a farm kid - you will totally get how fun that can be!

That's it - I have had enough of this flood! LOL. My Mom didn't find the picture below funny!

Noland & Shannon {Engaged & Expecting!}

2011-05-17T16:07:00.000-05:00

Meet Shannon & Noland. They are a fun, happy and "in love" couple who are planning a summer wedding in Grandview this year. Not only are they planning a wedding, but they are excitedly preparing for a new baby! When they originally asked me to photograph their wedding this July, they were not expecting news of a baby, but shortly after we met to do Shannon's family pictures with her parents and her brother, I got the news that they were happily expecting their first child. So, when we planned their engagement session, we joked that it would be an e-session and a maternity session all rolled into one. What I love about this session is that these images were captured at Shannon's grandparents yardsite. The white barn was actually built by her Grandpa. I love it when location means something. Here is a sneak peak of this very happy couples session. Thanks Noland & Shannon - so much to look forward to. Congrats!!

The Elliott Clan

2011-05-17T16:04:00.000-05:00

Meet the Elliott's ~ they are a family near and dear to my heart. When Keri emailed me a few months back to see if I could do some family photographs for them in honour of her Mom's milestone birthday I was willing to do whatever it took to get home to do this. This family are close family friends of our's, and when we're together it feels like family. I've known all these people my entire life....travelled to the Black Hills, Disney World and pretty much spent every Kinsmen function, Grey Cup, etc. with them for the first 18 years of my life! We took all these pictures at the Elliott Farm, and each location has a personal signfigance to all of them. Jana is from BC, Jacquie is from Killlarney and Keri is from Dauphin so it's not often they're all in one place for very long....but Easter weekend worked and I made it work for me. Here are a few sneak peaks from this fun, memorable session. Thanks Elliott Clan - so fun to all be together again!

Tamara!

2011-05-17T15:58:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about my job is that I get to meet some pretty great people. Tamara is one of those great people. We met a few weeks ago on a Tuesday afternoon at my favourite location and hit it off immediately. I could tell she was a bit uncomfortable about getting her portrait taken, but within minutes we were laughing and talking and she settled right in - the result is some gorgeous pictures of her. I love these "just for me" sessions - everyone should book one! And by the way, check out the ROCK on Tamara's left hand - she had just gotten engaged over the weekend and she showed up sporting the most beautiful diamond I have ever seen. Congratulations again Tamara - so happy for you. Here is just a sneak peak of the many images we captured.

PS - I am sooooooo excited to photograph her wedding!

Aylah!

2011-05-17T15:55:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing little Miss. Aylah again. I met her and her Mom & Dad a few months ago when I photographed her for her three month pictures. I was anxious to see how much she had changed! She still looked pretty much the same....cute as a button, and just a little bit bigger! As usual, her Mom looked beautiful so I took a few pictures of her too! Couldn't resist it.....here is a sneak peak of the many cute images we captured! Thanks Kristi & Aylah! So great to see you again.

Isaac & Oliver {Sweet Boys}

2011-05-17T15:48:00.001-05:00

Here is Isaac & Oliver - two adorable little twin boys I was lucky enough to see this month at their home in Winnipeg. As you may recall I captured Bev's maternity pictures for her last summer, and then was thrilled when she called me to come to her home this past November and photograph the boys when they were born. Here we are six months later and these little guys are thriving! They are simply adorable. Here are a few sneak peaks from our session! More to come in a couple days.....Thanks Bev - so great to see you and the boys again!

Joanne, Ken & Skylar {Family}

2011-05-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

I met Ken, Joanne & beautiful little Skylar last Saturday. We had postponed this session once due to my kids being sick, and we were a bit concerned about having to cancel again due to the flood. However, it turned out to be a perfect Sunday morning for this session. We captured some beautiful family pictures as well as some great one-year portraits of Miss. Skylar. Thanks Ken, Joanne & Skylar. So great to meet all of you. THank you so much for your patience through this whole flood situation! Your pictures are enroute to you today!

Glori-Ann & Phil {I Do}

2011-05-17T15:31:00.001-05:00

On Saturday afternoon I travelled to Elm Creek to photograph Phil & Glori-Ann's ...wedding. Despite the gusty winds, we still managed to travel around the great little town of Elm Creek and find some fun (and sheltered) places to take pictures. These two, along with their wedding party were so fun to photograph. They were all so easy going and relaxed. It was great to capture a part of your special day - congratulations on your wedding Phil & Glori-Ann. Here is a sneak peak of some of the many images we captured on Saturday.

Brandee & Justin - I Do!

2011-05-17T00:59:00.001-05:00

Meet Brandee & Justin ~ they were married last weekend in a beautiful ceremony at the Greenwood Inn in Winnipeg. Despite some nasty wind and a downpour of rain, we managed to capture some beautiful images from their special day. It was so great to meet you and your lovely families. I wish you both nothing but love & laughter ~ and happily ever after. Here is a sneak peak of your special day. Many, many more images coming your way.

Flood of 2011

2011-05-16T09:06:00.001-05:00

Well, so much has been happening in the last month. I apologize for not being able to update my blog, but Blogger was not allowing any picture uploads. It appears that I am now able to update so I will be working on that this morning. For those of you who follow my blog and don't follow my Facebook MBM Page, you will not know that my family and I were served our mandatory evacuation notice on Friday. We live right along the Assiniboine River and they feel that due to the weakness of the dike surrounding us, it is in our best interest to get out of our home. We don't know for how long, but for now we are "homeless". We are very grateful to family and friends for all their support. We are especially grateful to Kris's cousin Andrew who has allowed us to stay in his home in Oakville. We don't know how we'll repay all the support we have received. I will sign off for now. I hope to update my blog now that Blogger seems to have worked out it's kinks!
To all of you affected by the flood waters - you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Blog Issues...again

2011-05-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

So, once again, blogger is letting me down and not letting me "upload" any of my recent images. I am getting a bit frustrated with the unreliability of this system. Please bear with me. Thanks for following my work.
Jodi

Expecting - Candace & Zach

2011-04-25T14:06:00.000-05:00

Meet Candace and Zach - a beautiful young couple expecting their first child in June. We met in Grandview while I was home for Easter and toured around my brother's yard, an old yard-site and the Museum. Candace is a beautiful girl, with the most brilliant blue eyes and Zach is an easy-going guy who pretty much let me and Candace's sisters boss him around for over an hour. What a great sport he was. Here are just a few of the many beautiful images we captured of this gorgeous Mama-to-be. Congratulations Candace & Zach - cannot wait to hear your exciting news of boy or girl in June!

My Boys

2011-04-21T09:07:00.001-05:00

So, last night the two older boys were out playing on the trampoline. I was looking out the window and noticed how pretty the light was. I wandered out with my camera and Dylan was actually quite happy to let me take his picture. I ran back in and got my sunglasses and hat (I had to be quick - we were losing light!) and started snapping some fun, spontanious pictures. As you can tell, Dylan is my "entertainer"....he was posing up a storm. Danny noticed how happy it was making me so he said it would be OK if I took his picture too - YAY!!! He isn't like Dylan - he doesn't "ham it up" like his younger brother. These pictures of the two of them totally capture their personalities.

Low and behold, Jack noticed from the window what was going on and quickly came marching out saying it was "his turn" (like he's not photographed enough already). But I happily obliged - this is my dream evening - MY kids asking me to take their picture!! Are you kidding me - this is a rarity. Jack's mini session lasted about three minutes, until he found a pack of stickers in his pocket that he didn't realize he had.....so off he went.

I love nights like this. The pictures turned out exactly as I wanted them to. Nobody was "forced" or "bribed" to have their picture taken and we had FUN doing it. All sessions should be like this.

We're heading to Grandview for Easter weekend to celebrate my Grandpa Maxwel's 89th birthday, and then to celebrate Easter with my family. I also have three sessions scheduled as well back "home", so I will have to squeeze those in as well. It's going to be a busy, but fun weeend! Unfortunately my husband can't come as someone has to stay on "flood watch".

Have a wonderful weekend everyone - enjoy time with those you love the most.

My Boy Jack!

2011-04-19T23:46:00.002-05:00

I was cleaning up my little studio today after my whirlwind weekend of one-year old sessions. Jack came in and was trying on my "fedoras" and I snapped a few pictures. He looked to cute not to!

Coven is ONE!

2011-04-19T23:29:00.002-05:00

Brittany, Danny & Coven came out to my place to get some pictures of Mr. Coven for his first birthday. I first met this family when they came to me for Coven's newborn pictures, then some Verwey Family pics at Danny's parent's farm, then Christmas Pictures for Mr. Coven and now for his first birthday! Needless to say, I have gotten to know this little sweet heart quite well in the past year. He is adorable and his parents are super people. Here is a sneak peak of the many images we captured on Sunday afternoon. Thanks guys!

Flood Watch

2011-04-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

Back in February we were told by the Province to prepare for a possible flood this Spring. We have been working hard cleaning out our basement and getting prepared. Through the month of March we watched many workers diligently building up the dyke around our home. Now we sit and wait and watch the water rise. We have never had to worry about a flood - in fact, the area we live in hasn't flooded since the 1950's, but this year it is different. Each evening we take a walk up to the dyke to check on the water level and I have to admit this past week has made us all a bit nervous. I am very confident in what the Province is doing to prepare - they even send out "watchmen" that have spent the nights in their vehicles watching the rising Assiniboine.

The other night we wandered out with Dylan to take a look. It was getting quite dark, so these photos have a lot of "noise" in them because I didn't use any flash, but I love them just the same.

April - Really?

2011-04-19T11:56:00.000-05:00

On Friday it started snowing....and it didn't stop until the next day. It was April 15th - seriously? More snow? We live right along the Assiniboine River and are on flood watch right now so the snow was certainly a sight we did NOT want to see. Here are a few images of this not-so-welcome weather!

Signs of Spring!

2011-04-19T11:48:00.000-05:00

So, this hasn't been the most "ideal" spring. We had snow for far too long, the weather has been cold and my husband and I have been preparing for a possible flood of our home for six weeks. Having said all that, we were blessed with a couple beautiful days last week where it actually felt like Spring, and even looked like spring. Unfortunately, a couple days after this, it snowed (that post is coming). Here are a few "spring" images to keep us all sane!

I love tulips - pretty sure it is my absolute favourite flower.

Boys and Puddles - they can't resist!

I was literally drawn to photographing these beautiful flowers.....

Cookie-Palooza

2011-04-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

So, last week my laptop went in for repairs. I was completely lost without it, but needless to say I accomplished so much aroud here. Lesson learned - time to shut off the computer once in a while. My house was completely organized by the end of the week and the kids were thrilled with all the baking I did. I went on a bit of a cookie-paloozathon while my laptop was away. I have had a few requests for the recipes so here goes.....

(recipe is found below each picture)

Dad's Cookies

1 c Sugar
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1 c Butter, softened
1 Egg
3/4 c Coconut
1.5 c Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/4 c Oatmeal
1.5 tsp Vanilla
1 c Chocolate Chips (optional - I add them because the kids love them)

Mix and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.

Oatmeal Smartie Cookies

2 c Butter
4 c Flour
1.5 c Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 c White Sugar
1 tsp Salt
4 Eggs
4 c Quick Oats
4 tsp Vanilla
3 Boxes of Smarties

Mix together in order listed. Bake at 350 F for 12 Minutes!

Home-Made Oreo Cookies

2 (18 ounce) boxes devil's food cake mix
4 eggs, beaten well
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup margarine

Mix cake mix, eggs and oil together well. Shape into marble size balls. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. They are done when the tops looked cracked. Cool cookies on countertop.

Icing:
2 c Icing Sugar
1/2 c Butter
Dab of Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Blend to proper consistency of icing.

Ice a cookie, put another on top! Delicious!! You can use any favourite icing recipe for the centre.

Sweet Little Paige

2011-04-19T10:47:00.001-05:00

Meet the adorable little Paige! She came to my house on Sunday afternoon to have some one-year old portraits taken. She was soooooo cute and sooooo smiley. What a happy little girl! She turns one this Friday ~ Happy Birthday Paige! Thanks Doug and Carmen for driving out on my mucky roads to have these pictures taken! Great to meet all three of you.

Look at that adorable smile!

Loved this little blue dress on her.

One of my favourites.

Super Sweet!

Dylan came into the room at this point and she just stared at him!

I know ~ here I go again with baby feet!

Super sweet - she was such a happy little girl.

Little Miss. Blue Eyes.

She was watching my husband work outside - loved this.

Paige & her pretty Mom. Dad said I could take his picture "next time" haha!

One of my favourites of the day!

Mr. Kieran is ONE!

2011-04-17T22:54:00.000-05:00

Meet Little Mr. Kieran. I met him on Saturday morning for some fun one-year por...traits. He was such a sweet little guy - with big beautiful blue eyes and a contagious smile. When I felt like he'd had enough of me, I brought in my reinforcements - Dylan! He had him smiling so big. It certainly pays off working at home sometimes - my boys come in very handy with little ones. Here is a sneak peak of some of the many adorable images of Kieran. Happy 1st Birthday Kieran. Great to meet you Laura & Ryan!

Jack and I go to Ottawa!

2011-04-16T01:22:00.002-05:00

Jack and I set out on our adventure last week and travelled to Ottawa to spend five days with my brother's family. He was a fabulous traveling companion - he carried his own luggage, he breezed through the security at the airport - charming even the straight-faced security guards! It was a great little adventure that the two of us took together and we had so much fun. I missed my boys back home, but I knew they were in good hands with their Dad. Jack and I enjoyed every minute of our trip....thanks Jack...we made some memories that I will never forget and I hope you will remember them as you grow. And if you don't - there are TONS OF PICTURES! Here are just a few!

I am not a fan of flying (in fact, I hate it), but Jack acted like a world traveler, hauling around his suitcase and carrying his Pokemon "packpack" on his back. He wore his "traveling hat" and wore his "pilot" jacket. Adorable!

He got quite a kick out of these two statues at the airport. (Sir John A. MacDonald on the left....not a clue who is on the right?)

Just how "Touristy" do I look touring the Parliament building in my Roots Canada Sweater! LOL!

We made a great team we made! Thanks Buddy....and thanks for this picture Brett!

I brought along my second-shooter to Ottawa with me **Thanks Jack! ;)

I was so impressed with the markets in Ottawa, especially the flower stands. Aren't they beautiful?

Jackson on my brother's front step...all set out to go on another adventure....to the Parliament Buildings!

Best part of our trip....spending time with Family!

The Maxwell Family

2011-04-16T00:17:00.001-05:00

Meet my younger brother Brett, his beautiful wife Jolene and their adorable five-month old daughter Emily. I was so lucky to be able to fly to Ottawa with Jackson and spend a week with them. I have tried to make a point of visiting Brett wherever he lived, but when he lived in Australia and Switzerland...I kinda stopped! However, when he moved to Ottawa they asked when I would visit them there....and I always said whenever they had a baby, I'd be there! So, this past November they welcomed Miss. Emily into their lives, and shortly after that I booked tickets for Jack and I to visit Ottawa!

While we were there Jolene and I convinced Brett this would be a great opportunity to take some family pictures....he agreed (not overly thrilled about it -but he agreed) and this is the end result. There are many more great images....here are just a few. Thanks Brett and Jolene for a wonderful week. And thank you Emily for all the big, beautiful smiles! Love you all.

Ottawa Beauty!

2011-04-15T23:26:00.000-05:00

I was so thrilled with all the beautiful sights of our Nation's Capital. We walked and walked and walked and I was in awe of the architecture and the history. Jolene and I had a four month old and a five year old tagging along so I didn't have a ton of opportunity to take pictures, but I did snap quite a few! I cannot wait to go back to this City again and capture more beautiful images. Here are just a few from the many that I took!

Inside the Parliament Building - Stunning!

Inside the Beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral

I was in awe of this amazing church. The architecture was beyond anything I've ever seen before.

Notre Dame Cathedral - imagine shooting a wedding in this!?!

The War Memorial took my breath away.

The National Art Gallery - this was a "drive by shooting" - my brother and I had gone out for a cruise to see Ottawa at night!

The Adorable Miss. Emily

2011-04-15T22:10:00.001-05:00

I traveled to Ottawa last week to spend some time with my brother, his wife and their beautiful daughter Emily. While I was there I took the opportunity to capture some images of my beautiful niece. She is just the sweetest, most beautiful little girl I've ever met! It was so wonderful to spend a week with her ~ miss you already so much Emily! Here are a few of the many beautiful images we captured of this amazing little girl!

Look at her bright eyes! We took these on my last morning in Ottawa!

Sweet Smiles!

A smile that would light up a room!

Cutest baby feet ever!

My favourite!

Sweet, sweet smiles! :)

A perfect little girl - just perfect!

Mom & Baby Girl!

My niece and Me! Thanks for taking this Brett -love it, love her.....

We bonded - I love her!

Spring is here!

2011-04-11T21:12:00.000-05:00

I must apologize for the delay in updating my blog in the past two weeks. So much has been going on. Before Spring Break I launched my new website and in doing so, somehow messed up my access to my blog. I left it and headed off to the Cabin with my family to enjoy a week of skiing and family time up at Asessippi. We had a fabulous week and guess what? I skied too!! Yep, I actually went skiing with all my boys. It was so cool to all be up on the hill enjoying the beautiful views of Asessippi. After a week at the cabin, we came back to Oakville and I basically upacked, did laundry and packed again. Jack and I headed to Ottawa to visit my younger brother's family for a week. I have so many images to upload but now that I have managed to access my blog - my computer is actually in for a "check up" so I will have to wait to upload those images for a couple days.

The snow is melting, the tulips are for sale in the stores and I dawned my first pair of capris and flip flops this afternoon. There is still a bit of snow here and there, but I think it is safe to say that Spring is officially here.

Please stay tuned, I have some incredible images to upload as soon as I get my laptop back.

Take care everyone!! Enjoy this beautiful weather.

Blog Issues!

2011-04-11T20:56:00.000-05:00

I recently updated my website and since doing so have had a difficult time accessing my blog for updates. Please be patient with me. I will be updating this very soon once I get all of this technical "stuff" figured out! Thank you so much for your patience!
Happy Spring!!

New Website

2011-03-23T13:08:00.000-05:00

http://www.memoriesbyme.ca/

After several weeks, my new website is finally live! :)

Danica

2011-03-22T17:44:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing six-month old Danica yesterday! Such a cutey, with her big, blue eyes and adorable outfits. Thanks for bringing her out Toni & Don. Great to meet all of you. Here is a sneak peak at some of the many images we captured of this little doll!

The CD is Ready!!

2011-03-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I went to Grandview to photograph the very talented Kayla Luky. She needed some images for her upcoming Cd and promotional tour. We toured out North of Grandview for some great shots where Kayla grew up. I was so excited when I got the mail today and found Kayla's CD!! Looks awesome Kayla - I am so happy I could be a part of this. Congratulations on all the good things that are happening to you! I wish you nothing but success.....for information on purchasing a Cd please email info@kaylaluky.ca

Grandview is so proud!

More Snow! Seriously?

2011-03-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

Woke up to all this snow falling yesterday and it continued to fall all day. Not really what we need given our current flood situation. The boy thought it was pretty cool though!

Mr. Reese

2011-03-21T11:02:00.002-05:00

Mr. Maddox

2011-03-21T10:58:00.000-05:00

The McLean Family

2011-03-21T10:16:00.001-05:00

Meet Cam & Ashley's family! They just had their second girl, Atavia, three weeks ago. I travelled into their home in Portage la Prairie to capture some newborn photos as well as a few family pictures. Poor Ashley broke her ankle right before Atavia was born - what a trooper. She has a new baby, a three year old and is unable to walk at this point. I don't know how she does it. Between the blizzard and Ashley's broken ankle, we figured it was easier for me to travel to them.

Here are just a few of the many images we captured last Sunday afternoon.

Thanks Cam & Ashley - and congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby girl

Snow Day!!

2011-03-15T15:58:00.004-05:00

SNOW DAY! No school today as the highways were closed this morning when the buses were to head out. The boys and I went out for a couple hours and enjoyed this beautiful day!

Yum!

2011-03-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

Well, we woke up this morning like any other morning, got the boys ready for school and waited. We waited, and waited and finally realized the bus wasn't coming. I checked the School website and sure enough, SNOW DAY!!!! The kids were so excited - they threw up their mitts in the air and gave me a big hug. I decided we'd spend the morning baking. Let me rephrase that. I would spend the morning baking, they would spend the morning sitting on their butts watching cartoons while they cleaned out the bowls!! Jack was the only one who seemed remotely interested in helping me bake!

My sister and her adorable boys are coming for a few days so I am in the process of baking muffins, cupcakes and cookies!! I can't wait for them to get here......

I found this awesome muffin recipe and figured I'd share it with you.

Ingredients:
1 3\4 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Plain or Vanilla Yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Mashed Ripe Banana
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Add banas and chocolate chips. Fill greasd or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for five minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Enjoy!

I also made some "Dad's Cookies" this morning too - but I add chocolate chips to mine!

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Brown Sugar
1 Cup Butter, softened
1 Egg
3/4 Coconut
1.5 Cup Flower
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
1-1/4 Cup of Oatmeal
1-1/2 tsp Vanilla

Mix and Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Atavia - Three Weeks New!

2011-03-14T12:48:00.001-05:00

Meet Baby Atavia - three weeks old! She was a complete little doll to photograph and was as good as gold. Such a beautiful baby girl. Congratulations Cam & Ashley!

Del turns ONE!

2011-03-12T13:55:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe, but Mr. Del is turning ONE this week! I first met Del when he was just a couple months old and his parents brought him out for newborn pictures. He is simply adorable and I have been so privileged to watch this little boy through his first year. If you follow my work, this is the little "skunk" I took pictures of in October and then took some adorable pictures of him at Christmas time as well. Thank you Karley for trusting me with these memories - and thank you to Del's Aunty Rhonda as well (she has given Del gift certificates for his newborn and one-year portraits!)

Baby Silas - One Week Old

2011-03-12T13:08:00.001-06:00

I had the pleasure of meeting adorable, sweet, one-week old Silas yesterday afternoon. He was so content, so good, and so utterly adorable. Here are some sneak Peaks for Silas' Mom & Dad!

Tricia & Marcel's Family

2011-03-12T12:15:00.000-06:00

Meet Tricia, Marcel and their two beautiful boys Daxton and Silas. Daxton is not quite two years old and is so shy, but sweet as can be. He was a bit unsure of me, but we still captured some great images of this little guy. Silas is only one week old and so utterly and completely adorable. I wanted to keep him. Here are a few of the family shots as well as some cute pictures of Mr. Daxton! Thanks Tricia and Marcel - thanks for trusting me with these memories!

More Outdoor Fun

2011-03-06T00:51:00.000-06:00

Another day of fun outside with Dylan and Jackson.

The boys had me huffing and puffing carrying their sleds up the hill for them. Can you say spoiled?

They attempted to go down the hill together a few times, but they kept flipping their slides so they had to go solo.

Winter can be beautiful.....sometimes!

Super fun! They flipped a couple times, but lauged the whole time.

Even our "Fat Cat" came out for a walk with us.

Dylan Turns Eight!

2011-03-06T00:31:00.001-06:00

I'm a month behind on these pictures! I usually try to do a session with my boys around their birthdays - seems to be the only way I remember to do these types of photos with them is when we're thinking about their birthday parties! Dylan's portraits are a month after his birthday, with hockey and everything else going on, they kind of got put by the way-side. I let Dylan pick out his clothes for this session - I figured might as well let hm be as comfortable as possible in front of the camera. I love all of these - they are so HIM! Happy 8th birthday Dylan - thanks for the laughs!

I let Dylan play a part in picking what he was going to wear for the session! I think my days of adorable sweater vests are over - he insists on looking "cool".

I think he looks so much like my sister in the picture above. He certainly has her beautiful eyes.

Luv the eyes....matches the hat perfectly!

I can usually always count on Dylan to cooperate during sessions like these. I think he has a crush on himself! LOL!

Loved the look of his jeans with that shirt!

Dylan's trademark grin.

I loved the look he picked - ripped jeans and all!

Dude! What is he going to be like when he's 16? {{shudder}}

The one above is my absolute favourite. Definitely ordering it in a large print. :)

I'm sure the above is Dylan's favourite!

Love both of these - above and below. The one below is likely my second favourite of the session!

Snow Fun!

2011-03-04T22:36:00.001-06:00

The boys and I spent the whole day inside so when they came to me saying how bored they were getting we headed outdoors. We went walking along the dyke by my home and attempted to do some sliding. The kids giggled and laughed while I glanced out at the very high Assiniboine River. I can't help but wonder what the Spring holds for us. We have been told that we are in danger of flooding this Spring and by the looks of all the snow and the high water level on the river, I can't help but think they are right.

Despite the worry of Spring Flooding, I still managed to have a great time with the boys....

If you're wondering where Danny is - he's with his Oakville Atom Team playing in the Provincials in Birtle, Manitoba. GO OAKVILLE!!!

My Inspiration.

2011-03-04T11:19:00.003-06:00

There was a post on one of my photographer groups' pages about what inspires you. Everyone answered, but I didn't because at the time I wasn't really sure. I got to thinking about what truly does inspire me as a photographer? Nature, no. Other photographers, no. And as I looked through all my photos it became very clear. What inspires me is my family. It sounds corny, but it's true. My family are my inspiration. When I head into a session I am always thinking to myself "what would I want to gain from this session?" I then proceed to shoot the shots that I would most want for my own family memories. I want to capture that emotion and that warm sense of family when I meet with clients. Now when people ask what is my inspiration? My answer will be very clear - FAMILY.

My children inspire me first and foremost on a daily basis. They are the sole reason I got into photography. I was obsessed with capturing their little lives on film. I wasn't happy with my point and shoot cameras and slowly upgraded, and kept clicking away. Next thing you know I was taking pictures of friends and family....and then it just went from there. Through it all, my main focus has always been capturing my children on film. Capturing all those little moments to be treasured forever. As they grow older, I am even more grateful for the memories I have captured. And I am also grateful that others ask me to capture some "memories" for them as well. Hence, the name of my business - Memories by Me Photography. So what inspires me? Family. And I am so truly, grateful for my family!

Thanks for the inspiration Danny, Dylan, Jack, Kris, Mom, Dad....L, B, L, B, J, C, D, K, R, M & E! I love you all!!

The Tiny Light Foundation

2011-03-03T11:56:00.005-06:00

I am so excited to be a part of the Tiny Light Foundation. Another Photographer Friend of mine recently was accepted as one of their photographers in the Saskatchewan area. I decided to apply to see if I could also be a part of such an amazing organization. I was thrilled when they accepted me and am looking forward to working with all these other amazing photographers.

The Tiny Light Foundation provides Free professional photography for children and families that have been faced with a life altering diagnoses. They provide families with the lasting memories in the form of photography.

For more information on this great organization, please visit www.thetinylight.com.

The Magic In Ordinary Days.....

2011-02-28T17:41:00.004-06:00

I watched a movie a couple years ago called "The Magic In Ordinary Days". I loved the movie - one of my favourites! The title of the movie has always rung true with me. With such a hectic life full of hockey, skiing, photography, housework, kid's school activities and just the hustle and bustle of life, I have grown to appreciate the quiet, ordinary days in my life. I have been fighting a bad cold the last couple weeks so today I just stayed home with Jack and basically did nothing. It was one of those "ordinary" days that I treasure. I didn't have anywhere to go, anything to do and just was quiet. Jack wasn't very interested in watching TV so I kept it off. He spent the majority of the day building lego (his Dad's old set - how timeless of a toy is that!). I puttered around doing a bit of laundry, tidying up somewhat and just being still. There truly is "magic" in days like today......a little kiss on the cheek from Jackson here and there, watching him play quietly with his toys, enjoying a warm cup of tea and just being still enough to look around and appreciate all that I have.

I have been taking pictures of my kids where they are just doing what they love, whether it be building lego, drawing, colouring, writing or reading and I am growing more and more in love with these types of pictures. They are truly the essence of who they are right now in their young lives. I know I will look back on these someday and these images will take me back to our life.....to what I have grown to love....and that is "the magic in ordinary days".

Just Life.

2011-02-24T09:59:00.001-06:00

I took these last night. It was a quiet evening, Kris was working at the office and the boys were reading and drawing so I grabbed my camera and shot off a few snaps, quietly, without flash so that they wouldn't notice and stop what they were doing. My favourite photos of my kids are not the posed, portrait shot, but just "everyday"... life....because this is how I want to look back and remember their childhood.

I challenge all of you to bring out the camera and capture your children's lives "in the moment"....don't make them look at your camera all the time and smile, just take pictures of them being them. You'll love the results! These are a bit "grainy" b/c I upped my ISO so that I didn't have to use my flash, but I love them nonetheless!

The New Do!

2011-02-23T15:37:00.000-06:00

After our cupcake baking, Jack and I headed in to FINALLY get his hair cut. I couldn't get over how different he looked when he stepped off the chair. Wow....can't decide if he looks older or younger?

Cupcakes!

2011-02-23T15:08:00.001-06:00

Jackson wanted to have a "Green Day" today, so he he dragged out some green toys and asked if we could make green cupcakes. Why not?!

Best part of making cupcakes is licking out the bowl! I still remember doing that as a kid.

Jack thinks it's pretty cool to use the blender....I do too, until he lifts th beaters out when it's still on and icing flies all over my freshly cleaned kitchen! Oh well.....

Waiting for the cupcakes to cool, under the watchful eye of Theodore the Chipmunk! ;)

Mmmmm, Mmmmmm.....icing!

The incredibly talented "sprinkler guy" - Mr. Jackson!

I asked him what he thought of "green day" so far and got a big thumbs up!

Delicious!

Have I mentioned I love cupcakes? I do. They are probably one of my "favourite foods". I likely make cupcakes twice a month and the kids know that all they have to say is "let's make cupcakes" and I'm good to go. They are easy to make, and fun to do with the kids. I let them lick out the bowl - both the icing and batter, usually followed up by a big glass of milk. I don't even want to guess how many batches of cupcakes Jack and I have made over the last couple years. He is my "helper" and the older he gets, the more jobs he gets to do. Just recently I have let him crack the eggs (not always the smartest thing on my part), but he loves it. Today he was the "mixer" and the "sprinkler" and he got to say what colour the icing would be. He wanted to have a "green day" so he gathered up some of his green toys and brought them all to the kitchen to "watch" us bake.

I treasure times like this. Soon he'll be in school and I will be making cupcakes by myself! Oh, tearing up....gotta go! Here are some fun pictures from our "green bake-a-thon" this morning!

Cheers!

More Winter Fun.....

2011-02-21T11:41:00.001-06:00

We had a fabulous four-day weekend at the cabin. The kids skied non-stop and tubed in between. It was just one of those weekends where I wished this is where we lived year-round. Oh well, all good things must come to an end and it's time to head back to reality. It's a cold day today, but the boys still planned to ventured out to ski. I guess I better get packing as soon we'll be heading back to Oakville. Have a great week everyone.

Lighting up the Sky!

2011-02-21T00:17:00.002-06:00

Tonight Asessippi put on a spectacular fireworks show. We were lucky enough to watch the entire show from our deck of the cabin. We were thoroughly impressed! Thank Asessippi. Here are a few images.

Fun Times!

2011-02-20T10:10:00.002-06:00

We've been up at the cabin the last few days enjoying time outside. The boys have been tubing and skiing non-stop. Today is a bit cold, so I'm not sure how much "outdoor" activity will take place today. Kris joined us Friday night and the kids were so excited to get out and have some fun with their Dad.

Here are a few images from yesterday's fun!

Miss. Mena

2011-02-16T20:44:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet eight-month old this afternoon. She wasn't to keen on me, but thanks to her Mom, we got some great smiles! Here are a few of the many....

Rhys & Jen's Family

2011-02-16T11:11:00.001-06:00

Meet Jen & Rhys and their beautiful boys, Madden & Beck. Madden just turned two and little Beck is ten days old. Usually I book seperate sessions for newborns and families but today I made an exception as they travelled out from Winnipeg with a brand new baby and we figured we should try to grab as much variety in the images as poss...ible. Venturing out with a two-year old and a ten-day old baby is not an easy feat so we did our best to take as many pictures as possible. Madden is simply adorable. He is so good and was so beautiful to photograph with his big blue eyes. Beck is brand-new and tiny as can be, and also wonderful to photograph. Thanks Rhys and Jen for venturing out to Oakville today ~ great to meet you and your beautiful boys. Here is a small sample of the many images we captured today.

Jodiene & Jeff - Engaged!

2011-02-15T22:13:00.000-06:00

Meet Jeff & Jodiene! A fabulous, fun couple who I had the honour of photographing yesterday afternoon. I took a drive out to Austin to tour around with these two to some of their favourite spots. Jeff is a photog friend of mine (he is the owner of Ravenshoe Photographics), and when he asked me to capture some engagement shots, I was a bit nervous. It's always a little intimidating shooting another photographer, but within five minutes we just started having fun and it didn't stop until the end of our session. These two are so happy together, always smiling and laughing, and I was honoured to capture some of that happiness.

Congratulations Jeff & Jodiene!!

Jenna and Dan ~ Engaged!

2011-02-15T01:01:00.000-06:00

Meet Jenna & Dan, a beautiful couple I had the pleasure of photographing on Sunday afternoon. Again, it was so nice to meet one of my Wedding Couples and sit and talk about their wedding plans and get to know them a bit better than just email exchanges. It was great to meet both of you and I cannot wait to photograph your wedding in 2011. Congratulations on your engagement! Happy Wedding Planning!

Brand New! Baby Brayden

2011-02-14T21:10:00.000-06:00

Meet Baby Brayden, a beautiful two-week old baby boy that I had the pleasure of photographing yesterday. Normally babies this young sleep through the entire session, but not this little guy. He was alert as could be and so adorable! We tried to get him to sleep, but no way - he was staying awake for his session. Congratulations Nici & Jason - you have a beautiful baby boy and I can tell you two are totally taken with him. It was great to meet all three of you! Here is a sneak peak of the many images we captured!

Day 363, 364 and 365! Mission Accomplished....

2011-02-14T19:46:00.000-06:00

Day 365

"Jeff & Jodiene"

Well here it is. Day 365 of my Project 365. Honestly, I thought of throwing in the towel at about Day 120, but my stubborness would not allow it. I really don't like to start something I cannot finish so I perservered. I'm not going to lie, there were days where I did not have a clue what to take a picture of... (ummmm, the picture of my eyeball and the picture of the reflection of myself in the window are two that come to mind)...and there were also days where I had 50 images I wanted to use. Regardless, I did it. It has been a great experience and I cannot tell you how much all of your feedback has meant to me.

Today I travelled to Austin to take pictures of my dear friend Jeff Early (Ravenshoe Photographics) and his lovely fiance Jodiene. I'm not going to lie - I was a tad nervous about this session. Jeff is my "go-to guy" whenever I have a technical question or advice on equipment. He is always so willing to help me and guide me on my photography so when he asked me to do his engagement pictures I was a little nervous. I always get nervous before a session, but taking pictures of another photographer made me even more so. However, within five minutes into our session the three of us were laughing and having fun and we captured a ton of mages for Jeff & Jodiene! Thanks guys - it was truly an honour taking these pictures for you. Check out Jeff's fabulous work at Ravenshoe Photographics.

I find it quite fitting that Jeff was who my Day 365 was of. He is on Day 362 I believe and we have been encouraging each other throughout this Project to keep going. We never planned for this to be my Day 365, but I think it's very cool that it is.

So, here it is DAY 365 of my PROJECT 365. Thanks for coming along on my little adventure.......

PS - his heart says "Marry Me" and her's says "Love Him".....you can't really see that in the collage.See More

Day 364

"Favourites"

I really love newborn photography and I also really love engagement sessions. Today I was able to shoot both my favourite types of sessions.
...
I was very lucky to meet two-week old little Brayden and his parents today. Brayden was super cute and super alert. I couldnt' believe a two-week old could stay awake and be as good for as long as he did. No matter what we did, he would not go to sleep. The minute we placed him down in a basket, his one little eye would open almost to say "oh no you don't - I'm staying awake for this". He was just a little doll and I adored being able to hold him - what a sweet heart. Thanks Jason & Nici - it was great to meet you, and wonderful to meet your new little son. Congratulations.

Later this afternoon I was able to meet another one of my fabulous 2011 couples - Dan & Jenna. These two were so fun to work with and so nice. We chatted away about their upcoming wedding and got to know each other a bit better. I always love e-sessions as they are a lot of fun to shoot and it also gives me an opportunity to meet the couple before their big day. I love Dan & Jenna's story, very cool how they met via Facebook and now here they are planning a life together. Thanks for coming out to my neck of the woods today Jenna & Dan - so great to meet you. Congratulations on your engagement!

Here is just a few of the many, many images I captured of both of these sessions!

Day 364......Jenna & Dan and Baby Brayden.

Day 363

"Saturday Morning Cartoons"

Sorry folks, didn't capture a lot on Saturday. We had hockey, then went out for dinner and out to a social so the camera pretty much stayed on my desk the entire day. I dd capture some fun hockey pictures, but I have posted enough hockey pictures in this Project so I thought I'd use this cute picture of Jack watching his cartoons. He was pretty much oblivious to me taking this as he was zoned in on the TV (and I think still half-asleep).

Day 363....Mr. Jack chillin on a Saturday morning!

Day 362

2011-02-11T15:22:00.000-06:00

~Played "out"~

Finally a day where I was able to stay at home and get caught up around here. I was in the midst of getting my house organized when Jackson asked if we could go outside and play. To be honest, I just wanted to keep on doing what I was doing, but remembered that old saying I've quoted on here before "the work will wait while you show your child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work"......so off we went!

It is a beautiful day out today so we tromped through the snow, jumped on the trampoline and played on the swings. Just when I decided to get my camera going, he decided he had enough. Go figure. He's had a bit of a cough and runny nose so I figured if he was done, then it was best to go inside.

Here are just a couple images I captured outside of Mr. Jack. Better go check on him.....he's cuddled under a blanket watching a movie....I think I'll join him.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
**and PS - I'm fully aware that this toque is far too small on this kid, but he insisted on wearing it! ;)

Mr. Reid!

2011-02-11T01:47:00.003-06:00

Meet Mr. Reid, an adorable one month old baby boy I had the pleasure of photographing this afternoon. He was so settled and so easy to photograph. Thank you Lanny & Janean - so great to meet your beautiful little boy.

When I asked Janean if she wanted any pictures of her and Reid, she quickly said no. Then I quickly shot this! So glad I did! :)

Guaranteed Sports Fan!

I seriously have a thing for baby feet. I think they are the most beautiful thing to photograph. My boys are outgrowing their baby feet (two actually have completely) and it breaks my heart. :(

I think Reid is going to be a hockey fan - no choice! ;)

Snug as a bug in a rug! Janean's living room had great natural lighting - no flash or extra lights were used, which I really like when photographing babies.

I love this one of Reid. I think I wore him out. These were some of the very last shots.

When I arrived I couldn't resist taking pictures of him in his cozy jammies.

I love baby pics in B&W! my favourite I'm sure when processing baby pics.

This picture is my absolute favourite. Processed with Sweet Umber from Red Leaf Boutique.

Love how his little hands are folded. Super content. :)

I know - here I go again with the toes!

Party!

2011-02-11T00:22:00.001-06:00

So, we had Dylan's birthday party yesterday. I am not a fan of throwing their parties on a different day from their actual birthday, but due to hockey practice I thought it was better to host it on another day. Dylan was pretty spoiled this year....a celebration with my parents on Monday, a celebration with us on Tuesday and then a party with his best pals on Wednesday.

We picked up the kids at school and headed into Portage for a game or two of glow golfing. The kids had a blast, which is what really counts. We picked up pizza and headed out to our place where the party continued. Happy Birthday Dylan - I hope your 8th birthday will be a memorable one!

Dylan and three of his best pals. Cody is missing from this picture, he had headed downstairs to play floor hockey with Danny!

Busy week - so Little Caesars Pizza to the rescue! I bought way too many so I sent whole pizzas home with the kids. Lesson learned! And yes, I realize the drinks are not "healthy" ones....but hey - it's a boys' 8th birthday. It's about FUN!

I wanted a group shot of the kids, but they weren't too keen on it, until I brought out those goofy glasses. Classic 8 year olds!

A shot of the glow-in-the-dark mini-golf. The boys thought it was pretty cool!

Day 361

2011-02-10T21:03:00.002-06:00

"Baby Reid"

I had the privilege of photographing one-month old Baby Reid this afternoon in Winnipeg. He was so good, and so content even though we were dressing him up and down and moving him from one spot to another. What a sweet, sweet little guy. Thank you Janean and Lanny for welcoming me into your beautiful new home. An...d thanks for letting Jack have a big nap on your couch! ;)

Here is Day 361....one of the many adorable images of this beautiful little boy.

I love babies. I love my job. ♥

Day 360

2011-02-10T20:26:00.000-06:00

"Party Time!"

So, it was Dylan's birthday on Tuesday, but we had his party on Wednesday due to hockey practice. I had a hard time picking which picture should be my Day 360 from the party as there were quite a few funny ones (which I will blog), but the one that made me laugh was definitely this one! Eight candes, four of your... best buddies watching and the risk of having a girlfriend was too much to bare so he gave it his all and tried to blow them all out!

Day 360....my funny guy Dyl!

PS - sorry I'm a day late - Xplornet was down!See More

Happy Birthday Dylan!

2011-02-08T23:25:00.001-06:00

It is Dylan's 8th birthday today. I was looking through some pictures and video today of Dylan and it struck me how much he's "growing up". He is no longer the little boy who lived in a Superman Costume every day for a year. He no longer flies around the house fighting "bad guys" and "saving the day". He's growing up....right before my very eyes. It is moments like this where I am so grateful that I have taken the pictures that I have. I spent more time than I should have looking through old photos today of him and his brothers, but it took me back and made me grateful for all that I have.

As for Dylan's "big day"....we're celebrating it with his friends tomorrow because today was a hockey day. I still tried to make it a special day for him, but with school all day, and hockey practice after that, it was kind of a rushed birthday. He is a lucky little guy though - he celebrated Monday night with Grandma and Grandpa Maxwell coming for a sleepover and taking us all out for supper. Today he got presents and cake at home with just us and tomorrow is his party with his buddies. Must be cool to have a three-day party in your honour!

Here are a few images from Dylan's big day. Happy Birthday Dylan. Love you to the moon and back.

I love this picture of Dylan and me. I had a full day of editing and getting things organized so I think I look a bit worn out, but regardless....I treasure every picture with me and my kids!

Thanks for taking this one Kris! When I hand Kris the camera, he just points and shoots....usually about fifteen shots as he's never sure if he'll get a good one. I'm grateful for these pictures so thanks!

My house has been taken over by Lego! All three boys are so into Lego right now, but it's not always easy to come by the ones they want. I ordered this one from a toy store in Toronto - so glad it came in time for his birthday as he loved it!

How we like to celebrate our birthdays around here - together as a family!

Fun times after hockey! Cupcakes, milkshakes & blue jello. Dylan preferred blue jello to cupcakes, which is fine by me. He is the birthday boy!

I took this right before he got on the bus. My little eight-year old!

Lego...again - Harry Potter and Indiana Jones are Dylan's "flavour of the day"

"It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself." ~Joyce Maynard

Day 359

2011-02-08T20:11:00.000-06:00

"Dylan is 8!"

Happy Birthday Dylan! Thanks for the laughs, thanks for the love and thanks for simply being you! You continue to always brighten my world.
...
Day 359....

Marty & Andrea ~ Engaged!

2011-02-08T12:04:00.003-06:00

Congratulations Marty & Andrea on your engagement! I'm so excited to photograph your wedding in October. Here are a few sneak peaks of yesterday's fun, but chilly session! Thanks for braving the cold weather guys - great to meet you both!

Day 358

2011-02-08T11:29:00.000-06:00

"Marty & Andrea"

I was so pleased to meet Marty & Andrea this morning for their engagement session. They both braved the cold and ice this morning to venture out for some fun outdoor shots at an old yardsite nearby. Thanks for tromping through knee-deep snow to get to our location - you're both great sports.
...
We took a variety of pictures both indoor and outdoor, I happen to love how happy they look in this picture.

Day 358....Marty & Andrea! Congratulations on your engagement. I look forward to seeing you again at your wedding. Here is one of the many images from this morning!

Day 357

2011-02-08T11:15:00.002-06:00

"Kayla"

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing this beautiful, young, talented singer/songwriter this afternoon North of Grandview. Kayla Luky called me to see if I would be interested in photographing her for her new CD she will be releasing this spring. She had this great idea to go to locations Nor...th of Grandview where she spent a great deal of her childhood. It was a bit chilly today, but she and I perservered and tromped through the snow to get to some very cool locations. I kid you not, there were times we were in snow up to our thighs.....quite funny!

You can find Kayla's music on Facebook - just search for "Kayla Luky", take a listen - I think she is super talented. I just got home from the cabin now and quickly looked through all our images and I love them all. Here is one I quickly picked out that caught my eye. I will be blogging this session, hopefully tomorrow evening.

Day 357, the beautiful and talented Miss. Kayla Luky.

Day 356

2011-02-08T11:12:00.000-06:00

"Danny Boy"

I'm a day late with my Project 365. We had another great day on the slopes yesterday (OK, I don't ski, but the boys all had a great day!) There were lots of pictures to choose from, but the one I loved the most was this one of Danny. Sorry I'm late, but we had my whole family over to the cabin to c...elebrate some little boys' very special birthdays so I just didn't have time yesterday or today to get to this until now.

Day 356... a close up of Danny at the Chalet....

Kayla

2011-02-08T11:01:00.001-06:00

Meet the talented and beautiful Kayla Luky. Kayla is a singer/songwriter who is about to debut her fourth CD and head out on tour across Canada this Summer. She asked me to capture some images for her CD and promotional items and I am so glad we could make it work. We had so much fun touring out North of Grandview l...ooking for great locations to shoot at and we found plenty. What I love most about all these locations is that they have a personal signifigance to Kayla - she either played at these spots as a little girl or knew the history of each place. I had a great afternoon Kayla - thank you so much for asking me to do these and good luck this summer! Here is a small portion of the images we captured on Sunday afternoon.

If you have a chance, check out Kayla's music - she is super talented! I predict this small town prairie girl has great things in her future.

http://www.kaylaluky.ca/

Skiing Fun!

2011-02-04T23:45:00.000-06:00

Spent the day skiing - hard to believe it was so warm on February 4th! Kids had lot of fun, and so did Kris and I. Jackson took in a skiing lesson and loved it! Grandma even came skiing - great day. Here are some of the images I captured today!

Day 355

2011-02-04T22:36:00.000-06:00

"Perfect Day"

What a perfect day on the slopes. Jack took a lesson and did awesome, the boys skied the afternoon away and I just enjoyed watching them with my camera.
...
Day 355.....perfect day on the slopes!

Day 354

2011-02-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

"K-Registration"

Took my Little Man to "school" today for Kindergarten registration. :( Need I say more?

Cupcakes!

2011-02-02T16:23:00.001-06:00

Note to self, make sure you're putting to proper food colouring in the icing when you make it. I had intended to make "Valentine" cupcakes but put orange food colouring in instead. Ersh. Oh well, they still taste pretty yummy. It's a "stay in your pj's, makin' cupcakes and stayin' warm" kinda day around here. Enjoy... your afternoon everyone. Gotta go have another cupcake. Thanks for your help today Jack! Just enjoying.....the Magic in ordinary days.

2011-02-02T11:49:00.000-06:00

"Luv"

My husband brought me home these beautiful white roses yesterday. Thanks Kris. Luv u.

Day 353...
*processed with Florabella - Cosmopolitan Action and Vintage Screen Texture*

"Harry Potter"

It has become very clear to me that I have been spending far too much time on my laptop lately, so I shut it off this morning and promised myself I would stay off of it for the day, and focus more on other things far more important than Facebook, and far more important than even my photography. I ...was hanging out with Jackson today (we even skipped Nursery School just to be home) and I took this picture of him casting spells on me in my studio. I thought I would upload it quickly and then I can shut off my computer and turn on my life!

Day 352.....my adorable little Harry Potter! Stay warm everyone, it's a cold one out there today in Sunny Manitoba!

Michael, Kristi & Aylah ~ Family.

2011-02-01T11:13:00.000-06:00

Kristi, Michael & Aylah came out to my home this morning for some family pictures and some three-month pictures of Aylah. We had fun dressing up Aylah in her cute little tutus (OK, Michael probably didn't have as much fun as Kristi or me). It was great to meet you guys. Thanks so much for bringing your beautiful lit...tle girl out this way to be photographed. Here are some sneak peaks!!

Day 351

2011-01-31T21:29:00.000-06:00

"Little Miss. Aylah"

I had the pleasure of photographing Aylah this morning. Our appointment was originally for Saturday morning, but given the bad weather we had over the weekend, we postponed it until today. Aylah is three months old and cute as a button! I had so much fun dressing her up, and was tickled "p...ink" when I saw the tutu, bracelets and hats her Mom brought.

Here is one of my favourites of Aylah! Such a cutie!!

Day 349 and 350

2011-01-30T18:45:00.001-06:00

Day 349 - "Pretty Cool"

I was supposed to have a session yesterday morning, but the roads were horrible and our yard was full of snow so it was postponed. We had a busy day with hockey - both boys had a game. Last night we went to the Oakville Rink and took in the Arron Asham's Chance to Play Charity game. My boys were ...so pumped to see Arron play and were even more excited that they got to meet him after the game. Even though they have plenty of autographed Arron Asham memorabilia, Dylan still insisted his hockey hero autograph his hand!

I took a bunch of pictures for the game organizers, but the picture I chose for my Project 365 is Arron signing Dylan's hand! Pretty cool, eh Dyl?!

For More information on Arron's charity, please visit www.chance2play.com

Day 350 - "Game On"

Once again, a session I had today was cancelled. Two sessions in one weekend - ah the joys of Manitoba weather! It did give me the opportunity to attend Dylan's hockey game so that was a bonus!
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We had a great game against MacGregor today. It was so cold in the rink though, I don't know how those little guys stayed out and played like they did. I would have liked to have taken more pictures, but my fingers were frozen!

Well done Oakville! Way to play!

Day 350....a few shots of the game!

The Ladybug Walk!

2011-01-30T18:39:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few of the many pictures I took today at the Ladybug Walk in Oakville. I have included pictures of some of the kids whose parents I'm friends with as I was pretty sure they wouldn't mind me showing off their cute kids!! For more information this great cause, please visit www.ladybugfoundation.ca

Day 348

2011-01-28T20:09:00.000-06:00

"The Ladybug Foundation"

Today the K-3 classes at Oakville School walked "a mile in their shoes" in support of the The Ladybug Foundation inc. Each child made a ladybug jar and collected spare change from friends and family and donated it to the Ladybug Foundation. Today, they went for a mile long walk around O...akville in support of this cause. Several of the Seniors in the Community made each child a red scarf with a ladybug sewn on it that they all wore proudly! The walk ended with hot chocolate and cookies courtesy of the Senior Centre in Oakville.

Well done Oakville School ~ hats off to the teachers, students and seniors who were involved in this great fundraiser. I went along and captured a pile of pictures for the school to have.

Here are just a few of the many! I wish I could showcase more as I captured some beautiful close-ups of each child on the walk, but I don't have permission from the parents to do so.

Day 348

Day 347

2011-01-27T11:18:00.001-06:00

"Makin' Cookies"

I spent the majority of my day working yesterday as I had a session in the morning and basically hunkered down and edited for the remainder of the day and evening. I must admit, Jack was just a tad neglected so when he asked me this morning if I would bake cookies.....how could I say no!

Mmmmm....mmmmm ~ Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe
1 Cup Margarine, softened
1 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Tsp of Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup White or Chocolate Chips
1 Cups Rolled Outs

Cream margarine, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Blend into a cream mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or golden brown.

Day 346

2011-01-26T23:53:00.000-06:00

"Sweetness"

There were so many pictures to choose from for my Picture of the Day, Gabrielle and Max were so easy to photograph! I could tell that their Mom takes lots of pictures as they were so patient with me and given their ages, they lasted a lot longer than most three & four year olds! I chose this pictur...e out of all of the options for my Project 365 because I loved how sweet it looked. I told them to just look at each other and she Gaby reached up to Max's face. Simply adorable.

Day 346....Gaby & Max.....so great to meet you two and thank you for being so good!

Moments....

2011-01-26T23:46:00.000-06:00

The session today was supposed to be just for Gabrielle and Max, but I couldn't resist taking a few "just for fun" pictures of them with their Mom and their Grandma. I'm glad I did as moments like these with Moms and their kids are rare because more often than not it's the Mom always behind the camera. Here are a couple of my favourites.

Gabrielle & Max

2011-01-26T23:23:00.001-06:00

Meet Gabrielle & Max! These two adorable little ones came to my home this morning to have their picture taken. I met their Mom this past Spring when she and her three sisters had their pictures taken for my "Sister Special". I was so pleased when she emailed to set up a session with her two children. They are just t...he sweetest little kids and so good too! Thanks Amy ~ great to see you again! And thank you Gabrielle & Max - you two are wonderful. Here are just a few of the many images we captured. I had trouble picking which ones to put up as sneak peaks as there are so many adorable pictures to choose from!

PS - And Happy Birthday Amy!!

Day 245

2011-01-25T23:05:00.000-06:00

"Jack Got his Chompers Back"

Busy, crazy, insane day today! Up and down the highway more times than I could count, but in the end Jackson got his dentures put back in! Yay - he has his cute toothy grin back.

Teeth or no teeth - he's still adorable to me....Day 245

Day 344

2011-01-24T12:49:00.000-06:00

Day 344

"Namaste"

So, I have been reading everyone's Facebook pages about working out, personal trainers, boot camp and so on and have to say I admire you all for having the discipline to exercise like you do. It is not for me though. I lack the coordination for any type of cardio or aerobics (yes, I was once asked to leave a step aerobics class - I kid you not - I looked like a frog in a blender and was mixing everyone up so they asked me to leave - MORTIFIED!)

I luckily don't have any weight issues that I need to overcome but let's face it, I'm getting older and I need to start taking better care of myself. Last year I started doing Yoga and I absolutely loved it. My sister-in-law is a certified Yoga Instructor and I have seen first-hand how it has changed her life. I don't have the luxury of attending her classes (but if you live in the Parkland area - you should go) so I bought myself some Yoga DVD's and got into the routine last year of doing them with Jackson every morning. Somehow, life happened and I stopped doing them, put the yoga mat away and stacked the DVDs with the other hundreds of unwatchd DVDs I have floating around my home. Last night Jackson brought up the yoga mat and asked if we could start doing it again. Perfect timing, I so need to start doing this again.

So, Jack and I put on our "yoga clothes" (yes, this is a great excuse also to buy more lulu lemon clothes), set up the mat and put on the DVD this morning. He lasts for about ten minutes, then gets bored and just goes off and plays, which is good because I can't help laugh at him while he's doing all these poses and from what I've heard, yoga is all about breathing and it's hard to breathe when you're laughing your head off!

Anyhow, this picture is for you Aunty Buffy - Jack demostrating one of the poses he says he learned from you!

Namaste!

To Blog or Not to Blog......

2011-01-23T13:09:00.001-06:00

I find myself wondering sometimes if my blogging and constant pictures of my kids are boring to some of you? I question whether I put too much out there about my life, especially where my Project 365 is concerned. When I blog, whether it be to do with my project or my photography, I try not to get into personal issues like what angers me, my personal views on religion, politics, the photography industry (and trust me I have plenty that angers me in this area!) and instead try to focus on my day-to-day life as a Mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend. I try to keep my blogs upbeat and funny, with a twist of sarcasm. To me, writing has always been therapeutic. I don't really do it for others, I do it for myself. I certainly don't do it to "drum up business" as that's not the way I want to run my career. So I guess the question is - why do I do it?

Since starting my Project 365 I am amazed by how many people follow it and often send me an email telling me how they related to that certain picture or something I wrote. When I first started the project I figured it would be for me, about my day to day life and a great way to practice photography. It has become so much more than that. I have received countless emails from Moms just like me either trying to get into the photography business, or simply because they can relate to what I write about motherhood, family and everything those two important subjects mean to me.

I am a little more than three weeks from being done my Project 365 and I have had several people ask if I'm going to continue with it. I haven't decided yet. I enjoy it and find it very challenging and also a great way to improve on my work, but I'm just not sure I should do it all over again.

So, to those of you who follow my blogs - thank you! To those of you who think it's boring or uninteresting - don't follow it! I guess it's as simple as that. I will continue to blog and post my work as I see fit. There are certain pictures of my personal life that you will never see, but for the most part I am proud of my beautiful children and family and I will "show them off" as much as I can!

PS - I am fully aware that this picture below is blurry, but I love it just the same! ;)

Danny Boy

2011-01-23T12:16:00.000-06:00

Just a few fun shots of Danny playing in the snow!

Day 343

2011-01-23T11:39:00.000-06:00

"Danny Boy"

I read on Facebook that it was warming up outside. Ummmmm, nope. Danny and I went out for some fun shots in the snow and we froze! I think it was the wind....regardless we still fired off a few fun shots. I got the blowing snow idea from a friend of mine ~ Jeff Early at Ravenshoe Photographics! Thanks Jeff.

Day 342

2011-01-22T20:45:00.001-06:00

"Hockey"

Dylan had three games today and Danny had one. Needless to say my picture of the day should be hockey-related somehow, however, all I managed to capture today was Danny walking into our second home (the Oakville Arena)!
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Hockey....it has taken over our lives! ;) But even at the end of such a hectic day we ask the boys "did you have fun"? and the answer is always "yes!". As long as it stays "yes"....we'll play!

Day 342.....