Fall Grapes

One of the benefits of living in Utah is that we get to see the seasons change. That is something that we never saw in Hawaii. I have to admit that I love it...(although I would take the ocean over Fall any day). I love the saturation of all the bright colors and find myself still in awe every year this rolls around. I also wanted to capture some pictures of these amazing grapes growing outside our house. Grandma found them last time she visited and they are oh so yummy. There are TONS of them. Thank you grandma!!!

Can you tell which one was the real photo?

Roomies-4-Life

I got to take pictures of my lil sister Gracie and her beautiful hottie roommates. It was so fun and totally the most easy going-cheesy posing shoot I have done. It was a blast. I felt like a serious photographer for "America's Next Top Model." I just used my canon point and shoot and compared to these superstars I felt like I was shooting with a cardboard disposable camera, like the one I bought for my first trip to Hawaii (hahaha, seriously). Although, I need to acknowledge that I LOVE my canon and it has been and will always be the BEST thing anyone has ever given me (thank you mom), I am still so anxious and extremely excited for the day I can get my first SLR and actually call it mine. Anyway, I just loved these girls and their patience, even when Marley erased their whole first shoot. Oops. Yea!!! The quality isn't the best because we forgot about daylight savings and ended up shooting close to dark, but I was going for a funky photoshopped look instead anyway, right?

I'm just loving this girl to death... It's crazy to think that I can remember changing her diapers and watching her chubby toddler body go crazy for anything with sugar. We used to call her "Buttons and Sugar." I remember in Chiloquin when her and Elizabeth would let me dress them up and do "fake" photo shoots. Then I remember Drain and always having her little shorty-shorts friend Joe come to the door and ask to play EVERY SINGLE DAY. She was the only one who was nice to him, even when he was a little off (okay maybe it was more than a "little"). I laugh because that is still her life (She is just so kick back and easy to talk to.) Hmmmm...? I can't wait to meet her best friend that she will get to share eternity with. (no short shorts and no cordorouy). hahaha

It was funny because throughout the whole shoot, they all kept speaking in a British accent. Hahaha. These were Absolutely the Most Lovely-Lovely, Well-Mannered Ladies my Eyes have Ever Beheld!!!

I've got some more to post of these lovely ladies...

Happy Halloween

We had a blast this Halloween. Sitani was obsessed with being Optimus Prime and even though I think it is the most ridiculous unitard costume, I gave up control and let his dreams come true. He was as happy as could be. Marley was so cute and loving her purple sparkly sunglasses in the pitch black night. She was Fancy Nancy. Elijah was the cutest puppy dog and Heinrich was the scariest funny-looking rugby player. We had a blast and I already can't wait for next year. Thank you Jenny and George for the fun party.

My Lil Guy

I am just loving this lil guy too much...

I was at a baby shower last week and one of the ladies was asked "How do you get your baby to sleep through the night?" I heard women moan and some muttering like "just let them cry". I was really impressed by her answer. She said that she remembered those late nights as being some of the best memories as a mother, just her and her baby awake while the rest of the house was sound asleep. I LOVE THIS TIME. Everyday I am surprised how little sleep Heavenly Father helps me live on (I don't know about functioning correctly and Heinrich can testify to that as well), but I love waking up and seeing his smiling face and his chubby little body. He is the warmest little snuggly guy (the perfect heater for those cold winter nights). He likes to grab his toes and loves when the kids are in his face making silly faces. He is just so perfect. He is so mellow and sweet and happy. I just can't get enough of this lil guy.

I have so many things to be thankful for.

Aaron + Pasi (finally)

Sorry for the long delay. I think I got the swine flu (hahaha) or is it just the "parent-teacher conference" flu? Ahhh stress. If only I could just quit my job and do this for a living. I imagine myself playing with my kids in the day, editing by night and then on the weekends we would all fly off to some beautiful place to shoot a romantic and gorgeous wedding. Imagine that. It would be pure bliss.

Anyway...these two are so adorable together and their kids are gonna be so cute. I am already excited for that (whoa, I know, slow down, not to put any pressure though, hahaha).

Aaron + Pasi (almost there)

I shot over 1,000 pictures this past weekend of my gorgeous sister-in-law Pasi with her hunky hunky (now) husband. I am almost finished and can't wait to post the rest. Their wedding was a blast!!! The food was ooh-ooh good, the entertainment was hilarious, and Marley ran all over the place with no shoes, stained red punch down her white dress and her hair a crazy mess, but she had the biggest grin and happiest little skip I have ever seen. We had so much fun just being all together as a family

(we're talking one BIG family).

Sami's Baptism

Sami, my beautiful niece, was baptized last weekend. We always love getting together with family. I especially love it because I get to take pictures of all these cute kiddos.

our family christmas card. hahaha

I can't get enough of this cute thing.

These two are only 20 minutes apart. Ahhh, the future they will have together!

Ring-Around-the-Rosies is apparently still a big hit these days.

Sami took these pictures.

A Rasta

While in a store I was wearing Heinrich's "Bob Marley" lanyard around my neck.

Sitani: Mom, you're not a rasta.

(apparently my three year old son thinks his daddy is a rasta.)

The AMAZING super-hero Dad

Today my husband did the dishes, put Marley's hair in a ponytail, took the kids to the gym for a couple of hours, fed and held Elijah, picked me up from work, and even cut the coupons out of the newspaper while searching KSL for a new mattress (ours is long gone). Although I HATE leaving my kids to go back to work, I am so blessed to know that he is such a good dad and they absolutely LOVE spending that time with him (especially Marley).




(It's getting to be that time of year again)

(Partyland football players... $3.00....Priceless)

Cosmo came to the school and SItani and MArley got to come. He picked up Sitani in the middle of this huge crowd of kids. It was cool to see how happy Sitani was.

I put Elijah sitting up on our couch and came back into the room to see this on his head.

Akiona Family

I am just LOVING these guys. Seriously, they are the cutest family EVER!!! (not to mention some serious supermodels and hotties). These guys are like our little buddy family that we LOVE to hang out with. Tracie and I actually worked together back in Hawaii at the Polynesian Culture Center. We worked for a company called Photopoly and yes we had to dress tourist up in hula skirts and leis and take pictures of them with our super-hot polynesian models. It was a blast job and lots of memories there. It is pretty crazy because we ran into each other again when Heinrich and Kala started working together. We've had a blast this past summer with our fanatic yet fantastic six (and some) "Yard Sales" and not to mention famous "Barbeques". Yeah... we are rolling in the dough now. Hahaha. Thank you guys for letting me take pictures and be in the presence of "GREATNESS". Your family is gorgeous.

(my favorite)