11.29.2010

scenes.from.an.abundant.thanksgiving




There's always an inner turmoil between my two selves at gatherings like these.

My photographer self says "document, document, document!" because I'm acutely aware of the fleeting nature of these get-togethers and I can already sense how much I will enjoy
poring over old photographs at some undetermined point in the future.

On the other hand, my non-photographer self urges me to be in the moment, to absorb, to engage.
With a camera in hand, you inevitably become less of a participant and more of an observer.

Depending on the day, the occasion, my mood or just a whim, I will choose to move into one of those selves. I can't be certain, but somehow I think I will end up being grateful that
my photographer self won out more times than not.

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11.25.2010

a.full.belly.Thanksgiving



Headed to bed with a full belly and a full heart.
Today was nourishment for body and soul, alike.
My cup runneth over & I hope yours did, too.

Happy Turkey Day, all y'all!









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11.22.2010

thanksgiving.week.gratitude




Grateful that I have a first-grader.
First-graders are AWESOME. If you've ever had one, you know exactly what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Grateful that Tim's parents could spend time in her classroom while they're in town this week.

Grateful that Tim's mom got to read fun stories to those little cuties.
She had them in the palm of her hand, I tell ya.

Grateful for the father and son who sat side by side,
identical postures and all, while listening to those fun stories.

SO grateful to be witness to all this love made visible.



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11.18.2010

Allison.Class.of.2011



It was more than a little chilly for this session, so I was thankful that Allison was such a great sport! Even though I was concerned about how cold it was going to be when I booked this session, I ended up loving the transitional look of the Autumn leaves with the Winter snow. My time with Allison marked the official end to my senior sessions for 2010. A big, fat thank you to all the seniors I had the pleasure of photographing in 2010. A serious amount of fun for me. Cheers to each and every one of you as you complete your final year of high school. Hope you enjoy every.last.minute of it!!


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11.12.2010

November.sunrise




Why I Wake Early

"Lest we would sift down
into fractions, and facts
certainties
and what the soul is, also
I believe I will never quite know.
Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know
our part is not knowing,
but looking, and touching, and loving,
which is the way I walked on,
softly,
through the pale-pink morning light."

{Mary Oliver}


As pathetic as it sounds, I could probably count the number of sunrises I've seen on two hands because I'm not exactly what people would call a "morning person", but I made a rare appearance outside at the crack of dawn last week and captured this pastel palette minutes before the sky slipped back into a much less spectacular version of itself. I can honestly tell you that these are the authentic and true colors of this Colorado sunrise. No photoshop trickery here. Clouds are PINK in the morning!! WHAAA??? That's just crazy talk. Who knew?!? Guess I should get up a little earlier now and then because, obviously, I have been missing out.



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11.09.2010

on.becoming




thirteen.
a coming of age
and a ripeness
replete with growing pains.
more painful for me or her,
i'm just not sure.
depends on the day.
depends on who you ask, of course.
some days it feels so heavy,
like this hard task of becoming
threatens to rend us apart
in some irreparable way and other days,
I'm much more hopeful and faith-full
and loving and compassionate and aware
that this is exactly what she needs to do
to grow into a bigger dream for herself.
why can't i seem to have more of
those kinds of days these days?

xo,
{your often exasperated,
always determined &
ever-so- grateful mum}



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11.06.2010

discovered.today




Discovered this little gem near a wooded area early this morning. I came upon it fully expecting and half-dreading a nest full of eggs. To my surprise (and relief!), someone had used this little nest as a collection basket for spent blooms. I wondered about the story of this found object and I imagined the happy wanderings of a little girl, who had to have been overjoyed when she found such a perfect earthen pocket to hold her treasure trove of nature-made goods. It made me smile to think of her flitting about, relishing the discovery of each new bloom, appreciating and admiring the variety of colors she was able to acquire. How could she have known that leaving her cache of treasures behind would brighten my path this morning?? Giving thanks for this tender mercy that was only the beginning of a day that ended up being positively full of them.


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11.04.2010

a.little.story


If you know me, then you probably know that it's no secret that Vegas is one of my least favorite places to visit, but this past weekend it played host city to
some of my favorite people on the planet so I looked past
it's garish, in-your-face, over-sized facades {no bias there, right?!}
so that I could enjoy the good company of people I love.


Caroline and I flew in for a whirlwind trip
that included a quick jaunt to the Venetian Hotel:
{my baby brother's workplace and her only request for a 'must-see'}



The opportunity to spend time with some really amazing relatives of mine:
{I'm sad that I didn't get a picture of us with my cousins, because they made our first day in Vegas one filled with great belly laughs, good conversations and a whole lotta fun ...
thanks & luvs to you, Farah, Star & kidlets!}



I also got to check an item off that sometimes dusty Mighty Life List:
{also known by it's less glamorous name: The Bucket List}

Paddleboarding!

My brother Chris and I got some quick instruction and headed out on the water. Maybe, possibly with a slightly over-exaggerated sense of our abilities? Within ten minutes, I was stuck in a reedy marsh and Chris was unintentionally swimming in the water. It was all part of the fun and the thrill of it, though, and I have to say
that it was every bit as fun as I imagined it to be. This means that I'm now on the lookout for some paddleboarding buddies here in town
so call me if you're in the market!


I needed this getaway more than I realized. Although the trip was quick, it was chock-full of the deceptively simple gift of being with one another. Eating, chatting, teasing, laughing, sharing new adventures ... you know, those very things that make life so unexpectedly sweet and surprising. Let's do it again soon, k?




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11.01.2010

the.big.reveal - Fort Collins Senior Portrait Photography




Even though no one left their best guess on this post, there were quite a few who voted via Facebook. Unfortunately, none of them were the correct choice! The photo above was my heart's favorite from this session. I loved the golden grassy foothills, the wind lifting her hair, the scale of that enormous and brilliantly-colored cottonwood next to her petite frame ... yeah, pretty much all of it makes my heart sing.
Thanks for playing!!

xo,
{h}

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