Happy Halloween Ooodle Ooooo

October 31st

Happy Halloween from the Ooodle Ooo and the Egg

Ooky and Kooky

October 30th

After careful consideration and many sleepless nights of trying to decide of what to carve in our pumpkin this year, I finally decided on one design. It's breathtaking. It's magificent. It's.................................................

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

ELMO!!!!

There were several others that the boys worked on as well. The monster from the wild things was abosultely the hardest, but they all turned out beautifully I think. (Keep in mind I'm not a nighttime photographer so I did the best I could)

Tricks and Treats

October 29th

I've been tagged often as a little Martha Stewarty...and I guess that's probably true about me. (mind you I haven't always been that way) But I can tell you, that the feeling you get when you make something beautiful that is edible at the same time....is like none other on earth. And to watch people enjoy it is even better.

Carmel apples were on the list last night. I wrapped pencils with ribbon to be used as holders (and no the lead in not a problem unless you were going to keep them for months, then it might leak out, but if you're going to eat them right away, it doesn't make a difference because the pencil is in the center which you don't eat anyway). Kevin and I painstakenly unwrapped all the carmels and melted them along with a little water and a dash of vanilla. When they were done they looked so good and I soooo wanted to eat one immediately, but I knew I had to wait until the next day after I took pictures. That, my friends, is self control!!

The other thing on the list last night was pumpkin seeds. After cleaning out 4 pretty good sized pumpkins, I washed all the seeds and then spiced them up......cause I'm kind of a spice girl (I never made it into the group though.) In a bowl I melted some butter, threw in some worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, Franks hot sauce and some other random things. I cooked them and kept adding a little as I went along to make them just perfect.

So those are just a couple of my favorite Halloween treats. I love popcorn balls too, but that is another day's project.

Expressions

October 28th

Sometimes it's nearly impossible to get a bunch of kiddos to cooperate when you want...but at the same time the results are still amazing and completely hilarious. These are my favorite kinds of photos...ones where they don't care if you are watching. These four are cousins...the two on the left were an added bonus for me today. They were all pretty darn cute. When were were done I was walking hand in hand with Peyton (the little girl) and she said to me..

"those were my cousins, I have two cousins...how many do you have?"

"well I have 22 cousins."

"22 cousins!!!!" she stops dead in her tracks "WHOA!!!"

I've never had family photo of all my cousins together...I hope someday I will be able to. I think these kiddos are pretty lucky to be able to do this on a random Sunday afternoon.

And then there are the times when they do know the camera is watching them.

And then there are the times when they cooperate completely and you get something as gorgeous as this....

Perfectly Frozen

October 27th

From the moment I laid eyes on this young lady I knew I had to photograph her. From head to toe she oozes personality and beauty and originality. Sooo, on this cold, cold, cold October morning I drug her downtown for a quick shoot. I didn't get many shots off...but I didn't need to....every thing she did came out perfect. Looking at these you would never have guessed we were shaking in our shoes from near frost bite...

Warm to Cold

October 26th

This whole week has been so warm and then when I have a baby show up, wanting to play outside with her, the day turns almost unbearably cold. Poor thing I tortured her I think...but only for a few minutes. I couldn't bear to see her nose get any more red than it already was. I've photographed this little one many times...not many smiles, and that's what I adore about her. She can look into your soul and you fall in love. I told her mom I would only get a couple...but it was worth it....just look at her beautiful little lips and beautiful blue eyes...the cold was definately worth it!

North Crow

October 24th

Today I came home and took a little afternoon trip with my family. Brady had the afternoon off, so we went fishing...err, um, Brady went fishing, I went photo hunting and Parker played in the dirt most of the time. It was a really nice afternoon. We don't often times get to spend afternoons together. It was unseasonably warm for the end of October in Wyoming. The snow is coming I'm sure. We went to North Crow. Brady fishes there often and I had never been. It was windy and supposedly it always is there.

There isn't anything more in this world that my little yorkie loves to do than go fishing. It's the funniest thing in the world to watch him out there. He hates the water and will wade out until he can't go any further, when he's up to his neck, and wait for someone to bring a fish in.

This is the stone house on the way home. I've always loved seeing it..so I decided to stop this time.

Go Wrockies

October 23rd

That's the way Parker says it when they come on TV. The Rockies are on their way to the World Series...so in their honor, I shot these of old worn out baseball equipment. It's mainly a post for the boys...which I know I don't do all that often. What can I say.....I'm just a girlie-girl down to the core and quit t-ball when I was 5 because I thought grasshoppers in the outfield were making sounds like snakes. I even wore a ruffled collared shirt under my t-ball t-shirt so everyone would know I'm a girl. Oh...and I also wore a flower pin on my hat. We tried to get tickets to one of the games, along with 5 million other people. Kevin had this elaborate plan that each of us be online trying to purchase them at the same time....the same plan 5 million other people had which broke the Rockies computer system. Needless to say the second time around we didn't get tickets either. So.... we will be watching from the comfort of our home in front of the fire place. Or should I say I'll be listening as I pass through the room every now and again.

Daddy's Home

October 22nd

Brady came home after a 10 day elk hunt in the Laramie Peak area. He always comes home 10 pounds thinner and really manly looking.....you know scruffy. He left it for the day so his staff could see that he is a mountain man. Most people, when they meet him, would never think that his main passion in life is to put food on the table by hunting it down himself. (I actually enjoy the grocery store approach, but it makes him happy). I didn't get a shot of him when he came home in his camo...but I thought it was pretty appropriate to see his two sides mixed together...so here he is my scruffy hubby in his tie...

Parker didn't seem to mind the whiskers at all...

Banana Bread

October 21st



Today I woke up to snow on the ground. The first snow of the year here. I'm not a huge fan of snow so I was a little disappointed at the sight of it on my Sunday morning. But there is one good thing that comes out of cold days.....good food. I love making banana bread on cold days. The aroma covers the house in a blanket of goodness. And there isn't anything better than eating it hot out of the oven with a big glass of milk.
When I first started making banana bread I was very hesitant about the whole process. I was very culinary challenged and I thought making bread involved hours of time spent in the kitchen watching dough rise and time pass...but to my surprise, banana bread is sooo very easy. This is another thing I only make in the fall...it's just kind of a fall food. My banana bread never comes out brown. I've been concerned about that in the past that I'm doing something wrong...but it taste like heaven in your mouth...so I got over being concerned about it.
So for all of those who are stuck inside twiddling your thumbs because of the cold outside....try this out...it'll make you all warm and fuzzy.

Banana Bread
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup mashed ripe bananas (I always use three bananas)
1 3/4 Cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup nut (if desired....I never desire them)

Bake in loaf pan. (I started using the silicone pans. They look like something a 5 year old uses for an easy bake oven, but I've never burnt bread with one. They come in awsome colors now...hot pink, purple, blue...you name it.)

Mix all ingredients and put in greased pan. Bake until brown at 350 degrees for one hour.

The Perfect Fall Shots

October 20th

I know I've been posting a lot of Park lately....again, just can't help it. I've been trying for weeks to get the perfect fall photo of him with the perfect colors and cooperation just doesn't happen sometimes with toddlers. Plus, my schedule is starting to fill up and I fear that there won't be much time for Park pictures. (There will probably be a resounding "Uh huh...Right.... coming over the internet waves) We both woke up this morning feeling kinda gloomy and gross. His nose was running and my head was hurting so what better thing to do at 8:00 in the morning than to drop by Starbucks, pick up a hazelnut/ pumpkin spice latte (I made that up and I think it's fabulous), and take a drive to the country (Parker dressed in adorable fall attire and me in a baseball hat and cargo pants). It was calm and beautiful and colorful and crisp this morning. The perfect fall day. Now I can sleep at night...I have my perfect photos.

you can see the smiles fading, but I was completly in love with this one anyway.

"I'm done mom."

Road Trip

October 16th

Parker and I spent the afternoon in Colorado. We went shopping. Amazingly enough I came home empty handed. For once I bought nothing. (I know, I know you must think there must be something wrong with me) I did come home with some pretty amazing photographs. I was going for a little more of an urban look with these. But they ended up coming out cute, not urban.

And then this is what we saw on the way home. The Front Range sure can be beautiful sometimes.

October's Party

October 14th

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

~George Cooper

October 11th

Here is Tom Cruise in his pre-lunacy phase

Here is my son dressed in the same attire...which do you think is better looking. I of course think my son is much cuter than Tom Cruise (but that's because Tom Cruise is much shorter than me and had we ever met in real life it never would have worked out between us.)

Parker is a major dancer these days (but only if he's holding his beloved Elmo.) He has to be holding onto something because he gets a little out of control sometimes.

and I know I always complain about no smiles...well I got one without even trying.