Firey Red Head

I'm fairly certain I am one of the luckiest people. I get to spend wonderful afternoons with adorable children and then hand them back to their parents when I've worn them out. This little one travels 5 hours to have her picture taken and I'm more than humbled to be the one to capture these moments. I always thought she was a little ornery, but now I know why.....she's turning out to be a redhead! Curly at that. It takes quite a bit a persuasion to get a hug from her...but I got one.

Pesto Pasta

By the time summer rolls around I crave fresh veggies to the point of craziness. I love fresh veggies. I love to use the word "fresh" in the summertime. It's the best adjective for almost everything.

The real name for this recipe is "Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto" ...which was entirely too much for my mind to wrap around at the end of the day let alone get a two year old to pronounce (though I tried it and it was really funny)...so I renamed it Pesto Pasta. It rolls off the tongue easier.

This recipe is fabulous for pesto lovers. It's got a little kick to it. Non-pesto lovers...you're missing out. ( I'm pretty sure my mother told me that a million times growing up. )


Pesto Pasta

1 pound Penne rigate
1/2 pound asparagus (cut into pieces)
1 small zucchini cut into long pieces (or round pieces whatever is easiest)
1/4 pound haricot verts (thin green beans) with trimmed ends
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil (about 20 leaves)
handful flat leaf parsley
1 lemon zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (plus more to pass at the table)
coarsely ground pepper
1/3 cup virgin olive oil

Boil pasta in salt water to give it a little extra oomph, or if you're watching salt intake....don't use salt. Add vegetables to pasta after the pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes. (I think they taste best when they are a little crunchy, but that's a personal preference)

While pasta is cooking, toast pine nuts in small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese, oil and a little salt and pepper in food processor (I just use the little magic bullet...less mess)

Add a ladle of hot water from veggies to the pesto and then toss with the drained pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with extra grated cheese.

** I cut this recipe way down, because it's pretty big*****

Baby eyelashes and baby noses.



Missing teeth and perfect hair.

Soul searching eyes.




These are just a few things that make me love what I do.

Naked Peek-a-Boo

He's going through a little stage right now. The naked stage. Randomly, during the day, he'll shed his clothes (not the diaper) and I'll find them in the toybox or some such place. Today he played naked peek-a-boo for what seemed like hours. He kind of cheats. But when I squeal with delight so he'll uncover his eyes......my cup runs over with his laughter. Pay no attention to his outwardly sticking ribs. I do feed him. But unfortunately he inherited my picky eating habits.

Caught Em'

I got to spend a little time with this little one this weekend as well....and even managed to nab a couple smiles.

Trooper

I have a feeling she is one of those women that rolls out of bed and looks remarkably beautiful in the morning. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it. She's very natural in her movements and her presence. And even just spending an afternoon with her......you adore her..... because she's that beautiful inside as well.

Thanks B. for letting me torture you. Literally. (Poor thing came out of this one with war wounds)

I got to visit my favorite little town this weekend. One full of precious childhood memories. One that looks much different when you visit it when you grow up, but still love it because it resembles innocence and youth. My grandma always told me live life to the utmost when I was young, because I will never be young and beautiful ever again (she thought everyone was beautiful when they were young.....and she was right) This was the place I did that.

This little town was just like a Country Time Lemonade commercial. It's a sleepy lazy town. It doesn't move fast. It never has and it never will. You can hear the guy with the soft voice narrating a summers day spent there on bicycles and swimming in the river and playing in the sprinklers. Nights full of scary stories, sleeping bags and full moons.

These are photos of the surrounding area of Saratoga. It's beautiful in every direction. I got to share it with my sleeping son this morning. I'm pretty sure he loved it even though he didn't see much of it.









I played in this river for uncountable hours as a kiddo. Swimming. Looking for treasures and pretty rocks. Running from little boys with snakes. Probably hitting them if they ever touched me with one. Playing make believe games....the best kind there are.

Blossoms

Blossoms are scattered by the wind and the wind cares nothing, but the blossoms of the heart no wind can touch.

~Yoshida Kenko

Blog Interruption

I interrupt this photoblog for a weather report. This is the fastest and most easy way to update friends and family about the insane weather here. I haven't had Internet most of the day and I appreciate all the emails received wondering how we are. We did have another warning and spotted tornadoes all around us until 9:00 last night. We are currently coming out of another warning that came over the city in about a 20 minute period. Parker and I have been home by ourselves the last couple days. Brady has now made it to Laramie and will stay there for now and maybe the night. From what I understand, this will hopefully be the last of the craziness.

The Thunder Rolls

And the wind blows, and blows and blows. I spent the fair share of the afternoon locked in the downstairs bathroom with two cats, a dog and a two year old. We've been under tornado a watch for most of the day and when the sirens blew, we had to take cover. We have been surrounded by a dense, thick fog and tornadoes weren't visible until they were right on top of us. It has been the most odd weather I have ever seen. One was spotted two miles from my house, but never touched ground. Typically this part of the country doesn't have tornadoes, but today we were literally surrounded by them. Two towns just a little farther south of me were hit badly and my prayers go out to anyone living there.

My Little Miss Sunshine

She pulls at my heartstrings every time I see her. She melts my heart when she asks for a kiss before I leave (even if she told me to go home first.) Sometimes, I secretly want to take her home and keep her forever. I love her because she's ornery. I love her because she dances really well and really knows how to get down and shakes her little tush. I love her because she dramatic. She's my little sunshine and she's about to be a big sister. This was our official last singular shoot. I swept her away from her parents and had my own special time with her. We had a blast. And then she told me to go home.

All American Evening

My grandmother was the biggest baseball fan I ever met. In the hot summer evenings she would pull her chair close to the TV, open the screen door and let the breeze in and tune out the rest of the world. Her family would come and go in and out of the kitchen and nibble at whatever pie she had made that day or the ham left over from dinner. We would all sit with her, but none of us could hold her attention quite like the players. There was always ranting. There was always clapping.

I always wished she could have seen a game in person. She would have loved the smells and the sounds. She would have asked for the recipe for the doughnuts. She would have loved peanuts and Cracker Jacks and would have loved the seventh inning stretch.

Park went to his first pro game this weekend. He loved it. He loved the peanuts and Cracker Jacks. He also loved the seventh inning stretch.

Ordinary Life

"Time stands still best in moments that look surprisingly like ordinary life" ~ Brian Adreas

This is the conversation I got to have today

Me: Park what did you make me today at school?

Park: A Kracker-Roo!!

Me: A Kracker- Roo!!! That's the most awesome Kracker-roo I have ever seen!!!!! What do you think a Kracker-Roo eats?

Park: Mac and Cheese

Me: Does the mamma keep her baby in her pocket?

Park: Yeah.

Me: What else does she keep in that pocket?

Park: Rocks.

Me: Really? That's very interesting. Where do you think the Kracker-Roo lives?

Park: In Twees.

Me: In trees? No way!!!!

Park: Yeah....in MY twees. Parker's twees mamma!!!!

Me: We should see if there are any Kracker-Roos in our back yard.

Park: There are.

Snack Attack

There are two things in this world that I'm really bad at cooking. Things that I've tried time and time again and just can't get it. It's a bit ridiculous really...but it's something that has defeated me. Macaroni and Cheese and pancakes. I don't really like to eat either of these things, so it really doesn't affect my life that I'm missing out. However, there is one ingredient in Macaroni and Cheese that I don't think I could live without.....the powdered cheese. Admit it. You've all tried it. And secretly really loved it. And some of you may have snuck in the cupboards, opened a pack of mac and cheese and just eaten the cheese without cooking the noodles. Well you no longer have to do that, because look what I found.......



You can eat the whole thing. Put it on everything you eat if you want. It tastes exactly like what comes in the box. (I did a taste test) I was so happy when I found this. Almost as happy as I was when I found out they brought the pudding-pop back. Now if they could just bring the original orange trident back, I would be happy as a lark!

The Wolf Can't Blow This One Down

The first little pig had something going when he decided to build his house out of straw...he just should have gone a little further with it. Been just a little more creative. I got to spend a couple hours in a real house made of straw this past weekend. It was possibly the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It was not extravagant. It was simple. Elegant. Full of windows (a natural light photographers dream come true) and open. I immediately fell in love and felt as if I should move in. I'm sure no one would notice me or all my clothes. And shoes. Or the two year old attached to my hip.

I wanted to photograph the whole house a million times over, but felt a little silly. This is in the house. It's a portion of the wall without the finishing over it. Amazing.

Oh... and this is the reason I was there. He graduated. Finally. (Just kidding A. ) Congrats!! He and his dad built the house together. Some pretty talented men, that's for sure. They are sure inspiring.

A Girl that Grills

After a full day of playing in the dirt I decided that I needed to make a full meal on the grill. I really enjoy grilling. Is it weird for a girl to like to grill? Probably. Am I an ordinary girl? Probably not.

To me in the summer there is nothing better than grilled Eggplant Parmesan. It's my all time favorite. I could eat it everyday, three times a day, seven days a week. okay, maybe only six. But I do eat it often in the summer.

All you have to do is throw a little olive oil on the the slices of eggplant. Toss a mound of Parmesan cheese (and don't skimp) and grill on one side until the cheese melts. My mouth is watering just looking at it!!!

From Son Up To Son Down

I found out I was going to be a mom on Mothers Day three years ago. The prospect of being a mother scared the daylights out of me. Me.....a mom????? Seriously? I read every book and every article ever written on the subject that I could get my hands on to insure that I would be a good one, but by doing so, I scared myself into thinking I would be awful. I didn't know anything about babies! After my son was born, the books went in the garbage. I found out that being a mom is just something you know how to. It's natural. Even though I had never in my life changed a diaper (that's right....never) I changed the first one with loving hands, because he was mine. He was mine!! Even though I didn't and still don't know the first thing about parenting, he's mine, and he depends on me to mold him. Shape him. Educate him. Discipline him. Keep him healthy. Make him laugh and smile. Dance and sing with him. Hold him. Love him....because he's mine and that's a moms job. It goes from son up to son down...and some days the son never goes down. And just because I'm the parent, doesn't mean I don't learn something from him every single day. That's one the greatest delights of being a mom. It's a learning process for both of us. I found out that I'm a much better "fly by the seat of your pants and lets see what we can discover today" kind of mom. It's more fun, and not one single book I read told me how to do that.

This was the only part of my body I was willing to show today. I'm pretty sure I'm covered in dirt from the tip of my head down between my toes.... (Park had it in his belly button apparently!) it was a garden day!

Happy Mother's Day Mom....and yes, that is a hole in my jeans, and yes I like it there. All my love.

Together

She had to fight away a few tears before I starting shooting. Moms get emotional sometimes and spending an afternoon with your grown daughter is something pretty special. Thanks girls for letting me tag along.