macy + mark

I made it back from Roswell! And I had a wonderful time. Well, except for driving back to the hotel from the reception. I had rented a car to drive over and did not have my usual "navigation" system. On the way out to the reception location, I followed the crowd from the church, but most people had left by the time I left, so I was on my own. I really thought I remembered the way, but alas...30 minutes later, I'm still driving in the dark looking for the lights of town, and on an empty tank! I made it OK, or otherwise I wouldn't be typing this, but gosh! I was stupid not to know my way. Of course, NM ain't the greatest at marking their roads.

On to the details!


I took this photograph to remember just what Roswll as the dairy capitol of. The Southwest. Hmm....I never did see many cows. Saw plenty of alien figures, but no cows. I'll take their word for it though.


Macy had a beautiful day to get married! Lovely pretty clouds. Not the kind that carry rain, but the pretty.



This is Macy's granmother and the reception was held at her home. She came to the salon to "hang out" with the girls and seemed to be reflecting on the night the come. The anticipation of all the guests celebrating at her house. Gosh! How exciting! (and how much work.)






I love this shot of Macy's veil! I love long veils and how the capture the light and just seem so elegant!


Macy looked amaing!



v

This little flower girl, Lilly, took a bit to warm up, but once she did, I couldn't keep my lens off of her! How soft and adorable she is!


And her big brother Liam was not so bad himself! Handsome dude!






Macy's parents were so excited for Mark and Macy! I grabbed this shot a few moments before the ceremony.


The church had amazing light! It streamed through directly to the altar! I loved it!













It was a wonderful evening and so many family and friends drove out to celebrate the day! They danced and danced and I think there were still a few live bodies on the dance floor when I left around 11'ish or so.

Congratulations Macy and Mark! You can view the rest of their photographs by clicking HERE. I put a sneak peek up today. The remainder will be ready within a month!

Thanks so much for making me feel so welcome.

the dairy capitol....

But I haven't seen any cows. Yet, I'm sure. HA!

I'm in Roswell, NM after a LONG drive over, (don't want to talk about it) for Macy and Mark's wedding. I met Macy through her Aunt Shauna, so last night was very emotional for many people on many different levels. For me? Just bittersweet in a way. I'm so excited for Macy and Mark, because these two are so sweet together. I just love watching them together and how happy they make each other.

But, you just can't help thinking, or maybe feeling a bit of sadness, like Shanna was missing. She should be here. Her entire family, (I think...met most of them last night at the rehearsal) is here. She should be too. I know she's here in heart and spirit and definitely in the faces of love that exist in this family, but in our physical beings, it's hard not to hurt sometimes. We miss each other when we are gone. And yes, we will be reunited as belivers in Christ. So we hold on to that and in little moments God surprises us, with a hug, a smile and most of all, he blesses us with each other.

There was plenty of "each other" last night! And both families totally embrassed me and made me feel warm and welcome!
















The rehearsal dinner was held at this lovely place by the church. Food was fabulous as was the coffee. Of course, I felt they were a bit stingy with the "bundles of greens" but I understand....mouths to feed and I could have eaten everyone of them! Yum!

finally

I'm sitting at the airport in Dallas and did you know that McDonald's is now selling internet minutes? Yep. I just paid $2.95 for 2 hours of internet access. My flight is 1 1/2 hours late. Something about a storm in Houston so, time to kill translates in time to post. Here's some images from Ashley and Adam's e-session last night!

There's more I want to share than this, but I'm having trouble getting blogger to work. Go figure?

in dallas

And really trying to figure out my laptop! I have such cute photographs of Ashley and Adam and can't figure out how to log onto the wireless network? UGH... I so wish I could go back to school and take nothing but computers.

oh, well, you'll just have to trust me.

THE are sooo cute. (and I'm not just saying that because they brought the dogs along...)

they did!

Erica and Sean were married last night at First Baptist Church in Lubbock, in what can only be described as a "beautiful" celebration. Yes, it could be described as a bit "over the top", but only because you have never really seen anything like it! But so beautiful because it reflected Erica so well.

The details tell the story, so look on.

Erica's theme was "peacocks" and you could find a little bit of them everywhere. From the flower arrangements at the reception to the corsages of the wedding party, the colors and their inspiration were there in all the details. I loved it! Yet it was so simple and lovely, you couldn't help but feel special just to be a part of it.



Yum! I love her shoes! How awesome are these?! Don't they just look like something to feel elegant and lovely in? So pretty and so dressy. Perfect for a girl getting married!



And the guys were not spared the details either! One Posh Place set them up as well! Looking fine with their lovely orhcids and feathers!


Erica's bouquet was a Masterpiece! Tiffany of One Posh Place did the flowers and she does amazing work! For unique, custom designed pieces, and for a one-of-a-kind feel to your event or wedding, she's the one to call. I've worked with her before at Becca and Erik's wedding in December, and Christiane and Jordan's wedding back in 04. Her colors just POP and the designs are so beautiful, you really can't go wrong.


This is Erica's mom above, and I just loved that she was there with the girl's getting ready and taking part in this part of the day. Her and Erica have been planning for over a year! She made all the bridesmaids dresses and, best of all, was the seamstress on the custom designed wedding gown! Her and Erica are a good team together.






The groom before the ceremony. Erica had given him a gift that I won't mention here, but he LOVED it!





I've done receptions before at The Merkett Alumni Center on Texas Tech's Campus and we did Erica's bridal session there, but I've never seen it look so ultra cool, like it did last night. It had a very lounge feel to it. Wonderful for conversations and small little "get togethers". And the band, who unfortunately I have no photographs of, played some wonderful jazz music that kept the spirits flowing.




You can view all of Erica and Sean's photographs by clicking HERE. Be sure and bookmark your page when you get there, as this blog changes daily!

Congratulations you two!

erica + sean

do they look ready?

I mean seriously...do they?

They are getting married today! I'm due to meet Sean on the golf course this morning. And Erica will probably kill me for posting these shots here. But I just had to share how couples are so funny and how important it is to hire a photograher that "gets the moments". (ALERT: OM gosh! Is Kristin selling herself here? So outside of my element.)



The stress of the wedding plans can be so exhausting you just have to cut lose and go with the flow. The flow of "Sean" that is. He cracks me up. And I'm sure several of my shots today will be a blur do to the laughing at his antics, but it's so wonderful when you see a guy and a girl fall in love and share it and show it freely and acceptingly. (Is that even a word?) I mean, just look at the way he is looking at her here. Oh, I love it! Just melts the heart and gives you hope that the world will go on.

I was at their rehearsal last night and so enjoyed myself. My daughter Kalyn went with me and I'll share more of that later, but just wanted to post here, to share my day and to say how wonderful it is that, and simple really, that we reflect Him in our daily life. I love it!

we started school this week

hence, hardly any blogging.

Gosh, I need to call my Mom. I tried yesterday, to let her know how much I love her. How did she ever do it? What kept her from killing us softly in our sleep? Junior high kids are such walking, balls of emotions, it hard for a passionate person to hold their tongue let alone their hand, from slapping! Testing my patience Lord.

But after some serious prayers, I realize that I'm lucky. My children feel connected to me emotionally enough to share their wildest ranges of emotions.

Fear
Love
Anger
Anxiety

All of it. Sometimes all at once. And they know that I will love them no matter what. No matter what they say, or do, or wear. I will love them. They are mine, I will love them.

Of course, I will keep them locked in their rooms for using that "tone of voice" with me, but still. I will love them through the door.

Here's my tired girls after school one day.


Kalyn is doing pretty good. She's been through this before and just pushes on. Juggles the homework, the annoying boys that poke you all the time, the rushing to and from class. She feels the pressure the first week of school, but quickly takes it in stride and by Friday, was doing and feeling great. (that 9PM bedtime comes pretty quick as does 7AM)





Now, Summer Zoe, on the other hand. Well, it's very good that they don't give much homework that first day of school in 5th grade. She's having some energy problems dealing with her day. Gosh, it's hard to be a 5th grader. I personlly think it's all the talking to her friends, that wears her down. HA!





Cheese Nips! A great way to do homework!

sally married jared!

And it was so much fun!

She always said whe would never get married, and I even heard a reference to "the black sheep of the family" in one of the toasts, but golly! Marry she did last night! And in such a FUN, BIG way!

Bright, citrus green and hot pink were the colors, and family and friends offered their time, love and support to help the couple celebrate. Her sister Lulu did all the amazing flowers and managed to do so on time. Her "Man of Honor", Jesse, offered his HOT car for the getaway and for photographs. I quickly fell in love with her and am now inviting Jesse to all my weddings! HA So many people helped pull this wonderful celebration together and it was just so muc fun!

You can view more of their images by clicking HERE, and the complete wedding will posted by by September 12.

Congratulations you two!

sally + jared

I'm photographing Sally and Jared's wedding tomorrow and tonight was the rehearsal at Healthpoint. I've heard that this may be one of the last weddings there. You can use the place for receptions, but weddings, no more. Could be a rumor though, so don't quote me on that.

I always try to be at the rehearsals, if at all possible. It's just a great chance to meet everyone, get faces presses to short term memory and figure out where the best vantage point is for me. Healthpoint works great in that area, because the balcony allows you the freedom to move up, down and all around. Of course, tomorrow night will be totally different in that they expect 300 guests and will have only room for 115 on the floor.

Be sure and check back for the direct link to their gallery. Right now, it's protected, due to Sally's slammin' bridal session, but tomorrow night? All eyes can view and adore!

See you then.

baby levi

He's not here yet, but soon.

Stephanie and Nathan are expecting baby boy #4. They've named him Levi. And I spent the morning yesterday with her and the "clan". WOW! I've forgotten how much energy Rug Rats have at this age! My gosh!

I'm loving the spot metering on my new 5D! It produces the results I've yearned for since leaving film back in 2002. It's just an amazing way to pin point what I'm seeing and produce what is needed to convey that.

Stephanie's belly doesn't look near like it did with the other boys. But Little Levi did manage to make his presence known in a few shots.

Thanks, Steph! See you (and Levi) on the 13th.

it came

the rain came. It came! And we played!

OH, the smell! All the other times this summer when it rained, if you can call it that. It was never enough. And the dust blew so hard before, and brought so much "field" with it from across the road, that the rain never really washed the dust away. But not today.

Today it rained.

And the girls played.

the jones family

Meet the Jones Family. They go to my church, St. Joseph Church in Slaton and have 3 boys. Matthew, Caden and Nathaniel. Mark and Christy love the Lord with all their hearts. They let him lead their lives and it's led them in a direction they probably didn't expect, but fully accept with open hearts.

Pray for them today, this week and for a while. Mark is giving his kidney to a friend that needs one.

We spent a good part of last night enjoying each other in weird places. The boys are so full of energy and it was a challenge to get them all in one frame and still enjoy the process of taking pictures. I didn't want to be very stern. It's not my game with kids. I want them to want the camera on them. They did very well.

steve and sarah got married!

What a day!

I'm not sure what state Sarah's family was from? The aunts? Oh, the aunts! They were so full of life and so much fun! Steve's dad, too. You know how you can be around certain people that just make you instantly feel happy? These people were it.

Steve and Sarah were married by her brother, Chris in a lovely ceremony at First Christain Church in Lubbock. Reception followed and it was just a great night!

Congratulations you two! You can view more of their images by clicking HERE.


I knew shortly into the bridesmaids luncheon that this was going to be quite a bunch of maids! Topics of conversation went from "going to Brazil" and that doesn't mean the country. (Think wax!) to the possibility of having your bones, after your dead of course, crystalized into a necklace for a loved one to wear around their neck. Needless to say, I had ample opportunity for photos!


Sarah and a few maids got their makeup done at the MAC counter . It was tax free shopping day in Lubbock on Saturday and the mall was CRAZY! Crowded and tons of people.


I love this shot of "sassy sarah". This is just soooo her! Always gamming it up for the camera. Too fun!





This is Heidi. I have a million other photographs of her prancing around, barking like a dog, chasing imaginary RATS, etc. But I love the quietness of this one. Such a precious spirit and handful all rolled into one! Good Luck, Ashley.


I won't go into too much detail about the night before with these guys. I will say that outdoors in the heat is not where you really want to be after what they did the night before. That's it. I'll stop there.


But despite the lack of sleep, Steve could still look good. Love those baby brown eyes!


This is instantly Happy Man! (Steve's Dad)


The bride's room at this church has tons of mirrors! I loved playing around with the angels and getting some cool stuff.






This was the first time at the Jones Stadium Club for me. Pretty cool place. The view is fantastic, if you manage to squeeze behind a shade, and the carpet actually has the TT logo in the thread design. Very cool.

Details...
Ceremony: First Christan Church
Officiator: C. fester Prose
Wedding Coordinator/Planner: Brenda Stanfield
DJ/Band: Joe Gonzolaz
Baker: Slaton Bakery
Caterer: Sodexo
Bride's Attire: MorLe






A special shout out to Brad and Layce who referred me to Sarah and Steve. It sure was great to visit with you last night and see how great the two of you are doing. Since we didn't have a first dance at your wedding, here's a special one for you two. Thanks!

sarah and steve (part 1)

It's wedding time again! Sarah and Steve are getting married tomorrow night at First Christain Church. The church known for the longest aisle in Lubbock. (Good luck tomorrow with that, k sarah?) I went to the rehearsal tonight to test out the new camera and boy! Am I ever enjoying it! I still have to get the parameters right and get used to the LCD screen. The 5d seems a bit yellow compared to my trusty 20, but once I get the settings down, it will TOTALLY ROCK!

Sarah's brother is serving as officiator and even though the bride was a fashionable 15-20 minutes, he managed to wrap everything up in under 20 minutes! Very impressed. Be sure and check back tomorrow. These two are going to have an amazing wedding!

Click HERE for Sarah and Steve's pictures.


The bride arriving fashionable late, however we quickly forgave her, because she looked so great in that black dress.


I think this is the groom's sister, otherwise known as "video lady".


First Christian has such a lovely structure about it. This was shot from the balcony and features the pipes from the organ. The couple that is doing the vocals were rehearsing and I got the chance to hear them. I'll get their names and post them tomorrow. They were AMAZING! (and I hear alot of vocalists. wink wink)

scrabble

My grandmother, Nana used to love scrabble! And she could kick my butt when we played almost every time. She even got out the lazy susan to play so all players would have the advantage of the right veiw of the board.

I have fond memories, (and not so fond ones) of playing games as a kid.

Life
Sorry
Scrabble
Monopoly
Operation
Parchezzi
Yahtzi

Games were just always a big part of a kids life back before cable and MTV. Also, being a child of divorce, I was home ALOT with my sister, alone. So we played. When family comes, we still play. Even more fun now because my girls can enjoy this tradition now, too.

devin's famous ribs

Mom emailed yesterday, letting all the family know that she and Donnie made it back to sunny CA. And I remembered I hadn't posted all the pics from our visit together.

When family stays, they get Devin's famous BBQ'd ribs. They are wonderful! People get really weird and almost animal like waiting and then eating these puppies. Of course we way over eat and then are miserable for the rest of the night.

swimming day

Life is good.

Today, I took the girls swimming (after an emotional Bible Study Breakdown AM Thanks Toni and Lauren) at a friends pool and got to test out my new camera. (The Canon EOS 5D) I'll speak more about that later, but had to share the amazing colors this new sensor produces! AMAZING! Tortilla soup is simmering on the stove and the girls are worn out! Including me.

I love my mom...

My mom is the Greatest! I love this picture of her above. She is full of life, spirit and just plain fun. She came to visit last week and could only stay a little bit, but I'll take what I can get in life.

We spent most of the visit gathered around food. If there's one thing me and my mom are good at, it's being "couch potatoes". We love to eat, sit and visit and in that order. I'll include a quick smudge of pictures as I'm headed out the door right now. I'll try and post more later, but don't keep your fingers crossed too long. Life is BUSY!

I love you Mom!

six flags

The girls after riding BATMAN
I LOVE this ride! Very smooth and cool and best of all, you go barefoot!

We took the kids to 6 Flags last week before we heading home from BIG D. Basketball was over, most sports are over. (especially thanks to Summer breaking her arm.) and it's that slow few weeks before school starts.

I'm glad though. I have 5 back to back weddings the month of August. BUSY.

I firmly believe that photographers are cursed when it comes to vacation photographs. We let our guard down and think that because we are "pros" are photographs will be amamzing. But when we get home and look at them, we think, "ugh! Anyone could have taken that."

Well, here are my "anyone could have taken that images" from our day trip to 6 Flags.


The Superman Ride was a BIG favorite with our family. Our girls will ride anything and that's great, cuz Momma won't! HA As much as I love the Titan, I can't do the Superman thing because of the height issue. I blame my Father and a trip to the Royal Gorge and the tender age of "I can't remember". I just remember this natural bridge and my Dad and his sinister grin. No, he didn't toss me over, but just the idea that he could did it for me. Heights are NOT my friend.

Anyway, Superman would thrust you up with such speed that things not sewn to your pocket would fall out with not where to go but down. You can see in the photo above all the change. We also spotted hats, combs, a shoe or two, even a body spray bottle.




I don't even have a photograph of my favorite ride, the Titan. It goes against my fear of heights, but the sheer idea of being thrust at 80 MPH down a 280 foot drop is enough for me. I loved it! I love it 2 years ago when we came and I love it now. We rode it 3 times as the lines were not too terribly awful. Overall a great day at the park. The longest wait was 35 minutes for Batman. (Check out the photograph below...the Sponge Bob Ride. So fun! Blasting pickels!)